Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The civil war in Syria has developed into an humanitarian crisis and a catastrophic situation for the civilian population. This is most apparent in Aleppo. This conflict has become a theatre of war in which Russia and other states are sponsoring and supplying either side. Some of the sponsors are also being supplied with US military equipment. The area has become a regional and international theatre of war. How can this be? Some of the EU states are half-hearted in their condemnation of Russia and Russian-sponsored bombing in support of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The US and EU sanctions must be strengthened. We must make greater efforts to put pressure on Russia and other international players to stop the conflict.

I will address the medical and humanitarian aspects of the conflict. The bombing of Aleppo is disproportionate and indiscriminate. Hospitals, medical personnel, schools and residential areas are all being targeted. It is unheard of in war and is completely unacceptable. To attack non-combatants, medical and civilian, must amount to a war crime. Last week, 14 members of the same family, including eight children, were killed in an air strike. Syria is the seat of civilisation. It was the seat of language, science, astronomy and art. Yet, it has been subjected to a completely unacceptable and savage war. The carnage in Aleppo is all the more unbelievable when one considers that Bashar al-Assad is a medical doctor, trained in Damascus and London less than 30 years ago. This is a blight on the medical profession, given the ethical and moral values which doctors receive during their training. The principle of all medical practice is first, do no harm, primum non nocere. Doctors have been involved in other very serious war crimes. Radovan KaradŽić, a psychiatrist, was responsible for the massacre of 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica on 11 July 1995. Dr. Josef Mengele and 350 of his colleagues were involved in medical experimentation which was part of the holocaust to exterminate Jews. In Syria, Bashar al-Assad and his allies are bombing fellow doctors and their facilities in Aleppo. It is shocking to the point of disbelief.

Every war ends some time and in every conflict there are winners and losers. However, in every conflict the civilians are the losers either by collateral damage or, as in Aleppo, because they are specifically targeted, along with medical personnel. It is completely unacceptable. Mosul may become the new Aleppo. Every conflict ends in exhaustion, common sense or crippling hardship for the defeated. Unfortunately, it looks like Aleppo will end with the latter. All sides claim to have their god on their side, yet no god could condone what is happening in Aleppo.

Although Ireland has no economic or military power, it is a peacekeeping nation without a colonial past. It has respected moral and diplomatic standing among the nations of the world, and we must bring this important leverage to bear on ending the conflict to bring the genocide to an end. We must use our diplomatic expertise, which we have earned since the foundation of the State, to end the conflict. We must also accept, as rapidly as possible, refugees from Syria. We must take them to a place of safety so they can return to their nation when the conflict is over. We need to take them from the area of conflict, bring them in, keep them safe, look after them and return them to their country at the end of the conflict. It is extremely important.

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