© twitter.comEndless lines of humanity seeking shelter and safety.
Despite being the richest nation in the world, the United States says it will only admit 10,000 Syrian refugees this year. Although no one will ever be able to verify that, it's still shamefully low, particularly given the role of the United States in stoking the refugee crisis in the first place.
Facing criticism for its lagging humanitarian response so far, the US seeks to frame its commitment as a significant boost. And indeed it does constitute an increase, as the US has admitted less than 1,500 Syrian refugees since the US-led war began in 2011. Still, the number falls well below commitments of other countries that are far smaller. For instance, Germany has committed to accepting up to 800,000 refugees by the end of this year.
What's more, the US is not planning to ease the cumbersome background and medical checks that leave refugees in legal limbo for up to two years. They have to go through the most robust security process of anybody who's contemplating travel to the United States.
This clearly means the US won't be able to meet its commitment this year - no matter how hard they try to convince the United Nations and human rights organizations. Bureaucratic impediments means the US will not provide immediate sanctuary — or anything close - either.
The US might claim it is the leader of the world. But this is not leadership; it is barely a token contribution given the size and scale of the global emergency. Taking in 10,000 Syrian refugees is far too little and is only a drop in the bucket toward providing protection to the more than 4 million Syrians who have already fled their country due to horrific violence and war.
This is particularly important, given that the United States and its NATO-Arab allies have played a key role in driving the crisis Syrians face. What's more, they refuse to stop backing terrorist groups to affect regime change in Damascus.
They continue to frame the conflict as a civil war and economic turmoil in terms of fanaticism, corruption, dictatorship, economic failure and other causes for which they have no responsibility. Likewise, they stay silent about their military interventions and regime change fantasies - military adventures that have torn the refugees' homeland apart and resulted in wars, state collapse and extremely violent conditions in countries beyond Syria, including: Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Eritrea, Somalia, and Nigeria.
It is time for the United States to become a country of value, not a country of success. The displaced people of Syria are of value. They have a lot of dignity. Their issues are the world's issues. The challenge of ending their displacement is inseparable from the challenge of establishing and maintaining peace.
There are many challenges facing the international community today but few are more pressing than that of finding a lasting solution to the refugee problem in Syria. A political solution, the possibility to begin a new life, is the only dignified solution for the Syrian refugees, and such a solution will not be possible as long as the United States and its allies continue funding, arming and training terrorists.
Comment: "It is time for the United States to become a country of value, not a country of success." The time was long ago, way before we were born. It becomes the incumbent responsibility of all Americans to bring and hold the US to a standard it obviously isn't familiar with, doesn't understand and has rarely practiced. Success and Value--two very different things.