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CLICK HERE to share your thoughts on our webinar of June 8th with Dr. Nikolaos van Dam on "War Crimes in Syria"

6/8/2021

8 Comments

 
8 Comments
Corinne Murphy
6/8/2021 12:20:01 pm

Ed and I both thought the presentation was excellent and engaging during its entirety. We appreciated the information and insights as well as the format.

Reply
Christopher Hebb
6/8/2021 12:25:52 pm

Dr. Nicholaos van Dam's presentation was first rate. He did an amazing job at outlining the many aspects of Middle Eastern issues which are generally not appreciated in North America.

Reply
JAMES MCFARLIN
6/8/2021 04:13:46 pm

Thank you, Christopher. Agree, his insight and perspective on complex subjects was masterful. Glad you enjoyed.

Reply
Gordon Kramer
6/8/2021 02:27:00 pm

Ambassador van Dam gave an excellent presentation outlining the complex and multi-faceted dimensions of the civil war in Syria. The definition of "war crimes" however as he presented seemed to be of little value. To paraphrase; "Any time a civilian area is attacked there will be collateral damage and war crimes will be committed".
The problem is that every conflict inevitably affects civilian areas; from Hiroshima and Dresden in WWII to Kabul, Afghanistan, so that in any conflict everybody is a war criminal. If everybody is a criminal then being a criminal has no meaning. If there is a crime then there should be prosecution and punishment. How can you punish everyone? I think the term "war crimes" needs a new definition. Also a lot of the conclusions and recommendations that Ambassador van Dam presented seemed a lot like Monday morning quarterbacking.
His knowledge of the participants in the Syrian conflict and the details of their involvement was excellent. Good job Ken, looking forward to the next presentation on July 7.

Reply
Ken Bouldin
6/9/2021 02:09:38 pm

Gordon, the next presentation is on July 6th.

Reply
JEAN CARRUS
6/8/2021 03:20:37 pm

THE JUNE 8TH SPEAKER, AMBASADOR van DAM WAS A GENTLEMAN WHO KNEW HIS FACTS AND WAS CONVERSANT WITH THE HISTORY OF HIS SUBJECT. I LEARNED A LOT!.

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Brett Romer
6/8/2021 08:27:41 pm

Enjoyed the presentation. His thoughts were down to earth.

Reply
Allen & Marilyn Shapiro
6/12/2021 01:09:30 pm

This presentation was outstanding, with the subject matter much more focused on the on-going Middle East situation than with "war crimes". Consistent with other presentations by foreign diplomats or experts, Ambassador Van Dam's introductory remarks were read from a script and became monotonous. He should have rather provided us with a succinct "story line", not more than five points, focused on "war crimes". Food for thought regarding advice to provide for future WACD speakers.

Nevertheless, we gained a good deal of objective insight regarding Syria, Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan within the dangerous Middle East sandbox. Sound advice for the US not trying to be everywhere on this planet (e.g., Syria and Afghanistan). Some situations just have to be played out over decades (witness the current interface between the US and Vietnam). But, that requires a strategic, long-term view, which has been missing for a while from the USG, regardless of political party.

And indeed, in any civil, continental or global conflict, "war crimes" are committed by both sides in some way, shape or form. Human collateral damage is an expected outcome. How, when and by whom are the perpetrators brought to justice? What is the tipping point used to determine that a crime has occurred. Under what ground rules and governance? The topic is still wide open.

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