Syrian and Iraqi refugees shivering in the cold and the ruthless world

Eastern Europe is currently in the grip of severe cold, with temperatures well below freezing.  Thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees await their tragic death in the open air on the border between two Eastern European countries, Belarus and Poland, in this blood-curdling cold.  Troubled by the unfortunate war and unrest, they have sought refuge.  The Syrians near the border took refuge in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, but the Syrians reached the shores of the Mediterranean and boarded the wrecked boats, thousands of which were swallowed by the sea.  Now the "lucky" survivors are fleeing Europe in search of asylum.

 The people of northwestern Iraq, victims of ISIS, also turned to the Mediterranean via Syria.  Large numbers of Iraqi and Syrian refugees crossed into Iran and reached Belarus via East Russia via Azerbaijan.  These homeless people hoped that from there they would cross the border to the west and reach Poland, which is part of the European Union or the so-called civilized world.  But Polish forces stopped them at their border.  Russia, on the other hand, has deployed troops on the Belarusian border, leaving thousands stranded.  Now they can neither enter Poland nor return to Belarus.

 One of the main reasons for these refugee concerns is the general attitude towards refugees in Europe.  The main impetus for Britain's exit from the European Union was the impression that being part of the Union, the British Empire had no control over its borders, and that the  Comes on  Interestingly, border patrols have resulted in a severe shortage of "workers" in Britain.  Recently, London's petrol pumps ran out of fuel because the required number of drivers were not available for oil trucks.  With this prejudice, the traditional conflict between Russia and the West has exacerbated the refugee situation.

Belarus, with a population of 9.3 million, was a state of the late Soviet Union called the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic or Byelorussian SSR.  Belarus became an independent country in 1990 when Russia fell to the Afghan Mujahideen.  At the same time, Russia's grip on Eastern Europe weakened, and most countries came out of the umbrella of communism and adopted Western democracy.  Russia's political and economic grip on Belarus has remained strong, and it is now the border between Russia and the Western world.

 Alexander Lukashenko, a Soviet military officer and former leader of the Communist Party, was elected president in the first general election since Belarus's independence and the adoption of a new constitution.  Mr Lakashenko has been an undesirable figure in the West since the first day of his election.  The United States and its allies have complained that he has a dictatorial mindset and has resorted to violence against his political opponents, civil society and the free media.  Former President George W. Bush imposed sanctions on Belarus in 2006 over the allegations.  According to the Bush administration, the economic and diplomatic sanctions were intended to force President Lukashenko's dictatorial government to adhere to human rights.  President Barack Hussein Obama, who took office after George W. Bush, also upheld US sanctions against Belarus.

 Tensions escalated after the August 2020 elections.  Alexander Lukashenko has been elected President of Belarus for the sixth time.  Opposition groups called for a boycott of the by-elections in protest of the recent election victory of President Vladimir Putin.  During the months-long protests, about 40,000 people were arrested and hundreds of protesters were beaten by police.  The West reacted strongly to these measures, and the European Union, along with the United States, imposed additional sanctions on Lukashenko's government.

 In May this year, Belarusian warplanes diverted a flight from Greece to Lithuania, forcing it to land in its capital, Minsk.  Opposition groups called for the arrest of Roman Protasevich, an anti-government journalist aboard the plane.  Belarusian Civil Aviation, on the other hand, claims that the private airline Ryanair Flight 4978 was heading in a different direction from the designated air route despite warnings.  Following the move, the European Union closed its airspace to Belarus and banned all imports, including petroleum products, potash, fertilizers and agricultural equipment.  The sanctions threaten to weaken Belarus's economy.

Reacting to the sanctions, President Lukashenko said that due to poor economic conditions, his country could not afford to host refugees, so it was possible for Belarus to continue implementing the agreement reached with the European Union.  No, it is the responsibility of the host country to prevent illegal immigrants from moving to another country.  His country will no longer obstruct the flow of refugees to the European Union.

 The European Union (EU) has accused the Belarussian government of pushing refugees from Iraq, Syria and other countries to neighboring Poland, Lithuania and Latvia following the unilateral cancellation of the agreement.  According to Polish officials, a Belarussian opposition member confirmed that the state-run tourist agency was assisting the refugees in traveling to the border, using President Lukashenko as a "seal" against the sanctions.  Are

 The Belarussian president, on the other hand, has been harsh on the European Union's border blockade.  He says Poland has deployed special police and armed forces on its border to stop the refugees, who are pushing the helpless refugees back to Belarus by killing them like animals.  Seven to eight thousand refugees have fallen under the open sky in extremely cold weather and at least eight people have died in the last three or four days.

 Russia is sending troops to Belarus in response to Poland's deployment of troops on the border, which it has announced will conduct joint exercises with Belarusian troops near the Polish border.  Russian paramilitary forces have also been reportedly sent for the purpose.

 According to US military sources, the movement of Russian troops is also being observed on the Ukrainian border in southern Belarus along with the Polish border.  The United States and NATO have expressed concern that Russia, taking advantage of tensions between Poland and Belarus over the issue of refugees, intends to carry out the same campaign against Ukraine as it did in 2014 when Russia occupied Crimea.  The US Secretary of State has said that Washington does not consider Moscow's military ambitions appropriate, but it is not possible to ignore their tactics.  Both Russia and Belarus have denied any wrongdoing in Ukraine.

Russia is now backing Belarus, while the European Union is backing Poland, Lithuania and Latvia unconditionally.  According to European Council President Charles Mitchell, a proposal to install barbed wire and barricades on the Belarusian border is under consideration, the first such event in EU history.  While extraordinary military mobilization and military movements pose a serious threat to regional peace in the event of an armed conflict, the presence of thousands of refugees, including infants, in the bitter cold could lead to a terrible human tragedy.

 Armed troops stand ready to fight on either side of the thousands of people awaiting death at the mercy of the weather, or as if the oppressed refugees are being targeted by gunmen on both sides.  These unfortunates can no longer return to their home countries, nor can travel to Europe.  In the event of a slight provocation and a minor collision, the first round of bullets will pierce the chests of the helpless.

 What a complaint from the United Nations and international organizations that the Muslim and Arab world is not even aware of this dangerous situation.  So far, the governments of Syria and Iraq, the Arab League, the Muslim world and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have remained indifferent.  Don't know, don't know, don't know.