THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- September 29, 2016- Topic 2
Over the past five and a
half years, every international effort to bring violence in Syria to an end has
collapsed. The UN has largely been a spectator since what began as civil strife
spiralled into a deadly war between the regime and a group of rebel groups
supported by outside powers. In this time, half a million people have been
killed. The Geneva I and II peace plans did not even take off. Russia and the
U.S. had earlier agreed to cease hostilities, but the agreement did not hold.
When Moscow and Washington, which support the regime and the rebels,
respectively, decided to go ahead with talks despite the initial setback and
finally came up with a proper ceasefire agreement earlier this month, hopes
were high about bringing at least some temporary relief to Syrians. But within
a week of reaching the agreement, the Syrian regime and the rebels are back
fighting each other, erasing the advances made through months of negotiations.
It is immaterial to ask who has violated the terms of the agreement, given the
hostility and the contradictory accounts of who did what. The Syrians blame the
U.S. for violating the terms first with airstrikes, killing more than 60 Syrian
soldiers in Jebel Tharda on September 17, a few days into the deal. The U.S.
says the strike was a mistake. It, in turn, blames Russian jets for attacking a
UN aid convoy in Aleppo a few days later, which Moscow denies. Amid the
allegations and counter-allegations, the war drags on, creating more havoc,
especially in Aleppo that has witnessed heavy regime bombardment and where 2.5
lakh people are believed to be trapped.
There are two key
impediments to achieving truce. First, President Bashar al-Assad is now making
advances in the battlefield. Recapturing Aleppo, once Syria’s largest city, has
always been high on his agenda, and he may be less keen to compromise at a time
when he is winning. But the problem is that while trying to recapture the city
his forces might commit another massacre, which the world should not let
happen. Being Mr. Assad’s greatest supporter, Russia has a moral responsibility
to end the siege of Aleppo. But Russia has its own concerns. It wants the
rebels to isolate the jihadists among themselves, particularly Jabhat Fateh
al-Sham, and has been asking the West to target such groups. Though the U.S.
has said it is fighting all jihadist groups in Syria, it is now focussed only
on the Islamic State, which is in retreat. The U.S. and Russia need to stay
engaged in talks. The word truce may appear to be a cliché in today’s Syria,
but an international ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Russia still seems to
be the best option to turn around the Syrian situation.
Vocabulary
Spectator: a person who watches at a show, game, or other event.
Example: These have every appearance of being intended for the use of spectators
watching sporting events.
Synonyms: watcher, viewer, observer, onlooker, bystander, witness, commentator
Strife: angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.
Example: Strife within the community
Synonyms: conflict, friction, discord, disagreement, dissension, dispute
Spiral: move in a spiral course.
Example: A wisp of smoke spiraled up from the trees
Synonyms: coil, wind, swirl, twist, wreathe, snake
Hostilities: hostile behavior; unfriendliness or opposition.
Example: Their hostility to all outsiders
Synonyms: antagonism, unfriendliness, enmity, malevolence, malice
Ceasefire: a temporary suspension of fighting, typically one during which peace talks
take place; a truce.
Example: War with people who break their ceasefire agreements is the default
position.
Immaterial: unimportant under the circumstances; irrelevant.
Example: So long as the band kept the beat, what they played was immaterial
Synonyms: irrelevant, unimportant, inconsequential, insignificant
Havoc: widespread destruction.
Example: The hurricane ripped through Florida, causing havoc
Synonyms: devastation, destruction, damage, desolation, ruination, ruin, disaster
Bombardment: a continuous attack with bombs, shells, or other missiles.
Example: An aerial bombardment will precede the attack
Impediments: a hindrance or obstruction in doing something.
Example: A serious impediment to scientific progress
Synonyms: hindrance, obstruction, obstacle, barrier, bar, block, handicap, check, curb
Truce: an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a
certain time.
Example: The guerrillas called a three-day truce
Synonyms: ceasefire, armistice, suspension of hostilities, peace
Siege: a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building,
cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling the surrender of
those inside.
Example: Verdun had withstood a siege of ten weeks
Synonyms: blockade, encirclement
Cliché: a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original
thought.
Example: The old cliché “one man's meat is another man's poison.”
Synonyms: platitude, hackneyed phrase, commonplace, banality, old
saying
