SYRIA: 27 children’s bodies were found massacred, Take Action!

Today another 27 children’s bodies were found massacred in Syria. To stop this horror, we need to cut off the flow of arms to the regime. There is one way to do it, but it’s going to take all of us working together to make it happen.

Here’s how: India and the US are key clients to Syria’s main weapons supplier — the state-owned Russian company Rosoboronexport. If we can get the two countries to threaten to halt all deals unless the Russians stop supporting Syria’s murder machine, the arms dealers could be forced to stop their Syria sales.

Both the US and India want to stop the violence in Syria, but diplomacy is failing. This is their best chance — let’s give them a massive mandate to act.

The US has already persuaded the company to stop light weapons sales to Syria. Now if we can build up the pressure on India and get both countries to speak out, Rosoboronexport could be forced to cut Syria’s arms supply completely.

Click here to sign the urgent petition to stop dealing death to Syria and tell everyone — our call will be delivered to both countries and Rosoboronexport at a massive arms fair in Paris in 2 days:http://www.avaaz.org/en/us_and_india_stop_syrias_merchants_of_death/?vl

International political solutions are failing to stop the bloodshed in Syria — just last week the world was stunned by the brutal al Houla massacre where 49 children were executed, and today there is another mass killing. Why? Assad is protected by his old friend Russia, which has blocked international action while profiting in arms sales — Rosoboronexport is Russia’s biggest arms dealer, bringing the government billions in revenue per year.

President Assad is only clinging to power through military might and sowing fear. If we can convince Russia that supporting the Syrian regime is not worth it, and end arms sales to Assad, his killing arsenal will wane and his command will slip away.

India and the US make up over 50% of Russia’s arms sales, and they both want strong action on Syria. The US has led efforts to stop the violence, and a group of US Senators is right now calling on the Pentagon to cancel a massive helicopter contract with Rosoboronexport. India already voted to stop the violence in Syria at the UN Security Council.

Now, experts say if there’s even a hint that the Indian government might reconsider its patronage of Rosoboronexport because of Syria, sales to the regime could end, and the Russians could ditch their support for Assad.

Rosoboronexport could be held legally responsible for war crimes for sending weapons to the Syrian regime, but due to huge profits and a sense of impunity, they continue their bloody business as usual. Diplomatic pressure is mounting on Russia right now, but it is this financial threat that could be the deciding card. We have to act now and make sure hundreds of thousands of us speak out before Rosoboronexport arrives in Paris next week.

Click to call on the US and India to stop Russia’s deadly deals now and forward to everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/us_and_india_stop_syrias_merchants_of_death/?vl

Over the past year, Avaaz members have supported the Syrian spring and an end to the violence — we have broken the blackout, exposed hidden atrocities and provided critical lifelines to Syrians under siege. Today we are delivering our petition to the UN to call for more monitors. Now, let’s do all we can to cut off the weapons at the source that are killing the Syrian people.

 

With hope and determination,
Alice, Joseph, Denis, Luca, Emma, Ricken, Stephanie, Wissam, Dalia and the entire Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION
Isolate Syria’s Arms Suppliers (Human Rights Watch) http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/06/03/isolate-syria-s-arms-suppliers
Russia Said To Halt Syrian Arms Supplies After U.S. Pressure (Bloomberg) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-18/russia-said-to-halt-some-syrian-arms-supplies-as-fighting-ebbs.html
Houla Massacre: Russia’s Tipping Point On Syria? (Reuters) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/30/houla-massacre-russias-ti_n_1556394.html
Russian Arms Shipment Reached Syria, Says Rights Group, U.S. Condemns Supplying Weapons (Reuters) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/russian-arms-ship-syria_n_1560097.html
Troubling Rosoboronexport Contract Examination Mandated by New NDAA Provision (Human Rights First) http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/2012/05/29/troubling-rosoboronexport-contract-examination-mandated-by-news-ndaa-provision
Syria army stockpiling Russian arms, report says (AP) http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/03/19/syria-weapons-fighting.html
Eurosatory Arms Fair. Paris June 11-15. http://www.eurosatory.com
Rosoboronexport says India remains Russia’s largest strategic partner (RIA) http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20110923/167056339.html
Russia revs up arms exports http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_02_22/66659787/

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