EU Diplomat: We Made a Mistake in Syria

EU Diplomat: We Made a Mistake in Syria
No one can compete with Emma Bonino when it comes to putting forth one's voice. When she was Italy's minister of foreign affairs and sat alongside top players in the Syrian crisis, she was at the heart of the international action.
In an interview with As-Safir, Bonino revealed the process that stirred the Syrian conflict. She said that the military solution dominated the thoughts of the anti-regime camp, though she expressed suspicion over the plotting of the Arab states and Turkey. Bonino spoke about the West's mistakes, criticizing what she views as the fundamental flaws in the international alliance against the Islamic State (IS).
In June 2013, Bonino criticized the repeated delays of Geneva II. However, her opinions were not in line with Western propaganda when she attributed the delays to the fact that countries in the region were still "contemplating a military solution." When asked about this comment, she laughed and confirmed that the issue represented the approach adopted by these countries.
She said: "This issue is still ongoing. There are countries in the region that still believe that a military solution is possible. What we see today is a daily war in the region between Sunnis and Shiites. It is also a war among the Sunnis themselves. Looking at the Sunni-Shiite issue, however, we see that it is a historical and cultural conflict. It is not really related to religion as much as it is related to the misuse of religion for geostrategic purposes. We are well aware of that, because our region witnessed 30 years of war in the name of religion (between 1618 and 1648, Europe witnessed a series of long and destructive wars between Protestants and Catholics). However, here, there is nothing related to religion or God, but rather to geopolitical strategy and such. I feel that in all cases, even now, there are countries that actually prefer a military solution over negotiations."
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