Lost Lessons from a Toddler’s Death

The world’s conscience was touched by the photo of a toddler who
drowned while fleeing the war in Syria — and Europe’s cohesion is
threatened by the growing flood of Syrian refugees. But Western leaders
won’t let go of their “regime change” fixation which is making matters
worse, writes Rick Sterling.

By Rick Sterling

Around
3:30 a.m. on Sept. 2, toddler Aylan Kurdi, his brother, mother and nine
others drowned trying to reach a Greek island from Bodrum, Turkey.
Around 6 a.m., the staff photographer
from Dogan News Agency came upon Aylan’s body on the beach and took the
famous photograph of the little boy lying face down on a beach.

In
a few hours it was published online and “went viral” on Turkish then
English language social media. Washington Post Beirut chief Liz Sly
posted the photo with comment that Aylan’s death is “emblematic of
world’s failure in Syria.” Minutes later, Nadim Houry of Human Rights
Watch (HRW) posted the photo with comment that it’s an “indictment of
collective failure.”

Turkish President Recep Erdogan.