For months the pictures of death and destruction coming out of Syria have been wrenching, even as the political condemnation coming from world leaders has been consistent and ineffective. Today, we're asking how that happens, how the civilians of one nation can be so victimized, how a world can be so aware and how everyone is so able to look away.

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Part One of The Current

Satire

It's Thursday, June 21st.

Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney apologized after calling Alberta's Deputy Premier an a-hole in an email accidentally sent to the Deputy Premier's staff.

Currently, Kenney adds that the real a-hole is the creator of the "reply all" button.

This is The Current.

Turning away during humanitarian crisis - Senator Romeo Dallaire

Residents in the Syrian city of Homs said the Syrian army was shelling its central district today, even though Syrian rebels and forces loyal to Damascus have agreed to a temporary truce. The International Committee of the Red Cross is waiting to send in rescue teams to give aid to the wounded trapped in the city. After ten new days of fighting, hundreds of civilians remain stuck in the old city.

It's just the latest bloody chapter in Syria. The UN says more than 10,000 people have been killed by government forces during the conflict. The world is alarmed by the Syrian crisis. But so far, that alarm hasn't led to any real intervention. It has, however, led to a lot of talk.

In April, US President Barack Obama spoke of the responsibility to intervene, while at the Holocaust Museum in Washington. We aired a clip. President Obama used that speech to introduce a new Atrocities Prevention Board to coordinate the United States' response to mass killings around the world.

Romeo Dallaire witnessed such an event up close - and knows the consequences of not responding. In 1994 he commanded the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda. He watched helplessly as 800,000 people were murdered. Senator Romeo Dallaire joined us now from Ottawa.

Turning away during humanitarian crisis - Panel

To help us better understand why the world intervenes sometimes and not others, we were joined by two guests. Robert Fowler had a long career as a Canadian diplomat including serving as the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, a foreign policy advisor for three prime ministers, and a deputy minister of defence. Robert Fowler joined us from Ottawa. And Jonathan Schanzer is the Vice President for Research at the Washington Based think-tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

This segment was produced by The Current's Howard Goldenthal and Josh Bloch.

Other segments from today's show:

• Dial M for Murdoch: News Corporation and the Corruption of Britain
• Checking - In