Idlib and Aleppo

Idlib province, which is only 45 minutes from Aleppo is the eye of the hurricane. The government is poring troops into the region to make sure it remains under firm control. Syria cannot afford to lose territory where an insurgency or rebel army might emerge. Damascus will do everything it can to preclude the formation of a Benghazi, which would allow foreign intelligence agencies and governments to begin arming and training a rebel army, as happened in Libya.

Aleppo is coming out to protest today in Bab al-Neirab and a few other highly conservative neighborhoods. Sources say that activists have been trying to get protests of 10,000 off the ground in Aleppo but have been beaten back badly by regime force.

There is growing pressure on Western governments to take a stand against the Syrian regime and do something. But what can they do? Sanctions hurt the people. The notion of mobilizing for regime-change in Syria is too daunting. It is too much to get one’s mind around. Only the US army forced out Saddam Hussein. It is now hunting Qaddafi in Libya. Strong regimes in which the military remains loyal are very difficult to overturn.

Hurriyet Daily News

A Syrian security officer who fled with the civilian refugees told the Hürriyet Daily News, “It was not the protesters who killed the soldiers; it was the commanders who killed them. Then most of the soldiers ran away with the protesters then.”

“We received a phone call from the center, and they ordered us to shoot and kill all the protesters,” said Ahmad Gavi, 21, a Syrian soldier who fled to Turkey following the deadly clashes in Jisr Al-Shughour.

“Five soldiers who refused to follow this order were killed immediately in front of me. Then commanders and some soldiers started to shoot each other,” Gavi said. “There were 180 soldiers at the security check post and 120 of them were killed.”

Today Zaman

“Erdoğan personally attacked Assad’s brother, Maher Assad, for the brutal clampdown and said that Syria, unlike Libya, is seen as akin to a Turkish domestic affair”. “Sadly, they don’t behave like humans,” Erdoğan said, referring to Maher Assad and his team, which has been ferocious in crushing the dissent.

“Now the barbarity… Now think [soldiers] pose [for a photo] in such an ugly way at the bedside of women who they killed… that these images cannot be digested,” Erdoğan said.

Turkey calls events in Syria “savagery’
Latest Update: 06.10.11, 13:44 / Israel News

PM Erdogan says Syrian forces ‘not acting in humane manner,’ suggests Istanbul could support UN Security Council decision against Damascus. US Defense Secretary Gates questions Assad’s legitimacy

Turkey’s prime minister has described Syria’s crackdown on protesters as “savagery” and accused the country’s president of taking the situation “too lightly.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview on ATV television late Thursday that some images coming out of Syria were “unpalatable” and suggested Turkey could support a UN Security Council decision against Syria. His comments were carried by the Anatolia news agency Friday….

Erdogan said: “They are not acting in a humane manner. This is savagery.”

Gates questions Assad’s legitimacy

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday the legitimacy of Assad’s rule was open to question after the killing of protesters by security forces.

“I would say the slaughter of innocent lives in Syria should be a problem and a concern for everybody,” Gates told a seminar in Brussels.

“Whether Assad still has the legitimacy to govern his own country, I think is a question everyone needs to consider,” he said. If it fails, and I’m sure it will, Syria will tidy up house and the Turkey/Iran/Syria axis is over.

The top UN human rights official, Navi Pillay, said on Thursday that more than 1,100 people may have been killed and up to 10,000 detained since March in protests against Assad’s rule, and urged Syria to halt its “assault on its own people”…..

Fox News: It’s Time to Bring an Assad’s Regime In Syria to an End
2011-06-10

Believe it or not, there are protestors the Syrian regime has no desire to target. They are the hundreds of Palestinians bussed by the government to the Israeli border in a cynical effort to deflect attention from its campaign of murdering its own …

Syria must be treated as an urgent international priority. Stronger statements from the U.S., EU and others pointedly calling for Assad’s removal, the only possible option to resolving the crisis at this point, are needed as well as serious consideration of additional diplomatic, economic, and other measures that can help bring about an end to the regime and set the stage for a new era for the Syrian people….

Kenneth Bandler is the American Jewish Committee’s Director of Media Relations.

Always good to read Patrick Seale, who knows Syria so well and is always prescient, smart and wise.

Q&A: Patrick Seale: author of The Struggle for Syria and Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East shares his views on Syria’s current crisis. By Dalia Haider for Syria Today

Time to Talk? Challenges to starting a political dialogue that can bring an end to Syria’s crisis.
By Dalia Haidar & Muhammad Atef Fares

After two months of protests and violence that has left hundreds dead across Syrian towns and cities, the government announced in May that it was time to talk.

Bouthaina Shaaban, President Bashar al-Assad’s political and media adviser, told the New York Times that the government was “gaining the upper hand” in quelling protests, which authorities mainly blamed on unidentified “armed criminal elements”.

On May 31, President Assad issued a decision forming a committee to set up a basis for a national dialogue, according to SANA.

A way out

Despite taking the initiative to engage the opposition, the Syrian government seems to have a long way to go before reaching a political solution. Halting military and security action is just the first step, opposition figures say….

READERS COMMENTS

Syrian Commando

Turkey’s stability is finished, in a year’s time its economic growth will halt. It will only make gains if the UNSC resolution is passed.

Shami

Turkey will gain the most in post Asad Syria. She is the natural ally of democratic Syria.

EHSANI2

Dr. Landis:

The site named Revolution Intelligence that you posted on is indeed extremely concerning and dangerous. From the main page, one can click on the arkan al nizam (pillars of the regime) tab on the left. It lists of 54 people. Particularly noteworthy are the names that appear under the heading of financiers for the so-called shabbiha. It lists some of the most established business people in Syria: Imad Ghreiwati, Mourtada Aldandashi, Saeb Nahhas and Ayman Asfari in particular come to mind. That the people behind this website list such names and claim that they finance the Shabbiha is beyond dangerous.

This so-called revolution is likely to soon morph into a war on the haves in the country. Every wealthy business man and industrialist is likely to be targeted soon. It is conceivable that we start to see their factories and businesses become a target of arson and attacks.

The final chapter of this tragedy will likely point to economics as main driver to what has transpired in front of our eyes since March. Many in the opposition side are already referring to the past 5 years as a “war on the poor”. The lifting of the subsidies while the rich were getting richer is likely to be seen as the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Comments (529)


Nour said:

“Aleppo is coming out to protest today in Bab al-Neirab and a few other highly conservative neighborhoods. Sources say that activists have been trying to get protests of 10,000 off the ground in Aleppo but have been beaten back badly by regime force.”

Where do you get your news from, Prof. Landis? You keep spreading “revolution” propaganda that is totally unfounded and unverified. Moreover, your next paragraph implies that the west has the interest of Syrians at heard but hasn’t been able to move because they’re worried about how this might hurt regular Syrians. This is nonsense. Since when did the west care in the least bit about the well-being of Syrians?

As for your opening lines, they demonstrate a continuous stubborn refusal on your part to admit what has already been established pretty convincingly; and that is that armed groups already exist and the Army is attempting to put a stop to these terrorists. In any case, the Syrian Army had Arabic and foreign media with them today and footage will soon come out of what is actually taking place in Jisr al Shoughour. I wonder if at that time you’ll finally give in to the facts.

June 10th, 2011, 4:09 pm

 

873 said:

Always good to read Patrick Seale, who knows Syria so well and is always prescient, smart and wise.

Q&A: Patrick Seale: author of The Struggle for Syria and Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East shares his views on Syria’s current crisis. By Dalia Haider for Syria Today

Except that Mr Seale, like Joshua Landis are on the board of the “opposition protester freedom org” to bring down the Assad regime. Hardly impartial. Where is the disclosure that these two are working for the interests of US/Israel coup. The descent into MSM dishonesty grants you the same credibility as them on this issue- next to zip. Is this a paid position or just an affinity ‘consultantship’?

June 10th, 2011, 4:11 pm

 

Nour said:

على قناة المنار:

السفير السوري لدى تركيا نضال قبلان رداً على تصريحات أردوغان الأخيرة
” الشعب السوري يرفض أن يدفع من دماء أبنائه ثمن أوراق انتخابية لأي كان….والمجازر الوحشية التي ارتكتبتها العصابات الإرهابية المسلحة في جسر الشغور أسقطت الأقنعة عن المتآمرين…..وورقة الجرحى والنازحين إلى تركيا لعبة مكشوفة لكل السوريين وتمهيد لمخطط تركي خبيث بعدما فشلت مع لبنان والأردن.

June 10th, 2011, 4:11 pm

 

louai said:

FB Aleppo

thousands are rallying in sadallah al jaberee square in support of Assad .

HNN شبكة أخبار حمص
الآلالف الآن في ساحة سعد الله الجابري في حلب يحتشدون وفاء للوطن والقائد والجيش وأشار مراسلنا أن معظم المشاركين هم من أبناء العشائر المقيمين في المدينة

June 10th, 2011, 4:13 pm

 
 

democracynow said:

“وورقة الجرحى والنازحين إلى تركيا لعبة مكشوفة لكل السوريين وتمهيد لمخطط تركي خبيث بعدما فشلت مع لبنان والأردن”

يا سيد نور يعني أنا أحتار كيف تصدق هذه الترهات على لسان سفير النظام. اللاجئين و النازحين لعبة؟ لك يا زلمة العالم هربت من بيوتا و أطفالها محمولة على كتافها و لسه بيقولوا لعبة؟ و مخطط تركي خبيث؟ و الشعب السوري عميل للعثمانية و متآمر و عبيقبض مصاري لحتى يخدم اردوغان بحملتو الانتخابية؟

صحيح انو انعدمت المسؤولية الأخلاقية تماما عند هالنظام و أبواقو

June 10th, 2011, 4:23 pm

 

Ayad hizam said:

I am Saudi of Syrian origin, Syria will always be the heart of Arab culture , the country has been hijacked by Assad & Makhloof Co. .Their time is up.They will be routed in time.Syria will be free and liberated from their corruption and bad rule .If they are honest with themselves, they would know by now that they are not welcome.
The next practical step is to target the alwite security officers , then all the soliders will try to fetch for themselves , and that will be the end of the regime
It os vitally important to vapid any friction with alwite civilians, on the contrary they should be enlisted for the greater cause.

June 10th, 2011, 4:27 pm

 

Nour said:

DN:

Jisr el shoughour has 50,000 people. They’re saying 3000 went to Turkey. Why only 3000? Moreover, if you heard the report from aljadeed today, the correspondent clearly said that the people in the surrounding villages greeted the soldiers with flowers and rice. He also said that the terrorists were clearly armed with heavy weapons, and that they filmed everything that was happening there and will broadcast it soon. So let’s wait and see.

June 10th, 2011, 4:33 pm

 

Observer said:

Clearly the supporters of the regime on this blog are frantic with the repetition of the most stupid propaganda. Now it is Turkey arming and fueling the revolt and armed gangs are everywhere. If the regime allowed such armed gangs to spread then it has to resign as it failed in doing so, if it is crushing a legitimate revolt then it failed as it used massive violence, if it cannot differentiate between the two then it failed to do so, and if as the President admitted to poor training on the part of the security forces as a reason for the shootings, then it also failed in providing adequate training to the police.
Cheers

June 10th, 2011, 4:38 pm

 

Atassi said:

Nour,
keep the hard work !! Nour,
It must be very hard to suppress you conscious !! 
ذا كنت غير قادر على الدفاع عن الحق فلا تدافع عن الظلم‬

June 10th, 2011, 4:39 pm

 

Syrian Commando said:

#1
Yes, it’s becoming repetitive, I give up. The professor either has an agenda as people are speculating above or he’s really convinced of his analysis and not accepting or considering contradictory information. It’s easy to paint a skewed picture when you ignore the majority of reliable information and instead choose to report on completely fabricated lies. Wasn’t Turkey not allowing people to cast interviews, supposedly to protect Syria? It turned out I was right — it was to protect themselves, from terrorism charges. But the truth is already revealed for anyone watching Syrian television and people are very angry.

This is what we call arguing yourself into a corner. Anyway, if the UNSC council resolution is passed, Syria will be attacked for sure, this was the plan all along. First sanctions, like Iraq, then an attack because we’re too strong at the moment. If it happens, then it doesn’t matter how much one lies, the scene of the crime will be covered up, presumably.

If it fails to pass though, there’s going to be a lot of red faces and mine won’t be one of them. It’ll be a handsome, smiling face.

#5

Good, an actually peaceful protest in Hama. No hangings innocent people today. But for how long will they remain peaceful? How long until the Hariri-Bandar-Khaddam paid criminals will start shooting the crowd, taking over the scene and shutting down stores? How long until the same people protesting will begin begging the government to step in and stop the MBs from destroying their city? How long until the “international community” (i.e. USA, France, UK and their slaves) condemn Syria’s military even when it has no presence?

Anyway, some news from Hama: the governor has arrested two assistants who are going to be charged with unlawfully firing on demonstrating people. If the allegations are true — and I have confidence they are — then it shows utter incompetence on the part of the local governments of Syria. Inexcusable incompetence that is hurting the very fabric of our nation, this is UNACCEPTABLE.

That’s the last comment from me, the people who have made up their mind will not change it. The Israelis on here who are pushing their agenda are just too hypocritical and obvious to bare. I cannot contribute comments to what will simply become a collection point to promote sectarianism and harm families in Syria and a thousand years of peace between all religions and people.

You can follow me on twitter, no space, same name. I may also start a blog if the insurrection in Syria continues but I hope it boils over soon. For Syria’s sake.

June 10th, 2011, 4:40 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

WOW. Youtube just took down one of my videos (It was one of my most popular ones) that exposes the fake ‘attack’ against that stupid woman early on in the ‘revolution.’ They gave me a ‘warning,’ they said that my video was intended to ‘attack, bully and intimidate’ people or some nonsense. You hear that? Exposing a lie is bullying and attacking people!

June 10th, 2011, 4:43 pm

 

Nour said:

#9

Just watch the news broadcasts. I’m not the one saying these things.

مراسل الجديد من جسر الشغور
سرور و بهجة من أهالي جسر الشغور بدخول الجيش
و أنباء عن إمارة إسلامية في دركوش
و صورنا العديد من العصابات المسلحة و سنعرضها تباعا
مواطنوا جسر الشغور يؤكدون تلقيهم تهديدات من المسلحين
و نقل أن هناك أخبار سارة جدا للسوريين غدا

June 10th, 2011, 4:48 pm

 

Majhool said:

Joshua,

Just so you know, a large % of Aleppo residents are originally from Idlib and surrounding areas.

This might ignite Aleppo on a larger scale. The regime is really stupid….

June 10th, 2011, 4:52 pm

 

873 said:

Things on the ground not always as they seem. Blackwater in Iraq, Afghan and now Syria? Some could have even been approached by western intel to be post-Assad regime, like Kanaan.

June 10th, 2011, 5:13 pm

 

Mina said:

Dear all,

Stop attacking Joshua Landis. This is the SOLE website which offers views from different angles.
By mentioning the descent into civil war, he knows how to address Western mentalities. It is not about advocating Sectarianism or Civil war, but about pointing at the real danger that the ennemies of Syria may turn it into a new Iraq. (As usual some people will tell me Syrians are no Iraqis they wouldn’t do that, but as they may know many non-Iraqis did that to Iraqis).

People are starting to realize that Erdogan is no saint either (i remember someone in Turkey, a Sunni with a strong lean towards the ahl al bayt, explaining me that Ataturk had stolen the alphabet, i. e. that they hope to come back to the Arabic script…)

The memories of Iraq are very near, and we see the Libyan fiasco. I had no sympathy for Aisha Qaddafi as being a peace envoy of the UN, it simply showed how small circles are ruling the world, but now that she wants to take Sarkozy to court, I wish her to win.

Le Monde mentions, for the first time maybe, the malformations of the babies born in Falluja (and Gaza?).
http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2011/06/10/a-fallouja-les-bebes-monstres-soulevent-des-questions-sur-les-armes-americaines-utilisees-en-2004_1534674_3218.html

So I think Josh’s website’s commentators are finally succeeding in opening the eyes of some journalists, who started with ignoring the reality on the ground and were not being able to analyze the Arabic material.

June 10th, 2011, 5:33 pm

 

abughassan said:

2 more security forces that were declared dead by the uprising and pronounced as heroes for “refusing” to shoot civilians are well and alive and want to sue the TV station that killed them on “air” while they were still breathing “air”. there are people obviously that still do not know why it is important ,for credibility, to be truthful. NPR,for example, has for the first time allowed one of its reporters to admit that this uprising is not peaceful anymore.
my advice to both sides: the less you lie the more we are likely to believe you !!

June 10th, 2011, 5:45 pm

 

873 said:

Mina,

Please stop buying the media hype. This is not how journalism works. It is not there to tell the truth. Its function is to sell its quasi- gov -owners’ policies. To make the sale by any means necessary.
Corp American journalists well know what is really going on- THEIR JOB IS TO PROPAGANDIZE FOR THEIR BOSSES. The media outlet pays their salary- not the public- and that is whose interests they’ll reflect. The ‘public interest’ line is just more propaganda like Arab Springs=democracy etc.

If the average guy can get the truth behind the scenes, do you really believe that the multi-million $$, 50+ research depts of Corp media outlets cant? Esp w/ their insider CIA connections (for ex Anderson Cooper “Keeping Them Honest” admitted his working for the CIA, and the CNN chief endorsed it- on the public record.)

Here is a refresher in case you missed it before:

“We are grateful to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years.

It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”
– David Rockefeller, Bilderberg meeting 1991

There is no legitimate reason why Seale and Landis should not be expected to disclose their affiliations and support of the fake opposition, esp as it is in an official capacity. If they dont think working on this org is unethical, then they have nothing to hide and should put it on the table.
That most here appreciate this blog and Landis’s overall approach (which I know I do) does not get him, or anyone off of full disclosure in this regard. Just one personal opinion.

Yes we like Landis.
But Yes he should disclose. No different than a blogger who works for WINEP, Brookings, Rand etc and omitting it.
Its about prinicples, not personality.

June 10th, 2011, 6:06 pm

 

FACTS said:

#15
Mina,

Dr. Landis resembles step by step Lawrence of Arabia, and Turkey is playing today the same TRICK with France and Britain.

Are they drafting another sykes-pico?
An erdo-sykes-pico?
Turkey will be again the LOSER.

June 10th, 2011, 6:16 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

Just as Masshool said, the regime was stupid to attack Idleb, because many people in Aleppo are from there, and now Aleppo is going to light up…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS8zfI29WjM&feature=player_embedded#at=52

With PRO-GOVERNMENT protesters!

June 10th, 2011, 6:24 pm

 

FACTS said:

The vast majority of the Turks don´t even know where the word “Hurriyet” originates from.

June 10th, 2011, 6:33 pm

 

Norman said:

I liked this from Patrick seale,

((( The best scenario would be for men of goodwill, inside the regime and outside of it, to unite in order to create a model Syria – a country in which freedom, tolerance and prosperity were able to flourish. This can be done. Syria has many assets, not least its friendly, hospitable and intelligent people, its great cities of which Damascus and Aleppo are outstanding examples, its unique archaeological sites, and much else besides. There is hardly a foreign tourist that has not returned home full of gratitude and admiration for the wonders Syria can offer,)))

June 10th, 2011, 6:42 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

Before Assad wanted to make reforms but criminals around him did not let him act. Now Assad is decided to begin reforms (he has been 2 months thinking about a new party law) but he is so busy with terrorists repression… So when he massacre the opposition then he will make all reforms about giving them freedom, sure…

June 10th, 2011, 6:44 pm

 

NIDAL said:

About the Lamia Shakkur so called resignation, we can now say that this is a complete forgery.
The hypothesis of the ambassador threaten by the regime to deny her “real” resignation, shouted here by the anti-regime commentators, is ruined by these two videos :

1 – Video of the so called declaration of resignation by phone of the syrian ambassador in France Shakkur, aired on France 24, where a female voice whith an awful accent of … nowhere pronounced some french words in a way not really understable :

2 – Video of Shakkur where she has a very good french accent and speaks fluently french (of course, it’s an ambassador !) and denyes all this stuff, denouncing an anti-syrian campaign and saying that she would make a trial to the french Channel France 24. Definitely not the same voice !

As a french (but daddy’s syrian), I can say that France 24 (which was before a good channel) had suffered a rough ideological normalization to the pro-american and zionist line, at the time Bernard Kouchner (zionist jew) was the french minister of foreign affairs. His wife, Christine Ockrent, sometimes known as Queen Kristin, became, because of her husband’s influence, the director of the French Publics Radio and Television of Outside. She fired several journalists of France 24 (Ulysse Gosset, …) or in the international french radio RFI, and among them one who was the chief redactor (2000-2008), who speaks arabic and used to know very well the Middle east : Richard Labévière. This journalist has made an interview of Bashar al-Assad in 2008, which was the pretext of his firing.

For those who unerstands french, you can take a look to the press conference that Labeviere made in Lebanon after his lay-off where he talks about the pro-Israel line and the weigh of zionists lobbies on french medias :

June 10th, 2011, 6:45 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

Patrick Seale is absolutely decaying. Has he written something else in the last 25 years? In 1.990 Patrick Seale book about Assad´s Syria was already considered by any serious scholar uncomplete and partial. It was never seen as a reference book and no scholar took it seriously for their studies. He is out of reality as if he wanted to ignore all daily life realities.

June 10th, 2011, 6:53 pm

 

Nour said:

وعلمت «الأخبار» أن النظام السوري سيعلن خلال الأيام المقبلة مجموعة من الخطوات ستشمل إلغاء القانون 49 الصادر عام 1980، الذي ينص على «الحكم بالإعدام على كل من ينتسب إلى جماعة الإخوان المسلمين»، بالإضافة إلى إلغاء المادة «8» من الدستور التي تشير إلى أن حزب البعث «الحزب القائد في المجتمع والدولة».
كذلك من بين الخطوات إطلاق سراح جميع المعتقلين، تماشياً مع العفو الذي أعلنه الرئيس السوري، قبل فترة وجيزة، بالإضافة إلى إعلان نتائج التحقيق في أحداث القتل التي شهدتها المدن السورية منذ اندلاع الاحتجاجات، وإعلان يوم حداد وطني على جميع الضحايا الذين سقطوا.
وعلمت «الأخبار» أن النظام سيوجه الدعوة إلى لقاء حواري بحضور 58 شخصية معارضة، 40 من معارضة الداخل و 18 من معارضي الخارج.

http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/14388

June 10th, 2011, 6:53 pm

 

sami othmani said:

I am only posting here because i know that assad and most of his elite log in here to read what is written. I have a short message for the president: You are one step away from the speech you will eventually deliver soon. you are taking a life time decision. think very well that this is your last chance to get out of this mess by resigning and leaving the counrty ob the basis that everything is done under the name of your brother.
I also have a message in arabic to the alwais in syria:
الاخوة الشرفاء من الطائفة العلوية مطالبين اليوم بان يأخذوا القرار التاريخي بالانضمام للشعب ضد فئة مجرمة لا تميز احد….ان مجلس الطائفة العلوية امام امتحان صعب و تاريخي خاضه قبلها بشار الاسد و فشل عندما قتل اول متظاهر….انها ساعة الحقيقة و لا مكان للتسويف او التأجيل…..بشار الاسد ساقط و الشعب هو الابقى

June 10th, 2011, 7:07 pm

 

NIDAL said:

What about the “Gay girl in Damascus” ? A new anti-regime forgery ?
It seems to be, according to the facts contained in this article of the Washington Post :

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/gay-girl-in-damascus-may-not-be-real/2011/06/08/AGZwCYMH_story.html

And here is a comment about this of the leftist scholar Asad Abu Khalil (Angry Arab), who used to have no sympathy for al-Asssad, but agrees with the idea of a fabrication :
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-gay-girl-in-damascus.html

June 10th, 2011, 7:12 pm

 

Tara said:

First it was Mundaseen. Then came the Salafists. Followed by Israel and the CIA. Then came Bandar followed by Harriri. And now TURKEY…. Then go the UFO.

June 10th, 2011, 7:13 pm

 

Nour said:

وأشار مراسل وكالة «اسوشييتد برس» الذي كان ينتقل مع الجيش ان القوات وصلت الى مشارف جسر الشغور استعدادا لاقتحام المدينة، موضحا ان الاهالي في المناطق القريبة من جسر الشغور استقبلوا عناصر الجيش بالترحاب.

June 10th, 2011, 7:16 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

Sami, tlhass kos imak.

In other news, more lies from the media. Orient TV put out a list of 42 names of soldiers who were supposedly ‘killed for refusing to kill protesters.’ The problem is, these people are all alive.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-truth-about-syria/aksalser-electronic-newspaper-exposes-the-lies-of-orient-tv/178273962228874

June 10th, 2011, 7:28 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

#25
the prs has just read your post and he will give resignation speech in 24 hours.you will be invited to replace him.

Alshark Alawsat news paper is very good at multiplying and lying,today’s :
-hundreds of thousands of protestors.
-4000 refugees.
-Tariq hameed in the last 90 days have nothing else to think about except Syria .

June 10th, 2011, 7:29 pm

 

Abughassan said:

I disagree with those who post on Joshua’s blog then they insult him !! It is ok to disagree with the man,I did on a number of issues,but it tells you a lot when you see some accusing him to be pro regime and others anti regime.As a teacher and a scholar he has every right to get paid by providing his opinion and expertise as long as he does not come up with a clear message that incites violence or encourage foreign intervention in Syria,and I do NOT think he will consider that for a number of reasons including his background and his character. Please enjoy this blog and allow others to disagree in a civilized manner,the guy is human and is allowed to be imperfect.

June 10th, 2011, 7:40 pm

 

aboali said:

protesters in Homs burn the Russian and Chinese flags:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvspnNA93yA

protests today in Aleppo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nox1kI0ibIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHuJ77vo1FE

Reuters: Helicopters open fire to disperse Syrian protesters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/10/us-syria-idUSLDE73N02P20110610

BBC news: At least 28 people have been killed in fresh clashes in Syria between security forces and protesters, activists say.

They say tanks and helicopter gunships opened fire on crowds in the northern town of Maarat al-Numan, leaving several protesters dead.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13734704

June 10th, 2011, 7:44 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

DELYRIANT KNIGHT said

(…Tlhass kos imak…)

These pretty words from your dirty mind show how wilde are assadists and how undemocratic and how much you are ready for dialogue. Aren´t you able to control yourselves, even when writing? Are you desperate to use violence by all means? Not only inside prisons but outside prisons now too?

I think you have a real problem with the outside world. Its name is paranoia or you do not understand or cannot decodify the messages coming from inside and outside.

June 10th, 2011, 7:46 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

It looks like the gay slut in Damascus has been given the luxury of having a computer with Internet access while in prison. I tried going to her Facebook profile today, and it no longer exists. Either that, or she has set her privacy settings so high that nobody can see her profile. Either way, it means she was able to access her account. Look for yourself.

http://www.facebook.com/damascusgaygirl

June 10th, 2011, 7:47 pm

 

Abughassan said:

صحيفة الشرق الاوسط was a piece of garbage before the uprising and is a piece of garbage after the uprising. Most of its writers are paid intellectual prostitutes.anybody who works as a Saudi regime a..s kisser for a living is a waste of human brain. God is testing Muslims by allowing the royal family to be the guardians of الكعبه الشريفه

June 10th, 2011, 7:47 pm

 

Jad said:

Assad isn’t taking Ban Ki-moon’s phone calls: U.N.
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS | Fri Jun 10, 2011 2:46pm EDT

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is facing international pressure to end a bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters, is not taking the U.N. chief’s phone calls, the United Nations said on Friday.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky confirmed a report by Kuwait news agency KUNA that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had been trying to call Assad on Thursday but was told that the president was “not available.”

He added that Ban had been trying to speak with Assad all week but was unable to get through to him.

Ban has urged Assad to end what he called “violent repression” and human rights abuses by Syrian forces, who rights groups say have killed over 1,100 civilians since March in their revolt to press demands for more political freedoms and an end to corruption and poverty.

A Syrian activist group said Syrian security forces killed 28 civilians at pro-democracy demonstrations on Friday. The figure could not be independently confirmed.

U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos has asked Syria to allow a humanitarian team into the country to assess the situation. After initially agreeing to consider the request, Assad has made no move to grant it, U.N. officials say.

Separately, U.N. Security Council diplomats met again in New York on Friday in an attempt to break their deadlock on a European-drafted resolution that would not impose sanctions on Syria but would condemn it for the crackdown and suggest Syrian security forces might be guilty of crimes against humanity.

VETO THREAT

Diplomats said Friday’s meeting produced no changes among the 15 Security Council members. Currently nine council members, including the draft’s sponsors Britain, France, Germany and Portugal, plan to vote for it.

They said the draft could be put to a vote next week.

Russia and China dislike the idea of any council discussion of the issue and have suggested they might use their veto power to kill the resolution. Lebanon, which has a complicated relationship to neighbor Syria, also opposes it.

India, Brazil and South Africa have also made clear they have problems with the draft, U.N. diplomats say.

The United States is not sponsoring the resolution but has made clear it supports the text. Washington, however, is not convinced that a Security Council resolution, which might be vetoed by the Russians and which Assad will almost certainly ignore, has much value, U.N. diplomats told Reuters.

Envoys said Britain and France are growing frustrated with South Africa, Brazil and India — politically powerful developing nations with ambitions of eventually becoming permanent members of an expanded Security Council — for resisting the idea of condemning Damascus.

A decision on Thursday by the U.N. nuclear watchdog in Vienna to report Syria to the Security Council for possible punitive action due to covert Syrian atomic work will be dealt with separately from the crackdown on protesters, envoys said.

They say that Russia will likely try to block any Western attempt to have the Security Council sanction Syria over its nuclear program.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7595KY20110610?irpc=932

June 10th, 2011, 7:54 pm

 

syau said:

Tara,

Al Jazeera and Al Arabia were both invited to accompany the Syrian army during the events in Jisr Alshugour, but they both rejected the invitation. Why do you think that is?

Could it possibly be because they are not interested in reporting the actual situation in Syria, because it woulld suit them more to report fabricated events rather than true accounts.

I’m sure real Syrians would know why.
Real Syrians would not wish for more uprisings and the violence that comes with them.
Real Syrians would seek the truth, not look to fabrications.
Syrians wish for stability in Syria, whether they be from Damascus, Aleppo or Daara.

Real Syrians would stand by their government and be able to see the conspiracy against their country, and, reject the conspirators that are attempting to destabilise Syria, regardless whether they currently live in Syria or not.

June 10th, 2011, 7:57 pm

 

syau said:

#25,

Was that speech prepared and given to you by Hariri? Then again, I think not, because he cant read his own language, let alone write it.

It must have come out of your own vile sectarian mind, so nobody of any importance will take notice of it.

Syrian Knight.,

The dead have been rising since the beginning of this revolution. It’s amazing, a true revolution.

June 10th, 2011, 8:08 pm

 

Abughassan said:

The UN SG is a clown. Nobody takes him seriously but he can only keeps his job if he continues to lick the shoes of those who gave him the job and took it away from previous SGs who dared to use their brain. The world is changing,guys. Countries like China,India and Brasil are the future for obvious reasons. Dinosaurs like France,Germany and “Great” Britain belong to the museum of natural history. Even SOD Gates could not hide his frustration with those phony super powers,but he waited until yesterday to tell the truth about NATO..

June 10th, 2011, 8:11 pm

 

aboali said:

# 36 that’s a lie. You regime loyalists tell total lies and then expect people to be stupid enough to believe them, not everyone is as brain damaged as your average Assadite.
No news organizations were invited except BBC Arabic, and on condition that it embeds with the army and not report freely or interview people. Of course any self respecting news organization would refuse conditions like that.

Why do you think in every single protest people Thank AlJazeera and call Syrian media liars? well, that’s what the real Syrians think.

see this video for example, of course there are hundreds like it from towns and cities across Syria:

June 10th, 2011, 8:15 pm

 

aboali said:

the defector, 1st lieutenant Abdel Razzak Tlas refutes the Syrian media’s propaganda and lies:

June 10th, 2011, 8:26 pm

 

Tara said:

Tara Story II,

What is in this revolution for Tara?

Supporting this revolution is taking my fight against making us live without dignity for almost half a century. Dignity in Syria is not given to you at birth:

To me, it all started watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFWBRuNU-Bc.
Even people in academia are not spared. The man being kicked could be my father, brother or uncle. It was not the actual kicking. It was the obscene language. Boy, I have never ever heard this profanity in my entire life. It felt like you are watching a rape. They were assassinating his dignity. Assads are not divine. They are not holly. You should be able to criticize them without facing consequences. We are not their slaves. We are not animals in their farm…. I just felt instantaneous identification with the poor professor. I started feeling angry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXC5rt-FgIk
My anger shortly grows to a rage. My blood is constantly boiling. I feel it bubbling. Who is Ali Abbas? He looks normal. You can have lunch with him (in a normal day) And the gang with him? They appear to be enjoying it. Their facial expression shows no remorse. We are not the animals. They are!!!

And check that one out. I offer no comments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnGcBpGZ9A8&feature=related

Where is all this hatred and غل coming from? They are beating a corpse. Who are those savages? Who gave them their orders? Monsters are living among us! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-OVnITI-xk

In Syria: Human dignity is not granted at birth! Shabbiha feel free to take it from anybody, men/women/and children anytime they see fit and even death can not spare you their brutality.

June 10th, 2011, 8:31 pm

 

Shami said:

Nour ,the fate of your culture of personality cult:

Menhebak people:corrupt,liars,hypocrits,criminals,spies,no morality ,no culture.

It was the biggest in Syria.

The next Inshallah ,will be that of Mashariqa in Aleppo ,build on the ruins of an historical quarter completly razed by your idol.

June 10th, 2011, 8:32 pm

 

syau said:

#39,

No, it’s not, why don’t you do some unbiased, unzionist research and find out the truth for once.

If you are not aware, Syrians dennounced Aljazeera, there have been protests in and outside of Syria for their inaccurate broadcasting and fabrications. Aljazeera has lost credibility and you know it, you wont admit it though, because it will contradict the defector claims you are constantly linking, that have all proven to be fake.

If anyone has thanked Aljazeera, it would be the ones paid to do so. All part of the scheme and if you are not part of the scheme, you fell for it. Wake up.

June 10th, 2011, 8:33 pm

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

It will be fair to say that the uprising is spreading to 7aleb and Dimashq, and that more people turned up on the Friday of the clans demos, than in any previous Friday. (zoom the map for details).

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=211673893182390895403.0004a5583fe0e0b71137b&source=embed&ll=35.173808,38.62793&spn=6.732541,7.141113&z=6
.

June 10th, 2011, 8:36 pm

 

tara said:

Syau, #36

What is your proof? where did you hear that?

June 10th, 2011, 8:42 pm

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

Tara,
Did you gather enough courage today to go out and demonstrate? 🙂
.

June 10th, 2011, 8:48 pm

 

jad said:

الاسد ينقل معركته السياسية إلى خارج الحدود السورية ويلتقي قادة الاحزاب الكردية

10 حزيران 2011أنطوان الحايك – “مقالات النشرة”

في وقت تجمع فيه المصادر المحلية على أن الحكومة الميقاتية مرشحة لأن تبصر النور بين ليلة وضحاها، عادت الأنظار الداخلية والاقليمية للتوجه إلى سوريا التي تعاني من موجات ضغط متلاحقة في محاولة لخنقها وتطويع نظامها. غير أنّ بواطن الامور تبدو مخالفة تماما لظاهرها فالنظام السوري، ووفق ما يكشف مصدر دبلوماسي غربي عامل في بيروت، تخطى مرحلة السقوط وبات في موقع تنفيذ هجمات سياسية وعسكرية مرتدة، وإن كان هذا لا يعني أنّ الهدوء التام عاد إلى المدن السورية التي شهدت وما زالت تشهد أعمال عنف متنقلة.
وفي هذا السياق، يلفت الدبلوماسي إلى عدة نقاط تؤكد بشكل او بآخر أنّ اتجاه الامور في سوريا بات واضحاً ولذلك يمكن التحدث عن تقدم على أكثر من صعيد على غرار تشكيل الحكومة في لبنان أو إجراء عمليات إعادة حسابات جذرية، ليس أولها استخدام الاعلام الغربي وخصوصا ذلك التابع عمليا ونظريا للادارة الاميركية عبارات جديدة من نوعها في التعاطي العام مع الشأن السوري على غرار استخدام عبارة “العصابات المسلحة التي تهاجم قوات الامن السورية” وليس تعبير”المعارضة السورية او المتظاهرين او المحتجين” كما كانت تصف المتمردين، وذلك في إشارة واضحة إلى أنّ الادارة الأميركية تريد إعطاء شرعية للرئيس الاسد في عمليات التصدي لتلك المجموعات المسلحة.
ويكشف الدبلوماسي أنّ هذا التحول طرأ بعد سلسلة من الرسائل السورية الصارخة، ليس أولها عودة العمليات الانتحارية إلى شوارع العراق واستهداف القوات الاميركية وقوات الامن العراقية بصورة مباشرة في اكثر من شارع ومدينة، ولا آخرها انفجار اسطنبول الذي تزامن نظريا مع استضافة انقره لمؤتمر المعارضة السورية وفتح حدودها أمام الثوار، مرورا بحوادث الحدود في الجولان وقبله في جنوب لبنان، فضلا عن عودة العمليات العسكرية العنيفة ضد قوات التحالف في افغانستان.
ولم يكتف المصدر الدبلوماسي بهذا العرض المقتضب، بل يذهب إلى حد التأكيد بان الرئيس السوري ما زال يستقبل بصورة شبه يومية العديد من البعثات الدبلوماسية الساعية إلى التفاهم معه على النقاط العالقة، فضلا عن ان ايا من السفارات الاجنبية لم تقفل ابوابها في العاصمة السورية أكان من باب الاستنكار أو من زاوية قطع العلاقات الدبلوماسية، ناهيك عن أن سياسة الرئيس بشار الاسد غالبا ما تحرج تلك البعثات لعدة اعتبارات أبرزها أنّ النظام السوري بدأ بتنفيذ جملة اصلاحات سياسية واقتصادية على غرار رفع قانون الطوارئ والبدء بإعداد قوانين الاحزاب والاعلام وما إلى ذلك من اصلاحات متصلة. ومع ذلك، فإنّ الشارع السوري ما زال على حراكه، لاسيما بعد دخول الاخوان المسلمين على الخط المباشر من خلال قرار قيادي رفيع المستوى تقف وراءه واشنطن وتركيا والعديد من الدول العربية المعروفة “بعرب الاعتدال”.
ويلفت الدبلوماسي إلى ان الرئيس الاسد نقل صراعه السياسي إلى خارج الحدود السورية من خلال احتضان العديد من المعارضين لبعض الانظمة على غرار الحركات والاحزاب الكردية المناهضة لتركيا، بحيث يكشف ايضا ان الرئيس السوري دعا قادة الاحزاب الكردية التي كانت محظورة اصلا في سوريا لاكثر من اجتماع في مراكز رسمية سورية، وذلك في رد مباشر على تركيا التي يتهمها النظام السوري بتسهيل قنوات الاتصال بين المعارضين السوريين وتنظيم شؤونهم اللوجستية من جهة، وبالتنسيق مع قيادة حركة الاخوان المسلمين في مصر من جهة ثانية، وكل ذلك في ظل قناعة بان عملية جسر الشغور ليست عملا عابرا، بل منظما ينم عن قدرة قتالية عالية مصحوبة بتقنيات عسكرية ولوجستية مدعومة من خارج الحدود السورية بحسب التعبير.

June 10th, 2011, 8:49 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Now the Hezbollah and bearded Iranians are slaughtering the people of Jisr a Shughour ( another witness said they had shaved head and wearing white shoes).

Syria: Eyewitness account of violence in Jisr al-Shughour
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8569715/Syria-Eyewitness-account-of-violence-in-Jisr-al-Shughour.html

….”Trouble started a long time ago, but today is the worst.
There is army and police, and the third group with beards. They are foreigners. They are Hezbollah from Iran, those that Assad required.”
Mostly they are the ones killing the people. They have started it.

….”They (Hizbollah) came to our houses and there we caught 60 of them. We had small pellet rifles, which we use to hunt birds. They came before the army – they came as scouts and we caught them.

After we captured them, we threatened them and they started to talk. They were scared and started to talk. They speak Farsi, so a translator helped us.

The army has split into a thousand pieces and most of the defectors have been killed.”

June 10th, 2011, 8:52 pm

 

Tara said:

Hello Amir,

No…. Not yet… And I hate myself for it.

June 10th, 2011, 8:53 pm

 

Ss said:

42, Shami,

shami you look angry today, whats the deal. Usually you are calm and soft spoken. In comment 42 you are loosing your temper. Is it because Al3asha2r did a wedding and many heads of tribes were invited, changing the name of this Jumaa from jumaat 3asha2r to jumaat Basa2r,,,,……i think your 3asha2r were real Arab and did not sell Syria as you are doing guys. This news has been a big blow to you, and the rest of your international crew. Stria is big with its people abd president.

June 10th, 2011, 8:57 pm

 

aboali said:

residents of the besieged town of Misrata in Libya in solidarity with Syrians. Wow, this is truly awe inspiring, the free peoples of the Arab world reach out to one another in their struggle against tyranny and evil. Gaddafi = Assad

June 10th, 2011, 8:57 pm

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

Tara,
No, don’t hate yourself. I went today to the gay parade in Tel Aviv, and during the march to the beach party, I couldn’t stop thinking about the brave Syrians who aren’t afraid to show up in the demonstrations. I asked myself whether I have had the courage as those brave people. I don’t have an answer.
.

June 10th, 2011, 9:01 pm

 

syau said:

Tara,

Alarabia-I heard it on air during a live broadcast, they were asked why they didn’t show up or accept the invitation. I doubt they will air that again though. Aljazeera, I read it, i’ll look for it and link it up for you.

#49,

I dont think someone that doesn’t have the ‘courage’ to demonstrate has any right to ask others to, especially with the violence and destruction that is the demonstrations. That reminds me of the clown Fida Alsayed.

#51,

God protect the Syrian army, who eat well, train well and protect the country.

June 10th, 2011, 9:02 pm

 

Ss said:

Jad comment 47

Excellent analysis.

June 10th, 2011, 9:02 pm

 

Tara said:

Amir,

Did you find Amina there? Sophia was out looking for her. I did not watch the last episode but I think the final conclusion was that she may be Israeli.

June 10th, 2011, 9:10 pm

 

Ss said:

Today was an important day in Syria. The army is doing its job. The people are united against the armed gangs in all cities across Syria. Al3asha2r themselves turned the Jumaaa to Jumaaat Basha2r for all real syrians. There message was clear, we Al3asha2r will always be part of the real syria, and will not be a tool in the hands of internet kids making plans on our behalf.

June 10th, 2011, 9:11 pm

 

Tara said:

Syau,

What was their excuse not to send a reporter?

June 10th, 2011, 9:12 pm

 

syau said:

They didn’t have one. Actually, I’ll see if I can find it online somewhere, if I do, you can watch it for yourself.

June 10th, 2011, 9:14 pm

 

Shami said:

SS,
If you see the things as you like to see them ,then be happy.
Unlike you who divinize the qardahi and believe in a static and irrational approach of history, history is in motion.
The difference between me and you ,is that i believe in a democratic Syria ,whereas you depend on maher,rami and bashar.
Stay with them till their end and after their end !

June 10th, 2011, 9:15 pm

 

Jad said:

Tara,
Don’t listen to this creepy israeli prince, you are a new mother, raise your kid and don’t miss any of his moments growing, that is your priority now.

June 10th, 2011, 9:17 pm

 

Tara said:

Syau, #53

In regard to your comment on #49. I must say I agree with you. Some one who does not have the courage should not have the right to ask the others. I don’t. I just admire them.

June 10th, 2011, 9:21 pm

 

Shami said:

Jad,
what a male chauvinist attitude from you.
go back in your makhlouf-hezbollah media !

June 10th, 2011, 9:28 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Jad

Bashar seems to have refused Erdogan’s advices to give the MB a role in the new Syria after the MB has rejected Bashar’s invitation to dialog because they want him out first.
In view of this rejection, Bashar has turned to another powerful group, the syrian kurds who happenned to be anti Ergdogan. This has irked Erdogan and made him voiced tough criticisms of syria’s ‘savagery’.
Yet Erdogan is using gloves as he knows that the revival of the PKK in Syria is going to create a lot of problems in Turkey after the elections.
Bashar is doing a ‘bras de fer’ with Erdogan.
After the election Erdogan will have to make his position clearer: either he continues supporting Bashar or it will be an all out war with the Kurds. In addition, the opposition party the CHP in Turkey is led by an Alevi and supported by the kurds. It may be tougher for Erdogan to makes the changes he wants.

IPossibly Bashar, if he successfully clean Jisr al Shogour, may not easily allow the refugees who flee to Turkey to come back to Syria, as many have no identity papers. They all hailed Erdogan. That may be the gift to Erdogan: Keep them.

June 10th, 2011, 9:28 pm

 

Tara said:

Jad,

Just want to remind you with:

56. Jad said:

Tara,
You represent yourself, talk about yourself not All Syrians depending on their sect, city or village.
You …

Edited [JL] for insults and accusations

Check your comment out. JL edited as above. I can not have any more conversation with you before you offer an apology first. Thanks in advance.

June 10th, 2011, 9:39 pm

 

Shami said:

Why ,the kurds are not stupid and they have a memory.
They know that their future is with the turkish and syrian people not with a dying minus regime.
The kurds took part in great number in the demonstration today more than the previous fridays.
Bashar’s place in future Syria is known ,accept it !(jail or death)
Turkey is a democracy and so will be Syria and the kurds will gain the most in the democratization process.
Btw the Kurds in general(if we remove the atheist nationalists) are nostalgic of the ottoman era.
The pioneer of this trend(that of the AKP) in Turkey was a Kurd,very respected in both Syria and Turkey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_Nurs%C3%AE

June 10th, 2011, 9:41 pm

 

Arnie from NYC said:

I have been following the events in Syria for many weeks, frequently comparing how various countries chose to report it (if at all). Today, for the first time, Iran’s PressTV gave prominence to a report emphasizing the regime’s brutality, even quoting AP! “Syrian human rights activists say security forces have opened fire on anti-government demonstrators in several cities, killing at least 32 people. The activists said half of the deaths occurred in the north of the country on Friday as demonstrations were held in most sections of the country, AP reported.” Although they go on to repeat the Syrian government’s version, this was the first time that PressTV reported something on Syria which was not a mere restatement of official Syrian propaganda (and even then buried in the back of their web site). Could this be an indication that Iran is now giving up on Assad, and now expects the regime to crumble, and soon? If so, it would make sense to prepare the Iranian people for this looming earth-shaking event.

June 10th, 2011, 9:43 pm

 

Jad said:

WD,
Three Kurdish party out of 7, apologize to attend the meeting Asad called for.
Today ‘Alghool’ state that they are looking at all of the outcome of the conflict and not taking out the military option, Erdogan attacked Asad in his statement today so the Syrian ambassador reply wish harsh words against Erdogan.
Today was also brutal with 32 Syrians killed.
I’m not sure how Syria can go out of this trouble being under so much domestic and international pressure.

June 10th, 2011, 9:50 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Shami

Are you living on the moon, Syrian Kurds hate Erdogan.
Kurds in Turkey are about to explode!

just read that:

“…Regardless of who wins on Sunday, the Kurds — both the BDP and the armed rebel group PKK (whose leader, Abdullah Ocalan, is serving a life sentence for treason) — have given the new government until June 15 to meet their demands for more autonomy, the right to be educated in Kurdish and an end to military operations. Already, waves of popular unrest have swept the mainly Kurdish southeast in recent months.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2077069,00.html#ixzz1Ovb8JKkQ

June 10th, 2011, 9:51 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Jad

More than one analysts said that this can drag for months. There are no alternative for the international community except sanctions and condamnations. Iran has been under the same situation for years.
Unless there is a significant shift in the army I doubt the situation would move decisively against Bashar.
I still wonder why Turkey is not allowing the media to access the ‘refugees’ that by the way Erdogan called ‘guests’ as he dreads they would stay for long time.

June 10th, 2011, 9:59 pm

 

aboalia said:

a disabled man (no arms at elbows) shot dead by security forces in Basr el harir Daraa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b86B9FE1WPU

so is he an “armed” Salafi terrorist??????

security forces calmly take position, and open fire in cold blood on peaceful unarmed protesters in Qaboon:

June 10th, 2011, 10:00 pm

 

Jad said:

Tara,
First, I don’t owe you any apology because what I wrote wasn’t even an insult, Dr.Landis owe me an apology for editing my comments and describe it as insult while it wasn’t and giving people the impression that I insulted you.
JL, Any comment would be appreciated.

Second, if you want to go out and get killed and leave your child as an orphan god forbid, it’s your own choice.

June 10th, 2011, 10:01 pm

 

Shami said:

Why,go check the percentage of kurdish turks who voted for the AKP.
Mardin for example the city of Norman(and Alex?) ancestors ,is mostly kurdish and it’s dominated by the AKP.It’s the region that is located on the border with Syria and those kurds are the relative of the syrian kurds.
The atheist nationalists,stalinist kurds are a minority.
The kurds know that they will gain their rights through democratization of the region.Turkey has left the era of irrationality ,Syria is following its natural historical path.

June 10th, 2011, 10:03 pm

 

To JAD 47 said:

Jad do you actually believe that steaming pile of lies you posted?

lol @ this gem: “…the U.S. administration of new terms of its kind in the attitude towards the year with Syrian affairs,such as use of the term “armed gangs that are attacking Syrian security forces” and not the term “Syrian opposition or demonstrators or protesters,” as they describe the rebels”.

I know that’s a shitty google translation, but do you not realize that this is just a fearmongering bunch of speculation with no source other than the government itself?

Let’s see who was blamed, the U.S. chiefly, obviously they are the source of this unrest even though they’re already wasting what little money they have in Libya, has obviously been primarily financing and leading this uprising (U.S. can’t do a thing in Syria right now, as an american I can tell you that), and of course those enormous radical Islamist Muslim Brotherhood armed gangs who suddenly popped up in the country after having been killed off or exiled in 1982, and so because Bashar lifted the emergency law (although suddenly when Bashar made this concession to the “opposition” armed gangs took over, clearly the Syrian people should never have been so arrogant to ask Bashar to lift the protection law) and supposedly maybe possibly if you ask nice and sit at home while i suck your country’s resources dry for my family and spend it all influencing other country’s affairs then the Ba’ath won’t rule everything.

In the United States we call that “yellow journalism”

To the Syrians who have freed their minds from such ignorance good luck to you. I know you want to be peaceful, and i’m impressed that most of you

June 10th, 2011, 10:05 pm

 

Jad said:

What I wrote to Tara and JL describe it as insult is something like this:
‘You need to stop being obnoxious when you write’
Is that consider an insult and accusations?
Seriously!

June 10th, 2011, 10:17 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Shami

The election is something, after the election is another story.
It will depend on Erdogan accepting to change the constitution and give some autonomy to the Kurds, otherwise things may get bad

“During the election campaign, Erdogan put forward the socio-economic development of southeast Turkey and did not discuss the political reforms for Kurds. He said “there is no Kurdish issue but problems of the Kurdish people”.

Nevertheless, the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) emphasised that the new constitution should recognise autonomy for Kurds and education in the Kurdish language. Moreover, Abdullah Ocalan, who retains his power over the Kurdish movement even from his jail cell, warned that “all hell will break loose” if fully-fledged negotiations for a settlement between himself and the Turkish government do not commence after the elections.

Erdogan’s nationalist tone in the election campaign aims to lure voters away from the opposition parties, and presumably will change after the election as the AKP will need the support of the Kurdish MPs to write a new constitution.

“However, many Kurds consider Erdogan’s stance as a strategy to stall reforms demanded by Ocalan. If a new constitution fails to address Kurdish concerns, the PKK might renew its struggle, not only through an armed campaign, as happened in the last two decades, but also through a campaign of civil disobedience, which has become very popular in the Middle East in the recent months.”

June 10th, 2011, 10:20 pm

 

syau said:

Tara,

I read Jad’s comment before it was edited. It was not insulting.

June 10th, 2011, 10:28 pm

 

aboali said:

a disabled man (no arms at elbows) shot dead by security forces in Basr el harir Daraa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b86B9FE1WPU

so is he an “armed” Salafi terrorist??????

security forces calmly take position, and open fire in cold blood on peaceful unarmed protesters in Qaboon:

June 10th, 2011, 10:42 pm

 

Shami said:

Why,the turkish government is rational and democraticaly elected,it’s normal that his governance integrate the kurdish factor and the things will evolve through dialogue,they are not anymore a menhebak country since long time ago.
ya3ni why ,is this minus regime deserve all your laf w dawaran ?you too as lebanese ,your eternal neighbors are the syrian people ,not dictatorial regimes,the lebanese parties you support are also result of a context ,their fate is that of bashar regime,that’s why they are killing themselves for it,only the people are eternal.

June 10th, 2011, 10:51 pm

 

why said:

Shami

I hope you’re right.

June 10th, 2011, 10:57 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Shami
I hope you are right..

June 10th, 2011, 10:58 pm

 

Ss said:

Comment 59

Shami

That is true. I see Assad staying, stronger than ever. On the other hand, I do not see the honest revolution you are cheerng. I see some armed gangs that you support every friday, armed gangs killing and terrorizing people, shouting Alah Wa Akbar, as if Allah blessed their Jihad, or as if Allah wants people to kill in his name. Unfirtunateky Shami you and your MB have no place or space in this world, and I am sure the world would be better off. MB talking about democracy….that is funny

June 10th, 2011, 10:59 pm

 

syau said:

#75,

Stop sensationalising.

Why didnt person who took the video show the “security forces calmly take position, and open fire in cold blood on peaceful unarmed protesters in Qaboon”

Because shots were fired in the air.

June 10th, 2011, 10:59 pm

 

aboali said:

#78 and yet all you pro-regime pea-brains support Iran which is an extremist religious theocracy, and Hezbollah which is an armed sectarian militia, while at the same time attacking the Muslim Brothers. The M.B, through it’s Murshed has stated that it is looking to create a modern democratic multi party Syria, not an Islamic caliphate or some damn wilayet Faqeh crap like in Iran.

June 10th, 2011, 11:03 pm

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Assad invitation to meet the kurds is to encourage them to give trouble to Erdogan,This will cause deterioration further of relations between Turkey and Syria.This is playing with fire.
The people in Jisr AlShughour are at the no militarized zone, where the army can not reach them,but not in turkey yet, those in Turkey are 3000.
36 Martyr died today,,this is important week, it is the week of election in Turkey,I expect Erdogan to start openly criticise Bashar himself, after criticising and condemning Maher.
Bashar is not talking to the nation,in two months.

June 10th, 2011, 11:04 pm

 

Abughassan said:

Waiting for those rumored arrests of both armed gangs and brutal security chiefs to become public. It is not enough to spread rumors through Lebanese press about those arrests and other desired reform measures,people need to see real substance. As for Turkey,it is likely that Asad will use the Kurdish card if the tone from Ardogan does change after he wins the elections. Syrians should not forget that Iskandaron was stolen from Syria by the same country that occupied us for 400 years and left syria in the dark ages and was brutal against millions of minorities. It is laughable that there are still Syrians who show affection towards the Othmani period based solely on religious feelings. At the end of the day,Syria can only rely on patriotic Syrians,not the NATO or even the Turks. Having good relations with your neighbor does not mean allowing him to tell you how to raise your kids. The regime is the source of much of Syria’s problems today butbthe cure is not a Taliban-style regime. Those who refuse to denounce violence and sectarian hatred are not working in Syria’s best interest whether they are pro or anti regime.

June 10th, 2011, 11:05 pm

 

Shami said:

That is true. I see Assad staying, stronger than ever

Ever ,never ,all ,total,eternal,super,wonderful…

Intou w houweh ila mazbalet el tarikh !

June 10th, 2011, 11:06 pm

 

aboali said:

#79 which is why 5 people died in Qaboon today eh?? security shot in the air, and the protesters, well they died of old age …..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsbFissqM-A

June 10th, 2011, 11:07 pm

 

Shami said:

Othmani period based solely on religious feelings

It’s not true, a number of names of the syro-lebanese intelligencia from christian background praise the Ottomans(especially the historians) ,i would say on the contrary those who attack it today ,belong to this mini sectarian isolated mentality ,that cultivate hatred towards the environment ,not only they hate the ottomans but the islamic civilization in general.
It’s ok to crticize a period in the ottoman history,especially during the agony of the empire, but without generalization.

June 10th, 2011, 11:11 pm

 

873 said:

Cliff Notes for Arab Spring 2. Leumi-Libya Central Bank on the docket for late summer. Gaddaffi water reservoir development declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along w/ the Red Sea-Dead Sea watershed, its adopted sister project. Seized as collateral by IMF for cost of Libyan post war reconstruction…
REIMBURSING the Revolution’s UNDERWRITERS a Priority. Remind anyone of Iraq War part of the M.E. Freedom Franchise? looting, kidnapping, killing but the preservation of Iraq Oil Ministry comes first!

“Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, traveled to Benghazi last month for two days.”

Libyan rebel group sells first oil to U.S.
Washington (CNN) Jun 9, 2011 — The rebel government in control of the eastern part of Libya has made its first sale of oil from territory it controls, the State Department confirmed Wednesday.

Tesoro, a U.S. oil refiner, entered into a deal May 25 with the Transitional National Council based in Benghazi, Libya for 1.2 million barrels of Libyan crude oil, the State Department said in a written statement. The shipment was scheduled to arrive aboard the MT Equator, a Liberian-flagged tanker, at the Single Point Mooring in Hawaii on Wednesday. The dollar value of the deal is not known.

U.S. support for additional oil sales with the TNC will continue as a means to support additional revenue streams for the Libyan people, the statement said.

The sale was made possible following an April announcement by the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department that established a new licensing policy with Libya. That action was taken to ease barriers to certain oil related transactions with the TNC, in place because of wider U.S. sanctions on Libya.

The announcement came the same day Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the United Arab Emirates for a meeting with the Libya Contact Group, a coalition of various countries and international organizations that seek to build support for the TNC while preparing for Libya’s future after the presumed end of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime. This is the third meeting of the group.

France, Italy and Qatar are among the small number of countries who have officially recognized the TNC as the legitimate government of Libya. While the United States has yet to take that step, President Barack Obama “has invited them to open an office in Washington,” a senior administration official told reporters traveling with Clinton.

“We are still considering it but there’s no final decision as of right now,” the official said of U.S. efforts to offer formal recognition to the TNC.

Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, traveled to Benghazi last month for two days.

June 10th, 2011, 11:11 pm

 

Shami said:

Good answer from Ghalioun to menhebak-iran theocracy people here.

June 10th, 2011, 11:17 pm

 

syau said:

#84,

They did what they have been doing from the beginning of this ‘peaceful revolution’.

This is peaceful. This is Syria and the voices of the Syrians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L-t7DW6jGk&feature=channel_video_title

Stop sensationalising. Enough of the violent revolution.

June 10th, 2011, 11:21 pm

 

Norman said:

Can anybody names an Islamic country that protect and gives equal rights to minorities after the Umayyad and the time of the Andlus,

June 10th, 2011, 11:21 pm

 

jad said:

🙂
turkish prime minister FAIL
http://youtu.be/dgLFH6BX7as

June 10th, 2011, 11:23 pm

 

Ss said:

Comment 80

Mr Abo Ali,

I care less about what your Murshed said. The MB is like Alqaeda. They represents Radical Islam. They are bunch of liers and would always kill in the name of Allah.

MB killed people in Egypt, Syria, and Algeria. They want to bring us the wahabi, salafi, radical type of Islam.

The iranian goverment, despite being conservative is way better and more democratic than any arab country. Plus, tell me when, or where Iran, or HA used force against its neighbours since the Iran Iraq war which was started by iraq aggression.

I will not bother to answer where the armed HA militia as you state s fighting, and for what cause.

It seems from your languae that you are hostile to welaiat faqeeh and perhaps to shia people as well.

June 10th, 2011, 11:25 pm

 

Shami said:

Norman,i would not say that the Umayyad in Damascus or Andalus gave equal rights to the christians or jews …but relatively compared to the historical context,it was a decent multi religious system ,in fact,in the umayyad state in Damascus ,some of them reached the most advanced ministeries ,one of them is Saint John of Damascus,one of the most important christian figure,the minister of finance, who from Damascus and Jerusalem fought the Icononclast policy of the emperor of the Byzantine empire.(he considered Islam as a christian heresy)
We are proud of our past ,Evolution is natural ,Today we all agree ,that muslims ,christians ,jews ,atheists deserve nothing less than to be equals.

June 10th, 2011, 11:30 pm

 

jad said:

تصعيد وتصعيد مضادّ
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/14390

لا مجال للتحاور ولا لـ«التنازل»، في المشهد السوريّ لعبة صولد، أو المغامرة الكبرى من الجانبين. ربح كامل أو خسارة كاملة

غسان سعود
دمشق | بائعة العلكة الباحثة عبثاً عن عابر للحدود عند مدخل الأمن العام اللبناني في المصنع تبدو تعبة. موظف الأمن العام السوريّ الجالس بين صورة السيّد الأمين العام على الزجاج أمامه وصورة سيادة الرئيس على الجدار الرمادي خلفه يبدو تعباً. الشاب الإيرانيّ الذي يوقّع تعهداً بعدم القيام بأي نشاط صحافي خلال وجوده في سوريا يبدو تعباً. صورة الرئيس الملوّح للآتين من لبنان معلناً أن «سوريا الله حاميها» تظهره هذه المرة تعباً. العسكريّ الذي يقطع الطريق مهرولاً إلى معسكر التدريب يبدو تعباً. سائق التاكسي المتأفف من شوارع لا ركاب فيها يبدو تعباً. مديرة الفندق الخالي وموظفوها القلقون من الصرف الجماعيّ إذا استمر الركود أسبوعاً آخر يبدون تعبين. سيخ الشاورما الذي لا يجد من ينقذه من النار التي يدور حولها منذ ثلاثة أيام يبدو تعباً. العميد المنهزم مع عنفه في الشوارع يبدو تعباً. عنصر الاستخبارات الذي يقود عصراً سيارة أجرة بحثاً عن مندسّ و«يلطي» مساء مع زملائه قرب «باب شرقي» لا تزيده الـ«ريد بول» إلا تعباً. كؤوس العرق المكدسة على طاولة المثقف المهموم والعاجز عن التأثير على السلطة والشارع تزيده تعباً. دمشق، تلك الحاضنة لأهالي درعا وبانياس وحمص وجسر الشغور وحماه وحلب والقامشلي وكل مدينة وحي سوريين، تبدو تعبة.

ربح أو خسارة كل شيء

جديد السلطة اعترافها بعدم ثقتها بالحوار أو الإصلاح كفعل يتجاوز مبدأ إنشاء اللجان وبعض التقديمات الصغيرة هنا وهناك، واقتناعها بأن الآتي لن يكون أصعب مما مرّ. وبالتالي تتمسك السلطة بربح كل شيء تقريباً بدل خسارة كل شيء، على دفعات. أما المثقفون والحزبيون التقليديون فمقتنعون بأن الوعي الشعبيّ أكبر من أن تبلعه السجون أو أن تقسمه العصبيات. ويكفي الحزبيين الشيوعيين والناصريين والقوميين ترداد أحد المحتجين «سلميّة سلميّة» أو «إسلام ومسيحية» لينأوا بالتحرك في عقولهم عن العصبيات الطائفية، علماً بأن التنقل بين بعض هؤلاء المثقفين يثبت أن عنف السلطة في قمع المحتجين لم يبق في الشارع إلا من أوصلتهم السلطة نفسها إلى الاعتقاد بأن الموت أفضل من الحياة التي يعيشونها، وانسحب بالتالي بائعو التماثيل واللوحات والمواقف والأشعار الذين يحلمون بكرسي لا بتابوت. فيما توحي أحاديث المواطنين السوريين بأن السلطة والمثقفين في مكان والمحتجين في مكان آخر. المحتجون كالسلطة، يعتقدون أنهم في معركة يربحون في نهايتها كل شيء أو يخسرون كل شيء تقريباً، مع العلم بأن المجتمع السوري، باستثناء بعض قليل من مثقفيه، يرى أن المحتجين وقعوا في أكثر من منطقة في فخ السلطة بلجوئهم إلى السلاح كتدبير احترازي مرة وللدفاع المشروع عن النفس مرات. وسيصادف زائر دمشق شتائم كثيرة للمسلحين الذين «خربوا البلد» بشكل يوحي بأن الكثيرين يتأثرون برواية السلطة عن المسلحين، التي تثير ضحك آخرين.

وقف مسلسل الدم

في أسواق المدينة وباصاتها ومطاعمها وبين باعة الخضر والفاكهة والذرة على أرصفة شوارعها يتبلور انطباع شعبي بأن سوريا لن تستعيد استقرارها حتى ما بعد إسقاط النظام، من جهة. ومن جهة أخرى، لن يقدم النظام في هذه المرحلة الإصلاحات الأساسية والجدية التي يريدها كل الشعب السوري (وأنصار النظام قبل خصومه) ولن يحيد عن نهج العنف (وهناك في النظام من يعتقد أن مشاهد تنكيل عناصر الأمن بالمحتجين التي تعرضها الفضائيات العربية تفيد النظام أكثر بكثير مما تضره).
وبالتالي، يبني المواطنون حساباتهم ويفكرون بمستقبلهم وفق هذين المعطيين: سلطة لن تتخلى عن مكاسبها الأساسية، ومحتجّون لن يتراجعوا، تطلق السلطة موقوفيهم فتراهم خلال أقل من أربع وعشرين ساعة يتظاهرون (المعتقلون السابقون) ضدها.
وبالتالي، تزداد الأكثرية الشعبية اقتناعاً بصوابية موقفها المتفرج حتى الآن على طرفين لا يريدان ـــــ في هذه المرحلة ـــــ أن يردعهما رادع عن بعضهما. ولا شك هنا أن صور التنكيل المذهبي بعناصر الجيش الواردة من منطقة جسر الشغور، والسقطات الإعلامية الكبيرة لخصوم النظام، وتعثر مؤتمرات المعارضين الدولية، فضلاً عن مراوحة الضغط الدولي في المكان الذي كان يقف فيه قبل نحو أسبوعين على الأقل، أثرت على الرأي العام الذي بات مقتنعاً أكثر بأن الفضائيات العربية والأجنبية، تماماً كما التلفزيون السوري، لا تقول الحقيقة. وهذا ما يجعل وجهة النظر التي لا تبالي بمن يقتل تطغى على وجهات النظر الأخرى. والمهم بالنسبة الى هؤلاء إيقاف مسلسل القتل ومعالجة فيروس الجنون الذي ضرب عقولاً كثيرة.
ضمن الأكثرية الخائفة على سوريا تضيق رقعة الذين يوافقون على كل شيء في سلوك النظام، أو الذين يمكن أن يتوهموا أنه قادر على إخافة الشعب بكامله وضبط النقابات والصحافيين والتمتع بأكثرية شعبية حتى على شبكة الإنترنت. تعرف هذه الأكثرية جيداً النظام الذي يحكمها، تعلم أن النظام متماسك حتى اليوم، لكنه لا يتمتع بكل هذه القدرات. والمشكلة الأساسية في ما تواجهه السلطة السورية هو الغباء الإعلاميّ من جهة، وتحول رجال الاستخبارات الأساسيين إلى رجال أعمال من جهة أخرى.
تبدو الشمس في غروبها عن دمشق تعبة. لا يبالي الشعب بالتفاصيل السياسية والتحليل والاستنتاجات. يستمع لبعضه البعض مكتشفاً الأحقاد المخبأة، الكره المتبادل والخوف على المكتسبات من عامل النظافة في المحافظة، مروراً بأبناء طوائف الأقليات، وصولاً إلى الطبقة الوسطى وما فوق. تنتظر الأكثرية الشعبية مبادرة ممّن يشاركها الخشية على سوريا تنقذ ما بقي من البلاد.

June 10th, 2011, 11:32 pm

 

Shami said:

Jad,It’s an old video.
He is sportive man ,he played goal keeper.

June 10th, 2011, 11:33 pm

 

why-discuss said:

“This draft resolution criticizes the Syrian government’s policy,” Mr. Lukashevich said. “Meanwhile, the opponents of the Syrian government are using terroristic methods. If this resolution is adopted, this would be accepted as if the UN supports these terrorists.”

Russia believes that the Syrian conflict must be solved by the Syrians themselves, without any interference from abroad.

June 10th, 2011, 11:33 pm

 

Abughassan said:

I agree that the Othmani period provided many reasons for some people to praise it. The point was what it did to Syria. Claiming that only non Sunnis were not happy with the Othmani period is obviously not true. Almost all of those patriots in Syria and Lebanon who were hanged by the Ottomans were Sunni (remember may6th?). The ottomans were particularly brutal against independent voices and more brutal against non Sunnis. I am amazed that we can not as Syrians agree that occupying Syria for 400 years and treating Syrians like second class citizens was unacceptable and simply criminal.
The ottomans left Syria in the middle ages when Europe was rising. Militant Muslims,many are not violent,have the right to be in love with the Ottomans but many others love to hate that period.الاختلاف لا يفسد للود قضيه يا اخوه

June 10th, 2011, 11:34 pm

 

jad said:

WD, this is how Turkey’s strongest men talked to the media yesterday:

أنقرة تتّهم نظام الأسد بارتكاب «فظاعات»: مستعدّون لكل السيناريوات
سجّلت أنقرة، أمس، بمسؤوليها الثلاثة الأرفع شأناً، الموقف التركي الأقوى بحق النظام السوري حتى اليوم، مع تلويحها باستعدادات لمواجهة السيناريوات العسكرية كما المدنية، وتسميتها لمسؤولي «الفظاعات» من بين رموز النظام السوري

قطع المسؤولون الأتراك كل الخطوط الحمراء التي كانت لا تزال تحكم مواقفهم القوية المنتقدة للنظام السوري في تعاطيه مع التظاهرات التي تشهدها البلاد؛ فللمرة الأولى منذ انطلاق الحراك السوري، خرج الكلام التركي الذي كان مقتصراً على تقارير صحافية حول استعدادات للتدخل وإنشاء منطقة عازلة بين سوريا وتركيا، إلى العلن، مع تلويح الرئيس التركي عبد الله غول، ولذلك رمزية كبيرة، بأن أنقرة تدرس كل الاستعدادات لكل السيناريوات، المدنية والعسكرية منها، في ما قد يشير إلى ما أوردته صحيفة «حرييت» عن أن الحكومة والجيش التركيين يستعدان للتدخل في الأراضي السورية لإقامة منطقة فاصلة بين تركيا وسوريا. كلام لا يقل أهمية عن موقف لرئيس الحكومة، رجب طيب أردوغان، الذي حمّل شقيق الرئيس السوري، ماهر الأسد، مسؤولية «الفظاعات» التي ترتكبها أجهزة الأمن السورية، وهو ما يجعل من تركيا «عاجزة عن الدفاع عن سوريا في مجلس الأمن»، بالتزامن مع استمرار تدفق السوريين الهاربين من العنف إلى الأراضي التركية.
ومن المرات النادرة، تحدث الرئيس التركي، الذي يقتصر تدخله على الشؤون ذات الأهمية الكبيرة جداً، عن الأزمة السورية، أمس، فقال «نحن نتابع التطورات السورية عن كثب وبحزن، ونتلقى تقارير استخبارية على مدار الساعة، وقد اتخذنا كل الاستعدادات المدنية والعسكرية لمواجهة أسوأ السيناريوات. طبعاً لا نتمنى أبداً حصول الأمور السيئة، لكن من الواضح أن الأحداث لا تسير بالاتجاه السليم، لذلك اتخذت تركيا وستتخذ كل الاجراءات لمواجهة كل شيء». وبحسب ترجمة وكالة «فرانس برس»، فإن غول قال «إن القيادتين المدنية والعسكرية التركيتين مستعدتان لمواجهة أسوأ السيناريوات»، من دون أن يكشف عن تفاصيل.
بدوره، رفع أردوغان من سقف لهجته إزاء نظام الأسد، موضحاً أنّ النظام يرتكب «فظاعات»، واصفاً قمع المحتجين في سوريا بأنه «غير مقبول». ونقلت وكالة أنباء الأناضول الجمعة عن أردوغان قوله، في مقابلة تلفزيونية مساء الخميس، «تحدثت مع (الرئيس السوري بشار) الأسد قبل أربعة أو خمسة أيام، لكنهم (السوريون) يقللون من أهمية الوضع ويتعاطون معه ببساطة، وللأسف لا يتصرفون بطريقة إنسانية، ويقولون لنا أموراً ويفعلون أشياء أخرى». وقال «إن عائلة الأسد، وبالأخص شقيق الرئيس ماهر الأسد، لا تتصرف بطريقة انسانية. إنهم يقتلون أشقاءنا وشقيقاتنا بعنف وبلا رحمة، حتى إنهم يصوّرون جرائمهم». وتابع «هل تتصورون؟ إنهم يلتقطون صوراً بشعة لرؤوس النساء اللواتي قتلوهن. إنّ هذه الصور غير مقبولة أبداً».
ولفت رئيس الحكومة التركية إلى أنه «لا يمكن تركيا أن تدافع عن سوريا» في إشارة إلى الجهود الدولية لنقل الملف السوري إلى مجلس الأمن الدولي. وعن هذا الموضوع قال «بشكل غير ضروري، هذه الوحشية تدفع باتجاه تدخل مجلس الأمن. هناك (في نيويورك) تتمّ الاستعدادات، وفي مواجهة هذه المساعي لا يمكننا كأتراك أن نواصل دفاعنا عن سوريا».
وفيما طمأن أردوغان إلى أن تركيا «ستبقي حدودها مفتوحة أمام اللاجئين السوريين»، عاد ليتساءل «لكن إلى أين سيصل ذلك؟ وحتى متى نبقي أبوابنا مفتوحة؟ هذه مسألة أخرى»، مذكراً بأن «الأحداث في سوريا تختلف عن ليبيا، إنها بأهمية الشؤون الداخلية التركية».
بدوره، أعلن وزير الخارجية التركي أحمد داوود أوغلو أن بلاده «تعلق أهمية كبيرة على الاستقرار في سوريا»، مؤكداً استمرار دعم الشعب السوري واستضافته على الأراضي التركية «حتى تعود الأمور إلى طبيعتها». ونقلت وكالة أنباء الأناضول عن داوود أوغلو قوله إنه عقد اجتماعاً مع حاكم إقليم هاتاي لمناقشة حاجات اللاجئين السوريين، كاشفاً أن 2800 لاجئ سوري عبروا الحدود إلى تركيا خلال الأيام الثلاثة الماضية، غالبيتهم أطفال ونساء ومسنون. ولفت إلى أن «بعض التطورات حصلت في جسر الشغور، وفي بلدة قريبة من الحدود بين تركيا وسوريا»، مؤكداً تلقيه «معلومات عن سقوط عدد كبير من القتلى».
في المقابل، كشفت صحيفة «حرييت» أن تركيا «تفكر في إقامة منطقة عازلة على حدودها مع سوريا إذا فرّ مئات الآلاف من العنف هناك». وجاء في الصحيفة أن «مسؤولي وزارة الخارجية قالوا إن من بين السيناريوات التي نوقشت إنشاء منطقة عازلة إذا سعى مئات آلاف من السوريين للجوء إلى تركيا».
وعلى وقع الحملة العسكرية في جسر الشغور، ذكرت وكالة أنباء الأناضول أن عدد السوريين اللاجئين إلى تركيا هرباً من أعمال العنف في بلادهم ارتفع إلى نحو 3000 شخص، مؤكدة أن مصلحة إدارة الطوارئ التركية أرسلت مبلغ 475 ألف دولار لمكتب حاكم هتاي لكي تتمكن السلطات المحلية من تأمين احتياجات اللاجئين، علماً بأنه تم نصب 600 خيمة في المنطقة وإرسال 6000 بطانية و3000 سرير إضافة، إلى مطابخ وحمامات متحركة. كما أشارت إلى أن جرحى سوريين لا يزالون يتلقون العلاج في المستشفيات التركية.
وذكر مسؤول في الحكومة التركية أن أنقرة اتخذت «اجراءات لمنع الإرهابيين من التسلل» من سوريا إلى تركيا، في إشارة الى حزب العمال الكردستاني. ورفض المسؤول الكشف عن تفاصيل الإجراءات، إلا أنه طمأن إلى أنه «لم يطرأ أي تطور يثير القلق حتى الآن»، مشدداً على أنه «ليست لدينا أي مشكلة في ايواء الناس وتلبية احتياجاتهم، فالأعداد التي تصل الآن هي أقل كثيراً من الأعداد التي يمكننا أن نستوعبها». وخلص إلى أن تركيا «لا تحتاج إلى مساعدة دولية».
في هذا الوقت، اشتبك متظاهرون أتراك مع أنصار للنظام السوري أمام السفارة السورية في أنقرة، ما أوقع جريحين على وقع تدخل قوات الشرطة للفصل بين الطرفين، بحسب ما نقلته وكالة أنياء «جيهان» التركية الخاصة.
(الأخبار، أ ف ب، رويترز، يو بي آي)

http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/14390

June 10th, 2011, 11:35 pm

 

Norman said:

Shami,

More of these word is better than others you say sometime.

June 10th, 2011, 11:37 pm

 

Ss said:

Shami

Mr. Galion is going hysterical like you Shami. 3 months passed and what we see every Friday is armed militins and gangs spreading terror among people. Mr Galion is very angry that the majority of the Syrian people are not out in the streets, and he is asking them, please, please come out so we can win. Well he is going crazy like you, because only a handful gangs are out which you and him support. At least Mr Galion admits that there are not enough people out there but you Shami say that all the people re out, all the people wants the regime out, all and all.

Would you give us a time frame for the following

1 international intervention
2 when Syrians will be out in mass numbers as Galion is begging us to do

June 10th, 2011, 11:40 pm

 

jad said:

WD,
About HA involvement news:

حزب الله ينفى بشدة الشائعات عن سقوط شهداء له ومشاركته بالمواجهات في سورية
محرر الموقع
نفى حزب الله بشكل قاطع الشائعات التي تتحدث عن سقوط شهداء له ومشاركته بالمواجهات في بعض المناطق السورية. ووضع الحزب هذه الشائعات بخانة التحريض المذهبي والطائفي وفي سياق نفس المؤامرة التي تستهدف سورية وحركات المقاومة. واكد في بيان ان “شهداءنا لا يخفون على أحد، ونحن نعتز بهم ونعلن عنهم في وضح النهار”. ونوه حزب الله الى أن كل الجهات التي تروّج لهذه الشائعات هي فاقدة للصدقية، ومع ذلك نجد أنفسنا مضطرين للنفي لكثرة هذه الأكاذيب، التي نخشى أن يصدّقها بعض الناس الطيبين. وعبر حزب الله عن ثقته بأن سورية قيادة وشعبا وجيشا قادرة على تجاوز المحنة بحكمة وصلابة إنشاء الله.

وهذا نص البيان كاملاً:

دأبت في الآونة الأخيرة بعض وسائل الإعلام العربية والإسرائيلية وعدد من المواقع الالكترونية، على الترويج لشائعات تتحدث عن مشاركة حزب الله في المواجهات العسكرية الدائرة في بعض المناطق السورية، وعن سقوط شهداء للحزب، ووصلت “الفبركات” إلى حد اختراع أسماء شهداء وتحديد أسماء مدنهم وبلداتهم.

إن حزب الله ينفي هذه الشائعات نفياً قاطعاً، ويضعها في خانة التحريض المذهبي والطائفي، وفي سياق نفس المؤامرة التي تستهدف سوريا وحركات المقاومة. كما أن شهداءنا لا يخفون على أحد، ونحن نعتز بهم ونعلن عنهم في وضح النهار.

ونود أن نلفت الانتباه إلى أن كل الجهات التي تروّج لهذه الشائعات هي فاقدة للصدقية، ومع ذلك نجد أنفسنا مضطرين للنفي لكثرة هذه الأكاذيب، التي نخشى أن يصدّقها بعض الناس الطيبين. ومع ثقتنا بأن سوريا، قيادةً وشعباً وجيشاً، قادرة على تجاوز هذه المحنة بحكمة وصلابة إنشاء الله.

June 10th, 2011, 11:41 pm

 

Shami said:

Abughassan,that’s why i told you dont generalize ,in that time the Ottomans (as effective rulers)lost power several years ago after the coup of the young turks backed by the armenian nationalists.(tashnag)
What happened to the armenians and assyrians is sad and was an insult against the teaching of Islam and the Ottoman tradition of tolerance itself praised by Voltaire among others.
And btw ,the aims have been proved after that the arab nationalists felt in the trap of the british security apparatuses.
Two wrongs dont make one right !
You can not reduce the ottoman history to the time of its agony.

June 10th, 2011, 11:45 pm

 

jad said:

Another excellent article by Mr. Bassam Alkadi, I’m so sorry Mina that it’s not in English 🙁

أردوغان باشا: حتى في أحلامك سورية لن تكون شأنا داخليا لعثمانيتك البغيضة
الكاتب بسام القاضي
10/ 06/ 2011

يبدو أن أردوغان باشا قد أصيب بجنون العظمة بعد أن صفق له بعض العرب في تمثيلياته المتعلقة ببعض مواقفه من إسرائيل، فصدق فعلا أنه “عثمان بن ارطغرل” آخر (أول سلطان عثماني)، وأنه سيعيد احتلال سورية مثلما ما زال يحتل جزءا منها، وأنه يمثل وصيا على بلد دفع ثمن طرد العثمانيين الذين جثموا على صدر بلدنا لخمسمئة سنة أفرغوه فيها من كل طاقة وامتصوا خيره كما تمتص العلقة الدم…

فأردوغان باشا، العثماني الجديد، أطلق مؤخرا جملة من التصريحات التي تخلى فيه عن ورقة التوت التي غطت سابقا حقيقة نظرته لسورية والسوريين بادعاءاته الحرص والقلق على حقوق الإنسان في سورية، فيما جيوشه تغتصب حقوق الإنسان في شرق تركيا، مثلما اغتصبت جيوش أسلافه دماء الأرمن والأشوريين والسريانيين في مجازر ما زال هو شخصيا يدافع عنها، ومثلما اغتصبت دولته حقوق الإنسان في دعمه وإشعاله معارك دامية حصدت الآلاف بين أذربيجان وأرمينيا في حلم لتمديد الدولة العثمانية فتقضم أذربيجان، ومثلما سحقت دولته الشيوعيين اليساريين حتى القتل، ومثلما سحقت سجونه مقاتلي حزب العمال الكردستاني الذين عانوا من تعذيب وصل حد الخوزقة في الماضي….
وفيما لم تتردد حكومته في أن تستخدم جيشها العرمرم لقتل وتشرد في شمال العراق، بل أنها سبق أن دفعته ليقتل ويشرد في شمال سورية أيضا، حرصا على “حقوق الأكراد” في… الآخرة!..

قال أردوغان باشا، بالبذلة السموكن التي لا تليق به: “ما يحدث في سورية يهم تركيا وكأنه شأن داخلي”، ويقصد طبعا: وكأنه شأن داخلي تركي!! فأية وقاحة بلغت بهذا العثماني الجديد؟ لم يتجرأ أحد من عتاة الطامعين بسورية على أن يستخدم هذا التشبيه يوما، لا في الماضي، ولا في أزمة الحاضر، فكيف تمكن من أن يفعل ذلك عثماني جديد يحلم بدولة خلافة يسكن فيها قصور هارون حافلة بالجاريات والأطايب؟!

في الواقع أن ما حدث بسيط وسهل: فالعثماني الجديد صاحب بدلة السموكن تهيأ له أنها فرصة تاريخية الآن ليؤكد أنه دركي جيد في المنطقة، خادم جيد وعبد مطيع للناتو والاتحاد الأوربي، وبالتالي فإن على أسياده أن يفكروا به كقوة حقيقية في المنطقة موازية لإسرائيل، بل ربما أقدر منها على ضبط الرعاع وقيادتهم إلى المراعي الغربية..

ومع إضافة ثلة من المجرمين الذين يخططون لديمقراطية تسحق نصف سكان سورية (النساء) تحت تصوراتهم الدينية المريضة، وتعتبر كل من هو ليس على مقاسها (المسيحيين) مواطنين درجة ثانية سيدفعون جزية بهذه الطريقة أو تلك (الأخوان المسلمون)، ويسنون الأسلحة لذبح كل من لا يطابق تصوراتهم فيكون عبدا لدين ما (اللاديينين مثلا)، ويشيعون قتل النساء باسم الشرف (هو ما دافعوا عنه علنا)، ويشرعون جعلهن حيوانات جنسية منجبة وممتعة لهم (وأيضا دافعوا عنه علنا)، و.. و.. هذه الثلة التي باعت وطنها للعثماني الجديد مقابل أن يسمح لها بعقد مؤتمر تآمرية تحاول من خلالها استجلاب الدبابات الغربية فتنصب كراسي سلطتها على إيقاعها..

ومع حقائق أعلنتها الجيوش الغربية بأن صراعها مع النظام السوري ليس من أجل حقوق الإنسان ولا الديمقراطية، وإنما هي فك علاقته مع إيران، وتخليه عن حزب الله وحماس، وجلوسه مباشرة على طاولة الاستسلام مع إسرائيل بدون شرط أو قيد، وفتح سورية لشركات “بلاك ووتر” التي عرفنا إنسانيتها جيدا عبر العالم خاصة في العراق، وفتح أسواقها على مصراعيها للبنك الدولي الذي بتنا نعرف جيدا أهدافه الحقيقية في تنمية الشعوب…

تبدو اللوحة واضحة تماما: مهازل أردوغان باشا في قضية أسطول الحرية، ثم مهازله اليوم بادعائه البكاء على ضحايا العنف في سورية، ليس لها سوى حقيقة واحدة: “سورية هي شأن داخلي تركي”! هي “ولاية” تركية! هي “سنجقدار” تركي! هي جزء من الامبراطوية العثمانية البغيضة!

فهنيئا لكم أيها الديمقراطيون من ميريلاند إلى استكهولم إلى باريس وبيروت.. هنيئا لكم أيها المجرمون باسم الدين وباسم الديمقراطية وباسم الحرية بيعكم سورية لسلطان جديد مقابل كرسي لن تحصلوا عليه أبدا.. هنيئا لكم تحولكم من تجار شعوب وتجار دماء شعوب..
هنيئا لكم أيتها “النخبة” الفارغة فراغ الطبول وأنتم تصمتون عن ما يجري في بلدكم وحوله، غارقين في تصوراتكم التأملية عن ما بعد التاريخ…
وهنيئا للسوريين والسوريات أنهم سيبنون سورية ديمقراطية وحرة وآمنة ومستقرة، بعيدا عن الغيلان التركية والفارسية، الأمريكية والفرنسية، وخاصة بعيدا عن غيلان الدين ووحوشه التي بدأت تسن أسنانها التي ستلتهم أجسادها الخاصة حين تكتشف نهائيا أن سورية ليست للبيع..

http://www.bassam-alkadi.com/content/view/590/44/

June 10th, 2011, 11:49 pm

 

Revlon said:

#89, Can you or anyone name any period, from the pre-islamic to the islamic, aside from era of the four Kahlifas, when the majority had basic human rights?

Islam, as a religeon, have guranteed the freedom of worship for all.
Inter-religeous and trans-religeous frictions have every thing to do with socio-economical conflicts.
The divide assumes a sectarian face, because the socio-economical system follow sectarian lines.

Companies owned by Christians, even now under this “secular” regime only hire Moslems if they have no Christian alternative.
Do you call thatn sectarian, socieconomic practice, or what?

June 10th, 2011, 11:54 pm

 

NK said:

Looks like your Russian “ally” is going to host a delegation from Syrian opposition soon.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20110610/164549208.html?id=

Russian envoy to Africa to meet Syria opposition in Moscow

Mikhail Margelov, Russia’s special envoy to Africa, said on Friday he would soon meet with a delegation from the Syrian opposition in Moscow.

“I will host a delegation of the Syrian opposition in Moscow in the near future,” Margelov said during a news conference at RIA Novosti.

Britain and France, Germany and Portugal presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council on Syria on Wednesday, condemning Damascus for violently suppressing opposition protests, but stopping short of calling for armed intervention there.

A vote in the Security Council could take place in the next few days, according to media reports

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it would not support any resolution on Syria, where more than 1,000 people have been killed since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March.

MOSCOW, June 10 (RIA Novosti)

June 11th, 2011, 12:05 am

 

Abughassan said:

I do not know how anybody can crucify Iran but praise turkey when it comes to Syria.the truth is that both are not Arab countries and will not suddenly fall in love with what they see as an inferior race. The Islamic bond between nations is overrated and those who deny that economic and political interests are what matter in international relations are naive or simply blinded by emotions. I
happen to dislike both countries when I find that they interfere in the internal affairs of Arab countries including Syria.

June 11th, 2011, 12:07 am

 

Shami said:

Arabs,Persians,Turks,Kurds..we all belong to the same Umma.
Extremist nationalism is a wrong and irrational behavior.
It’s not acceptable to attack Iran as a nation and people,if the syrian people are first to reach freedom ,we should help the iranian people against the regime of the big ayatollah and mollahs in Iran.
The same goes for any other totalitarian regimes,it should not include the people who suffer from these regimes.
Dont underestimate ,the Islamic Umma unity factor.(in the popular minds)

June 11th, 2011, 12:17 am

 

Abughassan said:

Sectarian behavior is mostly known to occur in third world countries.eliminating discrimination is a dream that will never come true but reducing it to acceptable levels and passing laws that criminalize blatant sectarian behavior,especially when it comes to security and economic matters,is what developed countries did and what developing countries must do. The regime relied ,partially,on sectarian loyalties to control the army and security forces but it also built alliances using willing citizens from different sects especially in the economic areas. Labeling the Syrian regime as sectarian is only partially true,just look at who has the money in Syria today and understand why Aleppo and Damascus,majority Sunnis ,have been largely neutral or even supportive of the regime,not to suggest that people in these two cities approved of the brutality of security forces. Most Syrians today are stuck and may eventually choose the lesser of two evils hoping to reform Syria over time instead of destroying it quickly.

June 11th, 2011, 12:23 am

 

jad said:

Syria says European UN draft would aid ‘terrorists’

* Diplomats trying to break deadlock on draft resolution

* Syria: Protests are “violence, murder and destruction”

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS, June 10 (Reuters) – A European draft resolution condemning Syria for its bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters would only embolden “extremists and terrorists,” Syria warned U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon in a letter.

“It is important that the Security Council should not intervene in the internal affairs of Syria, which is a founding member of the United Nations,” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told Ban in a letter obtained by Reuters on Friday.

“We are quite certain that any resolution that is adopted by that body under any heading will only exacerbate the situation and send a message to those extremists and terrorists to the effect that the deliberate destruction that they are wreaking has the support of the Security Council,” he said.

U.N. Security Council diplomats met again in New York on Friday in an attempt to break their deadlock on a draft resolution that would not impose sanctions on Syria but would condemn it for the crackdown and suggest Syrian security forces might be guilty of crimes against humanity.

Diplomats said Friday’s meeting produced no changes among the 15 Security Council members. Currently nine council members, including the draft’s sponsors Britain, France, Germany and Portugal, plan to vote for it.

Russia and China dislike the idea of any council discussion of Syria and have suggested they might use their veto power to kill the resolution. Lebanon, India, Brazil and South Africa have also said they have problems with the text.

Envoys said the latest draft, which was submitted to the council on Wednesday by Britain, France, Germany and Portugal, could be put to a vote next week.

NO APOLOGY FROM DAMASCUS

Moualem offered no apology for the crackdown, which rights groups say has killed over 1,100 civilians since March. He said Damascus had no choice but to press ahead to ensure “the security of the nation and the population.”

“We hope that the United Nations and its Member States will assist Syria in confronting the challenges of extremism and terrorism and will not hastily adopt a position that will provide a cloak for the murderous, destructive gangs,” Moualem said in the letter, which was dated on Thursday.

He said that diplomatic moves to condemn Syria in New York and elsewhere “constitute flagrant intervention in the internal affairs of Syria and an attempt to destabilize it and control the current and future decisions and destinies of its people.”

Earlier, Ban’s spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters that the U.N. secretary-general had been trying to speak on the telephone with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but was told that the president was “not available.”

Moualem said the Syrian government was committed to “building democracy, widening citizens’ participation in the political process, firmly establishing national unity and ensuring general order.”

He added that in the coming days “a committee comprising high-level party representatives and other independent persons will conduct a comprehensive national dialogue in Syria.”

Moualem said the demonstrations in most places in Syria are not peaceful but “acts of violence, murder and destruction that reduce public and private installations to ashes.”

“Stockpiles of arms and ammunition have been discovered in a number of places, which confirms that the problem we face has gone beyond the mere making of demands to an onslaught on the security, stability and sovereignty of the country that is being fomented from abroad,” he told Ban.

He said certain countries base their views about what is happening in Syria on “erroneous information” and ignore both the reforms the Syrian government is implementing and the crimes being committed by “armed gangs.” (Editing by Vicki Allen)

http://af.reuters.com/article/southAfricaNews/idAFN1026523620110611?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

—————————————-
UK, France build case for UN resolution against Syria
Europe is again taking the lead for international response in another chapter of the Arab Spring, arguing for a UN resolution against Syria. Unlike in Libya, it’s not calling for military action.

Berlin
With thousands of Syrians fleeing to Turkey in fear of more attacks by government forces, Europe is intensifying diplomatic pressure on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to stop using violence against civilians.

Supported by Germany and Portugal, the UK and France have drafted a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria’s suppression of pro-democracy protests but not calling for military action or additional sanctions.

While Europe is again taking the lead on rallying international response to a Middle East uprising, many analysts say the West is cautious about moving too strongly against Syria because of its strategic importance in the region. What’s more, many say, Assad will continue to act with impunity as long as he feels that the West considers him as part of an eventual solution to ending the violence there.

“Libya has oil, but it has little strategic importance. Syria is a pivotal state, it has immense strategic importance in the region,” says Jean-Francois Daguzan, a Middle East expert at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. “Regime change in Libya will not change the political landscape of the whole of North Africa. Regime change in Syria will affect the situation of Israel, of Lebanon, of Iran, of Turkey even.”

Mr. Daguzan said Western governments are also worried about what could follow Assad. “What kind of policy would a government of the Sunni majority in Syria stand for? No one knows. Europe’s options in Syria are very limited and a military intervention is out of the question.”

The draft UN resolution put forward by the UK and France asks for political reforms and the release of political prisoners. But it does not authorize concrete action by the international community and it stresses that any solution to this crisis has to include the Syrian authorities.

“Syria was at the center of the Western policy of engagement in the last two or three years,” said Nadim Shehadi, Syria expert with the London-based think tank Chatham House. “A lot of people invested political capital into arguing for engagement with Assad. And the regime is very clever in blurring people’s vision about what could happen. European policymakers are traumatized by Iraq and Libya, so when Assad paints a picture of a bloody sectarian war developing out of this uprising, they are not willing to take that risk.”

But Mr. Shehadi says that for the Assad regime to consider a change of course, the West needs to make a strong statement against its actions.

“Syria needs a clear message,” he says. “A message by the West that we do not see Assad as the future of Syria, and as the guarantor of stability in the region. Ambiguity is interpreted by him as a sign of support, as a sign that the West cannot see life beyond him. That is a license to kill, a carte blanche to crack down on the opposition. Without a clear message from the international community, people in Syria are afraid to go that last step and get rid of Assad.”

More than 1,000 Syrians crossed the border to Turkey within the past 24 hours, according to a Turkish official. The refugees say they anticipate a violent crackdown by troops closing in on the northwest border town of Jisr al-Shugur, where earlier in the week 120 members of the security forces were killed by armed gangs, according to the Syrian authorities. Turkish media report that the government in Ankara is preparing for an influx of up to 1 million refugees.

The events in northwestern Syria mark a climax in the unrest that started three months ago and cost more than 1,300 lives, according to human rights activists.

The initiative for a UN resolution is supported by the US, but opposed by Russia and China. A vote on the resolution is expected in the next few days.

UK, France build case for UN resolution against Syria
Europe is again taking the lead for international response in another chapter of the Arab Spring, arguing for a UN resolution against Syria. Unlike in Libya, it’s not calling for military action.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0609/UK-France-build-case-for-UN-resolution-against-Syria

June 11th, 2011, 12:27 am

 

Shami said:

Abughassan ,the rich syrians we know them well ,they are those who hold the biggest hatred against this regime and they will eventually join the masses.(asad regime is aware of this reality).Even these corrupt who are allied to Makhlouf and other than Makhloufs hate them ,you will see !!!

June 11th, 2011, 12:29 am

 

Abughassan said:

Some of my Sunni relatives believe in the Umma concept,most of my non Sunni relatives do not give a damn. I think islam is in crisis today and much of muslim countries’ problems are home-made. National feelings in my humble opinion is what build nations,not religious unity. I feel closer to a Christian Syrian than to a Pakistani Muslim. This is how i was raised and how most Syrians,I hope,were raised.religion is helpful if it is leads to a good behavior,many Muslims are not good citizens and I could not care less if they pray 50 times a day as long as I do not see god in their behavior.my biggest problem is mixing religion and politics,this is why most advanced nations are ruled by secular governments.

June 11th, 2011, 12:37 am

 

why-discuss said:

Jad

It is not only Syria who is saying it, it is Russia too:

“This draft resolution criticizes the Syrian government’s policy,” Mr. Lukashevich said. “Meanwhile, the opponents of the Syrian government are using terroristic methods. If this resolution is adopted, this would be accepted as if the UN supports these terrorists.”

June 11th, 2011, 12:48 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

What does Turkey mean by creating protectivr zone?I can only see this accomplished by sending troops to part of Syria, and make it available to syrian ,who are running away from the regime,Turkey can use the refugees to justify this action,The limit of this zone is vague,Russia will not be succesful in condemning Turkey, since The west will veto that,as I said before US has to concede Syria to Turkey,that is when Turkey can do it.I doubt this zone will happen.
Deterioration of Turkish Syrian relation ,by itself, will tighten the sanction against Syria,and the economy will get worse.
It is the best thing for Bashar is to resign,he proved he is incompetent.

June 11th, 2011, 1:19 am

 

aman_wa_istiqrar said:

I think the middle position and the one safe for our country is this one:

AL-BOUTI friday – 3asha3er friday (10th of June 2011)

العلّامة الشيخ محمد سعيد رمضان البوطى

June 11th, 2011, 1:30 am

 

why-discuss said:

Majed

I think we have to wait after the election to know the part that Turkey plays. It is very worried to have to host thousands of refugees indefinitely. He has not yet called the UNCHCR because he calls these ‘refugees’ guests as he seems to believe that the situation in Syria will settle soon and they will return. I wonder what makes him think that..

June 11th, 2011, 1:35 am

 

daleandersen said:

RE: Deserters

Four young conscripts from Idlib defected from the army and joined the protest movement, according to one of them.

Taha Alloush, a 21-year-old soldier who provided his military identification number, said he fled to the northwestern border with Turkey from Damascus, with three other conscripts, before dawn Friday to avoid security checkpoints and snipers. “We’re defecting because of the massacres we saw in front of our eyes in Al Rastan and Tal Kalakh,” Mr. Alloush said.

The two towns, north of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, were hit last month by the army and security forces. “They would load corpses into containers and throw them into the sea,” Mr. Alloush said by telephone…

http://playwrighter.blogspot.com/2011/04/mahmoud-ahmadinejads-obituary.html

June 11th, 2011, 1:35 am

 

Revlon said:

Socioeconomic sectarianism, when practiced by choice and in subservience to supreme basic human rights and civil rights is both natural, positive.

The basic socioeconomic unit of our society in cities is the extended family, and in the country, the tribe.
These units gravitate into distinct religious and inter-religious, sect spheres
This is now, and it has been for thousands of years.

This socioeconomic manifestation is not only a fact; I claim it to be a manifestation of biological distinctness and diversity.

We should not be more egalitarian than the creator!
GIVING AND HELPING OTHERS is commonly prioritised along the aforementioned lines.
Such is partly instinctive.
It is God made.
It is part of the social welfare in Islam.
I do not know how this is viewed in Christendom.
But Christians in our societies prioritise along those lines.

When such socioeconomic prioritisation happens along religion and sects, the ADJECTIVE OF THAT PRACTICE IS SECTARIANISM.

Is such practice bad? I think not!
It respects the freedom of choice, a basic human right.
It does not infringe on the basic human or civil rights of the others.
I regard these practices as natural and positive.

The question that follows is: Are the socioeconomic practices of this regime secular?
The answer is: Definitely not.
It is grossly sectarian.
This is not only restricted to the nearly 99% 3alwai composition of the high command.
It is more pervasive than the “Seculars” would like to hear.
Just walk in a civil register’s office, in any major city. Read the names, check the faces and listen to the accents.
Nearly 70 percent 3alawi, 20 percent Christians, and 10 percent Sunni informants (Personal estimates; tolerance limits +-10%).

Is this a bad practice: It definitely is!
The regime is dealing with the public sector, including all government establishments as their own private business.
This practice is wrong because it infringes on others basic human and civil rights.

June 11th, 2011, 1:49 am

 

daleandersen said:

Memo to MAJEDKHALDOON

RE: “What does Turkey mean by creating a protective zone?”

It’s partly politics and partly because the Turks have changed.

The politics of it is, Turkey wants to join the EU and, if it turned away people in peril of losing their lives, the EU would condemn the Turkish government of a human rights violation. No EU country would send people to certain death.

As for changes, the Turks are no longer the bloody bastards they used to be (You should hear the stories of the Turks who fought in the Korean War – the Chinese and the North Koreans were scared to death of them). Turkey is becoming a socially progressive, pro-democracy nation and this is due to the present government’s reining in the military and making efforts to extend basic freedoms to all. If the Turkish government had refused sanctuary to those poor Syrians, the progressive elements of Turkish society would have been horrified and the ruling party would pay dearly in the upcoming election.

http://playwrighter.blogspot.com/2011/06/stuck-in-damascus-with-memphis-blues.html

June 11th, 2011, 1:53 am

 

jad said:

I posted that before but nothing wrong of repeating it since we are talking about Sweden…sorry Turkey and human rights….

L’exemple Turque : repression d’une manifestation
http://youtu.be/i2U93hQXfao
————————————-

From Alhayat newspaper about Asad not answering UN Pokemon calls, it’s getting funnier, it read that ‘Happy Right’ Far7an 7aq, Pokemon’s spokesperson, said that Asad told Pokemon: “why you keep calling me?”

وفي نيوويرك، أعلنت الأمم المتحدة أن أمينها العام حاول الاتصال هاتفياً بالرئيس السوري ليل اول من امس، فقيل له «إنه غير موجود». وأكد فرحان حق نائب الناطق باسم بان أن الأمين العام «لم يتمكن من التحدث مع الأسد» عبر الهاتف. وأوضح ان الامين العام «أراد أن يعبر للأسد عن قلقه حيال الوضع الإنساني في سورية في ضوء الهواجس التي أعلنتها المفوضة العليا لحقوق الإنسان نافي بيلاي»، إضافة الى «هواجس أخرى أعلنها تكراراً».

وأشار حق، رداً على سؤال لـ»الحياة»، الى أن الأسد أبدى انزعاجه من مواصلة الأمين العام الاتصال به خلال آخر اتصال هاتفي بينهما قبل اسبوعين. وأضاف أن بان كان أعلن سابقاً أن «الأسد قال له: لماذا تواصل الاتصال بي؟».

June 11th, 2011, 2:12 am

 

NK said:

Hit them where it hurts ?

لاتكن ممولاً لآلة القمع والقتل

http://bit.ly/kZnOo0

يتعرض الشعب السوري لمرحلة حرجة من تاريخه، حيث لم يعدم النظام وسيلة في التنكيل بالشعب السوري الأعزل مستعيناً بما لديه من موارد اقتصادية و بما يُقدمه لهم أعوانهم من التجار… و لذلك كان لزاماً على كل أبناء الشعب السوري صغاراً و كباراً أن لا يعدموا وسيلةً في تجفيف مصادر التمويل الرئيسية لهذا النظام القمعي، و أن يمارسوا حقهم في المقاطعة الإقتصادية لكل رموزه الفاسدين.

يجب أن تترافق تلك المقاطعة مع الإيمان الراسخ بجدواها في زعزعة أركان النظام ،و الإستمرار عليها حتى تؤتي المقاطعة أُكلَها ، و أن نمارس دورنا الفعال في نشر تلك القوائم الى كل الغيورين من أبناء وطننا الحبيب ، و أن ندعم كل من يواظب عليها و ننتقد كل من لا يلتزم بها.

تم انشاء تلك القوائم بعناية بالغة مع التأكد من العلاقة الوثيقة بين أصحاب تلك الشركات والنظام و ما أثر تلك العلاقة في تمويل آلة القتل لدى النظام ، و حرصاً على نجاح المقاطعة فقد تم اختيار القوائم التي تضم رمزو الفساد و التمويل الرئيسية ، و في حال نجاح تلك الخطوة فإننا سنضيف تباعاً رموز الفساد الأقل مساهمة حتى تكتمل الصورة في النهاية .

هناك هدفين من المقاطعة الأول هو تحجيم رموز النظام و الداعمين له ، أو دفع التجار لوقف تمويل و دعم النظام و بهذا نكون قد نجحنا في عزل النظام و التقويض من صلاحياته.

سنبدأ حالياً بنشر قوائم الشركات الغذائية والمطاعم ثم نتبعها بحملة مقاطعة الشركات الخدمية. لأن التدريج هو الطريقة الأحسن في نجاح المقاطعة.

الشركات:

1. جميني جروب: محمد الخولي pit stop Café – Steed Café – Sahara Café – Trattoria Café – Downtown Café– La Plague Café– Gusto Café– Narnj Café.
2. زيت لوسيور: حبيب بتنجانة
3. منتجات الريف: حبيب بتنجانة
4. زيت الخير: حبيب بتنجانة
5. حليبنا: حبيب بتنجانة
6. رز صنوايت: حبيب بتنجانة
7. متة كروز مالتا :حبيب بتنجانة
8. تونة صن بل: حبيب بتنجانة
9. أمريكانا: رامي مخلوف شركة كويتية ولمخلوف أسهم يها
10. كنتاكي: رامي مخلوف من شركات أمريكانا
11. حدائق غدق: غازي والعليان ومن منتجاتها: ، تونة سيدي داود عصير أورجينال، شراب الشعير مالتانا، أولــكـر، ديمة، كارساومسبس، البيللا، مكسرات القزي، حدائق غدق للكنسروة، غذائيات الحقول الخضراء(تونة، فول، درة،شاي، تمر)، سمنة ليجادور، معكرونة ليجادور، تونة ليجادور
12. أوغاريت للمشروبات الغازية: محمد إسماعيل ومن منتجاتها : عصائر أوغريت ..مياه غازية – تشيراب : Cheer up – سبيرال : Spiral – سبوت لايت : Spot light
13. الدرة: عدنان النن
14. حلويات أبوعرب حيدر: بإسمه
15. الجولان للحوم: فراس طلاس، مرتديلا سومر
16. معلبات الجبل الأخضر: فراس طلاس
17. الشركة السورية الفلندية للألبان: فراس طلاس
18. بن الفجر: فراس طلاس
19. بن السعيد: فراس طلاس
20. الشركة السورية لصناعة اللحوم: فراس طلاس، مرتديلا ثلاثة نجوم
21. مطعم حوليا دومنا: خلدون المخلوف
22. مطعم زمان الخير: محمد حمشو

June 11th, 2011, 2:22 am

 

jad said:

لا تحول ديموقراطياً من دون أيديولوجية ليبرالية
الجمعة, 10 يونيو 2011
كرم الحلو *
أفرط الخطاب السياسي العربي في التفاؤل بالانتفاضات العربية الراهنة ومآلاتها السياسية والاجتماعية، حتى أن بعض الباحثين اعتبرها «عتبة لولادة عالم جديد» تتشابه مع مقدمات الثورة الحداثية في الغرب التي كانت الثورة الفرنسية عام 1789 معلمها البارز. وهي في عرف آخرين تحول تاريخي فاصل، ما بعده مختلف عما قبله اختلافاً جذرياً.

وإذ رأى فيها البعض تحركاً جماهيرياً يؤسس لثورة سياسية قومية كتلك التي قادها جمال عبدالناصر عام 1952 ذهب آخرون الى اننا «امام صنف جديد من الثورات»، إن لجهة قياداتها او لجهة خطابها المتشكّلين المتجدّدين في ساحة المواجهة والصراع من اجل مستقبل جديد.

إلا ان موجة التفاؤل العارمة التي بلغت اوجها بعد سقوط بن علي ومبارك ما لبثت ان أخذت في الارتباك والتراجع إزاء الأحداث والتطورات التي راحت تتوالى على الساحتين المصرية والتونسية خصوصاً وعلى الساحة العربية عموماً.

وليس أدل على هذين الارتباك والتراجع مما كتبه أخيراً احد ابرز الذين تحمسوا للانتفاضات العربية وعقدوا عليها الآمال، اذ قال معرباً عن خيبته بمآلاتها المحبطة وارتدادها الى الاغتراف من موروثها التاريخي المغرق في النزاع الأهلي والاستبداد: «كان الظن ان الثورة العربية الديموقراطية ستدشن موقفاً عربياً جديداً، يتأسس على مرجعية جديدة: «الشعب يريد». ولكن هذا الظن تبدد، فسرعان ما استعاد العرب تراثهم الانقسامي بعد انتصار الثورتين في مصر وتونس، وانتقالهما الى مناطق الشروخ المذهبية والطائفية والعشائرية والقبلية».

وما افصح عنه كاتب تونسي يعبّر هو الآخر عن موقف مشابه. فالتونسيون، كما يقول، «باتوا يشعرون بضرب من الحرج في الحديث عن مصاعب الانتقال الديموقراطي لديهم… الثورة التونسية ليست بالصورة الرومانسية التي تبدو عليها في الخارج، وهي معرضة للانتكاسات وخيبة الأمل».

وكذلك يعرب كاتب مصري عن الإرباك الذي تعانيه الثورة المصرية بقوله: «تمر الثورة شئنا ام أبينا بمنعرجها الأهم. لماذا لا يقولها المجلس العسكري بمنتهى البساطة: لقد فشلنا في ادارة المرحلة الانتقالية، فلا خريطة سياسية واضحة للخروج الآمن، والحديث جار عن تأجيل الانتخابات البرلمانية، وحديث حكومي عن لجنة لوضع دستور جديد».

وجه الإرباك في هذا كله، في رأينا، ان ثمة التباساً مفهومياً منذ البدء في الرؤية الى الانتفاضات العربية الراهنة. هل هي تحرك جماهيري ام هي ثورة بالمعنى الجذري للثورات؟ هل هي تحول تاريخي يجبّ ما قبله ام هي انقلاب على زعماء وقادة يحل مكانهم زعماء وقادة من النمط ذاته او ربما اسوأ؟ وأي منهج يجب ان يُسلك في بناء الأنظمة البديلة لأنظمة الفساد والاستبداد وعلى اية قواعد ومقدمات يجب ان تؤسس؟

لقد عرف العالم العربي منذ الخمسينات عشرات الانقلابات استقبلت بالزغاريد وأُسبغت عليها سمات ثورية تغييرية لكن نتائجها جاءت محبطة ومخيبة، وما لبثت ان تبدّدت دفعة واحدة كل شعارات التقدم والتحول والتغيير التي رفعتها لتكتشف الشعوب ضلال وخواء وعبثية رهاناتها.

والالتباس في الرؤية يوازيه التباس آخر اكثر تعقيداً في الأهداف، فليس مبرراً ولا موضوعياً نعت الانتفاضات بربيع الديموقراطية العربية وتشبيهه بربيع الديموقراطية في اوروبا نهاية القرن العشرين، او بالحراك الديموقراطي الليبرالي في اوروبا القرنين الثامن والتاسع عشر. فثمة خلفية ليبرالية ذات أبعاد فلسفية جذرية في الرؤية الى الانسان والمجتمع والسلطة والنظام السياسي رفدت الديموقراطية الغربية يفتقدها العالم العربي الذي لا يزال عموماً يترنّح بين أيديولوجيا ماضوية رافضة للديموقراطية بمفهومها التعاقدي الحديث، وأيديولوجيا حداثية هشة طارئة على العقل والخطاب السياسيين العربيين.

فهل هناك قبول لدى جماهير الانتفاضات العربية او حتى لدى نخبها إجمالاً بالمساواة المواطنية من دون تمييز بين الاشخاص او تفريق بين الاحوال على ما تطلع اليه فرنسيس المراش اواسط القرن التاسع عشر؟ هل هناك اقــرار بالمــساواة التــامة بــين الرجــل والمرأة؟ هل هناك اقرار بمدنية القوانين والسلطات والأعراف؟ هل هناك فعلاً في الشارع العربي تصور حداثي لأسس السلطة ودور الحاكم وموقعه في المجتمع والدولة او اعتراف جدي بحرية الرأي والاعتقاد والتفكير والتعبير؟

ان تجنّب التفكير بهذه الأسئلة الاشكالية وسواها هو، في رأينا، مصدر الاحباط وخيبة الأمل. فلم يكن مفاجئاً اندلاع النزاع الطائفي والمذهبي والتعامل الاقصائي مع الآخر في مجتمعات الانتفاضات، ولم يكن مفاجئاً احساس شرائح واسعة من هذه المجتمعات بالغبن كما لم تكن خارج التوقع ضبابية الرؤية المستقبلية للانتفاضات العربية التي بات يُخشى على انهيارها وعودة رموز النظام البائد، بعد ان عمّدت نضالاتها بالدم والتضحيات.

ليس جديداً القول ان الحركات التي لعبت دوراً اساسياً في الانتفاضات العربية، كما الايديولوجيا الثاوية وراء هذه الحركات، لا تنطلق من خلفية ليبرالية، إن لم نقل انها تتناقض في الفكر والاهداف مع هذه الخلفية. فالشيخ راشد الغنوشي، مثلاً، اكبر منظّري الانتفــاضة التونسية لا يرى حلاً لإشكالية الأقليات في المجتمعات العربية سوى الحكم الذاتي، اي ان تحتكم الى قوانينها وأعرافها الطائفية، في استعادة متجدّدة لنظام الملل العثماني، متـجاوزاً ذلك الى طرح هذا الحل للأخذ به في مجــتمعات الــغرب، بــما يتــناقـــض تناقضاً جوهرياً مع قيم الحداثة الليبرالية.

من هنا كان من الخطأ والتسرُّع، الإفراط في التفاؤل على رغم ما تحقق من اطاحة بأنظمة عربية عاتية في استبدادها وفسادها، اذ لا تحول ديموقراطياً فعلياً في اعتقادنا إن لم تكن ثمة ايديولوجية ليبرالية ثاوية وراءه ترفد منظوراته وتصوراته، الا ان زمناً ليس بالقصير قد ينقضي قبل تبلور مثل هذه الايديولوجية التي يبدو ان مخاضها الجدي والعسير قد بدأ فعلاً.

* كاتب لبناني

http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/276219

June 11th, 2011, 2:54 am

 

Arnie from NYC said:

In reference to my earlier comment regarding PressTV (#66), http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184111.html
the Syrian story is still present but now ‘buried’ in the back pages of the web site.

June 11th, 2011, 3:23 am

 

Syria no kandahar said:

MB devils are getting very agitated.I have to give them a lot of credit:this was very well organized attempt to take over Syria .They have done there homework very well:
1-careful planning and slowly building there rats network underground over the years.
2-very well connections and networking with Turky,The Us,Isreal,Saudis,France and Hariri.
3-excellent usage of media,manipulating events,lies.
4-brilliant analysis of regime weakness points.
5-Wellingness to be servants to any agenda requested by plan masters:T U I S F (first letters of countries names).As US defense monsters puts it:to insure destruction of :Iran/Syria/Turkey Axis.

The game is tougher than what the MB devils have thought or have been told:March,April,May,Jun….with the help of master powers:Europ,US,Saudis,Aljazera,Alarabia,Ottmans,Israel……the regime is as strong,may be even stronger.MB fatal mistakes are:
1-They have no good intentions for Syria.
2-There agenda is not-reformable,and outdated.
3-They have been historically collaborating with forign forces ,and they content to do so.
4-There political agenda is economical poison to any civilized society.
5-Every Islamic model in any Arabic country have been a disaster.
6-Using dirty tactics:public hanging and mutilating bodies,which are against Islam.
7-Depending mainly on non-educated section of the Syrian street.
8-Egnoring minorities and giving them no reason to trust them :mutilating janood,sectarian language,hanging Christians.
9-MB is failing to accept the fact that Syrian minorities could be majorities depending on how much of the Sunni chunk can be deemed anti-regime:that is very debatable.
10-Spitting out at all reform attempts by Assad did not mount into any credit for them:lifting emergency law,prisoners release etc.
11-MB has not historically shown any nationalism,they content to do so.
12-there last and most stupid mistake is this attempt to go against syria’s businessmen and merchants,and establishing mafia’s type of intelligence center to elaborate syrians against each other.

So as you can see Syria is not a place where you can grow these kind of poisonous MB seeds.you can implant them for hundred more years and they will not grow.Syrians are very good hearted people in general,but they are smart and they know the poison from honey.

June 11th, 2011, 3:33 am

 

Revlon said:

Day 89th of the Syrian revolution: Time is on the people’s side.

COALITION OF THE YOUTH of THE FREE SYRIAN REVOLUTION.
More time is being translated into more ground coordination, networking, experience and organisation.
The COALITION’S mission statement, issued in Damascus two days ago said:
– They will work on effecting the necessary changes in order to dismantle the corrupt, family system at any cost.
– They will carry the responsibility of honouring the sacrifices of the martyrs, the wounded and prisoners.
– They will join hands with all Syrians for building Syria, the free and democratic system.
– Those responsible for atrocities shall be accountable for their actions.

ائتلاف الثورة
وفي تطور آخر أعلن مساء أمس عن انطلاق “ائتلاف شباب الثورة السورية الحرة” كأبرز تحرّك منظّم من داخل الأراضي السورية للعمل على إسقاط النظام.

وقال الائتلاف في أول بيان صادر عنه من دمشق إنه سيعمل على إحداث التغيير المنشود في البلاد وإسقاط ما سماه نظام العائلة الأمنية الفاسدة مهما كانت التضحيات.
وأكد البيان أن الائتلاف يحمل أمانة الشهداء والجرحى والمعتقلين وسيضع يده بيد كل أبناء الشعب السوري من أجل بناء سوريا الدولة الحرة الديمقراطية التي يتساوى فيها أبناؤها في الحقوق والواجبات، وهم شركاء في المسؤولية ومسيرة البناء والدفاع عن الوطن. 
وتوعد الائتلاف في بيانه بالقصاص من كل من وصفها باليد الآثمة التي امتدت إلى الشعب وأجرمت بحقه وحق أبنائه، مشددا على أنه بما يمثله من أطياف الشعب في الداخل والخارج بتكويناته العرقية والدينية والفكرية مستمر في نضاله حتى يستعيد الشعب حريته وكرامته.

REVOLUTION INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM
This website has been created, Thanks to Mr Landis for providing the link above to support the Syrian revolution.
It provides the following, continually updated information
– Black List of 72 military and security officers and Policemen, headed by Jr and his brother, responsible for firing at and killing and harming civilians
– Black List of 54 civilians involved in financing the para-militias (Shabbi7a).
– Lists of informants across Syria organised according to governorates and neighbourhoods.
– Leaked government intelligence documents.

تأسس هذا الموقع لدعم الثورة السورية و يحتوي على قائمة أسماء المخبرين للنظام و أيضاً يحتوي على وثائق مسربة

ثورتنا هي ثورة سلمية ونحن نريد الحريّة والكرامة والحياة. لا ننتمي لأي جهة خارجية أو تنظيم ولا ندعو إلى أي نوع من أنواع القتال ونحن نرفض حمل السلاح ونحن ضد الطائفية بكافة أشكالها

THE MILITARY, SECURITY, and DIPLOMATIC ESTABLISHMENTS are gradually yielding to mounting pressures of moral responsibilities and future uncertainties.

DEFECTIONS
The Army witnessed the defection of two officers, one of a middle rank order.
– The tone of their statements read by both carries more than the intention to save civilians. It shows a longstanding resentment of Asad’s regime as a whole.
– Next week might witness more defections of such or even higher ranks.
– The defection of a high ranked officer or brigade commander is going to be a milestone in the history of the Syrian Army and the Revolution.
It is coming! Soon!
You could watch it on YouTube!
But some would choose not to believe it!

Baath party members in Idleb defected today.

The diplomatic establishment has suffered its first blemish by Chakkour’s Saga.
Her fate as Ambassador for the Regime has been sealed.
She will no longer be trusted by the regime.
Her denial of the early report of resignation also means she will not stand a chance of retaining her Ambassadorship for life, as she wished, in Free Syria.

MUTINY
Climaxed last week in Jisr AlShughoor.
According to civilians fleeing into Turkey, army and security personnel casualties were a result of in-fighting.

WHERE ARE WE HEADING?
The cost of freedom in the Syrian example of the revolution will be higher than counterparts in Tunisia and Egypt.
The quick collapse of the regime in the aforementioned examples, created an organisational vacuum that was be necessity filled by the traditional oppositional forces, the same corrupt army, and the remains of the security System.
Such lead to later miseries and the truncation of the revolution’s achievements and aspirations.

The tempo of events in the Syrian revolution’s example is promising more success for the revolution.

Ground forces are gradually organising and maturing.
The COALITION OF THE YOUTH of THE FREE SYRIAN REVOLUTION may become the nucleus for main stream political movement/s, that would attract respected opposition figures.

The army is undergoing its own revolution.
Defections and mutiny is the tip of an iceberg of long standing resentment of its mainstream ranks and files.
Defections of middle to high ranked officer/s will eventually lead to the emergence of non-corrupt, young, new army leadership, that pulls it all back together.

Allah, Sooriya, 7urriyeh w Bas

June 11th, 2011, 3:39 am

 

Mina said:

Does anyone has the link for the MB conference that was broadcasted on al Jazeera in February with the Syrian MB in exile calling for the fall of al Asad (or that one was only in Qardawi’s speech?) and for protests?
Since it is now being a conspirationist to mention the role of Turkey in the events since the beginning, it is important to have this extract.
Erdogan tries to play the ‘duwal al kubra’: have an electoral campaign that does not address domestic issues but keeps people busy with something to watch on tv.
The best is that such an MB conference, if it was about Turks, would have been forbidden and the guys thrown into prison. Calling into question the laicity of Turkey is a severe crime but if you are talking of the neighbours no problem.
I am simply going to boycott Turkey and tell all my friends about their great achievements in killing Armenians, Syriac Christians and Kurds.

June 11th, 2011, 3:54 am

 

Mina said:

Maybe Turkey does not want journalists to access the Syrian refugees because there is a lot of munaqqabaat, like on the picture above?
Same reason there was no coverage of the Yemen protests in Western media…

June 11th, 2011, 3:57 am

 

Syria no kandahar said:

Revlun
Congradulation this is a great milestone tow defections with 20%probability:you only need 499998 more defections befor you will establish your Islamic state.
This coalition has such a long name almost like:aljabha alwatania altakadmia.
Questions about your mafia intelligence center:
What are you going to do with the informations?
How would you verify that they are true?
What if somebody dost like his neighbor?
What if a restaurant dost like a competitor?
What if a woman is cheating on here husband?
What if an alawi doest like a Sunni?
What if vice versa?
What if a durzi dost like Sunni?or a Kurd dost like Armenian or Armenian dost like Assyrian ?or or or or or or or or or or or or or

Can you see who immature your way of thinking is?
Giving Syria to someone like you is like giving a gun to a 4 years old child.it will never happen.
By the way Alaroor should be reported to your intelligence bar,what are you going to do with him?
L

June 11th, 2011, 4:03 am

 

syau said:

Revlon,

If you believe half of what you write, I feel sorry for you.

As for the Revolution Intelligence system, your ‘name and shame’ list is pointless and it wont amount to anything on ground, just like the ‘revolution’.

I can’t wait to see the new actor defector you have lined up, I’m sure he will have one of the stolen uniforms and id’s, but no doubt he will give himself away. I bet he’s rehearsing his lines at the moment, after all, he has to work hard for the money.

Syria no Kandahar had some good questions, I think you should answer him, especially with your aspirations of taking over a country.

And by the way, you are right on one thing, those responsible for the atrocities of this revolution, will definitely be held accountable and will deserve everything thats coming to them.

http://www.bassam-alkadi.com/content/view/547/58/

June 11th, 2011, 5:32 am

 

Muhammad said:

More of the Ba’athist rubbish about Muslim Brotherhood. I’m not a supporter of MB, but it is a historical fact that they existed in a democratic and pluralistic Syria prior to Ba’ath taking power and turning it into the worst type of dictatorship possible. We have a historical precedent. Where exactly in their manifesto do you see the calls for extermination of anyone ? These calls are utterly endemic on pro-regime pages ?

It is the Ba’athist who cannot exist in a democratic system. We have 48 years as evidence.

Mina – what is wrong with munaqqabat ? does that make them any less of a Syrian ? My mother and my wife do not wear niqab but if a woman wants to do so, then what is the problem ?

There are those who are intent on creating a new sect called “salafi-zionist” and shove anyone who is anti-Asad in it and then call for an extermination. This is ugly naked sectarianism no matter what way you want to dress it with. Shame on you !

June 11th, 2011, 6:58 am

 

mjabali said:

Islam is not a religion of peace as its history tells us. No matter how much they try to make it look nice and good; the truth remains stronger than the lies about how nice Islam is. It is not; others have to pay or get killed.

Read the Fatawi/decrees they have and tell me if Islam is and was a religion of VIOLENCE or not? They still believe and act upon these Fatawi.

Islam, from its day one till now, did not respect non-Muslims.

Islam because of all of this pain, suffering plus the violence and greed had to split. It has to be many different sects and ways. Of course this did happen through blood, flesh and tears. This is Islam, where the majority never respected the minority.

It is a shame when someone does not see the harm in al-Niqab to women in this time. We are in the 21st C, and not in the days of slavery and raids.

Anything that bears the name Muslim has some harm in him/her to others. I say this from experience with my “Muslim” friends: those who does not care about religion are normal people and those who pray bear harm and hurt against others. So is this religion defected or not?

June 11th, 2011, 8:20 am

 

Norman said:

#128,

during the time of the prophet, women were fighters who rode horses and did not wear niqabs, the Islamic ulama are destroying Islam and keeping Muslims poor so they can follow them, the problem is not Islam, It is how it is interpreted.

Islam need a rebirth,

June 11th, 2011, 8:53 am

 

873 said:

Zionism and Judaism is not and was never, a religion of peace either. Why does no one launch that “religion of peace” standard at them? Christians have proven just as bad, if not worse. Now they’ve launched their latest gig, The War on Islam.

You just parrot the prevailing line pumped into you by the loudest propaganda apparatchiks, all the while believing these are your own opinions. Just like you’re supposed to do.

Update on the Freedom Rev to the west. This viewpoint has leaked out here and there amidst all the slogans.

–snippet–
‘This revolution was a curse’: Economic woes test Egypt
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and DINA SALAH AMER New York Times june/10/2011

CAIRO — Egypt’s economy, whose inequities and lack of opportunities helped topple a government, has now ground to a virtual halt, further wounded by the revolution itself. The 18-day revolt stopped new foreign investment and decimated the pivotal tourist industry. The annual growth slowed to less than 2 percent from a projected 5 percent, and Egypt’s hard currency reserves plunged 25 percent.
In a region where economic woes enraged an entire generation, whether and how Egypt can fix its broken economy will be a crucial factor in determining the revolution’s success. It could also influence the outcome of the revolts across the Arab region, where economic troubles are stirring fears of continued instability, authoritarian crackdowns, or even a backlash against what had appeared to be a turn toward Western-style market reforms.

“People are angry,” said Hassan Mahmoud, a resident of a slum near Cairo. He expected a better life after the revolution, he said, but instead he was laid off from his $10-a-day job in a souvenir factory. “People in the neighborhood are talking about going back to the streets for another revolution — a hunger revolution,” he said.
..With Egypt’s first open election this fall, the challenge of meeting public expectations while nursing the economy back to health has prompted a wide-ranging debate over radically divergent proposals. They include deep cuts to the bloated government work force and vast public subsidies, a leftist re-expansion of the state’s role in the economy, and the Muslim Brotherhood’s plan to impose a 7.5 percent income surtax on all Muslims to fulfill their religious mandate to give to charity. Non-Muslims would not be required to pay — a distinction that could reinforce sectarian resentments.

The Western powers are scrambling to address the growing sense of crisis by pledging a total package of $20 billion in assistance to the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, including debt forgiveness as well as loans from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The challenge is steep. The revolution has inspired new demands for more jobs and higher wages that are fast colliding with the economy’s diminished capacity. In an indication of the desperation, the government said soon after the revolution that it would add 450,000 temporary jobs to the public payroll; an extra seven million people applied, said Ahmed Galal, a prominent Egyptian economist.

.’It’s become chaos’
Samir Mohamed Radwan, the interim Egyptian finance minister, recently told the BBC that in his current job he felt “like a prisoner.” With European travelers still fearful of post-revolutionary disorder, only stray cats paw the trinkets in the stalls of Cairo’s ancient market. Tourism, which accounts for more than 10 percent of the economy, has plummeted by 40 percent, officials say.
Strikes by workers demanding their share of the revolution’s spoils continue to snarl industry, and business executives say the demands are becoming self-defeating. “We increased wages after the revolution, and a month later the workers went on strike again and asked for even higher wages,” said Moataz El Alfi, chief executive of Americana, which runs fast-food restaurants here.

Why havent the IMF and western bankster-backers of Egypts Color Revolution recooped Mubarak family’s 67 billion dollars they stole and return to Egyptian people? That could work wonders. It is sitting in the Bank of Tel Aviv or under the control of one of The Chosen’s central banks somewhere. That stolen plunder belongs to Egypt. unnecessary for Egyptian people to be starving.

June 11th, 2011, 8:54 am

 

873 said:

NATO-led coalition to plan post-Kadhafi Libya: US officials © AFP/File Mahmud Turkia Thursday, June 9, 2011

ABU DHABI (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for talks with European and Arab partners on planning for a democratic Libya without Moamer Kadhafi, aides said.The talks in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on Thursday come after President Barack Obama said NATO’s mission in Libya was forging “inexorable” advances that meant it was only a matter of time before Kadhafi’s departure.The meeting will be the third International Contact Group event since the organisation was launched in Qatar two months ago.”With each meeting, international pressure is growing and momentum is building for change in Libya,” Clinton’s spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told the accompanying press.

“Not only does the Contact Group allow us to sustain the (NATO-led military) coalition, it also allows us to reinvest all these countries in our common effort and to concert views on the next steps,” Nuland added.Due to take part are two dozen countries, including key NATO allies Britain, France and Italy, as well as delegates from the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Conference.
The UAE also plans to invite Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Russia, US officials said.As the military, political and economic pressure mount on Kadhafi to step down, the group will discuss “what a post-Kadhafi Libya ought to look like,” a senior US official told

June 11th, 2011, 9:16 am

 

Mawal95 said:

SYAU # 88 give a link to a nice pro-regime piece of TV news shot in Damascus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L-t7DW6jGk. Relatedly here’s a nice pro-regime piece of TV from Homs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHb3Os_rCxU. Compared to the anti-regime types of people, the real people in those two videos are so much nicer, so much more sensible, that it’s pleasure to look at them.

SYRIA NO KANDAHAR said that “the regime is as strong, may be even stronger” today than it was in January. Recent months have proven that the regime’s political position within Syria is very strong, and stronger than a lot of people imagined it to be. Its political position was tested, and it passed the test with flying colours. The recent months have proven that there is no respectable opposition to this regime in Syria. There is no opposition from the educated classes in Syria, as Syria No Kandahar indicated.

June 11th, 2011, 9:18 am

 

Mawal95 said:

NOUR is one of the posters on this blog who I find worth reading, but NOUR is terribly mistaken when he says Prof. Landis has “a continuous stubborn refusal to admit… that armed groups already exist”. Here for instance is Landis back on April 13 saying an armed terrorist group shot nine security forces: https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=9115 — with NOUR himself in comment #81 on April 13 saying that “Prof. Landis [delivered good evidence] to refute these claims” [claims that armed terrorist groups did not exist]. Here is Landis quoted at Reuters yesterday: “People have taken arms…. Things are about to get a lot worse than we thought.” (link here)

I expect myself that things are unlikely to get worse, and they’re definitely not going to get a lot worse, because the army is too strong and the armed opposition too weak. The armed opposition essentially don’t have the support of the local people as I see it, and don’t have a hope in hell of achieving anything, so they will quit pretty soon unless they’re insane, or unless the governments of external countries are insane enough to give them moral support.

June 11th, 2011, 9:20 am

 

why-discuss said:

In view of the international pressure, is it possible that the Syrian army will only besiege Jisr al Shoughour to force all the civilians and the armed gangs to flee to Turkey?
Yet would the syrian government be able to bear the pressure that will grow within Syria on a long siege (like Deraa)?
I still don’t understand why foreign medias are not allowed in the refugee camps. Why no one complains of the blackout while they all complain of Syria blackout? Also Erdogan refuses the intervention of UNHCR visit as if he wants to avoid internationalizing the refugee crisis, calling them ‘guests’ and not ‘refugees’. (Syria official news call them guests too)
Does he prefers to have these unreliable ‘eyewitnesses’ passing rumours and distorted information to some turkish journalists?
What is he trying to hide? Who is he serving?
Any idea?

Andrew Tabler traditionnaly anti-Bashar gives some credibility to weapons and armed gangs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/world/middleeast/11syria.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Findex.jsonp
“But analysts said Jisr al-Shoughour, one of the Syrian towns that bore the brunt of the government crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood during the early 1980s, is an area that has traditionally supported political Islam and is most likely hostile to the government. Its history also suggests the government’s reports of “armed groups” may be credible.

It is also unclear where the residents of Jisr al-Shoughour are getting weapons, said Andrew Tabler, a Syria expert at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “They’re either coming from across the border, from Turkey, which the Turks are insisting is not happening,” Mr. Tabler said. “Or they’ve been stashed for a long time, waiting for a time like this.”

June 11th, 2011, 9:21 am

 

Revlon said:

A potential nucleus for a pro-revolution army is taking shape.
Lieutenant Mazen AlZain who recently defected gave this announcement:

I am lieutenant Mazen AlZain announce my defection from the army to join the FREE OFFICERS REGIMENT under the command of Colonel 7asan Harmoush, at Jisr AlShughoor.

I will be assuming my new duties in protecting civilians in the Syrian Arab Republic.

June 11th, 2011, 9:23 am

 

873 said:

Input from Mossad:

COMPLETE CHAOS, TURKEY SENDING TROOPS TO FIGHT INTO SYRIA http://www.debka.com
Turkey to send troops into Syria. Syrian helicopters machine-gun protest

Syrian soldiers are now dying in battleA new and dramatic turn in the Syrian crisis;: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday night, June 10, ordered his army to move into northern Syria where battles were blazing in Idlib, Maarat al-Numaan and Jisr al-Shuhour. debkafile’s exclusive sources report that the prime minister’s office and high command in Ankara are still working out how to define the Turkish military mission in Syria. One proposal is to evoke UN Security Council’s 1973 resolution which mandated the NATO operation in Libya to protect civilian lives against Col. Qaddafi.
Turkey would be acting to defend Syrian civilians against a crackdown which Erdogan called barbaric.

Ankara decided on military intervention Friday night, two days before Turkey’s general election, after learning about the latest turn in the showdown between the Syrian government and the opposition.
Most of the day’s reporting focused on the small northern town of Jisr al-Shughour near the Turkish border, where tanks blasted residential areas Friday night and killed an estimated 28 civilians to punish its residents for the 120 officers and soldiers killed in clashes with protesters Monday, June 6.
Away from the limelight, heavy fighting also raged in Idlib, west of Syria’s second largest town Aleppo, and Maarat al-Numaan, a small western market city located on the highway between Aleppo and Hama.

In these places, the Syrian army encountered the guns of a Muslim Brotherhood militia fighting alongside a group of defecting soldiers, according to our military sources.
In the late afternoon, Assad sent tanks and attack helicopters armed with heavy machine guns to strike rebel positions. The casualty toll in this northern battleground is believed to be the highest of any day since the start of the uprising in early April.
The Turkish expeditionary force in Syria will have three missions:

1. To stem the swelling stream of Syrian refugees fleeing massacre at the hands of government forces. Ankara has accepted over 3,000 refugees from Jisr al-Shughour who are desperate to escape certain slaughter; it is not prepared to take on tens or possible hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing from larger towns like Idlib, Maarat al-Numaana and the Kurdish regions abutting the Turkish border.
2. To mark out a military zone on the Syrian side of the border where the Red Crescent will set up camps for Syrian refugees to shelter under Turkish army protection;
3. Next week, the Turkish army will establish a military buffer zone in the Kurdish region of northern Syria near its main town, Qamishli.

The Erdogan government will be taking the chance of Assad deciding that the Turkish military incursion is an act of war. Fighting would then break out between the two armies.

June 11th, 2011, 9:28 am

 

Mawal95 said:

According to information compiled by an anti-regime group (www.lccsyria.org), and linked to by Amir from Tel Aviv #44 (ref), there was no protest at all yesterday in Al-Bab. Al-Bab is one of the top ten biggest cities in Syria with 167000 people in year 2010 (ref) and its population is predominantly Sunni in religion. Do any of the anti-regime folks here have an explanation for that no-show? Another total no-show is Idlib City, population 165000.

June 11th, 2011, 9:29 am

 

why-discuss said:

MAWAL95

Syria is familiar in quelling a civil war and country fragmentation by using force.. They did that when invited in Lebanon during the lebanese civil war. There were many casualties on both sides, but the Lebanon was not fragmented and the civil war ultimately ended.
At that time Syria had the support of the US and the Arabs who felt powerless in front of the deteriorating situation.

June 11th, 2011, 9:45 am

 

haz said:

mawal95,
Thank you for those nice videos. I agree that the salafi-zionist terrorist protesters have been very badly dressed. I know not everyone can afford to shop at Villa Moda, but they should definitely try the Zara store next time they are in Beirut. There must at least be a Magilla store in Tal Kalakh, no?
And if they’re too lazy to go to Damascus University, why don’t they just get their parents to pay for them to go to IUST? Do they really want to have cheap haircuts all their lives?

June 11th, 2011, 9:49 am

 

Revlon said:

129. Dear Norman, in your reply to #128 you said

1. “During the time of the prophet, women were fighters who rode horses and did not wear niqabs”

This is also my understanding.

2 “the Islamic ulama are destroying Islam and keeping Muslims poor so they can follow them”
I beg to differ on this one!

Islamic 3olama2 are two types:
– Dictatorship or Monarchy employees. They, like any government official, do not have vested political powers. They serve to find the right fatwa to cover up the dictator’s abuses.

– Independent/opposition 3olama2. They, like the rest of the public, or activists with other ideologies diverge in their interpretation of religion, from the far left to the far right, with the majority being moderate.

Unlike in other ideologies, including non-religious such as Ba3th ideology, the Opinion of 3olamaa is not binding to any individual.
The adoption of a certain interpretation or an action based thereupon is the sole responsibility of each individual before God.

To conclude, 3olama are not responsible for people’s beliefs or actions.

“The problem is not Islam; it is how it is interpreted.

Islam needs a rebirth”

New interpretations already exist in many scholar Islamic studies. They have not found their way to the masses because of the lack of freedoms, including media.

They will find their way to the masses, in Free Syria.

June 11th, 2011, 9:53 am

 

Revlon said:

129. Dear Norman, in your reply to #128 you said

1. “During the time of the prophet, women were fighters who rode horses and did not wear niqabs”

This is also my understanding.

2 “the Islamic ulama are destroying Islam and keeping Muslims poor so they can follow them”
I beg to differ on this one!

Islamic 3olama2 are two types:
– Dictatorship or Monarchy employees. They, like any government official, do not have vested political powers. They serve to find the right fatwa to cover up the dictator’s abuses.

– Independent/opposition 3olama2. They, like the rest of the public, or activists with other ideologies diverge in their interpretation of religion, from the far left to the far right, with the majority being moderate.

Unlike in other ideologies, including non-religious such as Ba3th ideology, the Opinion of 3olamaa is not binding to any individual.
The adoption of a certain interpretation or an action based thereupon is the sole responsibility of each individual before God.

To conclude, 3olama are not responsible for people’s beliefs or actions.

“The problem is not Islam; it is how it is interpreted.

Islam needs a rebirth”

New interpretations already exist in many scholar Islamic studies. They have not found their way to the masses because of the lack of freedoms, including media.

They will find their way to the masses, in Free Syria.

June 11th, 2011, 9:53 am

 

mjabali said:

Mr. Norman

You are right in what you said, although I would argue that a re-birth of Islam is: impossible and not desired.

why to bring back true Islam? True Islam, as facts and history tell us, is all about violence. so?

al-Niqab and al-Hijab and so on were invented to prevent the public from seeing the women of the prophet, that were way too many as you know, some young…

The women who rode horse and fought are neglected through Muslim history and are irrelevant and what is relevant for women is to cover and follow orders. This is Islam, so how can you rebirth this fiasco?

June 11th, 2011, 9:53 am

 

syau said:

Mjabali, #128,

What do you mean they made it look nice, Islam has been made to look the exact opposite of nice. Extremism does not represent Islam, Some have there own morphed version, but that doesn’t represent true Islam.

The niqab doesn’t represent Islam. What’s the point of wearing the traditional headwear if you are to sin, or pray if you blaspheme?
I agree with Norman, it’s how it is interpreted.

By the way, who killed Jesus….

Revlon, I see you’ve found your latest actor. Is he wearing one of the stolen uniforms?

June 11th, 2011, 10:05 am

 

why-discuss said:

REVLON

“New interpretations already exist in many scholar Islamic studies”

Sunni Islam does not allow any interpretation, Shia Islam does. That is why Shia islam is progressist while Sunni Islam is conservative (and paralyzed)

June 11th, 2011, 10:23 am

 

Observer said:

A strategy is emerging with an all out propaganda campaign to defend the regime on all channels and in all media outlets. Reem Haddad Muhamad Agha Sherif Shehada and others are giving interviews and responding to telephone calls.

The message however is hard to support for it is clearly not real: armed gangs roaming the country from town to town terrorizing people and killing security forces and destroying public and private buildings.

Well either there is a failure of the security forces who had a state of emergency under their belt and constitutional guarantees of impunity to prevent such gangs or to round them up in no time or it is purely a figment of the ministry of propaganda imagination.

Here are examples of this campaign happening on this blog:

According to WD, the ever oh so clever Bashar is now courting the Kurds to spite Erdogan and to cause him troubles in Turkey: well let me remind him that Turkey invested huge amounts of money and infrastructure and manpower in Iraqi Kurdistan and did so as well in the previously neglected Eastern part of the country where the Kurds concentrate. Erdogan has his party and his country supporting fully his foreign policy. Turkey can easily rescind many of the commercial and business deals it started with Syria and it has enough leverage with other countries in the region to do away with Syria.

Syrian foreign policy has in the era of Hafez success in navigating the world stage to give it added importance beyond its real power base. That predicated a cold war background that no longer exists. Its role as a supporter of Palestinian rights and of the resistance to Israeli hegemony also helped it achieve significant leverage. Now this is slipping away as the Egyptian revolution has brought Egypt back to its natural Arab fold. Qatar and others are looking at what is happening in the region and are realizing more than ever that there is great opportunity to shape the region in a favorable way, to lessen the importance of Iran, to deprive it of the Palestinian card, to support genuine popular movements, while retaining the US bases for ultimate support. Lavishing money on their populations has allowed them to buy loyalty and stability and they will do the same in Egypt and any country that helps them and brings stability to the region. Syria will have less of a power to play the spoiler as its economic base will shrink and the internal dissent will make its wiggle room limited.

Now the regime is in survival mode: “I will crush the people, I will do whatever on the foreign scene to survive, I will redraw alliances, and I will resist here and prostrate myself there to survive. I will even bring the country to a civil war and to the brink of chaos”.

I fear that this playing with fire is an act that the late father could do while his young cubs are not capable of doing. They can muster the state security apparatus to crush any dissent and to return Syria to a Zimbabwe if need be but they are only postponing the inevitable. Bashar’s motto from the get go was reform and hopes were raised that have never died away when he inherited the barn. He is stuck, and the moves are those of a cornered rat, dangerous and unpredictable.

There are on the web numerous videos now that are undeniable of extreme violence perpetrated by the regime; there is no way that this is not going to become known and it will enrage the whole world and most importantly the Syrian people. The only ones that would have satisfaction are the fanatics; (and truth be told there are extreme fanatics worse than the worst’) of the regime and we can read their comments at times and glimpse the hatred on this blog.

Two players to watch very carefully are Iran/HA and Jumblatt. Iran will lose its appeal for resistance to Israel as the Arabs reclaim that role; it will be left with the pan Islam card, but the entrance of the MB into politics in Egypt and the realization of the KSA that it is better to embrace them then to fight them will also deprive Iran of the Islam card. After all, it is a Shia and Persian experiment. I dare say that the Turkish model and the closeness of the Sunni Turkish worldview to the Arab Sunni worldview ( exclusive of the Wahabis of course ) resonates better with the majority Sunni populations. Turkey and Egypt if they cooperate well will fill the void left by the eclipse ( partial ) of the US in the region and of the failure of Europe to even use NATO effectively to its advantage. Jumblatt has a nose for wind change like no other.

The region is up for grabs in the next 50 years: many reasons for hope and many more for gloom and despair.

June 11th, 2011, 10:25 am

 

Louai said:

Christianity is a message of peace ,Jesus was crucified and he forgive his killers and forbid any one to defend him using violence however many crimes committed using Jesus’ name and many wars called holly wars in the name of Jesus , religion when used for political goals OR when it is a political goal become the religion of the devil ,can i ask kindly everyone who is against this madness that happening in Syria not to start using a sectarian language ? its a trap the extremists want us to fall in .

June 11th, 2011, 10:42 am

 

jad said:

“The message however is hard to support for it is clearly not real: armed gangs roaming the country from town to town terrorizing people and killing security forces and destroying public and private buildings.”
Keep denying, that is a very good strategy! EVERYBODY IS HAVING GUNS IN SYRIA WAKE UP!

البمبكشن بـ”25″ ألف ليرة سورية فقط! والقتل المعنوي أسهل من التنفس

الكاتب بسام القاضي
11/ 06/ 2011
لم يكن الهاتف الصباحي الذي حمل دموع شقيقتي مفاجئا. فقد واجهت سيلا من الاتصالات للاطمئنان على أنني ما زلت حيا بعد “توزيع” إشاعة أنه تم قتلي! وقبل فترة ضغط على شقيقي أن يعلن، عبر تلفزيون الدنيا، “براءته” مني! وكلنا سمعنا كيف انتفض شبيحة النظام ليطالبوا بسحب الجنسية من زينة يازجي ورولا ابراهيم، وليهددوا هذا وذاك، في سلوك مطابق تمام لما يفعله شبيحة المعارضة حين ينشرون أسماء الناس الذين لا يخضعون لإجرامهم على أنهم “عملاء أمن”، أو يفبركون قصص قتل هذا الشخص أو ذاك، أو انشقاق هذه السرية أو تلك الفصيلة! إضافة إلى القوائم المخزية المسماة بقوائم “العار”، سواء كانت تضم من وصفوا بـ”ضد الثورة”، أو من وصفوا بـ”ضد الرئيس”! وإضافة إلى الحرب القذرة التي تشن على شخصيات بعينها كلما أخذت موقفا مختلفا عما يراه هؤلاء الشبيحة، مثلما فعل ثلة من المرضى النفسيين حين شنوا هجوما على بيانات فنانين/ات سوريين/ات طالبوا بفك الحصار عن درعا! أو مثلما فعل نظراؤهم حين شنوا هجموما على بيانات مثقفين/ات سوريين/ات طالبوا بإدانة الأصولية المسلحة والمجرمين والطائفيين في الشارع السوري!

المأساة في كل هذا هي الدرك الذي وصله عقل هؤلاء جميعا! فبغض النظر عن لون انتماءاتهم، هم في حفرة واحدة من الانحطاط: القدرة الوحشية على تشويه كل شيء، والطعن بكل شيء، خدمة لتصوراتهم المريضة مرة عن الأمن والاستقرار، وأخرى عن الحرية والديمقراطية.. وهو درك بات يحتاج إلى التوقف فعلا، من الجميع على حد سواء، لما يشكله من خطر شديد على مستقبل سورية اجتماعيا. فمثل هذه التصرفات “الصغيرة” تحفر عميقا في العلاقة بين الأفراد، وبين المجموعات. وأحيانا بأعمق مما يحفر موت فعلي لشخص ما. فلطالما كان الموت جزءا من حياتنا، ونستطيع تفهمه ونسيانه بشكل أو بآخر. لكن نسيان مثل هذا التشويه قد يكون أصعب بكثير، ويحتاج إلى وقت أطول وجهد أكبر بكثير..

أما المشكلة الأخرى فيهي أننا “عرفنا” كيف دخل السلاح إلى الأصولية المسلحة والمجرمين خلال السنوات الماضية، ليس فقط عبر فساد أجهزة الرقابة في النظام السوري، وليس فقط عبر تقديم السلاح من جهات في الخارج (وفق بعض الروايات غير المسبتعدة والتي أكدها كل من المتحدث باسم الحكومة العراقية علي الدباغ، وأحد شيوخ عشائر الصحوة في العراق، حين تحدث النظام السوري عن شاحنة ضبطت تهرب أسلحة من العراق)، وإنما أيضا عبر الأصولية التي رعاها النظام نفسه لـ”استخدامه الخاص” خلال السنوات الماضية (خاصة منذ 2005)، متجاهلا حقيقة قديمة قدم اكتشاف النار: قد تحرك النار عندما تلعب بها!

لكن ما لم نعرفه (مجازا، لأن الجميع يعرفه) هو: كيف يتسرب السلاح اليوم، في كل مكان من سورية، إلى المدنيين من كل الآراء والمناطق، ليصير تجارة رابحة ورائجة على نطاق واسع، وتحت نظر وسمع أجهزة النظام السوري بدليل لا يدحض هو أنه محمول علنا في بعض الحالات، ومعروف “علنا” في جميع الحالات؟!

فخلال تطورات الأزمة الحالية التي لعبت سياسة الإعلام التجييشي دورا كبيرا في مفاقمتها وتأجيجها عبر تأجيج المشاعر والعواطف بطريقة يحسدها عليها حتى الأعداء! ازداد تخوف الناس من العصابات المسلحة أولا، ثم تطور ليصير خوفا متبادلا من كل “غريب”، بكل المعاني المختلفة التي تحملها كلمة “غريب” في هذا السياق (ولا تنفع هنا المزايدات الوطنية، ولا نفاق النظام أو شبيحة المعارضة).
ومع ازدياد هذا الخوف، وتراكم المعلومات التي تؤكد حقيقة وجود وفعالية الأصولية المسلحة والعصابات الإجرامية باسم الحرية والديمقراطية، وتأكد حقيقة إجرام بعض أجهزة النظام باسم الأمن والاستقرار، راجت خلال الشهر الأخير (أيار) تجارة السلاح الفردي على نطاق واسع في كل مكان من سورية، حتى صار الحصول على “بمبكشن” لا يحتاج إلى أكثر من “تلفون” و”صديق صدوق”! والأمر نفسه تماما مع أسلحة فردية أخرى مثل المسدسات الحربية، البنادق الآلية (كلاشنكوف)، والقنابل اليدوية! لا تختلف سهولة الحصول على أي قطعة منها عن سهولة الحصول على “كروز دخان تهريب”، تقريبا! ولا تختلف بعضها عن بعض سوى بالأسعار التي ارتفعت لـ”تواكب” ارتفاع الطلب!

فالـ”بمبكشن” الذي كان سعره في الأيام العادية (وهو سلاح صيد آلي يمكن حشوه بعدة طلقات مرة واحدة، وطلقاته مثل التي تصاد بها الطيور) نحو 10 آلاف ليرة سورية، ارتفع ثمنه ليصل إلى 25 ألف ليرة، وأكثر من ذلك إذا كانت “منطقة الطلب” أصعب! والمسدس الحربي عيار 9 ملم، والذي كانت أسعاره تتراوح بين 75، و125 ألف ليرة سورية في الأوقات العادية، ارتفع سعره ما بين 25 إلى 30 ألف ليرة بالمتوسط (حسب النوع، والجدة)!.

ولا أحد يعرف كم قطعة سلاح فردي أضيفت إلى “رصيد” السوريين خلال الأشهر الثلاثة الماضية. لكن تقديرات غير دقيقة (مبنية على مؤشرات) تشير إلى أن الرقم قد يكون صار بمئات الآلاف! أي أن حجم المشكلة لم يعد يتعلق بمجموعة صغيرة هنا، أو منطقة نائية هناك. بل بات يمس الشعب السوري بمجمله!

ورغم “تخبئة” هذه الأسلحة من جهة مستخدميها، على وجه العموم، إلا أن الأسابيع الماضية شهدت نقلة نوعية في إظهار الكثير منها في أماكن مختلفة من سورية، تحت اسماء مختلفة مثل “اللجان الشعبية” التي تحولت إلى سلطة قمعية فاشية في مناطق تواجدها باسم الحفاظ على الأمن! تقرر للناس ما يفعلونه وكيف يفعلونه، وتهدد بقسوة كل من لا يخضع لسلطاتها وتصوراتها!

واستخدمت هذه الأسلحة لإطلاق النار على نطاق ضيق فعلا. لكن هذا لا يغير من الخطر الفادح الذي يمثله وجودها. فهي جاهزة محشوة في مجتمع مجيش ومتوتر إلى حد مخيف. وخطأ واحد نرجو أن لا يحدث، قد يشعل نارا تخرج كليا عن السيطرة، حتى سيطرة النظام بكل أجهزته!

والتعامل الفوري، الآن، مع هذه المشكلة التي تتفاقم تحت الستار، أمسى ضرورة ملحة لا تحتمل التأجيل. خاصة مع تطور الأوضاع في سورية الذي رفع بشدة من حالة الشحن والتوتر بين الناس، سواء على أسس طائفية، أو على أسس “موالاتية”.

وهنا، ربما، يأتي دور أجهزة الأمن المدنية، (فقد حان الوقت لتعود أجهزة الأمن العسكرية إلى مجال عملها تاركة المجتمع يرتاح من سطوتها إلى الأبد). فهي قادرة اليوم على “شن” حملة واسعة النطاق لجمع هذا السلاح وإخراجه من المجتمع، وليس بالتأكيد عبر الدعوة إلى “ترخيصه” كما قد يفكر بعض الجهابذة الكثر، وإنما حصريا عبر جمعه تحت طائلة المحاكمة الفورية لكل من لديه قطعة من هذه الاسلحة غير مرخصة لا يقوم بتسليمها خلال مدة زمنية يجب أن تكون قصيرة. وخاصة: اتخاذ كافة الاجراءات لمحاكمة تجار هذا السلاح، وإنزال أقصى العقوبات بهم، فهم المحركون الأساسيون لهذه التجارة، ومسؤولون عما يمكن أن تؤدي إليه!

من جهة أخرى، لم يعد الوضع الذي يخلقه بعض “الموالاة” في الشوارع محمولا. خاصة في بعض المدن مثل اللاذقية! فأسلوب استعراض الموالاة لولائها عبر طوابير سيارات وزمامير لا تتوقف أحيانا طوال الليل، إضافة إلى “تربعهم” على زوايا ومناطق لا هدف من تواجدهم فيها إلا الاستفزاز الرخيص! وكثيرا ما يفعلون ذلك مع “اللعب” بالأسلحة الفردية التي يحملونها على مرأى الناس جميعا!

والواقع أن اللاذقية خاصة، ومدن أخرى عامة، وصلت إلى مرحلة من “التفلت” في هذا المجال بحيث بات الأمر يشكل خطرا جديا. خطرا لا معنى له ولا مبرر إلا “السماح” لهؤلاء الشبيحة بالحلول محل الدولة، وبنشر الذعر والرعب حيثما حلوا. ولم يعد يحل هذه المشكلة المتصاعدة إلا اتخاذ قرار واضح وصريح بمعاقبة كل من يمارس مثل هذه السلوكيات، وخاصة ضد كل من يشهر سلاحا في مكان عام، أو يستخدم آليات الاستفزاز المختلفة مثل زمامير السيارات وغيرها.

وفي الوقت نفسه، فإن مشكلة “التكبير” الليلي تحولت إلى قضية استفزاز هامة أيضا. وإذا كانت هذه الوسيلة التي أطلقها المجرم المسمى “العرعور”، وتبناها شبيحة المعارضة مستخدمين كل ذخيرتهم في الحشد الديني والتبرير المنافق، تتراجع في بعض المدن إثر تدخل “العاقلين” لنصح الناس بمدى الضرر المجتمعي الذي تسببه هذه الوسيلة الخرقاء، فإن مناقشتها إعلاميا بشكل علني وشفاف هو ضرورة أيضا، لتوضيح مدى الضرر الذي يجهله الكثير ممن يمارسون هذا السلوك،

إن الالتفات إلى المواجهة المسلحة مع المجرمين الآن، والتي قلنا أنها يجب أن تكون مهمة الجيش حصرا بعد تأمين كل ما يلزم لقيامه بهذه المهمة، خاصة منع بعض أجهزة الأمن من التواجد المسلح بجانب الجيش، لا يكفي اليوم. بل يجب التيقظ التام لكل الاحتقان الذي يترافق تصاعده مع “حملة تسلح” واسعة النطاق، وانفلات البعض من عقال أي مستوى من العقل باسم الموالاة أو المعارضة. فما يهمل اليوم، قد ينفجر غدا عند توفر اية شرارة قد تحدث بالخطأ، فيحرق الأخضر واليابس.

*- اعترض البعض على تسمية “الشبيحة”. للتوضيح فهي صفة أطلقت على مجموعة خارجة على القانون زرعت الرعب والموت في سوري لوقت طويل حتى حاربتها الدولة في 2001-2002، فقلصت كثيرا من حجمها وفاعليتها، لكنها لم تقض عليها نهائيا لأسباب لسنا بصددها الآن.
وهي تستخدم الآن للدلالة على كل من يمارس عنفا أو يهدد باستخدامه بقوة السلاح أو قوة المافيات، وهي صفة لا تخص الآن منطقة بعينها، ولا توجها بعينه. ولذلك يتم استخدامها أيضا لوصف أمراء الحرب ممن يسمون أنفسهم معارضة، فيما هم يضربون عرض الحائط أدنى معايير الإنسان وحقوق الإنسان والديمقراطية، دافعين البلد نحو الدمار أملا بكرسي السلطة.

http://www.bassam-alkadi.com/content/view/591/44/

June 11th, 2011, 10:45 am

 

jad said:

خطة التدخل العسكري التركي المحدود في سورية

نضال حمادة

تتداول أوساط مطلعة في العاصمة السورية دمشق خبر خطة أميركية لتدخل عسكري محدود للجيش التركي على الحدود بين تركيا وسورية، وبالتحديد في محافظة إدلب ومناطقها الحدودية.

المصدر الذي سرب للسوريين خبر هذه الخطة هي روسيا الاتحادية التي أبلغت سورية أن رئيس الوزراء التركي رجب طيب أردوغان وافق على هذه الخطة الأميركية من حيث المبدأ.

وتفاصيل هذه الخطة كما وضعتها أميركا ورسمت معالمها تقوم على نشوب تحركات شعبية واضطرابات في بعض مناطق محافظة إدلب السورية المحاذية للحدود مع تركيا أو القريبة منها، يتبعها تدخل لقوات الشرطة والأمن السوريين، وتحت غطاء حماية المدنيين السوريين تقوم قوات من الجيش التركي بتدخل عسكري محدود داخل الأراضي السورية لإقامة منطقة عازلة على الحدود بين البلدين تكون مركزا لتحرك عسكري ضد النظام كما حصل مع بنغازي الليبية التي أصبحت نموذجا يقتدى به غربيا لبعض البلدان العربية.

المصادر في دمشق أبلغتنا أن الخطة تحرص أيضا على أن يرافق هذا التدخل العسكري تغطية إعلامية عربية وغربية تظهر تفوقا تركيا وتقدما سريعا للجيش التركي وتحريضا على اضطرابات في مختلف أنحاء سورية تكون نتيجتها سقوط النظام. وتضيف أن رئيس الوزراء التركي رجب طيب أردوغان وافق من حيث المبدأ على هذه الخطة بانتظار الفرصة المناسبة التي لم تأت، وقد فات أوانها على ما يبدو بفعل تهديدات إيرانية على خطين، وبفعل تحركات سورية شعبية صبت في مصلحة النظام، وعسكرية أظهرت قرار القيادة السورية الحاسم بمواجهة هذه الخطة مهما كلف الثمن.

في تفاصيل التدخل الإيراني يبدو أن طهران اختارت طريق التخاطب على جبهتين بلهجة مختلفة وإن كان مضمون الرسائل الإيرانية واحد. فقد أبلغت طهران مباشرة دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة أن النظام في سورية خط احمر إيراني، وأن تعرضه للخطر سوف يؤدي إلى اشتعال منطقة الخليج بأكملها. وكانت دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، عبر ولي عهدها، أول من حمل المطالب والشروط العربية والغربية للرئيس بشار الأسد مقابل انتهاء التحركات والاضطرابات في بعض المناطق السورية، فيما أبلغت الولايات المتحدة بهذا التهديد الإيراني عبر جهات دولية وإسلامية.

على خط مواز تحركت الدبلوماسية الإيرانية نحو تركيا بخطاب أكثر دبلوماسية ولكنه يحمل في نتائجه نفس مضمون الرسالة التي وجهت للإمارات وأميركا. فقد نقل مبعوث خاص من الرئاسة الإيرانية لرئيس وزراء تركيا رجب طيب أردوغان رسالة تقول أن للأخير شعبية وصدى طيباً في إيران، وأن القيادة الإيرانية تعتبره جزء منها وليس فقط بصفته رئيس وزراء تركيا، ولدى إيران قناعة أن التعاون التركي الإيراني سوف يؤدي بالعالم الإسلامي إلى التقدم وبر الأمان، لكن على القيادة التركية التنبه إلى أن قبولها بضغوط أميركية لاستعمال القواعد العسكرية الأميركية في تركيا لمهاجمة سورية سوف يؤدي إلى تعرض هذه القواعد الموجودة في داخل تركيا لقصف صاروخي إيراني. وكان جواب أردوغان انه لا يخضع لأية ضغوط وليس هناك شيء من هذا القبيل في الحسابات التركية.

على الجانب السوري كان يوم الأحد الخامس من حزيران مفصليا في خيار المواجهة الذي يبدو أن القيادة السورية قد اتخذته بدءا من الجولان المحتل حيث كان التحرك الشعبي ضاغطا هذه المرة بشكل كبير على إسرائيل التي فقد سياسيوها أعصابهم وأعطوا توجيهات لجنود الجيش الإسرائيلي بالقتل المباشر. غير أن الرسالة كانت قد وصلت من الجانب السوري. وفي اليوم التالي كان الإعلان السوري الرسمي لأول مرة عن إرسال وحدات من الجيش السوري إلى منطقة في سورية لوقف الاضطرابات وهذه المرة على الحدود مع تركيا في رسالة واضحة للأتراك أن شهري التهديدات والمواعظ التركية لسورية قد انتهيا، وأن الجيش السوري سوف يتدخل على حدودكم وبقوة ومهما كانت النتائج .

وقد ظهرت بسرعة بوادر لين في المواقف التركية عبر تصريح وزير الخارجية التركي أحمد داوود أوغلو الذي اعتبر الحكومة السورية شرعية مثل حكومته، وخلا هذا التصريح من كل المصطلحات التي شابت النص الإنشائي التركي نحو سورية خلال الشهرين الماضيين.

http://www.almanar.com.lb/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=51&frid=51&eid=60796

June 11th, 2011, 10:57 am

 

why-discuss said:

Observer

“According to WD, the ever oh so clever Bashar is now courting the Kurds to spite Erdogan and to cause him troubles in Turkey: well let me remind him that Turkey invested huge amounts of money and infrastructure and manpower in Iraqi Kurdistan and did so as well in the previously neglected Eastern part of the country where the Kurds concentrate”

Obviously you are not reading about the growing tensions in Turkey about the Kurds. Erdogan is very worried about the aftermath of the election as the Kurdish group have given Erdogan an ultimatum of the 15 june where he should announce a change in the constitution to give more autonomy to the Kurds and allow education in kurdish language, otherwise they will do a “turkish summer”. Until now Erdogan is avoiding the subject.
The clever oh so clever Erdogan calling Syria’s actions ‘savagery’ is receiving a diplomatic response from Bashar Al Assad: watch the PKK revival.
That may have tempered Erdogan’s attacks.

June 11th, 2011, 11:00 am

 

Syria no kandahar said:

This is what Syria is looking forward for if wahabis and extremist take over:
دعوة شباب مصر لإطلاق مليون لحيه قبل رمضان.
واعلن الداعيه محمد حسان تمنيه ان يكون هناك ٨٠ مليون ملتحي في مصر
Notice he didt say 70 millions he is including 10 million Copts,I think he is also will have to do 10 million circumcisions.This is the kind of carbage they are dumping in Syria.

June 11th, 2011, 11:02 am

 

jad said:

Iran and the Bomb
How real is the nuclear threat?
by Seymour M. Hersh

ABSTRACT: ANNALS OF NATIONAL SECURITY about whether Iran’s nuclear program is being exaggerated. Is Iran actively trying to develop nuclear weapons? Members of the Obama Administration often talk as if this were a foregone conclusion, as did their predecessors under George W. Bush. There’s a large body of evidence, however, including some of America’s most highly classified intelligence assessments, suggesting that the U.S. could be in danger of repeating a mistake similar to the one made with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq eight years ago—allowing anxieties about the policies of a tyrannical regime to distort our estimates of the state’s military capacities and intentions. The two most recent National Intelligence Estimates (N.I.E.s) on Iranian nuclear progress have stated that there is no conclusive evidence that Iran has made any effort to build the bomb since 2003. Yet Iran is heavily invested in nuclear technology. In the past four years, it has tripled the number of centrifuges in operation at its main enrichment facility at Natanz, which is buried deep underground. International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) inspectors have expressed frustration with Iran’s level of coöperation, but have been unable to find any evidence suggesting that enriched uranium has been diverted to an illicit weapons program. In mid-February, Lieutenant General James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, provided the House and Senate intelligence committees with an updated N.I.E. on the Iranian nuclear-weapons program. A previous assessment, issued in 2007, created consternation and anger inside the Bush Administration and in Congress by concluding, “with high confidence,” that Iran had halted its nascent nuclear-weapons program in 2003. Mentions the Defense Intelligence Agency (D.I.A.), W. Patrick Lang, and Lieutenant General Ronald L. Burgess, Jr. Thomas E. Donilon, Obama’s national-security adviser, said in a speech on May 12th that the U.S. would continue its aggressive sanction policy until Iran proves that its enrichment intentions are peaceful and meets all its obligations under the nonproliferation treaty. Obama has been prudent in his public warnings about the consequences of an Iranian bomb, but he and others in his Administration have often overstated the available intelligence about Iranian intentions. Mentions Robert Einhorn. Israel views Iran as an existential threat. Nevertheless, most Israeli experts on nonproliferation agree that Iran does not now have a nuclear weapon. A round of negotiations five months ago between Iran and the West, first in Geneva and then in Istanbul, yielded little progress. Mentions Benjamin Netanyahu. The unending political stress between Washington and Tehran has promoted some unconventional thinking. One approach, championed by retired ambassador Thomas Pickering and others, is to accept Iran’s nuclear-power program, but to try to internationalize it, and offer Iran various incentives. Pickering and his associates are convinced that the solution to the nuclear impasse is to turn Iran’s nuclear-enrichment programs into a multinational effort. Mentions a 2008 essay Pickering, Jim Walsh, and William Luers published in The New York Review of Books. Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient who is now a candidate for the Presidency of Egypt, spent twelve years as the director-general of the I.A.E.A., retiring two years ago. In his recent interview, he said, “I don’t believe Iran is a clear and present danger. All I see is the hype about the threat posed by Iran.”

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/06/06/110606fa_fact_hersh#ixzz1OyqZnbPp
—————————————————————-

Interview with Pulitzer-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh on RT.
‘US govt knows Iran has no nukes – it’s Iraq syndrome’
http://youtu.be/Z_HvZHdcXQk

June 11th, 2011, 11:11 am

 

jad said:

S.N.K
I didn’t know that Egyptian women can grow beard too 😉

June 11th, 2011, 11:22 am

 

why-discuss said:

Sharp turn of Turkey from Monday? Shock Therapy for Syria?

Yavuz Baydar, a columnist for the Today’s Zaman newspaper, on how the crisis on the election campaign has affected Turkey’s response to the crisis on its border with Syria and its policy towards Damascus:

” The increased clashes caught Ankara unprepared because of the mobilisation of the election campaigns, and that is why Ankara has reacted fairly cautiously. But from Monday [after the election] we will see new developments.

Turkey has been very cautious, holding relations with the Assad regime intact while increasingly gradually its support for the rather disarrayed opposition. But it seems now the direction of events is changing the balance of Ankara’s policies.

There was a belief that Assad would change the politics in general, and perhaps breakthrough from the old guard and start reforming, but Ankara’s expectations will fail, it seems. As soon as it is clear in Ankara’s eyes that it has failed, there will be a very sharp turn in Turkish policy.”

June 11th, 2011, 11:29 am

 

viktor said:

Hello I have a question for someone out there who can give me an answer.
What is the similarties and differences between the alawites in Syria and the Alevis in Turkey? Since they share the same name in Arabic, and what I have found on the internet, the same basic beliefs they seem to me to be close. But I am bit confused why allmost nobody speaks about this fact? Can someone tell me the importances of the Alawite and Alevite connection, and anything related to this issue?
Best wishes
Viktor

June 11th, 2011, 11:30 am

 

jad said:

WD,
Are you surprised of Turkey’s Erdogan position toward Syria? It was clear from the beginning that Erdogan sided with the MB’s and he was trying not to state his mind bluntly for the election, it’s obvious that after the election Turkey will cut all kind of economic and political ties with the Syrian regime.
Turkey is a NATO member, it’s an American ally and it wont change that, as any other country in the world they need to care of themselves.
It seems that the borders will be similar to Iraq-Turkey borders just after 1991 and I wont be surprised if we hear about some Turkish-PKK clashes at the north-eats borders of Syria soon.

BTW, Check out Sophia latest post about Syria it’s very informative with many important links, she also wrote about her visit to Syria:

http://lespolitiques.blogspot.com/2011/06/whats-happening-in-syria.html

“In Syria, despite the tensions on the Syrian Lebanese border, we were welcome. I felt free, I felt secure. I loved Damascus and the harmony between the communities. All these years I was outside Lebanon and unable to think about it, it was there before my eyes. I know this might seem an insult because many Syrians consider their government as oppressive and themselves as lacking freedom. But Syria in 2005 reminded very much of Lebanon before the civil war, it was my country lost and found again. Finally we went to Lebanon, and only because I visited Syria before and saw the possibility of different religions living together I was able to see Lebanon again without fear and negative feelings. This is my personal connection to Syria.”

June 11th, 2011, 11:53 am

 

Revlon said:

Lutenant 7usain Harmoush to Al3arabiya: I take responsibility for the killing of 80 of the security forces in Jisr AlShughoor. We fired at them after after failing to heed warnings not to shoot at, and kill civilians.

He also said:

– We will defend the 10% of un-evacuated civilians
– I can not give you number of my followers
– The army bombed the fields and burned the produce.
– I can not give you number of casualties.
– I have many followers; low rank officers, sergeants, soldiers and security forces. They will be interviewed in due time.
– We are practicing utmost self restraint to avoid firing at pro-regime army forces. They are our brothers.
– A message to those who did not defect: Do not fire at civilians; They are our families.
– There are no armed gangs amongst demonstrators. The armed gangs are the regime’s; Shabbi7a.

June 11th, 2011, 12:04 pm

 

aboali said:

defecting soldiers in Turkey, the army raped women in front of their husbands and kids:

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/06/11/152818.html

June 11th, 2011, 12:06 pm

 

Norman said:

The Syrian government used to send few thousands army personnels to each city, including much larger cities like Dara, Homs and other , this time it is sending about thirty thousands of the best armed and trained, could that be because they expect an intervention from Turkey to establish this safe zone that Erdogan called for, Erdogan intention toward Syria was probably always to take away fro Iran more than of real love for Syria.

June 11th, 2011, 12:06 pm

 

Norman said:

Aboali,

They are imitating the Libya plan, accusing the army of killing civilians, then accusing it for raping women, i wonder when they are going to claim that it is using chemical weapons, it is probably the next step, Halabja of Syria they are going to call it.

Don’t you think?

June 11th, 2011, 12:18 pm

 

ZIAD said:

NORMAN #158

No the story about Bashar handing out Viagra comes first.

June 11th, 2011, 12:41 pm

 

Revlon said:

Helicopters are being used more intensely,
They are using machine guns and air to surface missiles.

I believe they are after the fledgling Free Army Regiment that defected around Jisr AlShughoor.
I do not believe it is intended to discourage a Turkish army incurision, for two reasons:
First, Asad’s army have neither the guts nor the logistics for such confrontation.
Second, A Turkish incursion would be in the interest of neither Turky itself, nor the revolution.

The ground events and political scene seem ready for a UN resolution for a no fly zone over Syria!

June 11th, 2011, 12:42 pm

 

Revlon said:

Lutenant Tlas is back in civilian outfit. He is certainly not the same soldier AlQash3ami, with whom he was confused with, by pro-regime commenters on this blog.

Highlights of the clip:
– Condolences to families of Martyrs.
– Salute to the braves who defected; More to follow
– He shows his Military ID card with photo.
– He refutes the claim of Syrian media that he was a soldier, kidnapped by “Militant Groups”

Thos who confused this gentleman with the Soldier AlQash3ami, now owe this blog, especially Mr. Landis a big apology for their abrasive and rash judgement.

June 11th, 2011, 12:58 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

I hope the Islamist retards like Revlon, who are salivating at the mouth over a no fly zone over Syria, are the first to be blown to bits by NATO bombs. You traitors don’t deserve to live. All of your death threats against us HUMANS who support the government will come back to bite you in the ass. You better pack your bags and leave Syria forever, because after the government slaughters all the Muslim Brotherhood PIGS, they will go after you rodents on grounds of treason.

June 11th, 2011, 1:01 pm

 
 

Syrian Knight said:

He is the same guy, you idiot. How many ID cards is he going to show us?

June 11th, 2011, 1:03 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

Revlun
How do make your conclusions?
The security council can’t even condem events,you think they are ready for no fly zone?
This Friday was dry for you no fatihas no bloody clips,you are going to see a cut in your pay check,and no bonus.I think that fida alseed had I strok,a friend of mine told me that he so him chocking while eating a hamburger,which is a sign of strok.the friend tried to save him but he couldn’t reach his stomach to push on it. I heard that Alaroor is going to pay for Fida to join weight watchers.

June 11th, 2011, 1:07 pm

 

Revlon said:

This is a very disturbing videoclip.
A tank manned by camouflage soldiers rolling over a civilian on his motorcycle, back and forth.
His flattened body becomes stuck to the tank chain.
Other soldiers were watching and guiding the process.

This is more than killing!
This is savagery
This is cowardness
Jr and the clan will be held accountable for every single atrocity commited on this Land.

June 11th, 2011, 1:15 pm

 

jad said:

S.K.
He is not the same person, but the interesting thing is that he accuse the first guy of being fake and that there are armed MILITIA forcing people to do fake statement, this is actually very important because it reinforce the regime story that armed militia actually existed in Daraa and many other places and apparently they are not connected together, every militia of them is working separately than the other one in different regions of Syria, otherwise they wont accuse each others and expose their existence..this statement is extremely important coming out of this person, either if he is a lieutenant or not.

#166, 🙂 there is no MAN there, it’s just a motorbike, the same clip was shown on tv as a prove of the exaggeration stories we see on youtube, if you go to the original clip you will see that it was only a motorbike nothing else when the tank move away from it, use better clips next time, you need to catch up…just saying!

June 11th, 2011, 1:15 pm

 

Norman said:

WD,Thank you

After trying to read this mumbo jumbo about the religion of people , Alawi Alavi and others , i am more convinced that Religions should be banned and be an offence to ask others for thier religous associations,

Anti discrimination laws in Employment and housing and affirmative action to the disadvantages and the poor.

June 11th, 2011, 1:20 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

Sadly,all attempts to save fida alseed were not successful,he died from chocking with hamburger.Swden announced that they will name a public bathroom in Stockholm after him,it will have an access to the face book page (Syrian revolution 2011)while you do things there.MB announced that he is Shaheed because evidence is that it was a Halal hamburger.
الله شريعه عرعور وبس

June 11th, 2011, 1:24 pm

 

jad said:

Here you go:
تلفزيون الدنيا – التضليل الأبله
http://youtu.be/ykyM7g0jvP0?t=2m45s

June 11th, 2011, 1:32 pm

 

Revlon said:

37 civilians have fallen Martyrs this weekend, 20 of whom in Idleb.

AlFati7a upon their souls,
May God bless their families with solace and empower them with patience.

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E5962FE4-45BC-468F-8CA8-8F6910207868.htm?GoogleStatID=1

June 11th, 2011, 1:32 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Crime against humanity? The US. Where is the ICCR?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/30/faulluja-birth-defects-iraq

Research links rise in Falluja birth defects and cancers to US assault

• Defects in newborns 11 times higher than normal
• ‘War contaminants’ from 2004 attack could be cause

June 11th, 2011, 1:36 pm

 

majedkhaldoon said:

If confrontation between Syria and Turkey, Russia will not be able to do anything,in the UN, because of Veto (US),Turkey does not need no Fly Zone from UN , I know that Bashar is not smart, but he will be stupid to antagonize Turkey to a degree of war, this will be the end of him very quickly.
Saddam had no friend,he had to fight alone, now Bashar has no friend, and he will loose in a war.Turkey will ask for removal of Maher,he must leave Syria ,at least.There are people who said Bashar will be out before Gaddafi leaves.

Alavi they are Sunni branch they has nothing to do with Alawi.

June 11th, 2011, 1:36 pm

 

NK said:

From occupied Golan

http://bit.ly/mNhqrV

شرفاء الجيش بين حزيران ١٩٦٧ و ٢٠١١

السبت ١٠ حزيران ١٩٦٧، أعلن وزير الدفاع حافظ الأسد الساعة ٩:٣٠ البلاغ العسكري رقم ٦٦:

“إن القوات الإسرائيلية استولت على القنيطرة بعد قتال عنيف دار منذ الصباح الباكر في منطقة القنيطرة ضمن ظروف غير متكافئة، وكان العدو يغطي سماء المعركة بإمكانات لا تملكها غير دولة كبرى. وقد قذف العدو في المعركة بأعداد كبيرة من الدبابات واستولى على مدينة القنيطرة على الرغم من صمود جنودنا البواسل. إن الجيش لا يزال يخوض معركة قاسية للدفاع عن كل شبر من أرض الوطن كما أن وحدات لم تشترك في القتال بعد قد أخذت مراكزها”
صدر هذا البلاغ بتوقيع وزير الدفاع وقتها حافظ الأسد يعلن فيه سقوط القنيطرة قبل أن تصل القوات الإسرائيلية إليها بساعات عدة وقبل أن يدور أي اشتباك في منطقة القنيطرة أو مشارفها، وكان قد سبق هذا البلاغ أوامر بالانسحاب من مواقع خط الدفاع الأول من أجل الدفاع عن الثورة (ثورة البعث) كما قال بعد ذلك أحد قادة البعث المقدم رئيف علواني بأن “الانسحاب كان لحماية الثورة لأن هدف إسرائيل هو التخلص من الثورة وليس احتلال بعض المناطق”. مما أثار هذا الأمر بالانسحاب دون خطة مدروسة كما هي عادة الانسحاب في الجيوش، الفوضى في صفوف المجندين بعد سماع الأمر وتخلي الضباط عن مواقعهم واللوذ بالفرار وترك الجنود في ساحة المعركة دون أن يُعْلِموهم ما الذي يجري. ولا بد لنا هنا أن نذكر بأن قائد الجيش اللواء أحمد السويداني كان أول الفارين تاركا الجبهة دون قيادة، كما أن قائد الجبهة العقيد أحمد المير قد فر على ظهر حمار حين خلع عن جسده بدلته العسكرية بعد أن خلع كرامته وشجاعته. وزاد من الفوضى في صفوف الجيش البلاغ ٦٦ الذي يعلن عمليا استيلاء إسرائيل على الجولان، فالجنود في منطقة القنيطرة اصابتهم الدهشة وهم يرون القنيطرة لم تمس بعد أما في باقي المناطق فقد ساد الهلع ظنًا من الجنود بأن الجيش الإسرائيلي صار فعلا خلفهم وقد استولى على القنيطرة، فترك الجنود مواقعهم وآلياتهم ولاذوا بالفرار بشكل فردي بعد ترك الضباط لهم وتخلي المسؤلين عن تقديم أي معلومات وأوامر تفيد بانسحاب منظم أو إعادة انتشار.
هذا الانسحاب المشين الذي أصدره حافظ الأسد دون أي قتال أو أي تكتيك تاركا جنود الدفاع وآلياته تتصيدها طائرات العدو لا يمكن تبريره، أضف إليه التصريح المخزي الذي صرح به إبراهيم ماخوس وزير الخارجية : “نحمد الله أن عاصمة عربية لم تمس” ويضيف “كنا عاملين حسابنا أن دمشق ستسقط”.
من جهة أخرى يذكر وزير الصحة آنذاك عبد الرحمن الأكتع أنه كان في مشفى القنيطرة لحظة إذاعة البلاغ فقام بالاتصال بدمشق للتوضيح بأن هناك خطأ في البلاغ إلا أن حافظ الأسد طلب منه عدم التدخل، فقام بالتوجه مباشرة إلى دمشق مطالبا الحكومة بفتح تحقيق معتبرا الأمر خيانة، فكان رد الأسد بالاعتداء عليه بالضرب أمام الوزراء فقدم استقالته وغادر سورية.
رغم هذا العار الذي ألحقته حكومة “ثورة” البعث وعلى رأسها حافظ الأسد بالجيش السوري إلا أن أبطالا رفضوا هذا العار ولم يقبلوا التنازل عن حدود الوطن دون مقاومة فقام كلٌ من معسكر تل الفخار بقيادة النقيب نورس طه ومعسكر تل العزيزيات وموقع إسناد القلع بقيادة الرائد محمد سعيد يونس بعدم الانصياع لأوامر الانسحاب غير المبرر وصمدوا وجنودهم في مواقعهم موقفين توغل الجيش الإسرائيلي الذي صب جل قوته على هذه المنطقة وألحقوا به خسائر كبيرة باعتراف دافيد إليعيزر قائد الجبهة الشمالية للجيش الإسرائيلي قائلا: “لتعرفوا ما حدث في تل الفخار كان عليكم زيارة مستشفى رامبام.”
هذا غير البطولات الفردية التي قام بها مدنيون والتي أوقفت أرتال الدبابات الإسرائيلية لساعات عدة كما فعل شابان لا يحملان من العتاد سوى بنادق صيدهم في سهل المنصورة.
هذه الشجاعة التى أظهرها هؤلاء البواسل لم تكن كما يبدو بحسبان القيادة في دمشق، ولم يرد في ذهنهم أن في هذا الجيش شرفاء يرفضون أن تسقط ذرة تراب من الوطن دون مقاومة وأنهم قد يرفضون الانصياع لأوامر غريبة بالانسحاب ويأبون الانصياع إلا لنداء الوطن رغم علمهم بأن موقفهم هذا سيكلفهم أرواحهم لكنهم فضّلوا أن يتركوا بصمة تمحي العار عن الجيش وتلصقه بالقادة. هذه الشجاعة التي رغم محاولات النظام السوري التعتيم عليها واخفائها ما زالت تقول بأن الجولان لو دافع عنه القادة بوفاء القائد والعسكري للوطن ما كان ليسقط.
واليوم في ذكرى سقوط الجولان يقوم من جديد محمد سعيد يونس ونورس طه وكل الجنود والضباط الأبطال الذين دافعوا ببسالة عن الوطن في حزيران ٦٧ رافضين العار والانصياع لأوامر بيع الوطن، يقومون من جديد ليبعثوا في نفس الأحرار من الجيش روح الشجاعة والانصياع لصوت الضمير، ها هو خالد المصري أول شهيد في الجيش يرفض قمع المتظاهرين في درعا بتاريخ ٢٣ آذار وتلاه كثيرون من الأحرار في الجيش العربي السوري الذين يحملون في نفوسهم روح أبطال حزيران البواسل، ها هم يؤكدون أن الجيش السوري ليس ثلة القادة التي تدين بالولاء لشخص بل الجيش هو الذي يدين بالولاء للوطن وللشعب.
ما أشبه أبطال الثورة السورية من المجندين المنشقين عن نظام الأسد بأبطال حزيران ٦٧، فقد اختار هؤلاء كرامة الوطن والشعب كما اختارها أبطال حزيران وانحازوا إليها ورفضوا العار وهيمنة السلطة الواحدة وإخلاء ساحة المعركة دون موقف. فالشرفاء يخوضون معركة واحدة يدافعون عن وطن واحد سلبه واحتكره لذاتهم خونة الوطن. وها هي المعركة شارفت على الانتهاء بانتصار الوطن ليمجد شهداء الثورة ويعيد لشهداء حزيران حقهم وكرامتهم التي سلبها نظام الأسد بطمسه معالم بطولتهم. لقد غيّب نظام الأسد الأب أسماء شهداء تل الفخار وتل العزيزيات واسناد القلع والبطولات الفردية في حزيران ٦٧ ومحى قصة معركتهم تماما كما يحاول الأسد الابن تغييب أسماء شرفاء الجيش الذين يرفضون قتل إخوانهم الثائرين. ستنتصر الثورة بدم الشهداء وبتضحية شرفاء الجيش لتعيد لنا أسماء أبطال حزيران الذي يخفيهم النظام في خزائن لا أعرف إن كانت موجودة، يخفيهم فقط لأنهم بكرامة أسمائهم فضحوا ضعفه وخيانته.

—————————-
علاء خنجر
مجدل شمس، الجولان المحتل
١٠ حزيران ٢٠١١

June 11th, 2011, 1:54 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

Lol Revtard you idiot. That tank video is fake and old. I saw this a long time ago, and it was a clip to show how propagandists exaggerate and fake videos.

June 11th, 2011, 1:56 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Majedalkaldoon

“Alavi they are Sunni branch they has nothing to do with Alawi.

Really?
Alevi and Alawi described as branch of Shia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alevi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alawi

The Alevi (in English /ælɛ’viː/, also /æ’lɛviː/ or /ə’leɪviː/) are a religious and cultural community, primarily in Turkey, numbering in the 15 millions. Alevis are classified as a branch of Shia Islam, however there are significant differences in Alevi beliefs, traditions and rituals when compared to other orthodox sects. Alevi worship takes place in assembly houses (cemevi) rather than mosques. The ceremony (âyîn-i cem, or simply cem), features music and dance (semah) where both women and men participate. Instead of Arabic, the respective native language is predominant during rituals and praying.

…. Relation with sunnis

The relationship between Alevis and Sunnis is one of mutual suspicion and prejudice dating back to the Ottoman period. Sunnis have accused Alevis of heresy, heterodoxy, rebellion, betrayal and immorality. Alevis, on the other hand, have argued that the original Quran does not demand five prayers, nor mosque attendance, nor pilgrimage, and that the Sunnis distorted early Islam by omitting, misinterpreting, or changing important passages of the original Quran, especially those dealing with Ali and ritual practice.[23]

Alevis see Sunni narrowmindedness as originating in Arabia and as contrary to the Turkish national character. Some Alevis believe Sunnah and Hadith were Arab elite innovations, created to ensure Arab dominance of Islam and to enslave the masses through manipulation. Sunnism, according to the Alevis, is not true Islam but an aberration that by its strict legalism opposes free and independent thought and is seen as reactionary, bigoted, fanatic, and antidemocratic. Alevis believe Sunni nationalism is intolerant, domineering, and unwilling to recognize Alevi uniqueness.[24]

In today’s political arena Alevis see themselves as a counterforce to Sunni fundamentalism in Turkey. Alevis, who have a great interest in blocking the rising fundamentalist influence, are the main allies of the democratic secularists, and are also searching for alliances with moderate Sunnis against the extremists.

The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris (‘Alawīyyah Arabic: علوية‎, Nuṣayrī Arabic: نصيريون‎, and al-Anṣāriyyah) are a prominent mystical and syncretic[7] religious group centred in Syria who are often described as a branch of Shia Islam.[8][9]

June 11th, 2011, 2:05 pm

 

jad said:

خاص – سوريا اليوم – نضال حميدي
http://youtu.be/JYViaV85Bko
——————————————
تركيا قد تقيم منطقة عازلة مع سورية في حال زيادة اللاجئين السوريين

أكدت مصادر دبلوماسية تركية يوم السبت 11 يونيو/حزيران أن إقامة منطقة عازلة على الحدود التركية السورية لمواجهة تدفق الأعداد المتزايدة من النازحين السوريين هربا من الاضطرابات في بلادهم، هو خيار مطروح على أجندة تركيا.

وقالت المصادر إن تركيا أعدت لاستقبال 10 آلاف لاجئ سوري، ولا ترغب فى استقبال أكثر من هذا العدد، ولا يمكنها أيضا تحمل الأعباء المالية بمفردها، ولذلك بدأت اتصالات مع المفوضية العليا لشؤون اللاجئين والصليب الأحمر الدولي والاتحاد الأوروبي لمساعدتها في مواجهة موجة الهجرة الجماعية المحتملة من سورية.

وأضافت أنه إذا شهدت تركيا صورة مشابهة لصورة الهجرة الجماعية من العراق إلى تركيا خلال فترة حرب الخليج الثانية، حيث تدفق آلاف النازحين على تركيا، فإنها ستضطر لتشكيل منطقة عازلة داخل الأراضي السورية لمواجهة الهجرة الجماعية، لكن هذا القرار وتنفيذه على أرض الواقع يحتاج لموافقة مجلس الأمن الدولي.

هذا واعلن مسؤول تركي ان عدد اللاجئين السوريين الفارين من الاضطرابات في منطقتي جسر الشغور ومعرة النعمان السوريتين قد تجاوز يوم السبت الـ 4 آلاف شخص.

وتدفق سكان جسر الشغور بشمال سورية قبيل عملية عسكرية بدأها الجيش هناك يوم الجمعة خوفا من تعرضهم لاعمال انتقامية من جانب قوات الامن ردا على الاشتباكات التي قالت السلطات انها اودت بحياة 120 فردا من قواتها الاسبوع الماضي.

وقال دبلوماسي تركي كبير ان 4300 سوري عبروا الحدود وان تركيا مستعدة لاستقبال المزيد من التدفق غير انه رفض توقع عدد اللاجئين الذين من المحتمل ان يأتوا.

ونقلت وكالة انباء الاناضول عن خالد شفيق نائب وكيل وزارة الخارجية التركية قوله “تركيا استقبلت عددا كبيرا من الضيوف في الماضي في اشد اوقات حاجتهم. ويمكننا فعل ذلك مرة اخرى”.

المصدر: وكالات

June 11th, 2011, 2:13 pm

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Why Discuss
if you ask the Alavi they say they are Sunni.
Shiite consider Alavi not Shiite
What you said is confusion as the name is close to Alawi, what you describe is Alawi,
BTW, from previous comments by you and Norman,and 873 indicate how much you christians hate mosslems, you as a christian take advantag that most Syrian Mosslems do not hate christians,and I am surprised that this hate exist, I did not know it before your commment.
Your messiah bashar, son of God,Hafez Assad blinded you to fact that our destiny is to live togather.

June 11th, 2011, 2:25 pm

 

Mina said:

My point was about niqab in Turkey.
As you may know, it is forbidden for a woman who wears a hijab to enter a university or a city hall. So a woman wearing niqab is seen as a terrorist by many Turks, especially the civil servants and the army, in addition to the seculars.

That might be the reason why they are not allowed to speak to journalists?!

June 11th, 2011, 2:29 pm

 

why-discuss said:

MajedAlkhaldoon

You are writing nonsense about Alavi and Alevi and whatever. Obviously you have no clue and don’t even take the time to read and learn.

Your statement about Christians hating Moslems say a lot about you own hangups and your sectarian view of Syria. You are really a very dangerous person.

June 11th, 2011, 2:34 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

MajedKhaldoon is a terrorist. If he is in Syria, he should be identified, reported, arrested, and put on trial for charges of terrorism and affiliation with the Musllim Brotherhood.

June 11th, 2011, 2:41 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

Majed
Your Cont insults to Christians and christianity and Jesus are first and most insults to Islam.I am sure that you and your fellow terrorists lives between Christians now,eat from there food,drink from there water and smells the free air they have,yet you Cont to spread the venoum you have inside you,you have stage 4 wahabi disease and the only treatment for that is to let you slowly die,from your own poison.

June 11th, 2011, 2:50 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

More evidence that the gay slut in Damascus is FAKE:

http://972mag.com/a-gay-girl-in-edinburgh/

June 11th, 2011, 3:06 pm

 

Norman said:

Jad, WD,

How interesting that Syria with 22 million people can take 1.5 million Iraqis give them shelter, Free education and health care to the contrary to Jordon,and Saudi Arabia, while Turkey with 60 to 80 million can not take care of more than 10,000 Syrian on a temporary bases without financial assistant , so much for good neighbours, I guess that the Syrian economy is stronger than people think.
Many things are going to change in Syria after this crises, one of them is for Syria to ban ownership of Arabs and others of real estate in Syria that only increased the prices out of reach of Syrians even university graduate, The sad thing that i see is that the Baath party that build it’s base on helping the poor, Had let them down during the worst economic crises of the world,

it is time for Syria and the Syrian to hunker down and take care of thier own from infrastructure to education to health care, depend on Syrian investments not foreign ones that only want to take advantage of the poor Syrians,

The Statue of liberty realty belongs in Syria,

June 11th, 2011, 3:33 pm

 

aboali said:

Anderson Coopers’ ground breaking report on Syria yesterday on CNN:

June 11th, 2011, 3:36 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

So the Anderson Cooper report is fair an balanced!
He didt like the videos of public hanging produced by Aboali’s friends,or the kicking dead bodies show and stealing mony from there pockets produced by Revlun’s coz,or the Nidal Janood show don by Majed nephews.
When the US was fighting terrorists in Iraq they did worse than this.
Anderson Cooper is protecting terrorist and CNN is like every other network in the US owned and directed by Jews .There is not one single reason that CNN will report any thing which will benefit Syria .
What about reporting Bahrain events?I guess he dos’t have the balls to do that.

June 11th, 2011, 4:09 pm

 

Mina said:

Van Dam: Bashar has no control and never had:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/nikolaos-van-dam-tragically-a-bloodbath-may-now-be-inevitable-2296110.html

So the question is: who will catch Maher?

Might be a job for Ahmadinajad, the guy who is found of stories of the Dajjal and the Messiah.

June 11th, 2011, 4:10 pm

 

Mina said:

New garbage trick by The Independent, they list this article, ABOUT BAHRAIN,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/detained-poet-beaten-across-the-face-with-electric-cable-2296137.html

in the middle of the articles about Syria.

How nice to your old Bahrein ally, Mr Independent.

What is the West doing with its freedom? When you ‘ll get another Putin and another Chechenya you will have to say Heil Hitler again.
You are bowing to Putin and the Chinese with no concern for any human rights but simply for business, and you give moral lessons to the rest of the world? No kid is buying that anymore.

Beware of the wrath of the wise.

June 11th, 2011, 4:14 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Mina

Europe and the US are in such an economical crisis that the media are looking for diversion. Watching wars, and horror stories in the “Arab Spring” is the best cure to the disenchantment and frustration of the masses with their own government.

June 11th, 2011, 4:32 pm

 

Jad said:

From the “Independent” article:

“6,000 have sought refuge in Lebanon, but many have been forcibly returned.”

Could they tell us how the refugee where forced to return? Who writes those crapy articles!
——————-

Norman,
You are right, 4000 people are making Turkey cry, but 1.5million Iraqis were welcomed in Syria, for 8yeas now, how interesting!

June 11th, 2011, 4:39 pm

 

FACTS said:

#173 #178 Majedalkaldoon
“Alavi they are Sunni branch they has nothing to do with Alawi.”
No clue!!!
Just talk to Alavis and let them tell you what they think about extremist like you. Alavis are the educated class in the turkish society. Liberal and hard working people.

You are talking about Christians taking advantage from Moslems! Just read here who is taking advantage from whom……

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,713796,00.html

June 11th, 2011, 4:41 pm

 

Observer said:

The latest news from the regime side is that the refugees in Turkey are armed gangs that fled the Syrian army and that others fled from the armed gangs that terrorized the population!!!!!. So both are fleeing from each other into the same refugee camps. That was the report of a Mr. Khalil on Aljazeera from Damascus.

Is there anyone in his right mind really believing this BS? There are clearly dissensions within the army and not everyone is willing to use such brutal tactics.

In Turkey, Erdogan is slated to win a majority of the votes. As WD posited, Syria holds the key to the stability and prosperity of Turkey because they hold the Kurdish and the PKK cards; both of which can create havoc on Turkey. I do not know in what universe WD and these people live. Turkey cannot amend the constitution without an absolute majority in Parliament and the decision has to go to the Supreme Constitutional court and perhaps even a referendum. Erdogan cannot be blackmailed by any minority and he is an astute politician. This is a democracy WD and not a rubber stamp parliament that you have in Damascus.

As for Syria causing trouble Pleassssssse spare me the BS. Turkey has invested heavily in Iraqi Kurdistan and in the Eastern provinces and the PKK is no longer a card in the hand of anyone.

As for Syria’s Kurds, they do not give a hoot about Bashar and his regime, they have learned the hard way that they have no friends in the area and that they have to live in this part of the world for awhile. They will not be used by anyone.

Now where is the mighty Syrian security forces and the Syrian army have been lately having allowed for armed gangs to flourish and sprout and proliferate all over Syria?
If they did then it is a failure, if they are not able to arrest them and destroy them then it is a failure.

From a constitutional point of view, now that the state of emergency has been lifted, under what authority does the army have the right to intervene? Who called on it, the Police, the ministry of the Interior, the Parliament, the President? Who is in charge and to what end?

Now WD and others are boasting about the Syrian army confronting the Turkish one. Perhaps, but an army of a democratic country with clear civilian and military coordination will always win against an army set up to protect the tyrant. Turkey can rely on international and regional support whereas Syria can count on the forces of Ghadafi alone now and they are busy at this moment.

Iran is going to be the loser in this: they will no longer have a role of defending the Umma and Palestine against Zion. As Shia and Persians they will not have as much resonance as the new Arab Egypt with the Islamists part and parcel of the political spectrum.

The next loser is Israel as it loses one “stability generating regime after another” and that includes Syria and Libya

June 11th, 2011, 4:55 pm

 

Norman said:

Facts,

Majid probably things that even the sews are Sunni , now or in the future , they just don’t know it yet!.

June 11th, 2011, 4:56 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Observer

“Now WD and others are boasting about the Syrian army confronting the Turkish one”

In your anger, please don’t attribute to me things I never said.
It is totally absurd to imagine such a thing. The confrontation, if there is one, is diplomatic not military.

June 11th, 2011, 5:05 pm

 

Shami said:

The spiritual icon of asad family is speaking.

Dr Landis ,could you translate it in english plz ?

June 11th, 2011, 5:11 pm

 

daleandersen said:

Memo to OBSERVER

RE: “The next loser is Israel as it loses one stability generating regime after another…”

No. The next loser will be the Syrian people. I think Syrians will not be capable of keeping the peace after Bashar and Maher are gone. There’s a long, nasty civil war in Syria’s future with the attendant possibility of Iran and Hizbollah stirring the pot.

There’s too much hatred and fear amongst the various Syrian sects. Down the road, maybe we’ll find that only a tyrant like Hafez Assad could keep the pot from boiling over. But he’s dead and his son is incapable. And now it’s time for vicious little men to settle scores.

And as for Israel, life there will go on. Merchants will sell their wares, lovers will make love and poets will write poems.

http://playwrighter.blogspot.com/2011/04/united-states-recognition-of-israel.html

June 11th, 2011, 5:16 pm

 

daleandersen said:

You have to watch this. It’s Baathist Spokeshole Reem Haddad, Bashar’s version of Baghdad Bob…

June 11th, 2011, 5:31 pm

 

Darryl said:

NK #174,

Some years ago when I lived in the US, I worked with a Jewish guy who was an officer in the invading army of the Golan. His account to me was different.

His claim is the officer core of the army initially abandoned the Syrian soldiers and when they entered the Golan, literally there was total confusion among the Syrian army, as they did not know waht to do. He did not know what happened, but he said it was an easy victory Israel.

June 11th, 2011, 5:50 pm

 

ss said:

Comment # 181 “MajedKhaldoon is a terrorist. If he is in Syria, he should be identified, reported, arrested, and put on trial for charges of terrorism and affiliation with the Musllim Brotherhood”

MajedKhaldoon is indeed a dangerous fellow. He is part of the MB. However, he is not in Syria. Majedkhaldoon thinks that people behind internet are immune and there identity is sealed. Wake up Dr. Majedkhaldoon

June 11th, 2011, 6:02 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

181. Syrian Knight said:

¨MajedKhaldoon is a terrorist. If he is in Syria, he should be identified, reported, arrested, and put on trial for charges of terrorism and affiliation with the Musllim Brotherhood.¨

I believe Syrian Knight is the cruel and painful image of what the syrian regime really is. We are used in Syria to this kind of reactions against any person that shows disagreement with a single regime decision or political line. And by this kind of comments you are unveiling the true nature of your apparatus, to which no doubt you belong.

I am will report SC moderator to cancel Syrian Knight for this comment.

It would be interesting for you Syrian Knight to check in http://www.revolutionintelligence.com/ if your real name is already registered.

June 11th, 2011, 6:03 pm

 

Norman said:

I do not think that anybody should be threaten not to express his or her opinion, We all want that and be responsible for what we say, I just do not agree with Majid , but i respect his right to say what he wants,

This an article that mentions SC, and Dr Landis, You all are very lucky to have a voice on this blog, Use that privilege well,

Bassem Tellawi / AP

Syrian army soldiers ride on their military trucks
as they enter the villages near the town of Jisr al-
Shughour, north of Damascus, Syria, on Friday June
10, 2011.

msnbc.com news services

updated 27 minutes ago

BEIRUT— A border region with a history of
hostility toward the Syrian regime is posing the
biggest challenge yet for President Bashar
Assad’s struggle to crush the revolt against his
family’s 40-year-rule.

Analysts say Assad will do anything to restore
control in the restive northern area bordering
Turkey, where mutinous forces are giving a
largely peaceful revolt new strength — and
firepower.

“Syria … is engaging in horrific, revolting
attacks on its own people. The region,
however, is trying to, behind the scenes, get
the government to stop,” said U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton.

The White House said the offensive in the
north has created a humanitarian crisis and it
called on the government to stop the violence
and allow the International Committee of the
Red Cross free access to the area to care for
the wounded, displaced and detainees.

On Saturday, thousands of elite troops and
tanks believed to be led by his brother sealed
off the entrances to the mostly deserted town
of Jisr al-Shughour, with soldiers loyal to the
regime coming under sniper fire as they
approached.

Mutinous Syrian soldiers and police officers
remained behind to fight against an expected
all-out government assault, a resident said,
and unarmed demonstrators were ready to
fight “with their hands” in the town just 12
miles (20 kilometers) from the Turkish border.

Witnesses said more than 4,000 Syrians have
crossed over and up to 10,000 had taken
shelter among trees near the border since
forces commanded by Assad’s brother Maher
sent tanks and troops into the northwestern
province of Idlib.

While the Syrian uprising is still far from an all
out Libya-style insurgency, the mutiny in Jisr
advertisement Syrian regime storms restive town near Turkey
U.S. decries humanitarian crisis; forces loyal to Assad fighting defectors
al-Shughour raises concerns the 12-week
revolt is taking on a new dimension. Jisr al-
Shughour’s history of Sunni militancy and its
proximity to Turkey make it a crucial proving
ground for the regime.

Syrian troops backed by tanks, helicopters
and heavy armor have been in the area for
several days; it was not clear why the army
was delaying an assault. In the meantime, a
captain and 15 soldiers defected and joined
the protesters on Saturday, according to the
Local Coordination Committees, which
documents Syrian anti-government protests.
The report could not be independently
confirmed.

However, the BBC reported that Syrian troops
used tanks to attack a village, kill people and
burn wheat and olive crops in a village a few
miles down the valley from Jisr al-Shughour.

Bassam, a tile layer, said: “Tanks are now 1 km
away from Jisr al-Shughour, near a sugar
plant, and they are firing shells and machine
gunning the town. There are only a few people
left. I escaped on my motorcycle through dirt
tracks in the hills.”

He showed mobile phone camera footage of a
dead young man, between 18 to 25 years old,
with a bullet wound his leg, and a very large
exit wound in his stomach. He laid on a bloody
cloth.

Another picture showed a dead young man
who had been shot in the head. He said the
two were killed just outside Jisr al-Shughour
by troops under the command of Maher.

Ausama Monajed, a London-based Syrian
activist, said the Assads could be worried not
just about army defections, but any hesitation
to obey shoot-on-sight orders. Human rights
groups say more than 1,400 people
nationwide have died in the government
crackdown since the uprising erupted in
southern Syria in mid-March.

“The Assads are reshuffling the army and
creating a number of mainly Alawite units
made up specifically of people who have been
tested and have shown themselves to be
hardcore loyalists,” he said.

“It is these units that have been sent to Jisr al-
Shughour.”

Sectarian fighting
Jisr al-Shughour is a predominantly Sunni
town with some Alawite and Christian villages
nearby in Idlib province. Most Syrians are
Sunni Muslim, but Assad and the ruling elite
belong to the minority Alawite sect, an
offshoot of Shiite Islam.

Jamil Saeb, an activist from the town who
was reached by phone, suggested the army
was afraid to take on the people who stayed
behind because Jisr al-Shughour residents
were “known to be exceptionally fierce.” He
said several army deserters and officers were
still there and have vowed to protect unarmed
residents.
Bassem Tellawi / AP ASyrian army tank and military truck, are seen cross the bridge of al-Assi river, near the town of Jisr al-Shughour, north of Damascus, Syria.
Idlib’s Muslim Brotherhood population rose
up against Assad’s father, the late president
Hafez Assad, in the late 1970s. Jisr al-
Shughour itself came under heavy government
bombardment in 1980, with a reported 70
people killed. Residents say the numbers were
much higher.

The events proved a prelude to a 1982 three-
week bombing campaign against the city of
Hama that crushed a Sunni uprising there,
killing 10,000 to 25,000 people, according to
Amnesty International estimates.

“They (regime) have a grudge against Jisr al-
Shughour since the 80s,” said Saeb.

The government’s admission that 120 officers
and security officers were killed by “armed
groups” in the area gave new cause for
concern.

Preventing a rebel stronghold
“Syria cannot afford to lose territory where an
insurgency or rebel army might emerge,” said
Joshua Landis, director of the University of
Oklahoma’s Center for Middle East Studies.

“Damascus will do everything it can to
preclude the formation of a Benghazi, which
would allow foreign intelligence agencies and
governments to begin arming and training a
rebel army, as happened in Libya,” he wrote in
his influential blog, Syria Comment.

Benghazi is the de facto rebel capital in Libya
and the center of their strength; Syria’s Idlib
province is nowhere near that level.

Arab governments, which were unusually
supportive of NATO intervention in Libya, have
met the Syrian crackdown with silence, largely
because Syria is seen as a regional
powerhouse with influence on events in
neighboring Israel, Lebanon, Iraq. Syria also
has an explosive sectarian mix and there are
fears that the alternative to Assad would be
chaos and sectarian fighting.

Syria’s brutal crackdown has angered the
leaders of neighboring Turkey, who accused
the Assad regime of “savagery” and have given
refuge to more than 4,300 Syrians.

Journalists invited to accompany troops to the
north, including an AP reporter, came under
fire about a mile outside Jisr al-Shughour
Saturday, and the government blamed snipers
stationed in nearby hills. No casualties were
reported.

Authorities said they have made some arrests
and killed and wounded many of the armed
men around Jisr al-Shughour, a city of about
40,000 that has been largely abandoned by
residents in recent days.

Confirming information out of Syria is difficult.
Communications are cut in areas where the
uprising is strongest, including Jisr al-
Shughour and foreign journalists have been
expelled.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem called
on the United Nations to help his country fight
“terrorist groups.” In an interview he gave to
the Syrianow website, Moallem said he had
sent an urgent message to the U.N. chief
warning that any Security Council resolution
targeting Syria would be considered
“intervention in his country’s internal affairs.”

Negotiations continued Saturday on the draft
text of a Security Council resolution proposed
by Britain and France calling on all sides in
Syria to cease the violence. Russia and China
have so far opposed a resolution on Syria and
have veto power.

Turkey’s military, meanwhile, was making
preparations to step in if necessary, to
“control and manage” the flow of refugees
from Syria. Some wounded Syrians from Jisr
al-Shughour or elsewhere were being treated
at the state hospital in the Turkish city of
Hatay.

One of them, who only identified himself with
his first name, Ahmad, told an Associated
Press reporter at his hospital bed on Saturday
that he was hit by three bullets during a
protest in Jisr al-Shughour on June 4.

One bullet had struck him in the neck, and he
spoke with difficulty.

“The snipers suddenly started firing onto us
from three buildings,” Ferah, a Turkish
relative, quoted him as saying in Arabic. “I was
hit in the neck and chest first, but a third
bullet found my right arm when I raised it
while on the ground.”

“Allah gave me another life,” Ahmad said.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this
report.

Sponsored links

June 11th, 2011, 6:12 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

#199

Your name is no doubt related to the SS Nazi secret services.

I guess the same game of fear you have been using in Syria for 40 years is appearing in the internet forums too. Now you are intending people to stop talking because of fear of being tracked by Assad hackers.

I am so afraid that tonight I will not be able to sleep.

June 11th, 2011, 6:12 pm

 
 

ss said:

193

Norman and Facts

Majedkhaldoon is a typical MB. Dont blame him on his narrowminded, 3ar3oor type mentality. He only sees Sunni and only Sunni as the religion of the universe. He is now attacking Christians. I bet he would not consider christians, Buddhist, Jews as humans either. For him everything starts with Sunni and ends with Sunni. God protect us from this kind of people

June 11th, 2011, 6:14 pm

 

Tara said:

Norman,

I agree very much with your #168 comment.

June 11th, 2011, 6:19 pm

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Shami
Taleb Ibrahim is angry ,frustrated ,and under severe illusion.
The pro regime are under severe fear, that is why they speak with prophanity always, and threat, they know that Bashar days are short.
Sunday is the election day in Turkey.
Gaddafi will be forcd to leave in few weeks,all eyes are going to be on Bashar,Russia realizes that it can not stop history, Russia will accede to the west demands,which they need.
Other than Bashar will be the looser,HA and Iran,if war started with Turkey, HA has to switch side quickly, they need Syria, politics is controlled by the interest of the party, not by ideology, no one want to be with the loosing side.for example Turkey who stood by Libya Gaddafi, now they abandoned him,there is a saying in Syria, when the cow fall, there will be too many knives.

June 11th, 2011, 6:20 pm

 

daleandersen said:

Memo to DARRYL:

RE: “…I worked with a Jewish guy who was an officer in the invading army of the Golan. His account was…the officer core of the [Syrian] army abandoned the Syrian soldiers and when [the Jews]entered the Golan, literally there was total confusion among the Syrian army…”

This is the main problem with any dictator’s military. It’s built from the ground up to keep him in power. Its primary purpose is NOT to fight FOREIGN enemies. The enemy are the dictator’s own people.

As for the foreign enemy, recall what happened with Saddam’s military. Saddam kept raving on about “the Mother of all Battles.” But his army ran away and left Baghdad wide open to the USA. The Syrian army is no different. Depend on it…

http://playwrighter.blogspot.com/2011/06/stuck-in-damascus-with-memphis-blues.html

June 11th, 2011, 6:21 pm

 

sami othmani said:

to Syrian Knight (shabih) and all his alike,

the bad language you are using here is a clear reflection what is going on in Syria these days by alshabiha and their gangs. I was in Syria and saw how they deal with people who had nothing to do with the revolution. I can honestly say that people like you are contributing to the revolution sometimes more than the protesters and YOU make your Godly President look like a scum and gangster. when I wrote my post I directed it to the people who can read and understand and one of them is your president, I hope. I repeat my request to the alwaites, whom i respect, to dumb assad and his gang for the sake of Syria free and safe. we are on the verge of a civil war caused by a regime following the rule: it is me or death and destruction.

June 11th, 2011, 6:23 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

[deleted by admin] … What must be done, must be done. The Muslim Brotherhood terrorists did not stop until they were forcefully crushed in 1982. The same must happen again.

> Please avoid threats of violence.
Alex

June 11th, 2011, 6:31 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

#209

I think the problem are not muslim parties, real democrats, reformers of any kind or Assadists, in a way we need all parts to reach an agreement by a real democratic dialogue, but the problem here it´s you. You look like a genocide or something like, very dangerous and undesirable. Sorry but this is not to attack you but just a description of reality.

June 11th, 2011, 6:37 pm

 

Norman said:

I never thought that i would ever think this way, but i want to ask Ehsani and all of you,

Is it time to seek a separate state for the minorities, or even two one for the Alawat and one for the Christians in Syria, and for the Christians in Egypt ,

I am just asking as it seems to me that the sects are not able to live with each other on this blog not only in Syria.

June 11th, 2011, 6:41 pm

 

Tara said:

Syrian Knight,

You must be banned from SC. Your comments are not acceptable.

Is your name Ali Abbas?

June 11th, 2011, 6:51 pm

 

Thanks said:

I wanted to share this with you, from a friend i think trustworthy, i got from two sources:

تفاصيل لقاء وفد من جوبر مع الرئيس بشار الاسد

وقد أُتيح لي حضور هذا اللقاء الى جانب اثني عشر من الوفد

جرى اللقاء مع الرئيس بناء على طلب من موفد من رئيس الجمهوريه زارنا بجوبر يوم الاحد الفائت وأجرى لقاء حواري موسع حضره حوالي ثلاثة آلاف من اهالي الحي

ترك لنا موفد الرئيس حرية اختيار أعضاء الوفد الذي سيلتقي الرئيس وتمنى علينا ان يتألف الوفد بشكل رئيسي من شباب شاركو في المظاهرات لان الرئيس (والكلام لموفده) يرغب بالاستماع للمطالب وليس للمديح. استقبلنا الرئيس عند باب قاعة الاجتماع وفي بداية اللقاء الذي بدء عند التاسعه والنصف صباحا تمنى علينا الرئيس ان ننسَ أننا نجلس مع الرئيس وأن نتحدث بعفويه تامة وصراحه مطلقه .وإليكم تفاصيل اللقاء بشكل مختصر ولكن مركز وشامل

بعض القضايا التي طرحها الوفد على الرئيس:

-الامن وممارساته الوحشيه في جوبر وباقي مناطق سوريا وتحدث بعض ممن كانو موقوفين لدى الامن عن التعذيب الوحشي الذي تعرضو له

-رأي الرئيس بممارسات الامن وهل لديه خطه لكبحه

الحريه والكرامة وحاجة الناس لها اكثر من الخبز

انتقد الوفد الخطوات الاصلاحيه الجاريه واوضح عدم ثقة الشعب بها وتم مناقشة بعض هذه القوانين الاصلاحيه وبيان عدم جديتها

-انتقد الوفد الاعلام السوري بالكامل وبيان كذبه وتضليله واثارته للفتن

-فيديو البيضه ودعس الامن على رؤس السوريين وانكارها ومن ثم الاعتراف بها

-درعا وعاطف نجيب.والمجزره التي حصلت الجمعه الماضيه في حماه –

الفشل الاقتصادي في العشر سنوات الماضيه- :

وهذه بعض الردود من الرئيس على هذه القضايا:

إذا تبين لي ان الشعب لا يريدني فسأستقيل وسأعود للعيش في المنزل الذي نشأت فيه .لدي عائله وابناء واصدقاء من ايام الدراسه وهذا يكفيني.

اطلاق النار على المتظاهرين خطأغير مسموح ومن لديه اسم عنصر امن اطلق النار فليزودنا به وسنقوم بمحاكمته

ما يجري من تعذيب للموقوفين غير مقبول وسببه العقليه الامنيه القديمه لدى عناصر الامن

سيتم سحب الامن من بين الناس بشكل نهائي

التلفزيون السوري لا يعمل بشكل جيد.هناك مناطق قال التلفزيون انه لايوجد فيها مظاهرات وتبين لنا عكس ذلك

قمنا باستحضار التجربه التركيه فيما يتعلق بقانون الاداره المحليه لكن القانون لم يعجب احد

قانون الانتخابات الجديد فيه ثغرات ويجب ان يعدل

القوانين الاصلاحيه التي نعرضها تحمل اخطاء كثيره بسبب الاستعجال في صياغتها.لا احد يريد ان يعطينا فرصه .يريدون كل شيئ خلال خمسة عشر يوما

عاطف نجيب ابن خالتي وهو ليس في السجن ولا يشغل اي منصب بعد اقالته.ولا يوجد حتى الان اي ادعاء شخصي عليه وهذا امر ضروري لمحاكمته

علي فرزت كان صديقي وانا توسطت له لترخيص جريدة الدومري قبل ان اصبح رئيسا لكنه طعنني في ظهري

زيادة الرواتب وتخفيض سعر المازوت كان خطأ وبدأ يرهق الميزانيه.احد هذين الاجرائين كان يكفي

من يضمن ان يصبح القضاء نزيها إذا رفعت عنه الوصايه

عندما ترى ان ان هناك امتيازات لطائفه دون اخرى ستصبح طائفيا لذلك فإن محاربة الفساد في جزء منه محاربه للطائفيه

لستُ علويا ولاسنيا انا انتمي للاصل للنبي محمد

ما حصل في حماه الجمعه الماضيه لن اسكت عنه وسأحاسب الصغير والكبير عما فعلوه

لا اعتب على من يتظاهر بل أعتب على من يصور ويرسل المقاطع

كل الخطوات التي قمنا بها لتحسين الوضع الاقتصادي في السنوات الاخيره كانت فاشله

ملاحظات:

ماقلته في هذا الايجاز هو سرد شبه حرفي لبعض النقاشات التي دارت في القاء ولا يتضمن رأيي الشخصي والانطباع الذي خرجت فيه والذي أحتفظ به لنفسي

الطلب الشخصي الوحيد الذي طلبه وفد جوبر من الرئيس هو الافراج عن ماتبقى من معتقلي جوبر.

في نهاية اللقاء الذي استمر ثلاث ساعات ابدى الرئيس سعادته للصراحه والجرئه التي تحدث بها الوفد وطلب منا تكرار اللقاء بأي وقت نرغب إذا توفرت لدينا افكار جديده للحل

June 11th, 2011, 6:57 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

The only people who should be banned are the sectarian Islamists who advocate the violent revolution in their first phase of Sunni Islamist domination. I am for a free and secular Syria for all normal people, like what we already have.

June 11th, 2011, 6:58 pm

 

syau said:

Armed gangs have terrorised residents in Maarat Alnaaman.

Residents requested army intervention after armed gangs terrorised them. During their terror campaign, they burned security buildings, a jail, a community clinic, the registry of births, deaths and marriages, including all records.

They also stole two security owned cars and one belonging to a resident and robbed houses. Residents say two civilians have been killed by gangs members.

June 11th, 2011, 6:59 pm

 

der rider said:

شهيدة الحجاب / مجزرة مسلمي الصين – الشيخ فداء الدين

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBzSLSCLtgc&feature=related

🙂

June 11th, 2011, 7:08 pm

 

Tara said:

Syrian Knight,

You are entitled to want any Syria you like. You are also entitled to express your perception about any of us. But please understand that there are 23 millions dreams ( minus newborn’ ones) for Syria too. When you threaten some one personal safety, you are crossing a red line. Let us scream our heart out in this forum. We are not carrying any weapons and not advocating for any Imara. No one is threatening your personal safety or asking for any group to be annhilated so please just have some control.

June 11th, 2011, 7:11 pm

 

syau said:

Louai, #145

Point taken.

Louai’s point of view was:

“can i ask kindly everyone who is against this madness that happening in Syria not to start using a sectarian language ? its a trap the extremists want us to fall in.”

He is right. The idea behind this revolution is to divide. They aim to achieve this via hate and sectarianism. Let’s not let them achieve their goals.

June 11th, 2011, 7:22 pm

 

jad said:

Thanks #213,
Thank you for sharing your friend’s story on SC,
I personally think that nobody of any of the groups that meet with president Asad have any power on the streets, so even if the president give them what they want nothing will change, the problem is that there is no head for any organized civil society in any neighbourhood in Syria and that what is making things worsen especially when you have armed militia in the country.

The young Syrian generation in the streets are absolutely lost, they have no clue of what they want or how they can do the changes or who they can trust or any real vision of the future, let alone that their education level is limited.
The solution is by trying to reach those youth in the street and help them form some kind of committees, clubs, even parties where they can discuss what they want without being harassed or exposed to any physical danger and let them form their own cores that echos their requests, doing that can be very helpful making them understand better what they want and form a vision of the Syria they want, without doing that in every neighbourhood a real and sustainable calm wont come regardless how much brutal the security forces go.
If the national dialogue start and if all ideas, concerns and visions of all participants are discussed and dealt with properly, I think that can lead Syria to a safer shore instead of keep going out and being suicidal in the street and loosing lives this cheap, life is not worth even in Switzerland if the price is to loose people we love, there is an urgent need to use those youth in something more useful.

June 11th, 2011, 7:30 pm

 

abughassan said:

the next week will be decisive for Bashar. I see a chance that he will resign if he can not end the situation in Aljisr or if we see more demonstrations and bloodshed. His resignation will be followed by a takeover by the army to restore order and collect weapons from armed gangs and Shabiha. After 48 years of albaath rule and 41 years of Asad family presidencies it may be time for Syria to have a fresh start. The army is the only institution that can fill the vacuum and the only power that can protect the country from a pending civil war. My personal opinion is that Bashar may have to start his exit strategy. Regardless of this scenario materializes or not,Islamists should not be allowed to rule the country or have their own little Taliban type districts because that will be the end of the oasis called Syria.

June 11th, 2011, 7:31 pm

 

abughassan said:

Al-Ma’arrah is being ruled by gangs.Numerous buildings and properties were burned or destroyed after thugs stole everything they can put their hands on. The army and the police have no presence in that town as of now. No government, whether corrput or not,legitimate or not,should tolerate this situation. If Bashar loses Idlib he needs to resign.

June 11th, 2011, 7:49 pm

 

jad said:

Abughassan,
I wish if it will be as simple as you write it, my take is that if the president resign, it will be no more than handing power over to his brother, as a coup and doing that will actually put an end to everything since a curfew will be posed and the killing will take place by all sides, putting it simpler, a full scale civil war, between the army itself, those who oppose Maher, and between the armed gangs and both army sides, and between the armed gangs themselves and on top of that Turkey will start doing what it did in Iraq, invading part of Syria, my guess if that Aleppo will be included in any Turkish military invasion, and Israel will defiantly try to make a some buffer zone in the south of Syria to protest itself from all the craziness that will happen inside.
It’ll be hell that will make the middle east on fire for the next 20-30 years. GOD FORBID.

June 11th, 2011, 7:52 pm

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Abugassan
Bashar will not resign.
You do not change horse in the middle of a race,it is a major mistake,it will create too much chaos,
Who in the army will take over?, it needs a very strong person to control things,and it will not change anything,as I said before he himself has to lead a coup,and he is too weak to do it,because this action mean he has to get rid of strong oligarch.his brother and Asef and Hafez Makhloof and Rami and Sha33ar and so on.It is too late for him.

June 11th, 2011, 7:58 pm

 

jad said:

رسالة مفتوحة إلى الشعب السوري: لنبدأ بالعمل!
http://www.bassam-alkadi.com/content/view/592/80/
الكاتب بسام القاضي
12/ 06/ 2011
بعد ثلاثة أشهر ونيف من الأحداث التي اشتعلت في سورية، تكشفت العديد من الحقائق التي باتت تشكل الواقع السوري المعقد والمتداخل، والذي يسعى الكثيرون إلى تسطيحه خدمة لأغراضهم ومصالحهم الخاصة.
1- النظام السوري الذي وعى حقيقة أنه لا خيار لديه سوى الإصلاح الجذري والعميق، مراهنا على التأقلم مع التغيرات، يعيش صراعا داخليا بين قوى لا تريد التوقف هنا فحسب، بل العودة إلى الوراء أيضا. خاصة فيما يتعلق بحالة الطوارئ. فهذه القوى تخسر تلقائيا كل سلطاتها ومواقع نفوذها القوية التي كرستها عبر عقود من الاستعباد.

وقوى تريد المضي قدما في إصلاح جذري وعميق تحت قيادة وإشراف النظام نفسه، كخيار وحيد بما أن الانتحار ليس بخيار.

وهذا الصراع المرئي بوضوح لمن يراقب بدقة، لم يصل، ولن يصل، إلى مستوى “الشقاق” في النظام. فكل القوى فيه متفقة على أن “سقوط النظام” ليس خيارا. وأنها جبهة واحدة في مواجهة مثل هذا الخيار، أو الاحتمالات المتعلقة به، مثل التدخل العسكري والضغط الخارجي وما إلى ذلك.

2- أن ما بدأ رد فعل على فشل النظام في التعامل مع قضية أطفال درعا، بات الآن صراعا مسلحا بين النظام وبين مجموعات أصولية وإجرامية مختلفة لها أهداف واضحة هي إسقاط الدولة ككل، وتعمل عبر تكتيكات مختلفة يشكل تكتيك “الإعلام” أحد أهم جوانبه على المستوى العام (ويتعيش بشكل رئيسي على فشل مزمن في الإعلام السوري)،
وتكتيك الحصول على “قطعة أرض محررة” أهم جوانبه على الصعيد العملي. فـ”الأرض المحررة”، وإن كانت بضعة كليومترات فقط، تشكل أرضية صالحة لـ”بنغازي” سورية. وفي حال تحققت هذه الخطوة، فإن علينا جميعا، أيا كانت مواقفنا وآراءنا وتصوراتنا وعقائدنا.. انتظار ما سيكون الدم الليبي مجرد نزهة أمامه… دون أن ننسى أن من يقود “الثورة” اليوم في ليبيا، ووجهاؤها، هم أزلام النظام الليبي أنفسهم!

وبالتالي، فإن خيار الحسم العسكري ضد هذه المجموعات لم يعد مصلحة نظام فحسب، بل هو مصلحة وطن برمته. سواء أردنا ذلك أم لم نرده. وسواء حملنا هذا التقدير في كيفية فعل ذلك، أو ذاك التقدير.

3- إن ما كان يسمى بالمعارضة السورية في الخارج، تكشفت عن بيع رسمي وعلني لوطنها، تمثل ذلك بحشد كل القوى الأجنبية، وقبول كل التلفيق والكذب واختراع الحقائق وتزويرها.. خدمة لغرض واحد بدا واضحا من البداية، ولكنه الآن لم يعد قابلا للبس، وهو التدخل الدولي الذي تحلم هذه المعارضة أنه سيكون مثيلا للعراق أو ليبيا، وبالتالي فسيكون قادرا على حملها إلى سدة السلطة، حيث ستخوض صراعاتها القاتلة والدموية فيما بينها على حساب الشعب السوري. وهذا لم يعد ضربا في الرمل، بل إن مراجعة سريعة لما يقوله هؤلاء ويفعله، خاصة في مؤتمري إنطاليا واستكهولم، يظهر بسهولة هذه الحقائق.

4- إن “النخبة” السورية والمثقفين أظهروا ضحالة وسطحية في التعامل مع الواقع السوري مثيرة للبؤس، ليس في جمود تصوراتهم وأفكارهم دون أن تتأثر بتطور الوضع خلال أكثر من ثلاثة أشهر (وهي تطورات تختلف أحيانا بين يوم وآخر)، إنما أيضا بالسيطرة المطلقة لأفكارهم المسبقة على قراءة الواقع. بحيث أنم لم يتمكنوا حتى من إدانة الإجرام الذي يمارس ضد الجيش والمدنيين، بل إنهم ما زالوا يحرضون عليه بتجاهله من جهة، وبتحميل مسؤوليته إلى النظام وحده. كما بتبني كل رواية مناهضة للنظام، ورفض كل رواية تشير إلى حقائق مختلفة. وإذا كان هذا التسطح والجمود ليس بجديد، فإن المدهش فعلا هو استمراره في ظل أزمة على هذا العمق والتعقد والخطورة..
الأمر الذي يعني أن هذه النخبة فقدت كل إمكانية لدور إيجابي تلعبه. وهي النتيجة المنطقية لغرقها في ذاتها طوال السنوات العشر الماضية، تحت ذرائع مختلفة أهمها تضخيم الواقع الصعب في سورية (حالة الطوارئ، السلطة الأمنية، منع السفر..) إلى حد يبدو معه لا يمكن فعل شيء، وبالتالي فهم لم يفعلوا شيئا.

5- إن المجتمع السوري قطع مراحل كبيرة في اتجاه الحرب الأهلية بمعناها البسيط والواضح، والمتضمن الحرب الطائفية كجزء من الحرب الأهلية، إلى جانب الجبهات الأخرى المتمثلة بموالاة ومعارضة، وجهادية وسلفية وغيرها… ولا تنفع كل محاولات النظام لإخفاء هذه الحقائق أو “تبريدها”، مثلما لا ينفع كل العمى المقصود الذي أصاب المعارضة والمثقفين على حد سواء، لا ينفعان في التخفيف حتى شعرة واحدة من هذه الحقيقة.
ولا يعد السلاح الذي بات في أيدي الجميع، إلا وجها واحدا لهذا الخطر. فحين ينفجر الوضع لا يعدم الناس وسيلة لإيجاد السلاح واستخدامه، مثلما لا يعدم وجود تجار السلاح لتقديمه. دون أن ننسى أن سورية تقع في دائرة من السلاح المنفلت وشبه المنفلت، من العراق، مرورا بتركيا والأردن، إلى لبنان.

6- إن التدخل العسكري الأجنبي لم يعد “حبرا على ورق”، ولا مجرد تهديد. بل بات الاستعداد له يجري على قدم وساق. وتصريحات الحكومة التركية واضحة كليا. فما كان لتركيا أن تقول ذلك لولا معرفتها بما يحضر، ورغبتها أن تسبق الجميع فلا تسمح بتكرار سيناريو ليبيا حين لم تجد لها موطأ قدم مناسب (ربما بسبب تلكؤها في الخضوع). بالتالي فهي تستبق الأحداث بإعلان أنها وحدها المعنية بالتدخل العسكري في سورية، وأنها جاهزة لفعل ذلك إذا اضطر الأمر.
والواقع أن إحالة الملف النووي إلى مجلس الأمن، ومحاولات استصدار القرارات في المجلس، وما يرافق ذلك من عمل على الأرض لا تعكسه دائما تصريحات الإدارات الأمريكية والفرنسية وغيرها بشكل واضح، كلها تؤكد بقوة أن هذا الخطر بات ملموسا.

وهذا الخطر، من جهة أخرى، يزيد من التوتر في المجتمع السوري الذي يعاني من حساسية خاصة من كل تدخل أجنبي، خاصة بعد أن لمس بعقله وقلبه ولقمة عيشه ماذا يعني هذا التدخل (فقد استقبلت سورية مجتمعا وشعبا نحو مليونين ونصف المليون من اللاجئين العراقيين إثر احتلال العراق الذي سيبقى طويلا).

كما أن الشعب السوري يرى جيدا، وهو ما يعبر عنه منذ سنوات بطرق مختلفة، كيف أن التدخل الأجنبي سيكون طويل الأمد، فها هو صدام حسين قد سقط منذ 8 سنوات، وما تزال القوات الأمريكية في العراق، وستبقى مع طلب جديد من الحكومة العراقية (كما يحضر إعلاميا الآن)، كما أن تدمير العراق شكل فرصة مناسبة للشركات الأمريكية التي تعمل على “إعادة البناء”، بل إن الإدارة الأمريكية تدرس الآن استنزاف الشعب العراقي أكثر بمطالبته بتكاليف الحرب ضد صدام! وبالتأكيد يعرف كلنا أن العراق الآن لا تحكمه ديمقراطية ولا حرية، وإنما نموذج ممسوخ عن التقاسم القومي والإثني والطائفي، إضافة إلى أنها باتت ساحة للعب الدول الإقليمية جميعا. وما شكل الاستقلال والحرية فيها إلا أشكال خادعة لم يعد يرغب الكثيرون في إضاءة حقيقته.

7- إن الشباب السوري، نساء ورجالا، قد برهن فعلا على أنه متقدم على كل القوى والأشكال الأخرى، سواء دعيت منظمة (هياكل الأحزاب المهترئة في الموالاة والمعارضة)، أو تشكيلات النخب والمثقفين والمعارضة التي سقطت سقوطا مدويا. مضافا إليهم النظام نفسه. وكان موقف الشباب الحقيقي سابقا لكل هؤلاء.
فهم من وعى فعلا ما يجري على الأرض، وهم من استنكف عن المشاركة في الشارع بعد أن تحول إلى الأصولية والإجرام، وهم من رفض وأدان العنف من النظام مثلما رفض وأدان العنف من المجرمين، وهم من يبحث اليوم عن شكل مناسب لوجودهم تحت إطار عام لا يتنازل عن الحرية والديمقراطية، ولا عن الأمن والاستقرار. ويرفض كافة أشكال المتاجرة بسورية تحت أي مسمى كان.

وهؤلاء بدؤوا بإعلاء أصواتهم/ن التي حاولت الأطراف جميعا كبتها، فهو صوت يخيف كلا الطرفين: أصحاب الحل الأمني من النظام، والمعارضة الدموية والمثقفين الفارغين. لأنه يكشف حقيقة أن كلاهما لا يهتم بسورية ولا بديمقراطيتها ولا بأمنها، بل فقط بمصالحهم الخاصة.

وهؤلاء الشباب، هم من يجب على كل من يفكر بأي طريق إلى مستقبل سورية، لا أن يفكر بهم فقط، بل أن يمد يد المساعدة لهم بإزالة كافة العقبات والعوائق أمام ظهورهم الجلي، وأهم هذه الخطوات هي الإقرار الفوري لقوانين التظاهر (تعديله) والأحزاب الجمعيات والإعلام، إضافة إلى التوقف الفوري عن اعتقال أي متظاهر لا يثبت حمله للسلاح أو تشجيعه الآخرين على حمله.
ومن الجلي والواضح أن “تقاطع المصالح” هنا واسع الطيف. فللنظام مصلحة كبيرة في ذلك، مثلما لدعاة الحرية والديمقراطية (الحقيقيتين) مصلحة كبيرة وجذرية في ذلك. والأهم أنها مصلحة الشعب السوري برمته في الخروج من فوهة البركان التي بات على وشك السقوط فيها.
وللمتظاهرين من هؤلاء الشباب، المتظاهرون السلميون الذين يسرق الجميع أحلامهم وحريتهم بل ودماءهم، الجميع: من معارضة التشبيح في الخارج، مرورا بالنخبة الفارغة في الداخل، وعبر المجرمين القتلة من النظام والشارع، فأنتم من فتح الباب واسعا لسورية ديمقراطية وآمنة، متجاوزين كل اجترار المناضلين السابقين وأوهام الغارقين في زنازين عقولهم. فلا تتركوا اليوم هذا الطريق يهوي آخذا معه سورية إلى حيث لم ترفضون أن تكون. هذا صعب جدا. فللحرية طعم لا يدانيه طعم آخر. لكنه طعم سيتحول إلى طعم علقم إذا لم نعي جيدا أن الحياة لا تسير دائما كما نريد وبالشكل الذي نريد.
الطريق الذي فتحتموه بأيديكم الجبارة، لن تستطيع قوة في الأرض إغلاقه. لكن قوى كثيرة تستطيع تشويهه وتحويل اتجاهه إذا لم تمسكوا بقوة بالعقل والتبصر، بعيدا عن كل تجار الثورات من كل لون وصنف..

بناء على كل ذلك، فإن الرهان اليوم لم يعد على المجرمين من دعاة العودة إلى حقبة الثمانينيات في النظام السوري، ولا المجرمين ممن تسمى بأسماء المعارضة، ولا الهياكل الكرتونية الفارغة ممن حمل اسم “النخبة والمثقفين”، وطبعا ليس من الأحزاب المائعة التي عرفناها طوال عقود وهي إما مستزلمة كليا للنظام، أو مستزلمة كليا لرجال الدين، أو فارغة تعيش أمجاد ماضيها معتقدة أنها “معارضة”..

بل إن الرهان اليوم على الشعب السوري نفسه، أن لا يكون قادرا على الخروج من هذا المأزق الدامي فحسب، ويواجه أية محاولة للتدخل الخارجي، بل أيضا، وأساس، أن يقود سورية نحو دولة ديمقراطية وآمنة، مدنية ومستقرة، يتمتع كل مواطنيها ومواطناتها بالحقوق والواجبات نفسها، ويرسمون ملامح مستقبلهم بأيديهم بكل حرية.

وهذا الرهان، لا يمكن أن يكون رابحا ما لم يبادر الشعب السوري نفسه إلى قطع الطريق على كل محاولات الطعن فيه، سواء الطعن من الخارج، أو الطعن من الداخل.

ويشكل إفشال خطة الفتنة التي يشارك فيها، حقيقة وليس وهما، مجرمين من النظام نفسه يريدون استعادة سلطاتهم المفقودة، ومجرمين من المعارضة العملية والخائنة، ومجرمين يحملون السلاح في الوطن ويقتلون الجيش والناس ويروعون كل من يتجرأ على التنفس بغير ما يريدون.. يشكل إفشال خطتهم أهم جزء من هذا الرهان..

ولا يمكن تحقيق هذا النصر على الفتنة إلا بإلقاء أية أفكار حول الطائفية، أو ردود الفعل الطائفية، أو المناطقية، إلى خارج الذهن كليا، ومحاربة كل من يتكلم بهذه اللغة أو يشير إليها أو يحاول استثمار حزن أهالي الضحايا لمصلحة هذه الأفكار المريضة.

فمن يقوم بالقتل هم مجرمون لا ينتمون إلى دين ولا إلى طائفة ولا إلى منطقة ولا إلى نظام. بل هم فقط مجرمون.
وما يراهن عليه هؤلاء المجرمون هو بالضبط إثارة الانفعال والتوتر إلى الحد الذي ينفجر فيه، فتصير البلد فوضى حرب أهلية، تسمح لهم بتنفيذ كل ما يريدون. وبالتالي فالانجرار وراء هذه الأفعال وردود الأفعال، يشكل خدمة مباشرة مجانية وثمينة لهم، قصدنا ذلك أم لم نقصده.

الشعب السوري اليوم، هو القادر على ردع الأطماع الخارجية التي تتكشف كل لحظة ضد سورية، مثلما هو القادر على إجبار النظام السوري على المضي قدما نحو الحرية والديمقراطية، وكذلك مثلما هو القادر على رمي “النخبة والمثقفين والمعارضة” ممن تكشفوا عن حقيقة أفكارهم ومستواهم وهمهم الوطني إلى أماكنهم الطبيعية حيث يجترون أنفسهم بأنفسهم..

فليقف اليوم الشعب السوري، الشعب السوري كله، وقفة واحدة ضد الانزلاق نحو ردود الفعل التي يحاول البعض استثارتها، وليعلي صوته فوق أصوات الدم والموت والاحتلال والطائفية والتمزيق:

سوريتنا هي فقط: سورية ديمقراطية وآمنة، حرة ومستقرة.

June 11th, 2011, 8:06 pm

 

louai said:

i hope Jisr al shugoor is the last stop of this violence ,every thing is clearer now the silent majority dose understand now the true nature of this ‘revolution’
i feel every thing is going according to a plan but they are not catching up with time
i mean obviously at first they expected mass protests in the first two weeks when that didn’t happen they increased the violence when that backfired on them they started the humanitarian game to pressure the army when that failed they called on the trips !!! the trips for god sake !! and now refugees in Turkey ,all their steps to attentive observer are lame and pathetic i hope its matter of time that the silent majority will speak up, off course they will have no voice internationally but who cares we need to rebuild our country and now we have a clear vision and we know for sure who is the enemy and who is the friend .

June 11th, 2011, 8:11 pm

 

abughassan said:

Maher will never be accepted even by the army chiefs,he is a symbol of what went wrong in Syria for the last 41 years. Abrupt departure of Bashar is unlikely unless things get reallty ugly quickly which is unlikely too,however, I agree that Bashar is unable to enact radical change,this is why he may have to consult with power houses in Syria and start drawing an exit plan. Personally,I do not see Bashar as an evil man,he was actually likable and down to earth,we are talking about what it takes to rule Syria. For the near future,there is no alternative to restoring order and security,and the departure of the leadership does not mean civil war if a deal is reached prior to that departure.

June 11th, 2011, 8:30 pm

 

Norman said:

The only chance for Syria to stay united is for the president to be pushed forward by the opposition and supported for his reform, Down with regime, The Mukhabarat, corrupt and Long live Bashar Assad, That is if the opposition want to hear what Majid is saying, Sorry Majid , They are going for blood not reform like you.

June 11th, 2011, 9:12 pm

 

louai said:

For me I believe ‘Why Discuss ‘ when he says ,if Bashar now says he is against Iran and stops supporting Hamas and Hizbullah he will get the green light from the UN and the US and all the world to suppress the uprising forever, any one will come should do the same or all kind of pressure will be applied again ,this fact tell us that the uprising is not about reform its about changing sides and to prove it just watch the opposition reaction for any of the reforms Bashar did already ,more vilonce more stubbornness and always too little too late !!

June 11th, 2011, 9:14 pm

 

Weekly Roundup 6/11 | Mideast Reports said:

[…] The Army has poured troops in Jisr al-Shoughour and Idlib province in an attempt to suppress the uprising. This has resulted in thousands of Syrians fleeing across […]

June 11th, 2011, 9:17 pm

 

Alex said:

تفاصيل لقاء وفد من جوبر مع الرئيس بشار الاسد
by someone on Facebook

وقد أُتيح لي حضور هذا اللقاء الى جانب اثني عشر من الوفد

جرى اللقاء مع الرئيس بناء على طلب من موفد من رئيس الجمهوريه زارنا بجوبر يوم الاحد الفائت وأجرى لقاء حواري موسع حضره حوالي ثلاثة آلاف من اهالي الحي

ترك لنا موفد الرئيس حرية اختيار أعضاء الوفد الذي سيلتقي الرئيس وتمنى علينا ان يتألف الوفد بشكل رئيسي من شباب شاركو في المظاهرات لان الرئيس (والكلام لموفده) يرغب بالاستماع للمطالب وليس للمديح. استقبلنا الرئيس عند باب قاعة الاجتماع وفي بداية اللقاء الذي بدء عند التاسعه والنصف صباحا تمنى علينا الرئيس ان ننسَ أننا نجلس مع الرئيس وأن نتحدث بعفويه تامة وصراحه مطلقه .وإليكم تفاصيل اللقاء بشكل مختصر ولكن مركز وشامل

بعض القضايا التي طرحها الوفد على الرئيس:

-الامن وممارساته الوحشيه في جوبر وباقي مناطق سوريا وتحدث بعض ممن كانو موقوفين لدى الامن عن التعذيب الوحشي الذي تعرضو له

-رأي الرئيس بممارسات الامن وهل لديه خطه لكبحه

الحريه والكرامة وحاجة الناس لها اكثر من الخبز

انتقد الوفد الخطوات الاصلاحيه الجاريه واوضح عدم ثقة الشعب بها وتم مناقشة بعض هذه القوانين الاصلاحيه وبيان عدم جديتها

-انتقد الوفد الاعلام السوري بالكامل وبيان كذبه وتضليله واثارته للفتن

-فيديو البيضه ودعس الامن على رؤس السوريين وانكارها ومن ثم الاعتراف بها

-درعا وعاطف نجيب.والمجزره التي حصلت الجمعه الماضيه في حماه –

الفشل الاقتصادي في العشر سنوات الماضيه- :

وهذه بعض الردود من الرئيس على هذه القضايا:

إذا تبين لي ان الشعب لا يريدني فسأستقيل وسأعود للعيش في المنزل الذي نشأت فيه .لدي عائله وابناء واصدقاء من ايام الدراسه وهذا يكفيني.

اطلاق النار على المتظاهرين خطأغير مسموح ومن لديه اسم عنصر امن اطلق النار فليزودنا به وسنقوم بمحاكمته

ما يجري من تعذيب للموقوفين غير مقبول وسببه العقليه الامنيه القديمه لدى عناصر الامن

سيتم سحب الامن من بين الناس بشكل نهائي

التلفزيون السوري لا يعمل بشكل جيد.هناك مناطق قال التلفزيون انه لايوجد فيها مظاهرات وتبين لنا عكس ذلك

قمنا باستحضار التجربه التركيه فيما يتعلق بقانون الاداره المحليه لكن القانون لم يعجب احد

قانون الانتخابات الجديد فيه ثغرات ويجب ان يعدل

القوانين الاصلاحيه التي نعرضها تحمل اخطاء كثيره بسبب الاستعجال في صياغتها.لا احد يريد ان يعطينا فرصه .يريدون كل شيئ خلال خمسة عشر يوما

عاطف نجيب ابن خالتي وهو ليس في السجن ولا يشغل اي منصب بعد اقالته.ولا يوجد حتى الان اي ادعاء شخصي عليه وهذا امر ضروري لمحاكمته

علي فرزت كان صديقي وانا توسطت له لترخيص جريدة الدومري قبل ان اصبح رئيسا لكنه طعنني في ظهري

زيادة الرواتب وتخفيض سعر المازوت كان خطأ وبدأ يرهق الميزانيه.احد هذين الاجرائين كان يكفي

من يضمن ان يصبح القضاء نزيها إذا رفعت عنه الوصايه

عندما ترى ان ان هناك امتيازات لطائفه دون اخرى ستصبح طائفيا لذلك فإن محاربة الفساد في جزء منه محاربه للطائفيه

لستُ علويا ولاسنيا انا انتمي للاصل للنبي محمد

ما حصل في حماه الجمعه الماضيه لن اسكت عنه وسأحاسب الصغير والكبير عما فعلوه

لا اعتب على من يتظاهر بل أعتب على من يصور ويرسل المقاطع

كل الخطوات التي قمنا بها لتحسين الوضع الاقتصادي في السنوات الاخيره كانت فاشله

ملاحظات:

ماقلته في هذا الايجاز هو سرد شبه حرفي لبعض النقاشات التي دارت في القاء ولا يتضمن رأيي الشخصي والانطباع الذي خرجت فيه والذي أحتفظ به لنفسي

الطلب الشخصي الوحيد الذي طلبه وفد جوبر من الرئيس هو الافراج عن ماتبقى من معتقلي جوبر.

في نهاية اللقاء الذي استمر ثلاث ساعات ابدى الرئيس سعادته للصراحه والجرئه التي تحدث بها الوفد وطلب منا تكرار اللقاء بأي وقت نرغب إذا توفرت لدينا افكار جديده للحل .

June 11th, 2011, 9:37 pm

 

why-discuss said:

I said long time ago that Bashar needs to check whether the Syrians still want him as a leader or not. I suggested a vote of confidence through a referendum : Do you want Bashar al Assad to lead the reform: yes or no. If no, then Bashar will resign and nominate Farouk Sharaa as requested by the Antalya opposition.
Of course before organizing such referendum, the armed resistance pockets must be tamed.
An alternative is to announce a referendum on the package of reforms in a draft format. If it is accepted, it is an implicit acceptance of Bashar’s leadership. If not,Bashar would resign as above.
The announcement of the referendum should be done as soon as possible to calm the furor of the international community and reverse the flip of Turkey’s support.
Turkey and South africa could be called as observers.

June 11th, 2011, 9:45 pm

 

jad said:

Dear Alex,
The meeting was introduce to SC by THANKS #213, I state my opinion on #218, I’m surprised that nobody else comment on such important statement by president Asad.
What do you think of the point discussed in that meeting and the president comments?

WD,
Do you mind explain the pros and cons of such referendum?

June 11th, 2011, 9:49 pm

 

Norman said:

Thanks Alex, but was put up at 213 above,
Now can you give us you take on how to solve the problem that Syria is facing and will the president be able to do that.

Please do not wait few days to write.

June 11th, 2011, 9:49 pm

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Abugassan;
“if a deal is reached prior to that departure.”
“he may have to consult with power houses in Syria ”
If he follow true reform,release of prisoners get rid of those responsible for the killing and turture,and oppression,including Maher,asef,Sha33ar,etc.I am sure the people will support him,he does not have to leave.He needs what we call in medicine,Digitalization,to strengthen his heart.
But I seriously doubt he will do this.may be Asma Assad will tell him that.or may be a look at his kids,then he will decide to be Antar,he is too slow,and too weak.

June 11th, 2011, 9:56 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Majedalkhaldoon

What you expect from him is impossible and would require a long time: getting rid of family members and emprisonning the responsible of the killings ( who are they, how many are there now.)

And if, after the fall of Jisr Al Shoughour, Maher and Asef announce their resignation and go in exile, that may calm the street , then Bashar can proceed with the rest.

Something very drastic in that direction must be announced this week (The shock therapy of Davutoglu).
Someone has to take the blame now and be discarded, if not punished.

June 11th, 2011, 10:04 pm

 

Tara said:

Now I call this a milestone. We are now talking.

Majed,

What he really needs is not digitalis. He needs an LVAD. He needs one honest person to tell him the turth and there are NONE. He is encircled by 17 security apparatus and all lie to him. They may have painted him the same picture they tried to paint to the world: The armed gangs killing the army picture when the armed gangs are their own security thugs.

He needs to hear مامنحبك and understands the reasons for it. He needs to know that we heard one lie after the other and we do not believe anything anymore.

He needs to stop the killings, dismantle all the security thug apparatus, and exile all his cousins and his own brother.
Can he do that? I doubt it .

June 11th, 2011, 10:32 pm

 

Norman said:

Tara,

Yes he can, but the opposition has to push him to the top of the revolution, he is the only hope for unified Syria.

The question should be , Will the opposition have the cool heads who can see that and save Syria . I do not want to say that i doubt it , i would say, I don’t know.

June 11th, 2011, 10:46 pm

 

NK said:

No comment أحسن الشي

http://bit.ly/iQnH9C

June 11th, 2011, 10:50 pm

 

Tara said:

Norman,

No one including myself can think clear when witnessing this massive killing. The killing MUST stop first. There is NO other way. Stop the killing first.

June 11th, 2011, 10:54 pm

 
 

Tara said:

NK, #237

I feel your pain. If I was him, I would have those people arrested. This is our collective loss of dignity. WE ARE A NATION WITHOUT DIGNITY!!!

June 11th, 2011, 10:58 pm

 

Norman said:

Tara,

The army and the security services have the right to deffend themselves, People should stay home and let the political process move forward, stop these downing the president ask for reform not hanging the president as some i believe called for on this blog.

June 11th, 2011, 10:59 pm

 

Norman said:

Thanks to China and Russia,

الأحد 6/12/2011
آخر تحديث : 4:46 AM توقيت الدوحة

وسط قلق أميركي وأوروبي من الوضع الإنساني
بوادر فشل قرار أممي يدين دمشق 12/06/2011

قاطعت روسيا والصين مشاورات بمجلس الأمن الدولي عقدت السبت لمناقشة مسودة قرار يدين “القمع الدموي” الذي تمارسه السلطات السورية ضد المحتجين المطالبين بالحرية، في حين أعربت الولايات المتحدة والاتحاد الأوروبي عن قلقهما الشديد لتدهور الوضع الإنساني في سوريا.

ونسبت رويترز إلى دبلوماسي بالأمم المتحدة -اشترط عدم نشر اسمه- القول إن “روسيا والصين تريان أنه ليس من الضروري حضورهما”، وقال دبلوماسي آخر “إنها رسالة واضحة جدا”.

وترفض موسكو وبكين فكرة أي مناقشة لمسألة قمع المتظاهرين السوريين في المجلس، ولوحتا باستخدام حق النقض (فيتو) لرفض القرار.

وبحسب مصادر رويترز فإن لبنان والهند والبرازيل وجنوب أفريقيا –الأعضاء بمجلس الأمن المكون من 15 عضوا خمسة منهم دائمون- لا يوافقون على نص القرار.

ودعت الدول الأوروبية التي أعدت مسودة القرار إلى اجتماع السبت لتتمكن من الخروج من مأزقها بشأن مسودة قرار لن يفرض عقوبات على دمشق، ولكنه سيدينها بسبب قمع المحتجين، ويشير إلى أن قوات الأمن السورية ربما تكون مذنبة بارتكاب جرائم ضد الإنسانية. وقال دبلوماسيون إن اجتماع السبت لم يسفر عن أي تغييرات.

دخول الإغاثة
من ناحية أخرى، اتهم البيت الأبيض النظام السوري أمس السبت بخلق أزمة إنسانية بقمعه العنيف للحركة الاحتجاجية، وطالب دمشق بوقف حملتها على المدنيين.

ودعا في بيان له الحكومة السورية إلى وقف هذا العنف والسماح للجنة الدولية للصليب الأحمر بالوصول فورا وبدون قيود إلى المنطقة الشمالية من البلاد.

وأضاف البيان “إذا لم يسمح القادة السوريون بهذا الأمر فإنهم سيثبتون مجددا استخفافهم بكرامة الشعب السوري”.

في هذه الأثناء، أعربت مفوضة الشؤون الخارجية للاتحاد الأوروبي كاثرين آشتون عن “قلقها الشديد لتدهور الوضع الإنساني” في سوريا، مجددة نداءها إلى السلطات السورية بالتوقف عن قمع المتظاهرين وبالسماح بوصول الوكالات الإنسانية.

وقالت آشتون في بيان مساء السبت إنها تشجب “التصعيد في استخدام القوة الوحشية ضد المتظاهرين في سوريا خلال الأيام الماضية”.

وأضافت “أنا قلقة جدا لتدهور الوضع الإنساني الناجم عن أعمال السلطات السورية، وأطالبها بالسماح فورا بدخول مراقبين دوليين لحقوق الإنسان ووكالات إنسانية مثل اللجنة الدولية للصليب الأحمر”.

جميع حقوق النشر محفوظة، الجزيرة 2011

June 11th, 2011, 11:11 pm

 

Tara said:

Norman,

The killing must stop first. There is no way out. There is no process to move without stopping the killing first. This starting to sounds like broken record again and again and again. We do not believe the regime period.

There has been no single real measure of reform. Not a single one. ZERO. NOTHING. NO one care about Mazot price. Trust me. People care about life, dignity, and freedom.

June 11th, 2011, 11:11 pm

 

daleandersen said:

Here’s a line from the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It’s a sheriff telling Butch and Sundance that the West has changed, but it could just as well apply to Bashar and Maher:

“You should have let yourself get killed a long time ago when you had the chance. You may be the biggest thing that ever hit this area, but you’re still two-bit outlaws. It’s over, don’t you get that? Your time is over and you’re gonna die bloody, and all you can do is choose where.”

http://playwrighter.blogspot.com/2011/06/stuck-in-damascus-with-memphis-blues.html

June 11th, 2011, 11:12 pm

 

Mohamed Kanj said:

Stop all this bluff. Their is no chance that the Assad family or anyone will resign. They will stay strong as they are now. This islamist rebellion will be crushed. And than only will proper reforms and national dialogue start. The Assad family and the government are the protectors of the minorities ( christians, kurds , druze, allawites ) and 70% of the sunni sect

June 11th, 2011, 11:24 pm

 

Alex said:

Dear Jad and Norman

Sorry, I did not notice the same was posted already in #213

I think the president is close to speaking to the people and I hope he will say it as it is. I hope he will show the same understanding he is showing in private meetings with all these delegations he is meeting with every day.

Not to ignore any of the regime’s huge mistakes, we have a new problem in the Arab world (the “liberated” states) … high expectations. People expect all their “demands” to be met.

The president hinted to that when he explained that when you expect new laws to be introduced in two weeks max, don’t complain if you are not fully satisfied with that law.

I think every single delegation that the President met mentioned they are not satisfied with some of the heavy handed tactics of Syria’s security forces. I would be surprised if no major changes are introduced in this regard.

His first two speeches were not him. What we are hearing in these meetings is the unedited him.

He is by far the most skilled and most experienced in leading Syria. The rest of the regime (the good and the bad) will either help President Assad succeed or they will force him to fail in stabilizing the country and leading it towards flawed democracy (for the next few years), until the 2014 elections.

June 11th, 2011, 11:27 pm

 

Norman said:

Tara,

The regime does not trust you either, you are giving the loyalist the impression that you want thier blood, so they will not budge, You might as well divide the country and spare the Syria blood.

June 11th, 2011, 11:29 pm

 

jad said:

I guess those who are burning clinics and civil administration buildings are the Syrians without dignity:

المسلحون يسيطرون على معرة النعمان.. وارتفاع عدد شهداء الأمن إلى اثنين

أفاد مراسل سيريانيوز في ادلب يوم السبت, نقلا عن مصدر في مديرية منطقة معرة النعمان, عن استشهاد عبد الله عزو احد عناصر الأمن في المنطقة بنيران جماعات مسلحة”, لافتا الى ان “هذه الجماعات مسيطرة على منطقة معرة النعمان واستمرت حتى صباح اليوم بأعمال التخريب والنهب لممتلكات عامة وخاصة”.

وارتفع بذلك عدد الذين استشهدوا في معرة النعمان بنيران الجماعات المسلحة إلى اثنين, وذلك بعد استشهاد عبد الحكيم البكور, أحد عناصر الشرطة.

وأضاف المراسل أن “هذه الجماعات قامت بإحراق جميع المفارز الأمنية الموجودة في معرة النعمان، إضافة إلى عدد من المباني الخدمية كـالمستوصف، المجمع القضائي، أمانة النفوس التي قاموا بإحراق أوراقها، ومقر الجيش الشعبي، والسجن”.

كما أحرقت تلك الجماعات سيارتين أمن وسيارة خاصة نوع (مازدا) تعود ملكيتها لمدير المنطقة بالإضافة إلى نهب منزله ومنازل أخرى.

وقام الاهالي, بحسب المراسل, بالتصدي لتلك الجماعات ومنعم من الاعتداء على المتحف في معرة النعمان.

وكان مصدر عسكري مسؤول، اشار في وقت سابق اليوم إلى وقوع عدد من الشهداء والجرحى في صفوف القوى الأمنية، وذلك بعد قيام تنظيمات إرهابية بمهاجمة مفرزة أمنية في معرة النعمان في محافظة ادلب.

وأشار المراسل, نقلا عن الأهالي, إلى “مقتل 5 على الأقل من أفراد الجماعات المسلحة أثناء المواجهات, وان حوامات تابعة للجيش قامت بتمشيط المنطقة”.

وشهدت عدة مناطق في محافظة ادلب مؤخرا احداثا امنية وخاصة في جسر الشغور التي شهدت اشتباكات الاسبوع الماضي بين قوى الأمن والشرطة من جهة، وبين مسلحين من جهة أخرى، راح ضحيتها 120 من عناصر الأمن والشرطة، 82 منهم في اعتداء لمسلحين على مركز أمني بالمدينة.

وبث التلفزيون السوري، مؤخرا، صورا لمجموعة جثث الشهداء الذين سقطوا في أحداث جسر الشغور وأكدت على أن تنظيمات إرهابية مسلحة تستخدم سيارات حكومية وارتدوا لباسا عسكريا وقتلوا وخربوا وروعوا الناس وصوروا بعضهم بعضا استباقا لدخول الجيش لاستخدام هذه الصور للنيل من المهمة الوطنية للجيش وسمعته.

وتدخل الجيش في أكثر من منطقة للتصدي لـ “مجموعات إرهابية” تتهمها السلطات بأنها كانت وراء الأحداث، وتم بث اعترافات عبر التلفزيون الرسمي لأفراد قدموا معلومات عن قيامهم بأعمال قتل وترويع لمدنيين وعسكريين بالاتفاق مع قوى خارجية معادية.

وتشهد العديد من مدن سورية مظاهرات منذ حوالي 3 أشهر تنادي بالحرية وبشعارات سياسية، فيما تزامن خروج بعض هذه المظاهرات بحوادث إطلاق نار من قبل مجهولين ضحيتها نحو مئات القتلى من مواطنين وعناصر في الأمن والجيش، دون وجود إحصائية دقيقة لأعدادهم.

http://syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=133680

June 12th, 2011, 12:19 am

 

Norman said:

Home News Published 01:33 12.06.11 Latest update 01:33 12.06.11 Assad likely to succeed in bid to quell Syria protests

Assad is operating on the assumptions that time is on his side and that even if Turkey or other states sever ties with Syria it will still be able to count on cooperation from Iraq, Iran and Russia.
By Zvi Bar’el
A Syrian opposition website yesterday compared President Bashar Assad with a hijacker who names his ransom fee and then cuts off all contact until his demands are met.

The comparison is right about one thing at least – Assad isn’t taking phone calls from Ban-ki Moon. In their last conversation, a few days ago, he asked the United Nations Secretary General why he had called him, anyway. The Turkish prime minister is apparently in the same boat; Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he last spoke to Assad “four or five days ago.” On Friday he denounced the “atrocities” being committed by the Syrian regime against its own citizens, calling its actions “savagery.” Strong words for a man who only a week ago said he still considered Assad a “good friend.”

Syria seems unmoved by both Erdogan’s remarks and by the UN Security Council, where he has the full backing – and the threat of their veto of any anti-Syrian resolution – of China and Russia. Their support enables Assad to continue to characterize his violent suppression of demonstrations and shooting of protesters as an “internal Syrian matter” or the work of “armed gangs,” and to claim that any international intervention is a plot to destroy the regime.

Assad is operating on the assumptions that time is not working against him, that his army will succeed in suppressing the demonstrations even if they continue for longer than anticipated and that even if Turkey or other states sever ties with Syria it will still be able to count on cooperation from Iraq, Iran and Russia. Another assumption, presumably correct, is that Syria will not be subject to a Libya-style international military onslaught. Assad’s Syria has endured periods of severe diplomatic isolation in the past. With the UN draft resolutions intended, for now, only to censure the acts of suppression, without imposing additional sanctions, Assad can ignore the threat.

The position of the Syrian army lends further support to Assad’s intransigence. Its junior and mid-level echelons, as well as the senior command, is behind him. While opposition leaders have reported the defections of soldiers and some officers, even they admit that their numbers are in “the hundreds, and not thousands.” Most of these defectors are soldiers or junior officers from towns and villages that are under army assault. According to Lebanese sources, senior commanders remove soldiers or officers who are “suspected” of disloyalty and either imprison them or order them to remain in barracks.

Assad has also stopped offering a “dialogue” with the opposition; in recent days, the reports mention only an intention to carry out reforms “in the coming days.” These announcements no longer have any effect on the resistance movement, which now encompasses large parts of Damascus and of Aleppo, the country’s two largest cities, which have not as yet joined the anti-regime protest full-force. The opposition’s ultimate goal is to get rid of the Assad regime and introduce democracy.

The opposition, however, is having difficulty forging a unified leadership, and this plays into Assad’s hands. Even though the convention held by the opposition movement early this month elected a 31-member consultative council and drafted a declaration of intentions that was also signed by the Muslim Brotherhood, many internal disagreements remain. These include, for example, whether to call for international military intervention, how to build the post-Assad regime, how to divide the political pie among Sunni and Shi’ite, Christian and Alawi; between urban and rural, between tribal heads and urban elites. And, as usual in such circumstances, the will is being read before the deceased has breathed his last breath.

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This story is by:

Zvi Bar’el

June 12th, 2011, 12:32 am

 

Revlon said:

#214 and #230 THANKS ALEX for the summary of the interview.
The only new statement that Jr has made is this:
إذا تبين لي ان الشعب لا يريدني فسأستقيل وسأعود للعيش في المنزل الذي نشأت فيه .لدي عائله وابناء واصدقاء
من ايام الدراسه وهذا يكفيني

This is how I read this statement;
– This is the first time that Jr admits the possibility that the majority of people may not want him.
– This is the first time that he implies the people to be the source of his authority, instead of the “State”, the “Laws” or the “Institutions”
– The “If” is not intended to communicate lingering doubt about his unpopularity, instead it implies his readiness to negotiate stepping down, should he be allowed to retire and live in peace with his family.
– The vagueness and informal context of statement were intentional. He was
spreading the ward of his readiness to trade off stepping down for amnesty.

June 12th, 2011, 12:59 am

 

Abughassan said:

Very few can argue against the fact that Syrians deserve a better government but some may prefer stability over freedom. My main objective if I was in charge would be keeping Syria in one piece and then reducing division within the country,and that can not be done without ending armed rebellion and all forms of violent resistance. You can not initiate dialogue and reform if there are guns in the streets. This situation is also helping hardliners on all sides who point out that the other side ” can not be trusted” .
Regardless if the regime survives this crisis or not, I think it will,I do not see a situation where the same names today will continue to dominate Syria’s political life much longer.fresh blood is absolutely needed,and the bulk must be from outside albaath circle and the NPF.

June 12th, 2011, 1:15 am

 

NK said:

Regarding the presidents meeting with people from Jobar.

اطلاق النار على المتظاهرين خطأغير مسموح ومن لديه اسم عنصر امن اطلق النار فليزودنا به وسنقوم بمحاكمته
He has been saying shooting protesters is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated since this whole thing started, after 3 months and so many dead this is not acceptable anymore, he either have full control over security forces in which case he’s a partner in their crimes, or he’s not in full control in which case he should just admit it and pull these forces from the streets.

ما يجري من تعذيب للموقوفين غير مقبول وسببه العقليه الامنيه القديمه لدى عناصر الامن
Same applies to torture, he keeps saying it’s not acceptable, and still he doesn’t seem able to put a stop to it, this excuse is also not acceptable anymore.

سيتم سحب الامن من بين الناس بشكل نهائي
I’ll believe that when I see it, it will definitely be a step in the right direction.

التلفزيون السوري لا يعمل بشكل جيد.هناك مناطق قال التلفزيون انه لايوجد فيها مظاهرات وتبين لنا عكس ذلك
Did the president just admit that state TV is lying ? please just let foreign journalists in already, no one trusts or believes state TV/ Doon ya, if there’s really a conspiracy this idiotic policy of banning foreign media is playing right into the hands of those conspiring.

قمنا باستحضار التجربه التركيه فيما يتعلق بقانون الاداره المحليه لكن القانون لم يعجب احد
Is he talking about the law we were discussing a couple weeks ago ?, is it completely off the table now ? are they preparing something new instead ? I guess again we’re left completely out of the loop.

قانون الانتخابات الجديد فيه ثغرات ويجب ان يعدل
I didn’t know the draft was out for public debate, any idea about what it looked like ?

القوانين الاصلاحيه التي نعرضها تحمل اخطاء كثيره بسبب الاستعجال في صياغتها.لا احد يريد ان يعطينا فرصه .يريدون كل شيئ خلال خمسة عشر يوما
After his two speeches we were under the impression the government has been working on the new laws for a couple years and they were in the final stages of preparing them for public debate, is the president admitting this was a complete and utter lie and they just started preparing these new laws out of thin air ?

عاطف نجيب ابن خالتي وهو ليس في السجن ولا يشغل اي منصب بعد اقالته.ولا يوجد حتى الان اي ادعاء شخصي عليه وهذا امر ضروري لمحاكمته
Oh really, people need to file complaints and submit them to the same apparatus that shot and tortured them and their children ? BRILLIANT. What happened to the previous report where this guy was allegedly put in prison pending trial ? The guy ordered his forces and open fire on unarmed civilians for god’s sake, just throw his ass in jail and announce he would be punished for his crimes. But we all know this will never happen. and we’re supposed to expect serious reform, what a joke!.

علي فرزت كان صديقي وانا توسطت له لترخيص جريدة الدومري قبل ان اصبح رئيسا لكنه طعنني في ظهري
He back stabbed you because he talked,really!!!. You’re so sensitive you can’t handle words ? and you’re supposed to rule a country !. And wait a second if you can’t even allow someone to criticize you, calling him a back-stabber, how are we to believe you will eventually allow free speech ?.

زيادة الرواتب وتخفيض سعر المازوت كان خطأ وبدأ يرهق الميزانيه.احد هذين الاجرائين كان يكفي
Oh oh, someone is running out of cash … It’s OK, I’m pretty sure Rami will step in and save the Syrian government (treasury) just like he saved the Syrian pound!

من يضمن ان يصبح القضاء نزيها إذا رفعت عنه الوصايه
Definitely not you or your government, we already know the level of judicial corruption under your regime’s watchful eye, I assure you there is very little you can do to make things worse than they already are.

لستُ علويا ولاسنيا انا انتمي للاصل للنبي محمد
I wouldn’t say such things if I were you, some “Men7ebak” might accuse you of being a Salafi/MB agent.

ما حصل في حماه الجمعه الماضيه لن اسكت عنه وسأحاسب الصغير والكبير عما فعلوه
Just like you dealt with what happened in Daraa ? شفناك فوق وشفناك تحت

لا اعتب على من يتظاهر بل أعتب على من يصور ويرسل المقاطع
And this is the guy who is supposed to deliver freedom of press and freedom of expression … /facepalm

كل الخطوات التي قمنا بها لتحسين الوضع الاقتصادي في السنوات الاخيره كانت فاشله
Hallelujah, now can you put your cousin in jail and seriously fight corruption please ?

June 12th, 2011, 2:36 am

 

Usama said:

Revlon, #160

And you want a no-fly zone over Syria? TFEH 3LEK! Who do you think you’re fooling by claiming helicopters are used against “peaceful” “protesters”? Either you think we’re idiots, or you are a total idiot, pick one.

Arnie, #66

Not true. I follow Press TV and they have been doing the same thing every Friday. If you go through archives on Press TV, you’ll see. Press TV is meant for the international English-speaking audience. Iran has its own Farsi and Arabic channels for itself and the Arab world, respectively.

NK, #174

Is this why Majdal Shams loves Asad so much? 🙂

Darryl, #198

They were surprised and they were completely outgunned, and the Zionists had aerial superiority because they decimated almost the entire air forces of both Syria and Egypt within hours, thanks to spies who gave away positions. There was also another Syrian spy, whose name later turned out to be Cohen (he got caught and executed later on), who gave the Zionists all of the defensive positions of the Syrian army in the Golan Heights. That’s why it was an easy victory.

Norman, #211

Normally I’d say you just said something disgusting, but I know you’re not that kind of person. Let me just remind you that Revlon, Majed, and Shami have already shown themselves to be MB sympathizers, supporters, and/or members. They are representative of a very small and insignificant minority in Syria. The whole reason the MB was created by the British was to cause divisions and strife among Arabs, and you can see it working when people like you say such things.

Tara, #212

Just for the record, I support Hama 1982 as well. Should I be banned too? Try to educate yourself about what really happened in Hama. The army did not go into a civilian city killing everything left and right, as it seems to be what you think happened. Hama was the ending of the troubles, so rest assured the right targets were hit. I appreciate the 30 years of peace and quiet.

AbuGhassan, #226

How the hell is Maher a symbol of everything gone wrong in Syria for the past 41 years when he is only 43 years old? Come on man! What did Maher do? Tell me, no one seems to be able to answer this question! You’re advocating Asad step down when less than 0.5% of the population is on the streets, and mainly on Fridays. Please, tell me, what the hell are you thinking and what are you basing this urgent need for Bashar’s resignation on?

Tara, #235

You’re still saying army is being killed by security forces. Incredible!

Tara, #243

I can tell you don’t really live in Damascus, and in fact, not even in Syria. Mazot price is huge as it affects the prices of everything else you can imagine, and it is especially a huge relief for all the poor struggling farmers. Enough of this needing dignity and life bs because people had dignity and life before this media bubble broke out. Now people are too scared to go out and socialize at night. Is that the freedom and dignity you were looking for?

June 12th, 2011, 3:02 am

 

Shami said:

It’s not likely that Bashar would resign ,he is a menhebak addict and believes that he is the friend of the providence.
Let him enjoy his end.
He is not the first person of his kind in history.
As for the menhebak people ,what would they do once their God is death?

June 12th, 2011, 3:05 am

 

NK said:

Usama

I wanted to comment on your “Brainwashing” comment from the other blog but didn’t get the chance back then.

You think many people get brainwashed in mosques, OK fair enough, this however requires the “brainwashee” to attend the mosque where the wacko shiekh is preaching, right ? since almost 100% of mosque shiekhs are mokhabarat agents, the percentage of such mosques is very very small, if they even exist in Syria.

On the other hand do you remember what EVERY SINGLE Syrian kid is taught ever since he steps foot into a school at 6 years of age until he graduates from high school ? for 12 years every single morning you repeat these lines (In case you don’t remember)

أمة عربية واحدة … ذات رسالة خالدة
أهدافنا … وحدة حرية اشتراكية
عهدنا … ان نتصدى للامبريالية و الصهيونية و الرجعية و نسحق اداتهم المجرمة عصابة الاخوان المسلمين العميلة
كن مستعدا لبناء المجتمع العربي الاشتراكي الموحد و الدفاع عنه … مستعد دائما
قائدنا الى الأبد … الأمين حافظ الأسد

Of course once you join the army you get two more years of practice.

Now you tell me, who’s doing the brainwashing !.

June 12th, 2011, 3:28 am

 

NK said:

Usama

Your comment about supporting Hama in 1982 is just a horrible horrible thing to say, you want Tara to educate herself about what really happened back then, I strongly advice you to take a trip to Aleppo and Hama and investigate yourself rather than just talking nonsense. I lost family members to the regime just because they were passing through the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time. People got executed in the middle of the street for owning religious books, or just because they attended Friday prayer in a certain mosque. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives during those events and if you truly support that you probably should check in with the nearest security branch, I’m pretty sure they could use people like you right now!.

June 12th, 2011, 3:48 am

 

Darryl said:

Memo DaleAnderson #207

In 67 Syria did not have a dictator. In 73, the Syrian army reached lake tiberias and finally turned back for some odd reason. I know this from two sources:

1. Israeli sources documentary on PBS in the 80s’ when they stated Syrian forces could have gone all the way as there was no Israel forces in front of them. It is believed Syrian forces paused for supply to catch and then some how started to go back. Later on they were offcourse defeated because of the massive equipment drop from the US and Europe.

2. My brother was commanding officer of a commando unit whose job was to clear israeli units ahead of the main army and his unit was deep in occupied Golan. Unfortinately, my cousin who was a tank crew member was killed in 73 war.

June 12th, 2011, 3:50 am

 

Revlon said:

Shortly, Syrian TV will claim that So-called” Kidnapped soliders come back for forced defection to announce allegiance to the army!

هاااااااااام: من مصدر موثوق جدا تقوم الآن المخابرات بتصوير بعض العناصر من الجيش وضابط رتبة صغيرة على انهم منشقون وستعرض
الفيديوات لكي تبثها وسائل الاعلام وثاني يوم يطلع العناصر والضابط نفسهم على القناة السورية يقولو انهم كانو مخطوفين من قبل عصابات واجبرو على اعلان انشقاقهم تحت التهديد وذلك لكي يكذبو الضباط الاحرار الذين انشقوا عن الجيش ويوجد الكثير من الضباط الاحرار انشقو وكذلك بعض الضباط سينشقون قريبا بإذن الله ارجو الحذر من خطة المخابرات وفضحهم على كل القنوات لكي نفشل خطتهم الدنيئة

8 hours ago

June 12th, 2011, 4:09 am

 

NK said:

Darryl

I don’t see the contradiction between the comment I posted #174 and your friend’s statement #198, am I missing something here ? It’s a well documented fact that H.Assad announced the fall of Golan long before any Israeli forces entered the area, both your comment and mine support this.

June 12th, 2011, 4:18 am

 

Mawal95 said:

This long post is about reports of atrocities done by security forces. I don’t have hard information that you and other people don’t have. Nevertheless I believe the security forces have not commited atrocities against protesters. I’m talking here about the supposed atrocities authorized and organized at middling or high levels in the military. Unauthorized atrocities by low-ranking individual soldiers is a totally different thing, which I don’t want to consider here. I see the regime and the security forces as not having a motive for commiting the alleged crimes. In other words, as I will try to argue below, inflicting atrocities on the protesters would be an illogical thing to do from a tactical or strategic point of view from within the regime (which I’ll define as including the middle-ranking army officials).

Additionally I haven’t seen any clear video evidence of military atrocities. I haven’t looked at all of the thousands of videos at Youtube. But I’ve looked at a large sample. I’ve seen a large handful of clear fakes produced by anti-regime propagandists; and a large handful where an unprejudiced person does not see enough information from the video to be able to know what is really happening. But I want to focus here on the motive or logic for the supposed atrocities. If you’re able to agree with my assumption that this regime is sane and rational — though the regime be dimwitted to one degree or another — the accusations of atrocities must be supported by a rational motive for the atrocities, especially since conclusive evidence of the supposed atrocities is unavailable.

The regime has not granted the protesters the legal permission to demonstrate on Fridays. (A bad move by the regime, imho, especially since the regime was not in serious trouble supportwise.) The illegal status of the protests gives the army and the police the right to disperse the protesters. Physical dispersion can be said to necessarily involve some sort of violence or threat of violence. But it’s not tantamount to what we call atrocity unless the violence is lethal or unnecessarily disproportionate. Now the question I ask myself, and ask you, is what’d be the motive for authorizing unnecessarily disproportionate violence under the circumstances. General public knowledge of atrocities authorized against peaceful protesters would undermine the regime’s support among ordinary Syrians. That is certain, and that’s the reason why the anti-regime propagandists talk it up so much. In order for the regime to rationally decide to risk that particular of loss of support, they’d have to have a clear and compelling motive for authorizing the atrocities.

As you know, most Friday demonstrations over the past months have proceeded peacefully, and the security forces didn’t try in the slightest to disperse them. What do you think could be the regime’s motive for effectively allowing demonstrations in many places and times, while supposedly using horrendous violence at certain others? This past Friday there was a non-small demonstration in Hama which was entirely peaceful throughout (and the protesters in the videos looked confident that they would be unmolested by the security forces, by the way). Back a few Fridays ago, a number of people were killed on the streets of Hama. What’s the difference? Where’s the motive?

A hypothetical motive I can think of is that, if a hazard of getting brutalized by security forces were created, it could scare off some people from going out to join in the demonstrations. But that’s an inefficient way of dampening demonstrations. As you can see at Youtube, most demonstrations are effectively allowed to fully proceed without any interference at all, week after week. A more efficient tactic would be to disperse those demonstrations with ordinary minimal force.

But anyway, it’s up to the people who are making the allegations of atrocities to support them with a motive, and they haven’t done so, and that leaves the regime portrayed as mindlessly depraved, and that is not at all plausible.

June 12th, 2011, 4:34 am

 

haz said:

NK,

Here’s a translation.
Remember everybody – every day, for 12 years. No need to develop your own thoughts or opinions. It’s all prepared for you beforehand.

One Arab nation with an eternal message:
Our goals – unity, freedom, socialism
Our pledge – to confront Zionism, imperialism, and reactionaries, and to crush their criminal instrument, the puppet Muslim Brotherhood.
Be prepared to build and defend the unified socialist Arab society – always prepared.
Our leader forever , the Secretary Hafez al-Assad.

أمة عربية واحدة … ذات رسالة خالدة
أهدافنا … وحدة حرية اشتراكية
عهدنا … ان نتصدى للامبريالية و الصهيونية و الرجعية و نسحق اداتهم المجرمة عصابة الاخوان المسلمين العميلة
كن مستعدا لبناء المجتمع العربي الاشتراكي الموحد و الدفاع عنه … مستعد دائما
قائدنا الى الأبد … الأمين حافظ الأسد

June 12th, 2011, 4:42 am

 

Usama said:

NK, #255

Yes, I remember what we chanted in the school yard before going inside for classes. However, I do not remember anything about that 3rd line, and definitely nothing about MB. I did not hear about the MB until maybe grade 8 or 9, and it wasn’t from school. But what was wrong with everything else? Were we taught to identify kafirs? Were we taught to differentiate between Muslim and Christian? Were we taught to kill people who don’t conform to our interpretation of Islam? Were we taught to blow up civilian buses and trains to achieve the highest levels of heaven? Were we taught that killing an Alawi makes you automatically go to heaven? Were we taught only Sunnis are real Muslims? Were we taught it’s OK to kill other Sunnis who stand against our cause? I don’t trust the Muslim Brotherhood, and I never will. They are a British movement, in origin, purpose, and funding (and housing!).

I don’t know what you mean about sheikhs being mukhabarat agents. I am sure they are screened by the regime to make sure their message sticks to real religion, and rightfully so. Can you imagine if we had 3ar3our preaching every Friday in Aleppo? Or 6ar6our preaching in Damascus? Saudi Arabia has been heavily exporting wahhabism in the Arab world, especially in the 70s, which is, “coincidentally”, when our problems with the MB began. Isn’t it also “coincidental” how when the Syrian army left Lebanon, northern Lebanon because a stronghold of Salafi movements? Just like that, out of nowhere! It is clear that Saudi money has once again penetrated into our mosques. I don’t know if you missed all the videos of sheikhs preaching against not just the regime, but also against society in general, whether it be Druze girls poisoning other girls’ minds with “naked” hair, or being led by a kafir Alawi president (SNN on YouTube proudly displays such clips).

All it takes is a handful of bad people. Youth are very easy to manipulate with religion, and I used to think it would only happen to uneducated teenage boys, but my dad had a personal childhood friend who, while studying in medical school at Aleppo University at age 20, got enchanted by a sheikh and morphed into a completely different person with a completely different personality and appearance. This is serious stuff, and this was just about a year before the MB crimes began.

Back to school teachings, there is absolutely nothing wrong with preaching Arab nationalism. My parents made me feel like I brought shame upon them if I got 9/10 on my tests, should I spit on them and disown them today? Why is it so bad to teach kids to strive for an Arab nation and to fight to defend it? This spirit was present in Syrians before Ba`th as Syrians have been known to “export” resistance fighters against occupation, whether it was in Algeria, Libya, or Palestine. I remember one person on here said that we need to move away from ideology and move towards platforms. If we abandon the ideology of Arab nationalism, we will lose the best part of what makes us Syrians, and the imperial forces would love this with a passion. We’ve held a special and unique place in the Arab world, especially since Sadat went Saudi, and you can’t deny this fact.

Listen, if the people want Bashar to step down, then he should. Who am I to say otherwise! But if by “people” you mean the less than 0.5% who take to the streets, mainly on Fridays, then under what basis do you want him to step down? Shouldn’t you have an actual popular uprising first? If it were a real popular uprising, why did the participants need to make hundreds of fabrications and disgusting false rumors? How about in the upcoming 2003 presidential referendum, instead of ignoring it, you actually take some time to vote “no” with all your other buddies? Even if they fudge the results at the end, at least Bashar will know his actual approval rating instead of thinking everyone loves him. They’re going to cancel “floating” ballot boxes so officials will know exactly which regions are unhappy and would know where to make improvements.

There are armed gangs, whether you want to admit or not, and the protests were destructive since day 1, when they burned down a clinic, Ba`th party building, justice building, drug enforcement building, and private and public vehicles. That was how day 1 went in Dar`a. Please have faith in your own nationalist army. Why do we need an army to “quell” peaceful civilians? All it would take is one criminal with a machine gun to make swiss cheese out of people who are conveniently packed into one location. The army is composed of the people and exists to defend the people, and it’s completely stupid and illogical to believe that tanks and helicopters are being used against peaceful civilian “protesters”.

NK, #256

It’s never a good thing when innocent people are killed. But do you want to deny that the country was in a state of war at the time? Until today war planes conduct air raids on civilian buildings and infrastructure, and depending on who’s doing it, it’s either covered up, legitimized, or highlighted… again depending on who’s doing it.

Do you want to deny that many families in Hama housed MB criminal fugitives? Do you want to deny that the army gave Hama’s residents ample warnings to leave if they didn’t want to be involved? Do you want to deny that people in Aleppo were being assassinated, not for holding a Qur’an, but for simply being Alawi intellectuals? Do you want to deny that buses and trains were being planted with bombs? Do you want to deny that with all this, the MB conveniently failed to target the real criminals like Jamil al-Asad and his son Fawwaz? Why not them?

NK, #258

Today you like to blame everything on the president since it’s convenient, but in the case of the 1967 war, it is more convenient for you to blame the Minister of Defense. Anyway, can you please refer us to this “well documented” material?

June 12th, 2011, 4:56 am

 

Arnie from NYC said:

Usama 253

Thank you for your information. You are obviously correct as now Syria is not mentioned anywhere on the PressTV site. How does Iran spin Syria (if at all) on its own Farsi and Arabic channels? Is it ever mentioned?

June 12th, 2011, 5:05 am

 

Usama said:

I don’t know about Farsi, but Iran’s “spin” on its Arabic channel al-Alam (alalam.ir) is positive. They tend not to cover events indepth because of lack of detail, but in their debate and discussion programs, where both supporters and opponents are hosted, the end result is generally positive of Bashar al-Asad. As long as Bashar al-Asad is president, Syria and Iran are natural allies in heart and spirit. Just because one country advocates a secular system, while the other advocates a theocratic system, does not mean that their regional policies and interests are contradictory.

June 12th, 2011, 5:18 am

 

haz said:

Well, Mawal95, I wouldn’t say the government is mindlessly depraved. This is just normal behaviour from this type of government. The Syrian authorities have a long history now of torture, beatings and extra-judicial killings – there are many, many Syrians who have relatives and friends who have suffered at the hands of their government. Violence is their normal reaction to any criticism or unrest. This is just the first time in a long time that it has been visible in the streets.

However, this is not confined to Syria – we saw it in Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain etc, etc. The GCC states are in a position where they have the resources to increase salaries and welfare to keep some people happy, and to buy Western equipment and training, and pay their security well enough, to annihilate anyone who goes into the streets.

Syria, like Egypt and Tunisia, does not have the cash to do this effectively. The army in Egypt was afraid that if they went to town on the protesters they would lose US funding and the international trade that makes them rich. Sacrificing Mubarak cost them nothing and actually improved their image in the people’s eyes. The Syrian government has no money, no oil (not enough) and no US, Saudi, USSR to bail them out, and no prospect of getting anything even if things return to ‘normal’. Even if the military and intelligence services were not run by a big group of cousins and in-laws, there is no benefit for them in ditching Bashar. It’s the inverse of Egypt – the people supporting Bashar are hated more than he is.

They can’t replace the President – every other option is hated more than he is. They can’t give out more jobs – they don’t have the money. They can’t make reforms – after 11 years under a new president it’s obvious they can’t make real reforms even if they want to.
Random violence is all they have. Violence has worked well in the past. The randomness? They don’t have enough trained reliable manpower or equipment to crack down efficiently everywhere at once – so it ends up being in some places, sometimes.
Then I think if you throw in panic and lack of communication among authorities at a local and national level, mixed with people at village level who take the death of a family member very seriously and very personally, you’ve got the recipe for what we see today.

Their next really big problem is going to be if they get to a point where they can’t pay the conscripts any more. You can’t not pay a guy and then expect him to shoot at people who look like their family back home.

June 12th, 2011, 5:31 am

 

Usama said:

Mawal, thanks for the dose of logic and common sense. I would just like to add that in the beginnings of the events in Dar`a, I do think the security forces acted very violently because that was always seen as an effective crowd control method. Even the government admitted mistakes were made in Dar`a. But after the first week they had learned their lesson, and when they sent policemen into the streets without weapons, they were outnumbered and many policemen were killed ruthlessly.

I strongly believe security forces in other parts of Syria learned the lesson and realized they were expected to react violently. My family in Lattakia told me how they’d see security forces just standing doing their job and you’d get people taunting them, whether it is with insults or rocks, while others tape with their cameras waiting for the security forces to do anything to get it on YouTube. It became clear to everyone that violence was not the solution after week 1, and when the security forces stopped the violence, the armed gangs began to appear and they shot both sides to create more strife and anger. Then the armed gangs started attacking army units and anti-regime groups blamed it on security forces. Then when security forces were being killed, they blamed it on “shabbiha”, which they which pro-government, although “shabbiha” have been largely eliminated by the government since around 2002. Anyone from Lattakia can confirm this for you.

The whole thing has been one incredible media bubble and what upsets me the most is how they portray our Syrian Arab Army as a force that is killing its own civilian protesters. Really, why do you need the army to kill peaceful protesters? One person with one machine gun can do the job more efficiently.

June 12th, 2011, 5:36 am

 

Usama said:

In my comment #261, I meant to say 2013 presidential referendum, not 2003.

June 12th, 2011, 5:42 am

 

FACTS said:

“Shami
Turkey will gain the most in post Asad Syria. She is the natural ally of democratic Syria.”

SHAMI,
Read this

“However, critics fear such a victory would help Erdogan tighten his grip on power and establish a de facto one-party system. One of the main concerns is that the government could undermine freedom and democratic rights and raise pressure on the secular opposition and Kurdish groups.”

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/160756/20110610/will-syria-crises-lead-to-an-islamist-and-authoritarian-turkey.htm

“Will Syria crises lead to an Islamist and authoritarian Turkey?”
The answer is definitely YES, since the majority of the protesters are supremacist and advocators of an islamic dictatorship.

Not only the Syrians, but also the Turks will be the losers.

June 12th, 2011, 5:42 am

 

FACTS said:

@ AMIR OF TEL AVIV,

This is for you since you believe that Israels Media are credible.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/assad-likely-to-succeed-in-bid-to-quell-syria-protests-1.367160

Sorry to spoil your day.

June 12th, 2011, 6:01 am

 

haz said:

Facts,
Your story on Turkey doesn’t support your opinion. It simply reports some fears, and then reports the reassurances of those who don’t share those fears.

I don’t see how the Ha’aretz article is going to spoil anyone’s day. It basically makes the case that the Syrian opposition movement is disorganised, and that Mr Assad doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon. I wouldn’t have thought these were shocking revelations for many people.

June 12th, 2011, 6:17 am

 

Muhammad said:

@259 MAWAL95

The motive is easy to guess. This regime has no real standing in the Syrian street. It lives on fear: fear from the security services, fear of minorities from the majority, fear from chaos … etc. It really has nothing else to provide. This is the motive behind trying to instill fear by committing atrocities. The killing machine is inefficient and at times unresponsive – giving the task it is required to do perhaps, but it is there and functioning. The will to kill is definitely there. The regime has been trying to commit medium scale massacres to avoid Qaddhafi’s mistake of bringing foreign intervention while still attempting to re-install the fear wall. As this is clearly not working, it is now bringing in tanks and committing large scale massacres. To say that not all protests were met with force is a non-point. Every murderer spend most of his life not killing people – it only needs to happen once.

Not everything the regime does makes sense in a rational sense – true. The regime is not a state in the true sense, it is just a mafia of Asad clan and acolytes. You don’t measure the actions of states and gangs with the same yardstick.

It’s a bit strange you say there is no evidence of atrocities. Have you not seen all those people shot in the head or neck ? What you do want to see ? A movie like clip showing a soldier shooting and then the camera following the bullet until it reaches it’s target ? Maybe with some background action type music ?

June 12th, 2011, 7:08 am

 

Shami said:

Fact,
Do you also correspond the end of baath regime with armageddon ?
Of course ,asad will face his fate and we can stop history to continue.

June 12th, 2011, 8:00 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

The mentality of Assad family,influence and dictate what Bashar does.he is weak and incompetent,he is not a leader,and I know for sure he will not save Syria.The Assad family think severe oppresssion and brutal savagery is the answer,they are way out of touch of current reality in the 21st century.

Those who said Bashar will prevail and win, they are wrong,they live in dellusion,they underestimate the power of people when they revolt and demand change,it is widespread,and now that so many died, they will not stop till they win.

Alex said Bashar will talk to the people soon, please tell him talk is not enough we need actions,three months passed and no action was done,time is about to run out,and tell him the people blood is not better than his blood,if he continue to spill it he will spill his own blood.

June 12th, 2011, 8:03 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

The referendum in 2013 is far from now,plus any referendum ,how do we know that it is going to be free and no one will manipulate it?

June 12th, 2011, 8:11 am

 

NK said:

Mawal95

You said you never been to Syria before, so I don’t blame you for having no idea what kind of a creature a Syrian mukhabarat agent is, they’re definitely not human beings, if you’re not convinced just look up the stories of tortured children, it’s not one or two cases. Some can keep dismissing them as being fabricated, but they’re simply missing the point, anyone who ever paid a visit to a Mukhabarat branch knows the horrors taking place inside those buildings, so such stories are not something new to Syrians, they just never got any media attention before.

I’m not sure if you can understand Arabic or can understand Syrian dialect but listen to this guy for instance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR9xdht3MYI&feature=player_embedded#at=13

Those people are not human beings, they can’t understand dissent let alone accept it, they don’t want any dialogue, if someone disagrees with them he must be put down. I don’t care if Bashar says he wants dialogue, he’s ruling through these guys and until he gets rid of them, there cannot be any meaningful dialogue. For 40 years security forces beat, jailed and tortured everyone who opened his mouth, and now they’re simply doing business as usual, they don’t think about the consequences of their actions because there simply are none, the worst that could happen to them is getting sent home!.

Usama

The chants are printed on the walls of every school in Syria, so don’t take my word for it, go check it out yourself, the chants are recited in the exact order I put them, I did not make that third line out of thin air 😉 … this was just part of the brainwashing process, maybe you forgot the national socialist education classes since 4th grade, or the military education classes since 7th grade, or the Baath Vanguards (معسكرات الطلائع) camps, or Revolutionary Youth Union (معسكرات الشبيبة) camps, or the weekly revolutionary youth meetings (الاجتماع الشبيبي), then of course the mandatory enrollment in Baath party upon enrollment in high school, and from thereafter you start attending the weekly party meetings.
You asked and what’s wrong with being raised to believe in Baath ideology, well for starters it’s racist, since a lot of Syrians are not Arabs (make no mistake I’m a proud Arab myself), also it sadly have nothing to do with unity, freedom, and socialism (وحدة حرية اشتراكية), no, the true ideology of this party is to transform the Syrian population into a cult, and sadly they successfully done so.

As for Shiekhs, no I don’t mean they’re scanned by Mukhabarat, I mean they are literally Mukhabarat agents/informants, Hassoun for instance is one example, same was Sohaib el Shami just to name a couple. The Shiekh who talked badly about Druze women apologized himself and explained how he didn’t mean to offend Durzi women, nevertheless most people from Daraa who commented on this event condemned him and told him not to return to Daraa because he’s not welcome there (yes he’s on the run ever since from what I’ve been told).

You’re assuming people who took to the streets are merely 0.5%, I assure you the percentage is much much higher, not to forget the brutality the demonstrators are met with, for instance I know most of my friends and family in Aleppo cannot stand the regime, but they didn’t demonstrate because they fear what might happen to them, those demonstrating are extremely brave. If the regime allowed demonstrations to take place without consequences, there will be millions in the streets.

Your next point, the presidential referendum is just a silly point that I thought about skipping all together. I’m Syrian dude, not from Congo, you think they actually count the votes ? or look at what is written on those papers ? wow.

“There are armed gangs, whether you want to admit or not, and the protests were destructive since day 1, when they burned down a clinic, Ba`th party building, justice building, drug enforcement building, and private and public vehicles. That was how day 1 went in Dar`a.”

Actually that’s not at all how day 1 went in Daraa, not even close, aren’t you in Damascus ? why don’t you take a trip to Daraa and investigate yourself ?. BUT let’s assume you are right and they did burn those buildings, does this justify killing them ? what ever happened to arresting, putting to trial, and jailing ? why skip straight to killing ?. Oh they were armed, then why did the prisedent sack the governor, the political security chief, and announce those killed in Daraa martyrs ?. This is not to say there are no armed gangs now, Jisr al-Shugur is another story and the pile of new videos and testimonies suggest that there is truly a few soldiers that defected and they are the “armed gang” holding up in Jisr right now. So let’s not lie to ourselves just so we can sleep better at night, this regime is a murderous group of thugs and as long as ordinary people like you refuse to admit it and insist on supporting it we will never reach a solution, reforms will never be implemented and corruption will never be fought. Still not convinced, OK so the regime is killing/torturing unarmed protesters, why don’t you put your theory to test, take a couple of your friends and start an anti government protest (don’t worry the regime won’t fall over just because you demonstrated), if you’re convinced of what you’re saying you should not be harmed so there is no reason not to give it a try
(disclaimer: protest at your own risk, protesting might cause serious injury, trauma or Death).

I’m not gonna debate the MB events with you because it seems like you don’t get it, I’m not saying the MB didn’t commit crimes, I’m saying H.Assad and his regime committed as many crimes and then some, not only against the MB but against all Syrians from all sects including Alawaits themselves, their atrocities didn’t start and end in 1982, since 1970 every single day there are new victims to their brutality, it’s sad that you refuse to see that.

And finally about Golan and H.Assad, even though I’m pretty sure you’ll just dismiss this testimony just because it’s Al Jazeera, but I’ll link it anyways
http://dai.ly/fo0mvz
my information are from my own dad who was a witness to this incident.

June 12th, 2011, 8:12 am

 

Norman said:

Usama,

I agree with Arab nationalism , but think that religion is undermining that goal.

June 12th, 2011, 8:29 am

 

why-discuss said:

Mawala95
@259

I agree with you. I don’t think the security officers received an ‘order to kill’, but there were circumstancial cases where soldiers, ill equipped, acted in panic in front of a mob confronting them or in cases where there were individual/group performing exactions and murders on civilians.
If there was an “order to kill”, there would have been hundred of death at every demonstrations. This was not the case.
The opposition is using the argument of “order to kill” to discredit the government, but whatever videos we see, we never see security forces shooting randomly on masses of demonstrators. We see snipers dressed in casual clothes ( they could be anybody’s elements) or small groups of security officers mistreating some individuals.

While the dirty tricks of the opposition may have polluted the revolution, it has also triggered interrogations and awareness. It has indirectly helped many Syrians to understand what were their choices and their consequences.
In a way this revolution and its excesses have shown the options and dangers in the horizon. It has matured the Syrians, they are now more ready to deal with a new Syria emerging.
In view of the deadlock, most opponents are all gradually moving to the only possible option: Bashar should stay as a symbol of unity and a leader to reforms.

June 12th, 2011, 8:52 am

 

syau said:

Majedkhaldoon, #273

“The power of the people”…

The majority of Syrians support Bashar. The majority of Syrians do not support this revolution.

If the majority of people were not supportive of Bashar, the revolution would have no need to call on people to demonstrate while they are thousands of miles away, the people would protest without the Syrian revolutions calls to do so.

There would be no need for violence, no need for armed gangs, no need for destruction of infrastructure, no need for fabricated vidoes, fake funerals, fake defector claims, no need to stoop to sectarianism in an attempt to divide the country, there would be no need for murder and mutilation or public hangings.
If the majority of people were not supportive of Bashar, there would be no need to rob the country of 120 security personnel in one ambush, claim people as martyrs who are actually alive, just to bump up the death count. There would be no need for outside entities to plot against the government and destabilise the country.

Most importantly, there would be no need to seek international intervention in Syria because if the majority were supporting the uprisings, the sheer numbers have said it all.

But due to the fact that Bashar has the support of his people,(barr the extremist radicals and gangs receiving money for the uprisings and destruction), all the above needs to be done by the revolutionists in order to create as much false, misleading information and gain as much media hype as possible.

It doesn’t matter to you people if the sanctions hurt none other than the people you are claiming you want freedom for, or if the country has to bear the massive damage bill thanks to the ‘peaceful protesters’, all that matters is that the agenda is met.

The MB made two unsucessful attempts to assassinate president Hafez Assad, your threat against Bashar Assad was predictable, and if any is made, you will have the same outcome.

June 12th, 2011, 8:55 am

 

why-discuss said:

Majedalkhaldoon

1 Do you want Bashar al Assad to resign?
2 Do you want him to stay and lead the reforms?
3 else?
Could you make up your mind.

June 12th, 2011, 9:00 am

 

aboali said:

“As the demonstration passed the headquarters of the military secret police they opened fire right away and killed eight people,” the activist, who was among the crowd, said. “But some of the secret police refused to open fire and there were clashes between them. It was complete chaos.”

The following day the activist and others went back to the military police building having heard explosions coming from the area the evening before. They found dozens of bodies, including that of the military police chief, identified by his ID card.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/06/201161118126791811.html

June 12th, 2011, 9:13 am

 

why-discuss said:

AFP reporter in Jisr Al Shoughour: Caution in evaluating the situation and the inhabitants declarations.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/06/12/world/middleeast/AP-ML-Syria.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

“Almost all but the young man have fled either to other towns or villages in Syria or to Turkey,” said a Syrian teen, who identified himself as Aziz and was across the border in Turkey. “Only the young remained behind and have armed themshelves with AK-47 Kalashnikovs, G-3 rifles or hand guns.”

June 12th, 2011, 9:14 am

 

syau said:

Another intercepted phonecall between the ‘revolutionists’, this time trying to falsify a kidnapping and blame it on the ‘shabiha’.

http://www.champress.net/index.php?q=en/Article/view/92869

They claims were to be aired on Aljazeera and Alarabia channels.

June 12th, 2011, 9:17 am

 

why-discuss said:

Abolali
#280

An AFP reporter is now in Jisr Al Shouhour. Al Jazeera is not.
Defections happen in all wars, how big is the phenomenon? how many army or security officers have escaped to Turkey?

Al Jazeera:
“All foreign media is banned from reporting in Syria so it is impossible to verify the account firsthand, though it tallies with other testimonies from residents of the area that clashes between security forces had taken place.

June 12th, 2011, 9:25 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Syau:
I am not MB memebr ,nor MB sympathizer.further I am not threatening anyone,Are you supportive of spilling the blood of syrian?I am saying people will treat you as you treat them,Syria was not known to have violent coup,what we see today is intentional killing and murdering of peacefull demonstrators,over 99% of demonstrators are not armed one , so far,inspite of what you and some other say.the people has the right to defend themselves.we are all equal,no blood is better than someone else blood.

June 12th, 2011, 9:42 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Why Discuss
I am saying if Bashar leads true reform I prefer this, but I can not wait forever for him to tell us he will reform,but he does nothing meanwhile,By God sake there is blood spilled on the street,there is a real need for urgency, his resignation is not going to do anything,he must stop the killing,the arrest,the torturing,if he can not then he must go.

June 12th, 2011, 9:51 am

 

syau said:

Majedkhaldoon,

There is definitely more than 1% of the demonstrators armed, dont deny it. Although, it will only take 1 armed psycho to cause chaos within the demonstrations and have a domino effect on the rest.

The government has a duty of care to protect its people from the armed gangs and has full right to defend the country from elements attempting to destabilise it.

June 12th, 2011, 10:03 am

 

aboali said:

The Fall of the House of Assad – By Robin Yassin-Kassab | Foreign Policy

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/10/the_fall_of_the_house_of_assad

June 12th, 2011, 10:05 am

 

why-discuss said:

MajedAlKhaldoon

So why do you support people asking for Bashar to step down instead of supporting him and asking for dialog. Do you think serious reforms can be prepared and announced in few weeks? He gave clearly his intention, so either you trust him or not

June 12th, 2011, 10:18 am

 

Revlon said:

Here is a glimpse of how pro-regime commentors, on this blog would love to treat pro-revolution counterparts.

http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DBW1avWA5sjY%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded

June 12th, 2011, 10:18 am

 

Revlon said:

Civilians celebrate and march with defecting soldiers; Frday of Trbes, Idleb

June 12th, 2011, 10:31 am

 

haz said:

Why-Discuss,

Make that a few weeks + 11 years. Even if we trusted him, he’s obviously not capable of delivering.

June 12th, 2011, 10:34 am

 

daleandersen said:

From today’s NY Times…

RE: Jisr al-Shoughour

“The men who have stayed behind to defend the town have dug trenches and built barricades out of piled stones. It was unclear if any of those who remained were defectors from the army…”

These are men ready to die, but they’re gonna take some “Assadists” with them. Should be an interesting day…

http://playwrighter.blogspot.com/2011/06/stuck-in-damascus-with-memphis-blues.html

June 12th, 2011, 10:37 am

 

aboali said:

Taleb Ibrahim: killing protesters is a duty:

June 12th, 2011, 10:37 am

 

Revlon said:

Testimonies of four soldiers who defected to Turkish border, tell horrors of regime bruitality:

– We get shot at if we do not shoot at civilians.
– The army killded neeraly 700 civilians in Rastan.
– When houses were searched civilians of all ages are killed.
– Bodies were mutilated and “Fida AlAsad” engraved with knives on their bodies.

Another soldier
– An officer found a knife with a civilian upon search, he immediately pulled his gun and shot him in the head, splitting his head.

June 12th, 2011, 10:48 am

 

Abughassan said:

What should Bashar do if he fails to secure aljisr and stop daily killings and protests ? He needs to resign. It looks like aljisr and idlib in general will eventually be secured and I hope the refugees will return. Calm will not return to the streets with cosmetic measures.the clear contrast between what Bashar says to his guests and what his men do on the ground is one example of his weakness.I am afraid that his weakness and mild manner is what made him a desirable candidate to the old guards who installed him as a president .According to many people who knew him,he has a lot of good qualities as a person,but he was given the job of the presidency and he did not earn it,some are convinced he did not even want the job. he failed to deliver on his promises and his first speech after the uprising was a total disaster,that is why we have not seen another public speech since then. He also did very little to control his own relatives and does not seem to have what it takes to lead a “difficult” country like Syria. Bashar is not the problem,it is the regime.My personal wish is that he does better than what his opponents hope for him and that he leads a peaceful transitional period that ends up with presidential elections. If you love Syria you must pray that Allah give wisdom to its leaders and wish them success,but if they fail they need to go,Syria is far more valuable than a man,a family or a sect.

June 12th, 2011, 10:57 am

 

Syrian Knight said:

It looks like the army regained control of the shit hole, Jisr al-Shoughour. The AP reporter with them reported ARMED GANGS, areas and bridges laced with explosives, and soldiers who had been decapitated or had taken axes to their heads by ‘peaceful protesters.’

June 12th, 2011, 11:13 am

 

Mohamed kanj said:

Finally the truth has come out from jisr al shithole. Let the western press report what they have seen. Where are the activists now????????

June 12th, 2011, 11:23 am

 

Syrian Knight said:

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/syrian-army-regains-control-974291.html

BEIRUT — Under the rattle of heavy gunfire and loud explosions, Syrian troops on Sunday regained control of a restive northwestern town, clashing with mutinous soldiers whose decision to side with armed protesters posed a potent threat to the authoritarian regime.
A Syrian refugee child looks out of a warehouse used as shelter near Hatay, Turkey, near the Syrian border, Saturday, June 11, 2011. In the Turkish border town of Yayladagi, authorities set up four field hospitals, each with a 10-bed capacity, for emergency cases. Most of the nearly 50 Syrians, who were wounded in clashes in Jisr al-Shugour or elsewhere recently, are being treated at the state hospital in the Turkish city of Hatay.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Turkish Red Crescent worker are seen in an almost completed new refugee tent camp in Boynuyogun, Turkey, near the Syrian border, Saturday, June 11, 2011. In the Turkish border town of Yayladagi, authorities set up four field hospitals, each with a 10-bed capacity, for emergency cases. Most of the nearly 50 Syrians, who were wounded in clashes in Jisr al-Shugour or elsewhere recently, are being treated at the state hospital in the Turkish city of Hatay.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Syrian refugees seen in a camp set up by Turkish Red Crescent in Turkish town of Altinozu, Hatay province, Turkey, Friday, June 10, 2011. Turkey has announced that it will open its borders with Syria to aid Syrians who are fleeing from violence. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Syrian refugees arrive in a camp set up by Turkish Red Crescent in the Turkish town of Altinozu in Hatay province, Turkey, Friday, June 10, 2011. The region borders Turkey, which said Wednesday it would open the border to Syrians fleeing violence.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
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Backed by helicopters and tanks, army units moved in after dismantling explosives planted on roads and bridges leading to Jisr al-Shughour, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA said, reporting “heavy” clashes. Residents who fled to Turkey said thousands of young men, including soldiers and police who switched sides and joined the revolt against President Bashar Assad, had armed themselves and planted dynamite at the town entrances.

Assad has made some concessions, but thousands of people demonstrating against his rule — inspired by protests in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere — say they will not stop until he leaves power. The mutiny in Idlib province, and the apparent willingness of some outgunned residents to stay behind and fight, was a major departure from what had been a largely peaceful protest movement.

More than 1,400 Syrians have died and some 10,000 have been detained in the government crackdown since mid-March, activists say.

Jisr al-Shughour’s streets were deserted at midday — residents said nearly everyone had fled in recent days — and there were piles of debris. Turkey has given sanctuary to more than 5,000 Syrians since the uprising began in mid-March, nearly all of them in the past week from the area around Jisr al-Shughour.

A resident who fled on Sunday said the army shelled Jisr al-Shughour, then tanks and other heavy armor rolled in from two directions.

As the troops advanced, he said, they fought about 60 army defectors, whose fate was unknown. He said about 200 unarmed men who were guarding the town are believed to have been either killed or detained.

The witness, who fled to an area near the Turkish border, did not give his name for fear of government reprisals.

After gaining control of the town, Syrian troops showed reporters four bodies, some still in uniform, that were beheaded or struck on the head with an ax. The city’s Military Police building was burned and there were bloodstains in some rooms, which bolstered the reports of a mutiny.

____

Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Jisr al-Shughour and Selcan Hacaoglu in Altinozu, Turkey, contributed to this

June 12th, 2011, 11:25 am

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

The only “armed gangs” I saw so far, are the shabbi7a.
This junta is doomed.
.

June 12th, 2011, 11:38 am

 

Abughassan said:

I am disappointed that rumors and questionable testimonies are reported and believed as facts on this blog. There is a great deal of lying on both sides,especially the weaker side=the opposition. I believe atrocities were committed by both sides,this is why I denounced violence from day one because it will only bring more violence. The regime has no choice but to secure Syrian towns and treat every armed person as a criminal, I support the army in its effort to end armed rebellions in aljisr and anywhere else. This does not mean I support the regime or deny the fact that many innocent people were killed. We had enough.

June 12th, 2011, 11:39 am

 

Syrian Knight said:

Peaceful pro-Syrian government demonstration in Ankara, Turkey, attacked with tear gas and water cannons.

June 12th, 2011, 11:46 am

 

Syrian Knight said:

Hamir in Tel-Aviv doesn’t believe AP anymore. Stupid Israeli. ‘His’ nation is doomed.

Pro-government demonstration in Aleppo:

June 12th, 2011, 11:50 am

 

Abughassan said:

It is humorous to see posts on this blog written by Israelis and it is more humorous to see that some Syrians bother to respond. I support those guys right to speak but I see no benefit from wasting time discussing internal affairs with the citizens of a state that still occupies Syrian land and oppresses millions of Palestinians.

June 12th, 2011, 11:56 am

 

Syrian Knight said:

Army finds mass grave in Jisr al-Shoughour

http://www.emirates247.com/news/world/mass-grave-found-in-jisr-al-shughur-2011-06-12-1.402366

A mass grave was found in Jisr al-Shughur on Sunday, Syria’s official SANA news agency said, as state television reported battles with “armed gangs” in the flashpoint northern town.

“A mass grave was discovered in Jisr al-Shughur containing (the bodies of) security agents from the police headquarters” in the city, it said without specifying the number of bodies.

“Armed groups had mutilated the corpses which were removed from the mass grave,” SANA added.

Jisr al-Shughur has been the focus of military operations since Friday, following what the authorities said was the massacre of 120 policemen by “armed gangs” in the town earlier in the week.

Syrian troops on Sunday battled with “armed gangs” in Jisr Al-Shughur and “army divisions… purged the state hospital of armed groups,” state television reported.

Earlier, rights activists reported heavy gunfire and explosions in the northwestern town near the Turkish border after troops backed by helicopter gunships and around 200 tanks launched a two-pronged morning assault.

The rights activists told AFP by telephone the army fired barrages of shells into Jisr al-Shughur before entering the town, which they said was largely deserted after thousands had fled ahead of the crackdown.

Syria’s Idlib province, where Jisr al-Shughur lies, has long been a hotbed of hostility towards the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

June 12th, 2011, 11:57 am

 

ss said:

The show put out by the revolutionist is fading away. Syria will come out of this conflict to be the center of power. Arab leaders will be online to make it up with us. Assad will rearrange his furniture again after this conflict. MB will be defeated for another 40 year hospefully. The international community are aware of the MB danger and that is why they are putting the show in the UN of being unable to reach an agreement. I believe that the world is in a great agreement that Syria must clean terrorist thugs and what Syria is doing is just part of the war on terrorism. The goverment is just fighting Terrorism.

June 12th, 2011, 12:01 pm

 

why-discuss said:

The AFP reporter accompanying the Syrian army is not providing much information, what is going on?

June 12th, 2011, 12:10 pm

 

Louai said:

WD

they dont believe their eyes ,they believe only the eye witnesses .

June 12th, 2011, 12:21 pm

 

Abughassan said:

I sure hope that the army succeeds in ending armed thuggish rebellions in aljisr and everywhere in Syria ,but I do not want hardliners in the regime cashing out on that achievement trying to bring Syria back to the preMarch18th era. Any success today will be short- lived if not followed by concrete reform measures.Syrians,not just baathis,should decide who is president and who goes to Majles alshaab. I do not want to see or hear from symbols of corruption again except when they testify in court.expecting Syrians to choose between Islamist militant rule and a corrupt secular regime is simply an attempt to keep Syria as a third world country.

June 12th, 2011, 12:24 pm

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

You are funny. You want to apply the Ma7louf and 3wn media standards on AP and AFP. This is not journalism when 2 mu7abarat minders are being embedded in every AP reporter. Let the foreign reporters report freely. Not North-Korea style reporting.
.

June 12th, 2011, 12:44 pm

 

Norman said:

Abu,
Then Syria should adopt a real secular constitution, i would love them not to reinvent the wheel, take the American constitution and the bill of rights,

divide the country into districts and announce election in Nov with equal number of senators from each county and representatives depending on the number of people in each district, get help from the university of Oklahoma to design the political system as in the US with small towns, city councils, and county executives, Muhafiz and county free holders that help him manage the county, they are all elected and supported financially by real estate tax and are responsible for the county and can be recalled if they are not liked by the people.let the government in Damascus help the poor counties and be responsible for the state wide needs, like trains, airports, and infrastructures and foreign policy.
It is time to decentralize Syria and let people clean their own naiborhoods,

June 12th, 2011, 12:46 pm

 

Syria no Kandahar said:

Reports from aljazera today that most of the employees are having diarrhea today.that is why they didt send any body to jisr alshoghor .there bus وضاح خنفر is
Calling all his eyewitnesses while he is sitting on the toilet .an eye wittness said that the city is empty then he said that the army is fighting! with who ?may be there shadows.
This revolution is going to surpass the French revolution :they are not knitting there prospected to be killed Syrian enemies,they are reporting them to intelligence center,they are not using المقصله but they are doing public hanging and hit bodies with sticks like African tribes.
رشو ورد ورشو زهور علقرضاوي وعلعرعور
قولو للشبيحه الحموية دبيحه
دبيحه دبيحه دبيحه دبيحه دبيحه دبيحه دبيحه دبيحه دبيحه دبيحه
الله شريعه عرعور وبس

June 12th, 2011, 1:05 pm

 

873 said:

Looks like the MB Freedom Fighters have moved to China. Guess China better get on board the West’s NWO agenda vis a vis Syria or suffer more Ambassador Jon Huntsman-style “democracy uprisings”. Or perhaps will ‘China catch a cold’? Politics is an ugly business.

Report: 2 people wounded by bomb in ‘revenge against society’ attack in northern China
By Associated Press, Published: June 11
BEIJING — China’s state news service says two people were wounded by a bomb outside government headquarters in the northeastern city of Tianjin. It said the attacker sought revenge over personal problems.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday that one man was arrested on suspicion of setting off the explosion just before 10 a.m. (0200 GMT) Friday.

It said the suspect, a Tianjin resident identified only by the surname Liu, had been having problems with gambling and family members and wanted “revenge against society.”

Last month, a man described as upset over a land dispute with the government set off three bombs in the southern city of Fuzhou, killing himself and two others and stirring a public angry at official corruption and indifference.

June 12th, 2011, 1:46 pm

 

Usama said:

NK, #284

I am speaking from personal experience. I went to Anis `Abbas elementary school in Lattakia (Anis `Abbas was a Syrian soldier martyred in Golan, and his son, Hani Anis `Abbas, was martyred in Homs a few weeks ago by the criminal terrorist gangs). There was zero mention of MB. There was nothing printed on the walls like what you’re saying. I’m also not making that up out of thin air. This is the truth, and from my personal intimate experience in the country I love. I’m interested in where exactly you got your intimate experiences from.

For معسكرات الطلائع that somehow you translated to “Baath Vanguards”, I’m assuming you’re talking about what takes place in the summer after grades 5 and 11 (if I remember correctly). What was wrong with those? I agree the grade 5 camp is over the top, but for the grade 11 camp, was teaching you how to hold a weapon to defend the country an act of brainwashing? About the Youth Revolution Union, that was part of enrolling into the Ba`th party, it was NOT mandatory. The main reason people did it was to get a few extra marks added on the baccalureate total for university admissions. Neither of my parents were part of this and it was NOT mandatory like you’re saying. I’m also baffled by you saying “وحدة حرية اشتراكية” is a cult culture, but you know what, I understand where you’re coming from, and all I’m saying is the message is not malicious as you seem to portray it.

I cannot believe you called Hassoun a Mukhabarat agent. He is one of the best sheikhs I know. He stays true to religion and plays an outstanding role in promoting peace and understanding. He did not even stand against the protesters. If this is how Mukhabarat agents speak and act, then hey that’s a VERY good thing! As for the Dar`a sheikh, I have no knowledge of what you’re saying, but I’ll take your word for it. But what about all the other sheikh videos featured by SNN? Why are they all still displayed PROUDLY by SNN (and others) as part of the “revolution”? Who are those SNN people? How about FNN (Flash)? How about Ugarit? There are more. Where the hell did they all come from? Did they just appear spontaneously with their large networks, just like that out of nowhere? Do you want to tell me they weren’t preparing ahead of time?

For Aleppo, since my dad is from there and I have family there, I can tell you that if the regime doesn’t move against protesters there, the people are ready to do the job. Whenever a small protest happens, the regime doesn’t even have to do anything. Bashar is extremely popular in Aleppo, much to your (and your friends’) dismay.

About the presidential referendum, I understand your skepticism. But do you think things in the country will stay like they were before? People who kept ignoring the referendums for all these years and didn’t even bother to vote, now want to be able to vote. How do you know the real results of the referendums weren’t reported to the officials in power? It’s already in the proposed elections law that elections would be handled by the department of justice, and today more than ever, officials will be very keen on seeing the true results of the votes. In similar fashion, you will see corruption dramatically reduced, thanks to the current events. What government worker is going to DARE ask for bribes now? What government worker will dare slow down paper work and insult citizens now? The government has to do very little work in that regard now because the whole social attitude has changed, and in a good direction fortunately.

In terms of number of protesters, if it’s not less than 0.5% out on the streets, what is your “much much higher” estimate? What is your figure based on?

As for Dar`a, it seems you read half of my comment and skipped the rest. I did say there were crimes committed by security forces in Dar`a, and the government took actions in that regard. When firearms came into play, the strategy had to change, and I personally felt the army was sent in late. Let’s stop pretending that we’re stupid little kids that believe that armies get sent in to deal with peaceful protesters. Let’s also stop believing like stupid little kids that the Jisr ash-Shugour terrorists are a “few” defected soldiers. There is a good possibility that a few conscripts “defected”, why not? But they’re the ones responsible for the Jisr ash-Shugour massarcre? Common sense please. I never supported the regime. However, seeing a CLEAR minority who wants the regime removed NOW, without having the numbers to back up their demands, and resorting to violence to get their goals, then yeah you can count me as a regime supporter, and I don’t need to lie to myself to sleep like a baby at night. The protests that stay peaceful, and avoid mob mentality, don’t get shot at. The protests in the northeast are a very good example of this. You should make sure to read WD’s comment #286 because it was excellent.

Now for the MB, I do get it, and I know what I’m talking about. It seems that YOU don’t understand. Those MB terrorists NEEDED an iron fist to crush them like the little shit they were (and still are). They wanted to turn Syria into a Lebanon and were not interested in helping the people. Like I said, why did they target Alawi intellectuals, but not Alawi criminals like Jamil al-Asad and his son Fawwaz? I’ll tell you why, they loved Jamil and Fawwaz because people hated them. Why attack a reason for hate for the people of Syria? The MB was out to create hate and a brutal sectarian civil war. I support every step that was taken to crush them, wholeheartedly, while understanding that there were many innocent people killed in the process. As for crimes committed by the regime, that phenomenon did not start with the Ba`th, and will not end with the toppling of the Ba`th.

I am EXTREMELY disappointed with your proof about Hafez al-Asad giving out the Golan in 1967. It is a clear campaign to smear his name. You call this “well documented” material? This material is LAUGHABLE, not because it’s presented by al-Jazeera, but because it’s presented by Ahmad Zaidan who is a known MB apologist and he is currently in charge of the Syria “file” in al-Jazeera. You’ve got to be kidding me. Either you show me actual “well documented” material, or please stop spreading lies. Since I’m pretty sure you don’t have any solid material, can you at least say where your dad was at the time? What role he played? What sources he looked at? Anything that can help add credit to your testimony.

Hafez al-Asad was terrible in internal matters, but when it came to nationalism and external policies, you cannot touch an eyelash on him. Salah Jadeed was the actual leader at that time (with Atassi posing as president) and he was so strategically retarded that the “Corrective Revolution” was truly a necessary corrective movement.

June 12th, 2011, 1:52 pm

 

Usama said:

Majed, #282/283

Bashar has done a lot in the past 3 months. Just because you choose to ignore his actions doesn’t mean they didn’t take place. As for the referendum, how do you know it would be free if it done today? Let’s say, hypothetically, Bashar is “removed” and elections take place afterwards. How do you know those elections are going to be free and no one will manipulate them? Elections get fudged with ALL the time. Election laws can also be used to manipulate elections passively by giving more weight to certain communities than to others, as is the case in Lebanon today.

Norman, #285

I agree, but we’re not the ones stirring the pot. It will be a great day for all the Arab people when the Gulf monarchies fall one by one.

WD, #315

They want to confirm what their eyes are seeing is in fact real, unlike the material posted on Facebook, which is always real, of course.

June 12th, 2011, 1:54 pm

 

William Scott Scherk said:

The best news for some might be headlines like these:

Bashar resigns official posts, publicly joins opposition as “humble servant of Syrian popular will”

New Syrian President al-Attar declares immediate cease-fire, amnesty: “peace will now return to Syria, reform will consolidate, popular will must be obeyed”

US, Russia, China restrained on Syrian moves. Turkish government shocked, happy. Celebrations in Damascus, Aleppo, Lattakia, Homs, Hama overwhelm public areas. Libyan transition government hails “hero” Assad after shock resignation speech. Army return to barracks in hours, 15,000 released from detention, says new President.

Al-Attar: who is the new President of Syria? Hizbollah silent on Assad. Iran mum on developments, seek talks with new Syrian President. Israel’s grim alternatives; go with entire world or go it alone. Syrian reform decrees abolish Ba’ath, state security units, install new media, party, election and civil rights law: sweeping reforms precede surprise resignation.

June 12th, 2011, 1:54 pm

 

Mina said:

The Amina case is getting weirder by the minute

http://bookmaniac.org/chasing-amina/

Hey Tara, any coming out ??

June 12th, 2011, 2:33 pm

 

HS said:

Following
on the Gay Girl in Damascus story

https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=10092&cp=all#comment-254700

it looks nearly
certain than this the blogger’s stories are a giant hoax.

An
Apology To Our Readers About Amina
Abdallah
  
by
Lezgetreal.

“Initially, she was asked to write about being gay and Muslim. We were
given the impression that she had left England and returned to Damascus to be
with family. Then, she started doing what I – me, personally, not the blog –
really needed. I wanted someone in the region who could do a much better job of
explaining the Arab Spring to Americans than I could from 5,000 miles away.  ….

We helped her set up A
Gay Girl In Damascus
, and carried her
stories on our blog. We believed we were doing a service for the people in the
Middle East  …

We apologize, I apologize to our readers for being caught up in
this exercise in fiction writing. I am truly sorry that we involved all of you
in it.”

Liz Henry , who has email
contacts with Amina , has been  Chasing Amina

“The
blogger behind Amina has been exchanging long emails
with me for the last few days

I tried to
persuade the Amina-blogger, who was emailing me, to
step forward and make a public statement on the Gay Girl in Damascus blog, at
the least to assure readers that she was not in police custody. The writer’s
response was to continue creating new layers of deceit.”

June 12th, 2011, 2:34 pm

 

873 said:

324. William Scott Scherk said:

The best news for some might be headlines like these:

Bashar resigns official posts, publicly joins opposition as “humble servant of Syrian popular will”

Actually even better headlines would be “Israel Drops One-State Demands; Rescinds Aleged Right to Land Claims from the Tigris to the Euphrates”. Much of this mess could be cleaned up very quickly, as the Arab Revolts serve primarily their interests of world gov.

Contrary to zionist deusions of grandeur, the world owes them ZERO. They’re not entitled to any more than the rest of the 190+ nations on the planet. The $hitty little country is not better, not smarter, nor more special or ‘Chosen’ than any other of the 7 billion of us living here. Their “Divine Right” comes only from getting others’ to agree on the validity of their plagiarized religion’s claims. Eretz Israel has no absolute, objective merit whatsoever, other than consensus agreement among crazies, enablers and puppets they’ve suborned globally. Once the mirage vanishes- they’re finished.

June 12th, 2011, 2:34 pm

 
 
 

C L O S E R » Blog Archive » Closing the week 23 – Middle East Trials and Tribulations said:

[…] Syria Comment » Archives » Idlib and Aleppo Idlib province, which is only 45 minutes from Aleppo is the eye of the hurricane. The government is poring troops into the region to make sure it remains under firm control. Syria cannot afford to lose territory where an insurgency or rebel army might emerge. Damascus will do everything it can to preclude the formation of a Benghazi, which would allow foreign intelligence agencies and governments to begin arming and training a rebel army, as happened in Libya. […]

June 12th, 2011, 3:14 pm

 

FACTS said:

#328 Mina

“Josh knew “Amina” since 2008 and didn’t tell anyone !!!
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=1831

Sure, Mr. Landis knows Syria very well.
Sorry, i wanted to say that Mr. Landis PRETENDS to know Syrians very well.

Anyhow strange that this story appeard first time on Mr. Landis blog.
… “sells” well

June 12th, 2011, 3:27 pm

 

HS said:

Mina

Regarding your post #328 and the supposed identity of the blogger behind Amina hoax , I am not so affirmative than your links.

June 12th, 2011, 3:31 pm

 

Mina said:

(My answer to HS just disappeared, so I\\\’ll sum up)
I am not yet sure Amina is Britta, but at least it is now established that Britta and Tom know who she (or he) is.

You won\\\’t be surprised I guess that St Andrews and Edinburgh are places where MI6 and other recruits? In these ultra-liberal, militaro-industrial economies, it is almost the only job available for people who study the Middle East! What a pity. As if the common history of the people who live around the Mediterranean Sea has nothing else to bring to modernity than weapon sales.

Of course, the white refugees of Syria are much more important to the white western newspapers than Sudanese refugees (a great UN success story, unfolding until July 9th), or the Iraqi ones, the Libyans ones, etc.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/world/africa/13sudan.html?hp

June 12th, 2011, 3:41 pm

 
 

873 said:

The structure of power and the western ‘intelligentsia strata’ makes it obvious that no one, including Landis’ quasi media site will be granted the extensive coverage he gets unless it serves TPTB, esp on such an ongong basis. Look how many independent experts write on ME issues worldwide. Do you really think SC is the best of them? Hardly. Very few get corp media interviews and facetime. Only those who further the PTB agenda get that. Otherwise, they are disappeared from the opinion marketplace.

Webster Tarpley who deciphered these Arab Revolts for what they are is a MSM nonentity, despite his accuracy, scholarship and experience. As we discussed already, its who you serve.

http://revolutionarypolitics.tv/video/viewVideo.php?video_id=15300

BTW, another disappeared item.

Egypt detains Israel ‘officer’ on spying charges
Jun 12 2011June 12, 2011 http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Jun-12/Egypt-detains-Israel-officer-on-spying-charges-report.ashx#ixzz1P574OP9Q

CAIRO: Egyptian authorities have arrested an alleged Israeli officer working for the Mossad intelligence agency on charges of spying, the official MENA news agency reported Sunday.
The Supreme State Security prosecutor ordered the man’s detention for 15 days pending investigations into alleged “spying on Egypt with the aim of damaging its economic and political interests,” MENA said.

Egyptian state television said the “Mossad officer,” an Israeli national, had arrived in Egypt shortly after the start of the January 25 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, seeking to “incite chaos and sectarian strife.”

Egypt’s intelligence services had suspected the man “who was posing as a foreign correspondent” covering anti-regime protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square of spying and monitored his movements and phone calls before his arrest, MENA said.
Israel’s foreign ministry said it was unaware of any reports of Israeli citizens being detained in Egypt.

Israeli commentators said reports that an Israeli citizen had been arrested for spying for the Mossad in Cairo seemed strange.

“I can’t imagine that there will be any Israeli reactions, but anyone who knows even a little bit about these things knows that you don’t have an Israeli with an Israeli passport sitting in a foreign capital collecting things,” said Channel 2 news analyst Ehud Yaari.
Last year, Egypt – which signed a 1979 peace treaty with Israel – said the confessions of an Egyptian accused of spying for Israel had led to three espionage cells being dismantled in Lebanon and Syria.

June 12th, 2011, 4:10 pm

 

Lena said:

“Aleppo is coming out to protest today in Bab al-Neirab and a few other highly conservative neighborhoods. Sources say that activists have been trying to get protests of 10,000 off the ground in Aleppo but have been beaten back badly by regime force.”

10,000 in Aleppo???? WTH are you talking abt, I was in Aleppo for almost 3 days!!! Why all these lies???
Do you want Syria to become “Libya N°2” ??? I’m so sick of this so called revolution. I’m sick of seeing ppl are dying, sick of it!

June 12th, 2011, 4:12 pm

 

Tara said:

Hello Mina, #325

I am not ignoring you but I never believed she was real. I trully do not have any interest in following her story. Syrians are being killed every day and we are watching.

June 12th, 2011, 4:14 pm

 

daleandersen said:

Memo to FACTS & a few other unfortunate souls:

RE: It’s not Syrians, it’s foreign plots and lesbians and British Intelligence and all that…

You’re right. It’s Joshua Landis and the International Lesbian Conspiracy and MI6.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more. Oh yes. There’s plots within plots within plots, yielding up a classic inside-the-beltway circle jerk connecting the dots between politicians, lobbyists, shadowy foreign nationals, POWs and Islamic militants, not to mention Asian Power Broker Joker Arroyo and fugitive Mafia Financier Frank “Frankie Five Angels” Pentangelo and the late Jimmy Hoffa and Lee Harvey Oswald. The Mexican Drug Kingpins and the South African Arms Dealers are in the mix as well. And oh yeah, let’s not forget the sinister back-channel money-laundering scheme to finance Brenda’s amnesia operation so she can remember what Lance told her about Heather’s motel rendezvous with Drake on the day Monica put strychnine in Lizbeth’s gumbo and…

http://playwrighter.blogspot.com/2011/06/stuck-in-damascus-with-memphis-blues.html

June 12th, 2011, 4:18 pm

 

Mina said:

Of course Dale, there is no conspiracy, except for a conspiracy of fools and dupes. Pro-Gays with Pro-MB with Anti-Communists, that should all make enough RT on Twitter to get a consensus and a momentum on an intervention to anywhere on the planet, no?

But once things are in movement, why wouldn’t the usual suspects step in? You thing their job is to stay idle?

Oh sorry, forgot you’re a poet… ‘d better stay on the moon then.

June 12th, 2011, 4:25 pm

 

Tara said:

Norman

“The regime does not trust you either, you are giving the loyalist the impression that you want thier blood, so they will not budge, You might as well divide the country and spare the Syria blood.”

Where did you get “you are giving the loyalist the impression that you want thier blood” ? Show me. Seriously!!

June 12th, 2011, 4:27 pm

 

Tara said:

Dale,

I liked your poetry.

June 12th, 2011, 4:30 pm

 

FACTS said:

#336
@daleandersen

You have 0.0 clue.
You missed in your listing the gay organisations. Why??

Sorry, you can’t be more laughable!!!

June 12th, 2011, 4:36 pm

 

Tara said:

# 257

Define dignity please.

June 12th, 2011, 4:41 pm

 

Mina said:

Right on the topic:
http://lonerangersilver.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/the-war-you-dont-see-pilger-film-banned-by-lannan-foundation/

“US and British broadcasters describe the often hidden part played by the media in the promotion of war, notably in Iraq and Afghanistan”

June 12th, 2011, 4:53 pm

 

Alex said:

A friend just emailed this:

The Special Committee for Investigating Crimes during the uprising in Syria was on Syria TV few minutes ago. They said the following:

We received 100+ cases in Daraa and 200+ around Syria complaining against security personnel.

Also Faisal Kalthoum (former Daraa Governor & cousin of Bashar) & Atif Najib (Daraa security head) get travel ban by the Committee in Syria pending prosecution.

June 12th, 2011, 4:54 pm

 

Mina said:

#324 William

Joining the revolution was precisely what some pro-Assad and the mufti Hassoun did right at the beginning of the events, obviously with the green light of Bashar. Check for the video of an authorized demo in Aleppo on May 1st led by some old time pro regime and the one of Hassoun meeting people of Daraa (i am not so accurate with videos so I hope if I made a mistake we’ll get corrections from the video specialists monitoring this blog… but i remember such videos, even if i may be wrong of dates or places).

June 12th, 2011, 5:01 pm

 

Norman said:

Tara,

You is not you personally, it is the opposition, (( Alawat to grave and Christians to Beirut,and other things like no Iran or Hezbollah, we want one who fear Allah, these things indicate a plan for a second class position for the minorities and the demise of the Baath party and army,

It is an Iraqi way of democracy and we saw what happened there.

June 12th, 2011, 5:17 pm

 

Tara said:

Norman,

Prove it.. Link one clip with people chanting “Alawites to grave” slogan. And please do not tell me to do my own home work.

Also most Syrians that I know including myself loved Hasan Nasrallah with passion but he betrayed us. We simply do not love him anymore. That does not mean “we” are asking for “Shiite” blood.

Baath is a party like any other party. Most baathist became baathist to get some advantage and you know it. Wanting to dissolve article 8 does not mean “we” want “your” blood.

And Finally, if Syria is divided, where do we place children of Sunni-Alawite marriage?

June 12th, 2011, 5:37 pm

 

abughassan said:

I hope we all can learn from this crisis when it is over. There is no alternative to the rule of law while treating citizens with dignity and respect. Hiding behind the threat of millitant islamist groups is not good enough for the regime despite the fact that this threat is real,we want meaningful reform and accountability to prevent another crisis or ,god-forbid,civil war.
we will start to care less about whether the president is sunni, alawi,or christian when we are treated equally by our government. Neither albaath,nor the islamists have a real progressive vision for the future. albaath’s free ride must end and its members need to compete for seats at majles al-shaab instead of waiting to be appointed by almukhabarat,and those islamists need to keep their love for islam at home and to their families,we do not want to see politics and religion mixed in Syria.

June 12th, 2011, 5:45 pm

 

Tara said:

AbuG,

I agree with all your statements #347

you know our current Majles al-shaab is really painful to watch and to be consistent with my theme for the last 2 days, it is dignity-less. I am looking forward to have a Majles Shaab where people verbally attack each other ( and even become physical… you know what I mean). Our current majles behaves like an ابله

June 12th, 2011, 5:55 pm

 

Norman said:

Tara,

I do not want to get into futile debate with you or anybody else, you can do that with others , I just want Syria to have equal rights for all and i do not want anybody to impose their religion or their way of practicing that religion on others, If people think that their way is the way to heaven , god bless them and they should keep heaven to themselves and not try to change people to join them .

I do not want a divided Syria but i do not want the minorities to be second class in their own country.

About Hassan Nasrallah, apparently The Saudi reached you As they never liked how small he made them look after 2006, with all their weapons and money , they are doing nothing to fight poverty, disease and to defend Arab rights , You probably like what they have been doing, one of thing they can do is to decrease unemployment by giving priority to Arab nationals in employment in the Gulf , but no they prefer Indians, Pakistanis and others ,

Do you know that a Syrian American Doctor with American and Syrian citizen is offered less in salary than an American Doctor who does not speak Arabic to work in Saudi Arabia withe same qualifications, How about that for racism against our own kind, That is your Saudi Arabia, You want a revolution , your uprising should be against the rich snob Gulf people that are keeping the Arab world backward .

June 12th, 2011, 6:03 pm

 

Norman said:

Abu Tara,

This is what i said before and repeat here,The Baath party does not need set a side and qoutas, It needs the freedom to compete and it might lose the first election but after what the people see from the opposition . they will be running to a better Baath party that shed itself from the opportunists that it has now.

319. Norman said:

Abu,
Then Syria should adopt a real secular constitution, i would love them not to reinvent the wheel, take the American constitution and the bill of rights,

divide the country into districts and announce election in Nov with equal number of senators from each county and representatives depending on the number of people in each district, get help from the university of Oklahoma to design the political system as in the US with small towns, city councils, and county executives, Muhafiz and county free holders that help him manage the county, they are all elected and supported financially by real estate tax and are responsible for the county and can be recalled if they are not liked by the people.let the government in Damascus help the poor counties and be responsible for the state wide needs, like trains, airports, and infrastructures and foreign policy.
It is time to decentralize Syria and let people clean their own naiborhoods,

June 12th, 2011, 12:46 pm

June 12th, 2011, 6:10 pm

 

Tara said:

Norman,

I do not want any one in Syria to be dealt with as second class. We are all equal. Supporting the revolution does not mean I want minoriries to be treated as second class. You are starting with a false assumption. Anything I can possibly say or do to convince you of above?

Regarding my feeling to Mr. Nasrallah, why did you jump to the Saudi??.. Please do not use the Sunni-Shiite conflict line. Religion thing does not cut it for me. I do not care about anyone relation to god and by the way I do not like the Saudi either. I never liked them before and I do not like them now either. Why is this sooo difficult to believe?

June 12th, 2011, 6:22 pm

 

Norman said:

Norman, # 350

I agree too.

June 12th, 2011, 6:28 pm

 

Tara said:

Norman # 350

I agree.

June 12th, 2011, 6:31 pm

 

Shami said:

Mabrouk to our Islamic Umma and especially to our people in Syria,the AKP won with an absolute majority.
It’s the best election result in Turkey’s history with that of the ancestor of the AKP ,the democratic party of Adnan Menderes in 1950.
Asad criminal family you have no future in Syria.!I ila jhanam ya mujrimin !ya haramiyeh!ya mounafiqin!ya kazabin!ya haqidin!ya khawaneh!

June 12th, 2011, 6:33 pm

 

Shami said:

Mabrouk to Europe too,Inshallah Syria will be a neighbour country with the European Union.
If it wont happen ,i understand the European reservation on Turkish’s membership into the EU,the people of the region should build an union which take the EU as model of regional integration.(using the same criteria)

June 12th, 2011, 6:48 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Shami

In fact AKP lost seats from previous election
Erdogan did not obtain the sliding majority, therefore he cannot change the constitution without a referendum as he was hoping for.
AKP: 49.9 % The opposition CHP) led by an Alevi: 26%

June 12th, 2011, 6:52 pm

 

Norman said:

Tara,

In 2006 the Saudis blamed Hezbollah and the resistance for the onslaught of Israel on Lebanon that killed 1200 civilians, instead of supporting the only Arab resistance that was able to stand to Israel, in 2005 King Abdullah of Jordon warned of the Shia crescent, everything the Saudis has done is to facilitate an attack on Iran, Iran, that i look at not as a religous state but a country that was with Israel during the Shah time and became with the Arabs and the Palestinians after the revolution, even now after 8 years of war where the Saudis and the US pushed stupid Saddam Hussein to attack Iran , they are still for Arab rights and are doing more for the Palestinians than all the Arab states except Syria,

I just do not know why they are still with us after all the backstabbing that we do to them,

You are not, but yes the Saudis are making this a Sunni Shia war for the interest of the West. Weaker Islam is for the West and Israel benefit.

June 12th, 2011, 6:52 pm

 

Ss said:

Shami 353

It is clear who is haqed, it is obvious from your tone and the wrods you use. I do not blam you. You have all the right to be angry as you are loosing on ground and on net, however, I am happy that someone like you will die with his heqd and fire in his heart. You talk about your crap democracy. Democracy will never ever built by people whose hearts are full of hatered and Hoqd. I bet if your gans won, you would not hesitate to have a glass of blood from any minority in syria. People like you will masacare minorities and I mean every word I say

June 12th, 2011, 7:04 pm

 

NK said:

Usama

You insist on lying about simple things that no two Syrians can argue about, here’s a post on D.N.N which is a “Men7ebak” farcebook page

https://www.facebook.com/DNNAR/posts/159855210747686

صباح الخير سوريا….صباح الخير اهلنا في جسر الشغور و قرى جسر الشغور…..رحم الله شهداء الجيش والله لا ننساكم!!!! و عهدنا،،، كما رددناه و نحن في المدارس:ان نتصدى لعصابة الاخوان المسلمين المجرمة

Here’s a comment on Addounia TV facebook page, also a “Men7ebak” channel

https://www.facebook.com/Addounia.tv/posts/146919355373927

Aladdin Abyad عهدنا: أن نتصدى للامبريالية و الصهيونية و الرجعية و نسحق أداتهم المجرمة عصابة الاخوان المسلمين العميلة
April 12 at 4:05pm

And another “Men7ebak” website, Arab times

http://www.arabtimes.com/portal/article_display.cfm?ArticleID=21921

“المعركة واضحة جدا والرد عليها يكون بوضوح اشد ولا ارى اجمل من شعار رفعناه نحن البعثيون في اواسط الثمانينات شعار يقول :

عهدنا ان نتصدى للامبريالية والصهيونية والرجعية العربية

ونسحق اداتها المجرمة عصابة الاخوان المسلمين العميلة ”

A comment in an Opposition website also confirms

http://www.the-syrian.com/archives/5502

و حتى جماعة الاخوان انا بحياتي السورية كلها ما قريت منشور الهم او حتى كتاب ..”
الي بعرفو عنهم هويي هالشعار الي كان ينبح صوتي فيه لما كنت طالب .
عهدنا ان نتصدى للامبريالية و الصهيونية و الرجعية و نسحق اداتهم المجرمة و عصابة الاخوان المسلمين العميلة.. و طوط تش”

سكران و مغرر به on June 3rd, 2011 Reply This Comment التبليغ عن التعليق التبليغ عن التعليق ::

Just google عهدنا أن نتصدى للامبريالية والصهيونية والرجعية ونسحق أداتهم المجرمة عصابة الإخوان المسلمين العميلة and you’ll get many more results confirming this was indeed part of the daily ritual in Syrian schools.

I’m so glad you chose to lie about such an indisputable fact, because now I don’t have to bother debating anything with you, there is simply no point wasting my time like that.

By the way Dr.Acta was our neighbor and a dear friend of my father, my father’s cousin was also a doctor in the same hospital, and according to both there was no Israeli soldiers whatsoever in Golan when H.Assad announced that Kenitra fell under occupation, they both told the same story, how H.Assad told Dr.Acta (كول خرى و نفّذ) when he called him.

Anyways, here’s another source that I’m sure you’ll just dismiss for one reason or another, it’s really not important most Syrians know the truth and once we get rid of this regime everything will be out in the open.
ستبدي لك الأيام ما كنت جاهلاً … ويأتيك بالأخبار من لم تزود

June 12th, 2011, 7:05 pm

 

Shami said:

From north to south,east to west,the Turkish flag is everywhere and liked model is liberal democracy not Salafi nor Ayatolashayatin mounafiqin regime.
It’s the proof of Syrian people unity.

Pro-Erdogan demonstration against Al-Assad terror regime in Daraa city in Syria 13.06.2011

Listen to the slogans!
Islam w Masihiyeh ,wehdeh wataniyeh ,ma mena ta2ifiyeh.

Ya Hafez yel3an ro7ak ya Hafez !

June 12th, 2011, 7:05 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Shami

Syrians united under the Turkish flag… Nothing to rejoice about!

June 12th, 2011, 7:18 pm

 

Ss said:

359 by Shami
Shami, you and your gangs are finished. There is mo space in syria for terrorists. No one wants them, billions of dollars being spent on fighting terror. Syria is offering free service to the international community by cleaning the house from the germs. MB fellows are so narrow minded with tunnel vision and they are indeed the real dictators because they want every one on earh to become Muslim or support the cause of Islam. They consider themselves always right, and they force their way of life on any community they invade. They are by nature anti democracy. I am surprised that you are cheering for a youtub video of some street kids recruited to serve MB cause. Your women who appears now and then on the internet is not serving you either. Do you think the world is looking or even respecting Neqab…..well god luck for you, with the exception of Erdogan, u will not find any help for your radical cause

June 12th, 2011, 7:18 pm

 

aboali said:

an audio recording from the meeting between the people of Jobar and a high ranking officer from the presidential palace:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erkwI9uzUlc

أرسل القصر الجمهوري موفداً خاصاً عسكرياً برتبة عقيد للحوار مع أهالي جوبر، أدار الحوار الشيخ سعيد سلام بعد خروجه من المعتقل.
بعد هذا اللقاء، تم استدعاء الشباب الذين تكلموا علناً إلى القصر الجمهوري للحوار مع بشار الأسد مباشرة، وقد استجابوا للدعوة وذهبوا إلى القصر الجمهوري وأنهوا واحدة من مراحل هذا الحوار.

June 12th, 2011, 7:22 pm

 

aboali said:

http://all4syria.info/web/archives/12552

بشار شعبان: فيس بوك
وقد أُتيح لي حضور هذا اللقاء الى جانب اثني عشر من الوفد
جرى اللقاء مع الرئيس بناء على طلب من موفد من رئيس الجمهوريه زارنا بجوبر يوم الاحد الفائت وأجرى لقاء حواري موسع حضره حوالي ثلاثة آلاف من اهالي الحي
ترك لنا موفد الرئيس حرية اختيار أعضاء الوفد الذي سيلتقي الرئيس وتمنى علينا ان يتألف الوفد بشكل رئيسي من شباب شاركو في المظاهرات لان الرئيس (والكلام لموفده) يرغب بالاستماع للمطالب وليس للمديح. استقبلنا الرئيس عند باب قاعة الاجتماع وفي بداية اللقاء الذي بدء عند التاسعه والنصف صباحا تمنى علينا الرئيس ان ننسَ أننا نجلس مع الرئيس وأن نتحدث بعفويه تامة وصراحه مطلقه .وإليكم تفاصيل اللقاء بشكل مختصر ولكن مركز وشامل
بعض القضايا التي طرحها الوفد على الرئيس:
-الامن وممارساته الوحشيه في جوبر وباقي مناطق سوريا وتحدث بعض ممن كانو موقوفين لدى الامن عن التعذيب الوحشي الذي تعرضو له
-رأي الرئيس بممارسات الامن وهل لديه خطه لكبحه
الحريه والكرامة وحاجة الناس لها اكثر من الخبز
انتقد الوفد الخطوات الاصلاحيه الجاريه واوضح عدم ثقة الشعب بها وتم مناقشة بعض هذه القوانين الاصلاحيه وبيان عدم جديتها
-انتقد الوفد الاعلام السوري بالكامل وبيان كذبه وتضليله واثارته للفتن
-فيديو البيضه ودعس الامن على رؤس السوريين وانكارها ومن ثم الاعتراف بها
-درعا وعاطف نجيب.والمجزره التي حصلت الجمعه الماضيه في حماه –
الفشل الاقتصادي في العشر سنوات الماضيه- :
وهذه بعض الردود من الرئيس على هذه القضايا:
إذا تبين لي ان الشعب لا يريدني فسأستقيل وسأعود للعيش في المنزل الذي نشأت فيه .لدي عائله وابناء واصدقاء من ايام الدراسه وهذا يكفيني.
اطلاق النار على المتظاهرين خطأغير مسموح ومن لديه اسم عنصر امن اطلق النار فليزودنا به وسنقوم بمحاكمته
ما يجري من تعذيب للموقوفين غير مقبول وسببه العقليه الامنيه القديمه لدى عناصر الامن
سيتم سحب الامن من بين الناس بشكل نهائي
التلفزيون السوري لا يعمل بشكل جيد.هناك مناطق قال التلفزيون انه لايوجد فيها مظاهرات وتبين لنا عكس ذلك
قمنا باستحضار التجربه التركيه فيما يتعلق بقانون الاداره المحليه لكن القانون لم يعجب احد
قانون الانتخابات الجديد فيه ثغرات ويجب ان يعدل
القوانين الاصلاحيه التي نعرضها تحمل اخطاء كثيره بسبب الاستعجال في صياغتها.لا احد يريد ان يعطينا فرصه .يريدون كل شيئ خلال خمسة عشر يوما
عاطف نجيب ابن خالتي وهو ليس في السجن ولا يشغل اي منصب بعد اقالته.ولا يوجد حتى الان اي ادعاء شخصي عليه وهذا امر ضروري لمحاكمته
علي فرزات كان صديقي وانا توسطت له لترخيص جريدة الدومري قبل ان اصبح رئيسا لكنه طعنني في ظهري
زيادة الرواتب وتخفيض سعر المازوت كان خطأ وبدأ يرهق الميزانيه.احد هذين الاجرائين كان يكفي
من يضمن ان يصبح القضاء نزيها إذا رفعت عنه الوصايه
عندما ترى ان ان هناك امتيازات لطائفه دون اخرى ستصبح طائفيا لذلك فإن محاربة الفساد في جزء منه محاربه للطائفيه
لستُ علويا ولاسنيا انا انتمي للاصل للنبي محمد
ما حصل في حماه الجمعه الماضيه لن اسكت عنه وسأحاسب الصغير والكبير عما فعلوه
لا اعتب على من يتظاهر بل أعتب على من يصور ويرسل المقاطع
كل الخطوات التي قمنا بها لتحسين الوضع الاقتصادي في السنوات الاخيره كانت فاشله
ملاحظات:
ماقلته في هذا الايجاز هو سرد شبه حرفي لبعض النقاشات التي دارت في القاء ولا يتضمن رأيي الشخصي والانطباع الذي خرجت فيه والذي أحتفظ به لنفسي
الطلب الشخصي الوحيد الذي طلبه وفد جوبر من الرئيس هو الافراج عن ماتبقى من معتقلي جوبر.
في نهاية اللقاء الذي استمر ثلاث ساعات ابدى الرئيس سعادته للصراحه والجرئه التي تحدث بها الوفد وطلب منا تكرار اللقاء بأي وقت نرغب إذا توفرت لدينا افكار جديده للحل

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=214835005205706

June 12th, 2011, 7:27 pm

 

why-discuss said:

What happened to the AFP reporter with the Syrian army?

We only read reports on the Turkish side and the usual eye witnesses.
What a strange coverage.. for once that foreign journalist is allowed in Syria

June 12th, 2011, 7:36 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Where hapenned to AP writers Albert Aji in Jisr al-Shughour?

June 12th, 2011, 7:43 pm

 
 

syau said:

#362,

Was that 3agid Abu Shhab in your audio recording?

June 12th, 2011, 7:52 pm

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Erdogan won, because the economy is better,he was elected by democratic process,don’t we wish we have similar thing in Syria?

For those who advocate seperate country for Christian and Alawite,I want to remind them, should we here in USA have seperate country for every minority?seperate country means massive migration of people, it is not a good alternative.
We need a law that totaly protect every minority,not to divide Syria.

June 12th, 2011, 7:58 pm

 

aboali said:

Taleb Ibrahim tries to defend his incitement to kill protesters in Dunia tv, in an interview on AlArabia:

June 12th, 2011, 8:06 pm

 

Shami said:

SS,
I dont know if you visited Aleppo and the north ,as much ,half of the women in Aleppo-Idleb-Bab-Manbej-Hama wear the bajayeh and other style of khimar ,it’s not a sign of extremism or salafism,they are sufis,in general the women who are close to the MB dont wear Niqab or Khimar but a Hijab like the majority of Syrian women.
Now should i understand that bashar is your God ?and we are eternal losers because of our opposition to your divinity?as you like ,stay in your divine logic !
Why,the CHP was lucky ,for the first time the AKP was very near to take the seats in Izmir and Aydin ,the historical fortress of the CHP.
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2011/06/13/index.html?rf=1&ver=5
And btw the leader of the CHP the ataturkist party is a Kurdish alevi ,but in Turkey in the mind of the majority there is no sectarian vote,if you remove his province which is inhabited by this small kurdish alevi minority ,the regions in which are concentrated most of the alevis have seen a big victory for the Erdogan’s AKP like Sivas 63 % as well most of the region inhabited by the kurds(on the syrian borders kurdish region ,the AKP came the first in all provinces) included Iskanderun.(the nusayris voted for the CHP ,but this province has a majority of conservative Turks).
In fact ,the traditional electorate for the CHP ,are the aegian regions which have nearly no alevis in it,those are the regions in which the percentage of sunni turks is the higher in Turkey.
The MHP also the third party in the parliement ,is IslamoNationalist,their electorate which is more nationalist and conservative than the AKP electorate helped the CHP to win the seats in aegian region.
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2011/06/13/index.html?rf=1&ver=3
Anyway ,in term of percentage ,it’s the best score of AKP’s history.
In fact ,the trend is that compared to the last provincal elections(during the economic world crisis) the AKP has increased 10 % and the CHP decreased 5%.

June 12th, 2011, 8:10 pm

 

allforsyriawatani said:

What a pervert, Tom MacMaster in Istanbul finally admits his lies and denies the consequences on the ground and for our beloved Syria!!

Ashley Baker, a blogger says about him:

“He’s created dating profiles and cultivated avrelationship with a woman. Nothing altruistic about that, he just wanted to live out some lesbian fantasy.”

June 12th, 2011, 8:24 pm

 

Norman said:

Majid,

I am all for that if you can have a real Democratic Secular constitution and bill of rights as i said previously on many occasions.where any Syrian can be what he can be without limitations, where people are valued for their deeds not their families, religous or ethnic association where anti discrimination laws in housing and employment are there to protect all.

June 12th, 2011, 8:35 pm

 

Shami said:

Majed is right ,not all AKP supporters are islamo conservative ,AKP is supported by many secular liberals and secular businessmen,industrialists and intellectuals.
Why is a common lebanese , victim of the sectarian mentality of the mini sectarians of Lebanon in the same way of the mini minority sectarian syrians here.He loves the extremist theocrats of Qom and hates to see democracy in Syria,as if he will lose life when the natural change over will come in Syria.(this culture of fear towards the surrounding masses explain all this mentality)
Such people wish death for millions for the sake of a small minority.It’s not acceptable.
We should remember all scared mini sectarians menhebak people that the only time that a christian ruled Syria was through the vote of a democratically elected parliement in a muslim majority country.
Our history speaks of itself.

June 12th, 2011, 8:37 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Expect soon a human rights campaign against Saudi Arabia,
Turki Al-Fayçal is threatening Obama.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/palestinian-rights-wont-be-denied-by-the-united-states-and-israel/2011/06/07/AGmnK2OH_story_1.html
Failed favoritism toward Israel

…But why should Palestinians not be granted the same rights the United Nations accorded to the state of Israel at its creation in 1947? The president must realize that the Arab world will no longer allow Palestinians to be delegitimized by Israeli actions to restrict their movements, choke off their economy and destroy their homes

…In September, the kingdom will use its considerable diplomatic might to support the Palestinians in their quest for international recognition. American leaders have long called Israel an “indispensable” ally. They will soon learn that there are other players in the region — not least the Arab street — who are as, if not more, “indispensable.” The game of favoritism toward Israel has not proven wise for Washington, and soon it will be shown to be an even greater folly.

June 12th, 2011, 8:41 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Shami

I am not interested neither in your religion nor in your ethnic group, and I find that your allegation about any commenter’s religion is totally displaced and typical of a person obsessed by religious and ethnic differences, in other word a sectarian person.
I won’t “lose my life” if democracy comes to Syria, I will be very happy but I do not want this happen in blood. I wish a peaceful transition, that’s all.

June 12th, 2011, 8:58 pm

 

Shami said:

Why ,it’s you who call for the killing and displacing of the syrian people and in the same time praising day and night the theocrats of Qom.
What does that means ?

I would never accept that the alawites pay the price of Asad’s huge crimes.
Being proud of his cultural heritage and having an Umamist ideal is the opposite of sectarianism.
Sectarianism means the secretive isolated sects which hate their environment.
The traditional culture of multi religious and ethnical co existence in Aleppo,Hama,Damascus,Tripoli,Beirut,Saida,Haifa ,Jerusalem …. proves that sectarianism is a strange phenomenon.
But it’s common for the isolated minorities to be sectarian,because they fear they cultivate a culture of hatred towards their environment,this is their tradition.The smart people amongst these populations have freed themselves from such mentality(Aref Dalila for example)
All this paranoia from some stupid menhebak that came here lately shows clearly this fact.

June 12th, 2011, 9:08 pm

 

Tara said:

Shami,

This is a serious accusation to Why. Can you point to where he asked for the killing and displacement of Syrians?

Why, can you defend yourself?

June 12th, 2011, 9:22 pm

 

Shami said:

Tara ,plz use search option ,with why discuss as keyname.
Not only him ,but many others mini sectarians who joined this forum lately and why is a soft version, he is more moderate than those.
It’s good thing btw,so we can see what they have inward because in front of us,as good hypocrite they are, they hide all this hatred and show an other face.
This behavior is very wrong .

June 12th, 2011, 9:49 pm

 

syau said:

Syria tv has just aired the first pictures of the mass grave for the security personnel massacred in Jisr Alshughour. One of the gang members responsible for the killings led them to the site of the mass grave and stated he was responsible for killing 10 of the security personnel himself, and did it for freedom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrE0BRTBXYw

Alongside Syrian tv, there were representatives of various tv stations present at the site.

June 12th, 2011, 9:51 pm

 

Tara said:

Syau,

The opposition story is that some of the army men (about 100 I heard lead by Harmoush)defcted when they realized there were no armed gangs in Jisr, took their weapons with them, clased with shabiha while trying to protect the fleeing civillians and then killed some? Could the 120 died from the army few days ago were trying to defect and then killed by the Shabbiha?

Now who do we believe?

June 12th, 2011, 10:01 pm

 

873 said:

Why discss,

More lies from Mossad.
Amina is not an American mista’aravim, she is an ISRAELI woman dressed up and disguising herself as an arab. Her earliest incarnation from 2007 is written all in HEBREW. Is the US guy fluent in hebrew?

Amazing the lies to cover up a major Mossad covert psyops. Wake up friends…

June 12th, 2011, 10:03 pm

 

syau said:

Tara,

The opposition will always have a fabricated story. Common sense will tell you that their story is false.

One of the captured gang members who led them to the site also confessed to taking the corpses of some of the murdered security personnel to a nearby slaughterhouse and dismembering limbs and heads and mutilating their bodies. He also stated that they raped and murdered women and dumped their bodies in Orontes River.

Common sense should be used when you listen to the stories of the opposition, they will also contradict themselves one way or another. Eyes wide open Tara…. this is what the ‘peaceful protesters’ offered Syrians.

June 12th, 2011, 10:12 pm

 

Norman said:

: مقال قوي جدا ً.. لطاهر زعرور
Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:56:43 +0000

مع اسفي الشديد على الالفاظ النابية في هذا المقال الا انه فيه

من الحقيقه الشيء الكثير …

مع احترامي لحضرتكم

مقال قوي جدا ً.. لطاهر زعرور
لماذا هذا الغضب من الرافضي الارهابي حسن نصرالله

كاتب امريكي
من سوريا مقيم
في امريكا منذ عام 1956

كتب : طاهر زعرور

ايام زمان … كان الفن اللبناني مرتبط بوقار فيروز وصوت وديع الصافي ونصري شمس الدين … وحتى عندما كان اللبنانيون يتدلعون على الشاشة كان اقصى دلع لهم ممثل بطروب وميادة … كان الدلع يتم بوقار قبل ان تدخل رساميل ال سعود الى لبنان فتعزل فيروز ووديع الصافي وتحول مومسات شارع الحمراء الى فنانات ومطربات … هذه تبوس الواوا وتلك تمص الواوا

المال السعودي هو وراء انشاء جميع الفضايات اللبنانية … وفضائية ال بي سي مثلا المملوك نصفها للوليد بن طلال والنصف الثاني لحزب الكتائب هي المحطة الوحيدة في الكرة الارضية التي تقدم فيها مذيعة الاخبار نشرتها وهي بقميص نوم … وبعودة رفيق الحريري الى بيروت بمليارت سعودية اصبح النظام اللبناني يدار من الرياض فأريد للسياسيين اللبنانيين ان يبوسوا الواوا ايضا … ولا اجد فرقا بين هيفاء وهبي ووليد جنبلاط … الاثنان يبوسان الواوا ليتمتع بهما امراء ال سعود

لبنان هي الدولة الوحيدة في العالم التي تحبل بزعيم خلال 24 ساعة وتشخه وتسلمه مقاليد الحكم وتجعله زعيم اغلبية في البرلمان … هكذا خبط لزق …. مع ان الولد كل خبرته قبل ان يصبح زعيما كانت في النسوان

هل عرفتم اليوم لماذا هذا الغضب من الارهابي الرافضي حسن نصرالله الذي اتهمه عميل المخابرات الاردنية ابو مصعب الزرقاوي بالعمالة لاسرائيل ؟ قبل ان تبيعه المخابرات الاردنية التي دربته ليموت فطيسا في بغداد

ان جريمة حسن نصرالله انه خرب المشروع السعودي في لبنان …. وقطع ارزاق الاف المومسات اللواتي يعملن في فنادق وكازينوهات وبارات نصفها لال سعود والنصف الاخر لحكام الكويت الذين مثلهم وزير خارجية لا يحسن التحدث بالعربية رغم انه يحمل لقب دكتور

البيان السعودي الذي ندد بحزب الله – ولم يندد حتى هذه اللحظة باسرائيل – وجريدة الشرق الاوسط المملوكة للامير سلمان والتي نشرت اليوم عشر مقالات كلها ضد حزب الله تتحجج بأن حزب الله لم يستشر السعودية عندما اسر الجنديين وسارع ملك الاردن الى اصدار بيان مماثل

عجيبة … اذا كان الملك حسين الذي لم يخبره السادات بموعد الهجوم في اكتوبر قد قام بنفسه بركوب طائرة الى تل ابيب لاخبار اسرائيل بنية السادات فكيف كانت حرب اكتوبر ستنتهي لو ان السادات اخبر الملك حسين فعلا بخططه

ومثل هذا يقال عن ابنه عبدالله … فهل كان عبدالله ملك الاردن يظن ان حسن نصر الله سيتصل به ليخبره بموعد الهجوم لاسر الجنود الاسرائيليين مثلا وهو يعلم ان الملك الاردني ينام ويأكل ويشرب ويشخ في حضن المخابرات الاسرائيلية

قد نعتب على حسن نصرالله لانه لم يخبر السعوديين بنيته … ولكن حسن نصرالله قرأ مثلنا ما نشرته محطة ارملة الملك فهد من ان الشعب السعودي مشغول بعمليات تطويل للايور تكلف ملايين الدولارات ومن غير المعقول ان يتصل نصرالله بهم لاخبارهم بعملية عسكرية قد تفسد عليهم تطويل ايورهم التي يستلونها بمجرد دخول مطار بيروت … والا ما معنى وجود عشرات الالوف من السعوديين الذكور في بيروت بحجة السياحة

هل يتقاطر السياح السعوديون الى لبنان للتزلج على الجليد او زيارة مغارة جعيتا او المتحف الوطني ؟

كل مكاتب السياحة تعلم ان السياح السعوديين لا يغادرون فنادقهم لان الفنادق تؤمن لهم المومسات حتى باب الغرفة

من حق الاردن والسعودية والكويت ان يزعلوا من حسن نصرالله لانه اسقط عنهم ورقة التوت فهذا الشاب اللبناني الملتحي يقود حرب عسكرية على درجة عالية من الحرفنة رغم انه لا يحمل نيشان واحد من نياشين الجنرال خالد بن سلطان

نصرالله قصف المدن الاسرائيلية واغرق احدث باخرة اسرائيلية وقضى على الموسم السياحي في اسرائيل واجبر مليوني اسرايلي على النوم في الملاجيء حتى يجربوا بعض ما يعانيه سكان غزة الذين لا ملاجيء لهم ومع ذلك لم يخسر حزب الله حتى اليوم شهيدا واحدا ولم يتمكن جيش اسرائيل المجحفل من احتلال شبر في لبنان

صحيح ان الطائرات الاسرائيلية تعربد وتدمر الجسور ولكن البركة بشركة سولدير السعودية فهي التي ستبني الجسور بعد ذلك …. وبدل ان يتفلسف ملك السعودية … لماذا لا يصدر اوامره الى مئات الطيارين السعوديين بحماية اجواء لبنان … ام ان المساعدة السعودية مقصورة على المومسات وفضائيات التعريص

يا اخي … لا نريد حسن نصرالله .. بلاش … نحن ايضا لا نريده فهو شيعي رافضي ارهابي ايراني على حد تعبير الزرقاوي صديق الملك عبدالله ملك الاردن … ولكن الموانيء والجسور التي تدمرها اسرائيل ليست مملوكة لحسن نصرالله وجماعته من شيعة لبنان فالشيعة في لبنان هم افقر اللبنانيين واحياء الشيعة في بيروت وفي الجنوب هي الافقر وليس بين الشيعة في لبنان شرموطة واحدة من شرموطات فضائية رفيق الحريري والامير الوليد … والشباب الذين يمطرون اسرائيل بالصواريخ كلهم من اللبنانيين الفقراء الشيعة الذين تعلموا فنون النزال دون ان يحملوا نياشين الامير ابو شخة فتوة الصحراء خالد بن سلطان

مذيعات تلفزيون شيعة لبنان يظهرن باللباس الشرعي الوقور … ولن تجد مطربات بوس الواوات على شاشات الشيعة في لبنان او ايران

لماذا لا تجرب الجامعة العربية اجراء انتخابات لزعامة الامة العربية بين جميع حكام الدول العربية في كفة … وحسن نصرالله في كفة اخرى … النتيجة ستكون بالنسبة لكفة الزعماء العرب : لم ينجح احد

المسيحيون العرب في فلسطين ومصر والاردن وحتى لبنان يناصرون حسن نصرالله اكثر من الشيعة انفسهم ليس لان المسيحيين قرروا التشيع وانما لان حسن نصرالله اثبت انه شاب عربي لبناني نظيف ويحمل هموم وطنه ويفكر بالاسرى الاردنيين في سجون اسرائيل في وقت يتبادل فيه الملك وابو مازن البوس ومصمصة الخدود مع اولمرت في العقبة

من يقرأ جريدة الشرق الاوسط اليوم يصاب بالغثيان والتقيؤ … حتى ايطاليا والدانمرك نددت باسرائيل وجرائمها …

بصراحة … اتفوه على هيك امة عربية ترضى بوجود مثل هذه الحثالات على رأس اجهزة الحكم

June 12th, 2011, 10:24 pm

 

syau said:

873,

The Bilderberg group have wrapped up their meeting in Switzerland. The war in Libya and the uprisings in the Middle East was on the agenda with NATO’s boss attending the meeting. I wonder what they have planned for the Middle East.

Swiss politicial Dominique Baettig confronted Bilderberg, and questions the secrecy behind these meetings and their discussions about Lybia, Syria and possibly Iran.

http://www.infowars.com/interview-with-swiss-politician-dominique-baettig-high-quality/

June 12th, 2011, 10:24 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

Tara is as much a fraud as the gay slut in Damascus. Not just her, but all the Islamists that pretend to be peaceful protesters. They wont believe a single thing until their con masters say it. If the protesters said “Yes, we massacred unarmed civilians and raped them and then blamed the government, but we did it in self-defense and political reasons!!” stupid people would support their crimes. And in the eyes of people like Shami and Majed, the protesters ‘did the work of God’ by raping and killing people ‘for a greater cause,’ and if the victims were from other religions, then the ‘protesters’ get to go to a higher level of heaven. The only afterlife scum people like Shami and Majed will know of is hell.

June 12th, 2011, 10:25 pm

 

syau said:

Syrian Knight,

The funny thing is that they are always either blamimg the ‘shabiha’ or Maher Assad and his republican guards for everything. They must be magicians to be everywhere at once.

June 12th, 2011, 10:40 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

Joshua Landis is a con artist. His belief in the fake slut in Damascus credits him only with stupidity, gullibility and bias. He is no objective in anything he reports, and is in league with the Islamists. Another hole in his credibility which now has more holes then Swiss cheese. It’s funny how one’s bias can ruin credibility.

June 12th, 2011, 10:50 pm

 

Norman said:

SK,

If you do not like DR Landis, you should just stop comming here , i think we all like him and do not want to read your insults, so please spare us.

June 12th, 2011, 11:04 pm

 

haz said:

Syau,

Ad-Dunya was there too? Wow, it MUST be true then.

Isn’t it amazing how the Syrian security fores are able to catch these terrorists so quickly – and always the right guy! And then a confession as soon as a tv camera turns up!

I’m sure police and journalists outside Syria feel they have a lot to learn – what are these amazing techniques that enable the Syrians to do their job so efficiently!?

June 12th, 2011, 11:21 pm

 

syau said:

This is one of the gang members who led army personnel to the mass grave in Jisr Alshughour. He confesses to the rape and murder of women in Aleppo, the dismembering of their bodies and his involvement in the massacre of the security personnel in Jisr.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKtBJLgP2-k&feature=channel_video_title

He states he was given 50 thousand (Im assuming SP) and a further 50 thousand was to follow, the money comming from someone called Za3rtar, who has fled to Turkey.

June 12th, 2011, 11:27 pm

 

Mohamed Kanj said:

i have just watched the mass grave in jisr al shugr on LBC lebanese channel. Its all over “revolutionist’s. The rape and mutiliation of 4 halabi girls, has sealed the fate of Aleppo city ever rising up against the government. These revolutionists will be left all alone with their cows and donkeys 🙂 Even the chinese news networks were present in Jisr al Shugr to see the mass graves

June 12th, 2011, 11:32 pm

 

syau said:

Haz,

Unfortunately, they didnt catch ‘the right guy’. Some of the gang members were caught, their leader fled to Turkey.

Not only Aldunia were there, there were representatives of 20 different tv channels and press.

This criminal was apprehended for 2 days prior to leading security personnel to the mass grave site, which the gangs you are cheering on were attempting to blame the Syrian army for.

What a nice peaceful revolution you are endorsing.

June 12th, 2011, 11:33 pm

 

haz said:

Syau,

Ha. I’m not endorsing anything but the absolute right of the Syrian people to try to change the disgraceful political and economic conditions under which they have been forced to live for so long.

Massacres and mass graves are not the way to do that.

This ‘confession’ looks pretty much exactly the same as all the other ‘confessions’ that have appeared on Syrian tv over the years. The well-documented brutality of the mukhabarat makes these confessions useless in trying to determine the facts – people will say anything to stop the pain or to protect their families.

This plus a supine Syrian press and lack of independent reporters makes it likely we will never know the truth. But believing the government line is one of the sillier options.

June 13th, 2011, 12:06 am

 

abughassan said:

Saudi Arabia is the country that needs a spring or a couple of springs. If the Saudis reform their regime the Middle East will never look the same.I said before that God is testing Muslims by allowing the king of SA to hold the title of “khadem Alharamayn”.
thank you,Norman, for the article.

June 13th, 2011, 12:24 am

 

Abughassan said:

Early reports indicate that a large number of violent criminals from Idlib may have fled to Turkey. If these reports are accurate,more tension is likely with our neighbor to the north.There is now a network of criminals who are ready to move when money becomes available. The idiotic open border policy in Syria needs to stop. Another problem is the obvious involvement of corrupt officials in allowing the smuggling of loads of weapons into Syria.

June 13th, 2011, 12:47 am

 

Assortment: Bahrain, Syria, Website Re-Design | Mideast Reports said:

[…] I got this excerpt from Syria Comment. I find it interesting because so far Aleppo has been relatively quite in terms of protests. Aleppo […]

June 13th, 2011, 1:01 am

 

syau said:

Haz,

How would you like the confessions to come about? A dinner party or perhaps a play where the criminal is the narrator. If that is not to your liking, you could request a mini series, maybe if they act their crimes out screen it would be more exciting viewing for you.

They committed horrific crimes and described how it was done, in Jisr Alshughour and the other crimes in this peaceful revolution.

During the ordeal Nidal Jannoud had to endure, which was caught on camera, two of the criminals who were caught, described how they captured and killed him. Was that also not believable in your mind?
I think if they confessed to you personally, you would’nt believe it.

I wonder, do you believe the fabrications of the revolutionists?
There a masses of evident fabrications, what are your thoughts on them?

Yes, the people of Syria do have a right to voice their opinion, but voice their opinion, not commit crimes. The Syrian government also has the right to defend their people and their country from outside entities trying to destabilise the country.

June 13th, 2011, 1:02 am

 

Abughassan said:

A government mouthpiece is making fun of Erdogan for “failing” to secure the 2/3 majority required to change the constitution. I wonder if Turkey’s PM can use the Syrian expertise to reach the magic 99.99% number next time. Turkey deserves praise for allowing its citizens to vote in free elections.

June 13th, 2011, 1:06 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

The rise of Recep Tayyep Erdogan,and his success in Turkey economically,and politically,certainly has effect on the Arab people,who lost all confidence in their leaders,while Erdogan popularity in the Arab world has sky rocketed,it may have contributed to the arab revolution that is spreading all across the middle east,his success today,will increase his popularity among Arab,he is the one who may give hopes to the Arab,to get rid of their hated dictators,and he will be the most important leader of the middle East, I said it before Turkey has a leading role in the Arab world.Erdogan has the intelligence,personality,strategy to lead,and he is close to the people, he represnts the democratic process.

June 13th, 2011, 1:59 am

 

why-discuss said:

shami

“Why ,it’s you who call for the killing and displacing of the syrian people and in the same time praising day and night the theocrats of Qom.”

You are hallucinating, I never wrote anything like that

June 13th, 2011, 2:33 am

 

why-discuss said:

Majedalkaldoon

I admire Erdogan for his economical achievement, but freedom of press is not very good:

The International Press Institute (IPI) today obtained a report from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) indicating that Turkey is currently holding at least 57 journalists in prison – apparently more than any other country

June 13th, 2011, 2:54 am

 

Mina said:

#380 Mister 873,
Sorry you are a bit too paranoid here. Tom and his girlfriend are Pro-Palestinian activists who were trying to get the sympathy of Westerners to some Middle East causes, as Tom has written.
That they have a profile in Hebrew to use it for dating Israeli Lesbian girls and telling them how cool and Muslim and Syrian they were was part of that agenda probably.
Amazing how the Quakers can be inventive some time.

June 13th, 2011, 5:22 am

 

Mina said:

Shami,
You saw half the women in Aleppo and Hama wearing niqab? You must have been dreaming too strong, sorry.

True for Idlib, where a Christian friend cannot go in his priest-dress.

June 13th, 2011, 5:25 am

 

Mina said:

AboAli 363, This is a very important piece. I hope it finds its way to the Western media, if only they can find a translator!

Bashar al Asad seems to follow what he was at 2 months ago: forbidding violence and accusing the old guard to be responsible for it and that they should be arrested, saying the gov TV are too biased. Good. It reassures me about the possibility he was under arrest himself.

Another document for the archive: remember when CNN claimed that “a woman has attacked Bashar al Asad’s car?”.
http://hussainabdulhussain.blogspot.com/2011/03/cnn-footage-assads-car-attacked-after.html
1/ we can’t see any attack, it’s pure rhetoric, 2/ Bashar al Asad was very well appreciated and was at time seen alone or with his wife in the streets of Damascus.
This CNN report came one day after the Hamidiyye demonstration. In the process of saying to the cyber opponents that the big media were ready to support them?
http://newsfromsyria.com/2011/02/18/syrians-protest/

June 13th, 2011, 5:33 am

 

louai said:

Why the fact that the gay girl is a fake does not mean anything to the uprising supports? why every time another trick is exposed we don’t hear any comment about it?
i never beloved the Syrian government before but since this uprising started i changed my mind, i never read anything to the gay girl,only one paragraph or so ,but her case show how much the west is receptive to any story comes about or from Syria and how much the word democracy hypnotic effect on the western media even if it comes from a fraud or a terrorists.

Dr.Landis please take a note of this story as you quoted her twice in your blog ,many people take it for granted what you write in this blog and i am one of them.thank you

June 13th, 2011, 5:48 am

 

Mina said:

Indeed Louai, the problem is that the so-called opponents from outside Syria have the Western and Turkish and Gulf media on their side. These media outlets do not report from the Syrian opponent inside either, as if suddenly they didn’t have any Arabic speaking staff.
They also systematically discredit the confessions broadcasted on Syrian TV but for some of these, you can really see that some of the very dumb and very poor guys telling what happened in all details for 15 minutes cannot be possibly re-stating something they have learned by heart, nor could they read it since they probably don’t read. But it seems you need to be an expert to judge such things.
I wasn’t buying paper journals much in the last few years but I am not going ever to buy one again.

Sophia has published an analysis of (another Scot), Robin Kassab, on her website:
http://lespolitiques.blogspot.com/

June 13th, 2011, 6:12 am

 

haz said:

Louai,

It does mean something to me:

1. It makes me angry – this is an unneccessary propaganda victory for the Syrian government and their supporters. Now they can more easily close their ears to stories they don’t like. They can more easily ignore the foreign press and say it is all a big conspiracy.

2. A free press is the best way to uncover lies and frauds. It was a member of this evil foreign media who did most of the hard research so reveal the truth. A good, hard working man wasting valuable time.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/12/137139179/gay-girl-in-damascus-apologizes-reveals-she-was-an-american-man

3. Syria TV and ad-Dunia will never do this kind of hard work journalism. They report what they are told.

4. The only way to get near the truth is to allow as many journalists as possible to have complete freedom in Syria. There will be lies told and mistakes made, but there will also be the opportunity to discover the truth. That opportunity does not exist for anyone right now.

June 13th, 2011, 6:18 am

 

Mina said:

Great deontology:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/12/137139179/gay-girl-in-damascus-apologizes-reveals-she-was-an-american-man?ft=1&f=1001

Giving the details of the hoax, the journalists mention that Tom an his wife are now on vacation in Turkey and this is why they don’t answer emails at length.
But no mention to the fact that the very “kidnapping of Amina by the Syrian secret police” trick was meant to be able for them to go on holidays.

How nice and responsible guys. Let thousands of people have a Free Amina FB page, have dozens of article in the Western press and just say “sorry, we needed to go on vacations.” I wish we heard a call of Ban Ki Moon for her release before the hoax got discovered.

But the journalists are not passing moral judgement here. They reserve it for half-socialists states.

(To the comment above, most of the work was done not by Carvin, who systematicaly tried to cover the embarassing elements, but by the Electronic Intifada and by Liz Henry
http://bookmaniac.org/author/liz/
and the people who commented on her blog, Composite)

June 13th, 2011, 6:19 am

 

Mina said:

Haz,
The only way to get to the truth is that you could have made a Google search and found out Amina was fishy since three months.

There may even be some Iraq connections in the background of Tom MacMaster and his wife
http://bookmaniac.org/chasing-amina/comment-page-1/#comment-8790
http://www.govexec.com/features/1003/1003s4.htm

June 13th, 2011, 6:32 am

 

haz said:

Syau,

No, a dinner party is not the best way to get a confession.

Confessions are easy – I just tell you I will kill your children and rape your wife and you will confess to being Osama bin Laden on Tuesdays and Ayman Zawahiri on Thursdays, and developing a plan to kill Bashar by covering him in chocolate and leaving him in a room with 10 Kafr Souseh housewives.

We don’t want confessions, we want truth and justice. This is difficult. The best way anyone has found so far is independent courts and judges. It takes time and hard work. It can be expensive and you don’t always get the result you want. But it is the best system anyone has developed so far.

June 13th, 2011, 6:32 am

 

MIna said:

Just a typical American story: two quakers who had worked in Iraq or had relatives who worked in Iraq created a fake blogger and miraculously found post-doc scholarships to pay for their education. Just per chance, they decided to specialize on Syria.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-gay-girl-in-damascus-comes-clean/2011/06/12/AGkyH0RH_story_2.html

This is just the first case of global uncovering of one of these cyber-puppets the US government is funding to have an influence on the opinion on the world wide web.

June 13th, 2011, 6:41 am

 

haz said:

Yes Mina, I agree what they did was stupid, counter-productive, and just plain wrong. In and of itself.

You mention google – that might have found that there were people who doubted GGinD existed. But can you give me any information about the current situation in Syria that is not disputed by someone somewhere?

The fact remains that the fraud was uncovered by a number of people (you’re right) working hard over quite some time. This can only happen with a free press. The major news outlets are now reporting this new information.

That’s how a free press works. They investigate not only the government but eachother. There are still lies and frauds but many of them get found out eventually.

Syria TV and ad-Dunia never investigate the government and never investigate each other.

Without a free press in Syria, we will never come close to the truth.

June 13th, 2011, 6:45 am

 

haz said:

Mina – Lets assume the US does have a global cyber-puppet program operating. Isn’t it wonderful that a free press has been able to expose the evils of the great US conspiracy?

Imagine what these hard-working investigative journalists could do in Syria to expose the US conspiracy there!

Or, wait! Maybe this whole GGinD has been one elaborate set up to get you to trust Western journalists – that’s exactly what the Zionists want!

June 13th, 2011, 6:52 am

 

haz said:

This article’s getting closer to the truth about the Syrian uprising.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/11/syrian-elite-rich-powerful

Overstating it – there aren’t that many techno pool-parties in Syria. But you know there’s something wrong when a labourer’s daily wages wouldn’t cover two Rotana coffees.

All this talk of sects and religion hides the reality, which is exactly what the government wants. It’s really a peasant revolt.

June 13th, 2011, 7:27 am

 

Mina said:

411
It is not a free press that has exposed it, it is bloggers and twitters users all around the world. Google works in Syria too, and I am sorry if local people are not able to use it better. I even know people in Syria who work in tourism related businesses and don’t see why they should start learning writing English (and Arabic) and developing a website. So it is not all the fault of the government, sorry, there are backward mentalities in many places, and it is not what you dream a “free press” is that is going to change that. (Most newspapers in Europe are owned by the same companies who are manufacturing weapons and are the big shots close to the governements.) Even in Iraq we have seen that elections did not change that. As a matter of fact, I first thought the Gay Girl was a Syrian mukhabaraat creation because it was about to say “how cool” is Syria. But now that I see that some Protestants with Iraq connections are behind it, I think it is more fishy than that.
To be able to understand the difference between lies and truth, or between fishy reports and factual ones, you need some experience in reading. That means, reading books, and news, for many years. I am afraid that cyber-shaykhs have never encourage their listeners to start pickinng up novels and all kinds of newspapers in order to get this experience.
You believe in “free press” just as the people who were living in the decaying soviet empire, before they saw the reality of mafias and coporate businesses. But indeed, the internet has helped to verify the reports of the free press. If Bashar al Asad was the stupid tyrant some want to depict, he would have cut Twitter/FB etc again since March. He didn’t, not because he needed to trace the people using it (they would have been able to trace the people using these with proxy anonymizers anyway), but because the authorities were aware of who was launching the uprising, just when the Saudis and Qatar were embarassed with the possibility of a focus on Bahrain.

June 13th, 2011, 7:38 am

 

haz said:

Mina – I agree that ownership of the main press outlets is concentrated in too few hands.

I include bloggers as part of the free press – they are closer to what the first newspapers were – annoying, often wrong, but they make powerful people explain theselves and sometimes expose the truth. These are good things.

In Russia, journalists are killed all the time as they try to expose the corruption of powerful people. This is not a problem with free media, it is a problem of government and rule of law.

Yes, people need experience of reading. They also need to develop critical thinking. This has to start with the press – if they are not critical of what they are told, how will the audience ever become more critical and savvy?

People always say ‘Syrians are not ready for democracy, not ready for freedom of speech’. But what is being done to prepare them then? Nothing. Nobody reads in Syria. Why not? Powerful people don’t want them to.

Thinking something seems fishy is only the first step. It doesn’t mean there is evil being done, it means we should investigate more closely. Sometimes it really is just stupidity or ignorance and good intentions. Sometimes it is a conspiracy. Don’t just blame SA and Qatar – become a journalist, try to find out the truth. Find some evidence.

Without people (citizens, journalists, bloggers, everyone) being free to investigate, ask questions, and criticize, we will never know.

If we never teach people how to do this, and tell them it’s ok, they will never learn.

June 13th, 2011, 7:49 am

 
 

SYRIAN HAMSTER said:

Diversion, diversion, and more diversion. This is all what you regime lackies are capable of. While in my rat hole, I was reading your posts, through my US glandistintly provided satellite internet. Boy, (or Girl), how pathetic are you. I threw up quite few times thinking that there are humans, who a rodent like me should look up to as the peak of evolution, yet write like you pathetic bashar lovestruck. I guess a rodent brain has more clarity than yours.

On the Fake Amina
Fake or not, it exposed how homophobic you are. I bett you would be the first to skin a gay man or girl and tie them to a pole in the middle of no where. You are no different than the skinheads.

On Joshua Landis
You ingrates. Yup, thats all i have to say….

On Scetarianism
Yasin Haj Salih, a great Syrian has a name for people like you, he calls you Secular Sectarians. Your secularism is fake and it shows. Your fears are purely sectarian, your talk smell of sectarianism (as rodent i can smell the stinch miles away) and your approach to secularism is clearly purely sectarian rather than the civil egalitarian approach. Being a minority, or belonging to what you think is the enlightened part of the majority, does not automatically qualify you as secular.

You are so obsessed with the image of the west and no Hijab or Niqab, bars, and dance clubs as the only vision of a secular society, and yet you spare no opportunity to attack the west, its values, and its accomplishments. To your sick knowledge, Banyas, the city you have maligned as a hotbed of salafism has more per/capita women with higher education than most large metropolitans including some of your rich freinds neighborhoods in Aleppo and Damascus.

On your failing PRESIDENT
You would have fired such an incompetent employee in a split second had it affected your own profit margin, and yet you defend a lazy bum,who spend 11 years lying and telling us that he is working on reform laws nights and days, only to now cry excuses, like any procrastinator who always blames otheres for his lack of performance that people want everything in 15 days. He lies and you know it and you still cover for his lie. In the start of this revolution, everyone was begging this lazy president of yours to come up with a reform agenda. He still wants to do it alone without telling everyone. As for his claims that no one liked the turkish model, it is utter BS like every lie he has been using as excuse for years now. Were the people of Syria consulted, or does he mean by everyone, Maher and the thugs around him.

In the meantimes, keep lying to yoursefl. Few weeks a go you said Khelset, well, let us see if it did or not. Jisr is not the end of the road, and the pathetic interviews and confession theatrics have become laughable.

The thing I love the most is injecting smilies when talking about massacres. How pathetic and sick is that.

To Syrians for Freedom
Dear friends, I spend most of my time in a rat hole, but I love reading your posts. Some of you have shown a keen ability to expose fake empathy on the spot. I salute you, you know who you are. Especially those writing from inside Syria. You have my admiration (if you care for the admiration of a rodent).

Tanks are approaching, I better get deep in my rathole to avoid being smashed.

June 13th, 2011, 9:11 am

 

Shami said:

Mina ,
I’m an Aleppine.
Most of women in the districts in which are concentrated 80% of the inhabitant of the city wear it,in Aleppo it’s called Bajayeh and it’s full covering,more covering than the Niqab,when i say full ,it even includes the eyes ,the hands .
Most of these women are Sufis ,the people close to the MB wear Hijab and in general the MB people like the university ,they are very educated.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3njJKvBpFl8/SdGmaZkxlwI/AAAAAAAAEkU/SpgX90jLirA/DSC_0144%5B9%5D.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/keltia17/4410104863/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilhester/2795661741/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/megascope/414444615/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amandachchen/5693071328/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerstinmattys/5630059795/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazy_jenius/2131697106/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bilwander/3520769046/

June 13th, 2011, 9:31 am

 

SYRIAN HAMSTER said:

One more peak from my rathole.

On Erdoghan

Regime Lackies:

Every success AKP makes scares the crap out of you, not because they are islamists, or because they are dealing with the MB (whome i really dislike), but becasue successes of the honest, nationalist, yet humanist, turkish leadership show you how incompetent your beloved regime is. A 5 folds increase in average income for Turkish people in less than 10 years could not have come without a smart leadership, excellent management, and hard work. It is obvious that when push comes to shove, you will try to put the Turkish Prime Minister and his party down, not only because he put your lazy president to task, but because his successes expose all the deficiencies, lack of sincerity and seriousness, and the contempt your regime has for its own people (which is very obvious in your own writings)

Now you delude yourself with eminent strif in Turkey, with jokster claims that AKP does not have mandate to change the constitution, and that it did not win with a 2/3 majority, not recognizing that all of what you said are only supportive of the counter argument, which clearly indicate that Turkey is well on its way to becoming a full member of democratic nations unlike what your regime is proposing to the people of Syria.

Tanks are getting closer, better turn off my american suplied internet link and get into my rathole

June 13th, 2011, 9:37 am

 

Mina said:

Shami,

You are an Aleppine and you’ve decided to call yourself “Shami” ?

What a joke. (There is an old rivalry and bias between the two cities, for non-insiders, Shami meaning “Damascene” in Syrian Arabic.)

I know Shafiite women in Syria wear the niqab, and this has nothing to do with their being a Sufi or not. I have spent months in Aleppo and you won’t fool me. Apart from a beggar and her kids there is very little girls in niqab at Aleppo university.

Maybe i should migrate to Sophia’s blog, with the other folks. It is getting boring to talk to ghosts in the US who visit the Middle East so rarely.

June 13th, 2011, 10:05 am

 

Shami said:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30835184@N05/3201448720/in/photostream/

In Syria ,we are still in the pre internet era where internet is the most usefull !!!

June 13th, 2011, 10:08 am

 

SYRIAN HAMSTER said:

MINA
The rat says: Good proposal, it is a win-win solution. Go for it.

June 13th, 2011, 10:21 am

 

Mina said:

Syrian Hamster,

When you Erdogan fan will tell me that you are ready to take up 2 jobs and to have all the girls of your family working, because your country’s economy needs it, I’ll be ready to listen to you saying that you want Syria to prosper on the Turkish model.

I have no doubt the Syrian people are fed up with the Mukhabaraat, but to push them in the hands of US Neocons and their protestant preachers who bring only hatred, kidnappings and murders as in Iraq is certainly a lose-lose combination.

June 13th, 2011, 10:26 am

 

Jad said:

“ميديا” سورية جديدة  
المصدر : ريم فرج | إيفين دوبا   
12/06/2011
  على اعتبارها سلطة شعبية..  
  رفع وصاية السلطة التنفيذية عن الإعلام في قانونه الجديد  
فرصة جديدة مع هامش أوسع وحرية أكبر ستكون على موعد جديد مع الإعلاميين من مختلف المواقع، حيث لا سرية للمعلومات، ولا أوراق غير مكشوفة، الأمر الذي من شأنه منح  صدقية ومهنية أشمل للإعلام السوري عامةً، وإذا كان بعضهم قد اتهم الإعلام الوطني بعدم نقل المعلومة الصحيحة للجمهور، أو أنه قيد دوره وفعاليته،
فإننا نستطيع القول بأن قانون الإعلام الجديد سيمنح وسائل الإعلام المحلية قوّة أكبر في الحدّ من دور القنوات الأخرى التي حاولت، خلال الأزمة والحملة المغرضة التي تتعرض لها سورية، أن تمارس سطوتها بادعاءات مختلفة لا تقارب الحقيقة، وسيكون للإعلام الجديد دور وحضور قوي ومنافس عبر احترام المهنية والصدقية.
 
http://www.baladnaonline.net/ar/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56363&Itemid=55

June 13th, 2011, 10:34 am

 

Usama said:

NK, #358

I’m not lying. Unlike you, I gave you my personal experiences from the specific school I went to. This was back in the 90’s. After reading your comment, I visited my parents to ask them personally, and they looked absolutely clueless. They never heard that line before! My father finished school in the mid 70’s in Aleppo, and my mother finished school in the early 80’s in Damascus. They have not heard this before.

One of your sources said “… I don’t see anything more beautiful than the slogan us Baathists lifted in the mid 80’s …” and that could be a clue to when this slogan may have come up. What I’m saying is, to my OWN experience, and my parents’ OWN experiences, in public schools in 3 different Syrian cities, we have never heard of or seen that slogan in schools. It could have been a limited timeframe in which it was chanted in schools (maybe mid 80’s), but not in our times. It could have also been a chant for Ba`th members, which no one in my immediate family was involved with. I’m stil waiting for the specifics of your personal experiences.

I am not lying about this and if you want to use this as an excuse not to answer to the other 10 points I brought up against you, then fine, have it your way, because I know in the end you’ll be looking like a fool and picking another online name for a new sense of credibility.

Now back to the Hafez al-Asad bashing. In 1967 Hafez al-Asad was Minister of Defense, which is a political position. The real power in government is the president and the real power in the military is ra2ees al-2arkan (not sure when the English translation of that would be). Hafez al-Asad was also chief of the Air Force I think, which was completely disabled within a few hours when the Zionists raided all the air bases. To come now trying to say that Hafez al-Asad ordered a withdrawal from Golan before the Zionists came is ABSURD! What about Salah Jdeed (Atassi’s string-master)? What about ra2ees al-2arkan? Not even the zionists claim they got the Golan for free. Their documentaries talk about their battles in the tunnel system, to which they had the maps thanks to the spy Cohen. Then now you want to come to say the army withdrew before the Zionists came in? You want to say that, Hafez al-Asad, not even in a leadership role at the time, ordered the withdrawal of the army 2 hours before the Golan was taken? Damn right I’m going to dismiss your story because it’s full of holes and bullshit.

Not that I think you have a comeback for those, but just in case you want to argue against my other points that you chose to ignore or “forgot” about:
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=10173&cp=all#comment-255553
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=10173&cp=all#comment-255611

PS: You saw the pictures of Jisr ash-Shugour? How do you feel? 🙂
ya7ya al-jaish!

June 13th, 2011, 10:34 am

 

Shami said:

Mina ,

I’m a product of Aleppo and i know my city inch by inch.
50 % could be not accurate for Idleb ,but for Aleppo,Bab,Manbej,3zaz…it’s likely more.
It’s obvious ,Do a search on flickr with” aleppo women” as key words.And these clichés are taken from the touristic places around the citadel and the historical christian district(today mostly inhabited by muslims) in Aleppo not from the populous quarters which concentrate 80 % of city ‘s population.

Shami means being from Syria(the islamic name of Syria).
Even in the SSNP vocabulary,they use the word Shami for the inhabited of today Syria.
The correct name for the Damascene is Dimashqi.
In Egypt too they call Cairo ,Misr which is not accurate.

As for Sufism,it’s not restricted to a mazhab ,the sufis belong to the 4 mazaheb ,Sufism is known in all Sunnis rites, hanafis,shafiis,hanbalis,malikis.
For the historical figures:
Ibn Arabi=Maliki
Abi Yazid al Bistami:Hanafi
Imam Al Ghazali:Shaf3i
Abdelkader Al Gilani:Hanbali.

Also ,the specificity of the Syrian MB is that many of them are Sufis.(i would say neo-sufis).

Also ,there are a decent number of women with Bajayeh in Aleppo university,i personaly know student in medecine who wear it ,they are also very educated,there was a law that restricted the freedom of the niqabi teachers and university students ,but it seems that the law was reversed after a meeting between Bashar and the Aleppine shouyoukh which happened recently.

Most of beggars in Aleppo are ‘urbat and Nawar ,they are external from Aleppo and their women are lightly veiled or not at all,these populations are not conservative muslims at all.

June 13th, 2011, 10:36 am

 

Syrian Knight said:

Norman, spare me your ire. I will voice criticism where it is due. You can like Joshua Landis all you want, but he is no Syria expert, just another con artist. He has hid so many things from us for the sake of pretending to be objective. How objective can one be if he is a member of the opposition, promotes a FAKE blog that just so happens to be anti-Syrian, and all of his articles cite only anti-Syrian messages and doomsday scenarios that we have been hearing for the past 40 years? This is ridiculous. An American who is an expert on Syria… Yeah, and I’m the king of Saudi Arabia.

June 13th, 2011, 10:42 am

 

EHSANI2 said:

Syrian Knight,

Why are you on Dr. Landis’s forum then?

Syrian Hamster,

Your comment here get my vote for the SC comment of the year award

June 13th, 2011, 10:51 am

 

SYRIAN HAMSTER said:

MINA

A hamster life is 24 hours work. The wheal must keep turning in my cage 24/7, otherwise I will not get my feeding tablets.

You know nothing about me and yet you judge me as someone against womens’ work and opportunity. I am defending homosexuals in a previous post and accusing pro-regime and now many anti-regime posters of being homophobic, is that consistent with being anti women?

I am a fan of every sincere leader. In the MENA region, that includes one Iranian former president (Khatami), the leader of HA (i forgive his recent slip), and an old, forgotten sudanese general with the name of Suar Al-dahab. So Eroghan and before him Bülent Ecevit, who was the first PM to challange the turkish people to take their rightful place are both on my list of respected leaders. Sadly, neither Bashar, nor Hafez have managed to challange the Syrian people, execpt to tolerate hardship so that they can play fake resistance with the sole purpose of regime survival not national accomplishments. I am watching the current PM of Egypt, and he is a likely candidate on my list of good, sincere, and honest politicians. That does not mean honest politicians do not make mistakes. The neocon thing is your claim, and there is no verification for a relationship between neocon plans and events in Syria other than some opportunistic attempts by some neocons.

However, I am sorry if my words were blunt.

Now Back to my hole.

June 13th, 2011, 10:54 am

 

Shami said:

Also for Hijab ,the Niqab and other kind of Khimar ,syrian women from all mazaheb and islamic trends wear it.
In post Asad Syria ,we will evolve and our women will be as free than in Morocco,Turkey and Tunisia ,the current context is not static,the return to the hijab was in general a kind of popular resistance against asad regime.

June 13th, 2011, 10:54 am

 

Averroes said:

I’m sure that someone has already posted it here, but it’s official now. Gay Girl in Damascus is yet another hoax in this fake revolution.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/13/gay-girl-in-damascus-hoax-blog?INTCMP=SRCH

June 13th, 2011, 10:56 am

 

EHSANI2 said:

Syrian Hamster,

Your 421 and 423 get my vote for the SC comment/s of the year award.

June 13th, 2011, 11:02 am

 

Jad said:

The article in French, I couldn’t find an English version of it 
http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2011/06/12/97001-20110612FILWWW00032-dumas-juppe-est-un-bouledogue.php

شبه وزير الخارجية الفرنسي بـ«كلب البولدوغ»…رولان دوما: سياسة ساركوزي ضد ليبيا وسورية حملة صليبية تناقض مصالحنا 

شبه وزير الخارجية الفرنسي الأسبق رولان دوما خلفه الحالي آلان جوبيه بـ«كلب البولدوغ» المعروف بأنه كسول جداً، محذراً من أن السياسة الحالية إزاء الدول العربية بمثابة حملة صليبية تعارض مصالح فرنسا.
وقال دوما: «منذ ديغول حتى شيراك عرفت فرنسا كيف تحافظ على موقف مؤيد للعرب لكن بحذر وبانضمامه إلى الحلف الأطلسي أطلق نيكولا ساركوزي آلة قتل في ليبيا، وهاهي تتحول إلى سهرة سمر حربية وغير مفهومة إزاء سورية»، واعتبر رئيس المجلس الدستوري سابقاً أن هذه «الطريقة في التعاطي عبارة عن حملة صليبية حديثة تناقض مصالح فرنسا».
وعلق السياسي الفرنسي الاشتراكي المحنك في حديث لصحيفة «سود ويست» الفرنسية على الربيع العربي، وقال: «هذا مهم، لا يمكننا أن نكون ضد انتفاء أسباب وجود الديكتاتوريين، لكن كوننا تعاملنا معهم لعقود طويلة وجب علينا التزام ضبط النفس، ولنترك الشعوب العربية تطور ربيعها بنفسها». وحذر دوما من «تسخير الأمم المتحدة باسم حماية المدنيين من أجل اختيار المحاور الذي يناسبنا، فليس من شأننا أن نفرض رؤيتنا للديمقراطية على الشعوب العربية».
وتطرق رولان دوما إلى تصرفات وزير الخارجية الحالي آلان جوبيه وقال: «أنا مندهش من رؤية رجل ذكي مثله يتبنى موقفاً كهذا، وأندهش أقل عندما أنظر إلى طبيعته، فهو عبارة عن بولدوغ (نوع من الكلاب معروف أنه كسول ويجلس ساعات ويتحرك ببطء) يفكر كثيراً إلى درجة ارتكاب الأخطاء». ومعروف عن كلب «بولدوغ» أنه كسول جداً.
وحذر دوما من أن السياسة الخارجية الحالية تقود إلى إشعال المنطقة على المدى المتوسط، وشدد على أنه لا يمكن أن يتم حل أي شيء قبل إيجاد حل بين الفلسطينيين والإسرائيليين في حين الإسرائيليون يتصلبون في مواقفهم وأوباما لا يتحرك، واعتبر أن زيارة جوبيه الأخيرة إلى واشنطن «لا معنى لها وليست سوى تحضير لحملة ساركوزي الرئاسية عام 2012».
http://alwatan.sy/dindex.php?idn=102945

June 13th, 2011, 11:06 am

 

Revlon said:

Jr’s own speech to the parliament in March left no doubt about his intentions and responsibility for the planning and the execution of the violent crackdown on demonstrators in Syria.

1. Jr. saw a conspiracy that mixed seditions with the demands for reforms and addressing daily needs

“Of course I have just started to talk about this conspiracy, and then I will move to the internal situation, so that satellite T.V. stations will not say that the Syrian president considered all what has happened a foreign conspiracy
So, they mixed up three elements: sedition, reform, and daily needs …..
In fact there is no conspiracy theory. There is a conspiracy…..
We have not yet discovered the whole structure of this conspiracy.
We have discovered part of it but it is highly organized. There are support groups in more than one governorate linked to some countries abroad. There are media groups, forgery groups and groups of “eye-witnesses”.

2. Jr was aware of the atrocities that might be committed.
He considered killings, arrests, and torture as “NATURAL REACTIONS” that could not be avoided in street demonstrations, in spite of the clear orders to the contrary.

“There were clear instructions not to harm any Syrian citizens. But unfortunately, when things move to the street, and dialogue is conducted in the street and outside institutions, things naturally become chaotic and reaction rather than action rules the day.
This is what happened and you all know that”

3. Jr’s reaction to the blood shed was that of mere “concern”

“In any case, the blood that was spilled on the streets is Syrian blood, and we are all concerned because the victims are our brothers and their families are our families”

4. Jr believes that “the yielding of the STATE to the PEOPLE on reforms to be weakness, and thus bad in principle”.
He is in principle not prepared to concede under the pressure of the People.

“So, did we make these reforms because there is a problem or because there is sedition? If there was no sedition wouldn’t we have done these reforms? If the answer is yes, it means that the state is opportunistic, and this is bad. If we say that these things were made under the pressure of a certain condition or popular pressure, this is weakness. The principle is wrong.

5. Jr considered any perpetuation of demonstrations beyond his speech, in which he pledged the introduction of reforms and improvement of daily needs, to be SEDITION.

6. By Quoting Quran, wrongly in context I must say “Sedition was worse than Killing”, Jr justified the brutal crackdown, on the premise that killing people is less harmful than destroying the country.
Furthermore, By calling the burying of sedition a duty, Jr both commissioned and absolved all regime perpetrators under Syrian laws of any legal consequences.

“Burying sedition is a national, moral, and religious duty; and all those who can contribute to burying it and do not are part of it. The Holy Quran says, “Sedition is worse than killing,” so all those involved intentionally or unintentionally in it contributes to destroying their country. So there is no compromise or middle way in this. What is at stake is the homeland and there is a huge conspiracy. We are not seeking battles. The Syrian people are peaceful people, loving people, but we have never hesitated in defending our causes, interests and principles, and if we are forced into a battle, so be it”

In summary, Jr considers ongoing demonstrations, in spite of all of his reforms, as a conspiracy.
He believes that killing people is justified to avoid destruction of the country.

June 13th, 2011, 11:19 am

 

N.Z. said:

The Assad mafia has no legitimacy in Syria. The excessive power they are using on a legitimate uprising is hastening their fall.

Every fallen army personnel, police officer and citizen is a hero, our heroes, including Joshua Landis wife’s cousin. One of the earliest to refuse the order ” shoot to kill protesters”.

It is a battle that this mafia is adamant to loose. Their cronies do not represent the Syrian Army. They are a small percentage, less than 5% of the population, self serving and opportunist, they are a spit image of a bygone era, The Middle Ages in Europe. They think and talk like the despicable commentator-Syrian Knight.

There is an ongoing battle between 4 tanks in Jisr al Shougour now. The truth will surface and evil will be defeated.

No amount of deterrence will take away from the legitimacy of this uprising. The amount of lies and propaganda invented by this mafia and their sahabihas is surreal.

June 13th, 2011, 11:21 am

 

why-discuss said:

“Turkey’s smear campaign against the Syrian government is much worse than the propaganda spread by Arab media to tarnish the image of Damascus with regards to its recent unrest. ”
(Video of the mass grave and the people of Jisr al Shoughour by PressTV )

…”Political analysts in Middle East affairs have accused Ankara of playing a double game — claiming to support the Damascus government in order to have greater influence in the Middle East, while at the same time supporting and providing a safe haven for armed gangs seeking to incite revolt in Syria.

Iranian analyst Hadi Mohammadi says that the United States has now formed operational headquarters in southern Turkey close to the border with Syria to direct the riots in the Arab country after its attempts to cause unrest in southern Syria were unsuccessful.

Mohammadi said that the United States has assigned Turkey to carry out its anti-Syria plan. It has hence provided aid to the Turkish Army to assist Syrian dissidents in crossing into Turkey and settle in tent villages set up in Turkey’s Hatay Province. ”

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184492.html

June 13th, 2011, 11:28 am

 

Syrian Knight said:

Eshani, I can be on any forum I want. If being on here means that you support Joshua’s lies, and that everyone who doesn’t should just leave, you will be left with a blog full of radical Islamists, probably arguing over which sacred toilet Mohamed used last before he died. God knows that these extremists have killed each other over much less then that. Syria does not need scum like those people pretending to the world that they need freedom and democracy. We know very well the kind of freedom they are asking for. We heard their demands since the very beginning: Kill all the non-Sunnis, give up the government to an Islamic radical entity, turn the country into Saudi Arabia #2, segregation in schools between males and females, ban anything they consider ‘un-Islamic,’ etc etc etc, there is no end to their demands. I would much rather expose these slobs for what they really are by posting information that Joshua tends to deliberately ‘miss’ then to just do nothing and watch my country get taken over.

As someone who HAS received sectarian and violent death threats by these so-called ‘peaceful protesters,’ I am very much entitled the chance to voice my support to the courageous army that is pounding these pigs into the ground.

June 13th, 2011, 11:31 am

 

SYRIAN HAMSTER said:

EHSANI2
Thank you. A complement from you such as this is a badge of honor.

June 13th, 2011, 11:38 am

 

N.Z. said:

WD,

Seems that some will rather have a Mubarak in Turkey to prevent refugees from entering Turkey. They want a siege on Syria, same as the one in Gaza.

June 13th, 2011, 11:38 am

 

Mina said:

I suspect Syria is being punished for that:
http://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/terrorism-a-fundamentalism/10149-turkey-discovers-weapons-on-iranian-regimes-plane-to-syria
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/plane-allegedly-carrying-arms-from-iran-to-syria-forced-to-land-in-turkey-1.349568

So in exchange, they had to accept to clean up all the pockets of armed extremists on which they had turned a blind eye for eyes, to please Saudi businessmen.

Let’s hope its will soon come to an end, now that they have ‘felt the heat’ enough for the last 3 months, and as Mikati has finally formed a governement.

June 13th, 2011, 11:44 am

 

Shami said:

Jad ,Dumas is among others an advocate of Ghadafi and prior to him Gbagbo of ivory coast.
Also ,his mistress was a daughter of ones of asad regime icon.

June 13th, 2011, 11:50 am

 

atassi said:

Syrians, not Westerners, will topple Assad The regime is mortally wounded — but British military force cannot finish it off
Malcolm Rifkind
13 June 2011
© 2011 Times Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved

One of my least pleasant experiences as Foreign Secretary was meeting President Hafez al-Assad in Damascus in September 1995. The father of Syria’s current dictator was a cold, ruthless despot. He occasionally smiled with his lips but never with his eyes. He had much blood on his hands. The Hama massacre of 1982 resulted in an estimated 20,000 deaths and has been described as the single deadliest act by any Arab government against its own people in the modern Middle East.

His son, Bashar al-Assad, is not yet in that league but soon may be. The current army assault on Jisr al-Shughour, a town of 50,000 people only 12 miles from the Turkish border, is merely the latest brutal attack by the Syrian military on its own people since the popular uprising began in March.

The Syrian Government is doing what Gaddafi would like to do. We are witnessing the worst killing and repression since the Arab Spring began and, in Syria, it is likely to get much worse. Libya is calm, if only in comparison. Why then does the world seem silent as peaceful Syrian civilians are mown down? Where are the Nato planes? Why does the UN Security Council not act?

The case for diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions against the regime is unanswerable. If the Security Council cannot agree, Britain, the US and the EU should act unilaterally with all the sanctions at their disposal, such as freezing assets and banning the regime’s leaders from travelling.

A military response, however, as is happening in Libya, is not possible, nor would it be sensible. The Arab League would be hostile, the Russians and Chinese would veto it and military strikes by the United States or Britain, without the legitimacy conferred by the UN Security Council are impossible since the ill-conceived Iraq war.

In any event, a no-fly zone and air strikes similar to those being used in Libya would be pointless in Syria. Libya is very unusual in having a vast territory but with a small population living, almost exclusively, close to the main highway running from Tripoli to Benghazi along the northern coast. It is all desert; there are few mountains or valleys. There is no hiding place for Gaddafi’s tanks or artillery on the road between the main towns and cities.

Syria, in contrast, has a large population of around 22 million throughout a country of largely hilly terrain. The Syrian Army is well over 200,000 strong and Nato air power would have little impact except as part of an all-out war.

There is also the not insignificant fact that with operations ongoing in Afghanistan and Libya, neither Britain nor France has the aircraft or the munitions that would be required to be involved in a third conflict in the region.

While these considerations will bring some comfort to the regime in Damascus it is difficult to see how it can survive in the longer term. Until a week or so it seemed probable that Syria would be like Iran, where comparable repression, over the past two years, has destroyed the mass protests and driven the opposition underground. That may still happen in Syria but, after three months, popular anger is still growing. Only last week the Government admitted that more than 120 of its own troops had been killed in the far north of the country.

Whatever the success of the army and security forces in stifling protest over the next few weeks, the regime is mortally wounded. Assad and his colleagues believed that they had a legitimacy and rapport with their own people denied to Mubarak because of their hostility to Israel, support for Hizbollah and Hamas and championing of Arab grievances. Even if there was ever truth in that claim, it is now worthless when the regime is massacring its own people.

It is significant that dictatorships such as Assad’s are facing much more hostility from their own people than the Arab monarchies, whose kings and sheikhs still enjoy a degree of deference and respect as the legitimate rulers of their very conservative peoples. Assad may have inherited power from his father but that is as much a burden for him as an asset.

Nor, unlike many Arab states, can Syria rely on oil wealth to try to buy off dissent and offset the collapse of its tourist income and much of the rest of its economy. Shimon Peres once told me that in the Middle East there were “Holy Lands and Oily Lands”. Syria is neither. Although it has some oil it is expected to become a net importer of petroleum in the next year or so.

There are those in the West, and even in Israel, who would prefer Assad to survive, on the principle of better the devil you know. Their argument is that the Assad regime is secular while his enemies include Islamists. They worry that Syria, like Iraq, may collapse into sectarianism. The Israelis feel they have the measure of Assad, even if they have nothing in common.

Whether or not these concerns are valid they are irrelevant. The uprising in Syria is part of the Arab Spring, which, as in Egypt and Tunisia, has been an unprecedented demand by the peoples of the Arab world for freedom, the rule of law, and prosperity. Islamist theocracy, after the disillusion with Iran, is on the defensive. It offers no freedom, its ideology creates no jobs.

We should support the Syrian people not by promises of bombs and bullets that we cannot deliver but by such solid support as we can. In the end they will win their own freedom.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind is MP for Kensington. He was Foreign Secretary 1995-1997 and now chairs the Intelligence and Security Committee OpEd Live from 1pm: Malcolm Rifkind on how to aid democracy in the Middle East thetimes.co.uk/opinion

June 13th, 2011, 11:53 am

 

Syrian Knight said:

I just spoke with my family in Syria. They have been attending pro-government demonstrations. Not surprising, as like most people in Syria, my family also supports the government, and even took part in the 11,000,000 man demonstration. Apparently, demonstrations take place every day (We never hear about it in the Western media), and in large numbers. There was one in Bab Touma yesterday, and there is going to be one tonight in the Umayyad Square. They told me that they had some pictures or videos or something of themselves in a demonstration. I can’t wait to see them.

June 13th, 2011, 12:02 pm

 

Mina said:

Good news:
The London-based Arabic newspaper al-Quds claims the Syrian government spokeswoman Reem Haddad has been sacked as a director of State TV.
http://www.alquds.co.uk/index.asp?fname=today\12z498.htm&arc=data\201166-12\12z498.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/jun/13/syria-crisis-middle-east-unrest#block-18

Maybe the Syrian US opposition would like Syria’s governement to do just that
In Yemen, the US FBI has been bought in to investigate the attack on Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president, which led to his trip to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, according to the Yemen Times.
(http://www.yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=36196)
The arrival of the FBI team, which came at the request of the Yemeni government, underscores the close relationship the United States and the Saleh administration continue to maintain, despite a months long uprising and subsequent violent crackdown by government security forces that have killed hundreds of peaceful protesters.

It is all just as Pilger said.
http://www.zcommunications.org/pilger-film-and-us-visit-banned-by-john-pilger

June 13th, 2011, 12:02 pm

 

N.Z. said:

This is on Syrian TV

June 13th, 2011, 12:05 pm

 

HS said:

To JAD # 403

Machine translation is nearly your friend
You can compare the arabic and french version !!!

“The article in French, I couldn’t find an English version of it
http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2011/06/12/97001-20110612FILWWW00032-dumas-juppe-est-un-bouledogue.php

Former Foreign Minister Roland Dumas sees Alain Juppe, current holder of that portfolio, “which reflects a bulldog too, until the error”, and confirms, in an interview with Sud Ouest newspaper on Sunday, a preference for François Hollande among the Socialists. Praising the “pro-Arab position full of prudence” adopted by France “from de Gaulle to Chirac, ” criticizes Mr. Dumas Nicolas Sarkozy who, “by joining the Atlantic Alliance, has unleashed a (…) lethal mechanics in Libya which is spinning at an incomprehensible vigil of war against Syria. ”

“This way of taking up the cause of this modern crusade against the interests of France, “says the former president of the Constitutional Council and former Minister of François Mitterrand. “I am very surprised to see an intelligent man” as Alain Juppe support this policy, “less when I look at his character, ” says Dumas. “It’s a bulldog who thinks too much , up to the mistake, ” he tells about the mayor of Bordeaux, ensuring that the current foreign policy of France may lead to “the burning” in Arab countries.

Asked about the PS, Roland Dumas believes that “the Socialists are currently producing a stammer from which nothing emerges. They are gossipers who put everything on the same level. ” “A great void was left by” Dominique Strauss-Kahn, though, “the man who was not suited. The display of his wealth, his relationships, his way … DSK is a liberal wheeler dealer, “says M . Dumas.

June 13th, 2011, 12:11 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

Shami’s plans for post Assad Syria:
-open franchise stores called(Bejeheh secretes)similar to Victoria secretes,he will have his friend Alaroor do the grand opening .
-he will change the national anthem to:
ذوات البجه عليكم نقاب
أبت ان تذل الرجال الكرام
NB:Bejeyeh secretes locations:
باب النيرب -حلب
باب سباع -حمص
دوما -دمشق
جسر الشغور

June 13th, 2011, 12:13 pm

 

Usama said:

Wow, even after being exposed as a hoax, this Tom MacSomething says his stories were fiction but the events were facts. Yeah OK buddy! And dogs say meow in Syria!

AboAli, #369

I saw the video of Taleb Ibrahim he said on ad-Dunia, and he said nothing wrong. He was clearly not talking about “protesters” but was talking about the armed terrorists. Keep lying and twisting facts, nothing new.

Tara, #379

I say we believe the story about the Shabbiha (who don’t exist)! YEAH!! Besides, this way the opposition still looks peaceful, right?

Haz, #405

1. Sorry buddy, we didn’t need this Gay Girl to know that there is a big conspiracy against the very fabric of the country.
2. No, that is wrong, and especially not in Syria’s case. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/31/israel-pr-victory-images-war
3. They are going directly to the places in question and speaking with the people, unlike your trustable sources. Ad-Dunya’s material is also noticeably different from state TV’s material.
4. You live in fantasy. Read #2 again.
عنزة ولو طارت
No matter what happens, you’ll always want to believe things your own way. That is why you criticize Syrian media but hail social media like it is the new prophet sent by God. Oh did I say social media? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks?CMP=twt_gu?CMP=NECNETTXT766
Despite all that, internet is still available in Syria, and is being expanded into rural areas as we speak.

Haz, #392, #408

When a guy gives a confession to state TV, you say he’s under pressure and threats.
When a guy gives a confession to other channels.. you say he’s under pressure and threats.
عنزة ولو طارت

Haz, #410

It’s not about free media. There is NO SUCH THING as free and independent media. Wake up please!
A bunch of bloggers investigated because they hailed this Amina as a Syrian hero, not just for the “LGBT community” (to which those bloggers belong) but for “all Syrians”. This is why they had to save face by looking into this. Same goes for Carvin. He reported on her and idolised her on NPR, and if he were to do nothing, he would have been widely exposed as lacking journalistic principles… whatever the hell that means nowadays.

Haz, #414

Let’s say you are right. Is toppling Bashar going to solve this problem now? In the next few years? Within this decade? I think you know the real answer even if you hate to admit it.

Syrian Hamster, #423

AKP’s best result was in 2002. Now they don’t have enough seats to send their constitution measures to referendum. You also talk about average income increasing, but you choose not to talk about prices increasing to match European prices. In other words, with the dramatic income increase, there was inflation as well. Diesel price in Turkey today is about 6 times higher than in Syria. How do you think the prices of everything else compare when diesel is that costly?

N.Z., #438

“Every fallen army personnel, police officer and citizen is a hero, our heroes, including Joshua Landis wife’s cousin. One of the earliest to refuse the order ” shoot to kill protesters”.”

Hey douchebag, Dr. Landis already showed that was not true and that he was killed by armed terrorists.

June 13th, 2011, 12:26 pm

 

N.Z. said:

To the supporters,

Hypothetically, will you rather have this regime remain in power the way Qaddafi still is, or, leave like Ben Ali and Mubarak and save Syrians from the unknown ?

Keeping in mind that they will be ousted.

June 13th, 2011, 12:30 pm

 

Usama said:

Mina,

Why do you think it was a good thing to sack Reem Haddad? Was there something specific that she did?

June 13th, 2011, 12:31 pm

 

aboali said:

truth on Syrian t.v!

June 13th, 2011, 12:37 pm

 

HS said:

original interview of Roland Dumas
( longer version !! in french )
http://www.sudouest.fr/2011/06/12/dumas-penche-plutot-pour-hollande-423955-625.php

June 13th, 2011, 12:41 pm

 

N.Z. said:

Syrian troops round up hundreds of people in a sweep through villages near Jisr al-Shughour, what is unfolding in front of our eyes is another Hama.

Rifa’t alsaffah was blamed then and ousted. Junior is replicating what his father did 30 years ago, with one difference, this time Bashar’s audacity far surpassed his father.

June 13th, 2011, 12:49 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

It’s funny how ONLY things against Syria is the ‘truth.’ How many retards here believed in the gay whore in Damascus? How many believed in the fake resignation of the Syrian ambassador to France? How many believed that terrorist story that Mukhabarat killed Nidal Janoud until the video released showed otherwise? How many believed the fake Banias story about soldiers killing each other until we got a video that showed armed terrorists killing them? How many stupid people still believe every single lie that comes from this Islamic revolution? The only weapon these Islamists have is the media, and they have to lie their asses of to goad stupid Western people into supporting them. Westerners are so dumb. They literally believe everything the media tells them. They pretend to be outraged that they were lied to about WMD in Iraq, No Fly Zone in Libya turning into a full-scale war, and every intervention their countries seek — AFTER they see the horrors they have done. But they are SOOOOO dumb, the average Westerner just keeps doing the same mistake over and over again. “Oh, we were lied to? Well, nothing we can do about it now. Sorry about the 1,000,000 we killed,” is their typical attitude, until the next war.

June 13th, 2011, 12:49 pm

 

Shami said:

Syria no kandahar ,

Do you really believe that i will eat you ?

Most of people dont want a religious state.

I dont want Kandahar in Kandahar itself.

Our future should be steered towards the european model.

June 13th, 2011, 1:05 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Corruption, she said..

Report: $6.6B Meant For Iraq May Be ‘Largest Theft’ In U.S. History

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/13/137151762/report-6-6b-meant-for-iraq-may-be-largest-theft-in-u-s-history?ft=1&f=1001

June 13th, 2011, 1:09 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

Shami
MB will not lead Syria to europian model.

June 13th, 2011, 1:10 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Shami

Like France? same freedom of expression? same separation of religion/state?

June 13th, 2011, 1:12 pm

 

daleandersen said:

Memo to Syrian Knight:

RE: the TRUTH…

June 13th, 2011, 1:15 pm

 

5 dancing shlomos said:

so many lies about the govt of syria. so many lies about events happening or not happening in syria.

i rarely read posts(maybe zero) by prof landis. i’ve assumed, maybe incorrectly, that he is jewish and like 99.99% of jews, his real interests would be zionist and imperialist(if the imperialism is in israel’s best interest.

not that it helps, i support the current govt. any change will have to come from inside syria from honest, patriotic syrians

the psy ops and black ops attacks currently happening hurt a country already under sanctions and bearing the burden of zionist created refugees from palestine and iraq.

June 13th, 2011, 1:33 pm

 

Mina said:

These guys have no shame and take their readers for dummies!
BBC:
“The student behind a hoax blog which claimed to be written by a gay woman in Syria has defended his actions.Tom MacMaster, a US student at the University of Edinburgh, said the blog had been a fiction – but that the facts it contained were true.”
al jazeera English, Syria blog (today!)
“A new entry on Sunday in a blog purportedly by a lesbian Syrian-American living in Damascus asserted that the entire saga was a hoax, supposedly written by a man.The post, which came days after an entry saying the blogger had been siezed, was signed by “Tom MacMaster” in Istanbul, Turkey. The reported abduction of the blogger gained widespread attention in international media and a Facebook campaign was launched calling for her release. In the new blog post, the author says the narrative was fictional but insists it “created an important voice for issues I feel strongly about”.
Guardian’s Whitaker:
“I looked at the blog myself from time to time, though I never found it particularly useful as a source of information. Even so, it was an interesting read and – recognising that the writer probably had legitimate reasons for disguising “her” identity – there seemed no reason to doubt that the author was a westernised Arab lesbian.”

No apology for not having made an elementary Google Search.

No one simply stating what this Lebanese blogger said,
http://beirutspring.com/blog/2011/06/12/thank-you-tom-macmaster/
that is that when a real blogger will be arrested, no one will care. And nobody to question the possibility to manipulate groups on the internet simply by posing as “gay” or “jewish” or “MB” or “Syrian”…

This is how you recognize people who speak from a situation of belonging to “the circles of power”: they never admit their mistakes and make no apologies.

June 13th, 2011, 1:34 pm

 

Shami said:

Syria no kandahar ,and who told you that the MB will have the absolute majority ?And where is the problem if they reach it in a democratic way? MB also have rational and educated people,one of the best ministers in syrian history was Maaruf al Dawalibi who was close to the MB.(Phd in law from Sorbonne in 1939,who was married to a french woman).
http://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%81_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A8%D9%8A
And this phobia of the islamic conservative trend existed since the begining of the turkish republic and the Turkish ataturkist secular intelligence have fabricated terrorist radical parties in order to scare the world from the islamists.(as shown in Ergenekon trial)
Turkey has never been so modern and integrated into the globalization yhanks to the achievements of the AKP.
And despite all these solid achievements we do not divinize it and we criticize it where it must be.
if it continues on this pace ,Turkey is seen in the TOP 10 economies in the world in 2050 ahead of France for the most optimistic estimations and most likely at the same level of Italy in 2050.
http://www.politicalforum.com/middle-east/143250-future-bright-turkey-goldman-sachs-report-just-published.html

June 13th, 2011, 1:38 pm

 

Mina said:

Usama
I think at least it is a consistant move because of what was reported of the dialogue between Bashar al Asad and the delegation from Jobar (posted in Arabic by someone yesterday… or was it a hoax too?) when he said that indeed the Syrian media has been in part unreliable and that it should stop. She is said to have been sacked because she commented about the people who crossed to Turkey that they simply went to visit their relatives.
This is the kind of strong signals that the governement has to give if it wants to be able to assume the transition towards a better system, including probably a referendum and elections. But for this it needs the people to calm down because I think if they did announce today a referendum or an elections, the MB would simply call for a boycott (old recipe for chaos).

June 13th, 2011, 1:39 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

The US only cares about corruption in countries it pretends to care about for political gain. Hariri was the most corrupt lunatic Lebanon has ever seen, yet he is a ‘hero’ and a symbol of ‘freedom’ in the face of ‘tyranny.’ Yeah… the same ‘symbol of freedom’ who embezzled $40,000,000,000, the same symbol who threatened and killed his political opponents, the same symbol who based his life’s work on Sunni hegemony. The Hariri name is tainted.

June 13th, 2011, 1:41 pm

 

5 dancing shlomos said:

the govt of syria, syria need active support. the future and well being of not just syrians but the whole of sw asia to include iran is at stake. domination and subservience to a zionized west controlled by the jews will be hell.

June 13th, 2011, 1:50 pm

 

873 said:

Today Zaman

“Erdoğan personally attacked Assad’s brother, Maher Assad, for the brutal clampdown and said that Syria, unlike Libya, is seen as akin to a Turkish domestic affair”. “Sadly, they don’t behave like humans,” Erdoğan said, referring to Maher Assad and his team, which has been ferocious in crushing the dissent.

Maybe Syria needs to export all the Iraq refugees which have cost this already poor country a fortune, Kurds, and “democracy elements” to Turkey, as Turkey claims to be their advocates. First and foremost, deport all armed gangs- Blackwater, CACI, Titan and their proxies- to Istanbul. Let them hook up with the fake Amina agent, Tom Macmasters and his intelligence backers, and reform Turkish society. Let them concentrate their efforts there.
Havent we heard of Turkey’s burgeoning Islamist problems, esp inside their military? They could use a little reform in Ankara. Send the democracy teachers there to assist…

June 13th, 2011, 1:51 pm

 

Vedat The Turk said:

It’s looking more and more that the Turkish public is demanding Ankara take an active role in the events in Syria. The vitriol that is on display every night on the cable news shows is concerning. Dozens of politicians, retired military members and commentators are calling for the government to act. A common argument heard is that if Turkey does not act to help the Syrians then the Iranians will and this would be contrary to Turkish national interest.

This sentiment is shared by the overwhelming Turkish population. All of the countries significant politics grouping share this view – even the separatist Kurdish groups of southern Turkey near the Turkish border. What is particularly interesting is the leader of the countries largest opposition party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the Halk Partisi, is an Alawite himself and has shown no inclination whatsoever to support the regime in Damascus. Indeed, his party has been amongst the most vocal about Turkey taking action.

So far the current military leadership has not made any official statements but it’s hard to see how they would not be concerned about instability in a neighboring state with heavy Iranian involvement.

It should be remembered that Turkey is a highly nationalistic nation. Some have called it the Netherlands of the Muslim world. Most Turks consider themselves Turkish first and their ethnic affiliation second. This is particularly true of the Armed Forces. If Iranian involvement were to be validated in some type of public manner – say Iranian troops start appearing in the country to fight the demonstrators. Then Turkish military action is a near certainty. Most of the commentaors I have heard say Turkey should provide a safe haven inside of Syria to the refugees – either through air power or a token force. Others have called for arming the Syrian opposition movement…

June 13th, 2011, 2:05 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

Oh look! More peaceful protesters shooting peace bullets at people!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=121604184591554

June 13th, 2011, 2:07 pm

 

N.Z. said:

The fall of the House of Assad – By Robin Yassin-Kassab

http://bit.ly/lcJuzN

June 13th, 2011, 2:10 pm

 

Shami said:

Like France? same freedom of expression? same separation of religion/state?

This is the goal to reach through a process in which the civil society can influence the society,we were not far from it in Syria before the Baath coup.

The evolution of history does overcome irrationality and the arbitrary,and only essentialist orientalists believe that Islam and liberal democracy can not be compatible ,not necessarily like France which has its own history with a different understanding of secularization than Germany,Sweden,Holland,Spain,Portugal,Belgium….there are universal values that impose themselves on all rational people and the european integration ideal should be a source of inspiration for all.

June 13th, 2011, 2:21 pm

 

N.Z. said:

I find this fascinating, The Outlier

June 13th, 2011, 2:24 pm

 

Mina said:

If Vlad is right, then the US and Turkey are trying to destabilize Europe. The US are angry to have lost in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
But if the MB see it is so easy to topple secular governements, I have no doubt they will soon launch FB pages in many European countries.

June 13th, 2011, 2:25 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

The media are sensationalism Nazis. They are calling what is happening in Jisr al-Shoughour a ‘Scorched Earth’ policy. Scorched Earth. The tactic used by Germans to completely decimate entire towns and cities by carpet bombing everything in sight by air and sending in tanks and artillery to take care of the rest. Wow. 1,400 people dead in 3 MONTHS, and this is a ‘scorched Earth’ policy. I’m sorry, but this is WAY out of line and over the top. The only nations on Earth that use such strategies nowadays are the US and Israel. They obliterate every last building standing and kill everything and everyone in sight. THAT is scorched Earth. Scorched earth is not surgical strikes against terrorists hiding in certain areas. WOW.

June 13th, 2011, 2:30 pm

 

Mina said:

Indeed SK, they have no shame. The borders to Lebanon and Jordan are open and we don’t see lines of refugees.
While in Sudan, 140,000 people have fled from the diputed areas
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13747039

June 13th, 2011, 2:34 pm

 

Syrian Knight said:

Any attack by Turkey is premeditated. Abdel Halim Khaddam spoke over a month ago saying that Turkey, via “NATO Intervention,” will invade Syria, and that turkey was laying the groundwork for it. It seems this groundwork was to send terrorists into Jisr al-Shoughour, and when they are attacked by Syrian soldiers, Turkey will pretend, like the rest of the media has been doing forever, that Syria is ‘attacking civilians for no reason.’ Turkey needs a genocide. Let them get a taste of their own medicine. I hope Syrian missile obliterate everything in Turkey.

June 13th, 2011, 2:34 pm

 

873 said:

470. Vedat The Turk said:
“It’s looking more and more that the Turkish public is demanding Ankara take an active role in the events in Syria.”

Iran is not Turkey’s main worry here. Iran has not orchestrated the Arab Revolts across the ME. THIS IS A WESTERN OPERATION, beginning years back under Bush when Carnegie Endowment started to train its fake middle east “exile-govt” groups. In 2008 a top oil Co. CEO revealed that the West was going to begin renovating the ME nations, gutting them one by one. At that time he specifically mentioned the Dubai implosion they were facilitating- it happened shortly thereafter. In Sept 2010 this same CEO divulged that in 4-6 months the region would be in broad crises and tumult. Many of us assumed that meant Iran attack but he said NO- just major unrest and upheaval across middle east that would change the composition of the region. 2011, his serial Color Revolutions “erupted” right on schedule.

As nationalist Turks, you’d be best served defending the sovereignty of Syria, not undermining it. After Syria’s breached, you’re next. There is a big chunk of turf NWO wants to carve out of Syria, Iran and Turkey to provide an autonomous crypto-Israeli settlement colony/state for the Kurds. A zionist outpost in the heart of oil and fresh water supplies.
Turks need to be careful what they wish for.
Here is a repost of the long term Plan only partially representing the balkanization of the eastern ME. Sudan has been successfully partioned due to Arab Revolt-style “sectarian fighting”. Libya in progress. Your PM is helping The Plan along with his underming of S yria.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ralph_Peters_solution_to_Mideast.jpg
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/01/after-iraq/6577/

June 13th, 2011, 2:53 pm

 

amspirnationalist said:

As way too often the case, on several sites, the “Dancing Shlomos” commentor assumes wrongly. But why would anyone “assume” while admitting he or she hasn’t read–perhaps— any— posts of the individual “assumed” to have a certain ethnic identity and a certain ideology?!

Prof. Landis is a critic of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, a critic of America’s wars in large part fought for Israeli interests, and has been historically accused most often of being “soft” on the Syrian Baathist regime.

June 13th, 2011, 3:11 pm

 

Mina said:

Wikileaks revelations on recent Egypt/Qatar dispute about Sudan.
http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10DOHA39.html
More of Egypt’s ire
http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/02/09STATE14421.html

April 2001: Qatar and US still protecting Bin Laden against Taliban’s will to give him
http://www.aftenposten.no/spesial/wikileaksdokumenter/article4002914.ece

June 13th, 2011, 3:11 pm

 

Shami said:

873,how do you correspond Syria’s fall with the inescapable fall of the regime of maher,rami and bashar and many other makhloufs and asads ?
So according to this asadian makhloufian logic,Syria is doomed ,the syrian people has no existence,no history,no wataniyeh ,no sharaf ,no nakhweh ,and are genetically programmed to love zionism and imperialism….it’s an insult to Syria as nation.

Look at the poor journalist on asad tv:

June 13th, 2011, 3:12 pm

 

lolz said:

syrian “knight” lives in a world of alternate realities where one is expected to believe what theyre told by the same government that said the halab-dimashq highway was closed in feb 1982 due to snow accumulation.

its incredibly orwellian. i must say ‘1984’ was spot on as to how authoritarianism turns people into mindless drones.

June 13th, 2011, 3:13 pm

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

Memo to Daleandersen,

Thanks for this Reem Haddad clip. When ever I see this hideous woman of acute Reaction, with this fake upper middle class Hampstead accent, I miss Bouthaina.
.

June 13th, 2011, 3:17 pm

 

Farris said:

What people seem to be missing is that resistance to this regime has been justified for almost 40 years. It was never legitimate to begin with. Basic human rights and some form of a justice system are prerequisites to any legitimate form of government. What burgeoning civil society Syria had in the 1960s has been annihilated by 40 years of thought control and mass conformity.

June 13th, 2011, 3:18 pm

 

Akbar Palace said:

Last I checked, Assad isn’t a Jew NewZ

domination and subservience to a zionized west controlled by the jews will be hell

Dear 5 Dancing Ahmads,

Contrary to your opinion, it seems to me Arab despots like Assad Jr. are the real hell we’re witnessing at this time.

June 13th, 2011, 3:25 pm

 

daleandersen said:

Memo to VEDAT THE TURK:

RE: “It’s looking more and more that the Turkish public is demanding Ankara take an active role in the events in Syria…”

Not “in” Syria. The Turkish public wouldn’t stand for a lot of Turkish boys being shipped home in body bags. But there’s a need to set up a big humanitarian operation “at” the border and to help the people trying to escape from Maher’s bullets. Soon there will be 10,000 refugees crossing the border into Turkey and it could swell to as many as 100,000.

Turkey has changed into a kinder and gentler entity. It wants to join the EU. Going the extra mile in helping refugees counts big with EU voters. Don’t forget, homosexuals who are persecuted in Iran are granted sanctuary in Turkey. That would never have been permitted back when the Turkish military called the shots…

http://playwrighter.blogspot.com/2011/06/stuck-in-damascus-with-memphis-blues.html

June 13th, 2011, 3:26 pm

 

FACTS said:

#458
Shami,
“Our future should be steered towards the european model.”

The MB and their supports in Turkey want to steer Syria back to the Ottoman Empire. With Turkey we will never reach the european model, not in 100000000 years.
There are millions of Turks living in Europe since years, the majority of them detest Europeans and the European Culture.
They pride themselves on saying that Islam is superior to the European Culture and Christianity.
Their swelling hatred for Christians and Europeans reflects in fact their inferiority complex.

A “positive” aspect of this “REVOLUTION” is that Syrian have realized the hidden long term goal of the Sultan Of Istanbul.
By the way, i get often confronted with questions of even well educated Turks: Why did the Arabs revolt against the Ottoman Empire?
How would you respond to such a dump question?

June 13th, 2011, 3:36 pm

 

Mina said:

The guys here who are saying that Turkey wants to join the EU have not read the newspapers last year. It’s over. Turkey is not joining, has no interest in joining, and will never be let in by France and Germany. The islamophobic feeling all over Europe is also a guarantee Turkey won’t join for another 15 years. Part of the problem is that their population is larger than European states, so they would have too much weight, plus same problem with their agriculture.
No doubt still that the EU will closely watch how Turkey deals with refugees, as it had done before for Syria with the Iraqi refugees. All these munaqabaat will be allowed to ask for political asylum and get social benefits.

Shami,

The West loves the Makhluf type. Look at Hariri, Berlusconi, all these guys who own TV-s, radios, newspapers, companies. When you get rid of Makhluf you can be sure you’ll get worse instead. It’s sadly true everywhere.

June 13th, 2011, 3:39 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Dalenadersem

57 journalist in jail in Turkey, much higher that Iran and Syria, in fact the highest number in the world.

June 13th, 2011, 3:40 pm

 

Mina said:

WD
And it’s always very harsh, such as 15 years sentence for covering a pro Ocelan demo
http://blogs.mediapart.fr/blog/maxime-azadi/250211/turquie-15-ans-de-prison-pour-deux-journalistes-kurdes

or simply to mention the Armenian genocide or to say anything against Ataturk
http://www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/bulletins/turkeywriterandacademicatillayaylaprosecuted/

TURKEY: JOURNALIST FACES 28-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR BOOK
(ANSAmed) – ANKARA, JUNE 10 – Milliyet daily newspaper gives today front-page coverage to a suit filed against Turkish journalist Nedim Sener who published a book on the killing of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Sener faces 28-year prison sentence for writing a book, while the murderer of Hrant Dink faces a 20-year prison sentence, Milliyet notes. Sener’s book dwells on negligence and mistakes of the police and the intelligence organizations in the process that led to the killing of Dink. The trial of Sener starts today in Istanbul. Sener is accused of revealing secret information in his book and of attempting to influence the judiciary. The indictment demands 20 years in prison for Sener who is charged with obtaining and revealing secret information and making security officials a target. Prosecutor demands additional eight-year prison sentence for violating the privacy of communication and attempting to influence the judiciary. In addition, Sener is charged with insulting the state and an investigation I carried out in connection with this accusation. (ANSAmed).
http://www.ansamed.info/en/news/ME03.@AM39804.html

A model democracy, indeed.

June 13th, 2011, 3:55 pm

 
 

why-discuss said:

To all Turkey lovers:

Even if economically Turkey is doing well, it has a lot of pending issues, dangers and weaknesses, internal and international that may be used against it any time and hamper its development.

– Northern Cyprus, recognized only by a few countries in the world
– The Armenian massacre ( by the way Syria hosted much more than 5000 refugees when they were hunted by the Turkish army)
– The Kurdish relentless push for autonomy and the right to be educated in their own language
– Economist warns of ’unemployment shock’ in Turkey
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/finance/11128129.asp
– The possible islamisation of the society now that the secular army has been neutralized. (Internet censorship)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,739923,00.html
– The authoritarian leadership of Erdogan is being increasingly criticized by many foreign and turkish people.
http://www.meltemarikan.com/press-%C2%B7-basinda/other-news-%C2%B7-diger-haberler/turkish-writer-fears-authoritarian-shift/

June 13th, 2011, 4:18 pm

 

FACTS said:

#488 #489
Mina, Why-Discuss,

The fact is they are simply not desired and unwelcome, many consider them as drawback to the development of the hosting countries.

With such a mind set they will never fit in the european Society.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,749389,00.html

————————

“Study says Turks are Germany’s worst integrated immigrants

“….Immigrants of Turkish origin were also found to be the least successful in the labour market: they are often jobless, the percentage of housewives is high and many are dependent on welfare, the study said. The state of Saarland was found to have the worst record – 45 percent of its Turks had no educational qualification of any kind.

Reiner Klingholz, director of the institute, said language remained the key to education and successes.

“For too long we’ve been used to the fact that we have primary school classes in which 80 percent of the children don’t understand German,” he said.”

“….But Germany’s Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), told Der Spiegel that the biggest integration problems would soon be solved.

“Just simply wait for another Christian Democratic Party-led government for the next four years,” he said…..! Whatever thats mean.

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090125-16987.html

June 13th, 2011, 4:45 pm

 

aboali said:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/04/14/twisting_assads_arm?page=0,0

Assad rules through ambiguity and duplicity, and his speech on March 30, in which he blamed unrest sweeping his country on foreign “conspiracies” and refused to announce any specific reforms, indicates that he is not about to change his ways — at least not without a push from the outside. Assad has spent the last 11 years promising political “reform,” but has never got around to delivering it. This is a well-established pattern. He talks about peace with Israel while at the same time delivering Scud missiles to Hezbollah. He promises to keep his hands off Lebanon, but recently worked with Hezbollah to bring down the government in Beirut. He says, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, that he wants a nuclear-free Middle East, but stonewalls International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors investigating the rubble of his North Korean-designed nuclear program.

June 13th, 2011, 5:04 pm

 

FACTS said:

NO Immunity.

Syria slaps travel ban on Prez cousin
AFP and Reuters
Damascus/Amman, June 13, 2011

First Published: 23:09 IST(13/6/2011)
Last Updated: 01:46 IST(14/6/2011)

A Syrian official inquiry into deaths among anti-government protesters has barred two top officials from going abroad, one of them a cousin of President Bashar al-Assad, state media said on Monday. Ateb Najib, a cousin of the president and head of security in Daraa, where protests against the govern
ment erupted in mid-March and Faisal Kulthum, the town’s former governor, were both banned from foreign travel.

“Immunity is not accorded to those who commit crimes and… The law must be applied,” state media quoted the commission of inquiry as saying.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Syria-slaps-travel-ban-on-Prez-cousin/Article1-709053.aspx

June 13th, 2011, 5:07 pm

 

873 said:

481. Shami said:
“873,how do you correspond Syria’s fall with the inescapable fall of the regime of maher,rami and bashar and many other makhloufs and asads ?”

I’m not sure exactly what the question is. But if you ask if I equate the Assads to Syria- Syrian people, history, culture, language? No. If Syrians want a new govt, that should be the choice of the SYRIAN people themselves- NOT manipulation by outside forces for their own long term One World Government goal.

According to Zion, Inc the Arc of Crisis is the non-integrated, recalcitrant area resisting subjugation as one of the 10-region segments that will be eventually subsumed into the World Government entity. Broad destabilization makes the resisters very compliant if the screws are twisted tight enough.

“In the next century, nations as we know it will be obsolete; all states will recognize a single, global authority. National sovereignty wasn’t such a great idea after all.” Strobe Talbot, President Clinton’s Deputy Secretary of State, as quoted in Time, July 20th, l992.

“We shall have world government whether or not you like it, by conquest or consent.” Statement by Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) member James Warburg to The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 17th, l950

June 13th, 2011, 5:08 pm

 

aboali said:

The Soldier Who Gave Up on Assad to Protect Syria’s People

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2077348,00.html?xid=tweetbut

on a side note: I find it very funny that now all the regime-airheads are attacking Turkey and Erdogan in all sorts of amusing and imaginative ways, after singing the praises of both for many many years 🙂

June 13th, 2011, 5:12 pm

 

Vedat The Turk said:

@ DALEANDERSEN

Sorry to dissapoint you but Turkey is a VERY nationalistic country. Just attend a soccer match and listen to the chants.

Yes, Turkey is planning on joining the EU and its actions are somewhat limited by its application. However it is naive to think that the country would not intervene in events in Syria – particularly if Iranian involvement increased. Moreover most (all?) EU countries would be for such such Turkish involvement in Syria if it meant countering Iran. Besides just look at what the UK, France, Dutch and Turkey are dong in Libya. Not only is the Libyan operation sanctioned by NATO which is predominately an EU organization but its also lead by a Turkish commander.

What your argument fails to recognize is the hostile nature of the EU towards Iranian expansionism – and this includes Turkey.

June 13th, 2011, 5:24 pm

 

Vedat The Turk said:

@ MINA & Why Discuss

FYI All Turkish court rulings are appealable to the EU court of human rights. I know of no case which the EU courts have ruled that have not been upheld by Turkey. Also Turkey is signatory to several European legal protocols and conventions. Since the mid 1990’s Turkish courts have implemented significant reforms. Court rulings today are compliant with European standards of equity and justice.

As an attorney who has practiced law / worked on cases in Turkish, EU, US, Canada the problem most observers make is that they confuse US / UK Common Law notions of equity and fairness with the much harsher civil law doctrines practiced in Civil Law jurisdictions which most European countries practice. Under European Civil Law doctrine there is not as much liberties provided. Most harsh laws which are found in Turkey have a comparable law in European countries.

June 13th, 2011, 5:37 pm

 

873 said:

Vedat the Turk,

Turks may be getting their wish of US intervention sooner than you think. After that, the door and the floodgates to your backyard are wide open…

Another dual-national AIPAC traitor; straight out from his ugly treasonous mouth:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/12/ftn/main20070698.shtml
No fly zones next? They’re now even doing it in Texas!

June 13th, 2011, 5:50 pm

 

mjabali said:

Erdugan and his party are going to drag Turkey to the bad troubles of the area after years of steering towards Europe, relative stability and economic growth. The Compass had changed now from Greenwich to Mecca as evident.

Erdugan seems to be going on route to join the Saudi and Wahabi Co. that seemed to have given him some money or invested in Turkey coupled with the increase of the shared vision among the Sunnis of the Middle East.

Time will tell if his move to host the Muslim Brothers of Syria was a mistake or not. His actions show that his party is coordinating and just another branch of the Muslim Brothers and the Sunni collective that wants nothing but a Khilafa/Muslim State. They state this in the open.

Erdugan and Turkey had started trouble they could have stayed clear of, unless there is a price and probably heaven somewhere.

June 13th, 2011, 6:25 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Ankara revisits Syrian policy

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=ankara-revisits-syrian-policy-2011-06-13

Now that elections are over, Turkey must evaluate if it will stay on the side of Bashar al Assad or move in a confrontation that may undermine turkish investments in Syria and may also antagonize other arab countries (like Egypt) who observe with growing annoyance that Erdogan is seeing himself as the leader of the region.
Arab solidarity may prevail.
Le Monde:
“Erdogan se voit comme le leader de la Turquie, mais aussi de toute la région”
http://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2011/06/10/erdogan-se-voit-comme-le-leader-de-la-turquie-mais-aussi-de-toute-la-region_1534668_3210.html
My opinion is that he will back off from criticizing the Syrian government, he has too much to loose.

June 13th, 2011, 6:42 pm

 

SANDRO, LOEWE said:

Although the essence of the regime has been clearly unveiled by popular protests (brutal repression, media manipulation, many swears but no real reforms, inmovilism based on defence of rich corrupt classes and officials, systematically ignoring poor and rural people demands, etc) I believe that the nature of the corrupted machine does not accept any real reform from inside.

If this is true there are 2 clear choices:

1) Protest and international pressure keep momentum and Syria enters a low or high level civil conflict since the regime will never give up, but finally the regime colapses and falls.

2) The regime increases violence and repression and destroys the internal protests. Assad remains president but on the international scene Syria is near to zero and remains exposed to new protests, military coups, Cia operations,etc.

I see the only way to avoid both of these 2 dramatical options could be the figure of the President sending to prison all his family and most of the officials and corrupt bussinessmen in Damascus, and allying with the military and moderate opposition groups. Since the abolition of moukhabaraat is a sine qua non requirement, I am afraid this is an absolutely stupid or utopic idea but I prefer to believe that there is still a chance. More strange things have been seen in human history.

June 13th, 2011, 6:50 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Erdogan victory speech: A middle eastern leader

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=pm-poses-as-a-mideastern-rather-than-a-european-leader-2011-06-13

…In his victory speech, which has come to be nicknamed the “balcony speech,” as he addressed his followers from his party headquarters’ balcony, the prime minister did not mention even once Europe, the European Union or the West.

Well aware that he will be watched by international audiences, he preferred to address the world as a Middle Eastern leader, rather than a European or Western leader.

He started his speech by saluting “all friendly and brotherly nations from Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, Cairo, Sarajevo, Baku and Nicosia.”

Later on he said, “The hopes of the victims and the oppressed have won,” and, “Beirut has won as much as İzmir. West Bank, Gaza, Ramallah, Jerusalem have won as much as Diyarbakır. The Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans have won, just as Turkey has won.”

June 13th, 2011, 6:59 pm

 

majedkhaldoon said:

The regime said the people ask for the army to interfere,the people became refugee in Turkey or they are in the area close to the border,they said the regime is lying,they never ask for that.
it has been lies and lies.next will be Idlib,and ma3arret al nu3man.
,Demonstration next to Turkish embassy in Damascus,
No one can verify the news because of Media blackout.
Who is resposible for the violence in Syria? the answer is clear,the regime in its arrogance and the use of oppression.Demonstrations are the people right to complain against the dictator.
Turkey stopped a plane with weapons coming from Iran to Syria.
Turkey has the moral responsibility to protect the syrian.
No where in the world that pictures and videos and eyewitness are not true except in Syria.

June 13th, 2011, 7:23 pm

 

Mohamed Kanj said:

Erodogan is another Husni Mubabrak and Ben Ali in disguise. Turkey has an israeli embassy in istanbul. The turkish military has military training with the israelis. The israeli government slaughtered turkish citizens on route to Gaza, and what did Turkey do?????? Exactly, nothinggggggggggg. His response wasnt even as great as his response was for the syrian opposition. The israeli government summoned the turkish ambassador and sat him on a chair 2 metres lower than the israeli foreign minister. Is this the great Arab leader that the media tries to promote??????

Have a look at this picture taken with turkish ambassodor and the israelia foreign minister. You will see how the turkish diplomat is huddled up in the corner on his lowered sofa, facing the israelis. WHAT A HEROIC TURKISH LEADER ERODOGAN IS??????? JUDGE FOOR YOURSELF
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3833259,00.html

June 13th, 2011, 7:29 pm

 

Mohamed Kanj said:

Another article showing the humiliation of the turkish government at the hands of the Israelis.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/peres-humiliation-of-turkey-envoy-does-not-reflect-israel-s-diplomacy-1.261381

What was the response of this great Turkish leader erdogan, when turkish citizens were murdered at the hands of the israelis commandos????????? Another puppet of israel????? Is this the man that the Al jazeera and puppet gulf nations are trying to promote as the new leader of the middle east???????

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/7798493/Gaza-flotilla-attack-Turkish-activists-killed-in-raid-wanted-to-be-martyrs.html

June 13th, 2011, 7:37 pm

 

EHSANI2 said:

Mohamed Kanj

Why did Syria sign a free trade agreement with Turkey?

June 13th, 2011, 7:38 pm

 

Mohamed Kanj said:

EHSANI2 –

that has nothing to do with my statement above. When you can answer my questions above i will give an answer to your lame question

June 13th, 2011, 7:56 pm

 

why-discuss said:

Ehsani2

I would like to see the figures of the trades Turkey/Syria. Was it beneficial to Syria. My observations is that it was great for Turkey and very bad for Syria. Do you have the figures?
Syria signed because it was probably seduced by the euphoria of friendship and promised investments offered by Erdogan and because it benefited financially the merchants community close to the regime. I think it turned out to be a very bad idea as it was killing the local national industries.
Your opinion?

June 13th, 2011, 8:00 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

MB should’t trust Erdogan,he ditched his best friend(Assad),he will ditch them after he uses them.For 500 years nothing beneficial came to Syria from Turky.ماحك شعرك غير ظفرك

June 13th, 2011, 8:07 pm

 

Maha said:

Mr Landis,

On April 28 you posted a blog supposedly by a girl named Amina. We came to find out by the creator of this Amina and by CNN today that this was not real. It was fiction, created by someone who lives in Turkey and has probably never been in Syria.
I would like to see an apology or at least an announcement to your reader that the story was not real. Mr. Landis, this is not the only fake story created about Syria and the Syrian government.
We all are responsible for the bloodshed in Syria if we don’t stop this kind of instigation that is very popular now days on the web. I urge you to please be careful and verify info before posting.
I thank you very much

June 13th, 2011, 8:11 pm

 

aboali said:

the pro-regime dogs have been fully unleashed on Erdogan and Turkey now I see, perhaps they realize they’re the ones who’ll be kicking their asses very soon. While those dogs bark, the Syrian refugees forced to flee their homes and villages from Assad’s marauding death squads and thugs cheer and chant for Erdogan, the only leader with the balls to stand up for them, when their own government slaughters them by the hundreds.

If only Bashar was even one tenth the man Erdogan is, then the revolution never would have happened in the first place. But Syrians now realize they need to replace the idiot at the top real soon. That idiot won 99.9% of the “vote” by the way, while Erdogan, arguably one of the most brilliant leaders of Turkey in modern times won 50%. Just goes to show you democracy Syrian style.

June 13th, 2011, 8:52 pm

 

Sophia said:

Maha,

I think Landis has lost all credibility. Not only he posted on gay girl, he knew the people behind her as he is part of the center for Syrian studies where she works at St Andrews. Why do you think MacMaster who is not a Syria specialist is coming out and taking all the heat? To cover for his wife. And why do you think he wants to cover for his wife? Because if it is known that this is her doing it might spill on these respectable academics that are behind her. It is known that the US is financing academics as cover for their intelligence activities to cover for the lack of knowledgeable intelligence people on the terrain.

In my opinion, in this story, Froelich and her husband as well as others, are pawns of US intelligence activities in Syria. And it goes up, I don’t know how much but it goes further…They fooled many people…

June 13th, 2011, 9:24 pm

 

873 said:

These traitors have been gunning for Syria forever, but Sen Lindsey Graham’s recent feature on Sun Jun 12, 2011 morning talk shows agitating to spread the Libya mission to ‘liberate’ Syria is really sick/predictable, esp as Graham’s real loyalty to Israel over America was evident when US President Netanyahu gave marching orders to Congress during his despicable demagogue-fest.
Now others have picked up the thread of intervention also, and some even demanding No-Fly-Zones in Syria like Libya and Iraq.

–some history– note who he says we “must” defend. Its not America.

Ex-CIA chief: Bomb Syria!
Woolsey says Damascus, Iran think U.S. ‘nation of cowards’
July 17, 2006 By Joe Kovacs

As violence continues to escalate between Israel and Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency says the U.S. should now take military action against Syria, which, along with Iran, is believed to be backing Hezbollah.

“I think we ought to execute some airstrikes against Syria, against the instruments of power of that state, against the airport, which is the place where weapons shuttle through from Iran to Hezbollah and Hamas,” James Woolsey said. “I think both Syria and Iran think that we’re cowards. They saw us leave Lebanon after the ’83 Marine Corps bombing. They saw us leave Mogadishu in ’93.”

The former CIA chief, now a vice president for the global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, said it is much too soon to talk about a realistic end to the fighting.

“I think the last thing we ought to do now is to start talking about cease-fires and a rest,” he said.

“Iran has drawn a line in the sand. They’ve sent Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel. They’re pushing their nuclear weapons program. They’re helping North Korea, working with them on a ballistic missile program. They’re doing their best to take over southern Iraq with [radical Shiite cleric] Muqtada al-Sadr and some of their other proxies. This is a very serious challenge from Iran and we need to weaken them badly, and undermining the Syrian government with airstrikes would help weaken them badly.”
Asked host John Gibson, “If taking Syria down a peg or two by actually hitting them with airstrikes would be effective, why not hit something in Iran?”

“One has to take things to some degree by steps,” Woolsey responded. “I think it would be a huge blow to Iran if the Israelis are able after a few more days’ effort to badly damage Hezbollah and Hamas as they are doing, and if we were able to help undermine the continuation of the Assad regime [in Syria] – without putting troops on the ground, I wouldn’t advocate that. We’ve got one major war in that part of the world on the ground in Iraq and that’s enough for right at this moment I think.”

Woolsey, a former undersecretary of the Navy, was President Clinton’s director of Central Intelligence from 1993 to 1995, and has been a proponent of the war in Iraq.

June 13th, 2011, 9:25 pm

 

SYR.Expat said:

Great victory for Erdogan and a huge disappointment for Syria’s Baathists who were hoping he would pay dearly at the ballot box for daring to criticize the Syrian government.

Maybe they can learn a thing or two from him.

مبروك لأردوغان نصير المظلومين
http://www.alquds.co.uk/index.asp?fname=data\201166-12\12qpt999.htm

June 13th, 2011, 9:36 pm

 

Abughassan said:

Pro and anti regime people are not dogs,they are humans like all of us. Those who used violence,destroyed property or oppressed fellow Syrians are sinners and will eventually pay for their crimes.asking for a gradual transfer of power in Syria is not because I love the regime,actually 3 men in my family were political prisoners,and my call for calm and security was not because I want alawis to keep the office of presidency,half of my family are Sunnis. This uprising was supported by many,including myself,but I realized that things were starting to take a dangerous turn when the army was attacked,properties were destroyed and sectarian strife was taking shape. I never thought in my wildest dreams that Syria will export refugees instead of importing them but this is Syria today. Cooler heads must prevail if we want to save Syria. Throwing mud and bullets at each other will not solve our problems.

June 13th, 2011, 9:38 pm

 

SYR.Expat said:

Dear Prof. Landis,

Thank you for your perspective on the events in Syria!

I tried to look at your posts above to see why you are being labeled a propagandist for the opposition and a con artist, but I couldn’t find the answer. At this rate, very soon you will be labeled a “mundass” and a closet salafi/wahabi.

June 13th, 2011, 10:02 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

To all the wahabi who are proud of Adel Emam(Erdogan),they are like البغل they asked him:who are you?he said الحصان خالي.
As far the snake Erdogan and his ditching Assad,the egyptians say:
القرع لما ستوا ال للخيار يالوبيا

June 13th, 2011, 10:14 pm

 

why-discuss said:

syr.expat

“huge disappointment for Syria’s Baathists who were hoping he would pay dearly at the ballot box for daring to criticize the Syrian government.”

Really? Huge? I think the Baathists didn’t give a damn about Erdogan election, it was clear for the whole world that his party would be elected again, no surprise.

June 13th, 2011, 10:40 pm

 

SYR.Expat said:

Dear ABOALI (#515),

As much as I detest the Baath party for what it did to Syria, we should not use derogatory language and call people dogs and what not. You can make your point without insulting others.

We should not go down to the level of some of the pro-government commenters on this blog.

June 13th, 2011, 10:57 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

I think that if the so called(free world)were not practicing B word policy,Turky should be banned
From the united nations until they admit the Armenian and Assyrian genocide,and compensate the family of every one they killed.Unfortunately we are at the age of B word policies.why is Germany still paying the Jews for for Hitlers crimes?
1.5 human being were massacred by the Turks in the first genocide in recent human being history,there blood and spirits will hunt the Turks for ever.have they not butchered them,there would have been around 20 millions Armenians and Assyrians in Turky today.
Shame on any one who is proud of Turky,even if he was a Turk,befor they wash there hand from blood.

June 13th, 2011, 11:11 pm

 

SYR.Expat said:

why-discuss

Search the net for an article by Nidal Na’eeseh in which he goes sectarian and predicts that the Alawites in Turkey will bring Erdogan down.

Nidal Na’eeseh claims to be an independent writer not affiliated with any government or political group, but he’s a staunch defender of the regime and does represent its thinking.

June 13th, 2011, 11:21 pm

 

Syria no kandahar said:

Syria Ex
If you support killing soldiers,public hanging,mutilating dead bodies,burning citihalls…any other level will be up,you can’t be lower than that.Every one here -you label as progov-denounce killing of any Syrian,or any human beings,even killing of Syria cat or mouse,but some of the reveng filled haters,still living in the 80s revenge mode,don’t have the balls to denounce terrorist acts done by some cowards,unfortunately and shamefully,syrians.you can’t go lower than that,don’t worry.

June 13th, 2011, 11:28 pm

 

Averroes said:

Watch for the Syrian media backing off from criticizing Erdogan in the coming few days. Also watch for Erdogan backing down from his earlier fiery (and preposterous) comments.

The most important front is the internal front. With the new reforms out, and with the military operations registering success in the North, it is time for the president to come out and talk to the people of Syria.

June 13th, 2011, 11:35 pm

 

Averroes said:

Points that I hope the the president will make in his upcoming speech:

I would like to see him acknowledge the past 10 years, and to go through the stages that the Syrian people stood by the regime: in 2001, 2003 after Iraq invasion, in 2005 with the Hariri saga and the tribunal, in 2006 taking in the Lebanese people, in taking in the Iraqis amongst us, in 2008 with Gaza. I would like to see him recount these times, and to acknowledge, in no ambiguous terms, that the regime owes the people a lot.

I would like him to acknowledge that after 2009, the regime had it easy for 2 years, and did not turn its attention to the inside as it should have been. True, there were many laws and projects initiated during that time, but it was not enough.

I would like to see him speaking humbly to the Syrian people and acknowledging that the regime took them for granted, and that it should not have, because the Syrian people are honorable and deserve better than that. He does not need to apologize. He can keep it positive, but I really wish he would come out and offer a big Thank You credit to the people for how they supported the regime in difficult times.

He can’t list everything, or go into everything, so I would like him to focus on the following issues:

1. The reforms are coming, and are for real. I would like him to encourage the people to understand them and to use them.
2. Corruption will not be tolerated. Period. Corruption devastates morale. People can endure hardship if they believe in you, but will never endure it so some corrupt thug operate above the law.
3. The economy can wreak the country. We have to learn how to become more productive, and no regime will be able to sustain 15 liras per liter on disel. People should understand that.

I would like him to be sincere and honest, and to speak from the heart, as people will pick that up and will give him another chance, because I strongly believe that he is a good man and that he can and will deliver.

Cold logic is necessary when calculating strategy. But nothing can take the place of sincere human emotion. The people need to see an acknowledgment that their patience, endurance, sacrifice, and support are appreciated and not taken for granted. Receiving this acknowledgement will carry the president a long.

Speak to us, Mr. President. Open up and level with us. Show leadership and we will stand with you yet again and take Syria out of this pit.

June 14th, 2011, 12:04 am

 

5 dancing shlomos said:

481. amspirnationalist, “Prof. Landis is a critic of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, a critic of America’s wars in large part fought for Israeli interests”

same could be said for u. avnery, n, chomsky, n finklestein, and the entire jewish “anti zionist” deception.

all are zionist. all defend zionism in their own little way.

left wing and right wing carry the bird to same destination.

June 14th, 2011, 12:38 pm

 

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