Recognition, Scuds, Ministry of Interior, Controversy over Jabhat al-Nusra
Posted by Joshua on Wednesday, December 12th, 2012
I argue why Obama is right to proscribe Jabhat al-Nusra even though it hurts the rebels militarily.
Elias Critiques my argument in an email, December 12,
Mr. landis,
I have to disagree with your theory that Syria will end in a Lebanese model. [Elias is referring to this interview] Syria is not Lebanon; in Lebanon, all factions were equally responsible for the violence and none lived under the brutal regime of the other (like Sunnis under Assad’s) for 42 years. In Lebanon no faction could roll the other back.
The Alawite hand is too bloody to shake and they are now on the defensive with no foreign help in sight! Assad’s militia cannot hold out in the Alawite mountains!–no economy or infrastructure there, plus the sanctions will cripple them in 2 months max.! Assad’s militia depends on planes and helicopters and infrastructure and offensive tactics to fight; Even with all those things Assad’s militia is getting beaten!–No FSA is going to let shabiha run around along the coast unpunished, drinking coffee and tea in some cafe! The shabiha are not accustomed to rebel fighting and are already dead tired!
Even if it takes 50 years the Alawites are going to have to kiss the hand and the butt and shine the shoes and clean the toilet of the Sunnis for decades to have an even small chance of survival in Syria! Too much has happened for the Alawites to escape this round! Alawites will only have control over if whether to use chemical weapons and if that happens, are bets are off and their complete annihilation will be certain! Syria is not going to have militias because Syria is 75% Sunni Arab and they have a common goal!
Turkey is going to deal with the PKK in the Syrian Kurdish area and the KDP of Barzani is going to help turkey because they fear an alliance between Maliki and Erdogan over the Kurdish issue in Syria and then in Iraq! Christians and Druze and Ismaelis have learned to kiss the hand on who ever rules in Damascus!
—You are also wrong about Israel being stronger now! Arabs are no longer going to sit and watch Gaza bombed like they used to do! their governments have to deliver now, not just keep the lid on for the USA! Israel can only survive by continuing to deport Palestinians. that wont happen anymore and the demographics are changing as long as al jazeera and world media and the Arabs oppose these deportations, Israel is creating its own demographic time-bomb. Without a peace agreement, Israel in 25 years will have to choose to adopt Assad tactics or get out of the 67 borders.
Palestinians are going nowhere and are getting stronger every day. Israel has new fronts to deal with now. Arabs are now more likely to work together and get more support from china and Russia. before the cooperation was a fake one, based on photo gatherings of presidents only.you are also wrong about Arab monarchies (morocco and Jordan) being more stable than republics. Morocco and Jordan have always prided themselves on being more democratic/modern than the Arab republics. that is no longer true when both morocco and Jordan see Tunisia and Libya pass them by. the Moroccans and Jordanians wont accept anything less than a little bit more than what the Tunisians and Libyans already have! Morocco is dealing with a huge crisis as they have a large population in Europe who are westernized and bring in western influences into the country. Jordan’s king Abdullah is playing a game similar to Assad in fooling his people; this is also not working anymore; the people want bread, not Rania and Abdullah lecturing the west on the middle east and vacationing along the french riviera. There is going to be a cross-border development of democracy whereby one population is going to influence the other in their demand of democracy and freedom and jobs etc.
Three hospitals in Aleppo were put out of service in November.
It started with the rebels blowing up the French Hospital located in the Syrian Army zone in a suicide attack (a private hospital at the edge of the Christian area) in the north half of Aleppo and ended with the Syrian Air Force bombing a public hospital in al-Shaar in the south half of Aleppo. In between, the Free Syrian Army took over a public hospital near Bustan al-Basha and the Syrian Army attacked leaving it in complete ruins.
Several bomb explosions reported in Damascus: Car bomb and two explosions at main gate of Interior Ministry, after earlier blast at Palace of Justice, state TV says.
Syria Fires Scud Missiles at Insurgents, U.S. Says – NYTimes
….fired from the Damascus area at targets in northern Syria. “The total is number is probably north of six now,” said another American official, adding that the targets were in areas controlled by the Free Syrian Army, the main armed insurgent group.
It is not clear how many casualties resulted from the attacks by the Scuds — a class of Soviet-era missiles made famous by Saddam Hussein of Iraq during the first Persian Gulf war. But it appeared to be the first time that the Assad government had fired the missiles at targets inside Syria.
American officials did not say how they had monitored the missile firings, but American intelligence has been closely following developments in Syria through aerial surveillance and other methods, partly out of concern that Mr. Assad may resort to the use of chemical weapons in the conflict.
The Obama administration views the Assad government’s use of Scud missiles as a “significant escalation” of the conflict, said a senior official. ….Military experts said that move might reflect the Assad government’s worries that its aircraft have been vulnerable to rebel air defenses. In recent weeks, rebel forces have captured Syrian military bases, seized air-defense weapons and used some of them to fire at Syria warplanes. But one expert said that the government may have decided to use large missiles in order to wipe out military bases — and the arsenals they hold — that had been taken over by the opposition.
The “Friends of Syria” also formally recognized the opposition council and called for President Bashar al-Assad’s resignation. The group will create a relief fund “to support the Syrian people” but there was no commitment for supplying arms to the opposition fighters, although that was not ruled out for the future. The National Council said recognition is nice, but called for “real support” including humanitarian assistance and military equipment. Meanwhile, between 125 and 300 people were killed in bombings and gunfire in Hama province in the predominantly Alawite village of Aqrab, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. According to opposition activists, the civilians were being held hostage by Shabiha, pro-government militiamen, in a building that was bombed by government warplanes. Activists said the Free Syria Army was making a siege on the building. These accounts cannot be verified as there have been conflicting reports, and the Syrian government has not made any statements on the incident.
Stratfor
Two years into Syria’s civil war, and the tables have turned – the Syrian government is collapsing, and President Bashar al Assad has been reduced to a warlord. The rebels continue to make substantial gains, but they are having a hard time unifying.
Even though al Assad’s forces still control a sizable portion of the country, they probably will not retake the country entirely. More likely, Syria will face a similar fate as Lebanon – where various factions struggle to govern the country – after an eventual rebel victory.
Find out how the U.S., Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia will vie to become the next major international influence in the new Syria:…
The decision to blacklist al-Nusra, an important fighting force in the uprising, has already triggered criticism from the powerful Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. A senior Brotherhood official said it was wrong and hasty.
“They are seen as (a group that) can be relied on to defend the country and the civilians against the regular army and Assad’s gangs,” Brotherhood deputy leader Farouq Tayfour told Reuters on Tuesday.
Alkhatib said it was “no shame” if Syrian rebels were driven by religious motives to topple Assad. “Religion that does not liberate its people, and does not eliminate repression, is not authentic religion,” he said.
“The fact that the military movement is Islamic in its color is generally positive. Jihad in the path of God, has long been a fundamental motivator for human rights.”….
Syrian opposition urges U.S. review of al-Nusra blacklisting
By Samia Nakhoul and Khaled Yacoub Oweis
MARRAKECH, Morocco | Wed Dec 12, 2012
(Reuters) – The leader of Syria’s opposition coalition urged the United States on Wednesday to review its decision to designate the militant Islamist Jabhat al-Nusra as a terrorist group, saying religion was a legitimate motive for Syrian rebels.
“The decision to consider a party that is fighting the regime as a terrorist party needs to be reviewed,” Mouaz Alkhatib told a “Friends of Syria” meeting in Morocco, where Western and Arab states granted full recognition to the coalition seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
“We might disagree with some parties and their ideas and their political and ideological vision. But we affirm that all the guns of the rebels are aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical criminal regime.
Khatib also called on Syria’s Alawite minority on Wednesday to launch a campaign of civil disobedience against Assad, an Alawite facing a mainly Sunni Muslim uprising against his rule…..
la décision américaine d’inclure Jabhat al-Nusra sur la liste des organisations terroristes internationales est une erreur
by Thomas Pierret
….l’inscription de Jabhat al-Nusra sur la liste des organisations terroristes internationales est un merveilleux cadeau fait à Assad, qui a qualifié ses opposants de terroristes islamistes dès les premiers jours de la révolution…. l’inscription de Jabhat al-Nusra sur la liste des organisations terroristes est perçue comme une ultime trahison par une grande partie des Syriens. Il faut bien comprendre que ces derniers ne perçoivent pas le groupe jihadiste du point de vue de la guerre américaine contre le terrorisme, dont ils n’ont que faire dans les circonstances actuelles, mais plutôt sur la base de leurs réalités quotidiennes. Dans cette perspective, Jabhat al-Nusra est perçue comme un groupe défendant la population contre les forces d’Assad et cela en raison de son efficacité redoutable sur le plan militaire. …
The Assad regime’s brutality has created an environment inside Syria that al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI) is working hard to exploit. In an effort to establish a long-term presence in Syria, AQI is trying to rebrand itself under the guise of a group called al-Nusrah Front. By fighting alongside armed Syrian opposition groups, al-Nusrah Front members are seeking to hijack the Syrian struggle for their own extremist ends. Today, the United States announced that it will list al-Nusrah Front as another alias used by the Foreign Terrorist Organization AQI, and will designate it under Executive Order 13224. These actions against al-Nusrah Front underscore its connection to AQI so that everyone, especially the Syrian people, can distinguish between armed opposition groups that are fighting for a more unified, just, and pluralistic Syria and terrorist elements whose extremism has no place in a post-Asad Syria….We call on all responsible actors to speak out against and distance themselves from al-Nusrah Front, Shabiha, Jaysh Al-Shaib, and other violent extremists who seek and intend to hijack this Syrian struggle. Assad must go – but the new government that replaces him should not be a new group of tyrants who reject the tolerance that made Syria the unique and remarkable country that it was and can be again…..The American people and our international partners stand with you during this struggle. This is your revolution, your country, and your future – not al-Qa’ida’s.
Syrian opposition sees Jabhat al-Nusra as stronger asset than the U.S.
Lindsey Hilsum, 12 Dec 2012
They’re happy, but they’re not happy. Pleased that President Obama announced last night that the US recognises the new Syrian opposition coalition as the “legitimate representative of the Syrian people.” Unhappy that one of the fiercest fighting forces on the ground, Jabhat al-Nusra, has been designated by the USA as a terrorist […]
Turkey weighs pivotal oil deal with Iraqi Kurdistan
ANKARA, Turkey — American diplomats are struggling to prevent a seismic shift in Turkey’s policy toward Iraq, a change that U.S. officials fear could split the foundations of that fractious state.
The most volatile fault line in Iraq divides the semiautonomous Kurdistan region in the north from the Arab-majority central government in Baghdad. As the two sides fight for power over territory and oil rights, Turkey is increasingly siding with the Kurds.
Israel Envoy Favors Assad Ouster Even If Sunni Radicals May Gain
2012-12-12 By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan
Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) — Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren said the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be a boon to Israel and the Mideast, even if radical Islamists try to fill the vacuum left by his departure. “There’s the possibility that you’ll have Sunni extremist elements who will try to come to the fore,” Oren said yesterday in Washington. “Our opinion is that any situation would be better than the current situation” in which the Syrian regime has a strategic alliance with Iran and the Lebanese Shiite Muslim terrorist group Hezbollah, he said.
BRISTOL, UK DECEMBER 13th, 2012: Games have been growing in force as a medium but still tend to be seen as pure entertainment. That perception is being challenged by a new release that explores the war in Syria in an interactive form, titled ‘Endgame Syria’. Developed as part of the new project GameTheNews.net, creators Auroch Digital are using rapid-game development methods to build games quickly in response to real-world events. Created in a development time of two weeks, the game allows users to explore the options open to the rebels as they push the conflict to its endgame……The game free to download for Android via Google Play and is available to play on the GameTheNews.net website as a HTML5 game and also due out on iPhone, iPad and iPad Touch imminently. Full details can be found athttp://bit.ly/endgamesyria.
In Syria, the Challenges of Sanctioning a Rebel Group
Dec 12, 2012 | Stratfor
The United States’ Dec. 11 decision to recognize the Syrian opposition coalition will likely lead to increased involvement with the opposition, but Washington’s announcement earlier in the day that it would blacklist Islamist extremist opposition group Jabhat al-Nusra will make it difficult to overtly fund and supply Syria’s other rebel forces in the future. By designating Jabhat al-Nusra as a foreign terrorist organization, Washington has made it illegal for a person in the United States or under the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide material support or resources to the group. However, it is unclear how the United States would go about distinguishing Jabhat al-Nusra from other rebel units.
Analysis
Jabhat al-Nusra officially formed in January 2012 when it began to claim responsibility for large vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks against Syrian security and intelligence facilities in Damascus and Aleppo. Since that time, the group has claimed hundreds of attacks against regime forces and infrastructure.
Visit our Syria page for related analysis, videos, situation reports and maps.
There is still a great deal about the group — its size, leadership, organization, foreign supporters and the nationalities of its members — that is unknown. Stratfor has received indications that Saudi Arabia is one of the group’s foreign backers. However, one thing that is evident is that Jabhat al-Nusra has grown considerably since its inception, with some estimates of its current membership between 6,000 and 10,000 fighters. This growth occurred in part because the group has demonstrated that it has the organization, funding and expertise to execute large attacks on the Syrian regime. These qualities allowed the group to quickly supplement its forces with members from other rebel units.
However, not all rebel factions agree with Jabhat al-Nusra’s tactics. The group has shown indifference to collateral damage so long as security forces are killed. In addition, some rebels are religiously and ideologically opposed to the group, which wants to establish a government based on Sharia law once President Bashar al Assad is removed. Nonetheless, the group has unmistakably emerged as one of the major players on the Syrian battlefield.
Challenges of Enforcement
Now that the United States has designated Jabhat al-Nusra as a foreign terrorist organization, the question is what capabilities Washington has to distinguish the group from other rebel factions. Since the United States is not presently providing support to the group, the addition of the group to the U.S. blacklist does not have any direct ramifications for Jabhat al Nusra’s operations at the moment.
However, the designation would play a role if Western countries decided to begin overtly funding and supplying the Syrian opposition. U.S. President Barack Obama’s announcement Dec. 11 recognizing the Syrian opposition coalition as the representative of the Syrian people — the first Syrian group to receive such a recognition from the United States — paves the way for an eventual provision of arms to the rebels. Should the United States become more involved in supporting rebels inside Syria, it would face the difficult task of distinguishing more secular rebel fighters from groups like Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamist extremists. Members of Jabhat al-Nusra do not look or sound different from other rebels, many of whom are themselves Islamist.
Even if the United States were able to determine each rebel’s affiliation, there is no reason to believe it would be able to assure that weapons or funds would remain in the hands of the intended. Considering these challenges, the United States will probably continue to work covertly through countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan to supply the rebels in the short term.
Realities on the Ground
In addition to the difficulties of enforcing the blacklist, the United States can expect to see a backlash to the announcement within Syria. Already rebels have criticized the move, recognizing that Jabhat al-Nusra’s contribution is needed in the fight against al Assad’s forces. Twenty-nine Islamist and Salafist groups stood in solidarity with the group after the U.S. decision was made.
The designation also highlights the looming reality that when al Assad is no longer in power, even if some of the rebels are brought in to negotiate a transition, an insurgency by Islamist extremist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra will continue, since their overarching objective is to set up an Islamic state in Syria. Even if an Islamist government comes to power, there is a significant difference between Islamist representation in parliament and an Islamic state. Any Islamist presence in government would likely come from Muslim Brotherhood-style Islamists, who are at odds with strict jihadist doctrine. Therefore, even if the al Assad regime is removed and replaced, additional unrest and insurgency can be expected.
Comments (269)
Majedkhaldoun said:
Some of Elias criticism are valid,,however Alawites can save their future if they overthrow Bashar, and form transitional goverment, they have to recognize the reality, Assad Era is going away,and if not in a month or two, Assad has no future in Syria.
I may add that Assad is going to fight in Damascus, where 50,000 Alawite soldies are there, and they all will be dead at the end of Damascus battle, Where would Assad get enough soldiers to defend the Alawi state after Damascus battle?
As for chemical weapons
http://alpha.syriadeeply.org/2012/12/to-secure-chemical-weapons-us-trains-rebels-brigades/
December 12th, 2012, 7:39 pm
Visitor said:
When I first started commenting on Syriacomment, I thought I will make one comment and leave. But I got sucked in. My first comment, I remember, was they (Assad thugs) wanted war and war they WILL get. And here’s Elias confirming what I said some 8 months ago when the FSA was still struggling like an infant and no one thought it will make any headways or grow into such formidable force.
Now the tables are turned, choices have been made and destinies will follow based on those choices. Every word Elias said is true and will come to pass. Many of us here were in one way or another repeating the same.
December 12th, 2012, 8:11 pm
revenire said:
I don’t know who Elias is but he seems a bit hysterical regarding Syria. The only thing that seemed coherent with sanity in his statement is that it might take 50 years to unseat the democratically elected government of Syria.
I suggest everyone calm down.
December 12th, 2012, 8:16 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=07a_1354567809
December 12th, 2012, 8:24 pm
revenire said:
The Scud story making the rounds is funny. No one will go on record saying it, just anonymous sources. The anonymous US government official can’t go on record because if it were true he/she would be breaking the law by illegally leaking classified information. You can go to prison for that.
It is like the chemical weapons trash from last week: just an attempt to get NATO to bomb Syria in some sort of crazy Iraq 2.0 nightmare.
December 12th, 2012, 8:30 pm
Dolly Buster said:
Revenire, Syria is not a democracy. It is a police state. The very existence of such a government is an insult. Make that insult #1.
The next insult #2 is that the government carried out atrocities.
The next insult #3 is the insult to our intelligence with their talk of “gradual reforms in year 2015.”
Any one of those three is by itself sufficient grounds to bayonet the Alawites.
December 12th, 2012, 8:58 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
December 12th, 2012, 9:03 pm
Aldendeshe said:
I am sure they mistaken the few big missiles I let out eating that Del Taco new spicy black bean burritos supreme for scuds. Man I better watch out next time, I may trigger the richter scale.
December 12th, 2012, 9:36 pm
Warren said:
تشكيل لواء أنصار الخلافة قطاع ريف حلب الغربي 12 12 2012
December 12th, 2012, 9:38 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
It was routine surface to surface testing of older inventory, standard parabolic trajectory
December 12th, 2012, 9:39 pm
Aldendeshe said:
تشكيل لواء أنصار الخلافة قطاع ريف حلب الغربي 12 12 2012
___________________________________________________________
Mossad getting creative in Terrorist group brand naming. But that is bit old and dated name. I would stick to Al Nusra, an established brand already, just add under new management or new and improved, extra meaty, 25% bigger, something like that. On a second thought, no don’t, SNP can use it to deliver Birthday balloons to the Emir under that name.
December 12th, 2012, 9:42 pm
Aldendeshe said:
And I thought Landis way off the beaten path on the Jewish attack on Syria, but here come that Armenian chick, I think she was, and now ELIAS.
Just what make these people think that Syria is made up of Genocidal Sunni Islamic Terrorists begging for the British MI6 founded Moslem Brotherhood to come and rule them, and on the other side, An Alawite dictator, that is it, all the rest Syrians future, needs and wants are really of no concern to the two warring parties.
I am sorry to disappoint, but Syrians have own plans. Several are working secretly on various options, so as SNP working on own plan, and we don’t giva a damm if the Universe cease to exist, as long as we accomplish it.
December 12th, 2012, 10:00 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Right, Syrian Nationalist Party.
And when someone takes a loaded gun to your head and pulls the trigger, they were only testing to see if the gun worked or not. No harm or malice intended.
December 12th, 2012, 10:04 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
UPDATE ON THE USS EISENHOWER NOW OFF THE SYRIAN COAST
USS Eisenhower remains close to Syria
Updated: Tuesday, 11 Dec 2012, 9:57 AM EST
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Although some officials say the USS Eisenhower is scheduled to return to port by the end of the month, her homecoming may be delayed based on the president’s recent statements regarding the conflict.
President Barack Obama sent a stern warning to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a few days ago.
“If you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons there will be consequences and you will be held accountable,” Obama said
The Eisenhower went through the suez Canal Dec. 1 and was off the coast of Syria the following Tuesday. Aboard the Eisenhower are eight fighter/attack squadrons with 8,000 Sailors. Alongside the Eisenhower is the Norfolk-based Iwo Jima Amphibous Ready Group carrying almost 3,000 Marines.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk told WAVY.com Monday that as far as he knows, the Eisenhower is expected home by the end of the month.
But maybe not…
December 12th, 2012, 10:07 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Right, Revenire.
Why don’t you move to North Korea when you have the chance? Last time I checked, North Korea was democratic too. After all, it has the name “Democratic Republic of Korea” so it must be democratic.
P.S. Revenire is obviously a troll. Flaming him is pointless. Ignore him or counter-troll.
December 12th, 2012, 10:07 pm
Aldendeshe said:
No I will just shove a suitecase nuke up his ass or any country helping him. Do you want to buy one? got warhouse full of it. That idiot Ahmadinejad turned down my offer for 3 at deep discount price.
December 12th, 2012, 10:09 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
13. MarigoldRan
YOU ARE FROM A NATION OF SUBHUMANS.
December 12th, 2012, 10:13 pm
MarigoldRan said:
And you are an idiot.
December 12th, 2012, 10:14 pm
Aldendeshe said:
UPDATE ON THE USS EISENHOWER NOW OFF THE SYRIAN COAST
____________________________________________________________________
Did President Putin gave them permission to land? Or just playing 1950′ silly dog tricks. Don’t you think Americans need to update style a bit, it is f***ng joke. You think Bashar Al Assad is going to hold all the WMD on Israel, or Russia sit and watch…what an idiot. You think American Military will do anything in Syria without Putin OK, they don’t care about loonie you know. They did not do anything about the Hizb or ran dude. U.S. Military is not ging to take risk for America because couple Jewish loonie wants Syria rolled back.
December 12th, 2012, 10:33 pm
Dolly Buster said:
Russia is a former superpower, today it isn’t one. Russia will never be a superpower again. Therefore: whatever Obama says is the law.
USA has 67 aircraft carriers, Thailand and Russia have 1 in service.
December 12th, 2012, 10:50 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
No it will be really nice if U.S. Forces will attack Assad and install Al Qaida Islamic Terrorists in place. Many would love to see just that implemented. They think the 3 stooges they recognized as Syria representative are the ones that will be holding Syria up to be pro America and pound Al Qaida Islamists.
Hopefully sane American Defense Officials, at least the starred and stripped ones are sane enough to see through this sharrade and know that all America recognized is 3 stooges that have not 10 followers in Syria.
December 12th, 2012, 10:53 pm
Aldendeshe said:
USA has 67 aircraft carriers, Thailand and Russia have 1 in service.
_________________________________________________________________
Don’t you think they know something others don’t. I would not waste a Dollar on building aircraft carriers. They are useless and we call them “5K coffins”. The technologies available now days is, well I am not saying… I mean yeh, they are good for fighting Somalia type countries. You rack up huge bill for operation and keep Pentagon employed. New York Taxis jobs are taken by Abdul and Singh.
December 12th, 2012, 10:59 pm
Syria no kandahar said:
99% of terrorists in syria(called revolutionists) are
Motivated by having sex in heaven .
انتحاري ليبي يغني للحوريه الاموره
December 12th, 2012, 11:27 pm
Ghufran said:
Terrorism in the name of the revolution :
حي شارع النيل الذي يُعد من أكثر الأحياء أمناً في مدينة حلب والأكثر احتضاناً للنازحين كان ضحية سقوط ثلاث قذائف هاون في مفرق الفتاة اليتيمة يُعتقد أنها أُطلقت من أطراف حي بني زيد مما أسفر عن استشهاد تسعة مواطنين بينهم ثلاثة شبان من عائلة واحدة وآخر استشهد داخل سيارته أثناء ذهابه للعمل، إضافة إلى إصابة نحو /16/ مواطناً بجروح متنوعة بين المتوسطة والخفيفة.
وتسبب سقوط إحدى القذائف فوق سطح مبنىً سكني متاخم لدار الفتاة اليتيمة بحريق ضخم فوق البناء، إثر انفجار القذيفة بالقرب من خزان للمازوت، كما أسفر سقوط القذائف عن تدمير واحتراق /8/ سيارات كانت مركون في الشارع إضافة إلى أضرار مادية كبيرة بعدد من المباني السكنية.
You can not escape the obvious association of armed rebels and utter destruction in Syrian cities despite the fact that much of the damage is caused by the regime heavy weapons, people will not only remember the brutality of the regime but they will also remember how they lived before the rebels came to” liberate” them and compare that to their life now, Syria as a state is rapidly collapsing, what is left is memories and broken hopes, there is nothing the rebels and their backers can do to bring back what they stole from most of us, in that sense the armed rebellion will be remembered as the evil movement that pretended to fight an evil regime but ended up destroying a beautiful country.
December 12th, 2012, 11:32 pm
Aldendeshe said:
Another Moslem Brotherhood Genocide on innocent Syrians, more than 300 slaughtered in Akrab when drunk or drugged Moslem Brotherhood men demanded from the town elder to hand the women and girls over to them, the men of Akrab refused and replied will all die together than let our girls be your whores for the week. Moslem Brotherhood terrorists slaughtered all. Al Assad regime is so embarrassed of the failure to protect Alawites in Syria, his El Caworon Zubbi ( one of the lowest family of Syria and Lebanon) stated on T.V. that it never happened.
بقوة السلاح وبطشه اقتاد المسلحون أولئك المدنيين الثلاثمائة إلى منزل واحد ، ويروي جلساؤنا كيف أن المسلحين ” طوقوا المنزل وزرعوا حوله عبوات ناسفة ، وأقاموا حوله سهرات عامرة يذبحون بها ما لذ لهم وطاب من ماشيتنا ”
يروي أحد جلسائنا : ” عشرة أيام من الحصار ، ذقنا بها الموت ألف وألف مرة على رماح الخيل وسطوة الجاهليين الأوائل ، ولم يكن في الدار نواس ، ورائحة الخمر تعبق في الجوار ، حيث يقيم المسلحون سهرات أنسهم على أوجاعنا ”
تقول أم عمار وهي عجوز نجت من الموت بأعجوبة ، وقد قاربت أو تجاوزت السبعين ( فهي لا تعرف ) والدمع يملأ مقلتيها ” حبة فول وحبة زيتون واحدة لحفيدتي الرضيعة ” وتجهش بالبكاء فيعم صمت مطبق على المكان فسكتوا .. وسكتنا
Read about the latest Islamic genocide in Arabic here: Don’t bother calling the disrespected U.N. Chief to complain:
http://www.syriatruth.org/news/tabid/93/Article/8784/Default.aspx
December 12th, 2012, 11:40 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
20. DOLLY BUSTER
“USA has 67 aircraft carriers”
No. My country has 11 aircraft carriers.
Aldendeshe, you are an ignorant old man. Your command of English is abysmally bad. And that’s the best part of you. Your knowledge of history is so cuckoo-brained, you must have learned it from whores, thieves and homosexuals. Your sense of political reality is so unstable, you must have picked it up in the same lunatic asylum Shlomo was just released from.
December 12th, 2012, 11:42 pm
Syria no Kandahar said:
كلاب وقطاع طرق يدعون ثوارا
50% of Christians have fleed Syria since criminals Wahhabis started to democratize Syria….in a year or so Christians will be 1-2 %
Welcome to democratic wahabist Islamic syriastan:
سطو مسلح على سيارة على طريق القحطانيةو خطف سائقها فادي حردو
في تمام الساعة السادسة من مساء اليوم الأربعاء 12 / 12 / 2012 .
قامت مجموعة مسلحة بتوقيف سيارة شام زرقاء اللون على طريق القحطانية – القامشلي عند كازية دريعي .
وأنزلت ركاب السيارة و أخذت منهم ما يملكون من مال و هواتف نقالة و200 غرام ذهب كانت بحوزة أحد الأشخاص .
و من ثم طلبت المجموعة من سائق السيارة أن يركب سيارته (إلى جانبه إثنان من المجموعة المسلحة )و يلحقهم إلى جهة غير معلومة و لكن شوهدت السيارة مركونة على الطريق الدولي جانب قرية الحفار ولا يوجد فيها أحد .
الأشخاص المتواجدون في السيارة الخاصة هم :
صاحب السيارة وسائقها فادي حردو .
الياس شمعون .
عبدو شمعون .
جورج سعيد وإبنته الصغيرة .
December 12th, 2012, 11:48 pm
Dolly Buster said:
And is there any bad news ?
You toolz should differentiate between the U.S. agenda for Syria (democracy), and the AQ agenda for syria (islamic state). They are completely different.
December 12th, 2012, 11:54 pm
Ghufran said:
ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
The government is discriminating against public officials of Kurdish or Alevi origin and blocking them from being appointed to higher-profile ranks, Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Muş deputy Sırrı Sakık has said.
“I examined over 20 public institutions and government bodies and I determined that there’s not a single high-ranking official who has Kurdish, Alevi or non-Muslim origin in those posts. Almost all of high-ranking officials are from the Black Sea region or Central Anatolia,” Sakık told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday, adding that the government was favoring public officials who have Turkish and Sunni origins.
The public institutions in question include the General Staff, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Appeals, the Council of State and the undersecretaries of the ministries, Sakık said.
December 12th, 2012, 11:54 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
CORRECTION ON SOME FACTS ABOUT THE USS EISENHOWER
The size of the crew: it’s not 8,000 sailors, it’s less than 5,500.
The complement of aircraft it carries: the ship has only
four squadrons (not eight) of “fighter/bomber” aircraft, two F/A-18C Hornet Squadrons, one F/A-18E and one F/A-18F Super Hornet squadrons, about 40 fighter/attack aircraft in all.
The remaining 20 or so aircraft are radar-jamming aircraft (EA-6B), Airborne Early Warning aircraft (E-2C), Antisubmarine warfare helicopters (SH-60F), and Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft (C-2A).
Just making sure you Syrian patriots on both sides of the political spectrum have the most up-to-date info…
December 13th, 2012, 12:07 am
Syrian said:
هلال الاسد يأمر بقتل جورج سليمان
مراسل المحليات : كلنا شركاء
في واحدة من حالات الاختطاف الكثيرة في هذه الايام في اللاذقية , تم اختطاف السيد جورج سليمان (34 سنة ) اثناء جولته بسيارة الشركة التي يعمل بها ……وحيث ان الشركة قد وضعت جهاز تعقب داخل السيارة فلقد لجأ أهل المختطف وادارة الشركة لاحد الاجهزة الامنية لاخباره بامكانية معرفة مكان المختطف من خلال تعقب السيارة , ونظرا لاهمية الشركة الكبيرة بالمحافظة وافق الجهاز الامني وتم متابعة الجهاز الموضوع بالسيارة ليوصلهم الى منزل مساعد بالامن العسكري ….عمار في قرية بيت ياشوط وتحت الضغط اعترف بانه يعمل لصالح هلال الاسد وانهم فعلا من قاموا باختطاف السيد جورج .
وفعلا توجهت دورية امنية لمقر تواجد هلال الاسد من اجل التوسط لديه لاطلاق سراح المختطف دون ان يطلبوا فدية كما في الحالات السابقة , ولكن شبيحة هلال الاسد قاموا بمنعهم من الوصول لهلال وابلغوهم رسالته بعدم التدخل بهذه القضايا وعندما قال لهم احد افراد عائلته “انه مسيحي ولم يؤذ اي شخص بحياته ” اجابوه المسيحيون هدول كلاب عند بيت الاسد لو لم يحموهم لقتلهم العراعير ؟؟…..والمضحك بانهم ذهبوا لفرع الامن واخرجوا ….عمار واستعادوا السيارة ؟…وقاموا في اليوم التالي بقتل السيد جورج بثلاث رصاصات نكاية بالثالوث المسيحي كما اخبروا اهله !؟
http://all4syria.info/Archive/59084
December 13th, 2012, 12:12 am
Aldendeshe said:
@SYRIAN
That is one of 50,000,000 abuses by the regime. But that is counting 30,000,000 committed before the Assad’s came to power, when Sunni Baathists where in charge. But that is small number of crimes committed in 50 years compared to what Islamists did in just 2 years. 75% of Syria population will escape if America and Israel has their way and installed Islamists regime. Very few will remain alive, they are worse than Pol Pot regime and Kemmerer Rouge, worse because they are Israeli trained, and we have 2 years to rely on that. Why do you think if Bashar Assad is so bad as that story above the majority of Sunnis and all minorities are still with Assad. WONDER ABOUT THIS!!!!
December 13th, 2012, 12:37 am
Aldendeshe said:
Just noticed there are 3842 friend requests on my Facebook page, an account that I opened couple years ago and was compromised right away, someone sent me fake email pretending to be one of my cousins, so deleted it instantly, to my surprise, it popped back on again, tried to delete it several time to no avail. So I just kept it blank page. So WSC Sherk not personal that invitation is pending. No intention of starting the page on Jewish Facebook, it is beneath me to touch these kinds of people.
December 13th, 2012, 12:52 am
Visitor said:
Everyone seems to have missed the news of the interior ministry bombing today (yesterday). Operation Commander of Damascus was killed, and there rumors about the minister having suffered serious injuries.
And by the way, Joshua is not convincing in his NPR interview defending Obama’s malignant interference in the Syrian Revolution.
December 13th, 2012, 1:12 am
Aldendeshe said:
You toolz should differentiate between the U.S. agenda for Syria (democracy), and the AQ agenda for syria (islamic state). They are completely different.
__________________________________________________________________
See this where the problem lies. The two are intermixed. The deal was hoping for is this: America support SNP to bring freedom and Democracy to Syria, Peace and prosperity to the Middle East, and Islamists Al Qaida will use Syria as a launching ground to bring about an Islamic Caliphate throughout the entire world. Democratic, free and gay (it is term) Syria will help you in every way possible to bring this goal into fruition, 3600 Emirs will be needed to rule in filthy rich Arabia. You suppose to take some of this wealth and spread it around, that is, be very generous on spreading it in Syria, and then go and fix Somalia, London, Paris, and Thailand, for sure Brunei, and pay Zakat to Mr. RA KA Phere and Sir Ra Shield to keep them on Islamic Ummah side. Something went astray, you Islamists got to looting poor Syria instead of filthy rich Arabia, now you are going to lose both Syria and caliphate, back to driving taxi cab in New York and entertain your passengers about the adventure you had. Who knows you may even discover Christianity was the honest religion you always wanted it and never found it.
December 13th, 2012, 1:17 am
Aldendeshe said:
Islamist in Arabia praying to Allah and following Sharia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIvRe5gYySw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Crq5NBV8BQ
December 13th, 2012, 1:26 am
Aldendeshe said:
ان المسلمين كربهم ودينهم وكتابهم وعاهرهم لهم منافقين حقيرين اصولييون
December 13th, 2012, 1:39 am
Aldendeshe said:
So Islamists holly men, I am speaking to you on a microphone, so listen carefully, this is my minaret here now: ALLAH WA AKBAR. Now Neal down “TOBEZ” please.
SNP will make you a deal you cannot refuse. We must keep the original plan. Here it is: We need to live like your favorite country in the world DUBAI, we want all of new Syria to be one big humongous club 400, we need you to live under Islamic Sharia law, that is we will cut your dicks if you have sex outside marriage, will poke your eye if you ever glance at bare shoulder or back of a women. Will burn your skull with kerosene if you ever grew hair, even fuzz on it (well fuzz maybe lesser punishment, will get Arrour Fatwa). So, you give us space to live and advance in art and Sciences in our part of Syria, and we will give you space to fornicate according to Sharia and Mohamad Sunnah in your part of Syria. Will give you space to live (that is keep your women incarcerated in it), and you can come for prayer in our new Syria on Friday night. I said our Syria; you see here is the deal. I am now plotting out the new Syrian Republic map on the coastal area of Syria, I am having some issue with it, for example, Idlib, will have to included in our part of Syria, along with other little towns to make the map straight line. So I need your help relocating your terrorists and some undesirable out of some towns. In exchange, will give you a huge chunk of land to set up that first nucleus of an Islamic Emirate that every devout, pus**sy wiped Moslem dream about. From that land, like your Israeli friends did, you can launch your caliphate crusade from it to the entire World. Even take over Zionism, you can even have a book like them called the Protocol of the Elder of Allah, well, I guess that is the Quran is not, ok forget the book, just stay with me on the master plan for the Caliphate and Ummah. But firsts and foremost, we get our part of Syria, promise you it is the best Friday prayer time you will ever have at our club 666, screw Dubai club 444, that you love so much, you will never put a foot in it again, I promise you, I am the Agfa I don’t lie and I do keep my promise. Unlike the Kuffar at Club 444 in Dubai, we hide our Champaign tea in glasses that are specially designed by Sheikh Arrour with Islamic motifs and has Muhammad names inscribed on it, that is right, we respect Islam, so we copied the Kuwaiti model for drinking tea at clubs.
You help SNP set up the “Republic of Syria” on the coast, and SNP will help you rule Mecca, Dhahran, Paris, London and Dubai, you are going to actually own club 444 dudes ( Holy men)The CIA and Mossad, they cannot help you, nor deliver you into the Caliphate, SNP can. Look, they sold you out already; they declared you terrorist and left you to die under the rain of scuds, they even preparing an Attassi Beast for heaven sake to rule over you all over again. WAKE UP DUMMIES.
SNP will have soon new offices in Moscow, will post my Moscow telephone number here for you to reach me in person, yes, I am going to have own personal Moscow telephone to reach me 24/7 just like Allah. Oh the map, I am workng on it, not fully ready yet, will have it next week. So you can start clearing out of the places SNP needs.
December 13th, 2012, 2:34 am
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
مسلحو “الأخوان المسلمين” يحرقون ويهدمون “الحسينيات” ويهاجمون دور العبادة المسيحية في إدلب ويقتلون حراسها (صور وأشرطة)!؟
Moslem Brotherhood in Syria destroy all Churches and Shia worship places, murdered guards at all place, hanged from the cross in IDLIB area.
Read more here:
http://www.syriatruth.org/الأخبار/أخباروتقاريرأخرى/tabid/94/Article/8781/Default.aspx
December 13th, 2012, 3:01 am
Johannes de Silentio said:
VIDEO OF TAKEOFFS & LANDING ON THE USS EISENHOWER
December 13th, 2012, 3:04 am
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
There is an old saying in Russia,
“If Americans buit something good…The Russians will build something better”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA2TdQSA8F0
December 13th, 2012, 3:13 am
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
This Moslem leader was helped by President Barak Hussain Obama:
December 13th, 2012, 3:23 am
Citizen said:
Syrian Rebels Pledge Allegiance to Al-Qaeda Group That Killed U.S. Troops
Petition Demands Obama Stop Supporting Terrorists in Syria
http://noliesradio.org/archives/54807
December 13th, 2012, 3:35 am
Citizen said:
30. JOHANNES DE SILENTIO
The size of the crew: it’s not 8,000 sailors, it’s less than 5,500.etc….
be sorry to send them to the bottom!
December 13th, 2012, 3:42 am
Citizen said:
Obama says is the law.
USA has 67 aircraft carriers.
It is the cause of United States death
Read the story of such states!
December 13th, 2012, 3:50 am
Aldendeshe said:
40. Johannes de Silentiosaid:
VIDEO OF TAKEOFFS & LANDING ON THE USS EISENHOWER
__________________________________________________________________
Hey Johnny, your ignorance really concerns me. I am starting to feel I live on the wrong spot on earth. You and your Country need to get out of dinosaur age and into this, watch to the end:
December 13th, 2012, 3:53 am
Jamil Hanna said:
I totally disagree with Elias,it was never an Alawi domination on Sunnis in Syria .Right now the Sunnis are the wealthy and the majority of Alawists are poor.Bashar allied with the Bourjois in Aleppo and Damascus who benefited from the regime more than the Alawis.His mistake that ge left the countryside and the peasants and focused on the Sunni Bourjois .In the seventies and eighties of the last centuries ,his father Hafez focused on the countryside and the Sunni Baathist fought the Moslem brotherhood >Notice that the Moslem brotherhood is not so strong as some in Washington believe ,they are enjoying now the support of the west and the US and in spite of that their image deteriorated in Egypt by the Sunni Egyptians.Again look at Aleppo and Damascus and compare them to the country side both Sunni and Alawi ,you find the money with the Sunnis.
December 13th, 2012, 4:02 am
Johannes de Silentio said:
45. CITIZEN
“USA has 67 aircraft carriers”
My country has 10 Aircraft Carriers
USS Nimitz (CVN 68)
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)
USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70)
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)
USS George Washington (CVN 73)
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)
USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)
December 13th, 2012, 4:08 am
Dolly Buster said:
U.S. defense budget is 10 times bigger than Russia.
So anything that red Russians do, America can do more & better.
The Kremlin should stick to arresting little girls and girl bands.
December 13th, 2012, 4:25 am
Syrialover said:
Russia acknowledges Assad losing control
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s deputy foreign minister said Thursday that President Bashar Assad is losing control over Syria and his opponents may win, the first acknowledgement by Assad’s main ally that he faces a likely defeat.
While Mikhail Bogdanov didn’t issue any immediate signal that Russia could change its stance and come to support international sanctions against Assad’s regime, his remarks carried by Russian news agencies appear to indicate that Moscow has begun positioning itself for a regime change in Syria.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/russia-acknowledges-assad-losing-control
December 13th, 2012, 5:41 am
Syrialover said:
I have no information, but Elias could be Elias Muhanna, who blogs and tweets under the name Qifa Nabki (http://qifanabki.com/)
But who knows.
December 13th, 2012, 5:46 am
Citizen said:
49. DOLLY BUSTER + 48. JOHANNES DE SILENTIO
U.S. defense budget is 10 times bigger than Russia.
that is why the U.S. economy is broken !!!!
I recommend you to watch the last interviews with Mr Panitta where he almost crying because of the lack of funding!
http://youtu.be/r6tSteBD388?t=2m2s
your system Aiges = 0, be are convinced! Russian RS-24 (Yars) ICBM wellcome you
http://youtu.be/62XCCr_40tE?t=4s
December 13th, 2012, 6:04 am
Observer said:
Now this is from RT
http://rt.com/politics/syria-opposition-win-moscow-959/
So the Russians think he cannot make it
The head of the intelligence committee in the US says that the chemical weapons are ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
Mikdad confirms that Makdisi is on vacation; where is he does anyone know?
I think he has been sent to check for a new real estate; but I may be wrong.
Does anyone know how many Alawites are defecting from the armed forces?
I have one Alawite friend who told me that he is leaving Damascus for good and he is trying to avoid being drafted by force. This is of course an n=1 information and therefore very limited indeed.
Russia also says that they will send special forces to protect their embassies and consulates in Syria. They also acknowledge that there is not much they can do: so much for Russia as a superpower.
Now the US economy will be number 2 by 2030 and there will be a rise of the middle class across the globe. This is the effect of leveling of the standard of living around the world which we are witnessing with disparities between the rich and the poor leveling off. This will create the greatest force for the politicians to deliver to their populations. I agree with Putin that the world is moving into a different mold but I do not agree with his nationalistic vision.
Interesting that Iranian and Manar and Mayadeen and Cham Press all talk of the explosions in and around Damascus as they have targeted the regime. No word on the great victories on the battlefields though.
Where is ALI when we need him to tell us what is happening?
Cheers
December 13th, 2012, 6:49 am
Juergen said:
Back from an interesting trip to Morocco, even there the people are outraged against the Al Wahash terror.
I called these days dear friends in Damascus, now no one is taking their children to the school, almost in every family relatives have left the country or are sitting on packed bags. The people I have talked to have not seen Mazool in 1 month, and they hear constantly the fighting. ( they live in Jaramana and Mezeh) Since the lethal bomb attacks the children of one family have not been back to their schools, and electricity is available at the most 5 hours per day.
Is Russia shifting slowly but surely away from backing Assad?
DER SPIEGEL just runs this story, the vice foreign minister Michail Bogdanow has said to ITAR Tas:
“As for preparing for victory by the opposition, this, of course, cannot be excluded,” Bogdanov said. “You need to look the facts in the eyes – the government regime is losing more and more control over a large part of the country’s territory.”
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/12/2012121310920586422.html
December 13th, 2012, 7:05 am
Citizen said:
Is Russia shifting slowly!
NEVER !
December 13th, 2012, 7:27 am
Tara said:
In regard to the article linked by Observer, this to my knowledge the first time Russia admits to possible defeat. It appears to me that Obama has only recognized the opposition after the facts on the ground pointed to the inevitable victory of the rebels. I expect Russia to more and more reaching out to al Khateeb and dump Bashar. People always side with the victorious.
December 13th, 2012, 7:30 am
Juergen said:
Here is a new site on Syria:
EXCLUSIVE: US Trains Rebel Brigades to Secure Chemical Weapons
The US and its allies have hired contractors to train some Syrian rebel brigades in chemical weapons security, Syria Deeply has exclusively learned from four diplomats, including one US official. The sources asked to remain anonymous, as they deal directly with developments in Syria. The training would mark a higher level of coordination between the US and armed opposition forces, working to secure Syria’s chemical arsenal during a period of political turmoil.
http://alpha.syriadeeply.org/2012/12/to-secure-chemical-weapons-us-trains-rebels-brigades/#.UMnOFnLRpFp
December 13th, 2012, 7:47 am
ghufran said:
Western government,with no exception, are talking peace while supporting rebels and inflaming the flames of war and violence in Syria, even this cosmetic condemnation of Jabhat Al-Nusra is too little too late,Syria is a hotbed for thugs and terrorists, and it is a matter of time before ALL pay the price not just those poor Syrians who are dying daily.
the latest revelation about this double-faced western policy is the camp in Jordan where 200 rebels receive training on anti aircraft missiles.The deliberate exclusion of moderate Syrian opposition figures from the talks about the post Assad Syria also falls into the same category. if that is not nauseating enough just look at the conspiratory silence terrorist attacks on civilians is receiving,just this morning,around 7:15, terrorists detonated a bomb in a crowded area in Qatana while a school bus was passing thru killing more than 16 people,more than half were children. Enjoy the wreckage, I have not seen a worse self-hating group of people in any country I have visited or heard of since the days of Somalia,even Somalis are now starting to get back to their senses.
December 13th, 2012, 9:28 am
zoo said:
JL
“Even if it takes 50 years the Alawites are going to have to kiss the hand and the butt and shine the shoes and clean the toilet of the Sunnis for decades to have an even small chance of survival in Syria!”
Who is that arrogant and vulgar piece of s… Elias?
December 13th, 2012, 9:45 am
Visitor said:
Russia is not relevant and it never was. US under Obama-Clinton harmed the Syrian people and its revolution more than anyone else. And they continue to try to undermine the Syrian Revolution but they will fail.
Both Russia and the USA will be out of the new Syria. Russia is a laibility no one wants to carry. The Syrian coast will look much better once the Russian whorehouse is demolished.
The US is duplicitous and non-reliable. It wants everyone to fight its losing wars. Syrians will get rid of the Jackall regime on their own and then build their own superpower that will rely only on their own resources and initiatives.
Having said that, I do not believe Bogdanov consulted with Zoo before saying what he said.
December 13th, 2012, 9:50 am
zoo said:
Tara
The USA and the international community are terrified by a victory of the rebels, so this Russian message is more addressed as a warning to the Friends of Syria that they must stop now the rebels from winning by accepting a compromise to avoid “hundred thousands more death”
In the same time, by this declaration it is possible that Russia is fulfilling its part of the plan agreed with the USA and Lakhdar Ibrahimi. The USA has squeezed the rebels by refusing to give them weapons and amputating it from its best fighters and at the same time ‘recognized’ the CNSROFS.
On its side, Russia is increasing the pressure on Bashar while calling for compromise to avoid “hundred of thousands” of death.
I tbink a deal is close… Bashar may offer to take a retreat of a few months. Maybe Jihad Makdisi will reappear to conduct the negotiations under the UN umbrella.
Am I too optimistic?
Russia says Assad losing control, rebels could win
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-assad-losing-control-rebels-could-win-134424812.html
…
Bogdanov also reaffirmed Russia’s call for a compromise, saying it would take the opposition a long time to defeat the regime and Syria would suffer heavy casualties.
“The fighting will become even more intense, and you will lose tens of thousands and, perhaps, hundreds of thousands of people,” he said.
“If such a price for the ouster of the president seems acceptable to you, what can we do? We, of course, consider it absolutely unacceptable,” he added.
December 13th, 2012, 9:59 am
Richard said:
58. ghufran said:
Western government,with no exception, are talking peace while supporting rebels and inflaming the flames of war and violence in Syria
********************************************************************
Yes, an international conspiracy to destroy Syria.
Your expressed preference for Bashar Assad to crush the rebellion was never a realistic path forward to negotiations.
December 13th, 2012, 10:04 am
Richard said:
61. zoo said:
The USA and the international community are terrified by a victory of the rebels, so this Russian message is more addressed as a warning to the Friends of Syria that they must stop now the rebels from winning by accepting a compromise to avoid “hundred thousands more death”
**************************************************************************
This is a misreading. You see the rebellion in entirely negative terms, the theme of your posts: rebellion = Jihadists thugs. The West sees a messy situation, where most of the rebellion is composed of decent people, whom the West hopes will prevail.
In the end, your worst fears could prove correct – maybe the jihadist elements of the rebellion will be too dominant to supress. But the West is trying to encourage a different outcome.
December 13th, 2012, 10:13 am
Albo said:
53 “Now this is from RT
http://rt.com/politics/syria-opposition-win-moscow-959/
So the Russians think he cannot make it”
This isn’t new, three days ago the same minister was interviewed here http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2012/09/10/01003-20120910ARTFIG00660-bogdanov-eviter-la-somalisation-de-la-syrie.php
and he was already saying that in the eventuality that Damascus falls, which he didn’t exclude, the civil war wouldn’t end and the warring parties would simply be displaced geographically.
He was warning about the potential “somalization” this situation can generate, once again, something that greatly frightens the international community and sober observers in the region (but apparently not the revengists and qaedists who are a dime a dozen here). His statement of today sounds like more fearmongering in the same vein. He went on and said:
“The fighting will become even more intense, and you will lose tens of thousands and, perhaps, hundreds of thousands of people,” he said. “If such a price for the ouster of the president seems acceptable to you, what can we do? We, of course, consider it absolutely unacceptable.”
On a related note, the caveats brought up by Elias in Joshua’s post are irrelevant as they could as well be applied to Transdniestria, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia or even Republika Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other such territories not officially but practically independent. Apparent lack of viability, non-recognition, sanctions etc…are all readily worked out in such cases.
December 13th, 2012, 10:18 am
Tara said:
Zoo,
All what it takes is Bashar to arrange an exile for himself somewhere, designate an acceptable Alawi to negotiate with Al Khateeb and save us from the abyss. Would he do it? Extremely unlikely unless Asma has an effect on him. There is no way out otherwise in my view. Only when he resign , cool heads will prevail
December 13th, 2012, 10:29 am
Albo said:
“Only when he resign , cool heads will prevail”
Yeah all of a sudden all these Jabhat Al Nusra militants will become hippies, amirite?
December 13th, 2012, 10:35 am
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
The conspiracy to hand the entire Middle East to Islamists was planned at the time 9/11 was masterminded by Israeli and Zionists; it was a parcel of it. The Middle East was step one, step two is Russia, step three is Europe and America, last step is Asia and China.
First, they will empower crazy Moslems hyped into world domination, then, just as they did on 9/11 uses them as cover to attack Russia and force it into attrition war with Islamist, who the Zionist media will make them appear as the victims of Russian brutality. Unfortunately to the ignorant Ammonite, that is when Russia says we had enough and turns the keys of hyper space bringing a stop to the plan, way before it even touches China, but many elements of it will be already permeating in Europe and causing social and economic upheaval. It is all part of the One World Satanic Government that the true GOD will not allow on earth.
How do you think this Islamisct in U.K. can be free roaming plotting out loud what he is saying, wonder who the pay master?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Nvps0isec
He is helped, just as Islamist on 9/11 were helped and set up for the master plan.
December 13th, 2012, 10:53 am
ghufran said:
اعتبرت الناطقة الرسمية باسم وزارة الخارجية الأمريكية، فيكتوريا نولاندأن اعتراف الرئيس الأمريكي باراك اوباما بـ “الائتلاف الوطني” المعارض “ممثلا شرعيا للشعب السوري” يعد “خطوة سياسية وليست قانونية”, معتبرة أن “الاعتراف لا يشكل خرقا لاتفاقيات جنيف”, وذلك ردا على تصريحات روسية رأت ذلك.
وأوضحت نولاند, في مؤتمر صحفي أن “قرار واشنطن يرمي إلى تشجيع الذين يعملون على الانتقال السياسي في سورية ويخططون لمستقبل ديمقراطي وتعددي”.
you know what they say in Syria:
” tamakhadda aljamal fawalida fa’ran”
I yet have to see any evidence that foreign powers and fighting parties are interested in a political solution, Mr Richard should not be surprised by what he hears from Syrians, Syria is being ripped apart by its own people,the islamist thugs, its neighbors and a cynical west.
December 13th, 2012, 10:53 am
zoo said:
Richard
“But the West is trying to encourage a different outcome.”
Do you seriously think the ‘decent’ rebels have any chance against the Al Qaeeda well trained and ruthless extremists? Especially with unlimited funding from KSA and Qatar..
I don’t. This is why I think the armed rebels must be stopped before Syria becomes a Somalia or Afghanistan, where also the West encouraged the ‘decent’ rebels with the “successes” we know.
December 13th, 2012, 10:54 am
ghufran said:
وجه الإنتربول تعميماً لمكاتب الانتربول في الدول العربية جاء فيه أنّ المذكرات (مذكرات التوقيف بحق رئيس الحكومة السابق سعد الحريري والنائب عقاب صقر و الناطق باسم “المجلس الاعلى للجيش الحر” لؤي المقداد ) ، “لن يتم الاحتفاظ بها في قاعدة بيانات الانتربول، ولن يكون التعاون في هذه القضية من خلال قنوات المنظمة متماشياً مع النظام التأسيسي وقوانين الانتربول”.
Interpol has its “standards” , we all know what standards they use !!
December 13th, 2012, 10:59 am
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
Only when he resign , cool heads will prevail
_______________________________________________________________
Only when he resign , Jews plans will prevail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7n7QCybEg
http://www.iamthewitness.com/Protocols-of-Zion.htm
December 13th, 2012, 11:02 am
Aldendeshe said:
Unfortunately to the Jews, GOD chosen the Assad’s to be used just for that exact moment of divine plan to annihilate the wicked on earth. It was no coincidence at all, from the event on March 8, 1963 and to the next 7 years; it is all by design and according to GOD plan. I have no doubt that in the end, Damascus will lay in ruin and never be rebuilt, but who cares about that Arab – Moslem city, I would not take a leak in it, Ebla and Antioch is our holy towns. Not Damascus, not Mecca and not Jerusalem.
December 13th, 2012, 11:23 am
Aldendeshe said:
Chu Lei: just divide the thumbdown count by 6 and add it as 1 for the accurate accounting. Thanks.
December 13th, 2012, 11:35 am
Albo said:
“I don’t. This is why I think the armed rebels must be stopped before Syria becomes a Somalia or Afghanistan, where also the West encouraged the ‘decent’ rebels with the “successes” we know.
I don’t. This is why I think the armed rebels must be stopped before Syria becomes a Somalia or Afghanistan, where also the West encouraged the ‘decent’ rebels with the “successes” we know.”
It must be said that Qatari and Saudi support of the jihadists couldn’t have happened without Western tacit approval, nor the smuggling of weapons through the Turkish and Jordanian borders and to an extent from Lebanon and Iraq. Of course as everyone remarked, such support towards Palestinians is a red line that won’t be crossed by these regional governments, despite the fact that a lot of their citizens and “charities” would love to get involved there.
December 13th, 2012, 11:42 am
zoo said:
#65 Tara
Did’nt you read what I wrote?
As long as the opposition seeks a military victory, a possible withdrawal of Bashar will provoke a worst bloodbath that we have seen yet.
When and if the coalition is able to have a say on the military FSA, is able to rein them into serving the same agenda toward negotiations, then Bashar could go.
Qatar, KSA and France are working against the tide, they want a humiliating end to Bashar and they trust they can have the control over the islamists extremists after the ‘victory’ since they have been funding them. How naive …
Until then I pray that Bashar stays.
December 13th, 2012, 11:54 am
zoo said:
Russia stands firm on diplomacy to solve Syria’s crisis
Andrew Andreev, the Russian Federation’s ambassador to the UAE
Dec 14, 2012
The wars of today are not waged only on the battlefields. In the case of Syria, the battles are being fought in the programmes of the well-known Arab satellite channels and in the pages of regional newspapers. Audiences are being persuaded that the regime of President Bashar Al Assad is responsible for everything – as is Russia, which is said to be providing him with all kinds of assistance. The fundamentals of nonpartisanship and impartiality are being sacrificed for the sake of labelling and achieving particular political goals.
Related
Comment Russia cannot wash its hands of Syrian blood
It may sound like a revelation for The National, which ran a recent editorial under the headline Russia cannot wash its hands of Syrian blood, but it is Russia which first raised the Syrian issue in the UN Security Council. Upon our initiative, the basic principles were developed to be incorporated later on into two UNSC resolutions and the Geneva Communiqué of the Action Group for Syria.
The editorial talks about Russia “doing nothing meaningful”, but forgets that it is Russia that constantly contacts both the Syrian authorities and all the opposition groupings. We motivate Syrians to seek a settlement of internal problems by peaceful means, through broad national dialogue, without imposing solutions from abroad. Any other patterns are fated to be nondurable and ineffective.
Those who present the issue as if Russia were responsible for the deterioration of the current conflict in Syria ignore the fact that not all foreign actors are interested in its peaceful resolution. These sides in particular did their best to withdraw Arab League observers from Syria, and create unbearable conditions for the personnel of the UN monitoring mission. Each time there was a slight chance to obtain unbiased information about the developments in Syria, or get at least a bit closer to a political settlement, these parties reduced that chance to zero.
…
The UN Security Council is authorised to deal with the resolution of conflicts, not conduct revolutions or regime change. We will never allow parties to take advantage of the Security Council to promote adventurous ventures having nothing to do with international law and the aim of upholding international peace and security.
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/russia-stands-firm-on-diplomacy-to-solve-syrias-crisis#ixzz2Ex77FUAv
December 13th, 2012, 12:02 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
Zoo said
a compromise to avoid “hundred thousands more death”
!00,000 death Zoo refer to, are those criminals Assad thugs,who tortured million Syrian ,killed over 120,000 and raped Syrian women,and stole Syrian money, they certainly don’t deserve to live.
December 13th, 2012, 12:07 pm
Observer said:
ZOO
The West is not terrified of anything. It knows that the regimes and the militants are mainly a threat to their own populations.
Witness the massacre in Akrab where regime militants killed their own kin. The NYT has a piece on it today and there is not a peep from any pro regime or regime sources including Addounia.
The conclusion from the NYT article is that your Prethident is now taking the Alawite community as human shields for its survival.
That is the lesson we have.
The 40 or so years of the rule of the Baath and the Mafia is coming to an end. What will follow is not clear but I can assure everyone of two things: the resilience of the people of Syria and the region, and the incredible ability to adapt and roll with the punches.
Cheers and have a great day watching the great news
December 13th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Visitor said:
MajedKhaldoun @77,
You do know how much Zoo likes to posture? And also to make spins?
He doesn’t know what he is up to.
But he is still waiting for so-called superpowers to save the necks of the jackals of the abominable regime!!
December 13th, 2012, 12:19 pm
zoo said:
Today in Damascus, after having been sidelined and ignored in Morocco in favor of the political coalition, the FSA and its terrorists fighters are flexing their bombing muscles and showing their furor by attacking palestinian refugees camps and setting bombs in schools and creating terror.
It is clear that these rebels, funded by KSA and Qatar, will not accept to be sidelined and crushed sop easily. They want to have a say in the future of Syria: A violent Islamist extremist say.
I just hope that these latest bloody fireworks are the desperate signs of their looming annihilation.
December 13th, 2012, 12:21 pm
zoo said:
#79 Visitor
I like when you confide to your twin brother, it’s moving..
December 13th, 2012, 12:23 pm
zoo said:
#78 Observer
A threat on one Israeli life is worse than threats on 10000 Syrian lives.
You say the regime is a threat to Syrians, I say the armed rebels are a threat to Syrians and to Israelis.
Guess who the USA will defend first?.
December 13th, 2012, 12:27 pm
Mjabali said:
Elias is speaking out of his rear about the Alawis, and not from his head.
December 13th, 2012, 12:32 pm
Visitor said:
“#79 Visitor
I like when you confide to your twin brother, it’s moving..
Ewe,
Moving you to heights of frenzy is my pleasure!!
Now I see you came up with another prediction for Observer.
Well, judging from monikers, Observer can only observe. He is not equiped to predict and neither does he have a crystal ball. So what is your crystal ball telling you? But wait. Do first what I told you yesterday to do. We want accurate readings.
December 13th, 2012, 12:35 pm
Akbar Palace said:
Zoo, Aldendeshe, Syrian Nationalist Party,
Interesting that you all have no excuse for the Baathist that single-handedly ruined a country and a people. So, fo course, you use the only fall-back plan the despots have employed throughout history: anti-semitism.
Enjoy reading “The Protocols” and Youtube videos of Evan Sadler while your countrymen hopefully rid al-Shams of murderers and thugs and create a free state where leaders are elected and people can speak their minds.
The West is not terrified of anything. It knows that the regimes and the militants are mainly a threat to their own populations.
Thank you Observer for your simple and easy-to-understand analysis.
December 13th, 2012, 12:38 pm
zoo said:
Obama’s Syria disaster
Posted By John Hannah Thursday, December 13, 2012 – 9:58 AM Share
Watching the nightmare in Syria unfold, you have to ask yourself: Could the Obama administration have made a worse hash out of the situation if it had tried?
…
What to do when no good options remain? If rebel advances have finally convinced the Russians that Assad’s days are indeed numbered, a very slim chance may still exist for some form of last-ditch diplomacy that salvages the core structures of a functioning state and averts the black hole of uncontrolled collapse and chaos. The starting point would have to be the rapid exit from power of Assad and his immediate clique, either via voluntary exile abroad or some version of a palace coup. A UN-brokered negotiation on a political transition would then ensue between a remnant of the Alawite regime and the internationally-backed opposition, leading hopefully to a ceasefire, some form of national unity government, and eventually a new constitution with credible guarantees for Syria’s minority communities, followed by free and fair elections.
No doubt this is a very tall order. What the Russians could actually deliver with respect to Assad, even if they wanted to, is a major question mark. More importantly, why the armed opposition, especially its most radical elements, would ever agree at this point to stop short of an outright military victory that ended with the storming of Assad’s palace is not at all apparent. Convincing them and the Syrian people otherwise would require a unified, full-court diplomatic press by all Syria’s major outside stakeholders, equipped with a powerful panoply of both pressures and inducements.
Short of that kind of diplomatic miracle, the outlook is extremely bleak.
http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/12/13/obamas_syria_disaster
December 13th, 2012, 12:41 pm
zoo said:
84. Visitor
Observer has stopped expressing his deeper convictions as he has been rebuffed several times when he called repeatedly for the division of Syria according to religions and the urgent need of printing a telephone book for Syria as a sign of modernism.
Read his previous ‘clear analysis’ and you will see what I mean.
Since then, he only tiptoes in his observations, following the current.
December 13th, 2012, 12:46 pm
Tara said:
Zoo
Opposition headed by al Khateeb would not be willing to “reign in” the ” jihadists” until Bashar steps down.
I also doubt very much that Batta will be ever willing to step down no matter what the circumstances are. Nothing he has said points to his potential willingness to do so. I think it is more wishful thinking on your part.
December 13th, 2012, 12:49 pm
zoo said:
#83 Mjabali
“Elias” is another one coming straight from the Planet of the Apes.
He must belong to the Hariri herd, they use similar expressions against the ‘heretics’
December 13th, 2012, 12:50 pm
Visitor said:
Zoo @ 87,
I see. So you do not appreciate Observer’s analysis because he calls for religions divisions. And you also do not like phone books. I like phone books especially for Syria because they keep people in touch using their cell phones during the revolution. Also, last time I checked your analysis, I found you to be a huge fan of Mullah-stan. So you must like Observer. I really do not understand what you like or dislike. You’re just too inconsistent.
Anyway, we’re still waiting for your crystal ball readings. But make sure you calibrate it with this man’s (SG of NATO) crystall ball,
http://aljazeera.net/news/pages/b340b19e-4fc2-449a-aa30-74fe18e691f9?GoogleStatID=9
December 13th, 2012, 12:59 pm
zoo said:
#88 Tara
The Russian will surely pressure Bashar to ‘stand aside’ if the opposition has enough weight and credibility to become a partner in serious political negotiation..
That’s a long way to go, as despite the ‘spectacular’ recognition, Khatib and his friends are weaker than ever and will have hard time getting the same ‘spectacular’ recognition from the Syrians in Syria, until they show practically how they can relieve their sufferings.
How can they? By preaching empty promises of a rosy future when the Syrians are lacking bread, food, shelters, when they are caught in fires between the Syrian army, islamist extremists, and ‘decent’ rebels?
If the coalition does not deliver soon, it will end up like the SNC… They have to move urgently and I am waiting to see what direction will be their next move after being ‘recognized’.
December 13th, 2012, 1:00 pm
zoo said:
Visitor
The best crystal-baller on SC is your twin brother or his son.
Since you are reviewing old posts, maybe you should tell us which of the numerous predictions he made actually became a reality.
One can read that his son took over when he was on sabbatical in Antakya and never reported of his suspicious activities there.
Since then, you are and your twin brother’s son
are singing the same song with just a slightly different voice.
It’s touching.. and it is also touching that, like Observer, you believe that printed phonebooks are a sign of an advanced country.
Sorry I avoid reading al Jazeera.. as Qatar is now a francophone country, I’ll read it when they will publish it in french
December 13th, 2012, 1:08 pm
zoo said:
Tara
August 2012
Syria envoy says Assad resignation is up for discussion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19329637
Syria’s deputy prime minister has said the government is prepared to discuss the exit of Bashar al-Assad, but that the president’s resignation cannot be a pre-condition for talks.
December 13th, 2012, 1:17 pm
Visitor said:
Ewe in the Zoo@92,
So even francophone perfumes you do not like? I understand why. Living in a Zoo for such a long time will make you prefer certain ‘perfumes’ over others by force of acclimation. Thay’s fair. I wouldn’t argue with that. It is just natural.
But before I continue. What is a francophone perfume? Is it a French speaking perfume? I would like to talk to this guy in French.
But not liking ‘francophone’ perfumes doesn’t give you the execuse to throw the ball on the others’ courts and ask to see how many of their predictions came true. We know who has the habit of making predictions and who has the crystall ball.
Now I am going to show you an easy way which I just discovered so you can easily count how many predictions you make in a statement.
Just count how many times you use ‘will’ in your comments. You will easily find out that you are the worst abuser of the future tense among the Anglophone ‘perfumes’.
December 13th, 2012, 1:26 pm
zoo said:
Here are the rebels who want to rule Syria
Syrian rebels set to execute Ukrainian journalist
Published: 13 December, 2012, 06:03
http://rt.com/news/anhar-kochneva-syrian-rebels-929/
NGOs are urging Syrian rebels to release a Ukrainian journalist, Anhar Kochneva, who is set to be executed Thursday. Meanwhile the group behind the kidnapping warned it would now target all Russians, Ukrainians and Iranians on Syrian soil.
December 13th, 2012, 1:29 pm
zoo said:
Visitor
As alcool is excluded, Qatari francophone perfumes must surely smell human fat and human gas, especially when worn by HBJ or Banana…
I am sure you can offer one bottle to your twin brother or maybe he prefers ottoman perfumes…
‘you use ‘will’ in your comments. You will’
Got it.
December 13th, 2012, 1:33 pm
Jasmine said:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/cease-all-funding-and-support-al-qaeda-terrorists-and-extremist-rebels-syria/R951Mygt?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl
We must stop the help to Alqaeda in Syria,please sign this petition above.
December 13th, 2012, 1:52 pm
Visitor said:
Zoo @96,
Are you saying that you are a skiny Ewe with no fat whatsoever?
And you do not like bananas either? I understand why. You no longer live on trees. You now live in a cage in a zoo. You lost your taste during the evolutionary process. So why do you blame HBJ for that? I am sure he’ll spare few bananas for you for old time sake!! I heard he is quite generous especially with exotic pets!!
But why didn’t you call these new perfumes Turcophone perfumes? You see how inconsistent you are? Where am I going to find this Ottoman perfumes these days? So, would you settle for a Turcophone?
December 13th, 2012, 1:53 pm
Syrialover said:
Here’s a great article on the role being played by Syria’s community leaders in maintaining order. Deir Ezzor example – very inspiring.
Article: Syria’s Local Leadership
http://carnegieendowment.org/sada/2012/12/13/role-of-community-leaders-in-syria/etaw
December 13th, 2012, 2:24 pm
Visitor said:
SL99
You should bring more of this stuff.
December 13th, 2012, 2:33 pm
Syrialover said:
Yeah, it beats playfighting with the distraction faction here.
December 13th, 2012, 2:40 pm
Citizen said:
Syrian jihadists, including al Qaeda’s Al Nusrah Front, form Mujahideen Shura Council
…
“The jihadi Islamic brigades in the city of proud Deir al Zour in the Levant of Islam and garrison announce the establishment of the Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al-Zour,” the statement said, according to SITE. The groups that joined the Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al Zour are listed at the beginning of the statement, in the following order:
1. Al Nusrah Front
2. Al Ansar Brigades
3. Al Abbas Brigades
4. La Ilaha Ila Allah [There is No God but Allah] Battalion
5. Al Hamza Brigade
6. Al Sa’qah Brigade
7. Jund al Aziz Brigade
8. Izzuddin al Qassam Brigade
9. Abu al Qassam Brigade
10. Brigade of the Da’wa [Preaching] and Jihad Front
The Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al Zour was formed to “unite the ranks of the jihadi brigades in the Cause of Allah, organize the efforts and the attacks against the soldiers of disbelief and apostasy, and distinguish the ranks of truth from falsehood,” the group stated.
“We call upon our sincere mujahideen brothers all over the strong Levant to unite their ranks in groups, pure of the filth of suspicious groups and the infiltration of people who have no qualities or faith, in order to clarify their banner and purify their path,” the statement continued.
…..
http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/syrian-jihadists-including-al-qaedas-al-nusrah-front-form-mujahideen-shura-council/28131/
December 13th, 2012, 2:44 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Zoo is one of those idiots that condemns violence when it’s done by the rebels. But thinks that violence BY the government is fine.
What comes around, goes around, Zoo. The regime and some of its Alawite supporters committed violence and massacres. Now it will get it back in return.
And no, there will be no peace. Neither side wants to compromise. Once Damascus falls, the next target is Lattakia.
December 13th, 2012, 2:54 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
Washington’s Utter Hypocrisy? By Paul Craig Roberts
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33296.htm
December 12, 2012 “Information Clearing House” – With its power declining, Washington was not able any longer to keep Russia out of the World Trade Organization. Congress showed its spite over its impotence by hooking the normalizing of trade with Russia to what is called the “Magnitsky rule.”
Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian attorney who represented a British investment firm accused of tax evasion and fraud in Russia. Apparently, the UK firm supplied information to media alleging government misconduct and participation in corruption inside state-owned Russian companies.
Magnitsky represented the accused UK firm. He claimed that the firm had not committed fraud but had been a victim of fraud. In turn, Magnitsky was arrested. He developed serious illnesses in prison for which he apparently received inadequate medical care.
Whether he died of untreated illnesses, we cannot know. But the US Congress, acting on the unsubstantiated allegation that Magnitsky was tortured and murdered, attached to the trade normalization bill a provision that requires the US government to release a list of Russian government officials believed or imagined to have been involved with the violation of Magnitsky’s human rights and to freeze the assets of these members of the Russian government and to deny them visas to travel to the US. Considering Washington’s belief that its law is the universal law of humankind, Washington probably intends for every country to enforce its edict or to be sanctioned in turn.
The Russian government finds the “Magnitsky rule” amusing. Here is the Russian government accused, without any evidence, of ONE torture and death, while Washington has such a large number of torture deaths from Abu Ghraib to Gitmo to the secret CIA torture centers to endless drone attacks on kids‘ soccer games, weddings, funerals, medical clinics, schools, farm houses and aid workers. The evidence is completely clear that Washington has tortured a number of individuals to death and into false confessions and blown to pieces thousands of innocents known as “collateral damage.” No one but Washington and its servants denies this. But one alleged Russian offense against human rights brings forth an act of the US Congress, all in a huff about the violation of a Russian lawyer’s human rights.
A number of rulers in human history have been this arrogant. But has a democracy ever been? Athens perhaps, but **Sparta taught Athens a lesson**.
What do the members of Congress think is the response of the rest of the world to Washington’s utter hypocrisy? How can Washington pass a law punishing Russian government officials for allegedly doing once what we know for an absolute fact Washington does every day?
The holier-than-thou presence that Washington presents to the world is so phony and shopworn that Washington is becoming not only despised but a laughing stock. Peoples cease to fear the “superpower” when they laugh at its folly, hypocrisy and utter stupidity.
Certainly, the Russians are not afraid. The Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, responded to the Washington morons as follows: “It is inadmissible when one country tries to dictate its will to another.” The Magnitsky rule will bring forth a “symmetrical and asymmetrical reaction from Russia.” The Russian Duma seems intent that this be the case. http://rt.com/politics/prepares-russias-reply-magnitsky-705/print/
Washington is like the drunk in a bar who picks a fight with a bruiser. Washington is full of itself, but Russia and China are not going to put up with a financially busted and militarily overstretched popinjay. The evil in Washington is driving us into nuclear war and into the destruction of life on earth.
and
president assad will teach the lying, hypocritical thugs in DC a lesson.
russia and china laugh at the ignorant and losing jewish donkey.
December 13th, 2012, 3:06 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
1. Al Nusrah Front
2. Al Ansar Brigades
3. Al Abbas Brigades
4. La Ilaha Ila Allah [There is No God but Allah] Battalion
5. Al Hamza Brigade
6. Al Sa’qah Brigade
7. Jund al Aziz Brigade
8. Izzuddin al Qassam Brigade
9. Abu al Qassam Brigade
10. Brigade of the Da’wa [Preaching] and Jihad Front
_________________________________________________________________
Mossad/Al Ciada getting creative in brand naming. This is coming from a long way of trials, learning from the experience in Iraq, and before, fake Palestinian groups on Mossad payroll. Remember the Achille Lauro hijacking by Mossad front man, Abu Nidal, leader of the PLF. It used t be easy PLO NFLP, PLF NLP, PSP PLNP, they never acceded 4 letters.
http://pakdefenceunit.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/message-to-useful-idiot-muslims-who-join-al-qaeda/
December 13th, 2012, 3:14 pm
Aldendeshe said:
Well that is not the complete list of terrorists operating today, there are at least 50 more terrorist groups operating in or out of the Middle East, here are some well known for the intelligence community (not the drug peddler):
Al Mumeneen Brigade
(Anthrax Specialist) Global – Anti British-Franco Interests
Abu Ammar Brigade
(VX specialist ) Palestine-Jordan – Anti Jewish
Alwalid Brigade
(Sarin disperser experts) Saudi Arabia-Yemen ( Seasonal) Wahidi Wahabist
Abu Hazem Martyr Brigade
(RX Experts) Ultra anti Jews – Known to work in Iraq also
Hassam Brigade
(Explosive Vest expert) Suicide bombers – franchised in the Arab World
Al Kharejoon Brigade
( Multi Taskers) serving the Emirates, extremely violent Islamists
Al Fikr Al Islami Brigade
(Car bomb expert) anti everything not Moslem- Europe, Qatar, Jordan
Huriat Islamic Brigade
( VX dispersal specialist) Creation of Fundamentalist Islamic state- Turkey
December 13th, 2012, 3:38 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
104. 5 DANCING SHLOMMOZZZ
“Washington is like the drunk in a bar who picks a fight with a bruiser. Washington is full of itself, but Russia and China are not going to put up with a financially busted and militarily overstretched popinjay.”
Shlomie, admit it, you copied that. You don’t even know what a popinjay is. Remember to keep taking your medications. Part of the agreement for the nurse dropping the rape charge is that you keep taking your meds.
PHOTO FROM THE USS EISENHOWER OFF THE COAST OF SYRIA:
MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Dec. 5, 2012) Photo of an EA-6B Prowler from the Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140 launches from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathanael Miller)
http://www.strategypage.com/gallery/images/EA-6B-Prowler-12-2012.jpg
December 13th, 2012, 3:50 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
NEWS REPORT ON BASHAR AND ALL THAT…
NBC News reported that the Syrian military is prepared to use chemical weapons against its own people and is awaiting final orders from President Bashar Assad. Later reports say the Syria military has loaded the precursor chemicals for sarin, a deadly nerve gas, into aerial bombs that could be dropped onto the Syrian people from dozens of fighter-bombers.
“The world is watching,” President Obama said in a speech at the U.S. National Defense University. And U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned President Assad that he would be crossing “a red line” if he used nerve gas.
As recently as last Tuesday, officials had said there was as yet no evidence that the process of mixing the “precursor” chemicals had begun. But by Wednesday this week, they said their worst fears had been confirmed: The nerve agents were locked and loaded inside bombs.
Meanwhile, the United States has moved a major armada just off the Syrian coast. The USS Eisenhower Strike Group has just joined forces with the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with a combined force of 10,000 US troops, 70 fighter-bombers and at least 17 warships, including three Iwo Jima amphibious craft, a guided missile cruiser and 10 destroyers and frigates. Four of these vessels are armed with Aegis missile interceptors.
Be afraid, Bashar. Be very afraid…
December 13th, 2012, 4:22 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
49. DOLLY BUSTER + 48. JOHANNES DE SILENTIO
U.S. defense budget is 10 times bigger than Russia.
__________________________________________________________________
Yes budget is ten times bigger than Russia, but what is important is what you acquire in return for that huge spending that has effectively bankrupted the United States. Another indicator for the experts is the price of goods and labor. If the United Sates pay defense contractors 100 time more for “Human Interface Capable Fastening Tool” a $100, and Russian pay 1 kopeigki for higher quality one, the Russians getting 100 time more quantity into deployment of better goods than the Americans. By the way, that system was a fu***ng screw without the bolt, that is an added $100.
Other valuable indicators are labor cost of man hours, benefits, retirement, medical and disability payout ,,etc..etc. as well as Research and development costs. American could be spending ten times more on developing an inferior systems (in fact obsolete) to the Russian ones that cost one tenth of that. Then there are the cost of sweetheart deals and aiding foreigners and so on ad so forth. The U.S. if you have any military experience knows that almost all that huge budget that has bankrupted America is wasted on pork belly. While Russians spent money wisely on developing cutting edge technologies without the pomp and brag ceremonies.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-30/dubai-firm-overbilled-pentagon-900-for-7-switch-bowen-says.html
http://www.counterpunch.org/2008/06/11/exposing-pentagon-and-cia-corruption/
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-07/world/35700991_1_generals-and-admirals-paula-broadwell-africa-command
December 13th, 2012, 4:35 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
Zoo
It is you who made several failed predictions, and you still make weird predictions,you delude yourself,You think Assad will win, you must be completely out of touch,you need to wake up.
December 13th, 2012, 4:37 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
With every passing day, things are looking worse and worse for the Batta regime. So if you are a supporter of this regime, consider jumping ship while you can. If not, then blame no one but yourself.
The FSA captures 15 big trucks filled with Mazot (diesel?) in the Hama area. I am told that this is a lot of Mazot, but maybe the supporters of the terrorist Syrian regime think otherwise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlqAGoG3-go&feature=youtu.be
The booties of war after the liberation of radar regiment in the Aleppo area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDJk4m4EoFw&feature=youtu.be
http://www.facebook.com/Syrian.Revolution?fref=pb
An FSA group builds a robot that could be used in various military applications.
I remember seeing this video some weeks ago. This is what Syrians can do With
very limited resources and under the threat of attack by Batta things. Imagine what
they could do if those barbarians ruling Syria are uprooted. They managed to keep
us backwards all those years. The end is near, Allah willing. The industrious people
of Syria can do wonders if they get the opportunity.
http://youtu.be/LPsIJM9AS5Q
December 13th, 2012, 4:50 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
Dear Batta Supporter,
If you ‘re feeling demoralized as of late, don’t worry. It’s a natural feeling and you should not be ashamed of it. Actually, I suggest you enjoy the moment because worst things are in store for you. To help you ease things, may I suggest you drink some zhurat. They have a great calming effect.
December 13th, 2012, 4:54 pm
Majedkhaldoun said:
Now Assad has sent messages with Mr. Ibrahimi,that he is willing to leave with conditions, Mr. Khateib said the SNC are studying those conditions.
I don’t think the SNC will accept any condition that the FSA will refuse
This is a dangerous period for Assad.
December 13th, 2012, 5:02 pm
Citizen said:
I forgot – we also have a positive experience when our volunteers unmarked stopped Pindos in Vietnam!
December 13th, 2012, 5:04 pm
Citizen said:
49. DOLLY BUSTER + 48. JOHANNES DE SILENTIO
U.S. defense budget is 10 times bigger than Russia.
There is a multiplicity of causes for the current U.S. economic downturn namely the offshoring of American jobs, excessive military spending and widespread corruption on Wall Street.
“The government of the United States has been committed to exporting jobs to China, India and the rest of the developing world, and tens of thousands of jobs are lost each year”
A second factor is “the excessive military spending… which effectively buys us nothing”.
“That’s like money into a complete rat hole. This has been going on now for decades and shows no signs of relief”. This huge defense spending could instead be used to create jobs and improve the nation’s aging infrastructure.
“The third problem… is the complete corruption of Wall Street and the financial and banking system of the United States which the Obama administration shows little or no interest in changing or in punishing those who have been involved”
take care .
December 13th, 2012, 5:22 pm
Citizen said:
The path to the oil is through weapons of mass destruction.
http://translate.google.at/translate?hl=de&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iarex.ru%2Farticles%2F31904.html
December 13th, 2012, 5:44 pm
Citizen said:
The Syrian Civil War’s Global Implications
…………..
The importance of good relations between the West and Russia and China goes far beyond the issue of Syria. It would be a tragedy if policymakers allowed differences regarding Syria policy to disrupt those crucial relations and trigger an East-West cold war. Unfortunately, the danger of such an outcome is no longer far-fetched. The palpable chill in this summer’s summit meeting between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin is a warning of the permanent damage to great power comity that could occur.
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/syrian-civil-wars-global-implications
December 13th, 2012, 6:06 pm
zoo said:
Majedalkhaldoon
“You think the rebels will win, you must be completely out of touch,you need to wake up.”
December 13th, 2012, 6:27 pm
zoo said:
Majedalkhaldoon
“This is a dangerous period for the opposition”
The FSA wants blood and will never accept the CNS decision…
December 13th, 2012, 6:29 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
115. CITIZEN
“That’s like money into a complete rat hole”
No, it’s not. Far from it. The fact is, the jobs the USA is “losing” are manufacturing jobs. The USA has moved far beyond that. Most American jobs are concentrated in Service and Technology. Even American agriculture is hi-tech.
Now, about China and India. Over the past 20 years, you’ve seen a huge rising middle class in each of those countries. There’s still a lot of poverty there, but each has a middle class of over 100 million people. These middle classes came into being running manufacturing enterprises, the types of enterprises Americans don’t want anymore.
The largest, most aggressive buying public in the world is in the USA and the EU. These places are where there are lots of people with money to spend.
The relationship between the USA and the EU, on the one hand, and India and China, on the other, is crucial. The goods made in India and China need buyers to keep those factories humming. Like the man says, “If you can’t make it in the USA, you haven’t made it.”
It’s not money in a rat hole, citizen boy. It’s good business. So as lights go out in the Middle East, they switch on somewhere else. One door closes, another opens.
US GREEN PARTY OPPOSITION TO THE USS EISENHOWER OFF SYRIA’S COAST:
“…Before the Obama Administration sends troops or drones into Syria, we should remember the devastation caused by U.S. invasions and interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. In Iraq’s case, deposing a dictator triggered a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians, as well as over 5,000 U.S. troops, and destroyed Iraq’s infrastructure. The war in Afghanistan is still going on and has expanded to include civilian-killing U.S. drone attacks on Pakistan…”
December 13th, 2012, 6:31 pm
Tara said:
Zoo,
“That’s a long way to go, as despite the ‘spectacular’ recognition, Khatib and his friends are weaker than ever and will have hard time getting the same ‘spectacular’ recognition from the Syrians in Syria, until they show practically how they can relieve their sufferings.
How can they? By preaching empty promises of a rosy future when the Syrians are lacking bread, food, shelters, when they are caught in fires between the Syrian army, islamist extremists, and ‘decent’ rebels?”
Zoo, the Syrian people are fully aware of the culprit beyond their sufferings. The lack of food, shelter, and bread is happening because the regime is shelling their towns and their bakery lines and internally displacing them. The culpability here is not contestable. The mere fact of opposing the regime wins the hearts and minds of the Syrian people adversely affected by the regime’s brutality which makes it almost everyone except the Malki area in Damascus and even those Malki residents have relative dispersed all over Damascus and I can assure you that Asma and Batta are cursed in each of their prayers.
My own cousin, a Malki resident, has been kidnapped for a ransom and I’ll leave it up to you to guess who is behind kidnapping him
December 13th, 2012, 6:38 pm
Citizen said:
120-JDS
Are you sick?
Do you want to say that you are see how the windows are opening in my computer?
Are you doing heroic work, stupid! Go to a psychiatrist!!!
December 13th, 2012, 7:08 pm
Majed97 said:
The Russian statement today sounds more like a threat than an assessment, directed at the new coalition and their backers for how bad the situation could get. The timing of it seems coordinated with the US and Ibrahimi, following the US recent announcement to basically disarm the FSA of its most valuable assets, Jabhit al Nusra, while giving the new coalition a modest recognition. Why else would the Russian make such a statement now at time when so many political activities are taken place; and when the oppositions haven’t gained any new territories in a long time. In fact they were dealt a major blow in Damascus recently; and the situation in the rest of Syria, particularly Aleppo, is unchanged?!?
Those who are counting on a quick end to this mess are delusional. This stalemate could last for a long time if pursued militarily; and will result in the partition of Syria. A political settlement keeping Syria secular and independent is the only way out. This is a regional war, not a revolution, and will only end when the regional players get their arms twisted by the big boys (the US, China and Russia), which I suspect is happening now.
December 13th, 2012, 7:13 pm
Tara said:
Johannes,
“Be afraid, Bashar. Be very afraid…”
Now…Please. No one is afraid of Uncle Sam. It is clear that Obsma is watching closely and….will continue to do so over the land with headless little girls. But that is all. No offense but your comment sounds very naive..Bashar is not afraid of the US and has no reason to be afraid.
December 13th, 2012, 7:13 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
You’re very very wrong, Tara, but it’s understandable why you’re that way.
It never ceases to amaze me how your basic Syrian thinks he’s king of the world and thinks everyone is cowtowing to him. Maybe that’s why no one likes Syrians very much…
December 13th, 2012, 7:32 pm
Tara said:
Johannes,
Come on now Johannes. Don’t be sensitive. And how am I wrong? Obama’s is only posturing. His redline was a license to kill and his recognition is only rhetorical. Show me the money!
December 13th, 2012, 7:45 pm
Visitor said:
Akbar Palace,
Susan Rice is now out of the race (good for her).
Who are the ‘unlucky’ candidates to succeed Hilly now?
December 13th, 2012, 7:55 pm
Ghifran said:
دعا الإسلامي د. عبدالمنعم أبوالفتوح، رئيس حزب “مصر القوية”، الخميس، المصريين جميعاً إلى المشاركة في الاستفتاء على الدستور السبت القادم، والتصويت بـ”لا”.
Sunnis in Syria will be the first to stand up to Wahhabi attempts to bastardize Syria
December 13th, 2012, 7:56 pm
Syrialover said:
Time to reprint that recent statement here by HOPEFUL:
“In Syria, people who support a brutal military dictatorship ARE a minority, so are the people who support Islamic extremism. The good people of Syria – the majority – will produce a leadership (political and military) that will reject and defeat both dictatorship and religious extremism. Syrians have suffered enough and they deserve an outcome that is free of dictatorship, radicalism, and hollow ideology.”
It’s what we all need to re-read and remember in the daily tsunami of horror and hysteria.
December 13th, 2012, 8:09 pm
Majedkhaldoun said:
Zoo 119
you are so occupied by worshiping Assad, you don’t understand what people say, It is dangerous time for assad, today CIA leaked informations and based on that I believe it is very dangerous time for Assad,and it is not because the FSA,
Zoo when Assad is gone ,will you come back and comment on SC ?,I doubt it.I will enjoy saying ,I told you so,and you were wrong.
Visitor said: Ewe is used to the smell of the Zoo,
December 13th, 2012, 8:19 pm
Syrialover said:
The violence, filth and subhuman idiocy of the Assads are NOT Syria.
Here’s someone reminding us of the real Syria, who wants the world to “know a land and people beyond distorted filters of violence and destruction”.
Syria: Much More Than a Geography of Violence
EXCERPT:
“But for me, Syria means so much more. Just as devastating as the horrific, massacre-scale images you might have seen on news updates and dominating online media is that this is all you might probably know of the land where both my parents were born in. You might not even know that some of your biblical and Islamic stories take place on this land. You might not even know that this land is home to some of the oldest man-made structures on earth and longest continuously inhabited cities (Damascus and Aleppo). Former director of the Louvre Museum, Andre Parrot, even asserted, “Every person has two homelands… His own and Syria.” Even beloved American writer Mark Twain acknowledged Damascus’ sacred place in human history in his 1869 travel book The Innocents Abroad.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maytha-alhassen/syria-much-more-than-a-ge_b_2195833.html
December 13th, 2012, 8:23 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
Maybe that’s why no one likes Syrians very much…
________________________________________________________________
Maybe they don’t like Syrian Jews. Most Syrians have friends all over the world, American love Syrians, I can see why you would turn them off. Out of all Middle Easterners, Syrians are loved and respected the most if not only. No one in public like Saudi or Israeli not now, not before and forever will be the case. Did not they kill semites in Europe few years ago?
December 13th, 2012, 8:47 pm
Syria no Kandahar said:
Congradulations to all SC terrorists worshippers
They have new Amir to worship: ابو جليبييب He will
Be replacing Assad and creat the new Switzerland
Of the middleast:
December 13th, 2012, 8:48 pm
Ghufran said:
قال صبرا في حديث إلى شبكة “سي إن إن” الأمريكية حاورته الإعلامية كريستيان أمانبور إنه لا يفهم سبب إدراج أمريكا “جبهة النصرة” على لائحة الإرهاب . وأضاف أن “الشعب السوري يعتبر النصرة جزءاً من الثورة” . وتابع أن وصف الغرب للجبهة بأنها “إرهابية” يدعم مزاعم الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد بأن الحرب الأهلية ليست انتفاضة طبيعية وإنما غزو من قبل القوى الأجنبية .
Translation: terrorism is part of the revolution
December 13th, 2012, 8:56 pm
Syria no Kandahar said:
جورج عهره happily watched 8 kids slaughtered by Alnusra suicide bomber in his
City (qatana)!!!
How can any one support Alnusra !!
George is terrorist.
December 13th, 2012, 9:06 pm
Syrialover said:
Moaz al-Khatib has long been a thorn in the side of the Assad family.
He has a refreshing openness in his responses to interviews.
Article: ‘Social adviser’ unites Syrian opposition
EXCERPT (Financial Times):
Moaz al-Khatib turns his face away and fights tears as he recalls watching a young girl protesting in front of the Libyan embassy in Damascus in February 2011, just before Syria’s own revolution broke out.
“I don’t know the woman but I always remember her because she affected me so much. She was shouting for a whole hour and she did not stop crying,” he says.
Over the past two years, as Syrians have pushed for the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the 52-year-old geophysicist and preacher has – between stints in jail – attended several demonstrations.
As one of the few figures whom Mr Assad’s opponents could agree on to lead them, Mr Khatib now heads Syria’s main opposition group.
During his most recent arrest, before he fled Damascus to Cairo in July, he was deprived of sleep and thrown into a tiny cell crammed with 25 other prisoners. “It felt close to death,” he recalls in an interview with the Financial Times.
Although Mr Khatib is not a politician and was never part of a political organisation – he describes himself as more as a “social adviser” – he had long been a thorn in the side of the Assad family that has ruled Syria for four decades.
The son of a Damascene Sunni Muslim family of religious scholars, he was banned from preaching in mosques for the past 17 years. “I used to say that religion without freedom and justice is fake,” he says.
Openly critical of the US decision to brand a jihadi rebel group, Jabhat al-Nusra, as a terrorist organisation, suggesting this move could be counterproductive, he says the world community is partly to blame for the emergence of extremist groups in Syria.
He seems in no rush to answer an invitation from the US administration to visit Washington, saying that he has no objection in principle but he has other commitments in the near future.
“When the international community intervenes at the right time and when it moves to defend people at the right time it makes societies stable,” he says. “The wrong international policies have led to extremism.”
The opposition wants weapons but even without more supplies, “the Syrian people will uproot this regime even using their nails”, he says.
Mr Khatib reserves his harshest criticism for Russia, which he says would be “particularly responsible” if Mr Assad resorts to the use of chemical weapons.
Mr Khatib says there are three scenarios for the end of the Assad era.
The first and most costly is that Mr Assad fights until the end and this will prolong the conflict; the second is an implosion of the regime, a change from within that would save Syria more bloodshed; and the third is the departure of the regime within a political solution.
Would the opposition, which wants Mr Assad tried by the International Criminal Court, agree to an exile for the Syrian president?
“If Bashar wants [to leave] he could through some channels send a clear message … that he wants to end the destruction of the country. Some international mediators from the UN or others could listen to him but we will not commit to anything until we study it [a proposal].”
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3671a322-4519-11e2-858f-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2EzOjOxN1
December 13th, 2012, 9:35 pm
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Extremist Battalion Burns Down Shia Mosque in Idlib
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/extremist-battalion-burns-down-shia-mosque-in-idlib/
The choice is not between Assad and the revolution, Assad has fallen the moment he declared war on the people. The choice is between a free Syria or a Syria plagued by his heritage of hatred, sectarianism and destruction.
December 13th, 2012, 10:03 pm
Syrialover said:
Moaz al-Khatib – a voice of sanity, of decency, of dignity.
A voice of intelligence, of reason, of integrity.
A voice with the qualities Syrians have been deprived of for so long in public life.
A voice inside many Syrians but obscured by decades of empty, brain dead, insulting and sinister dictator-speak.
December 13th, 2012, 10:04 pm
Syrian said:
Zoo’s father in action
http://youtu.be/f2bnY-cNaeA
December 13th, 2012, 10:12 pm
Ghufran said:
ثويبه كنفاني
بحسب المعارضة السورية كنفاني، فإنه إذا كان المجتمع الدولي تدخل في الحال وأطاح بنظام الأسد كما فعل مع النظام الليبي، لكان الوضع في سوريا أفضل بكثير مما آل إليه في الوقت الراهن.
وأوضحت: \”جميع الثوار السوريين سيباركون أي دعم عسكري يحصلون عليه من إسرائيل، فكوادر المعارضة السورية سعت إلى الحصول على دعم عسكري من دول مختلفة تتقدمها إسرائيل، إلا أن أحداً لم يمد يد العون إلى الثوار، كما إن دوائر صنع القرار في الدولة العبرية، لا تبدي اكتراثاً بالمعارضة السورية، وهذا يعدّ خطأ فادحاً من الحكومة الإسرائيلية، إذ إنه على مر العصور تنجح كل الثورات حتى إذا طال وقتها\”.
Kanafani stressed that any military help fom Israel will be welcome by the rebels giving credibility to regime claims that Israeli-made weapons were found in areas deserted by rebels.
December 13th, 2012, 10:16 pm
zoo said:
Bye Suzy, hello Kerry?..
Susan Rice withdraws as Secretary of State candidate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/13/what-susan-rices-withdrawal-means/
With Rice now out of the mix for Secretary of State, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry becomes a very strong favorite to succeed Hillary Clinton in the job. Kerry has made clear he is interested in the position and, even while attacking Rice, Republicans like Collins have suggested that their colleague would be easily confirmed.
Assuming Kerry is the pick for State, that means that chatter about him as Secretary of Defense when Leon Panetta steps down, a move that is expected to come sometime in 2013, will disappear. Bloomberg reported today that former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel was the leading candidate to be the next Defense Secretary but one senior White House aide insisted that “no decisions have been made”.
A Kerry pick would also trigger a 2013 special election to replace him in the Senate with any number of Democratic elected officials as well as soon-to-be former Republican Sen. Scott Brown mentioned as possible candidates.
December 13th, 2012, 10:32 pm
Ghufran said:
Jeffrey Goldberg:
Here’s an alternative explanation for Obama’s hesitancy in Syria — perhaps he understands that he may eventually have to strike Iran, and he doesn’t want the U.S. entangled unncessarily in Syria. I’ve always suspected that one of the reasons he was so eager to depart Iraq, and is so eager to leave Afghanistan, is that he believes Iran to be the paramount issue, and so wanted to clear the decks. Better not to have America burdened and exposed in these places if he’s going to make a move against the Iranian nuclear program.
( the assumption was that toppling the syrian regime or weakening it to a near death status can be done using US regional and local friends but attacking Iran requires a direct and vigorous US involvement)
December 13th, 2012, 10:32 pm
Observer said:
Majed79 is concerned about the possibility of Syria breaking up.
I say break it up. It is clear that the factions cannot live together and there is deep hatred and suspicion and long held grievances and a feeling of victimhood among all parties concerned.
We read this in Syria No Kandahar and in Majbali and in Visitor and others on either side of the divide. The Alawites should have their state if they so desire and I suspect that now they are afraid and rightly so that if they stay in Syria they will be marginalized at best and massacred at worst. Likewise, the Sunnis will find it very difficult to forgive and it will take two or three generations for them to forget what exactions the regime has meted out.
I would say the regime has succeeded in poisoning the well of diversity and co-existence that we have experienced or had the illusion of having.
Break up Syria and Iraq and Jordan and Israel and Lebanon and Saudi Arabia and Iran for that matter ( where about 55% of the population is Persian ) and Afghanistan and Algeria where the Amazig want to live by themselves. Let the Kurds have their state and break up Turkey.
Let us do it peacefully and in an orderly manner and refuse to repeat the 300 years of war that Europe experienced until it got to today.
I really want every faction and sect and religious group to actually live in peace and prosperity. It is like a marriage from hell. Just get a civilized divorce and move on.
Syria has broken up already certainly on sectarian basis long before it is going to break up on the ground.
I know people hate what I write on this but I want to challenge the status quo. And please do not tell me about this being in the interest of Israel. Israel’s main ally is tyranny and the regimes in the levant never threatened anything and anybody except their own citizens.
December 13th, 2012, 10:33 pm
Ghufran said:
David Blair- The Telegraph:
As the regime dies by inches before his eyes, Mr Assad has three stark options. The first is flight to a friendly haven, probably Russia or somewhere in Latin America. Last month, his deputy foreign minister visited Cuba, Ecuador and Venezuela, perhaps preparing the ground for the leader’s exit.
But Mr Assad has insisted that he will “live and die in Syria” and, in any case, his own entourage might depose him rather than let him go.
His second option would be to battle on, perhaps gambling that his enemies might make some fantastic miscalculation.
Finally, Mr Assad could abandon Damascus and retreat to the traditional stronghold of his Alawite sect in western Syria. This might buy his survival, but he would cease to be a president and become just another warlord in a partitioned country. And, deep down, Mr Assad will know that his own misjudgements have left him with this excruciating choice.
( Syria is divided but actual partition does not have a real chance of succeeding, Syrians have to somehow accept a central government and accommodate each other to live and let live,however the old formula is dead, sectarian and regional loyalty will play a much bigger role in future Syrian politics after the guns stop and the dust settles in)
December 13th, 2012, 10:49 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Agreed with observer. At the end of this, there is no choice but to break up the country into enclaves, with a weak central government like Lebanon’s. The different communities have shown they CANNOT live together. The only other option besides this is genocide. At this stage, the hatred is too strong.
The natural strategy of the FSA will be to drive the Alawites out of central Syria and into Lattakia. The Alawite villages that supported the Shabiha massacres in Houla and elsewhere are the first target. They chose war, so war shall be given to them.
The Alawite and Christian emigration has begun. The issue becomes: after Damascus, will the FSA attack the Alawites in Lattakia?
December 13th, 2012, 10:50 pm
Syrian said:
142 observer
If they hand over the ones responsible for the death of 200000 Sytians and pay back all the billions they stole, leave all the costal Sunnis cities and go back to the mountains were they used to live just 45 years ago then I will agree with you to have thier own place
December 13th, 2012, 10:52 pm
zoo said:
The media hysteria predicting that the end of the regime is near is not based on anything than reading part of declarations, imagining, speculating and wishfull thinking.
The northern part of Syria occupied the the armed rebels are instable and need continuous military presence. How can the rebels sustain them if they don’t get heavy weapons and there is no no-fly zone ?
The USA and France said they won’t give weapons until they are sure they will not fall in Al Qaeeda’s hands. We can see that the victories of the FSA is limited hit and run and bombing schools in areas they are not occupying. Until when? It may take months until they can shake seriously the Syrian army. In the meantime the north areas, emptied of civilians are bombed regularly. The rebels are also confronted by the Kurds. In my view without a no-fly zone, the whole situation could rapidly change in the next few months.
Even if Bashar al Assad decides to leave his place to others in the regime, the regime is still here and strong. There has been almost no regime defections reported in the last month, or military defections either.
Of course Qatar and KSA and the opposition had a fit when the USA accuses their “good friends” of being terrorists and thus preventing the massacre of Bashar al Assad that the rulers of Qatar and KSA have been dreaming of for years and wishing they wish it was their Santa Claus gift from the USA.
To relieve their anger, Qatar and KSA have send more money to the rebels and getting more weapons sent to kill more Syrians and create an atmosphere of terror.
Will the Syrian army resist that last assault of hatred like that they have resisted until now? I don’t know.
I just hope the voices of divisions and hatred shut for good.
December 13th, 2012, 11:01 pm
MarigoldRan said:
You are the voice of hatred, Zoo. You defend a regime that is indefensible.
The Syrian army and the regime has committed atrocity after atrocity. They wrecked violence upon the country, so violence shall be wrecked upon them. If a government commits violence, then it is only fair for violence to be committed on the government. Do you not agree?
The supporters of the regime cry out for “negotiations and peace.” But two years ago, they were calling for “bloody murder” against the protesters. What stupidity. If you cry out for violence against your enemies, why are you surprised when your enemies cry out for violence against you?
You have no argument, Zoo. The regime that you support is only getting what it deserves.
December 13th, 2012, 11:07 pm
Ghufran said:
Alexei Pushkov, the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, believes the decision makes the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict exceedingly grim.
“Recognition of the Syrian opposition as ‘legitimate’ authorities by the ‘Friends of Syria’ gives up on any attempts to find a political solution. The only option now is war,” Pushkov wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday.
Many Russian diplomats view this latest development as a major setback in the Syrian conflict, arguing that the newly recognized coalition does not adequately represent the political will of the Syrian people.
(the moment seems to be ripe for a deal that includes the departure of Assad but there are serious issues that have to be addressed if chaos is to be prevented especially the issue of Islamist terrorists and what to do with hundred of thousands of armed alawi soldiers and officers, some of the statements on this blog about the future of alawites are not just hateful they are dumb too)
December 13th, 2012, 11:07 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Of course, Ghurfan. The Russians and the Iranians are finally beginning to realize that no one will negotiate with the regime. They have committed too many atrocities and spawned too much hatred for that.
The regime, the Russians and the Iranians lament that no one will negotiate. Well, obviously. Two years ago, when the regime was strong, did the regime and the Russians and the Iranians want to negotiate?
If you choose the path of war, why are you surprised when your enemies will not negotiate with you?
December 13th, 2012, 11:12 pm
zoo said:
Russia to pull back its citizens from Syria
December 13, 2012 1:56 PM
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Moscow will evacuate the Russians in Syria.
The decision came after the armed rebels kidnapped the pro-Syrian government journalist Anhar Kochneva and said that they will attack the Russian embassy in Syria.
December 13th, 2012, 11:12 pm
zoo said:
The Age of Islamic Dictators
by Stefano Casertano — 12.12.2012
http://theeuropean-magazine.com/522-casertano-stefano/919-morsi-and-the-future-of-egypt
In the Middle East, the hope for democratic change has been replaced by the fear of Islamist autocracy. The role models for Mohammed Morsi are Egypt’s former secular strongmen.
The only reason why Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi did not stick with his super-presidential decree has been the presence of the military.
..
As François Burgat has argued, “Islamism is effectively the reincarnation of an older Arab nationalism, clothed in imagery considered more indigenous.” He wrote this ten years ago. Bravo, Burgat.
December 13th, 2012, 11:19 pm
zoo said:
Where is Moaz al Khatib gesture of islamic humanity?
http://previous.presstv.ir/photo/20121214/nushi20121214021819113.jpg
Militants have released a video featuring a group of armed, masked fighters, one of whom reads out a statement, calling Kochneva a “spy.”
The statement also included a threat to kill any citizen of Ukraine and Russia, who is captured in Syria.
“The embassy of Ukraine, the embassy of Russia, citizens of these countries…from now on will be the prey and target of all our forces,” it said.
New York-based independent nonprofit organization, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), London-based human rights organization, ARTICLE 19, Vienna-based global organization International Press Institute, and Paris-based international NGO Reporters Without Borders have issued a joint statement, asking Washington, London, and Paris as well as representatives of the EU that they urgently push the so-called National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Free Syrian Army to prevent the murder of Kochneva and facilitate her release.
December 13th, 2012, 11:23 pm
MarigoldRan said:
No, Egypt is not a dictatorship because President Morsi does NOT have control over the military. A government cannot be a dictatorship without control of the military.
If anything, Egypt is going to be like PAKISTAN. There will be friction between the civilian government and the military for years to come, with the occasional coup and counter-coup.
It’s not a great outcome, but at least it’s better than the situation in Syria. As of now, would you rather live in Pakistan, or Syria?
December 13th, 2012, 11:25 pm
zoo said:
The end of the violence is nowhere near
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/world/middleeast/russian-envoy-says-syrian-leader-is-losing-control.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&ref=global-home
But the endgame in Syria is not clear, and American policy is considered hesitant and fuzzy by its allies. While American and French officials insist that they are not engaged in arming the opposition, Sunni leaderships in Qatar and the Persian Gulf are doing so, as they did in Libya, seeming to be more interested in toppling a non-Sunni leadership than in shaping what follows.
Senior officials in Washington have said that the fall of Mr. Assad would not necessarily mean the end of the civil and sectarian war. Some officials see the possibility of a divided Syria, with an Alawite and Christian enclave near Lebanon, defended by the remnants of Mr. Assad’s government, while others think such an enclave could be a recipe for further destabilization. Israeli officials are worried that their long-stable border with Syria could become a new area of conflict if radical Islamists dominate a post-Assad Syria or seize control of chemical weapons.
While the Obama administration pushed for the creation of the new National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and finally recognized it this week as the “legitimate representative of the Syrian people,” the coalition does not yet constitute an alternative government. And President Obama himself acknowledged that some of the most effective fighters against Mr. Assad are radical Sunnis who “have adopted an extremist agenda, an anti-U.S. agenda.”
December 13th, 2012, 11:29 pm
zoo said:
#154 Merry go round
“If anything, Egypt is going to be like PAKISTAN.”
What a wonderful perspective! I am sure that all Egyptians would love their country to be like Pakistan!
” As of now, would you rather live in Pakistan, or Syria?”
Syria no hesitation…
December 13th, 2012, 11:31 pm
MarigoldRan said:
On this point I agree with you. Exactly who wants to be like Pakistan?
I never said this was a great outcome. But better to be like Pakistan than to be like Syria.
And Zoo, you must not be living in Syria right now. Otherwise you would not have said what you just said. If you love to live in Syria so much, and if you love the government of Syria so much, why don’t you move there now?
December 13th, 2012, 11:36 pm
MarigoldRan said:
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the government of PAKISTAN has done a better job of running its country than the government of SYRIA.
Think about this for a minute.
December 13th, 2012, 11:57 pm
Dolly Buster said:
You have to look at the big picture. Bashar al-Kalb chose to have a war. Once a war starts, you can’t really complain about individual instances of violence.
It’s all part of the big event, i.e. the Nusaуri-Russian aggressors choosing to have this war.
December 14th, 2012, 12:09 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
The Friday of Denial
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/the-friday-of-denial/
December 14th, 2012, 1:23 am
Badr said:
“As of now, would you rather live in Pakistan, or Syria?”
Well, as of now, chances are that I’d be safer in any country of the world than in Syria!
Fate of Assad’s Syria still hangs in the balance
By Jim Muir
BBC News, Beirut
December 14th, 2012, 1:42 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Syria in Transition: An Insider’s View
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/syria-in-transition-an-insiders-view/
December 14th, 2012, 1:57 am
Hopeful said:
Assad has been nothing short of a total disaster for Syria. Islamist extremists will be another disaster for Syria. It is time for the honest people within the regime to extend their hands to Mr. khatib, and work with him on a transition that does not include Assad, his brutal gangs, or the Islamist extremists. Mr. khatib is a decent man and he stands a good chance of helping Syria through a transition. Being a liberal, I will never vote for him, but I understand that the Syrian society may never accept my would-be candidates, those who would probably enjoy drinking wine and have gay friends. Liberals and minorities must accept the fact that a New Democratic Syria will be led by a conservative Muslim, so the goal is to make sure Syria stays an inclusive moderate society, not by force and a brutal dictatorship as the Ba’ath has done, but through open dialogue and education. The majority of Syrians are conservative, but are also decent and generous by nature. Let us not forget that.
December 14th, 2012, 1:59 am
MarigoldRan said:
What’s the point of putting the country together again? The hatred is too deep and the Alawites will never accept Khatib. The Kurds will never return to the status quo, and the Sunnis will never accept the regime. Revenge attacks will continue, and the war, even after Assad is gone, will last a long time.
Best to have a Lebanese solution and pray that the country does not have an Afghanistan solution. The Sunnis and the Alawite communities have obviously proven to the world that they cannot live together. All attempts to cobble Syria as a nation have been an utter and total failure. Best to let everyone live separately in a federated state: with the Alawites in their coastal enclaves, the Kurds in the North-East and the Sunnis everywhere else.
I mean, what’s the point of having a country if it collapses into ruinous civil war every 50 years or so?
December 14th, 2012, 2:24 am
Syrialover said:
# 142. OBSERVER
I cannot bear to wish that for Syrians.
You would have a lot of small states that are not economically viable or politically stable and all the rest, without decent public health and education systems or properly run antiquities bodies and tourism industries or anything.
That is condemnig Syrians to ongoing struggles, deprivation, backwardness and lack of hope.
Sectarianism becomes entrenched with economic inequality and lack of political inclusion.
You refer to the “diversity and co-existence that [Syrians] have experienced or had the illusion of having.”
To me, that is worth digging for and trying to resurrect.
And if you think that is mission possible, look at the massive tribal conflicts in some African countries (e.g.Nigeria, Rwanda), where they had ethnic killings, economic and social collapse on an industrial scale, then somehow pulled themselves together and regrouped and went on as single nations.
If Syria breaks up, then the Assad legacy has wrongly defeated Syrians and destroyed their future.
Bashar will have succeeded in burning the country so it will not exist without him.
December 14th, 2012, 2:42 am
Syrialover said:
HAMOUDEH AL-HALABI
Thank you for that item (# 161) about how local Syrian communities are keeping order and building models of organization. It adds another geographial example to the article I posted in #99.
And thank you for that eloquent statement about terrorism in Syria “The Friday of Denial” linked in #159.
December 14th, 2012, 3:03 am
MarigoldRan said:
And yet Lebanon, a country smaller than Syria, and with little-to-no oil reserves, maintains a reasonable standard of living despite the separation into enclaves.
It’s government is ineffective, but that has its advantages. It cannot beat up political dissidents, nor can it attack other enclaves of the country. The country is a democracy by default because every group recognizes that it cannot have the country for itself. Everything about the government is a corrupt, but it has the sort of corruption where everyone has a stake in it, which is why it can maintain the peace.
There is no reason why Syria cannot be like Lebanon. It is in the middle of a very important place in the Middle East. Unlike Africa, Syria will always have other oil-rich countries in the neighborhood wishing to invest in it. As long as Syria does not have a government that is ACTIVELY trying to destroy the country, it will prosper economically like Lebanon.
Better to have a weak, ineffectual government like Lebanon’s, than an oppressive, dictatorial one. No one likes the Lebanese government, and yet it is better than most governments in the Middle East. I mean, would you prefer to live in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, or Lebanon?
December 14th, 2012, 3:09 am
MarigoldRan said:
The advantage of democracies is that they do not have to be popular to survive. Many West European governments, and the American congress in particular have a ridiculously low popularity rating of 10% and a disapproval rating of 60 %. Almost everyone in West Europe and America hate their national government. They joke about their stupid, ineffectual governments all the time.
And yet the governments and the countries survive because everyone understands that the alternative is worse. The governments, despite their flaws, are not oppressive, so no one needs to pick up weapons to fight against it. As long as a country can avoid having a civil war every 50 years or so, there is no reason why that country cannot prosper, especially if it’s in a location like the Levant.
Every ruler in the Middle East that takes power thinks it’s their job to “save” the country. When are they going to realize that one man’s savior is another man’s oppressor? Even Bashar Assad and Mubarak and Gaddafi, when they took over their countries, thought they could “save” the country and bring it to a new era of prosperity. Look at where it has lead them.
December 14th, 2012, 3:45 am
MarigoldRan said:
The only dictator in the modern Middle East who managed to save their country was Kemal Ataturk. But how many Kemal Ataturks are there in history?
Look, when Bashar Assad stepped into power, he did not step into power as an evil man. He did not think, “oh ho ho, now that I’m in power I’m going to ruin the country.” Instead, he thought, “I will do what I think is best for my country.” Even those who curse Assad today must see the truth in that. He did not begin ruling the country as an evil man.
And yet look at where he has lead the country. In the end he proved to be an ordinary man, trying to run a country with extraordinary problems. And this is what dictatorships do to dictators: they force them into impossible situations. They cannot decide the right course, and so the country heads to disaster.
Democracies work because they put the decision-making into the hands of many. One person or one group may lead the country to disaster. But as long as there is another group to counter the first group, the second group can steer the country back peacefully.
December 14th, 2012, 4:01 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Assad’s Weapon Fiasco
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/assads-weapon-fiasco/
Syrialover: and thank you for your kind words regarding Shaykh Moaz. He’s an exceptional man of integrity and a blessing for this revolution. Even though I have objections to the current approach to certain groups, I know that his take comes out of the softness of his heart and not from strategic considerations. God knows what possible goodness that might bring in the future, so we hope and pray for the best.
December 14th, 2012, 4:11 am
Badr said:
Unlike Father Like Son
“he had long been a thorn in the side of the Assad family that has ruled Syria for four decades”
How ironic. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Moaz’s father, Sheikh Mohammed Abu al-Faraj al-Khatib, use to praise Hafez in his Eid sermons at the Omeyyades mosque?
MarigoldRan,
It seems to me hard to anticipate that the Syrians would opt for living under a Lebanese-style rule, if their civil war ends in a different manner from that of Lebanon, as you recently expected.
December 14th, 2012, 4:32 am
Syrialover said:
#168. MARIGOLDRAN
Click, snap, step back. Blink. Clear your head.
You wrote:
“when Bashar Assad stepped into power, he did not step into power as an evil man”
Ask yourself, what the HELL was a a pinheaded, inexperienced, unqualified, unelected, incompetent son-of-an-illegitimate-thug dictator doing being elevated to the “leadership” of a country in the 21st century??
The 21st century! A country full of people who are no different from human beings elsewhere in the world with their human right to dignity, freedom and respect.
The system that installed Bashar Assad was UNPRECEDENTED, UNNATURAL, UNJUST and INSULTING to Syrians.
A cruel disaster.
Bashar Assad was the product and manifestation of evil. He got the job on the graves of the dead of Hama, of political martyrs and torture chamber victims. He climbed into that nest with the protection of 13 security services. He was hoisted into that job to protect the unearned privilege, wealth and interests of a small group who felt they “owned” a country and whose citizens were their subordinates.
What we see today was what Syrians got in 2000 despite the haze of spin, wishful thinking, anxious rationalization and denial of reality. A non-legitimate “leader” who was bred in his DNA and upbringing to massacre citizens and burn the country because he believes he “owns” it.
I mean, what the HELL?
December 14th, 2012, 4:58 am
Syrialover said:
#170 BADR
I don’t know if it’s true or not about Moaz al-Khatib’s father’s support of Hafez Assad.
But I don’t care. Because I’m not into family “inherited” political positions and reputations.
And it seems neither is Moaz al-Khatib. He’s has been banned from preaching in mosques for 17 years (i.e. dating from Hafez’s era).
December 14th, 2012, 5:23 am
Syrialover said:
The ugliness, the bleakness of Assad’s trashing of what was made by human hands and hearts.
It’s all captured here in 45 seconds: The umar ibn al-khattab mosque in al-asali neighborhood in Damascus:
December 14th, 2012, 6:40 am
Akbar Palace said:
Susan Rice is now out of the race (good for her).
Who are the ‘unlucky’ candidates to succeed Hilly now?
Visitor,
Looks like John Kerry or William Burns. They both fit in well with the Obama Administration’s policy of appeasement and apology.
They won’t push hard on despots like Assad, Nejad, or Mursi. They won’t stand up for freedom and democracy, and they’ll do their best to run away from the Taliban and Iraq.
All those that value freedom will pretty much be on their own.
http://news.yahoo.com/beyond-john-kerry-secretary-state-candidates-now-rice-224235393.html
December 14th, 2012, 7:18 am
Citizen said:
The corpses of foreign fighters in the streets Darayya 12/13/2012
http://youtu.be/fdBF74yG8xE?t=2m22s
Video from the “cleansing” of the city of Damascus suburb Darayya. Syrian army pushes terrorists they occupy quarters. On the streets lie the bodies of the killed militants, usually of foreign origin. Among those killed are citizens of Libya, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and even Australia. Also on the battlefield were discovered money of Saudi Arabia and Libya. Stepping back, the terrorists left behind a huge destruction and many duds.
December 14th, 2012, 7:27 am
Citizen said:
Pentagon to send missiles, 400 troops to Turkey
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/12/14/us-troops-syria-turkey/1768981/
December 14th, 2012, 7:41 am
Citizen said:
Muslim: Patriot missiles not for Syria but for Iran
14 December 2012
Deployment of Patriot missile defence in Turkey is the preparation for a war against Iran, not Syria
In an interview to ANF, Democratic Union Party (PYD) Leader Saleh Muslim made significant statements on the recent situation in the Syrian territory.
Muslim pointed out that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was a centerless movement that consisted of a number of fragments in Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and some other countries. “Many groups say they are affilated to the FSA which the Western forces however continue to reflect as if a single independent structure. This is a photograph of the fact that many hands have been laid on Syria”, he underlined.
Concerning the Arabs living in the Syrian territory, Muslim said that they recognized this Arab population as a part of the Free Syrian Army, noting that “We already have a deal with them about asking for permission while entering in each other’s region.”
Referring to the Syrian National Council and the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces which was formed in Qatar in November , Muslim underlined that neither of these structures represented the FSA as they both make references to democracy and modern state in contradiction to the FSA which intends to get back to caliphate, the regime of 1400 years ago, in a great incompatibleness with democracy. Muslim noted that neither the Coalition nor the Council had any influence on the armed groups in Syria.
Muslim continued remarking that the Syrian regime has been possessing chemical weapons since 1992 and added; “The Damascus government stated that its chemical Scud missiles are directed at Israel. That’s why the chemical weapons of the Syrian regime aren’t aimed at Turkey and the deployment of Patriot missile defence in Turkey is the preparation for a war against Iran, not Syria.
Muslim added that Turkey cannot make an intervention in Syria for it represents the NATO whose intervention would therefore lead to a war in the region.
http://en.firatnews.com/index.php?rupel=article&nuceID=5471
December 14th, 2012, 7:44 am
zoo said:
Anyone can do a better job that the disastrous globe-trotting Miss Piggy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-john-kerry-as-secretary-of-state/2012/12/13/d155c436-4573-11e2-9648-a2c323a991d6_story.html
By David Ignatius, Published: December 13
Second, Kerry appreciates the importance of quiet diplomacy, especially now. To make progress in brokering a Syrian political transition, exploring negotiating options with Iran and assessing prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Obama will need a confidential emissary. Kerry has played that role successfully for him already, in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s hard for a secretary of state to operate in “quiet mode,” but Kerry understands that’s important now. He’s well-traveled enough that he could skip the get-acquainted tours.
December 14th, 2012, 7:44 am
zoo said:
The disaster looming in Syria where wild and violent extremists may take the country and bring it to chaos similar to Somalia and Afghanistan with the help of the USA and the West may backlash in Iran. Not in the way the USA expects it.
I guess, by reflex, and to avoid similar violence, Iranians will be even more supportive of their government and would prefer to stick to a mild dictatorship than a cruel chaotic Taliban like US sponsored ‘democracy’ where women are relegated to the kitchen ( with “full rights and respect”), and mercenaries paid by foreigners make the rules with their weapons.
December 14th, 2012, 7:56 am
majedkhaldoun said:
We grew up believing correctly that in UNITY there is strength,dividing Syria will weaken Syria.
BTW post Assad Syria can not survive and florish without money to re-build it, it may be that future Syria must unite with another country to do well, It may take at least 60 billion dollar to rebuild Syria.
The Arab spring ,in addition to being for freedom and dignity,and modified democracy,it is about Arab Unity, A dream we will never forget.
December 14th, 2012, 7:58 am
zoo said:
Russian Foreign Ministry retracts its Syria point man’s talk of Assad’s eventual defeat
By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, December 14, 7:18 AM
MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday denied that a top diplomat said Syrian President Bashar Assad is losing control of his country, a statement that had been interpreted as signaling a shift in Russia’s assessment of the situation.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the ministry’s point man on Syria, was quoted by two state-owned Russian news agencies on Thursday as saying that “there is a trend for the government to progressively lose control over an increasing part of the territory,” adding that “an opposition victory can’t be excluded.”
But the Russian foreign ministry on Friday insisted in a statement that Bogdanov “has not made any statements or special interviews recently” on Syria but was simply citing the stance of the Syrian opposition while giving a speech.
December 14th, 2012, 7:58 am
Observer said:
ZOO posts on the age of Islamic dictators.
True, and it all was started by none other that Khomeini who ushered in the Wilayet Al Faqih of course and now how is it that you do not expect the Sunnis to want to resurrect the Caliphate?
But of course Iran is our ally and therefore we cannot criticize it and its backward stupid Shia based constitution. But of course HA is our ally and we cannot criticize it when its very name talks of a party of God yet we have to call this or that Sunni outfit a Takfiri.
Well, you cannot have the cake and eat it too. The region is going into its dark ages and yes there will be a break up of the region and we are going to have strife and ethnic cleansing for generations and yes there will be nothing more than warlords for this is what these regimes are. A little better funded than Somali warlords but warlords nevertheless.
Cheers
December 14th, 2012, 8:00 am
Observer said:
Again every minority in the ME would like for the majority to become secular while they retain their minority identity status:
Are you Syrian or Christian, Syrian or Sunni, Syrian or Alawi, Syrian or Druze, Syrian or Ismaili. If you identify with your sect then Syria does not exist except in fake symbols and if you want to have let us say a position in training at the university do you want to have it assigned based on the ethnic make up or on competence. If you want x positions for Christians and y positions for Sunnis etc….. then again there is no such thing as Syria. There is stupidity and barbarism and backwardness.
Amicable divorce please
December 14th, 2012, 8:23 am
Majedkhaldoun said:
Mursi in Egypt may win if the Egyptians vote to approve the proposed constitution in the upcoming referendum, his real purpose of the referendum is to neutralize the constitutional court where Mubarak Fulool(Remnant of Mubarak supporters) are there to fight the Egyptian revolution,they dissolved the Parliament ,thus Assuming political power,The new constitution propose to increase their number to 13 from 7,thus Mursi will appoint six more judges assuring the old guards will not be able to do such silly things.
December 14th, 2012, 8:25 am
Observer said:
ZOO you are right that the Iranian may stick with their current regime as they see the chaos around them. That is precisely why the Syrians never wanted anything like what they saw in Lebanon and in Iraq to happen to them and had put so much faith in the hope that Freddo Corleone would deliver on his promise of reform but his mask fell and he was stripped naked by HAMZA ALKHATIB revealing a monster and a stupid monster at that.
If he had ushered in the reforms and I wrote this more than 10 years ago and provided a similar experience to that of Juan Carlos of Spain after Franco he would have been made Prethident for Life. He would have ushered in a civil society but alas he turned out to be a monstrous brute and hate filled sectarian buffoon.
Cheers
December 14th, 2012, 8:28 am
Visitor said:
Observer @183,
Forget it. Syria will remain whole. Those who do not like the new Syria will have to deal with it on their own, or in other words tough luck. Marigoldran gave up the mountains, and I say not even the mountains.
————————-
Akbar Palace,
Thanks for the information. As expected imbeciles to the ‘rescue’.
December 14th, 2012, 8:32 am
Tara said:
Not the coast and not the mountains. Syria will remain intact and those who do not like losing their sectarian privileges should start checking out other countries. They will not be missed.
December 14th, 2012, 9:17 am
Juergen said:
DER Spiegel just published their view what could happen next in Syria:
4 scenarios are possible in their estimation:
■ rebel victory
The rebels manage to conquer large parts of the country. Survivors regime fighters flee and submerge. Triumphantly the rebels march into Damascus and find Assad. The regime is finished, the rebels are victorious. Associated with now by some 130 countries ´the Syrian transitional government will be able to organize its aftermath. This scenario is unlikely. Because the rebels are not a homogenous, national group. More likely is more of a variation of this potential development:
■ Warlordization
This scenario has already occurred and could continue – regardless of whether Assad is free and still alive or not. Accordingly, no militia would succeed to control the whole country. The power would be distributed to different groups depending on the region and locality. The militia are oriented well along sectarian and ethnic lines – for example, jihadist groups, a moderate Islamist, various Kurdish, Christian, Druze, Alawite and Shiite. One of these associations could continue to be Assad and his followers. Between these organizations there would always be conflicts – it is probably the most likely scenario.
■ Negotiations
Parts of the inner power circle around Assad decide that they have nothing to gain more. Negotiations with the rebels would be then an option, in which they are guaranteed a place in the future Syria. Assad is sacked and either detained or exiled. That is a possible scenario. Many Syrians yearn for peace. Conditions are: Russia would agree to such variation and to communicate with the United States. There must be in the inner power circle around Assad people who are actually in a position to carry out a coup against him. Whether this is possible is unclear. So far it has not appeared. The rebels would have to consolidate, so that they are able to give guarantees of security for Syria’s minorities – so they do not have to fear attacks by individual militia.
■ Intervention
An intervention would probably mark the end of Assad. It is unlikely that the West or its allies will send troops to Syria. The U.S. has repeatedly announced that they would invade only if Assad to use his chemical weapons. Its possible that a temporary intervention after the collapse of the regime could be established in order to secure the chemical weapons. Thus about 75,000 troops would be needed to mobilize.
December 14th, 2012, 9:26 am
Citizen said:
181. ZOO
http://translate.google.at/translate?hl=de&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fstalin-ist.livejournal.com/435771.html
I think my friends you have made the right conclusion about the above here. Personally, I read the “Statement of Bogdanov” in Bi-bi-si. But being taught by the behavior of this old prostitute in Europe did not hurry with the announcement: “truncated missing chef” and wait for the truth.
December 14th, 2012, 10:07 am
zoo said:
The US-Russia-Lakhdar Ibrahimi moving to phase 2
It is clear that a military take over is out to question and the agitation, gesticulation, bombings of the Macho-FSA and its terrorists allies are in vain. These people has been thrown out of the equation in Marrakesh. They were not represented and not even mentioned. The noise they are making out of their frustration is filling some on this Blog with pride and joy… but it is the noise of their imminent collapse.
The solution as I mentioned it several times is in the hands of the big powers, not the microcephales of Qatar, KSA and France and even less in the hands of these armed young men lost in confused ideologies, idealism and Rambos remiscences..
The solution is exclusively a political solution and it is the only one on the table. It was clear in Geneva and again in Marakesh
Lakhdar is going to Damascus to discuss what is the most suitable way Bashar could ‘stand aside’ while negotiations will start between the coalition and the regime.
It is possible that Bashar will remain as just a president figure and nominate a team to enter into negotiations for a cease fire first then a preparation for parliamentary elections and presidential elections in 2014.
In exchange Bashar may probably accept not to present himself in the next election.
By keeping Bashar in power even symbolically, the army will not collapse and security can be assured with the help of UN peacekeeping forces in hot areas.
I expect the GCC microcephales to object furiously but in hiding as they don’t want to displease their protector, the USA without which they are as naked as Adam in front of Iran.
Let’s see how HBJ and KSA will take that additional slap from the US. Will they dump more money to create more terror? Or wil they will reluctantly obey their masters?
December 14th, 2012, 11:29 am
zoo said:
#188 Juergen
None of the scenarios make any sense as they totally ignores that the UN is heavily involved and Lakhdar Ibrahimi is working on a fifth scenario.
That scenario may well finds its way to the UNSC soon.
December 14th, 2012, 11:36 am
Juergen said:
Zoo,
thank you for your evaluation,what would the possible 5th way look like?
An ousted Assad and al Shaara rule as an interim president?
December 14th, 2012, 12:51 pm
zoo said:
Juergen
Bashar will never be “outsted”, as that will trigger the army to collapse almost immediately, something the die-hard microcephales want but that the big powers and the UN do not.
I guess the UN-USA-Russia are looking for a compromise acceptable to both sides ( I mean the political opposition, no the armed rebels that I think, like the SNC, are burnt because of their violent excesses and open affiliation with Al Qaeeda.)
Farouk Sharaa is not a strong leader, he will certainly be part of the team, but I think the team may possibly be dominated by Jihad Makdissi as this would reassure the minorities and he is, I believe, respected in the West. I expect also a Kurd to be part of the negotiating team.
Bashar may keep a symbolic role of ‘president’ but he will not resign and will not leave the country until the negotiations are engaged and going in a suitable direction in line with the Baath party and with strong guarantees by the West of the minorities protection and rights..
All this may be just a dream because the armed rebels are totally opposed to a peaceful political settlement, when they are led to believe by the media that they are ‘winning’. Also their funds providers are only interested in vengefully humiliating Bashar, replace the secular Baath party by an islamic one and weaken the non-sunnis minorities, by escalating violence.
So I don’t know how that violence can be stopped as the coalition has no leverage whatsoever on Macho-FSA and are being offered financial promises by Qatar for the ‘reconstruction’.
The West must exerce heavy pressures on Qatar and KSA to stop fueling the violence. That may come through a UNSC resolution they will be obliged to abide to.
We’ll see… Nothing is final, here… it could be just another episode and speculations…..
December 14th, 2012, 1:45 pm
Warren said:
Russian journalists embedded with the Syrian Army in Daraya: as you can see the only FSA in the neighbourhood are dead ones! lol
December 14th, 2012, 4:10 pm
Warren said:
Wasn’t Al Arabiyah and Al Jazeera reporting Farouk Al Sharaa’s defection 2 or 3 months ago? No to mention how the Tork pilots were executed by the Syrian Mubakahart and how SAA was about to use chemical weapons?
December 14th, 2012, 4:21 pm
Warren said:
The Other Victims of the War in Syria: Christians Tortured, Terrorized, Killed and Driven From Their Ancient Home
Christians in Syria now only make up approximately 10% of the population. They suffer intense persecution. A recent report in the British newspaper, The Independent entitled The plight of Syria’s Christians gives a different assessment. The reporter, Kim Sengupta, interviewed the Haddads, a Christian family fleeing Homs: “We left because they were trying to kill us,” said 18-year-old Noura Haddad. She is now staying with relations in the town of Zahle in the Bekaa Valley. “They wanted to kill us because we were Christians. They were calling us Kaffirs, even little children saying these things. Those who were our neighbors turned against us. At the end, when we ran away, we went through balconies. We did not even dare go out on the street in front of our house. I’ve kept in touch with the few Christian friends left back home, but I cannot speak to my Muslim friends any more. I feel very sorry about that.”
Melkite Catholic Archbishop Archbishop Issam John Darwish told the Independent that the increase of violence against Christians is the work of Jihadists who have joined the ranks of the rebel troops. He stated, “I have raised this with officials in the West, they must bring peace. The jihadis will not stop here, the war will spread to Europe. What will England be like in ten or 15 years?” The international Catholic Agency Aid to the Church in Need helps persecuted and oppressed Christians around the world. They interviewed the Archbishop before the Holy Father’s visit to Lebanon. Their reporting is always reliable and they …
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=48930
December 14th, 2012, 4:25 pm
Warren said:
Al Qaeda Tried to Hide Hand in Syria
Earlier this week, the State Department designated the al Nusrah Front in Syria as an “alias” for al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). The head of AQI, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi al Husseini al Qurshi (a.k.a. Abu Du’a), “is in control of both AQI and al Nusrah.” The designation says a lot about our knowledge, or lack thereof, of al Qaeda’s clandestine international network.
If you go back through all of the articles written about al Nusrah in the first eleven months of this year, and there have been many, you will be hard pressed to find any that say the group is commanded by the same man who leads AQI. Yes, the connections between AQI and al Nusrah have been widely noted, including in some very thorough reporting. But the State Department’s designation points to something beyond mere connections: command and control.
This is not intended to be a knock on the journalists and analysts (including this author) who have reported on the group. But it further proves an essential point that gets too little attention: Despite eleven-plus years of a multinational assault on the terrorist organization, al Qaeda’s command structure remains opaque.
Look at it another way. It is a short jog from Iraq to Syria, right over the border, and yet there has been no public reporting (or, none that I’ve read) on AQI’s outright “control” of al Nusrah. Again, we’ve known that the two are related, but this is different.
There has been a big assumption in counterterrorism circles that al Qaeda’s “core” in South Asia remains isolated from its affiliates. Detailed reporting about the full cache of Osama bin Laden’s documents tells a different story. And we know that Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s predecessors in AQI were in contact with al Qaeda’s senior leadership. There is no reason to assume that this relationship has changed. We cannot see al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri’s contacts with AQI, but that doesn’t mean we should assume they don’t exist.
AQI, and therefore al Nusrah, remains loyal to al Qaeda’s core. AQI has sworn allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri. “I tell our brothers in Al Qaeda led by Ayman Al Zawahiri, go on with God’s blessing and be glad that you have faithful brothers in the Islamic State of Iraq who are marching on the path of right,” Abu Bakr al Baghdadi said in a statement released online shortly after bin Laden’s demise.
And as the State Department previously noted, al Baghdadi “pledged…to carry out 100 attacks across Iraq in retaliation for bin Laden’s death.” Many Iraqis have died because of al Baghdadi’s loyalty to the terror master.
The very name, Al Nusrah Front, has meaning beyond invoking “victory” in Syria. It means that al Qaeda has been working under another name, or brand, in Syria. Undoubtedly, this was intended to hide its hand in the Syrian rebellion. The State Department recognizes this, saying that while conducting nearly 600 attacks in Syria, al Nusrah “has sought to portray itself as part of the legitimate Syrian opposition while it is, in fact, an attempt by AQI to hijack the struggles of the Syrian people for its own malign purposes.”
Zawahiri and Abu Bakr al Baghdadi have openly and repeatedly praised the Syrian rebels without ever claiming ownership of Al Nusrah. In July, for instance, al Baghdadi praised the Syrian rebels, saying they had “taught the world lessons in courage, jihad, and patience” and that the “disbelievers…are amazed by your jihad and your steadfastness…impotent to oppress you and make you submit” and “terrorized by the future of your volcano.”
Al Qaeda controlled that volcano all along.
These lessons are applicable around the globe. In numerous countries, al Qaeda and its affiliates have utilized alternative “brand” names in an attempt to resonate with the Muslim populace and obfuscate its role. To give just one example: Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is located in Yemen and has also sworn fealty to Zawahiri, uses the brand name Ansar al Sharia as an “alias.” It should come as no surprise that Ansar al Sharia groups with known ties to al Qaeda have popped up in other countries.
Then there is the issue of the top-down approach to beating al Qaeda. This approach, which relies on the killing of top leaders, is the linchpin of the U.S. government’s current strategy in Pakistan and elsewhere. While vital, it has severe shortcomings. AQI’s history provides a cautionary tale in this regard.
In 2010, the U.S. military said that 80 percent of AQI’s leaders had been killed or captured. In 2011, AQI launched a new wing in Syria. Today that branch of the terrorist group has blossomed.
Finally, throughout the 2012 presidential campaign President Obama claimed he had ended the war in Iraq “responsibly.” His claim received little resistance despite its obvious tensions with reality. The war did not end for al Qaeda in Iraq, however. Instead, it expanded its operations into Syria, where it now controls the most deadly rebel group.
Thomas Joscelyn is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/al-qaeda-tried-hide-hand-syria_666473.html?page=2
__________________________________________________________________
The Foreign Salafi Army has been exposed: the world now knows the FSA is nothing more than an front for Al Qaeda. I stand vindicated!
December 14th, 2012, 4:35 pm
Tara said:
A mentally deranged 24 yo opened fire on a class of kindergartners in Connecticut and killed 20 5-years old and his parents and brother. It is very distressing…. Children are being killed everywhere, in the land of headless little girls and in the US too. How can anyone turn a blind eye on the killing of children?
December 14th, 2012, 4:38 pm
Warren said:
On this Day: Annexation of the Golan
Lessons from Begin’s push to annex the Golan.
On this day in 1981, Israel annexed the Golan Heights. Menachem Begin pushed the bill to apply Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration to the area through all three readings in the Knesset in six hours. He caught the United States and even his own cabinet off-guard. The measure was approved in the Knesset by a vote of 63 to 21.
The Reagan administration said that it violated the Camp David Accords. The Soviet Union, Egypt and Syria, of course, all criticized the move as well.
In response to the passage of the law and other actions by Israel under Begin’s leadership – bombing PLO headquarters in Beirut and Iraq’s nuclear reactor – the U.S. rescided a memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
Begin reacted by summoning the US ambassador to Israel into his office, telling him Israel was not a Banana Republic or vassal state and did not respond to threats of punishment. He then released the text of his lecture to the ambassador to Israeli radio.
It wasn’t before long, that relations between the two countries returned to normal and improved greatly. Under Yitzchak Shamir, another stubborn Jewish’ terrorist,’ who succeeded Begin as the next Likud Prime Minister, the U.S. and Israel signed another agreement which was even more favorable than the prior memorandum.
Let that be a lesson to those who fear that striking Iran’s nuclear reactor (which the vast majority of Americans would sympathize with), building in E-1 or any other area of Judea and Samaria would isolate Israel and ruin our relationship with the United States.
One of Begin’s arguments regarding annexing the Golan in response to Syrian intransigence is also worth remembering. Syrian President Hafez Assad had said a few days before that “even if the Palestine Liberation Organization recognizes Israel, we in Syria cannot recognize it.” Begin cited that statement (in addition to the Jewish people’s moral and historic right to all parts of the Land of Israel) as justification for annexing the territory.
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Begin said that he had appealed to Syria many times to come to the negotiating table, but they never responded. “Should we wait for years, possibly for five generations, for the Syrians to change their minds?”
The Palestinians similarly have rejected 20 years of Israeli overtures, culminating in their most recent rejection of Israel by going to the U.N. asking for recognition of Palestinian statehood and through Abbas’s speech to the General Assembly demonizing Israel. For two decades we have held open the possibility of creating a state for them. It’s time to take that option off the table. How many more generations should we wait for them to change their minds?
We should annex Judea and Samaria on our own terms, providing some form of autonomy to non-Israeli citizens there and, aside from political rights and citizenship laws, extend every other part of Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration to the area.
http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/hadar/on-this-day-annexation-of-the-golan/2012/12/14/
December 14th, 2012, 4:45 pm
Syrialover said:
What happened? Joshua Landis put up a new post a few hours ago and a new thread started. Then pffft – seems to have vanished.
Theory: maybe reaction by moderator to FIFTY FIVE paragraph data dump on the new thread by sad idiot 5 DANCING SHLOMOS.
December 14th, 2012, 4:48 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Men are neither evil or good at the beginning. They BECOME evil or good through the actions they take, and the system they’re placed in. Assad did not BEGIN as an evil man. No one begins as an evil person. But he has BECOME an evil man through his evil actions. And the reason for his evil actions was because he was put into an evil system.
Is this something that you disagree with, Syrialover? I mean, if Bashar Assad had stayed as an eye doctor and never became dictator of Syria, would you consider him to be an evil man today?
Getting rid of Assad is only the first step. My point is that the SYSTEM has to be changed so that it cannot create another Assad. And if that means regime change through war, then so be it.
December 14th, 2012, 4:51 pm
Warren said:
الصحفية اليابانية اغتالها ما يسمى بعصابة الجيش الحر
December 14th, 2012, 4:51 pm
Warren said:
alex thomson@alextomo
demo in support of President Assad as we interview people. “Assad will never be beaten” they shout #c4news #syria
Expand Reply
Retweet
Favorite
Source: http://twitter.com/alextomo
December 14th, 2012, 4:54 pm
MarigoldRan said:
The thing about the Lebanese solution is that NO ONE likes it. Even the Lebanese don’t like the Lebanese solution.
And yet in the end, it was the only solution that was acceptable to everyone. The alternatives were worse.
*************************************
Any regime that makes its people shout slogans is an evil regime.
December 14th, 2012, 4:55 pm
Warren said:
alex thomson@alextomo
Survivors interviewed independently in 3 diff places say FSA wanted kidnap of women and children for human shields #c4news
Expand Reply
Retweet
Favorite
Source: http://twitter.com/alextomo
December 14th, 2012, 4:55 pm
William Scott Scherk said:
Recognition, Scuds, Ministry of Interior, Controversies over Al-Nusra …
Zoo’s Syrian wisdom is remarkable. He is likely correct when he says things could change, and he is right to withdraw all his previous predictions.
The thing is, however right Zoo is charting the hard landing predicted by Joshua Landis, there are factual items missing from the calculations.
For example, in one argument, Zoo tells us there is a “media hysteria predicting the end of the regime is near.” It is partly true that a few stories appear by named and unnamed sources that Assad’s grip on Syria was weakening fast. It is true that the Soviets quickly withdrew support for the honest reporting of the Bog man. But it is also true that the media was quickly flush with counter-opinion to the ‘end is near’ reportage.
Similarly, Zoo is correct on the whole that reading the import of the Marrakesh meeting is difficult, due to human imagination, speculation, and wishful thinking. Yet, who is imagining and speculating when we are told that the USA, Russia and China will determine events now? Who is speculating when he tells us the FSA is collapsing?
Moreover, the perceptions Zoo has of events are only partly true because many events are omitted or occluded: while he finds that areas dominated by rebel forces are unstable, he does not mention the evidence of declining regime force, or note the capture of arms stores (including anti-aircraft weapons, artillery, MANPADs, etc).
He mentions the bombing of the northern areas (dominated by the “instable” FSA) but not the detail. So when we hear that the FSA cannot get heavy weapons, we wonder how Zoo can have missed the military actions of the past month, the obvious hardening and extension of the FSA and allies.
Is there no hope of a ‘no-fly zone’ imposed by Western arms. Perhaps Zoo is right to underline this point. But what is the import of Patriots aimed south? What is the import of Scuds from Damascus aimed north?
Of bombing, Zoo takes note: he says the FSA is now limited to hit and run bombing (outside of areas under its control). Where is Zoo’s acknowledgement of actual military actions between the regime and FSA forces?
Also of bombing Zoo notes “north areas, emptied of civilians are bombed regularly” … but not by whom. If non-civilian ‘north areas’ are bombed by the regime (presumably resulting in only combatant deaths), then what of the dead civilians listed daily, what of the headless girls? What of the populations living in fear of SAA bombs?
Of defections, Zoo says there have been no defections lately. This is untrue, beyond wishful thinking. It can only be supported by ignoring actual actions on the ground, ignoring the defections from over-run bases, the defections/desertions announced daily.
Is it true that the ‘rebels are confronted by the Kurds’? No, far from it in terms of arms and threat. Zoo’s reading of the FSA/Kurdish skims over the agreements between the forces and the lack of clashes. The ‘confrontation’ is not even apparent in the political machinery, as the National Coalition just signed on the Kurdish NC.
The pattern of Zoo’s fitfull accounting continues with the ultimate statement: the regime is here and it is strong.
What else is not incorporated in Zoo’s wishful fantasies of Baath forevermore?
A ceasefire from his side.
The war will end its most brutal stage when the Syrian government (as it stands) stops bombing its population centres, when it ceases fire from the air, when its Scuds are ordered down, when barrel bombs are not rolled out, when incendiary cluster bombs are dropped, when civilian neighbourhoods are free from terror from the SAA.
To steadfastly stand by the dictatorship to the end, as Zoo does, to ignore its atrocities, as Zoo does, to refuse to acknowledge the brutality of the regime attacks, all this makes Zoo’s accounts of the conflict flawed and error-ridden.
What now, regimists? What counsel do you give to your favourite actor in the war? What advise do you give Assad and those who fight for him?
The military solution, the security solution, the iron fist, the total war … this will end when the Assad side ends its campaign of total victory over ‘the terrorists.’ This is part of the much-touted (by Zoo) Geneva accords …
Can Zoo’s analyses help Syrians get from here to there?
December 14th, 2012, 4:58 pm
ghufran said:
Muhammad Kraishan:
الدكتاتورية سيئة سواء في كل الأحوال سواء كانت بذقن أو حليقة، بل حتى لو جاءت عبر صناديق الاقتراع، خاصة وأن هؤلاء الإسلاميين، الذين أعجبتهم كثرتهم فاغتروا بها، يجيـّــــرون لحساباتهم الحزبية موروث الأمة وعقيدتها وأحيانا بتلون غريب فيحلون لأنفسهم ما كانوا يحرّمونه على غيرهم. عوض أن تنطلق مصر الجديدة بعد ثورتها الرائعة على أرضية صلبة توافقية، ها هي تبدأ بالفرقة والاستقطاب ولي الأذرع استقواء بالكثرة العددية والقدرة على الحشد.
قد نصل إلى هذا الوضع بعد سنوات وفي مرحلة متقدمة من دمقرطة الحياة السياسية وصولا إلى ضرورة احترام الأقلية للأغلبية، أما في مراحل الانتقال الديمقراطي الصعبة فلا مفر من سعة الصدر للوصول إلى صيغ توافقية يقبلها الجميع خاصة في موضوع الدستور الذي يجب أن يكون محل إجماع وطني تاريخي حتى يصمد لفترة طويلة. الآن، منطق الأغلبية والأقلية واستعراض العضلات لن يبني وطنا جديدا ولن يؤسس لمستقبل أفضل.
why compromise is good in Egypt but is not allowed in Syria?
December 14th, 2012, 5:07 pm
Observer said:
This is from RT arabic and this is Kadri Jamil saying this:
وقال قدري جميل ان الحوار يجب ان يجب أن يتمخض عن تحولات سياسية عميقة من شأنها أن تؤدي إلى قيام سورية الديمقراطية عصرية، تراعى فيها بشكل صارم حقوق وحريات المواطنين من قبل كافة فئات وفصائل المجتمع وتضمن مشاركتها المتكافئة في الحياة السياسية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية”.
Therefore the conclusion is that the Russians are trying to salvage the unsalvageable events on the ground are beyond the point of no return.
December 14th, 2012, 5:10 pm
ghufran said:
Joshua did his site a favor by withdrawing the new post, I had the chance to point out that Russian FM denied that the statement by Bogdanov took place, we all can agree that there is a lot of lies and propaganda coming from Syria, I made few mistakes myself by rushing to post unconfirmed stories but I learned my lesson,I hope you guys did.
December 14th, 2012, 5:14 pm
Warren said:
Russia’s stance on Syria ‘will not change’
Russia’s foreign ministry has insisted that the country has not changed its position on Syria and “never will”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20724959
December 14th, 2012, 5:14 pm
Juergen said:
Kafranbel
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=461114840591295&set=a.186824541353661.34965.182806365088812&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=504178662960704&set=a.202390936472813.54034.202038843174689&type=1&theater
an great poster:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=565800373445620&set=a.256877237671270.84246.241475429211451&type=1&theater
this is how the regime is producing their propaganda:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=533765196652633&set=a.201716413190848.57037.201686009860555&type=1&theater
the german text in the caption can be translated into this:
The dirty tricks of the Assad regime:
This image should not be fooled. The people here were tricked to meet with Assad. A witness: “We were invited to the monthly meeting with the Minister of Religion. When the meeting was over, we were chosen, about 80 people of us. Our identity cards and mobile phones were taken away. They provided us with buses. We did not know what they would do with us. They took us to a room. And suddenly appeared Assad. We were surprised. What was done to us was quite an bold action “
December 14th, 2012, 5:16 pm
Syrialover said:
MARIGOLDRAN #21
Back to basics, please. I agree the system is evil and must be pulled out root and branch, but it couldn’t function without evil facilitators. People who diligently fuel it by fear, violence and theft.
When Bashar Assad stupidly and arrogantly and illegitmately took that job without being elected or qualified he CHOSE to be part of an evil system. He did it to preserve and extend and continue to exploit that evil system on behalf of his family and their cronies.
You say “he was put into an evil system”.
Assad demonstrated and REVEALED he was instrinsically evil by taking that job and doing what he did every day in that job. We now know for sure it was in his DNA. We know that he grew up soaking up values, morals, perspective, attitude and inclinations that are debased, cruel and ignorant, and not what humanity and intelligence are about.
I always said from day 1 if Asma Assad is supposedly so westernized and educated why wasn’t she ASHAMED to marry someone in that family in that role. She ‘aint normal either.
But if you want explore the theory that he is an accidental victim of circumstances, a good guy turned bad, there is a lot of other information you should examine.
Start with comments and accounts by people who encountered him close up (before he started openly shooting citizens) who were uneasy at his arrogance, ego, vanity, lack of competence and delusions of grandeur.
Then consider his willingness to let lowlife Maher Assad and Shawkat and others keep revving the machinery of 13 security services. And him facilitating his cousin Rami Makkhlouf to get control of 62% of Syria’s economy. And him happily presiding over a muckheap of state machinery, mismanagement of Syria’s resources, absence of rule of law. And so on and so on, building on and consolidating the initial crime of accepting the job.
If Bashar Assad had chosen to stay an eye doctor in the UK we probably would hardly know he existed or anything much about him. But now we DO know about him, he willingly climbed onstage and let the spotlight shine through and show his inner soul. And it is evil.
December 14th, 2012, 5:35 pm
revenire said:
Assad is becoming a folk hero worldwide for standing up to NATO. He is like Nasser (another enemy of the Muslim Brotherhood).
December 14th, 2012, 5:52 pm
Syrialover said:
Sorry, my comment above is in response to MARIGOLDRAN’s comment #201, not #21.
December 14th, 2012, 5:55 pm
Syrialover said:
#213.REVINIRE
Two mysteries in your comment.
1. Which folk see Assad as a folk hero? You mean that pool of self-appointed elite, collaborators and interested parties, HIS folk.
2. Assad standing up to NATO? Ah, is THAT what he has been doing in smashing up Syria and mass murdering Syrians. I hadn’t realized.
December 14th, 2012, 6:03 pm
Aldendeshe said:
It is hard for people without military experience to understand why Bashar Assad will never lose Damascus, unless he chose to take the new Republic on the coast option, leave it with his army and government and a whole bunch of people, which is my favorite option.
Why, because Syria will never be fixed, billions is not enough to fix it, needs hundreds of it, and none will be coming anytime this decade. He or others will have to rule over a place, when this end in 18 month or so, that is worse than what Somalia looks. No one vested a penny into that country yet and they will not in Syria.
By setting up on the coast a modern, Civil and Democratic Syrian Republic, non-Arab, non-sectarian, non Baathists, Syria will be salvaged in big way, far more than keeping it under Baathism, even if this foreign attack did not occur, Syria has degenerated into helpless state having bare existence with a bleak future, even before enemies attacked it.
New, smaller Syria with 4-5 million population of educated, artistic, wealthy, savvy businessmen and women, socially open, with huge potential for capital influx and repatriation, is far more viable state than one that comprises 30 millions of uneducated, untalented, unskilled, religious, backward, conservative, economically poor populations, with limited, even nonexistent resources and little if any capital influx, all living in a State that drought could not even feed its people bread.
Go for secular, democratic Smaller Syria on the Syrian Sea coast, keep the filth to rot in the desert. It will be no longer Syria’s problem, it is for the Arabs and Moslems to fix. They broke it, they fix it.
December 14th, 2012, 6:11 pm
revenire said:
Damascus is fine. It is safer than Chicago for most residents.
Bashar will never lose Syria. He hasn’t even used the amazing weapons in the SAA arsenal on the rats. If I were president I’d call in the Orkin Man and get it over with. There is no talking to the drugged-up NATO mercenaries – eradicating them is the only solution. The trouble is that Jabhat al-Nusra (the only real fighting force of the FSA) hides behind civilians (women and children) and that can get very messy very fast.
December 14th, 2012, 6:18 pm
Warren said:
Netherlands ‘halal homes’ ignite religious row
Renovations in Amsterdam apartments – nicknamed “halal homes” in the press – have sparked a political row in the Netherlands.
About 180 apartments in Amsterdam have been given special makeovers which suit the wishes of Muslim residents. Features include individual taps that can be used for ritual cleansing before prayers and sliding doors to keep men and women apart.
Some right-wing politicians have been stirring up public opposition, warning that anyone asking for such modifications should “leave for Mecca”.
From the outside, the apartments look no different from other social housing blocks in the residential area of Bos and Lommer, in the less opulent western reaches of the capital.
Aynur Yildrim gives a tour of her home with the enthusiasm of an inspired estate agent. In the bathroom she bends to reveal the lowered water point – a modification that, in some variation, might equally exist in non-religious homes. But it is the perceived religious aspect of these changes that has made them so controversial.
And it is in the tidy kitchen that the distinction is most striking, as Ms Yildrim shows off the sliding doors.
“I wanted a closed kitchen, in order to be able to close the kitchen off now and then for a bit more privacy. Sometimes we like to be separated, the women on one side and the men on the other.”
Wim de Waard of the housing association Eigen Haard insisted that the changes were “absolutely not religiously inspired – they are just practical adaptations”. The adaptations followed consultations with local residents, including Muslim groups.
Mr de Waard stressed that apartments were not reserved for Muslims – homes were assigned on the basis of rank on the waiting list, size of household and income.
Wilders outraged
For many Dutch people, living in a historically tolerant and liberal country, the idea of separating men and women has led to some criticism that these buildings are effectively condoning some kind of gender inequality.
The controversial anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders accused the Dutch authorities of subsidising a “medieval gender apartheid”.
He has publicly prophesied about an impending “ghettoisation” of Dutch neighbourhoods – not unusually strong words from a man who once appeared in court for his strident rhetoric. Mr Wilders was cleared of inciting religious hatred two years ago.
After a poor performance in recent parliamentary elections, Mr Wilders may be angling to woo immigration-conscious right-wing voters again with his strong, headline-grabbing statements. Recent opinion polls suggest that if there were to be an election tomorrow, his Freedom Party (PVV) would win.
A Dutch property developer and PVV supporter said he was “shocked” by the “halal homes” concept.
“It’s a ridiculous idea, I thought it was a joke,” he complained.
“It turns into reality. The rules of the Koran are discrimination, it is stimulating discrimination. It’s taking us back to medieval times.”
“These immigrants are from lower social classes, they’re not educated, they’re bringing those values to our Dutch society – the opposite should happen, they should adapt to our modern and free values.
We should teach them to integrate. This is backwards. What if it were on buses? If we were to separate men and women on buses it would be like discrimination again, here in the Netherlands. It’s crazy. I can’t believe it. It frightens me.”
Using tax revenue
But many residents in the area seem to accept that what their neighbours do in the privacy of their own homes is entirely up to them.
Tess Duijghuisen lives in the same block and said: “A lot of new people arrived here lately, a lot of young people like me, so trust me, there’s no problem of ghettoisation.
“And there are a lot of exchanges between people from all nationalities, which makes life much nicer here.”
On internet forums, some users have made light of the renovations, with comments such as, “I believe in the power of disco, please can I have a disco ball built into my apartment?”
When I asked Dutch followers on Twitter why the opposition, they told me “it’s wrong that inequality should be subsidised by tax money” and that another country’s traditions “may be offensive to others”.
It is a debate over the public versus private spaces. When the public purse is used to part-fund modifications, which many see as the religious antithesis of traditional Dutch society, conflict emerges.
Public funding is actually in the form of a guarantee, the housing association says. Yet it is still perceived as a subsidy.
The housing association says the complex is completely mixed, that the homes have been renovated to improve their “rentability” and that it is just trying to keep everyone happy. Many would argue that that is a tough ambition to fulfil – whether in religion, politics or our private lives.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20679558
__________________________________________________________________
Islamic welfare parasites once again attempting to impose their vile values on the west.
December 14th, 2012, 6:19 pm
Tara said:
The mere fact of opposing the regime wins the heart and mind of the Syrian people.
—–
Many of today’s protests in Syria have expressed support for Jabhat al-Nusra, the jihadi group which the US outlawed as a terrorist organisation linked to al-Qaida.
The leader of the opposition coalition, Moaz al-Khatib, urged the US to review blacklisting the group as it has been leading much of fighting against Assad’s forces in northern Syria.
Activists said the theme of this week’s protests was “the only terrorism is Assad’s terrorism”.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2012/dec/14/syria-conflict-russia-denies-ditching-assad-live#block-50cb2132b5791bfc0f4610ce
December 14th, 2012, 6:34 pm
Syrian said:
باي باي هيثم المتاع
نقلآ عن إيلاف
الهئيه الوطنيه تطرد هيثم المانع من صفوفها
December 14th, 2012, 6:38 pm
Warren said:
New Muslim Brotherhood Leader of Syrian Opposition Stands Up for Al Qaeda
In other news the UK is pressuring the US to act as the air force of the Free Syrian Army Al Qaeda. Sheikh Mouaz Alkhatib was supposed to be the face of the new “moderate” Syrian opposition, no longer associated with Islamists.
The first hint that this wasn’t going to work out was that the entire conference was held in Doha under Qatari supervision. Even the Obama Administration has slowly admitted that Qatar was funneling weapons to Al Qaeda. So why give Qatar control over a conference meant to break the Syrian opposition from Al Qaeda? That question answers itself.
http://frontpagemag.com/2012/dgreenfield/new-muslim-brotherhood-leader-of-syrian-opposition-stands-up-for-al-qaeda/
December 14th, 2012, 6:39 pm
Tara said:
Syrian
Good news but why?
The guy is an obstructionist. He doesn’t like anything or anyone.
December 14th, 2012, 6:40 pm
Warren said:
ADL Urges Egyptian President To Reject ‘Blatantly Anti-Semitic’ Statements Made By Muslim Brotherhood Leader
New York, NY October, 15, 2012 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to reject “blatantly anti-Semitic” and anti-Israel statements made by a top Muslim Brotherhood official.
In his weekly sermon, Muhammad Badie, the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, expressed outrageous anti-Semitic sentiments, which accused Jews of having “increased their corruption throughout the world, shedding the blood of the people, trampling sanctuaries and holy places, desecrating even their own sanctuaries through their actions, and crossing the limits of their tyranny by making the Al Aqsa mosque a place for Jewish prayer.”
“We are disturbed by Dr. Badie’s statements which contained blatantly anti-Semitic and anti-Israel allegations and we urge President Morsi to clearly and forcefully repudiate them,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “The hatred, incitement and calls to violence in Dr. Badie’s weekly message fall far short of the standard of “freedom of expression that is not used to incite hatred” President Morsi set for Egypt in his speech to the UN General Assembly last month. Dr. Badie has presented President Morsi with a true test of the values and principles the President announced to the world from the UN podium. We respectfully appeal to the President to give real meaning to those values and principles by publicly disavowing the hate-filled rhetoric spewed by Dr. Badie.”
In a letter to President Morsi, ADL urged him to make clear that these sentiments are not shared by the Egyptian government and do not reflect the values of Egyptian society. ADL noted that in his September 26 address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Morsi called for freedom of expression that is not used to incite hatred directed towards one specific religion or culture, but rather freedom of expression that combats extremism and violence.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s avowed hatred for Jews and Israel has continued to flourish in the ‘new’ Egypt. ADL has documented a steady escalation of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel themes in public discourse and by the movement’s leaders in particular since the downfall of the Mubarak regime. President Morsi was a long-time senior official of the Brotherhood. His political party, the Freedom and Justice Party, is the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.
http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASaw_14/6408_14.htm
December 14th, 2012, 6:53 pm
Syrian said:
Tara, I never liked this guy,he harmed the revolution from day one when came on tv and lied about being offered arms when there were only peaceful protesters in the streets
December 14th, 2012, 7:08 pm
MarigoldRan said:
First of all, as a warning, Revnire is OBVIOUSLY a TROLL. He makes incendiary comments that he himself does not believe in, to get people upset. Arguing with him is pointless because he himself does not believe in the arguments that he is making. Instead, insult him. “Revnire, you are a doofus,” is a good example of how to respond to him.
In contrast, Warren and Zoo are NOT trolls. Warren is a nutcase. He makes crazy statements, but I get the feeling that he believes in the truth of his crazy statements.
@SyriaLover
Ok, let’s agree to disagree. You think Assad was born evil. I think he was born neutral, but became evil. Either way, regardless of which route he took to become the evil dictator of Syria, we can agree that he is evil today. Is that fair?
December 14th, 2012, 7:16 pm
Tara said:
Zoo,
Microcephalic?! Forceps, etc?
I think you are going to be reincarnated as a doctor. I hope not an ophthalmologist.
December 14th, 2012, 7:18 pm
MarigoldRan said:
@Aldendeshe
I agree. The world will be a better place with fewer people. Let’s begin by eliminating you.
December 14th, 2012, 7:26 pm
MarigoldRan said:
@Ghurfan
The Russian Bogdanov DID make that statement. But the Russians afterward said that Bogdanov’s statement was NOT their official position.
It means that some Russian politicians are beginning to see the pointlessness of supporting Assad. However, the Russian government has not come to that position yet.
December 14th, 2012, 7:33 pm
Aldendeshe said:
227. MarigoldRansaid:
_______________________________________________________________
SUBHUMAN BORN FROM A SUBHUMAN ASS. EXTERMINATE THEM BASHAR. USE CHEAP SPRAYERS, YOU GOT THE VX. SAVE HUMANITY FUTURE PLEASE.
December 14th, 2012, 7:46 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
227. MarigoldRan is worthless subhuman like his mother.
December 14th, 2012, 7:52 pm
Aldendeshe said:
Coward subhuman, hides behind user name, I like him to use his real filth name and dirt surname, see what he will blur outfrom this ass, coward, probably born as bastard child, Riffat Assad? he sure got many women pregnant in Syria, he sure sound like it.
December 14th, 2012, 7:55 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Really, Aldendeshe/SNP? Multiple accounts for the comments section of a blog? Really?
Why do you hate so much, Aldendeshe? What’s wrong with you? Your comments are, honestly, rather disturbing, because of the amount of hate you spew.
***********************************
I don’t know. Last time I checked you were hiding behind a user name too. In fact, you’re hiding behind multiple user names. I find that rather amusing.
And sad.
December 14th, 2012, 7:57 pm
Aldendeshe said:
No don’t leave any thumbdown for this garbage please.
December 14th, 2012, 7:58 pm
zoo said:
#221
Moaz al Khatib is going to be discarded very soon if he persists in defending the cause of Al Nusra and Al Qaeeda and pushing toward a violent military solution while the international community has long been favoring a political solution.
The guy is obviously not a diplomat, he seems to distrust the West and owe too much to his protectors, the GCC microcephales.
Is he a fanatic in disguise? Will his mask fall soon enough to save Syria from more destruction and death?
He should think about what happened to Ghaliun who disappeared in Bakkourland with his sister in law and the pathetic collapse of the SNC…
December 14th, 2012, 7:59 pm
MarigoldRan said:
You know what? The one thing that’s consistent with almost ALL of the regime supporters on this blog is the amount of hate they spew.
Zoo spews hate. Aldendeshe/SNP spews hate. Warren spews hate. I guess hateful people think alike.
December 14th, 2012, 8:02 pm
zoo said:
#228 The Best Marigold Hotel
I guess you are the twin brother of Uzair8 who has decided to join the islamist terrorists in Syria and has appointed you as his spokesman.
December 14th, 2012, 8:03 pm
Aldendeshe said:
Are you not lucky you get to hide and there is a nice man named Bashar Assad ruling Syria, serving chocolate to his enemies , the genocidal murderers. I will friking do like my uncle Abdul Karim DABBAH, use CAT to eliminate you and level your towns. Build pissing posts for dogs, better than you walk the land.
December 14th, 2012, 8:04 pm
MarigoldRan said:
See? Hate, hate, hate.
So much hate. The regime supporters are proving my point.
I mean, what is this? Are you people incapable of having an argument without saying things like, “I want to eliminate you?” Is it your standard response to try to eliminate anyone who disagrees with you?
Is this what the regime is truly like at its core? A festering pool of hate and evil?
December 14th, 2012, 8:06 pm
Tara said:
Syria: Cameron secures EU pledge to review arms embargo
David Cameron has pressured the European Union into taking all measures to support Syria’s opposition, including the arming of rebels early next year, after he warned that “inaction and indifference are not options”.
…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9745519/Syria-Cameron-secures-EU-pledge-to-review-arms-embargo.html
December 14th, 2012, 8:17 pm
Syrialover said:
Kafranbel – those brilliant, gutsy guys. They get it right every time!
http://twitter.com/MidaniBatman/status/279559246843105280/photo/1
December 14th, 2012, 8:19 pm
revenire said:
Jabhat al-Nusra is a cancer that no civilized society would tolerate. It has to be eliminated. If we possessed a special sort of chemical that would eliminate them and leave the innocent alive I’d be all for President Assad ordering the Orkin Man to cleanse the territory. Didn’t the great Mr Josh Landis himself suggest ethnic cleansing for Syria? Many Christians, Druze and other minorities have been driven from their homes by the FSA and Moaz al-Khatib.
Thankfully, under President Assad’s leadership the SAA is doing a fine job and we wish them well.
December 14th, 2012, 8:19 pm
Syrialover said:
MARIGOLDRAN,
Those haters are also lonely people who crave attention and interaction.
A good playfight here is the highlight of their lives.
Plus they have the added thrill of distracting from Syrian issues, which are way over their heads.
December 14th, 2012, 8:22 pm
revenire said:
“Moaz al Khatib is going to be discarded very soon.”
I’ve heard from sources in the US government that they are already looking for a replacement for al Khatib due to his anti-Semitism and extremism. One wag said even Obama could not put lipstick on that pig.
I can’t believe the US put this al Khatib up as their stooge. Didn’t they vet their puppet first?
On one had it’s shocking and on another we had a good laugh thinking any Syrian would back this has been.
December 14th, 2012, 8:23 pm
zoo said:
SL
Creative kids, original posters, I must admit that I enjoy the Kafranbel’s sense of black humor and the naivety of their cartoons calling not the Syrians but the Russians and Chinese to revolt…
Kafranbel is on the map now.
December 14th, 2012, 8:33 pm
Tara said:
Moaz al Khateeb is charismatic and here to stay.
If he becomes the elected Prez of Syria, would he reside in the newly renovated presidential apartment that has a full wall of glass that Asma currently occupies? Is he married? Does he have children?
December 14th, 2012, 8:34 pm
zoo said:
Irony: the USA increasingly worried about the fate of Syria and the region if Bashar falls.
They had two years to think about it and they still have no plans.
After Assad: the US tries to keep Islamists out of the picture in Syria
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/14/after-assad-islamists-syria
Washington and its allies are worried about the makeup of a new regime – but al-Nusra is deeply embedded in the insurgency
The pace of the conflict in Syria is accelerating. A series of military and political developments – reports that Bashar al-Assad’s regime has fired Scud missiles at rebel-held areas, the encroachment of violence ever nearer to the centre of Damascus, and Russia’s acknowledgment that a government defeat is possible – are in different ways signs that a decisive period may be approaching.
…
Washington’s diplomatic recognition and terrorist designation aim to separate these radical elements from the main body of the rebels. In all probability, though, they are too embedded in the overall insurgency for this to be done. Moreover, their clear paramilitary capabilities mean they will be well placed to help ensure that, if and when the Assad regime falls, the aftermath will be an unstable and insecure Syria.
One consequence of the western-aided overthrow of the Gaddafi regime in Libya was the exit of Tuareg mercenaries to Mali, where they established control over much of the country’s north – only to be displaced by Ansar Dine and other Islamist groups. This example of an unanticipated “blowback” may well yet lead to western involvement in a war in Mali.
In Syria there is another form of blowback under way – this time a direct consequence of the Iraq war. It is likely to prove to be an immense complication in any western attempt to determine what happens in Syria if the Assad regime finally falls some time in 2013.
December 14th, 2012, 8:41 pm
zoo said:
#245
Is he as charismatic as Ghaliun that you liked so much?
I thought first he was a kind and balanced man who is able to control himself, but when I heard him preaching with violence and anger, I am convinced that he is just a preacher and should stay in a mosque, not in a presidential palace.
December 14th, 2012, 8:48 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Why do you think the Americans wanted Assad to fall? Given the evidence, an argument can be made that American policy, despite their words, have been mostly neutral towards the regime.
The Americans obviously care nothing about the Syrian people, considering that many in the country are now STARVING. Of course, why should they care, considering that many of the foreign fighters originally fought against the Americans in Iraq?
10 years ago, many people in Syria cheered when 9/11 happened.
December 14th, 2012, 8:53 pm
zoo said:
Tara
After reading Wikipedia about Al Khatib, if this is true, I trust him even less. He seems to be hiding his real feelings under ‘sugary’ words of praise.
“Al-Khatib is supporter of Qatar-based Egyptian televangelist cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi. He placed al-Qaradawi on equal footing with Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi, whose self-immolation marked beginning of the Arab Spring. He referred to al-Qaradawi as “our great Imam”.
Qaradawi himself is forbidden entry to France and the United Kingdom for his support of suicide bombings, even calling such acts against Israeli civilians as “evidence of God’s justice.” Khatib’s website called Jews “gold worshippers” and “the enemies of god,” whilst himself praising Saddam Hussein for “terrifying the Jews.” Khatib has also referred to Shia Muslims as “rejectionists” and stated that they “establish lies and follow them.”[5]”
Sound promising, no?
The only positive about him in the present circumstances:
Al-Khatib has not ruled out negotiating with President Bashar al-Assad, noting that dialogue did not mean “surrendering to the regime’s cruelty” but was instead the “lesser of two evils.”[2]
December 14th, 2012, 8:53 pm
MarigoldRan said:
If you don’t like Al Khatib, who would you recommend?
December 14th, 2012, 8:55 pm
zoo said:
Tara
Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib, 52, is married with four kids.
http://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/59950/report-moaz-al-khatib-leader-of-the-syrian-nationa
December 14th, 2012, 8:59 pm
revenire said:
Wiki’s short synopsis gives a few reasons why the US is moving to drop Khatib like a hot potato. What is surprising is anyone would defend this extremist. I can understand why certain characters with odd beards – like Santa Claus – would but not the sane people. Drugs?
Thankfully President Assad will win any new election and we won’t need to be concerned with cavemen like Khatib offering Syria’s women to barbarians.
December 14th, 2012, 9:02 pm
Tara said:
Zoo,
“Qaradawi himself is forbidden entry to France and the United Kingdom for his support of suicide bombings, even calling such acts against Israeli civilians as “evidence of God’s justice.” Khatib’s website called Jews “gold worshippers” and “the enemies of god,” whilst himself praising Saddam Hussein for “terrifying the Jews.”
This does not surprise me at all. After all, this is part of the popular culture in Syria and the whole Middle east. Wasn’t these notions of the jews what they taught us in school, on TV, and through public discourse under al Baath auspice? Haven’t they indoctrinated this to us all along through Baath-dominated curriculum? I guess he is also al-Baath product one way or the other..
December 14th, 2012, 9:04 pm
zoo said:
#250
I did not say I don’t like him, but there is a lot of contradictions in the character of this guy. He vilifies the Alwites then he tells them that they are his brothers. He objected that Syria joins the USA against Saddam because he liked Saddam and hated the Jews and USA. Now he is invited at the White House…
So.. I am waiting to see what the guy is really up to…
In any case after seeing how Mursi changed into a cameleon after he was elected, it seems to be the trademark of the MB: double language. I hope he is different but he has to prove it.
I usually don’t trust religious people leading a country power, in any religion.
December 14th, 2012, 9:08 pm
MarigoldRan said:
In other words: Al Khatib is a politician?
Isn’t this what all politicians do, religious or otherwise?
December 14th, 2012, 9:10 pm
zoo said:
Prospects of Russia-US reconciliation on Syria
http://indrus.in/articles/2012/12/13/prospects_of_russia-us_reconciliation_on_syria_20993.html
December 13, 2012 D. Aurobinda Mahapatra, specially for RIR
As the 21-month Syrian conflict continues to bring about death and destruction in the Arab country, there is hope that Russia and the US will come to an agreeable position to address the crisis.
Recent meetings between the foreign ministers and diplomats of Russia and the US suggest that it may not be illogical to think that the two countries can find common ground in Syria. As the mediator of the UN and the Arab League, Lakhdar Brahimi told the press, after meeting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, and US Undersecretary of State, William Burns in Geneva on last week, “The meeting was constructive and held in a spirit of co-operation … It explored avenues to move forward a peaceful process and mobilise greater international action in favour of a political solution to the Syrian crisis.” The coming days will likely witness hectic parley between Russian and the US officials towards evolving a common framework to resolve the crisis.
There are many determinants of the crisis on which both the countries have expressed no disagreement. Both the countries supported the idea of a transitional government as mooted in Geneva in June 2012, proposed by the former UN envoy and UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. Both the countries agree that violence must end, and a ceasefire should be declared between warring factions towards a political solution of the conflict. Also, both the countries have strongly opposed any move by the Assad regime to use chemical weapons against the rebels.
…
One of the major impediments against reconciliation is the divergent position of Russia and the US on the fate of Bashar Al Assad, the current ruler of Syria. While the US insists that any transitional framework must exclude Assad, Russia argues that the fate of Assad must be decided by the Syrian people. While exclusion of Assad from power is a precondition for the US, and which also hopes Russia to persuade Assad to relinquish power, for Russia, “All decisions to reform the political system of Syria should be made by Syrians themselves without any foreign intervention and attempts to impose ready-made recipes on them.”
…
It is now common news that Al Qaeda supported rebel groups have been taking active parts in fighting Assad’s forces. A peace proposal must take this factor into account. The US government has recognised this radicalisation of rebels, and reportedly declared one of the rebel groups Al Nusra as a terrorist group. As the news reveal, the US has also recognised the Syrian National Coalition as the popular representative of Syria. But this recognition may not help resolve the crisis, as the other stakeholders in the conflict may embolden their rigid positions. The coming few weeks will be very crucial for Syria and Assad regime.
As Brahimi reiterated in Geneva last week there is still scope for reconciliation between Russia and the US towards a political solution of the crisis. To quote him, “a political process to end the crisis in Syria was necessary and still possible.”
December 14th, 2012, 9:21 pm
zoo said:
#255
I a convinced that religious people have no role in governing a country, especially when a sizable percentage of the population is not moslem.
Examples of countries ruled by religious people in history are not very encouraging.
Even in the 100% sunni islamic countries, like Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, the king or the president or the prime minister are not imams or preachers.. so why would this be OK for Syria?
December 14th, 2012, 9:29 pm
zoo said:
#253 Tara
Come on, that same anti-sionist feeling is prevalent in Egypt and most Arab countries, it has nothing to do with the Baath party!
December 14th, 2012, 9:33 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Wait, wait. Isn’t Syria almost entirely Muslim? And 70% are Sunnis? And of those 70%, the majority are devout?
So let me get this right. You’re saying that Syria should be run by people who are DIFFERENT from the majority of the population? Hasn’t this been tried before? Isn’t this the reason why Syria is in the middle of a civil war?
And no, the Baath idea is stupid. Give it up. Even Ghurfan has thrown the towel on Baathism. It has been a total FAILURE in 3 different countries already.
December 14th, 2012, 9:37 pm
zoo said:
#259
Do you mean that Ireland or France or Italy should consider a priest as a president because the majority are christians?
Do you think the minorities of Moslems and Jews in France would welcome that?
Religious clerics and militaries should be banned from politics.
Point.
December 14th, 2012, 9:45 pm
Tara said:
Zoo,
True but has the stamp of approval by the Ba’ath and Arabism. Any thought we ever had living in Syria was manipulated and approved by al Ba’ath.
Also, It was al Ba’ath ‘s greatest mistake that it did not influence the sectarian discourse and left it as is, a taboo never to be discussed out loud, therefore the hatred we see is the direct outcome of nurturing it under the surface instead of tackling it, bringing it to the surface, then manipulating the psych of the nation to cure it.
December 14th, 2012, 9:47 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Ireland and France had a religious government for CENTURIES. Eventually it became secular, but it took a while, and only after most of the population stopped being devout.
My point is that you can’t FORCE a secular government on a devout, religious people. It is a recipe for disaster, as we are so clearly seeing now.
Your suggestion, Zoo, of forcing a secular government on Syria has been tried already. We can see how that idea turned out.
December 14th, 2012, 10:04 pm
Aldendeshe said:
I once met an man who used to be the imam of a small masjid in Syria. He told me that one time, he forgot to refer to the president in his Friday sermon. I don’t recall whether this was during the last years of Hafiz or the early years of Bashar. After the sermon, he was summoned to some security branch in that small town and, if I recall correctly, was slapped on the face and given a warning for not mentioning the president.
__________________________________________________________________
You see I really don’t have any sympathy to the crappy stories because I know Sunnis better. They are cheap MURTAZAKA, they will sing praise to anyone that will give them money or position. Missing on this blog here is the word “SUNNI ABUSE”. It is always about Hafez and his son, never about what the SUNNI precursor to Assad and what they did. Always excuses like, he has no choice, he was forced to be Prime Minister, He was threatened to run for Majlis Al Shaab, he was tortured by Hafez Mukhabrat to pay PAYOLA for that export license or shady government contract. Sunni always under Assad’s were forced to do all of it, they never chose willfully to do it or take it. No one of these Sunni Munafekeen have an answer to the fact that the Assad/s would not have been able to rule were not for the millions of Sunnis that helped them rule. To say that all abuse done by Alwaites or Minorities is a big dishonest and distorted lies. The Alawites represented small faction of the ruling Baath Party, the majority were SUNNI. Not only Syrian Sunni population helped Alawites rule, but all Sunni’s worldwide did.
Did you ever wonder why majority of Sunni today don’t see a problem with the Assad’s? That is because they were horrified from 7 years rule by Sunni Muslim dictatorship before. It was a relief to have them Sunni Baathists jailed for life by Hafez, god bless his soul for that deed. I remember the huge outcome by Sunnis in Damascus at one theater where a Sunni Merchant purchased Hafez pistol for a million Lira donations, just to get on stage to shake Hafez hand and thank him for getting rid of the Stalinist Sunnis that rained terror on citizens of all kind in Syria for Seven years.
Everyone have story to tell, they always re-tell it like urban legend, the same story repeated to different people in different city. I am not saying there are no abuse by the Assad’s, like extracting huge sum of money from my relative because his maid reported to mukhabrat that he left Hafez picture in the basement not hung in living room. But even at Syria’s consulate in Newport Beach, Shahabi never ever hung Bashar picture, for 5 years it was left over the old unused copy machine. But how do you like a military van park at your door and couple Mukhabrat drops in and take your mother to interrogation over a phrase heard on telephone spying, during cooking chat, about the “pot burned” when mother was talking to the wife of Hussaini High ranking Arkan military officer in Homs. Louai and Jamal Atassi (SUNNI), whose children now playing the opposition to Assad, sends in the mukhabrat in the middle of the night thinking “POT BURNED” has to do with his regime failing. That was my mother, and my father was dragged to mukhbrat dozens of time by the Sunni dictatorship junta regime that overthrown the legal elected government of Syria. Why abuse by SUNNI’s are never discuses here, why terror under Sunni Abdul Hamid Sarraj Mukhabrat never discussed, why terror under Sunni Al-Jundi Secret Service, working for another Baathist Sunni, another Atassi, Nour Alddine is not an issue, he was so evil and sadistic that Alawite Hafez Assad shot him personally the rumor run.
And what we have today, all these bastards’ children, calling themselves “ opposition” and not only their evil Sunni father destroyed Syria back then, the children are now completing the job.
December 14th, 2012, 10:09 pm
MarigoldRan said:
The regime was evil and many Sunnis bought into it, with false promises of “security.” In the end it was all a lie. Now we’re seeing the consequences of that lie.
However, Sunnis in this civil war have an advantage. Besides their numbers, it is much easier for a Sunni to defect than anyone else. They can say, “the Alawites made me do it,” and the FSA will let them ago. I agree that this is not fair, but that’s the situation right now.
I’m surprised the regime took the sectarian route. You take the sectarian route if your sect is the MAJORITY. But to take that route as a MINORITY is a recipe for suicide. By taking the sectarian route of Sunni against Alawite, Assad and the regime played straight into the hands of their enemies.
December 14th, 2012, 10:24 pm
revenire said:
Give a nice example: FSA was slaughtered in their recent Damascus attempt. I mean creamed. Vaporized. Stir-fried. 1000s and 1000s dead FSA rats but to hear the Western media the SAA had problems.
They had no problems at all.
FSA/al-Nusra was even tricked by the SAA using flour to scare the FSA about chemical weapons. I guess maybe the FSA didn’t rob enough pharmacies that day and get the drugs they needed to run into Syria Arab Army bullets.
The Syrian Army loaded tons of flour on military helicopters then dropped them on terrorists’ hiding places, which drove them out of their lairs in panic, believing that the regime had targeted them with chemical weapons, then fled towards an ambush the Syrian Army had set for them.
Then it was mop-up time.
There is much more to the story but why give away the bride before the wedding?
🙂
December 14th, 2012, 10:28 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Right.
We’ve heard this before. According to regime reports, they have won hundreds of victories like that. Could you then please explain why the regime continues to lose the war?
December 14th, 2012, 10:31 pm
MarigoldRan said:
@Revenire
Please tell us something novel. We’ve heard all this before. If you’re going to troll, do it properly. The regime trolls all the time. And they do it better than you.
December 14th, 2012, 10:39 pm
Syrialover said:
New post and thread back up again
December 14th, 2012, 11:28 pm
Post a comment