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07/24/2012
Syria Mess and I am Sid Harth@webworldismyoyster.com
Separately gathered news about Syria is as follows:
In Russia, Even Putin’s Critics Are OK With His Syria Policy
Julia Ioffe
July 23, 2012 | 7:20 pm
On Monday afternoon, Italian premier Mario Monti and Russian president Vladimir Putin convened a small press conference in the slanting, gold light coming off the Black Sea. They had just met to discuss the European economic crisis as well as energy (Italy is Russia’s second biggest gas client), but they also touched on the deepening conflict in Syria.
“We do not want the situation to develop along the lines of a bloody civil war and for it to continue for who knows how many years, like in Afghanistan,” Putin said, standing with his perfect posture in a slate-gray summer suit. “We want there to be peace.” Russia does not want to see the establishment and the opposition to simply switch sides and keep fighting, Putin went on. Russia’s position remains unchanged, commented the reporter of Channel One, the country’s biggest (and state controlled) television channel. “The only way out of the crisis is through negotiations.”
The insistent, demonstrative reasonableness of Putin’s quote was more than bluster; it was also a reflection of how most Russians, including the Russian press, understand their country’s role in Syria’s ongoing civil war.
If the West has come to see Russia as the ornery spoiler in Syria, as the last ally of the cruel and increasingly embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad, Russia sees itself as the last sane person left in the room, the one geopolitical actor able to put emotion and cliché aside in favor of rational, balanced thought. Glancing at Russian press coverage of the Syrian conflict—and it is, in the Russian perspective a “crisis”—one will notice that it does not get nearly the same kind of coverage here as it does in the Western press. “Why does this peripheral country get so much attention?” Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in World Affairs exclaimed when we spoke. “It just is not considered something extremely significant here.”
The Western observer tends to split the Russian press into two camps: evil statists and martyrs. But for their part, members of the Russian press are convinced of their superiority over their Western colleagues, at least when it comes to Syria. Russian journalists aren’t under the illusion that they are more objective than their Western counterparts, but they are convinced of their ability to convey a more realistic, complex picture of the events in Syria.
“The essence of the conflict is portrayed differently here than in the West,” explains Lukyanov. “Here, it is not a picture of peace-loving freedom fighters against a secretive, repressive regime. The Western picture is highly ideological and primitive. They have a template that’s used for all countries, even though, when it comes to these revolutions in the Arab world, each country is more complex than the previous one. The situation in Syria is much more tangled.” And though you can find a great variety of views on Syria in Russia—anything from the conspirological view that America is arming the rebels and ginned up the uprising to begin with, to the pro-Western, liberal chagrin that Russia is once again backing the bad guys—you would be hard-pressed to find a news outlet that uses the term “Arab Spring.”
Russian point of view starts with the naiveté of the Western point of view, and its corollary: That Russians alone can glimpse the ugly truths that run the world. “The Russian press is more accurate than the Western press, because the West, in painting [the Free Syrian Army] as freedom fighters, doesn’t understand that these guys, are blood-sucking vampires and if they come to power there will be hell to pay, and for the Americans, too,” says Maxim Yusin, the deputy editor of the foreign affairs section of the daily newspaper Kommersant, Russia’s largest and among its more liberal. (I should note that, in my three years reporting on Russia and befriending local colleagues, I’ve only ever previously heard the opposite: a refrain about the superiority of American journalism to the unprofessionalism of the still young Russian press.)
clipped one paragraph here…
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A poll done this spring by the independent Levada Center found that the vast majority of Russians do not support more sanctions against Assad, and even fewer support armed intervention. Asked how they would describe the situation in Syria, most said they saw it either as a civil war or as “terrorists, abetted by the West” fighting a “legitimate government.” But the biggest share of all just didn’t know how to answer.
…and I am Sid Harth@webworldismyoyster.com
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Uncategorized | इदं न मम
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Syria: Violence Continues
www.therealnews.com/World TV-News: Security forces have fired on protesters and funerals.
Why Syria could get even uglier
By David Lesch, Special to CNN
Editor’s note: David W. Lesch is professor of Middle East History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and author or editor of 12 books, including the upcoming “Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad.” The views expressed are solely those of the author.
The past couple of weeks haven’t been good to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. First, his long-time friend and presumed regime insider, General Manaf Tlas, defected. This was followed soon after by the defection of the Syrian ambassador to Iraq. In the past week it has been reported that a number of high-ranking Syrian military officers defected to the Syrian opposition, perhaps taking their cue from Tlas. Finally, on July 18, a massive bomb exploded in a national security compound in Damascus, killing an unspecified number of Syrian security personnel, including the defense minister and the deputy defense minister, the latter being Assaf Shawkat, Assad’s brother-in-law.
These were certainly serious body blows to the regime. Taken in and of themselves they aren’t necessarily fatal blows to the regime, especially since Tlas’ and reportedly even Shawkat’s access to the inner sanctums of the decision making apparatus weren’t what they once were. Nonetheless, oftentimes perception is more important than reality. And the perception is that two long-time stalwarts of the regime, one (Tlas) from a family that more than any other has been associated over the decades with propping up the Assads, both father and son, and the other (Shawkat) a relative to al-Assad by marriage who had been the head of military intelligence in Syria and for years the most feared person in the country, are now gone. Because of this, it appears that the regime might be on the verge of imploding. The fact that the bomb apparently was planted inside a high security complex that played host to a national security meeting had to send shockwaves throughout the regime. How can anyone feel safe at this point? Are there moles in the inner sanctums of the regime that planted the bomb? In other words, a regime that was already paranoid about pernicious unseen forces arrayed against it just became that much more unsure of who its friends and enemies are.
There’s also the perception that the opposition armed forces are getting better at striking at the heart of the regime. It’s clear that their shift in tactics from trying to take and hold parts of cities, which failed miserably against superior government forces – so dramatically revealed in Homs earlier in the year – toward adopting guerrilla warfare has been much more effective at wearing down government forces and striking devastating psychological blows at the regime. The tactical support, arms, funding, and training opposition forces are receiving directly and indirectly from an array of anti-Assad countries appear to have finally paid some dividends.
Al-Assad could claim for a long time during the uprising that the violence was relegated to the rural areas and select cities; the two largest cities, Aleppo and Damascus, were relatively safe and secure. This is no longer the case. As a result, many of those Syrian fence-sitters, who supported the regime not because of any predilection for al-Assad but for the lack of any viable alternative, may now think twice about whether or not to stick it out with the regime. With the perception that there is no place to go, that the regime is on the defensive and that the opposition is making important military inroads, high-level Syrian officials may think hard about defecting, following the path set out by Tlas and others. If this is the case, as often happens, what follows is a cascade of defections that undermines the foundation of a regime.
The question now is how the Syrian regime will react to the bombing. Will al-Assad see the end of the tunnel for his regime and more vigorously pursue a diplomatic resolution that leads to a transition of power, although he would do so from a perceived position of weakness? Or will he – and his military-security advisors – lash out in a violent fashion to show that he’s still powerful, in control, and capable of withstanding the heat? If recent history is a guide, he will unfortunately choose the latter option. If this is the case, the regime’s attempts thus far at calibrated bloodletting, i.e. enough of a crackdown to suppress the rebellion but not enough to galvanize the international community into action, may be difficult. Certainly there will be those in the regime, maybe even loyalists of Shawkat in the security services, who figure the gloves are off. They may find evidence as to who carried out the assassinations, where their home villages are, and then take to wiping them out. Vengeance in the Middle East is often gruesome and convulsive. In an election year, the United States will most likely continue to wade along the sidelines regardless; besides, it likes what it sees in terms of the perceived weakening of a regime that may be on its last legs, so why change course.
Welcome to the next ugly phase of the Syrian uprising, where violence becomes more indiscriminate than it already has been. Both sides believe it is an existential conflict. And if this is the tipping point for the al-Assad regime, what will it do to desperately hang on? Then there’s still a whole other set of questions regarding what will follow after al-Assad falls – and he will fall. The serious fault lines that divide the opposition might ultimately make the post-Assad environment equally rich in blood, at least until one party wins and imposes its vision for Syria’s future. One can only hope that the last reeds of a relatively peaceful transition are grasped through diplomacy, compelling the Russians – Vladimir Putin – to realize that they’ve wedded themselves to a sinking ship and have one last opportunity to leverage their influence toward a resolution of the problem with rather than against the international community. Perhaps a fanciful wish at this point, but the alternative is more of what we have just witnessed.
| Post by: CNN’s Jason Miks |
Topics: Syria
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soundoff (272 Responses)
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the guy
You better hurry up and cash that check the assad regime gave you while you still can.July 19, 2012 at 10:52 am | Reply-
mike
you better kiss your own goverment(U.S.A) ass ypi are loser so one one these day you all find out what is going on with us you all going downJuly 20, 2012 at 3:30 pm | -
Lance
Mike, woah buddy, take a breath, put some commas in there.July 20, 2012 at 7:38 pm | -
Lance
or Use a colon [ : ] before a list or an explanation that is preceded by a clause that can stand by itself. Think of the colon as a gate, inviting one to go on:There is only one thing left to do now: confess while you still have time.
The charter review committee now includes the following people:
the mayor
the chief of police
the fire chief
the chair of the town councilJuly 20, 2012 at 7:39 pm | -
Lance
or Use a semicolon [ ; ]to help sort out a monster list:
There were citizens from Bangor, Maine; Hartford, Connecticut; Boston, Massachusetts; and Newport, Rhode Island.
OR
We had four professors on our committee: Peter Wursthorn, Professor of Mathematics; Ronald Pepin, Professor of English; Cynthia Greenblatt, Professor of Education; and Nada Light, Professor of Nursing.to separate closely related independent clauses:
My grandmother seldom goes to bed this early; she’s afraid she’ll miss out on something.
The semicolon allows the writer to imply a relationship between nicely balanced ideas without actually stating that relationship. (Instead of saying because my grandmother is afraid she’ll miss out on something, we have implied the because. Thus the reader is involved in the development of an idea—a clever, subliminal way of engaging the reader’s attention.)July 20, 2012 at 7:40 pm | -
Yoshi Togukawa
Mike: you should consider using a colon cleaner. There is no remedy in existence to clean that brainJuly 21, 2012 at 11:28 am | -
michael
Mike why are you stuck in this chat room? Dont you have a hot date with Saeed and a Camel?..and for the record yes I agree you should clean your colon…For the sake of the Camel.July 21, 2012 at 10:02 pm | -
Peter
Hey Guy,… long long way to go so long as Russia says NO…Nyet.in fact many factors and signs need to come to past.. first
1. Hezbollah start taking part ..(they are the Arab version of feared Gurkas of the British army)
2. Iran taking part
3. Russia says okay to have Nato air force to be rebels’ air force..Until all happens .. not just one .. I would still keep the check soundly asleep. Hehehehehe .
July 23, 2012 at 10:29 am | -
nina
As a Gurkha is disciplined for beheading a Taliban: Thank God they are on our side!
By Robert Hardman
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1296136/As-Gurkha-disciplined-beheading-Taliban-Thank-God-side.html#ixzz21UtX5PPNJuly 23, 2012 at 8:59 pm | -
paul hoffman
Its all a smoke-screen, So Iran, Syria and Russia can attack Israel.July 24, 2012 at 1:16 pm |
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bruce mccoy
you sound like the lose SaeedJuly 19, 2012 at 11:00 am | Reply-
saeed
Go home to your potato farm in Ireland and your baked potato and sausage dinner.July 19, 2012 at 11:28 am | -
Nasairi
At least there’s food in Ireland, not like on Assad army basesJuly 20, 2012 at 12:48 pm | -
KRM1007
You are worried that assad and his gang of thugs do not have food.
HOW SWEET!July 20, 2012 at 2:20 pm | -
mike
no I do not I hope one day the U.S.A go downeJuly 20, 2012 at 3:59 pm | -
Jeff
I love my country but I understand the reasons why the US tends to be hated in many countries/cultures. That being said, I hear these arguments and dont see much logic behind them. For example, I’m not sure that the US “going down” would accomplish anything… It’s the nature of men to abuse power. The next most powerful countries would eventually take the place of the U.S. in terms of interfering with other nations affairs. I mean why not? If they have the capacity to do it, they will. Every overwhelmingly strong superpower/empire in history has done it. This is simply how humanity behaves.July 21, 2012 at 7:10 am |
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saeedTheTowelHead
Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Daaaaaaaaaaaaaddy?July 19, 2012 at 12:32 pm | Reply-
michael
HahahahahahhahahJuly 21, 2012 at 10:03 pm |
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R.P.
I am sorry but the fact of the matter is that US, China, and Russia will never have a real war again.
Only proxie wars ..like … Syria right now.
Nukes will not get used. China doesn’t want to get obliterated, which is what would happen if they let “one bomb drop” on the USA. It just won’t happen.July 19, 2012 at 1:56 pm | Reply-
Ted Ward
If Obama has his way, soon the US will have few if any nukes to respond with, so there will be no deterrence to nuking the US. Just sayin’…July 21, 2012 at 1:13 pm | -
Cheese Wonton
Ted, modern energetic materials (explosives in layman’s terms) and precision guidance make the use of nuclear weapons in combat vanishingly unlikely. A rule of thumb with ordnance is the blast radius has to equal the Circular Error Probable, or CEP. With unguided bombs, CEPs run in the hundreds of meters. With old fashioned missiles CEPs are still in the hundreds of meters. If you want to guarantee your bomb obliterates the intended target, then it too has to have a blast radius of hundreds of meters. Cue up the nukes.
Today, bombs and missiles have CEP’s in the tens of meters, some even inside ten meters CEP. This means you can obliterate the same target set with weapons that only have a blast radius of tens of meters. Conventional weapons will do the job at a far lower cost, and none of the security problems associated with nukes, that formerly required nukes.
With modern penetrator warheads it is perfectly reasonable to defeat an enemy’s hardened ICMB silos with conventional “bunker buster” weapons. One F-15E armed with four precision guided bunker busters can do the work that formerly required and ICBM to do. A B-2 armed with dozens of precison bunker busters can do the work of a submarine full of SLBM’s, and without resorting to crossing the nuclear threshold.
Warfare has changed, and you need to catch up technically.July 22, 2012 at 7:22 pm | -
Peter
Self glorification from a guy who are so brainwashed about how powerful USA is.No this is 21st century where natives do not carry bows and arrows any more. These days the natives carry anti aircraft weapons , anti tanks , submarrines etc… and Lebanon 2006 proved how a low tech fighter can defeat an F16 and super tanks equipped army.
July 23, 2012 at 10:32 am |
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anansi
Saeed,
Why is it that the Arab League opposes the position taken by Russia, China and Iran with respect to Syria? This is not about the United States or the West. Russia is only supporting Assad because he is guaranteeing them the only port they have on the Mediterranean. If it weren’t for access to the port, do you really think given the Russians feelings about their own Muslim Chechnyan citizens, Muslims in Afghanistan and Muslims in Armenia and Azerbajan that they would even care about what happens to Muslims, Druze and Christians in Syria?July 19, 2012 at 3:55 pm | Reply-
Diana R
Well stated, anansi. What I find most puzzling about saeed’s almost daily ugly messages about the U.S., Britain, and the West in general is that those powers have taken a very small role in the Syrian issue. Perhaps the CIA and MI5 are encouraging, perhaps even funding, other countries to give weapons to the rebels; but even that is unknown. The fighting is all done by Syrians against Syrians, on behalf of the rebels’ own agenda, so it’s puzzling that Saeed blames the West.July 20, 2012 at 2:49 pm | -
Jake R
the U.S. has everything to do with everything in the middle east, why u ask?? it’s because of ISREAL. isreal owns america, americans kiss isreals ass every second. all of this drama is because iran and syria are supporters of hezb allah, in which america can’t touch iran because of how powerfull it is. for your information Bashar al asad will stand and syria will never fall. the russians and chinese are going to teach the U.S. a lesson that will never be forgotten.July 20, 2012 at 5:48 pm | -
Jake R
I sound like a total brute, barbaric, bigotted but all I want to do is play with my monkey family. Unfortunately, I ate them.July 20, 2012 at 7:44 pm | -
Jake R
i ate all the camels too.July 20, 2012 at 7:45 pm | -
Jake R
Excuse I have to go and shave my back.July 20, 2012 at 7:46 pm | -
guest
Muslims killing muslims. Wish them all continued success. Mike and Saaed are probably married and afraid to come out.July 20, 2012 at 7:52 pm | -
Brian
That is because the Arab league is a crony organization of Sunni muslims. Iran is the only Shia country. Shias and Sunnis hate each other. The Arab league is supporting the rebels cause they are Sunni. Syria and Iran are the only balance of powers in the Arab world. Where was the USA, UK and other crony allies when Shias were being slaughtered by Saudi Security forces in Qatif, Saudi Arabia? Or for that matter, the uprisings in Bahrain. Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni monarchy while over 80% of the population is Shia. Their popular uprising was thwarted with the full extent of human and machine force possible. Where was the Arab league and the West when Saudi Arabian tanks a little over a year ago rolled in Bahrain to support the puppet King?Do some reading before blindly following what you hear/see on a cable news network.
July 22, 2012 at 6:38 pm |
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Malfean
Funny. Like so many others you lay blame at the feet of everyone except yourself. Typical.July 20, 2012 at 10:22 am | Reply -
Arjun
Saeed, you sound like you’re from Porkistan. What I find incredibly silly is that the same people who were burning the US flag and hurling insults are the same people who are saying “where is Obama? Where is the US??!!!”July 20, 2012 at 11:24 am | Reply-
guest
Good points!July 20, 2012 at 7:53 pm | -
Moose
I disagree. I think Saeed is a Syrian Alewite which is a small minority which sides with Bashar’s thugs. Most of the Middle East has realized that the true problem that they deal with is their tyrant leaders, and have embraced democracy and the west. I think the values of democracy are something that everyone in the middle east is now striving for. For years, these tyrants (Gaddhafi, Bashar, etc.) have propagated the idea that the west was the root of all problems and that they were protecting them from the ills of the west. The people now realize how stupid that rhetoric was all along now. I am of Syrian descent, but was born and raised in the US. I think through continued cooperation, the new governments in Syria, Egypt, Libya, etc. will be strong US allies and bastions of democracy in the Middle East.July 21, 2012 at 2:41 pm | -
Brian
@Moose: How about the tyrant thugs of the minority Bahrain monarchy’s security apparatus? Did that ever make it on any cable news or even Al Jazeera for that matter? No! Cause Al Jazeera is from Qatar which is a Sunni country. And the puppet king in Bahrain is Sunni too. Do you know how the Saudi Arabian security thugs treat the minority Shia inside their own country? Get your facts straight.July 22, 2012 at 6:41 pm | -
Hez316
@moose. I thought they propagated the idea Israel was the source of all their problems. They usually get the blame for even the weatherJuly 22, 2012 at 7:14 pm |
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tom
US visa denied again? keep trying but probably wont happen. too bad, so sadJuly 20, 2012 at 11:38 am | Reply -
Saeedy
Everytime I see one of your inane posts, I picture Achmed the Dead Terrorist saying it and it cracks me up. Thanks for the giggles Achmed…er I mean saeedJuly 20, 2012 at 11:39 am | Reply -
urwrong
China has too much pollution. China is overpopulated. China has a crisis in its rural areas.July 20, 2012 at 11:51 am | Reply -
Pliny
Saeed,No matter how bad things are in the USA, at least we are not arabs.
July 20, 2012 at 12:33 pm | Reply-
Fearless Freep
saeed.How is that nasty bite you got from your camel ?
Is the camel dead yet ?
Poor thing.July 20, 2012 at 1:58 pm |
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ken
Why do you hate Democracy so much Saeed? Maybe because you wouldn’t have a chnce to get a lady friend unless she’s forced upon you. Maybe the caves a little colder today or the camels hump went up your as_?July 20, 2012 at 4:13 pm | Reply-
ef
SHeeeeeePJuly 22, 2012 at 6:15 pm |
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jose ole
Why nobody wants to call this rebels terrorist? if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck it is a duck.July 20, 2012 at 7:32 pm | Reply-
mcfarlas47
Dear Jose. Are you trying to say that any regime in power has a right to stay in power, no matter how brutal and destructive? According to you, we should never have rebelled against Britian and formed the United States. Are you saying that Hitler should have stayed in power and anyone opposing him was a terrorist? Idi Amin; the Taliban? I could go on forever. The Syrian regime is slaughtering its own people; men, women, children, babies. What is WITH you?July 21, 2012 at 11:30 am | -
Pepinium
Jose, in Syria you have a minority ruling by force for the last 40+ years. Anyone trying to get rid of that dictatorship can hardly be classified as a terrorist. The will of the majority at the ballot box validates a government’s right to rule. Any government who does not allow its own people to choose its leaders, automatically loses the right to get support from the civilized world. Regardless of the make up of the rebel force in Syria, the fact is, you can hardly blame them for trying. ( By the way, this would also apply to any armed group that tried to knock off the corrupt Saudi monarchy)July 22, 2012 at 9:23 pm |
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alfonds
If we are losers, why are you here sucking our milk and eating our gravy–Go home to your desert and feed your camels.July 20, 2012 at 10:10 pm | Reply-
Moose
I don’t think Saeed is in this country, I believe he is hiding in the basement of Bashar’s palace, cowering in the corner, fearful that the rebels will find him.July 21, 2012 at 2:44 pm |
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alfonds
Hey Saeed– I think you felt like you were a loser in you Desert Land–That is why you came to America. Go back and then you can criticize all you want from standing on top of a camel. But you know you won’t go back cause you will starve to death/July 20, 2012 at 10:18 pm | Reply -
Seth Richardson Texas
Saeed! LOL Go home then. If China could do as you say, they would have already done it. We may be broke, but we can print as much money as we need. Also, If you think America is that weak, you would be mistaken. For 2000 years China has caused havoc during their past dynasty’s. They alwasys lose in the end. Why, Like most countries they only think one way. What makes America Strong is we are from all nations and we think many ways when it comes to strategy. America is not going anywhere anytime soon. Again, if you hate America so much, why are you here? You are a noodle.July 20, 2012 at 11:03 pm | Reply-
Brian
Jaw dropping to hear this crap from a radical Repuglican Texan. Texas is one of only 11 states which is trying its best to rid of anyone other than white yokel. And here he is professing about America and its cultural diversity.July 22, 2012 at 6:43 pm |
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Proud american
The U.S.A is the most powerful country in the world, He are a nation that lives for war don’t act like its a bad thing.. Its better we run everything then someone else.Most people hate the man on top. Duhh some other country’s don’t like us Does everyone like you??.Have some Common sense.. Time to understand this and there is nothing u can do about it.. Leave if u don’t like it. Its the way we will always be.. We will never be knocked out of the #1 spot. We wont allow it. Nuclear war will break out before we let this happen and everyone knows it A fight with us will be to the death. American people are strong and its time for us americans stop saying we are weak.Look around who runs this. Do you see anyone else doing it like us? . Have been ever sence we landed on this ground and defeat the most powerful military the world had seen at the time. Just a bunch or back wood rednecks .. WE are strong. We are 400million proud Americans. Lets get out there and kick some Ass!July 21, 2012 at 12:01 am | Reply-
nina
“American people are strong and its time for us americans stop saying we are weak.”
Seriously!July 21, 2012 at 8:55 pm |
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Leif
Someone is jealous.July 21, 2012 at 2:58 am | Reply -
DecentShadow
Fyi China has a no first strike policy when it comes to nuclear weapons meaning that they will not resort to a nuclear weapon strike unless they have a nuclear weapon used against them. The US on the other hand does not give up the ability to perform a first strike against another state.July 21, 2012 at 4:30 am | Reply-
Pepinium
China is the only country that has openly tested a satellite killing missile, irresponsibly creating a lot of harmful space debris. Now, you may not think that this has anything to do with first strike policy but, seeing as our military is so highly dependent on satellite communications, if I was planning to fight the US, the first thing I would try to do is disable its satellites. I will not trust China until they evolve their form of government into some type of Democracy,until then, is just a group of thugs running the life of 1.5 billion people.July 22, 2012 at 9:29 pm |
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Gary
cretin.you are are an example of what is rotten across the middl eastJuly 21, 2012 at 9:10 am | Reply -
ted
Saeed – you must be the Khameni loyalist wishing for the demise of America, and when your own regime falls – applying for a visa here or Europe.July 21, 2012 at 3:06 pm | Reply -
Alicia
You muslims couldn’t organize a kegger let alone something important. Nothing but third world dung heaps, all of them.July 21, 2012 at 3:23 pm | Reply -
michael
Why are you still Typing? Don’t you have a hot date with a Camel?July 21, 2012 at 9:58 pm | Reply -
rebel
Don’t know what this has to do with China, but our economy is still twice the size of China’s and they have more people living below the poverty line than we have people living in our entire freaking country. Look at the numbers. They are not even close. China is still much much poorer than the US and it will remain that way for a long time. We put a man on the moon over 40 years ago and no other has even came close to having that capability or the technological prowess. I could list all the unique accomplishments by the US, but it would take too much time and I have a feeling you’re not too bright.July 21, 2012 at 10:24 pm | Reply -
roughneck
anyone silly enough to compare Chinas military to the US is a fool. Chinas deep diving subs will have to get used to the bottom of the ocean because that`s where the US navys subs will send themJuly 21, 2012 at 10:39 pm | Reply -
Scotty
No wonder you guys can’t beat a handful of Jews All bravado, no brains. Just like Baghdad Bob.July 22, 2012 at 12:14 am | Reply -
Azaan
This US is behind everything that is happening in Syria. With that being said, the Syrian regime needs to go down. They go down, so that Americas support.July 22, 2012 at 2:26 am | Reply -
Michael Grump
Hey Azaan, I agreet with you. You are smart man n cool i love smart people like u man damn you bascially said that finally somebody that agrees with me. Wanna be friends????July 22, 2012 at 2:28 am | Reply -
Al J. Venter
Another fanatical Islamic illiterate Jihadi vents his fury.One Chinese bomb? Aimed at what? I would have thought that a single American bomb aimed at the foundations of the Three Gorges Dam (or is it four?) would wash about a third of China into the ocean…
But we have to be careful. China now has its first aircraft carrier and that’s a worry.
July 22, 2012 at 7:14 am | Reply -
tom
Saeed – Have you fondled your goat or beat your wife today.July 22, 2012 at 11:49 am | Reply -
hank hill
Man Al Qaeda is getting creative with their terrorism.July 22, 2012 at 3:28 pm | Reply -
taskmaster
saeed another pathetic parasite from a camel crap covered sandpile.July 22, 2012 at 5:05 pm | Reply -
Steeve
You are such a f***tard go suk a 12 gauge…July 23, 2012 at 12:24 pm | Reply -
plumnelly
And just what chicken @#it country did you crawl out of? Perhaps karma is in effect and Syria is reaping the seeds sown for its involvement in Iraq. The chickens indeed have come home to roost.July 23, 2012 at 12:55 pm | Reply -
markhh
You sound like Jeff Dunham’s puppet. The one that goes “Shut up!!! I keel you”.July 23, 2012 at 4:38 pm | Reply -
MATTY13
Dang it Saeed, you forgot to throw in the mandatory slam at Israel and the Jews. I thought that was lession one at the Troll School. China!!! Be serious, your wish list it too out of wack.July 24, 2012 at 8:59 am | Reply -
Me too!!!
Hip Hip Hurray!!! For another successful Trolling attempt my friend!!! Seaeed tha Masat troll lol. Ppl dont feed the trolls please lolJuly 24, 2012 at 10:49 am | Reply -
ryan
i feel very sad for you. you have to much hate in your heart. there is already to much hate in the world.July 24, 2012 at 10:58 am | Reply
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Iconoclast
Follow the money. The media seem unconcerned, as they were with the Shah of Iran, Egypt, Libya, etc. as to who is making the massive investment in the radicals among radicals. The Administration appears to like it that way as they don’t seem to be working in the best interest of the U.S., but that should not be any surprise to anyone who tracked Obama’s history and true interests.July 19, 2012 at 10:54 am | Reply-
Iconoclast
Qur’an 64:16 “Fear Allah as much as you can; listen and obey. Pay the zakat. Those saved from covetousness prosper. If you loan to Allah a beautiful loan, He will double it. He will grant Forgiveness: for Allah is most ready to appreciate.”July 19, 2012 at 1:18 pm | Reply-
alfonds
You can speed it faster by getting a loan from Obama. Then he will say to you, ” It was the Government not you, that you responsible for your success.July 20, 2012 at 10:22 pm |
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bruce mccoy
It’s going to get worse; the regime has nothing to lose, probably hoping the following inter-opposition conflicts will allow them to come back to power, much like the Libyan end.July 19, 2012 at 10:58 am | Reply-
j. von hettlingen
No, Assad would see no “inter-opposition conflicts”. No doubt they would unfold, not before Assad is six-feet-under, or in the dock.July 19, 2012 at 6:24 pm | Reply-
j. von hettlingen
Indeed the endgame in Syria will be ugly. The rebels, despite the boost yesterday will still have to put up with Assad’s well-equipped forces. Sofar their guerilla warfare has borne fruit and the psychological impact is overwhelming.July 19, 2012 at 6:25 pm |
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Lee
Everything They’re Telling Us About Syria….is False?http://whowhatwhy.com/2012/07/08/everything-theyre-telling-us-about-syria-is-false/July 19, 2012 at 11:45 am | Reply -
Lee
Syria will be the starting point in breaking the current world that is based on self interest , distrust and crime . Without being slave of west , now one can stand on its feet . Syria will show it .July 19, 2012 at 11:46 am | Reply-
Lee
Bukhari:V7B67N427 “The Prophet said, ‘If I take an oath and later find something else better than that, then I do what is better and expiate my oath.’”
Qur’an 9:3 “Allah and His Messenger dissolve obligations.”July 19, 2012 at 1:21 pm | Reply-
BeingHuman
Mr. Lee Don’t spread mischief in the land. You will face the lord. Here is the correct translation of 9:3Chapter 9:3 (But the treaties are) not dissolved with those pagans with whom Ye have entered into alliance and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor aided anyone against you. So fulfil your engagements with them to the end of their term: for Allah loveth the righteous
July 19, 2012 at 1:58 pm | -
Lee
Liar!
Qur’an 4:142 “Surely the hypocrites strive to deceive Allah. He shall retaliate by deceiving them.”July 19, 2012 at 4:00 pm | -
Victor Levy
And therein lies the problem – RELIGION – not just Islam btw – all religion. As there is no religion in the world that accepts that it could possibly be wrong (ie god does not belong to them alone – which ALL religions state), all adherents of any religion use their “holy book” to justify their actions. Except that the holy book is the very same one that states that all other holy books are lies!! So – what we have here is failure to communicate! A complete intractable situation where adherents of one holy book are convinced that they are right (noble, holy – choose the word that fits) and then use that justification to denounce and wage war against those who adhere to another holy book.And then there are the factions who interpret the SAME holy book differently – Sunni / Shiite / Sufi or Protestant / Catholic or Ashkenaz / Sephardi – the 3 major religions of the world are all designed to do two things – keep people in the dark about their spirituality AND keep power in the hands of those who claim the holy book as theirs…
The ONLY solution – and one which will unfortunately not occur during our lifetimes – is for religion to be redefined as the beginning of spiritual development and the entirety of it. When there is a religion that accepts the POSSIBILITY (no one here is god – none of us can be certain unless you’ve turned the holy book into a powder and snorted it) that another religion might ALSO have some claim to god, then the world will improve. Until then – war, misery, abuse of power.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it…
July 22, 2012 at 3:14 am |
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anansi
Russia will back Assad because Assad guarantees them the only port they have in the Mediterranean. If the rebels were smart they would issue a public ultimatum to Russia and state that if you back Assad and lose we’re kicking you out of the port. Russia values the port more than it does its so called alliance with Assad and would serve him on a platter in a Moscow minute. Consequently, the way things are going now, the United States and the west will score another Cold War victory because the rebels have no motive to allow Russian access to the Mediterranean any longer. Russia has lost on basically every bet they’ve made in the Middle East or Arab World: Egypt, Afghanistan,etc. Now they will lose in Syria too.July 19, 2012 at 3:44 pm | Reply-
j. von hettlingen
It’s highly doubtful, if Russia would still back Assad. It has always said, the world should leave the Syrians forge their future. The rebels have now taken matters into their own hands, without the UN. Russia wouldn’t send military aid to Syria. Perhaps Iran might. That’s why the rebels still have obstacles ahead, defeating Assad’s well-equipped forces.July 20, 2012 at 2:50 am | Reply-
j. von hettlingen
As the crisis escalates, we might see Assad, like a cornered predator, would do anything to survive. He might use his chemical weapons as last resort. Or we might see a palace coup. A turncoat would put a bullet in his head. Be up for surprises.July 20, 2012 at 2:58 am | -
Peace
How effective one can use a mass destruction weapon against a hidden ghosty enemy? Assad certainly can wipe out a whole village or town with such weapons, but the more he kills, the faster the rebels will build up support from the international community and population. He is fighting a losing war the minutes innocent people were killed on the street and then … even when they were at home. Karma is at work.July 21, 2012 at 12:50 pm |
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ramez
This is the most relevant truth about the Syria conflict. Nothing else really matters. It really comes down to the Russians wanting to keep their port. If the Opposition had pledged a post-Assad alliance with the Russians early on, this conflict would have ended long ago.July 20, 2012 at 9:48 am | Reply
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Gehlen
Funny how CNN and the other news networks will not mention the fact that a suicide bomber is responsible for the death of the defense minister. If the bomber had been in Iraq Israel or Afghanistan the word SUICIDE BOMBER would be in the headline. But since we are backing these insurgents the truth must be ignored.July 19, 2012 at 4:06 pm | Reply-
Gehlen
On second thought, I did read on several media outlets that it was a suicide bombing.
Sorry, nothing to see here folks, just me suffering from Alzheimer/dementia.
Its all the camel steaks.July 19, 2012 at 5:41 pm | Reply-
Gehlen
My head hurts.July 19, 2012 at 10:47 pm | -
Diana R
Gehlen: your message may be the first time I’ve ever seen a commenter admit to having made a mistake! Tip of the cap to you.July 20, 2012 at 2:52 pm |
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Mladen
Biggest problem for all in Syria is that rebel’s paymasters don’t want democracy in Syria, because they would be next. Most Syrians don’t want Islamists even more then they dislike Assad and as long as rebels reject democracy and stick to hard-line Islam, Assad will cling on.July 19, 2012 at 5:42 pm | Reply-
George T
I question “Most Syrians don’t want Islamists”.
Since when do they have a choice?
If they have imams or mullahs, no choice.July 19, 2012 at 7:29 pm | Reply
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Buck O’Fama
Assad is going to withdraw to his redoubt and fort up. The rebels don’t have the combat power to take fortified positions.
Latakia can be supplied from the sea so Assad will wait and see if the rebels can form a government. If they do, then the jig is up for the Young Lion. If the rebels start fighting amongst themselves for power, then Assad can split them up into bite sized chunks. This won’t be over until Assad is dead.July 19, 2012 at 8:59 pm | Reply -
Val Estevam
The Syrian Regime will never just “give up” power. How do we know that this opposition is going to be any better? The media has been one sided on this. They only talk about the horrible things the regime does but how about the opposition.So guerrilla warfare is OK and accepted now? The assassination of top officials is OK to do by the opposition? The opposition are the good guys, why? CNN tells us more about them. Give us at least a leader that can make some sense of what there intentions are?
July 20, 2012 at 8:52 am | Reply -
jason
let these muslims kill each other!!!! im tried of u.s getting involved with these morans just because there profet was a killer and a rapist!!July 20, 2012 at 9:40 am | Reply-
ramez
Dude, if only you knew how to spell simple words in your own language, you might have had some credibility among ignorant folks such as yourself. But with such spelling, even idiots such as you will laugh at the nonsense you just wrote!July 20, 2012 at 9:52 am | Reply-
Muthu mohanambal
That’s right Ramez, attack anything but the content of the message.July 20, 2012 at 10:22 am |
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ramez
Any man who really doesn’t want the U.S. to get involved in foreign conflicts should ask himself this question: Do I want the U.S. to terminate its involvement in the Israeli-Arab conflict, stop supporting Israel, stop funding Israel, let the Israelis deal with their enemies on their own, and let Middle-East history take its natural course without any U.S. involvement? If you’re okay with the U.S withdrawing all of its forces from all bases outside the United States of America, and to stop funding Israel, then I guess you would have a basis to wish that the U.S stop getting involved in other people’s conflicts.July 20, 2012 at 9:56 am | Reply-
tom
“its natural course”, natural to you and the other muslim apologists posting PLO crap on the islamic center bulletin board, you mean? If indeed you wanted it to take its natural course, without input from the US, israel would not have ben stopped in 1956 by the US from reaching cairo. be careful what you wish for “ramez.July 20, 2012 at 12:43 pm | -
ramez
That is correct, we want Amerika to cut offf all their friendships and alliances so that we can pick them off.
We musulmaine are so sfart.July 20, 2012 at 1:15 pm |
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Highly Motivated
The U.S wants regime change there because Syrian government is not a friend to the west or Israel.July 20, 2012 at 11:09 am | Reply-
ramez
Your point????????????????????????????July 20, 2012 at 1:16 pm | -
Diana R
Motivated: Your comment is true, but hardly a surprise. Would we assist in deposing our friends and allies?July 20, 2012 at 2:54 pm |
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shades
why Syria might get uglier is because we are acting like it doesnt exist.
Obama, why did we involve ourselves with assasinating the terrible leader of Lybia, but we ignore the terrible leade rof Syria… double standard makes you look like everyting you do is politicaly motivatedJuly 20, 2012 at 9:50 am | Reply-
ramez
Very legitimate and excellent question, ‘shades’. And the answer is… (drum roll) ….. The the Russian naval port in Tartus, Syria. The Russians did not give a rat’s hoot about Libya, so it was possible for the Arabs League and the West to actually support the rebels on the ground. But in Syria the situation is different because the Russians are blackmailing the United States. They won’t give up their port in the Syrian city of Tartus without a (diplomatic) fight.July 20, 2012 at 10:01 am | Reply-
ramez
Did you notice how coooooooooooool I was when I said “drum roll……………”
Who says muslims do not learn–eventually.July 20, 2012 at 1:17 pm |
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CuriosityKilledTheCat
Having no doubt that Assad will either end up hanging from a bridge like Benito from Italy, or fleeing using every last resort to stay of the grid (eventually), international concern will most likly end, someone needs to tell Hillery and Putin that this is none of their concern now! as supposed to either result. Ive seen pictures and read articles about both support and rebellion for/against Damascus, If the majority of Syrians want Assad out- they will make it happen, but keep in mind in sounds like some still support him, or he wouldnt have the Men on the ground (so to speak). Point is; this is a Syrian thing, or at least should be.-July 20, 2012 at 10:23 am | Reply-
CuriosityKilledTheCat
We muslims breed like rats.
We can afford to have a whole bunch killed.
no problem!July 20, 2012 at 1:19 pm | Reply-
CuriosityKilledTheCat
Sorry freind, 100% U.S. youth! (commenter above not me!)July 20, 2012 at 5:43 pm | -
CuriosityKilledTheCat
100% US Youth-did I just say that. It sounds like I am calling myself a side of beef.
It must be my muslim background.
Sorry, nothing to see here folks, (drum roll)…July 20, 2012 at 8:03 pm |
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Aaron Chaney
Covetousness is a sin. Translation: Tunisia only has received proper remuneration during the so-called Arab Spring because they are an original. All the rest i.e. Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and yes Syria, are all covetous copycats.All fools who haven’t figured this out after that sequential and consistent post should check out this link…
http://www.tpinetwork.com/alexanderargentina.html
July 20, 2012 at 10:45 am | Reply -
rene of mandeville
time to reduce defense expeditures world wide. the syrians need to fix their own problems that have festered for decades. now if the arabs could fix the kingdom and the iranian maybe we can concentrate on the important problems. you know the 800 lb gorilla called the deficit- probably need to giving a haircut to investors to reduce the 16 trillionJuly 20, 2012 at 11:00 am | Reply-
rene of mandeville
When muslim kill muslim = ok
when american kill muslim = allahueggbertJuly 20, 2012 at 1:20 pm | Reply
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Coyote
Those that are afraid the most … kill the most. I don’t know where I learned that, but Syria and al-Assad demonstrate its truth.July 20, 2012 at 12:39 pm | Reply -
Reality
Of course, if the same thing were happenning in another autocratic regime called Bahrain (think, 5th U.S. Fleet), and the U.N. wanted to slam them with sanctions, imagine how fast the U.S. would veto everything. American hypocrites.July 20, 2012 at 1:28 pm | Reply-
KRM1007
but, its not happening there, is it!July 20, 2012 at 2:37 pm | Reply
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Blah blah the wheel’s off your trailer
Send George Zimmerman, Jarred Loughner and James Holmes to Syria along with the tearepublicans party. They’re good with a gun! Then again, they only shoot women and children! But send them anyway!July 20, 2012 at 1:33 pm | Reply-
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CuriosityKilledTheCat
Quran (9:38-39) – “O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place.” This is a warning to those who refuse to fight, that they will be punished with HellJuly 20, 2012 at 8:09 pm | Reply
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Ben
This is a coup, with the “rebels” being armed by the US, Britain, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Why doesn’t the media call it what it is?July 20, 2012 at 1:52 pm | Reply-
KRM1007
Because the media tries to not report outright lies.
Now I understand how this could be construed by a muslim. However, as of today, muslims are not in charge.July 20, 2012 at 3:17 pm | Reply-
KRM1007
I should disclose, I am a racist.July 20, 2012 at 4:11 pm | -
hinduism source of hindufilthyracism.
do you mean, you are a hindu, racist?July 20, 2012 at 6:34 pm |
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saeed
Time for me 2 sniff my camel.July 20, 2012 at 2:10 pm | Reply -
Socrates
It is going to get uglier soon, to put people against the wall is not wise at all. Both sides are against the wall and one of them has chemical weapons that can fall in the wrong hands. I just saw an interview done to the Israeli Minister of Defense, he is very worry about this scenario. Too late. There is no free lunch my friends. It is going to get uglier.July 20, 2012 at 2:20 pm | Reply -
TOTALLY TX.
ONE THING TOILET TISSUE , NOT THAT HAND !!!!!!!!July 20, 2012 at 2:26 pm | Reply -
Syrian
Mnaf is back in SyriaJuly 20, 2012 at 3:27 pm | Reply -
James
Syria will get uglier because Russia and China (our ENEMIES) support this despot.
Just as simple as that !!!July 20, 2012 at 4:05 pm | Reply-
rosestool
Russia and China (our ENEMIES) are doing us a favor so we can save our face because otherwise this would be just like another Iraq and Afghanistan campaign. Look other Arab uprisings we supported, they all turned from dictatorship to Muslim fundamentalism. Yeah, big win for US. notJuly 20, 2012 at 4:21 pm | Reply-
hinduism source of hindufilthyracism.
Choice of people, hindu’s, denier of truth can go to hind, hell. who cares.July 20, 2012 at 6:32 pm |
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conwell2549
All these spineless dictators have the same MO. Go into hiding or flee the fighting to save themselves while the population is slaughteredJuly 20, 2012 at 6:13 pm | Reply -
jose ole
Why nobody wants to call this rebels terrorists? If it looks like duck and walks like a duck it is a duckJuly 20, 2012 at 7:37 pm | Reply -
Hasselhoff
Assad is chicken sh_t and afraid he’s going to end up like his pal Qadaffi. Good riddance Nazi loser.July 20, 2012 at 9:29 pm | Reply -
outspoken
This time it will be fight of two lions and end will be disaster for middle east and probably mankind.July 20, 2012 at 10:28 pm | Reply -
outspoken
Filthy colored Indian is a racist , what a joke ?? This is in reply to KRM1007. Does anybody care about 1 billion camels.July 20, 2012 at 10:35 pm | Reply -
Proud american
The U.S.A is the most powerful country in the world, He are a nation that lives for war don’t act like its a bad thing.. Its better we run everything then someone else.Most people hate the man on top. Duhh some other country’s don’t like us Does everyone like you??.Have some Common sense.. Time to understand this and there is nothing u can do about it.. Leave if u don’t like it. Its the way we will always be.. We will never be knocked out of the #1 spot. We wont allow it. Nuclear war will break out before we let this happen and everyone knows it A fight with us will be to the death. American people are strong and its time for us americans stop saying we are weak.Look around who runs this. Do you see anyone else doing it like us? . Have been ever sence we landed on this ground and defeat the most powerful military the world had seen at the time. Just a bunch or back wood rednecks .. WE are strong. We are 400million proud Americans. Lets get out there and kick some Ass! Im pround Of this country!July 21, 2012 at 12:02 am | Reply -
adnonia
Hey
The situation in syria is way much more complicated than what cnn has portrayed. It is true that there are a big chunk of opposition , However, there is a significant amount of supporters to the regime , especially the christians and the leftists. Moreover , Assad represents the anti-islamist regime in the middle east and the last straw in the throat of the islamization in the middle east. The people who will benefit from a violent transition of power will be the Muslim brotherhood which will destroy the syrian culture and openness completely. It is true that Assad is a dictator , but the idea of transition of power is very touchy too to the whole middle east. Assad should stop killing those innocent people , , I agree, on the other hand. the US would want The moslem brotherhood to take over because they are the extension of saudi arabia that gives the west an easy access to the middle eastern Oil. Those fanatics who will ruin the fabric of the long-lived culture of the middle east , where culture first come to be. Theocracy blind people .July 21, 2012 at 1:14 am | Reply-
eric calderone
Yours is one of the few sensible posts. Yes, while Assad is a dictator, the “opposition” has never tried to reach a modus vivendi with him, they have been out to overthrow the government from the start. Their program is to turn Syria into a fundamentalist Islamic state. Assad is the lesser of the 2 evils, and that is why the Christians support him. The US opposes Assad because it views the turning of Syria into a Saudi style state a geopolitical victory for its foreign policy, and a gain for its ally, Israel.July 22, 2012 at 12:03 am | Reply
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pierce
I just wish that for once, we could at least win a war?Cmon, we are the richest with the most weapons and we let the Cong, the Taliban, the Chinese=Koreans and the Sadamists beat us?
I just wanna win a war!!!!!!!July 21, 2012 at 1:15 am | Reply -
KEVIN
The rebels and opposition are more tribal and theologically at odds with each other then we think. Yes, Assad will fall, but what remains of the population is profoundly violent and at odds with each other (it is the culture). Yes, all hell is going to break out once Assad leaves or is conquered, but we have no idea what we are getting ourselves into if we intervene(Syria is not Egypt or even Libya). Our best bet is to use our military to secure the borders and screen refugees who wish to leave. (If I was a Syrian, I would get out quickly)July 21, 2012 at 3:47 am | Reply -
JC Nelson
“wedded themselves to a sinking ship ”
Mixed metaphors have no force; they show only that the author is not even interested in what he is saying. How can you get married to a nautical vessel?“the gloves are off” This is goofy. Is Mr. Lesch saying that for the mass murderers and torturers of the Syrian regime, the gloves have been on until now?
A fluffy, ill-written piece from an “expert”. Thanks for the effort, but all it really does is repeat the obvious.
July 21, 2012 at 8:35 am | Reply -
Peikovianyi
Russian regime is corrupt. Chinese regime is corrupt. Iranian regime is insane. All are police states. Syrian regime is a cesspool. Of course it will get worse. It can’t possibly get better.July 21, 2012 at 8:42 am | Reply -
mikrik13
Why the US could get even uglier. Another government that ignores the will of its citizens.July 21, 2012 at 8:54 am | Reply -
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Hill Billy
Syria, is the only port they have access to in the Med, and puts them in strategic position in the region. Them being USSR, CHINA… In the end… we have food.. .gobs of food… and if we would get our jazz together… could make bio fuels or ethonal from the tons of garbage and shake off the mid east.. but we won’t… we are too tide in thanks to the Marshall plan… So, I will sit up here in the hills and hollars of Applicahia and wait for them all to come.. and learn the hard way.July 21, 2012 at 11:39 am | Reply-
Yoshi Togukawa
Yippi ky ehy?July 21, 2012 at 11:42 am | Reply
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Yoshi Togukawa
to all camel sniffers: Just hope your camel does not break wind in a too convincing manner while you sniffJuly 21, 2012 at 11:41 am | Reply -
Rob
@LanceCondescending, grammatical buffoons such as yourself sicken me… make a point or go FYourself.
July 21, 2012 at 5:00 pm | Reply -
brian in DC
And now there are reports of the CIA scrambling to find the WMD’s Syria has. Hmmmm, I wonder where they got those from?July 21, 2012 at 7:09 pm | Reply-
Hasai
Possibly, there were smuggled-in from Iraq when the previous government fell. More like, however, they manufactured them . Chemical weapons are insultingly easy to manufacture; you could brew some of the simpler ones up in your kitchen.July 22, 2012 at 1:12 pm | Reply
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life4takin
The former president Basher-al Assad is not a very bright man, he will be hunted down like the dog that he is. history will not be kind to this ego maniac.July 21, 2012 at 7:40 pm | Reply -
sam kohen
Anyone know what the results of the legislative elections in May in Syria are?July 21, 2012 at 9:48 pm | Reply -
RLTJ’s
The best that rebels can do by themselves in Syria is to wage a clandestine guerrilla war. If they can immobilize the Syrian state and its military machinery that way, then they win. A guerrilla zone is literally nobody’s place. It can change hands again and again and on.Even Mao’s strategy of Base building wont work today. They are obsolete. So the prospect is chronic social conflagration in Syria that will end either way.
July 21, 2012 at 10:39 pm | Reply -
john
whatJuly 21, 2012 at 11:29 pm | Reply -
john
so america has a secret military in syria made up with 100,000 syians paid for by the cia lolJuly 21, 2012 at 11:31 pm | Reply -
eric calderone
If Assad goes, Syria will become another Saudi Arabia. I’ll take Assad any day over that alternative. Long Live Assad!July 21, 2012 at 11:54 pm | Reply -
Kirk
To all those against Assad: Wait to see these fanatic Islamist rebels how they will turn Middle East. into a Theocratic regime. From Iraq to Libya, to Tunisia to Syria to Turkey. Turkey is supporting these Islamist terrorists, but Turkey will be stabbed on the back by them. Wait and see. The one who laughs last laughs the most.July 22, 2012 at 12:19 am | Reply -
Algebar
Kiirk, It was Shariah led Islamists that gave golden age during European dark ages. They propelled rennaisance and gave hope to Europe ushering in industrial revolution. Technology industry wouldnt exist if it was not for those pioneers of modern scienceJuly 22, 2012 at 1:11 am | Reply -
Bob From Okay OK
Obama has taken a back seat and relegated power to China and Russia.July 22, 2012 at 1:39 am | Reply -
islamsucksthebigone
is it not evident that roughly, more than a billion people around this world, having already experienced Islam/Allah/Muhammad, fought against it and discarded it for a good reason? Islam’s demise is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’, as the process of its demise started with the advent of the media, IT, etc, and got speeded up exponentially, after 9/11. (Also see article in this website, “Islam in fast Demise”)July 22, 2012 at 2:27 am | Reply -
Virginia
To Saeed – ( I am giving you benefit of the doubt) according to your nameMike & Lance are the same person, don’t fall in to the trap.
5% among the mankind are happened to be psychopath, human-excrement with no morals . Period
On the judgement day No mercy upon them, and on the planet, there must be a big hole in their lifes and their destiny been controlled, bullie & manipulated by men of same age or younger them.July 22, 2012 at 5:21 am | Reply -
Sleeper
Please guys im trying to watch Miley cyrus on TV. Can we get back to reality.. They’re are killing their own people. And now the people are standing up to fight. That’s all that is happening. Russia and china are simply saying let them fight amongst themselves and lets work on healing our own countries before getting into any more battles. So go to the beach, the river or the mountains and enjoy some time with your loved ones and just be thankful that our civil war is long over with. Sometimes a land needs their own civil to filter out the bad from the good. Then it creates shows like Hannah Montana and we all get along
July 22, 2012 at 7:53 am | Reply -
jbg757
What is the ratio of Syrian Alewite minority to Sunni and Shiite in the country?July 22, 2012 at 8:00 am | Reply-
jbg757
Here it is: The population of Syria is 74% Sunni (mostly Sunni Arabs, but also Kurds, Circassians and Turkomans), 12% Alawi and Shia (mostly Arabs), 10% Christian (Arab Christians, Assyrians and Armenians) and 3% Druze (sometimes considered part of Shia Islam). Combined, 87% of the Syrian population is Muslim. The majority of the Syrian population is Arab.July 22, 2012 at 8:02 am | Reply
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salim B
In the shadow of the escalation, the new Talaban in Syria is lunching their own war fare. We need to pay a special attention to this component.
Immediately after, the recent explosion in the security head quarter, they lunched a series of attacks in the Area of Syda Zainab neighborhood where one of the hollies Shia Islam Mosques of The Prophet Mohamed granddaughter tomb. in a try to demolish it to trigger a new wave of sectarian violence that should extend through the Middle east , specially in the mix countries like Kuwait, Suadi Arabia and Bahrain.
I think the west should act immediately to stop such attempt by putting their influence on Qatar, the main financier to the new Arab Talaban. Such possible tragic action will burn the whole Middle east, and specially the oil producing rival countries of Qatar.July 22, 2012 at 9:40 am | Reply -
John
The US cannot afford to get involved in Syria. Plain and simple the fact that the US has waged war in two Countries (Iraq and Afghanistan) the last decade has stretched the military significantly. Suicides are way up, moral is way down and we have other threats pertaining to the US such as Iran and North Korea. I know where people like John MCcain are coming from wanting the US to do more. But I think much of the American people are tired of fighting other people’s wars.July 22, 2012 at 10:34 am | Reply-
JOSE-USMC-0311
JOHN McCain IS WRONG. AMERICA IS BROKE. ANOTHER WAR ? NO WAY. SHOULD WE PROVIDE THE REBEL FIGHTERS WITH WEAPONS ?? YES. TROOPS–BOOTS ?? NO. SAME GOES FOR IRAN, NO U.S. TROOPS. LET ISRAEL DEAL WITH THEM.July 23, 2012 at 10:59 am | Reply
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Mark
the Most of anti Assad in syria are radical Muslims and terrorist from around the world . What bothers me that they get support from united state and european union . In the future those peoples going to do the same thing in all Europa and all of the west will fall under the muslims invasion , the same way of the roman empire fall to the barbarian invasion and the same way how the Turk ottoman destroyed the Byzantine empireJuly 22, 2012 at 11:13 am | Reply -
dd
There is but one person in the entire world who could have prevented the carnage that has taken place and is about to take place in Syria: Barack Obama. Obama decided that the Muslims in Syria can just suffer and kill each other off. Is that a bad decision? NO! Muslims have been dependent upon the West to rescue them from their own religion and from their home grown tyrants. They need to feel the pain in order to oust the Islamic leadership that uses Mohammed to enslave them. Obama was correct. Let evil fight evil until someone recognizes EVIL! Maybe Syria shouldn’t exist!July 22, 2012 at 11:24 am | Reply-
Mark
There are more than 2 million Christians in Syria they are the native people of Syria, what going to happen to them, under the radicals uncivilaized Muslims ,July 22, 2012 at 11:37 am | Reply -
salim B
What are you calling for is not Evil / Evil war, it it Evil war to control the oil region.Same Evil that we helped controlling Afghanistan in the Nineties to struck us back in 2001 !.July 22, 2012 at 12:29 pm | Reply -
Baruch Atta
Assad. The person who could have adverted the war, and can now (perhaps) stop the war is Assad.I thought you were going to say “Assad”. Barak has nothing to do with it. Really. And if Barak is smart, he will stay out of it.
July 23, 2012 at 12:51 pm | Reply
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Plunky
Folks, let’s get our apostraphes right!! Example: countries, NOT country’s; democracies, NOT democracy’s, etc. Also, it’s there, NOT its there; it’s useless, NOT its useless, although its uselessness would be correct. Thank you for your kind attention!!!July 22, 2012 at 12:38 pm | Reply -
Dino
Why does SoundOff always fail to post 2/3 of the time?July 22, 2012 at 12:46 pm | Reply -
taskmaster
Leave the Syrian government alone. We have more internal problems than Obama can deal with.Let Syria handle there own problems and quit using Syria to draw our attention away from his own failures.July 22, 2012 at 5:03 pm | Reply -
truthordare7
Let the arabs/muslims fight it amongst themselves. US,CHINA, and Russia get the heck out of there. Let those big-mouthed Arab countries like Saudi Arabia take care of their own backyard instead of building hate cults in other countries and turn them into crap places like their own.July 22, 2012 at 7:02 pm | Reply-
TrueGrissel
I couldn’t agree more but lets include Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Libya, Turkey etc.July 22, 2012 at 7:44 pm | Reply
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TrueGrissel
Fareed we don’t care anymore, what sect are you. Enough of our sons and daughters have died in the name of your peoples tribal wars, enough is enough.
The sooner you all kill yourselves off the better the world will be.July 22, 2012 at 7:41 pm | Reply -
dave
I am 61 years old and am tired of the middle east being front page news for the last 50 years! They all hate the west no matter what side of this conflict you are on. We can’t win anything in this part of the world and you would think we could learn that fact after all these years!I for one hope they just keep on killing each other all over the middle east until only one man or women is left standing than it would only take one bullet from the west to fix the middle east problem.July 22, 2012 at 8:28 pm | Reply -
KEVIN
I heard John McCain (R-Arizona) say that the Assad regime is a close allie to Iran. Does anyone know if this is trueJuly 23, 2012 at 4:03 am | Reply -
Robert
Wny the USA media is not reporting on attacks to Sirian Christians by the radical muslim rebels that have armed 11 year old, and why also the requestet that Mrs Weiner, Huma Abedin should be investigated because Ms Clinton named her Chief of Staff, she is a practicing muslim with parents, brother and uncle that are connected to The Muslim Brothehood that is a radical extremist muslim group.
Are Democrats helping the Islamization of America and the world? This news were with photos in International news in the last 2 weeks.July 23, 2012 at 8:52 am | Reply -
may40
Funny, I just read an article about Syria threatening to use its chemical and bio weapons if attacked. I remember the ugliness of all the liberals attacking the Bush administration when they had reason to believe that Iraq had these weapons and transferred them over to Syria. The truth comes out. The same Bush haters are bowing their knew to Obama and the Muslims. Sure, you all don’t need your heads examined!http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-07-23-08-06-13
July 23, 2012 at 9:07 am | Reply -
Dave
What is everyone so wound up about. This is the way Arabs change governments. In the west we have elections and in the Arab middle east they murder one another until the last one standing declares victory.July 23, 2012 at 9:24 am | Reply -
Total non Sense
Syria need to be stop NOW…… (AS IN NUKE EVERY SINGLE GOVERMENT/MIITARY BUILDING)/.THis is the very reason Islam must be vaporize. the world is at war with Islam and *ALL* Muslims are it’a soldiers (AKA: The enemy)
July 23, 2012 at 9:39 am | Reply -
Bob
Whether one likes them or not, the rebels are using very much the tactics that brought the US to realisationof failure in Afghanistan ( the Taliban ), and are similar to the tactics used by the Vietnamese in the Tet offensive – namely infiltrate groups of people in largely civilian dress into civilian areas, then start a fight which of course induces massive collateral damage. This is effective for a force weaker in material and numbers than the opposition. It is also dangerous in a sectarian environment where groups sitting it out, suddenly start suffering harm, and then possibly are driven to lash back. Yes, the concept of calibrated response will go out the window – expect marshal law, with anyone moving at night being shot ( we did that in Fallujah in Iraq – so the precedent exist ). Also, expect this to grow across the borders – the countries supporting the ousting of Assad, and arming and paying the rebels, had hoped Assad would go quickly. The longer he hangs on the greater the chances of this sectarian war spreading to Turkey, Lebanon, and one can already perhaps see this in the increasing incidence of bombings in Iraq. Also, arms given cannot just be taken back.All very dangerous.July 23, 2012 at 10:50 am | Reply -
JOSE-USMC-0311
IF OBAMA IS SMART ??? STAY OUT OF IRAN AND SYRIA…PROVIDE THEM WITH WEAPONS BUT KEEP AMERICAN TROOPS OUT. WE CAN’T AFFORD MORE WARS. WE ARE BROKE.July 23, 2012 at 10:52 am | Reply -
theox
France created Syria 90 years ago. They should come and clean it up their mess.July 23, 2012 at 12:39 pm | Reply -
Baruch Atta
Mr. Jake R:
You too said “…going to teach the U.S. a lesson that will never be forgotten…”
This is very informative. Here you are, threating the USA with a “lesson”. The lesson will be…what?
You are aware that the US is very educated? The Washington and Pentagon “think tanks” are involved in very deep analysis and study? The studies are by highly inteligent and educated people, Ph.D is the minimum to be a fellow in the studies?It seems like you are a pea-brain, with a black/white outlook, who projects your own elemetary school world views on everyone else.
Your problem is this: it is easy to understand strength, who has more strength and who has less. But it is nearly impossible for an ignorant, stupid man to understand intelligence and wisdom.
So, before you want to “teach a lesson”, try to take a lesson.
July 23, 2012 at 12:40 pm | Reply -
Darrell W.
A very interesting article by the author Lesch. Yet he never once mentions what this is all about. It is about Sunni Muslims who want to take the power away from the Alewite Muslims. And they will. And there will be a bloodbath afterwards of Sunnis killing Alewites and Chrisitians by the thousands.July 23, 2012 at 12:45 pm | Reply -
jfreita
people forget that our armed civilian population makes even our own military look minescule. try to take america and its our people you want to watch out for, and thats if you even make it past our militaryJuly 23, 2012 at 12:58 pm | Reply -
Lindale
The man who detonated the actual bomb, by remote control, is a young Syrian university student. Guess where he is hiding at? He is hiding inside the UNITED STATES Ambassador’s home in Damascus! Yes, he detonated the bomb by remote from there. But his accomplices were caught and have spilled the beans on him. In fact, one of the official who died later, told investigators that he had trusted that student.
So it appears that the USA is directly involved in the murder of 4 men in Damascus. 1 was Christian and 3 were Muslim.July 23, 2012 at 4:22 pm | Reply -
Eu mesmo
People can get very emotional in these forums. Folks, cool down. There are no bad guys and good guys in this world. There is only national interest and self preservation (in power). Nobody is saint or evil. The Syrian regime will do whatever it takes to hang to power, the Iranians will do the same; The US and Russia will continue managing their interests openly or covertly, Arabs will continue blaming Israel for all their grief (and to direct attention elsewhere) and Israel will continue enforcing what it believes is necessary for its national security. In the end it is all very logical. Emotion is an artifact the politician and media introduce to mobilize the masses. So if you are going to take sides, take the side that is least likely to bomb you, torture you or shoot you in the back of the head. It is as simple as that.July 23, 2012 at 7:10 pm | Reply -
Barry G.
I wonder whether Russia and China’s repeated blocking of attempts to intervene in Syria has anything to do with the fact that they fear there will soon be revolutions in their own countries.July 24, 2012 at 10:08 am | Reply-
nina
Good point Barry. Maybe, the problems within were created by the Russians and Chinese who live/work in Syria and those countries do not want anybody to know. It is better to squash the populace in Syria then to take the chance that they will need to go home to Russia or China and take their ideologies back with them.July 24, 2012 at 12:05 pm | Reply
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Sid Harth
Separately gathered news about Syria is as follows:In Russia, Even Putin’s Critics Are OK With His Syria Policy
Julia Ioffe
July 23, 2012 | 7:20 pmOn Monday afternoon, Italian premier Mario Monti and Russian president Vladimir Putin convened a small press conference in the slanting, gold light coming off the Black Sea. They had just met to discuss the European economic crisis as well as energy (Italy is Russia’s second biggest gas client), but they also touched on the deepening conflict in Syria.
“We do not want the situation to develop along the lines of a bloody civil war and for it to continue for who knows how many years, like in Afghanistan,” Putin said, standing with his perfect posture in a slate-gray summer suit. “We want there to be peace.” Russia does not want to see the establishment and the opposition to simply switch sides and keep fighting, Putin went on. Russia’s position remains unchanged, commented the reporter of Channel One, the country’s biggest (and state controlled) television channel. “The only way out of the crisis is through negotiations.”
The insistent, demonstrative reasonableness of Putin’s quote was more than bluster; it was also a reflection of how most Russians, including the Russian press, understand their country’s role in Syria’s ongoing civil war.
If the West has come to see Russia as the ornery spoiler in Syria, as the last ally of the cruel and increasingly embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad, Russia sees itself as the last sane person left in the room, the one geopolitical actor able to put emotion and cliché aside in favor of rational, balanced thought. Glancing at Russian press coverage of the Syrian conflict—and it is, in the Russian perspective a “crisis”—one will notice that it does not get nearly the same kind of coverage here as it does in the Western press. “Why does this peripheral country get so much attention?” Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in World Affairs exclaimed when we spoke. “It just is not considered something extremely significant here.”
The Western observer tends to split the Russian press into two camps: evil statists and martyrs. But for their part, members of the Russian press are convinced of their superiority over their Western colleagues, at least when it comes to Syria. Russian journalists aren’t under the illusion that they are more objective than their Western counterparts, but they are convinced of their ability to convey a more realistic, complex picture of the events in Syria.
“The essence of the conflict is portrayed differently here than in the West,” explains Lukyanov. “Here, it is not a picture of peace-loving freedom fighters against a secretive, repressive regime. The Western picture is highly ideological and primitive. They have a template that’s used for all countries, even though, when it comes to these revolutions in the Arab world, each country is more complex than the previous one. The situation in Syria is much more tangled.” And though you can find a great variety of views on Syria in Russia—anything from the conspirological view that America is arming the rebels and ginned up the uprising to begin with, to the pro-Western, liberal chagrin that Russia is once again backing the bad guys—you would be hard-pressed to find a news outlet that uses the term “Arab Spring.”
Russian point of view starts with the naiveté of the Western point of view, and its corollary: That Russians alone can glimpse the ugly truths that run the world. “The Russian press is more accurate than the Western press, because the West, in painting [the Free Syrian Army] as freedom fighters, doesn’t understand that these guys, are blood-sucking vampires and if they come to power there will be hell to pay, and for the Americans, too,” says Maxim Yusin, the deputy editor of the foreign affairs section of the daily newspaper Kommersant, Russia’s largest and among its more liberal. (I should note that, in my three years reporting on Russia and befriending local colleagues, I’ve only ever previously heard the opposite: a refrain about the superiority of American journalism to the unprofessionalism of the still young Russian press.)
clipped one paragraph here…
clipped another paragraph here…
A poll done this spring by the independent Levada Center found that the vast majority of Russians do not support more sanctions against Assad, and even fewer support armed intervention. Asked how they would describe the situation in Syria, most said they saw it either as a civil war or as “terrorists, abetted by the West” fighting a “legitimate government.” But the biggest share of all just didn’t know how to answer.
…and I am Sid Harth@webworldismyoyster.com
July 24, 2012 at 4:05 pm | Reply
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This the doing of USA and Britain they are bankrupt losers they can’t wage a war against china china will drop one bomb and its game over so they are acting like a bunch of criminals and arming outlaws. USA is l a loser country it lost the summer Olympics its economy is bankrupt its space shuttle does not exist anymore even in science its a loser country just one month ago china build the worlds deepest diving sub now USA has lost that category to.