Domestic issues related to oppression, corruption and poverty is what triggered this uprising,foreign interference made things worse as Syria became a play field for competing players who want to settle scores. The regime still carries most of the blame,it treated its citizens like disposable furniture,and now it is the regime’s turn to be disposed,what is most concerning now beside the huge loss of lives is that Syrians may not be able to come up with a pleural system that provides stability and prosperity,I am afraid it is too late to reach a political solution that satisfies and reassure all or most Syrians,the country is being destroyed,that part was certainly avoidable.

Yes, that is overly simplistic.

Bashar allowed Sat TV. Cell phones. Computer access.

Even though he knows these are used to undermine his rule, they remain functioning (except during military ops).

But how can you write about Syria politics without discussing foreign policy goals? It’s not like this is a new phenomenon. The Saudis funded the 1980s violent uprising.

No Salafists in Syria? How do you think the Saudi and Libyan Salafists were able to transit to Iraq throughout the 2000’s? I realize the idiotic western media and politicians like to blame Bashar, but there has been a large segment of Salafists in Syria for decades. Just like Mas’ab Az Zarqawi, for Jordan. I notice we didn’t blame Jordan for spewing this asshole onto the world. Just like we didn’t blame Saudi for being the source of the majority of hijackers in 9/11.

But Syria/Bashar was to blame for all the Salafists going into Iraq.

The West had been openly calling for regime change in Syria. It was on the list (like Iraq/Libya/Iran) of nations that should be taken down by any means necessary.

And we see how that goes. Lots of people wind up dying. The nations are turned to rubble.

So when someone calls for change, and visits any American, or sides with America, what do you do?

Praise them because Allah knows America loves Arabs?

You need to account for the 9/11demolition and the Iraq invasion in the regime calculation. Then come Lebanon / Hariri issues. When Rumsfeld was screaming is Syria next, SNP was trying to deal with 9/11 effect on many levels, not the least of which are security and financial and Israeli espionage matters, it is a long story.But Rumsfeld and Bush calls gone ignored. Then the first hint of foul play came from Russia, through a high tech structural eng software. Afterward , Israeli activities were tracked and it looked very ugly.

The story then can be picked up here on this blog pretty much.

Yes. Had America worked with Syria instead of following the neocon confrontational mentality, Syria would have had enough confidence to open up.

Instead Syria was to blame for every damn thing in the region. Like when Amal dared use a Lebanese river to give water to a Lebanese farmer.

“Israel issued its first concerns in March 2001, when a first pipe line was laid. According to Ministry of Defense spokesperson Shlomo Dror, Israel “wouldn’t be quiet over it”. The newspaper Hatzofeh saw the hand of Syria behind it, and challenged Prime Minster Ariel Sharon to show his resolution. At that time, the Israeli government added no further consequences.”

http://www.waternet.be/jordan_river/wazzani.htm

I would love to see a democratic Syria. But there needs be some adult leadership in the world for that to happen. Having the oil and gas states run the UN will never allow a democracy anywhere in the world.

Corruption goes back to the very first day this abomination of regime was born. It is wrong to narrow the causes to mistakes perceived to have been committed only in more recent years.

This is a regime that should have never been born in the first place to begin with. It is a pitch black dot in the history of Syria that will take years to erase even after the regime has fallen. Nothing in the history of mankind compares to this delinquency except the Nazi years of Germany of the last century.

Syrians are to blame first and foremost for being complacent all these years allowing this abhorrence to take roots. Having done exactly that, the Syrians are now facing the horrendous task of reversing the disastrous consequences of their complacency.

Blame not others but the complacent.

“foreign interference”? god forbid bashar be hampered from committing genocide.

loyalists habitually refuse to give “little people” any credit. the opposition deserves every credit in the world for having clawed their way this far. it’s insulting to dismiss their accomplishments as the machinations of foreign powers. go ahead, keep underestimating them.

would rebels propped up and supplied by wealthy gulf states be forced to resort to this?

Syria rebels to reuse regime landmines
Fighters say explosives found along borders to target opposition supply routes will be used against army.

dangerous, but i admire their resourcefulness!

قال نائب رئيس الوزراء للشؤون الاقتصادية قدري جميل, يوم الجمعة, إن سورية وروسيا توصلتا إلى اتفاق بشأن النفط الخام والمشتقات.
وأوضح جميل, في تصريح للصحفيين, نشرته وكالة الأنباء (رويترز), أن “سورية تنتج نحو 200 ألف برميل يوميا من النفط الخام ووافقت على تصديرها إلى روسيا مقابل الحصول على البنزين والديزل”, مبديا “استعداد الحكومة السورية لإرسال كل نفطها وتسلم ما تحتاجه من البنزين والديزل “.
وأعلن وزير النفط سعيد هنيدي, في وقت سابق اليوم, أن إنتاج سورية من النفط انخفض إلى اقل من 200 ألف برميل يوميا, بسبب الحظر الغربي الجائر.

Credit for what? what have you accomplished of good merits. Do you need credit for baba Omar destruction or Damascus volcano? Perhaps we should credit the more than hundred African malled. Ok, you have it, getting rid of 200 Africans is worthy of Damasus destruction.

With All due respect to Ehsani, the analysis comes short at many levels, the most important one in my opinion is the psychosocial one!
Although, what is said is for sure a true analysis but it ignores the Arabs society structure tradition and High ego affinity.
it is very unacceptable for a tribe to let go, fights is to the end and destruction of the other is a sign of power. It is still an animal model if you will, the Alpha male is the winner.
You can correct me but this is the case of all Arab world.
It would have been unheard of if Bashar had a fair and square election,step down if he lost!
But this is not going to happen not in Syria nor in egypt and not in any other arabic country.
time will tell if any form of democracy will every materialized in the middle east for decades if not centuries to come.
I am going to remind you and everyone that even UK with its claim to democracy, still had imperialism aspiration into the late 20th century, the Folkenland war, the Irish war it is all about similar ego affinity the Arabs, Russia, USA, China have.
I am going to Ignore the role of religion in politics for sake of argument, but it is clear that the issue in Syria is not only about Bashar, although I am never was a defender of the regime acts, but it is clear that another Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia is not the best interest of Syria as a country.
I don’t recall that Syria was ever interfering into the GSS or Turkey politics.
Yes Syria was a major player in Lebanon so others were, Syria owed Lebanon problem so did Israel.
The risk to Syria at the current time is not Bashar it is well beyond Bashar and the proxy war being waged in Syria, not Bashar or others can stop it.
it is a civil war will continue until the number of dead reaches a number where the country can’t keep up with.
and the risk of a phony democracy is not worth any of the blood being shed.
If anyone can show a prove that the opposition is going to have a democratic, secular, pleural state with no domination of the Radical MB or the Islamists of the GCC over Syria, I think the regime will fall within weeks, but with such failure to show such evidence, the Syrians are not buying this revolution and therefore the regime will continue the fight.
Personally, I think the only this to stop is to have a joint force of Russian, Chinese, Americans westerners, occupy Syria for a year or two until a fair and square election is held without the influence of the GCC islamists and in absence of the regime phony election.
I don’t think this appealing to any of the superpowers because the interest of the west is to continue the proxy war in Syria to weaken it.
for once we need pro Syria people not pro regime of pro phony opposition.

The murder of Shaykh Ahmad Saleh al-Hamad & Shaykh `Abd al-`Aziz Hamwiyya
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/the-murder-and-mutilation-of-shaykh-ahmad-saleh-al-hamad/

The Execution of Members of the Berri Clan
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/the-execution-of-members-of-the-berri-clan/

Shaykh Mahmoud Hassoun (the brother of Mufti Ahmad Hassoun) abducted by armed men
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/800/

Syrian TV and its bizarre claims regarding Hamdaniyya-Salaheddin !
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/794/

Shaykh Suhayb al-Shami reportedly left Syria in protest of the bombardment of Aleppo
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/shaykh-suhayb-al-shami-reportedly-left-syria-in-protest-of-the-bombardment-of-aleppo/

Great to see you back Ehsani.

I believe that alternative fork could never have been more than a brief half-constructed potholed detour.

That’s because the root cause of where we are at today lies not only the “system” Hafez Assad created. The damage was compounded by the immaturity, inexperience, poor judgement, moral failings and other personal inadequacies of Bashar Assad.

Those who hustled him into illegitimate power in 2000 knew all that about him. But they didn’t care, it suited their various agendas.

Syria’s people were doomed by that appointment, and are now suffering the full impact of Bashar Assad’s incompetence and idiocy.

وقال بن جاسم في مقابلة مع الجزيرة إن مهمة أي مندوب جديد يجب أن تكون العمل على “الانتقال السلمي للسلطة في سوريا”، وإن أي شخص يخلف كوفي أنان كوسيط دولي بشأن سوريا لابد أن يتبع استراتيجية جديدة بسبب ما وصفه بإخفاق خطة سلام أنان المؤلفة من ست نقاط.
That was the plan from the beginning, now the push will be for a more ” flexible” UN envoy and a military action outside the UNSC.
Any idea what Manaf is waiting for?
It is clear now that he is being groomed to take a leadership position.

Thanks Hamoudeh for these links. They’re quite telling.

………………………………………….

While the dogs of the mouthpieces of the falling regime continue to bark imaginary and pyrrhic victories, the caravan of the heroic Free Syrian Army continues its forward march of liberation of Aleppo from the claws of the criminal, delinquent, Nazi-like, gangster regime, extending the rein of freedom, honor and dignity to newer quarters of the city,

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/08/04/230263.html

The continued resort to air bombardment by the rejects of the human race only reflects their state of desperation, their disarray and the depletion of their resources, while at the same strengthens the resolve of the people to carry out the war of liberation until every quarter country is cleansed block by block.

#11

… i.e. every quarter of the country…

Can one of the “Stop the War” pro-Assad people here explain to me what is so heroic or justified to use tanks, artillery, and jets to shell populated neighborhoods and then hospitals?

I know your type will blame Americans and Obama for all the atrocities in Syria, unwilling to admit that people want freedom and self-determination, and that is their god given right.

But what does Americans have to do with Assad’s death squads raiding a neighborhood and shooting 50 random men in the head in front of their homes?

What do Americans have to do with Assad’s death squads stopping food from entering Deir Zour, a city with 600,000 people starving?

I tried to open the link to Amal Hanano’s piece, The Womb of Murder which appeared recently in alayyam, but I received a message ‘server not found’. It appears there might have been be a deliberate attempt by regimists to conceal the information once again as Hafez did 47 years ago.

This is a very important historical eyewitness account of events that convey messages of existential importance as it relates to human destiny, fate and social upheavals and struggles. It will become a milestone worthy of committing to memory for generations to come, so that those who come after us will avoid the pitfalls of those who preceded them.

I made a search and found another link and stored a copy of the article. The new link is at

http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.ca/2012/08/the-womb-of-murder.html

I suggest you do likewise and preserve a copy from this link for your posterity to keep the lesson alive, before another attempt is made to shut down the new link(s).

13. VISITOR
This link (in English though) works

http://www.ayyam.org/english/?p=535

What happen? No heroic Bashar songs anymore on Madinah FM? Since half an hour they play one Fairuz piece after the other, two weeks ago it was all about mhnbak…

The only strange thing is the ongoing Syriatel advertisement.

The blog did not mention 9/11, invading of Iraq and the assassination of Harriri. Those are 3 important events! I believe that when people all over the world saw 1 million Lebanese (1/3 of the country) gather in the Martyr Square, they got confidence that they have the power to demand things and to get them! Assad was forced out of Lebanon shamefully! In this time of age when cellphones and internet available to almost everyone, news travel fast! The Syrian people are no dumb! They also wanted an end to a police regime and they want more freedom. Assad and his family refused to give more freedom to their people. The corruption of Makhlof’s added to the anger of people!

Assad sends delegation to Russia as an attempt to plea Russia for funds and “benzin”

Assad pleads Russia for money and fuel

Moscow / Damascus – Faced with resistance from the rebels, the Syrian regime comes under increasing pressure. The economic sanctions fall apparently because President Bashar al-Assad studied abroad for supporters. He relies on help from Russia. A delegation from Syria under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Jamil Kadri asked Moscow for financial aid and fuel.

We have asked for a loan to fill the Syrian currency reserves, said Jamil. The amount would he and his finance minister, Mohammed al-Dschulajlati not say. The delegation met on Friday in Moscow for talks with Russian officials.

http://translate.google.de/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Fpolitik%2Fausland%2Fsyrien-assad-bittet-russland-um-hilfe-a-848193.html

First warplane (not helicopter) shot down over Aleppo, specifically while on a bombing raid of the Radio and TV station currently under FSA control.

@VISITOR
Nice lying Vistor i have been busy with twitter and following some updates.

(specifically while on a bombing raid of the Radio and TV station currently under FSA control.)
From the current reports the Radio and TV station is not under FSA control.

Ironic isnt that what you said the same thing about operation Damascus volcano?

The FSA Supporters on here had claimed that Damascus volcano would bring an end to Assad in which it didn’t.

But i will tell you this Damascus volcano looked nothing more then a clear terrorist attack.

I guess the FSA Supporters are all still going to deny this?

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2012/07/20127189020730553.html

“This is my urgent message to all Mujahideen from all brigades to join their brothers the Mujahideen of Damascus who are defending the revolution. Those willing to join have to go … through safe routes to Damascus. It is the moment of truth. It is the Damascus fight for salvation. It is either life, dignity and freedom or martyrdom and paradise.”

Commander of Al-Emary Brigades, Captian Quais Quatana’s statement for all Syrian Mujahideen”

I know its aljazeera however this quote done after an phone interview by a FSA commander to aljazeera.

Just saw a video in which one of the well-known Khaldiah Sufi Shaykh (As’ad Al-Kahil) talks about some of what he saw in Homs. It just made my blood boil.

He talked how his aunt was killed by a bullet to the neck while they were burying her son in the grave yard of the Khalid bin Al-Waleed mosque. They could not take the dead to the grave yard in Tal Ansar because the day before a number of people were killed after returning from a funeral of others who by the thugs of the terrorist Syrian regime. After one hour of her death, he other son got killed.

This shaykh who spent 50+ days in a notorious prison in Damascus. He talked about what he saw and the horrific torture that many people were subjected to. So next time you supporters of this terrorist regime see FSA fighters or victims of Assad torture take revenge, don’t whine. It’s okay for use who support the rule of law to condemn revenge, but you have no right to do so.

God willing, the day of reckoning is fast approaching.

# 19,

The battle of Damascus is not over yet.

The Radio and TV station was occupied by the FSA earlier and all government thugs were routed. FSA vacated the building but kept it under siege when thug’s warplanes attempted to bomb it in an effort to retrieve it. The warplane was shot down during these raids.

When the FSA besieges an empty building after it liberates it from thugs occupying it, it is accurate to say it is under the control of the FSA.

…………………………But here’s another one for you from the frontlines before you recover from the last shock.

The so-called palace of justice (does anyone believe there is something called justice in Nazi-like Syria?) adjacent to the Aleppo citadel is currently under siege by the FSA.

Damascus is next after Aleppo, rest assured.

Thomas Avenarius comments on the events in Syria

Syrians fight, but the war is led by others

If someone like Kofi Annan throws in the towel , the situation must be really desperate. The Nobel Peace Prize winner known for his patience. Still, he admits to have failed in his Syrian mission. He complains that his mediation efforts were hindered – from inside and outside of the United Nations.

http://translate.google.de/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sueddeutsche.de%2Fpolitik%2Fstreit-der-weltgemeinschaft-um-syrien-konflikt-syrer-kaempfen-doch-den-krieg-fuehren-andere-1.1431816

The regime forces sound more desperate by the day. They even had to hack Reuters to put up some “good news” about their “progress”.

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/reading-the-fake-reuters-reports-on-syria/

Thanks MICHAL 23 for this link.

The same misinformation was disseminated by this Arabic mouthpiece of Nazi-like Syria earlier today. I guess they come from the same source,

http://diyar.charlesayoub.com/index.php/article-details/139665

You’re absolutely right. They are desperate and they still think they can win by fabricating propaganda. Too bad all this investment in an electronic army of shabi7ha is coming to naught!

Here a proof how regime forces take usage of their citizens as human shields

Thank you Ehsani. As always, a pleasure to read.

You “put the blame” on the security heads who had seen enough. OK, but why did they feel that it was enough? Because this meant loosing their authoritarian powers? I believe it’s more complicated than that.
.

While the Gulf satellite channels spread hatred, it falls in the ears of the Egyptians,
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/49432/Egypt/Politics-/ElBaradei-calls-for-harsh-punishment-to-deter-sect.aspx

I guess the rebel supporters sound more desperate everyday and nice to see that the Sryia Comment blog is a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Mujahideen fighters.

@Visitor

(You’re absolutely right. They are desperate and they still think they can win by fabricating propaganda. Too bad all this investment in an electronic army of shabi7ha is coming to naught!)

Where is the proof that it was created by the Assad hackers? firstly Pro Assad tweeters have a hatred of the western mainstream why would Assad hackers place fake an fake news post on a Blog section?

Even Reuters in its response has come out and stated they have no idea who was behind the hacking and i am not surprised that the rebel supporters have started fingering the Assad hackers without any proof.

If this what terrorist support looks like when your defending the FSA in Sryia.

Bin laden couldn’t be more proud today.

The ICG did have a nice analysis on how the current leadership squandered everything the father did to foster a broad base of support through a variety of means legitimate and not so legitimate.

The current leadership also opened the country to so called modern economic program like China did but favored heavily its own people with laws and decrees that essentially allowed for pure graft and corruption

The current leadership also did not want to evolve and realized that the security house of cards cannot afford to have one card removed lest the edifice crumbles.

I remember very clearly a taxi driver taking me home who told me : they want to introduce a modern taxation system like they have in Europe; fine a dandy but if they do so they have to give me also a European political and economic system; otherwise it is sanctioned robbery.

I am surprised at Ehsani’s surprise that we arrived at this stage. THE REGIME IS ROTTEN TO THE VERY CORE AND NEEDS TO BE UPROOTED FROM ITS SMALLEST ROOT AND SENT TO THE DUSTBIN OF HISTORY.

Battle for Aleppo has not begun’: Syrian security
AFP – 12 hrs ago

http://news.yahoo.com/battle-aleppo-not-begun-syrian-security-004100647.html

The battle for Aleppo has not yet begun, and shelling by troops is just the start of what is to come, a senior Syrian security official in the region said on Saturday.

“The battle for Aleppo has not yet begun, and what is happening now is just the appetizer,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding: “The main course will come later.”

The official said new military reinforcements had arrived, and that there were at least 20,000 troops on the ground.

“The other side are also sending reinforcements,” he added, referring to the rebel forces.

Is the reign of the opposition Terror started?

Kidnapped Syrian TV host ‘executed’
AFP – 3 hrs ago

Syrian television presenter Mohammed al-Saeed, kidnapped from his Damascus home in mid-July, has been executed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.

“The television presenter, a well-known figure on state TV, has been executed, and the Al-Nusra Front has claimed responsibility for the killing,” the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Al-Nusra, a little-known Islamist militant group, claimed the kidnapping and execution of Saeed in a statement on Friday.

“The heroes of western Ghouta (in Damascus province) imprisoned the shabih (pro-regime militia) presenter on July 19,” said Al-Nusra. “He was then killed after he had been interrogated.”

Meshing realism and idealism in Middle East
Henry Kisinger

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/henry-kissinger-meshing-realism-and-idealism-in-syria-middle-east/2012/08/02/gJQAFkyHTX_story_1.html

….
In our public debate, the crisis in Syria is generally described as a struggle for democracy, and its culmination is presumed to be the removal of Bashar al-Assad. Neither attribute fits the essence of the problem. The real issue is a struggle for dominance between Assad’s Alawites, backed by many of the other Syrian minorities, and the Sunni majority.

Assad himself is an unlikely leader with a reputation for indecisiveness. Having settled in London as an ophthalmologist — a profession that usually does not attract the power-hungry — he was drafted into Syrian politics only after the death of his elder brother, the designated heir to their dominant father. The conflict in Syria is therefore likely to continue — probably even intensify — upon Assad’s welcome and all but inevitable removal. With their front man gone, Assad’s clan and the Alawite minority, dominant in Syria’s military, may consider themselves reduced to a struggle for physical survival.

Constructing a political alternative to the Assad regime will prove even more complex than the course in Egypt or the other Arab Spring countries, since the contending factions are more numerous and less clearly delineated, and their differences more intense. Without creative leadership to build an inclusive political order — a prospect not yet clearly in evidence among the combatants — Syria may break into component ethnic and sectarian entities, whose strife would then risk spreading by means of affiliated populations into neighboring countries.

Is there an alternative to chaos?
Even the Russians, as well as Western governments, must think Syria would be better off if the regime is decapitated before descending into sectarian chaos

http://www.economist.com/node/21559951

Hence the growing talk in Western intelligence circles of “decapitating” the regime, rather than overthrowing it entirely. This would require the opposition to strike deals with Sunni generals. France has recently touted Manaf Tlass, a defecting Sunni general from a powerful family hitherto close to the Assads, as a transitional figure—an idea soon dismissed, however, by virtually all of the opposition.

One reason for the vogue for decapitation is that Western governments see no viable opposition front, as there was in Libya, that could step into the vacuum if Mr Assad were to go in a hurry. The Syrian National Council, consisting mainly of exiles, is failing to gain diplomatic traction. The FSA and the local committees valiantly organising resistance within Syria have so far created only tenuous national networks. As Aleppo burns, expect a lot more foreign scheming behind the scenes.

Nice post Ehsani. That fork was available to Bashar until the siege of Daraa and perhaps even Baba Amr. One of the activists who later formed the LCC told me in March 2011 that Bashar could lead the transition. I asked if that’s acceptable to the opposition and he responded that it’s acceptable to the Syrian people.

But reform was a myth and the transition to democracy wasn’t going to happen without a revolution, peaceful, violent or both.

“…Yes. Had America worked with Syria instead of following the neocon confrontational mentality, Syria would have had enough confidence to open up….”

I don’t think the regime response would have been any different than today, even back then. The ZIOCON did not really want to remove Assad Baathist regime, they just wanted to “roll Syria Back” According to the New American Century Doc., meaning; forfeit the Golan and attack Hamas and Hezbollah. In fact Bush, Israel, Europeans and Arabs (Not Russia/China) were supporter of Assad regime.

“…Assad sends delegation to Russia as an attempt to plea Russia for funds and “benzin”

They (Russians) will be fools to hand the Baathist regime a dime. Why Iran is not providing this support? Are they fed up with him not doing anything to bring serious change to Syria? That is what my inside information says. Any support must be contingent on serious reform steps. Otherwise, it is a dime loaned down the black hole, as Assad will not make it without real change, so in reality, helping him without the changes must immediately implement, is insuring Syria demise, and that is defeating their intended policy and strategic position they are fighting for.

If Assad needs help in bringing in a transition rule, will be happy to help being a Middleman. I seriously doubt that Bashar and his Baathist regime are remotely thinking of any serious changes. That is the sad part for Syria and eventually the entire Middle East. I said it years ago, the Baathist regime is not capable of making any reform, because, it is very existence is set up on the base the change is required. And the enemies of Syria knew that well and as accounted into their plot, just as they knew fool Saddam’s. That is why SNP asked Bashar to dump Baathism and pick up Syrian Nationalism for a real change. Otherwise, it will be from Baathism to hell.

#29 Observer

DUSTBIN OF HISTORY.

It looks that it’s the whole country that would be thrown to the dustbin of history if the rebels win that war.

I know that you’ve been in favor of that, right from the start.

On Syria, As Russia Nixes Ahtisaari, India On Abstention, Strange Rights of Reply

By Matthew Russell Lee, Partial exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, August 3 — When the UN General Assembly reconvened for speeches after the Saudi resolution on Syria was adopted with 133 in favor, 31 abstaining and 12 against, Inner City Press asked Russian Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin what his country thought of Maarti Ahtisaari as a replacement for Kofi Annan as envoy to Syria.

“No, no, he is in deep retirement,” Churkin told Inner City Press. Russia clashed with Ahtisaari over his position on Kosovo.

Inner City Press asked Indian Permanent Representative Hardeep Singh Puri about his country’s abstention. He indicated that if the “welcoming” of the Arab League’s resolution had instead been “noting,” India might have voted yes. He also, in the GA Hall, condemned terrorism in Syria.

India’s abstention allowed the argument, made to Inner City Press at the beginning of the afternoon’s session, that more the half of the world’s population did not support the Saudi resolution.

Inner City Press asked the Saudi Permanent Representative about this and he said, Then they could change the way we vote. India’s Hardeep Singh Puri added, we believe in One Country, One Vote.

Syria’s Permanent Representative Bashar Ja’afari indicated that this couldn’t be an Arab League resolution, since two Arab countries had not supported it. Beyond Syria’s negative vote, Algeria abstained.

Inner City Press was asked via Twitter why Yemen sponsored the resolution but then did not vote. The answer is that Yemen is behind in due and not allowed to vote, despite being pointed to as one of the UN’s few “successes” this year.

Tanzania also abstained, explaining it was due to resolution’s lack of focus on “external forces.”

Argentina, whose opposition to the stronger version of the draft had an impact as exclusively reported by Inner City Press, voted yes but said afterward the resolution does NOT in any way authorize force to protect civilians. Thou dost protest too much?

Similarly, Nigeria said it does NOT support the Arab League’s July 22 decisions or telling the Syrian opposition to unify. But Nigeria voted yes.

New Zealand said that it “joins China” in regretting Kofi Annan quitting. Why China? Well, New Zealand will be running for a UN Security Council seat in a year. That’s often what these speeches are about.

Canada opined that “Annan” Six Point Plan is dead. But like Russia’s Churkin said of the UNSMIS mission, it could just be renamed.

Libya’s Ibrahim Dabbashi — many are unclear if he or Shalgam is the Permanent Representative — called on the General Assembly to do two things it can’t — impose sanctions and make referrals to the International Criminal Court — and one thing it could do: try to strip credentials, as happened also for Laurent Gbagbo’s Cote d’Ivoire.

At the end there were Right to Reply statements. Iran trashed the “Zionist Regime.” Germany spoke, but did not reply on Syria’s statement about its sale of nuclear submarines to Israel.

The EU deputy representative spoke, but did not reply to critique of EU sanctions. Afterward he told Inner City Press that under the current resolution, the EU does not HAVE a right to reply. That might be a problem.

[…]

http://www.innercitypress.com/syria2gavote080312.html

I have a post. in the spam que

What Ehsani said indicate what we have been saying for a long time, President Assad is not the one who is calling all the shots, The Syrian leadership did not follow what he wanted and after 3/11 the opposition failed to push him in front of them against the security apparatus that is still in control, they still can do that now by accepting dialogue in which he will leave at the end of his term but in the meantime new elections will be organized and many Syrian lives will be saved, it is easy for people away from the forest to see the whole picture while it is difficult for the people in the forest.only talking will lead Syria out otherwise we will be seeing militias for all kind of people, today the MB is starting their own, The fragmentation of Syria is coming if there is no talk.

Syrian troops dig up mass grave in Damascus rebellious area
2012-08-04 2

DAMASCUS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Syrian army troops uncovered Saturday a mass grave in the Damascus suburb of Yalda, combining unidentified number of bodies that belong to civilians and army personnel.

The mass grave was dug up Saturday when the army entered the area, which was controlled by the rebels over the past days.

Seizure of the TV and Radio center in Aleppo is a lie

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/04/c_131761328.htm

In parallel to the Damascus fights, the country’s largest city, Aleppo, has seen a very tense night with reports of rebels taking control of the state-run Syrian TV and radio center in the crucial city.

Syrian state media denied the rebels’ control of the state media establishment and said the army has responded to the attacks of the armed men.

Quoting an official source at Aleppo, SANA said that news broadcasted by some “tendentious” TV channels about the terrorists ‘ seizure of the TV and Radio Center is “absolutely untrue.”

It added that competent authorities clashed overnight with terrorist groups that had tried to break into the center, leaving a big number of them killed and wounded.

Is Manaf Tlass the only ‘saviour’ of Syria?

The increased suspicions by the Western countries that neither the FSA nor the SNC are a reliable entity that could lead the country in the future after the fall of the regime, has changed the direction of the efforts.
There is a clear consensus appearing in the media that reflect the western and Arab government views, that nobody wants the removal of the whole regime anymore, they want the removal of the head as a scapegoat so a new phase of the relation between the opposition and the regime can start.
Nevertheless, unless the Syrian government is certain that the new phase will be a viable one for the Syrians and in particular for the Alawites and the other minorities, they would not sacrifice Bashar Al Assad.
So now we are facing two issues. One is the military, the other one is the the political.
The military is happening on the ground and will probably drag a few more weeks to become meaningful. If the rebels win and there is no political plans, the country will fall into a worst chaos. If they loose, then the regime will be able to hold for few more months until the next assault. In both cases there is a need for a political solution to stop the violence.
On the political side, intense efforts are made by the opposition and their sponsors to find a suitable opposition leadership to the ‘transitional entity’ that would be acceptable to the regime for future collaboration.
Manaf Tlass seems to be the favorite. Whether his defection was simply arranged by Bashar al Assad just for that purpose or whether the guy is genuine is irrelevant. He is a sunni representing the business Syrians as well as the army that are the two pillars of the Syrian state.
He is obviously the only such candidate and therefore the best to enter into a negotiation with the Syrian government.
No wonder Saudi Arabia, France and Turkey are pampering him.

The SNC who wants that role opposes Manaf and have no other candidate to propose. As an excuse they insist that they are busy preparing the tasks needed in the aftermath of the victory rather than looking for a leader. Leading a post revolution without a leadership figure is an illusion.

Therefore if the sponsors of the opposition do not agree on the only leader figure in town, Manaf Tlass, and are not able to force it on the SNC and the others than only the military failure or success will decide of the future of Syria that may be a continuous state of violence that would gradually affect all the neighbors.
It’s up to the Friends of Syria to find the solution. Will they?

“Once they are inside our city they will take off their uniforms and join us”

Syrian forces pound rebel frontline in Aleppo

ALEPPO – Reuters
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syrian-forces-pound-rebel-frontline-in-aleppo.aspx?pageID=238&nID=27083&NewsCatID=352

A Syrian army helicopter fired machinegun rounds and troops shelled rebel positions in Aleppo today, a Reuters witness said, as they tried to break through the insurgents’ frontline in a battleground district in the country’s largest city.

In Aleppo’s battleground Salaheddine district, rebels from the Free Syrian Army hid in alleyways, dodging the Syrian army’s bullets and tank rounds that struck a building in the district on Saturday.

“The Free Syrian Army pushed from Salaheddine to al-Adhamiya where they clashed this morning with Syrian troops. But they had to retreat,” the activist who identified himself as Barraa al-Halabi told Reuters.
…

“We have information that the Syrian army is planning a strong offensive against Aleppo. We know they are planning to attack the city using tanks and aircraft, shooting at us for three to four days and they plan to take the city,” Colonel Abdel-Jabbar al-Oqaidi said in Aleppo.

Faced with the Syrian army’s superior firepower, Oqaidi said the rebels were counting on mass defections by government soldiers once the offensive started.

“At the moment the soldiers cannot leave their bases and they are too afraid to defect. Once they are inside our city they will take off their uniforms and join us,” he said.

After Hamas, Islamic Jihad contemplate moving out from Syria?

04/08/2012

http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=30579
By Kifah Zaboun

Ramallah, Asharq al-Awsat – According to informed Palestinian sources, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad [PIJ] movement is thinking of moving its offices to Cairo or Beirut, because of the deteriorating situation in Damascus.
,,,
Last week and in response to a report in Asharq Al-Awsat on the PIJ leadership’s departure from Syria, PIJ Political Bureau member Nafidh Azzam asserted that “the leadership is still present in Syria”. He added: “The reports that talked about moving the offices and leaders of the PIJ from the Syrian capital, Damascus to Iran are absolutely untrue. Our leaders and offices are still in Damascus; nothing has changed”

A defector from the opposition propaganda machine unveils its methods

Mohammad Salim al-Qabbani talks

Turks insulted by the picture of Obama on the phone talking to Erdogan while holding a baseball bat.

http://www.jpost.com/HttpHandlers/ShowImage.ashx?ID=200029

Whether Bashar could have chosen a different path is hard to tell. The fact is that he didn’t. In my mind it has to do with how Syria was rapidly inserted in a new world after the Cold War, both in political and economic terms, immense technological change and the tragic inheritance of Afghanistan and especially Iraq. We all know that Bashar was not the chosen one, actually everytime I saw a poster of Bashar in military fatigues wearing raybans I was immediately reminded of Woody Allen’s classic Bananas. Could it have been different? Yes, but it is what it is.

I am again baffled by anybody that describes what is happening in Syria as being essentially directed by foreign interests. Do they exist? Of course, it is not even a secret, it is out in the open for all to see. Are so-called jihadist, salafist, whabbists, mujahedeen, etc in Syrian territory? Beyond any doubt. But to say that is to say that the Syrian people after being humiliated for 40 years in all possibe manners are mere puppets in the hands of Saudis, Qataris, Turks, Americans, French, British, Peruvians, Macedonians, Sri Lankans and whomelse you care to list. It is just not so. Isn’t it much simple to see the tragic events in Syria as what they are? Can’t they Syrian people legitimately fight for freedom? Can’t some etty middle class or upper middle class people understand that and not simply dismiss the absolutely dispossessed and hence with nothing to lose “commoner” as having legitimate aspirations and not just being an ignorant fellaheen that should be just despised?

Sometimes it sounds like during the Assads everything was oh-so-stable, sure if you had interned in the Palestine Division or Tadmor. Or lived in Hama. There was never any “intelligence”, just sheer brutality and repression. Meanwhile in so-called socialist Syria education was bad in an Arab context. Do you know what that means? Socialist countries were all essentially large prisons but at least education in some areas was good. In the name of Arabism a socialism the country was plundered and the people enslaved. Simple as that.Now they are revolting as it has happened 100s of time through history. Assad will obviously go, bt only he can decide how man more will die because of him.

Countdown of the UN assembly countries that did not vote for the resolution, around the third of the 193 states.

12 Countries voted against the UN assembly resolution

Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela and Syria, Cuba, Bolivie, Nicaragua, Corée du Nord, Birmanie (Myanmar), Biélorussie (Belarus), Zimbabwe.

31 Countries abstain

Algeria, Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Burundi, Equateur, Erythrea, Fidji, Ghana, Guyana, Inde, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Laos, Liban, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Namibie, Népal, Pakistan, Sainte-Lucie, Saint- Vincent et les Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Iles Salomon, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Ouganda, Tanzanie, VietNam.

18 Countries refused to vote

Cambodgia, Congo, République Démocratique du Congo (ex-Zaïre), République dominicaine, Guinée équatoriale , Éthiopie, Gambie, Kiribati, Malawi, Philippines, Sud Soudan, Swaziland, Tadjikistan, Turkménistan, Tuvalu, Ouzbékistan, Yémen.

What does “refuse to vote” mean?

EU Calls For Early Appointment Of Successor To Annan

8/3/2012 5:42 AM ET
(RTTNews) – The European Union has called for early appointment of a successor to U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan to carry on his work towards a peaceful political transition in Syria.

“The Six Point Plan remains the best hope for the people of Syria, and any further militarization of the conflict by any of the parties can only bring greater suffering to Syria, its citizens, and the region as a whole,” EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement issued on Friday in the wake of Annan’s resignation the day before.

Iraq voted in favor? That is a welcomed change.

خرج المئات من أهالي منطقة القاطرجي كرم ميسر شرقي مدينة حلب ومن بينهم نسوة ورشقوا بالحجارة العشرات من مسلحي ميليشيا الجيش الحر الذين خلعوا أقفال مدرسة الجهاد للتعليم الأساسي واتخذوها مركزاً لتجميع مسلحيهم .
وقال بكري البكاري من قبيلة البكارة الكبيرة التي ينتمي إليها عدد كبير من أهالي الحي ” لا يوجد قبول شعبي للمسلحين في حينا، و نرفض أن يحولوا الحي إلى ساحة حرب لخدمة أسيادهم من عرب النفط عملاء إسرائيل”
العشرات من مسلحي الجيش الحر طوقوا ليل الهميس – الجمعة منزل مديرة مدرسة الجهاد وطلبوا منها مفاتيح المدرسة فإجابتهم بأنها قامت بتسليم المفاتيح لمديرية التربية .
وإثر ذلك قام المسلحون بخلع الأقفال ونقل أسلحة وذخائر إلى المدرسة مما أثار غضب الأهالي الذين سارعوا ظهر الجمعة للحضور إلى المدرسة بالعشرات طالبين من المسلحين مغادرة المدرسة قبل أن يتحول الأمر إلى مظاهرة حاشدة رشقت المسلحين بالحجارة وهددت بفتح معركة معهم في حال لم يتركوا المدرسة وهذا ما حصل بعد اتصال قاموا به مع قيادة لواء التوحيد الذي تنسق معه جبهة النصرة .
وينتمي المسلحون الذين اقتحموا المدرسة إلى جبهة النصرة وهي تدين بالولاء لتنظيم القاعدة، ويقول أهالي الحي إنهم متورطون بإعدام العشرات من مؤيدي النظام السوري في المنطقة وأولهم من آل بري .

Tara,

Refused to vote vs abstain.

In an assembly meeting (US) a refuse to vote usually means the assembly person refused to fill out the ballot. It is not considered abstaining because abstaining requires casting a vote of abstention.

My guess the UN GA has a similar system. Should be somewhere in their charter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Charter

أفادت أنباء صادرة عن “المجلس العسكري” في درعا بانشقاق العميد أحمد طلاس رئيس دائرة عقود السلاح في الداخلية و اللواء محمد الحاج علي مدير كلية الدفاع بالأكاديمية العسكرية.
ويعتبر العميد طلاس من مرتبات وزارة الداخلية، ويعتقد أنه يملك كماً هائلاً من المعلومات عن عقود السلاح وأسرار وزارة الداخلية. كما أفاد المجلس العسكري بوصول اللواء الحاج المنشق إلى الأردن، ويعرف عن اللواء أنه يملك معلومات عن سياسة النظام المتعلقة بإدارة الأزمات، وهو يتحدر من بلدة خربة غزالة في درعا.

• Forty-eight Iranians have been kidnapped while on a pilgrimage in the Syrian capital Damascus, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.
The group was seized by “armed groups” on the Damascus airport road as they returned from a religious shrine, IRNA quoted an unnamed official in Iran’s embassy in Damascus as saying.

As U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted in accepting Annan’s resignation, “Both the government and the opposition forces continue to demonstrate their determination to rely on ever-increasing violence,” while Security Council divisions prevent any effective action. Ending the conflict through a political solution can only succeed, he warned, “when the parties to the violence make a firm commitment to dialogue and when the international community is strongly united in support.” Prospects for either have become increasingly remote right now. But if current patterns hold and neither the regime nor the rebels are able to deliver a knockout blow, there will come a moment — weeks, months or years from now — when many thousands more Syrians have died or had their lives destroyed, when the combatants and their backers will turn once more to someone like Kofi Annan — someone willing to take on the thankless task of making peace out of other people’s wars.
Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/08/02/why-syria-and-the-world-will-miss-kofi-annans-peace-plan/?iid=gs-main-lede#ixzz22b0RgnIi

SOD

What is the implication of refusing to vote as opposed to abstaining?  To me both means noncommittal.  Is there a difference in what they really mean?

Also, did you guys read what Visitor posted last thread at the end? OMG!  So Bashar maintained life as an infant born with respiratory distress at the expense of murdering four premature babies who were using the incubator his father Hafiz ordered Dr. suhail Badoura to steal from the other infants to serve the more worthy baby Bashar.  And destiny has it that Bashar himself grows up to kill babies.   What a creepy story.  If this is not embodiment of Satan, what is?

http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.ca/2012/08/the-womb-of-murder.html        

photo taken by a journalist inside aleppo.

would rebels supported by rich gulf states be forced to resort to such crude attempts at improvisation? making do with what they have.

“The future of Syria rises and falls on more than the fate of just one man. It is clear that President Bashar Assad must leave office. The greater focus, however, must be on measures and structures to secure a peaceful long-term transition to avoid a chaotic collapse … None of this is possible, however, without genuine compromise on all sides … Syria can still be saved from the worst calamity. But this requires courage and leadership, most of all from the permanent members of the Security Council, including from Presidents Putin and Obama.”

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/08/02/why-syria-and-the-world-will-miss-kofi-annans-peace-plan/#ixzz22b1mKhKt

52. Tara

It seems some countries are worried to take an official side for fear of “displeasing” any party and prefer not to vote at all as
an abstention can be perceived as a “shy” NO to the resolution.

“So Bashar maintained life as an infant born with respiratory distress at the expense of murdering four premature babies who were using the incubator”

Another baby incubator story that tugs the heartstrings. Any verifiable sources, Tara?

Tara

As the waterered-down resolution is only a repeat of the previous one, it bears no significance at all and won’t have any impact on the course of events.
What is clear is that as long as the most powerful world countries are in disagreement the UN is powerless.

What “refusing to vote” is is explained in Ann’s post above, from Inner City Press.
Ann’s posts are always worth reading, you should try Tara.

3 8 Daraa أوغاريت درعا , اسرى المخيم كتائب الجهاد

Interview/scolding/insulting the young Syrian army soldiers prisoners of the FSA (Note: This is an opposition video)

At this stage, a possible scenario to end the Syrian dilemma without resorting to all the options that NATO and the western powers so far refused to consider, and at the same time circumventing Russian and Chinese vetoes at the UNSC would be to enforce a blockade of Syria from land, sea and possibly from the air as well.

This will ensure the collapse of the army of the criminal Nazi-like regime due to shortages of fuel, food and ammunition.

If the US and NATO continue following their declared policies of not providing lethal weapons to the FSA, then the above scenario will level the field and accelerate the downfall of the Nazi-like criminals occupying Damascus.

Many questions may arise. The first of course is it feasible to blockade Syria? Of course with few aircraft carriers the sea can be sealed. The borders are all under regimes allied with the US.

The second question would be: would Russia and/ or China resort to military escalation? In my opinion they would not go that far for a falling regime, besides they are no match to the military capabilities of the West. Russia, even under Soviet Union, was never a real superpower and neither was China. Now they are being misled by the likes of Lavrov and Putin into thinking that they can achieve a semblance of real super power status by manipulating the Syrian conflict to that end. In addition, once the crisis reaches that level of confrontation then bargaining becomes possible at the UNSC by dropping the blockade in return for full cooperation of Russia and China by at least abstaining from further use of their vetoes and allowing resolutions under chapter 7 to pass.

What would it take to implement that scenario? You need a resolve in the White House similar to Bill Clinton’s resolve during Bosnia or George Bush’s resolve after 2001. If you have that, then all the other ingredients are in place.

The excuses of 9/11 Iraq invasion and Hariri killing are just lame excuses for not reforming. None of these stopped ‘reforming’ the economy to favor less than 250 people in the country.

The regime is incapable of reform and is incapable of taking any forks in the road. The so called fork in the road does not exist in the minds of the likes of Ghazale and Makhlouf and Mamlouk and Nasif and the whole gang of thugs and criminals that have taken over the country for their exclusive benefit.

Irritated the one who is going to send the whole country into the dustbin of history is the one you worship called Fredo Corleone aka Bashar Hafez Alassad. All you have to do is to look and notice how the
education system is one of the worst in the world
the roads are among the most dangerous
the health care system is a slaughterhouse collection of so called hospitals
the justice system is one of the most corrupt in the world
the economy has remained in soviet style mode
the civil service is a mechanism to hide unemployment and to continue parasitic exploitation in a horrific bureaucracy
and now we have your so called armed forces destroying whole areas of Syrian cities with heavy weapons.
And yes the lack of a simple phone book is a symbol of the FAILED STATE YOU WORSHIP CALLED THOURIAH ALATHAD and
Syrian Hamster for President.

Beam me up Ehsani there is no intelligent life form on this blog.

#55

So men and women pelted armed men from Al Nusra (al Qaeda) who took a school as their base with rocks and the terrorists, who slaughter babies for fun, and the terrorist did nothing. The same terrorist who had no problem executing “Assad supporters” (shabi7a killers) this week.

I don’t even have to waste my time searching for the source of this garbage.

Meanwhile, Assad’s worshipers continues to bomb Aleppo in a very secular manner.

http://youtu.be/GfFqEaitGXk

62. JNA. thanks. article had link to international crisis group (icg) report somebody mentioned.

Diplomatic manoeuvrings have ended up being little more than inertia masquerading as motion. The West used them to pretend it was doing more than it was

we have to get past the jabberwocky that’s been put up to distract. can it be any clearer? u.s. & europe do not want regime change.

Syria’s predicament might even have been avoided in February or March of 2011. A bit of foresight was needed, however, and none was forthcoming. Imagine that emergency law was lifted in March and elections announced right away.

Once the demonstrations began on March 15, more than foresight was needed. Courage was needed to quickly change aspects of the system, and quickly before things got out of hand, which they eventually did. When those kids from Dar’a were tortured, it was a chance for a courageous to sack and/or prosecute those responsible and take the side of the families of those children.

Instead, Syria was given a presidential speech near the end of March 2011 that blamed most of the problems on armed groups and outside interference, all the while that security was shooting at unarmed demonstrators. A historic opportunity was missed, and the “system” embarked on the road to oblivion, the current road being traveled.

The problem was, and is, the pillars of the regime were based on the fear-based security system set up by Hafez. Dismantle it too fast, and the system collapses. Dismantle it not at all, and the system probably collapses anyway. But to not dismantle and instead intensify it, creates the conditions both for collapse and destruction of the country and that is what is happening now.

Bashar in February 2011 was probably still a popular leader. He was respected at least for his foreign policy and respectable stance toward Israel and foreign actors. His domestic policy leaved much to be desired, but there were improvements, particularly over the hard-line policies of his father.

All these gains were squandered with the crackdown on the protestors. By the time it was August 2011, the shooting turned into shelling and the army was invading its own cities. This is not a formula for success, and furthermore, it gave outside powers an excuse to impose crushing sanctions.

Why the regime couldn’t see that is hard to understand, but not impossible. They are stuck in their own cycle of terror, and one of their own making. I don’t believe Syria was such a violent country pre-Baath, and leaders were not necessarily so stubborn about staying in power. Sure, there were coups often, but they never went as far as what is happening now, with cities being shelled and thousands of civilians being killed.

Take for example Adib Shishakli who, rather that sinking his country into a civil war, left his post for the sake of sparing his country. He should be celebrated for this (judging by his later assassination, it seems he was not).

Bashar could have at least made some indication that he was not another president-for-life, like his father.

By the late stage of April 2012, when Kofi Annan was trying to mediate, there was a very slim chance that the path could be changed, or at least the process slowed down. Instead, the violence was intensified even more with the Houla massacre in May.

That is how we reached this stage and it\’s still getting ever more violent. Now it’s just going to have to play out, a zero sum game. It happened so quickly because the basis of the regime was bad to begin with: you can’t rule by sheer terror forever. You have to give the people at least some dignity.

Zoo,

@67

Maybe you should provide a little more context to that video, and perhaps show what these soldiers are guilty of and the sheer terror they have inflicted on the people of Al-Moukhayam:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chroniclesyrianuprising/sets/72157630892530094/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chroniclesyrianuprising/sets/72157630845124388/

The interviews/insults (is shabi7 an insult now?) are nothing in comparison to their callous bombardment of civilian areas.

اختفى الصحفي ثابت أحمد محيسن في سيريانيوز، منذ مساء الأربعاء، حيث خرج جواله عن التغطية ولم يتمكن أحد من الاتصال به منذ ذاك الوقت، وسط أنباء من معارف له تتحدث عن اعتقاله مع صديق له على أحد الحواجز بين منطقة قرى الأسد وضاحية قدسيا بدمشق.

#70

Oh, so that’s what the SAF MIGs are for

“Could Syria’s Current Predicament Have Been Avoided Over A Decade Ago?”

A moot point now, what’s the use? And I doubt very much you could have had both, the current regime and genuine political reforms.

On another point, if you think decapitating the body but preserving the rest of it is the solution, come back and tell me “I told you so”, if this took place and worked out!

Omen

My reading is that the US government does support and want regime change in Syria; but on the cheap, so it does not get struck with the mess left after the Assad regime falls or falls back. And Europe also has enough mess on it’s own plate right now.

Some possible explanations of the recent thumbs up/dn case:

– The previously pro-Assad block-voter has defected and now voting the other way.

– The FSA has captured the headquarters of the thumb up/dn operation in Aleppo and now using it in the services of the revolution. Don’t be surprised by extraordinarily high figures resembling the score at the recent General Assembly vote.

What’s happening in central Damascus?

A lot of activity being reported on twitter.

@ 71. Well I think it’s clear by now. US and some countries in Europe do want regime change in Syria, but all are afraid of what will happen once the regime is gone, what will happen to the minority groups and whether a new government may successfully replace it. Obviously there are a lot of cautionary tales in that direction from a neighbouring country.

I for one don’t believe the present regime deserves to survive, it would be an abomination of justice and the international community should never have to accept such a crooked power game, where people are beholden to survival of a regime that abuses them. Nevertheless there are moral obligations to civilians, who may suffer in the chaos that will inevitably come.

If the First Lady has trouble blowing out the 37 candles while marking* her upcoming birthday she could ask her husband for assistance. He’s had plenty of practice over the course of a year-and-a-half, having already blown out ~1500 candles.

🙁

*I’m sure the First Lady will not be ‘celebrating’ her upcoming birthday.

Just came across the following Irish radio piece which was uploaded today:

Syrian Uprising | RTÉ News interviews Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi | 15-07-2012

If the First Lady has trouble blowing out the 37 candles while marking* her upcoming birthday she could ask her husband for assistance. He’s had plenty of practice over the course of a year-and-a-half, having already blown out ~1500 candles. They are now Stars in the sky, shining brighter than ever, lighting the way for the Revolution.

🙂

انشقاق رائد الفضاء اللواء محمد فارس وهذه الصورة اثناء زيارته لمعسكر ثوار عاصمة الشمال 4-8-2012

http://youtu.be/jAEKtby9Ymk

Mohammed Fares, the first and I think only Syrian astronaut, has defected. It is now a cosmic conspiracy, as one of the activists said.

In recent days I haven’t been able to access SANA.

Now it doesn’t even show up on google search.

Contrary to many who keep putting forward the invalid statement that the UN General Assembly resolutions are not binding, in actual fact there is one case in which they become so,

http://www.un.org/en/ga/about/background.shtml

If you read half way through the page you would find that this case applies accurately to the Syrian crisis, even by Russian and Chinese contentions that the conflict threatens regional peace.

But, of course what are we to expect other than fabricated propaganda, misinformation and hollow posturing by the delinquents of the Nazi-like criminal regime occupying Damascus?

‘AlAthad aw na7hriq albalad’

I’ll tell you something: the only things that will be burnt are those goons who came up with this slogan and their supporters.

Some of you are not old enough to remember that Muhammad Fares was chosen to go to space over another qualified pilot, that pilot was an Alawi, most syrians even regime supporters at that time had a sense of pride and nobody complained about that decision that was made by Hafez personally from what we heard. I wish that Hafez.other decisions were as objective and fair as the one he made when he picked Fares.

شن المعارض السوري البارز ميشيل كيلو هجوماً عنيفاً وقاسياً عن المراقب العام لجماعة الإخوان المسلمين ـ جناح سوريا رياض الشقفة، بعد انتقادات وجهها الشقفة لـ كيلو على خلفية تصريحاته بأنه من الممكن أن يكون العميد المنشق مناف طلاس رئيساً لحكومة انتقالية في سوريا.

كيلو قال في مقالة نشرتها له صحيفة السفير: ليس هناك أدنى مبرر للحملة عليَّ بسبب مناف طلاس، خاصة من شخص كالشقفة، أمضى حياته كإرهابي تحالف مع “ديموقراطيين” من أمثال صدام حسين وعبد الحليم خدام.

وأضاف كيلو: هل يصلح شخص كهذا قام بانقلاب حموي ضد الحلبيين في “الجماعة”، امتنع بعده خلال فترة طويلة عن دعوة البيانوني، المراقب العام السابق، إلى اجتماعات مكتب إرشادها رغم أنه عضو فيه؟ هناك إجماع في المجلس وبين أوساط “الاخوان” وحلفائهم على أن الشقفة لا يفقه شيئا في السياسة، لأنه أمضى شبابه في تنظيم سري مسلح، قبل أن يغادر سوريا بعد “نكبة حماه” التي لعب دورا مهما في وقوعها، ثم فجأة التقطته جهات غير سياسية وغير سورية ونصّبته “مراقبا” على وطنية “المجلس الوطني”، وأمدّته بما تيسر جدا من مال خليجي، ووضعت تحت تصرفه محطة فضائية بقضها وقضيضها، وعددا من غير الإسلاميين في الداخل والخارج، وأطلقت يده في ثورة لا علاقة له بها، ولم تكن للحظة واحدة ولن تكون أبدا ثورة دينية أو مذهبية، حيث أسهم مع النظام في حرفها عن سلميتها ودفعها نحو الطائفية.

85. Uzair8

SANA on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/SANAenglish

“THE REGIME IS ROTTEN TO THE VERY CORE AND NEEDS TO BE UPROOTED FROM ITS SMALLEST ROOT AND SENT TO THE DUSTBIN OF HISTORY”
Easier said than done,even if the rebels win they will not be able to run the country without help from other syrians who worked for the regime. Paul Bremer tried an exclusionary approach in 2003 and ended up with a disaster that Iraq is still suffering from 9 years later especially when he sent 300,000 soldiers home.
I support excluding top corrupt and violent elements from taking positions in the new government but to fire or imprison millions of Syrians just because they had government jobs is a form of national suicide not national reform. I hope the author did not mean what he said, literally.

@OBERVER #69

Wish we could beam you up so none have to read your mundane repetitive points that have been brought up and discussed here for 8 years. Do you have anything new to add, a solution. The 9/11 Demolition, American genocide against all Moslem population and Mossad hit on Hariri are not excuses, they were distraction and derailment of Syrian opposition activities. For SNP, they weakend our financial state, sent us for cover from Israeli shenanigan of espionage and false reporting as genuine intelligence, overall wrecked havoc on all of Syria’s opposition, gave dictators all over the world an alibi to toss away national constitution, violated human rights, and broke International laws (all ZIONSTS NORMS).

# 72. Altair

A good account and clear reminder, thanks.

I remain convinced that the ineptitude of Bashar Assad (now fully exposed by what is happening) had from day 1 doomed Syria to the current nightmare.

One warning indicator: those posters showing him confusedly gazing off into space between a grinning Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and equally delighted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

See images:

http://www.pbase.com/image/80076284

And http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=25114middle-east

Excerpt:

“[Bashar al-Assad’s] outreach to Iran risks transforming Damascus from Tehran’s ally into its protectorate. While Bashar derives short-term benefit from the Syrian-Iranian alliance, such profits are liable to turn into losses should he continue to make his regime and Syrian national security dependent upon the Iranian leadership…. note the shifting trends in Syrian propaganda posters, which since the summer war have placed Bashar “in the shadow” of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.” (quoting article from 2008 Mid East Review)

Other random sample reminders of Bashar’s domestic and foreign mess making:

2006 – http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1244445/Syria-Year-In-Review-2006#ref905844

2008 – http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1493651/Syria-Year-In-Review-2008#ref1018845

أكد العميد تركي قنيفده نائب قائد شرطة اللاذقية الأنباء التي تداولتها الأوساط الإعلامية قبل أيام حول انشقاقه بظهوره على شاشة الجزيرة القطرية.
و عرف العميد ” تركي قنيفده ” عن نفسه بأنه معاون قائد شرطة اللاذقية ، و أعلن انشقاقه عبر بيان مكتوب تلاه بنفسه على هواء القناة القطرية .
و قال قنيفده إنه ” انشق عن صفوف النظام السوري و انضم إلى الثوار “.
يذكر أن العميد قنيفده هو أرفع شخصية انشقت من وزارة الداخلية في محافظة اللاذقية .

Turkey will not be immune from sectarian and ethnic violence :
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/world/middleeast/turkish-alawites-fear-spillover-of-violence-from-syria.html?ref=middleeast

Many of the people that are defeacting are doing so for fear from the militants for themselves and their families, not out of convection, the opposition has become more scary than the regime.

SNP

I proposed very early on a truth and reconciliation commission and even before any transitional regime. Every Syrian has suffered under dictatorship even the profiteers did so when they are held hostage to a system that dehumanizes and degrades.

This clique said it in the op ed of Rami in the NYT more than a year ago: we will destroy the country and destabilize the region. They do not care about anything and anybody except to stay in power and preside over the lives of millions.

BY THE WAY HOW MANY SYRIANS LIVE OUTSIDE OF SYRIA SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF THE BAATH PARTY TO POWER IN THE EARLY SIXTIES
Does anyone know the figure? If so please let me know I heard up to 15 millions are expatriates since that power take over.

86. VISITOR

Contrary to many who keep putting forward the invalid statement that the UN General Assembly resolutions are not binding, in actual fact there is one case in which they become so,

This is pure B.S and disinformation as confirmed by the link. The UN assembly resolutions are non-binding. Point.

“While the Assembly is empowered to make ONLY NON-BINDING recommendations to States on international issues within its competence, it has, nonetheless, initiated actions—political, economic, humanitarian, social and legal—which have affected the lives of millions of people throughout the world.

No, Norman.

Many are defecting now because they are no longer afraid of the junta of loyalists and it’s shabbiha. It is becoming safer to defect, and they do en masse.
.

#95 Norman

If the regime ever falls, the backlash will be merciless as the FSA would have to contain millions of revengeful and armed loyalists turned guerillas.
I think the FSA should start the prayers for their soul from now whether they plan to win Aleppo’s war or make a tactical retreat.

They are loosing in both cases but they won’t wake up and call for a truce until it’s too late.

#98 Amir

they defect en masse.

Independent sources please? If none, then it’s propaganda.

Irritated

“millions of revengeful and armed loyalists turned guerillas.”

Once Batta falls, the number of loyalists turned guerillas would be as much as the number of loyalists still supporting Gaddafi after his fall. Easy to manage.

#73 SOD

The video speaks for itself, no comment.

Your daily high ranking defection. And we had an astronaut today. Isn’t it enough for one day?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taJn34WgLoI
Did I just hear that 67 tanks are removed from the junta inventory list?

Tara 101, Exactly.
.

Irritated,

“The UN assembly resolutions are non-binding. Point.”

Not quite that simple.

Assembly resolutions are non-binding outside the scope of the UN, but are binding within the UN:

The binding effect of GA decisions is limited, ratione materiae, to organizational matters, but may cover, ratione personae, the entire UN sphere.

http://ejil.oxfordjournals.org/content/16/5/879.full

A very good example at how important and actually binding the GA resolutions are is resolution 2758. If it was not binding Taiwan would be the “representative” of China at the SC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_2758

#95 Norman

If the regime ever falls, the backlash will be merciless as the FSA would have to contain millions of revengeful and armed loyalists turned guerillas.
I think the FSA should start the prayers for their soul from now whether they plan to win Aleppo’s war or make a tactical retreat.

There will probably be many more millions of FSA guerrillas going after the revengeful and armed loyalists one by one. You see, the revengeful and armed victims of the terrorist Syrian regime will want to exact justice. So the hardcore regime supporters should expect the worst if the Assad terrorist regime falls. There will be no place to hide except may be in Russia or Iran, assuming they can get out in time. You reap what you sow.

Zoo,

So no comment on the pictures as well? What do you feel when you see the handy work of the Assadi Army destroying one Syrian city after another?

103. Amir in Tel Avivsaid:
Your daily high ranking defection. And we had an astronaut today. Isn’t it enough for one day?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taJn34WgLoI
Did I just hear that 67 tanks are removed from the junta inventory list?

Tara 101, Exactly.
-________________________________________________________________

What is removing 65 Tanks for Jews, they removed 4 million Palestinians from their homes. It’s what you call it, drop in the bucket.

When mnhebaks begin to whine it’s the clearest sign that:
It is a matter of days now.
.

Tara,

Yes I read the story, Amjad linked it a few days ago. I am haunted with the thought of what could have amounted of those children that had to die for the sake of the killer to be.

I think Zoo’s response regarding the refuse to vote is spot on and don’t believe I can add much more to that.

PS I dont blame you for skipping ANN’s posts, beside innercitypress nothing else is really credible unless you believe in the Angry Hypocrite or SANA.

#101 Tara

Not so simple as you can see despite Libya having an elected government.

Libya Is Still Riven by Violence as Loyalists and Rebels Alike Keep Killing
Jul 12, 2012 1:48 PM EDT
Nine months after the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi, factions on both sides of the conflict continue to hunt down their enemies, especially in the loyalist stronghold of Sirte, writes Jamie Dettmer.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/12/libya-is-still-riven-by-violence-as-loyalists-and-rebels-alike-keep-killing.html

#105 Sys-Expat

more millions of FSA guerrillas

You mean the 960,000 coming from Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia in addition to the FSA presently on the ground and Turkey?

Mr. Ehsani: Yes, the Golden Opportunity for Bashar Al-Assad ten or eleven years ago, by now has passed into the abyss. I do remember sigining a petition for him to seize the moment, carpi diem, and start the process of reforms. Lord it was needed back then!? It would have been a wonderfull time for that man to start doing something for Syria. He did not respond to our petition nor the petitions of many other groups world wide. We Americans from Syrian decent, both recent immigrants, first generation, second and even third generations felt betrayed.
Then came 911 … and the attack on our soil in the USA. A reality check on all these people governing their people by the force of arms and security services. It is a pitty to see a blind man such as Bashar Al-Assad masquerading as an Eye Doctor leading his entire country over a cliff of a cosmic black hole as you have suggested. Let us make the story short!!!???
Never again, will any one like Assad and any of his organized crime family will ever rule countries like Syria ever again. Syria and its people are one of the most wonderfull people on Earth. Humble, hospitable,generous, productive and above all yearning for freedom both on the personal level and the societal level.
The current Syrian Revolution is the byproduct of 50 years of continued oppression by the vultuers of Al-Baath Party and the Al-Assad Clan. Both are an anathema for the Syria as a nation, as a state and as a people.
Time is up….Syria will be free again.
Syria will return to its roots of Democracy, Democratic Institutions and the Rule of Law.
Ed Jazairi

#106 SOD

I feel pain to see Syria destroyed by the Syrians, and worse by those calling Turks, the CIA, Saudi and Libyan hands to help in the destruction.

I get worried when the opposition says the battle of Aleppo will determine Syria’s fate.  What if…we lost?  Why is the FSA putting so much emphasis on it?  They should not set the Syrian up to psychological defeat in case they lost the battle.  The revolution must continue no matter what.

War for Aleppo: battle rages in city that will determine fate of Syria
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/04/aleppo-syria-civil-war

However, as rebel reinforcements continued to pour in from elsewhere in the country ahead of an expected push early this week, regime troops were also bolstering defences in areas they continue to hold, primarily in the west and centre of the city.

The rebel force of about 6,000 fighters is being countered by a regime force thought to comprise at least double that number as well as large numbers of the loyalist Shabiha militia, many of whom come from Aleppo and have sworn to defend the city.
….
“We are saving the tank shells we have for when we get access to the Air Force intelligence headquarters,” said Mohammed Karim, from the rebel-held town of Azaz. “We will free the prisoners first, then destroy the building.”
Other fighters said getting a foothold in the heart of the city would be difficult. “It could be another three to six months,” said Hussein Shmaili, a police captain who defected.

Partly in a bid to rectify the damage, a major from the city of al-Bab, 30km from Aleppo, took the Observer to meet a group of regime prisoners captured in a battle a fortnight ago. All were housed in a classroom on the top floor of a school.
“We were holding them before the Berris were caught,” said Major Abu Mohammed al-Asmar. “And they have been treated like kings ever since they got here.”
The prisoners, among them three junior Alawite officers and a Shia sergeant, slept on mattresses alongside captured Sunni conscripts. All claimed they would return home if freed.
“I just want a solution,” said one of the Alawite officers. “Stability. Who really thinks about sectarianism here? Who doesn’t want a state where people’s rights are respected?”

111. IRRITATED said:

#105 Sys-Expat

more millions of FSA guerrillas

You mean the 960,000 coming from Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia in addition to the FSA presently on the ground and Turkey?
————————-
And why just 9600,000. Why not 960,001?

I am going by Norman’s delusional claim of “millions of revengeful and armed loyalists.” If there are millions of them in Syria (they seem no where to be found when the regime needs them in Aleppo), then most probably there are more millions among the opposition in Syria. No need for outside help.

#104 SOD

The non-binding issue.

Are you really serious in comparing the UN assembly resolution about Syria with the Taiwan-China procedural exception?

I hope not.

The torrent of defections continues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP0WfWzofJE&feature=player_embedded
.

#114 Tara

The revolution must continue no matter what.

Don’t worry, it will continue but in different conditions and different shape. It will become more political and less military. That’s what the UN and the Western countries want. That’s what we all want, I hope.

Bronco

Your assertion all along that the Assad clan will agree to real reform and democracy where they become non-privileged ordinary citizens is really an illusion. Assad or will burn the country is etched in their mind. These people mean what they say. Our freedom will not be given to us, it will have to be forced out.

#112

Thanks, Ed. For using your real name. All these other “patriots” of the Assad Mafia OR the so-called Revolution should stew in their fake names…

Irritated,

No I am most diffidently not, just trying to make it clear that the UN GA resolutions have far reaching implications and are not as limited as you tried to make them out to be.

Case in point resolution 2758. While passed in the GA it has actually affected International Law and no one can argue the jurisprudence behind this resolution is a mere non-binding resolution therefore should be dismissed.

Resolution passed at the GA have been used in international criminal justice as the link at 104 from the Oxford Journal clearly indicates, you were over simplifying what the GA can do, which is BS and disinformation as I have shown.

odd ehsani omitted the context of what initially gave the damascus spring breathing room to come into being:

hafez died.

moral of the story: in a dictatorship, if you want change, you have to wait thirty-forty years for the leadership to die.

or if during an uprising, the regime refuses to let go of power…

Haytham Maleh with Syrian internal opposition members is setting up a ‘transitional government in Cairo, while the SNC is erring and complaining about divisions and lack of resources.
Who will win?

Syrian opposition leaders offer an alternative

Zoi Constantine and Thomas Seibert
Aug 5, 2012
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/syrian-opposition-leaders-offer-an-alternative

..
Mr Maleh said he and other opposition figures formed the Trustees of the Syrian Revolution Council because the SNC “hasn’t been able to deliver on its promises to the Syrian people”.

“They failed. They don’t have the vision to deliver the aims of the Syrian people,” he said. “There was a need for new leadership, so we decided to launch this council.”

The new body is composed of 45 “independent” opposition figures, including Mr Maleh, an 81-year-old former judge and respected opposition figure who was jailed by the Al Assad regime. He has been tasked with heading efforts to form a transitional administration made up of technocrats.

“The fall of the Assad regime is imminent, so once that happens we don’t want gaps in the transition of power,” he said. “We have to have the right people in the right place and to continue the branches of government.”

The members of the new coalition are working in cooperation with opposition activists in Syria, according to Mr Maleh. He said the transitional government should be formed within the next two months. The group, which is organising from Cairo, would move to Aleppo “once it is liberated”, he said.
..
Wael Merza, a member of the SNC and former secretary general of the council. “It was not studied in a good way. We don’t think the conditions are there for success.”
Mr Merza has been involved in discussions between the SNC and other groups to establish a transitional government, an initiative that could be launched in a matter of weeks.

“We all agree that it is a very critical project, having a transitional government,” Mr Merza said.
However, Mr Osman insisted opposition leaders were not the only ones to blame for the state of affairs.

“The world is not helping, neither with money, nor politically,” he said, accusing the international community of failing to live up to promises of generous financial aid.

However, Kamal Al Labwani, another veteran opposition figure and a member of the Trustees of the Syrian Revolution Council, has a critical view of the SNC.

“We need a council that is loyal to the revolution,” he said. “The SNC and others are angry because they need everything for themselves and are trying to

climb on the revolution. We want a Syrian-made government. Maybe we will not succeed, but we are starting from a patriotic point.”

120. Son of Damascus

Your argument is academic. Implications maybe, binding NO, only in very exceptional cases. I doubt Syria resolution will be one of them. So why waste time talking about that.

I heard that the US is preparing to intervene to protect the minorities in Syria that are expected to be attacked if the regime falls, Did anybody hear that.?.

We Americans from Syrian decent, both recent immigrants, first generation, second and even third generations felt betrayed.
_________________________________________________________________

@EDJAZAIRI

Bashar betrayed every Syrian, even Alawite close to him that defended him, like Asef Shaoukat. He should admit his incompetence and short sidness and hand over power to transitional government free or any Baathist or x Baathist.

لالقيادة سورية الحرة من عملاء الاستعمار الصهيوني الامبريالي الغربي – سورية الحرة هي سورية النزيهة

119. Tara

Bashar Al Assad will do what Russia pushes him to do. He can’t do much without Russia anymore, financially, politically, economically.

114. TARA said: I get worried when the opposition says the battle of Aleppo will determine Syria’s fate.

i think the emphasis is to encourage defections or is a rallying cry meant bring in more insurgents.

i wonder if rebels in damascus have a separate plan of their own for when regime forces relocate to aleppo.

I wonder if the war in Syria will ever stop, I think Syria is going on the road of fragmentation, The question is will it be by agreement of by force.

Asma al Assad was reported to be an opportunistic by her friends who went to the same school with her.  Compare Emma al Akrass to Thwaibs Kanafani, a real Syrian woman. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19124810
4 August 2012 Last 
Syria crisis: Turkey training rebels, says FSA fighter

Just a few months ago, Thwaiba Kanafani was leading a normal life with her husband, six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter in Canada.  An engineer by training, she had been working in the oil industry.  But now she has left all that behind.

When we met up in the city of Adana in southern Turkey, she had just fled across the border from the Syrian city of Aleppo after a mission with rebel forces that went wrong.
Two male colleagues who were acting as her minders, were killed.
..
At the end of June she joined the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and was given a particularly dangerous role to fulfil.  As a woman she has able to move more easily around the streets of Aleppo than the men.  “Lots of women are working with me and we do a lot of spying work,” she says.  “We usually check the locations of regime people [military forces] and check where would be the best points to locate the Free Syrian Army.  “We also spy on high-ranking people in the government so we can help the FSA arrest and capture them.”
,,
There is a special training programme based in Turkey at secret camps run by the Turkish military, she says.  “The Turkish people are really helping us. Lots of people are getting training in those camps.”. “The training is really professional. You can only sleep four hours a day.
“You have to climb mountains, you get weapons training. It’s hard work.”

Read more..

124. NORMAN said: I heard that the US is preparing to intervene to protect the minorities in Syria that are expected to be attacked if the regime falls, Did anybody hear that.?.

i see/hear that a lot. in a cnn interview, bob baer reiterated that meme.

my question is this: why are alawite and christian lives more valuable? (or is what is meant here regime officials?) what makes you so special when sunnis were allowed to be slaughtered en masse without anybody bothering to lift a finger?

i don’t get it.

7. SYRIAN NATIONALIST PARTYSAID:
طلاس – هي العيلة كلها عملاء الاستعمار اللامريكي الصهيوني الامبريالي
Hot debate. What do you think?

296 21
August 1st, 2012, 5:36 pm
__________________________________________________________________

السورية الحرة هي سورية النزيهة

المالح وابنه سرقا مبلغ 33 مليون دولار من أموال “الثورة” قبل أن تجمدها الألمانية بعد قصة ابنه مع “عاهرة
”
الله يوفقك وينصركم الله يعظّم وينصر المسلمين المجاهدين لتنسى فلسطين الأسلامية والقدس نحن معكم بكل نصرة جهاد حتى تحرير مكة المكرمة مسقط واندالوسيا باكو وكازاخستان انشآ الله

Irritated,

But it is binding, if it was not Taiwan would be the representative of China at the SC (As the US wanted, but failed to get).

Resolution 2758 is not an academic theory, but a matter of international LAW therefore BINDING.

The issue will be in regards to this resolution about Syria is how it will be used and whether the jurisprudence would allow it. This resolution can bring into question the theory of “legitimacy” and whether the Assad regime can be considered within the confines of the UN as the representative of the Syrian people.

If this resolution was as simple and dismissive as you had tried to show I don’t think the Russians would’ve reacted the way they did when it passed.

Erdogan’s army is scrambling with 68 jailed generals and the super resistant PKK while Obama armed with his baseball told him on the phone:

Whack Bashar, ErdoganBey”.
http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NH04Ak02.html

Indeed, the Turkish army is maneuvering with tanks on the Syrian border. But Erdogan is yet to take the momentous step of approaching the Turkish parliament for approval for the army to cross the border into the country. Erdogan is thinking furiously. He took a meeting of the Supreme Military Council in Ankara on Wednesday to oversee “war preparations” and inter alia realized that the Turkish armed forces are in great disarray.

Sixty-eight pashas (a title used for military and civil officers) are locked up in jail facing charges of treason. The meeting on Wednesday was called to decide on the annual promotions of the Turkish top brass, but the choice was severely limited, since something like 40 generals out of the 68 happen to be in the “promotion zone” but cannot be considered for promotion since they are in jail.

Zoo,

But it is not the ones that are asking for help that are levelling one Syrian city after the other. You avoided answering the question and laid the blame on the protesters, while crafty still leaves me with no answer.

I guess that is an answer by itself.

#132 SOD

There has been hundreds of UN Assembly resolutions against Israel. None was binding and none had any effect.
Even the UNSC binding ones had no effect…

Keep hoping with Visitor that this one on Syria will…

Truth from children’s mouth: the son of Sheikh Aarur talks.

113. zoo: I feel pain to see Syria destroyed by the Syrians, and worse by those calling Turks, the CIA, Saudi and Libyan hands to help in the destruction.

did you see the photo of the molotov cocktails made out of mango juice bottles? does that look like a cosmic conspiracy to you? did that bear the hallmark of cia?

first,
-it’s the regime who is destroying syria.
-the assad regime is not syria.

loyalists are so used to the regime having complete domination that they’re scared s***less when that is no longer the case. never mind the opposition is still overwhelmingly outgunned.

loyalists so used the regime having their boots down on the neck of the masses that they’re unnerved when the balance of power (finally) gets readjusted and equalized.

it is poor sportsmanship to pout simply because you no longer get your way.

no fairsies! another one bites the dust.

The big picture, the vision. Thank you.

# 112. EDJAZAIRI

“Never again, will any one like Assad and any of his organized crime family will ever rule countries like Syria ever again. Syria and its people are one of the most wonderfull people on Earth. Humble, hospitable,generous, productive and above all yearning for freedom both on the personal level and the societal level.
The current Syrian Revolution is the byproduct of 50 years of continued oppression by the vultuers of Al-Baath Party and the Al-Assad Clan.”

Irritated,

While Syria had diplomatic geniuses in the likes of Fares Khoury and Jamil Mardam, Bashar Jaafari is no match to any of the diplomats Israel has. With the jews you have to earn your position, with the Assadi regime all you needed was a wasta.

A crying shame really, for Syria pre-Assad helped shape the world. I highly doubt figures like Khoury or Mardam would have ever survived under the Assadi regime.

Omen,

Christian lives are not more sacred than Muslim ones, can you tell me of a time that the Christians of Syria killed Muslims, can you tell me who slaughtered whom in Iraq, weren’t the Christians and the Shea that were killed by AL Qaeda Sunni. Remind me of the time that the Shea killed Sunni, I think you will have hard time finding an incident that is organized as it is being done in Syria and Iraq,against the Christians and the Shea,

The reason the US will intervene is to protect the weak, Christians so far do not carry arms,They might have to if they want to maintain a presence in the Mideast.

Correction:

In #81 it should have been 15000 candles (extinguished by Assad).

I missed a zero.

Syrian army declares Damascus’ rebellious district “cleaned of armed groups” – 2012-08-05

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/05/c_123529591.htm

DAMASCUS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — The Syrian army on Saturday declared that the troublesome district of al-Tadamun in the southern part of the capital Damascus “insurgent-free,” according to state-run SANA news agency.

Al-Tadamun was the first district in the capital to have witnessed armed insurgency over the past two weeks.

After storming the area Saturday, the Syrian army dug up a mass grave with the bodies of 20 people between al-Tadamun and Yalda area, a Syrian officer told Xinhua.

While al-Tadamun was cleared, clashes continued elsewhere in Damascus, including in Rukn Eddien, Salhieh and Muhajireen.

Meanwhile, SANA said a large number of foreign and Arab fighters have been either killed or rounded up Saturday in northern Aleppo province.

[…]

General says all Damascus retaken, Aleppo pounded – August 05, 2012

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/general-says-all-damascus-retaken-aleppo-pounded/535515

he Syrian army said it has seized the last rebel-held district of the capital as insurgents in the strategic northern city of Aleppo came under heavy bombardment by regime forces.

The army on Saturday said it had retaken the hold-out rebel district of Tadamun in Damascus.

A brigadier general who refused to give his name told journalists visiting the neighbourhood of Tadamun, the scene of heavy fighting earlier, that it has been retaken, and that the military now controls all of the capital.

“We have cleansed all the districts of Damascus, from Al-Midan to Mazzeh, from Al-Hajar Al-Aswad to Qadam… to Tadamun,” the last rebel bastion in the capital, said the officer.

Tadamun borders the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk and is home to both Syrians and Palestinians. It is now deserted and devastated, with electricity cables hanging down between rooftops and paving badly damaged.

In Yalda next to Tadamun, an AFP reporter saw a dozen corpses thrown on a rubbish dump. Some had been burned and others mutilated.

A senior government security figure warned that “the battle for Aleppo has not yet begun, and what is happening now is just the appetizer… The main course will come later.”

The official said more reinforcements had arrived and that at least 20,000 troops were now on the ground. “The other side are also sending reinforcements,” the official added of the rebels, who claim to have seized half the city.

Explosions shook Aleppo as fighter jets and helicopter gunships overflew the city and rebels tried to storm the state television building before being driven back by shelling, said the Britain-based Observatory.

State media said the army defended the site from “mercenary terrorist groups.”

Ban said growing radicalisation and extremism had been predicted at the start of the uprising, as had been a “proxy war, with regional and international players arming one side or the other.”

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the assembly gave “blatant” support to Syrian rebels and that its backers were the countries providing “mercenaries and arms” to the opposition.

China’s deputy ambassador, Wang Min, said pressuring only Damascus would “cause further escalation of the turmoil and let the crisis spill over to other countries in the region.”

On Saturday, senior foreign ministry official Wang Kejian accused countries that oppose its position of pursuing their own geopolitical interests and “trying to hinder or even undermine the political settlement process.”

[…]

Damascus retaken? Far from the truth.

12.47pm: Far from there being a lull in fighting in Damascus, heavy explosions shook the Syrian capital today and helicopters circled overhead as rebels appeared to be renewing their offensive in the city, reports the Associated Press.

The fresh battles show that President Bashar Assad’s victories could be fleeting as armed opposition groups regroup and resurge, possibly forcing the regime to shuffle military units to react to attacks across the country. The country’s civil war has intensified in recent weeks as rebels focused on the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.

“We heard heavy bombing since dawn,” a witness in Damascus told The Associated Press, asking that his name not be used out of fear for his personal safety. “Helicopters are in the sky.”

Saturday’s violence comes only two weeks after the government crushed a rebel run on Damascus that included incursions by fighters into downtown neighborhoods and an audacious bomb attack that killed four members of Assad’s inner circle.

The fighting in Damascus appeared likely to drain the army’s resources as fighting stretches into its second week in Aleppo, 350 kilometers (215 miles) to the north.

Late Friday, Syria’s official news agency SANA said government forces had hunted down the remnants of the “terrorist mercenaries” its term for the rebels in the capital’s southern neighborhood of Tadamun
,,,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2012/aug/04/syria-fighting-continues-in-damascus-and-aleppo#block-11

Elian,

@9

Who the hell are you to say that Arabs can’t have democracy exactly? Did your ignorant behind know Syria actually HAD a democracy before?

Do you see the level of bigotry and hatred to compare Arab society to Animals?

I think you are the one with psychosocial deficiencies and not Ehsani.

108. Amir in Tel Aviv said: “When mnhebaks begin to whine…”

Oh, please, spare us the fake, disparaging point-scoring drama. From Tel Aviv no less.

Gunfire is being heard in Malki near Besho’s residence.

Without mentioning monikor(s), I just read few comments expressing concerns about the wisdom of the Free Syrian Army strategy in Aleppo, and what if this or that happens as the outcome of an impending battle.

I also read the usual daily dose of Xinhua, SANA and other spam mouthpieces making bombastic, hollow and unfounded claims about the thugs of the Nazi-like regime achieving some sort of imaginary and pyrrhic ‘victories’ in Nazi-occupied Damascus, which I found quite entertaining as usual. As it so happened those empty claims were swiftly refuted in 146.

Now I go back to the concerns about the FSA strategy. So, I say your concerns are quite understandable. But fear nothing. The heroes of the Free Army of the Revolution have made their resolve to win this war. In fact, they will keep chasing this demoralized army of thugs of the Nazi-like occupation regime back and forth from Aleppo, to Homs, to Hama to Deir, to Damascus, to Deraa and to the coast until the thugs either run out of their breath or fuel or food or equipment or ammunition or all of the above.

And finally, as a reassurance, I present this historical testimony about أهل الشام from one the shrewdest politicians in history who aside from him none was truly able to fully subdue the people of Iraq:

قال الحجاج يوماً عن أهل الشام،
لايغرنك صبرهم ولا تستضعف قوتهم ،
فهم إن قاموا لنصرة رجل ما تركوه إلا والتاج على رأسه،
وإن قاموا على رجل ما تركوه إلا وقد قطعوا رأسه،
فانتصروا بهم فهم خير أجناد الارض،
وأتقي فيهم ثلاثاً:
نسائهم فلا تقربهم بسوء
وإلا أكلوك كما تأكل الأسود فرائسها،
أرضهم وإلا حاربتك صخور جبالهم،
دينهم وإلا أحرقوا عليك دنياك.

Lebanon president reiterates disassociation policy towards Syrian events – 2012-08-04

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/04/c_123528719.htm

BEIRUT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Lebanese President Michel Suleiman reiterated Saturday that stability in Lebanon can only be achieved through rejecting being a sanctuary, a transit point or a base for the smuggling of arms and armed men for Syria, the National News Agency reported.

During meeting with delegations of political and religious dignitaries, Suleiman stressed the importance of cooperation among all political parties to preserve the country, calling on all Lebanese factions to attend the upcoming national dialogue session on Aug. 16.

[…]

Iran warns against foreign military intervention in Syria: defense minister – 2012-08-04

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/04/c_123528608.htm

TEHRAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi warned Saturday against the military intervention of foreign forces in Syria, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

If the foreign forces enter Syria, “for sure, there will be a big crisis in the region and definitely the losers of the ( potential) crisis will be the Westerners and the supporters of the Zionist regime (of Israel),” Vahidi was quoted as saying.

He stressed that the Islamic republic has no military forces in Syria and the Syrian government has not asked Iran to do so, according to the report.

Syria has a powerful military and enjoys the public support, therefore the Syrian themselves can deal with the foreigners’ ” adventurism” in their own country, said the Iranian minister.

Last week, Iran’s Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani said Iran would continue to support the Syrian government under any circumstances.

Syrian troops kill scores of insurgents in Aleppo – 2012-08-04

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/04/c_123528609.htm

DAMASCUS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Syrian troops clashed Saturday with armed insurgent groups in three districts of the unrest-hit Aleppo province, leaving scores dead or injured, the state-run SANA news agency said.

The clashes erupted in Salahuddien, Sukarry, and Hamadanieh areas, SANA quoted an official source as saying.

The source said the authorities rounded up a number of the armed men.

In central Homs province, SANA said the government troops have clashed with armed groups in Rastan and Talbiseh areas, inflicting hefty tolls among them.

It said the armed men in those areas have terrorised residents and open fire indiscriminately on passers-by.

A pro-government Facebook page said the armed insurgents in Aleppo have tried to cut off the road to the Aleppo airport, adding that the authorities have responded back and rendered their attempt flat.

Meanwhile, SANA confirmed earlier reports that a number of Iranian Shiite pilgrims have been kidnapped Saturday by armed ” terrorist” groups, adding that the authorities are handling the situation.

Earlier in the day, asource in the Iranian embassy confirmed the kidnapping of 48 Iranian pilgrims, who were snitched Saturday while en route to Damascus from the airport, according to the lebanese NBN TV.

Meanwhile, Syrian army troops uncovered Saturday a mass grave in the Damascus suburb of Yalda, combining unidentified number of bodies that belong to civilians and army personnel.

The mass grave was dug up when the army entered the area earlier Saturday. The area had been controlled by the rebels over the past days.

An officer told Xinhua that the area is clean of rebels, adding that the displaced residents can start to get back home. Despite the officer’s placating gunshots were audible in the surroundings of the area.

[…]

Syrian TV host kidnapped, executed by Islamists – 04 August, 2012

http://www.rt.com/news/syrian-host-saeed-executed-868/

Syrian state TV host Mohammed al-Saeed has been executed, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. A militant Islamist group has claimed responsibility for the killing.

­Al-Saeed was kidnapped on July 19 of this year. The Al-Nusra Front, a little-known Islamist militant group, posted a statement August 4 on an Al-Qaeda-affiliated internet forum.

“The heroes of western Ghouta (in Damascus province) imprisoned the shabih (pro-regime militia) presenter on July 19…He was then killed after he had been interrogated,” AFP reported.

The post showed a photograph of frightened al-Saeed sitting against the wall. “May this be a lesson to all those who support the regime,” the note read.

It is an act of cruel barbarism committed by one of Syria’s increasingly violent rebel groups, RT’s Oksana Boyko reported from Syria. She compared the incident to a similar case in Libya where kidnapped TV journalist Hala Misrati was tortured and raped by Libyan rebels. Misrati was later released alive, but “in Syria they simply kill,” Boyko said.

Meanwhile, RT’s correspondent reports that two more journalists have been kidnapped on Saturday. One of those abducted, Talal Jinbakly, worked as a camera-man for Syrian state TV. The other, Mohammad Ali Hussein, is said to work on a Syrian educational television channel.

However, there have not been official comments, and more details are not available so far.

Also on Saturday, Syrian rebels attempted to seize a state-run broadcasting radio and TV complex in Aleppo. The rebel flag has reportedly been planted on top of the building.

The attack on the pro-government Al-Ikhbaria TV station in the town of Drousha, south of Damascus, killed seven journalists and four security guards on June 27. One building in the complex was nearly demolished.

[…]

77. JNA said: My reading is that the US government does support and want regime change in Syria; but on the cheap,

how much do shoulder fired missiles cost? how much would a drone strike cost? how much would it cost to jam regime military communications?

not very much, i’m guessing. why is this not being done?

so it does not get struck with the mess left after the Assad regime falls or falls back.

libya seems to putting itself back together without a lot of hand holding from the west.

left more of a mess? have you seen homs? ignoring the continuing destruction is not going to be the cheaper solution.

in what universe is ignoring the problem the best solution? this is just going to get worse if left unaddressed. the conflict is going to create a bigger mess that is going to be harder to contain if the regime is allowed to remain in power.

“too cheap to do regime change (but it really wants to)” argument is not a plausible one.

this argument makes more sense:

Bashar Assad received some advice last month from a Syrian with whom he is acquainted: if he ended his strikes against civilians, the Europeans would be content to let him remain in power for at least two more years – because the west wanted direct oil pipelines from Qatar and Saudi Arabia via Jordan and Syria to the Mediterranean in order to end Russia’s stranglehold on Europe’s gas and oil.

by its inaction, the u.s. has demonstrated it is willing to tolerate genocide and that it doesn’t want regime change.

Bat diplomacy: Turks see red in Obama’s dubious photo – 04 August, 2012

http://www.rt.com/news/obama-bat-photo-turkey-845/

Holding a baseball bat in your hand while talking on the phone about a delicate international issue means you really like the person you are talking to. At least, so says the President of the United States.

­The White House scrambled to explain the meaning behind a photo it posted online of President Obama holding a wooden club associated with either a popular American sport or mob violence, depending on personal preferences.

The US President held the bat as he chatted on the phone with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. The two were discussing the ongoing violence in Syria, in which both America and Turkey are backing the anti-regime opposition forces.

Turkish politicians were quick to seize on the picture and level harsh criticism at Turkey’s head of government.

“The photo reveals from whom our Prime Minister receives orders to rule the country,” said Metin Lutfi Baydar, a Turkish parliamentarian and member of the Republican People’s Party, the country’s main opposition party. Legislator Umut Oran called the photo “an implicit insult to Turkey and its citizens,” Reuters said.

[…]

Sectarian conflict? ‘Portraying it so serves Gulf rulers’ interests’ – 05 August, 2012

http://www.rt.com/news/saudi-arabia-bahrain-protesters-oppressed-killed-882/

Saudi authorities claim that a teenager who was killed during a protest in Qatif had attacked an army patrol, killing one soldier and injuring another. Rights activists, though, say it was part of a violent police crackdown on the Shia minority.

­According to Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Al Turki, the shooting took place after Friday’s demonstration, when a security patrol came under heavy fire from four armed rioters on motorcycles.

“A security patrol was exposed to heavy fire from four armed rioters on a motorbike when pausing at a street intersection in Qatif,” said Turki, as cited by state news agency SPA. One soldier was killed and another wounded and taken to hospital as a result of the attack, he added.

Military patrols managed to arrest the “armed rioters” after a shootout and a short pursuit. One of the gunmen was wounded in the firefight and died on the way to the hospital, authorities said.

Turki warned that police would not tolerate “the rioters, especially those who are armed,” and would also act against those who support them.

With the latest deaths, the number of casualties at protests in the oil-rich eastern Qatif province alone has exceeded 10 since last November.

In late July, several people were wounded in Qatif after security forces fired live rounds at demonstrators carrying posters depicting those injured and arrested in earlier protests.

Saudi anti-government demonstrators have been calling for an end to discrimination by the state’s Sunni monarchy since last March. The Qatif province has a large minority of Shia residents, constituting up to ten per cent of the local population.

Meanwhile in neighboring Bahrain, dozens of equal rights activists were injured as security forces fired tear gas, stun grenades and birdshot at them.

Frequent antigovernment protests have gripped Bahrain since February of 2011. The ongoing uprising by the country’s Shia majority, which claims systematic discrimination on the part of Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy, has weakened after multiple mass arrests.

Middle East expert Younes Abouyoub told RT that it is in the interest of the rulers of the Gulf countries to portray the conflicts as sectarian. That way, he says, they can avoid the spread of unrest to other oppressed or marginalized groups.

RT: We have seen clashes in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, with activists accusing the ruling elite of abuses and political arrests. Why has the international community done nothing about it, and the media barely reported on the events in the Gulf nations?

Younes Abouyoub: I think it is quite obvious, the reason why. Everybody is focused now on Syria and the hotspots in geopolitics, and the fight between regional powers and also greater powers in the region. So Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, because they are on the side of, let’s say, the strongest part in this conflict, are being shielded from any criticism. They are trying to be portrayed as if there are moderate protests and nothing significant is happening there, which is of course not the truth.

RT: Where’s the red line that will make the international community take a stand on Bahrain?

YA: Well, it’s very hard to say when the international community can react. The international community had a chance to react when the F1 Grand Prix was organized in Bahrain and the protesters and many civil rights activists around the world called for its cancellation, but nothing happened.

Unfortunately money and oil and interests go first before human rights. I think what might trigger something is probably when things go sour, probably arms being used and then the conflict gets worse. Maybe in that case the international community will be forced, even if it’s not willing to look towards Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

[…]

Omen

Regardless of how Libya is doing, the American policy makers see Syria intervention more like Iraq (said many times), and how has that been going for the last nine years? America has two interests in the Middle East: Israel and Oil. Syrian regime change will strengthen Israel vrs. Iran(see Neocon support) and will please the oil producing regimes (minus Iraq).

Omen

Regardless of how Libya is doing, the American policy makers see Syria intervention more like Iraq (said many times), and how has that been going for the last nine years? America has two interests in the Middle East: Israel and Oil. Syrian regime change will strengthen Israel vrs. Iran(see Neocon support) and will please long allies, the oil producing regimes (minus Iraq and Iran).

‘Assad has become a Gaddafi-like bogeyman’ – 04 August, 2012

http://www.rt.com/news/assad-un-resolution-rebel-support-832/

In their bid to back any kind of opposition to oust the Syrian leadership, Western powers are suffering from “historical amnesia,” says reporter Patrick Hayes. He adds that new support for the rebels will follow the UN General Assembly’s resolution.

­RT: How do you think this UN-wide vote will affect what’s happening in Syria, or the international response from here on out?

Patrick Hayes: Remember, this is a non-binding resolution, so it is not going to have any direct impact at all. I think in general it is being used to try and step up the pressure on Russia and China to take a stance against Assad. And effectively what it is doing is saying: “We disrespect the sovereignty of Syria and we don’t want the Syrian people to determine their own future.”

So, I don’t think something positive is going to come out of this. I just wanted to say about Kofi Annan, though, because what is very striking with this situation is that yes, they can condemn Assad from the UN Assembly, but they do not have any alternative. When Annan was initially negotiating his six-point treaty, his argument was very much: “If you take this off the table, then what else are you going to be left with?”

Now no one has an alternative to that at the moment.

William Hague, the foreign secretary of the UK, basically said today: “We still want the Kofi Annan plan, but we want to imply that there are consequences if it is not followed.”

There are a lot of empty threats going on at the moment, but no one knows what to do.

RT: William Hague indeed revealed UK plans to step up its help for the Syrian opposition. He insists that London isn’t sending weapons, but only “non-lethal” support. How is it justifying this one-sided approach?

PH: He suggested that he’s going to offer non-lethal aid. He has not given specific details of this yet. But it does seem that it is going to be intelligence. It does seem that it is going to be an awful lot of support announced for the rebels over the next few weeks.

And of course this comes just after it was revealed that there has been a secret plan to basically allow the CIA to assist the rebels as well.

The thing I find very striking about this is this real historical amnesia that’s taking place among Western leaders. Well, they don’t really know who the opposition is. There are lots of concerns about the makeup of it, the jihadi elements. There are a lot of people who the West would not like to do business with.

But they’re stuck into this mentality that they’d rather help anyone get into power, they’d rather support any opposition in Syria, than they would support Assad.

Assad has become this bogeyman just like Gaddafi before him. And they just say, “We need to get rid of him and everything will be ok.” It’s a naive approach that will do no help.

[…]

Tara

gunfire is being heard in Maliki

Celebrations ?

Irritated,

You know what? There is a shawrma place in Malki that makes shawrma out of this world. Batta and Asma used to order from. I am sure they don’t anymore afraid of being poisoned. I am dying to eat shawrma. Do you like it?

Al-Miadeen: several foreign persons get arrested in Aleppo and one of them might be a Turkish General

#162 Tara

Are you sure that the owner would not try to poison you knowing your sympathies?

159. jna

more like iraq? nobody is calling for boots on the ground. nobody is calling for occupation.

loyalists keep harking on iraq as the thing to avoid when nobody is suggesting it be replicated. your strawman doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

Israel and Oil. Syrian regime change will strengthen Israel vrs. Iran(see Neocon support)

then why isn’t it being done? why aren’t the rebels being properly armed? why aren’t drone strikes being waged? why aren’t communication systems being jammed?

all we have from the u.s. is the useless flapping of gums.

israel is more unsettled by uncertainty and the threat of a new regime (ooh, the islamists! eek!) bashar was only too happy to appease israel. look how he offered to give away the golan.

and will please long allies, the oil producing regimes (minus Iraq and Iran).

saudis & qatar have promised rebels arms. where are they? why is the fsa still waiting for them?

the west is counting on that proposed pipeline being built. it needs a regime in power who will be able to deal with shia iran, shia iraq and shia lebanon. a new sunni led government will harbor grievances with these three countries. contracts will be harder to negotiate and win the cooperation of all four parties. this is why the assad regime is allowed to remain in power.

Omen, it doesn’t make much sense for the U.S. to do more right now because the regime will fall and Syria or whatever is left of it will sever its ties to Iran and Russia and end up in the other camp, the one where most of the posters here live in and love to hate. (Just as they hate the majority of Syrians).

I don’t think Obama missed a second of sleep when the children of Houla were slaughtered by the sectarian shabi7a. I’m sure he was sad, a few of my American coworkers expressed concern, but they go on with their days. We do as well, although Assad supporters probably stay up late into the night celebrating the “victory” against the terrorist Sunni babies.

Nobody wants to get involved and I don’t blame them. It’s a complicated situation that will eventually be resolved. Limit your losses, manage the conflict in your favor and live with the aftermath.

Lavrov reportedly told the SNC delegates during their latest trip to Moscow that you (the opposition) wanted a revolution, you should be ready to pay the price. I hate to agree with this genocide enthusiast, but he’s right and we have always known this truth. Freedom is not free.

Irritated,

And I sincerely wish you live happy and healthy long life..

As Syrian War Roils, Sectarian Unrest Seeps Into Turkey

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/world/middleeast/turkish-alawites-fear-spillover-of-violence-from-syria.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

….,
As Syria’s civil war degenerates into a bloody sectarian showdown between the government’s Alawite-dominated troops and the Sunni Muslim majority, tensions are increasing across the border between Turkey’s Alawite minority and the Sunni Muslim majority here.

Many Turkish Alawites, estimated at 15 million to 20 million strong and one of the biggest minorities in this country, seem to be solidly behind Syria’s embattled strongman, Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey’s government, and many Sunnis, supports the Syrian rebels.

The Alawites fear the sectarian violence spilling across the border. Already, the sweltering, teeming refugee camps along the frontier are fast becoming caldrons of anti-Alawite feelings.

“If any come here, we’re going to kill them,” said Mehmed Aziz, 28, a Syrian refugee at a camp in Ceylanpinar, who drew a finger across his throat.
…
“We’re more moderate,” explained Turhan Sat, a Turkish Alawite who works at a gas station in Bridgeport, Conn., and was on vacation in Turkey. He was swigging tea the other day in the leafy town square of Samandag, a predominantly Alawite town not far from the Syrian border.

“We’re all with Assad,” he said.

Not far away in the Alawite-dominated town of Harbiye, there is a new best-selling item that cannot seem to stay on the shelves: cheap tapestries bearing Mr. Assad’s portrait.

“Everybody wants them,” said Selahattin Eroglu, a vendor, who had just sold his last one. “People here love Assad.”

Ford is preparing his return, triumphant.. Uncle Sam, a big thank from your forever grateful servants.

State Department and Pentagon Plan for Post-Assad Syria
By STEVEN LEE MYERS and THOM SHANKER
Published: August 4, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/world/middleeast/state-dept-and-pentagon-planning-for-post-assad-syria.html?ref=global-home

The department has created a number of separate cells devoted to aspects of a post-Assad Syria, including humanitarian issues, economic reconstruction, security, the stockpiles of chemical weapons and a political transition.

The last is led by the American ambassador to Syria, Robert S. Ford, who closed the embassy in Damascus in February amid deteriorating security there and is now based in Washington. Mr. Ford met in Cairo last week with more than 250 Syrians to shape plans for the inchoate opposition groups to form a transitional government. That meeting followed a larger gathering of Mr. Assad’s opponents last month, organized by the Arab League.

#166 Tara

To you too and in a peaceful atmosphere far from that madness.

Tara,

Guess brosted from sufarah is out of the question as well for Batta…

I really want a shawarma sandwich from Al-Farouk now though! Do you think he would Aramex some sandwiches over?

Come to think about it, why doesn’t the US ditch preference for the Saudis and the GCC for Iraq and Iran preferential relationships? Inertia, Israel? Don’t think it’s a particular affinity to the Sunni denomination. Do the Sunni-led countries have more oil? Any ideas?

SOD

Ah….

It is strange that even when shawrma is made in North America by Syrians, it just does not taste like what it tastes eating it in Syria. I do not like to eat shawrma sitting around a table in a restaurant. I like to eat it walking in the streets. It is something in the air may be..

Tara,

I am not an expert or anything… but the type of meat and origin of the meat has a lot to do with it.

Not sure if you know but Syrian Ghanam ((lamb) is prized all over the world, it does not have the heavy gamey flavour you might usually find in lamb.

Below are some thoughts I wanted to get out there. Due to lack of time (tiredness) I may not be able to word it or construct my message as I would like. I’m sure people will understand my point.
Feel free to correct anything.

***************

Right, the regime is going to retake Aleppo?

Just like it retook Homs?

Homs stood firm for many months and even now, if I’m correct, it is still not under regime control.

Aleppo will be the same. Damascus was different. In Damascus the regime was defending. In Aleppo the regime is attacking. Damascus, being the capital, had the elite forces (4th Br./Rep Guard) based in the city and concentrated there. In Aleppo it seems that troops are coming from outside.

The regime will struggle to retake Aleppo. I’d say there is a good chance the regime will lose Aleppo. At worst we will see a Homs scenario, which would still be bad for the regime.

Btw Damascus is still seeing fighting.

ALEPPO says: I am again baffled by anybody that describes what is happening in Syria as being essentially directed by foreign interests. Do they exist? Of course, it is not even a secret, it is out in the open for all to see. Are so-called jihadist, salafist, whabbists, mujahedeen, etc in Syrian territory? Beyond any doubt. But to say that is to say that the Syrian people after being humiliated for 40 years in all possibe manners are mere puppets in the hands of Saudis, Qataris, Turks, Americans, French, British, Peruvians, Macedonians, Sri Lankans and whomelse you care to list. It is just not so.

Very well said. Those who are pushing the “post-colonialism theory” are generally socialists (both national and international) with a counter-factual, and conspiratorial understanding of history. Sorry to say, but a bunch of loser who have never been in any position of significance to understand the complex on-the-ground dynamics of power and economics. Sorry for the name calling. But there is undoubtedly a huge element of personal sour grapes, if not useless idealism and ideology in some of these narratives.

“….. Inertia, Israel? Don’t think it’s a particular affinity to the Sunni denomination…”

There may not be particular affinity as you correctly point out. Personally, I think it is all based on common interests and not much mutual love. But many Americans (particularly conservatives, or neo-cons as you would like to call them) believe the anti-Christ will come from Iran, and, surprisingly, so do the Sunnis worldwide based on hadith!!!

The historic Battle of Badr took place on 17 Ramadan 2AH in the Islamic calendar. A victory against a much superior force. An event the rebels can take inspiration from.

It is 17th Ramadan today for many around the world including some in Syria (16th for others incl. myself).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Badr

Freedom is not free.

Except for a bunch of west-hating a-historical and counter-enlightenment westerners living in inherited security and freedoms who believe this to be the default state of mankind, good for themselves but not for Syrians, and that our freedoms and liberties just happened to drop out of thin air.

172. JNA said: Come to think about it, why doesn’t the US ditch preference for the Saudis and the GCC for Iraq and Iran preferential relationships?

we’ve gone back and forth before, being allied with iran (or it being a client state.)

i don’t see it happening soon but considering this reality, some sort of reordering might be an eventuality.

https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=13864&cp=all#comment-302354

Continue to swim in your sea of ignorance,nobody can take this from you,Islamists use the Badr Battle anology to describe their upcoming fight in Aleppo but people on the opposite side see this as the wars of Alriddah when Abubakr (pbuh) had to fight a bunch of rebels who wanted to break from the state, needless to say,both are wrong,this is a war to destroy Syria,and many parties are participating in this bloody dance.

Comment # 180 is very very very ignorant!!!

قال محافظ مدينة حمص في بيان له اليوم السبت أنه تم توفير البنى التحيتية لمعظم أحياء المدينة، وجاء في البيان الذي صدر عنه أنه تم توفير أعمال البنى التحتية والخدمات بشكل كامل في أحياء باب السباع وبابا عمرو والإنشاءات ودير بعلبة الشمالي وعشيرة”
و نناشد أهالي أحياء “باب السباع وبابا عمرو والإنشاءات ودير بعلبة الشمالي وعشيرة” بالعودة إلى منازلهم

166. HALABI: Lavrov reportedly told the SNC delegates during their latest trip to Moscow that you (the opposition) wanted a revolution, you should be ready to pay the price.

ammar abdulhamid discussed this meeting in moscow.

lavrov’s comment that you should be ready to pay the price — russia is saying it expects to be bribed in order to stop being obstructionist.

حذفت قناة “ام بي سي” مقطعا من مسلسل فرقة ناجي عطا الله يشيد فيه بطل المسلسل ناجي، والذي يقوم بدروه الفنان المصري عادل امام بحزب الله.
والمقطع هو بالجزء الاخير من الحلقة ويقول فيه عا
دل امام ما يشيد بدور المقاومة اللبنانية وصمودها امام الدولة الصهيوينة.
والجدير بالذكر ان قنوات اخرى عرضت الحلقة بدون حذف هذا المقطع من بينها القناة المصرية.

One more militia in Syria:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9450587/Muslim-Brotherhood-establishes-militia-inside-Syria.html

A couple of days ago I watched a compilation video of regime convoys heading to aleppo being fired upon from a distance by a barrage of continuous small arms fire. It seemed ineffective against the armour. I thought at least there would be psychologial effects (perhaps the troops would wet their pants before reaching Aleppo).

Ok, one clip may have had some troop-carrying trucks with the troops visible. I couldn’t tell.

Another video claimed to show a convoy of about 50 tanks heading towards Aleppo. They were not fired upon. I noticed some tanks (perhaps many) being transported on flatbed lorries. These seemed vulnerable to small arms fire as they weren’t armoured. Only a glass windscreen protecting the driver. Once travelling at speed, the FSA could easily have forced these lorries crashing off the road leaving many tanks damaged or lying on the road upside down.

I hope the Colonel meant what he said.

Syria conflict: Jihadists’ role growing
By Murad Batal al-Shishani
Islamic Groups Analyst, BBC Arabic

Colonel Ahmad Fahd al-Nimah, the head of the Military Revolutionary Council in Deraa, told the BBC: “Jihadists would pose a real threat in the next stage for our society and our Arab and Western friends.”
…
“The jihadists’ ideology contradicts with what the FSA is fighting for,” Col Nimah told the BBC. The latter are fighting under the banner of democracy and a civil state rather than sharia.

Uzair

“Homs stood firm for many months and even now, if I’m correct, it is still not under regime control. ”

The regime are not even close to controlling Homs. Fighting has even returned to parts of Baba Amr itself. So much for the “decisive battle”

FSA announced that it has been tracking Iranians who entered Syria two months ago.

Apparently this could be a reference to the 48 Iranians who were kidnapped today. It is possible that these Iranians were combatant thugs associated with the Nazi- like regime of thugs occupying Damascus, and that could be the reason for their abductions.

The obvious question is: what are they doing in Syria in a time of war?

Until the abductors provide further information, we can only speculate. But there were clear evidence of Iranian thugs as well as Hizb Zbala thugs involved in crimes against the Syrian people.

#189 Visitor

This just posted:

zaidbenjamin
Video: Syria rebels say hostages Iranian Guards #Syria #Assad

http://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/zaidbenjamin-video-syria-rebels-say-hostages-iranian-guards/

Followed by this update:

The video below showing the iranians arrested by one of the brigade of Al Baraq Batallion

They have been arrested because they are Revolution Guards in an assessment field mission. They have papers authorising them to wear arms

http://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/the-video-below-showing-the-iranians-arrested-by/

Assad’s War on Mosques

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U4_CO4JfLw&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKDOwPrHheQ&feature=player_embedded

For the rest of the list [40 Mosques I counted so far]

http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/assads-war-on-mosques/

188. Amjad

Recent months we have seen the focus on northern Syria, then Damascus and Aleppo. Wasn’t sure about the situation in Homs and which parts are controlled by whom. I couldn’t say for certain that Homs was out of regime hands. Thanks for the information.

190 Uzair8,

Thanks for these links. That’s clear evidence. Do they qualify as POW’s? Or should they be tried as criminals involved in crimes against the Syrian people?

Technically speaking FSA is not in a declared state of war with Iran.
I prefer they be tried as criminals and sentenced accordingly. I also hope there will be no political bargaining with Turkey on this issue as Iran would definitely seek its help. The FSA should make it clear to the Turks that the interests of the people of Syria come first, and criminals involved in killing Syrians must be held accountable to their crimes.

#193 Visitor

My first instinct is for the FSA to keep hold of them for a while and make Iran sweat a little in the hope it may force it to think twice about it’s involvement in Syria.

Alternatively, if Turkey is going to get involved and pressure for their release, maybe the FSA should demand a swap for 48 MANPADS (or anti-tank weapons) from Turkey.

I don’t know. More wiser people than me will know what to do.

Mercenaries in Syria – Name, Country and more informations

Flood of defections continues. 5 Aug harvest (till noon)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu-z7qQLVbk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T8i3ejskf8&feature=plcp
.

194 Uzair8,
FSA should forget altogether about the first hope you mentioned. That’s a hopeless hope. Same applies to Hizb Zbala, forget it… ain’t gonna happen… sealed…. If FSA continues in this kind of hope it will be shooting itself in the foot.

You may or may not be aware. But here it is in a nutshell. These RG’s are in Syria specifically to kill Sunnis, which they call Nawasib, based on fatwas by their so-called ‘Imam’. They consider it the highest form of ‘jihad’ and a sacred religious duty which will ensure the ‘salvation’ of the ‘killer’ because by following the ‘fatwa’ he is pleasing his Imam in whose pleasure his ‘salvation’ depends. It is as simple as that. They did it in Iraq and now it is being repeated in Syria. The Shabi7a who are Alawis are doing the same but their ‘fatwa’ comes from a different source of ‘Imam’. The end result is the same. The shabi7ha who are Syrian Sunnis are in fact stupid, and are best described as mercenaries because they are doing it for money, not knowing its repercussions.

The second scenario makes a little bit sense. But I would go for Stinger missiles or insist on the more advanced MANPAD version. But that wouldn’t solve the first problem. Because the RG’s will definitely come back in order to fulfil the ‘fatwa’, it is their highest form of ‘worship’. There is no way around it.

TARA
If the votes mean anything, I am sensing more “celebrity-struck” support for Athma than for Bathar.

I thought they said they would welcome refugees?
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/49542/World/Region/Israels-army-shoots-Syrian-trying-to-enter-Golan.aspx

Get ready for the real Arab spring, still to come:
” “When you have the advisor of Hatem El-Gebali, Mubarak’s last minister of health and the owner of several private health service projects, when you keep the minister of finance, and when you assign a minister of civil aviation whose performance was subject to wide criticism within the aviation sector, you are sending a very negative message,” said political analyst Mohamed Agati.

According to Agati’s analysis, “the fact that the new government has nine members who one way or the other subscribe to the Mubarak state is very confusing.” Agati further questioned why three government positions that “should by definition be non-partisan, including that of the ministry of information”, went to the FJP.

What this government basically offers, Agati argues, is “a perpetuation of the endless combination of Islamists and the Mubarak State; it has not ended.””
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/49549/Egypt/Politics-/Revolutionary-group-says-Egypt-cabinet-fails-to-li.aspx

If the kidnapped Iranians are pilgrims, how come that all of them are men? Usually pilgrims come to Syria men and women together! I think that they were supporting Bashar’s regime and they finished their tour of duty and going back home!

This sure beats anything Iran and Russia would have in mind for helping Syrians recover from this crisis.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/world/middleeast/state-dept-and-pentagon-planning-for-post-assad-syria.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=world

State Department and Pentagon Plan for Post-Assad Syria

WASHINGTON — Even with fighting raging in Syria and President Bashar al-Assad digging in, the State Department and Pentagon are quietly sharpening plans to cope with a flood of refugees, help maintain basic health and municipal services, restart a shattered economy and avoid a security vacuum in the wake of Mr. Assad’s fall, administration officials say.

Mindful of American mistakes following the invasion of Iraq in 2003, both agencies have created a number of cells to draft plans for what many officials expect to be a chaotic, violent aftermath that could spread instability over Syria’s borders, even though no official could predict whether Mr. Assad’s demise was weeks or months away.

The State Department is considering positioning additional food and medical supplies in the region and is studying how to dismantle the raft of American and European sanctions against Syria quickly to allow investment to flow in and business to resume, avoiding further deterioration of life for ordinary people.

It is also pressing the opposition in Syria to avoid harsh retaliation against the army, the police and the municipal agencies of Mr. Assad’s government that could cause a security vacuum and a collapse of services. Looting and chaos after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq in 2003 planted the seeds of a lasting insurgency.

“We don’t want them to dissolve all the institutions in place,” an administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss planning that is largely being conducted out of public view.

The planning is particularly delicate because the Obama administration does not want to create the appearance of American interference in a transitional, post-Assad government, even though the United States would inevitably be entangled in any turmoil that resulted.

Rafif Jouejati, an American of Syrian ancestry who is a spokeswoman for a network of activists in Syria, said those committed to Mr. Assad’s removal had no interest in “a foreign transition plan,” however well intentioned.

“What we don’t want to do is descend into the total chaos that Iraq did,” said Ms. Jouejati, who is participating in a similar planning effort among Syrian activists coordinated through the United States Institute of Peace, an independent but Congressionally financed organization in Washington. Even so, she added, “I don’t think we want the United States to impose lessons learned here.”

[The State Department and Pentagon planning] is being closely coordinated with regional allies like Turkey, Jordan and Israel, and it coincides with an expansion of overt and covert American and foreign assistance to Syria’s increasingly potent rebel fighters.

Continues…

This is from Juan Cole’s blog
I copied it in full as it truly gives a very concise and accurate description of the events on the ground and the events of the last few days

Since the Free Syrian Army is a guerrilla group, whether it can hold the northern metropolis of Aleppo is not absolutely central to its survival. Guerrillas can always fade away to fight another day.

But for the Baath regime of Bashar al-Assad, losing Aleppo would be fatal. The regime controls increasingly little of the country, mainly the capital of Damascus and whatever strips of land the army is actually standing on at any one time. Aleppo is the commercial nerve center of the country, and without it the government will gradually collapse.

The revolutionaries hold most of the east of the city whereas the regime still has the west. But within these enclaves, some support the other side or are on the fence.

Rebel forces said Saturday morning that they now control 60% of Aleppo.

In several days of fierce fighting, the regime still has not been able to reassert itself in Aleppo, despite the use of heavy artillery, tanks, helicopter gunships and even fighter jets. Admittedly, the Baath government has not mounted a really big tank assault a la Homs, suggesting it does not have enough tank battalions it trusts to risk sending them away from the capital.

On Saturday morning, the rebels in Aleppo made an attempt to take over the city’s television station (always the first sign of a change in government in a place). Although their attempt was initially repelled by sniper fire, that battle is ongoing. Regime broadcasts appear to have ceased. The regime continues to be on the defensive in Aleppo, which is not a good sign for it.

Heavy fighting is reported in neighborhoods such as Salahuddin. For the mood and the situation in Salahuddin see The Irish Times

Opposition sources say over 4000 persons were killed in the fighting in Syria in July. This monthly total is the highest since the revolt began.

In Damascus, the regime is still apparently battling for control of districts such as Tadamon. A regime mortar attack went astray on Friday and overshot, hitting a Palestinian refugee camp and killing 20. There are 450,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria, families ethnically cleansed by Zionist forces from their homes in Palestine, now Israel, in 1948, and stuck in Syria ever since. The Palestinians are only about 2% of the Syrian population, but they do have some armed groups and could be pushed by the regime into joining the rebels (they have been divided on the revolution, having an uncertain position in the country). The regime blamed the mortars on the rebels, but it is the Baath army that has been deploying mortar fire against civilian city quarters.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning the Syrian regime for using heavy weapons in civilian areas. Russia and China are increasingly isolated in the world community because of their support for al-Assad, and were angry that they lost that vote so decisively. The UNGA vote shows that opposition to al-Assad’s methods is hardly just “Western,” but is rather characteristic of most countries in the world– including many in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The Kurds are moving against Turkey…

Kurd rebels storm Turkey border post, 20 killed
By Fulya Ozerkan | AFP – 1 hr 10 mins ago

http://news.yahoo.com/fighting-between-kurd-rebels-turkish-army-kills-19-105703542.html

Kurdish rebels stormed a Turkish army post on the Iraq border Sunday, triggering fighting that killed 20 people in the latest clash since Ankara launched a major offensive against the outlawed PKK.

Six soldiers, two village guards and 12 Kurdish rebels were killed following the assault on an army post in a village in the southeastern province of Hakkari, the local governor’s office said in a statement.
….
Turkey’s latest offensive against the PKK comes as Kurds in northern Syria are reported to have taken control of some regions as fighting escalates in the uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Damascus of allowing Kurdish rebels a free hand in the north of the country and warned that Ankara would not hesitate to strike “terrorists”.

The rebels are making more ‘friends’ in the region: After the Kurds, the Lebanese Shias, then the Palestinians, now the Iranians.
Who is next? Iraqis?

Soon the only way out for the next ‘tactical retreat’ will be Turkey and Jordan. The camps are ready.

Syrians In Australia

Miss Piggy Globetrotter with her new haircut will visit Turkey next Saturday to convince Pluto Erdogan that he should invade Syria alone as the king of Jordan has bluntly refused.
Will her charm operate this time? Maybe she should try it on Mickey Mouse Davutoglu instead…

The more I get them the more I know they read it and it infuriated them…

Bring them on!

Syria rebel video claims to show abducted Iranians
Published August 05, 2012Associated Press

Armed men in the video identify themselves as members of the rebel “Baraa Brigades” and say that at least one of the 48 captives was an officer of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards. They claim they Iranians were on a “reconnaissance mission” in the capital Damascus at the time they were abducted. Iran says they are pilgrims who were visiting a shrine.

“We promise Iran and all those who support this regime … we will strike at all (Iranian) targets in Syria,” one of the rebels says in the video. “The fate of all Iranians who operate in Syria will be the same as those we have here, either captive or killed, God willing.”

But the rebels in the video claimed there was an officer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard among the group and showed what was purportedly his ID and a permit to carry weapons.

IRNA said Sunday that Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi had spoken by phone with his Turkish and Qatari counterparts and demanded their intervention to help release the Iranians. Turkey and Qatar have supported the overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim rebels in Syria.

The Turkish and Qatari foreign ministers promised to make efforts for the release of Iranian pilgrims, IRNA reported Sunday.

….,
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/08/05/syria-rebel-video-claims-to-show-abducted-iranians/

@ 205. You make it sound like the Lebanese Shias, the Hezbollah, now the Iranians all control Syria, if you say soon the revolutionaries will only be able to retreat to Turkey. Is there something Syrians should know about their country?

Zoo@206

Did the regime reward it’s internal supporters with free vacation in Australia to demonstrate?

There is a lot of unknowns in every conflict but one thing is certain:
Islamist terrorists are in the same camp as Israel and are worse than the regimes they claim to fight. Here is their latest achievement:
قتل 35 شخصا على الأقل وجرح عشرات آخرون في هجوم انتحاري استهدف مساء أمس السبت مجلس عزاء في مدينة جعار بمحافظة أبين في جنوب اليمن، ونسب الهجوم إلى تنظيم “القاعدة” بحسب ما أفادت به مصادر طبية وإدارية محلية.

Morsi’s new government will not be supported by the Coptic church in Egypt,what would an MB PM in Syria do if he is given the authority to form a government ?
It is not a good sign in Egypt,and Syria might be next, that government positions are expected to be divided along sectarian lines based on a math formula.
انتقد القائم بأعمال رئيس الكنيسة القبطية في مصر الانبا باخوميوس تشكيلة الحكومة المصرية الجديدة ،متهما اياها بالفشل في تمثيل الاقباط بشكل منصف.
ونقلت صحيفة “الشروق” يوم السبت 4 اغسطس/آب عن الانبا باخوميوس، الذي حل محل البابا شنودة عقب وفاته في مارس/آذار الماضي بعد اربعة عقود على رأس الكنيسة الارثوذكسية، قوله انه كان يتوقع تمثيلا افضل للاقباط، مشيرا الى ان مقعدا وزاريا واحدا ليس كافيا ليمثل طائفة تقدر باكثر من عشر سكان مصر.
وأكد قائلا لـ”الشروق”: “لن اهنئ رئيس الوزراء الجديد بتشكيل الحكومة لانه تشكيل ظالم للاقباط”.
واوضح: “كنا نتوقع زيادة في نسبة تمثيل الاقباط في الحكومة بعد زيادة عدد الحقائب الوزارية الى 35 وزارة، لكن التشكيل تجاهل كل حقوق ومفاهيم المواطنة المعروفة”، مؤكدا انه “لا يصح ان يعامل الاقباط بهذه الطريقة”.
واعتبر القائم مقام البطريرك أنه “كان من المفترض أن يتم تمثيل الأقباط في حكومة الدكتور هشام قنديل، بنسبة لا تقل عن 4 وزراء، طبقا لنسبة الأقباط في مصر، والتي تزيد على 14% من تعداد الشعب المصري”.

With its own army Syria’s fortress is resisting the repeated assaults of the most powerful countries in the world that have subdued the syrians who had grudges and disagreements against the government.

This would not have happened without the support of the Syrian population who refuses to have the friends of Israel and the USA hegemony take over their country.
All Syrians should be proud. The ones who are not will have to render themselves to the evidence that they were cheated and manipulated by the ‘friends of Syria’ and reduced to beg for help from them, a help that these generous ‘friends’ are granting stingyly with empty promises and some pathetically low amounts of money.

#211 Tara

Yes, I guess you wouldn’t refuse a free trip to visit Sidney or maybe you prefer to join the Friends of Syria in 4 stars hotels meetings? I heard the next one will be in Ryadh or Jeddah.

The leader of Syria’s main political opposition group has said he is ready to negotiate with government officials whose hands are not “stained with blood” once the president, Bashar al-Assad, and his associates leave power.
Comment: who are those “associates” ,and who listens to the SNC anyway?
Unfortunately , it is the fighting forces on the ground which will decide the fate of any political initiative,not Sayda or any politician outside Syria,I never gave expats any serious consideration in the past and I think they are even weaker today,the only thing expats can do is agitate, give press releases,send money or receive money. If we are not to be listened to,we should at least be a positive force and let Syrians inside Syria fix their problems,now our dollars are needed,tomorrow our hands will be needed assuming that the killing machine stops.

210. Michal

The Syrians who are getting ready to “retreat” should get a Turkish language crash course.
It would be very useful to ask for water, bread, electricity and some freedom in the “fully equipped” military camps in Turkey

The head of operations of the valiant, heroic and glorious Free Syrian Army explains the Aleppo predicament of the army of thugs of the Nazi-like criminal regime occupying Damascus,

http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/f88bbd70-210f-4293-b5bc-f1566ffa4a30

In effect, having lost the country side, the Nazi-like thugs cannot risk attacking the city for fear of losing their supply routes that will be under the mercy of our heroes of the FSA. Which means once the armour is in the city they may be able to fire the first few shots and then they would be sitting ducks forcing them into open street battle in which they are no match to the Free Syrians. The choices available to the Nazi-like thugs are also limited. Essentially they need more armour to attack in order to avoid the supply route problem as explained. This means the armour has to be pulled from other cities. This also means the other cities will then become a new FSA target for takeover. And so the cycle goes on. The more mobile army has the tactical and strategic advantage.

An Aleppine mother urges her son to defect for fear he may shoot a family member,

http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/429a3648-24a7-44fa-a5ac-f7e5eddd0ce9?GoogleStatID=9

………………………………………………………..

Copts of Egypt got their fair representation in the new government based on the way they voted. They also got a vice-President appointee for the first time in Egypt’s history. May be next time they get a better chance with another presidential candidate and then they can get more ministers. Isn’t that what Democracy is all about? You vote to a party, the party that wins rewards its constituents. What are they complaining about? Life is made of choices and based on those choices you either win or lose. Get over it.

………………………………………………………………………..

Michal,
I suggest you ignore the hollow and empty posturing. We have witnessed that over two weeks ago when salahdin presumably was `liberated`……oops, enslaved again

Zoo,

Sidney, Jeddah, Ryadh? Neigh! No interest whatsoever!

Montreal? Absolutely.

I am in a special mood today. Just wanted you to smile.

Is Saudi Arabia starting to seriously worry about the deterioration of the Moslem world relation?

King Abdullah invites Iran president for extraordinary Muslim summit
Agence France-Presse
Aug 5, 2012
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/king-abdullah-invites-iran-president-for-extraordinary-muslim-summit

RIYADH // Saudi King Abdullah invited Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iran president, for an extraordinary summit of Muslim leaders to be held this month in the holy city of Mecca, according to SPA, the Saudi state news agency.

The Saudi monarch “sent a written letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inviting him to attend the extraordinary Islamic solidarity meeting which will be held in Mecca” in mid-August, it reported.
..
Saudi Arabia last month called for the summit in a bid at “unifying the ranks” of Muslims.

Are there still people believing Al Jazeera’ Syria reporting?

I thought there were no more Al Jazeera fans after it was totally discredited by the article in Foreign Policy.

I was mistaken, it seems there are still some die hard addict to the Al Jazeera theatrical dissemination of false information

Maybe they should read again and carefully the article

Breaking the Arab News
Egypt made al Jazeera — and Syria’s destroying it.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/08/02/breaking_the_arab_news

#219 Tara

I am doing just that..

Why are the anti-Bashar so worried about

Where’s Bashar?
05/08/2012
By Paula Astatih

http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=30591

…
Gerges went on to say that: “I have no doubt in my mind he has proven much more resilient, stubborn, committed and much more prepared to win the battle of his life…I think even the Americans and Western European leaders are taking a second look at him.” Gerges added: “All the analysis said that he is the soft type, without fire in his belly. He proved everyone wrong for the last 17 months.”

Armed rebels tested the situation in Aleppo a number of times in the last week and evaluated the level of support they have among the people especially those from tribal areas. From what I see,Aleppo will be harder than Homs or Hama for the rebels,one ominous sign is that only 5% of Aleppo’s residents are Alawis and many of them have already left,it is clear that most of the public resistance to armed rebels is coming from Sunni citizens,that was one factor in delaying an expected full scale assault on rebels positions. Thousands of families are now trapped after they were prevented from leaving their neighborhoods by armed gangs who will undoubtedly use civilians as human shields and broadcast pictures of dead bodies on aljazeera and alarabiya.
This is a revolution that was hijacked by islamists, paid thugs and terrorists,the time when average Syrians can trust those rebels is gone,the tragedy is that most Syrians do not trust the regime either. Syria’s picture will look different in few weeks due to the fire power of regime forces and the incompetence of armed rebels leaders,but any victory for either side will be short lived if not followed by a credible multi party political deal,that deal requires a change at the top,no doubt about that.

Isn’t that a re edition of a very old song? It’s just the singer who’s changed.

Syrian opposition open to talks with officials post-Assad
DUBAI | Sun Aug 5, 2012 5:32am EDT

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/05/us-syria-crisis-seida-idUSBRE87403O20120805

(Reuters) – The leader of Syria’s main political opposition group said he was ready to negotiate with government officials whose hands are not “stained with blood”, once President Bashar al-Assad and his associates leave power, according to an interview published on Sunday.

Abdelbasset Seida, head of the Syrian National Council (SNC), also told the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that the resignation of Syria peace envoy Kofi Annan may open the door for a new initiative to resolve the crisis.

“As far as we are concerned, the authorities have lost their credibility and legitimacy, and we have said this in Moscow bluntly: that dialogue with this regime is no longer possible,” Seida said.

“Bashar and his gang must leave and after that we will move to negotiate with other officials whose hands were not stained with Syrian blood and who were not involved in big corruption cases,” he added.

Nothing is to be read into the invitation of Mohamodi Ahmadi Najjadi beyond the formalties of the obligations of the host country. In fact, many Saudis prefer that the Iranians decline the invitation. I heard from reliable sources, that if the Iranians attend they will be designated seats in the conference room reflecting a secondary importance with the hope that they would leave immediately knowing that the Iranians are so fond of hollow pomp, like playing on their ego.

Anyone expecting a thawing of relations, with the current regime in Tehran, is hoping against hope, just like the falling Nazi-like criminal occupying Damascus.

But who will represent Syria? That is the million dollar question.
I vote for General el-Sheikh. He is the highest ranking Free Syrian and one of the earliest who answered the call of his conscience.

I wholeheartedly agree with this piece.

I would have preferred and accepted the “other fork” if it had been chosen by Bashar at the time. It is preferable to the quagmire we find ourselves in today. However, the core issue is that he wasn’t the right man for the job. He had no resolve, and was easily impressionable. This was clearly not his calling. That’s why paternal succession is not a great way to select a President.

I do recall that period, the “spring.” Many were overly optimistic then. I remember a good friend of mine, who had recently completed military service, was overly optimistic. We were walking a long a path near a presidential security zone, and we discussed how it would save 20 minutes of walking if we could go straight down the path through the zone. “Don’t worry, it’s a New Syria” he told me “follow me.” We marched down the path, and it only took 1 minute before the Old Syria reared it’s ugly head. “Weeen rayeh, lak ween *whistles*!” (Where are you going, where?!) We were immediately surrounded by 5 guards and 2 mukhabartis. Mr. Mukhabarati immediately ordered: “Haweeyat ya shabab!” I left my good friend to explain his concept of New Syria to him: “Wallah ya cidi, fakarna anoo saret masmooh.” (“Sir, we thought it’s now permitted.”) His reply was: “Lak shoo hmar inta? Irjaa, Irjaa!” (What are you a donkey? Go back up, up!). Nevermind the fact that we were already halfway down and could see the road we were trying to get to. I heard less and less about new Syria from him until it became very clear no such thing really existed.

By Jove, there are no islamist terrorists among the FSA..

Embarrassing for Cameron..

Meanwhile, a British photojournalist who was kidnapped and wounded by Islamist militants in northern Syria has told the BBC up to 15 of his captors were from the UK.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19137637

The “successful” Yemeni model.. 6 months later

Suicide bomber kills 45 in south Yemen city

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/05/us-yemen-attack-idUSBRE8730O220120805

Thugs are after money,they hate everybody except themselves,this is a heart breaking report from Syria,another unwanted adverse effect of the medicine called revolution:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-syrias-ancient-treasures-pulverised-8007768.html

The “vaillant and heroic angels” of the FSA.

EIBNER: Islamic extremists threaten Syria’s Christians
Obama must not ignore sacrifice of religious minorities
By John Eibner

Friday, August 3, 2012
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/aug/3/islamic-extremists-threaten-syrias-christians/
..
Washington must not sacrifice the religious minorities of Syria in its efforts to build a Sunni Islamist bloc against the regional ambitions of Shiite Iran. Failure of the United States and its allies to guarantee the human rights of religious minorities will only cause these communities to cling tighter to the Assad regime for protection and thereby deepen and prolong the civil war.

Ehsani,

I occasionally wonder whether things could have been different in Syria or whether we are viewing a “Greek tragedy” in the sense that the tragic conclusion is preordained and the characters are wittingly and unwittingly just playing their part.

History has no rewind button so obviously we can never really know. But I am a strong believer that institutions make the society. When Assad Sr. and Jr. methodically dismantled all democratic institutions in Syria so that the only real alternative to them would be an Islamic one, they basically sealed the fate of Syria.

Look at yourself and Otrakji. You supported Assad Jr. because you did not believe that Syria was ready for democracy. And you didn’t believe that because you could not see credible democratic institutions. And you couldn’t see those because the Assads made sure they didn’t exist. So Assad knew he had you guys in his “pocket” so to speak. With no viable alternative except the MB, you (the middle class and elites) in Syria, would have to support him.

In the end I have to conclude (with hindsight of course)that the fork was just an illusion. If there were a credible democratic alternative for Assad, the regime knew that its days would be numbered. Just imagine the amount of Western money and support such an alternative would have garnered. Assad wanted the Assad spring to be just PR. When it started getting serious and there was even a hint that some alternative to him may emerge, he of course shut it down.

Iran is not a country to fool with and whose patience is limited.
The armed gangs who think they take get away with childish kidnapping of Iranian citizens may realize it soon.
Iran will not send troops to rescue their citizens as these armed gangs are hoping for so they can accuse Iran of direct intervention.
Yet, be sure they will devise other ways, more effective to deal with kidnappers.

Turkey and Qatar will ask their “friends” the armed gangs to release the 48 Iranians. Are they ready to pay the ransom?

http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=30584

The Iranian pilgrims were seized after visiting a popular Shiite shrine in Damascus on Saturday by an armed group.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Qatari counterpart Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani agreed to help seek the pilgrims’ release during separate phone conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, IRNA reported.
…
Tehran has criticised Turkey and Qatar for helping rebels fighting to topple Assad, a close ally Iran has praised for promising political reforms.

Zoo 231
It’s just the same hypocrisy: in Iraq, to chase out the Christians, the job was started by the Arab Sunnis in Baghdad, and achieved by the Kurds in Mawsil.

Zoo 220
No it’s just an answer to this http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/morsy-will-not-attend-summit-tehran-says-newspaper
KSA considers that now that it has build its own big ben and that it can bail out both the EU and the US, they ought to be the centre of the Islamic world, and not these poor Egyptian leftists or Iranian idealists.

WHat’s so difficult to understand! That the Syrian people are against a revolution hijacked by the MB, Terrorists, radical and foreign mercenaries.
I Have been saying this for months, the REVOLUTION is HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIjacked.
it is similar to the Egyptian revolution was hijacked by the muslim brotherhood.
in Syria even the Sunni refused and refusing to follow the hijackers and therefore many of the Sunni are being killed by the radical terrorists which is a shame because this sunni are the spine of a democratic Syria away from a retard radical theology.
It is clear that the USA is in fan of supporting the radical with weapon, given the previous experience in Afghanistan in the 80’s.
The regime lased and lasting for more years to come at this rate and the only loser are the KSA and its dogs.
The sad thing that it is at the expensive of a precious Syrian people.

Visitor

what are they doing in Syria in a time of war?

There is no war in Damascus and it is certainly safer that Karbala.

Obviously you have no idea of the Shia faith, resilience and courage in adversity.

What exactly are you saying Irritated in 236 (ignoring your typical presumptions about my knowledge of things)?

Are you saying that the ‘courage’ and ‘resilience’ presumably characteristics of Shia adherents would make those adherents impervious to adversities such as visiting places of war when a ‘religious’ duty calls upon them?

يعرب الشرع ترك عمله و هرب للأردن
يعرب عقيد في الامن السياسي و ابن عم فاروق الشرع
He may join the opposition or just stay away,I think he is likely to announce his defection,this may help him secure a job in the future.

Test

قتل 22 شخصا واصيب 15 جنديا في اشتباكات بين الجيش التركي ومسلحي حزب العمال الكردستاني جنوب شرقي البلاد.
وقتل ستة جنود واثنان من حراس القرى و14 مسلحا كرديا كما جرح 15 جنديا عندما هاجم الاكراد مركزا للجيش في قرية بمحافظة هكاري على الحدود العراقية.
وقال المحافظ اورهان عليموغلو ان ثلاث نساء بين قتلى الجيش التركي.
وافادت قناة ان تي في الخاصة ان مسلحي حزب العمال شنوا هجمات متزامنة على ثلاثة مواقع عسكرية حدودية.
I think the Kurds have made up their mind and decided to focus on Turkey after securing their areas in Iraq and shielding their towns in Syria from Islamists, there is no way that any future regime in Syria will be able to stop Kurds from winning autonomy.

240. GHUFRAN said : “He may join the opposition or just stay away,I think he is likely to announce his defection,this may help him secure a job in the future.”

_________________________________________________________________

The people of Daraa will never accept him, in the same way as the people of Rastan will not accept Manaf Tlass.

Farouk Sharaa has too much blood on his hands. The same goes for all the other Daraawi,Homsi, Hamawi, Deiri and Halabi
suit-wearing shabbiha who think they can cosy up to the opposition just because they are Sunnis.

241. said :”there is no way that any future regime in Syria will be able to stop Kurds from winning autonomy.”

__________________________________________________________________

Shouldn’t the current regime’s top priority be to prevent that outcome, instead of focusing on Aleppo ? Or is that anti-State rebels are bad only when they have an Islamist tinge ?

All claims about lebanese and Iranian hostages being fighters supporting the regime in Syria have so far proven false,and the recent kidnapping of 48 Iranians may not be any different. Thuggery is thuggery, you can put lipsticks on this pig but it would still be a pig.

Regarding the Iranians, it does not make sense it would be so easy to capture so many Iranian soldiers without a fight. On the other hand, who goes on a pilgrimage to a war zone? The evidence at this stage is contradictory.

At the menhebakji demo in Sydney, the flag took up way more space than the demonstrators themselves, even with the addition of their Lebanese Hizbollah buddies 🙂

Yeah, they needed to roll out a big huge flag to hide the fact that they couldn’t have amounted to more than several hundred menhebakjis + Lebanese.

AIG, people are avoiding London because of the perceived inconvenience of London 2012, are we really expected to believe that there would be Iranian “tourists” coming to Syria at a time like this? Oh yeah, and all of them of fighting age.

And please menhebakjis, spare us the racist “resilience of the shias”. We saw what wimps the Iranian people were when their revolution folded after just six weeks. There is a price to pay for freedom, which Iranian society isn’t prepared to pay.

241. GHUFRAN: shielding their towns in Syria from Islamists

loyalists clinging to divide & conquer fantasies as a path towards salvation won’t save the regime this time.

a couple of things:

-aje ran a segment showing kurdish rebels in aleppo obliterated by regime bombardment. next to turkey, it’s the regime who’ve oppressed the kurds.

-are alawites not muslim?

Nice to see that the readers here support the Jihadists behind the kidnapping of the Iranians.

If they were really the Iranian Guards how come they came with no protection?

And if they were the Iranian Guards how come there was an older man in the group eh?

Oh and can someone explain the Jihad flag?

You see those symbols on the banners on the table?
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mmm5LCi1zIo/UB51oGhB2bI/AAAAAAAAt0Q/ZDt5KZWqmQQ/s1600/www.reuters.com.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Flag_of_Jihad.svg/800px-Flag_of_Jihad.svg.png

Care to explain it eh? They look very similar to each other.

Nice to see that on this blog users support Saudi Arabian, Qatari Terrorists.

245. AIG said: who goes on a pilgrimage to a war zone?

people who watch regime state media telling them everything is just fine in syria!

@omen
(people who watch regime state media telling them everything is just fine in syria!)

And i can just see how the Pro rebel one sided mainstream has been doing with there coverage.

Last year AP or some other western mainstream news outlets claimed that the FSA were in the 50% to 60% control of Sryia and in the Capital and turns out that those claims by the MSM weren’t even true.

Here’s what propaganda feels like.

CBS
Syria’s rebels: Ordinary men fight and die

[President Obama has said Assad must go. But over the weekend, Russia and China blocked a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for him to step down. ]

How many times will the west has to say that Assad must Go eh?
Here’s a another lie.

[The men call themselves the Syrian Liberation Army, though they have no military training. They claim to be in control of large parts of this Syrian city, which has been a hotbed of unrest since the uprising began nearly a year ago.]

Last year the media called the FSA SLA The Syrian Liberation Army and now The Free Sryian Army.

Another lie.

[though they have no military training.]
It has been said you do have military training if you know when to hold a weapon and know how to use it.

Ordinary people would just fire there weapons randomly at everyone from the CBS video they dont look like ordinary people to me dont they.

[You know, it is just possible that the majority of Syrians don’t want to get rid of Assad. Maybe the majority are quite happy to have Assad in power. This civil war could be a situation of a minority from an opposition tribe/religious sect/societal group who are trying to overthrow Assad and put their own guys in power. Have you considered this possibility? I don’t know. Do you know? Syria has a population of about 24 or 25 million. ]

I completely agree with that comment. If the rebels had the support from the people this would have been alone over.

The Saudi monarch “sent a written letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inviting him to attend the extraordinary Islamic solidarity meeting which will be held in Mecca” in mid-August, it reported.
_________________________________________________________________

To President Ahmadinejad,

Why not Abdullah takes the rest of the ANZA tribesman rulers for a visit to Qom, kiss the hand of the Ayatollah for forgiveness first. President Ahmadinejad, please do not bring such great shame and indignity to the Shia Moslems by accepting this invitation and your visit, it will be an insult to Shia. I can assure you will regret it and be offended by what is going to be transpiring. Now, after what the Wahabi-Zionist paid for and said about Shia, those evil, satanic, Luciferian human sacrificers, now that they are in the lowest of pits, are asking you to come to a meeting like some wet rag they can use.

PLEASE DO NOT INSULT SHIA ISLAM, DO NOT INSULT MOSLEMS, DO NOT INSULT ISLAM, DO NOT VISIT ARABIA UNDER THIS DESPISED WAHABI ZIONIST FILTH. ALL MOSLEMS MUST STAND FIRM IN JIHAD AGAINST THESE VILE WAHABI-ZIONISTS

“What they (Saudi regime) are doing is they are betraying the common Muslims in the name of Mecca and Medina, and their sacredness,” said Syed Ali Wasif, the president of Society for International Reforms and Research in Washington, in an interview with Press TV on Sunday.

“The sacredness of Mecca and Medina is being used by the Saudi regime to fool around, to fool the Saudi citizens and to fool the Muslim Ummah and the international community at large.”

لالقيادة سورية الحرة من عملاء الاستعمار الصهيوني الامبريالي الغربي – سورية الحرة هي سورية النزيهة
المالح وابنه سرقا مبلغ 33 مليون دولار من أموال “الثورة” قبل أن تجمدها الألمانية بعد قصة ابنه مع “عاهرة
”
الله يوفقك وينصركم الله يعظّم وينصر المسلمين المجاهدين لتنسى فلسطين الأسلامية والقدس نحن معكم بكل نصرة جهاد حتى تحرير مكة المكرمة مسقط واندالوسيا باكو وكازاخستان انشآ الله

I leave you with this Quranic Verse from souret AL ANFAL 30: “They Plot and Plan but Allah also plans, and Allah is the best of planners”

http://islamic-intelligence.blogspot.com/2009/10/are-saudi-royal-family-jewish.html
http://muslimvilla.smfforfree.com/index.php?topic=2433.0
http://www.truedemocracy.net/hj33/08.html

@ 248. Their captors claim that at least one of them had a Revolutionary guards ID on him, and permission to carry firearms (although I heard no news as to whether the permission is Syrian or Iranian). I think, although this is only my guess, that this is a bit more prosaic than it seems: in all likelihood the person is really a revolutionary guard, but it is possible that he’s merely meant to watch after the security of the rest of the group in a war-wrecked country, while the rest could very well be civilian. Subsequently the rebels likely think of them all as of Hezbollah in all honesty, because let’s face it, bus full of men associated with an Iranian revolutionary guard officer is pretty darn suspicious.

I would be interested in knowing where was the site of their pilgrimage…and what were they thinking going into a war wrecked country for tourism? It still happens though.

I don’t really hold it against the rebels for detaining them, I would likely do that too were I in their position, although I completely understand the concerns over the flag of jihad. Hopefully all this will be cleared up.

There was at least one RG officer with the Iranians. The FSA is saying there are more. They didn’t say how many.

If so, then the rest are just Shabi7a on a mission with those few officers as their rahbars (emirs). They could be Bassij which is like a people militia.

I have been several times to the Damascus shrine and saw many Iranian visitors. The abductees don’t look like visitors to me.

Moreover, few months ago, Qasim Suleimani made a bombastic statement clearly admitting his thugs of the so-called Quds brigade are operating in Syria (anyone has a link?)

…………………………………………………

Anyone who has objections to those symbols on the flag should spell out those objections in clear terms, and don’t leave us guessing. You didn’t make your case.

@ 253. Thank you for the insight.

Well, just to spell out the objections to the flag: it is a religious flag and usually used by the religiously devout units, although I understand it may be used by completely ordinary people, the people who are not Muslims or are outside of the middle east usually associate it with radical groups who like to show them with great pride. As usual, the problem is guessing just what is the proportion of users who are radical and who are not.

Pardon my amateur comment, but nevertheless thanks for yours and I wanted to point out the issue regarding the perception of the flag.

Visitor,

Anyone with objections to the shahada on a flag should also object to England, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden and various other European nations that have a Christian cross on their flag.

Or else they are a bigot.

Report: MEK to join terrorists in Aleppo
Sources revealed that some members of the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq group (MEK, a.k.a. MKO and PMOI) are going to leave Iraq to join the anti-Assad terrorists through Syria’s northern borders.
http://www.habilian.ir/en/News/report-mek-to-join-terrorists-in-aleppo.html
“A number of U.S. and Turkish officers accompanied by several commanders of Kurdish Peshmerga forces had a meeting with some high ranking members of the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization in Erbil, Iraq,” well-informed Iraqi security sources told the Arabic language Top News TV channel.

The sources added that the meeting decreed that Peshmerga forces transfer a number of MKO elements from Iraq to Turkey and then to the northern parts of Syria in order for these anti-Iran terrorists to join the so-called Free Syrian Army.

Directed by Nasser Qandil, Lebanese politician and former Member of Parliament, the news channel added that U.S. and Turkish officials have told the MKO that “Saudi Arabia and Qatar are committed to jointly pay the costs of relocation and resettlement, expected to be roughly $ 250 million,” as well as $ 100 million per month for the militias.(.).

Another brilliant comment from Assad supporters:

“Are there still people believing Al Jazeera’ Syria reporting?”

Why just Aljazeera? As long as there are people believing A-Dunia and the other Syrian and Iranian outlets of disinformation, there will be people believing Al Jazeera.

255 SOD,

LOOOOOOOL…………

You got it man.

But what is he up to anyway? Why doesn’t he explain himself? Besides these are not symbols. They are just words. May be he cannot read Arabic!!!

……………………………………………………………………

MICHAL,

I do not think it was you who contributed the comment with the ambiguous objections. So why did you offer an explanation? We want the author of that comment to explain himself by himself.

Israeli soldier shoots a Syrian in Golan
Quds Al-Arabi Newspaper revealed that the Israeli enemy has opened fire on a Syrian Youngman in the occupied Golan.
The Youngman has got wounded.
The military spokesperson of Israeli enemy forces claimed that their forces detected a civilian coming from the Syrian territories, where he was closed to the borders fence, what resulted in shooting him on his knee.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9104252929
Syria Arrests Turkish Army General in Aleppo
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army announced that it has recently apprehended a Turkish general who commanded the terrorists trying to seize control of Aleppo.

Was that Syrian which was shot by the Israelis a CITIZEN running away from the Nazi-like thugs occupying Damascus?

There was a link provided by one of Assad supporters showing a pro-Assad rally in Sydney.

Few observations:

– Every despot and war criminal like Assad has supporters. Hitler did, Mao did, Stalin did, and so on. I would understand it if people didn’t support the revolution because of fear of the unknown, but to express love and admiration for a mass murderer and war criminal tells you who those people really are.

– It’s ironic that Assad supporters in Sydney, a country opposed to Assad, rally in support of a president that does not allow people to rally against him. Can you imagine people in Damascus marching under the protection of police chanting “Down Down with Assad”?

– There was a sign condemning Nato imperialism in a country that is allied with the biggest Nato member, the USA. The question is why live in a country that supports and aids the country they accuse of causing trouble in Syria? Why not go to Assad’s Syria and live happily ever after. The pro-Assad people badmouth the Western press, but then, like the daughter of Jaafari, seek to work at ABC or CNN. When she decided to apply for graduate school, she didn’t seek Russian, Chinese, or Iranian universities. She went for Columbia. The same applies to many Assad supporters on this board. If you believe in Assad and his reforms, go down and lend him a hand. You got free education. It’s time to go back and return the favor.

If you to read the article on this link, you will understand the very modus operandi of Zionism: Deception, conspiring in secret, lies, violence against innocents, murder, theft and robberies, fabrication of history, aliases and fake name, fictional fake stories reported as truthful facts and the list goes on. Do you see the similarities in today’s events, do you see the hidden hand of Zionism at work? 9/11 fraud is the tip of the ice berg of this Luciferan plan. For Syrians today, what you seen on the ground, on Youtube and on these very pages of syriacomment is nothing more than the very same Modus Operandi of Zionism.

http://www.truedemocracy.net/hj33/08.html

Fake names, fake internet personalities, fake stories, fake quotes, fake videos, fake audios, fake groups, fake Syrian Organizations, fake militants, fake passports, fake battles, fake genocides story that rival the Hollow ones before, fake , fake…fake…. They are masquerading here as Syrians, helping the deceptive plot on the internet, in an attempt to deceive the Professional Middle East Researcher into concluding a specific point of view that befits the Zionist plotters. They must really value this platform blog. Because for professional counter-espionage and counter intelligence investigators, the footprint of deception are obscenely visible, no shame at all to even practice more discrete deceptive means. But they rely on the gullibility of readers to make believe all. They don’t care about the professionals, these opinion are usually relegated to conspiracy theorists.

Don’t be deceived by the myth re-enforcement statements constantly posted in the comment section: We Syrians, I miss my Syria, missed the Damascus evening on Balcony, the Shawerma back in Damascus tastes the best etc.. From day one on this blog the deception by foreign paid persons was evident.

For Syria, the Zionist deceptive plan failed miserably, it was that plan that is the LYNCHPIN for them, they knew they have no chance to succeed in Syria past that fraud. When it was exposed, they were frustrated and gone mad into sectarianism, importing genocidal sadistic Negro kilers from Africa, drugged and brain tampered Islamist Wahabis from all over the world. The effort was huge, incredibly big and expensive, so much invested in cash, media and lives, logistics and what have you to make this deception works. Yet we can salute the smart ones in Syria for not wavering. The tenacity is no doubt legendary now. Books, volumes of it will be written about this Zionists way of war that was exposed and met defeat on the hand of Syrians. They managed to take over the western world, but crashed in Syria.

260. VISITOR
No a Nazi visitor is just the same Israeli soldier . صـــــــه

I see a block of thumb down on SNP comment above, this is the desperado Zionists that crashed in Syria desperate attempt to discredit sane ones. You see it is very easy to cheat this thumbing deal. It was explained by SNP before, but one other way that was not spoken of, that is so easy, is simply to go to your any smart phone web browser and log in to Syriacommnet, every time you log out and log in again you will see the thumb green/red again. So imagine how hopless these desperados are. Guess what, I will not even click it once for SNP. I wanted you Zionists boil in your ignorance. DEFEATED, HUMILATED, EXPOSED. 144,000 will be taken out of earth in a spaceship, it is on the way now.

Based on comment 246, author can add sectarian to history junkie and Anglophile in his description at wordpress.

@ 265. There’s enough dumb Assad’s regime trolls already, Aleš.

263 CITIZEN

Excuse my Arabic. It’s been quite a while.

http://www.wordreference.com/aren/%D8%B5%D9%87!%20%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%AA

What an honarable man, this is the true Olympiad winner. SALUTE THE GREAT

http://islamic-intelligence.blogspot.com/

i think this is the root of the matter in the difference of philosophy between democrats vs authoritarians:

The conservative argument is that people can’t govern themselves because they’re essentially evil and dysfunctional and therefore they need strong leaders.

And the liberal argument that Hobbes also made was that people can govern themselves.

A British photographer who was held hostage in Syria for a week said on Sunday that his captors were Alciada international jihadists who included several Britons MI6 trained Jihadi. He Said two of them were so Angelicized they spoke no Arabic, but talked to the others in Londoner accent.

“…Reality twisted

To put it in starker terms, I was struck by the odd feeling that Libya was being picked on by certain observers, among them staunch anti-interventionists with an axe to grind – that reality was being twisted to fit a desired narrative because things hadn’t turned out quite as badly as they’d predicted (or hoped?). Yet one wonders if such commentators have bothered to pay any real attention to the climate in post-revolutionary Libya”.

So imagine my surprise on visits to Benghazi, Misrata and Tripoli, to find that there were no militiamen to be seen, that most things were functioning normally, that there were police at traffic intersections, that there were children’s carnivals open till late, families out, that jewellery shops were open till 8pm, that Arabs and Africans were working side by side, and that people were proud in Benghazi of having demonstrated against calls for decentralising the country.”

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/07/2012731132420473906.html

Did you hear that, professor Abukhalil, AngryArab?
.

قتل 16 جندياً مصرياً وأصيب خمسة آخرون بجروح أثر هجوم مسلح شنه مجهولون على نقطة حدودية جنوب معبري رفح و كرم أبو سالم .
وذكر موقع صحيفة “الأهرام” المصرية أنه تم نقل المصابين والقتلى إلى مستشفى رفح والعريش فيما أكد مصدر طبي أن حالة المصابين الخمسة خطرة.
وحذر النائب البرلماني السابق مصطفى بكري من احتمالية عودة إسرائيل لاحتلال سيناء، بعد الأخبار التي تناقلتها وسائل الإعلام عن مصادر رسمية حول هجوم عناصر من تنظيم “التكفير والهجرة” على جنود مصريين في سيناء.

إتفق الجيش العراقي مع قوات “بيشمركة” كردستان العراق على إنهاء التوتر قبالة الحدود العراقية-السورية وانسحاب قوات الجيش العراقي من ناحية “زمار” شمال غرب الموصل.
وأعلن الأمين العام لوزارة البيشمركة جبار ياور في مؤتمر صحافي أن “اللجنة المشتركة بين إقليم كردستان والحكومة المركزية عقدت خلال اليومين الماضيين اجتماعات في بغداد واتفقت على انسحاب قوات الجيش العراقي من ناحية زمار شمال غرب الموصل”.
وأضاف ياور أنه “سيتم وحسب الاتفاق وضع آلية مناسبة من أجل العمل المشترك بين قوات البيشمركة والجيش العراقي في المناطق المتنازع عليها، مرجحا أن تنفذ الاتفاقية خلال اليومين المقبلين بعد موافقة رئيس مجلس الوزراء نوري المالكي ورئيس الإقليم مسعود البارزاني”.
وذكر أنه حسب الاتفاقية تتوجه قوات البيشمركة والقوات العراقية من مناطقهم باتجاه الحدود السورية-العراقية للحفاظ على الحدود، مشيرا إلى أن الاتفاق يقضي بانسحاب القوات الزائدة عن الحاجة من الجيش العراقي ويتم فتح الطرق لها وإنهاء ظاهرة انتشار القوات المسلحة.
Translation: Kurds will now be in charge of that part of syrian-Iraqi borders

Syrian Fascist Party,

What are the chances that you and Aldendeshe are in fact one commentator (suffering from deluzia and schizophrenia)?
.

The agitation of despair

The kidnapping of the Iranians is a clear attempt by armed rebels to create a new situation.
As they know the antipathy of the Western countries for Iran now, they childishly thought that by accusing Iran of direct intervention in Syria, it would trigger an UN resolution condemning Iran and affirming its support for the armed rebels.

In the last weeks, the rebels have been resorting to terrorist acts, massacres and kidnappings to grab the attention of the Western countries and cause a UN resolution that would force a change of regime. Unfortunately it had the exact opposite effect. The western countries have obviously decided that the armed rebels have become more of a problem than the regime. The UN resolution brought no hopes for the embattled rebels.

Whatever they’ll do, the rebels will always be getting the usual promises of money and telephones, a few tap on their back and the usual “Unite”.
It seems that the only place where they will find unity, is in the Turkish refugee camps waiting for them

“Heaviest fighting in years” between the Turkish army and the Turkish Kurds rebels

Bloodiest PKK fight in years kill dozens

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/bloodiest-pkk-fight-in-years-kill-dozens.aspx?pageID=238&nID=27161&NewsCatID=338
ORDU/ANKARA
The interior minister announces the deaths of nearly 130 PKK fighters and several soldiers amid the heaviest fighting in Turkey in years
…
The clashes have been some of the heaviest and bloodiest in years. The PKK has been waging an armed campaign for Kurdish autonomy for the last three decades against Turkey, leading to the deaths of more than 40,000 lives so far.

Still waiting with the world for that ONE SINGLE EVIDENCE that a kingdom ever existed. Read about the fabricated history of the Jews, they have no shame and o honor, they lie and lie and cheat, kill, murder and deceive mankind yet not one single evidence ever bought up, NOT ONE: ALL A DECEPTION A HOLLOWMYTH.

THE FRAUD: DAVID & SOLOMON, MANNY AND MO

http://www.nairaland.com/751299/did-biblical-kings-david-solomon

http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/david.htm

GIVE THE LAND TO ITS PEOPLE. 4 MILLION MOSLEM PALESTIANS ARE REFUGEES, SHAME ON MOSLEMS,THEY HAVE NO NONOR AND NO DIGNITY.

Syria rebels defends ‘Law of Jungle’ as executions mount

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syria-rebels-defends-law-of-jungle-as-executions-mount.aspx?pageID=238&nID=27154&NewsCatID=352

DAMASCUS / AZAZ, Syria
The Free Syrian Army defended the execution of regime loyalists following a growing list of accusations, after the group’s leaders in Turkey condemn it. ‘We don’t have courts to judge,’ regional commander Gazali says

274. Amir in Tel Avivsaid:
Syrian Fascist Party,
What are the chances that you and Aldendeshe are in fact one commentator (suffering from deluzia and schizophrenia)?
__________________________________________________________________
Fascism is honorable, Zionism is not, Israel is a fraud.

The only one suffering from deluzia and schizophrenia, are the Israelis Jews, The Zionists knows it is all Marduk/Amen Babylonian scam, but the Jews today who for 100 years sane people all over the world, from clergies to top world Universities, to the world’s best Archeological Departments told them they are genocidal delusional mentals, that there never existed Israel, David and Shlomo Solomon, they still delusional, they gone on wild, wild, chase and digging all over the land they stole from Palestinians for 100 years and nothing, NADA, not ONE evidence discovered, that is Nationalist Delusion. Study about it, Google Jewish schizophrenia.

http://www.nairaland.com/751299/did-biblical-kings-david-solomon
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/david.htm

Is it too much to ask 6 million heads to present the world with ONE SINGLE EVIDENCE that they really had a king? Shame on you. A National Fraud.

Moderator. please release SNP and my previous comment. Don’t be part of this perpetual fraud called ISRAEL. Let the people read and see the links. There are no 9/11 links that point to 80 Jews who plotted and masterminded it, then gone to genocide againt 3 million Moslems.

Some people just keep whining and harping about the captured Iranian terrorists and never get tired of spinning propaganda hopelessly hoping to shield the sun light with a sheet of porous sieve.

OK, here is the link to the terrorist Quds Brigade involvement in the killing of the Syrian people. It was made by the deputy of the notorious Qasim Soleimani, so-called General of this terrorist group around May 2012, which means the Iranian involvement has been ongoing for quite some time before that date based on the the statement,

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/05/27/216897.html

Get over it for God sake.

Syria conflict: Photographers’ UK jihadist claim considered

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19136630

Reports that Britons were among Islamist militants who kidnapped and wounded two photographers in Syria are being taken “very seriously” by ministers, the Foreign Office has said.

The claims were made by photographers John Cantlie and Jeroen Oerlemans, who were held at a camp for a week in July.

The Foreign Office said it was closely “monitoring the situation”.

The Free Syrian Army group, which is part of the opposition trying to oust Bashar al-Assad, helped them to escape.

Mr Cantlie, who is British, and his Dutch colleague, Mr Oerlemans, were both wounded in a “shooting gallery” as their thwarted captors fired after the fleeing men.

#281 Visitor

Iranian involvement has been ongoing for quite some time before that date based on the the statement,

Probably not as long as the Qatari and the Turks.

Barzani smiled to Davutoglu and did nothing about the Syrian Kurds training.
The Kurd issue is threatening to overtake Turkey’s regional policy.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/yas-and-semdinli.aspx?pageID=449&nID=27134&NewsCatID=425

The ruling Islamists of Turkey, who have been rather pleased by the “spring rise” of the Sunni Islamic Brotherhood in the neighborhood, are now growing worried because of developments in Syria, with the prospect of a Kurdish summer setting in and gripping Turkey as well.

Instructions carried to Mossoud Barzani by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu to the effect that Turkey’s security is northern Iraq’s security… fell on deaf ears.
The top foreign policy chiefs of the ruling Islamists of Turkey reiterated their red lines once again to the Syrian Kurds, underlining that those elements that are in bed with the Turkish separatists are unwelcome.

A friend has just shared with me this good description:

“Syria’s dictator, Bashar al-Assad is a tall man with, as his most distinguishing feature, a very small head. Such a small head may or may not always imply a minute brain. But in the case of Bashar, such appears to be the case. Bashar al-Assad behaves like an infant in the body of a grown man. Rome’s Caligula, who believed himself to be a God and who promoted his favorite horse to a seat in the Roman Senate, quickly comes to mind when evaluating Bashar the Beast of Syria, and his wife.

“While the 46 year old dictator’s armed forces and security guards are murdering unarmed women and children in the streets of Syria, Bashar is roaming around his many palaces dressed in jeans, ordering his favorite music on iTunes and sharing songs with his spend-thrift British-born wife, Asma al-Assad. She meanwhile idles her time shopping online for expensive jewellery and ordering furniture from Paris.

“Bashar and Asma al-Assad fit perfectly into the ‘banality of evil’ concept of philosopher, Hannah Arendt. She argues that ordinary people can commit serious crimes against humanity because they see such acts as the normal way of operating and cannot judge the consequences of their actions. As Syrian citizens die and are tortured at the hands of their underlings, Bashar and Asma surf the net for amusement and relief from the ennuie of unlimited wealth.”

http://charlesrowley.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/bashar-al-assad-the-banality-of-evil/

Aleppo rebels wait anxiously for Bashar al-Assad’s elite to attack

“We have many more weapons than we used to have,” he said. “The regime is running away and they are tired, so tired. Even more than us. I would say that of the force they are bringing to fight us, only 20% are brave and committed to battle.

“We had around 120 defectors this morning alone.”

If the consistent rumours among rebel ranks are right, the Free Syrian Army will need many more men to defend its gains in Aleppo in the coming days. Rebel commanders across northern Syria say the rump of the regime’s army, including all its key divisions and units, is travelling north from Damascus, Hama and Idlib to join the battle.

“We are expecting them on Tuesday,” said a rebel colonel from Idlib, who has sent spotters to monitor the progress of the regime reinforcements. “They are sending the Republican Guards.”
….
Back in his office, he said: “We have anti-aircraft rockets, you know. We will use them when the time is right. They can’t win, because they are not fighting for the right reasons. God is with us and so are the people.”

The latter remains to be seen. Aleppo locals seem yet to fully embrace the rebel army, preferring to wait to see who can fill the vacuum.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/05/aleppo-rebels-regime-power-fades-away

Aldendeshe, I have a lot of issues with Israel, but aggressive conspiracy theory comments just drown out the debate and switch people off.

That, plus pushing these ideas here when there is so much to worry about in Syria, could be the reason you are not getting many thumbs-up votes.

I feel you are kicking the wrong target with Amir in Tel Aviv. All I know is that he is honest and upfront about where he lives, and I agree with many of his observations and links about the Syrian situation.

You only detract from many of your good comments when you beat noisy war drums about Jews and Zionists having fake history and being behind 9/11 and so on.

Bashar is not in Damascus. He is hiding in an underground bunker in Lattakia. Will time come when he hides in Lattakia’s sewer system just like his ancestor (Gaddafi)?

What are the chances that you and Aldendeshe are in fact one commentator (suffering from deluzia and schizophrenia)?
_________________________________________________________________

Big Chances, sometimes I use both, and yes if it pleases you I suffer from those ailment, they came from DAN Gene. LOL.

BUT, you finished, your foul smell is reeking bad, as you did before many times, your transgressions and crimes against humanities is beyond the pale, the seal is open, you really are finished, start packing, you need to make room for 4,000,000 Palestinian Moslems to come back home, tell Jordan rulers to get packing too. It is only a matter of times before Bashar Assad and Ahmadinejad get to understand something’s (my and SNP needs) and come through.

The FSA has forced the regime to go for broke.

No 288 We found him. See below

…………………………………………………………..

Can anyone find recent statements made by FSA first Colonel Khalid Youssef al-Hmoud?

“Bashar has been located by the FSA. He lives in a small house near the Feejee spring connected with underground tunnels to Tishreen Palace”

Looks like he is well on his way in following his comrade-in-crime Hasan Plasma.

Should Bashar be called بشار لكتب ع وراق الشجر?

We cannot call him Bashar Plasma because he doesn’t seem to have the inclination to appear from behind plasma TV and make speeches. He seems to prefer writing instead.

# 228. ZOO

That comment about “British jihadis” in Syria just confirms what we already know – that they are the usual misfits and fantasists chasing adventure, who will bawl like babies to be rescued and brought home by the UK government if things get too tough.

Just watch.

And as someone here said, when the fight is over the Syrian opposition will say thankyou and goodbye. They will not stick around when the country has a legitimate government.

Robert Fisk: Assad’s merciless assault risks wiping out both his country’s future – and its past

Long View: We may reflect how ‘the battle for Syria’s history’ has been fought many times before

Monday 06 August 2012

[Selected quote]

But that was then, as they say, and this is now; and when the innocent die in what all the world – save the Syrian government – calls a civil war, history takes a back place, save for its usefulness in the hands of propagandists and mountebanks. And we return again to the old and painful question: how dare we fear for the treasures of history when the youth of Syria is bleeding to death, when children’s shrouded corpses are being put into the earth of Aleppo? What do the battlements of Krak des Chevaliers count against the torment of Idlib and Hama and Homs and – for a few days – Damascus?

But Syria’s heritage – our heritage, too – does matter. It will be the property of Syria’s future inhabitants,…

Read more:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-assads-merciless-assault-risks-wiping-out-both-his-countrys-future–and-its-past-8009052.html

@SYRIALOVER,

Did not I tell you to save your breath because I don’t giva a damm. Who are you, what is your real name, why are you hiding? Why anyone should listen to what you have to say, you could be a 10th grader with a job flipping Burgers at McDonalds, try ITUNE for blog. If you are somebody, doubtful, tell us more about you, show us your profile, then someone can decide if they wanted to listen to what you have to say. GET IT NOW. You are nobody now, just a pseudonym, I don’t even know if your are just another little giddy Jewish girl in Israel (an enemy ) and I am addressing a man. You making me feel stupid just talking to you, you could be an automated system that intel companies spending money developing and testing.

Visitor,

Hi. You can address me by my name. Do not be shy.

Aldendeshe,

Are you not taking your medications lately? Doctors know better. Please take your medicine as prescribed. They are good for you.

Will do 295….oops TARA

Robert Fisk: Assad’s merciless assault risks wiping out both his country’s future – and its past
_________________________________________________________________
There are no country on the face of this earth that have more solid past than Syria, Persia and Lebanon. Unlike Bedouins of Arabia, who may present you with a tent of ALMAKHLEES ALARS for evidence that they did exist in past century, and unlike Israeli Jews, Syrians they don’t hide when you asks them for a SINGLE evidence of their country past, Syrians can present few millions undisputable evidence.

Who’s Robert Fisk anyway? What does he know much about Countries past, just because he write to some Zionist paper rag, he is now an expert?

As to Syria future, Bashar Assad can choose to be so, or there are many Syrians who can fill the shoes. We don’t need a Bedouin king or fictions David to rule us and set our site on the future. Remember, No ASSAD, means PERSIA in SYRIA and RUSSIA in TARTOUS, and AMMAN is in Palestine.

Aldendeshe,

I am Chinese. You have problem with that?

Clozaril is not FDA approved but has good results. You should consider it. Potential side effects can be monitored with blood testing. Your Clozariled-opinions are much more valuable than your plain ones.

Chinese are sane and winners, you are not, ask your Rabbi, and you are a big damm LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER. Like all Bedouins. Thanks for the advise, Clozaril is not FDA approved but has good results. How long you been taking it, any side effect, other than what I see here? That is bad, just 2 weeks on this medication and you turned like this. Scary, but must be normal in Israel. Notice I did not click you thumb down, I only do it when I feel Childish and giddy like a Jewish girl.

TARA

Bashar Assad (6 ft 2.5″) will be hard to hide in a sewer because of his awkward shape. Much easier if he was like his midget buddies Ahmadimejad (5ft 4″) and Putin (5ft 6.5″, and paranoid about it showing in photos).

UZAIR8

Assad’s lunatic urbicide (destruction of urban enviroments) should also be coupled with evil “heritage-icide”, or maybe there is aready a term for destroying precious ancient historical sites.

Aldendeshe,

Look. I am not really interested in a tit-for-tat exchange. This is the last post to you from me.

When you are not taking meds, your posts becomes pathologically delusional and insane which distract from the subject of Syria. They are fun to read initially up to a point…after which the delusionsl distraction becomes annoying. When you take your meds, you offer very valid opinions that are pretty intelligent at times. We are serious readers looking for serious conversation.

Tara, you have certainly pushed a button. It is better that Aldendeshe should not have our full names and addresses, otherwise we might also have to think about safety for ourselves and those of our families who are outside Syria as well as those inside.

Hello moderator. I hope all is well. I don’t believe that it is appropriate for posters to call other people LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER (number of Os may rounded up to the nearest thousand). Doesn’t help the discussion much when posters resort to name calling.

“144,000 will be taken out of earth in a spaceship, it is on the way now.”

Dude….Scientology? Seriously?

Tara, at times like this we must remember…there but for the grace of God go we 🙂

وكالة الانباء المصرية: مهاجموا الموقع العسكري في سيناء قدموا من غزة
Another hot spot to worry about in the death valley called The Middle East

more on that berri clan/summary execution story:

The three victims of yesterday’s execution, as reported by local activists, were high ranking members of the Berri Clan, including its leader Zeino Berri. The Clan is Sunni and is known for its involvement in drug-trafficking and gun-running, among other illicit activities. The Clan is known as well for its affiliation with Maher Al-Assad and, before him, with his late brother, Bassil. This connection has served to guarantee Berri elders at least one spot in the parliament, and has allowed them to make a mockery out of the legal system in Syria for decades. In fact, many of their members have multiple death sentences issued against them. Naturally, the sentences were never carried out. The worst thing that has ever happened to a Berri clansman, before yesterday, was spending few months in prison for offences that by law warrant execution. Zeino Berri himself is known to have had three death sentences issued against him. It was the fourth one that finally killed him.

you mean these goons were already tried in a court of law?? this suggests syria’s judicial system has been able to retain a level of independence and is salvageable after the regime is decapitated. you wouldn’t have to rebuild completely from scratch.

one could also argue that the shabihas’ previously adjudicated death sentences were belatedly carried out.

Fared Zakaria:
( just giving readers a break from a sleuth of garbage quality posts)
What Syria needs is an end to the Assad regime but then some kind of political deal between the old and new guard. The core elements of the regime would have to step down or be ousted. But the opposition would also need to accept a post-al-Assad scenario in which some elements of the old system are kept in place, if only so that those elements don’t fight until the bitter end.

279. Aldendeshe

They’re desperately trying to silence you 8)

307. Ghufran said:

Fared Zakaria!

is a card carrying Islamist Hypocrite!

Antoine,

Please refrain from using anti-Gay slurs. SC Moderator
——
Hahahahaaha…..wooohooooo……I wish I was with the FSA who are holding theose Iranians !!1 Wooohoooo…….what do regime suporters have to

say ? All Iranian infiltrators will now be ruthlessly hunted down by FSA in Syria. (deleted )

The good thing is that Iran is humilated, and Assad security forces have been totally humiliated.

Aldendeshe,

Please refrain from resorting to personal insults, name calling. Please do not cast suspicion on posters’ declared identity, ethnicity, or country of origin.

SC moderator
——-

@TARA

I did take the one you are taking, it taste Kosher, unless you sent me the wrong one.

Who are you TARA, what is your real name, why are you hiding? Why anyone should listen to what you have to say, you could be a 10th grader with a job flipping Burgers at McDonalds, try ITUNE for blog. If you are somebody, doubtful, tell us more about you, show us your profile, then someone can decide if they wanted to listen to what you have to say. GET IT NOW. You are nobody now, just a pseudonym, I don’t even know if your are just another little giddy Jewish girl in Israel (an enemy ) and I am addressing a man. You making me feel stupid just talking to you, you could be an automated system that intel companies spending money developing and testing.

OOPS I forgot for you: LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER

@MODERATOR.

Make sure they get the same warning, allowing insult on me alone is not acceptable and hold you and Landis responsible. I never attack them, I respond, I wish I never have to stoop low to them. They are nobody to me and they should not make any comment about and direct one to me personally. They can only discuss matters in my comments. I am gone to dinner but wll bring this matter with you later.

sc moderator,

when comments get stuck in spam and then republished, wouldn’t it be better they be placed in the front of the line instead of allowing it remain in the timeline it was originally posted?

by sticking to the original timeline when republishing, the comment ends up getting buried.

but if doing so requires extra effort, then disregard and nevermind. thank you.

A very good read from The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/05/why-kofi-annan-enough-over-syria
We know that there are no innocent players in this dirty war,but one has to be honest in calling things as they are. Annan did not resign because of Russia and China,he resigned because he realized that he is not dealing with honest brokers on the other side.

Syria’s ancient treasures pulverised – August 06, 2012

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/06-Aug-2012/syria-s-ancient-treasures-pulverised

Robert Fisk

The priceless treasures of Syria’s history – of Crusader castles, ancient mosques and churches, Roman mosaics, the renowned “Dead Cities” of the north and museums stuffed with antiquities – have fallen prey to looters and destruction by armed rebels and government militias as fighting envelops the country. While the monuments and museums of the two great cities of Damascus and Aleppo have so far largely been spared, reports from across Syria tell of irreparable damage to heritage sites that have no equal in the Middle East. Even the magnificent castle of Krak des Chevaliers – described by Lawrence of Arabia as “perhaps the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world” and which Saladin could not capture – has been shelled by the Syrian army.
The destruction of Iraq’s heritage in the anarchic aftermath of the Anglo-American invasion of 2003 – the looting of the national museum, the burning of the Quranic library and the wiping out of ancient Sumerian cities – may now be repeated in Syria. Reports from Syrian archaeologists and from Western specialists in bronze age and Roman cities tell of an Assyrian temple destroyed at Tell Sheikh Hamad, massive destruction to the wall and towers of the citadel of al-Madiq castle – one of the most forward Crusader fortresses in the Levant which originally fell to Bohemond of Antioch in 1106 – and looting of the magnificent Roman mosaics of Apamea, where thieves have used bulldozers to rip up Roman floors and transport them from the site. Incredibly, they have managed to take two giant capitols from atop the colonnade of the “decumanus”, the main east-west Roman road in the city.
In many cases, armed rebels have sought sanctuary behind the thick walls of ancient castles only to find that the Syrian military have not hesitated to blast away at these historical buildings to destroy their enemies. Pitched battles have been fought between rebels and Syrian troops amid the “Dead Cities”, the hundreds of long-abandoned Graeco-Roman towns that litter the countryside outside Aleppo, which once formed the heart of ancient Syria. Syrian troops have occupied the Castle of Ibn Maan above the Roman city of Palmyra and parked tanks and armoured vehicles in the Valley of the Tombs to the west of the old city. The government army are reported to have dug a deep defensive trench within the Roman ruins.
“The situation of Syria’s heritage today is catastrophic,” according to Joanne Farchakh, a Lebanese archaeologist who also investigated the destruction and plundering of Iraq’s historical treasures after 2003, and helped the Baghdad museum to reclaim some of its stolen artefacts.
“One of the problems is that for 10 years before the war, the Syrian regime established 25 cultural museums all over the country to encourage tourism and to keep valuable objects on these sites – many placed stone monuments in outside gardens, partly to prove that the regime was strong enough to protect them. Now the Homs museum has been looted – by rebels and by government militias, who knows? – and antique dealers are telling me that the markets of Jordan and Turkey are flooded with artefacts from Syria.”

[…]

Aldendeshe,

I deleted your post for racial slur. Please observe SC rules. SC Moderator

@ANN, LOL & LOL

Syrian troops hunt down “Turkish, Gulf” militia in Aleppo: state media – 2012-08-05

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/05/c_131762933.htm

DAMASCUS, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Syria’s state media said Sunday the army troops have continued hunting down “Turkish and Gulf” militia in a number of neighborhoods in Aleppo city, in reference to the Western and Arab-backed rebels that have recently been reportedly re-enforced with foreign and Arab fighters.

Quoting a source in Aleppo, the state-run news agency SANA said residents of Sayyed Ali district confronted on Sunday the ” terrorist” militia and kicked them out of the area.

SANA said the army troops on Sunday confronted armed groups, including Afghanis, who had been entrenching in the faculty of science in Aleppo, adding that they were all eliminated.

In al-Kawakbi area of Aleppo, the government troops carried out a “qualitative” operation and tracked down armed militia, killing a big number of them, said SANA, adding that among the killed were Turks.

Syria has for long said that a third party has joined the battles in Syria, adding that foreign intelligence and Arab extremists have become part of the daily cycle of violence.

In central Homs province, meanwhile, an arms store used by armed groupsas a hideout was blasted Sunday in Jouret Ashayah neighborhood, killing many “terrorists,” said SANA.

It said the store contained ammunition and explosive devices, pointing out that dozens of “terrorists” were killed or injured in the explosion, which has damaged nearby buildings as well.

[…]

Omen,

Changing time of comments stuck in spam does require extra step that might not be available when I log in using a smart phone. Whenever this function is available to me, I will try to use it. Thank you for your inquiry.

Israel fears potential Syrian Islamist attacks – 2012-08-05

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/05/c_131762899.htm

JERUSALEM, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Israel is increasingly concerned that extremist Islamists actively involved in Syria’s conflicts may ultimately turn their weapons against Israeli targets, security officials said Sunday.

Israeli intelligence agencies monitoring the situation across the northern border in recent weeks have noticed the growing involvement of al-Qaida-affiliated cells, as well as other groups linked to the global jihad movement, in the fighting against the Syrian regime, the Ha’aretz newspaper reported Sunday.

These groups are estimated to number several thousand fighters from Iraq, Jordan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, who have pledged their loyalty to the rebels’ Free Syria Army, as an unknown number of fighters have been killed in fighting against the government forces across Syria, Ha’aretz said.

According to the report, security officials here are reviewing a scenario in which members of these groups will attempt to launch actions against Israel in the near future in a bid to coax Syrian President Bashar al-Assad into a confrontation with Israel.

A more troubling scenario is that the militants will exploit the security vacuum in a post-Assad era to strike roots and turn Syria into a global jihad stronghold, the report said.

In a sign that an offensive against Israel may be under way, Israeli troops on Saturday opened fire on a Syrian citizen who attempted to breach the border fence in southern Golan Heights.

A military spokeswoman told Xinhua that the man was hit in the knee and was carried off the scene by others.

[…]

US, Israel arranging roles in Iran war theater? – 06 August, 2012

http://www.rt.com/news/us-israel-iran-war-plan-926/

Reports are surfacing of a US-Israeli plan to attack Iran’s ballistic missile batteries, giving Israel extra space to tackle Syria and Hezbollah. While no talks have been confirmed, anonymous sources claim that war plans have been put to paper.

­While it’s unclear how far-reaching the US and Israeli plans are, some say the allies have detailed intentions to destroy the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missiles – and let Israel launch an assault on Syria and Hezbollah to boot.

An anonymous US military source told DEBKAfile, a website covering Israel-related security issues, that the US Air Force will be tasked with destroying Iran’s Shahab-3 ballistic missile batteries. Each of these missiles has a range of 1,280 kilometers (800 miles), making them capable of reaching Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Upgraded versions of the Shahab-3’s can reach targets 2,000 kilometers away. In the past, Iran has warned that its missiles will always be ready to launch in case of an attack.

By destroying the Shahabs-3’s, Israel would be able to focus its energy on taking on perceived threats from Syria, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas, without having to worry about an attack from Iran, the official told DEBKAfile.

And last weekend, an anonymous senior US official told an Israeli newspaper that National Security Advisor Tom Donilon had briefed Israeli authorities on a contingency plan, in case of a showdown with Iran.

Israel has denied reports of such a plan, but last week’s talks between US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have still caused a heated debate.

If tensions with Iran increase, some predict the US may attack the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities in an attempt to protect Israel, the source said in a briefing.

But Tehran is only estimated to have between 30 and 40 of these missiles – a small number that could hardly make a dent during times of war. If used against the US and its allies, the missiles would be quickly destroyed by the American Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Systems and Israel’s Arrow guided interceptor rockets.

Even if the missiles had a chance to reach their targets, the military source told DEBKAfile that Iran would probably not waste them all at once.

“They are too canny to leave themselves without some Shahabs in reserve for crises even more acute than the outbreak of war,” the source said.

But Iran has other missiles. Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said the fourth generation of high-precision Fateh-110 missiles, with a range of over 300 kilometers (185 miles), was successfully test-fired on Saturday, showing Iran’s ability to strike targets in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

“Using new guidance methods, target-striking systems were installed on the missiles and during the flight test … its ability to hit the target without deviation was proven,” Vahidi told the IRNA news agency.

[…]

If you associated the Syrian dictatorship with stability, you were ignorant in at least that small way. Dictatorships are the essence of instability – a cauldron of aspirations only kept corked by the constant application of violent repression.

Could things have been different? Certainly, and I think you make a good case for how. I’m merely arguing against that first premise, which may be nothing more than a poor word choice. But I prefer when words are chosen carefully. There are those who talk about “stability ” in those terms. But most such are simply liars, or people who’ve swallowed so many lies that they can now no longer tell the truth. You seem different, so I hope you won’t speak of dictatorships as stable again. Words have meanings.

317. ann

LOL, will we see Amir in Tell Abib cheer for the Salafists once his own time comes, and they put their dull knives against his throat?

What happened in Egypt today is a serious setback to Gaza,Morsi and Hamas, more than 20 tunnels were destroyed, Egypt military will now be under more pressure to control borders and halt any plans to open passages between Gaza and Egypt.
As usual,Israel is the winner
يا أمة ضحكت من جهلها الامم

Hot summer,wasn’t Ramadan part of the months when attacks are not allowed?
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/49684/World/Region/Red-Cross-says-attacked-in-Libyas-Misrata,-halts-w.aspx

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/49581/Egypt/Politics-/Clashes-leave-Dahshur-with-no-Christians,-angry-Mu.aspx

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/49660/Egypt/Politics-/UPDATE—Egyptian-soldiers-killed-at-Israel-border.aspx

Tunisia is likely to witness significant political troubles after people continued to face deteriorating living conditions:
http://www.alarabonline.org/index.asp?fname=%5C2012%5C08%5C08-05%5C980.htm&dismode=x&ts=5-8-2012%2016:31:21

Neither a democracy nor applying international laws,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19136129
A meeting of Non-Aligned Movement countries in the West Bank has been cancelled after Israel refused entry to several foreign envoys.

Rafah border has been closed undefinitely.

“Egypt closed Rafah crossing indefinitely” after masked gunmen attacked a checkpoint south of Rafah on Sunday evening, official MENA news agency quoted a security source as saying late Sunday.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/06/c_131763186.htm

Unknown assailants attacked a compound of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Libyan port of Misrata on Sunday with grenades and rockets, forcing it to suspend its work there and in the eastern city of Benghazi, the agency said.
The ICRC said seven of its aid workers were inside their residence when it came under attack. No one was hurt, but damage to the building was extensive.
It was the fifth time in less than three months that violence was directed against the independent aid agency in Libya:
“Given the circumstances, we are forced to announce, with considerable regret, that we will be suspending all our activities in Misrata and Benghazi and that our delegates in those cities will be temporarily relocated,” said Ishfaq Muhamed Khan, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in Libya.

Ghufran

Tunisia, Egypt and Libya are time bombs, once the initial euphoria is gone.

How to deal with annoying news such as the kidnapping of a Brit and a Dutch in Syria lately?
Keep it in the UK section, put a nice pic of smiling people to let your busy reader think nothing serious here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19136630), always use the phrase “held at a camp” instead of kidnapped” (like here, in an unrelated article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19137637); insist on the courage of the FSA rebels who freed them from their associates the anonymous “third party”.
Pretend that “The kidnapping took place amid the ongoing conflict in Syria” while the victims explained they had been brought there directly by their guide, and don’t mention their claim that the kidnappers obeyed the FSA people when they came to get them. Sounds very much like Afghanistan to me.
Oh yes, and don’t put links to the 2 other discrete articles of the BBC on this story in the last days in the “More on this story” section. Farewell BBC, with such a name, any search on “Jeroen oerlemans” will give enough results!
As for Cantlie, the British journalist, he wrote that of the 30 djihadists in the camp, among whom a dozen spoke English including nine with a London accent.
Welcome to the Londonistan Sir Cantlie! (He could have watched the “activists” interviewed by CNN from Homs who had just the same accents.)

B of Alabama, that’s worth a post!!

The Syrian Army should allow a ‘corridor’ Edlib to the Israeli-borders so all the Islamists can rush to Israeli borders with their RPG and machine guns to liberate the Golan…

“a ceasefire and political compromise have never been more urgent.”

Why Kofi Annan had enough over Syria
Jonathan Steele
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 5 August 2012
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/05/why-kofi-annan-enough-over-syria

Since then, apart from a few days of relative quiet in April when a ceasefire partially held, Syria has seen a huge influx of arms to the rebels, growing involvement by foreign special forces, and the infiltration of al-Qaida jihadis and other Salafists. What began as a peaceful uprising and then became local self-defence has been hijacked. Under Saudi, Qatari and US leadership, and with British, French and Israeli approval, it has turned into an anti-Iranian proxy war.

This does not mean the democratic aspirations of Syria’s original protesters should be abandoned, or that the Syrian government should not start to implement the Geneva principles for transition that Annan briefly persuaded the big powers to accept. The outlook is too desperate. As tens of thousands flee their homes, and the destruction of Aleppo – and perhaps soon of Damascus – looms ever closer, a ceasefire and political compromise have never been more urgent.

The problem in Egypt is that the security vacuum has been here for a year and no one seems to know how to cope with it (Mubarak had his own idea about this)
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/cairo-sharm-al-sheikh-tourists-trips-canceled-after-protests-block-road

Imad Moustapha Beijing Review interview.

Let Syrian people decide
August 6, 2012

Violence and conflict in Syria have been ongoing for 18 months, and the security situation there continues to deteriorate. Beijing Review reporter Ding Ying recently interviewed Imad Moustapha, Syrian Ambassador to China, who shared his opinion on Syria’s situation. The ambassador stressed that only Syrian people have the right to decide the country’s future. Excerpts of the interview follow:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2012-08/06/content_26142120.htm

Assad declared Syria was in a real war and almost immediately his right hand man (Tlass) defected.

Assad declared he would conquer space and now the first Syrian astronaut defects.

The regime should get rid of him. He’s a jinx!

330. irritatedsaid:
The Syrian Army should allow a ‘corridor’ Edlib to the Israeli-borders so all the Islamists can rush to Israeli borders with their RPG and machine guns to liberate the Golan…
__________________________________________________________________

Why just the Golan? All of Islamic Palestine should be insight, Al Quds. Another corridor from Cairo-Sinai to Gaza will do well too. Millions of Moslem Palestinians are living in the most inhumane of living conditions. What a shame to be Moslem and have relation with Israel, Moslems should never be ruled by Jews neither in Arabia, not in Palestine, enough is enough, muster some dignity Moslems. The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) will never accept that a Moslem community be ruled by Jews, how can genuine Moslem accept that ? How can 80 Million Egyptian Sunni Moslems accept that, how come one billion Moslem are not starting the Jihad to give all Moslems the Islamic dignity the Prophet Mohammad gave us all, the life they deserve in Palestine and Arabia. How can Tunisians, Libyan Jihadi accept that Palestinian lives in refugee camps? that Jews in desguise ruling their Holy Cities, and Holy Shrines. They should have some dignity, starts prepairing the Jihad to free Arabia and Palestine of infidels and KUFFAR.

None of insurgents were Syrian: UK journalist

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/06/254692/none-of-insurgents-were-syrian/

Saudi Jewish Ruling Family agreed with Israel on demolishing the Al Aqsa Mosque:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/06/254698/israel-plots-to-judaize-alaqsa-mosque/

Check this out:

http://zen-haven.dk/chimp-seeks-zoo-visitors-help-to-escape-enclosure/

23. SYR.EXPAT said: “Just saw a video in which one of the well-known Khaldiah Sufi Shaykh (As’ad Al-Kahil)”
—————————————-
Brother Syr.Expat, thank you for pointing that out. I’ve added a post about the Shaykh’s struggle:

The Struggle of Shaykh As`ad al-Kahil
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/the-struggle-of-shaykh-asad-al-kahil/

I would appreciate it if you could help me out in writing more about him, and perhaps about others as well. I believe it is very important to let the world know what our Sunni Sufi Shaykhs have to say and what they went through, they are part of this revolution and unfortunately there are many Muslims even who are falling for the conspiracy propaganda that are blaming everything on extremists and what not. I’ve collected the following so far:

Shaykh Krayyim Rajeh
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/category/shaykh-krayyim-rajih/

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ya`qoubi
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/category/shaykh-muhammad-al-yaqoubi/

Shaykhs Usama & Sariya Rifa`i
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/category/the-rifai-shaykhs/

Many other scholars:
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/category/the-scholars-respond/

If you and anyone else can help with this, please contact me on my blog.

PS: I plan to do the same for everyone and everything else religious in Syria; help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

It’s extraordinary, the tireless negativity, ill will, contempt, pessimism and dismissive remarks about the Arab world by certain dedicated commentators here.

They have very twisted and mysterious agendas – we never see what they actually care about, what they want, what they approve of, what they believe in or support, or what they actually really know.

The only thing clear is their insistence that everything in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Syria, and all the people living there should be dismissed as a failure, a parade of disastrous mistakes, a mess without hope, deluded and doomed to deserved misery.

It’s very strange that these posters invest so much time and energy looking for nasty news and nonesense about the Arab world – why just not ignore it and enjoy their lives in the west or wherever they are?

Ah but of course, they despise the west too. And there’s no guarantee that Iran, Russia and North Korea will stay the way they are.

Time to find another planet.

#339 Hamoudeh al-Halabi

Brother Hamoudeh, keep up the good work.

You’re spot on about muslims falling for the false narrative and conspiracy propaganda. I saw your efforts on Yanabi.com and it was like an answered prayer.

If true, the following would be devastating, absolutely devasting…

****************

Syria Days of Rage‏@SyriaDayofRage

Breaking News: Reports that newly appointed #Syrian Prime Minister (Riad Hjab) has defected to Jordan. Official Announcement Coming Soon…

Another report on the defection.

http://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/syria-days-of-rage%e2%80%8fsyriadayofrage-breaking-news-reports-that/

If #342 is true then here is a continuation of the ‘jinx’ list in #334

– Assad declares parliamentary elections, then appoints a government and now his new prime minister defects.

**************************************************

Continued from #341 (response to Hamoudeh):

People were falling for the lies and falsehood however things have been changing. People have begun to realise the mismatch between what they believed and the reality. Truth is beginning to stand out.

I am sad that SNP went crazy today, identifying The JOO as the essential evil that must be destroyed, in another terrible fit of hatred. What a comment.

Let his hate-crazy words stand here, an example of destructive mania.

The boys in the SANA VIP box are still offering colour commentary in favour of the Dictator’s ‘cleaning’ team. It is impressive how the Jane Austen fan drops such bonbons as “there is no war in Damascus.” What a heartless mystery is this person who missed the slaughter, who disregards deaths caused by the Palace and its minions. I hope there is a fair swap for the detained Iranian pilgrims, perhaps the twenty thousand or so Syrians kidnapped in the past six months by the House Of Assad.

The moment a regime figure like Riyad Farid Hijab departs power, stands before a camera and says Assad must order a ceasefire, then the beginning of the end of death will be near. The security solution is the sure path to continued 150+ daily death tolls. But to stop the security solution is the signal for Assad to step down and let a ceasefire take hold, for a transition.

Twitter is presently aflutter with news of the disappearance of Hijab. If this is true, that the Syrian Prime Minister has defected, it will have further paranoiac effect on the Palace, greater impact than the bomb in the Security Cabinet. Perhaps Bashar will come out of the bunker long enough to pose for a picture and flap his hands or something. Once you declare total war, though, what is there left to say? Hijab will become a traitorterrorist in the time it takes SANA to say ‘he stressed.’

Our bilious Austen fan should have some interesting play-by-play and slurs should his captain Hijab have actually gone AWOL from the team.

Syrian TV reports an explosion and injuries at their headquarters in Damascus this minute. 40 died under government bombardment in the capital and environs today. No war here, Jane.

85. UZAIR8 said: In recent days I haven’t been able to access SANA.

i don’t usually read sana but i did recently when it was listed on this blog. that photo of bashar swearing in whatzisname in front of the table that was featured recently as “proof of life’ — i had a feeling i’d seen it before, previous to the bombing incident. but then i haven’t been able to pull up sana to compare.

What the rebel heroes are up against, but they still keep going!Anyone who criticizes them is a coward themselves.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-syria-crisismission-pix-repeatl6e8j62tr-20120806,0,5690137,full.story

333. Uzair8

That Imad Moustapha interview as Syrian ambassador to China makes me see red.

He drivels on about “only Syrian people have the right to decide the country’s future”.

Huh?

And he then whines about outside interference in Syria’s affairs! His tongue would be worn from his job of licking Russian, Iranian and Chinese boots to get their input and orders for his Master.

What a rotten hypocrite. He never felt that way when he was swanning around boasting about his wonderful life as Syria’s ambassador to Washington.

And there is no way he’d be thinking that now either – quite the opposite. The guy is such a sleazy elitist and cheap propagandist.

Long may he enjoy his exile, minus wasted income stolen from poor Syrians.

Scherk,

Riyad Hijab is a non-entity, totally a non-entity, like all Syrian PMs since Mahmoud al-Zou’abi of Daraa.

On another note, I have strong reasons to believe e you are the new Moderator.

And since I believe in frankness and openness, I hope it isn’t too rude to say , you Scherk, have a certain smartassness about you when it comes to Syria.

Hijab has defected and confirmed by AJE. He and family left Syria.

But I am really more impressed by the news of the downing of the helicopter near al-nayrib airport in Aleppo and the repulsion of yet another attempt to re-enslave Salahdin.

It is just amazing what the heroes of the Free Syrian Army of the Revolution is capable of. It fights off the invading thugs of the Nazi-like regime occupying Damascus and simultaneously expands further the free areas of the city of Aleppo.

So Riyad Hijab is indeed dismissed from his post.

Omran al-Zou’abi ( SANA chief ) will probably get the job.

Riyad Hijab is a criminal. I think he won’t join the Opposition as it will be a complete loss of face for him.

I wonder why people like Hijab, Sharaa (and his brothers), Tlass, etc. want to defect. What will they gain out of it ? ASsad is still far from finished.

Obviously Hijab has defected, otherwise why should he be dismissed after he won the so-called “elections” (where there was no opposition and no campaigning was allowed, and no criticism of policy was tolerated).

This is like Biden joining the Republicans, except a few orders of magnitude worse.

Assad is losing his friends. Soon he will be like Ghaddafi, depending on foreign mercenaries for personal protection and running his army.

Saddam was arrested in a spider’s nest. Ghaddafi was found in a drainage pipe. You want to bet Assad will be found in a cesspool?

Zabadani today (10 min drive from the palace)

Talbisi today

Torrent of defections becomes a flood, a Tsunami.

It is a matter of days now.
.

If some would like to understand why the syrian nationalist and secularists are so unpopular and hated ,we have here on joshualandis blog a sample of those ,notice their dualist personality ,hypocrisy and dubious morality.

A friend who lives in Bab Touma has seen this shabih frequently in Damascus.( we had him on our topic list some months ago) He told me that he is now a star, in restaurants and bars he gets free meals and drinks. He said he looked very happy that the poeple recognize him.

http://www.free-lebanon.net/syria/syrian-govt-rebels-massacre-dozens-of-shabiha/

Syrian prime minister defection statement.  What an extreme humiliation to Bashar.  Time for UN resolution to strip legitimacy from Batta’s regime.

The former prime minister’s spokesman, Mohammed Otri, has read out Hijab’s defection statement on al-Jazeera.

It said:

I announce today my defection from the killing and terrorist regime and I announce that I have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution. I announce that I am from today a soldier in this blessed revolution.

Speaking through a translator, Otri quoted the statement as saying: “The country is living under the brunt of genocide and barbarian brutal killing.”

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153

SNP in the 21 Century NewZ

SNP,

We’re enjoying your posts. A bit of “comic relief” as we watch the Assad “mishpukha” devistate his own country; over 20,00 dead and counting…

330. irritatedsaid:
The Syrian Army should allow a ‘corridor’ Edlib to the Israeli-borders so all the Islamists can rush to Israeli borders with their RPG and machine guns to liberate the Golan…

I agree with Irritated, except the Islamists seem to have more important tasks at the moment, like getting rid of murderous, Arab despots…

Why just the Golan? All of Islamic Palestine should be insight, Al Quds. Another corridor from Cairo-Sinai to Gaza will do well too. Millions of Moslem Palestinians are living in the most inhumane of living conditions.

SNP,

Tell us about the “living conditions” in Syria and the rest of the ME. Then we can discuss the living conditions in Israel. The Arabs living in Israel aren’t demonstrating even though they are allowed to do so. They don’t want to ruin a good thing perhaps?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel

What a shame to be Moslem and have relation with Israel, Moslems should never be ruled by Jews neither in Arabia, not in Palestine, enough is enough, muster some dignity Moslems.

“Moslems should never be ruled by Jews”? Why not? Is it better to be ruled by Saddam Hussein, Assad or Qaddafi?

SNP, your hate for Joos has clouded your thinking.

The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) will never accept that a Moslem community be ruled by Jews, how can genuine Moslem accept that?

You know the Prophet (PBUH) SNP? What does he say about Arab despots who murder their own people?

How can 80 Million Egyptian Sunni Moslems accept that, how come one billion Moslem are not starting the Jihad to give all Moslems the Islamic dignity the Prophet Mohammad gave us all, the life they deserve in Palestine and Arabia.

80 million Egyptians voted. How will the Islamist government deal with their Christian minority? Time to look ahead to the 21st century, not behind to 11th century.

How can Tunisians, Libyan Jihadi accept that Palestinian lives in refugee camps? that Jews in desguise ruling their Holy Cities, and Holy Shrines. They should have some dignity, starts prepairing the Jihad to free Arabia and Palestine of infidels and KUFFAR.

SNP, I hate to rain on your racist parade, but there are no infidels and no Kuffar. We are all people who have to live together in freedom. You can pray to your racist God, and someone else can pray to their God without hurting anyone in the process q:o)

Mendoshom beyt el assad mendoshom

“Millions of Moslem Palestinians are living in the most inhumane of living conditions.”

Ho ho ho.He he he he. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again; I’d rather be arrested by the Israeli police, knee deep in the body parts of a dozen murder victims, with plans for a new 9/11 on the walls, from an apartment where I run a pedophilia, human-slavery and illegal human organ selling operation, than be arrested by the Syrian police on the mere suspicion of writing graffiti on a school wall.

Here is my private hero. Soldier Waleed.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7f9_1344232419

If you remember, he was among the very first to defect. Well before the Amids Akids Muhandisin and the PMs. I salute you ya Waleed. You will be remembered in the new Syria’s history books.
.

You have 3 spy traitors who been on Mossad payroll for decades defects/ escape to Israel and you already claiming victory? Welcome to the new Syria under President Tlass and Primier Wahab, 2 Mossad agents on Israeli payroll. Half the Baathist in power in Syria today, on top, are on the Israeli Payroll and will eventually all escape. Take them all back please, thank you, we don’t want them in Syria. Take the Mullahs with you too, cheaper on your payroll.

So what will the Riyad Hijab story be? Corruption and clandestine work for foreign powers I’m sure, but why elevate him to the role of prime minister? Perhaps to keep him close while the Assad regime builds up a case against him. I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to the garbage. Maybe Sharmine will bless the world with her analysis of this situation.

I guess you are the kiddy Zionists, you don’t know about “THABET” ask your daddies. There are hundreds of Thabet in Syria Baathist ruling echelon; most are Sunni Moslems, but few Alawites and other minority as well.

You are pretty good you know his name, I thought Wahab is the Premier, no, it is Hejab. But again, you should know the name of your best assets in Damascus, most Syrians can’t name the Prime Minister when asked, to them he is such an irrelevant servant.

ONE SINGLE (1) EVIDENCE, No can’t come with it can you? Shame on you, perpetuating the fraudulant myth.

Syrian Fascist Party,

You didn’t take the pills that Tara recommended. Did you?
.

How the Kurds Have Changed Turkey’s Calculations on Syria

Support for the anti-Assad rebellion has been complicated by Syria’s Kurds moving to establish autonomy, raising Ankara’s fears about implications for Turkey’s domestic Kurdish challenge
By Pelin Turgut / Istanbul | August 6, 2012

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/08/06/how-the-kurds-have-changed-turkeys-calculations-on-syria/#ixzz22luxQ8QE

We’re enjoying your posts. A bit of “comic relief” as we watch the Assad “mishpukha” devistate his own country; over 20,00 dead and counting…
_________________________________________________________________

I bet you are enjoying destruction of Syria by Zionists Islamic Terrorists and Baathists ones,they both on the Zionist plan from day one, including the Made in U.K. Iran’s Mullah, all aprt of the plan ERETZ ISRAEL and all have been on the payroll. It is the day after that you need to be concerned about. That is not going to be enjoyable for no one.

ONE SINGLE (1) EVIDENCE, No can’t come with it can you? Shame on you, perpetuating the fraudulant myth.

Is the ‘transitional government’ building up?

Manaf Tlass is not the only one anymore, the choice is growing, so is the competition.
Will the FSA and the SNC long waiting ambitions of ruling that government will embrace dubious last minute defectors? As days pass much more complications are presenting themselves when the buzzword is to unite.
Will the transitional government emerge in 2 weeks, by the end of Ramadan as promised by Sayda?

سوآل للمسلمين – هل يرضى النبي محمد صلة الله عليه وسلم بأن يحكم اي دولة او شعب اسلامي بحاكم يهودي فكيف ياأهل العار اللذين تدعو الايمان بالله ونبيه محمد وسنته الكريمة ان تقبلو بحكم اليهود لفلسطين والقدس والحرم الشريف

@MODERATOR.

Please delete AMIR #365 comment and issue a warning to him, as he is in violation of Syria Comment rules. I don’t tolerate personal attacks and neither you should.

359 AITA
I salute you ya Waleed. You will be remembered in the new Syria’s history books…

Master. Amir from Tel Aviv issued a certificate of oral exemplary behavior and promised to his memory in a new book wich be published in Israel.

Syrian Fascist Party?

Syrian Fascist Party isn’t an attack. Doesn’t the SNP use a swastika-like emblem on its flag? Fascist should be taken as a compliment.

I strongly suggest that the next Security Council meeting include Mr. Hijab to tell the council on the criminal nature of the regime and let us see Russia and China veto another resolution in his presence and after his testimony.

This is his redemption card

Hijab defection illustrates the lack of confidence government officials have with Bashar and the failure of his policies,Bashar’s presence at the helm was,and still is, a liability to his own supporters, the problem is that we do not have a transitional team that can take over this critically ill body called the Syrian government,another problem is that people like Hijab are disposable and, in a military regime, do not make or break a government.

I strongly suggest that the next Security Council meeting include Mr. Hijab to tell the council on the criminal nature of the regime and let us see Russia and China veto another resolution in his presence and after his testimony.
__________________________________________________________________

As long as the Baathist Syrian Ambassador brings in the truck load of dossiers they have compiled on him and his wife and her ex husband, so the people of Syria can see the kinda of right hand men this dictator keeps around. His record is really appauling. It is people like that who gave the regime this inaptness and corruption.

Where is Riad Hijab? Who wrote the “statement”?

The statement was read by his ‘spokesman’, not by Riad Hijab.
It contains so many ‘cliches’ and sound so fake that it seems to have been written by some ‘defection speech writers’ among the FSA intellectuals.
Unwillingly, the statement exposes desperate attempts of self reassurance of an ‘imminent’ victory. It is quite understandable in view of the looming defeat of the armed rebels in Aleppo

The rumor about the defection of 2 other ministers is still a rumor among others.

This is the “statement” read by the ‘spokesman’.
Note the flow of cliche-buzzwords: “genocide”, “barbarian”, “freedom”, “dignity”, “murderous regime”,’terrorist regime” , “holy revolution”.
“unarmed civilians, “fatal blow”.

“I address you today at this grave hour where the country is living under the brunt of genocide and barbarian brutal killing against unarmed people who are simply demanding freedom and a dignified life,” ran Mr Hijab’s statement read by his spokesman.

“Today I declare… that I have defected from the terrorist, murderous regime and [am] joining the holy revolution. And I declare that from today I am a soldier of this holy revolution.”

Mr Etri later told the BBC that the Syrian regime was “now in its last throes” and that it had been dealt “a fatal blow” by Mr Hijab’s defection.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that two other cabinet ministers had also deserted and there were claims that a third, Finance Minister Mohammad Jalilati, had been arrested while trying to flee.

But Syrian state TV said he was still in his office working as usual, and it broadcast what it said was a phone interview with Mr Jalilati categorically denying reports that he had been detained.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19146380

#375 Observer

There is a chance that Riad Hijab may end up in Bakkourland.

BBC admits that the presence of “human shields” is an advantage to the rebels.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19042700

‘We die or win’

Despite the threat that grows by the day it was an honest assessments from the armed opposition who often inflate their strength and numbers, masking vulnerability with confidence and tough talk.

“We decided and we promised that we would fight,” he said. “We will die or we will win.”

But the odds they face are daunting. A conventional armed force with tanks, mortars, artillery, helicopter-gunships and fighter jets is now lined up against rebel fighters armed with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

However, the terrain of these heavily populated areas works to their advantage.

Obama is beating the US record of hypocrisy.

At least with Bush, it was clear. He was wsiwyg. Obama is smiling and sneaky. In Syria he calls for peaceful resolution and at the same time send the CIA to organize the military rebellion.
He denies sending weapons but encourages Saudi Arabia and Qatar to do so.
In Afghanistan, he use drones to kill civilians and then apologizes.

He turned out to be a dirty foreign politician, obsessed by preserving American lives at the expenses of Afghan and Syrian lives.
Why bother, they don’t vote in the USA.

Ghufran

They defect by fear for themselves and their family, as they realize that the overstressed security apparatus cannot protect them well.
It is quite understandable.

346. Syrialover said:
What the rebel heroes are up against, but they still keep going!Anyone who criticizes them is a coward themselves.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-syria-crisismission-pix-repeatl6e8j62tr-20120806,0,5690137,full.story

Syrialover, thanks for this link. What stood out was this theme and quote: “I’m from Idlib and just came here on Saturday,” he said. “I don’t know why the men from Aleppo haven’t come to join us and they’re all depending on outsiders.”

Bronco, #377 “Where is Riad Hijab?”
He went automatically on pilgrimage, like Tlas.

http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/tv/v/CUJAc-EKjqY.aspx
Russia is sending three military ships with hundreds of marines aboard to a Moscow-leased naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus. According to the Russian military, the landing ships, each with up to 120 armed navy personnel on board, will visit the Syrian port in coming days and spend a few days there.

So let me know of the dossier of every official now before they defect.
Hijab according to the pro regime was a bad ass corrupt official now that he defected. He is defecting out of fear or out of greed or out of being paid by Qatar.

So for those still in their posts, do please tell us how honest, incorruptible, hard working, devoted, altruistic, idealistic civil servants doing their duty to protect the nation against the world wide conspiracy of evil directed by the troika of CIA MOSSAD AL QAEDA SALAFIST REPUBLICAN NEO CON FREE MASON BELDERBEG GROUP to destroy the GLORIOUS RESISTANCE TO IMPERIAL HEGEMONY ORCHASTRTED BY ZIONIST CRUSADING CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALIST FANATICS.

I am sure many a figure in the regime now and past was and is corrupt for that was the method used by the father to insure subservience by fear and corruption. The fearful and the corrupt do not revolt, he knew the system and the more widespread the corrution the more compliant the popuation is.

I went on Addounia and RT and Al Manar and Cham Press and RTV.org.sy and THERE IS NO WAY THE REGIME CAN SPIN THIS DISASTER.

MIND BOGGLING OF DENIAL AND DELUSION.

They defect by fear for themselves and their family, as they realize that the overstressed security apparatus cannot protect them well.
_________________________________________________________________

No they defect (extracted) when they told by their handler that the espionage investigation and interrogation getting too close to comfort for them. Not that the handler cares about their safety so much, he is done with them now, they useless to him, but if they get caught he wil compromise clandestine operation as well as the next in line, it could unravel he whole network, so better remove him.

In this guy case, he is married to the wife of the man that sold Syria’s top military secret to Israel and was living at the Presidential palace for a decade. After Israel bombed the installation, he was executed by Assad force for treason ( or by Mossad to silnce him and protect the network). Why Assad would hire someone like that for Prime Minister, beat the hell out of my brain. It is a Mafia and they have own ways.

Cowardly prime ministers and generals are a DIME A DOZEN in Syria

Syria: Let’s stay out of it – Mon, Aug. 6, 2012, 3:00 AM

By Aaron David Miller

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20120806_Syria__Let_s_stay_out_of_it.html

Here we go again. That strange coalition of neocons and liberal interventionists is clamoring once more for a more muscular U.S. approach to Syria. And, unsurprisingly, they’re looking to blame someone for “losing” the country.

Don’t believe any of it. The time for guilting the United States into expensive, ill-thought-out military interventions has passed. The reasons to intervene in Syria — to defuse a bloody conflict and deal the Iranian mullahs a mortal blow — are just not compelling enough to offset the risks and unknowns.

The “we need to do more” chorus has intensified in light of the dramatic and tragic events in Aleppo, where the Syrian army once again appears to be laying waste to a great city in the hope of rooting out its opponents. The death dance of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his regime has been a long, complex affair, and it’s likely to go on for a while longer. In the meantime, the conflict between a murderous regime and an opposition that won’t quit — but can’t yet win — goes on.

Syria is embroiled in a complex internal struggle, amid a divided opposition, regional players with diverse agendas, and competing great powers. There is no single force on the ground — or constellation of outside powers — that can impose order. For the United States to enter the fray as a quasi-combatant would make matters more complicated, not less.

Sure, President Obama could take down the Assads by force, but he would do an enormous amount of damage in the process and end up being forced to rebuild the country. Remember the Pottery Barn rule? That result is the last thing America needs.

Coalition of the unwilling

Still, some seem determined to lay the blame for the Syrian mess at America’s doorstep. The crisis would never have come to this had the United States not been so passive, the Wall Street Journal opined last week.

The arrogance of the argument is as breathtaking as it is reckless. The notion that the United States could ever have fixed Syria uses the same twisted logic that produced the Iraq debacle.

It also flies in the face of the spirit of self-reliance that has made the popular revolts in the Arab world so genuine and authentic. If the Arab Spring does produce better governance, it will be precisely because the United States kept its distance, and citizens took responsibility for their political future. It is a cruel irony that the one country where America intervened heavily, Iraq, is the one that still has an arbitrary, heavy-handed Arab strongman.

Some still believe a coalition can be assembled to save the day by supplying weapons and air cover to the opposition. Who all would be in this coalition, and what precisely would they be willing to do? What we’ve witnessed over the past six months is a coalition of the unwilling, the opposed, and the vacillating. No amount of American leadership would have pushed the Europeans to consider risky military options, particularly after the NATO-led Libya operation demonstrated how stretched their resources were. And the Kremlin seems willing to defend Assad to the last drop of Syrian blood.

Wing and a prayer

As for Turkey, on which the pro-intervention crowd is banking much of its hopes, there is a reason it has been all bark and no bite: its own public’s wariness of war and complications with Iran and Russia. Remember Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “zero problems” policy? He wants to be loved by everybody.

Being cautious on Syria is still the best approach for the Obama administration, and here’s why: It’s working.

The Assads are going down, though not nearly as quickly as one might have hoped. The opposition has now put both Damascus and Aleppo in play, testing the military’s control of the country’s two major cities. The Assads’ already small circle of key advisers has been reduced as a result of the July 18 bombing in Damascus that killed four top security officials. A grave sense of vulnerability and pervasive suspicion will continue to take its toll on the rest of the family’s circle.

The regime’s crackdown, meanwhile, is only deepening the rebels’ determination to resist and is enlarging their pool of potential recruits. Meanwhile, the Syrian army continues to become fatigued and demoralized by endless guerrilla warfare against an enemy that appears to be simultaneously everywhere and nowhere.

This process will not be quick or painless. But nobody has made a compelling case that half-measures — such as more arms for the opposition, no-fly zones, or havens — will bring the Assads down. To give these ideas the old college try because we feel compelled to “do something” isn’t a strategy; it’s a wing and a prayer. And after Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s just not good enough to pass the threshold for putting American lives, money, and credibility on the line.

A real coalition of the willing will indeed be required to mend Syria — but only after the main battle to defeat the Assads has concluded. An international monitoring and stabilization force could preempt civil war and create the basis for a political transition. International donor conferences will have to be launched to raise billions of dollars to get Syria moving economically and deal with the broken bodies and minds left in the wake of the violence. It is this second struggle for Syria that is worth the multilateral effort.

International intervention still might come. It could be prompted by a large-scale massacre by the regime or the prospect of Assad’s losing control of his chemical weapons. But for now, the United States’ current approach will have to do.

It should come as no surprise to observers that Syria has come to this. There was no way the Assads were going down without a brutal, bloody fight and a messy, complex transition. And the odds that the post-Assad era will go as smoothly — relatively speaking — as the transitions in Tunisia, Egypt, or even Yemen are slim to none.

Military expeditions

But the idea that the United States — in the grip of an economic crisis, already strained militarily by a decade of foreign wars, and in the middle of an election season — would be able to make that transition substantially easier strains the bounds of credulity. After the deaths of thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and billions of dollars expended, only a willfully delusional observer would argue that the American adventures in those countries were worth the price. Nor should those countries’ current conditions provide inspiration for additional military expeditions.

[…]

Who else defected. Does anyone know?

Cowardly prime ministers and generals are surely a Dime a Dozen in Syria, that is why the regime stayed on board for forty or so years because people were afraid and were corrupted.

Now the wall of fear broke for good and the desire to purify the country of corruption is ascendant.

Eat your heart out, but this regime is going straight to the dustbin of history. Even Al Manar and RT cannot put a spin on this one.

divisions deepen in Syria opposition – Sun Aug 5, 2012

Three separate Syrian opposition groups have floated proposals for a transitional government in the past week, a sign that differences among the many factions opposing President Bashar al-Assad are deepening

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/08/05/uk-syria-crisis-opposition-idUKBRE8740C620120805

The head of the Syrian National Council (SNC), a long-established opposition umbrella group, said talks would be held within weeks to form a transitional government.

The next day the Free Syria Army, a loosely coordinated group of insurgents fighting Assad’s forces, floated a separate proposal that called for the establishment of a higher defence council bringing together military and civilian figures.

And the day after that, a group of exiled Syrian activists who left the SNC announced a new opposition alliance that also aimed to form a transitional government.

It is neither news nor a surprise that Syria’s opposition is divided. Assad’s opponents include Islamists and secularists, Kurds and Arabs, Sunni Muslims and members of religious minorities, defected army officers and the political activists they once hunted, exiles abroad and fighters on the ground.

The Istanbul-based SNC in particular has come under fire for being out of touch with the fighting in Syria itself. Colonel Riad al-Asaad, nominal head of the Free Syria Army, said it was made up of opportunists who want “to ride over our revolution and trade with the blood of our martyrs”.

Haitham al-Maleh, a former judge, broke away from the SNC to launch the “Council for the Syrian Revolution”.

“I don’t differ with the Syrian National Council over their vision, but over their tactics. I’m different in that I’m working on the ground, and they’re just theorising,” he told Reuters.

Burhan Ghalioun, the SNC’s former leader, said news of the SNC’s plans to form a transitional government had created “a competitive dynamic” among those who want a role.

“I think we will be able to overcome this competition … I think Haitham’s move was a wrong one and it must be fixed with minimum fuss and without giving it importance,” he told Reuters.

Most alarming for the West, the rebels fighting inside Syria include al Qaeda-style Islamist fighters with a strong sectarian, Sunni Muslim agenda. Secularist opposition figures and members of religious minorities are also worried.

“Several opposition groups have adopted an increasingly fundamentalist discourse and demeanour, a trajectory that mirrors the conflict’s gradually deadlier and more confessional turn (and) popular loss of faith in the West,” the International Crisis Group said in a report.

Western countries fear that sectarian killings could make it difficult to halt the fighting even if Assad falls, and could unleash the sort of mass slaughter that erupted in Iraq after Saddam Hussein was toppled.

Among other issues dividing the opposition is the role of senior defectors like Brigadier General Manaf Tlas, a former member of Assad’s inner circle who fled Syria and has since been hosted by anti-Assad governments in Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Many opposition activists say Tlas is tainted by his long service under Assad and worry that he will be foisted on them as a future leader. Ghalioun said he sees a military role for Tlas and other defecting officers to retake control of the army and re-establish security in the country. Maleh was dismissive.

“I do not think that Manaf Tlas has a role in the coming time as a leader. He should have announced his defection when he left Syria and said ‘I’m joining the Free Syrian Army and I will fight alongside them,'” Maleh said.

[…]

Who else defected. Does anyone know?
__________________________________________________________________

I do know who are the next 6 in the network that will be extracted, but don’t worry, I will not share this with Assad. LOL & LOL. He did not do anything for me personally nor SNP that will merit a reward in any teeny-weeny size.

But as they said here, the Tlasses and Hijabs are dime a dozen in Syria. Unless Maher defects or half the Syrian armed forces with half the weaponry, the regime will remain solid until the last Negro and Asian mercenaries and Moslem Brotherhood, FSA soldier alive, save the millionaires in Paris and London of course.

But there is a serious problem for the regime, it is either Bashar Assad has defected, or under house arrest by Maher it seems. Unless he knew for sure that BANDAR is still alive and in disguise somewhere in Damascus, I take it Bashar will need to hide in a deep bunker, better not let any Baathist on whereabouts, they (any Baathist) will sell him out for trip to Moulin Rouge and a night with a German hooker just like Al Maleh son got sold and set up.

لالقيادة سورية الحرة من عملاء الاستعمار الصهيوني الامبريالي الغربي – سورية الحرة هي سورية النزيهة

I agree with Amir that Walid al-Qashaami deserves special recognition for having been the first to defect. Amir reminded me of Walid’s story.

God bless Walid al-Qashaami.

The song linked by Shami is so beautiful and so spontaneously Syrian. It reminded me of el-Naimi’s original video exhorting his men. They were awesome and so exhilarating to watch in that video.

……………………………………………………

Do you remember how it all began?

Can pro regime start to tell us how much humiliated they feel today. I can’t even start to imagine. Once the transitional government is formed, it should strip Batta from his legitimacy and declares him a warlord.

Syria appoints Omar Ghalawanji as the head of the caretaker government – 2012-08-06

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/06/c_131765034.htm

DAMASCUS, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Syria appoints Omar Ghalawanji as the head of the caretaker government on Monday, after the prime minister was sacked of his post for unknown reason, the state TV reported.

[…]

Iranian lawmaker says OIC extraordinary meeting unlikely to bear results: TV – 2012-08-06

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/06/c_131764845.htm

TEHRAN, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — A senior Iranian lawmaker said that it is unlikely that the extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), slated to be held in Mecca on August 14-15, would yield any results, given Saudi Arabia’s hostile stance towards Syria, Press TV reported on Monday.

Chairman of Iran’s Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said Sunday that ” Since the beginning of the unrest in Syria, the Arab League and countries such as Saudi Arabia set a bad record of themselves by adopting hostile stances (towards Syrian government)… Therefore, it seems unlikely that they intend to take steps to resolve the Syrian unrest.”

The Iranian lawmaker added that “Saudi officials along with the Arab League and certain regional countries and trans-regional powers such as the U.S. and Britain employed all their capacities to fuel tension in Syria,” Boroujerdi was quoted as saying.

The Saudi monarch, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, has invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend the extraordinary summit of Muslim leaders. An official from Iran’s presidential office announced on Monday that Ahmadinejad will participate in the meeting, according to the official IRNA news agency.

[…]

Assad’s Syria has finally lost control. All Syria is against Assad. And Assad is a dangerous crazy person working for Iran and lebanese HA dogs. He is a conspirator against Syria. Please can anyone kill him?

I think if US shooted a missile to Assad’s head, nobody with a little common sense would complain in the UN. And most syrians would consider it an “act of friendship” that would help future relations. It would be beginning of a beatyfull new Syria.

The real significance of Mr Hijab’s defection is that it betrays the future expectations of a man who knows how Syrian politics work. Few believe that his departure will, of itself, trigger the fall of Mr Assad. What matters is that a man chosen to be prime minister clearly believes this outcome will happen.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9456860/Riyad-Hijab-Syrian-prime-ministers-defection-dents-edifice-of-Syrias-regime.html
….
So Syrian and foreign observers will be waiting to see whether Mr Hijab’s decision causes other ministers to change sides. But that possibility will also be painfully apparent to Mr Assad. His security agencies can be relied on to redouble their efforts to prevent any further defections. Just as the prospect of ministers jumping ship becomes more likely, so the risks involved tend to become even more forbidding.
….
Perhaps the most devastating consequence of high level defections is the poisonous atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust they leave behind.
As for the practical value of Mr Hijab’s departure, he will probably know little about the military response to the uprising. Any hopes that he will reveal the secrets of Mr Assad’s security planning will be disappointed.

But he will know about the full impact of sanctions on Syria’s economy and the condition of the government itself. As a bureaucrat rather than a politician, he will be familiar with the health, or otherwise, of the state machine. As such, Mr Hijab’s defection amounts to another dent in the edifice of an otherwise implacable regime.

I think another interesting defection would be Assad’s one:

“I refrain from the terrorist state in the hands of Iran and Hezballa terrorists”

Assad is still on time to become a martyr of new Syria.

A Jesuit in NY on Syria Notes Saudi But Neither Qatar Nor the Ben Ali Role of UN Peacekeeping Chief

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 6 — When Jesuit Paolo Dall’Oglio took questions from a small press conference in the Millennium Hotel across First Avenue on the UN Monday morning, he called for a new diplomatic initiative on Syria to both Russia “and NATO.”

Inner City Press asked Dall’Oglio about the role of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He replied that yes, Saudi Arabia’s “project” was to beat Iran in Syria. He noted that some might like a long civil war in Syria, and speculated that even if Damascus falls, fighting may continue to break off the Western or Alawite zone by the sea, on the theory there is enough natural gas there to make autonomy viable.

But Dall’Oglio did not say a word about Qatar.

Inner City Press tweeted out a photo of Dall’Oglio along with this portion of his non-answer.

Replies ranged from questioning why he was under the “rebel” flag — he called it the flag of the “New Syria” — to stories of Christian martyrs killed by Syria rebels to, who is he?

Dall’Oglio seems to have faith that a “post-Assad” UN Peacekeeping mission could be even handed — ignoring the fact that UN Peacekeeping is run by a Herve Ladsous long in the French foreign service, from defending the Hutu government in Rwanda in 1994 to arranging the flights of Michele Aliot-Marie on planes owned by cronies of Tunisian dictator Ben Ali in 2011. Even handed?

Inner City Press has previously covered other Jesuits, including liberation theologicals from Latin America. When these called for class war, not even regime change, they were ordered to be quiet and generally complied. And here?

Dall’Oglio went to Canada to meet with foreign minister Baird; he went and spoke in Vancouver and now here, to a small audience dominated by Italian and Saudi media, along with an on-camera question from Voice of America.

[…]

http://www.innercitypress.com/syria1jesuit080612.html

Omar Ghalawanji for Prime Minister!!! Theee world famous Mr. Omar Ghalawanji ? I was going to recommend Dr. Nassab Al Rakhiss, it is late now, will have to wait another 10 days before he defects for that Dr. Appointment.

Horrors of war: Mass grave discovered in Damascus – 06 August, 2012

As the Syrian Army expelled rebel forces out of the capital of Damascus, soldiers discovered a mass grave of 20 corpses buried under rocks and other debris.

­The mass grave was uncovered in the Yelda district of Damascus, which had been under rebel control for the past few days. The 20 corpses the army dug up were burnt and defaced, said China’s Xinhua news agency.

Armed men harassed and killed the civilians, and then buried the bodies, locals told RT Arabic’s correspondents. Some described the stench of dead corpses blanketing entire areas of the city. The victims reportedly include both civilians and military personnel. Others claimed that the number killed is much higher than the 20 reported.

RT Arabic filmed footage of the gravesite, but it was confiscated by police as they were leaving.

Evidence of acts of mass-murder has been surfacing in the past month. An amateur video from Syria emerged online showing the apparent mass execution of Assad supporters in Aleppo by Free Syria Army rebels on July 31. The footage showed several bloodied men in their underwear being forced to kneel by a wall amidst an excited crowd, before they were shot dead.

[…]

http://www.rt.com/news/mass-grave-syria-damascus-955/

402. ann

Please Ann try to check for another news source. RT is really out of reality.

بعد مضي أسابيع على سيطرة الجيش السوري الحر على معبر السلامة الحدودي مع تركيا بدأ عناصره باستخدام أختام جديدة لمهر جوازات السفر للمسافرين عبر الحدود.
ويرى أحد المسافرين الذين عبروا من خلال معبر باب السلامة أن هذه الخطوة هي محاولة من الجيش الحر لإضفاء نوع من الشرعية على تواجده وسيطرته على بعض مرافق الدولة، ومنها معبر باب السلامة الحدودي.

Once the transitional government is formed, it should strip Batta from his legitimacy and declares him a warlord.
__________________________________________________________________

They already declared him far worse than that. SOWHAT? Russia and China will not recognize the transitional Gov., and what about election? I am hopping SNP will just mop them all up and give the MB 5% fair share. No election it’s a 15 years Civil War.

Why not Haydar? He lost his kid in this. Why not Ehsani or the thousands of Syrians like him. I guess these are too clean for you, they will get too nosey about where is all the cash gone and going.

Twitter account says report on Assad health was hoax – Mon, 6 Aug 2012

MOSCOW, Aug 6 (Reuters) – A Twitter account that carried a message on Monday suggesting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may have been killed was a “hoax”, the account’s most recent update said.

The earlier message, purporting to be on a Russian interior ministry account, had attributed the reports to Russia’s ambassador in Damascus. Both the embassy and the Interior Ministry denied making any comments on Assad’s condition.

[…]

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/twitter-account-says-report-on-assad-health-was-hoax

“August 6 – Gunmen attacked the Catholic monastry of Mar Musa, north of Damascus. The old monastery, that dates from the fourth century, had been sacked but no casualties had been reported to Ansa by sources close the Italian Jesuit founder of the monastic community, father Paolo Dall’Oglio. Sources affirm that nobody within the monastery had been hurt or assaulted, but “the gunmen stole everything they could steal”, including tractors and other agricultural and farming tools.”
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/syria/2012/08/06/Syria-christian-monastery-assaulted-north-Damascus_7303598.html

“A Syrian rebel group which has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 48 Iranians in Damascus said three of its hostages were killed in shelling by government troops on Monday.
Al-Baraa Brigade of the Free Syrian Army announced on its Facebook page that “three of the Iranian prisoners were killed in fierce shelling today in Damascus.” It threatened that its leader, Abdel Nasser Shmeir, would “execute the prisoners who are proven members of the Revolutionary Guard if the shelling continues,” in a statement.”
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=425520

LOL&LOL. For sure not Dr. Haydar nor Ehsani, both Analyst will Analyze and ask to many questions. Neither a YESSSSSSSSSSSSER man.

Eastern European wives of Syrians fleeing war

Posted August 6, 2012 at 9:41 a.m., updated August 6, 2012 at 10:38 a.m.

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) – They forged lives of promise in an unfamiliar land. Now war is tearing those lives apart.

Hundreds of Eastern European women married to Syrian men have fled the war with their children in recent weeks as fighting intensifies, splitting up families and leaving them wondering about whether they can ever go back.

Among them is Kseniya Murtada, a 36-year-old Ukrainian who fled Syria last week with two sons, 3 and 5, leaving her husband Aziz in Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city and the focus of a major battle between government and rebel forces.

“Who knows what might happen? This is a war,” said Murtada, who was among about 200 Ukrainians evacuated on a government plane last week. That followed the return of a smaller group last month.

“Our men have stayed there, they will fight, and they will defend their home,” she said. “Some families will be broken; some kids will lose their fathers. But we all live with hope.”

The marriages between Eastern European women and Syrians are believed to number in the thousands. They result from close ties first forged in the 1960s when the Soviet Union, its Eastern European satellite states and the former Yugoslavia began welcoming students from the Middle East and Africa with the aim of spreading their influence around the world through an educated elite.

Yugoslavia was then a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, which had close ties to the Assad family regime. The Soviet Union had an interest in spreading its political influence in the volatile Middle East. Oleksandr Bogomolov, president of the Kiev-based Center for Middle East Studies, said Soviet authorities encouraged the marriages as a way to gain influence with the Syrian elite since most of the Syrian students came from prominent families.

The tradition has continued since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, with Russian, Ukrainian and women from Belarus still eager for better living conditions abroad and husbands who don’t drink, though such marriages abated in the former Yugoslavia during its bloody breakup in the 1990s.

Murtada, who met her husband when he was studying computer engineering in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, was taken by her husband’s charm.

“He was so romantic, always with flowers, always very kind and polite, so I could not but marry him,” she said.

“These women did not land in some village and did not have to struggle for a living,” said Katarzyna Gorak-Sosnowska, a professor in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Warsaw in Poland. “They are the wives of men educated at European universities, academies.”

Among those who fled in recent days was Biljana Ayoubi, a 53-year-old Serbian mother who left Syria on a Serbian plane with her three children along with nearly 40 others, almost all of them the wives and children of Syrians. To her, there is no doubt who is to blame for the carnage that forced her to leave her husband in Aleppo.

“Americans are to blame. They have been financing the rebels, along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia,” she said, adding that her husband stayed behind because “he did not want to return, he was too proud.”

Ayoubi said she hoped the Syrian army “will win and we will go back” to Aleppo, adding that Assad “has nothing to do” with the carnage.

[…]

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/aug/06/eastern-european-wives-of-syrians-fleeing-war/

تهم عضو المجلس الوطني السوري المعارض أديب الشيشكلي المسؤولين الإيرانيين بـ”الكذب”، وقال لـ”الشرق الأوسط”: “لم تتوقف إيران منذ بدء الثورة السورية عن دعم نظام الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد عسكريا ولوجيستيا وبالخبراء الذين يوجودون في مقر السفارة الإيرانية وأكثر من منطقة تحت تسميات مختلفة”.
وشدد الشيشكلي على أن “الأزمة الحقيقية في المنطقة تتمثل في وجود إيران ودعمها لأطراف مثل حزب الله وعملائها في العراق”، معتبرا أن “الأزمة موجودة من طرف واحد ووجب الرد عليها”، مؤكدا أن “الشعب السوري لن يتراجع في مواجهته حتى لو كانت سوريا اليوم تقف وحيدة في مواجهة المد الفارسي الطائفي”.
I do not know what this guy ate before he issued that brilliant statement but I know it was not Kosher, I smell GCC spices in that stew.

أكد الأمين العام لحزب الله السيد حسن نصر الله أن الرابح الأكبر من مقتل الجنود المصريين في سيناء هو العدو الإسرائيلي وهناك من يريد أن يأخد مصر وجيشها ومسلميها ومسيحييها إلى الفتنة. قائلاً:”إنني امام هذا الحدث كإسلامي وكمقاومة إسلامية أؤكد أن هذا النوع من العمليات لا صلة له بالإسلام ولا بالقرأن ولا بالشريعة الإسلامية ولا برسالات السماء وهذا ما كنا دائماً نحذر منه. فهذه الحادثة عبارة عن تنفيذ لاستراتيجية تكفيرية وعقل تكفيري
I could not agree more,but Sayyed Nasrallah did not help Syria and Syrians when he ignored the brutality of the Syrian regime and did not recognize the legitimate demands of Syrians.

Ayoubi said she hoped the Syrian army “will win and we will go back” to Aleppo, adding that Assad “has nothing to do” with the carnage.
__________________________________________________________________

Nonsense, she was watching Press T.V. and SANA. Bashar is the President of Syria, he appointed himself after forcing a change in constitutional age limits, and he insisted on being the only leader. He is responsible for this blackest disaster in Syria’s history. Why did SNP have Intel before Syria did? Why his diplomats are so incompetent, what are they doing, why no military, intelligence or Diplomat got fired for being degenerate and failed in their duties after all the budgets allocated to them, Why did he not make quick changes non-cosmetic in nature like Moroccan and Jordanian kings did, he hire the lamest most corrupt people as his right hand men, and now he is not responsible, really!!!!! WHATA B.S.

Have the conspirators not known that they will win in the end, they would have never launched it from the start. And that was all based on assessment of his incompetence and regime inaptness.

No Syrian in sight
A British photographer who was kidnapped in Syria escaped last week. No Syrian was among the thirty who had imprisoned him, but nine of them were his own people.
Kidnapped in Syria
John Cantile, a British freelance photographer, was kidnapped along with his Dutch colleague 19th July and held for a week. Cantile was held captive by the 30 Muslim men of war and many were from Pakistan and Chechnya. Twelve of them spoke English and there were 9 with an accent that reportedly Cantile was obviously from south London.
Strange experience
Cantile describes fugitive newspaper the Sunday Times that he was running, scared, barefoot and handjárnaður, a landscape that reminded the Scottish hálöndin and chased by British youths with Kalashnikov rifles who had been appointed to kill him. He said that when a person is abducted in Syria if he does not expect that there are people who own people do it, let alone that there are Syrian in sight.

A new massacre took place at the hands of the criminal scourge of humanity and rejects of the human race, the Shabi7ha, in the town of 7harbanafsa in 7Hama countryside. The objective is to force migration of the Sunni town of 8000.

The 7houla, Treimseh and other massacres targeting this area in particular clearly point out to a deliberate attempt at ethnic cleansing in preparation for plan B.

We say again this plan will not bear fruit and those behind it will be hounded to the inner confines and caves of the mountains.

All of Syria will be liberated from this abomination of the Nazi-like criminals and not a single atom of its soil will be missing no matter what it takes. Let no one entertain any doubts or dreams

-An explosion took place in the radio and TV station in Damascus today.

-Three Iranian terrorists were killed today in Damascus.

-FSA in Aleppo is on the offensive to liberate the Hanano military base and other security installations throughout the city.

With Gambari Set to Leave Darfur, Tries for OIC or Qatar, Syria Contradictions

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, August 6 — The UN and its officials always know which side their bread is buttered on.

Take outgoing Darfur envoy Ibrahim Gambari.

While UN staff complained to Inner City Press that Gambari was flying around looking for his next job, less and less present in El Fasher, despite building a $600,000 house there, Inner City Press held off writing about his job search. Click here for UN confirmation of Inner City Press’ exclusive on Casa Gambari, and a (Gulf) television pick up – video here, from Minute 14:25.

During Gambari’s last appearance at the UN Security Council, Inner City Press asked him a pointed question about this job search. I am exploring all my options, Gambari said. He declined an on-camera stakeout, saying he speak one-on-one later.

Now comes exclusive news to and from Inner City Press that Gambari might like to replace Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu of Turkey as Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Not only is OIC headquartered in Jeddah — here is the lead of a recent Saudi Gazette article:

“No Muslim leader can unite the Muslim nation like King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), during an Okaz Forum held recently and attended by members from the Shoura Council, Syrian National Council.”

The irony in light of OIC’s support, like Saudi Arabia, for anti-Assad rebels in Syria is that Gambari repeatedly had run-ins with Western powers on the Security Council for his closeness first with the Myanmar military government then with Sudan’s International Criminal Court indicted president Omar al Bashir.

But to head OIC, and please its main Saudi backers and host, Gambari would have to be on the same side as the West on Syria.

On the other hand, his historic closeness with Myanmar’s government might get him access, at least, to the country on the issue of the Rohingya. And it could bring a new focus on Boko Haram in Gambari’s native Nigeria.

Gambari’s fall-back position, sources say, would be as some sort of adviser on Africa to the rulers of Qatar, based in Doha to which he traveled so often in his Darfur post. But given Qatar’s position in Libya, and that country’s new leaders’ aversion to sub Saharan Africa, how would a Gambari role play out.

[…]

http://innercitypress.com/gambari1gulf080612.html

#394 Tara

Once the transitional government is formed,

Target date 2014?

As expected, get ready for a lot of propaganda ‘events’ and ‘rumors’ such as “massacres”,”bombs”, “defections” etc.. who purpose is to distract the media away from the inevitable end of the armed opposition in Damascus and Aleppo in the total indifference of the whole world.

Syrian Christians caught between two sides – Aug. 6, 2012

Reports suggest that Syrian Christians are increasingly being targeted for attack by radical Islamists. They’re suspected of loyalty to the Assad regime

As fighting between the Syrian regime and the forces of the opposition has intensified, so has the suffering of the civilian population. Hundreds of thousands of citizens of different political and religious backgrounds have been displaced. Some are still in the country, while others have fled to the border regions in neighboring countries. Among them are many Syrian Christians, who constitute around 10 percent of the population. They fear that, if the uprising against the dictator Bashar al-Assad is successful, they will find themselves on the losing side regardless of whom they support.

Christian refugees from the Syrian city of Kusair recently told a correspondent for Spiegel Online that many of their relatives had been murdered by radical Islamists who had joined the fight against the Assad regime. The refugees spoke of a concerted campaign against the Christian minority. “We are constantly accused of working for the regime,” said a Christian woman whom the magazine spoke to in Lebanon. Initially, she said, they got along well with the rebels, but later on Islamists – most of whom come to Syria from other countries – incited the rebels to turn on the Christians.

Media censorship by the regime makes it almost impossible to corroborate such accounts, but reports of attacks and people being driven out of their homes are becoming increasingly common. A Christian official from Syria, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of arousing hostility, says that Christians are being accused of supporting the regime. “They were forced to flee certain areas a long time ago,” he told DW’s Arabic Service. “People are saying to them: you have to be either for or against us.”

‘People are very afraid’

The official explains that for many years Christians enjoyed a far better status, and above all greater security, under the Assad regime than their fellow believers did in other Arab countries. “Many of them are now very afraid that a form of political Islam will come to power that regards Christians as just a minority, as dhimmi [non-Muslim subjects] who do not enjoy the same rights and obligations as other citizens.” There is also a growing fear of anti-Christian terror commandos like those that are active in Iraq.

The Syrian sociologist Ishaq Kanaou makes similar observations. “The Christians in Syria are very afraid that Islamic forces will come to power, and that they themselves will become second-class citizens as a result,” Kanaou told DW. “This fear is based, of course, on the experiences of Christians in Egypt, and above all in Iraq, where they have been increasingly marginalized.” Nonetheless, he says that “the majority of Syrian Christians are now on the side of the opposition,” though he adds that they are acting very cautiously as they don’t want to make themselves vulnerable to either side. “Just like other Syrian citizens, the Christians fear the brutality of the regime. But they’re also afraid of radical and extremist groups.”

[…]

http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,16148169,00.html

Mores signs of desperation and panic: Rebels use Iranians captives as ‘human shields’ and bargaining chips to save their skin.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/06/syria-crisis-iranians-idINL6E8J6BIV20120806

Mon Aug 6, 2012 10:08pm IST

Aug 6 (Reuters) – Syrian rebels said three Iranian captives were killed on Monday during an air attack in Damascus province by government forces, and threatened to kill the remaining Iranians in their custody unless the army stopped its attack.

“They were killed when the aircraft attacked. One of the houses they were in collapsed over their heads,” rebel spokesman Moutassam al-Ahmad told Reuters. “We will kill the rest if the army does not stop its assault. They have one hour.”

Ahmad said that a number of rebels were also killed in the attack. “Our losses are bigger than theirs.”

We salute the courage of Senators John McCain, Lindsay O. Graham and Joseph I. Liberman for first holding firm to the values upon which the US is founded, and secondly for articulating so eloquently where the interests of the US actually lie in this vital region of the world, the Middle East. They clearly and eloquently proved that US interests and the cherished US values have never coincided so closely as in the case of the Syrian Revolution,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mccain-lieberman-and-graham-the-risks-of-inaction-in-syria/2012/08/05/4a63585c-dd91-11e1-8e43-4a3c4375504a_story.html

Are there any leaders in the White House who are up to the task?

The air is so thin in the Baath VIP box, I think Bowel Sydrome has fainted again. The news of the disappearance of the former Syrian Prime Minister Hijab and several unnamed-as-yet officials has brought on a mass fainting spell that only the mysterious Ann seems immune to.

Bronco does raise an important question, where the departing PM is at the moment.

It seems obvious to me that there was an early tip-off of the departure, which meant the news of the defection operation compromised its final steps. The original departure plans to Jordan had to be abandoned, and the hunt is on, to seize Hijab before he gets to Jordan. He faces the full might and vengence of the regime in its death throes.

That a spokesman spoke for Hijab supports my conjecture, and Bronco’s point that the declaration was boilerplate is pertinent; most likely a decision was made in the larger operation to give an official statement in his name. These were likely not his words or were elaborated by ‘official’ speech writers. Were they his opinions? I don’t know. In this case, actions speak louder than boilerplate. The PM is not at his desk, SANA says canned, official aide says defected, quit. He is a wanted man in Syria, subject to the new special terrorist courts and secret execution.

The person who broke the news on Twitter after it leaked stupidly to Facebook underlined that Hijab’s whereabouts are unknown, that at last information, he had not arrived outside. The defection was an operation that involved many people.

Interesting if fraudulent spin is applied to the defection. That he was a cipher or a stooge of Baath authority as a given in the circumstances, yes, this is arguable. That he was not actually in possession of the power invested in him by the constitution of Syria, that he did not and could not choose his own cabinet, that he was a prisoner of the Warbook, that the Security Cabinet overruled anything that the toothless offical power (real cabinet) might emit, that the Baath security state centred on the Assad family is the only power in Syria … all this can be agreed, perhaps.

But the optics, Antoine! This is the hardest actual blow. The paranoia meters are screaming in the Palace. Who in gawd’s name can anyone of the real powers trust right now? Not a one. Not a single cut-out like Hijab can be considered loyal. If an obedient stooge under constant security surveillance is able to slip away … this shows the hollowness of support. The cipher obedience of a Hijab supports the gravity of this defection, despite the spin from SANADounyaRT&Co.

_________________________

This video uploaded today purports to show two huge rocket bombs fuming flames as they slam into Tremseh from the sky.

This is a war crime. This is ICC exhibit #666s. This is the mad uncontrollable machine ‘led’ by the mute hand-flapper that is committing unspeakable evil upon its peoples.

This is what Hijab is attempting to escape from. Consider him a prisoner of the Assad Warbook who is now in the last tunnel of his personal great escape. If he makes it, he must speak in his own voice, answering all the questions. If the War Machine captures him …

I am atheist, but I utter incantations that he makes it and that he speaks.

In the meantime, I hope that stupefied-by-events Jane Austen fan recovers from his latest fainting spell, and can soon return to his spinning wheel, with a SANAtized tale of No War In Damascus, Hijab got canned, Tremseh deserved a good rocket-cleanse, move along, Bashar Rah Rah.

What hideous mysteries are these final Baath delusion voices on Syria Comment. It fills me with sadness to realize the depth of inhumanity in some Assadist trumpets here. Have they no shame? Have they only hate and scorn in their hearts, these mysterious stateless voices?

Despite being guarded by 45 republican guards assigned to his ‘protection’ Ryad Hijab was able run away helped by the FSA.
If this is true, it means than anyone can easily defect, or it was an arranged ‘ runaway…

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/06/syria-crisis-defectors-idINL6E8J6AOD20120806

For Prime Minister Hijab, surrounded by security, the operation would have been far more difficult. Atari said that after the Damascus bombing which killed four of Assad’s top security officials three weeks ago, dozens of soldiers were assigned to watch the prime minister.

“Riyad was in a mosque and after the Friday prayers a colonel came to him, with 45 members of the Republican Guard, and he said ‘We are here to protect you’,” Atari said, adding that plans for his defection had been hatched two months ago.

Strange rummors about death of Assad denied by Russian Foreign Ministry.

http://youkal.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59534%3A2012-08-06-19-00-05&catid=54%3A2011-04-29-12-25-44&Itemid=126

If he is already resting in peace “Allah yarhamu”

423. zoo said:

Despite being guarded by 45 republican guards assigned to his ‘protection’ Ryad Hijab was able run away helped by the FSA.
If this is true, it means than anyone can easily defect…

Who cares?!

Thousands of Syrian would love to replace him! 😉

What Syria needs now is a brave and modern woman prime minister 😉

Pro-Assad military experts in Lebanon predict the cleanesning of Aleppo and total control of Assad on Syria in coming days. I never imagined how dirty could be an very important number of lebanese regarding Syria and people of Syria. Every time I came from Damascus to Beirut I felt ashamed about the role of Syria in Lebanon, and I thought I was mistreated because of my procedence. Now I realize the questions is that many lebanese are simply stupid and politically inmature due to their recent history.

I don’t give a penny for the lebanese in political terms. They are lost. Beginning with Jounblatt and ending with Franjieh, and Nasrallah.

I trust much more in Homs, Daraa, Idlib, Aleppo, Deir or Damascus populations’ basic political concepts than in any single lebanse.

An FSA officer pompously addresses warnings to Iran…
The opposition denies it’s the FSA but say it’s their anti-shia guests in Syria, Jund al Islam

After the “where is Bashar” now

Where is Prince Bandar?
By Pepe Escobar
http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NH02Ak03.html

Was Prince Bandar “Bush”, 63, son of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz (perennial Saudi Defense Minister,1963-2001), semi-perennial ambassador to Washington (1983-2005), and secretive jihad financier, killed by a Syrian intelligence death squad?

Thunderous silence prevails on Syrian, Iranian and Arab media (most of it controlled by the Saudis). The same applies for al-Jazeera. This is DEBKA’s somewhat fanciful take.

http://www.debka.com/article/22225/Saudi-silence-on-intelligence-chief-Bandar%27s-fate-denotes-panic

Dates are crucial. Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud may have pulled off operation “Damascus Volcano” on July 18. He was definitely promoted to head of Saudi intelligence on July 19. And he might have been killed in a bomb attack on the Saudi General Intelligence HQ in
….
So what happened in Riyadh? A graphic Tehran message to the House of Saud? A rogue suicide bomber? An internal Saudi war? The House of Saud is not talking. And Bandar is not moving.

Assad does not appear publicly. He is a coward. His soldiers, regular soldiers aged 18 have to kill their brothers for the sake of Assad. But Assad is hidden in a hole like a rat. What a shame…

Assad thought the country is his property. Assad thought Syria was created by his father, what a fuxxx…. Syria is 6.000 years old or more and Assad is nothing more that a second in Syria’s history.

Spammy Ann is looking for Bravery NewZ

What Syria needs now is a brave and modern woman prime minister

Ann,

What do you think is more “brave”?:

1.) Lobbing bombs into Syrian population centers?

2.) Stepping down from office to hold multi-party elections?

3.) Fighting for your freedom?

Where is Prince Bandar?
By Pepe Escobar

http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NH02Ak03.html

Akbar,

Where did you disappear? Why did you stop posting?
.

428. zoo said:

An FSA officer pompously addresses warnings to Iran…
The opposition denies it’s the FSA but say it’s their anti-shia guests in Syria, Jund al Islam

They’re all DEAD MEN WALKING Zoo. Syria is expediting their desire to go to paradise!

Missing URL from my last comment. The crime video:

Remember the thousands of “supporters” shown to us in Damascus Mnhebak demonstrations? There is a Hijab in every single one of them waiting for his or her chance to defect.

Hijab did not wake up suddenly realizing the regime is a barbaric killing machine, He knew it all along..deep down inside, not just 2months ago…yet like all of us, current supporters and past defectors played along the “Assad lil Aba” theme until a chance knocked itself on his door.

It was perhaps my immigration to the US that made me “defect”. I claim no heroism… Had I been still living in Damascus, I may still be playing Assad lil Abad too all along. Welcome to the republic of fear!

ALDENDESHE,

You were right, I am not a syrian. My real identity is Bashar Al Assad, an iranian agent in the syrian conspiracy against the arabs.

Assad is the new hidden Mahdi, if does not appear never again their followers will create a new religion called “Cheatism”.

more on defection:

Spokesperson for defected PM Riyadh Hijab claims the regime threatened Hijab to kill him if he didn’t accept the PM post.

this suggests the grip of regime intelligence is crumbling to have allowed this to slip by:

In many meetings with Hijab’s wife, she outspoken in opposition to Assad even after he was appointed as PM.

Hijab & his wife expressed their opposition to Assad in closed doors since he was Agriculture Minster in last Cabinet.

Friends were encouraging PM & his wife to defect, it went w/ top secrecy, some of their friends left with them.

Propaganda `akbar palace from his boiler news room in `israel

Supporting cold blooded mercenary terrorist killer is not a living!

Get a job!

Minhebbakjis are showing a last effort to save their lord’s head.

Where do you come from ? We all know.

Is this total destruction all you can offer ? Yes.

Where do you go ? Nobody knows. Probaly to Tehran.

Israel had foreknowledge of the attack
http://empirestrikesblack.com/2012/08/august-5-sinai-attack-bears-all-the-hallmarks-of-an-israeli-false-flag/
August 5 Sinai Attack Bears All the Hallmarks of an Israeli False Flag

Olympic men’s 105kg weightlifting results – 2012-08-07

LONDON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Following are the results of the men’s 105kg division weightlifting competition at the London Olympic Games here on Monday:

1. Oleksiy Torokhtiy, Ukraine, 412kg

2. Navab Nasirshelal, Iran, 411kg

3. Bartlomiej Wojciech Bonk, Poland, 410kg

4. Ruslan Nurudinov, Uzbekistan, 404kg

5. Ivan Efremov,Uzbekistan,401kg

6. Ahed Jughli, Syria, 398kg <==========================

7. Arturs Plesnieks, Latvia, 390kg

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2012-08/07/c_131765660.htm

427 SANDRO,

You shouldn’t worry much about those retards, and they shouldn’t cause you any loss of sleep. Once Syria becomes free, Lebanon will go back to its historical mother and Hizb Zbala sent back to where it belongs, the garbage bin of the mullahs. Remember, Tripoli was always part of the Homs governate, while Bekaa and Beirut were always part of the Cham governate.

Washington green-lights American donations to Syrian rebels – 06 August, 2012

The US government has permitted its citizens to start donating money to Syria’s opposition, paving the way for direct help from US nationals to the rebel fighters.

­The Syrian Support Group (SSG), a Washington-based organization closely connected to rebel forces, has been granted a license by the US Treasury to begin fundraising on behalf of the opposition.

The move allows the group to provide the rebels with “financial, communications, logistical services otherwise banned” by American sanctions on Syria, the Daily Telegraph reports.

However, the license doesn’t permit the SSG to directly buy weapons.

The organization has already hailed the measure as a “game-changer.”

The group wouldn’t reveal the amount of money it’s raised since the license was granted in late July.

Among the SSG’s other activities is active lobbying for a US-led intervention in Syria by establishing a no-fly zone and demolishing the country’s air defense systems.

Last week, the US boosted its so-called “non-lethal aid” to the rebels, increasing funding by $12 million and bringing the total sum spent on humanitarian aid to $76 million.

[…]

http://www.syriansupportgroup.org/

http://www.rt.com/news/syria-rebels-us-donations-997/

Akbar,

Where did you disappear? Why did you stop posting?

Dear Zionist usurper Amir from Tel Aviv,

I have been hanging out at “Walls” (which went quiet due to the bleak news) and also “Qifa Nakbi”. Good dialogue comes in waves; it’s hard to sustain it over many days. Anyway, too many Besho apologists on this website to my liking, however, once in a while, I enjoy asking questions the Menhebaks can’t answer without their small brains popping!

Hope all is well. If you want to chat more, feel free to contact me at palace.akbar@gmail.com

Lehit.

439. omen

Ref: Ryad Hijab’s wife

What women wants, women gets

444. VISITOR

I do not think we must committ the same old mistakes (Syria anexing Lebanon). Lebanon is Lebanon and Syria is Syria. If each country was respected in its identity and boundaries without agents from Iran inside and medieval christian, sunni and druze feudal warlords everything would work easily and Lebanon and Syria would be commercial, political and cultural partners.

443. ann

Excellent score much better than the 82 seconds Saudi judoka.

#444 Visitor

Great plan.. the Great Sham and bye bye the Lebanese maronites and the Shias!
Next, unification with Turkey…

Irritated

“What women wants, women gets”

Is that in new Syria?

449. irritated said:

443. ann

Excellent score much better than the 82 seconds Saudi judoka.

That BIG old FAT saudi judoka gave 7 thumbs down on that Olymic score post!

Defected politicians snub Turkey, they prefer to head off straight to a 4 stars hotel in Qatar, the Land of Gas and Malls.
Even the Guardian admits it’s only a propaganda balloon…

Syria’s latest defection: prime minister’s move is PR defeat rather than fatal blow

Riyad Hijab is most high-profile figure to defect but opinion is split over how far move will harm Assad regime
Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 August 2012 19.20 BST

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/06/syria-prime-minister-defect-blow?newsfeed=true
Syria’s prime minister on Monday became the most high-profile political figure to quit the regime of Bashar al-Assad – a propaganda coup for the opposition as the country’s crisis continued to escalate.
..
Later Hijab was reported to be heading for the Gulf state of Qatar, an outspoken supporter of the Syrian opposition, to avoid embarrassing Jordan.

The defection is a PR defeat for Assad, but not necessarily one that will have a major impact on the running of the regime. Real power remains with Assad and the coterie of military and security chiefs and relatives who surround him.

452. ann

Pity that SUMO wrestling is only for men and requires half nudity…

442. Citizen

We all know Hezballah has cellules operating in Egypt, so everything shows that Assad could be behind in order to create fears about MB.

Tara

It’s universal…

Irritated,

Engaging in this conversation about the Saudi athlete like this…and she has nothing to do with any thing?!

455. SANDRO LOEWE

I didn’t know. Great news… Soon the return of the الفاطميون in Egypt.

422. William Scott Scherksaid:
The air is so thin in the Baath VIP box, I think Bowel Sydrome has fainted again.

WSS, could you translate this for those of us who do not speak this language?

Democracy? Come back next year!
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/49761/Egypt/Politics-/Newspapers-may-strike-to-protest-vicious-attack-on.aspx
“The conference also discussed the ongoing struggle between the press syndicate and the Shura Council (Egypt’s upper house of parliament), as the former accuses the Islamist-led upper house of trying to dominate public newspapers through the sub-committee that is designated to appoint new editors-in-chief.”

458. irritated

We will probably see before how a new Salahaddin beheads Mr. Assad with their own hands and reduces HA to a Sicily-style mafious gang of nouveau riches.

“Pity that SUMO wrestling is only for men and requires half nudity…”

Pity this irritating buffoon will stoop to low levels to make a point.

Do you get a kick making fun of a 16 year old girl Irritated?

Btw while you are making fun of a 16 year old girl her compatriots won bronze…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/medals/athletes?country=KSA

#457 Tara

I don’t care is she is Sunni, or Shia or Budhist, she is an official representent of a country that oppresses religious minorities and women’s rights and that is sending weapons and money to kill Syrians. Yet no one dare to openly criticize them because they have oil and the USA is their ally.
Do you expect me to applaude her after all the fuss and pressures made on the Olympics so she could perform with the hejab?

If she had thrown off the hejab before the fight as a sign of rebellion against the Saudi conservative society, I would have applauded.

Note from the media

“While that should be the message, it should also be pointed out that much of Saudi Arabia failed to witness Shaherkani’s accomplishment on television because her match took place during prayer time in the country.”

Back home, some hardliners have urged her not to jeopardize her place in the afterlife for a fleeting bit of fame on Earth. Others have warned that she and her family could face ostracism when she goes home.

“Saudi women face widespread restrictions in nearly all aspects of public and private life, particularly under guardianship laws that require them to have a male relative’s permission before they can travel abroad, work, marry, get divorced or even be treated at some hospitals. It is also the only country in the world that forbids women — both Saudi and foreign — from driving. Some women who have challenged the driving ban have even been detained.”

Irritated,

So after you made fun of her for being fat, now you want us to believe you really give a sh*t that her rights are restricted in Saudi Arabia.

What kind of sick logic is that?

#459 JNA

I agree with you. We have here high level intellectuals who can’t express themselves plainly.
They think that using James Joyce or Jane Austen style they will impress us more.

@Imad…Where are you man, any news on SN? I will take rumors if that is all you got, even crazy ones usually have some leads. Looks like the Eastern Zionists are up to no good in Mecca.

#464 SOD

It’s not my fault if he is obese. I have not seen obese judokas before.
I do have sympathy for her anyway because of her young age and her naivety in being abused by a Saudi PR game.

Irritated,

You should cheer her that despite coming from country that oppressed women, she is defying the religious authorities, insisting to compete despite the threat to ostracize her and her family when she returns.

You should cheer her being one of the rare Arab women participating in the Olympic.

And if none above convince you, you should cheer her courage regardless wether her hijab or her cleavage is shown to you.. she is a human being regardless of what is shown.

nice jujitsu!

exploits obsession against iran, turning arguments on its head, and exposes hypocrisy of u.s. policy.

obama inc. should be embarrassed.

middle east expert, michael singh
via washington institute:

02:19

video

what message does it send to iran that we are not willing to intervene, even in a case like syria, and yet we say the military option is on the table with respect to iran. i don’t think that’s a very credible message when we are not willing to act elsewhere.

also warns “risk of conflict regionalizing.”

Irritated,

So your sensitivity extends to wanting to see a 16 year old girl half naked sumo wrestling?

Come on Irritated either come out and say you are a sick old man that likes little girls or actually recognize you were wrong about something for once.

You were just trying to be the usual smart ass that you are and I know that, but when you decide to pick on 16 year old girl with a rather sadistic chauvinistic approach that is more than just being a smart ass.

And save us you give a sh*t about her rights speech, because if you cared one little bit about her you would have never gone down the sick road you chose.

#468 Tara

I pity her and all the women in Saudi Arabia who have to deal with such a retrograde authoritarian government.
The poor girl did not have a say, the Saudi government, in a PR move, made pressure on the Olympics committee about the hejab as they wanted to send a message that that it cared about some’women rights’ but always within the ‘religion’. What a joke…
Now the family is ostracized. Is the government defending them? I don’t not know if there has been any recognition expressed in the official media about that poor girl. I doubt there has been. Do you think all this would help more girls to go to sports or liberate women in KSA?

I regret having been so wicked and made fun of the physical appearance of that girl and her failure. I got carried away.
Yet the fact she represents Saudi Arabia, an arrogant country that despise and encourages the killing of Syrians, brings out the worst in me.
In fact I pity her more than anything else to live in such a place.

Irritated,

Thank you. That is my guy. 😉

irritated, you are not allowed to talk about saudi arabia if you are not saudi.

a rule loyalists keep trying to establish.

Syrian troops gains on ground, clouded by premier defection – 2012-08-07

DAMASCUS, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — The Syrian troops made achievements Monday in their battles with the armed rebels in northern Aleppo province and elsewhere, the state media said. However, the military gains were overshadowed by the defection of breakaway Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab.

The Syrian TV said that armed groups attacked Monday a thermal power plant at the Sufaira area in the eastern part of Aleppo’s countryside, adding that the Syrian troops clashed with the assailants and killed 25 of them.

Also in Aleppo, the government forces clashed with an armed group in al-Martini neighborhood, killing and injuring a number of terrorists and forcing the rest to flee, according to state-run SANA news agency.

Separately, a unit of the Syrian forces clashed with a ” terrorist group” near the Aleppo Science Faculty, killing and injuring a number of terrorists, including snipers stationed on rooftops who were firing at passersby and cars.

The armed forces also confronted a “terrorist” group in Bab al- Hadid area, killing and injuring several of its members, while the authorities clashed with another terrorist group in Aghyour roundabout, leaving many terrorists killed and injured.

In Homs, the authorities clashed with “terrorists” who were attempting to flee al-Khalidiye neighborhood, resulting in the deaths of seven terrorists and the injury of others.

In Telkalakh in Homs countryside, the authorities confronted a “terrorist group” that attempted to attack law-enforcement forces and citizens, killing and injuring several terrorists, according to SANA.

The state news agency also reported confrontations in the southern province of Daraa.

The Syrian TV said that Hijab was sacked of his post and replaced by his deputyOmar Ghalawenji. The Syrian government has downplayed reports about the defection and it’s Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi saidthat Syria is an institutional state and the flight of some personalities, however high-ranking, won’t affect the Syrian state.

In a press statement following the Cabinet session on Monday, al-Zoubi dismissed as untrue reports on some ministers’ defecting, adding that 99 percent of the news broadcast by foreign and Arab media outlets on Syrian personalities or events are “desperate attempts with defined goals.”

Hijab reportedly rejected Sunday to sign a number of agreements with Russia on the selling of Syrian crude oil that would bring about a billion U.S. dollars in revenue to Syria.

The reports quoted one of Hijab’s brother as saying that after declining to sign the agreements with Russian, Hijab was expecting to be arrested under the charge of undermining the country’s economy.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/07/c_131765762.htm

Corrupting the UN High Commission for Human Rights!

For US, Ban Told Pillay to Quit, Offered DM to S. Africa, of 2 Year Deal & Sri Lanka

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, August 6 — After Navi Pillay accepted or was forced to accept a two year than than four year second term as UN High Commission for Human Rights, Inner City Press asked her directly and on camera if this made her less independent, less able to speak out. She declined to answer.

Now Inner City Press has exclusively learned from well placed sources how the two year compromise was reached.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, at the direction of the United States and others, told Pillay that she could not have a second term, that to make it look better she herself should resign.

Pillay refused, and threatened to go public.

Other states, most prominently Pillay’s native South Africa, were enlisted to try to find a solution.

In a cynical new low, South Africa was offered the Under Secretary General of Management position ultimately given to Japan’s Yukio Takasu if only South Africa would convince Pillay to leave.

But South Africa refused.

And so the two-year compromise was reached, putting Pillay in a weakened position. Her team and the reportedly herself will now visit Sri Lanka.

[…]

http://www.innercitypress.com/ban1pillay080612.html

i’ll give it up for bashar. he’s an equal opportunity bomber.

I thought that Syrian men are hairy. But from watching vids from Syria, it looks like the men are more smooth than hairy.
.

you are not supposed to cruise conflict videos for dating material, amir.

although, i have to admit, i’ve been struck by how beautiful syrian women are.

Syria grows fragile, Iraq too

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syria-grows-fragile-iraq-too.aspx?pageID=449&nID=27222&NewsCatID=409
…
If Syria falls apart, the division of Iraq might be imminent. If borders start to change in the region, no one can guess where they will stop.

“انشقاق الدكتور حجاب يختلف كثيرا عن كل الانشقاقات السابقة لسبب بسيط وهو ان الرجل جرى اختياره في منصبه الجديد بعد انتخابات برلمانية من المفترض ان تعكس اصلاحات سياسية تؤسس لمرحلة جديدة في سورية، وكأن الرئيس بشار يريد ان يقول للشعب السوري الموالي منه والمعارض، انه اختار رئيس وزراء مختلفا من حيث كونه من التكنوقراط نظيف اليد واللسان، يتمتع بخلفية عشائرية قوية (دير الزور) وشعبية كونها من خلال توليه مناصب عديدة كمحافظ للقنيطرة وبعدها اللاذقية، اي انه يؤرخ لمرحلة جديدة.
الدكتور حجاب كان اختيار الرئيس بشار نفسه وليس الاجهزة الامنية، ليكون الواجهة السياسية الجديدة والحضارية للنظام، ولكنها واجهة لم تعمر الا شهرين وانهارت بكاملها بانشقاقه.
انه اختراق كبير، اختراق مزدوج، سياسي وامني في الوقت نفسه، كشف عن اتساع الشروخ في الدائرة الضيقة للنظام، مثلما كشف عن اختراقات امنية اكبر من المفترض ان لا تتم بعد انشقاق حيتان عسكرية وسياسية كبيرة، مثل العميد مناف طلاس، والسفير نواف الفارس، واغتيال اربعة من ابرز اعضاء الخلية الامنية قبل اسبوعين، وهم وزير الدفاع ونائبه (صهر الرئيس) ورئيس الامن القومي وخلية الازمة.
”
http://www.alquds.co.uk/index.asp?fname=today6z999.htm&arc=data\201288-066z999.htm

Great rhetoric.  Yet I do not know how can he patch the traditional interpretation of Islam and freedom of women. Would he force muslim women to wear hijab if he is in power?  And if they refuse, would he jail them?  I personally want religion to be a private matter, and if I to have a freedom to vote, I will vote secular.  Please note I am fasting today.

The Muslim Brotherhood wants a future for all Syrians
Those seeking to distort our noble revolution insult the people giving their lives for democracy
 
Ali al-Bayanouni
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 August 2012 16.00 EDT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/06/syria-middleeast
….

Women must be given ample opportunity to assert themselves so future generations can play their crucial part in this national project.

With regard to transitional justice, we believe that the ruling clique has transgressed all boundaries of aggression, and that the desire for reprisal is inevitable. But our faith emphasises that retribution must be enacted through a fair judicial process. There should be no revenge killings, and we reject the targeting of any group on religious, sectarian or political grounds. We are worried that the international community’s exaggerated reiteration of concern for minorities justifies the slaughter of the majority, and is counterproductive.

We seek to build a state founded on a civil constitution with separation of powers, and where all citizens, men and women, will participate in its governance through the ballot box in a free and fair manner that allows the election of the most capable
,,,,

Arab Spring: The third wave: Morocco and Jordan
05/08/2012
By Emad El Din Adeeb

http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=2&id=30588

….
The third wave: the poor monarchies: These regimes are hindered by their geographical circumstances, history, and a lack of resources. They have a weak economy and a high ceiling of demands, with growing calls for more freedom and economic salvation. In these cases, the regime can become threatened firstly by its inability to increase freedom, because if it did so it could face an alarming coup, or secondly by its inability to manage new economic resources to revive the country, reduce unemployment, and improve wages and services. The regime is caught between a rock and a hard place; not being able to provide greater freedom and not being able to improve economic conditions at the same time. These pressures put the cohesion of the entire regime structure at risk. In my opinion, this model applies to the cases of Morocco and Jordan. In this regard, pressure has begun to build on Abdelilah Benkirane’s government in Rabat and Fayez al-Tarawneh’s government in Amman, in a manner that is now impossible to bear. The likeliest outcome is that these men will be sacrificed for the survival of the regime, and to prolong its stay in power.

Therefore, we are in the middle of the second and approaching the third wave of the Arab Spring, which will be even greater and more dangerous!

The FSA has decided: Iranians are banned from entering Syria

http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=30602

In a related context, FSA commander Lieutenant Colonel Khalid al-Hamud stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat that “any Iranian is now banned from entering Syria. We will cut down their feet under whatever name they enter with, either as fighters or pilgrims.”

Bilad al-Sham: Jihad’s Newest Hot Spot

Syria has become a magnet for the world’s jihadis. It has been attracting them since the start of the crisis, lured by what many believe to be a divine promise that jihad in Bilad al-Sham, Greater Syria, will set the stage for the emergence of the true Islamic state.
Radwan Mortada
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/bilad-al-sham-jihads-newest-hot-spot
…
According to jihadi sources, the fighters currently operating in Syria include Jordanians, Iraqis, Palestinians, Kuwaitis, Tunisians, Libyans, Saudis and Yemenis, as well as Muslims from non-Arab countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. The biggest single contingent of foreign fighters is said to be composed of Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Palestinians who had previously fought against US forces in Iraq.

But while all Islamist fighters rally under the same banner, they are divided among many factions and schools of thoughts
..
Leaders of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), including its commander Riyadh al-Asaad, have been strenuously denying that jihadi groups have been fighting under the banner of al-Qaeda in the current battles in Aleppo. When confronted with documentary evidence from the Arab world Western media, they tend to play down their numbers or dismiss them as irrelevant.

469. omensaid:
“what message does it send to iran that we are not willing to intervene, even in a case like syria, and yet we say the military option is on the table with respect to iran. i don’t think that’s a very credible message when we are not willing to act elsewhere.”

Right, and after all we have timidly limited our recent invasions and occupations to only two of Iran’s bordering countries, while bombing and making military incursions on a third bordering country, all the time arming and financing Iran’s middleeast nemesis to the teeth.

SNC confirms Saudi, Qatari weapons in Syria

Published Monday, August 6, 2012
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/snc-confirms-saudi-qatari-weapons-syria

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are giving light arms to Syria’s rebels, a spokeswoman for the opposition SNC confirmed on Monday, calling for more advanced weapons to confront Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“Rebels on the ground are searching desperately for arms wherever they can find them,” Bassma Kodmani, spokesperson for the external opposition, the Syrian National Council, told France’s Europe 1 radio.

“There are certain countries that are providing light and conventional weapons,” she said.

Asked which countries, Kodmani said: “It is Qatar, Saudi Arabia, it is maybe a little bit Libya with what it has left over from its own battle.”

jna, the iraq invasion was the greatest gift to iran we could give. they benefited over that folly more than anybody else. u.s. firms didn’t even leave with oil contracts after the deed was done.

Some thoughts regarding the PM Hijab defection.

The fight reaching Damascus, even central Damascus (even in recent days), could have played a role in influencing Mr Hijab. Everyone (including MP’s, security forces inner circle, ordinary Damascenes etc) will have heard the fighting and this would have sent home the message that a Tripoli scenario is possible. Damascus could be overun by rebels. The likes of Mr Hijab could be in danger of capture or worse so they must be/have considered/considering defection to save themselves.

Even if they felt the regime forces could hold out and counted out the Tripoli scenario, assassination is a real prospect. Rebels are everywhere, even undercover. Opposition sympathizers will be everywhere. Possibly even in the Presidential Palace, Parliament or State Tv building (bombing of 3rd floor of building).

My point is about the psychological effects of the recent fighting in the heart of the regime (Damascus).

reviewing an earlier profile of hajib, noticed this:

Deir al-Zour is one of three places where the United Nations wants to open field offices to facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid through Syria.

why deir al-zour? that’s where the oil is. coincidence?

Some are saying this defection of Mr Hijab may not have a major impact on the regime. We’ll have to wait and see. Others will comment on that. Put that to one side for now.

This defection will have (and is having a) a major impact in terms of propaganda. For anti-regime it is easier to convince people who have been misled, of the reality.

Regime propagandists and supporters are being exposed for their lies. They are struggling to control the damage and coming up with all sorts of responses in panic. I’ve seen this elsewhere.

With every piece of news coming out from Syria, with every defection we have contradiction of what the regime supporters have been telling the lay people online.

Interesting article in the WSJ on the state of mind of Hizbollah’s rank and file. “Resilience” LOL!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444840104577552540755774340.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#articleTabs%3Darticle

“If it weren’t for Iran’s financial help, people would be voicing their anger,” said Ms. Fouladkar. “We call this money aspirin from Iran.” ”

“My sons all run around saying, ‘Hezbollah, Hezbollah,’ but as soon as they hear gunfire they want to run away and hide,”

Good night with George Galloway (Episode 3 Galloway on Syria)
Published on 5 Aug 2012

I believe Irritated is a good guy inside. Lots of us get carried away and say things we do not genuinely mean. Only the real manly (or real womanly) are those who acknowledge it. Irritated did not even have to bother responding.

492. VISITOR:

you have a point about his obvious sectarianism but to go so far as to invoke this:

typical of the use of the well-known taqiyya practice when all else fails, saving the day for another round.

that’s hardly a fair reading. lots of people modify a provocative stance if challenged on it. that’s normal. don’t tie that to a religious thing. juan cole says holding the doctrine of taqiyya over someone’s head (or iran, in foreign policy debates) in order to demonize them is a form of islamophobia.

countering sectarianism with sectarianism wont work. plus, you have to account for the fact that irritated and tara are friends. boundaries get readjusted to maintain a truce.

Hijab from what I found was not a corrupt guy,his reputation makes it hard for regime supporters to add their usual spin to his defection story. He is an able administrator who realized that he can not function in war zone under the command of an incompetent president. His departure will not have an immediate effect on the war but it weakens a regime that still pretends to represent all Syrians. The SNC is promising its supporters that Syria will witness dramatic developments in the next few days,I hope that does not mean another spectacular assassination or a suicide bombing,Syria needs a pleural government not more bloodshed,I was told that the regime,Iran and Russia are working under the assumption that key figures,including Bashar,will eventually join the list of Syrians who lost their lives in this war,those of you who thinks that Syria’s problems will disappear as soon as Bashar is out of the picture have poor understanding of the nature of this war and the resolve of those who believes that this war is not about Bashar any more,it is about reshaping the whole Middle East,this is much bigger than the figure head whose departure is now ,in a synical way,may actually further the cause of the powers behind him,wake up,grow up and look at the whole picture,this is not ,by any measure, the beginning of the end of this bloody war.

To the regime supporters, something has been puzzling me. You keep maintaining that events in Syria are just a plot to weaken Iran.

And yet, for the life of me, I can’t think of one tangible thing that the Assad regime offers the Iranians in way of support or aid. The aid flows one way; from Tehran to Damascus. The regime has actually become a big drain on the Iranians. Seems to me that the Iranian theocracy only supports the Baathist just to keep up “resistance and resilience and rejectionist” appearances. Obviously the Iranians have never gotten anything tangible in return.

496. Omen,
I am relying on an observed pattern. As for the taqiyya invocation, it was not meant to be invoked in the religious sense, because I doubt the person in question is religious.

I invoked it as a well known practice that we are quite familiar with through the centuries, with all due respect to Cole, which has become a cultural adage inherited by those who subscribe to sectarian assabiya and resort to it as the need may entail. Don’t read any religious connotations in my use of the term in his case at least.

I also do not believe that the issue of friendship between him and TARA is relevant in this case.

My comment does not contain any sectarianism. It is a simple narration of facts that can be easily verified. If they happen to touch upon sectarian subjects, that is because of the nature of the topic.

i want to know if hijab has blood on his hands. an activist i rely on called him a crook. the professor characterized him as honest. which is which?

it’s hard not to read this bio line with cynicism:

Transferred to head the Latakia governorate around the time protests were first reported – credited in state media with negotiating an end to a sit-in

Bashar’s days are numbered, there’s real fear among everyone in a position of power in Damascus. The whole regime is ready to collapse like a house of cards. Not many people outside Damascus seem to understand the fear that is gripping everyone who may be considered to be “associated” with the regime. Everyone, and I mean everyone is planning their “escape” plan, some are able to and some have extended family that they fear for their safety if they make the move, but the entire junta is ready to collapse, someone just needs to blow a single puff. I wouldn’t be surprised to wake up tomorrow or the day after to news that he’s been killed in an accident to pave the way for his convenient disappearance. There are high ranking Syrian military officers that have had enough and they’re ready to take matters into their own hands if he doesn’t leave soon, real soon.

AMJAD

There are a lot of analysts out there who see major problems for Iran with the loss of its inflence in Syria.

Here’s just one example I posted recently:

https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=15541&cp=all#comment-320863

Visitor,

I deleted your Statement in Arabic for insult. Please refrain from using insults and from personalizing the discussion.

SC Moderator
———

I would make this observation about the so IRRITATED and then a comment to treat his condition.

Notice that the only comments that stimulate a response from him are actually the ones that IRRITATE him most. They all fall into one and the same category, namely, the Alawite-Shiite-Hizb Zbala-Iran.