Greater Anti-Semites

Stephen Walt thinks he’s asking a good question:

If you ever questioned whether Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza was bad for the United States and for Israel too, you ought to ponder Turkey’s decision to suspend a multinational air-force exercise last weekend. Why? Because it’s a prime example of how pursuing the goal of “greater Israel” — which means retaining control of the West Bank and Gaza and preventing a true two-state solution — is undermining U.S. and Israeli interests…..

My response:

Mr. Walt,

“Turkey’s decision to suspend a multinational airforce exercize last weekend” had nothing to do with Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

a.) Turkey had excellent relations with Israel for decades while Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza.

b.) Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza anymore if you bothered to notice.

c.) Turkey has stated that their main disagreement with Israel was the GOI’s “disproportionate” military response to Hamas missile fire.

d.) Lastly, it is clear that occupuation is good for Israel (and the US) because the data shows (Hamas in Gaza), that a withdraw without a peace agreement will increase the violence, not the opposite.

e.) The term “Greater Israel” is just your bad attempt to stigmatize Israel, when we all know, Israel has been getting smaller due to recent withdraws from land in the Arava (to Jordan), the Sinai (to Egypt), and Palestinian cities like Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin (to the PA). Nice try.

A very simplified primer on the Syrian-Turkish history over the last centurey (part 1 in Arabic):

http://aawsat.com/leader.asp?section=3&article=540885&issueno=11284

سورية ـ تركيا: فراق فخصام فغرام
غسان الإمام

أنا الذي أدعي أني أملك ذاكرة سياسية قوية، لم أعد أتذكر اسم أول وزير خارجية تركي زار سورية. ولا بالتحديد سنة الزيارة. كل ما أتذكر أني حرصت على حضور مؤتمره الصحافي. كنت بحكم تنقلي بين دمشق وبيروت، موجودا في العاصمة السورية لتغطية الزيارة، لحساب وكالة الأنباء التي أعمل فيها.

كان ذلك إِبَّانَ حكم حافظ الأسد، في أوائل السبعينات. ربما في عام 1971 أو 1972. بدا لي أن الرئيس السوري الجديد آنذاك راغب في تصفية تعقيدات علاقة ثنائية خطرة. فقد كان انفصال سورية عن تركيا العثمانية أليماً. شارك الضباط السوريون في الثورة العربية الكبرى على العثمانيين (1916). انتهت الثورة المدعومة من الغرب، خلال الحرب العالمية الأولى، بانفصال العرب نهائيا عن تركيا، بعد تاريخ مشترك دام أربعة قرون كاملة، بدأ بالفتح العثماني لسورية (1516).

تراوح الحكم العثماني للعرب بين اللين والشدة. كانت له ميزتان إيجابيتان: إنهاء فوضى حكم المماليك للعرب الذي استغرق نحو ستة قرون. الإبقاء على ولاية الشام (سورية. لبنان. الأردن. فلسطين) موحدة إداريا وسياسيا. غير أن قسوة الحكم تجلَّت، بشكل خاص، في سورية. وبشكل عام، في حرمان «الممالك العربية» من التواصل مع النهضة الأوروبية الحديثة التي قامت على التحرر الاجتماعي. الديمقراطية. التقنية الصناعية.

حمَّل العربُ الأتراكَ العثمانيين مسؤولية تخلفهم الحضاري. في المقابل، وللنكاية بالعرب الذين رفضوا التتريك، فقد ألغى الجنرال مصطفى كمال (أتاتورك) القائد العثماني الذي هزمته الثورة العربية، الإمبراطورية العثمانية (1924)، متجاهلا ذاكرة تركيا التاريخية، بما في ذلك الكتابة بالخط العربي! كانت النكاية الكمالية بالعرب شديدة. فقد تحرروا من استعمار متخلف، ليقعوا في استعمار أوروبي متفوق، مزقهم واستغلهم، وَوَطَّنَ اليهود في صميم وطنهم، فيما حافظ الأتراك، بقيادة أتاتورك، وبنضال رائع، على وحدة وطنهم.

تحملت سورية المعاصرة آلام الفراق العثماني/ العربي، بقدر ما تحملت قسوة حكم العثمانيين الأتراك. نعم، قامت بعد الفراق، علاقة ديبلوماسية طبيعية بين البلدين. لكنها كانت علاقة باردة، غير قادرة على حل تعقيدات الانفصال التاريخي، كمتاعب الأتراك والعرب الذين تخلفوا على طرفي الحدود، من دون اعتراف بحقوقهم في أملاكهم العقارية وأراضيهم الزراعية.

استغلت تركيا الكمالية ضعف سورية، وتمزيق الانتداب الفرنسي لها إلى دويلات كرتونية، للمطالبة هي أيضا «بحصتها»! طالبت تركيا بحلب ثاني أكبر المدن السورية. فرضت حدودها على منحدرات جبال طوروس الفاصلة جغرافيا بين البلدين، علما أن الحدود الطبيعية الدولية ترسم، عادةً، على ذرى الجبال. ثم ما لبثت أن تركزت المطالبة على لواء (محافظة أو إقليم) اسكندرون ذي الغالبية السكانية العربية، في أقصى الزاوية الشمالية الغربية من سورية. وهو بالإضافة إلى كونه امتدادا لساحل سورية الضيق، فقد كانت أهميته الاستراتيجية في اعتباره أقرب ميناء سوري إلى أوروبا. حَلَّت الكارثة بسورية، مع نُذُرِ الحرب العالمية الثانية. منحت حكومة اليهودي ليون بلوم الفرنسية اليسارية، سورية استقلالا ناقصا (1936). لكن عادت فسلخت لواء اسكندرون ووهبته إلى تركيا (1939)، إرضاءً لها كي لا تتحالف مع ألمانيا حليفتها في الحرب العالمية الأولى. كانت المنظمة الدولية (عصبة الأمم) شاهد الزور الأول آنذاك. أجرت استفتاء صُورياً ادعت فيه أن غالبية السكان تركية!

راحت الغالبية العربية تهاجر إلى سورية، منذ الأربعينات بأعداد كبيرة، في مقدمتها العرب العلويون والمسيحيون. أود أن أشير هنا إلى أن الكنائس العربية والشرقية أكدت، مع ضياع اسكندرون، نقل مقارِّ بطركياتها التاريخية من أنطاكية (عاصمة سورية الرومانية) إلى قلب العروبة، دمشق، وليس إلى لبنان المسيحي. في الداخل، ثار السوريون. أسقطوا الحكومة الصامتة على سلخ اسكندرون. واضطروا هاشم الأتاسي رئيس الجمهورية إلى الاستقالة (1940). مضت العلاقة الثنائية صعبة. ثم تفجرت في الخمسينات. انضمت تركيا الكمالية إلى حلف بغداد (تركيا. العراق. إيران) ضد الاتحاد السوفييتي في الحرب الباردة. ضغطت تركيا والعراق على سورية لضمها إلى الحلف. حشدت تركيا قوات ضخمة على الحدود. فرض رئيس وزرائها عدنان مندريس (لاحظ اسمه العربي) نفسه ضيفا ثقيلا على دمشق في منتصف الخمسينات. لكن سورية تحصنت بالوحدة العربية مع عبد الناصر الرافض للأحلاف.

كان حلف بغداد شؤما على أصحابه. مزق الانقلاب العسكري عراق نوري السعيد (1958). شنقت العسكرية الكمالية مندريس (1960) بتهمة الفساد. لكن العلاقة مع سورية ظلت متوترة، حتى بعد انفصالها عن مصر. لولا الضغط السوفييتي، لما استطاع السوريون الحصول من تركيا، على مياه كافيه لإقامة سدهم الضخم على الفرات (1966)، لسقاية حلب العطشى، ولري أراضيهم الشرقية الخصبة.

وهكذا، أدهشني المسؤولون الإعلاميون السوريون، وهم يحذرونني من أن أسال ضيفهم وزير الخارجية التركي، عما إذا كانت محادثاته مع دمشق الأسد تناولت قضية لواء اسكندرون. تجاهلت التحذير. سألت الوزير. امْتَقَعَ وجهه الأحمر بالغضب. رفض الإجابة. أنهى المؤتمر بسرعة وانصرف. لم يحدث لي مكروه. كنت أراهن على سماحة صدر نظام الأسد مع الصحافة، في مرحلته الليبرالية القصيرة، قبل صدامه مع عنف الإخوان المسلمين. ثم علمت أن المسؤولين أبلغوا الوزير التركي أن الصحافي السائل يمثل وكالة أنباء أجنبية.

على الرغم من حنكته وتعقله وحذره، لم يستطع الأسد إنهاء الجفاء المزمن مع تركيا الكمالية. إلى أن فوجئ (1996) بعقدها حلفا استراتيجيا خطيرا مع إسرائيل، بترتيب أميركي أوروبي. وضع الحلف سورية في كماشة عسكرية. فقد سمحت تركيا للطيران الإسرائيلي بإجراء تدريباته الجوية في سماء الأناضول، بمحاذاة المجال الجوي السوري.

رد الأسد على الاستفزازات التركية باكتشافه الورقة الكردية. منذ الستينات، كان عشرات ألوف الأكراد الأتراك قد تدفقوا على سورية. قوبلوا بغض نظر رسمي. وجدوا الأمان في حضن القرى الكردية المرشوشة على طول الحدود مع تركيا (810 كيلومترات). ثم أضيف لون «طائفي. نضالي» على ورقة اللعب. فقد آوت سورية أيضا متمردي حزب العمال الكردي، وزعيمه الماركسي العلوي عبد الله أوغالان.

في اللعبة الإقليمية بالقنبلة الكردية، سمح صدام لتركيا بانتهاك السيادة الترابية، بالتوغل أربعين كيلومترا داخل العراق، كلما أرادات ملاحقة متمردي أوغالان الذين وجدوا الملاذ لدى أشقائهم في جبال كردستان العراق. كان أوغالان قد تسبب في مقتل نحو 45 ألف كردي وتركي منذ منتصف الثمانينات. وهكذا أيضا، استغلت تركيا عداء صدام للأسد، لتوجيه تحذير إنذاري لسورية: الحرب أو طرد أوغالان وتحييد المتمردين (1998).

لم يعش الأسد الأب ليرى ابنه ووريثه يسحب الورقة التركية من الجيب الإسرائيلي. كان المرض قد أنهكه. لكن مَهَّدَ للابن الفرصة المناسبة: حَيَّدَ نشاط المتمردين الأكراد، طرد أوغالان الذي نجحت المخابرات التركية في اعتقاله، في بلد أفريقي، بالتعاون مع المخابرات الإسرائيلية والأميركية. توفى حافظ الأسد في عام 2000. ما زال لواء اسكندرون مرسوما بعناية على الخرائط السورية. لكن كيف تحول الفراق المؤلم والخصومة المتبادلة، إلى كلام. فعناق. فغرام؟! كيف سمحت تركيا أتاتورك لتركيا إردوغان (المتزوج من فتاة تركية سورية الأصل) بالاستدارة من أوروبا المسيحية، إلى البيئة الإقليمية العربية والإسلامية؟ كيف سحبت سورية الابن الورقة التركية من الجيب الإسرائيلي؟ كيف اختفى اللواء السليب، بمهارة ديبلوماسية سورية، من ملف العلاقة الثنائية؟ ذلك هو موضوع الحديث عن الغرام اللاهب في الثلاثاء المقبل.

للحديث بقية

Did we forget Haytham Maleh?
he is in jail,without committing crime.

Dear Majedkhaldoun,

We did not forget the kidnapping and disappearance of the much respected and gentlemanly Haytham Maleh. In the last post I published:

“Haytham al-Maleh, 78, prominent lawyer and rights activist, disappeared on October 14, 2009. Three Syrian human rights activists told Human Rights Watch that they believe that Political Security is detaining him. Two said they believe that the reason for his arrest is a phone interview that aired on October 12 on an opposition television station, Barada TV, in which he criticized the Syrian authorities for their ongoing repression of freedom of expression.”

I wonder when the opposition will move from talking about the freedom to talk to telling us what they want to do and how they can make things better.

Dear Joshua ,

Do you really think that anybody would have arrested him if he just stated the fact and his take on the Economy or health care or the Education System , I doubt that ,For the opposition to be taken seriously , they need to address issues ,

US scientist charged with attempting to sell military secrets to Israel

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/20/us-israel-nozette-spy-scientist

Maybe the Congress should worry more about that than about moslem interns..’spying’. This news was reported in the press using titles discreetly blurring the fact this guy was spying for Israel.
Imagine if he was spying for Iran, the name Iran would be all over the titles.

“US scientist arrested for contact with FBI man posing as Israeli agent” in Jerusalem Post

“US scientist accused of trying to sell secrets” Washinton Examiner ( does not say to who!)

“Scientist who worked for gov’t accused of spying” AP ( does not spell out Israel)

If you to read the –Focus Area- section of Mr. Kabbani Syria Development Org. you will notice how he maneuvered away from projects that can be better developed by the Government and the Private Sector. This is the problem of Syria Baathist monopoly policy; no one can start an initiative that can directly affect the real market or local economy of Syria. It is the typical Socialist/Communist setup, whereby, only theoretical concepts can be talked about thru multitude of Social Organizations, Policy Study Institutes, and the most popular platforms is the infamous “International Conferences”. It is always International in nature, just count how many meetings, Arab conferences and International Symposiums held in Syria since Bashar became President.

This is also how, in the end, communism met its demise. They kept educating the Proletariat class but provided no jobs and way of life that can meet the life style aspired by the newly educated masses. With Iron Curtains in place, no escape and the pressure cooker effect worked, but in Syria, half the population (over 20 millions moneyed or skilled and educated Syrians-Lebanese) managed to escape in search of better life, or to a country that can guarantee the investment with something more serious than a Baathist official promise, and the country is the looser in the end.

If President Assad is serious about getting Syria off the ground floor, or is it now underground, then must start setup a Country with a business code such as those you find in the Caribbean, give license and cash capital to few venture capital firms, and set up organization that will help new venture deals with all the myriad Baathist Socialist business rules and antiquated codes. Big Communist countries like Russia and small island country the size of Homs, Mauritius, did it in less than a decade (just for few examples), both now have solid economies. Let’s stop running Syria as a Mazzraa Ishtirakieh.

Why-Discuss,

“Iran”, “Israel”, they all sound the same… 🙂

Today’s Question: What is rarer than an anti-Israel, leftist Israeli Jew?

Answer: A pro-Israel Brit?

http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=7536409

Norman, your biased standing to the side of the authoritarian regime in Syria is unbelievable; it seems that you stand alone now on this issue. Did you hear what Mr. Elmaleh said on the Baradatv.com.
He did criticize the history of the government and continues practices towards human rights and towards the permitting process which created the slums of uncontrolled housing around the city. He is calling for acting the LAW, which seems you don’t LIKE. He mentioned in the name the name of the government official who was cashing 1000 SP for each unpermitted building. Mr. Elhamleh and other ares struggling not to have their voice heard they are struggling for opening the window to TALK. To reclaim the human right to VOICE YOUR OPINIO, to feel you are exist, to TALK in a country which have shut people mouth for 40 years.

Syria mulls the EU agreement provision for its suspension in the event of the violation of human rights by Syria:
This letter sent from Ben William, council member of the Democrat Liberal in Essex, England, to EU Association Agreement with Syria, in defining of his friend Kamal Labwani, one of the opinion prisoners in Syria, sentenced 12 years for his opinion and 3 years more for choosing to represents himself. In reminder of the recent arrest of Haitham Elmaleh, only because he is a lawyer defending those people who spoke their opinion he has to go to prison. What a wonderful country Syria is? Anyone still think their is a bright future for this country after putting led on mouths and brains of its people?

From: Ben Williams
Subject: URGENT: EU Association Agreement with Syria, the release of political prisoners and the unlawful detention of Dr Kamal Labwani
To:
Date: Friday, October 16, 2009, 9:37 PM
Dear Sir/Madam,

EU Association Agreement with Syria

I am writing to you as a concerned citizen of the United Kingdom and as someone whose friend is currently serving time in Adra Prison as a political prisoner – in fundamental violation of his human rights.

As you will be aware, Syria is shortly to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union. The expected date for signing is 26th October 2009:

http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/200910113103/Syria-Politics/syria-eu-partnership-agreement-to-be-signed-in-2-weeks.html

This agreement contains a very important section:

“CONSIDERING the importance which the Parties attach to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the observance of human rights, democratic principles and political and economic freedoms, which form the very basis of the Association”

The full text can be found here:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52008PC0853(02):EN:HTML

I am writing to request assistance in drawing attention to the fact that Syria continues to systematically violate human rights, in direct contravention of the paragraph above. Syria denies it has political prisoners. However, it has routinely locked up proponents of peaceful democratic reform. It has detained them as criminals, but subjected them to a very different prison regime, segregated in the manner of political prisoners.

The latest high profile arrest, of elderly human rights lawyer Haytham al-Maleh, occurred just two days ago (14th October).

Details can be found here:

http://www.fidh.org/Enforced-disappearance-of-Mr-Haitham-Al-Maleh

I have been moved to write by the plight of one particular individual who I am proud to call my friend: Dr Kamal al-Labwani, who spent time in the UK, US and Europe, attempting to draw attention to Syria’s abysmal record on human rights, prior to his most recent arrest and detention.

Kamal is a doctor, an artist and also an advocate of peaceful democratic reform in Syria.

In September 2005, Kamal came to England to exhibit his paintings and to draw attention to the human rights situation in Syria. His intelligence, creativity, wit and wisdom inspired me, as did his love of Syria, and I was privileged to share many hours with him, including introducing him to the practise of democratic politics in the United Kingdom.

On returning to Syria, Kamal was arrested. He was charged with “communicating with a foreign country and inciting it to initiate aggression against Syria”. Anyone who spent any time at all with Kamal will know that he was one of the staunchest opponents of military intervention. He believed that change has to come from within a country, from its people. His mission was to draw the world’s attention to Syria so that its government would be forced to take decisions in the full glare of international scrutiny..

Kamal was sentenced to 12 years hard labour. A further three years were added because he chose to represent himself. Kamal suffers from inflammation of the prostate for which he is receiving inadequate treatment. He remains in Adra prison, with the signing of the Syria/EU Association Agreement only days away.

The United Nations has stated that his detention is unlawful. Below is a link to the opinion adopted by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention:

http://www.shril-sy.info/enshril/modules/tinycontent/content/labwani-d.pdf

It cannot be right that the EU signs an Association Agreement with Syria – which includes provision for its suspension in the event of the violation of human rights by Syria – when Syria is already violating human rights. The European Parliament has already expressed its concern, calling for Kamal’s release (alongside other political prisoners) in its resolution of 17th September 2009 [P7_TA-PROV(2009)0024]:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P7-TA-2009-0024+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN

Article 7 of that resolution “calls on the Swedish Presidency, the Council and the Commission to adopt a roadmap, prior to the signing of the Association Agreement, which clearly articulates the specific human rights improvements it expects from the Syrian authorities”.

That roadmap has not been forthcoming.

Below are some links which hopefully will provide some better context for the human context of this email.

This is a link to a collection of photographs of Kamal in the UK and in prison in Syria, together with reproductions of his paintings:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpwilliams/collections/72157622412548243/

This is a link to the local Amnesty Group’s page for Kamal on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2387354014

If you feel moved to raise questions by any of this, I would ask you to query whether this agreement can be signed in good faith before those detained as political prisoners are released.

Should you feel so inclined, I would be grateful if you could forward this email to others who may be able to assist.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Ben Williams
Liberal Democrat, Basildon, Essex, UK

another jew spying on USA,and sending sensitive secret information to Israel.

another jew spying on USA,and sending sensitive secret information to Israel

Majedkhaldoun,

As far as I know, there has only been 1 jew who has provided “sensitive secret information to Israel”. That was Jonathan Pollard.

As I understand, the GOI was not involved with Stewart Nozette’s alleged crimes.

Trustquest,

you should move from blaming everything happen in Syria on the Government , if there is a thief , that does not mean the whole Government is corrupt , when Abramove in the US was found to give bribes to members of congress , nobody claimed that the American government is corrupt , and when Maddoff cheated people and charities out of millions nobody said that all Jews are thieves or that the political party that he belongs to is corrupt ,

So move away from the mentality of the tribe , people are responsible for what they do and if a corrupt official is a thief he and only he gets the blame and the persecution not his tribe , religion or the city he comes from and until you are able to see that the Government and the president of Syria are not responsible for every bad deed that happen there , what you are doing is just pure hateful

A.P.
he must be your friend.
can you explain why they arrested him, and what was in his computor that he took with him ,when he went to Israel, and came back without his computor, if you know something about your friend you need to tell the FBI about it, we are only loyal to USA, why are you different?

Dear Norman
You know very well that I respect and like you very much but I think you are not correct on this to blame Mr. Al Maleh.
Mr. Al Maleh is a very well respected Syrian lawyer, a human right activist, an honest man, he can’t be corrupted nor a thief because he own his business, he is a professional, he lives inside Syria yet he had the courage to speak out his mind, and that is his right, and any respected government in the world could’ve used words to reject his accusations not to bent the rules just to put him in jail as they did for many before him, that is pure evil.
What country in the world put all its intellectuals and human right activists in jail in 2009 other than North Korea and Syria???????
I’m not sure when was your last visit to Syria but let me tell you something, this government is a HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE and CORRUPTED government with the least conscious or professionalism to it, I can’t find ONE minister that I can respect, NONE.
They are not taking any decision with the average Syrian best interest in mind, almost all the decisions this government taking are BS, they have no solution for any of the major problem we have in our society neither the small teeny tiny ones, they can’t force a taxi driver to use a meter, they can’t stop AIDS from spreading and they don’t even educate people about that, they can’t stop the illegal housing nor the corruption, they don’t have the will nor the tools to do that, they can’t force some f***** p*** of S*** connected man to stop using sewerage water for food irrigation and poisoning millions, they couldn’t force another (same as above) garbage contractor to do what the contract he signed on tell him to do instead of the environmental disaster he is committing in the landfill, they didn’t put in jail hundreds of doctors who cost many precious human lives out of greed and neglect, so how come a respected man like Al Maleh be in jail and all those f***rs are out? How can we justify that and not blame the government for its evil doing of putting all those intellectual men and women in jail for nothing and be neutral about the issue, I personally can’t and you shouldn’t to.
I always try to be fair and you know that and I don’t have any personal issue with any of the government personnel but they went too far and they need to know that we are not letting them do all their dirty works in our names without saying NO.
They keep taking decisions without consulting the communities of what works best for them, the police is corrupted the legal system is corrupted and to be honest (Shami will be happy now) I support imposing the Sharia law in Syria today, with a Mtawe3 system for what I’m seeing in the street and in any public office I go to, I never seen the Syrians hitting this moral lows before, there is no ‘Value’ anymore, from what I saw at least 6 out of 10 Syrians are corrupted at the moment, what society are we building when we leave all this to go without any solution and concentrate our hatred toward couple intellectual speaking out their minds?
Trustquest is an honest Syrian man he is not a hateful as your wrote, he still have his value and he as many of us you included can’t see the wrong doing and keep quite and he shouldn’t we must always say what we think is just and fair and above all what we see as in the best of our country. It’s all for Syria and nothing personal.
As you always write (And that is my take!) 🙂

Check this myth:

سورية تستورد أول دفعة من المازوت الأخضر صديق البيئة وتخصصه للنقل الداخلي
http://www.syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=103292

There is no fossil fuel that we can call ‘environment friendly’ because fossil fuels contribute to global warming and supplies are dwindling, beside all the refinery needed to get this fuel actually use more energy and pollute more so I can’t really see the ‘green’ on this silly myth and they think people will buy this?
If they are that ‘concerned’ about the environment why don’t they use (Electric bus) or better use (solar energy bus) if they are really seriouse about being ‘green’ there are other more efficient way they can do, but i doubt they are.

Dear Jad:

I completely understand your frustration with the current state of affairs in Syria, as we all wish to see Syria advance, develop, and improve, so that it may take its rightful position among the nations. However, I believe your response to Norman, while it makes certain valid points, was a bit overly emotional.

First, to say that only North Korea and Syria imprison their intellectuals is neither a fair, nor an accurate statement. To begin with, not everyone who speaks out against the regime automatically becomes an intellectual, although granted many who do criticize the Syrian government are indeed intellectuals, nor does the government imprison people merely because they are intellectuals. All authoritarian systems around the world do not have very much tolerance for criticism, and Syria is by no means the only, or even the worst, offender. This of course is not to defend the behavior of the Syrian regime in this regard, as we should always insist on the promotion of complete freedom of thought and opinion in order to create a better society. However, we do have many intellectuals heavily contributing to the improvement of Syrian society who continue to function freely, and to deny their existence I believe does them a disservice.

Second, I believe you are expecting too much out of this government if you think that they should, or even have the ability to, solve all of Syria’s problems overnight. Our society suffers from a multitude of ailments that require generations to cure if we are to start today. To think that you make corruption, poverty, pollution, political repression, lack of transparency, etc. all disappear with a magic wand is pure delusion. Fixing Syria’s problems requires the hard work and contribution of all of us over many years. As a character from a recent Syrian television series said, we need thoughts that will change our society over several generations, and not romantic ideas that aim to change the whole world in one day.

Third, there indeed is something called Green Diesel, which is made from vegetable oils and waste, and which is much friendlier to the environment than regular diesel made from fossil fuels, so I believe you were a bit too quick to pull the trigger there ;-). And this matter is something that involves the entire world, and has all governments working to find a solution for it, so the Syrian government should not be made solely responsible for pollution on this planet.

Finally, I know you too well to believe that you would actually support the imposing of Sharia law, or that you even buy the notion that this would solve the very problems of which you are complaining. I think current examples of Sharia states make it quite clear that such systems do more to corrupt societies and distort their values than anything else. I therefore urge you to be more rational when discussing our social ailments, as I know you’ve been before.

Here is a video promoting tourism in Syria produced by the Ministry of Tourism. Although not bad, I do think it could have been better.

Dan Meridor (Likud), one of my all-time favorite politicians. It is a shame he doesn’t have leadership capabilities to be Israel’s PM. If he did, we’d have Peace in the region already for 20 years…

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1122551.html

can you explain why they arrested him

majedkhaldoun,

A good summary of how he was arrested is all public knowledge now (see link below). Near as I can tell, the GOI has not been implicated or charged in this matter.

Sorry, but I don’t think this matter will harm the US-Israel relationship:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8317919.stm

Just FYI, I’ve never heard of this a-hole Mr. Nozette, and although he may believe he is helping a beleaguered ally causing no harm to US security, he is dead wrong. Not only will he be facing the rest of his life in jail, he has helped the American Jewish community, Israel, and the relationship our two countries share. He deserves the maximum penalty.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8315538.stm

Dan Meridor (Likud), one of my all-time favorite politicians.

Shai,

Good choice! Considering Meridor’s positions as well as his demeanor, let me just say that I think he is one of Israel’s better politicians as well. Apparently, he’s not anywhere near the apologist/critic you are. Isn’t that refreshing?

http://muqata.blogspot.com/2009/07/dan-meridor-questions-us-obama.html

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,644649,00.html

Oops: typo in post #20 above. He has NOT helped…

Jad
I was not attacking anybody , i just want people to blame the thief , not the Government or the system , i did not read all your note , the problem is not that there is no corruption in Syria , the problem is that we blame everything in Syria on the government or the president and that should not be the case ,

I have been out of Syria for 29 years , so i do not know Al Maleh and that is not the issue as i see it , later tonight , i will read your note , then get depressed , i do not have time now .

Shai do you really believe that Israel can probe the Gaza war. Today’s Haaretz has an “interesting” story + video: State won’t prosecute officers filmed beating Palestinians Hmmmm mild beating. I can imagine the Israeli Jewish side’s reaction if PA soldiers would perform such “mild” slapping and humiliation to Jews on Palestinian areas. The anti-Semitist and Holocaust shouting would make the rest of world deaf.

Do “you” there in Israel have enough judges and researches who are willing to encounter the response Goldstein did get? I doubt that. So that probe performed by Israel would most certainly produce something nobody believes.

When Israel bombed that clinic run by the Finnish church in Gaza Finland made an official diplomatic question of that incident to Israel. After about halve year Finland got the answer:
A) there was a Hamas weapon cache in the building
B) if Israel would have known there was clinic in the building it would not have bombed it
There was a big painted white cross on the roof of the building and the manager of clinic said that there was no Hamas activity in the building. So Israel knows where Hamas has it hidden weapon caches, but fails to recognize the big mark on the roof. Come-on nobody here believes such explanations resulting from long “investigations” after reading constantly news how good intelligence Israel has.

Surely Dan Meridor like all Israeli politicians knows perfectly well that for Palestinians the 67 borders are the minimum. So he can speak in his “blurry” way of peace. Of what should Palestinians negotiate if the East Jerusalem, settlements and Jordan valley are not on “table” and real sovereignty of future Palestine is about zero. Meridor is only playing the necessary Israeli government’s good cop role for the international “public”.

Israel needs “desperately” for its fast worsening public image to start negotiations with Palestinians. This Israeli present government’s style first publicly declaring with many “mouths” for months that we do not promise you anything and then desperately whining the opposite party to come to negotiate is simply hilarious and silly. The bad thing is that after this present government there will be no “elements” left to make the two state solution possible without a Jewish civil war.

Dear Nour,
Where have you been? I didn’t read your comments for a while, I hope everything is good.
Thank you for correcting my points, I really appreciate that and I do agree on many issues you raised, I just want to explain my position more about the point you raised:

1- I didn’t write ‘ALL’ intellectual, and I know very well that we have lots of Syrian intellectuals in all fields not only in politics who are doing all they could to improve our condition and work hard in silent and I do apologize for all of them for not being more clear in that.
I do agree that not all oppositions are intellectuals, there are few stupid between them, but when you look at the range of the opposition men and women locked in jail in the last couple years you will notice that they are from those few Syrians who didn’t leave Syria and decided to stay, write and argue about their ideas, for me those are the intellectuals, they are more courageous than many of us who writes from a democratic country and give lecture about freedom without facing the same threat those Syrians are under.

2- I know very well that none of our problem would be solved overnight and I know that I can’t expect the government to do miracles but when they are doing nothing serious to improve and deal with the problem they have, you doubt that we will advance or solve any of those problems and you will agree with me that this government is useless.

3-You are right about the green diesel existence, I didn’t deny that, it is a low-sulphur fuel around 20% better than the fossil fuel and has been used in Europe for a while, but is still not the perfect choice when you really want to be green that was my point. To be frank I was mocking the idea that Syria will be green just because they are going to use a slightly better fuel than the usual, beside they don`t really need to import it they can manufacture it themselves if they want and save lots of money.

I didn’t hint in any way that Syria is solely responsible for the pollution on this planet, I`m not sure where did you read that in any of my comments, I want Syria to promote its own environmental plans and I want Syrians to live in a pollution free country which is a government responsibility to enforce and implement nobody else.

4- You know me too well Nour, the Shariaa law remark was a sign of how frustrated I become with all the terrible low moral level I`m seeing around me at the moment in Syria and you are right, I wasn’t serious.

Again, I`m thankful for what you wrote 🙂

Dear Norman
I know that you werent attacking anybody, my comment wasn’t in anyway criticizing your stand at all, and I`m sorry if I wasn’t clear about this point toward you personally.
I totally agree with you that we can`t blam the government on everything, I`m blaming the government for not doing the job for what is under its responsibility, regarding health, security, justice system and education, those are the government responsibilities in any country of the world and when they don`t do their job we have to tell them, we have to have a higher standards otherwise we will stay where we are and never get better.
🙂

Norman, don’t you realize that your logic is like catch 22. You are saying that people opposing the government practices should not blame and government or the regime and they should bring solutions but on one condition not open their mouth. Mr. Elmaleh just opened his mouth and spoke his conscious. And, FYI, it is not one thief in the government it is system built on theft and the stars are the big echelons representing the regime and their theft is not to satisfy their needs it is to control the economy and keep the country under their mercy. And BTW, this wealth accumulation did not happen in capitalist society it happened in a socialist society where capitalism is not allowed to function. Another BTW, this wealth accumulation is not invested in their countries it has been kept in save place with the enemy. What I’m saying is not hateful, what I’m saying is like a bomb inside most Syrians who see things wrong and cannot say a word. If the president can not reach to civil society in his country and reflect on the silence of the majority, I don’t know till when he can play the foreign card game.

Let me make a correction the guy I talked about was charging 1000 Sp for each 1 square meter, (I said wrongly for the building) for each non permitted building, now you do the math and tell me how much he has accumulate while the strong regime is watching. If Mr. Elmaleh is lying and accusing this guy, or the government, why they don’t file a lawsuit against him, why they took him to Mokhabarat for questioning?
For God sake, for how long the Mokhabarat will keep functioning instead for the court, do you realize that your are killing your country future.

I wonder when you think should people open their mouth and talk about their future and about the ones who are looting the people future. The competition in Syria between the thieves still on, the second generation trying to prove that he can whip more money than the first ones, and it is all in one sect so far, is this healthy for future of the people.

Dear Trustquest
`and it is all in one sect so far`
I`m sorry to say that you KILLED your argument with this last note.
We all know what sect is responsible for trading, what sect is making 75% of the Syrian population so to blame all that on one sect and show that your sect is an angle and clean is incorrect and wrong.
Almost all the corrupted people I meet in the government office were from all sects and not only the one you are blaming.
Please Please Please, keep your God, Allah, Religions and Sects out of the discussion it doesn’t help at all.

For Majedkhaldoun:

Another non-jew charged in plot to attack U.S.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091021/ts_nm/us_security_usa_5

Nour;
I still do not understand your position on Al Maleh arrest.
I met Al Maleh, and found him very gentle,couragous, reasonable and forgiving,spend his life defending Human rights,and for no crime he did, he was placed in jail.

Norman; 29 year and you have not been to syria!Why?

Jad ,

I am glad that you can see where Trusquest is coming from ‘

you are an Urban planner , can you take a city in Syria and see how you can plan it better and make it more beautiful .

Majed ,

i practice alone and rarely take vacations , I was in Syria in 1985 when my Dad passed away and in 1987 when i took my wife to visit and in 2003 when i visited my Aunt ,my mother and brother are in the US ,

when i get an associate i will go more .

Majed,

I didn’t mention al-Maleh in my post, as it wasn’t directed at his case in particular. I don’t know Al-Maleh very well, but I agree that he should be released immediately and that there is no justification for his arrest. My post was more of a general analysis of how I believe things in Syria should be looked at.

Jad:

I have been a bit busy recently moving and changing jobs, but I always come back to see what’s going on on SC :-).

I did understand where you were coming from in your post, and as I said, we all get frustrated with the current state of affairs in Syria. However, I really don’t believe it’s a doom and gloom scenario, as I always see many positives coming out of the country in many areas. And I do believe that society tends to move toward what is better and I believe Syrian society is no different. Things are improving slowly and will improve over the long run. We just have to maintain our faith in our people despite all the frustrating, depressing realities we see on the ground.

Nour ,

I like your optimism and i share it .

Nour

i agree with you. Look at the ex-Soviet-union countries in what mess they are (and they are not in war with a powerful US ally). Many ukrainians I know regret the soviet union period where there was no freedom of expression, corruption was spread but there was jobs for everybody and a sense of security for the common citizen. The switch from socialism to capitalism is bound to be painful and full of dangers but i have trust in the good nature of the syrians, I believe the new generation is benefiting from the new medias to get informed and are good assets for the future of this country.
Considering other arab countries that are not rich, like Egypt, I think Syria is less corrupted and less poor, despite the fact that Egypt is not in war and is collecting billions from the US.

Jad, I care about the future of the country and Mr. Elmaleh said very nice catchphrase known to anyone who know how to clean his building. If you want to clean your stairs you start from the top of the stairs not from the bottom. In Syria the institutional theft of the country’s wealth is concentrated in the top. Government employees and even ministers all do not make a dent in the main theft. There is no one minister who has billions of dollars in the foreign banks. The concentration in one sect is not an indictment or an indication that theft is limited to that sect it is in my view an indication that certain figures are staining the whole sect with their un imaginary theft. There is no way in history that one sect can do such act it will condemn the group for ever and usually public from any sect is smarter than doom themselves. The act of staining whole sect is a crime against that sect. I never meant to incriminate the whole sect I meant to point to the crime against that sect. I’m contrary to what you think of me, religion is the last thing on my mind. I hate when someone think of me the way you accusing me of and I’m not coming from where Norman is coming from.

Dear Trustquest,
Do you seriously think that I have any doubt about your noble cause and your honesty?
I DO NOT.
I’m sure that you are a great Syrian man who only cares about his country even more than lots of us on SC.
My comment were just to point out how easy our debate can go in the wrong direction and we eventually forget the main subject and goal when we get close to generalize or incriminate a whole sect just because of few members of that sect are bad.
This is why I wrote that you actually ‘killed’ the debate when you went there without explaining and I wasn’t meaning in anyway to say that you prefer one sect over others, it wasn’t my intend and I know that you didn’t mean it in that way.

Sometimes I think we know each other very well that we can write whatever we want on here and understand each other without the need to explain, but then I remember that lots of people read our debates and they might be here for the first time, I believe they will get the wrong ideas and judge us differently than what we truly are.

Please be sure that I highly respect you, we might disagree on some issues but at the end we all here have one thing in common the well being of Syria and Syrians.