Last Chance for Peace in Syria?
http://www.thenation.com/article/169522/last-chance-peace-syria

[ … ]”It will be very difficult for the Brahimi mission to halt this drift toward greater violence. But given the stakes for the region, it is incumbent upon the United States to give the UN effort its full support. Much of the US media blamed Russian and Chinese intransigence for the collapse of the Annan mission. But as veteran Guardian reporter and Syrian observer Jonathan Steele has pointed out, it was US, Turkish and Saudi policy as much as Russian and Chinese vetoes that led to the collapse of the Annan plan. The US demand that Assad be removed and sanctions be imposed before negotiations could seriously begin, along with the refusal to include Iran in the process, doomed that mission. Any diplomatic approach that excludes Russia and Iran will be similarly condemned to failure.”

Will Iran abandon Bashar Al Assad for renewed diplomatic and economical relation with Egypt?

Egypt trying to persuade Iran to drop Assad
By HAMZA HENDAWI | Associated Press – 18 hrs ago

http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-trying-persuade-iran-drop-assad-215942294.html
…
Morsi offered a package of incentives for Tehran to end its support of Assad, the officials said.

Cairo would agree to restore full diplomatic ties, a significant diplomatic prize for Iran given that Egypt is the most populous Arab nation and a regional powerhouse. Morsi would also mediate to improve relations between Iran and conservative Gulf Arab nations that have long viewed Shiite Iran with suspicion and whose fears of the Persian nation have deepened because of Iran’s disputed nuclear program.

Also, Morsi offered a “safe exit” for Assad, his family and members of his inner circle.
…

Let’s hope these latest news till teach the West a lesson.

http://orientalreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Independent-1993-bin-Laden.jpg

And in other (long predicted) news, the “rebels” are fighting themselves:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/world/middleeast/killing-of-rebel-with-qaeda-links-opens-debate-on-syrian-opposition.html?_r=3&ref=middleeast

2. zoo

Tsk, what can broke Egypt offer Iran?

The murder of the US ambassador in Libya, the first violent death of a US ambassador since 1979 has sent a shock wave in the USA, despite the multiple declarations trying to appease and diffuse the tension.

This accident is a demonstration of the inability of the ‘islamic’ regimes that took over many Arab countries to quell Islamists calling for a stricter application of the Sharia, for fear of loosing the legitimacy and derail from their promises.
The “Friends of Syria” meeting soon in Morocco may now have second thoughts of replacing the authoritarian, yet secular regime of Bashar al Assad by another islamic-islamist government.

Egypt’s Salafists divided over Mursi, call for Islamic Sharia law

12/09/2012
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=31037
By Mohamed Abdu Hassanein

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – More than a year after entering the political sphere, participating in Egyptian elections, a large number of Salafists have announced their opposition to the positions taken by their political leadership. Egypt’s Salafists have begun to complain about the direction being taken by the al-Nour party leadership and its perceived lack of commitment to the Islamist ideology, as well as its failure to promote Islam and Salafist jurisprudential views in a clear and explicit manner. Egypt’s Salafists have also criticizing Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, as well as the al-Nour party’s leadership failure to take him to task.

This is what you get for arming and protecting islamist terrorists with no fly zones!

US ambassador, 3 other Americans killed in attack on consulate in Libya

http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/a8a55fc350b045ed948d3141137a4df1/Prophet-Film

Don’t count on Turkey for a military intervention.

Majority of Turks against country’s intervention into Syria
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/majority-of-turks-against-countrys-intervention-into-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=29946&NewsCatID=341
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

A clear majority of Turks are against a military intervention to put a halt to the violence in Syria, according to a recent poll by the German Marshall Fund.

Some 57 percent of Turkish respondents in the Transatlantic Trends survey categorically rejected a Turkish invasion after being asked: “Recently, there has been discussion of the desirability of intervening in Syria, where the government has been using military force to suppress an opposition movement which is fighting the Syrian government. In this situation, what do you think [Turkey] should do?”

The number of respondents opposed to a Turkish intervention would jump to 63 percent if Russia and China used their position as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to veto an intervention.

The pervasive presence of dictatorial regimes that rule with brutal oppression in the ME is what drive people to fanaticism. The way to get rid of Islamic jihadist ideology is to eliminate and rid the ME from its dictators. The west needs to assist toppling al Assad in order to forge a new course for the ME where people do not feel driven by hopelessness, lack of freedom and lack of economical opportunity into a Jihadi ideology.

One should treat the cause, not the manifestation of the disease.

Our ambassador and three other American staffers are killed. Our consulate is burned to the ground, and how does the president respond?!

Obama vows continued cooperation with Libya following attack …

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/obama-vows-continued-cooperation-with-libya-following-attack-romney-american-leadership-sorely-needed-1.464579

“NATO should continue its excellent work it did in Libya”

Attack may have been Al Qaeda revenge plot, London think tank says.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/12/u-s-ambassador-to-libya-3-others-killed-in-rocket-attack-witness-says/

[Updated at 12:51 p.m. ET] A London think tank with strong ties to Libya speculated Wednesday that Stevens was actually the victim of a targeted al Qaeda revenge attack.

The assault “came to avenge the death of Abu Yaya al-Libi, al Qaeda’s second in command killed a few months ago,” the think tank Quilliam said Wednesday. It was “the work of roughly 20 militants, prepared for a military assault,” the think tank said, noting that rocket-propelled grenade launchers do not normally appear at peaceful protests, and that there were no other protests against the film elsewhere in Libya.

The planned attack came in two waves, one which prompted U.S. officials to leave the consulate for a secure location. The second wave was directed at the place of retreat, Quilliam said, citing unnamed sources on the ground in Benghazi and abroad.

“These are acts committed by uncontrollable jihadist groups. We hope Libya will seize this opportunity to revive its policy of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-integration (DDR) in order to facilitate an end to the spread of such attacks, with the help of the International Community,” Noman Benotman, President of Quilliam, said in a press release.
“We hope that the International Community, including NATO member states and especially the U.S., will continue their excellent work in Libya which began with the overthrow of the dictator Gadhafi after 42 years in power.”

7. Tara

Yes, even after they’re removed! Bad excuse.

http://orientalreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Independent-1993-bin-Laden.jpg

5. zoo said:

Don’t count on Turkey for a military intervention.

`turkey is already intervening militarly in Syria Zoo

Krauthammer To Muslim Protestors In Egypt: “Go To Hell”

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/09/11/krauthammer_to_muslim_protestors_in_egypt_go_to_hell.html

Charles Krauthammer: “That statement is an embarrassment. That is a hostage statement. That’s a mob of al-Qaeda sympathizers in Egypt, forcing the United States make a statement essentially of apology, on 9/11 of all days, for something we’re not responsible. I would issue a statement saying to the mob, ‘go to hell.’

Any alliance with violent and millitant groups will only produce short term gains at best,this has been the case for decades but some people are too stubborn to learn. Another lesson, is that freedom and democracy are empty slogans if they do not improve people’s lives, I will join others in congratulating the new governments in the Arab spring countries as soon as I see evidence that their ascension to power was good for their citizens. In Syria, and other Muslim countries, violent regime changes can only lead to more violence,it is a monster that you can not control after you release,aremed thugs in Syria, regardless of their background and allegiances, are now the biggest threat to Syria’s future as a country, The FSA will soon have two enemies: the army and the islamist thugs unless the FSA leadership decides to fight under the banner of those terrorists,then they will have most Syrians as their new enemy.

Filthy Muslim militants murdered the US Ambassador to Libya-
Who else! I am not surprised!

That’s how they thank the United States. Those murderers and blood thirsty (Muslim Brotherhoods, Salafis, Wahhabis and other Muslim Extremists groups MFs in the ME) will do it again in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and later on for sure in SYRIA. Just a matter of time! They can’t be trusted- Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing!

#8 Starting with the House of Saud? You have a plan?

#10 Ann

Yes, it is, but under cover and without the public knowledge of the Turks.

They will never invade Syria militarily to create the buffer zone they have been begging for at the UNSC that would relieve them from the continuous flow of refugees on the borders. In fact tehy have closed all borders to Syria except one.
By moving the “refugees” away from the borders, supposedly for security reason, they are actually preventing the rebels from crisscrossing the borders, perpetrate attacks in Syria and return to the safety of the camps. Maybe that’s their way to distance themselves gradually from the FSA.

In any case , they’ll have to live with the consequences of their irresponsible foreign policy toward Syria that lead them to a dead end.

59. Tara

I didn’t want to comment further on this issue, as not to bring further attention to it, however, I hesitantly (and probably unwisely) want to respond to your fair suggestion of the possibility of an innocent person getting caught up in the situation.

Firstly, It would be very unlikely and dangerously stupid for Michael Weiss to reveal/spread the identity of someone if he wasn’t sure of it. He, as a journalist/researcher and media figure, would have so much to lose if he contributed to dragging an innocent person potentially in harms way.

It seems that the twitter users had been working on this plan for a while. Apparently there was a mutual friend involved.

To me it seems they got it right. The background, location etc seems to fit. Anyway they are certain of it.

God Almighty Knows best.

Just wanted to clarify.

Charles Krauthammer can go to hell along with his so-called sacred principles.

The sancrity of the Prophet supersedes his so-called principles.

Clean your house of idiots before lecturing others.

Jones and nine Coptic fanatics are on the wanted list in Egypt,

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/09/12/237628.html

Good job Egypt.

Very saddened at what happened to the Ambassador and his staff in Libya.

Ambassador Ford is fortunate not to be in Syria. Imagine what the Shabiha could do to him?

(Nod to Amjad of Arabia’s tweet)

Habib

Fanaticism is a manifestation of a disease. You treat the root cause of the disease then the symptoms take a while to resolve. Treat oppression and corruption that lead to economical depravity and people will be having pool parties rather than blowing themselves up driven by hopelessness and a dream of a better afterlife.

Uzair,

Agree it is unlikely to be someone else but unless he has provided material support, he is entitled to any opinion he wants to have. One thing I disagree with you. I did not see talent, charm, or intelligence.

21. Tara

Don’t you forget to mention the uncontrolled religious education that brainwashes the youth and spread fanaticism and intolerance more than anything else?

Uzair8 @ 19

I am very saddened too at what happened to him and the same thought occurred to me about Ambassador Ford. I am glad that the State Department pulled him out.

The Salafi Moment

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/12/the_salafi_moment

As the death of a U.S. ambassador in Libya demonstrates, the ultraconservative Salafi movement is pushing to the forefront in the politics of the Middle East. The West should be careful how it reacts.
BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | SEPTEMBER 12, 2012
….
Both attacks are utterly outrageous. But perhaps the United States shouldn’t have been caught completely off guard. The rioters in both cases come from the region’s burgeoning Salafi movement, and the Salafis have been in the headlines a lot lately. In Libya, over the past few months, they’ve been challenging the recently elected government by demolishing ancient Sufi shrines, which they deem to be insufficiently Islamic. In Tunisia, they’ve been attacking businesses that sell alcohol and instigating nasty social media campaigns about the country’s female competitors in the Olympics.
In Syria’s civil war, there are increasing reports that the opposition’s wealthy Gulf financiers have been channeling cash to Salafi groups, whose strict interpretation of Islam is considered close to the puritanical Wahhabism of the Saudis and others. Lately Salafi groups have been gaining fresh prominence in parts of the Islamic world — from Mali to Lebanon, from Kashmir to Russia’s North Caucasus.
….

Zoo,

I agree. Religious education sponsored by Takfiris in Saudia Arabi should be targeted and banned. The whole Takfiri ideology should be prosecuted by law.

19. Uzair8

Eh, have you not been paying attention? The murderers were NATO rebels with NATO weapons! You can count on the Salafist apologists to twist everything around and lie through their teeth at any occasion. One Libyan minister even blamed the murders on Gadaffi supporters! In Benghazi!!!

20. Tara

Yet again, Libya is “free”, when will they stop being fanatics? Not in a million years. Pakistan is not occupied, yet spawns more fanatics than anywhere else.

More and more manifestations of weakening Syrian grip on Lebanese politics.

Syrian hostages freed in Lebanon
The Lebanese army freed four Syrians kidnapped by the Meqdad clan during a raid on Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier today, the Lebanon Daily Star reports.

In a statement, the army said it “freed four kidnapped Syrians after raiding a location in Hay al-Sellum following surveillance and follow-ups.”

The army unit and Directorate of Intelligence arrested two people “without any resistance” in the same area. The two are suspected of involvement in the kidnappings.

Soldiers also raided the neighbourhood of Haret Hreik and detained several people suspected of involvement in the kidnappings. The detainees are being interrogated.

The Meqdad clan spokesperson, Maher, said that the Army raided four neighborhoods in total that are home to members of the clan’s so-called “military wing”.

“The Syrians were freed but I was told that [Aydin Tufan] Tekin was shot either in the chest or shoulder during the raid. We do not know who fired the shots but I’m sure it is not the army,” Maher told The Daily Star.

The fate of the Turkish businessman abducted by the same clan is still unknown.

Our ambassador and three other American staffers are killed. Our consulate is burned to the ground, and how does the president respond?!

Obama vows continued cooperation with Libya following attack …
__________________________________________________________________

What else he can say!! We scr***ed America? We were wrong? Or something as this in his next State of the Union speech:

In Syria, we thought for decades that a Baathist Mafia dictatorship helped Israel security, and we supported it all the way to Vogue and B. Walter’s. When we failed to convince Assad to part with Saddam cash and dump HA/Iran, and when Israelis made a historic decision to expand its genocidal mayhem to Syria, as they did Iraq and Lebanon before, we obeyed and followed through to maintain Greater Israel Zionist dream. We discovered that by supporting well known Islamic Terrorist groups, some are graduate of our famed Guantanamo Islamic Terrorist University in Cuba, we are assured of a victory for Israel, as they will assuredly bring all of the land to rubbles, and all the streets drenched and colored blood red, just the way he chose one Jews like to see the areas of their perceived goyyeem enemies looks like. But in Syria, we erred on the side of caution. We made a historic policy decision (well as you know, it was not me who did) to remove the Baathist dictatorship from Syria and replace it with well known Islamic genocidal terrorists rather than the unknown and perceived fascist nationalist group that Zionists adamantly opposed to. I am sorry to report to you know, that are faced with something far worse than my predecessor faced with Al-Qaida threat, we must go to war and invade these countries, but we are now flat broke, Israeli to coward and dumb, so we are now in a real sh****t hole my fellow Americans. We must work together to confront this menacing threat, we must enslave every American and place him in security jeopardy fighting these Islamic terrorists, we cannot afford to lose. I promise you, we will never listen to outdate strategies of ZBIG70 and ZIO48 anymore.”

Islamists Drag Dead Body Of US Ambassdor Through The Streets Of Benghazi (Updated)…Another Photo!

Link to photo:

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/09/islamists-drag-dead-body-of-us-ambassdor-through-the-streets-of-benghazi-updated-another-photo-2465886.html

26. Tara

Uh, Meqdad are not Syrians. They reacted because one of their family members were kidnapped by Salafist gangs in Syria.

Even Hezbollah was critical of the Meqdads.

اتهمت الفنانة السورية المعارضة مي اسكاف ميليشيات الجيش الحر بخطف أطباء بالجملة في محافظة درعا، وطالبت قائد الجيش العقيد رياض الأسعد بالتدخل لحمايتهم وإطلاق سراحهم.
وحسب اسكاف فقد قامت مجموعة من الجيش الحر بخطف عدد من الأطباء من أمام مبنى نقابتهم في درعا وأنه عرف من الأطباء المخطوفين الدكتور عبد الغفار كيوان وعادل الحصان الفلسطيني الجنسيه.
وحسب المعلومات الوارده من مدينه درعا طلب الخاطفون مبلغ 5 مليون ليره سوري عن كل طبيب عدا عن ماصادروه من سياراتهم وما يحملوه .
وأكدت اسكاف أنه: يوجد لدى الجيش الحر في درعا اكثر من طبيب مختطف وأن أعداد الأطباء المخطوفين وصل إلى 9 اطباء. وذكرت أنه بالأمس أفرج عن طبيب واحد منهم.
وخاطبت اسكاف العقيد رياض أسعد قائلة: نطلب تدخل العقيد رياض الاسعد لدى الكتائب العامله باسم الجيش الحر بأمرته في مدينه درعا والتي تخطف الاطباء الابرياء وخاصه الذين خطفوا بالامس ظهرا

How the U.S. turns its soldiers from Iraq and writes them in Libya? nonsons!

Marines headed to Libya to reinforce security

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19523339/marines-headed-to-libya-to-reinforce-security

Israel Lobby Pushes for US Action Against the Syrian Government (to weaken Iran)
http://america-hijacked.com/2012/02/12/israel-lobby-pushes-for-us-action-against-the-syrian-government/

It is a sad day for humanity today.  Once again, a murder is occurring in the name of God.  There is absolutely no excuse for such an abhorrent violent act.  The man helped liberating Libya from Quaddafi’s brutal rule and that was his fate?  All responsible parties should be hunted down and prosecuted.  This mentality of reacting violently to insulting prophet Muhammad, Islam, or Allah should be talked about and condemned.   Muslim organizations should learn lessons from how the jews deal with anti-semitism in dealing with such movies and condemn in no equivocal terms resorting to such horrific acts.  This is very much against the real spirit of Islam.  My condolences to the family and friends of the Ambassador and his colleagues.            

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/chris-stevens-us-libya-ambassador-killed-142949456.html?_esi=1

Initial reports said the slain embassy staffers—who also include foreign service information management officer Sean Smith—were trying to flee the consulate building when they were fired upon by protesters apparently angry over a film they say insults Prophet Muhammad.
However, U.S. officials told The New York Times and CNN on Wednesday that the attack may have been planned by a group that “had either been waiting for an opportunity to exploit like the protests over the video or perhaps even generated the protests as a cover for their attack.”

“Throughout the Libyan revolution, [Stevens] selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi,” Obama said. “As ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya’s transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice. I am profoundly grateful for his service to my administration, and deeply saddened by this loss.”
….
Here’s Stevens’ bio from the U.S. Embassy website:

Ambassador Chris Stevens considers himself fortunate to participate in this incredible period of change and hope for Libya. As the President’s representative, his job is to develop a strong, mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and Libya. Ambassador Stevens was the American representative to the Transitional National Council in Benghazi during the revolution.
When he’s not meeting with government officials or foreign diplomats, you can find Ambassador Stevens meeting with Libyan academics, business people, and civil society activists, exploring Libya’s rich archaeological sites, and enjoying Libya’s varied cuisine.
After several diplomatic assignments in the Middle East and North Africa, Ambassador Stevens understands and speaks Arabic and French. He likes the Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli and hopes you will, too.
“I had the honor to serve as the U.S. envoy to the Libyan opposition during the revolution,” Stevens said in May in a video introducing himself to the Libyan people as the new U.S. ambassador there. “And I was thrilled to watch the Libyan people stand up and demand their rights.

“Growing up in California I didn’t know much about the Arab world,” Stevens continued. “I traveled to North Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer, worked as an English teacher in a town in the high Atlas mountains in Morocco for two years and quickly grew to love this part of the world.
“We know Libya is still recovering from an intense period of conflict,” he added. “There are many courageous Libyans who wear the scars of that battle.”

I’m looking for this video with English or French subtitles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrerl8EwqH0
Reality Check: One on One with President Obama, Why Is The U.S. Supporting Al Qaeda In Syria?

US-Arab relations will be defined by reaction to attack

Paul Salem
Sep 13, 2012
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/us-arab-relations-will-be-defined-by-reaction-to-attack

The killing of the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stephens, and three other embassy staff, will send shock waves through US-Arab relations. It is likely to have effects far beyond the specific Libyan context and place pressure on the Obama administration in the middle of its re-election campaign.
…Regardless, Libya – like other Arab countries grappling with instability – has seen radicalised Salafi and jihadi elements gain traction. They had a strong showing in recent elections, and some have managed to form militias capable of posing a threat to domestic foes or, in this case, a foreign embassy
…..
Governments both in the Arab world and the United States need to work quickly to prevent this crisis from escalating. Eleven years ago, Osama bin Laden succeeded in setting the course of western-Muslim relations since. Let us hope that the militants of Benghazi – who represent only a minority of Libyans – do not end up dictating the course of western-Muslim relations for years to come.

32. Tara

You reap what you sow. As simple as that.

http://orientalreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Independent-1993-bin-Laden.jpg

Let’s hope the West has learned its lesson. The enemy is not secular strongmen, but Salafist Gulf kingdoms and their dogs.

#33 Ann

It is amazing to see such denunciation of the foreign fighters in Aleppo from a staunch anti-Bashar Tv channel France24.
It seems there is growing doubt in the western media about the ‘purity’ and ‘good intentions’ of the rebels.

Habib

Exactly! You reap what you sow.

What you see is a direct consequence of strongmen dictatorial regimes in the ME. They need all to be executed to free the bodies and minds of the ME people and prevent all this from happening. Free and democratic ME is what will prevent breeding fanatic ideology.

35. habib said:

You reap what you sow. As simple as that.

Amen to that.

#36 Habib

After a moment of euphoria about the success of the Arab Spring now in the hands of Islamic regime, the West is waking up to the bitter reality.
Unless they intervene forcefully to refrain these regimes from cajoling and protecting the Islamist extremists, the whole of North Africa including Egypt will become a safe haven for them.
For long these same islamists have been qualified as bogey men used by dictators to justify crushing and watching underground religious movements. Now the dictators are gone and the boogey men have surfaced.

37. Tara

You got it the wrong way around. This is what happens when the strongmen are REMOVED!

Common sense, please.

39. zoo

The best thing is, we knew it would happen all along. Nobody listened. Worse will happen to the West if Bashar is toppled, mark my words.

Re: 16. Uzair8 said: … … …

My comment: Unfortunately, Syria Comment (and not Uzair8) MAY be implicated in this incident. Not wishing to further expose the subject, I’ve sent an email to SC Moderation about the matter.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9106062998
NATO’s Weapon Cache for Terrorists Seized in Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- The weapons and military equipment recently discovered and seized by the Syrian Army in Idlib province proves NATO’s arms and logistic support for terrorists in Syria.

Killing brilliant mind is a crime against humanity.  Tamer, a Druze, was a proof that the Syrian revolution is not rooted on a sectarian agenda, but ratherثورة شعب   

https://www.facebook.com/TamerAlwam

41. JNA

I’m glad you have sent the email. I was hoping someone would do so.

I shared the unexpected news in excitement. He is a prominent figure in the propaganda field. On a personal level I exchanged with him for a time elsewhere and he was ok. Didn’t know it was him at the time (different name). So there wasn’t the slightest wish in me to see him harmed.

Anyway. I’d be happy and more confortable if this comment and other related ones were deleted.

Without the moderator to remind us or keep us in check we can fail to use our best judgement when posting.

My last comment on this.

“Captain Umar in Syria is a rebel fighter and an Alawite…”

OK, not to rain on anyone’s parade, but what’s even rarer than an Alawite army officer defecting to the FSA is an Alawite named Omar…

I’m seriously thinking the forces of evil and hate failed remedial math 😀

45. aron

Lol. Maybe he converted and changed his name when he defected… But hey, I know Osman is used as a family name for some Alawites.

Clinton and Obama’s shock over Libya violence ‘naive’
http://rt.com/news/us-ambassador-libya-killed-983/

46
AWW you missed us ?!
The funny thing , I was thinking the same thing about you when you did not show up the last time it was introduced

France to Fund/Arm Al Qaeda in Syria
http://tipggita32.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/france-to-fundarm-al-qaeda-in-syria/

Syrian

No need to worry . Ann was shopping for a calculator when she did not show up the first time.

Syria’s rebel fighters vow no mercy for their own pro-regime family members
Free Syrian Army fighters told the Monitor that bringing down President Assad trumps family ties, and that they are willing to fight, or even kill, brothers and cousins fighting for the regime.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0911/Syria-s-rebel-fighters-vow-no-mercy-for-their-own-pro-regime-family-members?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+feeds%2Fworld+%28Christian+Science+Monitor+|+World%29

Foreign, American, NATO and Arab, military intervention in Syria was not possible due to
the Syrian/Iranian military defense pact and to the Russian and Chinese veto in the UN. The
anti-Syrian alliance was left with only one option; military and financial support to the foreign
militia, mercenaries, and Al-Qaeda terrorist groups operating in Syria to weaken and to destroy
the country. They do that openly, shamelessly, and in violation of all international laws.

The American administration and NATO give themselves the right to invade, occupy, and
destroy other countries across the globe under the justification of fighting Al-Qaeda terror
groups, they themselves had originally created, while deny the same right to Syrian regime, who
is fighting terrorists within its own country.

The Terrorist War Against Syria
http://theuglytruth.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/the-terrorist-war-against-syria/

The Free Syrian Army consolidates its gains in Aleppo and the surrounding regions, while FSA fighting units form unfied commands throughout Syria. The criminal regime, however, continues doing what it can do best i.e. killing the people,

http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/885aced8-3c5c-4aca-b7eb-2a2ca28a36cb?GoogleStatID=1

We thank God once again for the FSA.

Habib,

Why do you think the name Osman/Othman is odd for shia muslims? As far as I know the only “taboo” name for the shia is Umar (except Yazeed of course, but I never heard it been used by sunni muslims either).

I don’t think religious Sunni and Shia names differ much otherwise. Altought shiites more often have the names of imams like Reza/Riza (Ridha) which is very common in Iran and Azerbaijan as well as among the alevis in Turkey.

Maybe arab alawites have a slightly different name tradition than other shia twelvers (?)

New technocrat PM in Libya

The new Libyan PM. Mustafa Abu-Shakour, comes from the National Front Party, an offshoot of a longstanding anti-Gadhafi movement that includes both Islamist and secular figures.

Abu Shagour, a respected optical engineer, carved out a career as an academic in the United States before returning to Libya last year where he was an adviser to the now dissolved National Transitional Council.

Abu-Shakour, deputy to Libya’s outgoing interim prime minister, is considered a compromise figure acceptable to both Islamists and liberals.

He replaces Mahmoud Jibril, a secular former prime minister

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Libyan+parliament+elects+centrist+head+government/7232395/story.html#ixzz26IQDzsW4

Angelina Jolie in Jordan

Actress Angelina Jolie has arrived at the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which hosts about 27,000 Syrians displaced by the conflict.

Jolie, a UN “goodwill ambassador”, met Syrian refugee women separately and toured the sprawling tent city, AP reports.

Is Morsi’s image stained for the USA?
Moments of Truth in Libya and Egypt

Posted By Marc Lynch Wednesday, September 12, 2012 – 3:44 PM
http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/09/12/moments_of_truth_in_libya_and_egypt#.UFCxt5sUIM8.twitter

….
In Egypt, on the other hand, President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood has been notably invisible. To this point, we have heard no statements from Egyptian government officials condemning the assault on the embassy, no expressions of concern or sympathy, no suggestion of any fault on their own side.
The Muslim Brotherhood had previously been planning rallies against the notorious film, and at the time of this writing has not canceled them. Even when they finally issued a statement condemning the violence in Libya, they were not forthcoming on Cairo.
They seem far more concerned at the moment with their domestic political interest in protecting their right flank against Salafi outbidding than with behaving like the governing party of a state.

Morsi and the Brotherhood do not seem to understand, or perhaps they simply do not care, how important their public stance is today in defining their image.
The United States has taken real risks by engaging with the Brotherhood, pushing for democratic change despite their likely victory in fair elections, and insisting that the Egyptian military allow the completion of the transition after Morsi’s victory.
That was necessary to have any hope of genuine democratic change in Egypt, and the right position to take. But I suspect that many in Washington will feel that they have been repaid with Morsi’s silence after the breach of the embassy wall which could well have resulted in the same kind of tragedy as in Benghazi.

And that will have enduring effects on the nature and extent of American support for Egypt’s transition — how much harder is it going to be to get debt relief through congress now? It is quite telling that Obama said nothing about Egypt in his remarks about the deaths in Benghazi.

alahu akbar common thieve brigades!

Syria’s Looted Past: How Ancient Artifacts Are Being Traded for Guns

The ongoing war in Syria, a land brimming with history, has led to a dangerous, tragic surge in the looting and smuggling of Syrian antiquities

http://world.time.com/2012/09/12/syrias-looted-past-how-ancient-artifacts-are-being-traded-for-guns/

Abu Khaled knows the worth of things. As a small-time smuggler living along the porous border between Syria and Lebanon, he has dabbled in antiquities as much as the cigarettes, stolen goods and weapons that make up the bulk of his trade. So when a smuggler from Syria brought him a small, alabaster statue of a seated man a few weeks ago, he figured that the carving, most likely looted from one of Syria’s two dozen heritage museums or one of its hundreds of archaeological sites, could be worth a couple thousand dollars in Lebanon’s antiquities black market. So he called his contacts in Beirut. But instead of asking for cash, he asked for something even more valuable: weapons.

“War is good for us,” he says of the community of smugglers that regularly transit the nearby border. “We buy antiquities cheap, and then sell weapons expensively.” That business, he says, is about to get better. Fighters allied with the Free Syrian Army units battling the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad have told him that they are developing an association of diggers dedicated to finding antiquities in order to fund the revolution. “The rebels need weapons, and antiquities are an easy way to buy them,” says Abu Khaled, who goes by his nickname in order to protect his identity.

Criminal activity thrives in chaos, and the theft of antiquities for a rapacious international black market is no exception. Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan have all fallen victim to looters during previous wars, and Libya and Egypt, rich in archaeological sites, witnessed several attempts at looting during their more recent uprisings. In the case of Syria, however, the full-blown civil war may do more harm than simply the plundering of its culture. The burgeoning market for this ancient land’s priceless treasures could actually prolong and intensify the conflict, providing a ready supply of goods to be traded for weapons. Furthermore, the ongoing devastation inflicted on the country’s stunning archaeological sites—bullet holes lodged in walls of its ancient Roman cities, the debris of Byzantine churches, early mosques and crusader fortresses—rob Syria of its best chance for a post-conflict economic boom based on tourism, which, until the conflict started 18 months ago, contributed 12% to the national income.

[…]

http://world.time.com/2012/09/12/syrias-looted-past-how-ancient-artifacts-are-being-traded-for-guns/

محمد موصللي سيرجية عسكري إنشق عن الجيش العربي السوري، وأراد الإنضمام إلى ميليشيا الجيش الحر، لكن الأخيرة كان لها رأي آخر، إذ قامت بإختطاف سيرجية، وعملت على إبتزاز أهله مطالبة إياهم بدفع فدية مقدارها 500 ألف ليرة مقابل إطلاق سراحه.
جدير بالذكر ان عائلة العسكري المنشق، والمختطف على يد المجموعات المسلحة نزحت من مقر إقامتها في مدينة حلب بسبب المعارك الدائرة هناك.
وتشير المعلومات إلى أن محمد سيرجية مختطف لدى “كتيبة الشهيد النقيب مصطفى عبد الرزاق” التي تتخذ من منطقة الأتارب مقرا لها.

American Sam Bacile full movie MOHAMMAD in H.D. quality. As you look at the streets and people, you will have hard time differentiate between the movie scenes and people and those you saw for nearly 2 years in Syria. And this is just the start. Wait until they join the Iranian Zionists for control of the Middle East. Someone really hates America so much that found none other than Islamist Extremists to support financially and militarily. Who is it? Who’s idea was it to provide this support?

Link to full version:

Hilarious movie, it is rather funny, should be in the comedy category. I tried to watch it, but I was very offended by it, very insulting to Islam and Mohammad (PBUH) Indeed. I stopped watching it when the tent scene and Bedouin flesh eater munching on raw camel leg. As a vegetarian that was far more than I can handle. But really was laughing out loud and fell literally off my chair back, almost crushing my back when the scene showed the inside of a tent with Louis something baroque chairs shown inside. Did the American producer of this film known, did any research, apparently not, he should have known that not far in the time of Mohammad (PBUH) but just 90 years ago, they did not have one single chair of any kind in all of Arabia. They sat on flat mats and used pillows for back support just like Gypsies and Jews did. If you to search for Archeological artifacts in all of Palestine (occupied by Zionist Khazzars) and all of Arabia (occupied by devil worshipping ANZA tribesman and Wahabi Jews) you will never ever find a single chair artifact or furniture of any kind whatsoever. In fact, not even clay pots are found in Arabia ever that is more than 90 years old. Before that they used Camel stomach as drinking jugs, eat by hands, and used dried shaped skin hide to load the meet and rice they eat once a day.

So I am rather very critical of this American produced film that is so offensive to Moslems and the Islamic traditions, as well as to civilized and cultured people, like us Syrians, with great appreciation to art, history, Archeology, Anthropology and culture.

51 Tara
That figures ,but to tell you the truth,I feel of all the regime supporters Ann is the most likely to turn away from the dark side, she has some goodness in her heart that I felt,Zoo is so convinced of his ideas, Guffran now is set in his ways ,and Irene is like you know like so retatrted
On other side Ann looks like she a has a quotas of post she has to fill,It is obvious she doesn’t reads them or watch the videos
I know way down deep in her heart she is a good person and with time she will realize the errors of her ways

Clinton and Obama’s shock over Libya violence ‘naive’ – 12 September, 2012

http://rt.com/news/us-ambassador-libya-killed-983/

“It’s especially tragic that Chris Stevens died in Benghazi because it’s a city he helped to save. At the height of the Libyan revolution, Chris led our diplomatic post in Benghazi…he built partnerships with Libyan revolutionaries and helped them as they planned to build a new Libya,” Obama said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also firmly denounced the attack: “How could this happen? How could this happen in a country we helped liberate, in a city we helped save from destruction?”

But some believe the US shouldn’t be so surprised by the violence.

It’s naïve to for the US to believe it can have normal diplomatic relations in Libya, which is unstable because of the 2011 NATO-led intervention, Patrick Henningsen, geopolitical analyst for current affairs website UK Column Patrick said in an interview with RT.

Libya is divided because of NATO. The chaos of the intervention has given rise to warlords, militias, and raided weapon stocks that were formerly secured by the Gaddafi government, he said.

Henningsen argues that the violent assault on the US consulate is simply blowback against Washington and London’s aggressive foreign policy.

RT: These attacks happened in countries where Washington was directly involved in regime change. What does that say about the effect the revolts have had on the US?

Patrick Henningsen: This is a very interesting development and what you can deduce from this is that Washington and America are still living in their own Western bubble where they believe they don’t have any chain of responsibility for the events that have happened to transform countries like Libya, and Egypt to a lesser degree. There was a military intervention that killed thousands and thousands of civilians. So this event could easily be more than just an Islamic anti-American protest. It could have something to do with Gaddafi loyalists that are still being rounded up, arrested, and extradited – particularly the recent extradition of Abdullah al-Senussi, a deal which the US brokered for Libya.

RT: Are the new governments of Libya and Egypt too ill-prepared to protect diplomatic premises, or were these events just too unpredictable?

PH: You really have to look at this in a mature way. For the US to bomb and basically destroy a country and assassinate its head of state on worldwide television, and then for diplomats to go in, those diplomats have to realize that they’re not innocent. They are parties in a major war crime. So they have to on guard for that. To think there’s going to be normal diplomatic relations in a country like Libya – that’s totally unstable as a result of NATO intervention – is a bit naïve by western pundits and politicians in Washington and London. No one is innocent anymore. This is the new paradigm of Western aggression that they have to accept as a reality.

RT: Islamist groups have been on the rise since the dawn of the Arab Spring – why are their radical elements proving so difficult for these countries to contain?

PH: Most of the radical Islamic elements in all of these countries are controlled by the West. The al-Qaeda factions are directed, controlled, and now funded openly – in the case of Syria – by Washington and London. So they have control of the radical elements. This is really an excellent divide and rule situation, to use this clash of civilizations – Islam vs. Christianity – it’s a great cover for a neo-colonial agenda and the technique of dividing countries into their respective compartments, compartmentalizing them, and then being able to rule over them, through the UN or NATO or other transnational bodies.

RT: What do you expect Washington’s next step to be?

PH: This is a tragedy, our hearts go out to the council workers and Ambassador Stevens and his family. But look – the US called all the dead Libyans “collateral damage” when they were working to take over the country. You can look at this recent death as “collateral damage.” This is still a part of the aggression. This is what’s called the blowback of Washington and London’s aggressive foreign policy. Ambassador Stevens and his staff are “collateral damage” of the western agenda to march forward and to radicalize parts of the countries and take over the Middle East in order to prepare for the eventual confrontation with Iran, with Israel by its side.

RT: Why are the American diplomats paying this tragic price when the anger is supposedly directed at a film which has nothing to do with the government?

PH: There’s more than meets the eye here. It’s not just about the film. This anti-Western, anti-American angst isn’t just about what this film was depicted as. This film will come and go. It will wash away. The real issue here is about the Western aggression – the violence and killing – from Afghanistan all the way to Libya. That is the big issue that people aren’t talking about.

It’s not so much about a religion or clash of civilizations. It’s an anti-Imperialist angst that’s fueling this aggression towards America and some of Europe’s leading NATO countries. This is the price they will continue to pay. But the West will use this crisis as an opportunity to either balkanize these countries or introduce other military UN peace keeping forces, more small pockets of NATO troops. They’ll use this crisis as an opportunity as they always have done. So we need to look through the narrative, which is mainly a Western narrative.

RT: Ambassador Christopher Stevens was a key figure in arranging ties with Libya’s post-revolution interim government. Does his tragic death signal a deep divide between the new leaders and the people of Benghazi?

[…]

http://rt.com/news/us-ambassador-libya-killed-983/

ياأهل العار والوطاوية والخذل ماعيب على المسلمين في ليبيا ومصر يقبضو قرش واحد من امريكا ليش ما السعودية تتكفل بكل حاجة المسلمين الملّحة على الأقل ان يقوم الحاكم الغير شرعي اليهودي ابن السعود يتبرع فقط البلغ اللذي نهبه من المسلمين الحجأج لمكّة على الأقلّ ليش يترك المسلمين بحاجة يشحدو ويتدينو بالفائضة المحرمة في الشريعة الاسلامية من بنوك اليهود والصهيونية والكافرين وغير المؤمنين مو هاذا حرام يامنحرفين اسلامييين ؟ العار عليكم وعلى امة الرسول محمد على هذه الوطاوية الحقيرة اللعنة عليكم اذا لايقوم هذا اليهودي اللذي يتحكم في الحرمين الشريفين في تكفل مساعدة كل مسلم والأمة الاسلامية كاملآ متكملآ يجب عليكم بأمر من النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلّم ان تجاهدو في الحرب لطرده من ديار الاسلام

Syrian@62

?!

There has been no one, absolutely no one, on SC mocking death as much as Ann did without even the slightest attempt to hide it. Sorry, I do not share your opinion.

On a second thought, you may be trying to tell me something…

في فيلم أخر من تلك الباقة !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA6vRC1xW_c
Mocking Jesus on Israeli TV – צליבת ישו – The Crucifixion of “Yeshu”
Muslims respects and honour jesus because he is the prophet of God unlike jews but americans still labells muslim as a terrorist I thinks its time to wake up and study quran and islam because it teaches peace and tolerance

Sectarian conflict ‘masks power struggle’
Turkey believes the Syrian regime is now portraying the country’s crisis as a Sunni-Shia conflict to mask President Assad’s loss of political authority, according to a senior adviser to prime minister Tayyip Erdogan.

This “neo-sectarian” approach aims to rally Syrian Shia to Assad’s side and explain away opposition to him by majority Sunni states in the region, Ibrahim Kalin told Reuters.

But Syria’s Sunnis and Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi’ism to which Assad belongs, are not fixed blocs and Turkey does not see the crisis in sectarian terms, Kalin said at a weekend conference of Muslim and Christian religious leaders from the Middle East.

“The Assad regime, because it has lost its political legitimacy, is now trying to present this as a sectarian conflict,” he said. “They claim that those who oppose the Assad regime do so because they are Sunnis and they hate Shia.

“The good news is that the vast majority of the Sunnis and Shia don’t buy this argument and realise these are political decisions, not a sectarian conflict.”

Kalin described as “neo-sectarianism” the growing emphasis on religious identities across the Middle East, but said these trends – while real – were still mostly secondary to the political struggles driving events in the region.

.,,
The Guardian blog

Citizaen@66

Is that you?

Did I misread you?

Tlass is not a real deserter. His so-called desertion is orchestrated by the regime in order to penetrate the opposition and the FSA. Fortunately no one from the opposition bought Tlass’ so-called defection. But the FSA should remain on the look-out for fake defections.m it is the regime’s strategy to penetrate the FSA after the regime lost control on the ground.

نبّهت مصادر مطلعة على شؤون الثورة السورية أنّ النظام السوري يريد ايجاد مخرج من الأزمة، ولو كلفه ذلك بعض صلاحياته ومن خلال الإلتفاف على الثورة السورية ومنع حدوث أي شكل من التدخل العسكري أو الحظر الجوي بأي ثمن.

ووفق هذه المصادر فإنّ ابرز ثغرة يعوّل عليها النظام منذ بدء الثورة ولا يزال هي اللعب على التناقضات الموجودة سواء بين الكتائب المختلفة للجيش السوري الحرـ أو على مستوى المعارضات الموجودة في الخارج والتي لم تستطع توحيد كلمتها.

وقد عددت هذه المصادر جملة خطوات اتخذها النظام لإختراق الجيش الحرّ, كان اولها انشقاق شكلي للعميد مناف طلاس تمّ بتوافق مع النظام وبشار الأسد شخصياً. وقد عملت جهات أمنية غربية على تسويق طلاس بصفته رئيساً للمجلس العسكري السوري وحاولت فرضه على الأطراف السورية المعارضة على أنه لا بديل عنه.

وبحسب هذه المصادر، فإنه عقب فشل تنصيب طلاس، دفع النظام بعدد الضباط الموالين له من بينهم من هو برتبة لواء أوحى أنه انشق عن النظام، ليشغل منصب قيادي في الجيش الحرّ. وتذكر هذه المصادر بأنّ تصريحات كل من هذا اللواء ومناف طلاس ركزت على رفض الحظر الجوي أو أي نوع من التدخل العسكري الأجنبي.

من جانب آخر، نجح النظام في ارسال عدد من شبيحته ومخابراته على شكل منشقين للإنضمام إلى بعض مجموعات الجيش الحر بحيث أنه زرع عيناً له أو اكثر في كل منطقة. ونتائج هذا الإجراء كانت بالدرجة الأولى تصفية عدد من الضباط الأحرار واعتقال نشطاء في الداخل السوري واحباط محاولات انشقاق كانت يتم التنسيق لها، مع رصد مستمر لتحركات الثوار على الأرض وضربهم بالطيران الحربي متى أمكن ذلك.

ثالثاً، أبتكر النظام طريقة اختراق أخرى من بعض العاملين في المجال الإعلامي والذين ينطقون بإسم بعض الجهات الثورية. هؤلاء قد اطلقوا مواقف معينة منها التهديد بإستهداف الجيش الحرّ لطائرات مدنية لا يستخدمها غير المدنيين مثلاً، أو أخبار أخرى منها الإعلان عن انشقاقات على مستوى رفيع لم تحصل من أجل ضرب مصداقية الجيش الحرّ أو حتى الإعلان بأن عدداً من المخطوفين اللبنانيين قتل والآخر جرح.

رابعاً، قام النظام بتشكيل كتائب وسرايا صغيرة تنتمي في الظاهر للجيش الحرّ، في وقت تشكل هذه الكتائب جزء من المخابرات السورية، للقيام بعمليات مريبة ومشبوهة وإلصاقها بالثوار سعياً لتشويه صورتهم والصاق الممارسات المليشياوية بالثوار على انهم مجموعات من القتلة والإرهابيين والسلفيين.

وتبقى الغاية البديهية من وراء ذلك لإعادة تسويق النظام السوري لدى الغرب على أنه لا بديل له، والعودة لتبني وجهة النظر الروسية والإيرانية في هذا المجال. ولا تستبعد ان تكون هذه المجموعات وراء عمليات خطف طالت عدة اطراف داخل سوريا.

NYT VIDEO ILLUSTRATES WAR CRIME COMMITTED BY SYRIAN REBELS
…………
he video is highly important because it illustrates the war crime (“using prisoners as suicide bombers”) committed by a group under the Free Syrian Army, which contradicts previous FSA official’s statements of allowing rights to prisoners.

Western nations such as the United States have consistently backed FSA members and any rebel group willing to take down Assad’s government. As SpreadLibertyNews reported, during the end of the NATO Summit in Chicago, Obama agreed to an arms deal with Syrian rebels. Weeks later, Obama’s national security council as well as CIA officials met with Mossad supported rebels in D.C. to sort out weapon deals.
http://spreadlibertynews.com/nyt-video-illustrates-war-crime-committed-by-syrian-rebels/

62 Tara:
well, I said “of all of them she is most likely”,because the others speak with conviction but she has no ideas or thoughts of her own, she is just acting tough and heartless as oppose to the others who believe in their hearts of what they are saying
For example after the revlution victory Zoo will go into depression and might never go back to Syria, while Ann would say ,Oh well. Goes shopping and forget all about it

• The film said to have incited the anti-US violence appears to have been made without the full cooperation of its actors, one of whom told Gawker she was shocked to learn she had performed in a spoof of Islam. The film was originally not about the Prophet Mohammed but about someone called Master George, she said. The identity of the filmmaker is still unknown.

References to Islam in film were overdubbed: report
About that “film,” “Innocence of Muslims”: its every detail seems to disintegrate under the first light of examination.

On the Media now reports that every reference in the film to Islam appears to be overdubbed. The film apparently isn’t, or wasn’t, about Islam at all:

If you watch closely, you can see that when the actors are reading parts of the script that do not contain Islam-specific language, the audio from the sound stage is used (the audio that was recorded as the actors were simultaneously being filmed). But anytime the actors are referring to something specific to the religion (the Prophet Muhammed, the Quran, etc.) the audio recorded during filming is replaced with a poorly executed post-production dub. And if you look EVEN closer, you can see that the actors’ mouths are saying something other than what the dub is saying.

CNN quotes from a statement the news organization says was “released on the behalf of the 80 cast and crew members of “Innocence of Muslims” – although who released the statement and how CNN is sure of its authenticity is unclear.

The statement condemns the film and claims the actors were duped:

“The entire cast and crew are extremely upset and feel taken advantage of by the producer. We are 100% not behind this film and were grossly misled about its intent and purpose,” the statement says. “We are shocked by the drastic re-writes of the script and lies that were told to all involved. We are deeply saddened by the tragedies that have occurred.”

Update: Gawker’s Adrian Chen has spoken with an actress in the film. She had no idea the movie was a spoof of Islam, she tells him. “It wasn’t based on anything to do with religion,” she said:

Cindy Lee Garcia, an actress from Bakersfield, Calif., has a small role in the Muhammed movie as a woman whose young daughter is given to Muhammed to marry. But in a phone interview this afternoon, Garcia told us she had no idea she was participating in an offensive spoof on the life of Muhammed when she answered a casting call through an agency last summer and got the part.

The script she was given was titled simplyDesert Warriors.

“It was going to be a film based on how things were 2,000 years ago,” Garcia said. “It wasn’t based on anything to do with religion, it was just on how things were run in Egypt. There wasn’t anything about Muhammed or Muslims or anything.”
….,

The Guardian

ISLAMISTS DRAG DEAD BODY OF US AMBASSADOR THROUGH THE STREETS OF BENGHAZI! (Updated) …Another Photo! – September 12, 2012

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/09/islamists-drag-dead-body-of-us-ambassador-in-the-streets/

A lot of questions must be asked about this tragedy in Libya.
What were the US and Western intelligence doing? There were good at tracking Kaddafi but unable to see that on the 11 Sept, the US embassy should be doubly guarded and defended. Is is naivety, incompetence or what? What was the Libyan police doing?
It is really shocking to realize that an ambassador of the most powerful country in the world can get killed so easily by a mob.
It was reported that the security guards, taken by surprise just ran away.
The USA should review quickly its security and not rely on the false impression that the new Islamic republics are safe.
It is a tragic and absurd end for a man who only wanted the good for Libya.

Zoo,  

Unknown and Known 
Posted by Heather Hurlburt

Last night’s tragic and violent demonstrations in Benghazi, Libya and Cairo, Egypt have unleashed a torrent of on-line commentary and speculation today, with some occasional fact-based reporting mixed in. Add to that a heavy, disgraceful dose of electioneering over the not-yet-cold corpses of our public servants. Here’s what you need to catch up.

We still don’t know fundamental facts about what happened.  This is important, because some commentators and legislators have called for immediately cutting off aid to Egypt and Libya, or even for military strikes. But a smart response will be one that has facts on its side. Some things we don’t yet know:  Who is responsible? A Libya-based extremist group with links to Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility; the Libyan government has pointed fingers at Al Qaeda. Washington has said nothing. Were the Libya and Cairo protests coordinated? There’s no evidence of that.

We don’t know why. Was the Benghazi attack part of protests of a Western film perceived as anti-Islamic, or was it planned separately in advance and just took advantage? We don’t know, and at least one commentator suggests the killing was in retaliation for a US drone strike in Pakistan.

We also don’t know as much as we thought we knew about the film that sparked the first round of protests. Reporting before and immediately after the protests identified an “Israeli” or “Jewish American” film producer, Sam Bacile, who had posted on YouTube an incendiary trailer for a film, funded by “100 Jewish donors” and promoted by Terry Jones, the Florida pastor of 2010 Koran-burning fame. Subsequent reporting has brought his religion, nationality and very existence into question, and the only thing that seems clear is that someone was eager to fan the flames of sectarian hatred – and not eager to be identified.  The actors and crew now say they were misled, thinking they were making a film about a “generic Egyptian” named “Master George,” with the most incendiary lines appear to have been (poorly) overdubbed after filming. In one scene, the dubbed voice says “Mohammed” while the actor’s lips appear to say “George.” 

What we do know:

Someone posted an inflammatory, poorly-produced video that seemed designed to anger Muslims, and then began promoting it to make sure people noticed. They did. Protests were planned in Cairo and Benghazi. Some protestors at each event seemed to have more violent goals in mind, with the result of a tense standoff in Cairo that closed the US Embassy, and a four-hour firefight in Benghazi that left ten Libyan security guards and four Americans dead, and three more Americans (and probably many Libyans) injured.

We learned today some important things about how people in the region and in the United States are reacting, and what that says about the future.

Libyan people are anxious for Americans to know this violence doesn’t reflect their views.  Thousands of Libyans demonstrated in solidarity with Washington and against extremism today. Ten Libyan security guards gave their lives trying to protect the consulate and our diplomats in Benghazi. At the same time, Libyans went to the polls – and seem to have selected the most pro-Western of the candidates for Prime Minister.

More protests are coming. A protest in Tunis today was pushed back by Tunisian security forces. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has called for more Cairo protests against the offending movie tomorrow. Protests may occur in Yemen as well. Experts are watching Afghanistan, where prior protests of perceived American insults to Islam have resulted in American fatalities, and Pakistan with great concern – such great concern that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called Koran-burning Florida pastor Terry Jones and asked him to stop promoting the video.
,,,,
September 12, 2012 at 05:56 PM | Permalink
http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2012/09/unknown-and-known.html

How Muslim Men Are “Helping” Syrian Refugees

by Khaled Abu Toameh
Khaled Abu Toameh is an Arab Israeli journalist,

September 11, 2012 at 5:00 am
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3339/syrian-refugees

Muslim men from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have asked their embassies to help to help them find Syrian girls living in makeshift refugee camps in Jordan and Iraq. “Exploiting the conditions of the girls in the refugee camps by marrying them temporarily is a form of rape that must stop immediately. Those responsible for this crime should be brought to trial,” says Abdel Bari Atwan of Al-Quds Al-Arabi.

Syrian female refugees aged 14 and 15 who fled their country to Jordan and Iraq are being forced into “pleasure marriages” [Nikah al-Mut’ah] — a pre-Islamic custom allowing men to marry for a limited period.

Apart from being a cover for legalized prostitution (the marriage can last for as little as 30 minutes), Nikah al-Mut’ah deprives the wife of many rights.

No divorce is necessary in “pleasure marriages,” for instance, and the husband may void the marriage earlier than agreed.

What is most disturbing about this practice is not even whether or not the wife has rights, so much as that Muslim scholars and preachers have given the green light to their followers to exploit the plight of the poor and helpless Syrian girls.

Muslim men from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have in the past few weeks asked their embassies in Amman and Baghdad to help them find Syrian girls living in makeshift refugee camps in Jordan and Iraq.

This is happening at a time when the oil-rich Arab countries are doing almost nothing to help the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who are living in extremely difficult conditions.

Some Arab human rights activists have condemned the phenomenon, but their voice has thus far fallen on deaf ears.

Muslim preachers in a number of Arab countries have been encouraging their followers to engage in “pleasure marriages” with Syrian girls as a way of ridding them and their families of their misery. Some of these preachers have even issued fatwas [Islamic decrees] permitting the sexual exploitation of minors.

Many of these girls, according to reports in a number of Arab media outlets, are being returned to their families after hours or days of the temporary marriage.

Some of the victims are being sold by their desperate families to Muslim men in return for a few hundred dollars.

76. Tara

That’s the key question. How happen that with CIA agents in Libya, the UK intelligence, the French intelligence, they “knew” so little?

“They have elected the most pro-Western of the candidates for Prime Minister.”
That’s not true, Mahmud Jibril was the most secular of the candidates.

I could not and did not want to watch the full movie, I suspected that it is pure filth, a friend who is writing an article about the movie for a reputable Christian publication had to watch it, he said that it is a piece of garbage with no artistic or cultural value, I did watch a clip, it was obvious the movie was done for a purpose: inflame Muslims, embarrass Copts and trigger a violent response, in that sense the movie did the job ,and its Israeli ” film maker” went into hiding, you may soon hear that he is in Israel being hailed as a hero of free speech. Attacking the US consulate in BinGhazi and murdering the US ambassador was a terrorist act that was probably planned for days or weeks but had to wait for the right moment.

Rebels are stealing antiquities and selling them to buy weapons:
Syria’s Looted Past: How Ancient Artifacts Are Being Traded for Guns

NELOFER PAZIRA
By ARYN BAKER / MAJDAL ANJAR, LEBANON
The ongoing civil war in Syria, a land brimming with history, has led to a dangerous, tragic surge in the looting and smuggling of Syrian antiquities
Read more: http://world.time.com/#ixzz26JIposl8

انتشرت ع الفيسبوك و غير مواقع بالفترة الماضية حملة شرسة بما يخص هالموضوع, و الطرح كان انو بعض الرجال العرب عم يستغلوا حاجة اللاجئات السوريات و اهلون بالزواج منهون لتخليصهون من هالوضع, طبعا انوصف الموضوع انو عم يتم بطريقة جدا مهينة للبنت السورية و اهلها و المجتمع السوري كلو…انو هدول الناس شبه عم يشتروا البنت

Read on…
http://bit.ly/TSp8Tk

Juan Cole says:

” Lots of Sunnis are still on the fence or are supporting the regime.”

I think he’s right

حصلت “الراي” على تفاصيل بعض ما دار في الاجتماع الرباعي الذي ضم ممثلي مصر وتركيا والسعودية وايران، في القاهرة كخطوة أولى لاجتماعات مبادرة الرئيس محمد مرسي لحل الأزمة السورية.
وكشف مصدر ديبلوماسي أن القاهرة عرضت اعادة صياغة المبادرة بما يتيح لها حرية الحركة اذا امتنع النظام السوري عن المشاركة في الاجتماعات، نافيا أن يكون خطابا الرئيس محمد مرسي في طهران والجامعة العربية واللذان تضمنا رسائل قوية الى النظام السوري قد أفشلا هذه المبادرة، مشيرا الى أن مصر تمد يدها لجميع الأطراف السورية من أجل المشاركة في هذه المبادرة.
وأضاف لـ “الراي” ان الاجتماع لم تصدر عنه أي نتائج ولم يتوصل الى أي قرارات حيث كان تشاوريا في المقام الأول لعرض وجهات نظر الدول المشاركة تجاه هذه الأزمة.
وأوضح أن مصر أصرت على رفض أي تدخل عسكري لحل هذه الأزمة، كما طالبت بضرورة التوصل الى اتفاق مبدئي لوقف نزيف الدم دون الانتظار الى نتائج المبادرة، كما دعت الى ضرورة وجود حوار مباشر بين النظام الحاكم والمعارضة التي يجب أن تتوحد تحت مسمى واحد
By insisting that Bashar has to resign first (Qatar and Turkey) or that he stays as president (the regime and Iran) one can conclude that no political solution is on the horizon.
Both camps are not serious about finding an exit, Russia and the US are doing nothing to facilitate an agreement that gives Syrians something they can build on.

78. Ghufran said:

“I could not and did not want to watch the full movie, I suspected that it is pure filth.”

That’s what they said about James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, J. D. Salinger, etc. Pure filth.

The problem with art is, it is never recognized by the teeming masses of uncultured philistines.

For those of you who don’t know, the word “philistine” in English refers to “smug, ignorant, especially middle-class persons who are regarded as being indifferent or antagonistic to artistic and cultural values.

Sounds like you, Ghuffie

The link in #80:

From the comment section of the post.  This is one smart Syrian woman  
#13
علاك مصدي, متى أصبحت العامية مقبولة إلى هذه الدرجة!!!!!

#14
دخلك انت بتحكي مع اهلك فصحى؟ انا عم احكي فشة خلق ما عم اكتب موضوع تعبير او نشرة اخبار..عم حاول احكي مع الناس بشكل مباشر…وش لوش, و بعبر اكتر بالعامية..لي بيتركضوا ع القشور و تنسوا المضمون؟

After the abhorrent attacks against the American consulate and the death of 4 Americans, Libyans come out in numbers to show their respect to the dead and their disgust at the events that unfolded the day earlier.

http://imgur.com/a/tlCyI

While a bunch misguided and angry buffoons might try their best to ruin what the majority of Libyans are trying to achieve, no matter how hard they might try they wont succeed.

A time based map visualization showing all Syria casualties.

http://blog.cartodb.com/post/28487635064/our-first-collaboration-with-the-guardian-a-time-lapse

Extremely eerie to see the death toll rise so quickly after the New Years.

Hmmm how many people on this blog fall into this category I wonder…

ASSAD’S USEFUL IDIOTS

How prominent commentators from the ‘anti-imperialist’ left have twisted the public discourse on Syria and, in the process, provided intellectual cover for the Assad regime.

It was the first weekend of August, and on the highway leading out of Damascus, Syrian tanks rumbled northwards towards Aleppo. As 20,000 government troops mobilised outside the city, Syrian bomber jets shattered the shopping district of Salahedin, a rebel stronghold. Just metres away from the fighting, a Reuters reporter found a local couple, shaking with fear. “Just to hold power he is willing to destroy our streets, our homes, kill our sons,” cried Fawzia Um Ahmed as she waited for a car to take them to safety.

In Sydney that weekend the sun was out, and so were hundreds of Syrian Australians. In a rally organised by a group called ‘Hands off Syria’, they marched through the city, brandishing posters of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and signs that read, “Thank you Russia and China 4 Vetoes” and “Let the whole world hear: Syria is our Nation, Bashar is our Leader”.

“He’s a doctor, he studied in England,” ‘Naja’ told TruthNews in a broad Syrian-Australian accent, adding that President Assad had been ‘democratically elected’ by 75 per cent of Syrians. “He doesn’t kill his people. We’ve got militants in Syria. They’re terrorists.”

Flanked by cheering Assad supporters, Dr Tim Anderson, a senior lecturer in political economy at Sydney University and a member of Hands Off Syria, made an impassioned speech in support of the Syrian president. “People in this country are very ignorant about what’s going on in Syria,” he began.

“That’s not a crime in itself. But what is unacceptable is the unethical use of this ignorance… Those people saying Assad must go, they have no ethical basis to make that sort of claim,” he continued, cheered by the crowd. To this, he added: “They haven’t understood that it’s the foundation of the post-colonial era… that a people have a right to

self-determination.”

Hang on a minute. Isn’t the Syrian opposition fighting the Assad regime for its right to self-determination?

Don’t try to make sense of this logically; think ideologically.

Anderson is among the ideologues who believe there is no greater enemy than American imperialism. That means the Syrian uprising poses a grave threat to the ‘Axis of Resistance’ — Iran, Syria and Hezbollah — which, according to them, is the only force blocking America’s imperialist ambitions in the Middle East. If Assad falls, they believe it is America, Israel and Saudi Arabia that have the most to gain.

This ideological war is being fought at varying levels of sophistication by leftists with far greater influence than Dr Anderson, such as The Guardian’s associate editor and columnist Seumas Milne, award-winning journalist John Pilger, military historian and intellectual Tariq Ali and British MP George Galloway.

[…]

http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/assads-useful-idiots/374/

انتقد أمين عام الإخوان في مصر المظاهرات أمام السفارة الأمريكية واعتبرها “مكيدة”، مشيراً إلى أنه لا يجب التعدي على المنشآت العامة في البلاد.
I guess MBs in power use a different language from MBs who are still in the opposition.
We need to hire this guy to advise people who see attacks on state properties as a holy duty.

87. Son of Damascus

Hmmm, “useful idiots” for locally forced secularism or for global religious fundamentalism? What’s better?

That Libyan ambassador was a useful idiot for the latter, see where it got him…

As for the Libya attack, I saw the most retarded comment yet on al Akhbar English of all places:

“This is done either by Gaddafi Loyalist or Assad`s secret service to warn the Americans of the syrian revolutionaries.”

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!!!

9 minutes with Fisal Alkasem
http://the-syrian.com/archives/87057

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The search for those behind the provocative, anti-Muslim film implicated in violent protests in Egypt and Libya led Wednesday to a California Coptic Christian convicted of financial crimes who acknowledged his role in managing and providing logistics for the production.
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, told The Associated Press in an interview outside Los Angeles that he was manager for the company that produced “Innocence of Muslims,” which mocked Muslims and the prophet Muhammad and may have caused inflamed mobs that attacked U.S. missions in Egypt and Libya. He provided the first details about a shadowy production group behind the film.
Nakoula denied he directed the film and said he knew the self-described filmmaker, Sam Bacile. But the cell phone number that AP contacted Tuesday to reach the filmmaker who identified himself as Sam Bacile traced to the same address near Los Angeles where AP found Nakoula. Federal court papers said Nakoula’s aliases included Nicola Bacily, Erwin Salameh and others.
Nakoula told the AP that he was a Coptic Christian and said the film’s director supported the concerns of Christian Copts about their treatment by Muslims.

91. Ghufran

That man is a fucking idiot. He is responsible if Copts are hurt because of this.

Of course the Salafists are too, but they’re like children, its inevitable that they would do stuff like this, and everyone knows it. One should not play with fire.

92 Habit

“He is responsible if Copts are hurt because of this.”

No, he’s not. If Muslims are too weak to control themselves, they can blame God for failing to make them stronger-willed. If, on the other hand, Muslims are no different from, say, Norwegians, then they have only themselves to blame if they commit a violent act.

It’s really laughable to think a pack of Egyptian Muslims would go on the warpath over a video produced 10,000 miles away. Don’t they have jobs? Don’t they have to be somewhere?

93. Johannes de Silentio said:

Don’t they have jobs? Don’t they have to be somewhere?

Nope, they don’t!

They’re too busy posting day and night pretending to be concerned Syrian citizens on this blog

93. Johannes de Silentio

See the last part of my post. Salafists are as predictable as fire. If you play with them, you get burned. After the Muhammad drawings, everyone on earth knew this would happen.

Don’t they have jobs? Don’t they have to be somewhere?
________________________________________________________________

The first, unfortunately no, they have no jobs and will never have, always have been and will be on handouts from USA and any willing donor, and the second, fortunately to many of us, no.

Syria: Christians take up arms for first time
Christian communities in Aleppo have taken up arms and formed their own militias for the first time, the Daily Telegraph can disclose.

The Christian community has tried to avoid taking sides in the civil war. In Aleppo, it recruited vigilantes from the Boy Scout movement to protect churches, but as the war moved into the city and spread across its suburbs they have begun to accept weapons from the Syrian army and joined forces with Armenian groups to repel opposition guerrillas.

“Everybody is fighting everybody,” said George, an Armenian Christian from the city. “The Armenians are fighting because they believe the FSA are sent by their Turkish oppressors to attack them, the Christians want to defend their neighbourhoods, Shabiha regime militia are there to kill and rape, the army is fighting the FSA, and the [Kurdish militant group] PKK have their own militia too.”

For the past six weeks up to 150 Christian and Armenian fighters have been fighting to prevent Free Syrian Army rebels from entering Christian heartland areas of Aleppo.

Last month the Syrian army claimed a ‘victory’ in removing FSA fighters from the historic Christian quarter of Jdeidah. But Christian

militia fighters told the Daily Telegraph it was they who had first attacked the FSA there.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9539244/Syria-Christians-take-up-arms-for-first-time.html

96. Aldendesche

“they have no jobs and will never have, always have been and will be on handouts from USA.”

You can remove the “always” from that statement, Brother Aldie. It’s an election year in the good old USA and a lot of voters are suddenly wondering why a pack of loathsome Egyptians, like Ann for example, are getting US taxpayer money.

I got a feeling the golden billion dollar nipple in gonna dry up for Egypt real soon.

Israel will not allow that cut off of funding. The Islamist Terrorists rulling Egypt and Libya will be knocking on Alqaida door for food and water. They in turn will send them to the Sinai for service tour in exchange, kill the infidel Jews that attacked Mohammad.

Fisk on the Prophet cartoons:

The provocateurs know politics and religion don’t mix

It only takes a couple of loonies a few seconds to kick off a miniature war in the Muslim world
o another internet clever-clogs sets the Middle East on fire: Prophet cartoons, then Koranic book-burning, now a video of robed “terrorists” and a fake desert. The Western-Christian perpetrators then go into hiding (an essential requisite for publicity) while the innocent are asphyxiated, beheaded and otherwise done to death – outrageous Muslim revenge thus “proving” the racist claims of the trash peddlers that Islam is a violent religion.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-provocateurs-know-politics-and-religion-dont-mix-8131297.html

Obama’s re-election is TOAST.

Hello Romney!

By insisting that Bashar has to resign first (Qatar and Turkey) or that he stays as president (the regime and Iran) one can conclude that no political solution is on the horizon. Both camps are not serious about finding an exit, Russia and the US are doing nothing to facilitate an agreement that gives Syrians something they can build on.
————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Syrian Nationalist Party
Metaz K.M. Aldendeshe
Chief Strategist

I personally have no conviction whatsoever that Assad will ever institute the reforms and change needed to move Syria into a modern State. When we took vote on this issue last week, the result were 69 for, and 3 against, it is evident to persons having common sense. It is further my believe that all he and his Alawi minority juntas are doing, is to beat the hell out of Islamists regardless of how many structures left standing in Syria, or the number of lives lost, then after, call in all the local socialists and communists, former Baathists and Nasserites and dictate to them the changes he is going to make and they must accept or he will send them to Palmyra.

The reason why I am convinced so, and many agree with me on this, as they say, the proof is in the pudding: If Assad seriously willing to make the changes, he would have done so right away, or during, or after any one of the junction this crises taken. Yet, all the reforms he introduced are what you can call fictitious Baathist styled ones. He simply will not give in on any of the changes that can empower the Syrian people to take charge of own social, economic nor political destiny.

Were he, or his regime, has any intent whatsoever to do so, he would have launched and introduced such crucial and important reforms that are demanded by Syrians of all type, if for anything, just to cut the FITNA and the road to devastation the crises was taken.

His claim that he will negotiate and initiate reforms after the terrorists lay arm is bogus at best. As Fisk reported last week, the revolutionaries are really not after removing Assad or his regime; they said blatantly that they are after establishing an Islamic Emirates. Well, that is bogus as well. That is what the puppet masters told and brainwashed the Islamic Terrorists with this gullible notion, cheating them like little kids, knowing their psychological make ups. The puppeteers, from the start, are after instigating a FITNA in Syria, that will result is Civil War and destruction, disintegration of the State, that is all, and it is peddled for the gullible masses as getting rid of the Alawi dictatorship, and yet another goal set for the terrorists, and even another one for the media etc. It is a hoax.

Assad, could have cut the rope on the FITNA weavers, but then he has to give too much, much of what Syrians are demanding, and have demanded, none of which from the start was his departure, but he stubbornly refused an iota of giving in, letting the FITNA crowds win everyday a bigger win, fueling the fire and bringing Syria down to this devastating level. Like the Shia Zionists of Iran, Assad played one part of the grand Zionist plan weaved by the Rothschild’s, just as Hassan Al Banna played his part and his followers continue to play, and just as Khomeini and Saddam played their move, all to bring in HAARETZ ISRAEL. But in Assad mind, he think pulling a Hafez Hama redux is doable, couple of years, and like his daddy, he will become the new Sphinx of the Middle East, he will be traveling to Switzerland to meet with the American President, and will be given a red carpet treatment in Dhahran, Paris and London. All he has to do for a final shot to respected celebrity, is toss Saddam billions and few of his family to the Rothschild’s banks.

DIE ZEIT has its own journalist in Aleppo this week, here is an disturbing article

Syria-war Death from above

In the Syrian city of Aleppo, many people are drawn in dark cellars, because the regime’s fighter jets bombed the houses. Suddenly succeeds residents back to the electricity grid – and reclaim hope

The hands are shaking too much to tie the laces, these silly laces, they flutter around while running. I run into the darkness of the staircase, run down the stairs. Another bomb crashes into a building of the neighborhood, the third drop in five minutes. Do not stumble over the laces, I think, to think of anything. The ground shakes from the force of the explosion. To reach the ground floor, pressed myself against the wall. Here, the concrete will most massively.The child’s cry that came up just from the street is silent. A rat scuttles through the stairwell. Silence. Fly sit on my skin. There are now so many of them. The garbage attracts them. It covers places and roadsides. The city rots from the inside out. “Our city is a city of Aleppo now flying,” say many here. From the narrow waist-echoes the engine noise of a fighter plane. High up there like a bird circling over a rabbit. The people who live in this street, which is their refuge and the event at the same time, have fled their homes. Mohammed, a taxi driver from over whose children were on the balcony just quarreled still together, his cousin Ahmed, a tailor in the basement, and the barber from the corner, they stare at the concrete ceiling above their heads and close their eyes. They all listen to the same sound. The steady roar of the engine.

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.zeit.de%2F2012%2F37%2FDOS-Syrien-Aleppo%2Fkomplettansicht

101. ann

But will it be any better? The Republicans seem even more eager to provide the Salafist insurgents with lethal aid.

I think Obama may be the least harmful choice, in spite of what his gov has done so far. If the Israelis ask Romney to attack Iran or Syria, you can pretty much consider it done.

103. Juergen

Has happened daily in Gaza for the last 20 years, no one cared or made so emotional reports. Hypocrites.

Things are starting to heat up in Egypt 8)

99. Aldendeshe

“Israel will not allow that cut off.”

America doesn’t listen to Israel anymore. Haven’t you been reading the papers? Obama told the Jews that “they’re on their own.” As for the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda, they were going to link up sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.

So strap yourself in, Brother Aldie. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride for a while.

104. habib said:

But will it be any better? The Republicans seem even more eager to provide the Salafist insurgents with lethal aid.

No, things will not get any better. But it would be interesting to find Assad outliving Obama as a president.

They’re burning American flags and replacing them with Al Qaeda flags in Cairo!

Commentary: Time for U.S. to rethink its Mideast policies after ambassador’s tragic death – 2012-09-13

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2012-09/13/c_131848019.htm

BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) — The attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya on Tuesday were hair-raising, and the death of U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens was tragic.

On the surface, the attacks stemmed from a U.S.-made film that “defames Islam’s Prophet Mohammed.” But their causes run deeper than that, highlighting America’s flawed strategy in the Middle East and the necessity for Washington to rethink its policies toward the region.

Both Libya and Egypt witnessed drastic political upheavals in the past year, in which the United States played a crucial role. However, many Egyptians and Libyans don’t seem grateful to America, and the deadly attacks appear to reveal deep resentment. Why?

First and foremost, the United States has been pursuing hegemony in the Middle East for decades, and people in the region are fed up with the image of “the arrogant American.”

Years ago, the United States launched the “war on terror” and turned Iraq into a bloody chaos, causing numerous deaths and casualties, with millions of people displaced.

Despite all its rhetoric, the United States failed to bring prosperity to the region and the people there remain mired in dire situations.

For instance, Iraq is still troubled by explosions, sectarian conflicts,a slow reconstruction process and the resurgence of al-Qaida.

Secondly, the attacks dealt a big blow to America’s decades-old scheme of trying to set up a coalition in the region to bring down the Mideast governments it dislikes, like Iran and Syria.

To that end, America and its allies have been trying to push for regime change in the name of democratization. But the region is still volatile, and the coalition has been weakened instead of getting stronger.

Not long ago, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the Middle East in an bid to patch up cracks that emerged in the region’s relationship with America. But she met protests. And the latest attacks demonstrated again how unpopular Americans are in the region.

Thirdly, America’s partiality for Israel leads to widespread hatred among Arabs, shaking the foundation of America’s strategy in the region.

Moreover, the political patterns in many Mideast countries have gradually changed following the rise of religious forces, which is bad news for the United States.

Fourthly, America’s inaction to restart the Mideast peace process has added to local people’s revulsion at America.

The world held high hopes for the peace process when U.S. President Barack Obama took office, but over the past four years the Obama administration made no substantial progress in that regard.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2012-09/13/c_131848019.htm

Interview with the director of the Islamic museum in Berlin ( they hold possesion of the famous Aleppo room, a wood decorated room which was taken from the house which now hosts the famous Bait Wakil hotel in Aleppo.)

Aleppo roadblocks of art treasures

Stefan Weber, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin, talks about the threat of the unique towns of Aleppo and Damascus.

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.zeit.de%2Fkultur%2F2012-08%2Faleppo-kulturschaetze-interview%2Fkomplettansicht

Habib,

you may not have read it, but we had such reports from Gaza. But do we need an excuse for killing civilians ( aka terrorists) waiting for bread in front of bakeries? What military aim asks for that? Thats what the americans would call an shock an awe campaign, nothing else.

Western attitude to terror attacks in Syria stuns Russia – 2012-09-12

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/12/c_131846637.htm

MOSCOW, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) — Western countries had adopted double standards in assessing terrorist actions in Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Wednesday.

“By blocking in the UN Security Council condemnation of the terror attacks in Syria, the Western countries have confirmed their double standards in assessing terrorists acts,” Gatilov wrote on Twitter.

The West categorized terrorists as “good” and “bad,” and believed the international community could turn a blind eye to attacks committed by these “good terrorists,” Gatilov said.

Russia submitted two draft statements at the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Monday condemning terror attacks in Syria and Iraq.

“This is puzzling that, due to the non-constructive position of a number of the UNSC members, the draft statement on terror attacks in (the Syrian city of) Aleppo has not been passed,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding the Western arguments meant a departure from the UN principle that no terror actions could be justified.

“Such a position connives with terrorism and facilitates further escalation of violence in Syria,” it said.

Also Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the Western attitude “regrettable” and “stunning.”

The UNSC always condemned terror attacks and stressed the act of terror was unacceptable, whatever the reasons behind it. This time, some Western countries diverted from that position after a bombing attack against Syria’s Security Service premises, Lavrov told reporters in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

“The West explained that this was not a terror attack in the full sense of the word. I was stunned with that,” he said.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/12/c_131846637.htm

Ambassador Stevens about his mission in Libya

WIll The Libyan Attacks Make The US Leery Of Intervening In Syria?

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/383674/20120912/chris-stevens-ambassador-libya-syria-syrian-uprising.htm

{…}

But then there’s Syria. The violence in that country has spilled over into neighboring Lebanon, and now, many fear, Egypt and Libya may next enter a period of similar unrest and turmoil.

If nothing else, it could greatly complicate the U.S. policy of nonintervention in Syria thus far, writes Ben Gilbert for Al-Monitor.

“This tragic incident will have ramifications both locally and regionally, and probably all but end any possibility of intervention in Syria,” Gilbert wrote.

“Images coming out of Libya look more like ‘Black Hawk Down’ than the Arab Spring. Except this time, it’s the guys we armed who did it. The beards and the black flags they’re flying sure look similar to the beards and black flags the Syrian rebels are flying.”

And given that a man who was trying to help the Libyans was just killed, the attacks may make the U.S. more skittish about intervening in Syria, under the assumption that there’s little that can be done, as Ian Black of the Guardian pointed out.

{…}

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/383674/20120912/chris-stevens-ambassador-libya-syria-syrian-uprising.htm

“Give a man enough rope and he’ll hang himself.”

41. jna

I see what you mean now by ‘implicated’.

I was agreeing with you regarding sending an email for certain comments to be deleted.

I just want to distance myself and not get involved in the actual purpose of the email.

Akbar S Ahmed, former Pakistani Ambassador to UK, considered “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam” by the BBC*, made some good comments on radio:

“A lot of muslims in the muslim world, I write on this and study it, they really assume that anything coming out of the Unites States has the backing and support of the government because their own societies are so dominated by governments who in fact do control the media and therefore everything that happens around them is some how linked back to their own government. They assume the same about the United States…”

Listen from 7 min: [Available for 7 more days]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mkd85

Firstly, I have already expressed my sadness in a previous comment.

It is for truely representative governments to respond to any insults or provocations in a proper fashion (ie diplomatic channels). Not ignorant people taking things into their own hands and expressing futile and misdirected fury.

Only true leadership can straighten the affairs of the muslim people.

Ironically it was the US who propped up the dominant tyrants referred to in the above quote and thus helped create the situation
described in the quote.

* According to BBC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar_S._Ahmed

17 VAT

“The sanctity of the Prophet supersedes his so-called principles.”

True. It does. But you don’t speak for the Prophet, VATTY. The Prophet can speak for himself without a half-educated plow horse like yourself explaining the Quran.

You’re not the decider, VATTY. You need to learn humility in the presence of the Prophet.

111. Juergen

Reports from Gaza in the mainstream Western press are never that emotional and subjective. The editors wouldn’t allow it.

US Ambassador to Libya Was Raped Before He Was Tortured, Killed #SAVAGE

link:
http://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2012/09/us-ambassador-to-libya-was-raped-before-he-was-tortured-killed-savage-2481302.html

Could you guys stop posting from this garbage website “beforeitsnews”: the picture of “Islamists” dragging the ambassador was in every newspaper as “staff dragging the Ambassador”.

Plus he was not killed during the clashes in the night but in the early hours in the morning, as he had been brought to another location after being injured when trying to help the staff in the embassy to get out. It is the disclosure of this 2nd location that leads many to suspect “some Qaddafi loyalists or the Syrian intelligence”(of all people)

After watching some delighted with Morsi’s pictures meeting with the contact group on Syria, as if the guy was able to rule 15 acres of Egypt, when are we going to see him dismiss the Great Mufti of al-Azhar who had squarely accused some Copts of having financed the production of the racist insulting movie (a good hoax to divert people from the row between Netanyahu and Obama… didn’t occur to any that the guy’s name is Bacile and that the first thing he said is “Islam is a pest”?)
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/09/heres-a-timeline-of-the-confusing-statements-on-libya-and-egypt/262264/

Houps, it looks like a Copt is implied
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/sam-bacile-israeli-jew-may-actually-be-nakoula-basseley-nakoula-coptic-christian/262316/

But I doubt either Ali Gomaa or Morsi will be able to pretend for long that they are running a country of 90 million people…

A Hareetz article exposes the well-known connections between some American Copts and the US extreme-right.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/california-man-confirms-role-in-anti-islam-film-that-sparked-deadly-libya-violence-1.464700

(…) Bacile told the AP he was an Israeli-born, 56-year-old, Jewish writer and director. But a Christian activist involved in the film project, Steve Klein, told AP on Wednesday that Bacile was a pseudonym and that he was Christian.

Klein had told the AP on Tuesday that the filmmaker was an Israeli Jew who was concerned for family members who live in Egypt.

Officials in Israel said there was no record of Bacile as an Israeli citizen.
When the AP initially left a message for Bacile, Klein contacted the AP from another number to confirm the interview request was legitimate then Bacile called back from his own cell phone.

Klein said he didn’t know the real name of the man he called “Sam,” who came to him for advice on First Amendment issues.

About 15 key players from the Middle East — from Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran and a couple Coptic Christians from Egypt — worked on the film, Klein said.

“Most of them won’t tell me their real names because they’re terrified,” Klein said. “He was really scared and now he’s so nervous. He’s turned off his phone.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, said Klein is a former Marine and longtime religious-right activist who has helped train paramilitary militias at a California church. It described Klein as founder of Courageous Christians United, which conducts protests outside abortion clinics, Mormon temples and mosques.

It quoted Klein as saying he believes that California is riddled with Muslim Brotherhood sleeper cells “who are awaiting the trigger date and will begin randomly killing as many of us as they can.”

In his brief interview with the AP, Bacile defiantly called Islam a cancer and said he intended the film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion.

But several key facts Bacile provided proved false or questionable. Bacile told AP he was 56 but identified himself on his YouTube profile as 74. Bacile said he is a real estate developer, but Bacile does not appear in searches of California state licenses, including the Department of Real Estate.

Hollywood and California film industry groups and permit agencies said they had no records of the project under the name “Innocence of Muslims,” but a Los Angeles film permit agency later found a record of a movie filmed in Los Angeles last year under the working title “Desert Warriors.”

A man who answered a phone listed for the Vine Theater, a faded Hollywood movie house, confirmed that the film had run for a least a day, and possibly longer, several months ago, arranged by a customer known as “Sam.”

Google Inc., which owns YouTube, pulled down the video Wednesday in Egypt, citing a legal complaint. It was still accessible in the U.S. and other countries. (…)

Habib,

“Hmmm, “useful idiots” for locally forced secularism or for global religious fundamentalism? What’s better?”

Is that what you call Assad’s murderous regime? Locally forced secularism? What is secular about murdering 30 THOUSAND Syrians?

Keep defending the murderous thug, keep cheering the death of Syrians all for the fear of the unknown while completely disregarding the known in front of your eyes.

I think Jess Hill missed an integral part in her piece called “Assad’s useful Idiots”, she forgot the genocide enthusiasts that cheer the death of Syrians because they don’t happen to follow the same faith as they do….

The pain and destruction caused by the “forced secularism” shells raining down on innocent civilians.

Syria conflict: Qadour family’s lasting scars

By Caroline Hawley
BBC News, Amman

It was seven o’clock in the morning, and the Qadour family were asleep when a shell hit their home in Homs. Their house caught fire.

“The children were burning, and screaming,” says Abu Abdul Malik, who rushed into their bedroom.

“I ran after them and tried to take their clothes off to put the fire out. I didn’t feel the fire on my hands. I didn’t feel the pain. All I could think of was how to save them.”

His frantic efforts to rescue his children left him with second-degree burns on both his arms and hands.

His eldest son, six-year-old Abdul Malik, escaped with minor injuries because he was able to run away from the flames.

His sisters didn’t get away. Three-year-old Rahaf’s face and hands were burnt. Four-year-old Qamar suffered third degree burns on her legs and hands, and over most of her face.

Their hair was on fire.

“You can never erase that from your memory, ” says their mother. “You try to forget – but you can’t.”

Now, she tries to stop Qamar looking in the mirror.

“Once she did look in the mirror and saw herself and she said to me, ‘Mum, I’m Qamar, with the burned face. I used to be beautiful. What happened to me?” But I told her that she was still beautiful.”

[…]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19554875

Morsi… not for too long… Just as long as when the FSA will be in charge of the Palestinian refugee camps.

He didn’t blame the takfiris, but offered a new standard in international relations: the Prophet of Islam as a “red line”.

Could someone explain him about his line on the “Prophet of the Egyptians” that some people in his own country are not asked by their religion to recognize Mohammed as a Prophet?

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/52764/Egypt/Politics-/Morsi-condemns-attacks-on-US-diplomatic-missions-.aspx

(…) President Mohamed Morsi condemned Tuesday’s attacks on US diplomatic missions in Cairo and Benghazi during a press conference in Brussels on Thursday.

He went on to condemn the anti-Islam film that sparked the attacks, describing any insult against the Prophet Mohamed as a “red line.”

“We Egyptians reject any kind of assault or insult against our prophet. I condemn and oppose all who… insult our prophet,” Morsi said. (…)

But the best line was still to come:
“Morsi said that he had spoken with US President Barack Obama and told him that it was necessary to put in place “legal measures which will discourage those seeking to damage relations… between the Egyptian and American people.””
An anti-UFO defense system?

I think muslims, and especially sunnis, should react to things like these rather than a stupid movie:

http://balochwarna.com/xnews/articles.111/Eight-Baloch-political-prisoners-in-Iran-face-imminent-execution-.html

This is just one of many examples when muslims are hurt by other muslims or a regime claiming to represent islam, but for some reason you never see violent protests by islamists against them.

Maybe these “protesters” are just anti-American and anti Israel, not pro-islam/pro sunni or even pro salafist as they claim…

123. Son of Damascus

Tsk, half have been killed by your Salafist friends, so right back at ya.

I’d rather live under a secular dictator than a Salafist theocrat.

Of course I’d prefer a democracy over both, but that ain’t gonna happen now with this dirty “opposition”.

126. Humanist

More Sunnis are executed by Saudi Arabia each week.

It is so sad and heartbreaking.  He wanted the best for Libya
——

“Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans,” read a poster carried by an admirer in Benghazi, a Twitter image showed. “Sorry, people of America, this is not the behavior of our Islam and prophet,” read another.

At consulate in Libya, a model diplomat is lost
U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens was idealistic, eager and brave, and seen by some in Benghazi as ‘a friend to all Libyans.’

WASHINGTON — J. Christopher Stevens was in many ways the model American diplomat, committed, idealistic, willing to take risks and eager to find out what was really happening in obscure corners of the world.

A lanky 52-year-old Californian, with a burst of brown hair, Stevens also looked the part.

“He was always smiling, unruffled, projecting what I think of as a cool California demeanor, in the best sense,” said Robert Danin, a former Middle East hand at the State Department who worked closely with Stevens.

A UC Berkeley graduate who was confirmed as ambassador to Libya in May, Stevens well knew the dangers inherent in his hands-on style.

From 2007 to 2009, he served as the No. 2 U.S. diplomat in Tripoli after the U.S. resumed diplomatic relations with Col. Moammar Kadafi’s government. And last year, during the height of the revolution that eventually toppled Kadafi, he secretly slipped back into Libya aboard a Greek cargo ship to serve as U.S. envoy to the rebels battling the strongman.

“We had a bombing at the Tibesti [Hotel] the other day — a reminder that Benghazi isn’t safe,” he emailed an acquaintance in June 2011, referring to the building where he and other diplomats were staying.

On Tuesday, in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, the lawyer-turned-diplomat became the first American ambassador to die in the line of duty since 1988. Three other Americans were also killed in the assault by heavily armed attackers in violence that followed a street protest outside the American facility in eastern Libya.

Stevens’ friends and superiors, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Obama, said Wednesday that his rush to help evacuate others from the building was a reminder of his commitment to the country.

“He risked his life to stop a tyrant, and gave his life trying to build a better Libya,” Clinton said in an emotional appearance at the State Department. “The world needs more Chris Stevenses.”

Stevens grew up in the East Bay community of Piedmont, graduated from UC Berkeley in 1982 and UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco in 1989. His first service overseas was as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

He was the son of a lawyer, Jan Stevens, and a now-retired Marin Symphony cellist, Mary Commanday.

His stepfather, Robert Commanday, a former classical music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, when asked about his stepson’s musical pursuits, told a classical music website that Stevens “played saxophone, about at the Bill Clinton level, but marginally in public.” He also was a tennis player and a Lakers fan, passions that he tried to maintain in Libya.

After law school, Stevens worked for two years as an international trade attorney in Washington. But it didn’t satisfy him, and at the relatively late age of 31, he joined the foreign service.

Stevens revealed a bit of himself, and a bit of the diplomat’s art, in a video he prepared for the Libyans and displayed on the embassy’s Facebook page before he arrived in the country to take on the ambassador’s post.

The video, which shows Libyans exulting at their new liberty, has shots of Stevens as a young man, tramping through California mountains wearing a backward baseball cap, and celebrating with his family at his law school graduation.

He was also pictured in a more contemporary scene strolling through official Washington, posing in front of Congress and gazing at the statue in the Lincoln Memorial. “I look forward to watching Libya develop equally strong institutions of government,” he said.

When he was confirmed as ambassador in May, he said he considered it “an extraordinary honor.”

Fluent in French and Arabic, Stevens previously worked in a variety of Middle Eastern posts, including ones in Jerusalem; Cairo; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Washington.

Colleagues described him as friendly, casual and rarely rattled. He also was candid, a trait that won him fans among Arabs and a following among journalists who covered Middle East hot spots.

Stevens had a yearning to mingle with Arabs to get a street level view of events, and he sometimes chafed about the post-Sept. 11 security measures that sometimes prevented diplomats from reaching far into the hinterland. As political officer in Jerusalem, given the oft-touchy assignment of working with the Palestinian leadership, he tried to get out into the West Bank even when violence flared between Palestinians and Israelis.

Stevens relished contacts, even with some of the region’s unsavory personalities. In one of the U.S. diplomatic cables released by the WikiLeaks website, Stevens described Kadafi as “notoriously mercurial” but also, on occasion, “an engaging and charming interlocutor.”

The impression he made among Libyans was apparent on Wednesday.

“Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans,” read a poster carried by an admirer in Benghazi, a Twitter image showed. “Sorry, people of America, this is not the behavior of our Islam and prophet,” read another.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-stevens-20120913,0,6676761.story

Habib,
“More Sunnis are executed by Saudi Arabia each week.”
No, it can’t be true.

1. Only China has more executions/year than Iran
( see for example: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8194230/Iran-second-only-to-China-for-executions.html)

2. A very big % of all executions in Iran takes place in Sistan-Balochestan, which is a majority sunni region (the only except Kurdistan).

SOD> start by rejecting the extreme backwardness permeating islamic societies, denounce te infiltration of foreign jihadist in Syria then I will listen to your political options.

Until it happens, you’re just taking sides in a civil war and there’s no need to use humanitarian pretenses.

Islam, Muslims, Islamists! what the heck with you, all stone aged following religion goes back to the stone age.
Do you really believe that god gave Mohamed anything it is all imagination and man made, like any other religion.
wake up and live the moment, you are chasing something doesn’t exist.
if you drink, eat pork you are not gonna die but smoking like chain will make you die, ask your prophet, he may heard from God that smoking kills.
having Sex with too many women will give you AIDS in the 21st centruy so don’t do what your prophet did.
America is using your stupid brain to help Israel control the middle east for centuries to come.
the only dumb is you.
Hola Baby, Gracie.

129. Humanist

It can easily be true, note I didn’t mention mere executions, but “most executions of Sunnis” specifically.

130. Albo

Well said. In other news, the Free Salafist Army is already killing their friends:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/world/middleeast/killing-of-rebel-with-qaeda-links-opens-debate-on-syrian-opposition.html?_r=3&ref=middleeast

The pattern of US embassy attacks in Cairo and Benghazi and now in Yemen may indicate an Iranian and perhaps Assad agents involvement behind it as the objective of these attacks seem to be creating a replay of the 1980 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran. We all know that mullah Iran refers to the Arab Spring as an extension of its own so-called revolution. However, recent events have given the mullah a reality check that the case may not be so. What is better for the cause of the mullahs and Assad than creating a US embassy takeover like the Carter era saga in Tehran?

On the other hand, Sunnis worldwide must seriously consider that mullah Iran is the real enemy due to its continued repression of Sunnis in Iran as well as the Arab population of Ahwaz which is all but forgotten by everyone. The US is still guilty of allowing bigots and fanatics to go unpunished and it is time US lawmakers should start thinking of imposing some serious penalties on those who misuse the so-called freedom of speech so dear to the likes of Krauthammer.

Uzair,
Akbar S. Ahmad is wrong about being apologetic on behalf of the US. This is not the first time that Americans misbehaved badly in the name of free speech. The US government must do something about it other than just mere condemnation or invoking the mantra of free speech. The Muslims have the right to be angry at such behavior, and there are international laws and agreements that prohibit the instigation of hatred.

Visitor,
So for you, Ali Gomaa, the Great Mufti of Egypt, accusing the Copts on 9th September for the production of this film, was actually preparing the “cunning plan” to unfold?

Habib,
It’s like in Afghanistan: they are now competing in raising money through kidnappings and had to launch a hotline to gather information
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9528698/Epidemic-of-kidnappings-breaks-out-in-Syria.html

134 Mina,

If you’re referring to the mullah’s master plan, we all know it is there since Khomeini landed in Tehran in 1980. We do not need the Great Mufti to remind us of it.

But I did not say that the Copts are part of this plan. However, nine of those involved in the production of this hatred movie are Copts. Fortunately they are living in the US and not in Egypt. They should be subject to prosecution by the US. But, if they ever travel to Egypt then they will be arrested and tried accordingly. The reaction of the Egyptian Copts, on the other hand, was very admirable. In fact, they wre the first to condemn the bigots.

I agree that the US and the western world must legislate and prohibit incitement and hatred disguised under free speech. Free speech when you offend billion of people is not free speech. It is sinister and evil. Just like Europe prosecutesHolocaust deniers, people who incite hatred against Islam must be prosecuted, forced to pay money or imprisoned so people like Terry Jones and Islamophobe Copts and others think again.

That is of course not to say, that violent act in retaliation should be tolerated. There is no excuse for it whatsoever.

To those who are upset about the free speech issue and the insult to Islam, look at what Islam is doing in the wrold and stop wolfcry, you are exposed for centuries.
Hindus are being slaved in Pakistan, young hindus girls are being sold for sex and trafficing. Insulting religions is the job of Muslims, the only difference that others don’t react in barbiric way. Other relegions have tolerated Islam barberic work for centureis, christianity is too soft,weak and naive to defend itself, it may take again the Hindus to stop the islam in the west.

In Africa Islam causing more wars by the spread of the Wahabis money.
in the west, Radicals are infesting every society they allowed in.

Why today?! Damage control?!

Al Qaeda leader urges support for ousting Syria’s Assad – Thu Sep 13, 2012

(Reuters) – Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has called on all Muslims to back the rebels in Syria, saying the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad would bring them closer to the ultimate goal of defeating Israel, according to an audio recording posted on the Internet on Thursday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/us-alqaeda-zawahri-idUSBRE88C0KT20120913

USA increasingly unease with Egypt’s Morsi

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/world/middleeast/egypt-not-libya-may-be-bigger-challenge-for-white-house.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1
…
The president Obama found less reason to be pleased with Egypt, the second-largest recipient of American foreign aid after Israel, at $2 billion a year. Mr. Morsi issued only a mild rebuke of the rioters — and on Facebook — while his movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has called for a second day of protests against the lurid anti-Muslim video that set off the riots. And though the Egyptian police coordinated with American officials, Mr. Morsi waited 24 hours before issuing his statement against the militants who stormed the embassy; Libyan authorities issued immediate, unequivocal statements of regret for the bloodshed in Benghazi.
..
Mr. Morsi’s belated reaction came after other actions that have troubled American officials, from his decision to attend a meeting of nonaligned countries in Tehran to his choice of China for one of his first overseas trips. Mr. Obama has pledged to forgive $1 billion in Egyptian debt.
…
Martin S. Indyk, a former United States ambassador to Israel. “On the one hand, you didn’t have Americans getting killed, but this was the fourth time an embassy was assaulted in Cairo with the Egyptian police doing precious little,” Mr. Indyk said. “And where was President Morsi’s condemnation of this?”
…

“How does the president go to the Hill and say, ‘We need to forgive $1 billion in Egyptian debt?’ “ said Steven A. Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

#139 Ann

It is as if Ayman Al Zawahiri is on Bashar’s payroll

Ya keep bringing them to Syria where they will meet the promised virgins very soon.
I think every radical who dies in Syria should have an extra virgin in heaven! but I meant extra virgin oil.
Wahabi, radical destroying Syria at best, even the syrians don’t want them in Majority but they are taking over similar to other fascists arab spring country.
that doesn’t mean the regime of Bashar Alassad is democratic but it means we are replacing a dictorship with evil.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/us-alqaeda-zawahri-idUSBRE88C0KT20120913

Visitor & Tara (#133 &#136)

I can’t disagree with you.

Syria: Patriarch, Pope will call to stop arming belligerents

All peoples have right to demand reform, Maronite Patriarch Rai

13 September, 2012

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/lebanon/2012/09/13/Syria-Patriarch-Pope-call-stop-arming-belligerents_7469867.html

(ANSAmed) – BEIRUT, SEPTEMBER 13 – Pope Benedict XVI will call on the world to stop arming belligerents in the Syrian crisis when he visits Lebanon, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) quoted Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bishara Boutros al-Rai as saying on Thursday.

Speaking from the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, north of the capital, Rai said that “The pope will definitely call for an end to the spiral of violence and hatred, and for those who finance and arm both sides in the conflict to stop doing so”.

The patriarch spoke a day before the pontiff arrives in Lebanon for a three-day visit. His words on Syria and the fate of its Christian minorities are anxiously awaited in this country, which has been under Syrian military and political tutelage for 29 years.

Rai, who leads the largest Christian community in Lebanon, stated a week ago that Syrian Christians want stability, and do not support the regime of embattled President Bashar al-Assad per se.

[…]

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/lebanon/2012/09/13/Syria-Patriarch-Pope-call-stop-arming-belligerents_7469867.html

Mohammad Mursi’s Dangerous Gamble and the Withering of Democracy in Egypt?

by Joshua Tucker on September 13, 2012
http://themonkeycage.org/blog/2012/09/13/mohammad-mursis-dangerous-gamble-and-the-withering-of-democracy-in-egypt

…
Citizens are thus monitoring Mursi’s government with a careful eye. Will the Muslim Brotherhood act recklessly? What about the peace treaty with Israel? Will the Muslim Brotherhood upset the region’s chief patron, the US? What would then become of the economic and military assistance that the country vitally depends on? Worse, will Egypt risk alienation and sanctions if the Muslim Brotherhood disrupts the “stable” status quo in the region?[2]

The future course of Egyptian democratization will therefore be influenced by the perception of American reactions to current political developments. And these reactions will largely be shaped by levels of anti-Americanism. If anti-Americanism increases, I anticipate a tumultuous process of democratization, as increasing number of citizens will worry about alienating the United States and be tempted to seek “authoritarian” protections. If Mursi keeps flirting with anti-Americanism he won’t just lose the United States; he will lose Egyptians too.

137,

Islam is a one of the greatest civilizations of mankind. Your likes are not going to make a dent in this history or the great status of Islam. I assure you it will outlast all others.

I suggest you shove it or swallow it whichever way you prefer.

145,

then stop giving arguments to people like Luttwak in this widely quoted article:

“That brings us to the mistake that the rest of us make. We devote far too much attention to the middle east, a mostly stagnant region where almost nothing is created in science or the arts—excluding Israel, per capita patent production of countries in the middle east is one fifth that of sub-Saharan Africa. The people of the middle east (only about five per cent of the world’s population) are remarkably unproductive, with a high proportion not in the labour force at all. Not many of us would care to work if we were citizens of Abu Dhabi, with lots of oil money for very few citizens. But Saudi Arabia’s 27m inhabitants also live largely off the oil revenues that trickle down to them, leaving most of the work to foreign technicians and labourers: even with high oil prices, Saudi Arabia’s annual per capita income, at $14,000, is only about half that of oil-free Israel.

Saudi Arabia has a good excuse, for it was a land of oasis hand-farmers and Bedouin pastoralists who cannot be expected to become captains of industry in a mere 50 years. Much more striking is the oil parasitism of once much more accomplished Iran. It exports only 2.5m barrels a day as compared to Saudi Arabia’s 8m, yet oil still accounts for 80 per cent of Iran’s exports because its agriculture and industry have become so unproductive.

The middle east was once the world’s most advanced region, but these days its biggest industries are extravagant consumption and the venting of resentment. According to the UN’s 2004 Arab human development report, the region boasts the second lowest adult literacy rate in the world (after sub-Saharan Africa) at just 63 per cent. Its dependence on oil means that manufactured goods account for just 17 per cent of exports, compared to a global average of 78 per cent. Moreover, despite its oil wealth, the entire middle east generated under 4 per cent of global GDP in 2006—less than Germany.

Unless compelled by immediate danger, we should therefore focus on the old and new lands of creation in Europe and America, in India and east Asia—places where hard-working populations are looking ahead instead of dreaming of the past.”

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/themiddleofnowhere/

Jews like Luttwak must be laughing even harder at Arabs and Muslims massacring each others and calling for the implementation of ever more backward policies.

“Mr Obama has many questions to answer on how he allowed the embassy to be overrun.”

Who lost Libya? The US must now worry about losing Syria

Alan Philps
Sep 14, 2012
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/who-lost-libya-the-us-must-now-worry-about-losing-syria#page2
…..
What may stick in the mind of the voter is that Mr Stevens is the first US ambassador to be killed since the administration of Jimmy Carter, who was blindsided and humiliated by the Iranian revolution. And the message from TV is that Arabs’ brief honeymoon as members of the Facebook generation is over. Now they have reverted to the 1970s stereotype of people who fire wildly with Kalashnikovs. And that, in the popular imagination, is not a plus for America.
….
This is not to say that Mr Obama is free of guilt. It was reckless to leave the Benghazi consulate protected by half a dozen Libyan guards of dubious loyalty. Last month, the State Department warned US citizens to avoid Libya for all but essential travel, describing it as place of political violence and militia battles. Only the State Department appears to have failed to heed to its own advice.
…Mr Obama has many questions to answer on how he allowed the embassy to be overrun. But if the charge is that he blundered into regime change without knowing what to do next, then he is hardly alone: Mr Bush did the same in Iraq, and that was a long-planned war of choice.

Libya can sort itself out in time. The real issue is elsewhere: what if, in the course of a long civil war in Syria, the jihadist element in the opposition takes the ascendant and seizes power in Damascus? Then “Who lost Syria?” will be a real question, and the whole world will want to know the answer.

Yemeni protesters storm U.S. embassy in Sanaa: witnesses – 17 mins ago

http://news.yahoo.com/yemeni-protesters-storm-u-embassy-sanaa-witnesses-085414831.html

133. VISITOR said:
“The US government must do something about it other than just mere condemnation or invoking the mantra of free speech.”

Free speech in the US is not a mantra. It is the right of U.S. citizens guaranteed by the Constitution. It is about as sacred to many Americans as Mohammed is to many Muslims. Just as Muslims reject the notion that a crazy Muslim represents Islam, so Americans reject the notion that a crazy American represents the US. What’s so hard to understand about this?

Now, that President Morsi is demanding the departure of Syria’s war criminal “president,” Hizbillat and Hasan Nasrillat’s American apologists/translators are rejecting revolutionary Egypt. They seem to long for Mubarak’s years!
I like how President Morsi went to Tehran and told the ayatollahs what they did not want to hear. Yes, he lectured them on Syria and indirectly reminded them that they could not have any friendship with Egypt and the Arabs while they insult and curse Abu Bakr and Omar ibn-al-Khatab.

Free Syria, Free Palestine! Bahrain is Arab forever!

P.S., your anti-spam comment character is now assuming that we all know math. Those who claim that Bashar is not a war criminal and and a dictator may not realize that 2 plus 2 =4 🙂

visitor

“Islam is a one of the greatest civilizations of mankind.”

Yes, I agree, mostly due to the contributions of the Persians

“Model Democratic Yemen” just had 100,000+ demos against Saleh’s immunity and his role in the instability of the country, and a bomb attack against the defense minister that claimed 12 lives, but of course, that didn’t get to the frontpage. Now, the attack on the US embassy does. And in the next days, just wait for the huge demos in Pakistan etc. Remind me of the demos agains the Prophet’s cartoons while the real scandal on the frontpage of Western newspapers was torture at Abu Ghraib.
http://www.yementimes.com/en/1606/news/1380/BREAKING-Bombings-Outside-Cabinet-Leave-12-Dead-Defense-Minister-Unharmed.htm

149,

Who said we find it hard to understand?

But what makes so-called free speech sacred? it is not. It is just free speech. When it is abused it must be punished by law. What makes it so hard for you to understand.

Do you find it so hard to understand where your freedom ends?

Everyone knows the answer except you it seems!

If our leaders truely represented us there wouldn’t be such issues. For example Saudi could just cut of oil. The US wouldn’t give a damn about freedom of speech then.

Russia sees no role for U.N.’s Chapter VII on Syria – 2012-09-13

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/13/c_131849183.htm

MOSCOW, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) — Russia saw no reason for the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution on Syria based on a chapter of the U.N. Charter that allowed the use of force, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

“Some countries, which want to make external military interventions in Syria, are trying to foist a resolution with reference to Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, which stipulates enforcement measures against breaching countries,” Lavrov told a local magazine, Foreign Affairs, here.

“But we are dealing with an internal conflict and there is no reason to intervene in favor of one side. It is necessary to make all confronting sides in Syria stop fighting immediately and sit at the negotiating table,” Lavrov said.

He said the U.N. Security Council had already passed two resolutions on Syria, as well as a communique adopted by an action group in Geneva on June 30, which envisaged a Syrian-led transition.

“We proposed to approve the Geneva communique at the U.N. Security Council, but the U.S. has refused because it didn’t contain threats, one-sided assessments and sanctions against the (Syrian) regime. It contained a balanced approach aimed at stopping violence in Syria,” the diplomat said.

Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter allows the U.N. Security Council to use force in the face of a threat to peace or aggression, taking “such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security,” including blockades and other operations by the forces of member states.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/13/c_131849183.htm

A new dictatorship for Egypt?

Arabic News Digest
Sep 14, 2012

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/a-new-dictatorship-for-egypt

The five factors that are creating a new type of dictatorship in Egypt after the revolution

Egyptian media reports of President Mohammed Morsi’s activities have been replete with hypocrisy, a sign that the process of “manufacturing a dictator” is in full swing, Egyptian novelist Alaa Aswani wrote in an opinion piece in the Cairo-based Al Masry Al Youm.

The writer listed five main factors of the coming dictatorship.

First, the machine of dictatorship. Mr Morsi has inherited the entire system of the former president, Hosni Mubarak. This includes devices to torture, arrest and murder as well as a corrupt media built on allegiance to the regime and government bodies to sing the president’s praises.

After Mr Morsi took office news editors, regional governors and a minister of information, all indebted to the Muslim Brotherhood, were appointed. Now a new emergency law is being prepared to serve the new president. Reliable sources assert that senior officials at the state security service are ingratiating themselves with the Brotherhood leadership and apologising for their crimes under the Mubarak regime.

Second, human weakness. No matter how modest a man might be, power can lead him to accept even hypocritical applause, and deem every compliment true. Mr Morsi’s ordinary visit to China was portrayed in the media as a world-changing feat. And an unknown association granted him an international peace award.

Third, the secret group. “President Morsi belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, a secret organisation shrouded in mystery,” Aswani wrote. “We do not know the borderlines between the presidency and the Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau, nor those between the president and the Brotherhood leader.”

How many members are there in the Brotherhood? Do they have a military wing? Do they receive foreign funds? All these questions remain unanswered, the writer noted.

Fourth, religious legacy. “President Morsi is an Islamist, and so he evokes Islamic heritage in his speeches and views. This is understandable. But the problem is that the citizen-ruler relationship in the Islamic heritage involves two contradictory concepts.”

One concept is tantamount to democracy, and best exemplified in Caliphs Abu Bakr and Omar, who set an example of the ruler as an ordinary man at the service of citizens. But the other concept teaches people to obey even an unjust corrupt ruler.

Fifth, Stockholm syndrome. Egyptians who got along well under Mubarak still sympathise with him, but the eye-opener is that some who suffered still show sympathy. Recently however, some of them have turned towards Mr Morsi and justify all his actions, no matter what they are.

“The mission of the revolution now, in my eye,” the writer concluded, “is to prevent the creation of new a tyrant, so that we can build the democracy for which our martyrs

@145

Islamic civilization was great bc of the arab christians were involved in it! not because of the retards ideology. since the spread of Islam by sword and force world never had peace.
it is everywhere in the world there is a hot spot at the current time you find the unpeacefull religion involved.
OBL read Quran correctly and he is acting on killing everyone who is Kafir bc Islam should dominate the world.
you are more than retard if you still believe in the teaching of Quran, people in the 21st century, bypassed this ackward teaching and moved on into humanity and peace between all mankind.

beside, remember that there have been other great civilizations and all are gone now, stop crying over your past. in the real world the only thing you export is terrorism and retard ideology.
if Arabs didn’t have oil by luck, they would have been still eating manure off the sand.

156,

Islamic civilization was and is still great on its own. And it will remain so on its own.

It did not need any Christian element to achieve its greatness. In fact, Christians of the ME and elsewhere benefited and still benefit from Islam.

If you do not like that then go and do what I told you to do in 145. The only one who is retraded here is YOU.

——————————

Mrs Clinton condemns the hate movie,

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/09/13/237825.html

That is not enough Mrs. Clinton. Get your Congress and Senate to do something about a recurring issue. Comply with International Law and Agreements.

For those who didn’t live the Iranian revolution, some glimpses (and matter for parallels with the Arab Spring and its aftermaths) can be found in the first half of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis (the film that Tunisian TV banned right after the revolution last year). It is available on Youtube.

Prophet Film Aimed for Egyptian Disunity
12 September 2012

Abdel Bari Atwan

[…]

The film that some of those who watched it describe as weak and deliberately provocative, is a scheme to foment sedition by instigating sectarian conflict and spreading hatred among the sons of the same country, particularly at this critical juncture through which the Egyptian revolution is passing after succeeding in overthrowing the regime of corruption and dictatorship. The Egyptian people demonstrated a high degree of awareness regarding the motives of those who are behind this incitement, namely the desire to torpedo Egyptian national unity in the interest of the enemies of Egypt and, indeed, all Arab countries. That is why all the Egyptian churches and their spiritual leaders released statements condemning this suspect film which was produced by an Egyptian Coptic Christian, living in the US, and funded by Israeli businessmen. It is noteworthy that large numbers of Egyptian Copts stood alongside their Muslim brethren to demonstrate in front of the US Embassy yesterday to express their rejection of this vilification and those that stand behind it and to express their solidarity with their Muslim brethren.

[…]

http://www.abdelbariatwan.com/ProphetFilmAimedatEgyptianDisunity.htm

Hans AKA Erin

Why is the change in your name gender? I am curious..

I thought of changing my name too. Getting bored. I like new things but wil keep in the same gender.

Uzair @153
“If our leaders truely represented us there wouldn’t be such issues. For example Saudi could just cut off oil. The US wouldn’t give a damn about freedom of speech then.”

Conversely the US might stop giving a damn about International Law: the US aided by Britain and maybe even all of western Europe (and Israel, clandestinely) would promptly form another “coalition of the willing” and announce that the cutting off of oil amounted to an act of aggression, then go on to invade Saudi Arabia and put all the oil production facilities under an “International non-politicized non-aligned force for the security of the world economy”. It happened before: the US wanted to fight Japan in WW2, but did not want to be the one to declare war, so it cut off oil supplies and other industrial and natural resource exports to Japan and just waited. WHAM!…Pearl Harbor.

Now as to the attacks on the US consulate and the lynching of the poor ambassador and the other yanks, it’s probably been suggested by someone else here already (haven’t had time to read all the posts), but unfortunately we-Arabs- are really dumb! We (and the US admin.) just fell right into the trap set up by our old and dear friend Israel. You’ve heard about the Israeli/Amer. guy who made the film and how he got 5 million in donations to make it from other Zionists. The whole thing was planned from a to z, the timing of the release, the researched and possibly even the instigated reaction (not that our masses of dumb, ready-to-blow-their-top bunch of أغبياء idiots need any instigating) then agents were likely sent to pay those who would love to kill an American or two, show them the secret hiding location and just let them loose.

The Arabs and Muslims were set up, Obama was set up, and we delivered real big. The whole thing is mainly about embarrassing Obama and showing him to be weak and REALLY A CLOSET MUSLIM who is a wimp that won’t do anything even when American diplomats are lynched by fanatical Muslim mobs. And look how it’splaying out in the US now. And of course to show the world the nature of Muslims. Fell right into the trap.

People want to protest? Sure, by all means, but protest peacefully, find out who really is responsible and sue their ass. People want to fight, why don’t they go and attack Israel, because that’s what the film maker admitted he made the damn thing for: to make a political statement to defend his beloved country and the Zionist ideology.

Or as someone else said, they could go and get mad at Assad and his thugs who have been killing and maiming Muslims for 18 months, destroying mosques as well as churches and burning Qurans
and bibles and damaging irreplaceable cultural and religious heritage sites all over Syria…where was their rage?

معهد دراسات استراتيجية بريطاني يرجح بقاء الأسد في الحكم فترة طويلة

2012-09-13 06:08:31

قال خبراء المعهد الدولي للدراسات الاستراتيجية في لندن ان الرئيس السوري بشار الاسد سيظل في الحكم فترة طويلة رغم الضغط الخارجي والداخلي.
وأصدر المعهد في 13 ايلول/سبتمبر 2012 تقريره السنوي بعنوان “الابحاث الاستراتيجية 2012: تقرير سنوي عن العلاقات الدولية”. وتضمن التقرير ملحقا كاملا عن الوضع في سورية حيث تستعر حرب اهلية حمل عنوان “التدخل الخارجي لا يزال موضوع النقاش لكنه يبدوا مستبعدا”.
وقال اميل هوكايم أحد خبراء المعهد في عرض التقرير ان الكثيرين لا يعطون امكانية الرئيس بشار الاسد على الصمود حقها.
وأشار الى ان هروب رئيس الوزراء السوري واغتيال عدد من القادة العسكريين الرئيسيين القربين للنظام لم يكسرا عزيمة الاسد.
كما قال هوكايم انه في ضوء استمرار الاشتباكات المسلحة بين القوات الموالية للرئيس السوري والمعارضة في المدن السورية الكبيرة “لا مجال لحل الازمة في القريب العاجل
I hope the predictions are all wrong, I find it very hard to believe that Assad can stay president after all of that destruction, it is unlikely also that his opponents will stop making attempts on his life. for the sake of Syria,I hope that he resigns and let somebody else manage the mess he helped to create.

# 161

Irrelevant and illogical.

A-S-S-A-D

I Do not know this was a yet another Zionist conspiracy. Aside than that, I agree with your evaluation of us being a mass of dumbs ready to be herded and to adopt a cause, fighting shadows and not confronting the real enemies within us. It is so pathetic..

I still insist that our pathetic state of affair is related to our long standing oppression where we as masses have never learned free thinking, instead always always being herded by our governments, patents, teachers, preachers etc. a unique individual identities are what we miss.

“Do you find it so hard to understand where your freedom ends?”

Visitor, my freedom ends where American courts find it ends, under law. And not before. Too bad if it offends you.

Russia sees no role for U.N.’s Chapter VII on Syria – 2012-09-13
________________________________________________________________

Russians are smart and sticking to International law. Foreign backed invasion and occupation of another country is not how resolution of an internal conflict can be accomplished. Internal conflicts are not for the United Nations to resolve, it is for the people to do so. This beg the question, for all the media coverage, international support, hundredth of millions and weapon delivery, why all that failed to even force Assad to the conference table? The morons who plotted, failed miserably. NOW WHAT?

The FSA and the SNC accuse the international community for the presence of Al Qaeda groups within their ranks and ask for the official recognition of the FSA to ensure the exclusivity of weapons

Syrian rebels condemn attacks on US embassies

13/09/2012
By Caroline Akoum and Layal Abu Rihal
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=31059

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – Deputy Chief of Staff of the opposition Free Syrian Army [FSA], Colonel Aref Hamoud…
As for whether he fears the rise of Al Qaeda in Syria, the FSA Deputy Chief of Staff asserted that “anything is possible after the Syrian arena has become open due to the lack of action of the international community with regards to all the massacres that are being committed by the regime.” He added “there can be no doubt that it has become a fertile ground for various groups, including extremist Salafist groups.” Hamoud stressed that “so far, these groups are a minority and are not of the same level as the Al Qaeda organization, however if the international community continue to ignore the Syrian people’s cause, there can be no doubt that such groups will appear and spread [across Syria].”

He also said that the Syrian people’s belief that the international community has forgotten about them will push them towards religion, and therefore to groups that raise the banner of religion. Colonel Hamoud called on the international community to officially recognize the FSA and fund it to allow it to be the sole body authorized to carry weapons in Syria.

For his part, Syrian National Council member Samir Satouf confirmed that Al Qaeda is present on the ground in Syria, although under a variety of different names. He informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Bashar al-Assad had been funding these Al Qaeda affiliates – with the knowledge of the West – since before the revolution.

He said “the extremist Syrian groups that are present on the ground are no different than Al Qaeda; extremism is the brother of extremism. We have information that confirms that al-Assad funded the extremists who are cooperating with Al Qaeda, and that he previously and continues to provide them with arms, which are being smuggled into Syria under the protection of Syrian security.”

ان الاسلام افضل دين وإنما المسلمين اليوم لآحقر متدينين لعنكم الله يا واطين انكم مهزلة الشعوب

__________________________________________________________________

ياأهل العار والوطاوية والخذل ماعيب على المسلمين في ليبيا ومصر يقبضو قرش واحد من امريكا ليش ما السعودية تتكفل بكل حاجة المسلمين الملّحة على الأقل ان يقوم الحاكم الغير شرعي اليهودي ابن السعود يتبرع فقط البلغ اللذي نهبه من المسلمين الحجأج لمكّة على الأقلّ ليش يترك المسلمين بحاجة يشحدو ويتدينو بالفائضة المحرمة في الشريعة الاسلامية من بنوك اليهود والصهيونية والكافرين وغير المؤمنين مو هاذا حرام يامنحرفين اسلامييين ؟ العار عليكم وعلى امة الرسول محمد على هذه الوطاوية الحقيرة اللعنة عليكم اذا لايقوم هذا اليهودي اللذي يتحكم في الحرمين الشريفين في تكفل مساعدة كل مسلم والأمة الاسلامية كاملآ متكملآ يجب عليكم بأمر من النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلّم ان تجاهدو في الحرب لطرده من ديار الاسلام

#159 I still cannot understand what Abdel Bari Atwan makes of Al-Azhar’s Great Mufti statement about the film on the 9th September which basically called for lynching the Copts…

As for the FSA blaming everybody for the presence of al Qaeda, it seems their solution is that AQ stays in Iraq and Afghanistan solely, while Syrian borders should be sealed and protected?

165 said,

“Visitor, my freedom ends where American courts find it ends, under law. And not before. Too bad if it offends you.”

You can rest assured that your likes can never offend me.

————————–

168,

Because we do not like Antoun and those like him. Happily he was executed.
Ibn Saud, on the other hand, is great and we are happy with him.

In Germany you go to jail if you insult someone as “dirty Jew” and likewise in France you go to jail if you express “anti semitic” opinions or deny the holocaust.

In the US freedom of speech allows for distateful and hateful comments. The ACLU sued to allow the KKK to organize a march and a rally because they were exercising their freedom of expression.

Anyone is free to his/her opinion and is free to express those opinions.

In such situations, it would have been significantly better to point out the hate and the lies and to bring people together by actually showing excerpts of the life of many Muslims and Christians and Jews and Buddhists and Taosits and Hindus and even atheists that advocate peace and tolerance.

Alas there is something wrong with extremism these days and its propaganda machine including the Op-Ed by Liz Cheney today in the WSJ taking aim at the foreign policy of Obama by exploiting this tragedy.

Now let us get back to Syria:

Again watching Syrian TV and AL Manar and Press TV and RT and Addounia I do not see any significant news about the glorious achievements of the regime forces.

It is clear the regime has degenerated into a militia.
Juan Cole had a piece on the fact that the two sides are not yet capable of achieving total victory and the likelihood of a protracted conflict whereby only an exhaused protagonists will come to the table to compromise.

The problem is that any compromise on the side of the regime means its end unless some on this blog would disagree.

Dr. Landis if the regime is capable of compromise how and in which areas will be able to give way and where are its red lines.

How can you climb down from ASSAD or we BURN LBALD?

All of you remember that demonizing the other is the first step to its slaughter and oppression. All creeds religions and ideologies have done that with horrific consequences.

@VISITOR,

You can shove him and his unit up your butt, enjoy him, just leave him off Syria and let him give some honor and dignity to Moslems, after all he rob them once a year at hajj. For you visitor, how much do you charge for plane load of Lebanese whores to Riadh each trip?

FYI “Protests began on Tuesday”, that is, right after Ali Gomaa’s mention of the film.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/52777/Egypt/Politics-/UPDATE—injured-so-far-at-US-embassy-clashes-in-C.aspx

It would be funny if people were not dying:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/52815/Egypt/Politics-/We-can-read-Arabic-too-US-embassy-tells-Egypts-Bro.aspx

ميليشيا الجيش الحر وجهت إتهامات مباشرة للجهادي السعودي عبد المجيد بن راشد بن غازي الرشيدي بالعمالة لمصلحة النظام السوري، وحملته مسؤولية مقتل الملازم المنشق براء البوشي الذي كان يظهر على شاشات التلفزة بصفة إعلامي، وقد تناقلت تنسيقيات الثورة على مواقعها بيانا وصفته بالسري والخطير، ذكرت فيه “أنه وبعد المتابعة والتدقيق من قبل مكتب استخبارات الجيش السوري الحر في دمشق وريفها في شخص المدعو عبد المجيد بن راشد بن غازي الرشيدي ” ومعروف بالإسماء التالية أبو راشد ، أبو براء ” سعودي الجنسية والذي ادعى أنه أحد المجاهدني من اخواننا السعويين المسلمين الذين جاءوا لنصرة ثورة الحق والحرية في سوريا ،ووضع أمامنا العديد من الوثائق تحاول اثبات ذلك ومنها وثيقة باسم ” مؤسسة الاغائة والمساعدة السورية وأمين عامها حسبما ذكرت الوثيقة هو المدعو أسامة مارديني .
فإننا بعد التفحص و الملاحقة الكثيفة لكل اتصالاته وعلاقاته تبين لنا بصورة جليّة عمالته الخسيسة لنظام الأسد واختراقه لصفوف ضباط الجيش السوري الحر وبعض الناشطين المتحدثين باسم كتائبه، وما استشهاد الملازم المنشق والصحفي براء البوشي إلا بسبب مكالمات السكايب المطولة التي كان يجريها معه ليحدد مكانه ومواقع الثوار عبر تقنيات متطورة جداً وذات تكلفة باهظة تكفلت إيران وروسيا والنظام البائد به”..
foreign Jihadists: short term gain,long term pain
any future regime will have a lot of problems finding those thugs and throwing them out of Syria, the FSA (or the NSA) must get rid of them now before it is too late, people also should report those foreigners to the police even if they do not like the police.

Let’s have a little poll here.

Everyone who thinks the Benghazi attack was done by Salafists with NATO weapons, thumb up this comment.

Everyone who thinks it was done by Gadaffi’s ghost, worldwide Assadism or whatever, give it a thumb down!

167. zoo

Ok, let’s get this straight… The West is responsible for al Qaeda swarming into Syria because they have not attacked the country…

Yet Libya is swarming with al Qaeda even after (or because) the West helped them…

What am I missing?

Seems like the combined IQ of FSA’s members could get them into MENSA!

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/09/islamists-drag-dead-body-of-us-ambassador-in-the-streets/

How differently is this news circulated (by the Western media) as compared to when exactly the same thing was done to Gaddafi’s body a few months ago…

The irony is that, under Gaddafi’s Libya, this horrific act would never have been committed or allowed to take place. This is the new and “liberated” Libya, one that the US and its Allies murdered for! You REAP what you SOW and NATO and its Allies, have done nothing but sow DEATH and DESTRUCTION!

Habib

Not trying to be mean here, but please if you did not yet pay attention that SNP/Aldendeshe manipulates the the thumb system, I would like for you to see a doctor.

178. Tara

So what are you trying to say? That if the Gadaffi-supporter theory doesn’t get votes, it’s because someone manipulated the thumbs, not because the theory is incorrect?

Loool! You should simply had given the comment a thumb down instead if that’s what you really believed.

@Dendesh,

He is always welcome in Syria and with the highest honors.

Eat your heart out.

Muslims are not your concern.

So butt out.

Habib

I do not usually hide what I want to say.

Was not trying to say anything except that SNP has figured a way to manipulate the thumb system. So do not ask for a vote. Haven’t you seen the outrageous unreal thumb ups he gets. Just look at the pattern.

181. Tara

Well, I really didn’t expect anyone to give it a thumb down (the alternative theory is too ridiculous), so it doesn’t really matter.

for the sake of Syria,I hope that he resigns and let somebody else manage the mess he helped to create.

_________________________________________________________________

@GHUFRAN
Do you want to roll your sleeves and go do it? I don’t think so, let him clean up his own Kaka, and his daddy ones as well.

@TARA.
Jewish girl working full time, day and night on this blog for a year, don’t you ever get paid vacation? Yeah I guess you can call it manipulation when 200+ Snpier’s comes here just to click green for me. But the site owner knows my IP and can see that it is not all on my end as they probably coming from various countries. Sorry to say because of people like you on this blog, many prefer to stay away, somehow they find people like you repulsive and depressing. I do get very saddned and depressed coming here, the ignorance and deception is appauling.

Yes, please do let’s get back to the Syrian situation. If may be pardoned for re-posting a comment I wrote in the last post, just before the server seized up. That one was addressed to Ghufran, but now it speaks to all of us/you here:

What should the Syrian people do? What is the suggested plan of action out of this madness? Is the regime a dictatorship run by a bunch of thugs? Or is it a benevolent tyranny? If the former then you surely have to admit that they never ever acted in good faith and never ever wished for the Annan plan to succeed and never extended a single minute act towards that end. And as Observer said: how can they climb down from “Assad or we burn l-balad”? But if the latter, why the harsh, over-the-top reaction? Where is the benevolence?

What do you want the people who have had enough of this present dictatorship to do, given its repressive response to their peaceful efforts? Where is GHIATH MATAR and the many many others who were (and still are) arrested, tortured and killed though they never lifted so much as a stick against anybody?

Let’s say we tell the extremist jihadis to bugger off out of Syria. Does that mean all religious and sectarian sentiments will immediately go out the window and we’re left with pure political and economic considerations? Will the regime learn some manners and decide to let go?

As you can imagine I HATE, I ABHOR religion, but I can’t force all Syrians to become atheists, nor do I expect them to. I want this uprising to be totally about rights, devoid of all religious links and influences, but as Maysaloon wrote, the regime WANTED it, FORCED it to become sectarian and extremist because that’s the only way it can fight it, by rallying the fears of Alawis and other minorities, who btw in a flash have become the recipients of its violence when they spoke out against it or stood in its way.

This blog is an excellent place to discuss solutions to the problem, OUR PROBLEM, but we have to agree on what the problem is first. Yes, the jihadis are one recent problem, but before that, was there no problem (back to the first question!!!)? This reminds me of something Haytham Mannaa said: “once the fighting starts (and the regime prefers a fight, because that’s where it has any chance of resisting maybe even winning) then all efforts would be directed towards stopping the violence, helping the devastated and homeless, and the whole original purpose of the uprising gets jettisoned and lost somewhere along the way”. I think he was right there. But to be fair, even if people could have controlled themselves, I think the regime would have invented an armed opposition and would never have given up on provoking the people to take up arms against it. You see, that way it can argue “why should we go if the MB and other extremists are going to stay and possibly take over later? If we go then they must go, too” This in effect translates to “since they won’t go, we won’t either!” = Eternal stalemate while the destruction and killing continue.

People, I’m sure I’m not the only one here sickened by the violence, the loss of life and wanton destruction of a whole country. So let’s all use this blog to find common ground and not to sow further divisions and find points of divergence. The biggest hurdle before us is this: WE MUST AGREE ON WHAT THE PROBLEM IS first. Unless we do that it’s just a place to exchange accusations and insults.

A Fight Between Islamists and Salafists ( Cold war between Qatar vs Saudi Arabia?)

Piercing the Fog of Revolution

By David Ignatius – September 13, 2012

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/09/13/piercing_the_fog_of_revolution_115422.html

….
An analyst who was in the midst of that crowd Tuesday told me he thinks the Salafist demonstrators were using the pretext of a supposedly anti-Islamic American film to send two messages: the first was obviously anti-Americanism, which is potent in today’s Egypt; the second and more interesting message was a challenge by the Salafists to their rivals in the Muslim Brotherhood government of President Mohamed Morsi.
…..
The Salafists’ assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi at first appeared to be a “copycat” attack like the one in Cairo, but U.S. officials said it may have been planned by extremists linked to al-Qaeda. They were augmented by a well-armed Islamic militia. Their anger, again, is mixed between a baseline anti-Americanism (sadly, always a draw in the region) and a challenge to Prime Minister Abdurrahim el-Keib and the secularist parties that are the backbone of the new Libyan government.
…

NATO’s tireless bongo-player ANN seems unable to sort through and process reports from Benghazi; she repeatedly forks up citations of claims that the US Ambassador was dragged half-dead through the streets at the hands of a NATO terrorist Libyan Islamist mob.

ANN, please examine all the reports that confuse you. Please make an honest attempt to sort out the BS and the propaganda and deranged rumour. Try to construct a story that comforms with best evidence. Learn from your peers here how to examine conflicting stories for truth.

We do not know your motives, ANN, only the simple politics that seem to drive your actions here. The relentless demonizing of all actors against autocracy as terrorist Islamicists worthy only of death — this adds no intelligence to the mix. It only tells us that you see a hysterical cartoon world of Good and Evil. I tells us that a bad marriage was made between anti-Western hate and dread/repulsion felt toward Muslims.

It seems, most awfully, that you relish the deaths of Syrian soldiers who have abandoned the Syrian regime forces and act under the banner of the SNA or FSA. You show only contempt for the martyrs, the detained, the tortured, the bereft, the exiles, the suborned. No shades of innocence, no spark of humanity in those slaughtered by the SAA.

I do not see humane impulses behind your posts, ANN. A heartlessness in your occasional comments deepens as the crisis grows. Where you really stand in your heart is unknown, what you care for, who you care for, signs of your heart’s connection are absent, except for signs of excitement over violence and extremist incitement, except for your relish at destruction of opponents of the House of Assad, except for your expressed joy when the dictatorship crushes the life out of its dissidents.

What so excites you about all this, ANN? What makes you add ‘smiley’ symbols to your posts celebrating mayhem? What makes you repost all the feverish canards about the death of the Ambassador?

I know that we will not hear honest answers to such questions, ANN.

So here is more fun for you.

You can run this Tayyar.org rumour-mongering crap through Google Translate and get a real thrill, ANN. It says that the Ambassador was RAPED before being tortured to death by your savage boogeymen. The horror, ANN! The smileys! The breathless shoddy reportage!

http://www.tayyar.org/Tayyar/News/PoliticalNews/ar-LB/usa-killed-lybia-zek-970.htm

“Arab Spring’ countries should fight islamists terrorists on their land or the US must do it for them.

No time for U.S. passivity
By Peter Brookes
Thursday, September 13, 2012
http://bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1061159978
….
To Cairo and Tripoli, both in the formative stages of forming permanent governments, the warning (from the attackers) is twofold: Don’t get too close to Washington, and don’t think of veering too far from the Islamist hard line.
….
We’re going to have to take a good look at our relationships with these states. As host nations, Cairo and Tripoli are required by international treaty to protect diplomatic personnel and installations resident in their countries.

The first test will be whether Egypt and Tripoli come out with strong, unequivocal statements condemning the violence against our diplomatic facilities and Americans — and committing themselves to preventing further violence against U.S. interests.

The next test will be whether — and how quickly — Egypt and Libya move to apprehend the criminals and or terrorists responsible for these acts and hold them accountable for their heinous actions.

If they aren’t willing to bring the attackers to justice, we should be willing to do so to serve as a lesson to them and others. These outrageous acts can’t stand.

Setting the ongoing tragedy in Syria aside, the fact is the Arab Spring is far from settled, more trouble is likely from radicals and terrorists and we — both at home and abroad — may be the target. Now is no time for complacency about our security.
…

Habib,

Are those “students” protesting outside the Swiss embassy in Tehran “Salafists with NATO weapons” too?

I’m afraid certain regimes, and former regimes too, have big interests in fueling this chaos and provocate a new conflict between the so called “islamic world” and the West.

It’s certainly not the first time…

You should know salafists aren’t the only agressive and intolerant islamists in this world. Their biggest opponents (i.e. some Shia Mullahs) aren’t much better.

How to send Egypt a message
The Morsi government is encouraging anti-U.S. unrest; the Obama administration must now send a clear signal back

By David Schenker AND Eric Trager / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

In Egypt and the U.S., the attack is widely being attributed to an obscure anti-Islamic movie. But in fact, Al Gamaa Al Islamiyya, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, announced weeks ago that it would protest in front of the U.S. Embassy on 9/11 to demand the release of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind cleric mastermind of the first World Trade Center Bombing in 1993.
….
But the attack on the Embassy went beyond the pale. For starters, it was preventable. A terrorist organization’s calls for protests outside the Embassy should have prompted the deployment of additional Egyptian security forces. Morsi’s abdication of responsibility and the Muslim Brotherhood’s defense of the assault should be the last straw.

Washington should present President Morsi with a choice: Either abide by international norms or preside over an Egypt increasingly threatened by economic collapse. At present, Egypt’s economy is tanking as instability and violence continue to scare away both tourists and investors.
..
To forestall a crisis, Washington committed to forgive that $1 billion in debt, and it has ardently supported a pending $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund loan. And just this week, the Embassy in Cairo sponsored a delegation of American businessmen in Cairo to encourage U.S. investment in an Egypt that was “open for business.”

All of this should be put on hold. Washington can tolerate a lot, but it cannot invest in an Egypt that refuses at a minimum to secure American diplomats. So long as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Morsi Administration insist on encouraging Salafists and soccer hooligans to target U.S. interests, the U.S. can and should impose costs for this choice.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/send-egypt-a-message-article-1.1157828?pgno=1#ixzz26Nf2i0M8

Libya: Washington reaps what it sowed

Aleksei K. Pushkov, the head of Russia’s parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote via Twitter: “Under Qaddafi they didn’t kill diplomats. Obama and Clinton are in shock? What did they expect – ‘Democracy?’ Even bigger surprises await them in Syria.”

Yevgeny Y. Satanovsky, president of the Institute of the Middle East in Moscow, said American leaders should not expect “one word of sympathy” from their Russian counterparts.

“It is a tragedy to the family of the poor ambassador, but his blood is on the hands of Hillary Clinton personally and Barack Obama personally,” Mr. Satanovsky said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlz3-OzcExI
http://tipggita32.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/libya-washington-reaps-what-it-sowed/

A Libyan politician on Press Tv states that the Ambassador was a muslim.

Zoo,
The “Gamaa Al Islamiyya” has been officially appointed by the Egyptian government to lead negotiations with the extremist groups in Sinai. It is now a respectable member of the political crew leading the country!
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/52021/Egypt/0/Egypts-Operation-Eagle-Sinai-campaign-draws-mixed-.aspx
(” Regarding ongoing dialogue with Sinai-based jihadist groups, launched two weeks ago as the operation’s ‘political arm,’ Nizar Ghorab, former MP for the Gamaa Al-Islamiya’s Construction and Development Party – who is currently spearheading the dialogue campaign – said that a series of meetings were taking place with jihadist and Islamist groups in the area.

Ghorab told Ahram Online that the first meeting, aimed at pre-empting an unnecessarily heavy-handed security response, took place last week. “This is why we quickly launched talks with the leaders of these movements – to prevent them from entering into a confrontation with state agencies,” he explained.

Ghorab added: “We spent time in prison with these men under the former regime, and thus we appreciate each other. This allows us to maintain dialogue with them, and we reiterate that these groups – including those that have taken up arms – no longer need to do this under the new regime, which we support.” (…)
The links between Hamas and the MB are well-known, and the role of al-Jazeera in creating the mayhem that led to the release of a bunch of MB jailed guys last year is also easy to document. Are we finally going to read something consistent about the “Arab Spring”?

186. William Scott Scherk

“NATO’s tireless bongo-player, ANN”

The problem with Ann, William, is she was once in love with a man beneath her station. She comes from a wealthy family. He father invented the limpet mine. Anyway, she fell in love with a simple soldier of the ranks and he used her and then dumped her for a Gypsy barmaid. After her brothers killed the girl, Ann went into hiding in a cave for forty days and forty nights. After she emerged, covered with soot and bat droppings, she vowed never again to touch a man. And to this day she has remained a bitter, hate-filled recluse.

I hope this helps.

Why didn’t Syria and Isreal make peace while Sharon was in power?

Well, for one, Sharon and Muallem would have struggled to embrace on sealing any deal. [Assad rarely makes an appearance so Muallem would be sent.]
Btw they do look remarkably similar.

Mr Muallem. He doesn’t do many press conferences anymore. I guess they’ve suspended them since the last one at which Mr Muallem shifted a little to his left and the whole room tilted.

http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/5cols/leading_images/Syria_Muallem_pic_1.jpg

Syria’s membership of a dwindling number of organisations means Mr Muallem rarely gets leave his underground bunker. Then NAM came along and just see the excitement:

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/00Qy4uX2pqdBm/766×575.jpg?fit=scale&background=000000

Little did he know His Excellency President Morsi would chase the smile away.

At this point, if I had a picture of Assad and Muallem standing together I’d make C3PO & R2D2 joke.

from the Guardian:

Police in California are keeping a protective watch over the makers of the anti-Islamic video who fear for their safety amid surging violence across the Arab world.
Sheriff’s deputies were sent to the home of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula in Cerritos, just outside Los Angeles, on Wednesday night because he feared retaliation after being identified as the producer of the Innocence of Muslims. Members of the FBI joint terrorism task force also visited his home amid growing evidence that Nakoula, 55, a Coptic Christian, was Sam Bacile, the pseudonym of the blasphemous video’s director and writer.
Police also visited a production company called Media for Christ, a Christian non-profit in Duarte, California, after it was identified as the one which obtained a film permit for the shoot.

comment: the easiest way to start a riot in the Middle East is to attack religious symbols, people who made the movie knew this very well. John Kerry was grilled for suggesting that poor and uneducated people cling to their religion and guns,he was right.
I am not sure if the DOJ will try to find a legal hole to prosecute the producers of that movie,I doubt that despite the pressure on Washington, freedom of speech does not have the same meaning in the US and the Middle East, things will change when Arabs become free to speak out,then a riot after a movie will be less likely.

I like this image

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=493288094033677&set=a.201716413190848.57037.201686009860555&type=1&theater

Was it on the 4th that a senior regime commander claimed the military would clear Aleppo of insurgents within 10 days. It’s 14th tomorrow. An hour-ans-a-half till midnight here.

Anyway. How many weeks has it been since rebels took control of some neighbourhoods of Aleppo? Who’d have thought they would hold on. Them Tawheed Brigade fighters are one tough bunch.

أشارت صحيفة “ديلي تليغراف” بعنوان “مسيحيو سوريا يحملون السلاح لاول مرة”، الى أنّ “مسيحيي حلب حملوا السلاح وكونوا “ميليشياتهم” لاول مرة منذ اندلاع الانتفاضة ضد نظام الاسد، لافتةً الى أنّ المسيحيين في سوريا حاولوا تجنب الانحياز لاي طرف من اطراف النزاع في البلاد.
وفي حلب استخدم المسيحيون فتيانا من حركة الكشافة لحماية الكنائس، ولكن مع انتقال الحرب إلى حلب وضواحيها بدأ المسيحيون في قبول الاسلحة من الجيش السوري الحكومي ووحدوا جهودهم مع الجماعات الارمنية في محاولة لدحر جماعات المعارضة المسلحة”.
ولفتت الصحيفة الى أنه “في الاسابيع الستة الاخيرة قاتل نحو 150 من المقاتلين المسيحيين والارمن للحيلولة دون دخول جنود الجيش السوري الحر الى المناطق المسيحية في حلب، ومع اشتداد القتال في حلب، اصبحت الجماعات الجهادية تلعب دورا بارزا في القتال في المدينة”.
I think we can all agree that this is an ominous sign.

Ironically, the Egyptian MB deception game (taqia) is now being played against the U.S. itself.

U.S. Embassy calls out Muslim Brotherhood for conflicting tweets

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/u-embassy-calls-muslim-brotherhood-conflicting-tweets-190521793.html

196. Juergen

Wow. MashaAllah. That is a…top, top picture. I was speechless when I got it.

Sunni Jihadists after Shiite hostages.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/syria-rebel-sunni-jihadists-after-shiite-hostages/article/feed/2030178
..
The rebel leader behind the kidnappings, Ammar al-Dadikhli, is a burly former cross-border trader who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Ibrahim. His 1,200-strong Northern Storm Brigade controls the vital crossing from Syria’s Aleppo province into neighboring Turkey, and in May he ordered the seizure of the Lebanese Shiites, who had been on a bus tour of religious sites in the area, on the grounds they belonged to Hezbollah.

He said the kidnappings were aimed at persuading Hezbollah, a strident backer of President Bashar Assad, to reconsider its commitment to the Syrian regime. Instead it set off a string of revenge kidnappings by Shiite clansmen inside Lebanon, with two Turks and some 20 Syrians being snatched by gunmen. All but four of the Syrians have since been released, with the last Turk freed Thursday night.

The stakes are high. If anything were to happen to the Lebanese hostages, who by all accounts have been well treated, it would ignite Shiite rage and set fire to Lebanon’s already delicate sectarian balance.

On Aug. 24, Abu Ibrahim moved to defuse the situation by releasing one of the hostages, 60-year-old Hussein Omar, to the Turkish authorities.

“After (Omar’s) release, the Northern Storm brigade began to receive threats from Sunni extremist groups in Lebanon, Iraq and some in Syria,” Abu Ibrahim told The Associated Press in an interview at a customs house in this Syrian border town.

“They told us, the hostages are members of Hezbollah and should be killed.”
…..
Abu Ibrahim said he fears his men will be attacked by Sunni extremists if he releases the Lebanese Shiites and that the hostages will also be targeted.

“We would like to make a deal and turn them over to one of the great powers, like the United States, to protect ourselves and them, so those extremists won’t harm them,” he said. “If they are handed back to Lebanon, they will be targeted, but if they are given to a big country, it will be like an international deal.”
….

In contrast to its normally aggressive response to most provocations, however, Hezbollah, which is also deeply involved in Lebanon’s tortuous politics, has tried to downplay the Syrian hostage-taking.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah appealed for calm in the wake of the 11 men’s capture and uncharacteristically deferred to the Lebanese government to handle negotiations for their release. He also denied any involvement in the retaliatory kidnappings by Shiite clans.

According to Abu Ibrahim, however, extremist Sunni groups appear to be going in the opposite direction.
..

US accuses the Iranian Hezb of participating in killing Syrians on the side of the criminal regime,

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/09/13/237855.html

202. VISITOR

As long as they kill criminal Salafists, the world will be a better place.

203,

You got that wrong.

The hezb hostages must be tried and then executed because they are obviously criminals.

There is no problem with so-called salafists and they definitely are not crminals.

If there are so-called salafists they are on the side of the Syrian people and are helping in eliminating the criminal thugs of the regime and the undesireable Iranians. And that is what we Syrians want.

The Benghazi raid could have been done by loyalists of the old regime.

It’s not like it’s hard to get Al-Qaeda blamed for everything!

If the ambassador was given “the full Qaddafi” by his assailants, that would seem to me to indicate a deliberate act of revenge on the part of Qaddafi followers. AQ might have beheaded the man instead.

Silentio and Shark

Are you a pair of misogynists or just acting like dumb schoolboys?

205 ROLAND,

You made a very logical comment and that agress with my earlier speculations about involvement of mullah and assad agants.

Qaddafi was allied with mullah Iran and Assad regime. It is very likely that agents of these rogue regimes were operating with the assailants.

The mullah/Assad mark is very clear as the pattern of emabssy attacks aims to replay the 1980 US embassy takeover in Tehran.

the objective is to portray the Arab Spring as an extension of their so-called revolution after Mr. Morsi dropped his bomb in Tehran.

The world will not know peace until the mullahs are destroyed and with them the Assad thugs. They are Evil-Incarnate Inc.

Roland

Iran and all Shias in the middle east region hated Qaddafi more than any country in the world did, because he kidnapped and killed Imam Mousa Sadr, one of the most intelligent and charismatic Shia leader the region ever saw.
He is the one who woke up the Shia in Lebanon and in Iraq to take their destiny in their hands after centuries of persecution and domination by the ruling Sunnis.
He was respected both by the Sunnis and the Shias because he was a moderate leader preaching justice and harmony between the sects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_al-Sadr

Accusing Iran to have been an ally of Qaddafi is ignorant and vicious.

The spin started by the retards puppets.SPINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
It is likely christians in Sweden that did it, Hindus upset over U.S. wheat price increases, Ugandan,lost mobile network deal, but most likely the finger for this crime can be pointed toward the Bulgarian Gypsies. Never one puppy can admit:

IT IS SAUDI DOLLAR BEGGING OBAMA MIDDLE EAST POLICY AND THE DIMMMMM WITTED ZIONIST IDIOTS THAT PLOTTED FOR ISLAM TO TAKE OVER THE MIDDLE EAST SO THAT BOON DOG STATELET ISRAEHELL RULE SUPREME.

YOU MUST BE WORKING FOR GEORGIA STATE MINIMUM WAGE. IT WOULD BE A WASTE OF MONEY TO PAY YOU ANY HIGHER.

Internal pressure is growing on Erdogan to change its policy on Syrian.

Turks against Syria intervention
SEMİH İDİZ
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turks-against-syria-intervention.aspx?pageID=449&nID=30086&NewsCatID=416

Making matters worse for the government is that criticism of its Syria policy has started to come from quarters that are considered to be close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). One example is Fehmi Koru, a prominent journalist and commentator on the “Islamist” side of the media fence, who is known to have close ties with members of the government.

Even Koru felt the need to warn the government recently, in his column in daily Star, that it should not insist on continuing with a Syria policy that is increasingly seen by the public as having been too hastily put together without sufficient prior thought.
…
The bottom line is that Ankara should have learned by now that it has much less leeway in Syria, or the Middle East in general, in terms of influencing developments than it may have initially thought, and it’s time for it to align its policies with this hard fact.

All countries where there was an attack on the US embassy apologized, except.. Egypt.

John 5:42-43

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Watch all 11 videos

more:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/film-protests-arrests-idUSL5E8KDMEQ20120913?type=marketsNews

UPDATE 1-Libya arrests 4 over deadly Benghazi attack  

(Reuters) – Libyan authorities have made four arrests in the investigation into the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in which the U.S. ambassador and three embassy staff were killed, the deputy interior minister said on Thursday.

“Four men are in custody and we are interrogating them because they are suspected of helping instigate the events at the U.S. consulate,” Wanis Sharif told Reuters.

He gave no more details.

U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans died after the gunmen attacked the U.S. consulate and a safe house refuge in the eastern city of Benghazi on Tuesday night. The attackers were part of a mob blaming America for a film they said insulted the Prophet Mohammad.
(…)

Is Hassan getting jealous?  No acknowledgment from Angelina.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9538647/Angelina-Jolie-hails-Lebanons-generosity-to-Syrian-refugees.html

Angelina Jolie hails Lebanon’s ‘generosity’ to Syrian refugees
Hollywood actress and UN refugee agency special envoy Angelina Jolie has met Syrian refugees in Lebanon where she praised the country for its generosity.

On a visit to Lebanon on Wednesday, Angelina Jolie met refugees who had escaped the conflict in neighbouring Syria before being introducted to Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
“I’m so grateful on [the refugees’] behalf to the Lebanese people and to Lebanon for allowing them safety,” she said.
“I know the Lebanese people themselves are dealing with their own problems with their own economy and it’s all the more meaningful that they are so generous and so kind and I hope the world acknowledges that,” Jolie added.

Habib,

“Tsk, half have been killed by your Salafist friends, so right back at ya.”

According to whom? You? Because according to every credible source that is documenting the atrocities those deaths and murders have been caused by your “secular” government.

“Of course I’d prefer a democracy over both, but that ain’t gonna happen now with this dirty “opposition”

Why your “clean” government would allow it? Why did they kill Giyath Mattar, why do they have Tal Melouhi in jail, why did they smash Ali Ferzat’s hands, why did they attack Malek Jandali’s parents, why are children being systematically raped and killed by your sick regime?

I am going to guess that a sick genocide enthusiast and rape denier such as yourself has no answer to any of these questions, until you do please don’t bother replying me for you are not worth the time nor the trouble.

Albo,

“start by rejecting the extreme backwardness permeating islamic societies, denounce te infiltration of foreign jihadist in Syria then I will listen to your political options.”

First I never went after your opinion nor do I care for it. That is why before now I never engaged you in a debate or in a conversation.

Second please show me one post by me where I support religious extremism of any kind or even promoted the use of arms, then I’ll bother replying to your unfounded theories regarding me…

The not so I innocent movie had one prime target: Egypt.
This is from the time:
The film was screened in Hollywood early this year but made no waves whatsoever. Bacile then posted a 14-min. series of clips on YouTube in July; that too got no traction. But it caught the attention of Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-American Copt in Washington, D.C., known for incendiary anti-Muslim statements and blog posts. In early September, Sadek stitched together clips of the film and posted them on an Arabic-language blog. He also sent a link to the post in a mass e-mail. In the meantime, the film had attracted a singularly unattractive fan: Terry Jones, pastor of a church in Gainesville, Fla., who is notorious for burning the Koran and performing other Islamophobic stunts. He promoted the film online and added fuel to the flames by posting his own YouTube video, calling for the “trial” of the Prophet, for fraud and other supposed crimes. Jones’ video features an effigy wearing a demon mask and hanging from a noose.

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/09/13/the-agents-of-outrage/#ixzz26Oidgd35

The man behind the hate movie who was referred to as Sam Bacille is in fact Steven Klein from Riverside California. He is not a Jew. He is a Christian fanatic and in fact works in real estate. He might be an American of Egyptian Coptic origin. Most likely Klein is the same Maurice Saqiq who immigrated to the US in 1969.

218 VAT

“He is not a Jew.”

No one said he was a Jew.

From the Daily Telegraph
( will get English text later):
مقاتل أرمني، يُدعى جورج،: «إن مقاتلي الجيش السوري الحر كانوا يختبئون في ساحة
فرحات بحيّ الجديدة، وقامت الميليشيات المسيحية باقتحامها وتطهيرها لأنهم كانوا يهددون الكنائس، من ثم انضمت إليها القوات الحكومية وأعلنت لاحقاً دحرهم على شاشة التلفزيون الحكومي».
وأضاف جورج «الجميع يقاتل بعضهم بعضاً، ومن ضمنهم الأرمن، لاعتقادهم بأن مضطهديهم الأتراك أرسلوا الجيش السوري الحر لمهاجمتهم، كما أن المسيحيين يريدون الدفاع عن أحيائهم، والقوات الحكومية تحارب الجيش السوري الحر، وأصبح لحزب العمال الكردستاني ميليشيا خاصة به أيضاً». وقالت الصحيفة إن معركة حلب أصبحت مريرة بعدما صار دور الجماعات الجهادية المسلحة أكثر وضوحاً من أيّ مدينة سورية أخرى، ما جعل الأقليات في حلب تخشى من مواجهة المصير نفسه الذي عانى منه المسيحيون في العراق جرّاء العنف الطائفي الذي اجتاحه بعد الغزو عام 2003. ونقلت الصحيفة عن رجل دين مسيحي سابق، سمّى نفسه جون ويعيش في بيروت الآن بعد أن غادر حلب، قوله إن «الأثرياء والأقليات في حلب، على النقيض من التقارير، ليسوا كلهم مؤيدين للنظام، لكنهم شعروا بأنهم اضطروا إلى حماية أنفسهم من مهاجرين فلاحين يستخدمون الحرب لتدمير قلب المدينة المتطورة». وقال جون «أنا لا أدعم الحكومة، غير أن الجيش السوري الحر هو حفنة من البلطجية واللصوص، وشاهدت مقاتليه وهم يسرقون مصانع النسيج، ويأخذون كل محتوياتها، مثل الغاز والمواد، وحتى آلات الخرز».

Daily Telegraph article on Aleppo:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9539244/Syria-Christians-take-up-arms-for-first-time.html

There is nothing worse than the misinformation provided by the Zoo except of course Spam Ann.

His latest production is comment 208.

Mousa Sadr was in fact an enemy of the Khomeinists. Anyone slightly familiar with inter-Shia rivalry would recognize immediately that Khomeini had a stake in the disappearance of Sadr.

It becomes clear that Qaddafi was working on behalf of Khomeini if Qaddafi was in fact behind Sadr disappearance.

Relations between Qaddafi, Khomeini Iran and criminal Assad were excellent until Qaddafi ended up in the sewer. In fact Bashar sent him a ship loaded with weapons during the Libyan Revolution. The mullahs also tried their best to suply him with mercenaries and other logistics. Hopefully, Bashar, Kahmenei and the rest will soon be flushed to the same sewer.

Syrians helping Syrians:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/world/middleeast/syrians-join-relief-efforts-for-countrymen-in-jordan.html?ref=middleeast

#222 Visitor

So Sadr disappeared in Libya in 1978. Khomeini was still in France. Hizballah did not exist. Syria had no strong ties Iran, as it was run by the Shah. Iran had no influence in Lebanon (or Syria).

The Iran revolution, which consisted of both leftists and religious sides had not even happened.

Please create a little more believable tale next time.

Zoo and Ann : doesn’t the attack on the embassies take you back to 2006 ?
When your regime knowingly sent his goons to attack Norway and Sweden’s embassies in Damascus over the Danish pictures of Mohamad
Funny how you all now so civilized!

224 Mick,

Khomeini started his movement long before the actual revolution took place. In fact, there is a record of Khomeini getting a slap on his face in prison by the Shah himself. The incident goes back to the 1950s. His political activism goes back at least 25 years before 1979 and he had his own followers well before 1979.

Khomeini headed a so-called school which later challenged the authority of another ayatollah who is supposed to be higher than him in the hierarchy. That was Abu al-Qassim Al-Khou’ee who was based in Najaf. Al-Khou’ee was supposed to be the highest Shia authority. But Khomeini had different ideas.

The new sherif in town- Libya
http://www.middle-east-online.com/?id=139020

# 76 re: Syrian girls

I was one of the first people to publicize this awful development, crime in fact, on 7eetan after I noticed it on the Dutch public broadcaster NDR’s site. It must be mentioned that the call by Muslim sheikh’s (and I oppose that too) is for a proper bona-fide marriage and not the “pleasure” kind. But in any form or shape it is abhorant and deplorable to force 14 and 15 y.o girls to marry anyone just to “protect” them from dishonor لسترهن .

BTW, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the practice of temporary marriage was a Mullah-sanctioned Shiaa one that is common in Iran, under the guise of “keeping men away from prostitutes and women from becoming ones” (!!!), no?

Tara

I was talking once with Amitav Gosh an indian writer who knew Salman Rushdie before he became famous. He told me that in his eyes he knew exactly what a scandal would come up if he writes about the Prophet the way he then did. “It was his way to become famous.”

Many controversial books have been written in the muslim civilization, and the usual pattern would always be that a controversial book is not banned, rather scholars would answer by writing an other book. In our time its clear that islamophobia has rised to unseen levels since 9/11 and many people even from mainstream levels indulge in slandering islam. Some say its the ultimate revenge, some excuse this with a Voltairian standpoint that no religion should be spared from comedy.

I do honestly believe that actions such as this movie which endangers innocent lives abroad and at home should be controlled by the state.

This coptic American knew all to well what could happen if he portrays the prophet in such light, and I do fear the worst might happen to Copts allover the muslim world.

I am not a fan of censored media or bans on books ect, but I am sure that Denmark and the US would have loved to stopped the provocation before it reached their economy or their ambassador.

Syrian against…

I think this time marriage concept is outdated. I have never met any Shiite who did it or lived by this right, its kind of like the right of muslim man to marry up to 4 wifes, I knew a fella who tried to marry a second wife and his first wife punched him a lesson that he at the end gave in and didnt get married.

I just found this piece of comedy online

the picture might offend some…

http://www.theonion.com/articles/no-one-murdered-because-of-this-image,29553/?ref=auto

Amir, how are ya?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/13/egypt-libya-hollywood-film
Who was Bacile? The Israeli government could not confirm his citizenship, and for a full day, no journalist was able to determine whether he existed or not. After being duped by Bacile, AP traced his address to the home of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a militant Coptic separatist and felon convicted of check fraud. On September 13, US law enforcement officials confirmed that “Sam Bacile” was an alias Nakoula used to advance his various scams, which apparently included the production of The Innocence of Muslims.

Another article
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/revealed-inside-story-of-us-envoys-assassination-8135797.html
Senior officials are increasingly convinced, however, that the ferocious nature of the Benghazi attack, in which rocket-propelled grenades were used, indicated it was not the result of spontaneous anger due to the video, called Innocence of Muslims. Patrick Kennedy, Under-Secretary at the State Department, said he was convinced the assault was planned due to its extensive nature and the proliferation of weapons.

SOD
“First I never went after your opinion nor do I care for it. That is why before now I never engaged you in a debate or in a conversation.

Second please show me one post by me where I support religious extremism of any kind or even promoted the use of arms, then I’ll bother replying to your unfounded theories regarding me…”

You doon’t need to support anything. Silence equates consent, and islamist ramblings are all over this board. So much for your own “opinions”, many on your side here also tolerate these nutcases or even in some cases do them high five. We can see it every other post.

This either means that said people hide their true feelings or that they become tainted by association, sidelined and overshadowed by the more extremist elements. I know you’ll act offended at this post but other than that I assure you this is exactly the feeling of all the skeptics about this “revolution”, excluding real hardcore Assad supporters.

So do something about it if you care about Syria’s future.

On 4th September a high-ranking regime officer in Aleppo claimed that the regime Army will be able to capture Saif al-Dawla by the next 2 days and the whole of Aleppo within 10 days, it is 14th September today and even Saif al-Dawla is mostly still the frontline.

Albo,

“You doon’t need to support anything. Silence equates consent, and islamist ramblings are all over this board…”

Do you lack proper reading skills?

On the top left of this blog there is a search feature, search Son of Damascus and see what I write, then come and tell me what I do and don’t support.

So stop ASSUMING and actually FIND OUT what I support.

Btw do you condemn Erin, Darryl, Ann and the likes that keep posting some of the most bigoted filth? Or are you one of them that only sees religious intolerance when it involves their own faith?

“So do something about it if you care about Syria’s future”

Not only do you have no clue what I write on this blog and elsewhere, but now you have taken it a step further and assumed that I don’t care for Syria and that I am not doing something for her future.

You are missing the point Albo, religious extremists are a problem but they are just a sideshow to the unrelenting state sponsored mass murder and systematic destruction of the country. What ARE YOU doing to stop that?

Pope Benedictus XVI in Lebanon asking for arms not to be send to Syria so Assad can control the situation and massacre the opposition.

I had bad feelings about this Pope. Now I realize that he is the Anti-Christ and as I christian I denounce him forever. Go to hell all the religious status from all religions. Go to hell and never come back.

Pope you are a criminal with no God above you.

We thank our Libyan brothers once again for their continued support in providing essential supplies to the Free Syrian Army in terms of needed arms,

http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/29e7b1a7-7792-42a6-908a-ba96a61f1688?GoogleStatID=1

Thieves stoning in Egypt
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/robbers-stoned-death-sharqiya

What a gift your Libyan Bros have served up on the world stage regarding the latest western provocation. They took the bait completely.
Your Libyan Brothers are providing the zionists another windfall. Their attacks on the US Embassy demonize Islam even better than the zionists themselves could- though the Film’s producer is Egyptian jew. The producer interviewed said, “it was funded by 100 jewish-American supporters”. Once again the blame is put elsewhere (Coptic Xtian name ‘Klein’) ??? tell me of a Coptic by the jewish name of Klein. Who benefits as the middle east burns? The instigators of it all.
Film sequel- Innocence of the Jews.

Sod
I have read quite a few dozens of your posts while perusing this blog and don’t need to dig further in the archives.

Understand that I don’t single you out for anything particular, indeed nothing in your posting struck me as extremist, just a bit conservative as most Syrians are. I will reiterate my point that you people can’t afford to have the extremists in your ranks and must reject them openly. I was glad to see the user Tara finally started to take the right path, although her earlier attacks on Armenians had me really worried, otherwise I could have called her out instead of you.

To drive the point home I’ll illustrate it in the following way: most of the muslims here live in the west, and I’m very certain most just want to go on about their lives and want to live peacefully alongside other communities. Even those who are conservative or slightly bigoted. Yet, it suffices that say, when 0,01% of your community holds extremist, intolerant views and spouts hate speeches and start to act stupidly…and that you do nothing, that you simply tolerate or ignore them you’ll be tainted by association. People, rightfully or not will assume they, as a vocal minority, speak in your name and for your faith. This is why they should be opposed. I’m sure all of you are very aware of this.

Islamist militancy isn’t merely intolerant, it can and is deadly in all sorts of places all over the world. This is why it is ridicule to contrast the repeated and documented human rights infringements by muslim Egyptians on Copts to a cheap caricature movie made by them to attack msulims, as annoying as you find it. There’s a world of difference.

As I explained, nothing personal SOD, you are probably pissed that I single you out but it really is adressed to a lot of other posters as well. As much as blind repression and reprisals lead nowhere, there can be no tolerance for supporters of medieval segregation and that’s clearly what a lot of people are doing here, either by neglect or duplicity.
The political line I support the most, again is that held by Ghufran, who is the first to denounce thugs and extremist nuts while opposing the regime.

# 238,

Either you’re a pro criminal-regime propagandist or you don’t know what you’re talking about.

In either case it is useless to discourse with you.

So I decided to give you the first thumbs down.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re Syrian or not.

I was put under moderation because i respond to the Bigots here.

The whole account of the US embassy account shows that Libya is extremely vulnerable to terrorists acts as armed criminals and extremists are on the loose.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/search-for-answers-over-us-envoy-killing-is-in-muddy-waters#full

About the time of the sunset prayer on Tuesday, three or four cars of armed men arrived on the rutted road leading to the compound, according to a consulate worker who saw the event, and Mr Al Sharif, who said he had a phone call telling him of the situation.

The employee, who asked to be identified as Mohammed, said about 20 men with big beards and cropped robes left the cars.

He said they made their way along the side of the compound, where they scaled the walls, crying “God is greatest”.

The men crossed the front garden of the compound, and immediately began firing rocket-propelled grenades at a small building that held about five members of the Libyan security forces, who returned fire.

The clash set ablaze the security forces’ quarters, and then the house where the ambassador and an unknown number of consulate staff were situated.

As the clashes continued and reinforcements to the security forces arrived, some Americans were evacuated from the back of the building by soldiers, said Mohammed.

But more and more armed supporters of the men described as extremists arrived and came into the compound, overpowering the security forces and beginning a frenzy of burning and looting.

Mr Al Sharif’s version differed in that he described, from the vantage point of a control room in which members of various security force branches supplied him with information, a gathering crowd outside the consulate.

They condemned the film defaming the Prophet Mohammed and the failure of US authorities to apologise for it. The crowd grew out of control and stormed through the gates after hearing gunshots from inside.

Most had sidearms or rifles, Mr Al Sharif said, and a few had RPGs. It was at this time that two unidentified Americans were killed.

He said he had warned US officials to evacuate the compound but they ignored him, and that he told about 15 members of the Libyan security forces outside the compound to withdraw, fearing that they would provoke the rioters.

Mr Al Sharif said he was trying to avoid a repeat of an attack on the Italian Embassy, at the height of a scandal over a cartoon depicting the Prophet, in which several people died.

Later he sent local security forces in plain clothes to help to evacuate the Americans, but the ambassador never left the compound.

The owner of the house, Mohammed Al Breshi, suggested it had been impossible to reach the ambassador’s quarters, which had a wrought-iron door that was still locked, and that Stevens had become unconscious as a result of smoke inhalation.

Mr Al Sharif said members of the security forces removed the ambassador from the house and he was taken to the nearby Benghazi Medical Centre.

Doctors at the centre confirmed that the ambassador had been admitted about 1am, all but dead, and did not respond to attempts to resuscitate him. Looters had long since overrun the compound when morning came, but the ordeal was not over.

Mr Al Sharif said marines arrived by plane to evacuate consulate staff hiding in nearby a safe house, but as they and a Libyan escort approached the house, an ambush attack using RPGs killed two Americans, injured 12 more and 17 of the Libyan security forces.

By no means could all the violence be blamed on a protest that got out of hand, he conceded.

“The first part was chaotic, and disorganised. The second part was organised and planned,” said Mr Al Sharif.

@237 Antoine

You sound very familiar, anti-Iran, anti-Christian, pro-Wahhabism..
You don’t need to hide under a christian name, you fool nobody.

Albo,

I am really sorry to shatter your fantasies about me…

I drink like a fish, wrap my pork with bacon, and don’t really care for any dogma.

I respect peoples choices when it comes to religion, and believe in a free society bigots are allowed to have their say, as much as I don’t like it.

The only way you can ever counter religious extremism (in any religion) is not to “fight” it but to counter it with common sense and education.

I do not care one bit about that silly movie, have not even seen the trailer nor do I care to. Might I be outraged over its content most likely, however my outrage will be limited to calling the people that made the movie idiots and moving on.

Btw this movie and the reaction of the Salafis really show how much support the Syrian revolution gets from them. Can you show me how many Syrian embassies have been attacked for the repeated targeting of mosques, burning of the Quran, and murdered Sheikhs by the regime?

I denounce ALL extremists, not just religious zealots. I despise nationalism and its sick and demented realities, I abhor religious extremists and religious intolerance.

I am arrogantly patriotic, and hold 4 things dear to my heart:
1-My rights and Freedoms
2-My Family
3-My Country
4-My City

For the record assuming that I don’t care for Syria, and that I am doing nothing to help it is EXTREMELY PERSONAL to me.

BIN LADEN WON

If we look at the state of things more than 10 years I posit that the plan hatched has mainly achieved its aims
1. The Salafist discourse on stopping time and returning the society to the seventh century AD and to the first century AH has become accepted in about 5% of the Muslim world.
2. These 5% are actually now using the political and militant arena to advance their ideology. The idea of militancy against a preceived or real oppression by the world powers represented by the US and Europe is now considered acceptable and although the majority of Muslims abhor violence many wink at this militancy.
3. The autocratic regimes have been exposed for their total failure of providing for their people and for their attachment to ruling without consent.
4. The idea of Muslims as victims is now also accepted in the Muslim world and not withstanding the recent liberations, there is still a perception that the CIA is behind every problem. This is the mantra used by the regimes as well to deflect critique of their performance.
5. The US under Bush reacted the way the jihadists wanted. They expected an invasion of KSA but they were OK to have it as well in Iraq their arch enemy and what they did not count on was the rise of Shia Islam over Sunni Islam in that part.
6. The US population is tired of the ME and we see that the Israeli narrative of Iran being an exitential threat is not finding any takers. Obama has actually distanced himself from Bibi not from Israel but he is not about to engage the US into another folly to protect Israel and fight its wars.
7. The US no longer wants to be in your face in the ME, and yet they still keep getting accused of causing turmoil.
8. The fanatics on both sides have now the field day as we see in this latest fiasco of provocation
9. On this blog, the machinean arguments of black and white that we see in the tit for tat arguments about any pro revolution as being fanatic Salafist and the pro regime being sectarian thugs and criminals.

He must be laughing with the fish in the ocean.

If moderator is gone why people are being placed on moderation and some comments disappear directly even if it doesn’t have any hate language, as they say in the USA, you can’t be punished if you said rude or bigots language, as long as you are not acting in hate.

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi
Challenges Terry Jones to a Debate
On Twitter:

I challenge Terry Jones to a debate on Prophet Muhammad & terrorism, if he has courage; instead of being coward & hiding, anytime anywhere.

http://www.facebook.com/shaykhabulhuda/posts/10151146877867580

Syrian opposition group to visit China next week

14/09/2012

http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=31062

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Members of a Syrian opposition group will visit China next week, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday, weeks after an envoy of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s visited, as Beijing steps up diplomacy to help resolve the crisis gripping the country.

China has been keen to show it does not take sides in Syria and has urged the government there to talk to the opposition and take steps to meet demands for political change. It has also said a transitional government should be formed.

Representatives of Syria’s National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change will be in China from September 16-20, China’s Foreign Ministry said. Their last known visit was in February.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China had always made proactive and constructive efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Syria and start a transition initiated by the Syrian people.

“This visit is part of China’s above mentioned efforts,” Hong told a daily news briefing.

Syria does NOT burn American flags and replace them with Al Qaeda flags 🙂

Hillary’s heart felt response to the moslem world:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/08/hillary-clinton-dances-in-south-africa/?iref=allsearch

Libyan weapons arming regional conflicts

http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/news/index.php/world-int/world-news/international-news/3478-libyan-weapons-arming-regional-conflicts

…
The latest market for Libya’s weapons appears to be Egypt’s Sinai peninsua where Egyptian security forces continue to clash with Islamists after a deadly attack last month that left 16 Egyptian soldiers dead. According to media reports the weapons include Soviet-supplied SA-24 surface-to-air missiles. Ibrahim Al-Monaei, who has previously been arrested for smuggling weapons from Egypt to Gaza, told Al Arabiyah TV that all the weapons entering the Sinai Peninsula now are from Libya.

Meanwhile, Jihadists in Syria are being supported by possibly hundreds of former Libyan rebels, many of them from Gharyan, 80km south of Tripoli. The men from Gharyan reportedly joined the ranks of the FSA after the city’s mufti Sheikh Sadik Gharyan called on Libyans to stand by their brothers in Syria.

The Pope Addresses The Alahu Akbar Forces Of Evil and Hate

Importing weapons to Syria a ‘grave sin,’ Pope says – Sep. 14 2012

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/importing-weapons-to-syria-a-grave-sin-pope-says/article4544685/

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon on Friday and urged peace at a time of great turmoil in the Middle East, saying the import of weapons to Syria during the country’s civil war is a “grave sin.”

[…]

All this looks like an efficient demonstration to Netanyahu that no, really, he cannot attack Iran.

Ann,

But he said nothing about the export of weapons to Syria? Haytham Maleh in Cairo can be relieved!

Bye Bye Obama .. Hello Romney ..

Two US universities evacuate campuses; Texas University confirms ‘al-Qaeda bomb threat’ – 14 September, 2012

http://rt.com/usa/news/texas-university-bomb-alqaeda-159/

Two universities have evacuated their campuses after receiving terrorist threats. Officials at the University of Texas at Austin say the man who targeted their school with an alleged bomb claimed to be a member of al-Qaeda.

­The Director of Communications at the University of Texas-Austin, Rhonda Weldon, received a call from a man with a “Middle Eastern” accent who said he was part of al-Qaeda just after 8:30 a.m. local time Friday morning. The caller said that he had placed bombs “all over campus” that would go off after 90 minutes.

Wheldon sent an email telling the students and faculty at the 50,000-strong campus to “get as far away as possible.” Buildings on school property were reported to be vacated within an hour, although Twitter messages sent from the scene suggest that students and faculty are still in the area.

Bobby Blanchard, a reporter with the school’s Daily Texas newspaper, reports via Twitter that students were still close to campus buildings despite pleas from authorities. Others, he reports, relocated to nearby coffee shops to take cover.

An hour-and-a-half after the supposed bomb was scheduled to detonate, Blanchard tweeted that there was no indication that any explosives went off, and that some stragglers were still inside campus buildings.

Shortly after the reports were made, UT student Alec Sanchez told the Waco Tribune that buildings were being shut down but that police presence was initially minimal, despite concerns.

“They’re just standing there. I watched people try to get back on campus but the faculty/administration is guarding campus,” Sanchez said. “I have no idea what is going on. They’re not telling us much.”

Police soon after began combing the scene for any dangerous devices, but were unable to immediately locate any. As a precaution, classes for the day have been cancelled, although the school will allow people to reenter facilities later today.

Events at the North Dakota State University in Fargo followed a similar scenario, though the administrators there have not revealed anything about the identity of their caller.

“NDSU received a bomb threat, prompting this evacuation. Updates will follow,” the school posted on their official website.

North Dakota State University in Fargo has roughly 14,000 students on campus.

[…]

http://rt.com/usa/news/texas-university-bomb-alqaeda-159/

On 4th September a high-ranking regime officer in Aleppo claimed that the regime Army will be able to capture Saif al-Dawla by the next 2 days and the whole of Aleppo within 10 days, it is 14th September today and even Saif al-Dawla is mostly still the frontline.

What do the regime supporters have to say about this ?

ALDENDESHE, do you think this Army is capable of taking back the Golan, forget about Jerusalem, when it can’t even take Aleppo ?

Aldendeshe, since you are a strategist, why do you think this Army which SNP hopes will one day take back Golan and Iskanderun, is not able to defeat a bunch of lightly-armed thugs ?

Ann

please vote for Romney. Assad, Nasrallah and the Mullahs’ heads in one stop shopping.

Ron Paul on Syria and US involvement in the Middle East

This clip is couple of months old, but with the blowback the US got in Libya is exactly what he is talking about.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=061_1347636251

Islamists storm US Embassy compound in Tunisia – September 14, 2012

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Dozens-storm-US-Embassy-compound-in-Tunisia-3865532.php

Anti-American protesters attack U.S. and German embassies in Sudan –
September 14, 2012

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/09/muslim-protesters-burn-german-embassy-in-khartoum-and-breach-us-embassy.html

World watches as Embassies trashed in fall of Islam Spring (Video) 🙂

http://www.examiner.com/article/world-watches-as-embassies-trashed-fall-of-arab-spring

They raised Al Qaeda black flags on our embassy in Liberated Tunisia!

Hellloo!

U.S. school ransacked, set ablaze near U.S. Embassy in Tunis as demonstrations spread – Sep. 14 2012

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-school-ransacked-set-ablaze-near-us-embassy-in-tunis-as-demonstrations-spread/article4544577/

Observer said:

“The Salafist discourse on stopping time and returning the society to the seventh century AD and to the first century AH has become accepted in about 5% of the Muslim world.”

Only 5 %. I think they are way more than 5%. You should time that by 10 probably.

Muslims killing Muslims:
Yemen 4
Lebanon 1
Tunis 3
Iraq ++

al-Brahimi doesn’t need Qatari money:
http://blog.lefigaro.fr/malbrunot/2012/09/syrie-brahimi-ne-veut-pas-etre.html

254. Antoine

Regime liberate the Golan? Please no.

The Golanese would rather not be ‘liberated’. They know what it means for the regime to (attempt to ) recapture an area (ie Homs, Aleppo).

Dumari, a popular Syrian satirical Facebook page, responded to the riots concerning the film about the prophet:” The Arabs are very emotional. Films make them laugh, cry, let them rumble let them freak out and let them kill. But when they see how in Syria mosques and churches are bombed and Korans get burned and women offended, it does not bother them. Because it’s not a movie, its reality. We wish that what is happening in Syria would be a movie. At least then the Arabs would do something for us.

US, UK, and German Embassies in Sudan Torched and Badly Damaged!

http://bigpondnews.com/articles/TopStories/2012/09/15/Sudanese_protestors_storm_embassies_795075.html

Around 5000 protesters in the Sudanese capital angry over an anti-Islam film have stormed the embassies of Britain and Germany, which has been torched and badly damaged.

[…]

So for Morsi, freedom of speech is okay as long as it means that MBs and Salafis can make political campaigns built on lies, incitement and sectarianism, or to let some self-proclaimed “shaykhs” rave on Gulf satellite channels all day and call for jihad from the pulpits, but when people attack any segment of a religion (not sure which ones he validates as authorized religions, though) it should be condemned? Must have been watching Bush Junior a lot.
Poor guy, he left Egypt on Wednesday too happy to have fun far away from local problems! Next time he wants to avoid an “assault on Islam”, maybe he could just let the internet and Youtube turned off?

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/52906/Egypt/Politics-/Morsi-slams-antiIslam-film-in-Rome,-rejects-strife.aspx

“This assault on Islam has been condemned by all the nations of the world, including the American people, as was conveyed to me by [US President Barack] Obama during our phone conversation,” Morsi stated.

The Egyptian president went on to stress his rejection of any attempt to promote strife between nations, warning that such “childish” actions “only serve to distract us from real problems, such as ongoing events in Syria.”

Kafranbel sends a message to the White House

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=405622489491607&set=a.205003959553462.60362.183834915003700&type=1&theater

Where’s Hillary To Explain To The World What’s Happening in The Liberated and Democratic Islamist Spring!

demonstrators scaling the walls of U.S. embassies in Tunisia and Sudan and torching part of a German embassy. Amid the turmoil, Islamic militants waving black banners and shouting “God is great” stormed an international peacekeepers base in Egypt’s Sinai and battled troops, wounding four Colombians.

Ann

Isnt that an coincidence that Sudan is reigned by yet an other war criminal and Westerwelle the german foreign minister did met with the sudanese ambassador to Germany this morning( prior to the attack) to discuss the risk of our embassy in Khartoum,obviously its just like the raid of the US embassy in Damascus, the regime did not much to prevent things from happening…

here for all to enjoy, the regime is jumping on the subject as well:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=425537387502648&set=a.288584211197967.70054.288572881199100&type=1&theater

NATO Islamist terrorists torture and execute civilian prisoners

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3c6_1347615364

Jürgen,

If the regime is criminal, why do they have an embassy there? You think Western oil companies don’t sign deals with Sudan on a daily basis?
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Aussenpolitik/Laender/Laenderinfos/01-Nodes/Sudan_node.html

Mina

Sudan had the oil, the major oilfields are in Southsudan now. The war in Darfur was the way for the regime to may pull back the scheduled breakaway of this most important part of the country,by killing and displacing the mostly pagan and christian south there was may be a sight for the regime that once ethnically cleaned no one would vote for independance. Nonevertheless the President of Sudan Omar al Bashir may soon be overrun by the Islamists he personally used in the Darfur region, is that irony of history?

protest sign in syria today:

From a protest in Syria: “The Prophet commanded us to consider the blood of a Muslim to be sacred. He didn’t order you to protest against a film!”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=282650028510022&set=a.189876921120667.37758.185997731508586&type=1&theater

At UN, Outgoing Assembly Prez Denies He Served Qatar, Won’t Disclose Funding

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 14 — When Qatar’s Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser came to do his final UN press conference as President of the General Assembly (PGA), he said he could not speak for Qatar.

Inner City Press asked him about Qatar’s funding of his year as PGA: how much did Qatar pay, and how closely aligned was what he did as PGA with Qatar’s foreign policy? Video here, from Minute 33:50.

Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, after a disarming “I like your questions,” denied there was a connection. He said, “I cannot carry hidden agenda, I cannot decide for member states.”

While that might be true on some matters, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser issued statements without any vote of the membership, traveled and gave speeches seemingly on behalf of the GA, on Qatar’s priority issues.

Contrary to UN officials who calls for a cessation of violence by all sides in Syria, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on Friday said it all depends on the authorities stopping. Under his watch, UN Television cut off just as Syria’s Permanent Representative Bashar Ja’afari began to speak.

To be fair, when Nicaragua’s Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann was PGA, he flew to Honduras about the coup d’etat against Zalaya and pushed a Grupo ALBA agenda. Nicaragua did not provide the funds for all this work so d’Escoto Brockmann was reduced to raising funds from individuals, none of it disclosed.

Speaking of flying, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in the past year has accepted, and disclosed only after questioning by Inner City Press, free air travel from Qatar.

Would he accept such freebies from all UN member states? Could all member states afford to make the offer — or to be PGA?

Inner City Press asked Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser if he thought, to be equitable to poorer countries like Nepal which he and Qatar beat out for Presidency of the GA’s 66th session, PGA funds in the future should just come out of the UN budget.

Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser seemed to agree, saying he has urged the Fifth (Budget) Committee and Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters to provide a sufficient PGA budget.

But when asked on Friday he did not disclose how much Qatar provided him; Inner City Press has previously asked his office in writing without this number being disclosed.

[…]

http://www.innercitypress.com/pga1qatar091412.html

Uncertain World: How the Arab Spring Muddied Post-9/11 Clarity – 13/09/2012

http://en.rian.ru/columnists/20120913/175937514.html

Last Tuesday, September 11, while the United States was commemorating the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, anti-American demonstrations erupted at U.S. consulates in Libya and Egypt.

In an interview with Al Jazeera a few days earlier, Mohammed al Zawahiri, the brother of al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri, offered to broker a 10-year peace deal between al Qaeda and the West. The U.S. is to abstain from interfering in the affairs of Islamic countries, in return for which the “legitimate rights” of America and the West will be protected and they will stop being provoked.

Mohammed al Zawahiri, who was acquitted by an Egyptian military court in March this year after spending 14 years in Egyptian prisons on extremism charges, is just one beneficiary of the Arab Spring. Many other opponents of the regime have been set free since the fall of the Mubarak regime.

Instead of the clarity that was the objective 10 years ago, we now have complete ideological and political chaos. The Arab Spring has thrown a spanner in the works. The United States has actually become the ally of those forces in Libya, Egypt and Syria which it had been fighting in its war on terror. On the other hand, although al Qaeda overlooked and so could not influence the unrest that was brewing in Arab countries, Islamic extremists are now rapidly becoming part of the process.

[…]

http://en.rian.ru/columnists/20120913/175937514.html

Question:
Who has killed more Arabs, the Assad regime or Israel?

Answer:
The Assad regime.

At long last a group of Belgians is moving

http://bandannie.com/2012/09/14/syria-silence-kills-2/

Human Chain
Sunday 16 September 2012 at 13:00
Launch Point: BOZAR
Arrival: Place du Luxembourg
Why
The violence of the Syrian regime in suppressing the protests that shake the entire country for more than a year revolts us. The Syrian regime’s army planes deliberately target the most fragile civil populations, notably hospitals. They also target doctors, families, and journalists.We admire the courage, determination, and resilience of Syrian society, which is fighting for liberty, freedom, and democracy.We are convinced that what is happening in Syria today (despite specificities and differences) is part of the same process that begin in Tunisia in December 2012 – a process that is leading to the fall of one dictatorship after another in the Arab world.
We also recognize that this will prove a long, arduous, and sometimes contradictory process, and that the final result is neither pre-determined nor guaranteed. However, we refuse that this recognition justifies the lack of reaction and mobilisation of the international community in solidarity with democratically driven Syrians.
It is the silence and the insufficient solidarity of European civil society regarding events in Syria that concern us and drive us to this initiative. It is high time for us to organize with our civil societies to end this silence. We want our leaders to move towards decisive action and for Europe to assume a more active role in putting an end to this tragedy.
We ask the European Union and its Member States to:
• Increase humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees and displaced persons, not only in neighbouring countries, but equally and especially inside Syria
• Implement urgent humanitarian aid for the Syrian population
• Facilitate access for Syrian asylum seekers to Europe, to provide them with an adequate reception and welcome, and to facilitate their mobility within the European Union
• Increase European Union funds available for the support of Syrian human rights defenders
• Reinforce sanction policies and to strike all enterprises or individuals, which contribute to the continuation of this regime
• Actively support the calls of the United Nations Human Rights Chief that the crimes perpetrated in Syria be referred to the International Criminal Court
• Increase pressure on the powers implicated in the conflict (in particular Russia and Iran) in order to halt all military support to the Syrian regime
Who we are
We are a group of citizens from diverse cultural, professional, and political backgrounds motivated and animated by the shared determination to break the silence regarding the massacre of the Syrian people. With this initiative, we wish to respond to the call of our friends in Syrian civil society for a strengthened solidarity and mobilization of European civil society.
Concerned and Consternated Citizens

Demonstrators are getting very young… not much else to do on Friday

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/9/14/1347608104506/Protests-pray-near-the-US-005.jpg

http://english.ahram.org.eg/Media/News/2012/9/14/2012-634832504663870626-387.jpg

Some guy said it wisely these days: The Muslim believes that God protectes him, the Islamist thinks he has to protect God.

Syrias bloody spring by Uri Avnery

Syria on the Brink
Bloody Spring
by URI AVNERY
On a flight to London in 1961, I had a unique experience.

On the way, the plane made a stop in Athens and a group of Arabs joined us. That by itself was an experience. In those days, Israelis hardly ever met people from Arab countries.

Three young Arabs took seats in the row behind me, and I somehow managed to introduce myself and start a conversation with them. I learned that they were Syrians. I mentioned the recent breakup of the United Arab Republic, the union of Egypt and Syria under the pan-Arab leadership of Gamal Abd-al-Nasser.

My three neighbors were very happy about the split. One of them drew a passport from his bag and passed it to me. It was a shiny new document, issued by Syrian Arab Republic.

There could be no mistake about the immense pride with which this young Syrian showed me – an Israeli enemy – this evidence of Syria’s new-found independence. Here was a Syrian patriot, pure and simple.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/08/10/bloody-spring-2/

193

I got 72 thumbs down. I think that’s a record.

Shouldn’t the mob target a real culprit?  How about Syrian Embassies across the world…Allah and Muhammad have being insulted by Batta every day for the last 18 months and they are watching.   
—–

From the Guardian blog.  

 Nuff Silence@NuffSilence 
“Is the prophet being insulted in the US different than the one being insulted in #Syria?” From a protest in Idlib pic.twitter.com/CEhvZswP
 
14 Sep 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite

As violent protests over an anti-Islam video spread across the Muslim world, Syrians online increasingly expressed their bewilderment and frustration over what they believed was a lack of similar outrage over Syria. 

http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/syrians-bewildered-embassy-protests-spread-0022341

Hey Arabs,while ure at it cld u plz demand kicking Syrian ambassadors out of ur countries? Syrian regime has been mocking Islam for a while!
إيديتوراية المُندسّة
Fri, Sep 14 2012 06:57:46
ReplyRetweetFavorite

Syrians are asking to produce an anti-Islam movie in Syria so Muslims in world capitals can pay attention to their dilemma #Syria
Jad Bantha
Fri, Sep 14 2012 06:01:06
ReplyRetweetFavorite

A parody account for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad tweeted cynically about the amount of attention the film’s producers received. 

Wow! Good thing I just bombed mosques, killed women and children and I didn’t make an anti-Muslim video! People would be after me!! #syria

The Arab world is in a pathetic state of affair. A stupid low-cost movie made the mobs storm Western embassies across the Arab world, killing innocent people, giving the producer the attention he was thriving for and encouraging more hateful attention-seeker sick-minded Islamophobes to do the same, while having done absolutely nothing to protest killing women and children in Syria.

The Syrian people revolting against Batta have condemned storming the embassy in libya, what about Batta? Has Batta condemned the attack? 0r was he not given the green light by his masters, the mullahs. Was storming embassies not an Iranian invention?

SoD 243

Sorry about my fantasy views, but they seemed reasonable given your posting, I had this one in memory for example
————-
Karabenemisis,

“All these years of good work, only so some ignorant 18 yo with an AK and a quran can come by to destroy it.”

What good work? Over what years?

What is so wrong with the Quran?
————–
I don’t know, this doesn’t jive well with your last post. It is because of this post I labeled you as a “conservative”. You seemed more annoyed than many at the criticisms of certain posters about the sunni faith and spent considerable energy to answer them.

Now it’s fully possible for a lukewarm believer or even an atheist to be stronly sectarian, and everyone is sectarian in a way or another in Syria and in most arab countries, this is the legacy of tribalism and the root of our conflict. (see your list of priorities, mine is not very different and our lack of nationalism is bad for Syria as a polity)

I don’t know if you were known for holding such contradictions in the past in this forum, but in the “new Syria” envisioned by a lot of people here, including yourself, you’d be in trouble admitting your life choices publicly. I mean that when the guys doing the fight eventually win, the same guys you have been backing in numerous posts, then we will see the same kind of nonsense occuring in the other Arab spring countries. Don’t tell me the opposite.
Probably worse even, as they’d be hardened by the heavy loss of a civil war.

283. TARA said:

The Arab world is in a pathetic state of affair. A stupid low-cost movie made the mobs storm Western embassies across the Arab world, killing innocent people, giving the producer the attention he was thriving for and encouraging more hateful attention-seeker sick-minded Islamophobes to do the same, while having done absolutely nothing to protest killing women and children in Syria.
————

The day when these kind of caricature become commonplace, and this will probably happen because when you know how the western slash.dot crowd, 4chaners are…
then they will grow accustomed and show simmering anger rather than brutal outbursts. This doesn’t mean they are indifferent.

# 238, visitor,
If we forget a moment your empty slogans, you’re the one who deserves the most an enquiry on whether he’s Syrian or not.
After all, you have been paying lip service all along for salafism, an ideology originally alien to Syrians, and you’re all too busy defending khalijiyins to not be suspect of foreign loyalties.

My post name is observer because I try to be as objective as possible and I confess that when it comes to the brutality of the regime I have been more emotional.
If you look at my previous posts I do put what I think is clear and concise and accurate description of the situation.

I did in the past recognize the fact that Syria scored several successes in its fight against the US project in Iraq and in Lebanon and in confronting the Israeli hegemony over corrupt dictatorships.

I also recognized that the initial success of HA was followed by the usual corruption of power and in reality the Israel aim of quieting the border was achieved.

I also noted that the fact that the revolution in Syria is mainly about freedom.

So in this long winded post I respond to Majbali by telling him that the Muslims of Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia and in many other countries are peaceful and tolerant and in those countries where Islam spread it idid so with Sufi doctrine. So I stand by my estimate that at the very most 5% are fanatic.
The estimate of Al Qaeda having trained about 100 000 members speaks volumes about that figure.

I also would like to say that about 5% of minorities in the ME are rabidly anti Islam, and not anti muslims. Some are fanatic about demonizing Islam at its core. Some are fanatic because of previous oppression and oppression was mainly Ottoman and later Nationalist Turkish but in also was based on religious discrimination.

These 5% on either side have hijacked the discourse and are the arsonists that thrive by pouring fuel on the fires.

So Majbali I hope you are not part of the 5% that have such hatred of the other so as to demonize it and then permit all and every atrocity imaginable.

For I do believe that the hard core members of the regime are the leaders of this peculiar 5% of hateful group of fanatics.

Finally I do take care of several Amish families and they have opted in their belief system to preserve a way of life that in their minds is closest to the life and teaching os Jesus Christ precisely by shunning any aspect of modernity. So they see me in clinic without buttons and they do not use electricity and they do not drive.

I do not for one minute consider them fanatic or militant for they never try to impose their way of life on anyone and they even allow their children to experience the modern world and decide for themselves how to live.

Those that wish to live Islam by returning to seventh century Arabia are free to do so as long as they do not impose it on others.

By the way a whole section of Israeli and Jewish society lives in biblical time to this day as we see Hassidic families with the males spending all their time in prayer and study while living on the welfare of society to the point that it is creating a problem both in Tel Aviv and in New York.

They also have a very high birth rate just like the Amish.

My point that was missed is that we find fanatics everywhere now and their discourse is the main theme just as the Norwegian Andres Beverik claimed that in his logic the fanaticism exhibited by Islamists is to be commended and he is doing exactly the same in defending Western and Christian civilization by his violence.

Nato’s unplanned Post-Qaddafi scenario…
Libya’s Downward Spiral

The country has been going to hell in a handbasket for months now. We just weren’t paying attention.

BY CHRISTOPHER S. CHIVVIS | SEPTEMBER 13, 2012
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/13/libyas_dowanward_spiral?page=full

The tragic death this week of four U.S. officials, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, is a major turning point for Libya’s transition to lasting stability.

As details emerge, it appears increasingly probable that al Qaeda-linked groups were behind the violence, likely acting in reprisal for the death of Abu Yaya al-Libi, Al Qaeda’s second in command, who was killed by a drone strike in Pakistan earlier this year. Just prior to the Benghazi assault, on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri released an Internet video in which, according to CNN, he said that al-Libi’s “blood is calling, urging and inciting you to fight and kill the crusaders.”

Even if the deaths were not linked to al Qaeda or its dangerous North African affiliates, the event is still a major threat to Libya’s chances of successful transition to stability, and could be a watershed of the worst kind. The nightmare scenario that Libya could go the way of Iraq in 2004 is still not likely, but no longer seems implausible.
…
This violence has come in three forms:

What We Can Learn from the Attacks on U.S. Embassies

This week’s U.S. embassy attacks are the product of intense jockeying for power in an Arab political landscape riven with both new and familiar challenges. Here are five key lessons to take away from an ugly week

By Tony Karon | @tonykaron | September 14, 2012
http://world.time.com/2012/09/14/what-we-can-learn-from-the-attacks-on-u-s-embassies/5/

1. Fear of a Black Flag (or It’s the Salafists, S-tupid)
…
2. Egypt’s Leaders are Politically Weak and are Navigating a Minefield
…
3. Post-Gaddafi Libya Is, at Best, a State in the Making
…
4. Despite Obama’s Outreach, the Arab World Dislikes the U.S. More than Ever
…

5. Syria: Proceed with Caution

The murder of four U.S. diplomats in Benghazi likely crushed the hope, held by some Syrian rebels, that Washington will lead an international intervention to topple the Assad regime in the way that it helped Libyans to dispatch Gaddafi. That scenario had always been a long shot, of course, with U.S. officials strenuously warning from the beginning of the rebellion that Syria was different and that militarizing the uprising would not bring the cavalry to the rescue.

Over the 18 months of the Syrian uprising, concerns have only grown over the consequences of toppling Assad, his brutality notwithstanding. There’s the growing prospect of a regionwide conflagration, and Syria already seems deep in the throes of a sectarian civil war. The regime retains the loyalty of a hard core of Alawites, while the rebel forces are overwhelmingly Sunni — and Thursday’s report by Britain’s Telegraph that the Christians of Aleppo have formed a militia to fight against the rebels (while the Kurds in the northeast stake out a de facto autonomous statelet) underscore the risks.

But there could also be a visceral response to the fact that the same black flag carried by those who attacked the U.S. facilities in Cairo, Benghazi and Sana‘a has been flown by some rebel fighting units in Syria, where a small but unmistakable Salafist element (comprising foreign and local fighters) is trying to claim a growing role in the uprising. The proxy-war strategy adopted by the Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia, on the basis that the Assad regime is a close ally of Iran, has seen a strengthening of some such groups operating in both Lebanon and Syria.

Although their relative strength is hard to assess, Salafist groups, including large numbers of foreign fighters, are sufficiently engaged in the struggle against the Assad regime in Syria to give many in Washington pause. Those who most favor intervention are arguing that the Salafist surge elsewhere simply highlights the need to bring Syria’s conflict to an end by toppling the regime, mindful that extremist influence is more likely to grow in a prolonged war. Skeptics will see in the causes of the events of recent days a vindication of restraint.

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/09/14/what-we-can-learn-from-the-attacks-on-u-s-embassies/#ixzz26UhjCHT6

Albo,

Again to further shatter you made up fantasies about me (when will you learn?)…

I have defended Christians, Alawis, and Shiites on the board. If I use your jiving logic that makes me a Salafi Christian Alawi Shi3i?

It annoys the hell out of me to see peoples faiths dragged through the mud, no matter what faith it is. There is absolutely nothing religious nor conservative in asking what is wrong with the Quran, and I would have asked the same exact question if the subject matter was the Bible, Torah, or any other religious text (except maybe that crazy kook Ron Hubbard and any of his “religious” writings).

“lack of nationalism is bad for Syria”

Nationalism is offensive in nature and breeds bigotry and hatred (Nazi, National Fascist Party, Franco’s Fascist Party, Baath Party, ….), Patriotism on the other hand is defensive in nature and is accepting towards others:

Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism. Both words are normally used in so vague a way that any definition is liable to be challenged, but one must draw a distinction between them, since two different and even opposing ideas are involved. By ‘patriotism’ I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality

Orwell

“the legacy of tribalism and the root of our conflict”

No Baath and the Assad family is the root of this conflict, this revolution started peaceful and had Assad and his henchmen not dragged it through blood it would have remained so. And Syria as a Democracy existed before this sorry excuse of a regime tried to annihilate it, since you seem to need a little brief history lesson on what Syria WAS before this murderous regime have a look at this comment I wrote awhile back.

As for your simplistic labelling of the opposition it is as fantasy filled as your rather simplistic labelling of me, maybe it is time to stop labelling people and actually read what they have to say. I promise you, you will be surprised at how misinformed you have been.

Here is a good start for you:
http://www.thedayafter-sy.org/media/thedayafteren.pdf

أكدت وزيرة الخارجية الأميركية هيلاري كلينتون، اليوم الجمعة، في مراسم استقبال جثامين الأميركيين الأربعة، الذين قتلوا الثلاثاء في قنصليتها في بنغازي شرقي ليبيا، أن مقتلهم “غير مقبول”.
وأضافت كلينتون لدى وصول جثامين الأميركيين الأربعة، وبينهم جثمان السفير كريس ستيفنز، “أن شعوب مصر وليبيا واليمن وتونس لم تستبدل طغيان دكتاتور بطغيان (عصابات) الغوغاء”.
You can argue that the actions of the mobs hurt and did not help the Arab Spring ,if you still think that there is such a thing as Arab Spring, but that does not mean that the mobs were Fuloul or agents of previous dictatorships, the fingerprints of Islamists ,not necessarily the MBs, are all over the place.
Clinton remarks are a warning ,they also reflect a heated debate in Western governments about whether giving revolutionists a blank check was wise or not, the mobs are shooting their cause in the foot, many counter revolutionists are now taking a deep breath.

Obama Should Fire Hillary
September 13, 2012 By Jeremy Lott 36 Comments

International headlines have stacked up an impressive list of horribles for the United States this week.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jeremylott/2012/09/obama-should-fire-hillary/
…
After the disastrous 2006 midterm elections, George W. Bush decided that the US government had to change its approach to Iraq and thus Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was shown the door. Now, it is clear US diplomacy is in need of a major overhaul as well. Obama should look to his predecessor’s example and fire Hillary Clinton at the earliest opportunity.

Here is a western point view about the recent attacks on US embassies:
http://world.time.com/2012/09/14/what-we-can-learn-from-the-attacks-on-u-s-embassies/?iid=gs-main-lede
Keep your political and religious emotions aside, what those attacks clearly show is that changing regimes is the easy part, changing nations is a much harder task.
Zoo posted the article already.

285,

Albo,

I will defend the khalijis because they are our brothers. So eat your heart out. You will never be able or allowed to drive a wedge between Syrians and our true brothers.

I do not consider so-called salafists as alien to the Syrian culture. In fact, salafism is Syrian in origin and not khaliji. The most important salafist tomb is in Damascus. In the overall picture of things I refuse to portray Islam as Salafists vs no-salafists as you and many others like you would like to do to serve your agenda of hate and division of Muslims.

Furthermore, I will not do as some would try to do in order to prove their so-called liberalism by declaring their willingness to consume alcohol or eat pork. This is the most shallow argument for such purpose. No, I do not drink and do not eat pork. Further, from my point of view any Muslim who declares doing so is in violation of Islam. So is this salafist enough for you? I do not care and will not seek to prove anything to you or anyone. But from now on if you or anyone else opens his/her mouth about so-called salafists you will receive the harshest rebuke. So be careful. Salafists are our brothers in faith and when it comes to a choice between your likes and them they are our preference.

Again eat your heart out.

الى الأمة العربية .. بعد ” الطز ” ألف تحية …..بلال فوراني

ما أخبار فلسطين .. شعب بلا وطن .. وطن سرقوا منه الهوية

ما أخبار لبنان .. ملهى ليلي كراسيه خشبية وطاولته طائفية

ما أخبار سوريا .. بقرة سمينة تكالبت عليها سكاكين الهمجية

ما أخبار العراق .. بلد الموت اللذيذ والرحلة فيه مجانية

ما أخبار الأردن .. لا صوت ولا صورة والاشارة فيه وطنية

ما أخبار مصر .. عروس بعد الثورة ضاجعها الاخونجية

ما أخبار ليبيا .. بلدّ تحولّ الى معسكر اسلحة وأفكار قبلية

ما أخبار تونس .. انتعلّ رئاستها مهرجّ بدعوى الديمقراطية

ما أخبار المغرب .. انتسب الى مجلس خليجي باسم الملكيّة

ما أخبار الصومال .. علمها عند الله الذي لا تخفى عنه خفيّة

ما أخبار السودان .. صارت بلدان والخير خيران باسم الحرية

ما أخبار اليمن .. صالحها مسافر وطالحها كافر وشعبها قضيّة منسيّة

ما أخبار عمان .. بلد بكل صدق لا تسمع عنه إلا في النشرات الجوية

ما أخبار السعودية .. أرض تصدرّ التمر وزادت عليه الافكار الوهابية

ما أخبار الامارات .. قبوّ سري جميل تحاك فيه كل المؤامرات السرية

ما أخبار الكويت .. صارت ولاية عربية من الولايات المتحدة الامريكية

ما أخبار البحرين .. شعب يموت ولا أحد يذكره في خطاباته النارية

ما أخبار قطر .. عرابّة الثورات وخنجر الخيانات ومطبخ للامبريالية

الى الأمة العربية .. بعد ” الطز ” لم يعد يليق بكِ التحية

لم يعد يليق بكِ سوى النعيق والنهيق على أحلامك الوردية

لم يعد يليق بكِ سوى أن تكوني سجادة تدوس عليها الأقدام الغربية

لم يعد يليق بكِ شعارت الثورة حين صار ربيعك العربي مسرحية

لم يعد يليق بكِ الحرية حين صارت صرخاتك كلها في الساحة دموية

لم يعد يليق بكِ أن تصرخيّ بالاسلام وتهمتكِ بالأصل أنكِ ارهابية

لم يعد يليق بك يا أمة مؤتمراتها مؤامرات وكلامها تفاهات وقراراتها وهمية

لم يعد يليق بكِ يا أمة جامعتها مثل فندق عاهرات يمارسوا فيه المجامعة الجنسية

لم يعد يليق بكِ التحيةّ.

يا أمة دفنت كرامتها وعروبتها تحت التراب وهي حيّة؟

على حافة الوطن

تزحلق الولد بصابونة فسقط على ظهره وانكسر حوضه العربي

وجاؤوا له بجبيرة مهترأة متعفنّة… اسمها الوطنّ الغبيّ

نظر لأمه بغضب قائلا:لما لم تنجبي لي أخا أسند ظهري عليه.

قالت له بأسى واضح: تعال يا ولدي أخبرك ما فعل قابيل بأخيه…

Visitor,

Salsfism is Syrian in origin?

Visitor, I come from a prototype Damascene Sunni family, they are not salafi .

Nevertheless, for the right or wrong reason, I am impressed with your answer. Are you religious?

296 TARA,

Before I answer your questions:

You do not know that ‘salafism’ is Syrian in origin and not khaliji?

Whatever your answer is, what do you know about so-called salafism?

Israelis frightened and isolated by the increase of animosity in Arab countries are ready to cajole Turkey.

Israelis readier than ever for raid apology, poll shows

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/israelis-readier-than-ever-for-raid-apology-poll-shows.aspx?pageID=238&nID=30176&NewsCatID=338

A majority of Israelis favor apologizing to Turkey two years after the killings of nine aid activists on a flotilla, according to a poll conducted by a think tank in Israel. ‘The results have been a surprise, since a year ago this would have been unthinkable,’ says the head of the think tank, Dr Nimrod Goren, noting the impact of the Arab Spring
Israeli people now have a better understanding that Turkey is an ally of the West, a friend of US and an actor that has leverage over Arab countries, says

The Arab Spring appears to have changed the views of Israelis on Turkey, as a recent poll revealed that a majority favor Israel apologizing to Turkey for the 2010 killings of Turks in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, an Israeli think tank head has said.

The public opinion poll of The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies (MITVIM) revealed that 54 percent of Israelis with an opinion would support Tel Aviv in ending its intransigence and apologizing for the killings of the nine aid activists.

Visitor

In a nutshell, strict literal interpretation of Quraan and Hadeeth which call for application of shariaa law, may be mixed with some Takfiri ideology that think people who do not subscribe to similar ideology as kafir..

Syrian govt. says national economy solid as a rock – 2012-09-15

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-09/15/content_15759862.htm

DAMASCUS – After 18 months of unrest, the Syrian government says its economy is still rock-hard though admitting its dismal performance over the past years.

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki said in an interview aired late Thursday by the state-run TV that the Syrian economy is still “balanced,” while other Syrian officials promised that new economic measures are coming to correct previous bad performance.

Economists said the protracted crisis has affected all kinds of business and that the country is stuck in an actual doldrums, pleading on the government to enhance its performance and modernize current economic policies.

Recently, unemployment continues to nudge up, with inflation rate above 30 percent and sales slumped.

Recent financial data predicted that the Syrian foreign debt will amount to $11.1 billion in 2012, an increase of about 1.2 percent from last year.

The data, based on the International Monetary Fund’s information, said that the Syrian foreign debt was $9 billion in 2010 and $9.9 billion in 2011.

The real growth rate of the gross domestic product (GDP), according to data recently released by an Arab institution, was negative by 2 percent in 2011, but it noted that there are indications that it will be positive by 1.5 percent in 2012.

However, the Syrian prime minister said that regardless of the world pressure and economic sanctions, the economic performance can remain satisfactory no matter how long the crisis might last.

He assured Syrians that the Syrian pound is still stable and has been trading at around 70 against the dollar for more than three months owing to the Central Bank of Syria’s positive interference, adding that most of the financial difficulties have been overcome by pegging the pound to other currencies.

Halki stressed that Syria has a stockpile of Syrian pounds that exceed 600 billion.

Still, economists believe that the central bank may need to bolster stimulus as the economy faces a deeper-than-expected slowdown.

The country’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Abdul Salam Ali, said in a recent statement that the current circumstances in Syria require a thorough review of all economic decisions pertaining to import and export procedures that are needed by local markets.

Ali added that the ministry is seriously studying ways of facilitating import procedures in light of the new orientations to ensure the market needs from the products of eastern countries, especially China, Russia, India and Iran.

He said that the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade reconsiders the negative list issued over the past few years when the government had tried to open markets and achieve an economic overture.

He added that this openness led to a clear imbalance in the market and negatively affected the citizen and the national economy alike.

He pointed out that the new import and export procedures would be for the mutual benefit of both the traders and the national economy.

The government said that its top priority now is to find a real balance between wages and consumption expenditures, particularly for low-income people and the laboring class.

[…]

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-09/15/content_15759862.htm

Source: This is how Islamists knew of secret U.S. safe house – 29 mins ago

Official warns of large scale al-Qaida infiltration

http://www.wnd.com/2012/09/source-this-is-how-islamists-knew-of-secret-u-s-safehouse/

{…}

Similarly, the Obama administration is currently aiding the rebels fighting Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria amid widespread reports that al-Qaida jihadists are included in the ranks of the so called “Free Syrian Army”.

During the revolution against Gadhafi’s regime, the U.S. admitted to directly arming the rebel groups.

At the time, rebel leader Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi admitted in an interview that a significant number of the Libyan rebels were al-Qaida fighters, many of whom had fought U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He insisted his fighters “are PATRIOTS and GOOD MUSLIMS, NOT TERRORISTS,” but added that the “members of al-Qaida are also good Muslims and are fighting against the invader.”

Adm. James Stavridis, NATO supreme commander for Europe, admitted Libya’s rebel force may include al-Qaida: “We have seen flickers in the intelligence of potential al-Qaida.”

Former CIA officer Bruce Riedel went even further, telling the Hindustan Times: “There is no question that al-Qaida’s Libyan franchise, LIFG “Libyan Islamic Fighting Group”, is a part of the opposition. It has always been Gadhafi’s biggest enemy and its stronghold is Benghazi. What is unclear is how much of the opposition is al-Qaida/Libyan Islamic Fighting Group – 2 percent or 80 percent.”

In Syria, meanwhile, the U.S. may be currently supporting al-Qaida and other jihadists fighting with the rebels targeting Assad’s government.

Last month, WND quoted a senior Syrian source claiming at least 500 hardcore mujahedeen from Afghanistan, many of whom were spearheading efforts to fight the U.S. there, have been killed in clashes with Syrian forces last month.

Also last month, WND reported that Jihadiya Salafia in the Gaza Strip, a group that represents al-Qaida in the coastal territory, had declared three days of mourning for its own jihadists who died in Syria in recent weeks.

There have been widespread reports of al-Qaida among the Syrian rebels, including in reports by Reuters and the New York Times.

WND reported in May there is growing collaboration between the Syrian opposition and al-Qaida as well as evidence the opposition is sending weapons to jihadists in Iraq, according to an Egyptian security official.

The military official told WND that Egypt has reports of collaboration between the Syrian opposition and three al-Qaida arms, including one that operates in Libya:

* Jund al-Sham, which is made up of al-Qaida militants who are Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese;

* Jund al-Islam, which in recent years merged with Ansar al-Islam, an extremist group of Sunni Iraqis operating under the al-Qaida banner and operating in Yemen and Libya;

* Jund Ansar al-Allah, an al-Qaida group based in Gaza linked to Palestinian camps in Lebanon and Syria.

U.S. officials have stated the White House is providing nonlethal aid to the Syrian rebels while widespread reports have claimed the U.S. has been working with Arab countries to ensure the opposition in Syria is well armed.

http://www.wnd.com/2012/09/source-this-is-how-islamists-knew-of-secret-u-s-safehouse/

Is this the Post-Assad plan concocted by the West?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/15/world/middleeast/anti-american-protests-over-film-enter-4th-day.html?ref=global-home

The wave of unrest not only increased concern in the West but raised new questions about political instability in Egypt, Tunisia and other Middle East countries where newfound freedoms, once suppressed by autocratic leaders, have given way to an absence of authority. The protests also seemed to highlight the unintended consequences of America’s support of movements to overthrow those autocrats, which have empowered Islamist groups that remain implacably hostile to the West.

“We have, throughout the Arab world, a young, unemployed, alienated and radicalized group of people, mainly men, who have found a vehicle to express themselves,” Rob Malley, the Middle East-North African program director for the International Crisis Group, a consulting firm, said in a telephone interview from Tripoli, Libya.

In a number of these countries, particularly Egypt and Tunisia, he said, “the state has lost a lot of its capacity to govern effectively. Paradoxically, that has made it more likely that events like the video will make people take to the streets and act in the way they did.”

299 TARA,

That is all you know? What about its origin? Is it Syrian or khaliji?

Ann #303

It is amazing that the SP pound did not collapse and that wages are still paid to all the civil servants.
After 18 months of turmoil, a plethora of sanctions, terrorists acts on industrial and commercial complexes, if these figures are correct, it is an incredible achievement.
I wonder if Ehsani could enlightened us about that

Visitor

Not Syrian.

Do not answer if you do not want too. May be it is better not to answer. Lots of people on this blog are not that civil and they often use personal info to viciously attack other people while they are cowardly afraid to reveal anything about themselves.

305 TARA,

I do not care what others would say.

First, your answer is WRONG. Salafism IS Syrian in origin.

Second, your information is obviously based on mainstream distorted media coverage.

To answer your question: YEST I AM.

Do you want to know more about anything else? Ask on.

Anti-film protests spread across Muslim world – 9 hrs ago

http://news.yahoo.com/anti-film-protests-spread-across-muslim-world-164455189.html

{…}

The day of protests, which spread to around 20 countries, started small and mostly peacefully in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The most violent demonstrations took place in the Middle East. In many places, only a few hundred took to the streets, mostly ultraconservative Islamists — but the mood was often furious.

The demonstrators came out after weekly Friday Muslim prayers, where many clerics in their mosque sermons called on congregations to defend their faith, denouncing the obscure movie produced in the United States that denigrated the Prophet Muhammad. At least one protester was killed around the region.

Several thousand demonstrators protested outside the US Embassy in Tunis and battled with security forces, throwing stones as police fired volleys of tear gas and shot in the air. Some protesters scaled the embassy wall and stood on top of it, planting a black flag with the Islamic profession of faith, “THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND MUHAMMAD IS HIS PROFIT.”

The heaviest violence came in Sudan, where a prominent sheik on state radio urged protesters to march on the German Embassy to protest alleged anti-Muslim graffiti on mosques in Berlin and then to the U.S. Embassy to protest the film.

“America has long been an enemy to Islam and to Sudan,” Sheik Mohammed Jizouly said.

Leaders of Egypt’s Jihad group, a former militant organization, held a conference in the Egyptian city of Alexandria and said anyone involved in “defamation” of the prophet should be killed. They called on Morsi to cut relations with U.S.

“I appeal to President Mohammed Morsi to cut our relations with those monkeys and pigs,” said Rifaei Taha, a leading member of the group.

A small, peaceful demonstration was held Friday outside the U.S. Embassy in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Hundreds of hardline Muslims held peaceful protests against the film throughout Pakistan, shouting slogans and carrying banners criticizing the U.S. and those involved in the film.

Police in Islamabad set up barricades and razor wire to prevent protesters from getting to the diplomatic enclave, where the U.S. Embassy and many other foreign missions are located. Protests were also held in Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore, where protesters shouted “Down with America” and some burned the U.S. flag. About 200 policemen and barbed wire ringed the U.S. Consulate in Lahore.

About 1,500 protest in the eastern city of Jalalabad, shouting “Death to America” and urge President Hamid Karzai to cut relations with the U.S.

A prominent cleric in Indonesia urged Muslims there to remain calm despite their anger about the film. But Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, a branch of the international network that advocates a worldwide Islamic state, on its website blamed the U.S. government for allowing the film to be produced and released, calling it “an act of barbarism that cannot go unpunished.”

http://news.yahoo.com/anti-film-protests-spread-across-muslim-world-164455189.html

News Analysis: Anti-Islam movie threatens Arab relations with Washington – 2012-09-15

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/15/c_123718814.htm

“These events will badly influence the Arab countries… which have witnessed most furious protests over anti-Islam film,” Fakhry Tahtawi, professor of Political Sciences in Cairo University, told Xinhua.

It raises possibilities of the United States’ intervention, added Tahtawi, noting “the interference might be military, such as sending marine forces and battleships to Libyan coasts over the killing of four American employees in the U.S. consulate.”

The intervention in Egypt might be prominent in exercising pressures to stop the American aids, inciting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to halt its loans and crippling foreign investments due to security instability justifications, the analyst added.

“This movie embarrasses the Islamic movements” which are ruling several Arab countries, posing challenges to their relations with the U.S. administration, Tahtawi said.

Talaat Rameh, another Egyptian political analyst, agreed with Tahtawi as saying “The Arab-U.S. relations are moving towards deterioration.”

Rameh quoted U.S. President Barack Obama as saying that the United States now considers Egypt neither as an ally nor as the enemy, noting this as “very serious” in regard to Egyptian ties with the United States.

“Washington might change its polices towards the region, if protests against its interests wouldn’t be controlled,” Rameh added.

The inability of the United States to recognize the change in the Islamic world is due to its failure in changing its approaches of dealing with those countries after their upheavals, the analyst noted.

{…}

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/15/c_123718814.htm

Visitor said:

“Salafism IS Syrian in origin.”

Wrong again mr. Visitor.

1- There was no Syria when Salfism came up.

2- Ahmad ibn Hanbal: is not Syrian.

3- Mohammad ibn Abd al-Wahab: is not Syrian.

4- Your lovely hero Ibn Taymiyah is not Syrian although he operated in Damascus. He was just a little clergy figure at the service of the foreigners who were occupying the land that became Syria at that time.

So how Salafism is Syrian? care to explain this wrong statement of yours?

MJABALI,

VATTY the half-educated plow horse was just laying another one of his eggs on us unsuspecting poor souls 8)

MJABALI,

What’s up with your number 1 and 4?!

There was no Syria!

Syria was Syria before time was time!

Has the Arab Spring been hijacked by radical Islamists?

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/has-the-arab-spring-been-hijacked-by-radical-islamists.aspx?pageID=449&nID=30188&NewsCatID=409

No one knows what might have happened if Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi had not asked his people not to take to the streets after the Friday prayers and to treat Westerners in the country as guests, “like every good Muslim.” Possibly people all around the world would have read worse stories from Egypt and possibly from other Arab countries where the Muslim Brotherhood is well organized.

The Brotherhood, or “Ihvan” in Arabic, was known as a radical group until the Arab Spring began. Now it represents the center of Islamist politics, and is a symbol for moderation. Is that really so, or has the center of gravity of Islamist politics further shifted because the definition of radicalism in the Islamic world has changed? Possibly the second, thanks to the growing presence of the Jihadi/Salafi groups armed to the teeth and ready to kill themselves and other people for their cause. Perhaps we should say thanks to the U.S.-led Western policies that supported them covertly for decades against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Cold War is over, the Soviet Union is gone, and this is what the world has had on its hands since the beginning of the global guerilla war with the Sept. 11, 2001 al-Qaeda attacks.
….

309 MJ,

If Ibn Tamiya is not Syrian, then you’re not. You’re most likely from Asfahan.

But even Ibn Hanbal is closer to being Syrian than you. He is at least Baghdadi and not Persian.

As for Abd al-Wahhab, he can be hardly described as an originator when he was merely copying.

And the question was about the origin of Salafism. So, for your information, Ibn Tamiya was born and raised in Syria. And he was the originator of political Salafism.

But which foreigners was he serving as you falsely claim? As far as we know he spent most of his life in prisons and even died in prison?

On the other hand, we know that alawites of Ibn Tamiya’s time were serving the Mongols. So, why are you accusing others of the treasons of your ancestors? Is this some form of self-absolving mechanism for shedding guilt on others as your current prethident is doing by accusing the victims of his crimes? It looks like a pattern that runs deep in the family!!

Did you consult with your dog before coming up with your answer? It seems to me that you didn’t this time; otherwise you wouldn’t have come up with such a stupid answer. Or has Ann now taken your dog’s place?

Now, if you read #311, you may have to think about getting a better leash for your new dog (sorry bitch for gender sake). But, frankly this is the first time she makes a half-intelligent comment. I’d say you’re better off with your old dog.

As far as we know he spent most of his life in prisons and even died in prison?

The followers of a convict 8)

Observer:

You said that you are an “objective” man who helps others and never discriminate. You listed many good qualities of yours. This is great. Personally I have no doubt that you are a good person.

But, here is my response to some of your points hoping you respect for once my ideas without labeling me as your habit:

1- You said the Islam entered in a Sufi form into many countries and that is why you consider the Muslims from those places to be less violent and more tolerant. To this I say that maybe Islam entered into some of the countries you mentioned through Sufism, but, that was over 1000 years ago. The last 1000 years of history to any Muslim country was not spent in harmony and love, instead sectarianism, racism…etc made the Muslim world a place of perpetual tension.

2- If you have election in all of the countries you mentioned the Salafis would take a very notable percentage. Way more that the %5 you gave them. In countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, Afghanistan: Salafis would take in 80 percent and up. In countries like Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Algeria: Salafis would take at least 1/4 of the votes if not more. The %5 Salafis is way too little. You have to see the trends these days. There is no Sufi trend. Sufis are getting out of fashion. Some parties are waging a war against them. Sufis are in retreat and not expanding. Salafism is expanding.

3- If al-Qiaida opens a training camp in Cairo they would get 100,000 recruits in one day.

#293 “Keep your political and religious emotions aside, what those attacks clearly show is that changing regimes is the easy part, changing nations is a much harder task.”

So we just keep our heads in the sand, leave the tyrants to their thieving and oppression and keep repeating the mantra over and over: “OMMM, We’re fine, we’ve got internet, McDonalds and KFC and a woman can walk on the street alone at 3:00 am without fear…OMMM”.

دعا رئيس الوزراء العراقي نوري المالكي ممثلين عن عدد من الفصائل السورية المعارضة خلال زيارة لبغداد، إلى الاستفادة من “تجربة العراق في التغيير”.
وذكر بيان صادر عن المكتب الإعلامي للمالكي، أن رئيس الوزراء استقبل اليوم “وفدا يضم ممثلين عن عدد من فصائل المعارضة السورية برئاسة الدكتور محمود دحام المسلط رئيس مكتب العلاقات الخارجية للمجلس الوطني السوري في أميركا وكندا”.
Two questions:
What is the SNC doing in Iraq?
Is Maliki really a role model for a future Syians president?
Iraq’s ” change” was forced by a foreign invasion that alienated Iraqi sunnis and opened Iraq to Iran.
Mr Maliki,we do not want your ” change”.
Now, the other part,SNC visit and the statement it followed about a “political solution” is a much bigger gum for pundits to chew on.

Muslim Brotherhood جماعة الإخوان المسلمون and Salafis سلفى (two sides of the same coin) are both radical Islamists. الدجّال and شيخ الاسلام know that first hand. Wolf in sheep’s clothing, they can’t be trusted – The west and Israel will soon realize that they made a big mistake in the ME. Party is over!

Mr atheist,
The revolution is over, we now have a civil war, the regime in practical terms has already fallen,the fight now is to save what can be saved of Syria.
Assad and his family can not rule Syria even if they win this war, a new reality is already established, whether the armed rebellion helped or hurt Syria is a matter for debate, I made my position clear, using violence helped the regime thugs, foreign jihadists and Israel,all others have lost,there is no way to beautify this pig .

Visitor:

Ibn Taymiyah was not a Syrian. He is a Kurd born to a famous Hanbali clergy family. His father was at the service of the Hanbali rulers of Damascus at the time.

Ibn Taymiyah never said the word Syrian once in his writings. There was no Syrian identity when Ibn Taymiyah was around. Ibn Taymiyah’s version of history does not include anything Syrian.

Ibn Taymiyah was a clergy for the ruler, the same way we have al-Buti and Hassoun working for al-Assad.

As for the occupiers of Syria that Ibn Taymiyah served under that is no secret.

As for if Ibn Taymiyah worked for the Mongols: yes he did work for Mohammad Ibn Qalawuun, a Mongol who occupied Syria. Ibn Taymiyah issued fatwa after fatwa to legitimize the brutal deeds of Mohammad Ibn Qalawuun. Ibn Taymiyah was unique in his ideas of hatred. Salafism came from this cook. The word “kill them” or “to be killed” came hundreds of times in his most important book that gathered all of his Fatawi/decrees : the name of the book is al-Fatawa al-Kubra. If you read the book you could see how Ibn Taymiyah reflected that he is a foreigner to Syria through the ease he issued his bloody religious decrees dehumanizing the Alawis and other Syrian minorities.

As for the Mongols who invaded Syria during the times of Ibn Taymiyah: It was Ghazan, who was a Muslim also. He was not a Shia. So it was Mongol A vs Mongol B on the land of Syria.

Ibn Taymiyah was working for the Mongols the occupiers of Syria.

As for the Alawis and the Mongols: mr. visitor repeats the lie we heard thousands of times that the Alawis helped the Mongols. This is the weakest argument ever because first it did not happen, second: it is obvious that the loser party wanted to blame someone, especially when this loser party has historians and religious figure to cover their tracks and show them as the heroes of the “ummah.”

Mr. visitor: Ahmad ibn Hanbal has nothing to do with Syria. He is Salafi number One. He worked in Baghdad. Syria was not in his menue. You were caught with your outrageous claim that Salafism is Syrian. I showed you with ease how you really has no clue about what you are talking about as usual

Funny how when you lose an argument you turn to personal insults. Still, your personal insults are weak as your historical knowledge.

You through that you scored one when you said that I am from Asfahan. I laughed at your poor level mr. Visitor. Are you better than any person from Asfahan? Do you know how great Asfahan is?

Some called Asfahan : “half of the world,” it has one of the most important engineering feats of the middle ages….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuGxR4BD4Ac

PS: hey Visitor, my dog for real knows about that period more than you any given day. He told me to tell you to go and read about the foreigners who were ruling Damascus.

Ann:

Of course Syria was around before all of these people.

OTTOMAN THIEVES!

Turkey to start oil exploration alone in eastern Med – 15 September 2012

http://en.trend.az/regions/met/turkey/2065714.html

International oil companies had shown interest in partnering with Turkey’s state-run oil firm TPAO to explore the İskenderun-Mersin region, tucked in a corner of the eastern Mediterranean near the island of Cyprus and the Syrian shore.

But with the 18-month-old Syrian crisis and Turkey’s decades-old dispute over Cyprus showing little sign of abating, none of the 11 firms which showed initial interest ended up applying for a licence, Turkish energy officials said.

“Companies are concerned about stability in the region. Because of this they did not enter into the process that TPAO started. However, when the region calms down, the same interest will be shown again,” one of the officials told Reuters.

“TPAO will start exploration in 2013. TPAO plans two separate drills in the (İskenderun) Gulf,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Turkey is locked in a row with the internationally-recognised Greek Cyprus over who has the right to tap hydrocarbon deposits in the eastern Mediterranean.

Surveys suggest more than 100 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of reserves could lie untapped throughout the region, a potential that has sparked investor interest but also revived decades-old boundary disputes.

Over the past three years, there have been significant discoveries made in the eastern Mediterranean basin. Greek Cyprus reported a natural gas discovery in December and neighbouring Israel has reported two major finds offshore in the sea separating both countries.

But Turkey has challenged Greek Cypriot attempts to discover offshore reserves, while Lebanon is in dispute with Israel over the Jewish state’s so called discoveries.

[…]

http://en.trend.az/regions/met/turkey/2065714.html

France’s Araud Likes Freedom to Denigrate Religion, Diplomats Quote Him

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 14 — In the UN Security Council, statement are adopted by consensus, but some of what is said long rankles other diplomats. So it is with French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud.

During a closed-door discussion this week of a draft press statement on the killing of US diplomats in Benghazi against a backdrop of protests of an anti-Islam film, Araud said, as paraphrased to Inner City Press by four Council diplomats, that he likes and takes pride in the freedom to denigrate religion.

One Security Council member told Inner City Press this was “outrageous” and “incitement.”

Another told Inner City Press, but then France should at least be consistent in being for free speech, because there are some kinds of speech they do not allow.

A third questioned how much this reflects the position of France under Francois Hollande, as opposed to Nicolas Sarkozy, and how much it is “Araud, pure Araud.”

We note that France has positioned itself with the opposition in Libya, particularly in Benghazi then air dropping weapons into the Nafusa mountains, and now in Syria, where even the founder of MSF from Paris has said half of the fighters he treated in Aleppo were, to put it diplomatically, armed opponents of such films.

Is French policy in this regard schizophrenic? Or is it simply cynical?

[…]

http://www.innercitypress.com/france1denigrate091412.html

On Embassy Attacks, Wittig Won’t Answer on Denigration of Religion, Araud

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 14 — After two days of protests of an anti-Islamic YouTube video at embassies not only of the US but also the UK and, notably, Germany in Sudan, this month’s UN Security Council president Peter Wittig of Germany came to the Council stakeout at 8:30 pm on Friday to read a Council statement. Video here.

When Wittig finished reading, Inner City Press asked him about what several other Council members had told it earlier in the afternoon: that the September 12 statement on the killing of US diplomats in Libya had initially included a condemnation of the denigration of the religion — that is, of the murky film — but that France’s Ambassador Gerard Araud blocked it, saying he was proud to have the freedom to denigrate religion.

Wittig answered, you certain don’t expect me to speak about internal and confidential deliberations of the Council.” Then, brushing off Inner City Press’ follow up, he said that Germany’s position is reflected in the Council statement. Video here.

But what several other Security Council members raised to Inner City Press is that France and other European countries — including Germany — now cite freedom of speech as a basis for not condemning the YouTube video, but have laws against other forms of speech.

It gets divisive, and could be distinguished, but the comparison is inevitable. Dodging it may not be the best approach.

[…]

http://www.innercitypress.com/germany1embassies091412.html

Security authorities following files of Kuwaitis said fighting in Syria – 15/09/2012

“Free Syrian Army” reported using cars with Kuwait number plate

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/187893/reftab/36/t/Security-authorities-following-files-of-Kuwaitis-said-fighting-in-Syria/Default.aspx

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 14: The concerned security authorities are following the files of Kuwaitis who are suspected of participating in the destruction of Syria fighting alongside the “Free Syrian Army”, reports Al-Seyassah daily quoting reliable sources.

This came following reports that many Kuwaitis are fighting the government forces in Syria alongside the opposition [terrorists] forces.

The daily added the security sources have been gathering information from more than one source to ensure validity of the news reports and to identify citizens who are involved.

The authorities are also trying to establish how these people left the country and how they crossed over into Syria.

The daily added the security sources have collected some information. The authorities are also looking into a incident which shows a car with Kuwaiti number plate used by the “Syrian Free Army” to transport militias [terrorists].

The security sources have said the pictures also show many volunteers entering Syria to distribute “aid”. This is in addition to the participation of two Kuwaiti MPs Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and Jamaan Al-Harbash in a demonstration in Syria after illegally entering the country.

The sources say Kuwait fears Syria will use this behavior as an excuse and accuse it of militarily supporting the revolutionaries and the so called “Free Syrian Army” contrary to what the authorities say the support should be given through official channels to the Syrian people in compliance with international laws and human rights organizations.

[…]

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/187893/reftab/36/t/Security-authorities-following-files-of-Kuwaitis-said-fighting-in-Syria/Default.aspx

Turkey’s Syrian Misadventure – 09/15/2012

Turkey’s intervention in Syria has been an act of unprecedented folly. Not since the republic was established in 1923 – not even when the military was in charge – has a Turkish government sought ‘regime change’ in another country. In sponsoring armed groups seeking to destroy the Syrian government, the collective calling itself ‘The Friends of the Syrian People’ appears to be committing serious violations of international law. While the focus has to remain on the prime victims of their intervention, the Syrian people, it is also the case that more than a year later the policy has not worked for Turkey and is blowing up in the face of its architects, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

International Law

Article 2 (1) of the UN Charter (1945) states that the organization is based on the ‘sovereign equality of all its Members’. Article 2 (3) states that all members ‘shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security and justice are not endangered’. Article 2 (4) required all members to refrain in their international relations ‘from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state or in any manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations’. Article 2 (7) states that ‘nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisprudence of any state’. Chapter 7 of the charter grants the Security Council the right to take action but only in cases of a threat to peace, a breach of the peace or an act of aggression. ‘Peace’ here is clearly intended to mean international peace and not the disruption of domestic peace by domestic disorder.

In 1965 the sovereign rights of the state were further affirmed in General Assembly Resolution 2131 (XX), entitled Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and the Protection of Their Independence and the Protection of Their Independence and Sovereignty, passed on December 21 by a vote of 109-0. Three of the core principles are adumbrated below:

1. No State has the right to intervene directly or indirectly for any reason whatever in the internal and external affairs of any State. Consequently armed intervention and all other forms of interference or attempted threats against the personality of the State or against its political, economic and cultural elements are condemned.

2. No State may use or encourage the use of economic, political or any other type of measures to coerce another State in order to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights or to secure from its advantages of any kind. Also no State shall organize, assist, foment, finance, incite or tolerate subversive, terrorist or armed activities directed towards the violent overthrow of the regime of another State or interfere in civil strife in another State.

The fact that powerful states bully the weak and frequently violate their sovereign rights is no excuse for Turkey to do the same. The question of whether the Justice and Development Party government is violating Turkey’s own laws is another issue, already raised in the Turkish media and by opposition politicians.

Disarray

None of this would matter so much if Turkey’s policy had worked out. Bashar would have gone in a few months and the Turkish Prime Minister and his Foreign Minister would be hailed for their foresight and courage but now it is they who are on the hot plate. Bashar is still in power and the army – the foot soldiers mostly Sunni Muslims – has not broken up on sectarian lines. The armed protégés of the outside governments are steadily being contained and driven out of the towns and the cities they have infiltrated. Fighting continues but external support for the armed groups seems to be waning. The US was already losing its appetite for direct intervention under the aegis of NATO and in the wake of the murder of the US ambassador to Tripoli by the very people whom the US used as auxiliaries to destroy the Libyan Jamahiriya and its founder, it can be ruled out altogether and not only because of fear of the Russian and Chinese reaction. Finally the US is taking a clear look at the people likely to inherit in Syria if Assad goes and it does not like what it sees.

The recent statement of a ‘rebel commander’ in Aleppo that 70 per cent of the population remains loyal to the government probably means that 90 to 95 per cent support the government and not just in Aleppo, where local Christians have been forming armed groups to defend themselves. It is only another strand of western involvement in Syria that politicians who wear their Christianity on their sleeve in Washington and London have completely ignored the evidence of the killing and intimidation of Syrian Christians. Only the Vatican has spoken out. Only recently have the sponsors of the armed groups – with the notable exceptions of Saudi Arabia and Qatar – begun looking askance at the savagery of the crimes they are committing, including the massacre of civilians and soldiers, rape, kidnapping and the murder of anyone identified as a ‘regime loyalist’, including police, postal workers, university professors and journalists. In Aleppo they stood their captives against a wall and riddled them with machine gun fire. Later they ‘executed’ 20 bound and gagged Syrian soldiers. In Al Bab – near Aleppo – they murdered postal workers before pitching their bodies from the roof of their building on to the steps below. In Homs the FSA’s Faruq Brigade maintained a special squad whose job it was to cut the throats of the group’s captives. Others have their heads cut off. All of this is justified by the crimes committed or alleged to have been committed by the ‘regime’. Any lines of demarcation between these groups have all but disappeared. There is tacit cooperation between all of them. There is no reason why any sane Syrian would want these people in their midst, especially as many are not even their countrymen but salafis/jihadis/takfiris – Pakistanis, Iraqis, Turks, Saudis, Chechens and Libyans – paid by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Their role in the armed opposition has become increasingly dominant.

US Target

Syria has been in the gun sights of the US administration for decades. The country’s modern history bulges with attempts to disable it through assassination, attempts to overthrow the government, armed attack and occupation and most recently sanctions: no wonder Syria has become a byword for the mukharabat state. In the past two decades the calibration of the anti-Syrian policy has been in the hands of the neoconservatives. The Middle East was their prime target and Israel their prime beneficiary. The national security strategy announced by the George W. Bush administration was effectively a neoconservative writ for attacking other states if and when the US wanted, with Muslim countries top of the list. The rule book – beginning with the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia – was tossed out the window. After the invasion of Afghanistan the governments of seven states were set up for destruction: Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Iran, not necessarily in that order. Out of the ruins a new Middle East was to be born.

The strategy has been extended to include a wide range of activities befitting a ‘hyper’ state powerful enough to operate outside the law, including ‘extra judicial’ executions and drone attacks that have killed countless numbers of civilians as well as a handful of Islamic militants in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen. Osama bin Laden could have been arrested and put on trial but was shot dead in front of his wives and children. This was not an ‘extra judicial’ execution because there is no such thing. For an execution to be legal it must have been preceded by prosecution, trial and conviction but now prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner have all been rolled into one. Osama might have been responsible for murders but he also was murdered. The use of ‘extra judicial’ execution is no more than media apologetics for crime.

Heads of state are no more exempted from the law of the gun than anyone else but there was a time when they were removed covertly. Now it is done right out in the open. The Reagan administration’s failed attempt to murder Muammar al Qadhafi in the 1980s was finally followed by success last year. The oracular statement of Hillary Clinton in Tripoli a few days before his murder that ‘we’ are looking forward to the Libyan leader’s capture or killing was thus fulfilled. It will be remembered that she celebrated the occasion with a joke. The assassination of the US ambassador to Libya was a different matter altogether: she said it left her heartbroken – a technical impossibility, some would say, reminiscent of the old jazz line – ‘something beats in his chest/but it’s just a pump at best’. Certainly she has never been known to utter a word of regret, remorse or apology for the women and children who have been killed by US drone attacks in various countries. Her heart seems quite intact as far as they are concerned.

Clinton’s purpose-driven morality blows around like a weathervane in a high wind but she is no more than the symptom of an ugly moment in history which has produced Guantanamo, extraordinary rendition and torture, the massacre of civilians on the ground and from the air in Baghdad, the urinating on the bodies of their victims by US soldiers in Afghanistan, and even the trophy mutilation of their bodies. One cannot be separated from the other. Reinforcing the systemic place of these crimes, very rarely has anyone even been rapped on the wrist for them.

Overshadowing them all, of course, is the genocidal assault on Iraq, beginning in 1991, and continuing through more than a decade of sanctions and the second war of 2003, but not even for these most terrible crimes has anyone who committed them or was ultimately responsible for them been punished. Clinton and Obama arrived late but added Libya to the pile of corpses and in any case have adhered to the policies set by their neoconservative predecessors.

In this new overtly lawless world, Bashar al Assad is a prime target for assassination. Very possibly he was expected to be at the meeting targeted for bombing by the so-called Free Syrian Army in Damascus a few weeks ago. Usually governments feel obliged to abhor terrorism, especially when directed against the members of other governments, but this time the spokesman for the US State Department more or less said that the victims – the Defence Minister and two other senior figures in Assad’s inner circle – had it coming. Responsibility for this attack was claimed by Riad al Assad, the commander of the FSA who remarked: ‘God willing this will be the end of the regime. Hopefully Bashar will be next’. Mr Assad lives in southeastern Turkey under the protection of the Turkish state. The question is rhetorical but still has to be asked: has Turkey really reached the stage where its government gives sanctuary to a man who openly admits to organizing terrorist outrages in the capital city of another country and is looking forward to the murder of its head of state? The FSA leader’s fervent hope was later echoed in the assertion by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius’ remark that Bashar does not deserve to be on this earth. In the world we used to have this would have been called incitement to murder.

[…]

http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=19573

A friend who just arrived to Cairo called me last night and he thinks that arabs received a worldwide appreciation and a better reputation because of the arab spring. All the worst and ugly was blamed on the dictators and despotes, now may be its time to portray again the ugly arab momentum once more.

313 VAT

“Did you consult with your dog before coming up with your answer?”

No, I consulted with your dog. She told me you have a bad odor. She wants you to take a bath at least once every two days.

Damascusrose,
Thanks for the poem. Please post more poems!

Majbali

My 5% is of the hard core fanatics that practice violence and have demonized the other.

I do not know how much the Salafists would get in an election. I have not followed the exact numbers of what the Islamist parties got in the recent elections except to say that they did not turn out to be as wide as some predicted.

I do think that bringing the Islamist parties into the political process will force them in this day and age to deliver and if they do not deliver then they can be removed.

I know that 5% of the minorities think exactly like you do that the last 1000 years of Islam is worse by far than the last 50 years of dictatorship in Syria and worse than the secular Baath party rule in Iraq and worse than the Stalinist rule or the Maoist rule and worse than the Khmer rouge and worse than Rwanda.

In my opinion and I hope I am wrong I see a mirror image of thoughts and ideas to the Salafists in your description of the other.

I regret to see people trapped in dogmas and caged in ideologies that dehumanize the other.

FYI I am not a believer and I have found great ideas from Stoicism to Taoism and going through Ali and Maoulawi sufism. I also am a great admirer of ” Libre Exaministes ” who clearly lived and showed that you do not need a religion to live an exemplary moral life.

SNC and it’s psthetic state of affair

Syria cannot move on until the SNC is reformed
The west is abandoning the council, when it should be aiding its reform and helping create a genuine successor to Assad

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/15/syria-snc-council-west-assad
….
The persistence of rifts within the opposition and the rise of extremism are driving more people towards the Assad camp. Also, the failure of the council has a direct impact on the unity and operations of the anti-regime fighters. The selective distribution of ammunition, according to Jamo, is a major cause of rifts among brigades of the FSA. Ziour al Omar said the council’s top leadership distributes the money they receive among themselves and then spend it for the uprising as they see fit. “Each member then distributes it to his own supporters,” he said.

The west must tie support and funding for the council to reform and inclusiveness. Some groups and figures within the council have already established channels of financial support in the region, which means the west must work with its regional allies.

The unconditional flow of funding, along with other factors, impede progress. Influential members feel they do not need to bow to pressure and cede monopoly over the council. According to an SNC member, Syrian Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Riad al-Shiqfa has said: “The west has no choice but to deal with us [the council].”

There is a pervasive attitude among SNC members that the issue of unity has been put forward by the international community to justify inaction. SNC member Ghassan Mufleh called the issue of unity a “concoction” and said that “a person with conscious” should not speak about reassuring the minorities when the majority is being persecuted. Such a statement is an example of why many Syrians are averse to the council.
,,,,

Looks like the Guardian has lost its readers on that too…
Here are a few comments to the article posted above:

ElvisInWales

15 September 2012 9:16AM

Why make an unpopular revolutionary council reform to suit who’s standards? The syrian peoples or reform it into something more palatable to us people here in the west who despite what our leaders are doing, we know what they are up to.

First off this is not a popular uprising by any measure, most Syrians do not back the violent mercenaries, jihaddiist etc.. If you are going to start a revolution then it has to have popular support WITHIN that country NOT outside it.

Personally I want my government to not give any more of MY and other uk taxpayers money to help fund fighting in a place that has nothing to do with me or my government and something that is not even supported by the syrian people themselves.. in short STOP meddling and let the syrian army take care of its own internal problems, like any other country would do if faced with the same crap Syria has had to endure.

PeterBrit

15 September 2012 9:32AM

I suspect that after the events of the last few days, the western public will want nothing more to do with guys with beards and kalashnikovs fanatically screaming Allahu Akbar, and I suspect western politicians will be wary for some time.

If the rebels want wastern aid they may need to start adopting some western values: real equality for women, real religious tolerance and acceptance that Islam is no more important than other religions, real separation of politics and religion.

JGrossman

15 September 2012 9:39AM

The west is abandoning the council, when it should be aiding its reform and helping create a genuine successor to Assad

The “West”, whatever that means these days, should do nothing.

It’s none of our business.

Any “Western” intervention will only make a bad situation worse.

Jake G

Logical Pepe Escobar
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/NI14Dj01.html

Mjabali: “In countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, Afghanistan: Salafis would take in 80 percent and up.”

NO. I don’t know about the arab countries you mentioned. But to say Pakistan and Afghanistan are 80 % salafist is completely wrong. Both these countries have long sufi traditions. Rumi was born in afghanistan and most afghans still love and respect him.

Even the taliban don’t have salafi origins. The deobandi tradition originated in Indi.

However, the majority of sufis are strict, conservative sunni muslims too. Talking about the “tolerant”, “peaceful” sufis is not always correct. For example most Chechens belonged/belong to sufi orders and they always fighted hard against the Russians. Salahdin was a sufi and known as a great islamic (sunni) fighter. Ottomans were sufi sunnis and they conquered big parts of the world…

You talk from an arab perspective. I would say the great majority of sunni muslims, living in South and Central Asia, are still sufi or sufi inspired. Outside the Arab world, salafists are just a few (but violent)extremists.

331. Tara

The SNC has found a new way out: They are posing as the ‘victims’ of a far fetched plot by the West who needs to justify its inaction.
It’s the usual cliche when the supposed ‘victim’ does nothing creative and just blame everyone else.

It was reported that Lakhbar Ibrahimi told Hollande that the “friends of Syria” should be dissolved and that the SNC should be reformed.
Hollande was furious and will probably boycott any effort that Ibrahimi will do.
This war is a war of inflated egos, nothing else. It is well reflected on SC by some commenters.

#321 SF

The present difference is that the Moslem Brotherhood hide well their plans and are patient and cautious, while the Salafis are extrovert and careless.

Two faces of the same coin.

Turkey, Israel share common interest in Syria: Netanyahu

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-israel-share-common-interest-in-syria-netanyahu.aspx?pageID=238&nID=30193&NewsCatID=359

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has sent a conciliatory signal to Turkey, saying the two countries have a common interest in Syria.

Zoo

I can’t share your assessment of MB any more. Morsi seems to be doing a reasonable Job in Egypt so far. What exactly your issues with him?

قال رئيس مجلس الوزراء وائل الحلقي إن وضع الليرة السوريةمستقر، مشيرا إلى أن الاقتصاد يستطيع أن يبقى مكتفيا مهما طال أمد الأزمة وأن متطلبات المواطنين متوافرة بشكل كامل بما فيها احتياطيات العملة والحاجات الأساسية وأهمها المحروقات.

Previous articles in SC predicted a rapid fall of the Syrian economy. Can Ehsani explain to us how the Syrian goverment is still able to pay monthly checks for its employee without any delay.

Dr. Landis, please remove my comment from the filter.
Thanks

Tara #341

That’s the current trend but of course it may change.

http://www.ukprogressive.co.uk/post-mubarak-egypt-the-ikhwanization-trend/article19948.html

“It is still too early to draw any conclusive assumptions about Egypt’s post-Mubarak era, but the characteristics for a new one-party dominant system are beginning to emerge. President Mohamed Morsi of the MB has, within few weeks of assuming power, restricted press freedoms, appointed MB members as provincial governors, replaced the head of state-owned Arab Contractors with a member of the MB, and infused the National Council for Human Rights and Supreme Press Council with Islamists. The MB also controls the executive and legislative branches of government, and enjoys some influence over the judiciary after the appointment of Mahmoud Mekki as Vice-President, the brother of the Minister of Justice. Needless to say, the MB also dominates the Constituent Assembly. The Egyptian uprising sought to end the phenomena of one political party dominating state affairs. However, Egypt’s “ikhwanization” trend seems to be replacing Mubarak’s dissolved National Democratic Party.

The rise of the MB has come at the expense of the pro-democracy activists.
…
Today, Egypt’s struggle for democracy is synonymous with the ability to counter the “ikhwanization” trend to avoid an authoritarian relapse and to guarantee two fundamental things: a Constitution with proper checks and balances on all branches of government, and upcoming free and fair democratic elections.

I was going to respond to a comment by Mjabali and I see Humanist has already touched on it (#334).

I’m sure I’ve already posted the following statistics on SC before.

South Asia (normally understood to mean at least India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), consists of around 400-500 million muslims.

According to the globalsecurity.org site:

“…nearly 85% of South Asia’s Sunni Muslims are said to follow the Barelvi school, closer to Sufism. The remaining 15% of Sunnis follow the Deobandi school,…”

Regarding Pakistan :

“By one estimate, in Pakistan, the Shias are 18%, ismailis 2%, Ahmediyas 2%, Barelvis 50%, Deobandis 20%, Ahle Hadith 4%, and other minorities 4%.”

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/islam-barelvi.htm

Some estimate the ‘Barelvi’ figure to be upto 70%.

The term ‘Barelvi’ is used derogatarily by Wahaabis/Salafis to describe those who generally follow the teachings of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (ra) of Bareilly, India. Also known as Alahazrat. He was a scholar, from over a 100 years ago who almost single handedly confronted the attempts of the Wahaabi doctrine to establish their beliefs in the region. A scholar of traditional Islam.

Shaykh Yaqoubi once mentioned how he was honoured to see Ahmad Raza Khan in a dream reciting from his famous book.

Here is what Shaykh Yaqoubi said on a UK tv channel about Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (including the account of the dream):

Shaykh Y’aqoubi Advocates Imam Ahmed Raza as Mujaddid

Is the “Jewish” vote loosing its value?

Obama rejects meeting with Netanyahu but invites Muslim Brotherhood

Middle East Violence
September 13, 2012
By: Anthony Martin
http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-rejects-meeting-with-netanyahu-but-invites-muslim-brotherhood
….
Critics have been swift to condemn the president over the rejection, particularly in light of the most recent intelligence reports indicating that Iran now has a cache of nuclear missiles that can hit any Israeli city.

However, news has leaked today that Obama initiated an invitation to Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, to meet with him in New York next week.

For decades the Muslim Brotherhood was banned from Egypt following the assassination of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The Brotherhood was implicated in the assassination, and the Egyptians were convinced at the time that the organization was actively engaged in terrorism.

The pro-regime are having a field day in trying to squeeze any propaganda value (beneficial to the Assad regime) out of the ongoing protests around the muslim world.

Ann in particular is in raptures.

If we wanted we could play at their own game for a second and put a spin on the events:

Maybe the upset and angry folk should instead channel their rage and direct it towards local Islamophobes (Assad regime or similar regimes) and overthrow them?

Does Huma Abedin, Top Aide to Hillary Clinton have Islamists ties, or it is just a Republican smear over Obama’s flirt with Islamists?

Wed, July 25, 2012
Ryan Mauro
http://www.radicalislam.org/analysis/huma-abedin-associate-editor-islamist-journal
…
The case of Huma Abedein, Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Clinton, has gotten almost all of the attention but their question about her is legitimate: Was her family’s close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood taken into account when granting her a security clearance?

The potential security concerns mentioned in the State Department’s published guidelines include:

“contact with a foreign family member… if that contact creates a heightened risk of foreign exploitation, inducement, manipulation, pressure or coercion.”
…
…
Her mother, Dr. Saleha Abedin, is a member of the Muslim Sisterhood, the Brotherhood’s female counterpart. She serves in the Bureau with the wife of Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s new Brotherhood president.
(She is Pakistani and teaches in Saudi Arabia)

She is also a member of the Muslim World League, which terrorism expert Andrew McCarthy describes as “the Muslim Brotherhood’s principal vehicle for the international propagation of Islamic supremacist ideology.” The organization she leads, the International Islamic Committee for Woman and Child, is part of the Muslim World League.

Her organization is not a moderate group that mistakenly got involved with the Muslim World League. Its charter is written by Brotherhood leaders including Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi, an open supporter of Hamas.
….
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1919649/posts

Turkey Is No Partner for Peace

Halil Karaveli, Foreign Affairs
September 11, 2012

http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/09/11/turkey_is_no_partner_for_peace_140045.html

The AKP has antagonized not only Syria’s Alawites but also its Kurds. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has insisted that his country would resist any Kurdish push for autonomy in parts of northeastern Syria, going so far as to threaten military intervention. The Turkish government’s unreserved support for the Sunni opposition is due not only to an ideological affinity with it but also to the fact that the Sunni rebels oppose the aspirations of the Syrian Kurds.

Full article:
http://ksekarfwtoi.blogspot.ca/2012/09/turkey-is-no-partner-for-peace.html

331 Tara

“SNC and it’s psthetic state of affair.”

Corrected – SNC and its pathetic state of affairs.

Sorry to be Mister Grammar, but there were too many errors to ignore.

d–a-le

It was a typo not a spelling mistake. The S is situated near the a on the keyboard. I saw it afterwards but did not bother changing it. Feel free to correct genuine spelling mistake but not ones where one letter is substititef by an adjacent one.

Btw, very funny comment the other day. Glad you are back but please no insults.

And Silentio, please while you are at it, can you call Apple and tell them not to have “its” automatically changed to it’s in their next generation of iPads or cell phones. It is time consuming to manually correct it each time.

Reporter Maya Naser

“Al Midan neighborhood of #Aleppo local residents started to get back to their houses and shops for needed food materials are opened.”

“Syrian army announced compilation (completion) of the operation in almost 80% of the neighborhood reaching to Al Akbar roundup while foreign backed armed groups announcing tactical withdrawal from the area”
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=301348279973062&id=295997937174763

Zoo

In regard to Morsi, I just do not see the oppression, torture, corruption, and lack of freedom Egypt suffered under Mounarak and yes it is too early to tell. If he does not hold onto the chair next election, then I ‘d consider him a national hero.

Vistor,

“I will not do as some would try to do in order to prove their so-called liberalism by declaring their willingness to consume alcohol or eat pork. This is the most shallow argument for such purpose.”

Ya faheem ya fahman, one can eat pork and drink and be conservative, just as one can choose not to eat pork and drink and be liberal….

You see unlike you I do not see the world as Muslim and Kafer (what a really boring outlook on life and people in general) and recognize that conservatives come in different colours and faiths.

And the most shallow argument one can ever make (which you are consistently guilty of) is to use your own dogma to argue a point, it is akin to Zionists arguing that Israel is legit because the Torah promised it to them, do you really think the Palestinians buy that argument?

262. MJABALI said:

“Only 5 %. I think they are way more than 5%. You should time that by 10 probably.”

________________________________________________________________

Only if you are from places like Qardaha, Bhamra, Jableh, Qadmous ( or rather Qqqadmous). will you think the way Mjabali does.

Btw Mjbali what about the fact that most Alawis are descended from Kurds and Turks (Turkmen) ? Even today there are Sunni Turkmen and Kurds living in the Coastal Mountains. I think Alawis are just the Kurds and Turks who left the Sunni religion and converted to Alawism. What about the fact that the Assad (Wahash) family can trace their origin to Northern Iraq ?

Tara,

RE: Morsi and the MB in general across MENA

I for one am glad to see the MB become less radicalized and more politicized. When religious groups enter into a democratic system and want to win in the political arena they will need a general broad based appeal, and more importantly maintain that appeal till the next election. In doing so these hardliners will either appear to soften their views or actually do it in order to win in the election.

Also something the doom and gloom crowd fail to see or mention that yes maybe in the short term things are going to be tough, mistrust and suspicion will be strife but eventually society and people will move on to the better, and in a Democratic state the chances of that happening successfully are much better than in an autocratic dictatorship.

Morsi won by mere percentage points against an ex-Mubarak “secular” stooge, had there been a real choice that was not bogged down by their connections to the old guard for the seculars and the minorities to vote for, Egypt as in Libya might have had a secular president now…

Having said this and before anyone thinks that I am a supporter of the MB, I would never vote for them, not even by default. I just would rather see religious groups out in the mainstream and in the political arena for all to see and scrutinize (just like any other political group) rather than hidden in some basement conspiring.

I have posted this before but the regime thugs still don’t have the answer….

On 4th September a high-ranking regime officer in Aleppo claimed that the regime Army will be able to capture Saif al-Dawla by the next 2 days and the whole of Aleppo within 10 days, it is 15th September today and even Saif al-Dawla is mostly still the frontline. Even Saif al Dawla has not been captured by the regime.

What do the regime supporters have to say about this ?

ALDENDESHE, do you think this Army is capable of taking back the Golan, forget about Jerusalem, when it can’t even take Aleppo ?

Aldendeshe, since you are a strategist, why do you think this Army which SNP hopes will one day take back Golan and Iskanderun, is not able to defeat a bunch of lightly-armed thugs ?

Do you think the Islamist terrorists have defeated the Syrian Army ?

S.O.D, people are dying daily across Syria and you still have the time and audacity to engage in chit-chat and small talk with the likes of ZOO, MINA and other menhebacks ?

TARA why do you keep on engaging ZOO in small talk ? Don;t you know he is a Menhieback and most FSA soldiers will gladly shoot him and his likes ?

SOD I think President Morsy should rule Egypt for the next 20 to 25 years as a virtual dictator like Putin or Ahmadinejad, that will help bring some much-needed balance in the region.

It will also help undo all the negative things that have happened to Egypt since the French invasion under Napoleon and after Mohammed Ali overthrew the Mamlouks. Egypt’s history since the downfall of the Mamlouks has been one of total darkness, especially after the dark dark day of July 23, 1952. ( You know what I mean)

Antoine HAT,

As opposed to engaging Dendeshe? Or writing under different names pretending to be other people? Don’t you find it odd you asked me and Tara the same question when the comment before that you are addressing the very same people you are deriding us in engaging? Is that not the definition of hypocrisy or what?

And you are right people are dying, and when this regime falls Syrians will need to face each other and talk or else Syrians are doomed to death and destruction for generations. I know you would like nothing better than to see that, I don’t!

“I think President Morsy should rule Egypt for the next 20 to 25 years as a virtual dictator”

So you want to replace one dictator with another for the sake balance and stability, yeah that makes sense…

Keep on trolling HAT!

Ya Dear Antoine,

The simple answer is because I like him. Any issue with that?

Would FSA in your opinion want to shoot me too?

For the record though, I don’t agree with your
assessment of the FSA’s target. You are misrepresenting them.

What more dishonour and humiliation can there be for the Syrian Arab Army ( Syrian Army for SNP) and its soldiers and officers, when they cannot defeat a lightly armed poorly trained guerilla force of Islamist thugs for the last 18 months, forget about defeating another country’s military.

TARA, you like a Menhiback, you cannot be a friend of the revolution.

True revolutionaries are prepared to fight their parents and borthers and cousisns if they support the regime.

TO 356:

People killed and murdered all over the world because of your kind. Just to name few, U.S.A, France, England, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Sudan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. Syria is no different.

Why are you hiding behind a Christian’s name like“ANTOINE”? Are you ABOUD or Khalid Tlass? Which one? Tell us and don’t be shy! We all know who you are? Sick, brained -washed individual, a product of hate, misery and revenge.

Antoine

Sorry Antoine, I do not need a validation as to who to like or dislike or whether I can or can’t support the revolution.

Why are you trying to taint the revolution in this way. It is counter productive. I may have accused
you or Tlass in the past of being an agent of the regime. I do not think that anymore but don’t you think that most of the revolution supporters do not think your way?

According to the cast and crew of “The Innocence of Muslims,” the man previously thought to have directed it – Nakoula Basseley Nakoula – was just the producer. The moviemaker, it turns out, is known for his work in soft-core porn.
http://rt.com/news/film-director-made-porn-225/

Socialist Worker article.

Thousands killed as Syrian regime seeks control of the capital

Tue 11 Sep 2012

by Simon Assaf

The regime of Bashar al-Assad is locked in a full-scale armed uprising across Syria.

Regime troops are blasting towns and cities with artillery, tanks and warplanes in a desperate move to regain areas that fell to rebels in their summer offensive.

Assad is pursuing a strategy of massacres, notably in Damascus. Thousands of people have been killed in regime sweeps of the capital’s working class neighbourhoods. These massacres, which are seen as punishment, are an attempt to undermine support for the revolution.

Read more:

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=29532

Pentagon prepares to drop the hammer on anti-US Muslim riots?
http://rt.com/news/panetta-troops-deployment-riots-192/

Russia warns US on consequences of regime change
http://rt.com/politics/russia-us-libya-ambassador-stevens-046/

338 Tara
Could you give a single example of Morsi’s job in Egypt?? Do you read Egyptian newspapers to get an idea? What about his speech in Brussels and the one in Rome? What about his governement: less women and less Copts, and his renouncement to his campaign promess of having a woman vice-president and a Copt vice-president?

No drinkable water, power cuts,most of the gas going to al Arish to be sold 5 times its price, epidemics on the rise, civil servants on strike 50 percent of the time, poverty on the rise.

In addition he left the minbar to the Salafis (just watch any khutba on the national television a Friday) because he knows he has been voted in the 1st tour by only 25 percent of the voters (who themselves were half the people who had a voting possibility).

Just a few examples:
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/fuel-crisis-sweeps-governorates-first-day-school
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/neighbors-war-month-after-christian-families-fled-dahshur-tensions-remain
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/egyptair-flight-attendants-ask-be-allowed-grow-beards

Anti-American fury sweeps Middle East over film
http://news.yahoo.com/clashes-egypt-over-film-protests-spread-115710576–finance.html

“Indeed, I asked myself, how could this happen, how could this happen in a country we helped liberate, in a city we helped save from destruction.” – Hilary Clinton, US Secretary of State
http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-diplomacy-and-americas-enablers-of-terror/

SOD 354 said,

“Ya faheem ya fahman, one can eat pork and drink and be conservative, just as one can choose not to eat pork and drink and be liberal…”

You may have had some respect previously based on good will. Now you lost it.
Y bala fihm at all!!!

What do you mean by conservative?

Do you consider yourself Muslim?

If so, how do you eat pork and drink alcohol and not be in violation of Islam?

If you do not have a good answer do not bother. I am not interested in another shallow argument from you. I would prefer someone who comes out and say I am no longer Muslim and eat pork and drink alcohol than somebody presenting a convoluted argument that has no basis. I would consider the former to be non-shallow while the latter would be worse than a hypocrite and with no fihm at all.

So, abide by these guidelines or drop out. These are my rules to correspond further with you.

FSA re-establishes full control of Salahedin in Aleppo,

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/09/15/238224.html

Recently there have been quite a few refutations of some on the left regarding their position on the Syrian situation. These included refutations from others on the left or bloggers such as Amjad of Arabia.

Tariq Ali got some serious attention for his RT interview.

I felt it was time we got a response from the likes of Tariq Ali and co. to explain themselves.

Tariq Ali has written the following article. I’ve only started reading it and am up to where he, in a change in his position his opinion, now concedes the regime most likely was behind the Houla massacre.

Western intervention in Syria will impose a semi-puppet regime on the Libya model

13 September 2012

http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/syria/1869-tariq-ali-western-intervention-in-syria-will-impose-a-semi-puppet-regime-on-the-libya-model

After all, it was time for the world to discover that Egypt has a Prime Minister. “Egypt’s Prime Minister Hisham Qandil has said the US must do all it can to stop people insulting Islam.” (…) “He also called on the US, and other governments, to “take the necessary measures to ensure insulting billions of people, one-and-a-half billion people and their beliefs, does not happen and people pay for what they do, and at the same time make sure that the reflections of the true Egyptian and Muslims is well in the Western media.””
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19612408

Could someone explain them that there are probably hundreds of offensive videos and speeches against Islam on the internet but that they can simply decide not to watch them?

Al-Qaeda calls for killing of US diplomats over anti-Muslim film
A branch of Al-Qaeda based in Yemen called on Muslims to continue protesting and to kill US diplomats in response to the American-made film mocking the Prophet Muhammad, Reuters reported. The group posted a message on their website urging Muslims to follow in the steps of those responsible for killing America’s ambassador to Libya on Tuesday. “Let the step of kicking out the embassies be a step towards liberating Muslim countries from the American hegemony,” the statement said.
http://rt.com/news/line/

“Indeed, I asked myself, how could this happen, how could this happen in a country we helped liberate, in a city we helped save from destruction.” – Hilary Clinton, US Secretary of State
__________________________________________________________________

“Indeed I ask myself, how could this happen, how could this happen in a country we helped devastate, in a city we helped maximize the destruction into an unbelievably appalling shock and awe level, far worse than we did Afghanistan and Iraq. We even destroyed the very source of living and feeding the people, the great water project of Libya, we kicked out the brutal dictator Kaddafi, whom I personally welcomed his son in Washington couple years ago, and replaced his regime with genocidal Islamic Terrorists and Al-Qaida/Alciada to complete the trashing of Libya, now wait few more years, they will all be begging us for food for oil. They should love us for the opportunity we deprived them from having, free house, free cars, free medical, free education, all the oppressive dictatorial gadgets used by the evil dictator we appointed few decades ago.

It is appalling that they now are fighting us after we launched a campaign to desecrate the only thing holly for them, their Islam, we should have welcomed us with roses and rice. But now, that we seen the evil Al-Qaida face, we cannot tolerate this offensive people, we must send our NATO or US troops to invade and occupy them.

Observer:

You claim always that you are an “observer,” but you are missing to observe the mountain in front of you that is called Salafism. The little mountains next to it are the other militant interpretation of Islam.

Hardcore interpretation of Islam are popular these days.

Where is the last Sufi we saw on TV? Sufism is out of fashion and instead an ideology that espouses war and dehumanize the others is taking over with a huge money machine behind it. Militant interpretation of religious squabbles are dominant in the Middle East.

You said that you “do not know how much the Salafists would get in an election.” I am telling you that they will get more than the %5 you allotted them. In Egypt they got %25 and in Lebanon and Syria amongst Islamists, Salafis would get easy %25. Same with Jordan and Iraq. So why deny all of this. Also, if we look at how close the Muslim Brothers to the Salafis, we see that conservative Islamic parties would get at least %70 to %80 of Sunni voters at any given day now. Sufis and so forth may win %5.

See who is the %5 these days?

AS for your slander that I am from the %5 of minorities that thinks that the ruthless Islamic rule is worst than al-Assad years: please mr. observer stay away from personal insults. You do not know me. You write away about yourself, I do not. But here is a little info for you: I hate ruthless rule and dictators.

AS seeing me as the other mirror of the Salafis because I critique your sect, sorry mr observer I advise you to get accustomed to real conversations.

You are a romantic figure seeing things emotionally, I call things the way they are.

Your personal attacks on me are a reflection of your long years in the Middle East: no respect to other people’s opinions.

Humanist:

You have a point. Maybe amongst Pakistani Sunnis, you may find some non Salafists. But, from we see on TV and the events that took place one can say with conviction that conservative brands of Sunni Islam are more dominant these days.

My point is simple: elections would show us what is the real percentages of these types of parties. Sooner or later the parties are going to emerge.

But, to say that Pakistan’s Sunnis and Taliban do not have Salafi origins, does not mean that these countries did not develop a more conservative way. Look at how much hatred there is between the various Muslim sects over there in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yes they may have a Sufi tradition, but where is that now.

Slah al-Din and the Ottomans were Takfiris also. Yes they may have been in one Sufi order, but, were they Takfiris or not?

How many people did Salah al-Din and the Ottomans kill from the other group?

374. Uzair8

Correction:

I said Tariq Ali now thinks the regime was most likely behind the Houla massacre.

Actually, Tariq Ali thinks ‘It’s now clear that the regime was responsible.’

Asstoine: (a combination between Antoine and Hassan: since both are the same person):

Mr. Asstoine Sarayah al-Difa’:

There are tons of Alawi Turkmans, and Alawi Kurds. The Alawi Kurds went through many massacres the last were in the 1930’s.

Visitor,

“You may have had some respect previously based on good will. Now you [sic] lost it.”

This might come as a shocker to you, I never cared for your goodwill. And this is not personal against you, I just don’t care for many peoples opinion and goodwill on here.

“What do you mean by conservative”

Exactly as it says in the dictionary:

Holding traditional values and attitudes and cautious about change or innovation. Typically in relation to Politics AND religion

“Do you consider yourself Muslim?”

I was brought up Muslim, when pressed to identify myself with a certain religion or sect (by mainly Arabs and zealots like yourself) then I tell them I was brought up Muslim and identify with a Muslim God, however I don’t say that I am either a practicing Muslim or even a devotee. And for the record whatever faith I had in any God before this revolution has been long lost, Assad has proven to me that there is no God. That does not mean I do not respect peoples choices in their faith, on the contrary I try to find the good in every faith and to learn as much about it as I can.

“If so, how do you eat pork and drink alcohol and not be in violation of Islam?”

My answer above should cover this question. However I wonder what you consider Omar Al-Khayam to be? And are there Muslims without sin?

“So, abide by these guidelines or drop out. These are my rules to correspond further with you.”

I will comment however I wish whenever I wish as long as I follow the guidelines of the blog, and last I checked I do not see Visitor on the top right corner so your “guidelines” mean absolutely zilch to me. If you don’t like it go and بلط البحر !

And sure call me hypocrite and whatever else you want to call me, I have no issues whatsoever with your “words” about me, I am self assured and know exactly where I stand and whom I am, while you hide behind your bigotry and made up Salafi “facts” while differentiating people by their faith.

Anyways I will end this conversation here and now, because we all know you are always correct and everyone else is wrong, and as such it would be a rather waste of time to argue with such a simpleton as yourself stuck in the Dark Ages.

Running, not defecting RT @TheGulfColdWar CONFIRMED: Defection of Yousef Al Assad, direct cousin of Bashar, who fled to Dubai #Syria

http://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/running-not-defecting-rt-thegulfcoldwar-confirmed-defection-of/

382 SOD,

No you cannot end anything on your terms.

But now that you have correctly identified yourself as a shallow hypocrite go and drink your brains off with Omar Al-Khayyam or anyone else like him. Only idiots would think Khayyam would amount to anything when it comes to Islam.

People like you and Khayyam just pass through Islam exactly like an arrow passing out of its bow. They learn nothing from it.

Now, you can be addressed properly and at least we get rid of an unwanted baggage from our midst.

Visitor,

“Now, you can be addressed properly and at least we get rid of an unwanted baggage from our midst.”

Our midst? Who made you the revolutions bouncer?

Just try and farjeeni 3ard iktafatak ya batal ya Grandizer inteh! You are one nasty little dog, but like most dogs you are all bark and no bite, and like most dogs you need to be shown your place.

Keep howling someone might care and feed you a bone…

Btw Omar Al-Khayam is still remembered and discussed to this day, I wonder how many people will be discussing you hundreds of years after you die…

385 SOD,

And you’re just a little wimp whose facade has just been peeled and exposed for the hypocrite he really is?

Are you not the one who was always calling for so-called peaceful demonstration afraid to raise a finger while people are getting murdered?

You just bounced yourself out by yourself. No body needs to bother bouncing you or your likes. You’re useless.

The revolution is ours by default. You had nothing and will have nothing to do with it.

The Coptic Nakoula has criminal records.  Not unexpected.  I congratulate the Islsmophobe society for their membership.  I bet most of them have criminal background.  It appears to be a package deal.

US police question film-maker linked to controversial anti-Islam movie
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, interviewed by police but not arrested or detained as protests continue across Middle East

guardian.co.uk, Saturday 15 September 2012 10.54 EDT

According to the Associated Press federal authorities have identified Nakoula, a self-described Coptic Christian, as the key figure behind the movie and identified him to be “Sam Bacile”, the man who claimed earlier this week to be writer and producer of the film.

Police officers said Nakoula went voluntarily with them to the police station and they were investigating to see if he had breached the term of a parole he is serving after being convicted of fraud charges.
….

According to court transcripts Nakoula’s defence said he only got involved in the scheme after losing his job in the gas station industry and had been forced to work for a few dollars a weekend at swap meets to try to support his children and an ailing father.

Nakoula apologized during the proceedings and his attorney James Henderson Sr said Nakoula had learned his lesson. “He’s clearly gotten the message,” Henderson said at the time during that court hearing. “I can’t imagine him doing anything stupider than he did here.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/15/us-police-question-film-maker

381. MZABALI

You have a sectarian point of view of what Syria is. You are the typical Assad´s Syria product. This kind of intelectual focus on Syria is under my point of view simply garbage. Specially when we all know that all young syrians behind the revolution have no sectarian but an unified focus on the syrian future.

Note: the combination of Hassan and Antoine makes Hastoine, not Asstoine. Some respect please. Do not try to be cultivated while being rude.

Sandro

Just to let you know, I think very highly of you and have always admired and respected your position. I am so proud to be your fellow country woman.

Benghazi was a mess for hours after its air space was crowded with US drones followed by the arrival of the Marines and CIA anti terrorism agents. Fighters in BinGhazi fired on those drones and shut BinGhazi airport for 24 hours. Data from communication inside Libya is now under US control and Libya’s own sea line is invaded by NATO vessels.
Take whatever conclusions you want from this report but it is clear now that Libya is losing its sovereignty and is being treated as a minor stepson by western governments .

SOD@ 354

Ref: Morsi

I can’t agree more.

Majbali
You still do not get it the 5% are the active militants. The 5% of minorities that think Islam is inherently evil is also my estimate of what some Christians or Druze think. The ones that acted on this premiss were the Christian militas in Lebanon and the active members were but 5% of the Christian population again.

Now what if Salafists in free and fair elections get 25% or more.

That means that 75% are not voting for them.

I also continue to say that portraying the other in such wide sweeping generalization of 1000 years of blood and ashes is the same discourse that the Salafists claim with the last 100 years after the demise of the Khalifate as nothing but pure aggression on Islam.

By the way I am an atheist and therefore your description of my sectarian nature does not hold.

Finally no insult or offense intended all I say is that the simplistic white and black thinking happens to be widespread.

Some atheists and other minorities think that Islam is inherently evil and Geerts in Holland or Ayan Hirsi Ali and others are examples of it. They and you are entitled to your ideas just as some neo Nazis claim the holocaust did not happen or that the Jews are behind all the ills of the world.

From this point of view demonizing all Muslims becomes an easy task just as the rumors that Muslims were behind the fire that killed Hindus in a train in Gujrarat resulted (some years back )in massive riots against Muslims who were burned alive.

It is thinking like this that needs to be debated for it allows for actions and reactions.

So in this debate I tell you again that all of the minorities of the Levant want the Sunni majority to be secular while they retain their ethnicity you cannot have the cake and eat it too.

Again I point out to you that this is in my opinion your arguments and that you are fully entitled to your ideas but in my opinion these ideas are worth debating as to their veracity and to their impact.

I think hiding behind an offended stance to an imaginary insult is a cop out of the debate.

389. Tara

I share my respect for you and your views, and specially for your faith in final victory. I pray night and day for Syria to become a place were people can live in peace and some acceptable levels of justice and dignity. I hope in the future we can enjoy Syria and hear free syrian wonderful people expressing their demands freely.

But what I really expect more than anything is coming back to see christians and muslims marching over Omayad Square to celebrate the end of the dark age of Assad´s Syria.

I have been outside for some days. Has the BBC Tlass interview commented here? I found Manaf an interesting and potential political character.

Sandro

واللهِ وحياة الله وحياة المسيح الحي I do not have the slightest doubt that we shall prevail.  
Manaf Tlass interview was linked by Ghufran on SC several days ago.  I just do not trust him.  He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has not suffered for our freedom.  I doubt he would appreciate and defend democracy with his life.  But, if he becomes a transitional leader in order to overcome the impasse, I would have no problem with that.

Visitor for the Dark Ages,

“3aouwwwwwww…!”

Sorry I don’t speak dog.

China’s official news agency blames ambassador death on US policy

Agence France-Presse
Sep 14, 2012
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/chinas-official-news-agency-blames-ambassador-death-on-us-policy

BEIJING // China’s official news agency said yesterday the assault that killed the US ambassador to Libya highlighted an “arrogant” Washington’s “flawed” Middle East strategy, in unusually outspoken comments.

In a strongly worded commentary Xinhua said the violent attack, which has been condemned by governments around the world including China’s, showed the need for Washington to reconsider its policies in the region.

“The United States has been pursuing hegemony in the Middle East for decades, and people in the region are fed up with the image of ‘the arrogant American’,” it said.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

Desmond Tutu

Read more at

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/desmondtut106145.html#8MtzTW1fpeSrewD4.99

Syrian Premier: Economy is Balanced & Syrian Pound is Stable
(Dp-news – Sana)
http://www.dp-news.com/en/detail.aspx?articleid=131035

DAMASCUS- Syrian Prime Minister al-Halqi stressed Thursday that the Syrian economy is strong with all its components including services, reserve of foreign currencies and gold and that the economic situation is stable despite the embargo and the US and European sanctions imposed on Syria.

In an interview with the Syrian TV broadcast on Thursday evening, Premier al-Halqi said that Syria will remain steadfast as long as it enjoys economic, social and food security and depends on its national resources.

Al-Halqi reassured the Syrian people that food security is achieved despite the embargo since Syria is subjected to such embargo long time ago.
Al-Halqi refuted rumors on the deterioration of the Syrian Pound and the Central Bank of Syria as “untrue”, saying that “Syria’s reserve of Syrian currency exceeds SYP 600 billion and its reserves of foreign currencies are enough to survive for many years.”

The Premier said that the Syrian Pound is stable and has preserved its stability for 18 months since September 2011 when the sanctions were imposed on the Syrian banks and the difficulty of exchange which has been overcome through linking the Syrian Pound with other currencies.

He added that the intervention of the Central Bank of Syria in selling and purchasing operations and allowing private banks and exchange offices to issue currency exchange rate bulletin by a margin of 1% contributed to the stability of the Syrian Pound.

The Premier stressed the stability of Syrian banks, indicating that the security situation necessitates the closure of some branch of the Syrian banks to protect them from looting and burglary.

He reviewed the series of the US and the European Union sanctions on Syria since the beginning of the crisis which started with banning oil exports and imports to reach the Syrian banks and banning the importation of maintenance spare parts which stepped up pressure on economy and caused the overall economic growth to slow.

Al-Halqi added that the armed terrorist groups which targeted the economic and services infrastructure in Syria starting with oil fields, pipelines and facilities, railways, transports and extended to attack factories, banks, serves and humanitarian institutions, the health sector and the educational and tourism facilities and all these acts affected the Syrian economy.

He said that the government is working on meeting the citizens’ needs of diesel next winter as it will distribute 200 liters as a first stage to meet the heating needs.

Al-Halqi added that Syria needs 8 billion liters of fuel annually, adding that Syria produces 50 % and imports the rest 50% from other countries – in return for crude oil, clarifying that the Syrian government spent SYP 320 billion every year to meet diesel needs.

He said that the embargo and sanctions on banks and oil sector made it harder to fulfill the needs of oil derivatives, indicating that Syria has adapted to the new situation and found new outlets in cooperation with its friends all over the world.

The Premier said that Syria has strategic storage of domestic cooking gas, indicating that the problem lies in means of transporting and delivering it after the attacks and sabotage acts against railways.

Al-Halqi said that the Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources transports gas through tankers and signed a contract to import 25 tankers for this purpose.

Premier al-Halqi stressed that heading to the east is not new as it started since 2005 though visits to Asian countries, countries of South America and Russia which resulted in joint investment projects and partnerships in several sectors such as energy and health, in addition to supporting Syria in international forums in the current crisis.

He expressed desire to boost relations with the east and the recent visits to Russia and Iran serve this purpose, stressing close relations with these countries to provide oil derivatives, strategic and necessary materials.

Guy Verhofstadt on Situation in Syria

He sheds light on why the West’s inaction and the fallacy of a political transition with the Assad regime in place.

Was Samaha’s plot initially intended to blow up the pope while visiting in Lebanon and then blame it on the Muslims?

It’s unfortunate to witness pro-revolution users turning on each other. We don’t have to agree with each other on everything. Perhaps some things, which possibly threaten to divide us, can be left for another day, to discuss post-revolution, for the sake of achieving the primary goal, a successful revolution?

Such vehemence weakens and harms our cause and only gives succor to our opponents.

Sometimes instinct demands one thing when it is wiser to restrain and remind ourselves of the main purpose for being here.

Let’s try to end the suffering of the Syrian people.

Mohamed Morsi: a spectacular balancing act
Egypt’s president has surprised many with his ability to dominate domestic politics – so far. Now, as tensions surface at home he has to find a way to appease the US after the embassy attack in Cairo
 
Ian Black
The Observer, Saturday 15 September 2012

….
Until then Morsi had said only that he was ordering Egypt’s foreign ministry to sue the US makers of the film Innocence of Muslims – the tacky, low-budget 14-minute trailer that triggered protests across the Arab and Islamic worlds and provided cover for a pre-planned armed assault that killed the US ambassador to neighbouring Libya.

Images of the storming of the fortress-like embassy had been broadcast around the globe. “We Egyptians reject any kind of assault or insult against our prophet,” Morsi finally responded in the Brussels press centre. “But it is our duty to protect our guests and visitors from abroad.”

This belated and carefully crafted message was delivered after what the New York Times described as a “blunt” 20-minute phone conversation with Barack Obama. “The president has to balance between his domestic alliances with ultraconservative Islamists and Egypt’s relations with the US on the foreign affairs front,” observed analyst Khalil al-Anani. It is, as this episode has shown, a delicate high-wire act.

Troubling questions are in the air. Can the Arab world’s most populous country, now ruled by an Islamist president, remain on good terms with the US if anti-American sentiment is so strong? What about vitally needed tourism and foreign investment? Is the entire Arab spring a failure? Is Morsi, as conservative American critics splutter, “a new Khomeini” – a revolutionary firebrand who will send baying mobs to besiege US embassies?

Morsi was sworn in in July after winning – by a small margin – a free election that gave Egyptians their first real choice of a leader, as Cairenes joke, in 7,000 years. It was a triumph not just for democracy but also for the Muslim Brotherhood, banned since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952. Morsi saw off a former general, Ahmed Shafiq, who was seen as a quintessential felool (remnant) of the old regime.

The contest could hardly have been more polarised. And Morsi was not an appealing figure. The original candidate of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party was Khairat al-Shater, a charismatic businessman who spent years in Hosni Mubarak’s prisons and was disqualified on a technicality. Morsi, an engineer, was a backroom operator. Enemies scorned him as “spare” – and underlined the point by waving tyres at his carefully orchestrated rallies. Journalists groaned at his dreary, quote-free speeches.

In the end, though, the Brotherhood’s well-oiled machine mattered more than Morsi’s underwhelming personality. And even critics concede that he has proved surprisingly deft, cementing his leadership while acquiring, on paper at least, greater powers than any of his predecessors – and this with parliament suspended and a new constitution yet to be written. The Morsi Meter, established to monitor his performance in his first 100 days, currently gives him an approval rating of 47%.

In August he pulled off a spectacular coup, revoking the powers of the generals who had dominated Egypt since forcing Mubarak out. Commentators called it Morsi’s “night of power” – an unmistakable reference to the Qur’an.

“The army was trying to contain Morsi but he outmanoeuvred them step by step,” reflected Abdullah Hamouda, an independent journalist. “He made peace with the civil authority in order to confront the military.” It was a swift victory in a struggle most Egyptians had assumed would take years. “The genius of it was doing it without having a confrontation,” mused a secular intellectual who like many others mistrusts the Brotherhood but admits to grudging admiration for the president. “It was done in a very sophisticated way that is in line with the temperament of the Egyptian people.”

Next Morsi played a blinder on the international stage, flying to Tehran to attend the Non-Aligned Movement summit despite objections from the US and Israel. Standing alongside Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he lambasted the “oppressive regime” of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad – Iran’s close ally. Morsi spoke with all the moral authority of the Egyptian revolution. And there was a pleasing echo of the feisty independence of the Nasser era. “If it displeases the Americans, then so be it,” shrugged one official. “This is the new Egypt.”

In line with this new assertiveness Cairo is now trying to put together a “contact group” for Syria – comprising Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey – to see if the Middle East can forge a solution that has eluded the divided UN security council.

On the negative side, it is clear that the Cairo embassy affair has been damaging to relations with the US. Obama, under fire from Republican Mitt Romney, described Egypt as not an ally but not an enemy – an alarmingly tepid characterisation from the man who provides it with $2bn in annual aid, the price, principally, of maintaining the 1979 peace treaty with Israel. Egyptian diplomats dismiss this as a slip of the presidential tongue in the heat of the moment. It didn’t sound like a gaffe.

Obama’s critics will doubtless relish the opportunities for attack when Morsi visits Washington soon. “Morsi is taking a page from the 1979 Khomeini playbook, fabricating an international incident to mobilise religious passions as a weapon for his political grouping against more secular blocs in Egyptian society – the Egyptian military very much included,” thundered the right-wing commentator David Frum.
..

The novelty here is accountability to voters. Mubarak could and did ignore popular opinion and sent in the riot police or plain clothes thugs to crack heads. Morsi’s dilemma is the classic one of an elected politician torn between his core constituency and allies and larger issues of national interest.
..

Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Doha Centre says he now detects tensions between the Brotherhood and the presidency. “The events of the last few days have… made clear that Morsi’s office and the MB are not one and the same,” he commented. Morsi’s long-delayed statement tried to “offer everybody a little something”, said the political scientist Michael Wahid Hanna. “But the Brotherhood are not in opposition any more. They run the country now.”

Egyptians are watching Morsi on other fronts. Liberals disliked the vengeful Qur’anic language he used when jihadis killed 16 Egyptian soldiers in Sinai – a stark reminder of the perennial dangers emanating from the Palestinians, Israel and the besieged Gaza Strip. Many are still waiting for the Christian and female vice-presidents Morsi promised to appoint to underline inclusivity – and for an end to the muzzling of critical media, with its echoes of the bad old days. The president’s balancing act over Egypt’s turbulent and shifting landscape will face more challenges – and doubtless more unpleasant surprises.
…,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/sep/16/profile-mohamed-morsi

The Pope, on his peace mission to Beirut, told the Lebanese to stop shipping guns to Syria. Good advice.

Also this from Lebanon:

“The mufti, or spiritual leader, of Lebanon’s Sunni Muslims told Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday that he would consider “any attack on a Christian as an attack on all Muslims.” Mohammad Rashid Qabbani, who met the pontiff at the presidential palace, added that he also considered “any attack on a church as equivalent to an attack on mosque, because our religion prohibits us from doing so.” Qabbani’s remarks were included in a letter he handed to the pope, as the pontiff also met leaders of the Shiite, Druze and Alawite communities. He said the events rocking the Arab world “bring us Muslims and Christians a light that shows us the path to a better tomorrow, though they also bring many dangers that are a threat to us. But just as we made our history together in the past, we will also make our future together, based on coexistence.”

I’ll bet VAT has a contrary opinion on coexistence.

402. Tara

“Morsi was sworn in in July after winning – by a small margin – a free election that gave Egyptians their first real choice of a leader in 7,000 years.”

Tara, you’re starting to get like “Cut & Paste Ann” with a post that goes on and on like a garden hose. But at least your choice of article was a good one.

Morsi was NOT the first in 7,000 years. But it seems like 7,000 because it’s been a long time since the Egyptians ruled themselves. The last Egyptian Pharaoh reigned about the time of King Solomon (1000 BC). After that it was Libyans, Nubians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, British. Face it, they’ve waited a long time for this. They may find out after a year or so of chaos that’s it’s better to let foreigners run the show.

The problem for Egypt is, tourism is the big economic engine and with all this burning and looting and killing of Christians, no one’s gonna come to see the Pyramids.

Prediction: some Muslim lunatic is gonna propose they destroy the Pyramids because they’re pagan. Some other Muslim lunatics are gonna say, “That’s a good idea.” Remember. You heard it here first.

Silentio

“Tara, you’re starting to get like .. Ann”

Dear Silentio, I would kill myself first..

قال الدكتور عمار يوسف  الباحث في الشؤون العقارية : أن سورية بحاجة إلى ما يزيد عن 45 مليار دولارلإعادةالإعمار
موضحا أنه لا توجد تقديرات رسمية لعدد المساكن المتضررة لكن من حيث المبدأ بلغ عدد المساكن المهدمة بشكل كامل ثلاثمائة ألف مسكن والمتضررة بشكل جزئي مائتان وخمسون إلف مسكن وما تضررت بنيته التحتية بما يقارب أربعمائة ألف مسكن .
Syria does not have $ 45 billions but money stolen from the treasury by the regime and its friends can cover part of the expenses, expats if they find a relatively stable country to go back to or invest in can also help,as of foreign help,I am not holding my breath to see that coming, most foreign help has strings attached.
Personally, all of my zakat money went and will continue to go to Syria for years to come, that is the least any Syrian can do to help, those who can give more should do so, I think politics should be kept aside when the issue is humanitarian aid.
SOD, how do envision getting out of this mess if the opposition does not want to talk to the regime, I am not talking about the Assads and Makhloufs here, ?

Holy Father: Fundamentalism is always a falsification of religion. It goes against the essence of religion, which seeks to reconcile and to create God’s peace throughout the world. Therefore the task of the Church and of religions is to undertake a purification – a lofty purification of religion from such temptations is always necessary. It is our task to illumine and purify consciences and to make it clear that every person is an image of God. We must respect in the other not only his otherness, but also, within that otherness, the essence we truly have in common as the image of God, and we must treat the other as an image of God. So the essential message of religion must be against violence – which is a falsification of it, like fundamentalism – and it must be the education, illumination and purification of consciences so as to make them capable of dialogue, reconciliation and peace.

I want to thank God that the rigeme did not expand the internet to the country side, otherwise we would vertual revlution as we are witnessing here with our 2 vertual worriers fighting it out over the net while real people are dying

ذكر مركز أمريكي متخصص في مراقبة المواقع الإلكترونية الإسلامية، أن تنظيم قاعدة الجهاد في جزيرة العرب يتبنى هجوم بنغازي، ويعلن أن اقتحام القنصلية الأمريكية وقتل السفير مع 3 دبلوماسيين آخرين يأتي “انتقاماً” لمقتل أبو يحيى الليبي.
ونقل مركز “سايت” عن بيان للتنظيم أن “وفاة الشيخ أبو يحيى الليبي أثارت الحماسة والعزم في نفوس أبناء عمر المختار للانتقام ممن سخروا من نبينا”.

Shia towns in Syria under months-long blockade by Wahhabi insurgents

More than 80,000 Shia Muslim in the northwestern Syrian towns of Nebbol and Az-Zahra’ are suffering from starvation under a siege imposed by Wahhabi terrorists.

The extremists are reportedly affiliated with the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), which has been fighting against the government forces over the past year.

The blockade has caused grave food and medical shortage in the towns, some 20 km away from the flashpoint city of Aleppo.

The towns had a population of 60,000 Shia Muslims but have been hosting an additional 15,000 displaced Shias taking refuge in there.

Thousands of others including families of the opposition escaping conflicts and Sunni Muslims refusing to join the anti-government camp have also fled to the towns.

In late June, insurgents practically cut off roads to Nebbol and Az-Zahra’ after clashes spilled over to Aleppo, accusing the residents of supporting Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The armed gangs have threatened to kill the people who tried to directly or indirectly enter basic needs for the people in the besieged towns.

Bread is a rarity due to lack of flour and patients are in dire need of medicine, while the residents live under constant threats of massive cleansing operations by the insurgents.

[…]

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=722_1347715923

Is this one of the lessons Maliki wants Syrians to learn from?
الشيء الوحيد الذي حققه المالكي هو تعميق الطائفية
لندن – اتهم وزير الاتصالات العراقي السابق محمد توفيق علاوي اول من يستقيل من حكومة “المحاصصة الطائفية” برئاسة رئيس حزب الدعوة الاسلامي المدعوم من ايران نوري المالكي، رئيس الوزراء بغض النظر عن عمليات فساد يقوم بها مقربون منه.
واكد علاوي الذي استقال من منصبه في 27 اب/اغسطس، خلال مقابلة مع وكالة الصحافة الفرنسية في لندن انه يملك وثائق تؤكد وجود عمليات كسب غير مشروع داخل الحكومة، مشيرا الى انه سيكشف عن هذه الوثائق التي رفض اعطاء تفاصيل حولها، في الوقت المناسب.
وقال “انا واثق من ان الاشخاص المحيطين بالمالكي فاسدون، وتحديدا الاشخاص القريبون كثيرا منه هم عبارة عن جماعة فاسدة جدا”.
واضاف علاوي في منزله الواقع في غرب لندن ان المالكي “يعرف الفاسدين ولكنه لا يتخذ اي اجراء ضد المقربين منه ويسمح لهم بان يكونوا اكثر فسادا وهذا امر واضح جدا”.
وعلاوي شيعي ينتمي الى قائمة “العراقية” التي تقدم نفسها على انها ائتلاف علماني، ويتزعمها رئيس الوزراء الاسبق اياد علاوي، قريب الوزير السابق المستقيل.

قال تجمع “دبلوماسيون سوريون من اجل دولة مدنية ديمقراطية” المعارض، يوم السبت، إن “خلاص سورية في المرحلة الراهنة يتطلب تحييد العوامل والأجندات الدولية والإقليمية لصالح الدفع بالأجندة الوطنية السورية إلى الأمام، وفي سبيل ذلك لا بد مقاومة سياسات النظام الهادفة لرهن مستقبل سورية بصراعات النفوذ على المستويين الإقليمي والدولي”.
وبين البيان أن التجمع “ينحاز الى رفض الشعب لوجود النظام الذي اختطف الدولة السورية بمؤسساتها المدنية والعسكرية والأمنية رهينة لخدمة مصالحه الضيقة، ويرى أن ذروة الأزمة تتمثل الآن في استمرار وجود الرئيس بشار الاسد الذي فقد كل شرعية على رأس السلطة”، على حد تعبيره.

Majblai

Here is what you wrote

Your personal attacks on me are a reflection of your long years in the Middle East: no respect to other people’s opinions.

Here you have proven my point for with one stroke you have brushed a painting of the people of the ME as being backward or barbarian.

It is not living in the ME that makes you backward or barbarian it is dictatorship and oppression and corruption that dehumanizes the other.

Also dehumanizing the other is the first step to intellectual colonialism and to oppression and dictatorship.

Once you brush a painting of the other in negative terms we allow his/her slaughter.

That is the mantra of the 5% in every ideology these days and these are the ones through their militancy and our complacency are setting the discourse.

You are entitled to your freedom of thought even the thought that Islam is by nature violent and oppressive just as the late ancestor of the current ruler of Syria declared and you entitled to think that all Muslims are backward and barbarian.

My role is to remind you that words have consequences and you should be held responsible for the words you say in the intellectual arena.

I do believe that about 5% of Alawis are RABIDLY SECTARIAN AND DEEPLY RACIST.

This Rabid Sectarian and Racist Thinking allowed in the great US of A the home of the freedom of expression, NOT the MIddle East where I spent my first 18 years as you claim LYNCHED BLACKS BY HANGING THEM FROM THEIR RIBS WITH MEAT HOOKS AND CUT OFF THEIR ORGANS AND STUFFED THEM IN THEIR MOUTHS UNTIL THEY DIED.

Humanity is full of atrocities and the difference between man and the animals reside in two areas: the pleasure in torture and the thrill of destroying

So you have graciously proven my point.

It’s been more than a year or nearly that Ben Ali, Mubarak, Qaddafi and Saleh have been ousted. Have you heard of ANY of the “new governments” or of the remaining Arab governments that has taken a single measure concerning EDUCATION, CULTURE, or FREEDOM OF SPEECH?
No. It’s so perfect it can’t be reformed.

Observer: can you explain me how you want to reach democracy without freedom of speech?

404 Silentio
Morsi may be Egyptian but all his sons have US citizenship. Some people have been suggesting in the past few days they should renounce their citizenship to protest the film. But no one has asked Wael Ghonim if he would quit Google because they refuse to pull it out of Youtube…

407 Ghufran
You can call the Pope a genuine politician. He says that on one side and helps Christian fundamentalists get their stake domestically (the cokooes who want the services in Latin for example).

France 24 reports from Al-Qsair-Homs:
http://www.france24.com/en/20120323-reporters-exclusive-syria-al-qusayr-homs-waiting-fall-wounded-makeshift-clinics-assad-resistance-free-syrian-army

Amb Ford’s first foreign interview since he left Syria:
http://www.france24.com/en/20120211-military-intervention-syria-usa-ambassador-robert-ford-bashar-al-assad
the interview was given 7 months ago, nothing has changed since then.

Maybe Ambassador Ford Can Explain To us Why His Friends and Allies in Syria Are Burning American Flags!

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c11_1347711641

US-Backed Syrian “Opposition” Burn American Flag in Aleppo and Chant Anti-American Slogans

ALEPPO (Sep 13, 2012):
Amid Islamic chants for the prophet Muhammad, US-backed Syrian opposition members burn the American flag after the Muhammad movie “Innocence of Muslims” short version came out on YouTube. The “protestors” also raised the Al Qaeda flag as can be seen at 1:05.

Should the US government keep funding and training these ungrateful US backstabbers and traitors to their own country and people?

379. MJABALI said:
“How many people did Salah al-Din and the Ottomans kill from the other group?”
I can tell you in the 4centuries of Ottaman rules they did not kill as many as the 2 Assads did in 4 decades

US State Dept. Travel Warning!

Liberated Tunisia 8)

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_tunisia.html

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to liberated Tunisia

[…]

418

Dear Ann

It’s utterly simplistic to label these flag-burners as “US Funded.” There are plots within plots within plots, yielding up a classic inside-the-beltway circle jerk connecting the dots between politicians, lobbyists, shadowy foreign nationals, POWs and Islamic mujahideen, not to mention Asian Power Broker Joker Arroyo and fugitive Mafia Financier Frank “Frankie Five Angels” Pentangelo and the late Jimmy Hoffa and Lee Harvey Oswald. The Mexican Drug Lords and the Israeli Arms Dealers are in the mix as well. And oh yeah, there’s a sinister back-channel money-laundering scheme to finance Brenda’s amnesia operation so she can remember what Lance told her about Heather’s motel rendezvous with Drake on the day Monica put strychnine in Lizbeth’s gumbo and…

US State Dept. Travel Warning!

Liberated Libya 8)

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5772.html

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to liberated Libya.

US State Dept. Travel Warning!

Liberated Yemen 8)

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5685.html

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the high security threat level in liberated Yemen due to terrorist activities and civil unrest. The Department urges U.S. citizens not to travel to liberated Yemen.

US State Dept. Travel Warning!

Not Yet Liberated Algeria 8)

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5774.html

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Algeria.

US State Dept. Travel Warning!

Liberated Iraq 8)

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5758.html

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to liberated Iraq given the security situation. Travel within liberated Iraq remains dangerous.

US State Dept. Travel Warning!

Not Yet Liberated Lebanon 8)

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5710.html

The Department of State continues to urge U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon.

* Guess the Pope missed out on this one!

US State Dept. Travel Warning!

Not Yet Liberated Sudan!

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5768.html

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of traveling to Sudan, urges U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to the Darfur region of Sudan, the Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan States, and advises you to consider carefully the risks of travel in other areas of Sudan. On September 15, 2012, the Department of State ordered the departure of all dependents of U.S. direct hire personnel and all non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Sudan, following the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum.

This is so cool. Ann is suddenly into short cut & pastes. She must be buying the generic-brand meds.

US State Dept. Travel Warning!

Not Yet Liberated Syria!

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5756.html

The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to Syria and strongly recommends that U.S. citizens remaining in Syria depart immediately. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning dated August 1, 2012, to remind U.S. citizens that the security situation remains volatile and unpredictable throughout the country, with an increased risk of kidnappings, and to update contact information.

No part of Syria should be considered immune from violence, and the potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts, including kidnappings.

Observer:

You said that if I view the people of the Middle East in a negative way regarding their lack of respect for the freedom of speech I am allowing their slaughter: You must be kidding here.

This is a very simplistic way to look at things.

I am talking about a proven cultural trait and you are jumping into a conclusion that I call for their murder. Dude wake up and respect my opinion.

People in the Middle East, and you are a prime example, do not respect what others has to say.

If I say that these people do not respect freedom of speech does it mean that they deserve to die: No. You need to teach them how to do so by different means. This is a solution mr. Observer and not their slaughter.

You are too emotional mr. observer. Be real and look at the place where you come from and critique it with power and not with the lame attitude of yours.

Stop telling us stories about your heroics and great personality and concentrate on the issue.

You cry a lot over spilled milk. I tell you how things are. I put my emotions to the side and resort to what I see.

Where did you reach this conclusion about me? Where did I called for the slaughter of A or B? This is not in my culture and personality.

As for Islam: where did I say that all Muslims are barbarians? I point out the barbarians amongst them: yes I do that, so what? Did I and my family witness the barbarity of many Muslims? So what is the problem if I call things the way they should be called. Was their any barbarity within the Islamic history? are we allowed to talk about it mr. ACLU?

Grow up mr. Observer: we are in the 21st C., and things can not be hidden and shoved under the rug pretending things are ok and lovely.

You had nothing to say regarding your fictional %5, so you turn it to an attack on me personally. Also you try to take digs at the Alawis thinking I represent them. mr. Observer: I represent myself, if you want to curse and dehumanize the Alawis go ahead, do you think I will stop you. It is your freedom of speech and you can say whatever you want.

Weak argument mr. Observer, better come up with something better.

Observer said:

“Majbali
You still do not get it the 5% are the active militants. The 5% of minorities that think Islam is inherently evil is also my estimate of what some Christians or Druze think. The ones that acted on this premiss were the Christian militas in Lebanon and the active members were but 5% of the Christian population again. ”

That is your opinion mr observer: in my views there are %5 active militants, and %50 ready to be made into active militants. If you are not an active militant you support them. The ideas of the active militants are shared by the non-active militant also.

It is the elections that would show the real size of any party.

As for the minorities: You are wrong also: more the %5 see Islam as evil. I time this by ten at least. Let us be frank here mr. observer. You are not telling the truth. You are trying to play nice. Please do not and tell the truth. It is more important to tell the truth than being “politically correct.” Telling the truth will lead into a better future, if there is any for Syria.

Minorities hate Sunni Islam and do not trust it. This is no secret. You may say whatever you want to say about your love for the minorities, but this is not going to change things at all because actions speak louder than words. Sunni Islam, since it is the most dominant one, did not leave a good history when dealing with the minorities.

http://youtu.be/JOzE2PbAPns
The Syrian government has has tried with great determination and dexterity to fragment the society and to exploit sectarian differences and class differences to prevent the emergence of a secular nonsectarian nationalist opposition. Michael Provence is the director of the Middle East Studies Programs at the University of California, San Diego. His research focuses on the colonial and post-colonial Arab world, particularly popular insurgency and nationalism, and he has travelled and lived in many countries in the region including Lebanon and Syria.

The latest delivery from Walls
http://7ee6an.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/to-my-niece-with-love-a-letter-from-a-syrian-aunt/

To my niece with love

Dear niece.

You are my niece and I love you and will always do. I am going to explain to you my view point. Syria has been ruled by the Assads for over 40 years. I lived under their rule as a little girl all the way up to starting a business and working at the university and for Syrian TV, thus, I really do not need anyone to explain to me what the Syrian regime is all about. I left the country 20 years ago and went back almost every year to visit. I watched Syria falling slowly into the abyss. I could see it very clearly coming from outside the country, while people inside the country were completely oblivious. They genuinely believed that Syria was getting better and moving forward, while in reality it was inching backwards. They thought that having the Internet and being allowed on limited web sites was the ultimate achievement. They figured that having some private schools meant progress in education, but they truly had no clue what progress meant or required. As time went by, the few institutions that we had in Syria were slowly disappearing under the pressure of corruption and nepotism. Syria was no longer ruled by a government, it was ruled by a mafia. You could get anything and everything done if you knew the right person, businesses could only operate if they partnered up with the right people and law and order was completely based on fear and torture. This type of government was not sustainable. The people in Syria were either becoming filthy rich or dirt poor, the middle class slowly, but surly disappeared and young people could neither find jobs nor hope for a better future. In summary, the Assads could write the book on how to destroy a nation. Today, the people said enough is enough. They watched other Arab countries get rid of their dictators and decided that it is now or never. I was not born yesterday; I know that the FSA is committing some atrocities. I know that the CIA and the MI 5 and others are roaming free in Syria. I realize that some Jihadi elements are there too, but this, to me, is the natural result of what the Assad regime did and continues to do. Forty years of persecution of free thought and speech. Forty years of the outlawing of free assembly. With that in mind, I do not understand how anyone can expect a unified opposition of any sort. We have literally not talked to each other in forty some years. How are we going to immediately make the connection and understand each other?. This is beyond normal human abilities. The demonstrations started as purely peaceful demonstrations. The regime opened fire on them killing droves of people. Yet they continued and persevered. Giath Matar, from Daraya, organized residents to meet the army with roses and bottles of water. He was arrested and tortured to death. The regime said that they are open to talk to the opposition. Every single person who showed up to those meetings was either arrested, killed or fled the country after continuous molestation. I can go on and on, but you get the picture. I spent 5 days with your father when he came to visit me. I know exactly how he feels about this whole thing. He was one of the lucky ones who had a good life that is now destroyed. He is worried about the future and rightly so. We are all worried and are under no illusions that this will take many years to stabilize. From his perspective: he was doing well and living well and he did not need this disruption at this stage in his life. I do not blame him. I would have probably felt the same way, had I been through the same experience, but the life of a nation and 23 million people cannot be decided by individual interests. It has to be decided by the will of the majority. I am an ardent supporter of this revolution and of the Free Syrian Army. I cannot wait for the bastard-in-chief to go. I want Syria to have a chance in becoming a nation of institutions. A nation where people can thrive because of their abilities, not their connections. Please remember that this regime that you are supporting is bombing Halab with planes that we, the people, paid for. They do not really care about anyone except themselves. He wants to keep his power period. They hit hospitals by tanks with straight aims. Wake up and open your eyes. This is no longer a plain and simple “difference of opinion”. At this point, you are either with the murderer or with the victim you cannot even choose to be in-between.

Your loving aunt….

Assads army tested their chemical weapons

Is that the sign that the regime will use them as their last joker?

http://translate.google.de/translate?hl=de&sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Fpolitik%2Fausland%2Fsyrien-waffentests-mit-traegersystemen-fuer-giftgasgranaten-a-856051.html

http://youtu.be/x1qHjeYhlOk
The video is shocking by its brutality and also its insults to Islam. In fact a friend who survived torture told me he would be stark naked during questioning and torture.

It is commented in a very good article by Qunfuz
http://qunfuz.com/2012/09/15/blasphemy/

I have never been very good at maths; I hope they keep this validating stuff simple

433

“I was not born yesterday; I know that the FSA is committing atrocities. I know that the CIA and the MI5 and others are roaming free in Syria. I realize that some Jihadi elements are there too, but this, to me, is the natural result of what the Assad regime did and continues to do. Forty years of persecution of free thought and speech. Forty years of the outlawing of free assembly. With that in mind, I do not understand how anyone can expect a unified opposition of any sort. We have literally not talked to each other in forty some years. How are we going to immediately make the connection and understand each other?. This is beyond normal human abilities.”

So true. Thank you, Annie. We have literally not talked to each other for forty some years because the Assads would not permit it.

What’s Driving Anti-American Protests? | Think Tank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSnK86l1HOE

Finally The Truth: Muslim Protests About NATO Drone Strikes, Backing Saudi Jihadists
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzCV7Ab–7M

Al Qaeda: Attack On Libya Embassy Revenge For US Drone Strike
http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2012/09/15/al-qaeda-attack-libya-embassy-revenge-drone-strike-185051/

Libyan Salafists Hope to Assert Power in Embassy Attacks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtYe6TFs8UI

Syria Rebels Are The Same Salafi Extremists Attacking US Embassies
http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2012/09/16/syria-rebels-salafi-extremists-attacking-embassies-185111/

Syrian rebels: Too fragmented, unruly
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syrian-rebels-too-fragmented-unruly.aspx?pageID=238&nID=29158&NewsCatID=352

434. JUERGEN
old model silly, are you not able to issue more new ideas ?turbid water spoil your bright mind .

Best timeline to this day on the film’s production and diffusion
“Once upon a time it would have taken scores of dedicated people and an awful lot of hard work and travel to incite riots in two dozen countries half a world away. But, as events of the past six days have shown, a few extremists in California can now do it without even crossing the state line.

Fresh revelations yesterday enabled to be pieced together for the first time the inside story of the anti-Islamic film that has caused mayhem around the globe, and led to the deaths of around a dozen people, including Chris Stevens, the US ambassador to Libya. The tale involves Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a shadowy convicted fraudster and user of multiple aliases; Steve Klein, an insurance salesman seemingly obsessed with the idea that West Coast America is full of jihadists poised to strike; and a mysterious charity called Media for Christ. And in their intent to provoke a reaction among the more incitable elements of Islamic countries, they were unwittingly abetted by a firm owned by Google, and a satellite channel’s talk-show host.

Nakoula, although he has denied involvement, has been identified as the key figure in the making of the film, while Mr Klein has acted as its promoter, and the Christian charity was listed as the production company.

It all started, as these things so often do, with the innocuous: a casting call for a film with the working title of Desert Warrior and described as a low-budget “historical Arabian Desert adventure”. Actors, including “various Middle Eastern types, bearded”, were asked to apply. The lead character was to be “George – warrior leader, romantic charismatic”. Actors were hired, a professional crew engaged, and most of it was shot in about two weeks last summer inside a squat warehouse that serves as the offices of Media for Christ, according to Eric Moers, who served as chief electrician for the production.

Mr Moers said the film took 15 to 16 days to shoot and that 90 per cent of the work was done at the Media for Christ studios. He said one day was spent at a movie ranch in Santa Clarita, and one day was spent filming at the home of the man he knew as Bacile, a likely alias of Nakoula. Mr Moers, who estimated the cost of production at $100,000, added: “I’d say this was the most unprofessional professional film I’ve worked on.” He said he was paid with a cheque issued on the account of Abanob Basseley Nakoula, the 20-year-old son of the purported filmmaker.

Most of the film was shot using a backdrop to simulate other locations. The crew members received sheets with the scenes each day − never a full script − and Mr Moers said there was no mention of the word “Muhammad” throughout filming. But, at some stage, unknown to the actors (who have issued a statement saying they were misled by the film’s makers), the movie was re-dubbed. “George” became Muhammad, and the dialogue was altered to insult the Islamic faith, portraying the Prophet as a bloodthirsty womaniser, and paedophile. The result, judging by the 14-minute clips available, was that a film toe-curlingly amateurish in its script, with wooden performances and shoddy production values (“sets” were often poor back-projections), became a crude and flagrant insult to Islam.

The intention of those involved may perhaps best be judged by what happened next. With the alterations complete, and the title changed to Innocence of Bin Laden, the small Vine Theatre, Hollywood, was booked for a screening, and mosques leafleted in an attempt to drum up a Muslim audience. They failed. Barely anyone at all attended the screening, and so on 2 July the film – or rather 14-minute clips of it –turned up on YouTube, with its title now Innocence of Muslims. The account used to post the footage was in the name of “Sam Bacile”.

Still no notice of it was taken, so on 6 September, a Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-American Coptic Christian living in Washington and described as an anti-Islamic activist, acted. He posted a blog and emails to journalists worldwide which mentioned an “International Judge Mohammad [sic] Day” being organised on 11 September by the Rev Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who famously put the Koran on trial and then threatened to burn it. He included a link to the YouTube trailer for the Innocence film, which by now had dialogue translated into Egyptian Arabic.
Still no notice of it was taken, so on 6 September, a Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-American Coptic Christian living in Washington and described as an anti-Islamic activist, acted. He posted a blog and emails to journalists worldwide which mentioned an “International Judge Mohammad [sic] Day” being organised on 11 September by the Rev Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who famously put the Koran on trial and then threatened to burn it. He included a link to the YouTube trailer for the Innocence film, which by now had dialogue translated into Egyptian Arabic.

This, after a couple of days, finally lit the blue touchpaper. Last Saturday, Sheikh Khalid Abdallah, who hosted a talk-show on the al-Nas satellite television channel, based in Egypt, ran an item on the film. Three days later, the deadly protests began. (…)”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/mayhem-and-death-with-just-one-click-8142465.html

By the way, the Yemenis were first protesting against Saleh’s immunity, but who cares…Not a single meter of the Red Sea Coast will ever know any sort of “sovereignty”, oil tanks would not survive it.
http://www.yementimes.com/en/1607/news/1390/Rally-demands-end-to-Saleh%E2%80%99s-immunity.htm
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/yemen%E2%80%99s-numan-power-must-return-popular-will

Majbali

I never said that you are asking for the death of anyone, where do you find that. I keep the discussion in the intellectual arena.

Once again you prove my point that the minorities have hatred of the other and this time the other is in your opinion is Sunni Islam. Likewise the Salafist Takfiris have hatred for the other even their fellow Muslims and legitimize their slaughter. They are mirror images of each other.

I am baffled about your assertion of political correctness and about a supposed glorification of myself. I give examples from my experience and had no intention of talking about myself.

This is clearly a dialogue of the deaf for you do not seem to want to discuss the matter.

Here it is again:

The 5% number comes from the studies that showed that in insurrections and liberation movements about that number take up arms. This was the number in the Vietcong and in Cuban liberation and in other places.
These have the support of the population and in your estimate you claim that more than 50% are ready to join. Yet the elections in Egypt and Tunisia did not bring those numbers into the Salafist camp. The Nour Party in Egypt did not get that kind of numbers.

I do not think that the Phalanges party was able to garner more than 5% of the Christian population into its militia.

So I am not trying to be politically correct I just am relying on the previous known and accepted estimation of proportions of active and supportive elements in any militant armed struggle.

Again you have your opinion and I told you before the ACLU of which I am a member sued to allow the KKK to express its opinion even though it is based on hatred. I do not know whether you hate anyone and I do not think it is relevant.

My argument with you is that you cannot assert that this or that creed or religion or ideology is inherently evil without telling us why and on what basis. At least Geerts in Holland does say the the Quran has enough verses in it that in his opinion oppress women and calls for jihad and for killing and therefore should be banned.

He makes his argument based on the reading of the book and in this he is intellectually consistent.

I think your and Mr. Geerts objections to the verses of the Quran and I am assuming that you have some of course, are a very important point that we need to make. In Sunni Islam today, there is no way that a Martin Luther can come forth and offer a critique of the Quran or its current Salafist interpretation without being accused of blasphemy and threatened with death. Therefore, non Muslims are doing this and unfortunately they get tainted as Islamophobes.

Therefore, your objections to Salafist thinking is music to my atheist ears and a critique of the Quran is breath of fresh air to my atheist lungs coming from Mr. Geerts and others.

What I want from Mr. Geerts for example is an intellectual debate about the issues he raises in open forums and in academic circles. Likewise, your brushing all of the people in the ME with a trait that in your opinion predisposes them to lack of respect of freedom is to say the least racist. This is fine with me, you are free to think that and you may be right about it even, I am open minded, so please express to me exactly what you think about the religion, the semitic race, the political system, the family structure, the anthropology of the ME people or even their genetic make up that predisposes them to accepting tyranny or to deny freedom to others.

You have fudged the answers.

Majbali

Please prove this statement that you are making to me
“I am talking about a proven cultural trait ” when you say that the people fo the ME do not respect the opinion of others.

You also say that the history of minorities was not good under Sunni Islam and that more than 50% of minorities hate Sunni Islam. I am sure this number is conservative but how many of the minorities took up arms against Sunni Islam, more than 5% ?
What you said before is that more than 50% of Sunnis are ready to join the Salafists and you also say that more than 50% of minorities hate Sunni Islam.

So the two are mirror images of each other according to your math.

This is perfect I have no problem with it
THE POINT I AM MAKING IS THAT THERE IS ENOUGH HATRED TO GO AROUND AND THAT BOTH ARE VICTIMS OF HATRED AND BOTH ARE VICTIMS OF THE 5% FANATICS THAT HAVE HIJACKED THEIR CAUSES BASED ON FEAR AND A DEMONIZATION OF THE OTHER.

Demonize so that you can colonize and oppress and banish and slaughter. Done by everybody, Sunni Shia Hindu Jew Christian Alawi Druze Nazi Communist Right wing Left wing Liberation Occupation you name it.

My challenge is that it goes both ways for the last forty years we have had in Syria the mirror image of the oppression meted out by Sunnis towards the Alawites and others for hundreds of years and the time reckoning has come. For the last forty years the Alawis did in Syria what the Sunnis did to them for eons. It is reckoning now. Not that I want any reckoning outside of the court of law but this is the reality today.

Observer:

You said:

“Once you brush a painting of the other in negative terms we allow his/her slaughter. ”

As for proving that Middle Easterners do not respect the opinion of others.

How can I prove this? of course I can not go on a field research to prove this, but certain things could tell you a lot. From my long years living in Syria or knowing the Middle East : I can say Yes Middle Easterners in general do not respect freedom of speech and do not respect the opinions of others. It may happen on rare occasions.

Most of them think they know it all.

Most, if not all, of the people I know or came in contact with are like that (talking about Middle Easterners here).

As for your question about how many minorities took up arms against Sunnis, from what I know about the Alawis, a huge percentage of them fought against the Sunnis who were out to exterminate them. There are clear records of what happened in the 19th C. you can see for your self. The Sunnis in the countryside of Syria has done this in many instances. It is the whole village taking up arms against al-Assad. Those who did not take up arms support those who took up arms.

What became Syria in the 20C was different demographically 100 years ago. How many Alawis lived in and around Allepo when the Ottomans came in 1516? How many Shia villages or Druze were around Allepo and Idlib for example? How much was the percentage of the Christians in Syria in 1850’s? What happened to them?

To answer another one of your point: yes there is a sort of the mirror image you are talking about. What is happening today is similar to what used to happen in the 19th C.

The religious sectarian violence of the past is fueling what takes place today. You add to this the foreign element also; like Iran and Saudi Arabia. You have a huge religious score to settle here.

This is what I have been trying to say on this board from day one.

Yes there is lots of hatred there, I told you this from day one also. You tried to portray that Syrians love each other and respect others regardless of their religious background. There is a very small minority of Syrians who may think like that in spite of what is taking place. Those may give you hope for a future Syria.

I tell things in real terms so people can see the malaise and try and treat it, if they have the will and desire to do so.

The rule of al-Assad family is a continuation of the norm. They ruled like the ones before them. They did not come from the moon. They came from within the place that had been ruled with religious and ethnic hatred for many years.

Islam tore the middle east to shreds because of the its inner wars between its different sects. I lived through this, and read it everyday. Go read the comment section in al-Arabiyah and tell me what you see?

Dictatorship also tore the middle east and created incomplete citizens.

NATO strike kills women and girls gathering firewood – Afghan officials
each air strike innocent people are dying as a result . Mrs. Clinton announces U.S. aid to Afghans go to heaven
http://rt.com/news/women-killed-afghanistan-airstrike-250/

Welcome to the new wars of religions
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/rights-group-condemns-detention-copt-over-video
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/iran-s-revolutionary-guards-commander-says-its-troops-syria

http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2012/09/15/australia-police-clash-antius-demonstrators-sydney-video-photos-184981/
Australia Police Clash With Anti-US Demonstrators In Sydney (VIDEO)
Police in Sydney, Australia have fired tear gas at violent protesters staging a demonstration against the US.

Observer:

You said:

“My argument with you is that you cannot assert that this or that creed or religion or ideology is inherently evil without telling us why and on what basis. At least Geerts in Holland does say the the Quran has enough verses in it that in his opinion oppress women and calls for jihad and for killing and therefore should be banned. ”

Mr. Observer I have said many times, something you should know also, that to prove that something is “inherently evil” you need to look at its history. Actions speak louder than words. So, if you need to see if a certain religion is evil go and see what people have done in its name so far.

The history I bring is the history of my personal family and what I read and see with my own eyes. There was and is no language of love.

On the other hand, as for what Geerts thinks of al-Quran and how al-Quran has verses that does not suit modern times, I have no time for that, I hope you would let us know.

US initiating unprecedented naval buildup in Persian Gulf
http://rt.com/news/naval-training-persian-gulf-258/

اقالة وزير بريطاني بسبب رفضه دعم التحرك ضد ايران
http://arabic.rt.com/news_all_news/news/594644/
افادت صحيفة “ميل اون صنداي” البريطانية الأحد 16 سبتمبر/ أيلول بان اقالة نيك هارفي وزير الدولة لشؤون القوات المسلحة البريطانية من منصبه كانت بسبب عدم موافقته على خطط لندن دعم عملية عسكرية محتملة ضد ايران.
ونيك هارفي هو عضو الحزب الديمقراطي الليبرالي الذي يدخل في الائتلاف الحاكم حاليا في بريطانيا. ويضم الحزب في صفوفه عددا من الوزراء بينهم رئيس الحزب نيك كليغ نائب رئيس الوزراء البريطاني.
وكان نيك هارفي قد فقد منصبه يوم 4 سبتمبر/ايلول بعد التعديلات التي اجراها ديفيد كاميرون رئيس الوزراء.
وتشير الصحيفة الى ان هارفي “يؤكد على انه ضحية لعدم موافقته على مهاجمة ايران. حيث ابلغ احد المقربين منه انه اقيل من منصبه في الحكومة لمنع حدوث انقسام في الائتلاف الحاكم في مسألة دعم الهجمات الوقائية للولايات المتحدة واسرائيل على المواقع النووية لايران”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iiBvVIWIZA
Friends of Clinton !

421. Johannes de Silentio

Dear Mr. de Silentio:

Please don’t waste your time in any debates with Hasan Nasrillat’s American supporter/translator, who once propagated her view that the Der’a teenager Hamza al-Khateeb-whose penis was mutilated by Bashar’s shabiha-was actually killed by “Saudi terrorists!”

Save your time brother Johannes!

Free Syria, Free Palestine, Bahrain is Arab forever!

Mr Blowback Rising in Benghazi
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32440.htm

“Daddy, what is blowback?”

September 15, 2012 “Information Clearing House” – Here’s a fable to tell our children, by the fire, in a not so-distant post-apocalyptic, dystopian future.

Once upon a time, during George “Dubya” Bush’s “war on terra”, the Forces of Good in Afghanistan captured – and duly tortured – one evil terrorist, Abu Yahya al-Libi.

Abu Yahya al-Libi was, of course, Libyan. He slaved three years in the bowels of Bagram prison near Kabul, but somehow managed to escape that supposedly impregnable fortress in July 2005.

At the time, the Forces of Good were merrily in bed with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in Libya – whose intelligence services, to the delight of the Bush administration, were doing their nastiest to exterminate or at least isolate al-Qaeda-style Salafi-jihadis of the al-Libi kind.

But, then, in 2011, the Forces of Good, under new administration, decided it was time to bury the oh so passe “war on terra” and dance to a new, more popular groove; humanitarian intervention, also characterized as “kinetic military action”.

So al-Libi was back from the dead – now fighting side by side with the Forces of Good to topple (and eventually snuff out) “evil” Col Gaddafi. Al-Libi had become a “freedom fighter” – even though he was openly calling for Libya to become an Islamic Emirate.

The honeymoon didn’t last long.

In September 2012, for the first time in three months, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, aka The Surgeon, released a 42-minute video special to “celebrate” the 11th anniversary of 9/11, finally admitting the snuffing out of his number two.

His number two was none other than Abu Yahya al-Libi – targeted by one of US President Barack Obama’s cherished drones in Waziristan on June 4.

An immediate effect of al-Zawahiri’s video was that an angry armed mob, led by Islamist outfit Ansar al Sharia, set fire to the US consulate in Benghazi. The US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, was killed. It didn’t matter that Stevens happened to be a hero of the “NATO rebels” who had “liberated” Libya – notoriously sprinkled with Salafi-jihadis of the al-Libi kind.

Stevens was rewarded by Washington with the ambassadorial post only after “evil” Gaddafi was finally sodomized, lynched and killed by, what else, an angry mob.

So finally the blowback serpent was able to bite its own tail.

Terra, terra, terra
What happened in Benghazi may have been just an out-of-control protest against a crude, amateur, made-in-California movie produced and directed by an Israeli-American real estate developer and certified Islamophobe (an identity now being reported as a guise), financed with US$5 million from unidentified Jewish donors, depicting Islam “as a cancer” and Prophet Muhammad as a womanizer, a pedophile and most of all, a fraud. The movie was duly promoted by wacko Florida pastor and Koran-burning freak Terry Jones.

Yet the killing of the US ambassador in Libya is just an hors d’oeuvre to what may happen in Syria – where scores of “freedom fighters” supported by the CIA, the Turks and the House of Saud are al-Qaeda-linked, either via the supposedly reformist Libya Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) or acronym-infested subcontracting gangs such as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) or al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM).

So how will Washington “bring the perpetrators to justice” in Libya? After all this is the same gang that was hailed as “heroes” when they sodomized, lynched and snuffed out “evil” Gaddafi.

Asia Times Online has been warning for over a year about blowback in Libya – and potentially in Syria, where medieval Saudi sheikhs frantically issue fatwas legitimating a widespread massacre of “infidel” Alawites. This is all a rerun of the same old 1980s’ Afghan jihad movie; first you call them “freedom fighters”, but when they attack us they revert to being “terrorists”.

Now we have NATO-armed Salafi-jihadis in Libya, and House of Saud-financed and Turkey-based Salafi-jihadis in Syria – deploying “terra” antics such as suicide bombers to bring down the Assad regime – all wired up and ready to roll. It certainly adds a new meaning to Obama’s “kinetic action” gig.

Blowback – as in Afghanistan – might have taken years. This time Mr Blowback reared its ugly head in only a few months. And that’s just the beginning.

So what now? Who’re you gonna bomb? Who’re you gonna drone to death? What about bombing Benghazi a year after condemning Gaddafi to death because he might have threatened to … bomb Benghazi?

Ask US Secretary of State Hillary “We came, he saw, he died” Clinton, who claims to talk on behalf of the “Libyan people”. Maybe she will come up with a policy of retroactively aligning the US with Gaddafi.

And since this is an electoral year, why not ask invisible former president Bush himself? After all, he proclaimed on September 20, 2001 that “either you are with us, or you are with the terra-rists.”

Well, Mr Blowback would say, beware of what you get when you are in bed with the terra-rists.

‏الأحد‏، 16‏ أيلول‏، 2012
أجرى المبعوث الأممي والعربي الى سورية الأخضر الإبراهيمي حواراً عبر السكايب مع قادة في” الجيش الحر”، كما قال رئيس المجلس العسكري للجيش الحر في محافظة حلب العقيد عبد الجبار العكيدي.
وأشار العكيدي كما اوردت “ه\ا.ف.ب” الى أنه شارك في الحوار مع الإبراهيمي الى جانب العقيد قاسم سعد الدين المتحدث باسم القيادة المشتركة للجيش الحر في الداخل، والعقيد خالد حبوس رئيس المجلس العسكري في دمشق

The regime cuts the throats of children.

Let me repeat. The regime cuts the throats of children.

After Tariq Ali said it’s clear the regime was behind Houla I want to say a few words. Sorry for being blunt.

Usually we see the regime carry out an atrocity and accuse the rebels. Its media trumpets and army of propagandists help to further muddy the waters via disinformation. When eventually the truth comes out, the story has died down and things have moved on, with much more having happened in the meantime. The potentially powerful impact and horrific significance of the crime has been buried.

So picture your child, younger sibling or the children from amongst your nearest and dearest and repeat the words:

The regime cuts the throats of children.

The story of Jabali and his family:

Jabali descends from a town called Jableh, hence the name. In the Eigth century AH, Jableh which was a Sunni town was invaded by the Persian ancestor of Jabali, so called Mohammad Ibn Al-Hassan al-Mahdi. The whole town was murdered in a manner not very much different than what we witness today under Assad.

Talking of atrocities against Alawites through the centuries? You must be kidding.

This is a classic case of sheer murder and then blaming the victims, as we see happening right now in front of our own eyes.

Treason however was the hallmark of this family: from the Mongols to the crusaders to the French colonialists, the pattern keeps repeating itself. It is a pattern of treason and treachery of a fifth column that does not belong in Syria.

Go to Persia, enjoy its so-called greatness and leave our Syria alone.

On the other hand, a so-called debate about Islam between traitors and declared atheists is music to our ears. Keep up with you byzantine rhetoric.

Iran Commander Offers Detail on Attack Retaliation
http://en.rian.ru/world/20120916/175992758.html
If the United States attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities, Tehran may retaliate by launching missile strikes against U.S. military bases in the region or by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s petroleum passes, the top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned at a news conference on Sunday.
If Israel attacks on its own, Iranian missile strikes will ensure that “nothing will remain” of the Jewish state, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari said.
“Given Israel’s small land area and its vulnerability to a massive volume of Iran’s missiles, I don’t think any spot in Israel will remain safe,” Jafari said.
He also said the counterattack would begin near the Israeli border, in an apparent reference to militant groups in Gaza and Lebanon who possess rocket arsenals that can hit Israel.
But Jafari said he does not expect Israel to attack on its own. Instead, U.S. forces would most likely lead a strike, in which case Iran would overwhelm U.S. missile defense forces by launching a massive retaliatory attack, he said.
The U.S. is leading a naval exercise with Western and Arab allies in the Persian Gulf scheduled to begin next week.
The Obama administration has vowed to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon and has left open the possibility of a strike on its nuclear facilities.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

VISITOR,

The Free Syrian Army is totally determined to turn the tables on this fifth column. no matter what the cost. Syria can descend to hell and so can its sophisticated people ( SOD and TARA prototypes ).

455 A

I wouldn’t call SOD sophisticated. He is trying to give the impression but the best he can do is pretend. Shallowness is a more accurate description.

I have no doubt the FSA will turn the tables.

When I make contributions to the SR I make sure the FSA will receive it. I wouldn’t contribute to such organizTions as the hcu or the red cross. Because as Al-3Akidi said today this is not a revolution of the hungry but the revolution of dignity.

Dignity will be achieved by exterminating the 5th column out of Syria for good this time