Ausamaa,

May be you can send these familes a copy of the note that you posted on the previous thread.

I am sure it will go a long way to explaining how “politically stupid, elitists, stupid opportunists, unwise, irresponsible, self-motivated or motivated by someone else” their children are.

They will hopefully then understand how stupid it is for their children to choose “heroic speechs” at the expense of “cool headed reconcilement with the regime”.

Josh,

Since you decided now to become a Human Right Activist, why don’t you post the message that was posted by 12 Syrian and Arab blogs. You can find its text here.

http://freesyria.wordpress.com/freedom-campaign/

Thanks and I’ll add you to the list if you decided to help. If not my previous comments from last post will prove true.

Salem,

It is clear that you have misunderstood my remarks. Clearly, I did not do a good job emphasising that these are not my thoughts.

I was actually criticising a poster (Ausamaa) who used the words that I quoted above when he wrote his lengthy remarks in the earlier post. I thought that his tirade against Mr. kilo and others was ……
(others can fill in the blanks)

Salem,

Ehsani was sarcastic and was trying to reply to Ausama’s comments (from previous post). He holds high opinion of the jailed dissidents specially Michel Kilo.

But it is weird how all the regular contributors here keep quiet when the post display a regime’s weakness.

Freedom for all the political Syrian prisoners
for a better Syria

Is this the reform that Bashar has promised us? Half of Syria in jail as prisoners of conscience? The future of Syria, the youth, are in prison. What else do you want from us Bashar? Go to hell!

Does anyone have some further background information on this group of students? For example, what exactly were the ‘pro-democracy’ activities they were doing to be arrested?

Thank you Mr Landis for this great blog, every day i respect your work more, can you please give us an idea about their activites and the reason they were arrested for.

To all those who were praising the regime stance on the issues of Palestine, Lebanese resistance and national dignity in the previous threads:just imagine that one of these young men is your kid, would you still feel the same about the regime as you have expressed?
Imagine a man who’s very good to his colleagues at work, very good to his friends, very nice when it comes to dealing with neighbors, however once he steps inside his home, he would shout at his children yell at his wife and beat her up, and would not contribute anything to the family, now what would you think of such man?
Does Sajida (the Iraqi woman who was implicated in the Amman terrorist attacks last year) deserves better trial than those young men?
Well it seems that despite the ruthless task she (Sajida) was carrying out, she did get a better trial after all….she was sitting in the court room in the presence of TV cameras and she looked healthy and intact.
I personally liked Dr. Bashar when he took over, however, if he is going to keep the bullies that are in charge of our security apparatus acting the way they are now, he is not going to help the transparency he promised.

publishing articles on internet and news papaer
to active the civil scoity in Syria
and in syria if you just have an idea to make any group you will be in jail
thats why they got arrested

Syrians are expected to sing to the same tune as their beloved leader. Veering off from the music notes is not taken too well by the headmaster.

There is a talk in the US about an October surprise to tilt the election toward the GOP ,could that be an attack on Iran by the US and an attack on Syria by Israel at the same time.?.

Joshua

It is fair and proper that you should highlight the case of these students. Good friends tells it as it is. Will Bashar listen?

New post:

KING v PRESIDENT on http://viarecta.blogspot.com

Engineering Change,
It is irrelevant what pro democracy activities they were involved in, unless they were shooting or tossing bombs they don’t deserve to be locked up and “disappeared”. This is how this regime terrorizes its people into submission and silence. I should add, even if they were accused of violence, they don’t deserve this treatment.

US Affairs: Damascus be damned

Israel’s quick rejection of Syria’s latest overture did not come as a surprise to policy-makers in the Bush administration. After years of trying as hard as possible to push a Syrian-Israeli peace process forward, the US has given up, at least temporarily, on such a prospect.

Sources close to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert explained this week that President Bashar Assad’s offer to open negotiations was turned down mainly due to US opposition. While no one in the administration will put it as bluntly as these anonymous sources in Jerusalem did, Washington indeed believes there are more pressing issues to discuss with Syria than its decades-long dispute with Israel. In fact, while Assad was calling for talks with Israel, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was busy appealing to world leaders to impose new sanctions against Syria because of its support for terrorist groups.
JP

Question:

How many Syrians here have taken any of the actions recommended by AI.

http://www.amnestyinternational.be/doc/article7777.html

Syrian,

The numbers of Syrians that have taken “any action” regarding this matter is unlikely to exceed the number of your fingers.

After 43 years in control, this regime has successfully convinced its populace that they are powerless and ineffective walking robots. People have stopped thinking that they matter long ago. They have long given up on their political freedoms. They now think it is the norm to just follow the script and ask no questions. When some do, the vast majority of their compatriots pity them for their bravery and stupidity. Instead of writing to Amnesty International, Syria 1 residents are busy making dinner plans at their favorite fancy joints. Residents of Syria 2 of course have no clue what Amnesty International is and sure are not going to make the trip to the local post office to mail their letter. They are better off instead rushing to the local “fool” store to feed the 5-7 hungry members of their households.

In the meantime, those young crazy men (Ausamaa may have better adjectives here) can just rot in jail. How dare they write and opine on freedom when the great Satan of the world targets our country and threatens its young leader? Can’t these fools understand that this is not the time to get involved with such foolish and useless endeavors?

Sir,

This is why Amnesty International is likely to hear precious little from the near 20 million Syrians like you and I.

I had forgot to mention that this includes me too of course. I admittedly hide behind my fake name abroad and simply opine from the comfort of my chair. I simply do not possess the bravery of these men and the few others like them.

Ehsani,

How much bravery does it take to type a letter and fax it to the numbers provided by AI. You do not even have to put your name to it.

Its not lack of bravery that we suffer from; just a lack of action.

We decided long ago that no letter will ever change anything about Syria. Writing and faxing a letter carries unfavorable return on investment so we do not do it.

I think we are a pathetic bunch of people who are looking at reading and opining on the blogs as a means of entertainment and our action speak much louder than our words. We could not care less if all Syrians end up in prison; we will write a couple of paragraphs expressing our rage and go on with our daily lives.

Ausamma may have a point after all.

Syrian

I just took your challenge and sent my letter.

thank you for joining the club.

Ehsani 2,

Your remark was a below the belt one. And you know it.

My comments and remarks about the political ineffectiveness of the Syrian opposition of whatever creed were made in a political context not a humanitarian one. Sympathising with the feelings of any family member whose beloved one are in jail for whatever reason, is a human matter. And to answer you, yes, I do sympathieze with all. Including the victims of the bombs placed by MB members in the streets of Damascus and other Syrian cities in the eighties ( a lot of school childeren were killed then if you remember), and I sympathise with the tears of al Hariri family members who lost a person, and I do sympathiese with tens of Palestinians killed by Israel every day, and the hundreds of Iraqis, Afghanies, and … the list is endless.

The ones I criticise and oppose are the actors who are ,Chalabi-Style, misleading a lot of people -again intentionally or intentionally, good intententionally or bad intentionally- into thinking that lining up against the “Syrian Regime” is the right thing to do now. Would you care to tell us how much sympathy should we keep in reserve for the Syrian victims who would die alongside many others should the actions of such “vangaurd and opposition groups” provide an overdose of false hope that can serve as a sufficient pretext for the US Admin with its neo-con agenda so that encourages it to try attacking and “liberating” Syria?

Ehsani 2 and others, we know that you know, that we know that you know where things stand in Syria, where things stand in the whole area, who is the true agressor and who is the victim. So, for God’s sake, let us not waste each others time debating things that we know and gloss over others out of either venegence, dislike, or detest. The equation is simple: Israel+the US Admin+ thier surrogates in a quest to spread thier control over our area against the intersts of the area’s people. An agenda combining self-interest, imaginary threats, and crude overintoxication with military power.On the other hand you have the other camp: the Syrian “Regime”, Iran, the Iraqi resistance, Hizbullah, the Palestinians (Fateh, Jihad and Hamas all are one and the same to Israel in the end) and the three hundred millions of Arabs (effective or ineffective is another matter). The true goals are not Democracy, freedom, and progress of the Arab people; it is the breaking of thier will, their taming, and thier subjegation. And do not tell me that things are not that simple. Because they are that simple in the end. So, it is up to you to choose where you and where the current Syrian “opposition” stand. And it is up to you to see where things are heading. And it is up to you and them to decide on which side you stand.

Maybe I am a simple person. First things first, I reason. I am with Syria against the “other camp”. Syria is not an Angel for sure, but the other camp is bad, merderous, and plain dump, from what we hear and see. And experiencing a strategic crisis of its own similar to British/Frensh Suze-Canal syndrom if you ask me.

For me, and away from the on going over-exhusting and over-complicated and oversophisticated political analysis -which is usually carried out to justify mistakes rather than to learn from them- the tide is turning and fast against the “other camp” whose actions are the Primary reason, we are at where we are at right now. They have miscalculated, misunderstood, and mis-performed across the whole area and lost whatever good will of its people they could count on -has their been any since the 1930’s- to say the least. Same as the Syrian “opposition”; which I am sure that many of its members are enlightend well-intentioned patriots. But ones who have miscalculated, misunderstood and provided the Outside with cover at the wrong time. That is political ammaturisem, if not national treason. At this point at least.

I sympathies with the suffering families. Yes I do. But I will not palay a cheer;eader to, and would not pin false hope on visions and actions of self illusioned, self-contained, and ineffective amature political mouth pieces. Especially, when the Wattan and the Nation is at stake.

Ehsani,

I liked so much your comment which analyses the lack of action by the majority of Syrians. I copied it to my site as a comment.

Keep up the good analysis and the criticism.

Still no Brammertz Report available (at least in English)?

Salem,

Never mind me and my being mukhabarat or a corupt guy with lots of money, but why would anyone have enormous respect for Mr. Khaddam?? And are you referring to what he did “while he was in power” or for what he did “since and afterwards”??

Oh my God, I must be ignorant about lots of things relevant to modern Syrian history.. but KHADDAM??????

Salam,

If you don’t mind expanding, and I compltely understand if u do mind, what has the regime done to you that has been so bad? Have you yourself been jailed?

And when you said you have been suffering your ‘entire life,’ I am assuming then that you are taking Hafez/Bashar as one regime…

You haven’t noticed any difference from the rule of the father to the rule of the son?

Most Syrians seem to not want to do anything about the lack of political freedome in their country. They advance several reasons,

1.Fear of chaos : This is a real threat, in addition to being an idea very well marketed by all arab regimes. I must say here that I agree with Aussama that what the US and Israel want is not democracy in Iraq or Syria or anywhere, it is precisely civil war and division.

2. They are too busy earning a living : They are too hungry to have political ideas. To them economic security is more important than democracy which they (a part of them) have never known.

3.Fear of oppression : It is a frightening thing!

4. They have gotten used to things and think they are not so bad. I have to admit I am in this category. I am quite happy with my life in Syria. This is the truth.

This last reason can be a strong one. I mean after 40 years of a certain kind of life, you start adapting to it instead of resisting it.

5. ….

Now, in presence of a strong opposition, none of these reasons are valid. The job of the opposition is to provide the people with the leadership they need to put these reasons behind them and dismiss them as just psychological barriers. (even if this is wrong)

These 8 people are setting an example in courage and that is the first step towards leadership.

But I am very disappointed with the main currents of the opposition. I can not trust nor respect Khadam or the MB. I can not trust the “liberal” opposition who remind me too much of a certain Mr Chalabi.

I have just posted a comment on Ammar’s site. The discussion was mainly on engagement versus democracy or firm-confrontation. I decided to post my comment here too:

Alex often refers to me as Mr. Black and white. It is either hot or cold. No room for middle ground. No areas of grey. In a way, his assessment is right.

To engage with the current Syrian leadership is to grant the Assad family a carte blanche to rule this nation for the next 50 years. Let us not try to sugar coat this. The idea that this regime will hold elections in 7 years and simply walk away into the sun set if they lost is fantasy. If Bashar is as popular as it is suggested, why doesn’t he hold free elections next year instead of this shameful referendum that we are going to have to live through?

The answer of course, is because he knows that he will lose. I challenge him to allow all the dissidents and opposition voices to campaign against him in a free and transparent manner. I am sure he that will lose decisively. Why? This is because he failed his people. This man was presented with a golden platter and he blew it. He did not blow it because of America and George Bush. He blew it because he was too busy enriching himself and his family. He blew it because he felt a sense of entitlement to lead with accountability to no one. He blew it because he had to prove his manhood and that he is as tough as his father was. He blew it because he failed to offer his people the basic freedoms and prosperity that they have been deprived of for 43 years.

As for America, he first helped them during their hunt of Islamic terrorists. He, however, could not pass the opportunity to make lots of money from Saddam when he needed an outlet for his vast stolen sums. Not only he benefited from the Iraqi regime’s last days but he openly campaigned against the White House and its Iraq policy ever since. He harbored Iraqi officials. He let Jihadists through his border and positioned himself as the most vocal Anti-American Arab leader in the region. If this was not enough, he went for broke in Lebanon. He forced his Presidential candidate down everyone’s throats and later made himself the primary suspect in killing the most high profile politician in the land. If this was not enough, he continued to publicly host the leaders of Hamas in his capital and openly sided with a nuclear aspiring Iran and its proxy in Lebanon.

Please read the above paragraph again and then ask yourself this question:

If you were leading the White House, would you “engage” with this gentleman? Alex would like to engage him because he wants to spare the region open war. This is not engagement. This is appeasement. This is agreeing to blackmail. The Syrian and Iranian regimes have positioned themselves as experts of trouble and mayhem creation. As a reward for their efforts, America, Europe, the Arab and Syrian people must now sit and engage them.

I say we deserve better. We cannot let our fear of the future deprive our people of the most basic human pursuit of freedom and prosperity. Most people think that any change will lead to mayhem and chaos. This is falling into the trap that this type of regimes plans so masterfully.

Iraq did go into mayhem because the U.S. should have removed Saddam during the first war. Not doing it then allowed the country to arm to the teeth. It allowed the Kurds to run a country within a country thanks to the no-flu zones. The Shias of the south did the very same. They had 13 years to arm themselves and challenge the central government that was now only ruling the centre. In my opinion, Iraq would have been spared this state of affairs had Saddam been taken down in 1990.

People claim that Syria will break into civil war if this regime falls. Who owns the guns now to fight a civil war? Once the army is under the control of the commander in chief, there is not a single entity in Syria that has the military capability to enter into an armed conflict.

Let us stop the scare tactics. This great country of ours has been on the wrong course for too long. This present leadership has failed to deliver. Reform is not the operative word here. Outright change and restructuring is in order. Easy and smooth it may not be. But, to accept the current state of affairs is wrong and we all know it.

Is democracy a goal or a way to better life for the Syrian people, I do not think democracy is a goal in itself and most the Syrian people agree with that ,they want good education and health care good job after they graduate they want an abelity to buy a house and be able to provide for their families , that goal of the Syrian people explain their lack of trust in the opposition who only offer diffrent people not diffrent plans to lead the country , I yet to hear that the opposition is offering cshoolarships to Syrian student or offering assistance to provide technology to Syrian hospitals badly needed ,their main objective is to have asunny president like it is not enough that the prime minster ,forigm minster ,deffence minster are sunnies ,I realy do not care who is the president or the goverment as long as there is a rule of law and everybody (christian,moslem of any kind or any ethnic group in Syria )are equal under the law and with dealing with the GOV,sometimes talking about the best way to lead people to a better life remind with the best religion to go to heaven ,is it ISLAM sunni or sheaa christian orthodox ,catholic of christian fundimantilist ie born again christian ,the truth is IT DOES NOT MATTER what matter is that people do what all religions want which is to do to others what you like them to do to you and if you do that you will go to heaven no matter what you believe in ,and that is the case in leading people god life for people can be reached in more than one way.

BACHAR EL ASAD Presidente de Siria
ENTREVISTA
“EE UU tiene que escucharnos”
El País

“Lo que plantean es cierto, el Estado debe tener el monopolio del uso de la fuerza. Hezbolá, el propio Hasan Nasralá, lo ha pedido, pero para ello hace falta un Estado en el que todos los libaneses se sientan representados. Si eso se logra, entonces será posible ((el desarme de Hezbolá)).”

“P. … ¿Le preocupa que algún alto cargo de su país pueda ser inculpado?

R. Nos preocupa si se hace por motivos políticos, pero si se trata de aclarar el crimen, será bueno para todos, también para nuestros intereses.” (!)

“P. … ¿Por qué no ha podido usted cumplir sus promesas de apertura?

R. Es cierto, el proceso va un poco lento. Existen varios factores. En parte es responsabilidad del Estado. Para desarrollar un país, tenemos que desarrollar el Estado. Hay un problema técnico, pero también vinculado a la naturaleza de nuestra sociedad. También influye la falta de apoyo exterior. Hemos fracasado en nuestros intentos de lograr ayuda de los países desarrollados. Cometemos errores. Tratamos de corregirlos. Volvemos a cometer errores. A corregirlos. También depende de las condiciones políticas, internas y externas, pero ambas se interfieren. Vivimos en una región dominada por las ideologías. Lo que está pasando a nuestro alrededor, en Irak, la guerra contra el terrorismo, una política internacional equivocada, sobre todo por parte de Estados Unidos… todo ello ha creado una reacción negativa dentro del país. Ha aumentado el fanatismo en vez de la apertura. Ha aumentado la tensión interpersonal. Todo esto tiene varios efectos. En primer lugar, retrasa el desarrollo económico. Luego, no es posible una apertura política sino hay apertura social porque la apertura política exige aceptar al otro. Cuando aumenta el fanatismo, aumenta el rechazo a los demás. Por eso volvemos a ver ataques terroristas en Siria desde el año 2004, algo que teníamos olvidado desde mediados de los ochenta. En todo caso estos atentados no están vinculados con organizaciones internacionales o con otros Estados. Aquí el peligro, la amenaza, es local. ((Los terroristas)) actúan de forma independiente, apoyados por el entorno fanático. Nuestro proceso de reforma también se ha visto perjudicado por la decepción política en la región. El magnífico ejemplo de democracia en Irak, Abu Gharib y otros crímenes, han causado un grave daño. La gente se pregunta si eso es la democracia. Sí, se ha ralentizado el proceso y dadas, las circunstancias sin duda vamos a encontrar más obstáculos.”

Assad: Peacekeepers Will be Unable to Stop Illegal Arms from Reaching Hizbullah
Naharnet

Salem,

Yes I have lived in Syria. You do realize what you described is something that is not a direct result of the rule of Bashar. Corruption and bullying is something that needs to be removed from our society throught the collective action of our society, and while you may accuse Bashar of ignoring the problem or even worsening it–he did not cause the problem you described. In fact I like to think Bashar is doing what he can to tackle this problem slowly and I think he is being slowed from the task by our regions instabilities. I also think Bashar is not a naturally dynamic leader and he could do so much more.

Why do you really hate Bashar? It seems to me you are just scape-goating him because you blame whoever is in charge. From your comment, it also seems you want to blame Bashar because he is not Sunni. Why do you so easily forgive Khaddam? Do you really believe that Khaddam ‘left everything’ in Syria? Stop kidding yourself–Khaddam is rich beyond your wildest dreams. What he left in Syria is very small compared to what he had outside of Syria in terms of property and bank accounts. Indeed right now I imagine he is living quite well.

And if you plan to spit on Bashar’s body, i wonder what you plan to do with the other Baath leaders? The Allawis? The Christians and other non-Sunni? The super-rich bourgoise including that kid that beat you? Do you plan to spit on any of these people as well?

Mo

Sorry, but you can not wait to see Ausamaa’s answer to what??? I lost you there. Ausamaa actually is trully busy now woundering what poor Condi is coming here to do?

The reception party composed primarily of Egept,Jordan and Saudi must be beating thier heads wondering about what might be “requiered” of them now that All Else Has Failed. US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan could not do it where they are, Israel could not do it where it has gone lately (or where it has been for the last forty years), Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas, and Chavez -to give things a are as emboldened and defiant as ever, if not more. And most problematic of all, to the reception party in Cairo, is the fact that neither Damascus nor Tehran are on Condi’s itinary. So what the heck is she coming here to ask of them or to do to “help” them? Another Baghdad Pact? With hesitant and insecure and confused partners? God. They must be worried. If SHE could not do it, How can They Help??? And plans originating in DC do not seem to be as brilliant as one should expect.

Is it “pay back time” for protection and favours rendered? They must be wondering? Or is she “hopefully” seeking only temporary relife and a tablet of “Panadole” in the form of a finding a “creative” solution to the Palestinian problem which may bloster Mahmood Abbas authority (and Israel’s anger) for a six-month period untill the election period is over. Could be, but a couple of suicide attacks here and there can put the whole scenario in a worse mess.

I would pay an arm and a leg to hear how “discussions” during here trip would go:
– We are here today because.. you know….
-Yeh, and remeber who got us here
– It time to stand united and do what togather what needs to be done.
-Please, You do it. We just can’t.
-OK. Let us try this.
-But we did, and It did not work before why should it now?
-Come on Guy’s, the President has a vision.
-And we have ones too. To survive.
-Can Israel help?
-We shall see…BUT it can not give away too much otherwise it will look as “THEY” have won.
– Well, you got do something.
– Dammit, that is why I am here for.
– And..? But dont you think about doing “that”.
– Do not worry, we are not considering that seriously. Israel may, but,nah…they smarter than that you know, besides they do not seem to be quite ready for it now.

Then I would imagin the Qatari representative waking up everyone from their trance by mockingly asking:

-Execuse me, but Why Not try to talk to “them”, remember what Rabin said: To achieve peace, You negotiate with your enemies, not with your friends.
– And who is talking about peace..?
– So,what do we do?
– Damned if I know, but let us try this!!!
– We have been there before, remember..
– Ok, but one more time, after all “we” gotta show some results! Come on…

Well, everyone, have a nice Condi “road show”…

New Post:

Poverty and wasted education in Syria

on http://viarecta.blogspot.com

these young men belong to the most of the syrian sects you can see Suni alawite chrsitan Esmaili
they are all secular and they great apro deomcracy group against the vionlence
they began to publish articles on the newspaper and net
as an example husam mulhim write very nice poems was publishing it on akhawia fourm

Everyone should read Gideon Levy’s latest article which highlights the stupidity and lack of courage of Olmert in refusing to talk to Syria about Golan for peace.

Operation Peace for the Winery

It seems that Bashar has appreciably increased the frequency of his press interviews.

Once cannot but help notice that this has been correlated with his increased isolation.

It seems that the only way to communicate his views to the outside world now is to call a media outlet and grant them an interview to air his thoughts.

Ehsani 2

And if your conclusion is true about Bashar’s “isolation”, does it make you feel any better? Has Chalabi, sorry, Khaddam and Baynoni began packing thier bags to come and rule Syria after the success of their planned October 5 “revolution”??

Have you noticed that they are “amateurs” even at the tactical level? An anti-regime demonstration on 5 October; just one day before the Tishreen War anniversary of 6 October 1973, which is seen by all Syrians as a victorious occassion for “defiant” Syria, the Syrian Army and the “Regime”?? And at a time when Syrians see the “halfmen” congregating with Rice in Egypt to plot against Syria??

Well, let us see the turn-out on that day…

[…] Mulhim, Karim Arabji, Omar Alabdullah, Tareq al Ghorani and Diab Sarieh are currently in jail for material they posted online. In the […]