Turkey Takes Harder Line on Assad AUGUST 1, 2011,

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903520204576481990885796976.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
BY MARC CHAMPION

ISTANBUL—Turkey on Monday sharply raised its public condemnation of Syria’s regime following the attack on Hama, while a senior Turkish official said sanctions were now “on the table,” but ruled out any attempt to intervene militarily by creating a security zone.

Turkey’s language hardened overnight, from describing the attacks as something it couldn’t condone, to “unacceptable,” much stronger language in diplomatic code and falling in line with Western allies.

“Beginning the holy month of Ramadan with bloodshed is unacceptable,” said Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul, the state news agency Anadolu Ajansi reported. “It is not possible for us to remain indifferent …

If “defectors” are defending Hama, then they must have weapons which mean they are not peaceful, making them legitimate targets. If that’s the case, then “activists” need to stick to one script and stop their “peaceful protestors” cries because obviously someone is shooting at the army. Call them whatever you want: defectors, gangs, and thugs; the bottom line is they are ARMED.

The next question is: How does any country deal with defectors? Do they let them establish their own little armies and leave them alone, or do they hunt them down and court marshal them?!

in an armed revolt supported/encouraged/armed by external enemies, the govt must do what is necessary to protect the nation.

this is in store when the parasites come marching like big turds:

History Erased
During the 1950s, the nascent state and IDF set about destroying historical sites left behind by other cultures, particularly Muslims. This policy was so indiscriminate that even synagogues were destroyed. By Meron Rapoport

http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/history-erased-1.224899

The regime is definitely not telling the truth, and will not allow independent party to investigate the truth.Russia is beginging to change its position,while it is early to expect Russia to support UN resolution condemning Syrian regime, they may do that in the near future.
The general talk in Damascus ,these days, is that the regime is getting weaker,it should change,complaining is getting louder, and more public, the people in Damascus sympathize with the protesters, and I feel they will join the opposition, they do see that the regime reforms are nonsense, and non existant.
the current regime will be history soon.

Police commandoes pursue armed gunmen in Syria’s Hama.
http://www.itar-tass.com/c154/195802.html
1/8 Tass 18

BEIRUT, August 1 (Itar-Tass) —— The anti-rebel special forces are chasing down armed gunmen, who are terrorizing the civilians in the Syrian city of Hama. The armed rebels against the current Syrian authorities started storming the state agencies and police stations in the city, which is situated 210 kilometers north of Damascus, since early morning, the Syrian Interior Ministry reported on Sunday. The fires broke out in many buildings after the lootings. The gunmen took hostage the civilians and waged the sporadic fire from the house roofs. The security forces “gave a rebuff to armed gangs, which are driving motorcycles,” the ministry said in a statement. Eight police officers were killed.

The Interior Ministry asked the Syrians for help “to find underground shelters of gunmen in order to unarm them and bring to justice.” Armed extremists pose “a major threat to peace in Syria,” the statement runs.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that 145 people were killed in various Syrian regions, including 1133 residents in Hama alone. Since the start of riots in the middle of March this is the largest number of casualties for one day in the country. Hama, which had been blocked by the troops for a month, was stormed by the elite forces, which constitute the defence of the current rule, for the past day.

The armored forces are being reinforced around a neighboring industrial center of Homs (165 kilometers north of Damascus), Al Jazeera reported. Local residents are afraid that the ongoing events in Hama may recur in Homs. The special forces entered several settlements in the Damascus suburbs, particularly Al Kiswa, Harasta and Muamadia, where the opposition staged large-scale rallies demanding for President Bashar Assad to be toppled. Over 220 people were detained in Muamadia, Al Jazeera reported.

The Syrian national television reported about the clashes with the rebels in Deir Az Zor, which is an administrative center in the province of the same name in north-eastern Syria. This city on the Euphrates River is populated with the comers from the Bedouin tribes, which joined the anti-governmental actions quite recently.

© ИТАР-ТАСС. Все права защищены

let them drink and clean and cook using sewage.

Severe Water Crisis in the Gaza Strip
http://tv.globalresearch.ca/2011/08/severe-water-crisis-gaza-strip

[Edited for insults]

Those Warlords Bashar Assad and his Brother

#3 left off “for syria” after “in store…”.

Ramadan Mubarak my friends, reactionary and revolutionary. If you fast, I wish you east fasting.
May Damascus be free by next Ramadan!
.

Thank you Amir. Amen to that!

The Syrian army is fighting a war against US-sponsored terrorists armed with machine guns and missile launchers that they received from US agents. The US is waging a bloody war of terror against Syria through its agents, similar to the war it is waging in Libya against Qaddafi and similar to the war it waged against Syria in the 1980’s. Like in Libya, the US is losing the war. The US has been losing too many wars lately. This is ominous. The mere fact that the US has been resorting to plain terrorism too much lately indicates how ill and desperate this nation is becoming.

@11 Do you mean Obama has been supplying insurgents in Syria with advanced weapons? My my, that is a very serious charge, one that sensible people do not make lightly. I’m sure many of Obama’s opponents in Congress would love to see the evidence you have for such claims….[Unnecessary insult. You made your point]

The crying laughable is on full display here.
Defectors should be court martialed. Well assuming that there is an independent judiciary. Defectors defected for a reason, if there is a court martial it will come out as to why they defected. It will incriminate the regime at worst and at best embarrass it assuming it has any shame left.
SANA just announced that armed gangs are being chased in Hama. Well the SANA is so reliable that every British and every Israeli have their radio dials set on the frequency of Damascus Radio.
This is the same SANA that has been feeding us garbage that is laughable were it not for its dismal fabrications.
Those in support of Junior please explain to me how could he have the rank of marshal in the armed forces having had no formal training, having had no military experience, having had no campaigns to allow him the title? This the same regime and the same supporters that want us to believe that SANA is reliable. Why not allow the so called garbage channels access to Syria so that they can be embarrassed on the air with their false reporting. Allow BBC and ALjazeera and Alarabyia and others to roam freely and report on the armed gangs and the vegetable throwing RPG and the dismantling of the infrastructures and the incredible strenght of the Syrian economy and finances. Why I heard on Wall Street that the US is switching to buying Syrian pounds as the Dollar keeps falling.
Finally if the constitution could be changed so easily to allow him to be nominated as a President then surely we can in 20 minutes abolish several other chapters of this masquarade of a document.

I do not understand the logic. No one wanted this situation to deteriorate so badly and many excpected a change within the regime but it seems there is no turning back. Even Russia is calling for an end to repression. Let us see how they vote in the SC.

Many opposition fellows on SC were expecting the end of the regime 3 months ago and we see that through their previous posts. Let us take an example of someone who wrote comment 4 “the current regime will be history soon”. What soon, can you define soon? This fellow has been saying soon three months ago. The oppositions is clearly empty and only practicing wishful thinking.

Brilliant timing of the crack down. The MBs and sympathizers were expecting Ramadan month to be a win situation, some here put a date of August 10 as the fall of the regime. It looks like the regime and army are not giving any chance for the thugs to play around. It lookos like the Ramadan Fridays will turn hell on anyone who is thinking of destabilizing the country. I expect the regime to escalate attacks on thugs and sympathizers the month of Ramadan. This month will be a big shock for opposition and a win for free Syrians.

Sergei Strokan, a political editor and columnist for the online newspaper Kommersant, spoke : …..

I’ve spoken to Russian journalists who came just two days back from Hama, and they say that really there are certain districts where there is not any police, no security forces, no law enforcement agencies, and there’s a lot of looting and other crimes committed by the people … who are controlled by no one.

Disclaimers:
Discussing anonymous fabricated Youtube videos is like building on quicksand.

Words may kill people , Videos can massacre them .

The Islamic radicals (mix of MB and Alqaeida) are armed and fighting the Syrian army in Hama srteets….It is a peaceful demonstration????……. Anyway all Syria streets should be cleaned from such garbage an buggers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzqboPoxq5A&feature=player_embedded

@14 You have a very selective memory. Two months ago Aunt Buthaina was confidently telling the world’s media that the crisis was over. Boy, talk about eating your words.

So Alex, do these Hamwis look like they are grateful to the Besho Brigades for liberating them from armed gangs?

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

It doesn’t take a child to see that the regime’s tales of armed gangs in Hama are fiction of the worst sort. The people of Hama are hiding from regime tank fire and machine guns, not the illusion of armed gangs. Otherwise they would be welcoming the army with roses and petals.

Or is every single person in Hama a crazed mundas Salafi? See how the menhebak fiction falls apart at the most cursory of inspections?

But hey, at least people aren’t “imprisoned for decades”. Stick around, Najati Tayara and the 3000 missing Syrians just might be imprisoned for much longer.

Moscow calls for restraint in Syria situation
2011-08-01 18:41:37

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-08/01/c_131023198.htm
MOSCOW, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) — Russia is concerned over the current situation in Syria and calls for self-restraint of both Syrian authorities and opposition, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The ministry stressed the use of force against both civilians and representatives of state structures “is unacceptable” and should be “stopped immediately.”

“Moscow is seriously concerned by information about numerous casualties….We urged the Syrian government and the opposition to show maximum restraint, abstain from provocation and repression, obey the law and show respect to international humanitarian law,” said the ministry.

The ministry also calls for the launch of a “comprehensive, responsible and substantial dialogue” to address the pressing domestic political and socio-economic problems.

The launch of the dialogue “is in the interests of all Syrians” to restore civil harmony and ensure a stable democratic development, the ministry said.

A total of 140 Syrians were said to have been killed in several cities in clashes with security forces Sunday, while the cabinet ratified a draft law to give a greater say in various fields to local governments and the public.

Earlier, Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it was firmly opposed to foreign interference in Syria and believed the crisis in the country could only be resolved by its own people.

Comment 16 by Real Syrian,

Real Syrian you should have seen the video posted by Alex, comment 46 I believe in the previous thread. It was posted yesterday, that video was horrific, and tells you how peaceful the opposition is. I urge you to go and see it yourself.

Keep you trust in the army and the security. It looks that the playground for the thugs will turn to a graveyeard for them. I am sure that the army declared a major crackdown and went from selective operations to major massive crack down on these thugs, elements of MBs and militins. I wonder what the opposition will name their next friday. The thugs will get a big and unexpected blow this month. They will regret it million times.

Syrians must be left to resolve their internal conflict – Russian diplomat
http://rt.com/news/internal-conflict-government-syria/

Reports say the Syrian army has launched a tank raid on the city after a month-long siege, with the number of deaths there reaching as many as 100. Russia called on all parties in the conflict to abstain from violence.

“Use of force against both civilians and state officials is unacceptable and must be stopped. We call on the Syrian government and the opposition to use maximum restraint, to refrain from provocations and repressions, to uphold the legal order and international humanitarian law,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Earlier, RT discussed the situation with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also served as Moscow’s ambassador to Egypt and Israel. He explained why Russia took a firm stance against a draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria after abstaining on a resolution on what looked like a very similar situation in Libya.

“We believe that Syrians should address their problems as part of their domestic agenda. This is an internal civil conflict and it should not be internationalized. As for the situation in Libya, of course every country is unique in terms of its particular situation, the background of its conflicts, the form and the scale of public protest, etc,” he said.

“On the other hand, we should learn our lessons. This refers to the UN resolution on Libya. We are all witness to it, and we still see it now – that a number of international players tend to digress from the strict observation of the instruction and the spirit of the resolution. Therefore we are naturally concerned that such loose interpretations can only result in making some of the opposition circles tighten their position and opt for a tougher approach, which is by no means a positive achievement in terms of finding a mutually acceptable solution,” he added.

The big challenge for foreign mediators in situations like the one in Syria is to be in contact with various opposition groups, with widely differing agendas, and try and convince them to open a dialogue.

“The Syrian opposition is not homogeneous. There is internal opposition, there is external opposition, and there are forces that indeed translate to a certain degree the opinion of the public. Therefore we cannot talk about the whole of the opposition as a uniform force. Some of it is leftist; some stick to socialist or communist views, there is a liberal opposition and an Islamist opposition represented by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist forces,” he explained.

“We think that the best way to deal with these problems is a nationwide dialogue [in parallel] with crucial economic and social reforms. We support all efforts aimed at launching and promoting a substantive dialogue between the government and the opposition. We adhere to the notion that both parties should abstain from violence and engage in constructive dialogue in an atmosphere of co-operation,” he added.

The authorities in Syria appear to be trying to address the protesters’ concerns, which Russia welcomes, Bogdanov said.

“The Syrian government and President Assad have delivered a number of statements on their reform plan. During our negotiations with the Syrian leader we insisted that it should be implemented step by step in a consistent manner, promptly and efficiently,” he said.

Iran issues tough warning to Turkey on Syria
Monday, August 1, 2011

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued a harsh warning to Turkey to end activities in Syria. In an article in IRGC’s weekly Sobh’eh Sadegh, the elite military force asserted that Turkish forces were crossing into Syria as part of a Western campaign to destabilize the regime of President Bashar Assad

IRGC said Turkey was trying to exploit the revolt in Syria to press on long-held border claims. The author warned that Iran would stand with Syria against any Turkish intervention.

“The whole world is aware of Iran’s relationship with Syria and Iran should not keep this hidden,” the article said. “Should Turkish officials insist on their contradictory behavior and if they continue on their current path, serious issues are sure to follow. We will be put in the position of having to choose between Turkey and Syria. Syria’s justification in defending herself along with mirroring ideological perceptions would sway Iran toward choosing Syria.”

The article was published after Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei relayed a warning to President Barack Obama against U.S. intervention in Syria.

Teheran has also warned Turkey against helping Washington in a NATO-led missile defense umbrella aimed to stop Iranian attacks on Europe. Khamenei raised the prospect that Turkey could be a target of Iran’s huge missile arsenal.

“From Iran’s standpoint, the Syrian leadership is in the midst of resolving its problems, and as soon as foreign meddling stops, the Syrians will be able to revert back to normal,” the IRGC article said.

Hello:
First I would like to wish Ramadan mubarak to SC readers and commentators.
I have never commentated on this blog before, but would like to share my thoughts with whom ever is willing to listen to them.

Syria is my home. Syria is not Muslim, Christian, or Jewish. It’s not Arab, Kurdish, Drouz, or Assyrian. They are all Syria, and only with all of them can their be a Syria.

This “government” has failed its people on both sides, let me explain:

Menhebak Side: The people that support this regime don’t seem to see that the Assad clan failed them by allowing the “Salafist, CIA agents, Mossad agents, …” infiltrate into Syria to such a degree. A conspiracy this big that has shaken the country to its roots all happened under their watch. A conspiracy that involves “thugs” that are roaming the street shooting innocent civilians, and destroying both private and public property. This is a massive failure by the so called “government”, not only did they allow this conspiracy to happen by not being vigilant enough, but when it did they were not able to contain it. its been four months and these gangs are still roaming the streets, terrorizing the people. Bashar must answer to this massive security failure, because this conspiracy has gotten so big, that EVEN Syrians are being duped into this Western, Salafist, Saudi, and Zionist plot.

The protesters Camp:
This camp is well aware of the atrocities that has been committed by the so called “government” that I don’t need to mention them. My heart goes out to you brave souls, that are dying for the sake of freedom.

A nations own army should never have to point its guns on its people, they should be there to protect the people, not kill them.
I currently live in a country where the government is more scared of its own people, than the people are scared of it. Were the country’s leaders are held accountable for their failures towards their constituents.

And to anybody that says this regime is not sectarian why is my country called The Syrian Arab Republic? Are the Kurds, Druze, Armenian, Assyrians not Syrians? Do you therefor need to be Arab to be Syrian?

US, Saudi Arabia and Israel mastermind Syrian opposition
Published: 02 August, 2011, 00:28
http://rt.com/news/us-saudi-israel-syria/

Bashar Assad’s main headache now is the unseen coalition of the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel, which sees the Syrian regime as one of Iran’s major Middle East partners.

That’s according to former Pentagon officer Michael Maloof, who gave his insight into the situation in the protest-torn country.

“The Syrian opposition seems to be more cultivated from outside. And it’s one of the problems that Assad is facing now, not just internal unrest – although he’s promised reforms, but a concerted effort by forces outside, a combination of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel,” says Maloof.

“They see in Assad ultimately his alliance with Iran, which to them is a big problem. They see the spread of Iran in the Arab world. Iran has scored heavily not only in Iraq, but also in Lebanon. Iran has made it very clear that it’s going to support Assad, and they have helped solidify that arrangement with a multi-billion dollar energy agreement which brings together both Iraq and Syria, and Iran, and in effect it helps solidify Iran’s western flank,” he explains.

Several NATO states are threatening action against Syria, with the UN Security Council set to hold an emergency meeting on the situation. The news comes as activists report that Syrian security forces have renewed attacks on the city of Hama.

Would Iran change its love relationship with Syria had the president been a secular Sunni or Christian who support the resistance until a just peace is reached?

الاسد: الضغوط تدفع للتمسك اكثر بالثوابت، وسورية ستخرج اكثر

http://arabic.rt.com/news_all_news/news/563571

The radical islamic thugs and gangs are on the run now. The goverment did not give them space. Their playyard will turn to a graveyard soon. Ramadan Kareen

Bashar was incorrect when he took a decision to open dialogue with these filthy ugly sectarian street gangs. He should have cleaned up these streets from the begenning, but he was too honest and naive in waiting for a dialogue to get some results. Whatever the result will be, street terrorist shall be dealt with the way America dealt with Taliban. It is about time to clean up this trash off Syrian streets.

Preseident Assad:
إن سورية العربية شعبا وجيشا وقيادة اعتادت أن تشيد الانتصارات.. وتلحق الهزائم بأعداء الوطن والأمة.. ونحن اليوم أكثر تصميما على متابعة نهج الكرامة بخطا واثقة تستند إلى القدرات الذاتية.. وتعرف كيف تفعلها لإضافة انتصار جديد..

He is determined to win and with the help of the secular Syrians he will. It looks that he wants to cruch the radical elements and he clearly declares it a war againts thugs, MBs, and militins.

@25 “Militins”? Is that a new enemy you’ve discovered? Or do you mean militants?

Do these guys look like they are scared by your eye doctor? Ten thousand protestors in Rastan near Homs.

The menhebaks are just grateful if the regime survives another day. No end in sight for them, no plan that can possibly subdue the country. Their savage bloody rampages have just inflamed the country more and lost them international friends. Hopeless in every meaning of the word

26# ABID

You were cheering the start of Ramadan and many of you predicted that your Jihadist act would work. Well it does not look like that Aboud, things are not going you way. I believe that the army is determined this time to crush you in many cities. Where is your defectors to come and help you “the seven free syrian army men”. Assad was clear in his speech and showed many signs of power and determination. He has the support of many Syrian as well. Unfortunately the radical criminal islamists have to face their fate again which is death not less not more

So it seems the “electronic army” thugs are cleansing SC similar to their fellows who’re brutally killing innocent people on the ground. You guys do enjoy playing with like/dislike buttons eh ahhhh you naughty thugs! Ok let’s get down to the business.

@ Ali, c’mon stop being shallow, and please try to learn how to be build up a rational argument rather just throwing accusations here and there left and right. If you’re soooo in love with the killer “Besho” then quickly put up a portrait of your lord and do some prostration, hoping this will rationalise your argument and ease your tone! If it does not wrok then a tattoo of the killer might do it eh. Mate at the end of the day, deep down in your heat you know Besho and his affiliates will be brought to justice before ICC & IJC handcuffed and hopefully chained.

@ “Menhebek” group

“Dictatorship is a constant lecture instructing you that your feelings, thoughts and desires are of NO account, that you are a nobody and must live as you are told by other people who desire and think for you” by Stephen Vizinczey

Please stop being passive

“Ignorance is an evil weed, which dictators may cultivate among their dupes, but which no democracy can afford among its citizens” by William Beveridge

Please stop being Besho’s dupes, try to build up some personality instead

Tara,

As you were so adamant that the uprising in Hama is peaceful, please refer to post #16 and view the link which clearly shows armed gangs in the act of shooting (using their peaceful guns of course). The video of the armed gangs is from minute 1:35 onwards.
The reporter also confirms that the video which shows the terrorist gangs throwing the bodies into the river was in fact taken in Hama.

Supporting the ‘revolution’ in Syria is supporting terrorism.

Syau,

Already commented on a previous thread. Alex posted the same thing. It is no longer selmiah and I stand corrected but read my comment.

“Assad was clear in his speech and showed many signs of power and determination.”

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You mean the pathetic speech to the Besho Brigades?

Only a menhebak would consider that speech to be anything but the delusional rantings that is the norm for dictators at their wits end. Saddam Hussein was similarly delusional right to the very end.

And what “victories” has junior created for Syria? Or his Papa for that matter.

“I believe that the army is determined this time to crush you in many cities. Where is your defectors to come and help you “the seven free syrian army men”.”

Yes, such “determination”. How come the Besho Brigades are reduced to shelling Hama hospitals from the outskirts? What’s taking them so long in Deir el Zour and Abukamal? Heck, Rastan has been under siege for months, yet 10,000 of its inhabitants came out this evening and told Besho to get on a plane to Tehran.

As usual, you will stay true to menhebakite form and run away from answering the hard questions. In your face junior, it will take more than your pathetic brigades to intimidate the Syrian people.

true

what justice are you talking about? killing security and army personnel? mutilating the bodies of the soldiers that died protecting their country? fabricating videos to suit this bloody conspiracy? using the media as a weapon against the government in order to turn people against Bashar?(might i add that didn’t work very well…they were all caught out doing their dirty business)

the man you call a killer, i call a hero.
say what you want to say. Bashar will not step down.
these scum bags that call themselves “peaceful” have ruined the lives of many families that had to witness their fathers, sons, brothers etc. being mutilated after they were killed. where is the respect for the deceased? where is the peace in all of that? how are protests peaceful when all it is causing is havoc and death?

have a think about that before you rush to oppose and defend this ridiculous excuse for a revolution. this is called evil.

Allah yehmi jash alsouri
al sha3b yorid BASHAR AL ASSAD

souri333

all i can say is… well said.

btw true, find something else to argue other than those damn like and dislike buttons. seriously grow the **** up!

aboud
“Militins”? Is that a new enemy you’ve discovered? Or do you mean militants?
you got problems dude. nothing to argue but peoples spelling mistakes? again i will gladly say GROW THE **** UP

No no Ali, really, I’m so grateful to discover another class of people who dislike Besho. The Militin Smitten Kittens against junior. What, you people ran out of enemies on planet Earth, you have to go and invent something that sounds like it came from a Robotech cartoon?

Please, by all means continue to spam the video whose location, time and context the combined kilowatt of menhebak intellectual brain power has been unable to ascertain.

Bahi bahi boooo, el khanzeer tale3 la abooooo.

please aboud. did you not understand the last comment i wrote? do you want me to talk to you like a child sweety? ok ill play your game.
honey… its not nice to make fun of people darling. you need to be a big boy and take other peoples opinions and make something of them, hunny buns.
you need to have something decent and intelligent to say. so think before you open your big gob and come up with something readable.
ok pumpkin? understand now? love you honey!

ABU HAFEZ!!!ABU HAFEZ

Ali,

When Aboud has nothing to say, or when videos are linked proving this terrorist movement they call a revolution is anything but peaceful, he resorts to the childish and pointless act of picking on spelling mistakes. This is nothing new.

True 28

The paragraph before the last is pretty good. I like it.

From the EU/Jew/CIA/Saudi/Salafist/al-Qaeda press:

“…what seems clear is that Assad is in deep trouble. A report by the International Crisis Group, reviewing the Syrian president’s erratic strategy for containing the protests — crackdowns followed by half-baked reforms and vague promises, followed by more crackdowns — concluded that “in its attempts to survive at all costs, the Syrian regime appears to be digging its own grave.” Violence has proved to be a losing strategy, as each death enrages other Syrians, sparking new demonstrations and convincing more and more fence sitters that dialogue is a fool’s errand…”

Fool’s errand. That fits Besho and his Mafia to a “T.”

Absolute last chance for SC commentors to pick the day during Ramadan that the Assad Mafia goes down. I pick August 10. No fair making multiple votes. The winner gets a box of Cuban cigars once sent by Hafez Assad to the Shah of Iran. Many of the cigars are still in their original wrappers…

syau.

i agree. im wasting my time with these venomous thugs. i wont allow myself to stoop that low. these sectarian klab need to be put to a halt as soon as possible. i would like to add that i respect your writing highly and enjoy reading your comments.

thank you and Ramadan Karim to you and your family
Allah Yehmikon ya mhebin Bashar

I love it when two menhebakites exchange posts with nothing in them except a whine about Aboud 🙂

I’ve asked a dozen very valid questions, none of which any menhebak has dared even try to answer. You must have come across a few. Questions about Najati Tayara, and why if there were three terrorist attacks near Homs, the Besho Brigades are running about the entire country, except Homs. You know, the usual questions critical thinking people would ask themselves.

Of course, there isn’t an independent thought to be had in the entire menhebak body of “knowledge”

Thanks Ali,

Ramadam Kareem to you and your family too.

Dear prof landis
How come you allow Aboud to insult every one here.why don’t follow your policy? Are you in emergency law,or may be he is the actual pony tail.

the reason the brave syrian army entered hama
coz the descendants of the mass murderer khalid bin walid done this to their brothers in arms…..islamists of ama murder syrian troops

http://youtu.be/07ThqmvtKFE

@45 Well, is it professor Landis’ fault that the menhebaks run away from legitimate questions posted on this forum? Man, I’m so glad I never joined the Baath party, I can only imagine the boring meetings they subject your unfortunate members to.

Ya Hafez, El3an rohak ya hafez!

I like what I see on the trash canisters; “Tabara3o lal faqer bashar al athad tha tha tha”

@46 Here we go again. Almost five months of a revolution, and the menhebaks have nothing to show for their efforts except a video of dubious context, questionable location and unknown timing.

A demonstration in Insha’at, an upper class neighborhood in Homs. “We removed the governor, now it’s your turn Abu Hafez”

Is it just me, or is the tank approach not working too well for junior?

Amnesty International calls the attacks on Hama “crimes against humanity”. AI are stating what everyone on the planet knows to be blindingly obvious.

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/F234F4B2-F618-4FFD-AEED-23D80FA27843.htm?utm_source=web&utm_medium=twitter

SS, regarding your post below, it’s Ramadan Kareem, with an M. That’s the second time you’ve made that mistake. Please, don’t tell me you don’t even know Arabic? Oh…my…God. Where exactly are you people from? LOL!

I actually find Aboud very funny and benign. He is a kido and brings some childness to SC which we have lost if it was not for him. You should not even reply him. Would you ask an infant why do you do this or that, just let him play. I wish the whole opposition have the same mentality as him, it would have been really easy. Ramadan Kareen aboooodi

@ 45

How about you get rid of this mukabarat mentality of reporting people and face ABOUD by answering his questions instead eh!! Keep in mind prof. Landis is not your Mukabart division senior officer nor a Bathissist.

If you can’t handle heated discussions on an online forum, how on earth your lord the killer “besho” would be able to engaged in a national dialog?

I think the people of Damascus, several thousand of them in Midan tonight have spoken, and their message is very clear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBQyU7U7sBI

By the way menhibaks and Assad fanatics, just because our revolution has been peaceful thus far, purely by our own choice, does not mean it will stay so for ever. The more atrocities your regime commits, the more it will convince us that taking up arms is the only way to get rid of it. Already, it is taking the utmost, maximum restraint from our side to keep it peaceful. But you may get your wish if you continue your murderous provocation, and you realize what that means? an eye for an eye. What you’ve done in Daraa, Banyas, Tal Kalakh, Jisr el Shughur, Homs, Hama, Dier Ezzour will be done to you. Vengeance, not liberation will be the new order. You have been warned.

The people will not be intimidated. 150 people killed means 150 ppl less for a demonstration. The people will come out in even larger numbers. The people of Hama have nothing more to lose. If Bashar and his suporters hope to win, they’ll have to wipe out whole of Hama, something even his father couldn’t achieve.

And no, there were no defectors in Hama nor did any defections occur there. Most of the defections are in Idlib (Governorate), Deir Al Zour – Euphrates region and in and around the Homs-Rastan belt. Many defections also happened in Rif Dimashq and Dera’a early in June.

And yes, stop the atrocites for your own sake, Shabbiha. They do not want to end up as the Royalists in Iran after 1979, or as the Sunnis and Ba’athsts in Iraq after 2003.

International

When Dictators Shoot Back; Gaddafi and Assad are unyielding and murderous. Has the Arab Spring turned into an Arab Hell?

By Tahar Ben Jelloun

8 August 2011

Newsweek

Newsweek – Print and Online

Aug. 1 & Aug 8, 2011; ; U.S. Edition

English

Copyright (C) 2011 Newsweek Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Muammar Gaddafi and Bashar al-Assad agree on at least one point: Spring must be eliminated; the year should have just three seasons. The demand for dignity and freedom by those willing to die for those values—that is what they cannot bear, and strive to curb ruthlessly. Gaddafi and Assad are the same kind of people as Saddam Hussein. Like him, they can’t tolerate opposition, and answer it with weapons. Like him, they cling to their positions, which they occupy without legitimacy. Like him, they count on tribalism to fortify their power. Like him, they are afraid of justice. Like him, they are convinced they are right.

Because of these two men, what has been called the Arab Spring is in the process of clouding over and becoming more like an Arab hell.

The Tunisian and Egyptian revolts succeeded because the armies abandoned the heads of state. Without the courage and daring of a few superior officers, both those countries would still be burying their dead.

What happened? Why and how did a dream become reality, even if as I write this reality is riddled with disappointment and impatience? The genius of a people is unpredictable. No one knows why, one day, people took to the streets and courageously confronted the bullets of the police or the army. That remains a mystery. The Arab people are known for their extroverted natures, for their love of peace. The funerals of Nasser and Sadat were spectacular. So were those of Umm Kulthum and Farid al-Atrash, two singers adored by the public. When you see a mass of people mourning the death of a president, you don’t imagine them someday coming out and demanding the departure of another president, Mubarak—one who had been in power for 30 years.

Humiliation is a common technique with dictators. Scorning, crushing the citizen is a way to govern and to guarantee the consolidation of power. The raïs—head of state—becomes the father of the nation. He is incontestable, free to do what he likes and to have anything he desires; Arab tradition and mentality teach absolute respect for the father. You never criticize your father, never raise your voice in front of him; you obey him and thank him for being there. That is why not only Mubarak but also Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Gaddafi, and Bashar al-Assad blithely confuse their countries and resources with their own property, and present themselves as the fathers of their nations. When they are reproached for this, they appear not to understand what is being demanded of them. This confusion between the money of the state and that of the leader is one consequence of dictatorship. The Mubarak family is said to possess $70 billion, and Ben Ali’s $17 billion.

In the West this notion of the omnipotent father does not exist. Why is it so strong in the Arab and Muslim world? In these countries there is one constant: the individual as a unique, singular entity is not recognized; it is the family, the clan, and the tribe that matter. The individual is drowned in this magma, and everything is done to prevent him from emerging from it. The early demonstrations in Tunisia, then Egypt, however, were marked by a new phenomenon: the emergence of the individual. The people in the streets were not calling for an increase in wages, but demanding universal values like freedom, dignity, and respect for human rights. They were asserting themselves as individuals having rights and duties, refusing to be regarded as subjects of the chief of state. This notion of the individual was born with the French Revolution of 1789.

People have often wondered why the novel as a literary genre came to life so late in the Arab world (Zaynab, the first novel, by Muhammad Haykal, appeared in serialized form in 1913 in an Egyptian magazine). The novel is the portrayal of one or several characters who are individuals. The writer bears witness to his time. The delayed birth of the Arabic novel was a direct consequence of the Arab disdain for the individual.

When the young Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire last Dec. 17, he could not imagine that his fatal, tragic gesture would have historic consequences. How did he come to that point, knowing that Islam forbids suicide and that immolation by fire is alien to Arab and Muslim culture? All the great rebellions in history begin with a symbolic deed that sets off irreversible consequences. Bouazizi’s sacrifice was experienced by the entire Arab world as a call for uprising. Everyone said to himself, if he gave his life, the least we can do is take to the streets in protest.

Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb was 13 years old. He was arrested in Daraa, in Syria, on April 29 for chanting “Down with the Syrian regime.” He was tortured and given electric shocks; his feet, elbows, and knees were burned; then they slashed his face and cut off his penis. They finished him off with three bullets, one in mid-lung. On May 25, he was returned to his parents; the body was in a state of decomposition. The father was arrested and forced to accuse the Salafi extremists of committing the crime. Like the Tunisian Bouazizi, the Syrian boy Hamza has become the symbol for a revolt in which the blood keeps flowing.

These revolts are not revolutions. They have been spontaneous, without leaders, without ideology, without any political party. They have been driven by a yearning to stop living in submission, to stop being denied human dignity. These obstinate rebellions will stop only with the departure of those who practice—and symbolize—repression, theft, corruption, and the exercise of absolute power.

At present we are in a period of transition. It is a difficult time, marked by the impatience and disappointment of the people in rebellion. How to explain to them that it takes time to rebuild a country and put the state back on its feet when a dictator has pillaged, spoiled, and dishonored it? Despite the present disorder, though, and the more or less fortunate improvisations in Tunisia and Egypt, the wind of this spring continues to blow over all of the Arab world. It so happens that both countries where the battles against dictatorship result daily in the deaths of dozens of unarmed civilians are in the grips of a system whose roots are ancient and organized. Syria has always been a police state with a solid Army capitalizing on the proximity of Israel and Lebanon, a country from which it was chased out in 2005, but which the Syrian regime has sought to keep as a vassal.

As for Libya, Gaddafi has no future. The day his mercenaries grow weary, he will fall. All negotiations for surrender have failed (South African President Jacob Zuma felt that the mediation of the African Union was “undermined” by NATO raids). There have been 10,000 deaths since the beginning of the uprising.

What does that matter, Gaddafi says to himself. He will leave Libya only by divine will, he has reportedly said. But divine will did not tell him to massacre his own people. That is why the U.N. Security Council voted on its “no-fly zone” resolution and why NATO intervenes daily. You don’t know Gaddafi if you think he’ll give in to international pressure and take the path of a negotiated exile. His pathology didn’t just appear today. He is a hunted man who does not understand that his people are clamoring mightily for his departure. He is convinced he is in the right, that he is a victim of the West and of elements of Al Qaeda. When you have been in power for 42 years, you forget what’s real; you think normality is whatever you decide it is. At no time has Gaddafi thought he is a dictator, even if he blithely confuses the immense resources of his country with his own wealth. He is not crazy; he is sick, and has been for a long time. As Philippe Gros, a researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research, stated recently in Le Monde: “Unlike Milosevic, Gaddafi has nothing to negotiate other than his departure, which makes his abdication more uncertain.”

The Arab Spring continues even now in midsummer. One of its major victories is the failure of Islamism, the alibi that had allowed Ben Ali and Mubarak to remain in charge and to do business with the West. Now we see that it was an illusion. Islamism was completely eclipsed by these revolts in which it played no part. The Islamists did not merely miss the boat: they didn’t even see it arrive. Their software is out of date. Bin Laden is dead, and along with him a whole phantasmagoria that does not correspond to reality. In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood has formed a political party. It will accept the laws of a democracy that could make it politically redundant. Islamism is one movement among many others. It has the right to exist, but within the rules and laws of democratic respect.

The death of bin Laden is not the end of terrorism. There will always somewhere be a lunatic, a madman, a group of sick people to plant bombs and kill innocent people, as in Marrakech on April 27. Terrorism will experience difficulties simply because the people have become vigilant and the police have made security their priority—unless certain governments decide to manipulate splinter groups in order to thwart democracy in the countries where the revolts took place.

Anything is possible. The Arab world is an entity like no other; there is no unity, no common philosophy. There are Arab states that do not like each other despite their shared conferences, meetings, and protests. Hypocrisy is evident. Morocco and Algeria do not agree with each other. Their borders are closed. Tunisia is afraid of neighboring Libya. Syria is hedging all its bets while consolidating its repressive police regime, and hopes to put Lebanon, a country living under permanent tension about its security, back on its feet. Iraq is bandaging its wounds, and terrorism continues to kill people there. Jordan is calm for now; it has gone through some difficult days. Sudan is in the grip of unrest. Yemen risks getting lost in a civil war. And Israel is watching this upheaval and hardening its colonial policies, refusing integration with the Palestinians and shelving Barack Obama’s propositions. Israel mistrusts these revolts; it wants to preserve its monopoly on democracy in the region. But the Tunisian and Egyptian demonstrators did not attack Israel, which turns its back on peace and neurotically refuses any solution. Fortunately, Israelis and Palestinians have demonstrated together to demand peace negotiations. But the present leaders maintain and continue the colonization of Palestinian lands.

This is my survey of a tumultuous landscape, done with all the uncertainty of a cartographer who does not know exactly where the boundaries of revolt begin and end. To be sure, the awakening of the Arab people is not over. But fear has changed sides. The dictators in power, men without legitimacy, are now the fearful ones. They will be tossed out. Sooner or later, the Arab world will rid itself of these furious madmen, who cling to power even if it means multiple massacres. There comes a point where even massacres must die out.

Tahar Ben Jelloun is today’s most significant Francophone Moroccan novelist and poet. His work straddles Arab cultures throughout the world, chronicling hopes and impasses, whether through the eyes of desperate immigrants (in his book Leaving Tangiers) or political prisoners (This Blinding Absence of Light).

True @50, for years the Baathists have gotten used to getting away with saying the most outlandish things (Zionist-Indian fighter pilots in the 1973 war come to mind). They have never had to defend their point of view, nor endure the torment of having their most cherished myths and assumptions challenged.

When put to the test, they have proven themselves incapable of carrying on a discussion with people of differing views, or participating in an exchange of opinions. As a result, many of them have left this website for greener, more menhebak friendly pastures, and the rest have severely cut down on the quantity of their contributions.

It says alot that they were incapable of sustaining a dialogue on this, the most accommodating website on the Internet to their views. Professor Landis bent over backwards to create an oasis of discussion, but even he can’t force the menhebaks to grow in political and intellectual maturity.

They will blame the insults, the snide remarks, the sarcasm, everything under the sun, except of course the system that did not prepare them for the shock of a democratic debate.

Many things are going to change in Syria, what surprises me is that the opposition do not seem to understand that to have a multiparty system and cancel article 8 and free presidential and parliamentary elections is going to lead in reality to the demise of the Syrian regime that was put together by president Hafiz Assad , they keep calling for the downfall of the regime but fail to see that president Bashar Assad is doing that for them more than any foreign power can, or willing to do.

Their hatred is blinding their eyes.

I am talking about insults,look on how many posts he had edited in the last 24 hours.he needs to go to his mom,he needs to be raised well,then you can talk with him.it is not a heated discussion with him,he discuss things by his tong,his words don’t get filtered by a viable brain.Almost all his posts are the same words in different ordes:
Scum
F..k
Menhabak
Mukabarat
Heck
Besho
Scum bags
Hahahahaha
Hehehehehehehehe
If that is a real discussion,your very False,mr true.

56 by SNK:

Unfortunately this is the level of discussions and repetitive words we all got used to. He is indeed a child and I would agree with you, he needs to go his his momy. I would care less about his posts and I would continue to enjoy the Assad crushing these thugs and MB elements.

#55 you must be seriously delusional, or outright trolling/lying if you believe for one instant that Bashar is willing to cede power via democratic elections.

You honestly believe a reformer who believes in democracy would have waited 11 years till a revolution took place, then killed 1700 protesters and put another 12000 in jail and sent his army to occupy cities which have revolted against his family’s authoritarian rule?

You’re a delusional fool, Bashar is just another Saddam, Gaddafi clone. A murderous dictator who cares nothing for his people, and sees them only as objects, to be toyed with at will.

@56 “,look on how many posts he had edited in the last 24 hours.”

Exactly two edits. Two, out of numerous comments. Most of you menhebaks get twice that many edited out in just one post 🙂 Then you sulk and whine and accuse Professor Landis of being anti-regime, and we never hear from you again.

“,he discuss things by his tong”

Tongue. How else would you like me to “discuss things”? Sign language doesn’t work so well on the Internet 🙂

Moderator, if I just quote back what they said, does that count as insults? Hehehehe

“Scum
F..k
Menhabak
Mukabarat
Heck
Besho
Scum bags
Hahahahaha
Hehehehehehehehe”

You forgot Besho Brigades, junior, the eye doctor, Besho B** Kissers (that’s one that got edited out). I’m quite happy how many of these terms have entered the vocabulary of the discussions here.

By all means, please continue to whine to each other about Aboud Pony Tail 🙂

@55 Yours is a very unique view. Every serious analyst has, after examining the proposed “reforms”, come to the not-so-surprising conclusion that they are as tangible as junior’s fantasies of Salafi gangs.

However, if you think otherwise, then explain to me why, if junior is so serious about reforms, Najati Tayara has been jailed for the past two months? It should be a simple question, and I’ve been asking it for weeks, and yet the menhebaks would rather whine to each other 🙂

I have decided to pursue my inner NYT/Anthony Shadid level of reporting and tell you about what is going on in Hamah.

I did not call anyone in Hamah who did not have at least 10 guns. An RPG. I did not talk to a single person who had not attacked a police station. No one I talked to had not kidnapped and killed an ‘Alawi. In fact, i did not a call a single person who did not go the Mosque and yell “Jihad ‘Ali Al Jaysh!”

But since I’m an American. I care about American politics. I started calling Chicago politicians about the well-known corruption in Chicago politics. After hours of calling, I can safely say there is no corruption in Chicago. They told me over phone. And when I drove through the city a few months ago, I didn’t see a single politician taking a bribe.

What amazes me is that no TV or newspaper had any interest in the killing and dumping of the Syrian soldiers.if you kill a cat and dump it in a river it will be a major news in the west,you will actually have some jail time.
If it was the army doing something of that sort,it would have been all over the universe,thousands of times.Amazing how cheep the Syrian blood have become,all kind of blood protesters and soldiers,it has become cheeper than urine,Amazing how stupid syrians have become where they clap for seeing ther own blood dumped and traded.Amazing how much politics all over are blood mixed.Amazing how oil can be more important than blood.Amazing how a nation who is the mother of all nations is being slaughtered by the international consciousness ,anesthetized by oil and money,using it’s own people stupidity as the knife.

Time is running out rapidly for this wicked warlord basher and his gangs …. Yella Souria Yella Souria
Yella Souria
Yella Souria
Yella Souria
Yella Souria
We are witnessing history in the making fellow Syrians, the age of Assad directorship roaring down …Mabrook

BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..BASHAR THE KILLER..
عيد ميلاد حافظ الأسد في تدمر 1 رمضان

ABOUD
I am still waiting on you to answer the question: What is your craft that you bragged at being so good at? Are you a professional (paid) agent of Syria’s enemies? You sure come across as a hard working agent?

The video linked to by “Real Syrian” # 16 must be watched:

It was broadcast tonight (Monday) on Syrian State TV.
It shows the armed dissidents in Hama using their guns.
As “Real Syrian” said, it is necessary to immediately clean all Hama’s streets of these people.

Joshua quoted The New York Times reporter saying: “J. J. Harder, the spokesman for the American Embassy in Damascus, termed the government’s account “nonsense” and called Syrian officials “delusional.”” From the above video, clearly it is the USA people who are full of delusional nonsense. They were delusional about Libya and Iraq and Afghanistan, and they are delusional right now about Syria.

The officials of the Syrian government are spot on, they have all the truth and good virtue on their side, and http://WWW.SANA.SY once again proves it is the world’s best informed and most reliable news source about Syria. Real Syrians know it.

@ NORMAN #55: I kept this statement from NORMAN back on 12 July: “It is apparent that the opposition won, now that the president wants a free election and multiparty system. The regime as we know it is no more. I just do not understand why the opposition do not declare victory and enjoy their winnings.” Today NORMAN gives the answer: “their hatred is blinding their eyes”. That’s not a bad answer, but here’s my answer: The Assad party is going to trounce the rest of the field in the free elections, and hence the effective change is going to be a formal change in institutional trappings with the same old government. (The formal democratizaiton is important in the long term but not in the short and medium term). The dissidents want the fall of the government, and they don’t want to compete against the Assad party in an election.

Norman,

150 of your fellow Hamwi citizens were murdered in cold blod and all you can say is King Hafez and Master Bashar.

No Sir, you are the blind.

To me, there’s no way I would let up any revolutionary activities at this point no matter the amount of military oppression. Just as in the so-called “thawra” that put Baath in power, we will have ours. We will continue openly working for a free Syria. With the increased isolation that the international community has placed on Syria and the continued defiance of the mafia regime killing it’s own, it’s only a matter of time before they are removed. It is they who have chosen the path of war. The amount of blood that has been spilled so far cannot be all in vain and we will not forget the sacrifices of those who were most brave. Therefore, the only thing at this point that will suffice is Bashar’s head on a platter. And there are plenty more like myself.

There will be no amnesty for Bashar al-Assad or Maher al-Assad. We will hunt them down for justice – if they surrender peacefully that would be preferable – we will have a trial, there will more than likely be a conviction. The death penalty is certainly on the table, as it is for Mubarak. If they do not surrender, then they’ve made their dignified choice and ours’ easier sealing this darkest chapter in our proud Syrian history.

I was ambivalent to Bashar’s presidency up until a few months ago. I waited patiently speech after speech waiting for a breakthrough, waiting for acknowledgment of responsibility, a mea culpa. I had an open mind. The excuses, open lying, and contempt he had for the Syrian people has enraged me as well as many others. I know it’s hard to get rid of this government. I realize that his regime is a cancer. It is a cancer in the minds of all his agents, and the vast network around Syria. What Syria needs now is akin to chemotherapy – a period in which will be very difficult, but in the long run, will rid us of disease and allow us to prosper once again.

Norman,
many of your fellow hamwi Christians “ I know them personally “are boiling in anger and will accept nothing less than seeing Basher and his thugs corny in the international criminal court .. you still astonish me sir.. how much blood are you willing to see!!

Aboali,

Until 3 months ago, most people felt that Syrians are lucky, they are safe their government listen to them on Iraq, Palestine and economic openness, so as they say , NOT BROKEN< WHY FIX IT ,

Now we know that it was broken but we did not know it and he is trying to fix it, so help him as he can help you .

Aboud,

I agree that the reforms as they are now are not enough or serious, but with canceling article 8 and announcing free election with multiparty system at a set time table should be enough to move the process forward without more blood being spilled ,

@ 56. Syria no Kandahar, you still all over the place and absolutely making no sense at ALL. Stop posting, no one could bother to decipher your creative thinking eh.

@ 59. Aboud, don’t listen to those empty noises and yeah mate you do own the copyrights © of “Menhebk” 

@ 62. atassi, Syria history unfolding indeed, a better era is emerging.

@ 40. Tara, no worries

@ 42. Ali, just let me get it right eh, which will you put first Syria or the killer “Besho” and his ancestors? I’m expecting one sentence answer no more!

Syrian state TV shows horrible footage on armed men in Hama
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-08/02/c_131023538.htm
DAMASCUS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) — Syria’s state-run television aired late Monday an amateur video footage, showing armed men in the focal point city of Hama shooting at law-enforcement forces and dumping their bodies in the city’s Orontes River.

The footage showed armed men holding rifles, some of them were masked and dressed in rags, shooting at law-enforcement members in Hama and dumping their bodies in the Orontes River while shouting “God is great.”

In the same context, the official SANA news agency quoted an unnamed official as saying that armed groups have “started an intensive armed attack” on Monday’s eve using live ammunition and Molotov against a number of official headquarters and police stations in the central province of Hama.

The source said the gunmen are carrying guns and roaming the city on motorcycles, adding that army units are still carrying out their missions there in eliminating barricades and barriers set up by those “saboteurs.”

Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Monday a number of wounded army officers and policemen at the Military Tishrin Hospital in Damascus, whom the authorities say were gunned down by “armed gangs.”

Syria said hundreds of policemen and security officers were killed and many others wounded by alleged armed groups it blames for the four-month-old unrest in the country.

Earlier Monday, Lt. Gen. Riyad Hadad, head of the political department in the Syrian army, said Syria is facing the “closing chapter” of the conspiracy.

In an interview published by al-Baath newspaper on Monday, Hadad said the army is ready to make every sacrifice to safeguard the security of the country.

Since the unrest began in mid March, Hama has been one of the hottest centers of the demonstrations, with thousands protesting every week to press demands for the downfall of the leadership.

The city has a storied history of rebellion against the Syrian leadership and was a stronghold of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which staged a bloody rebellion in 1982.

It would appear that Assad and his organized crime family has entered their final stages. Most people, who were peaceful, some days ago now today are screaming for blood. If Assad and company wished for blood then they will have one and very soon. In the end and there will be an end. It is either Syria and the Syrian people or Assad and his organized criminal goons…no going back now…no going back.

Turkey strongly condemns Syrian crackdown
Monday, August 1, 2011
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-strongly-condemns-syrian-crackdown-2011-08-01

Turkey has reacted strongly to Sunday’s bloody crackdown by the Syrian regime in the city of Hama, condemning the Syrian army’s operations that killed nearly 100 protesters.

“As expectations are underway for the restoration of tranquility in line with the spirit of Ramadan and for the fulfillment of radical reforms, beginning the holy month of Ramadan within a bloody environment is unacceptable,” President Abdullah Gül told Anatolia news agency Monday.

Gül emphasized that the recent operations in Syria had further deepened existing concerns. “I am calling on the Syrian administration to halt the violence against people and fulfill the reforms that will build the future of the country on the basis of peace and stability,” the Turkish president said.

“The use of heavy weapons against people in Hama when Ramadan began shocked me. It is not possible for us to remain indifferent to this violence,” Gül added.

Syrian tanks stormed the restive city of Hama on Sunday, killing at least 95 civilians in a move to crush demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

Ankara’s first reaction against Syria’s operations came with a statement late Sunday. “The latest developments have brought into question the Syrian government’s intention and sincerity to resolve the conflict through peaceful means,” a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said late Sunday. The ministry underlined Turkey had been “waiting with patience” and watching the developments in Syria closely over the last couple of months.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu also voiced concern Sunday over the Hama crackdown, saying Syria was passing through a very critical period. Following his first assessment, the foreign minister condemned Syria on Monday for its heavy assault on protesters.

“We were greatly disappointed over yesterday’s operations, especially the operations conducted in Hama. Both the timing and the way Syria conducted the operations were enormously wrong. We severely condemn these operations,” Davutoğlu told reporters Monday.

The foreign minister also joined other international actors in criticizing the timing of the massive operations on the eve of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which began Aug. 1 and lasts until Aug. 29 this year. Davutoğlu emphasized that the move was not appropriate to the spirit of Ramadan.

“The dimensions of the loss of civilian lives in an operation that deploys tanks and heavy weapons in a highly populated area should have been known to the Syrian authorities,” Davutoğlu said.

Turkey has called on Syria many times to make urgent reforms and urged it to abstain from bloody actions to quash protests, but the latest remarks are the strongest reaction yet from Ankara toward Assad’s regime.

Ya Mara Ghalba ,

I am flattered that my statement was saved ,i have to be careful not to change what i write so people will not say that i am a flip flop ,

Atassi,

It does not matter to me at all if many Christians are your friends or agree with you, they probably fear you more than love you,

Any way my loyalty is not and never will be to my religion, It is to my Arab nation and what is good in my opinion for our people,

True
You need few brain cells to absorb my posts.your brain cells are below the minimal required number to digest my posts,don’t read them .you have more than the needed number required to absorb pony tail’s post,which is 0.

Syria no Kandahar

Syria is the next Iraq. You must realize that none of the liars that sold the world on the Iraq war paid a price for lying. And the people that wanted the war are all now rich as shit.

If you want to make money today, prostitute yourself against Syria. Just like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has found out, sucking up to KSA and the anti-Democratic clan that is Washington, will reward you with millions. Both countries are scared as shit of the Arab Spring. America is so scared they have warmed to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Just ask Anthony Shadid. He probably already has more than enough money to retire.

Norman
Attassi is right,Hamwi Christians were so flattered by the dumping of soldiers movie,done by her friends,they decided to join the criminal movement.They thought if that what they did to soldiers,they will make them كبه نيه and eat them.

@ Norman,

Are you an advocate of seeing the blood of 1700 Syrians (give or take) spilled by bunch of informal sectarian gangs?

Are you an advocate of seeing 30000 Syrians (give or take) arrested with no charges?

Are you an advocate of seeing 5000 Syrian (give or take) missing (I guess you know what does it mean “missing” in Hafez’ farm)?

Are you an advocate of seeing Syrian cities getting bombarded by their own Syrian fellows?

I’m expecting clear-cut answers, and please don’t try to counter-back with other questions. I really need to understand your foundation because I find your thoughts really disturbing.

How there could be free election,when the people who demonstrate peaefully are killed and arrested, over 12000 people in jail, the security all over Syria, suppressing everyone.this is not a regime that will provide free election.
The video that Syau brought about Jisr Alshoughoor, and later Alex said it is in Hama, is not by the protesters, it is by the security forces, they killed protesters, and threw them in the river.enough false statement,

we are passed the midpoint in this uprising.it is all over Syria, and yes the people has full right to carry weapons,to defend themselves,I wish they do, but the leaders keep saying we have to keep it peacefull

SNK,

My cousins who lived in Hama left it weeks ago because of their fear,

True,

It did not have to happen if the opposition thought things through and did not listen to the instigators that want the destruction of Syria.

Norman,
No fear between friends, They fear NO one, they are brave Syrians and don’t shy away from the truth.. Doc~~ amazing …

Norman
Those soldiers dumpers,Attassi friends,don’t fear them.did you hear them they were so well mannered:
كس أختك اخو شرموطه
روح ياخنزير
شوف موديلو بخوف
They are our Syrian brave friends,they are our heroes,actually Attassi dosnt mind if they dump her too,it is a sport you know.
Those brave syrians,Attassi’s friends,after making Christians كبه نيه they will steal ther عرق and have it with it,to reach high levels of صحوه ثوريه

79# Majedkhaldoon,

Whats the news about your Jama3at Islamia in Lattakia. Are they doing any business or they put to rest. Are you producing the news for Aljazeera….The video in Hama or Jisr Alshogoor (the city does not matter) clearly shows thugs, MBs, retartded people who are thirsty for blood and shouting ALAH WA AKBAR. That comes from only Salfia, Mbs, radical ones. This has nothing to do with army, and you know better that they do not look like Shabeeha since you had an experience with them in the past, perhaps, I am just guessing. You mentioned that the goverment and the regime will be down soon, and will fall. When it does, you should work on the Imara Islamia project in lattakia

true

@ 42. Ali, just let me get it right eh, which will you put first Syria or the killer “Besho” and his ancestors? I’m expecting one sentence answer no more!

do i really care what you expect??? nope!
your not going to like this answer but do i care??? nope!
your asking me if i would put Bashar first? well yes i would. Bashar is Syria. to choose Syria means choosing any President that rules. and fortunately i only support Bashar. who would you choose my dear salafi friend? wahabi khnazeer or salafi hameer?

Allah Yehmik wyehmi awladak ya habibna Bashar

Dear Syrian Electronic Shabeeha, enjoy

and this is a special gift to Ali, from all free Syrians

Norman

Oh yes it’s the slaves’ fault, why in hell would they rise against the vampires who have been sucking the blood out of every Syrian for 40 years now ? they should have stayed home and waited another 400-500 years for Hafez Assad MXXVIII to enact the reforms (slowly and carefully). I mean they need to be patient and realize reforms cannot be implemented in 4-5 months, only amending the constitution to fit the next Assad inline can be done in 5 minutes, everything else needs years of careful studying and planning before it can be translated into a law, and then this law needs years to actually take effect.

Meanwhile if (a very BIG if) we have an armed gang of 20 people we should destroy mosques, arrest/torture tens of thousands and kill thousands to “restore order”. Maybe they should just declare that for every dead scumbag shabeeh they are willing to kill 100 innocent civilians (children count as 1/2 a person).
You know what, I’m gonna stop here because I don’t want to say things I’d rather not say, take care.

Russia against UN sanctions, outside pressure on Syria
2011-08-02 20:19:12
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-08/02/c_131025539.htm
MOSCOW, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) — Russia has been against UN sanctions against Syria because they would not settle the situation in this country, an official from the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

“We are not against everything; we categorically against all that does not work for a peaceful settlement. If there are unbalanced things like sanctions and pressure, such a set is really bad for attaining less blood and more democracy,” said Sergei Vershinin, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Middle East and North Africa Department.

Vershinin said that Russia has tried to avoid violence in Syria against both protesters and pro-government representatives. He noted that Syrian opposition should not dodge from the dialogue with the authorities about the country’s future.

“Reforms (in Syria) have been matured and they must be sped up,” he noted.

The diplomat stressed that the international community must learn from Libyan experience and not to adopt resolutions which later could be interpreted on a whim.

“(Such resolutions) lead not to the settlement but to the complicated situation on the ground,” the diplomat said, adding that military operation in Libya came into a deadend.

Vershinin also said that the frozen assets of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi abroad could be used only upon the UN Security Council’s permission. These assets should be evenly distributed to the east and the west of the country, the diplomat noted.

Related:

France rules out military intervention in Syria

PARIS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) — The French authorities on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of military intervention in Syria, citing that the situation in Syria was different from Libya.

“The situation in Libya and Syria are not similar. No option of a military nature is considered,” said Christine Fages, deputy spokeswoman of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a regular press briefing. Full story

Iraqi president urges Assad to reform
02/08/2011
By Ma’ad Fayad
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=26108

London, Asharq Al-Awsat- A source close to Adel Abdel Mahdi, a leading figure in the Iraqi Islamic Supreme Council [IISC], which is led by Ammar al-Hakim, and resigned first deputy of the Iraqi president, disclosed details of the meeting that took place between Abdel Mahdi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last week.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat by telephone from Baghdad, the source which spoke on the condition of anonymity said: “Abdel Mahdi met with Al-Assad in his capacity as a personal envoy of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. The visit was not an official one at all as Abdel Mahdi holds no official post.”

The source explained: “Abdel Mahdi conveyed a written message from President Talabani to President Al-Assad. In his letter, President Talabani urged Al-Assad to carry out genuine political reforms and stop using security and military methods against the Syrian people. He warned that continuation of the situation as it is will open the door to foreign intervention in Syria and make the situation in the region more critical.”

The source that is close to the leading IISC figure said: “The proposal to send a personal, unofficial envoy [to Syria] was the idea of the Iraqi president who did not want to send an official envoy as was preferred by the US Administration, which considered this move a positive step to ensure that the situation in Syria and the region will not develop further.”

The source noted: “President Talabani trusts his former deputy, Abdel Mahdi, a great deal and has close relations with him. Moreover, Abdel Mahdi has positive relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.”

The source said: “Abdel Mahdi arrived in Damascus on board a private plane and was not received according to the protocol norms. He was not received by the Iraqi ambassador in Damascus either. Rather, he was received by officials of the Syrian Presidential Palace who accompanied their guest directly to President Al-Assad who received Iraqi President Talabani’s letter.”

The source added: “The Syrian president read the letter, reassured his guest that the situation is well, and told him that there is no worry over Syria, its people, and security in the region. He highly valued the Iraqi president’s initiative and Abdel Mahdi’s visit because it is the first visit by a high-ranking Iraqi politician.”

The source continued: “The Syrian president asked Abdel Mahdi to convey a verbal message to the Iraqi president in which he expressed his pleasure at the Iraqi president’s gesture and his concern for the fate of the Syrian people in these circumstances.”

The source disclosed: “Since May, the US Administration has been trying to persuade some Iraqi officials who have influential relations with the Syrian president to talk to him and reach a formula to stop taking military measures against Syrian demonstrators.”

The source said: “Former US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad conducted shuttle trips to Arbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah to persuade President Talabani to visit Damascus and he discussed this move with close aides to President Talabani who has good relations with Al-Assad and can influence him.”

The source added: “Zalmay even said at a closed meeting that President Talabani will deserve a Nobel peace prize if he conducts this mission and succeeds in it. However, sources close to President Talabani said that the president might move to intervene in the issue, but in his own way.”

The source continued: “It seems that President Talabani’s own move came through his personal envoy Adel Abdel Mahdi who, on the one hand, enjoys good relations with Arab leaders and, on the other hand, always seeks to play the role of the man of peace and reach solutions to crises in the region.”

The source noted: “Abdel Mahdi played an effective role during the crisis in Bahrain. Early in May, he visited Turkey and Kuwait t o ease the tension in Bahrain after he received information or messages indicating that Iran would intervene in Bahrain, as did the Peninsula Shield Forces. And indeed the Iraqi official’s mission contained the crisis.”

The source that is close to Abdel Mahdi was asked whether the Iraqi president’s letter or Abdel Mahdi’s remarks to the Syrian president included leaked information on the United States’ true stand toward the current events in Syria and whether Washington or Europe might forcefully intervene in this issue. The source replied: “I have no knowledge of this. However, what I can say is that the US Administration was not distant from this initiative.”

The source said: “Abdel Mahdi, by nature, is opposed to governments’ violence against their peoples, and his mission in Damascus fitted his policies. Abdel Mahdi explained these policies in the Iraqi Al-Adalah Newspaper, which is published by his office.”

The source added: “In one of the newspaper’s editorials that Abdel Mahdi wrote on the situation in the Arab region, he said: The lesson is that rulers must learn from what happened, seek to achieve justice and freedoms, and work with their peoples to achieve a democracy that will give the citizens the right to choose their rulers, because there can be no one and only leader, a leader party, or repressive regimes.”