Stalemate Prevails as Gov and Opposition Look for New Strategies; Pressure on the SYP
Posted by Joshua on Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
SYP black market rate is at 53.0-53.5 this morning. But there are few dollars to be had at any price. The restrictions on buying foreign currency are many and onerous. Interest rates are now almost 10% on deposits. Every bank has to give the central bank a daily, detailed accounting of who they sold foreign exchange. The real value of the syp were there no exchange controls is impossible to tell. The head of the Goldsmith’s guild in Aleppo says the Syrian pound would be at 60 to a dollar, were people not buying Gold. Gold is the safest refuge for liquid capital at this time of anxiety and people have bought large quantities to protect against the weakening of the Syrian pound.
Rami Makhlouf, although announcing that he would get out of business and enter into charity work, is putting his shoulder to the wheel of stopping the devaluation of the Syrian Pound. In this article on Syria Steps, it is explained that he is counseling Syrians to sell dollars and buy Syrian Pounds to stop a foreign conspiracy to put pressure on the pound. One businessman asked if he was becoming the Central Bank.
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29/06/2011
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Syria Pulls Armed Forces Back From Some Areas, The best article on the situation in Syria comes, again, from Anthony Shadid. A must read.
The Syrian military and the government’s security forces have largely withdrawn from one of the country’s largest cities as well as other areas across the country, residents and activists said Thursday, leaving territory to protesters whose demonstrations have grown larger and whose chants have taunted a leadership that once inspired the deepest fear there.
The military’s move in Hama, where a government crackdown a generation ago made its name synonymous with the brutality of the Assad family, has surprised even some activists and diplomats. They differ on the government’s strategy there: whether the departure points to a government attempt to avoid casualties and create another flashpoint in a restive country, or to an exhausted repressive apparatus stretched too thin.
But residents in Hama, the fourth largest city in Syria, have celebrated the departure as a victory that came after one of the worst bouts of bloodshed there in the nearly four-month uprising.
“Hama is a liberated city,” declared one activist who gave his name as Hainin.
Residents and activists say the military and security forces have also withdrawn from Albu Kamal, near the Iraqi border, and some suburbs of the capital Damascus. In Deir al-Zour, a large city in the east, the military has remained on the outskirts, although security forces are said to still be operating inside the city.
Government forces have withdrawn from locales before – namely Banias on the Mediterranean coast and Dara’a in the south – only to return even more relentlessly. But the scale of the departure and the size of Hama seem to set the experience there apart.
“I don’t think it’s a tactic,” said Wissam Tarif, executive director of Insan, a Syrian human rights group. “It’s exhaustion, a lack of resources and a lack of finances.”
Even some activists have described a stalemate between the government and a revolt that represents the greatest challenge to the 11-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad, who inherited power from his father, Hafez, absolute ruler of Syria for 30 years.
But the events in Hama underscore new dynamics that have emerged lately, as neither government nor protesters can resolve the crisis on their terms. An opposition meeting Monday, broadcast in part by Syrian television, called for an end to Mr. Assad’s monopoly on power, committees behind the street protests are becoming better organized and a weak economy once instrumental to the government’s vision continues to stagger.
“I feel like we’re in a stalemate, and while the stalemate is not pretty – in fact, it’s ugly – it only works in the opposition’s favor,” said an Obama administration official in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Time is on the opposition’s side.”
Hama is a city whose name remains seared in the memory of many Syrians. In the culmination of a battle between the government and an armed Islamic opposition, the military stormed Hama in 1982, killing at least 10,000 and perhaps far more. Some residents said Hama’s place in history has made the state more reluctant to crack down.
“We learned from our mistakes,” said a teacher in Hama, who gave his name as Abu Omar. Like many interviewed there, he agreed to speak only on condition of partial anonymity. “To make a revolution halfway,” he added, “is to dig our own tombs.”
On June 3, government forces and protesters clashed in the city, which runs along a strategic highway linking Damascus, Homs and Aleppo. By activists’ count, as many as 73 people in Hama were killed, though Syrian officials said their security forces also suffered casualties. Syrian officials said an agreement was reached afterward that protests would be permitted, as long as they remained peaceful and no property was damaged. Some residents confirmed that an agreement was indeed concluded earlier this month.
Since then, some said even traffic police have withdrawn.
“The security and the army are completely absent,” said a resident who gave his name as Abu Abdo. “They are not harassing us at all, neither before nor during the daily rallies which have been gathering day and night. There are no patrols. Life is normal.”
In bigger numbers, protesters have gathered at night in Hama’s Aasi Square, which they said they had renamed Freedom Square. Activists said the city’s mayor went down to address the crowds there Wednesday night. When he asked what their demands were, one activist recalled that protesters replied, “The overthrow of the regime.”
The mayor soon left, they said.
Other protesters there have taunted other cities and the leadership. “Oh youth of Damascus,” went one chant, “we’re in Hama, and we’ve toppled the regime.”
In an echo of the early days of the Egyptian revolution, when a crumbling authoritarian order inspired a new sense of citizenship, some activists say residents have taken to sweeping streets in front of their homes and shops, volunteers have kept the main squares clean and drivers have adhered to traffic rules in the absence of police.
Syrian officials downplayed the idea that the departure of government forces suggested a void in their authority. Since the beginning of the uprising, the government has said much of the violence has occurred in clashes with armed opponents and, indeed, American officials have corroborated the existence of insurgents in some locales in Syria.
“Our policy has been that if the demonstrators are peaceful, if they do not wreak havoc or destroy public property, no security will harass them,” Imad Moustapha, the Syrian ambassador to Washington, said in an interview. “The universal orders are not to harass demonstrators as long as those demonstrators are peaceful.”
Mr. Moustapha estimated that nine out of 10 protests began and ended peacefully.
The American official suggested that the violence was a response to government repression. When its forces withdraw, the official said, the situation remains peaceful.
“That’s what Hama has demonstrated,” the official said.
The departure could also suggest at least some recognition on the part of the government that a brutal crackdown cannot succeed. In Deir al-Zour and Albu Kamal, officials removed statues of Mr. Assad’s father, in what seemed an acknowledgement that they were not worth the bloodshed that would be required to save them from protesters.
“Everyone is stuck, at this point,” said Mr. Tarif, the human rights advocate. “The regime is struck, the protesters are stuck and the opposition is stuck.”
Reuters: Assad acknowledges threat of economic collapse
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis
“The regime is not thinking far ahead,” he said. (“a leading figure in the hotel trade” in Syria) “They are thinking how to live through next Friday, which means Assad cannot reduce the subsidies or cut salaries because it will annoy more people. They think they can deal with economic collapse when it happens.” “For now they have no sense of economic strategy.”
The central bank had indicated two months ago that it would not allow the exchange rate to exceed the equivalent of 50 pounds to dollar but that the ceiling had been breached,” said the banker in Damascus, who declined to be named. “No intervention can compensate for the fundamental lack of a political solution.”
U.S. cost of war at least $3.7 trillion and counting – Reuters
The final bill will run at least $3.7 trillion and could reach as high as $4.4 trillion, according to the research project “Costs of War” by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies. (www.costsofwar.org)
In the 10 years since U.S. troops went into Afghanistan to root out the al Qaeda leaders behind the September 11, 2001, attacks, spending on the conflicts totaled $2.3 trillion to $2.7 trillion.
Those numbers will continue to soar when considering often overlooked costs such as long-term obligations to wounded veterans and projected war spending from 2012 through 2020. The estimates do not include at least $1 trillion more in interest payments coming due and many billions more in expenses that cannot be counted, according to the study.
In human terms, 224,000 to 258,000 people have died directly from warfare, including 125,000 civilians in Iraq. Many more have died indirectly, from the loss of clean drinking water, healthcare, and nutrition. An additional 365,000 have been wounded and 7.8 million people — equal to the combined population of Connecticut and Kentucky — have been displaced.
(Reuters) – Syrian opposition tells Russia: make Assad resign
Exiled Syrian opposition figures urged Russia on Tuesday to persuade Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to resign, warning that Moscow risked being left behind by history unless it withdrew its support for the leader.
Report on the Conference (Muther Khaddam) The most complete (to date) report on the conference. Munther explains some of the problems encountered during the conference.
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Syrian opposition in rift over Damascus meeting
BEIRUT | AFP – June 28, 2011
Anti-regime activists behind street protests in Syria on Tuesday criticised opposition figures who held an unprecedented meeting in Damascus at which they called for a peaceful uprising.
“As a matter of principle, the Coordination Committees of the Syrian Revolution condemn any meeting or congress held under the banner of the regime,” they said on their Facebook page, an engine of the revolt.
“Revolutionaries must take dozens of security and dissuasive measures before they can hold such a meeting, so as to avoid being jailed, tortured or eliminated,” they said in a statement.
“It’s only natural that questions are raised by this meeting which claims to come from the Syrian street when the Syrian regime gave its protection and media coverage, counting on it to build a civilised and legitimate image,” they said.
“Nobody should have given a drop of legitimacy to the regime at the expense of the blood of our martyrs and the suffering of the detained,” the statement read. “The Committees renew their commitment to the Syrian street.”
About 160 dissidents, several of whom have spent years in jail as political prisoners, vowed at Monday’s meeting to press ahead with a peaceful uprising, as President Bashar al-Assad’s embattled regime invited the opposition to talks.
The opposition figures, all independent of any party affiliation, met in a Damascus hotel.
In the face of deadly unrest that has pitted pro-democracy protesters against security forces since mid-March, the authorities on the same day invited the opposition to a July 10 meeting to discuss key changes to the constitution.
Imad Moustapha, Syrian Ambassador, to Syrian-American Community, June 29, 2011
To the Syrian-American Community:
I hope this letter finds you and your families in good health and spirits. As you are all well aware, Syria for the past four months has been undergoing unprecedented change, and will continue to do so in the months ahead.
Some of the changes in place have included the lifting of the decades-old State of Emergency law; abolishing the State Security Court; establishing a Demonstrations Act, that regulates and protects the peaceful demonstrations of citizens, similar to laws in Europe and the US (For example, in the city of Hama, people have been demonstrating in public places for two weeks without any incident, because they expressed their political viewpoints peacefully); and the drafting of several new laws presently up for national debate, including a free elections law and free media law. This is only the beginning.
The Syrian government remains staunchly committed to instituting much-needed reforms and promoting peaceful dialogue among all people in Syria in order to create a more democratic and prosperous nation. There is no other way forward.
The recent conference in Damascus where members of the opposition convened is another example of the trajectory towards progress. At the same time of such dialogue occurring, the President is meeting on a daily basis with representatives of all major cities and towns in Syria to hear from them regarding their concerns.
As Syrian-Americans, you, too, can contribute to moving the process of reform and dialogue forward. One way would be to contact your representatives in Congress and remind them that instead of endorsing negative and counterproductive measures, the only way for Syria to move forward while avoiding instability is to support the efforts for dialogue and reform underway.
By working together, we can all contribute to the road ahead in Syria.
Sincerely, Imad Moustapha, Ph.D., Ambassador of Syria to the United States
Assad deserves a swift trip to The Hague
By Madeleine Albright and Marwan Muasher
June 28, 2011, Financial Times
It is time for the international community to take a stand against Syria’s use of violence against its citizens. On Monday the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Muammer Gaddafi and two of his closest lieutenants for alleged crimes against humanity. The United Nations Security Council should now direct the ICC to investigate whether Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is guilty of crimes against humanity. The charge: using lethal violence to repress peaceful demonstrations in support of democratic rule. The Arab League should also assume the same principled position on Syria that it took on Libya…..
The international community cannot, nor should it, seek to dictate the fate of any country. We do, however, have a responsibility to support the observation of global norms in every country. Initiating an ICC investigation in Syria now would create a powerful incentive for Mr Assad to choose reform over further repression. Such a choice would be good for the people of Syria, and for the case of democracy and law throughout the region.
Popular Rallies and Tents to supporting Reform
….A Homeland Tent was held in Hasaka province, in northeastern Syria, with the participation of various popular and social figures to stress national unity and support to comprehensive reform.
“The Tent meeting is a unique national case that highlights the people’s awareness of the big conspiracy hatched against them,” said Mohammad al-Brak al-Mahshoush, a senior sheikh of al-Jabbour tribe.
A similar tent was organized in Buraq village in Daraa province at which sheikhs and members of senior clans in the area said expressed readiness to do all their best to preserve the unity and solidity of the Syrian national fabric against all foreign conspiracies aimed at destabilizing Syria and interfering in its internal affairs.
“This tent reflects full support to the reform program,” said Father Joseph Badawi, Priest of al-Masmieh village congregation for the Roman Catholic Church.
“The unity characterizing the Syrian people will foil all the plots planned against Syria,” said Khalid al-Hussein al-Hilal, senior figure of al-Buraq village.
Aleppo countryside also witnessed marches of thousands in Efrin area who stressed commitment to standing side by side in the face of the conspiracies and misleading media campaigns targeting Syria.
A glimpse of hope appears as national dialogue hailed in Syria – China News Service
…In another indication, the U.S. is still giving a room for diplomatic solution in Syria, a U.S. congressman stated Tuesday that President Assad is serious about making changes in his country.
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, told reporters following a meeting with al-Assad that he had found a “strong desire to make a substantial change… People want President Assad to carry out reforms.”
He called for the cancellation of recent EU sanctions imposed on the Syrian regime that include assets freeze and travel ban.
Syrian activists fight digital battle
By Abigail Fielding-Smith in Guvecci
In a cottage in the Turkish village of Guvecci, next to the Syrian border, a handful of Syrian activists who fled a military attack a few days ago close their laptops and debate what to do next.
“We can’t do anything,” says one, frustrated. “It’s not important, our work here.”
Until tanks rolled into the border village of Khirbet al-Jouz, the activists ran a media portal nearby, powering their laptops with solar panels stolen from a government building and accessing faster, more reliable Turkish 3G networks to upload videos documenting the protests, defections and crackdown in the restive north-west and elsewhere in Syria.
Now that the government has established sufficient military control in the province to invite back international media, the citizen journalist footage that sought to counter the government’s narrative of events has almost completely stopped.
“We have some friends on the border, but there is no one taking videos,” says another activist.
The loss of the Khirbet al-Jouz hub was a setback in the deadly cat-and-mouse game between activists and the authorities, but the struggle is far from over, say activists.
The possibilities of new media have enabled them to circumvent some of the heavy-handed instruments of the government’s crackdown on the unrest. With each creative evasion however, the regime usually finds a way of responding.
When protests began in March, activists were unable to meet to discuss strategy nor were they able to use telephones, which are assumed to be tapped. But they found a way to communicate routinely over Skype and used proxy servers to access Facebook so that their IP addresses would not be traced. When the international media were banned from the country, activists began filming and uploading footage themselves.
But as the authorities realised that footage was getting out, they began to cut off internet in areas where military operations were taking place to quell the protests.
In Deraa, the southern province near the border with Jordan where Syria’s uprising broke out, activists documented the military crackdown and sent out their material by using a Jordanian mobile network.
“I was in the forest [near the Jordanian border] for 15 days, sleeping in caves,” recalls one activist from Deraa. He said he would give his laptop to friends who would take it to an electricity source and charge it for him.
“I was moving like a ghost,” he said.
The authorities appear to be aware of the activists’ tactics. A document that opposition figures abroad say was leaked from the ministry of telecommunications claims the security committee at the ministry had discussed the need to counter the mobile telephone coverage coming from neighbouring countries and “conduct reverse procedures”.
The document could not be independently verified.
Activists say internet connections have slowed down significantly in recent weeks, and sometimes high-speed digital subscriber line connections have been shut off altogether, making talking on Skype almost impossible.
But Will Davies of the campaigning group Avaaz, which disseminates citizen journalists’ footage, said the internet slowdown has not affected the number of films they are being sent, which average between 15 to 20 a day.
“It can only be that our guys are getting more canny – they’re getting used to the on and off situation, they’re very quick to act as soon as they can get online,” said Mr Davies. He speculated that this could also be because there were simply more people motivated to take the risks involved to send out footage.
In Guvecci, the activist with the laptop decided to sneak back in to Syria, and continue trying to film the suppression of the protests, in spite of the heightened risks.
“We’re not afraid at all,” he said.
Another activist said: “Every day is more difficult than the last. But we don’t stop, God help us.”
Iran and Syria: Next Steps
Featuring Robert Satloff
June 23, 2011
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Download Dr. Satloff’s full prepared remarks (PDF).
While the U.S. military is engaged in an important humanitarian mission in Libya, the Middle East’s real strategic drama is being played out in Syria. …. At stake is more than the survival of a regime that has been a consistent source of tension, threat, and challenge to U.S. interests on numerous fronts for nearly all of the Asad family’s decades of control—though that too is a key aspect of U.S. concern for the fate of the country. Rather, at stake is the opportunity to strike a painful, perhaps decisive blow to the axis of anti-peace, anti-Western, anti-American regimes that is headquartered in Tehran, runs through Damascus, then on to Beirut and Gaza, and has aspirations to extend its reach to Baghdad, the Gulf, and beyond….
DJ US Treasury Sanctions Syria Security Forces, Iran Police For Abuses, 2011-06-29
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–The Obama administration Wednesday sanctioned Iran’s national police and Syrian security forces for human rights abuses inside Syria.
The move comes as Syria President Bashar al-Assad’s regime continues a violent crackdown against dissenters. “Today’s action builds on the administration’s efforts to pressure Assad and his regime to end the use of wanton violence and begin transitioning to a system that ensures the universal rights of the Syrian people,” Treasury’s Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism David Cohen said in a statement. The Treasury Department announced sanctions against the Syria Political Security Directorate, one of four major branches of the country’s security services, and the head of Syrian Air Force Intelligence.
Aron Lund: The Ghosts of Hama: This excellent report by Sweden’s leading Syrianist provides a description of the situation in Syria today as compared to the MB uprising thirty years ago. Comparing the two Syrian revolutions reveals both similarities and differences, and points to the major risks that Syria faces. The whole report can be downloaded on http://silc.se/?p=874.
No elite defections
Syria, therefore, stands out as the only Arab state hit by serious protests which hasn’t yet experienced any serious instances of high-level defection. This would appear to mean that regime cohesion and internal control has remained high, and that government insiders have not yet lost faith in, or fear of, the system’s ability to recover. From the inside, then, Bashar (or at least his system) must still look like the only thing on offer. The reason may be that the Syrian state is still in better shape than it looks from the outside, or the internal checks and balances peculiar to this regime (the Alawi factor), or that the core leadership has taken precautions to prevent defections (internal surveillance, threats, bribes, hostage-taking, etc). Some combination of all three appears most likely….
Military defections
….the Sunni-majority army proved eminently capable of repressing the MB in the 1980s, without fracturing along religious lines. Even so, sectarian dissent in the army remains a possibility which must worry the regime – hence the opposition’s intense focus on the issue….Opposition
the lack of central organization also makes it difficult for the protests to advance beyond street-level demonstrations or riots, to more sophisticated forms of political action. It makes it virtually impossible to conduct negotiations with the regime or elements of it, since there are no recognized spokesmen, no single list of opposition grievances, and no unified organization able to control the ebb and flow of protest. Even if the regime wanted to open general negotiations, which is unlikely, there’s really no one to talk to. For a more detailed look on the groups that make up the Syrian opposition, see Aron Lund, ’Weakening regime, weaker opposition’, Near East Quarterly, Issue IV, May 2011,
Internal-external dynamics in the opposition
One should, at this point, note the internal-external dynamic of the Syrian opposition. The Baathist dictatorship has forced many Syrian opposition groups abroad, where they base themselves in the refugee community. Others are entirely products of the diaspora, while some straddle both worlds. Opposition projects and debates tend to involve both communities, but imperfectly so, since the opportunities for contact are limited.While demonstrations inside Syria now appear to take place with little input from the traditional opposition, and is led by non-organized Syrian youth, exiled groups have been making headlines in the Western and Arab press by launching new political platforms, conferences and demands. The impression, whether intended or not, is that these groups convey the demands of the demonstrators; perhaps they do, but this should not be conflated with actual leadership. The internal opposition, by contrast, whatever its role may be in organizing street-level protests, has not so far been able to effectively meet and produce significant joint statements, due to the security situation. The result is that internal opposition voices aren’t heard to the same extent as those of exiled representatives.
This author’s impression is that activists in the Syrian diaspora community tend to be distinctly more hardline and uncompromising than opposition figures inside Syria, who generally advocate a more cautious long-term strategy (although there are of course numerous exceptions to the rule). Various explanations could be advanced for this: On the one hand, the ‘internals’ may be more in touch with events on the ground, have more at stake, and are more wary of risks to stability. On the other hand, the ‘exiles’ are unconstrained by fears for their security, and may simply be voicing opinions that the ‘internals’ can not. In any case, these differences may well have been surpassed by the present revolutionary upheval, which changes the game entirely.30The secular Arab opposition
The organized Syrian opposition was in much better shape in the late 1970s than it is today…..Kurds
Kurdish groups have always been at some distance from the Arab-majority organizations that dominate Syrian opposition politics. In many cases, dislike has been mutual: Arab nationalist organizations have suspected the Kurds of separatism and ties to foreign powers, and Kurdish nationalists have in turn resented what they perceive as Arab chauvinism. Since the Damascus Spring (2000-2001), and in particular since the Qamishli riots (2004), Kurdish groups have been working more closely with the Arab mainstream of the opposition. Seven Kurdish parties, out of about 15, signed the Damascus Declaration in 2005.
During the 2011 uprising, the Kurdish parts of Syria have been noticeably quiet, even if parts of the Kurdish diaspora are very militant in drumming up foreign pressure. The regime has made contact with Kurdish opposition parties, and tried to appease the Kurds through long-overdue attention to their grievances, eg. by granting citizenship to Kurds stripped of their Syrian nationality in 1962 and allowing Newroz celebrations. This seems to have worked to some extent. Demonstrations in the Kurdish regions have so far been largely peaceful and orderly, and the regime seems careful not to provoke violence, wary of the Kurdish movement’s disproportionate street power. Even so, after 50 years of racist repression, the Baath Party is intensely unpopular among ordinary Kurds, and there is a strong potential for more serious unrest among the Kurdish minority.36 In June, an important Kurdish political coalition is reported to have refused an invitation to meet with Bashar el-Assad, bowing to popular pressure.37
It is important to note that the role of the Kurds matters not only because of their own home areas in the north and north-east. Should the Kurds join the uprising en masse, this could also spark protests in parts of Aleppo or Damascus, considering the strong Kurdish presence there.. But there are few dollars to be had at any price……The Islamist opposition
Islamist ideology enjoys stronger street-level support today in Syria, than it did during the 1970s. Religious conservative sentiment has mushroomed since the 1990s, but, on the other hand, Islamist groups are not as well organized politically as they were in the 1970s. Then, the Muslim Brotherhood was well implanted in the country, despite repression and internal splits.
In 2011, the MB has been out of the picture for nearly three decades. It still commands significant sentimental and moral support among religious Sunnis, and draws a disproportionate share of Western attention, but it has essentially been an exiled movement for a full generation. Even though the MB, by its own admission, has a few sleeper-cell style formations left in Syria, it hasn’t been able to replenish its ranks effectively for three decades. ….What about a coup d’état?
The Syrian military was boiling with political intrigue until the Baathist takeover in 1963, and remained an arena for intra-Baathist struggle until 1970. By the time of the Ahdath, some political groups still retained clandestine support in the armed forces, as demonstrated by a failed MB coup plot within the Air Force in 1982.
This is no longer the case. By 2011, the officer corps has been under firm party control for almost 50 years, and watched over by the Assad family for more than 40 years. It is dominated by a socially homogenous Alawite Baathist camaraderie. While political opinions may perhaps differ among members, as a group, they have prospered under this regime and are fearful of its overthrow. Even if political strains may cause dissent or even mutinies, including among leading Alawite officials and other top commanders, it’s wholly improbable that any regime outsider could mount a coup…..
Comments (52)
AIG said:
Prof. Landis,
How would you interpret this?
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-28/syria-to-cut-souedie-crude-daily-exports-for-july-by-37-1-.html
Why would Syria want to cut exports in this time?
June 29th, 2011, 4:15 pm
Akbar Palace said:
AIG,
Maybe because Junior doesn’t need the money?
June 29th, 2011, 4:27 pm
Aboud said:
In any war of attrition, the biggest side always wins.
I find the explanation for the huge demonstrations in Hama somewhat encouraging. If there really were Salafis running about the country, what more natural base of support for them than in Hama, which was leveled by Hafez Assad in 1982.
The fact that there was no violence in Hama for the past three weeks, despite the total absence of the security forces, severely weakens an already weak narrative on the part of the regime.
Regarding the Internet cut offs, at first I was highly suspicious of the way Homs seemed to have more than its fair share of outages. But today Syria Teleco announced that subscribers would be reimbursed 50% for the fees of May and June due to the outages. I almost died of shock at this unheard of generosity.
Also, ever since the lines came back, their stability and speed have never been better. My ADSL line used to drop about 6 times a day. Now, I pity my European friends with their feeble 99% uptime.
June 29th, 2011, 4:31 pm
jad said:
🙂 Allah kbeer!
Iraq will supply Syria with oil.
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June 29th, 2011, 5:17 pm
vlad-the-syrian said:
“Rami Makhlouf, although announcing that he would get out of business and enter into charity work, is putting his shoulder to the wheel of stopping the devaluation of the Syrian Pound”
I heard this last week. Assuming it is true ??? ????? ?
June 29th, 2011, 6:12 pm
majedkhaldoon said:
The Dollar is 53.5 SYP
The index for stock market is 1020,it is way low
Is the economy collapse , is it straight line,or ascending curve?
Some Alawis are leaving Syria with million of Dollars
People in Syria are extremely worried,my relative are asking what will happen to us?I think members of AlBaath party will start defecting,this will weaken Bashar,before the business community start to abandone the regime.and before army officers start defecting on large scale.
The regime is frustrated,hesitant,confused.
June 29th, 2011, 6:57 pm
why-discuss said:
The new tactic of withdrawing security forces may well work. As the confrontation decreases, violence decreases too. The opposition will be obliged to move to the next stage that many have no idea what it would be. I think many are asking the same question: We continue protesting peacefully and what’s next?
June 29th, 2011, 7:25 pm
vlad-the-syrian said:
#7. why-discuss
“what’s next?”
new parties, elections, a new assembly
????? ?? ????? !
June 29th, 2011, 8:00 pm
louai said:
???? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???? “???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????” ??????? ???????
????
??? ???????? : ???? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ????
???? ??? 500 ???? ??? ???????? ? ?? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? “???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????”? ?? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ???????? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????……..
http://www.syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=134410
June 29th, 2011, 8:00 pm
louai said:
??????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???????
????
?????? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ????? .
???? ???? ???? ?????????? ” ?????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ???????? ????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? “.
???? ?????? ?? ?????? ” ??? ?????? ????” ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???????? ?????? ??? ?? ” ??????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????? ” .
????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ???????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? .
???? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ? ????? ??????? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? .
????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ???????? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? “?????? ?????”? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ??? ?????????? ?? ????? .
http://www.syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=134402
?? ??? ??????????: ?????? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??? ??? ????
??? ????? ??????? ???????? ?? ????? ???????
?? ????? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ??????? ?? ???????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??????????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??????????? ?????????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???????? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??? ????????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????…….
Read the full interview
http://www.syria-news.com/readnewsx.php?id=50527
June 29th, 2011, 8:04 pm
vlad-the-syrian said:
LOUAI
“?????? ??????? ?????? ??????”
?? ???? ?? ???????? ???????? ???????? ! ?? ??????? ???? ?
June 29th, 2011, 8:19 pm
Syrian Commando said:
Madeleine “worth it” albright, the mass murdering ugly hag is calling for Bashaar to go the hague? I don’t think she even deserves a trial. Send her to prison already, before she dies of old age.
Quite hilarious how hearsay and misinformation about the Syrian pound is spreading, the x-“opposition” is trying to use reflexivity to create a bank run but Syrians are smart enough to ignore this garbage.
——
VLAD-THE-SYRIAN,
At this point the external opposition is relying on negativity to destroy our country (see all the torrent of crap they’re writing on twitter now), out of desperation. So take my reconciliatory words to the misinformed as a sign of strength, not weakness. As a conclusion of my own study, there’s no way they can harm the Syrian economy in a prolonged fashion.
The zio-West is on the edge of economic collapse so those who are betraying their country by using foreign currency for internal trade and exchange will pay for it dearly. Syrians can hear what the monkeys outside are calling for and don’t appreciate the tactic of trying to destroy our internal economy. This is not something a patriot would call for, but by now it should be very clear that all of these people are traitors. Desperate traitors.
This is why the basic fact remains that they will not be able to damage Syria is through involving it with a war with Turkey. This is their last card, everything else is ineffective.
#1,
The light crude move is more significant since they’re likely increasing internal stock. The heavy crude decline in export is more difficult to explain, if we assume that the “black market rate is 53-53.5” (which I consider an unverified claim, it certainly isn’t that high in Douma project). If anything it tells me the foreign currency stock is buffered enough for it not to be a huge concern.
Recall as well that though the Syrian Lira is not directly convertible, it is now convertible to gas at Iran’s bourse. The only thing these idiots are going to do is realign Syria’s economy to the east, which in the long run is a good move, given the west is in complete collapse.
June 29th, 2011, 9:12 pm
Norman said:
The Opposition meeting in Damascus called for the ending of the security solution and for peaceful demonstration,
The government seems to oblige and respond to their demands, Now we should see if the will keep their side of the bargain and be sure that the demonstrations are peaceful.
Jad,
It is encouraging to see Iraq supporting Syria and with the good relation that Iraq has with the US, that could translate improve relation between Syria and the US ,
I think Souri suggested a close relation between Syria and Iraq, We might be seeing the first singe of that, GOD Willing,
June 29th, 2011, 9:17 pm
Syrian Commando said:
#13
It’s got little to do with US actions, but the arm of Iran in Iraq. You will notice that the bombings of the traitor puppet government subsided in Iraq. That should be an indication that Iran has decided to prolong their life a little be, as a trade of them easing their end of the conspiracy against Syria.
Don’t trust Iraq.
NEVER leave your back open to Iraq.
June 29th, 2011, 9:25 pm
Norman said:
The worry about the Syrian pound is greatly exaggerated, The Syrian pound is not supported by the economy, it is supported by significant amount of Gold and foreign currency that Syria has and by the lack of foreign debt that Syria needs to pay back in foreign currency ,
the Syrian pound has had the same range toward the dollar for along time and as long as Gold is going up , we should not worry about the Syrian pound, Sometime i wonder if the Syrian government is devaluation the Syrian pound and buying it back at lower prices, anyway devaluing the Syrian pound will enrich the government as will have to pay in Syrian money that has less value .
June 29th, 2011, 9:29 pm
Revlon said:
It is time to ponder a scenario for the finale, which may come sooner than what the regime would admit.
1. The top tier is destined to flee to iran; Jr, Bro, Coz, and a douzen of top inner security and military circle, and select ambassadors and families.
Iranian regime is the only one that would be obliged to play their host.
It is the only regime that could shield them from the reach of international justice system.
Plan of evacuation is most likely already drafted.
Date to be decided after securing local, regional, and global loose ends for their departure and future.
EU, USA, and Turkey will be informed of their flight, literally and literally!
2. Second tier commanders of security forces, army and Baath party.
Destination: 7izballah domain.
They will be shielded from the reach of the Syrian-Lebanese treaty for exchange of criminals; It was ironically wrtitten and by the Late Asad himself!
3. The third tier field commanders that were party to corruption and murder over the last 40 years.
Destination: hide in their home towns; hoping that time and new and true justice would be on their side.
June 29th, 2011, 9:34 pm
Norman said:
Syrian Commando,
In days like these i am sure president Assad understand , especially after what Turkey and Qatar did, that we should never leave our back open to anybody, they are all traitors.
Syria will have to reconsider her alliances. So far only Iran seems to be reliable .
June 29th, 2011, 9:35 pm
vlad-the-syrian said:
COMMANDO
“So take my reconciliatory words to the misinformed as a sign of strength, not weakness”
i have to agree this time but you have to notice that i left a door open … If the “misinformed” as you call them have no good willing at all, what is the solution ? Mockery , the syrian way.
June 29th, 2011, 9:48 pm
Syria no kandahar said:
Revlon Shiek Mohamed (bro kaled S M)
You must be dreaming,pinch yourself,walk up.what about justice applied to your criminal friends,cop killers .what about justice applied to the big monster killers giving orders to kill while they are getting there girlfriends in there laps in stockholm ,Belgium,Paris and Amsterdam.game is not over,you have to walk over many millions of syrians body befor you get to the presidential palace.You raped Egyptian revolution,syrians have bitter meat,you are not trust worthy.You can laough now if you want,but remember:???? ????? ?? ???? ????? (if someone will be around at the end)
June 29th, 2011, 10:09 pm
daleandersen said:
GREAT QUOTES:
“…we’re in a stalemate, and while the stalemate is not pretty – in fact, it’s ugly – it only works in the opposition’s favor…Time is on the opposition’s side…”
“…we learned from our mistakes. To make a revolution halfway is to dig our own tombs.”
And finally from Danton, a leader of the French Revolution: “To defeat them, we must dare, dare again, always dare.”
The street belongs to the Revolution, not to the police or the Regime thugs…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Dale_Andersen/bashar-assad-speech-syria_n_880207_93398788.html
June 29th, 2011, 10:12 pm
syau said:
Staleanderson,
You are just as delusional as revlon
June 29th, 2011, 10:24 pm
majedkhaldoon said:
Revlon
I think Iran needs Syria,If the regime changed,Iran will try to court the new regime,They need to support HA, whose function is to protect Iran,Iran may support Bashar now, but if he goes,they will drop their support to him and support the new regime,Saddam used to say,Never trust the persians , I think he was right.
It is too early to count Bashar as history,but if he falls,he will have no friend,in the area.
There is a lesson history tells us,change is the lessen of history,nothing last for ever,If it lasted for someone else, it would never get to you
June 29th, 2011, 10:44 pm
louai said:
In respond to Calls from outside Syria to destroy the internal Syrian economy ,Syrians from around the world are supporting the Syrian pound; we will transfer money to our families in Syria or simply open new bank accounts in Syria between: 1/07/2011 – 07/07/2011
Please join us, Syria needs you .
: ??? ?????? ??????? 1-7-2011 ??? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ???????? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ?????
?????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???????.
http://www.facebook.com/syria.net/posts/185433198178698
June 29th, 2011, 10:46 pm
syau said:
Louai,
Already on it and spreading the word in Australia.
June 29th, 2011, 10:52 pm
louai said:
SYAU
great! we are doing the same in the UK , God bless Syria.
June 29th, 2011, 10:59 pm
Syrian Commando said:
VLAD-THE-SYRIAN,
Of course, if their ends is to destroy Syria, even by deceptively claiming there are no terrorists, armed gangs and so on, mockery is all they deserve at this point. The terrorists are out in the open, bombing rubbish bins (by the way, they were doing this in March!). They’re angry and when the day has dawned, we will see what crimes they plan to commit.
Anyone who wishes to pin these crimes on “security forces”, when almost half the country came out in support of the reforms and establishment, deserves only ridicule.
The article here says its a stalemate, in fact, the government (through the reform process) has already achieved victory. The fake opposition and their terrorists are running out of arms and resources as the noose is tightening around their necks. Look at this report, saying that Hama is peaceful because security forces are outside it. The matter of fact is, Hama is peaceful because its not on a border town. But we saw how the demonic forces started spraying skin-irritants to enrage the crowds which may very well have been peaceful — until they started decapitating people and hanging innocent bystanders.
The fact is, the conspiracy has been defeated and they will want to punish Syria for this in anyway they can, whether it be terrorism, war or economic pressure. They underestimate the resolve of the Syrian people, not only inside Syria, but around the world. We command a lot of resources and these terrorist actions by the x-“opposition” will be met with unity, positive outlook and many Syrians going home to visit their families along with a bag full of money.
Unlike the ridiculous scenarios Revlon (who is so far gone down this crooked “revolution” that he probably has posters of ponytail all over his room) states, there’s only one scenario for the x-“opposition”:
– Disbarment from ever returning to Syria, not by the government, but through the shame of what they have done. They will not be able to face us again, I predict they will go into hiding even when outside Syria.
Syria is going to reform and they’re never going to be part of the process, besides they have no IDEAS at all, all they have is the usual American-style economic hijacking, terrorism and regional rape.
June 29th, 2011, 11:12 pm
873 said:
History repeating? 30 years ago today, the Zionists invaded Lebanon in 1982. Their warfare against non-slave Arab neighbors has never stopped. Only the methods and PR fronts have varied.
How many wars has it been??? FF to 2011… Using Color Revolution Campaigns backed by world Puppet-President sayanim, all the Arab regimes being toppled one-by-one. Except for the zionist slave-states of GCC and Jordan.
Glad to know the Syrian Diaspora sees the Syrian Color Revolution for what it is: A war on Syrian sovereignty using agitprop slogans of ‘freedom, democracy, reform’ etc. As many Syrian passported citizens as possible should be spending money inside the country now.
June 30th, 2011, 12:21 am
Darryl said:
27. SYRIAN COMMANDO
“The article here says its a stalemate, in fact, the government (through the reform process) has already achieved victory. The fake opposition and their terrorists are running out of arms and resources as the noose is tightening around their necks.”
Mate, I think Syria and off course Egypt etc are facing a stalemate as you are refusing to see the bigger agenda. The powers in Saudi Arabia in conjunction with the Sheikhs who give them legitimacy are not going to stop as democracy is the biggest threat to conservative Islam. The MB will find a way especially when the US and Europe have now learned to harvest this force, and Israel has become the required expert through Hamas.
From now on you will be seeing fatwas piled on top of other ridiculous fatwas to stop democracy from being established and Syria will be in a stalemate, I hope I am very very wrong. Otherwise those sheikhs will be out of business. Who has more money KSA or Syria?
June 30th, 2011, 12:23 am
Syrian Commando said:
Just noticed this piece of bigotry in Aron Lund’s “analysis”:
“By 2011, the officer corps has been under firm party control for almost 50 years, and watched over by the Assad family for more than 40 years. It is dominated by a socially homogenous Alawite Baathist camaraderie. While political opinions may perhaps differ among members, as a group, they have prospered under this regime and are fearful of its overthrow. Even if political strains may cause dissent or even mutinies, including among leading Alawite officials and other top commanders, it’s wholly improbable that any regime outsider could mount a coup.”
(Completely unfounded, give us some names and statistics.)
Wow, let’s try writing something about West’s banking system:
“By 2011, the financial system of the west has been under firm international banker control for almost 120 years, and watched over by the Rothschild family for more than 200 years. It is dominated by a socially homogenous Jewish camaraderie. While political opinions may perhaps differ among members, as a group, they have prospered under this fractional banking scam and are fearful of its overthrow. Even if political strains may cause dissent or even mutinies, including among leading Jewish bankers getting busted for ponzi schemes (Bernie Maddof) and other top crooks, it’s wholly improbable that any banking official could mount a financial-coup by allowing one of their fellow banks to fail.”
Yeah, I dare him to write out this analysis, this bigot is a f**king joke!
——
DARRYL,
It’s not a stalemate, trust me, it’s defeat for them. I know they won’t stop, but at this point they are going for a Pyrrhic victory and only for a small battle. Syria and Iran can seriously hurt these terror-breeding nation, as such a tactic is a double-edged sword.
The Eurotrash have been using Muslim extremists for their own purposes since the dawn of the last century. It’s not something new, indeed the entire saga of the 70s leading up to Hama 1982 was devised by the MI6 and the CIA to take down Israel’s main enemy and of the Soviet Union’s closest allies.
I expect the terrorist attacks to intensify, but these will not achieve their desired outcome, it will only accelerate their total defeat. Even if people take the law into their own hands and beat the terrorists to death, the overwhelming majority is unified and so the risk of civil war is minimal.
No where in the world are there tents being set up to defend a country’s government. The government has won the media war and as such, any terrorist actions will be seen for what they are.
When this is over I think you’ll find Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other trash heaps will be feeling the heat, especially the latter which will not take much resources to swing. Wiser gulf countries like the UAE know this, which is why they’re not taking part in it. Their plan from the beginning was meant to take a month and a half at most. They’re harming Syria, that is certain, but they’re burning all their political cards, they’re using up their resources, they’re printing money like mad.
June 30th, 2011, 12:42 am
Revlon said:
Duma ladies response to the Sameeramis meeting, last night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yhle6FCOXE&feature=player_embedded
Some may question the motive, relevence or appropriateness of linking to such video.
I simply believe that such videos capture the spirit, the pulse, and directions of the Syrian nation more than any intellectual effort we could muster!
These videos need to be read into, not just watched!
June 30th, 2011, 12:51 am
Syrian Commando said:
No one should waste their time staring at these ninjas.
To be against reform is one form of stupidity.
To be against even the opposition is out-right treachery.
Why would anyone spend their time looking at these non-persons?
Shouting “hurriyeh” really loud just makes you an asshole. The term is ill defined. Go look at Greece to see what western-style freedom really means. Of course, these MB fanatics don’t really want freedom, they want to restrict everyone else’s freedom. They should all pack their bags and move to Saudi Arabia, where they will enjoy not being able to drive anymore. If their hand comes near our beautiful Syria, I guarantee you, we will cut it off.
June 30th, 2011, 1:00 am
873 said:
Of course reform is desirable anywhere when it is needed and genuine. But Syria can ‘reform’ till its blue in the face and the NWO will just find another reason to attack them after the STL didnt bring them down. Attack on Syria IS NOT ABOUT ‘DEMOCRACY, REFORMS’ or their other NWO AGITPROP. Why cant people see this?? The west controlling the parameters of debate to facilitate incriminating the regimes they want demonized and targeted.
THIS IS ABOUT REGIME CHANGE AND COMPLIANCE.
NEXT HASBARA? Tom and Britta MacMaster’s new blog? Posing as Saddam’s daughter, transfering all of Iraq’s WMDs to Damascus. Thats how absurd this rubbish has gotten.
June 30th, 2011, 1:09 am
Darryl said:
31. REVLON
Sometimes I feel Syria has developed a double personality when I see that Syria is rejecting what you show in this video and then they are embracing something that is not that far different in Iran and next door in Iraq. At times I think the Syrian Leadership team must be able to land an A380 jumbo on coin the way they are doing this balancing act!
June 30th, 2011, 1:13 am
syau said:
Syrian Commando,
Revlon says that “such videos capture the spirit”, and “These videos need to be read into, not just watched!”
I agree with revlon, the video of revlons Duma ladies captured the spirit of this revolution perfectly. Did you see the banner that had Wisal and Safa in love hearts?
Their Hourriyeh translates to 3ar3ouriyeh. I think everyone should watch the display of hourriyeh that they attempting to impose on Syria.
873,
Eyes wide shut is the reason no one can see it.
June 30th, 2011, 1:17 am
Syrian Commando said:
#34
Honestly, these people are a great motivator for eugenics.
Mit3sbeen make me physically ill.
873,
Of course they don’t care about reform, lol. We know their objectives and are completely ignoring their demands. Instead we’ll take this opportunity to reform in order to make Syria STRONGER and more competitive, not to impose a western-style sham “democracy”.
I have complete confidence in my brothers and sisters, we will prevail even if the entire world is against us.
June 30th, 2011, 1:22 am
Revlon said:
#33 Dear Darryl, could you please kindly elaborate?
June 30th, 2011, 2:27 am
Revlon said:
Students message to Jr
Wednesday of the burning of utility bills
29 6 Homs ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ?????? , ??????
??? ????????
June 30th, 2011, 3:14 am
Syrian Commando said:
#37
Thursday no electricity. LOL.
June 30th, 2011, 4:15 am
Revlon said:
31. Dear Syrian Commando, thank you for your thoughtful comment.
I would like to reciprocate your gesture.
You said:
“No one should waste their time staring at these ninja”
“Why would anyone spend their time looking at these non-persons?”
“ Shouting “hurriyeh” really loud just makes you an asshole. The term is ill defined. Go look at Greece to see what western-style freedom really means. Of course, these MB fanatics don’t really want freedom, they want to restrict everyone else’s freedom. They should all pack their bags and move to Saudi Arabia, where they will enjoy not being able to drive anymore. If their hand comes near our beautiful Syria, I guarantee you, we will cut it off.
I say:
Those ladies, like you, were created by God. Like you, they neither chose their brains, nor did they have a say in choosing their parents, their religion, or their traditions.
To respect yours, like respecting theirs is to believe and respect God’s wisdom in diversity.
However, what you wrote in your comment, like what you saw and heard in the linked video-clip, were your and their personal choices.
– They chose to demand freedom and for the president to step down.
– They did that by peaceful protest and chanting.
Here is the link again:
Duma ladies response to the Sameeramis meeting, last night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yhle6FCOXE&feature=player_embedded
– You chose to express your wish for keeping “Your Beautiful Syria”.
– You did that by writing a comment carrying prejudice, indecent language and a threat of dismemberment should they interfere with your aim.
Here is a link to a video that graphically captures what you meant and what the regime has been doing for the last 40 years, in “Our Beautiful Syria”.
June 30th, 2011, 5:36 am
Tara said:
Revlon,
Well said.
Could not open the second link. Would like to see the comparision.
June 30th, 2011, 6:09 am
Samara said:
Revlon,
LOL. Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me. But, that’s how God created you, right? Stupid.
June 30th, 2011, 6:12 am
syau said:
Revlon,
You chose to link a clip displaying somebody carrying a poster with the names of Wisal and Safa in love hearts. You know very well 3ar3our features on such horrid networks, you claim not to follow him, but I’m sure you are aware of the messages he conveys. The uttter hate and sectarianism oozing from this vile creature is known by all, the reasons behind his hate for the government is common knowledge, do you think carrying a poster supporting networks that carry the horrid messages by 3ar3our and his likes during a demonstration reflects calls for a democratic secular Syria?
You wrote “You did that by writing a comment carrying prejudice, indecent language and a threat of dismemberment should they interfere with your aim.” Those who live in glass houses……
Not taking into account any of your previous comments that have dripped sectarianism, linking this clip alone with the pride you did, is a representation of the above comments you wrote to Syrian commando. It reflects the hateful sectarianism in this violent revolution, not freedom or democracy these women claim to be demanding.
Your second link is a pitiful lie, you know as well as I do that it is not Maher Assad in that clip.
June 30th, 2011, 6:53 am
Abu Umar said:
Why did Hafez al-Assad colloborate with the Americans in Gulf War I? Where is the lunatic menhebek crowd?!
June 30th, 2011, 10:12 am
Samara said:
Abu Umar,
We are here. And we always will be! At Bashar’s side till the death.
Menhebak! Menhebak! Mehebak ya Bashar!!!
Allah yerham trabak ya Hafez Al Assad, ya Assad Souria.
June 30th, 2011, 11:03 am
Abu Umar said:
Samara, you didn’t respond to the question which exposes the blatant hypocrisy of the “mumaana” nonsense propogated by the regime and it’s cronies like Dounia TV and it is your ilk like the rabid Syrian Commando who will be packing their bags.
June 30th, 2011, 11:08 am
Samara said:
Abu umar
i didnt answer your question because it is almost as pathetic as you. You want to know, go look it up. You are subject to believing lies i assume. So go read some.
We will not go packing. We will be laughing at you and those like you. While you and your brotherhood will be waiting in line to kiss Bashar’s feet and beg for his forgiveness. Turkey is almost there, it wont be long before the rest of you will be too.
June 30th, 2011, 11:20 am
Syrian Commando said:
Abu Umar,
You better start packing your bags for the moon because not even Saudi Arabia will take in you smelly Islamists.
June 30th, 2011, 12:49 pm
Syrian Commando said:
In addition to SYAU’s excellent reply, Revlon, you should feel really lucky that Bashaar is in power.
If I was in power, the electricity would be turned off in all your pre-historic districts. I’d give you your own wild life reserve, where people from all around the world could come and watch you practice your version of Islam in the intended atmosphere — 600 AD.
No entry, no exit, it will be heaven for you guys. I give you a year before you’ve killed each other over being a kaffer.
Oh here’s the kicker, soon we will have democracy and I will definitely want to start a party of my own. Be sure to vote for me so you cave people can finally attain your own valhalla. 🙂
June 30th, 2011, 12:57 pm
Mawal95 said:
Pro-democracy commentator Aron Lund claims: “The overwhelming majority of all sensitive military and security jobs are today held by Alawite associates of the Assad clan.”[citation needed][dubious – discuss]
See the Rothschild analysis by Syrian Commando #29 above.
June 30th, 2011, 2:52 pm
SYR.Expat said:
?????? ????
?????, 25 ????? 2011 20:49
“??? ???? ?????? ????”
“??? ?????? ?? (??????) ?? ?????? ??????? ? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???????? ??????? ??????????
“??? ????!!!! ?? ???? ( ????????? ???????)?”
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June 30th, 2011, 2:58 pm
Abu Umar said:
Samara, you didn’t answer my question because it shatters the myth of “mumaana” hypocritically pumped by the likes of Dounia TV and I challenge any of the pro-regime posters to answer why the Syrian regime which claims to be anti-colonialist, colloborated with the Americans in Gulf War I? It claims to be pro-Palestinian, yet it engaged in many massacres of Palestinians in Lebanon.
And it is your ilk like Syrian Haywano who will be packing their bags as time is on the Sunni’s side, and even those who are pro-regime or are secular will turn against the Nusayri clique.
June 30th, 2011, 3:53 pm
louai said:
We are still contributing to support our economy , In respond to Calls from outside Syria to destroy the Syrian economy ,Syrians from around the world are supporting the Syrian pound; we will transfer money to our families in Syria or simply open new bank accounts in Syria between: 1/07/2011 – 07/07/2011
Please join us, Syria needs you.
PS. If you have no bank account in Syria you can ask a relative or friend in Syria to buy investment certificate brand G on your behalf (it will belong only to you and only you can sell it back)
: ??? ?????? ??????? 1-7-2011 ??? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ???????? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ?????
?????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???????.
July 5th, 2011, 3:57 pm
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