Juergen

Please look for my posts in the comments here on SC since February and you will see who has manipulated the media (as well as all the other posts by many here and the links they provide, but I did spend some time on twitter at the beginning and brought a few facts). It is not because some academics do understand Arabic dialects and are therefore able to follow these revolutions on the “social media”, and that some academics have traveled the Arab world extensively to see common problems and local issues, that you should think that there is such thing as an “academic” view.

But what is sure is that Western newspapers have a maximum of 1 person who reads Arabic (a native-speaker), but that this person usually knows only one dialect and could not follow on Youtube or twitter things coming from both Egypt and Syria, who have very different dialects, to give but one exemple.

Isn’t it convenient that the AL (whose P1 is the Gulf, could we say in such an economic crisis) feeds the Western press with its “decisions” even though hastily written and full of contradictions, while it leaves to the GCC to deal with Yemen, did not receive the Yemeni opposition, and has simply nothing to say about Yemen? It controls the access to the Red Sea through Bab al Mandab, you remember? You think anyone wants to let a self-elected people rule there? Why did the Syrian events in Daraa (kids sent to a police station to write a graffiti) start precisely when the demonstrations in Yemen reached a hundred thousands, the dead in Bahrein reached probably 70 to 100 or more, and when the Egyptian army council announced it was reopening the diplomatic relations with Iran?

Den Tandt: Canada should tread cautiously in murky waters of Arab world

November 26, 2011

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Tandt+Canada+should+tread+cautiously+murky+waters+Arab+world/5774710/story.html

You’d think, at this combustible stage of the so-called democratic transformation of the Arab world, that Canadian policy-makers would be less prone to wishful thinking, and triumphalism.

What part of this country’s recent experience of democracy-building in a religiously ultraconservative nation with no tradition of pluralism, does our political establishment not grasp?

At the risk of sounding cynical, what evidence is there to suggest that Egypt, Libya and Syria will turn out differently and better than Afghanistan? And why should anyone believe that populist democracy across the Arab world will not simply give free rein to the anti-Israel, anti-American and anti-Western sentiment that has been bubbling away at a slow boil since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and before?

It was U.S. president George W. Bush who boldly trumpeted the notion that, if a single democracy should bloom in the Arab world, the entire region would soon follow. Bush most clearly articulated this idea in a speech to the World Economic Forum at Sharm el Sheikh, in Egypt, in May of 2008. The then-president unabashedly tut-tutted his Egyptian and other Arab hosts for their failings, then asserted that democracy was inevitable and they should get aboard.

“Democracy does not threaten Islam or any religion, Bush proclaimed. “Democracy is the only system of government that guarantees their protection.”

Then-Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, who was in the audience that day, must have thought Bush had gone mad. Mubarak had made a science for three decades of repressing both Arab populism and Islamist nationalism, in the service of an international order founded on detente with Israel and secure U.S. access to Middle Eastern crude.

Egypt’s elections were to begin Monday. But the mass protests in Tahrir Square could lead anywhere now. The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party is on the ascendant. An Islamist autocracy of some sort is certainly possible. Indeed, the brutal repression of Egyptian Coptic Christians since last spring suggests such a regime is already taking shape.

The truth is that Western policymakers don’t have a clue where these revolutions are headed, and won’t for years still to come.

Anthony Cordesman, a scholar at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies – and who famously predicted in early 2003 that Iraq would be a quagmire – says it is simply too early to make informed predictions about the direction or outcome of the Arab Spring.

He notes that those in charge two years into a revolution are hardly ever the ones who launch it.

He further points out that the Middle Eastern and North African region has deep-seated economic and demographic problems that can’t be solved by revolution – the most important of which is a skyrocketing youth unemployment rate. “You don’t have experienced political parties or people who have any experience with sharing power or giving it up,” he adds. “You’ve buried as in Iraq and Afghanistan, long-standing sectarian differences. You can’t change whole sectors of the economy, or the education system, in a way that meets expectations.”

This is not to say Canada should adopt isolation. But caution seems sensible. The Harper government has already committed $10 million to Libyan mine-clearing and an additional $10.6-million in humanitarian assistance. Additionally, according to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s office, the government is “actively exploring further options aimed at helping the Libyan people rebuild their country.” The Opposition NDP suggests that development experience hard-won in Afghanistan should be redeployed in Libya now. The Liberals are equally enthusiastic about getting more deeply involved.

But perhaps, rather than leap to the aid of the Libyan people as they set about building a Sharia law-infused democracy, Canada should bide its time. And arguably, the government from here on should impose strict, transparent and uncompromising conditions on any aid given.

If women and girls are not treated as equal citizens, and if religious freedoms for Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists and others are not protected, then what business does Ottawa have spending Canadians’ tax dollars in Libya?

NATO’s Libyan air campaign was a success. The lunatic dictator Gadhafi is gone. That’s wonderful. Libya is free. Tunisia is free. Egypt is working on it. And Syria looks to be heading inexorably down the same revolutionary path. But it is foolish to assume that any of this is in the West or Canada’s immediate national interest. Or that the near-term outlook is something anyone can predict, influence or control.

Until the outlook is less murky, the watchword on the Arab Spring should be caveat emptor: Buyer beware.

Dear Josh,

If someone writes

“Thus far the European Union and the Unites States have only called for, and implemented a whole range of sanctions. To my knowledge none of these states has beforehand engaged in any kind of real dialogue with the Damascus regime. They have not even tried.”

I wonder if he’s been asleep for the past 10 years. The EU and its member states in particular have tried, again and again, to engage the Bashar regime in dialogue. All they got was kalaam faadii. Again and again and again. So the obvious conclusion, arrived at already well before 2011, was: This regime is not interested and won’t be interested in any meaningful change.

Once you realize this, what would be the point in again going through a futile exercise? The Western countries basically said to the demonstrators and the world “Look, peaceful demonstrations are the right way, violence should be avoided, and hey, maybe we’re all lucky and Bashar is now implementing reforms (or even doing a Mubarak), but we’re not counting on it.”

Syria is now in a civil war. And the al-Asad regime is responsible.

–MSK*

Unknown Snipers and Western backed “Regime Change” – November 28, 2011

A Historical Review and Analysis

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=27904

Tunisia January 2011

On January 16th 2011, CNN reported that ‘’armed gangs’’ were fighting Tunisian security forces. [10] Many of the murders committed throughout the Tunisian uprising were by “unknown snipers”. There were also videos posted on the internet showing Swedish nationals detained by Tunisian security forces. The men were clearly armed with sniper rifles. Russia Today aired the dramatic pictures.[11]

In spite of articles by professor Michel Chossudovsky, William Engdahl and others showing how the uprisings in North Africa were following the patterns of US backed people-power coups rather than genuinely popular revolutions, left wing parties and organizations continued to believe the version of events presented to them by Al Jazeera and the mainstream press. Had the left taken a left from old Lenin’s book they would have transposed his comments on the February/March revolution in Russia thus:

“The whole course of events in the January/February Revolution clearly shows that the British, French and American embassies, with their agents and “connections”,… directly organized a plot.. in conjunction with a section of the generals and army and Tunisian garrison officers, with the express object of deposing Ben Ali”

What the left did not understand is that sometimes it is necessary for imperialism to overthrow some of its clients. A suitable successor to Ben Ali could always be found among the feudalists of the Muslim Brotherhood who now look likely to take power.

In their revolutionary sloganeering and arrogant insistence that the events in Tunisia and Egypt were “spontaneous and popular uprisings” they committed what Lenin identified as the most dangerous sins in a revolution, namely, the substitution of the abstract for the concrete. In other words, left wing groups were simply fooled by the sophistication of the Western backed “Arab Spring” events.

That is why the violence of the demonstrators and in particular the widespread use of snipers possibly linked to Western intelligence was the great unthought of the Tunisian uprising. The same techniques would be used in Libya a few weeks later, forcing the left to back track and modifiy its initial enthusiasm for the CIA’s “Arab Spring”.

When we are talking about the” left” here, we are referring to genuine left wing parties, that is to say, parties who supported the Great People’s Socialist Libyan Arab Jamahirya in their long and brave fight against Western imperialism, not the infantile petty bourgeois dupes who supported NATO’s Benghazi terrorists. The blatant idiocy of such a stance should be crystal clear to anyone who understands global politics and class struggle.

Egypt 2011

On October 20th 2011, the Telegraph newspaper published an article entitled, “Our brother died for a better Egypt”. According to the Telegraph, Mina Daniel, an anti-government activist in Cairo, had been ‘shot from an unknown sniper, wounding him fatally in the chest”

Inexplicably, the article is no longer available on the Telegraph’s website for online perusal. But a google search for ‘Egypt, unknown sniper, Telegraph’ clearly shows the above quoted explanation for Mina Daniel’s death. So, who could these “unknown snipers’’ be?

On February 6th Al Jazeera reported that Egyptian journalist Ahmad Mahmoud was shot by snipers as he attempted to cover classes between Egyptian security forces and protestors. Referring to statements made by Mahmoud’s wife Enas Abdel-Alim, the Al Jazeera article insinuates that Mahmoud may have been killed by Egyptian security forces:

“Abdel-Alim said several eyewitnesses told her a uniformed police captain with Egypt’s notorious Central Security forces yelled at her husband to stop filming.

Before Mahmoud even had a chance to react, she said, a sniper shot him.” [12]

While the Al Jazeera article advances the theory that the snipers were agents of the Mubarak regime, their role in the uprising still remains a mystery. Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based television stations owned by the Emir Hamid Bin Khalifa Al Thani, played a key role in provoking protests in Tunisia and Egypt before launching a campaign of unmitigated pro-NATO war propaganda and lies during the destruction of Libya.

The Qatari channel been a central participant in the current covert war waged by NATO agencies and their clients against the Republic of Syria. Al Jazeera’s incessant disinformation against Libya and Syria resulted in the resignation of several prominent journalists such as Beirut station chief Ghassan Bin Jeddo[13] and senior Al Jazeera executive Wadah Khanfar who was forced to resign after a wikileaks cable revealed he was a co-operating with the Central Intelligence Agency.[14]

Many people were killed during the US-backed colour revolution in Egypt. Although, the killings have been attributed to former US semi-client Hosni Mubarak, the involvement of Western intelligence cannot be ruled out. However, it should be pointed out that the role of unknown snipers in mass demonstrations remains complex and multi-faceted and therefore one should not jump to conclusions. For example, after the Bloody Sunday massacre(Domhnach na Fola) in Derry, Ireland 1972, where peaceful demonstrators were shot dead by the British army, British officials claimed that they had come under fire from snipers. But the 30 year long Bloody Sunday inquiry subsequently proved this to be false. But the question persists once more, who were the snipers in Egypt and whose purposes did they serve?

Libya 2011

During the destabilization of Libya, a video was aired by Al Jazeera purporting to show peaceful “pro-democracy” demonstrators being fired upon by “Gaddafi’s forces”. The video was edited to convince the viewer that anti-Gaddafi demonstrators were being murdered by the security forces. However, the unedited version of the video is available on utube. It clearly shows pro-Gaddafi demonstrators with Green flags being fired upon by unknown snipers. The attribution of NATO-linked crimes to the security forces of the Libyan Jamahirya was a constant feature of the brutal media war waged against the Libyan people. [15]

Syria 2011

The people of Syria have been beset by death squads and snipers since the outbreak of violence there in March. Hundreds of Syrian soldiers and security personnel have been murdered, tortured and mutilated by Salafist and Muslim Brotherhood militants. Yet the international media corporations continue to spread the pathetic lie that the deaths are the result Bachar Al Assad’s dictatorship.

When I visited Syria in April of this year, I personally encountered merchants and citizens in Hama who told me they had seen armed terrorists roaming the streets of that once peaceful city, terrorizing the neighbourhood. I recall speaking to a fruit seller in the city of Hama who spoke about the horror he had witnessed that day. As he described the scenes of violence to me, my attention was arrested by a newspaper headline in English from the Washington Post shown on Syrian television: “CIA backs Syrian opposition”. The Central Intelligence Agency provides training and funding for groups who do the bidding of US imperialist interests. The history of the CIA shows that backing opposition forces means providing them with arms and finance, actions illegal under international law.

A few days later, while at a hostel in the ancient, cultured city of Aleppo, I spoke to a Syrian business man and his family. The business man ran many hotels in the city and was pro-Assad. He told me that he used to watch Al Jazeera television but now had doubts about their honesty. As we conversed, the Al Jazeera television in the background showed scenes of Syrian soldiers beating and torturing protestors. “ Now if that is true, it is simply unacceptable” he said. It is sometimes impossible to verify whether the images shown on television are true or not. Many of the crimes attributed to the Syrian army have been committed by the armed gangs, such as the dumping of mutilated bodies into the river in Hama, presented to the world as more proof of the crimes of the Assad regime.

There is a minority of innocent opponents of the Assad regime who believe everything they see and hear on Al Jazeera and the other pro-Western satellite stations. These people simply do not understand the intricacies of international politics.

But the facts on the ground show that most people in Syria support the government. Syrians have access to all internet websites and international TV channels. They can watch BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, read the New York Times online or Le Monde before tuning into their own state media. In this respect, many Syrians are more informed about international politics than the average European or American. Most Europeans and American believe their own media. Few are capable of reading the Syrian press in original Arabic or watching Syrian television. The Western powers are the masters of discourse, who own the means of communication. The Arab Spring has been the most horrifying example of the wanton abuse of this power.

Disinformation is effective in sowing the seeds of doubt among those who are seduced by Western propaganda. Syrian state media has disproved hundreds of Al Jazeera lies since the beginning of this conflict. Yet the western media has refused to even report the Syrian government’s position lest fair coverage of the other side of this story encourage a modicum of critical thought in the public mind.

Conclusion.

The use of mercenaries, death squads and snipers by Western intelligence agencies is well documented. No rational government attempting to stay in power would resort to unknown snipers to intimidate its opponents. Shooting at innocent protestors would be counterproductive in the face of unmitigated pressure from Western governments determined to install a client regime in Damascus. Shooting of unarmed protestors is only acceptable in dictatorships that enjoy the unconditional support of Western governments such as Bahrain, Honduras or Colombia.

A government which is so massively supported by the population of Syria would not sabotage its own survival by setting snipers against the protests of a small minority.

The opposition to the Syrian regime is, in fact, miniscule. Tear gas, mass arrests and other non lethal methods would be perfectly sufficient for a government wishing to control unarmed demonstrators.

Snipers are used to create terror, fear and anti-regime propaganda. They are an integral feature of Western sponsored regime change.

If one were to make a serious criticism of the Syrian government over the past few months, it is that they have failed to implement effective anti-terrorism measures in the country.

The Syrian people want troops on the streets and the roofs of public buildings. In the weeks and months ahead, the Syrian armed forces will probably rely more and more on their Russian military specialists to strengthen the country’s defenses as the Western crusade begun in Libya in March spreads to the Levant.

There is no conclusive proof that the snipers murdering men, women and children in Syria are the agents of Western imperialism. But there is overwhelming proof that Western imperialism is attempting to destroy the Syrian state. As in Libya, they have never once mentioned the possibility of negotiations between the so-called opposition and the Syrian government. The West wants regime change and is determined to repeat the slaughter in Libya to achieve this geopolitical objective.

It now looks likely that the cradle of civilization and science will be overrun by semi-literate barbarians as the terminal decline of the West plays itself out in the deserts of the East.

We Are Mishandling The Arab Spring – OpEd – November 28, 2011

http://www.eurasiareview.com/28112011-we-are-mishandling-the-arab-spring-oped/

Syria

The risks that Syria will fall into a civil war are well known. Given the size of its population and its ethnic fragmentation such a war might cost well over a 100,000 lives. Yet this aspect has suddenly disappeared from the discussion about how we should deal with Syria. Instead we see a pattern of blowing up incidents and demanding sanctions that looks very similar to that in Libya.

One often hears the figure of more than 3500 killed. What is amazing about this figure is that over a third of them are police and soldiers. This means that about 2 protesters and rebels have been killed for every cop or soldier. This figure is extremely low. When faced with an insurrection or guerrilla most governments are much more deadly. So – although there are without doubt excesses – we should also give the Syrian troops some credit for the prudent way in which they handle the situation: the US troops in Iraq were considerably more deadly when they faced armed opposition.

The Syrian opposition is united in two coalitions. One is the NCC (National Coordination Committee) that unites the groups in Damascus. The other is the SNC (Syrian National Council) that was only recently formed and unites a number of groups outside Syria. The NCC is prepared – under certain conditions – to negotiate with the regime but the SNC is only prepared to negotiate about the transfer of power. Many see the SNC as a creation of Western diplomacy. Very probably it will fall apart when its only goal is met. Lessons from the former Yugoslavia plea against too much involvement of emigrants: they tend to be more radical and more inclined to favor the use of violence.

The West has resolutely chosen for the SNC. US ambassador Ford went so far as to sabotage a planned meeting between the regime and the NCC by going to Hama a few days before and making some radical statements that spoiled the mood for compromise. US diplomats have also repeatedly said that Assad should go. Just as in the case of Libya negotiations with the regime seem to be out of the question for the Western leaders. That that may mean a civil war seems to bother no one.

Here just as in Libya global considerations play a role. Syria supports Hezbollah and Hamas and is considered an ally of Iran. But by clothing these goals in human rights rhetoric the West is turning the latter into a bad joke. It isn’t very good long term thinking either. A messy transition like in Libya generates a lot of instability that may lead sooner or later to the rise of another adventurous dictator.

In bringing Syria into its present spot at the brink of civil war the Arab League has played an important role. Consciously or unconsciously it has followed exactly the script that the West would like it to follow to drive Syria into a corner:

An example is the demand to Assad to withdraw his troops from the cities. This does not make sense in a situation where the opposition is armed. It would mean that the government leaves the cities to the opposition that would be free to declare them “liberated” areas. The minimum the League could have done to be impartial is ask the opposition to lay the arms down too. If you combine this with the fact that the SNC only wants to talk about regime chance the conclusion is that the Arab League is asking Assad to give up. This is not mediating or finding a solution: it is taking sides in a way that makes the conflict unsolvable and brings civil war nearer.

The same lack of impartiality can also be seen in the criticism of human rights violations. While the Assad government certainly has dirty hands the opposition has too. Yet somehow neither the Arab League nor the Western countries criticizes the opposition or is bothered that it might not be an improvement.

Their recent demand for observers is little better. Usual the function of observers is to look onto it that both sides stick to an agreed solution. But in the case of Syria there is no agreed solution: there is a low level civil war in which both sides not always respect human rights. When there is no trust between the parties and no will to make a solution work observers are worthless. We have seen in Kosovo that observers can be very partial and instrumental in bringing on a foreign intervention. It looks like the Arab League is aiming for a similar scenario.

Amazing was the statement by some diplomats that Assad by not following the demands of the Arab League had insulted it. It looks like these people don’t understand what mediation means.

In Syria the main opponents are the government that is dominated by Alawis and the opposition that is dominated by extremist Sunnis who have waged a guerrilla war before – the one that ended with the Hama massacre. These Sunnis are far from harmless: there are already numerous reports of Alawis being targeted for killing and of their flight from some cities. Only a carefully negotiated solution can avoid a deadly civil war. This will inevitably be a long and tedious process.
Conclusion

The similarities between the wars in former Yugoslavia and the Arab Spring are striking. In both cases Western involvement worsened the situation and resulted in much more deaths. If Syria descends into a civil war the number of Arab deaths will nearly certainly exceed that in the Balkans.

The elements involved are remarkably similar:

* Western governments that try to inject their own political goals: in Yugoslavia anti-communism, in the Arab world anti-Iranian sentiments and an aversion to adventurist leaders who finance and arm guerrilla and political movements.

* Impatience in negotiations. Incapability to understand that this is about subjects that may take many months to negotiate. Demonization of some parties that makes it difficult to take them seriously during negotiations. A tendency to impose solutions.

* A contempt for the local population that becomes visible in a tendency to ignore their opinions and not to bother about violence. Most Western diplomats and politicians reason from the point of view of power politics. They seem incapable to understand that helping a country in its process towards democratization requires a fundamentally different point of view.

I appreciate van Dams statement, but somehow i do not buy this academic view on the violence used by the peaceful demonstrators.

” One might pose the question of whether the demonstrators have at the beginning, but also later really been so naïve as to expect the regime to make any drastic political reforms leading to a more democratic political system and to freedom of expression? Did they really believe that the regime would peacefully give in to their demands, or even that peaceful demonstrations could cause its fall? ”

Sure, the demonstrators in Deraa, Hama and Homs have in the beginning just asked for a reform of the regime, in the beginning they justified their fear by asking for the dismission of local governneurs or security represantives, as they had commited obvious crimes against their own people. I dont believe that van Dam can estimate that from the early beginning armed gangs of the opposition have acted. Given the state of this regime, its ability to manipulate and its eagerness to stay in power, i would say from day 1 they manipulated the media and they manipulated the opposition from within. As I have said before, we all do not know how many people work secretly for the muhabarat, in a modest guess i would think 1-2 mio will do. How many are within the opposition, how many are gunned and influence opposition forces?

Revolutions have a moment when you can directly approach people, when you still have smaller numbers involved. But then comes a moment from which the movement has its own agenda, and to ask the opposition to unite under one will or sort of rationalize is quite naive in my opinion.
I heard stories of peoplefinding guns at their doorsteps after the killing of relatives. If true, this proves that the regime has an lust that their allegations become reality.

“………1. A military coup d’etat which would pave the way for a transformation of the present Alawi-dominated Syrian Ba’thist dictatorship into another,…..”

Not Possible, even if it survived the intelligence apparatus sharp noses and managed to launching point (highly doubtful unless they are in on the coup), it will be swiftly and ruthlessly crushed forthwith. If the number of units is large enough, it will have to be in access of 60,000, at this figure, it will be a bloody stalemate.

“……2. A second scenario could be the continuation of the present regime for another undefined period, with some slow but steady reform measures which could in the end lead to a more peaceful regime change….”

Variation on this was possible and maybe still is, as long as the Baathists, controlling Alawites, army and intelligence, as well as, all other minorities feel safe and secure. However, the revolutionaries already failed in retaining this possible option in their planning, they just went gone-ho with seditious, mischievous and violent foreign plot in hand.

“…………..3. A third scenario could be civil war. This scenario would probably be the most disastrous, bloody and destructive of all scenarios because it would lead to an uncontrollable situation………”

No matter how hard they will try on this option, they will ultimately fail just as they tried in the 80’s. The problem are the revolutionaries are mostly Moslems extremists with extremist Islamic agenda that the majority of moderate Sunni Moslems in Syria and the entire minority classes that makes ups in total almost 40% of population are vehemently opposed to it, even scared silly. The revolutionaries, after 9 months of throat slitting and the initial threats to minorities, even Christians, have managed to convince almost all Syrians that they are bad news. No one buying the Surbonnites white faces they fronted with NATO / US for cover.

There exist other available solutions that Ambassador Van Dam was not creative enough to venture out into. But again, after all that is said and done by revolutionaries, it is becoming highly doubtful that any can succeed at this time, it may need a break-to-forget period of time to be launched. Whoever done the Syria Revolution hijacking /planning, needs to be posed face to the wall and ($#$$$^%#@), way too ignorant to be part of modern society. This planning was more like the “Syria Revulsion”, it relied on too many invalid assumptions. Call it the “Bay of Daara”

@Mina

I do not argue that academic scholars have insight, but seriously as van Dam points it out none of the experstise of any scholar has predicted what we see today on the ground.

You are right, arabic is a barrier, many journalists will rely on rather weird sources than reading the original sources, nonethertheless it is obvious how manipulative the state propaganda machine is running. I watched state tv in june and they showed an demonsration in Damascus, Midan area. I was suprised that they would show it, anyhow the comment was: It has rained in Damascus, see how joyful the people are about that….
That is how the government is showing off, sometimes i am relieved that such nonsense and highly manipulated “journalism” is not understood here and does not have an affect wahtsoever on nonarabic people.

Of course there are examples which are made better, such as Mr Tarpleys appearance, clearly aiming to add expertise and approach the west, but who takes someone seriously who was afiliated with LaRoche?

See i refuse to believe that there is an orchestrated arab spring, who could influence thousands on the ground, who could influence thousands of journalists throughout the world, i just dont see that happen. What i see is that there are two sides, each has commited mistakes no questions about that, but as I suggested the role of secret muhabarat informants and intruders should always be considered. Conspiracy theories are common and widely spread, but this spread does not make them true.

From Van Dam’s lecture in Berlin, we can now see that the EU does not know what to do with the coming flow of refugees from the Christian Egyptians and Syrians who no doubt are ready to pack. Add to them the 1 million Iraqi refugees in Syria.

No doubt the Palestinians must have a bitter taste in their mouths these days, except for the millenarists who believe Qatar is setting the stage for them to go back and take al Quds!

So the Great Game will produce one thing: remove the Islamic state in Iran (when the “please renew the demos in Tehran, we are behind you” will be launched from FB/Twitter/AJA)and replace it by Sunni Islamic states in Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and of course Lebanon (since according to some, the single reason why Hariri is not the king of Lebanon for the next 40 years is the “bad Syrian regime and its dirty games”). What a joke. Anyone with a brain in Europe will soon chose the bank run and stop paying taxes by not working to let these useless politicians pay the price of their mistakes and short-sight.

These are the only three scenarios the ambassador can envision? I can think of more.

But then, I knew this was going to be a partisan perspective once I read:

“On top of that, at least in the case of present-day Syria, people generally do not want to be seen as providing any analysis which might perhaps be interpreted as being against, or critical, of those courageous Syrians who have good and peaceful intentions and who are opposing the al-Asad dictatorship, but have not yet succeeded in achieving their aim of a more democratic and free Syria.”

The ambassador is looking for regime change. You can’t put together an objective perspective or analysis if you’re looking for a desired result.

Jurgen

If you think the Syrians are stupid enough to be “manipulated” by the Syrian TV (who watches it? you know people have access to 300+ satellite channels), it means you think the Russians did not know how to read through the lines in the Pravda. At some stage any state also offer an alternative, “positive” version of whatever happens, so why should it be different there?
But you seem to imply that al Jazeera’s manipulation is not more sophisticated, odd enough.
And what about the new “roles” of the AL and GCC in this period of unrest? You did not comment.

How nice! The “Shaykh Saad” mention in this article has an appartment in Paris with a view on the Louvre museum. That’s what I call success. Jacques Chirac and his wife have been living there for the last 5 years, which is the normal way between politicians to say thank you for the juicy contracts given to Hariri father by Chirac. In the West, you can’t call it corruption, because it sounds sharqi.
And of course, no one will say that these Tripoli Sunnis have been manipulated. It just happen that they have a long history of political wahi, unlike the Egyptians and Yemenis who don’t know what they want.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/27778/World/Region/Mass-rally-in-Lebanon-to-denounce-Syria,-Hezbollah.aspx

The Israelis’ version of “we want to go back to negociations”, backed by the US and since a few years by the EU, who comes out every month with new special agreements in every field, while voicing a “colonisation is bad” once in a while.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/27772/World/Region/-Israeli-sanctions-starting-to-bite.aspx

Wishful thinking (aka “hasbara”) versus imkaniyyat tanfiz (famously lacking to the Gulf people, even when it come to rain floods)
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/27769/World/Region/Cracks-emerge-before-Arab-vote-on-Syria-sanctions.aspx

Another version on wishful thinking, in the lala world of “vote for me ya baba, and it will help Hamas to get recognition, yaani we don’t have a government, the US and the EU are giving orders to our army to step down just a few days before we start the elections, but Allah mawjud”.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/27747/World/Region/Hamas-to-emerge-winner-of-Egypt-vote,-analysts-sug.aspx

Another example of media manipulation, especially the interview of Wissan Tarif in Liberation. The guy explains that the role of woman is a taboo in Syria and the fake bio he gives on his work in Syria contradicts plainly the other information on him and the different ONG he launched!! What it says of his going to Daraa and leaving Syria only at the end of April could be contradicted by following his tweets (but the archive of the beginning of the Arab revolutions has conveniently disappeared from Google, although some websites do mirror all the tweets; the “news” section of Google would be enough to show that he was not in Syria until the end of April).
http://www.liberation.fr/monde/01012335815-wissam-tarif-des-cours-d-anglais-a-la-lutte-pour-les-droits-de-l-homme-en-syrie
http://www.infosyrie.fr/decryptage/les-supers-pouvoirs-de-m-wissam-tarif/

More freedom ‘fighters’ being trained by the Western neocolonialists:

La DGSE va-t-elle former les déserteurs syriens ?
Publié le 22-11-11 à 19:37 CL – Le Nouvel Observateur

Selon le “Canard enchaîné”, des agents français actuellement au Liban et en Turquie “ont pour mission de constituer les premiers contingents de l’Armée syrienne libre”.

Image tirée d’une vidéo diffusée sur YouTube le 19 novembre 2011 montrant des soldats syriens déserteurs qui ont rejoint le mouvement de contestation contre le régime du président al-Assad (c) Afp

RéagirDes officiers du Renseignement français ont été envoyés au Nord du Liban et en Turquie avec pour mission de constituer les premiers contingents de l’Armée syrienne libre grâce aux déserteurs ayant fui la Syrie, affirme le “Canard enchaîné” du 23 novembre. “Plusieurs membres du Service action de la DGSE et le Commandement des opérations spéciales (COS) sont déjà prêts en Turquie, s’ils en reçoivent l’ordre, à former ces déserteurs à la guérilla urbaine”, affirme l’hebdomadaire.

“Une guerre anti-Bachar par intermédiaire ?” se questionne le “Canard”. “Il ne s’agit pas de recommencer ce qui s’est passé en Libye, confirme un officier de haut rang à la Direction du renseignement militaire, ajoutant : “mais ce sont les Français et les Britanniques qui ont pris les premiers contacts avec les rebelles”.

Selon l’hebdomadaire c’est une “intervention limitée préparée par l’Otan” qui est en projet. “Aide à la rébellion civile et militaire, présentation d’une résolution à l’Assemblée générale de l’Onu, trafics d’armes aux frontières de la Syrie, contacts nécessaires avec Washington via l’Otan… autant de sujets en discussion entre Paris, Londres et Ankara” indique le “Canard”.

Résolution à l’Assemblée générale de l’Onu

Pressé de toutes parts, Bachar al-Assad s’accroche au pouvoir et poursuit sa répression implacable malgré l’ultimatum de la Ligue arabe qui a d’ores et déjà suspendu le pays.

Depuis le 15 mars, début du mouvement anti-régime, la répression à provoqué la mort de plus 3.500 personnes. La communauté internationale, divisée au Conseil de sécurité en raison du soutien de la Chine et de la Russie à la Syrie, n’a pas réussi à peser sur Assad.

Mardi 22 novembre, pourtant, une résolution a été adoptée à l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies condamnant cette “répression sanglante”. Une résolution saluée par Paris.

Alain Juppé a en effet souligné dans un communiqué combien “ce vote illustre la forte mobilisation de la communauté internationale pour condamner ces violations graves et persistantes des droits de l’Homme commises par le régime syrien, pour demander l’arrêt immédiat des violences à l’encontre des civils, pour appeler la Syrie à laisser la commission d’enquête mise en place par le Conseil des droits de l’Homme faire son travail sur le terrain”.

@MINA

Watching state tv itself is a message for the sorrunding in syria. You will see shopowners, office owners who bravely watch state tv, and there might be even the real brave who read the regimes newspapers. I hope that Syrians are smart enough to read between, i know of those i have regular contact that they dont believe it, but surely the effect of repeating lies is proven that people will believe a lie if it is spreaded continously.

I was raised in during the communist regime here in Germany, and we have as you mentioned this Pravda look, we especially used metaphers when speaking, and a lot of jokes were made about our “democratically elected “leaders. This i have not seen or experienced, i think Assad and his regime have proven that they dont accept any opposition, not even the one of the arts or the writers.

When we talk about the AL and GCC. First i believe that the AL was at least for a long time an organization which served only the purpose to discuss arab related topics but never had the tools or means to implement anything. The big question was always who would not come to the next meeting or what would Ghadaffi do this time. It was raised and treated to be a weak organization. What we see now is def. a sudden change on the agenda, the reasons seem various, i would tend to think that this step against Syria is to please the citizens of other member states like KSA and Jordan to name two. The risk that the uprise would finally take up to Riad is beyond imagination not only to the Saudis but also to the Americans.

I believe that we will see a decade at least of changes in the Arab world, whoever believe they can control the outcome will be proven wrong at the end. Smart moves like what Muhammad VI has achieved as well as King Abdallah are only buying time for them, i am not even sure that they will succeed at the end.

The GCC is a much stronger organization, they tend to understand each other better, not much rivalry is seen there.
The question is and remains, if one can argue that Jemen is on a good path, giving a pardon to Saleh is may be not seen by all Jemenis as a way out of this crisis.

Good article and thanks Syria Comment for it.

AS for Syria, the only solution to stop the bloodshed is through immediate elections, local political parties, new modern law, establishing the judicial system that will help transform Syria into a democratic place, and of course SECULARISM.

Democracy and its principles are easy, and only these dictators and their help were trying to put in our minds that it is a very long and hard epic journey to achieve democracy. It is a simple concept: people elect the smart ones with the agendas that represent them. Where is the hardship into understanding this or making your people understand that they can ELECT someone to represent them?

Yes, it is a hard and epic if you are faced with tanks, but it is very easy when the whole world are helping you achieve it the RIGHT WAY.

Syria today needs political solutions ASAP.

On the ground today, Syrians are killing each other where violence as a method to solve this problem is begetting more violence that is threatening to engulf that whole area.

Also, in my opinion, what happens in Syria has to do with what takes place around it and connects with what the regional players want or what is their agenda.

Norman,

Since you asked me previously about Egypt, it looks like democracy is finally starting there.

What’s Syria’s excuse?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15914277

I’m constantly amazed, staggered by the fact that almost everyone of the many so called ‘experts’ who write on Syria fail to mention Iran in all this.

Are they afraid of Iran or merely absent-minded?

without Iran in the future calculus, none of the rest is relevant.

The ambassador is missing what is going on the ground,we have now several thousands death,and many more in prison,continued demonstrations,the presence of free syrian army,AL initiative and pending foreign interference,all may create new scenarios.
The stagnation,and the rigidity of the regime,who limit and prohibit freedom so no other opinion is accepted, along with nepotism,where only Alawis control important jobs,along with corruption,complicated goverment processes and interactions,controlled education,biased Media,all with a constitution that have unreasonable things,such as security forces are not liable for their crimes,along with regime based on security,and not listening to the people demands,all has created unsustainable conditions.Alawi rule created strong secarianism feeling.
We need to start from zero and change the whole system.

To say we need election ,is fine but it has to be totally free,and this idea is very NAIVE and we need a constitution that protect the minorities,election will lead to majority control minority,minority has been right to fear election that will bring anti minority rule, for Mjabali to call democracy is simple is so Naive .

The regime will not relinquish power,and he depends on force,this force has to be neutralised,the only way to do it is by force, FSA action with outside protection is a must fo now.

We need a confirmation that 3 Russian warships, including an aircraft carrier, sailed through the Dardenelles and docked at the Russin naval facility in Syria last week, and if so, did they bring shiploads of “the latest Russian and Chinese missles?” If so, the momentum toward a military solution is accelerating.
The Assad government believed it was handling the internal disruption satisfactorily but was vulnerable to international intervention. New missiles from Russia might preclude an air blockade similar to the air blockade that occurred in Lybia (military planners are always planning for the past war).
Does this explain the chest thumping by government authorities on this site half way through Saturday’s thread?

حمل مؤتمر المعلم تهديدات مبطنه و تقريعا شديدا لمن صوت مع العقوبات ضد سوريا و كان واضحا ان المعلم ليس قلقا او متوترا
استبعد المعلم اي عمل عسكري و كرر ما سمعناه عن حذف الماده الثامنه من الدستور الجديد
May be we should ask Turkey to take Syria’s seat at the AL..

Ya Mina, u try prooving things u know not much about. U talk of people’s whereabouts as if u could proove where they were a certain time. I know for a fact that u r wrong on this one. Who r u trying to spread u’r propaganda? If u do not know, don’t guess! Actually, u should apologize for trying to insinuate something that clearly is wrong. You try prooving through twitter or google where someone is? Good luck habibi.

http://arabic.upi.com/News/2011/11/27/UPI-21191322397621/?spt=mps

Khananel @ 18
It is good to bring up the spector of Iranian interference. We should keep a watchful eye. Last summer Iran “loaned” the Syrian central bank $6.5 billion of international currency. I suspect Iran currently is doing more in financial matters such as facilitating international currency transactions and possibly providing more international currency. I anticipate the Revolutionary Guards owned bank will provide cover in the future to avoid the Arab sanctions.
Last summer Al Quds sent some military experts to advise on how to suppress civil unrest. At that time top leaders in the Ministry of Information were relieved (we miss Syrian Commando) and new, more loyal persons were promoted in their place. They were advised by al Quds personnel who participated here occasionally last summer but now have disappeared. It is possible this group of Al Quds have returned to Iran but the military advisors remain and possibly there are advisors in the Central Bank. These Iranians are lying low. Their presence is not mentioned on this site or the media.
We should all keep in mind the preservation of the Assad regime is a top foreign policy priority of the government in Teheran.

Watching elections in Egypt,tells us that those who say the Syrian and egyptian and other Arabic people are not yerning,and not ready for democracy,they are wrong, they went for voting in droves ,long long queue,to a degree that they effected the traffic.
The military command has to listen to the people,and the new goverment has to do what the people want.

New EU sanctions.  Why aren’t they expelling the Ambassadors.  Didn’t they say all these Ambassadors are criminal too directing staff to video the demonstrators to harass their family.

EU governments agree new financial sanctions on Syria
By Rex Merrifield | Reuters – 2 hours 0 minutes ago
http://my.news.yahoo.com/eu-governments-agree-financial-sanctions-syria-131446172.html

BRUSSELS, Nov 28 (Reuters) – European Union
governments agreed on Monday to impose additional financial
sanctions on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
over a crackdown on pro-democracy protests, an EU diplomat said.
The new measures include a ban on long-term financial
support for trade, excluding food and medicine, and on loans to
the government, both bilateral and through international
financial institutions.
Under the new measures, to be approved formally by EU
foreign ministers on Thursday, EU companies will also be
prohibited from trading in Syrian state debt.
Banks from Syria will also be banned from opening branches
in EU countries or investing in European banks.
“All these measures are aimed at cutting off the financial
flows to the Syrian government,” said the diplomat, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
The decision will also extend the list of people,
institutions and companies targeted by EU asset freezes and
travel bans by 12 persons and at least 11 entities.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/un-report-documents-syrias-gross-violations-of-human-rights/2011/11/28/gIQA5Hlp4N_story.html

U.N. report documents Syria’s ‘gross violations of human rights’

BEIRUT— The United Nations further ratcheted up international pressure on the Syrian government Monday with the release of a report that documents the torture and killing of civilians by state security forces, in a step that could prompt action by the U.N. Security Council.

Having interviewed more than 200 people, the authors of the report concluded that members of the Syrian military and security forces committed crimes against humanity in the eight-month crackdown on dissent.

The report, by the Independent International Commission on Syria, documents credible evidence that high-ranking officers consistently, across the country, issued orders to shoot at civilian homes and unarmed protesters, and records evidence of systemic torture and sexual violence against those in custody.

Commissioned by the U.N. Human Rights Council, the report’s recommendations include a call for the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council to facilitate an end to the abuses and investigate the perpetrators.

Nadim Houry, director of the Beirut office of Human Rights Watch, said the report could be significant in persuading some countries that have been supportive of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to back measures against him, and even in encouraging Syria to accept the presence of international monitors in the most violent areas of the country.

“What is driving the violence in Syria now is that the authorities still believe that there is a military option to crush the protesters,” Houry said. “It is pushing the country into a very dangerous vortex.”

Monitors on the ground have proved to be a deterrent to violence for both pro- and anti-government forces in other countries, including Nepal, Houry said, and their full-time presence in Syrian cities like Homs, where residents say clashes are escalating, could help prevent further bloodshed. A plan to send monitors into the country, proposed by the 22-member Arab League, was rejected by Syria.

The report comes as international voices of condemnation against Assad are growing louder. On Sunday, the Arab League approved a series of economic sanctions against Syria, in what expert George A. Lopez of the University of Notre Dame called an “unprecedented statement of condemnation backed up by real action.”

President Obama and other Western leaders, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister of regional power Turkey, have called for Assad to step down.

Thus far, Syrian authorities have remained defiant, maintaining that the U.N. estimate of 3,500 deaths during the unrest is exaggerated and that the protests are driven by armed gangs. Syrian state news reported that tens of thousands of people rallied in Damascus on Monday to protest the Arab League’s decision to impose sanctions.

Peter Harling, of the the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, was skeptical that the report in itself would lessen the government’s resolve to continue its crackdown.

“The regime is facing huge international pressure. The West has more or less unanimously turned against it, it has no support from the Arab countries or the Arab streets and still it shows no sign of compromise,” Harling said. “It has passed the point of compromise.”

Some opposition activists are calling for the U.N. Security Council to implement a no-fly zone over the country, the provision of weapons to the loose group of armed defectors and activists known as the Free Syrian Army, and for militarized buffer zones within the border regions of Syria.

The Independent International Commission on Syria has been working since August, five months into the crackdown on a scattered but nationwide protest movement that Western diplomats and observers say has been overwhelmingly peaceful.

The authors of the interim report, to be followed up with a complete version next year, said they had interviewed protesters, people who had been imprisoned, refugees and military defectors.

However, Syrian authorities had not cooperated with their requests, and they had not been permitted inside the country to conduct research, they said.

I think the regime is trying to conceal a wide scale humanitarian crisis and that is why it declined signing the AL’s protocol to allow Arab observers on the ground. Where are the 30,000 people arrested since the beginning of the revolution? Local and international HR organizations should demand a full disclosure in regard to the fate of the detainees.

UNHRC report on Syria

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/17/index.htm

report here:

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/17/docs/A-HRC-S-17-2-Add1.pdf

AP, Majed

What is the diffrence between these elections in Egypt and the elections under Mubarak?

المعلم: الجامعة العربية أغلقت النوافذ وبعض أعضائها يدفعون نحو التدويل

اعتبر وزير الخارجية السوري وليد المعلم، خلال مؤتمر صحافي، أن “الجامعة العربية اغلقت النوافذ، وهناك بعض الاعضاء فيها يدفعون الامور نحو التدويل”.
ورأى أن “نقطة الانطلاقة الدائمة تبدأ من تاريخ الثاني من الشهر عندما اقرت الجامعة خطة العمل العربية التي اتفق عليها معنا، والمفروض ان تكون نصوص وروح هذه الخطة هي المسار التي يجب ان يلتزم بها الجانبين”، مضيفا أن “ما لحظناه بدأ من تاريخ 12 الشهر اي بعد 10 ايام، وهو ان مجلس الجامعة اجتمع واتخذ قرارا خطيرا بتعليق مشاركة سوريا في الاجتماعات العربية بمعنى انهم يريدون ان يكونوا وحدهم دون السماع للصوت السوري في هذه الاجتماعات”.
ورأى أن “قرار 12 الشهر فيه بنود خطيرة ايضاً، عندما يتضمن بندا يدعو الجيش الى عدم التورط في اعمال العنف والقتل ضد المدنيين”، مؤكدا أن “هذا اتهام باطل ثبت فيه انهم يرفضون الاعتراف بوجود جماعات مسلحة ارهابية تمارس الجرائم والخطف والتقطيع والهجوم على المقرات العامة ويقولون ان الجيش هو من يقوم بذلك”.
وعرض المعلم فيلما وثائقيا عن الجرائم التي ارتكبتها المجموعات الارهابية المسلحة في سوريا. وإذ أبدى اعتذاره عن “هذه المناظر المروعة”، أهداها إلى أعضاء اللجنة الوزارية العربية الذين ما زالوا ينكرون هذه المجموعات المسلحة على رغم تأكيد وزيرة الخارجية الأميركية هيلاري كلينتون اعترفت انهم مسلحون تسليحا جيدا وممولون جيدا”.
وأشار إلى أن “الجامعة العربية علقت مشاركة سوريا بالاجتماعات لانها لا تريد سماع الصوت الاخر”، مؤكدا “التزام سوريا بالخطة العربية المتفق عليها في الدوحة”، معتبرا أن “من خرج عن روح هذه الخطة هي اللجنة الوزارية العربية وسيبرهن ذلك”.
وأوضح أنه “في 16 من الشهر الجاري اجتمع الوزراء في الرباط وتوصلوا الى برتوكول بعثة تقصي الحقائق واعطونا مهلة 3 ايام للتوقيع عليه، وخلال دراستنا القانونية له تبين ان فيه مساس لسيدتنا الوطنية وانه برتوكول اذعان”.
وإذ لفت إلى أن “اي مشروع يجب ان يناقش بين الطرفين”، أكد أن “سوريا اضطرت الى ارسال رسالة الى الامين العام للجامعة العربية تبيل العربي تتضمن ملاحظاتها على المشروع وطالبته بتعديله”، موضحا أن “الرد جاء بعد يومين بان مهمة الامين العام بالرد على التساؤلات والايضحات وليس الدخول في نص البرتوكول”، مضيفا أنه “لم نرد احراجه، فارسلنا له رسالة تتضمن التساؤلات وفي اليوم التالي جاءنا جوابه على بعض الاسئلة التي وجهت اليه”.
وأشار إلى أنه “بعد ذلك ونتيجة تعميمه للتعديلات السورية، قدمت الجزائر التي هي عضو في اللجنة الوزارية وفي مجلس الجامعة ورقة تعديلات على مشروع البرتوكول، وقد درسنا هذه التعديلات ووجدنا انها تلبي 80% من نقاط تعديلاتنا”.
وأضاف أنه “اتصل بوزير خارجية الجزائر مراد مدلسي سائلا إياه ماذا سيجري بعد هذه التعديلات، فاقترح مدلسي ان نطلب من الامين العام ان نعتبرها ملحقا بالبرتوكول”.
وأكد أنه “بعث برسالة الى الامين العام مقترحا هذا الموضوع، وان سوريا فوضت نائب وزير الخارجية السورية فيصل المقداد بالتوجه الى القاهرة للتوقيع وجاء الرد انه لا يمكن تعديل شيء في البرتوكول وانه لا يمكن اعتبار الرسائل والتعديلات ملحقا”.
وأضاف أن “مجلس الجامعة الوزاري اجتمع مباشرة واتخذ قرارا اخطر من السابق، داعيا الحكومة السورية الى توقيع البرتوكول الذي يتضمن البند الثالث منه الدعوة الى حوار بين المعارضة والحكومة بهدف الاتفاق على تشكيل حكومة وحدة وطنية لتسيير المرحلة الانتقالية”، مؤكدا أنه “لم يتم اعتماد الدوحة مكانا لعقد الحوار الوطني لان سوريا مصرة على ان يكون في دمشق وقم قالوا، لذلك اتفق على ان يبقى ذلك دون تحديد”.
ولفت إلى أن “الوزراء وضعوا انذار في القرار انه في حال لم توقع سوريا فإنهم سيتخذون عقوبات اقتصادية”، معتبرا أن “الاخطر من ذلك هو ما وضع في البند الخامس عن ابلاغ الامين العام للامم المتحدة بان كي مون بهذا القرار والطلب اليه اتخاذ القرات المناسبة لحل الازمة السورية وهذا مؤشر وبوصلة للتدويل”.
واعتبر أن “الخط البياني واضح وهو أنهم يريدون التدويل”، مشيرا إلى أنه “بكل ثقة لم يشعر بعد انجاز خطة العمل ان النوايا صادقة”.
وأوضح أنه “خلال عطلة العيد قامت سوريا بتنفيذ خطة العمل والبدء بذلك وقد تم الافراج عن المعتقلين واصدر وزير الداخلية بيانا تضمن العفو عن المساجين الذين لم تتلطخ ايدهم بالدماء”.
وأكد أنه “لم يتم الاتفاق في الدوحة على برتوكول وعلى بعثة مراقبين”، مشددا على أن “التصعيد جاء في الدوحة باقرار بروتوكول وارساله الى الحكومة السورية لتوقيعه خلال 3 ايام”، مجددا القول أن “اللجنة الوزارية هي التي خرجت عن خطة العمل”.
ولفت إلى أنه “سنحل الموضوع عن طريق السير قدما بالاصلاحات التي اعلن عنها الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد وبالحوار الوطني”، مؤكدا “الجدية بهذا الموضوع لاننا نرى فيه حلا وهو ليس بين السلطة والمعارضة لان هناك ملايين من المواطنين غير المشاركين لا بالسلطة ولا بالمعارضة”.
وجدد المعلم الدعوة للحوار بالقول “نحن ما زلنا نقول ان من لديه روح وطنية ويحرص على هذا البلد فليأتِ للحوار ومن يعيش في الخارج نقدم له الضمانات ليكون الجميع شريكا في مستقبل سوريا”، مشيرا إلى أن “الحوار مفتوح ومواضيعه غير محددة”.
ولفت إلى أنه “خلال المفاوضات طالبنا بضبط الحدود لان التسليح يأتي من دول الجوار وكذلك التمويل وطلبنا بوقف التحريض الاعلامي الذي لا يحتاج الا الى اتصال هاتفي مع ادارة قناتي “العربية” و”الجزيرة”.
وأضاف أنه “وافقنا على الخطة العربية ولكن التحريض الاعلامي لم يتوقف وزادت التصريحات الغربية المحرضة وزادت الجماعات المسلحة من اعمالها الاجرامية لانها استفادت من اخلاء بعض المدن من المظاهر المسلحة تنفيذا لهذه الخطة”.
واعتبر أنه “اذا كانوا حريصين على الوقت كان من المفروض من الرباط عند اقرار البروتوكول ان تاتي لجنة قانونية من طرفهم لتناقش معنا هذا الموضوع وكنا سننجز العمل خلال يوم واحد ولكن هم من فرض هذا الاسلوب واضاع الوقت”.
ورأى أنه “من المفترض بأمين عام الجامعة العربية نبيل العربي ان يكون الاحرص على ميثاق الجامعة ولكن عليه ان يقرأه جيدا واذا كان يريد استهداف النظام السوري فهو واهم”، مشيرا إلى أن “الجميع يعلم ان المستهدف هو الشعب السوري”.
وتساءل المعلم “ما قيمة الجامعة العربية ان لم تكن سوريا عضوا فاعلا فيها؟”، داعيا الدول العربية ‘لى “درس تاريخ سوريا جيدا”، ومشددا على أنه “لا يوجه الى سوريا انذارات زمنية ولا عقوبات اقتصادية”.
واعتبر أن “وقف التعاون مع البنك المركزي هو اعلان حرب بالقانون الدولي وهو اجراء غير مسبوق”، مؤكدا أنه “تم سحب 95% من الأرصدة السورية”.
وعن وقف التعملات التجارية، لفت المعلم إلى أن “هذا الامر سيضر بالجانبين”، مضيفا أنه “لا يهدد ولكن يجب ان نحافظ على مصلحة شعبنا”.
وتابع أن “الشعب السوري قال كلمته وكلمته هي قرار القيادة السوري الذي ينبع من نبض الشارع السوري”.
وأضاف أن “العراق رفض القرار ولبنان اعلن على لسان وزير خارجيته عدنان منصور انه يرفض تنفيذ العقوبات واعتقد ان الاردن يرفض”، مجددا القول أن “العقوبات طريق ذو اتجاهين لذلك اقول ان علينا ان نحمي مصالح الشعب السوري”.
ودعا المعلم إلى “إلغاء هذه القرارت والعودة الى خطة العمل اذا ارادوا التعامل معنا بعقل وحكمة وحرص، واذا كانوا حرصين على البروتوكول فليرسلوا لجنة قانونية لنتحاور ونتفق ولكن الامور ليست عصا وجزرة وسوريا لا تعامل هكذا”.
وأكد أن “سوريا جاهزة لتنفيذ الخطة العربية، لكن لا يسمح لاحد بالخروج عما تم الاتفاق عليه، فاذا كانوا حريصين على المساهمة في حقن دماء السوريين فلنجلس ونتكلم لوقف تهريب السلاح والتمويل والتحريض الاعلامي ونوقف مسار الجامعة العربية باتجاه التدويل وهذا هو الطريق الذي نراه مناسبا وشعبنا في الساحات يرفض القرارات وهذا سيكون موقف القيادة السورية”، مشيرا إلى أن “سوريا ترى في الحوار طريقا للخروج من الازمة”.
ولفت المعلم إلى أنه “لا مانع من ان ترعى روسيا الحوار السوري”، مضيفا أن “الجانب العربي يريد حوارا في القاهرة وحكومة ومرحلة انتقالية وهذا امر مرفوض”.
وأكد أنه “اذا اعادوا النظر بقراراتهم وباجرائتهم الاقتصادية واعلنوا التزامهم بنص وروح خطة العمل العربي فهذا الامر يفتح الباب امام التعاون المستقبلي، اما الكلام الاخر عن موافقتنا على البرتوكول لاعادة النظر بالاجراءات فهذا الامر غير واقعي”.
وأضاف أنه “اذا كان وزير الخارجية الفرنسية آلان جوبيه يعتقد ان ايام النظام السوري معدودة فأقول له “عيش وبتشوف” اذا الله كتب له طول العمر”.
وحول امتلاكه صفحة على موقع “تويتر”، أكد المعلم أنه “لا يوجد لديه موقع لا على “الفيسبوك” ولا على “تويتر” ولا على اي موقع تواصل اجتماعي”.
ولفت إلى أنه “لسنا على اتصال مع “الاشقاء” في السعودية، ولكن وزير خارجيته هو عضو في اللجنة العربية التي تقدم لنا هذه “التحف” من القرارات”.
وأضاف أنه “لا نستطيع ان نقول اننا نواكب قناتي “الجزيرة” و”العربية” بتأثيرهم على الرأي العام، فإنهما تخوضان حرب على دماء السوريين وتواصلان التحريض وقد وصل الأمر الى التحريض الديني المرفوض في مجتمعنا في قضية الطفل ساري”، وحيا “الجماهير الموجودة في ساحة الوطن”، مؤكدا لهم ان “قرار القيادة هو موقفهم”.
وأشار المعلم إلى أنه “لا يوجد فلتان أمني في الجيش العربي السوري وهو يقوم بواجبه على اكمل وجه”، لافتا إلى أنه “قرأ معلومات عن وجود استخبارات فرنسية واميركية في شمال لبنان لتسهيل تهريب السلاح والمقاتلين”، ومؤكدا أنه “هناك جهود من دول الجوار ليس كحكومات ولكن من احزاب وتيارات تقوم بارسال السلاح والمقاتلين”، مشددا على أن “هذا لن يؤثر على صمود سوريا ولن يؤدي الى حرب اهلية او حرب شوارع وقد تظهر امور لا يمكن حسمها اليوم”.
ورأى أن “التوجه هو لضبط الحدود ولمنع هؤلاء المسلحين من الاضرار بالمواطنين ومن يتابع الاخبار يشاهد ان هناك انجازات كبيرة تحقق في هذا الموضوع”.
وأوضح أن “الحوار يشمل المعارضة في الداخل والخارج وهذا ايضاً حديث حقيقي وسوريا مستعدة لتقديم ضمانات لمن يرغب بحضوره”، معتبرا أن “الغرب يمنع المعارضة من الانضمام الى الحوار الوطني ويعدها ان الايام باتت معدود ولذلك اقول اننا ماضون في خط الاصلاح وجادون بعقد مؤتمر وطني للحوار بمن يرغب من المعارضة الوطنية، اما لماذا فقدنا اصدقاءنا من العرب فنحن لم نسع الى فقدان احد ومن فقدنا هم هؤلاء، لان هناك من ركب موجة الاضررابات في العالم العربي وجعل من العرب يرضخون وينفذون المخطط الكبير الذي رسم لكل دولة”.
وإذ أكد أن “الدبابات ليست موجودة في المدن السورية ومنذ 9 اشهر لم تستخدم الا الاسلحة الفردية ومعظم المدن اصبحت فيها قوات حفظ النظام”، لفت المعلم إلى أن “القيادة السورية اتخذت سلسلة من الاجراءات من اجل الاصلاح ويأتي في مقدمتها وضع دستور جديد للبلاد والمسألة ستأخذبضع اسابيع لا اكثر”.
وأضاف أن “الاحكام الجديدة للدستور بحسب ما اعلن الناطق باسم لجنة تعديل الدستور تتضمن التعددية الحزبية وعدم التمييز بين الاحزاب بمعنى ان لا وجود للمادة الثامنة من الدستور الحالي في الدستور القديم”.
وعن السفن الروسية التي من المقرر أن تستقر قبالة الشواطىء السورية، أكد المعلم أن “لا معلومات عنده عن السفن الروسية ولكن بتحليله ليس هناك عمل عسكري ضد سوريا، واقصى ما يمكن ان يتم هو هذه العقوبات الاقتصادية وقد ترفق بعقوبات سياسية لانه “ليس عند الحرب حال للقيام بعمل عسكري” اما موضوع العقوبات الاقتصاية فلا عيب من تطبيق العمل بالمثل لكن لا نريد ان نؤذي الشعب العربي”.
وأضاف أن “موقف روسيا نفتخر به ولكن بالتحليل والمعلومات لا حرب ولا عمل عسكري على سوريا، هناك تدريب وتسليح وتمويل وهذا كله مقدور عليه”.
وأكد أن “الشعب السوري سيصمد، وهو رائع بصموده والرد على قرارات الجامعة العربية كانت بالروح الوطنية العالية التي تجلت عند ابناء شعبنا”.
وتابع “ليست لدينا اوهام على عمل الجامعة العربية وهناك من لا يملك قراراه المستقل وهذا لا يمكن ان نتعامل معه، وهناك من يريد الاضرار بلقمة عيش شعبنا ولن نسمح بذلك”.
وإذ أشار إلى أنه “لديه معلومات ان هناك بعض من قاتل في ليبيا تم نقله الى تركيا ليتم تسريبه الى سوريا”، أمل ان “تكون هذه المعلومات غير صحيحة”.
وحيا المعلم “الموقف العراقي الحريص على مصالح الشعبين الذي كان موقفه مشرفا، وهكذا موقف لبنان وربما غدا موقف الاردن وبعد غد قد يكون موقف الجزائر او مصر ولا يستطيع حاكم عربي ان يعاقب شعب عربي في لقمة عيشه”.
وشدد على أن “سوريا ستخرج من هذا الوضع اقوى وستضع حدا لكل من ركب هذه الموجة من الخارج وستعيد البعض الى صوابه”.
وأوضح أن “سوريا بلد يعتمد في 60% من اقتصاده على الانتاج الزراعي بمعنى ان لا خوف على شعبها من جوع او برد لاننا نأكل ونلبس من انتاجنا وقد نتأثر ببعض الكماليات بسبب عقوبات الجامعة العربية”، مضيفا أن “معظم الاستثمارات العربية في سوريا تتجه نحو العقارات ونحن لدينا جيش من المهندسين ويستطيع ان يقوم بهذه الاعمال باسعار اوفر”.
وأكد أنه “لا خشية من جراء هذه العقوبات على معيشتنا اليومية بلا شك”، مضيفا أنها “ستصيب المواطن ولكن شعبنا اعتاد على الضغوط”.
وأضاف أنه “لدى سوريا مخزون استراتيجي من القمح يكفي لعامين ولديها فائض من محصول القطن ومن الزيتون ومن زيت الزيتون”، مشددا على أن “مبدأ فرض العقوبات هو المرفوض وهذا غير مسبوق وعيب عليهم ان يصلوا الى هذه النقطة”.
وأشار المعلم إلى أن “سوريا تلتزم بما تتفق عليه وهذا هو السبب الذي يجعلها ترسل اسئلة حول البرتوكول”.
وتابع “انا قلت لا اريد ان أهدد أحد لانني وزير خارجية مهذب واذا كان الاخرون دون تربية فهذا شأنهم، يريدون تأديب سوريا”، متسائلا “هل هذا هو العمل العربي المشترك؟”، مؤكدا “حرصه على شعب السوري وعليه ان لا يقلق”.
وأضاف “اعتبار من اليوم انتهت السياسة الهادئة واجبرنا على انهائها، والموقف المستقبلي هو الصمود مع شعبنا”، متسائلا “لماذا يقولون ان ايام النظام معدودة اذا كانت الحكومة قادرة على اخراج الملايين في تظاهرات؟”، معتبرا أنهم “يجهلون ان شعبنا يمتلك حسا وطنيا عاليا نحسد عليه”.
وفي سياق آخر، أكد أن “الموقف من “حزب العمال الكردستاني” واضح حتى لو اساء الاصدقاء في تركيا الينا”.

http://www.undispatch.com/syria-human-rights-abuses-worse-than-you-think

Syria Human Rights Abuses: Worse Than You Think

A long awaited UN report on the human rights situation was just released. The report paints the grim picture of a regime unperturbed by international law and willing to use excessive force against civilian populations to suppress dissent. But we already knew that. What we did not know were some of the awful details uncovered by the report.

Here are some low-lights from the report. Be warned: really nightmarish descriptions of human rights abuses are described.

– Defectors from military and security forces told the commission that they had received orders to shoot at unarmed protesters without warning.

– From a defector describing an incident in May: “Our commanding officer told us that there were armed conspirators and terrorists attacking civilians and burning Government buildings. We went into Telbisa on that day. We did not see any armed group. The protestors called for freedom. They carried olive branches and marched with their children. We were ordered to either disperse the crowd or eliminate everybody, including children. The orders were to fire in the air and immediately after to shoot at people. No time was allowed between one action and the other. We opened fire; I was there. We used machine guns and other weapons. There were many people on the ground, injured or killed.”

– on 29 April, thousands of people walked from nearby villages to the town of Dar’a to bring food, water and medicine to the local population. When they reached the Sayda residence complex, they were ambushed by security forces. More than 40 people were reportedly killed, including women and children.

– Several defectors witnessed the killing of their comrades who refused to execute orders to fire at civilians. A number of conscripts were allegedly killed by security forces on 25 April in Dar’a during a large-scale military operation. The soldiers in the first row were given orders to aim directly at residential areas, but chose to fire in the air to avoid civilian casualties. Security forces posted behind shot them for refusing orders, thus killing dozens of conscripts.

– A number of cases was documented of injured people who were taken to military hospitals, where they were beaten and tortured during interrogation. Torture and killings reportedly took place in the Homs Military Hospital by security forces dressed as doctors and allegedly acting with the complicity of medical personnel.

– Children were also tortured, some to death. Two well-known cases are those of Thamir Al Sharee, aged 14, and Hamza Al Katheeb, aged 13, from the town of Sayda in the Dar’a governorate. They were seized and allegedly taken to an Air Force Intelligence facility in Damascus in April. They did not return home alive. The injuries described in the post-mortem report of Thamir Al Sharee are consistent with torture. A witness, himself a victim of torture, claimed to have seen Thamir Al Sharee on 3 May. The witness stated that “the boy was lying on the floor and was completely blue. He was bleeding profusely from his ear, eyes and nose. He was shouting and calling for his mother and father for help. He fainted after being hit with a rifle butt on the head.”

– Testimonies were received from several men who stated they had been anally raped with batons and that they had witnessed the rape of boys. One man stated that he witnessed a 15-year-old boy being raped in front of his father. A 40-year-old man saw the rape of an 11-year-old boy by three security services officers. He stated: “I have never been so afraid in my whole life. And then they turned to me and said; you are next.” The interviewee was unable to continue his testimony. One 20-year-old university student told the commission that he was subjected to sexual violence in detention, adding that “if my father had been present and seen me, I would have had to commit suicide”. Another man confided while crying, “I don’t feel like a man any more”.

– One military defector stated that he decided to defect after witnessing the shooting of a 2-year-old girl in Al Ladhiqiyah on 13 August by an officer who affirmed that he did not want her to grow into a demonstrator.

So what is next? This report will surely send shock-waves through the UN system. It also needs to be viewed in context of the Arab League’s decision yesterday to slap some broad and hard hitting sanctions on Syria. The Arab League sanctions plus this report may provide the final impetus for Russia to abstain from a punitive Security Council resolution on Syria. Given the claims made by this report, I would imagine that it is all but assured that a future Security Council resolution would also include a referral by Syria to the International Criminal Court.

The clock is definitely ticking on the regime of Bashar al Assad.

Norman: The Baathist Apologist NewZ

AP, Majed

What is the diffrence between these elections in Egypt and the elections under Mubarak?

Norman,

The main difference is that the Muslim Brotherhood is allowed to participate. I think it is a good step. The military should continue with these elections and fast. Arabs have waited too long. The presidential election should be schedule for next month, and pushing it back to next summer is too long of a wait. The Egyptian people will undoubtedly weigh in when they see fit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_presidential_election,_2005

According to MSNBC news:

Still, the vote promises to be the fairest and cleanest election in Egypt in living memory. The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest and best organized group, along with its Islamist allies are expected to do well.

Voters stood in long lines outside some polling centers in Cairo well before they opened at 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET), a rare sign of interest in political participation after decades of apathy created by the mass rigging of every vote.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45459377/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

Norman,

Why doesn’t Assad do something similar to appease the Syrian people who want reform also?

It’ll get ‘bloodier’:

Ghalyoun bow for his masters and he is now preparing to promote violence with his ‘angles’, what happened to his ‘love&peace’ article.

Hasan Abd Alazeem is ‘sure’ that the sanctions ‘won’t’ hurt the Syrians and on top of that he is denying the existing of armed ‘militia’, 9months later and he didn’t see anything, amazing!

اتفاق بين المجلس السوري والجيش الحر لتشكيل لجنة مشتركة لتنسيق الحراك
التقى وفد من المجلس الوطني السوري برئاسة برهان غليون مع قيادة “الجيش السوري الحر” برئاسة رياض الأسعد حيث تم الاتفاق على تشكيل لجنة مشتركة تعنى بالتنسيق في الحراك الميداني والإغاثة والإعلام والعلاقات السياسية.
وأشار المجلس في بيان نشره على صفحته على موقع التواصل الإجتماعي “فيسبوك”، ان “هدف اللقاء كان تعزيز آليات التواصل والتنسيق بين المجلس الوطني و”الجيش الحرّ” بما يشكل قوة دعم إضافية للثورة السورية”.
واتفق وفدا المجلس الوطني و”الجيش الحر” على “تشكيل لجنة مشتركة من الجانبين تعنى بالتنسيق في مسائل الحراك الميداني والإغاثة والإعلام والعلاقات السياسية، على أن تباشر اللجنة عملها على الفور، ومن المقرر أن يعقد الطرفان لقاءات دورية بهدف تعزيز الرؤى السياسية المشتركة”.
وأكد غليون “اعتزاز المجلس الوطني بالضباط والجنود السوريين الذين انحازوا إلى صفوف شعبهم، وتقديمهم التضحيات لحماية المتظاهرين والمدنيين”، مشيراً إلى “التزام المجلس بتوفير الوسائل التي تساعد “الجيش الحرّ” على أن يكون قوة داعمة للوحدة الوطنية وسياجاً لحماية سوريا من النظام وخططه الرامية لتفتيت وحدة الوطن والشعب”.
وأوضح أن “المجلس بوصفه مظلة وطنية وسياسية للثورة السورية حريص على إقامة علاقات تنسيق مع “الجيش الحرّ” لضمان سلامة الأداء الميداني وانسجامه مع الجهد السياسي القائم على المستويين الإقليمي والدولي”.
من جهته أوضح الأسعد أن “الجيش الحرّ” يدعم المجلس الوطني السوري ويعتبره الإطار الوطني الجامع للسوريين وملتزم بأهدافه وبرنامجه السياسي القائم على سلمية الثورة”، مؤكدا أن “هدفه الأساس يتمثل في توفير الحماية للسوريين الذين يتظاهرون سلمياً، ورفض الإنجرار إلى أي نزاع داخلي أو صدام مسلح وفق ما يخطط له النظام”.
———————————————–

المعارض عبد العظيم: الحل العربي هو المخرج من الأزمة في سورية.. والعقوبات الاقتصادية لا تمس الشعب السوري

“كشف المنسق العام لهيئة التنسيق الوطنية لقوى التغيير الديمقراطية المعارضة، حسن عبد العظيم أن الحل العربي هو المخرج من الأزمة في سورية وأن العقوبات الاقتصادية تمس النظام وليس الشعب، مجددا رفض المعارضة للتدخل العسكري الخارجي في سوريا، واتهامه النظام بـ “المماطلة والتسويف” والاستمرار في “القتل والعنف والتعذيب”.”

“ورفض قول السلطة بوجود عصابات مسلحة، مشيرا إلى أنه “ليس من المعلوم أنها عصابات السلطة أم عصابات الشعب”، معتبرا أن “الشعب السوري ليس عصابات بل هو يقوم بانتفاضة ثورية للتغيير الديمقراطي”.”

http://syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=140624

AP,

I have been saying that since March /1979 and repeated it in march /2011, the Syrian government has to move on elections as fast as they can and take that excuse from The AL and the world, set the road and make it open to everybody ,

I do not have as much influence as you and others think.

Suddenly this blog is filled with very elaborated comments, written in perfect english, even by some who couldn’t write two correct sentences.
There are also newcomers, out of the blue, dropping their expertise.
SC has become very popular even though it is accused of being proeminently pro-regime ( Read Ibish accusation to Joshua)

The conclusion after reading many redundant opinions, is that no one knows what will happens on long term and no one knows what to do on short term , except the Syrian government who has been steady and coherent in its strategy: Stop the chaos and prepare for 2012 overhaul of the political system.
In 2012, the US will be gone from Iraq with Iran’s influence growing there, France and the USA will start their election campaigns in the middle of a greater economical crisis, Putin will be the new Russia president, Egypt would have decided between chaos and an islamic state, Yemen will have its new Saudi-US puppet and Tunisia, Morocco and Libya will discover how moderate are the “moderate’ Islamists. Turkey will be escalating its war against the PKK and facing its faltering economy.

In the meantime the situation will stagnate in Syria, the different oppositions will be even more divided now and the hostile neighbors will feel the impact of antagonizing Syria and irresponsibly punishing its leadership and its people.
Waiting for 2012…

Interview in german magazine DER SPIEGEL

Targeted military strikes may no longer be taboo: The prominent Syrian dissident Ammar Abdulhamid appeals in an interview to the international community to support the country’s opposition leaders in the fight against Assad – by all means.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Abdul Hamid, in the Syrian opposition the call for a military intervention from abroad grew louder. Do you really believe that NATO or other coalition countries Bashar al-Assad should bomb out of office, following the example of Libya?

Abdul Hamid: Libya is not a model. No one wants a carpet bombing in Syria. But the international community can no longer watch as hundreds of people are slaughtered. We finally need sanctions that really hurt the Assad regime. We need a non-flight zone, and we can not rule out military strikes also targeted longer. Unfortunately. This is a very painful realization.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: A few weeks ago you were still part of those activists who have argued passionately against a NATO operation.

Abdul Hamid: Yes, I was always opposed to “militarize” the revolution. I believed that we bring peaceful protests, strikes and mass civil disobedience ultimately further – even if that had been a long and difficult road. I was convinced that we ensure peaceful protests the moral support from abroad and send the right message to the minorities in Syria – the Alawites and Christians who are afraid that the situation gets out of control.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why have you changed your mind?

Abdul Hamid: The International has taken a long time to condemn the brutality of the Assad regime. A Syria-United Nations resolution is still blocked. The people of Syria, but have no patience left. In Homs and other cities, they have even taken up arms to defend themselves. The regime then still be rolling more tanks, since the violence escalated. If we receive no outside help, more blood will flow.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: But the consequences of such a military strike could be disastrous. Syria could be supported by its allies, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah, a war against Israel to break off the fence. An uncontrollable wildfire would result.

Abdul Hamid: That’s right, this is a very real danger. With their backs to the wall Assad could play all the cards that he has:: Hezbollah, Hamas and the Kurdish PKK, which is again supported by Syria and Turkey to keep in check. It is therefore important that the West and the countries in the region wise and coordinated steps against Assad and not allow him to make this conflict according to its rules.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What about the consequences inside Syria? Have you no fear of sectarian violence, revenge attacks against Sunni Muslims against Christians and Alawites?

Abdul Hamid: I think that the regime is deliberately stroking these fears, to warn the world against a regime change in Syria. At the same time it leaves no stone unturned to incite the population against each other actually. Here are some Christians among the demonstrators. The Alawites have endured years of brainwashing, that they would be persecuted when they lose power. Many Alawites are therefore against Sunnis and many Sunnis for their part, vowed revenge. This sowed the seeds Assad. More important is that we as the opposition have the right messages to the Syrians to reconcile with each other.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: As the most influential opposition platform is seated in Istanbul, Syrian National Council, which in turn is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. Many fear a takeover of the Muslim Brotherhood, if Assad falls. Is the concern justified?

Abdul Hamid: Yes. From all the dictatorships in the Middle East propagated argument “either us or the Islamists” is simply not the reality and the limited circle of partners with whom the West could work together. Above all, the Americans have internalized this old argument again focusing now – of necessity, as they believe – the Muslim Brotherhood, which is organized in the United States very well.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: How strong is the support among the Syrian population of the Muslim Brotherhood?

Abdul Hamid: Unlike in Egypt, in Syria they have no popular base. There are sympathizers, but no organized networks. That is why the Brotherhood abroad occurs on the more louder you enjoy it, to be perceived as the biggest opposition and want to secure an appropriate role for the political transition. There are some other party in Syria, which might be useful: the Baath Party.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: But that is guided to authoritarian party-state, which is dominated by military officers and bureaucrats!

Abdul Hamid: You would not believe how many Syrians believe in the old ideals of the Baath Party: secularism, nationalism, Arabism. For a reformed Ba’ath party, there would be an enormous potential. Among the demonstrators, many of Baath members who feel betrayed by the Assad. They rebel against Bashar occur, but for the Ba’ath ideology. A “de-Baathification,” that is a forced dissolution of the party and punish its members, as they existed in Iraq was not a good solution for Syria.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: In addition to the Syrian National Council also operates the “Free Syrian army” from Turkish soil, a group of deserted soldiers and officers. How do you assess their strength?

Abdul Hamid: By their own account, there are in the “Independent Syrian army” 10000-15000 fighter, which is likely to be exaggerated, I go out of 5,000 deserters. But they are often supported by ordinary citizens who are in possession of a weapon, which themselves have served before.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: And you believe that Damascus revenge for the Turkish partisanship, in which it supports the PKK?

Abdul Hamid: Absolutely. Let us not forget that the PKK is also a Syrian organization, many of her members are Syrian Kurds, and Hafez al-Assad, Abdullah Ocalan lived in Syria until 1999. Now that the Turkish-Syrian friendship is at the end, Bashar has been backing this card. Receives its supply of weapons from Syria, the PKK, not from Iraq.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What about the Syrian Kurds – they play a role in the revolution?

Abdul Hamid: The Kurds in Syria have much to lose. If they stand on the side of the opponents of the regime and the insurgency fails, they will be punished harder than everyone else. And if Assad falls, it does not yet know that their situation improves, because the opposition has so far failed to guarantee the Kurds more rights. If there is anything that unites Arab leftists, nationalists and Islamists, then the common adherence to the Arab identity. Cultural autonomy for the Kurds? As far as the Syrians are not yet.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: But when the Kurds were now on the road …

Abdul Hamid: That would greatly speed up the Syrian revolution, perhaps even decide. The Kurds were able to mobilize hundreds of thousands of demonstrators.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Were you actually surprised that the spark of the Arab spring over jumped so quickly to Syria? Many believed that Syria was the last country in the Arab world, where will the people on the street.

Abdul Hamid: To be honest, I was convinced years ago that a revolution would come. We have established shortly after taking office, Bashar 2000, the “Tharwa” project to promote civic engagement in order to reduce tensions between Sunnis, Christians and Muslims. We have also trained citizen journalists who have traveled through the country, to learn more about the living conditions of ordinary people. And we learned that the people were already angry at that time. Especially in the suburbs of Damascus and in the regions simmering neglected. It was clear that this frustration would eventually discharged.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Controlled of its intelligence and security apparatus, no other regime in the Arab world was as stable as the Syrian.

Abdul Hamid: In 2008 I invited the U.S. Congress to deliver a lecture on Syria. That was the time when the West was again cautious approach on course to Assad. I warned that it did not need much to politicize the pent-up discontent among the Syrians, and the people would then be no longer intimidated by Assad’s police state.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,800342,00.html

Norman said
What is the diffrence between these elections in Egypt and the elections under Mubarak?

Huge difference norman, deny that ,you must be living in different world.
1- Numbers,today it is huge.
2-freedom,Mubarak sent thugs to kick away anyone who might vote for other than his party, people were asked who do you want to vote for, if the thugs do not like it, the voter were beaten and forced to leave.
3- part of the parliment were chosen by the president party,not elected, this represent 50%
4- Monitoring, today judges are required to monitor the voting, Mubarak never allow that.
5- choice of candidate, several people were not allowed to run for election.

Why not Qatar is called Qatar Arab Emirates, Why not Bahrain is called such and why many other so called Arab countries call it out loud, why Syria, a non Arab State and non-Arab Nation will have to call itself Syrian Arab Republic just under the political force of Baath scam. Drop the “Arab” out of the Republic name Bashar. Do something positive for Syria and Syrians man.

The clock is definitely ticking on the regime of Bashar al Assad.

It’s been ticking for the last 8 months, maybe the clock is broken?

Bronco

Why are you ignoring the responsibility of the Syrian regime declining the Arab observers? Don’t you think the reason they did not sign is that they could have not possible signed as they have something to hide?

#39 funny you only commented on that part, but chose to ignore all the other UN documented evidence of child rape, torture and murder by Assad’s forces.

Yes, the clock is ticking, and Bisho’s time will soon be up, hanging by a rope Like Sadam, or executed with a knife up his ass like Gaddafi.

Jürgen Todenhöfer, an ex politician and now book author has visited all arab countries involved in the arab spring,he made this report for german tv. He was almost refused entry because he has been wrinting about his visit to Derra in summer.

A day later he also met with Pres Assad. Unfortunatly his interview is very short and we can not see all. I have asked him by email if all material will be published.

From the interview: I asked him about the 3500 dead Syrians and he interrupted me saying that until now 1200 people are killed from which 800 were soldiers. Also for him that is way too many. But i should name him one country that allows armed gangs to kill its soldiers and policemen.
I asked him why dont you run for fair, and free presidential elections? With all means and all risks? He ansswered me that his country needs first of all meaningful reforms, and those will take time to implement. For me as president it is important that i can fulfil the promises for reforms which I gave.

here the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oe85EvnHYs

You can also see that he was shoot at or drove nearby an shooting.

When you see and read in print how the illegitimate leader of Syria, allowing such excessive force towards dissident, you know that this man has reached a new low. He is an embodiment of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld combined.

From allowing his bred men to rampage the country, and to reach a new low in torturing dissidents can no longer be tolerated from anyone.

Rather than “bow” to his people demands, he chose to defy their legitimate demands by all means, only the worst of the worst dictators are capable of doing.

To make a wicked situation worse, you find that some are brushing their morality aside, in order, to give legitimacy to a mass murderer and wrong doing. They know and see as much as we do.

Americans were blamed for reelecting Bush for a second term. Seems that humans has the ability to alter their morals when it is self serving. In my opinion, they are simply nonhuman. What was awful then is worse now. Humanity will prevail.

When so much savagery is on display, we have no choice but to stand on the right side of history, with the people and their rights.

It is a pleading call to all those who can stop this horrific massacres, if not by deeds, then, by words.

@33

I am happy there is a dialogue between SNC and FSA. The FSA consists of honorable defected soldiers who refused to shoot their own people. They are however distend to make strategic mistakes unless guided by an honest political entity. The FSA must protect the civilians, however, targeting army posts might not be in the best interest of the revolution. The army blood is Syrian blood and the army conscripts are held hostage to the regime. Indiscriminate offensive operations against the army as opposed to the shabeehas run a substantial risk of antagonizing some silent Syrians whose hearts are with regime change but too fearful to actively participate. I trust Ghalioun can effect a changes in FSA recent tactic.

I am also looking forward for the SNC and the NCC to be united. If the merge succeeds, the opposition is then united and official recognition by the AL and western governments should follow. I believe Hasan Abdul Azim is no longer in Syria. He is now at a better position to fully express his opinion and to reach an agreement with the SNC. This will be a historic step.

sorry for translation!

Sharp aggravation of a situation round Syria and Iran, rhetoricians of the American and Russian management concerning the Contract on usual armed forces in Europe, the ABM and СНВ, any more “do not speak”, and “shout” about mankind approach to the next global war.

Though, in effect, world war goes for a long time already, it and did not stop: «cold war», destruction of the USSR and Yugoslavia, operation on September, 11th, 2001, the Afghani and Iraq campaigns, all is links of one chain. There is a building process «the New world order». And the Arabian distemper is a translation of world war in the following stage, in “hot”. Create the future global front: «the North against the South» which should burn considerable weights of the population, an infrastructure of the huge regions, the saved up arms, ammunition.

Only in the autumn of 2011 of the USA and the NATO have made some steps which speak about plans of the West better words:

– On September, 2nd there was a news about the arrangement between Turkey and the United States about placing of a mobile radar of the prevention of a rocket attack in a southeast part of the Turkish state which becomes a part of the American ABM. This news has caused irritation not only Moscow, but also Teheran.

– On September, 13th the USA and Romania have signed the contract on placing of mobile batteries противоракет SM-3 ABM systems in the Romanian territory. In March, 2010 the Romanian president Trajan Besesku has told about three batteries (24 launchers).

– In the middle of September the agreement between the United States and Poland about placing of interceptor missiles of system of Antimissile defense has come into force. Them assume to place on military base “Redzikovo”, in 150 kilometers from Gdansk. Even earlier, in June, 2011, Warsaw and Washington have entered into the agreement on placing in the Polish territory of division which will serve planes of the American Military-air forces. The group of the American military men nearby 20 persons will be engaged in number in service of fighters F-16 and military-transport planes “Oat-flakes” which will be based in Poland for training of the Polish military men on a rotational basis. According to the reached arrangement, serving divisions should arrive to Poland in 2012, and the American planes should arrive in 2013.

– On November, 12th at a meeting in Honolulu the Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and the American president Barack Obama has been once again compelled to ascertain that dialogue on евроПРО was at a deadlock. The United States still intend to place elements of the Antimissile system near the Russian borders and simultaneously do not want to give to Moscow any written guarantees.

– On November, 14th the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov has informed that the United States are ready to develop elements of the ABM by means of the fighting ships not only in Mediterranean sea as spoke earlier, but also in Black, Northern, Baltiysk, the seas Barentsevom. According to Lavrova, «it cannot suit us».

– On November, 16th the assistant to the head of foreign policy department of the USA Wend Sherman has informed journalists that the White House cannot give the Russian Federation legal guarantees concerning an orientation of system of the ABM.

– On November, 22nd there was a news that the United States stop performance of “certain obligations» under the Contract on usual armed forces in Europe (ДОВСЕ) concerning the Russian Federation. According to the head of the press-service of the American State department of Victoria Nuland, the United States will observe still the agreement, and to carry out of all obligations concerning all countries-participants, except Russia.

– On November, 25th the British minister of affairs of Europe David Lidington has declared that Great Britain stops to give Russia the information on ДОВСЕ. The reason names refusal of Ross to carry out of the obligations under the Contract on usual armed forces in Europe. The minister has informed that the given decision is accepted at a meeting of an incorporated consultative group on ДОВСЕ in Austria which has passed on November, 22nd.

In opinion the director of the Center of military forecasting, a member-correspondent of Academy of military sciences of Anatoly Tsyganka, the step of the USA concerning ДОВСЕ is connected with a situation in the Mediterranean, «near our southern borders of the NATO will create grouping which will strike blow to Syria» in December-January. The Final decision, apparently, will accept in December, at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit. The West plans to receive the answer to a question as Russia will react to a situation round the ABM, for remained time war against Syria and that will do Damascus, whether full-scale resistance will show, or will throw out “flag of truce”. Till January of the NATO will pass a regrouping of forces for war with Syria. And to inform Moscow wants nobody.

And process if to judge on this news, it is already started – the nuclear aircraft carrier of the American Naval Forces “George Bush” will be thrown from area of Persian gulf to coast of the Syrian Arabian Republic. About 70 units of aviation technics, including 48 fighters, attack planes are capable to bear an aircraft carrier.

And Ankara has found one more occasion to intervention in affairs of Syria: Turkish mass-media have informed that in the Syrian territory near to Turkish territory the camp of preparation for insurgents from the Kurdish workers’ party is created. Besides Kurds plan to transfer the bases from territory of Iraq where the Turkish army strikes to them, to Syria blows.

Damascus has refused to carry out the ultimatum League of the Arabian states (LOG), having ignored the requirement about placing in the country of the Arabian observers. Earlier Damascus named League «tool of foreign intervention». According to the Syrian management, the League serves interests of the Western world which plans to destabilise Near-Eastern region completely. And the ultimatum of League of the Arabian states Damascuses named «humiliating blow».

It is expected that ministers of member countries the LOG will meet the next two days, for discussion of measures of influence on a mode of Bashara Asada. Earlier constant representative of Egypt at League Afifi Abdel Vahab has informed, if the mode of Bashara Asada refuses signing of the sentence the LOG then Council of this Organization will enter economic sanctions. In particular, the Arabian states plan to stop a commercial aircraft service with САР, to suspend all operations with the Syrian Central Bank, to freeze financial actives of a mode of Asada and all contracts with the government of Syria, except for what concern essential commodities for the population.

Actually Syria continue to block, aggravating and without that an uneasy economic situation of the country and the population. The purpose is clear – to cause strengthening of discontent of the Syrian population. Positions of the Syrian opposition will be strengthened, besides it is a question and of rendering of pressure upon political, military and economic elite of the country that she has displaced Bashara Asada. After similar revolution the power in the country will pass суннитам, realisation of the plan of creation «Sunnitsky халифата» will be continued. Iran will lose the support.

Today the Syrian state remains last advanced post of old international law. If this Arabian country becomes, as well as Libya, object of an attack from the Alliance or other external opponents of a mode of Asada (Turkey, суннитских monarchy), it will mean that the world system led by the United Nations can «be thrown out on a garbage heap of history».

What can Russia oppose to it?

Dmitry Medvedev has given the NATO rigid enough answer which the country did not see for a long time (some have already considered that it is the pre-election step calculated more on the Russian citizens, than on leaders of the West). And in enough symbolical conditions, in a majestic interior триколоров. Actually Russian leader spoke about war, while – about “cold”. According to the president, Russia is ready to enter without hesitation it not to admit full-scale expansion of system евроПРО.

Medvedev has informed that he has ordered:

– First, to enter into a fighting system radar station of system of the prevention of a rocket attack (СПРН) in the Kaliningrad region;

– Secondly, to strengthen cover of objects of strategic nuclear forces (СЯС);

Thirdly, to equip intercontinental ballistic missiles (МБР) with perspective complexes of overcoming of the ABM and new highly effective fighting blocks;

Fourthly, to develop a series of measures which will be directed on a possibility of destruction of information and operating means of system of the ABM.

And also has threatened the NATO to place in the west and in the south of Russia modern shock systems of arms which are capable to destroy the European part of system of the ABM if necessary; to refuse the further steps to sphere of control over arms and disarmament; to leave the Contract about СНВ which have signed only one and a half years ago.

The commander of Armies of Aerospace defence (ВКО) Oleg Ostapenko has informed that the new radar station in the Kaliningrad special area will give the chance to carry out effective control of rocket start-up on all depth of Europe, and also from water area of northern part of Atlantic ocean. She will allow the Russian Armed forces to supervise work of system евроПРО.

In the Kaliningrad region in short terms have erected надгоризонтную РЛС distant detection “Voronezh-DM” (in settlement Pioneer near Kaliningrad). It is really unique object, very important for maintenance of national safety of the Russian Federation. By means of radar station it is possible to mark starts of ballistic missiles in radius of 4-6 thousand kilometres. And work РЛС in a decimeter range guarantees raised, in comparison with stations of the previous generations, accuracy of measurement of parametres of the purpose. Besides РЛС “Voronezh-DM” have designed so that if necessary it is possible to increase quickly enough its technical possibilities on detection and identification of enemy rockets.

According to commander ВКО, for service on РЛС in Pioneer experts are already prepared. Now the command about input of new station in СПРН is necessary only. РЛС “Voronezh” should become a basis for system of the prevention of a rocket attack of Russia. Such radar stations have put earlier into operation in settlement Lehtusi near St.-Petersburg and about the city of Armavir. And after Kaliningrad РЛС on fighting watch should put radar station in the Irkutsk region.

The president has informed that Moscow is ready to place in the west and in the south shock systems of arms, probably that he means a rocket operational and tactical complex (ОТКР) “Iskander”. While ОТКР “Iskander” are adopted by only one brigade – in Leningrad region. Speech about these missile systems went for a long time already so the chief of our Joint Staff informed that will put them on arms or in the Kaliningrad area, or in territory of Belarus. ОТКР it is capable to amaze the various purposes, including rocket complexes, systems of air defence and the ABM, РЛС, command points and communication centres, airdromes, the major objects of a civil infrastructure of the opponent on distance of 50-500 km. Besides the unpredictable trajectory of rockets and their invisibility for a radar of the enemy which the technology guarantees “stealth”, does “Iskander” almost impregnable for the American antiaircraft rocket complexes (ЗРК) “Petriot” and their European analogues. Doubtless advantage ОТКР of “Iskander” is its mobility.

It is clear that not everything, the big work it is necessary to conduct it in the field of СЯС, ВКО, the ABM-air defence, modernisations of the Air Forces, practically to restore Naval Forces which can not only protect

About character of world war

At beginning war is, except conceptual, ideological, outwardly and the internal political reasons which we not will while concern, very powerful economic basis. The modern capitalist economy, inherently, is based on loan percent and credits and for this reason it always develops on cycles, passing through very powerful crisis of overproduction. Growth of industrial production, housing construction, consumption which is stimulated by credit injections, always conducts to crisis of overproduction and a debt collapse. It is a basis of modern capitalism, the western system which have extended to all planet, it is impossible to live infinitely on credit, sooner or later for errors, are long it is necessary to pay off.

World war is a method of reboot of global economy. Owners of the West have told for a long time already to the world (by means of Hollywood) that they want to make – having started “reboot”, the human civilization should be updated on world war fire. The economic sense of war is a recycling of the made industrial output and the population connected with it. Arms, technics, the infrastructure of cities, the countries will undergo to considerable destructions. We will remember that before the First and the Second World War mountains of the weapon, ammunition have been created simply, and then in war there was their recycling. Both wars have led to considerable jerk in mankind development, there were scientific and technical revolutions. Sense of world war that it is necessary to clear away a building site for new global building (building next «the New world order»).

In days of launch of the USSR, considered that new crisis can overcome mankind by means of development Near, and then and Distant Space, but all programs of development of the Moon, Mars have been forgotten or shelved. The mankind again goes on for a long time протоптанной to a track – the big war on the agenda.

The question in other who will be wisest in this world fight and will receive all benefits from war end – the West, China, the Islamic world, Russia? In last wars, have most won the USA.

Present English-saxophones also wish to leave again in the king. For this purpose it is necessary to finish secular modes in the Islamic world (first of all in Syria) to establish everywhere the power of radical Islamites (to create «Sunnitsky халифат») and to push off Moslems with Europe and Russia. India and China will be enemies of Moslems also. This war will solve weight of problems:

– Russia will be completely exsanguinated, its territory, natural resources and a population part will serve as “a building material» for «the Atlantic conjunction» (on Z.Bzhezinsky).

– The Islamic world will not endure this fight, Islam will cease to prevent to establish to owners of the West the order on all planet.
– Europe will receive heavy wounds and as after the Second World War (even even more), will lay down under English-saxophones. Besides the most part of the European infrastructure (since war will go and in cities of Europe, considering number of Muslim communities in the European countries), the population will be utilized.

– Heavy losses will be incurred by the Indian and Chinese civilizations, probably, even will fail under weight of external and internal blows.

– Israel will not endure this war.

To stop this scenario, it is necessary to create the powerful conjunction of great Euroasian powers – China, India, Iran, Russia and the most powerful countries of Europe – Germany, France and Italy. To forget contradictions. It is necessary to notice that in Europe the party English-saxophones play the countries of Baltic, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria.

when you have an average of two of your countrymen killed and hundreds detained and tortured, every hour, you know that the clock is ticking.

When you are a mass murderer, time becomes a non issue. Every criminal knows that he will either face death or spend the rest of his life behind bars. He will have all the time to lament on his crimes. Time is not an issue for criminals, their survival is.

@31 New Folder

That was very upsetting.

“the boy was lying on the floor and was completely blue. He was bleeding profusely from his ear, eyes and nose. He was shouting and calling for his mother and father for help. He fainted after being hit with a rifle butt on the head.”

Children when in trouble instinctively call out for mum and dad….

“I do not have as much influence as you and others think.”

Dissidents are dying to give you a choice. If and when you chose to influence the future of your country.

Don’t expect middle aged reactionaries, such as Norman, Mina, Jad and others, to like or to support the Egyptian democracy.

This isn’t just about politics. It also has to do with psychology and self esteem. Middle aged Arabs will find it extremely difficult to adjust. I would even dare to say that they look at the younger Arab generation with some degree of envy. They cannot stand those young Arabs, who stand for their rights.
====

Islam is here, whether you like it or not. Just like the Orthodox Jews are in Israel. The question is, what to do about them.

Oppressing them proved to be a failure. New ways of dealing with them should be developed. One way, is to allow them to play in the political arena. Just as it is happening today in Egypt. The burden of proof is theirs to show how can they improve the lives of Arabs. Let them play.
.

Norman’s not-so-Time-Sensitive Baathist Awakening NewZ

AP,

I do not have as much influence as you and others think.

Norman,

That’s exactly my point. You have been advocating Syrian election reform since March, 1979 and now it is November, 2011. 32 years.

How much time do YOU need to stop supporting the Assad family thugocracy and begin to support the opposition???

We understand you are just one person, but if the opposition can get your support, then they can get more…

Majed
Elections in Egypt: people queue because vote is obligatory for the first time, the fee is 500 LE (nearly 100 dollars). That’s also a smart way to get certain mutakhallif men to bring the women of their household to vote. The difference with Syria is that if you had annnounced elections some parties would have said “boycott elections unless the Alawis go to l-Murikh”.

Six negatives on post #7. Obviously if SNP cares about popularity it will take a popular albeit erroneous stand, a cowardly one like the ambassador took, afraid to criticize revolutionaries and say things as they are, in fact it is much more helpful when honesty and straight answers are given. How else you can guide the process in the right direction. Otherwise, you are in fact deceiving the process by the omission or taking a particular stand just out of fear. But for marketing purpose only, it would be interesting to know why/what those posted negative thumb down objected too so badly that they took the extra effort to thumb SNP comment #7 down. How about you be kind and informative, state what did you find not accurate in SNP comment please. This way may carry a beneficial dialog, you may be right, you may have a point, but how one can know it if you just thumb down SNP opinion.

This is the first time the UN report states in unequivocal term that Syria committed crime against humanity.  Prior reports always stated ” may have”.  There is no “may” anymore.  It is a new escalation in language in anticipation for? ICC indictment? 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/syria-committed-crimes-against-humanity-un-report/article2252025/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2252025

Syria’s crimes against humanity include sexual torture, electric shock: UN report
STEPHANIE NEBEHAY
GENEVA— Reuters
Published Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 11:00AM EST

A United Nations commission of inquiry on Syria said on Monday Syrian military and security forces had committed crimes against humanity including murder, torture and rape and the government of President Bashar al-Assad bore responsibility.

The panel, which interviewed 223 victims and witnesses including defectors, called on Syria to halt “gross human rights violations,” release prisoners rounded up in mass arrests and allow media, aid workers and rights monitors access to the country.

It catalogues executions, torture, rapes including of children, arbitrary detentions and abductions carried out since March by Syrian forces quashing pro-democracy demonstrations while enjoying “systemic impunity” for their crimes, it said.

“The commission therefore believes that orders to shoot and otherwise mistreat civilians originated from policies and directives issued at the highest levels of the armed forces and the government,” said the team, led by Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro.

More than 3,500 people have been killed in the violence, according to the United Nations, while activists say that up to 30,000 have been arrested, many kept in open-air stadiums.

The UN Security Council stopped short of taking action against Syria when China and Russia vetoed a resolution in October. After continuing international criticism of Mr. al-Assad’s handling of the crisis, the Arab League approved sanctions against Syria on Sunday.

“The international community must act. More than ever it has a duty to stop the suffering of the civilian population,” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said in a statement after the publication of the UN report.

In a written response included in the UN report, Syria’s mission to the United Nations said Syria was standing against U.S. “policies of occupation” and blamed the violence on “terrorist operations carried out by armed outlaws who are terrorizing our citizens” and trying to “divide the country along sectarian lines and incite civil war”.

Syria refused access to the UN investigators, saying it was carrying out its own inquiry. But the UN report pointed the finger squarely at the government of Mr. al-Assad.

“In the Syrian Arab Republic, the high toll of dead and injured is the result of the excessive use of force by state forces in many regions,” it said.

It called for protecting the Syrian population and for an international embargo on arms sales to Syria.

There had been “isolated instances” of violence by demonstrators, but the “majority of civilians were killed in the context of peaceful demonstrations”, it said.

Syrian forces have used snipers and tanks to suppress the uprising and drawn up “black lists” with names of people wanted by the authorities and sought at checkpoints, it said.

“Defectors from the military and security forces told the commission that they had received orders to shoot at unarmed protesters without warning,” the report said.

Some soldiers who disobeyed these orders were shot by the security forces or by army snipers, it said.

“A number of cases was documented of injured people who were taken to military hospitals, where they were beaten and tortured during interrogation,” it said. “Children were also tortured, some to death.”

Military and security forces used torture including electric shock and sexual torture, mainly on men and boys in custody, as a “tool to instill fear”, the UN panel said.

“Testimonies were received from several men who stated that they had been anally raped with batons and that they had witnessed the rape of boys,” it said.

“Detainees were also subjected to psychological torture, including sexual threats against them and their families, and by being forced to worship President Al Assad instead of their god”,” it said.

The inquiry, set up by the UN Human Rights Council last August to probe allegations of crimes against humanity, also called on the 47-member state forum to establish a special rapporteur or investigator on Syria.

The Geneva-based rights forum is expected to hold another special session on Syria, its third, on Friday, at the request of the European Union and other states, according to diplomats and UN sources.

Activist groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, said in a letter to United Nations member states last week that if the inquiry found that crimes under international law had been committed, they should urge the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

The UN panel’s report, specifically the paragraph on the Security Council, was “disappointing in its lack of teeth concerning international justice,” Jeremie Smith of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies told Reuters.

Mina
Where did you get such false informations?

Mina,

let them boycott the elections, as long as the election fair and free by the world standards and world monitors, i want all the opposition to boycott the election,

Tara #40

It’s a dialog of deaf. One of them having the upper hand. Nothing good can come out of it.

Majed

Here
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/28/us-egypt-election-monitors-idUSTRE7AR1R120111128

I am just back from Egypt and your points 1-4 are irrelevant.
You don\’t need thugs to attack people you don\’t know what they were planning to vote, you just need to pack the ballots when they are brought to the ministry of interior. You can also have the people at the poll stations give only the NDP paper or give 25 LE and tell people what to chose. An alternative is to arrange with a local notability that he will bring all the women and elderlies of his diyar having told them what to vote for and he can get a \”compensation\”… This is the way it was going under Mubarak and for this reason, Egypt is seeing now its first transparent election. The Salafis-MB protest of the friday 10 days ago did not derail the elections.

Bronco

You sound a tiny bit frustrated. Please cheer up. I was depressed all day yesterday too. Drink some coffee. It will make you feel better.

“Dialogue of the deaf”… You brought up memory of my last trip to Syria. I happen to visit Hama and ended in a Centre for the Deaf , personally kept an eye on by Bashar’s mother-in-law, I was told. I must say I was impressed with the care given. Any how, was your response in regard to #40 or 44?

Nobrainer #44
“I am happy there is a dialogue between SNC and FSA.”
Of course a sick liar like you will be happy for the criminals to be part of your bloody plans, you where calling for sanctions against all Syrians from day one to see them poorer and begging, you were promoting sectarianism from day one to enjoy seeing Syrians killing each other according to their sects , you were promoting hate and destruction from day one along the occupation of Syria, no surprise there.

Well, since we all know it is just a proxy war between the Gulf and Iran (cf the Wikileaks), and since politics is now reduced again to the Roman circus games where the crowd can say “go go” and “bouh bouh”, I take the bets:
Between Iran and the Gulf, who do you think will have the upper hand in the coming, real military conflict?

Future Tv drops a bomb shell, exposing the videos Balid Mo3alek and Addoniya tv used to prove they are armed terrorists in Syria, were in fact taken in Tripoli Lebanon in 2008

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

what do u have to say for yourselves now min7ibakji idiots?

Amir @ 49
I think you generalize too much. You started right by talking bout middle aged reactionaries , but then you threw in the “Arab” stereotyping. The parents of the protesters who are supporting them are also middle aged “Arabs”.

Mina
Do you really believe that the goverment in Egypt will get $100 from every one who does not vote? Do you really believe that?,if you do I think you believe everything.

346. DARYLL said :

“I only care about three countries that are close to my heart, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine they are the source of my nationalism. Everything else can fall of the cliff as long as these three stay united. They are the countries that share so much and are inseparable, the distance between Damascus and Beirut is a mere 60 KM (37 Miles), Jerusalem is just a bit further.”

Oh really ? Palestine is close to your heart ? Funny coming from a Christian. What is your opinion about Sabra and Shatila massacres, which were committed by Christians ? Karantina massacre, bus massacre ? And all Syrian and Lebanese Christians I have come across, curse Palestinains and say that it was the Palestinians and the PLO which destroyed Lebanon. What is your opinion about the destruction of the Nahr al Barid refugee camp in 2008, which was destroyed by the Lebanese Government, I’m sure you’ve heard about it. Do you support the Palestinians of nahr al Barid camp ? What is your view ?

Mina
I believe they are going to build a bridge between New York and Paris,so we can drive to Syria,what do you think of that?,they said they will wait till they clean Paris from All the lions and elephants.

Majed
It is not a problem of believing it. Go and ask the Egyptians if they believe it. But this is the law, and it is in the Reuters article. Funny that Le Monde and others decide to speak of this \”massive turn out\” and not mention it. You get an idea how much they are informed about the Arab world.

By the way, in Egypt you pay \”mukhalafaat\” for a car every three years, and not right on the stop when you are caught by a policeman. So they could simply ask for the fee when people will go renew their ID. But I doubt they will ever do it. Anyway, it was a nice trick to oblige some mutakallif salafis bring their spouses to the poll station.

333. DARYLL said :

“However, a western convert to Islam like your self will not understand this easily”

I am indeed a convert, a convert from Secularism to Salafism. And I am a Baathist too. I am a Baathist-Salafist,I know its hard to believe, but its true. I was raised in a baathist household, my religious beliefs are Salafi. And I think the future of islam lies in a fine blend between Baathism and Salafism, We will be unstoppable.

Jad

Trying to insult me indicates poor self-esteem. I was not trying to engage you in a conversation. I could care less for your opinions. I was commenting on the content of your post, something you are not used to.

Self esteem is built during one’s upbringing. I fault you not. I hope you have provided a better opportunity for your children.

OH My GOD, Khalid,

You and i are related and did not know that.!? .

Super clean guy with a fake passport meeting super clean guys… Sure they’ll bring transparency and democracy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8919057/Leading-Libyan-Islamist-met-Free-Syrian-Army-opposition-group.html

Khali,

Christians and Christianity are not responsible for the deeds of some Christians as Islam and Muslims are not responsible for the deeds of some Muslims like Bin Laden, don’t you think that is fair.

#68
Who told you that I’m interested in a conversation with a liar ‘character’ like ‘Tara’ or care about the opinion of a fake sectarian criminal minded ‘character’ called ‘Tara’, besides, an insult would’ve work on someone with feeling, a real human, not on fake character, however, I have no respect whatsoever to anything the character called ‘Tara’ writes or says, so why don’t you take your sick ‘character’ opinions and fill it in your ‘imaginary’ toddler’s while staying away from my children.

See what happen if independant journalists are let inside Syria….

صحيفة “لوفيغارو” الفرنسية تؤكد تورط حكومة ساركوزي في جرائم المسلحين على الأراضي السورية

فرنسا زودت المسلحين بدعم استخباري عن طريق الأقمار الصناعية ومعدات تعمل بالأشعة تحت الحمراء ، والمخابرات الأردنية ليست بعيدة عن ذلك

باريس ، الحقيقة (خاص): كشفت اليوم صحيفة ” لو فيغارو” أن فرنسا ضالعة رسميا في الجرائم التي يرتكبها المسلحون على الأراضي السورية من خلال تزويدهم بالدعم اللوجستي والمعدات وصور الأقمار الصناعية. وقال الصحفي جورج مالبرونو ، المقرب من دوائر المخابرات الفرنسية ، والذي سبق له أن اختطف في العراق لهذا السبب ، إن “باريس تزود المتمردين السوريين بالدعم اللوجستي سرا ، بما في ذلك وسائل الاتصال العاملة بالأشعة تحت الحمراء” ، مشيرا إلى أنه تلقى هذه المعلومات من مصدر فرنسي ” مطلع بشكل جيد” بينما كان متوجها إلى الشرق الأوسط. وبعد وصوله إلى لبنان في 19 من الشهر الجاري ، أبلغه ضابط فرنسي يعمل في لبنان بأن الفرنسيين ” ينشطون مع الفارين واللاجئين السوريين في تركيا ولبنان ” ، وأنه ” من السهل جدا استخدام شبكات الاتجار بالأسلحة في لبنان لتعزيز قوة المتمردين ” التي تتزايد على الجانب الآخر من الحدود ضد قوى الأمن السورية. ونقل مالبرونو عن الضابط الفرنسي قوله له الصيف الماضي ” إن المخابرات الأردنية الخبيرة بعمليات الاختراق ليست بعيدة عن الأمر” ، مشيرا إلى أن هذا الضابط نفسه كشف له أن بارس “حاولت عبثا فرض خطة تهدف إلى احتفاظ الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد ( بمنصبه) مع استبعاد باقي المجموعة المحيطة به”.

الضابط الفرنسي نفسه كشف لمراسل الصحيفة أن فرنسا تقدم دعما استخباريا عبر الأقمار الصناعية للمتمردين المسلحين في سوريا ، وهو ما يمكنهم من تحديد مواقع الجيش السوري الذي يحاربونه.

على الصعيد نفسه ، وللدلالة على أن العقيد الفار رياض الأسعد خاضع بالمطلق لمشغليه الأتراك، كشف مالبرونو عن أن زميله اتصل برياض الأسعد مؤخرا لبحث إمكانية إجراء لقاء معه ، فما كان من هذا الأخير إلا أن وافق ، ولكن بعد أن أبلغه بـ”ضرورة مراجعة الشخص المسؤول عن تنظيم جدول مواعيده في وزارة الخارجية التركية”!؟

يشار هنا إلى أن فريقا من قناة ” بي بي سي” تسلل مؤخرا إلى حمص وصور شريطا كاملا مع مسلحي رياض الأسعد . ويظهر الشريط وجود قناصات حديثة جدا تعمل بالأشعة تحت الحمراء وأشعة الليزر في أيدي هؤلاء المسلحين. وهذا ما يؤكد صحة المعلومات التي ساقها جورج مالبرونو أعلاه عن مصدره الفرنسي ، لجهة طبيعة المعدات التي تقوم فرنسا بتأمينها للمسلحين!؟ ( شاهد الشريط المنشور جانبا).

على صعيد متصل ، وفيما يتقاطع ـ على الأأقل سياسيا وأمنيا ـ مع كشفه مراسل جورج مالبرونو ، تداولت اليوم مواقع المعارضة السورية المرتبطة بالمخابرات الفرنسية والتركية والأردنية صورة تظهر لقاء جرى حديثا جدا وجمع بين رياض الأسعد وأعضاء من “المجلس الوطني السوري” بينهم برهان غليون والأخواني أحمد رمضان والكاتب عبد الباسط سيدا ، وريما فليحان ( التي تقيم في شقة بمنطقة “خلدة” في العاصمة الأردنية تدفع أجرتها جهة استخبارية ما يقارب 600 دينار شهريا ، أي ثلاثة أضعاف مرتب موظف حكومي أردني ، وفق ما نقلته لنا قيادية في ” مجلس الثورة السورية” زارتها مؤخرا في الشقة!). وتؤكد هذه الصورة ما سبق لـ”الحقيقة” أن كشفته في تقارير سابقة عن علاقة “المجلس الوطني” بمسلحي رياض الأسعد والجرائم التي يرتكبها على الأراضي السورية ، والتي كان آخرها اغتيال الطيارين السبعة ؛ وهي العلاقة التي حاول غليون و”المجلس” تجنب إظهاره حتى الآن لئلا يتحملا على الأقل التبعة الأخلاقية والسياسية للجرائم التي يرتكبها هؤلاء المسلحون على الأراضي السورية. إلا أن هذه الصورة تثبت أن ما حاولا إخفاءه سابقا لم يعد سرا ، فالصورة أصدق تعبيرا من أي قرينة أخرى!

Jurgen
And tell me what will happen when you’ll have one or two beheaded Daniel Pearl out of the journalists? By the way there are plenty of journalists in Syria, but what they write does not get to the biggest media. Or yes actually, just see how Fisk has changed tone 2 weeks ago.
By the way, Doucet is such a star at the BBC (she was a “personal friend” of Karzai, allowed to travel with him and get all the exclusive interviews) that I can imagine there was around her a number of Syrian gov security guys to protect her. These merchants of the suq al dahab near the Umeyyad square are saying what people who haven’t seen tourists for 8 months are expected to say, but no doubt the hysterical anti-regimes will say they are paid to say so. So what is the point? Journalists will bring news and people will reject it as fabricated. And as usually, most journalists don’t speak Arabic and will stay in their cosy hotel and get the news from the internet and by phone (as it happened in Iraq and recently in Lybia at the beginning). Don’t expect any 5-star hotels journalist to ever go to a remote village. And if they do so, expect the worse.

TARA,

Tribal JAD, SANA bully boy, he is the type that will run to kiss the new regime’s shoes once Besho is booted out. Pathetic

@Mina
Working late shifts?

Not even Fisk was let alone, he had minders to keep him “safe”.
Anyway i know how they choose. Well we see the news here and german tv shows that a lot of Syrians show their support for Assad. Mina the problem is western journalists will not cover such events with much appreciation, they will feel that they are left from the real story. I was wuite upset with Todenhöfer, as he always asks people openly how they feel. This time he was walking in Homs and asked a young guy about if he loves Assad. Every syrian schoolkid knows the answer expected. Even though its his style of asking, in Syria it does not work, or at least you should not expect an honest reply.

Sorry I meant the Umeyyad mosque.
I think the questions of Doucet are really offending and pushy. They want to give lessons to the whole world and cannot mention that Guantanamo and Abu Graib are also crimes against humanity. You don’t build anything good on bunches of lies.
If you say in Syria people cannot answer on camera if they love al Asad, 1) you should ask more subtle question 2) you can simply not show faces.
I was shocked when the world TVs were showing the faces of the protesters in Iran during the green movement. It is easy to blur them, once taken from the youtube clips found on the internet.

PS: If what you imply by “late shifts” is that you think I am paid to write on SC I will happily end this conversation. I have a lot of friends in Syria and I am worried for them. The number of lies I have read since it started is enough to see what was the purpose of the movement. Trying to destabilize the Egyptian army is also part of the game now.

Khaled

Jad attempted bullying me since I first started. He was once edited by JL for insult and accusation.

Khaled, Girls in general must have the last statement in any argument or conversation. Knowing his prior whining skills (another girly quality), I let lim get in touch with his feminine side and gave him the pleasure of making the final statement. Hope he can appreciate that.

I am glad you are an Arab nationalist. I am too.

@Mina

sorry you added a big part more….

Well english and french journalists working on the middle east are much better than what we as Germans have. I was watching tonight the reports about Egypt, and seriously i hate to see those interviews they always do, or better said they let their arabic cameraman and producer visit an arabic coffeeshop and a bunch of “we sit here all day” fellas explain to us what an arab think and feel. Such a scene is very often portrayed. By the way the most famous spot in Damascus used to be this quran cd shop accros the entrance of suq al hamidiye, the owner has a picture of Baschar and his buddy Nasrallah. Usually they showed that whenever there was something to say about the link between Assad and Nasrallah.

So your comment on 5*reporters meets my support…

no replies yet? wonder why? again, I’d love to hear minhibakji try to explain this:

Future Tv drops a bomb shell, exposing the videos Balid Mo3alek and Addoniya tv used to prove they are armed terrorists in Syria, were in fact taken in Tripoli Lebanon in 2008

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

what do u have to say for yourselves now min7ibakji idiots?

Tara the liar,
JL didn’t edit anything, we both know ‘who’ did it, cut the crap!
If you can’t take it don’t attack people.

Enjoy your friends work:
المجموعات الارهابية تستهدف الباصات وتطلع النار عليها
http://youtu.be/8ECMNrd__s4

القاهرة – ، د ب أ – أكدت مصادر في مطار القاهرة اليوم الإثنين عدم تلقيها تعليمات بتطبيق العقوبات التي فرضتها جامعة الدول العربية على النظام السوري بمنع كبار المسؤولين والشخصيات السورية من الدخول.

وقالت المصادر إن التعليمات “لم تصل بعد، لذلك فلن ننفذها قبل وصولها ولن يتم منع أية مسؤولين أو شخصيات سورية قادمة إلى مصر”.

وأعرب مصدر عن أمله في أن تتأنى الجامعة العربية في فرض عقوبات خاصة بوقف رحلات الطيران، “لأن هذه العقوبة لن تؤثر في كبار مسؤولي النظام السوري ولكنها ستؤثر بشكل كبير علي الشعب العربي كله وليس الشعب السوري حيث يرتبط بأواصر المصاهرة والنسب بين بعضه البعض كما ستؤثر على حركة التجارة المتعلقة بحياة الشعوب العربية، وفي مصر سيؤثر ذلك على عمل المئات من الأسر المصرية التي تعمل في خدمة طائرات ومكاتب الخطوط السورية في القاهرة، ما يعيد مأساة مئات المصريين الذين فقدوا أعمالهم بسبب وقف الرحلات الجوية إلي العراق بعد غزوها الكويت وليبيا بعد كارثة “لوكربي” حيث كانت العقوبات دولية فلا يعقل أن ننفذ ذلك علي سورية”.

http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/313221

JL edited you because you are impolite. Review your earlier comment. You continued to be impolite.. You are an impolite person.

@Mina

sorry i was overreacting, i should take this blog as an haven for free thoughts, in some other blogs emotions run high at the moment.

this singer is a nice person, i met her in a small concert in damascus last year, nighty night to all…

“impolite”!
For exposing your lies and calling you of what you really are, a LIAR!

The regime depends on Lies, now they have been exposed,Muallem must be ashamed of himself

Alex
are you there?

العقوبات العربية ضد سورية:هل تمس المواطن السوري وتنتقص هيبة الدولة؟

أخيراً حزمت جامعة الدول العربية أمرها وقررت فرض عقوبات اقتصادية على سورية.. وإذا كان من المبكر الحديث عن آثار هذه العقوبات على سورية، قيادةً وشعباً، إلا أنها خطوة ستثير الكثير من النقاش، ولا سيما أن سورية تمتلك علاقات جيدة مع بلدان الجوار، لبنان والعراق والأردن، وهي علاقات عمرها آلاف السنين، يحكمها تاريخ مشترك، وصلات قربى، ومصالح متبادلة ليس من السهل القفز عنها..

الحصار الاقتصادي على بلدان عربية في العصر الحديث
ويعيد مشهد فرض العقوبات العربية على سورية إلى ذاكرة المتابع العربي مشاهد سابقة من فرض العقوبات الاقتصادية على بلدان عربية أخرى كالعراق وليبيا وسورية ذاتها في ثمانينيات وتسعينيات القرن الماضي. بطبيعة الحال.. لقد فشلت تلك العقوبات في التأثير على أنظمة الحكم في تلك البلدان، واقتصرت آثارها على الحياة اليومية للمواطنين الذين عانوا الأمرين من ويلات الحصار الاقتصادي، ودفعوا ثمناً لها انتظاراً في الطوابير الطويلة للحصول على حليب الأطفال والوقود وكثير من السلع الاساسية التي باتت نادرة الوجود.. أما أصحاب السلطة فقد صمدوا لأكثر من عشرة أعوام كما في الحالة العراقية، واضطر العالم إلى ابتكار صيغ مختلفة من أجل التخفيف عن الشعب العراقي ثبت أن معظمها متشح بالفساد مثل صفقات النفط مقابل الغذاء، وكان لابد من شن عدوان عسكري شاركت فيه 34 دولة للإطاحة بالرئيس العراقي السابق صدام حسين.. أما في الحالة الليبية فلم يتأثر نظام العقيد بالعقوبات الدولية التي امتدت أعواماً، بعد قضية لوكربي الشهيرة، وظن كثيرون أن علاقة حميمية طويلة ستجمع العقيد الليبي الراحل معمر القذافي مع أعدائه بالأمس، لكن ما جرى من فصول منذ بداية العام الحالي يثبت مرةً أخرى عدم وجود صداقات دائمة في عالم السياسة التي تحكمها المصالح أولاً وأخيراً..

الدور الحاسم لدول الجوار في نجاح العقوبات
ولا شك أن موقف دول جوار سورية من العقوبات العربية سيخفف كثيراً من آثارها.. وفي هذا المجال يرى مراقبون أن تأثر السوق السورية بالعقوبات هو آني ومؤقت وتفاقمه الحملات الإعلامية ضد سورية والمستمرة على مدار الساعة.. ويشير هؤلاء المراقبين إلى ما شهدته البلاد، خلال الأيام الماضية، من ازدياد الطلب على الوقود والغاز وبعض السلع الاساسية هو أمر طارئ وجرى تجاوزه، ولا إمكانية لتكراره في المستقبل..

ولفت المراقبون الانتباه إلى أن دول الجوار هي المستفيدة أولاً وأخيراً من العلاقات الجيدة مع سورية، إذ تمتلك الأردن على سبيل المثال ألاف من الطلاب الجامعيين الدارسين في سورية، كما أن طريق الترانزيت والبضائع الأردنية والمتجهة إلى دول الخليج العربي تمر عبر الأراضي السورية وليس بالإمكان في وقت طال أو قصر تعويض الأمر بخطوط نقل أخرى، ناهيك عن أن سورية تعطي الأردن جزءاً لا يستهان به من الكهرباء والماء في بلد يفتقر إلى مصادر الماء والكهرباء.. وبالنسبة للبنان فقد شكل في السابق نافذة لحل مشاكل استيراد مواد كانت سورية ممنوعة من استيرادها في ثمانينيات القرن الماضي.. ويجمع المراقبون أن سورية لن تعاني كما حدث مع العراق عقب غزوه للكويت في آب/ أغسطس 1990، فالمشهد السوري اليوم مختلف عن المشهد العراقي يومها، حيث كان العراق على علاقة سيئة بجواره العربي، وضمنه سورية، ما جعل العقوبات فعالة وتمس الحياة اليومية للمواطنين الذين عانوا الأمرين بسببها، ورغم ذلك فقد لعبت الموانئ السورية والأردنية دوراً مهماً في إيصال بعض أنواع البضائع إلى العراق بمشاركة تجار من البلدين وعقود مع نظرائهم العراقيين المدعومين، في أحيان كثيرة، من بغداد الرسمية.

ورغم موافقة 19 دولة على العقوبات فإن اللافت كان موقف دول الجوار الرافض أو المتحفظ وهو ما بدا واضحاً من القبول الأردني المشروط للعقوبات العربية وبما يراعي المصالح الأردنية والتي ستتأثر حتماً فيما لو قبلت الأردن العقوبات المفروضة على سورية، وكذلك من الوضوح العراقي إزاء عدم الرغبة بإغلاق البوابة العراقية أمام سورية.. ولا يختلف الموقف اللبناني في ظل وجود حكومة يسيطر عليها مقربون من دمشق، ورغبة شعبية لبنانية في رد الدين لسورية التي احتضنت أكثر من مليون لبناني بعد حرب تموز/يوليو 2006.

الاقتصاد السوري والعقوبات
وفيما ينظر السوريون بتخوف الى قرارات الجامعة العربية بمنع سفر كبار المسؤولين السوريين ووقف رحلات الطيران السورية إلى الدول العربية ووقف التعامل مع المصرف المركزي السوري والتوصية بتجميد الأرصدة المالية للحكومة والمسؤولين، إضافة إلى وقف تمويل أي مبادلات تجارية حكومية من قبل المصارف المركزية العربية مع المصرف المركزي السوري، وتجميد الاستثمارات العربية ووقف التبادلات التجارية مع الحكومة السورية باستثناء السلع الإستراتيجية التي تؤثر على الشعب السوري.

الموقف السوري من العقوبات الاقتصادية جاء متوقعاً، فعدا القلق من أن تصبح الجامعة العربية بعقوباتها وقراراتها اللاحقة بوابة للتدخل الدولي بغطاء عربي، قوبلت العقوبات بهدوء لافت للانتباه.. ويرى مراقبون أن مرد الهدوء الذي نتحدث عنه إنما يعود إلى ثقة الحكومة السورية بقدرة الشعب والاقتصاد السوري، على تحقيق الاكتفاء الذاتي في بلد وصف على مرِّ عصوره بالغني وبقدرته على اجتراح المعجزات من أجل العيش.. فالسوري لايزال يحتفظ بذاكرته ان سنوات من العقوبات والعزل لم تثمر إلا عن مزيد من الصبر والتحمل..

وزير الاقتصاد السوري، محمد نضال الشعار، اعترف على نحو جدير بالملاحظة، أن الاقتصاد السوري يمر بأسوأ أيامه، لكنه لم ينس إتمام عبارته مبدياً ثقته بقدرة البلاد على تجاوز الأزمة وتحقيق الاكتفاء الذاتي، وهو أمر ممكن فعلاً، إذا ما عرفنا أن سورية مكتفية ذاتياً في الزراعة وإنتاج السلع الإستراتيجية، بل إنها تشكل مصدراً لسلع كثيرة تستوردها دول الخليج العربي والتي تتهمها سورية بأنها تقف وراء الحملات المغرضة ضدها، وتدفع في سبيل ذلك المال، والسلاح وتغطية إعلامية لم تزل مستمرة منذ اندلاع الأحداث المؤسفة في البلاد بعد الخامس عشر من مارس /آذار الماضي.

العقوبات العربية ونظيرتها الأوروبية
تتبع العقوبات العربية عقوبات أوروبية سبقتها، ورغم القسوة التي تظهر بها القرارات العربية، ربما من باب ان ظلم ذوي القربي أشد، فإنها لم تكن مدروسة بالشكل الكافي كتلك التي فرضتها بروكسل وواشنطن، كما أنها تركت التنفيذ رهناً للقرار السيادي في كل بلد، وهو ما يعطي مساحات لدول الجوار لعدم إغضاب دمشق الرسمية، والحفاظ على مصالحها الاقتصادية، وعدم المساس بأوضاع المواطن السوري.

ورغم أن العقوبات الاقتصادية العربية على سورية تم إقرارها، وستدخل حيز التنفيذ إذا لم توقع سورية على بروتوكول المراقبين العرب، فإن جعلها فعالة وتحقق الغرض منها هو أكبر ربما من قرار أو رزمة قرارات، ولا سيما أنها وعلى عكس ما أعلنه واضعوها ستمس المواطنين السوريين وهيبة الدولة، وتقفل الباب أمام الحل العربي للأزمة السورية.

بقلم سامر الياس ـ “روسيا اليوم”
http://arabic.rt.com/news_all_news/analytics/68595

الديموقراطية المحمولة على الـ«إف 16»
عثمان تزغارت
الديموقراطية خير من الاستبداد. بالطبع. على مدى عقود، كانت تلك احدى البديهيات التي لا يمكن أن يتعارض بشأنها معارضان، ولا حتى أن يتناطح بشأنها تيسان (من «تيوس» الموالاة لأنظمة التسلط العربية)، إلى أن أنعم الله على هذه الأمة بأصناف جديدة من الديموقراطية، المحمولة على ظهور الدبابات. بدأ ذلك في جزائر الجنرالات، مطلع التسعينات، ثم توالى فصولاً في أفغانستان وعراق «المحافظين الجدد»، الذين بزغ نجمهم مع مطلع الألفية الجديدة. والآتي أدهى وأعظم، بلا شك.
كثيرون منا كانوا يعتقدون، حتى أشهر قريبة، بأنّ تلك المسرحية التراجيكوميدية، المبشِّرة بنشر الديموقراطية عن طريق الإنزال العسكري، سقطت بسقوط «المحافظين الجدد»، فلا يمكن أن تنطلي الحيلة على أحد، بعدما «عشنا وشفنا»، خلال العُشرية البوشية الآفلة، ما يكفي من العجائب والمفارقات التي سعت لجعل الانعتاق من الاستبداد مطية للاستعمار الجديد، وتحويل الديموقراطية إلى نبتة مسمومة، لا يمكن أن تنمو وتزدهر سوى تحت ظلال الاحتلال الوارفة!
لهؤلاء أقول: مهلاً! فالحكاية، على ما يبدو، لم تنته عند ذلك الحد. صحيح أنّ كتائب «المقاومة» أو فلول «الإرهاب» (سمِّها كما شئت!) أرغمت قادة «العالم الحرّ» على مراجعة حساباتهم، والعزوف عن تكرار تجارب الاحتلال المباشر. لكن ذلك لن يحدّ، بالتأكيد، من روح الابتكار التي يتَّسم بها «أنبياء الحرية الجدد». وفي مقدمة هؤلاء، آية الله العظمى: برنار هنري ليفي! فإذا لم يعد ممكناً نشر الديموقراطية برّاً، على ظهور الدبابات، لماذا لا نجرِّب تقنيات الإنزال الجوي، لننثر أزهار الحرية فوق رؤوس الشعوب المقهورة، بواسطة «الرافال» و»الآباتشي»؟
وإذا صدقت آخر خرجات الفيلسوف الفرنسي المتصهين، في المقالة التي أعلن فيها الحرب على الرئيس السوري (مجلة «لوبوان» الفرنسية ـ عدد 17/11/2011)، فإن المكتبات ستطالعنا قريباً بنسخة منقّحة لأشهر كُتب الدكتور برهان غليون، بعد تعديل عنوانه، تماشياً مع روح العصر، ليصبح: بيان من أجل الديموقراطية… المحمولة على ظهور طائرات «إف 16»!
منذ أن انتُخب صاحب «اغتيال العقل» رئيساً للمجلس الوطني السوري، وأنا أتساءل ــ بيني وبين نفسي ــ ما الذي زجَّ بمثقف، كل زاده من الدنيا بضعة مؤلفات في علم الاجتماع السياسي، في معمعة الإشراف على مجلس كهذا؟ كلنا نؤمن (نحلم؟) بدور طليعي للمثقف العربي في مواجهة أنظمة الطغيان والتسلط. وللدكتور غليون مواقف مشهودة في هذا الشأن، لا يمكن أن ينكرها إلا جاحد. لكن الطليعية المنشودة من المثقف إنما تتمثل في لعب دور «ضمير نقدي» مهمته السيزيفية أن يشير على الدوام، بلا كلل أو توقف، إلى الخطوط الحُمر الأخلاقية التي يجب على جميع الأفرقاء مراعاتها. وخاصة في ظرف مأساوي مثل الذي تشهده سوريا، حيث يسقط العشرات كل يوم برصاص القمع الدموي، فيما تحف بالبلاد منزلقات ومخاطر من شأنها أن تعصف بآخر ما تبقى من قلاع المقاومة والكرامة، لا في سوريا وحسب، بل في المنطقة العربية بأكملها.
هذا الدور الأخلاقي يقتضي من المثقف أن يلتزم بـ«مسافة نقدية» عن المعمعة السياسية، بمفهومها الحزبي الضيق. أما إذا دخل كطرف في تنظيم أو فريق معين، فإنّه يخرج عن دوره كمثقف، ليصبح رجل سياسة، يخوض كغيره في معارك السياسة، التي لا تخضع ــ بالضرورة ــ للمواقف المبدئية أو الأخلاقية، بل تحكمها اعتبارات الأكثرية والأقلية، ومقتضيات التكتيك والاستراتيجية…إلخ.
من هذا المنظور، يجوز التساؤل إن كانت مكانة الدكتور برهان غليون المرموقة، كمثقف طليعي ومعارض، كافية لمنحه التأهيل اللازم لإدارة دفة المعارضة السورية اليوم، وربما السلطة غداً؟ فالمثقف، مهما كانت مكانته الأكاديمية واستماتته في الدفاع عن الديموقراطية، ليس مؤهلاً بالضرورة لأدوار الزعامة السياسية أو التسيير الإداري. وأذكر أنّني، في سنوات شبابي الغابرة، قدّمتُ أطروحة لشهادة الدراسات المعمّقة، بمركز دراسات الشرق المعاصر، الذي يديره الدكتور برهان غليون، في جامعة السوربون. وبالرغم من أنّني كنتُ آنذاك قادماً إلى أنوار باريس من جامعة عالمثالثية، إلا أنّني لم أجد أنّ أسلوب إدارة ذلك المركز كان مثالاً في الصرامة الأكاديمية أو ما يسمى في أيامنا هذه «الحُكم الرشيد»!
لا أقول هذا بقصد التجني على الدكتور برهان غليون، بل للتذكير بأمر بديهي: حتى في التقليد الفرنسي الذي يولي للمثقفين على الدوام دوراً سياسياً بارزاً، ظلّت «سلطة المثقف» ــ كما نشأت وتطوّرت، من زولا إلى سارتر ــ سلطة معنوية وأخلاقية، لا غير. أما حين انساق لامارتين، مثلاً، إلى معمعة السياسة بمفهومها الإداري والحزبي، إثر ثورة 1848، فترأس الحكومة المؤقتة للجمهورية الفرنسية الثانية، طيلة ثلاثة أشهر لا غير، فقد كانت النتيجة كارثية. ومُني لامارتين العظيم في المعترك الانتخابي الموالي بهزيمة مدوية أمام نابوليون بونابرت، إذ لم ينل أكثر من 0.26 بالمائة من الأصوات!
قياساً على ذلك، يجوز النظر بعين النقد إلى أداء الدكتور برهان غليون كـ«رجل سياسة»، منذ أن تولى رئاسة المجلس الوطني السوري، من دون أن يكون في هذا الأمر أي نكران للدور الطليعي الذي لعبه كمثقف في المرافعة، على مدى عقود، من أجل الديموقراطية في بلده سوريا، وفي العالم العربي بشكل أعمَّ.
أقول قولي هذا، لأعود إلى مقالة برنار هنري ليفي المشار إليها أعلاه. وفيها يكشف «الفيلسوف ذو الياقة البيضاء» بأنّ المساعي التي يبذلها في الكواليس، منذ أشهر، جعلت غالبية رموز المعارضة السورية في باريس تغيّر مواقفها لتأييد سيناريو «التدخل الدولي»، على الطريقة الليبية في سوريا. مضيفاً بأنّ الأمر يشمل حتى بعض من قالوا له، قبل الصيف الماضي، بأنّهم يفضّلون الموت على النطق بكلمة «تدخل» أجنبي في سوريا! وفي ذلك تلميح واضح إلى الدكتور برهان غليون.
إذا صدق هذا الكلام، فإنّ سقطة (رجل السياسة) برهان غليون ستكون قاسية ومجلجلة مثل سقطة (رئيس الحكومة) لامارتين!

http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/26539

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2011/11/28/the-obama-doctrine-imperialism-masked-humanitarian-interventionism.html
The Obama Doctrine: Imperialism Masked as «Humanitarian Interventionism»
Wayne MADSEN (USA) | 28.11.2011 | 00:00
The Obama administration, in yet another display of the use of Orwellian language, has embarked on a military doctrine called “Mass Atrocity Prevention” (MAP), the Pentagon operational plan to implement the White House’s “R2P” or “Responsibility to Protect” doctrine. Essentially, the Pentagon doctrine is crafted to militarily support the intervention of regional and worldwide international forces operating under the umbrella of NATO, UN, the African Union, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Arab League, and other organizations in the name of “humanitarian” intervention to prevent widespread massacres. The doctrine’s first major test case was in Libya, where NATO forces, in support of Western- and Saudi/Gulf potentate-backed rebel forces, ousted the 42 year-old regime of Muammar Qaddafi.

And in yet another display of oxymoronic Orwellian “Newspeak,” the main Defense Department activity for developing “Mass Atrocity Response Operations” or “MARO” is the Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

The new American justification for military intervention arises from Presidential Study Directive 10/PSD-10, a memorandum issued by the White House on August 4, 2011, which created an Interagency Atrocities Prevention Board and interagency review to bring administration policy in line with a new presidential policy that deems “preventing mass atrocities and genocide” a “core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States.”

The new American foreign policy initiative was justified by the 2008 report of the Genocide Prevention Task Force co-chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Secretary of Defense William Cohen. The task force was heavily influenced by the neoconservative and federally-funded U.S. Institute of Peace, as well as George Soros-funded think tanks like the Center for American Progress and pro-Israeli organizations like the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

PSD-10 was largely the brain child of National Security Council staff member Samantha Power, who is married to Obama’s “propaganda czar” Cass Sunstein, and Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the UN. The White House press briefing on Obama’s Mass Atrocity Prevention doctrine specifically mentioned Syria, Libya, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, and Kyrgyzstan as examples of when U.S. diplomatic and stronger intervention was required. The announcement cited the Holocaust in Europe and the genocide in Rwanda as reasons for the new U.S. policy but curiously omitted the U.S.-supported Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia and the CIA-supported post-1965 coup genocide in Indonesia, the latter involving President Obama’s Indonesian step-father, a lieutenant colonel in the Indonesian army.

A core elite of Democratic Party foreign policy wonks, many sheep-dipped through Soros-funded and – influenced non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the Clinton administration. In addition to Power and Rice, a major player behind MARO and U.S. “humanitarian” interventionism is Sarah Sewall, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Peace Operations in the Clinton administration. She now heads a MARO team at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations-heavy Kennedy School at Harvard. Sewall’s MARO project director is Sally Chin, formerly with the U.S. Institute of Peace-funded Search for Common Ground (SFCG), which has also received support from Soros, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Saudi billionaire Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. SFCG target countries include Sudan, Pakistan, Kosovo, Kenya, Indonesia, Cote d’Ivoire, Burundi, Liberia, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, and the city of Jerusalem.

Funding for Sewall’s foreign policy-laundering operation for the Obama administration comes from PKSOI and Humanity United, an NGO having interlocking management links with many other George Soros-funded operations, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Tides Center, and the International Crisis Group (ICG). In addition Humanity United is linked to the U.S. intelligence and Pentagon military operations planning contractor, the RAND Corporation; CIA-linked World Vision; and the William J. Clinton Foundation, headed up by the husband of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has also embraced the MARO doctrine.

Current targets for meddling by MARO and the Soros NGO network are Syria, Somalia, Philippines, Kenya, post-Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) Colombia, Guatemala, Pakistan, Uganda (targeting the Lord’s Resistance Army), and North and South Yemen. Past target nations that saw major “humanitarian” destabilization efforts by Obama’s new doctrine were Haiti, Kosovo, South Sudan, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.

The concept of R2P arose from a December 2001 report from another Orwellian “Newspeak”-named entity, the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS), the brainchild of then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The commission is defunct but its role in pushing R2P was assumed by the Global Center for Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P), which has been championed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. GCR2P was founded by the same cast of Soros-influenced NGOs that helped to develop the MARO doctrine for the Obama administration: ICG and HRW, the founding partners of GCR2P. Among the major donors to GCR2P is Soros’s Open Society Institute (OSI). GCR2P’s target countries match those of other NGOs involved in advancing the MARO doctrine: Syria, Libya, Uganda, Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The MARO doctrine and R2P are currently being used to justify covert and proposed overt NATO and U.S. military operations to topple the government of President Bashar Assad in Syria, the same “humanitarian” intervention template used to justify NATO’s and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) military intervention in Libya on behalf of the Transitional National Council, which plunged Libya into a worse human rights situation under rebel rule than anything ever experienced under the Qaddafi regime, including the massacre of Libyan civilians and foreign black African guest workers; summary executions of Qaddafi, members of his family, and his supporters; and detention of children.

One of the MARO principles, establishing “safe areas” for internally-displaced persons, is now at the heart of proposed NATO intervention in Syria. Another MARO military principle being proposed for Syria is the establishment of an “oil spot,” systematically securing limited areas with a “clear-hold-build” approach. Yet another MARO principle, containment through blockades and no-fly zones, was used to justify NATO intervention in Libya and is being proposed for Syria and Iran.

Other MARO operations include fomenting labor strikes in targeted nations; saturating large areas in target nations with sufficient military forces; creating buffer or demilitarized zones between perpetrator forces and victims; partner enabling by supplying advisors, equipment, and special support to host nations, coalition partners, and “victim groups” (more Orwellian “Newspeak” for rebel and secessionist forces – MARO doctrine, thus, incorporates decades of U.S. military doctrine on counter-insurgency – COIN – operations, which brought the world such “humanitarian” achievements as the My Lai massacre in South Vietnam, and other U.S. massacres of civilians in Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Nicaragua, Iraq, and Afghanistan); and militarily defeating “perpetrator” leadership and their capabilities.

MARO and R2P, especially the training and special assistance to coalition partners, are being used by the Pentagon and CIA to beef up the U.S. military and intelligence presence at bases in east Africa and the Horn of Africa, ostensibly to protect Somalis from Al Shabab Islamist guerrillas. In fact, a virtual invading force of U.S. Special Operations forces, CIA operatives, and private military contractors have descended on the region, under the aegis of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), to prop up local armies in order to secure a developing western oil and natural as production infrastructure, including pipelines and oil sea terminals in the area. Drone, intelligence collection, and U.S. special forces and training bases have been established at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti; Victoria, Seychelles; Manda Bay, Kenya; Bujumbura, Burundi; Entebbe, Uganda; Mogadishu, Somalia; and Arba Minch, Ethiopia.

Beyond Africa, the Obama administration is building five new military bases in Australia, including a Marine base in Darwin. The U.S. military presence is also being expanded in the Philippines and Vietnam. It is well-known that beyond the Middle East and Africa, MARO doctrine is being used to eventually challenge the governments of China and Russia. In the world of Obama’s Orwellian “Newspeak,” mass atrocity prevention could result in a situation where billions die as a result of global thermonuclear warfare because a few oligarchs like Soros, Obama, and neo-conservative “New American Century” advocates decide that Western imperialism cannot be satisfied until “problem” regimes in Tehran and Pyongyang and, eventually, powerful governments in Beijing and Moscow are replaced by vassal regimes. In the world of the globalists, vulture capitalists and bankers, and militarists, the R2P promoters are now leading the initial military charge up the hill.

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2011/11/29/the-legal-regime-being-formed-against-syria-by-the-arab-league-snc-and-r2p.html
The Legal Regime being formed against Syria by the Arab League, SNC, and R2P
Mahdi Darius NAZEMROAYA (Canada) | 29.11.2011 | 00:00
The Arab League coupled with a proxy group called the Syrian National Council (SNC) that is the creation of a tactical alliance between the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, Washington, NATO, Israel, and the Persian Gulf’s petro-monarchs is being used within the framework of false pretences of humanitarianism for a plan to oust President BasharAl-Assad from power and install a new client government in Damascus.

The Arab League: A Chamber of Treachery and Cowardice

The Arab League is a dysfunctional and largely ceremonial body of hyperbole that has been utterly stripped of any value it once had when it was originally founded in 1945. It has been hijacked and serves Washington and its NATO allies instead of any genuinely Arab interests. The League’s ultimatums against Syria are fully in tune with the regime change plans against Damascus.

Libyawas suspended from the Arab League before NATO started its war. The League was used to give cover to the Pentagon and NATO for their war and regime change agenda against Qaddafi. It is Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that have helped hijack the League. The GCC is comprised of the Persian Gulf petro-sheikdoms of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. None of these countries are model states, let alone democracies. Their foreign-installed leaders have betrayed the Palestinians, helped attack Iraq, support Israel against Lebanon, demolished Libya, and now they conspire against Syria and its regional allies.

In a blatant act of hypocrisy, the unelected despots of these petro-sheikhdoms have announced that Qaddafi’s regime was “illegitimate” and now are making similar statements about Syria. This is while the Saudi and Bahraini regimes themselves kill and terrorize their own unarmed citizens who are protesting in the streets of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for fair treatment, basic rights, equality, and freedom.

The GCC has forced the Arab League to support the de-legitimization of the Libyan government and the war against Libya in the form of sanctions and no-fly zones. Now it wants to impose political and economic sanctions on Syria and to cause the country to internally implode, while it tries to fashion an Arab League mandated no-fly zone as a counter-movie to the Chinese and Russian vetoes at the U.N. Security Council. The U.S., Britain, France, and Turkey are also preparing to help it in this regard.

The Syrian National Coordination Committee versus the Syrian National Council

The mainstream media, such as the BBC and Al Jazeera, in the NATO countries and Arab monarchies are willing to print, publish, or broadcast anything that will degrade Syria and support regime change through sectarian, unprofessional, false, and inflammatory reporting. They are not to be trusted in regards to the facts on the ground in Syria. The mainstream media in the NATO countries and the GCC continuously play with words, provide no verified reports, and cite recently created foreign-based groups as their sources. Amongst these group is the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which ironically endorses Saudi rulers while it claims to espouse democratic ideals.

Protests demanding reforms and democratization have taken place in Syria. Other protests against corruption and linked subsidy price changes also have taken place, but not on the scale and magnitude that NATO and the GCC portray.Initially there was a forceful crackdown that coincided with attacks by armed groups that had taken advantage of the protests. The problem was compounded by unidentified attackers who attacked both Syrian civilians and Syrian security forces that ignited instability. As tensions built, this all became further complicated by internal fighting amongst the elite families that form the oligarchies in Damascus. The Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood has also tried to capitalize and armed wings of it, with help from foreigners, have tried to stroke the flames of violence to topple Bashar Al-Assad.

The situation in Syria is complicated, because there are several competing trends of opposition. This includes the opposition forces in Syria, which range from government lackeys to individuals that genuinely want reform. Aside from the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, what most of the internal opposition has in common is that they are against violence, any form of foreign intervention, and want reform instead of regime change. It is this opposition that forms the Syrian National Coordination Committee (SNCC), which critics calls a regime appendage.

Members of this domestic opposition have been beaten and killed in Syria. This includes Mashaal Tammo, a Syrian Kurd opposition figure. Although there are over a dozen unrecognized Kurdish political parties in Syria, his murder according to Kurdish leaders was an act aimed at fomenting violence in the Kurdish areas of Syria. Several Kurdish leaders immediately denounced the murder as the work of those who want to frame the Syrian government and unleash chaos in Syria between Kurds and Arabs. Other internal victims include the cartoonist Ali Farzat who was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen and brutally beaten in late-August-2005. There is a chance that undisciplined members of the Syrian internal forces could have been behind the attack, but the attacks could have been designed to frame Damascus.

Outside of Syria, Washington and its allies have done everything to co-opt the SNCC or silence the voices of the SNCC and other internal opposition forces that are against foreign intervention and the use of violence. When a delegation of the SNCC arrived in Cairo to hold talks with the Arab League, it was immediately attacked and beaten by a mixed crowd of SNC supporters that were waiting for them. The Arab League too has opted to recognize the SNC, which is not popular internally in Syria.

In reality, the SNC is controlled by the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and several Salafist groups. Some of the people listed as SNC members were also not consulted before they were added and play no real role in the organization. In this regard, the Muslim Brotherhood is being promoted as the alternative to Bashar Al-Assad by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the GCC.

The SNC, which was formed in Istanbul a month after another Syrian transitional council was formed in Ankara, cannot be trusted. They have blatantly lied countless times about their internal support and events in Syria. Nor do they provide any form of a viable alternative to the Syrian regime. Their roster is filled with shady individuals with close ties to foreign governments and organizations that serve the interests of the United States and the European Union. According to Ayoob Kara, a Likud parliamentarian from the Israeli Knesset, the Syrian opposition was in contact with Tel Aviv to help oust the Syrian regime. Kara also made it clear in a speech to the Knesset that Israel must intervene in Syria as a means of fighting Iran and its allies.

Begging for Intervention: Parallels between the Transitional Councils in Libya and Syria

In Libya the Transitional Council was used to supplant the Jamahiriya in Tripoli. Now the SNC is being used is illicitly try to takeover Syria. The SNC will transform Syria into a docile client state divided and managed by Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and the Saudi-led GCC states on behalf of Washington. The recognition of the SNC by the Arab League and Turkey is part of this objective.

Before NATO’s war in North Africa, the Transitional Council in Libya was begging for military intervention by the U.S., Britain, France, and NATO. Likewise, the SNC and the individuals who form it have been begging for NATO military intervention against Syria. The SNC has even posted the coordinates of defensive infrastructure in Syria that they want bombed by the Pentagon and NATO. Members of this opposition have also posted maps of Syrian Air Force bases and Russian naval infrastructure to help NATO identify military targets. What is very telling about the orientation of the SNC is that these facilities have very little to do with internal politics or crowd control and a lot to do with Syrian national defence.

It is in this context that a failed attack by the so-called “Free Syrian Army” was launched on the intelligence wing of the Syrian Air Force in Damascus. This was not an act of protest, but a badly organized act of war that was intended to weaken Syria’s defensive aerial capabilities in case it was attacked. The Free Syrian Army in reality is a front organization that is controlled and manned by the GCC, Turkey, Jordan, and NATO with mercenaries and groups that can loosely be called “Al-Qaeda.” This should come as no surprise in an era when the U.S. Congressional Armed Services Committee has been told by Admiral McRaven that covert operations with U.S. Special Forces involvement are vital to the Pentagon’s modern wars.

The Orwellian Responsibility to Protect (R2P): A Tool of Trans-Atlantic Wars

The Syrian Arab Republic now faces the “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) as a threat. R2P was not used in Libya, but it was mentioned a lot. The frequent mentioning of the R2P was brinkmanship for future wars.

R2P is being prepped to be wielded as a weapon by Washington and NATO. It is a neo-imperialist device under the cover of sheep’s skin that appropriates the language of humanitarianism. Where is R2P against Israel in Palestine or when it attacked Lebanon in 2006? Where is R2P against the foreign-imposed dictators of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia? Where is R2P when it comes to the brutal Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara? Where is R2P in the Democratic Republic of Congo? These are all places where R2P will never even come to be mentioned, because it is against the interests of Washington and its allies.

It is a diplomatic concept constructed in Canada by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) through the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) in 2000. The concept essentially posits that a country’s independence is not a right and can be taken away by the international community when the need arises. The international community under the R2P paradigm has the responsibility to intervene in any independent country to order to protect that country’s citizens.

Who can decide when to use R2P? Also, what is this “international community” that gives it legitimacy and what countries form it? How and who defines the international community? The international community is much more than the NATO countries. Clearly, most the world was against the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003, but Washington and Britain claimed that the “international community” was with them. The term “international community” is actually a widely misrepresented concept and term. Washingtoncontinuously gets a series of small states that are virtual dependencies, satellites, and unrepresentative governments to add their names to all the lists it constantly produces for its military coalitions and initiatives and calls this the “international community.” These lists on the surface can sound impressive, but in reality they are hallow mirages meant to produce a deceiving appearance of international support and consensus. For example, Washington’s “Coalition of the Willing,” which was forged to invade Iraq in 2003, included Columbia, NATO-occupied Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai, Georgia, El Salvador, and Iceland. If not U.S. satellites, the governments of these countries were either bribed or coerced into joining against the wishes of their populations.

Now, both the universities and civil society in the form of NGOs inside NATO countries have a big role to play in the dissemination of the R2P paradigm. They are pushing for its normalization in international relations and its use in Syria. Together with the recognition of the unrepresentative SNC and the mirage of Arab legitimacy provided by the undemocratic collection of GCC despots that have hijacked the Arab League, R2P will be utilized to create an international legal regime that will work to isolate, cripple, and subjugate Damascus.

64. KHALID TLASS said:

“Oh really ? Palestine is close to your heart ? Funny coming from a Christian.”

It is funny isn’t it. I am laughing as I am reading this message.
Why shouldn’t Christians care about Palestine?

We were told that Debka file is not reliable source of info.  Funny that the countries listed are the same countries which asked their citizen to leave immediately.  I still believe it is a bluff and no serious talks has been taken place.    

http://www.mideastmag.com/128835/nato-gulf-military-officers-in-turkey-prepare-for-intervention-in-syria/

NATO-Gulf military officers in Turkey prepare for intervention in Syria
Posted on November 28, 2011 8:46 pm by DEBKAFile

A group of military officers from NATO and Arab nations has quietly established a mixed operational command at Iskenderun in the Turkish Hatay province on the border of North Syria, debkafile’s military sources report. Hailing from the United States, France, Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with Turkish officers providing liaison, they do not represent NATO but are designated “monitors” tasked with establishing “humanitarian corridors.” Monday, Nov. 28, a UN panel reported on the Assad regime’s “gross violations.”

To all the power mafia who put Assad Junior in power 11 years ago: please GO OUT of Syria. Enough is enough. Please GO OUT, LEAVE, ABANDON, DISAPPEAR from Syria and take your puppet Assad Junior with you. Enough is enough. Let time judge and free elections decide who was torturing, violating basic rights, or being a terrorist.

Leaving aside the internal causes of revolution in Syria I would like to point something about what is happening in the international scene.

Me or chaos. This is the Bashar Doctrine that was clearly declared in 2.004 and 2.005 when Bush Jr tried to force changes in assadist syrians. The main mistake is that Bashar never leaded the country. He never made a move forward. He just sat on his Kingdom Throne and waited to see if his enemies prefered HIM or CHAOS. He was in a pasive attitude what is simply a lack of leadership. He trusted his enemies would always chose HIM but finally they chosed CHAOS instead of HIM. And now Mr. Assad has nothing to declare since He and only He was who created this dilema and who provoked the hatred and revenge from outside that lead to the CHAOS election.

Sandro

Your last comment was one of the smartest comment I have read on SC .

Thanks Tara, It good to read your posts too. In these hard times we are living sometimes I have the feeling that in SC as well as in Damascus city I am surrounded of traitors and deniers of reality. But one day Syria will be freed from Assadism and facts will return the truth to the place it deserves. And everybody will be able to know every single detail about criminal acts comitted against syrian citizens before and during the revolution. Time is on our side although many martyrs will fall in the way to freedom.

Why Egypt’s Election is a Game-Changer — At the Expense of Tahrir Square
Posted by Tony Karon

The message of the historic Egyptian election, which began Monday with huge crowds turning out to vote in the protest-scarred cities of Cairo and Alexandra, is a simple one: Egypt’s immediate political future will not be written in Tahrir Square, or by the revolutionaries who last week lost 40 of their comrades to violence by the security forces. But nor will the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the junta that eased out former President Hosni Mubarak in February, be able to sustain its claim to a monopoly on decision making over the transition process. By creating a democratically elected assembly — no matter how flawed by SCAF’s arcane election laws, and how limited its mandate may be according to the junta’s plan — the election process, which may take months to complete, creates a political voice whose legitimacy to speak for Egyptians trumps that of both SCAF and Tahrir Square. And that could profoundly change the power game in the coming months.

“Egypt is not Tahrir Square,” a SCAF spokesman warned last week, vowing that the elections would go ahead despite calls from the revolutionaries that they be postponed, and that the junta immediately cede power to a civilian “government of national salvation” acceptable to the parties on the Square. The revolutionaries had even offered the job of Prime Minister to Dr. Mohammed ElBaradei, the Nobel Laureate former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and liberal presidential candidate, who had reportedly accepted and vowed to drop his presidential bid in order to take the job.

But Tahrir Square had no real job to offer, outside of the fevered political imagination stoked by the protesters’ brave and bloody battle to hold their ground, with each new casualty deepening the protesters’ sense of their own legitimacy and claim to write their country’s future. The brutal reality, however, was that most of Cairo had stayed on the sidelines for last week’s “second revolution,” and huge numbers of Cairenes turned out to participate enthusiastically in an election widely dismissed by those on the Square as irrelevant or counterproductive.

Read more: http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/11/28/why-egypts-election-is-a-game-changer-at-the-expense-of-tahrir-squre/

The new work of the ‘Angles’ in Lattakia, yet Abd Alazeem doesn’t see any work done by any armed militia, and Ghalyoun is busy bending over to his masters:

عصابات الاخوان المسلمون يفجرون سيارة باللاذقية 28.11.2011
http://youtu.be/1LnaS-q_B7Y

JAD has gone ballistic. Ann has disappeared. The Mu’allek as my wife notes while watching him is “near death” when he speaks. The regime has gone beszerck and does not know what to do. The Syrian Kurds are meeting Barzani in Iraq; the videos are all fake and it is all the fault of Al Jazeera.

The germs are meeting with the rats in Turkey and are multiplying after developing immunity to fear. Russia is negotiating with the SNC on its strategic relationship post Assad.

Somebody must have wet underwear. It is not the Syrian people. Any guesses????

This is the most musical revolution of all Arab uprisings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUkwL6EPtSI
.

His words are clear and to the point, who has ears should listen and who has eyes should worry, they will be inoculated if gives hands to the foreign devil regardless if it is the Arabic or the western one

http://www.shukumaku.com/Content.php?id=37036

#99 good, I hope they kill every last one of those filthy child raping and killing mukhabarat dogs.

Minhbakji idiots still haven’t commented on Balid Mo3alek’s use of Lebanese videos exposed by Future tv. What happend? cat got your tongues, wala you’re still waiting to be told what to say by your shabiha overlords at Assad mission control? hahaha

meanwhile, good news for us online dissidents:

Italian Firm Said to Exit Syrian Monitoring Project

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-28/italian-firm-exits-syrian-monitoring-project-repubblica-says.html

333. DARYLL said :

“I am indeed a convert, a convert from Secularism to Salafism. And I am a Baathist too. I am a Baathist-Salafist,I know its hard to believe, but its true. I was raised in a baathist household, my religious beliefs are Salafi. And I think the future of islam lies in a fine blend between Baathism and Salafism, We will be unstoppable.”

Khalid, come down to earth as you are violating certain Islamic beliefs. If it was not for the fact that there are a few good Syrian Muslims on this forum that I respect, I would have shredded your belief system to micro-pieces. You will probably tempt me but I promise to refrain.

أحـمـــد مـطـــر
@Ahmed_Matar

ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ

له لسانُ مُدَّعٍ ..
يصولُ في شوارعِ الشَّامِ كسيفِ عنترة
يكادُ يلتَّفُ على الجولانِ والقنيطرة
مقاومٌ … لم يرفعِ السِّلاحَ
لمْ يرسل إلى جولانهِ دبابةً أو طائرةْ
لم يطلقِ النّار على العدوِ
لكنْ حينما تكلَّمَ الشّعبُ
صحا من نومهِ
و صاحَ في رجالهِ ..
مؤامرة !
مؤامرة !
و أعلنَ الحربَ على الشَّعبِ
و كانَ ردُّهُ على الكلامِ ..
مَجزرةْ
مقاومٌ يفهمُ في الطبِّ كما يفهمُ في السّياسةْ
استقال مِن عيادةِ العيونِ
كي يعملَ في ”عيادةِ الرئاسة”
فشرَّحَ الشّعبَ ..
و باعَ لحمهُ وعظمهُ
و قدَّمَ اعتذارهُ لشعبهِ ببالغِ الكياسةْ
عذراً لكمْ ..
يا أيَّها الشَّعبُ
الذي جعلتُ من عظامهِ مداسا
عذراً لكم ..
يا أيَّها الشَّعبُ
الذي سرقتهُ في نوبةِ الحراسةْ
عذراً لكم ..
يا أيَّها الشَّعبُ الذي طعنتهُ في ظهرهِ
في نوبةِ الحراسةْ
عذراً ..
فإنْ كنتُ أنا ”الدكتورَ” في الدِّراسهْ
فإنني القصَّابُ و السَّفاحُ ..
و القاتلُ بالوراثةْ !

دكتورنا ”الفهمانْ”
يستعملُ السّاطورَ في جراحةِ اللسانْ
مَنْ قالَ : ” لا ” مِنْ شعبهِ
في غفلةٍ عنْ أعينِ الزَّمانْ
يرحمهُ الرحمنْ
بلادهُ سجنٌ ..
و كلُّ شعبهِ إما سجينٌ عندهُ
أو أنَّهُ سجَّانْ
بلادهُ مقبرةٌ ..
أشجارها لا تلبسُ الأخضرَ
لكنْ تلبسُ السَّوادَ و الأكفانْ
حزناً على الإنسانْ
أحاكمٌ لدولةٍ ..
مَنْ يطلقُ النَّارَ على الشَّعبِ الذي يحكمهُ
أمْ أنَّهُ قرصانْ ؟
لا تبكِ يا سوريّةْ
لا تعلني الحدادَ
فوقَ جسدِ الضحيَّة
لا تلثمي الجرحَ
و لا تنتزعي الشّظيّةْ
القطرةُ الأولى مِنَ الدَّمِ الذي نزفتهِ
ستحسمُ القضيّةْ
قفي على رجليكِ يا ميسونَ ..
يا بنتَ بني أميّةْ
قفي كسنديانةٍ ..
في وجهِ كلِّ طلقةٍ و كلِّ بندقية
قفي كأي وردةٍ حزينةٍ ..
تطلعُ فوقَ شرفةٍ شاميّةْ
و أعلني الصرَّخةَ في وجوههمْ
حريّة
و أعلني الصَّرخةَ في وجوههمْ
حريّةْ

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/11/29/179762.html
أشار إلى أهمية تعاون دمشق مع جامعة الدول العربية
خطاب للدبلوماسية الروسية يتعامل مع الأزمة السورية برؤية جديدة

خلال لقائه مع السفراء العرب، أعلن وزير الخارجية الروسي سيرجي لا فروف أن بلاده ترحب وتدعم كافة الجهود من أجل ايجاد
حلول لتسوية الازمة في سورية، واشار لأهمية تعاون دمشق مع جامعة الدول العربية، واعتماد سبل الحوار الوطني في حل كافة المشاكل السياسية الداخلية.

وكانت وزارة الخارجية الروسية قد اصدرت بيانا حول قرار جامعة الدول العربية بفرض عقوبات اقتصادية علي سورية، اشارت فيه إلي أن روسيا تتابع تطورات الموقف العربي الهادف لتسوية الأزمة السورية سلميا، واعربت الدبلوماسية الروسية مساندتها للجهود العربية التي تسعي لتسوية الأزمة ضمن الأطار العربي، وبعيداً عن اي تدخلات خارجية.

وأكدت الخارجية الروسية علي اهمية صيانة وحدة الأراضي السورية،وتجنب الشعب السوري لاية صدامات طائفية أو عرقية. ودعا بيان الدبلوماسية الروسية إلي التعاون مع جامعة الدول العربية، والأستفادة من امكاناتها من اجل وقف العنف في سورية بصرف النظر عن مصدر هذا العنف،تمهيدا لحوار وطني داخلي من اولويات المهام المطروحة لتسوية الأزمة السورية، ما يفسح المجال لتهدئة التوتر المتصاعد في المدن السورية،وسيوفر الأمكانية لتنفيذ اصلاحات سياسية واقتصادية تستجيب لمطالب السوريين.

مصادر من البيت الأبيض الروسي كشفت عن أن رئيس الحكومة فلاديمير بوتين، بعد ترشحه رسميا لمنصب الرئاسة، اعتبر انه لا يمكن لروسيا أن تتبني مواقف تتعارض مع رؤية الإجماع العربي، ما اعتبره فريق من المراقبين محاولة للاقتراب من مبادرة جامعة الدول العربية وقرارها بفرض عقوبات اقتصادية علي دمشق بهدف اجبارها علي القبول بتسوية الأزمة عبر السبل السلمية، نبذ الحل الأمني.رغم أن وزارة الخارجية الروسية سبق أن وجهت انتقادات لقرارات الجامعة،تتعلق بقرارها ا الخاص بتعليق عضوية سورية باعتبار انه يلغي امكانية التوصل لحلول سلمية.

واعرب اندريه ستبانوف المحلل السياسي في وكالة ريا نوفوستي عن قناعته بأن مواقف موسكو بدات بالفعل تتغير إزاء تطورات الأزمة السورية،خاصة أن نظام الرئيس الاسد لم يستجب لدعوات روسيا وجامعة الدول العربية والمجتمع الدولي، ومازالت قوات نظامه تقوم بقتل وأعتقال المتظاهرين العزل.

ولا يستبعد العديد من المحللين الروس أن يكون الموقف الروسي المبادر لإعادة مناقشة ملف الأزمة السورية في مجلس الأمن، وذلك بعد رفض حكومة دمشق على التوقيع علي بروتوكول الجامعة الخاص بارسال بعثة مراقبين اليها بالصيغة التي اعتمدها المجلس الوزاري للجامعة العربية، وإخلالها بالالتزامات الواردة فيه وعدم ايقاف عمليات القتل واطلاق سراح المعتقلين.

إضافة إلى الاتهام الذي وجهته لجنة خبراء الأمم المتحدة للتحقيق في الأحداث الجارية في سورية لحكم بشار الأسد بارتكاب “جرائم ضد الإنسانية”، وتضم اللجنة سيرجيو بينيرو الخبير في حقوق الإنسان البرازيلي وياكين ارتورك المتخصصة في قضايا العنف ضد النساء وكارين أبو زيد الاختصاصية في الشؤون الإنسانية واللاجئين من الولايات المتحدة.

HA launched missiles over Israel

Quoted at # 4 ANN: “The western media has refused to report the Syrian government’s position lest fair coverage of the other side of this story encourage a modicum of critical thought.”

That’s right. The most recent example is the mass media’s refusal to report the Syrian government’s explanation for why the Syrian government cannot accept the Arab League’s proposition about Syria. In case you missed that explanation:
http://www.sana.sy/eng/22/2011/11/25/384073.htm
http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/26/384351.htm

BTW, here’s a quote in a news article at news.bbc.co.uk on Saturday 26 November 2011: “I’m disappointed with the ____ League that they haven’t seen fit to help us out. It’s absolutely pathetic the decision, but it doesn’t surprise me. There has got to be some common sense but there isn’t with the ____ League. It’s them and us and we’re ‘us’.” Of course, he was not talking about the Arab League. But if he had been it would’ve been my thoughts exactly.

Investment money coming from from abroad is sharply down in Syria this year. Walid al-Moallem mentioned in his press conference today that most of the foreign investments had been going into the real estate sector. The construction industry in Syria nevertheless has been continuing in good health in year 2011. The non-participation of foreign money in the real estate market does little damage to the real economy. It does put some downward pressure on the exchange value of the Syrian currency however, which is another part of the argument why some further modest devaluation of the exchange rate by the Central Bank is probably a good thing to do.

this is Syria’s future, mega cute little girl chanting against Bashar.

of course his mukhabarat would rape and kill her if they catch her.

Syria’s Foreign Minister Al-Moallem gave a press conference on 28 nov 2011. Here are quotes from it, copied primarily from http://www.facebook.com/SyrianTruthEnglish?sk=wall and secondarily from http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/28/384694.htm
Walid al-Moallem, “Article 8 will be abolished from the new constitution.”
Walid al-Moallem, “We still invite anyone who has a sense of patriotism to participate in National Dialogue…. We refuse dialogue in Qatar.”
Walid al-Moallem, “There are people and countries aiming at smuggling weapons and training those terrorists to fight, but it will not lead to civil war.” “Our information indicates that there will be no war or foreign military action against Syria, but rather arming and training of terrorist groups which is manageable.” [Aside: Al-Moallem at a press conference on 20 nov 2011: “When Mrs Clinton says the opposition is well-armed… it is, as they say in English, ‘wishful thinking’.” ]
Walid al-Moallem, “From my analysis, there will be no military intervention. The most they can do is sanction us. Arab are too lazy for war.” [Did he really say it with those words? It is undiplomatic and inaccurate to call Syria’s antagonists “too lazy” to enter into the horror of war.]
Walid al-Moallem, “We’re not in any communications with Saudi Arabia whatsoever.”
Walid al-Moallem, “Al-Arabiya & Al-Jazeera are not interested in the truth…. Al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya are leading a war aiming to shed Syrian blood.”
Walid al-Moallem, “We will not sign the protocol to remove sanctions. It attacks and undermines our sovereignty. We will not give up our sovereignty. I’m not threatening anyone, but the Syrian government has the right to protect its people from these sanctions.”
Walid al-Moallem, “These sanctions will pose no danger to Syrians’ daily lives. Our people are accustomed to pressure.”
Walid al-Moallem, “This is how we solve the problem. Firstly, reforms must continue. Secondly, elections. Thirdly, a new constitution.”
Walid al-Moallem, “Those who say the government is forcing people out to rally…. Those people have no sense of patriotism so it’s hard for them to comprehend all this Syrian love.”
Walid al-Moallem, “I take pride in the Syrian people.”
Walid al-Moallem, “I assure you that the Syrian people’s word is the Syrian leadership’s decision.”
Walid al-Moallem, “Our army put their lives out on the line for us. They’re our pride and joy.”
Walid al-Moallem, “Syria will emerge from the situation stronger…. If Alan Juppe thinks the government’s days are numbered…time will tell him otherwise…if he lives long enough to see it.”

Kind of embarrassing to see China’s Xinhuanet reporting more accurately than entire UK press: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-11/28/c_131275279.htm

فضائح إعلامية إصلاحية سورية
من قلم : نضال نعيسة
نحن أمام فضيحتين إعلاميتين جديدتين في سوريا، الأولى هي تشكيل ما يسمى بالمجلس الوطني للإعلام، والثانية، قيام نفس هذا المجلس، وعلى الفور، بسحب عدد يوم الأربعاء 23/11من جريدة خاصة سورية، بسبب مقال(1) ينتقد ما يسمى بالبعث والبعثيين، وإليكم تفاصيل الفضيحتين.

فحين قرأت أسماء ما يسمى بمجلس إعلام جديد في سوريا، أصبت بحالة من الرعب، والخوف والهلع، بقدر، ما انتابتني صدمة، ووعكة، وحكة جلدية، وحالة وجع، وهرش جلدة الرأس مجهولة المصدر كما قال لي صديقي الطبيب قرفان حالو. وأعتذر عن ذكر أسماء أعضاء المفلس الوطني للإعلام (وكالعادة، لا يوجد خطأ إملائي ها هنا)، بسبب الالتزام بشروط النشر في المواقع الإليكترونية ووقوفي مع جورج بوش في جزئية حربه على الإرهاب، إذ يمنع نشر أية مواد فيها رعب، أو عرض مشاهد فيها عنف، والإشارة إلى رموز مخيفة، قد تسبب استفزازا للرأي العام وتسيء لمشاعر الناس، ناهيك عن أن بعضاً، من الصغار في سوريا، قد يقرؤون مقالي هذا على الفيسبوك الذي اخترق كل بيت في سوريا، وقد يتسبب ذكر أسماء أصحاب المفلس بحالات خوف وهلع لهم.

ولم يخيّب المفلس الإعلامي الجديد ظني به على الإطلاق، ولا ظن أي سوري، ويشكر ويثاب على أية حال، وكان كما ظن، وكل الظن هنا غير إثم، و”تخوف وتوهم” الجميع، وكعادة الشباب، أداة قمعية حادة، وجارحة، باترة وقاطعة واستئصالية(2)، لكل ما من شأنه أن يتعارض، ويتنافي، مع السياسة الخشبية الإعلامية التي ميـّزت هذا الحقل الإبداعي والوطني عبر خمسة عقود في بلاد الرسالة الخالدة.

وكانت من أولى إنجازاته بتر وسحب ومنع عدد من جريدة بلدنا التي يملكها مجد سليمان، ابن نجل اللواء بهجت سليمان الرئيس الأسبق لفرع الأمن الداخلي في ما يسمى بإدارة أمن الدولة، والسفير السوري الحالي لدى الأردن، بسبب مقال عادي جداً في معايير النشر والكتابة الصحفية والإعلامية، لكنه بالنسبة للإعلام الستاليني الموجه والمغلق جناية خطيرة تستوجب القطع والبتر. ولا ندري في الحقيقة، فالأمر، أي سحب العدد، قد يكون له عدة وجوه وأبعاد، فناهيك عن أن الإجراء، والعودة للنمط القديم-الجديد الإصلاحي في التعاطي مع مجرد رأي، يبقى –أي الرأي-موضع أخذ ورد في النهاية، وقد يكون صحيحاً أو غير صحيح، فقد تكون الرسالة، موجهة بذات الوقت، لصاحب الجريدة، وممولها، تلك الجهة النافذة، والقوية، في سوريا عبر عقود من الزمن، والقول بأن لا أحداً فوق القانون.

أو أن يكون مقدمة لإعادة تعويم البعث داخلياً، وتأمين حصانة للبعثيين ومنع نقدهم ، في ضوء الكلام الكثير ورفع الصوت وحدة النقد لهم، وفي ظل كلام متداول عن الشروع في إلغاء المادة الثامنة الشهيرة من الدستور التي يحتكر البعث بموجبها كل شيء في سوريا ويسيطر، ومن دون وجه حق، ويقبض على كل مفاصل الدولة والمجتمع، وإلغاء دور البعثيين معه، وكف يدهم عن الشأن العام في سوريا، كون المقال قد طال بالنقد العنيف والقاسي البعث، والبعثيين، وممارساتهم في سوريا، غير أن الأمر يؤكد في النهاية على حقيقة أن لا جديد ولا من يحزنون ويفرحون ويرقصون.

من جهة أخرى، سيطر أعضاء هذا المفلس الوطني للإعلام على دهاليز الإعلام السوري لعقود طويلة فاشلة وخائبة ومتواضعة أنتجت أرث وأبأس تجربة إعلامية في المنطقة، لم تجن سوريا منها شيئاً، وكانوا كابوساً بليدا وثقيلاً عليه، وشبه معزولين عن قواعدهم الإعلامية، وغير معروفين شعبياً، ولا إعلامياً، خارجياً، وارتسمت صورة سلبية ونمطية عن أدائهم وممارساتهم واجترارهم الفكري، وكانوا يتنقلون في قياداته الإعلامية، وينطون، كأبطال الجمباز وسباق الحواجز، برشاقة وخفة، من منصب إلى منصب، ومن إدارة إلى إدارة، وكأن الله الذي خلقهم وكسر القالب ولم يخلق غيرهم، بعدها، واحتلوا الواجهة الإعلامية السورية على مدى عقود طويلة، بما في ذلك من تهجير وتهميش لمئات الكوادر الإعلامية الشابة، ودون أن يقدموا، في نفس الوقت، للإعلام السوري تلك النقلة الإعلامية المطلوبة والمأمولة والتي تليق بشعب سوريا الحضاري العظيم، والتي ظهرت أهميتها، أي النقلة، وضرورتها في الأحداث الأخيرة في سوريا، حيث تبين أن سوريا قد فرّغت تماماً من كوادرها الإعلامية، وعجزت الوزارة عن تصنيع وإطلاق كوكبة من نجوم الإعلام في الفضاء، فاستعانت بثلة، من خارج النطاق الإعلامي، وبكل أسف، مقربة ومحسوبة على أجهزة نافذة، ووجهاء كبار، وأقربائهم، و”حبايبهم”، وإخوتهم(1)، إضافة لكتيبة المغاوير الإعلامية اللبنانية المعروفة، إياها “تبع” خلصت، التي سدّت إلى حد ما النقص الهائل في الكادر الإعلامي الفضائي السوري المؤهل لهكذا مواقف وأحداث، وإذا علمنا أن المواجهة والحرب اليوم في سوريا، جلـّها، وفي قسمها الأكبر إعلامي ونفسي، ندرك مدى الحاجة الوطنية العامة لإصلاح هذا القطاع وإعادة تأهيله والرفع من شأنه ليواكب عظمة، وقوة، وهيبة ومكانة سوريا العظيمة وتليق بشعبها الحر الأبي الحضاري العظيم.

يكفينا إصلاح يا شباب، والله العظيم “فلقتونا” وأشبعتمونا إصلاحاً، و”ما عم نلحق” إصلاح يا رجل، حتى كدنا وبتنا نختنق من كثرة الإصلاح، وخاصة بعودة أعضاء المفلس الإعلامي ليحتل مجدداً واجهة الإعلام في سوريا. والسؤال إذا كان الإصلاح هو العودة إلى المومياءات والمستحاثات ونبشها من قبورها بعد أن استهلكت، وبان عجافها، وقد بلغت من العمر عتياً، وانتهت صلاحياتها، فبالله عليكم، يا نفس الشباب في أعلى الفقرة، وليس بالفقرة التي سبقتها، كيف سيكون عندها اللا إصلاح أو الخراب عندئذ؟ أعتقد أن الجواب حاصر تماماً وهو العودة لـ “بعث” الرسالة الخالدة.

وعشتم وعاش الإصلاح ولولولوووووووش.

1-المقال للكاتب بسام جنيد، بعنوان لنتفرغ الآن إلى وطن اسمه سوريا.

2- قال المدعو قاضي أمين طالب رئيس المفلس المذكور، بأنه سيقاضي (اسم على مسمى، وألف يخزي العين) الكاتب ويسجنه، وذلك في مقابلة مع ما تعرف بمحطة شام إف. إم يوم الأحد 28/11/2011

3-يقال والله أعلم أن نفراً، ممن يسمون محللين استراتيجيين في سوريا، (أحدهم ملاكم سابق)، هو شقيق لمسؤول نافذ كبير، والمشكلة ليست ها هنا، فهو من خارج نطاق الإعلام، وبغض النظر عن أدائه ومدى نجاحه وفشله، فإنه لم يسبق له أن عرف إعلامياً، وتم “دحشه” في هذا على البركة، و”جابوه”، بينما كان يلعب “دق منقلة”، على البيدر، بوساطة وتوصية من أخيه فقط، وهذه هي كل مواهبه.

112. ALES

“Kind of embarrassing to see China’s Xinhuanet reporting more accurately than entire UK press: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-11/28/c_131275279.htm”

The Chinese official media is known for objectivity and balanced coverage. You should probably move their.

Nikolaos Van Dam is of the opinion: “The regime has never clearly given any clear explanation of these “armed gangs”, which might have helped defending its position.”

Recently I read someone (was it Bashar? I don’t remember) saying the armed dissidents can be put in three classes, Salafis, MBs, and criminals who thrive in an environment where law and order has broken down. I can add a fourth class, not fitting neatly into the first three, which can be characterized as alienated, poorly educated people in Homs, Hama and Idlib, who hate the fact that the “down with the regime” demonstrations they attended didn’t succeed in downing the regime, and they’re now willing to venture to take up arms to vent their anger about it.

Confessions by armed dissidents have been appearing on national television in Syria about a couple of times a week for six months now. No week passes when State TV doesn’t air another confession by a captured armed dissident. I can remember some weeks whene there were confessions almost every night. In most cases the confessions are inarticulate, semi-incoherent, or hard to believe in some one aspect or another. That reflects the nature of the beast. But the confessions have given to the world, or to the subset of the world who wants to know, first-hand testimonies of who the armed dissidents are. Here are two examples from the past few days:
24 Nov 2011. On Syrian State TV a captured leader of a group of armed dissidents in Homs confesses to killing security forces plus other very bad deeds. Among other things: Mr. Al-Ukesh said that his group, armed with rifles, got dressed in army uniforms and gathered others around them and marched to Kaferlaha’s town square where they recited a statement on behalf of the “Free Syrian Army” and announced that they formed a detachment, noting that there were actually no army defectors in the group, only armed civilians. He said that this event was recorded using cellphones, and the recordings were sent to al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya, which broadcast them as urgent news and replayed it for several days, presenting him and his group as army defectors. “All of that was a lie… we were armed, hooded civilians wearing army uniforms.” Al-Ukesh is a student of petrochemical engineering. Compared to many others, his confession was coherent and articulate. http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/24/383769.htm
25 Nov 2011. Captured terrorist in Homs confesses on TV to taking part with a terrorist group in attacking law-enforcement members, kidnapping and killing citizens, as well as involvement in thefts and blackmail. In confessions broadcast by the Syrian TV on Thursday, the terrorist said that he took part in the protests at the instigation of Sheikh Abdul Bari al-Kunn, muezzin of Riyad al-Salihin Mosque, for SYP 500 for each protest. http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/25/383907.htm

Here are some examples dating from September:
7 Sep 2011. Captured armed dissident confesses on TV to attacking the army in Homs with Kalashnikovs. http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/09/07/368084.htm
11 Sep 2011. Four captured violent dissidents in Homs make confessions nationally televised on TV: http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/09/12/368819.htm
13 Sep 2011: Confession on TV by a captured armed dissident in Homs: http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/09/13/369048.htm
15 Sep 2011: Two captured armed dissidents confess on Syrian State TV to using shotguns to fire on peacefully protesting dissidents in Rif Damascus to create the illusion that the security forces were firing on the peaceful dissidents. http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/09/15/369461.htm
29 Sep 2011: On Syrian State TV an armed dissident confesses to being part of the gang that deliberately assassinated a doctor at a hospital in Homs. He also confesses to opening fire on army personnel and civilians in Homs. http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/09/29/372272.htm
30 Sep 2011: On Syrian State TV a captured gunman confesses to being one of a gang of eight armed with shotguns who shot at security forces during Friday demonstration in Jisreen in Rif Damascus the previous Friday. http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/10/01/372825.htm
30 Sep 2011: Two armed dissidents confess on Syrian State TV to opening fire on dissidents in Homs to frame the security forces for it. They also brought a camera to record the scene. http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/09/30/372527.htm

I think Nikolaos Van Dam has no good excuse for blaming the Syrian government for his ignorance about who the “armed gangs” are. He can also get some info about the armed gangs from anti-government sources. E.g., as posted by an anti-regime commenter at SyriaComment on 25 nov 2011: “Salafi Tigers of Idlib”: Rebels armed with kalashnikovs chant in front of camera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOQTJlTEbBg

114.

Correction:

their > there

“You should probably move there.”

“Walid al-Moallem, “Al-Arabiya & Al-Jazeera are not interested in the truth”

To prove that, Walid al-Moallem uses footage several years old of events in Lebanon to show armed violence against the government in 2011 in Syria. He’s a genious.

وليد المعلم يستعين بصور جريمة كترمايا لتزوير ما يحصل في سورياMon 28 Nov 2011 – 9:15:00 PM

ردت المعارضة السورية على طريقتها على مؤتمر وزير الخارجية السورية وليد المعلم، مظهرة عبر موقع فايسبوك وعدد من المواقع ما أسمتها مغالطات فادحة. وبحسب ما تظهر هذه الصور، فإن بعض اللقطات الواردة في الشريط الذي عرضه المعلم والتي تعود لقتلى من المفترض انهم قضوا على أيدي مجموعات إرهابية في سوريا إنما تعود لجريمة حصلت قبل سنة ونصف السنة في بلدة كترمايا في لبنان عندما اقدم الأهالي على قتل منفذ الجريمة وعلقوه في الباحة.
إلى ذلك، اعتصم عشرات من أبناء منطقة باب التبانة، عند مستديرة نهر ابو علي في طرابلس، احتجاجا على ما وصفوه “بالافتراءات التي سيقت ضد بعض ابناء المنطقة من قبل السلطات السورية والاعلام السوري، تتهمهم بالمشاركة في عمليات عسكرية في الداخل السوري ضد الوحدات النظامية للجيش السوري”.
وأشار المعتصمون إلى أن “التلفزيون السوري عرض اثناء مؤتمر صحافي لوزير الخارجية وليد المعلم فيلما وثائقيا عن الاحداث في سوريا وما يرتكب من مجازر ضد العسكريين، زعم فيه بأن شبانا من خارج سوريا وتحديدا من لبنان يشاركون في هذه الهجمات ضد قوات حفظ النظام في المدن والبلدات السورية”.
وقال داني دنش وهو احد الذين ظهرت صورتهم على الفيلم “ان هذه الدعاية هي دليل افلاس للنظام فنحن هنا في طرابلس وباب التبانة تحديدا وكما ترون لسنا في حمص او جسر الشغور وما عرض من صور تزعم اننا نشارك في المعارك هناك عار تماما عن الصحة وهو تزوير للواقع حيث ان هذه الصورة منشورة منذ عام 2008 على موقع على “الفيسبوك” وتم التقاطها في “سقي طرابلس” اثناء المعارك التي جرت بين باب التبانة وجبل محسن آنذاك”.
واعتبر “ابو عمر” شاب اخر ممن عرضت صورهم “ان هناك تلفيقا ومحاولة للفت الانتباه عما يجري في سوريا ونحذر بأن ما عرض على كذبه يعرض حياتنا للخطر، من المتعاونين مع النظام السوري، وحتى دوليا قد نصبح محل مساءلة، وهذا غير عادل لان لا ناقة لنا ولا جمل والاتهامات باطلة باطلة باطلة”.

في هذا الزمن العربي الرديء دخلت الجامعه العربيه للتوسط بين المعارضه و النظام فكانت النتيجه وضعا جديدا يتطلب الوساطه بين الجامعه و النظام و قريبا الوساطه بين المعارضه و المعارضه و بين اعضاء الجامعه انفسهم و بين كرش المعلم و قرعة حمد و سكسوكة الملك عبد الله
مبروك لكم جامعه بدون سوريا و جامعه فيها مصر بدون خصيتين
انه زمن الماعز و عرس الحزب القائد للجماهير نحو الهاويه
May be we need to go through a bloody civil war to achieve self awareness,but if this happens can we at least choose who will invade our countries because I am not particularly fond of Turkish soldiers and Qatari pilots.
الغباء القومي دخل مراحل خطيره مشابهه لمرحلة ما قبل اغتصاب العراق و ما زاد الطين بله تتييس النظام

Rick Perry, a presidential republican candidate in the United state said that is all about Iran when he was asked about Syria and that makes it very clear that the goal was , is and always will be about bringing down the Syrian regime and taking out the last obstacle for a Palestinian surrender,

Reform and democracy were never in the cards , they were just excuses, as if they were the goals then we would have seen movements in other places,

The Syrian opposition is using the old banana republic flag, not the present Syrian flag, does anybody thinks that Syria is going to be broken up, it does seem that there is any agreement between the people of Syria on what kind of system, they want secular, religous, equal rights to all or Sunni equal rights while the others are guests without rights, it is sad but Syria is for certain going toward a civil war,

BBQ
Darryl
first question, and then a suggestion
Question : What kind of wine goes well with your recipe?

Suggestion: Next time you my wish to try this on few pieces (not all so you can tell the difference and because I use a different spice combination). Mix some of your wonderful spice mix with some yogurt in ways retaining the texture of the marination (one TbS for one TbS), and then marinate. The glazing after grilling will be out of this world.

الله يساعد الحكومه الرشيده في السعوديه و يردع المطالبين بحقوق ليس لها وجود
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/28/deadly-shootings-saudi-arabia-arab-media

110. newfolder,

sooo cute, Bless her. Thanks for posting.

The everlasting words of the late Ibrahim Kashoush, will forever live in our memory. Younger generations will tell their offspring, how the expressive lyrics of Mr. Kashoush’s impaired Syria’s dictatorial regime.

Syria Free From Tyranny!

Damascus freezes Arab states’ assets
Monday, November 28, 2011
BEIRUT/BRUSSELS

Syria hits back at Arab League’s Nov 27 sanctions by freezing their assets, as a UN commission reports ‘crimes against humanity’ committed by Assad forces

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=damascus-freezes-arab-states8217-assets-2011-11-28

The Arab League’s newly approved sanctions against Damascus amount to “a declaration of economic war,” Syria’s foreign minister said yesterday, betraying deep concern about the effects of the measures on the embattled regime.

But in a clear sign of defiance, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem insisted that the Syrian people will be the ones to suffer and the regime will survive.

“Let them study the history of Syria very well,” Muallem told reporters at a televised news conference. “Neither warnings nor sanctions will work with us.” In an unprecedented move against a fellow Arab state, the 22-member Arab League approved sanctions Nov. 27 to pressure the regime to end its suppression of an eight-month-old revolt. Muallem said that Damascus had already taken steps to counter the punitive measures. “I reassure you that we have withdrawn 95 or 96 percent of Syrian assets (from Arab countries),” Muallem told reporters. “We must protect the interests of our people.”

Damascus’ response is that Syria is the victim of a foreign-supported insurgency by armed gangs. In an attempt to bolster that contention, Muallem showed reporters videos of charred and bloodied corpses.

“I’m sorry for these gruesome pictures, but they are a gift to the members of the Arab League who still deny the presence of these armed gangs,” he said.

Tens of thousands of government supporters flocked to main squares yesterday in almost all cities, including the capital Damascus, to denounce the Arab League decision. State TV quoted demonstrators as saying that the sanctions target all segments of the population.

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said the bloc will reconsider the sanctions if Syria carries out an Arab-brokered plan that calls for pulling tanks from the streets and ending violence against civilians.

Syria plans to drop a constitutional clause which designates Assad’s Baath Party as the leading party, Muallem said.

 Moualem said he was told by the head of a committee tasked with reforming Syria’s constitution that the revised version “includes multi-party (politics), and there is no place for discrimination between parties, meaning there is no Article Eight.”

The EU will tighten sanctions against Syria’s oil and financial sectors this week, diplomats said yesterday. EU foreign ministers meeting Dec. 1 will adopt a raft of sanctions including bans on exporting gas and oil industry equipment to Syria, trading Syrian government bonds and selling software that could be used to monitor Internet and telephone communications, a European diplomat said. European governments will also be barred from providing concessional loans to Syria — credit at lower rates and longer grace periods than what is offered by the markets. The goal of the new sanctions is to “cut the regime’s access to money,” the European diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Russia is sending a flotilla of warships to its naval base in Syria in a show of force which suggests Moscow is willing to defend its interests in the strife-torn country as international pressure mounts on President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Compiled from AP,AFP and Reuters stories by the Daily News Staff.

Syria welcomes Russia as intermediary in reconciliation talks
http://www.en.apa.az/news.php?id=160498
  
Baku-APA. Syria is ready to accept Russia’s role as intermediary in the settlement of the current political crisis in the country, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Monday, APA reports quoting Ria Novosti.

Moscow earlier offered to help the opposing sides in the Syrian political crisis to start a reconciliation dialogue.

“If Russia is willing to [become an intermediary], we welcome it. We believe that the solution of the crisis lies through dialogue,” Moallem said.
…….

Norman,

Can you explain why you’re whining about about Rick Perry’s supposed insincerity regarding “reform and democracy”?

You still support a 40 year old regime that can’t even provide freedom of speech.

PS – why don’t you provide a link to Rick Perry’s comments so we can interpret them by ourselves

#58 Tara

Sorry, all this bickering on SC is not what I am interested to read.
The situation is already sad, frustrating and depressing for many Syrians living in Syria and people who love Syria. I have no desire to get even sadder and more frustrated reading here all kind of expressions of hatred, complacency in blood, revenge and self-glorification that I never thought Syrians could be capable of. I sincerely hope that many people who post here are not Syrians or representing Syria. They are showing this country in the cheapest and most despicable light and I know Syria is not that.
Until the wave of hatred, violence and vulgarity stops, I think I prefer to read and comment on more inspiring issues.

لا أحــد يســتطيع خســارة المواجهــة الكبــرى
الانفجــار الإقليــمي لــن يســتثني لبنــان.. إذا وقــع
سامي كليب
كل شيء في المنطقة يحتقن ويوحي بانفجار كبير محتمل. وحده توازن الرعب يلجم راهناً هذا الخيار التدميري. لا أحد يجرؤ حتى الآن في الضغط على الزناد الأول، ولكن الحديث عن الانفجار صار يومياً في التصريحات الغربية والإسرائيلية، وسط تضاؤل احتمالات الحل الدبلوماســي والصفــقات السياسية.
لأن إيران هي «العدو» الأبرز، فالحرب إذا وقعت ستكون طاحنة وتشمل سوريا ولبنان، لأن احداً من أطراف الصراع لا يستطيع خسارتها.
لو خسرتها اسرائيل ستكون بداية نهايتها الفعلية بعدما أحدثته في داخلها هزيمة تموز 2006…
لو خسرتها أميركا ستتعرض لهزة كبيرة بعد الخروج المهلهل من العراق وافغانستان وغيرهما.
لو خسرتها ايران ستعني انتهاء الثورة الإسلامية برمتها وانحسار الدور الايراني والعودة مئة عام الى الوراء (على حد وصف خصوم إيران)…
لو خسرتها سوريا، ففي الأمر نهاية مأساوية لجزء من التركيبة الداخلية، والتحاق سوريا المقبلة بأحلاف خليجية وغربية.
لو خسرها «حزب الله» لانتهت أسطورة المقاومة وانتهى معها جزء كبير من التوازن اللبناني الداخلي الدقيق بين طوائف اخترعت نمطاً غريباً من التآلف الذي يهتز عند كل مشكلة وأزمة.
ولأن أحداً لا يستطيع خسارة الحرب، فإن كل طرف سيستشرس في الدفاع عن مواقعه وحلفائه. وليس غريباً والحالة هذه ان يرتفع منسوب التصريحات الى حد التهديد المباشر، ففي التهـــديد رغبة بإبراز المخالب، ولكن فيه رغبة أكبر بلجــم الحرب والمغامرات.
ولأن الرهان الغربي والخليجي كبير على تركيا للعب دور عسكري في سوريا مدعوم بحلف «الناتو»، تتعدد التصريحات الإيرانية المحذرة والمهددة. رئيس سلاح الجو في «الحرس الثوري الإيراني» أمير علي حاجي زاده يقول: «نحن مستعدون لمهاجمة الدرع الصاروخي التابع للناتو في تركيا إذا واجهنا تهديداً، وان موقف ايران من الآن فصاعداً سيكون الردّ على التهديدات بتهديد»، مضيفاً: «اذا استهدفت الصواريخ الاسرائيلية إحدى منشآتنا النووية او اي مراكز حيوية اخرى عندئذ يتعين عليهم معرفة أي جزء في اسرائيل سيجري استهدافه بصواريخنا من بين ذلك مواقعهم النووية».
يذكر الامر بتصريحات الأمين العام لـ«حزب الله» السيد حسن نصرالله باستهداف الشواطئ الاسرائيلية وعمق المدن في الأراضي المحتلة عام 1948.
ايران تستعد فعلاً لاحتمال مغامرة اسرائيلية، ولكنها تستعد أكثر لصد أي محاولة لضرب حليفها السوري في الوقت الراهن. وقد كان القادة الايرانيون واضحين في هذا المجال، تماماً كما كان السيد نصرالله، واضحاً، في الدفاع عن سوريا في مقابلته المتلفزة الاخيرة، ذلك ان المطلوب في المرحلة المقبلة هو الانتقال الى مرحلة اخرى في الازمة السورية قد تحمل رفعاً لمستوى الكلام السوري والخروج من لهجة الدبلوماسية الهادئة التي أتقنها وزير الخارجية وليد المعلم فأغضبت جزءاً من الشارع السوري.
الاستعدادات للحرب قائمة. وزير الدفاع الأميركي ليون بانيتا زار قبل فترة اسرائيل. قيل انه جاء للجم الاندفاعة الاسرائيلية، ولكن قيل أيضاً إن مرحلة التنسيق في ذروتها. وجرى حديث عن زيارة سرية لرئيس الاركان البريطاني الجنرال ديفيد ريتشاردز الى تل ابيب. وكان الرئيس الفرنسي نيكولا ساركوزي قد قال في شهر أيلول الماضي إن ايران تخاطر بالتعرض لضربة عسكرية.
وعلى المستوى العسكري، قامت اسرائيل بمناورات جوية في جزيرة سردينيا الايطالية بمشاركة قوات اوروبية، واختبرت صاروخ «اريحا 3» العابر للقارات، وكثفت المناورات لحماية جبهتها الداخلية ذلك ان صواريخ ايران و«حزب الله» قادرة اليوم على ضرب العمق الإسرائيلي بقوة وشراسة تدميرية برغم منظومة «القبة الحديدية» الصاروخية الاسرائيلية. وايران جاهرت مؤخراً بكثير من العروض العسكرية ربما بغية لجم الاندفاعة الاسرائيلية والغربية لضربها.
وها هم غلاة الصقور في واشنطن يهددون ويتوعدون ايران. فيخرج جو ليبرمان للقول «إن الوقت المتاح لوقف الايرانيين عن انتاج القنبلة النووية ينفد منا». وتتكثف التصريحات بعد تقرير الوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية، حتى ولو ان ليون بانيتا نفسه يعتبر كما الكثير من القادة الاميركيين المدركين خطورة الحرب أن «العمل العسكري يبقى ملاذاً اخيراً»، وان العقوبات هي المطلوبة اكثر في الوقت الراهن.
العمل العسكري يبقى إذاً ملاذاً أخيراً، ولكنه خيار مطروح. هذا وزير الدفاع الاسرائيلي ايهود باراك يقول «إن إسرائيل متمسكة بموقفها القاضي بدراسة جميع الخيارات المتوفرة بما فيها الخيار العسكري ضد إيران، لشل برنامجها النووي»، وتعود النغمة الاسرائيلية والغربية القائلة بأن العالم غداة حرب ضد ايران «سيكون افضل من عالم غداة تصنيع القنبلة النووية الايرانية مهما كانت التكاليف».
تدرك اسرائيل ان قدرات «حزب الله» ستخرج عن إمكانية الضبط، وتتذكر ايضاً تهديدات نصرالله للانتقام من اغتيال القيادي العسكري في الحزب عماد مغنية (الحاج رضوان)، فهو قال حرفياً «إن القرار ما زال قراراً وسينفذ ان شاء الله في الوقت المناسب وضمن الهدف المناسب، وانا اقول للقادة والجنرالات الصهاينة حيثما ذهبتم في العالم الى أي مكان في العالم وفي أي زمان، يجب ان تتحسسوا رؤوسكم لأن دم عماد مغنية لن يذهب هدراً».
الأكيد ان لا ايران ولا «حزب الله» قابلان بسقوط سوريا، والأكيد ايضاً ان القيادة السورية متجهة الى إبراز انياب عسكرية اكثر في المستقبل القريب، خصوصاً بعد مقتل 6 ضباط طيارين من ذوي التدريب العالي بسلاح الجو. قال بيان القيادة العامة للقوات المسلحة السورية قبل يومين «ستبتر اليد التي ستمتدّ الى الدم السوري». هذه أول اطلالة عسكرية مُهدّدة منذ بداية الازمة السورية قبل تسعة أشهر.
ولكن السؤال الأبرز: من سيجرؤ على البدء بخيار الحرب اذا صار حتمياً؟
تشعر إيران بان ثمة من يحاول جرها نحو فخ الحرب. شعرت بذلك حين تمّ اتهامها بمحاولة اغتيال السفير السعودي في واشنطن عادل الجبير. وشعرت ايضا مع كل اغتيال لأحد علمائها النوويين او قادتها العسكريين كما حصل في التفجيرين اللذين استهدفا قاعدة عسكرية غرب ايران قبل ايام، وأديا الى مقتل حسن تهراني مقدم المسؤول عن وحدة جهاد الاكتفاء الذاتي للصناعات العسكرية التابع للحرس الثوري، وهو باحث في العلوم العسكرية.
ولعل سوريا قد تجد نفسها في فخ الحرب لو تحركت تركيا عند حدودها او لو حصل اختراق جدي عبر الحدود اللبنانية. فالقيادة السورية لا تستطيع عدم الرد على التحرك التركي، ويقال إنها مطمئنة الى التحالف الأمني مع ايران و«حزب الله» والى الغطاء السياسي الروسي والذي قد يتطور الى غطاء عسكري لو ساءت الأمور اكثر ذلك، ان موسكو منزعجة ايضاً وبقوة من الدرع الصاروخي التركي.
وربما «حزب الله» يشعر هو الآخر بانه مضطر للحرب لو ساءت أمور المنطقة الى حد يهدد مصيره ومقاومته وحلفاءه.
هي مجرد نذر حتى الآن، والجميع يقول إن الحرب مستبعدة، لكن بعد رفع الغطاء العربي عن سوريا بحضور تركي في القاهرة، باتت المواجهة بين المشروعين في المنطقة في ذروة تأزمها، وكل الاحتمالات واردة بما فيها الانفجار الكبير ولبنان سيكون حتماً إحدى ساحات الانفجار، لو وقع.

موسكو: قررنا الدفاع عن دمشق
معركة سوريا باتت معركة روسيا. هكذا تجزم أوساط دبلوماسية روسية وثيقة الصلة بوزارة الخارجية الروسية. ولأن القرار بالدفاع عن دمشق قد اتخذ، جاءت السفن الحربية، وبدأ التفكير بمنطق الحرب الباردة العائدة، من كوبا إلى فيتنام

جان عزيز
«نعم لقد وصلت مجموعة من سفننا الحربية إلى الموانئ السورية». هذا ما تؤكده أوساط دبلوماسية روسية وثيقة الصلة بوزارة الخارجية في موسكو. قبل أن تضيف جازمة: أهمية الخطوة أن السفن التابعة لسلاح البحرية الروسية تحمل أمرين اثنين: أولاً أسلحة مضادة للطائرات، من صواريخ بحر ـــ جو ومعدات متطورة لرصد التحركات الجوية والبحرية، وثانياً، وهو الأهم، أنها تحمل رسالة روسية حاسمة إلى كل من يعنيه الأمر، مفادها أننا قررنا أن معركة سوريا هي معركة روسيا، وأن قرارنا الواضح والأكيد هو الدفاع عن دمشق.
وتشرح الأوساط نفسها، بعد جولتها الاستطلاعية للأوضاع بين العاصمتين السورية واللبنانية، أن المسألة كانت موضع بحث وتشاور على أعلى المستويات في موسكو طيلة الأسابيع الماضية: أولاً لدينا أسباب تاريخية، متعلقة بعلاقاتنا القديمة والوثيقة بسوريا وحكمها وسياساتها في المنطقة منذ عقود طويلة. ومعروف عنّا في روسيا أننا نلتزم بمبادئنا ولا نحيد عنها. ثانياً لدينا قراءتنا للواقع الجيوستراتيجي العالمي، وهذا الحصار الذي تحاول واشنطن ضربه حولنا، من قلب أوروبا وحدودنا الحيوية في مواجهة شبكة صواريخها هناك، حتى آسيا الوسطى. فالمسألة تبدو بالنسبة إلينا كأنها استعادة أميركية كاملة للأجواء التي كانت سائدة بيننا قبل نصف قرن. لمجرد أن واشنطن أدركت فقدانها لأحادية قطبيّتها العالمية، عادت معالم الحرب الباردة فوراً بيننا. ثم لدينا ثالثاً مصالحنا الاستراتيجية والسياسية والاقتصادية في المتوسط. لم يعد لدينا موطئ قدم هنا إلا في دولتين اثنتين: الجزائر وسوريا. ومن الخطأ الفادح التفريط بأي منهما، خصوصاً في سوريا الدولة المركزية المحاذية لكل قضايا الشرق الأوسط والمشرق العربي، فضلاً عن القضايا الملامسة لبعدنا الاستراتيجي في أوراسيا وحدودنا الجنوبية.
قبل أن تختم الأوساط الدبلوماسية الروسية عرضها لأسباب قرارها السوري: ولدينا سبب رابع وأخير، مرتبط مباشرة بأولوياتنا الأمنية. إنه العمل على مواجهة الأصوليات الدينية الإرهابية المتطرفة، والسعي إلى الحؤول دون وصولها إلى الحكم في الدول التي تعنينا، أو تلك التي تحيط بنا. لأن في ذلك خطراً مباشراً على أمننا القومي. إن مواجهة هذه الحركات، حيثما كانت، شأن روسي قومي داخلي، لا يمكن التساهل حيال مخاطره أو تجاهل تداعياته. كل هذه الأسباب كانت على بساط البحث في موسكو في الفترة الماضية، خصوصاً بعد «الخطأ» الذي وقعنا فيه في ليبيا. لقد أدرك الرئيس ديمتري مدفيديف هذا الخطأ، هو من كانت المسألة الليبية في عهدته مباشرة وحصرياً. وهو قد استخلص منه العبر والدروس، خصوصاً أن رئيس الوزراء بوتين كان قد حذره من تلك السياسة الروسية في طرابلس الغرب. بعد سقوطها في 20 آب الماضي، تكثفت المشاورات عندنا، بدفع من بوتين، وخصوصاً من مهندس سياستنا في المنطقة، يفغيني بريماكوف، وانتهت إلى قرارنا بالدفاع عن سوريا.
وتكشف الأوساط نفسها أن هذا القرار قد أبلغ في الأيام الماضية عبر اتصالات رئاسية على أعلى مستوى بين دمشق وموسكو، قبل أن تضيف، في إشارة لافتة وخافتة: لكنه أُبلغ مقروناً بتمنٍّ روسي على القيادة السورية بأن تساعدنا في مهمة الدفاع عنها، بما يسهّل هذه المهمة ويحصّنها. وهذا ما يفسّر الاستقبالات الروسية المتتالية لوفود من المعارضة السورية في موسكو. حتى الآن استقبلنا أربعة وفود سورية معارضة. تباحثنا معها في سياستنا السورية الواضحة: الإصلاح في دمشق ضرورة. والحوار هو السبيل الوحيد إليه. كذلك أبلغنا هؤلاء ما نعتبره خطوطاً حمراً: لا للتدخل الخارجي في سوريا. لا لاستعمال العنف من أي طرف كان، ولا لبقاء الوضع على ما هو عليه. ما قاله برهان غليون عن أنه لم يقنعنا ولم نقنعه صحيح. لكننا نؤمن بأن الوقت سيساعدنا على تقريب وجهات النظر، خصوصاً بمساعدة دمشق لنا عبر خطوات فعلية وملموسة. وهذا ضروري، لأننا بصراحة عرضة لضغوط غربية وأميركية، خصوصاً لجهة موقفنا من الأحداث في دمشق. الضغوط طبعاً دبلوماسية وسياسية وإعلامية، ولا يمكن أن تتعدى هذه الحدود. وماذا لو تعدّتها؟ عندما اتخذنا قرارنا، كنا قد درسنا كل الاحتمالات. إذا تزايدت الضغوط الأميركية، كل الاحتمالات واردة. قد نفكر في العودة إلى كوبا. مع كل ما يعنيه ذلك على المستوى الاستراتيجي. لقد تخلّينا طوعاً عن قدرات هائلة كانت لدينا هناك، تسمح لنا بمراقبة واشنطن من نافذتها الخلفية. إذا تعقّدت الأمور أكثر، فقد نفكر في العودة عن هذا التخلي. حتى فيتنام، قد نفكّر في سياسة مستقبلية مختلفة لجهة وجودنا فيها، وطبعاً بالتنسيق مع بكين، خصوصاً في ظل علاقاتنا الممتازة مع الصين. الضغوط الأوروبية أقل وطأة بالنسبة إلينا. يمكن معالجتها بالحوار، كما فعلنا ونفعل مع باريس. حتى الضغوط التركية بدأنا نفكر في كيفية معالجتها أو حتى مواجهتها. في مرحلة معينة قد يكون هناك تفكير في توجيه رسالة واضحة إلى حكام أنقرة، مفادها أن يتذكروا مثلاً أن زعيم حزب العمال الكردستاني عبد الله أوجلان كان لفترة معينة ضيفنا في موسكو، وأن يتذكروا أكثر أنه كان يتمتع بتلك الضيافة يوم كان بوتين مسؤولاً عن جهاز الاستخبارات الروسية، كي جي بي…
وفي هذا السياق، يعرف الغرب أننا نتجه إلى مرحلة جديدة لناحية الحكم في موسكو. ففي 4 كانون الأول المقبل، أي بعد أيام قليلة فقط، لدينا انتخابات تشريعية. وفي 4 آذار 2012 ستجري عندنا انتخابات رئاسية. وفي الأول من أيار يتسلم الرئيس الجديد مهماته الدستورية، ومن المسلم به أن فلاديمير بوتين هو من سيعود إلى الكرملين. هذه حقائق على الجميع قراءتها بتمعّن.
لكن ماذا عن الأصوات الروسية الرسمية المتباينة حيال الموقف من الأحداث في دمشق؟ تسارع أوساط الخارجية الروسية إلى نفي الأمر: في موسكو قرار واحد حيال سياستنا الخارجية. يُتخذ بنحو موحّد، ويعبّر عنه بوضوح وزير خارجيتنا سيرغي لافروف. قد يكون المقصود بالتساؤل بعض التصريحات الإعلامية لرئيس لجنة العلاقات الخارجية في المجلس الفدرالي الروسي، ميخائيل مارغيلوف، قبل أن تسارع أوساط الخارجية الروسية إلى القول: لا معنى لهذا الكلام. مارغيلوف لا يمثّل الموقف الروسي الرسمي، وهو لا يمثّل جزءاً من السلطة الحكومية الروسية. كل ما يمثّله علاقة صداقة مع الرئيس مدفيديف. كلاهما في الخامسة والأربعين من العمر، وترافقا في العمل بداية عهد بوتين. وهذا ما أهّله في لحظة ما إلى أن يكون موفداً خاصاً للرئيس في أفريقيا. لكن سجلّه هناك كان كارثياً: من تسليم ليبيا إلى قوات الأطلسي، وصولاً إلى سقوط كل شمال أفريقيا في أيدي الإسلاميين، مروراً بمشاركته في تقسيم السودان وخروجنا منه… المهم أن قرار السياسة الخارجية عندنا في مكان آخر، وقد اتّخذ، وسنلتزم به حتى النهاية. أبلغنا أصدقاءنا في دمشق أن المطلوب هو الصمود، ربما مع بعض «التضحيات»، لكننا سندافع عنهم. كل روسيا مجنّدة لذلك. حتى زيارة بطريرك موسكو كيريل الأخيرة للمنطقة كانت في هذا السياق. ولمن يجهل، فبطريركنا دبلوماسي بامتياز. فهو أمضى مدة لا بأس بها من عمله الكنسي في جنيف، ممثّلاً في مجلس الكنائس العالمي، وعلى تماس مع كل المنظمات الدولية والقضايا الدولية.
هل من رؤية واضحة للخروج من الظرف الراهن؟ تكتفي الأوساط الوثيقة الصلة بالخارجية الروسية بالقول: المطلوب هو الصمود، لمدة عام على الأقل. فخلال عام كثير من الأمور قد يتغيّر، وبعد عام نرى…

http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/26676

العربي يعرض «تعديلات طفيفة» على البروتوكول

العقوبات التي فرضها وزراء الخارجية العرب على سوريا بُرِّرَت بعدم توقيع سوريا على بروتوكول بعثة المراقبين. غير أنه بعد فرض العقوبات، عادت الجامعة العربية لتبلغ دمشق استعدادها لإدخال بعض التعديلات على البروتوكول
جاء دور الاتحاد الأوروبي أمس كي يفرض حزمة جديدة من العقوبات الاقتصادية على سوريا، بعد يوم واحد من قرار العقوبات العربية، وسط تهنئة أوروبية للعرب على خطوتهم، بينما تستعد تركيا لتبنّي رزمتها الخاصة. عقوبات ردّ عليها أنصار النظام بتظاهرات موالية جابت عدداً من المدن السورية، بينما تواصل سقوط القتلى من طرفي السلطة والمعارضة.
وأعرب الأمين العام لجامعة الدول العربية نبيل العربي عن استعداده لإدخال تعديلات «طفيفة» على بروتوكول بعثة مراقبي الجامعة إلى سوريا، مطمئناً إلى أن توقيع الحكومة السورية عليه سيؤدي إلى إعادة النظر في العقوبات الاقتصادية العربية التي فُرضت أول من أمس على دمشق. وكشف مصدر في الجامعة العربية أن العربي بعث أمس برسالة إلى وزير الخارجية السوري وليد المعلم، أكد فيها أن «من شأن التوقيع (على برتوكول المراقبين) أن يعيد النظر في جميع الإجراءات التي اتخذها» وزراء الخارجية العرب يوم الأحد. وأوضح المصدر أن رسالة العربي تأتي رداً على رسالتين تلقّاهما من المعلم يومي 25 و26 تشرين الثاني الجاري، وتضمنتا استفسارات عن بعض النقاط الواردة في بروتوكول المراقبين العرب. وعن التعديلات التي كشف العربي عن استعداد اللجنة الوزارية العربية المعنية بسوريا لإدخالها على نصّ البروتوكول القانوني، يصبح «مشروع بروتوكول بين سوريا والأمانة العامة لجامعة الدول العربية بشأن متابعة الوضع في سوريا بدلاً من مشروع البروتوكول بين سوريا والأمانة العامة للجامعة العربية بشأن المركز القانوني ومهام بعثة مراقبي جامعة الدول العربية إلى سوريا». وتابع العربي في رسالته أن «مجلس الجامعة أيضاً على استعداد للتأكيد مجدداً على مسألة التنسيق بين بعثة المراقبين العرب والجانب السوري لتمكين البعثة من أداء التفويض الممنوح لها»، وفقاً للمصدر نفسه. إلا أن العربي لفت في رسالته الجوابية إلى أن «الهدف من الإبلاغ هو توفير الدعم لجهود الجامعة العربية في تسوية الوضع المتأزم، أي إن الدعم المطلوب يقتصر على التأييد الدولي، وخاصة من الأمم المتحدة وأجهزتها، للجامعة وبعثتها في سوريا».
وفي السياق، اتفقت حكومات الاتحاد الأوروبي في بروكسل على فرض عقوبات مالية إضافية على سوريا، إذ قررت إضافة 12 شخصاً و11 شركة أو مؤسسة سورية على الأقل إلى قائمة مستهدفة بتجميد الأصول والمنع من السفر. إضافة إلى ذلك تشمل العقوبات إجراءات مصرفية وتجارية ونفطية واستثمارية. ولن يسمح للشركات الأوروبية بالاستثمار في شركات تبني محطات توليد كهرباء في سوريا، مع حظر بيع البرمجيات والمعدات التي يمكن استخدامها في مراقبة الإنترنت أو الاتصالات.
ورحّب الاتحاد بالعقوبات غير المسبوقة التي اتخذها وزراء الخارجية العرب ضد سوريا. وإضافة إلى الترحيب الأوروبي الموحد، ارتأت باريس وصف القرار العربي بأنه «نموذجي» و«يمثّل خطوة أخرى لعزل سوريا التي لا تزال صمّاء أمام جميع نداءات المجتمع الدولي». ورأت وزارة الخارجية الفرنسية أن هذا القرار «يجب أن يكون مثالاً للمجتمع الدولي بأسره». وكان وزير الخارجية الفرنسية آلان جوبيه قد رأى في وقت سابق أن أيام النظام السوري «باتت معدودة». وجدّد تأكيد أهمية إنشاء ممرات إنسانية في سوريا «لأنها ضرورة»، رغم إشارة الأمم المتحدة، قبل أيام، إلى أنه لا حاجة إلى تطبيق الفكرة الفرنسية بإنشاء «ممرات إنسانية آمنة».
هي ممرات إنسانية، أعلن كبير مستشاري رئيس الحكومة التركية، إبراهيم كالين، أنها «ليست على جدول أعمال أنقرة في الوقت الحالي».
وقد دعت الولايات المتحدة والاتحاد الأوروبي، في بيان مشترك تلا قمة أوروبية ـــــ أميركية في واشنطن تركّزت على الأزمة الاقتصادية أساساً، أمس، سوريا إلى «وضع حد فوري للعنف». وجاء في البيان: «ندعو الحكومة السورية إلى وضع حد فوري للعنف والسماح بدخول مراقبين لحقوق الإنسان (إلى أراضيها) وصحافيين دوليين وإفساح المجال أمام انتقال ديموقراطي وسلمي للحكم».
كذلك طلبت فرنسا من الاتحاد الأوروبي دعوة تركيا إلى حضور اجتماع وزراء الخارجية الأوروبيين يوم الخميس «لبحث الخطوات المقبلة» في التعامل مع الأزمة السورية.
بدوره، شدّد وزير الخارجية التركي أحمد داوود أوغلو على أن «العقوبات التي ستفرضها تركيا على سوريا بالتنسيق مع الدول العربية ستعلن في الأيام القليلة المقبلة». وعلى صعيد الأمم المتحدة، أعلنت لجنة التحقيق الدولية في الأحداث في سوريا، في تقرير صدر أمس في جنيف، سيطرح في آذار المقبل على الدورة التاسعة عشرة لمجلس حقوق الإنسان التابع للأمم المتحدة، أنّ قوات الأمن السورية ارتكبت «جرائم ضد الإنسانية».
أما على الجبهة الدولية الداعمة للنظام السوري، فقد جددت روسيا إصرارها على ضرورة أن تقوم الدول العربية بنفسها بتسوية الوضع في سوريا من دون تدخل خارجي، وذلك في تعليق لوزارة الخارجية الروسية على قرار جامعة الدول العربية فرض عقوبات اقتصادية على سوريا. ولفت البيان إلى أن «الأولوية تتمثل في الحفاظ على وحدة أراضي سوريا وسيادتها». وقد صدر موقف مشابه أيضاً عن وزارة الخارجية الصينية.
داخلياً، عقدت اللجنة الوطنية المكلفة بإعداد مشروع دستور سوري جديد اجتماعها الأول أمس، درست فيه «صياغة جزء من المسوّدة الأولى لمشروع الدستور الذي أنجزته اللجان الفرعية المتخصصة»، وفق ما كشف عنه المتحدث الرسمي باسم اللجنة سام دلة الذي جزم بأن الدستور الجديد «لا يتضمن مادة شبيهة بالمادة الثامنة من الدستور الحالي»، التي تعتبر حزب «البعث» الحزب القائد للدولة والمجتمع.
شعبياً، شهدت مدن دمشق وحلب والحسكة ودير الزور والرقة والسويداء ومشرفة حمص وطرطوس تظاهرات لمؤيّدي النظام الذين هاجموا قرارات الجامعة العربية. أما ميدانياً، فقد أفادت وكالة الأنباء السورية «سانا» عن تشييع «14 شهيداً من عناصر الجيش استهدفتهم المجموعات الإرهابية المسلحة أثناء تأديتهم لواجبهم الوطني في ريف دمشق وحمص وحماة». كذلك تحدثت مصادر رسمية عن انفجار سيارة مفخخة أمام مطرانية الروم الأرثوذكس في مدينة اللاذقية. بدوره، أعلن «المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان» المعارض أن «ثمانية أشخاص قتلوا برصاص قوات الأمن والجيش في حمص وحماة وريف دمشق».
(الأخبار، أ ف ب، رويترز، يو بي آي)

http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/26670

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برنامج المجلس الوطني: نسخة سوريّة عن 14 آذار
ابراهيم الأمين

أصدقاء من المعارضة السورية قالوا لي أمس «إن ما أصررتم منذ اليوم الأول على وجوده، أي المجموعات المسلحة والمناخات الطائفية، بدأ يبرز الآن». هؤلاء يعتقدون حتماً بأن النظام هو من يقف خلف هذه الظاهرة، وهم يرفضون حتى الآن اعتبارها ظاهرة، بل مجرد حالات فردية لا يمكن أن تمثل جوهر المشهد السائد في سوريا. لكن هؤلاء يقرّون من جهة ثانية بأن إعلان الالتزام بطرف من أطراف المعارضة ليس أمراً ضرورياً، وإن كانوا يفضّلون المجلس الوطني على الآخرين من المعارضين. أما في ما خصّ «الجيش الحر»، فهم يعتقدون أنه تشكيل مبهم يعطى أكثر من حجمه، ولكن قد يتطور الأمر ليكون تنظيماً متماسكاً إذا حظي بدعم الناس وآخرين.
لكن، كيف ستسير الأمور من الآن فصاعداً؟ يجيب الأصدقاء بسرعة: سوف لن يتوقف الحراك حتى سقوط النظام، ومهما تطلّب الأمر من وقت وتضحيات!
يمكن استحضار موقف من الموالين، يكون أكثر شدة في حماسته أو حتى في تشخيصه للواقع الحالي. لكن الموقف عند المعارضين له أهمية لكونه يتدرج صوب انعزالية تقود إلى استنتاجات خطيرة لمن يفكر في سوريا عن بعد، ومن يبحث عن دور لهذه الدولة المركزية في منطقتنا، ولا سيما أن المعارضين الذين يأخذون وقتهم في التفكير قبل صياغة موقفهم، وجلّ هؤلاء من جماعة الخارج، يقدمون نظريات ومواقف وتصورات تصبّ جميعها في خانة أن سوريا الجديدة التي يعدوننا بها، هي سوريا المشغولة بنفسها، وغير المهتمة بأي شيء خارجها. وكان هؤلاء يعتقدون أنه بإمكان أحد، مهما كبر حجمه أو صغر، أن يتصرف كأنه يعيش خارج هذا العالم. ويتصرف أصحاب هذا المنطق بكثير من السذاجة، إن لم نقل أكثر، وهم يتحدثون عن مواقفهم إزاء المسائل الاستراتيجية. وفي هذا المجال، من المفيد مناقشة المجلس الوطني من خلال برنامجه السياسي الذي وزّع قبل أسبوعين تقريباً، والذي تدل بنوده على هوية من صاغه: إنه العقل الأقلّوي والانعزالي الذي لم يتعلم من التاريخ الحديث أي درس يذكر!
وبينما يصرّ ناطقون بارزون باسم المجلس على أنهم يرفضون عسكرة الحراك ويرفضون أي تدخل خارجي في بلادهم، وخصوصاً التدخل العسكري، إلا أن البرنامج الذي يشدد على هدف «إسقاط النظام بكل رموزه والحفاظ على سلمية التحرك» يقول إن العمل سيكون على «تعبئة المجتمعين العربي والدولي لتعزيز الضغط على النظام بشتى أنواعه». وهذا أمر لا يحتاج إلى أي شرح ما دام البرنامج لم يشر صراحة إلى رفض التدخل الخارجي. وهو تدخل يمكن أن يكون بـ«شتى الأنواع» أيضاً، من السياسي إلى العقوبات الاقتصادية والمالية، إلى الحملة العسكرية، علماً بأن البرنامج نفسه يسارع إلى القول في الفقرة التالية إنه سيعمل على «تأمين الحماية الدولية للمدنيين ودعم آليات عربية ودولية مشتركة لتحقيقها وتأمين تنفيذها من خلال المؤسسات الأممية في أسرع وقت»، وهل منّا من يحتاج إلى سؤال عن كيفية توفير هذه الآليات الأممية، أم علينا انتظار ما يقرر عرب أميركا ومجلس الأمن؟
وإذا كان من حق المجلس الوطني السعي إلى نيل اعتراف العالم، فهو يعرف أن الأمر لا يهم ما لم يكن مرتبطاً بخطوات عملانية لإسقاط الرئيس الأسد. وفي هذا الإطار، ينتقل البرنامج إلى التناقض الأول، إذ بينما هو لا يمانع قيام تشكيل عسكري مستقل (الجيش الحر) ويدعوه إلى حماية المدنيين، لأنه يعتبر الجيش النظامي أداة طيّعة بيد السلطة، فهو يتعهد بالعمل مع «المؤسسة العسكرية لتسيير المرحلة الانتقالية وضمان أمن البلاد ووحدتها». هل يقصد المجلس هنا المؤسسة العسكرية الحالية أو تلك التي سيعمل الجيش الحر على إنشائها؟
وإلى جانب عبارات عن الأزمة الاقتصادية يمكن اقتباسها من برنامج حزب البعث نفسه أو من البيانات الوزارية لحكومات لبنان، بما خص التنمية ومواجهة الفقر وضمان العدالة والمساواة، يعود البرنامج إلى السذاجة نفسها بحديثه عن «أن سوريا الجديدة ستمثّل بنظامها المدني الديموقراطي أفضل ضمانة لجميع فئات الشعب السوري القومية والدينية والطائفية»، لكنه يعود ليقول إن الدستور الجديد سوف «يكفل الحقوق القومية للشعب الكردي والشعب الأشوري السرياني وحلّ المسألتين الكردية والأشورية السريانية حلاً ديموقراطياً عادلاً في إطار وحدة سوريا»، ما يعني أن من صاغ هذه الفقرة كان يفكر في كيفية جذب الأكراد والأشوريين إلى صفوف المعارضة من خلال ترضيتهم بعبارات ليس هناك عاقل في سوريا يمكنه تطبيقها، كذلك التخلي المسبق عن سيادة الدولة المطلقة، والقبول بمنطق التقسيم الطائفي الذي دمر بلداناً على مر التاريخ، وهذا هو لبنان مثل قائم ليل نهار.
لكن السذاجة، أو أكثر، تظهر جليّة في الشق المتعلق بالسياسة الخارجية لسوريا، إذ إن البرنامج يعد (من يعد؟ شعبه أم العالم؟) بأن سوريا «ستكون دولة إيجابية وعامل استقرار حقيقي في محيطها العربي والإقليمي وعلى المستوى الدولي». وهذه العبارات يمكن استعادتها من كل بيانات الإدانة التي تقوم بها الولايات المتحدة الأميركية وأوروبا الاستعمارية والخليج العربي لسوريا ولكل حكومة أو جهة تعارض سياساتها في المنطقة. أي إن المجلس الوطني يعدنا بأنه سيقف على خاطر المجتمع الدولي (نفسه) في ما خصّ موقف سوريا من المسائل الإقليمية. وسوف تكون سوريا مثل «الولد الشاطر» الذي لن يتدخل في شؤون الآخرين، علماً بأن الجميع يعرف أن «شؤون الآخرين» يقصد بها المسألة الفلسطينية والسياسات الأميركية والغربية في منطقتنا.
ولكي لا يعتب أحد على «الفائض في الوطنية» من جانب معدّي برنامج المجلس الوطني، فهو يبلغنا أن سوريا «الجديدة ستعمل على استعادة سيادتها في الجولان المحتل بالاستناد إلى قرارات الشرعية الدولية ذات الصلة، وستدعم الحقوق الكاملة والمشروعة للشعب الفلسطيني». وهذه العبارات يمكن العثور عليها، في ثوان، ضمن بيانات فريق 14 آذار في لبنان، علماً بأن فارس سعيد يفقد صوته وهو يصف إسرائيل بالعدوّ، بينما لا يجرؤ جهابذة المجلس الوطني على ذكر اسم إسرائيل.
وإذا كان المعارضون يتّهمون النظام الحالي بأنه لا يقاتل لاستعادة الجولان، فهم هنا لا يريدون أن يأخذ عليهم الغرب وعربه أنهم قد يفكرون في المقاومة لأجل استعادة الجولان، لأنهم سوف يبذلون أقصى جهودهم من خلال الشرعية الدولية، أي تماماً كما تقول الاستراتيجية الدفاعية لقائد «القوات اللبنانية» سمير جعجع.
ليس معروفاً أيّ وصف يناسب هذا البرنامج، غير أنه يمكن التأكد مرة جديدة من أن هذا الجمع من المعارضين يهتم بحكم مدينة دمشق وحدها، وترك بقية البلاد مشرعة للفقر والتحارب الطائفي، مع أكبر قدر من البيانات المطالبة بحرية الجولان.
بئس معارضة كهذه!

http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/26672

Bronco

Yes, I don’t blame you.  One often feels “unable to read and react to sinister posts full of hatred and complacency in horrors”.  I have asked myself many times why I am part of all of that.  I never been attached to anything or anyone in my past…ever.  I have never thought that I have it in me to be a part of a blog, any blog let alone a blog where each post expresses an ugly (Syrian) reality, yet I end up coming back to explore the other point of view albeit I often refuse to believe it’s authenticity.  And with this mental struggle, I still try to construct a positive mental image to justify why the others feel the way they feel.  I  ask questions to certain people with an intention to believe the answer even if the evidence sometimes mounts to the contrary.  I think it is kind of a defense mechanism for me in addition to my usual default one of being ridiculously silly.     

Jad,

I just hope that Syria will not fall for the AL changes and stand it’s ground, the monitors are meant only to justify the foreign intervention, as did the AIEA monitors with Iraq,

They can go to hell and back Syria should stand it’s ground and keep the monitors out ,they are a trap.

AP,
look at the last CNN debate from last week, you are smart enough to find it , i watched live,

Superpower rivalry benefiting Assad regime
Monday, November 28, 2011

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=superpower-rivalry-benefiting-assad-regime-2011-11-28

“It is obvious today that the Syrian government has as little respect for international public opinion as the Israel government has had to date. Israelis are aware that as long as they have U.S. backing they are alright. It seems Assad is now relying on Russian backing in the same way. He clearly believes he can also withstand unilateral sanction with such support.”
{..}

Zoo

Hi. I read the link an hour ago, but being the thoughtful person I am, I decided that it is fair to wait for you. I am rarely intimidated but I a a bit intimidated by you, yet I can not forget the brilliant expression! What was it again? Mosque, mall, and whiskey…See an expression like that does make the cut for me. An added value to SC in addition to my blah blah blah above and on top of that I like the brackets now.

110. newfolder said:

“of course his mukhabarat would rape and kill her if they catch her.”

Aren’t you projecting your own secret sadistic fantasies on the mukhabarat?

Norman,
I doubt it’ll happen, unless AL do the exact changes Syria asked for, Alarabi, the goat princes and their masters won’t be able to send any of the ‘unbiased’ monitors/spies to Syria.
Besides, the mighty sanctions are already in trouble because Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan are not going to strictly implement them, and the halt of commercial flights to Syria will backfire at the AL as the Egyptian already show their disagreement on such stupid move, this is why Annahar today is going crazy about the importance of implementing the sanctions by Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, which won’t happen even if the UN sanctioned Syria.
اعربت أوساط سياسية لـ”النهار” عن اعتقادها ان “العقوبات الاقتصادية التي فرضتها الجامعة العربية على سوريا قد تفقد تأثيرها اذا لم تلتزم تنفيذها الدول المحيطة بها العراق ولبنان والاردن”.

#134 Tara

That was thoughtful, I owe you one

الرهان بان روسيا سوف تنقذ سوريا رهان خطير لان الروس ان نجحوا في منع تدخل عسكري مباشر في سوريا فهم لن ينجحوا في منع حرب أهليه بدا راسها القبيح يطل علينا مبتدءا من حمص
تحتاج سوريا للحوار و التنازلات المتبادله و قبول الاخر و هذه الفلسفه المثاليه ارحم و افضل من تعقيدات الثوار الحمر و فذلكات المفكرين العاطلين عن العمل
كان يوم ٨ آذار يوما اسود في تاريخ سوريا يليه يوم تسمية رفعت الاسد بالدكتور و فواز الاسد بالاستاذ المحامي

Zoo

😉 of course. Don’t even mention it.

Sanctions are worthless for these reasons:

1-Syria export food to other countries, having sanctions makes food cheaper in Syria.
2-Syria is a transit route to the goat beard countries therefore no food can cross from Turkey or Lebanon to these countries and the princes will be forced to eat shit instead. using ships has not been the way of transporting food in the past.
3- Iraq needs Syria as a transit for its needs.
4- Syria never afforded to by product from Europe anyway, too expensive and always Syria imported from China, India, other cheap countries.
5- by stopping exportation of oil and Gas that will be put toward the local consumption. foreign companies continues to operate in Syria, they can’t sign new contracts but the current ones has to finish.
6- Syrian airline can fly to many countries and that will not stop.
it is amazing how the pigs arabs are so creative against syria but they don’t use the same tactics with Israel, oops, I guess the SNC is already in negotiation with Israel therefore no need to have sanctions against Israel.
Russia, is not letting Syria go and I think if they take the FM suggestion of being the mediator that will put USA on the spot, given no one trusts the west.

@132 Norman

Second that said. Sure hope not, will keep our dignity and honor.
AL is lucky they have Arabist Bashar in charge, SNP would immediately withdraw from this silly thing as well as U.N.

To Amir in Tel Aviv

Amir, I have just realized that I have not sent you my “Syrian” Chicken recipe which I will be char-grilling tonight. I have just pulled my home grown garlic out of the ground, man each is the size of a large apple as I grow them in soil enriched with horse manure from my horses. The recipe is for 12 pieces of thigh fillets.

step1: crush 5 (not 20) cloves garlic and about 2 centimeter length of fresh ginger and make them into paste.

Step2: In a spice grinder, grind 1 tea spoon (tsb) of aniseed, half tsb of cumin, 5 pods of Cardamon, 1 table spoon of coriander seeds. Grind the spices then add 1/2 tsb of hot chilli (optional).

Combine garlic-ginger paste with spices by adding about 80 mL virgin olive oil and mix well. Then marinade chicken for about 4 hours minimum, I prefer over night.

Char-grill using real wood charcoal and enjoy with a bottle of chilled wine like a full bodied Chardonnay and a bowl of lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad with virgin olive oil and lemon juice. I prefer to drizzle some crushed garlic and virgin olive oil sauce at the end also. Enjoy.

Syria

Russia is sending a flotilla of warships to its naval base in Syria in a show of force which suggests Moscow is willing to defend its interests in the strife-torn country as international pressure mounts on President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Russia, which has a naval maintenance base in Syria and whose weapons trade with Damascus is worth millions of dollars annually, joined China last month to veto a Western-backed UN Security Council resolution condemning Assad’s government.
Izvestia newspaper reported on Monday, citing retired Russian Admiral Viktor Kravchenko, that Russia plans to send its flagship aircraft carrier the “Admiral Kuznetsov” along with a patrol ship, an anti-submarine craft and other vessels.

Not that i am fond of the BBC way, one always thinks they have swallowed an umbrella, no matter what has happend in the world, this is BBC…

Anyhow, i like this video, especially the last part where the director of the school is talking, does every regime has such believers? She kind of reminded me a lot of a teacher in my school. The communist regime was breaking apart, thousands left the country to go to west germany, and my teacher stood up in the class talking about thugs on the street and rowdys who have left the country for good: “We do not shed a tear for them”,she said. I will always remember her saying…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15102862

@Darryl

wonderful shift of the topic here. love it.

Robert Fisk: Exile dreams of a bloodless return after a life spent opposing Assad regime

Opposition leader Khaled Khoja tells our writer in Istanbul why revenge is not on the table

“If Bashar al-Assad is caught in Damascus, he will not be treated like Gaddafi. But what if he was caught in Homs? We don’t want Mr Bashar al-Assad to face this end. But, as Mr Erdogan says, he has to think what happened to Gaddafi and to Saddam Hussein. The youth now are crazy. All revolutions are created by crazy men, not by wise men.”

Khaled Khoja sits back – we are in one of Istanbul’s ancient hotels, the 15th-century Malatya Tower looming over us in the city that has been Khoja’s home-in-exile these past 29 years – and he watches me, I think, to see if I admire his grasp of English.

Khaled Khoja, a family doctor in his forties, is one of the most senior representatives of the exiled Syrian National Council, recognised only by Libya as the representative of Syria, constantly urged by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – and most recently by William Hague – to end its feuds with other Syrian opposition groups, an institution that is a danger and a pest to President Assad’s regime. Like all exiles, Khoja basks in a strange mixture of fantasy and reality.

“We don’t have another chance,” Khoja says. “Otherwise it will be a sectarian conflict. If the civilians arm themselves, it will be a disaster. Al-Assad? I give him six months to a year.”

The chaos in the central city of Homs is already a sectarian conflict, a miniature civil war. Civilians have clearly already armed themselves. Yet Khoja’s prediction of the President’s political life – six months to a year – is infinitely more realistic than the nonsense peddled by the Gulf Arabs and the The Wall Street Journal, who suggest Assad will be gone in weeks, if not days.

Khaled Khoja has the kind of CV every Syrian opposition leader craves. For his refusal to countenance Bashar’s father, Hafez, Khoja’s father was imprisoned for 14 years, his mother sentenced to five years, the 15-year-old Khaled for two years – one in the cells of the intelligence headquarters in Damascus. Of his three uncles, one was hanged; two, according to Khoja, were shot in the street.

Khoja admits he met the armed insurgents of Syria in the Turkish city of Antakya. “They said they were organising themselves and that the rebellion started in Jisr al-Shughour in Idlib. They trained the youth there. They are getting guns from Lebanon – and somehow guns from Iraq. [A] ‘buffer zone’… will be the next step if Bashar al-Assad continues killing people. Most refugees will try to evacuate to a buffer zone. A no-fly zone would help the Free Syrian Army to organise themselves in the buffer zone without any military intervention.”

So there you have it. A Turkish army buffer zone – three miles into Syria, if the Turks are to be believed – would give the armed rebels territory inside Syria (just as the Libyan rebels possessed in Tobruk and Benghazi). Khoja, a member of the SNC’s “foreign affairs committee”, was urged by fellow exiles from the US, Canada and the Gulf to visit Tripoli; he arrived the day after Gaddafi was murdered. But the SNC’s ambitions do not end with mere political support.

“Co-ordinating with King Abdullah of Jordan, there could be another buffer zone in Deraa [in southern Syria] so that the Syrian regime will be stuck like Saddam Hussein in 1990 – with buffer zones in north and south. But there could be a solution without any military intervention. The Syrian army can reorganise itself.

“In the early days of the Syrian uprising, the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates visited Syria – just as he visited Saddam Hussein before the 2003 invasion and visited Hosni Mubarak before he was overthrown. And when the UAE is involved, it means there is an offer to the Assad family … and I think that if allowed to flee Syria with a guarantee, the Assad family could go to Saudi Arabia, the Emirates or to Malta – the safest area – and it would be a good solution. We don’t want to take revenge on the Assad family, especially if this will help avoid a civil war.”

Khoja has no illusions about Russia’s support for Syria. “The Russians talk to us,” he says. “They are trying to convince us to have a compromise with Bashar al-Assad and give him a chance. This will not change – they will support Bashar to the end. The Russian regime is no different from the Syrian regime. The Russian military have interests in [the Syrian naval port] Tartous. But the most benefit the Russians get from the Syrian crisis is that the Russian economy is enjoying an extra cash flow by selling energy during Middle East crises. This works for the benefit of Russia.”

I suggest that exile, especially after almost three decades, can lead Khoja into mythology rather than history. No, he says. “I can think very clearly, even in exile – but I’m not facing the tanks. I’m not facing the bullets of the regime.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-exile-dreams-of-a-bloodless-return-after-a-life-spent-opposing-assad-regime-6267702.html

I honestly don’t know what to say to someone like Khoja, I am at a loss here. His Homsi family is friend of ours and considering what he and his family gone through under the Assad’s what can you say? I cannot fault him for begging the devil for help. To my knowledge the Khoja’s never helped the Baathists in anyway, nor joined the Socialists and Communists, so what can you say to this man, he done nothing wrong and yet he suffered so much. I am really helpless and speechless here. All that I can muster in my mind is why not keeps this fight between Syrians, why involve foreigners in it. What else would you say to him?

CHINA SUPPORT
A few days ago, i managed to get my hand on a lapel pin of the flag of independence being distributed by pro-revolution group. it was made in China , I bet you most of the men7ebbak lapel pins with the fool’s grinning photo on them are also made there. This is the essence of China’s policy… follow the money.

Well, here….came up with something to say to Khoja; How did you feel when قرد وغان was kissing and hugging Assad just few months ago, speaking so highly of the Syrian regime and bending backward to sign all kind of economic agreements. You do not see that he is an immoral fraudster, a scam artist, now that he got paid from the Bedouins, in one day, he flipped like a tossed coin, how could you trust that this creep is in fact not a caring person about you or your cause, he is a slime out to get own Turkic interests and what the Bedouins paid him for. Did you not get upset when U.S. Senator whatever his name was and Clinton were shelling praises upon Syria and Assad, how about all those visits Jordanian ruler paid to Damascus, or the visits by the Saudi to Assad, didn’t Abdullah state publicly when he visited Damascus that he loved Bashar so much as his own kid. Did not Lebanese nation robber Hariri and his father were stooges to the Assads, paying tribute and respect upon Damascus whim. How can you trust that all those shady characters are really after helping you bring freedom to Syria? Why do you need them, why would you even forgive them when I suppose they tortured millions of Syrians with their love to the Baathist regime? They are just colonial con men after own interests, you do not need them, you have a legitimate worthy and noble cause and you have tarnished it and made it illegitimate by this association and reliance on the devilish plotters.

Talking about the “Western free press” is simply a mistake. The ways of coercion in the West are different but they exist. Why don’t we ever see journalists interested in what goes on after “regime changes”? Anyone heard recently of the opinions of Iraqis, Ivorians, Afghans, about world politics? Are they supposed not to have any experience?
And on their capacity to cover protests, have you ever seen long interviews of the G20 protesters? of the Roma and Athena ones, recently?

I would say to Khoja: why aren’t lines of refugees going to Iraq, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon? The borders are open. If 15 percent of the Syrians (mostly expats) want “regime change” and “buffer zones” that will certainly lead to a partition, why not admitting that more than 50 percent (this is how democracies are rules) did not want a violent road to reforms and that there were ways to have them peacefully. Why did the opposition did not publish real road maps, anonymously, in world newspapers? Why couldn’t they bring in the intellectuals and the religious elites doing the same? So the question is rather: how to paralyze the mukhabarat, who have paralyzed the country, including the governement, for so long? Probably by buying the local elites. But how can you achieve this when part of the elite is Christian, and Iraqis, and that some international player are pulling the threads to have Sunnis all against Christians, and Shiis/Sunnis feud? And how can you achieve that without peace in Iraq for all, including the Christians?

Syria is the single Arab, mainly Muslim country, where people go to the hospital without being afraid of having organs stolen! Let’s see if the few “leagues of virtue” now on board in Morocco, Lybia, Tunisia and soon Egypt are able to reach that.

And here is a nice souvenir album for you:

http://islamic-intelligence.blogspot.com/2011/03/under-heavy-pressure-of-muslims-living.html

Darryl #142,

Thanks for the effort Bro, but I’m vegan and don’t eat animals, or animals related products. The garlic you grow though, sounds delicious.
.

@Anton

This is not about who loves his country most.

We should all be called patriotic if we care for Syria, if we are with the regime or against. I assume no rational being will declare that a Syria without the regime is no longer Syria.
I suppose you have your share of this regimes reputation of being brutal and oppressive, otherwise you must have lived in a nutshell over the last decade or so. How can we forget the brutality of the prisons, the oppressive muhabarat system? How can one not see the corruption and inability of the regime to serve its people with at least dignity. How can one forget how this regime has forged its people for decades, how this regime has always blamed foreign nations for their own created misery. How can one forget that Syrian secret service have killed dozen of opposition members throughout Europe, how can it be forgotten that this regime limited the hopes and the strife of its own people to live a better life.
How can one forget the supression by the muhabarat, the distrust against each other they have set to every Syrian.

I assume people who support the regime will not ask those questions, its always easier to erade those second thoughts and enjoy a live which is granted by the regime if you do not cross the red line.
There never was an open discussion about the problems of the country, the ones who dared to scratch the image have been punished by doing so. There never were open and fair elections as Assad said there were. The only choice ever made was by Assad sen to choose baschar to succeed. By doing so he implemented the iron fist this family has on the country, and furthermore made Syria an sort of ridicule “Kim” like state. The west pampered this regime as we sought stability through this oppressive regime. We have send dozens of terrorist suspects in order to profit from the muhabarat interrogation skills which are based simply on torture.

It is just a big lie that Syrians have no other choice than to support this regime. No one has to live in deny or has to support an government who imprison, torture and kill its own citizen.

Russia warns against ultimatums on Syria

AP – Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday angrily dismissed calls for an arms embargo on Syria and warned against imposing ultimatums on President Bashar Assad’s government.
Sergey Lavrov said that calls for an arms embargo on Syria are “unfair,” adding that militant groups opposing the government have been armed from the outside. He drew parallels to the war in Libya, where he said the West armed the opposition forces despite a United Nations arms embargo.
“We will treat the calls to introduce another arms embargo, this time on Syria, while taking into account the Libyan experience,” Lavrov said at a news conference. “The proposals to introduce a ban on all weapon supplies to Syria are unfair.”
Lavrov added that Syria’s problems can’t be solved by ultimatums and reaffirmed Moscow’s call for a political settlement.
“The most important thing now is to stop acting through ultimatums and try to use political means,” he said.
Lavrov criticized the Arab League’s weekend decision to slap sanctions on Syria and urged its members to show “the maximum responsibility.”
http://www.france24.com/en/20111129-russia-warns-against-imposing-ultimatums-syria-assad-arms-embargo

Hala Gorani

Authorities reportedly planning on expelling Father Paolo of the Deir Mar Moussa monastery. “I profiled Father Paolo in 05. He’s been in Syria 30 yrs and has devoted his life to restoring the monastery, promoting religious tolerance.”

Why now? Seems that tolerance is not what they need in these times.

Hizballah is sending rockets to Israel-Palestine. This is the last effort to create chaos in the region by Assad. Now we will see if Israel is playing Assad´s game. If Israel choses war, they will show one of 2 things to the whole world:

1) Israel military mafias are just trying to keep HA and Assad´s Syria as their fake enemies, trying to legitimate dictatorship, violence and terrorism between arabs.

Or well,

2) Israel is just stupid and driving themselves to a chemical disaster.

Bronco

A friend of mine sent me this few days ago.  It may cheer you up.

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US&rdm=4oox72jyi&reload=3#/watch?v=iG6zFaSMc1M

Tara the terrorists supporter
Every morning remember that you indirectly killed a child:

الطائفة العلوية في قفص الاتهام !!: قراءة سوسيولوجية

http://www.mokarabat.com/s8568.htm

SNK,

Enjoy, your likes on Dunia TV.

Dear Norman@133

I second it. I always said we are lucky to have such president at this time , he is saving Syria from fragmentation and become as you always said banana republic.

in other note: just an observation, I am always counting and analyzing the pro and cons the president .. Its always 75% to 25% respectively , and that its true here ( on this blog ) ,inside Syria and among Syrians abroad ,, what I am sure of, is .. from where I live and the people I know .. Its almost the same %… Lately there are flip over from cons to pro.

if you can remember couple weeks ago, I have had a survey here on this blog, Alex vs. Ghalioun , Alex won with the same % as well.

I am sure Syria will be saved by the Syrians and Syria lovers, the president is one of them.

Syria will emerge much stronger, and there will be NO civil war.

We will be proud of the new Syria

Thanks to permit me comment here.

Anton,

you cheered me up and put a smile on my face, most Syrians seem to believe now that what the president said about foreign attack on Syria is accurate.

Haytham Khoury,

A breath of fresh air. This is one of the best articles I’ve read since the beginning of this honourable popular revolution. Who is this sociologist? is he real ? أ.د. علي أسعد وطفة

A must read for everyone who love Syria and want this country to remain united.

The author, Alawite or not, in his article, mended what Assads’ hijacked throughout their reign.

Who is this healer? Why Dunia and Assad don’t adopt him?

He not only exonerated this group – fair minded people new all along- from the wrongdoing of Assads’ mafia, he lifted a heavy weight off their shoulders, the burden of a despicable dictator who abused all Syrians, and recruited many Syrians to serve their agenda some willingly, others unknowingly.

Thanks Haytham.

2) Israel is just stupid and driving themselves to a chemical disaster……”

It is more like Israel is “smart” and knows whoever did it, not HA or Syria, but someone with interest in bringing the fight to them by Israeli forces, because whoever did it is too dam weak and stupid to do it on their own.

still haven’t heard any comment from the assorted dogs and fauna minhibakjieh that infest this forum commenting on Balid Mo3aleks use of fake videos yesterday while accusing international media of fabrication!!!! hahahaha, classic Syrian regime takhlouf and idiocy. who in their right minds now would ever believe those idiots anymore???

also, just so that you know, the Syrian Lira is in free fall, it’s trading at 59.5 /Usd today. mabrook, Assad is finished.

#136 @ irritated

no ya 7ayawan, I’m quoting the UN human rights council report on Syria, read it ya motkhalef:

http://www.undispatch.com/syria-human-rights-abuses-worse-than-you-think

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/17/docs/A-HRC-S-17-2-Add1.pdf

Newfolder,
we haven’t heard your comments on the child Sari murder and on the fake rocket attacks of the Baath party in Damascus.

Why doesn’t the AL send observers to Yemen (From the Angry Arab blogspot)

Western governments are not losing sleep over butchery in Yemen
” Yemeni troops appear to have unlawfully killed as many as 35 civilians in the city of Taizz since a United Nations Security Council resolution demanded on October 21, 2011 that Yemen stop attacks on civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Most of these civilians were killed in artillery shelling by the Yemeni army that indiscriminately struck homes, a hospital, and a public square filled with protesters, witnesses told Human Rights Watch.”

Democracy in the Gulf? Not within the next century

Sons of Zayid: repression in UAE
“A United Arab Emirates court sentenced five activists accused of publicly insulting the country’s rulers and of disrupting public order to jail terms of up to three years, bringing to a close a five-months-long trial that has polarized opinions in the oil-rich Gulf state on political participation and freedom of speech.”

Those lousy Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslims Brotherhood are the scoundrels of political: they are always seeking refuge in the last refuge of Middle East scoundrels. They are embarrassed by their political cowardice vis-a-vis the Military Council so they suddenly remember Jerusalem and the Aqsa mosque (when the contributions of the Muslim Brotherhood in all its branches over the years have amounted to…nothing, literally, unless you count their services to pro-Israeli Arab regimes). They suddenly decide to dedicate a march in Tahriri to Al-Aqsa Mosque. Those demagogues want to divert attention from the radical agenda of Egyptian revolutionaries. But Palestinians were on alert: they formed groups on Facebook and sent letters asking the Brotherhood to not do what Arab regimes do: exploit Palestine for cheap political ends.

NYT journalist humiliated by the Israelis at a checkpoint
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4154413,00.html

Assange on the internet as a surveillance machine
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/11/28-1
(sure, thanks to the Arab spring, mukhabaraat of the world have now precise mapping of every online Arab “friends” and of their political view; piece of cake!)

And any AL mission to Lybia? 7,000 prisonners are waiting for them.
http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111128/ap_on_re_us/un_un_libya

@ N.Z.

Those are sad news, i enjoyed Father Paolo presence at Mar Mousa, even this enclave of independent thought poses no threat to the regime, but on what rational grounds the regime acts, only God knows that.

@Anton

This is not about who loves his country most.

We should all be called patriotic if we care for Syria, if we are with the regime or against. I assume no rational being will declare that a Syria without the regime is no longer Syria.
I suppose you have your share of this regimes reputation of being brutal and oppressive, otherwise you must have lived in a nutshell over the last decade or so. How can we forget the brutality of the prisons, the oppressive muhabarat system? How can one not see the corruption and inability of the regime to serve its people with at least dignity. How can one forget how this regime has forged its people for decades, how this regime has always blamed foreign nations for their own created misery. How can one forget that Syrian secret service have killed dozen of opposition members throughout Europe, how can it be forgotten that this regime limited the hopes and the strife of its own people to live a better life.
How can one forget the supression by the muhabarat, the distrust against each other they have set to every Syrian.

I assume people who support the regime will not ask those questions, its always easier to erade those second thoughts and enjoy a live which is granted by the regime if you do not cross the red line.
There never was an open discussion about the problems of the country, the ones who dared to scratch the image have been punished by doing so. There never were open and fair elections as Assad said there were. The only choice ever made was by Assad sen to choose baschar to succeed. By doing so he implemented the iron fist this family has on the country, and furthermore made Syria an sort of ridicule “Kim” like state. The west pampered this regime as we sought stability through this oppressive regime. We have send dozens of terrorist suspects in order to profit from the muhabarat interrogation skills which are based simply on torture.

It is just a big lie that Syrians have no other choice than to support this regime. No one has to live in deny or has to support an government who imprison, torture and kill its own citizen.

@newfolder

There never was an open traded exchange rate for the Pound, it has been since years faked exchange rates, now the gov has growing problems to manipulate as they used to do.

#168

Sari story is just like Hamza Khatib. The videos of his body show his family blaming the security forces. Then when the mukhabarat and Syrian t.v arrive, they “miraculously” change their story and blame “armed gangs” and of course sing their ever loving praise to the dear leader … give me a break, this regime kills your kids then parades you on it’s tv in a sick freak show.

Also, I don’t get your twisted logic. Just because Saudi or Emirates or Israel or God knows who else is oppressing people, you think that give Assad a justification to kill us? How in hell did you arrive at that clever conclusion?

You still haven’t answered my question, how can any one believe Syria now that it’s foreign minister walrus was caught pants down using a fake video, while accusing international media of forging stories? ever heard of divine irony??? this is it, this is a plot not even the best comedy writers in Hollywood could ever dream up, it’s so insanely retarded.

Also, what do you say to the UN human rights council report on children being raped in front of their parents, tortured and killed?

Is the UN also in on this conspiracy? all 122 nations or so which voted at the general assembly? man you guys are dumb.

Newfolder,

I think that you are above calling people names, don’t you think, I do .

Newfolder
I don’t believe in these rape stories. We have seen enough lies and fabrication since the beginning. Some lobbies and the Gulf want to bring into Iran into war while it is not even necessary, as Ahmadinejad is on his way out (not only because of a coming election but because of his personnal problems).
http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2011/11/29/les-proches-d-ahmadinejad-persecutes-par-la-justice-iranienne_1610434_3218.html#ens_id=677013

In Fisk’s article posted above by Jurgen, Khoja admits that in Jisr al Shughur the armed insurgents (aka “islamists” in this case) commited a massacre. So how justify the role of Turkey in giving them shelter? Again, it is not because Asad would go on a plane that the inherited mukhabaraat, plus those of each and every governor, plus those of the big bosses, will disappear. You can’t have a revolution without a cultural revolution.

Journalists who visited Syria between the 12-17 of Nov telling of what they saw:
الصحافيّون الأجانب بعد جولتهم: خوف كثير وغياب التظاهرات السلميّة وخداع إعلامي

صباح أيوب
صحافيون فرنسيون وإيطاليون وبلجيكيون توجهوا الى سوريا بين 12 و17 تشرين الثاني الجاري، بغية القيام بجولة على المدن والبلدات وزيارة المناطق الساخنة منها. بعضهم مرتبط بمؤسسات كاثوليكية إنسانية أو دينية، والبعض الآخر يعمل في شبكات إعلامية وصحف ومواقع إلكترونية أوروبية معروفة. وبعد الجولة في دمشق وحمص وبانياس والقصير، عاد الكلّ الى بلاده مصدوماً بالفرق الشاسع بين الصورة التي تلقاها على مدى أشهر من خلال الإعلام السائد وبين الواقع الفعلي.

من بين المشاركين في الوفد مصوّر ومراسلة «راديو وتلفزيون بلجيكا الفرنكوفوني» RTBF. فرنسواز والماك، تعمل في الشبكة البلجيكية وهي صحافية منذ 25 سنة. والماك تقول لـ«الأخبار» إنها أعدّت تقريرين عن جولتها في سوريا وبثتهما على RTBF و«الناس هنا كانوا مصدومين ولم يصدقوا ما سمعوه!». الصحافية البلجيكية، تروي عن «الرعب المتغلغل بين الناس» الذين التقتهم في حمص والقصير. «السكان خائفون من الخطف، ومن القتل، وهم مروّعون، والجنود أيضاً مستهدفون، الأمر معقّد كثيراً هناك». والماك، التقت في حمص إحدى النساء التي تعرضت لعملية خطف والتي تقول إن «من اختطفها رجال ذوو لحى طويلة». وفي المشفى الأهلي، شرح آخرون للصحافية «أن القتلة يرتدون ملابس القوى الأمنية، وبعضهم يتكلم لهجات غير سورية».
وفي المستشفى العسكري، لاحظت «أن بعض الجنود وبعض عناصر الأمن بثياب مدنية قتلوا بأسلحة ثقيلة وبالرصاص، والبعض الآخر قطعت أصابعهم». لكن ما أثار دهشة الصحافية هو «الحياة شبه الطبيعية» التي تعيشها مدينة حمص في النهار، «معظم المحال مفتوحة، والناس يتجولون في الطرقات، لكن الكل يلزم المنازل مع بدء غياب الشمس»، تقول «وقد نصحنا السكان بعدم التجوال في الشوارع بعد الساعة الخامسة». والماك لاحظت أيضاً أنه خلال تجوالهم في أحد الأحياء ذي الغالبية العلوية، «خرجت تظاهرات تلقائية بين الناس مؤيدة للرئيس بشار الأسد تصرخ بشعار «بشار احمنا»، وعلى جدران بعض الشوارع طليت شعارات معارضة بالأسود».
أما في القصير، وخلال زيارتها إحدى العائلات المسيحية، روى لها أفراد العائلة «إنهم تلقوا رسائل هاتفية تهديدية إذا ما رفضوا النزول الى الشارع والمشاركة في التظاهرات المعارضة»، وأردفوا «وعندما رفضنا المشاركة، عمد المسلحون الى قتل شقيقنا». والماك تذكر أن الوفد تعرّض لإطلاق نار مباشر خلال وجودهم في القصير، «لكن من جهة غير محددة». ألم يكن أحد يؤمّن لكم الحماية؟ نسألها، فتجيب «لا، كنا وحدنا مع الأم أنياس مريم الصليب فقط»، وتضيف «لكن بعدما تعرضنا لإطلاق نار، رافقَنا عناصر من الجيش». الصحافية البلجيكية، التي شاهدت أيضاً تظاهرات مؤيدة للنظام في دمشق وجالت بين المتظاهرين، تخلص إلى أن «جزءاً كبيراً من الشعب السوري ما زال يؤيد الأسد، لكن على الرئيس أن يسمح للإعلام بالدخول الى سوريا ونقل الواقع كما هو لأن منع الصحافيين الآن هو أمر انتحاري».
مصوّر القناة البلجيكية، الذي رافق فرنسواز في جولتها، جان فرنسوا فوكرد، يقول إن «الشهادات التي سمعها من الناس أهمّ من الصور التي استطاع التقاطها خلال الجولة … وخصوصاً أنهم عبّروا جميعاً عن خوف عميق يعتري نفوسهم». المصوّر الصحافي يشير الى أنهم «لم يلتقوا أي تظاهرة معارضة سلمية في المدن التي زاروها. وقد شهدوا على واحدة فقط كانت سريعة كالـ Flash mobs تقوم بها مجموعات معارضة لدقائق ثم تتفرق سريعاً … في حين شاهدنا الكثير من التظاهرات المؤيدة للرئيس الأسد».
فوكرد، عبّر عن استيائه من «التحريف الذي يقوم به الإعلام الغربي للواقع السوري»، ويصف وسائل الإعلام الأجنبية بـ«النمطية التي تبث رسائل محوَّرة». «كل ما وصل إلينا من ذلك الإعلام على مدى الأشهر الماضية كان عبارة عن مشهد واحد ورسالة تقول إن دبابات الجيش السوري تسحق المتظاهرين السلميين»، «لكن هذا ليس ما شاهدناه على أرض الواقع»، يختم المصوّر.
أما المفاجأة الكبيرة والصدمة بين ما ينقله الإعلام الغربي عن الأحداث السورية وما يجري على أرض الواقع، فقد عبّر عنها الصحافي الفرنسي الذي رافق الوفد مارك جورج. صاحب موقع Medialibre الإلكتروني الفرنسي، تلقى صدمته الأولى عندما وصل الى العاصمة دمشق «التي تخلو من أي مظاهر أمنية مكثفة»، إذ لاحظ «أن عدد عناصر الشرطة الموجودين في باريس يفوق عدد المنتشرين في دمشق!». جورج الذي قصد الأسواق والحانات الدمشقية ليلاً، اختلط بالسكان وتحدّث الى الكثيرين منهم وهو يستنتج أن «ثلثي السكان مع بشار الأسد وثلثاً يعارضه، وهؤلاء مفتونون في غالبيتهم بالنموذج الأميركي للحياة ويرغبون في تحقيق أرباح مالية سريعة في أعمالهم اليومية، كما يطالبون بحريات أكثر». وعن الحريات يتحدّث جورج قائلاً، «صدمتي الثانية كانت بتمكّني من مناقشة الأمور السياسية بصوت عال مع روّاد الحانات والمقاهي المكتظة في العاصمة»، «كما لو كنت في أي مقهى باريسي» يردف جورج.
أما عن حمص وبانياس، فيروي الصحافي أن «الأجواء والآراء مشحونة أكثر هناك، وخصوصاً أن أمواتاً يسقطون كل يوم». جورج ينقل عن سكان حمص وبانياس «تخوفهم الشديد من الانجرار الى حرب أهلية كانت حتى الماضي القريب غريبة عن واقعهم وبعيدة عنهم». هو يقول إن المواطنين يخافون أن «يقتلوا على أيدي الجهاديين»، ويشير الى أن الاعتقاد السائد هو أن «ميليشيات مسلحة تستهدف الجيش، وهي تتحصّن وراء المدنيين المسالمين». جورج يقول إن «النظام السوري يحاول الآن أن يقسم المتظاهرين ويفرّقهم، لكنه لا يحاول قتلهم». جورج يكرر ما أكّده زملاؤه الصحافيون بأنهم «لم يحظوا بأي مواكبة رسمية أو من عناصر استخبارات»، ويضيف «في بعض الأحيان، كنا بحاجة فعلياً إلى مرافقة أمنية للحفاظ على حياتنا، لكننا لم نحظ بها وكنا مسؤولين عن أمننا الشخصي». وهل تدخّل أحد بعملكم أثناء الجولة أو خلال مقابلة الأهالي؟ يجيب جورج «لا، لم يتعرض أحد لنا. وزارة الإعلام والجهات الأمنية كانت تعرف أماكن وجودنا، لكن لم يعطنا أحد أية توجيهات ولم يراقبوا عملنا أبداً».
وعن التغطية الإعلامية التي تقوم بها وسائل الإعلام الغربية حول الأحداث السورية، يبدي جورج امتعاضاً من «تغطية بروباغندية ينفذها الإعلام الغربي، ما يذكّرني بتغطية حرب الخليج الأولى». «علّة تلك التغطية أنها تعتمد على مصدر واحد لأخبارها وهو المعارضة السورية في لندن، التي تنشر أعداد القتلى في صفوف المعارضين»، يشرح الصحافي. ولكن النظام السوري يمنع الصحافيين من دخول سوريا وتأدية مهماته، يعلّق جورج «حتى لو سمح النظام للإعلام بالدخول، فإن تغطيتهم ستبقى كما هي، لن يتغير الكثير، لأن وسائل الإعلام تلك تتحرك وفق أجندة مصالح ووفق سياسة بروباغندية مرسومة مسبقاً».
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/26581

#173 no I’m not, I want to be just as filthy and horrible as the Baath and it’s regime, after all I learned from the best when I was forcefully inducted into the Shabibet el Thawra in school, and then to the Hizeb at uni. So, let me beat them at their own game.

But I promise not to use any profanity, if and when some minhibakji gives me serious answers and comments on:

1- Walid Mu3alems use of fake videos
2- the UNHCR report on security forces raping children, torturing and killing them.

otherwise, I have no choice but to assume you support those practices, and are therefore complicit in them, which makes you human scum and effluence along with this regime and it’s mukhabarat.

“The longer what is happening in Syria goes on, the more it troubles us. For the most part, armed groups are provoking the authorities. To expect the authorities to close their eyes to this is not right,” Lavrov said.”
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/russia-says-opposes-arms-embargo-syria-ria-101404596.html

@MINA
“Khoja admits he met the armed insurgents of Syria in the Turkish city of Antakya. “They said they were organising themselves and that the rebellion started in Jisr al-Shughour in Idlib. They trained the youth there.”

What statement suggest that the opposition has commited an massacre in Jisr al Shugur?

Newfolder,
This is my take on your questions and to be frank I`m not interested to have any dialogue with you until you become more rational and less emotional in your comments:

1- Walid Mu3alems use of fake videos:
-That was absolutely wrong and it takes the credibility of the minister and there should be an apology, Happy!?
However, when one maybe two pictures put probably by mistake in a lengthy clip showing so many crimes and all kinds of massacres and you concentrate on those two ‘meaningless’ mistakes because one of the crimes is actually happened in Hama with similar contexts, and the other is showing the radicals from the area where they send weapons to their terrorists friends in Syria to kill Syrians, and forgetting the other evidence and atrocities that filled that movie it doesn’t make you in a better position since you actually as you put it ‘support those practices’ and looking for something to discredit those crimes doesn’t work.
Besides, the whole Iraqi war with all the tragedy it imposed on people was done over the lies of Collin Powell in the UN with all the world leaders there watching and believing, did you read any official apology from either the UK or the USA for their crimes NEVER!

2- the UNHCR report on security forces raping children, torturing and killing them.
Do you really think that anybody on SC with the minimum sense of just or reason will support such filthy barbaric and despicable crimes against children? Who do you think you are writing to? Seriously!
I want to see anybody who did any harm to any kid to be in jail for life or even executed whoever he is no exception whatsoever.

Last word, do you really think that Syrians are happy to see or read about all these crimes happening in Syria? What you are really looking for in your questions is not justice, is to judge anybody who doesn’t share your views or take every word you wrote as fact, that is your goal and it has nothing to do with justice or freedom. the problem is that many have come to a conclusion that most of what we see or read from the goat princes media and the western media are not objective at all and they are highly politicized for all kind of reasons excluding freedom and democracy, they proved to be a manipulation for anger and sectarianism and hate than promoting the freedom and democracy every Syrian is looking for, even the sanctions meant to hurt the average Syrian and make him a beggar not a free human.

One last word to you, about Sari, your reply shows that what you wanted from this poor kid story was nothing but using his blood for propaganda and it has nothing to do with humanity or justice because you are the one who brought his story in and when the truth went out instead of condemning those terrorist who commit such a barbaric crime you start looking for ways to cover them, that is not moral of you, this is an outrageous crime regardless who did it and they must be condemned regardless of the political side you take.

للمناقشة وإبداء الرأي
by نبيل فياض

التيار الديمقراطي الليبرالي الاجتماعي:
تمرّ اليوم سوريا بواحدة من أخطر مراحلها منذ استقلالها. فرغم الإيحاء بحالة سكون مجتمعي-سياسي والتي عرفتها سوريا منذ صعود حزب البعث إلى السلطة، يبدو أن ما تحت السطح كان يغلي؛ وأن الشباب السوري الذي عرف بطاقاته الخلاقة منذ ألوف السنين، وصل إلى نقطة الانفجار من جرّاء الخطاب التقليدي المنفصل عن روح العصر، وهذا التجفاف الحقيقي في روح الشعب التي هي المعرفة، مع إقفال الأبواب على كل المنابر الثقافية، عدا المنبر البعثي الذي فقد بالكامل، مع رحيل المنظرين الأوائل، شخص المؤدلج الكاريزمي المجدد لذاته ولفكر الحزب، والمنبر الديني، الذي كان أكثر تكلّساً من المنبر البعثي في ارتداده الدائم إلى زمن ليس زمننا، ومكان ليس مكاننا. وهكذا وصل الشاب السوري إلى مرحلة انعدام وزن معرفية جعلته يثور على أشياء لا يعرف كنهها بل لا يملك تبريراً ذاتياً لثورته غير إحساسه بالعدمية الوجودية. وازدادت الأزمة انغلاقاً مع تحوّل أصحاب المنبرين على حد سواء إلى موظفي دولة لا هم لهم إلا الدفاع عن حالة السكونية، مهما بدت كلفة ذلك عالية، وأهمها تلك الفجوة بين الحقيقة وما يعتقده هؤلاء على أنه حقيقة؛ بين الواقع ووهم الواقع. وكان النفاق هنا سيد الموقف، دفاعاً عن مواقع اعتُقد خطأ أنها راسخة، فصارت الحالة السورية أقرب إلى هرم خداع، ذاتي-موضوعي، حتى صار الصدق الحالة النادرة في التعاطي بين الناس، وما يجر ذلك وراءه من ظواهر فساد وانهيارات أخلاقية.
كان لثورة المعلومات الأثر البليغ على الشعب العربي عموماً، والشعب السوري خصوصاً؛ وفي السنة الجارية، مع انتشار شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي، كانت هجمة السوريين على التجمعات بكافة أشكالها، ومحاولة الإفادة من آخر معطيات التكنولوجيا العالية، أمراً ملفتاً. وهكذا، صار للسوريين للمرّة الأولى منذ أجيال أحزابهم الافتراضية وجمعياتهم الافتراضية؛ كما عرف السوريون للمرة الأولى منذ أجيال أيضاً إمكانية نقل حياتهم الخاصة والعامة إلى الفضاء الكوني المفتوح غير المراقب؛ بغض النظر عن كتاباتهم التي بدت غزارتها غير عادية.
بدل أن يقوم باحثو الدولة بدراسة هذه الحالات الانتقالية المصيرية بشكل جدي، كان النفاق هنا أيضاً سيد الموقف. بدل أن يتم فتح الباب تدريجياً أمام الديمقراطية الوليدة، كان إقناع الذات التضليلي بأن حالة السكون المعرفي التي سادت عقوداً غير قابلة لأن تهتز. بدل أن يعترف المنبران إياهما، البعثي والديني، بأنهما غير قادرين على الإطلاق على تلبية حاجات الجماهير المتعطشة لتغيير جذري، ازدادا تمسّكاً بأخشاب الكراسي المهترئة، وأجبرا تلك الجماهير، التي تحتك يومياً ببريق الآخر الديمقراطي وتجري بلا هداية واضحة إلى نقلة توصلها إلى بريق مماثل، على تبني أسلوب تغيير عنيف، يوحي ضمن أشياء كثيرة أخرى بأن هذه المجاميع التي أدمنت أقفاص السكونية فقدت البوصلة عندما خرجت من أقفاص لم تعهد غيرها.
سوريا الآن، كي نكون واقعيين مع أنفسنا أولاً ومع الآخر ثانياً، تشهد تغييراً لم يطرق بابها منذ عقود. لكن هذا التغيير، كما يمكن أن نوصّفه إبستمولوجياً، بعيد عن العقلانية وأقرب ما يكون لنداءات غرائزية عميقة ورؤى طوباوية للحرية، التي قد لا يستطيع كثير من المطالبين بها تعريف أولوياتها. وزاد الوضع سوءاً أن مثقفي سوريا، الذين انتقلوا جميعاً تقريباً إلى حقل السياسة الذي هو الأفقر بالأعراف التأسيسية بسبب غياب العمل السياسي الحقيقي عن سوريا منذ أكثر من نصف قرن، كانوا يلهثون جرياً وراء الشارع، الذي كان هو الموجه لحراكهم؛ مع أن المفترض أن تكون الحالة معاكسة. فالعقل عند النوع البشري هو من يقود الغريزة، والمثقف هو من يقود الشارع.
لقد حاولنا طويلاً النأي بأنفسنا عن ساحة لا نرى لنا فيها مكاناً كونها الأبعد عن المنطق وتفرعاته، والأقرب إلى ردّات فعل غرائز القطعان. مع ذلك، فاعتقادنا أن الغريزة استهلكت ذاتها عند كل الأطراف، وصار لزاماً أن تفسح المجال للعقل. ونحن نعتقد هنا أن الغالبية العظمى من الشعب السوري إنما تنتمي إلى الفئة العاقلة الصامتة التي ترفض استبداد السياسة واستبداد الشارع على حد سواء.
ولأننا نشعر بعمق انتماء لهذا الشعب، نرى أن واجبنا الأخلاقي-الإنساني يحتم علينا اليوم تقديم ما يمكن اعتباره مدخلاً من أجل خلق تيار شبابي عموماً من جيل سوري يسعى بكل قوته الفتية إلى تحقيق ذاته سياسياً واقتصادياً ومعرفياً.
إن مصطلح ” تيّار ” يعني أننا نسعى إلى تكوين مظلة من كل التوجهات السورية، بغض النظر عن خلفياتها، يمكن أن تقبل أن تندرج تحت هذا التعريف.
مصطلح ” ديمقراطية ” يعني سياسياً أن هذا التيار يؤمن أول ما يؤمن به بالديمقراطية الحقيقية كأسلوب حكم لم يستهلك حتى الآن، رغم قناعتنا المطلقة أن ” الديمقراطية ” فقدت كثيراً من وهجها الذي عرفته في القرن الماضي، وصار لزاماً على المفكرين السياسيين صك مفهوم يتجاوز الديمقراطية إلى وضعية ما بعد الديمقراطية. الديمقراطية الحقيقية ترفض مصادرة قرار الآخر، وترفض أن يصادر الآخر قرارنا. من هنا، ومن مقاربة منطقية للديمقراطية، فإن شعار ” الشعب يريد ” الذي طرحته الثورات العربية هو الأبعد عن روح الديمقراطية: ” الشعب يريد ” مقولة استبدادية تذكرنا بالنسب شبه المطلقة للاستفتاءات في النظم الاستبدادية؛ وتكملة الشعار بمقولة تضع في أفواه الناس ما تقوله نسبة منهم أمر أيضاً معاد للديمقراطية حين تقوَّل نسبة من النسب ما لم تقله أو ما قالت عكسه.
مصطلح ” ديمقراطية ” بشقه المعرفي الإعلامي يعني حقي البديهي في المعرفة والتعبير عما أعرف يماثل حق غيري في المسألة ذاتها، بغض النظر عن مسألة الغالبية أو الأقلية. الديمقراطية هي أولاً حماية حقوق الأقليات من استبداد الغالبية. وهذا كله يزداد تجذراً وصوناً ذاتياً عبر الليبرالية بشقها الاجتماعي.
اقتصادياً-اجتماعياً يتبنى التيار الليبرالية الاجتماعية؛ والأخيرة هي الاعتقاد بأن الليبرالية يجب أن تشمل العدالة الاجتماعية. وهي تختلف عن الليبرالية الكلاسيكية في اعتقادها بأن الدور الشرعي للدولة يتضمن معالجة القضايا الاقتصادية والاجتماعية مثل البطالة والرعاية الصحية، والتعليم ، وتوسع في الوقت نفسه من مجال الحقوق المدنية. في إطار الليبرالية الاجتماعية ، ينظر إلى خير المجتمع على أنه منسجم مع حرية الفرد. وقد اعتمدت سياسات الليبرالية الاجتماعية على نطاق واسع في الكثير من بلدان العالم الرأسمالي ، ولاسيما بعد الحرب العالمية الثانية. يميل المحللون إلى اعتبار الأفكار والأحزاب الليبرالية الاجتماعية على أنها وسط أو يسار الوسط.
التيار في بحثه عن مخرج معقول للأزمة الوجودية التي تتلاعب بسوريا يعتبر أن الحل ثنائي الوجه: لا ديمقراطية بلا ليبرالية إجتماعية، لأنها تفتح الباب على مصراعيه أمام دكتاتورية الغالبية؛ ولا ليبرالية إجتماعية بلا ديمقراطية لأنها تفتح الباب على مصراعيه أمام أسوأ أنواع الديكاتوريات سمعة – الرأسمالية المتغولة.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6/%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B4%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A5%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A3%D9%8A/252074368181452

Look for Josh post here (plus visit of ambassadors and media):
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=10434

Newfolder believes in UN reports (after the WMD?), I believe in the Wikileaks, saying that Ban Ki Moon is just a pawn.

If really the war starts, it will be about Europe trying to get rids of the Russian, who owns the key of the energy tap in Europe. Here too, Germany is in an uncomfortable position. You can’t dissociate what has been going on in the last 6 months from the financial crisis.

So Muallem using fake videos would be more a crime than Arab networks using fake videos, fake witnesses, and spreading lies all day long as a working habit (i am not only speaking of the “Arab spring”)? Again, check for al Jazeera’s fake news of the tasfiyya of the MB in Egypt’s prison and the chaos it helped causing to favor the liberation by a few Hamas members that same day… There was no tasfiyya of the MB in Egyptian jails by the police, even though they had real MB calling them and speaking of the pile of corpses they were seeing in the court of the prison…This and Qardawi have helped the MBs hijack the Egyptian revolution. The same will happen with the Syrian one as long as the opposition has no project and no agreement on anything.

#179 thank you, now that was a rational and reasonable response, even though I don’t find it very convincing. I wish all regime supporters would be as rational as this, and not instead hysterically repeat whatever nonsense the regime’s media happens to be spouting out at the time.

number of points:

1- regime’s use of fake videos destroys once and for all whatever little credibility it had, especially when it accuses the opposition of doing that very same thing. invoking Colin Powel or Hari Krishna or the Fairy Godmother doesn’t change this fact.

2- How then can you support a regime that sanctions murdering and raping children? aren’t you morally conflicted inside? Please don’t give me the crap about the revolutionaries being just as bad, protester violence has been targeted at security men, specifically because of those types of crimes that they committed.

Finally, whatever you may think of western media and their bias, they are a thousand fold more objective and truthful than any Syrian or Arab state media. No one could deny that. If you don’t believe them wholly, then believe them partly. And please no more of this global conspiracy nonsense against Syria, there is outrage for a very specific reason, and that reason is violence and murder by the regime.

No one could ever condone the killing of Sari or Hamzah, for whatever reason by whichever side. Those who did it must be hanged in a public square, period.

My final musing is that I just can’t help feeling sad when I compare Syria to Morocco. The king had his head screwed on the right way and made all the right reforms and concessions and actually carried them through, averting a revolution. Where as Assad clearly has his head up his ass and is feeding people implausible lies about vague reforms which never materialize, hence dragging this country into war and destruction. If only we had a proper visionary leader to lead us through this mess. Hell probably Hafez would have been better than Bashar, he was more ruthless of course, but at least he wasn’t a dumbass, rather a pragmatist and a good strategist.

Fact is there is only 2 paths for Syria now, either regime backs down and accepts the Arab league plan, leading to a transitional power sharing period with the opposition, or there is war, no 3rd way possible. Unfortunately by the looks of it, the regime is on a war footing and bent on confrontation. This is suicide for the regime, and destruction for the rest of Syria.

11/28/2011 12:33
SYRIA

Fr. Dall’Oglio under threat of expulsion from Syria: “they’re closing the door to dialogue”

Interview with the Jesuit founder of the Khalil community at Deir Mar Musa, 30 years in the country and engaged in dialogue with Islam, who is likely to be expelled. He took a position in favor of consensus democracy, freedom of expression and national reconciliation.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – “I run the serious risk of being expelled from Syria”, said Father Paul Dall’Oglio, founder of the monastery of Deir Mar Musa in an interview with AsiaNews on his personal situation of having to leave the country. “The Syrian government has sent a letter to the Syro-Catholic bishop of Homs, asking him to send me abroad. The justification is explicitly provided in the positions I have taken in favor of consensus democracy, freedom of expression and reconciliation. ”

Deir Mar Musa monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian is a monastic community of Syro-Catholic, near the town of Nabk, about 80 km north of Damascus. The monastery was built by Greek monks in the sixth century. Abandoned in the nineteenth century, it again became the home of a small religious community. Father dall’Oglio, who is the soul of the al-Khalil community, launches a series accusations:
“The saddest thing in this case, is that some factors that have led to this decision must be sought within the context of the church, probably as a reaction to my action, in the past, against cases of corruption and the lack of transparency of some prelates. “

The al-Khalil community which has lived at Deir Mar Musa for 20 years, is very anxious over his possible expulsion. And the Jesuit says: “personally, leaving Syria in the eye of the storm, after 30 years in this country, is something that breaks my heart. This means that the doors will close on initiatives to promote dialogue, reconciliation and real reforms. We still hope that this decision will be reviewed, and we hope that Syria will emerge from this crisis, while maintaining its unity, and becoming a pluralistic democracy where all components are respected and harmonized. ”

Fr. Dall’Oglio’s position on the crisis is very clear. “The Syrians want, and deserve, human rights, starting with the free press and human dignity. We should seek an agreement through negotiation, and international guarantees. Of course there is the risk of Islamic fundamentalism, as well as the influence of a ‘conspiracy’ by regional powers. This is why Christians and other minorities tend to support repressive policies. But violence and discrimination are directly contrary to our ethical values. And they are not a guarantee for our long-term presence, and only true brotherhood, dialogue, theological esteem of the other can be a guarantee”.

On the prospects of interreligious relations, the Jesuit is not optimistic in the short term. “Until now there is a problem of Christian emigration, or the threat to religious places, but the process of a dangerous civil war between Sunnis and Alawites has already begun mainly, for example in Homs. A serious effort should be made to stop it. At Deir Mar Musa, we continue to welcome visitors of all faiths to pray and work, and we remain fully committed to Islamic-Christian brotherhood. Some say that we are naive, perhaps it is true … we contemplate a peaceful future for Eastern Christian communities, as innovative and constructive elements in the heart of a thriving free Islamic Umma”.

Is there a fear among Syrian that the Islamists, or figures close to the Islamists, will take power?

The fear exists, especially among religious minorities: Christians, but also (and sometimes to a greater extent) among the heterodox Islamic communities, such as the Alawites, Druze, Ismaili … fundamentalist Islam (Salafist and Wahabi) exists in Syria, but it represents a minority . The Muslim Brotherhood are very popular, but should not be immediately labeled as extremists. The fear of political Islam has been used for a long time by the Syrian authorities to justify a strong system of repression. We should not forget that this fear has been used to justify the Wests friendship and business relationship with Ben Ali and Mubarak, among other Arab dictators. As Christian minorities in the Islamic world, we should not be paralyzed by fear of political Islam. Above all, this should not lead to policies and support systems contrary to our ethical values. Our long-term future, in the Islamic Umma, depend on an attitude of good-neighborliness, respect for theology and common militancy towards human progress. ”

Are religious minorities anxious for the future of Syria?

The communities that have enjoyed a privileged position in recent decades do not want to lose it of course. The situation right now is blocked, with a symmetrical escalation in violence and deadly clashes that take place every Friday, and if not every day. In some cities we already see violent clashes between people of different communities.

What can you tell us of your ministry at Deir Mar Musa?

Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi is an ancient monastery located in the desert mountains of Qalamun. After two centuries of neglect, it has been restored and houses a monastic community of monks and nuns engaged in dialogue with Islam, prayer, manual work and hospitality. Many Syrians of all faiths visit us to stay a few days, weeks or months with us. They find a place of serenity, tolerance and introspection. Finally, on a personal level, I pray that the president will accept my desire to remain in this country, as a signal of peace through negotiation on his part. For many people the signal of this community dedicated to harmony is essential for a better future. I am a religious man of Italian origin but after 30 years in this country, I feel radically Syrian. The hope of a peaceful progress, a maturing towards a pluralistic, national and secular democracy, must be renewed. It ‘is a constructive response both to the slide towards civil war and national dissolution and the danger of trying to return to how things were. A consensus democracy. ” (N.C.)
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Fr.-Dall%27Oglio-under-threat-of-expulsion-from-Syria%3a-they’re-closing-the-door-to-dialogue-23294.html

#183 yeah of course, the regime prefers only the holy men who say what they approve of, like Mofsi Hassoun who threatened the west with suicide bombers!

Dear N.Z. said# 164.

Thank you for your interest in the article.
In fact, I do not know whether the author is a sociologist or know. Also, I am not sure if he is Alawite; however, I suppose so from the way he wrote the article.
I agree with the author completely.

Mahmud Darwish, reading from the “Jidariyya”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=YlW3P1cCT2k

هذا هُوَ اسمُكَ /
قالتِ امرأةٌ ،
وغابتْ في المَمَرِّ اللولبيِّ…
أرى السماءَ هُنَاكَ في مُتَناوَلِ الأَيدي .
ويحملُني جناحُ حمامةٍ بيضاءَ صَوْبَ
طُفُولَةٍ أَخرى . ولم أَحلُمْ بأني
كنتُ أَحلُمُ . كُلُّ شيءٍ واقعيٌّ . كُنْتُ
أَعلَمُ أَنني أُلْقي بنفسي جانباً…
وأَطيرُ . سوف أكونُ ما سأَصيرُ في
الفَلَك الأَخيرِ .

وكُلُّ شيء أَبيضُ ،
البحرُ المُعَلَّقُ فوق سقف غمامةٍ
بيضاءَ . والَّلا شيء أَبيضُ في
سماء المُطْلَق البيضاءِ . كُنْتُ ، ولم
أَكُنْ . فأنا وحيدٌ في نواحي هذه
الأَبديَّة البيضاء . جئتُ قُبَيْل ميعادي
فلم يَظْهَرْ ملاكٌ واحدٌ ليقول لي :
(( ماذا فعلتَ ، هناك ، في الدنيا ؟ ))
ولم أَسمع هُتَافَ الطيِّبينَ ، ولا
أَنينَ الخاطئينَ ، أَنا وحيدٌ في البياض ،
أَنا وحيدُ …

لاشيء يُوجِعُني على باب القيامةِ .
لا الزمانُ ولا العواطفُ . لا
أُحِسُّ بخفَّةِ الأشياء أَو ثِقَلِ
الهواجس . لم أَجد أَحداً لأسأل :
أَين (( أَيْني )) الآن ؟ أَين مدينةُ
الموتى ، وأَين أَنا ؟ فلا عَدَمٌ
هنا في اللا هنا … في اللازمان ،
ولا وُجُودُ
(…)
http://mahmouddarwich.blogspot.com/2006/02/blog-post.html

NEWFOLDER @182 said: “Fact is there is only 2 paths for Syria now, either …. . Unfortunately by the looks of it, the regime is on a war footing and bent on a confrontation. This is suicide for the regime, and destruction for the rest of Syria.”

Did you ask yourself the question whether the Arab League was either manipulated or simply was not savvy enough to avoid pushing the regime into a corner, given that the regime’s response should be somewhat predictable by any astute politician? And that is, if one accepts your argument of the “only 2 paths for Syria now,” leading to “the suicide of the regime and the destruction of Syria.”

Your comment @182 has certainly raised this question in my mind.
Did the Arab League not consider these scenarios? And if they did, did they not care enough about avoiding this scenario, “the destruction of Syria” as you suggest the final result will be?

Newfolder
Thank you, I’ll quickly answer your point:

“1- regime’s use of fake videos destroys once and for all whatever little credibility it had”

I disagree not about the credibility point but ‘for all’ since in politics there is no ‘credibility’ as we both want to see, it doesn’t exist.

“invoking Colin Powel doesn’t change this fact.”
It doesn’t but it proves my point that even if there was a mistake or not in those clips the american ‘regime’ did it to justify its wars and every ‘regime’ in the world do that same.

Check out this explanation regarding one of the mistakes in Moualem clips:
http://youtu.be/h9NfL4vCo7w?t=1m45s

“2- How then can you support a regime that sanctions murdering and raping children?”
I don’t support the regime as you wrote, I support changing it but without the need to destroy Syria and killing people, I don’t know how, but I believe that using non-violence means can do the work and the results are better for the future of all of us, there is a need to organize people in political parties instead of letting them out in danger and using them.

Violence and propaganda doesn’t work on me, it pushes me away, I was looking for any smart and reasonable person in the opposition to communicate with Syrians through reasons and logic not ideology and revenge and I couldn’t find any, even when Ghalyoun get closer to this line he was immediately forced to get back to the usual bloody propaganda that is calling for violence and blood not for the freedom and protecting Syrian lives, he lost for the violence promoting side of his team and they even went further by including the weapon into their team through the FSA.

“aren’t you morally conflicted inside?”
Probably I am, but when the alternative is seeing more Syrians get killed and more Syrians become subjected to poverty and more Syrians emigrate, and more Syrians to suffer along the destroying of the fabric of the Syrian society and forcefully taking away our Syrianism, I can’t but to reject that, but I don’t justify any crime by anybody, they all criminal, the problem is that which criminal is less evil. We live in a political world of devils that will never stop until taking over everything.

“Please don’t give me the crap about the revolutionaries being just as bad, protester violence has been targeted at security men, specifically because of those types of crimes that they committed.”

Actually, I believe that most protests are peaceful, the problem is not there, the problem is with the terrorists and some evil politicians who are using the protesters for their own goals.
Yes the security commit crimes against many innocent people and they must be charged and at the same time terrorists killed many innocent Syrians too and they must be captured and charged as well, the problem here is who will do the justice process and how? Lebanon and Iraq are examples of this tragedy, hundred of thousands of people lost their lives from all sides by all sides, did any of the killers paid the price?

“Finally, whatever you may think of western media and their bias, they are a thousand fold more objective and truthful than any Syrian or Arab state media.”
I partly disagree, the western media is not more objective than any other 3rd world ones when it comes to politics and foreign affair. I see that in the NGOs work, the moral of western media is only right when the victim or the killer is one of their own, otherwise there is no just, it’s the hidden discrimination that I hate the most in the western media.

“And please no more of this global conspiracy nonsense against Syria”
I agree, there is no conspiracy whatsoever, but there is a war of interests between too many powers, some are obvious and others are sitting in the back, and all are using the pretext of the murders happening in Syria by the regime and by some terrorist groups, to justify their actions that work better for them not us, this is the reality.

“If only we had a proper visionary leader to lead us through this mess.”
I wish that too, unfortunately, it seems that we are lead by the blinds toward hell.

“This is suicide for the regime, and destruction for the rest of Syria.”
Sadly, It is, now, our only hope is our faith in God to somehow take Syria toward a better shores, I still believe in miracles, especially in Syria.

أردوغان على خطى جنبلاط .. وخطة روسية عاجلة لاحتواء تركيا
by بقلم: نارام سرجون

كل من شهد بدايات الأحداث في سوريا اعتقد أن الأمور ستعود الى سابق عهدها خلال أسايبع.. الا قلة قليلة كانت تعرف أن المشروع يتنقل على مراحل.. القيادة السورية كانت تعلم أنها تتعامل مع مراحل وأن أصعب المراحل كانت في الأشهر الثلاثة الأولى.. وقد تجاوزتها.. ومايحدث الآن هو التعامل مع المرحلة الثالثة وهي التي تحاول الضغط الاقتصادي لارهاق الميزانية وافقار السوريين وايصالهم بعد حصار طويل لقناعة كاذبة تشبه قناعة العراقيين أن التخلص من نظام الحكم قد يكون فيه الخلاص للخروج من الأزمات الاقتصادية.. لكن الفارق هنا أن القرارات بالحصار الاقتصادي عرجاء فهي ليست دولية ولا أممية وهناك كل الطرق الاقتصادية المتاحة للبدائل عبر مجموعة بريكس وغيرها..

جميعنا نبحث عن المستقبل وما يخبئه لنا.. ولو كنا نؤمن بالبصّارات وقارئات الكف لفتحنا ملايين الكفوف وشربنا القهوة بملايين الفناجين لنعرف ماذا سيقول الغد.. نتجول كل يوم على كل المحطات والمواقع علنا نسمع مايروي ظمأنا.. ولكن مشاعرنا تتأرجح فعندما نستمع لاعلام الثورجية وجزيرتهم نعرف أن هناك شطحات وسباحة في دم الناس.. وعندما نستمع لاعلام الدولة نحس أن هناك أشياء لاتقال وأن هناك حرصا على كل حرف يقال فنبقى ظامئين.. لكن سنترك فناجين القهوة والكفوف وسنترك اعلام السباحة في دم الناس واعلام السباحة في القطب الجنوبي وسنحاول البحث في مصادر أخرى ونتلمس بعض الاسرار التي لاتفهم..

فمما يثير التساؤل هو البرود السوري في الرد على أردوغان الذي يرمينا بالمنجنيق بكتل اللهب اللفظي وكتل الحجارة الثقيلة .. ماذا يثير
أعصاب أردوغان؟ دعونا لانكذب على انفسنا، فليس الدم السوري هو مايثير حفيظة اردوغان ..هذا الكلام للاستهلاك المحلي في تركيا ولدعم معنويات الثورجية ..أردوغان لم يقل 1 بالمليون لاسرائيل مما قاله ضد السوريين رغم أن اسرائيل قتلت آلاف الفلسطينين واللبنانيين وفوقهم تسعة أتراك واكثر ماقاله اردوغان في دافوس لشيمون بيريز: “تذكر أنني احترم سنك ..” أي ان الرجل قدر لبيريز وقاره وسنه ..لكن من استقبله في بيته وفتح له بلاده وذراعيه وجعله صديقا شخصيا ووكيلا سياسيا في مفاوضات السلام لم يستحق منه الا أن يصفه بالجبان رغم معرفة أردوغان أن الأسد ليس بجبان وأنه يقاتل تمردا مسلحا ..فلم ذلك؟؟ بعض الجواب الحائر طيّره لي صديق صحفي تركي تعرفت عليه أيام الأزمة السورية التركية بشأن عبد الله أوجلان ..

تعرفت على هذا الصحفي التركي الذي يعمل لصالح احدى كبريات الصحف التركية عندما قصدني للتوسط لايصاله لمكتب الاستاذ الراحل جبران كورية رئيس المكتب الصحفي في رئاسة الجمهورية أيام الرئيس الراحل حافظ الأسد ..كان يعلم بخيط ما غير رسمي وغير وظيفي وبالطبع غير عائلي يربطني بالأستاذ كورية .. الصحفي التركي قال بأنه يريد أن يجري لقاء صحفيا مع الرئيس الأسد لتقريب الشعب التركي من الشعب السوري عبر حوار شفاف مع “حكيم الشرق” كما وصفه خاصة عند بروز نجم حزب الرفاه و السعادة بزعامة نجم الدين أربكان ..لكن تفاقم أزمة عبد الله أوجلان بعد تلك الفترة ربما عطلت مشروع الصحفي التركي للقاء الأسد في ظل استفزازات مسعود يلماظ لسوريا وتفاقم النزاع ..

العلاقة مع الصحفي التركي استمرت منذ تلك الفترة ولم تنقطع وجاءت ظروف هذه المرحلة وكثرت الاتصالات بيننا لتبادل الآراء .. وقد أطلعني منذ فترة على مايتردد في كواليس السياسة التركية وفوجئت أنه يقول لي ان خلف الأبواب المغلقة مالانسمعه ولايسمح باطلاق سراحه وهو توقعات تخالف كل مايشاع: وهي ان أردوغان صار قريبا مما لانتخيله ..ألا وهو الرحيل !!..

فهناك تمرد يتبلور في داخل حزب العدالة التركي الذي بدأ يرى تخبطات أردوغان .. فمن دولة يتراجع كم العداء لها في محيطها الى مستوى الصفر في رحلة استغرقت عقدين من الزمن الى دولة كل مايحيط بها صار عدوا مرّا في فترة قياسية لاتتعدى شهرين .. ومن بلد حدوده باردة الى بلد حدوده ترتفع درجة حرارتها الى الغليان .. فتركيا دولة محاطة بأعداء أكثر من اسرائيل اللاشرعية نفسها .. فاسرائيل برّدت حدودها مع الأردن ومصر والعرب الخليجيين وفلسطينيي محمود عباس وحولتهم الى حلفاء ولم تبق سوى نافذة عداء صغيرة رغم هدوئها في الشمال تعمل على اغلاقها بشتى الوسائل لأنها تعرف أن هذه النافذة تحجب خلفها طوفان النار .. أما تركيا أردوغان فحولها اليونان وروسيا وسوريا والعراق وايران و أرمينيا و..الأكراد بالطبع .. وكلهم تحولوا بحكمة أردوغان الى محيط عدو يتربص بتركيا الدوائر..

وهناك اقتصاديون أتراك وصناعيون يتحركون لأنهم فقدوا الأمل في أوروبا واكتشفوا على العكس ان انفتاح تركيا على دول الجنوب عبر سوريا وايران والعراق ومن ثم العالم الاسلامي (بواسطة حنكة مؤسس الحركة الاسلامية التركية نجم الدين أربكان الذي جرّ تركيا من يدها نحو الجنوب) أثّر كثيرا وايجابيا في انهاض الاقتصاد التركي الذي يتبجح الاسلاميون ويتشدقون انه دفع ليكون في المرتبة السادسة عشرة بفضل الاسلاميين الأردوغانيين الذين سرقوا جهود أربكان لاثبات أن الاسلام هو الحل .. وأن الاسلاميين قادرون على ادارة الاقتصاد واجتراح الحلول الاجتماعية والمعجزات أكثر من بقية الأحزاب التقليدية في المنطقة .. وكلما دق الكوز بالجرة ذكّرنا هؤلاء المروّجون لأردوغان بالتجربة الاسلامية الرائدة ديمقراطيا واقتصاديا في تركيا “أردوغان”..ولكن للعقلاء الأتراك رأيا آخر!!
هذا الجو من الهستيريا السياسية الذي يثيره أردوغان بدأ بسرعة ينعكس على الاقتصاد التركي الذي ستظهر آلامه في الربع الثاني من عام 2012 حسب تقديرات الخبراء خاصة في ظل أزمة أوروبا التي تبدو منشغلة بانقاذ اليونان وليس تركيا.. وبالذات اذا ماتبين أن المحور السوري الروسي الايراني قد قرر تلقين تركيا درسا مهذبا لاتنساه .. درسا سيبقيه المؤرخون الأتراك أمامهم كدليل على خطل السياسة التي ترى بعيون الكركدن وليس بعيون الصقر من أعلى الذرى..

ماقاله لي هذا الصحفي التركي مثير للانتباه .. وهو أن أردوغان اعتقد أن مشروع الاسلاميين في المنطقة سيجعله زعيما عالميا بلا منازع وقائدا للكتلة الاسلامية عبر قيادته للهلال الاخواني من ليبيا الى سوريا ..وسيكون هو الرجل الذي تتجه اليه الوفود العالمية في أي شأن من شؤون الشرق الاوسط والشأن الاسلامي .. وسيكون قادرا على التـأثير في دول الخليج وعواصم النفط عبر هلاله الاسلامي كما كان عبد الناصر مهابا لدى أهل الخليج بامساكه بتلابيب المنطقة العربية بين يديه .. وسيكون بيد أردوغان الماء الذي سيبيعه للشرق من سدوده العظيمة وسيكون له بعض التأثير على أسعار النفط ..علاوة على تحكمه بخطوط امدادات الغاز من الشرق الى الغرب… أي خليفة اسلامي عصري ديمقراطي قوي تنتخبه جموع الاخوانيين في تركيا فيما هو من يوزع النفوذ التركي على المنطقة كلها من “الباب العالي” ..

مشكلة أردوغان الكبرى أن المشروع تعثر كثيرا في سوريا على غير توقع وهو الذي كان حسب الاتفاقات مع أهل الخليج والأمريكيين سينجز التحول السوري قبل رمضان 2011 على أسوأ التقديرات ..لكن العقدة السورية لم تنكسر رغم كل الضغط الهائل.. وبحسب المعلومات التي بدأت ترشح فان ماتم ضخه من مال وسلاح ومسلحين تجاوز30 ضعفا لما تم الدفع به لاسقاط ليبيا.. وقد فوجئ أردوغان وحلفاؤه جدا من التماسك السوري، ولكن أكثر المفاجآت كانت الموقف الروسي المستميت واصراره على عدم السماح بتمرير قرار في مجلس الامن حتى بمنطقة حظر جوي يحترمها الناتو ولايمدد صلاحياتها .. بل دفع الروس بشحنات السلاح وبالبوارج الحربية الى السواحل السورية .. وكان أردوغان يعتقد أن الروس لن يحركوا ساكنا وهم من تخلى عن أشقائهم السلافيين في صربيا وعن العراقيين وعن الأوكرانيين وعن الليبيين وليس هناك مايدعوهم للخروج من مكمكنهم .. الموقف الروسي المؤازر بقوة لسوريا لم يدخل في الحسابات الا من باب الأقرب الى المحال .. ولكن تبين للمحللين الأتراك أن من الغباء السياسي ألا يتوقع السياسيون أن من المحال ألا يتحرك الروس ..وذلك لاسباب كثيرة لها علاقة بتهديد الأمن القومي الروسي في العمق مباشرة لأنه في عملية تفكيك الاتحاد السوفييتي لجأت القوى الغربية الى اطلاق الاسلاميين الطالبان خارج الاتحاد السوفييتي في أفغانستان للصدام معه .. أما تدمير روسيا فسيكون عبر نقل الحركة الاسلامية الاخوانية -الطالبانية الى حدودها والى داخلها بنفس منطق الحركة الاسلامية في الربيع العربي والذي ان انتصر كليا فستتولى تركيا اكماله في روسيا ..نيابة عن الأمريكيين ..اذا ماانتهت اليها زعامة العالم الاسلامي ..

مايزيد في هياج أردوغان ومجموعته هو المعلومات التي يضعها جهاز الاستخبارات التركي على طاولته يوميا والتي لخطورتها أخرجته عن طور اللباقة الديبلوماسية وصار يتهجم على شخص الرئيس الأسد الذي حتى هذه اللحظة لم يعره اهتماما، تماما كما فعل مع (لسانيات) جنبلاط الذي تم تجاهل استفزازاته الى أن قص لسانه بعد أن طال فعاد معتذرا الى الشام .. ويبدو ان طريق جنبلاط هو الذي سيسير عليه اردوغان مهما طال لسانه .. القيادة السورية تركت أردوغان يرفع صوته لأن ماتقوله الاستخبارات التركية هو الرد السوري الحقيقي الذي يجيب على جنون اردوغان والذي تحاول الجامعة العربية انقاذه من تسونامي قادم يعد له تحالف سوري ايراني روسي ..بعد نهاية العام ..وهو ماكان يقال من أن سوريا تملك أوراقا قاتلة لم تستخدمها حتى الآن..

المعلومات والفرضيات التي وضعها أمامي الصحفي التركي مثيرة للاهتمام وهي تقول أن الروس عرضوا على الحليفين السوري والايراني خطة هجوم معاكس على المشروع الاسلامي الاخواني انطلاقا من الدولة التي كانت ستتزعم الحركة الاخوانية العالمية تستغرق بضعة أشهر.. لأن توجيه ضربة للمشروع الاخواني لن يتم الا عبر ضرب الرأس مباشرة ..وهو تركيا .. كما أن اردوغان وطموحاته يجب ان يرحلا ..
والخطة تنتظر يوم اعلان رحيل القوات الأمريكية عن العراق حيث لايعكر صفو التطبيق وجود جيش أمريكي بين سوريا وايران ..الغاية من الخطة تخفيف وزن تركيا السياسي ..واعادته الى الصواب والعقلانية ..واحترام الجغرافيا ..واعادة تشكيل الشرق الأوسط بشكل يعاكس الشرق الأوسط الأمريكي ..الذي بات يهدد الجميع

الايرانيون والروس أحسوا أن اردوغان قد كسر كل المحرمات ووضع السكين على أعناق الجميع بالسماح بالدرع الصاروخي الأمريكي على أرضه وبانكشاف نواياه بالسيطرة على الشرق عبر اسلامييه وتحالفه مع الناتو ..وهو بذلك يوجه حرابه ضد سوريا وروسيا وايران..دفعة واحدة ..جنون لايشبهه الا جنون الرايخ الثالث ..الذي بدأت نهايته عندما تحرش بعدة دول مجتمعة وعلى رأسها روسيا..

الخطة المقترحة التي نقلها الصحفي التركي لاتبدو متماسكة تماما ربما لغياب بعض التفاصيل التي لم تتح له ..لكنها تشير الى ضرب الاقتصاد التركي ضربة موجعة عبر حصار مطبق من كل المحيط ولن تتمكن البضائع التركية من التوجه نحو الجنوب وآسيا بعد اليوم فالخط السوري العراقي الايراني سيصير مثل سور الصين العظيم .. كما أن روسيا ستضيق عليه الحركة عبر الشمال..وعلى الأتراك ركوب البحر كسبيل يتيم للوصول الى آسيا بعد اليوم لتجارتهم بكل مايعني ذلك من تكاليف وتأخير لأن أوروبا محرمة عليهم .. وفي الوقت نفسه ستطلق يد الأكراد في جنوب شرق تركيا بحيث يكون التمرد الكردي من نفس عيار التمرد المسلح في سوريا باطلاق عصيانات المدن الشرقية التي اقتنعت أن اطلاق زعيمها عبد الله أوجلان لن يتم الا عبر الضغط السياسي المترافق مع ضغط عسكري هائل وربما عبر تبادل أسرى ..مستفيدة من تجربة حماس وحزب الله.. ونقل عن أن أحد البرلمانيين الأتراك المعارضين لأردوغان توجهه اليه بالتهكم قائلاً في اجتماع اللجنة البرلمانية الخارجية: سنكون محظوظين اذا ما أهدى السوريون السلاح الذي صادرته قوات الأمن السورية خلال الفترة الماضية الى مقاتلي الـ (بي كي كي) كخطوة رمزية ذات مغزى كبير ..سلاح سيكفي الـ (بي كي كي) لسنوات..!!

وسيكون أحد أهم مناطق الوجع التركي هو الاقتصاد والسياحة ..التي تعتمد عليهما أرجل وسيقان جمهورية رجب طيب أردوغان .. وبحسب هذه المعلومات ..سيضطر حزب العدالة والتنمية الى تقديم رأس أردوغان ثمنا لاعادة الهدوء الى دول الجوار وذلك بالاطاحة به بانقلاب حزبي ..وبهذا المعنى ربما يعيش “سبع البرومبة” أردوغان آخر ستة أشهر له في مكتب رئاسة الوزراء التركية ..

ووفق هذا الصحفي التركي فان العرب استعجلوا الانتخابات المصرية لاطلاق الاسلاميين المصريين الى جانب أردوغان للتسريع باطاحة الحكم في سوريا ..فيما استعجل العرب العقوبات وتعهدوا لأردوغان بتعويض الخسائر ودعم الاقتصاد التركي الذي سيتضرر ..ولكن مستشاري اردوغان يرددون على مسامعه نصيحتين ذهبيتين: الأولى: تذكر ألا تثق بعرب الجزيرة العربية.. فهم من طعنوا الخلافة العثمانية في الظهر فلا تثق بهم .. وتذكر حكمة ثعلب السياسة العالمية هنري كيسنجر وهي كلمة شهيرة له على التلفزيون تقول: “بالطبع لايمكنك أن تثق بعربي” .. والنصيحة الثانية: أسرع واكتف بما حصلت عليه ثم صالح الأسد أو ابعث بالهدنة اليه..انت تحتاج لخداعه ثانية على الأقل ..

والمفاجأة كما يقول الصحفي التركي أن هناك اعتقادا أن أردوغان بعث سرا يطلب المصالحة فلم يأت الرد ولكن الروس بلغوا الرسالة التالية التي فهمها رجب طيب أردوغان حيث كان الرد: “الأسد مشغول حالياً بدفن الجنود الذين قتلهم المسلحون بسلاحك.. انتظر رده لاحقا” .. وقد حلّق دماغ أردوغان بجناحين من الهستيريا ورد على لامبالاة الأسد بقوله في مقابلة مرتبة على عجل: “ان الأسد جبان ..وسيسقط ..” ثم بعث مهندس الأصفار اوغلو ليستحث العرب في الجامعة لاطباق الخناق على الأسد ..تعبير “مهندس الأصفار” قاله الصحفي التركي ضاحكا وأضاف: ..الآن عرفنا اين هي أصفار أوغلو ..انهم أعضاء الجامعة العربية ..كل وزير خارجية عربي هو صفر في السياسة ..الا وليد المعلم..
رادارات أردوغان بدأت تشتغل أخيرا بعد أن سكرت وانتشت فترة بانتصارات سهلة في ليبيا .. ويقول له مستشاروه اذا انطلق تمرد مسلح بعشرات آلاف البنادق والقذائف في شرق تركيا فلن تبقى تركيا قطعة واحدة بل عدة قطع مهما فعلت ولن ينقذك منها لاأمريكا ولاناتو ..لن ينقذك الا السلاح الكيماوي ..وأنت يا فخامة رئيس الوزراء لاتتحمل حلبجة ثانية مثل صدام حسين .. ولاشبيها بمذبحة الأرمن ..وتذكر أن الأوروبيين لايمانعون في تشظي بلدك ..وهم دائما ينوهون الى أن تركيا بلد غير مستقر وهذا كان دوما في غير صالح طموحاتها للانضمام للسوق الأوروبية..

ويضبف الصحفي التركي محذرا أن سوريا نفسها لن تكون بمنأى عن هذا الانفجار الكردي الذي لن يعترف به الغرب لكنه سيجعل من جنوب شرق تركيا منطقة مستقلة ذاتيا تماما كما كان شمال العراق طيلة السنوات الماضية منذ السبعينات ..والغرب لايريد من تركيا الا التزاماتها بالناتو .. ولكن التمردات الداخلية هي آخر مايمكن للناتو التعامل معه ..وتجربة العراق وافغانستان خير دليل خاصة اذا ماتولى الموضوع خبراء في هذا الشأن ومن لهم باع طويل فيه مثل السورييين والايرانيين الذين جعلوا استقرار الأمريكيين في العراق جحيما لايطاق ..
مايطرحه هذا الصحفي يبدو خياليا ولاأعرف مدى امكانية تصديقه فهو يقول ان أصدقاءه في المخابرات التركية يقولون ان سوريا اطلعت على عرض سري توسط فيه الروس والايرانيون الى جلال الطالباني ومسعود البارازاني وقادة حزب العمال الكردي بعد استشارة المالكي بأن تتعهد القوى الكردية بتجميد تحركها في ايران وسوريا وروسيا اذا ماتم دعم منح كركوك للأكراد كعاصمة لهم تشرف بنفسها على جنوب تركيا الخصب والغني بالمياه..على أن يعترف للعرب في كركوك بحقوق كاملة وأن تحتفظ الحكومة العراقية بحصتها من النفط فيها..الروس يرون أن اعادة تركيا الى حظيرتها وحجمها ولجم جنونها وامكانات تحطيمها لخرائط الشرق أهم من اعادة كركوك الى الحظيرة العربية..ويتفق معهم العراقيون والسوريون والايرانيون، فيما الأكراد يعتقدون أن النفط في كركوك والمياه في جنوب تركيا هما قوة الدولة الكردية الحقيقية ..اضافة للمغزى المعنوي والعاطفي لكركوك في خلق الكيان الكردي..

الروس يعتقدون أن هذا الاقتراح سبيل لحل الأزمة الكردية منذ الآن بدل تأجيل شيء واقع لامحالة ..فاذا حدث توافق روسي ايراني سوري عراقي على التضحية بتركيا لانهاض حل للأزمة الكردية يعني تأجيلا طويلا لمشاكل الأكراد لديهم وانقاص لوزن تركيا الاقليمي (ريجيم قوي وسريع لانقاص الوزن) ..وهو احتواء للمشروع الأمريكي ..
نقطة الخلاف هي كركوك.. لأن الأسد يشاع أنه قال مثلما قال السلطان عبد الحميد عن فلسطين: كركوك ليست ملك الشعب السوري ليفاوض عليها .. واذا وافق العراقيون على هذا العرض فهذا كلام آخر ..

الأتراك يتحركون بسرعة وفي سباق مع الزمن بالتنسيق مع العرب والغرب واسرائيل بتسريع المرحلة الثالثة من الخطة المعدة سلفا لحشد مقاتلين عربا باسم الجيش السوري الحر على الحدود للضغط قبل أن ينجو الأسد من الفخ ويطلق الضغط الثلاثي على تركيا .. فيما اسرائيل تدرس طلبا تركيا بالتحرك لانزال هزيمة مشتركة بالعقدة السورية .. لكن حسابات الاسرائيليين تصطدم دائما بسيناريو شمشون اي أن سوريا وايران لن تترددا في هدم الشرق الأوسط كله وخاصة على اسرائيل وسيكون ثمن هذا النصر في العقدة السورية باهظا جدا ..باهظا جدا ..وقد يترك اردوغان لمصيره !!

ومع هذا فقد بدا الصحفي التركي متشائما وقال: الكل سيدفع الثمن من جنون أردوغان..الأتراك والسوريون والجميع بلا استثناء والباقي سيتفرج .. لكن السوريين سيصير لهم في الحال طوق نجاة عبر تمددهم اقتصاديا بعد نهاية العام من البحر المتوسط حتى أفغانستان ونحو كل الشرق ودول بريكس .. بل ان الأردن نفسه سيستغيث لابقاء علاقته مع سوريا التي لم يفهم السوريون استراتيجية سخاء الدولة السورية في منح الاردن معاملة خاصة بالماء والغذاء طوال سنوات حتى تبين أن الغاية كانت في جعل الأردن معتمدا على سوريا.. فالحياة في الأردن معتمدة على مشيمة تصل الى سوريا وعلى ثدي سوري ..واذا قطع الارضاع تلوى الأردن عطشا وجوعا .. وخلق حالة اعتماد على الرحم السوري سيجعل الأردن أول من يصرخ من انقطاعه عن سوريا..ومهما حاول الملك الأردني لعب القمار في السياسة فهذه ليست لاس فيغاس..الملك قد يكسب في القمار في لاس فيغاس ..لكن لاعبي السياسة المحترفين في دمشق سيجعلونه يخسر للمرة الأخيرة وقد لايبقى معه الا ثمن بطاقة طائرة باتجاه لاس فيغاس (سفرة واحدة)..

“أعتقد أن الحل في رأي كثيرين لم يعد في رحيل الأسد بل في رحيل أردوغان ..بأسرع وقت..انها مفاجأة أليس كذلك؟؟!!” يختم الصحفي التركي تصوراته وملف معلوماته المثير ..الذي لاشك يحتاج تنقيحا وتدقيقا ودراسة حصيفة ..قبل التحقق من كل نقاطه..وقد نقلته بأمانة ..وسنتركه لقادمات الأيام كي تحاكمه ..

NEWFOLDER @182 said: “Fact is there is only 2 paths for Syria now, either … . Unfortunately by the looks of it, the regime is on a war footing and bent on a confrontation. This is suicide for the regime and destruction for the rest of Syria.”

Dear NEWFOLDER:
Did you ask yourself the question whether the Arab League was manipulated or whether it was simply not savvy enough to avoid pushing the regime into a corner, given that the regime’s response should be somewhat predictable by any astute politician? And that is, if one accepts your argument of “only 2 paths for Syria now,” leading to the “suicide of the regime and destruction of Syria.”

Your comment @182 has raised this question in my mind. And more questions. Did the Arab League not consider these scenarios? And if they did, did they not care enough about avoiding this scenario, “the destruction of Syria” as you suggest the final result will be.
I wonder how much time, effort and serious analysis goes into such important decisions and their consequences by the Arab League?

Even more so, it is Iran which is pushed into a corner. Either they wait for the start of “Green movement 2.0” from a few figures and the social media and extensive US Iranian networks, or they attack first.

Why doesn’t Mr. Nikolaos van Dam try to act as an intermediary, and see what the ruling clique thinks of his proposed “least bad” option?

#187 You sir are a great asset to Syria, thank you. Wish more people thought the same way you do.

#189 Yes, the Arab League had obviously considered that the regime might refuse, but honestly, what choice did they have after 8 months of near total silence on Syria? Fact is, they gave ample chance for the regime to quash this uprising by whatever means possible, as did the Turks. When Bashar was incapable of doing that, it was clear that turmoil and conflict was inevitable, unless the regime could be pressured into a back down and a compromise. I just don’t see what more the Arab League could have done in this present situation without losing whatever small modicum of relevance and credibility it still retained amongst Arabs (who, for the record are almost unanimously against the Syrian regime) and as a serious regional organization.

Syria blames the violence on terrorists and armed extremists acting out a foreign conspiracy. To back up that narrative, at a Monday news conference al-Moallem showed journalists in Damascus gruesome images of charred bodies and bearded gunmen. He said it was filmed during unrest in Syria.

But a group of seven Lebanese men on Tuesday accused Syrian authorities of using old video from Lebanon to back up the claims. They said a segment of the video was filmed during sectarian clashes in the Bab al-Tabbaneh district in northern Lebanon in 2008 — and that they appear in it.

The men took journalists to the spot where they said video was filmed.

“This is proof of the Syrian regime’s complete bankruptcy and how they resort to lies and fabrications,” said Dani Danash, one of the people whose picture was said to appear in the video.

Cutting out Syria, Turkey considers Iraq as alternate trade route as Damascus faces sanctions
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, November 29, 1:35 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/cutting-out-syria-turkey-considers-iraq-as-alternate-trade-route-as-damascus-faces-sanctions/2011/11/29/gIQAt7js7N_story.html

Is it a official UN report?

But Russia’s Foreign Minister insists the document does not reflect the official point of view of the UN as an organization, but rather reflects only opinion of the representatives of its Secretariat.

“The official UN position is announced only by its chief bodies. It is the UN Security Council first of all and the General Assembly, but neither of them has made any reports,” he said. ”

No compromise: UNSC split on Syria
Published: 29 November, 2011, 14:06
http://rt.com/news/syria-sanctions-division-un-455/

http://www.campaigniran.org/casmii/index.php?q=node/11886

BRICS blocks the US on Middle East
by M K Bhadrakumar (source: Indian Punchline)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Editor’s note: The BRICS block consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of the BRICS countries in Moscow on Thursday regarding the Middle East situation is a major development, as the joint communique testifies. The major elements are:

a) BRICS has taken a common position with regard to what has come to be known as the ‘Arab Spring’. The basic principles have been identified: focus should be on peaceful national dialogue; no excuse for foreign intervention; central role of the UN Security Council.

b) BRICS took a common stance on Syria. The key sentence is, “Any external interference in Syria’s affairs, not in accordance with the UN Charter, should be excluded.”

c) BRICS calls for a “thorough review” of the appropriateness of the NATO intervention in Libya and suggests a UN mission in Tripoli to handle the current transition process, flagging specifically a role for African Union.

d) BRICS rejected the threat of force against Iran and called for continued dialogue and negotiations. Most significantly, it criticised the US-EU moves on additional sanctions, calling them “counterproductive” measures that would ” only exacerbate” the situation.

e) BRICS lauded the GCC initiative on Yemen as an example.

This is a milestone for BRICS – and also for Russian diplomacy. The credibility of BRICS as an influential voice in the international system gets enhanced. Hopefully, from the Middle Eastern issues, BRICS will proceed to articulate common position on other regional and international issues.

Russia, evidently, took the initiative for the meeting on Thursday and the joint communique more or less adopts the stated Russian position on the Arab Spring. Russia gains diplomatically by getting the BRICS to endorse its deep concerns over the Syrian situation against the growing likelihood of a Libya-like western intervention.
Of late, FM Sergey Lavrov has been strongly articulating the growing Russian concerns. Moscow was feeling frustrated that the West and Turkey are not only interfering blatantly on Syria by smuggling arms into the country and inciting civil-war like conditions, but actively sabotaging all attempts to initiate a national dialogue between the Syrian regime and the opposition.

Equally, BRICS’s stance will be received well in Damascus and Tehran. On the contrary, it is a setback for the US and its allies who are rachetting up the tensions over Syria and Iran. No doubt, India’s participation in the Moscow meeting is a matter of particular interest. Washington will take note. Russia virtually got the BRICS to censure US’s interventionist policies in the Middle East.

Clearly, there is no scope left now for the US to get a UN Security Council mandate of any sort for an intervention in Syria. Turkey may have bitten more than it can chew on Syria. Israel also gets a rap on its knuckles.

The formulation on “equal and reliable security” for the Persian Gulf countries on the basis of a “system of relations” can be seen, arguably, as a repudiation of the NATO’s advent as a provider of security for the region. The BRICS joint communique is here.

2001 (anti-protests) Anthrax case is closed:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jhT2JLQUqdEHSCSMqcABBQxINp_A?docId=0204ccfa645a4152a3d84ec7588def

US to pay $2.5M in photo editor’s anthrax death

By CURT ANDERSON, AP Legal Affairs Writer – 1 hour ago

MIAMI (AP) — More than a decade after tabloid photo editor Robert Stevens became the first victim of the 2001 anthrax attacks, the U.S. government has agreed to pay his widow and family $2.5 million to settle their lawsuit, according to documents released Tuesday.

Stevens, 63, died on Oct. 5, 2001 when a letter containing deadly anthrax spores was opened at the then-headquarters in Boca Raton of American Media Inc., publisher of the National Enquirer, Sun and Globe tabloids. Eventually four other people would die and 17 others would be sickened in similar letter attacks, which the FBI blames on a lone government scientist who committed suicide.
(…)

“The men took journalists to the spot where they said video was filmed.”

I thought there were no foreign journalists in Syria

The pro-regime people on this blog really loves to copy and past [selectively] from “the Angry Arab”. Here is another post of his for you:

Supporters of Syrian regime
One of the most offensive argument about Arab uprisings have been produced in recent months by supporters of the Syrian regime in Syria and Lebanon. They basically now say that the Arab uprisings are the work of a US/Israeli plan to divide the region. They even say that uprisings are bad and that democracy is not suitable because the Arabs are not ready for it. They say that current regimes are preferable to any change. They resort to racist Orientalist cliches about Arabs to justify their stances in support of the Syrian regime. Anything to stay in power.

lol, awesome protest from Harasta Damascus tonight mocking Walid Mo3alem

“Allah Yibahdelak, you bought videos from Lebanon!” hahaha, awesome sense of humor!

mega cute!! little girl leads protests in Qarabees Homs. So are these the salafi zionist terrorist children Bashar wants his mukhabarat to rape and dismember?

the full UNHRC report, in Arabic. Makes for a sombre and depressing read:

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/17/docs/A-HRC-S-17-2-Add1_ar.pdf

I am very happy for the Egyptians. I hope nobody hijacks their revolution. I hope free Egypt will regain it’s leadership in the Arab world. I don’t think the Syrian revolution would’ve been possible without it happening in Egypt first. Toppling Mubarak emboldened the average Arab and convinced him/her that toppling a dictatorship is a doable act.

I was never really interested in politics therefore my knowledge is at best lacks needed depth to enable an informed opinion. Was Nasser of Egypt a national hero as we were told or was he just another dictator based on our current new standards?

@200. irritated said:

“I thought there were no foreign journalists in Syria.”

The place is in Lebanon.

DARYLL said :

“Khalid, come down to earth as you are violating certain Islamic beliefs. If it was not for the fact that there are a few good Syrian Muslims on this forum that I respect, I would have shredded your belief system to micro-pieces. You will probably tempt me but I promise to refrain”

Which Islamic belief am I violating ?

And you are gping to attack my belief system ? Shall I talk about Mary Magdalene, and her marital relationship with Jesus (alayhis salam). Shall I talk about the blessed progeny of Prophet Jesus ?

UZAIR, is Sheikh Muhammad al Yaqoubi a Sufi ? Of which order ? What is his view on Shia ? I have seen some of his videos cursing Salafis, is he pro-regime or anti-regime ?

Also I know that Shia Tahir al Qadiri is his disciple, so does that mean even Sheikh Tahir al Qadri, who is a Shia, is supporting the Syrian uprising ?

Khaled @208

Sheikh Yaqoubi is Sufi. He is Sunni, Hanafi. He is a supporter of the revolution.

I don’t know his view on Shia. P. Tahir ul Qadri isn’t a disciple of the Sheikh. P. Tahir Qadri is Pakistani and I haven’t a clue what his view is on the regime.

Humanist
“selectively”: indeed, but it remains some sort of advertisement for his website. who has curiosity can go and read for himself!

Could some of the secular anti-regime folks here explain to me if they prefer Salafist rule over Assad rule and why? Because that is the inevitable outcome of a regime-change.

Is this how Syria will look like in a few weeks?
Why can’t people just sit down and talk?

Tension grips Yemen capital despite Saleh sealing exit deal
Despite the President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s signing for the Gulf-brokered power transfer plan, fierce battles between Saleh loyalists and dissident tribesmen typify the security scene in Yemen

Ten days after President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a power transfer plan meant to end violence, Yemen’s once-colourful capital remains torn between rival gunmen as destruction looms everywhere.

The streets of Sanaa’s northern Al-Hasaba district, scene of deadly battles between Saleh loyalists and dissident tribesmen since May, are dotted with charred carcasses of cars and the red mud-bricks of traditional buildings.

And snipers are still hiding amid the debris of totally collapsed buildings.

“You can’t pass through here. The road is blocked and snipers are everywhere,” one man says as he raises his Kalashnikov.

Like others across the city, it is impossible to tell the allegiance of the gunman, who has a traditional Yemeni dagger glistening under a leather belt wrapped around his waist.

“Nothing has changed” since Saleh signed the agreement giving him and his family immunity from prosecution on November 23, laments Ahmed Hasan, who owns a bakery in the neighbourhood.

“Snipers are everywhere. Gunmen are deployed on the streets. Nights have become frightening in Al-Hasaba especially with the electricity cut off,” says Hasan.

An elderly man who requested anonymity points to sand barricades erected on the streets, saying “they were built in the past few days” after the agreement was signed.

The accord, under which Saleh remains an honorary president, calls for forming a security committee which oversees the removal of all armed men from the cities. This apparently has not yet been implemented.

The only time of the day snipers come out of their hideouts is when they gather at the market between wrecked buildings to buy qat, a soft narcotic leaf that contains cathin and cathinone, which they chew for hours, especially in the afternoon.

Nothing is left of the headquarters of the official carrier Yemenia Airways except the remains of a completely burnt down building.

The building of the ruling General People’s Congress is also in ruins as the facades of several ministry buildings have been destroyed.

Kilometres (miles) away, masked soldiers in blue suits wave their hands signalling that access is prohibited to the area, where the barracks of Republican Guard troops — commanded by Saleh’s son Ahmed — are stationed.

Nearby, gunmen in plainclothes — Saleh’s supporters often referred to by the opposition as “thugs” — block access to another street.

“We are locals. All we want is to protect ourselves,” their leader says.

The gunmen accuse tribesmen loyal to dissident tribal chief Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar of attacking them.

“Two days ago Ahmar’s militants opened fire on us when they passed by here. Therefore we have decided to block the road,” said one of them.

In the adjacent neighbourhood of Sufan, dozens of opulent houses have been destroyed in the battles, especially those belonging to tribesmen.

Trenches have been dug along the main roads as well as tunnels through which fighters move from one part of the capital to another.

A few hundred kilometres (miles) from Al-Hasaba lies Change Square, where protesters have been camping out since February.

The area is controlled by dissident troops from the First Armoured Brigade commanded by General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who pledged support for anti-regime protesters in March.

Plainclothes gunmen who support opposition tribal leaders roam around the area in pickup trucks, even though young protesters insist on keeping their revolt peaceful.

What began as peaceful protests in January soon degenerated into battles between rival army troops, security forces and protesters, and between security forces and tribesmen, leaving hundreds of people dead across the deeply tribal country.

“We need another revolution against tribalism,” said Shalil Naser, a defected member of Saleh’s General People’s Congress. “The tribes-dominated opposition is trying to exploit the youth movement.”

But a completely different world lies further south in areas controlled by Saleh’s troops.

In Hada district, Saleh’s supporters brandish his portraits as security forces led by Saleh’s nephew Yehya are deployed across the area, with songs hailing the 69-year-old playing loudly from passing cars.

“Whenever the protesters tried to reach this area, they were killed,” says Ahmed Ali, an anti-Saleh Hada resident.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/2/8/28263/World/Region/Tension-grips-Yemen-capital-despite-Saleh-sealing-.aspx

201. Humanist,

Are you sure Angry Arab is talking about the pro regime camp and not Netanyahu address to his Knesset?

A week ago, Netanyahu blasted Israeli and world politicians who support the Arab Spring revolutions and accused the Arab world of “moving not forward, but backward.” Also Netanyahu used the ” Arab Awakening” to justify his government’s inaction vis-a-vis the peace process with the Palestinians.

Seems that the Pro-regime and Netanyahu are in sync. Both view the “Arab Awakening” as a sign of moving backward.

Humanist, lest not forget Makhlouf’s friendly reminder to Israel at the beginning of the Syrian Revolution, ” Israel will be the biggest Looser”.

I am not sure why the lyrics of the late Mr. Ibrahim Kashoush comes to my mind anytime I mention the Assads and Makhloufs.

Souriya Bidha Huriyyeh.