Commenting on Patrick J Howie’s piece:

Assad did not give any concessions in the beginning. The lifting of emergency law and the party law etc. were all scheduled ahead and they were not concessions to the demonstrators. Assad made that clear during his first speech. That speech was almost perfect.

However, the fierce media and diplomatic attack apparently influenced Assad’s decision, so he started making concessions when he met the religious leaders. I can’t decide whether that was a mistake or not because I don’t have the input Assad has about the situation on the ground.

Anyway, it is obvious now that Assad has fallen into the trap of appearing as if he was giving concessions to the demonstrators, which is a fatal situation that resembles what happened in the Tunisian/Egyptian examples.

Assad was doing much better in the first few weeks than now. The course events are taking now does not bode well for him. My expectation is that the demonstrations will keep growing and growing until every Islamist in Syria will be on the street.

I don’t really know what Assad is waiting for, but if he does not start dealing decisively with these demonstrations soon, this will make me suspect that he has decided to pursue a “local solution” for the Alawites, which was what I warned against in the first week. The regime dealt harshly with the insurgents in Latakia and Banyas, but has not done the same in Deraa and Homs. This raises my suspicion about the possibility that the regime may prefer a local solution for the Alawites over an all-out civil war.

A Libyan scenario is not possible in Syria. Once the Alawites become entrenched in their ethnic homeland in the coastal mountains, the situation will become blazingly sectarian and it will not be possible for the regime to reconquer the internal areas like Qaddafi is trying to do in Libya, neither will it be possible, of course, for the Islamists to conquer the Allawite area, because many regional and most international powers will not allow it. It will be a de fatco division of Syria, and the domino effect will quickly reach other regions in Syria and the country will collapse into peaces very fast. It will not be a Somalian scenario but rather a Yugoslavian one. I just hope that we don’t see much ethnic cleansing against the Sunnis in the coast, although I expect it because the Sunnis in the coastal region will never accept to live under the Alawites and many of them will probably be kicked out or killed.

If things continue as they are, we will soon start hearing the phrase “the republics of former Syria.” The only way to avoid this destiny will be a decisive action like that of Hafez Assad in the 1980’s, but I am not sure if the regime will be allowed and if it has the will to do it.

The real problem for Bashar Assad is that his proclamations are starting to seem meaningless. It seems every few days he makes yet another speech promising reform and it has no impact on the demonstrators.

I wonder how this must make him appear to those around him? Surely this is not lost on those in the military who worry about there own survival. The possibilities of a military coup should not be dismissed.

I read your blog for years. Now I have to say it is over and I can’t take it anymore. I can’t read one more word about Syria you publish. I am going to unsubscribe, just like canceling my Facebook and shutting the TV. I did the same after 9/11. I couldn’t hear anymore. This is a nightmare and it is not ending. I hope God will prove you all wrong and that after the people causing this destruction to Syria get the freedom they want, we, the people get to keep the Syria we love. A Syria that is not part of a Great Israel or greater Turkey. Not part of a Irani / Iraqi Empire or Muslim brotherhood kingdom. I don’t know if prayers are heard but I am praying to God to prove you all wrong. None of you really care about Syria the place or the Syrian people. None of you care to preserve the little we have. We want our Syria back and away from your news. May God prove you all wrong, may God save and protect Syria.

How Ironic …

http://www.the-syrian.com/?p=1040

“Lots of deaths in Homs today. Still trying to sort out who is responsible for the killing.”

That’s a very peculiar statement Professor Landis. Astonishing in fact. Are you aware of the countless number of Youtube videos on the Internet clearly showing the army firing without discrimination?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwuUSq1_LOs&feature=player_embedded#at=12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J30xQ1UjQYQ&feature=player_embedded

These were taken in Latakia last night. Of course the regime apologists will claim it is a street in Mongolia, just like they claimed the abuses in Biyada took place in Iraq. We don’t hear them speak about it now that videos show those same unwashed thugs CHANTING BASHAR’S NAME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRLhfO8eMu0&feature=player_embedded

If, as the regime claims, “random groups of armed thugs” are shooting up demonstrators, then kindly explain the following;

1) Why are ambulances not allowed to transport the wounded. Yesterday numerous videos showed ambulances in Homs lying ideal while the army killed the demonstrators.

2) Why are the wounded being arrested at hospitals.

3) Why were the mukhabarat yesterday arresting anyone who donated blood yesterday at Homs? Blood for God’s sake.

Today the regime completely and irreversibly sealed its fate. Homs has now joined the list of massacres perpetuated by the regime, alongside Dar’a and Baniyas.

Aboud,

Do we know for sure who is giving orders to kill the protesters?

I fear both, vedat the turk and souri scenarios. The first is more probable.

Regime change will not materialize quickly, the numbers of protesters is low, on the other hand the numbers of dead is astronomical in comparison.

The killings is doing no good for either side. The violence has to cease no matter how big the protests swelled.

Salvaging the Assad regime = an end to the killing. Someone does not get it.

Michel Kilo is an activist that has a say as much as those who lost loved, brave and eloquent. Here is his position at this moment:

نعم، لا بد من حل سياسي!

ميشيل كيلو
لم يقل أحد، إلا إذا كان ساذجا، أن ما يحدث في العالم العربي سيكون انتقالا سهلا من حال إلى آخر، مناقض له: من الأمر القائم إلى الثورة، ومن الاستبداد إلى الحرية، ومن التغيير بالسلطة إلى التغيير بالمجتمع، ومن المجتمع الأهلي إلى المجتمع المدني. من يتابع وضعي تونس ومصر، حيث تم بالفعل إزاحة السلطة، فسيضع يده على محاولات تؤكد قدرة الأمر القائم على تنظيم صفوفه وبدء مقاومة في أشكال وأطر جديدة. أما من يتابع أحوال ليبيا واليمن، فهو سيرى بأم عينه كم هي كبيرة تكلفة التغيير.
قبل أسابيع سئلت عن الاحتمالات السورية، وهل هي تونسية / مصرية، تقوم على تدخل الجيش لإزاحة رموز الحكم وإنقاذ النظام، أم ليبية تقوم على انقسام الدولة إلى قسمين متحاربين، أم يمنية يقاوم رأس النظام وعسكره الإرادة الشعبية الكاسحة، مستفيدا من دعم قبلي محدود يشكل بمعنى ما قاعدة شعبية لشخصه ونظامه؟ قلت: ليست سوريا ولا يجوز أن تكون أي شيء من هذا. ولا بد أن تكون نموذجا للريادة السياسية المدنية، ببلورتها بديلا وطنيا متوافقا عليه هو حل سياسي شامل يعيد إنتاج الواقع، بما في ذلك الأمر السياسي القائم، ويضعه على مسار جديد هو مسار حرية تفيد منه جميع أطراف الجماعة الوطنية وتشارك في الانتقال إليه بطرق سلمية حصرا، خلال فترة قصيرة إلى متوسطة الأمد، كي لا يكون هناك انهـيارات أو تصدعات مفاجئة في أي مكان أو قطاع، وتنجح البلاد في الانزلاق التدريجي الآمن نحو بديل ينسجم مع الحقبة التاريخية التي بدأت قبل أشهر في بلاد العرب، وتقوم على أسس تجسد انقلابا هائل الدلالات والأبعاد على معايير وركائز حقبة الثورات التي تلت عام 1952، وكان حاملها الجيش في مصر، وحزب البعث في سوريا والعراق، وجبهة التحرير الوطني في الجزائر، والجبهة القومية في اليمن … الخ، واكتسبت شرعيتــها وبنت تجــربتها على ركــائز آمنت بأولوية السلطة على الدولة والمجتمع، والجماعة على الفرد، والشعب على المواطن، والاشتراكية على العدالة الاجتماعية والرأسمالية، والوحدة على التجزئة، والتحرير على الحرية …الخ، ثم تلقت ضربة خارجية قاتلة في حزيران من عام 1967، أدى عجزها عن تطوير رد استراتيجي شامل عليها: قومي ووطني، اقتصادي واجتماعي، سياسي وثقافي، إلى دخولها في طور احتجاز تخلت خلاله عن معظم وعودها التاريخية، وعن بعدها المجتمعي والقومي، وأحلت محلهما نظاما سلطويا سلطانيا قاسيا وشديد المركزية والشخصنة والبطش، أنتج أزمات واسعة غطت كل مفصل وقطاع في الدولة والمجتمع، ما لبث أن حصر جهوده في إدارتها، لكن الفشل كان مصير جهوده، وها هي فرصة الخروج الجدي منها تلوح اليوم في أفق العرب، بهذا الحراك التغييري / المجتمعي، الذي يجتاح بلدانهم، وكان حتى بعض قادة الأمر الواقع قد لمّحوا من حين لآخر إلى ضرورة تخلص الشعوب منه!
هذا الاحتمال المدني / التوافقي السوري يفرض أمرين: إحجام النظام عن اعتماد الحل الأمني في مواجهة الحالة الراهنة، وإحجام الحراك القائم عن الدعوة إلى إسقاطه. لا بد إذن من حل يقوم من ألفه إلى يائه على حوار وطني شامل يقصي هاتين الحالتين، كي لا تتحول البلاد إلى ساحة يتعارك فيها متشددون يزدادون تطرفا على الجانبين، تضيع فيها مطالب الشعب المحقة، التي أقر النظام بشرعيتها، بل يضيع الشعب والبلد، أيا كان الطرف الذي سيخرج منتصرا من مواجهة ستكون تكلفتها قاتلة بالنسبة إلى النــظام، الذي لا أعتـقد إطلاقا أن له مصلحة في تكسير مجتمعه، مهما اتسعت وتنوعت مطالباته، كما إلى الطرف المقابل، الذي لا بد أن يعرف أن الخطأ في حساباته لن يؤدي إلى الحرية المطلوبة، بل إلى ضياع وحدة المجتمع السوري وتدمير دولته وتفكيكها، علما بأن المستفيد الوحيد من حل أمني يكسر المجتمع وينهك الدولة ويقوض ما بقي قائما منها، ويأخذ البلاد إلى غير ما يعد أرباب الأمر بأخذها إليه، ومن شق لمجتمع وزجه في صراع عنيف يزداد تفكيكا لوحدة الشعب والوطن سيكون إسرائيل: العدو المسلح حتى الأنياب، الذي يحتل أراضي سورية ويريد المزيد منها، وسيمكنه تفكك الدولة وتكسير المجتمع من حكم وطننا بالريموت كونترول!
يتطلب الحل السياسي استمرار الاعتراف بشرعية مطالب المتظاهرين، ووضع حد لأي عمل من أعمال العنف في الشارع أيا كان مصدره، وفرز كتلة المتظاهرين المسالمين عن زمر المسلحين القليلة وحمايتهم منهم، ومحاورتهم وإقناعهم بالقول والفعل أن مطالبهم ستلبي خلال زمن معقول. بينما يتطلب الموقف المقابل الامتناع عن المطالبة بإسقاط النظام، والإقلاع عن أي قول أو فعل يهـدده أو يثير لديه الشبهات، وعدم المس بأية صورة من الصـــور بالممــتلكات العامة والخاصة، والتعبير سلميا فقط عن الرأي في أماكن محددة تحترم سير الحياة العادي والسلمي والآمن، ورفع الغطاء عن كل متظاهر يخرج على هذه المواقف، وحماية الوحدة الوطنية بحماية ورعاية المختلف في المعتقد والخيارات السياسية، وربط التظاهر بالحوار مع السلطة، بما يؤدي إلى وقفه فور تلبية المطالب العامة: المتعلقة بالحياة السياسية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية، والإحجام عن استخدام التظاهرات كوسيلة ضغط، ما دام يراد منها إبلاغ السلطة بمطالب المتظاهرين، فكيف إذا أقر أصحاب القرار بأحقيــتها، وتعـهدوا بأن يكون تنفيذها مادة حوار وطني تشارك فيه الأطراف جميعها، تسهيلا للحل وليس لتعقيد الأزمة وفرض رأي أي طرف على الآخر. ليس ما يجري في بلادنا منفصلا عما يجـري في الوطن العــربي. هناك مرحلة انتهت وأخرى تبدأ الآن في كل مكان من عالم العرب، وإن كان تحقيقها سيتم بسرعــات مختلفة وأشكــال متباينة، هنا أو هناك. هذا ما يجب أن ينطــلق منه صاحب القرار، الذي لا بد أن يؤمن باستحالة وجود حل أمني يستــطيع كبح الجديد أو القضاء على مطلب الحرية، المتأصل بالفطرة في النفـس البشرية، ولا بد أن يقتـنع بأن ما صلح الــبارحة لا يصح اليوم، وأننا نبـارح زمن الثورة العربية الذي بدأ عـام 1952، وندخل إلى مرحـلة تاريخية مختلفة ترتكز على أولوية المواطنة والحرية والعدالة والمـساواة والدولة المدنية وحقوق الإنسان والمواطــن؛ ثمة إجماع واسع على أنها ستأخذ العرب إلى زمن مغاير، أعتقد شخصيا أن لا شيء يحول دون أن يكون فيه دور لكل من يسهم في الانتقال إليه، سلمــيا وحـواريا، بما في ذلك قــادة النــظم. ومع أننا في بدايات هذه المرحلة، فإن الانخراط فيها هو الحل الوحيد، بيــنما مقــاومتها لن تكون مستحــيلة وحـسب، بل هي ستودي بأية جهة أو حكومة تحاول التصدي لها، لأسباب منها أنها ستجافي الإطار العربي العام الذي يبتعد عن النظام الراهن، ويشهد تغيرا عميقا وغير مسبوق يترتب عليه وضع بديـل لا شك في أنه سينتشر ليغـطي، وإن بعد حين، مجمل بلدان العرب، ويرجح أن يمتد خلال فترة قريبة إلى ليبيا واليمن، حيث بدأ هناك مسار الحرية، رغم شراسة مقاومة النظامين وأخذهما بحل أمني متفاوت الشدة، نشهد انهياره وفشله هذه الأيام. إلى هذا، فإن امتناع أي نظام عربي عن التغيير لن يكون ممكنا، أو سيكون بالأحرى صعبا إلى أقصى حد، داخل الإطار الدولي الذي يتخلق هذه الأيام مؤيدا تغيـير النظم العربية القائمة، حتى أنه انخرط في حرب ضد نظام ليبيا وأخذ يطالب جهارا نهارا برحيل رئيس اليمن ووضع السلطة في يد المعارضة، بينما يشق التغيير العربي طريقه نحو أحد احتمالين: نظم ديموقراطية أو إسلامية (أو مختلـطة لبعض الوقت)، سيجــد من يقاتل للحفاظ على نظامه الراهن نفسه خارجهما أو في مواجهتهما كليهما، عرضة لأن يتفجر التمرد ضده في أي حين، في ظروف ملائمة داخلية وعربية ودولية مناوئة أو معادية له، هو فيــها غريب عن داخله الوطني ومحيطة القومي والعالم، علما بأن انتصاره الأمني في الأحداث الحالية سيصيبه بضعف كبير وجدي، سيجبره على تلبية مطالب مناوئيه أو قسم كبير منها، فمن الحكمة والعقل، ومن الأفضل له ولشعبه، قبولها والتفاعل معها بإيجابية منذ الآن، ما دامت تكلفتها أقل بكثير من تكلفة الحل الأمني والامتناع عن تلبيتــها، الذي يرجح أن لا يستمر لفترة طويلة، وأن ينتهي بقبول ما تم رفضه وتم دفع ثمن فادح وتدميري لتجاوزه، دون نجاح في الحفاظ على الأمر القائم في صورته الحالية. ومن يعرف وقائع التاريخ، يعلم أن جــميع النظم التي خرجت منتصرة من صراع أهلي حقـقت، بعد قهر خصــومها، مطالبهم بصورة كلية أو جزئيــة، لقطـع الطريق على تجدد المــطالبة بتحقيقها وما قد ينجم عنها من توتر وتمرد، ولأن الإمعان في رفضها يضعفها، كما يخبرنا أحد أعظم من درسوا ثورات القرن التاسع عشر: كارل ماركس.
لا مصلحة لأحد في سوريا في حل يحبــط أو يعوق الحل السياسي. ولا مصلحة للشعب في دفع تكلفة مفزعة من أجل إسقــاط نظام يتعهد بإجراء إصلاح يستجيب للحاجة إلى التغيير والحرية. أقول هذا وأنا أعرف كم سينزل على رأسي من شتائم، وكم سأتهم بالعمالة للسلطة. لن يخرج النظام والمجتمع السوريان إلا وهما مهشمان، إن اعتمدت سياسات القوة والتطرف من جهة والانــقلاب من جــهة أخرى، وسيخرجان بسلام إن هما اعتمدا نهــجا يؤسس لحالة انتقالية فيها وحدها مصلحتهما، ونجحا في جعل مطلب الحرية الشرعي أداة لمنع صراع دموي ومجنون بين أطراف طائفية ومتخلفة، من شأن توسعه وسيطرته على الشارع سد الطريق إلى الحرية، وتكسير وتقويض كل شيء في بلادنا: من الدولة إلى المجتمع والسلطة والحياة الوطنية، وخراب وطننا إلى زمن يعلم الله وحـده كم سيطول، ما دام انتصار أي طرف سيأخـذنا إلى فوضى معمــمة وتفــكك شامل، وسيطلق موجات من العنف لم تشهد سوريا مثيلا لها في تاريخها الطويل، الأمر الذي يسوغ خوف جمـهرة المواطنين الواسعة جدا من تفاقم الأمور، ويفسر إلحاحها على حل سياسي / سلمي / حواري / اخوي مفتوح على تفاهم تدريجي يصون السلم الأهلي والمدني والنظام العام، أساسه تلبية مطالب الشعـب. لا يجــب أو يجوز أن يكون هناك مصلحة لأحد في فتنة تقوم أو تدوم، فالــبلد منهك، والنظام قبل مطالب المتظاهرين وحـدد برنامجا زمنيا قصير الأمد لتحقيقها، بدورهم، يقول المتظاهرون: سلمية، سلمية ـ حرية، حرية ـ الشعب السوري واحد. ومن واجب الجهتين الضرب بيد من حديد على رأس العصابات والشبيحة، أينما وجدوا وكائنا من كانوا، لأن إجرامهم وإجرام من يساندونهم يقوم على منع الحوار والتفاهم وبناء عقد وطني جديد يخرجنا سلميا وسياسيا من أزمة يعمقونها ويسعرون نارها، دافعين بالبلاد والعباد إلى هاوية سحيقة تكاد تكون بلا قاع.
ليس الوضع سهلا، وهو يزداد تعقيدا وصعوبة. والمواجهة التي ترتسم اليوم ليست بين السلطة وحزب أو قلة، وهي لا تدور في ظل غطاء عربي ودولي يساند نظاما يمتلك قواعد شعبية واسعة، كما كان الحال في ثمانينيات القرن الماضي، والعنف ضد الأجيال الشابة خطير ويجب تجنبه، فلا بد إذن من الإسراع في فتح منافذ التفاهم بالحوار، ليخرج وطننا من الأزمة عزيزا كريما، وشعبنا متآلفا موحدا، وننخرط في طور انتقال آمن، حريتنا ووحدتنا الوطنية والشعبية وسلامة دولتنا نتاجه وضمانته!
لا حزب ولا غطاء دوليا. فترة زمنية محدودة يرجح أن ينجح الحل فيها، آخر الشهر.

Aboud,
you and people like you are so readily able to belive things that appear to your liking, but when the other side produces something which is of equal legitimacy or even more, you will deny it. I understand that there are some crazy people who will do really stupid things from both sides. And so too should you. I bet all those ínnocent protesters’ which are defacing public property are of no concern to you. I bet that man who was caught trying to smuggle weapons into Syria from Iraq yesterday is also going unseen by you.

Australian-Syrian,

My God man what planet do you live on? Don’t you think that every Syrian wants to believe that the young men in our army are incapable of murdering their own people? Or that we don’t yearn to passionately believe in and rally behind a leader who has our interests at heart? Don’t you think that every mother, father, brother and sister in Syria wants to believe that a bright future lies just beyond the horizon?

When SANA put forward credibly sounding explanations that the abuses in Biyada were actually in Iraq, I was relieved. I believed them BECAUSE I passionately wanted to believe that such things do not happen in Syria.

So imagine my shock, dismay and hot white anger when their explanation was proven to be a pack of clumsy lies, when videos of those same thugs chanting Bashar’s name was posted on the Internet

I am now doubly furious, that my government would sanction such horrendous abuses, and that they would insult the intelligence of a country by lying so clumsily.

We want to believe, but the regime has given us nothing to believe in except clumsy lies. What do you regime apologists expect an entire country to believe in? Roaming cars of shadowy armed men gunning down civilians? Or do people believe what they see with their own eyes; a relative dead who just this afternoon was burying another relative, a repressive government hell bent on postponing the inevitable at the cost of Syrian lives.

We no longer expect to believe, we expect that every liberty will have to be gained the hard way. Bashar could have been the Arab world’s greatest leader since Abdulnasser, but he squandered the chance.

Does any intelligent person deny that the regime sealed its fate with the massacre at Talbisa yesterday? Over a dozen dead and 50 wounded! That’s 50 people who for the grace of God would have been buried today. When someone shoots you, they shoot to kill, not to wound.

The people who will be buried this day were yesterday paying their last respects to relatives and loved ones. Today they join them in their graves, all so that Rami fucking Makhlouf can keep charging 7 liras a minute for mobile calls.

@N.Z Who is president of this country, Bashar or Maher? I believe it is the former whose face adorns the posters. His men, his army, acting in his name, so HIS RESPONSIBILITY. What kind of a president gives the best armed Syrian army division to a commander who thinks he is a law unto himself. The men in the 4th Division can smash throw anything the Israelis through at them, and yet they are sent to shoot at civilians in Dar’a?

Aboud,

I rest my case, you are right.

@ ABOUD in post 10

Salutations. Very nicely worded text. Thanks for taking the time to write this.

Giving people freedom is not a concession! It is their right that no one (including the one who inherited the country from his father) can deny it to the people!

As I said before, unless Bashar will change or he will be changed!!! Sooner or later, the people will succeed in removing a dictator oppressive regime!

Information has come to hand that not only were there 3 cars full of armed men shooting randomly in a Tartous, but, In small villiages on the outskirts of Tartous – (Al Hassneh would be naming one), there have been a now, for number of days people terrorising them after dark, where they are frightening children and women by peering through windows, destroying property and trying to knock down doors where then they feel women are there alone.

The residents are so frightened now, that the men are taking 2 hour shifts in numbers of 20 to protect their villiages throught the night.

The terrorist thugs are seeking out certain villiages with the sole intention of terrorising and harming innocent women and children.

This is the result of the incited uprisings. Destroying infastructure, terrorising innocent civilians, shooting at people and businesses randomly with no thought of the deaths and damage they are causing and execution style shootings.

The Syrian Revolution, what a wonderful organisation that has turned out to be. Calling for the Syrian people play right into the hands of the evil outside entities trying to destabalise Syria.

“Two witnesses said security forces killed three mourners when they opened fire on a funeral for a man killed the day before, which turned into a demonstration on a highway outside the town of Talbiseh, north of the central city of Homs.”

What were the security forces doing at a funeral? I find it very strange that the security forces would kill 3 mourners in cold blood. If they were taken by a killing spree they would have killed much more than 3. What the ‘witnesses’ don’t say is if there was any “provocation” from the ‘mourners’, armed or not.

These half-reports only intice cycles of revenge and violent feelings. Maybe that is what some wants to increase the ‘number’ of protesters.

Dr. Landis,
Just saw that the WikiLeaks story is featured on the homepage of The Washington Post online… very disturbing. I know U.S. citizens currently living/studying in Syria who are determined to “ride this out” and stay in the country they have grown to love, but I worry that this news will impact their safety. I’d be interested to hear your opinion on this.

Why-Discuss,

Im pretty sure that what im about to say is a different story to yous, but if it is not please let me know.

I heard that a general, his son and his grandson were just shot and killed recently by a 3esabe (Mufia) in Syria. Now i am not so sure about anyone else, but i think that shows how ‘peaceful’ the anti-government protesters or fighers or whatever you call them, are. They are the most dangerous people in syria now, and they should be incarcerated. They will not stop until Bashar is no longer the President, and they dont care how many innocent people they kill to get what they want. They are monsters. And they are dangerous.

God protect Syria and Bashar al Assad, and his people from such animals.

Australian-Syrian

There is no doubt that the ‘peaceful’ demonstrators’ have been pumped up with the sense of revenge and have been armed to create an escalation of violence. The opposition has never had such an golden opportunity. They will take advantage of it ‘at any cost’: The more chaos there is the less Bashar and the present governemnt can control it and it may loose the confidence of the people.
It is the opposition last chance. If they fail, they will be crushed for a long time, they know that and this is why they use any means however dirty to keep the fever up.

Some opposition intellectuals are starting to realize that this approach is a dead end. Yet they don’t speak loud enough. The opposition has a sketchy program of reforms and without an army, the country may fall into the hands of greedy neighbours.
Yet, the short-sighted view of the demonstrators and the opposition is shocking and dissapointing

WD,
Welcome to the new banana Republic of Syria,

Why Discuss.
You have a point and have exicuted it well. Those mongrils will not stop at anything even it it meant killing their own families i bet. They are trying to ceate as much chaos as possible so eventually Bashar will lose the faith of the people. Lets hope and pray that that wont happen.

Why- Discuss,

If the opposition intellectuals are starting to see that this approach is a dead end, so must the people on ground killing and terrorising as they are requested. So should the people supporting the Syrian revolution movement. So should the media that continually broadcasts old/fake footage with lie upon lie.

Shouldn’t there be a call for people to speak up against these movements and outside negative forces behind this situation, let them know that the call for violent uprising, terrorising, distruction of infastructure, businesses and private dwellings should stop?

Shouldn’t some of the people commenting on this blog, although supporting the Syrian revolution organisation see the death and destruction that this has caused to Syria and it’s people?

How many more deaths, terrified innocents and shop owners counting the costs of not only destroyed property but loss of business before they decide there last chance is over?

How many more people are to lose there fathers, brothers, children before they stop trying to smuggle illegal weapons into the country, provide further ammunition and enable to situation to be fueled further?

Syrias economic growth has taken a big hit because of this situation. I suppose the ones behind this are pleased that at least that went according to their plan.

If we are in real land, not lala land, and if there is a real government, when they see the chaos created by the presence of security forces, the head of the police, army or what ever gentleman who should be assigned to this situation, first thing they do, they let all security dress formal clothes, order the secrete agents to stay away, and escort the protesters with respect and dignity. This is not happening in Syria because of the chaos in hierarchical structural of the regime, which is going to take him down. There is uncontrollable elements in the system that can not accept the burning of a poster, or the breaking of their symbols and going crazy trying to punish the civilians and youth who by now are not afraid. People usually whisper their names, now it is becoming louder. Those what called Shapeeha, are supported by many army units and secrete services and they work together now to destroy the country, because they can not imagine loosing power. They have been shouting for ever for long time.
number of protester in Homs now reached 100,000.

Trustquest,

I believe the police officers are dressed in formal clothes. If the special security forces are not in formal clothing, well I say that anywhere in the world it is as such. I believe the security forces are there to secure the protection of the protesters and quite possibly police officers who constantly come under attack by armed gangs emerging from these protests.

Burning down posters and destroying property is not accepted anywhere in the free world. Protesters would be arrested immediately, fines issued and court cases held.

I dont see why Syria should be looked down upon by doing the same thing to protect the country and its people.

Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking reform is all the uprisings are about. Outside agenda’s, trying to prevent economic growth in Syria, scare foreign investers from investing in the countries growth or withdrawal of any quotations provided for investment, therefore stunting the growth of Syria to enable them to invade Syria and all it stands for to implement their own agenda.

** الإخبارية السورية **
اختطاف العقيد (معين محلا) بالامس وهو خارج دوامه الرسمي في حمص وقتله والتمثيل بجثته من قبل مسلحين مجهولين واهالي قرته (عين العروس) يعلنون غضبهم.
51 minutes ago

** الإخبارية السورية **
حمص : تشييع بعض الشهداء المدنيين في مقبرة الكثيب الاحمر ومسلحون يطلقون النار باتجاه حي الزهرة الذي ينتظر تشييع العميد عبدو تلاوي واولاده.
2 hours ago

Instead of spreading rumors, accusing one another and shedding tear of self-pity, you should be focused on: What is next.

This regime is over. Nothing can save it now. Let me predict that by January 2012, Bashar is either in prison or in exile (London? Tehran? Tel Aviv?).

Now is the time to plan for the future. By ‘future’ I mean the coming months, not years. What are the means to bring a positive outcome to this uprise? An interim government? Interim constitution? Asking international institutions to help? help in organizing future elections, for example?

Stop wasting your time on speculating about the future of this regime. It’s end is inevitable. Now plan your future, the day after the Asads.
.

Look in the dictionary for “dignity”, “freedom”, “nepotism” and “corruption”.

What is good for you is good for all.

Jad,

This is getting beyond ridiculous now. First executing the general, his 2 sons and his nephew, now another and even worse, not even leaving his body with dignity, but degrading it. This gets worse by the minute.

Amir in Tel Aviv,

Either you are not a very good psychic, or your powers of perception are off. I think you should stop wasting your own time with this nonsense you are writing.

Gather 50 Syrian intellectuals, assign then with a task: Draft an interim constitution for Syria. Do it now. Give the Syrian people hope. Make them busy with the future, instead of being busy with the demons of the past. And do it NOW.

SYAU,
Only the future can tell. Let us wait and see.
.

5 lines out of 10 page long speech of Jr to the new cabinet, made reference to the victims of his regime’s, bloody crackdown.

وقال الرئيس الأسد: بهذه المناسبة طالما أننا نتحدث عن المرحلة التي نمر بها الآن فأنا أقول إن الدماء التي هدرت في سورية آلمتنا جميعاً.. آلمت قلب كل سوري.. حزناً على كل شخص فقدناه وعلى كل جريح نزف دماً وندعو الله أن يلهم أهلهم الصبر والسلوان ونعتبرهم شهداء جميعا سواء كانوا مدنيين أم شرطة أم من القوات المسلحة.. وعلى كل الأحوال لجنة التحقيق تستمر في عملها لمعرفة أسباب ما حصل وتحديد المسؤولين ولاحقاً تحاسبهم.

The day after the speech, dozens more were killed in Homs.

Jr. cheated us; He is self-prescribing pain killers!

Amir in Tel Aviv,

“only the future can tell, lets wait and see”

Lets wait and see…… An interesting concept. Pass it on to the Syrian Revolution organisation, they want everything implemented now, or, yesterday rather than today. And, still they are not happy, calling for further uprisings and fueling hatred amongst Syrians. I still think psychic is not a good fit on you.

Revlon,

your comments are becomming quite witty.

Although I will be advising you that the deaths in Homs were a result of the uprisings and infastructure damage, with armed thugs, courtesy of the Syrian revolution’s call for uprisings, being their unfortunate trigger happy selves.

SYAU,

Bashar has been in power 11 years! I think that currently there is no Western leader that has been in power that long. A kid entering first grade when Bashar started his rule is now graduating. He had plenty of time and chances, and he blew it.

Judging from the comments on Syriacomment.com I can conclude that Syria just moved into civil war stage one. Other confirmations are the condition of the Syrian banks and the arms, simple and professional, in the hands of the demonstrators. I think President Assad is managing it as such. I think the only solution is to wait a good amount of time. After that, when the civil war shows its real danger and pain, to the majority Syrians and the world, move the army to crush it. Just as Assad senior did in Lebanon and Hama civil wars. As long as Syria keeps its loyal army intact and safe from western powers all will still be manageable. Replacing Emergency Law with Patriot internal security laws, changing governments, abolishing Baath party, or even submitting the president’s resignation will not stop the current chaos.

Mr.President,

Good point.

It’s getting uglier by the minuet in Homs:
-The assassination of a brilliant young Syrian in Homs, Issa Aboud
http://www.zaidal.com/229/Syria_Homs/topic/767-1.html  
-500 are gathering in downtown Homs and the pro government/regime are planning to go down too
-Peacefully destroying the tank of chloride used for drinking water and drop it inside the drinking water of Homs

Lattakia:
A new army man is killed, Ahmad Ahmad Kheir beik

There is no such a thing as moderates ‘former members of the MB’. The cable tries not to give the impression that the US is funding the MB in order to get rid of Bashar. But this is what they have always done.

The brotherhood has prospered under the auspices of Saudi Arabia and the US, expect more sept. 11th. These are lunatic fanatic backward people.

Giving these people democratic reforms is like giving what we say in French de la ‘confiture aux cochons’

Checkpoints at every village remind me of the civil war in Lebanon and the state of anarchy we were in.

There will be no progress and no democracy in the Arab world as long as Saudi Arabia and its Islamist proxies, backed by world powers like the US, exert hegemony over other Arab countries.

The Syrian revolution has already been hijacked. I am very skeptical right now about Egypt. My only hope is Tunisia.

If the MB are trying to foment civil war in Syria, they will loose. The Syrian army and regime have an extensive experience form monitoring the Lebanese civil war. But my heart goes to the Syrian people who will suffer.

I lived six years of the civil war in lebanon and that left me with a life long trauma. At the end, it is the people who will pay for this dangerous game.

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for reforms and against dictatorships but because of my Lebanese experience, if I were to choose between a peaceful dictatorship and a civil war, I will not hesitate. Nothing good comes from a civil war.

Syria is a dictatorship but Assad is not a dictator, if he were, he would not have acted as he is acting now. So there might be a hope that with the people and their leader, the dictatorship will change, while civil war kills hope, security and rights.

why-discuss said “There is no doubt that the ‘peaceful’ demonstrators’ have been pumped up with the sense of revenge and have been armed to create an escalation of violence. The opposition has never had such an golden opportunity. They will take advantage of it ‘at any cost’: The more chaos there is the less Bashar and the present governemnt can control it and it may loose the confidence of the people.It is the opposition last chance. If they fail, they will be crushed for a long time, they know that and this is why they use any means however dirty to keep the fever up”

We are heading to Sectarian war. The opposition is deaf to anything president Bashar will offer. Unfortunately and let me say it frankly they want him out and they want him to step down. They are driving the country to bloody days ahead of us. They want the Alawi leader to step down. The Alawi will never ever let that happen. many Alawi who were previously opposing the Assad are now more than ever organized, armed, and made check points in the villages to protect their families. This is going no where….THis is for sure headings towards a civil war….I was very optimestic about his second speech that the people might give him a chance…..Does not look like they will do it. It will be another Hama but this time Syria would be that Hama. I called back home and people started storing food…whoever has a hoime in the village is fleeing there…..The history of SAFAR BARLEK is back to minds. The Ottoman masacare of Alawi, christians, and Amrmenians is the current talk……and I tell you what…The mountains in the coast of Syria are ready….if this not going to be controlled I am afraid they may not even wait……….Few weeks from now we may not be talking about reform or freeomd anymore. God knows where this is going to end. The opposition last chance would be an international intervention which may even bring the region to flame…..

@ Amir in Tel Aviv

Hi Amir. I agree with you that the days of Bashar Assad are over. However I think you may be mistaken about the results in the near future. I think its much more probable that the Assad Dynasty will come to an end via a coup… this is after all the Middle East!

I think that the Assads fear this as well and hence why reports have surfaced that large numbers of Iranian Revolutionary Guards have been welcome into the country. I think that the regime is gambling that such a presence of outside forces loyal to them will act as a deterent to any ambitious Colonels / Generals. Such a move could also backfire as historically the presence of such outside forces acting as overseers of an army tend to be viewed with hostility by the indigenous forces. If that were the case it would be a very bloody day for the Iranians.

I can’t see how to stop the things getting uglier without announcing elections.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGhdld_MMVg
someone in Hims tells yesterday’s story.

علي حيدر: اذا ضربت الشام فالمشكلة في لبنان كبيرة

17 نيسان 2011
أوضح رئيس الحزب “السوري القومي الإجتماعي” علي حيدر أن “الطريق الأصوب لمواجهة التحديات، وتجنيب الشام الكأس المرة، هو الحسم في إستعادة الثقة بين الشعب والأجهزة الحكومية، لكي تسود ثقافة الحوار، على إعتبار أن هناك قوى سياسية حية يجب إشراكها في عملية إنتاج المشروع المستقبلي في سوريا، كونها حريصة ومخلصة للوصول الى بر الأمان”.
وأكد خلال لقاء مفتوح في راشيا، حول التحديات الجديدة في الامة والعالم العربي، نظمته منفذية البقاع الجنوبي العامة في الحزب “السوري القومي الاجتماعي”، ضمن نشاطات “التحالف الوطني التقدمي”، “أهمية التشاركية للخروج من المأزق”، معتبرا “أن التغيير من الخارج صعب ومكلف ويؤدي بالبلاد الى الهلاك، والشام تختلف عن غيرها، والتغيير من قبل النظام وحده غير كاف”، لافتا الى أن “المسؤولية تقع على الجميع”.
ولفت الى أنه “بغض النظر عن عقلية المؤامرة، إذا ضربت الشام، فالمشكلة ستكون كبيرة في لبنان، وهذا ما يسعى إليه الكيان الصهيوني العنصري، لكي يكتسب مشروعية ووجودا مقابل كيانات عنصرية”.

http://www.elnashra.com/news-1-551472.html

The crimes of Islamic terrorists started in Syria by killing people from Alawait….They killed innocent officers who were not in their duties with their children….They are repeating the 1980th period…..Alawait people will not keep silent and few days later …nobody will be able to control the situation….. they will defend their lives which radical Muslims terrorists are trying to eradicate……
– نقلت الإخبارية السورية عن مدير المشفى الوطني في حمص تأكيده بوجود تنكيل وتشوية لبعض جثث ضحايا أمس واستخدام الأدوات الحادة في تقطيع أوصالهم.
– إغتيال المخترع العالمي الشاب عيسى عبّود في حمص وهو أحد الادمغة النادرة في تاريخ سوريا كان قد حصل على جائزة أصغر مخترع… في العالم .. وله عدة أختراعات وأكتشافات علمية مهمة منها تخزين المعلومات الألكترونية على الخلاية الحيّة.
– الكلاب والخونة إختطفوا العقيد معين محلا في حمص على إشارة المرور وهو ذاهب لمنزله وقتلوه بدم بارد ومثلوا بجثته الطاهرة حيث عثر على جثته في ساعة متأخرة من ليل أمس وقد تعرضت للتشويه والتمثيل بطريقة وحشية. وأفادت مصادر بأنه عثر بالقرب من جثته على شعارات طائفية ومذهبية.
– العميد عبدو تلاوي والعقيد إياد حروفش اللذين اغتيلا يوم أمس ، حيث اغتيل الأول مع ثلاثة من أبنائه بينما كان خارج الخدمة.

Dr. Fawaz,
Could you PLEASE don’t use the sectarian issue on here, we all are Syrians regardless of our religion or sects, we are loosing Syrians regardless of their religions, blood doesn’t have any sect.
It’s not a civil war, riots and clashes like these happen allover the world, and if we keep using the sectarian issue so lightly people will exaggerated to a point where things can go uglier.
We are all Syrians.
Thank you

Fadi,
You too are exaggerating with your sectarian fears, no Syrian will kill his brother or his sister because they are different in religion, sect or ethnicity, it wont happen in Syria, Christians, Muslims, Druz, Alawites, Ismaelis and even Jews together build Syria and no body and no one in the whole world can change that, you see, things may get ugly, many innocent may be killed, but as long as we all believe in Syria as our religion things can be fixed, in the middle of this grim a stronger and better Syria will be born, just believe in that.

Jad,

Thank you for that comment. I have been pleading with Syrians all over not to fall into the sectarian trap, as this is exactly what the enemy wants. Once we start believing that one sect is threatened by another and that this sect should fight that sect we are going to fall into ugly ugly whirlpool of violence the consequences of which no one knows. We have to remain aware and steadfast in front of all these nonsensical claims and media propaganda.

from cryptome:

U.S. Secretly Backed Syrian Opposition
April 18th, 2011
Via: Reuters:

The State Department has secretly funded Syrian opposition groups, according to diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The cables show that the State Department has funneled as much as $6 million since 2006 to a group of Syrian exiles to operate a London-based satellite channel, Barada TV, and finance activities inside Syria, the Post said.

Barada TV began broadcasting in April 2009 but has ramped up operations to cover the mass protests in Syria that began last month as part of a long-standing campaign to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad the Post said.

The U.S. money for Syrian opposition figures began flowing under President George W. Bush after political ties with Damascus were frozen in 2005, the newspaper said.

The financial backing has continued under President Barack Obama, even as his administration sought to rebuild relations with Assad, the Post said. In January, the White House posted an ambassador to Damascus for the first time in six years.

The article said it is unclear whether the United States was still funding Syrian opposition groups, but the cables indicate money was set aside at least through September 2010.

An uprising against Assad’s authoritarian rule have spread across large parts of the country. Rights groups put the death toll at more than 200 people. Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed gangs.

1- The Regime is showing its true colors. Bashar’s 2nd speech was full of hidden warnings. Like the following: “When this package of laws is passed, there will no longer be a need to organize demonstrations in Syria. What will be immediately required of the relevant bodies, particularly the Ministry of Interior, is to implement the laws strictly and rigorously and not to tolerate any act of sabotage. “
He equates the demonstration for people’s right to sabotage. I am sure they will introduce new sabotage laws to allow security forces to shoot first and ask questions later.

2- SANA Vs other news organizations in general and Al Jazeera in particular. During the gulf wars and Israeli war crimes against the Lebanese and Palestinians, everyone on this blog (except AP and AIG) was in awe of the ALjazeera coverage. Bush I and II bombed it, the Israelis called it names and prevented it from doing its work. The Mubarak, Ben Ali, Saleh, Khalifah and Qaddafi clans blamed it. Now the Syrian clan is doing the same. That is fine; they have to find someone to blame their mess on. But to have intellectuals buy into the SANA story line is very sad.

3- Those dam infiltrators. We all agree that
a. Syria and Syrians have been under emergency law for the last 50 years.
b. Mukhabarat nad their thugs have been in business for over 40 years
c. Syrians are not allowed to get, buy, carry or have any weapons of any kind.
d. Mukabarat through their thugs know everything about everyone.

To me how could these infiltrators move around the country so easily with all the above is mind boggling? If it is true, the head of all security and intelligence agencies should have been fired and arrested for treason. Look at this video and tell me if these look like a group of mundaseen as the government claims.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SHAMSNN#p/u/0/uGUcefOkjtw

4- Good cop Vs. Bad cop. Haven’t we seen this song and dance before? 7afez and brother in the first release. Now starting Bashar and Maher. Are we that stupid to buy into it again? Bashar is in charge. He is responsible for everything that is happening in Syria and to Syrians. If his brother is committing crimes against Syrians and humanity, he should be brought to justice. If not, Bashar and the rest are accomplices to the crimes and they need to be brought to justice.
5- I have noticed when new people start contributing to this blog, they get attacked and their identity as a Syrian gets questioned if they don’t agree with the regime’s policies. I myself was questioned by few people. We need to be above that. Don’t dehumanize your fellow Syrian and for a matter of fact anyone else.

JAD
it is the truth my friend…..We are not happy when we are telling it….but all minorities in Syria are afraid from radical Muslims who are historically ready to kill all other people who are different with them…People are feeling bad….The regime is avoiding the over use of power to avoid a civilian war …Radicals want this war to bring the outsiders to invade Syria to remove the regime…basically they want another Iraq in Syria …This is the truth and days will prove it…..I do not understand why States repeat the same bad symphony in the middle east….. The coming days are very bad ….God protect all and save all the world from Islamic terrorists

it is interesting that the killing by “Muslim Terrorist” happens when the people take to the street asking for change and repeal of bad laws but the same thing does not happen when “supporters” or the president take to the street in support of the existing government.

Why are the Wikileaks published by al-Akhbar (those on Hariri calling for Asad’s removal and saying that he should be replaced by the MB) not on the Wikileaks website ?
Same for the cables published earlier in December (http://www.yalibnan.com/2010/12/03/al-akhbar-newspaper-publishes-u-s-cables-not-found-on-wikileaks/)

Saudi Arabia is driving an international and Arab campaign to isolate Iran. It is all over the newspaper. Syria is an ally to Iran and Saudi Arabia wants Syria to bow to their demands and split from Iran.
The hatred and fear of Wahabbi Saudi Arabia for Shia Iran is converging with the US/Israel plan in the region: Iran must be out of the picture before September when Palestine will press for recognition in the UN. Israel and the US want to stop this at any cost.

Another Iran ally, Hezbollah, used to be the prime target but it has shown his teeth and kicked Saudi Arabia puppet, Hariri Jr, out of the Lebanese government. Therefore the target is now Syria. Weakening Syria will weaken Hezbollah, isolate Iran and indirectly weaken Palestinians.
Yet the US is not sure that the next regime will be friendlier to Israel, the US and Israel fear that removing Bashar could have a worse effect on Syria-Israel relationship.
In the absence of recognized syrian “revolution” figures, the US is not able to make that assessment therefore the situation may drag on until some ‘revolution’ leaders emerge, if ever.

In the meantime if Bashar is able to crush ruthlessly the opposition and its cronies, he will be condemned by the international community, the same way Iran was condemned numerous time.
The question is: Does Bashar have enough guts to crush without discrimination the armed opposition and bear the international condemnation or he is too faint-heart.

Demo in Homs today. Bearded DJ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeX1u0tPzY8
Remind me of Qardawi everyday on al Jazeera calling for the fall of Ben Ali, then of Mubarak, then of Qaddafi, and now of al-Asad (did he say anything about Ali Abdallah Saleh using nerve gas?).
By the way, if the MB sympathizers had not taken to the streets after a few weeks of protests, inspired by Qardawi, the Egyptians would still have O. Suleiman. It is only with the MB masses that the number of protesters became impossible for the authorities to resist. Only the Tunisian revolution was “clean”. The rest came from a domino theory and the reasons explained by Why-Discuss just above.
I think that if he announces elections with international observers he can still avoid a bloodbath.

@ WHY DISCUSS

Hi WD. I agree with you that the Saudis want to see the removal of the Assad regime. But I am puzzled why this comes as such a suprize to you? After all Bashar Assad has repeatly gone out of his way to antagonize the rest of the countries in the region. Several attempts at rapproachment were made to him and he rebuffed them all. He made it very clear early in his reign that he had chosen the Iranian hegemony at the expense of the countries of the region. So now these countries want to see his regime fall.

To put it another way: Syria has repeatedly meddled in Lebanon to the advantage of the Iranians and disadvantage of the Saudis. Now the Saudis are meddling in Syria. This was to be expected.

In my opinion this has been the biggest failure of Bashar. Unlike his father he isolated himself and now is all alone with nothing but adversaries for neighbors.

1- The Regime is showing its true colors. Bashar’s 2nd speech was full of hidden warnings. Like the following: “When this package of laws is passed, there will no longer be a need to organize demonstrations in Syria. What will be immediately required of the relevant bodies, particularly the Ministry of Interior, is to implement the laws strictly and rigorously and not to tolerate any act of sabotage. “
He equates the demonstration for people’s right to sabotage. I am sure they will introduce new sabotage laws to allow security forces to shoot first and ask questions later.

2- SANA Vs other news organizations in general and Al Jazeera in particular. During the gulf wars and Israeli war crimes against the Lebanese and Palestinians, everyone on this blog (except AP and AIG) was in awe of the ALjazeera coverage. Bush I and II bombed it, the Israelis called it names and prevented it from doing its work. The Mubarak, Ben Ali, Saleh, Khalifah and Qaddafi clans blamed it. Now the Syrian clan is doing the same. That is fine; they have to find someone to blame their mess on. But to have intellectuals buy into the SANA story line is very sad.

3- Those dam infiltrators. We all agree that
a. Syria and Syrians have been under emergency law for the last 50 years.
b. Mukhabarat nad their thugs have been in business for over 40 years
c. Syrians are not allowed to get, buy, carry or have any weapons of any kind.
d. Mukabarat through their thugs know everything about everyone.

To me how could these infiltrators move around the country so easily with all the above is mind boggling? If it is true, the head of all security and intelligence agencies should have been fired and arrested for treason. Look at this video and tell me if these look like a group of mundaseen as the government claims.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SHAMSNN#p/u/0/uGUcefOkjtw

4- Good cop Vs. Bad cop. Haven’t we seen this song and dance before? 7afez and brother in the first release. Now starting Bashar and Maher. Are we that stupid to buy into it again? Bashar is in charge. He is responsible for everything that is happening in Syria and to Syrians. If his brother is committing crimes against Syrians and humanity, he should be brought to justice. If not, Bashar and the rest are accomplices to the crimes and they need to be brought to justice.
5- I have noticed when new people start contributing to this blog, they get attacked and their identity as a Syrian gets questioned if they don’t agree with the regime’s policies. I myself was questioned by few people. We need to be above that. Don’t dehumanize your fellow Syrian and for a matter of fact anyone else.

Oh well,I invite every one here to join the protesters ( even those pro-regime) so that the movement get shaped by you as well.you don’t want to leave it to the Islamists alone, do you?

The Grand Mufti is doing that already

I find it really ironic that the very same people here who undermined Michael Kilo in the past are stressing the importance of his article in Al-safir.

Had the intellectuals been out of prison in the past 5 years, and free to form political parties things would have been much better.

Fawaz and Fadi,revolution or not ,no dictatorial regime can last against the historical fact of political change over ,by linking the fate of a syrian community to the fate of a dictatorial regime ,it’s like saying that this community is doomed.Linking the fate of a political party to that of a regime is acceptable but not a whole community.
This is theoretical terrorism.

Vedat The Turk

Until now Saudi Arabia has not really been vocal about Iran’s meddling in Arab countries. The drop of water has been the violent reaction of Iran to the invasion of Bahrein by the Saudi security forces. Note that Syria has not condemned the Saudi presence in Bahrein.
Saudi Arabia, worried about Yemen, furious about the US who dumped Mobarak and who is doing nothing about Iran’s interference, has decided to go on offensive with or without the US blessing. This is why we have seen Gulg countries calling for UN actions on Iran and Hariri Jr for the first time openly accusing Iran of meddling in Lebanon. Saudi Arabia having failed in Lebanon, is now flexing its muscles using its proxies MB and Al Qaeda and any unsatisfied sunni to stir Syria, the only Arab country vulnerable and a serious ally to Iran.
When Bashar has been sufficiently humiliated they may suddenly offer the Pax Saudia to Syria: Bow, break with Iran and become our obedient client. If Bashar does not abide, then they will see the country on its knees, begging for help.

In the meantime, the long-time silenced syrians have regained their voice. Unfortunately they are in an altered state of euphoria and hysteria as they protest in the street. They just don’t see what is next. By regaining their voices, they may loose their country.
Because Saudi Arabia will not retract, in my view Bashar has no other choices than to counter-attack in full scale: Curfew, checkpoints, confiscation of weapons etc..
If he ever succeeds, for some he will be labeled as a sanguinary dictator, for others he’ll be the savior of his country’s independence.

قراءة سياسية لكلمة الرئيس الأسد إلى الحكومة الجديدة – ميلاد السبعلي

قراءة سياسية لكلمة الرئيس الأسد إلى الحكومة الجديدة

بعد فترة اخذ ورد على أثر خطاب الرئيس في مجلس الشعب، وارتفاع نسبة التساؤل والقلق عند شريحة واسعة من مؤيديه، خاصةً في أوساط النخب الثقافية والإجتماعية، أتت كلمته أمام الحكومه الجديدة لتعيد الأمور إلى نصابها، وتعيد إظهار المفاصل الرئيسية لرؤيته الرائدة للمجتمع والدولة، والتي منعته التحديات الخارجية والظروف الداخلية من تحقيقها في العشر سنوات الماضية.

وقد ظن مؤيدو الرئيس وداعمو رؤيته للأمور، بأن الظرف الحالي الذي تمر به البلاد، مناسب لإعادة النظر بالكثير من المسائل والهيكليات السياسية والأمنية والإدارية والإقتصادية، التي لم تعد قادرة على مواكبة العصر وتطبيق الرؤى الجديدة القادرة على النهوض بالمجتمع وتطوير الدولة وتحديثها وتعزيز الحياة السياسية والإجتماعية والإقتصادية وتأمين حياة حرة وكريمة للمواطن. غير أن نَسب المشاكل إلى المؤامرة وإعتبار كل من يطالب بالإصلاح هو مشبوه ومشترك في المؤامرة أعاد التذكير بالأساليب القديمة البالية التي لم تعد تجدي في هذا العصر.

من هنا تأتي أهمية كلمة الرئيس أمام الحكومة الجديدة لإعادة تأكيد الثوابت الجديدة في قيادة الدولة، والتمايز عن نظريات المؤامرة القديمة والبائدة. فها هو يؤكد أن “المؤامرة دائماً موجودة طالما أن سورية تعمل باستقلالية وطالما أنها تتخذ قراراتها بمنهجية لا تعجب الكثيرين وطالما أن هناك خصوماً أو أعداء فلا بد أن تكون المؤامرة من الأشياء الطبيعية المحيطة بنا لذلك لا نركز كثيراً على هذا المكون. المهم المناعة الداخلية الموجودة داخل سورية وهذه المناعة ترتبط بالإصلاحات التي سنقوم بها وترتبط بالحاجات.. حاجات المواطنين”.

وبعد أن إضطر في بداية عهده أن يخفف سرعة التغيير نتيجة الضغوطات الخارجية وعدم جهوزية المؤسسات في الداخل، ها هو يعيد تأكيد وجوب مواكبة التطورات العالمية على كل الصعد: ” الحكومة الجديدة تعني دماء جديدة والدماء الجديدة تعني آمالاً جديدة وكبيرة ولكن هذه الدماء لكي لا تصبح قديمة بفترة قصيرة لابد من العمل على تجديدها بشكل مستمر وهذا التجديد يكون من خلال تجديد الأفكار. ليس بالضرورة أن تكون الدماء هي الأشخاص الذين ينضمون إلى الحكومة أو إلى الدولة وإنما الأفكار الجديدة التي ننتجها كل يوم لأن العالم يتغير بسرعة من حولنا وعلينا أن نسير بنفس السرعة لكي نستطيع أن نقول إننا نتطور.. عدا عن ذلك فنحن نعود للخلف فالعالم يتطور كل شهر وكل أسبوع وأحياناً في كل يوم.”

وقد يكون من أخطر الظواهر التي تكلم عنها اضطراره أن يلتقي مباشرةً مع ممثلي الشعب، ليظهر حجم الفجوة الموجودة بين النظام بأجهزته المختلفة، وبين الشعب. وهذا يشكل إدانة فاضحة للأشكال السياسية الموجودة، خاصةً حزب البعث والجبهة الوطنية التقدمية، التي كان من المفترض أن تكون هي قناة التواصل الرئيسية بين النظام والشعب:”أردت أن أستمع من هذه الوفود لرأيها في المرحلة التي تمر بها سورية اليوم ورأيهم بالنقاط التي يعتقدون أنها يجب أن تكون أولويات بالنسبة لنا في الحكومة وفي الدولة بشكل عام”، “من خلال اللقاءات الشعبية التي قمت بها الأسبوع الماضي لاحظت أن هناك فجوة بدأت تظهر بين مؤسسات الدولة وبين المواطنين ولابد من إغلاق هذه الفجوة ومن إيجاد أقنية بيننا وبين المواطنين تعمل باتجاهين.. نوسع هذه الأقنية ونكثفها.. نستطيع أن نملأ هذه الفجوة ولكن نملؤها بشيء وحيد هو الثقة.. ثقة المواطن بمؤسسات الدولة.. هذه الثقة لا يمكن أن تأتي إلا من خلال الشفافية الكاملة مع المواطن”.

إن غياب الحياة السياسية الحقيقية وتحول احزاب الجبهة إلى تشكيلة ميتة قديمة باهتة تعتمد على النفعية والمحسوبية والمكاسب غير المستحقة هي من أهم أسباب نشوء هكذا فجوة. والمطالبة بأقنية جديدة بين الدولة والمواطن لا يمكن أن تقوم بها الحكومة ومؤسساتها في ظل غياب احزاب فاعلة تؤطر ارادة المواطنين وتمثلها خير تمثيل. “.. أنا أركز على هذه الأقنية لأن عدم وجود تواصل مع المواطن يخلق شعوراً بالإحباط ويخلق شعوراً بالغضب”. “فالمواطن بحاجة إلى خدمات.. بحاجة إلى أمن.. وبحاجة إلى كرامة وكل هذه العناصر مرتبطة ببعضها…. الاقتصاد مرتبط بالخدمات.. الخدمات مرتبطة بالكرامة.. الاقتصاد بالكرامة.. والأمن بكل هؤلاء.. يعني كل هذه العناصر متداخلة يجب أن نحققها بشكل متواز بنفس الوقت.”

إن تأكيد الرئيس على كرامة المواطن وربطها بالعناصر الأخرى من أمن وإقتصاد وخدمات هو تجديد في النظرة التقليدية الفوقية والقمعية إلى المواطن التي مارسها النظام على مدى عشرات السنين، من ضمن المؤسسات القديمة التي ما تزال قائمة، وفي مقدمتها الاحزاب السياسية، وتحكّم أجهزة الأمن ومعاملة المواطنين بشكل مهين في كافة مؤسسات الدولة. ويأتي في هذا السياق اعتراف الرئيس الجريء بأن ” الدماء التي هدرت في سورية آلمتنا جميعاً.. آلمت قلب كل سوري.. حزناً على كل شخص فقدناه وعلى كل جريح نزف دماً وندعو الله أن يلهم أهلهم الصبر والسلوان ونعتبرهم شهداء جميعا سواء كانوا مدنيين أم شرطة أم من القوات المسلحة. وعلى كل الأحوال لجنة التحقيق تستمر في عملها لمعرفة أسباب ما حصل وتحديد المسؤولين ولاحقاً تحاسبهم.”

بينما التشكيلات الامنية والسياسية القديمة لم تستطع التعامل مع الناس واتهمت كل مطالب بالإصلاح بأنه جزء من المؤامرة. فجاء الرئيس مطالباً بالإلغاء الفوري لقانون الطوارئ ومطالباً بالفصل “بين الإصلاح والتخريب”. فليس كل من يطالب بالاصلاح مخرباً! وردّ بشكل مباشر وحازم على أصحاب النظريات القديمة الرافضين لإلغاء قانون الطوارئ بحجة عدم المساس بالاستقرار: “وأنا أعتقد أن رفع حالة الطوارئ بعكس وجهة نظر البعض الذي يعتقد بأنه سيؤدي إلى خلل في الأمن.. أنا أعتقد بالعكس تماماً أن رفع حالة الطوارئ سيؤدي إلى تعزيز الأمن في سورية.. الأمن مع الحفاظ على كرامة المواطن”.

وهذه نقلة نوعية في مقاربة المسائل الوطنية تستلزم مع الوقت تغييراً في رموز المدرسة المؤامراتية القديمة التي لا تجد ضرراً في دوس كرامة المواطن بحجة المحافظة على الامن والاستقرار. فالمواطن المسحوق مادياً والممتهنة كرامته لا يمكن أن يكون شريكاً فعالاً في حفظ الأمن وتأمين الاستقرار السياسي والاجتماعي.

“هناك فرق بين مطالب الإصلاح ونيات التخريب وعلينا أن نطبق مباشرة القانون ولا نريد أي تخريب وعبث بأمن المواطنين.. الشعب السوري شعب حضاري.. شعب ملتزم يحب النظام ولا يقبل الفوضى ولا يقبل الغوغائية.”

وطالب بقانون جديد للأحزاب.. “يؤدي إلى المزيد من الوحدة الوطنية” و”يفضل أن يكون هناك حوار وطني بما أن هذا الموضوع يمس مستقبل سورية لا يبقى على مستوى الحكومة ولا المنظمات ولا الأحزاب، يطرح للحوار الوطني في سورية لنرى ما هو النموذج الأفضل الذي يناسب المجتمع السوري.”

ان في تصنيف الرئيس للأحزاب القائمة في صف الحكومة والمنظمات التابعة لها، ومطالبته بطرح القانون الجديد للحوار الوطني هو بحد ذاته إدانة صارخة لهذه الأحزاب ودورها، الذي من المفترض أن يكون ممثلاً لمطالب الشعب وارادته، لا أن تكون في صف الحكومة ومنفصلة عن الشعب. من هنا على القانون الجديد أن يفضي الى إنشاء أحزاب تمثل إرادة الشعب والمواطنين وتحاسب الحكومات على سياساتها وتقصيرها.

وهذا يستتبع بالضرورة تغييراً جذرياً في قانون الادارة المحلية وقانون الانتخابات، وفي إلغاء حصرية الجبهة الوطنية التقدمية وأحزابها البالية، وهذا أيضاً يندرج في تطوير المؤسسات بشكل عام “وتوسيع المشاركة مع زيادة الحريات في سورية”. “المؤسسات في سورية بحاجة للكثير من التطوير… لكي يكون هناك قانون ومؤسسة وشعب بنفس المستوى كي تنطلق سورية إلى الأمام”…”أن هناك هيكليات صيغت في أزمنة مختلفة وربما كانت هذه الهيكليات ضرورية في مراحل معينة ولكنها لم تعد ضرورية اليوم.. إذا علينا أن نلغي هذه الهيكليات غير الضرورية. وفي المقابل لابد من إحداث هيكليات نحن بحاجة إليها الآن”

“عملية الإصلاح لا تنجح فقط من خلال التشريعات وانما تنجح من خلال المؤسسات لأن النجاح لا يكون من خلال الإصدار وانما من خلال التطبيق والتنفيذ”… وهذا ينطبق على مؤسسات العمل السياسي كما على المؤسسات الاخرى.

“فاذا.. هذا الإصلاح إن نجحنا به نحصن الوطن ويجعلنا قادرين على مواجهة الرياح العاتية التي تأتي دولياً أو إقليمياً وأنا امتلك ثقة كبيرة بالشعب السوري في هذا الإطار لأنه شعب يمتلك إرادة.. يمتلك تاريخاً.. يمتلك ديناميكية عالية”

الاصلاح الناجح إذاً هو العنصر الأساس في تحصين الوطن ومواجهة الرياح الدولية العاتية، وبالتالي في مواجهة أية مؤامرة. والمطالبون الصادقون بالإصلاح الفعلي والسريع هم الحريصون الفعليون على سلامة الوطن والمواطن. (مثلاً: راجع بيانات رئيس الحزب السوري القومي الاجتماعي الدكتور على حيدر الى الشعب في الشام -www.alqawmi.com)

أما عن تطوير مؤسسات الدولة ودورها في الاقتصاد والتنمية وتلبية احتياجات المواطنين ومعالجة مشكلاتهم ورفع مستوى حياتهم،، فيرسم الرئيس صورة معاصرة للإدارة وتطوير القطاع العام وتحديثه وتحديد دوره وتكامله مع القطاع الخاص والاهلي، من دون أن يعني ذلك الاهتمام فقط بكبار التجار والمستثمرين. وهذا لا يستقيم من دون فصل السياسة والمحسوبيات والحزبيات عن الادارة، واعتماد الكفاءة والاختصاصات العصرية وآليات جديدة للتقييم والتدريب والمحاسبة كما أن تطوير العمل السياسي والحزبي وتنشيط الحياة السياسية والفكرية الحقيقية بجرأة وحرية وموضوعية يحمي المجتمع من الفراغ السياسي الذي تملأه الشركات الكبيرة والقابضة التي تمثل في أحسن أحوالها مصالح فئة صغيرة من الأغنياء والتجار لا مصالح الشعب الحقيقية، وتغوص في لعبة تبادل المصالح مع النافذين في الدولة مما يضرب الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة، التي تتشكل منها معظم شركات القطاعات الانتاجية، ويعزز ثقافة الاستهلاك، ويزيد من فرص الفساد والإفساد ويلغي الشفافية التي يطالب بها الرئيس!

فهو دعا لإحداث “هيئة إدارة عامة أو هيئة خدمة عامة… بنية موجودة في رئاسة الوزراء معنية بالوظيفة العامة تقوم بتقييم وبوضع معايير وخطط للتدريب ومسار وظيفي لهذا الموظف.. على أي أساس يترفع..على أي أساس يتم تقييمه.. كل هذه المعايير تكون مركزية وتطبق في الوزارات. هذه واحدة من الهيكليات الجديدة الضرورية جداً للوصول إلى النوعية الأفضل في القطاع العام أو في الدولة.”

“دور الدولة في الاقتصاد الآن أصبح أكثر أهمية.. وخاصة مع الظروف العالمية وغلاء أسعار المواد في الخارج ومع ظهور حالات من الاحتكار التي تؤدي إلى رفع الأسعار”…”والاهتمام بالقطاع الخاص لا يعني الاهتمام بكبار المستثمرين أو كبار رجال الأعمال فقط.. بل أيضاً بالمهن الصغيرة التي تفتح في كل مكان.. الحقيقة أن الاقتصاد السوري يبنى على المشاريع الصغيرة والمتوسطة.. لا يبنى بالدرجة الأولى على المشاريع الكبيرة.. لذلك ربما الفكرة الصحيحة هي السير بالتوازي مع ميزات للمشاريع الكبيرة وميزات أخرى للمشاريع الصغيرة.”

” المجتمع الأهلي هو مشاركة من المواطن وهو آلية وهو قناة من الأقنية التي تحدثنا عنها في البداية والتي تسمح للمواطن أن يشعر بأنه مسؤول مع الدولة ومشارك في بناء وطنه.” ولتعزيز هذا الدور لا بد من تسهيل انشاء مؤسسات وجمعيات جديدة ودينامية لهذا القطاع تساهم في ازدهاره وأخذ دوره الكامل في المجتمع.

وأكد الرئيس على ترافق هذه الورشة الاصلاحية مع إصلاح القضاء واتمتته ومكافحة الفساد، الذي ” فيه هدر للمال وهدر للأخلاق ولكل إمكانيات البلد وهو عكس التطوير تماماً.” خاصة فساد المسؤولين :”أعتقد بأن أسوأ شيء هو أن يتهم مسؤول بالفساد” ودعا لإنشاء “هيئة لمكافحة الفساد.. هيئة فيها أشخاص موثوقون ويقومون بمهمتين.. التحقيق في الاتهامات بالفساد من جانب والتدقيق أحياناً في بعض القضايا التي ربما يكون هناك شك في نزاهة إجراءاتها لكي يطمئنوا إلى أن الإجراءات تسير بشكل صحيح.. على سبيل المثال مناقصة هامة فيها أرقام كبيرة من الممكن لهذه الهيئة الاطلاع عليها ومراقبتها. ”

لا يمكن لهيئة كهذه أن تقوم بعمل ذات مصداقية في ظل وجود محسوبيات وتغطية للفاسدين من متنفذين في الدولة. وهذا يعيدنا الى فصل السياسة والمحميات السياسية والامنية والحزبية والعائلية عن الاقتصاد.

ودعا أيضاً “معالجة الرشوة من خلال الإصلاح الإداري وتخفيف الاجراءات غير الضرورية وأتمتة العمل الإداري الذي هو بحاجة لإعادة هندسة كاملة للإجراءات وبنفس الوقت مراقبة الموظف ولكن إن لم نقم بعملية الأتمتة وتنظيم الإجراءات فسيكون من الصعب علينا أن نتمكن من السيطرة على هذا الموضوع.” ولا بد لذلك من ” تطوير آلية العمل الحكومية وزيادة فعاليته ورفع كفاءة القرار المتخذ على مستوى الحكومة”، و”يجب أن يكون القطاع العام شفافاً في نفقاته أمام الناس يطرح كل شيء ليكون المواطن مطلعاً على النفقات.. كيف تصرف ولماذا تصرف.. يعني الشفافية هي الأساس في كل هذه المحاور.”

ودعا الى أتمتة العمل الحكومي بهدف الوصول إلى الحكومة الإلكترونية. “واعتقد بأننا في هذا المجال تأخرنا كثيراً عن كثير من الدول العربية أو غير العربية في منطقتنا.. عندما نؤتمت كما قلت نخفف الفساد ونختصر الوقت في الإنجاز ونخفف المعاناة عن المواطن أو المستثمر أو أي شخص له علاقة بمؤسسات الدولة.”

وفي افتراق واضح عن الانماط القديمة في الإدارة ومواجهة المواطن بالحقيقة ونبذ الغرور والعنجهية يقول: “إن هناك حالة عامة وهي أن الاعتراف بالتقصير دائماً صعب ولكن علينا ألا نرى صعوبة إذا كان هناك تقصير أو فشل وقد يكون فشلاً مبرراً أو غير مبرر.. المهم أن نكون شفافين.. نقول هناك تقصير ونعدد الأسباب أيضاً.. الناس تتفهمنا عندما نكون واضحين في هذا الموضوع أما إنكار التقصير أو إنكار الفشل فهو الفشل بحد ذاته. ”

“المهم أن يشعر هذا المواطن بمواطنيته بكل ما تعنيه هذه الكلمة من معنى. ”

“تواضعوا مع الناس لا مبرر للغرور فالغرور هو بداية الانحدار وبداية الفشل وبداية السقوط لأي إنسان ولأي دولة ولأي شعب عندما يصاب بالغرور”

ختاماً، اننا اعتقد أن في هذه الكلمة ملامح مميزة للمرحلة الجديدة التي تمثل بحق رؤية عصرية حديثة قادرة أن تنهض بالمجتمع وتتخطى الازمة الحالية، فيما لو وجدت طريقها الى التطبيق العملي، ولم تلتف عليها مصالح المستفيدين من الوضع الحالي، والفاسدين والمفسدين، وأصحاب النظريات المنتهية الصلاحية في السياسة والادارة والاقتصاد والامن…

وعلى الأحزاب السياسية في الشام، وخاصة الحزب السوري القومي الاجتماعي، أن تكون جاهزة لمواكبة هذه التطورات، عبر احداث تغييرات جذرية في بنيتها وسياساتها وآليات عملها، حتى لا تبقى في مصاف الأحزاب البالية الفاقدة الصلاحية والاهلية، بل تتصدر العمل السياسي بآليات معاصرة حديثة ومقاربة متجددة وجريئة، وتستعيد الدور النهضوي الريادي المطلوب منها في المجتمع.

THere are different maps for the middleast; geographic, economic, politic, and even religious.

In the US news we here a lot; shiite did this and Sunnis did this in Iraq. I found it astonishing how people want to just ignore a clear facts here and immediately label the ones who are speaking teh facts as being secterians. If you go to a doc you want him to find what is going on with you and put his hand on the wound…not ignoring the core factor of the problem. Otherwise I do not find any reason why the opposition did not accepted the second speech. Anyway I will stop talkking about the country sectarian issue but I want to point to a major regional sectarian problem. There are two streams now: HA-Syria-Iraq-Iran shiite driven stream, and Saudi Arabia-Hariri-Jordan-Qatar-UAE-Bahrain-and even Turkey stream. the MB leader was allowed from Turkey to send his threats to Syria.

I think the only way for the revolution in Syria to have a success is in case the demonstration started simultaneously in Iran….If that happened; God forbid then the goverment is done, and the Assad will fall. Other than that, there is no way on earth that president Assad will be defeated. Attack on Syria is the only way the resvolution is looking for…They want another Lybia which is delusional. If you are cornered and some people wants to take your life; you will fight till your end. US wiull suffer a lot from the unrest in Iraq that will be directed by Iran…..HA and Syria might get into open war with Israel….Not US nor the west would like that…..Assad wants peace with Israel and if some one would want to make peace with them then it is him Assad, he just used Hamas, even HA for political pressure….Tell me when and where we ever attacked Israel from Golan heights., We never did that , and I personally would love to see the peace with them…..I think Israel is by far better to me that some of the Arab regimes.

Jad I left the local sectarian, I respect your comments and more than that I respect your calm and logical view…You are not freaking reactive and emotional like me…..I do feel so stresses and I may get out of the way….but I tell you what…I hit the facts which are sometimes painful

Dr. Fawaz: What you said is exactly right…These group here are highly political and it seems that they have a high level of intellect that me and you lack…In politics you should not speak the truth even if it exists because other people may act on what you say bla bla bla….

Fawwaz said talking about Israel:
and I personally would love to see the peace with them…..I think Israel is by far better to me that some of the Arab regimes.

I think Dr. Fawwaz Asaad, is saying to Israel ,Help us ,Help the regime,and we will make peace with you.

I apologize, I made mistake, it is not Fawaz, it was Fadi who said that, I am very sorry for this mistake

Dear Fadi,
I totally understand your feelings and fears, many on this site have the same feeling, we have our families, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers back home back in Syria we all love and want nothing but good and prosperity to happen to it.
I’m like you, I worried too much about my family, I would defiantly go back to Syria if the situation get really bad, but being emotional and let every news to make me lose my rational and become another lunatic like some on the street is not an option and doesn’t help the people I love.
Syria the country we all love has been there from the beginning of history, our people are the ones who give the alphabet to the planet, our people did manage to stay and live and grow under the Greeks, the Roman, the Byzantines, the many Arab dynasties, the Ottomans, they survive safar barlek and the 1860s, they kicked the French out, they build the country we all belong to, we had dictators and democratic elected presidents, we have the corrupted and the good souls, we will die and leave this world but Syria is staying for ever, with or without the regime, the MB, the Shabiha, the Moundaseen, the Americans, the Israelis, the Saudis or any demon on this planet.
Syria will never change and its strength comes from it’s people and as long as we have wise people there, the right path will prevail, one month and even one year of trouble wont change us, we will get tiered but we wont change.
Syrian Muslims can’t live without their twins of Syrian Christians, Alawites, Druz, Ismaelis and Jews, we all depend on each other no matter what Aljazeera, Alarabiya, BBC…say, we are staying they are not, this is our home.
Just believe in that and let your rational take over your emotion, especially in theses times.
Your Syrian brother.

دمشق-سانا

أكدت وزارة الداخلية في بيان لها اليوم أن مجريات الأحداث الأخيرة كشفت أن ما شهدته أكثر من محافظة سورية من قتل لعناصر الجيش والشرطة والمدنيين والتمثيل بأجسادهم والاعتداء على الممتلكات العامة والخاصة وإطلاق النار لترويع الأهالي وقطع الطرقات العامة والدولية إنما هو تمرد مسلح تقوم به مجموعات مسلحة لتنظيمات سلفية ولاسيما في مدينتي حمص وبانياس حيث دعا بعضهم علنا إلى التمرد المسلح تحت شعار الجهاد مطالبين بإقامة إمارات سلفية.

وقالت الوزارة إن ما قامت به هذه المجموعات المسلحة يشكل جريمة بشعة يعاقب عليها القانون بأشد العقوبات ويظهر أن الهدف من نشر إرهابها في ربوع سورية هو التخريب والقتل وبث الفوضى بين الأهالي وترويعهم مستغلين مسيرة الحرية والإصلاح الذي انطلقت عجلته في برنامج شامل ضمن جداول زمنية محددة أعلن عنها السيد الرئيس بشار الأسد في كلمته التوجيهية للحكومة الجديدة.

وأضافت وزارة الداخلية أنها لن تتساهل مع النشاطات الإرهابية لهذه المجموعات المسلحة التي تعبث بأمن الوطن وتنشر الإرهاب والرعب بين المواطنين ولذلك ستعمل بكل حزم لفرض استتباب الأمن والاستقرار على كافة أرجاء الوطن وملاحقة الإرهابيين أينما وجدوا لتقديمهم للعدالة وإنهاء أي شكل من أشكال التمرد المسلح.

وأهابت الوزارة في ختام بيانها بالأخوة المواطنين ضرورة الإبلاغ عن أوكار الإرهابيين والمشبوهين وعدم السماح لهم بالاندساس بين صفوفهم واستغلال مناخ الحرية لسفك الدماء وتخريب الممتلكات العامة والخاصة.

http://sana.sy/ara/2/2011/04/18/342274.htm

I just received bad news. A friend of mine lost his son last night in 7oms. He was a very good young man and a recent graduate of Mechanical Engineering. My friend told me his boy, just like the rest of population, had no hope for the future. My friend and family are in disbelieve. His oldest son, just 24 years, is gone because he dared to speak his mind. They all know who did it. The president’s (or his brother) men did it. They want justice. Does anyone here believe that justice will be served?
BTW, my friend is a Christian and I am sure his boy was not an MB or a Wahabi. He was the future of Syria. This regime is killing our future.

Ziadsoury,
I’m sorry to hear about your friend’s son, that is horrible.
Please accept my deepest sympathy.

Ziadsouri

It is terrifying what is happening to the syrian youth.
I just heard that the brother of a friend of mine, 20 years old, serving in the army was killed in Homs. I am sure all the mothers of young men in the army can’t sleep at night.
The violence has no more identity.

ziadsoury, you said: ” They all know who did it.”
Who did it
This question till now everyone is not say it out loud, because keep hiding this answer will let the killers keep doing what they are doing. The interior minister statement today is ugly and want to keep hiding the answer.

Trustquest

I wonder why Ziadsouri is afraid of saying who. I thought that people are now free to talk, they do in the street, on Jazera , on BBC why not on SC?

Here is a brave guy from Banias telling us who did it.
And that is great, and the other thing you guys wasted a lot of posts trying to tell us no one know and the government version of gang and everyone know who is the gang. He is telling us in names and rank.

I said who did it. Read my post again.

This is what i have been hearing from my family and friends in Tartous for a week now about the situation in Banias . Finally the ministry of interior publicly acknowledges this fact.

from the ministry of interior:

ما شهدته اكثر من محافظة سورية من
، قتل لعناصر الجيش والشرطة والمدنيين والتمثيل باجسادهم
، والاعتداء على الممتلكات العامة والخاصة
اطلاق النار لترويع الاهال ،وقطع الطرق الدولية والعامة
انما هو تمرد مسلح ، تقوم به مجموعات مسلحة لتنظيمات سلفية ولا سيما في مدينتي حمص وبانياس

an ‘armed rebellion’ of Salafi groups notably in Banias & Homs.

Dear Jad,

Syria is proud as we are to have some one like you who always brings balance. It is a pleasure to follow all your blogs

Fadi

My condolenses to the friend of Ziadsouri
We all know very well who did it, it is secret service,working through Shappeeha,defending the regime, they all criminal, and their end is comming soon.
Jad agree with Fadi,Fadi prefers Israel over Arab states, now we know the traitors.

Majdelkhaldoon

Did you consider that the secret service could be infiltrated by Salafists, paid by Saudi Arabia. I guess this secret service agents do not have very high salaries, they could easily be bought. Any comment?

MAJEDKHALDOON

Jad never said anything about that. I think if you review his spreads you will find it balanced and full of respect to people here. It is me and I would say it again: Israel is better than (let me correct some to more) Arab countries. Have a great evening

Majed,
“now we know the traitors.”
You mean your father.
روح لعاب بعيد دادا

Fadi,
Don’t worry about explaining my side, thank you though.
However, your statement is incorrect and you shouldn’t write or think in this way, after all you are Syrian.
Israel is a racist and unethical occupier don’t ever forget that.

Read my previous post and you will see the evidence unfolding.

THIS IS IRAQ. On fire:

قال مصدر بوزارة الداخلية العراقية إن سيارتين ملغومتين انفجرتا قرب
أحد مداخل المنطقة الخضراء المحصنة ببغداد اليوم الاثنين مما أدى إلى قتل ثلاثة أشخاص على الأقل وإصابة عشرة آخرين.

وأضاف المصدر أن الانفجارين وقعا قرب نقطة تفتيش أمنية عند
المدخل الغربي للمنطقة الخضراء التي تضم مباني حكومية وسفارات أجنبية بينها

ذكرت مصادر أمنية أن مسلحين قتلوا عائلة من أربعة أفراد غرب بغداد مساء أمس وأن رجل أعمال لقي حتفه صباح اليوم في انفجار قنبلة بسيارته جنوب كركوك.

وقال مسؤولون بالشرطة إن مسلحين يستخدمون أسلحة مزودة بكواتم الصوت اقتحموا منزلا وقتلوا طفلين وأبويهما في غرب بغداد في وقت متأخر من مساء أمس

قتل تسعة أشخاص على الأقل وأصيب 24 آخرون في سلسلة انفجارات هزت اليوم منطقة مزدحمة بوسط مدينة الفلوجة بالعراق.

وقال الصحفي خالد أحمد للجزيرة بأن أربعة من بين القتلى من أفراد قوات الأمن قتلوا في انفجارات متزامنة تمت بسيارتين مفخختين وعبوة ناسفة.

وأشار إلى أن الهجوم تم بمنطقة مزدحمة تضم سوقا شعبية وعددا من المدارس الابتدائية والثانوية، وهو ما تسبب بإحداث أضرار كبيرة على السيارات والمباني.

Iran Saudi conflict

هددت السعودية بسحب بعثتها الدبلوماسية من إيران بعد تعرضها لاعتداء من قبل متظاهرين إيرانيين خرجوا تضامنا مع المحتجين في البحرين, وتنديدا بدخول قوات سعودية إلى هذا البلد.

وقال وكيل وزارة الخارجية السعودية الأمير تركي بن محمد في تصريح للصحفيين مساء الأحد “أتمنى ألا تضطر الرياض لسحب بعثتها الدبلوماسية من طهران بعد تكرار الاعتداءات عليها من قبل المتظاهرين”.

حرّضت وسائل إعلام مؤيدة للحكومة الإيرانية على اغتيال شخصيات سعودية في مختلف دول العالم، تحت مسمى “الإعدامات الثورية”، حسب ما جاء أمس الأحد 17-4-2011، في صحيفة “كيهان” القريبة من المرشد الأعلى للنظام الإيراني، وذلك في مقال لحسين شريعتمداري مندوب خامنئي في الصحيفة.

Lebanon
اكد رئيس جبهة “النضال الوطني” النيابية في لبنان وليد جنبلاط ان أية مراهنة لبنانية من بعض القوى على وقوع الخلل في سورية هي بمثابة ضرب من الجنون. وذكّر “بالمعادلة الاستراتيجية التي أثبتت بالتجربة والبرهان أن أمن لبنان من أمن سورية وأن إستقرار لبنان من إستقرار سورية”، لافتا الى ان “هذا ما أكدته معادلات الجغرافيا السياسية والتجارب التاريخية وإتفاق الطائف”.

Bahrin Iran

Bahrain’s foreign minister says troops from neighboring Gulf countries will stay in his island nation until its rulers believe that threats from Iran have eased.

Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said the Gulf force is needed to counter what he called a “sustained campaign” by Iran in Bahrain.

Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy last month invited 1,500 troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to help battle a Shi’ite uprising.

I didn’t have time to read Rosen’s articles linked to in this post. I just finished the reading. I recommend them to anybody interested in a serious debate on Syria. Rosen is a serious investigative reporter and he has extensive knowledge of the middle east and its recent political dynamics, especially salafis.

Most commentators here are speaking to themselves like in an echo chamber. Go and read Rosen’s articles

U.S. Fears Syrian Reprisals After WikiLeaks Disclosure
By James Rosen
Published April 18, 2011 | FoxNews.com

Senior Obama administration officials worry that the Syrian government may seek to exact revenge on members of an opposition group that has received millions of dollars in covert American funding, Fox News has learned.

The Movement for Justice and Development, founded by Syrian exiles and based in London, has received an estimated $6 million in U.S. funding since 2006, according to documents obtained by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks and first reported by The Washington Post. The group operates Barada TV, a London-based satellite channel that broadcasts anti-government programming into Syria, as well as other programs aimed at destabilizing the authoritarian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

“We are extremely concerned that lives are endangered as a result of this article based on WikiLeaks,” a senior Obama administration official told Fox News Monday morning. “The concern regards what (the) Syrians might do to those that work for (Barada), given that (Assad and his security forces) are prone to crack down and could well use this as an excuse — blaming it on foreigners.”

Syrian security forces are estimated to have killed at least 200 people since anti-government protests erupted in the country one month ago, part of a wave of demonstrations buffeting regimes across the Mideast. President Assad promised on Saturday to lift an emergency decree that has been in place since 1963, a key demand of the demonstrators.

As a critical component in its engagement of adversarial regimes in the Mideast, the Obama administration has made a number of overtures to Assad, including, most recently, the returning of an ambassador to Damascus after a six-year absence.

Asked about Assad’s initial crackdown on the protests, Secretary Clinton told CBS News on March 27: “There is a different leader in Syria now. Many of the members of Congress of both parties who have gone to Syria in recent months have said they believe he’s a reformer.”

Two days later, traveling in London, Clinton specified that her remarks about Assad as a reformer “referenced opinions of others” and that she was not “speaking either for myself or for the administration” in that instance.

A second senior administration official defended the funneling of taxpayer money to the Movement for Justice and Development.

“U.S. democracy and governance programming for Syria is no different than programs the United States and many other democratic countries support in countries around the world,” said this official. “What is different is that the Syrian government perceives the development of civil society as a threat to its control over the Syrian people.”

An April 2009 cable from a State Department officer at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, disseminated by WikiLeaks, stated that the Assad regime “would undoubtedly view any U.S. funds going to illegal political groups as tantamount to supporting regime change.”

Embassy Chargé D’affaires Maura Connelly warned officials in Washington that “some programs may be perceived, were they to be made public, as an attempt to undermine the Assad regime.”

Accordingly, Connelly recommended that the Obama administration “aim less at fostering ‘regime change’ and more toward encouraging ‘behavior reform'” on the part of the Assad government. She also asserted that the activities of “the various expatriate reform organizations operating in Europe and the U.S.,” a category that includes the Movement for Justice and Development, “have little to no effect on civil society or human rights in Syria.”

The Syrian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/18/fears-syrian-reprisals-wikileaks-disclosure/

In all these videos of the demonstrations, I still don’t see any women there. Why won’t these “Revolutionists” allow women to participate in the protests?

important to note from the message of the ministry of interior:

ضرورة الإبلاغ عن أوكار الإرهابيين والمشبوهين وعدم السماح لهم بالاندساس بين صفوفهم واستغلال مناخ الحرية لسفك الدماء وتخريب الممتلكات العامة والخاصة.

all citizens all called upon to the necessity of denouncing any terrorist nests and suspects and not allow them to disseminate amongst them and exploit the atmosphere of freedom to cause bloodshed and the destruction of public and private property.

The regime does not have many friends nor does the armed thugs using religion as a cover to bring Syria closer to civil war. I am shocked by the brutality of criminals in Homs who killed in cold blood three army officers and three children. If the revolution allows terrorists to infiltrate its ranks they will lose sympathy quickly and strengthen the regime claim that many protestors are simple thugs who want to kill and destroy. The brutality of security services is not a new story,we have known that for 50 years,the new story is the murderous behavior of assassins in Homs,and other places, who may eventually strip this revolution from its peaceful character and taint the memory of those who died in the name of freedom.Expect the army and the security forces to use more force now,and that is exactly what those thugs want.

Could you please stop calling them opposition and demonstrators!!They are killing the army generals the police officers and any one they think he is a Kafer ,

What freedom they want? Sharia law!! The freedom of having Taliban government!!

Why no one referees to the military officers killed brutally? Why now one is saying a ward about the gun men firing randomly and indiscriminately in the Christian neighbourhoods !!

What happening in Syria is beyond Plot ,Syrian ALL of them wants reform and very few wants the chaos so they can appear on the surface and lead

Today in Homs the Mreja mosque called people for Jihad !!!Announced jihad!!! Jihad against whom!! ???

May god save Syria from those terrorists?

It’s 3am in Homs now and the peaceful ones are now calling for ‘Jihad’ using some of Homs mosques, the revolution page is not saying what the mosques are really calling for, they changed it from ‘Jihad’ to only ‘La Ilah Illa Allah’
It’s all peaceful though!

The Syrian Revolution 2011 الثورة السورية ضد بشار الاسد
الثوره السوريه ||حمص : سماع اصوات اطلاق النار في كل الحارات المحيطة بالسوق
والمصابين ﻻ زالو في الارض واصوات في الجوامع تنادي ﻻ اله اﻻ الله
فزعة يا سوريا … الله الله في حمص العدية … ساحة الحرية تتخضب بالدماء .

[H.N.N] شبكة أخبار حمص
عاج وخطير :
حمص بشكل منظم مساجد باب السباع و الخالدية و مسجد عمر بن عبد العزيز .. ومساجد الشماس وطريق الشام وجامع بلال اذن قبل اوانه وكانها اشارة لبقية الجوامع والنداء موحد .. الى الجهاد

شبكة أخبار حمص H.N.N
يا شباب محدا يتأثر بدعوات الجهاد أرجوكم فهذه بداية الفتنة
32 minutes ago

Mahmoud Al-Abbas بدي افهم هالشيوخ يلي عم ينادوا عالجهاد شو دينن اكيد ما الن علاقة بالإسلام والإسلام متبري منن هنن ويلي عم يتبعن هدول مصيرن جهنم عم يقتلو شعبن واخواتن والله حرام عيشتن
10 minutes ago

[H.N.N] شبكة أخبار حمص ( hnnhoms@hotmail.com )
تعميم :
اخذ الجيطة والحذر والامور تجري على خير لا يغركم اصوات الجوامع هم افراد سيطروا عليها بقوة السلاح والاكيد عند وخبر موثوق الجيش وبكثافة مع الامن وحتى الصباح سيكون كل شيئ تمام باذن الله والمطلوب من الجميع الدعاء الدعاء لتنتهي هذه الازمة على خير
about a minute ago

[H.N.N] شبكة أخبار حمص ( hnnhoms@hotmail.com )
يا جماعة في ناس بالشوارع عم تطلب من الناس تنزل محدا ينزل لانو شكلوا رح تبلش الفتنة محدا يطلع من بيتو إلا إذا تعرض لخطر
8 minutes ago

Do we have any videos proving they are calling for Jihad in Homs ? or is it just a lie to use as an excuse to slaughter those in the sit-in, HNN DNN and their sister channels are all mukhabarat channels, just so you know.

to NK

my family lives in Homs Adawya …they can here the Mreja’s Mosque they are calling for Jihad !! my family is NOT mukhabarat so please open your heart and belive ..we all want reform we all want change but not throw those people ..i personally belive Assad and dont even want a change that is calling for Jihad

FILLKA WEBSITE

الخطة الرابعة لعمل المعارضة ( كما أسماها السورية)
بعد فشل الخطط الثلاث الأولى:
1- تكوين مجموعات متظاهرة منفصلة عن بعضها البعض يوكل إلى بعضها طعن المتظاهرين وقتلهم أثناء التظاهر .. بحيث تقوم المجموعة الأخرى بالتصوير والبث المباشر للمحطات الصديقة ( الجزيرة – العربية إلخ…) و إلصاق التهمة بالأمن السوري المتخفي بلباس مدني.
2- العمل على تجنيد سوريين مقيمين في لبنان ودول الخليج ودول أوربية وفي حال التعذر تجنيد عملاء من أي جنسية يحملون هويات سوريين لإغتيال شخصيات معارضة ( يحبذ من معارفهم ) وبالتالي لإغتيال كوادر إعلامية مذيعين وغيرهم وغيرهم في المحطات المعادية للنظام السوري / يحبذ من الكوادر التي رفدت بها المحطات المعروفة / وإلصاق التهمة بسوريا.
3- تجنيد في دول الخليج لإغتيال شخصيات دينية … والعمل على إلصاق التهمة بسوريا

Nour,
There are no women because Syrian women are smarter than the men, They know that when there is shooting and nobody knows who is shooting whom it is smarter to stay home,

Ziadsoury, I am sorry for your friend’s son, but can you tell me what was he doing in areas that there was shooting in, I would have stayed at home writing on SC , and playing (( call of duty )),

this is from Elaf,

——————————————————————————–

مخاوف بشأن مسيحيي الشرق الأوسط في أعقاب الربيع العربي

أشرف أبو جلالة GMT 13:15:00 2011 الإثنين 18 أبريل

في وقت تتنافس فيه عدة جماعات لتشكيل أحزاب لخوض غمار الإنتخابات بعد موجة الإضطرابات التي شهدتها المنطقة، تتبادر إشارات عن فرص قليلة للطائفة المسيحية في هذه المنافسة. فبعدما فكت الأغلال في مصر مع رحيل مبارك، تستغل جماعات إسلامية أصولية الحرية التي تنعم بها البلاد الآن.

——————————————————————————–

القاهرة: لم تشهد منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا موجة اضطرابات كتلك التي وقعت مؤخراً، منذ أن أنشأت بريطانيا وفرنسا دولاً هناك في نهاية الحرب العالمية الأولى. ومازال من المبكر الحديث عن الشكل والطابع الذي ستتخذه الأنظمة السياسية، في تلك المرحلة الجديدة التي ستعيشها بلدان المنطقة بعد الأحداث الأخيرة.

لكن في الوقت الذي بدأت تتنافس فيه عدة جماعات لتشكيل أحزاب بغية خوض غمار الانتخابات، بدأت تلوح في الأفق إشارات تتحدث عن أن الطائفة المسيحية الصغيرة والمتضائلة بمنطقة الشرق الأوسط لن تكون من المستفيدين. وفي هذا السياق، قالت صحيفة الغارديان البريطانية في عددها الصادر اليوم الاثنين إن مصر من أهم الدول التي يمكن متابعة تطورات الأحداث فيها بعد توديع حقبة الرئيس المخلوع حسني مبارك، التي كانت تتميز بقمع أي جماعة تتحدى هيمنة الحزب الحاكم.

ومع رحيل مبارك، بدأت تُفَكّ الأغلال. وقالت الصحيفة إن الجماعات الإسلامية الأصولية في مصر من بين الجهات التي تستغل تلك الحرية التي تنعم بها البلاد الآن، وفي مقدمتها جماعة الإخوان المسلمين والجماعة الإسلامية وغيرهما. لكن النقطة الأهم، هي أن تلك الجماعات تدعم فكرة أن تكون مصر دولة مدنية وليست إسلامية.

ولفتت الصحيفة البريطانية هنا إلى أن الجماعة الإسلامية قامت في الماضي بتنفيذ أعمال إرهابية – بما في ذلك عملية قتل 58 سائحاً أجنبياً في الأقصر عام 1997 – كجزء من حملتها لتوطيد الحكم الإسلامي في مصر. وهو ما جعل الصحيفة تتساءل “إذن كيف تحقق هذا التغيير الجذري ؟” – ثم نقلت عن ناجي إبراهيم، أحد قادة الجماعة، قوله :” نريد دولة مدنية يحكمها العدل. نحن لسنا خائفين من تلك الحرية لأننا نحمل رسالة الإسلام القوية، التي تحظى بقوة كامنة أقوى من أي فكرة أخرى”.

إذن فالدولة المدنية ستكون البداية، لكن في النهاية هذا يعني أن الإسلام سيكون منتصراً. كما أن الرغبة المعلنة بالنسبة لجماعة الإخوان، التي تعتبر أكثر الجماعات تنظيماً، هي أن ترى استمرارية الحكم العلماني في مصر يتعارض مع ميثاقها. ورأت الصحيفة أن هذا يضع تصوراً بشأن إقامة دولة إسلامية في جميع أنحاء الشرق الأوسط، في حين تهدف جماعة الأخوان داخلياً إلى نقل رسالة الإسلام إلى الشعب ككل، دون أن يتم لفت الانتباه إلى واجب الإسلام في حماية أهل الكتاب.

وهو ما جعل الصحيفة تردف بقولها إنه من غير المستغرب أن تهيمن الشكوك على المسيحيين الأقباط. وأوردت هنا عن نجيب غبرائيل، محامي عن الكنيسة القبطية، قوله :” تسعى جماعة الإخوان المسلمين إلى إيهام الناس وجعلهم يعتقدون أن نموذجهم ليس أصولياً وإنما يتفق مع قيم المواطنة”. لكن عن طريق تشكيل أحزابهم – المبنية على معتقدات دينية – تتطابق الجماعات الإسلامية فقط مع النمط في أماكن أخرى بالعالم العربي، حيث تتواجد الديمقراطية بالفعل. هذا وتهمين الانقسامات الطائفية على المشهد السياسي في العراق ولبنان. فبينما يتناحر السنة والشيعة في العراق من أجل السلطة، لا تزال الدولة في حالة من الانهيار. وأولئك الموجودون في القاع – بمن فيهم الأقلية المسيحية – غير ممثلين ويتسمون بالضعف.

ولا تزال هجرة ونزوح المسيحيين من هناك مستمرة. وفي لبنان، تشكل القوة المتزايدة لحزب الله الشيعي تحدياً للمؤسسة السنية وللمسيحيين المتعصبين بشكل متزايد. ما يؤكد أن المجتمع المسيحي بدأ يشهد مرة أخرى حالة من التراجع. والمفارقة، كما وصفتها الغارديان، هي أن المسلمين والمسيحيين العرب خرجوا إلى الشوارع معاً بشكل جماعي للمطالبة بالتغيير – دون الالتفات إلى زعماء دين أو سياسة.

واتضح أن ما تحتاج إليه الآن صفحة السياسة العربية البيضاء الجديدة هي حركة يمكنها أن تضم تنوع هؤلاء المتظاهرين، والابتعاد عن الانقسامات الطائفية. وقالت الصحيفة إنه في ظل غياب مثل هذه الحركة، ستظل مخاطر تهميش المسيحيين العرب قائمة، بينما سيتنافس السنة والشيعة المسلمين للظفر بالهيمنة والنفوذ. وختمت الصحيفة بالقول إن الخيار الأكثر إغراءً للمسيحيين، طبقاً لهذه الظروف، سيكون مغادرة البلاد، وهو ما سيضعف من وجود المسيحيين في المنطقة التي ولدت بها.

http://www.elaph.com/Web/news/2011/4/647907.html

إغلاق النافذة

NK

You’re being naive, anyone can dub the videos and change the call to anything you fancy!

Sophia,

Can put the link to the article again, i could not find it,

It’ll be really hard to dub the sound of 5-6 mosques calling for Jihad, that’s what the report says. Remember they accused the Imam from Banyas of calling for Jihad but they never arrested him and he’s still talking to all TV channels about what’s happening in Banyas, do you really believe after the brutal crack down they will just leave a guy who called for Jihad ? it was a dirty lie back then and most likely the same this time as well.

Dear Joshua and gang,

25 people out of a small group of 40 protesters were killed. The next day many thousands were in the streets of Homs.

Let’s consider for a moment: Do you think that’s what the government wanted? Was that their plan? To turn a protest of 40 into thousands in one day? Does that seem like a sensible government strategy to anyone?

The government has been working hard to minimize protest violence because they don’t want to see the opposition grow. Bashar is not stupid. After the attempts at peace in Dera’a and elsewhere, many were hoping that things would settle, and this would certainly be the government’s agenda. They may use fear, brutality, and intimidation, but an outright massacre of 25 protesters would be expected by anyone with a brain to only lead to greater protests.

Who has an interest in seeing the protests grow, so much so that they would incite more by killing 25 in Homs? People are saying that it’s clear that the Muslim Brotherhood or similarly minded people in Syria carried out these killings. It’s early a.m. here right now, and I’m receiving reports that there are mass calls for “jihad against kufar” being made in Homs right now.

The more demonstrators destroy and kill the more support they lose. By using violence,some demonstrators risk transforming this movement into an armed rebellion instead of a civil uprising,they are also making it harder for reform-minded Syrians to adopt their agenda. You will now see more violent and less educated people chanting. Syria already lost billions of dollars and you can say goodbye to the summer season when hundred of thousands of poor Syrians wait to make a buck. The business class had enough of this mess and more money is likely to leave syria than coming in.Those who refuse to give Bashar another chance are driving the country to a mine field. Albaath and the regime have noway of keeping things the same and they will go but we should not lose Syria in the process. I never trusted the regime but I am not ready to sell Syria to a group of violent idiots.

OTW,

A couple of months ago, during the Egyptians revolution, you wrote about a vision of your granddaughter being able to vote and participate in the system. That touched me a quit a bit. I thought that would be the end game I have been asking people to think of.

Look at what these thugs are doing today in my city (Homs). They are destroying that vision. They are savages. The army and the amn have surrounded the city. At about 3 am they started shooting at about 10,000 peaceful non armed fellow citizens during their sit-in.

A couple of months ago, I would have voted for Bashar if he had run for elections. Now, I can’t even look at him. Bashar, his family (including Asma), clan and their cronies have so much blood on their hand to the point where I can’t tell the difference between them and the Israeli leadership.

Long live the people of Homs and Syria free and let them hold their heads high. God rest and bless their souls and grant entry into heaven.

Even if the thugs come out ahead, history is not on their side. Bashar could have cemented his place as a hero in the Syrian history but he choose to be one of these thugs. I feel sorry for his kids and grandkids. One of those generations has to pay the price for his and his father’s crimes.

WHY-DISCUSS

U.S. Fears Syrian Reprisals After WikiLeaks Disclosure

The Movement for Justice and Development, founded by Syrian exiles and based in London, has received an estimated $6 million in U.S. funding since 2006

i wonder how many other Syrian ‘opposition’ groups receive money from foreign interests. especially that a senior administration official admitted that “many other democratic countries” are doing the same as the US . that means most european secret services are running some Syria human rights shop based in their country or financed indirectly by one of its institutions and financing arms.

Those activists and groups who receive money from foreign governments, be the US, the Gulf monarchies , or any other foreign interest are TRAITORS. no matter what they say they advocate. They should be tried and put in jail, and prohibited from ever engaging in any political activities.

all their political friends and allies and those they mix with become automatically suspects of collaboration with these same foreign interests.

But the focus now seem to be on the salafis who are financed by the Saudis and other Gulf monarchies.

Screw all those who support this brutal dictatorship and police state. Your support is what empowers this oppressive tyranny to exist in the first place. You are cold blooded murders..guilty by accomplice.

Dear NK,
Both sides are lying it’s a propaganda war, the only brutal reality is that innocent Syrians are paying the ultimate price out of their lives or their sons and daughters.

#83 Norman,

Nir Rosen on sectarian prospects in the ME.

Part 1:

http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/1254/prospects-for-the-sectarian-terrain-(part-i)

Part 2:

http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/1268/prospects-for-the-sectarian-terrain-(part-ii)

JAD

they are paying the price because people like you sit on their computer all day and do nothing but blame their freedom seekers for all the problems. How dare you equate the brutal security forces of assad in which they kill and torture syrians everyday with the masses? inte wa7ed fashel and we will never forget your dispicable stance

Take it from the Rat.

The capacity of syrian intellectuals to practice self deception and double speak is astounding. Whenever I go back to Syria for a visit, everyone seem to believe that Syria is the best country on earth, that Syria is so exceptional, that the products of its failing factories are award winning, if it was not for the zionist conspriacy in world market, and that its leadership is smart and capable, all of that in the same sentence they complain about corruption, price of mobile units, prices of everything else, the rudness of poeple, and zillion other things. We even have someone here claiming that Germany is not exporting cars to syria because of Zionist pressure, and thinking that we are all dumb poeple who have never heard of the cheif economic shabbeeh, who tried to get the Mercedes Benze dealership and when rebuffed by a company that respects its high price paying customers made it illegal to import. And by the way, smarty, was that a German BMW mr president was driving? From the poor people, and the lesser educated, I only hear, alhamdllah mashi al-hal. What a starking difference. I guess it is the poor people who are rising now, and that what scares the crap out of most of you.

Now, the regime supporters reached such pathetic lvel inventing phrases like Syria Allah Hamiha, only to follow that with phrases such as Allah Suriah Bashar wbass as if they want to convince us all that Bashar and by extension his family are the protecting gift from god to the Syrian people. Well get it in your brains, there has been no family in the history of Syria that caused as much pain as that family, stole as much money as that family and its tentacles. And yet, you defend its continuing ruin of the country. Have you no shame?, I guess not.

Some of you would argue that you are free to have your opinion, and that if I am as big advocate of democratic values as I claim, then I should respect your views the views of the majority of Syrians who decided not to join the protesters and more so those defending the regime. Well, this is a pure load of BS. Did the germans have the right to tolerate and even support Hitler?, especially when his attrocities became known to all of them. No one has the right to support despotism in the name of stability. No one is asking you to fight for the freedom of others, but stop demonizing young people who are paying, with their blood, the price of our cowrdiness and the cowardiness of our fathers. What you are doing is not freedom of speech or analysis, it is pure hate, incitement, and advocacy for murder. Have you no shame, I guess not.

The truth stares you in the face, and yet you turn your heads. You see a large number of shadowy figures clad in black walking together with some in army uniform shooting at directions where no shots are coming from in the middle of the night in Lattakia. The image is complete with a typical senior security man in Safari suite conferring with the shady characters, and you still deny it and claim that it was these mysterious all powerful armed gangs, but when the dead are the protestors you glee. You see images of mruderous men having orgasmic pleasure while tormenting their fellow syrians and commiting attrocities which can land any one for 15 years in jail in the countries that now shield you from the reach of Asad corruption and of his mukhabarat disappering you if you mistakingly chirp a note outside the flock tune and you still invent locations in Iraq, how about Jupiter. You add insult to injury by calling the victims scum. Have you no shame? I guess not. Well, they pray, some of them drink and some do not, and their mothers, sisters, and wives cover their heads, and on few occasions their faces. Live with it, your boddies in Iran even impose it on everyone, i am not sure the protesters would do the same if they toppled your regime. Just want to remind some paranoid individuals that church bells were used in many countries to inform people of emergencies, so are mosque minaret. Your sarcastic logic is flaud, they were having a peaceful sit in, and shots were fired at them by the regime. If this is not an emergency, I do not know what is?

You know the criminal gangs, established by Rifaat Assad, and later inherited by his borother and nephewes. These gangs infest the Syrian coast and coastal mountains intimidating their own villages and towns before anyone else and now their aleigance is to Maher. And when the simplest, most logical explanation is out there for the erruption of violence stares you one more time in the eyes you insist on inventing conspiracies and a mysterious army with shipments of weapons coming from all four corners of the earth. There is conspiracy, but you are part of it as you insist on manipulating truth and logic. None of you brought up the story of the lebanese intercepted shipment after it became clear that it was shipped to Maher Asad for distribution to his criminal gangs. And rather conviniently another shipment coming from Iraq gets intercepted this time by Syrians. The most dramatic part is that you know that the syrian press is run by people exactly like you in their ethics, and you still believe them.

Go ahead, abuse me, I deserve it. I am a coward rat because I can not muster the courage to go back and stand with the people of Syria. You claim you fear for Syria being overtaken by hoards of Jihdists, and yet you sit. Dear Sirs, and Ladies, you are no lesser cowards than me, but you are cowards who support murder by covering it shamelessly. At least I do not. My only merit is that I stood with the protesters in Bahrian, with those young people yearning for freedom in Iran, and now I stand, as cowardly as I am, with my own people against tyrany.

Aboud,
You are a brave man to write from the darkness of the most repressive country on the face of the earth. You are a brave man, I only wish I have an ounce of your boundless courage. I am an aethiest, and the only thing I can do is to hope for your safety and the safety of every peaceful protestor

I agree with WHY’s observation. I am sick and tired of those equating the thugs of the regime with the demonstrators.

Sophia

Thank you for reminding us. I just finished reading Rosen’s articles. They are the best analysis I read so far. Now I can see the Syrian events in context. My explicatives towards The Saudis and the Wahhabis with or without a tie are getting more explicit.

I can see now how Syria will slide into a civil war slowly but surely, and no one can do the damn thing to prevent it. Stupid and brutal security forces on the one side, and brutal, fanatic, and cunning Salafis on the other. I feel very sorry for the innocent Syrians caught in between. All they were calling for is freedom and dignity.

What the people want,is to arrest those Shappeha and try them publicly,Maher Asad must be arrested and tried for his crimes

Why,
Are you threatening me! for what?
I can give you my address so you don’t need to look to much.
Do whatever you can, eidak w ma ta36i.

P.S. before you hurt me try to write something meaningful instead of this one angry line you write every couple days, it makes you sound stupid.

Ziad
This is the most sane of your writing. But I do not think civil war will be sectarian. I think it will be simply a slaughter by the regime of innocent syrians. The salafies will come later and show up as defenders of the people as they always do to rob the hard work of others.

In the end, the biggest losers will be the women of Syria. They will lose brothers, fathers, and sons. My heart with them.

The only one to blame is the regime. No one else, no matter what Rosen says.

The armed salafi thugs in Homs

Of course, local media :

شبكة اخبار شام :: S.N.N
حمص: مسيرات أسود حمص تدخل الى ساحة الساعة بالآلاف

شبكة اخبار شام :: S.N.N
حمص: مسيرات مؤيدة تهتف اسدية اسدية تدخل الى ساحة الساعة بحمص و هروب المعتصمين

Maybe they should have listed these videos in their news

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOKysZrXWwg&feature=player_embedded#at=12

Thanks Sophia,

Ooops!

Why are we labelling each other, we are are not confused, but we are torn apart. Emotions are high, arguments are loud, yet, the dust will settle, hopefully with no more lives lost and no more dreams shattered.

I just want to make a confession, I was one of those who supported presiden Bashar wholeheartedly, argued, that if there is fair and democratic elections, Bashar will win a majority, many liked him, mothers viewed him as one of their sons…. after the long awaited and anticipitated speech, the mask was lifted, a different person emerged, a spit reminder of the father, shock and awe replaced hope. The second speech was excellent, but no longer credible. How could anyone flip 180 degree, anyway we remain hopeful, that somehow we will all land safely…

What is happening in Syria is an uprising, not a revolution.

What started as indiscriminate punishment against young student by a senior officer-cousin- and the imprisonment of many in Deraa, 80 men and women related to Deraa, are still languishing in Syrian jails. Deraa will subside when all prisoners are released. This is Deraa’s situation.

Lattakia was a regime made disaster. In order to spread fear in people hearts and minds, the regime unleashed the lowest form of subhuman to spread fear around the country, the so called Shabiha. Things moved to Banias and other coastal cities and villages. The population in these areas suffered for years and were ignored in the same way the other group, the Alawites were ignored for years before them. From my understanding these are conservative, low to middle-class income families.

And then Homs, 15-25 innocent civilians were shot at 50 wounded, as someone pointed they were shot at to be killed.

This is a regime made disaster. They are so used to quell any movement by force. Unfortunately it worked for so long, not this time around.

1. The protesters are unarmed, neither do they want to.
2. There is no outside interference so far.
3. Wikileaks has no effect, before the leaks or after.
4. The Christian minority are 10-15% of the population, they are siding with the protesters, they are as fed up with all the ills our society has succumbed to. Alawites are suffering immensely, most of their dissidents are vocal and fed up with the regime. So to those who keep on saying Salafi, Jihadi…… The bottom line, vocal minority or silent majority, wants to see change.

A peace deal with Israel, without a Palestinian state, East Jerusalem its capital and the return of Palestinian refugees will simultanously bring the fall of regime.

We have no terrorists in Syria, we have a group of power corrupted individuals, whom whatever they do, they will never be brought to justice.

MAJED

You are so sure that all shabeehas are from the government. I doubt it. From the amn point of view, it does not make sense to randomly kill three guys in a funeral protest of one thousand, to get the next day another funeral protest of ten thousand.

From HOMS with LOVE….

#91 Ziad, #95 Norman,

You are both welcome. I hope other people commenting on this blog would make the effort to read such articles and give us their opinions.

I always thought that the US and Israel were going to try to get at Iran through other routes. By going to Iraq, the Us has awakened the sectarian monster in the middle east. People in the middle east will continue to pay a heavy price for this unjust and illegal war…This is criminal foreign policy…Everything is good for the US as long as Israel is not bothered by peace talks…

Arab lives have become so cheap these days that I long for the good old fashioned colonialism…

Sophia,

It would possible be impossible to get Iran through other routes,
The intention would be to destabalise Syria, and attempt to take it down, therefore they hit 2 birds with one stone, by isolating Iran and weakening Hezballah.
That is their agenda.

The agenda of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Harriri and everyone elso who has their hand in hand with those entities, is a totally different one. One of total control.

N.Z

I suggest you read Sophia reading links. You\’ll be surprised to read that it is not only Bashar al Assad who believe in a depressing conspiracy with sectarian undertones. If many Syrians think and act like you, I guess emigrates will not find their country when they come back

Just a precision to everybody,

The links for the articles by Nir Rosen were already posted by Pr. Landis. You will find them somewhere in this post if you look for them.

I recommend both articles for they touch on something overlooked right now, the aftershock of the Iraq war and its impact on sectarian prospects in the entire middle east, not just Syria.

Sophia

It is amazing how easily the common Syrians are blindly playing into the sectarian master plan without realizing that they are intoxicated by the illusion of an elusive freedom and a better future. How bitterly desillusionned they’ll be when they’ll wake up.
Lebanese have gone through that at first, then bore the consequences for 15 years.

Zyad
I am sure you know that Amn, or security forces are dressed in Civilian,why are they doing this?it is done to confuse and deceive people.to protect them they must dress in their usual uniforms.
One day one of the shabbiha will be captured and we then,will know who they are,but if Amn want to deceive us,I will not be surprised that Amn send the shabiha,further more ,shabiha did not attack the demonstrations that are pro regime, dont you find this strange?also why the AMN did not captured the Shabbiha and exposed them,the Amn arrested several demonstrators,why none of the shabbiha was captured?

These two pieces of hyperbolic Rosen contradictions are not worth wasting a split of a second.

They are full of half truths and outright and cheap lies. They fit extremely well with the Syrian regime’s agenda of portraying the uprising in the sectarian prism in order to stoke fear of a mythical unknown. No wonder they get traded on a website as this one.

Rosen is a known propagandist for so-called Shia grievances. What he produced in these two pieces is a cheap shot at a well written and rehearsed piece of fiction that you would easily get indoctrinated by by any mullah. No wonder the Syrian people are fed up by their government’s association with the Iranians.

Worse, to be promoted by a non-Syrian from a neighboring country makes one wonder what the real motif is.

As far as the current Syrian uprising it is a side show meant to divert attention from the aspirations of the Syrian people by projecting an outside dimension to the dilemma.

There is no doubt that the regime is corrupt and that alshabeeha is a group of thugs, but to somehow pretend that all of the killing and destruction was caused by the regime and its gangs is a reflection of the lack of objectivity some of you chose to insist on. Furthermore,denying that there are no militant groups in those demonstrations does not make regime opposers more credible. The honest

freedom fighters who lost their lives deserve better. Why is it hard to stick to
peaceful protest that keeps the pressure on the regime without quietly accepting violence from common thugs?
I ask every poster on this blog to tell me what is their plan after they force Asad out and how do they think we can stop the iraqization of Syria? Do you really
believe that the army,security services and the regime supporters are going to
invite Bashar to seek refuge outside Syria while they deliver the country to the
MB and a group of political prostitutes? The regime will fall without a civil war, it
is outdated,unpopular and unsustainable. Keep your emotions down,your head
high,the youth succeeded in changing Syria while most of us were drinking our
Latte and counting our dollars . The statues of asads will be replaced with memorials of those peaceful demonstrators who gave their lives for a better Syria.

MAJED

Who killed and the many army and police officers, the amn shabeeha? On the other hand if you wanted to agitate and incite rage and violence you would shoot at both sides and make them think they are shooting at each other. When the protesters are supporters you can’t pretend you are shooting at your friends.

A good development today: the Syrian government finally dares to speak out and accuses the Wahhabis of leading the insurgency:

http://www.syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=131566
قالت وزارة الداخلية في بيان صدر الاثنين بان ما شهدته سورية من احداث في الاسابيع الاخيرة هو “تمرد مسلح تقوم به مجموعات مسلحة لتنظيمات سلفية” ، وانها ” لن تتساهل مع النشاطات الارهابية وستعمل بكل حزم لفرض استباب الامن”

The statement says literally “what Syria has witnessed in the last weeks is an armed insurgency carried out by armed Salafi (Wahhabi) organizations.

Of course, the Syrian regime has not discovered just now who is leading the insurgency. The Syrian regime has been preparing for a Wahhabi insurgency for many years, and everybody knew it was only a matter of time before the Wahhabis act. What the Syrian regime did not prepare for, however, was the intense media coverage of the events and the malicious foreign diplomatic intervention that is taking place now.

It looks to me that the regime is still waiting for the right moment to attack the Wahhabis. Their strategy has not changed and they still plan to eradicate Wahhabism from Syria.

Dear Hamster,

Thank you. Very well put. Look at this article in the Israeli press.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-s-favorite-arab-dictator-of-all-is-assad-1.352468

All of these intellectuals living in western countries and defending the regime and their thugs will not go back to the home land to live there as long as the regime exists.

I am as secular as they come and I am very tired of dehumanizing the strong believers and even the MB. They are brothers and deserve to be heard and listened to. I bet most of them if not all are more civilized than all of those running the country. I am also sure none of these people have blood on their hands like Mr. Bashar and all his loved ones.

Ziad

That’s exactly the tactic used by the agitators who are hiding among the peaceful protesters. Biased media and opposition supporters then accuse the security agents without any proof. I have not seen a single video showing clearly security shooting at peaceful demonstrators. The videos are curiously always taken by the protesters before or after the shooting. The only group of people I saw on a video on syrian tv was a shooting in Deraa where the gunmen looked like thugs with keffieh.

I had enough from people who lost their ability to understand that there are armed thugs from outside the government who are getting away with murder and violent crimes. Syria lost tens of officers and many more policemen on the hands of common criminals who often use religion and sectarian divide to trigger unrest and revenge. The regime in reality failed to keep the streets safe and failed so far to calm nonviolent protestors but I will not complain about police brutality until those gangs,including alshabeeha, are eliminated.if the regime does not take decisive action to put an end to the bloodshed then we might as well ask the army to take over the government and you guys can scream as long as you want about freedom and democracy. It is insane not to allow the new government few weeks to deliver on those promises given by bashar.if the regime lies again,then I will be the first to call for the resignation of the president. History will not be merciful on those who willingly or unwillingly helped to destroy Syria.

@Why Discuss

Interesting observations.I will have to chew on your observations for a while.

I think a lot of the problem is that when it comes to the middle east regimes its a lot like reading tea leaves… there is absolutely no transparency.

Thanks for sharing.

http://www.alwatan.sy/dindex.php?idn=99689
اعتبرت وزارة الداخلية أن ما شهدته أكثر من محافظة سورية خلال الأحداث الأخيرة يمثل تمرداً مسلحاً تقوم به تنظيمات سلفية وخصوصاً في حمص وبانياس. وقالت الداخلية في بيان بثه التلفزيون السوري مساء أمس إن مجريات الأحداث الأخيرة كشفت أن ما شهدته أكثر من محافظة سورية من قتل لعناصر الجيش والشرطة والمدنيين والتمثيل بأجسادهم والاعتداء على الممتلكات العامة والخاصة وإطلاق النار لترويع الأهالي وقطع الطرقات العامة والدولية إنما هو تمرد مسلح تقوم به مجموعات مسلحة لتنظيمات سلفية ولاسيما في مدينتي حمص وبانياس حيث دعا بعضهم علناً إلى التمرد المسلح تحت شعار الجهاد مطالبين بإقامة إمارات سلفية.

Souri,

I beg to differ, I think the Syrian government were always aware of the malicious foreign diplomatic intervention. The media coverage, on the scale it has been, possibly not. The Syrian government knows and has always known who it’s enemies are. As you said, it was just a matter of time.

Ziadsouri,

You don’t think the MB have blood on their hands? Open your eyes.

Why is the army allowing anybody to protest while Syrian blood is spilled in the streets?
Why do we care if western media denounces violence against protestors.
Do you think any western government would tolerate a similar situation?
Spare me all the talks about democracy until my country is safe again. Time for the army to end this travesty. Syria is already changed and the regime can not go back to playing games. Albaath is a joke today and we will not go back to the pre march 18th era. What else do you guys want?

WD,

I am sure when you are being shot at; you will stand your ground and take a video. The rest of my fellow Syrians will try to duck under or run away. Just remember, none of these people have any weapons and they do not want either.

I did read Rosen’s article, and I agree with most of what he said.

In Syria, the majority are huge supporters of Hizbullah and Sayed Hassan Nasrullah. And they do not see a problem with Iran’s support to Hamas or Hizbullah. They detest Harriri and Saudi Arabia policies. Is it not that the latter is Sunni?

Who can ever forget, two thousand honourable men defeating the strongest army in the ME that was backed and supported by the most powerful nation and its allies.

Syrians, I find, in general, are inclusive of other religious beliefs, because, either they are tolerant or they are ignorant.

I do not believe for a moment their is any outside intervention in this unnecessary escalation on the part of the government.

MB are always inserted in everything, Mubarak blamed them in everything. Now, here in Syria we need a novelty, Salafis or Wahabis. Lybya Alqaida… and so on

No matter what, killing is not the solution. They can use water sprays, tear gas, soft power… but aiming at heads to disperse protesters is only used by tyrants.

Killing 20000+ in Hama is a crime that will never be forgotten, not because they are Alawites, because they are criminals. Killing Shiites in 1991 by Saddam’s thug will never be forgotten not because he is a Sunni, because they are criminals… Mubarak and Bin Ali and ….. not because this or that…because they are despots

What the gulf countries are dragging themselves to is disgusting, Syrians do not ally themselves with. To the contrary they support the regimes foreign policy, fully.

So no matter where we go from here, the responsibility is fully the regime’s responsibility. For the sake of argument, if they are infiltrators, it is yet their responsibility. But they ain’t. Nay.

“none of these people have any weapons and the do not want either”

If this wasn’t such a sad situation, you statement would almost be laughable.

I suppose then all the apprehended weapons comming in from the boarders or the weapons found in the mosques were all bound for the Syrian army?. Or the thugs who executed the general, his children and nephew, and, the thugs who executed the general then degraded his corpse, and, the people firing randomly from their cars in residential arears, also, do not want any weapons and are altogether peaceful.

It is a pity that apart from conspiracy theories (justified, just listening to the unanimity of the international media for a month before they finally start to really count the demonstrators and verify the videos since 2-3 days), we don’t read anything about the timing of the Syrian unrest.
The Wikileaks have revealed that the Syrian governement was discussing with the US, ready for peace, and not as close to the Iranians as it was said to be.
The so-called peace quartet was supposed to meet in April but Blair’s personal relation with Qaddafi has made it somehow disturbing to offer again his undefectible bright smile to the world, and since anyway there was nothing to discuss the meeting was postponed.
Why was there nothing to dicuss? Because Netanyahu does not want to make any concession about the settlers, since they are the ones who vote for him. The UE, the EU, even a personal conversation with Merkel, have all made very clear to Netanyahu that they could not take it anymore, even in term of their own public opinion. Netanyahu’s only answer was that he was preparing a speech. And actually just buying time.
Wasn’t the so-called peace process supposed to re-start with some Syrian-Israeli talks? Isn’t it evident that both some parts of the Palestinian factions and some part of the Israeli millenarists have a common interest in rejecting any possibility of peace?
It’s true that the Syrians live under a harsh regime, although slightly less harsh that the Saudi or the Iranian one. But what we witness with twitter “Syrianjasmine” and “Wissamatarif” are live experiment of manipulation of the masses through Twitter, FB, and the very active help of Aljazeera and other media outlets.
It is not difficult to read the tweets on Syria and see thay they offer a virtual version of reality made to entice hopes and furor at the same time. That Wael Ghonim of Google uses his fame into this process is very disturbing.
Even if we support the aspirations of people to freedom and equality, how can the solution be local when we see protests also in Iraq, Jordan, Turkey and Palestine, to mention just the neighbors? Why are the Arab people unable to look further than their small community/nation ?

I am still awaiting Hizbullah’s condemnation of the ruthless killing of Syrians, in the same manner and firmness they did with our brethren in Bahrain.

Jr’s Speech II presented the regime’s strategy and tactical plan. Demonstrators has reponded with their counter-strategy and counter-plan.

The regime’s strategy: The SYSTEM STAYS.

The Regime’s tactical plan :
– Public relations shall be improved to adapt to post-revolution realities.
– Emergency laws and its executive forces, the security forces, shall be re-named the anti-demonstration laws and “national peace police”

The Revolution’s counter-strategy and counter tactics were immediatly, loudly voiced, by demonstrators:
The Revolutions’s strategy; DOWN THE SYSTEM
The Revolution’s Tactical plan: Peaceful activism and demonstrations.

YASQOT ANNIZAM,
TA7YA THOWRA

Hi Mina,

The solution starts locally. How can you even start talking about other places when your own countrymen are being shot dead for protesting for their rights? The regime is pushing the situation to civil war, perhaps intently, because they happen to be the only majorly armed faction in the country. The people need a way to defend themselves from these criminals.

I am quite happy that the baathists on this board are representing the baathist regime so well. You guys should start a PR campaign, really. It would help the world understand why the Syrian people are so desparate for regime change.

The regime has been crying wolf for over a month now.
The time may come, when they have to face the real wolf and their cries get ignored.

“I am still awaiting Hizbullah’s condemnation of the ruthless killing of Syrians, in the same manner and firmness they did with our brethren in Bahrain.”

This will never happen N.Z.

Use your head and not your emotions.

Also, I’m shocked by the first lines of the posting “still trying to sort out who is responsible”. What needs sorting out. The murderers are known. They’re criminals protected under the law. That’s why people are protesting.

Dr. Landis, I thought you would be smarter than this.

This is Homs Tuesday morning April 19 when the zo3ran of maher were let loose firing on peaceful demonstrators

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ORLf6XHwo&feature=player_embedded#at=31

It is not known yet how many martyrs were massacred.

The silent, 3alawi Majority, much like the rest of the Syrian numerical majority, are not supportive of the corrupt and brutal Asad clan.

However, they are in a more difficult position than the rest.

On the one hand, They fear that their silence be unjustly misconstrued as complacency with the regime.

On the other, they fear the wrath of Asad clan thugs in their neigbourhoods and security forces, should they voice their support for the revolution.

Leaders form the silent 3alawi community have probably already started to join hands with the other Syrian activists, and voice their intentions and concerns.

The MB rebels in Hama in 1982 were given repeated warnings before the Syrian forces entered the city. Many people had left the city when the Syrian forces entered it. I don’t really know what was the government supposed to do with an armed terrorist gang that had declared an insurgency in the city and had killed every Alawi and government official in it. This is very similar to the situation the US faced in Fallujah, but unlike the Fallujah battle, the Hama battle is considered a massacre despite the fact that civilians were warned ahead of the battle and many of them had left the city. Every human being that was killed in Hama in 1982 was warned before the battle and they had the chance to flee the city or surrender to the government if they were terrorists. They CHOSE to fight to death. The govement had no option but to kill them. A peaceful agreement was impossible with them and Hafez Assad had tried for 10 years to reach a compromise with them before they escalated their terrorist attacks and he decided to forcefully eradicate them.

What the MB wanted was impossible for anybody to reach a compromise with. They refused the notion of a secular government all together; they demanded that Assad quit the presidency immediately because they considered him to be unconstitutional president (a clause in the Syrian constitution said that the president had to be Muslim, and the MB insisted that Assad was not Muslim so he could not become president). They also wanted to undo everything progressive that the Baath had introduced. They wanted to ban socialist and communist books from libraries because they thought they were anti-Islam. They wanted to try some Baathist leaders because they “offended Islam” (for example, the MB wanted to try and punish a Baathist writer who implied in an article that God is a myth). They also wanted to abolish mixed-sex education, etc. Their list of grievances against the Baath was too long, and the worst about it was that they frankly attacked the Alawis and demanded them to be exiled from the government just like they were before the Baath rule. The MB were frankly declaring that Syria is a “Sunni country” and they considered the notion of a secular country to be an Alawi scheme against the Sunnis (they still hold the same view today).

Reaching a compromise with the MB was impossible. When they started to assassinate Alawis and do other terrorist acts against civilians, Hafez Assad had no choice but to forcefully eradicate them.

The Wahhabis are worse than the MB. There is no way that a political compromise can be reached with them. The only way to confront Wahhabism is by using force against it to nip it in the bud.

http://www.syriatruth.info/content/view/2008/36/

Please join me in a prayer for the brave Syrians in Homs who lost their lives yesterday. Their sacrifices will not have been in vain, their names will never be forgotten.

Souri,

That is absolutely correct. many more people lost loved ones due to the insurgency sparked by the MB. As you stated, the only way the psychotic blood thirsty clan could have been stopped was by force. Again you are correct in saying that President Hafez Assad warned the people of Hama who were not part of the terrorist group to leave, so that death was minimized and there would be very little or no civilian deaths.

In this day and age however, with the use of technology, this group has not only re formed, but continued to grow and are trying to reach their agenda under the banner of a democratic revolution.

This group is certainly not a peaceful clan, they are filled with hatred and should be feared. These days they also have the Wahabi and Salafi movements, alongside with the Syrian revolution organisation and the ever growing forces of the outside power hungry entities, they are to attempting to bring Syria down so that they are able to meet their greater agenda.

They are not the peaceful group they make themselves out to be, Their killing spree is more evident now and people will soon see them for what they are..Evil

شعلة التغيير في العالم العربي جاءت من شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي، لكن تواجد الموالين للنظام السوري هو ما بات ملحوظاً بقوة بعد التظاهرات الاحتجاجية الأخيرة، ويطلق مصصلح “رؤوس البيض”على المنضمين حديثاً لشبكة تويتر، ومنهم الموالون للنظام، والسبب يعود إلى أنهم جدد على هذه الشبكة وعدم معرفتهم بكيفية تغيير الصورة “الأفاتار” وهي صورة صغيرة تظهر بجانب تعليقات المشاركين.

ومعظم مناهضي النظام الذين يحدثون حساباتهم في “تويتر” لا يستطيعون تحديث حساباتهم أو إضافة تعليقاتهم سوى بعد العودة إلى المنزل واستخدام أجهزة الحاسوب الشخصي، وذلك بسبب سرعة الانترنت البطيئة والتي تعتمد على الهاتف كما هو معروف بـ”الدايل أب”.

ومؤخراَ ظهر مستخدمون يقومون بتحديث حساباتهم في موقع الحدث ومعظم تعليقاتهم تشمل رسائل تهديد ووعيد، وهؤلاء يستخدمون على الأغلب الهواتف الذكية غير المتوفرة لمعظم السوريين بسبب غلائها وتحديداً هاتف “الايفون” الذي يصل سعره في سوريا لأكثر من ثلاثة أضعاف سعره في بقية الدول، ويستخدمون شبكات اتصال حديثة من طراز “الثري جي” وهي الشبكات المتوفرة في المدن الرئيسية فقط.

وهناك مجموعة تصل تقريباً إلى 60 مستخدما بعض أسماءها تحتوي على عبارات تخدش الحياء وتقوم بشتم وسب كل من يعترض طريقها أو نهجها في عملية التواصل، وجميع أعضاءها يتحركون في نفس الوقت ويتعاملون بنفس الأجندة ونفس مفردات الوعيد والتهديد.

والأغرب أن هؤلاء يستخدمون برنامجاً خاصاً لإضافة التعليقات على مواقعهم عبر تويتير ما يثير التساؤلات حول ما إذا كانوا مدعومين من سلطات أمنية معينة.

While in Bahrain:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/bahrain-escapes-censure-by-west-as-crackdown-on-protesters-intensifies-2269638.html

I am afraid Syrian protesters should face realities: isn’t Saad Hariri the son of someone? Didn’t he parade recently in Beirut under a building-long picture of his father dressed in a Saudi gown?
Didn’t he inaugurate a statue of his father in Beirut? so come on…

I wish to read the ideas for a third way that has to be invented by the youth of Tunisia, Egypt and Syria. Maybe the youth of Iraq and elsewhere would be happy to endorse it and find a way out of civil war.

Do we have more than one commentator by the pseudonym of “SOURI” on this blog?

Hey SOURI,

Is there any comment in the previous posts written under the nickname of SOURI not yours?
If you answer “no, they were all mine”, I’ll let you know why I’m asking.

Gender Equal Opportunity

“I still don’t see any women there.”

Nour,

Here are many for your eyes only.

source

The Syrian Revolution 2011
حمص : 30 شهيداً على الأقل ونحو 90 مصابا في حمص خلال مواجهات اليومين الماضيين حتى قبل 3 ساعات كما وصلنا … إلى جنان الخلد يا أحباب … والله والله لن نسكت .. لك الله يا حمصنا العديه لك الله …. اما انتم يا من تلطخت أيديكم بدمائنا … والله لنحاسبكم … لن ترهبونا بطغيانكم ولن ترهبونا بنيرانكم نحن خرجنا للحرية .. فاما ان نحصل عليها واما ان نتحرر بالشهاده ولن نتوقف حتى ننال الحريه او يستشهد كل احرار سوريا .. والحق معنا والله معنا والنصر لنا ..لأن النصر للأحرار … لأن النصر للأحرار … لأن النصر للأحرار ..

132. Dear Aqoul, You said:
“I am still awaiting Hizbullah’s condemnation of the ruthless killing of Syrians, in the same manner and firmness they did with our brethren in Bahrain.”

Like you, I am disappointed with 7izballa, media coverage of the Syrian crisis.
The leadership of 7izballa has committed a strategic mistake in siding with their strategic friend in the region, the Syrian regime.

In the process 7izballa as an organisation, as well as its supporters in Lebanon will risk losing the faith of millions of admirers and well wishers of Syrian people, as well as Arab people of the newly freed countries.

For 7izballa leadership; justice and freedom, as we now understand are viwed in context:
They are noble causes,worthy of martyrdom when Shee3a are concerned.
They are a facade for conspiracy, when the rest are the strugglers.

Al Fajr prayer, Atta7reer square, Free 7oms,
6 hours ago

http://www.facebook.com/Syrian.Revolution#!/photo.php?fbid=10150577670410727&set=a.10150397575815727.619133.420796315726&type=1&theater

Allahu Akbar

Nir Rosen said “Increasingly even secular Arab Sunnis have adopted the extremist Wahabi views of Shiites”.

I would like to remind Mr. Rosen the difference between Shitte and Wahabi. Wahabi, Salafis are the extremists. They are responsible of the Sept 11 attack (AlQaeda), they are responsible of the innocent killing of Syrian now and back in 1982 (MB), they are responsible of killing Hussien and Al Albiet from Karbala, and they continue to name Shiite as (Alrafeda)….Just give me one example of Shiite who killed innocent Arab civilians for a cause…one example please….It the Wahabis who did that….Since HA is in conflict with Israel, then I may understand your views of the Shiite HA as Wahabis which in term confirms that you agree Wahabis are extremists. Shiite were never and will not be Wahabis….Mine what a difference

Souri said “The Wahhabis are worse than the MB. There is no way that a political compromise can be reached with them. The only way to confront Wahhabism is by using force against it to nip it in the bud”. Good one Souri

حركة سوريا شباب من أجل الحرية شام : حمص : عاجل : الشباب يشكلون لجاناً شبابية لحفظ الأمن في الأحياء في أغلب أحياء مدينة حمص … وذلك تحسباً لقيام عناصر من الأمن و الشبيحة بتخريب الممتلكات العامة و الخاصة …
8 hours ago

SAYU said “That is absolutely correct. many more people lost loved ones due to the insurgency sparked by the MB”.” They are not the peaceful group they make themselves out to be, Their killing spree is more evident now and people will soon see them for what they are..Evil”

Indeed Evil, Evil, Evil. Hafez Assad warned them, he was patient, he let their pressure build, build, and then slammed them in Hama. Back then here were no facebook and advanced media. I believe Bashar Assad realizing that time is at his side. He wants to take his time, let the people protest at the same time he would try to identify the thugs and bring them to justice….I dont think he will come hard on them like his father did in Hama. I do not think hat the current crises will end anytime soon. I believe we are into many Jumaas’ to come. He would use time as his friend not enemy….What happened so far; they have been out for more than a month…let it be a year, 2 years….that gives him time to selectively execute them.

As for those people who are condemning HA for siding with Syria…..are you guys serious…HA has been attacked inside Lebanon by Lebanese themselves from all sectors….Who was aside HA, who even created HA…Its naive to even imagine HA condemning Syria, rather I am surprised why HA is not threatening anyone who is trying to bring instability to Syria and specifically to its regime.

Revlon said “كة سوريا شباب من أجل الحرية شام : حمص : عاجل : الشباب يشكلون لجاناً شبابية لحفظ الأمن في الأحياء في أغلب أحياء مدينة حمص … وذلك تحسباً لقيام عناصر من الأمن و الشبيحة بتخريب الممتلكات العامة و الخاصة …”

I guess they did that so they can stop cars, take the ID cards and if they turn to be Alawi they would kill them….Why they need LEEGAN SABIA….They are the source of danger

Fadi,

That is true. The Wahabi/Salafi/MB, are not connected to Shiite Muslims in anyway. There is a vast difference between the two sects, it is like comparing apples and oranges.

The vast differences between them, and, the fact that the Imam Hussein was killed in Karbala by the Wahabi cements the fact that they cannot in anyway be connected or live side by side in harmony.

U.S. Denies It is Trying Undermine Assad

WASHINGTON, Apr 19, 2011 (IPS) – As anti-government protests in Syria showed no sign of abating, the U.S. State Department Monday denied that it was seeking the regime’s ouster.

“No, we are not working to undermine that government,” said spokesman Mark Toner in response to a front-page report in Monday’s Washington Post about secret U.S. financing of Syrian opposition groups, including a London-based satellite television channel that has called for overthrow of the Baathist regime headed by President Bashar Al-Assad.

Assad “needs to address the legitimate aspirations of his people,” Toner insisted, noting that Assad himself had spoken over the weekend about implementing “the need to lift the state of emergency as well as implement broader reforms, and certainly, we’re watching closely now to see how those words translate into deed.”

I guess US understands the grave situation the unrest in Syria will brings to its strategic interests in the regions. I would thank the US administration for giving us time in Syria to solve our problems. Time is what we want and time in the side of Assad.

This is a big blow to the Syrian revolution

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55310

The same article:

Landis said he’s growing more worried about the reaction of the Alawite minority – of which Assad is the leader and from which the top ranks of the military and security forces are recruited – to the unrest and the possibility that the conflict could take on a sectarian character.

That what I have been saying as well…..What Landis said is facts not fiction. Some people in the forum accused me of creating using too much sectarian language and shied off this fact. I agree that is a big worry.

LANDIS SAID “”I frankly don’t think they have a clue (about what to do),” please read the article bellow

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55310

That assessment has actually “emboldened the regime,” according to Haddad. “They have known that the position of the U.S., as well as Israel and Saudi Arabia, is pro-status quo in Syria,” he said, although, as the opposition appears to have gained strength over the last several days, Washington’s position may be changing.

“I frankly don’t think they have a clue (about what to do),” Landis said of Washington’s current stance, given the mushrooming of the opposition and the hardening of its demands. “If they’re saying, (Assad) should not use violence, that means they should let the demonstrators overthrow the government, because, at this point, he’s going to have to use violence in order to put this down.”

Indeed the US is sending mixed messages to the area…..and they are translated by the opposition as “keep doing what you are doing”….I wonder whether the administration is ready to deal with the grave consequences of the unrest in the area….The US administration should not look to this as a local Syrian issue rather should look at the large map and be prepared to deal with a Sunni Shiite unrest in th region lead by Saudi Wahabi and Iran Shiite………….US already is stretched enough in Iraq and now the unrest started in Iraq…..

Revlon “: الشباب يشكلون لجاناً شبابية لحفظ الأمن في الأحياء في أغلب أحياء مدينة حمص … وذلك تحسباً لقيام عناصر من الأمن و الشبيحة بتخريب الممتلكات العامة و الخاصة

Come on Revlon, now you’re getting desparate. The lies and events being twisted 180 degrees by the organisation you are endorsing is becomming too transparent. The game is up

بيان الثورة السورية تعليقاً على الأحداث وللمناشدة، والدعوة إلى الجمعة العظيمة

http://www.facebook.com/Syrian.Revolution?closeTheater=1#!/photo.php?fbid=10150578063340727&set=a.10150397575815727.619133.420796315726&type=1&theater

SYAU said “The game is up”

Revlon: The game is up, the lies uncovered, and the MB will soon be defeated…..No one in the world wants Alqaeda,,,,,No one in the world wants MB…..No one in the world wants radical Islam.

RADICAL ISLAM SHOULD BE ERADICATED.

The US needs to understand that we are pro peace, and anti radical islam, and we are partners in the war on terror, as matter of fact we have been chasing and fighting the terror since 1982.

Israel should understand as well that Syria might have used some cards and some pressure by Harboring Hamas, but remember that we in Syria harbored Ojlan (The kurdish leader), wand he was our pressure card on Turkey, well guess what, we gave Oglan away for peace and stability with Turkey.

Israel must understand that if there is anyway for peace to happen then it will be under the Assad.

instability of the region will not serve Israel in its land, neither it will serve the US interest.

God Belss all those people who are carrying their dead loved ones to their graves, chanting…”B Rouh, B Dum, B Nafdeek Ya Bashar!”
Allah Yer7am al mota.

AUSTRALIAN- SYRIAN

Ra7emahom allah. All the dead whether from the revolution or from the police, they died for a cause. The former died as victims of conspiracy and the latter died defending the security

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55310

“Indeed, the administration’s reluctance to speak out more strongly against the regime apparently stems from its doubts about the opposition, doubts that are reportedly shared by its two closest regional allies, Saudi Arabia and Israel, both of whom – at least until now – seem to have preferred to keep “the enemy they know” rather than face the uncertainty of a Syria without Assad”.

Fadi,
WELL SAID!! BEAUTIFULLY SAID! You are right. No matter which way you turn it, peace will only happen under the ASSAD. No matter how many people will argue, peace will only happen under the ASSAD! No matter how hard the US make trouble, peace will only happen under the ASSAD!

Radical Islam MUST be eradicated!! And no matter how hard they try to corrupt, peace will only happen under the ASSAD!

GOD PROTECT 3UMNA DOCTOR BASHAR AL ASSAD.

Dear Revlon and N.Z.,

FYI, 7hizbulla MP Nawwaf Moussawi made a statement yesterday supporting the Syrian regime openly.

So, I say again to N.Z. use your head and not your emotions.

The Syrian Anomaly by Joshua Gleis (HUFFPOST WOLD)

“The country’s authoritarian leader, Bashar al-Assad, is propped up by his fellow Allawites, who are a minority in that Sunni-dominated land. In order to maintain control, the Allawites control every major military and political post in the country. This religious Allawite minority that is an offshoot of Shiism knows that if Assad falls, their days of privilege are numbered. As a result, they are more unified and willing to shed blood than was the Egyptian military”.

FADI,
You are right! So right! They died for a cause. And the right cause.

Remember i was talkng about an unsophisticated twit in one of my earlier comments? A twit by the name of Hariri.
Well, here is my proof.

http://youtu.be/9x17GR80hsI

If you have not yet seen it, you will..well just experience the laughter yourself.

Australian – Syrian,

Well, the proof is in the pudding isn’t it.

“Would you like anyone to continue on from you” one says to him.
What a grand leader – Oh yes, former leader he was.

He should just stay behind his bullet proof glass panel and stay out of Syria’s business.

SYAU,
LOL…You are soo right! Except, he should step out from behind that bullet proof panneal. At least that way attempted assassinations wont be, well, ATTEMPTED…if you get what i mean.
Jokes, Jokes, Jokes..

And now i feel like pudding! Thanks for that.

Ziadsoury

“I am sure when you are being shot at; you will stand your ground and take a video. The rest of my fellow Syrians will try to duck under or run away. Just remember, none of these people have any weapons and they do not want either.”

And there is no one in a balcony or not too far that have a mobile or a camera to take a video that maybe be a scoop on all TVs… Come one everyone has a mobile. In Egypt and Tunisia’s videos we have seen numerous videos of security officers killing people, shot from balconies or further. In Syria, none!…curious no?

The question is: how do you envision peace ?

(an article on what is unacceptable:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/opinion/31iht-edsalomon31.html )

Mina

I had tears in my eyes reading this article. I wish more Jews around the world read it to have a glimpse of the reality of Israel far from the embellishing propaganda. And they dare call this a democracy.

The Teary-eyed Salomons NewZ

I wonder if the Salomons are asking the French government why they are killing Libyan civilians.

As we entered this narrow space I looked at the barbed wire further on. We are Jewish, and began to weep. How was it possible that our own people, who have gone through such suffering, can inflict this ordeal, intended to humiliate and intimidate another people?

Alain Salomon is a former associate professor of architecture at Columbia University and president of a chamber music festival in Southwest France.Katia Salomon heads the association that runs the libraries in the Fleury-Mérogis Prison in France, Europe’s largest.

I doubt the French government can come up with a better response than the GOI, so maybe, these “academics” (need we say more) can answer their own question.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4057894,00.html

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/04/10/goodbye-to-a-cross-border-dreamer.html

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/15/kidnapping-italian-activist-gaza-challenges-hamas-authority/

Fadi,

Thats right, What if?

Mina,

That is so sad. Peace, freedom?

Unfortunately, there are also stories of young palestinian children dying while there parents try to cut through the amount of “red tape”, so their children are able to see a specialist or be operated on at the equipped hospitals in the nations capital, surgery urgently needed to save their lives. All this just because they are palestinians.

Allah Kaleek ya sleiman frangieh!!!!!!!!!
If only all Lebanese ministers were like you!! We love you. Yehmeek Allah!

عن أي إسلام لأجله تجاهدون ؟؟
أي إسلام هذا وأخوانكم تقتلون ؟؟
أي إسلام يبيح التخريب وبالأجساد تنكلون ؟؟
أي إسلام هذا وبالطوائف تفرقون ؟؟
……الإسلام براء منكم وأنتم كإبليس سترجمون
فدين الاسلام دين إخاء ورحمة ودينكم ..!! عفوا .. حتى الشيطان لم يعرف بأي دين أنتم تدينون
أيها المرتزقة السلفيون الإرهابيون المجرمون

The demonstrations in Syria are spreading ,It started in Deraa,later on it was in Banyas,and now in Homs,there are several area that witnessed demonstrations, they were all over Syria.
It is time now that we say that Assad legitimacy is in question,It is time to call for free,free free election,and save Syria from tyrancy,and sedition that a group of people are calling for,

Fadi,

Well said, the Muslim brotherhood should not be called anything but The Brotherhood. The religion of Islam is one of peace and love and does not stand for executions or degrading of corpses, That is a crime even in war. It does not stand for destruction.
The religion of Islam stands for Peace. The people of Syria used to live in that peace. The muslim brotherhood along with their co conspirators are attempting to destroy that sense of peace.

The President Bashar Assad and the people of Syria will not allow that to happen, because the president and his people, stand for peace.

رفع حالة الطوارئ في سورية

مجلس الوزراء يقر مشروع مرسوم تشريعي يقضي بإنهاء حالة الطوارئ في سورية

مجلس الوزراء يقر مشروع مرسوم تشريعي بإلغاء محكمة أمن الدولة العليا

مجلس الوزراء يقر مشروع قانون تنظيم حق التظاهر السلمي

Syria canceled the security high court.

By the end of the month or sooner we will be able to tell how things in Syria will unfold. This Friday may give us a clue. Demonstrations in my view must be limited to peaceful groups who should be allowed to make their opinion heard without the intimidation of the police,but I am sure we will see the army and the police be more forceful from now on. Syrians are dreaming if they actually
believe that a country like Syria can become a democracy in one month,however,the regime has no choice but to listen to the people who need to reject violence and avoid sectarian behavior. Militant Muslims have been involved
as early as march 19 when they discovered that there is a gap they can fill,they are more visible today and they are using violence when they can. People who think that Syria can be ruled by salafis or the mb are gravely mistaken because
the price will be another Iraq. I share Joshua’s concern about what the military might do if they sense that Bashar is weak.

majedkhaldoon,

The “Assad legitimacy” is not in question. President Bashar has always been legitimate and that will never change. He is a President that other presidents in the Arab world should strive to be. He is a President unlike most who is striving for unity in the Arab world.

He is a president who is authentic, brilliantly intellectual, caring and respectable.

For those who forget, he was voted for by the people of Syria.
And, furthermore, for all those who are saying that he inherited the presidency from his father, the Late Hafez Assad, they are sorely mistaken. The unfortunate Khaddam was OFFICIALLY president of Syria for 1 month. 1 month too long I think.

محليات>>استشهاد العقيد الركن محمد عبدو خضور والمساعد الأول غسان محرز برصاص مجموعات الغدر والإجرام المسلحة بحمص

19 نيسان , 2011

دمشق-سانا

صرح مصدر مسؤول.. بتاريخ 19-4-2011 أقدمت مجموعات الغدر والإجرام المسلحة في مدينة حمص على ارتكاب جريمة جديدة بإطلاق النار على العقيد الركن محمد عبدو خضور وإصابته في الرأس والصدر وهو متوجه إلى دوامه ما أدى إلى استشهاده ولم تكتف عصابة الغدر والإجرام بالقتل بل عمدت إلى تشويه الوجه.. كما تعرض المساعد الأول غسان محرز إلى طلق ناري وهو يقوم بواجبه كسائق ميكروباص بينما كان متوجها إلى وحدته ما أدى إلى استشهاده أيضاً.

وأضاف المصدر.. هذا الدم السخي الذي تمت إراقته على قارعة الطريق كان مأمولاً منه أن يراق لأجل الدفاع عن حرية الوطن وشموخه وإعلاء رايته خفاقة ولمقارعة أعداء أمتنا الذين يحتلون جزءاً من أرضنا الحبيبة إلا أن مجموعات الغدر والإجرام المسلحة المرتهنة لأسيادها في الخارج أبت إلا أن تنفذ المخطط الإجرامي المرسوم لها.

وواصلت المجموعات الإجرامية المسلحة اعتداءاتها على أمن الوطن والمواطن واستهدفت فجر اليوم قسمي الشرطة في منطقتي الحميدية والبياضة بحمص ما أدى إلى أصابة 6 من عناصر الشرطة بجروح ومقتل 2 من عناصر المجموعة المسلحة وإصابة 5 آخرين.

وقال قائد شرطة حمص العميد حميد أسعد مرعي إن عناصر المجموعات الإجرامية المسلحة حاولوا إحراق قسم شرطة البياضة بعد محاصرته وقاموا بإطلاق النار على عناصره وأصابوا عدداً منهم.

وقال مدير المشفى الوطني في حمص الدكتور غسان طنوس في تصريح لسانا.. أسعف إلى المشفى فجر اليوم 6 من عناصر قوى الأمن الداخلي تعرضوا لإصابات متنوعة بإطلاق النار والاعتداء الجسدي بأدوات حادة وعصي أثناء مناوبتهم في قسمي البياضة والحميدية.

وأضاف مدير المشفى.. أن الجرحى أكدوا أن حوالي 50 مسلحاً هاجموا نحو الساعة الثالثة فجراً قسم شرطة البياضة وأطلقوا النار على عناصر الحراسة واعتدوا بالضرب بالعصي والأدوات الحادة على أحدهم موضحين أن المشهد ذاته تكرر في قسم الحميدية.

With abolishing high state security court, now all political prisoners must be releasede immidiately

الحكومة تقر مشروعي مرسومين لرفع حالة الطوارئ وإلغاء محكمة امن الدولة
الاخبار المحلية
شارك

اقر مجلس الوزراء يوم الثلاثاء, في اول اجتماع له, مشروعي مرسومين تشريعيين يقضيان بإنهاء حالة الطوارئ في سورية, وبإلغاء محكمة امن الدولة العليا.

وكان الرئيس بشار الاسد قال في كلمة له في اول اجتماع لحكومة عادل سفر يوم السبت الماضي انه سيتم رفع حالة الطوارئ في الاسبوع المقبل.
وكان الرئيس بشار الاسد كلف القيادة القطرية مؤخرا بتشكيل لجنة لدراسة تشريعات امن الوطن والمواطن تمهيدا لرفع حالة الطوارئ في سورية المعمول بها منذ عام 1962.
كما اقر مجلس الوزراء مشروع قانون تنظيم حق التظاهر السلمي للمواطنين وإجراءات الترخيص لهم واليات حماية المتظاهرين.
واقر اكثر من مسؤول سوري على رأسهم الرئيس بشار الاسد بحق المواطن السوري في التظاهر السلمي ، إلا أن بعض الجهات تستغل هذه التحركات “لبث الفرقة وزعزعة استقرار سوريا” ، بحسب ما يقول المسؤولين.
وكانت عدة مدن سورية شهدت في الأسابيع الأربعة الماضية تظاهرتنادت بمطالبة عامة ورفع قانون الطورائ وتحسين مستويات المعيشة وغيرها, تخللها احداث امنية مؤسفة ادت الى سقوط عشرات القتلى ومئات الجرحى من المتظاهرين وقوى الامن والجيش, في حين حملت المصادر الرسمية مسؤولية هذه الاحداث الى مجموعات مسلحة.
http://www.syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=131594

majdelkhaldoon

“The demonstrations in Syria are spreading. It started in Deraa,later on it was in Banyas,and now in Homs,there are several area that witnessed demonstrations, they were all over Syria.”

Not in Damascus the capital. In Deraa they are peaceful, we don’t hear anything new about Banyas: it is not spreading, it is popping from one place to another and has not gather enough mass.

19 April 2011 Last updated at 09:30 ET
By Jonathan Marcus
BBC Diplomatic Correspondent

“For decades Syria has been among the most stable countries in the Middle East”.

“Syria matters in ways that make Libya appear a largely peripheral country. Syria is a key element in an alliance that brings together Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip and other more radical Palestinian groups opposed to peace with Israel”.

“If Syria descends into chaos, this alliance could also be weakened. But the most serious impact might be felt in next-door Lebanon” “a strong Syria represents a stabilising element in Lebanon. Chaos in one could lead to chaos in the other.”

“Israel, too, is watching events in its northern neighbour with concern. Syria has long been a predictable enemy. Even a shaken Syrian regime could pose a different kind of problem”.

“The Obama administration has long toyed with the idea of trying to draw Syria’s leader “in from the cold”. The aim has always been to draw him into the Western camp and encourage him to take his distance from Tehran”.

Majedkhaldoon,

I say to you again, Political prisioners ALL OVER THE WORLD are imprisioned for a reason. If such a time comes when they are eligable to be released, then each prisioner will be judged on his own merit. If he deserves to be released, I’m sure he will be. For those who incited uprisings causing deaths, destruction and chaos, whether it be now or 50 years ago, why should they be released. When someone causes a death for example, and, that death is due to self defence, that would be different from somebody committing a murder out of malice. The murderer would not be eligible to be released.

syau
No, there was no election, there was phlebisite, under strict dictatorship, it was not free election,,remember he became president,after the house changed the law to accept 34.5 year old man to allow him to become president.
And no Bashar is neither smart ,or a leader, he was placed by the security system that his father put,the difference between me and you, is that you believe the people should serve the president, I believe the president should serve the people.
Remember that things has changed, and now demonstrations all nover Syria calling for change of the Regime,what we need is to find out if he is electable in free election,if you think he is popular then you have nothing to fear from free election,we all will be satisfied if he wins in free election.

“Syrian Ambassador In Beirut: If Syria Is Harmed, Lebanon Will Be Too
In continued claims by Syria that the Lebanese Al-Mustaqbal faction and Jamal Al-Jarrah, its MP, are fanning the unrest in Syria, Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon said that most of the Lebanese people know that harming Syria means similar or greater harm to Lebanon”.

Al-Mustaqbal, Lebanon, April 18, 2011
Al-Nahar, Lebanon, April 18, 2011

By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent
updated 4/19/2011 6:25:02 AM ET

“Israel might be sorry if Assad fell. Although he has helped arm Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and harbored Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, he has maintained the calm prevailing on the Israeli-Syrian border since the 1973 war”.

“Most combustible for Lebanon, Iraq and the region would be sectarian or ethnic conflict in Syria, should it lose its secular Baathist straitjacket, fuelling tensions elsewhere between Sunnis and Shi’ites, Arabs and Kurds, or Christians and Muslims”.

Majed:

I agree with you. All political prisoners should be released immediately. But at least we got a bit of good news amid a sea of bad news lately. Hopefully the next steps of issuing a new party law and the cancellation of Article 8 will materialize soon.

Syau
The court that put those prisoners in jail ,is no longer exist, the charges agianst them is no longer exist,you can try them in civil court,give them chance to publicly defend themselves,the mind of dictatorship must not exist anymore,they said there was corruptions, even the president saying there was corruption, they commited no crime.

Jad,

I think Assad is doing the good thing by lifting the state of emergency and other measures taken today. Some will interpret this as a weakness. I don’t think so. I think these measures can potentially divide the opposition. Those who are interested by real reforms will start dialogue with the authorities.

I think the move today is a smart move and the best thing that can happen to Syria today is to have a healthy opposition grown form the inside that can work to effect a smooth transition. And I believe there is such an opposition in Syria.

I think, as of today, Syria is in a better shape than Egypt.

Syria must stay a laic state. This is important not only for Syria but for the entire region.

THank you ,NOUR

WASHINGTON, April 18 (Xinhua) — The United States denied Monday that it “is working to undermine” the Syrian government

Assad is a predictable enemy of the US and Israel. Since 1973, nothing fired to Israel from Golan.

Homs, General strike, today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPkP2r4I5oY&feature=player_embedded#at=36Bottom of Form

Damascus, College of Medicine protest, today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdqHHKd3vDA&feature=player_embedded

Dar3a, yesterday
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xialhp_yyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyyyy-y-yyyyyyyy-yyyyyyy-18-4_news#from=embed

Majedkhaldoon,

As I said, each prisioner should be judged on his own merits, if he deserves to be given his freedom, he will be.

Syau
Who is going to judge them?

Fork has appeared in Iran’s road to Damascus
Published Date: 19 April 2011
By Michael Purcell

“Iran’s ability to project its power in the Arab world would be greatly diminished if Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, is replaced by a less-friendly, Sunni-dominated government”

“But Tehran, allegedly, is taking no chances. Washington says there is “credible information” that Iran is helping Syria to quell protests”.

“Tehran is relying on him to crush the peaceful unrest in the same ADVERTISEMENT way that Iran suppressed the mass pro-democracy protests ignited by president Ahmadinejad’s disputed election in 2009”

majedkhaldoon,

Obviously the courts will judge them and if the find them deserving of freedom, then so be it. It also may work against them, and have them serve a longer term.

On another note, if you think demonstrations are widespread across Syria, you are deluding yourself, but, if it gives you peace of mind to keep telling yourself that, then keep on deluding yourself.

The President is a great leader. Legitimate, he definately is. If there were “free elections” as you put it, he will be the one the Syrian people vote for. My opinion is that he should be voted in for life. He is a great leader who displays the utmost of leadership qualities.

Khaddam on the otherhand, well he displays qualities of a loser.

Those who are celebrating the so called “supportive US stance” towards the regime, were calling an earlier, similar position towards the revolution a conspiracy, yesterday!

How shameful!
That the regime has not fired a missile at Israel since 1976, is now presented by the regime supporters on this blog, as a record of good conduct to be swapped for support from Israel and USA.

So It was not Muqawama after all! It was not for the support of Hamas and the Palestenian people!
The Syrian people who voiced doubts about the real regimes intentions regarding Muqawama and Peace are now vindicated.

For your ignorance, Asad’s regime has not dared to fire a cracker at any one except against civilians after loosing the two wars that they fought with Israel.
H Asad, did not dare to move a soldier to the

H Asad, did not dare to move a soldier to the northern front, when The Turkish army was on the brink of invading Syria.
It was by mere serendipity and the help of Mubarak mediation that the country was saved from the wrath of loosing a third war.

A Muhabarat mentality of a moribund regime. The good cop is repealing the Emergency law, while the bad cop is shooting protesters in public squares. This is how desperation looks like.

If repealing of the Emergency law is the right thing to do (I believe so), then it should have happened in February of 2011.

This dying regime is in panic, and rightly so. Nothing will save them in this point in time. Too late for them.

The sensation of freedom and liberation is intoxicating. You can tell by watching YouTube, that many Syrians (not all, of course) are intoxicated. They feel great. They have powers. At last. And they’re not going to give up their newly gained power. They will continue until this regime is down. This is exactly what I would do.
.

Revlon,

So I take it now that the next move by your Syrian Revolution is to call for Israel to be bombed? If it’s not one thing it the other. First under the banner of a democratic revolution, now playing the Golan Heights/Israel card. What next from you people?

The Late Hafez Assad didn’t “move a soldier” to the Turkish boarder in order to prevent a war. Prevention of a war, that is another concept the Syrian Revolution and its co conspiritors are not familure with.

Any idea on the implkcation of removing the emergency laws?

Does it change in any way the ability of the government to imprison opponents at will or to spy on communications?

Sophia,
I agree that those measures are good, hopefully things get calmer so Syrians can have some space to use their wisdom instead of their emotions to build a better and stronger society.

SYAU,

Aren’t you part of the people all the time telling us how Assad is the heart and soul of the “resistance” against Israel? Well, is he or is he not? You guys are so desperate you are trying to play both ends.
Nobody is fooled. No one in Israel will shed a tear if Assad is disposed and the Syrian people regain their dignity. Some may be worried what comes after Assad, but nobody would be sorry to see him go as he backed terrorism against Israeli civilians.

AIG said “Aren’t you part of the people all the time telling us how Assad is the heart and soul of the “resistance” against Israel? Well, is he or is he not? You guys are so desperate you are trying to play both ends”.

Its people like you who taught us how to play both ends. Your revolution is so desperate and asking the help from outsiders beggers

AIG said” he backed terrorism against Israeli civilians”.

Israel woul be better off MB plus Hamas in its northern border

AIG,

Actually, no it was not me, but now that you mention it, he was a driving forced behind that. Syria is a greater country because of him, and, will continue on being a great country with his son governing it.

Now, lets look at another scenario, If the dreaded clan that is the muslim brotherhood backed by Quardawi was in power, of any country let alone Syria, then it would be in ruins. Seeing as though Israels feelings are so important to you, I will tell you that I dont think Israel would like the brotherhood being in power in any nation. They would not be alone.

Nobody could hold a candle to Bashar. Khaddam is a loser and there is nobody else that deserves to even be entertained with the thought of leading Syria. Syria is a greater country with Bashar governing it and it will stay that way. Stop denying it.

Fadi,

First, I am an Israeli.

Second, what is wrong with asking for support against a ruthless regime that shoots at its own people? The protesters have every right to do that. They are not asking for military intervention, just condemnation for the violent tactics of the regime.

رسالة شاهد عيان من اعتصام طلية الطب مع رابط مقطع الاعتصام
===========================================
أيها الأخوة الكرام
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
أنا شاهد عيان كنت اليوم في ساحة مدرجات كليات الطب البشري يوم الثلاثاء 19-نيسان-2011 ، حيث وقف ثلة من طلاب الطب البشري بالمراييل البيضاء حاملين الزهور ويرفعون لوحة مكتوب عليها التالي :
…مطالب طلاب الطب البشري :
1- الإفراج عن زملائهم المعتقلين من طلاب الكلية .
2- إرجاع الطلاب الذين تم فصلهم إلى كلياتهم .
3- احترام الحياة الطلابية الجامعية نظراً لأن الطلبة الجامعيين هم مستقبل الأمة .
4- محاسبة المسؤولين عن ارتكاب الجرائم تجاه الشهداء الأبرار .
وكانت وقفة صامتة لم يرفع أحد شعارا واحدا بل كانت وقفة صامتة وحملوا زهورا للتأكيد على سلميتهم .
ولم يلبثوا عشر دقائق حتى جاء باصان من الأمن (وهم من الأمن السياسي) وليسوا بلطجية أو شبيحة ، بل هم رجال أمن متمرسون وكلهم كبار (يعني مو جماعة الاتحاد الوطني اللي كانوا موجودين كمان) وقاموا بالاعتداء على الطلاب بالضرب المبرح على الرأس وأنا رأيت بعيني كيف انهالوا بالضرب على شابين على الرأس حتى نزفوا وفقدوا القدرة على السير وكانت حالتهم خطرة وأسعفهم زملاءهم خفية إلى خارج الكلية ، لأنه تصوروا في مجمع مشافي الجامعة لا يأمن طلاب الجامعة أن يداووا أنفسهم لأنهم سيتعرضون للاعتقال من المشفى كما حدث لزملائهم الذين أسعفوا من العلوم إلى المواساة الأسبوع الفائت ، ويم يكتف رجال الأمن ومعاونوهم من رجال أمن الكلية والموظفين الأمن أيضاً بضرب الواقفين ، بل قاموا أيضاً بشتمهم واتهامهم بالعمالة وتهديدهم ثم تبعوهم إلى الكليات حيث دخلوا الكليات وأرعبوا المرضى والطلاب والأساتذة ، واعتقلوا كل من كان يصور وأخذوا الكاميرات والموبايلات وكانوا يتهمون كل من كان يصور بالعمالة لإسرائيل واعتقلوا عدة طلاب لأنهم كانوا يصورون وأخذوهم كما كانوا يقولون إلى فرع الأمن السياسي بتهمة العمالة لإسرائيل !!!!!!!!!!!!
والمعيب في الموضوع أن جماعة الاتحاد الوطني لطلبة سوريا وبدل أن يطالبوا بحقوق الطلاب ويدافعوا عنهم كانوا متواجدين يساهمون في مراقبة الطلاب وأخذ الكاميرات وكانوا يصورون الجميع حيث كانوا يحملون بطاقات تعريفية فسمح لهم الأمن بالتصوير حيث كانوا يصورون بكاميرا عالية الدقة كل الطلاب الموجودين وقالوا بأن كل المشتركين سيتعرضون للمحاسبة فيما بعد .
هذه هي سورية الأسد … فأين أنتم أيها العالم الحر ؟؟؟

Fadi and Syau,

Syria is POTENTIALLY a great country, but under the Assads it became an economic basket case. And for the Syrian people to gain their dignity and achieve their potential a risk needs to be taken. The MB does not frighten me. If it can’t deliver economic growth and jobs, it will be thrown out also. And it will not deliver those by going to war or backing terrorists.

الإسراع بإعداد مشروعات قوانين الأحزاب والإعلام والإدارة المحلية وعرضها على المجلس للمناقشة في اقرب وقت

وفي الإطار الموازي والمكمل لمشاريع المراسيم التي تم إقرارها طلب مجلس الوزراء من الوزارات المعنية الإسراع بإعداد مشروع قانون الأحزاب ومشروع قانون الإعلام والإدارة المحلية وعرضها على المجلس للمناقشة في أقرب وقت ممكن.

وبهدف توفير فرص عمل جديدة للمواطنين ناقش المجلس مشروع قانون إحداث برنامج يسمى برنامج تشغيل الشباب في الجهات العامة الذي يقضي بتوفير 10 آلاف فرصة عمل سنوياً لحملة الشهادة الجامعية والمعاهد المتوسطة وتشغيلهم في الجهات العامة وذلك من خارج الملاكات العددية المحددة لها خلال سنوات الخطة الخمسية 11.

وتقرر في الاجتماع تكليف وزارتي الشؤون الاجتماعية والعمل والعدل والأمانة العامة لرئاسة مجلس الوزراء إعداد الصيغة النهائية القانونية اللازمة لتنفيذ هذا البرنامج.

http://sana.sy/ara/2/2011/04/19/342380.htm

Jad,

How will creating thousands of non-productive jobs solve the problem? They will just bring the government to bankruptcy sooner.

The regime is acting like a cargo cult. It is going through the motions but does not understand where economic growth and jobs really come from.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult

Shami,
Brilliant animations!
Thanks!

Aig
#215- ” A ruthless regime that shoots at it’s own people”
Let me begin by saying, where have you been, to free you of your ignorance of the situation, armes thugs have been paid by outside entities to incite chaos and instigate shootings. The army/police officers are there protecting the people. Sadly, many members for the army and police lost their lives and others injured.

Secondly, Syria prospered under the Assads and was continuing to grow until all this nonsense began- which I might add was one of the agenda’s of the Syrian revolution and it’s co conspirators, to stunt economic growth, and, reduce or eliminate if they can foreign investment. One of their agendas.

If the MB does not frighten you, then you have not opened your eyes to the evil behind it and all they are capable of.
If Syria was governed by the MB (will never happen by the way), there will be no “throwing it out” the nightmare of its terror will be actual.
Bashar is here to stay, and, praise the lord, for the greater good of Syria.

نداء ندتء نداء للكل نساء حمص لن ناخد بعزاء اولادنا في البيوت مكان ما قتلهم المجرم في ساحه الحريه كل نساء حمص بلاسود والعويل واتلولاويل الى هناك لانريد ولا شب بيننا سنري العالم انا شبابنا ان خرجو قتلو تحت زريعه الارهاب والسلفين فلن نمكن لك…م من اولادنا نحن سنخرج وانزظري يا امريكا وكل العالم هل نحن ارهابيون نساء كل يوم من الظهر حتى المساء في الشارع الى الشارع يا اخواتي والله لو قتل ربع هذا العدد من اولاد نساء اليمن لااقامو بالشوارع الى الشارع يا اخواتي فانا انتظركمSee More
13 minutes ago.

SYAU,
Arrogance is suicidal,you should prepare yourself to regime change ,Asad could be your God and thus the max you can is to consider him as a dying God.
And if you feel closer to the theocrat of Qom,then ,no one will force you to remain in our land.
AIG,many of this kind of scared minorities will ask for a refuge status in Israel,you will receive many lebanese extremist shias (today hezbollahis)and alawites because according to them ,they can not live amongst us.
They believe that When Asad statues are toppled, they will be slaughtered.Especially by the alikes of the hypocrite of Majless cha3b and former supporters,those humiliated people hold the biggest inward hatred against asad.

Dar3a kids enjoying their daily extracurricular

AIG,

Do you think that they don’t know it’s useless?? You don’t have to be an economist to understand, that those proposed measures are not consistent with economic reason. One more act of desperation, if you ask me.

Now, this is incredible. Take each one of the persons who make this regime, and they are OK individuals. They’re reasoned, educated, fluent, know-how. Put those individuals together to run a country, and you have a disaster.

Now they are in a state of mind of grasping at straws. Ben Ali and Mubarak in slow motion. But the Syrian Tsunami will sweep them away. A matter of time.
.

Salafists raise saudi flag in Egypt.
http://akhbarlive.com/news/7580.html

AIG

Your statement regarding Army shooting on people is very exagerated. The number of police men being killed is out there for your fair review. Go and see it in newspapers

Second; as stated by SYAU” Syria prospered under the Assads and was continuing to grow until all this nonsense began- which I might add was one of the agenda’s of the Syrian revolution and it’s co conspirators, to stunt economic growth, and, reduce or eliminate if they can foreign investment. One of their agendas” That is true.

Third; If you read my previous posts you will find me pro peace 100 times with Israel. The president initiated the talk in Turkey. Israel regime knows Assad so he is familiar to them. I say it loud; Israel would be better off that Assad rules Syria than MB and Alqaeda. Note I am a strong believer that both MB and Alqaeda are the same. We lived in the past with Alawi and we know who they are and what are made off. I tell you one think; you will never ever find a radical alawi, never, never, never….they will defend themselves but hey donr have Jihad in their dictionary.

I hope Syria will come out of this and I am looking forward to the day that I could eat Hummus in Tel Aviv.

Revlon,
This whole thing of calling specifically the women to take to the streets in Homs or elsewhere is again a proof that the people manipulating the movement are not ashamed of anything. These same people probably watched al Jazeera 2 days ago with the women (who are much more politicized than Syrian women and have been part of the protest since its beginning in huge black crowds) where we could hear total munaqqabat saying to the camera “i want this regime to fall to enjoy my rights as a woman and a citizen” ! Funny. She can’t fight her own Northern Yemeni traditions and take away her veil (a very few Yemeni woman protesters have a veil only on their hear, a student, and some young girls, the rest is almost only in black) but she hopes that the next governement will help her do it.

AIG

السلفيون يرفعون علم السعودية على محافظة قنا

Good luck with your neighborer Egypt

The Syrian Revolution 2011
هام لاخوتنا المسيحيين الاكارم :
الشاب المسيحي مرجعه هو السيد المسيح الذي يقتضي به في حياته. جاء السيد المسيح رافضا الظلم والحقد والخطية، وقد أتي بثورة جديدة مليئة بالقيم الإنسانية والقيم الروحية لكي يرد كرامة الإنسان التي فقدت بسبب الخطية
نحن كمسيحيون ومسلمون سنة وعلوية وشيعة ودرزية عرب واكراد ومن جميع الطوائف والقوميات.. واجب علينا الث…ورة في وجه مصاصي الدماء البعثيين
الله يعطي الروح القدس ويهب على أشخاص ضعيفة ومهمشة في نظرنا البشري كما ان البوعزيزي كان شعلة الثورة في المنطقة
رجاء خاص من كل الاخوة المسيحين رفع اغصان الزيتون و الصليب و اعلام سورية في الجمعة العظيمة و الانضمام لصفوف الشعب لأنتزاع الحرية من ذلك الغاشم .. والنصر للأحرارSee More

Shami,

I will begin by advising you that Bashar Assad is not my God. He is the President of Syria. A GREAT MAN.
There is only one God, and, he cannot be measured by a human.

You need to stop deluding yourself into thinking that Bashar Assad is going anywhere for Syria is greater because of him and will continue to prosper with him governing the country.
And with that I will advise you that at 2:15am AEST, I am not going to argue the fact that Bashar isn’t going anywhere, but will say you have a yourself a good evening and whille doing that, continue podering the thought of the continuing prosperity of Syria with Bashar as its leader, and dont be too upset that you are not the leader of a country, maybe in another life.

The Syrian Revolution 2011
عاجل|| إطلاق نار كثيف في حي الخالدية وبين الساعتين والشبيحة يحطمون عدة محلات في المنطقة لإحتوائها على كاميرات مراقبة مثل مطعم البرنس وبنك عودة
3 hours ago

Shami

….many of this kind of scared minorities will ask for a refuge status in Israel,you will receive many lebanese extremist shias (today hezbollahis)and alawites because according to them ,they can not live amongst us…

Since when Israel accept non-jewish refugees??. You live on another planet or what! Syria accepted more than a million Iraqi without checking their religion, so please keep your brilliant predictions for other of your kind

majedkhaldoon

“Remember that things has changed, and now demonstrations all nover Syria calling for change of the Regime”

I have not seen that on large scale, please give proof. I suspect most Youtube videos to be conviniently dubbed with Egyptian sounds!

“what we need is to find out if he is electable in free election,if you think he is popular then you have nothing to fear from free election,we all will be satisfied if he wins in free election.”

Any Suggestion on a name or two?

#229 Dear young lady,
My aunts, grandmothers, and most of the ladies I used to see on the streets in my home town in syria when I was in elementary school were veiled.
The veil used to be called Mnadeel.
Different Mu7afazat and even suburbs had their own variation
None of those people were salfai, wahabi, or from Yemen.

Dress code, as long as decent by local norms, is a personal choice that needs ts to be respected.
The person, behind the veil is entitled to make her own choices about her cherished traditions in as much as the one who takes pride in her own made traditions in showing off her Revlon mascara!

Fadi,

I would love to have peace with with the Syrian people, not the Assad regime that does not represent the people. Once there is a government in Syria that really represents the Syrian people, and this government has a mandate for talking peace with Israel, let talk about peace.

Syria ‘lifts emergency law’

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/2011419135036463804.html

Egypt has not yet….

The Syrian Revolution 2011
الان خبر اكيد . ومؤكد مرة اخرى . قامت قوات الامن ومن معهم بوضع الزجاج بكميات كبيرة في ساحة الحرية في حمص حتى لا يقترب ويعتصم فيها الابطال وهي تقوم باطلاق الرصاص في الهواء لتفريق وارهاب الناس
وبالمقابل فان حمص تتجهز بشيبها وشبانها مسلمين ومسيحين علوية ودروز بجميع الطوائف والملل لمظاهرة مليونية غدا الاربعاء فنرجوا من الجميع الاستعداد ليوم غد
فلا خوف ولا خنوع ولا ذل بعد اليوم فإما النصر واما الشهادة

Contrary to what the regime media reported, there was indeed a large demonstration in Al 3abasiyeen last Friday.

The Syrian Revolution 2011
الثورة السورية – حلب || الأمن يفرق مظاهرة امام باب كلية الاقتصاد في جامعة حلب ويعتقل معظم الطلاب المتظاهرين
5 hours ago

SYAU,you also spoke about the greatness of baby asad ,that you presented us as the next great president of Syria.
By this ,you believe that they are eternal ruler of Syria,regardless if it’s bashar or hafez ,thus according to your logic they are of divine nature .
It’s very likely that they are not of divine nature and that the statues of hafez Asad in Hama ,Aleppo,Damascus,Deir,Hassaka,Latkkia,Jabla… will be toppled sooner or later ,so better to prepare yourself psychologically for post Asad Syria because as told us Why discuss,the israelis will most probably refuse to give you asylum.

Why discuss #235
Atassie showed a video in Homs,in it there was massive demonstration, you need to review his comment.
As for the persons I recomend,this is up to the people to decide,but Aref Dalileh,Ryad seif,Muhannad al hasani, Fidaa Horani, there are many.Syria is full of capable persons

The right talk in the right time from Syrian educator:

إلى أبناء وبنات الشعب السوري العظيم

وصلت انتفاضة الشعب السوري المطالب بحريته إلى مفترق حرج، وكان النظام الاستبدادي يستجدي منذ البداية أمرين، الطائفية والعنف، ليحول مسار الحركة الاحتجاجية في هذين الاتجاهين، ما يبرر له القمع الدموي الذي بدأه، وشق صفوف المجتمع السوري، بتخويف مكوناته بعضها من بعض. وما حدث في الأيام الأخيرة أن جاء ما كان النظام يبحث عنه، ولو بصورة جزئية وملتبسة، فأعلنت وزارة الداخلية وقف الاحتجاجات بكافة أشكالها، وهذا ما يؤشر إلى محاولة النظام معالجة ما يحدث باعتماد الحل الأمني، ضاربا عرض الحائط بمطالب الشعب المحقة في العيش في وطن حر كريم تسوده العدالة والقانون وتكافؤ الفرص.
إنني أهيب بالشعب السوري الكريم المحافظة على شعاراته الوطنية التي تم رفعها في كل أنحاء سوريا، ورفض أي شكل من الدعوات الطائفية والعنفية، لقطع الطريق على الحمقى من كل الأطراف، والذين يحاولون وضع الماضي أمام المستقبل، ويساهمون بالتالي في وأد حركة الشعب السوري نحو استعادة حريته، ورفع المظالم التي سببها له نظام استبدادي لعب على كل التناقضات الداخلية والخارجية.
وأتوجه بشكل خاص إلى الآلاف من طلابي وطالباتي في أنحاء سورية كلها، والذين شاركوني مسيرة العلم والثقة التي لا حدود لها، قبل أن يحرمني النظام الأمني من عملي، ومن فرصة التواصل مع شباب سوريا الذين يصنعون المعجزات… وأهيب بهم أن يعوا فخ الطائفية والعنف الذي يحاول البعض جرنا إليه لوأد الثورة السورية، وحرمان الشعب السوري من الأمل بمستقبل يليق به، وكلي ثقة بأننا سنجتاز هذه المرحلة بأقل الخسائر، وذلك بفضل وعينا وتلاحمنا.
د. منير شحود

#240
This is not Alabbaseyeen sq, this area is between 3rbeen and jobar.

These are some pictures around and in Alabbaseyeen sq:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17482555
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/48128919.jpg
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/39131299
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/48125816.jpg

Why discuss #235
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ1gd7osPY8
Again.. with love form Homs

REVLON

The mnadeel..

http://islamfashionandidentity.blogspot.com/2009/09/different-styles-of-hijab-shayla-al.html

From the veil, you can determine the sect to which a moslemm women belongs:
Conservative moslem sunni women wear the burka or the black niqab, half or full

Syrians sunnis and druze usually wear hejab (the white is possibly called mnadeel in Syria)

Syrian alawis do not wear veils

Iranians and shias usually wear a scarf and in occasions the hejab, but never the burka or niqab

Atasi

#246

Thanks, that is a good video.
I never doubted there are demonstrations, they are peaceful and that is healthy. I just wished they were carying posters showing more specifically why they are demonstrating and what they want. Why aren’t there any poster?

Majedelkhaldoon

I have not seen any attack from security forces on the demonstrators.

نشرة الأخبار المحلية

– تسود حالة من البهجة والاعتزاز والفخر، بقائد الوطن الذي استطاع بمفرده، وبعد مواجهة تعقيدات البيروقراطية المستمرة منذ 47 عام، بحكمته وسعة صدره وبعد نظره ونكاية بالمندسين والعملاء الذين يريدون النيل من صمود سوريا وتصديها للمشاريع الصهيونية والامبريالية.بإتخاذ القرار القاضي برفع حالة الطوارئ، وقد أثبت للجميع رغبته الصادقة في تنفيذ القرارات التي استغرق التفكير في تنفيذها 6سنوات، وبدون ضغوط شعبية، وبمحض ارادته الحرة، وساد الربيع أرجاء هذا الوطن وغردت العصافير في الصباح الباكر شاكرةً له، ومقدرة تضحياته العظيمة في سبيل رفعة بلادنا، بلادنا العصية على المؤامرات والإندساس والعصابات المسلحة، بفضل وعي وشهامة قائدها واللحمة الوطنية التي أرسا قواعدها بتواضعه ووطنيته وحكمته ولون عيونه وطول قامته. وقد تسرب لنا مقولة أحد الصبايا لزميلتها :يقبرني شو حلو ومهضوم وسنانو حلوين.

– تسربت وثيقة مهمة من وثائق ويكيليكس رقم
A73125/TZ
قام بنشرها موقع فيلكا الإسرائيلي، عن طريق موقع الأخبار، أن بندر بن سلطان قد أرسل برقيات تهنئة للمندسين الذين كانوا يعتصمون في ساحة الساعة الجديدة، ووعدهم لكل مندس بكيلو معكرونة ماركة المندس الأصلي، ووعدهم بالمزيد من الهدايا العينية في حال استمرارهم. في ممارسة اندساسهم، وقد تسرب مع هذه الوثيقة المهمة، صور التقطتها عدسات بعض المندسين من قبل، لساحة الساعة بحمص، مما يدل على النية المبيتة في توجه جماهير المندسين إليها.

– في كشف خطير لمخططات العمالة والغدر التي تمارسها قوى الظلام والمندسين ، وفي تحول خطير لمجريات الأحداث، وبعد اكتشاف خيوط أخرى للمؤامرات البندرية السعودية واللبنانية والعراقية والعربية والأمريكية والإسرائيلية وكل قنوات الإخبار العالمية والعربية، وكائنات الفضاء الخارجي، وعناصر سبيس تون. تم اكتشاف أن القوات السلفية في البلاد، قررت إقامة دولة الخلافة الإسلامية الرشيدة وعاصمتها الرستن، وقررت هذه القوات تحويل النوادي الليلية التي تشتهر فيها هذه المدينة تاريخياً إلى مراكز تدريب للعملاء والمندسين، وقد تسرب للصحافة جواب أحد السلفيين عند سؤال زميل له، عن المصير المنتظر لفتيات هذه النوادي بقوله : خليون يهزو منتعلم الهز وبنهز البلد.

– علمت جريدتنا من مصادرها الموثقة، أن 67 شخص قد خرجوا للتظاهر بحمص يوم أمس، وذلك عقب التشييع لأشخاص قتلوا على يد عصابات الإجرام والتخريب، وبعد فترة انضم إليهم شخصان ونصف من أماكن أخرى من حمص، وتوجهوا نحو الساعة الجديدة مطالبين الحكومة بأن تصلح هذه الساعة لكي تعطي الوقت الصحيح، فالشعب قد مل من النظر في هذه الساعة، وهي متوقفة عن العمل. وطالب المتظاهرين أيضاً بمطالب تتعلق بثقب الأوزون، وبغابات الأمازون.وقد انفضت المظاهرة دون حوادث تذكر سوا مقتل الشخصين والنصف الذين أتوا من الحارات الأخرى، برصاص عصابات الإجرام والتخريب مرة أخرى

By Omar Ali

Why,
The arab shias of the gulf(and iraq) also wear niqab’s equivalent.

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/photos/iraq1109/iraq-1109-07.jpg

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/images/2006/04/17/20060417_iraq%20women.jpg

AIG said “I would love to have peace with with the Syrian people, not the Assad regime that does not represent the people. Once there is a government in Syria that really represents the Syrian people, and this government has a mandate for talking peace with Israel, let talk about peace”.

Wish you luck with that. I believe you would not have an chance achieving it if Radicals prevail. Let us be open, Radical Muslims do not want any Jews on earth, neither they would consider the state of Israel. Your only chance is finding moderate, open minded people to work with, well this is left to the future. I do not have this answer. But I am confident that President Assad was sincere and wants peace…..In your government there were people/loby pro peace with Syria and they admitted in your newspapers that peace was achievable but the conservative party you have did not make that task easy.

We should work hard to purify the world from Radical Islamist. If you believe that you can cut a deal with Hamas who will never ever give up Jerusalem to you then good luck, till now they even do not consider your existence.

You guys look at Iran Syria HA as a big threat and you have all the right to believe in that. Guess what the alternative is nasty. Syria came to the table…it was just logistics that delayed things. The president wants peace. I see you better pray for this regime to stay………….and for the Islamist radicals (that wants to kill jews) to be defeated.

I know you still believe it is a peaceful demonstration. I see that the people are peaceful people being hijacked by a bloody radical agenda that is bringing the region to hell. Will share it i guess since you are close

why-discuss
It was wonderful peaceful grass root protest with a set-in in the square, until Maher Assad men’s and the feared military security personals started this one..

How I have missed Syria Comment.

🙂

What’s interesting to me is that many of those who loved to compare Syria’s “secularism” to Lebanon’s backward sectarianism are now deathly afraid of what sectarianism will bring to Syria. The Assads have tried to drum secularism into Syrian heads for over 40 years. Why are you all so convinced that the country will devolve into sectarian civil war at the drop of a hat?

Is that in Homs too?

الثورة السورية يتخفون بلباس المنقبات باللاذقية

FAdi,

Words of disgust cannot truly describe my utter disrespect for your mindset. You are with no doubt a self hating person. Your detest for everything that Syrians’ stands for makes you an outcast from the onset of reading your comments.

Your blind support for anyone delegitimize your obectivity.

Extremism is one thing and religion is another. Islam is not an extremist religion anymore than the other great ones. An extremist can be Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Atheist, Sikh…..

What we have in Syria is an autocratic regime, Baathist regime that metastasized into a radical political movement. Brain washed its adherer… This is extremism. It is in the same way that Wahabism metastasized into a radical reform political party. The first is a secular movement, the latter is a religious movement.

You seem more akin to appease an occupier than to condemn the killings of your innocent countrymen.

I hope we will all grow together and move forward to a brighter future. Without prejudice. Syria is ours. All Syrians have an equal right to advance this great country of ours that we all call home.

تظاهرات القطيف تنديداً واإستنكاراً باحداث البحرين

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JJT7opPna8&feature=player_embedded

بالفيديو.. شهيدان سقطا على يد الأمن السوري.. ثم عادا للحياة!

http://www.shukumaku.com/Content.php?id=25931

فضيحة اخرى عن المجازر المزعومة في سورية

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOYx6XVAnIc&feature=player_embedded

العربية تأخذ فيديو من طرابلس لتذيعه على أنه باللاذقيد

N.Z. said “Extremism is one thing and religion is another. Islam is not an extremist religion anymore than the other great one”

Please do not put words into my mouth. I am clear what I said and used the term “Radical Islamist” that is used in the news all over the world.Islam is one thing and Radical Islam is something else. I challenge you if you find in any of my blogs that i used anything against Islam as a religion.

I also stated that
“peaceful people being hijacked by a bloody radical agenda”

I hope you join the rest of the world in eradicating Radical Islam. i did not mention Christians, Jews, etc….as they are not the subject of discussion now,,,,they are not hijacking the innocent people in Syria….I only see the stamps of MB and AlQAEDA.

Again be careful……I never and would never ever mention anything about Islam…..Some radical sick and ill minded people using their own interpretation of the Qoran. The Qoran that respected Moses and Jesus, and what is written about both and more prophets has not been written in the bible itself.

I am afraid that you may be part of MB and you found my words a little painful for you ears.

Face Book Revolutionary Awards
Foul mouth, bullying, street language award: Bashar’s guys
Lack of Organization and Unified Message award: The opposition
Repetition: Tie
Unified, but disgusting message: Bashar’s guys (we’ll do so and so to your mother and sister + lot of shoes placed on heads and in orifice+ he is god)
Toilet mouth: Bashar Guys
Too much prayers: Opposition
Severe Lack of logic: Bashar’s guys
Arrogance: Bashar’s guys
Big money operation: Bashar’s guys
Lack of impacts: Bashar’s guys
Did I say foul mouth: Bashar’s guys
Most despised avatar: Bashar’s guys
What’s not to love. Judging by the language, I am more inclined to believe that Bashar’s guys are the more capable of violence nes and the more organized (centralized operation).

SYAU and FADI,

Concerning the prosperity Syria has known under the Assads,
please check out this figure, comparing the growth of income in Israel and Syria since 1948.

http://goo.gl/ZeWmS

One award I forgot to mention
Stupidly deleting provocative disgusting message that can indict opponent for verbal violence and threats: Opposition.

It took some real-time monitoring to avoid the impact of the last award category, and I will not share the data, get your own.

AAtasi

The first video shot at day time was conclusive. In the second one, shot during the night, sorry but I just can’t what s going on, except the shaking of the mobile camera. From the sound, I guess it must have been scary

DR GUY

We know Israel gets 2 billions dollar of ‘help’ from the US (why? because Israel is poor??) while Syria has been under sanctions for years because it supports the people you kicked out to take their land.
How many Iraqi refugees did you accept after your ally the US invaded Iraq? zero!
Syria has received more than a million refugees from Iraq
So please give me a break!

OTW

You mean opposition has censured provocative messages addressed to loyalists so it appears clean while the loyalists appear foul-mouth? Interesting interpretation of transparency and smart move to influence the media’s depiction of the adversaries.
It looks they did not kid you!

Don’t you have awards for best photography with Mobile-camera? Worst photography? Best sound effect, Best dubbing and editing? Best use of Youtube? ? Best Youtube video? and there are more you can find

Fadi ,

Do you have a problem if the Syrian people elect in the most democratic way a conservative muslim (not necessarely islamist) ?

It seems that for you , anybody who is against the iranian theocracy is labeled qaida and extremist.
Btw, the syrian muslims are the less inclined to be qaida or khomaini supporters than tunisians,moroccans,egyptians and iraqis,even inside Saudi Arabia ,qaida and alikes are very marginal and rejected group.

Qaida and Khomainism are 2 marginal and heretical groups that will be eradicated by the muslim people.

DR GUY

No brainer man…Of course your economy is one of the strongest in the region. Do not forget the amount of support you get from the USA. It is not fair comparison

‘Islamist politicians’ rise in Tunisia

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/2011419162841520827.html

The Assads have tried to drum secularism into Syrian heads for over 40 years. Why are you all so convinced that the country will devolve into sectarian civil war at the drop of a hat?

Well said Qifa !

W-D
I tell it as I see it. I meant the opposition was very trigger happy removing the messages of Bashar lovestruck guys (sorry i have really been trying to find a better word to describe the illogical degree of attachment they have to the fellow). Removing the Bashar folks foul mouthed provocative messages but leaving the provoked responses is not really smart and they have been doing that. You can only observe that in real time.

They should frame Basharists (here is the word, i knew it will come one day, thanks for the inspiration) foul mouthed bully talk and keep it for future psychologists to analyze the terrible impacts of illogical attachment to tall doctors who are no good at politics but inherit countries. I know the disease requires certain conditions unlikely to occur again, but being an amateur epidemiologist interested in exotic despotism and its impacts on rational beings may be I can sell my research if the next generation of north korean dictator is interested in medicine is a bit, who am i kidding, much taller. .

As for photography, no competition is needed, the Syrian TV+Dunya TV duo take all the awards for fake stories and conspiracies.

Why,nothing is sure but if it happens ,it’s because the tunisian muslim brotherhood party , al nahda has adopted the liberal approach.

In Turkey ,when the islamists used their traditional approach they never succeeded to pass the 20%,when they abandoned it they got 35% in 2002 and when they confirmed their capabilities ,they were close to 50% in 2007.

Islamism is a dying ideology.
The muslims are evolving towards the rule of democracy and the civil state.

Fadi

Should we add Lebanon that has no U.S Aid, no natural resources, went through civil war, have deep sectarian problems to this very day, not to forget the 2006 war with Israel ?

http://bit.ly/fdfVmd

By the way, Lebanon liberated South Lebanon 11 years ago …

Fadi and WD,

Till 1967 Israel did not get substantial US aid. It also had to spend much more on defense than most other countries. In addition, unlike Syria, Israel does not have significant oil deposits. Even if gets just $50 per barrel and manufactures only 300,000 barrels per day, that is about 4.5 billion dollars per year that the Syrian government receives which the Israeli government doesn’t.

The reason why Israel’s economy grew while Syria’s didn’t is the simple fact that the Israeli government did not hinder the development of its human capital while the Syrian government strangled its human capital.

This is from Addonia TV:
تلفزيون الدنيا يفضح كذب فضائيات الفتنة حول وفاة المجند محمد قومان

Shami,
“The muslims are evolving towards the rule of democracy and the civil state.”
I agree. It may not happen immediately but it is happening fast.

Shami said “Do you have a problem if the Syrian people elect in the most democratic way a conservative muslim (not necessarely islamist) ?”

Your question tells me that:1- You believe that this government is not conservative. I would like you to explain Conservative a little more because the words scars me now. i though Syria elected a Muslim president and that means he should be conservative, just by being a Muslim???. Unless this government and the country is not conservative enough for you….

Okay: i do not have any problem if a secular governments gets elected in a democratic way. I need your clarification of conservative before I agree or disagree with you.

Tell me honestly:

Would you allow alcohol served and bought in the market
Would you allow women to wear swimming suit
Would you allow Ham to be available in the country

Your answers may help me dig deeper in your mind

“It seems that for you , anybody who is against the iranian theocracy is labeled qaida and extremist”

Well in regard to Iran, it has brought political stability to Syria and let us say we used both HA and Iran to press politically and get some gains. Its called balance. Unfortunately we did not find that in the old Iraq where your conservative government their was sending cars to bomb us. We did not find it south with the Jordanian. The Turks were enemies, The Soviet Union fell….so it was natural that Syria seeks the Iranian friendship. I have nothing against the Iranian people or their rich history. I do not believe that Iran or their people ever attacked or created a war….AlQeda did. BM did….The Iranian Iraqi war; We are aware how it happened and who attacked who. Having said that, the majority of Iranian do not like this regime and I agree with you and them, but the regime supported Syria. I will leave it up to the Iranian people to eradicate that regime.

“Qaida and alikes are very marginal and rejected group”: Beautiful words. cannot agree more

“Qaida and Khomainism are 2 marginal and heretical groups that will be eradicated by the muslim people”: Alqaeda has no land, it is everywhere, and we should do that. Iran is a country that has a regime brought in with the help of the west, perhaps the biggest mistake the west had made according to some of their reports. I hope the west does not make the same mistakes, rather learn from them, and I see just now Why-Discuss wrote ” ‘Islamist politicians’ rise in Tunisia”, another one wrote Salafis raising in Egypt. But yes we should eradicate Qaeda, and we should support secular (Not conservative) giverment

but for being a conspiracy in itself, it seems that the honor belongs to Barada TV

Dear OTW,

I have a suggestion for the term you are looking for. “Bashroupie” (Bashar &Groupie) and “Bashroupies”. What do you think?

Shami “Islamism is a dying ideology. you answered me

تلفزيون الدنيا – صور للتخريب والشغب الذي شهدته حمص

DEAR ZIADSOURY
Brilliant. Loved it, may i use it from now on please?

Kidding aside, I was really touched by your post yesterday. But I was in a self imposed silence to cope with the rapidly moving events. I still do not have much to say for now. But hopefully soon enough.

Fadi,
I’m sorry buddy but I can’t take it anymore, you bored me with your meaningless comments;
Is alcohol, ham and women wearing bikini all that you think about for building your country, not science?
FYI, they do sell them even in Saudi Arabia and in Iran and women can swim wearing whatever they want even bikini in any private compound there.
Eating hummus in Yafa? Are you out of your mind!? is that what peace means to you!
Being scared of any conservative Muslim without even understanding what their believes are! I trust my conservative Muslim friends more than many because I know that their believes protect me, my family and my belongings from any harm.
Enough nonsense, we all are well educated and it’s getting annoying to try to search for any meaningful comment between all the comments you bombard us with on SC.
No hard feeling.
Thank you.

Dear OTW,

Permission granted.

Would you allow alcohol served and bought in the market
Would you allow women to wear swimming suit
Would you allow Ham to be available in the country

Why not ,All these things were allowed in the Syria of my grandparents
and even today in muslim countries in which the muslims are 99%.

I have an other question to you Fadi :

If the things are so wonderful as you always tried to paint it ,why are our christians leaving in huge numbers, Syria al Asad al prosperity ,stability and security ?
In Aleppo ,they were 20 % before Asad and today 5%.
In the coastal era ,(Alawite mountain and wadi al nassara+the coastal cities)they were 18% and today also 5 %.Also add ,the christian exodus from the syrian al jazeera to north Europe in the last years.

Would they have left in huge numbers if Syria did not know this regime ?

Also ,compare the influence in all fields (civil society and goverment)of the syrian christian community prior to Asad to their influence in Syria al Asad.

Jad “FYI, they do sell them even in Saudi Arabia and in Iran and women can swim wearing whatever they want even bikini in any private compound there”…..Would you please give the address to that. As far as I know the Iranian people do not have that. You know that they are forced to wear Hijab the minute the step down the airport in tehran. That may not matter to you but it is not stupid.

In Turkey they do have everything I mentioned that offended you and it is Muslim country. I am as educated as you are and thankfully happily married with wonderful kids. I am not looking for these things but I would like to know more about your tolerant conservative Muslims. We do enjoy lot of freedom in Syria and I hate to imagine Syria becoming another Saudi. I do not believe that I get out of my way in SC and I am as far as I know sticking to the rules. If my ideas offended you then it is your problem not mine

Secular country is welcomed, like it is now. Would like to seek peace as well. This is what i am looking for in my meaningless blogs. You are practicing “mother Teresa” here. Good for you

Bashar said
some believe we will be worse if Emergency law is lifted, but he Bashar do not believe so, he thinks we will be better.
Was he talking about discusion with his family? who did he discuss that with,was it Farooq AlShar3,or Buthaina?
I am talking about split in opinion

Shami,

First, I thank you for the very good reply. I asked you these questions and you did not get offended as others did.

Second, I do not know where these statistics comes from. I do know for a fact that palaces and villas were built by christians back home. Bmalki Tartus and Wadi Alnasara is big example. There is nothing wrong by seeking a better life and income.

Dear Fadi,
I didn’t write that what you wrote is stupid.
I didn’t write that you are not educated.
I didn’t write that you offended me.
I’m not practicing mother Teresa, I actually annoy all sides.
Peace is what we all are asking for not only you.

But when you post 30 comments (go count, for today only) writing about the same point of exaggerated fears, you actually are taking over everybody else on the blog and you are not leaving any space for others to communicate.

Don’t worry, I won’t address you anymore.

Syrian Hamster,

Your comment #100 is by far the best I have ever read on here. Please keep speaking for us as not everyone here can write as eloquently as you and Aboud do.

Best,

Dear Fadi ,these villas were built by those who left Syria to the USA and south America,a number comeback in the summer,young men who live in the two americas(and Lebanon) go there in order to marry girls from the villages of their origin,for those who remained in this region ,there is no many options for young men ,they go first to Homs,Aleppo and Damascus looking for decent work,then they move abroad ,schools are closed because of the small number of christian pupils ,the villages in winter are nearly empty.
The number of inhabitants who remain in these villages (the majority are old people and girls) is many times twice less than compared to the number of expatriate visitors in the summer.The problem is that the demographic dynamic is very weak because of the small number of young people who left there.
As for my numbers ,they come from a recent Phd thesis on the coastal region(it concerns the alawite mountain,wadi al nassara and the coastal cities),if you like i can send you a copy of the thesis.

correct :in many cases ,twice less than the number of expatriate visitors in the summer.The problem is that the demographic dynamic is very weak because of the small number of young people who did not leave yet…(the perspective of demographic renewal are in the negative)
i’m sorry for my poor english!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hawhfg9BZc&feature=

Pro Unity Slogans,Sunnis and Alawis together, today in Jabla.

Dear Mouna,

I agree with you that Syrian Hamster and Aboud are very articulate and I would like to hear from them more frequently. I would also like to hear from you directly (I bet most of us do). Please join the conversation and enlighten us with your point of views. I am a very strong believer in having everyone voice their opinion. And just like Jad, I am tired of Fadi (regime mouth piece) and his understanding of secularism.

Shami, #242,

I did not say or suggest that Bashar is divine in nature,
A great leader – yes, a prosperous Syria under Bashar’s leadership – Yes, a peaceful Syria with Bashar leading it – yes,
A Syria where people would be free to practise their religion, regardless what it is – yes again. I could go on for ever as there are so many pro’s rather than con’s but I will stop here, as to continue on with the positives of Bashar as leader, I would be typing non stop for over a year.
As for eternity, well I didnt mention that, but, now that you did, it sounds good to me.
As for preparing myself psychcologically for the fall of the government, I dont need to do that, because, that statement of yours is fits perfectly in the category of will never happen.

ON the other hand, I think you should prepare yourself and be ready to accept the fact that he is not going anywhere and no amount of conspiracies or nonsense talk will change that.
As for seeking refugee status in Isreal, yet again this fits into the will never happen category.
Enjoy your day.

Ya Tribal JAD,

At last I hear something sensible from you #273.
“The Muslims are evolving towards the rule of democracy and the civil state.”
I agree. It may not happen immediately but it is happening fast.

Welcome to the Muqawama camp. Muqawama to nepotist failed regimes.
.

SYAU,
This is what i want from him ,that he and inner circle stay in Syria after regime change over.

Shami,

Your delusion, although previously was entertaining, is now rather sad. wake up…….Not going anywhere….. 20 – 30 years from now, when President Bashar is still leading the great country of Syria into ever growing prosperity and continuous harmony, my children will be saying to you and all those like you who are harbouring the same delusions…I told you so.

SYAU

Let’s make a deal, if the day comes and Bashar is no longer president you will go to Damascus, stand in Marjeh square with a big placard saying:

Bashar Assad, Men7ebak.

As we say in Syria “مسيك عشواربك”.

lol NK

Army Arrests 7 Hizb ut-Tahrir Members over Anti-Assad Protests Call

Seven members of pan-Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir were arrested in Lebanon for posting leaflets calling for a Friday protest against the Syrian regime, a party spokesman told Agence France Presse on Tuesday.

“The Lebanese army on Tuesday arrested three members of Hizb ut-Tahrir in the southern city of Sidon as they were posting leaflets around the city calling for demonstrations against the Syrian regime on Friday in Tripoli,” spokesman Ahmed al-Qasas told AFP.

Four other people were arrested in the northern port city of Tripoli on Monday when they too tried to hand out leaflets calling for a rally on Friday.

Hizb ut-Tahrir (Arabic for “Party of Liberation”) is an international movement that seeks to restore the caliphate, or unite all Muslim countries under one Islamic rule.

The group has a strong presence in Asia, mainly Indonesia, and has spread to several Arab countries, where it is for the most part banned.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is not banned in Lebanon, however, although the group recognizes neither official borders nor the country’s constitution.

The party has called for a rally after Friday prayers in Tripoli to support Syrian protesters, who since March have taken to the streets in increasingly heated protests against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.(AF
Naharnet 19 april 2011

Nk,

A challenge? well then I accept the deal- fully knowing that the fall of Assad will never happen, but I will indulge you and say that I will accept your deal.

Al tyoor 3ala ashkaliha taqa3… It is also ok if you want to continue on with your delusions along with Shami. I understand, being an intelligent man, it would be hard for you to accept that the game of the organisation condoning these uprisings and hate amongst Syrians is OVER. It is also said that a bad tradesman blames his tools. When your beloved Syrian revolution organisation falls, they will blame the people of Syria for not uprising as they estimated they would. Or on the other hand, they may blame themselves for not paying them enough.
Ponder that……. Otherwise, enjoy your day.

HAKIR IN TEL AVIV,

go preach “Muslim evolution towards democracy and the civil state.” to your friends and allies in Saudi Arabia. in Syria, you only have enemies , no one will listen to your crap. no matter what regime in place.

you live in a city that was built on the bones of other people and you want to lecture Muslims on democracy and civil state.