Will Assad Soon Abandon the North to Rebel Control?
Posted by Joshua on Thursday, November 22nd, 2012
Syria: Rebels shut down key government supply lines
Tom A. Peter | The Christian Science Monitor | Nov 20, 2012
After months of fighting, Syrian opposition forces in Aleppo say that in the past week they’ve captured several critical areas from government forces that may soon give them the upper hand in northern Syria. The new ground will allow opposition groups to strain or potentially cut off supplies to government troops fighting in Aleppo Province….
FSA fighters say the final step to closing off supply lines for the Syrian Army in Aleppo will mean taking control of the city’s airport, which the opposition group says it is now close to doing. As the group takes hold of an increasing share of ground and cuts off more government supply routes, however, it’s confronted with the realities of trying to advance farther with extremely limited supplies.
“We’re trying to cut the supply lines for the regime inside the city,” says Abu Tawfik, a commander of Liwa Tawheed, one of the largest FSA units now fighting inside Aleppo. “The airport is the most important part of the city now. If we can control the airport, we can cut their supplies and win the war here.
The road connecting Aleppo and Damascus is already under rebel control, which means that the regime forces are now almost entirely dependent on resupplying their troops by air. According to FSA fighters, most of the regime forces’ supplies for Aleppo Province are brought to the airport, where they are picked up by helicopter and delivered to the surrounding bases.
The airport is now surrounded on three sides by FSA fighters, but they have so far been unable to capture one area near the airport that is populated by Assad loyalists. Fighting is likely to drag on there for some time to come.
Syria Opposition Aims to Raise $60 Billion for Rebuilding
By Dana El Baltaji and Dahlia Kholaif – Nov 21, 2012 – Blookberg
A coalition of groups battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seeking to raise $60 billion from allied nations to help rebuild the country when fighting ends, an opposition leader said.
Syria will need the money for reconstruction in the first six months after the conflict ends, Syrian National Council leader George Sabra told reporters in Dubai today. The United Arab Emirates may provide funds “soon,” he said…..
BEIRUT: The Tawhid Brigade, a leading Islamist rebel group in the city of Aleppo, announced its support Tuesday for the opposition Syrian National Coalition and its rejection of an Islamic state for a post-Assad Syria.
The announcement was made in a video posted on YouTube, and issued on behalf of the Tawhid Brigade, the Revolutionary Military Council of Aleppo, and a Revolutionary Transitional Council for the city.
The speaker, Abdel-Qader Saleh of the Tawhid Brigade, asserts that “a free Syria is a civil state, with Islam as the basis of its legislation, and protection for all components of Syrian society.”
The mention of religion might rattle staunch secularists, but the current Syrian Constitution’s Article 3 stipulates that “Islamic jurisprudence is a primary source of legislation.”
Saleh goes on to say that Tawhid and the two rebel councils “understood” why other Islamist rebel fighters in Aleppo, claiming to represent more than a dozen groups, strongly denounced the newly formed opposition Syrian National Coalition two days earlier.
The Islamist rebel groups had slammed the National Coalition, formed earlier this month in Qatar, as a foreign-imposed “conspiracy” against the uprising against President Bashar Assad, now in its 20th month.
In the earlier video, the Islamist fighters also vowed that a post-Assad Syria would be an Islamic state, which sparked angry reactions by many supporters of the uprising via social media.
Flanked by half a dozen rebel figures, Saleh said the earlier statement was issued due to the “marginalization of revolutionary groups with an actual presence on the ground, which are leading the liberation fight in Aleppo.”
The National Coalition has vowed to be more representative than its predecessor, the Syrian National Council – but has yet to make good on its pledges.
Saleh hinted as much, declaring “support for the Syrian National Coalition, as long as it adheres to the objectives and aspirations of the revolution.”
But he demanded that the coalition widen its scope by including “revolutionary forces” on the ground, specifically by appointing them to the various committees and bodies that the National Coalition has promised to establish, in a bid to become a government-in-exile.
Saleh also supported the “unification of various rebel brigades,” pointing out that they should work toward the goals of “freedom, dignity and toppling the regime.”
Saleh ended by invoking the Islamic phrase “glory to God, his Prophet and the believers.” However, this is immediately preceded by the leading secular slogan of the uprising, namely “Long live a free and glorious Syria,” which is absent from the rhetoric of many hard-line Islamist factions fighting the regime.
The clarification of the stance by the Tawhid Brigade, seen as one of the leading, and staunchly “Islamist” rebel factions, was carried widely on pro-uprising Facebook pages, representing various parts of the country…..
Syria now running a war economy as conflict spreads
Wed, Nov 21 – By Suleiman Al-Khalidi
AMMAN (Reuters) – At a rebel-controlled border crossing in northern Syria, camps housing thousands of refugees trying to flee the country occupy an area that less than two years ago was usually crammed with lorries queuing to pass through customs.
The capture of Bab al-Hawa, previously a throughfare for exports from Turkey and the Gulf to the rest of the Middle East and Europe, highlights the loss of transhipments through Syria as conflict has spread, causing a sharp drop in income from customs duties.
Plunging public revenues are a sign of the fiscal pressures Damascus is facing in the wake of the 20-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s government, which has crippled industrial output and oil production and triggered a sharp depreciation in the Syrian currency.
As the government focuses on trying to overcome the rebels it is directing economic resources to Assad supporters by maintaining high subsidies, increasing public sector wages and stockpiling wheat and other staple goods – on top of having to increase defense spending.
That is putting a severe strain on public finances, raising the risk that the authorities will eventually have to resort to printing money to support the economy, something Damascus has long tried to avoid for fear of fuelling hyperinflation and further social unrest.
Finance Minister Mohammad Juleilati, unveiling next year’s budget last month, announced a 13 percent rise in public sector salaries and a 25 percent increase in subsidies on food, fuel, power and agriculture.
“This is a war budget in which the bulk is spent on the army and state employees to keep the government machinery going so that it continues to function, especially in the areas that are still under its control, and to show that the state is still on its feet,” said Samir Seifan, a prominent Syrian economist.
He was involved in policymaking before the crisis but has since fled the country.
Juleilati’s 2013 budget was 4 percent larger than this year’s at 1.38 trillion Syrian pounds ($19.62 billion) despite plummeting revenues, notably from oil, which used to account for 45 percent of budget income. Now it contributes only 20-30 percent, economists estimate, as oil production has halved since the crisis to around 200,000 barrels a day.
“Revenues have deteriorated and the authorities have used up their reserves and what is keeping them afloat is some financial aid from Iran and possibly Russia,” said Seifan.
The budget, moreover, does not fully reflect the state of the economy or government finances given secrecy surrounding military spending and a flourishing unofficial economy in which hundreds of thousands of Syrians pay no tax on income from working in small workshops, doing seasonal agricultural work or conducting illicit smuggling.
Sanctions imposed by Western countries banning the import of arms from Syria and blocking the Assad government’s access to Western financial systems are aimed at choking off the money Assad needs to fund the Syrian military.
Seifan estimates that Syria’s gross domestic product shrank by at least 30 to 40 percent last year due to the collapse of tourism, which used to account for 11 percent of GDP, and the drop in oil output which previously contributed 23 percent of GDP.
A near 65 percent drop in the Syrian pound since the crisis began has sent the cost of importing fuel and other goods surging and shortages are also evident.
“The shortages in gasoline and diesel are mainly due to rising demand by the army,” said a Syrian civil servant working in a non-defense ministry, interviewed via Skype.
The government’s budget deficit had been a manageable 3-5 percent of GDP before the crisis but the 2013 budget forecasts a 745 billion Syrian pound deficit, or nearly a quarter of the country’s pre-crisis GDP of $50 billion-$60 billion.
Subsidies on a range of goods from diesel to electricity to sugar and rice consume almost 40 percent of government spending while electricity costs eat up around 15 percent of the budget.
Sanctions against money transfers meanwhile have depleted remittances from Syrians living abroad, whose transfers of $800 million annually had provided a social safety net. Their loss has added to the plight of a population where military conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands and reduced many towns and city districts to rubble.
Bankers in Damascus reported in June that the authorities had already released new cash, printed in Russia, into circulation to ensure the payment of public sector salaries and expenses, although Syria’s central bank denied such a move…..
Economists say it may soon be forced to print money on a much bigger scale.
“If they don’t get enough loans from their allies Russia and Iran they will print money and the pound will just jump from 100 to 200 to 300 against the dollar,” said Seifan.
“The state is afraid of printing money because it will create a social time bomb,” he said. “But it could be increasingly forced to do so to pay the army’s salaries.”
Things are changing in northeastern Syria’s Kurdish-majority Hassake province.
Gradually, the swoops and curves of Arabic script on storefronts and street signs are being replaced with the Latin characters that Syria’s Kurds write their own language in — an act that was illegal just a few months ago. So too are the soldiers of the Damascus regime being replaced with Kurdish militiamen and the reins of governance taken up by the local groups….
“The oil located in the Hassake region is not good quality oil, but these fields are the only fields which have seen an increase in their output in the last few years and most of Syria’s remaining oil reserves are in this region,” said Jihad Yazigi, the editor of The Syria Report, a publication that analyzes the country’s economy.
Getting exact figures on capacity during a civil war is understandably difficult. In Hassake’s main oil town, Rmeilan, a production manager from the government’s state oil company, the Syrian Petroleum Company, said that before the war the nearby fields were producing 166,000 barrels per day (bpd). As of September, due to the civil war and international sanctions on Syrian oil, only 80,000 bpd were being produced, he said, on condition of anonymity to protect his safety. It is estimated that the area has enough oil to maintain pre-war production levels for at least two decades.
The Hassake region is not exclusively Kurdish. While it is difficult to be certain as the Syrian government does not include Kurdish as an ethnic group in national surveys, they are estimated to make up more than 60 percent of the region’s population. And while much of Hassake is in the hands of Kurdish groups, the main oilfields remain controlled by the government’s forces.
But sanctions have mostly halted Syria’s export of oil and forced foreign companies such as Total, Gulfsands and Royal Dutch Shell to halt their activities in the country. With oil revenues low and the government locked in an increasingly bloody civil war, there is a possibility that the regime could lose its ability to control the country’s oil.
“Syria’s oil business is in shambles,” said Joshua Landis, a professor at the University of Oklahoma and a Syria expert, adding that the government has lost the ability to plan its oil output strategically. “The Syrian government is not in long-term planning mode, it is planning day by day,” he said. “It is really directing its attention to the big population centers and denying the opposition a stable safe haven within Syria.”
For Syria’s Kurds, grabbing the oil fields in the northeast could be a golden ticket, allowing them to bankroll autonomy in one form or another. “If you manage to produce and sell 50,000 barrels per day, you can sustain the life of one to two million people quite easily,” Yazigi said…..while Kurdish groups might want to take control of the oil, they would likely face obstacles. “I think that the central government — and any future central government — will be willing to send tanks to take control of this region,” said Yazigi….
Already autonomous?
“I think they have autonomy already, we don’t have to talk about it in the future tense: They’ve taken it, the state has collapsed, they’re running their own affairs pretty much,” said Landis. “Obviously, a lot depends on how long this state of affairs drags on — the longer it drags on, the better it is for Kurds.”
Yazigi has a more pessimistic view. “I think there is a desire from the Kurds to be more autonomous, but I think it’s going to be very difficult for them to have extended rights that go beyond speaking their language and teaching it,” he said.
At present, it does not look likely that whoever comes out on top will be sympathetic to giving the Kurds more autonomy.
“The Arab opposition has been willing to make noises about greater autonomy but it doesn’t want to commit itself anything like recognizing national rights for Kurds,” said Landis….
According to Landis, the gist of the message that the Free Syrian Army is sending the Kurds by entering their areas and engaging in battles is that “you don’t get to become Switzerland and be neutral; there is no Switzerland in Syria and if you side with the government we’re going to make you feel the pain.” Detractors of the PYD have accused the group of being aligned with the Assad regime, though the organization denies this and says it is against the government.
Militarily, with only several thousand fighters, the PYD’s forces are outnumbered and see hostile threats on all fronts. Still, they are readying their militias for possible confrontations to protect what they have gained.
“We are organizing ourselves, our people, to be ready for everything, for every possible situation by this regime or a future regime,” said Saleh Mohammed, the leader of the PYD. “Even if there is any invasion by Turkey, we are ready for it.”
With Syria’s eastern oilfields in rebel hands, a brisk business in pirated crude grows
By David Enders, McClatchy Newspapers
SHAHEL, Syria — Syrian rebels have captured two of the three major oilfields in the country’s southeastern Deir al Zour province and are extracting oil that they say is helping to support their rebellion
“We are at the beginning of winter, and people need oil to run the bakeries and to heat their homes. The weather is very cold here,” said a rebel leader here who, for security reasons, identifies himself by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohamed.
The capture of the fields is another blow to the Syrian government’s attempt to offset inflation and shortages of various goods in the areas it still controls. It also has set off a booming oil trade in this impoverished area. Dozens of trucks wait in line 24 hours a day to fill up at rebel-held wells, which produce a light crude that can be burned without refining, though the result is dense smoke. Some farmers insist the unrefined crude can be used to power farm equipment, though it seems primarily to be used for heat….
Among the groups profiting from the wells are Jabhat al Nusra, whose members have won admiration from some Syrians for their effectiveness as fighters against the government while inspiring fear and suspicion in others because of their calls for a Syrian state based on Islamic law and their alleged links to al Qaida.
Rebels have also said they are planning a push into Hasaka province to the north, the country’s other major source of crude oil.
Abu Mohamed said that two of the three main fields around Deir al Zour – the captured fields are known as al Warde and Taim – are under rebel control, and that rebels would capture the third, Sheikh Omar, after they found engineers who could operate the wells.
Rebels said locating engineers had been a challenge because most of the people who were employed in the oil sector in Syria were Alawites, the religious minority to which President Bashar Assad belongs and who make up about 10 percent of Syria’s population. Virtually all of the armed rebels in Syria are Sunni Muslims, who make up the majority of the country’s population. A main rebel grievance is that the country’s political, economic and military elites have been dominated by Alawites for decades.
It appears the antagonism between Kurds and Islamist FSA fighters is heating up. Nearly 40 dead from fighting in Ras Al-Ain, is indicative of a hot firefight.
Jihadist rebels in standoff with Syria Kurds: NGO
Thursday, 22 November 2012
By AFP
Reuters
Hundreds of Kurdish militiamen massed in the Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain on Thursday in a mounting standoff with mainly jihadist Arab-led rebels who had seized much of the town from government forces, a watchdog said.
It was the latest in a string of largely peaceful drives for control of mainly Kurdish inhabited areas of the northeast and northwest that neighboring Turkey fears has given succor to the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) it has been fighting for nearly three decades.
The Turkey-backed rebels of the Free Syrian Army accuse the Democratic Union Party (PYD) of having links to the PKK, which has been fighting for self-rule just across the border in southeastern Turkey since 1984, and charge that it is in cahoots with the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
The PYD insists its fighters are entirely Syrian but Washington has backed Ankara in insisting that Syria will not be allowed to become a rear base for the PKK in the face of the 20-month uprising against Assad’s iron-fisted rule.
The standoff between the Kurds and the Arab-led rebels — most of whom the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said were drawn from hardline Islamists opposed to the new opposition coalition recognized some Arab and Western states — highlighted a growing dilemma for the rebels’ supporters.
Some 200 fighters from the Al-Qaeda loyalist Al-Nusra Front and 100 from the allied Ghuraba al-Sham advanced on Ras al-Ain, backed by three tanks they had captured from the Syrian army, the Observatory said.
They were faced by 400 Kurdish militiamen in the northeastern town which has already been largely deserted by its residents, thousands of whom have poured across the border into Turkey, the Britain-based watchdog and residents said.
Youth Bulges and the Social Conditions of Rebellion
By: Jack A. Goldstone | Feature
Commentary on generational conflict and the radicalism of youth goes back at least as far as the ancient Greeks. Such conflict is probably always present to some degree in every family and every generation. Yet the coalescence of individual youthful impatience with the ways of the older generation into social movements of rebellion or revolution is something that happens more rarely and only when certain economic, political and social conditions prevail.
Maloula Journal
Mountaintop Town Is a Diverse Haven From Syria’s Horrors
By JANINE DI GIOVANNI, New York Times, November 21, 2012
MALOULA, Syria — In a country clouded by conflict, where neighbors and families are now divided by sectarian hatred, this mountaintop town renowned for its spiritual healing qualities and restorative air is an oasis of tolerance. Residents of the ancient and mainly Christian town — one of the last places where Western Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, is still spoken — vowed at the beginning of the Syrian conflict 20 months ago not to succumb to sectarianism and be dragged into the chaos….
Mahmoud Diab, the Sunni imam of the town, said: “Early on in this war, I met with the main religious leaders in the community: the bishop and the mother superior of the main convent. We decided that even if the mountains around us were exploding with fighting, we would not go to war.”
Born and raised in Maloula, Mr. Diab, who is also in Syria’s Parliament, sat in the courtyard of his mosque, shadowed by olive and poplar trees and a fading poster of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, whom he supports. “It’s a sectarian war, in politics, it’s another name,” he said with a shrug. “But the fact is, there is no war here in Maloula. Here, we all know each other.”….
Government forces bombarded a local shift hospital in Aleppo, Sha’ar neighborhood, killing many. (video)
In Syria, An Act Of Reconciliation Stirs Fierce Debate
by Deborah Amos,
Supporters of President Bashar Assad speak with U.N. monitors who were arriving in the town in May. The monitors have since left.
After 20 months of violence in Syria, acts of reconciliation are scarce.
When one took place earlier this month in the town of Tel Kalakh, near the border with Lebanon, it touched off a fierce debate.
The man at the center is Ahmad Munir Muhammed, the governor of Homs, who has long been known as a loyalist of embattled President Bashar Assad.
However, Muhammed made an official visit to Tel Kalakh, where the majority of neighborhoods are controlled by the rebels.
With the rebels guaranteeing his safety, the governor drove into Tel Kalakh in early November to see a city where revolutionary flags flutter from most mosques. He was reportedly shocked by the devastation from army bombardments and paramilitary attacks on this border town.
His visit was approved by the rebel commander of Tel Kalakh, Abdul Rathman Wallo. The men were even photographed together.
Tangible benefits followed. The Syrian Red Crescent delivered humanitarian aid to the besieged civilians. More than a dozen Syrian soldiers who had defected, men wanted by the Syrian regime and some of them seriously wounded, were allowed to slip across the border to Lebanon for medical treatment.
Media Reports Ignite A Debate
Syrian state TV covered the event and reported the governor’s promise to resume “all public services to guarantee the return of the families affected by terrorism.” State television also declared this reconciliation a victory over “terrorists” who tried “to sabotage and make [Tel Kalakh] a lifeless city.”
The Syrian regime refers to all armed groups as “terrorists.” But no amount of propaganda could erase the image of the governor holding cordial talks with the “terrorists.”
The details of the event were also recounted in As-Safir, a Lebanese newspaper, which described the events as a “surprising scene.” The governor was quoted as saying he was “putting an end to Syrian bloodshed” and would take similar steps in all the towns under his authority.
So how was the visit viewed elsewhere in the country? The competing narratives began as soon as the visit became public.
The governor “shook hands with murderers,” screamed the pro-government media, accusing him of nothing less than embracing al-Qaida in Syria. He “surrendered” Tel Kalakh, according to those who consider any recognition of the Sunni rebels an existential danger to Assad’s rule and to the surrounding Alawite villages. The reaction shows the difficulty of any negotiated settlement to end the crisis.
But this unusual meeting also appears to be recognition of reality.
“Life must go on. They are pressed by the reality on the ground,” says a former Syrian government official who spoke on condition on anonymity because of the sensitivity of the meeting.
The rebels of Tel Kalakh took up arms after peaceful protesters were targeted by the security police and the army, the former official said.
In May 2011, at least 40 civilians were killed when police opened fire and soldiers blasted the town with tank-mounted machine guns. Hundreds more were arrested.
Within days, almost half the Sunni Muslim population had fled over the river frontier into Lebanon. The Syrian regime stepped up the retribution with relentless bombardments, but the village did not change its mind. It continued to support the rebels.
The rebels maintain a strong presence in Tel Kalakh, though the damage is massive….
Turkey Finds It Is Sidelined as Broker in Mideast
By Tim Arango | The New York Times
“Turkey’s new foreign policy has but one premise, to become a regional actor,” said Soner Cagaptay, a Turkey expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “To this end, Ankara needs to have persuasive power on all countries of the region. In the past decade, Ankara has won that power with the Arabs but lost it with the Israelis.”
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Citizen said:
Syria rebels take swathe of east but clash with Kurd militia
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/syria-rebels-take-swathe-of-east-but-clash-with-kurd-militia/557766
Syria’s Arab-led rebels seized new territory in the eastern Euphrates valley from government forces on Thursday but ran into resistance from Kurdish militia on the Turkish border in a potential new security concern for the key NATO member.
Rebel fighters captured the Euphrates town of Mayadeen in a drive up the strategic valley from the Iraqi border, bringing the largest single swathe of territory in the country under their control, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
But farther north, in the battlefield town of Ras al-Ain on the Turkish border, mainly jihadist rebel forces were in a standoff with Kurdish militia with links to Ankara’s longtime foe, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the largest such confrontation so far in the 20-month uprising.
In the face of the growing turmoil on its southern border, Turkey has asked its NATO allies to deploy surface-to-air Patriot missiles to protect its frontiers, but Russia spoke out strongly on Thursday against any such move.
Syrian government troops withdrew west towards the provincial capital and oil hub of Deir Ezzor as the rebels moved into the strategic town of Mayadeen, the Syrian Observatory said.
“The area east of the city of Deir Ezzor, on the Iraqi border, is now the largest area in the entire country that is out of army control,” said the Observatory’s director, Rami Abdel Rahman.
Despite its losses on the battlefield, the government of President Bashar al-Assad remains in control of most of the province’s oil and gas fields, the Britain-based watchdog said.
On the Turkish border, hundreds of Kurdish militiamen massed in the frontier town of Ras al-Ain in a mounting standoff with mainly jihadist rebels who had seized much of it from government forces, the Observatory said.
It was the latest in a string of drives for control of mainly Kurdish inhabited areas of the northeast and northwest that neighbouring Turkey fears has given succour to the rebel PKK it has been fighting for nearly three decades.
The Turkey-backed rebels of the Free Syrian Army accuse the Democratic Union Party (PYD) of having links to the PKK, which has been fighting for self-rule just across the border in southeastern Turkey since 1984.
The PYD says its fighters are entirely Syrian but Washington has backed Ankara in insisting that Syria will not be allowed to become a rear base for the PKK as central government control diminishes.
Some 200 fighters from the Al-Qaeda loyalist Al-Nusra Front and 100 from the allied Ghuraba al-Sham advanced on Ras al-Ain, backed by three tanks they had captured from the Syrian army, the Observatory said.
“Most residents have fled, and the few who remain are living in fear, in poor humanitarian conditions,” one of them, Abu Mohammed, told AFP.
The Ghuraba al-Sham called in a video posted on the Internet for Islamist volunteers to flock to Ras al-Ain for a drive on the provincial capital Hasakeh.
“We of the Ghuraba al-Sham battalion call on the (mainstream rebel) Free Syrian Army and the mujahedeen to advance towards Ras al-Ain,” an unidentified rebel commander said in the footage, standing among some 50 fighters.
“And we warn all those who stand in the way of this revolt… especially the PYD and the PKK, and any other armed group, against taking any action that contradicts with the path of the revolution,” he added.
The Russian foreign ministry said that Turkey’s appeal to its NATO allies for Patriot missiles on its southern border was a “worrying sign.”
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday that the alliance would consider the request for Patriots “without delay.”.
Analysts have expressed fears that Turkey is keen not only to back the revolt, but also to use the unrest in Syria to hit back against the PKK.
Thursday’s violence across Syria killed at least 81 people, among them 38 civilians, according to a preliminary count by the Observatory, taking the overall toll since the uprising erupted in March last year to more than 40,000.
The spread of Syria’s civil war has made it increasingly difficult for civilians to escape the conflict, and many are afraid to seek medical care, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
“Through the spreading of the fighting, people lose… escape routes out of the fights,” Peter Maurer told reporters.
November 22nd, 2012, 3:17 pm
Roland said:
There won’t be any Kurdistan. Erdogan’s price, for his sudden hard line against Syria, was the promise of a free hand against the Kurds.
The Western Bloc needs Turks more than it needs Kurds, so the price was readily paid. Just another routine transaction on the ledger-books of empire! After the collapse of Iraqi power, the Kurds were no longer needed anyway.
Besides, after suffering some more Turkish oppression for awhile, the Kurds will probably let themselves get used some more by the West. Getting used by the West, on a repeated basis, might well be the entire destiny of the Kurdish people in this epoch.
November 22nd, 2012, 3:31 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
We could live for another hundred years, and yet we will not see an irony as massive as that of Aleppo becoming the capital of an Islamist state in the north.
For the past months, all I’ve been reading in the Western press is Aleppan former activists bellyaching about the FSA. If the people of Aleppo had demonstrated against Assad with the same energy as they are currently whining about the FSA, there would never have been a need for an armed revolution.
Everyone here, Sunni or Alawite or Kurd or Druze or Christian, take this lesson with you; when everything around you is on fire, it is the height of folly to think you can just duck your head and wait the fire out.
50,000 Aleppans demonstrating on one Friday in the summer of 2011 would have bought down this regime. But all we heard from Aleppans was excuses. Oh my God the endless excuses. Well, now Aleppo is in a worst state than Homs and Hama are, and it looks increasingly likely like it will become Adnan Ar’or’s capital.
November 22nd, 2012, 4:04 pm
MarigoldRan said:
If you do not get involved in the events on the ground, the events will get YOU involved in IT.
Burying your head in the sand is not a good way to live your life.
November 22nd, 2012, 4:08 pm
ann said:
Not So Fast!
Syria rebels take swathe of east but clash with Kurd militia – 23/11/2012
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/world/322694/syria-rebels-take-swathe-of-east-but-clash-with-kurd-militia
Syria’s Arab-led rebels seized new territory in the eastern Euphrates valley from government forces on Thursday but ran into resistance from Kurdish militia on the Turkish border in a potential new security concern for the key NATO member.
Syrian government troops withdrew west towards the provincial capital and oil hub of Deir Ezzor.
Despite its losses on the battlefield, the government of President Bashar al-Assad remains in control of most of the province’s oil and gas fields, the Britain-based watchdog said.
On the Turkish border, hundreds of Kurdish militiamen massed in the frontier town of Ras al-Ain in a mounting standoff with mainly jihadist rebels who had seized much of it from government forces, the Observatory said.
Some 200 fighters from the Al-Qaeda loyalist Al-Nusra Front and 100 from the allied Ghuraba al-Sham advanced on Ras al-Ain, backed by three tanks they had captured from the Syrian army, the Observatory said.
“Most residents have fled, and the few who remain are living in fear, in poor humanitarian conditions,” one of them, Abu Mohammed, told AFP.
The Ghuraba al-Sham called in a video posted on the Internet for Islamist volunteers to flock to Ras al-Ain for a drive on the provincial capital Hasakeh.
“We of the Ghuraba al-Sham battalion call on the (mainstream rebel) Free Syrian Army and the mujahedeen to advance towards Ras al-Ain,” an unidentified rebel commander said in the footage, standing among some 50 fighters.
“And we warn all those who stand in the way of this revolt… especially the PYD and the PKK, and any other armed group, against taking any action that contradicts with the path of the revolution,” he added.
[…]
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/world/322694/syria-rebels-take-swathe-of-east-but-clash-with-kurd-militia
November 22nd, 2012, 4:17 pm
Albo said:
“We could live for another hundred years, and yet we will not see an irony as massive as that of Aleppo becoming the capital of an Islamist state in the north.
For the past months, all I’ve been reading in the Western press is Aleppan former activists bellyaching about the FSA. If the people of Aleppo had demonstrated against Assad with the same energy as they are currently whining about the FSA, there would never have been a need for an armed revolution.”
_____
And if they just don’t want this Islamist state you promise them, Amjad? Wasn’t your revolution supposed to give people a say? They’re your fellow Syrians, most are of your sect. That they don’t want to be ruled by stubborn and violent rural conservatives, that they saw their industries and properties obliterated (and no the economy won’t restart any time soon, as I was saying, your claims to the contrary).
all that shouldn’t give them grounds to resent the rebels?
I hope you don’t try to boast any democratic credentials after saying that.
November 22nd, 2012, 4:19 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Albo,
Syria was divided before the war by both SECT and ECONOMICS. However, the vast majority of the poor were Sunnis. And the vast majority of Sunnis were poor. It was complicated. But without a doubt, the country WAS divided in two.
In the West, it is possible for poor people to rise to positions of affluence and power. Just look at Obama! He came from a lower-middle class/poor family. Now he is president of the US!
In Syria, there was no opportunities if you were Sunni and poor. You would ALWAYS remain Sunni and poor. And so would your children. The government treated you like dirt, and if you protested, they would arrest and beat you.
A government like that will never survive long. The civil war is justice.
November 22nd, 2012, 4:24 pm
Darryl said:
245. DOLLY BUSTER said:
“As for these marriages with prepubescent girls, they are non-sexual marriages.
So, there is no pedophilia until you show that someone had sex with a non-menstruating girl.”
Well Dolly Buster you can be forgiven for being a hypocrite since you are busy busting dollies while enjoying life among the heathen crusaders and neglected to read Allah’s book.
Point your browser to Surat Al-Talaq (65) verse 4. And if you do not understand the verse, ask my dear friend Visitor for an explanation or perhaps Dr Khaldoun, now he is back.
November 22nd, 2012, 4:31 pm
MarigoldRan said:
The reason for the war is probably 20% democracy, 20% religion, and 60% ECONOMICS. The Syrian civil war is a complicated thing. There is no one reason for it.
Bashar Assad messed up the economy for the rural and the poor. Furthermore, Bashar Assad having been born into a rich and prominent family, DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE POOR. So when the poor protested for more rights and more opportunities, along with the others protesting for more democracy, Bashar Assad thought they were terrorists and ordered his army to shoot them.
That was a mistake.
November 22nd, 2012, 4:35 pm
Albo said:
7
I know many sunnis who had brillant results at the Baccalaureat and then went on and studied Medicine or engineering. True many of them left for the West or the Gulf, but still, if you were an intelligent and hardworking kid you could have a future.
The same wasn’t true of the peasantry, as the droughts took their toll in a country already water-stressed. The inflating demography of rural populations was compounding the problem. The same issues will remain no matter the leadership, measures need to be taken one day or another.
November 22nd, 2012, 4:36 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Albo,
Yes. Also, the rural population is very religious. The future government of Syria, if it is to be representative, must be Islamic. There is no way around it. The only issue is: how Islamic?
November 22nd, 2012, 4:40 pm
Citizen said:
2. ROLAND SAID:
There won’t be any Kurdistan. Erdogan’s price, for his sudden hard line against Syria, was the promise of a free hand against the Kurds.
Have to advise them put a cover on their eyes ! Kurds are living in there own Kurdistan and they do not care about western needs !! Kurds will defend their land and themselves. Friends will help them to support this defense! I think that the issue of hurting the Kurds in order to serve Western interests can cause a dramatic deterioration in international relations!
PS : Kurdistan, a mountainous area with natural borders, sandwiched between two classes of width 34 ° and 39 ° degrees longitude 37 ° and 46 °. Bordered to the west of the Taurus Mountains and the upper plateau as Mesopotamia, the island and Mardin Lower Mountains.
Area of Kurdistan, as estimated by researchers Approximately 500,000 km 2, a mountainous country embraces the mountains and fertile plains watered by numerous rivers (Tigris and Euphrates) where originate from its territory and abound in the land of the eyes and streams and creeks.As for the in the east is the Kurdistan mountain range in the area between Lake Lakes أورمية and Wan. In the south-east lies the Zagros Mountains. The borders of this mountainous region just south of the mountains Ağrı (Ararat) midway between the south-west of the Caspian Sea and the south-east of the Black Sea, extended in Iranian Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, and a large section of eastern Anatolia Turkish. And descend as far south as the outskirts of the Arabian Peninsula Supreme Vhmala Iraq and north-eastern Part west of Iran. And ends in the south imaginary line extending from the Iraqi Mandali to Iran’s Kermanshah.
November 22nd, 2012, 4:42 pm
Albo said:
11
“The future government of Syria, if it is to be representative, must be Islamic”
Modern democracies are based on majority rule, yet they are also built in a way that protects minorities, political or religious. For example, when France and Britain gradually became democratic, their religious minorities (Jews or people who didn’t follow the State religion), gained more rights and were finally emancipated.
Thus I can only tell you that religion and the state must be separated and people should enjoy their religious rights privately. Otherwise Syria won’t be democratic.
November 22nd, 2012, 5:09 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Albong just needs to go on and on and on and throw his ill informed opinions all over the forum. He lives to hear himself talk.
“And if they just don’t want this Islamist state you promise them, Amjad?”
Wow, don’t shoot the messenger bong boy. I know it bites, but it’s not like I waved a wand and an Islamist uprising came to be.
I won’t be deciding the form of the new Syria. I don’t pray, I’ve had girlfriends, and I make jokes about religion (or as Mjabali whines “YOU INSULTED IZLAAAAAAAM!”). But guess what bong boy? After months of wasting time on this forum, the world moved on. Nothing that was said here affected events in the slightest. The Jihadis came in, the regime failed miserably to fight them, and now an Islamist state is in the making up north. Tough sh*t, there’s nothing you can do about it.
It might not be my preferred state of things, but I’m not going to turn away anyone who has proven they can beat the region’s biggest military on a shoe-string budget, and it is the sad fact of life that those who have managed to affect events on the ground are the ones who end up on deciding how things are run. It all could have been so easily avoided had one person close to Batta had the moral decency to put a bullet through his head.
I’d prefer a liberal state where your sister can go screw half the neighborhood boys and no one can do anything about it, but alas, I didn’t do any fighting, and the civilian opposition proved too ineffectual to have any influence. And the Alawites never did reign in their mad boy king, so that’s that. You don’t want an Islamisr state in Syria, then go put together an effective counter political movement instead of subjecting this forum to your endless and infinite and contradictory “opinions”.
November 22nd, 2012, 5:26 pm
Visitor said:
As AoA said we really have to be fair to those doing the heavy lifting on the ground. After all we’re just a bunch of expatriates. We can only talk and may be pay few bucks to support them, that’s all we can do. But the marvelous work was done by those who paid in blood and achieved victories on shoestring budget as AoA accurately put it.
So are we going to just deprive those great Mujahids the fruits of their victories because some misguided idiots do not like what those guys believe in? No way, man. Aint’t gonna happen. Actually cannot be done. It is all signed, sealked and delivered. You can whine about it all you want.
Now, Albo birdie brainy, you can go to Nuremberg, show your skin-head neo nazi credentials, get your numerology degree, and live happily ever after in your liberal west with your persian cats and carpets until hell freezes. You realize Albo birdie brainie that you do not really belong in that part of the world anymore, and remember the popular saying: he who lives among a certain people for 40 days either becomes one of them or gets the hell away from them.
November 22nd, 2012, 5:49 pm
zoo said:
The FSA is preparing the “final” battle of Damascus, counting on the united opposition to convince the West to supply powerful weapons. Is Damascus going to be destroyed like Aleppo?
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=31904
The FSA Brigadier General also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “the battle for Damascus will be the final and decisive battle, but it will be planned very carefully and we do not underestimate the regime forces strength in the capital. It is true that the Syrian army has begun to lose self-confidence and morale, but the regime still has a number of powerful cards in its hands that it could surprise us with in Damascus, as this is its last stronghold.”
He added “these military bodies will be formed very soon, we know that the regime enjoys international support, however as soon as the secret word is given lifting this international cover [for the al-Assad regime], Bashar al-Assad will be on the next plane fleeing Syria.”
The FSA commander also called on the new broad-based Syrian National Coalition to “succeed in softening the international position, at least in terms of supplying weapons capable of confronting the al-Assad regime air force to the Syrian opposition fighters.”
For his part, FSA coordinator, Louay Miqdad, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “the battle for Damascus will be too great to be handled by the military brigades alone, regardless of their numbers and capabilities.” He stressed that “we are fighting in Damascus as brigades under the unified Supreme Military Council [of the FSA], in the same manner that we are fighting in Dariyah, Harasta, Barzeh, Ghouta and elsewhere.”
He also confirmed that “the FSA leadership has begun preparations…to open all fronts at the same time in all [Syrian] cities, in preparation for the liberation of Damascus.” Miqdad added “the battle for Damascus requires drawing up plans involving all fronts, as well as cutting the regime’s supply routes and communication with its forces. This primarily requires an end to the battle over airports and cutting off the aerial bridge between Tehran and the al-Assad regime…in addition to securing logistical support and supply routes in the countryside as well as the acquisition of the necessary quantity of forces, arms and ammunition to fight a battle over a long period of time.”
FSA coordinator Louay Miqdad also told Asharq Al-Awsat that “ongoing meetings are being held between the FSA leadership and brigades operating on the ground in Syria and in neighboring states…they are working to create a clear framework to confront the regime.” He revealed that “it is no longer allowed, for example, for Damascus to be bombarded and Aleppo to be silent, or for Aleppo to be bombarded and Hama to rest.”
Miqdad stressed that “the confrontation requires for the five fronts to be opened all at once in Syria, and we hope to finalize plans to begin the implementation phase which we expect will have very good results” adding “our sisterly countries have adopted this plan, and we hope that all countries follow suit.”
He said “all of the countries that are concerned about the Syrian crisis must arm the FSA with heavy arms, and we pledge that such arms will only be given to officers with high levels of experience, and that such arms will not reach extremist groups” adding “we are prepared to return these weapons following the liberation of Syria.”
November 22nd, 2012, 5:51 pm
Syrialover said:
Gaza ceasefire: Syria’s shrinking influence now exposed
.. the Gaza conflict has highlighted one apparently permanent change in the Middle East – the shrinking influence of Syria, stuck in a bloody and unstoppable war.
If Mohamed Morsi, the Egyptian president, is now basking in glory as the indispensable mediator between Hamas and Israel, his counterpart in Damascus, Bashar al-Assad, looks distinctly like yesterday’s man.
Syrian state media focused intensely on Israel’s onslaught against the Palestinians in Gaza. But Assad’s Arab critics have been doing some bleak calculations: in the eight days of Operation Pillar of Defence 160 Palestinians were killed by Israel. In the same period, Syrian forces killed 817 civilians and injured thousands. Last Monday alone, says the opposition, 150 Syrians died.
Al-Arabiya, the Saudi-owned TV channel, drove home the point about double standards nicely by quoting an Israeli rabbi who publicly urged his army to “learn from the Syrians how to slaughter and crush the enemy.”
[Syria] the country that used to describe itself as the “beating heart of Arabism” has also been a leading member of the “axis of resistance” – an ally of Iran and patron of Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamas finally abandoned its Damascus headquarters this year, unable to stand the contradiction between demands for Palestinian freedom and the brutal suppression of the Syrian uprising. In early November, the Syrian security authorities closed the Hamas offices.
Khaled Meshal, its best known leader, is now an honoured guest in Egypt and Qatar, Assad’s sworn enemy. Hamas, though still shunned as a terrorist group by the US, the EU and Israel, has far more respectable, and influential, Arab friends than Assad these days.
[Assad] is not the only Arab leader facing marginalisation. Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, has not had a good Gaza war either, praising Hamas but doing nothing to help it – and drawing attention to the fact that his organisation has not launched any of its thousands of missiles at Israel since the 2006 Lebanon conflict. Nasrallah’s “resistance” credentials have also been badly tarnished by his support for Assad. Nasrallah may, some analysts believe, be keeping his powder dry in case Israel attacks Iran.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/22/gaza-conflict-syria-influence?CMP=twt_gu
November 22nd, 2012, 5:59 pm
habib said:
Lol, best and truest cartoon about the latest events:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/69483_443027542422803_1821300289_n.jpg
November 22nd, 2012, 5:59 pm
Syrialover said:
To highlight a statement from the article I posted above:
“in the eight days of Operation Pillar of Defence 160 Palestinians were killed by Israel. In the same period, Syrian forces killed 817 civilians”
November 22nd, 2012, 6:07 pm
zoo said:
Hamas admits that without Iran’s supplied weapons they would never have been able to stand strong in front of Israel and win what they wanted: the end of the assassinations and the end of the blockade..
Now that the three Crescenters Qatar, Egypt and Turkey have taken over the full responsibility for Gaza’s welfare and for the Palestinians cause after years of neglect, Hamas cannot count anymore on Iran for its weapons and funds, therefore Hamas will have to rely exclusively on the three Crescenters to solve “diplomatically” the Palestinian issue.
If they are wise, the Iranians may now choose to call it off and move away from the Moslem Brotherhood Empire, make an arrangement with the USA on the nuclear issue and develops itself economically without being concerned by the Sunnis struggling for more decades to find a diplomatic solution to the palestinian-Israeli conflict.
With Irak, Lebanon, Bahrain and Syria, Iran has enough Arab friends in problems. They should leave the Palestinian issue to the Crescenters who are enthusiastic about it.
As for Syria, I think that if its remains secular it will follow Iran in distanciating itself from the Palestinian cause. On the contrary, if it becomes islamic, the country will remain even more involved with the issue.
I guess this Hamas military victory is their last one. From now on, God help them.
Iranian Missiles in Gaza Fight Give Tehran Government a Lift
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/world/middleeast/iran-missiles-in-gaza-give-tehran-government-a-lift.html?smid=tw-nytimesworld&seid=auto&_r=0
November 22nd, 2012, 6:22 pm
Visitor said:
Free Syrian Justice Council issues arrest warrants against 38 criminal pilots working as mercenaries for the illegitimate nazi thugs terrorizing the Syrian people for over 50 years,
http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/fa956821-e927-48df-b996-25bda37643da?GoogleStatID=1
November 22nd, 2012, 6:22 pm
zoo said:
Three possible scenarios for Syria in the coming months:
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syrian-national-coalition-road-legitimacy
Prominent Western diplomatic sources in Lebanon are saying in official meetings. They predict that in the coming months, the Assad regime will be subjected to more serious tremors, laying out three scenarios:
– The NC will declare a government in exile that will quickly be recognized by over 100 countries, including Arab and European states and the United States.
– The continued bleeding of the regime without it being toppled due to the continued loyalty of the military and intelligence agencies.
– US-Russian negotiations – with Saudi, Turkish, but not Iranian participation – to form a transitional government and put an end to the destructive armed battles.
November 22nd, 2012, 6:40 pm
Visitor said:
Just like its ex-comrades in the so-called axis of resistance and reluctance 7Hamas miscalculated and lost due to the inherent fault in the wooden logic followed by the defunct axis,
“Yet at the end of the day, Hamas ended up with the status quo ante, with net losses. Its prominent military commander and liaison with Iran has been killed. Its stockpile of Iranian long-range rockets has been severely degraded, with the US and its allies, including Egypt, all watching closely to intercept future transfers. In addition, not only were the rules of engagement with Israel not altered, but also Hamas’ value to Iran as a deterrent against an Israeli strike on its nuclear sites has been diminished.
Most importantly, instead of pulling Egypt to its side, Hamas merely angered the new Egyptian president. Its mistake was in thinking that, since President Morsi was a Muslim Brother, it could shoehorn him into a course of action of its design. In so doing, it overstepped its bounds in the power hierarchy: Gaza does not set the terms for Egypt. Ultimately, Morsi is, and acted like, the president of the state of Egypt, not the leader of an ideological movement.
With that critical mistake, Hamas’ gambit resulted in the realization of its worst nightmare: Instead of leveraging Iranian aid to create a margin for maneuver, it now finds itself further under Egypt’s thumb.
To read more: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=459616#ixzz2D0DkTAP0
NOW Lebanon’s articles can make a great addition to your website, newsletter or blog. To republish material from NOW Lebanon, the following requirements are mandatory: Only 25% of a given NOW Lebanon article can be republished. Read more: http://www.no
November 22nd, 2012, 7:55 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
One of the battalions that overran the Special Forces Regiment 46 close to Aleppo claims to have captured 100 anti-aircraft COBRA missiles and tens of anti-aircraft SAM 24 missiles, which are supposed to be the Stinger equivalent.
ابطال الجيش السوري الحر أعلنوا عن استيلائهم على حوالي
100 صاروخ كوبرا من الفوج 46 الذي تم تحريره في ريف حلب..
بالاضافة الى عشرات الصواريخ من سام 24 المتطورة جدا و الذي يبلغ مداها 6-7 كم والتي تعادل صواريخ ستينغر الامريكيه ونتحفظ عن ذكر العدد لارباك العدو
يعني من اليوم ورايح سيكون اصطياد الطيارين مثل صيد العصافير
Another group operating around Damascus announced the capture of an Igla anti-aircraft missile. It’s not clear whether it’s one missile and its launcher or many such units.
صاروخ ايغلا
لواء الاسلام
إحدى غنائم الجيش الحر بريف دمشق …
– باستطاعة الصاروخ اصابة طائرات استطلاع ومروحيات وطائرات مقاتلة
– يعمل هذا الصاروخ في جميع الأحوال الجوية، وهو مجهز بمعدات للإستخدام ليلا.
-الى ذلك، يضم الرأس صمام (فيوز) “تقاربي تأخيري”؛ أي انه ينفجر على بعد خمسة أمتار من الهدف، في أسوأ الأحوال، ما يضمن دائما سقوطها.
اللهم زد وبارك ومكن الجيش الحر من فرض حظر جوي على دمشق وريفها وكل سماء سورية الحرة
Let’s see if the FSA is able to use these missiles and create their own no-fly zone.
November 22nd, 2012, 8:36 pm
Tara said:
Syria’s new opposition in race to convince skeptical Islamists
Reuters – 9 hrs ago
“They are the hotel warriors, we are the men in the trenches. No one should be allowed to marginalize us, politically or militarily. These coalitions are just fighting over us and not for us,” said Yassir al-Karaz, a leader in the rebel Tawheed Brigade in northern Aleppo province.
….
Among the opposition, many civilians and fighters view the Islamists in an increasingly positive light. Their brigades are effective on the battleground and in the villages of northern Syria many credit them with maintaining electricity and water.
….
Some put their frustration on display earlier this week when they announced the creation of an Islamic state in a video rejecting the National Coalition.
The immediate backlash from most rebel leaders and Syrian activists pushed many fighters in the video to retract their remarks the next day. But it laid bare the deep mistrust which the coalition has to overcome.
“Our video caused a big racket internationally, which is what we needed,” said one fighter present at the Islamic state meeting, who asked not to be named.
“We need to know we are going to get help and support from the coalition because Jabhat al-Nusra don’t want us to have anything to do with them. And right now, al-Nusra is our main support. So they need to show us they can do something for us.”
…..
“Qatar and France are the ones who worked to form it, and the Americans,” said an Islamist fighter in Homs. “Is this why we are fighting, so that we are followers of these countries?”
For fighters like him, there is no more time for patience. “We have our eyes on them and watching them closely – we will not tolerate any mistakes or any hesitations.”
November 22nd, 2012, 8:45 pm
ALI said:
“As AoA said we really have to be fair to those doing the heavy lifting on the ground. After all we’re just a bunch of expatriates. We can only talk and may be pay few bucks to support them, that’s all we can do”
See that’s the difference between you and us, you take it for fun on this blog, insult this and make some fun of that. But we take it really seriously till we reach the ultimate goal of cleansing the Jihadists (including the online ones) and bringing the state to what it was bring it back to the old days.
November 22nd, 2012, 9:23 pm
Syrialover said:
Any news of these young women arrested the other day in Damascus for their peaceful protest in white?
http://twitter.com/rallaf/status/271292796495859712/photo/1
November 22nd, 2012, 9:37 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
” But we take it really seriously till we reach the ultimate goal of cleansing the Jihadists (including the online ones) and bringing the state to what it was bring it back to the old days.”
Which is about as realistic as bringing the Czar back to Russia, or the monarchy back to France, or the Shogunate back to Japan. The times, they are a changing.
I personally would have preferred not to have an Islamist state, but since I’m part of a political opposition that has failed epically and miserably to influence anything, my influence is a little less than that of Adnan Ar’or’s pet canary.
It was the Islamic brigades that took on and beat the regime, and moved events despite the bungling of the SNC. Where is the political or popular movement that is going to stand in their way? Don’t get pissed at us just for telling it like it is, I like my women to wear short skirts and not to have to fast during Ramadan, but alas, Obama and co wouldn’t give guns to people like me, and the regime did its best to murder us. Oh well.
November 22nd, 2012, 9:43 pm
ALI said:
For those who claim that Syria was good only in the eyes of tourists and expatriates, I say this is non sense. For example, in Damascus, remember the good days when you used to go for “seeran” every Friday, remember the family visit to the Damascus international exhibition, remember the grilled corn, beans and cactus in Sh3lan, remember the old Damascus and BabToma, remember Ala-Elbal and beet Jabri ….. all these things were for all Syrians not only tourists and expats.
Syria offered all sorts of entertainment and good times to all Syrians from all social classes. Maybe the poor didn’t afford to have a meal in four seasons but for sure everybody could afford a mean at Abo Wa7eed in Ein Elfejeh where Bashar himself used to dine weekly before being a president.
Alawis didn’t take advantage of the state, it just happened that most Alawis do work in the army where the perks of cars and accommodation are really good, but similarly Naz7een people (from Golan) did control Mukhabarat and they were Sunnis, exactly like Idleb and Deer-Zour people controlled police and traffic police and it happened being Sunnis as well.
It’s not fair to blame all corruption on Alawis and forgetting the majority of Sunnis who were part of this corruption in every detail especially when coming and begging Alwais to do things for them above the law. If you claim the state was not great, and I disagree with that, then you need to be fair and honest before throwing non-sense accusations around. Some Alawis villages still till now has no power while Sunnis were spending money in Bloudan, and blue beach but still these poor Alawis never complained.
November 22nd, 2012, 9:43 pm
ALI said:
” I like my women to wear short skirts and not to have to fast during Ramadan, but alas, Obama and co wouldn’t give guns to people like me, and the regime did its best to murder us. Oh well”
So do WE, and yes we are an open society, and we should fight Jihadists together hand in hand Amjad. If Jihadists, God forbid, declare their Imara then tell me where all these non Sunnis should go? Please be realistic and don’t suggest something like go drown in the see, fly to Iran, or even it’s not my problem. It’s your problem because Sunnis decided to try a new beast and harboring Jihadists around so it’s your fault and responsibility to assure me that my sisters won’t get raped or stoned for wearing shorts.
The epic fail of your opposition has led to this horrible situation and as they say “يلي طلع الحمار على المئذنة ينزلوا”
November 22nd, 2012, 9:53 pm
Juergen said:
Albo 216
Sorry a had a call from Syria telling me that someone i enjoyed being my friend has passed away, the strange thing is that a natural death nowadays is quite unique in Syria.
Well I dont think that your claim was it worth to detroy the country is a right one. I mean the schoolboys who sprayed the paroles in Derraa surely did not evaluate their important role, nor did those torture henchmen in the city foresee their actions. Whenever i talked to Syrians about politics and their life, there was always this tensity and the fear was always present. You may come to terms with that as being normal, I can honestly tell you that even in the Gulags of Stalin and the prisons of the Stasi people made their jokes about their regimes, in Syria i highly doubt anyone had the guts to do so for a long time. Thats why I wholeheartly was proud to see the Syrians go on the streets and denounce the rule of Al Wahash. To me, that was the bravest thing. The clan has for decades believed the country is theirs, and would never expected such an outcome, so many unthankful peasants.
Sorry I will not buy your theory that good old Hafez had to rule with an iron fist, there is no excuse for brutal oppression which targetted not only Islamists but also ordinary citizens who stood in the way. There is no organized government led by high morals, this is a one man show for more than 40 years, all institutions like the parliament and the PM are cover ups.
I have no pity if such a system such a historical error in the long Syrian history ends now in debris. descartes once said that you cant build a new country with the old buildings, it has to be build on the ruins.
I think even the most fainthearted will know that such brutal regimes wont leave the premises if asked for, this regime is with its back on the wall, and therefore willing to do the utmost cruelty.
I dont share your vison that this regime is able to reform, its proven that such regimes have lost that ability long time ago. There is no sense for compromises or reforms, such thinking is missing in Syria since 40 years.
Yes, I think its worth to destroy such a regime, for the sake of the Syrians. Those 40 years are an episode in syrian history, and its my hope that it will be soon over.
Here is an example of the town of yabroud how a new Syria could look like:
November 22nd, 2012, 9:57 pm
Juergen said:
Ali
I think we all know that this regime is not an alawite regime. Without the support of many Sunnis, Druze and Christians the Wahash clan couldn’t stay in power. This magic feelings you portray which we all may have experienced were an getaway for many Syrians from their shallow happiness in a baathstate.
I know Alawis who ended up in the same dungeons all the other opponents would end up too, one’s religion does not protect you in Al Wahashs farm, if you are against him you will face the consequences.
November 22nd, 2012, 10:06 pm
ALI said:
Juergen:
Hatred towards an individual does not justify destroying the country. Now if Jihadists take control and surely will kill/exile minorities, at that time Syria will be only for Sunnis.
Is that what you want? A Sunni Syria with no other fabric in it
November 22nd, 2012, 10:18 pm
ann said:
Turkey warned against ‘Patriots’ – Friday, November 23, 2012
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-1-144613-Turkey-warned-against-Patriots
MOSCOW: Russia on Thursday warned Turkey against deploying surface-to-air Patriot missiles to protect its troubled border with Syria, saying it should instead use its influence to help broker peace in the war-torn country.
“The militarisation of the Syrian-Turkish border is of course a worrying sign,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told a briefing. Turkey, he said, should use its influence with the Syrian opposition to help the two sides in the civil war start a dialogue as soon as possible instead of “flexing muscles and placing the situation on a dangerous course.”
“Such steps clearly do not add optimism from the point of view of a political settlement,” he told reporters regarding the possible missile placement.
[…]
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-1-144613-Turkey-warned-against-Patriots
November 22nd, 2012, 10:19 pm
Ghufran said:
This is what an Islamist in Egypt is trying to do, remember that he won his job after a an almost non violent rebellion in a country that had a degree of democracy, compare that to Syria, if Islamists are allowed to dominate, Syria will be like Afghanistan with a combination of islamist thuggery and random violence since thugs will be empowered and act as revolutionary gurads ,and a large section of Syrians are not going to stay Idle while their rights and safety are being robbed in the name of Allah:
أدانت القوى الوطنية المكونة لتحالف “الوطنية المصرية” ما وصفته بـ”الجريمة الكاملة، التي أقدم عليها الرئيس محمد مرسي تحت اسم الإعلان الدستوري الجديد اليوم، التي تمثل انقلاباً كاملاً علي الشرعية، التي أتت به إلى الحكم وتمثل استحواذاً غاشماً علي كل سلطات الدولة، وتصنع دكتاتوراً لم تعرف مصر نظيرا له لا في أيام مبارك ولا حتى في أيام قلاوون والحاكم بأمر الله”.
وتابع البيان الذي قرأه نقيب المحامين سامح عاشور “ان مرسي الذي يستحوذ علي السلطتين التشريعية والتنفيذية يلغي السلطه الثالثة وهي السلطة القضائية وينهي دورها في رقابة السلطتين بتحصين قراراته وبأثر رجعي من أي طعن أو نقض مما يعني إعداماً كاملاً لاستقلال القضاء ومن قبلها إعداماً تاماً لدولة القانون”.
November 22nd, 2012, 10:24 pm
Juergen said:
Ali
If you read my entries here it should be clear for you that I dont have my stakes with the Islamists nor just with the Sunnis. I do have fears for the Alawites because this regime has used them in such a vulgar way, its like they are now the scapegoats for this regime. It will be hard for Alawites to claim afterwards like the majority will do that they were against the regime. But I have trust that the Syrians know all to well who was responsible and who were just used by this regime. If all count all those who have left Syria in the last 40 years because of opression, guess how high will the number be? If your Wahastistan is such an ideal place how come the percentage of Christians in the country has dropped from 60 % at the time of independence to officially 15 % now?
November 22nd, 2012, 10:29 pm
Juergen said:
33 Ali
I think we all know that this regime is not an alawite regime. Without the support of many Sunnis, Druze and Christians the Wahash clan couldn’t stay in power. This magic feelings you portray which we all may have experienced were an getaway for many Syrians from their shallow happiness in a baathstate.
I know Alawis who ended up in the same dungeons all the other opponents would end up too, one’s religion does not protect you in Al Wahashs farm, if you are against him you will face the consequences.
November 22nd, 2012, 10:30 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Ali, I’m quite disappointed and saddened that you still don’t feel able to lay the blame for Syria’s current situation squarely where it belongs; at the feet of the regime. Was it really necessary to murder 100 people in Homs on an April night just because they were holding a demonstration? Was it really necessary to beat up Ali Ferzat and imprison najati Tayara and butcher Gaith Mattar?
And who am I going to fight the Jihadists with? Bashar? F*ck Bashar and every member of the Assad family. I’d rather take my chances with an uncertain future than see that ibn el gahba pass the presidency on to Hafiz II
“so it’s your fault and responsibility to assure me that my sisters won’t get raped or stoned for wearing shorts.”
I can give you no assurances on the future. Everything you fear could happen and worse. Nothing is certain about the future, but we have a 100% certainty on what life under Assad will be like. Everything you fear and worse has been done to Assad’s opponents. Rape, murder, entire villages bombed, hundreds of people massacred.
The FSA completely withdrew from Hama. Do you have any idea what life is like for the Hamwis now? An entire neighborhood of 300 houses was leveled. Every week hundreds of people are arrested in mass random arrests. There is rarely a man on the streets of the city. That is what would have awaited the country if Assad had won.
And you blame people for cheering the Islamists who turned out to be the only ones to take the regime on? I may not like their ideology or system, but what have I and the likes of me managed to accomplish in contrast before they came along? We looked to the West and the USA for support, and instead got a POTUS with his thumb in his mouth.
November 22nd, 2012, 10:36 pm
Juergen said:
Ali
If you read through my posts here it should be clear that I am not just pro Sunni or have my stakes with Islamists, quite the contrary.
The Alawites are used by the regime, and they will have to face the worst consequences once this regime is over. It will be hard for many Alawites to claim what will most of their common Syrians will do: I was always against this regime!
I do trust the Syrians to know who was really a backer to this regime and who wasnt.
Did you ever think of the millions of Syrians who have left Syria in the last 40 years? Ever thought why the heck there were at the day of independence 60 % of the population Christians and mow only 15 % are left? May be your idealization of Wahashstan isnt so tempting to many to endure living there.
November 22nd, 2012, 10:38 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Ghufran
” if Islamists are allowed to dominate, Syria will be like Afghanistan with a combination of islamist thuggery and random violence”
And what at this point can realistically be done about it? Surrender and join hands with the Butcher of Qurdaha? The West refused to empower those moderate elements of the revolution, and now we are seeing the result, Emirate Halab el Islamia in the making.
November 22nd, 2012, 10:39 pm
Ghufran said:
قال رئيس المكتب السياسي لحركة المقاومة الإسلامية “حماس”، خالد مشعل، يوم الخميس، إنه غادر سوريا بعدما أصابه اليأس من “معالجة الأزمة السورية بشكل سياسي بعيدا عن الدماء”، مشيرا إلى أنه نصح الرئيس بشار الأسد بأن حل الأزمة يتطلب “إصلاحات وحلول سياسية”، ولكن عندما تم لجوء السلطات السورية إلى “الأمن والجيش”، علم أن جهوده “ستفشل”.
ونقلت شبكة التلفزيون الأمركية (CNN) عن مشعل قوله “غادرت سوريا بعد عشرة أشهر من الأزمة، وكان ذلك في بعدما أصابني اليأس من إمكانية معالجة الوضع بشكل سياسي بعيدا عن الدماء”.
Bashar will be remembered as a man who may have had good intentions but was not ready for the job,he received bad advice and ended up destroying whatever trust was left between Sunnis and alawis by using unnecessary excessive force and utilizing the army as a tool for regime protection against opponents and allowing bombing of cities regardless of how heavy the loss of civilian lives would be. It is too late now to try to justify the use of force when other less agressive measures could have helped stop this race to the cliff.
November 22nd, 2012, 10:47 pm
ALI said:
“; at the feet of the regime.”
I do blame only the regime but the regime is not only Bashar and if you want to be fair then you should punish the Sunnis as well.
“I can give you no assurances on the future. Everything you fear could happen and worse. Nothing is certain about the future,”
Enough said.
November 22nd, 2012, 10:49 pm
Visitor said:
The devoluting clown Ali Baba @ 26,
Syrians are very grateful to our brothers in faith for coming in to Syria in order to cleanse it, once and for all, of the filth that was brought into it since the outcasts of the human race descended from their hideouts in the caves in the mountains and met with civilization for the first time in thousand years. During the migration, The outcasts brought from their mountain holes all the grime and dung and spread it all over civilized and refined Syrian cities bringing the caveman’s way of life to civilized environments for the first time in the history of Syria. The regressive effect of the monkey-like creatures descent into cities could not be overlooked. You could easily observe such effects from tails hanging behind baboons and scamps of the erd-hamlets indicating a deliberate bypass, perhaps due to extended life in caves, of natural evolution into known human forms that did not require such appendage useful only for ape-rascals such as beggar Ali-Baba-Come-Lately and his beggar dad in order to brush off flies or climb up and down trees in the jungle.
For the first time in 50 years, civilized Syrians have a real chance to put an end to such civilization regression thanks to our brothers in faith who came to Syria realizing the need to lend hand to their Syrian brothers in the horrendous task of cleansing their country city by city and town by town of such filth. Very soon the outcast chimpanzees will be locked up in their natural habitat in the mountain caves surrounded by barbed wires, where only selected teams from among our brothers in faith equipped with leashes and chains who joined us in this fight will stand on guard around the fence in order to ensure the prevention of any future civilizational contamination.
November 22nd, 2012, 11:06 pm
ALI said:
barking pitbull:
Iraqis still crying the days of Saddam Husien, they were so blinded with freedom BS till they faced the reality of Jihadists from Sunni or Shia, but it was kinda late.
I can’t wait to see the day when Jihadists will take your sister and mother and do them just coz they decided they don’t fit their definition of Muslims.
At that time when come to this forum and cry for help to get rid of Jihadists, I won’t laugh at you but I’ll only tell you it’s too late and say hi to your sisters.
November 22nd, 2012, 11:18 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Ali
“if you want to be fair then you should punish the Sunnis as well.”
Obviously something has been lost in translation here, so I’ll say it again. I, Amjad, am in no position to punish or forgive anyone. I resent the Aleppans for sitting on the fence until the fence was burned from right under them, but that’s about as far as my “retribution” can reach.
You and I can come to a million agreements and agree on a thousand deals, and we will not have the power or influence of a 28 year old Jihadi waving a black flag and riding a tank that used belong to the regime. Any time you spend arguing with me or looking to me to fix things is wasted. Every discussion and comment that was made on this forum in the past 20 months amounted to sh*t all in the face of events being created on the ground. All we can do is observe history being made, in the end “people power” wasn’t enough to change a society like Syria.
What we are seeing today in Syria is a result of the failings of the Syrian political class in general. The opposition was merely inept, but the regime was barbaric, and relied solely on force to suppress the country. To a man with nothing but a hammer, everything looks like a nail, and he is useless when his hammer breaks, or he comes across something that can’t be hammered.
November 22nd, 2012, 11:19 pm
Visitor said:
AoA,
If you see Ar’our, please tell him I say hi to him.
And do not worry much even if you do not like the so-called Islamists.
Ask Ar’our about the most generous verse in the Qur’an when you see him. He’ll give you the answer that he gave to me once without asking.
It is a good one.
November 22nd, 2012, 11:21 pm
ALI said:
Juergen
“they will have to face the worst consequences once this regime is over.”
Nobody in this cursed revolution could assure minority and still expecting their support.
“Ever thought why the heck there were at the day of independence 60 % of the population Christians and mow only 15 % are lef”
I don’t know, but I though the regime was discriminating Sunnis not Christians unless you’re implying Sunnis and Alwais pushed Christians out.
November 22nd, 2012, 11:24 pm
ALI said:
“Syrians are very grateful to our brothers in faith for coming in to Syria in order to cleanse ”
Speak for yourself, Syrians are not a nation of violence
November 22nd, 2012, 11:41 pm
ALI said:
“You and I can come to a million agreements and agree on a thousand deals, and we will not have the power or influence”
“All we can do is observe history being made, in the end “people power” wasn’t enough to change a society like Syria. ”
This is a word of truth, but surely there’s something we could do
“Every discussion and comment that was made on this forum in the past 20 months amounted to sh*t all in the face of events being created on the ground.”
Another true statement Amjad. Everybody thought that US, EU, Russia, UN, AL ..etc will do something but the final word was to the Jihadists who came from the diaspora across the world to nest in Syria. What
November 22nd, 2012, 11:47 pm
ann said:
Libyan leader opposes foreign aid to Syrian rebels – November 22, 2012 8)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121122/ml-libya-syria/?utm_hp_ref=technology
TUNIS, Tunisia — The interim president of Libya, who came to power following a NATO-supported rebellion against former leader Moammar Gadhafi, said Thursday he opposed foreign intervention in Syria.
Speaking at press conference with his Tunisian counterpart, Mohammed al-Megarif said he also opposed arming the Syrian opposition which has been battling the regime of President Bashar Assad for the last year and a half, with thousands of lives lost.
Al-Megarif also said that he and Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki were withholding recognition of the new Syrian opposition coalition until they could evaluate how representative it was.
[…]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121122/ml-libya-syria/?utm_hp_ref=technology
November 22nd, 2012, 11:59 pm
MarigoldRan said:
The Syrian regime has been one of the most repressive and brutal regimes in the Middle East. It committed the Hama massacre in the 1980s. It regularly jailed and tortured its opponents. It had a pervasive police state. It conducted terror bombings against foreign politicians that oppose it.
Ali, you are a fool. Assad’s rule (both Assads) have been a DISASTER for the majority of the Syrian population. Maybe for a minority, of which you apparently belong, it was a decent government. But FOR EVERYONE ELSE, it was horrible.
Before, I was suspicious of the jihadis. But now? I’m not sure anymore. They came to the aid of the Syrians when they needed them. Unlike people like you, who stuck their heads in the sand, to bemoan the good old times, when minorities and the Sunni rich held the power in Syria AT THE EXPENSE OF EVERYONE ELSE.
November 23rd, 2012, 1:31 am
MarigoldRan said:
The supporters of the regime lived in a bubble where they thought all was well. They lived in the cities, supported by their rich friends, careful not to offend the police. And the police left them alone because, after all, these people are not a threat. They toed the line, proclaimed Assad as a brilliant leader, and got along with their lives.
Little did they know, but a volcano was brewing under their feet. In the countryside, the poor got poorer, and more numerous. A drought hit, and many of them lost their jobs. When they protested, the police beat them up. When they wrote graffiti on the wall, the police tortured their children. Eventually, the poor rose up and said, “Enough of this, it is time for our vengeance.” And so they rose.
In the meantime, the rich happy people who lived in the cities and who toed the line saw all this happening, and proclaimed in a bewildered voice: “What is this? Where did all these angry people come from? What is this cursed revolution? Wasn’t Syria a beautiful state before?”
And the poor said to the rich people, “NO. It was a beautiful country for you, perhaps, but not for us. You chose to ignore us, treating us like dirt. It is now OUR time to pay you back.”
And so they will.
November 23rd, 2012, 1:40 am
MarigoldRan said:
Syria was two countries before the civil war: one rich, one poor. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or lived with their heads stuck in the sand.
November 23rd, 2012, 1:49 am
Juergen said:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=286407318146407&set=a.164278790359261.33794.164276377026169&type=1&theater
Hidden help in Syria
Entanglements with the regime and unsafe routes for supplies hamper foreign aid agencies in Syria rapidly. Nevertheless, in order to alleviate the suffering, the volunteers often work in secret.
“The charge that the Sarc( Syrian red Crescent) was under the eyes of the State Security operates mainly in strategic regions and favoring families loyal to the regime, is omnipresent.”
http://translate.google.de/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nzz.ch%2Faktuell%2Finternational%2Fversteckte-hilfe-in-syrien-1.17837207
Amjad, well said!
November 23rd, 2012, 1:59 am
ALI said:
50. MarigoldRan
Thanks, your post was really meaningful.
November 23rd, 2012, 2:10 am
Juergen said:
I would think the next step is to implement portable devices which have their right for pets, but what the f*** is going on in the minds of some leading Saudi sheikhs?
Saudi Arabia implements electronic tracking system for women
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/11/22/saudi-arabia-implements-electronic-tracking-system-for-women/
November 23rd, 2012, 3:19 am
Mina said:
Morsi has delivered: he’ll take “Mubarak II” for title.
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/president-s-new-powers
November 23rd, 2012, 3:37 am
Syrialover said:
JUERGEN,
I’m enjoying your latest comments, thanks. You are offering constructive perpectives.
November 23rd, 2012, 4:14 am
Syrialover said:
To me it makes sense for an Islamist-leaning system to be idealised as an antidote against the degeneracy and corruption of the Assad era.
As to the jihadists role, AMJAD, you praise them for coming in to help fight Assad when others didn’t. Sure. At times I myself have thought: fine, thankyou, please go for it.
But the fact is the Salafists are not very big in number and not connected or caring about Syrian issues. I also see them using Syria as a personal adventure ground, and being serious spoilers and distractors who provided a highly convenient excuse for those who for various reasons hesitated to give military support to the rebels.
In any case, the excitement of the jihadist battle and juvenile fantasies of creating a “pure” Islamist government and society will get mugged by reality and the wishes and needs of the Syrian people.
Those excitedly declaring their plans for an Islamic paradise will realise they don’t know how to run anything. We have the current scenario in northern Mali where Islamist rebels wrecked the place, then sheepishly reached out for help in getting water, electrity and food supplies running again. They hadn’t thought it through. But they’ve proved incapable of rational negotiation and are currently getting into a deeper and more destuctive and dead-end mess on their own.
I also draw hope from what Qunfuz said: “Muaz al-Khatib is Islamist enough for the Islamists and less extreme Salafists of the armed resistance to give him a hearing, but not Islamist enough to scare secularists and minority groups.” (http://qunfuz.com/2012/11/13/finally-leadership/)
And what about the Muslim Brotherhood? That’s a separate post later.
November 23rd, 2012, 4:17 am
Albo said:
VISITOR
“Now, Albo birdie brainy, you can go to Nuremberg, show your skin-head neo nazi credentials, get your numerology degree, and live happily ever after in your liberal west with your persian cats and carpets until hell freezes. You realize Albo birdie brainie that you do not really belong in that part of the world anymore, and remember the popular saying: he who lives among a certain people for 40 days either becomes one of them or gets the hell away from them.”
haha all I’m seeing is that you couldn’t defend your silly assertions about Bahrain, I know you feel butthurt Mr Hallucinator. You have certainly lived more than 40 days in Canada, and you are certainly not one of them, so take your own advice.
As for myself, whatever your damaged brain can conceive about nazi-friendly liberal westerners (lol), I’m Syrian and I belong to Syria like it or not, and you can’t do jack sh*it about that (so yeah hallucinator, do come with your western backed talebans).
November 23rd, 2012, 4:56 am
Albo said:
14. AMJAD OF ARABIA said:
“Albong just needs to go on and on and on and throw his ill informed opinions all over the forum. He lives to hear himself talk.”
According to you the purpose of a forum is what exactly? Ah yes, playing the internet warrior and building an online persona.
I’m old school, I tought forums were meant to argue.
”
Wow, don’t shoot the messenger bong boy. I know it bites, but it’s not like I waved a wand and an Islamist uprising came to be.
…
Tough sh*t, there’s nothing you can do about it.
…
It might not be my preferred state of things
”
Your glee is transparent, however, so don’t play like you’re neutral or something, not after all the sectarian rants you made over the time.
“It all could have been so easily avoided had one person close to Batta had the moral decency to put a bullet through his head.
…
I’d prefer a liberal state where your sister can go screw half the neighborhood boys and no one can do anything about it, but alas, I didn’t do any fighting, and the civilian opposition proved too ineffectual to have any influence. And the Alawites never did reign in their mad boy king, so that’s that. You don’t want an Islamisr state in Syria, then go put together an effective counter political movement instead of subjecting this forum to your endless and infinite and contradictory “opinions”.
”
First off you can f*ck off with you rhetoric, words aren’t innocent, even in time of peace talking like that to a random Syrian could almost have gotten you killed. As I said, you probably need to curse people online because you don’t have the guts to do it to their face. Everyone here could insult everyone else mother and sisters endlessly, the point?
So no, this blog will be better off with “opinions”, kthanks.
November 23rd, 2012, 5:31 am
Badr said:
“it is the sad fact of life that those who have managed to affect events on the ground are the ones who end up on deciding how things are run”
No, it is only fair.
And the lesson here in essence is that if you do not do X because you fear getting Y as a consequence, then ironically sometimes you will end up with Y precisely because you do not undertake X!
November 23rd, 2012, 5:58 am
sami said:
“If this is addressed to me, you must show me where I ever cheered bombing of civilians, or repression. I never did”
Yes, it was addressed to you. You might have not done so publicly on here (or at least in your “Albo” handle) the fact you keep advocating that this regime that has levelled more Syrian cities than Israel ever has is not only willing to reform but that it is actually capable of reform says more about you than you would like it seems…
“While people on your side here make death threats daily and some precisely advocate that, the targeting of civilians. It’s very clear where is the bulk of genocide enthusiasts here, so give up about the moral high ground, there is none”
Sorry the threats at SC is going both ways and only a buffoon with the biggest set of blinders would think it is exclusive to one side, and I have spoken out against it numerous times. I am not responsible for what others write, but you sure are responsible for what you write and your disgusting level of venomous sectarian language that is woven into a pseudo humanitarian pretending like you give a sh*t when in reality you just want a continuation of the status quo.
You and your ilk dragged silmiyeh through the mud then drowned it in blood and now you have the tenacity to say that had we continued the non-violence way that somehow this abomination of a regime would’ve by the good graces of King Besho reformed it self?
Sorry your master wanted it this way and he made damned sure of it, why else would the regime kill a man delivering aid to Damascus country side, why would they keep arresting a lady for her banners of peace, why would they kill an innocent lady just so they can flash her corpse on Dunniya TV?
Also there are plenty of ways to support the revolution without helping the armed cause, medical supplies, humanitarian aid, food, clothes, milk formula and other life saving measures that have and continue to be denied by this heinous monstrosity are urgently needed to help the over 2 million displaced Syrians within Syria. Every Friday like clock work Syrians from ALL OVER SYRIA come out and protest, even after all the callous barbarity that they have been exposed to from your “secular” regime.
There is absolutely no excuse any longer to stand in defence of this regime, only the callous, the desperate and the sectarian genocide enthusiasts continue to do so. It is about time you worry about Syria’s fate as a whole rather than worry about your personal fate (religious, sect, social class, etc..) for without Syria the rest wont exist.
November 23rd, 2012, 8:02 am
Sami said:
A two part series from Doctors without Borders about field hospitals and the brave doctors that continue to risk their lives for their country.
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=6424&cat=voice-from-the-field
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=6425&cat=voice-from-the-field
November 23rd, 2012, 8:08 am
habib said:
51. MarigoldRan
Aha, and so are most countries. So will Syria continue to be, whoever is in charge.
November 23rd, 2012, 8:31 am
Visitor said:
Next after regiment 46 will fall the Infantry Academy in Aleppo. The siege is in its final days before it eventually meets the same fate.
Albo,
I answered your questions about Baharain not once but twice taking into consideration your obvious need for repitition. All birdbrains have similar needs.
But as to where I truly belong, you answered it yourself. Since, according to you, I keep contact with the Taleban, then they help to keep me abreast and in constant contact with the other world in Syria. So the 40 days limit does not apply in my case.
But because of your ‘impeccable’ skin head and nazi credentials you would fit in seamlessly in Nuremberg in much less than 40 days. You closed the door on your roots unlike me.
November 23rd, 2012, 8:36 am
Albo said:
“You might have not done so publicly on here (or at least in your “Albo” handle)”
“Sorry your master wanted it this way and he made damned sure of it”
“You and your ilk dragged silmiyeh through the mud then drowned it in blood ”
I’m not a propagandist, I don’t have other nicknames, he’s no more my “master” than yours, and neither me nor anyone I know in Syria are responsible for any violence on the ground. Too many assumptions, SoD. But if you need black and white narratives like this one to make things easier, feel free, I’m sure you will believe what you want anyway.
Don’t assume that I didn’t have people affected though, and that I did nothing to support.
“you sure are responsible for what you write and your disgusting level of venomous sectarian language that is”
I see what you’re getting at, it’s ok that you would be shocked but you should have noticed that each time I spoke ill of something or someone, it was in reaction to some crazy or idiot who started his rants here. Each single time.
The more mild-mannered among you rarely stand up to them, or are often cozy with them. I must commend Sheila though, who’s perfectly clean. And at times you yourself had a better behavior than the rest, I have to admit it.
The problem is that they are trying to intimidate the rest, and that won’t happen Sami, so sorry for the heated and unpleasant words but there will be used whenever they are needed.
I think that because of that, you mischarecterized me, and you still will, it’s ok; if I could keep my cool, I would follow a line closer to that of Ghufran, I think his ideas are the best for Syria. If there was an election, I’d vote him…
But sorry, I won’t keep it shut when I read the nonsense I often read here, not possible. When I said “reform”, you mischarecterized it like the rest, I’m not making an apology of the regime in the sense that they wanted so hard to reform; I advocated something gradual, so as not to destroy the country, the society and see more people die, all things that are happening right now. That’s all, buddy, remember which political line I follow in spite of the bad words when it comes to me.
November 23rd, 2012, 8:40 am
Albo said:
“I answered your questions about Baharain not once but twice taking into consideration your obvious need for repitition. All birdbrains have similar needs.”
You didn’t back or demonstrate any of your claims and repeatedly typed a few silly words, that is.
“But as to where I truly belong, you answered it yourself. Since, according to you, I keep contact with the Taleban, then they help to keep me abreast and in constant contact with the other world in Syria. So the 40 days limit does not apply in my case.”
Not “according to me”, you made comments to that effect yourself.
As for the 40 days, of course you ridiculed yourself by forgetting your own personal situation, but consistency is not the forte of islamist nuts, so you’re excused.
November 23rd, 2012, 8:49 am
zoo said:
On BCC, an interviewed Egyptian said” If Morsi does not rescind these decisions, he should resign and leave to Qatar and Saudi Arabia and stay there.”
In Egypt, a Sunni Islamist dictator in the making, under the wet eyes of Hillary, Erdogan and HBJ.
A good omen for the future of the “Sunni Islamist Spring” in other ‘liberated’ countries
Morsi takes sweeping new powers
The National staff
Nov 23, 2012
CAIRO // The Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi yesterday sacked the prosecutor general, ordered a retrial of Mubarak officials and placed himself above judicial oversight.
…
“Morsi today usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt’s new pharaoh,” Mr ElBaradei wrote on Twitter. “A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences.”
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/africa/morsi-takes-sweeping-new-powers#ixzz2D3SGldsD
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook
November 23rd, 2012, 9:09 am
zoo said:
Syria Kurds join forces in rebel standoff
12:25am November 24, 2012
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2012/11/24/01/00/syria-kurds-join-forces-in-rebel-standoff
Two main Kurdish groups have agreed to join forces in a standoff with hundreds of Islamist rebels in northeastern Syria, a Syrian Kurdish representative and an activist say.
Hundreds of fighters loyal to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) – which has close ties to Turkey’s rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – have been locked in fierce battles with fighters of the jihadist Al-Nusra Front and allied Ghuraba al-Sham group in Ras al-Ain on the border with Turkey.
…
Rasho said rebel groups – including the Tawhid Brigade, the main opposition formation in Aleppo, Ghuraba al-Sham and “sometimes” the Al-Nusra Front – “stand against Kurdish citizens”.
November 23rd, 2012, 9:24 am
mjabali said:
Albo: you are wasting your time with the dynamic jihadi duo. They do not even know their own religion. The half Syrian among them suffers from a severe self esteem problem, albeit his words. According to al-Quran both are munafiqin; i.e. hypocrites. I can get you one Qura’nic text after the other showing how these boys should be punished. According to current international law both are subject to persecution.
The funniest thing I read from the split personality kook was when he wished Dr. Landis and his family happy thanksgiving. What about the language and insults this munafiq throws everyday against Landis’s family. تفو على هيك نفاق
November 23rd, 2012, 9:26 am
zoo said:
Erdogan promises again. Is he worried it will end up like his fiacos’s visit to Libya or Tunisia? Or that Hamas will ask him for money and weapons now that Iran is supposedly out of the way in Gaza? Better late than never.
A sudden Gaza visit
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-callsrussias-patriot-reaction-very-wrong.aspx?pageID=238&nID=35293&NewsCatID=338
Erdoğan argued that the most active policy for providing a truce between Israel and Hamas was conducted by Turkey, Egypt and Qatar.
“Dates are not announced,” Erdoğan responded when asked when he would visit Gaza. Upon insistent questions on the same issue, Erdoğan said: “I may suddenly go to Gaza.”
November 23rd, 2012, 9:29 am
mjabali said:
Hey lackey the visitor:
So you made few dollars from a gas station or a super market. Ok we know that. And now you are yapping like a chiwawa day in and day out. An ignorant man like you insulting the Shia and telling them you gonna rule them forever. What is the size of your brain senior. You have a sever self esteem problem dude. Does your neighbors know of your Fascist ideas and dreams? In the last week the NYPD caught an American of Italiam origin killing Middle Eastern hard working immigrant and calling himself a patriot. Are you going to cause this to some of us?
November 23rd, 2012, 9:33 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Syrialover
“In any case, the excitement of the jihadist battle and juvenile fantasies of creating a “pure” Islamist government and society will get mugged by reality and the wishes and needs of the Syrian people.”
Well, the best case scenario would have been that the regime and Islamists would have grinded each other down. And I’m sure there were many world powers who were hoping for just such a scenario. Only no one could have counted on Batta’s stupidity, his complete, unfathomable, unnatural even ability to alienate even those who were his most ardent supporters, and his cluelessness regarding anything tactical.
And no one could have predicted that the political opposition could have turned out to be so ineffectual as it has turned out to be. THAT is the greatest tragedy that the Syrian people have had to suffer for. The regime and its supporters are irredeemable, that has been obvious for a long time, but the SNC was incompetent to the point where it was obvious that they place personal vendettas and egos above the welfare of anything else. In that regard, they were just as bad as the regime. Syria’s political elite on both sides have really shown themselves to be utterly contemptible.
Badr
“And the lesson here in essence is that if you do not do X because you fear getting Y as a consequence, then ironically sometimes you will end up with Y precisely because you do not undertake X!”
Very true. The good people of Aleppo kept sitting on the fence right until the fence was burned from underneath them. If just 50,000 of them had come out and demonstrated in the summer of 2011, the regime would have fallen. Now, Aleppo is in a worst state than Homs ever was.
There is a precedent for what we are seeing now. In WW2 the British and Americans kept delaying opening a second front in Europe, hoping that the USSR and Germany would bleed each other to death. The Soviets lost the most amount of people in the war, and thus it was politically impossible for the Allies to deny Stalin a free hand in Eastern Europe. They even had to abandon Poland, the country they originally went to war for.
Obama’s weakness and unwillingness to empower the more moderate elements of the Syrian revolution is th reason we are seeing Jihadists flood the country. Alas, there doesn’t seem to be an effective political opposition ready to counter them when the regime falls. Definitely, the hardcore regime supporters on this forum have offered nothing constructive at all other than copy/pasting articles.
Albong, your last post was as infantile as I’ve come to expect from you. Do you know why I can have a civilized conversation with Ali? Because I am forced to respect the fact that he drew back from name calling even when I baited him repeatedly. If I had continued to call him names, it would only have made me look ridiculous. Learn from your elders, not everything a troll says to you on the Internet is a mortal wound to your honor/prestige/tribal standing.
November 23rd, 2012, 9:42 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
“They do not even know their own religion”
LOOOOOL! Said the guy who didn’t even know how many pillars there are in Islam, and whose understanding of Quranic texts has been shown by Visitor to be utterly shallow. Mjahali’s understanding of the Quran is just like his knowledge of history; shallow, intellectually lacking, the MacDonalds fast food kind of “knowledge”.
Look, don’t blame me if your Batta couldn’t fight back against a few hundred Jihadis. Like I said, I’d love for your sister to be able to give me oral pleasuring in the bathroom of some bar without anyone objecting, but alas that’s not the kind of Syria we are headed for.
Tragic, but what are you going to do, keep misquoting Quranic texts? And I’ve noticed you have completely and utterly ran away from that fiasco of an idea you kept going on about, about whining to the Saudis that I “insulted izzzzlaaaaaaam”. Whatever happened to your grand campaign to get all the satellite sheikhs worked up about my mighty pillar?
Happy Thanksgiving Professor Landis, I hope it was a pleasant and relaxing time. And I hope Black Friday provides you with lovely deals on iPhones and such 🙂
November 23rd, 2012, 9:48 am
Tara said:
Shattered Beauty
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/23/smuggled-syria-london-art-war
Smuggled out of Syria to show London, the art of war
Syrian artists’ works reflecting the horror of civil war will be shown in exhibition to support those suffering in the uprising
Friday 23 November 2012 07.17 EST
….
November 23rd, 2012, 10:07 am
Visitor said:
“So you made few dollars from a gas station or a super market. Ok we know that. And now you are yapping like a chiwawa day in and day out. An ignorant man like you insulting the Shia and telling them you gonna rule them forever”
Hey quack zbala @71,
I have an opening for you in one of my gaz stations. I am looking for a windshield cleaner for my customers. The tips are great.
But if you prefer a supermarket job, we can also manage that for you. I can speak to Ar’our to make an opening for you in his meat grinding department.
November 23rd, 2012, 10:27 am
mjabali said:
Observer al-3alak العلاك
حاجة علاك مصدي يازلمة
If you want me to dismantle your text, sure, I will waste few minutes and labor through your it again.
You start your text in your comment number 26 from the last post with the following:
“There is clearly visceral hatred of Sunnis and a point of view about Sunni Islam as being inherently as evidenced by the comments of Warren and Majbali. ”
First of all this sentence does not have a clear sense. But, since we both came from the same place, I kind of understood that you want to say that Mjabali hates Sunnis. (Your problems with Warren take it with him). By putting me with Warren you are trying to say that we both have the same ideas. First, you are Wrong dude. Read my texts again.
I share with Warren his fear from the militant ideas of Islam, is there anything wrong about that?
Why instead of arguing with historical facts you come with “labels.” Come with facts serior 3alak.
Then we move to the second paragraph, in which you said (sorry to paste the whole paragraph. I had to do this just to show how you write about unrelated topics with historical errors as facts):
Observer said in his second paragraph:
“There is in my opinion very significant bizarre and deviant thinking in many current ideologies. I find it quite astonishing and disgusting to have clerics in Sunni Islam pontificate about the right of women to drive and about the so called evil of music. Some musician believe they see God when they listen to music and some mathematicians believe God exists in the beauty and exactness of mathematics. Certainly Hallaj understood the concept of surrender to the will of God fully and the first mystic is supposed to be Rabiaa al Adwyia the nurse of the prophet and Ali Ibn Abi Taleb as well. There is also some bizarre ideology in the Shia doctrine with the belief of the disappearance of the 12th Imam and his expected return at the end of time. Likewise the belief that Ali is divine. It is no less bizarre than so called 623 daily rules in Judaism. ”
Duuuuuuuuuuuude: what should I say. First Rabia al-Adawiyah never saw the Prophet Mohammad nor his cousin Ali. Rabiya al-Adawiyah is from Busra, Iraq who lived between 717 to 801 AD. The Prophet Mohammad lived between 570 to 630AD where Ali his cousin lived betwen 599/600 to 661 AD.
As for the disappearance of the 12th Imam or the worship of Ali, what does that has to do with me? I do not write about Ali or the 12th Imam and his disappearance! where did I write about this, but as the music and women driving also I have no clue what you are talking about here. You know that I understand what you write because I am accustomed to your type of thinkers/or no thinkers!
Then after talking about Rabiyah al-Adawiah and the prophet we reach Renan, the famous and well known racist (Against Middle Easterners, of course) to teach us about the concept of Nationalism, where mr. Observer touched upon extremism lightly, to be followed by a stab at the Christian telling us that the Crusades were eating people.
The narrative continues and Mr. Observer now is telling us about Ghandi and tolerance and how people should tolerate each other, and even should adopt the kids of Muslims. Things now should be dandy and sweet.
At the end Mr. Observer wakes up and makes one good call for tolerance and truth finding commissions.
Mr. Observer: really: please read what I write. Don’t let my criticism of Islam blind you from the truth.
As I said before: the topic is Syria and Islam.
Syria: How to end this violence and start the next phase?
Islam: What is the role of Islam and its stance from the other religions, sects, minorities.
Till you talk about these topic and not Ghandi, women’s right to drive and the disappearance of the 12th Imam, I would consider your texts long, and has no focus. Good luck
November 23rd, 2012, 10:29 am
mjabali said:
Amjad of Arabia aka Munafiq of Arabia
You are a double faced ball of hate and lies. Everyday you are caught trying to polish your dirty image. According to al-Quran you are a Munafiq, i.e Hypocrite: Here is the text again; I laughed at your lackey’s feeble attempt to help you since it is obvious that you have no clue when it comes to Arabic.
وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا قَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ
November 23rd, 2012, 10:38 am
mjabali said:
Visitor, aka the Thumbs up machine:
Nice try with your fake thumbs up and down. So you have 6 or 7 different lines at once.
Is this how you spend the money from your gas station? Nice try ya munafiq number 2.
November 23rd, 2012, 10:48 am
Ghufran said:
Poverty -unemployment was definitely a factor in making some Syrians take up arms but the narrative of rich alawis versus poor Sunnis reflects a high level of dishonesty, anybody who had the chance to visit alawi villages know very well that most of the wealth in Syria was, and still is, in the hands of wealthy Sunni merchants. Alawi foot soldiers and their bosses may have had salaries paid by the state but those salaries last 10 days.
The typical story of a corrupt deal usually involves an officer or employee of the state,alawi or not,receiving a bribe ,and a merchant,usually a non alawi, paying the bribe to make tons of money. It is disgusting to see the same people who benefited the most from corruption changing skin and wearing the revolution dress as ” god-fearing” Sunnis who are fighting to liberate Syria from infidels and heretics, these are the same people who go to the mosque in the day time then “pay respect” to young girls at night.
You know that a revolution is taking a U- turn when revolution mouth pieces start using religion,sectarianism and empty rhetoric to dehumanize their opponents. Make no mistake about it, a decisive military victory by either side is not good for Syria,only a political solution that starts with a cease fire can keep Syria in one piece, the sad truth is that this solution seems increasingly unlikely, Syria as of now looks to be heading towards a Somalia-type situation where warlords are in charge of liberated and not so liberated towns alike.
November 23rd, 2012, 10:49 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Visitor, high five! We’ve caused the menhebakji to recycle his old discredited crap, he is at his wits end 🙂
Mjahali, apparently it is obvious to everyone but you that no one here really cares for all your screaming and shouting of your favorite word. The accusations of a credibility challenged son of a mut3a marriage just does not stick. Hearing you scream “MUNAFIIIIIQ” is like hearing Donald Trump whine about shameless self promotion, or Bill Clinton talk about fidelity LOL!
And again, stop running away from your “whine to the Saudis about Amjad’s inzultz of izlaaaam” fiasco. You really came out of that one stinking to high heaven. Dude, the 72 virgins are throwing up from the stink coming from you 🙂
November 23rd, 2012, 10:59 am
mjabali said:
Amjad of Arabia aka Munafiq of Arabia said:
“No need, your own sense of self loathing about being the product of a mut3a marriage between Aldendeshe’s feudal granddaddy and some peasant girl is eating away at you, and we get the pleasure of watching your psychological meltdown online.”
Actually mr himar you show your ignorance again.
Mut’3a marriage is not between a Sunni like al-Dandashi and an Alawite woman. It is a Shia thing.
Secondly: Alawite women are beautiful and were sought after by kings like the King of Saudi Arabia himself, or rich Sunnis like the mother of your violent mass murderer idol Usama ibn Laden.
Third ya himar: Alawis do not believe in Mut3a marriage.
Fourth ya Munafiq: As for being a child of a Mut3a marriage I hate to tell you that I am not. The possibility of you being one is more than me ya Munafiq.
The rational possibilities of Amjad of Arabia being a son of Mut3a is higher than expected. You can ask your mother who converted into Islam about her Mut3a history before she she became a “Muslim?”
If your house is made of glass ya munafiq do not throw stones at people.
November 23rd, 2012, 11:08 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
“Duuuuuuuuuuuude: what should I say. First Rabia al-Adawiyah never saw the Prophet Mohammad nor his cousin Ali. Rabiya al-Adawiyah is from Busra, Iraq who lived between blah blah blah etc etc etc odd and twisted historical trivia no one but an obsessed son of a mut3a marriage would give a sh*t about yap yap yap an unhealthy obsession with the distant past blabber blabber blabber”
I know, some eqta3i beat the crap out of your granddaddy. Yes, I know it hurts, but guess what, it’s time to move on. Let the healing begin. Heal your soul. Let go of the angst. And stop subjecting the Internet to your family’s historical angst.
“I share with Warren his fear from the militant ideas of Islam, is there anything wrong about that?”
Menhebakjis, the gift that keeps on giving. The disgusting little hypocrite calls me a racist, and yet endorses Warren’s xenophobia and bigotry. Ya McDonalds “intellect” inta, hypocrisy is calling, it need a break LOL!
November 23rd, 2012, 11:13 am
Observer said:
Morsi is talking stability the first step towards dictatorship, I quote Ben Franklin again
Those who sacrifice liberty for security will get and deserve neither
November 23rd, 2012, 11:16 am
mjabali said:
The fear of Militant Islam is real. Militant Islam is going to destroy Syria and the countries around it, unless someone stops this madness and reign in the lunatics. Soon the monster would be too big to combat. A strong civil modern order should be established asap.
November 23rd, 2012, 11:21 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
“lawite women are beautiful and were sought after by kings like the King of Saudi Arabia himself, or rich Sunnis like the mother of your violent mass murderer idol Usama ibn Laden.”
What, and you think this is news to us? Of course Alawites would crave to marry Sunnis. It’s the same reason both Maher and Batta married Sunni women. For an Alawite, marriage into a Sunni family is an elevation, it means acceptance. It is something every Alawite craves.
I don’t blame them, infact I encourage interfaith marriage, but I just wish the sexually frustrated shabihs like you who are left behind could deal with their frustrations with a bit more subtlety, instead of playing out their historical angst on the Internet for all to see 🙂
More power to them, let more Sunni-Alawite marriages flourish, and let’s bred out the shabihas LOL!
November 23rd, 2012, 11:22 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
“Militant Islam is going to destroy Syria and the countries around it, unless someone stops this madness and reign in the lunatics”
I’m sure they will be stopped in their tracks by you endlessly screaming “munaaaaaafeeeeeeq” and misquoting the Quran at them. Keep it up dude, Al-Qaeda will die of laughter any day now.
November 23rd, 2012, 11:24 am
Visitor said:
What’s with this deafening silence?
Love-u-4ever you have nothing else to say or even recycle?
OK, here’s something new for you to think and do something about.
Your idol said today that Turkey’s deployment of Patriots at the borders is a hostile act of aggression. He is asking you in return to prostrate seven times in front of him for letting you know that.
November 23rd, 2012, 12:31 pm
Ghufran said:
الرياض- (يو بي اي): انتقد مفتي عام السعودية الشيخ عبدالعزيز آل الشيخ نقد ولاة الأمر في المنابر والمواقع الإلكترونية والفضائيات والتعرض لهم، مؤكداً أن نقد ولاة الأمر علنا لا يصدر إلا من “مريض فاسد الأخلاق والعقيدة”.
وقال المفتي في ملتقى بجامعة الملك سعود ليل الخميس الجمعة إن “نقد الولاة علناً وعلى المواقع والمحطات الفضائية الشريرة ونقد المجتمع علناً خطأ ومن فساد الأخلاق والعقيدة”، مضيفا “لا أحد معصوم من الخطأ وأن مثل تلك الأفعال لا تصدر إلا من مريض يريد الفتنة”.
KSA sheikhs and their followers provide an endless source of black comedy, if you love Syria you should do what you can to prevent those lunatics from establishing a Taliban Emirate in Syria
November 23rd, 2012, 1:30 pm
mjabali said:
Amjad of Arabia aka Munafiq of Arabia:
What you put on the internet is a reflection of your split personality.
As for Sexual frustration: hahahahaaaa (to speak like you) it is evident in your words. Your texts reek of sexual frustration. Sexual frustration has one name on this blog: Amjad of Arabia. Amjad of Arabia equals sexual frustration to me.
Funny you brought that. Check out the words that comes out of your mouth. You live in a sexual repressed place that is Saudi Arabia. Sexual illnesses are whole sale where you live.
As for history and militant Islam: You are nothing but a Walad. Ya himar I wish you show us your “knowledge.” and discuss with us any historical matter that could relate to our topic.
Your Nifaq is also traced in your claim that you are for mixed marriages. Nifaq..
Also, let me remind you again of the text from al-Quran that best describes you:
وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا قَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ
November 23rd, 2012, 1:50 pm
Syrialover said:
I winced when I heard Morsi give “stabilty” as the main excuse for his extended powers.
A favorite pretext and justification of the Assads.
Still waiting …. for Egypt and Tunisia to recognize the Syrian Coalition.
November 23rd, 2012, 2:06 pm
Tara said:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2012/nov/23/shattered-beauty-exhibition-syrian-art-pictures
Shattered Beauty exhibition of Syrian art – in pictures
A new fundraising exhibition of contemporary Syrian art being shown at Gallery 8 in London from 24-29 November 2012. Half the proceeds will go to charity to buy food, medicines and prosthetic limbs
Friday 23 November 2012 07.47 EST
November 23rd, 2012, 2:09 pm
Syrialover said:
Syrian rebels capture three military bases in a week
Attacks yield large number of weapons, which had been in short supply
[includes shocking photo of what’s left of al-Shifa hospital in Aleppo, hit by a bomb dropped from a jet]
Excerpt:
Syrian rebels’ success in seizing three military bases in less than a week has underscored the growing difficulty faced by Damascus in securing its outposts and stopping a rebel encroachment that has claimed large swaths of the east and north of the country.
Attacks on the bases, one north-east of Aleppo, a second at Mayedin in the far east and a third near Damascus, yielded a large number of weapons, which had been in desperately short supply, especially in positions across Syria’s second city.
Each of the bases raided had been among the last regime strongholds in their respective parts of the country and had in effect become fortresses in hostile territory. Rebel fighters, using captured regime soldiers as labourers, were seen carrying away hundreds of crates of guns, medium-range weapons and ammunition.
All the while, the most formidable weapon in the regime armoury – air force jets – were present in the skies nearby. The regime’s jet fleet of Russian-made MiGs has remained a lethal threat since they were deployed in mid-summer shortly after opposition groups stormed both the capital, Damascus, and Aleppo.
Their menace was emphasised yet again on Wednesday when a bomb dropped from a jet scored a direct hit on the main opposition-held al-Shifa hospital in the Shaar district of Aleppo, killing up to 40 people.
Witnesses to the attack told the Guardian of carnage inside the building, which is in the middle of a commercial and residential district close to the centre of the city. They said the hospital was no longer functional and that wounded civilians or rebel fighters must now be treated in makeshift clinics.
Among the dead in al-Shifa were trauma surgeons and specialists who had treated scores of casualties each day for the past four months.
“It is a disaster what has happened here,” said a local vendor, Khaled Homsi, contacted by telephone. “Did the [Israelis] do this in Gaza? Never. This is a terrible war crime and it must be investigated by an international tribunal.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/23/syrian-rebels-capture-military-bases
November 23rd, 2012, 2:36 pm
ann said:
Bombardment of Gaza Portends Further Criminal Wars in Middle East – November 23, 2012
http://www.globalresearch.ca/bombardment-of-gaza-portends-further-criminal-wars-in-middle-east/5312736
For eight days, the Israel Defense Forces rained down devastation on Gaza. More than 150 Palestinian lives were lost, including 40 children, and much of the city lies in ruins.
Further suffering is inevitable, even if the current ceasefire holds. There are thousands of injured, and the death toll will likely mount. The infrastructure on which one and a half million people depend has been devastated, especially key civic buildings that were the main target of 1,500 bomb and missile attacks. Hundreds of millions of dollars in damage has been wrought through the destruction of residential and commercial buildings that have left 11,000 refugees sheltering in United Nations facilities and paralysed Gaza’s economy.
The bombing of 140 smuggling tunnels and Egypt’s pledge to more effectively police Gaza’s border will prevent vital goods from entering a strip that has long served as a glorified prison camp.
The offensive against the Palestinians will also continue. The night the ceasefire came into effect the IDF arrested what it described as 55 “terror operatives” in the West Bank.
Israel’s ability to lay siege to Gaza depended upon the backing of Washington. The belated insistence of the Obama administration on a ceasefire focused on preventing a threatened ground invasion. Its stance was motivated by the strategic goal of securing regime change in Syria and isolating Iran in order to establish undisputed hegemony over the oil-rich Middle East.
Gaza is only a foretaste of greater war crimes that are in active preparation—a fact openly discussed by analysts and political figures in the US, Europe and the Arab world. Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of research at the neoconservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies wrote, “The fact that the United States and many European countries appear to give to Israel a green light to operate inside Gaza has something to do with the fact that we are now in a worldwide battle against Iran… This is very much seen as a part of the strategic calculus from the West to say ‘Yes, get rid of the Iranian nodes inside Gaza and make it clear that Iran cannot operate there.’”
Al-Sharq al-Awsat, the most-read Arab newspaper, indirectly funded by the Saudi royal family, editorialised, “The solution to Gaza…return to Syria.”
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Wednesday said of Gaza, “Iranian responsibility is extremely heavy in all this,” before accusing Tehran of “extremely negative” involvement in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gaza.
France was the first country to recognise the Syrian opposition, now nominally led by the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces formed in Doha, Qatar on November 11 under US tutelage. France has now been joined by Britain.
One day prior to the Gaza ceasefire, Foreign Secretary William Hague urged a ceasefire so that the western powers could turn more forcefully to “the conflict in Syria.” Recognition of the Syrian opposition as the legitimate government “imposes responsibilities,” he said, and the UK “will not rule out any option in accordance with international law that might save innocent lives in Syria and prevent the destabilisation of a region that remains critical to the security of the United Kingdom.”
Sir David Richards, chief of the defence staff, said on November 11 that Britain could intervene in Syria within months. “The humanitarian situation this winter I think will deteriorate and that may well provoke calls to intervene in a limited way,” he told the BBC. “There’s no ultimately military reason why one shouldn’t, and I know that all these options are, quite rightly, being examined.”
On the day of the Gaza ceasefire, Turkey made its long anticipated request for Patriot antiballistic missiles to be supplied to it by NATO. The 28-member nation’s ambassadors met in Brussels that day to discuss the request. Turkey is the regional power most capable of leading a proxy war against Syria on behalf of the US. NATO deployed surface-to-air missiles on Turkish soil in 1991 and 2003 during the US-led wars against Iraq. The missiles would be needed in the event of an air attack on Syria. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Wednesday that Berlin has approved Turkey’s request, while Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière stressed the move would also involve German soldiers.
The imperialist plotting in the Middle East depends far more upon its alliance with Turkey and the coalition of Arab powers led by Egypt and the Gulf States than upon Israeli military might. Washington calculates that it is they who are best placed to mobilise a movement against Iran and Syria while preventing the popular outrage that would be precipitated by Israeli involvement as already demonstrated in Gaza.
That is why Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Mursi played the key role in imposing a ceasefire in collusion with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, whom Mursi described in a letter as his “faithful friend”. At stake is not only the $1.3 billion annual US military and economic aid to Cairo, but the support of Washington in suppressing popular opposition at home and the chance that the Muslim Brotherhood will form a major coalition of a newly installed puppet regime in Syria.
[…]
http://www.globalresearch.ca/bombardment-of-gaza-portends-further-criminal-wars-in-middle-east/5312736
November 23rd, 2012, 2:37 pm
Syrialover said:
The courage of these people is equal to my hero FSA lions on the front line.
Prisoners of conscience detained in Syria for more than a year now.(There are many more we do not know about)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151121765607016
They are suffering for the whole of Syria.
November 23rd, 2012, 2:49 pm
Syrialover said:
The nasty fraudster “ANN” is still polluting this forum with rubbish cutpastes.
Desperate to make up ground with its bosses after the inconvenient exposure of fakery?
For those who missed the scandal: https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=16718&cp=all#comment-335144
November 23rd, 2012, 3:07 pm
MarigoldRan said:
@Ghurfan
The Syrian civil war had many causes, economics being one of them. The democracy activists in the city could not have done it alone without the FSA, and the FSA initially was composed of defected soldiers and rural youths who had no jobs or opportunities.
At the beginning, the FSA took sanctuary in the RURAL COUNTRYSIDE. Had the rural countryside been more supportive of the regime, this would not have happened. However, many people living outside of the cities hated the regime for what they have done, so the FSA found a large reservoir of support there.
And this is where the Assad and the Iranian regimes miscalculated. They thought the demonstrators were foreign-influenced spies with NO REAL DOMESTIC SUPPORT. And so they declared war on the democracy demonstrators, not realizing that by declaring war on the demonstrators, they also declared war on their countryside.
Note how the regime maintains a presence in the cities. But in the countryside, in many areas, the regime has been wiped out. The fall of the military bases outside of the cities serve as confirmation of the strength of the rural support for the FSA.
November 23rd, 2012, 3:20 pm
MarigoldRan said:
@Habib
Of course many countries, in fact all countries, have income inequality between rich and poor.
But only in Syria, and perhaps a few other countries, will the government call out the army to shoot the poor when they protest.
November 23rd, 2012, 3:24 pm
MarigoldRan said:
If you are the government, when the poor people protest, don’t order your soldiers to shoot them.
Most revolutions begin this way. The Syrian revolution is the same.
Even the regime, now, is finally beginning to realize this. Note their efforts to bribe farmers by paying more state subsidies to rural areas. But it’s too little and too late.
November 23rd, 2012, 3:33 pm
Ghufran said:
القاهرة- (يو بي اي): أعلن مساعد الرئيس المصري لشؤون التحول الديمقراطي سمير مرقص الجمعة أنه كتب رسالة استقالته من منصبه وسيرسلها خلال ساعات إلى رئاسة الجمهورية، اعتراضا على الإعلان الدستوري الذي أصدره الرئيس محمد مرسي أمس وما تبعه من قرارات.
وقال مرقص لـ(بوابة الأهرام) إنه اتخذ قراره بالاستقالة لأن الرئيس ومسؤولي مؤسسة الرئاسة لم يستشيروه في أي شيء بخصوص تلك القرارات ولم يبلغوه بها قبل صدورها، مشيرا إلى أنه علم بها من التليفزيون وفوجيء بها مثله مثل أي مواطن.
Murqus is refusing to be a useful idiot, I hope that we see similar positions inside the new Qatar.2, it is either a true partnership or nothing, let islamists show us how they will govern and how they will help people and the economy, those who agree to join them but accept the role of clowns or silent witnesses are not doing their country any favors, do not give Islamists an excuse if things go south,if they win elections they should be allowed to run the government, then people will hold them ALONE accountable.
November 23rd, 2012, 4:14 pm
Ghufran said:
القاهرة- (يو بي اي): أعلن مساعد الرئيس المصري لشؤون التحول الديمقراطي سمير مرقص الجمعة أنه كتب رسالة استقالته من منصبه وسيرسلها خلال ساعات إلى رئاسة الجمهورية، اعتراضا على الإعلان الدستوري الذي أصدره الرئيس محمد مرسي أمس وما تبعه من قرارات.
وقال مرقص لـ(بوابة الأهرام) إنه اتخذ قراره بالاستقالة لأن الرئيس ومسؤولي مؤسسة الرئاسة لم يستشيروه في أي شيء بخصوص تلك القرارات ولم يبلغوه بها قبل صدورها، مشيرا إلى أنه علم بها من التليفزيون وفوجيء بها مثله مثل أي مواطن.
Murqus is refusing to be a useful idiot, I hope that we see similar positions inside the new Qatar.2, it is either a true partnership or nothing, let islamists show us how they will govern and how they will help people and the economy, those who agree to join them but accept the role of clowns or silent witnesses are not doing their country any favors, do not give Islamists an excuse if things go south,if they win elections they should be allowed to run the government, then people will hold them ALONE accountable.
November 23rd, 2012, 4:16 pm
Citizen said:
Blow up the foundations of a residential building consisting of four floors by white doves
November 23rd, 2012, 4:18 pm
Ghufran said:
أصدر المجلس العسكري في حلب بيانا جاء فيه “لم يعد خافيا علينا جميعا ما اصيبت به امة الإسلام من الشرور والفتن، والدواهي والمحن، التي مازالت تحدق بالامة الإسلامية من كل جانب، ومجانب فهذه الفتن كقطع الليل المظلم يتبع بعضها بعضا فالساعات اذا حرجة، واللحظات عصيبة.
إننا نجد بعض ابناء جلدتنا منساقين إلى الظلمات دون بصيرة، كأنهم إلى نصب يوفضون! متساقطين في احضان الغرب دون رؤية، لاهثين وراء كل ناعق، ظنا منهم ان حياة الكفار هي رأس الحضارة، وعاداتهم اساس التقدم، وافكارهم مصدر الإستنارة!، دون البحث او التنقيب.
إن قيادة المرأة للسيارة فقد قام الدليل الشرعي، والبرهان الحسي على حرمتها، ومنعها، وافتى بحرمة ذلك كبار علماء الأمة على رأسهم سماحة الشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز، وعبد العزيز ال الشيخ، ومحمد بن صالح العثيمين، والشيخ عبد الله بن جبرين، والشيخ صالح الفوزان، والشيخ بكر ابو زيد، والشيخ عبد الله بن غديان، وغيرهم الكثير.
فكم عفيفة ذهب شرفها، وكم حرة خدش حيائها، بسبب المواقف المحرجة التي تواجهها اثناء الحوادث المرورية فهذا يساومها على عرضها، وذاك ينتهز ضعفها، وآخر يسترق عاطفتها، لا سيما إذا علموا ان المسكينة كارهة لهذا الموقف المحرج، الذي لا تريد ان يعلم به ولي امرها او زوجها، وعليه فإن المجلس العسكري، والمجلس الإنتقالي في حلب يوضح للعموم تأكيد منع جميع النساء من القيادة منعا باتا، ومن يخالف هذا المنع سوف يطبق بحقه العقاب الرادع حتى لو إضطررنا إلى إستخدام القوة، وستتولى هيئة الأمر بالمعروف، والنهي عن المنكر متابعة أي مخالفة”.
November 23rd, 2012, 4:38 pm
Citizen said:
it is a pre-positioning of US military resources in advance of a military strike.
U.S. Considers Increasing Military Presence in Mediterranean
http://www.kiiitv.com/story/20160265/us-considers-increasing-military-presence-in-mediterranean
The Navy also previously announced that four warships capable of providing ballistic missile defense will now be based at Rota, Spain, putting them closer to potential threats from Syria and Iran. They are the USS Ross, the USS Donald Cook, the USS Carney and the USS Porter. Four other ships are stationed off the coast of Israel as a hedge against any ballistic missile launch from Iran.
November 23rd, 2012, 4:48 pm
Ghufran said:
This provides a reliable view of how Islamists like to govern:
أكد النائب العام المقال، عبدالمجيد محمود، أنه سيلجأ إلى دائرة رجال القضاء، وهي دائرة خاصة في محكمة النقض، وذلك للطعن على قرار الرئيس محمد مرسي باستبعاده من منصبه.
وقال، في حوار مطول تنشره صحيفة “الأسبوع” صباح الأحد المقبل، إن قرار عزله من منصبه غير دستوري، وإن الإعلان الدستوري الجديد الذي جرى بموجبه عزله غير دستوري أيضا، وأنه يتناقض مع قانون السلطة القضائية.
كما شدد النائب العام المقال على أن قرار عزله يستند إلى أسباب سياسية، كما فجّر في حواره العديد من المفاجآت التي صاحبت القرار، حيث رد على كافة الاتهامات التي أثيرت حوله والمتعلقة بقضايا قتل المتظاهرين وقضايا الفساد وتزوير الانتخابات وغيرها من الأسباب التي أثيرت مؤخرا.
This is the second attempt to force this man out, if he causes too much noise they will probably find ways to silence his ” unislamic” voice.
November 23rd, 2012, 4:56 pm
Citizen said:
The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Israel has just suffered a historic defeat.
by Norman Finkelstein
http://mycatbirdseat.com/2012/11/34755-the-bigger-they-are-the-harder-they-fall/
November 23rd, 2012, 4:59 pm
Citizen said:
Israel’s War on Truth | Brainwash Update
November 23rd, 2012, 5:02 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Mjahali
“You live in a sexual repressed place that is Saudi Arabia”
Hehehehe, is that what you think this place is, little man? Riyadh, sure, it’s the last place that’s still as conservative as the mutawa3’s can make it, with the exception of the compounds where anything goes. And the coastal areas have some legendary parties at the seaside villas.
Of course out of respect to events in Syria I’ve turned down many invitations to these bashes (unlike your perverted prethident who has musical concerts held to worship him), but I don’t resent the younger set for having a good time. Life is too short not to be enjoyed.
So tell me ya hypocrite, why haven’t you been rushing to sign up with jaysh abu shahata? The rebels have more men than they have arms, but as Professor Landis superbly pointed out, the regime is resorting to gang-pressing people off the streets to make up the numbers. Or do you, as I suspect, believe that this is a lost cause not worth giving up the pampered life on Western welfare you’ve carved out for yourself.
November 23rd, 2012, 5:12 pm
alepoinmyheart said:
I’m surprised there are no more cheers for the FSA advance this week.
I won’t put the videos of ammunition,heavy weapons taken from 46 regiment base, but i smell major operation against regime base in the few next week who will break the back of the the shia coalition.
November 23rd, 2012, 5:15 pm
Visitor said:
Aleppoinmyheart! What a nice moniker?
FYI, FSA is in the heart of everyone here that counts!
November 23rd, 2012, 5:30 pm
Syrialover said:
A Hezbollah military official has been wounded while fighting alongside Syrian regime forces on Syrian territory.
In October, Hezbollah buried one of its senior commanders who, according to the Shiite group, “died while performing his jihadist duties.” Syrian rebels claimed he was killed in Syria
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=460058#ixzz2D5UHb2U4
November 23rd, 2012, 5:32 pm
Syrialover said:
#108. ALEPPOINMYHEART said:
“I’m surprised there are no more cheers for the FSA advance this week.”
You are so right.
They are far too distracted with the amateur theology contest they’ve got going here.
November 23rd, 2012, 5:37 pm
Visitor said:
AoA 107,
You haven’t even scratched the surface of the hypocrisy of Abu Jahl yet!!
Here are some questions to ask Abu Jahl next time he talks about nifaq:
Who is the Moon? If he answers it is the celestial object we all see in the sky then he is munafiq. Notice my question starts with ‘who’ and not ‘what’. So he should the name of a real person. If not then call him munafiq and hold me responsible for that.
Next, who is the Sun? Again expect same as above.
Next, who is the Mask? Again same expectations, otherwise….
Who is the essence? Again same expectations. Otherwise…
Who is the Gate? again….otherwise…
What does the name فصيلة القمرية العلوية mean?
Who is the Sky? Again the answer should be a real person etc… As above.
November 23rd, 2012, 5:51 pm
Citizen said:
http://www.xeber24.net/id2/21/3124-7899789.html
الغسيل الوسخ
غرباء الشام وجبهة النصرة من التكفيريين التي يتزعمها المدعو نواف البشير
November 23rd, 2012, 6:13 pm
Ghufran said:
Rebels open fire on demonstrators in Aleppo,again;
أطلقت مجموعة مسلحة يتزعمها “جمال الأشقر” المنتمي إلى “جبهة النصرة” التابعة لتنظيم القاعدة نيران رشاشاتهم اليوم على مسيرة شارك فيها المئات من أهالي حي المرجة في مدينة حلب طالبوا خلالها بطرد المسلحين من الحي ما أدى إلى مقتل طفل وإصابة 10 مواطنين بجروح
Advances of rebels in the east were overshadowed by their lack of progress in Aleppo and their inability to capture a single Syian major city,to topple the regime,rebels need to win the support of Syrians in major cities like Damascus and Aleppo,not to mention regaining control of Hama and old Homs, and overcoming stiff resistnce they are likely to face in Latakia and Tartous. Kurds and Druz strongholds are at best neutral and in some measures hostile to the rebels whom main achievement so far was helping the regime destroy Syian cities and Syrian souls, who wants that in his home town?
November 23rd, 2012, 6:14 pm
Tara said:
Merci Qatar
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2012/nov/23/egypt-protests-morsi-power-grab-live#block-50af4d4895cbdbb1ea5924b9
Syrian opposition asked to appoint ambassador
Qatar has become the first Arab country to invite the new Syrian opposition bloc to appoint an ambassador, Reuters reports.
In a statement the foreign ministry said:
The Qatari request aims to strengthen the goals of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces to achieve the hopes of the Syrian people.
,,,
November 23rd, 2012, 6:23 pm
alepoinmyheart said:
Just comparing march/april 2012 and now, i think the military situation is totally transformed.
In March, April u will only hear complain of lack of arms, and lack of organisation of the FSA, and they were pushed out to the rurals.
Now, despite also lack of heavy weapons, the FSA is getting time to organise, and recruit former professional soldiers. They are far more confident, u see lot’s of military officers, strategic discution and a lot more use of heavy weapons, capturing large bases i think in the next few month we will see the airport in the nort and east falling.
Slowly, they are crushing any presence of assad security services in very large part of syria, and unlike last march, the intelligence of the loyal syrian army is beeing crippled, thats why they ressort to blind bombing.
Anyway, i don’t know how can the regime inverse the trend, and these day, we do no hear the famous repeated slogan “it’s finished”.
November 23rd, 2012, 6:37 pm
Citizen said:
While the world is struggling to get out of the sins of the nationalist tendencies which cost human no longer unbearable … Here we seek to indulge in sins
November 23rd, 2012, 6:58 pm
Visitor said:
Can anyone decipher who the field criminal of hizbistan who was injured in Qusayr is? His initials are ع.ع.ح.
We would like to do our duty towards him and wish the thug a speedy transport to جهنم but apparently it will take him a little longer than usual.
November 23rd, 2012, 7:04 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
I saw this news item about the Nusra Front people having the reached the outskirts of Quradaha. No way to verify accuracy, but it’s something to watch for. If true, this signals a major shift in this revolution.
الله اكبـــــــــــــــر الله اكبـــــــــــــــــــر
عاجـــــــــــــــــــــــــل
جـــــــــــــــــــــــــــاك الموت يا تارك الصلاة
جبهة النصرة الآن على مشارف القرداحة تقتل أكثر من ٥٠ شبيح من أزلام العصابة الأسدية
الله اكبر ولله الحمد
November 23rd, 2012, 7:54 pm
Tara said:
This Friday was called:اِقتربت الساعة وحانَ الإنتصار
One can just Feel it.
November 23rd, 2012, 8:15 pm
Visitor said:
SYR.EXPAT @118,
These are the select teams of our brothers in faith that I mentioned in my comment @41. They were probably reading SC recently. They will have leashes and chains and will be tasked with guarding the barbed wire fence in order to prevent the abnormal civilizational devolution that gripped Syria for the last 50 years. Those who were bypassed by the natural evolutionary process and were responsibble for this abnormal regression will be locked up in the mountain holes 4ever this time in order for them to keep their ritualistic vow of lov-u-chimp-4ever.
November 23rd, 2012, 8:24 pm
mjabali said:
Amjad of Arabia aka Munafiq of Arabia:
Dude, whom are you kidding here? You want to tell us that Saudia Arabia is an open society: only in your dreams and hallucinations (which are many of course). Saudi Arabia is the Kingdom of Darkness.
Ya himar: Saudi Arabia is a country filled with sexual illness. Apparently you are blind, or just a plain liar and a munafiq as we know you here.
Also ya himar: how can someone live a pampered life and be on welfare. See how much of a himar you are?
AS for joining armies: ya himar I left violence and violent solutions for you. But apparently you are a coward and a munafiq. Again here is the Quranic text that describes you the most:
وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا قَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ
Also: ya munafiq: now you are wishing Dr. Landis happy thanksgiving. Did you forget the insults you threw at his family you bastard?
Double faced boy who knows no shame. tfooooo
November 23rd, 2012, 8:38 pm
ann said:
Squeaky-Voice Syrian “Opposition” Girly Man Spokesman’s Disastrous RT Interview – Nov-23-2012 😀
The best jokes that the Syrian National Council (SNC) can offer are covered by Radwan Zibaleh’s cringeworthy “contributions” to Russia Today’s CrossTalk with Peter Lavelle.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2a8_1353714329
November 23rd, 2012, 8:43 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
“A coalition of groups battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seeking to raise $60 billion from allied nations to help rebuild the country when fighting end”
60 Billion??? What kind of dope are these idiots smoking?
November 23rd, 2012, 8:43 pm
mjabali said:
Funny how the unemployed Amjad of Arabia aka Munafiq of Arabia is talking about welfare. This son of a b…h does live on the handouts of Saudi Arabia and the money he was able to steal under the guise of fighting al-Assad. Go find a real job ya munafiq. tfooooooooooooooooo
November 23rd, 2012, 8:43 pm
ann said:
Prince of Qatar Says he is a Sand monkey – Nov-23-2012
He actually says that he is a sheep, but sand monkey would have been more accurate.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dc0_1353711508
November 23rd, 2012, 8:50 pm
ann said:
More Proof of Zionist AlQaeda Alliance, Aroor Says Attacking Israel Is a Crime – Nov-23-2012
The Spiritual leader of AlQaeda in Syria, Adnan el Aroor, says that attacking Israel is a crime.
This alliance is very apparent here on Liveleak with Islamist Jihadis uploading anti-Syrian propaganda but never criticizing Israel, even when Israel kills Islamist Jihadis like themselves.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e44_1353683390
November 23rd, 2012, 8:56 pm
mjabali said:
Visitor the gassed lackey:
Your brand of religion has no connection to civilization.
Your brand of religion would crumble if your sheikhs allow a real debate. It is very feeble. It was built on weak foundations does not fit modern times.
As a MATTER OF FACT you are stuck in the past. So, you really do not belong to this day and age. One easy way to find out that is your racist rants. I find it amusing and a reflection of a troubled personality. So, when you talk about civilized people please mr. Munafiq do not include your self or your master the other munafiq.
In the meantime here is a link to one of your Sheikhs talking:
November 23rd, 2012, 9:01 pm
ann said:
Syria’s YPG Kurdish Armed Forces – Nov-23-2012 😉
HAT’s OFF Syria’s Kurdish fighters.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dc4_1353684293
November 23rd, 2012, 9:04 pm
ann said:
Zabadani to Be Converted Into a Super Highway Between Syria and Lebanon – Nov-23-2012
After the unprovoked attack from FSA terrorists from Lebanon against the Syrian army on last Tuesday, it has been decided that the best option for the town of Zabadani is to be converted into a Super highway.
This Superhighway will make way for the SAA to enter Lebanon and enlarge the highway on the Lebanese side.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d80_1353682366
November 23rd, 2012, 9:09 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Mjahali, why did you run from Visitor’s questions? Im very interested in hearing the answers. Why are you running scared? You don’t have any faith in your beliefs? They just be very weak ones indeed if they can’t survive scrutiny on a forum such as this one. Or maybe you lived in a bubble where worship of celestial objects was never questioned?
And I thought everyone had caught up with Galileo by now. How so very backwards of Mjahali. Seriously, people like him will need many decades to reach the level of civilization the rest of the world has achieved.
November 23rd, 2012, 10:43 pm
ann said:
Syria – SAA footage in Maarat al-Numan – 21/11/2012
Syrian TV crew with army in Maarat al-Numan 21/11/2012
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=983_1353603396
November 23rd, 2012, 10:44 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Mjahali, the son of a mut3a marriage and who spent his upbringing in a house of ill repute, I’d like to pierce that bubble of yours and ask you a devastating question which you will never be able to answer;
Why were the Kurds so eager to rip down the pictures of your prethident and his criminal peasant father the moment jaysh abu shahata abandoned their areas? Can you finally admit that your regime is hated and despised by all Syrians now? That 40 years of peasant Qurdahan rule has failed utterly? Or are all the Kurds “munafiqeen”? Is everyone a munafiq, ye who said he was going to whine to the satellite sheikhs about my mighty pillar (heheheh) and then chickened out?
And what kind of a regime loses 2/3 of the country’s biggest city, its oilfields and most of the border crossings? Only a Qurdahan one apparently.
November 23rd, 2012, 10:48 pm
ann said:
Saudi-Style “Religious Police” (aka Mutaween) Seen Roaming Streets of Aleppo, Syria – Nov-21-2012
Thanks to the “Free Syrian Army” (FSA) and its love of freedom, now strict Wahhabi Sharia law is being imposed on Syrians in the Aleppo area. In this footage, a Saudi Jihadi is seen riding a vehicle while carrying a rifle and calling people to go to prayer.
Saudi Arabia’s religious police known as the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, whose members are known as Mutaween, enforces a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b37_1353584089
November 23rd, 2012, 11:00 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Hey Ann, you Persian, it’s not “mutawa3een”, it’s “mutawa3a”, that’s the proper way to refer to them. Do the Ayatollahs know you are browsing the Internet without your husband’s permission?
It would be so deliciously ironic if Aleppo became the capital of an Islamist breakaway state. Sitting on the fence didn’t work out so well in the end?
Worshiping the moon and stars, the things foolish and ignorant people will do, tsk tsk.
November 23rd, 2012, 11:04 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Shabat shalom to all the wonderful Jewish people in the world! May your Friday be relaxing and renewing in body, mind and soul, and may Mjahali’s blood pressure shoot to unhealthy levels everytime we wish someone a happy holiday 🙂
What’s the son of a mut3a marriage going to do when Christmas comes about, hehehehehe.
Mjahali, I’d like to play a little game, called a Christmas Carol. I’ll show you your past, present and future in order to try to redeem your soul;
Mjahali as a little boy: “It’s ok daddy, I dont mind that the big bad eqta3i had carnal knowledge of my mother and whipped you like a dog, I’ll just bury my angst in historical trivia that no one but a whore-house-bred-boy could give a rat’s butt about”
Mjahali in present day; “MUNAAAAAFEEEEEEEQ! YOU INZULT IZLAAAAAAAM! HOW DARE YOU WISH PEOPLE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING! DONT YOU KNOW THAT SHEIKH BATEKH IN THE 12TH CENTURY PISSED IN THE RIVER TIGRES AND INSULTED THE MEMORY OF SAYEDNA BATEKH!!!!”
Mjahali in the future;”Damn….I wish I had known the warm touch of a woman, just once…..”
Heed these words, tis a cautionary tale 🙂
November 23rd, 2012, 11:17 pm
Visitor said:
AoA @131,
Galileo? O’ man! You’re dreaming! We’re talking prehistoric! More like Namrud somewhere around 6000 years ago! Believe me these anomalous chimps can only function properly in caves and mountain holes where they feel comfortably at home.
“The Prophet Abraham(as) grew up in a polytheistic society and his people sought their Creator in the nature around them, but without satisfaction as we read in the Qur’an:
And when the night darkened upon him, he saw a star. He said: ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said: ‘I like not those that set.’ And when he saw the moon rise with spreading light, he said: ‘This is my Lord.’ But when it set, he said, ‘If my Lord guide me not, I shall surely be of the people who go astray.’ And when he saw the sun rise with spreading light, he said: ‘This is my Lord, this is the greatest.’ But when it set, he said, ‘O my people, surely I am clear of that which you associate with God. I have turned my face toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth, being ever inclined to God, and I am not of those who associate gods with God.’ (Ch.6:Vs.77-80)
These verses illustrate the extent to which society at that time (around 4000 years ago) had fallen into the worship of celestial bodies. The insight that he was given showed his understanding that bodies that set below the horizon could not exert their influence continually over man, whereas the Creator was (and is) omnipresent. The verses show how Abraham(as) used his arguments to show his people the futility of their ancient beliefs as he had been the recipient of direct revelation; it was not the case that Abraham(as) himself had been groping to find his Creator through this process,. This is reinforced in a later verse in the same chapter:
And that is Our argument which We gave to Abraham against his people. (Ch.6:V.84)”
See more here,
http://www.reviewofreligions.org/2306/ancient-sun-worship/
November 23rd, 2012, 11:20 pm
Katechon said:
Did Abu Issu issue a statement regarding the Islamic State in Aleppo?
November 23rd, 2012, 11:27 pm
zoo said:
@116 Tara
Would you suggest Basma Kodmani as the ambassador of the NCSROFL in Qatar?
OMG! I forgot she is a woman and no competition to Moza-Minnie is allowed in the Mickey mouse Sunni Wahhabi emirate..
Maybe Ghaliun that you admired so much…
November 23rd, 2012, 11:32 pm
zoo said:
Wahhabi Islamic proselytism is become really boring on this blog..
Deeply religious commenters who want to convert others to their sect, please create a Blog elsewhere and leave this block to secular, as most Syrians claim to be.
November 23rd, 2012, 11:38 pm
zoo said:
Welcome to the three Crescenters who will shape by force the Middle East to become Sunni Islamic Democracies: The new Egypt Pharaon, the Turkish Sultan and the Qatari Emir.
November 23rd, 2012, 11:46 pm
zoo said:
Egypt’s Morsi is Hamas’ new best friend
No longer coy, Egypt’s president picks a side, and it’s not ours
By Joel Brinkley
6:00 a.m. EST, November 23, 2012
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-brinkley-morsi-20121123,0,4641649.story
The chameleon is finally showing his true colors.
Since taking office in June, Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s not-so-new president, has been equivocating, trying to balance Egypt’s longstanding diplomatic and financial relationship with the West with his true self: a Muslim Brotherhood fundamentalist who is contemptuous of the West, hates Israel and wants to turn Egypt into a fully Islamic state.
“He speaks of moderation for the West,” Perihan Abou-Zeid, a 28-year-old Egyptian officer for a media-production company in Cairo, told me. “But then when Salafists blow up churches, there are no arrest warrants.” And Egypt experts agree: You can’t be a Muslim Brotherhood officer without holding as your goal the imposition of Shariah law nationwide.
When Hamas began firing hundreds of missiles at Israel last week, and Israel understandably responded, Mr. Morsi’s deceptive duality fell away. He gave himself away.
November 23rd, 2012, 11:50 pm
Syrialover said:
Those hero poster makers in Kafranbel – with a message badly and urgently needed here:
http://twitpic.com/bfqgzl
November 23rd, 2012, 11:55 pm
zoo said:
Official Declaration from the FSA in Aleppo on 22 November. A joke?
http://documents-syria.com/uploaded_files/images/50afdb07495dd.jpg
November 23rd, 2012, 11:58 pm
zoo said:
Any reports on the promised “massive” demonstrations in the “free areas”?
November 24th, 2012, 12:01 am
alepoinmyheart said:
Deeply religious commenters who want to convert others to their sect, please create a Blog elsewhere and leave this block to secular, as most Syrians claim to be.
—————–
Zoo, the hiding behind secularism doesnt work now, we all know how typical u love the shia theocracy and their supreme leader who is revered as a god and how much u defend the thugs of hizbullah and other shia terrorist elsewhere.
The true sectarian nature of the regime and his followers is revealed to all.
November 24th, 2012, 12:02 am
zoo said:
The more thumbs down I receive, the more I know I am hitting in the sensitive spots.
“Bring them on”
November 24th, 2012, 12:04 am
zoo said:
#145
A newcomer or the multiple faces of the same one…ashamed of his other identities?
Say many prayers to convert me to your glorious sect. Yet you don’t stand a chance.
November 24th, 2012, 12:07 am
Visitor said:
Aleppoinmyheart 144,
Hey this guy who we all know here as the dog is not just hypocrite as you pointed out. He is ignorant. Actually, he knows zilch about secularism. Real secularism does not exclude religious discussions. But because he knows the feebleness of the creed he adheres to he screams and complains. What would you expect from heretics?
Now, he thinks that you are me and I am you. I am going to enjoy every moment of his bewilderment when he finally discovers that he is a real moronic chimp who will be chained with the rest of his species in the mountain holes where he can continue his ritualistic lov-u-chimp-4ever prostrations. You see how idiotic he is? He thinks we want to convert him to something else. But we know how much he loves cave life and that is what he is going to get. Pray for him? You wish? Why waste our time? Go back to your cave?
November 24th, 2012, 12:20 am
zoo said:
Georgiaonmymind
You got yourself a twin brother.. enjoy his subtle and intelligent prose. I have been skipping it for weeks, too boring, religious, pedantic and repetitive for me. Big Yawn…
November 24th, 2012, 12:27 am
zoo said:
There are no more foreign journalists for the rebels too kill. They are all gone.
Another Syria media murder: State TV journalist killed in war-torn Damascus
http://rt.com/news/syria-journalist-killed-damascus-393/
Published: 23 November, 2012, 13:27
A journalist working for Syria’s state TV was killed by an armed gang in the Syrian capital Damascus, SANA news agency reported.
The killing of Basel Tawfiq Yussif took place in Tadamun, a conflict-wracked district of the capital that has seen violent clashes for the past few days.
“The Shabih journalist Basel Tawfiq Yussif has been liquidated,” the rebels claimed in an online statement.
November 24th, 2012, 12:32 am
Ghufran said:
نفى المجلس الانتقالي الثوري في مدينة حلب وريفها صحة البيان الذي تناقلته بعض الصفحات على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي والذي أفاد نقلا عن المجلس بوجوب الامتناع عن السماح للمرأة بقيادة السيارة في المدينة وريفها تبعاً لفتوى شرعية.
Should we believe the story or the denial?
Lying is a national sport in Syria now
November 24th, 2012, 1:00 am
ann said:
Failed Nusra Terrorrists Attack on Furnlak Checkpoint Latikia Syria – 21/11/2012
* Snackbar warning *
They want us to believe that the terrorists defeated regiments 46 and 274, while in fact they can’t handle a simple checkpoint.
By now it is clear that when terrorists receive a shipment of weapons from Turkey, they obfuscate the origin of these weapons by claiming that they seized a base, an airport, or a regiment. It was just two weeks ago that France declared it will supply terrorists with weapons and suddenly FSA “captures” an airport in Deir el Zor, a Sam site in Ghouta and Regiment 46 and 274.
Laughable propaganda. 8)
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8ee_1353580638
November 24th, 2012, 1:06 am
Dolly Buster said:
149. ZOO said:
Another Syria media murder: State TV journalist killed in war-torn Damascus http://rt.com/news/syria-journalist-killed-damascus-393/
I think propagandists for Russia and Iran are fair game for execution.
To quote Zoo’s higher-up Vladimir Putin, they are “foreign agents.”
November 24th, 2012, 1:10 am
SYR.EXPAT said:
120. VISITOR
As much as I detest the Assad mafia, I don’t demonize the entire Alawite community. Actually, the Assad mafia comprises the worst elements from every group. Rustum Gazalah is from Horan and comes from a Sunni background. Yet he almost worships the Assads. After being deported from Lebanon, he said in an phone interview that he was talking from the Assad paradise! Another servant of the Assad mafia is Khaled Al-Aboud, also from Horan. He is the one who said that the Angels could defect, but not the Syrian military establishment. This is blasphemy by someone who is considered a Sunni. He is not. I was told by a friend that in the days of Hafiz, some of the worst torturers were from Horan!
It is true that the backbone of the Assad mafia is Alawite and that the Syrian regime is sectarian by nature, but not all Alawites approve of it.
The main blame in my opinion falls on the Sunnis for being asleep and not wanting to send their sons to the military after the French left Syria. It was the Sunnis (obviously, not all of them) who rallied behind the Baath party and allowed a band of thugs disguised as Arab Nationalists to take over. It was the Sunnis who neglected the military, unlike the Alawites who focused on the military and reaped the fruits later.
We want he cycle of violence to end. To do so, we need to look at others as brothers and sisters in humanity. Denigrating people is not going to take us anywhere. So please refrain from making derogatory statements. That is not the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him. He was sent as a mercy to ALL mankind. As such, we should treat people with mercy, even at war.
Here is a testimony from Dr. Gustave Le Bon, the well-known French “social psychologist, sociologist, and amateur physicist.” He was not a Muslim, but look at what he says about the Muslims, as translated by Google: “People had never known so tolerant conquerors, nor
religion so sweet.” That is how you win the hearts of people. The full quote in French and the corresponding Google translation is below.
“Les premiers succès des Arabes auraient pu les aveugler et les conduire à ces
excès si habituels chez tous les conquérants, les porter surtout à traiter durement les
vaincus et à leur imposer par la force la foi nouvelle qu’ils voulaient répandre dans le
monde. En agissant ainsi, ils eussent soulevé contre eux toutes les populations non
encore soumises. Cet écueil dangereux auquel les Croisés ne surent pas échapper plus
tard lorsqu’ils pénétrèrent en Syrie à leur tour, les Arabes l’évitèrent soigneusement.
Avec un génie politique bien rare chez les adeptes d’un nouveau culte, les premiers
khalifes comprirent que les institutions et les religions ne s’imposent pas par la force,
et nous avons vu que partout où ils pénétrèrent : en Syrie, en Égypte et en Espagne,
ils traitèrent les populations avec la plus grande douceur, leur laissant leurs lois, leurs
institutions, leurs croyances, et ne leur imposant en échange de la paix qu’ils leur
assuraient qu’un modeste tribut, inférieur le plus souvent aux impôts qu’elles payaient
auparavant. Jamais les peuples n’avaient connu de conquérants si tolérants, ni de
religion si douce.”
“The first successes of the Arabs could blind them and lead them to the
excesses so common in all conquerors, be focused to treat harshly
conquered and forcibly impose their new faith they wanted to spread the
world. In doing so, they had raised against them all populations not
yet submitted. This dangerous pitfall which the Crusaders were unable to escape more
later when they entered Syria in turn, the Arabs carefully avoided.
With a rare political genius among followers of a new religion, the first
khalifes understood that institutions and religions are not necessary by force,
and we have seen that wherever they penetrated: Syria, Egypt and Spain,
they treated people with the utmost gentleness, giving them their laws,
institutions, beliefs, and not requiring them in exchange for their peace they
ensured a modest tribute, most often lower the taxes they pay
before. People had never known so tolerant conquerors, nor
religion so sweet.”
November 24th, 2012, 2:12 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Spann
“they obfuscate the origin of these weapons by claiming that they seized a base, an airport, or a regiment”
I wondered when we’d hear what the menhebakjis were telling themselves to help them sleep nights LOL!
And Zoo, convert you? Seriously, where do you people get your demented notions from? We don’t want to convert you Zoo, we want to torment you, just like we reduced the mut3a child Mjahali to a shell of a person, foaming at the mouth, chained to an asylum bed screaming “MUNAAAAFEEEEEQ!!!! SHEIKH BATEKH DISRESPECTED SAYEDNA TEZI IN THE 12TH CENTURY AD!!!!!!MUNAAAAAFEEEEEEQ!!!!!!”
November 24th, 2012, 2:35 am
MarigoldRan said:
The very fact that a checkpoint was attacked in Lattakia is a very, VERY bad sign for the regime. The reason is because fighting there means the rebels are penetrating previously uncontested areas.
******************************************************
Even from regime propaganda, you can get a pretty accurate picture of the war:
One week, the regime “cleanses Daraya/Douma/Tadamon” of “terrorists.”
Two seeks later, the regime “cleanses Daraya/Douma/Tadamon” of “terrorists” again.
One month later, the regime “cleanses Daraya/Douma/Tadamon” for a third time. Etc….
Even among the supporters of the regime, the more intelligent ones have to begin wondering just how often they have to clear the same area before it stays “clear.”
In a guerilla war like this, it’s more important to pay attention to WHERE the fighting is taking place. After a battle, BOTH sides will try to claim victory, so neither claims should be given much credence.
However, if the fighting occurs in the same place over and over again, it means the regime cannot hold the area, no matter how many “cleansing” operations they do. Also, if the fighting starts to spread to areas that were previously quiet, it shows the increasing spread and power of the FSA.
November 24th, 2012, 3:53 am
MarigoldRan said:
I don’t know, ANN. You’re kind of stretching it there.
We all know you are a liar, but at least TRY to make your lies more believable.
Are you Comical Ali by any chance? When Saddam’s regime was collapsing during Iraq War II, this Baathist propagandist called Ali was making all sorts of hilarious predictions about the coming victory of Saddam!
It got to the point that people started laughing at him whenever he spoke. Hence, “Comical Ali.”
Well, anyways, it’s good to see you posting again. It’s always nice to have a good laugh.
November 24th, 2012, 3:58 am
Mina said:
Kurdish women won’t let the North-East in the hands of the Salafis
http://arabic.rt.com/news/600612/
November 24th, 2012, 4:46 am
Syrialover said:
What I’m going to say will probably get me told to shut up and stay out of it by the main suspects.
There is something very ugly going on in this forum from some who claim to be supporting the revolution. This isn’t my “alternative opinion” – it would be shared by the brave people of Kafranbel, defying aerial bombing to make their point in the poster linked in #141 above.
The following statement is based on casually revisiting threads from months ago as well as the current forum:
MJABALI is being baited and obscenely abused because he is Alawi.
Sure, Mjabali has taken the bait and come back with the same, but it’s hard not to sympathise with his reaction. The history of his treatment on this forum is alarming, irrational and shameful.
Here’s why I say this, easily confirmed in the archives:
– Mjabali is strongly anti-Assad and against all Alawi who are complicit with the regime, clearly stating that he hates them
– He lived a long time in Syria in peace, where he got along well with everybody and religious differences were not an issue
– He contributed insights here into how there are distinctly different Alawi groups in Syria, some of who hate the regime as much as the rest of us and who have suffered reprisals, others who have been used by the regime, others who are apolitical and uninvolved
– Mjabali also wrote calm, thoughtful assessments on what he felt needed to happen for Syria to survive as a country, the US role in the Middle East, and other long posts with zero mention of religion
– He talked of the losses and terror being experienced by ordinary civilian Alawis he knew of in Syria
– BUT THEN he made an apparently criminal error. He expressed concern about Salafists, not moderate Muslims – he made that clear – but wahhabists (just as I and others here have)
– And suddenly, out came the hounds of hell and the knuckledusters from several directions, and he found himself caught up in increasingly dirty and irrational fights for his life. He was aggressively disrespected, patronized and insulted, and relentlessly drawn into defending his religion and ethnic identity.
– He’d broken an eggshell and spoken out of turn because the words were writen by an Alawi, that’s exactly how it looked.
I can’t even IMAGINE what it must be like to be a Syrian Alawi at the moment. Especially one who hates the Assad regime like Mjabali or is remote from it and neutral.
The desperation and fear. The anxiety, despair and helplessness. All because of something you happened to be born into, not something you selected or were recruited into.
I don’t blame Mjabali for losing it and going over the top at times in this “debate”. It appears he came here sincerely and courageously, but has had his worst nightmares realised on this forum.
Here’s the unprovoked Mjabili before being pack attacked and kicked to the kerb by people who have the education, maturity and humanity to know better, particularly at a time like this:
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=15353&cp=all#comment-318180
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=15378&cp=all#comment-318372
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=12639&cp=all#comment-282468
November 24th, 2012, 5:40 am
Albo said:
“An activist who identified himself as Havidar, meanwhile, said: ‘The two Kurdish national councils in western Kurdistan (Syria) have agreed in Iraq to create a united military force, bringing together PYD forces and other Kurdish dissidents’ in Syria.
‘Since the Free Syrian Army forces came to Kurdish areas, especially Ras al-Ain,’ there was in the beginning ‘an understanding that they would limit their deployment to Arab areas,’ said Rasho.
But after some time, rebel forces burned Kurdish flags that had been raised, and ‘clashes between us and them occurred in Kurdish areas,’ he said.
Rasho said rebel groups – including the Tawhid Brigade, the main opposition formation in Aleppo, Ghuraba al-Sham and ‘sometimes’ the Al-Nusra Front – ‘stand against Kurdish citizens’.
On July 11, the Kurdish National Council met in Iraq with the People’s Council of Western Kurdistan and decided to form the Supreme Kurdish Council.
Friday’s agreement was announced a day after the Ghuraba al-Sham called in a video posted on the internet for Islamist volunteers to flock to Ras al-Ain for a drive on the provincial capital, Hasakeh, where the population is majority Kurdish.
‘We of the Ghuraba al-Sham battalion call on the (mainstream rebel) Free Syrian Army and the mujahideen to advance towards Ras al-Ain. Increase our numbers so that we can free the city of Hasakeh,’ an unidentified rebel commander said in the footage, standing among some 50 fighters.
‘And we warn all those who stand in the way of this revolt… especially the PYD and the PKK, and any other armed group, against taking any action that contradicts the path of the revolution,’ he added.
Syria’s Arab-led rebels accuse the PYD of being in cahoots with Assad’s regime.
Northern and northeastern Syria are home to the majority of the country’s two million Kurds.
In July, the army withdrew from majority Kurdish areas, leaving the ethnic group’s militia to fend for the minority’s safety.
Although Syria’s Kurds are opposed to the Assad regime, most have sought to remain neutral in the armed rebellion seeking to topple him.
Over time, they have been dragged into the fighting, after rebel assaults on majority Kurdish areas in key northern provinces. – AAP”
http://www.skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=819833
Rebel encroachments have accelerated the union of Kurdish groups, who are not about to let them “free” Hasake. Probably the rebel enthusiasts here just assume that they will be subjugated one day or another, so it’s ok nothing to worry about (like the rest of Syria). Kurdish militias however are very hardened at guerrilla war, more so than any of Syrian rebel group and they can draw their fighters from a pool of 30-35 millions Kurds. Support is coming from the now wealthy KRG despite their ties with Turkey and appeasing words, and their autonomous status is taken as an example, they won’t return to the fold. They are the first in a capacity to (practically) secede now, others will follow.
Two people here told me it’s worth it to destroy Syria, I think many more agree with that. However the country is falling apart and nobody will pick up the pieces. No “$60 billion loans for the first 6 months” will materialize. That’s pure hubris, the subsequent hangover will set in in time.
November 24th, 2012, 5:50 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Shaykh al-Yaqoubi Condemns the Bombing of Shrines in Aleppo
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/shaykh-al-yaqoubi-condemns-the-bombing-of-shrines-in-aleppo/
November 24th, 2012, 5:54 am
Syrialover said:
#156. MARIGOLDRAN
Hey, stop insulting Comical Ali.
He was at least a person, not a sinister syndicate like “ANN”.
Maybe you weren’t around when it started, but coinciding with Assad’s mass attacks on the Syrian opposition, “ANN” began mechanically disrupting this forum with junk cut and pastes and childish obscenities.
At its peak (or trough may be more accurate) the “ANN” campaign was accounting for up to 50% of the material on some threads, with single cut-pastes up to 50 paragraphs long.
November 24th, 2012, 5:58 am
Albo said:
158. SYRIALOVER
Kudos for this post, SL. Mjabali is a long time critic of the regime. So what’s going on?
“MJABALI is being baited and obscenely abused because he is Alawi.” Correct.
November 24th, 2012, 6:14 am
Mina said:
Morsy has no political model but the Prophet himself
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/morsy-don-t-pay-attention-those-wasting-time-controversy
November 24th, 2012, 6:31 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Actually SL, I have long observed Mjahali on this forum. His past fiascoes include the following;
1) Accusing me repeatedly of saying I wanted to boil Alawites in their urine. When he was challenged time and again to back up his accusations, he kept repeating the slander, but never offered a single shred of evidence that I had said any such thing. Another long time poster correctly pointed out that what I had said was that I wanted to boil soldiers who tortured Syrians.
2) Subjecting this forum to the most asinine and torturous and senseless debates on historical subjects he knows nothing about. Anytime he feels someone threatens his self perceived position as a master of history, he shouts abuse and and denies the most basic historical facts in order to redeem his fragile self esteem in his own eyes.
3) Disgustingly dragging Professor Landis’ family into his loathsome comments. I’ve noticed only menhebakjis keep bringing up the issue of the Professor’s family ties, and no one likes to do it more than Mjahali. I find that behavior revolting in the extreme.
4) The last moderator left because of Mjahali’s whining. In typical menhebakji fashion, he accused the moderator of being a Salafi,Zionist,Saudi stooge,Wahabi etc etc etc, all because he (Mjahali) does not want to observe any rules ,while demanding the strictest interpretation of them on people who don’t share his twisted views on history (ya3ni this isn’t mazra3at eli khalafak ya wati)
5) There is now no doubt whatsoever that Mjahali posts under more than one name. It is a view shared by everyone whose opinion I’ve asked.
In conclusion, Mjahali has provided us with many reasons to have nothing but the utmost contempt for him, regardless of his sect. If he was a Homsi, I wouldn’t forgive such disgraceful behavior. Only a demented, sick individual could take offense at me wishing professor Landis and his family a happy holidays. But such is Mjahali, a person whose entire life consists of using history to discover grievances. I bet he wishes this forum still had a moderator. Way to shoot yourself in the foot, ya mut3a child.
November 24th, 2012, 6:55 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Remember that I was quite happy to leave the menhebakji khanazeer to stew in their own filth. I hadn’t posted here for months. And yet even in my absence, the filth kept seeing my invisible hand behind every post they didn’t like. In the end, I decided to show them what the forum is like when I do decide to come back.
I’m like Voldermort, invoke my name and suffer my wrath, biatches.
You see, when Ali decided not to be baited, I was left with no option but to elevate the discussion with him. Mjahali has show us he has much weaker character, and his own perceived sense of worth is that much more fragile. He is like a dog with a programmed automatic Pavlovian reaction, and the desired responses can be elicited from him with the tiniest of baits. He is a troll’s dream.
November 24th, 2012, 7:00 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Now, regarding Mjahali’s (and Albong’s) supposed anti-regime stance. When was the last time these two linked to articles favorable to the revolution? When did they link to videos of deaths among the revolution? Heck, when was the last time they even lost a wink of sleep over deaths within the revolution?
I have not seen these two get worked up over any of the regime’s atrocities. Do you know what that tells me? Their supposed opposition to the regime comes from a resentment that they were not among the recipients of the country’s goodies. Their aim is to replace one gang of Qurdahans with their own faction of Qurdahans.
Also, it’s pretty hard to believe that Mjahali and Albong can be part of this revo when they have said time and again that the Sunnis are the worst people in the world (contrary to all historical evidence). That belief doesn’t come from “baiting”, it comes from a long and deep seated process of indoctrination that taught them to see Sunnis as Satan Spawn.
November 24th, 2012, 8:30 am
Visitor said:
Regarding this Jabali thing, the first time I interacted with him I realized his ignorance and decided never to respond to him. Sorry, SL and others who think he is worthy, I do not share your view of him even after reading those links that SL provided. He not only detests so-called salafists but all Sunnis with no exception whatsoever. You only need to dissect his continued expressions of his whining desire to reinvent history to realize this simple fact of his hatred of ALL Sunnis. He is no different than Warren, ANN and the few others that we have to deal with painstakingly.
With this bunch of hate mongers, my firm belief is to treat fire with fire. I know from experience you gain zilch by reasoning withy heir likes.
Anyway, I kept my distance from jabali even while he continued to beg me to engage in so-called religious debate knowing full well that he is fake, hypocrite, shallow and full of venom. His continued swipes at me and others is only meant to attract attention and solicit response, after all his attempts failed. Well, he should be aware that the only response he will get, at least from me, is mutual contempt. Period.
SYR.EXPAT,
I am in full agreement with what you said. I am only referring to the Assad mafia. I usually do not refer to Alawites in general and hardly mention the term, if you read carefully. What you correctly observed as demonization is only meant for the few lov-u-4ever on this blog who are mostly expatriates and are not even in Syria and perhaps don’t give a damn about it and are only here for propaganda.
November 24th, 2012, 8:54 am
majedkhaldoun said:
http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/syria/syria-rebels-ready-final-assault-on-base-1.1109470
Under seige,and with defections, this base will fall soon,Not only the northern part of Syria will be abandoned by the regime, the Eastern part will fall too, Assad is counting on Damascus,however it is certain the rebels will move southward toward Damascus,Bashar is getting very weak.
November 24th, 2012, 9:19 am
Observer said:
I am sorry to receive so many invectives from Majbali. I do not understand how he feels targeted when I post anything.
My friend I do not know how many times I have to tell you no offense meant and to make things easier I will stop addressing you at all after this.
He also thinks my posts are boring. please then do not read them. I certainly never read some spam generating commentators but I do get the idea of where they are coming from.
Again Morsi is trying to grab power and Maliki is trying to impose a dictatorship and Syria is slowly being liberated from another one.
Justice for Hamza
Cheers
November 24th, 2012, 9:28 am
Tara said:
Amjad,
Mjabali a nothing but a closeted Shabeeh and also a prototype bigot. He was verbally abusive and has insulted everyone who dared to support the revolution. He fabricated lies that he could not support. He was the reason for removing the moderation on this site when he continued to write letters to JL to whine about being moderated. He wanted to remove the moderation to show us the filth he is capable of saying and yes, I personally was exposed to great amount of his filth. The filth and the hatred he showed is a reflection of how he was raised.. He did not know that one needs to be careful on what they are wishing for. He deserves what is happening to him. I am sure he is begging Joshua now to restore moderation.
November 24th, 2012, 9:30 am
zoo said:
It’s very interesting that the anti-regime commenters spend most on their energy on this Blog bashing personally the people who are either moderate or pro-regime. They usually attack them on the basis of their religious affiliation, as it is the most obvious.
Instead of trying to build bridges between the difference of opinions, they prefer to viciously bully the others with often infantile arguments.
It reflects very well the mentality prevailing in the opposition ‘intellectuals’ of this so called “revolution” and it shows well that they are hyper sectarian and are even more authoritarian that the regime they hate.
A sad omen for the future of Syria.
November 24th, 2012, 10:30 am
zoo said:
Calamity Condie: Go Uncle Sam, Go!
Syria is central to holding together the Mideast
By Condoleezza Rice, Published: November 23
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/condoleezza-rice-syria-is-central-to-holding-together-the-middle-east/2012/11/23/200e583e-2ebf-11e2-89d4-040c9330702a_story.html
…
In recent days, France, Britain and Turkey have stepped into the diplomatic vacuum to recognize a newly formed opposition that is broadly representative of all Syrians. The United States should follow their lead and then vet and arm the unified group with defensive weapons on the condition that it pursues an inclusive post-Assad framework. The United States and its allies should also consider establishing a no-fly zone to protect the innocent. America’s weight and influence are needed. Leaving this to regional powers, whose interests are not identical to ours, will only exacerbate the deepening sectarianism.
Certainly there are risks. After more than a year of brutal conflict, the most extreme elements of the opposition — including al-Qaeda — have been empowered. Civil wars tend to strengthen the worst forces. The overthrow of Assad could indeed bring these dangerous groups to power.
But the breakdown of the Middle East state system is a graver risk. Iran will win, our allies will lose, and for decades the region’s misery and violence will make today’s chaos look tame.
War is not receding in the Middle East. It is building to a crescendo. Our elections are over. Now, America must act.
November 24th, 2012, 10:48 am
Tara said:
Zoo,
Cc: Amjad
If your post is in response to mine, I would like to remind you that I pulled out from Syria Comment when you pulled out, in protest of the vicious attacks on you personally and in respect to your freedom of speech and what I perceive as your very valued contribution. I was the first one to express my opinion in regard to the sincerity of Ghufran…etc.. I was my self a subject of immense insults from some pro -revolution as you well know. I expressed an opinion in Mjabali not because he is Alawi. I expressed an opinion in Mjabali because of his previous filth, unabated insults, and bigotry.
Having said that, I do call for Amjad and others to not demonize Alawis or Shiaa. Sunnis participated in the subjugation too. I also call upon him to please respect people who respect themselves. It does become extremely painful to read some posts when threat and insults are used to argue an opposing idea.
November 24th, 2012, 10:52 am
zoo said:
The US may soon loose interest in the Middle east as it will become self-reliant in oil and gas. The security of the GCC countries will not incumb anymore to the USA. They’ll have to find other protectors.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/what-the-us-oil-revolution-means-for-russia/471790.html
The expected growth in U.S. oil and gas supply is the most serious concern for Russia and other leading energy exporters. The U.S. currently burns almost 20 million barrels of oil per day, or just over one-fifth the world total. To feed that requirement, the country needs to import about 11 million barrels of crude every day, mainly from the Middle East. But with domestic supply of nonconventional oil increasing and more consumers switching to cheap gas, the U.S. import requirement has already begun to fall. Several years ago, the country needed to import more than 12 million barrels of oil per day. By the end of next year, that is expected to fall to 10 million barrels per day. What’s more, according to a recent study from the International Energy Agency, the U.S. may become completely energy-independent within two decades.
Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/what-the-us-oil-revolution-means-for-russia/471790.html#ixzz2D9jX7Mt0
The Moscow Times
November 24th, 2012, 10:58 am
Mina said:
Rumour or details of the deal emerging?
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/military-denies-foreign-troops-will-be-deployed-sinai
November 24th, 2012, 11:07 am
zoo said:
Tara
This was not addressed to you at all as you never bully or insult people as many anti-regime do regularly, even though sometime you tend to label people.
I admire Mjabali for his resilience and his tough and smart response to the attackers. I must say I enjoy the way he fights back using the attacker’s own ‘vulgar’ ways but more smartly and witty.
I do not have such patience or energy to fight back like that, this is why I withdrew.
It is true that Mjabali can sometimes go overboard with some commenters who are not aggressive. I think he could easily differentiate the hysterical ones from the reasonable ones and adjust his tone.
I doubt your calls for restrain will get any result as these bullies feed on aggressivity, arrogance and vulgarity. It’s in their genes.
Good luck…
November 24th, 2012, 11:08 am
ann said:
SYRIA: Murders of the FSA (some examples Part 1)
the graphic scenes have been blurred
– From September 2012 is setting up a structure for exchanging information and planning support to the rebels, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey and Jordan, as well as discussions with Gulf States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=840_1349616599
November 24th, 2012, 11:09 am
ann said:
Dead FSA Terrorist Leaders in Syria – November Harvest
Some like to be playboy centerfolds, some like to have a minute of fame dead on YouTube.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=857_1353764039
November 24th, 2012, 11:33 am
ann said:
Syria – Dead FSA rebels after SAF airstrike
Dead FSA rebels after Syrian Air Force jets airstrike
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ef0_1352143249
November 24th, 2012, 11:37 am
Syrialover said:
TARA and OBSERVER,
You know I respect both of you a lot and always look forward to your comments. Both of you have influenced my thinking at times.
And VISITOR and AMJAD we are in the same battalion.
But I went through and saw the Mjabali thing evolve and it was not comfortable reading. OBSERVER you did eventually say to him no offense and try to de-escalate things but he had clearly become stuck in default hysterical fight mode. And I hate seeing the rude way he addresses you and the irrational things he says to you.
At this stage in Syria’s history it must be worse than hell and terrifying to be an Alawi and watch your heritage religion and group being thrashed and mocked on public forums. You are asking him to be unaffected by that, and it’s too big a request.
TARA, let’s say Mjabali is the emperor of all closet shabeeh and bigots – which by virtue of the fact he admits and engages openly as an Alawi I don’t think he is, compared with others here.
It is still intensely discomforting to see the Alawi religion and beliefs picked and kicked over to an individual Alawi, regardless of how you view that person. I said beliefs, not behaviour, which isn’t at issue here.
Religion is an intensely personal and manmade creation, and nobody outside anothers religion can “win” by arguing the wrongness of its doctrine or otherwise.
TARA and OBSERVER I am not talking about you when I say I am disgusted by the obscenity of the religious and ethnic insults being traded here with Mjabali. But while I am very uncomfortable to see what he writes, I can understand the extremeness of his reaction, but not the others.
It’s wartime, everybody with a close stake in Syria is fighting shock and depression and going crazy with anxiety. I speak for myself and see it in others here.
I want to repeat something I said earlier a few months ago when the Mjabili war was still in a mild stage compared with now:
“The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face.” Sydney J. Harris
Is it possible to look at pausing, rebooting and moving on?
November 24th, 2012, 11:58 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Tara, you are a much better person than I am, I will admit that. To those who feel offended by some of what I say, the easiest way to deal with it is the same way Ali did; by refusing to be baited, you force me either to look like a bully, or elevate my discourse.
The consensus here seems to be that Mjahali is a waste of space on the planet. As Tara said, he is probably writing to Professor Landis right now begging him to impose a moderator.
Zoo
‘ I must say I enjoy the way he fights back using the attacker’s own ‘vulgar’ ways but more smartly and witty.”
Thank you for proving the adage “sh*t is in the eye of the beholder.” I guess you feel Mjahali needs his wounds licked right now, the consensus on the blog really doesn’t paint him in a very flattering light.
Tell me Zoo, do you share Mjahali’s opinion that Sunnis are the worst people ever to walk this planet?
November 24th, 2012, 12:01 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
Syria lover
It is one thing to answer politely,it is wrong to address some one by saying Himar, ahmaq, ajdab munafiq,filthy words are not to be used while you discuss intelectually.
It is right to express opinion, it is not right to insult, and worse is to start the insults, people has the right to defend themselves, and defending one who says filthy words ,or fabricate or distort history, will gain only disrespect.
http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/5b11b6cb-487f-4aad-91a5-31fd9f6d3800?GoogleStatID=21
those pilots already tried and found guilty, if they are captured their fate is sealed.
November 24th, 2012, 12:27 pm
Syrialover said:
To me, the point I always dread to see made is the one in the Oxford Analytica item posted by Joshua Landis above:
“President Bashar al-Assad’s army is sectarian in nature, with the Alawi community forming its backbone. These forces are fighting for communal survival rather than for the state or even the regime. This makes the military virtually immune to major psychological and physical blows to the state apparatus.”
Their thinking needs to be explored and handled, not wound up and their paranoia fed.
If the people of Kafranbel can hold up a poster pleading against sectarianism while standing next to a crater where their village square used to be and members of their community were recently incinerated by Assad’s bombs, the rest us can put the brakes on and make an effort.
http://twitpic.com/bfqgzl
November 24th, 2012, 12:33 pm
Tara said:
To all,
I am not ignoring writing back a response. I am driving to Manhattan to shop in Soho. Ah…poor Asma, is she accepting donation now? I have some designer cloth that I do not like anymore..
SL, I will respond later.
November 24th, 2012, 12:35 pm
zoo said:
Will Hamas definitely renounce to Iran’s help or would it use it to get more from the three Crescenters?
Is this ceasefire a dignified way out for Hillary and a temporary face saving for the three Crescenters?
Ahmadinejad congratulates Haniyeh; tunnel rebuilding begins
http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/links/msgr8/*http://my.yahoo.com/
Hamas leader tells Iranian president ‘victory’ over Israel belongs to Muslims worldwide; Rafah arms smuggling tunnels already being rebuilt, according to reports in Gaza
Elior Levy
…
On Friday top Hamas figure Izzat al-Rishiq denied reports that the ceasefire agreement includes an Egyptian guarantee to work with the US to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza.
November 24th, 2012, 12:46 pm
zoo said:
Is Erdogan calling for Patriots a sneaky way to use NATO to create his long dream of a no-fly zone in Syria to get rid of the annoying ‘refugees’? He is using the pretext of defending border territories that never had any Syrian plane attack.
http://rt.com/news/syria-patriot-kurds-border-474/
Ankara has asked its NATO partners to station Patriot missile batteries along its southern border, claiming they are needed to protect Turkey’s national security. The system can shoot down aircraft and some missiles at a range of up to 600 kilometers.
The region has seen a number of episodes of cross-border mortar fire in recent months, though Syrian warplanes and gunboats were never reported attacking targets on Turkish territory.
November 24th, 2012, 12:51 pm
Observer said:
SL
Thanks for the explanation.
I certainly am not infallible and I must admit that at times I have been carried away by emotions when I read and hear on the news someone like Sharif Chehadeh defend the indefensible. I also have learned to immediately check the pro regime sites and SANA before I read the news for it gives me a glimpse to what is the mood and tone of the regime at this time.
I also do know for a fact that the regime can be purely brutal and extremely oppressive that is without being based on any sectarian or ideological thinking. THe only way it sometimes acts is one of pure vengeance and nothing more.
I also know that there has been extreme prejudice against various sects and within the sects against certain individuals. Some Christians are favored and others are persecuted just as some dissenting Alawis are even more persecuted for “betraying” the sect.
The origin of all the sins and all the misery was is and will forever be the oppressive dictatorial sectarian rule of the mafia of Somria Alathad.
Justice for Hamza
Cheers
November 24th, 2012, 1:01 pm
Dolly Buster said:
Zoo, do you have no shame in using RT articles? Have you asked yourself about the motivation of Moscow in this conflict.
Russia has sub-Saharan levels of mortality, but wants to bully neighboring countries.
November 24th, 2012, 1:03 pm
Syrialover said:
#182 MAJEDKHALDOUN
I very strongly agree, but when I saw that language I saw someone existentially threatened and out of control.
Having Mjabali come to this forum opened a window of opportunity to explore the perceptions and fears of Alawis in Syria. Particularly one who said they hate other Alawis for their involvement with the regime and who pleaded:
“People forgot about religion in the advanced world today and together they became equal citizens in a state. Each worship in their own way. Too bad in Syria and the Middle East we do not have this feeling.” (April 22, 202)
But no, people here preferred a wrestling match on the past and abstract sectarian issues with him, and it deteriorated from there.
I challenge anyone to go back here and re-read the unfolding of the “debate” from last year and not be disturbed to see the position Mjabali was thrust into the moment he criticized salafists.
The heavy weaponry came out and he was locked behind enemy lines with no safe passage.
And we should all have recognized his reaction. It’s an extreme and over-ignited version of the frustration and anger we feel when we hear all Muslims dismissed as wahhabists with the intentions and “beliefs” of al quaeda.
November 24th, 2012, 1:18 pm
Visitor said:
Let me make it clear to you SL,
When you say religion is all man made, then here we differ fundamentally and I would rather be in the battalion of the so-called salafists than to be in any battalion you may happen to be in.
I also see a trend in your comments trying to single out the salafists/wahabists as something we need to abhor. To me this is simply falling into the same narrative propagated by the lov-u-4ever crowd and their masters. When you make your intentions clearer regarding this matter and if after doing so you fall into that same narrative, then consider me on the opposite side.
Fair is fair and clear is clear.
As far as I am concerned those who came to fight on the side of the revolution are our brothers in faith. Period. When you start putting labels, you are crossing to the red zone.
November 24th, 2012, 1:34 pm
Syrialover said:
VISITOR #190,
I am not interested in the labels and divisions YOU talk about.
It’s pointless and extremely non-constructive stuff in the context of this war. And with family living in Aleppo and trying to keep sane by supporting and putting their hopes in the resistance I find it very worrying.
And as far as I’m concerned those all who came to fight in this war and help overthrow Assad are welcome and I thank them. But they have no business then excitedly insisting THEY must decide how Syria will be run (i.e. undemocratically, amateurishly, unrealistically and archaically).
If you are running around out there in the west and proclaiming the glory of salafism to neighbours, colleagues, social acquaintances and anyone else who happens to hear you, you are stabbing other Muslims in the back and stoking unnecessary fear and prejudice.
And you know it.
Tell me, do you feel like going and smacking the faces of what must seem to you those idiots in Kafranbel and that fool al-Khatib for not endorsing and praising the declared salafists?
November 24th, 2012, 2:05 pm
Dolly Buster said:
Salaf means predecessor, and [ibn abdel] Wahhab refers to an ideologue. But when commies here use the terms Salafi and Wahhabi as something negative, they don’t actually know anything about either of those two words.
November 24th, 2012, 2:05 pm
Syrialover said:
DOLLY,
Please, don’t start with the religious debate. You know exactly what context those terms are being used here and what they are shorthand for.
November 24th, 2012, 2:13 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
saturday.
the war against syria takes a small break.
jews need to bang their heads against a roman wall.
the foreign fighters sit on their thumbs waiting for more foreign fighters, foreign weapons, foreign funds, more foreign lies to support the foreign terrorist war.
the judaized west down to its last few exhaled lies will expire soon.
November 24th, 2012, 2:31 pm
ann said:
Unmanned Drones Keeping The Terrorists On Their Toes (3 video’s) – Nov-24-2012 😉
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=582_1353771322
November 24th, 2012, 2:50 pm
Dolly Buster said:
194. 5 dancing shlomos:
the foreign fighters sit on their thumbs waiting for more foreign fighters, foreign weapons, foreign funds, more foreign lies to support the foreign terrorist war.◘
Is the word Foreign now dirty? I have a foreign espresso machine.
The Shiites have a disproportionate amount of weapons, so we need to balance the scales by arming the Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah.
How is it fair that Russia is allowed to arm the Grave-Worshippers, but the West & GCC aren’t allowed to arm the people of Truth ?
November 24th, 2012, 3:08 pm
sheila said:
To #29. ALI,
This was by far one of the most interesting posts I have ever read on Syria Comment. It is a post that reflects a combination of blindness, ignorance, shallowness, delusion, victim-blaming, fact-twisting and many other descriptions that are best kept unsaid. Dear Ali, please keep in mind that I mean your post and not you personally. I am sure you are a smart and sensitive guy who just grew up hearing all these excuses for what is happening around him that he internalized these excuses and believed they are real.
Your proof that Syria was more than only “good in the eyes of tourists and expatriates”, is that people were able to go “seeran” and eat lovely food??????????????????????????? That “Syria offered all sorts of entertainment and good times to all Syrians from all social classes” ??????????????????????????? What I am discerning from this description is that a “good” country is a country that offers good food and lovely entertainment. I am sure you did not mean that!!!!!! Because you certainly know that a “good” country is a country that can offer its citizens good education, vibrant economy and the chance to have and accomplish the dream of success. Unfortunately, Syria fails miserably in all. A country where your voice is heard or at least is allowed to come out of your mouth. Sadly unavailable in Syria. A country where the judiciary is strongly independent. An unimaginable thing in Syria.
Then you talk about how “Alawis did not take advantage of the state” and that it is “unfair to blame all corruption on Alawis”, because it is not their fault that the “Sunnis where begging Alawis to do things for them above the law”. Wow. This sentence takes the prize. Do you think that if we had independent judiciary in Syria, anyone would go and beg anyone else to do anything “above the law” for them? Don’t you think it is the government’s job to provide people with ways to solve their problems?
Finally, I do not understand why you think that people are blaming Alwais. This regime is quite “inclusive”. It has people from all walks of life implicit in corruption and we know it.
November 24th, 2012, 3:13 pm
Visitor said:
And please tell me, i am all ears, Syrialover @191, what do you tell your colleagues about Islam? From you previous comments and your incessant lecturing and pontificating to everyone here to avoid religious debates, you are telling them all religions are manmade. Wow! That must be your greatest accomplishments and service to Islam!!
Listen man, it is none of your business how I conduct my affairs anywhere in the world, or what I tell my colleagues. You better stop lecturing others because as far as I can remember since I first started here you have a tendency to inject yourself prematurely and unnecessarily in conversations because you perceive things may not be goings the way you would like them to go.
Now your so-called ‘trusted’ imagination is telling you the salafist will decide the future of Syria. So, you come here and tell everyone to abhor salafists/wahabists, right? Because that is a disservice to Islam, according to you, if we do not do so. But at the same time from,behind your keyboard, you promise thanks and gratitude to your supposed enemies who are fighting your war. I am sure when all is said and done you will simply fire an e-mail cc’d to every salafist in the world thanking them for their sacrifices and then everybody will live happily ever after knowing that syrialover discovered that all religions are manmade.
All I see you doing since this coalition came into being is you showering praises on a virtual unknown proclaiming him the awaited messiah for all of Syria that will unify all its factions into a one single unified copy cat version of NK or our thuggocracy in order not to stray far away from home. Who gave him or the coalition the legitimacy? They have none, even if the whole world recognizes them as such. Unless and until the people of Syria go to the polls in an internationallly supervised election none has such legitimacy except those fighting on the ground and they may yet decide the future of Syria whine and complain as much as you like. Would not an internationallly supervised election solve all the problems including your salafist premonitions? Or are you still living in the one party one man rule and incapable of going beyond that?
You see now why I prefer the salafist battalion over yours?
November 24th, 2012, 3:21 pm
zoo said:
Who hates who?
Lebanese army: 5 Syrians arrested with explosives
Associated Press – 4 hrs ago
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese soldiers raided an apartment in the country’s south on Saturday and arrested five Syrian nationals for possession of explosives, the army said, the latest incident fanning fears that Syria’s civil war is spilling across the border.
….
Lebanese media reports said the suspects planned to use the explosives to attack Shiite mourners marking Ashoura Sunday. An army spokesman declined comment to The Associated Press, pending judicial investigations.
…
November 24th, 2012, 3:33 pm
sheila said:
To #150. Ghufran,
“Lying is a national sport in Syria now”, no Ghufran. Lying is not a national sport; it is rather a regime tool. You know that they have an office called : “the office of spreading rumors”. No different from the propaganda machine that Hitler used.
November 24th, 2012, 3:40 pm
zoo said:
Who made Hamas “victory” possible in Gaza? KSA? Qatar? Turkey?
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/23/c_123995628.htm
On Wednesday in Iran’s capital Tehran, Larijani said his country had sent military aid to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, which has been locked in a week-long conflict with Israel before a truce was reached later.
“We are proud to defend the people of Palestine and Hamas and that our assistance to them has been both financial and military,” Larijani said last week without elaboration.
Iran has supplied Hamas with its Fajr 5 missile used to target Tel Aviv since an Israeli offensive on Gaza was launched on Nov. 14.
November 24th, 2012, 3:40 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
198 VAT
“What do you tell your colleagues about Islam?”
I tell them this:
You must labour until Islam has dominion over the minds and bodies of every important person in the nation. You must achieve such disrepute for the state of heresy and such authority over its pronouncement that not one statesman so labelled could again be given credence by the people. You must work until suicide arising from mental imbalance is common and calls forth no general investigation or remark.
November 24th, 2012, 3:44 pm
sheila said:
Dear SYR.EXPAT #153,
Thank you so much for trying again to talk some sense into Visitor and Amjad of Arabia. It has become so dreadful reading their posts. I do not understand this terrible urge to be so nasty.
November 24th, 2012, 3:46 pm
Ghufran said:
Democracy, ikhwanji style, judges in Egypt are fighting back:
اعلن قضاة مصرالتوقف عن العمل في كافة الاراضي المصرية احتجاجا على الاعلان الدستوري الذي اصدره الرئيس المصري محمد مرسي واعطى نفسه فيه صلاحيات واسعة محصنة.
The two toilet posters I referred to before are either non Syrian or just toilets , all places need them, however, you guys are only kidding yourselves if you think that this toxic revenge-driven mentality is limited or isolated, the more power those thugs get the more foul the smell gets.
November 24th, 2012, 4:23 pm
sheila said:
Dear Syrialover #158,
Thank you, thank you and thank you one more time for standing up for Mjabali. I completely agree with your post and wish that Mjabali would dissociate himself from this pointless exercise in futility.
Syrialover, I am grateful that there are people like you on this forum.
November 24th, 2012, 4:25 pm
ALI said:
Amjad, Tara, Sheila, Majed, SL … and all “civilized” anti-regime bloggers:
I think people misjudge you easily especially Amjad. TBH I don’t like your stand of supporting what called “revolution” but for sure I do respect your devotion to this “wrong” cause. Here where I live we’ve been going out on monthly protest for Palestine for the last 6 years, never stopped never missed a weekend, under rain, snow , sun it does not matter. Sometimes people laugh at us and sometimes people pullover to join us for few minutes. Every time my dad came to visit us he was saying that we were wasting our time but he never asked us to stop. Similarly, I won’t ask you to stop preaching your thoughts but there’s a big difference between sharing thoughts and personal insult. For example, there’s a barking pitpull dog on this forum who has zero respect to others’ beliefs while he expects others to respect him. I say good luck with that.
This morning I phoned my brother who lives on a different country, he’s by soul and heart with the “revolution” but with no actions. We talked for long time about the situation and I could take him through the major “issue” of Jihadists and its following problem of Islamic Imara, loosing secularism, and the risk waiting for us if “God forbid” the presidency is taken away from us. I can’t claim I turned him but I’m sure that I planted concerns in him, for me this is a win.
Now the barking pitpull will say to hell with you and your brother (very expected answer) and I’d say that’s exactly where your revolution fails.
November 24th, 2012, 4:26 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Ali
“Now the barking pitpull will say to hell with you and your brother”
If your brother is worried, then understandably so. I can’t blame him, I haven’t posted a blog post in over a month because I felt like we were in a chasm, where anything we shouted wouldn’t be heard.
From my post above, we can conclude that the person with the most credibility with the Jihadis is Adnan Ar’our. And yet a Alawite can leapfrog Ar’or by putting a bullet in Batta’s head. Call it selling out, but all politics is selling out. Principles and trying to live in a world of strictly black and white only earns you the distinction of being the most honorable man in the latest Istanbul hotel conference.
November 24th, 2012, 4:46 pm
sami said:
Albo,
I did not mischaracterize you, for as long as you say that this regime is capable of reform then your character is crystal clear.
A regime that shells its own cities, that targets breadlines, drops barrel bombs on hospitals, mortars a funeral procession, arrests peaceful activists, rapes children and women in detention, uses children as body armour, bombs peaceful protests, burns doctors after torturing them for providing medical aid, shoots people trying to provide humanitarian aid, that uses incendiary cluster bombs, and the countless massacres and atrocities it has committed (Darayya, Houla, Qubair, Treimseh, etc…) does not know the meaning of reform. And anyone claiming it does needs to get their moral compass checked pronto.
And please don’t play the victim that you were antagonized by Amjad or anyone else to use the level of despicable and sectarian language you chose to use. Uzair never uttered a single nasty remark towards you yet you choose to attack him for his roots. I have never stooped to your level of sectarian venom and never will, I don’t judge people by their creed or sect, but by their words and actions.
November 24th, 2012, 4:51 pm
ALI said:
Lady Sheila:
“It is a post that reflects a combination of blindness, ignorance, shallowness, delusion, victim-blaming, fact-twisting and many other descriptions that are best kept unsaid.”
Thanks you, but I prefer to express myself without holding back to take such a harsh criticism rather putting cosmetic and make up to my thoughts in order to gain others’ endorsement.
“I am sure you are a smart and sensitive guy who just grew up hearing all these excuses for what is happening around him that he internalized these excuses and believed they are real.”
Another prejudgment of my life albeit you have zero insight to my life. I was born and grown up in a house where I got the opportunity to listen, talk, and discuss with once who were big names in Syria. Everybody knew there was some problems but nobody new how to address it.
“What I am discerning from this description is that a “good” country is a country that offers good food and lovely entertainment. I am sure you did not mean that!!!!!! Because you certainly know that a “good” country is a country that can offer its citizens good education, vibrant economy and the chance to have and accomplish the dream of success.”
First of all, yes I did mean it but please be patient and allow me to open another angle for you of seeing things. Most of you on this blogs are residing out of Syria for long time, that’s why you got to see this and that while the average person in Syria did not have the chance. You all are assessing the country based on your current lifestyle which is unfair, you might be in favor for political forums and election process while a man who works his as* off the whole week is really more concerned about this only time of Seeran to spend with his family, seeing his kids playing around, women doing some fatoush, while he’s enjoying a round of backgammon with other folks. Yes I can summarize happiness for the 98 percentile of Syrians in similar moments but maybe a variance is venues and choice.
You keep attacking the education system in Syria, but all of you forgot where you got your degrees from? and how you were above average comparing to other international students?. At the end of the day Syria never been Switzerland and you’re dreaming if it ever crossed your mind that it’ll be once.
Finally, yes corruption is a two ways process and it needs two parties to join the table. You claim Alawis has the advantage by default so that means they did not need to break a law they designed for themselves “as yo claim” but it’s their Sunni counterparts who played the second party and encouraged them to exploit their positions for mutual benefits. Why it’s to hard for you to admit this simple plain fact?
November 24th, 2012, 4:52 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
207. AMJADDIE OF ARABIE
“Do we want an Islamist state in Syria?”
Sure. Why not? The wife would have to respect me and call me “Sir” (at least in public). I could marry off my daughters at nine and get their useless little butts out of the house. I could spend a lot of time smoking and drinking tea & coffee with the guys and talking about all the cool things the Prophet (PBUH) did and said. But most of all, I could let myself go, grow a beard and not shave or shower in the morning. Just throw on a robe, don a taqiyah and boogie around town talking trash about kafirs. Sounds like a plan, dude…
November 24th, 2012, 5:03 pm
Sami said:
Marj Al-Sultan airbase in Ghouta has been over run.
This base was used to launch helicopter attacks on Damascus and suburbs.
November 24th, 2012, 5:05 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
JDS, if you have the means to rollback the ascendancy of the Islamists, then by all means let us know your plan. Until then, make sure the missus has picked out a nice burqa, before Asma corners the market in the latest Iranian burqa designs.
November 24th, 2012, 5:09 pm
ALI said:
“And yet a Alawite can leapfrog Ar’or by putting a bullet in Batta’s head. Call it selling out, but all politics is selling out.”
Ya Amjad ya habibi do you think reaching Bashar is that easy? Within Aalawi sect there are tribes, and within the tribes there are big families, and within families there are subbranches. You need to pass all these conditions to be close to Bashar or his team, and if you pass these conditions then simply you’re one of his team who will protect rather assassinate Bashar.
I say Allah y3een Alawis and every minority swallowing the sword in both cases.
November 24th, 2012, 5:12 pm
Amjad of Arabia said:
Ali
“Ya Amjad ya habibi do you think reaching Bashar is that easy? ”
Yes, it would be very difficult, but the greatest rewards in life are reserved for those who can solve the biggest problems.
The position of the Alawites is much like the Germans in 1944. A group of officers got together to plot to kill Hitler, motivated mainly out of the desire to show the world that not all Germans were complicit in his crimes. If just one briefcase had not been moved a few inches, history would have taken a different course.
(My God do I sound pretentious. How do you guys even put up with me, hehehe)
November 24th, 2012, 5:35 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
From Building a New Syria
The Role of Political Islam
NOVEMBER 9, 2012 – WASHINGTON, D.C.
Nathan J. Brown, Bassma Kodmani, Aron Lund, Sheikh Muhammad al-Yacoubi
http://carnegieendowment.org/2012/11/09/role-of-political-islam/ei45
November 24th, 2012, 5:44 pm
ALI said:
“(My God do I sound pretentious. How do you guys even put up with me, hehehe)”
God knows how you Jihadi mind 🙂
Amjad, since our discussion on this blog is useless and it won’t influence a finger on ground, could we try to come with a solution a virtual solution?
Like if you and I sit in a room to reach an exit, would you be keen to listen to what I want and viceversa?
November 24th, 2012, 5:55 pm
ALI said:
“The position of the Alawites is much like the Germans in 1944. A group of officers got together to plot to kill Hitler, motivated mainly out of the desire to show the world that not all Germans”
German people weren’t a minority at that time, beside don’t ever think that Alawis currently have the flexibility to move around. My mother has the citizenship of the country I’m living in now but she’s stuck there in Syria with my father, as none of them is allowed to leave the country. My brother in law has to use a “Mission Passport, جواز مهمة” issues by the foreign affair ministry (by wasta) to be able to depart from Beirut.
I told you it’s not easy on Alawis these days.
November 24th, 2012, 6:00 pm
Syrialover said:
VISITOR #198,
This is a discussion forum and I thought people came here for that purpose. That you are putting yourself out there for comment. Would you rather be completely ignored?
I will be thanking those holy soldiers for their help but only after I have thanked all those ordinary Syrians who stood up to Assad and put their lives on the line, fighting for their freedom and dignity, rather than the right to create a “pure” Islamist state.
You seem ferociously rejectionist about anyone attempting to weave together an interim transitional body for when Assad goes.
What Plan B and team do you have in mind? You’re indicating that being locked up in an Assad jail for openly criticizing the regime isn’t credentials enough for you. And being widely known and liked and respected inside Syria and holding a prominent role in the Muslim establishment still ranks you as a “virtual unknown”.
You know why I am delighted with the leadership of the interim translitional coalition and feel hope for the first time?
Because they aren’t Manaf Tlass or 30-year absentees. And when going back over the origins of the “Mjabali war” on this forum I was shocked to be reminded of how much credibility Tlass was given a few months back by posters here.
November 24th, 2012, 6:08 pm
Citizen said:
BREAK THE SILENCE!
TURKEY’S DIRTY PLANS TO CRUSH THE KURDS are already in action !
Jihadists, Salafists,the Muslim Brotherhood, Bandits and thugs, criminals and vandals,Fleeing from prison, weapons and drugs smugglers all those mobilized to crush the Kurds
November 24th, 2012, 6:09 pm
Visitor said:
AoA,
When was the last time a dialectician equiped with fine prose won a revolution or a war?
And our blog contributors want to do just that from behind keyboards! And with who? With none but the likes of Mjahali, Albong, JDS, Zoo, and this latest edition of lov-u-dearly-go-crazy-without-u pretender Ali-Come-lately.
Good luck folks.
But know you all full well. The meek do not inherit the earth. Whoever said that was a fool And whoever believed him/her is the biggest idiot the sun ever shone upon, and this world is not made out of ivory towers.
You want to exercise your dialectic skills, then perhaps you are in the wrong forum. As you all well know Syria is in a state of revolutionary war. There is no time for the dialectician in this case. Amjad realizes this limitation despite his superb logic and writing skills. He has no pretensions as to what he can accomplish with what he has. Perhaps you should search the net for a blog specialized in exploring the Socratic symposium or the Hegelian Dialectic. You may feel better satisfied and at home.
Here we are dealing with bigots, unabashed sanctioners of massacres and genocides and venomous ideologues.
A dose of reality would definitely be of utmost benefit, and far more so than any finely composed prose.
November 24th, 2012, 6:20 pm
Citizen said:
Syria joins forces in rebel standoff
Updated: 04:45, Saturday November 24, 2012
http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=819699
An agreement with two Kurdish groups and Islamist rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad means conflict could expand in the northeast.
Hundreds of fighters loyal to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) – which has close ties to Turkey’s rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – have been locked in fierce battles with fighters of the jihadist Al-Nusra Front and allied Ghuraba al-Sham group in Ras al-Ain on the border with Turkey.
The agreement sets the stage for an expanded conflict in the area between Islamist rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Kurdish forces.
‘We initially agreed on forming these (joint) forces that do not belong to any side, and discussions are ongoing now’ in Arbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, Mohammed Rasho, a representative of the People’s Council of Western Kurdistan, which is close to the PYD, told AFP.
Talks on the formation of the joint forces between the People’s Council of Western Kurdistan and the Kurdish National Council, which comprises a number of Syrian Kurdish parties, began three days ago, Rasho said, adding that they took place under the supervision of the presidency of Iraqi Kurdistan.
An activist who identified himself as Havidar, meanwhile, said: ‘The two Kurdish national councils in western Kurdistan (Syria) have agreed in Iraq to create a united military force, bringing together PYD forces and other Kurdish dissidents’ in Syria.
‘Since the Free Syrian Army forces came to Kurdish areas, especially Ras al-Ain,’ there was in the beginning ‘an understanding that they would limit their deployment to Arab areas,’ said Rasho.
But after some time, rebel forces burned Kurdish flags that had been raised, and ‘clashes between us and them occurred in Kurdish areas,’ he said.
Rasho said rebel groups – including the Tawhid Brigade, the main opposition formation in Aleppo, Ghuraba al-Sham and ‘sometimes’ the Al-Nusra Front – ‘stand against Kurdish citizens’.
On July 11, the Kurdish National Council met in Iraq with the People’s Council of Western Kurdistan and decided to form the Supreme Kurdish Council.
Friday’s agreement was announced a day after the Ghuraba al-Sham called in a video posted on the internet for Islamist volunteers to flock to Ras al-Ain for a drive on the provincial capital, Hasakeh, where the population is majority Kurdish.
‘We of the Ghuraba al-Sham battalion call on the (mainstream rebel) Free Syrian Army and the mujahideen to advance towards Ras al-Ain. Increase our numbers so that we can free the city of Hasakeh,’ an unidentified rebel commander said in the footage, standing among some 50 fighters.
‘And we warn all those who stand in the way of this revolt… especially the PYD and the PKK, and any other armed group, against taking any action that contradicts the path of the revolution,’ he added.
Syria’s Arab-led rebels accuse the PYD of being in cahoots with Assad’s regime.
Northern and northeastern Syria are home to the majority of the country’s two million Kurds.
In July, the army withdrew from majority Kurdish areas, leaving the ethnic group’s militia to fend for the minority’s safety.
Although Syria’s Kurds are opposed to the Assad regime, most have sought to remain neutral in the armed rebellion seeking to topple him.
Over time, they have been dragged into the fighting, after rebel assaults on majority Kurdish areas in key northern provinces.
November 24th, 2012, 6:21 pm
Ghufran said:
It means something when Morsi is criticized by Abdulrahman Rahed in Al-Sharq alawsat:
لم يكمل الرئيس بعدُ خمسة أشهر في الحكم، وبلا مبرر أو استفزاز، وأد الثورة المصرية، وسدد أكبر لكمة للربيع العربي. وأثبت ما كان يردده المتشككون في قدرة الجماعات الإسلامية على العمل الديمقراطي، فارتكب هو وحزبه الإخواني ما فعلته حماس عندما انقلبت على السلطة في غزة، وفعله الترابي بجبهته الإسلامية في السودان التي انقلبت على الديمقراطية الوحيدة حينها في العالم العربي، وقبلهم سبق لآية الله الخميني أن فعله في إيران عندما طرد شركاء الثورة واحتكر الحكم وكتب النظام بحيث يحتكره هو وفريقه حتى هذا اليوم. كلهم وصلوا باسم محاربة النظام الديكتاتوري وإرساء نظام تداول السلطة مدنيا وديمقراطيا، لكنهم استولوا على الحكم.
You can not make chicken soup from chicken poop, Islamists are not democratic by nature, you can not put these two words,Islamist and democracy, in the same sentence and expect people to believe you, even Erdogan starts to stumble when he forgot to leave religion at home.
November 24th, 2012, 6:26 pm
Syrialover said:
AMJAD,
You said: “And no one could have predicted that the political opposition could have turned out to be so ineffectual as it has turned out to be. THAT is the greatest tragedy that the Syrian people have had to suffer for…. the SNC was incompetent to the point where it was obvious that they place personal vendettas and egos above the welfare of anything else. In that regard, they were just as bad as the regime. Syria’s political elite on both sides have really shown themselves to be utterly contemptible.”
Agreed 200%, and I probably punched as many walls and and roared in frustration as anyone at the opposition’s problems.
But there have been plenty of excellent comments on this forum on the wishful thinking and impossibility of a political class springing out from behind the door ready to roll after four decades of repressive dictatorship.
I asked a Syrian friend in Egypt earlier this year who knew something about what was going on inside the SNC what the problem was. He said: Kurds, communists and the MB. They all feel they are owed, they are all too stubborn, and so many people refuse to trust anyone.
In other words, he described the regime’s immediate legacy, still fresh.
November 24th, 2012, 6:33 pm
Citizen said:
Al Qaeda FSA Terrorists Threaten Families of Soldiers in the Syrian Army
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwpkrKqXE8A
There’s no low these mercenary terrorists would reach to serve their masters in Tel Aviv & Washington, nothing will survive their evil not even parents of soldiers serving their compulsory service in the Syrian Arab Army to protect their country.
What if the Syrian Arab Army deals with these mercenaries with the same way?
November 24th, 2012, 6:42 pm
Visitor said:
Syrialover 218,
I just noticed your latest comment after I posted mine.
Your first paragraph is meaningless and is not worthy of a reply.
The remaining comment is contradictory from the outset, especially when you consider your latest comments dedicated to elevating Mu’az to the level you did. I do not have anything against him or anyone else in the newly formed coalition. I am criticizing YOU because of the way you are presenting him and the rest of the coalition the way you dd.
Legitimacy can only be gained in one of two ways. Either you fight for it and establish your order in the field, or you allow for the people to express themselves in an election. It cannot and should not be gained through personality glorification no matter how that person is genuine. I made a comment not long ago and it was addressed to you. It was about Churchill whose accomplishment to Britain are unparalleled in the history of England. The Brits decided to boot him out of office right after he won their war of existence.
You do not need to thank anyone once you make it clear that you want after the regime falls the coalition to dissolve itself in order to be replaced by an internationally supervised election that will elect a body that will lead the transition period. That way you have fulfilled your duty to all the Syrians who fell as well as those who joined the fight.
I also want this coalition to make that point clear and declare itself not representative of the Syrian people because it does not have the popular mandate, and also that it will abide by the outcome of the election. I believe this is the solution that will answer the concerns of everyone. The coalition would avoid the fate of its predecessor if it takes the step as I mentioned above. You know the Arabic saying:
بارك الله بمن عرف حده ووقف عنده
The coalition must know its limits and work within those limits for its own sake first as well as for Syria. It should not stretch itself and go east and west to find a niche for itself. The niche belongs to the people at large. It (the people) can give it to whoever it chooses.
November 24th, 2012, 6:43 pm
Sheila said:
Dear Ali,
Yes. You are absolutely right. The Alawis have it pretty bad today in Syria and are virtually stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Going back to our discussion of the situation in Syria before the revolution. I do live in the US, but I go to Syria every year to visit. Every time I went there, I noticed the deterioration. The country was falling apart way before the revolution started. This this not in way of comparing Syria to the US, rather comparing Syria to Syria of last year. I have watched laborers in Aleppo working in terrible conditions for very long hours and then break for lunch to eat bread with radishes. I do not think these people’s joy is connected to their “seraan”. As for the educational system, I still think it is terrible. I am not a product of the public school system. I went to a private school, but I did go to the university of Aleppo and had the honor of teaching there for quite a few year. So where do I start.
I think you are looking but not seeing.
As for corruption, I never said that Alawis are to blame. I said that the regime is to blame, but to blame the everyday person for paying to get his business taken care of, is to blame the victim.
November 24th, 2012, 6:44 pm
Johannes de Silentio said:
212. AMJADDIE OF A-RABBBBEEEE
“JDS, by all means let us know your plan”
Hey, dude, I was just waiting here for YOUR plan. You’re the one with the big mouth and the never-ending patter. I’m just trying to keep up with you, okay? I’m just sitting here wondering if your bosses back in the GCC or wherever are gonna give you some talking points on the subject. In the meantime, continue with your fine, fine effort to have an opinion on EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN…
November 24th, 2012, 6:49 pm
Citizen said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9nlsdcJkNc
.كريم بقردوني
November 24th, 2012, 6:55 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
The vital role of the “ulama” in post-Assad Syria
The influence of these religious scholars transcends borders and their opinions carry weight that cannot be underestimated.
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/vital-role-ulama-post-assad-syria
November 24th, 2012, 7:00 pm
Citizen said:
Deployment of Patriots in Turkey means no-fly zone for Syria
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_24/Deployment-of-Patriots-in-Turkey-means-no-fly-zone-for-Syria/
The planned deployment by NATO countries of Patriot air defence systems on Turkey’s Syria border will actually amount to the imposition of a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft in circumvention of the UN Security Council.
The opinion has been voiced by the leading research fellow of the Russian Institute for Oriental Studies, Vladimir Kudelev.
He feels that Patriot systems may drastically influence the fighting between the government troops and the opposition in the north of Syria, since the militants will thus get a 200 kilometre – to 250 kilometre-wide “umbrella” all along the Syrian-Turkish border.
—————
Russian expert warns of possibility of large-scale war in Middle East
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_24/Russian-expert-warns-of-possibility-of-large-scale-war-in-Middle-East/
In an interview with the Voice of Russia, Russian analyst Konstantin Sivkov said: “Deploying these missiles in Turkey will be dangerous for Syrian military planes – this is obvious. A lesser obvious thing is that Turkey is getting ready for a war against Syria. If an attack on Syria from the territory of Turkey does take place, this will most likely be an attack not of the Turkish army, but of NATO’s forces.”
“The Middle East is getting ready for a large-sale battle which will very likely affect the Russian part of the Caucasus, and this, in its turn, will be reflected on the entire Russia,” Mr. Sivkov added.
November 24th, 2012, 7:01 pm
Visitor said:
Sheikh Sleiman Airbase, last outpost of thuggocracy in the countryside of the north, is about to be liberated by the heroes of the Syrian Revolution.
November 24th, 2012, 7:13 pm
Citizen said:
Wow! How conveniently timed, and what a perfect location from which to stage a ground invasion of Syria!!
“Turkey’s location from a geographic standpoint — adjacent to the Middle East, nearly adjacent to Russia — it’s an important location,” Hodges said. “It sends a signal not only to Turkey and the rest of the alliance. It sends a signal to the other neighbors.”
NATO Allied Land Command activating next week in Turkey
http://www.stripes.com/news/nato-allied-land-command-activating-next-week-in-turkey-1.198170#.UK-o1DI0ss0.email
A new NATO land command headquarters, restructured to streamline costs and decision making, will be activated next week in Turkey as the new home for planning how infantrymen from the 28-nation alliance fight together.
As the war in Afghanistan winds down, one of the prime focuses of NATO Allied Land Command will be harnessing that war fighting experience to ensure that the alliance doesn’t lose the lessons learned, said the American Army officer commanding the new headquarters in Izmir, Turkey.
Coming off more than a decade at war, the level of “interoperability” among NATO members is at an all-time high, Lt. Gen. Frederick “Ben” Hodges, said.
“My job will be to maintain that level of interoperability,” Hodges said. “You’ve got to retain this experience, and a lot of that resides in the noncommissioned officer corps.”
November 24th, 2012, 7:16 pm
Tara said:
Zoo,
For your love of photography:
http://www.payvand.com/news/12/nov/1213.html
November 24th, 2012, 7:35 pm
Citizen said:
NATO-backed terrorists along Turkish-Syrian border establish Al Qaeda-style “Virtue & Vice Police,” heralding the West’s true designs for Syria.
November 24th, 2012, 8:15 pm
Syrialover said:
#225 VISITOR
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
We are on the same page about elections and nobody declaring themselves representative and entitled to run the place because they say so.
But surely you aren’t denying the desperate need for a trusted and competent interim body to be there to do the work of re-starting and stabilizing Syria and getting it organized for elections.
They have to be able to work like crazy, win the respect and trust of technical experts, internal representative bodies and the outside world, and speak plausibly and engagingly to the population.
And if they are all that and do the heavy lifting and do it well I will be praying for them to win an election. Because fair and free elections there must be.
This is because as I have said on this forum I am fearful of the heavy dangers that emerge in “post liberation” elections.
The clearest examples have happened in Africa. People finally won the battle to have inept and corrupt corrupt military governments hand over to civilian rule, opposition parties sprang up and went for it, and people queued for days in advance to vote. Only to have the generals and their cronies score total win at the ballot box!!!
I fear Egypt is unfolding as another case.
It’s a political development problem. There’s the need for the political classes to get quick understanding, savvy and experience of how to marshal and unite themselves to become an election-winning political force. The Egyptian opposition groups with their strong reaction to Morsi’s latest clumsy mistake are going through that process big time at the moment.
And to me Moaz al-Khatib, George Sabra and some of the others in that team looks like very respect-worthy figures when placed alongside the MB. Or just as bad, alongside Manaf Tlass and others of that class who will be slyly lurking in the wings figuring out how to use their funds and connections to ace the first post-Assad elections.
And if you want to know what happens when the genuine heroes from the revolutionary battlefield stay on and take over the government, please find someone from Eritrea and get them to tell you. Not a happy story.
November 24th, 2012, 8:43 pm
ann said:
Clashes continue as minister says Syria “stronger than all schemes” – 2012-11-25
State-run SANA news agency said some armed radical rebels affiliated to the so-called Jabhat al-Nusra front, an al-Qaida- linked group, put up posters on the walls of residential buildings in al-Mashhad area in the northern province of Aleppo, demanding to occupy the residents’ houses and asking them to leave
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/25/c_123998099.htm
DAMASCUS, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — Clashes between the Syrian government troops and the rebel fighters still raged on on Saturday, as the country’s interior minister said Syria is ” stronger than all schemes hatched by terrorists and conspirators.”
State-run SANA news agency said some armed radical rebels affiliated to the so-called Jabhat al-Nusra front, an al-Qaida- linked group, put up posters on the walls of residential buildings in al-Mashhad area in the northern province of Aleppo, demanding to occupy the residents’ houses and asking them to leave.
“The terrorists aim at looting and burglarizing the houses,” SANA said, calling on the residents to stay in their houses and do not heed to the terrorists.
In the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, SANA said army troops clashed with terrorists at al-Jubeilah district and killed many of them.
Moreover, SANA said the army forces clashed Saturday with armed groups in the Damascus’ suburb of Daraya and delivered heavy blows to them.
Clashes have also continued in a number of hotspots in the southern and eastern suburbs of Damascus, such as in Zamalka, Bait Sahem and the resort town of Zabadani.
Meanwhile on Saturday, Syria’s Interior Minister Let. Gen. Mohammad al-Shaar said that his country is “stronger than all schemes hatched by terrorists and conspirators” during a speech on the occasion of the graduation of military academy students in Damascus.
“What is important for the United States is protecting Israel’s security and monopolizing the Arab petroleum, Washington will do anything to secure these issues, whether through direct occupation or through plotting schemes to create and escalate conflicts in the Arab region,” al-Shaar said.
[…]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/25/c_123998099.htm
November 24th, 2012, 8:48 pm
Citizen said:
A Saudi terrorists in the countryside of Lattakia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWhmNCu03QM
A Caucasus terrorists in Idlib
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcozwwU40Dw
Al-Qaeda in Latakia, led by a Moroccan terrorist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6XZ51j17Nk
SYRIA Rebels swear allegiance to Emir of Jubhat al-Nusra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5-h5_IkuSU
FSA Terrorist Jihadi Battalion Equipped with American M16 Rifles in Syria
November 24th, 2012, 9:05 pm
ann said:
Assad says to make national dialogue successful while fighting terrorism – 2012-11-23
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/23/c_123995628.htm
DAMASCUS, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed Friday that his administration will keep working to make a national dialogue successful in tandem with fighting terrorism ” that aims to destabilize the security and stability in Syria and the entire region.”
“At the times when some regional countries feared to send one bullet to the Palestinians, the Syrian government and the people of Syria placed all potentials at the disposal of the Palestinian people,” Larijani said, adding that the reforms in Syria should be concluded by political dialogue and not by sending weapons to the armed groups on ground.
[…]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/23/c_123995628.htm
November 24th, 2012, 9:10 pm
ann said:
FSA Terrorists Threaten Parents of Syrian Army Troops with Death – Nov-24-2012
NATO’s “Free Syrian Army” (FSA) terrorists have released a statement that reflects their morals and ethics. Now, these Islamist terrorists have decided to execute all parents of active Syrian Army troops, which – if successfully implemented – would be at the same scale as the Armenian genocide in number of civilian deaths.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0e9_1353799099
November 24th, 2012, 9:18 pm
Syrialover said:
SHEILA #205
Thank you for so strongly supporting my comments on the “Mjabali war”.
I was also standing up for Syria Comment, which is seeing its strong standards and reputation of many years badly eroded in recent months.
There is something shocking in seeing people on a widely read Syrian public discussion group indulging in sectarian slanging matches, goading each other, and trading obscenities and abuse.
Bad in itself, but appalling to think that that’s where their heads are at, given all else that matters at this moment.
I just hope it stops.
November 24th, 2012, 9:19 pm
Visitor said:
Syrialover @235,
The only thing I have to say to you in reply is that there are so many unknowns at the moment. This revolution may still evolve in ways no one can predict. One thing you can be certain of is this: this revolution, in particular, is unlike any other and is not for those weak at heart or have fears of the future. The train left the station 20 months ago and there is no going back.
I do not even have anything against Manaf if the people choose him as a representative. He can be forgiven for his sins. After all he defected even if we doubt his sincerity. He will, however, have to give back every thing he and his dad stole before he can be allowed to run for election. His dad may have to stand trial for the ‘7hama 1980s’ and Manaf should make it clear he does not object to it or that he will not use his representation status if he gets elected to influence the trial. I am sure once he knows the price he will decline and disappear to some island with the rest his family and call it a day.
The coalition must make things clear and unambiguous. It would do itself the greatest service if it declares itself not representative of the people of Syria and by doing so it will come out clean with everybody. In addition it will be relieved of all external and internal pressures immediately. It only has to maintain its commitment and adherence to its platform and seek the downfall of the regime. Once that is achieved, elections will proceed under international observers to replace it with the elected body that would lead the transition. All squabbling and needless argumentation will disappear allowing those who want to serve to concentrate on their most immediate tasks, negating the need to resort to personality glorification and the members will be judged based on their services and deeds.
Finally, you do not need to give me examples from Africa, Asia or anywhere else in the world. I have been on every continent on this planet due to the nature of my work. I change my passport almost three times before it expires because it gets swamped with visas and stamps. So, I am quite aware of most developments.
November 24th, 2012, 9:37 pm
ann said:
BREAKING NEWS!
ajdab of arabia was spotted in this celebratory video:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=782_1348553989
November 24th, 2012, 9:41 pm
MarigoldRan said:
@Ghurfan
Secularism and democracy are two words that generally do not go together in the Arabic Middle East, either. All secular governments in the Arab world were dictatorships.
****************************
After the regime falls, the Sunnis who worked for the regime can claim, “the Alawis made me do it.” As long as they did nothing heinous, the FSA will let them go.
The Alawites don’t have that option. An Alawite prisoner captured by the FSA has a much shorter life span than a Sunni prisoner. Yes, both Sunnis and non-Sunnis played a role in the continuation of the regime. But that’s the past. In the future, sects will determine life or death for many people.
Unless there is a genocide of the Alawis (which is a possibility), Syria will be divided among sectarian lines in the future. There is no question of that. The Alawis and the Sunnis have proven they cannot live together. The actual question is:
Will Syria be divided like Lebanon, or Afghanistan? Or will it become like Rwanda?
November 24th, 2012, 9:42 pm
Tara said:
Darryl,
Borrowing from Syrian Expat
“Here is a testimony from Dr. Gustave Le Bon, the well-known French “social psychologist, sociologist, and amateur physicist.” He was not a Muslim, but look at what he says about the Muslims, as translated by Google: “People had never known so tolerant conquerors, nor
religion so sweet.” That is how you win the hearts of people. The full quote in French and the corresponding Google translation is below.”
May I suggest you replace your Islamophobe library of books by whatever written by Dr. Gustave Le Bon?
November 24th, 2012, 9:43 pm
Ghufran said:
This “plan” has no chance as long as one or both fighting parties continue to believe that they can win militarily:
قالت صحيفة “لوفيغارو” في عددها الصادر يوم السبت 24 نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني بأن الأخضر الإبراهيمي سيقدم الخميس المقبل 29 نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني الجاري الى مجلس الأمن خطة لإنهاء الأزمة في سورية تنص على تشكيل “حكومة وطنية انتقالية” من شأنها أن تتمتع بـ”السلطة التنفيذية الكاملة” لقيادة سورية حتى الاستحقاق الانتخابي البرلماني والرئاسي عام 2014 (نهاية ولاية الاسد الدستورية) والتي ستتم تحت إشراف الأمم المتحدة.
ونقلت “لوفيغارو” عن أحد المقربين من الإبراهيمي قوله ان “هذه الانتخابات، والتي ستشمل أيضا الانتخابات المحلية ستتم بالتزامن في وقت واحد”.
وكتبت نقلا عن مصادر مطلعة ان الحكومة الانتقالية ستضم أعضاء من المعارضة وبعض المسؤولين في النظام السوري الحالي، منوهة بأن الخطة تنص على أن “الأسد سيستكمل ولايته، ولكن دوره سيكون تمثيليا فقط”.
وأوضحت المصادر “انه فيما يتعلق بمستقبل بشار الأسد السياسي وخاصة ما إذا كان يستطيع ترشيح نفسه من عدمه في الانتخابات الرئاسية في 2014، فإن موقف الإبراهيمي غامض بشكل متعمد لعدم ضرب أي معسكر” ان كان مواليا او معارضا.
I am not sure about Assad, or any non Sunni, running , most syrians today are too sensitive to the possibility of a minority politician being called president,the country will need another generation beore the sect of the president becomes a non issue,but I have no problem with giving Assad a timely exit while critical issues are being worked out as long as he is not given the power of blocking any resolution supported by seculars and anti islamists who see a need for a change but are not ready for an ikhwanji government, as for putting Assad on trial,I will support whatever decision an elected body comes out with,keep in mind that the list of Syrians who may have broken the law and committed crimes is very long, that list will be one sided if one party dominates militarily, this may allow criminals who support the victorious side to get away with their crimes, Islamists are likely to focus on non sunnis if they have the upper hand because justice in their dictionary have a lot of ifs and buts , I can only trust a UN based system that has cheks and balances, I stated my support for a UN force a long time ago, the objection to such force cost Syria thousands of lives and billions of dollars, ironically,that objection is most likely to come now from islamists who think that their militias can dominate Syria.
( I like the term ولايته الدستوريه which suggests that Bashar’s ascension to power was constitutional)
243-despite the lack of beef in the skinny post, I think the part about future plans for alawis and Syria is worth looking it since most posters deny what the post says
November 24th, 2012, 9:47 pm
MarigoldRan said:
No one in the opposition or the West will negotiate with the regime as long as Assad is in power. He leaves first, either to hell or to another country. This is not a statement of principle. It is a statement of fact.
********************************
EDIT: The best hope for the Alawis in Syria is for the country to be like Lebanon. But the longer Assad stays in power, the opposition will not negotiate, and the weaker the regime becomes. The weaker the regime becomes, the weaker the Alawites become.
In other words, the longer the war goes on, and the longer that Assad stays in power, the worse it will be for Alawites in the future.
November 24th, 2012, 9:54 pm
Tara said:
In regard to post# 241
Cc:Shiela
Simply put it, the coalition does not have to represent all of the Syrian people. The coalition must only represent those who revolted. It is a representation of the revolution and not an elected body that represents all Syrians. Only certain people are capable of making a revolution as opposed to the general masses. A well to do Sunni businessman for instance may not care much about social justice or democracy if left to his own devices. Those who were incapable or uninterested in making a revolution should sit it out. The revolution however must adhere to its principal of freedom and dignity to all.
That is why, Dear Sheila, I was happy that the Kurds were not invited to the coalition, as mostly they (and some others) have ruined every single attempt to unite the opposition. Yet, they should get their equal rights in the New Syria. In my opinion, we must start differentiating between the coalition, a transitional government, and an elected democratic government of Syria.
November 24th, 2012, 10:04 pm
Sami said:
Freedom to Omar Aziz and every Syrian unjustly held in the dungeons of Al-Assad.
Omar Aziz is a non-violent activist that risked his neck to help those that needed it most. He was arrested by the Moukhabarat Al-Jawiyeh on November 20th from his house in Mazzeh Villat.
This man is an intellectual that never carried a gun and never advocated any form of violence, yet this sadistic regime decided to arrest him.
http://www.facebook.com/OmaaarAzziz?ref=nf
November 24th, 2012, 10:29 pm
Ghufran said:
Moaz is not as moderate as his supporters say, he may be a consensus choice for the Islamists or the SNC and few others but he is not recognized by other opposition sections and he certainly does not represent Syrians as a whole, SNC.2 will fail if people behind it try to inflate its size and its role, this new body should have a seat in future political negotiations,if we ever get to this point, but speaking on behalf of Syrians or ruling Syria is a different matter.
As for the army and the alawites, they are likely to fight to the death if the only other option is being enslaved, imprisoned or killed, if there was a sincere desire to avoid a blood bath in Syria,serious work on how to prevent such a nightmarish scenario would have surfaced by now, the lack of a workable plan for the army and alawite population suggests to many that a blood bath is exactly what the rebels and their backers want, I personally think that unless the rebels make serious advances in Damascus and control Aleppo,they will be forced to negotiate, this explains why rebels and regime forces will make another attempt to impress Uncle Sam, my own prediction is that rebels will keep advancing in the north and the east but will not be able to topple the regime, they are also unlikely to regain control of Homs or make any major advances in the coastal areas. Kurds will from now on be another threat facing rebels in the north, early indications are pointing towards further escalation between rebels and Kurds while the regime is watching, look at Ras Alayn as an example.
November 24th, 2012, 11:17 pm
Norman said:
Syria will be many pieces before the Islamic militants reach power, it is a live or die,
November 24th, 2012, 11:20 pm
ann said:
Freedom Fighters in Syria – but not for women – Nov-23-2012
A statement, published by the military and transitional councils in Aleppo, says that all women are prevented from driving cars, affirming that who violates the prevention will be suspended and the Commission of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice will administer the punishment.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ac2_1353762691
November 24th, 2012, 11:30 pm
ann said:
Turkey, Syria and the Kurds – A third party joins the fray – Nov 23rd 2012
http://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2012/11/turkey-syria-and-kurds
THE bloodshed in Syria has taken a nasty turn, as Syrian rebels fighting against Bashar Assad’s regime clash with their Kurdish compatriots. Worries of an ethnic war between Syria’s Arabs and its 2m-odd Kurds have increased. Kurds on both sides of the border are pointing the finger of blame at the government of Turkey.
The trouble began on November 8th when Syrian rebels attacked a small group of Syrian soldiers loyal to Mr Assad in Ras al-Ayn, a town close to the border with Turkey. Despite being bombed by the Syrian air force, the rebels took the town, which lies just across the border from the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar.
Syria’s best armed and most powerful Kurdish group, the Syrian Democratic Union Party (known by its Kurdish initials, PYD), which controls the Kurdish districts of Ras al-Ayn, says it feared retaliation from the Assad forces if it was seen to connive at their expulsion, so it asked the Syrian rebels, who are said to have been Salafists, to leave. When they refused, the ensuing battle left at least five Kurds and 18 rebels dead. Thousands of angry Kurds are said to be heading for Ras al-Ayn to offer support to their kinsfolk.
Turkey has been allowing free passage and a flow of weapons to the FSA, which has commanders based along the Turkish border. But the main aim of Turkey’s government may be shifting from regime change in Damascus to preventing the emergence of an autonomous Kurdistan in Syria. Many Syrian rebels evidently share that view.
[…]
http://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2012/11/turkey-syria-and-kurds
November 24th, 2012, 11:50 pm
ann said:
In Syria, unity proves elusive to opposition forces: David Ignatius – November 24, 2012
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/11/in_syria_unity_proves_elusive.html
Talking with some of the Free Syrian Army activists who arranged my trip into Syria, I’ve heard examples of the chaos caused by bypassing the military council structure. Maj. Mohammed Ali and Maj. Maher Noaimi, two rebel commanders from Hama, are said to be receiving money directly from Gulf nations. “Ali and Noaimi are still serving as middlemen for all sorts of folks, and they’re working outside the MCs,” complained one report last month to the State Department about the confused funding.
Another example is Sheik Adnan Mohammed al-Aroor, an extremist cleric from Hama who receives money from Saudi Arabia and appears often on Arab television. He is said to have undercut the military councils’ coordination in northern Syria. The U.S. has urged the Saudis to cut support of Aroor, but activists say his followers remain potent on the ground.
A third example of confusion cited by rebel sources is the Farouk battalion, originally from Homs, which controls major northern border crossings into Syria. This group is said to have especially strong support from Turkey that allows it to operate outside the military council structure.
Most dangerous of all is the continuing growth of the extremist Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda-linked group that receives funding from wealthy individuals in the Gulf. One example of the destructive, sectarian role played by the Jabhat al-Nusra is that its fighters are said to have attacked Kurdish rebels recently in Ras al-Ain, in northeastern Syria. The extremist group’s influence is also growing because its fighters, eager for martyrdom, are the toughest.
Syrian activists warn that chaos will continue until the various governments that support the opposition pool their money and disseminate it through the provincial councils. “Stop asking us to unify until you unify yourselves,” a Syrian activist warned a U.S. official recently.
[…]
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/11/in_syria_unity_proves_elusive.html
November 25th, 2012, 12:09 am
Syrialover said:
# 41. VISITOR
That’s good you get around so much. Next time you are in West Africa, ask them to explain how easily their corrupt thug Generals managed to slip through the ballot box and come out the other side transformed as Presidents.
I think you set some great tests for Manaf Tlass before him being accepted as a candidate for office in a legitimate Syrian government.
But the bar is still too low. A few basic work tests should also be given to candidates like him, as it’s very probable he has never actually experienced a real life work situation. For example:
– a hidden video test where “General” Tlass is given a full in-tray of material (policy and regulatory documents) to read, consider and sign. Then watch him cheat and sign them off without glancing at them while juggling his cigar and mobile phone chatting to his mistress
– give him his parliamentary salary check with tax taken out and ask him to make a statutory declaration that he could live on that and NO other funds from the public purse (including via graft or taking gifts of cigar, whiskey and hair products)
– schedule him to sit through a 12-hour session on budgetary policy or legislation. See how late he arrives then set the clock to see how long before he jumps up waving his mobile phone announcing he has to urgently “be somewhere else”
– And finally, if Manaf Tlass somehow manages to nearly kill himself struggling through those, give him a serious policy debate challenge and ask him to present to a full elected parliament and free media, and respond to questions.
I think even under those simple tests Syrians would be saved from him.
November 25th, 2012, 12:16 am
Ghufran said:
The truth is inconvenient but hard to deny:
This is what an american friend said: it looks like most terrorists today are Muslims and most Muslim terrorists are Sunni. The guy is a liberal democrat who does not go to church,he took part in pro Palestinian demonstrations in Washington DC.
أعلنت حركة طالبان الباكستانية السبت مسؤوليتها عن الهجوم الذي أوقع 6 قتلى، كلهم أطفال، لدى مرور موكب للأقلية الشيعية في شمال غربي باكستان.
ووقع الاعتداء في وقت مبكر من صباح السبت في ديرة اسماعيل خان في اقليم ناء في مقاطعة خيبر باختونكوا قرب وزيرستان الجنوبية، وهي منطقة قبلية على حدود افغانستان وتعتبر معقلا لطالبان ومجموعات مرتبطة بتنظيم القاعدة.
وقال احسان الله احسان المتحدث باسم حركة طالبان الباكستانية “نفذنا الهجوم على الطائفة الشيعية”. وأضاف “لدينا 20 الى 25 انتحاريا في البلد مستعدين لتفجير قنابل وتنفيذ عمليات انتحارية.
Muslims keep talking about external enemies, it is abundantly clear that the enemy is from within, this religion is seen by most people as a violent and intolerant cult, which is a major departure from the impressive history of the glorious days of the Islamic empire.
November 25th, 2012, 12:36 am
Syrialover said:
GHUFRAN #249, you are telling us again how little faith you have in Syrians being able to build a post-Assad future.
There is a major difference between leadership of a clean and closely monitored transitional/interim body and having a big boss leader who can demonstrate 99% support (like Bashar Assad magically did).
NOBODY, ever is going to be accepted by all other opposition sections or represent Syrians as a whole. That’s a feature of normal democratic legitimate government everywhere. But they should be made accountable through the parliamentary system, bureaucratic and legal processes and civil institutions.
Syrians need to aspire to live in a system where up to 49% of the population did not vote for the leader but everyone accepts it because they were given free and open choice, those in power are fully accountable through the system and they know they will get another chance at regular intervals.
November 25th, 2012, 12:41 am
Syrialover said:
#229. SYR.EXPAT
That article you gave us on the vital role of the “ulama” in post-Assad Syria was written several months before Moaz al-Khatib emerged as a player.
Do you think that has made a difference to the issues raised by the article?
November 25th, 2012, 12:53 am
Syrialover said:
TARA #247 said:
“In my opinion, we must start differentiating between the coalition, a transitional government, and an elected democratic government of Syria.”
Yes, yes, and an extra yes.
(Plus other yeses for the rest of that post)
November 25th, 2012, 1:02 am
ALI said:
NROMAN:
“it is a live or die,”
It’s already die.
Are you a real Christian or it’s just an alias?
November 25th, 2012, 2:07 am
Uzair8 said:
BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze. Weekly show debating an issue. Regular panelists question expert guests.
Morality and Ethics in the Gaza Conflict
First broadcast: Wednesday 21 November 2012
Both sides in the current conflict in Gaza have been claiming the moral high ground. To the Israelis it’s an issue of self-defence and they’re trying to avoid casualties. To Hamas it’s about responding to the oppression and aggression of a much more powerful neighbour. The world looks on, counting the bodies and is almost inevitably drawn to the graphic simplicities of competing victimhood. The Palestinians win that hands down, but, terrible though it is, there’s more to morality than suffering. What if, as the Israeli writer Amos Oz says, they’re both right? Should we substitute pragmatism for morality? Stop trying to weigh up competing moral claims in the interests of some sort of solution. Or is giving up the idea of right and wrong, relativism of the worst kind, that could lead to a different kind of moral tragedy?
Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Michael Portillo, Anne McElvoy, Matthew Taylor and Claire Fox.
Read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nxw2g
November 25th, 2012, 3:20 am
Dolly Buster said:
It would be self-defense if we accepted the premise that Israel has the right to exist. We would have to assume that the 1948 creation of Israel was legit.
But I would say that 1948 was the original act of piracy,
and therefore the other parties are entitled to self-defense against Israel.
The proof for my case is that Israel didn’t exist in 1848, 1748 or 1648.
November 25th, 2012, 4:06 am
Mina said:
Ghufran 255
It’s hard not to notice that the more people have dropped religon, the more their countries have dropped wars…
November 25th, 2012, 4:09 am
SYR.EXPAT said:
257. SYRIALOVER said:
#229. SYR.EXPAT
That article you gave us on the vital role of the “ulama” in post-Assad Syria was written several months before Moaz al-Khatib emerged as a player.
Do you think that has made a difference to the issues raised by the article?
—-
I don’t know, but the fact that Shaikh Moaz was well received by the majority of the opposition emphasizes the point that the Ulama have a big role to play and command the respect of the people. In this case, not only is Moaz a scholar and former Imam of the Ummayad Masjid, but he hails from a family of Ulama and is a decendent of Prophet Muhammad, blessing and peace be upon him. That gives him a lot more weight.
The fact that the head of the coalition is a moderate scholar, by our standards and not by the West’s standards, it makes it a lot easier for him to reason with the Salafi elements in the revolution and try preventing the extreme elements from taking over. What helps in this regard is that the majority of the Sunni Muslims in Syria are moderates.
November 25th, 2012, 4:55 am
Juergen said:
Syria is searching the Super Shabih of 2012
this is one of the participants:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151177678606247&set=a.10150555196441247.389740.17702461246&type=1&theater
November 25th, 2012, 5:07 am
Citizen said:
Inside Syria – Patriot missiles: a new provocation ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8zU_vjeg2I
Syria condemns Turkey’s request for NATO to deploy missiles system to shore off war embroiling the wider region. Inside Syria with guests: Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute; Fadi Hakura, a specialist on Turkey from Chatham House and Sergei Strokan, a political analyst and columnist. Sergei is also host of the current affairs show, “Red Line”.
November 25th, 2012, 6:07 am
jarthouma said:
Let us talk about the reality of the Alawite population in Syria. The Assadist psychopaths would love it if the Alawites as a whole faced an existentialist threat. I mean it would give Assad another year or two. In reality what would really happen would be a mass Alawite refugee crisis as they try to leave, say, Damascus. A number would stay and fight.
In other words stupid bombs in residential Alawite areas with no military significance would be counterproductive. Try telling that to Assadist thugs.
What is amazing, is that Assadiat Shabi7a in Homs, for example continue running protection rackets in their own home districts ! Ahh, only an Assadist mug can burn all his cards.
In reality the Alawites are split into the following groups
A- A significant sector that are part of the military and Shabi7ha sector with families that support the duck. Although alot are disillusioned in this group, and feel they have no way out
B- Vocal supporters who are just that. They talk the talk but in reality feel that the Shabi7ha are backward thugs that should do the dirty work for them. These are the novo rich and stupid sectarian Alawite expatriates that you would find on this board !
C- Those that do not want to get involved in this mess and do not think that the opposition represent them culturally. In other words they just want to be left alone. These are a significant group among the Alawities. They also think Assads family are really a bunch of mafia thugs.
D- Vocal opposition. These would represent traditional Alawite families that have a more middle class orientation and who think that the sect has been usurped by Assad. They also feel that Assad is leading them to hell. Others are pissed off opportunists like Rifaat Al Assad and his supporters. In other words a rejected Mafiosa.
E- Those who are fighting with the opposition. These are obviously a small minority.
In reality what will happen as the opposition approaches strongholds ? Most will not fight despite what Assad wants. They will leave either to Lebanon or to safe rural areas or will hope to hell that their is no collective punishment. The committed fighters have already been deployed. He does not have many more
At the moment the FSA as a whole is not engaging in collective retribution and I hope they do not. Certainly independent acts have been commited but this is not a pattern.
November 25th, 2012, 6:32 am
Jarthouma said:
Interesting, just as I predicted we are reaching the stage where the Assadist cult can no longer provide significant resources to its embattled thugs. It is significantly over stretched and this has resulted in major bases falling. This gives more heavy weapons to the FSA. Currently the Assadist militia feel like isolated ducks, oh the irony of it all, in their checkpoints and bunkers, praying for the occasional delivery of supplies. Obviously, not knowing when the next attack is and not knowing how to break out gives a deep sense of traumatic stress lol! No amount of shelling and inaccurate bombing with trainer jets will change that. Helicopters will be a thing of the past soon.
What is worrying for the pseudo divine duck ( I do expect volumes and volumes will be written in future Alawi theological tracts denying that he actually died. He left this mortal shell to be reincarnated as a divine duck only to return at the end of times quacking himself to victory. No longer will we have cries of Allahu Akbar but quack quack as they smash the Nasibis 😉 ). Anyway, what is worrying for this duck is the current difficulty in removing FSA rebels from the mainly Sunni districts in Damascus. He does not want Damascus to fall into a stalemate situation like Halab. He better hurry up!
November 25th, 2012, 6:44 am
Syrialover said:
Syrian rebels say capture air base east of Damascus
AMMAN Nov 25 (Reuters) – Syrian rebels said on Sunday they had captured a helicopter base 15 km (10 miles) east of Damascus after an overnight battle, the second military facility on the outskirts of the capital to fall to President Bashar al-Assad’s opponents this month.
An Internet video which activists said was filmed at the Marj al-Sultan base showed rebel fighters carrying AK-47 rifles touring the facility. An anti-aircraft gun could be seen positioned on top of an empty bunker and a rebel commander was shown next to a helicopter.
November 25th, 2012, 7:26 am
mjabali said:
Syrialover:
To tell you the truth: half of me wants to reply to the Munafiqin Crew. The other half is telling me to walk away and let them be happy for a minute in their miserable lives.
It was fun reading how much these kooks hate me.
But here are few departing points before I let some of them bark unattended:
1- Observer: I am sorry for the bad terms I used with you. You forced me because of your repeated nasty labels. I was polite at first till you kept on repeating them. Wish you the best and sorry to waste any more of your time.
2- Majedkhaldoun: You cursed at my mother and sister once, and called me the worst adjectives. I did not reply in such. All I did was calling you Ajdab, so ya munafiq speak the truth. I called you dude and you called me ….(you know)…
3- Tara al-Munafiqah al-Dajjaleh: your last insulting comment directed at me is actually a badge of honor to me. I never threw filth at you. I made fun of you here and there, but never disrespected you. You on the other hand keep on fabricating things and insulting me. Shoes is what is on your mind. So go figure? As for mothers: do you want me to ask you what was your mother’s role when you called for the killing of hostages? Also, speaking of filth did you happen to read the comments of your friend: Munafiq of Arabia? what do you think of the filth their? did you ever say one word? Or you would not dare since Visitor showed you what is up before? I hope you learn from “peasant” women how to stand up for yourself.
4- Visitor: you keep on astonishing me: from you claiming that you never insulted Alawis in one of your comments in this thread, to you going poetic, to you misquoting a famous Arabic saying. Let me correct you, as my habit: In Arabic they say:
رحم الله امرئ عرف قدر نفسه فوقف عنده
5- Munafiq of Arabia: I really enjoy reading your hallucinations, violent fantasies, sexual repression filth and meltdowns. I showed you how fake and shallow you are. The filth, hate and fabrication you spew everyday is noted now. The funniest claim I read in one of your outbursts was I write under different names: Walak qurd mjabali is HONEST and not a proven liar like you. Munafiq of Arabia wrote under many different names: this is a fact as clear as the sun in the desert of the kingdom of darkness, where the legendary parties are rocking the place..
Mr. Syria Lover…Have a nice day…
November 25th, 2012, 7:32 am
Mina said:
FYI
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentMulti/59110/Multimedia.aspx
November 25th, 2012, 8:32 am
Observer said:
Just watched BBC arabic and it was illuminating to see the Pretzel like movements and arguments of the pro regime commentator on the fall of the airbase outside of Damascus.
Mana’a is going to Moscow as he continues to criticizes each and everyone as being either illegitimate or inconsiderate or uncompromising or not representative enough and he has rejected everyone and everybody. Talk about looking into the mirror first and see who is uncompromising. He wants a binding UNSC resolution. Pray tell us binding on whom? On 122 mmm cannons, 240 mm MRL, Cluster bombs, detention centers, mass rape, areal bombing, whole sale slaughter, or on AK 47 and RPG 7 and 23 mm machine guns?
In the meantime the Cham press site is showing that the price of a gram of Gold is climbing daily: translation there is a run on the Syrian pound. It is above 4500 now. Was in the range fo 3750 yesterday.
Bases falling, check points overrun, and videos of massive bombing and the regime according to SANA is winning.
Justice for Hamza and Truth and Reconciliation thereafter
November 25th, 2012, 8:59 am
Tara said:
Is HA afraid of losing its “resistance” mask?
Hezbollah: Ties with Hamas strong despite Syria differences
November 25, 2012 09:52 AM
The Daily Star
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Nov-25/196100-hezbollah-ties-with-hamas-strong-despite-syria-differences.ashx#axzz2DFBhyM37
BEIRUT: Hezbollah MP Kamel Rifai said in remarks Sunday ties between the resistance group and Hamas remain strong despite differences in opinion over the crisis in Syria.
“The relationship between Hamas and Hezbollah is strategic given the stances with regard to the Israeli enemy,” Rifai told pan-Arab Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat.
He also said that there were “solid, military, religious and political ties between the two.”
“The difference in opinions has affected the relationship but the resistance in Lebanon has so much respect for Hamas even if Hamas took such a stance on Syria,” Rifai added.
His remarks are in response to Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official in Lebanon, who said the 21-month old crisis in Syria has caused a stalemate in the relationship between the two resistance groups.
“Ties between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Hamas are currently at a stalemate as a result of the Syrian crisis,” Hamdan told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency Saturday.
November 25th, 2012, 9:15 am
Citizen said:
Turkish Grey Wolves attack Kurdish targets in Amsterdam, France and Germany ( Video )
http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=39361
Multiculturalism: Everywhere in the world you go, gangs of Muslims riot, attack things and burn stuff chanting the same two words.
The demonstrators tried to go to Sloterkade, where the Kurdish centre is located. When the riots started, the demonstrators came to blows with the police and smashed in car windshields and the Kurdish cultural center was damaged. There are several injured, onlookers. The neighborhood is sealed now by police.
November 25th, 2012, 9:17 am
Citizen said:
Turkey ain’t going to allow the Kurds to become strong in any way or form. TO much to lose for them. (If I remember well, they had gigantic problems with the US giving N Iraq to them.)
That humanitarian face the Turks keep advertising with is but a shallow piece of pigskin that can be thrown of any minute, especially by something minute for other countries and governments as a people wanting their own identity and land/country. Hell, they got “Grey Wolves” in the Netherlands to keep their country men and other regime critical people in the Netherlands under control.
November 25th, 2012, 9:24 am
Visitor said:
Augmenting Observer’s observations.
Rayhaniyya (الريحانية) military base in Damascus countryside has just been liberated.
I suggest that we set up a 24/7 monitoring group to keep track of such revolutionary victories because we may not be able to keep up from now. We have reached the watershed event.
November 25th, 2012, 9:25 am
Albo said:
A few observations:
Sami,
About “reform”, I’ll repeat one last time, I mostly write English but rarely speak it so I want it to be clear, I did not say “reform” as in “they’re not so bad after all give them a chance”, (what you seem to understand), I meant “gradual transition”, and I refer you to Ghufran’s general line for the details.
“And please don’t play the victim that you were antagonized by Amjad or anyone else to use the level of despicable and sectarian language you chose to use. Uzair never uttered a single nasty remark towards you yet you choose to attack him for his roots.”
What kind of attack was that, really? Warren did nasty attacks on him, yes, but not me. Uzair is a polite person, and isn’t aggressive to anyone, but as everyone understands him to have Pakistani origins, I must say that I find his involvement on SC odd and out of place to say the least.
If I posted in a Pakistani forum about Pakistani problems, and Pakistan has a lot of problems and sectarian violence, I’m sure I would be invited to mind my own business. This is was what I told him in essence, though in a milder manner.
Are you serious when you call that an attack? Some tw*at here called for my death and that of all of my family in a colorfoul and imaginative way and the worst language ever. That my friend is what I call an attack.
I’ll tell you one thing; if you don’t like foul language and sectarian slurs, attack them systematically wherever they come from. You did so at times, good of you, but only to a very limited extent. I’ve noticed that most sunni posters here are extremely offended when we punctually answer in kind to the mounting and stinking pile of garbage some of their “brothers in faith” spout, almost always unprovoked. Yet those elicit few reactions from said people, the asymmetry and hypocrisy is glaring.
November 25th, 2012, 9:51 am
Albo said:
“Now, you want me to make nice with the very people with the least amount of real influence in Syria, and who are losing. The Jihadis are in the ascendancy, and I have yet to see anyone who is able to stop them or influence them.
What is going to happen when they are in a position to impose their way of life on Syria? Do we want an Islamist state in Syria? I’d prefer not to have one, but neither me, nor you, nor anyone else in the political opposition are in a position to deny them their heart’s desire, unless they are somehow co-opted, and we are seen as having played an effective part in overthrowing the Qurdahan regime.
And so politics is about having credibility with the groups most able to make things happen. That currently means the Jihadist and Islamist groups. If by throwing Mjahali and Albong under a bus, I can increase my credibility with the groups who will be running things, then that’s something I’m prepared to do. If by doing the same to the Bahraini Shias I win some credibility with the Gulf states, then fine.
The Alawites lost. They tried to go for broke, and failed. Since their influence is on a downward trajectory, I see no reason to risk my credibility and potential influence with the Islamists in the future just so we can feel good about ourselves on this forum. I’d rather be known as a racist bigot with influence, than as an outstanding honorable man who is good only for showing up on Al-Jazeera and attending summits in 5 star hotels.
Let me make this clear, I will never seek or gain any position of authority in Syria when the revolution succeeds. I am not after material gain, but it’s past time the opposition’s Twitter Brigade got its bloody head out of its ass and started to act like politicians do, and gain some influence with the people winning the battles on the ground.
This Sheila, is the most honest post you will ever read from someone on this forum. If the secular and moderate opposition had managed to get its act together, we could have disregarded the Islamists and their dreams of a Caliphate.
But since they are the only ones who have managed to win battles against the regime, I am perfectly happy to sacrifice the people who lost in order to make sure the Syria that emerges is a bit less scary. That is how politics works, which is something the academics of the SNC never got into their heads. Mjahali and Albong just make the job alot easier, since they are loathsome, inconsistent, infantile individuals regardless of the sect they were born into.
“Give us back our revolution”…what an ineffectual slogan. Who in politics gives anyone anything? You either have influence and power, or you don’t. And in politically backwards societies like Syria, whose politicians on both sides have proven themselves to be the region’s most incompetent, power comes from the barrel of a tank turret.”
___________________________
Your most ridiculous post yet. In other words you’re gladly announcing that, while you don’t share their ideas, you’ll be the islamists’ bitch in the hope that they leave you a few crumbs.
As an aside I must remark for those in denial that islamists would never have achieved what they did so far without the enmity of Syria’s neighbors and international powers. Algeria is currently in an arms binge, ramping up its military purchases; this doesn’t come as as surprise, they are watching Syria worriedly. They know that in a hypothetical scenario where Tunisia, Libya or even their old enemy Morocco allow the regroupment and protection of an Algerian guerrilla within their borders, the infiltration of international jihadists, the procurement of funds and equipment and if on top of that defiant international powers support the whole operation, they’re toast. These conditions weren’t present 20 years ago, so they won. Saddam won too against his isolated but fierce insurgency.
It’s not me or Mjabali you’re throwing under the bus, Mr Amjad, it’s 40% of Syria’s population with your so-called revolution. None of them want of your Jihadi-GCC backed solution (and yes you were honest about being GCC’s lackey with your line about Bahrain and GCC countries). The problem is that you’re deluded enough to make plans for the future with that. Brace yourself for a long and protracted war, because these 40%, either you kill them all or you deport them all, or a combination of both, otherwise you and your friends should never expect to reclaim the country until it happens. Of course western and world powers will whistle the end of the game long before it happens.
November 25th, 2012, 10:43 am
Dolly Buster said:
276. ALBO said:
Of course western and world powers will whistle the end of the game long before it happens.
Yes, I will consider the war finished when Asad is either:
1. killed
2. apprehended (à la Saif Qaddafi)
3. out of the country in exile.
Luckily these dictators are always foolish enough to choose 1.
So the only question is: which month and day will Asad be killed.
It didn’t have to be this way – but Bashar was stupid enough to side with Russia and Iran, and hope they are enough to protect him.
How can these 3rd rate powers protect him against the 1st rate powers?
Ridiculous reasoning on his part.
November 25th, 2012, 11:02 am
majedlhaldoun said:
Duze Mjabali
If you look at your early comments with me you definitely will find that you started the filthy words, when you start to say filty words you must expect people to respond to you, ,people has the right for self defence.
Btw, Munafiq means those who claim they are muslems but deep in their heart are against Islam, and what they say is smaal part of their hate to Islam, so to whom this term applies?it applies to someone always attack Islam and yet call his sect branch of Islam.
It is clear today that the rebels arround Damascus has liberated Marj Sultan military base, which is 10 Km from Damascus ,and on the way to Damascus international airport, DIA if it is taken by the rebel will truely isolate Bashar regime, some expect Aleppo and Idlib to be liberated soon, within a month.
Assad is in desperate stage, and this is the time for Alawis to overthrow him so we will start brotherly relations with them.I expect Russia will disassociate itself from Assad in the next few months.
November 25th, 2012, 11:13 am
majedkhaldoun said:
Visitor
Is Rayhaniyyeh is another name for Marj Sultan base?
November 25th, 2012, 11:19 am
Syrian Natonalist Party said:
وبعد ذلك هناك من لديهم ولو حد أدنى من الشك في أن هؤلاء”الثوار” ليسوا مجموعة مرتزقة وجواسيس ينبغي إبادتهم بالأسلحة الكيميائية ، وليس بالأسلحة التقليدية فقط!! ولكن من أين لنا ذلك، إذا كان “القائد العام” لهذا الجيش الذي يجري تدميره بهذه الطريقة المفجعة ، مجرد “بغل” برتبة فريق يدعى بشار الأسد، كان توريثه السلطة أكبر جريمة يرتكبها حافظ الأسد( رغم جرائمه كلها) بحق سوريا وشعبها وجيشها!؟_________________________________________________________________
Read more here:
http://www.syriatruth.org/news/tabid/93/Article/8689/Default.aspx
November 25th, 2012, 11:26 am
Aldendeshe said:
Who ever thought that the Shia will be the ones who brought down Syria and handed it over to the Jews to create Greater Israel. I am sure Ayatoilet Khomeni and Hafez Jaban are flipping in their graves in joy right now.
November 25th, 2012, 11:34 am
alepoinmyheart said:
A video of shia (seems to be from south asia)desecrating the umayad mosque under bashar rule.
And they say that the regime is secular
November 25th, 2012, 12:08 pm
Albo said:
277. DOLLY BUSTER
I hope you realize that the problems of Syria extend well beyond Assad or this or that form of government now. Islamists threaten the multi-secular fabric of Syrian society, and this is what the current fight is about now.
On an unrelated note Russia is far from being a third rate power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_with_nuclear_weapons
Your previous remark about their mortality rates is outdated, their demographic profile has a improved and population change is nearing natural replacement levels now.
November 25th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Syrian Natonalist Party said:
The only solution to avert the demise of Syria at this moment of time, and every passing minute thereafter, is for those coward Shia idiots in Iran to immediately prepare an initial force of 300,000 army and march across the Iraqi borders (no permission from anyone needed) straight line across to Syria and be joined with Russian air support cover and Russian special units to take out the foreign Israeli backed mercenaries destroying Syria and World Peace. Not just save Syria from a horrific demise brought about by incredibly incompetent Alawite Shia leader, and a long time client of both States, but in the end this will protect both of them vulnerable States should Syria falls. This is really the first line of defense for both. The risk of interfering is very small, the coward Jews and the puppets they own will bark and stump their back feet, that is all, the advantage side is humongous. In one single move, the New World Order will be defined for all. Obviously Assad is incapable of doing the job of defending Syria on his own; both these States are aptly experienced in setting up new state institutions for anew Syria that can benefit the newly defined World Order.
November 25th, 2012, 12:37 pm
Jasmine said:
This is to any one who is feeling so bad about his reputation or some one else’s in this blog,enjoy it:
The Pastor’s Ass
The Pastor entered his donkey in a race and
It won.
The Pastor was so pleased with the donkey
That he entered it in the
Race
Again and it won again.
The local paper read:
PASTOR’S
ASS OUT FRONT.
The Bishop was so upset with this kind of
Publicity that he ordered
The
Pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.
The next day the local paper headline
Read:
BISHOP
SCRATCHES
PASTOR’S
ASS.
This was too much for the Bishop so he
Ordered the Pastor to get
Rid
Of the donkey.
The Pastor decided to give it to a Nun in a
Nearby convent.
The local paper, hearing of the news, posted
The following headline
The
Next day:
NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.
The Bishop fainted.
He informed the Nun that she would have to
Get rid of the donkey so
She
Sold it to a farmer for $10.
The next day the paper read:
NUN
SELLS ASS FOR $10.
This was too much for the Bishop so he
Ordered the Nun to buy back
The
Donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run
Wild.
The next day the headlines read:
NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.
The ! Bishop was buried the next day.
The moral of the story is . . . Being
Concerned about public opinion
Can
Bring you much grief and misery . . Even shorten your
Life.
So be yourself and enjoy life.
Stop worrying about everyone else’s ass and
You’ll be a lot happier
And
Live longer!
Have
A nice day!
November 25th, 2012, 1:02 pm
Dolly Buster said:
But here’s the thing, Syrian Nationalist Party. If Russia and Iran win, then the world will become a horrible place, where people are sent to gulags and go to Karbala to worship graves.
On the other hand if the Free World wins, then the globe will become a fun place, with liberty and advanced technology.
November 25th, 2012, 1:07 pm
Visitor said:
Hey, you gotta keep up. Where are the monitors?
The second largest anti aircraft barrack in Marj al-Sultan air base has been liberated by the revolution.
The 4th battalion on the Syrian/Jordanian border has been taken over by the revolution.
7Harem fort has been liberated
Siege of the infantry academy in Aleppo is in progress. takeover is imminent.
—————————————
In the meantime Nasrillat threatened to annihilate Israel with his missiles once he is done with his blood letting ritual.
November 25th, 2012, 1:09 pm
swanson said:
The rebels are storing weapons in Damascus,in different streets,the plan is to overwhelm the regime with sudden attack. The regime knows.
November 25th, 2012, 1:17 pm
Aldendeshe said:
On the other hand if the Free World wins, then the globe will become a fun place, with liberty and advanced technology.
__________________________________________________________________
What hole in the earth you live deep in? There aint no such kaka anymore. There is Children of E*vil vs. Children of Light, and you are for sure a dick of darkness and the embodiment of 9^11 e*vil.
Advanced Technologies to help the enemies of humanity is of no benefit to it. It is a threat to humanity future and destiny to allow the evil ones possess such technologies. So go tell the lizard skinned ones to move out of their holes now, their time came to end now.
November 25th, 2012, 1:21 pm
Aldendeshe said:
284. swansonsaid:
The rebels are storing weapons in Damascus,in different streets,the plan is to overwhelm the regime with sudden attack. The regime knows.
__________________________________________________________________
We know that Assad has no chance. He lost Syria to the Israeli mercenaries already. The Shia bastards, like that of Hamas and HezboAli, who all are nothing more than a fifth column of Zionism knows what game plan they must role act; that is play enemy of Zionism right until delivery of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine is assured, near, and irreversible. The Russians will be caught by surprise, because they are not aware of the master plan and the nature of forces assembled. They are ignorant of the tactics and specialized weapon available. In the end they will act out of desperation irrationally, not strategically.
November 25th, 2012, 1:48 pm
sami said:
Albo,
“About “reform”, I’ll repeat one last time… I meant “gradual transition””
Sorry what you have posted in the past does not say that at all…
Here you not only claim that this heinous regime would’ve reform by the immense pressure it faced, but pretty much blamed the victims (Syrian people) for not only defying Assad, but resist his unjust and murderous regime:
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=16753&cp=all#comment-335756
And here you repeat that same exact mantra as above:
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=16312&cp=all#comment-330505
Your premise is that it is the Syrians people’s fault not only to rise up against Assad, but that they should’ve known that because that Assad would try to annihilate the country and should’ve just stayed quit hoping for his bumbling majesty to grant us more “freedoms”, and the 11 years prior don’t count not to mention his fathers 30 year term.
What kind of attack was that, really? Warren did nasty attacks on him, yes, but not me. Uzair is a polite person, and isn’t aggressive to anyone, but as everyone understands him to have Pakistani origins, I must say that I find his involvement on SC odd and out of place to say the least.
So do you find Dr. Landis’s involvement in covering Syrian odd as well? How about the numerous foreign Journalists (including pro-regime mouth pieces like PressTV and various Russian media) involvement in covering Syrian odd as well?
And what is so relevant about his South East Asian roots to your initial reply to him that you had to bring it up?
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=16753&cp=all#comment-335633
Btw he has stated time and again he is British born of South East Asian roots, the fact you choose to concentrate on latter says a lot. Xenophobic much?
“I’ll tell you one thing; if you don’t like foul language and sectarian slurs, attack them systematically wherever they come from. You did so at times, good of you, but only to a very limited extent”
I have repeatedly voiced not only my concern regarding this subject but have gone into lengthy spats over it. I don’t stand for bigotry in all its forms no matter what side of the aisle it might be on, furthermore I have not once engaged in sectarian slurs because “I was antagonized”, that is the cheapest and dirtiest excuse anyone can use for uttering sectarian and racist filth.
And the glaring hypocrisy Albo is that you keep accusing me of not doing enough standing up against sectarianism while you engage in it fully.
November 25th, 2012, 2:03 pm
Albo said:
“But here’s the thing, Syrian Nationalist Party. If Russia and Iran win, then the world will become a horrible place, where people are sent to gulags and go to Karbala to worship graves.
On the other hand if the Free World wins, then the globe will become a fun place, with liberty and advanced technology.”
Alright a free world so free that it’s ok with places such as Saudi Arabia, where women are tracked electronically. Advanced tech, you said?
It’s becoming eerier by the day in here.
November 25th, 2012, 2:15 pm
Observer said:
Just another base falls to the FSA. The news of Syria on Manar are absent. Al Alam does not talk about Syria either. RT is silent.
So the regime destroys and does not even hold.
It appears there are three factions within the regime, one that wants all the troops around Damascus, one that wants to fight in some cities and abandon others, and a third that wants to withdraw to the coastal areas and dig in there.
In all cases the regime has lost Syria and would have nothing left to negotiate with.
The degree of destruction is now clearly the only message that is left for the people so the slogan of Athad or we burn Albalad is clearly being carried out fully.
This means endless retribution and therefore I do think that pure vengeance is the only modus operandi of this regime.
HA by the way is threatening to rain missiles on Israel in case it attacks Lebanon.
Now why would it do that, the border has been quiet since 2006. The bickering has been displaced to the interior of Lebanon. What if Israel were to threaten HA with a nuclear device if the Hizb were to rain thousands of missiles on Israel?
It is true that deterrence of unchecked Israeli aggression is now in place, but I would be very careful with what the Likud is capable of doing.
Justice for Hamza.
Is anyone buying gold?
November 25th, 2012, 2:40 pm
Albo said:
No Sami, you aren’t a moderator so I shouldn’t expect much more from you, but I think other posters should imitate your stance. I also note that you seem to strongly take issue with myself lately, but not with our two “toilets”, you need to ask yourself who is doing more sectarian attacks and insults recently, and who starts sh*t.
Yeah I know, tit-for-tat reactions are not very bright, but only when you are “antagonized” as I have been, I will be able to judge your reaction. Have you had vicious death threats? I have seen some of the spats you allude to and it’s nothing in comparison, if there is worse tell me about it.
As for the rest; yes I question rebel tactics. You didn’t comment on the quote about guerilla war. The phenomenon was noted in the Chinese revolution as well as during the Algerian independence. That is to say, the repressive forces react violently as they did in the past- but in some cases rebel leaders are taking the civilian population in hostage by deliberately inciting the regime to unleash more violence on them. They cynically count on that because victimized people will still rally around them; such tactics shouldn’t be given a free pass, and the only decent purpose we should have is to reduce the number of casualties in Syria right now, not to pour gasoline on the fire. That’s all.
As for Uzair, if he was offended let him explain it himself. JL is entitled to comment on Syria because of his family and academic position. May be Uzair is in a similar situation, we don’t need the details but he didn’t make any such allusion. Other people questioned the right of non-syrians to pass judgements before me, this isn’t new.
November 25th, 2012, 2:57 pm
Visitor said:
Observer is doing an excellent job for all of us.
I just made a similar post but somehow it ended up in the filter.
In addition to Observer, the 4th battalion on the Jordanian border has been overtaken.
Thanks for the good Observations of Observer.
The watershed is happening!
Is there a Dermatophagia ‘outbreak’ on this blog? Are the lov-u-4ever gang in here in a finger-biting mode?
November 25th, 2012, 3:03 pm
Syrialover said:
Jon Wilks, UK Special Representative to the Syrian Opposition, tweets:
– UK sending humanitarian and stabilisation experts to Cairo today for National Coalition’s assistance meeting 26/27 November.
– I’ll be heading to Cairo later in the week for talks with the National Coalition leadership on next steps.
https://twitter.com/JonWilksFCO
November 25th, 2012, 3:10 pm
Syrialover said:
Stalemate in Syria? Army short on loyalists, rebels short on guns
The regime of Bashar al-Assad appears to be favoring long-range weapons out of fear that soldiers close to the front lines will defect.
EXCERPT:
A little more than a week ago, Ahmad Dahar was a member of the embattled Syrian government’s state security service in Damascus.
Although he was officially a guard, he says he was not allowed to carry a weapon or go on any missions because he is a Sunni Muslim while the country’s core leaders are from the minority Alawite sect of Islam.
“They’re afraid the Sunnis will try to kill the regime loyalists,” says Mr. Dahar. “They also worry that these people will defect.”
After months of brutal fighting, the conflict appears stalemated in many areas, without any side making significant progress. There is mounting speculation that the Army of President Bashar al-Assad is struggling to advance because it lacks enough loyal ground troops to launch a major assault without suffering mass defections. While daily clashes continue, much of the violence now taking place in Aleppo is the result of long-range weapons, such as artillery, airplanes, tanks, and snipers that inflict damage while minimizing the risk of contact and defection.
A number of those soldiers who have left the Assad army in recent weeks and months paint a picture of a military struggling to maintain the loyalty of anyone who has not been a long-time beneficiary of patronage from the Assad regime.
“When the revolution started they didn’t have this idea that so many soldiers might defect,” says Abu Obaida, an FSA fighter in Aleppo who defected about five months ago. “They sent many soldiers to their hometowns. They told them that they would fight terrorists and when they arrived they saw their friends and family.”
In many areas of Aleppo, the front lines are so close that FSA fighters and government forces can speak to one another through walls or by shouting. In a few areas, FSA soldiers say that government troops have told them they want to defect but the ways out are guarded by snipers who are known to shoot anyone caught trying to escape.
Prior to defecting [to the FSA] Bassam Humidy served with a special forces unit in Homs. He says that those deemed most likely to defect were kept inside the city to man checkpoints in areas firmly under regime control where no fighting was taking place.
For the most part, however, those still fighting on the front lines of Aleppo for the Syrian government tend to be hardened loyalists more likely to trade insults than talk of defection, say most FSA fighters. Those most likely to defect remain far behind the front lines.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/1125/Stalemate-in-Syria-Army-short-on-loyalists-rebels-short-on-guns
November 25th, 2012, 3:18 pm
Syrian Natonalist Party said:
It appears there are three factions within the regime, one that wants all the troops around Damascus, one that wants to fight in some cities and abandon others, and a third that wants to withdraw to the coastal areas and dig in there.
_________________________________________________________________
Troupes around Damascus-
Well, the Israeli mercenaries are now all over Damascus with huge arsenal stashed around the city, of course the dim wits Shia Prethident who is playing his role in the Zionist plan so well, losing more famously than Hassan and Hussain (the spoiled kids of some moron) who played their role in Zionist Plan back then to divide Moslems, thinking they are entitled to rule dictatorially all Moslems, just as this Shia Prethident think he is solely entitled to rule Syria and make its destiny, they go killed like all spoiled cowards on the hand of Islam foremost holy brave men Yazid and Muawiya. This Prethident also allowed Israeli mercenaries free range for 2 years, never declared nationwide 22 hours curfew. The army around Damascus will flee when the capital blows up and Bashar will ends up like Gaddafi, Hassan and Hussain, like all the spoiled rats, if he hangs around in the capital.
The one that wants to fight in some cities and abandon others-
They will lose it all, city by city. Under those two strategies, the Alawites and Christians in fallen areas will be literally slaughtered like sheep’s.
As to withdrawing to Costal areas-
This is now the best of outcome for all, but not under Bashar Jaban leadership, he is a loser, he lost Syria and lost many Alawi lives that trusted in him and he, like Iran, failed all Syrians. Alawites needs to first find a new leadership, or rule by military juntas, in a State of War for a while. This will work only if Alawites and other sane Syrians escaping Jewish perpetrated genocide against Syrians will form a cohesive civil body, setup a cohesive defined landmass and take all the military hardware with them before departing, including all Bio-Chem weapon and knowhow. If they want recognition as a State, then they must take and rule with other Syrians of all ethnic backgrounds in a Civil, Democratic and Free State, take all those that join in the new Syrian Republic regardless of sect, no one will recognize an Alawi State, but many (worthy nations) will recognize an independent Nationalist Syrian State. If the move to the coastal areas is accompanied with any of the Assad’s, Baath, Arab Nationalism etc. you can kiss it all the way to the grave, no one is going to follow the new/old sate that failed. The monkeys will recognize the monkey business Israel is setting up in Islamic Syria, just as they did for West Bank and Gaza.
November 25th, 2012, 3:26 pm
Syrialover said:
Example of how the MB is pre-ordained to stumble and fail in the real world. Give it time…
Story: Egyptian stock market plummets as Morsi tries to defuse tensions
The main stock index tumbled 9.5 percent in the first day of trading after a controversial decree.
Stocks in Egypt’s benchmark index tumbled Sunday in the first day of trading since President Mohammed Morsi seized new powers in a controversial decree.
The 9.5 percent fall was the worst since last year’s uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. The market could have plunged even further but was halted by automatic curbs.
“We are back to square one, politically and socially,” said Mohamed Radwan, an analyst at Pharos Securities, an Egyptian brokerage firm, told The Guardian.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/121125/egyptian-stock-market-plummets-after-morsi-power-grab
November 25th, 2012, 3:32 pm
Albo said:
You always blame people who are too negative about the middle east “We are back to square one, politically and socially,” yeah, the Egyptian MB really delivered. Those who come back from Tunisia say it’s a disaster. So much for negativity…
In Syria we have a f*cking civil war and absolutely no guarantee that it will be any different, and probably much worse, it suffices that one reads the politics of some here, complete zilch worth nothing.
November 25th, 2012, 5:01 pm
Uzair8 said:
Thanks Sami and others for the support.
Actually I’d like to explain my involvement, although I don’t have to justify anything.
It was during the Tunisian revolution I came across Sh. Nazim’s ‘all regimes will collapse’ prediction on youtube. This got a lot of people interested in seeing how things unfolded.
During the Egyptian and Libyan uprisings I used to update (elsewhere). For a brief period I did a sort of running commentary until I decided people could follow the situation on the news anyway. The Syrian situation was the one I began updating on from the start (more on habit). I was unsure (and didn’t expect) it would develop into a full revolution. I didn’t actually intend or plan to get so deeply involved but things gradually snowballed. The more I followed the situation (and witnessed the horror and oppression) the more I became emotionally involved. The cause became dear to my heart. There were 2 videos that finally pushed me into commiting myself to the cause. I had to do something to support the suffering people. They were experiencing my worst nightmare.
I was aware of the propaganda and the false narrative being spread around from various quarters. I indentified this niche and chose to spread the truth of the situation and counter the propaganda campaign. It was in around July of 2011 I joined SC.
The defenseless Syrian people cried for help. I answered the call with what little I could do.
The question for pro-regime is what did they do to answer the call of their fellow countrymen? Did they respond or did they stand by the regime and ignore the pleas for help?
This isn’t about me. It’s about the Syrian people.
Any my work on SC was done a few months ago. The revolutionaries on here were on top of things and were holding the fort.
It’s hard to get away from an obsession and addiction so I kept visiting SC for news updates and direct news from Syrians. While I was here I would end up posting one or two things.
November 25th, 2012, 5:13 pm
Darryl said:
244. TARA said:
Darryl,
Borrowing from Syrian Expat
“Here is a testimony from Dr. Gustave Le Bon, the well-known French “social psychologist, sociologist, and amateur physicist.” etc etc
Dear Tara, I am honored that you have addressed me in this post and I am sorry for my late response. I would have expected your Islamist friend to quote certain lines from the great American president Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address instead of quotes from a European fascist like Le Bon.
The words of Abraham Lincoln are more fitting after the revolution as to instill a government by the people for the people instead of for Allah by Allah! and to forgive and move on.
Le Bon who was concerned more about crowed control than anything else and who was admired by Hitler and Mussolini would have found Islam a most perfect tool for his ideas as indeed Hitler himself found Islam.
“May I suggest you replace your Islamophobe library of books by whatever written by Dr. Gustave Le Bon?”
This statement would have a caused many pharmacies where your Islamist friends live to be emptied from Aspirin as their blood pressure would have shot up. I especially hold grave fears for my dear friend Visitor who would have clenched his teeth so hard, he may have broken a few teeth or his denture 🙂
Seriously now, what books do you think I read? books by Jerry fallwell, Terry Jones?
I read your Qur’an, Sahih Muslim, Bukhari, Tabari Abu Dawoud, Al-termidhi and the Sira Al-Nabawiah. Books that most Muslims do not even bother with. You want me to throw these books away? Well you have just ruled that Islam has no place in modern society, Bravo Tara!
May I suggest you send a letter to Al-Azhar and all Islamic places and inform of of you idea above and substitute all Islamic books by writings from Le Bon’s work and perhaps some words from Thomas Carlyle.
November 25th, 2012, 5:15 pm
Uzair8 said:
During the previous week I shared Mr Commandos tweets claiming the regime would fall in ‘a matter of weeks’ as they follow from Sh. Yaqoubi’s ‘glad tidings’ also predicting regime demise in a matter of weeks. As Tara has already informed us, this fridays demonstrations were called something like ‘the end is near’.
So it all contributes to the overall sense we are in the final chapter of this crisis.
November 25th, 2012, 5:22 pm
Uzair8 said:
Funnily enough I remember predicting a while ago that things could get nasty (understandably so) on SC as the revolution closed in on it’s prize. I also said I would probably slip into the shadows. Omen jokingly asked why I would do so when the going got tough? It seems he left long before me..lol (unless he’s got a new alias).
Anyway, I wouldn’t be deterred by any nastiness or attempts to intimidate. It’s all about the cause.
November 25th, 2012, 5:37 pm
Citizen said:
US-Created “Syrian Opposition” Led by Big Oil Rep
A year ago, it was reported that Libya’s new NATO-installed prime minister, Abdurrahim el-Keib, was in fact a long-time US resident, having taught at the University of Alabama and was formally employed by the Petroleum Institute, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE and sponsored by British Petroleum (BP), Shell, France’s Total, the Japan Oil Development Company, and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. El-Keib is listed as a “Professor and Chairman” in his Petroleum Institute profile which also describes extensive research conducted by him sponsored by various US government agencies and departments over the years.
His long history of serving and working in coordination with Western governments and corporations made him and his collaborators the ideal candidates to prepare Libya for its place within the Wall Street-London international order.
Now it is revealed that the US-handpicked opposition, announced in Doha, Qatar earlier this month, is led by a similarly compromised figure, Moaz al-Khatib. The corporate-financier-funded Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reported of al-Khatib that:
Moaz al-Khatib, an oil sector engineer and former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, has garnered substantial praise since his designation, while Riad Seif and Suhair al-Atassi bring their own credibility to the coalition. They have now set up shop in Cairo and have received the full endorsement of France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as the ‘sole representative’ of the Syrian opposition. The European Union and the United States have endorsed the group in a more general fashion.
Even more importantly, from Syrian citizens of various affiliations with whom I have met recently, it is clear that al-Khatib and his associates seem to draw praise for their opposition to the regime—as an imam, al-Khatib refused to follow the speeches imposed by the regime and was imprisoned—their resistance, and their tolerance. These endorsements are a first achievement, but a number of steps are necessary before Moaz al-Khatib becomes the real head of the Syrian opposition and enters into a substantive relationship with EU leaders.
فإني أجد في كل دولة استولى الفساد على إدارتها، ولا هيبة بقيت لقوانينها ولا سطوة، ولا مقامات مرعيّة لحكّامها، وانطلق الناس إلى مطالب الحقوق، فكل ساعة ينادون بمطلب جديد ويسقطون مطلبا، فاختلطت دعاويهم وتضاربت، وصار لكل حزب من الافتنان والهوى، حق باسم الليبرالية – إني أجد هنا في مثل هذا المواطن أن أهاجم باسم الحق، وهو حق القوة فأذرو في الهواء جميع هياكل الأنظمة والأجهزة الجوفاء، وآتي بشيء جديد يحل محل الذاهب، وأجعل نفسي حاكما سيدا على هؤلاء الذين تركوا لنا الحقوق التي كانوا يبنون عليها حكمهم، وأما مصيرهم هم فالاستسلام إلى ما كانوا يحملون من عقائد الليبرالية.
http://medlem.spray.se/kifahf/protokol/pro1.htm
البروتوكول رقم 1
November 25th, 2012, 6:25 pm
Visitor said:
OK Darryl 298, keep those books but do not mistranslate. I do not want to lose my teeth.
November 25th, 2012, 6:34 pm
zoo said:
News Analysis: Syrians unable to reach ceasefire like Gazans did
English.news.cn 2012-11-26 02:53:44
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/26/c_131998142.htm
In a televised statement posted online by the “fighting battalions in Aleppo and its suburbs,” several leaders of rebel groups appeared flanking a rounded table with a bearded man sitting in the center, a black flag behind him and the Muslim holy Quran before him, reading the statement.
“We reject the conspiratorial project about the national coalition,” the bearded man said, adding that “we have come to agree on the establishment of a fair and Islamic state.”
“We reject any external project whether it was a coalition or a council imposed on us by any party,” the bearded rebel said.
Meanwhile, the National Coordination Body (NCB), a main opposition group inside Syria, said recently that they had boycotted the opposition meeting in Doha because “we want the democratic change to be made inside the country, but not by a foreign will.”
At a press conference held in the capital Damascus, the NCB said no one has the right to claim to be the legitimate representative of the Syrian people without resorting to balloting boxes.
Experts said the opposition problem has exceeded the point where there were only two opposition types that need to come together; but now both the opposition at home and in exile need to figure out how to deal with the third element that has recently proved its existence: the extremist groups linked with al-Qaida and their attempts to radicalize the Syrian conflict.
The very existence of such an element is frightening and adds to the complication of the Syrian political landscape, analysts said, adding that dealing with the extremist existence and their agendas is another crisis itself.
Analysts accused the Arabs of having double standards in dealing with each case.
“While they were shedding tears on the people of Gaza, they were rendering support and arms to the armed groups in Syria to prolong the crisis,” which activists said had killed more than 40, 000 people.
November 25th, 2012, 6:42 pm
Darryl said:
302. VISITOR said:
“OK Darryl 298, keep those books but do not mistranslate.”
My dear friend Visitor, this is not a fair comment, When did I mis-translate Allah’s word? Any way how are you? I am sure Tara’s paragraph would have clenched your teeth, did it not, be honest here show some emotions?
November 25th, 2012, 7:06 pm
Visitor said:
Darryl 304,
Sorry for missing the smiley or wink wink face. I am not good with those. But you know dear Darryl that we can only judge others based on intentions. So, if you want to know if I clenched my teeth over that paragraph, the answer is no. Because the intention was made clear in that paragraph until you came in and made a correction to an assumption. So, I am glad I can keep my teeth and also I am doing fine. Thanks for asking and hope you’re doing just as fine and that you will keep your promise not to mistranslate, especially as you realize correctly that you are dealing with the Word of Allah.
November 25th, 2012, 7:23 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
Some bad news for the minhebakites.
After their successful attack on the biggest heli airport in the country, Marj Al-Sultan airport located 10 KM from Damascus International Airport, the FSA overruns a unit belonging to the airport and captures 11 Shilkas ( “lightly armored, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system (SPAAG)”). Another cash of FREE weapons. Now the minhebakites will claim that this was actually a gift from NATO disguised as an FSA capture when in fact the Shilkas were dropped from the air by 11 super drones, but you should not laugh. The minhebakites are so depressed that spewing nonsense becomes the norm. They are probably biting their fingers so hard that it’s affecting their brains. So please give them a break.
Hopefully they can use the Shilkas to impose a no-flying zone of their own in the areas around Damascus.
Minhebakites, don’t worry. This is all part of the master plan laid out by Batta. You just be patient. Do not get depressed.
قامت بإقتحام كتيبة الرحبة التابعة لمطار مرج السلطان في الغوطة الشرقية واغتنام 11 عربة شيلكا وهي ثاني اكبر رحبة للشيلكا في سوريا
http://youtu.be/R85iO3XTh4Q | الفيديو
November 25th, 2012, 7:41 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
Is the end near. These videos show the spolis of war that the FSA captured after overrunning the biggest heli airport in the country. The airport is just 10 KM away from Damascus International Airport:
بيان صادر عن كتيبه عبدالله بن سلام التابعه للواء المصطفى :
تم بعون الله تحرير مطار مرج السلطان العسكري و اغتنام ما فيه من أسلحة و ذخائر و مدرعات
http://youtu.be/U7DuSY7TfwA
————————–
غنائم الجيش الحر بعد تحرير مطار مرج السلطان العسكري في الغوطة الشرقية
http://youtu.be/zuv5Ihlof9Y
————————–
غنائم الجيش الحر من مدرعات و آليات ثقيلة بعد تحرير مطار مرج السلطان
http://youtu.be/bEsbBQIy1AA
http://youtu.be/ApSrqYL3m5k
————————–
قائد لواء المصطفى يشرف على سحب الغنائم من مطار مرج السلطان العسكري بعد تحريره
http://youtu.be/pDzuPXLrS9M
————————–
مطار مرج السلطان العسكري في الغوطة الشرقية بعد تحريره من قبل لواء المصطفى
http://youtu.be/gQ7HoeSQwy4
————————–
مطار مرج السلطان في الغوطة الشرقية بعد تحريره من قبل أبطال كتيبة عبد الله بن سلام التابعة للواء المصطفى
http://youtu.be/gQ7HoeSQwy4
http://youtu.be/jEoOa2OQLdw
————————–
أبطال كتيبة عبد الله بن سلام مع أخوتهم في لواء المصطفى يسطرون بطولاتهم في http://youtu.be/QRtONsYRdh0
بيان للواء المصطفى تحرير مطار مرج السلطان العسكري
November 25th, 2012, 8:10 pm
zoo said:
Rebels leaders fear that their “unification” will come too late.
Unity Proves Elusive in Syria
By David Ignatius – November 25, 2012
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/11/25/unity_proves_elusive_in_syria_116240.html
WASHINGTON — The Syrian opposition took a big step forward this month by forming a broad political coalition that includes local activists who started the revolution. But the opposition’s military command is still a mess, and until it’s fixed, jihadist extremists will keep getting more powerful.
As I wrote after my trip inside Syria in early October, a stronger command-and-control structure is crucial in creating an opposition force that can accomplish two essential tasks: defeating President Bashar al-Assad and maintaining order in Syria after he falls. The U.S. had encouraged the rebels to form provincial “military councils” to achieve better coordination. But the rebel forces have continued to splinter in recent weeks.
Talking with some of the Free Syrian Army activists who arranged my trip into Syria, I’ve heard examples of the chaos caused by bypassing the military council structure. Maj. Mohammed Ali and Maj. Maher Noaimi, two rebel commanders from Hama, are said to be receiving money directly from Gulf nations. “Ali and Noaimi are still serving as middlemen for all sorts of folks, and they’re working outside the MCs,” complained one report last month to the State Department about the confused funding.
Another example is Sheik Adnan Mohammed al-Aroor, an extremist cleric from Hama who receives money from Saudi Arabia and appears often on Arab television. He is said to have undercut the military councils’ coordination in northern Syria. The U.S. has urged the Saudis to cut support of Aroor, but activists say his followers remain potent on the ground.
A third example of confusion cited by rebel sources is the Farouk battalion, originally from Homs, which controls major northern border crossings into Syria. This group is said to have especially strong support from Turkey that allows it to operate outside the military council structure.
Most dangerous of all is the continuing growth of the extremist Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda-linked group that receives funding from wealthy individuals in the Gulf. One example of the destructive, sectarian role played by the Jabhat al-Nusra is that its fighters are said to have attacked Kurdish rebels recently in Ras al-Ain, in northeastern Syria. The extremist group’s influence is also growing because its fighters, eager for martyrdom, are the toughest.
….
Unfortunately, the rebel military council leadership was not included in the Doha effort. Military leaders such as Akidi thought they would be invited, but the invitations never came. This has added to demoralization.
U.S. and Syrian sources agree that to create military unity, the CIA will have to push friendly intelligence services to pool funding and other support behind a unified command. U.S. officials hope that process will happen over the next month, but rebel leaders fear this could be too late.
A coherent, non-extremist military structure is crucial, finally, because it could provide the path for an eventual settlement that halts all-out sectarian war. Otherwise, this will be a fight to the death between Assad’s goons and radical jihadists — with poor Syria shattered in the process.
November 25th, 2012, 8:12 pm
Darryl said:
305. VISITOR said:
Thanks Dear Visitor I am fine and I promise.
November 25th, 2012, 8:14 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
darryl
try to quote Quraan in arabic
November 25th, 2012, 8:54 pm
Observer said:
A civil society does not need any religious edicts or doctrine based legislation.
The pope excommunicated Jenner for practicing vaccination. I am not sure which one Keppler or Galileo had to recant that the earth circulates around the sun and not the other way around. The Mufti of Saudi Arabia asserted that the earth is flat.
Sharia supposedly tells us that in inheritance the male gets twice as much as the female for he is responsible for the welfare of the weak but what if the male is mentally deficient or a schizophrenic. The Sharia does not tell us.
After all, the enlightenment brought a revolutionary concept of “man using reason” can solve his problems and manage the affairs of society. Neither a royal figure nor a pope or a Mufti are infallible and the rule of the people by the people and from the people is the answer.
Religious doctrinaire ideological debates are not going to solve anything.
This is a distraction
November 25th, 2012, 10:16 pm
ann said:
November 25th, 2012, 10:18 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
I toured some of the minhebakite pages on the Internet and it’s amazing how disconnected from reality they are. As has been said before, people tend not to learn the lessons of history. Very soon, the FSA will be knocking Batta’s palace doors while the minhebakites will be talking about the great achievements of the Syrian Arab Army against the rebels.
On an unrelated note, here is one of the gems from a minhebakite site:
بــــــــاقي الى يوم القيامة
ان شاء الله
This statement under a photo of Bashar translates as:
[You will] remain until the day of judgement,
God willing.
This should give people you an idea about the psychology of the minhebakite cult.
November 25th, 2012, 11:11 pm
Ghufran said:
Tough rhetoric in front of the cameras, not nearly as tough when nobody is watching :
كشفت صحيفة ‘هآرتس’ العبرية في عددها الصادر الأحد النقاب عن تجدد المفاوضات المباشرة بين الدولة العبرية وتركيا من أجل إعادة العلاقات الثنائية بينهما إلى سابق عهدها
Another interesting twist is the strange request for patriot missiles as if anybody believes that Syia will actually fire missiles at Turkey, Erdogan obviously has not given up on the goal of a no fly zone in the north despite Turkey’s rep claiming in a meeting with Algerian FM that Turkey wants a political solution to the war in Syria, it also looks like the much celebrated economic boom that Turkey has witnessed since thev1990s is coming to a freezing point,at least , after Erdogan thought that god is resurrecting the Ottoman caliphate through his “manly” mustache, a friendly regime in Syria is crucial for another economic boom in Turkey.
It is important that Morsi does not get away with his attempt to become a Pharoah, it is
possible that he will back off sparing Egypt the unnecessary pain and chaos that seems to take hold across most of Egypt, one can hope that islamists in other countries (hint,hint)
realize that they do not own Muslim countries even if they win elections.
November 25th, 2012, 11:20 pm
Visitor said:
For the first time ever Ann makes the best comment he/she ever or will ever make. It is comment # 310. I decided to give that comment thumbs up and will keep a copy of it securely saved under guard for the future.
November 26th, 2012, 12:34 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Sami
“Sorry what you have posted in the past does not say that at all…”
You will find that this is always the case with Albong. In his strained efforts to sound knowledgeable on everything, he will switch positions and take more sides to an argument than you knew even existed. Any position he takes in a comment is meaningless, as you know as sure as the sun rises, he will change positions in the next comment once the grounds on which he built his previous position crumbles.
And as for a swansong, the offering by Mjahali really lacked all heart. You can see his heart isn’t in it anymore, but his primitive notions of tribal honor demanded some weak effort.
Ali, you mentioned the possibility of planing for a post-revo Syria. Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to sound off some ideas, but keep in mind right now there doesn’t exist an entity in a position to make these ideas happen;
1) Every civil servant currently employed keeps his job for life, regardless of sect. This will reassure society at large that there will be a continuity, and that the mechanics of the states will continue to function. Professor Landis said once that the revolution will probably purge the civil service of pro-regimists to reward its supporters. This would be a mistake. You can’t train a new civil service overnight, and in any case the new government will need to expand the civil service to provide many humanitarian and reconstruction services.
And in a post-Batta Syria, the prospects for private enterprise will increase. What you have now is a private economy that is in the hands of a few regime loyalists. Remove that stranglehold, and the private economy becomes alot more attractive.
2) Immediately ask for UN peacekeepers to deploy in those villages and areas where Sunnis and Alawites live in close proximity to each other. It only takes one lunatic with a full magazine to create a sh*t storm, and the presence of neutral peacekeepers will allow people to go back to their homes, and prevent any temptations to ethnic cleansing.
3) For the first 5 years, impose a quota system for the new People’s Assembly. Each sect must be represented fairly. The Lebanese hate their system, but for the first years of a new republic it is essential that every sect and group in Syria be represented in creating the basis for a new one. The idea is to crate stakeholders in a new Syria.
3) Give the foreign Jihadis who fought the regime permanent Syrian nationality. Bring them inside the system, a person who spent his 20s fighting wars doesn’t want to spend his 30s doing so as well.
4) Eliminate all custom duties on booze. Let the alcohol flow. In fact, make it cheaper than it ever was under Batta. Let the booze drinkers know that not only will their drinks be cheaper, they won’t have to pay off corrupt officials. People care more about what they are allowed to browse online and the permitted length of women’s skirts more than they care about foreign policy, which is only human nature.
5) Hold show trails for the worst few hundred regime supporters. Realistic restraints being what they are, it won’t be possible nor practical to hunt down every shabih (who probably won’t even remain in the country anyway), but pick out a few hundred of the worst top echelon, geographically distributed, and hold trails in their respective areas, as a way for people to vent.
6) Give a permanent, non-revocable presence to Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya and the BBC inside the country. Syrians owe a great debt to the world’s media that reported on events fairly, and the citizen-journalists of the revolution. Currently Israel has the world’s highest proportion of journalists per capita. If I was allowed to do one thing post-Batta, it would be to make Syria the number one in that area. Prestigious colleges of journalism must be set up, and like the USA, the profession must be protected in the new constitution. To be a journalist must be one of the most prestigious occupations in the country. With a vigilant and free press, any wrong can be righted.
Of course, this is all assuming that there is a Syria left after all this and a government powerful enough to impose its writ, something the Batta regime lost the ability to do months ago. In most parts of Syria, the state no longer exists, and yet still you have the menhebakjis talking as if we are living in a glorious golden age.
November 26th, 2012, 1:00 am
SYR.EXPAT said:
More gems from mihebakite websites to help you better understand them:
اليوم الرئيس الأسد لـ”روسيا اليوم”: كلفة الغزو الأجنبي لسورية ستكون أكبر من ان يستطيع العالم بأسره تحملها …
This is from an interview with Bashar several weeks ago in which he tells Russian Today that the cost of foreign military intervention in Syria is more that what the entire world can bear. I am not joking. Bashar mihebakites belive it.
بشـــار حــافـــظ الأســـد ســــــيد الزمــان
Bashar Hafiz Al-Asad is the master of time [or epoch or something like that].
November 26th, 2012, 1:03 am
Visitor said:
After controlling the oilfields, the FSA now controls electrical generation at the Tishrin dam.
But, we know Albo that controlling the dam and putting electrical generation into production are like night and day.
Are you happy now? We seem to be on the same page!!!
November 26th, 2012, 1:23 am
Badr said:
I don’t want to make any predictions, but is there any Syrian, who is supporting the opposition fighters, willing to not rule out the possibility of the scenario depicted in this column?
Syria Faces Long Bloody Civil War
By GWYNNE DYER
November 26th, 2012, 1:25 am
Dolly Buster said:
298. Darryl says:
Seriously now, what books do you think I read? books by Jerry fallwell, Terry Jones?
I read your Qur’an, Sahih Muslim, Bukhari, Tabari Abu Dawoud, Al-termidhi and the Sira Al-Nabawiah. Books that most Muslims do not even bother with. ☼
Sweet. So, has this literature led you to abandon the worship of Crosses ?
November 26th, 2012, 4:39 am
Albo said:
314
With your repeated comprehension problems it’s quite rich coming from you, whatever.
More of your political views, seriously did you forget to put smileys or are you being inadvertently comical ?
”
3) Give the foreign Jihadis who fought the regime permanent Syrian nationality. Bring them inside the system, a person who spent his 20s fighting wars doesn’t want to spend his 30s doing so as well.
4) Eliminate all custom duties on booze. Let the alcohol flow. In fact, make it cheaper than it ever was under Batta. Let the booze drinkers know that not only will their drinks be cheaper, they won’t have to pay off corrupt officials. People care more about what they are allowed to browse online and the permitted length of women’s skirts more than they care about foreign policy, which is only human nature.
”
This and your previous “honest” post, well that pretty sums up your politics, and they are worth 0 outside of the farcical value.
November 26th, 2012, 4:39 am
Albo said:
316. VISITOR
Call me back when infrastructures work as well as they did pre-war.
So far the little oil they extract isn’t refined and smuggled for cooking and heating, Syria looks a bit like Australia in Mad Max.
November 26th, 2012, 4:49 am
Mina said:
315
Talamaa l’flus mash min jiibak…
November 26th, 2012, 5:55 am
mjabali said:
Albo:
I told you before do not waste your time with the fake jihadis. They are exposed. Their logic is weak. They can not formulate one rational fair solution that could end things up in Syria. They are trying to discourage you by many different means from presenting your SUPERB ideas.
The next important point is how to stop this dangerous religious jihadi (fake, and real) tide?
In my humble opinion you need one thing only: Money.
Money gave the Islamists their power and reach. Money should be available to form parties bigger and stronger than the Islamists’ parties. If secular parties have money and propaganda in the same way the Islamists do, they could take over the Middle East before it is too late VERY EASILY…
The Islamists’ ideas are old and loses when argued against. Most people would leave them if they have a good strong alternative. This is a no brainer.
What do you think?
November 26th, 2012, 6:34 am
Visitor said:
Albo 320
And I think you would want me to call you to ask you to join the revolution in this case? Right?
November 26th, 2012, 7:01 am
Amjad of Arabia said:
Mjahali
” They are exposed. Their logic is weak”
On the subject of weak logic, has Turkey been shipping more Russian made helicopters to the rebels so they can pretend they captured an airbase? How many more T-55s did the Turks buy specially for a 15 minute Youtube video you reckon?
Weak he says. Dude, your arguments are so feeble they could be beaten up with wet spaghetti.
November 26th, 2012, 8:29 am
Ghufran said:
اعتبر القيادي في حركة المقاومة الإسلامية حماس، محمود الزهار، ان استقالة وزير الدفاع الإسرائيلي ايهود باراك هي أحد نتائج فشل الحرب الإسرائيلية على قطاع غزة.
Accountability is one reason why Israel prospered and Arabs failed, Arab mentality still lives in the Middle Ages.
November 26th, 2012, 8:36 am
ann said:
NATO OTTOMAN Delivery of TANKS to Terrorists in Syria at Bab el Hawa Crossing – 25/11/2012
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=da1_1353888013
Caught on Tape, tank delivery to terrorists in Syria at the OTTOMAN side of Bab el Hawa crossing between Turkey and Syria. Clear evidence of NATO weapon delivery to terrorists inside Syria.
This is a declaration of war!
Original terrorist video claims a Syrian Army base was “captured” as usual.
I have been challanged by some LL Noobs terrorist supporters that this is not a border crossing, well here is the wikipedia article on BAB EL HAWA BORDER CROSSING!
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=da1_1353888013
November 26th, 2012, 9:11 am
majedkhaldoun said:
He asked
how to stop this dangerous religious jihadi (fake, and real) tide?
The answer is:
Get rid of the tyrant Assad and his regime, and allow free democratic system in Syria.
Certainly it is hard for Menhebbekjieh to comprehend.
November 26th, 2012, 9:23 am
ann said:
328. majedkhaldoun
“Live by the sword, die by the sword”
CAPISCE?! 😉
November 26th, 2012, 9:41 am
erin said:
I see all the trashy islamists continue to dominate this site with all propaganda, fabrications, lies from all over the creations.
worse then this that JL doesn’t verify his stories, as it is 101 of journalist teaching, CNN/Fox news are the worse source of information, both are Zionist run media outlets.
the reasonable people who use to post here left because it is a preplanned play being performed by the dirty arab oil pigs.
Syria is destroyed for now and for ever, it may not return for decades if ever.
Egypt is on fire i am hoping it will blow up soon ( god willing will burn the islamists hands and ass at the same time).
The arabs don’t want to learn that Religion is their worst enemy and as long as they following the retards teaching of the deseret they will never become civiliazed humans.
it is about mankind humanity not about following stupid traditions and Imams teaching belongs into psychiatry ward.
November 26th, 2012, 9:46 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Jabhat al-Nusra is a Threat to the Syrian Revolution
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/jabhat-al-nusra-is-a-threat-to-the-syrian-revolution/
November 26th, 2012, 10:03 am
Albo said:
322. MJABALI
”
Money gave the Islamists their power and reach. Money should be available to form parties bigger and stronger than the Islamists’ parties.
What do you think?”
Where will this money come from?
The region is underperforming economically and the west is in bed with oil states and AKP Turkey. On the other hand, if the internet has greatly helped the arab spring revolutions, it is also exposing the stupidity of islamists so there is some hope. Instant communications are making things faster, did you see the video I posted of an Egyptian lunatic who wants to blow the sphinx and pyramids? Well it is making the rounds
“Mr Gohari elicited gasps and guffaws, and a torrent of internet jokes, by insisting that the Sphinx and pyramids should be smashed because they are ‘idols’. The Tunisian sheikh objected, noting that not even the Muslim conquerors of Egypt 14 centuries ago had seen fit to destroy its ancient treasures, and that no-one worshipped any statues these days. Mr Gohari calmly riposted that this was only because early Muslims lacked today’s powerful explosives.
At least such debates are still possible in Egypt. Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabia’s General Mufti, the country’s top official religious scholar, this week issued a fatwa banning contact with foreign satellite channels.” The economist
If they manage to control satellite channels, they won’t succeed with the internet.
323. VISITOR
Where did you get that idea?
324
So Garbage of Arabia, I see that your plan B is as “reasonable” as your plan A, which already was pure, unfettered sh*t.
You’re still venting your teenage frustrations behind your computer, as per usual (I hope you’re watching Sami).
November 26th, 2012, 10:10 am
majedkhaldoun said:
Ann
Thank you for your prediction that Assad will be killed,I too hope so.
November 26th, 2012, 10:17 am
Albo said:
328. MAJEDKHALDOUN
“Get rid of the tyrant Assad and his regime, and allow free democratic system in Syria.
Certainly it is hard for Menhebbekjieh to comprehend.”
We’re not wedded to Assad and his regime, but we comprehend that Egypt and Tunisia became islamist and are increasingly salafist.
Then in Syria we have the active hand of intolerant and ass-backward GCC countries, foreign jihadists all over the place and their little sycophants on this very board. How do you want us to ever trust your rebellion?
November 26th, 2012, 10:21 am
majedkhaldoun said:
Albo
How do you want us to ever trust your rebellion?
Extreme Islamists are part of the revolution, the majority of Syrian are not supportive of pure Islamist goverment,and they are the majority in this revolution,
Your fear of Islamist goverment is not based on facts, Syria is different from Egypt, if you look at history of Syria, the Islamist had 17% in the election in 1954.
Do you trust Assad? do you trust Assad regime? , Certaily no,you have to believe in democracy , if you support Assad regime then you believe in dictatorship, that is EVIL, the longer this revolution last, the more extremist gain power, so you must support the quick end to this murderer regime,and support the revolution.
November 26th, 2012, 10:43 am
Visitor said:
Dermatophagia recent ‘outbreak’ among lov-u-dearly has just produced a houndoom reaction on SC,
http://www.google.ca/search?q=houndoom&hl=en&tbo=u&rlz=1R2GGNI_en-GBCA477&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=aJKzUP71KsaZyQGQ_IH4CA&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1536&bih=744
The reaction usually accompanies a state of denial of an impending existential doom. Correct me if I am wrong but it could be that the ‘doom’ in houndoom must have been appended to hound for this reason. But Webster knows best. The two d’s must have been merged in the process. O’ man, you learn so much from these lov-u-faithfully. I never thought I would delve into lexicography.
November 26th, 2012, 11:10 am
ann said:
The Associated Press Headline Read:
Syrian rebels capture air base near Damascus – 1 hour ago
But when you read the article you find:
The director of the Observatory, Rami Abdul-Rahman, said rebels seized control of the Marj al-Sultan base on the outskirts of Damascus on Sunday morning. He said at least 15 rebels and eight soldiers were killed in the fighting that started a day earlier.
The rebels later withdrew from the base. 8)
November 26th, 2012, 11:10 am
Mjabali said:
Majedkhaldoun
Hey real Jihadist:
The Islamists are a big problem like your uncle Bashar al-Assad.
Bashar al- Assad is going away but your dangerous Islamist Jihadists are not. They are growing. They are also a problem for many countries other than Syria.
How to combat those Islamist Jihadists is not a question directed to you since you are one of them ya dude.
November 26th, 2012, 11:18 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Damage at the Tomb of Shaykh Abdallah Sirajuddin
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/damage-at-the-tomb-of-shaykh-abdallah-sirajuddin/
November 26th, 2012, 11:26 am
ann said:
aftermath of terrorist attack on Merj es Sultan airport
the conflict in Syria is deadly, that’s a fact..
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ad7_1353883390
this is a bloody mudrer. its not “Arab Spring”, its not “revolution” its a mudrer. you are not gaining anything by killing your neighbors because they are “counter-revolutionary” -or by killing the families of the troops, or mailmen, or paramedics, or firemen, or judges, district attorneys.. (you get the idea, because this is going to take a while)-, you just actually added to your trouble. because that’s another family that wants you dead..
CAPISCE?!
i would like to post this before they come out with the “victory” video, which is really going to be short lived after the Syrian Air Force bombs the heck out of the whole area.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ad7_1353883390
November 26th, 2012, 11:26 am
majedkhaldoun said:
Mjabali
There are those who are islamist jihadist, and there are those who fought for freedom and you call them mistakenly Jihadist, I belong to the freedom fighter.
It is time that you abandone Assad and his regime to protect your Alawi sect,the poor Alawis who hated Bashar should not suffer, he does not worth the sacrifice.his time is soon coming to an end.
watch carefully what is going on,Assad regime is getting very weak,two mig were downed today,Damascus is full of hidden weapons,The Alawis must abandone Bashar, and you too.
November 26th, 2012, 11:33 am
erin said:
What do you expect from the Muslim brotherhood but Dictators, killers, retards, according the National geographic that the Ice age man found in the Alps in the 90’s had very sophisticated brain intelligance which puts him ahead of the retard Islamists who are still chasing the teaching of retard deseret idiots who are below pigs on the scales of IQ.
Woohooo it is the GCC who are telling the world how live the new democracy I guess aftermath of all this the only one thing i am thankfull for is that MR. O is doing NOTHING in Syria, therefore the killings of Islamists jihadists will continue for now until further notice.
I guess his republicans hawks in agreemenet with his policy.
yay keep eliminating this retards on Syrian sole.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/embattled-morsi-calls-out-his-backers-8348400.html
November 26th, 2012, 11:34 am
Mjabali said:
Majedkhaldoun:
I know your ideas. I argued against you tens of times . You are an Islamist who would vote for an Islamist party . That is your agenda. Do not play taqiyyah
As for the Alawis : didn’t you say they have no religion and degraded them? You are the last to give them an advice.
As for your uncle al-Assad and the Alawis : I wish he leaves them away from his troubles but what can you do if they have al- Assad from one side
November 26th, 2012, 11:49 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Shaykh Yaqoubi at the Carnegie Endowment
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/shaykh-yaqoubi-at-the-carnegie-endowment/
November 26th, 2012, 11:49 am
Mjabali said:
Majedkhaldoun:
I know your ideas. I argued against you tens of times . You are an Islamist who would vote for an Islamist party . That is your agenda. Do not play taqiyyah .
As for the Alawis : didn’t you say they have no religion and degraded them? You are the last to give them an advice.
As for your uncle al-Assad and the Alawis : I
wish he leaves them away from his troubles but what can you do if they have al- Assad from one side and the Jihadists from the other. They are stuck these days ya dude
November 26th, 2012, 11:53 am
majedkhaldoun said:
Mjabali
It is clear that you lost the arguement
November 26th, 2012, 12:01 pm
Albo said:
“Extreme Islamists are part of the revolution, the majority of Syrian are not supportive of pure Islamist goverment,and they are the majority in this revolution,”
so long as they are allowing terrorists in their midst, their credentials as moderates are put into question.
If any islamic community in the West knowingly hid terrorists, in the knowledge of all, no one would trust them either.
November 26th, 2012, 12:24 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
Albo
You used the term terrorist, don’t you think Assad and his shabbiha are terrorists? why are you supporting them?those who fight against Assad are jihadist not terrorist,you have problem in the definition of terrorist,self defence is not terrorism,defending your family is not terrorism,shooting civilians by Assad and his Shabbiha is terrorism, indiscriminate bombing of cities is terrorism.
November 26th, 2012, 12:53 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
Accountability is one reason why Israel prospered and Arabs failed, Arab mentality still lives in the Middle Ages.
________________________________________________________________
Israel prospered because of rampant criminality…theft of others property, conspiracy against humanity, espionage on all nations, disregard to International laws, disregard to civilized world constitutions, even tramping on basic human dignity and morals.
Read the complete Protocols of Zion here:
http://www.iamthewitness.com/books/Protocols.of.Zion/index.htm
November 26th, 2012, 12:53 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
Which of the protocol of Zion goals is yet to be fulfilled now? Which of these listed goals can be argued that it is not a fact now:
Place our agents and helpers everywhere
Take control of the media and use it in propaganda for our plans
Start fights between different races, classes and religions
Use bribery, threats and blackmail to get our way
Use Freemasonic Lodges to attract potential public officials
Appeal to successful people’s egos
Appoint puppet leaders who can be controlled by blackmail
Replace royal rule with socialist rule, then communism, then despotism
Abolish all rights and freedoms, except the right of force by us
Sacrifice people (including Jews sometimes) when necessary
Eliminate religion; replace it with science and materialism
Control the education system to spread deception and destroy intellect
Rewrite history to our benefit
Create entertaining distractions
Corrupt minds with filth and perversion
Encourage people to spy on one another
Keep the masses in poverty and perpetual labor
Take possession of all wealth, property and (especially) gold
Use gold to manipulate the markets, cause depressions etc.
Introduce a progressive tax on wealth
Replace sound investment with speculation
Make long-term interest-bearing loans to governments
Give bad advice to governments and everyone else
November 26th, 2012, 1:05 pm
Albo said:
“self defence is not terrorism,defending your family is not terrorism”
Jabhat al-Nosra and co aren’t there to protect your family, however. There’s no higher moral ground at all with such people.
November 26th, 2012, 1:13 pm
Visitor said:
Some cold water on the hounding lov-u-in-perpetuum
The Egyptian so-called crisis was nothing but a storm in a tea cup. It is over folks,
http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/eed13854-460e-499d-94a8-a8f2acacf8b1?GoogleStatID=1
November 26th, 2012, 1:16 pm
Syrialover said:
Oh no! Not the “Mjabali war” again! Help, help.
Reasonable ideas are advanced on both sides then suddenly drowned out by personal accusations and insults.
It made sense to me when MJABALI raised the issue of financial electoral support being thrown behind secular political parties to balance the resourcing of Islamist movements.
And MAJHEDKHALDOUN differentiated clearly between Islamists and the the wider opposition movements in Syria.
But suddenly boom! we see the words ‘Jihadis’ and ‘Menhebbekjieh’ dropped out of nowhere and accusations of being pro-Assad Alawi, pro-Salafist etc etc flying like shrapnel. With reinforcement troops rushing in from both sides.
I feel like I need to escape, becoming a refugee from SyriaComment.
Can we salvage a rational discussion here about political Islam and its potential (or non-potential) to play a role in Syria? Now more than ever since the Egyptian MB appear to have run into a door and bruised their noses in the real world of complex issues.
November 26th, 2012, 1:54 pm
Syrialover said:
Not the “Mjabali war” again! Oh no! Help, help.
Reasonable ideas are advanced on both sides then suddenly drowned out by personal accusations and insults.
It made sense to me when MJABALI raised the issue of financial electoral support being thrown behind secular political parties to balance the resourcing of Islamist movements.
And MAJHEDKHALDOUN differentiated clearly between Islamists and the the wider opposition movements in Syria.
But suddenly boom! we see the words ‘Jihadis’ and ‘Menhebbekjieh’ dropped out of nowhere and accusations of being pro-Assad Alawi, pro-Salafist etc etc flying like shrapnel. With reinforcement troops rushing in from both sides.
I feel like I need to escape, becoming a refugee from SyriaComment.
Can we salvage a rational discussion here about political Islam and its potential (or non-potential) to play a role in Syria? Now more than ever since the Egyptian MB appear to have run into a door and bruised their noses in the real world of complex issues.
November 26th, 2012, 1:55 pm
Majedkhaldoun said:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/11/26/syrian-rebels-reportedly-seize-major-dam-in-north/
Tishrin Dam is the source of electricity, Assad will lose syrian energy
November 26th, 2012, 2:02 pm
zoo said:
Contrary to Hollande’s hopes about changing Russia’s view on Syria, Medevev gave him a strong lesson to respect the UN charter that prohibits forcing a regime change in a country part of the UN. He also alluded to Russia being worried about the Euro that are 41% of its reserves.
Russia PM slams ‘unacceptable’ support of Syria rebels
MOSCOW – Agence France-Presse
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russia-pm-slams-unacceptable-support-of-syria-rebels.aspx?pageID=238&nID=35461&NewsCatID=359
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev slammed as “unacceptable” the recognition and support by France and other states of the Syrian opposition battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Britain and France have joined Turkey and Arabian Peninsula states in recognising a newly formed opposition bloc as the sole representative of the Syrian people. Paris has also suggested arming the opposition fighters.
“From the point of view of international law, this is absolutely unacceptable,” Medvedev said in the interview at his suburban Gorki residence.
“A desire to change the political regime of another state by recognising a political force as the sole carrier of sovereignty seems to me to be not completely civilized,” he added.
…
Medvedev noted that EU states account for half of Russia’s trade volume while Moscow holds some 41 percent of its foreign currency reserves in euros.
….
But he emphasised that Russia has no intention of moving out of euros in its reserves even though he acknowledged bringing up the importance of the currency in conversations with EU leader.”
November 26th, 2012, 2:09 pm
Syrialover said:
If anyone feels like a nourishing feast of Syrian history, culture and society, pay a visit to that wonderful site of photographic archives http://www.syrianhistory.com/ar
A great quick opener is the twitter account that puts up highlights: https://twitter.com/syrianhistory
(It’s a pity they have partly undermined their efforts with an over-the-top watermark)
November 26th, 2012, 2:14 pm
zoo said:
Tit for Tat… Syrian rebels support = Turkish rebels support
PKK receiving Iranian support: Turkish interior minister
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/pkk-receiving-iranian-support-turkish-interior-minister.aspx?pageID=238&nID=35473&NewsCatID=338
Tehran is guilty of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to Turkish Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin.
“We are quite aware of Iran’s support for the PKK,” the minister told state broadcaster TRT amid an official visit to Turkey by Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani.
“We know that PKK members that are wounded during clashes against the Turkish army are treated in Iranian hospitals,” Şahin said.
November 26th, 2012, 2:17 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
monday after the amurderkan thanksgiving, thankstaking.
many citizens still homeless after hurricanes sandy and katrina give thanks that wall st got its electricity back quickly and its offices rebuilding gratis taxpayers.
taxpayers dont mind sleeping out in the cold and going hungry as long as amurderka’s thieves are plump and comfortable.
and
the foreign terrorists have funds and weapons to destroy syria.
November 26th, 2012, 2:26 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
nice to remember riverbend and her diary.
riverbend is doubly thankful to judaized amurderka.
1. her homeland, iraq, destroyed to bring, not democracy (propaganda word), but chaos.
2. her new home, syria, now under assault by wonderful, judaized amurderka.
read her archived letters:
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
November 26th, 2012, 2:31 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
democracy and free markets have brought more death, destruction, misery, and poverty than diseases and wars.
wait
amurderka’s versions of democracy and free markets are diseases and wars.
god bless riverbend and her family.
November 26th, 2012, 2:34 pm
Aldendeshe said:
NIBIRU geting closer by the hour, get ready….Looks like Mayans are right on the timing after all. This could be nearest at December 22, 2012. Hopefully, it will not cause the Antartic ice shelf to plunge into the sea as it did last time around, causing giant tsunami and flooding. But again,I sure hope so please slide very fast, in an instance, and toward Arabia Gulf just as happen before.
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/11/strange-two-suns-reported-by-lebanon-news-nibiru-2502446.html
November 26th, 2012, 2:35 pm
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Devastation from Bombardments on Maarat al-Numan, Idlib
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/devastation-from-bombardments-on-maarat-al-numan-idlib/
November 26th, 2012, 2:42 pm
Citizen said:
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev slammed support of Syria’s rebels by France and the UK as “unacceptable.”
http://www.theage.com.au/world/russia-slams-support-of-syrias-rebels-20121126-2a3a3.html
November 26th, 2012, 2:47 pm
Aldendeshe said:
Qatar avg. elevation is 52 feet, most of it under 26 feet. A quick plung of the Ice Shelf will wipe it out of the map in minutes. Unless, the shelf falls into the Pacific or Atlantic. Maybe the U.S. army have an idea, that is why it vacated all bases on the East coast to west of Missouri.
http://beforeitsnews.com/survival/2012/10/east-coast-military-bases-being-evacuated-under-cover-of-darkness-confirmed-by-inside-sources-2448084.html
November 26th, 2012, 2:47 pm
Mjabali said:
Mr Syria lover:
I did not start the labels match. It is majedkhaldoun who can never have a civilized discussion. Also what I described him with is a fact . He is happy with that label.
As for raising points like how to make an alternative party : I will keep on trying and the right people will join I’m time .
November 26th, 2012, 2:53 pm
Syrialover said:
HAMOUDEH AL-HALABI #360
I never stop feeling fresh shock and devastation at such images. Thank your for all the first-rate online material you’re providing.
AND
For God’s sake, take a break and look at that stuff, those who have just unleashed their compulsion to dump over-the-top conspiracy theories, cultist delusions and pseudo-news about Russian views on this forum.
Real world, real people, real issues and events – REAL things to think about.
November 26th, 2012, 3:12 pm
Syrialover said:
MJABALI #363,
I was not talking about “who started it”. Like when refereeing kids scuffles.
Anyone who retaliates, joins in and continues the “war” is getting in the way of worthwhile discussion.
You are just making it worse by repeating and acknowledging that stuff.
Go on, I challenge you to stick to discussion, making non-personal responses to points. Disregarding anything you imagine is bait.
What a fatastic practise for what needs to be happening in Syria!!
Give it a try. I pledge to read it.
November 26th, 2012, 3:21 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
syrians, we bring the good and meaningful life. run out and help the foreigners destroy your country.
have a peek:
Black Friday: American Wage Slaves Fight Over Chinese Slave Goods
By Patrick Henningsen
November 26, 2012 “Information Clearing House” – How does it make you feel when you see people fight like animals – over something like a new iPhone5 or Samsung Galaxy mobile phone?
You can tell the health of the tree by the quality of its fruits. America, as is evidenced by this week’s annual materialistic ritual known as ‘Black Friday’, has produced this particularly rotten fruit, consistently. It’s getting way too predictable for our liking.
The name “Black” joined with Friday, in itself, is worth looking at – in all its Satanic symbolism.
Why do they try to market this event as some sort of national holiday and call it “Black”?
It’s important to point out first, that in America, shopping is not just a basic human need, it’s a national sport – where people root for brands like football team. And as you will see, it’s a very competitive sport. On Black Friday, it moves up the ladder to become gladitorial.
It all started with the Cabbage Patch Doll uprisings back in the 1980′s. It seemed like a fluke at the time. But the trend has raged on, and on. An epic battle for a load of cheap plastic made in China and Vietnam, mostly by women and children on a dollar a day.
Quite simply, it’s a victory for worldly goods, over humanity, as people worship brands like gods for sale. The devil’s handiwork, no less.
In reality, Black Friday is nothing more than a collective con – a nonevent, made to appear as an event.
American wage slaves who have witnessed such riots like in the videos below, should know by now that America’s once coveted status as the progressive world’s cultural leader – has come and gone. More and more it’s looking like ‘American exceptionalism’ could be the stuff of 20th century history already.
Those who have taken part in the Black Friday ritual should also know that their rulers are indeed laughing at them right now – as they watch their social engineering master plan come to fruition – segments of the population all but reduced to a shallow pulp of mindless consumerism, currently in the process of eating itself.
The remaining, mentally challenged chattering classes, will also watch these ugly scenes and then sit and argue whether Black Friday riots are the result of an Obama or Romney victory, as if. This level of sub-intelligence is what killed American democracy – another victory for the elite.
On a foreign policy note, if you are an Arab watching these scenes below, you might want to ask yourself, if this is what Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton were talking about when they waxed lyrical during your Arab Spring (that wasn’t) about the virtues of exporting ”American values of freedom and democracy”?
Imagine when the dollar collapses – how ugly would that look. Empty supermarket shelves. How would Americans treat each other then?
It’s become a pathetic tradition, in what is way past the point of national embarrassment, but it’s not – instead, they promote it…
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33152.htm
November 26th, 2012, 3:37 pm
Uzair8 said:
Can the regime no longer protect vital infrastructure such as the Tishrin electricity Dam and oil fields?
What good is the regime for? Is it only good for protecting itself?
Does this change the equation for ‘fence-sitters’?
November 26th, 2012, 3:43 pm
Citizen said:
BREAKING: Syrian Jets Bomb FSA HQ on Turkey Border. Turkey Returns Fire! Russian Expert Warns of Possibility of Large Scale War In Middle East!
November 26th, 2012, 3:58 pm
Ghat Al Bird said:
Its to say the least sad and disheartening as well as disgusting as what the Syrian people men, women, children have done to each other in the past year.
Have none had the courage and honesty to accept the realities that the only winners in this context are none Syrians with a neighbor of Syria being the principal one [ and its not Lebanon, or Turkey ].
One remembers Madeleine Allbright the US Secretary of State telling CBS that , “its worth killing 500,000 Iraqi children to get rid of Saddam Hussein.” One can imagine what Susan Rice the potential Sec. of State being considered by President Obama might consider number of dead Syrians as a ” worth killing” to accomplish regime change.
November 26th, 2012, 4:02 pm
Citizen said:
Iran warns Turkey not to deploy NATO missiles
Iran said the deployment of Patriot defence missiles near Turkey’s border with Syria would worsen tensions, as fears grow of the Syrian civil war spilling across the region.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=99197
November 26th, 2012, 4:05 pm
Citizen said:
Netanyahu Plans More War
http://rense.com/general95/bibi-plans-more-war.html
IF US troops are operating the Patriot missile batteries (which are not all that accurate at all), they will be sitting ducks for any false flag Israel may try to engineer to commit the US government even further toward an outright invasion of Syria.
November 26th, 2012, 4:09 pm
ALI said:
Amjad (and everybody who likes to participate (soundly & reasonably) in this discussion except the barking pitpull dog:
In principle I have no problem with your 6 items plan (I highly question #3 and need more explanation ) but these items are quite detailed while we have not agreed yet on the principle of the third new born Syria. I was aiming to start with some broad lines then go down to details (i.e. import booze).
My opening statement of such a discussion is:
The current crisis in Syria has been analysed by experts and agencies across the world using all fancy terms and words, but in my assessment using simple and plain language it’s just a premature natural “power shifting” process from one side to another, but unfortunately using a chaotic and disordered modus.
In my opinion, a fair and just political situation would be the only comprehensive and viable answer to stop the madness in Syria. Such a solution is quite vital to spare the lives of civilians, maintain Syria in one piece, and most importantly to avoid turning the oldest inhabitant capital in the human civilization to a swamp full of warlords. In a nutshell, what I’m articulating is a solution between all involved parties on ground that ensures their contradicting goals and comforting their concerns. A solution which could be used as a solid foundation to build the new modern, advanced and secular Syria in alignment with all-in-all peace process in the Middle East.
The fabric of Syrian society is quite unique and astonishing giving the pluralism of backgrounds and sects. This fact has allowed Syrians throughout history to play a key role in all or most civilizations. But At the same time this could be the self-destruction recipe for Syria and Syrians if the sectarian card is played. I say this uniqueness is what differentiates Syria from other Middle Eastern countries where a dominant sect or background is in control for long and for good, and I do believe any political solution should be based on preserving this background pluralism within Syrian society instead of omitting components out of this fine-line equation. The solution, in my opinion, could be quite simple to a degree. The solution is to provide Syrians with a framework which mandates order, cohesion and vision in order to achieve unified aims and goals, such a framework could help in orchestrating efforts and resources to cross to the shores of safety safe and sound.
Furthermore, applying this framework should lead to a national dialogue (under a new interim leadership) which in return might lead to a Syrian version of Al-Taif Agreement, which might be called something like Al-Qahira Agreement or maybe Brussels Agreement. Now in order to give such an agreement a good probability of survival and viability, then it should guarantee two main controversial conditions:
1) The power shifting from Alawis to Sunnis
2) Minorities pluralism on the basis of equality and mutual coexistence
Do you agree on these two principles?
November 26th, 2012, 5:02 pm
Syrialover said:
Now we see it.
Those Iranian “advisers” crowding Bashar’s office and living quarters have decided it’s time to give Turkey and its allies more excuse to bring on their Patriot missile and aircraft defence system.
What fun those Mullah servants are having, provoking and escalating. Using Syria as a tool via their pinheaded psychopath puppet Bashar Assad.
Story: Syrian warplanes ‘bombard rebel HQ’
Syrian warplanes have bombed a rebel headquarters near the Turkish border, missing their target but sending hundreds of Syrians fleeing across the frontier.
Monday’s attack on the Free Syrian Army (FSA) base in Atima, two kilometres from the border, came a day before Turkish and NATO officials were due to start assessing where to station surface-to-air missiles close to the 900km border.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/11/2012112616469990730.html
November 26th, 2012, 5:06 pm
Dolly Buster said:
353. ZOO said:
Contrary to Hollande’s hopes about changing Russia’s view on Syria, Medevev gave him a strong lesson☻
The economy of the West is 50% of the world’s economy.
The economy of russia is 2% of the world’s economy.
So literally: if Russia disappeared, no one would notice.
With that in mind, the AIDS-afflicted ruskies are in no position to threaten anyone.
November 26th, 2012, 5:09 pm
Syrialover said:
ALI disappointingly prefaced his otherwise reasonable #373 commentary with “except the barking pitpull dog”.
Ali, please look at #365 and try it for the sake of everyone’s sanity and this forum’s survival.
November 26th, 2012, 5:12 pm
Darryl said:
318. DOLLY BUSTER said:
“Sweet. So, has this literature led you to abandon the worship of Crosses ?”
I see Dolly Buster you are still to busy busting dollies and simply stopped at the nearest $2 shop to buy this argument? Who told you Christians worship the cross?
This empty Jahilia argument is similar to someone proclaiming that Muslims worship the black stone. I believe the black stone is similar to the cross it has symbolism not worship status, am I wrong?
If you haven’t the time to read books to know better, then ask instead of proclaiming.
November 26th, 2012, 5:26 pm
Syrialover said:
Snap! Come out of that crazy trance of yours, 5 DANCING SHLOMOS (#366)
Blink. Stare around.
Say aloud the words: Real world, real people, real issues and events – REAL things to think about.
November 26th, 2012, 5:32 pm
Visitor said:
# 272 Come-Lately, or leprotic houndoom,
You haven’t seen what I brought to you today, have you?
You are the first one in this collection,
http://www.google.ca/search?q=houndoom&hl=en&tbo=u&rlz=1R2GGNI_en-GBCA477&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=aJKzUP71KsaZyQGQ_IH4CA&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1536&bih=744
Nice to be first, right? and the only one you’ll ever have.
You muttonhead tomfool think you can be taken seriously.
Nothing will move forward before our brothers in faith are integrated fully as full Syrian citizens and rewarded with mansions on the seaside. Keep that clear in your micro head Ali-Baba-come-lately. This is the prick that hurts most, right? And that is what you gonna get every time you peep in with that pin head of yours which looks no different than your idiot idol.
November 26th, 2012, 5:36 pm
Syrialover said:
VISITOR #378 what are you saying? Blur, blur, all I see is insults – I’ve got a headache trying to understand your point.
Please state your argument so it can be followed.
November 26th, 2012, 5:41 pm
Syrialover said:
Car wash? Forget car wash in Syria, the FSA performs special tank wash services
http://twitter.com/arwamenla/status/272508552323686400/photo/1
November 26th, 2012, 5:48 pm
Albo said:
374. DOLLY BUSTER said:
“The economy of the West is 50% of the world’s economy.
The economy of russia is 2% of the world’s economy.
So literally: if Russia disappeared, no one would notice.
With that in mind, the AIDS-afflicted ruskies are in no position to threaten anyone.”
The new Russian doctrine isn’t based on the strategic bipolarity of the Soviet era anymore, they are counting on the new emerging multipolar world made possible by the rise of the BRICS in which they have a place of choice.
However you define the West, NATO countries for example, it’s the BRICS which are driving global growth now and their combined economies should outweigh those of these western countries in a decade or so.
The AIDS trope is a post-soviet thing explained by the disarray of health services during the 90′ crisis, now the situation has improved. Like for the demography you seem to rely on sensationalist and outdated information.
November 26th, 2012, 6:05 pm
Albo said:
The Egyptian opposition isn’t reassured by today’s meeting, ElBaradei is still very concerned. The crisis isn’t solved, contrary to what some poster of poor judgement hastily concluded. Morsi’s authoritarian impulses have been exposed, and the compromise may just be another trick. In any case, demanding extraordinary powers for a short time frame and then extending them forever is like the oldest trick of dictators since the Roman republic. The judges will challenge Morsi’s decree on December 4th, that is they will judge one of his decisions, precisely what the decree was intended to prevent. So wait and see.
“CAIRO – Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Monday softened a decision to take on near-absolute power,saying through a spokesman that only certain decisions would be free from judicial review.
Framed as a clarification to a controversial proclamation that give Morsi the power to legislate by decree without oversight, the explanation Monday that only “acts of sovereignty” were immune from courtroom oversight seemed unlikely to satisfy animprobable coalition of liberal, secular forces and defenders of the autocratic rule of former president Hosni Mubarak. But it appeared to be an attempt to divide the forces arrayed against Egypt’s first democratically-elected ruler.
…
“It has to be politically worked out. It’s clearly a way for Morsi to preserve what he really wanted, plus to save face,” said Nathan Brown, a political science professor at George Washington University who is an expert on Egypt’s legal system.
The distinction “has been a slippery legal concept, because authoritarian rulers have used it in the Arab world to get away with almost anything in the last half century,” he said.” -WaPo.
November 26th, 2012, 6:15 pm
alepoinmyheart said:
It’s so orgasmic to watch these mullah who have invested 30 years of hard work, billions dollar of investment to get a definitive foot and shiitize this sunni country everything crumbling, from the hussayniyate to the syria alawi armed forces, to their economic investment (mostly proselitism ) all crumbling
What goes around, come around.
The so called islamic republic will be defintely kicked out from syria and all the pilgrims who are no more than occupation will be banned.
November 26th, 2012, 7:49 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20491697
The pilots who committd this murder must be sentenced to death and if captured they must face their fate with no delay.
November 26th, 2012, 7:50 pm
zoo said:
The Moslem Brotherhood have no model of ‘democracy’ to follow as their ideology is essentially religious thus authoritarian. Therefore they are erring in the power labyrinth with trial and error decisions, trying to temper the negative reactions by declaring they are only temporary and ‘limited’. Mursi and the Moslem Brotherhood are amateurs in leading a country. Will they learn fast enough to satisfy their donors and their constituency before they are kicked out?
I am not sure how long they can fool the world in making them believe they are after ‘democracy’ in Egypt.
November 26th, 2012, 7:53 pm
Aldendeshe said:
@ZOO
When are you going to tell us something about how Bashar is going to put this mess to end? It took him 2 years fightng a bunch of foreign paid terrorists? common man, what a fuk***ng joke. He destroyed Syria, Syria’s army, lost the Furat Dam, Lost so many bases, lost the oil field, did he lose his brain yet?
November 26th, 2012, 7:56 pm
Tara said:
Achieving victory one military base after the other.
Syrian rebels capture three military bases in a week
Attacks yield large number of weapons, which had been in short supply
guardian.co.uk, Friday 23 November 2012 12.49 EST
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/23/syrian-rebels-capture-military-bases
Their menace was emphasised yet again on Wednesday when a bomb dropped from a jet scored a direct hit on the main opposition-held al-Shifa hospital in the Shaar district of Aleppo, killing up to 40 people.
Witnesses to the attack told the Guardian of carnage inside the building, which is in the middle of a commercial and residential district close to the centre of the city. They said the hospital was no longer functional and that wounded civilians or rebel fighters must now be treated in makeshift clinics.
Among the dead in al-Shifa were trauma surgeons and specialists who had treated scores of casualties each day for the past four months.
“It is a disaster what has happened here,” said a local vendor, Khaled Homsi, contacted by telephone. “Did the [Israelis] do this in Gaza? Never. This is a terrible war crime and it must be investigated by an international tribunal.”
November 26th, 2012, 8:07 pm
mjabali said:
Mr. SyriaLover:
Syria is a heated topic. There are lots of emotions. So, sometimes the participants should be given some space to vent out.
Behind the harsh words there are many layers of meanings and intentions.
The topics I try to speak about are expected to be contested, so, when I try to talk about the how to form new parties, with agendas different from the religious crowd, the religious crowd are expected to go up in arms. How much of a discussion can we get from them: not that much as you can see.
See, we have a huge problem in Syria because we are left with tow destructive sides: al-Assad from one side, and his unorganized opponents from the other. Both are violent and insist on solving matters through sheer force. This is destroying the country. Both parties should stop, or be stopped. One way to stop this is by helping the third segment of the Syrian population that do not share the views of those idiots killing each other.
This third segment is huge. They want change, and the options on the table are scary. They may get lost if matters were solved by force. There are no signs of democracy coming up there. No one is interested into talking about it.
The country, its identity, and infrastructure are being destroyed beyond imagination. A friend of mine said: “It is sad to say it, but Syria today is better that Syria tomorrow.”
Everyday, hundreds of Syrians dies violently. Can anyone come up with something to stop this?
November 26th, 2012, 8:20 pm
zoo said:
Is Hamas just showing gratitude to Iran, or just using it as a pressure on the Morsi and Qatar to force Israel to make serious concessions, or it is serious about intervening should Israel attack Iran? Morsi may be soon trapped in taking the full responsibility for Hamas behavior.
Official: Hamas will seek more weapons
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/official-hamas-will-seek-more-weapons/2012/11/26/94208828-37f7-11e2-9258-ac7c78d5c680_story.html
In an interview with reporters in his suburban Cairo villa, Hamas deputy political leader Mousa Abu Marzook said the militant Palestinian group would continue to seek weapons even as an Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo to begin talks over the second stage of a cease-fire agreement reached last week. He also said Hamas would not rule out renewed rocket attacks if Israel decided to attack Iran.
November 26th, 2012, 8:32 pm
Tara said:
“The Moslem Brotherhood have no model of ‘democracy’ to follow as their ideology is essentially religious thus authoritarian. Therefore they are erring…”
What about Erdogan government. Isn’t a model and a successful one?
November 26th, 2012, 8:39 pm
Aldendeshe said:
Hassan and Hussain died out of Shia cowardness. Shia should be ashamed right now for what they allowed to happen in Syria. Have Shia were not the coward they are, they would not have been sanctioned up the ass as they did. Yet the Ayatoilet seems fine with that, Persia being treated like nation of cowards. The IRGC should go that toilet and say, enough humiliation to Persia, we ca not take it anymore, a new world order needs to be defined, one that Persia, Syria and Russia can dictate the rule of law and practice to a one city state full of bedouins like Qatar.
November 26th, 2012, 8:45 pm
zoo said:
TARA #387
A detail missed by the Guardian: “capture”.. and withdrawn from in a matter of hours.
None of these three military bases stay under the rebels control.
I call that brief incursions, not a capture and certainly not occupation.
Many headlines like this one used are dramatic but don’t stand scrunity. What happens to the western journalists who were so keen to cross the turkish border and report on their visit to Aleppo’s rebels and the ‘liberated’ regions? I guess they don’t feel safe anymore or just lost interest. Syria is no more in the headlines.
These ‘victory’ news come only from desperate ‘optivists”…
November 26th, 2012, 8:45 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
Will Assad Soon Abandon the North to Rebel Control?
_________________________________________________________________
Next month blog post title:
Will Assad Soon Abandon Syria to Israeli Mercenaries Control?
November 26th, 2012, 8:53 pm
Sheila said:
Dear Mjabali,
I agree with what you said in #388, except for equating Alassad with the FSA. There is only one side to blame for the massive destruction and that is Alassad. Please watch the clips in post #360 and tell me what you think. I am still baffled that there exists a Syrian who can fly a plane in Syria and throw a bomb on Syrian towns. Who are these people? What is their make up? Where is their moral compass? How do they sleep at night? Are they able to look at their criminal reflection in a mirror? It is just incomprehensible. What is more shocking is that there are still people who find excuses for these acts of cold blooded murders.
November 26th, 2012, 8:54 pm
Aldendeshe said:
And the following year blog post title will be:
Will the coward Shia Ayatoilet abandon Persia for the 12 year old Muttaa new wife?
November 26th, 2012, 8:55 pm
zoo said:
#390 Tara
“Sharia in the secular Muslim states: Muslim countries such as Mali, Kazakhstan, and Turkey have declared themselves to be secular, meaning religious interference in state affairs, law, and politics is prohibited. In short, sharia is limited to personal and family matters.[44]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia
Do you think that’s what Morsi has in mind? I doubt…
The model closer to what Morsi has in mind are Pakistan and Indonesia. I guess he should go there to get some inspiration or invent one.
November 26th, 2012, 8:56 pm
Sheila said:
Dear Zoo #392,
You can keep hanging on to this firm belief that somehow Alassad will be able to overcome this hurdle. The end is near and the writing is on the wall exactly where the kids of Daraa left it almost two years ago. I urge you to please wake up and smell the gun powder.
November 26th, 2012, 9:00 pm
Tara said:
Zoo,
Where is your “Thanks Tara”?
FYI, I not only remembered the date but also spent almost an hour trying to find some exquisite photography. I am mad…
November 26th, 2012, 9:01 pm
zoo said:
397. Sheila
I have been reading so many of these predictions coming from supposedly informed bloggers for months.
Actually, if you ask any serious analyst, they’ll tell you that they don’t know the outcome of this crisis. Nobody seems to know. Now, maybe you have some inside information they don’t have or you are a psychic, otherwise it is pure speculation.
November 26th, 2012, 9:10 pm
zoo said:
#398 Tara
What date? what photograph? sorry I don’t follow you..
November 26th, 2012, 9:12 pm
ann said:
Syrian army fights pitch battles against rebels hoping to enter Damascus – 2012-11-26
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/26/c_132000448.htm
DAMASCUS, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) — Intense clashes are currently raging on in the Damascus’ suburb of Daraya between the Syrian government troops and the armed rebels, who have been poising to wage a wide-scale offensive on the capital, witnesses, media reports and activists said Monday.
Witnesses in nearby districts said they could hear the rattling sound of shelling and sensed the uneasiness in the surrounding of Daraya, which has emerged as a hotspot in Syria’s 20-months-old crisis.
Pro-government online news said the army is fighting “ferocious battles” there, adding that the armed rebels inside, including large number of foreign fighters, have been poising to enter Damascus through that area.
They said that many of those fighters have tried to flee Daraya through the nearby al-Liwan area, but were encountered by the government troops.
The opposition activists, meanwhile, said the army is shelling the sprawling suburb in a bid to storm it after several unsuccessful attempts.
Earlier in the day, the pro-government al-Watan daily said that Daraya has turned over the past few weeks into a fort for the terrorists, who have gathered inside of it in a bid to “crawl” toward the capital and fight what they call “the battle of Damascus.”
The paper said the majority of those fighters are foreigners affiliated with al-Qaida terror network. “They are also equipped with medium and heavy weaponries as well as mortar launchers,” it said.
Al-Watan placed the estimated number of those fighters at between 2,000 and 4,000, adding that those elements had booby- trapped buildings and roads and entrenched inside house, which they occupied by force.
It said the Syrian army had closed in on them and started to advance inside the area from four entrances, causing great losses on the armed groups.
The paper said that the foreign fighters’ bodies filled the streets of Daraya, but noted however, that large numbers of them are still entrenching inside buildings.
The battles there are “furious,” the paper said, adding that all sort of weaponries are being used in those battles. Al-Watan said that, according to sources, the army is expected to settle the situation in Daraya within the next few days.
Citing what it called “new data,” the paper said the Syrian army’s strategy relies on luring the largest possible number of terrorists into the city and eliminate them without leaving any exit for them to escape or withdraw as it had happened earlier.
[…]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/26/c_132000448.htm
November 26th, 2012, 9:13 pm
zoo said:
Syrian army bombing near Turkish border
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrian-jets-bomb-border-area-that-is-home-to-refugees-rebel-fighters/2012/11/26/cacabf8a-37d7-11e2-a263-f0ebffed2f15_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop
The intended target appeared to be a base for rebels who have been battling the Syrian government and military. The nearby village of Qah, also home to a large refugee population, and areas around the Bab al-Hawa border crossing were hit as well, according to opposition activists.
The strikes were some of the closest to the northern border so far. They came as Turkey prepared to bring NATO officials to the area Tuesday to inspect possible locations for Patriot air-defense missile batteries. Members of the alliance agreed last week to consider Turkey’s requests to help secure the 560-mile border, and NATO is expected to announce a formal decision on whether it will provide Patriot missiles to Turkey after surveying potential sites.
Mustafa Sheikh, the leader of the rebels’ main military council, whose headquarters is in Atmeh, said by telephone that the Syrian strikes Monday were intended to “terrify refugees and local people.”
However, other activists said the strikes were apparently aimed at a military target
November 26th, 2012, 9:16 pm
Tara said:
Zoo,
https://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=16640&cp=5#comment-336052
November 26th, 2012, 9:18 pm
zoo said:
Obama “betting” on Mursi – US State Department source
26/11/2012
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=31946
Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat – Following White House silence on the controversial constitutional declaration issued by Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi on Thursday, a US State Department source, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, revealed that President Barack Obama is “betting” on Mursi not just to emerge from the current crisis with the Egyptian opposition, but to help bring together the Arabs and Israelis.
The US State Department source revealed that “during the war of the rockets between Israel and Hamas, presidents Obama and Mursi spoke on numerous occasions over the telephone for long periods of time. It appears that Obama is not only grateful to Mursi for his role in mediating between Hamas and Israel, but he want him as an ally over the next 4 years.”
November 26th, 2012, 9:22 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Zoo,
Why do guerillas need to hold the military bases they capture anyways? Those bases serve no purpose except to allow the regime to bombard the surrounding countryside. Once the bases have been captured, and their weapons captured, there is no strategic reason at all for the rebels to hold on to them.
The FSA is fighting a classic and very successful guerilla war against the regime. First they capture a checkpoint. Then they use the weapons they captured to capture 3-5 more checkpoints. With their newly captured weapons, they capture a bigger checkpoint, and this continues until suddenly they’re besieging and capturing entire military bases.
The goal of the rebels is not necessarily to capture territory. Their goal is to capture weapons! Once they have enough weapons, then they can capture cities.
November 26th, 2012, 9:29 pm
zoo said:
In order to replace the “armed militias” and fight the “Salafists” in Syria,
Syrian Kurds form unified army, call for federalism
26/11/2012
By Shirzad Shikhani
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=31947
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat – A Syrian-Kurdish source, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, revealed that “Kurdish forces represented in the People’s Council of West Kurdistan and the Kurdish National Council arrived in Erbil to pave the way for the unification of fighters inside Syria’s Kurdish regions, to establish a popular army as an alternative to the armed militias that have run the security situation in Syria for a number of months”.
This group of Kurdish parties and forces, along with coordinating bodies, met in Erbil a few days ago to reach an agreement on unifying Kurdish efforts. This is in order to confront the threats that Kurdish regions are currently facing from Salafi groups, who in recent days have engaged in military confrontations with members of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, which effectively controls the situation on the ground in Syria’s Kurdish cities.
A leading Kurdish source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “talks were conducted in Erbil under the auspices of the leaders of the Kurdistan region.
November 26th, 2012, 9:30 pm
Sami said:
Uzair8,
I am sorry to have involved you in a separate discussion which you had nothing to do with, but ended up making you feel obliged in having to explaining yourself (So eloquently may I add).
That was no my intention, please accept my apologies.
November 26th, 2012, 9:31 pm
MarigoldRan said:
The regime is trying to surround and kill rebels near Damascus? Ok. But since they’re spending so much energy in the suburbs around Damascus, they’re losing EVERYWHERE else in the country.
If they send forces to fight elsewhere in the country, then they lose Damascus.
The regime doesn’t have the manpower to win. The guerillas are like a hydra. For every head the regime cuts off, two more takes its place.
November 26th, 2012, 9:32 pm
ann said:
Syrian troops kill “terrorists” nationwide, activists report intense shelling by gov’t troops – 2012-11-26
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/26/c_132000165.htm
DAMASCUS, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) — The Syrian troops on Monday killed ” terrorists”, including non-Syrians, in the central province of Homs and carried similar operations against members of al-Qaida- linked al-Nusra Front near the capital Damascus and northern Idlib province, the state media said, as activists reported heavy shelling by the government troops on rebels’ strongholds nationwide.
The state-run SANA news agency said army troops killed ” terrorists” including five Saudis and three Libyans at al- Khalidiya district in Homs, and destroyed their hideouts and ammunition.
It added that scores of others were killed at Juret al-Shayah, Bab Houd, al-Hamidiya, and al-Rastan and on the outskirts of al- Quseir area of Homs.
The state news agency also said the Syrian troops carried out ” qualitative” operations in the countryside Idlib province, another hotspots in Syria’s 20-month-old bloody unrest.
It said the operations were “precise and caped with success,” adding that many armed men affiliated with al-Qaida terror network were killed.
The army also carried out similar operations in the Harem area near Idlib, said SANA, adding that some armed men escaped to the Turkish territories by Turkish ambulances.
Turkey has emerged as a main sympathizer with the armed rebels in Syria as it provides them with safe haven and facilitates inroads to armed men and jihadists wishing to fight in Syria and wage Jihad against the Syrian troops.
In hotspots around the capital Damascus, SANA said, the army units eliminated several armed groups that belong to the al-Nusra Front in the towns of Hajjira, Thiabia, Mashtal and Yalda.
It said some of the most dangerous “terrorists” were killed during the army showdown in those areas.
Similar clashes were also reported in the southern province of Daraa, where “the army confronted members of al-Qaida,” according to SANA.
Meanwhile, activists reported heavy shelling by government troops on rebel strongholds in several areas around Damascus and elsewhere in the conflict-torn country.
The Local Coordination Committees (LCC), an activists’ network, said the troops pounded the Damascus suburbs of Jdaidet Artous, Kafar Souseh, Hajar al-Aswad and Muadamieh, leaving three people dead.
The LCC also reported intense shelling on al-Mahbar town in Idlib, Sheikh Miskeen area in Daraa and al-Rastan in Homs, with 14 people killed Monday.
[…]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/26/c_132000165.htm
November 26th, 2012, 9:32 pm
MarigoldRan said:
What’s the point of killing 100 rebels, if 200 rebels will take their place?
Every bomb or shell the regime drops encourages more people to take up arms against the regime.
November 26th, 2012, 9:34 pm
MarigoldRan said:
The regime’s strategy from the start has been to try to beat the opposition into submission.
But if that didn’t work two years ago, when the regime was immeasurably stronger, how are they going to make it work now?
Once again, for every rebel the regime kills, TWO MORE TAKE HIS PLACE. This is the major reason why the regime is losing, and will continue to lose until it’s dead.
November 26th, 2012, 9:38 pm
Sami said:
Albo,
My intention was never to just concentrate on you or take an interest in just you…
Your comment about the regime reforming itself caught my eye, that is all.
Oh BTW if I thought you were a propagandist I would just come out and say so. I did after all call you a genocide enthusiast why would I stop at propagandist? 😉
RE: The two Toilets
I do agree ANN and Warren’s comments do deserve to be flushed down the toilet where they belong…
November 26th, 2012, 9:38 pm
zoo said:
#403 Tara
Sorry, I missed that post as I am rapidly scrolling the heading and the author of the comments since I skip reading many of them.
Yes, I has seen a serie of these amazing photos of Ashura in Iran, in many villages and towns with different style and always extraordinary imagination in shapes and colors. No wonder the most beautiful carpets in the world are made in such villages.
One article called it Carnaval Ashura… It does look like one sometimes…
Thanks for pointing to me something colourful in these somber times.
November 26th, 2012, 9:39 pm
Sami said:
A very good read.
In Syria, An Act Of Reconciliation Stirs Fierce Debate
by DEBORAH AMOS
November 20, 201212:39 PM
After 20 months of violence in Syria, acts of reconciliation are scarce.
When one took place earlier this month in the town of Tel Kalakh, near the border with Lebanon, it touched off a fierce debate.
The man at the center is Ahmad Munir Muhammed, the governor of Homs, who has long been known as a loyalist of embattled President Bashar Assad.
However, Muhammed made an official visit to Tel Kalakh, where the majority of neighborhoods are controlled by the rebels.
With the rebels guaranteeing his safety, the governor drove into Tel Kalakh in early November to see a city where revolutionary flags flutter from most mosques. He was reportedly shocked by the devastation from army bombardments and paramilitary attacks on this border town.
His visit was approved by the rebel commander of Tel Kalakh, Abdul Rathman Wallo. The men were even photographed together.
Tangible benefits followed. The Syrian Red Crescent delivered humanitarian aid to the besieged civilians. More than a dozen Syrian soldiers who had defected, men wanted by the Syrian regime and some of them seriously wounded, were allowed to slip across the border to Lebanon for medical treatment.
[…]
9*http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/11/19/165510325/in-syria-an-act-of-reconciliation-stirs-fierce-debate
November 26th, 2012, 9:42 pm
MarigoldRan said:
What are the Alawites thinking? Have 40 years of dictatorship addled their brains? The longer this goes on, the worse it will be for their community.
And what is the regime thinking? They’re clinging to a losing strategy, a strategy that has lost them most of the country in 1 year of war. If their strategy didn’t work two years ago, how do they expect it to work now?
Have the regime and its supporters lost their minds? Has 40 years of dictatorship turned them into lemmings and dummies, trained to jump off a cliff because their leader told them to do so?
This is stupid. Everything the regime is doing is stupid! They’re being brutal, evil, and oppressive. AND they’re LOSING. Everyone can see it! And yet the Alawites continue to jump off the cliff, with Assad leading them.
November 26th, 2012, 9:44 pm
Sami said:
The Hackers of Damascus
By Stephan Faris on November 15, 2012
Taymour Karim didn’t crack under interrogation. His Syrian captors beat him with their fists, with their boots, with sticks, with chains, with the butts of their Kalashnikovs. They hit him so hard they broke two of his teeth and three of his ribs. They threatened to keep torturing him until he died. “I believed I would never see the sun again,” he recalls. But Karim, a 31-year-old doctor who had spent the previous months protesting against the government in Damascus, refused to give up the names of his friends.
It didn’t matter. His computer had already told all. “They knew everything about me,” he says. “The people I talked to, the plans, the dates, the stories of other people, every movement, every word I said through Skype. They even knew the password of my Skype account.” At one point during the interrogation, Karim was presented with a stack of more than 1,000 pages of printouts, data from his Skype chats and files his torturers had downloaded remotely using a malicious computer program to penetrate his hard drive. “My computer was arrested before me,” he says.
Much has been written about the rebellion in Syria: the protests, the massacres, the car bombs, the house-to-house fighting. Tens of thousands have been killed since the war began in early 2011. But the struggle for the future of the country has also unfolded in another arena—on a battleground of Facebook (FB) pages and YouTube accounts, of hacks and counterhacks. Just as rival armies vie for air superiority, the two sides of the Syrian civil war have spent much of the last year and a half locked in a struggle to dominate the Internet. Pro-government hackers have penetrated opposition websites and broken into the computers of Reuters (TRI) and Al Jazeera to spread disinformation. On the other side, the hacktivist group Anonymous has infiltrated at least 12 Syrian government websites, including that of the Ministry of Defense, and released millions of stolen e-mails.
The Syrian conflict illustrates the extent to which the very tools that rebels in the Middle East have employed to organize and sustain their movements are now being used against them. It provides a glimpse of the future of warfare, in which computer viruses and hacking techniques can be as critical to weakening the enemy as bombs and bullets. Over the past three months, I made contact with and interviewed by phone and e-mail participants on both sides of the Syrian cyberwar. Their stories shed light on a largely hidden aspect of a conflict with no end in sight—and show how the Internet has become a weapon of war.
[…]
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-15/the-hackers-of-damascus#p1
November 26th, 2012, 9:48 pm
ann said:
412. Sami said:
“”” I do agree ANN and Warren’s comments do deserve to be flushed down the toilet where they belong… “””
Censorship huh ?!
Freedom of speech and democracy Al-Qaeda style 8)
November 26th, 2012, 10:59 pm
Observer said:
Some can post and others will flush the posts.
This is true freedom of speech.
Justice for Hamza
Cheers
November 26th, 2012, 11:15 pm
ann said:
Libyan Scenario for Syria – 26.11.2012
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2012/11/26/libyan-scenario-for-syria.html
This September the British Times published an article saying the largest shipload of arms destined for Free Syrian Army came to Turkey from Libya. It stated there were 400 tons of weapons, including an unspecified number of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, grenade launchers and other arms aboard a Libyan ship the Intisaar, docked at the Turkish port of Iskenderun. The ship’s captain was Omar Mousaeeb, a Libyan from Benghazi.
It is far from being the only arms shipment sent to anti-government Syrian gangs in recent months. Back in April this year the Libyan authorities intercepted a cache of weapons aboard the Luftfallah II cargo vessel that supposedly were intended to supply opposition forces in Syria. The shipment included portable anti-tank grenade launchers, mortars, large caliber machine guns, automatic rifles and shoulder-fired air defense systems. According to the Sunday Times, in the period since April till August at least seven arms shipments, including portable air defense missiles, were unloaded from vessels near Lebanon. The ships never entered the port of Tripoli but were anchored in neutral waters 30 km from the Lebanese coast. The boats unloaded the weapons when the night darkness descended.
According to Franklin Lamb, Foreign Policy Journal, at least 24 states are involved in supplying weapons to the insurgents. Two thirds of them are NATO members…. UN’s Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi suggested that the United States may be directly or indirectly supplying man-portable air-defense systems to rebels in Syria. As to the BBC news, the Syrian militants have already received two dozen of US-produced shoulder-fired air defense systems transported across the territory of Turkey.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged $40 million to secure and destroy stockpiles of weapons in Libya during her visit to Tripoli in November 2011. As to Mr. Lamb, the Obama administration was fully aware the arms shiploads went to Syria, the fact confirmed by US Congress documents. At the House Oversight Committee hearings held on October 10, Democratic Congressman from Ohio Dennis John Kucinich asked witnesses how many shoulder-fired aid defense systems were stolen from military depots in Libya. Eric Nordstrom, Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Department of State, said in response the figure vacillated from 10 to 20 thousand.
As it has become known recently, not long before his death, US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens had met with Turkish Consul General Ali Sait Akin in Benghazi to discuss possible arms shipments from Libya to Syria. In March 2011 Stevens was told to establish contacts with the Libyan «rebels» close to Al-Qaeda, who transferred arms to Syria. As to Clare Lopez, the author of books devoted to intelligence issues, Stevens was told to assist in coordinating US assistance to insurgents led by their top military commander Abdelhakim Belhaj, emir of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. Vicky Nissen, a journalist, thinks Stevens received a permission from US State Department and Obama’s administration to assist the groups closely affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Before that the Daily Telegraph had reported Belhaj, an important contact of Ambassador Stevens, «met with Free Syrian Army leaders in Istanbul and on the border with Turkey» He offered them arms, money and assistance from instructors to fight Assad.
The clouds keep on gathering over Syria. French Ambassador to the country Eric Chevallier openly said back in September that France was cooperating with the «opposition» forces there. France’s Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told RMS radio that France assisted the Free Syrian Army. At the beginning of November French President Francois Hollande promised to begin large-scale arms deliveries to Syrian «opposition» in case it united. According to Die Welt French shoulder-fired air systems Mistral, that joined the French Army’s inventory in 1988, got into Syrian militants hands. Not long ago the French parachuted weapons to Libyan militants in violation of the UN Security Council resolution N 1970, imposing embargo on arms supplies to Libya. It’s logical to think Paris is acting the same way now.
Following French example, Great Britain is on the way to recognize Syrian «rebels» as a «lawful government» and unilaterally lift embargo of arms deliveries to Syrian «opposition» to topple the Bashar Assad’s government. In other words, the British and French intend to repeat the Libyan scenario. The Sunday Times reported the UK intelligence uses its Cyprus facility to survey the situation in Syria and then shares the information with Turkey and the United States. In its turn, Turkey shares it with Syrian militants. As a result the «terrorist international» strikes hard the Syrian government forces.
In November the Daily Star published an article that says the Royal Air Force was set for «no-fly» zone in Syria the way it was done in Libya. It says British Special Forces are helping to train «rebel» assassination squads to target President Assad and his warlords. Troops from the SAS, SBS and Paras from the Special Reconnaisance Regiment are in Syria to train militants and instruct them on handling explosives. According to the first phase of Cameron-Obama plan, UK, US and French air forces will patrol the «no-fly» zone.
[…]
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2012/11/26/libyan-scenario-for-syria.html
November 26th, 2012, 11:18 pm
Observer said:
Let us be clear: the regime from the very outset never wanted any dialogue nor any negotiations nor any reforms.
The mantra was and remains: either we are in charge or we destroy the place. This was told clearly by non other than the former head of Hafez security chief himself at the beginning of the crisis.
The utter wanton and indiscriminate destruction is purely one sided and the FSA do not have the means to destroy anything even if they wanted to.
Those that equate the regime with the rebels are despicable. Tolerance towards the person spewing despicable items and requirements for his/her protection does not equate with tolerance of the ideas and compromise on principles of right and wrong or hesitation in pointing out the truth and falsehood.
This is not an argument, this is a compilation of facts and any pretense of so called conspiracy and universal attack on Syria and doomsday scenarios are just utter silly and reprehensible distractions. Likewise obfuscation of the facts with broad brush strokes painting the opposition of this or that exclusivist ideology is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to try to justify the horrors and crimes committed by a bunch of criminal mafia state.
Justice for Hamza. Great will be the day when Asma will confront the mother of Hamza in a court of law and where her sorry husband will face a criminal court defended by the best lawyers Russia and Iran can provide.
Cheers
November 26th, 2012, 11:25 pm
Visitor said:
The battle for Damascus is looming as the the circle around the neck of the nazi criminals completes. A siege will set in followed by a final assault to route the thugs once and for all. Destruction will be immense.
Just like in the case of the Nazis, nothing short of total, unconditional and humiliating surrender of the criminal thugs would suffice.
FSA is a Superpower in and by itself.
November 26th, 2012, 11:36 pm
ann said:
West Savages Gaza – Slowly Burns Syria – Nov 21, 2012
http://www.infowars.com/west-savages-gaza-slowly-burns-syria/
Even as nations like Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt protest the Western-backed and facilitated destruction of Gaza by Israel, they, along with these very Western nations they protest, including Israel, continue coordinating efforts with each other to topple and destroy Syria.
Weapons and aid that many Arabs would like to see sent to defend Gaza, are instead in the hands of terrorists killing fellow Arabs across the Levant in the pursuit of long-ago articulated US-Israeli-Saudi plans to reshape the Middle East for their collective hegemonic ambitions.
Israeli Attack on Gaza – A Feast for those Starving of Legitimacy
In fact, the Israeli attack on Gaza – an otherwise fruitless adventureassured to end in either an embarrassing early ceasefire for Israel, or another 2006 Lebanon-style strategic defeat – is designed to give Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, and others across the region currently working with the US, UK, EU, and Israel to destroy Syria, a renewed sense of legitimacy in the eyes of the Muslim World.
Not only are Muslim nations that are in league with the West benefiting from this “legitimacy windfall,” so are international institutions like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The reputations of both have suffered for consistently backing and defending terrorists operating inside Syria as the general public increasingly becomes aware of the atrocities they are committing and their true, sectarian motivations. The nebulous Anonymous group, which has also lent tremendous support for Western-backed terrorists operating in Syria, has also used the Israeli-Gaza conflict to continue casting doubt as to where their real loyalty lies.
Manipulative Roll-Out for US-Created “Opposition Council”
The attack is one of many stunts playing out this month to strengthen the faltering, stalled campaign to implement long-planned Western-backed regime change in Syria – a plot aimed ultimately at the subsequent destruction of Iran.
Another ploy has been the US handpicking a so-called “Syrian opposition council” (and here) at a meeting in Doha, the capital of the despotic monarchical regime of Qatar. The opposition council is merely window dressing for a network of terrorists directly linked to Al Qaeda, funded and armed by the West since 2007, to violently overthrow the Syrian government. The council represents a collage of ineffectual, long-time servants of Western interests, rejected both within and beyond Syria’s borders.
To multiply a sense of legitimacy for the newly Western-created council, each Western nation behind the front has taken turns over the last week, making “dramatic” announcements of recognition of the council as the “sole legitimate representatives of the Syrian people.”
This would include an announcement from France by President François Hollande, who is facing all time low approval ratings for the blatant and continual betrayal of his campaign promises, which included withdrawing from, not accelerating, foreign entanglements. It remains to be seen what legitimacy Hollande can offer the council, when he himself faces a crisis of legitimacy in his own office.
Similar announcements have been made, piecemeal for dramatic drawn out effect, by the EU and the UK. This strategy mirrors regime change efforts aimed at Libya, which has left the nation decimated through a combination of NATO bombardment, sectarian genocide, tribal warfare, and the country in the hands of a clearly servile Western-client regime and terrorists hailing from the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), one of the most notorious and prolific wings of Al Qaeda in the Arab World. LIFG is now currently, with NATO aid, flooding arms, cash, and militants into Syria.
Treason Unfolds in Doha, Qatar.
[…]
http://www.infowars.com/west-savages-gaza-slowly-burns-syria/
November 26th, 2012, 11:51 pm
ann said:
US-Created “Syrian Opposition” Led by Big Oil Rep – November 25, 2012
As in Libya, Syrian “opposition” is led by long-time servants of Western corporate-financiers.
http://www.infowars.com/us-created-syrian-opposition-led-by-big-oil-rep/
VoltarieNet’s Thierry Meyssan reported in an article titled, “The many faces of Sheikh Ahmad Moaz Al-Khatib” that:
Completely unknown to the international public only a week ago, Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib has been catapulted to the presidency of the Syrian National Coalition, which represents pro-Western opposition in the Damascus government. Portrayed by an intense public relations campaign as a highly moral personality with no partisan or economic attachments, he is in truth a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and an executive of the Shell oil company.
Indeed, al-Khatib had worked at the al-Furat Petroleum Company for six years, according to the BBC, which is partnered with Shell Oil. Al-Khatib is also said to have lobbied for Shell in Syria between 2003-2004, and has likewise taught classes in both Europe and the United States, this according to his biography featured on his own website.
While the global public is repeatedly told that the violence in Syria is the result of “pro-democratic” forces fighting against the “brutal regime” of President Bashar al-Assad, it is Moaz al-Khatib himself who inexplicably states that two certified autocracies, those of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, are propping him up and that it is an “Islamic state” he hopes to create upon the rubble of a destroyed Syria.
Qatari state media front, Al Jazeera, credits the Qatari minister of state for foreign affairs for the very creation of al-Khatib’s new “opposition coalition. Al-Khatib, in an Al Jazeera interview, counts the two absolute monarchies of Qatar and Saudi Arabia as his “friends,” and admits – that while he cannot say who – “friends” have promised him weapons as he embarks on the creation of this “Islamic state.” Despite his assurances that his planned “Islamic state” will exhibit tolerance, festering extremist regimes such as Libya and Egypt, created with the same Western-backed formula now at work in Syria, have already proven such assurances are merely rhetoric aimed at placating public opinion long enough for Syria’s secular institutions to be irrevocably disfigured.
Already in Syria, al-Khatib’s “freedom fighters” are exposed as both foreign extremists – affiliates of Al Qaeda, as well as sectarian-driven Muslim Brotherhood militants that have plagued Syria’s sociopolitical landscape for decades.
[…]
http://www.infowars.com/us-created-syrian-opposition-led-by-big-oil-rep/
November 27th, 2012, 12:18 am
Uzair8 said:
407. Sami
No, no, there’s nothing to apologise for. I was intending for a few days to give the context to my involvement. Your post gave me an opportunity to do so.
There are non-syrians involved on both sides. I remember how some (including non-syrian) spammers succeeded in getting the AJE blog comment section closed down.
November 27th, 2012, 1:28 am
Badr said:
“Actually, if you ask any serious analyst, they’ll tell you that they don’t know the outcome of this crisis. Nobody seems to know. Now, maybe you have some inside information they don’t have or you are a psychic, otherwise it is pure speculation.”
Well, if a certain trend of events continues pointing towards one direction, why should then the eventual outcome be in doubt?
Analysis
By Jim Muir
BBC News, Beirut
November 27th, 2012, 1:31 am
Dolly Buster said:
417. ANN said:
Censorship huh ?!
You can try explaining your views in your own words, instead of copying communist articles from Russia and China.
The Russians have already been on the wrong side of history. They wish they were still able to shoot people who try to climb over the Berlin Wall. But nowadays they are reduced to sending Syrian Pounds by airplane.
November 27th, 2012, 4:19 am
Citizen said:
parrot : The Russians have already been on the wrong side of history.
Russian foreign policy is not a commodity for sale or material to meet consumer desires and moods! It is the basis on which ensures international peace and security! Enough empty words!
November 27th, 2012, 5:17 am
Syrialover said:
Assad has burned Syria on a scale beyond imagining. It is worse than anything done by any invaders or external enemies in the history of the Middle East.
It is hard to accept that Syrians have done this. It is an act of hatred and contempt by Bashar Assad, assisted by Iranians and Russians. It is his punishment of Syrians for “disloyalty” and threatening his family’s illegitimate grip on power.
Story: Conflict has left Syria a shell of its former self
Millions of homes, schools, mosques, churches and hospitals have reportedly been damaged or destroyed since the uprising began in March 2011.
EXCERPT:
Much of Syria has become a disaster zone: In September, the opposition group Syrian Network for Human Rights estimated that more than 2.9 million homes, schools, mosques, churches and hospitals had been damaged or destroyed since the uprising began in March 2011. More than half a million are a complete loss, it said.
Weeks later, the group’s founder, Sami Ibrahim, estimated that 600,000 more buildings had been shelled or bombed, as the government of President Bashar Assad escalated its campaign with daily airstrikes by helicopter and warplane.
Although the toll on structures is impossible to verify, the weapons the government is turning against civilian populations have become increasingly destructive, activists say, with TNT barrel bombs and vacuum bombs wiping out entire buildings in one blow.
On streets once lined with multistory buildings and mosques, ceilings lie pancaked atop smashed and dusty home furnishings and appliances. Electrical wires hang like carelessly strung streamers across concrete columns strewn with antigovernment graffiti.
Roads in front of gutted shops have become impassable for the sheer amount of rubble.
Abu Jabir, a civil engineer in Homs, formed the Union of Free Engineers seven months ago after the central city became the first site of mass destruction after more than a month of bombardment by government forces. The Baba Amr neighborhood, which received the brunt of the shelling, looked as if tornadoes had passed through, shredding much of what stood.
“We see in front of our eyes how the homes are crumbling down,” Abu Jabir said. “Even the faucets and the electrical wiring and appliances are being stolen.”
Though he said it was still too early to estimate the extent of the destruction in the country, the engineers union, with members across Syria, is preparing for a post-conflict phase in assessing, fixing and rebuilding.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-syria-destruction-20121127,0,1605237.story
Comment: To Quote OBSERVER in #420: “The utter wanton and indiscriminate destruction is purely one sided and the FSA do not have the means to destroy anything even if they wanted to.
November 27th, 2012, 6:04 am
Tara said:
Military analysts say the balance is tipping in the rebel’s favor
Rebel Forces Make Major Gains In Syria
ROBERT SIEGEL and DEBORAH AMOS
http://www.npr.org/2012/11/26/165945311/rebel-forces-make-major-gains-in-syria?ft=1&f=2&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NprProgramsATC+%28NPR+Programs%3A+All+Things+Considered%29&utm_content=Yahoo+Search+Results
For the first time, Robert, Ogeidi said he believe the rebels no longer needed outside help. They have complained for months that they want the international community to supply anti-aircraft weapons to take out the air force. Now, he says, the rebels are capturing what they need from the bases that they get from the Syrian military.
…
SIEGEL: But for all of this confidence and all of the gains of the rebels, it’s not as if they’ve actually taken control of a major city in Syria.
AMOS: We hear again and again from commanders that they are focusing on the military bases, amassing weapons before they turn on the city. They know that the Syrian Air Force can still exact huge punishments on these cities, so they have to be sure that they can degrade the air force. We saw this on Sunday. They took a helicopter base and then the Syrian Air Force dropped cluster bombs at a school, killing more than 10 children.
….
SIEGEL: And do you think what you’re seeing isn’t just a swing of the pendulum toward the rebel side, but an actual shift in momentum in the Syrian civil war?
AMOS: I don’t talk to any military analyst who calls this a stalemate anymore. I talked to one today who said the time may come when the Syrian military can no longer sustain the price in some of these cities, Aleppo in the north, Deir ez-Zor in the east, but they may not be capable of a coherent pull back. Now, for the rebels, what they’re talking about is going onto Damascus. They say the plans are set and what we may see is Damascus, the capital of Syria, is the next major battleground.
November 27th, 2012, 8:20 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Shaykh Yaqoubi: Has the War on Sunnis Started?
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/shaykh-yaqoubi-has-the-war-on-sunnis-started/
The following is a translation of Shaykh al-Yaqoubi’s condemnation of the bombing of shrines in Aleppo which came in response to the bombing of the shrine of Shaykh Muhammad Jarabeh, may Allah have mercy upon him, by Jabhat al-Nusra.
November 27th, 2012, 8:27 am
zoo said:
#429 Tara
Military analysts are cautiously saying ” the time may come” .
The rebels commanders are saying:
“They say the plans are set and what we may see is Damascus, the capital of Syria, is the next major battleground.”
Sounds familiar….
“The Battle of Damascus, also known as Operation Damascus Volcano, started on 15 July 2012 during the Syrian civil war. It is unclear who started the battle. Thousands of rebels infiltrated the capital from the surrounding countryside”
….
“After the rebels initially captured half a dozen districts and killed four high-ranking government ministers in a bombing, opposition forces were forced to retreat following a military counter-attack, leaving the army in control of the capital after three weeks of fighting”
November 27th, 2012, 8:36 am
zoo said:
Morsi has no choice than to back down on his dictatorial itchings… otherwise Egypt economy ill crumble even further.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/morsis-move-a-warning-for-turkey.aspx?pageID=449&nID=35525&NewsCatID=416
“There were some indications on Monday that Morsi might back down somewhat. If he does so, however, one wonders whether this will be because of Egyptians who have taken to the streets in the name of democracy, or the fact that the Egyptian stock exchange dropped by a dramatic 10 percent as soon as he announced he would be taking on extraordinary powers. “
November 27th, 2012, 8:47 am
zoo said:
The GCC countries are too busy buying weapons and paying islamists and rebels salaries to violently overthrow Bashar al Assad. Why would they care about Palestinians? They never wanted them on their lands.
UN: $53 million needed for Palestinians in Syria
Published Monday, November 26, 2012
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/un-53-million-needed-palestinians-syria
The United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Monday it needs $53 million in donations to provide aid to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in war-torn Syria.
“We have around 300,000 to 500,000 (Palestinian) people who have been impacted by the conflict, and they require humanitarian assistance,” UNRWA director for Syria Michael Kingsley told a news conference in Jordan’s Dead Sea region.
“The number is rising and we expect it to go even higher,” he added.
“In Syria we have an ongoing appeal for $53 million for six months,” UNRWA head Filippo Grandi said, adding that the agency faced a shortfall of $68 million in its funding for next year.
“We still need more contributions especially from the Arab region. Then we have special needs that the result from the emergencies we have in Gaza and Syria.”
November 27th, 2012, 9:05 am
Tara said:
Zoo,
I see what you are saying but..judging for myself it appears that the Damascus volcano turned to be a psych op but things have changed since. There have been many many achievements. From the oil field, to Euphrates dam, to the 246 and the 46 regiments, to many other military bases and airports. The FSA is now well equipped. They have gained advance weapons and experience. They are also fearless and some brigades (the Islamists) are in it for martyrdom. In my opinion, Aleppo has been liberated ( or fallen depending on whose point of view), Deir al Zor too.
Damascus battle will be the most brutal.
November 27th, 2012, 9:14 am
zoo said:
Tara
“Damascus battle will be the most brutal.”
I hope you are not rejoicing at the perspective that this historical city maybe be irremediably destroyed and that many thousand people may be slaughtered..
That’s what will happen if the FSA and its Islamists criminal allies attack this city with their blind heavy weapons and their violent hatred.
I hope they’ll be forced to renounce to that mad idea.
November 27th, 2012, 9:25 am
majedkhaldoun said:
The window of oppurunity for Alawis to abandone Assad is closing,in the post Assad era,and if they don’t abandone Assad, we must not kill them,however life for them will be difficult they may have to move back to Persia,where they originally came from, they are not True Syrian, and some of them have their root from Qaramita, but most came from Persia.
November 27th, 2012, 9:27 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Insane Destruction in Aleppo
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/insane-destruction-in-aleppo/
This is Aleppo in November, showing the massive destruction from the devastating bombardments that Assad tyranny savagely unleashed upon the city.
November 27th, 2012, 9:43 am
Tara said:
Zoo,
” I hope you are not rejoicing..”
I will leave it to your judgement..
In any case, you know quite well that it is the regime that bombards cities and towns blindly. The FSA and the Islamists may blow up governmental buildings but that is the extent of the destruction they have caused.
Intellectual honesty should force you to admit to this simple fact regardless of where your heart is.
November 27th, 2012, 9:48 am
Visitor said:
An ewe bleats from the Zoo,
“That’s what will happen if the FSA and its Islamists criminal allies attack this city with their blind heavy weapons and their violent hatred.”
Hey ‘peaceful and full of love-u-4ever ewe’,
How about if your Nazi criminals that occupy Damascus just pack up and leave and call it a day?
————————————–Nohing short of unconditional and humilating surrender of the neo-nazis will suffice.
November 27th, 2012, 9:57 am
Majedkhaldoun said:
The reference to my previous comment are
http://books.google.com/books?id=WYO1BqdvX9EC&source=gbs_similarbooks
http://books.google.com/books?id=Ixl3NcvAixAC&source=gbs_book_similarbooks
November 27th, 2012, 10:07 am
majedkhaldoun said:
A good book about the Alawis
http://books.google.com/books?id=WYO1BqdvX9EC&pg=PA362&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false
November 27th, 2012, 10:19 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
437. Tara said: “The FSA and the Islamists may blow up governmental buildings but that is the extent of the destruction they have caused.”
Jabhat al-Nusra, which is neither FSA nor Islamist but nevertheless very real, has blown up a hotel, a mosque, a shrine and more.
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/jabhat-al-nusra-is-a-threat-to-the-syrian-revolution/
November 27th, 2012, 11:07 am
Observer said:
This is the title from the WSJ today
“Fighting to Hold Damascus, Syria Flattens Rebel ‘Slums’ ”
I read it in the print edition and I cannot open it on the online side.
I hope Dr. Landis can open it and share the contents with all of us.
It is clear the regime has abandoned the idea of governing Syria and is now systematically destroying any area that it cannot control.
It also has reverted fully into a militia with heavy weapons.
Russia has printed money for the regime so that it can float a little longer.
Damascus will be destroyed just like Aleppo is.
How can anyone on this site advocate any kind of dialogue while the regime goes about its destruction of the country is beyond comprehension.
November 27th, 2012, 11:13 am
Aldendeshe said:
@MAJD K’
Don’t forget it was the lower classes of Syria’s Sunni Moslem that overthrown the legally elected Parliamentary government of Syria and replaced it with Baathist Dictatorship. They also helped Alawi rule for more than 40 years. And not just Syria’s Sunni supported the Alawi Dictatorship in Syria, but all Sunni Moslem rulers like Abdullah’s of Arabia, thugs like Hariri in Lebanon, and others such as the Turks, forgot his name.
Anyone had anything with these demented rulers or helping the Baathist and Alawi, so as those responsible for the criminal disaster of March 8, 1963 and their descendants must remain outside the new power structure of Syria or be assassinated, EXTERMINATED. They are in my opinion the responsible ones for Syria demise, far more than Alawites, neither them, nor their children, should be rewarded. If you want to avoid Civil War in Syria, make sure this is the case. SNP may thinks Shia are coward, but if we have to live another 40 years with the same-o, we think this is a great injustice that deserve helping them in every way possible we can and must launch an intergalactic, calamites war.
November 27th, 2012, 11:17 am
mjabali said:
Majedkhaldoun said:
“The window of oppurunity for Alawis to abandone Assad is closing,in the post Assad era,and if they don’t abandone Assad, we must not kill them,however life for them will be difficult they may have to move back to Persia,where they originally came from, they are not True Syrian, and some of them have their root from Qaramita, but most came from Persia.”
How can you live in the same state with someone like Majedkhaldoun.
Can someone teach this dude some history?
So: the Alawis are Qaramita: first of all: if the Alawis were related to the Qaramita: it is an honor. The Qaramita knew the value of women, established a state that gave its citizens equal rights (they used to sit men and women and make decisions)…the list to list the great things the Qaramitah have done is long ya dude…
As for the connection to Persia: this racist thinking of your is laughable. Do you want to talk where the inhabitants of Syria came from? Where did your family come from? Is it relevant now; or is it more relevant not to stir this racial hatred and build a country that gives its people equal rights.
In the state of Majedkhaldoun: no one has rights but him and his sect. He lives in America amongst people from all races and talks like this.
Good luck America and good luck to future Syria with his type of thinking.
AS for the Alawis: you are the last person to give them an advice.
November 27th, 2012, 11:30 am
majedkhaldoun said:
I expect the Syrian Lira to plummet after Russia printed money and delivered to Syria.
Assad abandoned ruling Syria and he is going on destroying all the country,including Damascus.
King Abdullah of KSA is dying.
November 27th, 2012, 11:32 am
Visitor said:
Thumbs up for ALDENDESHE @443. The best comment ever by SNP.
But we do not need the last part of that comment. Because we will not live another 40 years of whatever you alluded to. They will be gone shortly
November 27th, 2012, 11:37 am
mjabali said:
Many on this blog try to give advice to the Alawis. This is great, but at least have a good history and morals to be able to utter one word in that regard.
Today: the Alawis are two types as you all could see. A huge part fighting with al-Assad. And, a small part against al-Assad. The actions of the Syrian Opposition did not let the small anti Assad group grow and become big.
Many never listen to what the Alawis want. The Alawis themselves are not that organized enough to voice a uniform opinion. There is the problem of Syria: no political organizations other than al-Baath or the Islamists. The left had left a long time ago, most of them became Islamists. Other groups and alternatives were left to decay.
Here is a link to an Alawi officer from Special Forces unit 46 joining the FSA:
November 27th, 2012, 11:38 am
mjabali said:
السيدة Sheila:
There is not doubt that who bombs cities is a criminal, along with whoever makes the civilians area the arena to solve violently their disagreements.
First, the groups fighting al-Assad in my opinion are a very strange mix these days. They are not only FSA. Read H. al-Halabi and see what al-Nusra does on regular basis. Syria is getting destroyed completely. al-Assad is playing the bigger part in this game, there is no doubt, but he had been using them as a pretext from day one. So, we are not arguing here. The argument should center around how to save what is left. This is very bad and getting worse by the minute.
In my humble opinion: nothing is going to help except for organizing the right Syrians with the help of the International forces fast to help stop this madness. You need people who could have access to both sides.
November 27th, 2012, 11:54 am
mjabali said:
I thank the genius who gave me 6 thumbs down in one shot. This made my day…
November 27th, 2012, 11:56 am
majedkhaldoun said:
Mjabali
There are things about you that I like.
November 27th, 2012, 12:00 pm
MarigoldRan said:
The civil war in Syria will not become a stalemate in the future, as the Lebanese Civil war became, because there are too many heavy weapons in Syria.
The Lebanese factions never found a way to besiege rival communities because they never had the artillery or the tanks. In Syria, there is artillery and tanks galore. Once the rebels capture them, they can begin assaulting entrenched Alawite positions (the Sunnis will have defected by then) in Lattakia and Damascus.
The regime will lose because it’s own weapons will be turned against them. A fitting end.
November 27th, 2012, 12:06 pm
MarigoldRan said:
@ Zoo:
The regime said to the country: “If you fight us, we will destroy the country.”
Everyone else said: “Better to let the country destroyed, then to leave it in your hands.”
This is how hated the regime has become.
November 27th, 2012, 12:07 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
MarigoldRan
The regime is realizing that their days are coming to an end,Assad knows he is losing his grip on Syria, he is isolated,on 12 of December we are going to see new opposition goverment,and following that many countries will recognize it and later UN will admit the new goverment to the UN and kick Bashar people out, Russia can not do anything about this
November 27th, 2012, 12:15 pm
Badr said:
Observer @ 11:13 am
Easy no problem, my pleasure, here’s to the rescue:
Fighting to Hold Damascus, Syria Flattens Rebel ‘Slums’
November 27th, 2012, 12:26 pm
Juergen said:
This is a proof how much the regime is in need for cash…
Flight Records Say Russia Sent Syria Tons of Cash
If the flight manifests are accurate, a total of 240 tons of bank notes moved from Moscow to Damascus over a 10-week period beginning July 9th and ending on September 15th.
http://www.propublica.org/article/flight-records-list-russia-sending-tons-of-cash-to-syria
November 27th, 2012, 12:26 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
regiment 666 has surrendered to the FSA,it is close to Siti Zainab area
things are getting fast
November 27th, 2012, 12:38 pm
Visitor said:
“regiment 666 has surrendered to the FSA,it is close to Siti Zainab area
things are getting fast”
Good. Now the fake pilgrims can just pack up and leave to mullah-stan and ritualistically continue self flaggelation for another 1000 years with techni-colors and animated cartoons, just like newly woven Persian carpets, next to Abu Shuj’3a.
November 27th, 2012, 12:48 pm
Badr said:
Prof. Landis, delete this comment if it is an infringement on copy right.
In case you’re requested to subscribe, here is the full article:
Fighting to Hold Damascus, Syria Flattens Rebel ‘Slums’
By Sam Dagher, WSJ
Residents say entire sections of mostly Sunni enclaves in northeastern Damascus have been bulldozed to the ground by government troops. WSJ’s Sam Dagher reports from the Syrian capital.
DAMASCUS—All that remains of Abu Mohammed’s ancestral home here in Syria’s capital are two small adobe brick rooms and a few fig, loquat and mulberry trees.
It was bulldozed as part of a government slum-clearance program that appears to have a political motive: isolate neighborhoods sympathetic to Syria’s armed insurrection, and then obliterate them, according to critics, human-rights groups and even some officials within the government itself. “We are like gypsies now,” says Mr. Mohammed, who took his wife and five children to another part of the city after sections of his neighborhood, Qaboun—one of the first to rise up against Syria’s regime—were flattened and ringed by military posts.
The campaign stands in contrast to the all-out urban warfare in the northern city of Aleppo. Here in the capital, Damascus, the strategy appears designed to cripple and disperse the rebels through the destruction and encirclement of communities where they operate.
Syria in the Spotlight
Take a look back over the highlights of the past year in Syria in a timeline, and review the latest events in a map.
For the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the stakes in Damascus are nothing short of retaining control of the nation itself. “If they lose Damascus, they lose the state,” says Patrick Seale, a British author and Syria expert.
Senior security officials within the Assad regime say partial demolitions of pro-rebel neighborhoods in and around Damascus are a key element of an ambitious counterinsurgency plan now unfolding. The plan also involves the expansion of regime-funded militias known as “Popular Committees” within the capital.
These officials say the strategy applies lessons learned from other offensives against the rebels since the start of the conflict more than 20 months ago, most notably in the central city of Homs.
The government’s official position is that the destruction is part of a long-discussed master plan to rid Damascus of illegal slums. City officials say illegal settlements account for nearly 20% of the capital’s 26,500 acres.
Based on several extended visits to Damascus and vicinity last month—some of which coincided with demolition by military authorities—the destruction appears to be occurring only in areas where opposition fighters have been active. In addition, much of it has been overseen by the military rather than municipal authorities, residents say.
“There’s still work to be done, we are not finished yet with cleansing operations that are in response to popular demand,” says Hussein Makhlouf, a relative of Mr. Assad and governor of Rif Damascus, the province surrounding the capital.
In his Damascus office, Mr. Makhlouf praised the government’s official slum-destruction decree, known as “presidential decree No. 66,” as a model for urban renewal. He said demolitions will soon begin in Daraya, Harasta and Yalda, all suburbs that have been at the center of the insurgency against Mr. Assad. Mr. Makhlouf was forthright about the motives behind the demolitions, saying they were essential to drive out rebels, or “terrorists” as he called them.
Syria’s uprising began largely as a peaceful protest in early 2011 against a regime that has been in power for more than 42 years. Brutal suppression of the demonstrators gradually turned the opposition into a civil war that is now by far the bloodiest of the Arab Spring rebellions.
Some estimates of the dead approach 40,000. Syria’s regime hasn’t issued its own official number, but typically its estimates of death tolls from individual incidents are lower.
The rebels are largely members of Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority. They are battling government loyalists belonging to minority groups like the Alawites, a sect linked to the Shiite branch of Islam. The Damascus neighborhood of Qaboun, where Abu Mohammed’s home was bulldozed, is predominantly Sunni.
Some Syrian government officials say the slum-clearance tactics are needed to save the city from what they see as terrorist gangs linked to al Qaeda and backed by Sunni Arab states like Saudi Arabia.
A family walks past homes last month demolished by the Syrian regime in the neighborhood of Qaboun on the northeastern side of Damascus.
More demolished homes seen in Qaboun last month.
The insurgency intensified in July when four senior security leaders, including President Assad’s brother-in-law, were assassinated in a bombing. Rebels used the bombing to launch an all-out offensive in Aleppo, Syria’s commercial center. Fighters there entered the city via neighborhoods where sympathizers live and based their operations there.
Here in the capital, the regime appears to be trying to block a similar situation. Parts of Syria’s new strategy have been coordinated with its ally Iran and with Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon, according to government officials as well as residents in affected areas who claim Hezbollah loyalties and have ties to Popular Committees.
The strategy is based around the creation of what the regime calls “Popular Committees.” These are formed from loyalists drawn from Syria’s minority populations—Alawites, Christians, Druze, Shiite Muslims and Palestinian refugees—who fear the predominantly Sunni rebels and remain dependent on Mr. Assad’s regime for security and patronage.
Hezbollah has denied any active role in Syria. Iran confirmed in September that it was helping Mr. Assad set up the Popular Committees.
Members of the Popular Committees are armed by the government, paid monthly salaries and given food rations. Using these well-armed militias, the regime has carved Damascus and its suburbs into contained security areas.
Entire sections of the capital have been leveled in the past few months. In the southwestern district of Mezze, homes and shops of known Sunni opposition families in a section called Mezze Basateen are being razed. Meanwhile, an illegal all-Alawite settlement on a nearby hilltop known as Mezze 86 remains untouched by wrecking crews, although it was hit this month by several devastating bombs claimed by rebels.
On a recent morning in mid-October, soldiers from the Syrian Army’s Fourth Division, commanded by Mr. Assad’s brother Maher, oversaw demolition in Zulaikha, a patch of nearly 24 acres of apartments in the Tadamoun neighborhood on the capital’s southern fringe.
“Go, go!” shouted a soldier as a grim-faced family packed into a pickup truck weighed down with belongings—furniture, foam mattresses, a satellite dish—they salvaged from their apartment. “We are going to blow up a building now!” the soldier said as the truck pulled away.
Another soldier nearby said the residents were among the lucky ones. “Not everyone is being allowed in to take their possessions,” he said. Security and army checkpoints now ring Tadamoun.
Damascus Gov. Bisher al-Sabban, the chief administrator of the city itself, says the demolitions have nothing to do with the conflict. They are part of a grand modernization scheme in the works since 2008, he says. “It is demolition and reorganization,” said Mr. Sabban. “It has nothing to do with Alawite-Sunni at all.”
He said all people affected will be given rent money in the interim and eventually new apartments in rebuilt neighborhoods. Nearly $7 billion will be spent on infrastructure, he said. As of mid-October, none of that spending or construction had yet materialized, he said.
Outside Mr. Sabban’s office, cranes installed concrete barriers as part of security measures that are turning central Damascus into a Syrian version of Baghdad’s Green Zone, the fortified seat of the government in the center of the Iraqi capital. “The situation is very difficult,” said one senior security official.
The official, a member of the Alawite minority at the regime’s core, said the government wouldn’t be fighting for its survival in Damascus had Mr. Assad used more force earlier in the crisis. He recalled one of his heroes, Mr. Assad’s late father, Hafez Assad, and—tears welling up at the memory—said Syria wouldn’t be in this mess if he were still alive. The elder Mr. Assad in 1977 to 1982 faced a Sunni-led insurrection that he crushed.
The regime’s latest counterinsurgency plan in Damascus appears to be working so far. Yet it is fast changing the capital’s fabric and deepening sectarian divides.
Routine movement can be harrowing. Recently a couple taking their daughter and two grandchildren to a doctor’s appointment waved a white flag to pass through the checkpoint that divides one district from another.
The family is Sunni and lives in a part of town known as Hajeera, once a mixed area but now all Sunni. The men at the checkpoint were members of the Popular Committee in the enclave of Seyda Zeinab, now an almost exclusively Shiite Muslim area near a shrine of the same name.
Shiite residents recount being chased out of Hajeera in July by their Sunni neighbors. Stories of kidnappings and killings abound. “I am vengeful toward all Sunnis,” said Amira al-Masri, explaining that her 70-year-old mother was shot dead in September for venturing into Hajeera to get blankets from their abandoned home.
Asaad Taha, a retired army officer, said his 17-year-old son Ali was kidnapped with a friend in September when they accidentally strayed into Hajeera on motorbike. Both were found days later, beheaded, he said, showing what he said was video footage of the attack on his cellphone.
Sunni communities seethe with similar hostility and anger. “May God annihilate them,” said one resident of Qaboun as a military jet roared above.
Write to Sam Dagher at Sam.Dagher@wsj.com
A version of this article appeared November 27, 2012, on page A1 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Fighting to Hold Damascus, Syria Flattens Rebel ‘Slums’.
November 27th, 2012, 1:14 pm
ann said:
Syria Tells UN of 146 Dead “Terrorists” from 19 Countries, Amid Gaza & DRC
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 21 — During the last of Security Council kabuki theater about Gaza and the Congo, the issue of Syria has largely fallen off the UN’s map.
On Wednesday alongside statements on Gaza and ceasefires, the Syrian Mission to the UN filed another letter with the Council, this time naming 143 “Foreign and Arab individuals who were killed in Syria while carrying out terrorist activities.”
Inner City Press has previously obtained and published Syria letters, for example of 108 who’d been killed.
But Syria’s November 21 list contains more nationalities, including “Qatari, Saudi, Tunisian, Egyptians, Sudanese, Libyans, Afghani, Jordanians, Turks, Yememis, Iraqi, Azerbaijani, Chechnya, Kuwaitis, Palestinians, Lebanese, Algerians, Chadian and Pakistani.”
Chechnya, of course, is not a country. Among the names on Syria’s list are Nihat Sagdic, M. Ollaz Kuvdish and Kalbind Dovca.
Meanwhile some point out that the French-requested resolution on the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo casts an ever stranger light on that country’s and others approach to Syria.
If it is wrong for other countries in a region to fund or equip rebels in another — as Rwanda and Uganda are alleged to have helped the M23 — what of the assistance to Syrian rebels?
http://www.innercitypress.com/syria146fighters112112.html
November 27th, 2012, 1:16 pm
Tara said:
I must say I have learned to respect other’s rituals and I find it abhorrent to judge it or make fun of it. Additionally I like the intense colors and also the Persian rugs. I think they are exquisite.
On more depressing note, I am afraid of the blood letting that is facing Damascus soon.
I am wholeheartedly with the revolution and against the regime. I am afraid though of getting the revolution tainted with mass revenge should it emerge victorious. I sincerely wish that Syria becomes a fair place to ALL its citizens.
November 27th, 2012, 1:20 pm
SYR.EXPAT said:
صورة للطيارة الساقطة على ايدين الجيش الحر بريف حلب الغربي … قبل اصابتها بالصاروخ وبعد اصابتها … والله محـــي الجيش الحر
رابط الفيديو
ج3 http://youtu.be/qXBxzfyCB2Y
ج2 http://youtu.be/ZVAv782Fb-k
ج1 http://youtu.be/bfs7TBcbsEQ
November 27th, 2012, 1:22 pm
ann said:
474. majedkhaldoun said:
“”” regiment 666 has surrendered to the FSA,it is close to Siti Zainab area things are getting fast “””
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/graphics/
November 27th, 2012, 1:26 pm
ann said:
BREAKING NEWS!
*** THE BATTLE TO FREE DAMASCUS ***
November 27th, 2012, 1:40 pm
Citizen said:
Contra Style Death Squads Set Groundwork For Future Syrian Colonized Govt
http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/9547
11 November representatives of disparate Syrian groups were combined to form the national coalition of revolutionary and oppositional forces “(NKROS), all the seats and positions in which the head of the American delegation had distributed at the Conference in Doha, United States Ambassador to Syria, Robert S. Ford. In 2004-2006/07 he worked as Assistant to John Negroponte, the head of a diplomatic mission in Iraq and the United States engaged in war, the methods used there in Honduras: using” death squads “and” Nicaraguan Contras. “the same model that Ford used for destabilization of the situation in Syria.
November 27th, 2012, 1:47 pm
MarigoldRan said:
The Iranians, Russians, and the regime hope that Assad can survive long enough to eventually reach a negotiated solution with his enemies. Their strategy is to do as much damages as possible in hopes of getting the rebels to quit.
What they do not realize is the FSA and the West will NOT negotiate with Assad under any conditions. The regime can hold Damascus for six months, maybe even a year. But can Assad and his Alawites hold Damascus for two years? Five years? Ten years?
Time is not on the regime’s side.
November 27th, 2012, 2:36 pm
Syrialover said:
Hey MJABALI welcome back. Your more normal civilian (non-combatant) self commenting as I remember. I like it! (#465 and #466,)
And MAJEDKHALDOUN is decent and sane to put down his weapons and say:
“Mjabali
There are things about you that I like” (#468)
BOTH OF YOU,
This stuff about who came from where and who should go back is just crazy and needlessly aggressive.
Like everywhere, the new DNA ancestry tests may surprise many Syrians if they take them.
And so what? Are you going to depopulate the USA and Canada? The Apache and Navajo Indians arrived after other people in southwest USA as recently as medieval times, and native Americans entered other parts of the continent long before that in different stages from Siberia.
It goes on and on. Gene studies and other evidence now show that whenever new people arrive anywhere through history there is usually heavy intermixing.
November 27th, 2012, 2:47 pm
Syrialover said:
I repeat an earlier Alert – opening some of the links from malicious “ANN” may be risking a virus.
November 27th, 2012, 2:49 pm
Tara said:
There is a *sense of calm among generals senior officials “. A denial, or just a mere pretense?
Insight: Rebels seizing initiative in long war for Syria
By Erika Solomon and Dominic Evans | Reuters – 3 hrs ago
http://news.yahoo.com/insight-rebels-seizing-initiative-long-war-syria-161945687.html
….
Although they have yet to seize control of a single city, or translate their dominance in swathes of rural Syria into “liberated” territory free of air and artillery strikes, rebels say that their increasing prowess on the battlefield and growing armories have finally allowed them to take the initiative.
“The difference is that we’ve gone from being on the defensive to thinking and acting on the offensive. We actually have the ability to work offensively now, since we have seized enough weapons,” said a fighter with Islamist battalions in Damascus province, who used the nom de guerre of Abu al-Yaman.
…
Exploiting the military expertise of military officers who have defected from Assad’s army, rebels have achieved significant successes by focusing on strategic roads and supply routes as well as military bases.
Their tactics are gradually choking off Assad’s forces in the northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, as well as the eastern oil region of Deir al-Zor, while in Damascus “there is a sense that the flames are licking at the door”, a diplomat in the capital said.
..
“The countryside is somewhere where we can advance more, but inside the cities I still see the battle as long and difficult. I think we need several more months.”
The Damascus-based diplomat said Assad still had 70,000 to 80,000 soldiers stationed around the city and its outskirts. There are no clear figures for the size of the rebel brigades but they say they number tens of thousands nationwide.
In his rare televised appearances, the 47-year-old president does not look like a leader under siege. He appeared calm and relaxed in his latest meeting on Friday with the parliamentary speaker of his strongest regional ally, Iran.
….
“People I have spoken to who are in touch with very senior Syrian officials report a sense of calm among generals and senior officials,” the envoy in Damascus said. “I can’t understand that, unless they are simply putting on a brave face”.
“Every ordinary Syrian I speak to is worried. They see the train crash coming.”
http://news.yahoo.com/insight-rebels-seizing-initiative-long-war-syria-161945687.html
November 27th, 2012, 2:49 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
“What they do not realize is the FSA and the West will NOT negotiate with Assad under any conditions.”
this is obvious for long time.
the syrian govt is willing has been willing to negotiote to have diplomatic, mature discussions.
the jewish west wants to destroy.
syrian are suffering from the judaized-west’s terrorists.
November 27th, 2012, 2:58 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
unable to edit comment #487.
quote from #483 marigoldran
syrian s/b syrians
November 27th, 2012, 3:01 pm
Citizen said:
Falcon of Syrian-lovers
Arizona Senator John McCain Forum at Foreign Policy Institute: “The Consequences of Inaction in Syria” – 11/27/12 (the facial expressions and hand movements clown MISSYOU Brenard Luis)
November 27th, 2012, 3:08 pm
zoo said:
Major General Muhammad Hussein al-Haj Ali: Naive of plain stupid?
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=31958
As for the nature of the relationship between the FSA and these Islamist opposition movements, the SNA commander informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “we share the same objective with them now, namely fighting and toppling the regime, and we welcome their presence on the ground.”
As for what will happen following the ouster of the al-Assad regime, he stressed that “they must either surrender their arms or join the ranks of the SNA, because the presence of these battalions is unnecessary after we have achieved the objectives of the Syrian revolution.”
November 27th, 2012, 3:15 pm
Dolly Buster said:
The Russians armed the Shiites in Syria, and protected their criminal regime at the Security Council. So, it can be said that Moscow is squarely responsible for this bloody civil war.
Russia has no real economy, and it relies on things like arms trade.
That is why 40,000 Syrians had to die — to prolong a Russian client state by a couple of months!
November 27th, 2012, 3:21 pm
zoo said:
#486 Tara
“There is a *sense of calm among generals senior officials “”
Isn’t a stark contrast with the feverish and theatrical threats from the opposition, boosted by the media impatient to see a breakthrough ?
One wonders who is more confident about the outcome of the crisis.
November 27th, 2012, 3:21 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
to answer the headline question, “no, the govt of syria will not abandon the northern part of syria to terrorists.”
the terrorists are beaten. the jewish west is beaten.
civil war? foreigners terrorizing syrians.
state dept, your limited commenter needs assistance.
November 27th, 2012, 3:27 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
sorry, state dept. forgot the cackling witch fell and cracked her head on the floor.
she never had a clue. now worse.
so
her hired help spinning in the dark.
November 27th, 2012, 3:30 pm
Syrialover said:
Eyewitness account of cluster bomb strike – 20 children were gathered in a field where they usually play. (Documented by human rights body)
http://humanrightswatch.tumblr.com/post/36672904820/around-2-50-p-m-a-mig-23-appeared-in-the-sky-i
Comment: Everything you read about the aerial bombings takes your breath away with shock. Assad and his Iranian “military advisers” are daily committing war crimes that would disgust even hardened war criminals.
November 27th, 2012, 3:33 pm
zoo said:
Libya’s UN Ambassador:”Qatar is ruthlessly pursuing “concealed” interests in Libya”
Controversy engulfs UN ambassador over claims of “beautiful nights” between Qatari officials and Libyan girls
By Ryszard Bouvier and Nihal Zaroug.
In his book, “The End of Qaddafi”, Abdurrahman Shalgham makes a number of explosive allegations against Qatar.
Tripoli, 22 November:
http://www.libyaherald.com/2012/11/22/controversy-engulfs-un-ambassador-over-claims-of-beautiful-nights-between-qatari-officials-and-libyan-girls/
Controversy has engulfed Libya’s permanent representative to the United Nations following allegations made in his new book that Qatari officials bragged of “beautiful nights” spent in the company of Libyan girls during last year’s revolution.
Abderrahman Shalgham, who made worldwide headlines in February 2011 when he publicly denounced Muammar Qaddafi before the UN in New York, also accuses Qatar of ruthlessly pursuing “concealed” interests in Libya, stealing remnants of biological weapons from abandoned military sites, and attempting to further its own ideological agenda.
“Oil carries in it the virus of megalomania and the bacteria of delusion”, writes the ambassador, in a thinly-veiled warning to the oil-rich emirate, “which is what occurred under Qaddafi”.
The book has sparked fury amongst women’s rights groups in Libya, prompting calls for Shalgham’s immediate dismissal on the grounds of gross disrespect shown to Libyan women.
November 27th, 2012, 3:34 pm
Tara said:
Zoo @492,
I do not know Zoo. It could be that they are detached from reality or that like every other Syrian born and raised there, having a double face when it comes to the regime.
If mass revenge to take place after Batta is toppled, who is more likely to do it? Jabhat al Nusra kind of groups or ordinary Syrians tortured and had their family members killed by the regime?
November 27th, 2012, 3:43 pm
zoo said:
#497 Tara
Both…Nothing to be happy about. Hatred and religious extremism make people behave like animals and these rebels are driven by both.
November 27th, 2012, 3:49 pm
5 dancing shlomos said:
even without these allegations, qatar, the other gulf countries, are shame, an embarrassment.
their rulers compared to the giants, nusrullah, assad, ahmadinejad, are little mice.
there days are short.
November 27th, 2012, 3:55 pm
zoo said:
Conflicting news announced he was in coma…
Saudi crown prince says King Abdullah ‘well and in good health’
REUTERS November 28, 2012 12:57am
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/us-saudi-king-salman-idUSBRE8AQ0WW20121127
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Crown Prince Salman said on Tuesday that King Abdullah was “well and in good health”, more than 10 days after the monarch underwent back surgery, a message likely to reassure many states keen on the stability of the world’s biggest oil exporter.
No photographs have been released of the monarch, believed to be in his late 80s, since the 11-hour operation on Nov. 17 at the National Guard’s King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.
November 27th, 2012, 4:08 pm
Albo said:
“”People I have spoken to who are in touch with very senior Syrian officials report a sense of calm among generals and senior officials,” the envoy in Damascus said.”
It is because the situation is nothing like it is portrayed by the media or perceived by some here, dramatic shifts have occured but there are a lot of misconceptions about their causes and consequences.
November 27th, 2012, 4:12 pm
Tara said:
Albo,
Their calmness is not much different that Buthina Shaaban’s calmness proclaiming “Khalset” two wks after the start of the revolution.
November 27th, 2012, 4:21 pm
Albo said:
502
You’ll see, choices have been made.
November 27th, 2012, 4:35 pm
zoo said:
Shame on Anyone Who Ever Thought Mohammad Morsi Was a Moderate
Eric Trager
November 26, 2012 | 10:30 am
http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/110447/why-did-anyone-ever-believe-mohammad-morsi-was-moderate#
…
Washington ought to have known by now that “democratic dialogue” is virtually impossible with the Muslim Brotherhood, which is now mobilizing throughout Egypt to defend Morsi’s edict. The reason is that it is not a “democratic party” at all. Rather, it is a cultish organization that was never likely to moderate once it had grasped power.
That’s because the very process through which one becomes a Muslim Brother is designed to weed out moderates. It begins when specially designated Brotherhood recruiters, who work at mosques and universities across Egypt, identify pious young men and begin engaging them in social activities to assess their suitability for the organization. The Brotherhood’s ideological brainwashing begins a few months later, as new recruits are incorporated into Brotherhood cells (known as “families”) and introduced to the organization’s curriculum, which emphasizes Qur’anic memorization and the writings of founder Hassan al-Banna, among others. Then, over a five-to-eight-year period, a team of three senior Muslim Brothers monitors each recruit as he advances through five different ranks of Brotherhood membership—muhib, muayyad, muntasib, muntazim, and finally ach amal, or “active brother.”
Throughout this process, rising Muslim Brothers are continually vetted for their embrace of the Brotherhood’s ideology, commitment to its cause, and—most importantly—willingness to follow orders from the Brotherhood’s senior leadership. As a result, Muslim Brothers come to see themselves as foot soldiers in service of the organization’s theocratic credo: “Allah is our objective; the Quran is our law; the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations.” Meanwhile, those dissenting with the organization’s aims or tactics are eliminated at various stages during the five-to-eight-year vetting period.
November 27th, 2012, 5:20 pm
Syrialover said:
“People I have spoken to who are in touch with very senior Syrian officials report a sense of calm among generals and senior officials,”
We keep hearing that Bashar Assad has personally taken over military control with heavy reliance on his Iranian advisers, who are now openly present everywhere in HQ.
Those “calm officials” are now likely to be distanced from the action and probably seeing only propaganda reports from their own side. But also self-deluded and in denial like they always were.
November 27th, 2012, 5:24 pm
zoo said:
#502
It’s now the time for the FSA commanders to say Khelset!
November 27th, 2012, 5:26 pm
Tara said:
Interview with Syria’s new ‘ambassador’
One day Walid Safur, the Syrian opposition’s new “ambassador” to Britain is hoping to swap his suburban semi in Harrow, for Syria’s embassy in Belgravia.
But form now Safur, a former teacher and human rights campaigner who was appointed by the new opposition National Coalition, says he has more pressing issues to grapple with.
Speaking to the Guardian he said: “It is early to do something now. [But] the Syrian embassy is the property of the Syrian people and we want to reclaim it from the Syrian regime and make it a home for Syrians in order to represent them.”
He said tackling Syria’s humanitarian crisis was currently a greater priority than setting up a government in exile.
“We are discussing more urgent issues like bringing-in aid and providing the means to live, before discussing a government in exile,” he said.
Safur’s appointment comes after foreign secretary William Hague said the British government formally recognised the National Coalition as the “sole legitimate representative” of the Syrian people.
Safur confirmed he would be lobbying Britian for weapons for the Syrian opposition.
We are asking the whole world to provide the Syrian people with equipment to defend themselves and to deter the machine of the Syrian regime’s army. I am calling on all the friends of Syria to supply the Syrian people with all means to defend themselves, including Britain.
So far the issue of arms has not be raised in his meetings with foreign office officials, who have welcomed his appointment.
Safur said the imposition of an international no-fly zone over Syria was currently unrealistic. “We will be lobbying for all things that contribute to stopping the bloodshed in Syria. But I think that [a no fly zone] is unlikely to happen at this time,” he said.
Safur said labelling Assad’s opponent as ‘rebels’ was a mistake. He said they represented the Syrian people and were “defending themselves and striving for democracy, freedom and justice”.
Safur said the divided Syrian opposition was “working hard” to unite. “We and the others are trying to organise ourselves and represent our people in the best way we can,” he said.
Safur a former teacher from Homs,spent time as a teacher in private schools Birmingham, before becoming president of Syrian Human Rights Committee.
He was lived in exile since being arrested and tortured in 1980 and 1981 as part of a crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood by the government of Bashar al-Assad’s father Hafez al-Assad.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2012/nov/27/egypt-morsi-compromise-protests-live#block-50b4f25eb579b99501eaa99f
November 27th, 2012, 5:46 pm
habib said:
453. majedkhaldoun
That’s complete bollocks, Alawites are possibly the closest to “original Syrians” you’ll get.
They’re called “pagans” by some because of remnants of Canaanite rites, that’s certainly not from Persia.
Certainly more Syrian than the thousands of Balkanite and Anatolian Sunnis that were imported by the Ottomans.
November 27th, 2012, 7:01 pm
Visitor said:
The helicopter shot down over Aleppo today was downed by surface to air missile. First time such missile is used by the FSA. Type of missile is not known.
November 27th, 2012, 7:52 pm
Sheila said:
Dear Majedkhaldoun #435,
You have rendered me speechless. What a terrible, bigoted and uninformed statement that was. You know that I truly like you and can tell what a decent person you are, but have you thought about what you wrote? The fact that you had to go search for things to back up your statement tells me that you regretted writing it after it was too late.
Look at all of us Syrians. We come in all shades and colors. We are so mixed that it is impossible for almost any one of us to claim any kind of purity. Between all the wars and civilizations that came and went, intermarriages, free movement during the Islamic empire, and serval switching back and forth between religions, we are the ultimate mixtures. Please, I beg of you, for the sake of decency and historical truth, retract that post. Someone might jump in and ask you to go back to Saudi Arabia where Arabs, Muslims and before that Semitic tribes came from.
November 27th, 2012, 8:02 pm
Tara said:
Iran’s intolerance of Baha’i faith:
U.N. committee condemns Syria, Iran for rampant rights abuses
(Reuters) – A U.N. General Assembly committee on Tuesday condemned Syria and Iran for widespread human rights abuses, but both Damascus and Tehran dismissed the separate votes as politically motivated.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/us-syria-iran-un-idUSBRE8AQ1BG20121127
The resolution on Iran voiced “deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran relating to, inter alia, torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations.”
It also criticized the “continuing alarming high frequency of the carrying-out of the death penalty (in Iran) in the absence of internationally recognized safeguards, including an increase in the number of public executions.”
The resolution also condemned the “increased persecution and human rights violations against persons belonging to unrecognized religious minorities, particularly members of the Baha’i faith and their defenders.”
The U.N. special rapporteur for Iran said last month that members of the Baha’i community were the most persecuted Iranian religious minority.
Such resolutions on Iran, North Korea and Myanmar – and, since last year, Syria – have become an annual ritual.
The resolution on Iran received more yes votes than a year ago, when a similar text was approved with 80 in favor, 44 against and 57 abstentions.
Last year’s Syria resolution received 122 votes in favor, 13 against and 41 abstentions.
November 27th, 2012, 8:05 pm
SYRIAN HAMSTER said:
ANN’s Friends, and you wonder why the love the pitiful pathetic laughing insect of Damascus
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/supergrass-who-held-key-to-huge-russian-fraud-is-found-dead-in-surrey-8360427.html
A Russian supergrass who was helping Swiss prosecutors uncover a multi-million pound money laundering scheme used by corrupt Russian officials has died in mysterious circumstances outside his Surrey home, The Independent can reveal.
Alexander Perepilichnyy, a wealthy businessman who sought sanctuary in Britain three years ago after falling out with a powerful crime syndicate, collapsed outside his mansion on a luxury private estate on the outskirts of Weybridge. He was 44-years-old and was in seemingly good health.
The Independent has learned that Mr Perepilichnyy was a key witness against the “Klyuev Group”, an opaque network of corrupt Russian officials and underworld figures implicated in a series of multi-million pound tax frauds and the death in custody of the whistle-blowing Moscow lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. He is the fourth person to be linked to the scandal who has died suddenly.
Surrey Police said that a post mortem examination of Mr Perepilichnyy had proved “inconclusive” and further tests were being carried out to try to establish a cause of death. The force said the sudden death was not being treated as suspicious but left open the possibility that it will have to carry out further investigations.
Officers were called to his home on a cul-de-sac shared with seven multi-million pound properties shortly after 5pm on a Saturday two weeks ago but the Russian was declared dead at the scene 30 minutes later. Surrey Police would not confirm suggestions that the Russian had been out running.
Evidence provided by Mr Perepilichnyy detailed how a number of tax officials from Moscow became obscenely wealthy in the immediate aftermath of a tax fraud against a British investment fund and used Swiss based bank accounts to purchase luxury properties in Dubai and Montenegro.
Earlier this year Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into a number of accounts at Credit Suisse after Hermitage Capital Management forwarded them a dossier of evidence implicating the Russian officials.
“Perepilichnyy was the guy who brought all the evidence they needed to open the investigation,” said a source with knowledge of the investigation. “He brought with him records of shell companies, Credit Suisse accounts, property transactions. The whole lot.”
Hermitage Capital was once one of the largest foreign investors inside Russia until it became the victim of a $230m (£144m) tax fraud scheme. Corrupt officials from Russia’s powerful Interior Ministry conspired with tax officers to steal corporate seals from Hermitage Capital following a police raid and apply for a series of tax rebates using those seals. Complicit courts and tax offices signed off on the deal and the money was transferred into a bank which was liquidated shortly afterwards.
Hermitage hired the Moscow lawyer Sergei Magnitsky to investigate the scam and he publicly named a number of key Interior Ministry officials who he believed were involved. Days after going public he was arrested by the same men he had accused and was held in prison for a year. He died in November 2009 after being refused vital medication following months of increasingly brutal treatment.
Thanks to tireless campaigning by Bill Browder, the British based CEO of Hermitage Capital, the case has become a major source of embarrassment for Russia and a lightning rod for anger over the precarious nature of international investments in a country where official corruption has become endemic.
Moves have been brought in the EU and United States to place members of the Klyuev Group on visa travel ban lists whilst Senator John McCain has even called on the White House to proscribe the organisation using new powers to curb international crime syndicates.
—Hamster says: The following is funny, it resembles syrian general’s suicides with three bullets in the head —
Russia’s Interior Ministry claims the complex scam was carried out by a sawmill worker and a convicted burglar, both of whom are serving five year sentences, in cahoots with three others who have since died. One died of a heart attack before the crime took place, another was found dead in Ukraine and the third plunged from a balcony to his death.
—end funny section, looks like they hired ANN for their media relations—
Hermitage’s initial investigation concentrated on the Interior Ministry officials implicated directly in Sergei Magnitsky’s death. But in recent months they have published a series of exposes on the new found wealth of a number of tax officials who signed off on the fraudulent tax rebate.
……..Read More
November 27th, 2012, 8:21 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
Dear Sheila
Forgive me, but I wish you were with me witnessing what I saw,there is a limit to what you can tolerate,so many death , so many wounded young men and women, kids and old people, you see a wounded child you want to help but you can not, he dies infront of your eyes,you see many amputations, surgery were done under the sun,no anaesthesia, you see an old man walking with his family he is tired ,he could not make it , fell and died ,buried quickly, you see a woman gave birth to a child under a tree, she carry her child and keep on walking while she is still bleeding,tears in her eyes, mad and dseperate, she can not nurse him let alone bathe him, many families dredging over hard terrain,surrounded by fire all arround them, they don’t know if they can make it to a safe area,it is something you hear and read about , it is something else to see it by your eyes,and feel the agony,the anger,the misery, and experience it,sweet talk may alleviate things, but experiencing injustice will change you.
There is a lot I want to say,but I hope for now that you remember,you were not there to see things as it should be seen.
November 27th, 2012, 9:00 pm
Visitor said:
Thank you Majed @513 for the sobering eyewitness account. You must have gone through some very sad, morbid and trying times. May Allah reward you for your efforts.
It is not important where the so-called Alawites came from. History tells us, however, that Syria has been betrayed many times by this people. You can start with their collusion with the Mongolians and the Crusaders and then more recently with the French. Last but not least of course are the crimes against humanity that you have just relayed to us.
And the above is just for the sake HISTORICAL HONESTY.
November 27th, 2012, 9:27 pm
Syrialover said:
MAJEDKHALDOUN #513
When you witness such a reality or even just read an account like yours you want to stand up and scream out with all your might: WHO IS DOING THIS TO HUMAN BEINGS? WHY? WHO IS BENEFITING? WHAT’S THEIR MOTIVE?
We know the answers.
The illegitimate hate-fuelled Assad regime, its allies, enablers and supporters. Those with such contempt for Syrians, they didn’t hesitate or pause in their drive to burn the country and destroy millions of lives to preserve their privileges.
Long before the first shot at civilians was fired last year, I remember discussions on Syria Comment about how the Assad regime would probably view about 70% of the Syrian population as expendible and irrelevant.
We now have proof that this is true. You have witnessed it being played out.
I fear it is going to be asking too much of too many Syrians for them to ever accept and trust and “respect the rights” of those who have done this.
November 27th, 2012, 10:00 pm
Mina said:
Tahrir today
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/update-tahrir-full-protesters-reject-morsy-declaration
November 27th, 2012, 10:07 pm
Syrialover said:
TARA #507
You’ll find some uneasy twittering about the appointment of Walid Saffour as the Syrian National Coalition’s new Special Representative to the UK.
His ideological and political alliance with the MB is of concern to people. And his 30+ years in exile and lack of recent experience or connections inside Syria have others suggesting the Coalition could have come up with someone better.
Others argue that his experience on the ground in the UK for so long and profile as a human rights activist make him a logical choice for that position.
(Though one twitterer referred to him as an MB figure who has been “hiding behind human rights”.)
Either way, let’s hope he does not prove a damaging and divisive choice by the Coalition. For Syria’s sake, there is so much at stake.
November 27th, 2012, 10:16 pm
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Ground Zero: Syria Documentary Series
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/ground-zero-syria-documentary-series/
Ground Zero Syria is a series where we’ve compiled photojournalist and videographer Robert King’s footage into a series of raw, largely unedited vignettes that present a snapshot of the ancient city as it crumbles and burns while its citizens are killed indiscriminately.
November 27th, 2012, 10:16 pm
Syrialover said:
The origins of evil. This 1970s smug family photo holds the roots of the destruction of a beautiful country and its people.
Their veins and heads full of vermin and toxic waste.
http://world.time.com/2012/01/31/meet-the-assads-a-look-at-the-syrian-strongmans-family/
November 27th, 2012, 10:29 pm
zoo said:
507. Tara
Is Walid Safur a Moslem Brotherhood or an ex? I have not seen any photo of him and he does not give clue about why he was arrested and “tortured” in Syria and why he was released. He said he left just after the Moslem Brotherhood Hama repressed uprising 30 years ago…
I guess he is a British citizen. He got a dual citizenship: the Queen and Syria? That’ll make him untrustworthy to most Syrians unless he renounces to his british citizenship…. No way a serious ambassador carries multiple nationalities.
His audio interview does not give much information about his past and his ideology.
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1081934-interview-with-walid-safur-syria-s-new-ambassador-to-britain#t=5m16s
November 27th, 2012, 10:33 pm
zoo said:
#519 Tara
I just read about the cool reception Walid Saffur got from Syrians on Twitter. That confirms what I thought about his vagueness in the interview.
Faux-pas like these are making the West’s agenda more and more suspicious.
Is Qatar’s shadow behind this appointment in exchange for some lucrative business with the money desperate UK?
It seems the West wants to force the Moslem Brotherhood in the throat of secular Syria.
November 27th, 2012, 10:44 pm
zoo said:
Without a charismatic leader, political Islam has failed to sway crowds
Arabic News Digest
Nov 28, 2012
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/without-a-charismatic-leader-political-islam-has-failed-to-sway-crowds
The term “Arab crowds” started to lose its lustre during the 1970s, but, despite what may choose to believe, it was never replaced by “Islamic crowds”, suggested the columnist Hazem Saghiya in the pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat.
“No doubt the region has been witnessing for the past four decades an increase in Islamic awareness that its proponents refer to as an ‘awakening’. No doubt also that this Islamic awareness, much like national awareness, is trans-boundary and it promises a golden state that would recapture the glow of the first Islam. Despite all, we have yet to see Islamic crowds moving to the rhythm of one, sustained cause,” he said.
This is mostly due to the lack of a charismatic leader. Now, it’s merely a matter of sudden trans-border surges that flare up for a few days if an Islamic symbol is perceived as being defamed, but they soon subside. These ephemeral eruptions, mostly coupled with violence, are as far as can be from anything resembling a common and sustained cause.
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/without-a-charismatic-leader-political-islam-has-failed-to-sway-crowds#ixzz2DUAm6nXr
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook
November 27th, 2012, 10:49 pm
Sheila said:
Thank you dear Majedkhaldoun, for your reply but most importantly for your honorable work helping out in Syria. I have very close family members who are doing the same and have recounted similar horror stories. You are right, reading is one thing, but living it is a whole other story. I have tremendous rage toward those monsters. The only difference is that I do not hold the Alawite community responsible for what is happening. The criminal gang running Syria does not only consist of Alawis.
November 27th, 2012, 10:50 pm
Sheila said:
Dear Visitor #514,
For the sake of HISTORICAL HONESTY, shall I send you a list of Sunnis who have betrayed Syria throughout its history?
Please Visitor, think about how you feel when you are profiled just because you are an Arab or a Muslim. Why are we doing the same to others? How is the brave Fadwa Soulaiman going to feel when she reads a statement claiming that somehow Alawis are all traitors, after she defied her family and community and joined the revolution?
November 27th, 2012, 10:58 pm
Syrian Nationalist Party said:
513. majedkhaldounsaid:
Dear Sheila
Forgive me, but I wish you were with me witnessing what I saw,there is a limit to what you can tolerate,so many death , so many wounded young men and women, kids and old people, you see a wounded child you want to help but you can not, he dies infront of your eyes,you see many amputations, surgery were done under the sun,no anaesthesia, you see an old man walking with his family he is tired ,he could not make it , fell and died ,buried quickly, you see a woman gave birth to a child under a tree, she carry her child and keep on walking while she is still bleeding,tears in her eyes, mad and dseperate, she can not nurse him let alone bathe him, many families dredging over hard terrain,surrounded by fire all arround them, they don’t know if they can make it to a safe area,it is something you hear and read about , it is something else to see it by your eyes,and feel the agony,the anger,the misery, and experience it,sweet talk may alleviate things, but experiencing injustice will change you.
There is a lot I want to say,but I hope for now that you remember,you were not there to see things as it should be seen.
________________________________________________________________
We blame you and your fighters first and foremost, not Assad, nor his Alawites, and not the regime. These are fighting existentially for survival, and it is expected that they will respond to your sectarian strategies, bloody and horrific cut throats, sectarian segregation. No sympathy for your crocodile cold tears. If those behind the murderous strategies cared any bit, they would have opted for other ways, they did not, it was deliberately designed to ruin Syria, kill its good people and send them into refugee camps, destroy the infrastructure, and that is all obvious. Just make sure these Islamist and their Bedouin bosses will deliver all the cash needed, not the silly 60 billions the idiots are asking for now, but the sum SNP is forecasting, now in access of 600 billion. The electrical grid alone needs 7 billion. The hospitals your mercenary fighters blew up all over Syria will need additional 10 billion; compensation to small manufacturer is over 15 billion. If that money is not made available by the subhuman’s who plotted this to Syria, the planet will be going into WWIII in a hearts beat, so save some tears you are going to need’em. Otherwise, start begging the Bedouins on your knees with others for the cash.
November 27th, 2012, 11:09 pm
MarigoldRan said:
Syrian Nationalist Party, like its namesake, is rotten to its rotten core.
Assad has pursued a strategy of murder and destruction.
This war is YOUR side’s fault. When the protests started, it was ASSAD and the regime who shelled and shot the protestors. It is ASSAD and YOUR ROTTEN REGIME that is doing the bombing of hospitals and villages. You and your regime are evil, and you and all others like you will pay for their crimes.
****************************
YOUR REGIME BROUGHT RUIN TO SYRIA, AND NOW SYRIA SHALL BRING RUIN ONTO YOU.
November 27th, 2012, 11:20 pm
Aldendeshe said:
This is what happened to Iraqi Sunni Moslem Children Mother Fu****king Moslems crying about Syrians. This happened while Shia aided and abetted the Jews leading in this genocides, did any of the “Sunni Emirs” giva a Fu***k about them? Curses your Sharmoutallah. But Bashar Assad did and he is an Alawites KAFER”…. Mothers… 300,000 Iraqi children looks like that now, half a million of them died under sanctions a decade before. Did you see anything like that in Syria? Did Bashar do this?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/nothing-depleted-about-depleted-uranium/1777
http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Iraq_Persecutions_Killings_Ethnic_Cleansing_29_12_2010.htm
November 27th, 2012, 11:28 pm
majedkhaldoun said:
Sheila
I fully agree with you that there are 20% of Alawis are innocent,and they should be rewarded for standing against Assad, and yes there are many Sunnis who supported Assad,I doubt very much that they care about their religion.
But Answer me honestly as you usually do, do you think the victims of Assad will not go for revenge? they are 3 million who lost their relative,lost their homes,their money,and their memories, lived in very hard situations, do you think practically they will not go for revenge.
In the USA 3000 died in 9/11 Iraq who had nothing to do with it suffered one million casualty.
Do you really believe those Syrian will be able to live togather with those who hurt them?and what is your solution?what do you really think will happen? real life is not what you dream .
November 27th, 2012, 11:35 pm
Syrian said:
A new helicopter is downed with the pilots parachuteing out of it
http://youtu.be/vYAIXqiiScw
November 27th, 2012, 11:37 pm
ann said:
Names of 142 foreign fighters killed in Syria made public – 2012-11-27
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/27/c_132002511.htm
DAMASCUS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — A pro-government daily published on Tuesday the names of 142 foreign fighters allegedly killed in several hotspots in Syria over the past month.
Al-Watan said the Syrian government had sent the list to the UN Security Council last month, adding that it includes the names of 47 Saudis, 24 Libyans, 10 Tunisians, nine Egyptians, six Qataris, five Lebanese, 11 Afghanis, five Turks, three Chechens and two from Azerbaijan and Chad.
According to the list, cited by al-Watan, those “terrorists” had been killed in the provinces of Aleppo, Homs, Idlib, Deir al- Zour and Hasaka over the past one and a half months.
Speaking of foreign fighters, al-Watan recounted on Tuesday the course of events and fighting in the main flashpoint of Daraya in Damascus’ countryside.
Quoting sources, the paper said that the armed rebels, which include thousands of foreign fighters, sent distress calls to their comrades in the eastern al-Ghota suburb to help them after the Syrian troops ringed them tightly on Monday.
The Syrian army managed to make advancements Monday after dismantling tons of explosives that had been planted to hinder the army’s entry to the area, said the paper, adding that the troops inflicted hefty toll on the armed men.
It said the “terrorists” have taken shelter and stationed in residential buildings after forcing their residents to flee, noting that the army would accomplish the mission in Daraya within a few days or even hours.
In an earlier report, al-Watan said that the Syrian forces’ recent tactic was to turn a blind eye to the fighters in order to have them gathered in Daraya, then surround and eliminate them once and for all. It said that those fighters have been planning to wage a big battle against the Damascus’ regime forces to bring down the capital.
That report collaborated with some news circulated on some pro- government Facebook pages that said thousands of fighters had gathered in Daraya and were planning to mount an offensive on the nearby al-Mazzeh military airport to take over war jets and strike some vital points in Damascus, including the presidential palace, to later declare their control of Damascus.
The Western-backed rebels have tried several times to mount attacks on vital and security centers in Damascus in the hope of declaring a coup. But so far such attempts have been rendered flat by the government forces.
[…]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/27/c_132002511.htm
November 28th, 2012, 12:08 am
Syrialover said:
ZOO #520 I can’t see how the west has anything to do with the MB issue in the Syrian opposition.
It’s an internal Syrian matter, just as the MB are an internal matter in Egypt. It has to be resolved by the political classes in each country.
I am skimming over a complex subject here, and may come back to it later with references to some first-rate commentaries.
There are common strands and features of the MB issue in both cases but I have yet to see anything to suggest that the “the west” wants to force the MB on Syria as you claim or why it would.
November 28th, 2012, 12:26 am
Ghufran said:
This is from a “liberated” section in Reef Halab:
The argument about whether alawis will suffer from revenge killing and sectarian cleansing is not new, many Syrians take that seriously,especially those who are prime candidates, Syrian alawites, this is why a lot of alawites, probably most, see this war today as a war for survival not a war for Assad. The regime , Islamist thugs and AIRs on this blog and other media made that possible. Only a credible force that protects potential victims from all sides can prevent a blood bath, as of now there is no appetite for such a force, this leaves future victims without hope except their guns. Fitnah does not differentiate between those who are guilty from those who are innocent, people from the wrong sect become guilty by just being different in one way or the other, a military win by either side, especially Islamist rebels, will indeed increase the risk of massive revenge killings,what most of you conveniently forgot to mention is that alawites ,who are merely 12% of the population, have more than their fair share of funerals,there is NOT an alawi village in the coastal areas that did not lose a number of young men on the hands of rebels, who are almost entirely Sunni, as you can see there is no shortage of targets if the objective is revenge. One has to be pessimistic about Syria’s future when Syrian expats with jobs and education have no vision for the future outside their Sunni ghetto mentality, do not blame me for being negative,many of you guys should live under Taliban rule to understand why it is wrong to allow Islamist thugs with guns to decide the future of any country, even in Egypt, as soon as the MB wins elections, by a thin margin I should add, they start a campaign to ikhwanize Egypt to the dismay of million of Egyptians (85% Sunni) who have to go back to the streets to stop the MB from stealing their revolution, a similar theft is well underway in Syria,do not even try to put lipsticks on this pig,we know better.
November 28th, 2012, 12:37 am
Juergen said:
an other article on the supply flights by the russians
http://www.inourheart.org/3/post/2012/11/russia-printing-money-for-syria-claims-report.html
November 28th, 2012, 12:41 am
Visitor said:
Ms. Sheila,
My reply to you is in the filter.
Same problem when it takes you longer to hit the Submit button.
Will try to un-filter it.
And no I am not in agreement with your 523.
November 28th, 2012, 12:43 am
Visitor said:
Ms. Sheila @523,
I will try to beat the filter by breaking the comment into more than one section, because I do not have time to re-compose.
This is section 1,
As long as you do not lecture, I do not mind getting that list. But since we’re talking about HISTORICAL HONESTY, I would relieve you of the effort of producing the names of the most recent ones, since I know them all full well and do blame them for more than what you just mentioned.
November 28th, 2012, 12:50 am
Visitor said:
Ms. Sheila @523,
This is section 2
Your list would only be meaningful, in this case, if it could produce names of historical figures who committed betrayals on the same scale as the Alawites collusion with the Mongolians, the Crusaders and most recently the French. All three incidents resulted in destruction of Syrian cities as well as massacres of population on massive scales. Worst of course is the most recent betrayal we are currently witnessing – grant you some Alawites are opposed as we keep repeating ad nauseum. But in reality who rules Syria? And who has the big guns? And who is running the show? Please do not tell me a rubber stamp Sunni is in charge. Otherwise we can go on in circles for ever.
November 28th, 2012, 12:52 am
ann said:
Syria Claims Turkey Committed “Air Piracy,” New Documents Say – November 27, 2012
http://gantdaily.com/2012/11/27/syria-claims-turkey-committed-air-piracy-new-documents-say/
United States (ProPublica) – Documents posted online Monday by hackers associated with the online group Anonymous appear to give new details on a Syrian passenger flight from Moscow to Damascus that Turkish fighter jets forced to land last month.
The incident sparked a diplomatic row between the two neighbors that have grown increasingly at oddsas the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attempts to crush a popular uprising.
The documents, which include letters from the chief executive of Syrian Arab Airlines, as well as a cargo manifest, could not be immediately authenticated. But they dovetail with what has been reported about the flight by Reuters and other news organizations.
ProPublica
reported this week that a Syrian government plane ferried what flight records describe as more than 200 tons of “bank notes” from Moscow.
The letters from the CEO of Syrian Arab Airlines, if authentic, give the airline’s account of how the Turkish military forced down the civilian passenger plane, an Airbus A320. The letters are addressed to officials with the International Air Transport Association and the Arab Air Carriers Organization and appear to be official complaints about Turkey’s actions, which the Syrian CEO labels “air piracy.”
The letters, which are almost identical and are written in both English and Arabic, detail what happened to Flight 442 from Moscow to Damascus on October 10. They contend that without warning, two F-16 warplanes of the Turkish air force approached the Syrian passenger jet three times, zooming in as close as 50 meters.
The fighter jets forced the passenger plane to land in a side area at Ankara airport. After two hours, Turkish commandos “stormed into the plane, sparking panic and dread among the passengers.”
The letters go on to allege that Turkish armed forces searched the plane for more than seven hours, eventually confiscating ten parcels weighing a total of 340 kilograms. In the letters and the cargo manifest, the contents are described as electronic equipment.
The Turkish Prime Minister told reporters that the cargo contained ammunition destined for Syria’s defense ministry. Russia’s foreign minister said the cargo included only parts for radar installations, and that such components were allowed under international transportation agreements.
[…]
http://gantdaily.com/2012/11/27/syria-claims-turkey-committed-air-piracy-new-documents-say/
November 28th, 2012, 12:54 am
Visitor said:
Ms. Sheila @523,
This is section 3
So now, where is your list? I am sure you cannot produce one historical name that can be shown to have betrayed Syria equivalent to one millionths such historical betrayals, i.e. if we can assign numbers to the concept of betrayal.
It is HISTORICAL HONESTY we are interested in, right?
End of sections
November 28th, 2012, 12:57 am
ann said:
Syria names 142 foreign [mercenaries] jihadists who fought with rebels – 27 Nov 2012
The Syrian government has named 142 foreign jihadists that it reportedly says were killed fighting alongside rebels in the country’s civil war
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9706777/Syria-names-142-foreign-jihadists-who-fought-with-rebels.html
Damascus-based newspaper Al-Watan on Tuesday published a list that it said the Syrian government had sent to the United Nations Security Council last month giving the names and the dates and locations where the “terrorists” were killed.
“Most are jihadists (radical Islamists) who belong to al-Qaeda’s network, or who joined it after arriving in Syria,” the paper said, adding that they entered Syria via Turkey and Lebanon.
Among the 142 it named 47 Saudis, 24 Libyans, 11 Afghans, 10 Tunisians, nine Egyptians, six Qataris and five Lebanese.
The government is thought to have asked for the list be registered as an official document on the UN’s agenda of “measures to combat international terrorism”.
When anti-government protests began in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad blamed the unrest on an invasion “foreign terrorists”.
[…]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9706777/Syria-names-142-foreign-jihadists-who-fought-with-rebels.html
November 28th, 2012, 1:03 am
ann said:
President Obama about to launch another illegal war against Syria – Nov 27, 2012
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/337833
The deployment of Patriot missiles, is the first step in a U.S.-led NATO no-fly-zone, in order to aid Syrian rebels in their fight against Bashar Assad. The terrorists fighting Assad in Syria, and they are terrorist, have been requesting this same no-fly-zone for months. Patriot missiles deployed in southern Turkey would not only guard Syria’s northern neighbor, but impede the Syrian regime’s ability to launch air raids in northern Syria as well. With the reported destruction of an Air Defense base in southern Syria, near the Israeli border Syria’s defense capability would be greatly diminished.
This to me constitutes nothing less then an act of war. Lets throw in the fact that Turkey is the forward base of operations of the Syrian terrorists fighting President Bashar Assad. U.S. made Patriot missiles, manned by American soldiers in Turkey, is nothing other then a finger in the eye, and a total act of aggression against Syria, concealed as protecting an ally, all of this without approval from Congress.
Under the War Powers Resolution, the President is to tell Congress two days in advance of when he is committing soldiers to military action, the U.S. military is forbidden to remain in action for more then two months, without a 30-day extension or a declaration of war. President Ronald Reagan ignored this in El Salvador and Nicaragua, as well President Clinton ignored the 1973 law in the bombing of Kosovo. Oddly enough President Bush followed the laws of the land in his war against Iraq, albeit as unjust as it was. So President Obama is doing nothing less then following in the imperial footsteps of his predecessors, first in Libya and now poised to do so again in Syria.
Never mind the human rights violations committed by the terrorists in the Free Syrian Army. From using child soldiers, abducting Shia pilgrims in Lebanon, as well as rapes, executions and torture. Furthermore one has to ignore the fact that the Free Syrian Army, and the Syrian rebels have aligned themselves with radical Islamist’s – our supposed enemy. Al Qaeda’s second in command has voiced his support for the Syrian cause, Christians have been targeted, churches bombed and people expelled from their homes. Walid Al-Boustani in March declared Homs, an Islamic Emirate making himself an Emir which turned out to be an ill-fated venture.
I do not want to promote Islamophobia, since I believe that the Qu’ran is no more violent then the Old Testament, more so Islam has benefited the world beyond measure. However, does it make any sense to aid the people allied with the very same radicals we are fighting in Afghanistan? No it does not.
By creating a buffer between Turkey and Syria, President Obama does nothing more then protect the very regime attacking the Assad government by proxy through the Syrian rebels. He too gets America’s foot in the door to become involved in another conflict without approval from Congress. The treaties and resolutions that America have agreed to, has handed decision making power over to international bodies, so much so they have made Congress of no effect, this is unconstitutional.
When he ran for office in 2008, Barack Obama was promising and a breath of fresh air, revolutionary in his idealism. Ridiculed by the old standard, who wanted wars and paranoia to rule the day. He overcame those voices twice now, but his advisers have led him astray, off the path of his promises, through the muddy terrain of imperialism and American overreach.
Where are the Patriot missiles for Palestine? Where is the calls for regime change when Palestinian protesters are killed? Where is the outcry, since the Israeli government has imposed a starvation diet on the people of Gaza? The foreign policy of the United States is built on falsehoods and double standards
[…]
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/337833
November 28th, 2012, 1:10 am
Hamoudeh al-Halabi said:
Shaykh Adnan Araour on the Destruction of Shrines
http://freehalab.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/shaykh-adnan-araour-on-the-destruction-of-shrines/
November 28th, 2012, 1:25 am
ann said:
Kurds say they’ll stop Islamist rebels from moving along Syria’s border with Turkey – Nov. 27, 2012
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/27/3937198/kurds-say-theyll-stop-islamist.html
RAS AL AYN, Syria — A tense truce between Syrian rebels and a Kurdish militia held Tuesday in the city of Ras al Ayn, fast against the border with Turkey. But neither side hid its disdain for the other, and both continued to hold prisoners in a standoff that suggests rebel hopes to push their control further east faces an all but certain challenge.
Ras al Ayn fell to the rebels almost two weeks ago, the first rebel victory in the country’s predominantly Kurdish northeast. But that did not end fighting here. At least five members of a Kurdish political party, the United Democratic Party, known locally as the PYD, were killed last week when they exchanged fire with the rebels, whom the Kurds asked to leave. Kurds make up about 10 percent of Syria’s population but are a majority in Hasaka province, where Ras al Ayn is located.
With the rebels saying they intend to move from Ras al Ayn east to the city of Qamishli, PYD’s militia on Monday set up 10 checkpoints between Ras al Ayn and the largely Kurdish city of Dar Basiyeh, about 40 miles to the east.
On Monday, it was clear that one of the Islamist groups, Jabhat al Nusra, has no plans to withdraw from Ras al Ayn. It also appears to have close operational links with the military council in Ras al Ayn, as well as Ghroba al Sham, the largest group of fighters in the city. Ghroba al Sham is considered by other rebel groups as having an ideology similar to Jabhat al Nusra’s. It operates outside the command of a military council.
Hassan Abdullah, the commander of the local military council, said that meetings were taking place to create a civilian body to administer Ras al Ayn, whose residents largely fled when the fighting here began and have yet to return. There have been complaints of looting in the lawlessness that followed.
“What can we do? We are trapped between two sides,” asked one man who had returned to his home on Monday to check on it and said he planned to leave the city again before the end of the day. He declined to give his name.
As for rebel and Kurdish tensions, they are likely to get worse.
[…]
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/27/3937198/kurds-say-theyll-stop-islamist.html
November 28th, 2012, 1:26 am
ann said:
4 blasts rock Damascus’ suburb, leaving causalities – 2012-11-28
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/28/c_132004683.htm
DAMASCUS, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) — Four explosions rocked the Jaramana suburb of the capital Damascus early on Wednesday morning, killing and injuring undisclosed number of people, Syria’ s al-Ekhbaria TV said.
The TV said the blasts were triggered by two booby-trapped cars and two explosive devices that went off in several areas of Jaramana, causing deaths and injuries.
The latest blasts came apparently to reduce pressure on the armed rebels currently surrounded by the government troops in the Damascus’ suburb of Daraya, the latest scene of intense clashes.
[…]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/28/c_132004683.htm
November 28th, 2012, 1:34 am
SYR.EXPAT said:
One of the many victims of Bashar’s reforms. Muhammad Ahmad Al-Tabbakh. He was arrested on 6/29/2012 and his next of kin were notified through the a governmental newspaper to pick his body from Al-Mujtahid Hospital in Damascus. He died under torture and starvation. He was 32 years old. May Allah have mercy on his soul.
نزف اليكم الشهيد محمد احمد الطباخ من مواليد 1981/12/25
الذي استشهد تحت التعذيب في اقبية النظام وسلم لاهله بتاريخ2012/11/25//من مشفى المجتهد وقد نشرت قوات الغدر الاسدية اسمه في جريدة النظام انه على اهله الحضور واخذه من المشفى
يذكر ان الشهيد فقد من 29 -6-2012
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=392600824154172&set=a.112197655527825.19958.111632495584341&type=1&theater
November 28th, 2012, 2:05 am
ann said:
Syria / SAA send support troops to Aleppo – 2 hours ago
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4a9_1354078819
November 28th, 2012, 2:09 am
ann said:
Syria / SAA send support troops to Daraa – 2 hours ago
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=65c_1354078522
November 28th, 2012, 2:13 am
ann said:
More Jihadist “Freedom” fighters retired to terrorist paradise from their Snackbar duty by SAA – Deir Ez Zor – Nov-27-2012
Better luck with your virgins!
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f6c_1354060057
November 28th, 2012, 2:22 am
ann said:
SAA and militia in great mood, as always – Damascus – Nov-27-2012
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=358_1354051926
November 28th, 2012, 2:30 am
ann said:
Syria – SAA combat footage in Darayya – 27/11/2012
Correspondent of the Russian state TV Anastasia Popova along with Syrian soldiers on the front line in Darayya
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=38d_1354045321
November 28th, 2012, 2:36 am
ann said:
Shooting SAM Missile on Army Helicopter by Terrorists in Syria Is Met with MIG Jet Reprisal – Nov-27-2012
FSA terrorists in Aleppo countryside, launch a SAM missile on an Syrian Air Force helicopter. Syrian Air Force comes back with a Jet and teach the terrorists a lesson.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c1d_1354038874
November 28th, 2012, 2:44 am
ann said:
SAA gives “syrian rebel” field hospital an unexpected visit – Nov-26-2012
Sorry, what? You have to knock the door before entering?
SAA questioning them about their weapons, saying that they’ll get away alive if they say were they are.
Seems like the rebels had a rough week tho!
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ac_1354039233
November 28th, 2012, 3:02 am
ann said:
death of terrorist Mahmoud Awad, leader of the alleged “Dera Al Horan brigade” – Nov-27-2012
again this is to demonstrate the accuracy of the fire of the Syrian Army..
people see a straight winged ground-support jet dropping bombs and rocking its wings as it flies away, and a pillar of smoke. any claim can be made about what happened there.
but when you see high-valued-targets taken out, one after the other. you can be certain that these people know what they are doing..
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5da_1354028577
November 28th, 2012, 3:20 am
ann said:
Four bombs set off in predominantly Christian Damascus district – Nov 28, 2012
Four blasts tore through the predominantly Christian-populated Damascus district of Jaramana earlier today, killing and injuring people
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_28/Four-bombs-set-off-in-predominantly-Christian-Damascus-district/
Moscow to stay away from Syria conflict – Lavrov
Russia’s foreign chief Sergei Lavrov has stressed that Russia’s involvement in the Syrian conflict was completely out of the question.
In an interview to Russia’s Argumenty & Fakty newspaper, Mr. Lavrov pointed out that military cooperation between Moscow and Damascus, which spans years and years, has been directed at preserving stability in the Middle East, not at backing any insider forces in Syria.
Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was against foreign involvement in the crisis, much less a military intervention. He added it was seeking ways to stop bloodshed and bring warring parties to the negotiating table.
The Russian foreign minister warned that encouraging a “war till the bitter end” against Bashar al-Assad could result in more suffering for the Syrian people and fan the fire that had already engulfed the region.
Russia to help launch direct dialogue between Turkey and Syria – Lavrov
Russia is prepared to help launch direct dialogue between Turkey and Syria, and has already brought this to the notice of Ankara and Damascus.
This came in a statement at a news conference in Moscow today by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
He warned against making any moves that would prove conducive to rekindling the conflict in the region, including the deployment of the Patriot antimissile system on the Turkish-Syrian border.
Any arms stockpiling creates risks and is tempting to those who would like to bring outside forces into play, Lavrov said.
He added that he is due to take up the issue by telephone with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen tonight.
[…]
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_28/Four-bombs-set-off-in-predominantly-Christian-Damascus-district/
November 28th, 2012, 3:36 am
ann said:
Twenty killed in Damascus car bombs – Nov 28, 2012
At least 20 people were killed in Syria when two car bombs exploded in the eastern Damascus district of Jaramana on Wednesday, activists and Syrian media said
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_28/Twenty-killed-in-Damascus-car-bombs/
Addounia television, which said the blasts occurred shortly after 6.40 a.m. (0440 GMT), broadcast footage of firefighters hosing down the blackened hulks of two vehicles.
Debris from neighbouring buildings had also crushed several other cars.
Four bombs set off in predominantly Christian Damascus district
Four blasts tore through the predominantly Christian-populated Damascus district of Jaramana earlier today, killing and injuring people.
This is reported by China’s Xinhua news agency with reference to the Syrian TV channel Ekhbaria.
Two car bombs and two homemade explosive devices were detonated. No other details have been available.
The death toll and the number of injured are being finalized.
[…]
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_28/Twenty-killed-in-Damascus-car-bombs/
November 28th, 2012, 3:41 am
Citizen said:
512
Corruption in the United States of America
http://arabic.ruvr.ru/2012_08_31/86783725/
November 28th, 2012, 4:02 am
Syrialover said:
New post up and thread started
November 28th, 2012, 5:38 am
Robert said:
I am seeing Syria falling into three parts.
The Northwest being FSA controlled.
I hope the meddling by the west over “chemical” attack will not upset ballance in favor of the regime, but will give some relief to the north, especially in Aleppo, which should ne part of this “northern kingdom”.
August 28th, 2013, 11:36 am
revenire said:
Robert, as you can see, clowns like Syrialover have been saying that Assad would fall for years. He hasn’t. All their begging has amounted to a false flag operation involving chemical weapons – fed by Israeli intelligence. This is exactly what Assad said all along.
There will be no “FSA state” anywhere in Syria. Before something like that would happen the entire nation will burnt to the ground.
The patriots in, and out, of Syria will see to that.
Obama what are you waiting for?
August 28th, 2013, 11:58 am
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