Posted on 07/11/2011 12:31:46 PM PDT by Eleutheria5
Protesters loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad briefly broke into the US embassy in Damascus on Monday, while security guards at the French embassy used live ammunition to prevent them gaining access, diplomats told Reuters. No casualties were reported in the attacks, which followed a visit by the US and French ambassadors to the city of Hama last week in support of the hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators there despite a harsh crackdown by Assad gunmen.
Assad accused the United States - and Ambassador Robert Ford - of trying to incite the populace against his regime, also saying the US flag was flown in support of the protesters.
But State Department officials on Monday formally condemned Syria for failing to protect the US embassy complex in Damascus from a violent assault it said was encouraged by a pro-government Syrian television station.
"A television station that is heavily influenced by Syrian authorities encouraged this violent demonstration," the State Department said in a statement.
"We strongly condemn the Syrian government's refusal to protect our embassy, and demand compensation for damages. We call on the Syrian government to fulfill its obligations to its own citizens as well," the statement said.
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
Didn’t the Iranians do something like this when Jimmy Carter was President.
We truly are in the second term of Jimmy Carter
All true. But why is the government of Israel even discussing the Golan. It should be a real short discussion like this:
Syria: Can we have the Golan back? We won’t fire mortars at farmers again. Honest. They’re too fast on their feet, those Jooo! farmers.
Israel: No. ‘bye.
If we didn’t go to war with Iran for a worse act under Carter, what’s the likelihood we’re going to consider this casus belli with Syria during the tenure of an Oval Office occupant that makes Carter look like an American hero?
Merci beaucoup.
It is cassus belli. If the US chooses not to act on it, or should choose not to, is another matter. Won’t be the first time a country has let such an affront pass. Certainly not the first time for the US. It would actually be a good thing to land on Syria with both feet, thereby destroying the equilibrium of the Iran/Syria/Lebanon cabal, which is not just after Israel.
Meanwhile, freedom of peaceful assembly is still respected in this country. Someone I know in DC sent me this eye witness report on the Libya demonstration this weekend in fron of the White House. Interesting to see that the anti NATO/pro Gaddafi group ANSWER, which apparently is a holdover from the old Stalinist lefties had 100 people. Farrakhan and Nation of Islam is also connected. The pro rebel group which has been demonstrating every weekend had about 50 people mostly women and children, as the menfolk fear to be seen on TV thereby endangering family members left in Gaddafi controled Libya.
“Supporters of the Libyan insurgency have been demonstrating in front of the White House every Saturday between 3:00 and 5:00, but they came early last Saturday.
ANSWER had called for people to come from all over the east coast to protest the bombing of Libya beginning at noon. Local Libyans wanted them to have a warm welcome.
ANSWER claimed the prime photo-op spot in the street, closest to the White House. About a hundred people marched and chanted with printed signs saying “NO War for Oil” and “STOP US/NATO War on Libya.”
Facing them about fifteen feet away was a long line of about fifty Libyans waving the flag of the insurgency. They chanted “Our Blood. Our Tears. For Forty Years.” Their signs said “Thank You Obama,” “Thank You NATO.”
Keeping the two sides a safe distance apart were six officers from the U.S. Park Police. Every now and then they had to move the line of Libyans back as it slowly encroached on the de-politicized zone. After an hour, the cops decided it would be easier to demarcate the DPZ and out came sections of barricades which, when linked, left the two groups to harangue each other across a fifteen foot alley populated by photographers.
After calling the demonstration, ANSWER decided to expand its reach to include the Ivory Coast. About a dozen Ivorians joined the picket with signs supporting President Gbagbo and telling “France/UN” to get out of the Cote d’Ivoire.
Demographically the two protests were quite different.
About eighty percent of the four dozen Libyans were women and young children. I asked one why there were so few men and she initially said that this is what the protests looked like in Libya itself. When I pressed her, she said the men were afraid of retaliation on their families.
The ANSWER pickets had gender balance, but no children. Almost all were twenty-somethings, with a scattering of men over fifty. Except for the Ivorians, they didn’t look like they came from Africa or the Middle-East but they did have a lot more dark faces than the Libyans.
Behind the ANSWER picket line was a long table manned by three members of the Nation of Islam, wearing their trademark suits and bow-ties in 90 degree heat. They weren’t chanting or holding signs, but were selling the NOI newspaper and CDs. I didn’t see any buyers. They said they were there because the NOI supports Quaddafi, but didn’t mention that the Libyan dictator has long been a
generous supporter of the NOI. In fact Quaddafi and NOI head Louis Farrakhan have been allies for many years. [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-farrakhan-gadhafi-0401-20110331,0,1163420.story]
Another Quaddafi supporter is former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. She has twice visited Tripoli, spoken on Libyan state TV, and been the featured speaker on a recent US tour sponsored by ANSWER. [http://www.answercoalition.org/national/news/eyewitness-libya-tour-success.html]
ANSWER is a front group for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which split from the Worker’s World Party in 2004. Its Stalinist ancestry perhaps explains its knee-jerk opposition to anything done by the
“imperialistpowers” – which currently means the US, NATO and France. Its leaflet for this event said “it is time to stand up and oppose the racist logic of humanitarian intervention.”
The Libyans said they weren’t mobilized by any organization. They are a loose network of people who know each other and pass on information through e-mail and
Facebook. That’s how they knew to come early for their weekly Saturday demonstration so ANSWER wouldn’t have Pennsylvania Ave. to itself.” [Sorry to post such a long description, but this was from a private communication so I could not use a URL.]
Meanwhile, state TV, Gaddafi’s mouthpiece has managed to make the Egyptians so angry they have cut off broadcast of Libyan state TV in Egypt.
http://technorati.com/politics/article/egypt-pulls-plug-on-libyan-tv/
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Excellent observation With all the turmoil in the Middle East during the past year or so, Syria in particular, the US Ambassador should not have been permitted to tour the country criticising the government. If he did it with his superiors knowing it; both the Ambassador and his superiors should resign. If he did it on his own without any knowledge of higher ups, he should be fired immediately or at least transferred to some obscure diplomatic post.
Love Pelosi in the headscarf.
Did we surrender to Syria? What are the terms?
Arab promises come on a roll 4.5 inches wide.
Yep...I was a kid, but I had just read about Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates....I learned the difference between a good President and a bad one at a young age....
Thanks for the memories !!
Desperate for adult supervision, bump.
Thanks gleeaikin for this informative ping.
ping ping ping
Obama at his best....This is delightfull !
Hope it will not cause to much death BTW
Carter gave us the islamo-terrorist Iran ...
And what will give us the great obamamessiah of the new world and new “religion” ?
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