Posted on 01/16/2016 5:14:45 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
As the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad wages an offensive with Russia's backing on rebels across the country, behind the front lines it has been consolidating its hold in Syria's west. This is the part of the country sometimes called "useful Syria," home to most of its population and economic centers. The consolidation of regime control here may be a harbinger of a future, divided country — or it may create a base from which the regime can launch attacks on the rest of Syria.
The regime has systematically encircled, blockaded and bombed the remaining pockets of rebel control in the west, from the capital Damascus up through the city of Homs to the Mediterranean coast. Now the exhausted residents of these rebel enclaves – denied regular access to food and medical supplies for months or even years – are increasingly agreeing to one-sided settlements with the regime in exchange for relief and an end to the violence.
Through these truces and ceasefires, the regime is neutralizing the last pockets of rebels who could threaten its core territory. It is also strengthening its hand ahead of planned negotiations with the Syrian opposition.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.vice.com ...
Shouldn’t the “rebels” retreat or surrender?
The world would be a better place if the Islamists all die.
Is this supposed to be a bad thing?
That’s how the Union Army captured Vicksburg.
Good for Assad.
So what. Gopher it!
What do you mean “grab.” Assad is the legitimate president of the recognized government of Syria. It is the Syrian government’s land, not ISIS or the three “moderate” camel jockeys whose rebellion we support.
One of the greatest mistakes Hillary and Obama made was assuming that all dictators were bad. The relatively secular dictators throughout the middle east from Egypt to Yemen to Libya turned out to be bad by our standards because they were suppressing even worse evil.
Taking out all these dictators in the Arab Spring didn’t lead to democracy but the rise of Boko Haram, ISIS and others.
And he's anti-ISIS.
Considering the alternatives, he's probably as good as it gets.
Or rather: not "good," but "least horrible."
The Assads helped kill 250 marines in Beirut and Bashar almost got Syria invaded during the Iraq invasion because he let Jihadis attack US forces. Some people side with this guy?
And I know he has also NOT protected Christians.
Oh the great Assad, allows Iranian missiles to be transported through Syria to be fired by Hezbollah terrorists at Israel, the great Assad, Samir Kuntar the Jewish child killer was given their highest medal of honor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samir_Kuntar
If the Assads are protecting Christians, why did they kill the Lebanese Christian President; push this line in Lebanon. And ask the Druze if they are being protected.
The various co-belligerent and enemy and enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend and friend-of-my-enemy-is-my-enemy and tribal-ethnic-sectarian subgroups and "my cousins, my tribe and my mountain" alliances shift back and forth so much, I have always thought the U.S. State Dept. was foolish for thinking they could "pick a team and stick with it."
Assad will do what he needs to stay in power. That's his bottom line.
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That is an outright lie and can easily be disproved by the number of Christians who back the Assad regime and by how the Christians lived before the uprising.
It seems to be neocon group think to try and play down the jihadi element of the Syrian rebels in order to fight a proxy world war with Iran - and native Christians or whoever in the Middle East be damned.
Plenty of Christians have been killed, that hardly sounds like protecting them.
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I clearly said that before the war broke out Christians were free to practice their faith in Syria. After the war Christians rather live under Assad than the rebels. You don't like Assad - fine. But don't lie to get people to back your cause. Say what you really mean - you want Assad gone for Israel's sake because of their link to Iran and screw the native Syrian Christians if need be.
“I clearly said that before the war broke out Christians were free to practice their faith in Syria. After the war Christians rather live under Assad than the rebels. You don’t like Assad - fine. But don’t lie to get people to back your cause. Say what you really mean - you want Assad gone for Israel’s sake because of their link to Iran and screw the native Syrian Christians if need be.”
No, you can be accused of lying. The Christians in Lebanon hardly like the Assads who killed their Christian President, so don’t throw some Anti-Semite argument in, typical of Putinistas and it really is.
Christians have been killed. The Regime has not attacked ISIS nor have the Russians as much as other rebels.
Syrian Rebel President: Assad Helping ISIS
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/185436#.Vp_JIU-KZO8
I don’t go with RT propaganda, the same RT where co-founder Mikhail Lesin dies mysteriously in a DC hotel.
Russia has aided ISIS as much, it is the sorry excuse of Putinistas to then say “Well, we’re attacking all Jihadis”, many Christians, including Armenian Christians have backed away from endorsing Assad.
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What part of SYRIAN CHRISTIANS don't you get?
And Syria's dealings in Lebanon did not target the Christian faith. It was not done for religious reasons.
You know that Assad's regime protecting Christians is a powerful argument against helping the rebels and that is why your poor attempts at pushing a lie.
I have not posted anything from RT or any Russian source. The proof that Syrian Christians lived well under Assad can be found in any news source you can look at.
I accuse you of being a willful liar.
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