Smoke rises behind residential buildings in the Syrian city of Homs last week after the bombing of an oil pipeline -- blamed on a terrorist group by the authorities. Photograph: Sana/handout/EPA
Posted on 12/11/2011 3:02:30 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Given the events of the Arab spring, some might say that the tell-tale sign that a dictator's days are numbered is when his defiance turns to delusion. Last Wednesday, in an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters, a chuckling and snorting Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator, tried to deny any responsibility for the attacks on his own people: "They are not my forces. They are the forces belonging to the government. I don't own them, I'm president." ... ("Some mistakes committed by some officials," shrugged Assad.)
His television interview has been interpreted by some as further evidence that the Syrian regime is on the backfoot... Assad is reported to have turned down offers of safe haven in the Gulf and continues to show no mercy to the protesters. His Shabiha militias roam Syria's streets, shooting, maiming and torturing. On Sunday at least nine people were killed in clashes as opposition activists tried to call a general strike...
In 2005, following the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri -- allegedly on the orders of Syrian intelligence -- many western analysts assumed that Assad, the young, pampered, UK-educated eye doctor, was finished. Yet he not only survived but emerged stronger, more determined and more outspoken on issues of Middle East diplomacy (from the civil war in Iraq to the calcified politics of the Arab-Israeli conflict).
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Smoke rises behind residential buildings in the Syrian city of Homs last week after the bombing of an oil pipeline -- blamed on a terrorist group by the authorities. Photograph: Sana/handout/EPA
It’s only 6 pm here, but I’m about finished.
Syria has been there before and has flattened Homs before.
Dhimmies of the Guardian say what ?
allah u akbar ? Yea fine ! Wait and see and watch out
In the west, we try to divide conflicts into good guys and bad guys. While Assad is definitely a Bond villain, that doesn’t mean the opposition will be any different. Any power change in Syria, or anywhere else in the Middle East, will likely result in massive revenge killings.
Probably the best thing the west can do is stand well back.
The group of Worthy Oriental Gentlemen trying to take over the territory from that other group of Worthy Oriental Gentlemen has made everyone here go ga-ga and limp in the knees about "democracy," etc. etc.
This is a primarily a sectarian bloodbath. Assad's wicked old Dad had to flatten Homs before, and the fact that Junior is now having trouble doing that is not a good thing for our team.
"Democracy" in a Muslim context at this point in history means the bad guys win; the guys who hate our Christian asses win; the guys who hate Western Civilization; the guys who will strap the dynamite on and have the money to do come get us will take the vote.
Attention Syria: Keep Assad. We'll talk about "Democracy" when Syria is a Christian country. Again.
Muslims killing Muslims. May we understand that the writer of this article, Mehdi Hasan, is probably a Sunni Muslim, who prefers Sunni terrorists to Shiite terrorists?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
