Champagne Flows While Syria Burns

Newsweek ^ | July 9, 2012 | Janine di Giovanni

[MinorityRepublican]

By the pool, glistening, oiled, and muscular bodies gyrated to a juiced-up version of Adele’s “Someone Like You.” Atop huge speakers, a Russian dancer swayed suggestively in front of the young, beautiful Syrian set drinking imported Lebanese beer with salt and lemon. Behind them, columns of smoke were rising—signs of car bombs and explosions, of an encroaching war.

One woman in a tight swimsuit playfully squirted a water gun, joking that she belonged to the pro-government militia, the Shabiha, meaning ghosts or thugs, which is believed to be responsible for a recent massacre of more than 100 people, many of them women and children. “The opposition wants to kill us—they even announced it on Facebook,” the woman said, and blithely went back to spraying herself with water.

The pool party at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus was just getting started.

[MinorityRepublican]

At the Dama Rose Hotel, the young elite parties hard—despite the signs of war.

[dfwgator]

I see that pic, and I think of that Midnight Oil song, “Your dreamworld is just about to end...”

[lurk]

One last fling before falling into the abyss of Sharia Law.

[MinorityRepublican]

A Russian woman dances at a weekly DJ pool party at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus. Locals gather every Thursday for the event.

[MinorityRepublican]

Assad is a SOB. But he’s secular. And he kept his people in line. Sort of like Saddam and Qaddafi.

[Texas Fossil]

“We heard gun shots in the background—but it seemed a long way off”

—

For now. War is like that. Civil War is much worse.

War with the likes of “the Camp” is far worse.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Soon he will join his fellow mass-murderers Saddam and Kadaffy in Hell where he belongs.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks MinorityRepublican. Let 'em eat baklava ping.

• Syrian armed rebels take fight to government troops in Damascus
• Assad Will Use Chemical Weapons: Top Defector
• Pentagon Sending Aircraft Carrier to Mideast Early
• U.S. Navy ship fires at boat in Persian Gulf
• Official: US Ship Fires on Boat off Dubai, 1 Dead
• Iran renews Hormuz closure threats
• Fiercest fighting yet reported inside Damascus
• Clinton 'Outraged' by Syria Massacre, Urges UN Action
• Moving Syrian tank gets hit by an RPG
• Where Did Syria's Chemical Weapons Come From?
• NY Times: Islamists Taking Power Produces Moderation, Ends Terrorism
• First reports of shelling in Damascus ("Behold, Damascus will cease")
• US Fears Assad Relocating Chemical Stockpiles
• U.S. Concerned as Syria Moves Chemical Stockpile
• Video captures the moment two Syrian army tanks are destroyed by rebel fighters in ambush
• Russia sends warships to Syria
• Considering a Sunni Regime in Syria
• [Russia said last month: ] Pentagon finishes contingency plans for Syria invasion
• Why Russia Is Backing Syria
• Assad: U.S. trying to destabilize Syria
• Syrian Military Conducts Large-Scale Exercises
• Syria's Just Deserts
• Key military leader defects from Assad regime, flees Syria
• 'Jordan Rejecting Palestinian Refugees from Syria'
• William Hague: action on Syria possible without support of Russia and China
• Syria pummels rebels as battered city collects bodies
• Facing diplomatic isolation, Syria's Assad says he's willing to step aside
• Syrian forces attack town, Assad boasts of survival
• Halting Syrian Chaos by Robert D. Kaplan and Kamran Bokhari
• Deadly attacks in Syria the work of new jihadist group, watchdog says
• Syrian army attacks rebels, Turkey scrambles F16s
• As Syrian rebels dig in, soldiers defect en masse
• Jumblatt urges countries to end support for Assad
• Syrian pilot's defection in MiG-21 stirs Cold War memories
• Hillary Clinton in 2011: Assad Is a Reformer… Hillary Clinton 2012: Killer Assad Must Go
• 85 People Killed By Assad At Funeral (18+ Adults Only)
• Turkey scrambles F-16's on Syria border
• Turkey in Game of Chicken with Syria
• Syria Masses Tanks On Border With Turkey
• Syria's chemical weapons: How secure are they from jihadists?
• Senior Hamas Official Murdered in Damascus
• Saudi Arabia keeps oil tap on for world growth, Russia hurts

[353FMG]

It takes an SOB to effectively rule a muslim nation — something that the West (and in paricular H. Clinton) will never learn.

[MinorityRepublican]

It takes an SOB to effectively rule a muslim nation — something that the West (and in paricular H. Clinton) will never learn.

The West is delusional to think our values are universal.

[bigheadfred]

Oh they know it. They just make up crap to try to justify their existence.

[dfwgator]

Soon he will join his fellow mass-murderers Saddam and Kadaffy in Hell where he belongs.

I guarantee Assad's replacement, whoever they are will be joining them as well.

[2banana]

I have been at 4th grade parties that had more fun than what is in those pictures...

[Tailgunner Joe]

Who says there will be a replacement? Assad’s downfall hardly guarantees rebel victory, and even if the rebels win they will then fight it out amongst themselves. What we should be hoping for it Assad’s ouster AND a protracted civil war.

[dfwgator]

What we should be hoping for it Assad’s ouster AND a protracted civil war.

Agreed.

[Carriage Hill]

Those “ladies” sure aren’t missing any meals, are they? Sure nothing like the Israeli lady-soldiers...

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[Eleutheria5]

Worked for the Pompeiians.

[SunkenCiv]

By the pool, glistening, oiled, and muscular bodies gyrated to a juiced-up version of Adele's "Someone Like You." Atop huge speakers, a Russian dancer swayed suggestively in front of the young, beautiful Syrian set drinking imported Lebanese beer with salt and lemon. Behind them, columns of smoke were rising -- signs of car bombs and explosions, of an encroaching war. One woman in a tight swimsuit playfully squirted a water gun, joking that she belonged to the pro-government militia, the Shabiha, meaning ghosts or thugs, which is believed to be responsible for a recent massacre of more than 100 people, many of them women and children.