Meanwhile, In Syria

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Discussion

ErnestM

Original Poster:

11,615 posts

266 months

Thursday 12th May 2011
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They are going to run out of jails...

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/05/11/1...

...or, possibly, ammunition.

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Sunday 31st July 2011
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Situation worsening in Syria - Tanks open fire on crowds in Hama.

Likely to get worse with their religious holidays, although Damascus & Allepo have so far not been affected.

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Wednesday 17th August 2011
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Syria Combats Dissent Globally
Syria is taking its war against President Bashar al-Assad's political opponents global, using diplomats in Washington, London and elsewhere to track and intimidate expatriates who speak out against the Damascus regime, according to Syrian dissidents and U.S. officials.
Syrian embassy staffers are tracking and photographing antiregime protesters and sending reports back home, Syrian activists and U.S. officials say. Syrian diplomats, including the ambassador to the U.S., have fanned out to Arab diaspora communities to brand dissidents "traitors" and warn them against conspiring with "Zionists."
A half-dozen Syrian-Americans interviewed by The Wall Street Journal in recent weeks say that as a result of their activities in the U.S., family members have been interrogated, threatened or arrested in Syria. The Obama administration says it has "credible" evidence that the Assad regime is targeting relatives of Syrian-Americans who have participated in peaceful U.S. protests.

Mojocvh

16,837 posts

261 months

Thursday 18th August 2011
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleea...

"Syrian security forces have adopted a shoot-on-sight policy to prevent refugees fleeing across the border into Turkey"

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Monday 29th August 2011
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News Alert: Syrian unrest raises fears about chemical arsenal
August 28, 2011 6:05:22 PM



A sudden collapse of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could mean a breakdown in controls over the country's weapons, U.S. officials and weapons experts say. Syria possesses some of the deadliest chemicals ever to be weaponized, dispersed in thousands of artillery shells and warheads that are easy to transport.

Although many analysts doubt that Assad would deliberately share chemical bombs with terrorists, it is not inconceivable that weapons could vanish amid the chaos of an uprising that destroys Syria's vaunted security services, which safeguard the munitions.

"This is a scenario that's on the radar screen if things go downhill," said a U.S. security official who monitors events in Syria. "A lot of people are watching this closely."

Globs

13,841 posts

230 months

Monday 29th August 2011
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Except Syria disarmed a while ago to appease the west.

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Tuesday 6th September 2011
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Read in "The secret history of Al-Qa'ida" by Abdel Bari Atwan that Al-Qa'ida would love the US to attack Syria. If Syria destabilises, then the jihadists would flood in to Syria, particularly from Iraq. In the event of a breakdown in government, they would be able to move around at will, and what's that I see in the bottom SW corner...?

...the border with Israel eek

Globs

13,841 posts

230 months

Tuesday 6th September 2011
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Maybe it's just me but I have enormous difficulty in believing that Al-Qa'ida even exists, let alone is a threat to us.

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Wednesday 7th September 2011
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Globs said:
Maybe it's just me but I have enormous difficulty in believing that Al-Qa'ida even exists, let alone is a threat to us.
Faith & imagining with many foot soldiers. wink

CommanderJameson

22,096 posts

225 months

Wednesday 7th September 2011
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Globs said:
Maybe it's just me but I have enormous difficulty in believing that Al-Qa'ida even exists, let alone is a threat to us.
Bruce Schneier once wrote a convincing piece, the thesis of which was that 9/11 was the zenith of al Qaeda's operations, and it consumed so much of their most valuable resources, both material and human, that it was effectively their last hurrah.

Also that al Qaeda is a loosely-connected franchise, so any halfwit with an AK47 and a few pounds of semtex can cause some incompetent but messy mayhem and stick the al Qaeda brand on it.

I'll dig up the link(s) when I find it(them).

MX7

7,902 posts

173 months

Wednesday 5th October 2011
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Russia and China veto UN resolution against Syrian regime

It's strange how we seem to be blind to one conflict, yet we can be intensely fascinated with another, almost identical conflict. 2,700 dead so far, yet public interest remains close to zero.

It's not a criticism, just an observation. I think we are all partly guilty of it in some way, but I don't fully understand why.

Anyway, Russia, China, India, South Africa and Brazil don't seem to see any urgency in the situation. The resolution called for a return to peace, and if that didn't materialise within 30 days, measures might be taken under Article 41, which is basically economic and diplomatic sanctions, but no military intervention.

I don't have a high opinion of the UN, but I didn't believe that they would have any hesitation in condemning Assad.

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Wednesday 5th October 2011
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MX7 said:
..

It's strange how we seem to be blind to one conflict, yet we can be intensely fascinated with another, almost identical conflict. 2,700 dead so far, yet public interest remains close to zero.

It's not a criticism, just an observation. I think we are all partly guilty of it in some way, but I don't fully understand why.
Hypocrisy, not an easy to fight country, may spill over into Israel and dare I say oil?

MX7

7,902 posts

173 months

Wednesday 5th October 2011
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Mermaid said:
MX7 said:
..

It's strange how we seem to be blind to one conflict, yet we can be intensely fascinated with another, almost identical conflict. 2,700 dead so far, yet public interest remains close to zero.

It's not a criticism, just an observation. I think we are all partly guilty of it in some way, but I don't fully understand why.
Hypocrisy, not an easy to fight country, may spill over into Israel and dare I say oil?
The public are apathetic to it because of hypocrisy, it's not an easy to fight country, Israel and oil?

That'll explain it...

100SRV

2,126 posts

241 months

Wednesday 5th October 2011
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CommanderJameson said:
Globs said:
Maybe it's just me but I have enormous difficulty in believing that Al-Qa'ida even exists, let alone is a threat to us.
Bruce Schneier once wrote a convincing piece, the thesis of which was that 9/11 was the zenith of al Qaeda's operations, and it consumed so much of their most valuable resources, both material and human, that it was effectively their last hurrah.

Also that al Qaeda is a loosely-connected franchise, so any halfwit with an AK47 and a few pounds of semtex can cause some incompetent but messy mayhem and stick the al Qaeda brand on it.

I'll dig up the link(s) when I find it(them).
I am inclined to agree with you two - if Al Qaeda were as credible a threat as claimed then unfortunately we would see events similar to the worst of the IRA "troubles" on a regular basis. Gladly we do not.

MX7

7,902 posts

173 months

Monday 17th October 2011
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Arab League calls for Syria dialogue within 15 days

Sloth like, the Arab League springs into action with all the ferocity of new born hamster.

No sanctions, or even any real condemnation, just a 'Go on, have a chat' suggestion.

What I also find interesting is that this story was 'Last updated at 00:30'. How many comments 12 hours later? 6.

Why does no one seem to give a toss about this? Less than 1,000 were killed in Egypt, yet the world seemed to be transfixed. It's very odd.

Blib

43,793 posts

196 months

Monday 17th October 2011
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Syria is a far off place, of which we know little. Plus, it has little oil, not too much political clout other than a couple of client reactionary groups in Lebanon and it is cowered by the presence of Israel. No need for anyone else to do anything drastic.

Let 'em sort it out amongst themselves.

Well, that's what I make up about the whole situation after about 30 seconds idle thought.

I'm probably wide of the mark, though

smile

Victor McDade

4,395 posts

181 months

Sunday 30th October 2011
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Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, has warned that Western action against his country would cause an "earthquake" that would "burn the whole region".



Syrian security forces opened fire on Friday on protesters and hunted them down in house-to-house raids, killing about 40 people in the deadliest day in weeks in the country's 7-month-old uprising, activists said.


So what will NATO do about this one? On Libya our wonderful leaders said:

“What is absolutely clear is that Gaddafi has broken his word, broken the ceasefire and continues to slaughter his own civilians. This has to stop. We have to make it stop.” .....Cast Iron Dave.

“Our consensus was strong, and our resolve is clear. The people of Libya must be protected and in the absence of an immediate end to the violence against civilians, our coalition is prepared to act and act with urgency.”.....Barry

“If the international community is to have credibility … then action must take place.” .....Hillary

“Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy. He cannot remain in power in Libya any longer. Whatever happens, he must go.” ......Banky Moon








Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Sunday 30th October 2011
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"Meanwhile China's Middle East envoy Wu Sike said he had warned Syria on his recent visit to Damascus about the "danger of the situation and that it cannot continue".

Mr Wu, now in Cairo, said he had told Mr Assad he must "respect and respond to the aspirations and rightful demands of the Syrian people".

With the Chinese lecturing Syria, I suppose Syria is isolated.

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Sunday 27th November 2011
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Arab league calls for more sanctions against Syria. We know where this is going smile

http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/E5QODK/EWNF...

james_tigerwoods

16,287 posts

196 months

Tuesday 24th January 2012
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Where does Syria go from here?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-166987...

Is it all rhetoric and handbags or is it more serious than that?