Banu Umayyah
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Only naturally dumb people think that what's going on in Syria has anything to do with democracy.
Future of Syria
- Thread starter lem34
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Abu Zolfiqar
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well with the way things are headed -- Lebanon of 1970s/80s is taking place in Syria today
there's a civil war going on in parts of the country
the Assad dynasty is known for its strong-arm tactics during times of dissent. Hafez Al Assad was known to have been brutal against the very same people -- especially those in Homs which was always a bastion for anti-regime activists and groups.
unfortunately, some of these resistance groups are heavily sectarian in nature -- i believe some are allied with al-qaeda type groups with global jihadi ambitions.
to blindly dole out arms to these people is as irresponsible as Assad's forces indiscriminately killing and shelling civilian areas with no regard for human life
a ceasefire should be brokered somehow because the direction the country is headed in is a very dark path
Even The New York Times CONFIRMED That The US CIA Said To Aid Steering Arms To Syrian Opposition Terrorists
As West berates Syria for killing civilians Western weapons flow into terrorist hands from NATO.
The New York Times in their article, C.I.A. Said to Aid in Steering Arms to Syrian Opposition, confirms what many have already long known that the West, led by the US and its Gulf State proxies, have been arming terrorists, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood, while berating the Syrian government for violating a UN mandated ceasefire and for failing to protect its population.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been combated by nations across the Arab World to stem the tide of their sectarian extremism, violence, and their targeted erosion of secular nation-states.
Ironically, the US which has claimed to have been fighting the forces of sectarian extremism and terrorism for over a decade now, have been revealed as the primary enabler of the most violent and extreme terrorist organizations in the world.
These include, in addition to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) in Libya, Baluch terrorists in Pakistan, and the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) currently based in Iraq and being used as proxies against Iran.
The New York Times claims that, the C.I.A. officers have been in southern Turkey for several weeks, in part to help keep weapons out of the hands of fighters allied with Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, one senior American official said, a unsubstantiated claim that was similarly made in Libya before Al Qaeda flags were run up poles in Benghazi by rebels flush with NATO cash and arms used to collapse the government of Muammar Qaddafi.
In fact, it is confirmed that Libyan LIFG rebels, led by Al Qaeda commander Abdul Hakim Belhaj, have now made their way by the hundreds to Syria (and here).
Despite months of the US claiming the international community sought to end the violence and protect the population of Syria, the New York Times now admits that the US is engaged in supporting a military campaign against the Syrian government aimed at increasing pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Efforts to impose an arms embargo on Syria is now revealed to be one-sided, aimed at giving rebels an advantage in the prolonged bloodbath with the intent on tipping the balance in favor of Western proxy-forces not end the violence as soon as possible as claimed by the UN, and in particular, Kofi Annan.
The Times also reported that Turkey has been directly delivering weapons to terrorists operating in Syria Turkey being a NATO member and implicating NATO as now being directly involved in perpetuating bloodshed in the Middle Eastern nation. For months, Turkey has been allowing terrorists to use its border region as a refuge from which to stage attacks against Syria.
Despite this, however, the so-called Free Syrian Army, according to the New York Times, consists of only 100 or so small formations made up of a handful of fighters to a couple of hundred combatants, betraying the narrative that the Syrian government faces a large popular uprising, and revealing that the Free Syrian Army is in fact a small collection of mercenaries, foreign fighters, and sectarian extremists, armed, funded, and directed by foreign interests solely to wreak havoc within Syria.
It should be noted that these terrorist proxies were organized as early as 2007 by the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, specifically to enact regime change and transform Syria into a Western client regime.
As the Wests propaganda campaign imploded after a torrent of unsubstantiated claims of massacres and atrocities, all unverified, some in fact being revealed as the work of the Wests sectarian proxies themselves, it appears that sidelining Syria in headlines while pursuing a clandestine proxy war is now the tactic of choice for the time being.
For the United States to claim Syria has failed to protect it population while simultaneously fueling the very armed conflict it claims it is seeking to end is not only hypocrisy of the highest order, but a crime against world peace punishable under the Nuremberg precedent.
The 4th Media » Even The New York Times CONFIRMED That The US “CIA Said To Aid Steering Arms To Syrian Opposition” Terrorists
As West berates Syria for killing civilians Western weapons flow into terrorist hands from NATO.
The New York Times in their article, C.I.A. Said to Aid in Steering Arms to Syrian Opposition, confirms what many have already long known that the West, led by the US and its Gulf State proxies, have been arming terrorists, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood, while berating the Syrian government for violating a UN mandated ceasefire and for failing to protect its population.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been combated by nations across the Arab World to stem the tide of their sectarian extremism, violence, and their targeted erosion of secular nation-states.
Ironically, the US which has claimed to have been fighting the forces of sectarian extremism and terrorism for over a decade now, have been revealed as the primary enabler of the most violent and extreme terrorist organizations in the world.
These include, in addition to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) in Libya, Baluch terrorists in Pakistan, and the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) currently based in Iraq and being used as proxies against Iran.
The New York Times claims that, the C.I.A. officers have been in southern Turkey for several weeks, in part to help keep weapons out of the hands of fighters allied with Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, one senior American official said, a unsubstantiated claim that was similarly made in Libya before Al Qaeda flags were run up poles in Benghazi by rebels flush with NATO cash and arms used to collapse the government of Muammar Qaddafi.
In fact, it is confirmed that Libyan LIFG rebels, led by Al Qaeda commander Abdul Hakim Belhaj, have now made their way by the hundreds to Syria (and here).
Despite months of the US claiming the international community sought to end the violence and protect the population of Syria, the New York Times now admits that the US is engaged in supporting a military campaign against the Syrian government aimed at increasing pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Efforts to impose an arms embargo on Syria is now revealed to be one-sided, aimed at giving rebels an advantage in the prolonged bloodbath with the intent on tipping the balance in favor of Western proxy-forces not end the violence as soon as possible as claimed by the UN, and in particular, Kofi Annan.
The Times also reported that Turkey has been directly delivering weapons to terrorists operating in Syria Turkey being a NATO member and implicating NATO as now being directly involved in perpetuating bloodshed in the Middle Eastern nation. For months, Turkey has been allowing terrorists to use its border region as a refuge from which to stage attacks against Syria.
Despite this, however, the so-called Free Syrian Army, according to the New York Times, consists of only 100 or so small formations made up of a handful of fighters to a couple of hundred combatants, betraying the narrative that the Syrian government faces a large popular uprising, and revealing that the Free Syrian Army is in fact a small collection of mercenaries, foreign fighters, and sectarian extremists, armed, funded, and directed by foreign interests solely to wreak havoc within Syria.
It should be noted that these terrorist proxies were organized as early as 2007 by the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, specifically to enact regime change and transform Syria into a Western client regime.
As the Wests propaganda campaign imploded after a torrent of unsubstantiated claims of massacres and atrocities, all unverified, some in fact being revealed as the work of the Wests sectarian proxies themselves, it appears that sidelining Syria in headlines while pursuing a clandestine proxy war is now the tactic of choice for the time being.
For the United States to claim Syria has failed to protect it population while simultaneously fueling the very armed conflict it claims it is seeking to end is not only hypocrisy of the highest order, but a crime against world peace punishable under the Nuremberg precedent.
The 4th Media » Even The New York Times CONFIRMED That The US “CIA Said To Aid Steering Arms To Syrian Opposition” Terrorists
Banglar Lathial
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I agree with almost all of it except NATO intervention.
Why are all these Arab countries combined so weak that they request distant, far away NATO to intervene on their behalf? Are Arabs really militarily so incompetent as most members here and elsewhere claim? Do not Arab actions (requesting NATO intervention) support these claims?
If the Arab countries had the right leaders and be united and speak with one voice and one objective their wouldnt be any problems in the middle east. Instead they are more concerned about sustaining their own existence. Its so frustrating that for us looking from a distance its clear that united we stand and divided we fall...........
Syria’s Propaganda Cloud: How the West Is Falling for Misinformation
Jun 22, 2012 4:45 AM EDT
From paid protesters on both sides and outsiders’ money to the rise of an ominous, unknown ‘third party,’ the media war is oversimplifying what could be a powder keg.
Having just returned from Syria a few days ago, I can confirm that the situation on the ground there is very disturbing, though perhaps not in the way that many might assume. As it stands, the government remains in control over most of the country—including the economy—despite the best efforts of propagandists to say otherwise. Yet if the Syrian economy worsens, and if the crisis there comes to involve more and more groups—both inside and outside the country—there is a growing possibility that what started as a conflict between the Syrian government and a ragtag group of rebels will become a powder keg that could escalate into a regional war and possibly even an international confrontation.
Already, tourism has collapsed in Damascus and much of the country’s economy has become stagnant. Nevertheless, Syria’s historical self-sufficiency, coupled with help from the likes of Russia and Venezuela to meet shortages, means that the economy is not in dire straits. What is clear, however, is that the violent instability facing the country (whatever its origins or aims) is exacerbating a shaky economy that was weak even before the crisis blew up last year. Today, money is coming into the country from many sources, including Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, among other nations who are supporting one or more of the various players. Yet such political inflows of funds have a tendency to eventually do more harm than good.
Some of those inflows, for instance, are funding propaganda, which serves to exaggerate Syria’s genuine problems—economic and otherwise—as part of a great spectacle to sway world opinion. This includes Saudi money coming into Syria via Lebanon to fund demonstrations, with people getting $30 a day to protest—in front of cameras and microphones, of course. That isn’t to say that there aren’t many genuine demonstrators with real grievances; at the same time, the government habitually stages its own propaganda shows, also inducing people to whoop it up for the media. Such stage-management, along with fake torture videos and a host of other propaganda stunts, provide false justification for or against outside meddling, with some Europeans and certain people in Washington pushing for various military options, and a broad group led by Russia and China, but also including many in the region, calling for diplomatic solutions to the crisis.
The recent launch of the Mayadeen television by Syrian and other private-sector money and including some ex-Al Jazeera staff, presumably to counter the latter station’s anti-Damascus slant, is a good example of how this media war is evolving. The problem is that many in the Gulf and the West seem keen on turning Syria into a pit of conflict, with the aim of isolating Iran and her allies. Such plans are foolish and will likely backfire, leading to more violence along the Syrian borders and beyond.
The sheer amount of propaganda makes charting the future scope of the conflict difficult. But one possibility is that Syria will explode into all-out civil war, replicating the dark days of Lebanon in the 1980s or in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam, some two decades later. In both cases, different shadowy groups ran amok, as economic fragility and security fears allowed outsiders to indulge in political manipulation. For some in the West and elsewhere, all that would be good news, providing as it does “leverage” to “send messages” to others through car-bombs, kidnapping, etc. Yet, meddling in this manner might backfire, as troublemakers flourishing in a chaotic Syria could damage Western interests in the region, putting oil facilities and other businesses at greater risk from armed groups, while making life less safe for tourists and others from Europe or America.
The signs are already ominous. As the violence intensified this spring, Ahmad Fawzi, a spokesman for the joint Arab League-United Nations special envoy, Kofi Annan, said at a press conference in Geneva that “there is a third element that appeared on the ground in Syria,” adding that hallmarks of some activities or incidents “appear to come from sources other than opposition or government.” A few days later, Fawzi’s perspective was confirmed by Martin Nesirky, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s spokesman, who told reporters in New York of his fear that a third force was “at play in Syria.” Though he insisted that “there’s no hard evidence on specific groups," Nesirky added that this “undoubtedly complicates the task” of stabilization by the international community. At around the same time, U.N. peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous spoke at a press conference in Damascus of a terrorist “third party,” warning against “further militarization of the crisis.”
Syria
Shame on outsiders creating another hell whilst Syrians are being killed
Jun 22, 2012 4:45 AM EDT
From paid protesters on both sides and outsiders’ money to the rise of an ominous, unknown ‘third party,’ the media war is oversimplifying what could be a powder keg.
Having just returned from Syria a few days ago, I can confirm that the situation on the ground there is very disturbing, though perhaps not in the way that many might assume. As it stands, the government remains in control over most of the country—including the economy—despite the best efforts of propagandists to say otherwise. Yet if the Syrian economy worsens, and if the crisis there comes to involve more and more groups—both inside and outside the country—there is a growing possibility that what started as a conflict between the Syrian government and a ragtag group of rebels will become a powder keg that could escalate into a regional war and possibly even an international confrontation.
Already, tourism has collapsed in Damascus and much of the country’s economy has become stagnant. Nevertheless, Syria’s historical self-sufficiency, coupled with help from the likes of Russia and Venezuela to meet shortages, means that the economy is not in dire straits. What is clear, however, is that the violent instability facing the country (whatever its origins or aims) is exacerbating a shaky economy that was weak even before the crisis blew up last year. Today, money is coming into the country from many sources, including Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, among other nations who are supporting one or more of the various players. Yet such political inflows of funds have a tendency to eventually do more harm than good.
Some of those inflows, for instance, are funding propaganda, which serves to exaggerate Syria’s genuine problems—economic and otherwise—as part of a great spectacle to sway world opinion. This includes Saudi money coming into Syria via Lebanon to fund demonstrations, with people getting $30 a day to protest—in front of cameras and microphones, of course. That isn’t to say that there aren’t many genuine demonstrators with real grievances; at the same time, the government habitually stages its own propaganda shows, also inducing people to whoop it up for the media. Such stage-management, along with fake torture videos and a host of other propaganda stunts, provide false justification for or against outside meddling, with some Europeans and certain people in Washington pushing for various military options, and a broad group led by Russia and China, but also including many in the region, calling for diplomatic solutions to the crisis.
The recent launch of the Mayadeen television by Syrian and other private-sector money and including some ex-Al Jazeera staff, presumably to counter the latter station’s anti-Damascus slant, is a good example of how this media war is evolving. The problem is that many in the Gulf and the West seem keen on turning Syria into a pit of conflict, with the aim of isolating Iran and her allies. Such plans are foolish and will likely backfire, leading to more violence along the Syrian borders and beyond.
The sheer amount of propaganda makes charting the future scope of the conflict difficult. But one possibility is that Syria will explode into all-out civil war, replicating the dark days of Lebanon in the 1980s or in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam, some two decades later. In both cases, different shadowy groups ran amok, as economic fragility and security fears allowed outsiders to indulge in political manipulation. For some in the West and elsewhere, all that would be good news, providing as it does “leverage” to “send messages” to others through car-bombs, kidnapping, etc. Yet, meddling in this manner might backfire, as troublemakers flourishing in a chaotic Syria could damage Western interests in the region, putting oil facilities and other businesses at greater risk from armed groups, while making life less safe for tourists and others from Europe or America.
The signs are already ominous. As the violence intensified this spring, Ahmad Fawzi, a spokesman for the joint Arab League-United Nations special envoy, Kofi Annan, said at a press conference in Geneva that “there is a third element that appeared on the ground in Syria,” adding that hallmarks of some activities or incidents “appear to come from sources other than opposition or government.” A few days later, Fawzi’s perspective was confirmed by Martin Nesirky, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s spokesman, who told reporters in New York of his fear that a third force was “at play in Syria.” Though he insisted that “there’s no hard evidence on specific groups," Nesirky added that this “undoubtedly complicates the task” of stabilization by the international community. At around the same time, U.N. peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous spoke at a press conference in Damascus of a terrorist “third party,” warning against “further militarization of the crisis.”
Syria
Shame on outsiders creating another hell whilst Syrians are being killed
Saudi Arabia plans to fund Syria rebel army
Saudi officials are preparing to pay the salaries of the Free Syria Army as a means of encouraging mass defections from the military and increasing pressure on the Assad regime, the Guardian has learned.
The move, which has been discussed between Riyadh and senior officials in the US and Arab world, is believed to be gaining momentum as a recent flush of weapons sent to rebel forces by Saudi Arabia and Qatar starts to make an impact on battlefields in Syria.
Officials in the Saudi capital embraced the idea when it was put to them by Arab officials in May, according to sources in three Arab states, around the same time that weapons started to flow across the southern Turkish border into the hands of Free Syria Army leaders.
Turkey has also allowed the establishment of a command centre in Istanbul which is co-ordinating supply lines in consultation with FSA leaders inside Syria. The centre is believed to be staffed by up to 22 people, most of them Syrian nationals.
The Guardian witnessed the transfer of weapons in early June near the Turkish frontier. Five men dressed in the style of Gulf Arabs arrived in a police station in the border village of Altima in Syria and finalised a transfer from the Turkish town of Reyhanli of around 50 boxes of rifles and ammunition, as well as a large shipment of medicines.
The men were treated with deference by local FSA leaders and were carrying large bundles of cash. They also received two prisoners held by rebels, who were allegedly members of the pro-regime militia, the Shabiha.
The influx of weapons has reinvigorated the insurrection in northern Syria, which less than six weeks ago was on the verge of being crushed.
The move to pay the guerrilla forces' salaries is seen as a chance to capitalise on the sense of renewed confidence, as well as provide a strong incentive for soldiers and officers to defect. The value of the Syrian pound has fallen sharply in value since the anti-regime revolt started 16 months ago, leading to a dramatic fall in purchasing power.
The plan centres on paying the FSA in either US dollars or euros, meaning their salaries would be restored to their pre-revolution levels, or possibly increased.
His spokesman, Wayne Phillips, said: "Senator Lieberman has called for the US to provide robust and comprehensive support to the armed Syrian opposition, in co-ordination with our partners in the Middle East and Europe. He has specifically called for the US to work with our partners to provide the armed Syrian opposition with weapons, training, tactical intelligence, secure communications and other forms of support to change the military balance of power inside Syria.
"Senator Lieberman also supports the idea of ensuring that the armed opposition fighters receive regular and sufficient pay, although he does not believe it is necessary for the United States to provide this funding itself directly."
US defence secretary Leon Panetta said this week Washington was not playing a direct role in gun-running into northern Syria. "We made a decision not to provide lethal assistance at this point. I know others have made their own decisions."
Earlier this week the New York Times reported the CIA was operating in southern Turkey, helping allies decide which opposition fighters would get weapons.
Diplomatic sources have told the Guardian two US intelligence officers were in Syria's third city of Homs between December and early February, trying to establish command and control within rebel ranks.
Interviews with officials in three states reveal the influx of weapons – which includes kalashnikovs, rocket propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles – started in mid-May, when Saudi Arabia and Qatar finally moved on pledges they had made in February and March to arm rebel forces.
The officials, who insisted on anonymity, said the final agreement to move weapons from storage points inside Turkey into rebel hands was hard won, with Ankara first insisting on diplomatic cover from the Arab states and the US.
Turkey is understood to view the weapons supply lines as integral to the protection of its southern border, which is coming under increasing pressure as regime forces edge closer in an attempt to stop the gun-running and attack FSA units.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were all allies of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad until several months into the uprising, which now poses a serious threat to his family's 42-year rule over the country.
All three states have become increasingly hostile as the revolt has continued, with Saudi Arabia in February describing the suggestion to arm rebel groups as an "excellent idea" and Qatar having offered exile to Assad and his family.
For the first few months of this year the three states were waiting for the US to take a proactive role in intervening in Syria, something Washington has so far not seriously considered.
With a presidential election later this year, and weighed down by the troubled legacy of Iraq, Barack Obama has shown no enthusiasm for a major foreign policy play. Polling in the US has consistently shown that voters have little appetite for intervention in Syria, while officials from Washington to London and Brussels have warned of grave risks to the region which may follow the fall of Damascus.
Assad continues to cast his regime's battle for survival as an existential threat from radical Sunni Islamists, who he says are backed by foreign states.
The Free Syria Army says its members are almost exclusively Syrian nationalists who disavow the world view of jihadists who flocked to neighbouring Iraq from 2004-07. It acknowledges that some foreign Arab fighters have travelled to Syria to join its ranks, particularly in Homs and in Douma near Damascus, but claims they do not play a decisive role.
Intelligence officials say a power vacuum would provide an attractive environment for militants who espouse a global jihad world view. "The next three to six months are crucial in Syria," one official said. "The ingredients are right for them [jihadists] to turn up and start acting decisively. That would not be a good outcome."
Saudi Arabia plans to fund Syria rebel army | World news | The Guardian
Saudi officials are preparing to pay the salaries of the Free Syria Army as a means of encouraging mass defections from the military and increasing pressure on the Assad regime, the Guardian has learned.
The move, which has been discussed between Riyadh and senior officials in the US and Arab world, is believed to be gaining momentum as a recent flush of weapons sent to rebel forces by Saudi Arabia and Qatar starts to make an impact on battlefields in Syria.
Officials in the Saudi capital embraced the idea when it was put to them by Arab officials in May, according to sources in three Arab states, around the same time that weapons started to flow across the southern Turkish border into the hands of Free Syria Army leaders.
Turkey has also allowed the establishment of a command centre in Istanbul which is co-ordinating supply lines in consultation with FSA leaders inside Syria. The centre is believed to be staffed by up to 22 people, most of them Syrian nationals.
The Guardian witnessed the transfer of weapons in early June near the Turkish frontier. Five men dressed in the style of Gulf Arabs arrived in a police station in the border village of Altima in Syria and finalised a transfer from the Turkish town of Reyhanli of around 50 boxes of rifles and ammunition, as well as a large shipment of medicines.
The men were treated with deference by local FSA leaders and were carrying large bundles of cash. They also received two prisoners held by rebels, who were allegedly members of the pro-regime militia, the Shabiha.
The influx of weapons has reinvigorated the insurrection in northern Syria, which less than six weeks ago was on the verge of being crushed.
The move to pay the guerrilla forces' salaries is seen as a chance to capitalise on the sense of renewed confidence, as well as provide a strong incentive for soldiers and officers to defect. The value of the Syrian pound has fallen sharply in value since the anti-regime revolt started 16 months ago, leading to a dramatic fall in purchasing power.
The plan centres on paying the FSA in either US dollars or euros, meaning their salaries would be restored to their pre-revolution levels, or possibly increased.
His spokesman, Wayne Phillips, said: "Senator Lieberman has called for the US to provide robust and comprehensive support to the armed Syrian opposition, in co-ordination with our partners in the Middle East and Europe. He has specifically called for the US to work with our partners to provide the armed Syrian opposition with weapons, training, tactical intelligence, secure communications and other forms of support to change the military balance of power inside Syria.
"Senator Lieberman also supports the idea of ensuring that the armed opposition fighters receive regular and sufficient pay, although he does not believe it is necessary for the United States to provide this funding itself directly."
US defence secretary Leon Panetta said this week Washington was not playing a direct role in gun-running into northern Syria. "We made a decision not to provide lethal assistance at this point. I know others have made their own decisions."
Earlier this week the New York Times reported the CIA was operating in southern Turkey, helping allies decide which opposition fighters would get weapons.
Diplomatic sources have told the Guardian two US intelligence officers were in Syria's third city of Homs between December and early February, trying to establish command and control within rebel ranks.
Interviews with officials in three states reveal the influx of weapons – which includes kalashnikovs, rocket propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles – started in mid-May, when Saudi Arabia and Qatar finally moved on pledges they had made in February and March to arm rebel forces.
The officials, who insisted on anonymity, said the final agreement to move weapons from storage points inside Turkey into rebel hands was hard won, with Ankara first insisting on diplomatic cover from the Arab states and the US.
Turkey is understood to view the weapons supply lines as integral to the protection of its southern border, which is coming under increasing pressure as regime forces edge closer in an attempt to stop the gun-running and attack FSA units.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were all allies of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad until several months into the uprising, which now poses a serious threat to his family's 42-year rule over the country.
All three states have become increasingly hostile as the revolt has continued, with Saudi Arabia in February describing the suggestion to arm rebel groups as an "excellent idea" and Qatar having offered exile to Assad and his family.
For the first few months of this year the three states were waiting for the US to take a proactive role in intervening in Syria, something Washington has so far not seriously considered.
With a presidential election later this year, and weighed down by the troubled legacy of Iraq, Barack Obama has shown no enthusiasm for a major foreign policy play. Polling in the US has consistently shown that voters have little appetite for intervention in Syria, while officials from Washington to London and Brussels have warned of grave risks to the region which may follow the fall of Damascus.
Assad continues to cast his regime's battle for survival as an existential threat from radical Sunni Islamists, who he says are backed by foreign states.
The Free Syria Army says its members are almost exclusively Syrian nationalists who disavow the world view of jihadists who flocked to neighbouring Iraq from 2004-07. It acknowledges that some foreign Arab fighters have travelled to Syria to join its ranks, particularly in Homs and in Douma near Damascus, but claims they do not play a decisive role.
Intelligence officials say a power vacuum would provide an attractive environment for militants who espouse a global jihad world view. "The next three to six months are crucial in Syria," one official said. "The ingredients are right for them [jihadists] to turn up and start acting decisively. That would not be a good outcome."
Saudi Arabia plans to fund Syria rebel army | World news | The Guardian
Juice
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Where do you live again? Certainly not some third world regime you espouse, but in a nice Kafir cocoon.
Juice mate what's that got to do with the price of tea in China lol
Juice
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Quite right, carry on. Haven't seen your opinion on the Turkish jet incident yet.
Under these circumstances I am not surprised. It's probably Turkish jet went into Syrian space. The Syrians are jittery and shot it down. Pilots are safe hopefully Syrian and Turkish people can resolve any misunderstanding amicably.
Birbal
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They didn't know it was a Turkish jet when they shot it down. Israel has a history of violating Syrian airspace, and it flies the F-4, so Syria did the right thing and shot it down in its own territorial waters within 1km of its coastline. Turkey needs to be more careful with its flights.
They didn't know it was a Turkish jet when they shot it down. Israel has a history of violating Syrian airspace, and it flies the F-4, so Syria did the right thing and shot it down in its own territorial waters within 1km of its coastline. Turkey needs to be more careful with its flights.
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