Syria sends thousands of troops surging to Aleppo

World Jul. 25, 2012 - 07:15AM JST ( 35 )

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

Order by Time Order by Popularity

35 Comments

-1

bass4funkJul. 25, 2012 - 08:24AM JST

Seems like the end of the Assad regime. One last stand. If I were Assad, I would get out or just face down the rebels and the Syrian people and expect to receive the same fate that was dealt to Gaddafi. Either way, it looks bad for Assad. Just a matter of time now.
3

TamaramaJul. 25, 2012 - 08:49AM JST

Yes, he will have two options at the end of this - jail or death, with my guess being that the people of Syria voting heavily in favour of the latter. Shelling from the outskirts of a city, or the use of planes and helicopters is just indiscriminate killing. You must have absolutely no regard for human life to even consider it. Unfortunately it is an emphatic example of the way the Assad regime has ruled Syria for the last couple of decades - brutal repression.
0

SerranoJul. 25, 2012 - 09:01AM JST

Putin will never let Assad fall. Or will he?
-4

NeverSubmitJul. 25, 2012 - 10:06AM JST

The account, like others from activists, could not be confirmed.

As always, every "report" we get from Syria is from some "activist" via the phone. How do we know there's reports aren't fake. And if you doubt the Western media can be duped by fake reports I suggest you research the Damascus blogger, who duped all major Western media when this all started with fake reports of a revolt in Syria.

What's not reported here is that the Syrian people are united against the rebels and most average Syrians despise the rebels. The rebels are primarily jihadists from foreign countries and also mercenaries.

The rebels have been looting, raping and killing civilians since this started so they'll never win over the support of the people.

What we're seeing now are last-gasp efforts by the rebels as their hopes for NATO air support have been shattered and now they're own their own. Stuck in a foreign country where they are hated by the locals and way outgunned by the professional Syrian army. It's clean up time for the Syrian army.
-1

gaijinfoJul. 25, 2012 - 10:16AM JST

Putin will never let Assad fall. Or will he?

Maybe, maybe not. He might provide him asylum, help negotiate the surrender, and keep his fingers in the pie with the new regime, but then again the U.S. is likely trying to do the same thing. Maybe Assad is playing the superpowers against each other, trying to see who'll give him the best deal.

Or he could just be an idiot like Ghadaffi who doesn't see the handwriting on the wall and his own execution just around the corner if he holds on too long.

Or maybe the russkies will keep the Americans out of the game and Assad will prevail after all. Maybe Obama and Putin have some secret behind the scenes deal going on.
0

SuperLibJul. 25, 2012 - 10:57AM JST

The more orderly transfer the better, especially with chemical weapons involved....
2

TamaramaJul. 25, 2012 - 11:09AM JST

NeverSubmit

What's not reported here is that the Syrian people are united against the rebels and most average Syrians despise the rebels. The rebels are primarily jihadists from foreign countries and also mercenaries.

The rebels have been looting, raping and killing civilians since this started so they'll never win over the support of the people.

What we're seeing now are last-gasp efforts by the rebels as their hopes for NATO air support have been shattered and now they're own their own. Stuck in a foreign country where they are hated by the locals and way outgunned by the professional Syrian army. It's clean up time for the Syrian army

That is, simply put, a load of rubbish. You make claims you never seem to have any sources for whatsoever. Would you care to share where you are getting this information no-one else here is privvy to?
2

TamaramaJul. 25, 2012 - 12:12PM JST

NeverSubmit

The rebels are primarily jihadists from foreign countries and also mercenaries

As for this, yes, you maintained this in a previous thread. You in fact,said this;

NATO is supporting and supplying Al-Qaida and a Taliban like group. These guys are not civilian freedom fighters

But when I pointed out a few sailient points about the groups you cited ;

AQIM, amongst other things has declared one of it's primary objectives is to attack Spanish, French and American targets - all NATO states and is considered a terrorist organization by both the US and EU. But you claim NATO are looking past this and funding them in Syria. The US has been fighting the Taliban for 10 years in Afghanistan, with Quetta Shura Taliban being currently responsible for partly aiding and directing the insurgency in Afghanistan.

You mysteriously went missing. You keep cracking on about this one incident and how gullible and misinformed the Western media is;

And if you doubt the Western media can be duped by fake reports I suggest you research the Damascus blogger, who duped all major Western media when this all started with fake reports of a revolt in Syria.

And yet when nandakandamanda posted this fantastic link to an Al Jazeera report, tp://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidesyria/2012/07/20127229263475515.html

you had nothing to say.

You have, in fact, brought nothing credible to the argument. You have been proven to be factually incorrect and quite confused about rebel affiliations and the geo-political reality of the region, and yet you insist on taking a pro-regime stance on Syria, insinuationg that the rest of us are suckers for taking the media reports on face value without providing any eveidence whatsoever to the contrary, apart from your opinions.
1

Ben JackJul. 25, 2012 - 12:50PM JST

What's not reported here is that the Syrian people are united against the rebels and most average Syrians despise the rebels.

Actually, it is being reported here all the time, by you. There is only one little problem. You cannot and will not back up your "reports".
2

nandakandamandaJul. 25, 2012 - 01:07PM JST

We have not heard you comment on the Sunni - Shiite - Alawi split.

Quote (from above article): Brigadier General Manaf Tlas, a member of Assad’s inner circle who fled Syria this month, appeared on al Arabiya television in his first public comments since defecting. He called on troops to abandon the government. “I address you… as one of the Syrian Arab Army’s sons who reject the criminal behavior of this corrupt regime. The honorable people in the military would not accept these crimes,” he said on al-Arabiya television. Tlas is a member of the Sunni Muslim majority, and his defection was seen as a sign that the Sunni establishment had abandoned Assad, a member of the Alawite minority sect.
-4

Jonah FalconJul. 25, 2012 - 01:30PM JST

Well, it does appear that a few months ago, 55% of Syrians wanted Assad to stay. After having witnessed the brutality of the so-called rebels, I suspect the percentage would be significantly higher today. I would not at all be surprised if it was around 80%, as Chuck stated a couple of weeks ago.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/17/syrians-support-assad-western-propaganda

The article also mentions foreign assistance and other stuff that is ignored in most western "media".
-4

Jonah FalconJul. 25, 2012 - 01:58PM JST

I think YGHome3 recently summarized this whole conflict very nicely:

"This is a superpower intervening in a foreign country (and mobilizing local people to further its objectives)."

I hope Assad can clean this mess quickly.
0

Aaron StonerJul. 25, 2012 - 02:03PM JST

Is there a single reporter for this story? Because this is pretty much the Yahoo story, word for word...
1

Ben JackJul. 25, 2012 - 02:05PM JST

55% of Syrians wanted Assad to stay

Gee, Ciao, what a surprise. Why is it whenever your claims are inspected they fall completely short? What the article clearly says is that 55% (not 80%) are afraid of a civil war. You are making it seem that they support Assad, which they clearly do not as they also say they want him to call free elections and get the heck out of the government. That is hardly the support of Assad you, NeverSubmit and "Chuck" claim.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/17/syrians-support-assad-western-propaganda

Some 55% of Syrians want Assad to stay, motivated by fear of civil war – a spectre that is not theoretical as it is for those who live outside Syria's borders. What is less good news for the Assad regime is that the poll also found that half the Syrians who accept him staying in power believe he must usher in free elections in the near future.

I would not at all be surprised if it was around 80%, as Chuck stated a couple of weeks ago.

"Chuck" claimed 80% of Syrians supported Assad. They do not. Not even 55% do as witnessed by your article. The 55% were hoping Assad would avoid civil war by allowing free elections that would vote him out of power. That is hardly what you claimed. Why would you claim that? You linked the article. Did you actually think we would not read it? Please.
-5

NeverSubmitJul. 25, 2012 - 02:06PM JST

We have not heard you comment on the Sunni - Shiite - Alawi split.

There is no split, it's a figment of Western propaganda. Syria has been living at peace for generations.

2 million Christians and a minority of Jews have lived openly and without interference in Syria under the current administration. By and large Syria is a secular country and the current leadership is quite secular.

That's one of the reasons Syria is being targeted by Jihadists and also why Syria is hated by the fundamentalist Saudis.

Jonah is right, the more that the rebels loot at rape as they enter residential neighbors the more they are hated by the locals. Without local support the rebels are doomed and now they're at the end of their rope. You'll see a few more suicide bombings in the coming weeks as that's the only tactic the rebels have left, a campaign of terror. It won't work.
0

Ben JackJul. 25, 2012 - 02:08PM JST

Ciao, Ciao, Ciao,

"This is a superpower intervening in a foreign country (and mobilizing local people to further its objectives)."

This ignores the fact that the Assad family has a long history of killing dissent, both literally and figuratively. It does not seem to bother you, however it bothers the families of those that have been killed. Assad should have gone through with the reforms he promised in the early 2000's. He will regret not doing that.

I hope Assad can clean this mess quickly.

The only way it seems it will get clean now under Assad is if Assad sweeps himself out of power.
2

Ben JackJul. 25, 2012 - 02:17PM JST

There is no split, it's a figment of Western propaganda. Syria has been living at peace for generations.

The peace has been kept by killing off conflict. That is what Assad's father did and that is what the son is continuing. Splits are not allowed. For us on the outside, and even to some degree for those in the inside of Syria, this is a more convenient situation. However, it could not hold forever.

You'll see a few more suicide bombings in the coming weeks as that's the only tactic the rebels have left, a campaign of terror. It won't work.

The suicide bombers are scum. There is no defense for them. If the militants continue these tactics, support will drop from everywhere. However, the underlying problem of a lack of freedom of speech and freedom to protest will still haunt the Assad government for as long as it exists. While I cannot see defending suicide bombers, I also cannot see defending the Assad government.
-3

Jonah FalconJul. 25, 2012 - 02:22PM JST

Ben, what bothers me infinitely more is that the same superpowers are killing millions in other countries. I and many others caught on long ago. You and many others continue to pretend this is not the case. The article also explains where the "rebels" get their weapons and assistance. The best way it seems to stop the killing is for the foreign intervention to stop.

What the article clearly says is that 55% (not 80%) are afraid of a civil war.

If you take this a step further, you should realize that this also proves that the majority of Syrians do not support the rebels.
-4

Jonah FalconJul. 25, 2012 - 02:28PM JST

BTW, the article says: "Some 55% of Syrians want Assad to stay, motivated by fear of civil war"

The majority still did want him to stay, and this article is from January.
2

Ben JackJul. 25, 2012 - 02:31PM JST

Ben, what bothers me infinitely more is that the same superpowers are killing millions in other countries.

Ciao, infinitely more that what? We are talking about Syria. The US is not in Syria at the moment. Neither are any other superpowers.

I and many others caught on long ago.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you go on and on about your conspiracies and then you complain that you cannot write anything nice about a Nazi camp commander. When the moderator and others in the discussion give you the chance, you could not write one thing at all. Please.

You and many others continue to pretend this is not the case.

Believing in reality is not "pretending", Ciao. You should consider giving it a try.

The best way it seems to stop the killing is for the foreign intervention to stop.

No, that would just make the killing easier for the Assad government. It would hardly change the core problem, which is that a majority of Syrians want the Assad government out. Your article made this quite clear.

you should realize that this also proves that the majority of Syrians do not support the rebels.

I never claimed the majority of Syrians supported the rebels. So, I am not sure why you are directing this to me. However, your article makes it very clear (ie; no need to step anything a step further, the step is right there in the article) that the majority of Syrians want Assad out. They would just prefer it not take a civil war to do it. This is a perfectly rational and reasonable thing.
1

Ben JackJul. 25, 2012 - 02:32PM JST

The majority still did want him to stay, and this article is from January.

Then we continue reading and realize they want Assad to stay long enough to leave. Did you actually read the entire article? It kinda seems like you didn't, Ciao.
0

Ben JackJul. 25, 2012 - 02:38PM JST

By the way, Ciao, did you happen to notice your "article" was an opinion piece? Did you also happen to notice that it is in a vehicle of the so-called "western media" you are always claiming does not tell the truth. You do this a lot. You attempt to tell us we should not believe the western media, then you used said media to support (though it seems it does not actually support your argument very well, does it?) your attempted argument. Does this mean you will not longer attempt to spoon-feed us what you think we should read or not read? Great news!
-3

NeverSubmitJul. 25, 2012 - 04:10PM JST

What we saw last week with the suicide bombing of Syrian politicians coordinated with an all out assault on Damascus was a last ditch effort by the rebel militants to topple the administration and bring the country into chaos.

The rebels had hoped that by now they would have had NATO air support but Putin and China put the kibosh on that.

The rebels, knowing that they were doomed by the lack of air support were hoping for a last gasp attack that might destabilize the government.

Their gamble failed. They've been driven out of Damascus and are being driven out of Aleppo as I type.

Moreover, the hoped for mass defections from the Syrian army hasn't materialized and the discipline of the Syrian Army and instead they've proven to be a tight and organized fighting force.

Sit back and enjoy the show while the Syrian army crushes the remaining bands of rebels with overwhelming firepower.

The funny part is that the two guys that did defect, the third-rate diplomat and the semi-retired desk general will never be able to show their traitorous faces in the country of their birth ever again. They totally disgraced themselves, as every traitor does.
4

SuperLibJul. 25, 2012 - 04:30PM JST

NeverSubmit: Sit back and enjoy the show while the Syrian army crushes the remaining bands of rebels with overwhelming firepower.

Should be pretty cool, especially if they start dropping artillery randomly into populated areas again. At this rate Assad's army is making the Israelis look like angels.
2

TamaramaJul. 25, 2012 - 05:20PM JST

Oh, I see.

So NeverSubmit just ignores questions and information that discredit his statements. Pretends they haven't been posted. Convenient, but not really surprising, given his position on this whole argument.

There is no split, it's a figment of Western propaganda. Syria has been living at peace for generations.

Well, Syria has been living under a state of brutal repression for years. Not really the same thing, is it? But if it's so peaceful and progressive, why would Assad be so adverse to having free and open elections do you think?

Jonah Falcon

Ben, what bothers me infinitely more is that the same superpowers are killing millions in other countries

Whilst I am not friends of the superpowers, I'm keen for you to tell us where they are doing this, seeing that you are talking in present tense.

The article also explains where the "rebels" get their weapons and assistance.

No, it explains where some rebels are getting their weapons. I'd say others are coming accross other borders from other sources in the region as well, and of course, we mustn't forget all the Army defectors who originally started the Free Syrian Army who brought their weapons and knowledge of arms supplies within Syria with them.

The best way it seems to stop the killing is for the foreign intervention to stop.

It's too late for that now, and in any even, I doubt it to be true. Based on Assad's history, it suggests the exact opposite would be true.

The funny part is that the two guys that did defect, the third-rate diplomat and the semi-retired desk general will never be able to show their traitorous faces in the country of their birth ever again. They totally disgraced themselves, as every traitor does

What about this one? How 'third rate' is she? http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/07/20127248104698718.html
1

MadvertsJul. 25, 2012 - 06:19PM JST

"So NeverSubmit just ignores questions and information that discredit his statements"

You got it in one.

That poster isn't for real.
-2

NeverSubmitJul. 25, 2012 - 06:56PM JST

Well, Syria has been living under a state of brutal repression for years

Really? How do you know this? Where you there?

Or are you just like the Damascus Blogger, who reported on various "atrocities" by the Syrian government on Skype but then later turned out to be a man living in the UK.

Are you getting your information from the Damascus blogger? Or the equally farsical "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights", which is also based in the UK, and is actually just one guy named Rami sitting by his home computer analyzing the situation.

Considering all the murky sources of information, you should tell us where you're getting your information from
1

TamaramaJul. 25, 2012 - 08:57PM JST

NeverSubmit

Really? How do you know this? Where you there

Yeah, I have been to Syria. Have you?
0

MadvertsJul. 25, 2012 - 09:18PM JST

"Considering all the murky sources of information, you should tell us where you're getting your information from"

The audaciousness of asking such a question when you've failed to provide the same for your own preposterous allegations....
2

SuperLibJul. 25, 2012 - 09:39PM JST

Or are you just like the Damascus Blogger, who reported on various "atrocities" by the Syrian government on Skype but then later turned out to be a man living in the UK.

Was he the one who reported that 120 French troops had been captured? Oh, wait, that was one of your sources....heh.
1

MadvertsJul. 25, 2012 - 09:47PM JST

"Was he the one who reported that 120 French troops had been captured?"

And the Blackberry mercenaries?

Once the Canadians found out the nearly almost happened in Canada, Blackberry created the Rebel App to download a rebel army speaking foreign languages.
0

SuperLibJul. 25, 2012 - 11:28PM JST

Ah, yes. I remember the good old days when this was strictly a Blackwater-CIA operation funded entirely by the EU.....

NeverSubmit: so the US is getting frustrated and they're looking for an excuse to start bombing Syrian cities so Blackwater (Xe services) can make more progress in destabilizing the country..... Blackwater (Xe Services) are leading this insurgency and NATO is supplying the ammunition while the EU are providing the funds.... Now Blackwater is inside Syria playing the same game they did in Libya....The reason that Syria really fired up after Libya was finished was all the experience mercenaries (Blackwater et al) were transfered from Libya to Syria.....it's harder for Blackwater (Xe services) to do it's dirty work undermining the Syrian government. The so-called uprising is in fact a CIA-Blackwater operation.... the CIA has been aiding, supplying and training the rebels.

I suppose it's the ultimate irony that the CIA is actually now being criticized for not being involved in Syria....heh:

CIA absence from Syria a setback for U.S., officials say

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-syria-cia-20120725,0,6946873.story

Of course you can't trust the mainstream media. Or sometimes I guess you can. I'm not sure. What day is it? heh
0

NeverSubmitJul. 25, 2012 - 11:56PM JST

Superlib;

I appreciate your meticulous detail in following my posts. I hope you can absorb everything I've written and I hope you consider it thoroughly.

However, if you want to know more about the situation in Syria I suggest you spend less time obsessing over comments on a message board and more time researching the facts in Syria.

Ask yourself why the media was so easily duped by the hoax Damascus blogger.

Ask yourself who set up and funded the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in the UK

Ask yourself who is supplying and funding the rebels and what is their agenda. And don't be so naive to assume that it's for humanitarian reasons. Each country has it's own particular agenda here.

And most importantly read the articles carefully, don't just skim them. You'll see that most accusations against Syria are actually just hearsay and that very little definitive information is available about what is truly going on.

And thanks again for reading my post. It seems that I have a fan base.
0

MadvertsJul. 26, 2012 - 12:42AM JST

"And thanks again for reading my post. It seems that I have a fan base."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/159402/Bush-was-Comical-Ali-fan.html

Birds of a feather.....
-1

bass4funkJul. 26, 2012 - 12:59AM JST

I appreciate your meticulous detail in following my posts. I hope you can absorb everything I've written and I hope you consider it thoroughly.

However, if you want to know more about the situation in Syria I suggest you spend less time obsessing over comments on a message board and more time researching the facts in Syria.

Ask yourself why the media was so easily duped by the hoax Damascus blogger.

Ask yourself who set up and funded the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in the UK

Ask yourself who is supplying and funding the rebels and what is their agenda. And don't be so naive to assume that it's for humanitarian reasons. Each country has it's own particular agenda here.

And most importantly read the articles carefully, don't just skim them. You'll see that most accusations against Syria are actually just hearsay and that very little definitive information is available about what is truly going on.

And thanks again for reading my post. It seems that I have a fan base.

Ok, so you have A fan.

But why is it you never Tamarama? Did you ever go to Syria? And, yes again, you never answer any question, you dodge them and you claim to know about something most of us know that you are full of it when it comes to the Syrian issue. Like I said, if you are an Assad supporter, then just say it, no shame in that. But stop spinning, You know that Assad if grabbing at straws now. Assad should leave if he wants to live, because if the rebels or some of his people get their hands him, well, you can already guess What the outcome will be.