Syrian forces pound Aleppo and Damascus

World Jul. 27, 2012 - 06:53AM JST ( 30 )

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NeverSubmitJul. 27, 2012 - 07:44AM JST

Turkey laid down a marker by threatening to act against “terrorists” in northern Syria, a reference to Kurdish militants linked with the Kurdistan People’s Party

Even Turkey is now admitting that the rebels are terrorists. This is in addition to Israel noting earlier in the week that they are concerned that Hezbollah is participating in the rebellion.

What a hodgepodge of riffraff the rebels are.
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WakarimasenJul. 27, 2012 - 08:20AM JST

Imploding.
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WakarimasenJul. 27, 2012 - 08:20AM JST

And also this will not end well just like rest of the Arab Spring (is this still Arab Spring?????)
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nandakandamandaJul. 27, 2012 - 09:13AM JST

NeverSubmit, you are intelligent and well-educated, but sometimes your blanket statements need to be a little more explicit.

Turkey is talking about Kurdish rebels in the north east of Syria; naturally thay are happy to call Kurds terrorists.

Hezbollah have been funded and encouraged by Assad over the years so there is no reason for them to be joining the rebels. The article the other day mentioned the possibility of Hezbollah getting its hands on chemical/biologcal weapons in the aftermath, if or when the Assad regime crumbles. They may be looking to go in and help themselves at the right moment. At this point they would be traitors and opportunists...
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Analyst1Jul. 27, 2012 - 09:37AM JST

The Japanese Nation has to be very wise in its stand on the ongoing Middle East tensions. It would do well to remember it has been on the receiving end of similar tactics. But more compellingly,it should steer clear of the forces that see other human beings as less chosen,who had the satanic conceit of vaporising 100,000 humans on its land. Yukio Amano should be as strong as Hans Blix to prevent the same devils from carrying out another vaporisation of "lesser" human beings.
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NeverSubmitJul. 27, 2012 - 09:59AM JST

Good point Nandakandamanda,

Considering that Syria has had chemical weapons for a long time and that Hezbollah clearly wants them but lacks them we can infer that the Syrian government has been very responsible in not providing chemical weapons to Hezbollah in the past, even though the opportunity clearly existed.

So which situation is preferable?

The current administration maintaining control, with the weapons in check as they have been for decades in a responsible way.

Or have any one of the myriad of extremist groups that comprise the rebels get their hands on them.

The second scenario is far more unpredictable and dangerous.

So here's a crazy thought. How about the West withdraw funding, weapons and ammo for the rebels and let's deal with Syria diplomatically.
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nandakandamandaJul. 27, 2012 - 10:34AM JST

Well I read many months ago that Israel for one, on balance actually prefers the present regime in Syria to a range of other explosive possibilities. We can assume that the US and Western powers have noted Israel's position, but we also know that they have to please the Saudis, so it must be a bit of a tightrope walk. The UN constantly says that we must do something to stop the killing inside Syria, but what options are there?

To allow Assad a free hand is like allowing Mao to massacre millions of Chinese and Stalin to massacre millions of Russians in the name of a longer stability.
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NeverSubmitJul. 27, 2012 - 11:52AM JST
Nandakandamanda,

Almost every "massacre" which was first blamed on the government was later found to have been perpetrated by the rebels themselves.

No doubt there are plenty of stories coming out of Syria about supposed heinous crimes by the government but if you look closely they all come from 3 sources;
1. The Damascus blogger (has since been totally discredited)
2. The SOHR (a murky British-based group which is actually run by one guy named Rami)
3. Unconfirmed reports from activists (we're never told who these activists are, no even where they are)
Syria was relatively peaceful and stable prior to the introduction of the rebel forces who crossed over from Turkey and Lebanon. Various religions, tribes and sects lived together without incident prior to all this. Once the rebels are routed out we can expect the same. A stable government governed by rule and law. And contrary to popular belief Syria does in fact have elections and Assad is actually quite popular.

In order for the bloodshed to stop the Rebels have to lay down their arms. They're an accountable group outside of the Geneva convention. In essence they're a roaming band of thugs.

If the international community has issues with Assad then let them settle it via sanctions and diplomatic means. But by sending in goons with AK47s and endless ammo the international community is at fault here.
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nandakandamandaJul. 27, 2012 - 12:24PM JST

I was referring to the Assad family traditon of repression in the past to keep the country stable and peaceful, (not to the present unprising necessarily), but to the bloodshed that will most likely follow if he succeeds in putting this down in the same way that his fathers did.

As to the Observatory, Rami is based in Birmingham, and he has always attempted to be neutral as far as possible. A rival Observatory has been set up recently in London apparently and the leader there believes in taking sides and actively aiding the rebel cause. It remains to be seen how long this new chap will last, how effective he will be and who will support him if anyone.

As to the roaming bands of rebels, unfortunately many within Syria have taken sides with them. They have burnt their bridges with Assad, however, so if the rebellion fails they and their families will have to become permanent refugees or die.
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WilliBJul. 27, 2012 - 12:43PM JST

" I was referring to the Assad family traditon of repression in the past to keep the country stable and peaceful "

And how is that different from any other Arab dictator? Tribal societies like Iraq, Tunesia, Libya and Syria need a strong leader to hold them together. At least we should support the relatively secular ones (like the Assad clan), instead of the Muslim Brothers who will take over if the current dictators are removed, and install their Sunni Shariah theocracy.

But what have the Western politicians and media learned from the previous disastrous examples of the "Arab Spring"? Nothing.
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SuperLibJul. 27, 2012 - 02:14PM JST

NeverSubmit: No doubt there are plenty of stories coming out of Syria

Like your claim about 120 captured French troops? What ever happened to that?
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MadvertsJul. 27, 2012 - 04:30PM JST

"But what have the Western politicians and media learned from the previous disastrous examples of the "Arab Spring"? Nothing."

The Arab Srping has indeed turned out to be a disaster for you and your anti-Islamic diatribes of last year, willi. I agree that Syria might have the potential to be the first, but all of your doomsday predictions from last year have invented several new recipes for delicious crow-pie you're refusing to tuck into. Even Iraq is unbelievably rising from the ashes of the post-war carnage.

The whole reason the international community are reluctant to involve themselves in Syria is that lessons have been learned from Iraq. I watched the worm Tony Blair on CNN yesterday give all the sage warnings he refused to heed as he followed Bush to the gates of hell in Iraq, so I guess even he has learned from "previous disastrous examples".
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NeverSubmitJul. 27, 2012 - 07:08PM JST

General Tlas, a former friend of Assad’s who some have suggested could play a part in any transition of power, said he had not defected from Syria to seek a leadership role.

What a piece of work this guy is. First he defects then as it begins to be clear that the Syrians will prevail he changes his tune and tries to claim that he actually wanted to be a bridge between NATO and Syria.

Too late pal, Hell has a special pit reserved for traitors who abandon their nation, countrymen and their oath of office. But it's the fact that he turned on his buddies that is the most despicable of all.

Any word from Turkey or NATO about the downed jet, surely by now they would have been able to muster some evidence that the plane was outside of Syrian territory when shot down.

Awfully mum on that issue aren't they.
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SerranoJul. 27, 2012 - 07:11PM JST

Baby Assad doesn't need all this aggravation.
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MadvertsJul. 27, 2012 - 07:15PM JST

"Awfully mum on that issue aren't they."

A bit like you on your Blackwater mercenary claims wouldn't you say?
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NeverSubmitJul. 27, 2012 - 07:19PM JST

As for Blackwater and Syria, there's a plethora of credible information available on that and from a variety of sources. I've posted countless times. For those interested I highly recommend a tool called Google. Look for yourself, it's not my place nor duty to be your private researcher.
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MadvertsJul. 27, 2012 - 07:21PM JST

You posted one report that came from a Hezbollah mouthpiece.

" Look for yourself, it's not my place nor duty to be your private researcher."

People who can't back up their claims always use this kind of retort.
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MadvertsJul. 27, 2012 - 07:30PM JST

Frankly, in your long line of reporting from an alternate reality, this one is the keeper:

NeverSubmitJUL. 24, 2012 - 06:55PM JST There is no uprising amongst Syrians themselves.

Tell me you kept a straight face when typing that.
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NeverSubmitJul. 27, 2012 - 07:42PM JST

There is no uprising among Syrians themselves. Most average, everyday Syrians have nothing to do with the rebels.

Most Syrians just want all this to end and most especially for the rebels to leave.
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MadvertsJul. 27, 2012 - 07:56PM JST

Yes, well, you've more than proved that you can make statements and fail to back them up....

You used to be convincing, what happened?
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bass4funkJul. 27, 2012 - 09:24PM JST

@NeverSubmit

I am still hoping that one day you will back up your statements on everyday you have been giving us the Assad talking points. You always dodge my request, but I do hope you come around with substantial proof of what you say.
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SuperLibJul. 27, 2012 - 09:50PM JST

Why doesn't the Syrian government allow the foreign press into the country?
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bass4funkJul. 27, 2012 - 10:40PM JST

Because, that would mean total transparency and that the Assad regime would be held to a high standard, which we know they can't adhere to. It would also undermine their efforts in trying to destroy and eradicate the opposition and the rebels as well as some of their own people. Why in the world would Assad want the world to see his atrocities and his brutality crackdown on his own people? That would mean, the world would truly see Assad for what he really is.
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TheQuestionJul. 27, 2012 - 11:08PM JST

Or have any one of the myriad of extremist groups that comprise the rebels get their hands on them.

So the rebel's run the chance of being comprimised by extremists? This is a good first step for you, I thought you viewed all of the rebels as terrorists.

As for the chemical and bio weapon facilities I'm sure the Israelii's have them painted for immediate destruction if their security becomes untenable.

There is no uprising among Syrians themselves. Most average, everyday Syrians have nothing to do with the rebels.

One step forward two steps back I suppose.
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NeverSubmitJul. 28, 2012 - 12:02AM JST

Why doesn't the Syrian government allow the foreign press into the country?

Because the Syrian government knows that the press' job is to spin everything and shape pubic opinion in a certain direction.

Moreover, the government cannot guarantee their safety. And Alex Thomson from the UK already noted that he was lead into a death trap by the rebels, for which the government was to be blamed.

Every country is the same. Why did the UK ban Press TV?

The news in Saudi Arabia is just as tightly managed. In fact there are clashes between protestors and police regularly there, but you won't see that making the papers.
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nandakandamandaJul. 28, 2012 - 12:11AM JST

The last I heard about the jet was that there was no evidence of it having actually been shot down, ie no evidence of burning or bullet holes anywhere, despite Syria's claim that they shot it down.
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SuperLibJul. 28, 2012 - 12:51AM JST

NeverSubmit: Because the Syrian government knows that the press' job is to spin everything and shape pubic opinion in a certain direction.

That's your job! heh So you have a problem with the media being on the ground and reporting, and you also have a problem with the media using reports from people on the ground that are smuggled out and presented by people outside of the country. Suffice to say you are against any kind of reporting that comes from Syria? You claimed the UN is lying in their reports, and you haven't mentioned HRW as a reliable source since I started giving links talking about Syrian army atrocities. I guess that leaves Assad, Russia, China, and your imagination as the only credible sources of information.

So what ever happened to those 120 French troops? Were you duped or do you still believe it?
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NeverSubmitJul. 28, 2012 - 06:10AM JST

Superlib, the reports of foreign involvement you're referring to were based on reports by professional journalists and widely circulated among the international media. NATO, never denied or refuted those reports.

As for credibility, I think reputable news sources are far more credible than the SOHC and Damascus Blogger, who certainly seems to have duped a lot of people.
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SuperLibJul. 28, 2012 - 08:42AM JST

So do you support foreign media being allowed in Syria? Or do you want to ban both the foreign media and groups like the SOHC?

And still no comment about the 120 French troops? Why were you one of the only people to fall for that obvious lie?
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bass4funkJul. 28, 2012 - 01:50PM JST

> And still no comment about the 120 French troops? Why were you one of the only people to fall for that obvious lie?

Because he can never Back up ANY of his statements hen it comes down to Assad or the French troop question. He was never in Syria. I have always said, if Submit would just be honest and admit he never has been to Syria or knows nothing about the country and that he supports the Assad regime. I would not have a problem with it. But NeverSubmit wants everyone to believe that Assad is the most kindest, fairest and gracious President that would never, could ever do anything to harm his people. Because he's the innocent one, that was wrongly accused by the world.