BS: Syria is in big trouble

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: CarolC
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 02:08 PM

Thanks, M.Ted

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: M.Ted
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 04:30 PM

You're welcome, effendi.

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: CarolC
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 04:40 PM

LOL

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Ron Davies
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 11:31 PM

From the Wall St. Journal today (10 March 2005)


"Pro-Syria rallies emboldened allies of Damascus in Lebanon, who moved to reinstall the premier antioccupation protests forced out last week".

Sorry, no details given. But it sure sounds like it ain't over til......

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: CarolC
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 11:49 PM

Interesting article here on Syria...

Why Iraqi Christians are Moving to Syria

Ironic that Syria, having a secular government that is almost virulently against fundamentalist Islamists, and for that reason, is a valuable resource to the US government in keeping track of Al Qaeda operatives, is nevertheless such a big target of the US govt. It's the secular states that the Bush people seem to hate the most.

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 03:29 AM

The belly button lady is probably on an anti-Syrian demo, though the captioning is ambiguous (McGrath)

Your remark about the caption is both true and irrelevant, McGrath. With only the caption as information I wouldn't have stated as a fact that this was a picture taken at an anti-Syrian demonstration. The relevant information is in the picture itself:

The women wear kind of T-shirts. On the shirts you see the flag of Lebanon in the shape Lebanon and nothing around it, in particular no indication of the Eastern neighbour. That symbolises "Lebanon alone" with no foreign troops and is the symbol of the opposition. The probability that four Hezbollah women sport opposition T-shirts for a Western camera I have considered so low that I have stated as a fact my inference that this picture was not taken at the demonstration in support of the government.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: M.Ted
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 05:13 PM

I find it amusing, in a strange sort of way, that, given recent developments in Lebanon, that this thread is still focused on the navels of some Lebanese women--

The Lebanese Parliment has asked Karami to return--Hezbollah seems to be calling the shots--which may be a "no-brainer", given that they have the last surviving militia--will the US be forced to give them a legitimate role in a new government--will the alliance of Christians, Druze, and Sunni join in a coalition government, or will they hold out til their demands are met?

We seem to be believe that "free elections" are an absolute good, but, given what little we know about the actual population of Lebanon, the elections will probably weaken the role of Christians, et al in the Gov't--which could tear the country open again--

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: GUEST,Wolfgang
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 10:10 AM

The tit-for-tat demonstrations in Lebanon go on. Today several hundred thousands have demonstrated against Syria.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 01:54 PM

There is a big distinction to be made between 'secular' and 'free' when it comes to Syria. Syria works via "Hama Rules" as noted in my earlier post. When you have a dictatorship, all you need is a change in dictators and presto chango you are now something else entirely, for instance, Iran which went from secular to Islamofundy in a heartbeat.

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: CarolC
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 02:22 PM

The Bush people don't seem to have a problem with dicators. They're certainly propping up enough of them.

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 03:18 PM

Interesting how the media makes the demonstrations in Lebanon seem like a national uprising when, in fact, it is a small, right wing minority that are being so vocal. (Dianavan)

According to our TV the right wing minority today has convinced close to 1,000,000 people to demonstrate in Beirut, of a population (Lebanon) of 3,800,000.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 03:47 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 04:48 PM

I'm sure you'll also want to see pictures of today's demonstration. Click on any of the photos on this site to start a picture show.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 07:21 PM

Considering what Syrian leaders have been willing to do to their own people, and the terror tactics of their Lebanese handmaiden Hezb'allah, it shows a lot of moxie on the part of those civilians. They must be fed up indeed.

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: dianavan
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 09:13 PM

It looks to me like Lebanon is headed for a civil war.

Don't worry, Bush will save them.

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Ron Davies
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 10:53 PM

Interesting how important it is to read an entire article.

Screaming headline in the Washington Post:   TOP UN ENVOY TO PRESENT SYRIA WITH ULTIMATUM-Nation Must Withdraw From Lebanon Or Face Isolation.

But, if you read the entire article you find that the all-important question of Hezbollah's disarming has been pushed to past the coming election.

If the election indicates strong support for Hezbollah, it will be a moot point--they'll have no incentive to disarm.

As an old country song put it-- "The Big Print Giveth and the Little Print Taketh Away.--sample lyric:

The car got in a wreck but that didn't fret me none
Til I found I was only covered between the hours of 12 and 1.

If Syria is out, but Hezbollah turns out to be the dominant force in Lebanon, is this progress for Mideast peace?

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 11:07 PM

Syria has the troops regardless of which side of the border they are on. Hezbollah is a pro-Syrian force within Lebanon even after Syria is out.

To a great extent, this affair offers distinctions without a difference.

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 11:24 PM

Maybe the thread should be re-named:

"Syria IS big trouble"

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 11:25 PM

HAMA Rules

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 11:26 PM

The last post was I

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Boab
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 02:21 AM

Protests in Lebanon both anti- and pro-Syria are ongoing daily in towns all across the country. It is not clear which side will come out in the majority in a free election [i.e. an election with NO foreign military presence]. It seems clear that voices on both sides are being raised against any interference from the US., France, or anyone else. And as far as the latest massive demo is concerned, at least one speaker was reported as proclaiming on BEHALF of the Syrians.
That speaker was the daughter of the assassinated Politician whose demise sparked the whole shemozzle!

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: CarolC
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 11:45 AM

LOL

I can think of one or two other governments (actually, three... all of them "democracies") who use "Hama rules" to get the job done.

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: robomatic
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 12:57 PM

ONLY THREE?????????????????

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 10:28 AM

Slowly, the terror creeps back into Lebanon and it is sectarian. Every four or five days a bomb explodes in a Christian neighbourhood. Someone wants to destabilise Lebanon and to provoke the opposition into retaliation.

Cui bono? Well, Syria profits most from a new civil war in Lebonon, in my eyes.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: robomatic
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 05:32 PM

Plop!

That was nice, Wolfgang, now I'm waitin' for the other shoe to drop...

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 06:23 PM

BBC News 24 yesterday said Syria to pull out of Lebanon completely, so perhaps ole Dubya will go down in history as having achieved ONE result without killing a bunch of GIs and civilians.

I'm not too surprised that he scared them off, hell, he nearly scared me into leaving the UK until after the next US election.

DT

Subject: RE: BS: Syria is in big trouble
From: Wolfgang
Date: 17 Jan 06 - 10:07 AM

The Order Came From Assad (Der SPIEGEL interview with former Syrian Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam)

Syria's former intelligence chief in Beirut, Rustum Ghazali, could not have done this on his own. And even if Ghazali is a key figure in this crime -- which is what the results of the investigation report suggest -- the orders could only have come directly from President Bashar Assad. Assad said: "If any Syrian is involved in this crime, then I too am involved." There is a great deal of truth to that sentence.

An interesting reading though more circumstantial speculation than hard evidence in my eyes.

Wolfgang