Posted on 03/28/2011 9:43:14 AM PDT by Starman417
So....if our President cares soooooo much about the suffering (and little about our national interest) why is he stopping at Syria?
Dozens of people have been killed in a number of Syrian cities after protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime flared up more than a week ago.Ten people, including members of the security forces, residents and two members of “armed elements” died in the Latakia violence, the state-run news agency said, adding that at least two people were killed by rooftop snipers. Around 200 others, mostly members of the security forces, were reported to have been injured.
Ammar Qurabi, an exile in Egypt who heads Syria‘s National Organisation for Human Rights, told the Associated Press that dozens of people had protested in Latakia before attacking the Ba’ath party’s offices in the city....
I mean isn't this the yardstick for Obama? It sure isn't national interest, as admitted to by our Secretary of Defense:
On “This Week,” ABC News’ Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper asked Gates, “Do you think Libya posed an actual or imminent threat to the United States?”“No, no,” Gates said in a joint appearance with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “It was not — it was not a vital national interest to the United States, but it was an interest and it was an interest for all of the reasons Secretary Clinton talked about. The engagement of the Arabs, the engagement of the Europeans, the general humanitarian question that was at stake,” he said.
But the yardstick is now the brutal crackdown of a rebellion correct?
Obama helped push an ally out of power with Egypt, and then started a war in Libya....because he wanted to side with the "rebels." Nevermind actually finding out who they really are and in what interest do they act.
But still, he wanted to back the "rebels."
When it came to Iran, not so much.
And now with Syria.....can't be bothered.
Indeed, the crackdown calls into question the entire American engagement with Syria. Last June, the State Department organized a delegation from Microsoft, Dell and Cisco Systems to visit Mr. Assad with the message that he could attract more investment if he stopped censoring Facebook and Twitter. While the administration renewed economic sanctions against Syria, it approved export licenses for some civilian aircraft parts.The Bush administration, by contrast, largely shunned Damascus, recalling its ambassador in February 2005 after the assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. Many Lebanese accuse Syria of involvement in the assassination, a charge it denies.
When Mr. Obama named Mr. Ford as his envoy last year, Republicans in the Senate held up the appointment for months, arguing that the United States should not reward Syria with closer ties. The administration said it would have more influence by restoring an ambassador....
So let's see. Assad supports Iran, supports Hezbollah, and supports Hamas. Most of all he and his regime supported those who killed our troops in Iraq:
In recent years Syria has become the logistical rear for global jihadists operating in Iraq and the main crossroads for the jihadists en route to Iraq to fight the American troops. Furthermore, it is where an extensive supply of false Syrian passports are issued to these volunteers. In fact, Syria allowed key al-Qaeda activists in Iraq to use its territory for weapons supplies and financing. Public disclosure of this activity emerged following the killing of Badran al-Mazidi (Abu al-Ghadiyah), a senior al-Qaeda logistics operative in Iraq, in an American Delta Force commando operation in the Syrian village of Sukkariyeh near the Iraqi border on October 26, 2008. According to American intelligence sources, Abu al-Ghadiyah had been operating in Syria for a number of years, smuggling money, weapons, and fighters on behalf of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaeda commander in Iraq. When Zarqawi was killed in 2006, Abu al-Ghadiyah continued to operate under Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Zarqawi’s successor. US intelligence indicates that Abu al-Ghadiyah would supply global jihadists with false passports, train them, provide them with safe houses, and supply them with weapons and other supplies. These volunteer jihadists came from many countries in the region – Morocco, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Abu al-Ghadiyah made housing arrangements for them in Damascus and the port city of Latakia with the help of Syrian intelligence officers. After moving the volunteers into Iraq, Abu al-Ghadiyah’s men on the east side of the border would continue to see to their logistical needs.Moreover, American military sources stated that in addition to the logistical support that global jihadists receive in Syria, the Syrian president allows al-Qaeda operatives to train on Syrian soil.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...
Maybe Assad bought a “No-Fly Zone” waiver?
Well, duh.
Obama is bombing Lybia to help the Muslim Brotherhood.
Assad’s Ba’ath party is essentially a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The primary goal of the MB is a Calphate and the destruction of Israel.
It’s not really a mystery.
And while we’re at it, what about Bahrain and Yemen? What the hell, let’s make the whole Mid-East a no-fly zone.
Why are those in Daraa so determined? There, Syrians watched as 15 children were arrested earlier this month simply for drawing graffiti on the wall of their school that said, “The people want to take down the regime.” The kids that did this were in the fourth grade. They had no idea that this tiny act of rebellion would lead to their arrest by the secret services—from their classrooms.
On Wednesday, they were released after more than two weeks of being detained. My friend who saw them told me, “It’s horrible. There were scars all over their bodies. And their nails were pulled from their hands.”
- WSJ
It's worth (potentially) the lives of our pilots and other military personnel involved, but it's not a vital interest? Even from this anti-American regime, I didn't expect a statement or a policy quite that absurd. My expectations for the Community-Organizer-in-Chief were extremely low, but his pathetic team of rookies has managed to under-perform even relative to that low standard - and done so by a dramatic margin.
If we are ever hit by an effective nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon, then any countries that overtly or covertly supported that effort need to be turned into no fly zones and high radiation zones for a century or more. We should clarify to our potential opponents that there is a clear line in the sand that could turn into a scratch across the world's largest glass parking lot, and they don't want to be the ones who cross that line.
{”All tyrants are equal but some tyrants are more equal than others”} With King OblahMao it’s tyrant du jour.
The difference is that Syria is clearly our enemy. Libya used to be, but in recent years, Gaddafi has turned to other amusements.
And let’s not forget Egypt. Obama played a big role in ousting Mubarak, who we had been paying a billion a year to make nice, ever since the days of Jimmy Carter. That’s a lot of money down the drain, now all for nothing.
The statement that we will NOT intervene in Syria is a huge scandal. Even if you are hesitant to intervene, Hilary and Obama basically srung the opposition up. WHY are we so clear that we won’t attack our enemy, Iran’s ally?
It’s outrageous. And we may be putting Al Queda in power in these other countries.
Liberals are very immoral and dangerous people.
The principle argument is insane.
If we are going to ‘protect civilians’, if that is the new mission of the United States military, then we must be at War with 3/4 of the world.
Who decides which “civilians” need protecting and which should be allowed to die?
Apparently the civilians in Iran, Yemen, and Syria don’t qualify for ‘protection’, but somehow the Libyans do?
Who is making these decisions?
Sorry, FRiend.
This is a 100% incorrect statement.
The Assad family and their circle that control Syria are Allawites. They are bitter enemies of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hafez al-Assad dealt with the MB the only way they can be dealt with. In a loud, grotesque, and merciless manner. Look up "Hama Massacre."
We need to stay the hell out of Syria. Period. It's the only nation in the Mideast that has anything resembling religious tolerance.
The Assads, like it or not, Are a source of regional stability at the moment.
Ping #12
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