Channel 4 journalist Alex Thomson says Syria rebels led me into death trap

Daily Telegraph ^ | June 9, 2012 | Daily Telegraph

[TomasUSMC]

I am starting to believe that through back channels we are working WITH the Russians to keep Assad in power.....sort of a check against Turkey and the Hezzbolah in Lebanon. Confusing though, since I thought Iran was working with Syria for many years.

Maybe Assad is NOW our bitch, since he knows a Kadafi like death is awaiting him.

[Zhang Fei]

Nguyễn Ngọc Loan called you Number 10 GI, gun barrel still warm, right after the iconic photo? He must have been a hoot to be around. As journo war stories go, that's a doozy. Those were the days, indeed (although the Mary Hopkin song only came out 7 months later).

[Zhang Fei]

Journalists (Liberal Types) have no clue what is happening in any war zone because they have preconceived notions as to who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.

They are wrong 100% of the time.

They "Smart" Journalists stay out of such war zones because they "KNOW" you really can't trust either side in a war.

Besides, in the Syrian context, what's a good cause, and what's a bad cause? Each sectarian group has a valid claim on the land in Syria. However, I suspect the Alawites and other ethnic minorities would settle for partition (Hafez Assad's dad petitioned the French for an independent Alawite-majority Latakia), whereas the Sunnis want the whole enchilada under their thumb, after which they will impose the classic Sunni Arab tyranny of the majority, meaning they will rob, kill and otherwise persecute ethnic and religious minorities until they either convert or go into exile. Which is why the long term solution for Syria's ethnic and religious minorities (Christians, Kurd, Druze, Alawites) might simply be for the current regime to persuade large numbers of Sunni Arabs to leave for a place a little more in tune with their totalitarian religious views (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, et al).

[jongaltsr]

You know of whom I speak. Most people wouldn't know him from jack. Nguyễn Ngọc Loan invited me to his house once just to talk. He knew that I was traveling through the Chinese section of Saigon. I always picked up a young Buddhist novice and would have them show me the town I couldn't see on my own. They told me about Buddhism, their temple and lots of interesting sites around town. That was the reason Nguyễn Ngọc Loan contacted me one day in downtown Saigon. He obviously had intel on me from his men. He was interested and concerned at the same time. After (maybe a half hour talk) he took me back to the International Hotel. He always seem a VERY serious "driven" man but behind closed doors he was very open and smiled often. He had (I think? a ?Lambreta? scooter which he drove around town as well as a jeep but I think he liked the scooter more because he could go places with it that a jeep couldn't fit through. Two other times he saw me in various parts of Saigon proper and invited me to lunch at his place. It was quick and friendly which was his style. Heard that he opened a restaurant in San Francisco after the collapse of S Viet Nam. Of course he is dead a long time now. He had to have been 50-60 when I was there and that was (almost 50 years ago). Maybe he just looked old. He had a VERY harsh face until he smiled and I don't think the did that in public often.