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Posted on 07/22/2012 6:27:05 PM PDT by Dallas59
In the 1980s, it was Afghanistan to which international Islamic fighters came, helping the mujahedeen successfully take on the Soviet army and its puppet regime in Kabul. Then came Bosnia in the 1990s and Iraq in the 2000s, in both of which veteran jihadists fought a sectarian war on behalf of outgunned Sunni minorities.In 2012, they’re flocking to Syria
With funding from private organizations in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, they are making their way across the frontiers from Iraq and Jordan, hooking up with opposition elements in Syria and taking the battle to Damascus and the heart of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Money from Qatar is helping finance the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and the fledgling Free Syrian Army (FSA). And United States CIA operatives are reportedly helping distribute weapons and matériel to the mainstream opposition forces. However, the international jihadists, many of them so-called Salafists linked to al-Qaeda, have agendas of their own that don’t stop at forcing Mr. al-Assad from office. To them, the real target is Shiism, the religion of Iran, and the crescent of Shia forces that Tehran has promoted that stretch from Iran to the Mediterranean.
(Excerpt) Read more at theglobeandmail.com ...
If the administration can do the same fine job it has been doing with Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt and Libya, I’m sure we’ll be OK. No problems.
/s
They will treat the Syrian people worse than Assad has and they will use Syria as staging base for aggressive extremism against other Middle Eastern countries and also against Israel
Of course Russia is right. The only thing that upsets me with your headline is the word “MAYBE”.
It’s not even close. In less than a decade we’ll find out that Russia did more to protect our interests than our present ever dreamed of.
I think the unfortunate truth is that for women and for minorities in Muslim nations, and for most of the rest of the world, that the monarchs and dictators are about the best governments that can be hoped for in those nations.
No matter how bad the monarchs and dictators might be in some ways, what’s likely to replace them these days will almost certainly be worse.
I believe this thing will have a Domino effect that will have the whole Middle east fighting before it is over.
When the Jihadists and Syrian Rebels finish killing off as many Syrians as it takes for them to reach orgasm—they will start on another country, and another until someone ends up nuking them.
These people love killing, and torture, they get off on it.
Meanwhile Obama and our CIA are supplying weapons.
Another “Arab Spring’ becomes Arab Winter. Lousy dictator replaced by Taliban-wannabees or a new Khomeni.
Two hours for Syrian chemical weapons to reach Lebanon. Four armies prepared
Of course Russia was right. Syria may be a crappy place, but it will be much worse, and the world will be worse off, with it under a shariah law.
First question for me and if anyone can answer is . . . WHY is both Russia and China supporting Assad?
Am sure there are numerous and even complex answers, but the most simplest for me to understand is . . . Both Russia and China support Assad to PROTECT their interest in Iran.
Again, both sides evil, neither has a good ending. Now think in long term 10 to 15 years?? Which is worse and why??
“supporting Assad”....
maintains the status quo. The opposition here is Iran’s Hezbollah, remember. Not ‘rebels.’ Hezbollah, now joined by Palestinian Authority members in a new, Syrian Muslim Brotherhood party.
Communist China and Russia don’t want to have to defend the Iranian border area, or, the nomadic region crossing toward the Mongolian steppe.
“Again, both sides evil, neither has a good ending. Now think in long term 10 to 15 years?? Which is worse and why??”
One factor might be the number of Christians left there. This new bunch will totally clean them out, just as they’re doing in Egypt...so I do factor this in.
However the real battle is not status quo . . . Its is clearly a sectarian war between the Sunni's and the Shia's. Arab vs Persian. Arabian vs Iranian influence.
The absolute genius of Bush II to enter in battle with Iraq is becoming even more crystal clear. Now many would argue and I would have a hard time defending, was it worth the loss of American lives just to keep those two factions (sunni vs shia) fighting?
The pissant now is the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood which is trying to unite both factions. If that were to ever occur, we are all in real trouble.
Hezbollah is Shia. The Arabs hate them except for the fact they piss on Israel.
Excellent point. And its all part of the equation. On one hand we know the Muslim Brotherhood prevails, they will look to wipe out the Christians and Israel. If its a Moderate Arab (Sunni) (No such thing), they might have a chance.
But then if you support Assad, how do you years later explain to your liberal friends why we (USA) stood up for dictator who massacred his own people and supported Hezbollah in the destruction of Israel
No easy answer, and again both sides very evil
Hilliary Clinton is flying all these miles for US. Yes, she is doing it all for US. We are just so lucky. We probably ought to learn Chinese fast as Obama is making certain America is destroyed.
“But then if you support Assad, how do you years later explain to your liberal friends why we (USA) stood up for dictator who massacred his own people and supported Hezbollah in the destruction of Israel
No easy answer, and again both sides very evil.”
Valid point. My only answer is that there is ALWAYS worse, and I’ve known of the Brotherhood for decades, and they are simply worse. Consider that Israel has lived in relative peace with Syria for decades. No one, at all, that knows the Brotherhood expects that to not change.
The best outcome for the USA would be a greatly weakened Assad hanging on to power.
Also, Israel should use the chance to start to clean up Hezbollah.
The beauty here would be a prolonged civil war. I think that Reagan and Bush II believed that as long as they are fighting themselves, we are a safer world for it. But Syria is not Iraq vs Iran and Syria is not geographically like Iraq, so am sure it would be difficult to sustain.
I have listened to and read Bibi's thoughts since 1980. If he says something publicly, I would probably think thats the answer we are looking for.
But Mittens is going to have to make a statement on the issue after the Olympics if he is going to be taken seriously.
“Hezbollah is Shia. The Arabs hate them except for the fact they piss on Israel.”
Exactly. There is much talk of the Sunni-Shia conflict as the actual war of the Islamic nations, said ‘war’ being off-loaded onto the West as the bad guy to avoid the real power struggle.
There are several books on the topic now, too, the classic Sunni-Shi’i conflict for example,
“The Sunni-Shia Conflict: Understanding Sectarian Violence in the Middle East”
Nathan Gonzalez
2009
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