The Syrian Crisis

[W.G.Ewald]

What the Iraq war taught me about Syria - Washington Post

The 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq has prompted plenty of analysis of the mistakes made there, along with a few tendentious claims that "the same people" who supported war in Iraq are now pressing for U.S. intervention in Syria. I'm one of those people. So, to paraphrase the polemicists: Did I learn nothing from the last decade? Do I want to repeat the Iraq "fiasco"?

Let's start with the second question. Iraq was unquestionably costly and painful to the United States — in dollars, in political comity and, above all, in lives, both of Iraqis and Americans. It hasn't turned out, so far, as we war supporters hoped. Yet in the absence of U.S. intervention, Syria is looking like it could produce a much worse humanitarian disaster and a far more serious strategic reverse for the United States.

Iraq and Syria are similar in many respects. Both are unnatural creations, drawn on a map by British and French diplomats in 1916. Both contain a potentially volatile mix of ethnic groups and sects, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians. Both were held together through the 20th century by merciless dictators who, representing a minority sect, used repression, militarism, Arab nationalism and, when necessary, genocide to hold their states together. Both Saddam Hussein and the Assad regime in Syria courtedterrorists and stockpiled weapons of mass destruction — but the Assads, unlike Saddam, never had to give up their chemical and biological arsenal.

...The tragedy of the post-Iraq logic embraced by President Obama is that it has ruled out not just George W. Bush-style invasions but also the more modest intervention used by the Clinton administration to prevent humanitarian catastrophes and protect U.S. interests in the 1990s. As in the Balkans — or Libya — the limited use of U.S. airpower and collaboration with forces on the ground could have quickly put an end to the Assad regime 18 months ago, preventing 60,000 deaths and rise of al-Qaeda. It could still save the larger region from ruin.

So the writer says US should invade just a little bit?

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Insight: Syrian guerrilla fighters being sent to Iran for training

The Syrian government is sending members of its irregular militias for guerrilla combat training at a secret base in Iran, in a move to bolster its armed forces drained by two years of fighting and defections, fighters and activists said.

The discreet program has been described as an open secret in some areas loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, who is trying to crush a revolt against his family's four-decade hold on power.

Reuters interviewed four fighters who said they were taken on the combat course in Iran, as well as opposition sources who said they had also been documenting such cases.

Israel's intelligence chief and a Western diplomat have said Iran, Assad's main backer, is helping to train at least 50,000 militiamen and aims to increase the force to 100,000 - though they did not say where the training occurred.

 

[SajeevJino]

Have a nice fight mate

 

[Shaitan]

Modernized T-72s.


Modernized T-72s and BMPs.

 

[IBSA]

Four Israeli Soldiers Killed after Violating Syrian Border

Damascus, Apr 3 (Prensa Latina) Four Israeli soldiers were killed and two were injured after their vehicle entered Syrian territory and the Syrian army responded with gunfire, a source close to the military command confirmed today.
The incident occurred Tuesday night at a forested area in the village of Breka near the Quneitra border region in the Golan Heights, territory in southern Syria that has been arbitrarily occupied by Israel since 1967, an informant explained to Prensa Latina.

"The vehicle penetrated 10 meters into Syrian territory, after crossing the ceasefire line, which led our troops to fire," he said.

"In response, Israeli occupation forces fired a shell against a Syrian army unit near the village of Ruehineh that killed three of our soldiers and left 10 others injured," he added.

In recent days, the area of Quneitra and the occupied Syrian Golan have been the scene of multiple exchanges of fire from both sides.

Tel Aviv complains about mortar shells launched into its territory, while Damascus has explained that this is a provocation from mercenaries operating in that area.

Days ago, Syrian authorities claimed that Israel has established a field hospital in that territory that is providing health care to mercenaries wounded in clashes with the National Armed Forces, something they described as complicity on the part of Tel Aviv in the violent conflict besieging this nation.

Prensa Latina News Agency - Four Israeli Soldiers Killed after Violating Syrian Border

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Four Israeli Soldiers Killed after Violating Syrian Border

Damascus, Apr 3 (Prensa Latina) Four Israeli soldiers were killed and two were injured after their vehicle entered Syrian territory and the Syrian army responded with gunfire, a source close to the military command confirmed today.
The incident occurred Tuesday night at a forested area in the village of Breka near the Quneitra border region in the Golan Heights, territory in southern Syria that has been arbitrarily occupied by Israel since 1967, an informant explained to Prensa Latina.

"The vehicle penetrated 10 meters into Syrian territory, after crossing the ceasefire line, which led our troops to fire," he said.

"In response, Israeli occupation forces fired a shell against a Syrian army unit near the village of Ruehineh that killed three of our soldiers and left 10 others injured," he added.

In recent days, the area of Quneitra and the occupied Syrian Golan have been the scene of multiple exchanges of fire from both sides.

Tel Aviv complains about mortar shells launched into its territory, while Damascus has explained that this is a provocation from mercenaries operating in that area.

Days ago, Syrian authorities claimed that Israel has established a field hospital in that territory that is providing health care to mercenaries wounded in clashes with the National Armed Forces, something they described as complicity on the part of Tel Aviv in the violent conflict besieging this nation.

Prensa Latina News Agency - Four Israeli Soldiers Killed after Violating Syrian Border

Needs confirmation. The story seems incredible and the last paragraph is pure propaganda.

 

[SajeevJino]

Four Israeli Soldiers Killed after Violating Syrian Border

Damascus, Apr 3 (Prensa Latina) Four Israeli soldiers were killed and two were injured after their vehicle entered Syrian territory and the Syrian army responded with gunfire, a source close to the military command confirmed today.
"The vehicle penetrated 10 meters into Syrian territory, after crossing the ceasefire line, which led our troops to fire," he said.

No Confirmation News about 4 IDF soldiers dead ..

Needs confirmation. The story seems incredible and the last paragraph is pure propaganda.

True Israel Operating Field Hospitals close to Syrian Border
Israel operating field hospital along border with Syria - Middle East - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper

 

[nrupatunga]

Obama to host talks with allies on the Syrian crisis

President Barack Obama will host leaders from key U.S. allies Jordan, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the coming weeks, amid turmoil in Syria, the White House said Friday.

what about equally important players like iraq, egypt???
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If traditional heavyweights in the region like iraq, iran, egypt become prominent once more, no one would even look at qatar and uae kind of countries as important even with their $$$.

 

[SajeevJino]

Assad: If I'm toppled, the Middle East will destabilize​

Turkish television broadcasts interview with Syrian president, who warns that if his regime is toppled it will stir long-lasting unrest in the Middle East

"We are surrounded by countries that assist terrorists and allow them entrance into Syria," Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with the Ulusal Kanal TV channel filmed in Damascus Tuesday.

Assad blamed Turkey for supporting the rebels and argued that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has been taking advantage of recent developments in the Arab world to promote his personal interest.

Assad addressed states that criticized his regime, saying "The United States has stood by Israel's crimes since the latter was founded. It (US) executed massacres in Afghanistan and Iraq; it has killed millions, injured millions and inflicted disabilities on millions. France and Britain executed massacres in Libya with American support."

Assad: If I'm toppled, the Middle East will destabilize - Israel News, Ynetnews

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Syria says Jordan 'playing with fire' over assistance to rebels | World news | guardian.co.uk

"The Jordanians are happy to channel support but they say 'don't put us in the front line'," said a Syrian opposition figure. "They used to be afraid that Assad's intelligence system could hit back and hurt Jordan but now he is weak they feel emboldened to be more active."

Jordanian officials repeatedly speak of the gravity of the Syrian crisis, with concern focusing on the flow of refugees across the border and the risk that extremist elements will come with them.

"Jordan can't sit idle and watch al-Qaida and other militants seizing control of its "¦ border with Syria," Jordan's information minister, Sameeh Maaytah, was quoted as saying. "It must take proactive steps to arrive at a state of equilibrium in the security structure on the border."

 

[nrupatunga]

So finally bashar has come out public in a tv interview. This will put a end to rumours.

Hopefully gcc is destroyed, irrespective of current syrian regime survives or not. If this war takes out gcc , this syrian regime will be remembered by entire world

 

[tramp]

Assad: If I'm toppled, the Middle East will destabilize​

Turkish television broadcasts interview with Syrian president, who warns that if his regime is toppled it will stir long-lasting unrest in the Middle East

"We are surrounded by countries that assist terrorists and allow them entrance into Syria," Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with the Ulusal Kanal TV channel filmed in Damascus Tuesday.

Assad blamed Turkey for supporting the rebels and argued that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has been taking advantage of recent developments in the Arab world to promote his personal interest.

Assad addressed states that criticized his regime, saying "The United States has stood by Israel's crimes since the latter was founded. It (US) executed massacres in Afghanistan and Iraq; it has killed millions, injured millions and inflicted disabilities on millions. France and Britain executed massacres in Libya with American support."

Assad: If I'm toppled, the Middle East will destabilize - Israel News, Ynetnews

There is merit in what Assad says because once his regime falls there will be civil ware between different tribes in the country. It will be some time before an Iraq model is established there.. but Saudis will not allow an Alawite Shia-dominated dispensation again in that country. A bloody clash between Arab Sunnis and most others mainly Alawite Shias cannot be ruled out.
And once Syria falls, Saudis will turn their attention more pointedly at Iran the eternal enemy of the Arabs.

 

[average american]

If Assad cared what was best for his country he would have left a long time ago.

 

[tramp]

If Assad cared what was best for his country he would have left a long time ago.

Even if he was the best ruler, being an Alawite Shia, Saudis would not have allowed him to rule in peace. You should realize that the Shia leadership of Syria rules over a predominantly Sunni Arab population. So Saudi meddling would in any way have happened.
It is not for nothing that Bahrain is seeing renewed trouble now. Incidentally, Bahrain's Saudi-backed Sunnis are ruling over an overwhelming majority of Shias.

 

[Armand2REP]

There is merit in what Assad says because once his regime falls there will be civil ware between different tribes in the country. It will be some time before an Iraq model is established there.. but Saudis will not allow an Alawite Shia-dominated dispensation again in that country. A bloody clash between Arab Sunnis and most others mainly Alawite Shias cannot be ruled out.
And once Syria falls, Saudis will turn their attention more pointedly at Iran the eternal enemy of the Arabs.

Syria really isn't that tribal. Ethnic groups yes, but they don't bow to village leaders except in Kurdistan. Sunnis are a big enough part of the population any post Assad resistance would be contained.

 

[amoy]

Syria really isn't that tribal. Ethnic groups yes, but they don't bow to village leaders except in Kurdistan. Sunnis are a big enough part of the population any post Assad resistance would be contained.

In post-Saddam Iraq Kurds have got high autonomy and in Turkey Kurd rebel leader orders fighters to stop fighting | Toronto Star. Will Syrian Kurds be able to take advantage of current chaos?

 

[average american]

Seems to be a lot more then just the Saudis involved in Syria.

 

[tramp]

Seems to be a lot more then just the Saudis involved in Syria.

Nothing happens in Middle East without Saudi involvement. House of Saud has great influence over wherever Sunni Arabs reside. (Even beyond Arab heartland he has say, for example Pakistan.) An acquiescing US labels any regime that Saudis point out as dictatorial. Yes, nature of many regimes makes the US task not so difficult. The geopolitical chess game in the Middle East in the 20th and 21st century has the central theme of this Sunni-Shia polarization between Saudis and Iranians.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

All Syria chemical arms claims must be probed: U.N.'s Ban | Reuters

An advance team of U.N.-mandated experts has gone to Cyprus and is awaiting permission from the Syrian government to investigate allegations of chemical weapons attacks, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday.

The move puts pressure on Syria to grant access to the team, as Damascus resists extending the investigation beyond a government claim that rebels used chemical munitions near Aleppo to include rebel claims that President Bashar al-Assad's government has used them.


Syria's ally Russia has backed Damascus against demands from Western powers that the probe be widened. Ban made clear that he wanted an all-encompassing inquiry, saying it was the "firm principle" of the United Nations that investigators be granted access to all areas where chemical weapons were allegedly used.

 

[SajeevJino]

Syria Rejects 'Expanded' UN Chemical Weapons Probe - Agency​

Syrian authorities reject an "additional demand" by the UN to let its investigative mission to operate across the entire Syrian territory, the state-run Syrian news agency SANA reported on Monday in its Russian-language section.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on March 21 that the United Nations will open an independent investigation into the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria as soon as possible.

However, later Ban Ki-moon moved to broaden the mandate of the mission in an effort to set as its task the investigation of all other alleged cases of chemical weapons use in Syria.

The agency quoted a foreign ministry official as saying that "Syria expresses its regrets in connection with the recent statement by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who openly yielded to pressure by certain states who support the bloodshed among Syrians."

Syria's authorities accused opposition militants of deploying chemical weapons in an attack near the northern city of Aleppo on March 19 that state media reports claimed at least 25 lives and seriously injured more than 100. The rebels have denied the allegation and instead accused the Syrian military of launching a Scud missile with a chemical warhead.

Syria Rejects 'Expanded' UN Chemical Weapons Probe - Agency | World | RIA Novosti