By Fareed Zakaria
The death of Syria's defense minister – in an apparent suicide bombing for which the Syrian rebels have claimed responsibility – is a sign that the rebellion is gaining strength and the Assad regime is cracking. I certainly hope so, but it's important for us to admit that we actually know very little about what is going on in Syria.
Naturally, our hearts are with the rebels and the Free Syrian Army, so when we hear reports about this bombing, we hope it is a sign of their growing reach and effectiveness. But we don't really know much about the circumstances. Is the use of suicide bombing, for example, a sign of the greater involvement of Islamic jihadis?
Similarly, when we hear about a massacre, such as reports last week surrounding events in Hama province, we naturally assume that it has been done by the Syrian military in the most brutal possible way.
And in most cases it’s true. But in some cases we really don’t know enough to be sure. In this most recent massacre, there’s some evidence that perhaps the Syrian government’s version of events was closer to reality than we had realized. But what that highlights to me is not that the Syrian government is less culpable – this is a government that has systematically and brutally used violence against men, women and children. Bashar al-Assad and his henchmen have the blood of innocents on their hands. So whether all the stories are completely accurate or whether some of them are exaggerated seems to me largely irrelevant from a moral point of view.
What is relevant is this: we don’t know much about the rebels. We don’t know, for example, how organized they are or whether they are bands of free floating groups. We don’t know what is their agenda or agendas. And we also, despite today’s reports, don’t really know how effective they are.
The rebels don’t control any part of Syria. In fact, as far as I can see, they don’t seem to have even been able to hold a town in Syria for more than a day. They can launch sporadic attacks – sometimes very effective ones such as the bombing yesterday – they can keep government forces on edge. But they haven’t been able to hold territory. Compare that with Libya, where the Libyan rebels were able to hold almost a third of the country and they took control of a major city, Benghazi.
Now Libya is a very different place – it’s much bigger, with more open spaces to hide in. But that’s precisely my point – for reasons of geography, perhaps, or maybe because of lack of organization, the Free Syrian Army hasn’t been able to succeed in some basic ways. Perhaps it’s because the Syrian military is very powerful and effective. Perhaps there are other, sectarian, explanations.
The first step toward figuring out what we can or should do – understanding the situation on the ground.
What we need to know are the following: is the opposition fighting together in a coordinated way? Who leads it? Does the Syrian National Council — the main exile opposition group – have any sway over these forces? Do the groups on the ground have any sectarian flavor? Are they largely Kurdish or Sunni? What is the role of the jihadi militant groups in the Syrian rebellion?
All this is not an argument for inaction – I’ve laid out a strategy to put intense pressure of the Assad regime earlier. But we need good information. And I’d say this applies not just to Western governments, but to the Western media as well.
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Sir its some internal n some external why HRH assad killing peoples and why syrian army killing to innocent peoples of syria n why world silent on killings...
The Syrians are dying because:
1. Muslims are not doing anything except whining and selling arms to both sides.
2. China and Russia have vetoed any attempt by the civilized world to help.
Troll alert
QQ – allah innik
Patrick,
Muslims and Arabs are not wining. They have condemned the Syrian regime and imposed sanctions on it. The only thing remaining for them is to militarily intervene, which would cause a war with Iran, who are not sunni Muslims (like the vast majority of Muslims around the world) or Arabs, and who would not permit such a thing. Iran supports Syria because it is ruled by a branch of Shia and pro Iran. For this reason we are helping the opposition without directly intervening.
Eissa
And you felt you had to explain this to me because?
Ishaq:344 "I wonder at Allah's deed. None can defeat Him. Evil ever leads to death. We unsheathed our swords and testified to the unity of Allah, and we proved that His Apostle brought truth. We smote them and they scattered. The impious met death. They became fuel for Hell. All who aren't Muslims must go there. It will consume them while the Stoker [Allah] increases the heat. They had called Allah's Apostle a liar. They claimed, 'You are nothing but a sorcerer.' So Allah destroyed them."
The only innocent are Sunni. Allah will kill the rest of you non believers and your children and your cats and your dogs. Allahuakbar!
Bukhari:V4B52N137 "The Prophet said, 'Let the n*gro slave of Dinar perish. And if he is pierced with a thorn, let him not find anyone to take it out for him.... If he [the black slave] asks for anything it shall not be granted, and if he needs intercession [to get into paradise], his intercession will be denied.'"
Nice religion you got there. If only Hitler had been muslim he might have had enough cannon fodder to enact his Final Solution. Islam would have fit in nicely with his plans, except for the fact that he was trying to create a Master Race and eliminate undesireables like, well... you.
I say 'go for it.' Please get your 'moderate muslims' to move to full endorsement of your horrid ideas and start your plan. That way the fence-sitters who don't realize that Islam is the greatest Evil ever to inflict itself on this planet will finally see Islam's true side and allow the rest of the world to erase this mistake called Mohammed from history.
My dog is a Muslim. How do I know this? He poops with his ass pointed toward Mecca 3 times a day...
is the opposition fighting together in a coordinated way?
most of them working as one body and they have only one target which is anything belongs to Bashar , their way of fighting is unique and tells us that they are working in a coordinated way , they established an assassination department , intelligence department and a protection department for helping the people ,and there is also the martyres unite which is specialized in sending individuals to blow themselves up with their targets , this unite is part of the free Syrian army , it's not as you said a speratted one made by the individuals themselves .
Who leads it?
unknown individuals but they are deserted lieutenants , they are very qualified in the military affairs and they gather together to put the plans where to direct all the forces .
Does the Syrian National Council — the main exile opposition group – have any sway over these forces?
no ,certainly, the leaders of the free Syrian army declared many times that the syrian national council is a lost game and it has nothing to do with them , and there is no any relationship between them and this syrian national council , and they disowned themselves from the heads of the syrian national council .
Do the groups on the ground have any sectarian flavor?
they are muslims and they declared it many times we are muslims whatever our sect is , whatever our nationality is and they welcome anyone wants to fight with them from any muslim state .
Are they largely Kurdish or Sunni?
muslims and this includes kurds
What is the role of the jihadi militant groups in the Syrian rebellion?
the free syrian army is a jihadi army .
Their agenda is an Islamic state ruled by Sharia law and they are aware of what usa is doing in the ground and they know that america ordered the gulf governments to stop supporting them by weapons and money and they know that Anan's plan is just a trick to give Bashar time to halt their revolution .
Do the groups on the ground have any sectarian flavor?
– They cannot focus on Sectarian groups now. they might focus on that once they find a resolution on syria. They will deal with kurds and sunnis at a later date.
Are they largely Kurdish or Sunni?
- does not matter now, they will exterminate each other once this drama is over.
What is the role of the jihadi militant groups in the Syrian rebellion?
– All he left for his followers is Jihad. let it prevail all over arab world.
Their agenda is an Islamic state ruled by Sharia law ?? Hezbollah leader just announced that the Syrian government is their only way of survival! he went on to commend the Syrian gov for their contribution of weapons and support to fight "the enemy" i.e. Israel. how do you describe Assad's state? the peaceful and democratic state?
And people wonder why we spend money on human, signal, communications, and other intelligence assets... or the CIA and NSA in general... Let me say this:
It is for this very reason.
Because when you have a properly funded intelligence apparatus, sending agents into areas to see what the lay of the land is, they give information back to us. This allows us to make the right calls, issue the right orders and shove other countries' noses in it (out of sight of public opinion... NOTE THAT WIKILEAKS) to get the world on board with the right course of action.
this could get as bad as america's civil war..
The American Civil War was a very long time ago and the Americans have learned many lessons over it.
It is doubtful that any muslim country will learn anything from all these violent deaths. The muslim countries will elect another assad and then complain that they are being taken for a ride. Round and round we go.
"the muslim countries will elect another assad..."
Really Pat, "elect'? Now you're just embarrassing yourself.
Please send over George Bush and we will vote for him!
Guy, you mean you anti democracy?
PAtrick is right. look what's going on in egypt. they ELECTED a muslim radical president.
this won't bring any good to the world nor to egypt.
"PAtrick is right. look what's going on in egypt. they ELECTED a muslim radical president."
Assad isn't a Muslim radical you doofus.
I am an illiterate and sometimes, even when I do understand, I lie (Thank be to Allah) and I pretend the other guy said something stupid.
Ishaq:341 "Allah favored His Apostle and humiliated the unbelievers. They were put to shame in captivity and death. The Apostle's victory was glorious. Its message is plain for all to see. The Lord brought repeated calamities upon the pagans, bringing them under the Apostle's power. Allah's angry army smote them with their trusty swords. Many a lusty youngster left the enemy lying prone. Their women wept with burning throats for the dead were lying everywhere. But now they are all in Hell."
I wish china and russia support the rest of the super-powers in the security council. that would create tougher sanctions against bashar al assad's regime. learning from this post and others of yours, I assume the regime will collapse soon.
Well written article. Our government should approach this entire situation with extreme caution. We may be aligning ourselves with future genocidal maniacs. If the Allowites lose they are finished as a people in Sryia. Perhaps in a few months or in a year we will see the wholesale slaughter of Allowites by Sunnis. To the authors point, nothing is what it seems.
Well done hindu ignorant west, falling in to their own death trap, plans of Osama's popular strategic planning at work's, only way to get rid of hindu Jew's, criminal self centered is to get rid of hindu terrorist camp labeled as Israel by hindu Jew's, criminal secular s of Persia and Egypt to hind ,fool humanity, by popular uprising and getting rid of so called governments in Muslim countries by hindu imperialist west. One way or the other ultimate target are hindu Jew's, criminal secular s and their hindu criminal bases in the west.
what did you say?
i am a Hindu if you consider religion as important. it is a funny unintelligible statemnt. My nation suffered a lot from Islamic barbarism. Now they are killing each other. Islam a religion of peace – what a joke.
hinduism, absurdity is not a religion but hinduism, criminality of pot head hindu sanatans, filthy goons, word hindu is driven from Latin word hindrance, negativity, Hun, great, Han to be in greatness, hind, negative to both of them, hindu, a noun in negativity, hinduism, way of negativity, get some education, knowledge before spewing your hinduism, absurdity about Muslims and Islam hindu, ignorant.
hinduism source of hindufilthyracism = Saeed = JAL
hinduism, negativism.
Wow, this guy's an unhinged lunatic.
Could you translate that into english ?
Coo Coo!!
American people are no longer peacefull . Their multinational greed and war monger politician can destroy the world . Who helped you in your civil war ? Anyone ? Did you help all oppressed people ? But when you will be benefited , then American start shouting their stupid human rights and invade a country and steal their wealth . Let syrian take step . It is their business not yours .
I quite agree with you, Lee. Why do people from the West think that they should be involved in any conflict especially in the East? Is it not a job of diplomats to solve the conflicts in a peaceful way? Something is wrong with this world, it seems we all need to rethink our values. Why killing people in one country is ok (Kyrgyzstan) while in another (Syria) it is bad? When shall we get rid of double standards?
I couldn't agree with you more, borbos. As long as the right-wing fanatics remain in control of things, unfortunately, double standards will remain also!
Tabari VII:61 "When the Prophet had finished with his enemy, he gave orders that Abu Jahl should be found among the dead. He said, 'O Allah, do not let him escape!' The first man who encountered Abu Jahl yelled out and I made him my mark. When he was within my reach, I attacked him and struck him a blow which severed his foot and half his leg. By Allah, when it flew off I could only compare it to a date-stone which flies out of a crusher when it is struck. Then his son hit me on the shoulder and cut off my arm. It dangled at my side from a piece of skin. The fighting prevented me from reaching him after that. I fought the whole day, dragging my arm behind me. When it began to hurt me, I put my foot on it and stood until I pulled it off.'"
Thank you, Lee. You said it all.
You have advocated killing Americans and other civilized people on the name of Allah. That makes you a good Sunni
What a barbaric culture Islam.
I mean you said all the stupid lies I could think of.
Am I going Schysophrenic?
What did I put in my hooka?
Ishaq:315 "It was so criminal, men could hardly imagine it. Muhammad was ennobled because of the bloody fighting. I swear we shall never lack soldiers, nor army leaders. Driving before us infidels until we subdue them with a halter above their noses and a branding iron. We will drive them to the ends of the earth. We will pursue them on horse and on foot. We will never deviate from fighting in our cause. We will bring upon the infidels the fate of the Ad and Jurhum. Any people that disobey Muhammad will pay for it. If you do not surrender to Islam, then you will live to regret it. You will be shamed in Hell, forced to wear a garment of molten pitch forever!"
My vote will go to the politicians who will ACTUALLY STEAL the land/resources/treasure of any country we invade from now on. I'm done supporting 'humanitarian actions' designed to 'liberate' countries and give them 'freedoms.' Next time, I want to see caravans of booty being dished out to Americans. You're 'lucky' that it is the US which destroys your pitiful armies... any other country would not spend its lives and treasure trying to rebuild a better country for you.
Got to agree with that. We should be pumping all the oil from Iraq and stockpiling it here in the US and selling the refined products cheap to US citizens, who are paying for the war. As for Afghanistan.... there's nothing there worth taking, so why are we there? We got bin Laden through intelligence sources and a raid. Our troops should come home, but all the Islamic countries will require supervision (heh) with drones until Islam reforms or is destroyed.
Qur'an 33:69 "Believers, be not like those who annoyed Moses. Allah proved his innocence of that which they alleged." Bukhari:V4B55N616 "Allah's Apostle said, 'The Prophet Moses was a shy person and used to cover his body. An Israeli insulted him, saying, "He covers it because of some defect like leprosy or scrotal hernia." Allah wished to clear Moses of this allegation, so one day he took off his clothes, put them on a stone and started taking a bath. When he moved towards his clothes the stone took them and fled. Moses picked up his staff and ran after the stone saying, "O stone! Give me back my clothes!" He reached some Israelis who saw him naked, and found him to be the best of what Allah had created. The stone stopped there and Moses took his garments and started hitting the stone with his stick. By Allah, the stone still has some traces of the hitting, three, four or five marks. This was what Allah meant when he revealed the surah saying: "Believers! Be you not like those who annoyed Moses. Allah proved his innocence of that which they alleged."'"
The difference in America's Civil War vs. any contemporary civil war is the sheer disparity in weaponry. Artillery, helicopters and heavy weaponery vs. ak47s and grenades at best. You cannot compare the two without looking completel ignorant of modern warfare, standing armies and sectarian differences.
Bashar himself and his brother Maher both married Sunni women. The majority of Sunnis have no problem with the al Assad regime. It is the minority radical Sunnis who do. These men do not represent Sunnis in Syria and they are terrorists bent on violence and destruction. They would not win unless NATO is dragged into the war on their side.
Bukhari:V7B71N643 "I heard the Prophet saying, 'If anyone of you dreams something he dislikes, when you get up, blow thrice on your left.'"
Bukhari:V9B87N115 "If you spit on the left side of your bed the bad dream will not harm you."
And Zakaria brilliantly defended western media propaganda about Syria . Dear American your newsmedia is washing your brain about Syria . BBC news co editor has also confessed his sin .
Ishaq:301 "As the Muslims were laying their hands on as many prisoners as they could catch, the Prophet, saw disapproval in the face of Sa'd. He said, 'Why are you upset by the taking of captives?' Sa'd replied, 'This was the first defeat inflicted by Allah on the infidels. Slaughtering the prisoners would have been more pleasing to me than sparing them.'"
Assad's the one who isn't religious, the people who are fighting against him are the Muslim extremists/al-queda types.
Is your post meant to defend Assad?
Anyway, judging by your name (named after "Robert E" I'm assuming) you're probably Southern evangelical trash, hence your anti-Muslim rant.
Ishaq:565 "The Apostle sent Khalid to destroy the idol Al-Uzza in the lowland of Nakhlah. The Quraysh used to venerate her temple. When Sulami heard of Khalid's approach, he hung his sword on Al-Uzza, climbed a mountain, and shouted: 'O Uzza, make an annihilating attack on Khalid. Throw aside your veil and gird up your train. O Uzza, if you do not kill Khalid then bear a swift punishment or become a Christian.' When Khalid arrived he destroyed her and returned to the Apostle." Tabari VIII:187 "'I have destroyed it,' he said to Muhammad. 'Did you see anything?' 'No.' 'Then,' Muhammad said, 'go back and kill her.' So Khalid returned to the idol. He destroyed her temple and broke her graven image. The shrine's keeper began saying, 'Rage, O Uzza, display one of your fits of rage!' Whereupon a naked, wailing Ethiopian woman came out before him. Khalid killed her and took the jewels that were on her. Then he went back to Allah's Messenger and gave him a report. 'That was Al-Uzza,' Muhammad said. 'Al-Uzza will never be worshiped again.'"
You're all arm-chair generals. I live in Beirut, so I see and have seen 1st hand what this guy has done and continues to do. And Lee? You are almost completely clueless. When you've lived in Beirut, among these people as I have since 1999, then you can talk to me about 'brainwashing', and propaganda.
I agree! We don't know enough about the rebels. For all we know, the rebels might be next osama and for all we know, worse than Al Assad. I think west and other countries around the world should just support Assad to help setup a fair election rather than supporting rebels. Afterall, with all these recent killings by the rebels, whats the difference between the rebels and Assad regime when both have each others blood on their hands ?
It's obvious that this attack was an inside job as many in the Syrian government had started to defect! Good job! The coward thug and cold blooded murder Assad is next! Unfortunately the idiot didn't learn a thing from the faith of Ghadaffi who was too defiant and arrogant to relinquish power. And unfortunately, he didn't learn anything from Hosni Mubarak who heed the call from the international community and his own people to step down. Good riddence Assad! Too bad your pretty face western wife is goanna get herself all bloodied up too!
I have no idea what is really going on but I will say something even if it makes me look like a total moron,
Bukhari:V5B59N702 "Allah did not admonish anyone who had not participated in the Ghazwa [raid] of Badr, for in fact, Allah's Apostle had only gone out in search of the Quraysh caravan so that he could rob it. But Allah arranged for the Muslims and their enemy to meet by surprise. I was at the Aqaba pledge with Allah's Apostle when we gave our lives in submission, but the Badr battle is more popular amongst the people. I was never stronger or wealthier than I was when I followed the Prophet on a Ghazwa.'"
I disagree with a point Mr. Fareed Zakaria mentioned comparing the current situation in Syria with the situation in Libya months ago. In Libya, there was a direct support from the NATO to the rebels, known for the world and it wasn't any kind if support, It was a powerful one to terminate a whole dictatorial regime. Talking about regimes, the Syrian regime is not better than the former Libyan, it's even worse. But in Syria, there isn't any direct and strong support from the west to the rebels. Actually, I would say that there is some support but it's hidden and indirect, due to the presence and influence of three big nations in the whole Syrian current situation, Russia, China and Iran. In addition, we can't say that the Syrian Free Army is less organised than the Libyan rebels, as there isn't any direct and on ground guidance from the west. Nevertheless, the Syrian official army is considered to be powerful. Therefore, without any direct and on ground support from the west to the Free Syrian Army, occupying regions in Syria would be a bit hard. Actually in my own opinion, if the Libyan rebels were not supported by NATO, I would say that terminating the former Libyan Regime would have been much harder or even impossible to do so.
Finally, I hope there would be quick and strong support to the Syrian Free Army and I hope the whole situation will move on the road of a peaceful and democratic future for Syria.
I respectfully disagree with you Firas. History does not support your position. The Bolsheviks not only held territory but were able to topple the Czar and win the Russian Civil War without any foreign support, with in fact 24 countries intervening directly (with troops) and supplying the Whites with weapons. The Iranians toppled the Shah without foreign support, and in the face of massive foreign support for loyalist/royalist forces. For the last two decades FARC in Colombia has been able to control territory without foreign support, even while the United States gives 10s to 100s of billions of dollars to their enemies inside and outside the Colombian government. People who advocate assist foreign powers in invading their countries and attempt to destabilize their countries with terrorist attacks to open the way for such invasions are more traditionally called traitors or 5th columnists. I assure that such actions are as illegal in Western liberal states as anywhere in the Middle East. Real revolutionaries can win without foreign support; they do have trouble winning without popular support though. The evidence in Syria is that Al-Assad has more support than the "rebels" and if you doubt this I encourage you to look into the poll from the Qatar foundation (enemies of Bashar Al-Assad) conducted about a year into this ongoing conflict.
the bolsheviks were disproportionately Jewish.
Did you know that I wear my wife's underwear on my head.
It is so refreshing to share!
Ishaq:289 "Muhammad summoned the Muslims and said, 'This is the Quraysh caravan containing their property. Go out and attack it. Perhaps Allah will give it to us as prey."
@ Justin well said.
I am gay.I like you Justin. Do you like me?
This article interesting because it highlights several moral and legal problems involved in the Syrian uprising. For example, the Geneva conventions only apply to internal armed conflicts to protect groups and that do control territory, have a unified chain of command, have a specified military policy for their soldiers and a judicial process for trying there own soldiers who violate this policy. Furthermore, in order for soldiers to be protected they must be in a group that fulfills these criteria and in addition they must be uniformed. Spies, and saboteurs are not protected by the Geneva conventions; neither are "armed riots" (the conventions words). To the extent that these criteria are not met the Geneva convention actually give countries the right to kill as many of their own people or neutral people as they like (but not peoples of countries that they are at war with). If anyone doubts this I encourage you to read the Geneva conventions; they are at available online (the ICRC website has them). Rather than crying about human rights abuses and war crimes that are not substanitiated, I'd rather see our media (including CNN) actually explains were and when and how they think the conventions have been violated (specifically). Likewise, I'd like them to address polls (such as one a few months ago by the Qatar foundation) that show that Bashar Al-Assad with greater public support than the opposition. Communist insurgents might be able to claim moral superiority without majority public support, but how do pro-democracy insurgents?
I'd like to know just how many of these weak minded people here have ever read the Coran. That appears to be very few indeed. By all this Muslim bashing here, these people are only spewing their own ignorance over Islam.
And how many Muslims do u think have properly read and really applies of Islam?
As you all know I am weak-minded and I have a hard time understanding things.
I will ask my best friend Saeed, he is much smarter than me.
Hello, Phunnie boy. I was wondering when you were going to get around to this. You already usurped my original name, Patrick and now my new screen name. Have you noticed there is another Patrick posting on this web page? That wouldn't be you, Phunnie boy or would it?
What's going on buddy. Are you alright?
Tabari IX:69 "He who believes in Allah and His Messenger has protected his life and possessions from us. As for those who disbelieve, we will fight them forever in the Cause of Allah. Killing them is a small matter to us."
Are you muslims this stupid to recommend people reading your nonsensical hate mongering book? It is a disgusting bigoted book filled with hatred for people with different points of view. Maybe more educated muslims should actually read it instead of cherry picking verses they like and think critically whether they actually want a murderer and a pedophile as a role model in the 21st century.
"What we need to know". Who gives a crap. "We" don't "need" to "know" anything since we cannot do a damn thing about any of it. Besides, what does CNN know anyway????
ignorance is bliss.
Let's hope that's true, Phunnie boy. Ignorance is what's going to get me reelected if Mitt Romney doesn't use it too much to his advantage next November.
What am I saying, I AM IGNORANT. It's me that is IGNORANT.
Qur'an:33:60 "Truly, if the Hypocrites stir up sedition, if the agitators in the City do not desist, We shall urge you to go against them and set you over them. Then they will not be able to stay as your neighbors for any length of time. They shall have a curse on them. Whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain without mercy – a fierce slaughter – murdered, a horrible murdering."
The one thing CNN does know rosie, is how to spread right-wing propaganda like the rest of the right-wing news media!
or is it left-wing?
Is there a centre-wing?
ahahahahahaha...
Bukhari:V4B52N256 "The Prophet passed by and was asked whether it was permissible to attack infidels at night with the probability of exposing their women and children to danger. The Prophet replied, 'Their women and children are from them.'
Zakaria, you are a blood thirsty person. The truth always matters. If we falsely report on Syria, the blood of innocents will be on us...
"Back in February, a Christian priest in Homs shared of how dire the situation was getting in the city.
“The armed Islamist Opposition in Syria has murdered more than 200 Christians in the city of Homs, including entire families with young children. These Islamic gangs kidnapped Christians and demanded high ransoms. In two cases, after the ransoms were paid, the men’s bodies were found,” Barnabas Aid, a charity organisation helping persecuted Christians around the world quoted him as saying.
“Christians are being forced to flee the city to the safety of government controlled areas. Muslim rebel fighters and their families are taking over their homes. We need your prayers and we need them urgently,” he added. "
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/54917.htm
The New York Times reported that the "massacre" last week was NOT a massacre but a battle and that the Opposition purposefully LIED and falsified information....CNN did NOT report on this. WHY?
There have been rebel suicide bombers, snipers, IEDS, etc in Syria for a while now. Iraq has claimed that Al-Qaeda is moving into Syria from its border with Iraq – the AP reported this. Why has CNN NOT reported this? Why has CNN reported a ONE sided story? Why? Do we all not realize that our actions carry consequences for ourselves and others? Do we not realize that if we falsely portray events we are guilty of falsehood? In the end, which side do you want to be on? The side of falsehood, or the side of truth? As much as is possible, portray both sides, report on the atrocities of both sides…Do not take sides, but report with as much non-biasness as possible…verify your facts, if something cannot be verified, don’t report it. All falsehood leads to death, all truth leads to life, if not in this life, then the next. Purposefully giving a one sided story is akin to propaganda and no better than government controlled news. I am sorry to see my favorite news outlet stooping to that. I am really disappointed in cnn. I thought it was better than one sided stories…
If you think this is all true, then why are ALL foreign media banned from the country. The bashar regime has been proven liars. They certainly have massacred their own people. Whether the FSA has done the same to Christians, i wont say they havent. But until SYRIA's government opens up for transparency, then what do you expect CNN to do? You have no journalistic evidence, you are spreading rumors.
No, the ones spreading rumors are the ones who only take one side of the story and do not verify their facts. CNN could have displayed an article about how the opposition lied about a massacre last week like the NYTimes did. They could have worked with the AP on their coverage about how the Iraqi government has evidence that Al-Qaeda is entering Syria through Iraq. They could have taken a non-biased side, but instead it has been one sided, facts have been concealed. The opposition's side is taken as truth, while the government media of Syria is taken as always false and anything that puts the rebels in a bad light is left out. Opposition leaders say such and such is going on and this cannot be verified. You tell me I am spreading rumors when I quote Christians who have said such and such? Why? Why does the opposition, which is heavily biased towards their cause and has been shown by the NYTimes and other media to twist the facts in their favor – why do they have more reliability than simple people on the ground who don't want war but peace?
Anyone who supports the opposition wants more war and bloodshed. Simple as that. Anyone who is for peace doesn't support any side, doesn't give a one-sided story. Suicide bombings? Snipers (CNN has video on them!)? Foriegn fighters from Turkey and Lybia? Reports of Al-Qaeda? Bahrain, which crushed its "Abrab Spring" is against Syria. Saudi Arabia? Qatar? Jordan? Turkey? These countries are not democracies or true democracies. These countries suppress their people as well. It is all hypocritical. It is all about politics and personal gain and little about freedoms. Here's a photo for you:
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/54762.htm
The rebels have committed attrocities. The Syrian government has committed attrocities. They have all committed attrocities. Stop giving a one sided story. Verify your facts. CNN took the word of the opposition that a massacre happened last week. The UN went in and reported that it was not a massacre. Where is this story on cnn?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/world/middleeast/details-of-a-battle-challenge-reports-of-a-syrian-massacre.html?pagewanted=all
NYTimes has it. Other news agencies have it. Verify your facts before you spread "rumors." Do not trust one sided stories.
Further, not all foreign media is banned:
http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/hostile-territory/1863
Verify your facts.
Sorry, but Zakaria is making assumptions about all Americans. My heart is NOT with the rebels. The FSA has blood on their hands too. We are bullies to any country that doesn't kiss our ass. It's always our way or the highway which is wrong. We also love to meddle where it isn't our business and risk the lives of innocent civilians as well as the lives of our soldiers. Let's be clear here – we only get involved when it's in our "national interest" (oil or nukes). Jeez, we are the ONLY country who's citizens can't travel freely to Cuba unless you qualify to get a "special permit"of their political disposition. I find it disconcerning that our president condemmed the terrorist attack in Bulgaria but kept his mouth closed on the terrorist attack of govt employees of a SOVEREIGN nation. Until both sides put down their weapons and start a real dialogue for change and elections the killing will continue. Sorry, but I don't see the FSA putting down their guns now that they've had a taste of blood and glory. With todays veto by Russia and China it is clear that a proposal that isn't one-sided is necessary. Be careful what you wish for. Syria isn't our business and we need to stay out.
There is no excuse for the US government not knowing most of what you are asking, although it is admittedly hard for theh media to know some of this. However, we know enough to get off our rear end and help the rebels. There is no excuse for not providing weapons and perhaps a no-fly zone. These rebels demonstrated on the streets of Syria for months in a non-violent way for a democratic and free government and accepted numerous casualties from snipers and other government murderers. The death toll is horrendous and they haven't given up. What more proof do we need of their intentions? Also, even if a less than perfect government is eventually formed by them, how can it be any worse than the thugs in power now. We sit on the sidelines because we don't want to "make things worse". How can we make it worse? It is a full scale civil war and has been for a long time. We can make things better by helping the good guys win rather than watch another few years of stalemate and slaughter. The rebels aren't going away and every death they suffer makes them more determined. The regime will only go by force not by the diplomatic farce that is currently being played out by the US, UN, etc. We need to stop making excuses and help.
Dear allah, I am so stupid, ignorant and a total bigot.
It is so liberating to get it out.
Qur'an:59:2 "It was Allah who drove the [Jewish] People of the Book from their homes and into exile. They refused to believe and imagined that their strongholds would protect them against Allah. But Allah came at them from where they did not suspect, and filled their hearts with terror. Their homes were destroyed. So learn a lesson, O men who have eyes. This is My warning...they shall taste the torment of Fire."
What we know is this. The Middle East (a marvelous British term) is a very dangerous place. In the 1980s, the Phalange Movement (a Christian movement in Lebanon) with the aid of General Sharon and the Israeli Army, slaughtered old men, women and children in two refugee camps in Lebanon. Actually, the incident that led up to this was the killing of an Israeli official in France. Problem was, it was the Black Sept. group, not the PLO. That didn't make much difference to the Phalangists. "Arab Spring" has been hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Military is still in control. The "freedom activists" of Egypt are out of the picture. Al Queda and the Muslim Brotherhood along with our buddies Saudi Arabia and the Wahabis are in the mix in Syria. AP reports that UAE is building an atomic facility for peaceful purposes. Of course they are not building in underground and it is open to inspection, but remember that the UAE are our friends and Saudi Arabia's and of course are SUNNI. Iraq, well is Iraq. More violent than ever. Things haven't changed much since 1920. Hezbollah, a Shi'ia group is THE power in Lebanon and with a Sunni win in Syria, there could be a spill over into Lebanon. The Christians in Syria are protected by the Alawites and if Assad goes, so might the Christians. That's a bad neighborhood.
Qur’an 8:17, “It is not you who slew them; it was Allah who killed them. … in other words: If a Muslim kills unbelievers, he doesn’t have to feel guilty, because it was allah who killed for him.
"Naturally," our hearts are with the rebels?
Excuse me? They're using suicide bombers. What does THAT say about those "noble rebels"? And who is Mr. Z., himself a Muslim, to tell US what is (should be) in our hearts? He's trying to mold our opinions HIS way.
Guess what, Mr. Z? My heart is with NONE of them. And it's not because I am callous, because I am extremely empathic, and because I'm a liberal, I also do my homework. But I'm also nobody's fool. BOTH sides are brutal. If you don't know that much, Mr. Z., at least the rest of us do (I hope!). But considering that you are a Muslim, it's unlikely that you know less than we infidels do. I guess your own sect of Islam opposes the Alawites. You want us to cheer for the ones you side with most. Your "job" is to appear as objective as possible, for the Western infidel media, while gently pushing our minds (and hearts) in the direction of the sect YOU favor.
At least you admit the one thing that people care little about: that we know next to NOTHING about the facts surrounding this violence. Our people tend to be lazy intellectually, and you know how to use this against us. But not ALL of us are that way.
It's hard to deny that there is heavy violence going on. But the who, when, how and why of it, for both sides, is unknown to us. It's all second-hand stuff, and utterly unreliable. Maybe you know more about it, Mr. Z., since you are definitely rooting for the rebels.
I have this notion that I will NOT root for a side of a fight which is utilizing suicide bombers. That puts a kind of Islamic signature on the whole fracas. Yet, in your article, you back FAR away from that factoid.
There's probably a big factor of "whose ox is being gored" here, but the biggest factor is that it is a sectarian HOLY WAR. And, as a Muslim, Mr. Z., you ought to know that better than we do.
The Libyan rebels took cities, true, but their victory depended utterly on the help they got from NATO. The rebels in Syria launched their own rebellion, and were probably relying on getting the same help from NATO that Libya did. They didn't.
And I hope they don't get it. The free world has no business supporting any side of an Islamic holy war. We got fooled in Libya. The "Arab Spring" told us they "yearned" for democracy, yet look at the new Islamic States they created. Enough is enough. We shouldn't let them – or you, Mr. Z. – fool us yet again.
Despite the fact that Assad is a Muslim (but a Shi'ite-leaning Alawite), he did NOT make Syria an Islamic State. He let it remain a secular one. Unthinkable, to most Muslims of the world.
The "Arab Spring" is nothing more than a group whose objective is to remove sectarian governments from nations with large populations of Muslims, and turn them into Islamic States. Which they have DONE, several times, already. It stuns me that we in the West can still think of them as benign and noble. Well, the oil, you see...
We embraced the Arab Spring, and now we seem unable to admit our error and "un-embrace" them; instead, we cling more tightly. And that's as stupid as it can get. In roughly two years, we've seen them create a whole bouquet of new Islamic States. Benign? Democratic? People who love liberty and rights? In a pig's eye. In Libya, they're trying to convince us, somehow, that they are establishing an Islamic State, complete with Shari'a – and yet it will be benign to non-Muslims, upholding rights, liberties and democracy. Ahem? THEY know, even though we deny it, that democracy and Islam are the "inside-out" of one another. Don't expect them (or Mr. Z.) to enlighten us to that fact.
Islam and democracy (the real thing, not a veneer) do NOT MIX.
BOTH sides here are Muslims, of one stripe or another, and they are slaughtering one another over which stripe shall be supreme over all others. That "baby killing" stuff may or may not have been real, but it WAS used to push OUR buttons and get us to leap into the fray on the rebels' side. But the truth is that neither side here is above killing babies to gain its ends.
When people butcher people in the name of their "god," I owe them and their faith precisely ZERO tolerance or respect.
Though it is impossible, of course, I could wish for both sides to LOSE. And I fear greatly for anyone in these rebel-infested nations who is NOT a Muslim. Muslims no sooner get their way than the non-Muslims begin experiencing harassment, and, very likely, much worse. It is only the non-Muslims who deserve any of our compassion here. I shudder to think what they're going through. THAT is where my compassion lies.
And, as a scholar of Islam for many years, I see no end at all to any of this. The ultimate goal of ALL Muslims, of any stripe, is to conquer the whole world – and by ANY means. That includes getting Muslims into our governments and media to help spread the propaganda. That propaganda uses OUR best attributes, like religious tolerance, in order to work their way toward the day when they will conquer us totally. That "peace and tolerance" stuff cannot be found in any of their holy books, EXCEPT as it applies to Muslims. Only to Muslims. For us non-Muslims, there ARE NO RULES, and it's time we realized this.
But I don't think Mr. Z. is going to come clean about that. He's at CNN to "mold" our opinions of Muslims to his own preferences. I can see, fortunately, that with some of us, he is NOT successful.
What we really DO need to know about Syria is that it is yet another major step along the path to total Islamic conquest of the world. Including US. The conquest has already begun, and we're too ignorant and stupid to see it going on right in front of our own eyes. Which means, of course, that their strategies work beautifully with us. The Muslims WILL win.
Saurov
i am a Hindu if you consider religion as important. it is a funny unintelligible statemnt. My nation suffered a lot from Islamic barbarism. Now they are killing each other. Islam a religion of peace – what a joke.
July 18, 2012 at 2:38 pm | Reply
hinduism source of hindufilthyracism.
hinduism, absurdity is not a religion but hinduism, criminality of pot head hindu sanatans, filthy goons, word hindu is driven from Latin word hindrance, negativity, Hun, great, Han to be in greatness, hind, negative to both of them, hindu, a noun in negativity, hinduism, way of negativity, get some education, knowledge before spewing your hinduism, absurdity about Muslims and Islam hindu, ignorant.
there are a lot of Muslims who don’t know what is written in the Quran and who don’t visit the mosques. But they are strongly influenced on a cultural level. And there we see that especially anger is much more accepted in the Muslim culture.
One example: in Western culture and also in other non-Muslim cultures, like in Asia, you see aggression and a sudden explosion of anger as something you’ll regret afterwards, something you are ashamed of. It is completely opposite in the Muslim culture. If somebody steps on your honor – what I as a psychologist would call self confidence – you are simply expected to show aggression and often also verbal or physical revenge. So, aggression gives you a low status in our cultures, but a high status in the Muslim culture.
There is however another and much deeper reason for the wide spread anti-social behavior in Muslim communities and their strong aversion against integration – namely, the very strong identification that Muslims have with belonging to the Muslim culture.
Your heart might be with the AlQaeda backed rebels and terrorists but rational people understand this is part of an attempt by the Sunni dictatorships and US to weaken Iran. If Syria falls the warmongers will move to the next domino.
and by rational people, I mean muslims.
hinduism, colonization once again. Gang of hindu criminal Jew's deniers of truth at work to make humanity their gentile, slave.,
ah, the rational bus bombers, underwear bombers, shoe bombers, well poisoners, acid throwers, airplane hi jacking , hookah smoking, rocket launching people. those rational people. now we know who the rational people are, tx!
So Fareed Zakaria publicly declares his support of suicide bombing – that is precious!
He has got his morale compass and it points whatever direction: because he does not want to go North, right?
You hart goes with rebels and Free Syrian Army? Let's see if you want to remember that in 12 months!
All what you need to know is out there already: you just choose not to see it!
is there an option of 'justified' text formatting for your posts. Would you care to use it. Thanks a lot.
Worse than the stench of pogues is the stench of civilians who think they know more than everyone on the battlefield even though they are glued to their couches. Fcking disgusts me. For all of you wise ones in here criticizing the people in Syria, I want you to ask yourself what chance you would stand if the US military turned on it's own people. The answer is none. You think your 9mm, .45 or your R700 is gonna do anything to Apache's, nuclear subs, F-22's, Bradley's, MRAPs, or well trained combat infantrymen? No. Try and put your couch warrior Call of Duty minds in their shoes for a split second, and imagine how easily our military could tear us to shreds if it wanted to.
Finally I can agree with Fareed.
The US/Israeli financed/armed "rebels" will never claim Syria. Russia stands to lose a naval base. Will never happen.
Qur'an 91:11 "Thamud rejected (their prophet) through inordinate wrong-doing. Behold, the most-wicked wretch among them broke forth but the Messenger said: 'Be cautious. It is a She-camel of Allah! And bar her not from having her drink!' But they rejected him as a false prophet and hamstrung her. So Allah on account of their crime, obliterated their traces, doomed them, desolated their dwellings, leveling them to the ground for their sin."
Ishaq:327 "Allah said, 'A prophet must slaughter before collecting captives. A slaughtered enemy is driven from the land. Muhammad, you craved the desires of this world, its goods and the ransom captives would bring. But Allah desires killing them to manifest the religion.'"
You sure have a fertile imagination.
I am a total moron, I researched what I thought was imagination and found all of it to be true. I invite you to all research the Cooooorun to see its true message of hate, murder, lies, cowardice.
I will never again doubt how barbaric Islam truely can be!
Qur'an 56:41 "But those of the left hand-how unhappy those of the left hand. They will be in the scorching hot wind and boiling water, under the shadow of thick black smoke, neither cool nor agreeable. ...They will be gathered together on a certain day which is predetermined. Then you, the erring and the deniers will eat Zaqqoom [a thorn tree]. Fill your bellies with it, and drink scalding water, lapping it up like female camels raging of thirst and diseased. Such will be their entertainment, their welcome on the Day of Doom...the welcome of boiling water and the entertainment of roasting in Hell. This is the ultimate truth."
Bukhari:V5B59N512 "The Prophet offered the Fajr Prayer [Prayer of Fear] near Khaybar when it was still dark. He said, 'Allahu-Akbar!' [Allah is Greatest] Khaybar is destroyed, for whenever we approach a hostile nation to fight, then evil will be the morning for those who have been warned.' Then the inhabitants came out running on their roads. The Prophet had their men killed; their children and woman were taken as captives."
Tabari VIII:116
Ishaq:511 "So Muhammad began seizing their herds and their property bit by bit. He conquered home by home. The Messenger took some people captive, including Safiyah and her two cousins. The Prophet chose Safiyah for himself."
I feel for the innocent civilians who always get caught in the crossfire. It appears that Assads days may be numbered. I applaud the Presidents restraint in this situation. I know that diplomacy didn't work but it puts China and Russia in a bad postion when Syria collapses. I also applaud his use of CIA and I'm sure other agencies to gain intelligence, assist the Turks and most likely in arming and training the rebels. The big thing now is to locate and secure the chemical weapons. So in a few weeks the Obama administration can add another scalp to their growing list of bad guys with little loss of american life
See how snaky I was? Allah the magnificent and his profiteer Moorhamed have taught me all I know.
Qur'an 37:19 "They will say, 'Woe to us! This is the Day of Doom.' Assemble the wrong-doers and their wives and the things they worshipped besides Allah, then lead them to the fierce flaming fires of Hell."
" in an apparent suicide bombing for which the Syrian rebels have claimed responsibility..." Wait a minute, Faheed, I thought the rebels were youg, "Arab Springy" pro democracy students and thinkers (just like Egypt was). I have news for you, the people who blow themselves up, are Islamic Extremists...PERIOD!
Covetousness is a sin. Translation: Tunisia only has received proper remuneration during the so-called Arab Spring because they are an original. All the rest i.e. Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and yes Syria, are all covetous copycats.
Farheed, are you celebrating a suicide bomber?
I and my cult (Islam) are celebrating the violent, horrible deaths of all unbelievers (Kafir).
Qur'an 74:31 "We have appointed nineteen angels to be the wardens of the Hell Fire. We made a stumbling-block for those who disbelieve and We have fixed their number as a trial for unbelievers in order that the People of the Book [Christians and Jews] may arrive with certainty, and that no doubts may be left for the people of the Book, those in whose hearts is a disease."
>>when we hear reports about this bombing, we hope it is a sign of their growing reach and effectiveness<<
So Fareed, are we to gather that as long as you agree with the target, you condone the use of suicide bombings?
Qur'an 70:12 "He would sacrifice his wife and his brother, and his kin who sheltered him, and all that is on earth to deliver himself from the Doom. By no means! For them it is the Fire of Hell! Plucking apart his body right to the skull! Taking away the head skin. Eager to roast; dragged by the head, hell shall claim all who flee."
It is obviously a proxy war between Iran and Saudi. The rebels cant fight without expertise, supplies of arms and food. Military expertise did not come from defectors, too few of them, neither did it come from the opposition, most of whom does not even know how to handle a rifle a year ago. How could they be an effective fighting force so quickly? (Of course, some have been driven by the desire of revenge for the dead of their son, daughter, wife, and relatives; while many others are tired of tyranny and inspired by the Arab Spring.) – yet after all, without Saudi group involvement, these rebels dont stand a chance against the establishment.
I would love to see all these coward crap talkers actually stand up and rebel against the USA that they hate so much. They'd get their butts shot off! Just go buy some cheap AK's and do it, cowards!
ishbul12345: And when Mohammed (PBUH) had sufficently pleasured himself amongst the sheep and other animal herds, he sought the children of others for the moistening of his loins. He took boys as well as girls but none older than 10. And when he finished his deeds, he gutted them and ate their entrails. With great pleasure he exclaimed, "Allahu Snakbar" (God is my fast food).
funny stuff saeed – now be fair and do some parodies of the Bible and Torah.
I am not sure a suicide bomb that takes out Syrian officials shows any strength on the part of the rebels. What it does show is a lack of security and a clear arrogance on the part of the Syrian government. No security force in it's right mind would have let this happen. I am sure this is an isolated incident that will not be repeated. While I am hopeful that Assad can be brought down, there is a serious problem with the collapse of his government. That problem is that we in the west assume the rebels want democracy. That may not be the case. They may very well wind up with a Taliban-like theocracy that is far worse than what we have today in Syria. There is no clear leadership among the rebels, no coordinated effort. The fighting is in pockets all over the country without an overall strategy, nor a coordinated plan as to what will happen if the rebels win. Syria, a key country for everyone in that region, is descending into chaos and becoming quite unstable to the point that once Assad is gone, there will probably be a situation much like other countries who have toppled their despots. Factions will fight factions, the military or a theocracy will take over, and the situaiton will be virtually unmanageable by anyone involved. Though Russia and China are painted as the bad guys here, one must realize that what they are trying to do is keep the area stable in their own ways. None of it is working. Only time will tell what is in store for the people of Syria.
If I was Sarah Palin, I'd hurl myself into the nearest woodchipper. End of story.
Fareed:
I bet that you were one of those people who danced in the streets with the rest of the Kumbaya folks when Egypt's April Spring enfolded. And now look what we,ve got. Like Egypt, Syria could wind up the same way. The same Syrian thugs are on both sides of this battle, many former Assad militants. So be aware of what could be in store before you express your joy and euphoric comments.
Since when does Mr Zakaria become spokesperson for US population?
I wonder if Mr. Zakaria will spend his huge analytical think on the mass murder of Israeli school kids yesterday?? crickets....
There is wild cheering in the US at the suicide bombing in Syria that kiiled key people in the Asad regime. What is becoming obvious is that this has become an open battle between Saudi Arabia plus Sunnis and Iran plus non-Sunnis(Allawaites). In this war, the US is supporting the Sunnis, for obvious reasons. Clearly, what is unfolding is the prospect of another Yugoslavia. Such a prospect will take the battle to the Saudi Kingdom, which will see an increase of shia uprising. The instability in the Middle East is the prospect for the next decade and all the uncretainty that brings to Oil supplies. Let us hope that sanity prevails!
Qur'an 4:65 "They can have no Faith, until they make you (Muhammad) judge in all disputes, and find in their souls no resistance against Your decisions, accepting them with complete submission."
We, muslims, have been marked by Satan.
I wish I had not spoken up so much on CNN because I have been branded now.
We should stay out of it and let Syria handle their own problems. If the rebels wish to PURCHASE arms from us, and they are deemed not a future threat, I am all for it as long as the US makes a profit.
Asad has moved his HQ to Latakia, which is a large and capable port, more so than Tartus. He is now in a position to get more direct naval support from Russia. With Russian warships in Latakia, the Turks will have to think twice about responding to Syrian aggressive moves. No way is he fleeing the country at present. He is setting up for a total war.
Alawites to the grave, Christians to Beirut
When all else fails, we muslims, have been taught to drag Christians, Jews, Hindus, anyone into the soup.
LOL it is such a poisonous soup but we will feed it to the innocents.
Zakaria – what happened to your year-long projection that Assad would not last more than 6 months? Only the islamic-funded network can allow you to print your nonsense.
I am a dead giveaway muslim.
First I lie, then I lie, and, finally, I lie.
Good job today and now off I go to eat my camel steak. We picked up a young camel the other day and butchered it ourselves.
Fareed referred to suicide bombing, but I thought bomb was left in a suitcase or briefcase and was NOT a suicide bomb. It was a targeted assassination. And very well done. Fareed wants facts? irony here!
I am so dumb that I cannot keep up with all the latest news.
However, I did do some research and I found out that at first it was thought that the bomb was detonated from afar. But now that they have counted the poor people assassinated by my brethren the muslims, there is an extra body and consequently it must have been a suicide bomber.
Fareed makes some good points. We don't know who is apposing Assad. They just used suicide bombing as a weapon. Is it ok as long as they kill people you don't like and not ok when it's our people getting killed? Personally I think war is war and suicide bombers are just poor mans smart bombs. In WWII the French Resistance did all kinds of mean things to the occupying Germans.
How do I feel about Syria and Assad? I only know what I see from the major news outlets. I know they like all Islamic Mid East countries hate Israel and the US. The US is excited about the prospect of Syria falling to Arab Spring/Summer. The verdict is still out on whether the Arab Spring has been a good thing or bad thing. The other countries are definitely in a transition period and who knows what system or who will run those countries in the future. I suppose just about anything would be better than a dictatorship, but a country run by Sharia law would be a step backwards about two thousand years.
You are right. Just look at Libya now. fighting against each other, no law & order, men, women and children are tortured by rival tribes and killed. But we need to be happy, as the Oil now, flows only to USA, Israel, England. All oil drilling, is now controlled by big multi-nationals. Maybe Dick Cheneye is behind all these wars. How about american arms industries doing ? Profit going up.
Some U.S. diplomats/policy makers talk like Syria/Middle East problems like it's just a tight little package that you can just wrap up and place under a Xmas tree, Romney is one of them.
Of course, I have no proof either way but, still, I will try and confuse the whole sorted thing.
Romnet is not in charge of the US; Obama is. And to date Obama has DONE nothing to stop the killing. Obama will risk losing 1,000 votes even if it cost the lives of 1000 innocent Syrian children
What we do know is this.
1. The US and other nations do not need Security Council approval to take individual national actions to place sanctions on Syria - the US and others in the UN can just do it.
2. The US can withdraw favored nation status from Russia and China in international trade which puts Russia and china in the game for some real economic skin.
3. The US has many more options that it can levy agaunst Russia and China to put pressure on them to act.
Gone are the days when USA could dictate, Russia and China. they need cheap goods from China and other countries. Their own economy is in shambles and unemployment is very high.
When my mother is not looking, I will sneak her underwear so that I can put it on my head ............................................................. I prefer the silky ones not the big cotton ones................................................ Pink is a great colour.......................................................Well I got to go push my cuticles. Byeeeeeeeeeeeee!
So I feel really stupid, my mom called me and told me that everything I said previously was wrong.
Sorry!
Only Assad's thugs claim it was a suicide bombing. Why buy into Assad's propaganda?
Well, Muslims lie. Who are you going to trust to tell you the thruth?
The Islamic religion has a long history of myth making. The claim they are the fastest growing religion in the world is pure myth. We have collected the latest statistics from David A. Barrett's huge two volume, "World Christian Encyclopedia", the 2001 AD edition. In case you haven't heard of this work, it is the world standard for religious statistics.
Muslim's claim that their growth rate is 235 percent and 47 percent for Christianity. This statistic came from the Readers Digest Almanac and Yearbook 1983, and represents 235 percent increase over 50 years. Muslims always leave off the 50 year fact to make it appear they are going 235% every year. A simple review of the readers Digest study shows that the growth rate of Islam vs. Christianity is directly linked to the birth rate in Third World countries where Islam dominates and not actual conversions to each religion. Christianity has always been larger than Islam. These statistics from Readers Digest are over 20 years old. Further, we do not consider readers digest to be an authority on such matters. Why will Muslims not quote real authoritative statistics from certified research groups who show Islam is not the fastest growing religion in 3/4's of the worlds countries.
Since so many Syrian Generals and Soldiers are defecting to Turkey, how about this scenario: Assad suspects these three are thinking about defecting, including the Defense Minister and brother-in-law. So he has his soldiers loyal to him plan and carry out the 'suicide' bombing (inside a government building, mind you) and promotes it as an outside terrorist attack or rebels. In fact, Assad probably videotaped Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij's, the new Defense Minister, weeks ago, but releases it now as part of the game. They say they can't verify when the video was taken, right?
Possible. Muslims lie. No one there will tell you the same story.
There are more new Christians added to the world population than any other religion on earth every day. Christians take the prize for being the fastest growing religion.
On none of the 6 continents are Muslims the fastest growing religion.
That Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world is pure myth at best and at worst a deliberate deception of solid statistical facts.
The author actually has no point when he says he does about Libya/Syria. The only reason Libya rebels were able to hold on to any land for any amount of time is because of the new drive/fly zone by Nato. Mostly imposed by us the Americans. So it comes as no surprise to me that the rebels in Syria can not hold on to a city. How could they when they are being attacked from the ground and air by forces far superior to them. By way of tanks and attack helicopters.
Deathstalker
I actually have made no point about Libya/Syria.
" the new drive/fly zone by Nato." I actually have no idea how funny this statement of mine truly is to anyone with half a brain.
The res is all BS with no foundation.
You noticed how my moniker is appropriate to being a good muslim.
I know I am good but what am I?
Aren't you surprised ? all of a sudden, the rebels have gained strength, inspite of the west claiming that they have only small arms. As in Libya, foreign mercenaries, CIA, British special Operations group are in the ground helping the rebels. Otherise, they would not have been successful.
This is all about Shia-Sunni and controlling the middle-east. Saudi and Qatar , ally of the west, wants sunni to be ruling Syria instead of the majority shias. But they are happy with ruling Saudi , Qatar, Bahrain who are majority shias.
Why Bahrain, inspite of crushing demonstations, is able to hold on to power ? Because, they are with the west and have oil. Why Bahrain, Saudi and Qatar are with the west ? Because the kings, sheikhs wants to hold onto power and rule. They get full support of the west, because they have oil.
So , what's going on is nothing about democracy, but about power, and greed for oil.
I am shia and if I was sunni, I would not be complaining.
Syria is a country that functions as a hub for global terrorism administered by Islamic radicals. Damascus has been plagued w/corruption for decades if not longer.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Arabs are their own worst enemy. Women are beaten and disrespected. Children are beaten and disrespected. And those children grow up to be hopeless suicide bombers who lack any ability to direct their pain to the original source.
And unfortunately, that happens in America, too. And it happens across the globe. We're creating our own destruction through our treatment of children.
By the way..just a silly question..where did the freedom liberation army of Syria (or what the hell they are named) find guns,uniforms,armored vehicles and money in order to fight the tyrant ? Is it true they came all from Lebanon and Turkish borders..? How strange, isn'it... oh dear !
They stole them or their cousins in the army stole them or they stole them from a gun dealer.
Anyway, they stole them.
The guy on the truck is taking a picture of himself with his cellphone, lol.
He was thinking "Dude, this is going to be an awesome facebook pic."
Hear the words see the words, Allah, Sunni, Kurdish, Christian, Koran what do they all have in common religious beliefs. Religion is something you believe in to improve behavior, kindness, and mankind not fighting words dealt from the super ego. Don’t get riled up over a few idiots threating your manhood dig deeper like one on one sure there are injustices predicated on self stupidity but do you really believe good people represent hatred and violence.
It’s like driving a big metal machine everyone is a tough guy but when you look each other in the eye its another story.. I want to believe that mankind is good and that you don’t need religion to keep you in line you can use religion to dig deeper into your self-examination. Refuse to commit murder and there will be no more killing. We all have a violent streak to protect our loved ones and self but most issues can be avoided. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Price Acceptance Speech
We need to be very worried about Syria's extensive stocks of chemical and biological weapons.
When cornered, Assad may use them on his own people or hand them to Hezbollah as he has done in the past with rockets, missiles etc. or the Jihadists already operating in Syria may get their hands on them.
The Israelis cannot do much to prevent Assad from slaughtering more of his own people however, they will not sit back and wait for Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas or Islamic Jihad to point Syrian WMD at Tel Aviv.
chemical and biological weapons...like Iraq ? wanna bet ?
or , the capital Jerusalem.
Zakaria for President!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a very much needed article for the Western media and its audience, well done Fareed! Those questions you raise are paramount to the situation. One I would like to add is the role of the high rank military defectors. Are they excluded entirely from the chain of command? Or are they simply elevated to their equivalent ranks in the rebel army? Personally, I'd be concerned some purely defect to infiltrate and serve as a spy to provide critical intel for the Assad regime, but that's just me.
You see, as a muslim, I know how deceitful muslims can be. We are not able to trust each other–let alone an infidel (Kafir)!
Fareed, you are absolutely brilliant. How do you get around the globe so quickly and work so hard and write so many articles so quickly? The work you do is beyond my comprehension. Do you ever get harassed by the US govt. for your opinions? If so, they obviously are very tollerant and still feel safe with you. You are absolutely brilliant.
As a good muslim, noone believes anything i say. Why??
Dear Fareed,
I always read your articles and ocassionally GPS also because of the timmings it appears in my country. The most important factor which you highlighted and I agree in full the "Suicide Bombing" issue. one is legitimate and one is not, in my personal opinion. I used to be shocked when I was young when seeing a lot of the same at Tel Aviv and used to offer prayers to the souls as those were humens. How the amount of this act increased in last 2 decades that no city now seems to be safer even like Bulgaria. This the media should condemn the act because it is cowardly act and against any religion or ethics. So we must all (specially the media) to condemn and present bad site of it as it is bad act regardless it happened to Friend or Foe of the West.
Covetousness is a sin. Translation: Tunisia only has received proper remuneration during the so-called Arab Spring because they are an original. All the rest i.e. Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and yes Syria, are all covetous copycats.
All fools who haven't figured this out after that sequential and consistent post should check out this link...
http://www.tpinetwork.com/alexanderargentina.html
Remember as a good muslim, I lie and cheat consistently, therefore if you get a big time bug for going to my proposed site, it is in allah's hands.
allahueggbert!
Dear Fareed,
As always, you never seem to let me down. Your insightful thoughts and opinions are as valid as they can be. I quite agree with you that there is so much we don't understand about the Syrian crisis. Unlike the other co-ordinated revolutions and uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya etc. the Syrian opposition appears to be faceless. Western nations have found it difficult to step in actively due to this reason – Who is the face of this uprising? Who are the groups to reckon and negotiate with? US, UK and other powers are aware of this, the reason they have shown little or no action in stepping into the crisis. There is more to this war and until it is clear, the killings will not cease, unfortunately.
"But what that highlights to me is not that the Syrian government is less culpable ......, women and children. Bashar al-Assad and his henchmen have the blood of innocents on their hands. So whether all the stories are completely accurate or whether some of them are exaggerated seems to me largely irrelevant from a moral point of view."
Is this the new standard for reporting? We don't really care if what we say is accurate because he is a horrible guy anyway?
The only ones lying are you and your cuthroat fiends, the muslims.
ONLY BY hINDUISM, ABSURDITY OF A hINDU, IGNORANT FROM hINDERED LAND, GUTTER CALLED INDIA.
All I needed to know about Syria was that it is a civil conflict. The UN, NATO, the US, and all other countries would benefit by staying out of it until they are directly impacted. Sure, if fighting spills into a neighboring country, that nation's military should push it back. But they should do so putting equal blame on both combatant parties. It's high time NATO and the US stop turning civil wars into internatonal disputes. Let these nations have a little soverignty and solve their internal problems themselves.
The only ones allowed to kill muslim are other muslims.
Allah told me one day when I was abusing my daughter.
GET OFF OF HINDU SANATANS, FILTHY GOONS POT TO ACT LIKE NORMAL HUMAN, HINDU, BUM.
There has been a concerted attempt to create two separate strains in the Arab Spring, the "liberal" (good) and the "Islamist," (bad) and to contend that the Islamists had somehow come as interlopers to hijack a democratic movement that, if left to itself would produce a society with Republican and Democratic Parties and an Elks lodge down the street.
Of course, the only unity is in opposition to the current regimes. There is no guarantee that whatever emerges in Egypt or Syria will give comfort to the US. Indeed, it would appear that one reason for the unpopularity of the former or collapsing regimes is that, since 1973 they refused to go to war with Israel. Another reason for the great unpopularity of the Baathist and Egyptian military regimes was their secular natures. This, perhaps, is not necessarily a bad thing, at least to certain policy makers: the previous regime in Washington decided to create, in Iraq and Afghanistan, Islamic, rather than secular states.
hindu Judaism, filthy secularism, denial of truth absolute has no place in Domain of Allah, THE TRUTH ABSOLUTE.
I haven't read Fareed's article only his headline. But I can say this: we know all we need to know about the Syrian situation. People in Syria started to peacefully protest last year, the Syrian government started slaughtering the protesters, the protesters tried to keep it peaceful but the government made that impossible, and so the protesters took up arms to defend themselves and their families and property. Why anybody wants to complicate what happened is ridiculous, even though it became complex because numerous outside parties became involved, including the US. If we go back to the beginning, when the government was killing its own people for protesting, the solution is clear: no government has the right to murder its people, and whatever has happened since, and regardless of the players now involved, that government needs to be held accountable. Otherwise, all those innocent lives will have been wasted for nothing.
FAREED ZAKARIA –. THIS GUY DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SYRIA. HE IS JUST HIS MASTER'S VOICE.
Allah and Yahweh are just ancient mythologies. Neither Allah or Yahweh Exist they are both lies the same as Zues, Thor, Vishnu, Ra, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
All scientific evidence points to the conclusion that there is no god. And there is no need to envoke the existance of a deity to explain the existance of anything.
Faith based religions are all fairytale lies made by mental neandrathals who had only a small fraction of the knowledge we now have about the natural world.
Look at results from Atom smasher studies in Switzerland, dark matter, The spirit. get some education before spewing your hinduism, ignorance about creator. It is 360 truth absolute proven by science.
Fareed Zakaria seems to constantly want to involve us in other people's wars and liberation efforts. We seem to be missing the point on who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, and I don't think this country should become involved in any of these liberation efforts without permission from Congress. And indeed... it would be far, far better to get the permission from the American People.
Closing the economic hatches on a country is a very significant step. We need to be careful about that, but if push comes to shove, we need to use that rather than trillion dollar efforts in countries where we wind up destroying infastructure galore, and then withdraw as the rebel forces move in with snipers. Lets work with the world.. NOT as the Lone Ranger!
Fareed Zakaria said "apparent suicide bombing"- Fareed Zakaria does not know as usual. Fareed Zakaria is always ignorant of facts but has a big mouth with hatred to somebofy, this time hating the Syrian government(who had the misfortune to be elected in an election cited by the United Nations as fair and without corruption.
Before taking on Syria, U.S. should heed lesson of the past
http://bit.ly/LGtfhF
I think you started your own Jihad in here Fareed. Good job. It should never matter what religion, beliefs, or faiths a person has or group of people have. God has over 600 names. Choose one. Because after all HE is ONE! What amazes me, is that regardless of which part of the world a person comes from; we all at one point came from across the oceans; "and crown thy good, with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea"...or at least that was the way it was supposed to be I thought...But you are correct about one thing...we aren't there...so how could we possibly know anything other than there are mass casualties occurring daily at the hands of another "Hitler" wannabe.
I hope all the oil resources in the Middle East is lost for a while
What you need to know about Syria is that it's a dictator that doesn't take orders from Washington but instead from Moscow Beijing and Teheran.And is located in the region with " the greatest material prize in world history" and "a stupendous source of strategic power" aka the energy reserves of the Middle East.What the hearts of the American people do or say is irrelevant since the policy makers in Washington don't listen to what the American hearts say or want.Which is evident in the crackdown of pro-democracy activists in the oil rich nation of Bahrain home of the US navy fleet assigned to police the Persian Gulf latest success shooting an unarmed Indian fisherman that apparently got too close to a US navy vessel.God bless America.
What you need to know is that it is very well known that boats should not come close to a USA navy vessel. Nonetheless, after many warnings, the boat in question kept coming resulting in the death of all on board. A good warning to others.
Those AKs are absolutely beautiful.
I find your article biased and provocatif. While you claim not much is known even about the bombings in Syria, you give an open support to the rebels and almost send them a message from here that they should get more organised. For this alone, your blogs should be banned.
You say " for reasons of geography, perhaps, or maybe because of lack of organization, the Free Syrian Army hasn’t been able to succeed in some basic ways. Perhaps it’s because the Syrian military is very powerful and effective. Perhaps there are other, sectarian, explanations"
Guess what, perhaps the rebels dont have the majority support from the people of Syria! In fact there is a common belief that most of the rebels you portray as the freedom army is made up of the infiltrants from Iraq and Iran who are aiming yet for another Shiite state. Moreover, I am yet to see an interview with Syrian Joe Public and friends condemning the Asad regime!
I have no connection to the Middle East, yet the political strategy for the region worries me to no end. Syrian chaos is rather timely when Israel is trying to put into effect new plans for Gaza. I wonder what would happen to Golan Heights if Syria falls. Larger Israel? Would the rise of Hamas in Syria justify/rationalise the raison d'etre of Israel and why the US should continue to inject money to its little brother?
A pole requires another pole for equilibrium. Here a pole is being created to justify the other. What a shame that one of the last geographies of secularity is being forced to fall, people's but mainly women's freedom is jeopardised along with the country's infrastructure and prosperity. Look what a handful of what you call freedom fighters turned Iraq, Egypt and Libya into...a place of chaos, powerty and radical islam hence no freedom. What happened to the poor US ambassador in Libya should say something...perhaps the real people of these countries. vs the foreign mucahids, did support their regime. Who are you and I to tell them what is good for them, the real citizens.
Now think again why Syria is not cracking....
Well said, saeed. You're one of the few people here who know right from wrong while the majority of others seem to have been brainwashed by this government! In the long run, ignorance is what will bring this country to it's very knees!
Keep believing that and when Russia loses one of it most valuable bases outside its country because the new regime will want nothing to do with it we can talk about winners and loser. The fact is simply Russia has a heck of lot more to lose than we have to gain in Syria.
What credibility does your opinion have if you can't even construct a proper sentence?
Assad's regime is murderous, especially toward the Sunni part of Islam,. That being said, "Be careful what you wish for." There will probably be even more slaughter of innocents when the regime falls and the Sunnis take revenge for the atrocities of the past 30 years or so.
as many people believe. i wont agree on the being weak part. could you go a little more in depth?
Qur'an:3:150 "Soon We shall strike terror into the hearts of the Infidels, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority: their abode will be in the Fire!"
Ishaq:395 "Muslims, if you listen to the unbelievers you will retreat from the enemy and become losers. Ask Allah for victory and do not retreat, withdrawing from His religion. 'We will terrorize those who disbelieve. In that way I will help you against them.'"
Please Marine5484, can you just stop display to poor condition of your mental healt? You suffer a badly illness from a virus called "religions" . The symptoms are a complet lack of wisdom, absence of curiosity and emiting st#d declarations. I'm realy sorry for you
@ Fareed Zakaria you said Naturally, our hearts are with the rebels and the Free Syrian Army. Just to clarify you should have said your heart. Not every american citizen is on the side of the rebels. As for me they are part of the problem and also need to be held accountable for the lost of innocent lives. Why are they hiding behind innocent civilians homes and shooting ak47 at government forces and what do you expect the government forces to do? Return fire with a 9mm pistol? Are you kidding me. Also you indicated that the rebels in libya were able to hold large area of territory. Again to clarify on that statement they were not able to hold on those territory capture from the start of the uprising only after NATO started the so-called No fly zone than they were able to hold on those territory. It seem CNN and rest of the western media always take the side of rebels oppose to governments not friendly with the west. This is one of the reason why I stop watching our western new channels for the past 8 years. Because there are a lot of hypocrisy in the story lines of the western media. It seems you guys are following the policy of western government officials (not the western citizens) to further extending their agenda. Why aren't you guy covering the killing in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia for example because these countries Sunni Rulers are friend of our governments and can do whatever they want and our western government and media will play a blind eye to those incidents. Also I congratulate the Russians and Chinese for job well done today (Veto). The bullying by our western governments on countries that are not friend with us should stop. We don't have any reason in Syria but are sending according to Mrs Clinton Non-Lethal equipment like communication gear to the rebels to please our dictators/ aka Sunni Ruling Family friends who are already sending in arm and ammo because they want influence in Syria. Mrs Clinton are you kidding me communication gear is lethal. It leads to organize attack on the Syrian Arm forces and in return innocent people get killed in the cross fire. Mrs Clinton please think next time before you open your brain to the news channels, because you are not fooling the american people but yourself. Thank you from a concern citizen of the District of Columbia.
Upsets you huh?
These people have been fighting for thousands of years.
Won't stop now because the fundamentalist Muslim countries are BARBARIC.
FU
Russia and China will be against USA and UK & France. Can the western economy handles another war? NO WAY! Europe almost bankrupt and the states, you know better than me.
Now Pakistan and South Africa have stood behind Russia and China as of today.
America: Clean water, Peace, Prosperity, Abundance of Food, Pretty Women who can dress how they want, educated, and free
Middle East: No clean water, dirty, poor, starving, blowing eachother up, uneducated, oppressed etc..
ALLAH <3 America.
How is that camel bite healing ?
Allah snackbar.
It's a waste of time to argue with an ignorant man who knows NOTHING. The US and it's allies could easily invade Syria, but do not wish to do so, as there is no advantage to it. Instead it is waiting patiently for the opposition to develop into a cohesive group that they might support. As it is, Iran is wasting itself trying to support Syria. It's Shia ambitions are undermining it's position and putting extraordinary pressure on Iran.
What Saeed fails to see is that Muslims are killing Muslims, which weakens them against the rest of the world. This is good as far as I can see, they are the most backwards stupid people on the Planet and none of them have decent governments, or any understanding, just like this fool.
Who is ignorant?
Fareed, the rebel Free Syrian Army seems to benefit from the expertise of Assad's defected forces and make significant progress lately. True, it's confusing that both the FSA and a jihadist group calling itself Lord of the Martyrs Brigade claimed to be behind the security headquarters bombing. The operation – Damascus Volcano – a final battle for the capital. is a zero-sum game, with a winner-take-all outcome. The question is no longer "if" Assad will be ousted, but "when". Indeed more surprises may lie ahead of us.
Americans are stupid and will be brought to their knees. One day they will beg for Allah's help. Allahuakbarh!
Qur'an:33:9 "O ye who believe! Remember the Grace of Allah, on you, when there came down an army. But We sent against them a hurricane and forces that ye saw not. Behold! They came on you from above you and from below you, and behold, the eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats, stupefied with terror, and ye imagined various vain thoughts about Allah!"
troll much?
You guys are laughable. The American gubmint will do the same to you and your family if you resist with arms- you will be brutally attacked and most likely killed. Just try to rebel here and see what happens. Bunch of hypocrite American idiots preaching revolution in other countries when they talk Democracy, but you won't risk your life doing it here, will you cowards?
My son was a Marine for 12 years, so whoever you are, dude, you are no Marine–you are an idiot!
I think its clear Allah is on America's side. Just look at our country. Happy, safe, 1st world, best medicine, best lifestyles and freedom. Thank you Allah.
at Marine5484
Were do you get your information? plus I don't care about your Koran, the only good used would be toilet paper and that provably would be a bit uncomfortable, don't take wrong I don't like the bible thumpers either..
Spea:
Bukhari:V1B4N156 "The Prophet said, 'Whenever anyone makes water he should not hold his penis or clean his private parts with his right hand. While drinking, one should not breathe in the utensil.'"
Bukhari:V1B4N163 "The Prophet said, 'Whoever cleans his private parts with stones should do it with an odd number of stones. And whoever wakes up should wash his hands before putting them in the water for ablution. Nobody knows where his hands were during sleep.'"
of stupidity
Nice article Fareed. I agree, we don't know much about who's doing what in Syria.
All religions are man made cults. All of them. I don't care what your books say. Love thy brother, but if he makes you angry kill him in the name of God. Do this and you will go to heaven and where everything is perfect. Did I sum up all the books pretty well?
Is that the best you can do? Challenge the validity of his argument based on his grammar? LOL. It's your argument that holds no water
I like good grammar, too, but I know a lot of loggers who speak a brand of English few educated people wouldn't cringe at hearing; however, these same people come up with the smartest inventions imaginable. It is short-sighted to judge someone on wow well they write.
Paul done got told!
some of the dumbest things have been said in well-constructed sentences
I D I O T
In the end all non believers will die in the name of Allah.
haq:348 "They retreated in all directions. They rejected the Qur'an:and called Muhammad a liar. But Allah cursed them to make his religion and Apostle victorious. They lay still in death. Their throats were severed. Their foreheads embraced the dust. Their nostrils were defiled with filth. Many a noble, generous man we slew this day. We left them as meat for the hyenas. And later, they shall burn in the fires of Hell."
exactly... these people will keep kiling eachother. I heard a Sunni and all I could get from him is that if they win they will kill al on the other side including children.. bunch of animals..
Religions are just tool to brain wash people into obedience of the elite. Faith is believe without question or proof. If you see countries where religion rules there are lower levels of education, good jobs and quality of life for the people they have the highest rate of discrimination and abuse against women and in general, war, disease and mortality.
I don't pretend to speak for anyone else but I feel that spewing religious doctrine in a public forum is 100% counter productive to your position. Many are not Muslim who read this and like yourself would be unable to understand what is being said if for instance a Lutheran teaching was printed here. Maybe it would be helpful if you tried to express your ideas in a non-religious manner then many of not most could understand you. Personally I think the bloodshed is disgusting and a tragedy, but have no way to do anything to help.
Screw you and your belief
m not as smart as Saeed but I will confer with him and get back to you all.
VERY WELL DONE REPLY !!!!. "Basket2012". This what we need for the rest of the citizens of the US to know. Mr. Zakaria is way off base in his analysis of the situation in Syria. There are a great amount of $$$ by the rich Arab oil countries being dumped in Syria and also tons of foreign fighters doing the dirty work inside Syria to overthrow a regime that is not willing to follow our foreign policy.
simmply, BRAVO well said.
I talk and talk and talk but my heart belongs to allah.
Tabari VI:75 "'Messenger, how did you first know with absolute certainty that you were a prophet?' He replied, 'Two angels came to me while I was somewhere in Mecca.... One angel said, "Open his breast and take out his heart." He opened my chest and heart, removing the pollution of Satan and a clot of blood, and threw them away. Then one said, "Wash his breast as you would a receptacle." He summoned the Sakinah, which looked like the face of a white cat, and it was placed in my heart. Then one said, "Sew up his breast." So they sewed up my chest and placed the seal between my shoulders.'"
As a muslim, I had to say something, anything because allah has taught me to deceive>
I have little teeny tiny cahones.
Qur'an 78:37 "The Lord with Whom they cannot dare to speak, none can converse with Him, none are able to address Him."
Qur'an 86:13 "Lo this (Qur'an) is a conclusive Word; it is not a thing for amusement. It is no pleasantry. And it is no joke."
Basket2012
They removed mohamed's heart and called it "polution".
So cult!
No wonder!
While Fareed may have rambled on and made this article longer than it should have been, the point of this article is to bring your average Joe reading Western media outlets back down to earth. Regardless of the context of what we read/hear from the media, we don't "actually" know what is going on or it what is reported is true or not.
You see, we muslims, have been taught to lie from birth therefore nothing that comes out of our mouths should be trusted.
allahusnackbar!
The US is more friendly to the Sunni led nations because the US can do business with them. That doesn't mean our interests in Syria are clear. Syria is more about causing Iran to overstretch itself than anything else. This is clearly to the West's advantage as well as to Israel which sees the surrounding nations fall into the abyss of instability. Countries so undermined are no threat to Israel, and they didn't have to life a finger and neither has anyone else. As far as the West is concerned the Shia are bad and we want them to lose. The majority of people in Syria are Sunni, and this is why the Gulf states support them. All of this fallout is directly related to the US destruction of Iraq, where the Sunni minority under Saddam controlled the majority Shia population. Saddam kept Iran in check. Now Iran is over-reaching itself and well start to see the cracks in that regime. It's called imperial overstretch and the Iranians can't resist. This will turn the Syrian people against them and solidify the Sunni position in the area.
Tabari II:78 "And everything that heard him-stones, trees, hills, and dust said, 'Here I am, my Allah, here I am.'"
Tabari II:99 "Abraham was tested with ten Islamic practices: rinsing the mouth, cleansing nostrils with water, trimming the mustache, using a toothstick, pluc*king the armpit, pa*ring nails, washing finger jo*ints, c*irc*umcision, shaving p*u*bic hair, and washing the r*ear and v*ul*va."
LOL
LOL Pakistan and South Africa combined could beat the New York Police department in a war... what a joke.