Iraq & Syrian Civil Wars - Page 22

On July 14 2012 06:20 ImFromPortugal wrote:
More than 220 people have been killed by the Syrian forces in a new massacre in ak-Tremsa in Hama: activists

Syria massacre "an extension" of Syria air force operation: U.N.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48175575#.UACRlHVDg5R


Syria believed to be moving "some" chemical weapons
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/13/world/meast/syria-chemical-weapons/index.html

(Reuters) - U.N. observers in Syria described an attack on a village in the Hama region in which about 220 people were reported killed as part of a continuing Syrian air force operation, the U.N. mission said in an assessment obtained by Reuters on Friday.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — President Bashar al-Assad’s brother-in-law and Syria’s defense minister were killed on Wednesday when a suicide bomber attacked a crisis group of senior ministers and security chiefs meeting in central Damascus, according to state television and activists.

SYRIA'S regime is looking increasingly wobbly. State television says a bomb attack on a security building in the capital, Damascus, this morning killed the defence minister, Dawood Rajiha, senior military aide Hassan Turkomani, and Asef Shawkat, perhaps the regime's main security man and brother-in-law to President Bashar Assad.

A rebel offensive on the city has led to fierce clashes over the past three days, and this latest attack has dealt a blow to the regime's morale. Lightly-armed opposition fighters have shown surprising resilience against the government's better-equipped army in the Damascene districts of Midan and Qaboon, bringing the fight right to the seat of power. Today's blast appears to have hit the coterie of security men that has been directing the crackdown in Syria that has left at least 16,000 dead since March last year. Other security officials, including the national security chief and the interior minister, are reported to have been injured.

Both the Free Syrian Army and an Islamist opposition group have claimed responsibility for the bombing. Some in the capital say the attacker may have been an insider, turning on other members of the regime. Many residents are worried about the likely response from the government, which has put on a show of bravado. It quickly brought in tanks and helicopters to respond to the recent fighting in the capital, sending civilians fleeing. Residents say elite troops have been moved into the city centre to guard the television station and government buildings.

Russia and China have vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that threatened Syrian authorities with sanctions over use of deadly force against civilians in the ongoing conflict.
The vote was held on Thursday, with 11 countries voting in favour, two against while two abstained.
It is the third resolution to be vetoed by the two countries, both Syria's key allies, in nine months.
Although the resolution sought to impose non-military sanctions, it incorporated chapter 7 of the UN charter which set the stage for use of military force if President Bashar al-Assad did not withdraw heavy weapons from Syrian cities in 10 days.

On July 20 2012 01:05 Bahamut1337 wrote:
I pray Assad stays in power, Lybia and Egypt have both gone downhill after getting rid of their dictator. If you are a miniority I would suggest to fight even harder since it seems the masses vote for hardcore Islamists who are bend on creating an Religious apartheid state.

Say what you want atleast Khadaffi and Mubarak were reliable not to screw around to much.

On July 20 2012 01:14 zalz wrote:


What are you talking about?

The list of atrocities on Khadaffi's name is so extensive and well documented that you need to be in serious denial of reality to suggest that he din't "screw around too much."


The reason these people are so Islamist is because it is the only place they can legally gather without receiving a visit from the secret police afterwards.

Give these people freedom and democracy. They might not vote in the right people in the first time, but then they will know that Islamism is a bad road to take. If we truly believe that Islamism does not work, which it does not, then we should just let it fall.

After that, either the government clings to power illegally and the people will rise up again, this time against and Islamist government, or they will vote them out of office.

The people will always vote for food and jobs.


It is an outrage that people still cling to this notion that "sandpeople can't handle democracy like we can."

On July 20 2012 01:19 Bahamut1337 wrote:
They cant. Name me a democracy which trives in the middle east.

Fact of the matter is Libya is worse off. A dictator can be brutal but also makes sure there is order and that the nation keeps running Libya is now a tribally split nation with militia controlling parts of the nation without a strong goverment.

http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/07/human-rights-worse-after-gaddafi/

http://www.northafricaunited.com/Human-Rights-Worse-After-Gaddafi_a1901.html

Also you forget that Islamists are not really reliable, they will be the next dictators. Perhaps ask the Iraqi Christians if they preferd Saddam or the current goverment ( hint 50 percent already fled, the Christian population is decimated and the same will happen in Syria and Egypt)

On July 20 2012 01:32 zalz wrote:


That would be hard to do considering none of them have a genuine democracy. (excluding Israel)

You not have noticed, but the middle-east isn't doing so great, and it hasn't been doing so great for a long time. These dictators you speak so highly off don't seem to have stabilized much.



Order?

You look at the middle-east and the first thing that comes to mind is order? Face it, these dictators have been making a mess of the region.



If they become the new dictators, then the people will shake them off, just like they are doing right now. They might burn their hand on the stove that is Islamism, but they will learn. They will vote them out, or they will fight them out, we now know that the people in the middle-east are not subservient people that will just willingly swallow all the atrocities that are piled on them.

As for Saddam, I wouldn't praise a man too much when we know he had rape prisons.

People like to say that Saddam was a bad guy...Just look up the atrocities that took place under his regime. Bad guy? You can't even begin to imagine the horror that was the Saddam regime.

On July 20 2012 01:41 Bahamut1337 wrote:


The horror of Saddam is replaced by sectarian violence, the cleansing of 50 percent of the Chrisitans and a possible desintegration of the Country is various parts. You can say what you want but Syria Lebanon and Egypt were orderly, brutally enforced but in the end it seemed a lot better then know. Not saying the dictators were good people but right now it was a atleast save to walk the streets.

Once more I hope Assad stays in power. Or we will see the Alawites, Christians and other miniorities suffer once more

On July 20 2012 02:13 Art.FeeL wrote:


First thing I have to say you is that you are racist! Then I have to correct you about Islamist Iraq. Saddam has been replaced by the 'democratic' government according to Obama. Not Islamist and not dictatorial, yet! By the way, blame the US for what's happening in Iraq now.
You are obviously a hardcore Christian and you blame everything on Islam it seems. Christians in Iraq are suffering indeed and that's sad, but where did you get that '50 percent cleansing' info.
The thing about Libya can be traced back to Gaddafi. He mantained some kind of order only through fear and that's is why Libya is succumbing right now. It will be a while before that country stabilizes. And yeah liberals are in power in Libya and not Islamists.

You ignorance is magificient!

“In a relative short period of time, Libya achieved universal access for primary education, with 98% gross enrollment for secondary, and 46% for tertiary education. In the past decade, girls’ enrollment increased by 12% in all levels of education. In secondary and tertiary education, girls outnumbered boys by 10%.”

Libya’s GDP per capita income as of 2005 was estimated at US$ 10,335, well above the mean rates for medium human development countries. Government subsidies in health, agriculture, and food imports, alongside domestic income, education, and health indicators significantly support the achievement of this goal. As such, MDG Goal 1 is likely to be achieved within the 2015 timeframe.

AMMAN/CILVEGOZU, Turkey (Reuters) - Rebels seized control of sections of Syria's international borders and torched the main police headquarters in the heart of old Damascus, advancing relentlessly after the assassination of President Bashar al-Assad's closest lieutenants.

The battle for parts of the capital raged into the early hours of Friday, with corpses piled in the streets. In some neighborhoods, residents said there were signs the government's presence was diminishing.

Officials in neighboring Iraq confirmed that Syrian rebels were now in control of the Syrian side of the main Abu Kamal border checkpoint on the Euphrates River highway, one of the major trade routes across the Middle East.

Rebels also claimed control of at least two border crossings into Turkey at Bab al-Hawa and Jarablus, in what appeared to have been a coordinated campaign to seize Syria's frontiers.

In Damascus, a witness in the central old quarter district of Qanawat said the huge headquarters of the Damascus Province Police was black with smoke and abandoned after being torched and looted in a rebel attack.

"Three patrol cars came to the site and were hit by roadside bombs," said activist Abu Rateb by telephone. "I saw three bodies in one car. Others said dozens of security men and shabbiha (pro-Assad militia) lay dead or wounded along Khaled bin al-Walid street, before ambulances took them away."

On July 20 2012 06:36 ahappystar wrote:
The amount of people killed in Libya before western intervention could be counted in the hundreds, after the intervention we are talking about tens of thousands. Libya had the highest standard of living in all of Africa, public healthcare was the best in Africa. Health care is (was) available to all citizens free of charge by the public sector. The country boasts the highest literacy and educational enrollment rates in North Africa. Libya provided to its citizens what is denied to many Americans: Free public health care, free education, as confirmed by WHO and UNESCO data.

Again... look at Libya now, it is a non-state, thrown into the dark ages by tribalism and Islamism, it will probably disintegrate into smaller states with no end to the conflict. Churches ect being torn down, women attacked for not obeying sharia law.
The massive amounts of arms the poured into the country are now being used in neighboring countries by aL-Quaida and rebel factions who fought in both sides during the war. Mali has been overrun, the ancient city of Timbuktu is being pillaged as we speak/type, ancient places of worship being torn down by those who opposed Gaddafi.
No electricity, no food, no order, no police, rape, theft.

On July 20 2012 18:43 Xanthopsia wrote:
Was watching this on the news today and I would love it if someone could please explain to me why Russia and China veto UN interjection in the issue. I've read that Russia is an ally with the Syrian government but don't quite understand China's reasoning to veto. Thanks