_____Syrian President Bashar Assad may have thought that his call this week for
a referendum on a new constitution on Feb. 26 was perfectly tailored to meet
one of the opposition’s key demands. But to expect the population to fully
digest the implications of such constitutional changes in just 10 days under the
current circumstances is naively optimistic..

What did Assad expect? Does he think that voters in Homs and Hama, in Aleppo
and Zabadani, in Deraa, Idlib and the suburbs of Damascus – people that have
seen months of intensifying crackdowns by government forces result in the
deaths of thousands of their family members and loved ones, and where
lawlessness rules – would be able to make it to the polls, let alone happily
accept this latest concession?

After 40 years of a constitution which protected the one-party system, the
regime expects voters to accept as democratic a new constitution which they
have been given very little time to comprehend – and one that was created by
those very people who have benefited from the old ways for so long.

With no real elections in 58 years, the government expects the population, half
of whose only current concern is how to survive from one day to the next, to go
out and vote.——-

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Editorial/2012/Feb-
17/163588-too-little-too-late.ashx#ixzz1mg3yHipV
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

“”“"In central Damascus, I saw individuals getting arrested in broad daylight for
no apparent reason.
And finally I was arrested, along with over a thousand people in a single
morning in Harasta, in which I witnessed scores of old and young locals
receiving their first heavy whippings in the front yard of the Harasta Police
Hospital. Surely what awaited them in the coming days and weeks will be the
most horrifying.

I talked with a much respected local doctor who had been jailed twice and
tortured since the Syrian revolution began just because he insisted on treating
wounded protestors who came to his hospital.
Doctors are prohibited from carrying any kind of first-aid kit under this evil
regime, and if found, even mere pain killers in their cars constitute a crime
warranting arrest because it shows their intention of helping injured people in
some other place.

The horror stories I have heard from scores of local people were beyond any
imagination. “”“”

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-al-assad-regime-deserves-to-be-
demolished.aspx?pageID=449&nID=12995&NewsCatID=423

ach, tant pis, Thierry et chien…

End of game in the Middle East
by Thierry Meyssan
http://www.voltairenet.org/Endgame-in-the-Middle-East
[...]
All it took to turn “terrorists” into “democrats” was for Western secret
services to arrange for the puppet “Syrian National Council” to enter the scene,
with a Sorbonne professor as President and as spokesperson the mistress of
the former head of the DGSE. In a sleight of hand, the lie has become a media
reality. Those abducted, mutilated and murdered by the Wahhabi Legion are
transformed by the press into victims of the tyrant. Conscripts of all faiths who
are defending their country against aggression are painted as sectarian Alawite
soldiers oppressing their people. The destabilization of Syria by foreigners is
treated as one more episode of the “Arab Spring.” The emir of Qatar and the
Saudi king, two absolute monarchs who have never held national elections in
their countries and incarcerate protesters, have become the champions of
revolution and democracy. France, the United Kingdom and the United States,
who just killed 160,000 Libyans in breach of the mandate they received from
the Security Council, have turned into philanthropists responsible for the
protection of civilian populations. Etc..
[...]

dog——- the Syrian bombardment of Syrians bothers you less than the possible
bombardment of those Syrians currently bombarding Syrian citizens?

and at present whatever assets Syria has are going into Assad clique pockets. it’s
more likely that when the Assads go, there will be investment money coming in
from Turkey and greater prosperity rather than less…..and less hard cash getting
spent on Russian armaments.

the opposition does a deal with the Russians to allow them to keep their naval
base at Tartus and that might be all she wrote fer bashir and the boys.

RE: it’s like they’re crucifying the poor little Assad.

wrong - they’re paving the way for IMF / World Bank hegemons to push their way
in and put all Syrians (those who survive the NATO bombardment and invading
brigades) under debt servitude.

oh dog how could it be????????

U.N. General Assembly backs call for Syria’s Assad to
step down——-

137 countries voted in favor of the motion, 12 voted
against.

Islamist CIA agents run through the General Assembly
singing “we are the world”.

it’s like they’re crucifying the poor little Assad.

how was he to know that so many of the thousands of
male protesters in his prisons, men AND boys, were
being raped and not just the womenfolk?

http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15562703,00.html

so unfair to bust Bashir chops like this…....

@ Imax - everything called for in your posts is already underway… virtually from day one - an armed
insurrection

moreover, Islamists are essentially running operations on the ground with direction from NATO special
forces

this now proves, in high relief, what has been widely circulating for over a decade, and for which when
stated publicly is swiftly dismissed as ‘conspiracy theory’

the CIA/MI6/Mossad intelligence nexus runs the global networks of Islamic terrorists - most are
unwitting, but nevertheless serve as NATO proxy armies

initial response to this is usually disbelief: how could NATO be fighting al qaeda in Afpak and training
them in Turkey for missions into Syria? it’s not so complicated:  NATO’s mission is not to ‘win’ anything
- it’s to fail states - Islamist extremists are very useful tools in that mission, as seen in the Balkans,
Central Asia, the Maghreb, the Persian Gulf and the Levant

Russia is calling for a cessation of hostilities on all sides, why not NATO?

PatrickHimmler, gerard,

Do either of you have anything to say or add about Syria?  Why must every post from the two of you, no matter the subject or the region of the globe, cover a single subject?  The actions and your perceptions of the United States.

What Should the United States Do About Syria?A TNR Symposium

It has been nearly a year since Syrians took to the streets en masse to protest the rule of Bashar al-Assad. In that time, government forces have responded brutally, killing some 6,000 people, but the response by the international community has been relatively muted. Over the next several days, we’ll be publishing a symposium at TNR Online that asks what the United States should do to put a stop to the conflict.

Dan Drezner on why we should arm the opposition.

Larry Diamond on how we should engage with Assad in order to oust him.

Soner Cagaptay on why we should organize a military force from Muslim countries.

James Traub on why the moral case for intervention is strong, but not enough.

Michael Weiss on a blueprint for military intervention.

Blake Hounshell on why Obama’s hands are tied.

Suzanne Nossel on why pressuring Russia and China is the key to ousting Assad.

Barak Barfi on why Libya isn’t a model for Syria.

Radwan Ziadeh, a Syrian dissident, issues a plea for U.S. intervention.

A Plea For U.S. Intervention From a Syrian Activist
Radwan Ziadeh

This is a contribution to ‘What Should the United States Do About Syria?: A TNR Symposium.’

Let there be no doubt: With 6,000 dead and more than 50,000 displaced, the crisis in Syria has reached the point of no return, and the people of Syria are begging for help. We Syrians had hoped that the international community could cooperate in helping lift us from the daily terror we live in, but with the Security Council in stalemate, it is hard not to feel abandoned by it. Instead, we turn to the United States, which we know can still make a difference.

That’s not to suggest that Washington hasn’t been helpful already. We appreciate that the Obama administration has repeatedly issued demands for Bashar al-Assad to cede power, and that, together with the EU, the Arab League, and Turkey, it has implemented sanctions to undermine the regime. But more decisive action is needed. Sanctions and statements have failed to stop the killing, and Syrians are seeking help on multiple fronts.

Humanitarian aid is absolutely essential. The United States should help ensure the delivery of food and medical supplies to Syria’s most besieged communities. Currently, it is impossible for injured civilians in some areas to receive treatment, because there is often no consistent electricity to service our makeshift hospitals. In certain parts of the country, ordinary Syrians have been going without food—both because the availability of fresh food has plummeted due to the violence, and because people are increasingly unable to leave their homes for any reason at all.

Of course, the United States cannot simply enter a live conflict zone in order to distribute aid. That’s why, together with its allies in the Arab world, Washington should establish safe zones—designated areas of ceasefire, protected by armed peacekeepers, where Syrians can come to seek refuge. The ideal place to do this would be in Syria, along the Turkish border. Once they have been established, the United States should try to set up a limited no-fly zone over these designated safe areas.

The United States doesn’t need to act alone. There are a number of other countries that would probably be willing to join a humanitarian coalition for this purpose. But the United States would likely have to take the initiative in forging it.

More…

could you do that - then copy paste the link into a posting - thanks

blogdog:  Google: American-made tear gas in Syria
  Many references listed, and not only
  concerning Syria.

For anyone who lacks the mental acuity to recognize the same propaganda the Empire has used against its varied manufactured enemies of the last 20 years, or who think the NATOGCC effort is about human rights or democracy, I have one word: Bahrain.

Incidentally, since the coalition demanding regime change in Syria includes al-Qaeda, does that mean the Empire can attack any country supporting the effort?  Can Emperor Obama now kill anyone on the planet for supporting the effort?  Can any American citizen be “disappeared” under the new NDAA for supporting the effort for giving “support” to the goals of al-Qaeda?

tic,

minimax is your kid?

Funny how the only link you post on this thread that works is the on which represents you the best.

The American people aren’t buying what the White House is selling.

Fleets and Armies abroad pissing away money needed at home, this is how empires fail.

I know how to do it - I’m tired of fixing your broken links - just like I’m tired of
reading your shilling posts for the regime-change globalist juggernaut

just about anywhere around the world, at least half the citizens are pissed off at
their government - the golbalists can gin up something like this anywhere they
want to do it

you ask a lot of questions to those who contest you in the polemics - questions of
this sort: “when did you stop beating your wife?”

well, here’s one for you: why don’t the NATO self-appointed Crusaders For Human
Rights impose their ultimata on the GCC Monarchies where standards of human
rights are even lower than in Syria and LIbya before the coup?

dog___copy the whole thing and paste it. sorry about the site’s/my problem with
this stuff.

the only one in the family who gets paid to post stuff on the web is my kid.

can’t confirm: ...Not Found

The requested URL /afp/palestinian-refugee-camp-attacked-in- was not found
on this server.”

how much you paid? - overpaid most likely

dog___again them Assads really do take things too far….In the time period since
they’ve come to power, they’ve killed more Syrians than the Israelis have killed
Palestinians.

nice of you to attempt to deflect the focus from a government slaughtering its own
citizens though. it show the depth of your commitment to human rights for all
citizens of the Middle East

here’s one for you that you might have missed….

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/palestinian-refugee-camp-attacked-in-
syria/459593

RE: ...every one of the thousands the he had
killed for protesting will be allowed to vote twice in the referendum…

and the bastard won’t even give credit where due - on top of everything else,
Assad’s an idea thief - the same offer has been made dozens of times to the
Palestinians, by many Israeli leaders

“Assad announced that every one, yes, every one of the thousands the he had
killed for protesting will be allowed to vote twice in the referendum…..as a show of
his sincerity.”

The crowd was overwhelmed with Assad’s honesty and sincerity and many wept
with joy.

http://jamesrtyler.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/pinocchio-copy.jpg

RE: ...buying tear gas from the U.S. source?

Unfortunately, it would appear that Syria is buying tear gas from the U.S. And that’s far from “laughable.”

Obama needs to take a course in reading international treaties where the U.S. is a signatory.

http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/50/ares50-172.htm

Defy the world and they will remember it.

what’s genuinely laughable is Mr. Carney’s song and dance… 

the US and it’s NATO allies continue to issue ultimata, while funding, training, coordinating,
with advance special forces and sophisticated communications equipment, an armed
insurgency, on track to launch a civil war, illicit another R2P resolution (a la Libya), followed by
NATO bombardment in support of an insurgent invasion and ultimately a regime-change coup
d’etat, installing destabilizing islamist extremists, failing another state and taking out Iran’s
chief ally in the region

the plan is so obviously transparent; but, the Mighty Whirlitzer is grinding out a symphony of
agitprop and useful fools like Carney dutifully earn their keep

the plan will probably perish 100K civilians… but we recall Madeleine Albright agreeing without
hesitation, that 100k children perished in Iraq from 1990’s sanctions was ‘OK’ and ‘worth it’

this reveals the heart of the cruelty the world now faces - leaders of the so-called ‘free world’
whose souls are wholly owned by globaist oligarchs deliver ‘liberty’ through ‘death’

What is the rationale for the US to be the prime decision maker as to what
is in the best interest of a foreign state, say like Syria?

If the rational is one that basically stands for cause “we don’t like the head
man” then Russia or any country for that matter can say, “we like him and
what are you going to do about it”.

How important is this “demand for regime change” in Syria to US foreign
policy and/or our war against terrorism?

This article is inadequate—really worse than nothing.