US changes it's stance on Assad

It's been that for some time now!

 

Would they prefer to remain in power or to retain their freedom and wealth? The move against uncle Rifaat might be to demonstrate to the clan the potential downside of failing to make a deal...

 

For the record Uncle Rafik Assad is in exile because he tried to kill his brother. That's the way the Assad family operates.

 

Not sure I understand what you wrote. The Alawites have turned against Assad in the past 15 months. They are suffering Assad's war too.

 

More crap from Margot2 who thinks that just because she once spent a fortnight's holiday somewhere in the middle east she knows all there is to know. Even how the Assad family operates.

 

Two decades ....

 

WEEKS!

 

I said two decades.

 

You don't know the background or causes re: Syria or Yemen.. and you have made that very clear in your posts.

 

Oh, so I say you write crap then you say I write crap. How adult!

 

I meant that the moves to sequester offshore assets of the family might be forging a carrot to entice the Assad clan to relinquish power...

 

Yes. I understand what you are saying.. I would guess they are freezing assets.. I have a feeling that Iran and Russia are paying for everything. In 2010 the Syrian Lira was 47 to the US dollar. Today its 530 Syrian Lira to the dollar.

Syria is in tough shape.. Assad is living in a bubble.

 

Syria was a haven for religious minorities under the Assads who effectively suppressed Sunni fanatics with brute force. Given that our political class has no credibility as an opponent of the brutal use of deadly force by any state it is fair to conclude that the motive for intervention in Syria is not humanitarian - at all.

I suppose our foreign policy wizards may have sold themselves on the idea of reducing Iran's power and influence in the region.
But if that was the idea why is the Assad still alive and in power? He has lived at the discretion of the USG from the start.

Perhaps our political class has simply become addicted to a sadistic obsession with the creation of political chaos and endless warfare.
Or they are just trapped in their own Dumb and Dumber loop.

 

Great post.

 

Somalia hasn't had a government in 20 years.. Syria has.. but, Assad responded to the demands of the people for reform and more freedom with violence.

 

If Rafik tried to kill is brother - he should be in exile.

 

You keep making claims without support. Given so many of these claims have been proven false ... I will take the above comment with a spoonful of salt if you don't mind.

 

I guess I didn't make my point properly. If we remove Assad without any idea or plan for a new government Syria will become another Somalia.

 

US foreign policy is almost exclusively based on economic hegemony and greed. The Gov't - as most Gov'ts do- creates the "necessary Illusion" of Good vs evil, black vs white, God vs Devil in order to justify humanitarian atrocity. Orwellian doublespeak is common.

Death squads on our side are "Freedom fighters" Popular uprisings against these death squad dictators are "Guerila's". El Salvador, Guatemala are examples of supporting death squad dictators and Nicaragua we did the same thing as in Syria by arming the Contras - subsequently ruled as a violation of international law. Suharto - in Indonesia committed genocide after invading sovereign east Timor - we armed and funded this through over a decade of atrocity to get access to those rich Indonesian resources.

We were buddies with and supported Saddam while he waged war against Iran using poison gas against Iran and his own people. When Peter Galbraith - US Foreign relations committee- went to Iraq and saw whole towns that had been gassed he quickly returned and drafted the "Prevention of Genocide Act" to put sanctions on Iraq. The Senate passed the bill quickly with bipartisan support but, when Rotten Ronnie threatened veto it died in the House. A year later daddy Bush increased support to Saddam.

The same procedure is at work in Syria - Demonize Assad (not a great guy but, at least Syria is Secular - no sharia and a good deal of respect for individual rights and freedoms - way more than any other ME Muslim Nation) and turn Islamist Jihadists ( people who hate individual rights and freedoms and want strict sharia totalitarian theocracy to be the law of the land/political system - and who want to force those beliefs on others through violence/Jihad) into freedom fighters.

What is most disturbing is how the mainstream media, do everything in their power to uphold the various false narratives created by the State Department. Gov't orgs such as the Pentagon, CIA, (and others) also support these actions and anyone within Gov't who speaks up is persecuted. Whistle blowers are demonized while those caught doing illegal things by these Whistle blowers (such as the head of the NSA when he lied to congress about spying on US citizens en massed - and then got caught) get praised (not only did this guy not get punished for his felony - he kept his job).

At the same time Transparency in Gov't is at an all time low.

 

Bashar's abuse of power brought Syria to this point. Syria has always had sectarian strife which since 1971 has been brutally put down. Syria was falling apart by 2005 and he promised reforms and more participation in government.. By the time he arrested and tortured the graffiti schoolboys in Feb 2011. Syria exploded in protest across the country and Assad's reaction was to shoot protestors. Militias formed in neighborhoods all over Syria and 10,000 Sunni conscripts defected from Assad's army. ISIS and foreign fighters didn't show up for another 2 months.

Why do you think Meher is called the Butcher of Derra?

 

Yes, our track record isn't great, and our reasons for taking action aren't always thought through.

I don't know which genocidal maniacs you mean. We are not supporting ISIS, if that is what you mean.

We have beenpounding on ISIS in Syria for years now. Your constant harping on this claim makes no sense.

 

Most of what you say about Hillary I would put in the "likeability" range - her female voice, the perception of approachability, her claims that she would win (which were in no way different from those of every candidate in every election), her contact with billionaires which was less than the billionaire contact of Trump who IS a billionaire and who brought into our government those Hillary only spoke to), etc.

The idea that these characteristics would outweigh issues of policy and management is frightening.

As you point out, Trump has no use for policy, bending to whatever seems good at the time, spewing a constant stream of falsehoods concerning things trivial to important even when the truth is readily available to every American.

I voted for Bernie in the primaries. But, you are right that Hillary was highly qualified and Trump is way out of his depth as seen in the chaos since that fateful day in January.

As long as we're talking about the election, the fact that Russia attacked our elections is highly serious whether or not it was effective. Covering for that attack through the deflection and obstruction we've seen really should be an impeachable offense.

 

I would say focus on ISIS and then Assad.

 

Well, we in the US don't believe that. We would have him arrested and tried before a jury, probably resulting in a life sentence - possibly like those who have attempted to kill US presidents.

Under Assad tyrannical dictatorship and his version of a Sharia justice system I suspect Rafik is damned lucky to have escaped.

 

I have posted whole threads about Syria's history and what lead up to the arrest and torture of the Syrian schoolboys. I can't make you read them.