Assad is back for good in Syria - and with Trump’s blessing

So basically most of us regardless of our normal partisan or independent stances agree this article and the actions towards Syria by our President are a very good thing. I know I do. I have been waiting for this for a year now. Ever since Russia stopped our for sure winning strategy to topple Assad with all of our rented out head choppers from KSA in the " revolution"

Well with the exception of the normal TDS trolls who only comment to bash the President regardless if what he does is good for our country, our military lives and our money.

I am pretty pleased.

 

I imagine Americans have similar aspirations to the Russians you describe.

Anyway, Syria has had elections for some time along with universal suffrage. And based on polling data I've examined, Assad has support from a plurality of Syrians. So if Syria is a dictatorship, then so is every other representative form of government on earth.

I'm sure there are a smattering of genuine leftists within the Syrian milieu, but they were never a force to be reckoned with either politically or militarily. Even in the very beginning of the uprising, which was instigated by the US government, Islamist elements constituted the bulk of the movement.

 

Nothing like making black/white, and white/black when it's for one's own self serving interests. Assad was and is the most secular and tolerant leader in the Middle East, and you damn well know it. He was also voted in by a large majority in an internationally observed election - and you know that too.

Sorry that your killing machine is coming to a halt in Syria- but that's how things go. The bad part is that aggressor nations, in this case the ones who helped the terrorists, always suffered the consequences of their actions, and were usually bombed to hell. Maybe time will tell - although I hope not, I live here.

 

So what were the goals in Syria:

US, UK, Fr:

1 - To topple Assad.

2 - To break up Syria into warring ethnic and religious states to keep it weak perpetually.

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Syria:

1 - To maintain Assad's secular and all inclusive society.


Russia:

1 - To stop the US from overthrowing a friendly Assad.

2 - To stop the US from breaking up nations into smaller parts.

3 - To keep Shia crescent intact so radicals won't enter its southern flanks.


Turkey, KSA, Qatar, Jordan, Israel:

1 - To grab a chunk of Syria.

 

I guess our differences are these: I don't count Syria as a democracy, not even in the sense that Iran is a democracy.
As for the popularity, or otherwise, of Assad, I don't know. Given that the alternative appeared to be the head-choppers, I can well
believe that he would win a referendum at the moment. I suspect the Egyptian government might also win a referendum, same for the Chinese. The government of Singapore certainly would.

It's true that there is a wide spectrum of authoritarian/dictatorial, semi-democratic regimes.

In any case, Assad has won. We can only hope his democratic opponents don't end up subject to the tender ministrations of his secret police.

 

I'm sure Turkey would protest that move and maybe some other countries with Kurd populations.

 

I hope this doesn't come across as trite because it isn't meant to be, but one man's 'dictator' is another's 'strong leader'? I sometimes wonder what Chile would be like now, had it not been for the strong leadership of Pinochet.

 

The situation in that area is complex. Peace, the goal isn't possible without concessions. When two or more countries wont concede there is no peace. "Russia get to have THEIR way" is exactly what I'm referring to, and who cares if its a Russian plan? Isnt that a positive sign they are finding answers albeit for some self interest not unlike many other countries?

 

Yes, you're absolutely right.
When the invasion of Iraq was mooted, back in 2002, my instinctive, conservative, response was to quote Robespierre, not normally part of the conservative canon, but in this case, a wise man: "People do not love missionaries with bayonets".

Then ... despite some screaming stupidities, such as putting the American flag over the face of Saddam's statue [down against orders by an enthusiastic], I thought it might go all right... but I should have trusted my original instinct.

I later read Rory Stewart's The Prince of the Marshes - and Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq. He's now a Conservative MP in Britain, ex-Black Watch officer, Eton, Oxford, speaks the languages of the region, all the usual qualifications of your 19th Century British imperial governor... and a very wise man. He was appointed governor of Maysan province in Iraq, and these are his memoirs of that time. If you read no other book about that part of the world , read this one. It's why I didn't even try to follow Syria in detail ... too complicated.

 

Pinochet was one of those people, like the French [?} soldier, who deserve to be given a medal, and then shot. Shot, for the thousands of murders his regime committed -- gratuitous, unnecessary, even to achieve his own aims. A Medal, for putting his country on the right path economically, guided by the Chicago Boys.

Chile is -- like every other country -- one of those situations you have to learn about in-depth, in order to make a judgement. It was split about 50/50 between Left and Right, and, unfortunately, the people on the Left -- a minority -- who got all the attention were the ultra-Lefts of the MIR [Movement of the Revolutionary Left], who looked forward to a violent suppression of capitalism and following the path of Cuba. (It's easy to forget what a magnetic attraction the Cuban Revolution had for all young Leftists in Latin America at that time, even Catholics.) How the MIR, with maybe 5000 armed supporters, thought they were going to defeat the Chilean Army of 90,000, I don't know. But they sure scared the hell out of half he country. A great tragedy.

Fortunately for them, Chile has no tribal -- racial or religious -- divisions. They really ought to be the example for the rest of Latin America, but boring old economic development and slow modernization is just not as sexy as REVOLUTION! SOCIALISM! EQUALITY!!! -- at least not when you're 20 years old. (Ask me how I know.)

 

Well it's a long time ago now so I'm not really interested. All I know is that the country was being destroyed by the Left and Pinochet put a stop to it in the only way possible, when factions are anarchic; a strong leader has to act for the greater good.

Edit. Actually Doug, our country is being destroyed by the Left too.

 

I agree with you, but it's in a different way. Chile was suffering from Allende's economic program, the way Venezuela is. (Also, I should say, I certainly do NOT support the coup.)

But the problems in the US are far deeper and more subtle. If all the Left did in the US was some FDR-type statist intervention in the economy, it might not do much harm, might even help (it would depend -- FDR didn't do much for the basic economy -- his main achievement was making the bottom 2/3 feel that the state cared about their plight -- until he applied massive Keynsianism, otherwise known as War Spending, which ended unemployment overnight.).

It's the cultural change among our future ruling class that is worrying. Whatever you think of how much and where our military should be deployed, we've got to have one, and it's being rotted from within by Political Correctness. They're lowering standards for engineering courses in order that more 'protected classes' can be admitted. (I would be perfectly happy to fly in a plane designed by a Black transgender, but not if he/she couldn't solve a differential equation.)

 

What I know about Syria -

Right before the war, Syrians I knew from different religious and economic categories moved back, and were raving about Assad.

Assad had the support of all the minorities, which exceeded that of the majority Sunnis.

Non Alawites wanted more of a say in the Assad government and began protesting. When they realized outside subversive forces had overtaken the movement, many began joining the Assad Syrian army.

Later on through Lavrov's efforts, about 100 warring factions, rejoined Assad.

When the civilians living in terrorist enclaves were freed, they knew from experience how well they had it under Assad's secular government and said in interviews that they would definitely vote for him.

The first city taken by the American supported FSA was Homs, and the first thing they did was tell the 60 thousand Christian families to leave or be killed.

The beheading's and atrocities committed by the terrorists especially towards Christians by the Al Nusra affiliated FSA were never reported in the media. McCain was even photographed with them after massacring and ethnically cleansing a Christian town near the Lebanese border.

When the American coalition freed Raqqa, they completely destroyed the city. It is under their control, and thousands of dead bodies are still laying in the streets. This was an ethnic cleansing attempt to fill it with Kurds who are not indigenous to the area, but today the local Arab tribes have militarized to kick out the American bases and take back their lands.

Everything said about Russia bombing hospitals were lies - as shown in the video below. The accusations were to distract the American people from their deliberate bombing of a hospital in Afghanastan.




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I'm not spotting that the Russians are making concession.

 

Syria's elections are a joke.. Read up on them.

General Votel, like most of the military brass aren't smitten or dazzled by Putin.

Gen. Votel: Russia is both 'arsonist and fireman' in Syria

https://www.militarytimes.com/flash...russia-is-both-arsonist-and-fireman-in-syria/

 

Kills you that Trump is bringing peace to the Mideast doesn't it.

 

Do you have a link? Why would the US kill Christians in Syria?

 

Come now.. You aren't that misinformed, are you? Syria supports HAMAS and Hezbollah as does Iran.. Iran supports Assad. Trump is opposed to HAMAS and Hezbollah and is punishing Iran.

Trump is sidelined in Syria. He sides with Russia which sides with Iran and Syria.

Confusing? You bet.

 

ISIS and the FSA have no planes or helicopters.. How did they bomb hospitals in Syria or drop barrel bombs on civilian neighborhoods?

 

I'm not confused. Trump is doing what he said he'd do and keeping us out of foreign entanglements. I think you are the one confused by your constant state of Trump hate. It eats away at the brain.

 

Now Assad can get back to funding terrorism, yeah...

 

Gen. Votel: Russia is both 'arsonist and fireman' in Syria


Russia is seeking to counter U.S. diplomatic influence by stoking conflict in Syria even as it portrays itself as an arbiter in the civil war, the top American general in the Middle East said Tuesday in notably pointed criticism of Moscow.

https://www.militarytimes.com/flash...russia-is-both-arsonist-and-fireman-in-syria/

 

Oh please.. I don't care about Trump.. He's a weak sister. I do care about Syria and the six million refugees who have fled their country.

 

All you do is trash Trump so don't even try. LOL

 

Does Assad fund terrorism? Could you give some examples?