Syria Superthread [merged]

[tamouh]

Source: BBC News Journalist Paul Wood - on the ground from Homs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16912756

Mortars began to fall, steadily, a few minutes after 06:00. Each blast echoed around the narrow streets.

At first, that caused defiant cries of "God is great". But then heavy artillery was used; then airburst bombs.

Now this part of Homs appears deserted. There are no voices outside, only the din of shells coming in and exploding.

Occasionally a frightened resident peers quickly out of a window before disappearing.

"There is rubble in everywhere," said a local cameraman, running back inside, breathless, a moment ago. "Power lines are down. There is not a single person on the street."

Under the constant shell-fire, people were becoming slightly hysterical: The army was "about to attack with chemical weapons"; The army was "already invading with ground troops".

Neither was true, though one credible eyewitness said he had seen troops moving up to the edge of this area.

The security forces seem to be about one kilometre away. There is no invasion yet - and perhaps there won't be one - but that is what people fear and expect.
No safe place

In the first hour or so, we heard a lot of gunfire from rebel fighters of the Free Syria Army. It was a futile gesture - Kalashnikovs against artillery.

Now their commanders have given an order for ammunition to be preserved. It will be used later, either to counter-attack or if the regime's forces enter, they say.
Continue reading the main story

Opposition activists have counted more than 25 dead in Homs so far on Monday (though there is no independent confirmation of that figure). The houses here don't have basements. There is nowhere safe to hide.

Syrian state television denied that there had been any bombardment. It said residents were setting fire to piles of rubbish on the roofs of their homes to trick the world into thinking that there was an attack.

There is no doubt, however, from what we have seen and heard, that hundreds of shells and mortars have been fired at this place during the day.

As I write this, the windows of the house we are in are still reverberating from the impact of a shell, probably in the next street.

It is true that people have been setting fire to rubbish in the streets. They believe it will confuse the guidance systems of rockets apparently being fired at them. They are probably mistaken.

People in this part of Homs say these are the worst days they have known since the beginning of the uprising, almost a year ago. The bombing has been going on for several days now.

Most of the casualties we have seen were civilians. We were at a field clinic on Sunday during a mortar attack lasting several hours. A teenaged boy was brought in with horrific injuries, most of his face gone.

In the corridor, a woman was screaming. Her only son had just been brought in on a stretcher, his left foot severed by the blast. She was hysterical, but not incoherent. "Give us guns, we cannot defend ourselves," she shouted, before someone led her away.
Continue reading the main story


It is also true that some of the dead are fighters. We went to the prayers for one on Sunday, a member of the Free Army, as the rebels call themselves. His body was laid on the carpeted floor of the mosque, flowers on his chest. Two men - perhaps brothers - knelt over him, kissing his forehead, and weeping.

The man had died a couple of hours earlier while attacking a government base said to be used by snipers.

The regime accuses the Free Army - "terrorists" or "armed gangs" in the language of official spokesmen - of causing most of the violence.

I put that to the Free Army commander in this part of Homs.

"No," said Captain Mohammed Idris, who defected from the regime's army only in December. "Everything we do is to defend our people. The regime can't get to us - so it retaliates against civilians instead."
Little dignity

Civilians are certainly paying the price. In the field clinic, a man was carefully wrapping the body of a seven-year-old girl in a white sheet. She had been killed when a mortar fell on her home. They wrote her name on the shroud, Nuha al Manal.

Like all the dead in this part of Homs, she was buried in darkness. They have been doing that here for many months; daytime is too dangerous. In the pitch black, a volunteer ran across the graveyard carrying her body.

There was no family; no prayers, and little dignity, just a hurried burial. Even as they covered her body with earth, there were shots fired in their direction.

"The UN abandoned us," one Homs resident told me. "Who's going to help us now, who's going to help us now?"

People said that to me over and over; that they felt abandoned, alone.

After the failure of the vote in the UN Security Council at the weekend, they have lost hope that the outside world will help.

They expect the worst from a regime they fear can now act without restraint.

 

[The Bread Guy]

A couple of new Canadian tidbits....

The official Opposition wants Canada's ambassador recalled from Syria, but the government says he will stay in the besieged country to blast President Bashar Assad for his attacks on domestic dissenters.

NDP foreign affairs critic Helene Laverdiere urged the government to recall the envoy because she said it would send a strong message to Assad, who has waged a bloody 11-month crackdown on dissent in his country that has left thousands dead.

A Syrian military offensive against people in the city of Homs has entered its third straight day.

The Obama administration closed the U.S. embassy in Damascus on Monday and recalled all diplomatic staff. Britain recalled its ambassador to Syria and expressed its disgust over the situation.

"It's not a question of cutting diplomatic ties completely," Laverdiere said Monday. "Our position does not go as far as that of the United States."

Chris Day, spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, indicated that Canada had no plans at this time to further draw down its diplomatic staff after calling home several diplomats last week.

Canada reduced its staff to "core personnel only" but kept Ambassador Glenn Davidson at his post, with a small skeleton staff ....

The Canadian Press, 6 Feb 12

Canada will raise China and Russia’s “deeply disappointing” decision to veto the condemnation of the Syrian government’s crackdown on civilian protests during this week’s trade mission, Canadian officials said Sunday.

Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, told CBC News that Canada would pursue “diplomatic efforts” with China and Russia.

"We will be talking to the Chinese and to the Russians, and explaining to them our view, as to why their veto is wrong," Obhrai said Sunday.

On Saturday, China joined Russia to veto the United Nations Security Council’s move for a tougher response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Thirteen countries voted for the resolution drafted by Arab and European nations which would have given strong backing to an Arab League plan to end the crisis in Syria.

Chris Day, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s spokesman, told Postmedia News that discussions regarding the region will take place on the trip to the middle kingdom.

“We will discuss a range of global issues with our hosts, including the situation in the Middle East,” Day said ....

Postmedia News, 6 Feb 12

 

[exabedtech]

Oh yes!  It sure would send a STRONG message.  I expect that if we closed our embassy, peace would break out immediately and they'd open a McDonalds on every street corner.  :sarcasm: 
Just my opinion... but I'd think that if you're after a diplomatic solution, you may want to have the odd diplomat handy.

 

[GAP]

Syria's most senior defector: Assad's army is close to collapse
Bashar al-Assad's army is close to a collapse that could plunge the Middle East into a "nuclear reaction", its most senior defector has told The Sunday Telegraph.
Article Link
By Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent 05 Feb 2012

In his first full-length newspaper interview, General Mustafa al-Sheikh, who has taken refuge in Turkey, gave an apocalyptic insider's view of the state of the regime – despite its attempt to reassert control this weekend.

He said only a third of the army was at combat readiness due to defections or absenteeism, while remaining troops were demoralised, most of its Sunni officers had fled, been arrested, or sidelined, and its equipment was degraded.

"The situation is now very dangerous and threatens to explode across the whole region, like a nuclear reaction," he said.

The failure of President Assad to keep a tight grip even on the towns and suburbs around Damascus, some of which have driven out the army for periods in recent weeks, has led to a reassessment of his forces' unity.

When Gen Sheikh fled over the border from his town in the north of the country in the second half of November, he thought the army could hold out against a vastly outnumbered opposition for a year or more. Now, he said, attacks by the rebels' Free Syrian Army were escalating as the rank and file withered away due to lack of belief in the cause.
More on link

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I'd say it's totally up to the Arab League to put together a coalition, amongst themselves, and go in and sort it. They have the men and equipment. It's about time they took care of their own problems.

 

[tamouh]

I'd say it's totally up to the Arab League to put together a coalition, amongst themselves, and go in and sort it. They have the men and equipment. It's about time they took care of their own problems.

Sure, but who is gonna back them up? The Syrians themselves can oust the regime without the need for NATO or US to intervene. If the West or even Arabs just provide the logistics for the people on the ground, the Assad regime will not last for long.

You see all these nations coming up on TV claiming they support the protestors? They are just talk. Turkey does not even allow the delivery of medical supplies to Syria, the same thing with Jordan. Lebanon and Iraq are on the side of the Assad regime.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Now the Arab League wants a UN peacekeeping force, according to this report which is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act from the Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/arab-league-calls-for-un-joint-peacekeeping-in-syria/article2335441/

Arab League calls for UN joint peacekeeping in Syria

HAMZA HENDAWI

Cairo— The Associated Press
Published Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012


The Arab League will call Sunday for the U.N. Security Council to create a joint peacekeeping force for Syria, the latest effort by the regional group to end the 11-month old crisis that has killed more than 5,000 people.

The new effort is spelled out in a draft resolution obtained by The Associated Press and expected to be adopted by League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo. However, Syria is unlikely to accept a joint U.N.-Arab League peacekeeping force.

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal conveyed the League's frustration with Syria by telling delegates it was no longer appropriate for the league to stand by and watch the bloodshed in Syria.

“Until when will we remain spectators?” he said. “It is a disgrace for us as Muslims and Arabs to accept” the bloodshed in Syria, he said.

The Arab League has been at the forefront of regional efforts to end 11 months of bloodshed in Syria. The group put forward a plan that President Bashar al-Assad agreed to in December, then sent in monitors to check whether the Syrian regime was complying. But when it became clear that Mr. al-Assad's regime was flouting the terms of the agreement and killings went on, the League pulled the observers out last month.

The draft resolution calls for an immediate cease-fire in Syria and demands regime forces lift the siege on neighborhoods and villages and pull troops and their heavy weapons back to their barracks.

It urges Syrian opposition groups to unite ahead of a Feb. 24 meeting in Tunisia of the “Friends of Syria” group,” which includes the United States, its European allies and Arab nations working to end the uprising against Assad's authoritarian rule.

The creation of the group came after last weekend's veto at the U.N. by Russia and China of a Western and Arab draft resolution that would have pressured Mr. al-Assad to step down. That resolution also would have demanded that Mr. al-Assad halt the crackdown on dissent and implement the Arab League peace plan that calls for him to hand over power to his vice president and allow creation of a unity government to clear the way for elections.

The League also wants to provide the opposition groups with political and material support. It calls for a halt to all diplomatic contacts with Syria and for referring officials responsible for crimes against the Syrian people to international criminal tribunals. It urges a tightening of trade sanctions previously adopted by the League but not been fully implemented.

The group meeting in Cairo was also considering a proposal to expel Syrian ambassadors from Arab capitals.

The League officials said the group would also call on Syrian opposition groups to close ranks and unite under one umbrella, a move that they said would place more pressure on the al-Assad regime.

Washington piled more pressure on Syria.

President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff Jacob Lew said it was only a matter of time before Assad's regime collapsed.

“The brutality of the Assad regime is unacceptable and has to end,” he told “Fox News Sunday.” The U.S. is pursuing “all avenues that we can” and that “there is no question that this regime will come to an end. The only question is when,” he said.

Late Saturday, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri threw the terror network's support behind Syrian rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad, raising fears that Islamic extremists are exploiting the uprising that began peacefully but is quickly transforming into an armed insurgency. The regime has long blamed terrorists for the revolt, and al-Qaeda's endorsement creates new difficulties for Western and Arab states trying to figure out a way to help force Mr. al-Assad out of power.

“The time has come for a decisive action to stop the bloodshed suffered by the Syrian people since the start of last year,” Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby told the Arab foreign ministers. “We must move quickly in all directions ... to end the cycle of violence in Syria.”

Foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain — are also proposing the expulsion of Syrian ambassadors from all Arab League nations during the meeting in Cairo. The GCC ministers also proposed that Arab nations withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus, according to the officials.

The six nations, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been campaigning for a tougher stand against Assad's regime and may offer formal recognition of the National Syrian Council, the largest of Syria's opposition groups, at Sunday's meeting.

Mr. al-Assad's regime has pursued a harsh crackdown against the uprising since it began last March. The U.N. estimates that 5,400 people have been killed since March, but that figure is from January, when the world body stopped counting because the chaos in Syria has made it all but impossible to check the figures. Hundreds are reported to have been killed since.

Arab League officials said that Mr. Elaraby has accepted the resignation of General Mohammed Ahmed Al-Dabi, the head of the Syrian observer mission, and nominated former Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul-Illah al-Khatib as the new envoy. A decision on Mr. al-Khatib's nomination would be made later in the day by Arab foreign ministers meeting in the Egyptian capital.

There was no word on the reasons behind Mr. al-Dabi's resignation, but the Sudanese general was harshly criticized for his management of the monitors mission, which was perceived by the Syrian opposition and many protesters to have provided a cover for the regime's continued crackdown.

Mr. Al-Dabi was also criticized for being a longtime aide of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, himself indicted by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Sudan's western Darfur region, where a revolt against the Khartoum government began in 2003 but has petered out about five years later.

“The new mission must be totally different from the previous one,” Mr. Elaraby told the foreign ministers as he proposed a joint Arab League-U.N. mission to Syria. “The previous experience has shown that there can be no restoration of security without a political vision.”

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject and also because the proposals have not yet been adopted.

I am curious ... what peace is there to keep? Or, perhaps, the Arab League wants a peacemaking force - one that will give Assad the boot and install a government that is more favourable to Saudi and Egyptian interests, one which is, therefore, less favourable to Iran and Russia.

Give the Russian and Chinese vetos - both likely for two different reasons - the force, if there is to be one, will have to be created in the UN General Assembly using the "Acheson Plan," the "uniting for peace" resolution mechanism. Since neither Russia nor China is likely to support such a mission the force, if it is created, will appear to be more US meddling in the Arabs' internal affairs and we all know how well that will go down on the "Arab street."

On the other hand, a Western-Arab force created by a "uniting for peace" resolution might be the straw that breaks the Iranian camel's back and it could plunge the whole region into a nice, long, bloody, internecine (and, ultimately useful) war which might even push Pakistan into another war with India. For those who think that both the Middle East and India/Pakistan disputes have been at stalemate for too long this is not necessarily an unwelcome prospect - except that it will mess up the stock markets.

 

[GAP]

I keep getting the impression that the Arabs are fearfull that Assad will prevail simply by killing off most of the opposition, much like his father did.

 

[tamouh]

Documents proving Iranian money flowing to the Syrian regime:
Source: Haaretz http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/haaretz-exclusive-syria-documents-show-iran-helping-assad-to-sidestep-sanctions-1.412353

Iran has been helping Syria bypass the international sanctions imposed on it for massacring civilians, according to documents from the Syrian president's office obtained by Haaretz.

The documents show that Iran has given the Syrian regime more than $1 billion, which would help it overcome the oil embargo and other moves including restrictions on flights and sanctions against the central bank.
Ahmadinejad, Assad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad
Photo by: AP



The documents were leaked following a cyber-attack by hackers known as Anonymous against the e-mail server of the Syrian president's office. Seventy-eight employees in President Bashar Assad's office had their e-mail hacked. One of these accounts belonged to the minister of presidential affairs, Mansour Azzam; it included two documents signed by him that dealt with relations between Syria and Iran.
Syria document - 12022012



What are your thoughts on this issue? Follow Haaretz.com on Facebook and share your views.

The two documents were authored two months ago and detail discussions by senior Iranian delegations visiting Syria. The documents are written in ambiguous language and only in a number of places do they detail ways Syria would be aided to bypass sanctions. The document repeatedly refers to Syria's wish to "learn from the Iranian experience in this area."

The United States, Turkey, the European Union, the Arab League and other countries have imposed severe sanctions on Syria due to the regime's attacks on civilians. As part of the sanctions, all Arab League members have ceased contact with the Central Bank of Syria, and commercial flights from Arab countries to and from Syria have stopped. The European Union has imposed an oil embargo on Syria.

Around 20 percent of Syria's gross domestic product derives from oil sales, with 90 percent of Syrian oil being exported to the EU.

On December 8, Azzam sent Assad and other senior figures a document entitled "Memo on the visit of the Iranian delegation to Syria." The delegation included 10 senior members of the office of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and representatives of the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian ministries. The delegation met with Syrian Prime Minister Adel Safar, the head of the Syrian central bank, and the ministers of finance, trade and oil.

As a result of the disturbances around the country and the sanctions, the Syrian regime is undergoing an economic crisis. The regime needs revenue, in part to pay the armed forces and the gangs of thugs - the Shabiha - it uses against the demonstrators. It also needs to pay the salaries of the tens of thousands of officials whose loyalty is vital.

According to the document authored by Azzam, the Iranian delegation announced that it has allocated $1 billion so Iran could buy basic supplies from Syria. Most of the items are very basic and include meat, poultry, olive oil and fruit. It is unclear if Iran actually needs these items or if this is a way to pump up the Syrian economy.

In parallel, the Iranians agreed to export to Syria fertilizer and raw materials for the petrochemical industry; it would spread out payments over a long period.

The Iranian delegations also discussed ways the Syrians could bypass the embargo on oil exports. The Iranians, who have large petroleum deposits, promised to examine the purchase of 150,000 barrels of oil from Syria per day for a year "to use it domestically or resell it to others." This way Syria would be able to continue to export oil despite the sanctions.

In return, Iran would supply Syria spare parts for the petroleum industry that are hard to come by due to the sanctions.

The document also shows that the two countries discussed ways to bypass sanctions on flights and air cargo. Turkey, for example, has closed its airspace to aircraft traveling to or from Syria, and most Syrian flights cannot land in most airports in Europe and the Arab world.

One option discussed is the creation of a hub in Iran for Syrian aircraft, bypassing the current hub in the United Arab Emirates. The Iranians also offered to service Syrian Air's planes.

The Iranians also proposed the creation of an air-and-ground corridor for transferring goods to and from Iran. This would be done through Iraq, bypassing Turkey.

As for banking, they discussed setting up a joint bank for transferring money through Russia and China, which are not taking part in the international sanctions against Syria and Iran.

"Iran has promised to relay to Syria its know-how on ways for transferring funds from the country abroad and back, based on the experience Iran has accumulated in this field," it says.

The second document, dated December 14, 2011, states that "the central banks of Syria and Iran agreed to use banks in Russia and China to ease the transfer of funds between the two countries, in view of the current conditions in Syria and Iran."

 

[GAP]

Arab states agree to provide guns to Syria rebels, may begin true civil war
Reuters  Feb 14, 2012
Article Link

AIRO — After a bruising meeting in a five-star Cairo hotel, Arab foreign ministers led by Gulf states hinted to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that unless he halts his violent crackdown, some Arab League members might arm his opponents.

The message was folded into Article 9 of a League resolution passed on Sunday that urges Arabs to “provide all kinds of political and material support” to the opposition, a phrase that includes the possibility of giving weapons to Assad’s foes. Diplomats at the meeting confirmed this interpretation.

The resolution came as Syria’s army killed at least six civilians Tuesday in the heaviest shelling of Homs for several days and as the international community warned of a humanitarian disaster in the city.

The top human rights representative at the United Nations said the world body’s inaction had “emboldened” Syria’s government to unleash overwhelming force against its own civilians.

“The failure of the Security Council to agree on firm collective action appears to have emboldened the Syrian government to launch an all-out assault in an effort to crush dissent with overwhelming force,” said Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The assault has been heaviest in the central city of Homs, which has been under a relentless barrage of heavy machinegun fire, tank shells, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades for 10 days.
More on link

 

[57Chevy]

Arab states agree to provide guns to Syria rebels, may begin true civil war

Which will add much fuel to an already raging fire, and IMO will cause a civil war
Article shared with provisions of The Copyright Act

UN panel compiles list of top Syrian officials who could face 'crimes against humanity' probe
http://www.medicinehatnews.com/world-news/un-panel-compiles-list-of-top-syrian-officials-who-could-face-crimes-against-humanity-probe-20120223.html

GENEVA - The United Nations has a secret list of top Syrian officials who could face investigation for crimes against humanity carried out by security forces in their crackdown against an anti-government uprising, a panel of U.N. human rights experts said Thursday.

The U.N. experts indicated that the list goes as high as President Bashar Assad.

Thousands of Syrians have died in the violence since March and the panel, citing what it called a reliable source, said at least 500 children are among the dead.

"A reliable body of evidence exists that, consistent with other verified circumstances, provides reasonable grounds to believe that particular individuals, including commanding officers and officials at the highest levels of government, bear responsibility for crimes against humanity and other gross human rights violations," said the report by the U.N.-appointed Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

"The commission has deposited with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights a sealed envelope containing the names of these people, which might assist future credible investigations by competent authorities."

It doesn't say who these investigating authorities might be, but the U.N.'s top human rights official has previously called for Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Members of the 47-nation U.N. Human Rights Council are expected to hold a special meeting on Syria in Geneva next week, at which the panel's report will be formally presented.

The panel led by Brazilian professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said its list also identifies some armed opposition cells thought to have committed gross abuses.

International pressure has been building on Assad's government to halt its violent suppression of the opposition. Earlier this week the International Committee of the Red Cross called for temporary cease-fires so it could reach those trapped and wounded in the worst-affected areas.

But human rights groups say the violence is only increasing, with dozens dying every day from government shelling of cities like Homs, a rebel stronghold.

The U.N. panel was denied entry to Syria by the government, which accused it of ignoring official information and exceeding its mandate. The panel instead gathered much of its information from sources outside the country, including human rights activists and Syrian army defectors.

The report claims that the ruling Baath Party's National Security Bureau was responsible for translating government policies into military operations that led to the systematic arrest or killing of civilians.

It says the four main intelligence and security agencies reporting directly to Assad — Military Intelligence, Air Force Intelligence, the General Intelligence Directorate and the Political Security Directorate — "were at the heart of almost all operations."

The report details how businessmen helped hire and arm informal pro-government militias known as the Shabbiha.

"In a number of operations, the commission documented how Shabbiha members were strategically employed to commit crimes against humanity and other gross violations," it said.

The report also identifies 38 detention centres "for which the commission documented cases of torture and ill-treatment since March 2011."

Armed opposition groups, loosely connected under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army, also committed some gross human rights abuses, the panel said. It cited the torture and execution of soldiers or suspected pro-government militia members.

But such actions were "not comparable in scale and organization with those carried out by the state," it added.

 

[57Chevy]

They may say that Syria has become critical and "friends of Syria" may be sending "strong messages" for the regime to step down, even offerring immunity and possible political asylum but it may be better to call it "MELTDOWN" because the international community has just about had enough.
The fuse as I see it has burnt to the short end. Vetos will carry no more weight.

Articles shared with provisions of The Copyright Act
U.S. warns Assad he will pay the price as Syria talks open
By Michael Mainville, AFP, 24 Feb
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/warns+Assad+will+price+Syria+talks+open/6204629/story.html

excerpt: (read the full article at link)
...
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said embattled President Bashar al-Assad would pay a "heavy cost" for ignoring the will of the international community after almost a year of brutal crackdowns on protesters.
...
                                            _________________________

And this is what really gets me boiling:

Why does the media paint such a glowing portrait of the dictator Bashar Assad and his wife Asma?

[VIDEO] Syria’s Assads: Kidders or Killers?
http://unitedwithisrael.org/kidders-or-killers/

Be prepared to be shocked and outraged when you see the “lighter side” of the Assads. The media wants you to believe that they are a normal, fun, giggly family raising young kids, not the killers they actually are.
_______________________

atrocious Youtube videos:

Bashar al Assad the kids killer in Syria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRmk1Tv3Yo0

Many more suggestions at link.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Here is a report on a misguided, in my view, diplomatic meeting aiming to respond to Syria; it is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act from the Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/diplomats-torn-over-support-for-fractured-syrian-opposition/article2349835/

Diplomats torn over support for fractured Syrian opposition

GRAEME SMITH  AND CAMPBELL CLARK

YAYLADAGI, TURKEY AND OTTAWA— From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Damascus is reacting to the growing calls for intervention in Syria with a renewed offensive near the Turkish border.

As white smoke drifted over hills near the country’s northern frontier on Friday, forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad intensified their crackdown on rebel positions, cutting several key opposition supply lines and killing at least seven people within a few kilometres of the border in an apparent effort to thwart discussions of foreign intervention.

In Tunis, foreign ministers spoke with unusual frankness about their options: smuggling arms to Syrian rebels, protecting humanitarian shipments to rebellious cities, or other forms of intervention. The so-called “Friends of Syria” meeting, which included U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ended without agreement on immediate action.

More than 60 nations and international groups called for a civilian United Nations peacekeeping mission that would deploy after the violence ends, however, and Saudi Arabia’s delegation argued in favour of giving weapons to the opposition. Other ministers urged their colleagues to accept the idea of humanitarian corridors, from Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, which would require military support for aid shipments to embattled cities.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird joined in pressing the Assad regime to open the country to international assistance, pledging $1.5-million in Canadian aid. The Friends of Syria group said that supply depots would be set up along the Syrian border, but it’s unclear how the aid will make it into the country without the approval of the Syrian government.

“We call on Syria to immediately allow full, safe, rapid, and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance to all those in need,” Mr. Baird told the conference, according to a copy of his speech.

The Assad regime did not reply directly to the proposals on Friday, but appeared to be answering with tanks. Syrian activists, refugees and rebels say that all but one of their major smuggling routes from Turkey into rebel-held enclaves have been shut down in the last 10 days. Truck drivers and travellers arriving from Syria described unprecedented numbers of Syrian tanks and artillery units near the border.

Some activists said the Syrian forces had started a renewed campaign of placing land mines along the border, where minefields are already a well-known hazard. On Wednesday night, a local farmer complained that one of his pigs was blown up by a hidden bomb while foraging in a previously safe area.

“They are trying to close all the ways that lead inside Syria,” said Raed Al-Saleh, 27, a Syrian refugee. From the Turkish Red Crescent camp near the border where Mr. Al-Saleh now works as an organizer, he could see smoke rising from the nearby Syrian town of Salken; phone calls from his friends inside Syria confirmed that fighting was under way.

Near another camp, Shaban Khatib, 29, who described himself as a member of the Free Syrian Army, said that he made regular trips on foot among the olive orchards between Syria and Turkey, but those journeys have recently become more dangerous.

“Two weeks ago it was much easier,” Mr. Khatib said. “If we had weapons maybe we could face them, but we have nothing.”

The young rebel was attending the funeral of a friend, Mustafa Sher Mohammed, 28, a shopkeeper who took up arms against the regime. Mourners said that a Syrian government sniper killed Mr. Mohammed near a border crossing on Wednesday.

Truckers at the nearby crossing of Cilvegozu reported dozens of tanks gathered at an old customs depot about five kilometres inside Syrian territory. The crackdown had eliminated some pockets of rebel control along the trucking route, they said; this caused a rush of traffic at the crossing, as drivers scrambled to get their freight through the treacherous border while the government had control. One trader estimated that 80 trucks crossed at Cilvegozu on Thursday, a far greater number than during previous weeks.

The regime’s apparent advances against the rebels in the border region served as another reminder of the opposition’s weakness in Syria. At the conference in Tunis, participants signalled they would step up ties to the Syrian National Council, the opposition umbrella group, calling it “a legitimate representative” of the Syrian people.

But the ministers also expressed concerns that the umbrella group still has not unified opposition factions across political and sectarian lines – and Mr. Baird urged opposition forces to forge a united plan.

“The opposition needs to develop a clear vision for a post-Assad era,” Mr. Baird told the conference. “Canada strongly believes that the protection of religious minorities must be an important part of that plan.”

At the risk of repeating myself, there is no "good" or "useful" military response to a Syrian domestic problem,* the best diplomatic solution is isolation: close all (possible)** land, sea and air borders with Syria - no one gets in or out and, especially no aid, of any kind for any faction, gets in. Let the Syrians sort themselves out however long it takes and however desperate the suffering of the innocents becomes. Then do the same to its neighbours and their neighbours, too ...


__________
*  Readers may recall that I opposed military intervention in Libya, too, and I remain convinced that it did nothing useful - nothing useful for us, anyway.
** Some of the borders are geographically very difficult and some military force would be required to seal off the country

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I'll also repeat myself.

This isn't our problem. If the Arab world is upset at Syria, they have the ways and means to involve themselves, even militarily, if the choose.

What they are lacking is the balls and guts to take responsibility for an out of control member of their neighbourhood. They want us to take the lead in case things go pear shaped.

Time for them to take off their skirt, grow a mustache and sort their own problems out...........without our monetary, military or diplomatic help.

We have no business at meetings, or conferences to help them excise a wart from their own body.

 

[sean m]

"Saudi Arabia Is Arming the Syrian Opposition"

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/27/saudi_arabia_is_arming_the_syrian_opposition?page=0,0

This is a pretty heavy accusation, the author backs it up by referring to how news media and the syrian opposition movement have backed up these allegations.  The Author refers to Syria's desire for the Assad regime to fall is due to Iran and Russia. They desire to lessen the presence of both nations in the region. Yet as the author states, the last time the Saudi monarchy backed an insurgency it lead to the radical groups created in Afghanistan ex. Taliban. The author also refers to the Saudi's fight against the Soviet regime when it was in place. As the author states at the end "This is not an empty threat. The Saudis know how to procure and move weapons, and they have no shortage of cash. If Riyadh wants to arm the opposition, armed it shall be. And those who receive the weapons will likely be at least amenable to the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam that has spawned dangerous Islamist movements worldwide."

Would this force the West into taking more action in Syria, since past Saudi involvment in resistance movements have not turned out so good.  The last thing we want is radical islam sprouting out of that nation as well.

 

[Jed]

"Saudi Arabia Is Arming the Syrian Opposition"

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/27/saudi_arabia_is_arming_the_syrian_opposition?page=0,0
"This is not an empty threat. The Saudis know how to procure and move weapons, and they have no shortage of cash. If Riyadh wants to arm the opposition, armed it shall be. And those who receive the weapons will likely be at least amenable to the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam that has spawned dangerous Islamist movements worldwide."

Would this force the West into taking more action in Syria, since past Saudi involvment in resistance movements have not turned out so good.  The last thing we want is radical islam sprouting out of that nation as well.

So what are you suggesting? For the West, majority christian based religions, it is probably better the current Syrian regime remains in power than whatever falls out of all this revolutionary foment.

It is an Arab world problem, Let them deal with it. We should just picket and bypass.

 

[sean m]

@ Mr. Jed,

I am not suggesting anything, if that it what seems to be projected from the statement then I am sorry.  It may sound cheesy, especially since there are  so many human rights abuses taking place all over the world, yet considering that the Assad regime has killed so far 7,500 according to the UN is there a point when we say enough is enough. Of course it is difficult considering economic and political difficulties. The article seems to be important since, which the author states, the Saudis have supported insurgent groups before who have turned against us. Maybe- perhaps, the Saudis do not have the West's best interests in mind when they may be taking these actions. Perhaps what the author is alluding is right and radical islam could sprout from this country, it may be an Arab problem at first but it maybe has the potential of becoming a global problem if radical islam is involved.  Considering the information from the article, I was curious what some were thinking on what the West should do next?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

@ Mr. Jed,

I am not suggesting anything, if that it what seems to be projected from the statement then I am sorry.  It may sound cheesy, especially since there are  so many human rights abuses taking place all over the world, yet considering that the Assad regime has killed so far 7,500 according to the UN is there a point when we say enough is enough. Of course it is difficult considering economic and political difficulties. The article seems to be important since, which the author states, the Saudis have supported insurgent groups before who have turned against us. Maybe- perhaps, the Saudis do not have the West's best interests in mind when they may be taking these actions. Perhaps what the author is alluding is right and radical islam could sprout from this country, it may be an Arab problem at first but it maybe has the potential of becoming a global problem if radical islam is involved.  Considering the information from the article, I was curious what some were thinking on what the West should do next?

Mind our business, and borders, and keep our nose out of it.

 

[sean m]

@ Mr.recceguy,

Thank you for your response, it is definetly safer for us if we don't do anything. we will just have to see how things turn out. Here in montreal at Concordia university, there are a number of students of Syrian origin protesting for military intervention in Syria. It is not a big protest movement, yet perhaps there are others in the country. Do you or anyone else here think that the West may be forced to intervene because of internal politics, in order to save their comfortable positions in government.

The Venezuelans are supplying Syria with oil, according to the Washington Post and don't plan to stop

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/venezuela-sends-fuel-to-syria-no-plans-to-halt-shipments-aimed-at-aiding-assad-regime/2012/02/28/gIQAUbdmgR_story.html

 

[jollyjacktar]

I'll also repeat myself.

This isn't our problem. If the Arab world is upset at Syria, they have the ways and means to involve themselves, even militarily, if the choose.

What they are lacking is the balls and guts to take responsibility for an out of control member of their neighbourhood. They want us to take the lead in case things go pear shaped.

Time for them to take off their skirt, grow a mustache and sort their own problems out...........without our monetary, military or diplomatic help.

We have no business at meetings, or conferences to help them excise a wart from their own body.

:goodpost:

Sticking our oar in here and there is what has caused us all this grief these past 20+ years.  Leave them to their own devices.