Syria Next?

[GostHacked]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/26/u.s..libya.syria/index.html?hpt=T2

Part of the reason the Obama administration intervened militarily in Libya and not Syria is because "Libya happened first," noted Danielle Pletka, vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank. "So the international community responded there first."

False. Tunisia and Egypt happened first.

Second, there is "nowhere near the consensus on Syria as there is on Libya," Pletka told CNN. Syria, as opposed to Libya, stands at the heart of the Arab world. Assad has more friends and allies to call on.

"Assad is a dictator, a sponsor of terrorism, (and) a thug," Pletka said. "You could argue he's worse than Gadhafi." But "on Syria, the Arab League is not going to be nearly as forward-leaning. (They're) much closer to Assad."

Probably no natural resources to exploit. And it would not even really be a military strategic location to base out of.

Military action in Libya may also have became a priority partly due to fears of al Qaeda, according to Rick Nelson, a terrorism expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, another Washington think tank.

But from what I understand is that some of the rebels are actually Al-Queda. So are we helping arm them to fight Gadaffi? Or are we arming the rebels who must fight Gaddafi AND Al-Queda?

Nelson echoed Pletka's point about the lack of an international consensus on Syria.

"People don't want to be on Assad's bad side," he said. If you attack Syria, "you're crossing a line that is changing the whole strategic calculus in the region in one move," he said. "The stakes are a lot higher."

Syria is a tinder box then. So less and less it is about humanitarian aid.

[Bob]

They don't have to invade anything. They can do much smaller things, from convincing people to bribing people to assassinating people - people you and I have never heard of, but who are lynchpins of change.

Are you seriously suggesting that Israel has the ability to dramatically change the course of events in Syria through some type of James Bond conspiracy?

I don't even know how to address your statement that there are people that we've all never heard of, but that you somehow seem to know exist, that are "lynchpins of change", upon whom the future of the uprising in Syria is hinged. You have a fantastic imagination!

[Moonlight Graham]

Where is the NATO/UN response in Syria or Yemen to protect the protesters being killed? Alas, nowhere! How not surprising. Maybe these countries must collapse into civil war like Libya to be "saved"?

I do find it interesting that NATO intervened in Libya despite it turning into a civil war, which it was unlike Egypt and elsewhere, because when you march on the streets protesting your government you are a protester, but when you take up arms and begin fighting and killing you become a rebel within a civil war.

Cheers to western support of human rights, democracy, and yada yada.

[GostHacked]

Where is the NATO/UN response in Syria or Yemen to protect the protesters being killed? Alas, nowhere! How not surprising. Maybe these countries must collapse into civil war like Libya to be "saved"?

I do find it interesting that NATO intervened in Libya despite it turning into a civil war, which it was unlike Egypt and elsewhere, because when you march on the streets protesting your government you are a protester, but when you take up arms and begin fighting and killing you become a rebel within a civil war.

Cheers to western support of human rights, democracy, and yada yada.

Indeed, something is not right with this picture. What has the UN/NATO gotten us into?

[Guest American Woman]

Where is the NATO/UN response in Syria or Yemen to protect the protesters being killed? Alas, nowhere! How not surprising. Maybe these countries must collapse into civil war like Libya to be "saved"?

Why is it surprising? And do you believe that because we provide help to one nation we are obligated to help all? If you help one neighbor, are you obligated to help everyone in your community? And if you don't, does that make you a bad guy? And would it have been better if you helped no one?

I do find it interesting that NATO intervened in Libya despite it turning into a civil war, which it was unlike Egypt and elsewhere, because when you march on the streets protesting your government you are a protester, but when you take up arms and begin fighting and killing you become a rebel within a civil war.

Not sure of your point. Are you saying it's wrong to take up arms when trying to overturn an unjust regime? How do you expect them to otherwise end? Do you think if enough people protest the government will silently sit by watching and one day decide, 'Golly gee, the masses don't seem to like me/us. Time to step down.'

Cheers to western support of human rights, democracy, and yada yada.

Cheers to your attitude and baseless criticism. The 'we didn't help everyone so this support means nothing and therefore we are bad' attitude is not in any way productive criticism.

[Smallc]

What exactly would NATO do in Syria, or Yemen? There isn't the same kind of situation.

Edited May 1, 2011 by Smallc

[GostHacked]

What exactly would NATO do in Syria, or Yemen? There isn't the same kind of situation.

So what are the differences? Why is this not the same kind of situation?

[Smallc]

So what are the differences? Why is this not the same kind of situation?

There is no use of an airforce against civilians, and there is no clear delineating line between government forces and civilians. What would we do, shoot blindly into the crowds?

[GostHacked]

There is no use of an airforce against civilians, and there is no clear delineating line between government forces and civilians. What would we do, shoot blindly into the crowds?

What are your thoughts on these 'rebels' already setting up a central bank and start trading oil? What are your thoughts on reports of some of these rebels actually being Al-Queda? What are your thoughts on arming the rebels that have suspected Al-Queda among them?

[Smallc]

I don't support the rebels necessarily. I also don't support killing civilians. We were able to stop that without much trouble in Libya. In Yemen and Syria, it would be much more difficult.

[GostHacked]

I don't support the rebels necessarily. I also don't support killing civilians. We were able to stop that without much trouble in Libya. In Yemen and Syria, it would be much more difficult.

What were we able to stop in Libya without much trouble?

[Smallc]

What were we able to stop in Libya without much trouble?

Yes, actually. We stopped what probably would have been the leveling of Bengazi.

[jbg]

What were we able to stop in Libya without much trouble?

Yes, actually. We stopped what probably would have been the leveling of Bengazi.

Great talent at self-government these people have.</sarcasm>

[GostHacked]

Great talent at self-government these people have.</sarcasm>

Libya had been stable for a long time before this. And the fighting still continues, even after Gadaffi called for a couple cease fires.