Syrian Civil War

[Wilber]

I don't think there is a right side in this conflict, at least not one that is going to win so best to stay out of it if possible. US and other international pressure has made Putin look bad enough that he was forced to do something and the US doesn't have to get involved in another risky and expensive military involvement. If Russia is serious about this and make it stick with Assad, I think this could be as near to a win win as could be hoped for.

[Argus]

I never said they were the same, Id wager it would take a team of accountants to find out how those two nations compare in the number of people killed, number of wars started etc.

If you can't immediately discern the difference between how Russia has behaved over the past fifty years and how the US has behaved there is simply no help for you. I can simply drop you into the same category as those 911 truthers, people whose minds are simply broken and incapable of self-repair.

[DogOnPorch]

I don't think there is a right side in this conflict, at least not one that is going to win so best to stay out of it if possible. US and other international pressure has made Putin look bad enough that he was forced to do something and the US doesn't have to get involved in another risky and expensive military involvement. If Russia is serious about this and make it stick with Assad, I think this could be as near to a win win as could be hoped for.

As long as VX isn't unleashed upon the planet, I think it's pretty safe to keep out of it. Sarin, as nasty as it is...goes away.

[Guest American Woman]

Sounds as if an agreement has been made regarding Syria:

After days of intense negotiations, the United States and Russia reached agreement Saturday on a framework to secure and destroy Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014 and impose U.N. penalties if the Assad government fails to comply.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-russia-reach-agreement-syria-weapons-102700028--politics.html

Hopefully this will be the end of it.

[Rue]

Sounds as if an agreement has been made regarding Syria:

After days of intense negotiations, the United States and Russia reached agreement Saturday on a framework to secure and destroy Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014 and impose U.N. penalties if the Assad government fails to comply.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-russia-reach-agreement-syria-weapons-102700028--politics.html

Hopefully this will be the end of it.

I doubt it unfortunately. The history of Assad's reign shows he has a behavioural profile that clearly indicates he says one thing and does something quite different.

[jacee]

Sounds as if an agreement has been made regarding Syria:

After days of intense negotiations, the United States and Russia reached agreement Saturday on a framework to secure and destroy Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014 and impose U.N. penalties if the Assad government fails to comply.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-russia-reach-agreement-syria-weapons-102700028--politics.html

Hopefully this will be the end of it.

Makes a lot more sense than the US bombing Syrians. Do you agree?

I hope sufficient evidence exists that the ICC will issue a warrant for Assad.

[Guest American Woman]

Makes a lot more sense than the US bombing Syrians. Do you agree?

I hope sufficient evidence exists that the ICC will issue a warrant for Assad.

I'll answer your queston when you answer mine.

As for a warrant for Assad's arrest - I'm still waiting to hear the arrest is going to take place.

[Rue]

This just in-Dennis Rodman is on his way to arrest Assad on behalf of the UN.

[Guest American Woman]

I doubt it unfortunately. The history of Assad's reign shows he has a behavioural profile that clearly indicates he says one thing and does something quite different.

It remains to be seen, for sure. Obama is already saying "the United States remains prepared to act" if Damascus failed to comply, but hopefully it will prevent any future chemical attacks from occurring. Hopefully Assad realizes that he wouldn't get away with it.

[eyeball]

I doubt it unfortunately. The history of Assad's reign shows he has a behavioural profile that clearly indicates he says one thing and does something quite different.

Sounds like an ordinary politician to me. Like the people negotiating his fate.

GENEVA (AP) — After days of intense negotiations, the United States and Russia reached agreement Saturday on a framework to secure and destroy Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014 and impose U.N. penalties if the Assad government fails to comply.

Maybe this good cop bad cop routine of Russia and America would work on all the other bastards they've got scattered around the region/world. Co-dominium seems inevitable.

Presumably the irony will be mostly lost on the planet.

[GostHacked]

I doubt it unfortunately. The history of Assad's reign shows he has a behavioural profile that clearly indicates he says one thing and does something quite different.

Obama should be turning in his Peace Prize.

[dre]

If you can't immediately discern the difference between how Russia has behaved over the past fifty years and how the US has behaved there is simply no help for you. I can simply drop you into the same category as those 911 truthers, people whose minds are simply broken and incapable of self-repair.

Drop me into whichever of your fake categories you want! I dont just take for granted the whole "good vs evil" theme thats been successfully pushed on you. I try to look at the way that foreign policy serves these countries interests, and I see similar policies and similar motivations with the exception that the US is a lot more brash and noisy.

You have what is equivalent to a religious belief, probably the results of being spammed with so much propoganda during the cold war. Its no suprised that you would instantly disregard me as some kind of broken person instead of addressing the actual claims I made.

I look at recent events....

Russia in afghanistan.

Russia in Georgia.

US in Iraq.

US in Afghanistan.

And I see similar behavior and motivation.

You live in a binary world where Russia is evil and the US is good. Its not that simple for me. You can stay in your comfy little box and dismiss me all you want. In fact you dont even have to answer my posts.

Edited September 15, 2013 by dre

[dre]

Obama should be turning in his Peace Prize.

I dunno about that. He could have carpet bombed Syria, killed thousands of people, and got into an ugly public pissing match with the Russians. Instead he held off, tried to get approval from congress, then dialed things back to allow an for an emerging diplomatic solution. The knock on Obama here is that his origional idea was stupid (and it was), and that he didnt come out of this looking like John Wayne.

But in the end things turned out pretty good for the US which may save hundreds of millions of dollars cruise missiles, and achieve more results than they would have.

[Guest American Woman]

Obama should be turning in his Peace Prize.

Why? For trying to stop Assad from using chemical weapons against Syrian citizens - and perhaps accomplishing that?

[-TSS-]

Next time the US wants war they have to organise a bit more plausible false flags than this chemical attack.

[Guest American Woman]

Next time the US wants war they have to organise a bit more plausible false flags than this chemical attack.

Yes, because it's so "false" that Russia got involved and brokered a deal with the U.S. for Syria to turn over, and cease making, chemical weapons.

But it would be so much better if the U.S. had stayed out of it and that wouldn't have happened, eh?

Edited September 15, 2013 by American Woman

[GostHacked]

delete

Edited September 15, 2013 by GostHacked

[-TSS-]

We don't know what happens behind the scenes; we only know what they want us to know but one thing can be said with certainty: Nothing happens for purely unselfish reasons. Hence why this whole episode stinks with its hypocrisy.

[Guest American Woman]

We don't know what happens behind the scenes; we only know what they want us to know but one thing can be said with certainty: Nothing happens for purely unselfish reasons. Hence why this whole episode stinks with its hypocrisy.

So for what "selfish" reasons do you think Obama wanted to rid Assad of chemical weapons?

But let's say it was for selfish reasons for argument's sake. Are you more bothered by that than you are pleased that Syria is turning over it's chemical weapons?? Because it's sure coming across that way. It's coming across as if you are more bothered by "hypocrisy" than you are by Syria's use of chemical weapons and the death of thousands of innocent civilians and the likelihood of that continuing if Assad weren't kept in check.

[-TSS-]

Believe me, I would have no problem with agreeing with you wholeheartedly if I were as convinced as you seem to be that Assad indeed has been using chemical weapons against his own people.

[Guest American Woman]

Believe me, I would have no problem with agreeing with you wholeheartedly if I were as convinced as you seem to be that Assad indeed has been using chemical weapons against his own people.

Conviinced or not, I see ridding Syria of chemical weapons as a good thing. You don't? And I find it odd, to say the least, that you have no problem at all believing the worst of the U.S./Obama as you give Syria/Assad the benefit of the doubt.

[dre]

Conviinced or not, I see ridding Syria of chemical weapons as a good thing. You don't? And I find it odd, to say the least, that you have no problem at all believing the worst of the U.S./Obama as you give Syria/Assad the benefit of the doubt.

I think the problem is that nobody wants to believe in secret evidence. The public has not seen one single shred of evidence that shows Assad was behind the attacks. We are told this evidence exists but that it must remain classified, and after debacles like the war in Iraq people dont believe it anymore.

The US government has a credibility problem, which is why they cant get any Americans to support military action.

"Trust me! We have the evidence!... Naw... you dont need to see it."

[Guest American Woman]

I think the problem is that nobody wants to believe in secret evidence. The public has not seen one single shred of evidence that shows Assad was behind the attacks. We are told this evidence exists but that it must remain classified, and after debacles like the war in Iraq people dont believe it anymore.

The US government has a credibility problem, which is why they cant get any Americans to support military action.

"Trust me! We have the evidence!... Naw... you dont need to see it."

As I said, despite Assad's history, some have no problem believing the worst about Obama while giving Assad the benefit of the doubt.

Says a lot, really.

[-TSS-]

You really are good at making strawman-arguments. What I have meant all along that in the international politics there are no good guys vs. bad guys. There are more likely bad guys vs. worse guys.

[Guest American Woman]

You really are good at making strawman-arguments. What I have meant all along that in the international politics there are no good guys vs. bad guys. There are more likely bad guys vs. worse guys.

I'm not making any kind of argument at all in response to your comments; simply pointing out that it seems you have no problem seeing the worst in (using your words) "the bad guys" while giving the benefit of the doubt to "the worst guys."