Veterans
Related: About this forumNo Lack of Weapons in Syria
http://watchingamerica.com/News/211243/no-lack-of-weapons-in-syria/The decision to deliver American weapons to the Syrian insurgents is a poor one. U.S. President Obama is beginning to involve the U.S. in a conflict that can no longer be controlled.
No Lack of Weapons in Syria
Frankfurter Rundschau, Germany
By Damir Fras
Translated By Sandra Alexander
14 June 2013
Edited by Philip Lawler
In 2003, then U.S. President George W. Bush justified the invasion of Iraq with a lie. The weapons of mass destruction that Saddam Hussein was allegedly stockpiling were never found. Bush simply wanted to get rid of Saddam Hussein.
Ten years later, the U.S. government is justifying their planned delivery of weapons to the Syrian insurgents with a comparable motive. Assads troops have used poisonous gas. Again, critics in the U.S. are already questioning the administrations honesty.
However, this criticism could be premature. Doubts are appropriate, primarily because U.S. knowledge stems from the intelligence community. But there are two crucial points why the situation might be different today: First, it is proven that the Syrian army has chemical weapons at their disposal which was not the case in Iraq. Second, it would be stupid if U.S. President Barack Obama were to repeat the mistake of his predecessor, and Obama is not stupid.
That has nothing to do with whether the decision to deliver U.S. weapons is right. It is not. There is not a lack of weapons; there is a lack of willingness to find a political solution. Obama is beginning to involve the U.S. in a conflict that can no longer be controlled. It seems as though the administrations plan may not be a smart one at all.
WovenGems
(776 posts)If the rebels win(Sunni). Then Syria at war with Israel is not out of the question. And this time it would be Jihad. I can see why our Rapture folks would want a Sunni win but why Obama does is a mystery.
John2
(2,730 posts)what Netanyahu or Obama is calculating. A united Hezbullah, Syria under Assad, and Iran are more of a threat to Israel than a divided Syria with puppet governments in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Turkey is also an Ally and member of NATO. They also depend on puppet governments in Libya,Egypt and Iraq. They are working on puppet governments in Lebanon and Palestine. This is the whole scheme of the regime change agenda Obama has signed on to.
I think the entire scheme is flawed. These populations will not accept puppet governments controled by the West, just for the security of Israel. Iran is a bigger nut to crack, because it is not as divided along religious lines as the rest of the Middle East. Iraq is dominated by Shiites, and Iran already has enormous influence there among militias and the current Government. Getting rid of Saddam, which Israel encouraged, only helped Iran become more powerful. Hezbullah is just as strong a military force as the Taliban in Afghanistan, and probably even more powerful. You also have Russia backing up Assad, but they didn't do so with Saddam. If you ever heard of the Houthi in Yemen, they are also a signicant force backed by Iran. According to Wiki, they sent a few fighters to fight on Assad's side. I looked at some sources on them, and apparently they have 100,000 fighters which forced the Yemeni and Saudi Government into a Cease fire. They control their own territory in Yeman. They accused President Obama of War crimes and helping out the Yeman and Saudi Forces with Drone attacks.
John2
(2,730 posts)with the analysis. Here is why I don't agree: Saddam Hussein and Assad are two different people from different backgrounds. Hussein had never been Western educated and neither was anybody within his family. Assad's wife was raised in Britain, educated there, and happens to be a Sunni.
Assad does not use religious extremism to control his subjects like Hussein did. When Saddam used chemical weapons in the War with Iran, it was a neccessity for him to use them, for the survival of his regime against masses of people. He killed thousands of people and not the mere numbers the opposition and West are claiming. Assad does not need to use chemical weapons and neither does the Syrian Army to defeat the extremists. Iran was on the offensive and had invaded Iraqi territory.
When Iran had the upperhand, a U.S. led investigation about the use of chemicals also was allowed into those areas. They ended up claiming both sides used chemicals but now we know that was not true after the fact. Sadam's allies then were the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar. They did not want Iran to win. They were supplying Sadam, so they turned the blind eye to chemical weapons charges then, so they could keep supplying him. They are still on the side that has been alleged to really have used chemical weapons.
The reason Syria has chemical weapons is to neutralize the nuclear threat from Israel. It is not for use against their own people. Saddam also did not have a Shiite as the Prime Minister or Defense Minister of Iraq. The Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Syria are Sunnis. A good portion of their Army are still Sunnis, unless the opposition is lying about desertions. So this would be absurd, that Sunni's within the Syrian Army are gasing Sunnis. There is even information there are Sunnis still manning military posts in Aleppo and fighting against the opposition. And do you think these Sunnis still in the Syrian Army has families or are they orphans?
Finally, there is hard evidence the extremists used chemical weapons themselves and it is being covered up by the CIA, and Western Intelligence. One particular Government being accused of covering up evidence is Erdogen's government in Turkey. Leaders like Erdogen needs to be exposed for what they really are. These types of leaders cause a lot of innocent deaths and are warmongerers, not peace makers. Power goes to their heads, and they think they are above laws. I would put George Bush and Blair in that category. I hope Obama doesn't believe that either. They are tyrants.
WovenGems
(776 posts)What makes anyone think Syria is going to divide? Iraq should have but didn't. Pakistan and Afghanistan should but won't. A theocracy is never a good idea and if the rebels win that is what Syria would get. The Taliban talks are doomed to fail due to the Taliban feeling they have God given right to all the peoples of Afghanistan. And the rebel groups in Syria feel the same way.