Syria launches air strikes against rebels.

[Swampy]

They're doing it in the city of Homs against the rebels. The government is on the verge of fighting a two-front war, because it is also engaged in an artillery shelling match with Turkey.

I have been wondering why the allies aren't doing to it what it did to Libya, but it seems China and Russia are supporting the Assad government. I wouldn't let that stop me, because I think Nato can make short work of Syria even if it receives help from those two.

[Deleted]

Would you please explain to me why you feel that the US should be the world's protector? We have enough problems in our own country that we should be placing our priorities on without spending the money and people we do on those who don't give a crap about us. We have very few true friends and allies - those who like us not because of money - as it is. I believe we should focus on US first.

Many folks who never have raised a gun to protect their country are very hawkish. IMO, it takes those of us who have to recognize that war is not fun nor is it easy. Many, if not most, of us in this category can tell you that protecting one's country is not a battle of words from those who never served so much as it is an effort of pain, deprivation, and other nasty things.

Please don't take this personal because I don't intend it that way, but I place more credence in comments from those who have "been there" than from those who haven't. I respect input from those who haven't and take it into account, but I respect more the opinons of those who have been there because they know what it takes. This paragraph hasn't come out exactly the way I wanted it to, but it says in essence what I meant to say.

[mcnoch]

There is nothing for the West to gain in Syria. The rebels are no democrats, so Assad might not be our favorite politician, but it could be worse. And a war with Syria could re-ignite the civil war in Lebanon, the last thing the West and Israel want to see right now.

[Swampy]

Oct 5, 2012 13:41:06 GMT -5 mcnoch said:

There is nothing for the West to gain in Syria. The rebels are no democrats, so Assad might not be our favorite politician, but it could be worse. And a war with Syria could re-ignite the civil war in Lebanon, the last thing the West and Israel want to see right now.

I presume that's why the West hasn't interfered yet. That said, the news article did say they supported the rebels, while China and Russia supported Assad, so I would presume the rebels can be friendly towards us. If so, then we want to make friends in the region.

[mcnoch]

The problem with the rebels is that they are not a unified movement with the same goals and ideas but a wild mix of all kind of groups with all kind of goals and ideologies. So the support granted to some rebels by western powers is not meant to support all rebels, only those small groups in line with us. So unfortunately no easy solution at hands.

[Swampy]

How about supporting those rebels that are friendly to the West?

[Deleted]

How about letting them all kill each other and then someone go in and turn the whole place into glass?

[Sir John]

"How about supporting those rebels that are friendly to the West?"



There ain't no such animal!

The USA does NOT need 'friends', , she need enemies they FEAR her!

SJ

[mcnoch]

Oct 6, 2012 11:48:45 GMT -5 Swampy said:

How about supporting those rebels that are friendly to the West?

Well, those who are good with Facebook, Twitter and Flickr are normally not those who are good with guns....Except you go with The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[Swampy]

An AQ-linked rebel group may have seized a government's missile defence base, which could be alarming for Nato.

Despite Western opposition to President Bashar Assad’s regime, the U.S. and other countries have cited the presence of extremists among the rebels as a reason not to supply the Syrian insurgents with weapons. They have repeatedly cited concerns of heavy weaponry falling into wrong hands.

Rebel leaders argue that arms shortages mean they’ll take aid from whoever offers it, regardless of their ideology.

I consider the extremists a greater threat than Assad, but I also want to give the democratic forces all the help possible. I wonder if we can selectively help some rebel groups and not others.

[boxcar]

Democratic forces? There are none. Each group has its own goals and democracy is not among them.

[mcnoch]

Indeed, in Syria we see no demand for democracy. Freedom is more seen as freedom from Assad, but replaced by someone else.

[Sir John]

My money is on the Muslim Brotherhood in due course.

Then Jordan, and......



SJ

[boxcar]

>>Then Jordan, and.......<< ( then the Caliphate?)

[Swampy]

Syria continues its air strikes, and the rebels don't seem able to shoot the planes down.

In Turkey, about 150 members of the Syrian opposition met Monday to plan for a post-Assad future, discussing the immediate challenges of managing parts of the northern Idlib province, sections of the city of Aleppo, the country’s largest, and other areas that are held by rebels. Long-term planning will focus on constitutional and legal reform, laws on elections and political parties and how to build a modern national army.

There's probably a lot of hot air, but you never know.