And next, Syria?

[Fuchs66]

Numerous horrors in the sexualisation of teenagers thread. Although describing Sunni's as backwards in a rather sweeping manner on this thread might also have got me gesticulating wildly if I was a mod.

I think it was wishing AIDS on somebody on the "Right to buy" thread that got him the ban, but he has generally been spouting a load of shite all over the place recently.

 

[coley]

Numerous horrors in the sexualisation of teenagers thread. Although describing Sunni's as backwards in a rather sweeping manner on this thread might also have got me gesticulating wildly if I was a mod.

Ta, just looked

 

[mauvais]

Well I was being banned like that when I was twelve.

 

[teqniq]

A Female Fighter, Under a Man’s Name

Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff is the Executive Director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. He’s based in Washington, DC.

It was my third trip to the Turkey-Syria border, the same trip on which I would enter Syria for the first time since leaving Aleppo in 2011. Next to me, Abu-Sayeed lit another cigarette and gave me an inquisitive look. What was her story, a female fighter going by a man’s name?

The first thing to know is that she is not a delicate flower. Before the revolution, Abu-Sayeed had a government job and taught karate on the side. Like many Syrians, she trained to use an AK-47 at school. Now she’s stationed in the Damascus suburb of Harasta, where most civilians have fled. Abu-Sayeed estimates that over the past nine months, 80 percent of her suburb has been destroyed from the unrelenting pounding of artillery....

 

[Delroy Booth]

Looks like the Syrian govt is upto something, all over twitter that the state is shutting down the internet

@WilliamsJon Jon Williams 32m
Reports internet cut across #Syria. This Google's dramatic graph of Syrian web traffic falling off cliff #SyriaABC pic.twitter.com/u3h5XYf7Su

And this chilling sentence http://www.thecommentator.com/article/3467/syria_drops_off_the_internet#.UYlwY1nl6cR.twitter

"Web security firm Umbrella Security Labs has reported that at around 18:45 UTC, the whole of Syria was disconnected from the internet."

 

[TomUS]

Looks like the Syrian govt is upto something, all over twitter that the state is shutting down the internet

@WilliamsJon Jon Williams 32m
Reports internet cut across #Syria. This Google's dramatic graph of Syrian web traffic falling off cliff #SyriaABC pic.twitter.com/u3h5XYf7Su

And this chilling sentence http://www.thecommentator.com/article/3467/syria_drops_off_the_internet#.UYlwY1nl6cR.twitter

http://www.thecommentator.com/article/3467/syria_drops_off_the_internet#.UYlwY1nl6cR.twitter
Chilling indeed. Another indication Assad is losing his grip & perhaps preparing even more repression & slaughter (if that's possible).

 

[camouflage]

We don't know why Syria has dropped off the net, they could have been cut off by external forces or even cross fire. For all we know the country is being invaded, or perhaps another Isreali airstike on a major comms centre. Won't be surprised when they start bombing water treatment plants and hospitals in pursuit of truckloads of vital military hardware being sent inexplicably by Assad to Lebanon's shi'ite defense militia in his hour of need in Syria itself. That is the narrative right?

 

[camouflage]

I think it was wishing AIDS on somebody on the "Right to buy" thread that got him the ban, but he has generally been spouting a load of shite all over the place recently.

I wasn't impressed by the way he seemed to speak of these conflicts like it's all a big dog fight between a mutt named sunni and another named shi'ite tbh, pretty fucking tastless actually, talking about people having war inflicted on them like that. That's the thing though really, to the west it's all a big game, an armchair generals toys, maps and whizzy graphics of rockets and tanks. I like a good strategy game on the computer myself but ffs.

 

[elbows]

It is possible to look at the geopolitics of the region in a manner that includes emphasis of the tendencies and priorities of certain Sunni regimes over time, but no the way thriller was doing it. It is depressing that the dehumanisation of entire groups of people is not something only indulged in by those with power, but also those who have little power or stake in the conflict themselves and have simply decided to pick a side and play a crude war of words.

 

[Fuchs66]

I wasn't impressed by the way he seemed to speak of these conflicts like it's all a big dog fight between a mutt named sunni and another named shi'ite tbh, pretty fucking tastless actually, talking about people having war inflicted on them like that.......

Shit will wonders never cease I actually agree with you 100% on that post.

There's hope for us all yet

 

[teqniq]

The Angry Arab Interviews Himself About Syria

 

[Poo Flakes]

I wasn't impressed by the way he seemed to speak of these conflicts like it's all a big dog fight between a mutt named sunni and another named shi'ite tbh, pretty fucking tastless actually, talking about people having war inflicted on them like that. That's the thing though really, to the west it's all a big game, an armchair generals toys, maps and whizzy graphics of rockets and tanks. I like a good strategy game on the computer myself but ffs.

The whole narrative has been like that for a while. I realise I will come across as a bit foolhardy, but I think it is possible to make generalisations about the way in which British media have responded to the whole civil war. I have kept up-to-date with events, and no nothing about this situation apart from vague references to places and innuendo.

The British people have a completely different frame of reference for the conflict. American and British citizens may not be dying, but they are certainly not passive participants.

The sad fact is few people know what world powers are up to in this conflict (the nature of the support for rebels, etc) let alone the impact it will be having in Syria itself. Indeed, it is more likely that you will find out more about the nature of western intervention through FOI than anecdote from within Syria.

Even the 'reputable' journalists on the Angry Arab (see teqniq's post) blog is hardly a reliable source (although the opinions expressed on it are interesting).

 

[J Ed]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22494128

These blasts in Turkey are very convenient... </tin foil hat>

 

[TomUS]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22494128

These blasts in Turkey are very convenient... </tin foil hat>

Yes, convenient for the rebs but doesn't mean the Assad boys or their sympathizers didn't do it. We'll never know I assume. Turkey is publicly blaming Assad. To me, no matter how you slice it, Assad has got to go. Who knows what will come later but this thing will never end as long as he's there.

 

[J Ed]

How come Assad has to go but the Bahrain Monarchy doesn't?

 

[yield]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22494128

These blasts in Turkey are very convenient... </tin foil hat>

PKK Kurdish deal with Turkey may worry Iran and Syria
BBC News. 10 May 2013

Rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have begun leaving south-eastern Turkey for their main bases in northern Iraq, but there is no talk of disarmament yet.

Instead, several top commanders of the PKK have said they will keep and even consolidate their forces.

So what will the thousands of well-trained militants in Qandil, Zap and other PKK-controlled areas of northern Iraq do, as the truce with Turkey holds?

Very convenient.

 

[TomUS]

How come Assad has to go but the Bahrain Monarchy doesn't?

I'd like to see the Bahrain monarchy go down as well as the Saudi Monarchy as well as the Kin Jong un monarchy but we can't have it all now. One monarchy down is better than no monarchy down. ' We can only do today what we can do today'.

 

[J Ed]

I'd like to see the Bahrain monarchy go down as well as the Saudi Monarchy as well as the Kin Jong un monarchy but we can't have it all now. One monarchy down is better than no monarchy down. ' We can only do today what we can do today'.

You talk about it as if Saudi Arabia and Bahrain aren't basically Western colonies.

 

[teqniq]

You talk about it as if Saudi Arabia and Bahrain aren't basically Western colonies.

They have their own power as long as the oil lasts and beyond that if they are clever with the money which they most likely are, so to call them Western colonies is inaccurate (I know they have 'our' military backing but that is only really contingent on the oil). The whole culture is completely different. I saw a documentary concerning Frank gardener's return to Saudi Arabia after he was shot there by radicals, I can't find a the link atm but it was worth a watch just to get some idea of the differences between their society and ours.

 

[Poo Flakes]

They have their own power as long as the oil lasts and beyond that if they are clever with the money which they most likely are, so to call them Western colonies is inaccurate (I know they have 'our' military backing but that is only really contingent on the oil). The whole culture is completely different. I saw a documentary concerning Frank gardener's return to Saudi Arabia after he was shot there by radicals, I can't find a the link atm but it was worth a watch just to get some idea of the differences between their society and ours.

I would stand corrected, but weren't European colonies basically monoproducers of basic commodities produced largey for the benefit of the empire. If so, Saudi Arabia actually does resemble a colony in that sense albeit quite a wealthy one (they are getting a good price for oil).

 

[teqniq]

I think I see what you mean and in that sense I stand corrected - I hadn't really thought of it that way before and consequently thought first of the social differences, which are large. I wonder if the ruling elite have ever considered it in those terms?

 

[subhumn]

I found a good documentary called Agony in Allepo if anyone is interested?

 

[Poo Flakes]

I think I see what you mean and in that sense I stand corrected - I hadn't really thought of it that way before and consequently thought first of the social differences, which are large. I wonder if the ruling elite have ever considered it in those terms?

Saudi Arabia do export to different markets but have an integral role within the global economic system. Not sure what the ruling elite makes of that.

There is virtually no limit to speculating what goes on behind closed doors in Saudi Arabia. The Bradley Manning leak was quite illuminating. The rhetoric that the House of Saud used in diplomatic cables was embarassingly inflammatory. They requested General Petraeus to "cut off the head of the snake" (i.e. Iran). In Britain, I am not sure you could keep posting comments on forums if you said something like that but probably would not affect your career as a senior diplomat.

 

[yield]

Syria mutilation footage sparks doubts over wisdom of backing rebels
The Guardian, Tuesday 14 May 2013

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an independent monitor, said: "The figure in the video cuts the heart and liver out of the body and uses sectarian language to insult Alawites [Assad's minority sect]. At the end of the video [the man] is filmed putting the corpse's heart into his mouth, as if he is taking a bite out of it."

Hamad, also known as Abu Sakkar, said he also had video footage of himself using a saw to cut a Shabiha government militiaman into "small and large pieces".

 

[camouflage]

Syria mutilation footage sparks doubts over wisdom of backing rebels
The Guardian, Tuesday 14 May 2013

Translation: cynical weaponized narrative about friendly not-genocidal-at-all 'freedom-fighters' becomes increasingly blatant, starts to fall apart for all to see on youtube etc. Prospects of escalation made a little more tricky as a result but hijack of real political process of change in Syria expected to carry on regardless. Ram the fucker thru.

 

[teqniq]

 

[Casually Red]

I doubt these Israeli attacks are aimed at helping to overthrow Assad. If that was the goal, why bother with a "research center." Instead, they'd attack Assad's air force. Looks like Israel is doing what it says, attempting to prevent chem weapons being sent to Hez.

cop yourself on, thats pathetic

 

[camouflage]

To me, no matter how you slice it, Assad has got to go. Who knows what will come later but this thing will never end as long as he's there.

Translation: We have decided we want regime-change in Syria and we will ensure this thing never ends until we get our way. Fuck the consequences.

 

[Casually Red]

Israel is hitting the stuff before it can be smuggled. If tunnels or some other smuggling method were found, Israel would invade S. Lebanon. I imagine they've learned from their mistakes from the last time.

the zionists have been chased out of Lebanon by hezbollah a few times now, its plain they dont learn from their mistakes . Youre , inanely, spouting the zionist line without question . Its idiotic . Theres absolutely no proof whatsoever to back up any Israeli claims of preventing weapon transfers, which sounds utterly ludicrous .
Its plain what the zionists are attempting is to draw a retaliatory response from Hezbollah to their gross, and wholly criminal, attack on a sovereign state . A retaliation that will draw Syrias hezbollah allies away from the Syrian border region while serving as justification for foreign airstrikes to assist the embattled jihadists and cannibals .Unsurprisingly neither Assad nor Hezbollah have taken the bait though .
And what has prompted it is the plain undeniable fact that the Syrian army and its popular militias are now most definitely winning accross numerous fronts . Theyre securing victory after victory, cutting off supply routes, isolating jihadist battalions one by one who are unable to call on either fresh supplies or reinforcements . Al qaeda and the cannibals are being steadily mopped up in a methodical fashion . And thats what has sparked such panic amongst the Brits , yanks and zionists . The impending defeat across numerous fronts of their Jihadist proxies.
The criminal attack was an act of criminal desperation and nothing else

 

[Casually Red]

I would stand corrected, but weren't European colonies basically monoproducers of basic commodities produced largey for the benefit of the empire. If so, Saudi Arabia actually does resemble a colony in that sense albeit quite a wealthy one (they are getting a good price for oil).

theyre also military bases for Britain and the US .