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Subscribe to RSSSpeaking at the U.N. Security Council US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says, "It is time for the international community to put aside our own differences and send a clear message of support to the people of Syria."
Updated at 1:35 p.m. ET Wednesday: Amnesty International urges Russia to stop its “unconscionable” obstruction of U.N. efforts to help end the bloodshed in Syria. “Russia’s threats to abort a binding U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria for the second time are utterly irresponsible. Russia bears a heavy responsibility for allowing the brutal crackdown on legitimate dissent in Syria to continue unchecked,” said José Luis Díaz, Amnesty International's representative to the U.N. in New York.
Updated at 4:45 p.m. ET: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the Security Council to adopt the Arab League plan for a political process to end the violence in Syria, saying it would be different from U.N. efforts to pacify Libya.
The Arab League plan calls for Syrian President Bashar Assad to transfer his powers to his deputy to prepare for elections.
"I know that some members here may be concerned that the Security Council is headed toward another Libya," she said. "That is a false analogy."
Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET: Western and Arab nations launched a major diplomatic offensive at the U.N. on Tuesday in hopes of overcoming Russia's opposition to a resolution demanding that Syrian President Bashar Assad relinquish power, The Associated Press reported.
Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images
Nabil Elaraby, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, speaks at the U.N. in New York on Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the British and French foreign ministers traveled to New York for the afternoon Security Council session on the situation in Syria.
Nabil Elaraby, the chief of the Arab League, called on the Security Council to take 'rapid and decisive action' on Syria, Reuters reported
"Realizing the hopes of the Syrian people is in your hands," Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabr Al Thani told council members, asking them to adopt the resolution, based on the Arab League's peace plan for the country. "It is part of your responsibility under the (U.N.) charter," he said, according to The Associated Press.
Updated at 12:35 p.m. ET: Syrian leader Bashar Assad cannot sustain his hold on power and it is a matter of time before his leadership falls, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told senators, according to Reuters.
"I personally believe it's a question of time before Assad falls, but that's the issue, it could be a long time," Clapper told a Senate intelligence committee hearing. "Protraction of these demonstrations, the opposition continues to be fragmented, but I do not see how he can sustain his rule of Syria."
Ayman Mohyeldin / NBC News
President Bashar Assad's regime is intensifying its violent crackdown on Syrian protesters, despite international pressure. NBC News' Ayman Mohyeldin is one of the few Western journalists to have been granted permission inside Syria in recent weeks, click to see some of his photos.
Meanwhile, British newspaper the Guardian reported that a copy of the draft U.N. resolution demanding Assad step aside tried to address Russian concerns that the vote could open the door to western military intervention.
The draft obtained by the newspaper said the council is "reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, emphasising the need to resolve the current crisis in Syria peacefully, and stressing that nothing in this resolution compels states to resort to the use of force or the threat of force," according to the newspaper.
The draft did not entirely exclude the possibility of military action, however, the newspaper reported.
Published at 8:30 a.m. ET: A senior Russian diplomat warned Tuesday that a draft U.N. resolution demanding Syrian President Bashar Assad step aside is a "path to civil war," as Syrian troops crushed pockets of resistance by rebel soldiers on the outskirts of Damascus.
The U.N. Security Council was to meet Tuesday to discuss the draft, backed by Western and some Arab powers. But Russia would likely veto any punitive action.
"The Western draft Security Council resolution on Syria does not lead to a search for compromise," Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov wrote on Twitter. "Pushing this resolution is a path to civil war."
Russia has been one of Assad's strongest backers as he tries to crush an uprising that began nearly 11 months ago. In October, Moscow vetoed the first council attempt to condemn Syria's crackdown and has shown little sign of budging in its opposition.
President Bashar Assad's regime has slaughtered thousands of people since March, according to the United Nations. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
The draft text of the resolution, seen by The Associated Press, insists there will be no use of foreign forces in the country. It calls on Assad's regime to immediately put "an end to all human rights violations and attacks against those exercising their rights to freedom of expression."
It calls on Assad to delegate his "full authority to his deputy" to allow a national unity government to lead transition to a democratic system. The text, the drafting of which has been led by Morocco, insists it does not compel "states to resort to the use of force, or the threat of force."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday he hoped the Security Council would reflect international will when it deliberates the resolution.
"I sincerely hope the Security Council will be united and speak in a coherent manner reflecting the wishes of the international community," Ban told reporters in the Jordanian capital Amman. "This is crucially important."
China, which like Russia has a veto in the council, also has reservations about the draft. Russia and China vetoed a European-drafted resolution in October that condemned Syria and threatened it with sanctions.
"I don't think we can go on like this," Ban said.
Syria's crackdown on protesters and anti-government fighters had gone on despite a now-suspended Arab League monitoring mission and action was needed to stop the bloodshed, he said.
"Even with the monitoring missions having been there, more than a few hundred have been killed ... every day tens of people are killed ... this should stop immediately," Ban said. "It is crucially important for the Security Council to act on this."
Escalating violence
Meanwhile Tuesday, government troops were deploying in "massive numbers" to the suburbs of Damascus, the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told NBC News. The group said at least 11 people had been killed as of Tuesday morning.
The Observatory, which supports the Free Syrian Army, said government forces were targeting civilians who were aiding defectors, NBC reported.
Fighting has escalated in the past several days with at least 100 people killed on Monday alone.
The office of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay voiced alarm on Tuesday at the escalating violence and called on Syrian authorities to "stop the killing of civilians" while also urging opposition forces to show restraint.
"It does look like there's a very dangerous and alarming escalation taking place including right in the suburbs of Damascus," U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news briefing in Geneva.
"So once again we urge the Syrian authorities to stop the killing of civilians in Syria. And we also urge the opposition fighters to take extreme caution too and ensure that there is no more unnecessary killing," he said.
More than 5,000 people have been killed in the uprising as of mid-December, according to Pillay's office.
Despite "high rates of casualties" since then, it has been impossible to verify incidents and lists of victims compiled by five or six human rights groups on the ground, Colville said.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Latest violence could signal new phase in Syria conflict
- Gazans break (dance)ing boundaries
- Tourists banned from U.S. over Twitter jokes?
- Americans take refuge at Cairo embassy
- Street battles rage in Damascus suburbs
- Costa Concordia removal could take up to a year
NBC News, msnbc.com staff, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Seems SYRIA'S already on the path of a civil war! whats with RUSSIA! DUH!
Syria is Russia's only ally in the Middle East. Russia is just grasping at straws.
As for the Arab League's inactivity, two questions to them; (1) WTF? If this was Israel attacking an Arab neighbor killing Arabs, I bet you would be 'all over it.' (2) Arab League, you do realize that Asad is killing Arabs? Time to clean up your own backyard!
WAIT, THE UN HAS NO POWER!
Except when it does and then the evil UN causes Civil wars?
Somebody get their story straight here!
Russia does have one point....there is no deal to make. If Assad DOES stop killing the protesters, THEY will kill HIM. If he steps aside, they will hunt him down and kill him, because that's what they WANT. These are Muslims we're talking about here. Look at where the uprisings have been successful...Tunisia, Egypt, Libya...they're never satisfied. They continue to protest, they continue to want to kill, they continue to want revenge even after the dictator is deposed. Don't get me wrong, I can understand wanting revenge for what these so-called 'rulers' have done to them over the years. But put yourself in Assad's place. To quit now would mean ending up like Kadhaffi, or imprisoned and facing an uncertain revenge like Mubarak. At this point, it's like asking Assad to commit suicide. I don't see any deals where he stops killing until he's stopped by overwhelming force. And while I do sympathize with the Syrian civilians, I really don't want the US to get involved, because, again, they're Muslims, and they are never grateful to the ones who come to their aid. (In other words, we're still the 'infidels' no matter what we do for them.)
Some people should keep their ignorant bigoted rants to themselves.
oh where to start.
1. Its just a matter of marksmanship. Send it!!! He's dead already. Its just a matter how many others die before he does. Consider it a mercy kill.
2. Hey russia, get on the winning side for a change. You've got the political instincts of a palestinian.
3. The Arab Dictator League led by an indicted war criminal monitoring another arab dictator. I'm surprised they werent giving assad some tips.
Only a matter of time. But it could be a long time. Wow, thanks for that expert opinion.
Chris
Steel toed is correct on this one !!!! It is a damned if we do OR damnedif we don't do situation. So let them have at it. It will be what ever it is meant to be. Russia learned a lesson in Afghanistan and will sit on the side-lines and wait to see what happens. Best we do the same and wait and see.
bob
the Only Hard Luck Choice is; CIVIL WAR..Great Numbers Are Needed, Great Numbers have Died & Great More Numbers Are About to Die..However, Change is Needed & Change won't happen till People Unite..ASSAD, I PRAY U ROT IN HELL !!!.....
Let's see. If I was in the US Army and got fed up with the government, say over the NDAA then defected with machine guns and rockets....would America just leave me alone? No! After all in America Bradley Manning is in jail right now for exposing war crimes. You have to at some point look at the world through the glass of reality. Reality is both sides are engaging in violence and when you shoot machine guns in the middle of a city then civilians get caught in the cross fire. Some of these weapons will go through multiple houses and whatever is inside them. It is non-sense that just one side is causing all the casualties.
The entire resolution is grounded in BS. A honest resolution would be calling for both sides to stop the violence and for a system of free elections. Then that elected body should decide what to do as far as a constitution or future system of governing.
The other issue is these repeated calls by all these arm chair generals for military action. Get out your chair, get yourself a damn ticket and go to Syria and join up. Go over there and back up the BS you speak on these message boards. This is not America's problem, it is none of our business, none of our responsibility and we simply do not have the money or worthless life to throw away in another mid-east cesspool.
Russia has just as much to worry about as anybody. I would like to step back here, you know; look at the whole picture. The US is as everybody knows, a superpower; just like Russia was. There are plenty of people over there that know the stakes of controlling the controllable. Much of the world has been playing catch-up since WWII, why; because the US and Russia hit the ground running afterwards. The Russian leaders, despite their insecure role in the power game, is sitting in the background watching the US take major initiatives to claim supremacy.
We Americans are brought up to value freedom and will stop at nothing to keep it. Our very own government has taken steps to deliver long term securities to its people. What we aren't seeing is the overall cost of achieving that goal. Those countries who are still playing catch-up, they haven't evolved beyond the 1960's; not in the terms of human requirements. Russia must have established a partnership with Syria and are now worried that they may be forced to come to their aid.
I'm just a lowly unemployed survior of my own mistakes. I have a lot of time watch the world from my laptop and listen. I see that if (the people) of the world wants to finish this game, I give it ten or fewer years and you all... All people... will have to step up. I'm tired to not being able to find work, I don't like taxes, but right now, their a necessary evil; to maintain the status-quoe.
Enjoy the security, I lost a brother to desert storm and another who is in the Afgan region right now. I know the price and wish I could offer more. I just see positives in our intents, but negatives in our results.
You simply cannot expect either Russia or China to side with any Security Council resolution advocating any kind of freedom of choice or civil rights!! Russia's "managed democracy" that grants miniscule hope to its citizens, no matter how you cut it, is still a dictatorship. China has seen some of the light in allowing the improvement of living conditions and cherry picking some of the aspects of capitalism, if only to prevent an outright civil war, but it is still a communist dictatorship! For either to lean in favor of some sort of free election in Syria would be shooting themselves in the foot. Russia, however, does have a point in stating the obvious, although carefully & diplomatically. Having spent 10 hopeless years there and having their butts handed to them in Afghanistan because of our "intervention," and seeing the stupid and ignorant tribal conflicts that continue there, and now also in Iraq, again, after our "intervention," why would they vote in favor of a resolution that may cause another situation where Muslims kill Muslims and cause more instability in that region? Can we in all seriousness trust Syrians to govern themselves democratically, free of the radical elements that have pervaded Afghanistan and Iraq? Free of the influence of power-mad, whacky imams who are always successful in manipulating the minds of the uneducated to lean toward ignorance, and persecution of non-Muslims, instead of education and tolerance? There is serious doubt about that.
Assad has an unusually long neck. He could accidently trip and fall near enough an ax or long knife to behead himself. Wouldn't be a bit surprised.
Putin must be a Rebublican at heart. NO! NO!!! NO!!!!
How long Bashar can hold on is unknown. He retains the support of the military could be a long time say until he dies an old man. Looses military support still not known but likely looses power in the near future by way of coup de'tat or assassination or flees the country. We will wait and see what outcomes develop.
skyhammer1 - I appreciate your rational, honest observations. You sound like a good person.
Peanut Gallery, Clarabell is calling you.
Could it be that both Russia and China see the U.N. resolution on Syria as getting one step closer to their own doorsteps of human rights violations? These guys are the ultimate libertarians in that they want everyone else to look the other way and mind their own business when it comes to Russia, China, or those that are allied to them. "I want to be an isolationist... until I don't" is their mantra.
It's hard to imagine any reasonable agreement when parties of extremes have blocking and veto power... it's a problem in the U.N. and now in the U.S.. NOTHING gets done in those situations.
Clinton looks like a Russian Commissar in the photo.........here we go.......Ms Nosy said the country belongs to the people! Out the other side of her mouth she said it is not another Libya! I don't trust her anymore...she is beginning to look like Obama!
There's protesters here in the U.S. too. Does she suggest the U.N. step in and overthrow the U.S. government?
And of course she'll expect Johnny U.S. Taxpayer to foot the bill.
It's great to pour TRILLIONS of dollars into Iraq & Afghanistan to pacify and rebuild them.
When do we rebuild America?
Let me see a nation that has supported and funded world-wide terrorism against non-believers and specifically the United States, Lebanon and Israel and people give a @!$%# - I think not. This nation is disintegrating into anarchy- again who cares???? So radical Muslims are slaughtering radical Muslims - excellent. so I am not seeing a down side here as long as we, the United States stays out of this mess.
Assad is not going to go. China and Russia will never support toppling regimes because they could be next.
Once again, there is hypocrisy. The US likes other nations to allow their people to "take to the streets" but when that happens here it is not seen in the same light. That is because the US has NIMBY. Nobody wants bottles being thrown around, or buildings torched, or people clogging up the streets and stopping commerce. But when it happens in Greece or Egypt, Libya, liberals here in the US cheer them on.
Steel toed - In his place, and gifted with the memory of Khadaffi's fate, I'd pack a couple of bags, along with all the gold bullion, securities and secret bank account numbers I had laying about the presidential palace, and grab the first thing with wings for Switzerland, France or some comfortable refuge in South America.
He has options. He'll probably wait too long to exercise them.
BTW: Overreaction to sudden freedom after years of repression is not particularly a Muslim trait. If you called to mind the excesses of the French Revolution, the fate of ex-Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu, or the typical end of Latin American dictators, you might realize this behavior is a common trait amongst all people; they just have to be angry enough.
But... I guess it is more satisfying and easy to just view it as a by-product of Islam.
steel toed boot - Absolutely 100% correct.
Chris Gilliard - Perhaps you would prefer a forum in where people are censured when they tell it like it is. I could not help but notice you made no real response other than to insult blindly like a kid swinging a bat at a pinata with a blindfold on. This could reflect on your intelligence. I happen to think steel toed boot is correct to so "ppppbbbbttttt" to you.
The Arab League should take action against Syria!
Comment # 2 deleted, derail.
Everyone should agree that the US should stay the hell out of the Middle East. Let them fix their own problems using their stoneage brains and modern weapons.
russia like to support the mafia state,cause russia itself is rule by the mafia
Its their comfort zone. :)
this makes sense. it's a little tough for Russia to crack down on someone else for suppressing insurrections with out a major dose of hypocrisy involved.
The Russians do the same thing we do with protesters. They arrest them.
Well, the odd hippie gets himself killed here, and a few Russians 'disappear' over there, but such is the life of a protester.
Imagine if the protesters here had guns like the protesters in Syria...would we call them rebels or terrorists?
Was talking about the whole Chechnya suppression thing, but sure. Lets go with that.
The usual Russian respose is tol et tyrants do as they please. what else couold be expected from a former commuist state that only known repression and still does?
The usual Russian respose is tol et tyrants do as they please. what else couold be expected from a former commuist state that only known repression and still does?
Arlin: shoot first and than shoot a couple more times before trying to ask question has been the russian way since the first Moscivet took a swing at the mongals.
There's nothing Civil about War ..
Wow, that's deep.
I love Guns & Roses!
Russia and China are siding together on Middle East issues a lot lately. First, Iran, now Sryia. It's just a matter of time before someone gets pissed off, and gets trigger happy. Solution: Western intervention in the middle east isn't worth the price in the long run, or short run. Get Out While We Still Can !!!! It isn't worth world war III.
It is a sad day when the Russians are the ones pushing for peace while the West rattles its sabor. It is not worth a single American life or dollar to interfere over there.
We need to mind or own business and let Iran, Syria, Isreal, and the entire Middle East solve their own problems. Liberty for all, not foreign entanglements.
Sanctions and blockades are an act of war.
Then take off all sanctions, blockades and regulations, especially with countries that might look at us cross-eyed for chastising them when they kill their people for the sake of greed. After-all, isn't that the Republican way?
Moparfan - No it is not the Republican way. How did you manage to leap to that lame conclusion?
Moparfan is not aware that Obama Democrats are closer to the Russian ideal of equal outcomes than American Republicans are.
And which orifice did you pull that out of, IF?
Bob in Dallas - Guess what Ron Paul will do if elected? He will end up going back on all of his campaign promises. Why ? Because his international promises are not very feasible. That's why he will not be elected. Too many people know that.
Lol I don't believe China would do anything to fight us...They don't wanna lose their biggest customer.
When we failed to find WMD in Iraq, Bush & Chaney changed the slogan -'Democracy for Iraqi people'. Libya, we got rid of Gaddafi in the name of democracy. Both countries are facing chaos & disorder. Our motive is same,destroy Syria and make Jewish State of Israel the overlord of Middle East.
Blue collar: Not even the Syrian goverment has the balls to say something as stuipd as that. Give how stuipd they action have been up to this point that is saying alot.
You think Russia and China are going to sit on the side lines much longer, while they watch us destroy their friends? Nah.....It's a matter of time , and they both will get to the point that they will do something about it.
"You think Russia and China are going to sit on the side lines much longer, while they watch us destroy their friends? Nah.....It's a matter of time , and they both will get to the point that they will do something about it."
Like what? Send their militaries into the war zone on the dictators' side? They're foolish and corrupt but not delusional.
SF- I sure hope and pray that you are right and I am wrong.
They could buy gold with their US dollars then stop using the dollar. The ponzi scheme of the Federal Reserve counterfeiters would come tumbling down. Wait, front page news today, "China goes on gold binge, as World wonders why." Duh!
BlueCollar - Obama was at the helm with the Lybia thingy. I guess you are right motive is still the same. I would say then that when people say Obama does not support Israel, they are making up lies? He is playing the same game as Bush right?
My comment is that Hillary just managed to screw all the people in Syria who are fighting for freedom and democracy. It would have been a million times better if she just kept her trap shut. She just gave the go ahead for Assad to kill people without having to look over his shoulder and worry if NATO might target him. Just how stupid is she? Probably not really stupid but this particular move was very stupid and will cost a lot of lives.
China and Russia are realizing that their veto's and voices in the UN really doesn't mean that much. They still get out voted every time. They have got to be getting tired of it by now?? Again, it's just a matter of time before they call us to "put up / or shut up" And of course, we would fight, and that could lead to some real nasty things for mankind all together.
A veto in the UN cannot be out-voted so China and Russia have as much power there as the US in blocking actions of the Security Council.
The government that governs best, governs least. Thank G for the veto powers of the security council. Keep on doing...nothing...please.
So what they really mean by referring the U.N. is forcing a civil war in Syria is the United Global States of America is behind a civil war in Syria... (just a thought)
There must not be very many killings going on in Syria otherwise the Nobel Peace winning POTUS, in ht e guise of the UN, would already be there - after all, Libya had thousands killed before before we intervined.
You can lead a horse..err camel to water but you can't make it drink. Each country should be left to it's own atrocities. If their citizens want to be free they'll find a way. They can't appreciate freedom if they don't earn it.
Moparfan, well said.
Would France be france if they hadn't of had help during their civil war? Oh.. Wait....
Would America be America if we hadn't had help during our civil war? Oh.. Wait....
Hmm, has anyone had a civil war aided by a more powerful third party country and ever come out the better for it?
A "civil war" is simply an insurrection that doesn't win. The American Revolution was greatly aided by France and Britain's conflicts and as such I'd say we came out much the better for it.
This is more propaganda by the zionists controlling congress, the press and the white house. Translation, we the neocon zionists want syria to fall so it doesn't threaten israel ever again. Well, , this crapper guy is personna non grata in most Arab eyes and is just the newest zionist mouthpeice ..... Blah Blah Blah .... bad syria good israel . Yeah we know the mantra except this time , shovel it up your arseanls
Conrad - What is wrong with getting rid of scumbags that threaten Israel?
Nonsense, if recent history is consulted, it's clear that all of the 'Arab Spring' efforts have resulted in nothing but unstable Arab countries more hostile to Israel than their totalitarian dictators before them.
If Syrian rebels do manage to get rid of Assad the same pattern will emerge. As a country, they won't have a clue how to come together to form a better government for themselves.
Any country which blames one person for all it's troubles will always be chasing their tail to bite the ass they hate the most. Of course, that would never happen in America, right?
Didn't the US spy agencies once say there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? I'll believe it once he's gone.
They found the WMD and they hanged him. ;)
He should have kissed the hand that fed him, and not lied about having WMD's, and he should not have invaded Kuwait. Shame on Saadam for bringing destruction to his country and causing the loss of lives for both American's and Iraqi's.
I hate to break this to you but Saddam Hussein did use WMD's (mustard gas and other chemical weapons) to attack people of Kuwait. So he indeed had WMD's but not Yellow Cake uranium or anything that could remotely be used as a nuclear weapon.
Didymus......yes, he did have weapons of mass destruction at one time - back in 1991. However, the justification for invading Iraq was he had them in 2001. The intelligence community supported the assertion that he had them and history has shown they were wrong.
More crap from the war mongers. Could be a long time? 30 years? 50 years? Maybe his sons' sons take over after him? Lot of talk, says nothing.
Uhmmmm...
Excuse me, but since when does the UN claim the right to tell any ruler they should step down?
The purpose of the UN is to purportedly keep peace BETWEEN nations.
The purpose of the UN is NOT to dictate who should remain in power or who should abdicate their power and authority.
If the UN believe they can do it in Syria, or Iraq, or any other country, what is to stop them from doing the same to England, China, Russia or the United States.
Doesn't anyone else see the insideous expansion of the "power", or at least the PERCEIVED power of the UN over SOVEREIGN COUNTRIES? Is this an attempt at a "One World Order"?
The expansion of power is all in their own heads fortunately...oh yeah, and in their budget.
Amen!
XDm9mm,
Thanks for making the point that many seem to want to ignore. The United Nations is a corrupt body of individuals who hate the United States. Remember how well they stole from the Oil for Food program in Iraq? No one ever went to jail for that embezzlement. Then they give voice and a platform to people like the President of Iran...what a joke.
Hmm well the Syrian dictator is indeed killing his people and disrupting peace in the middle east. I'd say that we have given him long enough before that parasite can do anything else. You hippies can cry all you want but unless you actually live there and experience it I suggest you stop making up crap. The UN attempted to prevent genocide in Rwanda. Anyone going to bring that up? Guess not. Typical brainwashed hippies. They are doing their job so stop whining.
If he were the least concerned about the general population he would step down and leave the country peacefully. As it is he probably has enough money bankrolled outside of the country to live well for the rest of his life. It seems as though he will not be satisfied until there is all out civil war. We as US citizens need to reign in our politicians and try to get them more focused on what is going on here at home! As for UN security forces they have never been more than a straw tiger, with no teeth to speak of.
Send in seal team barack to save the day. LOL
"I personally believe it's a question of time before Assad falls, but that's the issue, it could be a long time,"
Sheesh, this is like me saying President Obama will be out of the White House but it might not be until after 8 years. THIS is the guy running our national intel? I've heard better intel analysis from E-2s and E-3s briefing us before a mission.
JJ... yes you probably did... but remember that those E2s and E3s probably had more brain cells to rub together than Clapper could hope to imagine.
The fact that 5,000 have been killed so far is an unmitigated tragedy and proof of how incompetent Arabs are at their favorite sport. It should have been 500,000 by now!
As for the Russians they shouldn't speak too loudly Stalin killed over 20 million of his own people in the Terror and the Terror Famine alone.
If the Arabs were to do it right they really should take lessons from the Nazi's and the Bolsheviks.
The reason Russia and China don't support the UN's drift here, is purely economical. Syria is buying guns from Russia and China, not to mention fuel and food. They don't want to lose the business.
I quest every one knows Russia has a battle group off the Syrian coast with guided missile cruiser, helicopter destroyer,and 4 nuclear submarines so I don't think they are playing around. They are their to help Assad and we should not get involved in Syrian business.
Mtex, agreed.. If we had not been involved in everyone elses business and saved the billions we spent on aide, strikes, etc.. We wouldn't be as broke as a Country as we are.. You know why they all hate America, because we involve ourselves in everything.. Leave them to clean up their own freakin messes.. Tell Obama to clean up America, before he goes making infrastructure somewhere foreign.. We have homeless, unemployed people.. Put the money spent over their into the economy.. We aren't doing anything that is benefiting our Country, just more soldiers coming home in cedar boxes.. It's sad really..
yep
quote Mtex, agreed.. If we had not been involved in everyone elses business and saved the billions we spent on aide, strikes, etc.. We wouldn't be as broke as a Country as we are.. You know why they all hate America, because we involve ourselves in everything.. Leave them to clean up their own freakin messes.. Tell Obama to clean up America, before he goes making infrastructure somewhere foreign.. We have homeless, unemployed people.. Put the money spent over their into the economy.. We aren't doing anything that is benefiting our Country, just more soldiers coming home in cedar boxes.. It's sad really..
The United Nations was created from the ashes of World War II. Russia inherited the Soviet Union's permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. It's time to award that seat to another nation, perhaps Germany or Japan.
But of course, not, not when we have our Criminals In Action "working along" the other criminal organization the mossad to destroy those regimes, less evil than our "Christian and democratic" regimes. I do have a question, it wasn't too long ago, not even a month, where the Western media, including our embedded media, spread the rumor that those bombs killings Syrians were part of Assad regime to overthrow itself and of course as it always the case, the media will print any thing and every thing, facts not included, that come from our boy who cried wolf government. I do not know what Obama thinks what Christian and democratic mean, but it can't be what our government does. We are the first and foremost cause of wars and its war crimes results. In other words, we are the best, or worst depeding on point of view, terrorist machine in the world and with an added bonus: Our government as dumb it is, succeed where not even the Nazis could. The most intellignet race in the world, the Germans couldn't do it and the C- presidents and other trying to copy their "failed policies" did succeed. Go figure!
Enough is enough! Restore America Now! Vote for Ron Paul!
Just let the friggin' Arabs take care of this. USA: Keep Out! My heart felt sorrow for those who are being killed and wounded, but this is NOT our fight.