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Subscribe to RSSSyrian state television broadcast footage of President Bashar-al-Assad making a rare public appearance in the Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs, the heart of the uprising and where his crackdown has been most brutal. ITN's John Ray reports.
Syria accepted a cease-fire drawn up by U.N. envoy Kofi Annan on Tuesday, but the diplomatic breakthrough was swiftly overshadowed by intense clashes between government soldiers and rebels that sent bullets flying into Lebanon.
Opposition members accuse President Bashar Assad of agreeing to the plan to stall for time as his troops make a renewed push to kill off bastions of dissent. And the conflict just keeps getting deadlier: The U.N. said the death toll has grown to more than 9,000, a sobering assessment of a devastating year-old crackdown on the uprising that shows no sign of ending.
Annan's announcement that Syria had accepted his peace plan was met with deep skepticism.
"We are not sure if it's political maneuvering or a sincere act," said Louay Safi, a member of the opposition Syrian National Council. "We have no trust in the current regime. ... We have to see that they have stopped killing civilians."
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Assad's decision to accept the plan was only a first step. "We will continue to judge the Syrian regime by its practical actions, not by its often empty words," he said.
Fmr. National Security Adviser to President Carter Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski joins Morning Joe to discuss America's relationship with Russia, the war in Afghanistan, and reports that Syria has accepted a U.N.-backed peace plan.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Assad must act quickly to convince the world he is serious about peace by "silencing his guns and allowing humanitarian aid to get in."
On a two-day visit to Beijing, Annan told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that he faced a long and difficult task in his mission to end fighting in Syria, but global cooperation with China and other countries was the only way to do it.
"I indicated that I had received a response from the Syrian government and will be making it public today, which is positive, and we hope to work with them to translate it into action," Annan told reporters in Beijing after meeting Wen.
"I have a six-point plan which the Security Council has endorsed, dealing with issues of political discussions, withdrawal of heavy weapons and troops from population centers, humanitarian assistance being allowed in unimpeded, release of prisoners, freedom of movement and access to journalists to go in and out," he said. "So we will need to see how we move ahead and implement this agreement that they have accepted."
Finally, UN reaches agreement over Syria efforts
However, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, expressed skepticism about the development, saying it would be best to look for action, not words from Assad.
Ford told lawmakers in Washington that he had no information beyond the press reports of the development.
"We will see now in the days ahead what exactly Assad has said,'' Ford said at a hearing on human rights in Syria.
The diplomat, who left Syria last month because of the violence there, added: "I have to tell you that my own experience with him is you want to see steps on the ground and not just take his word at face value."
The United Nations said on Tuesday that more than 9,000 civilians have been killed in the Syrian government's year-long assault on protesters opposed to Assad, an increase of nearly 1,000 over its previous estimate.
"Violence on the ground has continued unabated, resulting in scores of people killed and injured," Robert Serry, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the 15-nation Security Council.
"Credible estimates put the total death toll since the beginning of the uprising one year ago to more than 9,000," he said. "It is urgent to stop the fighting and prevent a further violent escalation of the conflict."
The Syrian opposition, meanwhile, welcomed the government's acceptance of a U.N. peace plan, a member of the Syrian National Council said.
Syria's rebel fighters are desperate for arms and ammunition. Members of the Free Syrian Army were forced from Idlib - one of the last rebel strongholds. ITN's John Irvine reports from outskirts of Idlib, the north western city which rebels surrendered last week.
Bassma Kodmani told The Associated Press by telephone that "we welcome all acceptance by the regime of a plan that could allow the repression and bloodbath to stop."
She is a Paris-based member of the opposition Syrian National Council.
"We hope that we can move toward a peace process," she said.
Incursion into Lebanon
Meanwhile, Syrian troops advanced into north Lebanon on Tuesday, destroying farm buildings and clashing with Syrian rebels who had taken refuge there, residents told Reuters.
"More than 35 Syrian soldiers came across the border and started to destroy houses," said Abu Ahmed, 63, a resident of the rural mountain area of al-Qaa.
Another resident told Reuters that the soldiers, some traveling in armored personnel vehicles, fired rocket-propelled grenades and exchanged heavy machine-gun fire with rebels.
Regional English-language news channel Al-Jazeera has previously reported an escalation in tensions along the border. It said residents claimed the Syrian military planted landmines close to inhabited areas while, in early October, a Syrian army tank reportedly fired shells at Lebanese military targets inside Lebanon's borders.
Any movement into Lebanese territory would escalate a conflict that already is spiraling toward civil war. There are concerns the violence could cause a broader conflagration by sucking in neighboring countries.
Officials: Iranian arms used against Syria protesters
Annan called for Beijing's support and advice, according to a pool report.
"And I know you've already been helpful but this is going to be a long difficult task and I am sure that together we can make a difference," Annan told Wen.
Annan's trip to China followed a similar one in Russia, where he asked Moscow to back his mission to end fighting in Syria.
Russia and China have shielded Assad from U.N. Security Council condemnation by vetoing two Western-backed resolutions over the bloodshed, but approved a Security Council statement this week endorsing Annan's mission.
Report: Syria leader's wife says she's 'real dictator'
However, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Syrian people, not foreign powers, should decide their own fate.
Russia has said Annan has its full support and that his mission could be the last chance to avoid a protracted and bloody civil war but would need more time.
"I would like the decision on the fate of the Syrian state, society, political system and people to be taken not by the respected leaders of world powers, even by those acting in good faith, but by the Syrian people themselves, by all the levels of the Syrian society," Medvedev said at the end of a nuclear security summit in Seoul.
Reuters and msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report. Follow Alastair Jamieson on Twitter.
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- In Brazil, 'Gang of Blondes' kidnapped women, emptied their bank accounts
- Strauss-Kahn hit with preliminary sex-ring charges
- Syria responds to Annan's peace proposal; Homs shelled again
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
thats great
I hope this is just a mistake in news reporting. If Syria crossed the border into Lebanon, it is serious breach of a country's domain much like Iraq invading Kuwait. You give Syria an inch and you can bet, they will take a mile.
Yeah. From attacking their own people to crossing the border and attacking Lebanon. That's some cease fire.
Why would we believe anything Assad says? Let me put this another way: The estimated 8,000 people killed in Syria is the equivalent of our government killing 120,000 citizens in the US. Do you understand what would be going on in this country if that happened? Draw your own conclusions.
It is good news, sarosh, but I'm skeptical that it will really solved the problem. How many times in the past has Assad made agreements and then backed down on them. I'll believe it when I see it. As for Lebanon, if Syrian troops entered that country, it is an act of war. But I think the Lebanese only respond with violence to Israelis pruning Lebanese trees whose branches extend into Israeli territory.
So, "whats the plan Kofi Annan"?
HOTTICKET,
RE: your post #1.2
Did it occur to you that sarosh's posting of "that's great" was in reference to the headline of the story. Yea, that headline, the one the story is based on, right. The headline that says: "Annan says Syria accepts peace plan." Now most normal and peace loving people would think that is great. Except you?
Has yet to be seen.................
They accepted a peace plan yet have advanced into Lebanon to battle rebels- need anything else be said?
This will be in the crapper just like anything else the UN touches.
Ho hum........................
Why are they not starting from Bahrain?
Just because, oil rich Sunni Saudis, oil companies, lobbyists and their puppets like many US politicians, UN, all the partisan Saudi paid human rights battalions are pointing to Syria and Iran, everyone is jumping in those directions as during Iraqi wars.
Syrian rebels are supported by Sunni Islamic militants, al-Qaida. Why are people still supporting these world killers?
Assad is far better than all the seventh century bigoted Sunni Saudi and its Sunni gangsters!
What Assad has provided in Syria, why are they not provided in Saudi and other Sunni nations?
Why are not non-Islamic religious worship places and Bibles not permitted in Saudi Arabia?
Assad doesnot need or seek peace. Assad needs and seeks victory. Anything less will drive him out of power and onto the same kind of death that Gadhafi met. Time, weapons, position and ruthlessness are on Assad's side.
It will be a long and protracted civil war.
Yeah, yeah, but that's Morgan Freeman in the photograph, not Kofi Annan. Or maybe it's James Earl Jones. Then again, it could be...
@Jonathan- What's your beef with the Saudis? I find it funny you call Sunnis bigots, but you fail to mention that you see one every morning when you brush your teeth. Assad is far better? Better than who Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin maybe? Since when is killing 8,000 of your countrymen acceptable? What has Assad provided Syria other than false promises, torture, and death? Bigots like to rant but they seem unfazed by facts!
stewgotts: Hope you know what is going on and a little bit of history. Or else you would not have made your comments.
Sunni Saudi Arabia does not permit non-Muslim religious places in Saudi Arabia.
The same Sunni Saudi, UAE, Kuwaiti and other Sunni ruling seventh century desert mindset bigoted beasts are funding their Islamic extremist versions of Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques all over the world!
These hate preaching and killer training centers along with their al-Qaida are responsible for 80 percent of the world Islamic radicalism and terrorism problems all over the world. Which non-Muslim nation have they left?
How many mosques were there in the US before 1991? How many are there now?
How many Saudi and Paki Islamic terrorist acts and plots have been there in the US, Britain, European nations and others since 1991.
Even 9/11 had Saudi and Paki hands!
The Saudi Sunni Islamic religious head gives a religious order for the demolition of all churches in Arab nations.
Sunni Saudi ruling beast, his 5000 princes and princesses are supposed to be guardians of the religion also! Why do they hide themselves behind their desert dresses when their religious head gives such nonsese religious orders?
They are the worst of all you have mentioned and history has not seen too many of such beastly, ungrateful and mad religious people.
If these two most ungrateful nations and international liabilities are there in the world map, it is due to the US, oil companies and their lobbyists.
We had enough garbage from them in the name of oil and there are limits to doing dirty work for them too!
and the neocons shout WAR WAR WAR
Never trusted Kofi Anan---
Cease Fire in Syria?---Assad is all about slaughtering and Terrorism; maybe it will be done more quietly now. He must have cooperated, since his wife is the self-proclaimed Dictator, and she cannot buy her "$7,000.00 shoes in EU anymore".
This is the Middle East/Death to all citizens who get out of line---
No Change, No Hope. 9,000 dead in Syria---they cannot count either.
Assasd: "Cease fire............I thought you said to Increase fire"
^^^ LOL I do hope they reach some peaceful arrangement w/o us having to get in the middle of it by choice or otherwise. I think it's about time we should stop being the world police and let other countries solve their own problems. Hope their ceasefire works & lasts.
"Annan Says...", where does it say "Assad orders Army to stand down..."?
Assad is not going to stop until the "concerned countries" start leveling the playing field, as was done in Libya, by knocking out some artillery, tank and other armored units. Or until the Arab Union totally cuts Syria off and truly intercedes with Russia and China.
WE MUST STAY OUT OF IT!!! We have been too openly involved in the area and stepped in "IT" too often.
Israel has occupied the Sheba farms region of Lebanon for 30 years.
True, Hadenough:
NO cry from anyone when Syria breeches the border with Lebanon; but let ISRAEL breach, and the world finds its voice.
NO cry from the world with 9000 syrians killed in 9 months, but, when ISRAEL kills 2-3 militants, the world finds its voice.
No double standard there !
Protesters have the right to protest all they want..it s their right to protest against something it s not working for them!
Assad had to kill them for that!! you monster why did you had to kill them?
Assad have everything...Assad does not know what s bothering his people!! Assad does not know what his people are going through... the only way to express themselves is to protest = they want what you want Assad.. a good life just like yours.. they want you to hear their pain... it s enough what they are going throug with their sad life.. you did not have to kill them for complaining..you monster
I hope you suffer worse than the way your people had to go through you monster
Assad is playing a dangerous but smart game by sending troops into Lebanon. What better way to unite your country then to force Lebanon to invade Syria
Most puppets of Saudis, oil companies and lobbyists jump up and down when Saudis dance!
Why are they not jumping on Bahrain, poor status of women and religious minorities in most barbaric, beastly and bigoted Sunni nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and others?
Why are they not counting the poor children women going through Muslim, especailly Sunnis directed, in Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and other African nations?
Uh. What does this have to do with the Headline on the proposal??
Never mind the article just changed
from attacking Lebanon to the proposal..
dok :
it s got to do everything with it.. they are talking about peace but the person responsible for tounsands of innocent people is still leading and living free.. Assad killled peace already when he started killing his own people.. do you F... get it
right, Assad has been keeping on stopping the war for a year now. He's doing so well that he is stopping the war all the way to Lebanon........Assad is well versed in peace plan matter.
I hope this is a mistake in news reporting. This is a serious breach of border security much like the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. If Syria takes an inch they will take a mile.
Breach of border security? Are you empty headed? What about the Unnited States going into Iraq and Afghanistan without UN approval? Thats not a border violation? What about the United States putting pressure onto the UN to attack Libya and MURDER Ghaddafy? If we're talking about border incursions maybe we should be looking in our own backyard. Our SNIT smells more than anyones, so get off your high horse thinking that the United States makes this world a better place, NOT!
I'm pretty sure we formally declared war on Iraq and Afghanistan, hence the invasion. We have never needed UN approval to declare war on any country. Do you understand the absurdity of the US having to get approval from another entity before declaring war on another country? The difference here is Syria did not declare war on Lebanon but attacked within its border. In this case Lebanon would be justified in defending its territory and attacking Syria.
I'm not sure what is wrong with putting pressure on the UN to take out Ghaddafi. He pretty much had to be disposed of in order for Libya to gain any resemblance of peace back. Keeping him alive would just cause more problems than he was worth. And considering the number of innocent lives lost under his rule, I must say, he had it coming.
Agreed. The world would be a better place if the United States did not exist. Just think how peaceful the last 70 years would have been without the United States. Afterall, the Nazi's were just mis-understood. The communists were harmless enough. North Korea, China, Iran, Iraq . . . Yep. The world would all be butterflies and unicorns if the U.S. just simply didn't exist. Imagine a world where Nazi Germany, Stalin-Style Soviet Union and Maoist China all battled it out for supremecy. The only good thing to come of that would be that North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc. would not exist so we would not have to deal with their nonsense. Their lands and oil would be controlled by the three "super powers". You think two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan was bad? Imagine how many would have been dropped by Germany/Russia, etc. So, LetsPlayFair, I, for one, totally agree with you. The world is much worse off with the United States. Let's go hang out in France for a while.
"Lets Play Fair" I started to respond to your post but after looking at the spelling errors and your obvious poor knowledge of anything but comic books, I can only assume you are in grade school or a high school dropout.
cub t. you forgot the invasion of Saudis in to Bahrain ,but thats OK beacuse the Saudies are our allies.
.
"cub t. you forgot the invasion of Saudis in to Bahrain ,but thats OK beacuse the Saudies are our friend"
Well, regardless of the particular morality of that action, it wasn't a breach of another country's borders because the troops were sent explicitly to aid the government. Thus it was not an "invasion" or a breach of sovereignty.
As for Play Fair, no matter how bad you think the United States is, that does not excuse blatant wrongdoing on the part of Syria. It's rather annoying how some people use every article to grandstand about the evils of the United States when it's not relevant to the topic.
In what way it matters us! Let Syria take on Saudi Arabia, the mother for al-Qaida.
By saving most ungrateful Kuwaiti ruler in 1991, what did we get? We got: higher oil prices, huge losses of soldiers and monies!
The same ungrateful Kuwaiti ruler did not listen to a small request or help when NATO forces were battling in Iraq during 2009 or so!
What did the US get by stationing the US soldiers without Bibles in Saudi Arabia?
Even for selling in the name of oil and oil monies, there is a limit!
No wonder many consider some in the US as dirt cheap agents of Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists.
Actually Cub T., Lebanon is nothing more than a puppet regime propped up by the Syrians, who are in turn propped up by the Iranians. They can pretty much do as they please, including a pretty blatant assassination of the Lebanese President/Prime Minister (don't remember which) a few years ago. This is nothing like Saddam invading Kuwait.
Who cares about the mile or the inch of any land? People are so greedy they forget when they die they can t even take a F...penny with them!!!
people are so easy influence to follow and do bad but hard to follow and to do the right thing!
When will people get it? we are just passing through in this life, we will not live forever..
I will give you that mile or inch of land... will you let me live in peace?
I give it a couple of weeks and they will find a reason to start killing again.
A couple of weeks?
I'm surprised you're so optimistic. I'd honestly be surprised if the Syrian army ever stopped.
Assad should kill without mercy all the al-Qaida militants. He should send Hezbollah to hunt them down all over the world.
Assad will be doing world a favor if he does that.
seems rather obvious they are not going to wait a couple minutes
Assad might have "accepted" the plan but as I keep reading there doesn't seem to be any resolution.
Agreed. What Assad is doing is similar to standing still and saying "Nice doggie, nice doggie" until you can find a rock or a stick.
I'm sure Assad has been watching and learning from North Korea to get what he wants. The name of the game is stall, stall, and stall again!
Meh, North Korea and Syria aren't comparable nations in this context. Syria is trying to face down a mass uprising, which North Korea has devoted massive state resources toward preventing.
As for a resolution, the only possible resolutions at this stage are long-term martial law or Assad's ouster. The government is effectively no longer in control of huge portions of the country. These aren't tribal areas like Pakistan's borders or jungles, but major cities.
But hey, a ceasefire is nice, I guess. At least we can send in humanitarian aid now (in theory).
NO MORE WARS !!!!!!!!!!!!! ; if you're wanting a war , come to papa, '' boy '' !!!!!!!!!!
Silly US government, why didn't we think to send you overseas to straighten this whole mess out sooner!?
Who are you talking to? The rebels? The army? The foreigners who don't really want any part in this?
Yet, you don't hear anything about Lebanon preventing the incursion. Typical of the area.
Since Syria efffectively treats Lebanon as a proxy and puppet, why would you expect them to respond?
Syria runs that place and what they don't run, Terrporist groups intent on Israel's extinction run all else.
Who would be doing the preventing?
Ceasefires, sanctions, more time, continued deaths, blah, blah, blah. Here we go again!
Sound familiar?
I like potatoes
Stop The Madness.
What?!
These adults were able to formulate their own pact, their own decision, their own ability to establish a peace treaty - a negotiation on their own without United States military troops forced to engage in combat on the ground by a pompous American Congress and president that think they are gods of the world?
Can you imagine that?
And yet - our young American soldiers' lives were spared to enjoy their young families???!!!!!
Why, I'm breathless! I do not know what to say! I can hardly believe that there are other adults in other nations that are able to negotiate and come to a common decision!
It's truly remarkable!
Now, how about getting jobs for your own citizens, Mr. Obama and Congress - and pay attention to that growing homeless population that includes new veterans that need employment! Fool!
General John Allen -
What?!
These adults were able to formulate their own pact, their own decision, their own ability to establish a peace treaty - a negotiation on their own without United States military troops forced to engage in combat on the ground by a pompous American Congress and president that think they are gods of the world?
Can you imagine that?
And yet - our young American soldiers' lives were spared to enjoy their young families???!!!!!
Why, I'm breathless! I do not know what to say! I can hardly believe that there are other adults in other nations that are able to negotiate and come to a common decision!
It's truly remarkable!
Now, how about getting jobs for your own citizens, Mr. Obama and Congress - and pay attention to that growing homeless population that includes new veterans that need employment!
Fool!
(War Chests and members of Congress all sound so matter of fact and professional-like in your fine sounding arguments and deep, gravelly - grown up like voices - but we do not need you to force our unwary and oftentimes naive kids into combat so that you can justify your bloated pensions and salaries - for the record. Try acting in Hollywood and you'll get better results than pulling crap in the face of the American people as if we cannot see through your political bull. Need a Hollywood agent, let me know. Have a telephone number for you: 555-555-5555 - one right in the Los Angeles area that recently made a movie entitled, "Descendants" because he's a smart ass just like you)
We know you all sleep together.
The Syrian Rebels (Activist) and their supporters can say goodbye. In this part of the world no matter who wins the battle, the opposition disappears.
(Syria crossed the border into Lebanon)
Is this sort of like USA going into Iraq? If it smells like dung------------
The US invasion was a formal act of war. An incursion to chase rebels is completely different.
If you must compare it to an American "wrongdoing", the most appropriate would be our army firing cruise missiles into Pakistan's terrority to hit Taliban targets outside the accepted theater of war.
Stupid people world wide will be very surprised when Assad goes back on his word and attacks rebels after this.
I'll believe it when I see it...
This is merely telling Kofi what he expected to hear. The Qur'an O K's Lying when it suffices and any Imam can justify the Lie, just for for the asking. You think this is anywhere near over? Even if U N peacekeeping troops monitor the peace, if ASSAD wants death and destruction, who has the greater organic assets to press their actions? Syria or the U N ? It has been reported {but not expounded} that Russian Commandos {Spetznaz ?}have been seen unloading and setting up shop in Syria. If true pity, anyone in Their way. Those people/potential victims are DONE!
Assad is in charge and no 'Kaffar' will dissuade him, if he puts his mind to continuing what he has started. This has always been about what HE Wants and will continue. Period.
Like it or not, the Ruskies are right. No outside interference! These people will always find a reason to butcher each other, so what right do we have to interfere? Outside aid should be limited to weapons and running shoes.
The ruskies are often right.
all you supposed experts mouthing off about how bad syria is. Are you talking about israel ? WTF do most of you know about Syria except what you hear in the news ? Have you ever been there ? Met any Syrians ? If not shut the @!$%# up and don't spout off your alleged solution for ther region.
sYRIA IS AS OLD AS CIVILIZATION AND THEY ARE NOT GOING AWAY. Libya in the other hand was a small nomadic set of villages at one point not too long ago just like saudi arabia was. americans are advocating for the destruction of syriua because israel wants that and their agents in the news media will always tell YOU what to think.
If I were Syria, I would excise ANYONE against the government and get em the hell over the border to jordan where ameerican money won't help tjhem either. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD CHOOSE A LIBYAN SCENARIO ? You morons advocating that should suffer in your own homes so you can understand what the Syrian people are subjected to. Losing their country is not an option so we could have an ihnteresting news week.
I once heard "I won't change my LIFE to suit your mood" and that applies here. SO to all those advocating the destruction of Syria so it's people can be "free" go @!$%# yourselves.
CONRAD, YOU ARE A MORON!!!!!
Dan screw you . Is that all you can say ???? I put forth an intelligent argument and all you can say is I am a moron ? Go look in the mirror dumbass. You are a classic example of open mouth first then say whatever .... shut the f up
Hey Conrad!
Look back at what you wrote. Yoou didn't "put forth an intelligent argument" at all. Comments like:
"shut the @!$%# up" "you morons" and "go @!$%# yourselves" followed by "Dan screw you"
don't make an intelligent argument.
@ Conrad ......
To try and come across as intelligent, you first must learn to spell. Second, you need to stop talking like a moron on meth, crack or both. I think there are sections for kids and morons somewhere on the Internet. You seem to be a little of both.
After reading some of Conrads other posts, I have now called the FBI. I'll urge others to do so too !
conrad, screw you and the horse you road in on
It's fascinating what some people think is an "intelligent argument" nowadays, but I refuse to lower myself to calling others names.
To put your post in perspective, it doesn't matter how old Syria is. The extent of their history does not impact the abuses its people are willing to suffer or the right of the government to kill its own people under the thin facade of fighting terrorism.
Your assertion that you would excise those against the government makes no sense, unless you happen to blatantly support tyranny. To be "against the government" includes peaceful protest, which was how this rebel movement started. To advocate exile for people purely for opposing a government is terrible. No government is above reproach or opposition.
And finally, Libya is doing quite well for a country emerging from civil war that had no institutions or experience with democracy. 4 out of 5 Libyans think their country is headed in the right direction. They can now speak openly without fear of being arrested, and their new government has a mandate (if not the resources) to maintain these freedoms while building a better country. I find every reason to support a Libyan scenario (if not a Libyan-style military intervention).
Syria is a word and a flag. A nation is worthless if it can't adequately serve its people (or in this case, resist KILLING them en masse). I won't end with any crude requests, but you should consider the case from a different perspective than that which you seem vested.
So now that we've killed everybody we want to, we'll go ahead and stop.
Kuddos to the idiots in power that stood by as this happened. You would think that after Hitler, Stalin and the likes, somebody would pull their head out of their arse and learn you cannot reason with an unreasonable person.
Are you suggesting we invade Syria and kill Assad? Have you enlisted yet?
AG99..Just send the seals to kill Assad. No invasion. The creep needs to be DEAD!
It'd be nice if we could swoop in and murder EVERY dictator and war criminal in the world, but reality isn't so clean. If Assad is removed with his power base intact, usually a violent and destructive power struggle ensues. It's not that easy.
All nations of the planet should have convened at the UN to allow foreign intervention in Syria. Syria is for the Syrian people to live in peace and with dignity! But now, they are being slaughtered like pigs and the international community should not allow it! For God´s sake, we live in the 21st century. Especially, in this particular case, the Arab League Nations should act overwhelmingly to cause the fall of those demented murderers Assad, both Bashar and Naher.
By their vote, twice, Russia and China have demonstrated that they too want to have a free hand in their countries to maim, assassinate and jail their nationals, at will. They have plenty of experience in producing dead and mutilated bodies all over their countryside.
With this background, Assad promoted a fake, cynical referendum, on constitutional changes, to make everybody believe that he is the good guy, and that the people of Syria deserve to be slaughtered day after day, with no international reaction in sight.
Of course, all this, also, after recent elections in Yemen where a single candidate, the Vice-president of Saleh, another assassin, ran for reelection; and, of course, won.
And, not a word from the State Department or the majority of chanceries across the world, especially of those countries that consider themselves highly industrialized, super developed, and the world´s guardians of freedom, free democracy, and human rights.
Why doesn´t the International Penal Court seek to investigate and prosecute Assad´s animal behavior, ASP?
Sure, a cease fire is good news, but the assassin himself – Assad – should step down and be tried internationally for crimes against humanity. If this is not an aim of the UN, and the world, they will have failed miserably.
Nice, huh, after 40 years of his family being in power, this stupid animal named Bashar Assad -- all he knows is killing his own people with his country´s army. He´s been president for 11 years, but he has reached the point of no return and should be killed, alongside his family. The referendum should be for his ouster from this planet, period! He´ll surely lose. Lest, of course, in the case of Assad, countries like the UK, where his bitchy wife is from, try to give him asylum. At this point, any type of sectarian violence is better than outright killings by this demented moron and his brother Maher. The Sunni Muslims will in the end prevail, while the Alawite, related to Shiite Islam, will probably be massacred in Syria.
The Royal Saudis, and other blue blooded Arabs, including Assad, and other (assassins) “presidents” of the region´s economies, are not reforming anything in the political arena, like redefining their rules for economic growth in democracy, western-type. They´ll all be kicked out eventually! And, when the population realizes that the West did not help, they´ll surely turn to more fanatic means, engulfing both politics and religion, as in Iran!! Eventually, to protect oil sources the West might have to set up a NO-FLY ZONE all over the Middle East, case by case.
Bashar Al Assad is a despot, demented moron, and murderer – an international shame for the 21st century -- and should be executed quickly by Syria´s (shabiha in rebellion), or foreign, armed forces – the Mossad -- even for the sake of saving their skins if not solely to save Arab lives, while at the same time taking over and installing a temporary military government,, that over a period of 2 years could bring things back to normal. Needless to say, in the process, the armed forces there should be purged of any of Assad´s cronies so that these freedom fights continue for the benefit of the Syrian population.
The only political system that will last forever, so to speak, will be a western style-type democracy. Apparently this truth has been realized by a whole new generation of Syrians educated within and outside of that country. The internet has helped bridge the technological gap and to come to full realization that their young lives were meaningless and had no future with corrupt animals like Assad, in power.
However, Syrians will not have freedom and dignity for a long time. They have to work at it, together with their armed forces that must see their role as only temporary -- 2 years -- until the country´s new institutional basis is set up so that political parties can prosper in peace and without fear. Once this is achieved, elections must be convened so that regional-party political representatives can be elected nationwide with a view to integrating a National Assembly to draft a new Constitution for the country. This would be the beginning of a new future for the Syrian population.
Meanwhile, if captured alive, the military government should prosecute Assad so that the death penalty can be brought to bear on this god forsaken animal, and his family. Their own and family assets, in general, should be confiscated in Syria as well as outside of the country. Those monies belong to the people of Syria.
But more than anything, the world must congratulate the Syrian population for acting with great courage, with their hearts and minds, to try to topple a ruthless and corrupt regime from the face of the earth.
Needless to say many more countries will follow, not only in the Middle East – mainly, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran, etc. -- but also in Latin America, especially in the case of those with presidential lunatics trying to emulate the Cuban political system which under the noses of the USA and the rest of the Americas has failed miserably, i.e., Venezuela and his gorilla Chavez.
In general, the combination of authoritarian rule, high unemployment, poor opportunities for social advancement, demographic youth bulges, low public investment in education and health and other public services, and anger at high levels of corruption, and outright thievery, in the Middle East and North Africa, and in Latin America, will prompt public uprisings that will topple their leaders. Chavez, Assad are definitely in this list after their close friend Gadhafi has moved on to better pastures, in hell! Needless to say, the Cuban government also needs to be overthrown!
Instead, Presidents from these poor, backward economies, that have not even approached the take-off stage in economic development should instead concentrate their public administration efforts in fighting corruption, reducing the size of their inefficient and corrupt public sectors, and increasing public/private investments with the help of the multilateral financial community -- including in the strategic social sectors; i.e., education, health, and basic services – to increase employment.
The UN Security Council should give the OK for NATO to intervene also in Syria, so that these people are not slaughtered like animals by their own army. The intervention at this stage should be humanitarian aid, drones, and light weapons with plenty of ammunition so that these peoples can defend themselves from the butchers of Damascus.
But what can the world do with stupid interventions like the one given NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stating that the alliance had no intention of intervening in Syria, even if there was a UN mandate for this. He also rejected the idea of providing logistical support for possible ‘humanitarian corridors’ to Syria’s worst-hit cities. Rasmussen said that Syria is too complicated, ethnically, politically, and religiously, adding that Middle Eastern countries should find a solution to the conflict.
This very stupid general should resign his post. Rasmussen’s comments are risky, because they could actually give Syrian President Bashar al-Assad even greater confidence to crack down on the opposition, thus making NATO intervention more likely, if Assad uses now even deadlier force, at which point the West would come under rising pressure to intervene.
Get the cowardly generals out of the way, get them some boos and whores, and let them have a war with their cowardly selves.
McCain is right!! Strike the murderers now! In this sense, the USA should at least coordinate a good and final strike against the Syrian government. Hire Mossad??? I mean, so much sh-t is said about the Jews wanting to stop Iran but meanwhile with the Iranians help, Assad is butchering thousands of human beings and Israel just sits idly by.
In the final analysis given the severity of the situation, the UN/NATO should propose that Syria, a sovereign country, transfer its right to national self-determination to an overseer. The UN should argue that given the failure and the criminality of the Syrian state, UN and NATO members have the power and moral right to suspend the principle of national self-determination. In other words, Syria should be taken over by the rest of the world to stop the mass assassinations being conducted there by Bashar Assad.
More than TEN THOUSAND SYRIANS HAVE ALREADY DIED in their fight for LIBERTY!
And the rest of the world, especially her neighbors, should not allow it!
@ German
Guess what genius and all the others that are talking the same gigantic load of BS like you. It is not our issue, it is not for the USA to go and get involved. We are not the guardians of freedom and the spreaders of liberity. If they want democracy then they must take it for their own. Why do you people always think it is the USA and other western countries responsiblities to free the world? If you are so gun ho about it then start a group of people like yourselves and go over there and help those people fight for their freedom. But you won't, you want soldiers like me to go over there and fight, get wounded or die for other people. Cowards like you are a waste of the air you breathe. Here is something that pretty much describes what is going on with the USA because people like you want us to be the fighters for everybodies freedom.
"America, with the same voice which spoke herself into existence as a nation, proclaimed to mankind the inextinguishable rights of human nature, and the only lawful foundations of government. America, in the assembly of nations, since her admission among them, has invariably, though often fruitlessly, held forth to them the hand of honest friendship, of equal freedom, of generous reciprocity." See there German and ones like you, I'll put it in bold for you America, with the same voice which spoke herself into existence." We spoke for our own freedom and got our own freedom.
She has uniformly spoken among them, though often to heedless and often to disdainful ears, the language of equal liberty, of equal justice, and of equal rights.
She has, in the lapse of nearly half a century, without a single exception, respected the independence of other nations while asserting and maintaining her own.
"She has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings, as to the last vital drop that visits the heart. She has seen that probably for centuries to come, all the contests of that Aceldama the European world, will be contests of inveterate power, and emerging right. Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be." Again in bold for you She has abstained from interference in the concerns of others even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings. We should not interfere with other nations it is not our battle and it is not our place to jump in and be the freedom bringers. Whereever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. This is all that we should do, wish them the best, pray that they may be successful in taking out their oppressive leader and have a democracy one day.
"But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example. She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force.... She might become the dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit...." Our great nation should not go abroad, to take out these monsters of leaders, again we should be the well-wisher, we need to worry about ourselves, and make sure our voice and our country will go on for another 200 years. Look what happens when we enlist ourselves into fighting for other nations, we turn the world against us, that we are the police of the world that is being ordered by another nation or nations to do their bidding, and that is what the world is seeing, they no longer see us as a nation of liberty but now as a destructive force and a dictatress trying to impose our way of life on everybody else.
"America’s glory is not dominion, but liberty. Her march is the march of the mind. She has a spear and a shield: but the motto upon her shield is, Freedom, Independence, Peace. This has been her Declaration: this has been, as far as her necessary intercourse with the rest of mankind would permit, her practice." Let our spear and shield be for us, when and if we need to defend our nation and it's people against an outside threat. So again I say, if you want somebody to go in there and fight to take this guy out, by all means create a group, arm yourselves and go over there and fight for the cause that you say the rest of the world is too cowardly to fight for. Put yourself on the front lines, back up the words you speak, lead by example. I don't know how else to tell you, that before you start calling people and nations cowards, stop being one yourself.
No, McCain is a big reason why we're in these quagmires in the Middle East and Central Asia to begin with. He's dead wrong, and so are you.
Are you that desperate for World War 3? Because that's what will happen here for we all know China, Iran, India and Russia will get involved and side with the Syrian regime.
Like TRH said, feel free to go suit up, hop on the next plane to Homs or Damascus and straighten everything out over there if you're that passionate about it. I will NOT sacrifice MY son, or ANYONE ELSE'S, or ANY young wife's husband here to do the dirty work of people who hate us THERE. Not for a bunch of primitive, ingrate barbarians who will only turn around and elect MORE oppressive puppet dictators to fill the vacuum. Sorry, pal. NO SALE. "Spread democracy around the world"? My a$$.
Talk about cowards TRH86, what about SS Bales? Chum!
Prosecution ONLY if the SS Bales is charged….(?). C´mon, grow up! Bales should be sentenced to die for his crimes. Thirteen of the seventeen victims were children.
Thus, Karzai realized that if USA troops were allowed to roam the countryside, hopping from village to village, one of the outcomes of that might be rapes and assassinations of women and children… that, nevertheless, later on, go unpunished… as in the case of the killings in Panjwai district, by SS Bales. Add to this the disgrace of pissing on corpses, out of sheer frustration and cowardness, plus burning the Quran, and you have the vital ingredients that indicate troop fatigue, frustration, and failure.
The war is over, even if US troops don´t leave Afghanistan! And, guess who´s winning?
Let´s just leave; let´s get the hell out of Afghanistan before they throw us out! For one thing, Panetta – someone who sells bread -- should´ve never come down to Afghanistan. C'mon, the Secretary of Defense asking the marines to disarm before his speech? [The truck driver accused of trying to crash against VIPs, attending the ceremony, or even Panetta (I doubt it!) probably worked for the CIA. The whole thing was a setup to show security breaches where there were none. All made up to make Panetta look like a hero, and in some sense justify Bales´ actions]. I guess he wanted everyone to believe they were gonna go bang, bang, against his fat little lunatic humanity.
In addition, we have acted out this murderous event as complete unprofessional cowards that should have respected the Afghan people sufficiently, instead of allowing that sick, drunk, brain injured serial killer, SS Bales, to leave the country. This issue should have been dealt with immediately, with the death penalty being handed down on this SS, and of course having him executed publicly by firing squad. The rest is baloney. This unprofessional manner of handling our events at war means we will surely lose this one, and we better get the hell out, like the Russians did, before they kick us out!!
Paying them off now is not the American way!
Maybe the SS in question was a Republican in an election year? Wow!! Or, the disarmed marines favor Romney´s election and could not be trusted? Ha, Ha, Ha! Panetta should get his sh-t together!
Convict and execute the serial killer, ASP!
But, in any case, you should go in the lecture circuit, and if I attend, I´ll pay you ten bucks to listen to your non interventionist BS! Okay?
@German
Again you want to call people cowards? I've served my nation, I have deployments as an 11B for you hippies that would be infantry. There is no evidence that SSgt Bales did it, all he said was I did it when he came back to the FOB. Did what? What did he do? After that he remaind silent and was taken away. So in my country, you are innocent until proven guilty. What I stated about no attacks being done is true. Many times over there when our enemy gained a step in a village and engaged us, when we took them out and yes there would be civilian losses, the people in the village would not allow the enemy to return, or they would tell us where they are at. They respect power, it's in their beliefs. But for a hippie like you, saying that American soldiers would go over ther and rape, pillage their towns sounds like you either were alive during the 60s and 70s as a hippie or you came out of a hippie. So again COWARD if you are so much better then us soldiers, and you think you can do a better job, grab your crap and go over there be a better soldier, be a better person then them and I. If you believe so strongly about Syria, gather a bunch of COWARDS like yourself, suit up and go fight for their freedom. Don't expect other people to do what you want, when you can't do it yourself. If I speak at a lecture circuit, I'll make sure to give you an invite, make sure you bring those ten dollars, so you don't miss the part where I take it and shove it up your A#$.
I have to agree with Medvedev. However; he makes it sound so simple. It is never simple! The rebels have, and will continue to pay! This is no win for them.
Syrian incursions into Lebonon could lead to Israeli intervention like in the 1980's. Hopefully it won't happen. We don't need anymore powder kegs ready to blow.
give it a week....
Well, as much as the UN may have failed in the past. It seems that it might have a better future if it is allowed to function as it should. Now lets us pray that this can be worked out and the slaughter stops. If it doesn't then the principles must make a big decision!