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Zac Baillie / AFP - Getty Images
A Syrian rebel covers a fellow fighter carrying the body of his brother, killed during a battle in the Saif al-Dawla district of Syria's northern city of Aleppo, amid heavy street fighting between opposition and government forces on August 29, 2012.
ISTANBUL — I called an old friend the other day, dialing the number somewhat sheepishly. He’s a senior adviser to the Iraq government and I knew what to expect when he answered.
First, he reprimanded me for not calling enough and hardly visiting. I’ve been away too long. You can’t do that, not to your friends. What’s so difficult about calling? he asked.
I apologized, asked about his children, his health, if he’s having success in quitting smoking, and offered the only excuse I could think of: "I’ve been busy with the Arab Spring."
"The Arab Spring?" he said. "What’s that? There’s no Arab Spring anymore. That’s over. It is now a big struggle for power."
He may have been acting like an insistent grandmother, but he was right. The Arab Spring is over. The days of the protesters with laptops and BlackBerrys in Tahrir Square are long gone.
Instead, a much bigger struggle is underway, one that goes back centuries that is both a regional battle for dominance and an epic tug of war between Sunnis and Shiites for control of the Middle East and the Prophet Muhammad's legacy.
The front line is now in Syria, where the United Nations says more than 20,000 people have been killed since pro-democracy protests started in March 2011.
But it goes back, at least in very modern history, at least to Iraq — and America shares a large part of the responsibility for reopening this Pandora’s Box.
Roots in Iraq
A major factor in the rise of the present struggle came when American troops invaded Iraq in 2003, thus pitting Sunnis against their rival Shiites, who many Sunnis think are effectively infidels who turned against Islamic leaders about 1,400 years ago and have been on the wrong side of Allah’s path since then.
For decades, Saddam and his Sunni minority had imposed their will on Iraq, carrying on a 14-century tradition of Sunnis controlling Mesopotamia despite a Shiite majority. Not surprisingly, in most Sunni regions there has little appetite for free U.S.-sponsored elections. They knew they would end up being ruled by their enemies.
And that’s what happened. Essentially, the lasting legacy of America’s involvement in Iraq is an Iranian-allied Shiite government that also happens to be one of the most corrupt on the planet. (Iran is the biggest and most powerful Shiite-majority nation.)
Reuters
Iran's religious breakdown by Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Iran is 89 percent Shiite Muslim and approximately 10 percent Sunni. But the rest of the region is predominately Sunni Muslim. There are more than 1 billion Sunnis worldwide, making up 87-90 percent of the global Muslim population. Click on the map to see a larger version.
The Shiites were, of course, delighted. I remember the moment U.S. troops left their last base in southern Iraq in December 2011. The Iraqis changed its name as the Americans rolled out the gate. It had been called Camp Adder; the Iraqis renamed it 'the Imam Ali base,' after the patriarch of Shiite Islam.
The Shiites — in both Iraq and Iran — won, and won big.
President George W. Bush, in his now-rare public appearances and interviews, still refuses to acknowledge he did anything to help Iran. But it doesn’t really matter what he thinks. The 200 million people in the Middle East understand that there is a new reality — and that’s what they are battling about now.
Iraqi Sunnis are still seething — and sometimes fighting — in their stronghold cities of Ramadi and Fallujah. They can’t accept what they consider the tragedy that has befallen their community and don’t understand even now why Washington sent troops across the Atlantic and Indian oceans to help Iran expand a buffer zone beyond its borders.
Enter al-Qaida, a radical Sunni group
Back in the Iraq war days, al-Qaida, a radical Sunni group, saw an opportunity to expand. Al-Qaida militants flowed to Iraq to help fellow Sunnis fight Iran, Shiites and the Americans who were propping them up. But al-Qaida got more than it bargained for. The U.S. troops were tougher than al-Qaida expected. American forces learned guerilla tactics in Iraq. They built bigger, stronger vehicles to defeat car bombs and IEDs. U.S. troops, much to al-Qaida surprise and dismay, moved at night, dropped men from helicopters like spiders and blasted militant safe houses into kindling.
Al-Qaida made another mistake too. It misbehaved in Iraq and abused its hosts, fellow Sunni tribesmen. Al-Qaida forgot it was a guest and abandoned its manners. Al-Qaida killed Sunni tribesmen because they weren’t fundamentalist enough. The wild-eyed militants flogged Sunnis in Ramadi and Fallujah for minor infractions like taking off their pants to swim in the Euphrates. It was hardly the behavior of someone who’s claiming to help.
The Americans eventually used al-Qaida’s misbehavior against the group, forming a militia of Sunnis who were fed up with the fanatics, often referred to as the "Sons of Iraq." Al-Qaida lost in Iraq and the Shiite government won. Iran won, too.
After the Shiites came to power in Baghdad, Iran suddenly had access to Iraq’s holy Shiite cities of Najaf and Karbala. Iran increased tourism and business ties with its new Shiite-controlled neighbor. The majority of passengers now arriving and departing from Baghdad International Airport are from Iran.
Photo Blog: Portraits from the front line: Syrian rebels pose in Aleppo
Syria, Lebanon, Hezbollah
Of course, it isn’t tourism that is on the minds of concerned observers of the Middle East. Rather, it is another Shiite government — just to the northwest of Iraq —the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
In fact, the Assad family isn’t actually Shiite, but Alawite, a secretive Shiite-linked offshoot that makes up just about 13 percent of the population. There’s also a sizable Christian community. Iran has effectively adopted the Alawites into the family by forging a long-standing alliance with Assad and — before him — his father, Hafez, who ruled Syria from 1971-1990.
Reuters
A breakdown of religious groups in Syria. Approximately 70 percent of Syria's population is Sunni Muslim. About 3 percent are Shiite, but another 12.8 percent are Alawite, a Shiite offshoot that President Bashar al-Assad follows. Click on the map to see a larger version.
And, moving further west from Syria, there’s Lebanon. Lebanon is a mixed basket if there ever was one. It’s Sunni in the north, Christian in the middle and Shiite in the south, with each making up about a third of the population. As any Lebanese person will tell you, it’s a volatile mix that has produced a lively culture, fantastic food, attractive people — and recurring cycles of civil war.
Topping the heap in Lebanon are the Shiites, emboldened by their powerful and skilled militia, Hezbollah. Hezbollah is heavily armed and has thousands of rockets pointed at Israel. The weapons mostly come from Iran through Syria or from Syria itself. In addition, Hezbollah runs a powerful social network. It can collapse the Lebanese government when it chooses.
France sends aid, cash to rebel-held Syrian cities, source says
So, there we have it. The previously isolated Shiite regime in Iran is emboldened by the emergence of a Shiite-dominated government in Iraq. In reaction, the Sunni world becomes concerned about the upstart Shiite powers, complete with their considerable oil resources and weaponry.
The region, already a tinderbox, becomes primed for a power struggle.
At the same time, there is the matter of religious pride and a sense of being in the right. In the Muslim world, the Sunnis are the big players. There are more than 1 billion Sunnis worldwide — making up 87-90 percent of the world’s total Muslim population, according to the Pew Research Center. By comparison, Shiites are a relatively small group, there are just about 150-200 million Shiites in the world, with about 75 percent living in just four countries: Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and India, according to Pew.
For the world’s Sunni Muslims, there is a certain confidence, perhaps even arrogance, that comes with having a billion friends.
NBC's Richard Engel, who has just returned from his third trip inside Syria, since the uprising began, joins Andrea Mitchell Reports to discuss the situation on the ground.
Arab Spring shake-up
At first, the current unrest was unrelated to the Sunni-Shiite divide. The first eruption came in Tunisia, which exploded in protests in December 2010. Then came Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen.
The region’s dictators were caught off guard by student demonstrators who had mobile communications that government security forces couldn’t track or monitor. The students could organize flash mobs. They could communicate directly with hundreds of millions of supporters though social media.
The Arab regimes in 2011 in many ways were legacies of Israel’s victories in 1948 and 1967. Faced with the catastrophic defeats, military strongmen grew in power. Over time they become corrupt. By 2011, most Arab governments were brutal, uncreative and thoroughly uninspiring.
In Tunisia, lawyers, students and women’s groups protested in because of the country’s secret prisons and because the former president’s wife was taking a cut of nearly everyone’s business.
The Egyptian regime was similarly ossified and out of touch. Hosni Mubarak had been an effective president in his early years and relatively popular. But by the time protests began in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, he was 82 years old, his military cohorts and family had become increasingly corrupt, he had been president for nearly three decades, and he was insistent that his bland son take over from him.
The Arab Spring put the Middle East back in flux — and, encapsulated by the current situation in Syria — put religious divides back in the spotlight.
The rise of religious tensions started in Egypt, where the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood — a Sunni organization — mobilized and easily hijacked the 2011 revolution started by liberals, anarchists, socialists, students, artists and techno-nerds who were joined by millions of the unemployed and disenfranchised. Sunni Islamists, albeit moderate, took over in Tunisia, too.
Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
After months of protests and violent crackdowns, a look back at the violence that has overtaken the country.
But it is Syria that has become the epicenter of the historic battle between Sunnis and Shiites. And Lebanon will probably follow.
I spoke with a rebel in Syria about a month ago who explained the religious calculation.
"We lost Iraq to the Shiites and Iran. We’re going to take Syria for us," he said.
Nearly all of the rebels in Syria are Sunnis and the fighting in Syria remains almost exclusively in Sunni areas. Alawite areas remain generally supportive of the Assad regime and therefore haven’t been attacked by the central government. The worst massacres have taken place in Sunni villages that are surrounded by Alawite towns.
The rebels claim the Alawites want to drive out Sunnis from their areas to make pure Alawite blocks for self-defense in case they lose the war and are hunted. Although the rebels say they want to create a Sunni-led government, which they promise will be open and democratic, this isn’t Tahrir Square anymore. It’s not even close.
Iran-Syria alliance
The Syrian government has long found Iran and Hezbollah to be useful allies. Iran is technologically advanced and offers a big market for Syrian goods. Hezbollah is a sword Damascus can wave over Israel's head, and a way to maintain influence in Lebanon, which Syria claims (with some reason) was historically part of Syria before the horribly planned British and French division of the Middle East during and after World War I.
U.S. officials: Iran supplying Syrian military via Iraqi airspace
But war changes the dynamics between allies. As Assad’s grip on power weakens, Iran and Hezbollah’s position in Syria grows stronger. The tail is starting to wag the dog. Iranian and Hezbollah advisers are becoming increasingly dominant in Syria.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spoke out publicly about Iran’s increasing presence in Syria last month.
"There’s now an indication that they’re trying to develop or trying to train a militia within Syria to be able to fight on behalf of the regime," Panetta said at a Pentagon news briefing. "So we are seeing a growing presence by Iran and that is of deep concern to us."
In Syria, I saw evidence of Hezbollah’s influence at an army outpost that the rebels had just taken over. Rebels claimed there were 20 Hezbollah fighters in the outpost. They said that they occupied their own room and fought to the death. I saw boxes of unpacked Hezbollah flags.
It’s no longer a situation where Hezbollah is just providing arms and intelligence, but appears to have mobilized and is fighting alongside Syrian forces.
Youssef Boudlal / Reuters
Free Syrian Army fighters from Qadissiya Brigade detain two Syrian army soldiers in the El Amriyeh neighbourhood of Syria's northwestern city of Aleppo in Sept. 4, 2012.
And al-Qaida is also trying to make up for lost time. Its leader is dead and Afghanistan and Pakistan aren’t as safe as they used to be. Even Yemen is unsafe with increasing American drone strikes. Al-Qaida trying to do in Syria what it failed to accomplish in Iraq. Al-Qaida has learned from its Iraq’s experience. Sensing an opening, al-Qaida fighters are going into Syria offering money and arms to the rebels, their Sunni brothers.
They are going in politely, or at least as politely as al-Qaida can be. They are offering rebels cash with no strings attached, at first. Initial payments tend to be small, around $5,000. It is tiny sum in a war zone, but enough to give strapped rebel units a taste of what’s to come. They also have RPGs, the weapon rebel commanders seem to value above all others.
After taking a few payments, according to rebels who’ve seen this process, al-Qaida fighters — from Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Chechnya and other countries — ask that the rebels receive some of their men. An increasingly number of rebels commanders are taking the deal, even though they worry what al-Qaida could ask for in the future.
They reason that it’s better to take the support than die with nothing. Without American troops to worry about — not even drones —Syria could prove to be a far better base for al-Qaida than Iraq ever was.
What’s next?
What happens if Washington continues to watch from afar?
Well, Syria is likely to become an even bigger battleground for a proxy war between Hezbollah, Sunni rebels, government troops, Iran and al-Qaida. And once Syria collapses — or even before — Lebanon could ignite as well.
My Iraqi friend was right. The Arab Spring no longer exists.
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Leave a Comment:
There never was an "Arab Spring". "Arab Spring" is the colorful and romantic title the Western Media gave to a series of Western instigated uprisings and insurrections--some of which failed, or are in the process of failing. The massive Western military intervention in Libya overthrew that government, not the Libyans themselves, and the lack of such support is the reason the Syrian revolt is failing.
This saddens me greatly in most part for all the families (think of ALL the small children, babies, mothers, displaced and killed!!!) and countless lives lost in the Middle East, not just Syria but Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait etc. These are a very troubled people's stuck in a vicious and violent ignorant cycle of destruction amongst themselves! When will it stop???? Not realizing that they are all one and the same hating eachother insteading helping one another. What a shame! I have met countless displaced people from the Middle East due to turmoil in their countries and having lost their homes and fleeing in fear. Imagine how those grounds cry out due the blood of so many innocent people shed. I pray these people come to a collective peaceful sense and toss out that mentality of prideful destruction out the window which is destroying them all.
How much of this Sunni-Shiite rivalry have we imported via immigration ? It sounds like the Hatfield-McCoy feud...they just can't let go of it.
So, at the start and end of the day, what we are witnessing is a civil religious war between Shiites and Sunnis, that won't end until there's a last man standing. It looks to be in our favor if we just let them duke it out. It looks no worst than Catholics and protestants warring in in the U.K. for decades upon decades. All of these people are no more than proxies of Syrian, Iranian, European, Asian, and whoever is willing to invest in the whole sale killing of people; who don't know any better; that, they are being used.
Question: How can people, who pray to the same God, at least five times a day, turn right around in the next moment and kill his brothers and sisters of the same faith, because some body got a little twisted decades ago?
It seems to be a mass manipulation of the masses by the powers to be; and their cronies. It's no more than a sick minded, game of wills; at the expense, of the ignorant.
ok wingnuts put your spin on that story and blame Obama.
W will be with us for a very long time
Obama 2012 Moving Forward
... and so lamentably, these peoples have traded temporal tyranny for ... spiritual tyranny ... one and the same. The most dreadful part is that millions in our own nation seem hell bent on ushering in a spiritual tyranny here ... and we do not mean a Muslim theocracy, either .. we mean one ostensibly in the name of Christianity ...
Meanwhile, in the south:
So what happens next? Hezbollah firing thousands if Iranean-supplied missiles from Hezbollahstan (formerly Lebanon) into Israel while Hamas fires the rockets smuggled in from their friends in Sinai and Syria fires rockets containing biological/chemical elements into Israel (as well as into Turkey) as well.
Another fine day in the Middle East!
this religious crap is going to be the ruin of the earth. they will all know one day there is NOTHING!
There were voices from at home and all over the world that told the Cheney/Bush Neo-Con administration what would happen - that they would be overreaching with no realistic hope of achieving even the simplest of their ever-changing stated goals for intervention in Iraq (not to mention the cost of taking our eye off the ball in Afghanistan). Here are some quotes from one such American:
"It is also a fact that America is too democratic at home to be autocratic abroad. This limits the use of America's power, especially its capacity for military intimidation. Never before has a populist democracy attained international supremacy. But the pursuit of power is not a goal that commands popular passion, except in conditions of a sudden threat or challenge to the public's sense of domestic well-being. The economic self-denial (that is, defense spending) and the human sacrifice (casualties, even among professional soldiers) required in the effort are uncongenial to democratic instincts. Democracy is inimical to imperial mobilization." The Grand Chessboard (1997)
"The mistakes of the Iraq war are not only tactical and strategic, but historical. It is essentially a war of colonialism, attempted in the post-colonial age." – The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, January 11, 2007.
"[President George W. Bush] has a vision which can be described with two other words: Manichaean paranoia ... the notion that he is leading the forces of good against the empire of evil, that in that setting, the fact that we are morally superior justifies us committing immoral acts. And that is a very dangerous posture for the country that is the number one global power. ... The fact is he squandered our credibility, our legitimacy, and even respect for our power." – The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, March 14, 2007.
"I think on the domestic front, there's one issue that is dear to my heart because it is related to foreign policy, though it may not strike you as necessary as the most important. In terms of socioeconomic conditions, it may not be the most important. And that is education, public education about the world. The fact is we are a democracy. We can only conduct a foreign policy that the public supports. The public in America is woefully ignorant about the world. And our educational system has failed to correct that, and I have to say that in recent years our presidents have not done what is needed," - The Morning Joe, January 24, 2012.
- Zbigniew Brzezenski
We have become vassals in a new empire of greed throough our ignorance. With instant access to facts, we have been willingly ignorant, unlike the Middle Ages...God help us and our children for choosing to return to a Dark Age. Maybe George Bush (or rather, the Supreme Court) actually was the the right hand of God, and Barack Obama his left. Maybe we actually are going to see a battle of Armageddon soon. In the meantime, how can we overcome the two-party mentality and money that bought us this situation? How do we explain to our kids that were born the best time (for the most people) in the history of man, that the greatest country in history allowed itself to be scared into chasing the bait right into the trap it had laid for us? Where do we point them for the future?
The writer of this article is very interesting. Has no problem blaming President Bush (and mentioning by name in the article), but leaves out our current President's name and lack of action when reviewing the current situation. NBC= slanted reporting, be careful when you read their stuff..........
Because they told BUSH this would happen idiot. They told him not to do it and he went anyway. Then they told him they need minimum of 500,000 boots on the ground to fight and he screwed up again. NBC bias or moron with a short memory?
Let's see....Iran and Hezbollah and the Syrian government on one side, al-Qaida and Muslim rebels on the other side. Hmmm
I say we let them duke it out and figure it out on their own....can't see putting Americans in harms way for either of those groups of people....and since the rebels are accepting help from al-Qaida, I HOPE the US doesn't rush in to help them....they are making their own bed, let them sleep in it.
First off, this is the best explanation of the current Mideast problems that I have read. As an American and essentially an agnostic of Christian values, I must now ask, NOW WHAT? I blame the Iraqi debacle on Sadam Hussein. That lunatic deserved exactly what he got, but it is too bad that we did not divide Iraq into three sectors and swiftly exit years ago. Islam is more than a religion; it is an outmoded, all encompassing way of living that will distroy all caught in it's crazy values. We cannot sprinkle our Western values upon this region and expect that it will somehow bring some semblance of sanity to this world which refuses to face reality and eject 700 years of Islam's lunatic embrace. Sad as 9-11 was, it has enforced a conviction upon the vast majority of Americans that Islam is now recognized for the danger it represents. No amount of "PC liberal thinking" by our corruptible political leaders will permit this threat, Islam, to ever gain acceptance here. PERIOD!
Like I said before 40 years of failed right wing polices abroad. This is proof of why these idiots should not be aloud back in office. Good job good old boys you have just created a bigger enemy to fight. Once they have gotten what they want they will turn their sites on America!
Great explanation of the religious aspect of the political power struggles of the region. Seems the smarter move is to side w/ the Shiites over the Sunnis who are inline and backed up by the Al Qaida nutjobs.
I wonder how the oil, drugs and weapons "warlords"/"barons"/"dealers" power aspirations are woven into the geo-political and religious "civil" war in the Middle East
this is crazy
There will ALWAYS be war in the Middle East. Always.
"Arab Spring" is all about letting the Muslim clerics run the middle east instead of the "elected" governments. So...Iran VS. Saddam Hussein-type military dictatorship. The military dictatorships are brutal, but Islam is far more brutal. Hope they all got what they wanted... now they will have Sharia law instead of military law.
Both are failed concepts, but Islam doesn't hold elections. Iran has elections? Sure...sure they do. Stalin held elections. Saddam held elections? Oh, right. Then they all do what they want.
Gird your loins for another round of executions and clitorectomies, girls. Whoever wins.
Surprisingly knowledgeable piece... most 'experts' have no clue that the Sunni-Shia divide is the background to all this.
The 'Arab Spring' was never about the Arab people demanding a secular democracy, though. (And is ours such a good example? Why would they want to imitate the U.S. or European systems, when they're in decay and their own people aren't happy with them?) Anyway, when the Egyptians began protesting, they were mostly not 'liberals'. They were Egyptians from every walk of life, and from a range of opinions, who were demanding nothing more than getting rid of Hosni Mubarak. The idea that they all supported the media-savvy Facebook liberals was always a fiction. Remember when thousands prayed behind Dr. Yusuf Qaradawi in Tahrir Square, and Wael whats-his-name was furious because he couldn't get on the stage? The people were demanding an Islamic government. Why does anyone think that they elected a majority of 'Islamists' to the Parliament and an Islamist President (even after they disqualified the most popular 'Islamists')? It wasn't because the Facebook liberals weren't organized enough; it was because that's what the majority of people want.
Also, that graphic that shows the Sunnis and Shia... it shows the entire populated area of Kuwait being Shia, which is certainly not accurate.
I have no idea why the jerks in DC can't keep their noses out of other peoples business. Across the pond the Iraqies & people in that region have been at each other's throats since bibical times. If in doubt, read the bible. Anyways, do you think just because the good old US government walking in & setting up shop and having God knows how many of our young men killed or wounded over there is going to change how these people think. When we pulled out it was going to revert back to business as usual. Those people took what they could off of us while we were there. Now, they are at each other's throats as usual. Just what in the heck did we change?
Most of Arab Spring was Obama inspired. He used the NGO's(Non Government Organisations) and cooperation of Google and social media to undermine the dictators we have paid off for the security of Israel. Israel is now totally surrounded by uncontrolled angry mobs. All hail Obama The Deceitful. Vote Romney you foolish Zionists or Israel is done.
islam is as islam does. Their "prophet" mohamat is like Jerry Sandusky in many ways, but without the skill as a coach.
Human History is the history of the evolution of war.
War never solved the problem it claimed to solve; in fact it created more problems to start a new war in the coming years.
wwı is a good example.
This so called "President" is one of the masterminds of this whole take-over.
Egypt- Mubarak's "crime" was to be cracking down HARD on the muslim brotherhood and extremists in general. BTW, for those that don't know the history, it was extremists that killed Anwar Sadat. So, it was in Mubarak's interest (and, quite frankly, Egypt's interest) to round up these people. Extremists don't "round up" so easily- so there were many armed confrontations and extensive use of the secret police. The bottom line here is that Mubarak was keeping the extremists in check.
Libya- ah, everyone loves to hate on a "bad guy". Reagan had to whoop this guy Muammar Gaddafi because he challenged American resolve with his "line of death". Ever since then, he's been the "bad guy", right? Well, not exactly..... You see, Gaddafi, in his old age, realized that you can get more bees with honey than vinegar. And, funny enough, Gaddafi ALSO was keeping the muslim brotherhood and their extremism under control. Gaddafi had become a moderate and was working to earn Libya's freedom from the sanctions list- imposed by the US. He was trying to be a "good boy", but he had to deal with these violent (and heavily armed!!) extremists.
Why is Obama at fault? Obama left Mubarak hanging while his muslim brotherhood buddies took over Egypt. Now what was once a moderate government has been HANDED OVER to extremists....thanks Obummer.
Libya, whose leader was working to impress the United States and earn his country's release from our sanctions, is now in the hands of extremists. Anyone that believes this crap about the protest being over a movie is deluded. muslims will use any excuse to justify their violence. The attack was PLANNED. Do you really believe that it was a coincidence that it happened on 9-11? Funny how on the aniversary of 9-11, under this new and improved (sarcasm!) Libyan government, our consulate is attacked and our Ambassador and several other Americans are killed. Way to go Obummer- you really got that one right too.
SYRIA- so that leaves us with Syria. First of all, don't be so quick to jump on Asad's a$$. The man was educated in the UK and was working there as an opthamologist. This is no Uday Hussein here (spoiled, evil spawn of Saddam Hussein- he was a murderer, rapist, and all around sick and demented man that enjoyed torturing and killing people for his personal pleasure). Asad's assention to power wasn't the normal route either. The man was awakened in his UK home one night and told to come to Syria immediately. It seems his brother (who took power after the death of their father) wrapped his car around a tree several times. He spent the next several years in the political arena and military- eventually becoming the President of Syria. He was elected to this office with a HUGE majority of the vote. (you're probably wondering wtf does any of this have to do with this article, huh?) Syria is less than the size of Texas, so imagine (if you will) a group of extremists trying to undermine the Governor of Texas. We sent a huge, heavily armed, force to Waco to disarm and take into custody a certain cult leader- you should know how that turned out. Asad is also in a battle to keep the extremists from tearing his country apart. Funny how these guys suddenly show up with tons of weapons and Asad is the bad guy? Don't believe everything you hear- hell, don't believe me -learn for yourself. Don't hand pick your sources. Don't let others tell you what sources are "good" and which ones aren't.
Obummer needs to either support Asad or don't interfere (and keep others from interfering as well). If he lets Asad fall, that will be the third country in 2 years that the muslim brotherhood has overthrown....do you really believe: 1. they are our friends? 2. they will stop at Syria? 3. they have good intentions? 4. they don't deal with terrorists? (that is kinda silly, they are terrorists)
Think about it.
Syria is more about a struggle between Shiites and Sunnis. The Sunnis, those fighting the government, are tied to Saudi Arabia, where the Shiites are tied to the Iranians. The only reason we are supporting the Sunnis is because of Saudia Arabia. The Russian's involvement is tied to an oil deal with Syria and the fact that they have base at Tartus. If there is an all out war with the Shiites and Sunnis, then this war would engulf the Middle East, Northern Africa and Indonesia. What do you think would happen to oil prices in an all out Shiite, Sunni war?