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Subscribe to RSSAn attack by Syrian fighter jets kills at least 25 in a Damascus mosque, opposition activists say, hours after the deputy foreign minister tells Channel 4 News the government is not targeting civilians. Warning: This report contains some distressing images.
BEIRUT -- Syria's longtime vice president said Sunday that his regime and the rebels are both going down a losing path after 21 months of civil war, a rare admission by a top government official that President Bashar Assad's victory is unlikely.
Martyn Hayhow / AFP - Getty Images, file
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara'a, pictured in this Oct. 18, 2004 file photo of a press conference in London.
The comments by Farouk al-Sharaa came as an Islamist faction of Syrian rebels captured an infantry base in the northern city of Aleppo, and Syrian warplanes blasted a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, killing eight people and wounding dozens, activists said.
Sharaa, a Sunni Muslim in a power structure dominated by Assad's Alawite minority, has rarely appeared in public since the revolt erupted in March 2011.
Al-Sharaa told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar that neither the rebels nor the Assad regime can "decide the battle militarily." It appeared to be an attempt to show that the rebels are not the solution to the Syria conflict, and their victory might bring chaos to the country.
PhotoBlog - Destruction and resistance: Window into war-torn Syria
Balancing that, he said the Assad regime "cannot achieve change."
The solution to the conflict must come from within Syria, al-Sharaa said, adding that any political settlement "must include stopping all types of violence, and the creation of a national unity government with wide powers."
It was far from clear that Sharaa's comments represented the view of the government.
But he is still the most prominent figure to say in public that the crackdown will not win. The paper, which generally takes a pro-Assad line, said Sharaa had been speaking in Damascus.
Excerpts of the interview were posted on Al-Akhbar's English-language website late Sunday. The full interview will be published on Monday, the newspaper said.
War in the capital
In the first phase of the 21-month-old civil war, which has claimed at least 40,000 lives, Damascus was distant from the fighting.
The ancient, once-bustling city has been devastated by war and even health clinics are forced to operate in secrecy to avoid being bombed. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
Rebels have now brought the war to the capital, without succeeding in delivering a fatal blow to the government.
Assad regime losing control of Syria to rebels, his key ally Russia says
The Assad regime has long rejected Western involvement in the civil war and has called for talks with the opposition. Most rebel groups refuse to meet with Assad, demanding his removal from power before laying down their arms.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed an order that sends Patriot missiles to NATO ally Turkey to defend its border with Syria. The US will also deploy about 400 Americans to operate the missiles. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
Last week more than 100 nations, including the U.S., recognized the new Syrian opposition council as the legitimate representative of the country, a boost for the opposition forces that have been bombing regime targets in and around Damascus, once an impregnable stronghold of the Assad regime.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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"Syria's longtime vice president said Sunday that his regime and the rebels are both going down a losing path after 21 months of civil war"
Let us be clear here.
We have NO ROLES IN SUNNIS AND SHIITES RELIGIOUS BATTLES ON WHOSE ALLAH IS GREATER.
NO ROLES IN SYRIA.
REMOVE SANCTIONS ON IRANIAN OIL TO WEAKEN OUR ENEMY NO. 1 House of Saud and its version of SUNNIs and to reduce our economic problems.
House of Saud and other Sunni rulers of like Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and some more invented, funded and exported extremist Sunni versions like Salaffi and Wahhabi and their hater and killer fronts like al Qaida, MB, Taliban, Hamas and others operating under different labels are in seventh century desert mindset days.
Iranian inspired Shiites are in tenth century desert mindset days! Hezbollah comes under their patronage.
Against us, they will all join hands. Christians of Lebanon witnessed them!
Followers of Islamic cult, especially House of Saud and other Sunni ME rulers inspired and funded Sunni Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB, Taliban and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
They are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Libya, Yemen, Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places).
In Egypt, the Sunni extremists with labels like Salaffi and MB (Muslim Blood hounds) are opening up new chapters of Islamic bigotry. Morsi is just a front for them.
Just watch the fate of Christians, women and Israel as the time goes by.
Even in Syria, if Assad is overthrown by Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like al-Qaida, MB, the conditions of Christians will be unbearable just like Iraq.
Pakis and Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and other Sunni Arab League nations are responsible for 80 percent of world problems including economic ones. Examine the devastations with Iraqi wars and now sanctions on Iranian oil and the resultant oil price manipulations.
An insane comment!
hooky39: If one had opposed Iraqi wars, insane comments like yours would have been common. Some would have beaten those opposing Iraqi wars!
When Iraqi war of 2003 getting tough, many vanished and some started the chorus: withdraw; we have no roles in Iraq; and some started planning how to withdraw/run!
Similar things have started on Afghan war!
Some insane have not learnt lessons even after the recent worst Benghazi incident and don't know how to run also!
They forgot Somalia, Lebanon and other major setbacks earlier!
Some never learn except to make insane comments!
spoken like a true member of the religion of piece...not peace....
gm Tramp
Good luck forming a "national unity government" from a people who can't even agree who was Mohammed's rightful heir.
GM bill
easy one...his goat/girlfriend....same thing
I think he is right. Iran and Russia are helping Assad and the other side can't get fully commitment from NATO , we don't want another "democracy" like Egypt with his Islamic Brotherhood, in Syria AlQaeda and other religious fundamentalist groups, are fighting to get in power too.
Damn, even Asshat doesn't like the palestinians, he attacked their refugee camp, if their own kind doesn't like or respect them how can the rest of the world like them. If Israel did this it would be front page news and there would be world wide condemnation but when asshat does it to his "brothers" no-one says anything.
Hope people remember roles of Assad and his father in Lebanon.
Assad is compartively better than the whole bunch of seventh century bigoted Sunni Muslim rulers in ME.
Against us (infidels), all will join hands. There are no "strategic ally", "NATO ally", Shiite, Sufis and so on!
In Syria, Sunnis and Shiites should battle to finish on whose Allah's is greater!
Let us watch all their battles from distance instead of deciding winners as during Iraqi wars and ending up as big losers!
Tramp: How can one do two way driving while traffic is one-way?
GM Scooter, Bill.
hooky39,
Copy and paste is easy (You can Google anything) so not sure what you mean by "insane comment". :-)
John, it doesn't matter if Assad is "comparatively better" than some hypothetical future regime. After all he has done to his country, there's no way for him to stay in power; most of his populace will refuse to obey his government, and he can't rule by martial law unless he actually manages to win his civil war.
Some say it's better to stick with the devil you know than the devil you don't. I prefer the maxim "try, try again."
SF accountant: I have compared Assad to the current Sunni seventh century bigoted rulers like those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and other Arab League nations.
He is better among the bad lot!
If Assad goes, I don't care much!
If Assad goes, there will be more bloodshed with some Sunni Muslim Bloodhounds, al Qaida, Salaffi haters and killers!
It will be another Libya, Egypt and other basket case nation.
Maybe that's true. Maybe it's not. You can claim to see a pattern, but you can't claim to see the future.
Assad's problem isn't the future, it's the past, which EVERYONE can see. He's finished. Even if he wins somehow, his country will never be the same. The only (slim) hope for any kind of decent future for the Syrian people is if his regime is toppled.
Hey IA. You never fail to keep me in stitches!!! ☺
Assad deserves to be dragged from town to town, city to city and then beheaded with his head on a stake. During the arab spring movement protesters seeking their freedom from this monster (Assad the Butcher) including children, hundreds of children were sent to torture chambers where they were tortured (had their body parts cut off) before being burnt to death. This monster will fall, its just a matter of when. Assad had close ties and worked closely with Al-Queera before he started murdering his own people by the tens of thousands, thinking only of himself, and he deserves a harsh death and it will come soon.
Hey Chef!!
I'm just wondering WHY NBC isn't reporting on their missing journalist???
http://gawker.com/5969029/richard-engel-is-missing-in-syria-nbc-news-enforces-news-blackout
I certainly hope he doesn't suffer the same fate Chris Stevens did!!
Obummer should get off his ass and give tax breaks for investment in hydrogen as a fuel. Then the U.S. would be totally foreign energy free. Norway, England and China are investing heavily in this abundant, clean and cheap fuel. Norway even has a highway with hydrogen service stations. England is running buses on hydrogen.
This is the problem with having an ignorant man as president. He can only see as far as the tip of his nose. For all the time that the U.S. and Canada were planning the pipeline for the oil from Canada, Obama did not have a representative overseeing the plans and telling the companies, Obummer's objections so that they could modify the pipeline as they went along planning it.
The Alaskan pipeline was planned and it is safe. Why the hell didn't Obummer get off his ass and THINK what was good for the nation?
" Major US policy shift in August 2010"
"In 2010 US President Barack Obama made a major, but unannounced foreign policy shift regarding the relations to the states of the Arab world. Instead of supporting stability Barack Obama vowed to support change and democratisation in the Arab world. David Ignatius reported that Obama placed a big bet that democratic governments will be more stable and secure, and thereby enhance U.S. interests in the region. In August 2010 US President Barack Obama issued the secret Presidential Study Directive 11, asking agencies to prepare for change. The directive cited "evidence of growing citizen discontent with the region's regimes," warned that "the region is entering a critical period of transition" and asked the advisers of the US President to "manage these risks by demonstrating to the people of the Middle East and North Africa the gradual but real prospect of greater political openness and improved governance."[69]"
Instead of supporting stability Barack Obama vowed to support change...
Obamma has no relevance in this matter!
He did the same exact thing that Bush did: regime change. If Obama were white we would be allowed to criticize him as we did Bush, but we don't want to be racist and hold him to the same high standards.
skibum,
Are you delusional or just plain ignorant? When have you or any other maroon not been allowed to critize the President? All I have seen for the last 4 years is the ad nasuem attacks over any event by the "compassionate Republicans" and their minions
@ Bill H, A PSD is the president ASKING for a review. He has ASHED for a review of political reform in the Middle East and North Africa. So far all it is an information gathering process and nothing about any policy changes. I haven't any information that backs up you claim of your made up crap of an assumption.
Bill, I don't see a single thing in your entire post that I could possibly take away as a bad thing.
If Obama really is as supportive of democratic change rather than stagnant, fragile "stability" (which I believe he's rather ambivalent about), that can only be a good thing, and I'd think better of him for it.
The Syrian VP is being optomistic and hoping the rebels will buy what he says.
So, neither side can win. Does anyone care which side wins ? One is just as bad as the other.
But they should kill each other more!
There will be less nuisances and hatred on earth!
What kind of crass statement is that? Sounds like you have enough hatred within yourself.
True, but THAT hasn't stopped us from sticking our noses into Mid East quagmires where we don't belong before, now has it?
I love this guy, Faruk, he thinks he's in a Mexican Standoff.
so send em ours ....we got plenty to spare....
"Neither side can win" Translation: "We are going to lose."
What we don't know is whether that will be better or worse.
"Some days the mongoose gets the cobra, and other days the cobra gets the mongoose. One would be best advised not to step in and break up the fight for both are wretched characters." -Ghandi
Nothing is ever better in the Mid-East, it is just different! (Like Obama "change"!)
In Shiites vs Sunnis battles on whose Allah is greater, what roles do we have?
If we get in between their battles and decide the winner, we will be big losers as in Iraq.
After their jobs are done: all (Shiites, Sunnis and other Islamic sects) will join hands! One cartoon or a video on Mohammed is good enough to display their joint fury?
it seems by such a high ranking official making this statement, in effect trying to make it look like it is a no/win situation for either side to keep fighting, the VP is trying to get the rebels to stop. A propaganda move clearly designed to try to bolster the President's position.He is following classic warfare strategy.
If the rebels are wise, they will continue in their efforts.The VP is using battle tactics, when one has a weakening position, try to let your enemy think you are stronger then you actually are. Don't let them realize how vulnerable you are,nor how little assets you have. It would appear, it is better to negotiate a compromise, then to face certain defeat at your enemy's hands.
Elementary PsyOps for sure.
Maybe, but it is completely out of the line with the more traditional Syrian propoganda we've seen so far, which has roundly condemned the rebels as terrorists, trumpeted military victories, and lauded the defeat of the revolution as inevitable.
It's also an entirely reasonable sentiment voiced by many others who have carefully studied the conflict. To be frank, I believe him.
You kill thousands of your own people. Millions homeless and then think no one can win? When The People get a hold of you and Assad there will be and old fashion Lynching. I bet the VP will leave the country when his henchmen start to lose and ask for Political Asylum. Your days are numbered Mr VP and the clock is ticking and awaits your demise.
Why does this talking head remind me of Tariq Aziz?
IS THAT Bernie Madoff! How'd He Getout!
Good one!
Why can't we all just get along?
Because HERESY.
Seriously this man is correct as neither side is the solution. Assad is ineffective and the rebels are terrorist with Al Qaida ties. If the world is going to become involved then we must demand a Democratic government with everyone involved. Of course Iran will not let that happen and will undermine everything to leave this country in shambles and in the hands of Islamic radicals. You would think our president and the world community would know better considering how Libya turned out. Some people never learn do they?
Yes, we need to shove Democracy down the throats of middle-east culture whether they want it or not. Seems to be working rather well for us ?
If you don't like it leave, I don't hjave a problem having all you belly achers and complainers doing so. It would be a much better country that way. Don't let the door hit you in the but on the way out.
Libya hasn't actually turned out that badly, all things considered. Yeah, there was a terrorist attack against our embassy, but that's not really unique for the region. What WAS unique is that the citizenry of the city the militia was in drove them out in retaliation for the attack.
Iran may not want local democracies but their only line of control in Syria is the Assad regime. People seem to be unreasonably scared of the rebels, but they're the only hope for any kind of change or end to the conflict. Unless of course Uncle Sam wants to get his hands dirty...
I'll help them pack
Send Bernie Madoff over there! He'll topple that government!
Send the Communist Koch Bros to lead them, and Norquist to to be their Treasures, the Hate Monger, Stephen Marks as their Properganda Minister, and Boehner as their military Cheif. Sounds like a match up made in Heaven to me.
<^^> vv .... a pidture of Mohammad standing behind his goat / girlfriend.......
seriously people die for stupid crap like that and they want the worlds support.....right....screw em.
At least give them time to screw each other. Let us wait!
The rebels want to win to establish strict Shariah Law. Now, you would think the Iranians would love that and be on their side. However, the majority of the rebels are arabs. Arabs don't like Perisians. Assad's administration seemed to be an exception and as a minority, needed the support of Iran. I doubt seriously if the USA and the Un will ever be wise enough to stay out of this unless our new policy is to engage with terrorists as though they were statesmen and support Al-Qaeda's allies and condone suicide bombing and bombers as 'resistance fighters.'
The divide in the Middle East isn't Arabian/Persian but Sunni/Shiite. Assad's regime is dominated by Alawites, a more or less secular Shiite sect.
And when the "terrorists" aim to overthrow a government and BE statesmen, sometimes it pays to take them seriously and engage them as such.
Let 'em go, this is what mooslims do, fight and kill someone, doesn't really matter who. Here is my rendition of Moe Hameed, Larry Hameed, and Curley Hameed. "888" Come and get me!
888 refers to Christ. I don't get the reference.
I guess each 8 is supposed to be a person?
jonathan . I am going little further and say , that 90% of the world problems comes from the Gulf states , they use their money to start wars all over the world , and if we are smart enough we will find out that the were responsible for 9/11 , but our politicians got their brains up their butts , and cannot see that , check and see how much money the Saudis and Qataris already spent in Syria to kill all these Christians and civilians and destroy that country , enough money to feed the hungry people all move the world for a year .
my turn: Nice to see your super posts after a long time!
Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists determine the US, British, French, German and others foreign policy talks, deals and actions.
Rest are all big hoax.
How can one support that House of Saud in 21st century?
House of Saud consists of a megalomaniac, despotic and bigoted Wahhabi ruler and highly corrupt, despotic, bigoted seventh century mindset 5000 princes and princesses. These maniacs of all kinds have assembled huge battalions of girls and women from all over the world.
People in the middle east have been killing each other for hundres of years. My conclusion is it is over religion. This is what happens when you have religion forced on a country. These idots will continue to kill each other long after I am dead and gone. Most are weak minded and will follow their warped idea of Islam to their death. No different then the barbaric days hundreds of years when the Catholic Church use to do the same thing. It sucks but until these idiots decide to live with each other, not much will or can be done. The ones that worry me are the ones with the nukes.
Hundreds? Try thousands of years.
If the rebels do take the country it won't be any better for the people than if Assad was still in power. Sharia law will probaly be the law of the land and Al Qaida will be the rulers. From the frying pan into the fire.
of course Russia is helping Assad and Iran, they are the largest importers of Russian made armaments and they pay in hard currency (US dollars). as for forming a national unity party, no chance. the two sides can't even agree on how to worship Allah, and there are only two major sects. look at our Christian churches, from Catholic on through the the Baptists, Methodist, Lutheran, etc., etc., the only thing they can agree on is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. the real point is obscured by their rituals of who can be sved, when while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. so how do you expect Sunni and Shiite to agree on the worship of Allah. I know its crasy, but there it is.
Russia has pulled out its citizens. Even they see the end of regime.
The problem isn't really that they "can't agree" how to worship. The majority of countries in the world host a variety of religions without constant factional warfare, you know. The problem is that Sunnis and Shiites are willing to kill each other in the name of religion, which is less common among Christianity (at least nowadays).
Although even that is tangential to the civil war. This isn't a sectarian battle, it's a rebellion with a sectarian tint.
Oh sure, they just have to stop all the violence and reform their government. Not a very bright man is he? Do you think the rebels are going to stop short of killing all the heads of government first?
If our own government had slaughtered 40,000 of its own civilians, do you think the people here would settle for anything short of death for those that ordered it?
You put it in prospective for me. Thanks.
Neither side can win? BS! The majority will win, and that's the people of Syria. Time the rebels CAMEL Team6 visited the P and VP.
This Syrian leader wants to have a dialog with the rebels. The rebels whom they have protrayed as terrorists and outsiders. Why would they want to have a dialog with terrorists and outsiders? Does he mean that the terrorists and outsiders really weren't? That they were Syrians all along? The Assad govt had their opportunity for dialog two years ago and they responded with brute force. Now they know the end is near and they are grasping for an out to save their skins. It's too late. Too much blood has been spilled. The rebels have the upper hand and can win a military solution. Don't look for dialog Mr Syrian leader, look for a safe haven......soon.
first bit of common sense that has come out of that area, from anyone, happens to be true too,, there will be no "winner",, only losers, that being so, what happens after! is likely the most important part of the whole deal,, best have that plan before it is needed and ways and means of making it work as well,,tough job, yessir!, but it can be done if!! the right people get involved and they are very carefull with the language,,for instance;"winner" is not a word we wants to see in play,,implies a "loser", and that engenders anger etc,,language matters people, think! then speak, especially in times and places like this,,
No reason to trust a fake Sunni who they want people to accept as replacement for fake Shia the people are overthrowing. See how he comes out looking all reconciliatory? How far could you trust Morsi? Illuminati games with Illuminati rules but the Illuminates are not winning. Your bluff is called.
ahhh yes and then we recognize the taliban as the leaders of the country there-by makeing another great country like iraq, egypt, libia, syria, and afganistan come on america we can do it spread chaos everywhere in ecluding in our schools just @!$%#ing great!!!!!!!