
Hussein Malla / AP
Syrian rebel fighters take their positions as they observe the Syrian army forces base of Wadi al-Deif, at the front line of Maarat al-Nuaman town, in Idlib province, Syria, on Feb. 26, 2013.
News Analysis
Nearly two years after the Syrian uprising began, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the U.S. has for the first time agreed to directly supply Syria's opposition with $60 million in non-lethal aid. But, while this money is needed, it is unlikely to immediately change anything on the ground.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, supporters of the opposition working to topple Syrian President Bashar al Assad said they were privately disappointed that the U.S. didn't extend more assistance, specifically weapons, and that the EU has not yet lifted an arms embargo.
But the concern among U.S. officials is that extremist elements are increasingly filling in the vacuum in areas where the regime has been pushed back and the opposition is struggling to govern. There are worries weapons could end up in the wrong hands.
According to Salman Sheikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, Kerry’s announcement is "unlikely to change the calculation of the Syrian regime's biggest allies — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah." They will not take the U.S. decision as a serious threat to the regime's survival.
Sheikh, who has advocated for arming the rebels, says $60 million is an insignificant amount for an opposition that is now expected to operate like a government in some parts of Syria. The salaries of civil servants who are expected to maintain law and order, as well as the country’s justice, sanitation and education services, can cost close to $500 million a month. And Sheikh estimates humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of the people displaced and suffering both inside and outside is about $40 million a day.
The U.S. aid package, which will assist the Syrian Opposition Coalition in 'liberated' areas, is aimed at helping the fledgling coalition expand the delivery of basic goods and services, including security, sanitation and educational services. The United States also will send technical advisers to support opposition staff in Egypt and work with the movement's military arm to provide non-lethal support to the Free Syrian Army, including things such as military rations and medical supplies to tend to sick and wounded fighters.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar described Thursday's announcement as a transformational point in the Syrian conflict. And British Foreign Secretary William Hague said his government would be making an announcement on additional aid to the opposition next week.
However, Yaser Tabbara, the spokesperson for the Coalition and its legal advisor, said Kerry’s Rome meeting with the head of the Syrian National Coalition, Moaz al Khatib, gave reason for "cautious" optimism.
The Syrian opposition is under increasing pressure to deliver a solution but doing so requires substantial "investment in the infrastructure of the armed opposition," Tabbara said. "A political solution without tipping the balance of power on the ground is not viable."
The Syrian opposition had promised to form an interim government by March 2 but that has been postponed for logistical reasons.
Meanwhile, Syria's official government news agency described Kerry's announcement as a paradox, saying it expressed "Washington's desire to find means to speed up the political process, which aims at ending the crisis in Syria and its desire to help and back the armed terrorist groups in the country."
Related:
U.S. to send rations, medical supplies to Syrian rebels, but not weapons


We should not be sending any money there...it's needed here. Maybe Saudi Arabia could give some of their trillions they are raking in with oil as high as it is. They should be the ones offering money and arms cause that is where they live and they can afford it. Our economy can't because we're spending double what we should be on gas..that is money going straight to them and not to small business that drive our economy.
Hey...maybe they can say that they will pay us back with cheap oil like Iraq.
I agree. Let Arabs help Arabs as Arabs continue to murder thousands and thousands of Arabs. Another dead Arab. It concerns me not.
U.S spent 53 Billion in foreign aid every year, this is just Nuts when we are broke !!!
If we give them weapons now they will be used against us in 20 years. Anyone remember the mujahideen?
I know about 11 million illegal criminals that are willing to work hard and would be glad to assist our Syrian friends. This will help to prove the illegals will be good Americans.
Time to spend our money here at home and let the rest of the world fend for themselves. We should bring our troops home and tell our enemies, if they attack us, we will destroy them and turn their land into glass!
Wait I thought the sky was falling...how can we send 60 million over in aid to a country when we're broke and screaming that everything is going to shut down?!?!
Yea i can see how the dems are finding it a challenge to find ways to cut the budget. Between the F-16s and tanks to Egypt and 60 billion to Syria in the last 2 weeks these are the cuts that just hurt America! nice work america you are a true caretaker of American tax dollar.
Maybe this is so we can mark it off as a "charity" when China does out taxes!!
There's no way this could possibly go awry! If I had to choose, I'd go with the opposition, but the US has no business sending them aid. Oh, and we don't have any money.
definately, keep our money and arms at home. Other arab countries are there and they have oil money. let them take care of their fellow arabs; we don't have the money. our president will not be happy until he puts us fo far in debt ( because to give money to syria, we will have to borrow it) we can't get out and then they can forclose on us. no way, quit foreign aid.
This is a no win situation the rebels are aligned to Al-Quida and the Government with Iran.
Either way Uncle Sap loses!
Maybe it is Obozo's plan to bankrupt the country
Obozo wants to disarm Americans and destroy the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the US while arming Al-Quida
WTF!
Don't worry Obama has already sent the weapons to the Syrian rebels.
Zathrose
Now I am really scared
Where is the uproar from the media? The American public are not aware of this because all the major news stations are not reporting this and if they do the mention is small and they quickly move on to the next story.
Record number of American people on food stamps, record number of American children living in poverty and yet the US government turns around and throws away $60 Million to people (who we have no idea who they are) to fight.
I agree with the general sentiment that the money could be better used here at home better. I felt the same way bout the Iraq war. What I do not agree with is the knee jerk reaction of so many to blame Obama for doing the wrong thing. He has been very slow to get involved in these conflicts, for which republicans have accused him of being soft. Now he is tying to build a positive rapport with the Syrian opposition without the risk of arming potential enemies and for this he is being criticized.
Can you imagine if Mcain had been in charge? Or if Romney had won? We would be involved in more messy wars expending our treasure. You want to hate Obama, fine. The truth is his foreign policy has been petty good. Of course I do not expect the usual righty-hate obama no matter what- posters to agree or ever give him credit for anything
We will not give them weapons, but we will give them money to buy weapons?
When funding their Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques (hate preaching and killer training centers) all over the world, oil rich Sunni rulers and sheikhs have all the monies.
Instead of propping up their mosques, which are curses on socieities, why can't the super duper oil rich Sunni rulers, give economic assistance to the Sunni Syrian rebels and needy?
"supporters of the opposition working to topple Syrian President Bashar al Assad said they were privately disappointed that the U.S. didn't extend more assistance, specifically weapons, and that the EU has not yet lifted an arms embargo."
Muslims bravely claim that they form about one and half billion. Here Sunnis form more than 80 percent.
With so many Shiites, can't these brave people handle a tinpot ruler like Assad?
Don't they (most of them are Islamic holy warriors) have shame to ask assistance of all sorts from infidels?
obama was talking doom and gloom over the less than $44billion in cuts sequester would bring, yet he oks $60million to Syria? What's up with that? $60 million would pay for a lot of firemen and teachers. Where's his priority? What budget does Barry have in mind? Jeez!
Can we continue sending money to help rebels , when we don't have money to held illegal immigrants delinquents in jail, when we can't pay teachers, when our airports are going to close because there is no money for airport controllers, FBI agents are going to furlough . The corrupt government of Afghanistan will suck 10 billions of dollars this years, where is our leader. If we have money to rebuild foreign countries , why is not posible to reduce spending?
And I quote
" We give them money
but are they grateful?
No they're spiteful and they're hateful!
They don't respect us,
so lets surprise them.
Lets drop the big one
AND PULVERIZE THEM!"
Randy Newman- Lets Drop The Big One
We are the ones who vote in these jackwads who make these asinine decisions. Theres got to be a way of unf*(king this.
More direct support to the "rebels" in Syria by the U.S. has nothing to do with "helping the Syrian People" or "democracy" or "humane government", etc.
The rebels we are supporting have ripped apart Syrian society, killed 70K people many innocent civilians and destroyed a lot of civilian infrastructure.
And also remember the U.S. has been a big supporter of Middle Eastern dictatorships since the end of WWII. The house of Saud in Saudi Arabia, Mubarack in Egypt, Saddam Hussein in Iraq during the 1980's and many more all were supported by the U.S. and even in the last decade we sent prisoners in the "War on Terror" to Syria to be tortured.
The reason the U.S. is partnering with Islamic extremists (some affiliated with Al Queda) in Syria has to do with economic and geo-political rivalry between the U.S. and Russia/China and support for Israel.
Both Russia and China have financial and other interests in Syria and Syria is an ally of Iran (taking Syria out of the picture would be important if/when Israel attacks Iran).
The U.S government has a long history of collaboration and support for violent Islamic Extremism when it suits it's interests (meaning the interests of Wall Street and U.S. corporations) as it did in Iran in the early 1950's and Afghanistan in the 1980's.
What's happening now is tragic and horrible and is also part of an old pattern.
http://www.dropshots.com/GCaplan#date/2012-11-03/19:31:43
"Throwing good money after bad" ring a bell?
Let their rich oil neighbors send them money!
Did oil rich Sunni rulers of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and some more pay any amount to us for saving them from Saddam?
Iraqi wars made them richer by manipulating oil prices higher and higer from $30 in 1990s to more than $145.
Back in 2008 people were saying that they were going to vote for Obama because he will stop sending money to foreign countries which of course he said he would stop because we have so many problems at home, blah, blah, blah and also be 100% transparent.
Well..........he has failed on both fronts. Don't spin people, this is fact.
There is no amount of money that can fix what's wrong in Syria or the Middle East in general. The Sunni and Shiite factions of Islam have hated each other since the prophet Mohamed died. Anyone who thinks money will fix that needs to pull their head out. Nothing will change in the Middle East until the inhabitants of that cesspool want it to. That includes Israel also. Keep our money here where it will do more good and get more of a return. That's called sound investment. Too bad that all of our leaders don't know how to look at the big picture and the reality of it all. I came to the realization in 1984 that we no longer have government of the people, by the people and for the people. It's of the politicians, by the politicians and for the special interest groups/largest political contributors. Am I the only one that notices that a majority of the people who write and pass our laws, belong to the same group that will argue them in court, and the fact that with the same stroke of the pen or keyboard manage to also create a law that exempts them from the very laws they write? Can you say "conflict of interest?" I pi$$ on all of them. If they were private sector execs., they would all be fired for their performance. Wait a minute, I'm wrong. They would receive bonuses and government bailouts for running their businesses into the ground. Pi$$ on them.
Other countries REBELL against their government if the government are a$$holes!! It's time to get all the A$$HOLES out of WA.DC!!
What's it going to take for our politicians to understand we don't have money to give away? This is absolutely sickening we have people that are going to lose their jobs!
way to go! more money we aint got ! hey let's give to another country, like we can't use the money
"Will US cash help in Syria?"
And why, with the overbearing deficit this country has, are we handing this kind of money, or any money at all, to other countries? Seems like it would be of better use here. It must be nice, to just be able to throw money at everything they want to, as though it doesn't matter what the citizens think about it. And those idiots in Washington wonder why the citizens have such a low opinion of them. Gee government, do you really need a bigger clue as to why? I really believe they don't give a good damn.
First, The "Syrian Rebels" are Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Iraq (AQI), the Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK.
They know, just like they knew who the "Libyan Rebels" (Al Quada, etc. see paragraph "Fifth" below) were as reported by US Ally President Gaddaffi, NATO, International Intelligence Agencies, etc.. President Assad also told everyone about "Increased Al Quada Activities", just like President Mubarak reported "Increased Al Quada Like Activities", just like President Saleh reported "Increased Al Quada Activities". The President Obama response cut all US Assistance, US Support, US Funding to US Allies fighting Al Quada and the other Millions of Holy Warriors of Islam.
Second, this is all occurring because of President Obama's Failed Foreign Policies that were seen by the Ayatollahs of Iran as President Obama negotiating from a position of US Defeat. So the Ayatollahs of Iran increased their Overt And Covert Activities against the US and US Allies (Third, paragraph below).
Third, Pertaining to this area, the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran's Special Forces, Quds, has been training, arming, funding Millions of Holy Warriors of Islam at the Fundamentalist Islamic Autonomous Kurdistanis Region of Northern Iraq, Southern Turkey, Syria, and Northwestern Iran. This is just one reason why Iran had to getthe US and US Allies Military Forces Kicked Out of Iraq by threatening the Iraqis Government withIranian Military Force to eliminate the Iraqis Government; result the Iraqis Government tells President Obama and SOS Clinton no more negotiations, absolutely no Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). President Obama withdraws the US Military "Combat" Forces and replaces them with"Non Combat" US Military trained as Combat Forces, the Iraqis are not fooled and demand an immediate withdrawal. President Obama as Commander In Chief Ordered the US Military Forces withdrawal to US Ally Kuwait and US Ally Saudi Arabia, they are later deployed to the Border of Syria, followed later by US Army Special Forces Teams. President Obama previously sent in hundreds of thousands of too expensive overpaid US Civilians of the US Contractors during his US Civilian Surges (Iraq and Afghanistan). There are still US Military Combat Forces providing Security with Combat patrols outside the wire to keep mortars, rockets, snipers out of range of the $1 Billion US Embassy at Iraq on the 104 Acres, that takes $1 Billion a year to operate.
These Millions of Holy Warriors of Islam are used by the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran as their "Proxy Fighters" Worldwide. The Chinese and Russian Federation have been using the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran as their "Proxy Fighter" to accomplish their Longtime Strategic Goal of getting the US and US Allies out of their Backyards (Resources).
That was lost by the US And US Allies due to President Obama's Failed Foreign Policies, so the Allies of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, the Chinese and Russian Federation got the Iraqis Oil. This Loss of the Libyan Oil made the Libyan Oil of Strategic Importance to the US European Allies (President Obama was already outsmarted at Libya also as the Holy Warriors of Islam were already attacking US Ally Libya from Egypt).
Fourth, During Operation Cyclone we did NOT create the later 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban that after Operation Cyclone massacred our 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen, and then unopposed started massacring any suspected "Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers to Die a Horrible Murdering to Dwell in that Firey Place". We also did NOT create nor support OsamaBin Laden that was still living with his Rich Relatives at Saudi Arabia, nor his later Al Quada during Operation Cyclone. Fundamentalist Islamic Osama Bin Laden created his Al Quada to Overthrow the US Ally Saudi Arabian Government, then after President Clinton's Failed 1998 Operation Desert Fox, in retaliation started planning his 9/11 2001 Attacks of the same targets as his 1993 First World Trade Center Bombings.
YOU WERE NOT A PARTICIPANT (SURVIVOR) OF OPERATION CYCLONE AND KNOW NOTHING. I previously posted what happened there before we were ordered to abandon US Ally Afghanistan (the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen*) to be massacred by the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban fully supported by the USSR Backed Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran.
*After we vetted everyone in extreme detail to prevent Pro USSR Afghan and some Pro USSR Pakistanis Infiltrators, USSR Intelligence Assets, USSR Intelligence Agents, USSR Spetsnaz, etc. (this is how we knew Osama Bin Laden was NOT here, someone that tall would have stuck out like a strobe light) and why that extensive vetting is why we did not get shot in the back. We found out that most were NOT "extremists" Islam, many were dirt Farmers that wanted their Land back, and no the majority were NOT growing poppies (the few that did that were persuaded by the US "Hippies" that started Communes at Afghanistan), they were growing food to survive, many were merchants, business owners. During the 1950s to till the 1979 USSR 40th Army Occupation, the US Built up Afghanistan to a 20th Century Nation "Little America", later the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban destroyed everything that was "Western", "Modern", "Non Islamic" after they massacred the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen and any suspected Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers (most of the Afghan Population that survived the USSR 40th Army Occupation Total Conventional Warfare, including Carpet Bombings, millions of Area Denial Weapons (landmines), Chemical Warfare, Tanks leveling entire towns and villages, etc.).
And yes, I am touchy about that, we WON Afghanistan and then the US Politicians F**KED UP the End Game, by not continuing to let us Assist the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen rebuild Afghanistan back to the 20th Century Nation that it was. Many of our Friends and Allies made in Combat ended up being Massacred by the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, and we knew most of them personally and their families at the refugee camps, since we trained and then lead them into combat in small units (modelled after our US Army Special Forces Teams, USAF Para RescueJump Teams (later STTs), USMC Force Recon Teams (later MARSOC), USN SEAL Teams, CIA SAD/SOG Teams).
Fifth, Where was your outrage when President Obama sent the Palestinians $900 Million, with the United Nations Aid Workers at Palestine advising against that, as the Hamas Warlords by armed force took the $900 Million and used this to force more neutral Palestinians to either join Hamas or starve and face daily beatings. To prove their loyalty to the Hamas Warlords, the new members must serve as HamasForeign Fighters for at least 9 months, so suddenly we started killing and capturing more of them here at Afghanistan, the first contacts were with the NATO Spanish Military Forces at Northwest Afghanistan right next to the border of Iran and the Old Silk Road that leads to Northern Iraq and the Autonomous Kurdistanis Region (See Third paragraph above).
To repeat the same mistake and expect different results SOS Clinton later gave $400 Million more to the Palestinians and that too was seized by the Hamas Warlords. And once again we ended up killing or capturing even more Hamas Foreign Fighters here at Afghanistan. Later on US Ally Israel destroyed most of the Hamas Warlord Compounds and Buildings where they were hoarding all the US Aid that was being withheld from the Palestinian people (unless they joined Hamas and became Hamas Foreign Fighters).
Sixth, How do you like the Results of Libya, Overthrowing a US Ally as previouly negotiated by SOS Condeleezza Rice.
The attack on the US Consulate at Benghazi occurred because President Obama during the Reelection Campaign Inflamed the Islamic World to Violent Protests, Violent Demonstrations and Attacks with his "OsamaBin Laden is Dead, GM is Alive", with the over 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers of the Islamic World in response stating, "Obama, Obama We Are All Osama", "Obama Declared War Against Islam".
The "Libyan Rebels" supported by President Obama went to Libya to Murder US Ally President Gaddaffi the Collaborator to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers. The "Libyan Rebels" were Al Quada Saudi Arabia (AQ), Al Quada Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Yemen (AQY), Hezbollah, Al Quada Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), etc. after taking over Libya they became Ansar Al Shariah.
After President Obama's "Osama Bin Laden, GM is Alive" 2012 Reelection Campaign Speeches, AnsarAl Shariah starts planning the Attack on the US Consulate right next to where they are at Benghazi to coincide with the Greatest Defeat of the Great Satan (US) the 9/11 2001 Attacks by their Holy Warrior of Islam Superstar Osama Bin Laden.
Cairo protesters- Obama we are all Osama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pJGX1JzyFc
Obama Obama We Are All Osama (Tunisia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSEcQbM308
notice the white banner hanging on the tower, Ansar Ashariaa (Ansar Al Shariah). Those black flags are like used at Libya by the "Libyan Rebels" (Al Quada).
And it is like I stated before the Decades of Weapons, Ammunition, Military Equipment taken by Ansar Al Shariah before the start of the "Libyan Civil War" was so that they could attack the rest of Africa. Verified by:
The Mission of the CIA at the US Consulate at Benghazi was to locate the 20, 000 portable shoulder launched SA-7 anti aircraft missiles. That the "Libyan Rebels" (Al Quada) took from the Hight Razma Libyan Military Depot near Benghazi, Al Quada has stated that they will use the 20,000, SA-7s to shoot down US And US Allies Commercial Airlines to "Cripple the US Economy". previously reported by RT, BBC, LeMonde, Das Bild, Arabic Al Jazeera, etc. censored out of the US News Media.
Outspoken General Ham Commander US AFRICOM, Operation Odyssey Dawn and Operation Unified Protector criticized President Obama as well as about not allowing General Ham to send the US Military Forces of Operation Odyssey Dawn and Operation Unified Protector less than two hours away by slow propeller drivenC-130s or US Military Helicopters, or at the very least precision ground support AC-130s and armed MQ(drones) during the over 7 hour attack of the US Consulate Benghazi.
President Obama demanded General Ham's Letter of Resignation, just like General McKiernan, General McChrystal, General Petraeus, etc.. Secretary of Defense Gates tendered his Letter of Resignation because of President Obama as Commander in Chief Ordered Reduction In Forces of 90,000 US Military Personnel, Unemployment of 108,000 DOD US Civilians. Secretary of Defense Penettatendered his Letter of Resignation after President Obama as Commander In Chief Ordered an 11% Defense Budget Cut, 2012 Secretary of Defense Penetta stated, "A 10% Defense Budget Cut will result in a Million US Civilians becoming Unemployed". President Obama as Commander in Chief Orders a change to the US Military Mission, from Two Wars and Contingency Missions (including United Nation's Missions) Simultaneously; to One War or a Contingency Mission. In 2013 Interview Secretary of Defense Penetta, he "will go work on his (Walnut) Farm with a different kind of Nut".
Seventh,
That is correct most of the "Syrian Rebels" are actually Holy Warrior of Islam Foreign Fighters (not Syrians) from the Autonomous Kurdistanis Region of Northern Iraq (Al Quada Iraq), Southern Turkey (Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK), Syria (Al Quada Syria), Northwestern Iran.
Don't buy off on Fundamentalist Islamic Jonathan-1982062 Taqiya about Sunnis. And do NOT buy off on the President Obama lie and name calling "Dictator, Oppressing, Killing, Massacring, etc., His Own People, Citizens, etc.". The "His Own People, Citizens" were usually Foreign Fighters and NOT "His Own People or Citizens", that they were "Oppressing, Killing, Massacring". examples: President Mubarak was fighting the Illegal Fundamentalist Islamic Muslim Brotherhood, that were previously trained by the Iranian Special Forces, Quds, that arrived previously during the "Peace Flotillas" at Alexandria Egypt. When US Ally President Mubarak reported this "Increased Al Quada Like Activities" to President Obama, President Obama immediately chopped all US Assistance, US Funding, etc. and started calling US Ally President Mubaraka Dictator. Egypt was Key and Strategic to Attack US Ally Libya. The Fundamentalist Islamic Muslim Brotherhood previously negotiated with the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran to obtain Strategic Access to the Suez Canal, Mediterranean Seaports (to attack the "Crusaders" US European Allies), Bases to support the Holy Warriors of Islam at Palestine Gaza etc. to attack US Ally Israel.
Before being rotated to Operation Cyclone we were the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars. During the later Operations like 1998 Operation Desert Fox, 2001 Operation Viking Hammer, 2002 Operation Hotel California, etc. we protested against President Clinton'sUS Policy Overthrow of President Hussein in accordance with President Clinton'sUS Law H.R.4655 "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" Section 3 US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein, Section 2 Findings (Justifications) Weapons of Mass Destruction, with US Congressional Appropriations; President Clinton's US Law later became 2003 Operation Iraqis Freedom.
As we knew that President Hussein was the Counterbalance to the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran using his Iraqis Oil Wealth and the lives of the Iraqis Citizens of the Iraqis Military.
And up until recently just like US Ally Libya, many of President Obama's Guantanamo Prisoners were transferred to US Ally President Gaddaffi's Prisons as well as to President Assad's Prisons. This is why Candidate Obama kept promising to close Guantanamo.
Eighth, All of you raise one hand and arm in the air;
any of you that honestly believe that the Russian Federation will NOT just roll over and do nothing and lose their Strategic Mediterranean Port a Tartus, Syria put your hand (arm) down.
The rest of you keep your hand and arm in the air until you are taken away as volunteers to go fight the Russian Federation Military. The only way for the Russian Federation to keep their Tartus Base at Syria is if they backstab their longtime ally President Assad, and make deals with the "Syrian Rebels" (hint: the Russian Federation does NOT like their buddies the Fundamentalist Islamic Chechen Rebels).
Ninth, What President Obama is doing is AGAINST 18 USC § 2339A Providing Material Support to Terrorists, 18 USC § 2339B Providing Material Support or Resources to Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 18 U.S.C. 2331 et seq.
President Obama's US Department of State lists Al Quada Iraq (AQI), Al Quada Syria (AQS), the Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGKas the "Syrian Rebels" as Terrorist Organizations and Individuals belonging to or associated with those Organizations as Terrorists.
June 2010 US Supreme Court Upholds the Ban on the Material Support to Terrorists and Terrorist Organzations.
Since most of you don't understand and are too lazy to do the research, by giving a Terrorist Organization "Humanitarian Assistance" of any kind, Medical Supplies, Building Materials, Food, Water, etc. you are freeing up the Terrorist Organization's Money to buy other things to conduct Terrorism like weapons, ammunition, bomb making materials, etc.. Also providing "Expert Advise" like Legal Advise Legitimizes the Terrorist Organization.
So what President Obama is doing has previously been Ruled ILLEGAL according to the Highest Court of the US, the US Supreme Court.
http://money.msn.com/investing/11-things-wrong-with-congress
If Qatari ruler could give $400 million to Hamas, oil rich Sunni rulers can give billions to Sunni Syrian rebels and their proxies like al Qaida, MB, Salaffi and other Sunni haters and killers.
david: Without knowing much about anything you are taking on everyone! You don't make much sense.
May be: you should join some Saudi mental hospital!
History says...
That money corrupts (look what it's doing to us today).
That we manage money horribly in foreign lands (remember Iraq?).
That we always get in trouble taking sides in the Middle East.
So the question presented to us is "will American money make a difference?" The answer is easy and is seen here now and in history. The answer is...
Yes, it will corrupt (here and there), it will give people power that should not have power (we pick the winners poorly), and it will make the rebels forget why they are fighting and, instead, go for that false Prophet (profit).
We will have to borrow the 60 mill from China anyway. If this is such a swell idea just let China given them the money and cut out the middleman.
More wasted money! They have been fighting over there since the dawn of time. This will never change. Keep our money here where it is needed to serve better causes!
you cant be serious
You don't read very well do you? That $60 million with an "M" not a "B".
Fundamental transformation.
They beg for our help and money but when it's all said and done they'll vote our enemies into power. It happens every time. In the last 40 years how many billions have we spent in the Middle East ? What good has it done ? The only people who have benefited are the Neocons and the Defense Contractors who own them. It's the new Cold War, keeping us afraid of a region where most people live in the bronze age. The least we should have done is kept the oil fields in Iraq at least in till we earned the money back from the war.
Kerry is already putting his foot in his mouth and giving aid and comfort to our enemies. We should keep they U.S. Money in the U.S. and not give it away to terrorist who will use the funds to buy weapons that they will use to kill Americans. The Syrian Rebels (activist,terrorist) started the Civil War and they should not expect others to save their sorry backsides. We dis the same thing when we armed the groups in Afghanistan to fight the Russians only to have those very same weapons used to attack America. Sending advisers to Egypt, where the terrorist group the Muslim Brotherhood is in charge, is the way America got caught in Vietnam coming to aid the French. Screw the Syrian Rebels, they started the fight and now they can either die or surrender and face the consequences.
The millionaire Kerry has enough of his own money to fulfill his promises.
redvirginia: Al Gore was making lots of money.
Still, he knew about oil price manipulations and the high oil prices.
So he bought oil company stocks to make him more rich.
Same like John Kerry, McCains and co may be busy investing in oil company stocks.
Some may be making/raking more monies from their oil company investmens already made as they have been able to manipulate oil prices higher from $40 in 2009 to current more than $110.
We will never know unless they declare all their assets.
If Shiites and Sunnis are battling each other, what role do we (infidels for both) have?
Our government establishment is soooo @!$%#ed up!
Ron Paul is looking better and better everyday!
If the US government is determined to send all that money to Syria, let them pay for it out of the Congressional benefits package. Those do nothing morons in Congress are so willing to take food out of the mouths of little kids and poor old people but aren't willing to pay their own health insurance or travel expenses. Remember some years ago, a Congressman decided he needed to go to the Paris Air Show as part of his "fact finding mission". He took 25 of his friends and relatives with him on a chartered flight. They all stayed at 5 star hotels, ate at the finest restaurants, all got security teams and guided tours. That trip cost the American tax payers $22 million for the week. Gee, that's almost half of what Congress wants to spend in Syria, and it was just ONE "free" trip.
I'm beginning to understand why our government bought 1.6 million rounds of ammunition.
Rebellion anyone?
LMarcT- This is true that we always get in trouble taking sides in the Middle East. We pick winners poorly because we a: prop up and support the "winner" which is usually why they come out on top, and b: we can't support one side without pi$$ing off the other. Eventually we become the common enemy because the two sides have more in common with each other than they do with us. They just get hung up on details, a word here and a phrase there, which ignites such violence against each other.
The entire region is a quagmire. It's a ticking bomb and we should keep well away so when the clock strikes 00:00 we're not caught in the blast. They've been killing each other over religion, wealth and power for as long as they've had another to point their finger at. Let them! The only peace to be achieved there is when one group finally succeeds in killing off the rest.
@Zathrose,
"Don't worry Obama has already sent the weapons to the Syrian rebels."
Don't forget Mali and I wonder how many other places these Radical Islamic Fundamentalist Jihadi Muslims will put them to use in. All compliments of the Libyan weapons stockpiles that were so well secured (SARC ALERT) after the Jihadi Nutz took out President Qaddaffi.
My family tries REALLY hard not to be disrespectful to ANY of our Presidents (Republican or Democrats). But our current Middle-East foreign policy is pure CRAP. It's absolutely CRAZY to try and implement a democracy when many people are not educated either enough or in the areas that would help them understand how to handle it. Look at us we still struggle with it at times (most it seems) and we have been doing it awhile.
Way to create a Fundamentalist Firestorm of FUBAR proportions guys...............Thanks.............Thanks A Lot (SARC ALERT again THIS IS NOT A DRILL) !
Regards,
Brandon
@Jonathan-1982062,
"david: Without knowing much about anything you are taking on everyone! You don't make much sense.
May be: you should join some Saudi mental hospital!"
Okay I get it you don't like David and YOU disagree with EVERYTHING that he says. Everytime all of the time............Right?
Now I'm not sure if you are practicing Taqiyya or not as I suspect do to your syntax, grammer and EXTREME dislike of Pakistanis that you are from India and may just dislike all muslims (based on YOUR comments). I can understand and empathize with that do to the terrible things that have occurred there but it does come across as being a bit biased. With that said at times I do agree with some of which you say and vote accordingly.
Why don't you refute David line by line and provide sources (reputable ones please Not the Taqiyya Times or Jihadi Junk Mail either-lol) when you disagree ? Many of us including (especially actually) family elders have researched much of what David talks about regarding Afghanistan and have found it all (as in the big picture) to be accurate. He does add a little bit of personal experience that is unique and insightful (the "AH HA" moments as in so thats what was going on) but mostly paints the big picture. Also 2 IRANIAN friends (their entire families that were in Iran when the Shah was overthrown were slaughtered) of ours have made it quite plain that............Yes Iran is behind a lot of the crap that is going on. Some of my family in mainland China are also involved in REEs (obviously my Chinese half not the Gwai Lo :) side - lol) which provides interesting tidbits as well. I could go on but it is probably pointless anyway. David's articles and comments cause us to ask more questions and actually do some digging to find out more information on the subjects for ourselves. Yes we also look at the sources of the information and take that into account as well.
If you would like to take the time I personally guarantee that we will research any information and knowledge that you wish to share and if found to be accurate shareit with others. Until that time however David's comments seem to be the most accurate (and interesting) and appear to hold all the Aces.
Regards,
Brandon
Brandon: I have ignored david in my comments as he has been writing too much BS. It is pointless to give point by point replies to him.
If david says earth is flat, then it is flat.
I have studied history too and I know about the realities as I am widely travelled.
david has been battling that Shiites are majority while they hardly form total of 20 percent of Muslims.
In Afghanistan, due to half-educated likes of him, Northern Allies of Gen Dostum, which helped NATO forces in 2001 was dumped. Gen Dostum was about to be tried for human rights violations. Now he is back.
After NATO forces withdrawal in 2014, it going to be back to NA, Taliban and other minority sects!
If some had brains, they woud not have had Pakistan as strategic allies.
I was born in India and an US citizen for a long time. I have seen what Muslims have been doing in India and US.
In the US, I have taken hits as was considered a Paki many times.
I have few questions: how was air travel before 1991 and now?
Since 1991, how many terror places were there by Pakis and Muslims?
Who were responsible for 9/11?
With regards,
Brandon: Whether one agrees with you or not, I liked your style of posting.
You give regards to the other side also.
Please keep up the style and spirit.
In the big melting pot of the US, I have an Irish and Italian Catholic son-in-law also.
With regards,
If we are broke - keep our money in the U.S. We need it. Maybe the politicians have a hidden accout we do not know about.
Nope, the pols own the printing presses. Helicopter Ben just bends to them, without the benefit of KY.
Looks like the Syrian nuts are going to have 60 new Millionaires and we are going bankrupt, very smart !!!
When our government goes bankrupt and they have to default on everything, only the poor and middle class will suffer. The government will tell everyone we must sacrifice while they and the wealthy who control this country sacrifice nothing and make a huge profit off of it all!
Yea they are tightening the belt they probably would have given 200 million. Such a wise expenditure, Im sure the Syrians will love us now.
"Salman Sheikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, Kerry’s announcement is "unlikely to change the calculation of the Syrian regime's biggest allies — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah." They will not take the U.S. decision as a serious threat to the regime's survival."
Just watch the double games these Sunni Trojan horses play in our nations.
Another curse on earth, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stationed in Britain plays and dances as directed by bigoted oil rich Sunni rulers!
These paid agents of oil rich Sunni haters and killers take the name of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah when convenient.
Where were Russia and China in Iraq?
With Iraqi wars and now sanctions on Iranian oil, these oil rich Sunni rulers have become very rich. So oil rich Sunni rulers should give economic assistance.
Look at the hate marches and rioting against the US, British and other Satans these people take out!
With more than a billion Sunni Muslim population, let them handle Assad, Iran and others!
If we go near them, there will be Benghazi in the end!!!!
Yes, Iraqi wars and high oil price manipulations made us broke.
Now this Syria, Iran and again high oil price manipulations business are going to bankrupt us.
More and more on unemployment lines; more on streets and more cuts on the sick, elderly and helpless.
STOP YOUR TAQIYA FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAMIC Jonathan-1982062 STOP TELLING THE US TO FIGHT IT'S ALLIES.
NOPE. The elimination of those US Laws that made Illegal the Causes of previous Depressions created the current $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion Global Economic Crisis consisting of the Mortgage Crisis, Wall Street Crisis, Financial Crisis, Banking Crisis, Credit Crisis, etc..
NOPE. MORE of your Taqiya Jonathan-1982062 , there are over 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide, of that most are Fundamentalist Islamic Believers (Muslims, Shia, Shiites) that shot the Moderate Peaceful Islamic Believers in the face during Negotiations as "The Dead do Not Complain (Like Old Women)".
david: which world are you in? Do you know much about anything? Stop your garbage.
Spend the money militarizing the Mexican Border ! IF you're wondering why there are no jobs and wages have stagnated. It's because the population of the USA has increased 10% every 10 years because of illegal immigration. It keeps wages low and drives up the cost of housing. Nobody who ever came to this country illegally should ever be given citizenship they are felons from the day they snuck in. Send them back and you'll see the economy turn around the job market will tighten up, wages will increase, rental rates will drop 20%, and everyone who is willing to work will be able to get a full time job that pays better than minimum wage. Washington has been looking for a miracle to turn the Economy around well here it is. The truth is the Dems want the votes and the repubs want the cheap labor. That's why even when he had the chance Bush did nothing to stop illegal immigration.
Cash can buy weapons from the Russians. They already have a ship loaded with arms and ammunition in harbor in Syria and they will sell to the first people there with cash.
No help or assistance of any type to the most ungrateful and backstabbing oil rich Sunni rulers, headed by the seventh century barbaric and beastly House of Saud, and their proxies like al Qaida, MB, Boko Haram, Taliban and other label ones.
Shows how uneducated you are and those that voted for your post really are. President Assad is a Russian Federation Ally. Without President Assad the Russian Federation could lose their Strategic Naval Port at Tartus, Syria.
STOP YOUR TAQIYA FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAMIC Jonathan-1982062 STOP TELLING THE US TO FIGHT IT'S ALLIES.
Kerry married into enough money that he will never have a need. He has been in Congress long enough that miliions-billions-trillions have lost all meaning.
Squirrel away a few coins and some food. This admin has way more flexibiity than it had two years ago!!
Kerry spent this money on foreigners instead of on poor black children. Why would he do that???
But he is working for others!
Otherwise, why he would take the lead in helping oil rich Sunni rulers by jumping on Syria and Iran?
Were there "nukes" and dangerous "chemical weapons" in Iraq?
How many Russians and Chinese were discovered during Iraqi wars?
For high oil price manipulations and making oil rich Sunni rulers, oil companies and their lobbyists richer and richer, inventions like those before Iraqi wars are being done on Iran and Syria.
STOP YOUR TAQIYA FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAMIC Jonathan-1982062 STOP TELLING THE US TO FIGHT IT'S ALLIES.
At Uranus. And Sargat Iraq.
Please translate into engish...or even spanish.
Can Muslims without Muhammad find their backside with both hands?
Don't worry!
Like their Mohammed they are experts when it comes to females!
Rest of the times, they are back to their business of telling lies, trying to fool, weeping/chest beating and asking for help (Syria), raping, kidnapping, hating and killing and doing genocides when in majority!
They could not save their beastly and bigoted Wahhabi House of Saud with 5000 princes and princesses, their clerics and scholars, their holy places and oil fields from Saddam!
Return: no churches or Bibles in Saudi Arabia!
If one falls into their traps, as some are doing often, one does not have brains also!
STOP YOUR TAQIYA FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAMIC Jonathan-1982062 STOP TELLING THE US TO FIGHT IT'S ALLIES.
david: Hope you are not into Taqiya business for your Saudi masters.
Can you make some big post and explain what that Taqiya means?
After Assads fall israel will be in big trouble. Plain and simple.
You can not control this lunatics with power and weapons.
Nuke em, Nuke em ????????????????????????????????????
This is the only way.................................................
If not then it will happen to us.................................................OH, where, oh where, are our Ancient Aliens????
salaries for civil servants in that country cost 500 million a month!? 40 million a day for displaced people? wow... and i thought congress and welfare mooches here got a lot of $ for doing nothing.
NOBODY needs rifles that hold more than ten rounds or have plastic, instead of wood, furniture on them.
wow, never seen a coffee table or bookshelf attached to my rifle.. plastic makes them lighter for a hunter to have more accurate aim, not even addressing the question of capacity...
you are a complete idiot..
Sax, what you say would be true, if you were the judge over those people. But you're not, so what you posted is just your opinion. Would you like it, if people told you that you must give up the car you are driving, because it is just to big and dangerous, and you can only have a very small sized car and nothing else? So, if we are going to argue that the bigger it is, makes it more dangerous, everything you buy from now on must be small. Do you want to see that law made and enforced?
"Can aid without weapons help resolve a conflict"?
I have rarely heard such an idiotic, nonsensical phrase. Good for my collection. Gee, but maybe the author is right...! Shoot them all, without exception, then they will not be able to fight. Conflict resolved.
I admit, my history knowledge is not the greatest, but who 'stepped in' in an effort to stop our own 'civil war' right here in the United States???
Unofficially, Great Britain did. Or at least the cotton barons did. Ironclad warships were built in British yards for the Confederate States Navy and the crews were partially composed of British seafarers. Blockade runners tried to obtain weapons for the South from various nations in Europe. The British government was largely ambivalent about this; they tried not to deliberately antagonize the Lincoln administration but definitely wanted to keep their mills running on Southern cotton. When that was cut off, their attention turned to Egypt.
I believe Russia did but I would be remiss if I did not admit that I flunked history. NBC's Lester Holt once
said the logistics can be a nightmare which has proved to be prophetic about the Syria Rebels who need
weapons----- and a no-fly zone as reported this evening by Brian Williams. The world does not need
another Holocaust.
And there was the King of Siam, now Thailand, who reportedly offered a batch of war elephants to the United States in 1862. That offer was graciously refused...
"Can aid without weapons help resolve a conflict?" Not in this case; not after two years of increasingly brutal civil war. This one ends when one or another of the rebel groups storms Assad's bunker in Damascus and displays his head on a pole. That is, it ends for a little while. Then it starts again, as the various factions involved jockey for territory and power.
Aid, in the form of money or non-lethal military materials like communications gear and logistical equipment (trucks), can improve the operational capability of the groups to which we may provide such aid. This might give them a leg up in toppling Assad and establishing authority in liberated areas now and elsewhere after Assad's fall.
But the only thing that will end this more quickly is for the rebels to acquire heavy weapons: Tanks, field artillery, air defense artillery. Many rebels are defectors from the Syrian armed forces, and have the skills to properly employ such weapons. And someone will supply them, so long as money is found to pay for them.
If this is a Civil war, it is an internal matter and any outside interference is a violation of sovereignty!
Perhaps so, but outside interference in civil wars has been going on nearly as long as wars themselves. Not making a value judgement; just stating the reality of the situation. I agree that intervention is usually a bad idea, but that hasn't stopped anyone before now.
Our country supported the Egyptian terrorists, the Libyan terrorists and now the Syrian Terrorists.
Are we the terrorist nation that we are emulating?
I served
My Father served WWII
My Grandfather Served WWI
My Great Grandfather served in the Civil War
My Great Great Grandfather served in the Indian Wars
My Great Great Great Grandfather served in the war of 1812
My Great Great Great Grandfather also served in the Revolution with his son
Today, we all hang our head in shame.
cunical
That is awesome family history:)
cunical,
Great Family History.
Are you going to become the 1% of US Citizens currently Serving in the US Military; while 92% of US Citizens NEVER Served.
Don't. Ever since I got my Selective Service Card, till now the US Military is even more F**KED UP than ever since back then, and will get worse with longer tours and more deployments after President Obama as Commander In Chief has Ordered the US Military chopped by 50% from Capable of conducting Two Wars and Contingency Missions (including United Nation's Missions) Simultaneously to One War or a Contingency Mission.
Fundamental transformation.
According to 'reliable sources' US and Russia have come to an agreement regarding Syrian Ceasefire, in order to stop the total chaos,slaughter, displacement of people, the profiliation of Jahbat al-Nusra .This is based on Russian ceasefire plans- France's President Francois Hollande will meet with Russian President Putin tomorrow Friday March 1,2013 to go over the ceasefire plans for ending Syrian war.
Before the revolt,
China was considered Syria's best friend and ally based on the Web Site in China.
Lazarus
OK, so which nations will be supplying the forces required to separate the combatants? Will this be going to the UN Security Council as a done deal, since three of the five powers with veto power are apparently all in agreement? Can't imagine Great Britain or China making a fuss.
But somebody is going to have to put boots on the ground to make a ceasefire work, and not just a few of them and not a lightly-armed constabulary force. This will have to be like Yugoslavia twenty years ago, when NATO went in with tanks.
Add to that point - and somebody is going to have to go in and get Assad's chemical stockpiles before these murderous Jihadist terrorist thugs.............ahem...........excuse me..............*cough*........sorry about that.........REBELS do.
ANYONE here give THAT any thought??? Hmmmmmmmm???
Who do you THINK is going to send boots on the ground to do this? You guessed it: Uncle Bytchboy, that's who. You think the French, British or Turks or the other useless members of NATO are going to do this dirty work? *Buzzer*
Nice can o'worms we opened, eh??????
*eyes roll*
@Hotticket---- Very good post, and the truth!!!REFRESHING to hear someone say something absolutely true. Eyes should roll.
HOTTICKET-2304234,
Read post#1.32. Third paragraph.
So yes, the United Nation's Military B!tches aka US Military currently at the Borders of Syria will do that.
There are three things that is wrong with this situation as it relates to US politics.
1. The "Knee Jerk" reaction of Democrats is ALWAYS to throw money and a lot of lip service at any problem.
2.The "Knee Jerk" response of Republicans is to cut funding and offer lip service at any problem.
3. John Ke--y is shameful Vietnam reject who rode the antiwar and civil rights bus to hide his cowardace as he benefited from the "free Love and drug culture. That is unless he did not inhale like Clinton. He is the absolute worse person to be in a decission making position where the safety of America is at stake. He should send them some munchies and a truck load of quality Mexican. His knees are still jerking since the 60s. Too much Jimmy Hedrix and "Purple Haze"as they were at the "Watch Tower". He betrayed the Combat veterans and the 55,000 who did not make it.
Lazarus
Larry, you're an idiot. Period. John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam, which is more than you can say for Junior and the vast majority of his administration. The crew that served with him have totally discredited the swiftboating attacks, and only tiny minds like yours would still believe them. Switch the channel from Fox every now and then, so you can get a little truth mixed in with their propaganda and lies.
Listen jackass, that's you Invalid. Kerry received two Bronze Stars. They don't give them away. You can call him a spoiled brat, but do not disparage his service in Vietnam. And that goes for John McCain also. My guess is that someone should stuff a gun up your ass and see how you like it.
Sorry Valid, I was so seeing red that I forgot who I was going after. Larry needs to go to war, get shot, get shot at more and learn just what it's really all about.
Please accept my sincerest appologies. And feel free to say what you will about me. I fully accept and feel that any and all invective directed at me is warranted.
Valid,
Thanks for the name calling. It is a sign of a limited intellect. You assume way too much because I am from that time and was there. Why don't you research a bit to see exactly what his contribution was. He came back to the US after a soft time, grew his hair out wore his partial fatigue uniform like the dope smoking hippies and anti-war protesters. I watched his interviews on the liberal networks where he gave the war protesters a face to represent them. This was also a time when Jane Fonda went to Hanoi where people like McCain was held prisoner in the Hilton.
Anytime someone makes a point you liberal trolls do not like you claim I or someone else watches Fox. Who is the idiot to assume something like that? What would or could you possibly know about where I go for my news? You know less than nothing or so it seems.
I am a Vietnam Vet and personally witness the results of Kerry and the other Communist Sympathizers had on the Youth of America. The term "Square" was applied to anyone not doping it up. Flying the flag was square. Wearing my uniform on leave was Square. Criticizing the pot heads was square. but Kerry was COOL and in tune with the freaks and heads.
There is one other thing for certain, Ignorance is not always a premise for stupidity but for some it helps.
Lazarus
Jackie boy,
You sound like you are not in touch with the politics of the Vietnam war where fake/inflated body counts determined the success of a campaigne. I have been shot at but it sounds like you would like the pleasure. It has been done and I am still here. No Silver or Bronze Stars though. If you were politically connected you had angels sitting on your shoulder. The ground pounders and bush eathers were the mud eaters. The fly boys and water dogs had it easy compared. That is not to diminish the service of the majority, but if you were connected, then your service was considered a milk run. I think you and valid shoud have along passionate hug. You sound a little upset.
Lazarus
I was there larryboy. and got shot. As did my younger brother; and father along with two younger brothers. Only onebrother got shot, along with myself.
John Kerry and Jane Fonda should have been put against a wall and shot for treason.
jackie boy,
Did you come back and strap on an American flag or even burn it? Anyone who lived through the hell of war knows sacrifice, but as stupid as the war was it was our politicians who let the soldiers down. The American peopel could not influence them in a positive way to support the troops since the protesters were infiltrated with dope and commies.
Here is a historical diddy for you. Remember Cambodia and Laos? Our troops could not go into their territory, but the Ho Che min Trail was very active in supplying troops and supplies. They would come across and attack, then run for the border. Politics tied our hands to insure the war would never end unless we just walked away. In the meantime, the blood of America's best fertilized the land.
After we left, Cambodia fell to the Khmer rouge in '75. They literally murdered millions and concentrated on anyone who had enough education to read. Think about that for a minute while I go on.
The slaughter was so bad the North vietnamese came to the rescue of the people of Cambodia to stop the slaughter. The Khmer rouge then got a new ally, the US government and the CIA. Can you believe it? Good ole Jimmy Carter, was the Khmer rouges' Best pal. The reason, America was vindictive towards the North Vietnamese government. Cambodia eventually calmed down, years later, after the people put the leader of the Khmer Rouge on trial. One question waht was the message that Washington sent to the people of Cambodia, and the world? Google it and you will see another funny, it just breakes me up!!!
The Supreme leader of Cambodia who recently died, was a close friend of the Leader of N. Korea for years.(The father) The two countries are like brothers, imagine that?
What a hoot, how funny are the clowns in Washington? Roll another Smoke, and take another toke, and the boys and girls on the Potomac will have a party tonight.
Airborne all the way!
Lazarus
John Kerry have a easy ride in the congress because he dancing whit the corrupts congressman all ready in, the dirty republicans and democrats pamper him plus receive orders from the jews "lobby" (bribe)
The point is that this aid is designed to prevent Islamist groups from implementing their aid programs to win support. They have been very successful with that, because the West often focuses too narrowly on military solutions and forgets to win over the populace in the process.
Nailed it...
And, comparatively,.. it represents a very small investment...
Win over who to achieve what?
US has no business there. Period!
The culture of Islam and certain political agendas use the liberal money thrown at them and laughs. N.Korea was receiving food and money from us as the spent money on nuke research. The same is true for Pakistan and dozens of other failures for the great piggy bank of the world. Africa was the same and look at where they are now?
Terrorist and Barbarians know and respect only one thing, that which they are afraid of, a force larger than theirs that is willing to go as far as they do in the use of terror.
This is also true for history if you want to argue that for a while. Throwing money at these people will only serve to make the enemies of America stronger as we get financially weaker. The Rebel movement in Syria is a mixture of political groups, but there are also groups of military type advisors sent there from Iran and the Taliban and others, if you will, that are within the inner circles that use the threat of force and violence if anyone opposes them. This happened in Egypt and Saudi Arabia and anywhere the Arab Spring created a void where they (brotherhood) could get a foot hold.
I am not arguing for the Syrian government since they are strongly supported by communist. But Idealistic liberals seem to only see the Rainbows and fairies as they tip toe through the tulips.
Lazarus
I just love those ignorant libs who have never spent a day in combat and their ignorant idea of "We must win the hearts and minds of the people"!!! I hate to be the one who ruins that part but, there has not been one single conflict that we tried winning the hearts and minds of the people that we have ever won!!!!
The great American soldiers always win the battles but, the libs and the politicians with their ignorant hearts and minds crap always costs us the wars!!!!!!
I think anyone who believes in hearts and minds of the people should be sent in first and those of us who know that to win a war you fight to win and worry about everything else after the enemy is waving their underwear on a stick... We will go in after you morons and win the war if we are allowed to fight it our way which is the only way you fight a war!!!
War is hell and it is the last thing that should ever be done but, if you are going to send one good person into war you send them in with everything they need to win and you fight to win and that means you hit hard and you do not stop hitting hard until the enemy surrenders and begs you to stop!!!!!!
Though the politicians screwed up the after game of the first Gulf War, we were allowed to fight it properly and we won it quickly and with very few good Americans loosing their lives!!! That is when we were let loose to win and we had great Generals and a President whom all of them had been in a war and they knew the hell of war so they did not send us in to win hearts and minds but to fight to win!!!
This is one of the reasons that I honestly believe that all Presidents should have been in the military, so they know what it feels like to serve in the military. I also think that know military memeber should ever be sent in to fight any war unless they are being sent to win!!!!
You libs want hearts and minds then go win some hearts and minds!!! Leave those of us that have to always clean up your messes out of it this time and you just go and take care of it... I am so tired of libs and their weaknesses costing our countrymen and women their lives...
Every time we have a weak lib in office we end up with a major attack afterwards because the weak politicians arm the terrorists and then they attack us later!!! Carter, Clinton and now odumbass and just wait and see the outcome of this weak lib odumbass and his arming of all of the terrorist organizations of the middle east and making the muslim brotherhood so strong both in the middle east and here in our own country!!!
It's hard to top Hilary in terms of incompetence, but I'm afraid Kerry just might be up to it!
I think the terrorists are about to take over Syria regardless..
Which ones?
And turn against us quickly. No good deed...
Why don't we just promote the gun laws they are trying to push in our country over there, gun control works, just ask anybody in Chicago...
Wrong discussion.
Actually, jimboza: No it's not. Why are we arming potential terrorists with fully selective fire, not semi-auto's , in DEmocracys name??
No back ground checks??? Fully auto??? Why do terrorists enjoy gun ownership parameters a US citizen would not have???
Lets have background checks & only semi -auto's for these freedom (cough terrorists ) to fight with.
Whats good enough for US citizens, should be good world wide.
that is the lib way, arm the criminals, the cartels and the terrorists but disarm the hard working taxpaying law abiding citizens of the USA!!!
Ignorant libs and their backwards anti American ways!!!
today the president said cut funding for disabled kids or cut funding for students. and Secretary Karry gave 60 million dollars to our friends the muslim brotherhood rebels who are fighting a terrible tyrant. This president knows how to make peace, and tells us the truth. Its about time we got rid of all that righty hypocrisy. Now we have new friends in syria to help us spread the word that we are good and will help with giving them money to get going.
sarcasm right??????
no, everybody knows that you can buy bees with more honey. give them money and they will love us because they will know we love them and are sorry for all the killing we did there.
Do we ever learn that stepping into a foreign country's internal conflicts is a bad idea?
In Vietnam we were supporting an unpopular, near-dictatorial government against the majority of their country which preferred communist-style dictatorship instead. It cost us not just thousands of lives, billions of dollars, but also huge plummet in our international reputation.
In Iran we supported a repressive dictator, to be overthrown by their people in 1979. In the coming decade we sent military aid to their neighboring enemy, Saddam Hussein to make war on them. Result? Billions of dollars wasted, boost Iranian people's resistance, and boost the military power of Iraq's dictator.
In Iraq, once we finally ended our alliance with Saddam and turned to overthrow him in 2003, we sent in over a hundred thousand soldiers! A hundred thousand US soldiers couldn't stop the civil war that errupted as a result, and we paid for it with blood! And the final result? The 'democraticly' elected government we left them with threw us out and is now coddling with Iran against us.
In Afghanistan, Reagan supported the training and arming of the Taliban against the Russians, calling them 'freedom fighters' and the 'moral equivalent of America's Founding Fathers.' Result? Within a decade they turned on us!
In Egypt we spent long decades supporting a brutal dictator. When he was overthrown and we 'supported' the uprising, they turned the country into a far-right theocracy with continued repression who remember very well our previous support for the dictator.
Before we start sending cash or military support towards the rebels in Syria, we really need to ask first: who are they anyway? Is it really wise for us to start supporting rebels we don't even know whether they can be trusted as allies?
Peter,
Great points but as long as the money train is rolling the bad guys will have their hands out for out idiot politicians to fill.
Lazarus
The politicians take the country from us and give in silver plate to the richies, really we are the idiots for support them, we have guns but no balls for regain our country from this mercenaries
all those aids from US government will end up in Muslim extreamist terorist hands...!!!
WTF? Our country is BEYOND broke and we're sending tens of millions more to the sand kingdom? Why can't the trillionare leaders in the middle east send their own ivy league educated sons to fight and spend their cash? Why are we SO concerned about Syria? Who cares?
KEEP my FKKNG tax MONEY IN THE US!!!
We should encourage our oil producing allies in Middle-East to arm the rebels. We should not directly sell arms but let the oil producing countries who have amassed so much of our dollars supply them with weapons. In turn oil producing countries would be forced to buy more armaments from us. This would help our armament industries. We have to get back our money which these Arab countries have accumulated through oil export. Through wars we would get all our money back. War is commerce. More blood shed in Syria would be good for our commerce, Israel and the West. Fragmented Syria would be no threat to Israel. These different ethnic and religious groups in Syria would fight for eternity. Turmoil in Syria would eventually spread to other Muslim countries in the Middle-east. Whole Middle-East would engulf in flames. Let Syria burn forever. West and Israel should avail this opportunity. Let all Israel neighbors burn. The more disorder and chaos prevail in Muslim countries; the better it would be for Israel and the West. Map of the Middle-East has to be changed.
If you wait long enough, the sociopaths always show up...
You're being rather hard on yourself, K1200RS
doret: kindergarden1200 is a definite sociopath but this time so is his buddy ovais that he is talking about... What ovais is saying is what the kindergarden1200 would normally be saying that is probably why he made that comment he is jealous that ovais made it first!