This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Syria

  • Yeah, That’s Just a F**king Brilliant Idea . . .

    Multiple news sources (Fox News, the Army Times) are reporting that the current Administration is “nearing a decision” on providing training and equipment for “moderate elements” of the Syrian opposition.

    And yeah:  that “training” part means “boots on the ground”.  As in Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen/Marines.  Troops.

    Hey, I get it that Assad is a thug, and hates the US. But the same is true of at least half of the Syrian opposition. And Assad doesn’t have links to al Qaeda, either – like many elements in the Syrian opposition do.

    So I can’t really see how we have any proverbial “dog in that fight”; either way it turns out, we’re all but guaranteed to have a regime running Syria that hates the US.  And a regime led by the Syrian opposition raises the possibility of Syria’s WMD’s falling into al Qaeda’s (or another Islamic extremist group’s) hands.  Frankly, I think we may be better off with Assad the Bastard running that patch of Middle Eastern dirt.

    If you seriously believe that at least some of the arms and equipment we provide to the Syrian opposition won’t end up in the hands of al Qaeda-linked elements – or that we won’t end up training a large number of folks who end up working with or for al Qaeda in the future – I’d like to talk to you about real estate. I can give you one helluva deal on a bridge.

    This is IMO a monumentally stupid idea. Regarding Syria, Shakespeare had it right around 400 years ago: “A plage o’ both your houses.”

  • War Crimes: They’re Not Just for the Assad Regime Any More

    We keep hearing about all those “war crimes” on the part of the Assad regime.  Many of them may well be legitimate.

    I’d long suspected that the Syrian opposition might not exactly be clean on that score.  But as far as I know no one has come out and accused the Syrian opposition of war crimes.

    Until now, that is.  Human Rights Watch has now come out and flatly accused elements of the Syrian opposition of committing atrocities against unarmed civilians that indeed qualify as war crimes.  Their report is 105 pages in length, and details attacks against unarmed civilians in a dozen predominately Alawite villages in Latika village on/about 4 Aug of this year.

    We’re not talking a handful of people killed in a few isolated incidents, either.  Human Rights Watch documents at least 190 people killed and 200 taken prisoner.  It also appears that around 100 are being held hostage as bargaining chips for the return of captured Syrian resistance members held by the Assad regime.

    The perpetrators were identified as 5 groups within the Syrian resistance that have ties to Islamic fundamentalism and/or al Qaeda.  Color me shocked.

    The Free Syrian Army has disavowed the actions of the 5 groups who committed these atrocities, with their spokesman stating that, “Anyone who commits such crimes will not belong to the revolution anymore.”

    Yeah, right.  I think I’ll wait until we see some proof before I accept that little statement.  I seem to remember a saying popular in that part of the world that starts out:  “The enemy of my enemy . . . .”

    I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  tell me again why we’re supporting either side in that damn civil war?