Libya vs Syria

[GHook93]

For the record, I am against any military intervention in any Muslim country except for declaring the entire country our enemy and attacking WW II and then getting out letting them rebuild their own country, upon them attacking us of coarse (like Afghanistan did with 9/11, but the response should have been differently). Gaddiffi remaining in power was good for America! He got rid of his WMD programs and kept an important oil producing country stable (prior to this). Not a threat to us also. Ditto for Syria. I hope
ASSSSad will win and remain in power also!

So the question is: How is the situation in syria different than Libya?

Syria is in the mist of violent protests! The Assssad regime is firing live rounds killing many unarmed protesters. They are using the air force to suppress their people. Assad supports terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. They have a one party government, the current Presidential election allow only one name, ASSSad, to be in the ballot. There are many political prisoners and the Syrian people are suppressed just like Gaddiffi does to the Libyanese people. So how is the situation any different in Syria (or even Bahrain, Tunsia, Jordan or Yemen for that matter) any different than it is in Libya? The answer, IT'S NOT!!! So how can this inept American government rationalize the ill-conceived plan of attacking Libya and then hypocritically not intervening in Syria?

Do they really think the America people are that stupid? Does Obama think if he then turns the agenda to amnesty and immigration reform that he can ride the back of the Latino and ever loyal Black community in 2012? WTF is going on.

Syria's Assad deploys army; Clinton: US won't intervene

 

[waltky]

Good Friday massacre in Syria makes Assad look like another Kaddafi...

Syrian Security Forces Fire on Funeral Processions Causing More Bloodshed
April 23, 2011 - Casualties, including at least 12 people dead, are being reported in at several Syrian cities Saturday as witnesses say government security forces opened fire on thousands of funeral goers. The bloodshed comes as U.S. President Barack Obama condemns the use of force against peaceful protesters and accuses Iran of helping in the repression.

Funeral goers in the Damascus suburb of Barzeh carry victims of Friday’s violent clashes between security forces and protesters on their shoulders, as the crowd chants slogans against the regime. Videos on Facebook show hundreds of mourners in a tumultuous procession. Al Jazeera TV showed videos of mourners in Barzeh fleeing as shots were fired near them. It also reported that security forces fired indiscriminately on mourners near Izraa, outside the southern city of Diraa, as their procession crossed a highway overpass.

Syrian state media, meanwhile, is claiming that "Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are lying about events in the country." The Syrian news agency SANA insists that "outside forces" are waging a "misleading media campaign" and exaggerating about the size of protests. Opposition protesters, for their part, carried banners calling the government press "liars." Some mourners on Saturday chanted anti-government slogans and repeated their calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign immediately.

Syrian state TV is reporting that "armed men" fired on the army and security forces in Diraa and elsewhere. It showed funerals of policemen and soldiers it claimed were killed by protesters. The Syrian-government reports accused outside agents of carrying petrol bombs and bottles of blood to "create fictitious stories of violence." According to the reports, the agents also set fire to buses and attacked fire engines.

MORE

See also:

Obama Condemns Syria for 'Outrageous' Violence
April 22, 2011 - President says Assad has ignored the Syrian people's calls for freedom

U.S. President Barack Obama has condemned Syria for what he called an "outrageous use of violence" against opposition protesters, after 75 people were killed Friday in a government crackdown on the demonstrations. Obama said in a statement that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has ignored the Syrian people's calls for freedom and has instead chosen "the path of repression." He also accused Assad of seeking Iranian assistance in the brutal crackdown against Syrian civilians.

Rights groups and activists say at least 75 people were killed in Syria Friday after security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters who rallied across the country. The toll would make Friday the deadliest single day of protests in the country since the anti-government uprising began in March. Witnesses and activists say security forces used live ammunition and tear gas on protesters, who poured onto the streets after prayers and called for President Assad's immediate departure.

The deaths were reported in areas including the southern Daraa region, the central city of Homs and communities near the capital, Damascus. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined Obama in calling for an immediate stop to the crackdown in Syria. Friday's rallies against President Assad's government came one day after the president signed a decree ending almost 50 years of emergency rule. The decree was part of his effort to end anti-government unrest.

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[Antiderivative]

Its time to pack up and come home. Obama, fails at this miserably.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs6aaaJBAv0]YouTube - Niel Young Ohio Lyrics[/ame]

 

[zzzz]

If you are going to use limited military force in these situation the way to do it is to target the "head of the snake!" Take out the top levels of government and military with cruise missiles or drone strikes. Once the top levels are decapitated the army will be leaderless and more inclined to to go with the people. Granted in some of these situations that armies officer corps is minority. But this method of interdiction is cheaper and more effective than destroying tanks in a popular uprising.

 

[The Rabbi]

Syria is not Libya for a number of reasons. But you are right that Obama created a dangerous precedent in going into Libya, something he should have foreseen. Of course with the klowns we hafve running U.S. policy they couldn't agree on a dinner menu, much less foreign policy.

 

[waltky]

Now dey shootin' at the womens...

Syria forces open fire on women's group
7 May`11 - Government forces storm Banias Sunni districts to try and quell protests

Syrian tanks attacked the mostly Sunni Muslim city of Banias on Saturday, a rights campaigner said, raising sectarian tension in a country gripped by protests against the rule of President Bashar Assad. The campaigner told Reuters that Syrian forces fired at a small all-women protest marching on the main coastal highway from Marqab village near Banias, killing three of them. Three others were killed in attacks, but it was not certain if the victims were women, Reuters reported. The attack came hours after the United States, reacting to the death of 27 protesters on Friday, threatened to take new steps against Syria's rulers, from the Alawite sect, unless they stopped killing and harassing their people.

The army entered Banias, a Mediterranean coastal city of 50,000 people, from three directions, advancing into Sunni districts but not Alawite neighborhoods, the campaigner said. Most communication with Banias has been cut but the campaigner said he was able to contact several residents. "Residents are reporting the sound of heavy gunfire and seeing Syrian navy boats off the Banias coast. Sunni and mixed neighborhoods are totally besieged now," said the campaigner, who did not want to be identified for security reasons. Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights based in London, told Reuters that regular army units were present in the center of Banias but the authorities had now sent special units into the northern side of the city.

"They are conducting search operation in several areas. The army has lists and looking for people based on it," he said. "They have raided Bayda, Basateen and the Baseya suburbs." Rights group Sawasiah said in statement that the number of civilians killed since pro-democracy demonstrations broke out seven weeks ago has reached 800. It added that there were cuts in landline, Internet and cellphone lines with Banias as army units backed by tanks swept into its districts. Syrian authorities have banned foreign media from reporting from the country.

Clampdown

 

[The T]

So the Obama regime is picking and choosing?

WHY?

 

[The Rabbi]

So the Obama regime is picking and choosing?

WHY?

There might be very good reeasons why an intervention in one place is justified but not in another. But I dont have any confidence on Obama's foreign policy team that they can articulate what any of those reasons are.

 

[percysunshine]

Libya vs Syria

The difference between Libya and Syria is approximately two consonants. Other than that...not much else.