Conflict in Syria

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Israel thought of Assad as the evil known. What now comes is an unknown evil, most likely. So they do the only reasonable thing they are left to do: trying to pull as many teeth out of the evil's jaw while it still is lying still in paralysis.

I would do the same.

...shouldn't that be a stake through the heart?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

...shouldn't that be a stake through the heart?

[Jimbuna]

Memo to the Assads: Putin may welcome you in Moscow, but I wouldn’t drink his tea

For now, Syrian refugee Bashar al-Assad might be telling himself that if Vladimir Putin has offered him asylum, he can’t possibly be angry with him for putting Russia’s unrivalled network of military bases in Syria at serious risk. In which case, it’s possible Bashar is about to go on a journey of discovery as long as the Trans-Siberian railway. Then again, it could be much, much shorter. But perhaps Assad’s comfortable with limbo. He has, after all, spent the past two decades apparently unable to decide whether he is or isn’t growing a moustache. Follically speaking, I guess he now finally has time to pick a lane. Or, as I say, doesn’t have time. For while the man who used chemical weapons against his own people may be physically located in Moscow, in security terms, and for the rest of his entire life, he cannot be at all clear where he stands.

Nor, at present, can the Syrian people, who deserve so much more than a few days of giddy celebration. None of it is unalloyed, given the utter grimness of the stories being disgorged from Assad’s torture prisons, and the ominous uncertainty of what comes next under victorious Islamist rebel chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.

Having said that, you have to celebrate the bright spots. What is not to love about that footage of a toppled Assad Sr statue being hooked to the back of a truck and ridden through the streets by cheering Syrians? Elsewhere, one of the best bits of any successful coup against a murderous tyrant is watching their giggling former people swarm through the private chambers of their ghastly palace. And so it has been with the Assads. Here are half a dozen oppressed citizens grinning as they take goofy photos on a souvenir sofa; here are a few hundred helping themselves to all the incredibly expensive things that got bought instead of food and medicine for the country’s children. No doubt Assad’s wife, Asma, will be aware of this, and sobbing into a diamond-encrusted iPhone to anyone who’ll still listen (an increasingly small field) that she “can’t watch the news footage”. No doubt it feels like a … what’s the word? … violation?

Perhaps Asma could distract herself by writing one of those end of year family letters that always cause so much appalled merriment for those who receive them. “Well, we finally made the big move to Moscow! Downsized a little bit, for sure – but we keep saying it’s so cosy. BTW if anyone sent greetings to the old address, it’s not totally clear they’ll be forwarded to us by the new owners. Incidentally, we heard on the grapevine that people thought our dear friend Vladimir was angry with Bashar. We assure well-meaning friends that this could NOT be further from the truth. Vladimir adores Bashar. He keeps inviting him to come and drink tea with him, which seems so hospitable, and we mean to take up the invitation just as soon as we finish unpacking the money.”

Anyway: the money. For some reason, news reports about fleeing dictators often peg their fortunes at the $2bn mark, and I duly read this week that Assad had escaped with $2bn of squirrelled-away funds; “$2bn” must be the answer to the question “what’s the precise amount of money that sounds like an ill-gotten running-away fund?”

But if the megarich Assads are nevertheless wondering what happens next – guys, get used to it! The not knowing is the whole fun of being a former dictator! Your **** creek may yet become ****ty enough to satisfy even your most persistent detractors. It’s definitely possible that at some point, your gracious hosts will get bored of being gracious – as hosts in these situations historically have – at which point you might be suddenly forced to take a trip to The Hague after all.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other...4c0488d0&ei=14

[Dargo]

The fall of Assad provides Israel with a prime opportunity to deal with the Syrian army altogether. The new rulers will soon be forced by the airstrikes to repurchase many heavy weapons when building a new armed force. Iraq had to do the same after 2003, when America destroyed many weapons from President Saddam Hussein's army during the invasion. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors the fighting in the country, Israel has now destroyed ‘the major military sites’ in the country with its nearly 300 airstrikes. Israel said on Monday that the bombing campaign will last for days, but that it was not intended to interfere in the fighting in the country.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel was working to deal with its enemies ‘step by step’. He called Syria ‘the central part of Iran's Axis of Evil’. Netanyahu: ‘We are changing the face of the Middle East. The state of Israel is establishing its status as a centre of power in our region, as it has not been for decades. Whoever cooperates with us reaps many benefits. Whoever attacks us, loses much.’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Syria's new rulers that he will not allow a new Iranian presence in the neighbouring country. He said in a video that the rebels will pay a ‘heavy price’ if, like the previous regime, they decide to give Tehran free rein.

‘If this regime allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, approves the transfer of Iranian weapons to Hezbollah or if it attacks us, we will react forcefully,’ Netanyahu said. ‘Then what happened to the previous regime will also happen to this regime.’

[Jimbuna]

^ precisely that

[Raf1394]

i don't agree what Israel is doing. They are just benefiting the chaos of a country who just lost there government, and is in a transit moment.

In the meanwhile, they just decided to move in deeper in Syria... Even the Golan Heights are annexed and condemned by the UN for years.
I understand Israel feels danger on there borders. But now Israel is basically invading a other countries sovereignty...

If this is accepted by the international community. then Egypt or Jordan can just send tanks across the Israeli border, and invade Israel

Egypt or Jordan, or any other nation that borders Israel can say this.
''We feel threatened by Israel expanding there forces, so we invade Israel too''


Oh no wait Israel can do everything what it wants and get away with it...

[Raf1394]

And Israel just destroyed part of the Syrian navy.

So can Syria now attack Israel out of self defence?
oh no wait they can't... Only Israel can attack other countries...

[Skybird]

^ Syria was hostile to Israel since decades. Its the transfer highway of Iran to supply Hezbollah in Lebanon with wepaons. The truce between Israel and Syria was uneasy at best. The new Syrian government will be at least as hostile to Israel as Assad has been.

The UN is since always absolutely biased.

If you want to complain, the n complain about Turkey havign invaded Syria many years ago anbd for the purpose to stay, which makes it different from Israel'S attacks now. And already now Turkey and its allied militias commit atrocities against the Kurds, whose resistence is being overwhelmed, they have just been driven out of one of their major cities in their territories, and now their unofficial capital is under attack by the Turks and their proxies.

Israel will leave Syrian territory again sooner or later. The Turks are there to stay - and to widen their influence, and with it their dream of a neo-osmanic sphere of power.

[Raf1394]

To be fair enough, every foreign power needs to leave Syria.
How can they hold a stable government, or even hold elections. when there is still fighting going on...

I feel removing Assad will leave a vacuüm for power, and they will all fight for the throne...

They removed the regime without having a replacement. And does the current rebel group who took over Syria represent all the Syrians ? I don't think so.
Who gave them the right to take control over Syria? They basically seized power with force... noting democratic about that.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Raf1394

then Egypt or Jordan can just send tanks across the Israeli border, and invade Israel

I seem to recall they already tried such stunts. I further recall it did not work well for them.

Every time.

[Raf1394]

That current conflict in Syria is been going on since 2011.
And it worsened and its a never ending story, because other countries got involved for there own benefits and defence... Russia, Turkey, Israel, The US ect...

Its like the early protests of Syrians demanding more change and freedom and more rights. Erupted in a big revolution and civil war and the country got hijacked by foreign countries. Sad story.

[u crank]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I seem to recall they already tried such stunts. I further recall it did not work well for them.

Every time.

I don't think Egypt or Jordan are interested in a military conflict with Israel. Bad for business. Bad for your health.