Syria has used chemical weapons. Now what?

[piece-itpete]

So the left is on board with bombing Syria all of a sudden?

Pete

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

So the left is on board with bombing Syria all of a sudden?

Pete

In light of the latest evidence presented to congress? Most are on board, it appears. Lot's of neocons, too. CNN is broadcasting the house briefing being conducted by Kerry, Hagel, etc. Kind of strange to see the neocons beating up on the Benghazi screamers.

[icenine]

Who brought Al Quaeda to Syria?
Assad did when he refused to back down and followed a scorched earth policy on his own people and country.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by icenine

Who brought Al Quaeda to Syria?
Assad did when he refused to back down and followed a scorched earth policy on his own people and country.

The question is irrelevant now from our perspective.

The fact is they are there getting bigger and bigger to the point where
they even have their own oil wells.

We should do nothing to enhance them.

[piece-itpete]

It's an old vs new look at the status quo I think. Old realpolitik says better a brutal strongman than home grown morons. New says bring 'the people' into power and work with them to control said morons.

I like the thought of the new, it's hard not to cheer for the people, but I have serious reservations.

It's something of a dead argument as much of the ME has already passed over to 'the people', at least theoretically. I have doubts that it will stay that way, and if so that the radicals will be suppressed. Look at Pakistan.

In the meantime, does the international community believe that genocide of sorts is acceptable to them, or not? NK at least is certainly watching.

Pete

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

In the meantime, does the international community believe that genocide of sorts is acceptable to them, or not? NK at least is certainly watching.

Pete

Not every intervention makes sense in practical terms. Each situation has different matrix. We went into Somalia and had
to leave because the price, both human and material, to control the land was too high. A fail state ...their inter communal
violence seems to be just leveling.

We went into Lebanon and had to leave also.

As to Syria. To put things right we would have to go in and punch the Alawites, Christians, Shias and radical Islamists.
What a soup?

Are you suggesting that we should invade N. Korea if there is internal upheaval.

[whell]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

As to Syria. To put things right we would have to go in and punch the Alawites, Christians, Shias and radical Islamists.
What a soup?

Do we really think the Christians, Shias and Alawites want the radical islamists hanging around?

The Shias hate the Alawites because the Alawites are the ruling class while also being in the minority. The strongman tactics in Syria grew up around keeping the minority in power. I don't think anyone there would mourn that group getting its card punched.

That might make the soup a bit less murky.

[icenine]

Originally Posted by whell

Do we really think the Christians, Shias and Alawites want the radical islamists hanging around?

The Shias hate the Alawites because the Alawites are the ruling class while also being in the minority. The strongman tactics in Syria grew up around keeping the minority in power. I don't think anyone there would mourn that group getting its card punched.

That might make the soup a bit less murky.

I think you mean Sunnis instead of Shias...the Alawites are a Shia sect.
That is one reason why Saudi Arabia is supporting the primairily Sunni rebels.
But your point about getting their card punched is right on.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by whell

Do we really think the Christians, Shias and Alawites want the radical islamists hanging around?

The Shias hate the Alawites because the Alawites are the ruling class while also being in the minority. The strongman tactics in Syria grew up around keeping the minority in power. I don't think anyone there would mourn that group getting its card punched.

That might make the soup a bit less murky.

As things stand now Christians and Shias have a larger fear of the Jihadists and are therefore giving support to Assad. The Sunni Jihadists are waging a wide ranging war against all the Shias both in Iraq and in Syria.

Right now they are bombing Shia controlled Iraq back to the stone age. Their objective is to establish a caliphate, free of all Shias, Christians Alawites and other infidels.

[piece-itpete]

Well the debate is over. A strike on Syria without UN approval IS a war crime.

Chomsky says so

"....[T]hat aggression without UN authorization would be a war crime, a very serious one, is quite clear, despite tortured efforts to invoke other crimes as precedents," he added. ..."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...ef=mostpopular

We can all go home now lol.

Pete