Obama turns chicken, gives Russia, Iran and Hezbollah reasons to crow about

In the news, Obama asks permission alone, without any support from the Dept. of Defense, from Congress for military action against the regime in Syria. Although our post's title may be harsh on Obama, it is a reflection that his hands are tied. You see, Obama will act only if he is backed by the UN Security Council and the US Cogress. In fact, let us not forget he was voted by Americans to get out of foreign wars and interventions.

So we can compare Obama with Reagan who is already secure in American history as a strong leader.But although we can say both are products of their age, let us not forget that Obama is the president of the United States. He could indeed order a military strike on his own, a gamble with political rewards and terrible losses if it goes awry.Whatever, let us give time for Obama who is on his last term.

Syria's Assad will not achieve stability for his country. He has proven himself a butcher of his own country. He can fool a lot of people, but not all the time. We hope he will have the decency to step down or face the wrath of the ordinary Syrian people.

Further reading:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324009304579047542466837078.html

US under Obama is not prepared to punish Syria and losing its window of opportunity.

The government of Syria as repeatedly been warned that using chemical or poison gas will be a justification of the US Armed Forces to take an active role in the current Syrian Civil War See Red line warning on chemical weapons That use of chemical weapons as a red line has been made hazy in More options needed.

The past week news on possible chemical weapons delivered by missiles, last August 21 in the rebel held area of Ghouta have made the issues complicated.

1. Obama must act for permission from Congress to initiate miliatary action against military assets of Syria.

2. Further delays in the "punitive action" has enable Syria to scatter its military asses around the country.

3. Russia and China will "automatically" veto any resolution for military intervention.
Come to think of it. These nations may have supplied Syria with the chemical weapons.

4. The Uk parliament has refused to support PM Cameron for a joint strike against Syria.

5. Indications so far has shown the presence of chemical nerve agents in Ghouta, even the sound of approaching missiles were heard but the later explosion were not! Indeed photos of still intact missiles are circulating.

6. The government of Syria has consistently denied the use of chemicl weapons. See http://www.syriaonline.sy/?f=Details&catid=12&pageid=6995

7. UN inspectors did not perform a thorough inspection on the affected areas.

8. Gases may have already dissipated into the atmosphere, rendering inspections useless.

9. The facts that mass deaths did happen in Ghouta or Goutha cannot be ignored!

10. Thorugh their loose mouths, Obama, state department officials are giving Syrian officials enough leeway how to respond more appropriately to the threat of "punishment". But the US is a democratic country and is the world's leadig superpower.
Russia is a "has been" and China is a "pretender". However we shall not forget that there is always a moral dimension in the world's affairs! The element of surprise is gone. We might witness another shock and awe show in our living rooms in full color in large sized screens!


11. hope that the people of Syria will meet a more stabe future, a future without Assad.



Further reading.

[1]. A good write up. Obama' hand may be "forced".

Charles Krauthammer opinion piece

[2]. A concise article in one reading! Wikipedia article on Ghouta attacks

Turkey retaliates against Syria shelling across borders!

Syrian government forces might be foolish to shell refugees across Turkey. Such acts can be a valid license for Turkey to shell back government forces fighting refugees who regularly cross the borders.

See Turkish artillery targets Syria

This is a worrisome development but if it hastens a change in government in Syria, with Bashar Assad stepping down, this might be more "acceptable" than having more thousands of dead Sytians and a few Turks.

We call on Bashar to affect a peaceful transition. Am sure that other countries would offer him exile, like the USSR and China. He has crossed the line and his options are shrinking. He needs to think of his future in Syrian history, as right now, he might find it difficult to remove the the man who destroyed Syria. Such dishonor will live longer when the younger Assad is long dead.

World, Syria: Does Assad understand history?

The spanish philosopher George Santayana once said : Those who refuse to learn history are doomed to repeat it!

Has Syria’s Bashar Al Assad forgotten what happened to Muammar Khadaffy of Libya last October 20, 2011 ? How the Libyan leader was surrounded by his enemies, shot at and his body paraded for all to see? How his body was stored in a freezer for some days (Muslims bury their dead in 24 hours) in some abandoned food store?

Assad, with the backing of Russia and China, two nations which humstrung the United Nations actions and plans to end the violence in Syria, continues to give pain, sorrow and death to his own countrymen! His generals and ambassadors are desserting him and his regime. Even Kofi Amman has given up on diplomacy to end the bloodletting.

But read the news on Aleppo, Hama and Damascus. Assad;s formidable armed forces are using tanks, planes, and mortars on the rebels, whose ranks continue to swell as the days and months wore on. We give Assad, despite his training as a doctor of medicine, high marks for bloodthirsty and heavy handed responses in the cities of Aleppo and in Damascus, where executions are done almost every day!

yrian leader Assad's planes pound vital prize of Aleppo

Dozens reported killed in Damascus as Syria rebels try to halt advance on Aleppo

Assad has closed the door to a decent exit in Syrian history. Instead, if the rebels ever capture Damascus, we are sure to witness again the lessons of history on tyrants and dictators, with Assad, his family, and his tribe, possbily experiencing a gruesome retaliation.

Assad should go now! to the safety of his benefactors and supporters, to Russia or China. and let Syria rebuild without him. Thats is what wrong with dictators. They have a warped sense of their importance in thier country’s history.

We hope this will be over by October, the month when Khdaffy of Libya died, resisting the roaring call for change.


Further reading:

• New York Times background on Syria unrest
  
• Wikipedia Syrian Arab Republic
  
• Wikipedia Bashar Al Assad
  
• 1982 Hama Massacre
  
• Siege of Homs, still ongoing!
  

Sorrows growing more each day in Syria

Althought the far distance of Syria to the Philippines may make us feel insulated regarding events developing in that county, the Internet, news and social sites, make the events vivid and just nearby whenever we browse the web!

We are moved by this news item Los Angeles Times: Syria activist who shared horrific images of Syrian government crackdown in bloodshed killed

The citizen journalist who was able to upload chilling videos to youtube was killed by shrapnel in his besieged neighborhood in the tempestous city of Homs and the last video was about him.




Syria is witnessing the killing more of its bright young minds every day! We will not be surprised if the country slides into chaos and violence rule the days in that country, We hope that the citizen journalist did not die in vain.

The clock is winding down for Bashar Assad of Syria

Update:
The United Nations has charged that Syria's ruling government forces has committed mass murder of more than 250 children, including one 12 year old so she would not grow into a demonstrator! Times of India

The Arab League, except for the client state of Lebanon and Iraq, has imposed economic sanctions on Syria. The move will add more pressures to the current Assad's leadership. For more details: Nov 27, WSJ:Arab League Overwhelmingly Imposes Sanctions on Syria

Bashar Assad, who inherited the mantle of the country's leadership from his strongman father Hafez Assad is in trouble!

The country's army is now rife with desertions and the continued harassment on the populace is building a wall of impending general uprising, which may topple him and his rule, which already happened to Mummar Qaddafi of Libya. Already the Arab League has suspended Syria! And much worse,fellow Arab countries like Libya, Tunisia and Turkey has derecognized his regime.

Israel, its "enemy" may not like this, since the future is so unpredictable. Who knows Assad may be replaced by a more militant adventurous leader, who wants to erase the shame of losing the Golan Heights in two major wars with Israel, and to retaliate against the bombing by the IAF of a reactor Operation Orchard.

We prefer that a stable Syria contributes to the relative calm in the Middle East, a powder keg about to blow up anytime with intrasigent non-arab Iran waiting and watching.