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SYRIA

...on serious topics that don't fit anywhere else at present.
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jaywhat
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SYRIA

#1 Post by jaywhat » June 15th, 2011, 6:18 am

The Syrian regime is laying siege to whole cities, and is willing to annihilate them to crush the peaceful democracy movement. Security forces have cut off all food, water and medicine to these towns, shot hundreds of citizens, and detained and tortured thousands -- in many cases ripping out their fingernails before releasing them, as a warning to other protesters.

Despite this unimaginable terror, the Syrian people refuse to be silenced, and are committed to a non-violent path out of this nightmare. But while they have no shortage of bravery, they are short of funds. They are asking for financial and other support -- for needs ranging from urgent medical help to ads and public messages urging soldiers to refuse to shoot protestors.

Our best chance to protect tens of thousands of Syrian families at risk is to support their struggle.

Here is the link if you want to support the Syrian people.
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/syria_stand ... 101&v=9323

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Dave B
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Re: SYRIA

#2 Post by Dave B » June 15th, 2011, 8:53 am

There seems to be a sectarian dimension also if some of the commentators are correct.

It seems that the army are hitting the Sunni towns and villages and bypassing the Alaouite ones. The country's ruling family are Alaouite.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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getreal
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Re: SYRIA

#3 Post by getreal » June 16th, 2011, 12:58 am

Dreadful. The fact that so little real information about what is happening can get out of the country is very worrying. My husband visited Syria a couple of years ago and he said it was by far the most interesting place he had ever been. He also said the people were the friendliest he had ever met.

How is this unrest going to end? How do western governments decide which regimes they will help to topple? Who polices the world?

I have no answers :-(
"It's hard to put a leash on a dog once you've put a crown on his head"-Tyrion Lannister.

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jaywhat
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Re: SYRIA

#4 Post by jaywhat » June 16th, 2011, 6:16 am

I am biased because my sister lives in Syria and this morning is catching a flight back there after spending 2 weeks in Devon to visit our mother. She is married with 2 boys (now men) and has lived and worked there for half her life. She is as good as Syrian. She is cool and calm and says things will get worse before they get better, but she does not seem scared. She says the best way to find out what is happening is through Al Jezeera which I think is available on Sky and on Channel 89 on Freeview - but I have not been able to access it yet - after 7pm!

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getreal
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Re: SYRIA

#5 Post by getreal » June 16th, 2011, 8:08 pm

I thought Al Jazeera was available on freeview, Jaywhat.

Is your sister a Syrian citizen, Jaywhat?
"It's hard to put a leash on a dog once you've put a crown on his head"-Tyrion Lannister.

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jaywhat
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Re: SYRIA

#6 Post by jaywhat » June 17th, 2011, 6:12 am

I think she has joint citizenship.

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Dave B
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Re: SYRIA

#7 Post by Dave B » June 17th, 2011, 2:00 pm

Is it a crack or just a sop?

Seems that the owner of the Syrian comms company, who came in for a lot of name calling and stone throwing from the protesters it seems, has decided to give all the profits to charity and social development.

Commentators seem to think this is due to pressure from the government, as a sop to the people, try to please them a little, rather than a crack in the ruling cadre.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
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jaywhat
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Re: SYRIA

#8 Post by jaywhat » September 28th, 2011, 6:14 am

My sister says that Simon Collis's blog is very accurate. He is the ambassador to Syria and it is on the Foreign Office website here:-

http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/collis/e ... s_what_big

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Dave B
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Re: SYRIA

#9 Post by Dave B » September 28th, 2011, 10:06 am

That is a heart wrenching description of the situation in Syria - worse in some ways than some of the locals' descriptions, not sure why.

How can any regime in this age expect to hide their actions, unless the effectively reduce their country to a totalitarian police state or a medieval state of technology - but Syria seems to be heading for a combination of the two.

However, the rest of the world is not going to forget easily, any country that might have been their allies or supporters before (though I would guess only for commercial reasons probably) will almost certainly distance themselves in future.

The biggest dangers, IMO, are the effects of sanctions etc. on the people and the possibility, that if/when the police actions stop, diplomacy demands that the criminal leaders end up being re-absorbed into the world's politics, unpunished. But it seems that the people are willing to risk this as they were in the early days of Libya. But what chance international military action of any sort in Syria short of a UN ordered one - and what chance of that?
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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jaywhat
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Re: SYRIA

#10 Post by jaywhat » September 28th, 2011, 10:42 am

Todays BBC News page says -

'European countries proposing a new UN resolution over Syria have dropped demands for immediate sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The draft, proposed by the UK, France, Germany and Portugal and backed by the US, threatens sanctions only if the repression of protests does not end.

The scaled-back version is aimed at winning the support of China and Russia, which oppose sanctions.

Western diplomats say they are planning for a vote by the end of the week.'

...and more at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15085816

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Dave B
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Re: SYRIA

#11 Post by Dave B » September 28th, 2011, 12:32 pm

I understand the reluctance to agree to sanctions of countries like Russia and China - they wouldn't want the world sticking the finger into their "internal affairs" would they? Might make them look like hypocrites if they agreed to sanctions then repressed their own - could have that could we?!

My mind just started looking for comparison between our actions - sometimes quite violent - in NI and the current situations, especially those involving sectarian or tribal elements (if "tribal" can be applied to certain facets of NI's problems). Could we be called hypocrites?
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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jaywhat
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Re: SYRIA

#12 Post by jaywhat » September 29th, 2011, 6:19 am

"Nothing is perfect - I pray for God's guidance in the struggle - I believe that man will never do it on his own"
...............as one of my sisters says. So it will all be all right then.

keithprosser2
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Re: SYRIA

#13 Post by keithprosser2 » September 29th, 2011, 7:34 am

My mind just started looking for comparison between our actions - sometimes quite violent - in NI and the current situations, especially those involving sectarian or tribal elements (if "tribal" can be applied to certain facets of NI's problems). Could we be called hypocrites?
A judge who went scrumping for apples as a boy would not be a hypocrite if he later jailed a violent bank robber, except by the most ridiculous and 'over technical' definition of 'hypocrisy'. While no-one can defend something like Bloody Sunday, such events were isolated and exceptional. In Syria there has a Bloody Sunday or worse every day for six months as a matter of a routine policy. The parallel is there, but so are significant divergences.

It is a debating trick to justify your own great wrong by pointing to a lesser wrong by your opponent, as if a small wrong (and every individual and state has many of those in its past) somehow justifies your own much, much greater wrong, or disqualifies them from criticising you. Imagine a violent bank robber in the dock saying the judge was a hypocrite because he knows the judge stole apples from an orchard when he was a lad. Technically, the robber would be right, but let's not our lose our sense of perspective and remember that mountains are not molehills, whatever abstract similarity the share!

Even if 'our' actions in NI were a hundred times worse than they were, that would be no reason not to do the right thing now. If something is the right thing to do, it is the right thing to do even if it could be called hypocritical, even if it is hypocritical.

The policies and actions of governments are seldom pure. States are probably incapable of 'pure altruism' by their nature, but I think NATO (primarily Britain and France) did the right thing in Libya, and I would like to see them do the same in Syria, but there is no chance of that unless the revolution will certainly succeed without 'NATO boots on he ground', and that is not clear at this time. Hypocritical or not (I don't think it is) direct action in support of the Syrian people against their government is the right thing to do.

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Dave B
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Re: SYRIA

#14 Post by Dave B » September 29th, 2011, 9:03 am

Thanks, Keith. My question was rhetorical, difficult to imply that in text!
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

keithprosser2
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Re: SYRIA

#15 Post by keithprosser2 » October 1st, 2011, 12:27 am

That's ok - my answer was rhetorical too!

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jaywhat
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Re: SYRIA

#16 Post by jaywhat » February 21st, 2012, 8:00 am

Today's Guardian (G2) has stuff on Syria and for those who may want to help Syria here is an extract from my latest email from Avaaz.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/arab_league_save_syria_3/?vl

With each passing day, Syria's crackdown on democracy protesters reaches new levels of horror -- bombing crowded neighborhoods filled with innocent civilians, cutting off electricity and phones so families can’t call for help, and blocking medical aid to the wounded. But finally a flicker of hope is emerging that could stop the terror.
After the UN Security Council failed last week, Syria's neighbours in the the Arab League are taking the lead. They have called other key powers to an emergency meeting in 4 days in Tunisia, and Avaaz will be sitting at the table with the Syrian democracy movement to deliver a clear mandate for strong action.
Right now, the level of public outrage could make the difference between forceful action and feckless diplomacy. Let's deliver a 1 million-strong call to action, and press negotiators to move now to stop the bloodbath. Click below to sign the petition -- it will be delivered directly to the delegates in the meeting:

U.N. Rights Chief Decries Inaction Over Syrian Assault (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/world ... -homs.html

Syria rejects UN charges as Homs battered (AFP)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... b0c0df.af1

Tunis to host meeting on Syria on February 24 (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/ ... DN20120212

Syrian regime 'emboldened' by UN inaction, says human rights chief (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/fe ... sfeed=true

‘Heaviest shelling’ in Homs for days, say activists, as massacres reported (al Arabiya)
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2 ... sfeed=true

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jaywhat
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Re: SYRIA

#17 Post by jaywhat » August 16th, 2012, 2:16 pm

Some time back my sister said it was going to get worse before it can get better. Her and her 'boys' were back for my mum's hundredth in Devon in April, but travel is not too easy to say the least. She got through to me by phone this morning - a bit unusual and I got the following link to the useful website that might encourage donations - her son is working on housing and feeding people in schools. Aleppo is definitely suffering now. Cheers -

http://www.facebook.com/Aleppo.Family.Volunteers

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Dave B
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Re: SYRIA

#18 Post by Dave B » August 16th, 2012, 3:40 pm

Thanks, Jaywhat.

I have no TV and so do not see actual pictures of the suffering and violence (and I admit that I do not look for it) - it is bad enough on the radio.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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jaywhat
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Re: SYRIA

#19 Post by jaywhat » September 21st, 2012, 6:56 am

getreal wrote:I thought Al Jazeera was available on freeview, Jaywhat.
Yes - and I have been onto Virgin - asking why they do not have it. I suppose it is all down to commercial greed.
It is unbelievable (to me) that Virgin do not think Al Jazeera is important.


It is getting worse in Syria and our UK news broadcasts are only telling us half of it. If that.

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Dave B
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Re: SYRIA

#20 Post by Dave B » September 21st, 2012, 9:32 am

It is getting worse in Syria and our UK news broadcasts are only telling us half of it. If that.
That's the news for you, today's happenings push last week's, no matter how bad they are, into increasing lower priority. I have not watched BBC News 24 to see whether they repeat the same things every hour or reprise older, but still current, happenings?

A friend watches a Russian world-wide news TV prog (on Freeview I think) and says that he is always surprised as to how wide the coverage is and how objective and unbiased it seems.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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