http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-administration-denies-role-arming-syrian-rebels-232112058.html How can we ever believe the Obama Administration?! Please note that in the USA we consider the government to belong to the people. The present managers of the government are called the administration. I think this is true of Western European Democracy in general. For instance, the Queen of England is the Head of State and the Prime Minister is the manager of the government. However, the Obama administrators seem to think of themselves as being the government and the citizens as being the enemy. That is why the lie to us constantly, try to work around and not with the Congress and are persistent in undermining the foundations of our system of governing. Happily, more and more of the main stream media like the Washington Post, and the New York times are taking their journalism seriously and have stopped pandering and covering up for the first black president in US history. Now they are reporting the facts as they have always known them to be and the facts tell us a story of a government that consistently lies to its people. Jay Carney, the spokesperson for the Obama back room cronies, is constantly disingenuous and plays with words trying to tell us that gray is red and orange is really not a primary color, So what, Mr. Carney, aiding the rebels with …communications equipment that we know they will need when they have achieved the objectives we want and expect… is just a polite way of saying that we back the rebels against the government of Syria and that we are covertly Partisans in a covert operation to topple the Assad government. Are we really so self-righteous that we think we can aid and assist rebels to kill legal police, army and government officials of a sovereign nation and use bombs to cripple the Syrian national infrastructure, while claiming in public that we back UN peace plan? The legal government of Syria has every right to defend itself against outside provocateurs and instigators of internal violence in the same way that we defend against those we claim are terrorists. Would not the USA government attack those who tried by force to overthrow the Obama administration? Why does the United Nations condemn member governments that try to maintain stability within their internal boundaries? Why doesn’t the International Criminal Court in the Hague indict the USA for criminal aggression and crimes against humanity when it is our assistance that fosters, promotes and sustains criminally violent behavior? Strangely and surprisingly it is V. Putin and the government of Russia that stands as defender of the integrity and sovereignty of Syria while it is Obama and the USA that is attacking that nation with the intention of installing a puppet USA friendly government in Damascus. And as for War Hawk and Monger Mc Cain. I should think that he would abhor war since he is a victim of it. Instead, he seems to promote war and destruction at every opportunity. Shame on him.
Tag: Syria
The reports never mention the opposition forces that seek the overthrow of Assad. Like with Libya, the Nato nations want to interfere and force the government to fall. However, if a group of anarchists, or any other political group sought to overthrow the Obama government by force, it would be deemed treason and it would be suppressed by force and the perpetrators would be liable to execution. So why is it different with Syria? Obviously, the Obama government is already involved in the overthrow of the legal government of Libya by outside force. In former days, the crime against Libya would have been condemned as criminal aggression and under Nuremberg rules it should be treated as a crime against humanity.
In the case of Libya, the Russian and Chinese were promised that UN resolution 1973 was merely to use NATO military force to protect so-called innocent civilians. Once approved by UN, the British and French attacked the legal armed forces of the Legal Libyan government. The excuse was that the army of the government “obviously” must be attacked in order to protect civilians. After the 212 cruise missile strikes and the first two hundred jet fighter attacks against military installations inside of Libya, Vladimir Putin objected. However, it was too late. The drum beats of war had begun and the French and Brits would never accept that they were acting illegally. So they increased their attacks with assistance from USA and the government of Belgium. (It is very noteworthy that all three governments have a dirty colonial history of racial imperialism and genocide. (Belgium in Central Africa under King Leopold) However, the Academic community and the mass audience to Internet and TV reporting allowed themselves to condone criminal and wonton aggression because the “horrible” Gaddafi bombed a civilian aircraft over Lockerbie. (Noteworthy here is that the Brits accepted the actual perpetrator of that crime to gain asylum in Europe.!)
Again Putin objected but to no avail and the military organization known as NATO ferociously attacked the Libyan government . And the world, its response was silence or cheering. Silence because no one really cared about the Libyan people and cheering because of hatred for Gaddafi. By the way, NATO was originally meant to protect against Russian aggression. Amazing double standard that now they are open, obvious and arrogant aggressors.
All of this brings us to the current impasse with Syria. The Russians and Chinese were betrayed with UN resolution 1973 and so far they have vowed not to let that happen again. The NATO nations spent billions to wage war against Libya. They have no taste for that kind of expense again. They have expended their war budgets. And the USA? Carney’s admission of “defeat” is precursor to the coming proposal that the world community again take up war in the region. And don’t forget the Iranians.
Obama is right not to arm the rebels. Our own civil war dealt with the problem of outside forces as the British tried to interfere on the side of the South. However, Carney does not mention if the Brits, French and Belgians are also refraining from funding, and arming the rebel insurrectionists. In the light of NATO’s duplicity in the case of Libya, this writer thinks that they are secretly arming, advising and funding the insurrectionists.
When President Kennedy got involved with the war in Vietnam he decided to back the insurrection against President Diem. The result was the murder of the President of South Vietnam in the back of a truck. Kennedy, a co religionist with Diem, (both were Roman Catholic) intensely regretted the regicide of Diem. Sadly, he was himself assassinated by those who have no respect for law or morality. So far, the Obama government is content with political assassination by drone. And although the Obama government is guilty of complicity to murder Gaddafi, they have not committed to regicide by drone against Syrian President Assad. If they did, the morality would dictate that political assassination of government leaders is righteous and therefore permissible, for anyone who thought the other guy was a so-called dictator and therefore illegitimate. In these times when we express our politics forcefully and opening, I am sure that many individuals regard the government with suspicion. Yet, we do not advocate violent overthrow. What is moral for us should be our guide in dealing with others.
Christians Helping Peace in Syria
» 03/16/2012 23:50 VATICAN – SYRIA Vatican Nunzio: For the Church in Syria it is time to go on the offensive and not stand and watch by Bernardo Cervellera In an interview with AsiaNews, Mgr. Mario Zenari, for the past three years nunzio in Damascus, described all the elements that make up the tangled skein of Syria. The deep division between Sunnis and Alawites (Shiites) and the growing hatred. The too fearful Christians must commit themselves to building a society where there is respect for man and his rights, equality for women, equality among all citizens, freedom of religion and of conscience. Being in Syria is a mission. At Homs a priest talks with the rebels and with the army to provide aid to the poor, to save the lives of the inhabitants, to bury the dead that nobody wants to touch. In a year of violence at least 800-900 children have been killed. The majority were shot in the streets by unknown snipers. Syria is changing and there’s no turning back.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – “This is the Christians’ hour”; there has begun “a new historical process in Syria” from which it will never turn back and “Christians cannot miss this rendezvous with history”: Msgr. Mario Zenari, for three years now the Vatican nuncio in Damascus, speaks almost excitedly as he recalls the Christians’ missionary efforts of Christians, which is to be “like sheep among wolves”, but with an identity and a task. Precisely because in Syria the gap between the different components of society is widening more and more, he sees an urgent need for Christians to come out into society and build bridges of reconciliation, defending the values typical of the Church’s social doctrine: human dignity, rejection of violence, equality between men and women, fundamental freedoms, freedom of conscience and religion, the separation between religion and state. “It is urgent”, he said, “to go out into the open, on the attack, and not to sit back and watch.” Mgr. Zenari, 66, tells stories of ordinary heroism of some priests who have remained in Homs during this months’ bombing and violence. While sharing in the mourning for the tragedy of the Belgian children killed in a car accident in Switzerland, he reminds us that in Syria 800-900 children have already been killed, mostly shot “in the head and the heart” by strangers: “Their murder is an atrocity” and it is necessary that the international community ensure “justice for these children.” Here is the full interview which Mgr. Zenari gave via telephone to AsiaNews.
Your Excellency, what is it like is to be in Syria at this moment?
My heart is sad. This is the fourth spring that I’ve lived in Damascus and this year I still haven’t seen spring arrive. They’re expecting the fruits of Kofi Annan’s mission, but there are fears that the parties will say “Yes, but …”, where the “but” is more important than the “yes”. Instead it is urgent that both parties make a tremendous effort. The distances between them have become huge and are widening every day. For this reason it’s necessary for both parties to jump through hoops to rebuild the dialogue. A reversal is necessary, a conversion… The climate is so deteriorated that a fair amount of heroism is needed, perhaps a bit more from one particular side. Hopefully the help of the international community will bear fruit, so it will make them make great gestures, but it’s a bit difficult.
Before, the international community accused only the regular army. Now Annan has called for an end to the violence from both sides; Britain hopes for a peaceful solution; France is doubtful about sending weapons to the rebels…
Yes, this is true. The request has to come from 360 degrees, from all sides. Maybe at the beginning the media exaggerated about only one of the sides. But both parties are called upon to make gestures of goodwill and put an end to violence. At first, perhaps driven by enthusiasm for the Arab spring in other regions, the riots were seen in a very idealistic manner; and then going forward, we saw many other aspects come into play. To date, Syria is a tangled skein, and there are many elements to watch.
Could you list these elements?
Initially there were demonstrations for more democracy, more respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, with peaceful demonstrations that were suppressed. But then so many factors were added: first, the fact that 75% of the society here is composed of Sunnis; then, that it is governed by 12% of the population who are the Alawites. This tension between Sunnis and Alawites today is decisive, without forgetting the other aspects. History will assess how the relationship between Sunnis and Shiites has gone (the Alawites are somehow linked to the Shiite world).
There is also an attempt to internationalize the conflict.
We are neighbors with Iraq, with Israel, with Lebanon; and we’re not far from Iran… and so in Syria ingredients come in from all sides and complicate the mess.
There is a risk that the international community use Syria as a chessboard for its interests: the West, Saudi Arabia and Qatar against Iran; Israel against Hezbollah; Turkey against Syria … But the needs of the Syrian people are forgotten.
There are various readings. There is the simplistic one of the regime which claims that a foreign conspiracy is present. It’s impossible to evaluate fully how much is true and how much is propaganda.
The Syrian Christians, 10% of the population, seem caught in the crossfire.
For me there is a place for Christians and they cannot afford to miss this appointment with this new historical process. There is no doubt that Syria is changing: a new process has begun and there’s no going back. Where should the Christians place themselves? I would answer based on the Psalms, a wisdom that is at least 2500 years old. And one Psalm says: Do not lean on a falling wall [Ps 61 (62), 4]. And neither should a man stand by, gazing out the window. Christians are in society and must roll up their sleeves. In the past there have been faithful who have made a glorious contribution in the field of culture, art, politics: one of the founders of the Baath Party was a Christian. Woe, therefore, if they miss this appointment. What’s more, Christians start off with an advantage. The Pope, a few months ago, at the Syrian ambassador’s presentation of credentials [June 9, 2011], pointed out that there are exemplary relations between Christians and Muslims. The Christians in Syria also have a good elite: cultural figures, academics, lawyers, presidents of hospitals… It’s time to live out our task and make our contribution, reclaiming our dignity and our identity, based on the Gospel and the social doctrine of the Church: human dignity, rejection of violence, equality between men and women, fundamental freedoms, freedom of conscience and religion, the separation between religion and state, etc… It is urgent to go out in the open, on the attack, and not to sit back and watch.
Three years ago I presented my credentials to President Assad. And I was impressed that for following 15 minutes during the personal interview, the president continued to speak of the importance that Christians have for Syrian society. He truly admired the Christian components in the country. In this phase of transformation, one cannot look back and think about some protection from the outside: we must work for a rule of law, in which all citizens are equal, have the same rights and duties.
Another thing I noticed is that at every level Christians serve as a bridge. In many mixed villages, Alawites and Christians live in peace, Sunnis and Christians the same, Druze and Christians live in harmony… In these times, with the conflict, sometimes there has been friction and confrontation, but until now, no church has ever suffered even a scratch. In any case, we Christians can have a function of reconciliation among all the groups living in the country. The idea is going around that the fate of Christians in Syria is likely to be similar to what happened in Iraq. But Syria is not Iraq, and it’s not even Egypt: it has its own characteristics, with a tradition of good tolerance.
The Gospel tells us: I send you out as sheep among wolves. And the wolves are not only in Damascus but also in Frankfurt, New York, London, Paris …. only somewhat more subtle and refined. Being in the midst of wolves is part of our mission and we need not fear. The Gospel also says: “Do not be afraid.”
I have continually before my eyes outstanding examples of this mission. In these days Homs is hell. Everyday I phone three priests who have remained there. As we speak, we hear gunfire because the Christian quarter is between in the crossfire. One of them is remarkable for what he is able to do: he talks to the rebels to halt the violence, asking them permission to let pass the trucks with food aid for the poor. On the other hand, from the other side, he asks the army not to shoot, in order not to hit the neighborhoods where there are still inhabitants, or sacred buildings. And he serves as a bridge, like a sheep among wolves. Several days ago there were the bodies of three soldiers in front of the cathedral. They had been there for 10 days. No one dared to recover them because there was the risk of being killed. So he went to the rebels and asked for clemency for these bodies. The rebels at first were angry, shouting: “What do we care for these pigs?” But he said: “No, after we are dead we are not pigs, we are all equal.” And he managed to get them to listen: they loaded the bodies onto a truck and dumped them onto a piece of road where it was easier for their fellow soldiers to recover them.
The Church can do a lot, on a practical, charitable level, and with our choices, focusing on the defense of the human person, above party lines. We must give attention to the hungry, the wounded, the dead… So many people have been killed and no one knows by whom. We must go out, denounce, give our testimony in favor of the human person.
These days the world has been impressed by the tragedy of that bus that crashed in a tunnel in Switzerland. 22 Belgian children died and the emotion that it aroused is understandable. Here in Syria, until 2 weeks ago, according to the UN there have been 7500 killed, but now we are up to 9500. Of these, at least 500 are children! This means that out of every 15 deaths, one was a child. Some of them died crushed by the rubble caused by bombs, but the majority died in the street and not because they stumbled or fell, no: they were shot in the heart or the head with bullets. I hope that the international community can do something to ensure justice for these children. It is good and fitting to be moved over 22 children, but here there are 800-900 who have died. It is urgent to denounce these crimes. Human life is sacred, that of those who wear the military uniform, like that of the rebels, but even more so that of children. Their murder is an atrocity.
The road Syria is on is long, difficult and painful, like that of a river: it may deviate, go right or left, but it reaches the sea. The Synod for the Middle East prompted the bishops and the faithful to witness to the faith and work together to build the city of man along with the others. The Church must speak its position, meet, comfort, clean up these disfigured faces. Being in this country is a mission.
What can we Catholics do in the rest of the world? The Custody of the Holy Land, for example, has launched a campaign to help the Christians of Syria…
We must begin by thanking you for your generosity and solidarity, which is much needed. I hope that with Caritas and other institutions we can alleviate all the suffering in the country. It is also necessary try to understand the situation of the Christians. It’s one thing is to reason at a table, and another thing to get carried away by sentiment. We must understand even the feelings and listen.
What worries me most is the growing hatred in society. For now it isn’t manifest, but it’s burning. The bullets that the two groups are exchanging are only the tip of the iceberg. We are walking on embers that can ignite at any time. For our part, we Christians witness to charity. It’s the Christians’ moment, we must act and go on the offensive in defense of the human person: it is important not to miss this historic moment.
Kofi Annan and Peace
http://news.yahoo.com/annan-meet-assad-seeking-end-syria-violence-002653949.html The question asked in this article is “Can Kofi Annan” broker a peace in Syria?” My answer is an unequivocal yes. However, there are conditions and they are the following:
1. Foreign elements such as the CIA and the British and French Spy agencies must stop fomenting the continued unrest in Syria.
2. Russia and especially Vladimir Putin must be consulted and approve any deal.
3. Iran must be consulted and included in all back door negotiations for a settlement.
4. The legal government of Syria under Assad must be respected and affirmed by the UN as the legal government of Syria.
5. The violent and armed insurgency must be disavowed, disarmed and dissolved by its foreign sponsors.
6. The legal government under Assad must be publicly, and I repeat the word “publicly” engaged and publicly guaranteed legal and legitimate means for resolution of the conflict under Syrian law.
7. The so-called Syrian National Council, which is a surrogate for France and Britain must be disavowed and required to dissolve.
8. China must be constantly consulted and included in the ongoing negotiations for the sovereignty of Syria.
9. USA, Britain and France must publicly affirm their recognition of the legal Assad government in Damascus.
10. NATO must publicly announce that it is not even entitled to intervene in the affairs of the sovereign State of Syria.
11. Turkey, as a member State of NATO must refuse to continue harboring enemies of the Syrian government such as recently defected Generals.
12. Tribal leaders, (for lack of a better “Western” term) must be included as integral to any internal agreement between the government of Syrian and the International community.
13. In the event of free and internationally monitored elections, the monitors must disavow beforehand the prejudiced and inaccurate statements of election fraud which, for instance, were routinely issued after the election of Vladimir Putin.
I recognise that the 13 conditions place all of the burden on the West respecting the sovereign integrity of the Syrian government of President Assad. But this is the only legitimate and realistic way to end the outside influenced insurgency and restore peace and tranquility to Syria. And let me end by emphasis on the central and key role of Russia, China and Turkey. As for England and France, they are former Imperialist Colonial powers and their hands are already bloody because of their brutal pursuit of Western Imperialism in Libya. And the USA? We should be foremost in favor of national sovereignty as reflected by our own revolution against colonial Imperial England in 1776. And we should be for non-interference as reflected by our Federal position during our own Civil War, (or War of Northern Aggression) in 1865. The fact that we abandoned these policies in 1875 versus Mexico and in 1898 versus Spain and in 1917 versus the Axis is merely evidence of our own growth as an international imperial power. WW II is an entirely different story. And Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan are exceptionalism adventures, to say the least.
Yes, Kofi Annan can restore peace, to a war ravaged Syria. However, this writer believes that the adventurism of the USA government is already undermining his efforts. And I believe that the robust colonial imperialism displayed by France under Sarkozy and England under Cameron, is not likely to dissipate. Therefore, the goodly people of Syria, like the countries of Egypt, and Libya will be the unwitting dupes of the internationalist aspirations of USA Obama, Frances’s Sarkozy and England’s Cameron. A very sad commentary indeed.
Assad’s Syria Learned Not to Trust Obama and USA
Syria’s Assad may be a Dictator but he is not a fool. He knows better than to trust the USA and especially a USA under Obama. The USA had a deal with Libya and with Gaddafi and we reneged on the deal. The USA proposed to bring Gaddafi back onto the international scene in return for his giving up terrorism. He did. But we did not honor our promise. We told him we would sponsor his return to a recognized place in the world political order, if he would abandon any attempt at nuclear weapons. He did. But we reneged on the deal and branded him a criminal. We promised to lift trade restrictions and to resume normal relationships with Libya and Gaddafi if he would invest more in his country and less in himself. He did and instead, we betrayed him in the UN and attacked his new cities, his roads, building, TV stations, radio facilities, etc. In every instance where the USA made promises to Libya and Gaddafi under President Bush, the Obama regime reversed course and played Judas betraying every single promise made.
Well Assad, has eyes to see and ears to hear. He has a much stronger military and a much stronger hold on power. He does not trust the West and has ample reason for refusing to cooperate. He just looks to Egypt and sees the long time ally of USA, Hosni Mubarak, who was betrayed by USA and is now in a prison cage, like some sick monkey. Then he looks to Libya, whose country is in ruins, not because of Gaddafi, but because of months of daily bombing by UN condoned and NATO supplied attack bombers, and missiles.
The Obama support for this illegal and criminal war of aggression is disgraceful. The Congress must immediately stop all funding for this “oil war” which is severely hurting the Libyan people because they continue to support their legal government. Further, the Senators, like Mc Cain and Kerry who support this terrible colonialist imperialist war, should look at their own record and retract their war mongering support for this war of aggression. Lastly, the Departments of Defense and State should be warned by the whole Congress that the legally elected Representatives of the American people are not going to idly condone the misuse of America military assets, power, personnel and money in support of this egregious assault against the civilian population of Libya. And then, when we have rebuilt what we have destroyed, maybe in ten years or so, then we can be trusted again. After all, who can trust a liar?
Progressive Politics 