Article

2013-01-06 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Bolstered by 16 Russian warships, Assad nixes dialogue with "Western puppets"

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Posted by tipper 2013-01-06 11:03|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top

#1 He then invited those who have not betrayed Syria to a conference of reconciliation, followed by a referendum on a new constitution, the formation of a government and an amnesty.

After 60K dead by his forces, who is the amnesty for?

Posted by Zenobia Bluetooth1712 2013-01-06 11:58|| 2013-01-06 11:58|| Front Page Top

#2 Who do you think it's for, ZB?

Posted by Mullah Richard 2013-01-06 12:02|| 2013-01-06 12:02|| Front Page Top

#3 According to a Chinese researcher who was subsequently imprisoned for revealing state secrets, the Chinese have, in the past, spent an estimated $10b on funding insurgencies in Southeast (ex-Indochina) over several decades, during a time of famine in China, back when $10b was real money, in the 50's through the late 70's. If China were funding Assad (without attribution, as with the Southeast Asian efforts), it would not be anything new with respect to Chinese policy. Given the difficulty involved in keeping an economy running (let alone gathering tax revenues) during a shooting war covering the entire country, Assad is probably getting funding from Iran, Russia or China, if not all three, in order to keep paying and supplying his troops, just as the rebels are getting funds and weaponry from Sunni governments and the West.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2013-01-06 13:05|| 2013-01-06 13:05|| Front Page Top

#4 Some Russian diplomat mentioned in the JPost:

Russia has concentrated five landing ships in the eastern Mediterranean in a show of force meant to deter Western nations from intervening militarily in Syria, The Sunday Times quoted a Russian diplomat as saying.

According to the report, the ships are carrying military vehicles and hundreds of Russian marines, and are being accompanied by combat vessels.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2013-01-06 13:11|| 2013-01-06 13:11|| Front Page Top

#5 No worries Zhang Fei. Six months ago the US State Department announced "the Assad regime would crumble within 36 hours". Of course this is the same State Department which helped produce the Benghazi cock-up.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-01-06 13:14|| 2013-01-06 13:14|| Front Page Top

#6 Zhang what would be the point of (current) Chinese aid to Syria?

Posted by Shipman 2013-01-06 13:18|| 2013-01-06 13:18|| Front Page Top

#7 #6 Zhang what would be the point of (current) Chinese aid to Syria? Posted by Shipman

Multifactorial [new Krauthammer word] answers Ship. In no order of priority: (1.) Opportunity to improve relations with Russia. (2.) Opportunity to whack AQ and radical mooslims. (3.) Opportunity to counter US and western support for the mooslim "Arab Spring". Opportunity for post-conflict economic trade.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-01-06 13:27|| 2013-01-06 13:27|| Front Page Top

#8 ..and cause its things that Great Powers(tm) do.

Still smarting after that 19th Century European imperialism thingy in the Heavenly Kingdom are we?

Posted by Procopius2k 2013-01-06 13:59|| 2013-01-06 13:59|| Front Page Top

#9 Zhang what would be the point of (current) Chinese aid to Syria?

Same reason that the Chinese were funding insurgencies in Southeast Asia, supporting allies that might one day become satellites of the Chinese state. Pretty standard "setting one barbarian against another" policy. In antiquity, it used to do the same kind of thing. In times of prosperity, the Chinese have always supported allies abroad with generous subsidies. Mao's policy was more or less a continuation of traditional Chinese doctrine.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2013-01-06 14:03|| 2013-01-06 14:03|| Front Page Top

#10 Still smarting after that 19th Century European imperialism thingy in the Heavenly Kingdom are we?

The Chinese were imperialists when most of the 19th century European powers were under the Roman boot, and barely evolved from running around in animal skins. For thousands of years, the Northeast Asian region defined "balance of power", until that broke down temporarily with the creation of the unitary state, 2200 years ago, that we now call China. Even that China was 1/4 of China's present size.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2013-01-06 14:09|| 2013-01-06 14:09|| Front Page Top

#11 OOOOOOOOOOOO, you can just hear "AGENT 86" = MAXWELL SMART saying "Its just not Nice-ness"!

Posted by JosephMendiola 2013-01-06 20:35|| 2013-01-06 20:35|| Front Page Top

#12 Multifactorial [new Krauthammer word] answers Ship. In no order of priority:

Also, support of Iranian foreign policy (said foreign policy supports the Assad gov't.) and an attempt to deflect US and Western focus from the Western Pacific region.

Posted by Pappy 2013-01-06 20:45|| 2013-01-06 20:45|| Front Page Top

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