Article

2013-09-10 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Saudis sent death-row inmates to fight in Syria

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Posted by Pappy 2013-09-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11135 views ] Top

#1 Of course no discipline problems or atrocities expected. /s

Posted by tipover 2013-09-10 01:08|| 2013-09-10 01:08|| Front Page Top

#2 What is the end game for Syria?

Surely not a Saudi/Qatar backed intolerant Sunni state which will persecute all Christians/minorities.

Posted by Paul D 2013-09-10 08:13|| 2013-09-10 08:13|| Front Page Top

#3 Personally, I rather send worse low lifes - congresscritters and lobbyists. At least death row inmates can't hurt anything beyond the walls. Can you say 'term limits'?

Posted by Procopius2k 2013-09-10 09:09|| 2013-09-10 09:09|| Front Page Top

#4 You think we have a big naval base in Bahrain to protect freedom?

It's to protect Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. We'll die for those guys so they can export their peace loving religion like they did on 911.

Remind me, who many drone strikes on Saudi????

Posted by Nobcheese 2013-09-10 09:12|| 2013-09-10 09:12|| Front Page Top

#5 Hey, I seen this movie...

Posted by tu3031 2013-09-10 09:19|| 2013-09-10 09:19|| Front Page Top

#6 I thought about that when I posted it...

Posted by Pappy 2013-09-10 10:09|| 2013-09-10 10:09|| Front Page Top

#7 Pappy

We have had our run ins but explain to me US hate Iran and Syria mainly because of their hostility to Israel but also because they are backed by China/Russia.

However we are our allies with Saudi, Qatar and UAE where religious tolerance/democracy is dead?

We are friends with the funders of sunni extremist? This leads to war jihadis versus the West.

Has radical Islam replaced communism re continual war and war makes some people rich.

Posted by Paul D 2013-09-10 10:40|| 2013-09-10 10:40|| Front Page Top

#8 The Syrian "Christians" and Druze etc chose the wrong side, just like the Palestinian "Christians" did against Israel. The Syrian "Christians" could side with the Saudis, or Iran. They chose Iran.

In the end the Christians are pretty small population in Syria, really this is about Shiites (Iran) vs Sunnis (Saudi).

Toppling Assad will leave Iran the only barrier to a Saudi (and hence US) dominated Gulf.

Don't oppose it just because you don't like Obama and Kerry. They are just the figureheads, the real thinking is being done within the CIA irrespective of who is in power. Its up to us to support our Saudi and Israeli friends and to do our part. Make sure your congressman knows that you're a friend of Israel and not Iran.

Posted by FreedomFighter 2013-09-10 11:45|| 2013-09-10 11:45|| Front Page Top

#9 The Syrian "Christians" and Druze etc chose the wrong side, just like the Palestinian "Christians" did against Israel. The Syrian "Christians" could side with the Saudis, or Iran. They chose Iran.

Good lord. Are you serious, "FreedomFighter"? (You see, you are not the only one who can use scare quotes, though I suspect based on no information whatsoever that mine are more appropriate than the ones you gave to those of the Christian faith in Syria and the Palestinian territories.)

The ten percent of Syrians who are of various Christian denominations, some resulting from conversions by St. Paul himself during his peregrinations around the Roman empire have, according to all the evidence I've seen, been very carefully keeping their heads down while Shiite and Sunni clients fight for dominance across Syria. It must be noted, however, that it is the Saudi-supported Al Nousra/Al Qaeda hard boys who are eating enemy organs (yes, the silly man filmed himself eating a lung, which he thought was a liver -- the usual Lions of Islam kind of failure) and giving neutral Christians the choice of conversion or beheading, not Assad's troops or Hizb'allah bullies. Under the circumstances, what kind of idiocy is it to expect the minorities in this minority majority country to not prefer those who merely keep them poor and suppressed?

As for the Christians of Palestine, most of them have left over the past century, giving up the dubious pleasures of Dar al Islam for the freedoms of erstwhile Christendom. I have a Khoury and a Sameha among my friends, one third generation American, the other her parents' first venture upon settling on our shores. Christians have been leaving the Middle East since before the fall of the Ottoman empire, my dear.

I myself am half Israeli-American. My congressman, Speaker John Boehner, is aware that I want America to concentrate on Iran, leaving the Syrians to work it out among themselves while we take care of Shiite nukes. Assad the Younger, after all, never had the intestinal fortitude to use his large cache of chemical weapons on Israel, nor his father either. We cannot, however, trust the Mad Mullahs, imminently expecting the emergence of the thirteenth imam, or whatever his number is, from the well to wipe the hated "Zionist Entity" (not scare quotes, that's how they actually refer to Israel) off the face of the planet.

Honestly, Mr. "FreedomFighter", I am only a little Midwestern housewife. If you cannot persuade me that you are anything more than a tool of the Iranian government, how can you expect to affect the opinions of those more interested in world affairs?

Posted by trailing wife 2013-09-10 12:40|| 2013-09-10 12:40|| Front Page Top

#10 Sorry, I misspoke. You want us to support the Al Qaeda-loving Saudis, whose own nukes are stored in Pakistan. It's so hard to keep the keyboard jihadis separate these days.

Is your father a retired pilot in the Saudi air force, too?

Posted by trailing wife 2013-09-10 13:12|| 2013-09-10 13:12|| Front Page Top

#11 US hate Iran and Syria mainly because of their hostility to Israel but also because they are backed by China/Russia.

It has very little to do with either, frankly. I suggest you do a bit of historical research on US-Iranian relations, beginning with the fall of the Shah and work your way through 'Lebanon', Khobar Towers, the Iran-Iraq War, Al-Quds Force and the current day issue of Iran's nuclear program.

However we are our allies with Saudi, Qatar and UAE where religious tolerance/democracy is dead?We are friends with the funders of sunni extremist? This leads to war jihadis versus the West.

Yes. I don't know what experience you have with the Middle East - that makes it rather difficult to know how in-depth the explanation needs to be.

Has radical Islam replaced communism re continual war and war makes some people rich.

The same argument was made for "why didn't someone shoot Hitler early on," you know.

Again, I don't know what what your background is. That makes all the difference in explaining things.

Posted by Pappy 2013-09-10 13:31|| 2013-09-10 13:31|| Front Page Top

#12 I'll give FreedomFighter one thing: His English is much better than the Levant or JUSTICE. But I still can't decide if he's pulling our leg or if he's working for the Soddies. Either way I hope my congress critter votes to stay the hell out of Syria. I just hate to see US service men and women being ordered into mercenary service for a bunch of chicken shit sheiks and emirs.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-09-10 14:31|| 2013-09-10 14:31|| Front Page Top

#13 We fight wars for countries where Christianity is banned. Why?

Posted by Paul D 2013-09-10 15:46|| 2013-09-10 15:46|| Front Page Top

#14 Pappy

My uncle worked in Saudi for years where Christians could not wear crosses/pray etc.

Why do we fight for the most intolerant countries ie Saudi,UAE and Qatar?

Posted by Paul D 2013-09-10 16:06|| 2013-09-10 16:06|| Front Page Top

#15 whether its political islam eg MB in Egypt or Wahabbi Islam in Saudi.They both preach hatred of other religions. Do Syria?

Posted by Paul D 2013-09-10 16:10|| 2013-09-10 16:10|| Front Page Top

#16 You want us to support the Al Qaeda-loving Saudis, whose own nukes are stored in Pakistan. It's so hard to keep the keyboard jihadis separate these days.

Newsflash - we've been doing that for years.

So McCain and the Republicans? They are all jihadists too?

No - they know the big picture, they know what is really going on in Syria and its bigger than a bit of gas or a few Christians/Alawites/Shia getting a bit of bother. Its about toppling a tyrant and getting one of ours in there, someone friendly to us, like the Saudis, rather than someone who isn't, like the Mullahs in Iran.

Its terrible that in their desire to knock Kerry and Obama these people and some congressman would consider helping Syria and the Iranians.

Posted by FreedomFighter 2013-09-10 18:28|| 2013-09-10 18:28|| Front Page Top

#17 My apologies - for Iran, one should really go a lot farther back, when the US enabled the Shah to take power.

We fight wars for countries where Christianity is banned. Why?

Why did the US ally itself with the USSR during WWII?

Why do we fight for the most intolerant countries ie Saudi,UAE and Qatar?

Do you have a grasp of foreign policy, or are you just merely "playing obtuse"? I'm not trying to be insulting - I asked you what your background and experience was, because it does make a difference in explaining things.

whether its political islam eg MB in Egypt or Wahabbi Islam in Saudi.They both preach hatred of other religions. Do Syria?

You left out Shiism in Iran, Paul. They're not exactly inclusive there.

As for Syria, it managed to carefully balance its religious groups for a long time, aside from the occasional urban artillery displays the elder Assad engaged in.

Posted by Pappy 2013-09-10 18:37|| 2013-09-10 18:37|| Front Page Top

#18 Its about toppling a tyrant and getting one of ours in there, someone friendly to us, like the Saudis, rather than someone who isn't, like the Mullahs in Iran.

What an amazing display of specious logic.

Posted by Pappy 2013-09-10 18:40|| 2013-09-10 18:40|| Front Page Top

#19 Just watching Sky News and the Christians in Syria cannot believe that the West are targeting the Syria regime. They are protected under the Assad regime but would have to flee if the rebels were in control.

Posted by Paul D 2013-09-10 19:09|| 2013-09-10 19:09|| Front Page Top

#20 Bottom line we support countries like Saudi, UAE and Qatar who have terrible human rights, religious intolerance and no democracy.

Like Pakistan we are funding/supporting our enemies!

We are funding the countries who are killing our soldiers! Why?

Posted by Paul D 2013-09-10 19:45|| 2013-09-10 19:45|| Front Page Top

#21 We are funding the countries that are killing our soldiers! Why?

We are not funding them. We are buying their oil, and America is not their primary customer. See here, scrolling down for the pie chart "Saudi Crude Oil Exports By Destination") In fact, we are stripping them of some of their oil profits by allowing them to buy all sorts of wonderful weapons that will only work so long as Western mechanics continue maintaining them. And despite the heartfelt efforts of our president to stymie shale oil exploitation here at home, oil and natural gas will soon be available in surplus due to shale bed exploitation around the world -- Poland is the latest surprising entrant into the field -- cutting Gulf profits at the same time as Egypt and the other low-oil Arab Spring countries suck up trillions of subsidies to keep them from utter collapse and falling into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood. It will be very interesting to see how much support the Gulf states are able to give to their pet jihadi groups in five and ten years hence.

We have discussed this before, Paul D. Please print this out so you have it for future reference, or save the link for this thread in your favourites against the next time your anguish pushes through.

Posted by trailing wife 2013-09-10 20:35|| 2013-09-10 20:35|| Front Page Top

#22 We are funding the countries who are killing our soldiers! Why?

Why do you keep asking questions you want no answer to?

Posted by Pappy 2013-09-10 20:48|| 2013-09-10 20:48|| Front Page Top

#23 cuz he can't do snark?

Posted by Frank G 2013-09-10 20:53|| 2013-09-10 20:53|| Front Page Top

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