Sectarianism was never a major factor in the Syrians’ identity. It is being thrust upon it with the rise of Daesh and other terrorist outfits, instigated by the Najdi Bedouins and their tribal allies.
Has the US finally realized the futility of its policy in Syria? US Secretary of State John Kerry's latest statement seems to give the clearest indication that US policy of trying to topple the government of President Bashar al Asad has failed. Instead, takfiri monsters have emerged that go around beheading people, eating their organs and burning people alive. Even America's warlords seem to have had enough. Kerry wants to talk to Asad. Good!
There are strong indications that Hamas-Iran relations have gone back to their old warmth. These had been marred by Hamas' negative attitude over the crisis in Syria. Now that it has become apparent that the conspiracy to overthrow Bashar al Asad's government has failed, Hamas has sobered up. This is a positive development.
The US, its European allies and puppet Arabian regimes have not given up on overthrowing Bashar al Asad’s government in Syria. The ‘fight’ against takfiris is merely a pretext.
Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan refuses to join the US-led air strikes against the takfiri terrorists. At the same time, he has called for a no-fly zone over Syria. This strengthens speculation that the US policy is a backdoor attempt to sneak into Syria to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Asad. Turkey is part of this diabolical plot whose other members include Zionist Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Is there any such thing as a 'moderate rebel'? If the US plans to fight the takfiris, why is it training these so-called moderate rebels to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Asad? One does not have to admire Asad but he is legitimately elected by the Syrian people. What right does the US, Saudi Arabia or Israel have to decide who should be in power in Damascus?
Bashar al-Asad seems set to win the June 3 election, not by rigging but winning people’s confidence frustrating the Western-Arabian inspired conspiracy against his government.
The Syrian people have shown a remarkable resilience in the face of the barbaric onslaught of terrorists armed, financed and instigated from abroad. The people refuse to surrender to mass murderers and cannibals.
The West never had any problem with Bashar al-Asad as long as he did their bidding. Following the “Arab Spring”, the West thought Asad was a low hanging fruit ripe for picking. Three years later, they are waking up to reality.
The Saudis appear determined to create massive conflict in the Ummah. Having failed to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Asad in Syria, they are now going after Lebanon. Their aim is to instigate sectarian conflict in the strategic town of Sidon that is a gateway to the south where Hizbullah has faced the zionists for several decades. Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan heads the campaign.
There are clear signs that Turkey is making important changes in its policies that had led to serious disagreements with many of its neighbours. These primarily related to its policy on Syria where the AKP government had made the overthrow of Bashar al-Asad a central plank of its policy. This has failed and Turkey is changing course. It is also taking steps to reduce sectarian tensions. These are welcome developments.
To extract maximum advantage from the ongoing chaos, groups within the SNC might begin playing both sides for their own mundane interests.
Civilian suffering, especially that of children, always arouses deep concern among Muslims, indeed all people. Human suffering of any kind should concern people everywhere and they should help end this tragic situation as quickly as possible. It is, however, at the larger level that there is much confusion and misunderstanding about what is really afoot in Syria.
It is now well established that foreign powers are deeply involved in destabilizing the regime of Bashar al-Asad in Syria. Such interference is not confined merely to anti-regime propaganda, although it plays a significant role by presenting misleading reports about civilian casualties to stoke anti-regime sentiment.
The Saudi regime has adopted a three-pronged strategy to deal with the storm that has erupted since the Islamic Awakening swept the Muslim East more than a year ago. Soon after two dictators — General Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and General Hosni Mubarak of Egypt — were driven from power in quick succession, Saudi King Abdullah announced billions of dollars in handouts to buy people’s loyalty.
The Muslim East (Middle East) has been in the throes of revolutionary fervor for more than six months. Two dictators have been driven from power; others are teetering on the brink while some are also fighting back with mixed results.
Every June, ceremonies are held to commemorate the passing away of Imam Khomeini in 1989. This year, these ceremonies gain added significance in view of the uprisings underway in the Muslim East. Zafar Bangash, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought, compares the Imam’s leadership with the near-leaderless movements in the Muslim East.
In recent years, Syria has come to occupy a somewhat paradoxical international profile. On the one hand, it is an authoritarian dictatorship in the best traditions of the modern Middle East. On the other, it is a constant target of US political attack; accused of being a sponsor of terrorism because of its enmity to Israel, and relations with Hizbullah and Islamic Iran.
It comes as no surprise that Syrians, whether at home or in exile, have found no cause to celebrate the fourth anniversary of president Bashar al-Asad's succeeding his late father, Lt-Gen Hafez Asad, to power in July 2000. Since then his regime has brought about no significant changes in Syrian life...
The Bush administration, apparently unable or unwilling to learn any lessons from its recent foreign policy debacles, is making the same charges against Syria as it used to justify the invasion of Iraq, which have been shown to be not merely exaggerated but patently false.
