Aftenposten 2012 02 21 p 6, Helge Lurås
Summary.
Helge Lurås of NUPI expresses deep skepticism over the Syrian opposition, admitting the Assad regime is not exactly being a model of democracy of human rights and democracy, however it is having the support of perhaps 50 per cent of the country’s population, not least he minorities.
Quotes:
“Today’s Libya is starting to show what the absence of the State’s monopoly to power may result in”.
“The single-minded condemnation of Bashar al Assad is ether selective and opportunistic; or based on a naive idea of the “state” and the execution of power”.
To be very fair to Lurås, he has previously warned European politicians to avoid demonizing Israel, and whilst the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is every bit as tragic as the Syrian drama; the Assad dynasty has never been elected they stole the political power in a coup and have held on to it through unambiguous, cruel and bloody divide and rule tactics.
Let us hope for all that Syria does not become a new Lebanon, or a new Iraq, but let us not kid ourselves, Assad is a murderer of the worst kind and deserves his condemnation, but the international community is wise to try to defuse this powder keg of a country with as much prudence as possible.
“… the international community is wise to try to defuse this powder keg of a country with as much prudence as possible..”.
I do’know, Prof. Prudence here and prudence there. Maybe it’s Chambarlain once more. Syrias Iran support is also in the stakes.
Maybe we should get all flowery and sing them a nice song ?
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence won’t you come out to play.
oh my! did you buy new teeth? These ones are sharp! Syria needs to be sorted out, but I am not sure that it needs to be turned into a new Afghanistan, or Yemen. Assad is anyway a dead man, sooner or later, he will have a Gadaffi moment…
I would be happy if it turned out that way, but there ARE some “experts”‘ opinions (and by “expert” here I don’t mean in the sarcastical, oh so terribly dumb and primitive Norwegian hilde H. Waage-style, mind you) that really do say that it’s still iffy if Assad goes down into hell. Really, why is that so sure, McGonagall? What makes you that sure? I don’t question your “optimism” (which by the way I thoroughly share with you), I’m just not that sure about it. But hope dies last, doesn’t it?
The latest news from the intelligence site Debkafile, suggests that the west is finally committing itself to helping the Syrian rebels.
Problem 1/ Will the rebels be any better than the regime they want to overthrow. Looking at Egypt, I suspect not.
Problem 2/ The west is having to look first at an international composium as the Soviets will veto any move in the UN.
Problem 3/ With Iranian and probably Soviet help a strong resistance will be put into place. Assad has promised that a new onslaught on Israel will incur Syrian wrath.
Problem 4/ The Iranian/Soviet help will include not just military weaponry but also technological assistance. The killing of the journalist and photographer has brought accusations of this help.
As a matter of interest, Marie Colvin with her Moshe Dayan eye patch awas a well known vicious Israel hater. Again, poetic justice, what goes around, comes around.