Nobel laureate warns of ‘somalisation’ of Syria

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The man who helped bring independence to East Timor saw a dangerous mix in Syria, saying the rebels lacked democratic credentials and President Bashar al-Assad was determined to fight for the survival of himself and his community.

“It is becoming a vicious civil war involving many – too many – outside interests, governments and non-state interests,” Jose Ramos-Horta said on a visit to the US.

“We are going to see a prolonged civil war, almost a Somalisation of Syria, but in a much more dangerous region of the world. Unfortunately I cannot see a better scenario,” he said.

Somalia has been bereft of a central government and torn by fighting for two decades. Ramos-Horta said another parallel to Syria was the Iran-Iraq War, with the 1980-1988 war leaving more than one million dead and ending “only when both sides were exhausted”.

Ramos-Horta, who has been active on international peace initiatives, said the US and European nations were right to treat Syria’s opposition cautiously. But he said it was “too simplistic” to pin blame on Russia and China, which have blocked Western-led UN bids to pressure Assad.

Assad has ample firepower and there is “no incentive for the regime to back down” after witnessing the killing of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and the prosecution of Egypt’s deposed president Hosni Mubarak, he said.

Chance for change

Ramos-Horta said that the only chance for change in Syria would come from the military, calling it instrumental in pushing out strongmen such as Mubarak and Suharto in Indonesia as well as allowing recent reforms in Myanmar.

“I was hoping that in Syria, countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the others, instead of adding fuel to the fire, were to make a greater effort to entice the military to do the honourable thing – and that is to tell Assad time to go,” Ramos-Horta said.

The Sunni monarchies of Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been widely reported to be providing weapons to Syria’s rebels at the forefront of an initially peaceful push to end the four-decade rule of the Assad family, which hails from the heterodox Alawite community.

President Barack Obama’s administration has urged Assad to step down but said that it is only offering non-lethal assistance to the rebels, despite calls by some members of the rival Republican Party to arm the opposition.

Ramos-Horta voiced concern over revenge attacks on Alawites, saying that centrists in the opposition “will be cast aside, eaten up, swallowed by the revolution, even considered to be traitors for trying to pursue a prudent and moderate path.”

“Unfortunately, not everybody thinks like the Indonesians or like us … that we have the ability of letting bygones be bygones,” he said.

Dozens of attacks

Syrian air force planes on Monday launched dozens of attacks from Damascus to Aleppo as the truce declared for the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday ended as it began – in violence.

Opposition activists reported 48 air strikes in a few hours while the UN and Arab League envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, admitted that the four-day ceasefire had failed. “The situation is bad and getting worse,” he told reporters in Moscow after talks with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russia is Syria’s closest and most supportive ally at the UN.

Air raids were reported overnight from the Damascus suburbs of Qaboun, Zamalka and Irbin and described by residents as the heaviest since planes and helicopters first bombarded pro-opposition parts of the Syrian capital in August.

In Jermana, near Damascus, a car bomb killed 11 people, including women and children, and injured 50 others, Syrian state media reported, blaming “terrorists” for deliberately breaching the truce.

Fighting was also reported from Homs, Idlib and Deir al-Zour on the Iraqi border.

The truce, for Eid al-Adha, the Muslim feast of the sacrifice which marks the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, began on Friday morning. An estimated 400 people have died during it. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 110 people were killed on Sunday alone. Of those, 39 were civilians, 34 armed opposition fighters and 35 members of the state security forces, said the UK-based group.

Warring parties

Shelling and car bombings resumed hours after the ceasefire had been due to take effect on Friday, with each side blaming the other for breaking it.

Its chances seemed poor from the start in the absence of enthusiasm from the warring parties or any independent mechanism for monitoring and enforcement.

Brahimi, the veteran Algerian diplomat who succeeded Kofi Annan as the international Syria envoy in September, said he was continuing his mission despite the grim situation. “I have said and it bears repeating again and again that the Syrian crisis is very, very dangerous, the situation is bad and getting worse. If it’s not a civil war, I don’t know what it is.”

Brahimi is to go to the UN Security Council in November with new proposals to push for talks between al-Assad and the opposition. He is also due to visit China on Tuesday. Beijing has followed Moscow in blocking any action against Syria at the UN.

Brahimi had hoped that the Eid truce might lead to a longer-term ceasefire and pave the way for a political solution of the conflict that has claimed 35 000 lives, according to opposition groups.

Its failure points to the determination of the regime to continue its security strategy and to what many see as the dangerous fragmentation of the anti-Assad forces. “It’s not just about the Syrian military and the army defectors who form the backbone of the Free Syrian Army rebel group anymore,” said Hassan Abdul-Azim, of the Damascus-based National Co-ordination Bureau. He told reporters that there were so many foreign fighters and other external factors involved in Syria that only an agreement among international and regional powers could end 19 months of fighting.

‘Political process’

Lavrov said Moscow was also “disappointed” that the ceasefire was not respected but said there was no point disputing who breached it. He emphasised Russia’s position that the crisis will be resolved once western powers and neighbouring countries such as Turkey start negotiating with Assad, not just the opposition. “Hardly anything will be accomplished without dialogue with the [Syrian] government, and that is the only problem that remains in the path towards a political process,” he said.

Moscow has repeatedly criticised western powers for what it says are obstructions of peace efforts in Syria. Last week it alleged the US was co-ordinating arms deliveries to the rebels, which the state department has called “ludicrous”.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, said he was “deeply disappointed” that the fighting had not stopped. “This crisis cannot be solved with more weapons and bloodshed. The guns must fall silent.”

Syrian opposition figures, including FSA commanders, started three days of talks in Istanbul on Monday in the latest attempt to unite disparate groups.

In a separate development, the Turkish military fired back after a shell from Syria landed near the village of Besaslan in the southern province of Hatay, state media said, amid clashes between Syrian soldiers and rebels in the nearby border town of Harim. Five Turks were killed by Syrian fire on October 3.

Mail and Guardian News

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Comments

110 responses to “Nobel laureate warns of ‘somalisation’ of Syria”

  1. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    Just back for few moments to show the incompetence of the yalibanana admins both as admins and as technicians; they ban just because i disagree with their prosaoudi policy; they are cheap & they dishonour the name libnan

  2. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    Just back for few moments to show the incompetence of the yalibanana admins both as admins and as technicians; they ban just because i disagree with their prosaoudi policy; they are cheap & they dishonour the name libnan

  3. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    well said sir; rebels lack democracy & assad fighting for the survival of the alawis; needed to mention other minorities too like christians & even atheists

    1. breakthemould Avatar
      breakthemould

       I hope you do not mind me Sir coming in on this. I only want to say as an outside observer, your inputs and comments are being published here as you can see. So, where has Ya libnan gone wrong as far as you are concerned?
      We all like to have our voice heard. This has been a good platform as far as I can see.

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        true, and fully agree on that point; if you go thru the 10452 nicks i made till now on this blog, you will find that originally i thanked the blog & congratulated the admins for allowing freedom of speech; nevertheless, the 10452 nicks i created is a testimony of the number of times i was banned & if i did not have 10452 different computer in 10452 different country i would have been out. What they want is people of different opinion as the blog’s, in the middle of their herds, encircled from all sides, under siege, unable to utter any word except insults, to be made fun of & ridiculised by loyalists to the blog; once you manage to reverse the situation you get banned

        1. Persistent Avatar
          Persistent

          Prophet,  I am glad you are okay and kicking but possibly a little wet. We can always use your diplomatic approach and voice of reason. Take care!

        2. Persistent Avatar
          Persistent

          Libnan 10452, you know sir, I understand things can get very irritating and frustrating at times, but I tried this medicine early in life and it works great for me and made my life easier and simpler, we can complicate things or not, it is up to us. The sooner I admit I made a mistake, take responsibility for it and say I am sorry, the sooner the problem is defused, it works like magic, believe it or not, I usually get more cooperation later on. You see it does not matter whose fault it is, that does not factor in…

  4. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    well said sir; rebels lack democracy & assad fighting for the survival of the alawis; needed to mention other minorities too like christians & even atheists

    1. breakthemould Avatar
      breakthemould

       I hope you do not mind me Sir coming in on this. I only want to say as an outside observer, your inputs and comments are being published here as you can see. So, where has Ya libnan gone wrong as far as you are concerned?
      We all like to have our voice heard. This has been a good platform as far as I can see.

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        true, and fully agree on that point; if you go thru the 10452 nicks i made till now on this blog, you will find that originally i thanked the blog & congratulated the admins for allowing freedom of speech; nevertheless, the 10452 nicks i created is a testimony of the number of times i was banned & if i did not have 10452 different computer in 10452 different countries i would have been out. What they want is people of different opinion as the blog’s, in the middle of their hords, encircled from all sides, under siege, unable to utter any word except insults, to be mafe fun of & ridiculised by loyalists to the blog; once you manage to reverse the situation you get banned

        1. Persistent Avatar
          Persistent

          Prophet,  I am glad you are okay and kicking but possibly a little wet. We can always use your diplomatic approach and voice of reason. Take care!

        2. Persistent Avatar
          Persistent

          Libnan 10452, you know sir, I understand things can get very irritating and frustrating at times, but I tried this medicine early in life and it works great for me and made my life easier and simpler, we can complicate things or not, it is up to us. The sooner I admit I made a mistake, take responsibility for it and say I am sorry, the sooner the problem is defused, I usually I get more cooperation later on. You see it does not matter whose fault it is, that does not factor in…

  5. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    BANNING ME SHOWS CLEARLY THAT GEAGEA3IS AND THEIR HARIRI_SAOUDI BOSSES ARE NOT LEBANESE FORCES RATHER SERVANTS OF GEAGEA AND HATE BESHIR AS MUCH AS THE WAHHABIS HATE US. THIS IS A GREAT UTILITY OF STUPID BLOGS LIKE THIS ONE

    1. Prophettttt Avatar
      Prophettttt

      Libnan10422,  Although I don’t always agree with your approach ,I do find merit in some of your views,and disagree with others, However having been banned by yalibnan many times over the years myself, I can understand how you feel.
      Silencing voices, and banning people because of their views is a form of dictatorship. censorship is counterproductive,and  it goes against everything this site, claims to promote. My only advice is to keep your comments respectful,and don’t let others provoke you into senseless debates,and give Ylibnan an excuse to ban you. I do notice that they enforced the respect (of which I asked them to enforce)policy on you only ,when others have been as disrespectful.

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        sir, i fully agree with most of what you said, however, show me please where i was disrespectful to any single person, including the idiots insulting me directly or indirectly, as well as those hypocrites, who throw subliminal stones yet “like” the messages of those overtly insulting me, while they call to be respectful. To be honest with you, i believe they ban me for few major reasons, among them their incompetence in admining, incompetence in directing a political or even social discussion and foremost, because my facts are lethal to their propaganda; i do not have any anger since i have no respect for this blog at all; the only reason i am here is for fun, believe it or not; i just make fun of some idiots

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar

          See above ….. and again see above ….

        2. Prophettttt Avatar
          Prophettttt

          Libnan10452,Thank you for taking the time to reply multiple times .lol
          People can disagree; yet carry a meaningful and constructive debate, instead of resorting to personal attacks. I did point out that Yalibnan was not consistent in whatever policy it applied by banning you, and not banning others for the same reasons they claim they banned you for. I have read many comments posted by other members of which insults to people and to religion, were the main purpose of those comments, yet they keep posting comments, and no action was taken against them.
          As for your views and opinions, you are entitled to them, and they should not be a reason for censorship. Your approach, however, might be counterproductive because debate should be about exchanging views and trying to find comment grounds for dialogue.
          Lebanese should build on any common view they discover among each other because the alternative is more of the same; wars hatred, instability, and what have you.
          It is no secret that this blog has its own political agenda, yet debate would be meaningless to carry with only those who agree with your views. There is a group of members, who always disagree with each other, yet they are brothers and sisters in humanity, and they share a common love for Lebanon. We all can have twisted views based on our experiences in Lebanon, but we should learn to get beyond the black and white, as you said, and look into the grey area where all the secrets are.
          I’m not naïve enough to believe that anyone can changes someone else political views, but I’m optimistic that dialogue is the only way to learn about each other’s fears . All Lebanese are fearful of each other, yet all bluff each other. The question is, how long can they do that?
          TC

      2. Hannibal Avatar

        I vouch for Prophet… He has the t’s to prove it… lol
        hey man apparently you survived Sandy… that bit*$… lol

        1. Prophettttt Avatar
          Prophettttt

          TY,You could say that Sandy was not intimidated by anything I threw at her.lol
          I decided to have my tea on my front porch ,right around the impact time, knowing that this could be one in a life time experience,So I did meet the meanist Sandy,leaning forward, and stared right in her eyes.lol

      3. 5thDrawer Avatar

        Thing is, Prophet, that one does not need to respond in kind to get a point across. More often, the point is lost anyway with the senseless diatribe.
        People are not getting banned for valid points of view, but for the often-base methods of mud-slinging.

        1. Libnan10452 Avatar
          Libnan10452

          more hypocrite & stupid than this & you die

        2. general10452 Avatar
          general10452

          please do not underestimate yourself; the empty poetic redundancy you bore us with to death is the only fill in that this blog has to embellish its emptyness with empty words; please dont despair; you are indeed the ayatollah of this wahhabi blog; am sorry i used ayatollah i would rather say: what a moufti you are

      4. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        sometimes sir, i disagree with my own ideas; there is nothing white or black in life except in dictatorships & those freedom fighters on yalibanana blog; in life most issues are grey, shadows of white & shadows of grey; each coin has two sides; each issue has advantages & disadvantages; it is simplistic to view issues from one angle: categoric white or black; this said, sometimes i feel the veil surrounding certain brainlets on this blog is so opaque that i need exxageration in order to make ideas transudate through the thickness of this wall rendering these bloggers refractory to learning & understanding, pushing them to simplify things into their elementary simplistic nature, hence the white & black clear cleavage in their atrophic brainlets. Confronting them to the complex nature of reality frustrates them, because of inablity to cope with the knowledge required for understanding, this renders them irritable, agressive, rude & violent; again some escape from reality by finding refuge in scotch

      5. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        mind you sir, many information i advance or even sometimes just slip in here, is based on sources you wont find on internet or in books & not even on wikipedia

        1. Hannibal Avatar

          Is your source frequent ghost seances? Intrigued!?!?!?!?!?!

      6. PeaceintheME Avatar
        PeaceintheME

        Glad to hear you are OK Prophet.

        1. Prophettttt Avatar
          Prophettttt

          Thank You Peace. 

      7. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        prophett; you know that nothing happens unless if america wants it; you might find a solution to the lebanese problems,, however how long this would last!!!! there are major issues in the middle east namely petroleum; dont misunderstand me, i am by no means a putin fan, but he said a very crucial issue: whoever dominates middle eastern petroleum, dominates the world for at least the coming 20 years. chritians used to be radical, they changed; shias, surprisingly enough, and in the context of ijtihad versus the sunna jihad, the mullahs changed from invading the world via the wombs of their women to culturally expanding the world thru the persian culture; remains two major obstacles, apparently antagonistic but in fact very close in interests; sunna and jewish radicalism; many thought atheism and nationalism would be the solution; the latter turned out to be more radical than any religious belief. Till a solution to jihadic salafism and to israeli expansionism is found, notice both have expansionist ambitions, no solution will be found for Lebanon on the long term; being a small country of little strategic interest nowadays that USA controls the world by satellites, i believe this country will be phagocytosed and engulfed by others; hence my right to defend myself particularly my freedom of belief and my stance is not a reconciliatory one but rather an opportunistic one based on mutual interests; because no matter what plans are drawn on computers and no matter how perfect they are, you got the human factor which could be a major obstacle to any plan, you need mercenaries like geagea and joumblatte & office boys like hariri to make these plans pass; you can say they will find others, true; but the time they need to find others can be so costy that an alternative pathway would be sought; do not forget that the most intelligent computer has an iq of zero; it is as intelligent as the humans manipulating it

      8. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        in addendum to my previuous reply, we will have peace when two conditions are met; one that the mounzal philosophy of the koran is replaced by a better interpretation of words not allowing any equivocal misreading thus cutting short to any jihadic salfi suicidal ideology and replace it by the more tolerant and better ijtihadic shia philosophy and second, get rid of the fake falastizi cause invented and created by the wahhabis to keep the tension away from the sunna countries and defuse salafi integrism against israel; this cannot be achieved in the presence of a threatening israel with military supremacy but on the contrary, any nuclear capability israel has, which btw is lethal to israel first of all and is commensurate with a suicidal bombing philosophy, 3alayya wa 3ala a3da’i ya rab, as well as their military supremacy, should be reduced; the latter is now achieved by hizbollah counteracting balance. As i always said, we are waiting the major war, the mother of all wars, the war of wars, namely the war between turkey and iran; once this war starts, we can rest in peace

  6. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    BANNING ME SHOWS CLEARLY THAT GEAGEA3IS AND THEIR HARIRI_SAOUDI BOSSES ARE NOT LEBANESE FORCES RATHER SERVANTS OF GEAGEA AND HATE BESHIR AS MUCH AS THE WAHHABIS HATE US. THIS IS A GREAT UTILITY OF STUPID BLOGS LIKE THIS ONE

    1. Prophettttt Avatar
      Prophettttt

      Libnan10422,  Although I don’t always agree with your approach ,I do find merit in some of your views,and disagree with others, However having been banned by yalibnan many times over the years myself, I can understand how you feel.
      Silencing voices, and banning people because of their views is a form of dictatorship. censorship is counterproductive,and  it goes against everything this site, claims to promote. My only advice is to keep your comments respectful,and don’t let others provoke you into senseless debates,and give Ylibnan an excuse to ban you. I do notice that they enforced the respect (of which I asked them to enforce)policy on you only ,when others have been as disrespectful.

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        sir, i fully agree with most of what you said, however, show me please where i was disrespectful to any single person, including the idiots insulting me directly or indirectly, as well as those hypocrites, who throw subliminal stones yet “like” the messages of those overtly insulting me, while they call to be respectful. To be honest with you, i believe they ban me for few major reasons, among them their incompetence in admining, incompetence in directing a political or even social discussion and foremost, because my facts are lethal to their propaganda; i do not have any anger since i have no respect for this blog at all; the only reason i am here is for fun, believe it or not; i just make fun of some idiots

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar

          See above …..

        2. Prophettttt Avatar
          Prophettttt

          Libnan10452,Thank you for taking the time to reply multiple times.
          People can disagree; yet carry a meaningful and constructive debate, instead of resorting to personal attacks. I did point out that Yalibnan was not consistent in whatever policy it applied by banning you, and not banning others for the same reasons they claim they banned you for. I have read many comments posted by other members of which insults to people and to religion, were the main purpose of those comments, yet they keep posting comments, and no action was taken against them.
          As for your views and opinions, you are entitled to them, and they should not be a reason for censorship. Your approach, however, might be counterproductive because debate should be about exchanging views and trying to find comment grounds for dialogue.
          Lebanese should build on any common view they discover among each other because the alternative is more of the same; wars hatred, instability, and what have you.
          It is no secret that this blog has its own political agenda, yet debate would be meaningless to carry with only those who agree with your views. There is a group of members, who always disagree with each other, yet they are brothers and sisters in humanity, and they share a common love for Lebanon. We all can have twisted views based on our experiences in Lebanon, but we should learn to get beyond the black and white, as you said, and look into the grey area where all the secrets are.
          I’m not naïve enough to believe that anyone can changes someone else political views, but I’m optimistic that dialogue is the only way to learn about each other’s fears . All Lebanese are fearful of each other, yet all bluff each other. The question is, how long can they do that?
          TC

      2. Hannibal Avatar

        I vouch for Prophet… He has the t’s to prove it… lol
        hey man apparently you survived Sandy… that bit*$… lol

        1. Prophettttt Avatar
          Prophettttt

          TY,You could say that Sandy was not intimidated by anything I threw at her.lol
          I decided to have my tea on my front porch ,right around the impact time, knowing that this could be one in a life time experience,So I did meets Sandy,leaning forward, and stared right in her eyes.lol

      3. 5thDrawer Avatar

        Things is, Prophet, that one does not need to respond in kind to get a point across. More often, the point is lost anyway with the senseless diatribe.
        People are not getting banned for valid points of view, but for the often-base methods of mud-slinging.

        1. Libnan10452 Avatar
          Libnan10452

          more hypocrite & stupid than this & you die

        2. general10452 Avatar
          general10452

          please do not underestimate yourself; the empty poetric redundancy is the only fill in that this blog has to embellish its emptyness with empty words; please dont despair; you are indeed the ayatollah of this wahhabi blog; am sorry i used ayatollah i would rather say: what a moufti you are

      4. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        sometimes sir, i disagree with my own ideas; there is nothing white or black in life except in dictatorships & those freedom fighters on yalibanana blog; in life most issues are grey, shadows of white & shadows of grey; each coin has two sides; each issue has advantages & disadvantages; it is simplistic to view issues from one angle: categoric white or black; this said, sometimes i feel the veil surrounding certain brainlets on this blog is so opaque that i need exxageration in order to make ideas transudate through the thickness of this wall rendering these bloggers refractory to learning & understanding, pushing them to simplify things into their elementary simplistic nature, hence the white & black clear cleavage in their atrophic brainlets. Confronting them to the complex nature of reality frustrates them, because of inablity to cope with the knowledge required for understanding, this renders them irritable, agressive, rude & violent; again some escape from reality by finding refuge in scotch

      5. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        mind you sir, many information i advance or even sometimes just slip in here, is based on sources you wont find on internet or in books & not even on wikipedia

        1. Hannibal Avatar

          Is your source frequent ghost seances? Intrigued!?!?!?!?!?!

      6. PeaceintheME Avatar
        PeaceintheME

        Glad to hear you are OK Prophet.

        1. Prophettttt Avatar
          Prophettttt

          Thank You Peace. 

      7. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        prophett; you know that nothing happens unless if america wants it; you might find a solution to

      8. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        in addendum to my previuous reply, we will have peace when two conditions are met; one that the mounzal philosophy of the koran is replaced by a better interpretation of words not allowing any equivocal misreading thus cutting short to any jihadic salfi suicidal ideology and replace it by the more tolerant and better ijtihadic shia philosophy and second, get rid of the fake falastizi cause invented and created by the wahhabis to keep the tension away from the sunna countries and defuse salafi integrism against israel; this cannot be achieved in the presence of a threatening israel with military supremacy but on the contrary, any nuclear capability israel has, which btw is lethal to israel first of all and is commensurate with a suicidal bombing philosophy, 3alayya wa 3ala a3da’i ya rab, as well as their military supremacy, should be reduced; the latter is now achieved by hizbollah counteracting balance. As i always said, we are waiting the major war, the mother of all wars, the war of wars, namely the war between turkey and iran; once this war starts, we can rest in peace

  7. BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian warplanes pounded a strategic northern city with three airstrikes Tuesday as ground troops pushed forward to recapture the area recently taken by rebels, activists said.
    The fighting over Maaret al-Numan, which sits along the main highway that connects Aleppo and Damascus, comes as the regime intensifies efforts to retake the area that was seized by rebels earlier this month.
    Their presence has disrupted the regime’s ability to send supplies and reinforcements to Aleppo, where regime forces are bogged down in a bloody fight for control of the country’s largest city.
    Syrian troops have been fighting against rebels in Aleppo since July and rebel advances over the past week have added urgency to the battle.
    The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four people, including three young girls, were killed in the air raids on Maaret al-Numan.
    Another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees put the death toll from the airstrikes and ground fire at 19. Discrepancies in casualty tolls are frequent because of restrictions on independent reporting and the chaos on the ground.
    The LCC and the Observatory reported air raids on several suburbs of Damascus including the restive areas of Arbeen, Zamalka and Douma.
    Tuesday’s airstrikes came a day after activists reported the most widespread bombing in a single day since Syria’s 19-month crisis began. Maaret al-Numan was among the hardest hit on Monday as well.
    Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Observatory, said ground troops were fighting rebels on the southern edge of the city, 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Aleppo.
    “The regime wants to recapture Maaret al-Numan because it links Damascus with Aleppo,” Abdul-Rahman said referring to Syria’s two largest cities. “It is a very strategic city.”
    Anti-regime activist say more than 35,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime started in March 2011.
    In Damascus, meanwhile, Syrian troops and rebels clashed in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, activists said. The LCC and the Observatory said the fighting broke out after midnight, but they had no word on casualties.
    Palestinian refugees in Syria tried to stay on the sidelines when the uprising began. But many Palestinian youths have joined the fight as they became enraged by mounting violence and moved by Arab Spring calls for greater freedoms.
    Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

    1. Hannibal Avatar

      jeez Alex… that is not blogging… that is publishing… lol

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar

        Aid to YaLibnan, Hannibal, who can’t get all the points of view in … hehehe 😉

    2. PeaceintheME Avatar
      PeaceintheME

      That’s good Alex, Glad you know how to copy and paste.

  8. BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian warplanes pounded a strategic northern city with three airstrikes Tuesday as ground troops pushed forward to recapture the area recently taken by rebels, activists said.
    The fighting over Maaret al-Numan, which sits along the main highway that connects Aleppo and Damascus, comes as the regime intensifies efforts to retake the area that was seized by rebels earlier this month.
    Their presence has disrupted the regime’s ability to send supplies and reinforcements to Aleppo, where regime forces are bogged down in a bloody fight for control of the country’s largest city.
    Syrian troops have been fighting against rebels in Aleppo since July and rebel advances over the past week have added urgency to the battle.
    The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four people, including three young girls, were killed in the air raids on Maaret al-Numan.
    Another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees put the death toll from the airstrikes and ground fire at 19. Discrepancies in casualty tolls are frequent because of restrictions on independent reporting and the chaos on the ground.
    The LCC and the Observatory reported air raids on several suburbs of Damascus including the restive areas of Arbeen, Zamalka and Douma.
    Tuesday’s airstrikes came a day after activists reported the most widespread bombing in a single day since Syria’s 19-month crisis began. Maaret al-Numan was among the hardest hit on Monday as well.
    Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Observatory, said ground troops were fighting rebels on the southern edge of the city, 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Aleppo.
    “The regime wants to recapture Maaret al-Numan because it links Damascus with Aleppo,” Abdul-Rahman said referring to Syria’s two largest cities. “It is a very strategic city.”
    Anti-regime activist say more than 35,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime started in March 2011.
    In Damascus, meanwhile, Syrian troops and rebels clashed in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, activists said. The LCC and the Observatory said the fighting broke out after midnight, but they had no word on casualties.
    Palestinian refugees in Syria tried to stay on the sidelines when the uprising began. But many Palestinian youths have joined the fight as they became enraged by mounting violence and moved by Arab Spring calls for greater freedoms.
    Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

    1. Hannibal Avatar

      jeez Alex… that is not blogging… that is publishing… lol

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar

        Aid to YaLibnan, Hannibal, who can’t get all the points of view in … hehehe 😉

    2. PeaceintheME Avatar
      PeaceintheME

      That’s good Alex, Glad you know how to copy and paste.

  9. Luke 21:25
    [ The Coming of the Son of Man ] ……… and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring…

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      Yah. Too many people.

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        am glad you recognised yourself; many useless people would have been a useful complement; pour some more scotch to feel more useful even if just in an unreal world

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar

          I’ll accept that bit of your advice. 😉
          For you, I have some from Will Rogers.
          “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”

      2. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        i noticed you did not stop digging yourself; ya tabib tabbib nafsak; scotch blinding effect? avoid cheap whisky, lot of methanol in it, blinding for the eyes and the soul; i advised you previously the irish whisky, triple distilled, mostly ethanol: at least you preserve your eyes; your sould is irreversibly lost

  10. Plumbline Avatar

    Luke 21:25
    [ The Coming of the Son of Man ] ……… and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring…

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      Yah. Too many people.

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        am glad you recognised yourself; many useless people would have been a useful complement; pour some more scotch to feel more useful even if just in an unreal world

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar

          I’ll accept that bit of your advice. 😉
          For you, I have some from Will Rogers.
          “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”

      2. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        i noticed you did not stop digging yourself; ya tabib tabbib nafsak; scotch blinding effect? avoid cheap whisky, lot of methanol in it, blinding for the eyes and the soul; i advised you previously the irish whisky, triple distilled, mostly ethanol: at least you preserve your eyes; your sould is irreversibly lost

  11. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    truth hurts particularly because it is a whole; ecclipsing part of it to make it smoother denatures it & renders it a big lie

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      “Truth never damages a cause that is just.” – Mahatma Gandhi
      “The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear.” — Herbert Agar

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        education is when you assimilate many similar thesis, sometimes contradictory, and then make their synthesis and come up with your own version rather than repeating what others said

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar

          But why change a good line?

  12. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    am glad you recognised yourself; many useless people would have been a useful complement

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      “Truth never damages a cause that is just.” – Mahatma Gandhi
      “The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear.” — Herbert Agar

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        education is when you assimilate many similar thesis, sometimes contradictory, and then make their synthesis and come up with your own version rather than repeating what others said

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar

          But why change a good line?

  13. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    blinding one’s eyes from seeing the truth does not change it

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      “Truth is eternal, knowledge is changeable. It is disastrous to confuse them.” – Madeleine L’Engle

    2. Antilibnan10452 Avatar
      Antilibnan10452

      Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Rubbish.

      1. PeaceintheME Avatar
        PeaceintheME

        Wow, very informative. What interested me the most is Rubbish. Is that the level of your education. Just curious

  14. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    am glad you recognised yourself; many useless people would have been a useful complement

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      “Truth is eternal, knowledge is changeable. It is disastrous to confuse them.” – Madeleine L’Engle

    2. Antilibnan10452 Avatar
      Antilibnan10452

      Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Rubbish.

      1. PeaceintheME Avatar
        PeaceintheME

        Wow,
        very informative. What interested me the most is Rubbish. Is that the level of
        you education. Just curious

  15. A pro-Syrian government Facebook page, News Network of the Syrian Armed Forces, is reporting that the hurricane that touched down on the East Coast of the United States is not a natural catastrophe. Rather, it’s the work of Syrian and Iranian scientists.
    “Sources have confirmed that Hurricane Sandy, now buffeting America, was instigated by highly advanced technology in the possession of the Resisting Iranian regime and in coordination with our [Syrian] Resisting regime. These same sources have confirmed that there are experts in Syria who have contributed to this effort. This is punishment for those who attack Assad’s Syria.” 

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      Yes indeed, Alex. Mr. Supreme doesn’t call himself that for nothing. He also knows how to make earthquakes it seems.

      1. general10452 Avatar
        general10452

        well; for uneducated people to bash those who are, is not considered bashing but a normal eloquent discourse; educated people pointing to illetrates that they are dumb, is bashing according to you; maybe you are not aware of it, but USA scientists predict that in the coming decade USA will be capable of inducing seisms and earthquakes as well as changing the weather in any country; who tells you this technology is not already in the hands of others especially that we know this kind of war is usually kept secret? all i am saying, so you do not jump into erroneous conclusions as usual, is that you should not mock and make fun of what you do not know, wikipedia may not  be aware yet of it

  16. A pro-Syrian government Facebook page, News Network of the Syrian Armed Forces, is reporting that the hurricane that touched down on the East Coast of the United States is not a natural catastrophe. Rather, it’s the work of Syrian and Iranian scientists.
    “Sources have confirmed that Hurricane Sandy, now buffeting America, was instigated by highly advanced technology in the possession of the Resisting Iranian regime and in coordination with our [Syrian] Resisting regime. These same sources have confirmed that there are experts in Syria who have contributed to this effort. This is punishment for those who attack Assad’s Syria.” 

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      Yes indeed, Alex. Mr. Supreme doesn’t call himself that for nothing. He also knows how to make earthquakes it seems.

      1. general10452 Avatar
        general10452

        well; for uneducated people to bash those who are, is not considered bashing but a normal eloquent discourse; educated people pointing to illetrates that they are dumb, is bashing according to you; maybe you are not aware of it, but USA scientists predict that in the coming decade USA will be capable of inducing seisms and earthquakes as well as changing the weather in any country; who tells you this technology is not already in the hands of others especially that we know this kind of war is usually kept secret? all i am saying, so you do not jump into erroneous conclusions as usual, is that you should not mock and make fun of what you do not know, wikipedia may not  be aware yet of it

  17. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    mr persistent: i am probably the most open person to auto criticism, however, confronted to people allergic to knowledge, i understand one has to be patient; i dont myself mind being insulted by the little change of this blog; now on top of it to be banned just for being insulted yet calomniated by hypocrites, lol, its very funny; maybe this is the attraction offered by this blog

  18. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    mr persistent: i am probably the most open person to auto criticism, however, confronted to people allergic to knowledge, i understand one has to be patient; i dont myself mind being insulted by the little change of this blog; now on top of it to be banned just for being insulted yet calomniated by hypocrites, lol, its very funny; maybe this is the attraction offered by this blog

  19. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    maybe mr persistent my only mistake is to get mixed with the rubbish of this blog; yet i find it funny, the incredulity of the human mind is a field that fascinates me & i experiment on it; i use many of the loyalist bloggers as my halal guinea pigs

    1. Persistent Avatar
      Persistent

      Libnan, you know we are constantly faced with problems in life, some can be avoided and others are inevitable, consider walking away from the ones within your control while on the other hand you might also want to consider that noone can win every battle including the strongest of us, look into pursuing the winnable ones and cut your losses on the unwinnable ones.

      I hope I am not sounding like a therapist which by the way I am not, it is just that life has banged me around so much that I came to the realization of picking which battles to fight.

      Bottom line, who needs this kind of pressure, focus on yourself, your family, your loved ones and enjoy life a little. As the old saying goes “Live Well, Laugh Often, Love More”. Good luck….  

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        well, you got your own philosophy, it is great; at least you do not recite or parrot quotations that you get on google or wikipedia; my philosophy is not far from yours; sometimes it is not easy in life to go on because memories can be heavy: the loss of friends, siblings…..can sometimes be harsh to endure, yet, unlike others, i just enjoy ethylic alcohol rather than let it dominate me. My own philosophy is as follows: each event has a good and a bad side; let the effect of bad have least influence while extract most of the good side; of course here we are talking about inevitable events; the other events you need to calculate the plus & the minus & make your own bill even though sometimes, to satisfy our instincts, little benefits could cost very dearly; i never run away, rather chicken away; i always open my both eyes very wide to see facts, regardless how harsh & freightening they can be, i never handle miseries under the soporiphic effect of any drug or liquor; last but not least, i always look forwards, because yesterday i cannot change; today & tomorrow i can. The only instance i refer to yesterday is to learn from errors, mine or others, trying to predict & influence tomorrow. 

        1. Antilibnan10452 Avatar
          Antilibnan10452

          Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Rubbish.

    2. Antilibnan10452 Avatar
      Antilibnan10452

      Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Rubbish.

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        great bray; great example of how one could use a negative issue, namely a dum dumb, in a positive way; actually he did not know that balaam braying is hihan; so lets go to positivity, they got lot of problems in the movie shrek to produce braying; i think eddie murphy managed to do it but not sure; noticing this 14th of march species inborn potentials, i would suggest at least if he can be beneficial in something; another positive thinking is that animals do express themselves very eloquently in a very understandable manner: this species that we dont see, told us very clearly he is one of the balaams of 14th of march; whether he is a kharakiri salafi adept or a republic of me3rab supporter we do not know yet; few more similar discourses & we will be able to decifrate his words; animal speech understanding has done a lot of progress & dolphin speech is used in psychotherapy in many centers ( i would advise this to 14th march adepts); for the time being all i can say he looks like patient2, gay like a seahorse. Please do not take hmar as an insult, hamir are nice animals certainly more intelligent than the 14th of march species; ishmael was referred to as a donkey in the Bible (bahibbak ya hmar is an egyptian song i strongly advise you to listen, found on youtube); esau, which is the real issa of the koran, that many confuse with Jesus, was also a prophet of the Bible, used to eat ers, a wild lentil, also referred to as a donkey; actually upgrading the 14th of march band to donkeys is praising them

      2. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        great piece of art; i just took a picture of it & will present it to an english teacher i know who has sometimes kindergarden students; great idea to learn kindergarden level english as second language

        1. Hannibal Avatar

          lol

      3. Hannibal Avatar

        You ran out of words or you’ve got a broken record? lol

      4. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        is this an intellectual suicidal bomb? easy to criticise but difficult to produce

      5. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        got the reply of the english teacher: she thinks it is very childish and would be embarrased to show it to her kindergarden students; one bla, she said, gets the point across, 1000 bla’s show ignorance and takes up very expensive internet space that would have been better used

  20. Libnan10452 Avatar
    Libnan10452

    maybe mr persistent my only mistake is to get mixed with the rubbish of this blog; yet i find it funny, the incredulity of the human mind is a field that fascinates me & i experiment on it; i use many of the loyalist bloggers as my halal guinea pigs

    1. Persistent Avatar
      Persistent

      Libnan, you know we are constantly faced with problems in life, some can be avoided and others are inevitable, consider walking away from the ones within your control while on the other hand you might also want to consider that noone can win every battle including the strongest of us, look into pursuing the winnable ones and cut your losses on the unwinnable ones.

      I hope I am not sounding like a therapist which by the way I am not, it is just that life has banged me around so much that I came to the realization of picking which battles to fight.

      Bottom line, who needs this kind of pressure, focus on yourself, your family, your loved ones and enjoy life a little. As the old saying goes “Live Well, Laugh Often, Love More”. Good luck….  

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        well, you got your own philosophy, it is great; at least you do not recite or parrot quotations that you get on google or wikipedia; my philosophy is not far from yours; sometimes it is not easy in life to go on because memories can be heavy: the loss of friends, siblings…..can sometimes be harsh to endure, yet, unlike others, i just enjoy ethylic alcohol rather than let it dominate me. My own philosophy is as follows: each event has a good and a bad side; let the effect of bad have least influence while extract most of the good side; of course here we are talking about inevitable events; the other events you need to calculate the plus & the minus & make your own bill even though sometimes, to satisfy our instincts, little benefits could cost very dearly; i never run away, rather chicken away; i always open my both eyes very wide to see facts, regardless how harsh & freightening they can be, i never handle miseries under the soporiphic effect of any drug or liquor; last but not least, i always look forwards, because yesterday i cannot change; today & tomorrow i can. The only instance i refer to yesterday is to learn from errors, mine or others, trying to predict & influence tomorrow. 

        1. Antilibnan10452 Avatar
          Antilibnan10452

          Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Rubbish.

    2. Antilibnan10452 Avatar
      Antilibnan10452

      Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Rubbish.

      1. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        great bray; great example of how one could use a negative issue, namely a dum dumb, in a positive way; actually he did not know that balaam braying is hihan; so lets go to positivity, they got lot of problems in the movie shrek to produce braying; i think eddie murphy managed to do it but not sure; noticing this 14th of march species inborn potentials, i would suggest at least if he can be beneficial in something; another positive thinking is that animals do express themselves very eloquently in a very understandable manner: this species that we dont see, told us very clearly he is one of the balaams of 14th of march; whether he is a kharakiri salafi adept or a republic of me3rab supporter we do not know yet; few more similar discourses & we will be able to decifrate his words; animal speech understanding has done a lot of progress & dolphin speech is used in psychotherapy in many center ( i would advise this to 14th march adepts); for the time being all i can say he looks like patient2, gay like a seahorse. Please do not take hmar as an insult, hamir are nice animals certainly more intelligent than the 14th of march species; ishmael was referred to as a donkeyin the Bible (bahibbak ya hmar is an egyptian song i strongly advise you to listen, found on youtube); esau, which is the real issa of the koran, that many confuse with Jesus, was also a prophet of the Bible, used to eat ers, a wild lentil, also referred to as a donkey; actually upgrading the 14th of march band to donkeys is praising them 

      2. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        great piece of art; i just took a picture of it & will present it to an english teacher i know who has sometimes kindergarden students; great idea to learn kindergarden level english as second language

        1. Hannibal Avatar

          lol

      3. Hannibal Avatar

        You ran out of words or you’ve got a broken record? lol

      4. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        is this an intellectual suicidal bomb? easy to criticise but difficult to produce

      5. Libnan10452 Avatar
        Libnan10452

        got the reply of the english teacher: she thinks it is very childish and would be embarrased to show it to her kindergarden students; one bla, she said, gets the point across, 1000 bla’s show ignorance and takes up very expensive internet space that would have been better used

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