Colin Yai

I would just offer as an anecdote that when the 'rebels' captured Homs the first thing they did was expel the entire Christian population confiscating all their belongings.

http://www.globalres...xt=va&aid=29842

Have a look at the link and bear in mind that the Wahhabi brigade expelling the Christians are of the same ideology as the Saudis and Qataris who have joined western forces for 'military exercises' in Jordan.

Intervention in Syria will not stop the suffering but just result in persecution on a sectarian basis by the most populous against the minorities. Such as the concept of democracy exists in the middle east this is how it manifests itself. It is also worth noting that Assad although he is vile is also a secular tyrant, which is a much easier task to control than anarchy or religious fundamentalism.

Coma , as in my post#6 to Essexyman your thoughts and concerns are not without foundation and are more or less in tandem with mine ,but what a state of affairs when a Country has to be ruled by an Iron fisted Dictator ,not much hope is there? Radical Islam or a dictatorship!.

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Now the western knockers may start to come around to the fact that Mr Assad is right. His country is under attack from foriegn terrorist. These element just migrate from Iraq to Libya, Libya to Syria. Dark times ahead for Syria me thinks. Dark times indeed. Starting to look more like Fallujah 2004.

I do hope you are not including me in your "western knockers" accusations, I ask a simple question , and of course I have reservations on the outcome , mainly born out by the rabid crowd screaming out at every given opportunity Allah Akhbar !!,maybe life means nothing to them just so long as they achieve their goal as another hard line Islamic Country , given that I am not saying that Assad,s hand,s are clean no more than I would say Gadhifi's hands was ,whats the Answer?, you tell me.

Whats the answer? Well a good start would be for The West to stop financing and arming Islamic militants who they are using in an attempt to overthrow governments that won't roll over for them, and replace them with governments that will. According to the BBC there is growing international concern that jihadi fighters linked to Al Qaida are behind the suicide bombings in Syria. Probably coming in from Libya, where they have been doing NATO,s bidding in reducing that country to anarchy and chaos. Syria has clearly been facing a foreign backed armed insurgency, how would any country react if they were faced with this? I notice that after months of anti Assad rhetoric from Hague and Clinton, on a daily basis, they have suddenly gone very quiet now that their grand plan is starting to go pear shaped. Not a peep out of them about the ship full of arms that was intercepted recently in the Lebanon, which was destined for the so called rebels in Syria. I wonder why!

Now the western knockers may start to come around to the fact that Mr Assad is right. His country is under attack from foriegn terrorist. These element just migrate from Iraq to Libya, Libya to Syria. Dark times ahead for Syria me thinks. Dark times indeed. Starting to look more like Fallujah 2004.

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And today the International Red Cross announced a pull out from Pakistan.

Congratulations all around to the kidnappers on a job well done on hurting their own people.

Mass suicide bombings are just Just run of the mill stuff these days ,the big question is will Syria be better off if and when Assad flys the coop to Iran? with his multi billions of ill gotten gains?

A very unfortunate bit of happenstance, probably.

At the risk of seeming cruel, I hope no one risks lives to rescue this 70 year old man. Rational people know that Pakistan is a no go zone. He made the decision to go to Pakistan. What sane elderly jewish man would put his life at risk like that? I believe the yiddish term is meshuganah as in nuts. Very sad, but he's as good as dead. I hope the kidnappers are identified and that the names are made public. When the pakistanis no longer have the benefit of aid workers and aid, they can go and thank the kidnappers.

I think the masseur is taking advantage of other allegations that have long surrounded Mr. Travolta.

I note that he is a Scientologist (The religion invented by L. Ron Hubbard) and Scientology does not look kindly on homosexuality. Rather than offer a repeat of what I consider to be hateful garbage, I instead direct you to Google the subject. I would not be surprised if Mr. Travolta is leading a very painful personal life. That being said, I think these allegations are a shakedown attempt.

No fear of death? what a crock of shit ,if thats the case why don't the leaders of these radical; Islamist groups make the supreme sacrifice and set an example for others to follow?, instead of "brainwashing" young uneducated kids that this is the "way to go" and become a "hero" for the cause , the only big time leaders of these Jihadists who have lost their lives for "the cause" have been "taken out" by the Israelis or US pilot less Drones not by their own hand (suicide bombers) !!!

Its true the mullahs and clerical types don't go bravely into martyrdom, while espousing this to others. And even that some of these groups have used handicapped children, and learning-difficulty children to deliver the body-bomb. Because those young people are considered worthless in alpha-male societies where healthy males are considered sacred.

Men-cap children in the region are harder to monitor than in the west so there's a lot of grey area. But reports come out like in Iraq a doctor sold al-Qa'ida a list of female patients with learning difficulties so they could be duped into being suicide bombers. (The Independant)

RE: kidnap, I pray for the best but am not optimistic. Its hard to say it without sounding cold but some parts of the world are so dangerous for foreigners to travel to (for any reason), that the risks must be realised beforehand and the outcome accepted.

What a useless survey...people carrying a debt load is common across the world....with home mortgages, car loans, credit cards,etc., being where the great majority of the debt load is carried...all of this debt load supposedly providing a better quality of life.

To say it again, what a useless survey. But I guess it creates a job for some folks and gives newspapers writers something to plagiarize...and something for folks to comment on. That reminds me, did I pay my credit card bill for this month yet?

Seriously, are you that stupid or do you keep your eyes and ears closed all the time? Many don't even have a job and they buy, not second hand vehicles because that wouldn't be good enough, but NEW vehicles. As I said in my post, keeping face and getting drunk is all that matters. Wake up from your dream world.

Vast amount of families live on credit, let's face it you cannot have mobiles(4 to a family) motorbikes -tele -stereo -whitening creams -dogs -Farm tuk tuk -fireworks -etc and live off a daily farm wage, but they do.

The house deeds are the main way to get money from the bank. BUT look at their houses once built very rare do they paint-maintain-garden-wall or fence off, any repairs are done=or bodged. Kids are running around without trousers, bare foot and snotty nosed. Dad has his lao khao. mam does her gambling, 1000 bht cocks for fighting are next to the house. I DID SAY NOT ALL Thai. What do you expect, then the P.M. says price rises --no way. They are all their lives living a lie.

Poor old France:

Economic meltdown within 2 years

By 2052 the majority of the French population will be unemployed muslims

By 2052 Paris will look like a 4th rate African city

The FN will win 30% of the votes in the next election

Civil war will break out

Well at least the Brits will be happy, though the chances of any of these happening are IMHO slim to none, and there's more chance of me joining the EDL than all of them happening!

Wish I had a viable solution to the mans (hostage) problem and the demands made. Its hard to deal with fanatics who seemly have no fear of death, on what most of us would call logical dialog/action.

One tiny chip in their armor may have emerged from OBL's demise. He had reportably instructed his family to go to the "Western countries" to get an education, make a life .If these people are considering the future welfare of their families, while carrying out atrocities on their preceived enemies, maybe this is a weakness that could be considered.

I am not proposing we revert back to the time/practice of wiping out 6 or so generations of a mans family for his misdeeds. It does seem at times, the big stick approach may need to be further reaching, while we need to decide "who" gets the carrot.

I'm in no way saying there should be a full scale war, something far more subtle may work far better,

??? which is it then? Does it just all depend on the wind direction?

this thinking should be brought to bear with Al Qaeda and their "followers" that they will be made to answer in mega proportions for their "activity's".

If Obama had any balls he would reply that if the hostage is not released unharmed he will order drone attacks at double the current frequency and will bring forward the trials of those held at Gitmo and expedite execution for those that are guilty of sufficient a crime to warrant it.

Violence is the only language these dregs understand and they should be made to realize who is capable of dishing the most out.

Targeting the fighters won't help this guy. Gotta target the ones who have influence over them. I am reminded of a story I heard about 20 or so years ago when hostages were being taken in Beirut. As the story goes, a Soviet diplomat was taken hostage, then the KGB took the son of some higher up and castrated him before returning him. The Soviet diplomat was soon released. Now, this is probably urban legend (although I don't remember Russians ever being taken hostage), but there is likely some value in the concept. Find some powerful sheikh in Qatar/Saudi/wherever who is known to support these terrorists but he himself and his family are vulnerable. Take it from there.

Now Now Koheesti, one must not stoop so low ,not in the terms of the Geneva Convention (and all that crap) old boy!, we have to fight this war according to "the rules" just like they do!.

The Geneva Convention applies to combatants and civilians in a war zone, correct? Not to some playboy 20-something thousands of miles away whose daddy has a pet jihadist.

If Obama had any balls he would reply that if the hostage is not released unharmed he will order drone attacks at double the current frequency and will bring forward the trials of those held at Gitmo and expedite execution for those that are guilty of sufficient a crime to warrant it.

Violence is the only language these dregs understand and they should be made to realize who is capable of dishing the most out.

Targeting the fighters won't help this guy. Gotta target the ones who have influence over them. I am reminded of a story I heard about 20 or so years ago when hostages were being taken in Beirut. As the story goes, a Soviet diplomat was taken hostage, then the KGB took the son of some higher up and castrated him before returning him. The Soviet diplomat was soon released. Now, this is probably urban legend (although I don't remember Russians ever being taken hostage), but there is likely some value in the concept. Find some powerful sheikh in Qatar/Saudi/wherever who is known to support these terrorists but he himself and his family are vulnerable. Take it from there.

I'm in no way saying there should be a full scale war, something far more subtle may work far better, like a cross between Dans #8 post and Koheesti's #12 Could well have the desired results ,of course if you want to throw the towel in and announce they cannot be beaten that's your prerogative. And In closing maybe you should look up the word Jihad !!.

Oh Yeah Flying ,read again ,I only agreed that the Chances of the guy surviving is remote , were did I agree on the rest of Morch's post.??, do you not savvy the word "however??

Yes I was quite aware of the however

Yet you still managed to miss the point of his post.

Not only is it impossible to make a tribal area/ guerrilla warfare type scenario pay on a large scale...you then went on to use the Yamamoto analogy in a completely backwards fashion.

Mai Bpen Rai carry on

Oh Yeah Flying ,read again ,I only agreed that the Chances of the guy surviving is remote , were did I agree or disagree on the rest of Morch's post.??, do you not savvy the word "however??

I concur Morch, the guys chances of survival are remote, however they should be made quite aware that there is going to be a heavy price to pay for their "Jihad " I remember the words of Admiral Yamamoto after the Japs had bombed pearl harbour ," I feel all we have done is woken a slumbering Giant and filled him with a terrible resolve" , this thinking should be brought to bear with Al Qaeda and their "followers" that they will be made to answer in mega proportions for their "activity's".

Yeah Dan ,of course this poor man is doomed, that is unless Obama caves in to their outlandish "requests" ,which means only one thing , more kidnaps and more demands, like you I firmly believe there is only one solution to this age old problem ,let these "people" know in no uncertain terms that retribution will follow with devastating results for both them and "their kind" , appeasement is only viewed as a sign of weakness and a prelude to further insane demands .