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Car Bombing In Central Damascus Kills 53, Injures More Than 200


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<p> Car bombing in central Damascus kills 53, injures more than 200 </p>< br />

<p>2013-02-22 17:09:29 GMT+7 (ICT) </p><br /> <p>DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BNO NEWS) -- A massive car bomb blew up Thursday on a busy highway in central Damascus near the headquarters of Syria's ruling Baath Party, killing 53 people and wounding more than 230 others, officials and activists said. A second car bombing at the scene was averted.<br /></p><br /><p>Footage from the scene showed a crater in the middle of the road near a pedestrian bridge and surrounding buildings. A number of vehicles were on fire while bloodied or heavily burnt bodies were strewn across the gruesome scene, which is located near the headquarters of the Baath party and close to the Russian Embassy.<br /></p><br /><p>Health Ministry officials said 53 people were killed while 235 others were taken to public and private hospitals, where an unknown number of people remained in a critical condition on Friday. Health Minister Saad al-Nayef said the ministry was working to provide the best possible medical care to those who were injured.<br /></p><br /><p>The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said many of the victims were civilians such as pedestrians, school children, and people who were driving their cars. The powerful explosion also damaged al-Hayat Hospital, Abdullah Bin al-Zubir school, and minibuses at a nearby bus station.<br /></p><br /><p>Education Minister Hazwan al-Wazz said three teachers and 20 students were among those injured, but it was not immediately clear if any children were among those killed. Al-Wazz said the Damascus Examinations Department and a building belonging to the Education Ministry had also been damaged.<br /></p><br /><p>A spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry strongly condemned the attack, which happened a short distance from the Russian Embassy. "Russia urges those who can influence Syrian extremists and radicals to demand that they end terrorist attacks," the spokesperson said. Embassy officials said the building had suffered damage but none of the embassy's staff members were injured.<br /></p><br /><p>A short time after the blast, police stopped a vehicle near the scene of the deadly attack, state-run media reported, adding that tons of explosives were found inside. The would-be suicide bomber was arrested but it was not immediately known where the attacker had planned to detonate his explosives.<br /></p><br /><p>There was no immediate claim of responsibility following Thursday's attack, but a letter from Syria's Foreign Ministry to the United Nations (UN) accused al-Qaeda-linked armed terrorist groups of being responsible for the car bombing. The Syrian government frequently refers to its opponents as terrorists.<br /></p><br /><p>UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his condemnation in a statement released by his spokesman. "[ban] reiterates his firm conviction that resorting to violence and military means will only lead to more suffering and destruction, and that a political solution is the only way out," the statement said. "The Secretary-General renews his call on all parties to end the violence and respect international humanitarian law."<br /></p><br /><p>The crisis in Syria began as a pro-democracy protest movement in March 2011, similar to those across the Middle East and North Africa. The Syrian government violently cracked down on the protests, setting off an armed conflict between pro-Assad forces and anti-government forces. A number of jihadist groups have since joined the fight against Assad's regime.<br /></p><br /><p>The United Nations estimates that more than 70,000 people, many of them civilians, have been killed and more than 1.2 million others have been displaced since the start of the uprising in 2011. Opposition groups estimate the number of deaths is far higher, but those figures cannot be independently verified.<br /></p> <p> tvn.png

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2013-02-22 </p>

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I believe you'll find both sides have been condemned repeatedly, but as long as the Russians keep arming and protecting Assad's regime, there will be no end to the conflict.

Sadly, Russia wants its Mediterranean sea port and its military customers; the rest of the West wants the Shi'a limited to Iran, Iraq, the 'stans and Lebanon (where they will be emasculated if Syria falls).

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I believe you'll find both sides have been condemned repeatedly, but as long as the Russians keep arming and protecting Assad's regime, there will be no end to the conflict.

Sadly, Russia wants its Mediterranean sea port and its military customers; the rest of the West wants the Shi'a limited to Iran, Iraq, the 'stans and Lebanon (where they will be emasculated if Syria falls).

Far from condemning the car bomb attack, it would appear that the US actually blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the attack! They obviously don't want their tame Al Qaeda terrorists to be officially criticized. As i said, sickening hypocrisy.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russia-criticizes-us-over-response-to-syria-car-bomb.aspx?pageID=238&nid=41660&NewsCatID=359

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I believe you'll find both sides have been condemned repeatedly, but as long as the Russians keep arming and protecting Assad's regime, there will be no end to the conflict.

Sadly, Russia wants its Mediterranean sea port and its military customers; the rest of the West wants the Shi'a limited to Iran, Iraq, the 'stans and Lebanon (where they will be emasculated if Syria falls).

Far from condemning the car bomb attack, it would appear that the US actually blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the attack! They obviously don't want their tame Al Qaeda terrorists to be officially criticized. As i said, sickening hypocrisy.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russia-criticizes-us-over-response-to-syria-car-bomb.aspx?pageID=238&nid=41660&NewsCatID=359

Actually both the U.S and Russia should keep out of Syria and let the Sunni and Shia factions fight each other to a standstill - that's essentially what will happen anyway, so the less arms supplied to both sides the better.

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I believe you'll find both sides have been condemned repeatedly, but as long as the Russians keep arming and protecting Assad's regime, there will be no end to the conflict.

Sadly, Russia wants its Mediterranean sea port and its military customers; the rest of the West wants the Shi'a limited to Iran, Iraq, the 'stans and Lebanon (where they will be emasculated if Syria falls).

Far from condemning the car bomb attack, it would appear that the US actually blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the attack! They obviously don't want their tame Al Qaeda terrorists to be officially criticized. As i said, sickening hypocrisy.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russia-criticizes-us-over-response-to-syria-car-bomb.aspx?pageID=238&nid=41660&NewsCatID=359

Actually both the U.S and Russia should keep out of Syria and let the Sunni and Shia factions fight each other to a standstill - that's essentially what will happen anyway, so the less arms supplied to both sides the better.

That would be far from ideal as a fragmentation of Syria into warlord fiefdoms would be the worst possible outcome. In this vein have a read of ...

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21572193-syria-disintegrates-it-threatens-entire-middle-east-outside-world-needs-act

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I'm of the opinion that Bush's royal f*** up in Iraq has empowered the Persian caliphate, and Syria falling to the Sunni would redress the balance, with the added bonus of crippling those Hezbollah terrorists.

Yet, somehow, you seem to believe Obama's weak foreign Middle East policy is paying dividends?

Weakness is never a strong point among the Arab or Muslim community.

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As yet their doesn't not appear to be any claim by a group for the attack. How can any country blame any particular group other than making assumptions

USA has previously condemned the group aligned to Al Qaeda, jihadist Al-Nusra Front and identified them as a terrorist organisation. The downside for Syrian Free Army is that they are the most effective urban warfare fighting group.

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I believe you'll find both sides have been condemned repeatedly, but as long as the Russians keep arming and protecting Assad's regime, there will be no end to the conflict.

Sadly, Russia wants its Mediterranean sea port and its military customers; the rest of the West wants the Shi'a limited to Iran, Iraq, the 'stans and Lebanon (where they will be emasculated if Syria falls).

Far from condemning the car bomb attack, it would appear that the US actually blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the attack! They obviously don't want their tame Al Qaeda terrorists to be officially criticized. As i said, sickening hypocrisy.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russia-criticizes-us-over-response-to-syria-car-bomb.aspx?pageID=238&nid=41660&NewsCatID=359

Actually both the U.S and Russia should keep out of Syria and let the Sunni and Shia factions fight each other to a standstill - that's essentially what will happen anyway, so the less arms supplied to both sides the better.

That would be far from ideal as a fragmentation of Syria into warlord fiefdoms would be the worst possible outcome. In this vein have a read of ...

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21572193-syria-disintegrates-it-threatens-entire-middle-east-outside-world-needs-act

In 1982 Assad senior crushed an uprising by the Muslim brotherhood in the city of Hama, up to 40,000 were estimated to have died. We will never know what the repercussions would have been had Assad been ousted. Roll on to 2013, there is a real prospect of the Assad regime falling, but this, if it happens, was contributed to greatly by the 'rebels' unsure.png being bankrolled by the likes of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with arms supplied by the west. Without said help Assad would have been likely to hang onto power, just as the Algerian military managed to with their own Islamist problem.

We will probably end up with the worst possible outcome, as you put it, but this was down to outside interference, not down to a tyrant acting in a way tyrants always do. I predict ethnic cleansing on a Balkans type scale, yet more arms and interference will probably be counter productive and also bear the risk of the U.S and Russia becoming directly embroiled, which would turn the Syrian disaster into a global one.

P.S What your op ed piece fails to address is the chaos resulting from outside backed 'democratization' as witnessed in the way Egypt, Tunisia and Libya amply demonstrate. I hope the U.S ambassador to any new Syrian regime would be better protected than the one in Libya was.

Edited by Steely Dan
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It will be a big blow to the modern world, if Syria falls into the hands of jihadi forces (totally or partially).

BBC, which is a channel that I like in many ways, VERY RARELY airs grievances of non-Sunnis of Syria. Most of the time, they are busy almost 'romanticising' the rebels.

If the Assad regime falls, not only the non-Sunnis of Syria will suffer but also there will be the risk of future abductions of foreigners (as it happens in some Islamist-controlled areas of the world) and also the risk of terror being exported to neighboring countries.

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If Assad had not used military force to suppress peaceful demonstrations against his minority dictatorship (representing 10% Alawite population) what would be the situation in Syria today? Prior to the use of the military against demonstrators it was relatively peaceful. Except of course the extensive use of torture and killings by the dictatorship of it's political opponents.

Assad has for many years supported Shiite terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and insurgents in Iraq during Gulf War 11.

Edited by simple1
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I believe you'll find both sides have been condemned repeatedly, but as long as the Russians keep arming and protecting Assad's regime, there will be no end to the conflict.

Sadly, Russia wants its Mediterranean sea port and its military customers; the rest of the West wants the Shi'a limited to Iran, Iraq, the 'stans and Lebanon (where they will be emasculated if Syria falls).

Far from condemning the car bomb attack, it would appear that the US actually blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the attack! They obviously don't want their tame Al Qaeda terrorists to be officially criticized. As i said, sickening hypocrisy.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russia-criticizes-us-over-response-to-syria-car-bomb.aspx?pageID=238&nid=41660&NewsCatID=359

Actually both the U.S and Russia should keep out of Syria and let the Sunni and Shia factions fight each other to a standstill - that's essentially what will happen anyway, so the less arms supplied to both sides the better.

Russia isn't really doing anything new in Syria. They are just doing what they have always done. Support the Syrian government. Now the west has changed the status quo backing and arming the rebels that are now using their new found military might to conduct terror operations right across the country on both civilian and government target. And seem to be even more willing than ever to use it against Russian targets. A percieved enemy of the insurgent group. I am not expecting any noise out of the western camp on the matter as they have their hands well dirty

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As yet their doesn't not appear to be any claim by a group for the attack. How can any country blame any particular group other than making assumptions

USA has previously condemned the group aligned to Al Qaeda, jihadist Al-Nusra Front and identified them as a terrorist organisation. The downside for Syrian Free Army is that they are the most effective urban warfare fighting group.

I notice The US and UK Governments were quick off the mark to condemn and express outrage at the weekend at a Syrian forces rocket attack. Yet they remain strangely silent on the car bomb which indiscriminately slaughtered dozens, including many women and children. For the US to block a UN Security Council statement condemning this terrorist atrocity, presumably because it would draw attention to the Al Qaeda presence in Syria, and more importantly cause right minded people to question the West's support and backing for them, is truly shameful.

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As yet their doesn't not appear to be any claim by a group for the attack. How can any country blame any particular group other than making assumptions

USA has previously condemned the group aligned to Al Qaeda, jihadist Al-Nusra Front and identified them as a terrorist organisation. The downside for Syrian Free Army is that they are the most effective urban warfare fighting group.

I notice The US and UK Governments were quick off the mark to condemn and express outrage at the weekend at a Syrian forces rocket attack. Yet they remain strangely silent on the car bomb which indiscriminately slaughtered dozens, including many women and children. For the US to block a UN Security Council statement condemning this terrorist atrocity, presumably because it would draw attention to the Al Qaeda presence in Syria, and more importantly cause right minded people to question the West's support and backing for them, is truly shameful.

Perhaps you overlooked the US condemnation & black listing as a terrorist group of jihadist Al-Nusra Front, so far the only publicly identified Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, this does not support your speculation about not wanting to draw attention to Al Qaeda presence in Syria. The US has made it very clear jihadist Al-Nusra Front are fighting in Syria and have expressed concern that if the Syrian opposition came to power the very real prospects of factional fighting within the opposition and sectarian groups. As for US to block a statement on the car bombings, may be a diplomatic ploy to in response to Russian & Chinese blocks of other security council statements regarding the actions of the Assad dictatorship.

Overview of US concerns regards Al Qaeda in Syria and the "endgame" at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/opinion/al-qaeda-in-syria.html?_r=0

Edited by simple1
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As a Turkish citizen, I am deeply disturbed by my country hosting various meetings of Syrian opposition groups. Turkey, for years, has opposed neighboring countries helping the PKK and other anti-Turkish-regime groups but for quite some time now, it has been assisting anti-regime groups in Syria ! Talk about frickin' hypocrisy ! The current AKP government of Turkey is the worst thing that has happened to Turkey in many ways, especially in the aspect of foreign relations, and in the rise of Islamism in various aspects of Turkish political/social life.

I agree with you 100%, I remember before Erdogan when Turkey (wrongly in my view) was refused membership of the E.U. I always thought this a grave mistake as it would have imho cemented a blueprint of a secular Muslim majority state for others to follow. As it stands now I think Turkish membership of the E.U would be a grave mistake, which is a crying shame.

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As yet their doesn't not appear to be any claim by a group for the attack. How can any country blame any particular group other than making assumptions

USA has previously condemned the group aligned to Al Qaeda, jihadist Al-Nusra Front and identified them as a terrorist organisation. The downside for Syrian Free Army is that they are the most effective urban warfare fighting group.

I notice The US and UK Governments were quick off the mark to condemn and express outrage at the weekend at a Syrian forces rocket attack. Yet they remain strangely silent on the car bomb which indiscriminately slaughtered dozens, including many women and children. For the US to block a UN Security Council statement condemning this terrorist atrocity, presumably because it would draw attention to the Al Qaeda presence in Syria, and more importantly cause right minded people to question the West's support and backing for them, is truly shameful.

Perhaps you overlooked the US condemnation & black listing as a terrorist group of jihadist Al-Nusra Front, so far the only publicly identified Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, this does not support your speculation about not wanting to draw attention to Al Qaeda presence in Syria. The US has made it very clear jihadist Al-Nusra Front are fighting in Syria and have expressed concern that if the Syrian opposition came to power the very real prospects of factional fighting within the opposition and sectarian groups. As for US to block a statement on the car bombings, may be a diplomatic ploy to in response to Russian & Chinese blocks of other security council statements regarding the actions of the Assad dictatorship.

Overview of US concerns regards Al Qaeda in Syria and the "endgame" at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/opinion/al-qaeda-in-syria.html?_r=0

On the face of it you have a point, but the so called moderates the west ends up backing tend to be anything but moderate when they gain power, furthermore there is no culture of democracy in the middle East, which is a crucial point. Democracy, as if a reminder were needed involves the majority agreeing to rule without actively discriminating against minorities which oppose them. A Sunni regime of any hue would likely subject Syrian Alawites, Shiites and Christians to severe discrimination. Ironically a dictator like Assad did not do this to the Sunni population as a whole, some even had high ranking posts in the army or ran successful businesses - of course those who opposed him were dealt with severely, but that is the nature of the beast and in many ways preferable to anarchy and civil war.

P.S It is noteworthy that the ruthless suppression of a minority seems to go largely unnoticed in the western press when a minority Sunni regime like Bahrain is oppressing a Shiite majority, as oppose to the converse situation as we have with Syria.

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As a Turkish citizen, I am deeply disturbed by my country hosting various meetings of Syrian opposition groups. Turkey, for years, has opposed neighboring countries helping the PKK and other anti-Turkish-regime groups but for quite some time now, it has been assisting anti-regime groups in Syria ! Talk about frickin' hypocrisy ! The current AKP government of Turkey is the worst thing that has happened to Turkey in many ways, especially in the aspect of foreign relations, and in the rise of Islamism in various aspects of Turkish political/social life.

I agree with you 100%, I remember before Erdogan when Turkey (wrongly in my view) was refused membership of the E.U. I always thought this a grave mistake as it would have imho cemented a blueprint of a secular Muslim majority state for others to follow. As it stands now I think Turkish membership of the E.U would be a grave mistake, which is a crying shame.

And what if turkey had joined the EU and then voted in AKP or even some more extreme government? What if they becAmerican the voice for Muslim populations in Europe abducted called for dual laws or sharia for all Muslims in Europe? Imagine if they were to actively fund and support groups calling for such laws in Muslim majority towns or regions across Europe to be allowed to government by Islamic law under Thierry human rights etc?

Nothing against the Turks but they should not ever be allowed to join Europe.

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As a Turkish citizen, I am deeply disturbed by my country hosting various meetings of Syrian opposition groups. Turkey, for years, has opposed neighboring countries helping the PKK and other anti-Turkish-regime groups but for quite some time now, it has been assisting anti-regime groups in Syria ! Talk about frickin' hypocrisy ! The current AKP government of Turkey is the worst thing that has happened to Turkey in many ways, especially in the aspect of foreign relations, and in the rise of Islamism in various aspects of Turkish political/social life.

I agree with you 100%, I remember before Erdogan when Turkey (wrongly in my view) was refused membership of the E.U. I always thought this a grave mistake as it would have imho cemented a blueprint of a secular Muslim majority state for others to follow. As it stands now I think Turkish membership of the E.U would be a grave mistake, which is a crying shame.
Turkey could join the US instead. Two similar cultures adoring religion and guns. Just imagine the benefits of having US territory right in the neighbourhood of Middle-East oil. What's a secular Muslim? An oxymoron?
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Interesting to see Iran trying to blur its own expansionist ideals by trying to drag Syria and Bahrain onto the table at tomorrow's talks.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/1546/19/Syria-not-part-of-Iran.aspx?

In a move that has stirred controversy among the Arab countries, Iran has submitted a proposal to the P5+1 group composed of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council along with Germany and in charge of negotiating Iran’s nuclear programme, asking that the Syrian and Bahraini crises be included in the talks to take place in Kazakhstan on 26 February.

Iranian officials hope that the proposal will effectively merge the future of Syria and Bahrain with the prospects for Iran’s nuclear programme with the approval of the international parties, constituting an audacious move to place its ambitions in Bahrain and Syria on the negotiating table as if it had legitimate rights in those two countries.

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Interesting to see Iran trying to blur its own expansionist ideals by trying to drag Syria and Bahrain onto the table at tomorrow's talks.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/1546/19/Syria-not-part-of-Iran.aspx?

In a move that has stirred controversy among the Arab countries, Iran has submitted a proposal to the P5+1 group composed of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council along with Germany and in charge of negotiating Iran’s nuclear programme, asking that the Syrian and Bahraini crises be included in the talks to take place in Kazakhstan on 26 February.

Iranian officials hope that the proposal will effectively merge the future of Syria and Bahrain with the prospects for Iran’s nuclear programme with the approval of the international parties, constituting an audacious move to place its ambitions in Bahrain and Syria on the negotiating table as if it had legitimate rights in those two countries.

Not surprising that Iran is trying to link Syria & Bahrain. As you know Syria is a Shiite minority dictatorship under pressure from a Sunni majority, whereas a Shiite majority is under pressure from a Sunni minority dictatorship in Bahrain - just trying to support their Shiite brethren - I would not use the word "blur" as it's a transparent political gambit to mitigate the pressure on Iran

Edited by simple1
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As yet their doesn't not appear to be any claim by a group for the attack. How can any country blame any particular group other than making assumptions

USA has previously condemned the group aligned to Al Qaeda, jihadist Al-Nusra Front and identified them as a terrorist organisation. The downside for Syrian Free Army is that they are the most effective urban warfare fighting group.

I notice The US and UK Governments were quick off the mark to condemn and express outrage at the weekend at a Syrian forces rocket attack. Yet they remain strangely silent on the car bomb which indiscriminately slaughtered dozens, including many women and children. For the US to block a UN Security Council statement condemning this terrorist atrocity, presumably because it would draw attention to the Al Qaeda presence in Syria, and more importantly cause right minded people to question the West's support and backing for them, is truly shameful.

Perhaps you overlooked the US condemnation & black listing as a terrorist group of jihadist Al-Nusra Front, so far the only publicly identified Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, this does not support your speculation about not wanting to draw attention to Al Qaeda presence in Syria. The US has made it very clear jihadist Al-Nusra Front are fighting in Syria and have expressed concern that if the Syrian opposition came to power the very real prospects of factional fighting within the opposition and sectarian groups. As for US to block a statement on the car bombings, may be a diplomatic ploy to in response to Russian & Chinese blocks of other security council statements regarding the actions of the Assad dictatorship.

Overview of US concerns regards Al Qaeda in Syria and the "endgame" at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/opinion/al-qaeda-in-syria.html?_r=0

On the face of it you have a point, but the so called moderates the west ends up backing tend to be anything but moderate when they gain power, furthermore there is no culture of democracy in the middle East, which is a crucial point. Democracy, as if a reminder were needed involves the majority agreeing to rule without actively discriminating against minorities which oppose them. A Sunni regime of any hue would likely subject Syrian Alawites, Shiites and Christians to severe discrimination. Ironically a dictator like Assad did not do this to the Sunni population as a whole, some even had high ranking posts in the army or ran successful businesses - of course those who opposed him were dealt with severely, but that is the nature of the beast and in many ways preferable to anarchy and civil war.

P.S It is noteworthy that the ruthless suppression of a minority seems to go largely unnoticed in the western press when a minority Sunni regime like Bahrain is oppressing a Shiite majority, as oppose to the converse situation as we have with Syria.

I also accept you have made some relative points. It increasingly becomes a circular argument; which regime poses a greater or lesser threat to stability in the region and western interests. Syria is a Shiite state sponsor or terrorism, as is Iran, so would a Sunni regime in Syria pose a greater threat? There is commentary that Israel also supports the Sunni uprising in Syria as a foil to Iranian interests, gets muddier by the day.

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Predictably there has been no condemnation or expressions of outrage from The US and UK governments about this slaughter of civilians by Western backed Al Qaeda terrorists. Sickening hypocrisy.

So what was your backup complaint if the us and uk had issued an expression of outrage?

my point? some people just like to complain. it doesn't matter the topic or position.

damn i'm getting involved with drama! :(

better get out of here quick lol

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