Syria

Speech of Burhan Ghalioun, President of the Syrian National Council – 5 November 2011

[youtube http://youtu.be/lLdgWtiKUcc?]

The Address of SNC President; Dr. Burhan Ghalioun to The Syrian Nation

Saturday, 5 November 2011

The great people of Syria,

I address you today on the eve of eid al-Adha, as our country reels from the violent actions of an unjust regime which has transformed our country over the decades into a kingdom where power is inherited, where rights are deprived and where dignity and freedom are beyond reach of its people.

We became accustomed to this predicament until we could tolerate it no longer. In your revolt for freedom, you sacrificed your most precious assets until every home in Syria has experienced the loss a father, the rape of a daughter and the arrest and disappearance of a young man or child. And as the pillars of tyranny shook, your courage, determination and capacity to sacrifice has captured the world’s admiration. You are not in this ordeal alone, your sacrifices have been noted by Syrians everywhere and your efforts have highlighted the trove of talents and creative abilities of all Syrians.

The great people of Syria,

From this day onward, Syria is home to freedom and dignity, free of all discrimination, injustice and exclusion. Syria is one nation for a united Syrian people with no reference to majorities and minorities, religion, sect or regional affiliation. It is a country where the principles of citizenship and equality reign and where people are judged on the basis of their capacities to give and sacrifice for the sake of their country. Syria’s new constitution will protect minorities and their rights, including the Kurds, who have suffered discrimination. Syria will have a new judicial, legislative and executive system which will be held accountable by the people. The power of government will be limited and the people will choose who governs them through the ballot box. Syrians will enjoy the rule of law, where everyone is equal before an independent judiciary, and all Syrians have equal rights to form organizations, political parties, associations and participation in decision-making.

The great people of Syria,

With each passing day, and with every drop of blood shed, we are one step closer to freedom. The days of tyranny are numbered and the demise of the current regime is inevitable. History has taught us that regimes based on corruption, oppression and slavery are bound to fail: all unjust rulers who detain its youth, steal the wealth of the country and kill its people inevitably come to an end.

The great people of Syria,

The Syrian National Council is fighting a political battle with you, and on your behalf, at home and abroad. It is your Council, your voice heard by the world to defend your cause. Its members are your comrades in the battle for freedom. We are honored by you all, and heartened by your support of the National Council. We promise not to waste any effort or time to overthrow the tyrannical regime. Will not negotiate on the blood of the victims and martyrs nor will we compromise on the pained groans of detainees. We will not be deceived. The National Council will not allow the regime to bide for time. We are aware of the responsibility and trust you have placed on us. But the challenges that we face are great. We are working towards building a solid council with strong foundations to be able to manage the affairs of the country during the transition. This mission cannot happen overnight and we have made rapid progress. We have submitted a formal request to the Secretariat of the League of Arab States and the United Nations to protect civilians in Syria and send international observers. The Council is exploring other options as well.

The great people of Syria,

On this holy day, we salute our soldiers who are refusing to carry out orders. They are risking their lives and those of their families to defend the people and protect them in their peaceful revolt. Syrians will not forget what these soldiers have done for them by showing their support and commitment to their real duty of protecting them. We call upon the rest of the Syrian army to follow example to protect the homeland and citizens.

The great people of Syria,

Syrians will not forget all those nations and organizations which have helped and supported them to gaining liberty. We will continue to mobilize local, regional and international support for our just cause. The regime is still intent on drawing the country into chaos and civil war, but we will resist by uniting until we are victorious.

The great people of Syria,

The future begins today. We are working towards building a new Syria where freedom replaces oppression, dignity wins over discrimination, love takes over hatred and progress triumphs. All of us together today have a duty to create such a Syria and restore it back to life.

May God have mercy on the fallen heroes. May the wounded and injured be healed and may the young detainees soon be released.

Long live free Syria and the great people of Syria and great Eid to all.

Translation : Dima Moussa of the SNC

November 6, 2011 0

An Open Letter to the Brave People of Syria

source

November 4, 2011 0

Syrian opposition : Posted by SGID on OFF THE WALL

Nov 2

SGID is the acronym for Some Guy in Damascus

The first part of my post will discuss my latest trip to Damascus, and the second part is a response to a question asked by Dr. Haytham Khoury about developing sectarianism and radicalism we are witnessing( most of all on syria comment). I also believe this part will be relevant to OTW’s most recent post on his blog.

Damascus

Ali Ferzat describing with his brush what SGID confirms with his words. Today Ali Ferzat’s site was hacked by the electronic thugs of Mr. Al-Assad. The hacking seems stupid (re-direct). And in defiance of these Jerks 7ee6an will be posting more and more of this freedom loving real Syrian artist.

My last visit to Damascus only lasted for 2 days (20th and 21st of October). Just a few days prior to my arrival the regime “successfully” held a massive demonstration in the capital’s saba’a bahrat square( which hosts the nation’s central bank) . Transportation, advanced recording, food, drink, entertainment and most important of all SECURITY is provided to the pro-government demonstrators. The appropriate setting is given. A friend of mine who works for one of Rami Makhlouf’s multiple enterprises told me that he was forced to go, despite having a pro-revolution stance on the whole situation. Employees are threatened with dismissals from their jobs if they do not participate. Although the highly esteemed Robert Fisk was a witness to these one of these demonstrations ( the one held on the 26^th in the Omayad square), his story that they are purely authentic is far from reality. The regime has done its homework and knows how to conceal its foul play.

That being said, the demonstrations have intensified in Damascus in limited ways, for example Midan, Barzeh, Rikn al Deen and Kafar Suseh are having daily demonstrations. Kadisya, The old quarter of Shaghoor have taken their demonstrations up a notch, furthermore the Muhajereen district has seen some sporadic demonstrations. I would like you to take note that these daily demonstrations cant be compared to the the demonstrations held in Homs. They are played along 2 tactics and it usually the first one: مظاهرة طيارة, literally meaning “flying demonstration” in which the demonstrators gather , chant and disperse in a swift manner , it is useful since it shows opposition to the regime and breaks the ” social order”. And the second tactic is the tactic seen in Homs, a regular and massive demonstration. This tactic doesn’t work well since the “security services” can overwhelm the demonstrators. Contrary to popular belief, the demonstrators in Damascus ARE NOT ARMED. Damascus country side is another story.

Sectarianism and Extremism

Syria has been witnessing a limited Extremist shift during the last decade, and it would be inaccurate to say that such a radical base does not exist., furthermore This fact played well into the regime’s propaganda. I will attempt to assess how this radical base came to be, and how to prevent it, I resorted to the expertise of a sociology professor. The links I provide will show you what progress the regime has done to counter radicalization.

What are the causes of Radicalization? :

1. Reaction to modernization.

it is noted that as societies “evolve”, many will incline to cling to their sects. One form of modernization is bureaucracy; the one in Syria is among the worst. Doing simple papers will send you to various locations for multiple signatures and stamps, there’s also the usual bribe. Another form of modernization is globalization, however I cannot relate this particular factor to the radicalization issue in Syria .

2. Societies become strict.

It is not secret that the Syrian regime is one of the strictest and most authoritarian states in the world, as a result many people have turned to religion as an everlasting solution. The inability to come up with solutions with the state has forced a sort of retreat to religion . here is a study conducted a by Freedom house .

http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=363&year=2011&country=8143

3. Unfulfilled hopes and dreams.

Poor management has cut off many Syrians from a prosperous life

http://www.ifad.org/operations/projects/regions/pn/factsheets/sy.pdf

How do we Prevent radicalization?

a) Building civic society : syndicates, unions, clubs and committees all of which are absolutely useless under the current regime. Basically giving professionals, groups and such the ability to be represented and taken seriously. For example: the taxi syndicate in Syria, is pretty much worthless. I cannot count the times the chauffeurs complain about paying the member ship but getting nothing out of it. Obviously the state is not willing to adhere to any one’s demands and it is absolutely expected that the victim would find some solitude in religion.

b) more freedoms.

Source

November 3, 2011 0

The Vision of the Local Coordination Committees on International Protection

par لجان التنسيق المحلية في سوريا, mercredi 2 novembre 2011, 07:05

More than eight months have passed on the Syrian Revolution. Entire towns and villages have moved against a state of despair and absence of hope, due to the rampant mishandling of public affairs by the Syrian regime on all levels, and in particular on the political level. Thousands of citizens demonstrate each day, as part of grassroots social movements, using all forms of peaceful demonstration. They claim rupture from the existing authoritarian and family-based system of government, and they aspire to lay the foundations for the values of freedom and dignity to all citizens in Syria. The Syrian regime has confronted this revolution of values with an insistence on unaccountability, an attempt to stir up strife among the various components of society, and the use of the most repulsive forms of repression.

Every day tens are killed by the Syrian regime’s security and military apparatus and by the regime’s thugs. Every day, hundreds are wounded, arrested and tortured, and similar numbers are deemed disappeared. Reports of the United Nations and other international human rights organizations have recorded various types of systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, against peaceful demonstration. These include willful killing of demonstrators including children; imprisonment and other severe deprivation of physical liberty; torture and inhumane treatment; enforced disappearance of persons; and other inhuman acts intentionally causing great suffering to civilians, such as directing attacks against hospitals and the arrest, torture and killing of the wounded therein; and directing attacks against religious building and dwellings. Such reports have established that such acts are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against civilian populations in Syria, with knowledge of the attack, and that they may therefore amount to crimes against humanity.

Considering the grave and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including through the violent repression of peaceful demonstrators, directly and indirectly by the Syrian authorities, with incitement by the regime’s media outlets, and the prohibition of independent and international press from working in the country, we set out our vision for the requirements of any international move to stop such violations:

We affirm that respect of basic citizen rights is a defining attribute of sovereignty and statehood. Furthermore, respect of human rights is an essential element of a responsible sovereignty. The Syrian regime confronts the aspiration of the Syrian people to freedom and dignity with the commission of crimes against humanity. The Syrian regime has shot all doors on all inquiries into such violations, and on holding their perpetrators to account in an objective, fair and firm manner. Accordingly, such regime is not entitled to rely on the principle of Sovereignty to confront its own people. If it does so, it unsheathes yet another arm in the face of its own people, thereby exacerbating the bare condition of the Syrian people.
We affirm the right of the Syrian people to freely determine, without external interference, the form of its political governance, and to pursue economic, social and cultural development of the Syrian society. The Syrian people has a right of self-determination, which is directly derived from Articles (1) and (55) of the United Nations Charter, when the ruling regime fails to meets its international responsibilities, and when it persists in its violations of individual rights and human dignity.
As we insist, in the present very special circumstances, on the direct right of the Syrian people to affirm its right of self-determination before the international community, we assure that all calls based on the ground of “droit d’ingérance,” “devoir d’ingérance,” “humanitarian intervention” or “responsibility to protect” should not hinder the aspiration of the Syrian people to cause peaceful change by its own forces; or lead to dealing with the Syrian people as yet another sphere of influence in the game of nations. Every day, the demonstrators in Syrian towns and villages chant the motto “The People Wants…” The People Wants emancipation from authoritarian rule. It wants to take and hold the initiative in decision making in public affairs, in an independent and peaceful way, in order to determine all aspects of its public life freely and deliberatively. It also wants to maintain friendly relations among nations. The Syrian People does not want to substitute authoritarian rule by submission to foreign influence. The Syrian People extracted its independence and founded its modern State. It aspires to liberate all its lands and chiefly the Golan. It aspires to continue supporting the struggle of peoples for self-determination, and chiefly that of the Palestinian People. As the Syrian People is revolting against its oppressive rulers, it will not hesitate to revolt against all forms of foreign domination.
We affirm that as the Syrian Revolution has been creative in its peaceful, incessant, and resilient movement, in the face of unparalleled repression, any international support, in light of the regime’s closure of any opportunities for national political solutions, must also be creative and unparalleled. It must be premised on the imperative of maintaining the unity of the Syrian soil, as well as the unity of Syrian society, in all its religious, sectarian and ethnic components.
We consider that the objectives of international protection must be limited to ensuring the safety of peaceful assembly and demonstration, so as to enable the Syrian people to freely exercise self-determination, by its own peaceful forces, towards transition to a pluralistic, secular and democratic system of governance, based on public freedoms, as well as legal and political equality among all Syrians.
We consider that the means for international protection, which must be approved by the Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, must be limited to the following:

To ensure proper conditions for peaceful assembly in accordance with the various human rights instruments in which Syria is a party. These include:

To request that all member States of the United Nations shall take the necessary measures to prevent the supply of arms and all related materials to the Syrian regime.
To force the Syrian regime to immediately lift restrictions on all forms of media.
To force the Syrian regime to ensure the safe passage of all United Nations humanitarian agencies to all Syrian towns and villages, in order to enable them to supervise an immediate halt of killing and violence, release of detainees, uncovering of the fate of disappeared persons, withdrawal of armed forces, and removal of checkpoints from towns, villages and roads, to operate an uninterrupted international monitoring of all peaceful assemblies, especially those organized against the Syrian regime, and to report on any violations in their respect.

To ensure proper conditions to carry out an impartial and objective investigation into the acts which are believed to be crimes against humanity, committed on Syrian soil as from March 15, 2011, and to refer their perpetrators to a fair trial. These include:

To force the Syrian regime to receive an independent international commission of inquiry with a mission to investigate all allegations of human rights and international humanitarian law, to establish the facts and circumstances of such violations and to identify their perpetrators.
To request all member States of the Unites Nations to enforce a travel ban and an assets freeze on all persons who are believed to be implicated, directly or indirectly, by way of incitement, participation or financing, in the commission of crimes against humanity in Syria, without prejudice to the principle of presumption of innocence.
To refer the situation in Syria since March 15, 2011 to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; and to force the Syrian regime to cooperate fully with the Court and the Prosecutor, and to provide all necessary assistance to enable the Court and the Prosecutor to discharge their respective functions.

To ensure proper conditions to embark upon a nation-wide political process, as shall be agreed between all political and social forces composing the Syrian people, which should lead to achieving the desired democratic transition. These include:

To ensure proper political conditions that allow a deliberative process to take place among all components of the Syrian people in respect of the transitional period and its constitutive procedures.
To ensure proper political conditions to enable the Syrian people to carry out voting by universal suffrage and transparent, fair and free elections at all levels, as shall be required in the transitional period to achieve the desired democratic transition.
To provide training and capacity building assistance to the Syrian armed forces and security services to increase their awareness of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to effect a change in their doctrine from protection of the regime to protection of the country, without prejudice to the unity of the army.

The recalcitrance of the Syrian regime to meet its international obligations in terms of respect of human rights and international humanitarian law, may require, in this particular moment, that the international action contemplated above be supported by the sending of a United Nations observers mission, to be approved by a resolution of the Security Council acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. The mandate of the observers mission must emphasize prevention and assistance in building appropriate political conditions to achieve a peaceful democratic transition in Syria. The observers mission must comprise civilian components holding nationalities of countries known historically for their neutrality, and under the direct supervision of the Secretary General of the United Nations, in cooperation with the League of Arab States. The observers mission’s staff members must be in such numbers as to allow them to be present in or reach any town or village at any time, to monitor and report to the United Nations Secretary General, on any violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as on progress of the political process to achieve a peaceful democratic transition pursuant to appropriate constitutive procedures as shall be solely determined by the Syrian People.

We affirm the priority of using dialogue and peaceful persuasion, including the use of non-coercive and non-violent measures. Yet we have no illusions as to the Syrian regime’ obstinate responses and its attempts to buy time. Experience has shown that the granting of time has not rendered the Syrian regime less resolute in committing yet further violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Such time costs the Syrian people more killing and destruction. Every day that passes means more people killed, and Syria finds itself even more remote from any possibility to find political solutions.

source

November 3, 2011 0

Among the Syrian opposition

From Walls comments :

TRUE says :

“Finally the regime made a move and expressed its position in countering back the AL roadmap. Now AL must discuss both plans on Wed so let’s wait and see.

The AL roadmap

• Immediate release of prisoners held since February
• Withdrawal of security forces
• Deployment of Arab League monitors
• Launch of a dialogue in Cairo

The regime counter-back roadmap

• Immediate stop of propaganda war against Syria
• Immediate stop of weapon smuggling from surrounding countries
• Immediate stop of financial aids to opposition groups
• Immediate lift of the unjust sanctions against Syria
• A parcel of deep and quick reforms
• Launch a dialog in Syria
• Open presidential election at the end of the current term”

ABOUD answers :

Guys, sorry, but I’ve given up on the human race. I can’t bear the shame of being the same species as the complete and utter morons who put forward that ludicrous response. Is Mars accepting applications for citizenship?

• Immediate stop of propaganda war against Syria

OK menhebaks, we know your president’s sensitivities are such that you arrest bloggers and journalists inside Syria, but it’s kinda pathological to expect every country in the world to silence its press so you don’t have to hear an offending word. Idiots. Or is a sub clause of this demand be that Vogue reinstate the profile it did on Athma? LOL!

• Immediate stop of weapon smuggling from surrounding countries

That’s countries, plural. So at least two of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel or Iraq are smuggling weapons into Syria? Specify which ones you think are smuggling weapons, so we can keep up the weapon smuggling from the countries you missed. Duh. Double idiots.

• Immediate stop of financial aids to opposition groups

But I thought there was no such thing as an opposition group? Acknowledge their existence so we can look into their finances. See how you trapped yourselves there? Riyad Al Assad had to be bought a suit by the Turks before he talked to the international press. Is that the kind of financial muscle that has you scared? The cost of colonel Asad’s suit? Triple idiots.

• Immediate lift of the unjust sanctions against Syria

Oh dear God it hurts to lower my thinking to the level of a peasant Baathist. Besho baby, the sanctions were imposed by Europe and the USA, the Arab League does not have the power to remove them. But thanks for letting us know your pain points. Idiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooots.

• A parcel of deep and quick reforms

Oh yes we are so holding our collective breaths. Like they said in the demos, the only “eslah” Besho knows is “tasleh el debabat”. And you couldn’t carry out these “deep and quick reforms” eight months ago why exactly? If it took an AL ultimatum to get you to this point, I think we’ll wait until you are facing UN sanctions to get better concessions out of you. Say it with me people….iiiiiiiiiiiiiiidiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooooooots.

• Launch a dialog in Syria.

Go ahead. Start having a dialog with Najati Tayara. You know in which prison cell he is. Buthaina Shabaan got a Ph.D for this kind of sorry ass diplomatic maneuvering? Looks like they’ll give doctorates to all sorts of iiiiiiiiiiiidiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooots.

• Open presidential election at the end of the current term

Yeah well, what’s infinity minus 1, geniuses? Its still infinity.

Daniel Pipes described Besho as a dear caught in the headlines. At least the dear knows that the object coming its way is a deadly mass of metal that will crush it. I doubt very much that Besho quite comprehends the train wreck that is speeding towards him.

November 1, 2011 0

Syrian Revolution الثورة السورية

[youtube http://youtu.be/9We6YLE6Qi8?]

October 30, 2011 0

Immaturity as an origin of evil

Bashar al-Assad as a case study.

In my answer to the National Initiative for Change, which was based on the premise that Bashar would resign shortly after the start of the demonstrations, I explained to them that won’t happen and the war with the regime will take many months. I based my judgement on my personal assessment on the real situation in Syria and also on my personal knowledge of Bashar’s personality, which is mainly characterized by his immaturity. The question that many may ask is how personal immaturity can lead a person to lose his or her conscience, committing crimes and consequently destroying himself and many people around him.

One important characteristic of mature people is that they have good sense of the reality. That means they are able to understand themselves and their environment in a proper way. Indeed, they understand that human beings grow psychologically in a way similar to way with which they grow physically. Each stage of life has its real psychological needs. These psychological needs need to be fulfilled in order the person to mature and grow in a healthy way. While in the early stages of life it is the responsibility of our parents to help us fulfill our needs, in the later stages of life it is our responsibility to find the way to fulfill these needs. Further, mature people can understand their strength and weakness. Thus, they try to develop further their strength and correct their weaknesses. Also, they can understand the life choices that present themselves to them and accept the ones that fit their personality and reject the ones that are not suitable to their personality. Plus, this understanding of own-self provides mature persons the capacity to understand people around them, thus they can distinguish other people’s real needs from their unreal needs and consequently fulfill for them the real ones only while being firm rejecting the unreal ones. Finally, mature people have good understanding for the laws that govern human relationships and interaction. Therefore, they can adapt properly to complex social realties and lead life events to the best outcome for them and for the people around them.

I knew Bashar when I was at medical school. Bashar at that time looked very nice and modest. Further, he looked happy or rather he used to joke all the time. This character used to provide people a sense of comfort, because they felt they are in the presence of the son of the president but they did not have to be formal. However, when I now look back at his behaviour, I can see the early signs of his immaturity. Indeed, his relationships with people were superficial. He had a lot of people around him but not real friends. However, he needed real relationships in order to mature and grow. Further, his jokes were some kinds of superficial fun rather than jokes come arise from an actual situation or reflect wit and intelligence. Indeed, Bashar was disconnected from reality of his own self and the world around him and his nice and fun personality was an escapade from the real world.

I formulated my above-mentioned interpretation of Bashar’s personality from the ideas that acquired through studying the course of his presidency and linking them to the old memories that I have about him. Indeed, let us look at the course of his presidency. Bashar started his presidency with his famous first inaugural speech. In his famous inaugural speech, Bashar promised reforms. However, ten years later he came to say that he was unable to do any of these reforms, because of the hard circumstances. Indeed, Bashar was not able to do these reforms, because has an inherent handicap in his personality that arises his indecisiveness and his pervasive sense of powerlessness. Another event in Bashar’s presidency was the Damascus spring. When Bashar permitted the forums to start, he did not understand the people’s need for freedom of speech and intellectual exchanges. He did not understand the effect of many decades of suppression of free speech. He did not understand that he and the people around him lacked the intellectual acumen that permits to them to keep up with the ideas that may arise from these forums. He thought that he was providing candies, and they should be happy with. Thus, when these forums propagated like mushrooms and the regime’s men were not able to keep up with the ideas arising from these forums, Bashar closed these forums abruptly even putting some participants in prison. That did not only create disappointment among the Syrian intellectuals, but also pain and bitterness. Another big mistake that Bashar did was mixing up the state business with the family business. The archexample of this was offering the monopoly of the mobile phone business to his cousin (Rami Makhlouf), thus provoking the Damascene businessmen and breaking the implicit agreement that Hafez al-Assad made with them. All that resulted in putting Riad Saif and Maamoun al-Homsi in prison on false charges, thus provoking pain and bitterness among the traditional Damascene business class. All the above-mentioned examples reflect Bashar’s inability to understand and deal with complex realities. However, I found that the most shocking example of his negative emotions and disconnection with the reality was his first speech after the uprising started during which he was smiling all the time, while people were dying in the street. This smile reminded me his naïve immature smile when he was young and how it has transformed into a silly wicked smile when he got older, demonstrating how immaturity lead into evil.

All the above-mentioned reflect how complex situations, such as the presidency, could shatter the psychological underpinning of immature naïve people, apparently modest and nice, transforming them into ruthless rulers, committing atrocious crimes. Further, it makes us question the wisdom of the father, Hafez al-Assad, who may be by wishing being eternal Bashar and despite the advices that were offered to him to do not do so, inherited his throne to inapt son, thus casting a curse upon him.

H. Khoury

October 29, 2011 0

Debate among Syrians

@husam

If you want to take in some other debates on that bias going on- not that one really has to go back that far, but my own attempts to point out the obvious… re otrakji appear here:

http://qifanabki.com/2011/05/02/camille-otrakji-syria-protests/
Aboud | October 29, 2011 at 2:24 am

Thanks for that link Zenobia. I love looking back at what was said three or four months ago. Time and events have not been kind at all to Alex, when seen with the 20/20 vision one always has in hindsight
Husam | October 29, 2011 at 4:33 am

Zenobia@

Thanks for that post. I actually skimmed that post back in May, but there no or few comments then. It is really interesting now; I spent no less than an hour sifting through the comments.

What are we doing Zenobia? I mean what’s the point… to spend hours on end arguing with people who refuse to see the big picture or who are set in their ways. Alex, Ehsani, SNK, Tlass, Elhadj, SNP and a few dozen others are solidly comfortable in their skin. Perhaps they have an inferiority complex, or it is just me.

How can anyone feel anything but sick seeing people dying…the last few minutes through amateur phone videos.

Before the first 200 deaths, I was trying to find every excuse to deny what was happening because I just couldn’t believe it. I was pulling all kinds of conspiracy theories imagineable. I then started to hear outlandish claims by the likes of JAD (and few others, I can’t remember now). And then I woke up man. Every once in a while I slip up, and then I straighten up again because the stuff that is going on is just so obvious.

How can these guys keeping defending it…is beyond me. And, the Islamist-niqabi-clad card is still played. Ehsani, who already deemed anything involving Islam will be a failure before it even starts reminds me of why people left Syria in the first place…he can’t because I can’t, which means it ain’t going to happen. This kind of mentality is not what Syria needs no matter how clever a banker one is.

From the new guy on the block حيطان Walls