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Syrian protesters burn Iranian, Russian and Chinese flags...



...while a massive barrier of armed cops watch from half a block away. It's a little electrifying.

It's rumored that Syria has a quota on killing protesters - not a minimum quota, but a maximum, so that they don't kill too many in one day and make too much news.

I saw another video where a protester gets half his face shot off, but I didn't link it. But that's what these people are risking, out in the streets.

...no American flag-burning?


Now I'm a little hurt.

We're either getting some love here or American flags are not generally available...

...and annoyed.

Always the first to run out. :D

Seriously, though, no. Right now, those protestors are not our* enemies, they do not hate us*, and actually appreciate the gestures of support we* are making. Setting aside the 5% who are dogmatically anti-western religious nutters, the vast majority of the rebellious Arabs want human rights, honest law, and a government answerable to the people, i.e. Western values.

Played correctly, this is an opportunity on a scale not seen since the velvet revolution of 1989.

ETA * our, us and we are in reference to The West rather than the USA specifically.

One of our teachers leaves at the end of this term for a teaching job in Abu Dhabi.
I know the UAE is one of the most stable countries in the region, politically and economically, but it is still ruled as an absolute monarchy - or a federation of them.

I'm not sure I would want the risk. But then the rewards are great and Westerners get out unscathed when there is trouble after all.

I don't think Indonesia can be compared to countries in what is officially the Middle East as things are pretty relaxed here and this is by far the easiest place I have ever lived o/s (or maybe I'm just more relaxed), but it's weird here seeing the travel advisories-we got another one on Friday from the embassy-advising Australians to seriously reconsider their need to travel to Indonesia as intelligence has uncovered hard evidence of groups that engage in blowing up things in a number of parts of the country. In spite of this, people are just going about their business. A couple of weeks ago on the day of the Royal Wedding when a package was found outside the British Embassy, we got an email which said, package found, traffic jams likely, avoid area and that's about as much as anyone seems to say or worry about. At this stage, it seems like an alternate reality.

As long as we don't export American style Democracy Obama will keep our hands clean. This is Arab style Democracy don't cha know.... Isn't it great!

Wow. That just goes to prove that merc can turn any thread into an anti-Obama swipe.

One trick pony likes to do his one trick.

File this under Duh: Iran reportedly aiding Syrian crackdown

The people of Syria are the victims of the geopolitics of the Region.

Unlike Egypt where the US and the west had influence as a result of strong ties to Mubarak and the military leaders and unlike Libya where Ghaddifi has no friends among the Arab League.

In addition to its relationship with Iran (and by proxy, Hamas and Hezbollah), Syria also has its ally Russia on the UN Security Council, assuring a veto of any UN mandate to respond to the massacres.

Yemen might be sliding into a civil war. A tribal leader has started shooting back at the government troops.

Yemen 2011 is a lot like Somalia 1989. And it is just on the other side of the mouth of the Red Sea. :(

Do they have anything the US or its allies wants? If not they'll get about as much help from us as Syria. :/

Off the top of my head, they assert control over the Gulf of Aden. In conjunction with Somalia and Djibouti. Which is kind of a big deal.