Latest Arab Spring thread

[TheMercenary]

The US is not involved! Already! Read the papers! not a word.... right?

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Here we go, application of "soft power" on Assad, as the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, the EU foreign policy head all demand in unity that he step down.

Yeh, after other countries have already done so, Obama then commits. Never in the lead, only seems to be following.

None of us know what happens behind closed doors, but still many were clamoring for this a long time ago and before many innocent lives were lost.

Originally Posted by tw

That ignores something far more important. Turkey demanded Assad step down and to stop attacking civilians. Turkey also threatened consequences if ignored.

Really? Do you have any citations for that claim? Aside from the US press saying that the US is pushing them to do so, they still have not and have, from all indications, refused to do so, so far. In fact, everything I've found seem to specifically say the opposite, for example:

Russia and Turkey rejected Western calls for the Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

Turkey calls for change in Syria, but not Assad's resignation

Turkey is reluctant to follow the United States and European powers in calling for ... to follow US President Barack Obama's call on Assad to step down

Russia, Turkey stand by Assad

A Russian Foreign Ministry source said Russia opposes U.S. and European calls for Assad leave power and believes he needs more time to implement promised reforms, while in Turkey.

An official source told AFP Turkey also believes it is “too soon” to call for Assad’s departure.

“We are not there yet. First and foremost the people of Syria must tell Assad to go. This has not been heard in the streets of Syria,” the Turkish official said.

“The Syrian opposition is not united and we haven’t seen yet a collective call from Syrians to tell Assad to go, like in Egypt and Libya.”

Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK), which brings together top civilian and military officials, discussed Ankara’s strategy on Syria Thursday but fell short of making an open appeal for Assad to resign. It instead repeated calls for an immediate end to violence.

“It has been emphasized once again that the use of violence and force against civilians must be stopped immediately,” the MGK said in a statement, released late Thursday.

It said a democratic change must take place in compliance with the “legitimate demands of the friendly and brotherly Syrian people,” according to Anatolia news agency.

A Russian official, quoted in Interfax news agency said: “We do not support such calls and believe that it is necessary now to give President Assad’s regime time to realize all the reform processes that have been announced.”

Read more:

[Undertoad]

The Turkish foreign chief threatened Assad a few days ago:

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-2538...perations.html

But he seems to have walked back from this.

[ZenGum]

The Turks don't like waves of refugees - especially Kurds. It destablises their more sensitive areas.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The Turkish foreign chief threatened Assad a few days ago:
But he seems to have walked back from this.

Exactly. The things I saw seemed

[ZenGum]

There are reports of fighting on the outskirts of Tripoli.

[TheMercenary]

Good time to pull the US out.

[tw]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Good time to pull the US out.

TheMercenary keeps making a claim that is proven by nothing but his accusations. If Americans are in combat, TheMercenary proves his claims with facts and numbers. Necessary for political handlers (ie Limbaugh) to brainwash their disciples. They just believe what they are told rather than always demand facts.

One of us knew Saddam's WMDs were not proven by facts. The other knew it must be true because he automatically believed what George Jr, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al (extremists from the Project for a New American Century) told him what to believe. A responsible person demands supporting facts - the reasons why - before making such claims. TheMercenary keeps making those combat claims (even back on 2 July) without any proof other than Limbaugh who says, "Trust me".

[tw]

Word is Kaddafi is hours from being drive from Tripoli. Now some far more important questions will be answered. First, where will he and his peers go? Second, and more important, was this war long enough for the various rebel factions to build a unifying structure and relationships? To be honest, I fear not. But we have little reasons to answer with certainty either way.

BTW, this may result in a ten cent (or larger) reduction in gasoline prices by late fall. It will take some months to restore oil production.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

It destablises their more sensitive areas.

And they hate when their nutsacks get destabilised.

[Griff]

1832: Paul Wood BBC News, Benghazi

Jubilant crowds in Benghazi celebrated the passing of Col Gaddafi's rule with volleys of automatic fire. But later, here in the birthplace of the revolution, there was a more sober warning of the dangers posed by the victory unfolding in the capital. The leader of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, said he was worried there could be revenge attacks. If military commanders ignored him and carried out reprisals, he said, he would resign - a threat which gives a glimpse of the tensions within a movement now on the brink of forming a new government.