9 questions about Syria you were too embarrassed to ask:

[trof]

Best article I've read about options and outcomes.


"The United States and allies are preparing for a possibly imminent series of limited military strikes against Syria, the first direct U.S. intervention in the two-year civil war, in retaliation for President Bashar al-Assad’s suspected use of chemical weapons against civilians.

If you found the above sentence kind of confusing, or aren’t exactly sure why Syria is fighting a civil war, or even where Syria is located, then this is the article for you. What’s happening in Syria is really important, but it can also be confusing and difficult to follow even for those of us glued to it.

Here, then, are the most basic answers to your most basic questions. First, a disclaimer: Syria and its history are really complicated; this is not an exhaustive or definitive account of that entire story, just some background, written so that anyone can understand it."

Read on:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/08/29/9-questions-about-syria-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/

[reformist2]

1. That was actually pretty good. I liked the first question.

[trof]

2. Like I said...

best thing I've read about the current 'unpleasantness'.
Answers a lot of questions.
Glad you found it useful.

[Posteritatis]

15. I like that the guy's got a whole series of nine-questions posts

Syria, Egypt, Central African Republic (bet that fiasco didn't spend much time on anyone's radar), etc.

[graywarrior]

3. Thanks for posting this

It was very helpful!

[leftstreet]

4. Gosh, then why did Obama wait so long?

The killing started in April 2011...First, security forces quietly killed activists. Then they started kidnapping, raping, torturing and killing activists and their family members, including a lot of children, dumping their mutilated bodies by the sides of roads.

the Syrian government really overreacted when peaceful protests started in mid-2011, slaughtering civilians unapologetically, which was a big part of how things escalated as quickly as they did.

[treestar]

5. Helpful to

understanding. Rec'd

[joeybee12]

6. "Syria has artificial borders that were created by European colonial powers."

As if we're surprised to learn that. KNR

[trof]

9. Yep. Many thanks to England and France for the post WW I Middle East fuck ups.

And US to a bit of a lesser degree.

[joeybee12]

10. True...but now that we've taken the lead on this...

At least recently...

[trof]

11. Yeah. OIL!!!

A strategic materiel.
For military and industry.
Shit.
More than ever we need to get off of OIL.

[Posteritatis]

14. To be fair, a lot of people are

Versailles-era geopolitics is arcane enough even for people who study the era, and a lot of people aren't exactly shining beacons of awareness about the world at large.

[awoke_in_2003]

7. As much as I want to see...

Syrian Latakia (a pipe tobacco) back on the market, I don't want to see us involved with this civil war.

[Blue_Tires]

8. thanks for this

kick

[Eddie Haskell]

12. As told by their sworn enemy.

[The Straight Story]

13. An amazing video on it from the BBC