The Rude Pundit: Photos That Make the Syrian War Even More Complicated

[meegbear]

Yeah, that photo up there is exactly what it looks like. That's a ten year-old boy, Issa, working in a weapons factory, making mortar shells and fixing launchers, for the rebels in the Free Syrian Army. Issa works 70 hours a week. The photos seem to show him working alone most of the time.

Syria's official army allegedly murders kids, sometimes with chemicals. The rebels use kids for soldiers and building their arms. Remember when we were all so upset about Uganda's Joseph Kony last year? Remember when that was a cause of the month most everyone forgot about? One of the things we were pissed about was his use of child soldiers. Of course, you could say the kids in Syria want to help in the fight against Bashar al Assad, but that's a mighty fine red line you're walking.

The point here is that who has done what in Syria is way more complicated than the bombing advocates are letting on. No, there's no case to support Assad, a bureaucratic, emotionless war criminal who lacks lips and sports a moustache that only Hitler could love. But, as the Rude Pundit has said before in too many cases, if you're picking the lesser of two evils, you're still picking evil.

(Programming note: The Rude Pundit will be doing the live-tweet thing this evening when President Obama makes his case. It ought to be interesting, especially in light of Syria's acceptance of Russia's offer on turning over the chemical weapons. That is a big fucking deal. Expect at least some victory lapping about the threat of bombing being leverage against Syria, although one might wonder why Obama wants to postpone any congressional authorization vote since that would make his hand even stronger, unless, you know, he was gonna lose.)

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/

[David__77]

1. Why is no one upset with the insurgents conscripting child soldiers?

It is clear that the government is NOT doing this and the insurgents are definitely doing this.

[bullwinkle428]

2. I look forward to Rude's live tweets like a kid on Christmas morning.

K&R.

[snooper2]

3. A week ago Rude was saying Fuck Syria..

Rude needs to quit being so wishy washy

[Hydra]

5. And our bombs would have helped how?

One issue at a time. Keep in mind that child pictured there is one of our proxy soldiers/victims.

[riderinthestorm]

4. Wow. Gotta K&R this. nt

[xchrom]

6. du rec. nt

[Uncle Joe]

7. This kind of policy seems to support the report that the chemical weapon attack was an accident.

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/09/02/syr2-s02.html

MPN published an article with interviews with opposition fighters on the ground in Ghouta. Its two authors are Jordanian freelance journalist Yahya Ababneh and Dale Gavlak, a longtime correspondent for the Associated Press, based in Amman, Jordan for more than two decades, who currently reports for AP and National Public Radio, as well as MPN.

Those interviewed included Abu Abdel-Moneim, whose son was among 13 opposition fighters killed in a tunnel used to store what were apparently chemical weapons.

Abdel-Moneim said the weapons were supplied by a Saudi named Abu Ayesha, who leads a rebel battalion. He described some of the weapons as having a “tube-like structure,” while others were like a “huge gas bottle.” They were stored in tunnels, while the opposition fighters themselves slept in nearby mosques and private homes.

(snip)

An opposition leader in Ghouta told MPN that the Al Nusra Front, one of the main Islamic fundamentalist militias operating in Syria, had custody of the chemical weapons. “They do not share secret information. They merely used some ordinary rebels to carry and operate this material,” he said. “We were very curious about these arms. And unfortunately, some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off the explosions.”

Thanks for the thread, meegbear.

[nashville_brook]

8. wish it were as simple

as the president thinks it is.

or, as simple as the president asserts... rhetorically... to move public opinion. likely he's quite aware of the true reality.