Syria onslaught kills 40 protesters

[geek tragedy]

Source: Lebanan Daily Star


BEIRUT/AMMAN/VLNIUS: Protesters calling for a no-fly zone in Syria met with a fierce crackdown that left up to 40 people dead Friday, as opposition sources claimed warplanes were seen flying over Homs.Syrian state media denied the claims.

“A no-fly zone is a legitimate demand for Homs,” read protesters’ banners the Khalidiya neighborhood.

Al-Jazeera satellite channel quoted Syrian sources Friday saying warplanes were seen flying over Homs, but state owned SANA, quoting an “official source” refuted the news later in the day, saying that “citizens should compare between what they hear on Al-Jazeera and other biased channels and what they see with their own eyes to realize the extent of lying and fabrication they rely on in their coverage of Syria’s news.”





Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Oct-29/152541-syria-onslaught-kills-40-protesters

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I hope the people of Syria succeed in overthrowing this butcher, and that they do so without outside intervention--especially from the U.S.

[walerosco]

1. don't bite on the propaganda

These protesters are not peaceful at all. These guys are fighters dealing equal amount of damage to the Syrian Army. This is a civil war and not a crack down of peaceful demonstrators. Its not our business to take sides in this affair, lets them duke it out and whoever comes out victories wins.

Lets not be duped now into another illegal affair like we did with Libya. And before u start calling me names, please talk t your Syrian friends who have still have connections back home. The media only reports of the rebel deaths to paint a one sided picture in your mind, don't bite

[stockholmer]

4. +1000

[geek tragedy]

5. What's your source? nt

[walerosco]

7. The international store

where I buy some of my African food is run by a Syrian man and every once in a while we talk about international politics. The protesters do not want any dialogue with the ruling govt, they want regime change. And just like in Libya, they could careless if every single Syrian dies and the country is destroyed as long as they achieve their goal.

Ofc its only one source and he could be biased as hell but I trust him more than I trust the mainstream media especially after viewing the Gen. Wesley Clark youtube video where he stated the agenda of the neocons. Here you can watch it yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXS3vW47mOE

[geek tragedy]

9. There are people who say that about OWS. nt

[walerosco]

10. say what about OWS?

[geek tragedy]

23. Authoritarians would say OWS is a bunch of traitorous radicals.

Your guy at the store may not be a reliable source. He could be an agent of the Syrian government for all you know.

[hack89]

24. No - this is what happens when the government loses support of the army

due to their brutal repression of the people. There is a good side to this fight - unfortunately it does not seem to be the side you support.

[Arctic Dave]

2. More wardrumming? No thanks, I'm full.

It would seem the military is in combat with each other. Let them fight it out.

[geek tragedy]

6. One can oppose intervention and support those seeking

the replacement of the Ba'ath dictatorship.

[Arctic Dave]

13. Let them do as they want. I would have them take a look at Egypt to see how they

they are managing. Seems freedom is still a distant dream since the military took over.

Seems the "protestors" are killing people well enough. NY Times has them killing soldiers two days ago.

[geek tragedy]

14. There are protestors and there are revolutionaries.

No one doubts that Assad's goons are killing innocents though.

[Arctic Dave]

15. So are the defectors, to say anything else is nonsense.

When bullets and bombs fly, no matter fires them, civilians are always killed.

[geek tragedy]

16. Defectors would be by definition outside of Syria.

Did you mean to refer to anti-Assad activists as "traitors" instead?

[Arctic Dave]

17. They are staging outside of Syria and attacking government forces.

They are in Turkey and Lebenon, so the term defector does apply to them. Some people would call them traitors also.

[geek tragedy]

18. Defectors are those who switch loyalty to a foreign

state.

Would you call the anti-Assad activists traitors?

[Arctic Dave]

19. Being a defector is a braoder term then what you give it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defection

In politics, a defector is a person who gives up Allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.<1><2>

This term is also applied, often pejoratively, to anyone who switches loyalty to another religion, sports team, political party, or other rival faction. In that sense, the defector is often considered a traitor.<3><4>

You can call them traitors if you want. I'm just going by what the NY Times said.

[geek tragedy]

20. I think they're heroes. Only a fascist would call

them traitors.

[Arctic Dave]

21. LOL.

A swing and a miss. Throwing bricks. Throwing a duck. A shank. Feel free to add your own sports metaphors.

[geek tragedy]

22. It seems impossible for a progressive to oppose police violence

against OWS and fail to do so in the case of Syria.

But maybe Assad has a right to do so that the Oakland PD does not. I don't see it.

[stockholmer]

3. no fly zone = full regime change now, EVERY time, fuck these wars of empire

[riverwalker]

8. I too, hope they succeed.

[Imajika]

11. Hope the Syrian protesters succeed...

...but if they do what follows may well be religious radicals - at least for awhile. The Syrian government has oppressed all opposition for so long that it won't surprising if the Islamists end up having a massive influence on whatever follows. That is just the way it has to go though, people have to make their own mistakes and learn what works and what doesn't for themselves - and they have not been able to go through that process with this Syrian regime in power for so long. We may see this play out in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya as well. The key is whether these countries can stay democratic, or will religious governments take over and become police states themselves.

[Little Tich]

12. Bashar Assad has lost all legitimacy to rule Syria, IMHO.

He is just as brutal as his father Hafez Assad, who massacred thousands in Hama 1970 in order to quell a rebellion. It will not be as easy as in Libya, but Assad must go.