President al-Assad of Syria

[TAFKAG 70]

It seems quite likely that he'll be the next of the Arab spring (autumn?) topplers, but will he suffer the same fate as Saddam and Gaddafi or that of Ben Ali? Saleh's in a similar position, but could step down before he's brought down. I suppose Mubarak's somewhere in the middle for now.

[angryGreatness 96]

Gaddafi's fate is definitely making me consider putting fellow Arabian dictators Bashar al-Assad, Ali Abdullah Saleh, and maybe even Abdelaziz Bouteflika on next year's DDP.

 

Al-Assad in particular is begging for a bullet to the head and Saleh already has had an attempt on his life.

 

 

Only thing I'm worried about is the possibility bastards being taking alive and executed, robbing me of points.

[sympathyforthedevil 11]

It appears his downfall is nigh (unless Russia can save his sorry arse):

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk...e-east-16796616

[Windsor 2,233]

As time goes on, I grow more and more convinced that 2012 really will lead to the end of the world.

 

This is just an attempt to pick a fight with Iran.

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

Only a species as fucked up and self-centered as humanity would equate it's own destruction with the end of the world. The planet will survive us, even if we nuke ourselves into oblivion. But we warned, Cumbrians have been messing with nuclear power longer than any other corner of the planet. I'm fairly convinced my cousin and a few of his mates, who've been at Sellafield since anyone can remember, would survive the so-called apolcalypse and if we're reliant on those head-bangers to re-populate the planet you could safely assume that movies like The Road have under-estimated the bestial nature of the survivors.

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Only a species as fucked up and self-centered as humanity would equate it's own destruction with the end of the world. The planet will survive us, even if we nuke ourselves into oblivion. But we warned, Cumbrians have been messing with nuclear power longer than any other corner of the planet. I'm fairly convinced my cousin and a few of his mates, who've been at Sellafield since anyone can remember, would survive the so-called apolcalypse and if we're reliant on those head-bangers to re-populate the planet you could safely assume that movies like The Road have under-estimated the bestial nature of the survivors.

 

From which we learn that what God has united, human beings must not divide.

 

regards,

Hein

[Rotten Ali 600]

Really upset at the BBC news reports coming out of Syria tonight. How can we let ordinary people from this area just be be murdered like this? Shooting orders going out to kill anything that moves even down to 12 year old boys. Just unreal.

[Windsor 2,233]

Really upset at the BBC news reports coming out of Syria tonight. How can we let ordinary people from this area just be be murdered like this? Shooting orders going out to kill anything that moves even down to 12 year old boys. Just unreal.

 

There's not much we can do. With these countries you seem to remove one set of murderers to let another set in.

[themaninblack 2,112]

Really upset at the BBC news reports coming out of Syria tonight. How can we let ordinary people from this area just be be murdered like this? Shooting orders going out to kill anything that moves even down to 12 year old boys. Just unreal.

 

There's not much we can do. With these countries you seem to remove one set of murderers to let another set in.

 

If Syria had oil, then something would be done...

[Windsor 2,233]

Really upset at the BBC news reports coming out of Syria tonight. How can we let ordinary people from this area just be be murdered like this? Shooting orders going out to kill anything that moves even down to 12 year old boys. Just unreal.

 

There's not much we can do. With these countries you seem to remove one set of murderers to let another set in.

 

If Syria had oil, then something would be done...

 

If they had oil we'd be doing even less. Better the evil you know...

[Banshees Scream 110]

Killing anything that moves .. sigh. He's a president.

 

Right in front of him someone should fuck his .. god said no to this post, Mr.Scream.

[Spade_Cooley 9,538]

[JR976evil 907]

If he sticks around, sooner or later chances are he'll end up like Gadaffi, or perhaps he and the missus will suffer the same fate as Mr & Mrs Ceausescu. Couldn't happen to a nicer couple

[adrian0719 224]

Dawoud Rajiha, the Syrian defense minister is reported to have been killed according to AlJazeera's twitter account.

 

EDIT: Assad's brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat is now reported dead by Reuters India.

[Guest Guest]

Basically h alf the inner circle of Assad have been wiped out in the attack http://www.bbc.co.uk...e-east-18882149 . lets hope they get the main man himself next time!

[the_engineer 1,415]

I have a feeling he won't stay and die in syria like gaddafi. If he is killed it will be with an attack similar to the one that killed half his inner circle. he will probably flee to Iran or russia when the net starts to tighten in.

[JR976evil 907]

I have a feeling he won't stay and die in syria like gaddafi. If he is killed it will be with an attack similar to the one that killed half his inner circle. he will probably flee to Iran or russia when the net starts to tighten in.

 

If he has any sense

[adrian0719 224]

Here's a run down from Wikipedia on who's died and who might be on the verge of dying. Syrian State TV just confirmed a few minutes ago that the Intelligence Chief had carked it; I believe the interior minister is not far behind.

• General Dawoud Rajiha (Syrian Defense Minister) - deceased.
  

• Assef Shawkat (President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law and deputy defense minister) - deceased.
  
• General Hasan Turkmani (assistant to the vice president )- deceased.
  
• Hafez Makhlouf (President Bashar al-Assad's cousin and head of investigations at the Syrian Intelligence Agency) - deceased.
  
• Hisham Bekhityar (Syria's intelligence chief) - deceased.
  
• Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar (Interior minister) - conflicting reports of being deceased or seriously wounded.
  
• Mohammad Said Bakhtian (national secretary of the Ba'ath Party) - wounded.
  
• Rami Makhlouf (maternal cousin of President Bashar Assad) - wounded.
  

[JR976evil 907]

Here's a run down from Wikipedia on who's died and who might be on the verge of dying. Syrian State just confirmed a few minutes ago that the Intelligence Chief had carked it; I believe the interior minister is not far behind.

• General Dawoud Rajiha (Syrian Defense Minister) - deceased.
  

• Assef Shawkat (President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law and deputy defense minister) - deceased.
  
• General Hasan Turkmani (assistant to the vice president )- deceased.
  
• Hafez Makhlouf (President Bashar al-Assad's cousin and head of investigations at the Syrian Intelligence Agency) - deceased.
  
• Hisham Bekhityar (Syria's intelligence chief) - deceased.
  
• Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar (Interior minister) - conflicting reports of being deceased or seriously wounded.
  
• Mohammad Said Bakhtian (national secretary of the Ba'ath Party) - wounded.
  
• Rami Makhlouf (maternal cousin of President Bashar Assad) - wounded.
  

 

Now that's what you call a cabinet shake-up

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

_{Speculation on the Today programme this morning that the whole thing was a failed coup attempt, which might explain the tonnage of death given that those loyal would tend to dispense summary justice and leave the coupsters silent. Either way; I don't think Assad is as stupid as Gadaffi and reckon he'll get the hell out of there in time to save his own skin. Next stop (almost certainly) Russia.}

[Guest Guest]

Just heard on the BBC news that the intelligence chief died today from his wounds

[Octopus of Odstock 2,203]

Farouk Al-Sharaa, the Vice President of Syria, has been conspicious by his absence in recent days/weeks. The Assad loyalist, who has been foreign minister to both President Assad's has either fled to Jordan, or now possibly has been killed/died in an accident - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/159177

[the_engineer 1,415]

Farouk Al-Sharaa, the Vice President of Syria, has been conspicious by his absence in recent days/weeks. The Assad loyalist, who has been foreign minister to both President Assad's has either fled to Jordan, or now possibly has been killed/died in an accident - http://www.israelnat...ews.aspx/159177

 

I think its a good possibility he defected and was killed . If he had safely he would be all over the news condemning the assad government , he could of also been bombed and killed on the way out trying to escape .

[adrian0719 224]

Sounding a little more like Gaddafi with each passing day. Will "live and die in Syria."

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

Really upset at the BBC news reports coming out of Syria tonight. How can we let ordinary people from this area just be be murdered like this? Shooting orders going out to kill anything that moves even down to 12 year old boys. Just unreal.

 

There's not much we can do. With these countries you seem to remove one set of murderers to let another set in.

 

See also "The Case for a Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy" by Jean Bricmont: http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/02/20/the-case-for-a-non-interventionist-foreign-policy/