Russia invades Ukraine

heywood on 11/12/2024 at 15:48

Quote Posted by Starker

A Syria so united, it has been in a massive civil war for over a decade with torture prisons for dissidents on an industrial scale: (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2dx3ekpr59o)

The point is, his goal was to end the civil war and rule the country again. Assad was secular and never had any territorial ambitions aside from getting Syria's part of the Golan back. I'm not saying he was a good guy or anything, but a brutal dictator happy to be the big fish in his small pond is less of a threat to the world than having a sanctioned Islamic terrorist group led by Al Qaeda/ISIL commanders in control of a real state. Especially when the whole region is already unstable because of Iran's war on Israel. I know the US didn't directly support these guys, but some of our allies did, and you can follow the chain of links from this outcome right back to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. We're still seeing the blowback 20 years later.

Nicker on 11/12/2024 at 19:42

Quote:

Especially when the whole region is already unstable because of Iran's war on Israel.

If were only that simple and that recent. The blowback from these inter-tribal squabbles have been a plague on civilization for over 4,000 years, not just one generation. And the violent fairy-tales (sorry, Holy Books) they invented to justify this endless genocide, are as evil as they are stupid.

I'd suggest nuking Jerusalem so nobody can have it, only that's precisely what the Christo-fascists in Murica need so that Jebus can kill all the Libz and Make Earth Great Again.

The Children of Abraham are eternal, entitled toddlers, with less impulse control and zero toilet training.

Likud (Judeo-fascists) can't seem to understand that when they make war on Hamas (Islamo-fascists) they are picking a fight with every other Islamo-fascist gang in the Middle East. Or perhaps Likud does understand this and sincerely believe that they can singlehandedly exterminate millions of Muslims without pissing anyone else off. Like how their opposite numbers think that they can kill all the Jews without consequences or pushback.

Starker on 11/12/2024 at 19:44

I have my doubts when it comes to the "regional safety" of extremely brutal regimes like that of Assad. Don't forget that he also was protecting several ISIS factions and has pretty consistently supported and funded ISIS.

Sure, Assad's goal was to rule Syria with an iron fist and end all opposition, but that has also been one of the major reasons for the current conflict and massive displacement of people from their homes. In fact, I would say that it was this inflexibility in dealing with the protests and unwillingness to make any concessions or changes that made it inevitable. For all intents and purposes, he made peaceful revolution impossible.

DuatDweller on 11/12/2024 at 20:43

Well this guy definitely was no Saddam or Qaddafi but it all started when "someone" who will not be mentioned, asked Syria to let them put an oil-duct through their territory, well Bashar Al Assad said no, and then all hell break lose, coincidence? There is no such thing as coincidence, this was sabotage of the first level, intelligence agency level.

Starker on 11/12/2024 at 21:59

Yeah, it definitely had nothing to do with delivering the bodies of unruly children to their families with the stipulation that they bury them as fast as possible. Bodies that had cigarette burns and mutilated genitals.

I mean, the Assad family regime was the one who had its soldiers kill puppies on television to prove how tough and loyal they are.

heywood on 11/12/2024 at 23:19

Quote Posted by Starker

Don't forget that he also was protecting several ISIS factions and has pretty consistently supported and funded ISIS.

I didn't forget that because it's not true.

Starker on 12/12/2024 at 00:13

It is true. Syria was buying oil and other things from ISIS and they released and gave amnesty to many of the ISIS commanders currently on the field with the cynical view of discrediting the Syrian opposition.

(https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/media/4698)

heywood on 12/12/2024 at 00:19

I would never have expected you, of all people, to parrot Israeli propaganda.

Starker on 12/12/2024 at 00:29

It's supported also by sources not aligned with Israel. Assad did many desperate things to cling to power, including drug trade. And the release of extremists from Syrian prisons is widely reported: (https://www.newsweek.com/how-syrias-assad-helped-forge-isis-255631)

Here's an article about the oil sales, for example, unfortunately behind a paywall: (https://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-steps-up-oil-and-gas-sales-to-assad-regime-1484835563)

It might be helpful to keep in mind that propaganda doesn't always mean that someone is lying or completely making things up. In fact, the most effective propaganda is often in part rooted in some truth.

DuatDweller on 12/12/2024 at 01:28

Saddam, was ousted not because he was a brutal murderer, but because he took control of oil sources in Kuwait.