Syria - Opposition Organises against Assad

[C. Flower]

What a head the ball.

On Gaddafi



Insanity. A nut case mourning a nut case.

I look forward to his obituary of Assad ... but mainly because Assad will be dead.

Undoubtedly. Crazy as a coconut.

[Kev Bar]

Interesting piece

"The debate surrounding Syria has stooped very low among self-identified leftists and anti-imperialists..."

http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index...trich-syndrome

[Count Bobulescu]

SYRIA: WE WILL NEVER USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS TO QUASH UPRISING. Israel's President Shimon Peres on Monday told CNN that his country will be forced to seize Syria's chemical weapons if it determines there is a risk President Bashar al-Assad would use them against the Jewish state or the weapons could fall into terrorist hands. That same day, the Syrian government said that it would not use chemical weapons against its own people. Insisting the stockpiles remain under the control of Assad's forces, the foreign ministry said all the attention focused on the weapons of mass destruction simply "aims to justify and prepare the international community’s military intervention in Syria under the false pretext of W.M.D.," according to The New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/wo...s.html?_r=2&hp

[Sam Lord]

Syrian Air Force in action tonight. Attacking it's own people.

[C. Flower]

Interesting piece

"The debate surrounding Syria has stooped very low among self-identified leftists and anti-imperialists..."

http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index...trich-syndrome

Very useful article as a basis for discussion although I am not sure that "Third Way" is at all the right term to use in this context.

The regime has not done nearly enough compared to its allies in consolidating its anti-imperialist stance mainly because it is busier consolidating its internal control and dominance. To continue to insist on blanket support for Asad under the pretense of an anti-imperialist stance is to confuse anti-imperialism with blind support for nationalist elites. Furthermore, a refusal to conflate the two is not an invention of “liberal armchair intellectuals” as some first wayers claim. Such a refusal was substantively formulated by one of the pillars of anti-colonial thought, Frantz Fanon, whose name is conspicuously absent from the political lexicon of Asad apologists. Long before neoliberal elites had come to power, Fanon warned against the excesses of nationalist bourgeois elites in using anti-imperialist or anti-colonial discourse to disguise their own comprador role in consolidating imperialist structures of control. Fanon’s analysis might actually help explain why some Arab leftists, who are likely more sensitive to anti-colonial history than international anti-imperialists, are third wayers rather than outright supporters of the regime.

But instead of invoking Fanon, apologists will go so far as to invoke Lenin’s quote about third-party politics, which is really a language trick no different than someone quoting Tony Blair’s own reference to a “third way” in order to undermine third-way politics in Syria. Lenin was at times more than willing to compromise when it came to dealing with imperialist forces (i.e., the Brest Liovsk treaty). In the instance of his critique of third-way politics, the communist leader was actually more concerned with class struggle and contemptuous of those, like liberal socialists, who did not take a firm and uncompromising position in this struggle against the bourgeois class. In fact, a reference that would have better served Asad apologists is Lenin’s disagreement with Rosa Luxemburg over backing the third-world bourgeoisie. Lenin’s critique of third-way politics may thus ironically lend itself more to backing calls for no compromise with Asad, given that the Syrian uprising’s class is largely made up of the countryside peasantry and suburban working class. It is true that the peasantry have a very dubious representation in the intellectual history of Marxism. In the case of Syria, the dominant political expression of their uprising has not only taken on a reactionary form (read “religious” in Marxist terms). It is in fact, contrary to what many pro-uprising folks want us to believe for romantic or more sinister reasons, backed by imperialist and reactionary regional regimes. However, admitting this problematic political expression of the uprising necessitates a third way, not a stance that is apologetic for the Asad regime.

The Left seems to be universally locked into support for national bourgeois radical, or formerly radical, regimes to the exclusion of the possibility of independent action by the working class and peasantry.

Both the outside powers with their expat 'rebels' and the left, backing Assad, are hostile to the 'organic revolution' mentioned by the writer.

With a vacuum of leadership and organisation on the left, this will inevitably take on religious or other random forms.

The whole discourse on the left, including this writer, seems to think that anti-Imperialist national regimes like Assad's can be relied on for social progress.

Instead of which they are not capable of even defending past gains. The US and UK are voracious for new and deeper territorial control and these regimes, without support of their populations, are not capable of resistance.

[C. Flower]

The recent senior Syrian army "defectors" are - surprise surprise - emerging as would-be replacements for Assad, presumably US-backed, putting forward a managed 'transition' (Clinton's term has really caught on) as in the Yemen and Egypt.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...86P1ES20120726

Saudi Arabia appears to be acting as the main US proxy and has put forward a UN resolution seeking 'humanitarian access' to Syria.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsCont...on-Syria-.aspx

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsCont...-diplomat.aspx

In the meantime, the local armed opposition, reportedly only with light arms, is being drawn into battle in Aleppo, where they are under attack from the Syrian airforce and army.

I hope they keep on the move, keep their heads down and stay alive.

[riposte]

In the meantime, the local armed opposition, reportedly only with light arms, is being drawn into battle in Aleppo, where they are under attack from the Syrian airforce and army.

I hope they keep on the move, keep their heads down and stay alive.

The sooner they get their balaclava clad heads blown off the better.

[bormotello]

Few more photos from Aleppo









What is interesting, guys on first two photos have M16 and M24 sniper rifles.
The only countries in region who use them are lebanon and Israel. Turkey use M16, but mostly M16A4 with different handguard and they don't use M24, because they prefer German sniper rifles

[Kev Bar]

The day that they reveal anything of any significance about Israel is the day that they will gain credibility.

They have published information that was damaging to relationships between India and Pakistan ....... and to the Irish "left."

Who knows the mind of the CIA?

When American policy makers are critical of Israel is when you are liklely to read leaked US communication critical of Israel.

You can only leak what exists.

Foreign correspondents are spies

Great news.

Perhaps you could tell me to whom I should address an invoice for several years of service as I could badly do with the money.

[bormotello]

Few more photos








Looks like camera is important as ammunition for DSHK

[bormotello]

In the meantime, the local armed opposition, reportedly only with light arms, is being drawn into battle in Aleppo, where they are under attack from the Syrian airforce and army.

RPG's and IED are more deadly against tanks than cannons in CQB
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZPOcSXLZIc&feature=player_embedded"]‫مسرب من هاتÙ� اØ*د جنود الاسد‬‎ - YouTube[/ame]

[C. Flower]

Good thread on Military Photos here -

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...Thread/page249

[riposte]

When American policy makers are critical of Israel is when you are liklely to read leaked US communication critical of Israel.

You can only leak what exists.



Great news.

Perhaps you could tell me to whom I should address an invoice for several years of service as I could badly do with the money.

You wouldn't be trusted Kev ....... there's a suspicion going around that you are honest.

[C. Flower]

Any source for those camera photos bormotello? Not much in the image to say where or what it is.

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/512/210781087.jpg

[bormotello]

Any source for those camera photos bormotello? Not much in the image to say where or what it is.

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/512/210781087.jpg

From here

Good thread on Military Photos here -

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...Thread/page240