Syria just became a campaign issue.

[BamaFanNKy]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/obama-call-syrias-assad-step/story?id=14330428

CLINTON is going to ask him to step down and the US is placing Sanctions on their government.

[Elwar]

Hmm...3 years of the Middle East being a non-issue and the economy being in the forefront. Then all of the sudden the Middle East and those Islamic "extremists" come right back to the table.

To be replaced once again after the primaries with the economy again.

To quote an idiot..."It's the economy, stupid"

[Napoleon's Shadow]

Sanctions = act of war... last time I checked

[cindy25]

maybe an excuse for Hillary to resign and primary Obama?

[jmdrake]

When Saddam fell Iraqi Christians fled to Syria. Where are Iraqi and Syrian Christians going to run to now? :(

We need to push the meme that Christians were better off under Saddam.

[BamaFanNKy]

Hmm...3 years of the Middle East being a non-issue and the economy being in the forefront. Then all of the sudden the Middle East and those Islamic "extremists" come right back to the table.

To be replaced once again after the primaries with the economy again.

To quote an idiot..."It's the economy, stupid"

It's the one place that they can "beat" Ron, in their eyes.

Weird no one here pointed out that Syrian Opposition has asked for the US and others not to intervene. I know we on this board don't want the US to engage but we should at least be educated on the issues.

Here is some reading material if someone asks you:
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=47425
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1053/re6.htm

[robert68]

There've been sanctions on Syria for years, that's part of the problem. But politicians need wipping boys and making matters worse is often a good "solution".

If the Palestinians had their "Universal Human Rights", the settler colony state occupying the Golan Heights wouldn't exist.

[WilliamC]

maybe an excuse for Hillary to resign and primary Obama?

I happened to see this and I must say Hillary hasn't looked so telegenic in a very long time.

It did make me wonder this very question.

[brushfire]

A little No-fly-zone foreplay, and we'll be ready for some hard core drone action. Then...

"SCHDUDOOM - SCHDUDOOM - SCHDUDOOM - ...Lets get the printing presses rolling!!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvjP4nFFJQQ

[BamaFanNKy]

I asked a buddy who follow Syria about the sanctions and he said they are B.S. and not worth it. This was the rest of his message:

"I think the U.S. can only do one thing right if it wants to do something and its not that expensive to do it and that is to push the Syrian opposition to be inclusive and put a roadmap for a transition to a regime that respects minority groups. If U.S. pushed them towards that through behind the scenes diplomacy it'd encourage Syrian minorities to protest, calm fears of regime and it will also at least put in a precedent for something good to come out of the post-Assad era. but even that i mean it's not america's job. but if america is to do anything that's the only thing that works and it's cheap and we're."

[Tax the Fed]

maybe an excuse for Hillary to resign and primary Obama?

I have wondered if a sitting president has ever been - or could ever be so severely - challenged in the primaries for his own party's nomination as BO would be in 2012.

Maybe Taft era ?

If Obama had to fight for the Dim nomination again . . . I'll bet he'd lose.

[BamaFanNKy]

I know Rand talked of how his dad, some Texans and the Californians really pressed for Reagan over Ford in '76.

[Tax the Fed]

I know Rand talked of how his dad, some Texans and the Californians really pressed for Reagan over Ford in '76.

Yeah, ok, I had thought of that - I'll qualify what I meant as
an elected sitting president of four years being challenged by his own party for the second term nomination.

Everyone seems to think BO is going to be the automatic Dim nominee for 2012 -
I don't think that was ever the case for Ford and the GOP in '76

[jmdrake]

I have wondered if a sitting president has ever been - or could ever be so severely - challenged in the primaries for his own party's nomination as BO would be in 2012.

Maybe Taft era ?

If Obama had to fight for the Dim nomination again . . . I'll bet he'd lose.

Carter was challenged by Kennedy. But Obama will not be challenged. Any democrat who challenged Obama in 2012 could kiss their hopes of winning in 2016 or anytime after that goodbye. Obama is losing support in the black community, but there are still many ardent supporters that would never forgive a candidate that challenged "yalls boy".

http://youtu.be/bFunr5TAlMA?t=36s

[jmdrake]

It's the one place that they can "beat" Ron, in their eyes.

Weird no one here pointed out that Syrian Opposition has asked for the US and others not to intervene. I know we on this board don't want the US to engage but we should at least be educated on the issues.

Here is some reading material if someone asks you:
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=47425
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1053/re6.htm

Think of RPF as a "mutual education society". ;) That's good information. Here's the info I was talking about with regards to Iraqi and Syrian Christians.

http://www.persecution.org/2011/05/08/syria-christians-vulnerable/
However, nothing has drawn Syria's Sunni masses to the Iran-Syria-Hezballah axis as did Hezballah's 2006 war against Israel. While Syria is still only around one percent Shi'ite, Shi'ism has been popularised to the extent that analysts talk of 'Shi'itization'. Naturally this horrifies the Muslim Brotherhood and the US-Saudi axis. While Israel, the US and the Saudis would love to prise Syria out of the Iran-Hezballah axis, Iran and Hezballah cannot afford to lose Syria if they are to remain ascendant. Consequently Iranian forces are aiding the Assad regime while Salafi jihadists from Saudi Arabia are aiding the Syrian opposition. Now Syria risks being torn apart by an Iraq-style sectarian conflagration over the regional balance of power. Should this eventuate, Syria -- like Iraq -- will drown in blood.

There are about 1.4 million Christians in Syria, comprising 6.3 percent of the total Syrian population (Operation World). Furthermore, Syria hosts some 1.2 million Iraqi refugees, including hundreds of thousands of Assyrian and Chaldean Christians and Mandaeans. Because Syria has been Baathist (secular and socialist, as was Iraq), repression has been political, not religious and Christians have had a higher degree of freedom in Syria than those in other Muslim states where Sharia is observed.

Most Syrian Christians are deeply concerned that if the regime loses control, they will suffer immensely in the resultant chaos. Consequently, Syrian Christians are maintaining a very low-key approach both politically and religiously. They kept their observance of Easter very quiet this year, cancelling traditional public processions and celebrations. The riots have not been sectarian yet, being rooted in grievances that are social (repression and inequality) and economic (unemployment plus massive fuel and food price hikes). However, the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Gregory III Laham, has cautioned that criminals have become involved now and weapons are flooding in. What is more, he adds, there are fundamentalist Muslims calling for jihad.

[Feeding the Abscess]

I wonder if Rand will call for sanctions on Syria, too.

[Brian4Liberty]

Obama pandering to a constituency.

[BamaFanNKy]

I'll make another post on this but there are many muslims calling for a Liberty Movement overseas: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/272669/liberating-islam-interview#

[ExPatPaki]

I'll make another post on this but there are many muslims calling for a Liberty Movement overseas: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/272669/liberating-islam-interview#

Thanks for posting this. I will need to read this book

[BamaFanNKy]

Thanks for posting this. I will need to read this book

No problem.