tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192922.post5098222789067037871..comments2024-03-26T07:51:43.186+00:00Comments on Mabinogogiblog: What can the UN do about the likes of Assad?DocRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08903964792092284406noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192922.post-89543962977703839492012-04-25T10:44:57.813+01:002012-04-25T10:44:57.813+01:00Thanks for all that info, Bloke, but the key point...Thanks for all that info, Bloke, but the key point is that any ruler becomes illegitimate - that is, loses his or her legitimacy (i.e. right) to be regarded as a ruler, the moment when he or she starts using lethal force against non-violent demonstrators.<br /><br />If you can prove beyond all doubt that the 10,000 deaths ascribed to Assad by human rights organisations, witnesses on social media, in newspapers and broadcast media are all made up, then please do so. If you cannot, then I ask you to join the rest of us in calling for Assad, whether he claims to be a "socialist" or not, to leave office and leave Syria.<br /><br />Thank you.DocRichardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08903964792092284406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192922.post-14742994744726625292012-04-23T22:15:55.390+01:002012-04-23T22:15:55.390+01:00There is a lot not known about Syria. For one thi...There is a lot not known about Syria. For one thing, Assad may be bad, but he has at least made successive moves to improve conditions within the country (as did Saddam Hussain and as did Colonel Gaddafi).. perhaps it is this reason why suddenly there is an armed (with foreign weapons) group within Syria who are as tight knit, right wing and as power mad as Assad who have risen and taken arms against the regime.<br /><br />Firstly, Gaddafi was widely reported to have bombed his own people using his airforce, but this didn't happen (which is why the Financial Times did not report it), but now Gaddafi is gone, France's own oil company Total is reaping the rewards with massive concessions on oil from Libya!<br /><br />In Syria, there are very close links between Iran and Lebanon. In Lebanon dwells Hizbollah who are armed and highly motivated and highly successful at what they were formed to do ~ defend Lebanon from invaders! This group was spawned from the invasion and 18 year occupation of Lebanon by Israel in 1982. Hizbollah have now successfully evicted and then stopped Israel from their occupation of Lebanon, although in 2006 it did not stop Israel bombing the entire country's infrastructure into dust including all major road networks and the civil airport!! All for the 'kidnapping' of two active duty soldiers who strayed into Lebanon!<br /><br />So, Syria is a connection between Iran and Hizbollah. The ranting and (almost lunatic) raving from Israel and the USA and other quarters regarding the perceived threat to the world, and Israel in particular, from Iran... and then this!!<br /><br />The group who are claiming to be fighting for democracy in Syria are Assad clones, but without the socialist elements which Assad has, e.g. installing public toilets so people don't have to soil the streets, adding litter bins so rubbish can be collected, and so on..<br /><br />Pretty much all the Middle East is made up of family centred dictatorships, with the exception of Palestine. When Palestine held elections seen to be 'free and fair' by outside, international observers, the people chose Hamas as their government and were immediately punished for it. First a coup was organised and armed, via Israel, with US weapons but it failed. Then Gaza was sealed off, and remains virtually so, with blame landing on Hamas for 'attacking Fatah', the group armed by the West.<br /><br />In many countries where we stick our noses, it's not for the benefit of the local populous and is often, perhaps mostly, detrimental.<br /><br />I wonder what good the list will do, when Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International already have such things.. and nothing much gets done to change things for the better?This Blokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16463406087541721105noreply@blogger.com