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Exactly the opposite.

Reader comment on item: Stay out of the Syrian Morass

Submitted by Sophia (Switzerland), Jun 14, 2012 at 16:06

Daniel,

Regarding your points, I would say that you could argue even more forcefully for exactly the opposite.

You - It lessens the chances of Damascus from starting a war with Israel or re-occupying Lebanon.

I could as easily be used by Damascus as an excuse for diversion. Remember that they already stirred up tension on the Israeli border twice. They even had Palestinians flown in from Iran with their "handlers".

You - It increases the chances that Iranians, living under the thumb of the mullahs who are Assad's key ally, will draw inspiration from the Syrian uprising and likewise rebel against their rulers.

Why?? They noticed already in 2009 that nobody did anything to support or help them, especially Obama. And their lesson from Syria is exactly the opposite, the regime can slaughter as many as it wish and nobody is going to do anything.

You - It inspires greater Sunni Arab anger at Tehran, especially as the Islamic Republic of Iran has been providing arms, finance, and technology to help repress Syrians.

How could that increase the already present anger since Iran has for a very long time been supporting Assad (father and son)?

You - It relieves the pressure on non-Muslims: indicative of the new thinking, Jordanian Salafi leader Abou Mohamad Tahawi recently stated that "The Alawi and Shi'i coalition is currently the biggest threat to Sunnis, even more than the Israelis."

This argument contradicts your own argument above since it's implies that there is already anger or pressure which was exactly my point to your previous argument.

You - It foments Middle Eastern rage at Moscow and Beijing for supporting the Assad regime.

And what has this "rage" accomplished? Nothing so far because it is just talk nothing more. No Arab government have actually done anything to practical show their displeasure against Russia or for that matter China.

Remember that the Arab league just three-four months ago were in cohorts with Russia in their peace plan and observation mission.

Where the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Hamad Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani tried later to undo some of the damage by demanding military intervention to stop the bloodletting in Syria after he had despaired of a Libyan-style Western-Arab operation, he was publicly rebuked from New York by Lavrov. And the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister had to meekly toe the line

Submitting....

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Reader comments (45) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Sunni vs Shia ear for the ages [147 words]StasFeb 28, 2014 00:31213474
American "interests" [359 words]AEBAug 16, 2012 14:09197967
1view from Tehran [35 words]mythJun 28, 2012 11:07196791
3Sunni-base Jihadism at least as bad [51 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DaveJun 28, 2012 07:03196783
Clarification on my posting [14 words]DaveJun 28, 2012 17:42196783
to intervene or not? when and why? [67 words]peter LegurJun 19, 2012 05:59196452
1Syria [50 words]Lujack SkylarkJun 18, 2012 23:49196444
1May the good inherit the world. [117 words]Jay1Jun 18, 2012 12:40196427
2Missing Element [94 words]Bureautopian ObserverJun 17, 2012 17:04196415
2US intervention in foreign atrocities [129 words]steveNJun 16, 2012 20:00196402
Iran's influence in the region [79 words]stanley bJun 16, 2012 20:00196401
3Syrian blood bath - Syrians killing Syrians [153 words]NuritGJun 15, 2012 00:18196367
The Missing Element [75 words]Barry BlackJun 14, 2012 22:34196363
Syria or another Rwanda [177 words]Farhad LahafdooziJun 14, 2012 22:18196362
Exactly the opposite. [397 words]SophiaJun 14, 2012 16:06196353
1Agreed [47 words]Alan RockerJun 14, 2012 09:49196342
3Damned if we do, damned if we don't. [89 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
NazimJun 13, 2012 17:48196320
Well [89 words]NazimJun 14, 2012 17:59196320
4The aid flotilla is on its way? [130 words]JeffJun 17, 2012 23:11196320
I have to agree with the Russians [173 words]AlexandrosJun 18, 2012 13:11196320
Russian Style Democracy in Syria? [218 words]M. ToveyJun 19, 2012 11:58196320
1You did n't actually reply anything though [452 words]AlexandrosJun 20, 2012 10:36196320
Democracy is Rule of Law Accepted by and Not Forced Upon the Governed [725 words]M. ToveyJun 21, 2012 14:37196320
Now we are talking [982 words]AlexandrosJun 22, 2012 04:34196320
Excellent commentary on Syrian debacle [61 words]Robert JanickiJun 13, 2012 15:29196317
1western public opinion and support [164 words]mythJun 14, 2012 06:48196317
Excellent point, Myth- Wars are waged on TV [195 words]saraJun 15, 2012 14:53196317
Adam Curtis' idea of the larger picture of Western intervention and media coverage [53 words]mythJun 17, 2012 00:55196317
2Inspiring Revolutionary Forces in Iran [60 words]John C. Drew, Ph.D.Jun 13, 2012 14:58196316
2The Change of Power [147 words]Arlinda DeAngelisJun 13, 2012 11:34196310
4Stay out of the Syrian Morass [118 words]Balarabe AbbaJun 13, 2012 11:30196308
5So well stated, you highlight the duplicity of the west [102 words]saraJun 13, 2012 17:04196308
This is not convincing, but it is insulting [32 words]DebbieJun 14, 2012 11:52196308
5No, not insulting, just trying to make people understand [329 words]saraJun 15, 2012 15:24196308
4too bad --if anyone is insulted [110 words]Michael Hanni MorcosJun 16, 2012 16:30196308
3Thank you for an edifying, focused analysis of this complex situation [67 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Albert EdelsonJun 13, 2012 10:35196307
3You are right, protecting our interests means not having a dog in this fight [117 words]mhloutsidebeltwayJun 13, 2012 09:01196305
Rebel Guilt for Atrocities [56 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Aymenn Jawad Al-TamimiJun 13, 2012 07:38196300
3Pursuing reality [82 words]John BJun 13, 2012 07:28196299
At last [13 words]Zenonas TziarrasJun 13, 2012 07:19196297
1Conditions in Syria [90 words]StasJun 13, 2012 03:49196290
1Exactly right [186 words]stanley bJun 12, 2012 22:36196281
Syrian casualties are unacceptable [69 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
stranchanJun 12, 2012 04:24196250
4Syrian casualties vs US interests [172 words]YosefJun 14, 2012 15:23196250
1You're right, Yosef [50 words]Kepha HorJun 30, 2012 01:27196250

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