The Syrian Invasion

[Tyrannical]

Funny article on Mother Jones on all the countries McCain has wanted to invade, ranked by number of angry faces.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... -map-syria

Syria gets FIVE angry McCains


Sudan only two.


http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/ra ... e-war-path
And a funny quote by Rand Paul,

“It ranked the different countries on how eager Sen. [John] McCain wanted to be involved [militarily],” he explained, not even attempting to contain his amusement. “So, like, for getting involved in Syria, there’s five Angry McCains. For getting involved in the Sudan, there’s two Angry McCains. And there’s a little picture of him. You know, he was for getting involved to support [former Libyan president Muammar] Gaddafi before he was for overthrowing Gaddafi. He was for supporting [former Egyptian president Hosni] Mubarak before he was for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood before he was for supporting the generals.”

[klr]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24091633

US and Russia agree Syria chemical weapons deal in Geneva

Syria's chemical weapons must be destroyed or removed by mid-2014, under an agreement between the US and Russia.

US Secretary of State John Kerry outlined a framework document under which Syria must hand over a full list of its stockpile within a week.

If Syria fails to comply, the deal could be enforced by a UN resolution backed by the threat of sanctions or military force.

The US says the Syrian regime killed hundreds in a gas attack last month.

The government of Bashar al-Assad denies the allegations and has accused the rebels of carrying out the attack on 21 August.

In a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Mr Kerry called on the Assad government to live up to its public commitments.

"There can be no room for games. Or anything less than full compliance by the Assad regime," he said.

Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov said if Syria failed to comply, then a UN resolution would be sought under Chapter VII of the UN charter, which allows for the use of force.

Russia and the US have agreed on an assessment that the Syrian government possesses 1,000 tonnes of chemical agents and precursors, according to a US official.

The US believes the materials are located in 45 sites, all in regime hands, half of which have useable quantities of chemical agents, the official added.

However, it is thought that Russians have not agreed the number of sites, nor that they are all under control.

Mr Kerry said inspectors must be on the ground by November, and that the stockpiles should be removed or destroyed by mid-2014.

Mr Kerry outlined six points to the agreement:

The amount and type of chemical weapons must be agreed and "rapidly" placed under international control
Syria must submit within one week a comprehensive listing of its stockpiles
Extraordinary procedures under the Chemical Weapons Convention will allow "expeditious destruction"
Syria must give inspectors "immediate, unfettered access" to all sites
All chemical weapons must be destroyed, including the possibility of removing weapons from Syrian territory
UN will provide logistical support, and compliance would be enforced under Chapter VII

France, which was the only country willing to join the US in taking military action in Syria, welcomed the agreement.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said it was an "important advance".

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the news of the agreement and in a statement pledged "the support of the United Nations in its implementation".

However, the military leader of the anti-Assad Free Syrian Army rejected the deal and promised to continue fighting.

"There is nothing in this agreement that concerns us," said Gen Salim Idriss, describing it as a Russian initiative designed to gain time for the Syrian government.

Mr Kerry said he hoped the deal would help kick-start a wider peace process.

"We could also lay the groundwork for further co-operation that is essential to end the bloodshed that has consumed Syria for more than two years," he said.

"What we agreed on here today could conceivable be the first critical concrete step in that direction."

Mr Lavrov suggested there could be another international peace conference on Syria by October.

"The main thing is to make sure that all Syrian sides are represented at the conference," he said.

Over the years there have been several conferences, some of which have included the Syrian opposition and excluded the government.

More than 100,000 people have died since the uprising against President Assad began in 2011.

Millions of Syrians have fled the country, and millions more have been left homeless by the fighting.

[cronus]

Can the mods change the title of this thread to 'The Syrian Farce' or something since clearly it isn't game on and the US is revealing itself to be one very floppy and impotent leader of the free world these days.

[Ian]

[Coito ergo sum]

Yes, yes....it costs a $1 billion to get rid of Assad's chemical weapons...... http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/worl ... w/2834687/

[JimC]

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

[JimC]

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

[klr]

Ah, good old Baal ... I knew there had to be a False God in there somewhere

[macdoc]

The Economist weighs in ....ouch..



http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/2 ... kened-west

[piscator]

The Economist weighs in ....ouch..



http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/2 ... kened-west

Grrr. That would have wasted 4 minutes of my life were I not taking a dump while reading. But the commenters almost universally eviscerate the entire article, most with keener logic and quicker wit than the piece itself manages, so the entire exercise rates a net positive when I consider the growler.
Thanks macdoc, for your part in what ultimately turned into a beneficial experience.

[Tyrannical]

The Russians are certainly spoiling things for Obama, they've provided some quite compelling evidence that once again it was the rebels and not Assad using sarin gas. The Russians examined the rocket debris and identified it as coming from old obsolete missiles that the Syrian army hasn't used in decades. Another sign it was most likely the rebels once again.

[Seth]

Yes, yes....it costs a $1 billion to get rid of Assad's chemical weapons...... http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/worl ... w/2834687/

Oh come on, we can do it for MUCH less than that. Just go to the depot, wait till the wind is blowing towards Damascus and knock the corks out of the bottles. Two problems solved at once.

[Seth]

Can the mods change the title of this thread to 'The Syrian Farce' or something since clearly it isn't game on and the US is revealing itself to be one very floppy and impotent leader of the free world these days.

The US? No, Obama. He's making the (in)decisions, not the US.

[That Alien Guy.]

Yes, yes....it costs a $1 billion to get rid of Assad's chemical weapons...... http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/worl ... w/2834687/

Oh come on, we can do it for MUCH less than that. Just go to the depot, wait till the wind is blowing towards Damascus and knock the corks out of the bottles. Two problems solved at once.

Clever Ape!

Still why wait? Lead by example! I am sure there is some people you could kill, you like talking about being heavily armed and I seen the masturbatory violence phatansies you share. This makes you a perfect chimp to escalate things. Why not go to your local town, shoot some fellow chimps over a trivial issue while shouting "Admiral Akhbar!!!" or whatever those book worshippers hoot and then get into a bloody battle with law enforcement? Claim you are doing it on behalf of President Assad.

You'll be famous. That's really what you all want isn't it?

[Seth]

Yes, yes....it costs a $1 billion to get rid of Assad's chemical weapons...... http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/worl ... w/2834687/

Oh come on, we can do it for MUCH less than that. Just go to the depot, wait till the wind is blowing towards Damascus and knock the corks out of the bottles. Two problems solved at once.

Clever Ape!

Still why wait? Lead by example! I am sure there is some people you could kill, you like talking about being heavily armed and I seen the masturbatory violence phatansies you share. This makes you a perfect chimp to escalate things. Why not go to your local town, shoot some fellow chimps over a trivial issue while shouting "Admiral Akhbar!!!" or whatever those book worshippers hoot and then get into a bloody battle with law enforcement? Claim you are doing it on behalf of President Assad.

You'll be famous. That's really what you all want isn't it?

Nah. I'm not a Muslim. That's the sort of shit they do...to each other. I'm just suggesting that they do it expediently instead of fucking about with tiny little rockets.