Jihadists join Aleppo fight, eye Islamic state, surgeon says - Reuters

"Foreign Islamists intent on turning Syria into an autocratic theocracy have swollen the ranks of rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad and think they are waging a "holy war", a French surgeon who treated fighters in Aleppo has said. Jacques Beres, co-founder of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, returned from Syria on Friday evening after spending two weeks working clandestinely in a hospital in the besieged northern Syrian city. In an interview with Reuters in his central Paris apartment on Saturday, the 71-year-old said that contrary to his previous visits to Homs and Idlib earlier this year about 60 percent of those he had treated this time had been rebel fighters and that at least half of them had been non-Syrian. "It's really something strange to see. They are directly saying that they aren't interested in Bashar al-Assad's fall, but are thinking about how to take power afterwards and set up an Islamic state with sharia law to become part of the world Emirate," the doctor said."  Reuters

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You have to ask yourself  what the US thinks the purpose of its policy in Syria might be?  To wound Iran?  To accomplish that  goal the US is willing to help create a Sunni jihadi sharia law "emirate" where Syria once was?  Madness.  pl

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-syria-crisis-jihadbre88708w-20120908,0,2535169.story

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

President Wilson campaigned in 1916 on keeping the USA out of war. Note that only Ron Paul adopted USA withdrawal from foreign wars and he was kept out of victory by the Merchants and Politicians of death. So what could be clearer than both DEMS and Republicans favoring pre-emptive war against NATION STATES and others that don't present an existenialist threat to USA survival!

No wonder the USA fears participation in the ICC [International Criminal Court]!

[turcopolier]

All

Just watched Fariid Zakariya's segment on Syria. I am impressed once again with how much the US foreign policy establishment is a closed "Circuit" group. Washington, New york, the ancillary academic "cysts," Fariid Zakariay himself. This is truly a "self licking ice cream cone. pl

[Harper]

The commentary by the founder of Doctors Without Borders is further complemented today by the Washington Post oped by James Jeffrey, former US Ambassador to Iraq and Turkey, who appropriately warned that there is a growing danger of a permanent Sunni versus Shi'ite war growing out of the Syrian debacle, that would rapidly spread to Lebanon and Iraq and beyond. Such a conflict within Islam would make the Balkan ethnic cleansing of the 1990s appear tame in comparison. Unfortunately, Ambassador Jeffrey's conclusion is that the US should accelerate the support to the Sunni (translate Jihadi) side to get Assad out of power sooner. And to offset that, the US should suggest that the Monarchy in Bahrain treat the Shi'ite majority there with a bit more respect and human rights. This just addes to Col. Lang's appropriate comment: "Madness."

[Harper]

"Self-licking ice cream cone?" The image is perfect--and very scary, worthy of a Gary Larson cartoon for sure! I will resist any further comments, since this is a family-oriented blog.

[Walrus]

I read Jacque Beres observations on the presence of hard core Jihadists in Syria this morning and also saw Fareed Zakarias piece on Syria last night. I was disgusted by Richard Haass and Anne Marie Slaughter.

"ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER, PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: I'm -- I think we are losing time and losing opportunities daily. It's now gotten to the point I think actually we ought to be supporting a no- fly zone. You have people, even like Bill Perry, the Secretary of Defense under President Clinton, calling for a no-fly zone.

The numbers of refugees that are streaming across the borders are now at tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands. The brutality just keeps getting worse.

We are really risking all out war in the region through Syria and we're missing an enormous opportunity to actually shape what happens after Assad falls."

The narcissism - "Shape what happens"? How did that work for you in Iraq? Egypt? Libya? Afghanistan?

And on Iran: "I personally think this a decision of enormous gravity. To bomb Iran is to go to war with Iran. The consequences are enormous. At the very least, I think this has to come out of the situation room and be the stuff of public debate as it is in Israel."

So she wishes to make the American people complicit in murder?

There is a special place in hell for this bitch:

" Inferno Canto XXVIII:112-142 Bertrand de Born

But I remained behind to view the crowd, and saw a thing, which, without more proof, I would be afraid to even tell, except that conscience reassures me, the good companion, that strengthens a man, under the armour of his self-respect.

I saw it clearly, and still seem to see, a headless trunk, that goes on before, like the others, in that miserable crew, and holds its severed head, by the hair, swinging, like a lantern, in its hand. It looked at us, and said: ‘Ah me!’. It made a lamp of itself, to light itself, and there were two in one, and one in two: how that can be he knows, who made it so.

When it was right at the foot of our bridge, it lifted its arm high, complete with the head, to bring its words near to us, which were: ‘Now you see the grievous punishment, you, who go, alive and breathing, to see the dead: look if any are as great as this. And so that you may carry news of me, know that I am Bertrand de Born, he who gave evil counsel to the Young King. I made the father and the son rebel against each other: Ahithophel did no more for Absalom and David, by his malicious stirrings.

Because I parted those who were once joined, I carry my intellect, alas, split from its origin in this body. So, in me, is seen just retribution."

Then they switch to the economy - and their delusions continue. Poor America - to be offered such pabulum!

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1209/09/fzgps.01.html

[Martin Oline]

I agree. I could only watch a few minutes of this circle jerk and had to turn it off.
Perhaps if I hadn't gone without a television for a decade in the eighties I could stand it, but I doubt it.

[Babak Makkinejad]

A Sunni-Shia War is not a threat to Iran or to Iraq; it is a threat to nominal friends of US: Tureky, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Yemen, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman.

[Babak Makkinejad]

It is what Col. Lang predicted several years ago on this forum in the absence of a "Concert of Middle East".

[fanto]

I had a negative feeling about that Zakaria discussion group - but I am giving Zakaria the benefit of doubt that he chose that group in order to put them on the spot and declare themselves - for future reference. They spoke with forked tongues, they know full well the risks of further meddling in the ME affairs and became scared, but they want to push the agenda nevertheless. Another sickening TV appearance was John McCain on CNN, who is blaming Obama administration for not jumping into fray in Syria. What a jerk!

[fatsamurai]

Babak,

Could you please elaborate? I personally think that such a conflict would benefit no one.

[TWV]

Isn't "realist" foreign policy that which picks the lesser threat.
Might not an islamist theocracy in Syria might very well be preferable (not for the Syrians, but for us) to an Iranian outpost?

[turcopolier]

TWV

Syria is only an "Iranian outpost" in our imagination. A Sunni jihadi emirate will be a direct threat to us. pl

[Babak Makkinejad]

Only that these states - all nominal friends of the United States - have substantial minorities of Shia Muslims.

I cannot see any circumstance in which Kuwait - 30% or more Shia - will not be affected negatively by a Shia-Sunni War.

As for Iran, that country went through Shia-Sunni Civil War several centuries ago; a Sunn-Shia War is onlt going to extent her power to other states as the Protector of Shia every where. [This actually has been going on for the last 30 years...]

[Babak Makkinejad]

An "Iranian Outpost"?

Please, tell me the Truth, has the Great King returned? When will he re-capture Sardis and Phoenecia and Egypt?

[Fred]

All that education and the good Dr. still hasn't learned much has she?
From the GPS transcript:
"The numbers of refugees that are streaming across the borders are now at tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands. The brutality just keeps getting worse."

These folks are supporting the 'rebels' what makes her think they will support us or whoever we might support? In addition I heard not a word about what AMERICA's interest is.

[Jose]

I saw Obama 2016, Syria is the key to preventing the United States of Islam. lol

[Tyler]

If and when the chaos ever arrives at our shores, I imagine the spin will have to be seen to be believed.

I'm not surprised that the same eggheads who have never fired a shot in anger are the same ones beating the drums for more war. Put the Wilsonians/Neocons at the sharp end of a bayonet and see how much they rattle for more war.

[fatsamurai]

is this the future the U.S want in Syria?

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xtfhio_yyyyyy-yyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyy-yyyyyyyyy-yy-yyy-yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy-18_news

A mentally disabled young man being brutally beaten by the "freedom" fighters in Syria,

makes my blood boil

[confusedponderer]

They say Richard Perle is an accomplished gourmet. So here's my plan:

In stage 1, he ought to be forced to live of MREs for a month, while being housed on outpost comfort level somewhere in America. Nevada desert sounds about right.

To reinforce the impression, stage 2 would then feature embargo cuisine - while staying in outpost comfort level. He would be fed what Israel deems suitable for Gazans, and what the sanctions impose on Iranian cuisine and have imposed on Iraqi cuisine in the past. If he requires medication, well, that too would be subject to embargo limitations.

In stage 3 nothing would change but him being subjected to the odd near miss drone strike out of the blue, just for perspective.

I propose the same treatment for Fred Kagan, the entire neo-con crowd and Obama's neo-Wilsonians alike.

[b]

@turcopolier

Pat, you will likely know Alain Chouet from the DGSE.

He seems to as exasperated at the "western" policy failure with the "Arab Spring" as you are.

In French:
Alain Chouet : nos ministres sont-ils mal conseillés ou naïfs sur la Syrie?

http://blog.lefigaro.fr/malbrunot/2012/09/alain-chouet-nos-ministres-son.html

Google Translate link:
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.lefigaro.fr%2Fmalbrunot%2F2012%2F09%2Falain-chouet-nos-ministres-son.html

[Castellio]

Ni naifs ni mal conseilles, Ils sont complètement malhonnête.

[Phil Cattar]

Believe it or not I liked what we called C Rations in Korea and Vietnam as an infantry soldier.Especially liked the canned apriots and fruitcake,ham and Lima beans were good too.

[Tyler]

I've been looking for C Rats online - obviously they're pretty hard to locate.

[Tyler]

I like your ideas, and I imagine the result would be akin to that one pundit who claimed waterboarding was "no big deal" until it happened to him. I believe he lasted all of a second.

[confusedponderer]

I liked EPA, too. Especially the hard tack. The best I ever ate. Hard to get outside the military, sadly.

Now tastes are different, and what I and you liked may be cruel and unusual punishment for sophisticates like Perle. The entire premise of my plan rests on that.