| | | I spent part of my weekend reviewing the rich and fascinating history of Syria... up to and including the modern mess. Our interests in the conflict from a Global geo-political perspective is pretty clear.
* Assad = Iran, Russia, China, Hezbollah, Lebanon et al... a win by this group would almost for sure lead to harsh treatment of the insurgents. In the past it has meant anihilation of a town, torture and death to everyone involved.
* Revolutionaries = Saudi, Syrian coalition of Al-Qaeda type Islamists and broadening into the population which is 80% Suni Muslims, Israel, France and much of Europe et al... a win by this side would almost for sure lead to a represive Islamist rule and if history is any guide, death to those who supported Assad.
I doubt if this were going on in Somalia or some such place, we would even be discussing it. JMO
What complicates things is:
1. The Assad family started out in a coup against a repressive Islamist govt and acted as reformers bringing a secular govt and equal opertunities to the diverse groups of Syrians. They began at some point building a regime that dealt harshly with dissenters. They annihilated small towns, tortured and killed opponents in mass etc, mostly al Qaeda type Suni Muslims. Not unlike Saddam Hussein but his enemies were the rival Shi'ite Islamists..
2. Interestingly Saddam's harsh treatment was against Shi'ite Islamist Muslims; where as, Assad's harsh treatment was against Suni Islamist Muslims, with almost the entire field of geopolitical alliances reversed.
3. Obama (naively) came on board promising to bring the troops home from Middle Eastern entanglements. Now he just looks pitifully overwhelmed with circumstances. His political opponents and his supporters are struggling with this strange reversal in domestic politics. |
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