He didn't have the right guards

The best defence is a good offence.

Not looking forward to seeing this country embroiled in another war.

ChrisDe: The best defence is a good offence.

- Mel, the cook on Alice

What's the over-under on how long it is before Assad develops Qaddafi-like symptoms?

Good, farking evil coonts all need to die.

If Americans weren't so damn lazy, stupid, and ignorant they would know how horrible these evil shiats are treating their people.

Ok. So Assad goes down in the fifth like a good staged fighter. Then what? Who or what replaces him? Would you prefer, say, oh, the Muslim Brotherhood?

StoneColdAtheist: What's the over-under on how long it is before Assad develops Qaddafi-like symptoms?

Rectal bleeding?

"The terrorist act increases the armed forces' determination to clean the country of terrorist groups," it said in a statement.

No, no, no... it's only "terrorist" when they're killing our people. When they're killing your people they're called "freedom fighters."

NephilimNexus: "The terrorist act increases the armed forces' determination to clean the country of terrorist groups," it said in a statement.

No, no, no... it's only "terrorist" when they're killing our people. When they're killing your people they're called "freedom fighters."

Exactly. I support these terrorists. Wait, what?

pippi longstocking: Good, farking evil coonts all need to die.

If Americans weren't so damn lazy, stupid, and ignorant they would know how horrible these evil shiats are treating their people.

And what would you like Americans to do about it?

pippi longstocking: Good, farking evil coonts all need to die.

If Americans weren't so damn lazy, stupid, and ignorant they would know how horrible these evil shiats are treating their people.

And fark you too.

mjones73: pippi longstocking: Good, farking evil coonts all need to die.

If Americans weren't so damn lazy, stupid, and ignorant they would know how horrible these evil shiats are treating their people.

And what would you like Americans to do about it?

Hurry, we must free them right away!

Hagbardr: StoneColdAtheist: What's the over-under on how long it is before Assad develops Qaddafi-like symptoms?

Rectal bleeding?

I thought it was a 7.62x39 to the back of the head. But whatever...

That's a pretty good decapitation strike. According to the BBC, a LOT of the higher staff was at that meeting, including the Interior Minister, Head of Security, and the Minster of Slapping.

F7...its not just a tornado level with winds reaching 350mph while it flings sharks at your face.

StoneColdAtheist: Hagbardr: StoneColdAtheist: What's the over-under on how long it is before Assad develops Qaddafi-like symptoms?

Rectal bleeding?

I thought it was a 7.62x39 to the back of the head. But whatever...

I think it was a .45 ACP to the temple.

SithLord: Not looking forward to seeing this country embroiled in another war.

This. You know somewhere in our nat sec establishment there's a clone of Cheney with his fingers in his ears, screaming I can't hear you I can't hear you.

Satanic_Hamster: That's a pretty good decapitation strike. According to the BBC, a LOT of the higher staff was at that meeting, including the Interior Minister, Head of Security, and the Minster of Slapping.

The Czech Prime Minister?

I'm going to predict that the government is going to escalate their crackdown on the "rebels". Just a guess...but I wish I could put money on it.

Posh Naranek: SithLord: Not looking forward to seeing this country embroiled in another war.

This. You know somewhere in our nat sec establishment there's a clone of Cheney with his fingers in his ears, screaming I can't hear you I can't hear you.

Arguably, the Russians are doing the US a huge favor by denying them UN permission to intervene. At this point the US may need to ask the Turks to get another one of its F4s shot down to justify intervention.

SithLord: Not looking forward to seeing this country embroiled in another war.

Too late

What terrorist act scene may look like

I predict Assad unleashing the VX any day now. Then we will be forced to intervene, and it's gonna be ugly.

He's already been moving his WMD's around.

Tenga: I predict Assad unleashing the VX any day now. Then we will be forced to intervene, and it's gonna be ugly.

He's already been moving his WMD's around.

but if we invade and there aren't any WMDs? OBAMA LIED! NO WAR FOR OIL!!!! ZOMG!

dkimball: I'm going to predict that the government is going to escalate their crackdown on the "rebels". Just a guess...but I wish I could put money on it.

Just how much do they need to blow up before they lose the scare quotes?

pippi longstocking: Good, farking evil coonts all need to die.

If Americans weren't so damn lazy, stupid, and ignorant they would know how horrible these evil shiats are treating their people.

troll

knowing dam well that if/when we (u.s.) get involved and start the asplosions, you'll be filling the pages with 'the u.s. is just a war mongering nation' or 'why does the u.s. think it's the worlds police?'

but until then, it's 'o why won't you come save us?'

silly troll

Genju: ChrisDe: The best defence is a good offence.

- Mel, the cook on Alice

Ah, I see a fellow disciple of Tae Kwon Leap.

/Boot to the head

Christ, is Goodell ever gonna lay off Bountygate?

The weird thing is, in this case we are cheering for the religious rebels who are using suicide bombings.

limeyfellow: The weird thing is, in this case we are cheering for the religious rebels who are using suicide bombings.

Pro-democracy protestors and Islamists. Strange bedfellows indeed.

limeyfellow: The weird thing is, in this case we are cheering for the religious rebels who are using suicide bombings.

I only cheer for atheist rebels who are using suicide bombings

What Syria needs is the TSA. Cause that fixes everything.

SithLord: Ok. So Assad goes down in the fifth like a good staged fighter. Then what? Who or what replaces him? Would you prefer, say, oh, the Muslim Brotherhood?

Yeah, it'd be terrible if there were free elections and a party we don't like gets in control. Next thing you know Assad could be cancelling elections, setting themselves up as a dictator, and shooting their own people.

Oh, I meant to say "Muslim Brotherhood" instead of "Assad." Weird typo to make.

The weird thing is, in this case we are cheering for the religious rebels who are using suicide bombings.

It's nice to see it happen to people that deserve it once in a while.

limeyfellow: The weird thing is, in this case we are cheering for the religious rebels who are using suicide bombings.

Many of whom previously went to Iraq from Syria to kill US troops. The CIA is arming them right now to kill Assad's troops. We never learn.

We should stay out of it. The Saudis and Turks are funding and arming the rebels, the Russians and Iranians are funding and arming Assad. What a mess.

Tenga: I predict Assad unleashing the VX any day now. Then we will be forced to intervene, and it's gonna be ugly.

He's already been moving his WMD's around.

I don't believe he has reached that point yet. Remember using chemical weapons puts your own forces at risk as much as the enemy. Given the losses due to defections and equipment from the fighting, on top of the use of irregular forces which lack gear to operate in a chemical environment, the use of chemical weapons would be very problematic for the government. As a practical matter, they can achieve similar levels of destruction without the risk to their own forces by simply keeping it conventional and upping the intensity. We have started to see this via the increasing use of heavy weapons in civilian areas through the use of tanks, artillery, and helicopter attack.

The political consequences of using chemical weapons are too great. Right now, Assad could still concievably work out a deal to exile himself to a non-ICJ extradition country. If chemical weapons are used, that reduces his options to win or die and its not looking good for the win odds. If we see chemical weapons used, then we know Assad has decided he will die and wants to take as many of his enemies as possible with him. The real qustion is whether if commanders are ordered to use those weapons, will they follow through as that puts their necks square in the gallows when the conflict is finished.

The distribution of chemical weapons was to prevent the US attempt to take them out of play via a surgical strike. If they were still consolidated in a few locations, there was contingency plans for the US to launch a air assault raid to sieze and destroy the arsenals. By distributing the weapons to field commanders, it takes a mission of that nature out of play as there are simply too many sites to hit and the mobility creates doubt as to the locations at any given time. As a side benefit to the ruling party, it might scare some rebels into pasiveness. However actually using the weapons, while increasing in probabilty is still rather remote.

AlHarris31: limeyfellow: The weird thing is, in this case we are cheering for the religious rebels who are using suicide bombings.

Many of whom previously went to Iraq from Syria to kill US troops. The CIA is arming them right now to kill Assad's troops. We never learn.

We should stay out of it. The Saudis and Turks are funding and arming the rebels, the Russians and Iranians are funding and arming Assad. What a mess.

Citations needed.

Daedalus27: Tenga: I predict Assad unleashing the VX any day now. Then we will be forced to intervene, and it's gonna be ugly.


The distribution of chemical weapons was to prevent the US attempt to take them out of play via a surgical strike. If they were still consolidated in a few locations, there was contingency plans for the US to launch a air assault raid to sieze and destroy the arsenals. By distributing the weapons to field commanders, it takes a mission of that nature out of play as there are simply too many sites to hit and the mobility creates doubt as to the locations at any given time. As a side benefit to the ruling party, it might scare some rebels into pasiven ...

Then you run into problems like:
- Rebels capture area and WMD's.
- Conventional strikes release dangerous chemicals into the area.
- Overzealous commander uses WMD's.
- Private Moran accidently uses WMD's.
etc.

It's all a crap shoot where those things are concerned.

Daedalus27: Tenga: I predict Assad unleashing the VX any day now. Then we will be forced to intervene, and it's gonna be ugly.

He's already been moving his WMD's around.


The political consequences of using chemical weapons are too great. Right now, Assad could still concievably work out a deal to exile himself to a non-ICJ extradition country. If chemical weapons are used, that reduces his options to win or die and its not looking good for the win odds. If we see chemical weapons used, then we know Assad has decided he will die and wants to take as many of his enemies as possible with him. The real qustion is whether if commanders are ordered to use those weapons, will they follow through as that puts their necks square in the gallows when the conflict is finished.

..

If I'm working for a guy that I'm 100% sure will have me and my wife & kids sent to the gallows for refusing to follow his orders, I'll take my chances withwar crimes tribunals after the war.

pippi longstocking: Good, farking evil coonts all need to die.

If Americans weren't so damn lazy, stupid, and ignorant they would know how horrible these evil shiats are treating their people.

Oh we know how horrible they are. We just don't farking care.

As long as they leave civilized people alone, the heathen savages can go slaughter each other to their heart's delight.

Well, the rebels rolled a 20 on that one.

I wonder if Bashar will hang, or if they'll cut him into tiny chunks and feed him to pigs?

CowboyUpCowgirlDown: I wonder if Bashar will hang, or if they'll cut him into tiny chunks and feed him to pigs?

approves

I was not aware til I found this NYT article, but Hezbollah supports Assad and the establishment government. That makes up my mind for me.

From the linked article:

"On the other end of the scale, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, delivered an emotional speech live on television, saying that the Syria of Mr. Assad and Mr. Shawkat was the backbone of the Arab confrontation with Israel."