President Obama says that he is carefully gathering facts before he decides if the forces of Syrian dictator Assad really crossed the "red line" by using chemical weapons. Once Obama decides that question, he will no doubt have to spend a few months pondering the consequences of crossing the red line. Meanwhile, here is just one small item from Syria today.
Just under 5000 Syrians from the city of Baniyas are fleeing their homes today. Yesterday, the Assad forces killed over 50 civilians in the village of Bayda which is on the outskirts of Baniyas. Those killed were Sunnis, and those fleeing from Baniyas are likewise Sunni. Baniyas is located along the Mediterranean between Latakia and Tartus. It is one of the few areas in Syria where the Alawaites form the majority. The Alawaites are Shiite Moslems rather than Sunni. Assad is an Alawaite, and there has been speculation for some time that his supporters are trying to create an enclave of just Alawaites along the coast which can remain loyal to Assad even if things go poorly elsewhere in Syria. The mass murder by the Assad forces was not an attack on rebels. It was, instead, an attack on Sunni civilians designed to frighten the other Sunnis into fleeing their homes. It seems to be working.
There are many lessons to be learned from these events. Here are just a few:
1) The next time someone tells you that Islam is a religion of peace, tell that person about how the Shiites slaughtered their fellow Moslems (albeit Sunnis) just to scare them from their homes.
2) While Obama is musing about red lines and chains of custody, hundreds, if not thousands more people are being killed in Syria. Things in that country are getting worse, not better. If America is going to act, it had better do so soon. If America is not going to act, then it ought to at least say so. The dithering by Obama is the worst of all.
3) The Assad regime has become a subsidiary of the Iranian government. Iran is the principal supporter of Assad, and Iranian aid is keeping him afloat. Next time someone says that Iran will not use nuclear weapons if they get the bomb, remind that person that Iran has no problem with mass murder.
Just under 5000 Syrians from the city of Baniyas are fleeing their homes today. Yesterday, the Assad forces killed over 50 civilians in the village of Bayda which is on the outskirts of Baniyas. Those killed were Sunnis, and those fleeing from Baniyas are likewise Sunni. Baniyas is located along the Mediterranean between Latakia and Tartus. It is one of the few areas in Syria where the Alawaites form the majority. The Alawaites are Shiite Moslems rather than Sunni. Assad is an Alawaite, and there has been speculation for some time that his supporters are trying to create an enclave of just Alawaites along the coast which can remain loyal to Assad even if things go poorly elsewhere in Syria. The mass murder by the Assad forces was not an attack on rebels. It was, instead, an attack on Sunni civilians designed to frighten the other Sunnis into fleeing their homes. It seems to be working.
There are many lessons to be learned from these events. Here are just a few:
1) The next time someone tells you that Islam is a religion of peace, tell that person about how the Shiites slaughtered their fellow Moslems (albeit Sunnis) just to scare them from their homes.
2) While Obama is musing about red lines and chains of custody, hundreds, if not thousands more people are being killed in Syria. Things in that country are getting worse, not better. If America is going to act, it had better do so soon. If America is not going to act, then it ought to at least say so. The dithering by Obama is the worst of all.
3) The Assad regime has become a subsidiary of the Iranian government. Iran is the principal supporter of Assad, and Iranian aid is keeping him afloat. Next time someone says that Iran will not use nuclear weapons if they get the bomb, remind that person that Iran has no problem with mass murder.
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