Shittiness Galore

Free Syrian Army fighters in Deraa
Free Syrian Army fighters in Deraa

Observers keep wondering: “where are the moderate rebels in Syria? Why can’t we see them?” The answer is simple really: You can’t see the moderate rebels in Syria, because they don’t bomb schools like Bashar Al-Assad or cut off people’s heads like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In fact, they spend most of their time fighting against pro-Assad militias and ISIS fighters with low-quality weapons and haphazard external support, activities which, according to standards long established by international news organizations, are not noteworthy enough to warrant regular coverage, if any, as they lack a certain element of sensationalism and je ne sais quoi.

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ISIS the Bizarre

Abu Waheeb, an ISIS commander in Ramadi.
Abu Waheeb, an ISIS commander in Ramadi.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Sham is a sophisticated organization and has its own vision that she is pursuing in the Levant. But the current situation in the region is quite fluid and complex, and this creates ample opportunities for all different sorts of bizarre transitional alliances, no matter how they are negotiated, to emerge, and for strange spats of coordination, even with an avowed enemy, to take place, albeit on a provisional basis.

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The speech I would have given

… had I been invited to speak at the White House Correspondents Dinner 

What can I say about President Barack Obama that hasn’t been said before? Oh yes, that he’s a man of action, – though mostly so unobtrusive that it is often confused with inaction, – a man who puts the fear of God in his enemies, – well, at least those of them who are not Russian, Chinese, North Korean, Iranian, Syrian or Republican, – and is known to his friends all over the world, yes all none of them, as Mr. Reliable and Trustworthy. “That Barack Hussein Obama,” the Saudi monarch recently told me, “he is as reliable as a doorknob, on the wrong side of the door.” What a wonderful testament.

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Zarif Messages to the US on Syria in Munich

Zarif Messages to the US on Syria in Munich « LobeLog.com.

Farideh Farhi says: “If Iran is influential in sustaining the Assad regime, then turning it into a stakeholder in the political process makes eminent sense — but not behind closed doors or on a seat in the back of the room.” … In other words, supporting genocide earns a seat in the front rows and full light of day. Why not? It worked for Russia. The message to all in the world is this: the willingness to perpetrate heinous crimes and mass murders against your own people is the key to making yourself politically relevant and will get you international legitimacy, recognition and often even respect. This is the foundation of the New World Order, which makes it no different than the Old Order. Humanity has taken a major leap backwards, and has thus earned the shame and pains of the chaos and turmoil that lies ahead.