Al-Qaeda leader in Syria speaks to Al Jazeera

Al-Qaeda leader in Syria speaks to Al Jazeera – Middle East – Al Jazeera English.

Thanks to inaction by the Obama Administration and other Western leaders, Al-Qaeda now has made a pulpit and an operational base for herself in the Holy Land of Syria. Sunni Jihadis will listen and will flock to her, just as Shia Jihadis are listening to Nasrallah and are flocking to fight for Assad. But those who think that the showdown will be contained within Syria’s borders, or the region’s, are fooling themselves. Soon, the same Jihadis will realize the importance of the “external dimension” of this war and will take the fight to all corners of the world. This is a war of identity now, and the 1.5 billion Muslims on this Earth don’t all live in Syria and the Middle East. The different conditions they live under will not shield them from the fallouts, one way or another, the identity of each Muslim is at stake now. This moment in time has been long in the making. But we are here now. Welcome to the really Hot Phase of the Islamic Reformation.

U.S. inaction in Syria could be far more costly than intervention

U.S. inaction in Syria could be far more costly than intervention – The Washington Post.

I have been making this argument from the beginning, still, the Obama Administration remains impervious to this logic. In fact, they seem to see victory where everyone else sees defeat, and wisdom where most see folly. Indeed, as Orwell would have it, “Ignorance Is Strength” – perceived, but not real.

War and peace in Syria: Where are the good guys?

War and peace in Syria: Where are the good guys? | The Economist.

The Economist Asks: “WHAT to do when the party you have been backing loses sway?” But that’s not the right question. The right question is: WHAT to do when the party you have promised to back but eventually didn’t, at least not in any meaningful way, loses sway? In other words, what to do when you have fucked up big time? The good news: the good guys are still there, but, as has always been the case, they need support. You can’t turn your back on them, then, wonder where they are?

Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone

Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone – NYTimes.com.

In no uncertain terms, the Saudi Ambassador to Britain tells Obama to go screw himself. But the real story that is always lost in all this back-and-forth is how the Syrian people are the ones who are actually getting screwed caught, as they are, between a genocidal regime, ambitious regional powers, and selfish international ones.