I don't know what it is, but every time I hear this guy talk, I just want to punch him in the face. His half lisp or whatever just makes him sound like a giggling douchebag madman.

Go ahead, listen to him. Doesn't that make you want to punch him?

Well, he did inherit the country from his wonderful daddy.

Oh, inherent. Riiiiiiiight.

Okaaayyy soo.

Assad, you're either completely full of shiat (most likely), or you don't have control over your own police/military (unlikely).

Which is it?

"We don't kill our people," said Assad, a 46-year-old, British-trained eye doctor. "No government in the world (kills) its people unless it is led by a crazy person."

Does he thing we are all blind? Worse eye doctor evah.

Jake Havechek: Assad is a punk in need of a cock punch.

There is not a cohesive enough opposition that we can get behind militarily. Sanctions, real ones, are probably our best bet. If we can degrade them economically to a sufficient extent, he should be hanging from a light pole in short order.

It'll also be a gut check for Iran. All of this is basically a proxy on Iran, external actions.

NewportBarGuy: Jake Havechek: Assad is a punk in need of a cock punch.

There is not a cohesive enough opposition that we can get behind militarily. Sanctions, real ones, are probably our best bet. If we can degrade them economically to a sufficient extent, he should be hanging from a light pole in short order.

It'll also be a gut check for Iran. All of this is basically a proxy on Iran, external actions.

Something may be forming, what with the rumors of a military group actually attacking bases now and getting away with it.

"We don't kill our people," said Assad, a 46-year-old, British-trained eye doctor. "No government in the world (kills) its people unless it is led by a crazy person."


You're fooling yourself. We're living in a dictatorship: a self-perpetuating autocracy.

chopit: I don't understand why they don't just say "Nee" to him.

Oh, what sad times are these, when passian rebels can say "Ni!" at will to old dictators.

Lyonid: However, there's scant evidence that it achieves the result you're expecting. On the plus side though, the citizens tend to suffer horribly... so there's that.

I follow. If we can find a group with sufficient support in the country, by all means give them some guns and logistical support. I'm fine with that.

Arkanaut: make me some tea: Okaaayyy soo.

Assad, you're either completely full of shiat (most likely), or you don't have control over your own police/military (unlikely).

Which is it?

This guy was trained to be an ophthalmologist. It's entirely possible that he's a figurehead that the generals and intelligence agencies are manipulating.

He doesn't have control over the police & military. Maher al-Assad, his brother, runs the military, and he's been the one handling most of the suppression of the uprisings since they started. Maher has been flying under the radar for some reason--probably because being the 3d son and of no account he never got any attention--but since he's the number two al-Assad in the country AND the one with ties to the secret police and Republican Guard...I'd be looking at him for all this, more than Bashar.

Gyrfalcon: Arkanaut: make me some tea: Okaaayyy soo.

Assad, you're either completely full of shiat (most likely), or you don't have control over your own police/military (unlikely).

Which is it?

This guy was trained to be an ophthalmologist. It's entirely possible that he's a figurehead that the generals and intelligence agencies are manipulating.

He doesn't have control over the police & military. Maher al-Assad, his brother, runs the military, and he's been the one handling most of the suppression of the uprisings since they started. Maher has been flying under the radar for some reason--probably because being the 3d son and of no account he never got any attention--but since he's the number two al-Assad in the country AND the one with ties to the secret police and Republican Guard...I'd be looking at him for all this, more than Bashar.

Huh, now that I didn't know. I am admittedly rather ignorant on Syrian politics. Perhaps a bit less so now, thanks.