Syria's Civil War

[Lex]

This seems to fallen out of the news somewhat since Christmas, but things seem to be as bad as ever in Syria:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21641113

[Lex]

This is a particularly nasty turn of events, that is if chemical weapons actually have been used:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22305444

[rebbonk]

I think the key word here is "if"!

It wouldn't be the first time that the general public have been deliberately mislead would it?

[Lex]

You mean it's happened before? Saddam didn't have massively powerful weapons that could be deployed within 45 minutes to destroy out beloved Blighty?

[rebbonk]

Turkey has called for an extraordinary meeting of NATO to discuss the escalating violence caused by the crisis in Syria.

The meeting, which will be held in Brussels on Tuesday, was invoked under Article 4 of the NATO treaty.

This allows any of the organisation's 28 members to request assistance when they consider "their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened".

SKY

Trouble ahead? Another little skirmish for our boys to be involved in?

[Lex]

Frankly, no-one has considered this carefully. This will be the usual 'bomb the b******s to look like the government is doing something about ISIS to keep the voters happy, then b****r off leaving Syria in a worse mess than before we turned up'. Obviously, nobody over the last 35 years has bothered taking note that doing this without planning for the aftermath & what to do once the bombing's finished causes more problems than it solves.
http://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/new...yria-1-7096229

[rebbonk]

Air strikes will solve nothing, but will leave many innocents dead and wounded.

I'm not against using military force. But we need a proper strategy, including an exit plan.

[Lex]

Sadly, this will come back and bite us in the behind if the 'allied governments', Syria, Iraq, rebel groups, Kurds, Russians etc. don't sort out some sort of political solution that will bring some peace & stability to the region.

[Lex]

Here's a list of how our local MPs voted: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/new...d-air-10541507

[rebbonk]

I wrote to my MP about this. She voted against my wishes. I'd like to know just how many requests she had to vote for it! To be fair, she did write back to me explaining why she voted the way she did, but without knowing what her other constituents wanted I'm none the wiser. Frankly, I doubt she understood the implications (and the same goes for far too many other MPs).

[Lex]

I have a feeling Nadhim Zahawi would have voted for bombing Syria/ISIS no matter what, as he has family and business connections to Kurdistan, which I can understand.

[rebbonk]

This will sound horribly racist, but it isn't.

The problem that we have is that we don't understand these people. They have values so very different from ours and many of their ways are simply barbaric. One day they are fighting with you, the next day (for reasons unknown to you) they are fighting against you.

Anyone who has spent time in the ME amongst the 'natives' will tell you this. Sadly, our idiot politicians think that these people are just like us and that you can negotiate with them: you can't!

If Zahawi voted for this, he did so because he could see some personal advantage and he won't give a fig for the mayhem, death and destruction caused. Sadly, that is the nature of the beast.

Make no mistake, these people see kindness and generosity as weaknesses to be used and exploited. In my opinion, this action will come back and bite us on the ar$e, very likely via the enemy within.

[cathidaw]

They have a totally different mind set, their culture is different, so we cannot possibly understand how they will react.
Too late now, but I believe they should have left them alone, and not ever have interfered in their lives-- unless it it drought or famine.
This may not be relevant, but when , as a little child at Sunday school we had missionary speakers , who came collecting money for the poor little black children living in-let's say Africa-and who had never heard of 'our' God, and why these speakers just had to go over there to teach Christianity and save the poor little heathens, I used to think 'why?' when they seemed very happy with their own kind of beliefs and freedom, why not leave them alone.
But of course as usual the western world-it appeared, mainly Britain, had to interfere, and change peoples lives. and make a great mess of it.

[rebbonk]

If Zahawi voted for this, he did so because he could see some personal advantage and he won't give a fig for the mayhem, death and destruction caused. Sadly, that is the nature of the beast.

According to at least one website today, Zahawi has been caught selling ISIS oil!

[Lex]

Whoops! Apparently, his main business interest out there is an oil company; the Daily Mail will love that one!

[Lex]

Looks like Rugby will be taking sme refugees in: http://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/new...ugby-1-7241858