There is a reason why the Assad regimes were considered "brutal and repressive". Since the French left, the secular government has been under constant attack, mainly by the Muslim Brotherhood, most likely sponsored by the French (because that is what they do). These attacks were violent and very harmful to Syrian society, and they were repressed brutally. One could argue that Assad did not really need to kill thousands of them, but Syrians don't share nice liberal values—cannot afford to. Now, these elements have achieved power in Syria and we can see clearly what the Assads were up against.
lol! This article is absurdum. Over 5 decades of rule by the Assad family, the U.S. repeatedly sought to facilitate (carry even) Syria’s alignment with democratic nations, western world, or just away from Russia & Iran.
At each opportunity & decision point, the Assad clique ruling Syria rebuffed those efforts. During the height of the Lebanese Civil War (where thousands of Syrian soldiers had been deployed), after the 1st Gulf War, during negotiation of the Oslo Accords, after 9/11, upon Bashar Assad taking over after his father’s death, and on & on.
Each time, instead of pursuing economic reform, political reforms, foreign alignments, Syria chose to double down on internal repression & terrorist ties & attacks.
Entire populations of towns who questioned Assad’s rule were wiped out by Syrian Armed Forces. See Hama or “Hama Rules.” Reliance on Russia & Iran were increased. The Assad’s gave Russia its only Mediterranean naval and air base. The Assad’s literally changed the canon of the Alawite sect to align with more mainstream Shiite theology to satisfy Iran.
Syria descended to the abyss not due to U.S. policy or disinterest. The state of the nation today is clear and predictable result of rule by the Assad clique. They put their own desire for power & personal wealth along with obedience to Russia and Iran above the interest of Syria, its people, and its neighbors.
Staggeringly disingenuous Assad-apologia. And this extensive masturbatory "analysis" of a clump of Sachs propaganda is comical.
Next up - your "analysis" of Cucker Tarlson's "analysis" of Jeffrey RT Sachs' analysis, of the "existential threats" that are hordes of Ukranian Nazis wanting to trample all up in ruZZia's "sphere of influence;" - Dirty Dugin style.
"The official narrative around the sanctions was that they sanctioned members of the Assad regime for human rights abuses, but as Stroul admitted, they just kept regular Syrians in mystery while having no effect on Bashar-Al Assad or his cronies, who kept his collection of luxury cars while regular Syrians suffered."
Syrian people through no fault of their own just happen to live on the crossroads of these Geo political ethnic/religious lay lines - on and on it goes.
Sanctions for sure fucked Assad's lifestyle for over a decade. They fucked his regime quite well. Do you think being a narco-dictator dependent on drug manufacture was on his top ten list of desired income streams?
Unfortunately, the people suffer much more than their rapacious, plundering tyrants - And Assad did pretty much everything he could to amplify and maximize Syrians' suffering and terror.
There is a reason why the Assad regimes were considered "brutal and repressive". Since the French left, the secular government has been under constant attack, mainly by the Muslim Brotherhood, most likely sponsored by the French (because that is what they do). These attacks were violent and very harmful to Syrian society, and they were repressed brutally. One could argue that Assad did not really need to kill thousands of them, but Syrians don't share nice liberal values—cannot afford to. Now, these elements have achieved power in Syria and we can see clearly what the Assads were up against.
Who is REALLY conducting wars around the world?
The USA provides the muscle, the Brits provide the finance, the Vatican provides the totalitarian philosophy but WHO ARE THE BOSSES?
Read this to find out: https://francesleader.substack.com/p/black-nobility-101
lol! This article is absurdum. Over 5 decades of rule by the Assad family, the U.S. repeatedly sought to facilitate (carry even) Syria’s alignment with democratic nations, western world, or just away from Russia & Iran.
At each opportunity & decision point, the Assad clique ruling Syria rebuffed those efforts. During the height of the Lebanese Civil War (where thousands of Syrian soldiers had been deployed), after the 1st Gulf War, during negotiation of the Oslo Accords, after 9/11, upon Bashar Assad taking over after his father’s death, and on & on.
Each time, instead of pursuing economic reform, political reforms, foreign alignments, Syria chose to double down on internal repression & terrorist ties & attacks.
Entire populations of towns who questioned Assad’s rule were wiped out by Syrian Armed Forces. See Hama or “Hama Rules.” Reliance on Russia & Iran were increased. The Assad’s gave Russia its only Mediterranean naval and air base. The Assad’s literally changed the canon of the Alawite sect to align with more mainstream Shiite theology to satisfy Iran.
Syria descended to the abyss not due to U.S. policy or disinterest. The state of the nation today is clear and predictable result of rule by the Assad clique. They put their own desire for power & personal wealth along with obedience to Russia and Iran above the interest of Syria, its people, and its neighbors.
Staggeringly disingenuous Assad-apologia. And this extensive masturbatory "analysis" of a clump of Sachs propaganda is comical.
Next up - your "analysis" of Cucker Tarlson's "analysis" of Jeffrey RT Sachs' analysis, of the "existential threats" that are hordes of Ukranian Nazis wanting to trample all up in ruZZia's "sphere of influence;" - Dirty Dugin style.
May God curse Israel for what it's done.
Misery not mystery. In two places.
Just fixed it, thank you.
oops, just saw your post Pete
Enlightening
Correction?
"The official narrative around the sanctions was that they sanctioned members of the Assad regime for human rights abuses, but as Stroul admitted, they just kept regular Syrians in mystery while having no effect on Bashar-Al Assad or his cronies, who kept his collection of luxury cars while regular Syrians suffered."
"Syrians in mystery"
should be in "misery"
Thank you, just fixed it.
Syrian people through no fault of their own just happen to live on the crossroads of these Geo political ethnic/religious lay lines - on and on it goes.
Great piece btw thanks
Sanctions for sure fucked Assad's lifestyle for over a decade. They fucked his regime quite well. Do you think being a narco-dictator dependent on drug manufacture was on his top ten list of desired income streams?
Unfortunately, the people suffer much more than their rapacious, plundering tyrants - And Assad did pretty much everything he could to amplify and maximize Syrians' suffering and terror.