Syrians Killed at the Border: al-Tharwa Closed
7 Syrians killed by US troops.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior has told foreign reporters in Damascus that 7 Syrians have been killed by American soldiers shooting across the border. This is in the last two months.
Abdallah Ta’i, a resident of Abu Kamal, which is on the Syrian border with Iraq, told me yesterday about two Syrians who were shot by US soldiers. They lived in the Syrian border town of Hirri, which is the last Syrian town on the Euphrates, near the Syrian-Iraqi border and situated opposite al-Qaim. Shooting broke out on the Eid, Friday 4 November. A girl of about 13 or 14 was shot in the head. When she began to scream, her brother ran to help her; he was also shot in his shoulder. Both were taken to the hospital and are still alive. "I visited the town on the second day after the Eid," said Abdullah, "and spoke to people who said that they were too frightened to leave their houses or go to work for fear of being shot at by the Americans. The campaign is on-going on the other side of the border. They also said that not only Iraq was being hurt, but we too are paying a price for America’s occupation. On the 3rd of October, two mortar shells fell in the village without hurting anyone."
The family of one Syrian peasant who was shot in 2004 while tilling his field is trying to sue Donald Rumsfeld and the US ambassador to Syria. Abdullah showed me the court papers.
Helena Cobban at Just World News posts a note from Dr. Samer al-Ladkany, the assistant director of Tharwa explaining that the Tharwa Project has been closed down permanently. He writes:
I must ask you to put everything on hold for right now. I am very sorry, but we are having some problems here in Damascus. I am not completely sure what is going on, but I went to work today, just to find out that we have been closed down...permanently. The worst part is, I have not been able to contact the director here in Damascus.I also spoke to Raed Nakashbani yesterday, who works with al-Tharwa. He was despondent because of the closing. Al-Tharwa played an important role in educating Syrians about minority affairs in Syria. Amar Abdulhamid, the founder of al-Tharwa is now visiting at the Brookings Institute. He was persuaded to leave Syria late this summer because of restrictions placed on him for speaking out against the government. One of my former students is presently a volunteer at al-Tharwa. Free discussion about minority rights and identity is largely forbidden in Syria. Discussion of minority rights in Syria is perhaps the single greatest political taboo because the regime's legitimacy is built on Arab nationalism.
British MP George Galloway at Damascus University to Support Bashar Al-Assad: If the U.S. Invades Syria, The People will Fight the U.S. Occupation Like the Brits Were Ready to Fight the Nazis. Excerpts by MEMRI.
Al-Hayat: Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari on Tuesday withdrew his envoy to Damascus in protest against Syrian President Bashar al-Asad's allegation that Iraqi officials "are not the final authorities" in their own country (implying that they are American puppets.)
posted by Joshua Landis @ 11/16/2005 05:12:00 PM
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31 Comments:
This just in:
Al-Diyar newspaper is reporting that Mehlis has agreed to interview the 6 Syrians in Cologne, Germany instead of the Monte Verde in Lebanon.
Maybe this will ease things up a bit?
Bashar does not know what to do so he is blaming everyone for his problems and calling everyone either a puppet or a slave!
May be he does not know that he is subjecting his people (Syrian minus his cronies) to a lot of pressure and sooner or later to sanctions! He is following the steps of Saddam!
It's sad how the Syrians will accuse everyone of been a slave or a puppet, and if you try to ask for your rights, they cry out - arab nationalism.
Well, we support arab nationalism, just so long as it dosent come at the expense of our own nation.
Lebanon first
Arab nationalism second
I thought it is SYRIA COMMENT not lebanon,may be writers should declare if they are Syrians or not so can keep things strait.
وقال الرئيس الاسد ان سورية تواجه الأزمة الحالية مع الولايات المتحدة لانها رفضت ان تقدم ما هو مطلوب منها في الملفات العراقية والفلسطينية واللبنانية. واشار الي ان هذه المطالب من المستحيل تنفيذها، والشعب السوري لا يمكن ان يقبل بها، ولهذا رفضناها بوضوح، وسنتمسك بهذا الموقف .
واشار الي ان كولن باول وزير الخارجية الامريكي السابق حمل هذه المطالب اثناء زيارته لسورية، وعندما قلت له انها مطالب تعجيزية لا يمكن ان يقبل بها الشعب السوري، رد علي بقوله مالك ومال الشعب السوري، نحن معك ونساندك.. فقلت له انتم تتحدثون عن الديمقراطية واحترام الارادة الشعبية، الا تري تناقضا في كلامك؟! .
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Yes, it seems that Lebanese are more concerned about Syria then the Syrians.
About the closure of al Tharwa, check Amarji's blog :
http://amarji.blogspot.com/
Arabic Nationalsim is nothing buta joke, there is nothing in common between christian lebenese or even christian syrian, they have different faith to mine different values they even speak different language, they don't speak arabic they speak(arabish=english+arabic) or arabic+french.
Nationalsim is s thing from the past we better move on.
Gassan & Elias,
What is happening in Iraq today speaks for itself. we all know that the Americans have the greatest power in Iraq. The Iraqi Government asked the Americans & the British to stay until further notice (Unkown), because they can not control Iraq. They addmited that. in other word, they are not ruling Iraq. SO, they are powerless, the only power they have is over thsoe poor people and especially Sunni civilians.
Arab Nationalism first, Lebanon is part of Syria and the Arab world.
I think Lebanon (especially the christians)would not have servived the civil war without the assistance the Arab nationalist.
We all know that Lebanon is part of Syria and will end up like that maybe soon. The shap of Lebanon will not stay as it is now (honey Moon) but what about the rest of the year (11 months)only time will tell?.
Mr Assad knows very well what he is doing, he knows the weaknesses of others as well as his own weaknesses and strengthes. I think, others are far weaker than Syria. Syria is now out of the American game (previously played with Saddam) and being out of it is far better than being part of it and face its concequences.
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shamee27,
This sounds like someone without any identity!! Mr shamee27, let me remind you that millions of Arabs are still holding up for their identity and prowed for being so.
Kurds & Christians and other minorities can not speak for the Arabs. if you feel you don't belong to Arab nationalisim, and decided to "MOVE ON", then you better watch what is happening now to the Arab immigrants who decided to pick up another identity in France. After 50 yrears living in France holding a French IDENTITY CARD (not french identity), they are still looked at as immigrants... you kow what the French officials say..??
Mr Shamee27..Its not easy to give up your own identity. Even when you decide to do that, others will quickly identify you as Arab nationalist.
Abu Arab,
We'll be glad to kill +10,000 additional Syrian soldiers if you try to invade us again.
Regards,
LD
to lebanon devided....
That glad you and your likes to kill 10,000 additional Syrian soldiers maybe; capable, is another question?
And if I may ask out of curiousity, once your dream of killing 10,000+ syrian soldiers has passed away, who will be the next 10,000 on your kill list? Shieat Lebanese? Sunnies? Orthodox? or Palestinians -in a repeat of Sabra and Shatiela for example?
Your types, is why Lebanon is devided and why certain labanese CHUTZPAH (which meen Waqaha in hebrew) will result only in so much dammage to the whole region but to Lebanon first and foremost.
This blog is for an exchange of views and ideas and sentiments, and not for venting anger at windmills. And many of your likes seem to miss the whole point.
If you know a little bit of English, and if you have learned how to access the internent and read blogs and post comments does not mean that you have become an "enlightened" or a "modern" and "engaged" person.. it only means you have acess to greater knowledge, which should be accompanied by a greater degree of civilized behavior and openmindedness, not "tafnaess lubnaneen, marajel 3al fadi, and haki ze3ran).
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Ausamaa,
Well done,
Ousama, your dirty, generalistic and cheap language does not overcome the dillusion of abu arab which believes that "Lebanon is part of Syria and will end up like that maybe soon".
If you believe that too and decide to act upon it, we will be waiting for you to send your corpses back to your wailing mothers.
Regards,
LD
P.S:
As for our ability to kill Syrian soldiers, I would ask you just to use your imagination.
I would like to thank your "civilized behavior and openmindedness" for considering Lebanon a part of Syria and tell you again that you can go to hell if this is how you think.
"I think Lebanon (especially the christians)would not have servived the civil war without the assistance the Arab nationalist. "
I think that we wouldn't have had a war without the Arab nationalists!
I partially agree with Shamee27. A devout Muslim and a Lebanese Christian (secular or not) have nothing in common, but there's little difference between a really secular Syrian and a secular Lebanese. The only thing is that there's not a lot of secular Syrians and Lebanese, which means that there's a lot of differences between Syria and Lebanon.
Which means no Anschluss.
While there maybe differences between devout muslims and devout christians, there would doubtedly be differences between devout muslim syrians and devout muslim lebanese, as would be little differences between devout christian syrians and devout christian lebanese and there are little differences between secular syrians and secular lebanese. There are not a lot of differences between syrians and lebanese. Some people are similar and some different. Lines on maps do not create differences.
I don't advocate the extreme views of Lebanon divided because most Syrian soldiers were peasants who barely knew how to read. Though they were plenty of rapers, plunderers and assassins among them, most of them were young boys who knew nothing about this conflict, they were just sent in Lebanon to please maffia/imperialist mind of Assad inc and the Syrian/Arab nationalists.
But one can't help but notice that the best way of not having Syrian casualties in Lebanon is not to have Syrian soldiers in Lebanon (it makes sense, doesn't it?).
Sure it makes sense. As much sense as the best way not to die in a car crash is not to drive and the best way not to get divorced is not to marry. The best way of not having American Casualties in Iraq or Afghanistan is not to have the soldiers there. But soldiers go places to support policy regardless of the merit of the policy. Syrian soldiers went into Lebanon to support a Syrian policy. Some died and that is inevitable in any conflict. I have uncles and neighbors who served in Lebanon and the families were never happy about it. The families would always wonder why their sons have to die in and for Lebanon; Syrian presence in Lebanon affected every Syrian family in the same way. But they were soldiers and they went wherever their government sent them.
I would not claim to know enough about the Syrian political motivations to get into Lebanon at the time. But I seriously doubt that the decision to go into Lebanon was taken in a business meeting where financial gains were the primary concerns.
Guys,
now I can understand why there were some Lebanese (like lebanon divided) joined the Israeli army and betrayed their country.
we need to bring Lebanon back on track.
Lebanon has always been part of Big Syria. like it or not this fact will come true sooner or later
"The families would always wonder why their sons have to die in and for Lebanon"
They died for nothing.
Actuall they die to make Hafez richer.
"we need to bring Lebanon back on track. "
Try to rule yourself first before thinking of invading foreign countries
"Lebanon has always been part of Big Syria. like it or not this fact will come true sooner or later"
Lebanon was always autonomous in the Ottoman empire and always had a distinct identity.
Vox,
Small correction, Mount Lebanon had some "sort" of autonomy during the Ottoman Empire, not today's geographical Lebanon. I am not here to argue whether Lebanon should or shouldn’t be part of Syria. Because the simple fact is: Lebanon is an independent country!!! Sure it was part of greater Syria but so was half or Iraq, quarter of Turkey etc. etc. i don’t see too many sane Syrians calling for Mosul to return to Syria. I also don’t believe Hafez Al Assad wanted to make Lebanon part of Syria. Control for as long as possible yes, annex NO.
Now back to your earlier argument.
“I partially agree with Shamee27. A devout Muslim and a Lebanese Christian (secular or not) have nothing in common, but there's little difference between a really secular Syrian and a secular Lebanese. The only thing is that there's not a lot of secular Syrians and Lebanese, which means that there's a lot of differences between Syria and Lebanon.”
You seem to be over looking a glaring contradiction here. If what you say is correct then a Muslim Lebanese has more in common with a Syrian Muslim than his Christian countryman and vice-versa, so in a strange way your argument supports the notion that the citizens of both countries share the same ideology and hence the same…well a lot. Your attempt to be fair and bias is noted but you don’t have to read too deep between the lines to see that you view things through Christians vs. Muslims eyes, where you feel Christians are better (secular or not). Which puts you on the “fundamentalist” camp, whether you view yourself as secular or not.
I tend to believe that a devout Syrian Christian shares more with a devout Lebanese Muslim than you would like to believe. They share a lot of the same habits, language, food, they even hate each other’s religion with the same passion. And I truly believe that Lebanon and Syria are as close as any two countries can come. We only need to remind some of the Syrian nationalists that they are really TWO countries.
Even though the reality on the ground dictates that religion is a great divider, internally and externally. We need to govern the two countries, by force if needed, on the basis of equality.
VOX,
I don't know what the Israel was doing in lebanon for over 27 years?
because you proved to all of us that you don't beleive in resistance, arab nationalism etc.. please don,t tell me that your pragmatic, sumbissive and intellegent diplomatic policies have kicked them out of lebanon??
26 March 1979: Peace between Egypt & Israel
26 October 1994: Peace between Jordan & Israel
November 1994: Israel opens liaison office in Morocco
May 1996: Israeli trade office opens in Oman.
28 October 1999: Israeli opens embassy in Mauritania
15 December 1999: Peace meetings between Farouk Sharaa & Ehud Barak
1 September 2005: Pakistani FM meets with Israeli counterpart in Turkey
15 September 2005: Qatar & Israel's Foreign Ministers meet
23 September 2005: Bahrain ends boycott of Israeli goods
15 November 2005: Israeli FM Silvan Shalom officially visits Tunisia
You can kiss your arabism goodbye ;)
HAHAHAHAHA!!
What an idiot abu arab is... According to him, those Lebanse who believe in their independence are thus allies of Israel.
You should really think of cleaning your infected brain of that poison that the Baathist regime has been feeding you with.
Freaks like you only dare spurting such claims hidden behind their small keyboards; let me hear you say this in Lebanon now that your oppressing army is gone?
Lebanon Divided
"What an idiot abu arab is... According to him, those Lebanse who believe in their independence are thus allies of Israel
Of course Mr. your flolks joined the Israeli Army and fought against their own people (resistance). This represents how Lebanon is Divided. the funny thing is that Israel fled the country and left them alone?? They are now either in preson with Hizbullah, or in Israel's streets kssing israeli's ass for protectionand and a piece of bread (including their General Col. betrayer Haddad. everybody watched that on TV.
people like you will be cleaned soon from lebanon, Hizbullah is waiting to do the job.
Who are exactly my folks who joined the Israeli army?
Care to indulge on some proof or are you just throwing words around?
PS: Hezbollah's survival line is linked to Mr. Bashar's... that doesn't look to rosy, does it?
(not to insult you, but auto-copying the Baathist doctrine is a bit oldish)
you know them very well Mr divided.
"South Army" led by Col. Haddad.
hezbullah survive line is those honest people in lebanon (Muslim & Christian)who fought and resisted, not those dirty betraryers who joined Israel's army in the south.
I think you just need to watch Almanar TV to know how many of those betrayers were caught and killed. is that a proof?
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