JudyB
Belgrade, ME
The Syrian government has gotten the message from the international community that it will not intervene, so it is free to destroy the opposition. The Russian and Chinese vetoes in the U.N. Security Council reflect these countries' fears of their own people, which is why they cling so desperately to the "nonintervention in internal affairs" excuse. I fear that the Russian foreign minister's visit and vague statements of talks with the opposition will give Assad time to completely obliterate Homs just like his father did. The world will stand by, be shocked, and do nothing.
Phillip
Houston, Tx
We are so gullible here in America. This is so much bigger than Assad trying to hold onto power. It's a power struggle for influence in the region. On one side you have China, Russia and Brazil. On the other side you have America, Germany and Great Britain. Both sides wish to excercise their influence in the region. During the Bush administration we kidnapped suspected terrorists and their supporters. The USA spirited them over to Syria and Egypt to be tortured outside of the authority of American courts.
Syria has received millions of dollars in military aid from Russia. That pales in comparison with the billions of dollars that America provides to Israel. If an armed insurrection happened in America we wouldn't call them the opposition. We would call them terrorists and they would be dealt with accordingly. Some of us in America still use our brains. We examine the history of the region. Collect the facts and are able to see the larger picture. We loved Assad during the Bush era. Now Assad is the villian. Assad became the villian when he began courting the Chinese, Russians and now Brazil.
The Syrian government isn't stupid. They see what happened in Iraq and in Afghanistan when we American's arrived. The see the ridiculous size of the American Embassy in Iraq. Syria understands how America is trying to exercise our influence in the region. The insurrection in Syria has been emboldened by the C.I.A.
common sense
New Hyde Park, NY
To know the source of strength underpinning Assad, look to the Iranian regime. That regime will not let Assad fall. It has already funneled billions to prop him up. His control over Syria is vital to keeping the mullah's weapon route open to the Iranian proxy army in Lebanon. To bring down Assad, the Arab League should be sanctioning the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards are now active in the military onslaught in Syria and some have recently been captured working for Assad's forces. The leader of the elite Quds Force is now in Damascus and using his successful experience in destroying the Iranian freedom movement to repress the Syrian feedom fighters.
The extremist Islamic regime which has control over Iran is the cancer of the Middle East. It is the source of weapons and money to the most violent, anti-peace forces in the region. Until that tumor of terror is destroyed, there will be no peace.
Don Stubbs
Twin Cities MN
I would really like to know what "ordinary" Russians think about their government's involvement with Assad. In particular, what they think is the solution to ending Assad's assault on his own citizens. I don't get very far in my search because it seems there are no Russian news outlets - at least in English - that are not propaganda organs of the state.
robert
bruges
The time to discuss is over, I fear. To much blood has already been spoiled. We will be confronted with a political and ethnic conflict (Sunnis versus Shiites or Alawites) that will be terrible its consequences.
Like it was the case in Sarajevo in the nineties, we will be confronted with gruesome images, of suffering and dying children and women and young people.
Russia is again choosing the butcher's side, like it did with Milosevic.
China for its part has made a serious mistake by compromising its relationship with the Arab states, rich in the much needed oil and gas....
The international community should help the Syrian people, because a process of ethnic cleansing has been started.
Joe Rodrigez
NYC
oh man, give peace a chance. The US is not exactly an angel, we have "too many domestic issues" to be going around telling every one else how to live and do things. Dont forget us Americans have gone to Iraq and killed our own and hundreds of thousands of people, including innocent ones you dont hear about for a war that was a lie from the very beginning and everyday someone dies for some restless/paranoid/egotistical politicians !!! And what happened to the liberation in Libya ? its a joke, nothing has changed except businessmen having more leverage to buy everything out and the army got rid of their old stock ? I love this country but we are often getting ahead of ourselves , and bash anything to do with Russia, always looking to make them out as the evil ones and were the hero's, please stop this bull . Lets fix our own first , so that we can lead the world by example if that is so absolutely necessary !! Some cultures cannot change over night, real freedom is expensive and takes time! we should know this best!
Alex
Russian Federation
When US shuts down an embassy or sever ties with Syria's ruling political party , it's an important indicator of forthcoming events that are about to unfold in front of our eyes. Humanitarian aid to the 'freedom fighters' in Syria will be simular to the mujaheddin's aid in Afghanistan in early 80's . Civil war is imminent.
Albert Edelson
Nes Ziona, Israel
Putin, Lavrov and Assad are expert at denial, dismantling and confabulation.
Their twisted, murderous, disturbed logic symptomizes an as yet undiagnosed psychopathic destructiveness. This trio will go down in history as "folie a trois". The people of Syria need immediate humanitarian aid, and the presence of Doctors without Frontiers to alleviate their unbearable suffering. Every hour that humanitarian help does not come, is a stain on the conscience of the Western World.
Rob
Bradenton
The US has no business intervening in Syria's Civil War. No other country intervened in our Civil War when a huge % of the population was slaughtered (yes, including women and children!!) in the name of "preserving the union." Remember General Sherman? Yet Lincoln is considered our greatest president!! Many idiots compare this to WWII and say that the US went to war against Germany to "save the jews." Nothing could be further from the truth! Roosevelt and the antisemitic State Dept knew full well about the slaughter of the jews and specifically refused to bomb a single railroad link to Auchswitz for fear that America's war against Germany had anything to do with saving the jews. We are not the policeman of the world to stop anything that offends our sensibilities. Let Syria resolve its own Civil War as the US did. If Assad is a terrorist and murderer why wasn't Lincoln? I dare anyone to answer this question!
Gennady Shkliarevsky
Rhinebeck, NY
It is distressing to see that the majority of comments completely lack critical dimension--critical, that is, when you ask yourself a question: Is everything I am doing right? Is everything my opponent is doing necessarily wrong? I think that the strong point of Western democracy has always been the capacity for a compromise and giving the benefit of the doubt even to your opponents. It is regretful to see that this attitude is giving way to pro-Western advocacy, if not jingoism. Has the Western intervention brought peace, stability, and democracy to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt? Whence comes this certainty that in the case of Syria an intervention will absolutely work out to the benefit of its people, rather than to a parochial benefit of those who will intervene? When has a pursuit of one's own national interests made the world stable? That is why we have the United Nations. Russia and China have exercised their legitimate right in the Security Council. The US has exercised it also many times. Why is it wrong in one case but right in another? Can anyone explain?
Matty
Boston, MA
Syria has long been a military client for the USSR/Russia.
Mk
NEW YORK CITY
The only reason Mr Lavrov vistied Syria so he can get paid for the arms shipment his country had send last week.
pppprppp
kansas city
and what about the thousands of Syrians who stil support Assad? Are their wishes to be ignored?
SBot
HuBot
Syria is a country that allows weapons to pass through its territory to Lebanon and the west bank. These weapons come from Iran. These weapons used to be rockets, explosives, small arms.
1. That the 'leaders' of these countries allow this to happen is bad enough.
2. That the black market arms dealers might transport weapons without the leaders' knowledge, is a threat to world peace.
3. How did China, N Korea, Pakistan get the bomb?
4. Why?
If America wanted to bomb the world and steal everything, we would simply do it.
Real heroes, of many nationalities, are working together to not only Contain, but Uproot the factors (people, associations) that permit rogue weapon transportation. These groups sell drugs, weapons, people - it must end.
I think Russia and China understand that it must end. Not too sure about al-Assad.
He is a fool. Soon, he to will be dead.
German
Orlando,FL
Russian diplomacy does not have any credibility and never has. They only look for their own interest and still live in a war cold mentality....so any outcome will not have significant results.
beholder
Saint Louis
" The death toll could not be independently confirmed ".This sentence should be at the beginning of the reports about Syria.It is meaningless and even misleading if tucked away somewhere else in a long report.
