Assad: Political Islam Being Defeated
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday the upheaval in Egypt
was a defeat for political Islam.
“Whoever brings religion to use in politics or in favor of one group at the expense of another will fall anywhere in the world,” Assad said. “The summary of what is happening in Egypt is the fall of what is called political Islam,” he added.
Gulf Arab states welcomed Egypt's interim leader on Thursday, hopeful his appointment would stem the rise of Islamists in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the military overthrow of an elected president drew condemnation from Turkey, and a guarded response from Iran. Iran called for the people's legitimate demands to be fulfilled but warned of “foreign and enemy opportunism.” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters in Istanbul that it is unacceptable for a government that has come to power through democratic elections “to be toppled through illicit means and, even more, a military coup.” (Reuters, 4 July)
The United States expressed concern at the ouster of Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday and called for a swift return to democracy, as did the European Union.
Photo
credit: Adil Mansour (center), speaks at his swearing ceremony as Egypt’s
interim president. Cairo, 4 July 2013. (Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)
Assad now feels free to drop the support of Iran and Hezbollah - calling their cause (political Islam) idiotic - after collecting their money (Iran) and blood (Hezbollah) - a nice shakespearen betrayal; he wants to form an Alliance Elbaradei (Secular Nationalist Arab); that was the former ideology of Bath Party anyway; a secular turn is healthy for the entire region ...
ReplyDeleteThat would make him both a deluded leader AND a certified imbecile, if he thinks that suddenly siding with the GCC petro-monarchies and their western sponsors will help him get rid of the very Islamist militias they've been arming, funding and training since the uprising got militarized.
DeletePlus, any Syrian government willing to deal with the Golan issue (that various succeeding Israeli leaders have sworn never to give back willingly, for reminders) simply cannot afford to change sides and upset Russia, China, Iran and its armed backers of Hezbollah in Lebanon all at the same time. Even Bachir Gemayel himself didn't dare be so overtly pro-US and despite being Israel's principal stooge in the country at the height of his influence and power. Sadat could since it was in the middle of the Cold War and the US needed Egypt on they side more than they needed Israel to have the Sinai.
Things are totally different with Syrian resource-rich Golan Heights and the extent of AIPAC control over the US and its own interests in Congress, not to mention the strategic importance of an area overlooking no less than the entire capital of one of their arab neighbors. If Syria wants its Golan back, it will have to fight for it, no matter its leader or the kind of government in place, it's irrelevant at this sensitive level. Just like Sadat told its general right before the October war began : "Gentlemen, give me the Suez Canal, and I promise I will get you the Sinai". He promise he kept, regardless of what one can think of him as a man or a leader, facts are facts at the end of the day.
The day of reckoning will be the day a legitimate, popular, and powerful Syrian nation finally shows Israel that the cost of keeping that foreign stretch of land in their possession is greater than the benefit it can take from it, just like Egypt did for Sinai. Just like the Palestinians did through two uprisings, the first one having bred no less than the existence of the PA itself and the autonomy they have in some territories, no matter how narrow in scope today.
But still, good luck with such a hope mate, in some ways, I wished it could become reality... who wouldn't want a Middle East finally void of religion as part of the state, and of dictatorship as a way of governing the people... I guess only the dictators and fundamentalists themselves... and the external players benefiting from such entities of course, be them western, eastern, or Asian. That unfortunately makes a lot of people, and very, VERY powerful ones that have more than once thwarted good men & women's ambitions for a brighter future !
On a final note, one can only wonder the kind of impediments to his rule El Baradei will have to deal with even if he finally gets to the seat or President of Egypt, with all due respect for the decent man he is. Indeed, anyone becoming heads of state in such a critical arab country has for the region and above all Israel(and only then) the US and the GCC, has a gigantic load of work on his hands if he has even the slightest genuine ambition of democratic and prosperous change for his people and country. At least as hard as in Iran, as history has taught us so well in 1953... they're not just going to let Egypt turn into a prosperous, modernized, democratically governed , independent state overnight, anyone thinking that is either delusional or the champion of wishful thinkers.
-Abtin
Assad now feels free to drop the support of Iran and Hezbollah
Deleteexcuse me, that is agreat nonsense.
without iran logistic support, the syrian armee is one week over
Lol don't be sorry my friend, I don't feel challenged by a two line, looping and off-topic answer addressing none of my points. But go on, be my guest, crush my assertions and enlighten me with your wisdom on the issue. Start by telling me what you are answering to, and secondly what is so astonishingly wrong in my assertions, among which some are the same as yours like with secularism ! did you even bother to read/could you understand my text properly before replying ?
DeleteAnd more importantly, what is your own thesis, I'm eager to know ? why Should Assad suddenly feel the need to betray the very backers that got him out of trouble and made him gain the upper-hand on the field lately, making his enemies push for a major boost in the flow of arms and funding ? why would he turn to the very governments that have been funding and supporting his ouster so hard from day one ? because he is as irrational as you ?
So without Iran's logistic support, the Syrian army is "one week over", (I guess you meant over in one week, correct ?). So, that would be why they should push it away ? cancel the unlimited line of credit they've been granted by the Iranian government ? so that they are over in one week ? that's your rationale ? Assad is as stupid as he is suicidal ?
Sir, what are you saying exactly, you're hard to follow, i'm saying in all honesty.
I'm sorry, but your 2-line answer looks a little short on substance to call itself an argument to properly speak of, I'm afraid. Before you do that, I'll call your 2-line judgement a bit irrelevant to anyone serious, I'm sorry.
-Abtin, the nonsense guy.
it seems there was an unfortunate misunderstanding here. Anonymous July 4, 2013 at 5:54 PM was responding to Anonymous July 4, 2013 at 12:53 PM.
DeleteNo wonder, Arabs are all governed by dictatorships and most likely were behind the coup. Turkey at the other hand has semi democratic system. Coup is a coup you can't change it by bringing people in to the street. I can imagine that 1953 coup against Mossadegh has a similar atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteSaudi against Quatar
ReplyDeleteSaudi sponserd the military coup, the quatari spnsern Moslembrother
the stupid scheich fighting each other.
nevertheless
the Salafist mursi was an enemy of iran and syria.
all iranian are happy, he is gone
somethies brings a military coup democracy , like portugal 1974
New Egypt establishment is probably more enemy to Iran than What Morsi was.
ReplyDeleteAt least Morsi in some cases was behaving independently. West seems to be more comfortable with new developments.
past few years has been golden opportunity for Saudis to enhance thier power in the middle east and elsewhere.
Like I see, supporters, (proxies - commentators), of the author, have been attempting to divert attention from the "Mossad's coup" in the Egypt to "divide" the Iran and Assad, after their aborted nonsenses that Russia has thrown Assad under the bus...
ReplyDeleteEgyptian head of Inteligence and his Mossad's counterpart have enjoed lenghty and a very close cooperation, during Mubarak's era and thereafter, and were blessed with 1.3 billion in the US taxpayers money a year for the Egyptian military.
There was also an additional economical help, for Egypt's "good international behavior", ranging from over $2.6 to a $1.6 billion a year...(from US taxpayers).
A-F
That is actually true -- Egyptian aggression has been tamed and kept under wraps through tributes, material gifts and economic enticement courtesy of US taxpayers. Anything just for the safety of Israel.
DeleteMoney seem to be the soft spot for Arabs. Money and bribes easily divides them. Government employes and factions/sects/tribes are bought to either stand down or to further a foreign dictated policy in the region.
P.S. Government officials of Iran are nothing alike.
Government officials in Iran are just experts in lying,stealing,raping and killing.They outstrip all the other middle eastern countries in those fields hands down.
Delete