Syria

[Heracleum Persicum]

.



(can't stop laughing)




.

[Alexis]

.
(can't stop laughing)
.

The US did lose much of their talent for propaganda.

In 1999, "communication" for preparing the Kosovo war was more professional.

[Heracleum Persicum]

.

.

(can't stop laughing)


.

The US did lose much of their talent for propaganda.

In 1999, "communication" for preparing the Kosovo war was more professional.

Go, Putin, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO








.

[Endovelico]

Wishful thinking, isn't it?... You may be right, but some of the technology is Russian and Chinese. Are you sure they won't get through? I'm sure your chiefs-of-staff are more concerned than you.

Like Juggernaut, I have a hard time imagining Iranian-provided anti-air and anti-naval weapons being a threat to US forces. However, one also has to take into account Russian-provided weapons, which are a completely different story.

IMO, in case of US/Western military intervention in Syria (no-fly zones and such), there would be two wild cards:

1. Russia
We hear some comparisons of a potential Western intervention in Syria with the 1999 Kosovo war.
However, Russia was in a very different situation then, than it is now. They are presently supporting a negotiated solution to the Syrian civil war. What if they took a more confrontational stance?

2. Syria's ballistic missiles with neurotoxic warheads
These are "the poor man's nuclear weapons", as such they are only a weapon for extreme situations, like regime survival being threatened. However, wouldn't it be the objective of a US/Western intervention?

Because of these wild cards, I don't think the US leadership will take the risk of starting intervention. No matter what our wise leaders in France say. And I don't think we French will go alone.

Syria has the following Russian anti-ship missile (Yakhont) which could be a bit of a problem:



4AW1XHUcAsQ

[Alexis]

Very interesting meeting took place in July between Prince Bandar, head of Saudi secret services, and Vladimir Putin, president of Russian Federation.

Prince Bandar, head of Saudi intelligence, allegedly confronted the Kremlin with a mix of inducements and threats in a bid to break the deadlock over Syria.
(...)
As-Safir said Prince Bandar pledged to safeguard Russia’s naval base in Syria if the Assad regime is toppled, but he also hinted at Chechen terrorist attacks on Russia’s Winter Olympics in Sochi if there is no accord. “I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” he allegedly said.

This brazen threat of commanditing a terrorist attack against Sochi Winter Olympic Games, in the face of Vladimir Putin, proves that Bandar has great confidence in the solidity of Saudi defence agreement with the US...

That being said, had I been in Putin's place, I would have simply replied to the Saudi that Russian secret services are not populated only with incompetents, and that Bandar would guarantee with his life that no terrorist attack will take place during the Winter Games.

Now, I'm a mean person, while Putin is a known bleeding heart sentimental, so I'm sure he can't have made any similar retort.


... But the most interesting part is at the end!

The Putin-Bandar meeting was stormy, replete with warnings of a “dramatic turn” in Syria. Mr Putin was unmoved by the Saudi offer, though western pressure has escalated since then. (...) Prince Bandar in turn warned that there can be “no escape from the military option” if Russia declines the olive branch. Events are unfolding exactly as he foretold.

Evans-Pritchard is right: Bandar displayed really impressive talents of future-telling during this July meeting... for events are unfolding exactly as he said they would.

Makes one think, right?

[Endovelico]

That being said, had I been in Putin's place, I would have simply replied to the Saudi that Russian secret services are not populated only with incompetents, and that Bandar would guarantee with his life that no terrorist attack will take place during the Winter Games.

Since I am meaner than Alexis, I would have promised, if I were in Putin's shoes, that the whole top tier of the Saudi Royal Family - including the King - would be wiped out if anything would happen at the Winter Games...

[Torchwood]

Groan - oh no, not another high minded Euro American intervention in Dar -al-Islam.

August has some bad precedents for starting wars ; mark you, in the fairly recent past September has not been better...

[Azrael]

That being said, had I been in Putin's place, I would have simply replied to the Saudi that Russian secret services are not populated only with incompetents, and that Bandar would guarantee with his life that no terrorist attack will take place during the Winter Games.

Since I am meaner than Alexis, I would have promised, if I were in Putin's shoes, that the whole top tier of the Saudi Royal Family - including the King - would be wiped out if anything would happen at the Winter Games...

Same here. The Saudis had better be praying for a peaceful Winter Games right now. Perhaps Assad will be the next Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

[Azrael]

Very interesting meeting took place in July between Prince Bandar, head of Saudi secret services, and Vladimir Putin, president of Russian Federation.

Prince Bandar, head of Saudi intelligence, allegedly confronted the Kremlin with a mix of inducements and threats in a bid to break the deadlock over Syria.
(...)
As-Safir said Prince Bandar pledged to safeguard Russia’s naval base in Syria if the Assad regime is toppled, but he also hinted at Chechen terrorist attacks on Russia’s Winter Olympics in Sochi if there is no accord. “I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” he allegedly said.

This brazen threat of commanditing a terrorist attack against Sochi Winter Olympic Games, in the face of Vladimir Putin, proves that Bandar has great confidence in the solidity of Saudi defence agreement with the US...

That would seem like a foolhardy thing for Bandar Bush to do. Doesn't Russia have ways to retaliate against Saudi Arabia, and even Bandar personally?

That being said, had I been in Putin's place, I would have simply replied to the Saudi that Russian secret services are not populated only with incompetents, and that Bandar would guarantee with his life that no terrorist attack will take place during the Winter Games.

Exactly.

Now, I'm a mean person, while Putin is a known bleeding heart sentimental, so I'm sure he can't have made any similar retort.

He wouldn't have to. He'd probably just laugh.

... But the most interesting part is at the end!

The Putin-Bandar meeting was stormy, replete with warnings of a “dramatic turn” in Syria. Mr Putin was unmoved by the Saudi offer, though western pressure has escalated since then. (...) Prince Bandar in turn warned that there can be “no escape from the military option” if Russia declines the olive branch. Events are unfolding exactly as he foretold.

Evans-Pritchard is right: Bandar displayed really impressive talents of future-telling during this July meeting... for events are unfolding exactly as he said they would.

Makes one think, right?

Makes one think that if the Jihadists take over Syria, they could use it as a base to take over other countries in the region. I hear that devout Muslims are particularly interested in Mecca and Medina . . . where are they? I bet Bandar knows.

Just to the south of Syria, not too far from Damascus (star at top of map), is another majority Sunni Muslim Arab country: Jordan. Much of the population is Palestinian. Now look where Jordan lies with respect to Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis and the Mossad are stupid to start knocking down dominoes.

[monster_gardener]

Very interesting meeting took place in July between Prince Bandar, head of Saudi secret services, and Vladimir Putin, president of Russian Federation.

Prince Bandar, head of Saudi intelligence, allegedly confronted the Kremlin with a mix of inducements and threats in a bid to break the deadlock over Syria.
(...)
As-Safir said Prince Bandar pledged to safeguard Russia’s naval base in Syria if the Assad regime is toppled, but he also hinted at Chechen terrorist attacks on Russia’s Winter Olympics in Sochi if there is no accord. “I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” he allegedly said.

This brazen threat of commanditing a terrorist attack against Sochi Winter Olympic Games, in the face of Vladimir Putin, proves that Bandar has great confidence in the solidity of Saudi defence agreement with the US...

That would seem like a foolhardy thing for Bandar Bush to do. Doesn't Russia have ways to retaliate against Saudi Arabia, and even Bandar personally?

That being said, had I been in Putin's place, I would have simply replied to the Saudi that Russian secret services are not populated only with incompetents, and that Bandar would guarantee with his life that no terrorist attack will take place during the Winter Games.

Exactly.

Now, I'm a mean person, while Putin is a known bleeding heart sentimental, so I'm sure he can't have made any similar retort.

He wouldn't have to. He'd probably just laugh.

... But the most interesting part is at the end!

The Putin-Bandar meeting was stormy, replete with warnings of a “dramatic turn” in Syria. Mr Putin was unmoved by the Saudi offer, though western pressure has escalated since then. (...) Prince Bandar in turn warned that there can be “no escape from the military option” if Russia declines the olive branch. Events are unfolding exactly as he foretold.

Evans-Pritchard is right: Bandar displayed really impressive talents of future-telling during this July meeting... for events are unfolding exactly as he said they would.

Makes one think, right?

Makes one think that if the Jihadists take over Syria, they could use it as a base to take over other countries in the region. I hear that devout Muslims are particularly interested in Mecca and Medina . . . where are they? I bet Bandar knows.

Just to the south of Syria, not too far from Damascus (star at top of map), is another majority Sunni Muslim Arab country: Jordan. Much of the population is Palestinian. Now look where Jordan lies with respect to Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis and the Mossad are stupid to start knocking down dominoes.

Thank You Very Much for your post, Azrael.

The Saudis and the Mossad are stupid to start knocking down dominoes.

AIUI also Wall Street Banksters playing with food prices in the wake of a drought

And the Hot Air of an Arrogant, Lazy, Lying, Duty Station Deserting, Son of a Bitch Eating President of Uz and others blowing on those dominoes.......

[Alexis]

Russia evacuates Russian women and children from Syria.

"On board were 89 people wanting to leave Syria, including 75 Russians," emergencies ministry spokesperson Irina Rossius said in a statement on the ministry website. "They are mostly women and children."

IMO, this means two things:

- Russians think the attack will come very soon

- The men are staying. Probably not for tourism purposes

[Endovelico]

Has anyone thought that all this sabre rattling about Syria could have as its main purpose to hide a real preparation for the bombing of Iran? Don't be surprised if Israel goes for Iran while the US goes for Syria...

[Torchwood]

A proxy war with Russia .... that's all we need

[Endovelico]

[Endovelico]

From Pepe Escobar's Facebook:

VERY IMPORTANT: RUSSIA HAS PROOF THAT THE "REBELS" DID IT.

Khalil Harb, of Lebanese paper As-Safir, confirmed a few minutes ago to my great friend Claudio Gallo an article published in Arabic two days ago, quoting a Russian source.

According to the source, Russia's ambassador in the UN Security Council, Vitaly Churkin, presented conclusive evidence - based on documents and Russian satellite images - of two rockets carrying toxic chemicals, fired from Douma, controlled by the Syrian "rebels", and landing on East Ghouta. Hundreds of "rebels", as well as civilians - including those children on the cover of Western corporate media papers - were killed. The evidence, says the Russian source, is conclusive. This is what Lavrov himself was hinting at yesterday. And that's the reason there's no UN Security Council resolution against Syria, and why Washington does not want the inspectors to find anything.

https://www.facebook.com/pepe.escobar.77377

[monster_gardener]

Has anyone thought that all this sabre rattling about Syria could have as its main purpose to hide a real preparation for the bombing of Iran? Don't be surprised if Israel goes for Iran while the US goes for Syria...

Thank you Very Much for your post, Endovelico.

]Has anyone thought that all this sabre rattling about Syria could have as its main purpose to hide a real preparation for the bombing of Iran?

I doubt that we are competent enough for that sort of thing as a plan under Arrogant, Lazy, Lying, Duty Station Deserting, Son of a Bitch Eating President Obama

Don't be surprised if Israel goes for Iran while the US goes for Syria..

But IMVHO you are correct that it could happen.

AIUI Bashir the Wild ASSad is threatening to attack Israel if the US attacks Syria.

And Bashir the Wild ASSad is allay/vassal of Iran and Russia getting arms from both of them.

Israel might attack Iran as well as Syria if attacked.


The White House Phone number is 202-456-1111 if anyone wants to try to persuade Arrogant, Lazy, Lying, Duty Station Deserting, Son of a Bitch Eating President Obama not to do this folly.....

Just on the radio: Only 9% of Americans want to attack Syria......

[monster_gardener]

A proxy war with Russia .... that's all we need

Thank You Very Much for your post, Torchwood.

We almost had one in Kosovo too.

Kudos to British General, Sir Mike Jackson, who told US General Weasely oops I mean General Wesley Clark "No!" when Clark wanted to fight the Russians there unnecessarily.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Mike_Jackson

[Heracleum Persicum]

.

Rumi.jpg (12.72 KiB) Viewed 1461 times

.

[Azrael]

Just on the radio: Only 9% of Americans want to attack Syria......

I think that it is very likely that the President knows this. Let's hope he listens to the reasonable people. After so many years of dealing with disaster after disaster in the middle east, Americans are finally starting to grow a few brain cells. We aren't so easy to fool as we used to be.

[Azrael]

From Pepe Escobar's Facebook:

VERY IMPORTANT: RUSSIA HAS PROOF THAT THE "REBELS" DID IT.

Khalil Harb, of Lebanese paper As-Safir, confirmed a few minutes ago to my great friend Claudio Gallo an article published in Arabic two days ago, quoting a Russian source.

According to the source, Russia's ambassador in the UN Security Council, Vitaly Churkin, presented conclusive evidence - based on documents and Russian satellite images - of two rockets carrying toxic chemicals, fired from Douma, controlled by the Syrian "rebels", and landing on East Ghouta. Hundreds of "rebels", as well as civilians - including those children on the cover of Western corporate media papers - were killed. The evidence, says the Russian source, is conclusive. This is what Lavrov himself was hinting at yesterday. And that's the reason there's no UN Security Council resolution against Syria, and why Washington does not want the inspectors to find anything.

https://www.facebook.com/pepe.escobar.77377

I bet the neocons are begging for the Pentagon to start blowing stuff up soon before the evidence gets on the evening news.

Here's a link to Pepe Escobar's post on the East Ghouta attack.

[Torchwood]

From Pepe Escobar's Facebook:

VERY IMPORTANT: RUSSIA HAS PROOF THAT THE "REBELS" DID IT.

Khalil Harb, of Lebanese paper As-Safir, confirmed a few minutes ago to my great friend Claudio Gallo an article published in Arabic two days ago, quoting a Russian source.

According to the source, Russia's ambassador in the UN Security Council, Vitaly Churkin, presented conclusive evidence - based on documents and Russian satellite images - of two rockets carrying toxic chemicals, fired from Douma, controlled by the Syrian "rebels", and landing on East Ghouta. Hundreds of "rebels", as well as civilians - including those children on the cover of Western corporate media papers - were killed. The evidence, says the Russian source, is conclusive. This is what Lavrov himself was hinting at yesterday. And that's the reason there's no UN Security Council resolution against Syria, and why Washington does not want the inspectors to find anything.

https://www.facebook.com/pepe.escobar.77377

Yes, well they (Putin and Pepe) would say that, wouldn't they?

[Endovelico]

Operation Tomahawk with cheese
By Pepe Escobar

This deafeningly hysterical show of Syria as Iraq 2.0 is only happening because a president of the United States (POTUS) created a ''credibility'' problem when, recklessly, he pronounced the use of chemical weapons in Syria a ''red line''.

Thus the US government urgently needs to punish the transgressor - to hell with evidence - to maintain its ''credibility''. But this time it will be ''limited''. ''Tailored''. Only ''a few days''. A ''shot across the bow'' - as POTUS qualified it. Still, some - but not all - ''high-value targets'', including command and control facilities and delivery systems, in Syria will have to welcome a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles (384 are already positioned in the eastern Mediterranean).

We all know how the Pentagon loves to christen its assorted humanitarian liberations across the globe with names like Desert Fox, Invincible Vulture or some other product of brainstorming idiocy. So now it's time to call Operation Tomahawk With Cheese.

It's like ordering a pizza delivery. ''Hello, I'd like a Tomahawk with cheese.'' ''Of course, it will be ready in 20 minutes.'' ''Hold on, wait! I need to fool the UN first. Can I pick it up next week? With extra cheese?''

In 1988, Operation Desert Fox - launched by Bill ''I did not have sex with that woman'' Clinton - was designed to ''degrade'', but not destroy, Saddam Hussein's capacity to manufacture non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Now, the deployment of those deeply moral Tomahawks is also designed to ''degrade'' the Bashar al-Assad's government capacity to unleash unproven chemical weapons attacks.

Yet there's always that pesky problem of perennially ungrateful Arabs who, according to the New York Times, ''are emotionally opposed to any Western military action in the region no matter how humanitarian the cause''.

The deeply humanitarian Operation Tomahawk With Cheese is running into all sorts of problems with the calendar. POTUS leaves next Tuesday to Sweden - and from there he will go to St Petersburg for the Group of 20 summit, on Thursday and Friday next week. The proverbial horde of ''unnamed White House officials'' has been spinning like mad centrifuges, emphasizing that POTUS must wrap up Tomahawk With Cheese before he musters the courage to face Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of emerging powers.

Surveying his impossibilities - with one eye to the calendar and another to the resistance to enlarge his mini-coalition of the willing - now POTUS seems to be looking for an exit strategy that in fact would all but abandon Operation Tomahawk With Cheese.

Others are way more resilient. A predictable bunch of 66 former ''government officials'' and ''foreign policy experts'' - all of them Ziocons under the umbrella of the Foreign Policy Initiative - has published a letter urging POTUS to go way beyond Operation Tomahawk With Cheese, arguing for a pizza sparing no lethal ingredients. This would be a true humanitarian mission, able to support ''moderate'' Syrian ''rebels'' and on top of it ''dissuade Iran from developing nuclear weapons''.

A rebel, but not a jerk

Let's see what a ''moderate'' Syrian ''rebel'' thinks about all this. Haytahm Manna, in exile for 35 years, is a key member of the non-armed Syrian opposition (yes, they do exist). But he's not following the script; he's resolutely against Operation Tomahawk, with cheese or with extra cheese. (See here (in French).

Worse; he debunks the US government's ''evidence'' of a chemical weapons attack as ''propaganda'' and ''psychological war''. He stresses the chemicals were launched with ''artisanal weapons''; that ties up with Russian intelligence, which is sure gas that it was delivered by a homemade missile fired from a base under opposition control (extensive details compiled here; scroll down to ''Qaboun rocket launches'').

Manna also points to ''videos and photos on the Internet before the attacks''; to al-Qaeda's previous use of chemical weapons; and to the Russians as ''seriously working for the Geneva II negotiations'', unlike the Americans.

Ooops. This is not exactly what the designers of Operation Tomahawk With Cheese were expecting. If a Syrian exile draws these conclusions, the same applies to Syria civilians who are about to be greeted by those deeply moral Tomahawks.

The Pentagon could always go for Plan B. A single Tomahawk costs at least US$1.5 million. Multiply that for 384. That's not a great bang for your buck - because even if they all go humanitarian, the Bashar al-Assad government would still remain in place.

So why not drop planeloads of sexy, Pininfarina-designed Ferrari Californias? They retail for around $200.000. Imagine the frenzy among Assad elite forces struggling to seize the Big Prize, one among 2,000 Californias. With their eyes off the ball, the ''rebels'' could easily sneak in everywhere and take over Damascus. And perhaps even stage the victory parade on a fleet of photogenic Ferraris. Call that an improvement over Libya.

Operation Tomahawk With Cheese may still happen; even with the calendar pressing; even bypassing the UN; even with a mini-coalition of the willing; even making a total mockery of international law. The White House has made it clear that ''diplomatic paralysis'' cannot infringe on its ''credibility''.

As for what is happening 10 years after the invasion and occupation of Iraq, it's about the US government, parts of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Britain and France) and parts of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) burying the previous, much-lauded Euro-Arab ''dialogue'' and turning into a shady Atlanticist-Islamist cabal bent on smashing yet another secular Arab republic. Talk about rotten cheese.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_Eas ... 90813.html

[Azrael]

From Pepe Escobar's Facebook:

VERY IMPORTANT: RUSSIA HAS PROOF THAT THE "REBELS" DID IT.

Khalil Harb, of Lebanese paper As-Safir, confirmed a few minutes ago to my great friend Claudio Gallo an article published in Arabic two days ago, quoting a Russian source.

According to the source, Russia's ambassador in the UN Security Council, Vitaly Churkin, presented conclusive evidence - based on documents and Russian satellite images - of two rockets carrying toxic chemicals, fired from Douma, controlled by the Syrian "rebels", and landing on East Ghouta. Hundreds of "rebels", as well as civilians - including those children on the cover of Western corporate media papers - were killed. The evidence, says the Russian source, is conclusive. This is what Lavrov himself was hinting at yesterday. And that's the reason there's no UN Security Council resolution against Syria, and why Washington does not want the inspectors to find anything.

https://www.facebook.com/pepe.escobar.77377

Yes, well they (Putin and Pepe) would say that, wouldn't they?

Yes they would. And they might be right. They might be wrong. They've been right, and wrong, before.

[monster_gardener]

Operation Tomahawk with cheese
By Pepe Escobar

This deafeningly hysterical show of Syria as Iraq 2.0 is only happening because a president of the United States (POTUS) created a ''credibility'' problem when, recklessly, he pronounced the use of chemical weapons in Syria a ''red line''.

Thus the US government urgently needs to punish the transgressor - to hell with evidence - to maintain its ''credibility''. But this time it will be ''limited''. ''Tailored''. Only ''a few days''. A ''shot across the bow'' - as POTUS qualified it. Still, some - but not all - ''high-value targets'', including command and control facilities and delivery systems, in Syria will have to welcome a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles (384 are already positioned in the eastern Mediterranean).

We all know how the Pentagon loves to christen its assorted humanitarian liberations across the globe with names like Desert Fox, Invincible Vulture or some other product of brainstorming idiocy. So now it's time to call Operation Tomahawk With Cheese.

It's like ordering a pizza delivery. ''Hello, I'd like a Tomahawk with cheese.'' ''Of course, it will be ready in 20 minutes.'' ''Hold on, wait! I need to fool the UN first. Can I pick it up next week? With extra cheese?''

In 1988, Operation Desert Fox - launched by Bill ''I did not have sex with that woman'' Clinton - was designed to ''degrade'', but not destroy, Saddam Hussein's capacity to manufacture non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Now, the deployment of those deeply moral Tomahawks is also designed to ''degrade'' the Bashar al-Assad's government capacity to unleash unproven chemical weapons attacks.

Yet there's always that pesky problem of perennially ungrateful Arabs who, according to the New York Times, ''are emotionally opposed to any Western military action in the region no matter how humanitarian the cause''.

The deeply humanitarian Operation Tomahawk With Cheese is running into all sorts of problems with the calendar. POTUS leaves next Tuesday to Sweden - and from there he will go to St Petersburg for the Group of 20 summit, on Thursday and Friday next week. The proverbial horde of ''unnamed White House officials'' has been spinning like mad centrifuges, emphasizing that POTUS must wrap up Tomahawk With Cheese before he musters the courage to face Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of emerging powers.

Surveying his impossibilities - with one eye to the calendar and another to the resistance to enlarge his mini-coalition of the willing - now POTUS seems to be looking for an exit strategy that in fact would all but abandon Operation Tomahawk With Cheese.

Others are way more resilient. A predictable bunch of 66 former ''government officials'' and ''foreign policy experts'' - all of them Ziocons under the umbrella of the Foreign Policy Initiative - has published a letter urging POTUS to go way beyond Operation Tomahawk With Cheese, arguing for a pizza sparing no lethal ingredients. This would be a true humanitarian mission, able to support ''moderate'' Syrian ''rebels'' and on top of it ''dissuade Iran from developing nuclear weapons''.

A rebel, but not a jerk

Let's see what a ''moderate'' Syrian ''rebel'' thinks about all this. Haytahm Manna, in exile for 35 years, is a key member of the non-armed Syrian opposition (yes, they do exist). But he's not following the script; he's resolutely against Operation Tomahawk, with cheese or with extra cheese. (See here (in French).

Worse; he debunks the US government's ''evidence'' of a chemical weapons attack as ''propaganda'' and ''psychological war''. He stresses the chemicals were launched with ''artisanal weapons''; that ties up with Russian intelligence, which is sure gas that it was delivered by a homemade missile fired from a base under opposition control (extensive details compiled here; scroll down to ''Qaboun rocket launches'').

Manna also points to ''videos and photos on the Internet before the attacks''; to al-Qaeda's previous use of chemical weapons; and to the Russians as ''seriously working for the Geneva II negotiations'', unlike the Americans.

Ooops. This is not exactly what the designers of Operation Tomahawk With Cheese were expecting. If a Syrian exile draws these conclusions, the same applies to Syria civilians who are about to be greeted by those deeply moral Tomahawks.

The Pentagon could always go for Plan B. A single Tomahawk costs at least US$1.5 million. Multiply that for 384. That's not a great bang for your buck - because even if they all go humanitarian, the Bashar al-Assad government would still remain in place.

So why not drop planeloads of sexy, Pininfarina-designed Ferrari Californias? They retail for around $200.000. Imagine the frenzy among Assad elite forces struggling to seize the Big Prize, one among 2,000 Californias. With their eyes off the ball, the ''rebels'' could easily sneak in everywhere and take over Damascus. And perhaps even stage the victory parade on a fleet of photogenic Ferraris. Call that an improvement over Libya.

Operation Tomahawk With Cheese may still happen; even with the calendar pressing; even bypassing the UN; even with a mini-coalition of the willing; even making a total mockery of international law. The White House has made it clear that ''diplomatic paralysis'' cannot infringe on its ''credibility''.

As for what is happening 10 years after the invasion and occupation of Iraq, it's about the US government, parts of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Britain and France) and parts of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) burying the previous, much-lauded Euro-Arab ''dialogue'' and turning into a shady Atlanticist-Islamist cabal bent on smashing yet another secular Arab republic. Talk about rotten cheese.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_Eas ... 90813.html

Thank You VERY Much for your Very Enjoyable Post, Endovelico!

All it missed were a few graphics!

Excerpted from your post:

The Pentagon could always go for Plan B. A single Tomahawk costs at least US$1.5 million. Multiply that for 384. That's not a great bang for your buck - because even if they all go humanitarian, the Bashar al-Assad government would still remain in place.

So why not drop planeloads of sexy, Pininfarina-designed Ferrari Californias? They retail for around $200.000. Imagine the frenzy among Assad elite forces struggling to seize the Big Prize, one among 2,000 Californias. With their eyes off the ball, the ''rebels'' could easily sneak in everywhere and take over Damascus. And perhaps even stage the victory parade on a fleet of photogenic Ferraris. Call that an improvement over Libya.

I LIKE it! and Operation Give an Alawite a Ferrari would be cheaper






That last pic reminds me of Lightning McQueen from "Cars"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cars_%28film%29

CARS Wars!

Let's Let Cars fight the war!

[Azrael]

So let me get this straight . . . elements of the Syrian opposition that aren't owned by the Saudis, or the Mossad, or Al Qaeda say that the chemical weapons weren't used by Assad and that they don't want us to launch missiles at Syria? WTF are we doing!

I know that the Saudis own the Bush family. Do they own Obama, too?

Ferraris, not bombs!