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eklipse · Jan 6, 2004, 08:01 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3371735.stm

Syria will only renounce its weapons of mass destruction programmes in tandem with similar dismantling by Israel, its president said in an interview.

The call came as Mr Assad began a historic visit to Turkey - the first ever by a Syrian head of state.

Bashar al-Assad said it was "natural" for his country to wish to defend itself without coordinated disarmament by the whole Middle East region.

"Unless this applies to all countries, we are wasting our time," he said.

Seems fair - never will happen though.

Thoughts?

lil'babykitten · Jan 6, 2004, 08:02 AM

Originally posted by eklipse:
Thoughts?

Assad grew some balls?

Millennium · Jan 6, 2004, 08:40 AM

Fair enough.

It's certainly not going to happen while Sharon is in power. But frankly, this outcome -a coordinated disarmament, that is- is the outcome I'd prefer to see.

Only problem is, I'm not sure I trust any of the nations there, Israel, Syria, or anyone else, to actually honor such an agreement. At least, not with the current crop of leaders.

macvillage.net · Jan 6, 2004, 08:44 AM

Won't happen:

It would cause peace. That goes against Israeli Government's plan for the Middle East.

He does have a good point though. Until all sides disarm. What's the point? As soon as one side lets their guard down... it's going to be rape.

Peace means *both* sides live at ease. Not one. That's the part to most in this conflict fail to understand. Genocide != peace.

The Ayatollah · Jan 6, 2004, 07:17 PM

Israel can't and won't disarm. The threat from the extremists and lunatics is too great. Any one of those puke-brained Hamas or Islamic Jihad sympathisers could wind up the next Dictator-in-Chief of Syria and start lobbing chemical warheads their way.

Until the terrorist pestilence is purged from the face of this spinning rock, Israel must keep its nukes and arms to preserve its rightful existence.

MathewM · Jan 6, 2004, 07:58 PM

The Ayatollah speaks the truth.

However it'd be a lot easier just to move Israelies to Florida, overthrow Castro, claim Cuba as the 51st state and call it a day.

MathewM · Jan 6, 2004, 11:51 PM

Originally posted by lil'babykitten:
Assad grew some balls?

As a terrorist sympathisizer you must understand that it is in Syria's best interest that Israel rid itself of WMD's.

MathewM · Jan 7, 2004, 01:52 AM

Originally posted by macvillage.net:
Won't happen:

It would cause peace. That goes against Israeli Government's plan for the Middle East.

Actually Israel would be content with where they are except that the Palestinians think otherwise.

There will never be peace in the middle east because it is majority ran by ancient tribalism.

The middle east could be a peacefull place if the populace would decide that a democratic way of doing things is in their best interest. Democratic countries never go to war with one another.

eklipse · Jan 7, 2004, 05:45 AM

Originally posted by MathewM:
Actually Israel would be content with where they are except that the Palestinians think otherwise.

LOL! - Of course Israel would be content with where they are -

They only have control over 59% of the West Bank and 40% of the Gaza Strip (in addition to their own contentious territory); they only have an American backed military; they only have something resembling a legitimate state and a semi-viable economy -

What do the Palestinians have except Jordanian refugee camps, squalid villages and fear of further Israeli military incursions?

SimeyTheLimey · Jan 7, 2004, 08:13 AM

Originally posted by lil'babykitten:
Assad grew some balls?

Given the nature of Assad's regime and its track record, I'd call it chutzpah.

MathewM · Jan 7, 2004, 10:51 AM

Originally posted by eklipse:

What do the Palestinians have except Jordanian refugee camps, squalid villages and fear of further Israeli military incursions?

The Palestinians could have whatever they wanted if they would just saddle up into the 21st Century and form a legitimate, democratic government. Unfortunately the powers that be think suicide is the answer.

You don't even understand that the Palestinians are pawns for all the other despots in the middle east. Iraq and Syria both have a track record of funding Palestinian terrorist groups. Israel just happens to be the whipping boy because a) Jews are viewed as nomadic people who do not belong (typical stupid tribalism) and b) have the only democratic government in the region.

eklipse · Jan 7, 2004, 04:44 PM

Originally posted by MathewM:
The Palestinians could have whatever they wanted if they would just saddle up into the 21st Century and form a legitimate, democratic government. Unfortunately the powers that be think suicide is the answer.

You don't even understand that the Palestinians are pawns for all the other despots in the middle east. Iraq and Syria both have a track record of funding Palestinian terrorist groups. Israel just happens to be the whipping boy because a) Jews are viewed as nomadic people who do not belong (typical stupid tribalism) and b) have the only democratic government in the region.

The Palestinian leadership (or lack thereof) is definitely a major problem - no question about that - it doesn't, however, excuse Israel's actions that continue to pour more fuel onto the fire.

I very much doubt that neighboring Arab states care whether the Jews are nomadic or settled - as long as they don't settle on other peoples' land without permission. As far as I'm aware, the 'Jews should never have a homeland' argument is an internal disagreement within the Jewish community.

Israel having a democratic government means precisely d!ck.

MathewM · Jan 7, 2004, 04:53 PM

Originally posted by eklipse:

Israel having a democratic government means precisely d!ck.

Does it?

Then why the hostility in the region towards Israel? Israel isn't nesting in Syria's or Iraq's land. Why then would they fund terrorist attacks on Israel soil?

You're assuming everything would be hunky dory if Israel just backed out of Palestinian territory. Israel's neighbors want Israel out of the Middle East. Period. The only thing holding back Syria from declaring war on Israel is the U.S.

Of course the U.S. is the evil caretaker of the world so maybe we just should stick our head in the sand and not do anything.

davesimondotcom · Jan 7, 2004, 04:56 PM

In other news, the bank robbers union came out in favor of bank guards being disarmed...

eklipse · Jan 7, 2004, 05:30 PM

Originally posted by MathewM:
Then why the hostility in the region towards Israel? Israel isn't nesting in Syria's or Iraq's land. Why then would they fund terrorist attacks on Israel soil?

Israel still occupies the Golan Heights, taken from Syria in 1967. Iraq's support was likely due to a sense of 'Arab solidarity' between them and the Palestinians.

You're assuming everything would be hunky dory if Israel just backed out of Palestinian territory. Israel's neighbors want Israel out of the Middle East. Period. The only thing holding back Syria from declaring war on Israel is the U.S.

There are no doubt many that would like to see the Israelis 'pushed into the sea' - I generally think this is unfeasible and would be no better than what the Zionists did to the Palestinians decades ago. Too much time has passed. If any action was to have been taken to forcibly remove the Zionists from the region, it should have been done before or soon after Israel's founding - it was tried, and it failed - now people have to move on.

Israel's pulling out from present day Palestinian territory and putting an end to the silly provocations would probably satisfy the majority and go a long way to appeasing the people that still cling to the 'Israelis-into-the-sea' dream. It's easier to forget about what you may have lost when you have something.

Israel does not need US help in order to flatten Syria several times over, should Syria be stupid enough to declare war.