kieran "Secular" in this context means that the government is not an instrument of a particular religion. ME societies are none of them secular in the sense that sect and denomination are not governing factors within them. To think that you can make these societies "secular" like the US is just an illusory idea. The best you can do is hold down the hyper-religious with the gun and the police so that everyone can live comfortably. In these situations autocratic "secular" government like that of the Mubaraks, the Assads, etc. is preferable to being ruled by fanatics. Ask the Christians in Syria, Iraq and Egypt if that is not true. pl

maryam This was entirely a political move intended to make it acceptable for the Assad's to rule Syria. pl

kieran Syria is presently a secular country and society. The rebels and naifs seek to make it otherwise. pl

babak Abdullah was merely wrong. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. pl

Maryam It was always a red herring. The US constructed the Shia run government in Iraq. It is an Arab government. it is never going to surrender its sovereignty to Persian Iran. Only 10% of the Iraqi Kurds are Shia. the rest are Sunni. the Yazidi Kurds can hardly be said to be Muslims, much less Shia. The same is true of both the Alawis and Druze. Lebanese Hizbullah is a specifically Lebanese group concerned with Israel and it own parliamentary position. What "circle?" pl

Kieran The "moderates" rarely win in a post revolutionary political struggle. I doubt that they will in this case. hope is not a basis for policy. To call the Baath government "transformative" is a stretch. Transformative to what end state? Other than a half assed inclination to industrialization and an inclination towards Western culture, I have not seen much of an agenda. The government has a firm grip on the security forces? If that is true the rebels prospects are dim. pl

John Minnerath and WRC Such losses were commonplace in the Civil War, WW 1 and WW 2. The worst I ever saw was 54 KIA and 79+ WIA in one US rifle company. Losses at places like LZ Albany were also very high. pl

kieran There are tyrannies and then there are tyrannies. IMO religious tyrannies are the worst of all. It can be argued that if the Syrian "opposition' were a truly popular cause the government would have fallen long ago. BTW I don't lie. pl

babak That is indeed US policy and the US has sought to involve SA in that policy with regard to Iran. Syria is seen by some of the more shallow armchair strategists as a backdoor to Iran. the linkage escapes me since if Syria's government falls Iran will be largely undiminished. In re Syria, US and saudi policy march hand in hand but the Saudis have had an unflinching purpose with regard to the Levant for a long time. pl

babak There is no one in the USG clever enough to conceive and execute that ploy. If there were I would be all for it. you don't understand the massive bureaucratic obstacles that such a plan wold have to overcome. We ain't up to the job. pl

babak "Assorted Jihadists and other undesirables are going to Syria from these other countries like Southern Persian Gulf states and elsewhere and getting themselves killed in Syria; helping the internal security of those states. In the meantime, a Friend of Iran and an enemy of Israel is being wounded. What is not to like here?" Ah, the old bugaboo of the "hidden hand" rises again. well, if this were true, I would sign up to support a policy that would not bring on US intervention and have this result, but it is not true. pl

maryam Do you associate yourself with a particular tariqa? pl

CK I decline the argument. I would not know where to begin, but David Habakkuk might. pl

babak A corollary of the ahistorical American phenomenon is the inability of most Americans to believe that other cultures actually exist. The belief is that those who display varying cultural characteristics are merely "backward" and are waiting to be initiated into the one world culture which is of course American. pl

maryam I think your mini-sermons are very worthwhile. Please continue. Are you a convert to Islam? It seems to me that there is more than a hint of tasawwuf in your thinking. pl

maryam I quoted the scripture of your faith, not mine. Is the word of God not immutable? It has been so for Sunnis since the time of al-Mutawakkil. pl

maryam Our "historical grievances?" "Say he is the one God, God almighty. Neither does he beget not is he begotten." Qur'an. We have more then "historical differences." pl

CK Ah, a communist or at least a fellow traveler. Well, my friend if you think communism was a good thing, I am only sorry that I missed you. pl

AE In re Chapman, the answer is incompetence brought on by using operational commands as rewards in affirmative action jobs game. the woman in charge there was an analyst with no significant field transition time. This is not an objection to her gender. pl

Grimgrin The differences are mainly in the faithful representation of the two cultures. Spacy's Underwood artfully captures the "Snopes' in the man. pl

CK The people in the east were captives of communism. What is so difficult to understand? our people were captives of nothing nut their own greed. pl