# Syria deploys troops to put down protesters **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 21, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522 "2011-03-21T21:59:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/21 "2011-05-13T03:42:20Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Even though you’re most certainly better informed than me about the local situation, I don’t really see how attacking Israel would make much sense in case of American bombings (I’m assuming here you’re refering to a ground attack, not to missiles). Because places like Syria and Iran hold Israel over our heads. If we do something they don’t like, then their missiles aim that-a-way. I don’t see Syria crashing just yet. I see a serious of heavy handed actions by the government (I can’t believe this is still happening, actually). A destabilized Syria will be in _a lot_ of trouble. 😕 Look how well Egyptians are loving (or not) their newfound freedoms! :o ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/22 "2011-05-13T03:43:21Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And Syria is **still** deploying troops to put down protesters. Saw a clip on Anderson Cooper tonight, where some guys had to take cover from police gunfire and brave it to try to retrieve their friend who was lying shot in the street, but alive. While the police kept shooting at them. > \*\* > Cooper explained this is because it is now government/police/military policy not to allow the bodies of anyone shot down in the protests to be retrieved, alive or dead, because the funerals of persons killed in protests keep turning into fresh protests.\*\* Ah, we need the hobo smiley for this: Isn’t that against Muslim law? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/23 "2011-05-13T03:56:35Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Ah, we need the hobo smiley for this: > > Isn’t that against Muslim law? :eek: I dunno. Can Muslims have a funeral without a body? It would be unthinkable in some cultures, I believe, notably China. I recall a story about a Chinese fisherman who retrieved a drowned man’s body from the river and offered to return it to his family, but for a sti- erm, high price. The family went to a notable lawyer and asked his advice. He said, “Wait. No one else will pay for the body.” They did, and the fisherman grew anxious and went to the same lawyer (apparently Chinese lawyers had no ethical rule against counseling opposing parties in the same matter). He told the fisherman, “Wait. Nowhere else can they obtain the body.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/24 "2011-05-15T06:13:30Z")
[And more . . .](http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/05/2011514111351532345.html) > [@](#): > > At least four people have been killed after army troops stormed the town of Talkalakh in the restive Homs province in western Syria. > > Witnesses said those killed on Saturday were among dozens of people attempting to leave Talkalakh and enter Lebanon, which borders the town, a day after a mass demonstration there against the rule of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. > > “The security forces, who had been encircling Talkalakh since the morning, fired machine guns. At least three people were killed and several were wounded,” a witness told the AFP news agency. > > A fourth died in hospital in Lebanon from gunshot wounds sustained while fleeing the Syrian town, medical sources said. > > Another eyewitness on the border told Al Jazeera that at least 19 people were wounded as the military swooped into the town. Got that? There are now refugees fleeing Syria and seeking safety in Lebanon. How desperate do you have to be to seek **safety** in **Lebanon?!** :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/25 "2011-05-15T07:43:49Z")
That’s what I was thinking! Damn. So what will this do for Hezbollah? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/26 "2011-05-21T02:20:34Z")
Still more footage on CNN of soldiers shooting at protesters, hitting some. Still they keep protesting. This is going to get uglier. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/27 "2011-05-21T20:23:05Z")
FWIW, Wikipedia is now classifying this as the [“2011 Syrian Uprising.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Syrian_uprising) Ominous word. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/28 "2011-05-21T21:10:37Z")
Well, it’s been awhile and so far, Obama has done nothing but stick out his tongue at Assad. Wiki sucks. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/29 "2011-05-21T21:43:58Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Well, it’s been awhile and so far, Obama has done nothing but stick out his tongue at Assad. What did you expect?! ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/30 "2011-05-21T21:57:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What did you expect?! That’s exactly what I expected. It doesn’t look like the Middle East cares about his opinions, anyway. Egypt, Behrain, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Gaza, West Bank, and…does Jordan have an opinion? They are probably enjoying this. Obama is making the mistake of his predecessor: Extreme arrogance. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/31 "2011-05-21T22:38:33Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Obama is making the mistake of his predecessor: Extreme arrogance. 😕 Seems to me you’re charging him with the **opposite** mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/32 "2011-05-21T22:40:39Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 Seems to me you’re charging him with the **opposite** mistake. No - Bush did the same thing. Stuck his tongue out, if you’re not with us you’re against us, don’t be a jerk, hey look,\* Victory\*! etc. He was arrogant in military force, yes. But Obama’s foreign policy hasn’t changed much from the Bush Doctrine - with the exception of this Israel gaffe as of late. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/33 "2011-05-22T00:33:22Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > No - Bush did the same thing. Stuck his tongue out, if you’re not with us you’re against us, don’t be a jerk, hey look,\* Victory\*! etc. > > He was arrogant in military force, yes. But Obama’s foreign policy hasn’t changed much from the Bush Doctrine - with the exception of this Israel gaffe as of late. But, Obama is **not invading** Syria, or Libya, or Iran, or anywhere else it just might arguably do some good but also might turn into an Iraq-scale fiasco. (Not even Israel. ;)) Doesn’t seem likely to, either. That makes him less arrogant than W. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/34 "2011-05-22T06:00:25Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But, Obama is **not invading** Syria, or Libya, or Iran, or anywhere else it just might arguably do some good but also might turn into an Iraq-scale fiasco. (Not even Israel. ;)) Doesn’t seem likely to, either. That makes him less arrogant than W. None of those places could possibly do us any good. Arguably or not. edit: Who invades a country with nukes, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/35 "2011-05-27T14:09:07Z")
[More protesters shot dead.](http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/05/201152791250989274.html) The G8 is “appalled.” BFD, but that’s the same G8 where [Russia just did an about-face and agreed to help Gaddafi go.](http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/05/2011527114252533477.html) Wonder if there’s a pattern emerging here? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/36 "2011-05-27T14:11:10Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > None of those places could possibly do us any good. Arguably or not. > > edit: Who invades a country with nukes, anyway? It would **arguably** be good, not for Americans, but for the people of Syria, Libya, Iran, etc. That was part of the thinking behind the Iraq War. Purportedly. Iran has the bomb, but they can only deliver it by humvee. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/37 "2011-05-27T15:40:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It would **arguably** be good, not for Americans, but for the people of Syria, Libya, Iran, etc. That was part of the thinking behind the Iraq War. Purportedly. > > Iran has the bomb, but they can only deliver it by humvee. It would not be good because: [ol] [li]Democracy happens within.[/li] [li]We couldn’t complete the mission.[/li][/ol] If they rose up and wanted to overthrow their government and we funded them or gave limited support (like the French did with the colonists) that’s one thing. But you’re talking about groups of people fighting against government that has direct control over their geographical whereabouts. It’s an ideological war and the underdog has few weapons. This stuff takes years, if not decades, to achieve. Egypt’s ‘revolution’ made Egypt worse. You can’t spread democracy (right, Gaza? Egypt? mmm?), you can’t force democracy. You can only demand it, but demand it of your own government only. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/38 "2011-05-27T16:11:23Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > It would not be good . . . I was not suggesting it would be. That’s why the comparison with Iraq is apt. The point is that Obama has arguably-good reasons for invading these countries but refrains – that makes him less arrogant than W, at least in the foreign-policy realm. > [@CitizenPained](#): > > Egypt’s ‘revolution’ made Egypt worse. Wel–wait, **WHAT?!** ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/39 "2011-05-27T18:16:14Z")
What country has not used troops to put down demonstrations? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522/40 "2011-05-28T03:14:43Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Wel–wait, **WHAT?!** The fact that you can’t seem to comprehend his statement does not say good things about your ability to investigate the situation. One massive, huge problem in the Middle East is that the choice is often between corrupt, brutal autocrats and semi-honest, brutal theocrats. The major opposition in Egupt is the Muslim Brotherhood. I don’t think you have to guess too hard to figure out their platform. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-deploys-troops-to-put-down-protesters/575522.md?page=3)