by The Unorthodox Orthodox," I say what you are thinking!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkzDPwq4PfA
Delegation to Damascus Meets President Assad of Syria
http://www.antiochian.org/reardon-syria-delegation-2011
"From the moment we actually boarded our plane, however, and during the entire remainder of the trip—in Jordan and Syria—I did not see a single side arm on any person at all, and I saw only two rifles: one held by a guard in front of the Defense Ministry in Damascus, and the other by the man who opened the front gate for us at the Presidential Palace.
During our whole time in Syria, I saw not a single armed policeman, nor—except for that guard at the Defense Ministry—a single soldier. I saw only one military vehicle, and that was near the Defense Ministry.
The only other weapons I saw in Syria were the 10-inch batons used by the local police to direct the flow of traffic in Damascus. Indeed, the only moments of apprehension we felt in Syria were occasioned by extraordinary displays of spontaneity and boldness on the part of its cab drivers.
In Syria our delegation—together and singly—was permitted to walk wherever we wished and to ask any questions of anybody we wanted. There was only one restriction: the tourist agency, assigned to guide us, mentioned two cities where, out of concern for our safety, it could not take responsibility for us. This concern, they said, was prompted by patterns of violence among some of the “armed gangs and criminal elements” active in those cities—not the Syrian government."
"As we entered the building, it was very instructive to observe the lack of security surrounding the executive leader of a nation. No one in our group was frisked or patted down, nor were we obliged to pass through a metal detector. We were simply escorted into the Presidential Palace and greeted at the door of the conference room by President Assad himself.
Dr. Assad, speaking excellent English, showed himself to be very cordial and personable. There was not the faintest suggestion of a maniacal dictator like Castro, Noriega, Hussein, or Gaddafi. This was a man of obvious culture, refinement, modesty, and gentility. Our meeting, which lasted nearly 90 minutes, was informal, candid, and unhurried.
The President said the economy—chiefly widespread poverty—was at the heart of the problem in Syria. He went on to declare, however, that the originally peaceful demonstrators were later infiltrated by right wing extremists, including the Muslim Brotherhood and a small very dangerous group from Iraq. He confessed that neither he nor his government was prepared for the violence that erupted so suddenly.
In response to a specific question on the subject, President Assad admitted that the military force over-reacted to this violence, on occasion, so that some demonstrators were killed and others tortured. These developments, he insisted, were contrary to his own policies. Other reported tortures, according to the President, were actually acts of revenge undertaken by emotional military personnel, who had lost colleagues during the demonstrations.
The President estimated that the demonstrators represented about 150 to 200 thousand people, out of a population of 23 million.
Syria’s greater problem, he believed, came from the portrayal of Syria conveyed in the Western media. The latter were allowed free range in the country in the first month of the uprisings, but when their depiction of the situation became unfair, distorted, and unbalanced, the government determined to send them packing.
The President believed the Syrian people were ready for reform, and he declared his intention to give it to them. He already started with educational and election reforms and made a start towards weeding out political corruption. Much more is planned, he said, but it takes time."
President Assad with Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon, the well-loved Orthodox pastor, homilist, writer, and teacher, and pastor of All Saints' Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois.
'Our group was particularly interested in the President’s view of Syria’s Christian minority, which he believes is necessary in order to keep the country “secular.” (By this adjective, he explained, he meant a political setting in which no one religion can dictate to, or have advantage over, another.) Christianity has a moderating influence on Islam in Syria, he declared, and people are free to practice whatever religion they choose. “There can be no democracy in Syria,” said President Assad, “without Christians. A completely Muslim country would have not the counterbalance of influence necessary for democracy.”'
OK! That's enough politeness! People in Syria are dying, people outside Syria are lying!
WTF is going on? Cameron? Clegg? QE2?
Why are we backing muslim terrorists against Assad's SECULAR COUNTRY WHERE CHRISTIANS, JEWS AND MUSLIMS HAVE LIVED TOGETHER IN RELATIVE SAFETY,
UNTIL NOW? (allegedly, I believe,)
OH! Look at this! :
I believe, and it seems likely, that a thieving, psychopathic Qatari reptile (you know, the ugly basta*ds who now own that dump 'Harrods' with all the over-priced, Chinese-made sh*t inside it!) thinks he is some kind of 'royal prince' (he's a stinking crook really! )- ANYWAY, HE WANTS, AND IS PLANNING FOR, HIS SO-CALLED, 'ROYAL,' ROTTEN-TO-THE-CORE, JERK OF A SON TO BECOME EMIR OF SYRIA!!!???
His Pathetic, Spoiled 'Royal' Knob-Headed Highness! http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/12/10278.html
So has the replacement for President Assad already been 'CHOSEN'!?
Allegedly, I believe, etc.
hmm!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v6VxXZ2h7E see Patrick Henningsen from: 31 minutes in.
Where are these girls now? Are they safe? Do you care? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uNVjX8mxpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucpXdOtUnPc 'Syrian Girl' speaks the TRUTH.