Given Russia's sudden exit from supporting the Assad regime, it's likely a plan and ultimatum has been put to Putin.

Iran is to be isolated and contained.

The Muslim Middle East is to be a Sunni hegemony.

Israel will be defended at whatever cost to Shia states.

The Ukraine war is to end and Russia will only have negotiating powers on territory retention that it can prove it can hold.

Syria is a pile of rubble, so is Gaza.

Who wants to rule those two dumps?

It’s all quite fascinating. I’m far from a being an expert on the Middle East.
I have heard the rebel leader talk that he wants peace with all neighbours and especially mentioned Israel.

I can only hope that his words aren’t empty and peace returns to their lands.

MeisterEckhart wrote on Dec 9^th, 2024 at 10:44am:


Erdogan gave an ultimatum to Assad which he rejected.

Last time the terrorists tried to overthrow Assad Russia bombed the crap out of them.

These terrorists led by Erdogan realised Russia was weakened by war in Ukraine and likely unable to defend Syria like last time.

They would have realised Iran is a paper tiger who wouldn't defend Syria after Iran let Israel destroy Hamas and Hezbollah.

This is what happened in Syria last time they tried to overthrow Assad.

MeisterEckhart wrote on Dec 9^th, 2024 at 4:37pm:

Not happening with Trump.

After Jan 20 it's goodnight.

The Sunnis in Syria will make ISIS great again for a while and the ayatollahs in Iran get toppled.

MeisterEckhart wrote on Dec 10^th, 2024 at 9:54am:

And the most stable autocracies in the region are nearly all monarchies.

Arab tribal instinct seems to gravitate the people towards chieftains-cum-monarchs whose right to rule is ordained by birthright... and Allah... of course!

Daves2017 wrote on Dec 10^th, 2024 at 10:36pm:

The Ottoman Empire was arbitrarily ripped apart by European powers, but the region was not united prior to European meddling.

Arabs are tribal and, like all tribal societies, blood feuds and rivalries can persist for generations.

Add to that the Shia-Sunni, and other, religious divides, and ethnic rivalries, such as, say, among Arabs and Persian or Turkic peoples, - and nevermind military dictatorships persisting for decades - and you have a region permanently on a knife-edge between minor skirmishes and total war.

Even in the time of Mohammed, the region was a seething cauldron. Islam was Mohamed's unifying solution, but, like all intended monolithic religious/political/societal unifying solutions, they succeed only until the inevitable schisms occur... then it becomes a matter of which sect will prevail.

Daves2017 wrote on Dec 10^th, 2024 at 11:04pm:

It's easy for many to blame the West for it all... but then the West has never had a history of kumbaya coexistence either.

Even the idea of a European Union was met with scepticism, if not outright derision, by most of the world... Another Holy Roman Empire that was neither holy nor Roman!

MeisterEckhart wrote on Dec 10^th, 2024 at 9:28pm:


Indeed - and the west, in its relentless pursuit of upwardly mobile social equalities - steadily got rid of the divine right of kings etc - until we are down to discussion of the divine right of elected government ... something AlboCorp is doing its very best to bring to public attention... sometimes you have to relentlessly kick a sleeping people to awaken that sleeping giant..... and Albo is the epitome of such kickers....

Why - the man can't even come out and say that any students who harass other students for their ethnicity will be de-funded and ordered out of the houses of learning to ply their trade at street level.... and if they play up out there it will be deportation or exile... sure makes The Park and Gon'Mo look like Paradise, don' it?

Why are we continuing to offer inside running to easy life and good income to people who hate on our Jewish population for no reason of their own?

De-fund them NOW and boot them out!  You have one hour to pack your tents and piss off or you will be rounded up like the usual suspects you are and processed OUT of this university ... and I've got news for you - the 'student council' does not run this place - **coughs** .......... (let that one hang in the air for a moment or ten) ......... they are an advisory body only (touche`!)!

With revelations of the Assad regime's depravity, the Iranian leading mullahs best be looking for asylum countries quick smart.

There is no moral or religious justification for having supported Assad.

There's a bullet with Iran's Islamic Republic's name on it.

Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis are destined for a last stand within the next few months... and then annihilation.

Saudi Arabia is destined to lead the Middle East.

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Dec 11^th, 2024 at 1:30pm:

Doubt (uncertainty) is ineradicable and ubiquitous. Outsourcing it to a ruler from birthright or a priest doesn't eliminate it from society - it just lifts the burden of judging ourselves by the decisions we would otherwise have to make.

An elected government is the epitome of societal uncertainty. Nearly half the people at any time disagree with elected rulers' decisions, and even those who generally agree quibble endlessly over detail.

Frank wrote on Dec 11^th, 2024 at 2:12pm:






One participant in the celebrations, identified as taxi driver Mohamed Dibou, told the National that the celebrations in Damascus resembled those in December when Assad fled the country and that citizens were “very optimistic” that they could rebuild their country after over a decade of war.

“President Trump is very humane, we love him,” he added.





So all those Syrian refugees are now going back to rebuild, yeah??

chimera wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 11:16am:

Muslims rule or not by Allah's will (peace be upon him)... peace emanates from Allah... it cannot be upon him.