As Islamists increasingly fill the ranks of Syrian rebels, President Bashar al-Assad is waging an energized campaign to persuade the United States that it is on the wrong side of the war
“If the Syrian regime falls, al Qaeda wins.” That’s what Bashar al-Assad wants US officials to believe: By playing off US fears of Islamic terrorism, he’s hoping America will shift its support from the Syrian rebels to the incumbent regime, or at least withhold providing any more material support for the rebels. Because at least one rebel faction is allied with al Qaeda, it’s not an altogether crazy strategy. The regime is reportedly relying on Khaled Mahjoub, a Syrian-American businessman, to relay this message to US officials. “We are partners in fighting terrorism,” said Wael Nader al-Halqi, Syria’s prime minister.
How a Civil War vet invented the American infographic…
Francis Amasa Walker was so far ahead of his time that his tie was on the grid.
He’s going to try to hand over the sovereignty of the United States to the U.N., and what is going to happen when that happens? … We’re not just talking a few riots here and demonstrations, we’re talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy.Lubbock County Judge Tom Head • During an appearance on FOX34 in support of a measure, to raise the local tax rate by 1.7 cents, intended to generate the revenue needed to increase law enforcement’s budget. The DA has apparently been losing experienced prosecutors to counties with higher budgets, and the sheriff has said he needs an additional seven deputies. Good so far. So how did the discussion turn to civil war? Well, after the events described above take place, Head and the sheriff’s department will be ready to stop the UN and “stand in front of their armored personnel [carriers].” When that showdown occurs, Head wants to be certain he has enough deputies to repel UN forces without relying on civilian fighters. A sound plan if we’ve ever heard one. source (via • follow)
The delay in the new government isn’t important. It’s like a sick man. He has to move slowly before he can walk at a normal speed. We need time to recover. … Look, we finally got rid of that bloody monkey. We are better than before.Libyan engineer Mustafa Shaab bin Ragheb • Discussing the current situation with the Libyan government, six months into the war. Yes, friends, today is the six-month anniversary of NATO getting involved in Libya’s civil war, which remains controversial for some but has led to the crumbling of Gaddafi’s regime. There are many issues to deal with from here — including a splintering rebel movement — but “we finally got rid of that bloody monkey” certainly seems like a good result of a lengthy civil war. source (via • follow)
» There’s more: If you include the 41% that’s undecided, you get a whopping 79% of Mississippi Republicans who aren’t quite ready to throw their support behind Abraham Lincoln circa 1861. Also, 9% of African Americans in the state aren’t sure whether they like the NAACP more than the KKK; surely, this is the result of a typo, or some sort of methodological error, or perhaps a psychoactive pollutant in the drinking water. Oh well; at least 54% of the state agrees that interracial marriage shouldn’t be illegal. That’s right, a whole 54%!
For those who wanted to see Chavez in a hard hat, here you go. Enjoy. The Venezuelan leader, a key ally of Gaddafi, took some time off from his tour of a road-building project in Caracas to let everyone know what he thinks of the Libyan airstrikes: “They want to seize Libya’s oil and they care nothing about the lives of the Libyan people. These are the men of war … what irresponsibility. Behind this is the hand of the United States and its European allies, instead of taking the path that we have modestly proposed.” In case you were wondering, that peace mission Chavez wanted to make didn’t go anywhere because Saif Gaddafi essentially said Chavez wouldn’t have any idea what was going on. source
We’ve been defeated. They are shelling and we are running away. That means that they’re taking Ras Lanuf.A rebel fighter in the Libyan city of Ras Lanuf • Discussing how Gaddafi supporters took over the oil port city. It’s just one front in which Gaddafi’s folks have been trying to gain lost ground. The capture of this town, by the way, completely follows the playbook Gaddafi has been pushing lately. source (via • follow)
Libya may be in for a long haul: As the conflict drags on, battles to establish and maintain front lines are becoming increasingly chaotic and difficult for the Libyan rebels to manage, spread as they are across a broad swath of the country’s east. And based on the unstable, defiant personality dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s been flashing, this has the look of a protracted, bloody civil war unless something critical soon breaks. source
But seriously … I am not kidding.
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Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
Today, there was celebration in Tripoli by pro-Gaddafi supporters who heard that troops made significant gains over the rebel forces throughout the country. Guns were everywhere, even in the hands of little kids – as you might notice in the utterly shocking photo above. The BBC, however, reports that the excitement appears misguided, as the gains against rebel forces weren’t nearly as successful as originally reported. “Tripoli is full of rumours, and versions of the truth,” writes BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen. “Some are closer to reality than the others.The regime does appear to feel much more secure than it did 10 days ago when I arrived, even though it is more isolated. More of day-to-day life in Tripoli has resumed.” (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP) source
» A couple random examples: Peer reviewers found that “Our Virginia” and other books from the same textbook publisher said that the U.S. entered World War I a year earlier than it actually did, that Civil War soldiers commonly wore full suits of armor, and that New Orleans began on a U.S. harbor (instead of a Spanish one). It’s a book so good, it makes you feel dumber when reading it.
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