Quote:
Originally Posted by dar2008
But it's a country gripped by a civil war! As yet I have not seen 100% 'independent' proof that the chemical weapons were used by the legitimate government of Syria.
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OK...well let me ask you. Based on what you've read about Assad, do you think he's benevolent?
Here are some facts:
http://www.biography.com/people/bash...0878575?page=1 (Some are listed below.)
- Assad promised human rights reform, not much has changed he took office.
- He successfully suppressed internal dissention.
- In 2006, he expanded the use of travel bans against dissidents, preventing many from entering or leaving the country.
- In 2007, the Syrian Parliament passed a law requiring all comments on chat forums to be posted publicly.
- In 2008, and again in 2011, social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook were blocked.
- Human rights groups have reported that political opponents of Bashar al-Assad are routinely tortured, imprisoned and killed.
- In the Fall of 2011, many countries called for President Bashar al-Assad's resignation and the Arab League suspended Syria.
- In January 2012, the Reuters News Agency reported that more than 5,000 civilians had been killed by the Syrian militia
Protests began in Syria on January 26, 2011, demanding political reforms, a reinstatement of civil rights and an end to the state of emergency, which had been in place since 1963.
- In May 2011, the Syrian military responded with violent crackdowns in the town of Homs and the suburbs of Damascus.
- In June, Bashar promised a national dialogue and new parliamentary elections, but no change came, and the protests continued.
Does any of that sound like benevolence to you? In every single case, there were kinder, gentler alternatives.