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A state security building in Damascus has been hit a massive bomb during a meeting of senior military and ministrial figures, with State TV report serious injuries, and other reports of the Minister of Defence being killed, and other senior military figures.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:11
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State TV confirms the minister of defense was killed, there's reports the suicide bomber was his own bodyguard.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:25
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something original posted:Past is past. Now there are several Kurdish language TV channels, radios and other media. The state is operating a Kurdish TV (and a radio) channel called TRT6 and recently the prime minister said they will offer students optional Kurdish lessons in state schools from now on. There is still a lot to do but there's also a will to reform stuff. In no way I would call this actively suppressing Kurdish culture. I wouldn't call the opening of TRT6 a big achievement really. A single Kurdish language TV station in almost a century time is a mockery. It's like throwing someone in a river and then offering him a finger to climb back up. TRT 6 is non-free state channel (a propaganda channel pretty much) and its founding is mostly aimed at countering the Kurdish satellite channel Roj TV which is sympathetic to the PKK. quote:As for "seperation", even the PKK say they don't want to separate, I mean these are the people that are in armed conflict with the state, but even if they do want to separate, only a minority of Kurds support PKK's political wing (which is a party in the parliament). That the PKK doesn't want to seperate anymore is mostly a tactical position. They would be content with an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey which would be a huge step forward. It's like the Tibetans who say they wish more autonomy, but that doesn't mean they would oppose independence if it were to be possible. I also don't think Kurdish political parties in the Turkish parliament is very representative on what Kurdish people want since many Kurdish parties have been banned or kicked out of parliament (including in recent years). The best solution would be to let every Kurdish region in Turkey hold a referendum asking if they wish to be part of an autonomous republic inside Turkey or an independent state separate from Turkey. This would probably result in two smaller Kurdish states, one inside Turkey and another one outside. It would also end the armed conflict, which Turkey will never be able to end through military force. But this is never going to happen.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:30
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What does that mean?
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Jul 18, 2012 11:31
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Section 31 posted:What does that mean? Shits just hit the fan for Assad, apparently the interior minister and head of intelligence are critically injured as well.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:35
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Source on these confirmations, considering that AP (on Yahoo!) and NYT only had SANA mention the attack itself and woundings without anyone ID'd yet?
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Jul 18, 2012 11:37
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Brown Moses posted:Shits just hit the fan for Assad, apparently the interior minister and head of intelligence are critically injured as well. Also, his own bodyguard is the suicide bomber? Talking about sleeper agent...
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Jul 18, 2012 11:38
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Assad's brother is a general right?
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Jul 18, 2012 11:39
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SANA has reported the minister is killed, their site is down at the moment, but AJE, Reuters, etc have just been Tweeting it. AJE reported that the suicide bomber was the bodyguard, and the other two are injured. Very reliable reports from Damascus are saying one of the hospitals has been surrounded by military and security as well.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:40
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This is almost like the Wolfsschanze plot.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:42
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Yeah, if it's the bodyguard, I really wonder if this isn't part of a wider attempt at a coup as opposed to the Free Syrian Army sending Assad one hell of a message.Mokotow posted:This is almost like the Wolfsschanze plot. Isn't it the anniversary of that plot too?
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Jul 18, 2012 11:46
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Shadoer posted:Yeah, if it's the bodyguard, I really wonder if this isn't part of a wider attempt at a coup as opposed to the Free Syrian Army sending Assad one hell of a message. July 20th. I expect Assad's reaction to this will be brutal.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:50
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Here's a link to the Reuters confirmation, although only the defense minister is named.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:51
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Brown Blitzkrieg posted:In what ways, precisely, do democratic reforms lead to stability, prosperity or more overall happiness? quote:Russia's foreign policy has anything to do with the way things are in Russia now is hilarious quote:If anything, a "moderating" (read: less aggressive) shift in their foreign policy would make things even worse on the ground for the ordinary Russian than they are now. quote:Iraq was literally better off under Saddam Hussein's iron fist quote:Qatar is the best place in the region to live. something original fucked around with this message at 12:21 on Jul 18, 2012 |
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Jul 18, 2012 11:51
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I'm sure it feels different on the ground, but this revolution seems to be cruising by olate. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/world/middleeast/suicide-attack-reported-in-damascus-as-more-generals-flee.html?_r=1&hp
Pegged Lamb fucked around with this message at 11:57 on Jul 18, 2012 |
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Jul 18, 2012 11:55
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The only thing sweeter than seeing Gadhafi fall will be seeing Assad fall. Then again, none of these will be as sweet as seeing Putin run out of the Kremlin. Or also, for that matter, a mass breakout of Evin prison.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:57
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Al Arabiya and The Lebanon Daily Star are reporting Assad's brother-in-law Asef Shawkat was also killed.
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Jul 18, 2012 11:58
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The interior minister has also reportedly died.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:00
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quote:11.57am: Syrian TV is now saying Assad's brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat, is dead.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:01
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Watching the twitter feed explode BM it's amazing, who didn't they kill in that explosion?
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Jul 18, 2012 12:06
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If the reported deaths are true that would be: The Minister of Interior The Minister of Defence Deputy Minister of Defence (and Assad's brother in law) The Head of the National Security Council One would be major, all four is crazy.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:09
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Section 31 posted:Some twitt mentioned that it's strange the state TV would report it, or it isn't? Not so strange. The purpose of state media especially at times of crisis is to control public attitudes, and that can't be done by staying silent - it would only give credibility to rumours.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:13
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I'm sure the fact that Rajha was an Orthodox Christian will be used pretty quickly as a sign of the 'radical islamist' motivations harboured by the FSA and revolution in general.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:13
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Well this certainly blows the situation wide open 
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Jul 18, 2012 12:13
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Brown Moses posted:If the reported deaths are true that would be: Also, if it was a bodyguard, then it means that there's infiltrators inside internal security. Even if it was a "lone wolf", it has to put Assad on edge to think his personal detail might walk up and pull a gun on him or blow up.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:14
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The new thread title is incredibly apt, props to whoever decided to change it. The question I have to ask is how this bombing is going to change the regimes strategy for putting down the revolution. It's a fear of mine that we're going to see those chemical weapons brought out very quickly after this.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:14
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So how long before one of the Western powers intervenes because it's "the moral thing to do".
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Jul 18, 2012 12:17
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Pieter posted:I wouldn't call the opening of TRT6 a big achievement really. quote:That the PKK doesn't want to seperate anymore is mostly a tactical position. quote:I also don't think Kurdish political parties in the Turkish parliament is very representative on what Kurdish people want since many Kurdish parties have been banned or kicked out of parliament (including in recent years). quote:The best solution would be to let every Kurdish region in Turkey hold a referendum asking if they wish to be part of an autonomous republic inside Turkey or an independent state separate from Turkey. This would probably result in two smaller Kurdish states, one inside Turkey and another one outside. It would also end the armed conflict, which Turkey will never be able to end through military force. But this is never going to happen.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:19
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Well, if Assad was staying in Damascus, he just jumped into a convoy and will spend the rest of this conflict on the move. No way a guy like him is going to stay in one place now. That could be one of the most successful suicide bombers in history. That's a crazy turn of events.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:21
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Not a good sign when the guy in charge of defense can't even defend himself. Assad will likely flip his poo poo. He has to, because this has to be a tremendous morale boost to the opposition and has to certainly prove their capability to any fence sitters in the Syrian public. What's the likelihood of a coup at some point?
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Jul 18, 2012 12:21
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Pon de Bundy posted:So how long before one of the Western powers intervenes because it's "the moral thing to do". What would be in it for them?
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Jul 18, 2012 12:23
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Rip Testes posted:What's the likelihood of a coup at some point? Imagine being the next guy in line for any of the four jobs that just got blown up. I reckon you might start to be willing to think about bumping off the big guy and making out with your life.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:26
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Torka posted:What would be in it for them? "Advisor" status in the new Syrian government and a push against Russian influence in the region I guess, but other than that I have no idea.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:26
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According to Syrian tv the minister of interior Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar is alive and stable, whatever that means.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:27
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Torka posted:What would be in it for them? Nostalgia for the successes in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far two are still confirmed dead by State TV.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:27
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Brown Moses posted:If the reported deaths are true that would be: Reuters headline now says quote:BREAKING NEWS: Syrian state TV says interior minister is alive, in "stable condition", after Arab TV stations reported his death Edit: Sorry, beaten
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Jul 18, 2012 12:30
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Brown Moses posted:If the reported deaths are true that would be: Young Freud posted:Also, if it was a bodyguard, then it means that there's infiltrators inside internal security. Even if it was a "lone wolf", it has to put Assad on edge to think his personal detail might walk up and pull a gun on him or blow up. Agreed, Crazy barely begins to cover how bad it is. Mass assassination is bad enough, but on a scale of 1-10 being taken out by your own bodyguards is a sure way to ratchet the paranoia-o-meter to 40. All hell is going to break loose. How the hell are you going to manage to maintain control when you can't trust your own security apparatus to keep you alive? Or stop defections? God willing, Bashar throws in the sponge because of the new aspect of immediate danger, but I'm kind of boggled as to where his regime goes from here.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:32
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I thought they already had, but State TV has confirmed Assad's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat, is dead.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:33
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quote:Syria's state TV is reporting that Assed Shawkat, the brother-in-law of President Assad and a leading military figure, is dead. I wonder how the Assad clan reacts to a relative's death. also, quote:Meanwhile, Russia has just rejected a UN resolution on Syria, according to AFP news agency. It quotes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying that a "decisive battle" is taking place in Syria, but that "adopting the resolution would mean outright support of a revolutionary movement". Yes, Seryozha. That's why it's being proposed. 
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Jul 18, 2012 12:34
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Rip Testes posted:He has to, because this has to be a tremendous morale boost to the opposition and has to certainly prove their capability to any fence sitters in the Syrian public. That's what I'm really wondering about. The opposition has just proven that it can hurt the regime, badly. I wonder how many people who thought the regime was invincible will now smell blood and join in open revolt.
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Jul 18, 2012 12:35
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