Bashar al-Assad warns of another Afghanistan

[The Northerner]

President Bashar al-Assad has warned that any Western intervention in Syria will trigger an "earthquake" inflaming the region, after dozens died in one of the bloodiest days of the uprising against his rule.

Talking to Britain's Sunday Telegraph in Damascus, Assad warned of "another Afghanistan" if foreign forces intervene in his country as they did in Libya.

"Syria is the hub now in this region," Assad said.

"It's the fault line, and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake - do you want to see another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans?

Read more: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=6&art_id=116544&sid=34272346&con_type=1&d_str=20111031&fc=10

[Turbineguy]

1. The Taliban

wanted the Europeans to pay for a place to execute people. Maybe that's what Assad needs. A more efficient means of killing his own people.

[MedleyMisty]

2. There are tweets going around supporting a NFZ for Syria

Haven't yet seen an American tweet about it, but I've seen a fair few Arabs tweeting about it. Including Libyans.

I added my note to the discussion - that from what I've seen with Libya, if there is a NFZ (which there probably won't be - IF a resolution does come up, Russia and China will probably block it as opposed to just abstaining like they did with Libya) it would turn a lot of people against the Syrians. They'd instantly go from brave revolutionaries fighting for freedom to Al Qaeda or savage brown people who hate their women or whatever, and Assad would become the darling of the Western intellectual left.

[CJvR]

3. It is surprising...

...how quickly some are willing to adopt the old US cold war policy of "Yes he is a monster, but he is OUR monster".