Syria Rejects Arab Troop Deployment

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Syria's government on Tuesday rejected the possibility of the Arab League deploying troops in the unrest-swept country as suggested by the emir of Qatar and said its people would confront such action.

"Syria rejects the statements of officials of Qatar on sending Arab troops to worsen the crisis... and pave the way for foreign intervention," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The Syrian people refuse any foreign intervention in any name. They will oppose any attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Syria and the integrity of its territory," it said.

"It would be regrettable for Arab blood to flow on Syria's territory to serve known (interests)," the ministry added, without elaborating.

The statement appealed to the Arab League to stop what it called "the mobilization campaign in the media".

It also urged the Cairo-based organization to "help prevent the infiltration of terrorists and entry of weapons" into Syrian territory.

The 22-member Arab bloc sent dozens of observers to Syria on December 26 to monitor the government's implementation of a deal aimed at ending violence the U.N. says has killed more than 5,000 people since mid-March.

In an interview with U.S. television aired at the weekend, Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said he favored sending Arab troops to Syria to "stop the killing" that has claimed more than 5,000 lives since March.

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi has said a ministerial meeting of the bloc next Sunday could discuss such a proposal.

However, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki said in an interview that he opposed foreign military intervention in Syria, saying it would spark an "explosion" across the entire Middle East.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 21
Default-user-icon Someone (Guest) over 12 years

Are these the same Gulf losers who sent troops to Bahrain to suppress the uprising over there? Thought so; bunch of filthy hypocrites! LOL!

Default-user-icon Rami (Guest) over 12 years

As Bashar is not responding, why continue to pay so much attention to what's is happening next door. Did anyone try to help us during the 15 years of civil war?
Just let it go, even if it ends in years to come, they don't seem to be learning from what happened in other countries.

Default-user-icon Minx (Guest) over 12 years

Syria was the first country to step forward with it's troops during the Lebanese crisis, I guess it was not "attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Lebanon and the integrity of its territory," . Hypocracy at its best, as usual, from the Syrian regime and their followers.
Arab forces or no Arab forces, it is obvious that the Syrian people are determined to have a breath of fresh air and they deserve it....Izasha3bou yawman aradal hayat....fala boudda an yastajeebal qadar

Default-user-icon Victor Vartan (Guest) over 12 years

The Syrian regime knows how "Useful" the Arab force can be. They have first hand experience from Lebanon. They were the "Ouwet el Radaa" for years and we all know what the Syrian army did in Lebanon. Is anyone surprised they rejected it?

Default-user-icon Victor (Guest) over 12 years

To Mr. Someone-LOL!

"Bunch of filthy hypocrites" trying to clean up a filthier hypocritic regime.

Thumb thepatriot over 12 years

... "the mobilization campaign in the media" as opposed to the non information campaign and the propaganda of SANA!

Default-user-icon Murad (Guest) over 12 years

Minx,

You idiots were mass killing each based on the ID card, and at the same time were do desperate that you were about to call for help from the Zionist entity. Moron!

Default-user-icon Murad (Guest) over 12 years

Syria has a strong nationalist army it can depend on. Lebanon did not during the civil war, and today even though it's more nationalist, it doesn't have much strength. That's the difference so stop being idiots.

Missing chekka_rules over 12 years

I say bring not only the arab forces, but western forces as well, to uproot this filthy regime from the ground.

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) over 12 years

the big dilemma of the syrian people:accept bashar with all his regime apparatus, or... irakisation of syria.
filthy arab bedouins!!!!!!!!!!

Default-user-icon majd (Guest) over 12 years

Marad Khabeeth, Lebanon also had a strong national Lebanese army that defended it's borders against the Zionist army and unlike your incompetent idiot of an Army did not lose any territory. In 1973 that same brave national Lebanese army was trying to wipe out some Palestinian terrorists and avert their looming war on the Lebanese. Unfortunately we had you for brotherly neighbors and the tanks you amassed on our border and threatened to invade if we did not stop destroying the Palestinian terrorists trying to destroy our country. But be proud of your "strong" national army it is using all the experience it learned in Lebanon killing Lebanese civilians to now kill Syrians.. of course no need to remind you that for some mysterious reason it chose not to use that strength in 1982 when the Israelis invaded Lebanon but hot tailed to east and north as fast as their tanks could move them, a model in bravery.

Default-user-icon Le Phenicien (Guest) over 12 years

Cookie_Monster my fellow Shiite brother in resistance , everyone remembers the pride the Syrians displayed in Lebanon God bless the brave Syrian army , God bless the Baath regime , God bless the magnificent Assad family were would Lebanon be without them .

Missing startrip over 12 years

I find the ill-disguised utter ignorance of some of the posters delightfully entertaining.

So, Syria is being touted as having the”tenets of a fully functional state.” Never mind those pesky little things called facts, which sometimes get in the way.

The 40-year Assad dynasty, through its oppression of the majority of Syrians, has managed to keep Syria lagging behind Lebanon, a country lacking “tenets of a fully functional state,” “strong national feelings,” “Unity,” and “Pride.” Then what is Syria’s excuse to be so far behind Lebanon, in GDP per capita, literacy, healthcare, and so on? To me, the answer is crystal clear, and there is “nothing better to do” than demand freedom for the oppressed Syrians (and now the Lebanese).

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the cookie crumbles.

Missing startrip over 12 years

By these oblique standards, North Korea should be on top of the exalted list. A la Syria, North Korea have a miserable economy, they’re dying of hunger, but gosh darn it, they have a strong national identity drilled into them by their own scourge of a dictator. They also have Unity, Pride, and, let’s not forget, they have Tenets. Who knows, perhaps you think North Korea too is to be touted!

I am not a Libertarian, but I sure as heck would choose individual liberty and laissez-faire economy over brutal dictatorships, totalitarianism and forced identity any day.

Look. I know you will die to rationalize your silly notion that somehow Syria is a functioning state and that forced cohesiveness trumps individual liberty and prosperity. Keep trying.

Missing startrip over 12 years

cookie: I am not sure where you read that I said you are Iranian or Syrian. You can be from Mars for all I care, but when you’re wrong, you’re wrong. And by the way, I think the overwhelming majority of Syrians and Iranians are good honorable people with the misfortune of being ruled by thugs and theocrats. So the implication that this is somehow insulting says a lot about what’s in the dough.

It all starts with the individual. Healthy, mature, prosperous communities are built on freedom seeking and opinionated individuals, who believe in democracy and the rule of law. Healthy communities cannot be constructed top-down by a brutal dictator. Lebanon has ways to go to achieve a healthy state, but the Assad's regime has squandered four decades and set his country way behind a civil-war torn, militia-controlled country like Lebanon.

Default-user-icon Tweety Bird (Guest) over 12 years

I love that postcard.. it's really beautiful, snow, trees.. HEY! That's not right the caption should read "MERRY CHRISTMAS" or "WINTER WONDERLAND" and should have pictures of Santa Claus or a snowman or maybe a guy on skie, why is there a caricature of Sylvester the cat??!!!

Default-user-icon Bassem Attar (Guest) over 12 years

تسوية ام حرب اهلية
تسوية عن ماذا الشعب لا يختار ان يقتل
المفروض ان ندفع الفدية لتحرير المخطوفين لعدم قتلهم واحدا تلوا الاخر عفواً مجموعة تلوا المجموعة
ما هو الخيار المطروح امام الشعوب الموت ببطئ او الموت السريع؟؟؟
كما في فلسطين المحتلة ايضاً في بعض البلاد العربية المحتلة من قبل ؟؟؟!!! مجموعات قديمة من الارث الإستعماري.
لذلك نرجو من المحللين عدم تمويه الامور لمصالحدينية و طائفية

Missing abou.ali over 12 years

So tell me my friends. What exactly is the choice in Syria (or for all the other Arab Spring affected countries): Democracy and secular state? That'is most unlikely! Dictatorship in disguise under a Thecocratic regime? That's what is likely to happen. So, what would you choose? |Regime change just for the sake of saying we have changed?? Different day / Same Sh...t!!!

Thumb shab over 12 years

How can Susu reject brotherly Arab invasion when they did the same to Lebanon?

Missing startrip over 12 years

I agree with you, cookie, that you and I have vastly different standards of what constitutes healthy communities. This is assuming that you really believe what you say about the joke called North Korea and other joyous spots in the world, and not simply being a contrarian, or the devil’s advocate – which, by the way, is a very Lebanese thing to do.

You seem to believe that places like North Korea and Syria are healthy, and you attribute all their ills to outside factors. I don’t. I think North Korea and Syria are internally rotted because of their tyrants and they represent the precise example of failed states.

Yes, I put a lot of credence in economic security, health care, personal freedom, literacy, and democratic institutions to decide whether a country is successful. Yes, I’m more inclined to view western countries as “healthy” since they generally score well in all these categories.

I go back to my original point: Your defense of these regimes is delightfully entertaining.

Missing realist over 12 years

im actually glad Russia is acting as stupid as general Aoun of lebanon: since when did Russian support for regime against rebels succeeded?? in Afghanistan!? where they used all their weaponry and killed a million people and YET lost their USSR and the puppet government along with it? what can the Russians really do for BashaR?? to hell with the security council, can Bashar save the Syrian economy from imminent collapse?? what would be the size of mutiny in the army 6 months from now?? a small town like zabadani and bab amro are giving the Assad army such a hard time.. can you imagine what a safe zone and proper arming of rebels would do to Assad? And even if a civl war does erupt, who would you think would ultimately win?? an ailing regime or the people? Either way Bashar is doomeed.. we just hope the world intervenes and saves the 100 thousand Syrians that are gona die in the process.

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