Is removing the Syrian Regime the right path to peace?

[najibrouhana]

Is removing the syrian regime a solution for peace in the middle east? (akid we won't forget israel, but more concerned about the syrian regime).

[WiseCookie]

Not really. It can solve part of the problem but not all of it. Syria is not the only dictatorship in the region, other than that u have the theocracies that are also spread throughout the middle-east which prevent a real democracy. The syrian regime is only part of the problem.

[Omega80]

Personally, wisecookie I agree with you to some extent.

However, the way I see it is that Syria is the Arab link by which Iran can influence in Arab affairs. If you get rid of this regime, you basically got rid of the regime AND the influence Iran has, because Iranian influence for example with Hezbollah and Hamas basically goes through Syria for the most part.

The Syrians are basically the only allies Iran has in the Arab world which allow them to keep poking around our business.

[WiseCookie]

Originally Posted by Omega80

Personally, wisecookie I agree with you to some extent.

However, the way I see it is that Syria is the Arab link by which Iran can influence in Arab affairs. If you get rid of this regime, you basically got rid of the regime AND the influence Iran has, because Iranian influence for example with Hezbollah and Hamas basically goes through Syria for the most part.

The Syrians are basically the only allies Iran has in the Arab world which allow them to keep poking around our business.

That's true, but then what will u do with the rest of the theocracies that opress freedom of expression, belief and democracy ? This type of opression only breeds violent radicalism. If you get rid of the Iranian influence, u still have the american influence through the KSA and u also have the Israeli influence through some countries and through their direct military threats to Lebanon.

[4U2IMI8]

Originally Posted by najibrouhana

Does removing the syrian regime is a solution for peace in the middle east?(akid we won't forget israel,but m concerned about the syrian regime).

Your question is not clear. Removing the regime and substituting with what? Anyways, if you look at the middle east, there are no conflicts per-say, except in Iraq. Otherwise everyone is standing still, except Israel and Lebanon. Peace as I see it is going to be very hard to achieve knowing the Israeli's intentions for the region in general, and it's neighboring countries in particular. The biggest problem for peace will be if Iran acquired nuclear weapons, which I think they already have. Today they successfully tested a stealth rocket that cannot be seen by radar.

[Omega80]

And subtituting what?

I'll tell you what, replacing it with a government that represents the Syrian people. The Assad regime wants to try and act like Syria will fall apart if his regime goes, which is far from the truth.

He likes to point to what is happening in Iraq to scare everyone. However, Sunni's and Shia's have been living side by side with each other in Iraq for ages. It is the poilicys of the U.S. occupation forces that caused things to reach the point they are now. Even Condalleza Rice said that thousands of mistakes have been made in Iraq up until now.

A free and democractic Syria is the best chance Lebanon has, since events in the two countries impact each other.

[kappa273]

hi,

the syrian regime is similar to a brain tumor...

removing it may look easy and the adequate solution...
however complications may be disastrous...

removing the syrian regime without the proper preparation may lead to a totally chaotic situation and the repercussions on lebanon are devastating...

the middle east will be in a state of chaos from the iranian border to the eastern shores of the mediterrenean.. (lebanon, syria, iraq, palestine, israel...)

kappa

[3asheq Beirut]

We must realize that in order for any true change to take place, there has to be a complete social transformation, so that we realize that we are a single society with a single interest in life. The problem in Syria, as well as the rest of our region, is that we are divided into warring factions struggling for power. Therefore, when one faction takes over, it must do so by force and then must maintain its grip on power by totalitarian means. The problem in Syria, as well as Lebanon, will not be solved until our society is no longer fragmented into opposing forces. Remember, the Lebanese system also needs to be overhauled because it itself does not contribute to stability. The only difference in Lebanon is that while Syria has a single large dictatorship, Lebanon has several mini-dictatorships in the various regions.

[Elbi Lebnan]

What is the alternative?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Abdel Halim Khaddam? Is this a positive change? A “pro-peace” choice?<o:p></o:p>
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I think Khaddam is much worse than Bashar. <o:p></o:p>
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As it looks now, there will be a change in names, but this will be the same old Syrian regime….Same old Syrian mentality……Certainly not peace…..<o:p></o:p>
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Besides look at what happened in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> after the “Cedar Revolution”.<o:p></o:p>
There was a change. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region> went out. <o:p></o:p>
1- The same people who were ruling <st1:country-region w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region> when <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> was here are the same people who are ruling <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> now<o:p></o:p>
2- They forgot all about the people’s choice for democracy, and they are ruling <st1:country-region w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region> as a dictatorship, same as it was when <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region> was here, except that they are the dictators now.<o:p></o:p>
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Not even a change in names!!!!<o:p></o:p>
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No change can be positive in any Arab country as long as the one ruling party mentality remains.<o:p></o:p>
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I don’t see any good coming from a change in regime in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> now, especially if it is similar to the change that happened in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p>
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[sacau]

As many of you said before, removing the regime without having the good foundations for the alternative will lead to disastrous impacts. Syrian regime is mounted on a tripod of three different intelligence systems and removing the head will not do anything but make the legs of the tripod constantly displace left and right creating disturbance waves in the whole region.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Our strategy must be like the one of an earthquake engineer. In EQ Engineering, you never try to find solutions to dissolve epicenters but to design your buildings in a way that they resist the inevitable earthquake and surpass damage. I wish this can be understood by the current majority that is in charge of the country…