Cyprus-Forum.com

[Robin Hood]

I wouldn’t disagree with that figure, my comment was made a couple of years ago. Things have moved on.

We’ve even heard about how Bashir Assad is in fact a “Democrat”. Much beloved by his people. His Father was famous for being equally benevolent of course.

He's no true democrat, but Syria is far more democratic in comparison to most Muslim Arab countries, like Jordan or Saudi Arabia.

Why not compare Syria with Qatar and United Arab Emirates? Democracy isn't exactly the only measure here. You don't have to be democratic to be a good country. This standard applies to Syria as well. The fact that they are "democratic" or not is not really an issue at all, or even a consideration. There is no problem if Syria was a Dictatorship like Saudi Arabia, or Jordan. The issue is the rights of some 14 million people, half of which are now refugees outside of Syria and can't return, and the other half are displaced inside Syria and can't return to their properties. It's about their rights as citizens, getting gainful employment, maintaining their titles over their immovable properties, getting access to education and health, and living in security and safety.

Where would you rather be? Syria or UAE? The UAE isn't democratic either but what really is the problem with that when you live and work in Dubai?

One more thing, Iran and Syria are on the same scale as Saudi Arabia. It's just that one Wahhabi and the other Shiite. But Iran isn't exactly high on the freedom index.

And secondly, we are talking about Syria, not Saudi Arabia or Jordan.

I have been both in Syria and UAE, koala.

I would definitely choose Syria, because it has a large Christian Orthodox minority and more tolerance to Christians in general.

I would never choose to live in an Islamic backward country, like Turkey or UAE.

Well mate, if you would choose Syria, then you are VERY STUPID!

And let's get this straight, you prefer Syria and earn an average salary of $1748 USD per year? Gosh Kuru, I knew you were fairly simple but this is another revelation.

https://www.payscale.com/research/SY/Lo ... ourly_Rate

Maybe all the Cyprus Airways pilots in Dubai and Abu Dhabi should leave UAE (Emirates and Etihad) and go work for Syrian Airlines which are embargoes and can't fly anywhere other than China, Iran, and Russia.

Dream on mate!

It is not what you get paid that is relevant ..... it is what that will buy you in your home country. My pay for just 1 day when I last worked, would pay 6 months council tax at the time ....... for an Iranian or a Philipino worker ..... he and his family could live comfortably for about a year on it ..... including paying his 'council tax'!

[yialousa1971]

Aleppo:Turkey Looting Artifacts From Northern Syria

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Turkish Army has looted the artifacts and archeological monuments of Syria's historical sites in Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo, sources said.
Turkish teams equipped with excavation instruments are excavating for artifacts in Jandaris hills in Afrin region, the London-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) quoted informed sources in Southwestern Afrin as saying.
The SOHR noted that the Turkish Army, meantime, has blocked all roads to the region, and said that another excavation operation is underway in Ma'abali region in Western Afrin and Ali Aisheh and Tal Zarafkeh regions.
This comes as plundering of civilians' assets and abducting them as well as receiving heavy taxes by the Ankara-backed militants are still underway in Afrin.
In a relevant development on Thursday, the Syrian government announced that the terrorist groups have transferred thousands of artifacts from the country's archeological sites to Turkey.
"A sum of 17,000 pieces of archeological works that had been stolen from Syria's museums and archeological sites are presently in Turkey," Syria's director general for archeological monuments Mahmoud Hamoud said.
Hamoud reiterated that most of the stolen manuscripts had been stolen from Jobar Synagogue in Eastern Damascus and had been smuggled to Turkey from Eastern Ghouta.
This comes as the terrorist groups had smuggled thousands of artifacts from Syria to neighboring Turkey.
In a relevant development earlier this month, Arab media outlets reported that more than 142 families of ISIL commanders and foreign militants together with Syria's historic monuments have been relocated to Turkey from Eastern Euphrates with the help of the US-backed Kurdish fighters and Ankara's allied militants.
The Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper quoted dissident sources as saying that a network comprising tens of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Ankara-backed militants transferred the historic monuments as well as the ISIL commanders, terrorists and their families to Northern Aleppo and from there to Turkey.
The sources explained that over 142 families of the ISIL commanders and terrorists have been relocated to Turkey from Eastern Euphrates on military vehicles after paying cash up to $90,000.
Meantime, a number of Syrian militants and their families have also moved towards Idlib province.

https://www.islamicinvitationturkey.com ... monuments/

[repulsewarrior]

...thank you yialousa, appreciated; we have seen this before, regretfully it is not hard to believe.

[repulsewarrior]

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origin ... Newsletter

new towns, old names, the displaced build their own villages; an interesting facet of this Civil War in its complexity.

[Robin Hood]

I am surprised nobody has picked up on his story?

Trump's Golan Move Was Timed To Guarantee Netanyahoo's Reelection

The people who paid for Trump's election campaign, foremost casino magnate and zionist Sheldon Adelson, want to keep the Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahoo in office. Netanyahoo is under investigation in several corruption cases and has a serious competitor in the upcoming general elections in Israel. Trump needs money for his re-election campaign and is willing to do anything to get it.
Trump is colluding with Netayahoo to influence the Israeli election. It is the reason why he decided yesterday to claim that Israel has sovereignty over the Golan Heights:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump - 16:50 utc - 21 Mar 2019
After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!

The Heights are Syrian lands that were occupied by Israel during its 1967 war of aggression against Egypt and Syria.

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/03/trumps-golan-move-is-designed-to-guarantee-netanyahoos-reelection.html

and the Guardian says much the same .......

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/21/trump-us-golan-heights-israel-sovereignty

So why does Trump not recognise the will of 90%+ of the people of Crimea they displayed in a referendum after their breaking from Ukraine under the UN Charter allowing self determination and their creation of The Crimean Republic. The people of The Crimean Republic then had another referendum on annexation by Russia and 94% voted in favour. It was never occupied or taken by force so, does the UN Resolution apply to Crimea and the Crimean's have greatly benefitted from the annexation?

It seems to me that there is more reason to recognise the Crimean annexation than there is Israel’s claimed rights for annexation of The Syrian Golan Heights.

Israel took Golan by several acts of war since 1948; destroyed some 400 villages and dispossessed the legal occupants and turned them into refugees; have illegally built settlements for 20.000 foreign settlers; have been robbing the region of its natural resources for years ....... and certainly never had a vote on it!

Maybe Netanyahu will have a vote on annexation by Israel for the legal Syrian residents but excluding the illegal Israeli occupiers and residents?

What’s good for the Goose should be good enough for the Gander?

[repulsewarrior]

...oil.

[Londonrake]

...oil.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-Gene ... d-Gas.html

[Robin Hood]

...oil.

Partly, but in the future water is going to be a factor and annexing Golan will give Israel complete control of The Sea of Galilee and its source, The River Jordan.

[Robin Hood]

...oil.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-Gene ... d-Gas.html

If you read the article it seems that the reason that Russia is in the lead here is because Europe is under US sanctions and can have nothing to do with Syria or its oil ..... or Russia! So Russia will get all the contracts for not only selling the oil but rebuilding the refineries and oil/gas handling systems, including docks.

One problem with the US doing these rebuilds is that they still work in feet and inches ...... and the rest of the World, except Japan, have gone metric. If you want to see a real blank look ...... ask an American how many mm in an inch, or how much is the difference between 50mm pipe and 2" pipe. They also use US Gallons which is different from everyone else's 'gallon' and the ME and Europe use litres anyway.

[Londonrake]

Mmmmm - nope. Nothing to do with sanctions in the context. The inference was that the US is in Syria to steal it's natural resources. Oil being mentioned. That doesn't really bear much scrutiny (it's - wait for it - a conspiracy theory).

Trump - bless his cotton socks - seemed all for pulling the remaining US troops out of the country not too long ago. That seemed to result in lots of people throwing their arms up in horror though.

Anyway, I've no real desire to get bogged down in this morass of a thread.