Religious Extremism in Syria:A New Launching Pad for Global Terrorism

[Dayuhan]

Am I to understand it was self combustion?

Largely, yes, just as Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain were. Dictators eventually generate rebellions, there's no need for an outside agitator, though dictators (and their supporters) generally assume one. Certainly the other Arab Spring revolts had something to do with setting off the Syrian situation, but I see no reason to assume that the US was involved.

Yes, I can say what is 'getting it right'.

Let nations be as they are and what they think is right and not impost on them as to what you think is right.

I agree. Of course just because the US stays out doesn't mean everybody else will, and there's a whole lot of external intervention in Syria that has nothing to do with the US.

Letting nations "be as they are and what they think" will not of course produce peace and order, because many nations contain multiple conflicting ideas about what they are and what they think, and those will occasionally erupt into violence, as they have in Syria. I think we often forget that civil war in Iraq was going to be a very likely feature in any post-Saddam scenario. Nations sometimes need to sort out their own internal conflicts, and it's generally not a very pretty process.

Let them stew in their own juice and not tell them to have the American apple pie!

Again, agreed... but I don't think anyone in Syria is pushing American apple pie.

No Islamic nation has been a problem until they were told 'what is right'!

Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal was largely ignored, and turned into a bit of a problem.

[Ray]

Largely, yes, just as Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain were. Dictators eventually generate rebellions, there's no need for an outside agitator, though dictators (and their supporters) generally assume one. Certainly the other Arab Spring revolts had something to do with setting off the Syrian situation, but I see no reason to assume that the US was involved.

I wonder how many 'rebellions' are indigenous.

There is indeed major issues that simmers, but then when it come to 'shove', a little help from friends make good sense.

We have recently seen a quasi revolution in India itself that raised hopes only to deceive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aam_Aadmi_Party

It has been now revealed that they were foreign funded. Obviously, they deny such charges.

If the Arab Spring encouraged 'popular' revolutions in the Arab world, how is it that Saudi Arabia, the most repressive of dictatorship, has not been affected?

I agree. Of course just because the US stays out doesn't mean everybody else will, and there's a whole lot of external intervention in Syria that has nothing to do with the US.

Letting nations "be as they are and what they think" will not of course produce peace and order, because many nations contain multiple conflicting ideas about what they are and what they think, and those will occasionally erupt into violence, as they have in Syria. I think we often forget that civil war in Iraq was going to be a very likely feature in any post-Saddam scenario. Nations sometimes need to sort out their own internal conflicts, and it's generally not a very pretty process.

Read 'West' for 'US'. Even so, to feel that the US is not involved and its is the West alone which is involved, would be an understatement. If the US sneeze, the West earthquakes!

Letting nations "be as they are and what they think" may not be the panacea for peace and tranquillity, but then let them stew in their own juice. What give the right for any nation or group of nations to intervene to spread 'peace and tranquillity' on their terms, which actually end up in a chaotic state of affairs as we are observing in Iraq? The situation in Iraq will pressure oil supply and will cause inflation in countries dependent on oil, and in turn will create unstable conditions in those countries (as in Asia and Africa) and in the bargain make them international trouble spots. And so in actuality bringing more confusion world wide.

If one knew that post Saddam would invite a civil war, then it is daft to have intervened to create that chaos.

Again, agreed... but I don't think anyone in Syria is pushing American apple pie.

If that was not so, then what is being pushed? Freedom and Democracy? Whose Freedom and whose Democracy?

Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal was largely ignored, and turned into a bit of a problem.

That is rich!

Create the problem and then act cute!

That apart, just watch how the Middle East is burning because of the chaos created in Iraq (US) and now Syria (heaven knows who spurred the chaos in Syria) and its fallout the ISIS.