Syria Curbs Kurdish Riots for a Merger with Iraq's Kurdistan

[Aidoneus]

Syria Curbs Kurdish Riots for a Merger with Iraq's Kurdistan
Beirut, Updated 16 Mar 04, 11:39

President Assad was reported Tuesday to be using a double-edged policy of 'hit-negotiate' to harness the worst-ever anti-government riots in northeastern Syria by Kurds agitating for a merger with autonomous Kurdistan in northern Iraq.

The United States has interfered with the Syrian authorities to exercise tolerance and refrain from a harsh crackdown on restless ethnic minorities following the weekend riots in the northeastern cities of Hasakah and Qamishli close to the borders of Iraq and Turkey.

But one report in the Beirut media said Damascus was in no mood to show mercy to rioters who lowered the Syrian flag and hoisted America's Stars and Stripes on government buildings during the disturbances that were triggered by a soccer match between an Arab club and a Kurdish team.

Nor would the Syrian authorities show leniency to those who attacked, burned or ransacked government buildings in Qamishli and Hasakah, whose restructure would cost $hundreds of millions, the report said.

Syria's state-run television ran footages Monday night showing dozens of shops completely gutted in Hasakah, Qamishli and neighboring villages, where many buses and cars still lay smashed on the streets, An Nahar reported.

--snip--

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/Newsdesk.nsf/Story/8A24116B9C5C2F34C2256E59002D08F0?OpenDocument&PRINT

[lastknowngood]

1. and so the civil war begins. with the Kurds on both sides of the

border looking for freedom you can bet things will get tough for the GIs up there trying to keep the lid on a bubbling cauldron.

[SquireJons]

3. Absolutely!

When the Shiite start believing that the US is creating a Kurdish Homeland - to go along with the Jewish Homeland - then things will get very nasty indeed. Under those circumstances, if the US doesn't choose a side to support, the GI's will simply become sitting ducks, with all sides taking shots at the 'hated infidel.'

[bemildred]

2. This bit is interesting too.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=116x4618

Post #1 too.

I am reluctant to think they (USA) actually want to start a fight
here, and I can't decide if it's deliberate provocation or Kurdish
nationalism slipping out of the Bushites control.

[Barrett808]

4. All sounds like covert ops to me

Get a provocateurs in there to stir things up. Posters of Bush and Blair? I mean, really.

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. Me too, US wants an excuse to get in there -

.
.
.

and this,

THIS boggles my mind . .

"Damascus was in no mood to show mercy to rioters who lowered the Syrian flag and hoisted America's Stars and Stripes on government buildings"

And the US is asking for "tolerance"? :shrug:

Can you imagine American Syrians, or anyone for that matter, demonstrating around AMERICAN buildings in the US, taking down the flag and putting up the SYRIAN flag ?? or ANY other countries flag?

Heck, they are still getting unglued about the Confederate flag!

Sumpthin's weird about them putting up the Stars and Stripes, yup yup

"Middle East Destabilized" = "Mission Accomplished"

Hmmmmm ?

[cantwealljustgetalong]

8. more likely, they raised the (banned) Kurdish flag...

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/17/international/middleeast/17SYRI.html

[expatriot]

5. What happens when Iran, Syria & Turkey want to enter N. Iraq?

...to uproot the Kurdish insurgents 'staging area.'

Talk about a hornets' nest.

[bemildred]

6. Yeah, sounds yummy doesn't it?