Pajamas Media: Die Hard
Always Suspicious

Common Sense Under Siege

Tayyab Siddiqui:

Difficult days are ahead for Syria and any major mistake could cost Assad his presidency.

Excuse me, his presidency!? When was Bashar Assad voted in? Who were the opposition candidates? The correct word would be dictatorship, Mr. Siddiqui.

He has complied with Security Council Resolution 1519 for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and shut down the offices of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. He also received Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and thus indirectly endorsed peace negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

The US, however, is not content with these measures. Its fundamental objective is to co-opt Syria as a partner in the peace efforts to achieve US interests in the region, making Syria abandon support for Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, terminate ties with Palestinian rejectionist groups and develop good relations with Baghdad.

So, in your opinion, support for Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, and bad relations with Baghdad is kosher? Are you saying that the US, or any Western country, should not put pressure on Assad for these oh so minor transgressions?

It is ironical that President Bush should seek retribution for alleged Syrian complicity in Hariri’s murder when its administration has authorized the CIA to kill presumed terrorists and Congress has sanctioned funds for the overthrow of the government of Iran. Again the targeted killings of Hamas leaders by Israel within Israel and outside as state policy has not attracted any condemnation or Security Council action.

Of course. Murdering the leader of a democratic society is no different from killing the head of a terrorist group or a totalitarian regime. I mean that's just Common Sense 101. Think about it. Is there any moral difference between killing Osama or murdering, let's say, the prime minister of Belgium? Nope. Zilch. Nada.

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