Assad fires official who barred Facebook By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Saturday replaced Syria’s communications and religious affairs ministers, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

Assad issued a decree naming Imad Abdul-Ghani Sabbouni as minister of communications, replacing Amr Nazir Salem. Sabbouni had been Salem’s advise.

Local Syrian Web sites in recent months had been critical of Salem, who had been nominated to the post in February 2006, for blocking some Web sites including http://www.all4syria.org and the Arab online newspaper http://www.elaph.com as well as online social networking site Facebook.

Recent reports have said that Syrian authorities blocked Facebook, the popular Internet hangout, over what seems to be fears of Israeli “infiltration” of Syrian social networks on the Net.

Residents in Damascus said that they have not been able to enter Facebook for more than two weeks. An Associated Press reporter got a blank page when he tried to open the Facebook web page Friday from the Syrian capital.

Syrian officials were not available for comment Friday because of the Muslim weekend, but some reports have suggested that the ban was made to prevent Israeli users from infiltrating Syrian social networks.

Lebanon’s daily As-Safir reported that Facebook was blocked on November 18. It said the authorities took the step because many Israelis have been entering Syria-based groups.

“Most Americans” don’t know how to locate Israel, Lebanon or Palestine on a map!

- Most American hate him – and hate his relationship with the house of Saud

- Most Americans feel Syria should get a serious a** kicking for the negative role they always play

- Most Americans Hope Lebanon can become a thriving democratic place like the netherlands

- Most Americans Support Israel because she invents, is scrappy, and were the original writers of the bible

- Most Americans Dont care about the Palestianians because they know full well that they only want Israels destruction (rather than their own real state)

I agree with you regardless who’s elected for US president the policy will not change. The feeble-minded who think otherwise are simply naive and don’t have a clue about the working of US policies. Just as they did when they were hoping before the French elections.

Back to Iran, the key difference here is that Iran is a terrorist-sponsoring state, so waiting it out is not an option. Also Syria’s continual isolation and HA escalating rhetoric is becoming ‘unacceptable’ to just sit it out.

Not sure whether you’ve read this..
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071127/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq

it seems the US and the Iraqi government reached an agreement that will allow the US to remain in the country for the long term. So those who are wishing the US public had enough with Bush and demand a troop withdrawal are way off. The new US embassy in Iraq is considered one of the largest ever, and with more military bases to follow. So Iran, Syria, and HA better wake up to the reality that the US is here to stay.

To make a long story short.

There was a fear of ‘mutual assured destruction’ during the Cold War. Two superpowers pitted against each other. It was a war of ideas more than anything else.

North Korea has been starved for AGESS! It took years of sanctions and isolation before they gave up. And North Korea is a really poor country.

Iran is completely different. Firstly, it is SEEKING nuclear weapons. It is a few years away. AND it has oil. Despite the dire domestic situation, it can pull through for another 5 years easily.

US policy is that it will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Whether the political will is there now or not is irrelevant. Republicans or Democrats aside, if diplomacy fails, they will strike.

If not, Israel will. They have a minister just for the Iranian threat.

To HA sympathizers try and read this article with an open mind, I know you can do it & might gain something.

As for US bombing Iran (I pray for that every night!), this is our wishful thinking misleading our judgment. The US could try to contain Iran but won’t start a preventive war unless Iran force them to do that. US is not strong enough to make a clear cut winning military war against Iran.

Iranians are smart enough to play their best game El Taqia and avoid crossing the red line. Still their ”marge de manoeuvre” is very wide : from Dahyé to Rabié and form Bassra to Najaf.

But fundamentally I agree with you a nuclear Iran is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen, but I am not sure that a military strike is the only option. I think time is playing in favor of the Anti-Iran axis. There are parliamentary and presidential elections due for the next 16m, moreover Khamenei is not immortal and what comes next is likely to be more pragmatic. Moreover time will not play against the resolve of Russia, China, the US, Israel, and the Arab states to see a nuclear Iran emerge.

Sam,
Remember that Iran and the US are both engaged in a race against time to settle their issues with the US first. History tells me that the syrians will be faster.

Then, the West by inviting Syria is either stupid or playing stupid. Or maybe the first priority is to keep ”very calm” the Golan heights!

Therefore, March 14th should not rely only on Western pressure for help. International relations is interest based system and there is not international rule of law!! Under these equations Lebanon is weak and under persian-alawite threat.

Here come ”anthem boy” smart suggestion. Until we play hard and use force for self-protection, Syria and HA will keep assassination and chaos. They’re a wolf and the game rule is : the Jungle Law, aka survival of the fittest.
March 14th should adapt and use force in respond to violence and assassination.

That’s the costly, but only, solution! Then everyone will listen and help pro-active Lebanese more than passive-fatalist migrating cosmopolitan group.

Try and imagine the ME in that light, and off course with the Syrian regime and HA further emboldened and aggressive in their overreach. How would the ME be for the rest of us? That’s why Iran will never be allowed to become nuclear.

I think the Annapolis conference is a last ditch effort to try and sway Syria and isolate Iran. I think this coming year the US/Israel will take care of the Iranian nuclear program.

It’s possible that’s the reason some in M14 (Jumblatt) is still offering an olive branch to HA in the hope of reaching a made-in-Lebanon rational compromise. So far HA has been unyielding…