Iran’s President Calls for End to Syrian Crackdown

Source

For years, posters celebrating the decades-old alliance joining Syria and Iran festooned the streets and automobiles of the Syrian capital — the images of Presidents Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad embroidered with roses and daffodils.

But that alliance is now strained, and on Thursday, President Ahmadinejad of Iran became the most recent, and perhaps the most unexpected, world leader to call for President Assad to end his violent crackdown of an uprising challenging his authoritarian rule in Syria.

I find it interesting that Syria’s longtime ally in Iran has now spoken openly against the brutal crackdown behind the curtain of secrecy that is holding Syrians in tight. By joining the Western leaders in their condemnation of this bloody and brutal crackdown it shows just how far al-Assad has gone by alienating a man who has enforced his own oppression of popular uprising.

But we cannot pretend like Ahmadinejad does not have a vested interest in the outcome of Syria and how he manages it. He has considered Iran the champion of the revolutionaries, being the inspiring spark that set the Arab world on fire. When the uprising came knocking on the door of a close friend he sat on his hands for a while, not wanting to abandon an ally and not wanting to lose face. He has finally decided that there is only one choice now: stand with the protesters.

We all know Iran has investments in helping al-Assad crack down on protesters and remain in power but a better alternative for both leaders would be for an end to bloodshed, dramatic reform in Syria, and for al-Assad to remain as leader. That, however, I do not believe is going to happen after this announcement:

Syria declares state of war and general military draft

reply to post by Misoir


I S & F

This thread last night.
I find it funny that Russia is distancing themselves as well...

reply to post by Misoir


My personal opinion ,is with increasing likelihood/reality of foreign intervention ,this will drag Iran into the situation out of there control ,as it stands at the moment ,if Assad resigns ,and a new government is formed Iran still have there network in place ,were as with foreign intervention they won't.


As for Russia ,well Medvedev has been very vocal about how the west shouldn't idolize the Syrian situation ,or over play it in the media ,but i think its the same for Russia as it is for Iran ,with all the defections taken place in the last week in Syria ,they have to come to the realization that change is happening ,either support protesters and control the change to suit Russia ,or support Assad and let the west control the situation.

Yup, Iran can see Syria being hit by NATO in the coming months and wants to distance itself from their defense agreement. Iran knows that its enemies are just looking for an excuse to take them out as well. I always thought that when it came down to it, Iran would leave Syria to the face the music alone.

reply to post by Misoir

This is a significant development.

I wonder what the media will do with it.

The source of this article is the New York Times. They include a photo of the two leaders in 2007. But the people who really scare me are those guys in military uniforms standing behind them. And I wish the photo included the people who are behind those military guys! It takes lots of cash to buy guns, rockets and fighter jets along with all the reasons why we can't do without them!

What frustrates me the most is that someone has a plan concerning how all this is supposed to play out. And none of us have any idea what that plan says. In fact, there might be more than one plan. I don't like feeling like I'm just a pawn in someone else's game. I was taught that I deserve a little more respect than that. Most of us were taught that. But we weren't taught how to stand up for ourselves against some guy with gold braid all over his shoulder and medals all over his chest and half a million armed men at his disposal...