Arab League Ventures into Syrian Siege

[Chris]

Arab League Ventures into Syrian Siege

Arab League Ventures into Syrian Siege
By Ryan Mauro

Last week was the bloodiest in Syria since the uprising began, continuing through Monday. The arrival of Arab League observers, expected to appear in the war torn city of Homs Tuesday, did nothing to change the situation. Car bombs exploded outside government buildings, the regime's security forces carried out a massacre, and clashes between defectors and Assad's forces indicate the conflict is spiraling downwards. The outcome is of extreme concern to Israel, which sees an enemy in Assad but also an enemy in the Islamists among those protesting him. The Israeli leadership has taken a stand: It wants Assad to fall.

It has been repeatedly stated that Israel would prefer the secular dictatorship of Bashar Assad stay in power than collapse, potentially throwing the country into civil war and precipitating an Islamist takeover. The Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, wrote a letter to the Wall Street Journal to correct its coverage of Israel's stance.

"Allied with Iran, Mr. Assad has helped supply 55,000 rockets to Hezbollah and 10,000 to Hamas, very likely established a clandestine nuclear arms program…[Assad] confirms Israel's fears that the devil we know in Syria is worse than the devil we don't," Oren wrote. In April, President Peres said, "I believe finally that a democratic system in Syria is our best bet for the future."

Barak said that the revolution's success would be a major blow to Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah. It would also benefit Turkey, the primary backer of the Syrian opposition. Barak said this would benefit Israel because Turkey is competing with Iran. However, Turkey's sharp turn against Israel under the leadership of Erdogan is undeniable and dangerous. Senior U.S. State Department official Frederic Hof stated that Assad is the "equivalent of dead man walking."

Indeed, Assad is tied at the hip with Iran and Hezbollah and he has been a staunch supporter of Hamas and other terrorists. Iran and Hezbollah have dispatched operatives to take part in Assad's crackdown, with soldiers reporting that Shiite extremists are executing Syrian soldiers who refuse to fire on their countrymen. Iran recently began a secret air lift to Syria, sending seven commercial airliners to Damascus each week loaded with weapons.

Assad's relationship with Hamas, however, is breaking. Iran is threatening to stop training, funding and arming the terrorist group if it leaves Syria. Hamas has mostly brought its staff out of Damascus, leaving behind a minimal presence. It is moving to Gaza, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar. The Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood is on the side of the revolution, so Hamas is stuck in between a rock and a hard place and is preparing to align with its Sunni brethren.

Defense Minister Barak argues that Syria's population cannot be compared with that of Egypt, describing it as more secular. Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Yaalon agrees with Barak, saying that Assad's fall is only a matter of "time and bloodshed." Yaalon says there are "moderate Sunni elements" in Syria that are not like the Muslim Brotherhood. The Syrian opposition agrees and most of the activists arrested by the regime are secularists.

Experts disagree on the demographic makeup of Syria, but their assessments substantiate Barak's and Yaalon's analyses. Sami Moubayed writes that 15% are Kurds, 15% are Allawites and Shiites, 10% are Christians, 10% are Beduins and tribal members, 3% are Druze and another 2% are from other minorities. These minorities live in fear of Islamists, and make up 55% of the population. Moubayed believes that at least 25% of the Sunnis are secularist. Syrian opposition activists generally estimate the level of Islamist support to be around 20%. Dr. Barry Rubin puts Islamist support at around 15%.

The leader of the Syrian National Council (SNC), an umbrella of opposition groups, is a secularist named Burhan Ghalioun. He promises that the SNC will end its "strategic, military alliance" with Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah. He dismissed the possibility of an Islamist takeover, saying they don't represent more than 10% of the population.

Not all Israeli officials agree. Former Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said, "Although the Islamist forces are not the majority in the opposition, they are better organized and politically competent." He addressed Israel's desire to break Syria away from Iran's orbit by saying that an Islamist-controlled Syria would remain close to Iran.

The Free Syria Army that is battling Assad and the SNC are closely tied to Turkey and Qatar. SNC officials have met with Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood is a part of the coalition. The Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in Libya are meeting with the Free Syria Army and according to some reports, providing fighters.

Former Mossad director Efraim Halevy warns of the instability that could follow regime change. "If the result is that not only Assad is removed but the Syrian military structure disintegrates, then there's no telling who will control what."

This is a legitimate concern. The loss of up to 20,000 anti-aircraft missiles in Libya as well as other armaments is a serious worry for the West. In Syria, there are at least five chemical weapons sites. Assad is believed to have tons of mustard gas, sarin gas and VX, as well as Scud missiles and many conventional weapons that can fall into the hands of terrorists. The U.N. has discovered a nuclear site in Syria that appears to be for uranium enrichment.

Bashar Assad is a major enemy of Israel and the West as a whole, and it is tempting to embrace his removal. The opposition includes the secularists that we'd like to see come to power and the Islamists who we don't want to come to power. The West should not embrace Assad, but it must be keenly aware of the dangers that lie ahead if he falls.

[Elijah's Mantle]

I think Syria will be the first of the 3 to fall
current its a powder keg fixing to blow
I would not be surprised if we see Isaiah 17 on the fulfilled list by years end , a pull out looks likely .
Its certain the international community is bound to spill some beans at some point something Israel intelligence could benefit greatly from

[landscapman]

Questions that go through my head are, does Iran allow Assad to fall, what do they do if he does, and if it iscertain he will fall what action do they take before hand. No doubt Syria is a big domino.

[Elijah's Mantle]

Syria in the Bible accounts is referred to sometimes as "ARAM"
and if you read Ezekiel 27 it indicates Syria has a connection with Babylonian mythical Tyre , however Isaiah 17 is the most clear one that states Syria's and Damascus utter destruction
Its also found in Jeremiah 49 where God will kindle a fire on the wall of Damascus and the young men will fall
also in Amos 1 I think

Amos 1:3-5 states the following
"Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron, But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael apparently the name ""the Syrian leadership at that
time"""......... Which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad. I will also break the gate bar of Damascus And cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven, And the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden.

The people of Syria shall go captive to
Kir,' Says the LORD."

In Amos 9:7
we read that God had freed the Syrians from Kir, but in Amos 1, God says that they
will go back to the slavery of Kir. We also read, in Isaiah 22:6, that Kir will be one of the nations or people assembled to fight against Jerusalem in the
end time, during the "day of the LORD" read Zechariah 14:1-2)


Who or what is Kir? ?

Commentaries and Lexica are divided in their
interpretations and explanations.?


further explained

Kir is in
the country of Albania, on the river Cyrus, which empties itself into the Caspian Sea.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible maintains that Kir is in Media. ??

However, in Isaiah 15:1 we find another reference to Kir as being situated in Moab which is known as (modern Jordan and Western Iraq), speaking of "Kir of Moab."?
?I take it means that


The Geneva Study Bible says that Kir is in Egypt
(In Latin, Kir is called Cyrene, and Acts 2:10 says that people were in Jerusalem, who had come from"Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene.").

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary
claims that Kir is a region subject to Assyria.??

Several Lexica state that Kir is a place of exile inSouthern Babylon, as well as a place in Assyria andin Moab.?

Regardless of what people or region might bespecifically right on

We can safely say that in the end time, Syria and Damascus will be destroyed.

Even though the Bibledoes not expressly state who will be the nation or"king" who will destroy Damascus and enslave the Syrians, if we look at prior historical events, it ispossible that it will be done through the modern Babylonian system under the leadership of themodern "king" of Assyria--a mighty future leader in Germany, also referred to in the Bible as the beast, King Jareb, and the king of the North. ?

Remember that in ancient times, the king of
Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, destroyed Damascus and
enslaved the Syrians.


the destruction of Damascus and the overthrow of Syria could occur approximately the same time when the modern "king" of Assyria will attack the modern house of
Israel
This scenario could make sense in light of the possible development that the Jews might askGermany and the modern Babylonian system for help and intervention in the Middle East (as the ancient Jewish king Ahaz asked the ancient king of Assyria for help).

Ironically, "Ephraim"--the USA
and Great Britain--will make a covenant with modern Assur (Hosea 12:1) and ask them for help
as well (Compare Hosea 5:13, which states in the New American Bible and the Menge translation: "Ephraim went to Assyria, and Judah sent to the great king."). At that time, the modern "king" of Assyria (the king of the North or the beast) might just comply with both requests. We know that he will intervene in the Middle East (Daniel 11:41- 43)--not because he really wants to help the Jews or
anyone else, but because it will be in his heart to destroy and cut off not a few nations
(compare
Isaiah 10:5-7).??

The modern "king" of Assyria will not really rescue the Jews nor modern Ephraim (Hosea 7:11-12; 5:14-
15). Even anciently, we read in 2 Chronicles 28:16- 21 that Tiglath-Pileser, King of Assyria, did NOT really help Ahaz, King of Judah, but rather "distressed" or"oppressed" him (verse 20).

In fact,
we read that the modern "king" of Assyria, leader ofthe revived Roman Empire, will ultimately engage in a decisive war against the modern houses of Israel AND Judah

the kir part is so hard I dont get it all as well as I need to so
I dont know how it will be brought about its not real clear which Nation actually takes em out just that they are taken out and unsure about the return to slavery part

I guess I dont know really at the moment which one
I have some good ideas but its based on modern reports
I just know it does look ominous for Syria and Damascus

[Elijah's Mantle]

Hosea 12:1
Indicates a type of specific we can maybe see what more on this end is done

kinda makes modern reports look somewhat a miss doesn't it
if we consider were Ephraim

[Elijah's Mantle]

landscapeman I have to really clean up this convoluted mess trying to study it out dont want to confuse us all the death sorry

The people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir - Kir is supposed to be the country of Cyrene in Albania, on the river Cyrus, which empties itself into the Caspian Sea.

The fulfilment of this prophecy may be seen in 2 Kings 16:1-9.

It has to be separated out in a sense before it makes any

read Isaiah 22:6