[karajorma]

That's actually a somewhat different issue though.

The Ba'ath Party of Syria, which advocated the ideologies of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism had clashed with the Muslim Brotherhood, a group with a conservative ideology, since 1940.[11] The two groups were opposed in important ways. The Ba'ath party was secular, nationalist and led by the minority Alawites, which conservative Sunni Muslims considered heretics. The Muslim Brotherhood, like other Islamist groups, saw nationalism as un-Islamic and religion as inseparable from politics and government.

The secularism of the Ba'ath Party is one of the few good things you can actually say about them. The Hama massacre wasn't based on religion so much as the fact that someone was trying to topple the government.

Hezbollah on the other hand seem to be increasingly moving towards being militantly Shia. And this could end up biting Assad on the arse if they want him to be more religious.

[Black Wolf]

Things may be getting a bit more serious now - Looks like Assad is getting a little too excited. He's got his hezbollah fighters, he's got his S-300s (so he claims, realistically, they're very unlikely to e there just yet) and he's pretty openly stated that he has his eyes firmly on the Golan heights.

There's a good summary article from the NY Times here:

“We’re in stormy waters indeed,” said Jonathan Spyer, a senior research fellow at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. “Somebody or other has to not do what they have openly claimed they would do. Somebody has to lose serious face, and governments don’t like to lose face at the moment of serious confrontation.”

Honestly, I'm starting to think Assad will probably win here, in the sense that he'll hold onto power in a much less stable country. The opposition will almost certainly become increasingly Islamicized, and Syria will very likely end up a sectarian powder keg, but I think he's got a very good chance of being the man holding that fuse a few months from now. If he does... well, the Golan Heights are going to look even more attractive in that situation, especially if Hezbollah's timely intervention gives them a voice at the Syrian table, or if Iran (another backer) gets hit by anti-nuclear-program airstrikes (or Syria does again, for that matter).

Things are not improving. :|

[NGTM-1R]

It's not really that simple. The S-300s represent a possible offensive weapon, given the small size of Israel, that can disrupt air travel over that country. The Israelis cannot accept Assad's having them. They'll kill the missiles. It's a strategic necessity.

[Sarafan]

Russia Is Upping The Ante By Sending Its Only Aircraft Carrier To The Mediterranean:

http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-deploys-admiral-kuznetsov-carrier-2013-6

[Dragon]

This is turning really ugly, really fast. Also, the situation seems uncomfortably similar to that just before WWI started. I hope we won't end up with WWIII on our hands...

[NGTM-1R]

Aww, your ski-ramp carrier is cute...and this is a really bad place to put it if things go south. Might as well hand NATO a freebie.

[NGTM-1R]

So apparently Syria has issued a travel warning about Turkey's use of violence against protestors, but I have no idea if I should ever trust the Atlantic Wire.

[Grizzly]

This is turning really ugly, really fast. Also, the situation seems uncomfortably similar to that just before WWI started. I hope we won't end up with WWIII on our hands...

Don't worry. It will all be over by christmass.

[Sarafan]

Don't worry. It will all be over by christmass.

lol, no.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/world-exclusive-iran-will-send-4000-troops-to-aid-bashar-alassads-forces-in-syria-8660358.html

As if things couldnt get worse.

[BloodEagle]

Don't worry. It will all be over by christmass.

lol, no.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/world-exclusive-iran-will-send-4000-troops-to-aid-bashar-alassads-forces-in-syria-8660358.html

As if things couldnt get worse.

* BloodEagle thinks you missed the joke.

[Sarafan]

* BloodEagle thinks you missed the joke.

Never heard that joke, either way things wont be over soon.

[Lorric]

* BloodEagle thinks you missed the joke.

Never heard that joke, either way things wont be over soon.

Let me help you. People said both World Wars would be over by Christmas.