starting this thread, which i hope will be short-lived, to keep the board up to date with latest reports gleaned from the net

Do any of you free thinking gentlemen honestly think that it will end when Gaddafi goes?? I say there will be one big bun fight while various factions try to wrest control from the others. We may well end up out of the frying pan so to speak !!!! You cannot knock the bravery shown but to what end?? I bet that in some shady little dens deals are all ready being struck and not by the people dodging the bullets.

it will at least be the end of the beginning, but it is indeed possible that the frogs will ultimately inherit a heron king

very Churchillian

In the 1920/30s we would have backed them to the hilt until the chips were down then walk away as they were fed to the lions. As a nation we are not without guilt ask the cossacks!!

itlob - the first part indeed; the second is aesop

Yes, I know, though the heron king reminded me of the long necked de Gaulle and all the problems we had with him and his ego both during the war and afterwards :)

There speaks a true sesquipedalian. Mr.c lol.

and there's a great non-seq ..... i'ld have liked oxymoron, but that isn't apposite unfortunately

but meantime and back on subject, things are looking very bloody and nasty in libya

oxymoron = certain contributors here whose brains' functionality doesn't extend beyond autonomically breathing oxygen

don't tease bernard; he won't like it and will sulk .... as for me, i never take offense anyway

Just in case anyone (and I realise you aren't serious) does take offence, please don't. I was only referring to fred, the parrot and fahel and that is axiomatic.

Just ones who dare to criticise Israel!

Assad's speach today was very interesting. It looks as though he has missed the chance to fix Syria's problems and they will get more demos, especially from Friday. He was too vague about changes.

One item went largely unnoticed. He said that the Arab world will not be the same place very soon. The attitude of Arab nations to the Palestine problem will change from one of consessions to demanding what is right.

The Libyan rebels are OK.

Hague had ridden to the rescue.

He has expelled 5 Gaddafi diplomats from London.

What a mess.

No command structure, No overall strategy. Woeful tactics.

Cameron next idea is probably to arm al-Qaeda.

Actually, interesting that the British government structure is out of step with itself. Hague is walking to a different tune to Cameron and Cleggy seems to be on holidays again.

Crazy. Send in the SAS.







Oh. I forgot Hague has already done that.

fred - you have yet to say what your strategy would have been - please enlighten us

hayseed - you write "One item went largely unnoticed. He said that the Arab world will not be the same place very soon. The attitude of Arab nations to the Palestine problem will change from one of consessions to demanding what is right." .... the first part is a statement of the obvious and probably factual; the second is what you might hope and 95% certain not said by assad - your elucidation please

Usual parrot rubbish.
I criticise Israel when I don't agree with its government's policies. Just like the UK or France or the US or anybody else.

Parrot says, "He said that the Arab world will not be the same place very soon."

Why, is the Arab world going to join you back on your home planet, hay parrot?

Assad speech translation. "Arab people as well are saying have in relation to the Palestinian question. These changes, these recent events is going to change the Middle East peace process. So we will not be going to give up our rights in Palestine. We will have the power to ask for our rights. We are part of the Arabic region..."

The version I heared was translated slightly differently. Where this one says "So we will not be going to give up our rights in Palestine", the other one said "So we will not give any more consessions on Palestine".

Wow !!! Exciting stuff, parrot !!!

Has the thought occured to you Assad might be trying to deflect attention away from him salughtering his own people?

Thought not.

Thoughts don't occur to you.

Only copy and paste.

By the way, you said you are a IT consultant in copy and paste.

Which American university did you buy your qualification from?

Was the same one where you bought your "degree" in hypnotherapy?

Was it the University of Micropsittinae ?

Heard it on my squawk box once.

Actually you are wrong once again. I listened to the speech and wrote down the translation - not a copy and paste.

I don't have a 'degree' in hypnoptherapy. I doubt such a thing exists anyway. Your degree in stupidity I suppose is available everywhere. I posted the translation because cynic was interested in the detail. I could aslo post the link to the video

http://vodpod.com/watch/5874455-assad-speech-live-syria-30-march-2011-

It is about 2 minutes 30 seconds into it.

Parrot says, "I listened to the speech and wrote down the translation - not a copy and paste. "
Wow !!! Well done !!! Branching out into writing now !!!
Who knows, adding copying down words to your "skills" set might lead to an actual job one day !

More attempts to deflect attention away from Israel's appaling behaviour. (Israel being the temporary name for the area known as Palestine).