Syrian rebels commit war crimes?

A video has surfaced of the Western backed Rebel forces in Syria, apparently committing war crimes. Luring in Syrian soldiers taking them hostage and Murdering them all.

A video appearing to show Syrian rebels murdering soldiers or pro-government militiamen could be evidence of a war crime, the UN has said. The footage shows gunmen beating and shooting a group of prisoners who were cowering on the floor. It has been alleged that Islamist militants carried out the attack after seizing army checkpoints on Thursday. Unconfirmed reports say troops have now quit all bases near the strategic northern town of Saraqeb. The town lies near the main roads linking Aleppo to Damascus and the coastal city of Latakia.

I haven't actually watched the video in its entirety, I don't really like seeing things like this. Still more evidence that we need to be more careful, with whom we are supporting and arming out there. Both sides are now responsible for war crimes, why have we supported these rebels for so long. Knowing full well the make up of their ranks

www.bbc.co.uk...

The video just shows what almost everybody knew, Syrian rebels are war criminals, terrorists and extremists.

The biggest thing to remember is that the Free Syrian Army is anything but all Syrian. It's the same bunch of fighters from around the region that have been fighting for years in one place or another...now, it's off to kill Assad...like making the grand tour. They don't care any more for the Syrian people in or out of Uniform than they cared about the Iraqi's they'd kill by the dozens in market bombings and the like.

Same people or types of people...different place...and of course, we're supporting them THIS time. This rabbit hole is just too warped and surreal for even me.

Originally posted by hououinkyouma
The video just shows what almost everybody knew, Syrian rebels are war criminals, terrorists and extremists.

edit on 3-11-2012 by hououinkyouma because: (no reason given)

And this makes the US complicit in (yet even more) war crimes--which, of course everybody also knows. How is this country so cowed and brainwashed by our "leaders" to go along with this? We should be having trials for treason instead of elections by now. What the hell is wrong with us?

You know this?
Glad to hear it. Honestly, I have to think a lot of people don't, really.
I've been on a couple of threads lately where a surprising number of people earnestly believe the news. Oh, most of them realize that Fox lies, or exaggerates, and is extremely biased, and sure MSNBC are more biased to the liberal, but they and CNN are more trustworthy by far.
I'm like, whaaaat?
They're all lying about Syria, Libya, so...I have to assume that yes, they believe this #.

Good to see this here.

I haven't been to this forum, I don't think. Probably a lot more truth over here.
A lot of time it's whatever happens to catch my eye in the 'new topics'. There's sooo much info here, a few things catch my eye and I lose track of time.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


But why are we supporting them? Why are we deriding countries like China and Russia for not getting involved, when it seems clear they are more aware of the larger picture going on. I feel that the media especially the BBC has painted a picture of these rebels in an overly simplistic and sympathetic way. Like they are somehow fighting for a democratic Syria, which couldn't be further from the truth. It will be a case of replacing one tyranny with another. Certainly not good for anyone not of the Sunni/Salafist persuasion.

reply to post by woodwardjnr

Well, you mention the Sunni and the Sunni/Shia fight within the war could very well be a big part of it. Frankly though, I share your confusion in the end. Syria doesn't make a lot of sense. Assad wasn't a threat to anyone until the world decided he had to die. I'd be a little pissed too...I can't blame the guy at this point. This wasn't something that had to happen.

The one factor that comes back though is that 10 billion dollar pipe line running from the Caspian Sea to the Med from Iran to Syria and down into Lebanon. That was finalized and signed off on by Iran, Iraq and Syria earlier this year after having done all the surveying and work to establish the route. Money and energy resources can't be underestimated I suppose.

If they are shooting defensless prisoners in cold blood, this is a war crime and the perpetraitors need to be punished... This is evidence that the FSA are nothing but terrorists and after seeing this, I believe they have been pulling the same acts on anyone who does not agree with their agenda in Syria.. Any wonder Assad is bombing the crap out of the place...

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I don't know if it's about oil in this case. The rebels in all these countries wiil not support or give free acess to USA and other western countries. Just look at Egypt....

Maybe some hidden agenda?

Not oil. Gas. Natural Gas. It makes a good part of Europe go and Russia is a big supplier for it. It's a major source of it's cash from the outside as well as strategic lever over other nations. They've used it in recent years (Gas flow) as a political thing as I recall. Iran and Syria are Russian client states...nothing strategic changes if they have their little pipeline that supplies gas down into Syria and Lebanon at cut rates.

If the West control both ends of that pipeline....The Caspian has a direct flow out that bypasses the Black Sea and Persian Gulf. It's a pretty big deal. Tho.. I don't know if it's enough.


There is another real sobering thought. Syria has been the largest producer of Chemical Weapons for decades. 30 years, anyway. They didn't sign the treaty, so it's been legal...as these things go. I don't suggest they couldn't be doing it and no one's had much of a problem with it all these years. It's NOT been a big secret. Assad and his Father have been stable and that is why no one has had a major problem with the Chemical weapons before.

now look again at the FSA. Those Chemical weapons are among the booty they stand to gain and so the stakes are pretty darn high. It runs the gamut from properly weaponized Sarin to VX Gas. Under Assad's control? It's not going anywhere.....like it never has. The FSA? (gets a cold shiver) It's a nightmare scenario, in my opinion.

sooo....we support war criminals....
oure dogs from hell....
ofcourse oure politicans washes there hands in innocense....

The Muslims the west back to kill Syrian troops have killed in cold blood before, however the UK leaders & USA close eyes to it, they only see what the Syrian Army do that goes wrong, we the public can see the west have backed the enemy, but our leaders still seem to choose war with Russia, and soon will.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Yes, the chemical weapons scenario doesn't bare thinking about. I wonder how Israel feels about the FSA? Surely they won't be happy with this situation that their western allies seem to be supporting?

edited to add: "Why are we supporting this?" I've been talking/thinking about this for awhile now, I just kind of took it for granted that we all know this part - Supporting them? The US/NATO has been behind it all along. They went in and found the malcontents and beefed them up. They're pretending to hum and haw about whether to support them; it's a question of sending additional, to be seen as legitimate support. This is the same thing they did in Libya. This is how I understand it at least.

@Wrabbit "This rabbit hole is just too warped and surreal for even me."

I totally hear that man.
Who can keep up, sides are always changing, double crossing, double dealing. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Until we're not friends any more. Then I'm gonna team up with their next best enemy, their neighbour, who's trying weaken us both...Jesus...
And so much is lies, making it that much harder to figure out what the truth is.
There's so much to understand about the past as well, and it turns out most of what I thought I knew is wrong.
Does my head in.
And yes, it bothers me that 'we' are supporting this, a lot of people almost gladly, thinking we're the 'humanitarian' saviors. Though I don't see what 'we' could do about it.

Like you say, the chemicals have been safe under the Assad's.
The biggest mistake Gaddafi ever made was not having nuclear weapons so they couldn't have done what they did. A mistake others won't make from now on I'm thinking.
I think they thought it was going to be easier, faster, like Libya.

reply to post by woodwardjnr

Yeah... You know, I had another thought hit me since my last post here and it hit pretty hard.

There is a reason the world has largely ignored Syria's chemical weapons production and treated them as a case different than everyone else. Well, aside from the treaty issue which has made it legal.

Anyway, Syria didn't sign the Chem Treaty. Israel didn't sign the Nuke Treaty. Syria makes goo and Israel makes nukes. Either using one gets it from the other. It's formed a rather crude but effective check and balance in much the same way the deal with Egypt has been a Billion to them that matches the Billion Israel gets every year.

If Syria if overthrown....and someone thinks the FSA can be trusted or controlled (The BIG fatal flaw to this little brainstorm, in my view) then it could be seen as removing the check to Israel's traditional limitation in action.

Maybe it's crazy...but like I said, it just hit me that it would actually have a regional strategic effect and not a good one...either way really.

Israel's right in there, instigating. I think they're happier than # this is happening.
They could occupy more of Syria no? The Golan heights? I think Lebanon is a corridor? There was just a bombing there...

And Turkey, as part of NATO is in the mix. The last incident where Turkey claimed that Syria had fired over their border seems to have been a lie, either Turkey themselves, or the FSA pretending to be the Syrian Army; in order to get NATO to jump in on the 'attack one, attack us all' basis?
It's about a lot of other things, like Wrabbit said, but also about divvying up land on their borders too probably?
Like I said, who can keep up.

No, that doesn't sound crazy, that sounds pretty plausible.

As you say, I don't know what they think the end game with the FSA is. How they think it will go as planned, whatever that plan may be.
Like you said when we were talking about Afghanistan, Russia, the Saudi's and Americans - there's a lot of bad blood and mistrust there.
Some of them are arming/backing one to secretly weaken both, not caring which of their two enemies wins or loses, b/c THEY win either way...And all players KNOW this about the others...
Again, Jesus, it does my head in...

reply to post by curiouscanadian777

It's a lot like how World War I started....and then some idiot shot the Archduke. Errr...

History repeats?