“Does the regime permit peaceful protest? Does the regime allow the political opposition to organize, discuss and deliberate without fear of assassination or arrest?”

[cb editor: The US may be content with having laid waste to the economy and State in Syria, rather than conducting a Libya style disintegration and destruction backed by international supporters. In retrospect, it seems there was really more of an apathetic silence toward the pariah State of Gaddafi than international support . One hopes the international community has wised up and won’t assist in the same exploitation of Syria. Sadly, the ensuing Civil War will likely neutralize Syria and the miseries that follow will not cease until a there is a significant change in the power structure of Syria or an escalation toward regional war. Its now a game of wait and see…

In the meantime, the US is calling on Russia, India and China, to help finish off Syria. Ultimately this call is intended to hasten the US isolation and destruction of Iran. It’s doubtful these nations will join in any way that will help flip the Mideast in favor of the US. The US will surely attempt to persuade these nations with economic black mail, masquerading as a Syrian rescue plan, as their economies too reap the global disaster of failed capitalism in the West.

It is here we see new heights of US hypocrisy regarding Bahrain become clear, State Department special coordinator on Middle East affairs Frederic Hof just argued to US lawmakers: “Does the regime permit peaceful protest? Does the regime allow the political opposition to organize, discuss and deliberate without fear of assassination or arrest?” The questions were in reference to Syria. ]

US: Syrian regime is ‘dead men walking’
by Staff Writers – Washington (AFP) – Dec 14, 2011

The United States portrayed Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian government as “dead men walking” on Wednesday, and urged Russia, China and India to put politics aside to stand with the West on action against the regime.

“Our view is that this regime is the equivalent of dead men walking,” State Department special coordinator on Middle East affairs Frederic Hof told US lawmakers in a hearing on US policy toward Damascus.

In testimony to the House of Representatives foreign affairs subcommittee on the Middle East, Hof said it was clear that the regime of Assad, whose security forces have engaged in a months-long bloody crackdown on protesters, would not survive.

“It is difficult to predict how much time they have,” he said.

Should Assad manage to cling to power, it would be as a despot who would “preside over a Pyongyang in Levant,” crippled by sanctions much like the isolated North Korean regime, he added.

Hof also said it was vital for UN Security Council efforts to protect Syrians from Assad’s oppressive forces, calling on Russia, China and India to stop opposing UN action.

“We ask those governments that are insulating this regime from the will of Syria’s citizenry: do not make innocent civilians pay the price for your political calculations,” Hof said.

“The international community’s duty to the Syrian people transcends power politics,” he testified.

“We ask that Russia, China, India and others address some basic questions: Does the regime permit peaceful protest? Does the regime allow the political opposition to organize, discuss and deliberate without fear of assassination or arrest?”

Hof said Washington must “redouble our efforts with Moscow to persuade it that it’s backing of this regime is not only helping to facilitate a humanitarian catastrophe, but it is manifestly not in the interests of the Russian Federation because change is surely coming to Syria.”

Washington has expressed frustration in recent weeks over what it sees as efforts by Russia and China to stymie UN action. …more