Syrian Refugees - Greeks and Nobel Peace Prize

In my opinion, the world's most worthy candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize are those people who are helping the despearate Syrian refugees. Obvously, it's likely many people in Syrian are trying to help. the refugees. In fact, there's likely somebody in Syria who is the next "Ann Frank" example, some person who is writing a yet to be discovered chronicle about the ethnic tyranny and the evils perpetrated by the tyrant President Assad. 

Greeks are accepting these desperate Syrian refugees and deserve a Nobel Peace Prize for their humanitarian herosim.

Meanwhile, the Greeks are showing a heroic public humanitarian response to the plight of the Syrian refugees. Although Greece is a nation in economic turmoil, the people, nevertheless, are responding to the despearate needs of the proverbial tsunami tidal wave of Syrian refugees, who are floating on to their soils, in need of humanitarian assistance. In fact, the Greeks are trying to help the refugees.  Americans need to do much more!!!!

Petition calls for Greek islanders to be nominated for Nobel Peace Prize By Tim Hume, CNN

(CNN) Residents of the Greek islands have found themselves on the front lines of Europe's migration crisis. They're rescuing, feeding and sheltering hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants who found their way to their shores.

Now, an online petition has been launched calling for the efforts of these "unsung heroes" on islands in the Aegean Sea to be recognized with a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The petition, on the Avaaz website, is addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Greece's Immigration Minister Ioannis Mouzalas and had attracted more than 288,000 signatures by Sunday.  

"Ordinary residents of Greek islands and other volunteers have been on the front lines of Europe's refugee crisis for months, opening up their hearts and homes to save hundreds of thousands fleeing war and terror.

"For their compassion and courage, for treating those in danger with humanity, and for setting an example for the rest of the world to follow, we citizens around the world, nominate these brave women and men for a Nobel Peace Prize.

"Nobody is more deserving of such honor than these unsung heroes."

Greece's government would consider backing the Nobel Peace Prize petition.

A Nobel Peace Prize awarded to help those assisting the Syrian refugees would continue to focus on the plight of these despearate people and provide deserved moreal support for their rescuers.

World cannot make Syrian refugees scapegoats

"Returning militants from Syria are a worrying potential source of terror attacks."

The world is in constant mourning for the victims of terrorism. France has now experienced two deadly incidents during this year.

Unfortunately, one of the dead terrorists killed among the innocent victims of the November 13 attacks on Parisians (including at least one American student, a beautiful 23 year old California girl named Nohemi Gonzalez) was a man with a Syrian passport.  

French tribute from Canadians at French Consulate in Montreal Canada

French President Francois Hollande blames ISIS for the attack, and the terror group has claimed responsibility, but so far it's not clear where all of the attackers were from. According to French prosecutors, one of the attackers who has been identified is a French national known to police, and a Syrian passport was found on one of the bodies of the other attackers.

Hopefully, the Europeans will not consider this aberrant passport on a dead terrorist as a harbinger of the intentions of other Syrians who may be desperate refugees. It seems to me, giving Syrians who claim to be refugees a new status passport might resolve any future confusion but implementing such a policy is obviously complicated.  Nevertheless, Europeans must find a way to identify the refugees without leaping to hostile conclusions.  

Until now, French citizen Mehdi Nemmouche is the only case of a Western fighter in Syria accused of returning to conduct a deadly terror attack -- the May 24, 2014, shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, Belgium, that left four people dead. Nemmouche had served time in a French prison, and he had an assault rifle when he was arrested in France. 

A French journalist held by ISIS reportedly identified Nemmouche as one of the group's alleged torturers. Nemmouche was extradited to Belgium, where he awaits trial.

Returning militants from Syria are a worrying potential source of terror attacks. And two major factors place Europe at far greater risk of "returnee" violence from veterans of the Syrian conflict than is the case in the United States: the much larger number of European militants who have gone to fight in Syria and the existence of more developed jihadist networks in Europe.

France has supplied more fighters to the Syrian conflict than any other Western country. In September, Prime Minister Manuel Valls told Parliament that 1,800 French citizens have been involved in jihadist networks worldwide -- almost all of whom were drawn to the Syrian war. Nine months earlier, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve estimated that 185 militants had returned to France from Syria. Of those who had returned, he said 82 were in jail and 36 were under other forms of judicial control.

Obviously, Europeans are on high alert. They are understandably diligennt as a result of the millions of refugees flooding into the continent from Syria and other nations (like Pakistan) while, at the same time, trying to maintain security against terrorism. 

Unbelievably, no one is going after the source of this chaos.  

It seems to me, Syria's President Assad is the one man responsible for this international carnage while Russia's President Dictator Vladimir Putin is supporting this perpetrator of Syria's humanitarian tragedy. Nevertheless, the Syrians are leaving the country by the tens of thousands while their country is being ransacked, yet President Assad continues to live under strict security.  There's definitely an imbalance in this outrageous ratio.  One man lives while tens of thousands suffer irreparable harm.  Now, as a result of one terrorist being found with a suspected Syrian passport in Paris, the refugees are now at risk for being scapegoated for being among those who are driven to do evil to more European people.  

Although there's no way of reversing this human tragedy, it seems like one man is the root cause of the fear now infecting Europe as the refugees continue to wash up on European shores.  

But, refugees are desperate people. They are incapable of organizing terrorist attacks and none of them are crossing the Mediteranian with AKA 47 attack weapons.

Therefore, the world cannot put even more stress on Syrian refugees by even suggesting any of them might be terrorists. 

In fact, terrorism is the result of an evil movement among some extremist groups who are  consumed by hate.  Terrorists are being attracted to the nefarious causes they inflict on others by violent means because they're brainwashed into believing evil is somehow justified to achieve their barbaric intentions.

Let's not create enemies of Syrian refugees, because one dead terrorist may have had a Syrian passport.  

Instead, let's make good citizens of the Syrian refugees and ask them to help the world to eventually be rid of President Assad and destroy terrorism to protect the civilized world.

Europe must help Syrian refugees regain their nation or face growing immigration crises

 These are real people, not statistics.

Many Europeans might pretend the Syrian refugee crises is a Middle East problem, but as immigrants are washing up on Mediterranean shores, Europe is confonted with the root cause of the crises.  In other words, Europeans must join with the international humanitarian efforts to confront the refugee issues in Syria, or continue to see horrific ethical situations from the immigrants who are fleeing to reach European shores.

Of course, the solution to the refugee-immigration crises is to overthrow the despot Syrian President Assad, so the people he cruelly displaced can rebuild the nation. Europe can join in this effort to topple Assad. Nevertheless, the Europeans would rather send money for food, but don't want to fight the cause of the refugee problem.

Meanwhile, the immigration crises continues:
 
Two cargo boats with a total of more than 1,200 migrants on board were abandoned and left to drift dangerously in the Mediterranean this week - a relatively new tactic by the people smugglers. The Italian authorities did eventually manage to board both vessels - one a cargo ship, the other a cattle transport - and rescue the passengers. But many migrants who make the ruinously expensive and risky attempt to enter Europe illegally aren't so lucky, and die in the attempt....a boat - packed so tightly with people looking up that you cannot actually see the boat, only a collection of humans shaped like a boat. 
 
European governments,it seems, are damned if they intervene, and damned if they don't.  

Refugees, on the other hand, are damned to the dangers of the sea, or damned to a life of poverty or persecution at home.

Desperate people will always take desperate measures. As William Spindler of the UN refugee agency UNHCR says: 

"If they can't come through the door, they will try to come through the window." 

Julie's note- In my opinion (IMO)- remove President Assad and provide humanitarian incentives to the Syrian refugees to return home.

Syrian refugee crises is growing with mortality increasing but the Evil ISIS is consuming news

NPR - Weekend Edition anchor Scott Simon broadcast a radio essay this morning August 30th, succinctly explaining the horror in the Iraqi-Syria horrible upheaval. Simon reports that the evil Islamic State (aka "ISIS") terror threat is growing while 3 million displaced Syrians are living in a morbidity producing environment in refugee camps, because of their nation's humanitarian crisis caused by a brutal war. Syrian refugees aren't receiving enough humanitarian aid. As a result, they are dying by increasing numbers, especially children, as a result of their hopeless displacement. Meanwhile, the evil ISIS movement is producing social media videos showing mass executions while innocent Syrians are hardly mentioned on international media. This Syrian degradation of the human condition is being totally ignored by the world while the Islamic terror state recruits terrorists from all over the world, including from Great Britain and the United States! These two international crises are contributing to an unbelievable upside down world order.  

It makes no sense for men (and who knows, maybe some women OMG! but I hope not) to leave their national origin to join a group of terror nomads. These ISIS fiends are obsessed with creating mayhem, regardless of the consequences to innocent people.

Unfortunately, President Obama gave a less than convincing response to the growing ISIS terror threats during his recent press briefing at the White House. Many are critical of the President's low key statements in response to the ISIS terror, as well as a few who made irresponsibly demeaning comments about the color of his jacket and tie. Nevertheless, none of the self appointed pundits, including Congressman Peter King of New York, can offer an alternative about what to do to oppose threats facing free people in the Middle East including Syria, Iraq and let's include the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, too.

Obviously, there are no strategic responses to terror without risk. Yet, there are opportunities for the world media to emphasize the terror of living in a Syrian refugee camp. Moreover, nations must block the recruitment of ISIS terrorists by restricting travel for anyone who cannot demonstrate a viable reason for travel to the Middle East.

As the evil ISIS network continues to terrorize the Iraqi people, the refugees in Syria are dying while President Assad assaults his own people with unrelenting oppression.

Each day brings more desperation to the world order. Cable news cycles are consumed with polarized pundits, providing advice about how to fight ISIS, like the evil network is an opposing football team, rather than a hate filled terror movement.

In the vacuum of a strategic response to the denigrating world order, including the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the world is literally postponing the inevitable. It's only a matter of time until the ISIS recruits from the US and Great Britain wind up doing harm in our own neighborhoods. It's time for Americans to join Great Britain in support a strategic response to the dangerously changing international world order.

Putin must be stopped! Millions of displaced Syrians and Ukraine being smothered while Putin harbors Snowden and Yanukovych

Russian people are sadly  familiar with personal sacrifice caused by, governmental oppression and corruption. 

Regardless of their difficult history, the Russian people are not as naturally aggressive as their ruthless leaders. There's a historic disconnect between the Russian people and their political leaders. This schism has existed since the days of the Czars. What's different now, in the 21st century world order, is how the power hungry Putin, an ambitious disciple of the famous dictator Joseph Stalin, is putting the world in a dangerously delicate defensive position. Putin has permitted the genocide of millions of Syrians while the country's murderer President Assad is allowed to remain in power. Now, Putin is successfully putting pressure on the Ukraine to abandon western affiliations and, instead, become the equivalent of a Russian state. Western nations are on the defensive because, frankly, no nation on earth has the intestinal fortitude to risk a war with Russia. Past aggression against Russia has produced absolutely horrific outcomes, as in Napoleon's and Hitler's lost campaigns.  

Frankly, when President Obama caved to public pressure by not taking aggressive action against Syrian genocide of Christian rebels by poison gas, he opened the door for Putin to arrogantly ignore any threats of retaliation for Russia's support of President Assad.  

As Russia's exhausting Sochi Olympic games are over, Putin has no imminent public relations campaign to oversee. Of course, he has about a billion dollars in Olympic bills to pay for the cost of the games. But, it's only money. Putin is on a power trip and obviously sees President Obama as too weakened by US partisan politics to respond to his own over grown Stalin-like ambitions.

All of which is to say - an increasingly dangerous world is evolving while Putin forces his power hand on Syria, the Ukraine and beyond to who knows where? 

Meanwhile, the information age traitor Edward Snowden is being held like a house cat in Russia, like a trophy Putin can point to, like the Super Bowl ring he stole away from New England Patriot's owner Robert Kraft.

Putin must be stopped.  Stealing Super Bowl rings, harboring traitors and now supporting heinous military campaigns in Syria and the Ukraine-Crimea, cannot be permitted to continue.  

Sadly, I doubt any nation has the intestinal fortitude to stop Putin.
If there's such a thing as reincarnation, the world certainly needs another Sir Winston Churchill as soon as possible.  

It would be nothing short of miraculous if a savior against Putin arose from within his own nation. Surely, the Russian people cannot continue to endure another political leader who continues to support the oppression they've experienced in the past.

Defending the Syrian Rebels: Iran Behind the Curtain

Syria's civil war presents the US with a bone chilling opportunity to fight against Iran.  

Let's face it, Iran is the enemy complicit in the Syrian government's atrocities toward the rebels.  Likewise, Iran is certainly a long standing source of angst against America. Potentially, it's about time we confront Iran, once and for all, as their anti-American intentions have been evident since 1979, with the take over of the US Embassy in Tehran, a situation described in the Academy Award winning movie, "Argo".

Although I sadly admit to being reticent about assisting any side in

the bloody Syrian civil war, it seems like America's involvement is now inevitable.  

Human carnage of unimaginable proportions must be stopped.  

The Syrian civil war is an ongoing armed conflict between forces loyal to the Syrian Ba'ath Party government and those seeking to oust it. The conflict began on 15 March 2011, with popular demonstrations that grew nationwide and forced a humanitarian catastrophe. 

Anti-government demonstrations were part of the wider Middle Eastern protest movement known as the Arab Spring. Protesters demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, whose family has held the presidency in Syria since 1971, as well as the end of Ba'ath Party rule.  And the bloodshed continues.

Sadly, the anti-government rebels have endured tens of thousands of deaths and both side report enormous losses.  Civilians are bearing the brunt of the fighting.  As many as 92,000 people have died and the number is climbing, reports The New York Times. More than 5,000 deaths are reported every month.

It's entirely likely this devastating conflict will grow, yet again, when the US in openly involved.  American military aid will support the anti-government rebels, but our participation, also, will put our nation in direct confrontation with Iran. This is because Syria and Iran are strategic allies.  Fighting Syria means confronting Iran.  Moreover, due to the nuclear pressure Iran is exerting on Middle East security, it's, probably, just a matter of time until armed engagement with the US becomes a reality.  

Therefore, the US might as well engage with Iran through assistance to anti-government rebels in Syria. This tactic makes military sense because, apparently, Iran is already supporting the pro-government forces. When the US provides military assistance to the Syrian rebels, the aid can enhance our ability to keep Iran's military tactics under closer surveillance.

Defending the Syrian Rebels, in my opinion, is an American armed confrontation with Iran, whereby President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the evil intended leader who lurks behind the military curtain of Syrian President Assad's army.  

Although Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has called for military assistance to support the Syrian rebels for a long time, his clarion call has fallen flat with war weary Americans.  

Clearly, America don't have enough money to sustain another war, especially on the heels of the Iraq and Afghanistan military campaigns.  (Where's the Tea-Party on the Syrian appropriations?)

Perhaps, this confrontation with Syria is a delayed reaction to the retaliation we should have initiated against Iran, but didn't, following the 1979 hostage crisis.  Iran had absolutely no right, whatsoever, to allow a take over of our US embassy in Tehran, where Americans were held hostage for 444 days, terrorized by the threat of death by firing squad. Indeed, it's probably time to hold Iran accountable for illegally holding Americans hostage for no reason, even 44 years after the event.

Obviously, the world cannot stand by and ignore the massive genocide in Syria, regardless of who is the "real" enemy.

But, a war weary American public might be inclined to support our engagement in Syria if we are better informed about who the "real" enemy is behind the curtain.  In spite of the massive number of casualties, the real enemy to be confronted, the evil behind the curtain, is Iran.