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I don't recognize the name of the writer, and I'd appreciate any information anyone on the list has about him. I say this because there are a number of direct quotes in the article, which is about a speech given to very high-ranking military and intelligence officials of the Syrian regime, so I cannot but wonder how accurate the quotes are. This is a very scary article on its own terms. I'm pretty sure one of the reasons someone might want it to get out, from a regime-friendly point of view, would be to discourage refugees from returning to Syria. I believe it would be a mistake to think this is just bullying and posturing, although it is those things. Arendt makes the point that it is characteristic of totalitarian regimes that the full implementation of mass terror does not begin until all real enemies have been eliminated. It has previously occurred to me that Assad's meets the primary requirement Arendt ascribes to totalitarian regimes, that they have no permanent goal beyond world conquest, if you allow that Assad's total conquest is of his own country. In the Syria Observer article the Chief of Air Force Intelligence notes not only the 3 million already prepared cases against Syrians considered opponents of the regime, but says right out that a Syria of 10,000,000 tractable people is preferable to 30,000,000 rabble & terrorists, the latter of which he defines as anyone they regime dislikes. Then he mentions the 150,000 rich families that have also made their way onto the list. Since "the list" can include people who have never spoken against the regime, it is clear that absolutely random killings will follow; this is another key element of totalitarianism, that everyone must fear for their life AT ALL TIMES, regardless of their actions and even unvoiced thoughts, in order for utter subjugation to be the normal state of being. We are watching a state where the only effective ruling entities are the secret police announce there will be no end to the war against the people of Syria. _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
