Syria Rebels to Sit Out Talks Unless Arms Are Sent, General Says - Polidicks

[QUOTE]WASHINGTON — The Syrian opposition will not attend the proposed Geneva conference on the crisis in Syria unless rebel fighters receive new supplies of arms and ammunition, the top rebel military commander said Friday. “If we don’t receive ammunition and weapons to change the position on the ground, to change the balance on the ground, very frankly I can say we will not go to Geneva,” Gen. Salim Idris said in a telephone interview from his headquarters in northern Syria. “There will be no Geneva.” Secretary of State John Kerry announced in May that the United States and Russia planned to organize an international meeting that would bring together representatives of President Bashar al-Assad’s government and the Syrian opposition. The aim of the meeting, which has emerged as the centerpiece of Mr. Kerry’s Syria strategy, is to negotiate a transitional government that would take control if Mr. Assad agreed to vacate his position. A date for the Geneva conference has yet to be set. But since that announcement, Mr. Assad’s military position has been strengthened by flights of arms from Iran and the involvement of thousands of fighters from Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. The change of fortunes on the battlefield was illustrated last week when the Syrian military and Hezbollah fighters captured the town of Qusayr. The proposal to hold talks in Geneva at a point when the Syrian opposition has suffered a bitter reversal has led many in the opposition to question the West’s strategy. In effect, they say, Mr. Kerry is insisting that the Syrian opposition sit down with representatives of a Syrian president who appears as determined as ever to hang on to power and at a time when the opposition’s leverage has been diminished. General Idris said that he supported the idea of a Geneva meeting in principle, but was worried that it would backfire if it occurred before the rebel position was strengthened with new supplies of arms and ammunition. Going to the “Geneva conference is a Western idea, but we have to be powerful on the ground as F.S.A., as opposition,” he said, using the initials for the rebels’ Free Syrian Army.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/world/middleeast/syria-opposition-wont-attend-talks-unless-rebels-get-arms-commander-says.html[/url]

"send us guns so we can talk about peace" what

We need more guns to shoot ourselves in the foot with.

That's odd, its almost as if the rebels don't want to end this and just endlessly kill.

How about no.

"give us the upper hand then we'll give you peace" great logic there

[quote]Going to the “Geneva conference is a Western idea"[/quote] A Western idea that has worked effectively tons more times than your sad little rebellion currently has Mr. General.

This is actually a pretty good tactic to ensure they don't stab you in the back.

[QUOTE=katbug;40955805]This is actually a pretty good tactic to ensure they don't stab you in the back.[/QUOTE] It also shows that you're fucking crazy and think that world politics is a fucking school boys game.

Or how about you guys bow before the glory of Assad!

[QUOTE=katbug;40955805]This is actually a pretty good tactic to ensure they don't stab you in the back.[/QUOTE] Yeah, because sending various small arms and armored transports as a support to "freedom fighters" has yet to bite someone in the ass. It's not like most of the sold arms are going to end up in use in some other parts of the region... or in the hands of terrorists... This has never happened before.