A record of Jihadi activities in Syria – Documenting Crimes Against Humanity.

http://www.youtube.com/user/3TimeToFightBack?feature=watch

MichMick….JDSalinger…” Catcher in the Rye”….page 169…quote: “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is he wants to live humbly for one” end quote

MasonRichJo…the quote was taken from Wilhelm Stekel…

Going to war in a foreign land, murdering people?

That’s not what he believed he was doing Greg, That’s what you believe he was doing. There’s a difference. Patrick is 100% right. RIP

So Cornelius are you are saying – If you believe what you are doing is right then you can do what ever you like? I think Hitler, Osama & Bush thought the same.

@greg, I’m not going to get into a Hitler, Obama or Bush debate, What might be right for you may not be right for others. In this case I believe this man went to fight for something he thought was right and believed in. You think his way of thinking was wrong, I dont know if it was or not.

Cornelius I said Osama, not Obama. I am not a birther redneck

He put his money were his mouth is and has to be respected for that.

My hope is that there was not a Jihadi element behind this and others and that a group of radicals do not return to Ireland.

God be good to him anyway.

Ignorance is inexcusable – these people are Al Qaeda nothing more, they specialise in butchering civilians not fighting soldiers. Try to see beyond the propaganda – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiYKAoMcTHI – see 1:52 onwards. These extermists specialise in barbarity and have the worlds media behind them because ‘Pan-arab nationalist’ Syria, alone among the Arab nations, provides practical support to the SUNNI Palestinians, in their struggles against the Israeli occupier.

…Pat…absolutely… Not merely a man of words but action….

…CornCrow…wasting yer words….GregMoron…count the reds against the greens for ….No contest…slither back under yer stone mate….

LOL Mason Richard John, moron?? really? Did you think that up all on your own?

GregMoran…genuine typo Greg…sincere apologies fer that!? That word used so often by correspondents it may be seen how it sticks…BTW not very nice to call correspondents “idiots” either ….tis only opinion after all ….

These the same Syrian rebels that forced a 12yo boy to behead a man with a machete while they taped it?
Plenty of atrocities carried out on their own people by these rebels.

The problem with Syria is that there are people fighting for freedom from Assad’s dictatorship. You have kurds fighting for autonomy, Islamists fighting for Allah, Christians who hate Assad fighting for him because the fear the Islamists and that is just the start of it.

MichMyke…yer man had. A young confused Pakistani student in English h class…. so concerned for his obvious distress over currant happenings We watched “Road to Guantanamo” together in class ….a discussion followed ..suggest …if anyone else out there has disturbed Islamic students they might consider doing the same-!?……

Including current!

So who did he believe in killing?

Greg. The world was hard and bad before this man came along. The problem with pacifism is that there are so many that will walk all over you whether you are armed or not.

Better to love peace but still realize that others may love controlling you or society more.

Stephen, I am not a pacifist, however I will not blindly eulogise a person who has chosen to take up arms in a conflict they are not part of. I repeat, I am not saying the conflict is wrong. They guy may be a hero but can any of you tell me what his and his supporters values were?

It is kind of different they have the whole umma/community thing going on. So they see themselves as one community, a shared history.

I am worried about the motives as well, especially if they come back here with radical ones. Dublin has enough of a radical islamic element as it is.

J..with a K J….

Usually there is none but as long as media says so or America we all seem to agree.

I believe them to be one and the same. For example many people would salute men of the IRB & IRA as heroes. But war, of any kind is a messy business. The only difference between putting a rifle and someones hand and telling them to kill, is one gets paid to do it, the other does it out of his own belief that he is fighting for freedom. Just because one happens to agree with his ideal of “freedom”, it doesn’t mean his cause is just. I see this as a case of “a rose by any other name”.

I believe them to be one and the same. For example many people would salute men of the IRB & IRA as heroes. But war, of any kind is a messy business. The only difference between putting a rifle and someones hand and telling them to kill, is one gets paid to do it, the other does it out of his own belief that he is fighting for freedom. Just because one happens to agree with his ideal of “freedom”, it doesn’t mean his cause is just. I see this as a case of “a rose by any other name”.

That all depends on your political outlook on the specific situation. Just look closer to home. Is/ were de Valera, Collins, Adams and mc Guinness freedom fighters or terrorist???? And you will have ppl claim some as 1 and some as other. And they all fought for same cause……

In other words its all down to interpretation!

Exactly. Their weapon? Terror. Terror-ist. I think people prefer freedom fighter because it sounds like a more noble reason to kill peoplem

to paraphrase Brendan Behan – The terrorist is the one with the small bomb, the soldier has the big one.

Micheal Collins was labelled a terrorist, as were the French maquis in WW2.

A terrorist is someone that fights against you, a freedom fighter is one that fights for you.

Between 70 and 80% of the people that PIRA killed were combatants or involved in the state war machine. The British army dead were 50% civilian. Their directly controlled UVF/UFF men killed 80% civilians.

Terrorist and freedom fighter are just interpretations. “We good dem bad” labels are always applied in conflict. Reality is always more complex and a lot uglier. As McGuinness said there is nothing romantic about war.

Micheal Collins was a freedom fighter because they killed a lot more civilians than PIRA did and in some brutal ways. Look at the two RIC men thrown in to a furnace alive in Tralee and he was one of the most enthusiastic in calling for all RIC men and soldiers to be shot. He ran guns to the North after the treaty.

PIRA were terrorists because they had a significantly smaller kill rate of civilians, though one is too many.

The difference is that Collins was tougher and more brutal in war. Make him out to be otherwise does disservice to him but it backs those who claim his name but his discard his vision and politics.

Labels are just labels but they can define the way we think about events.

@Stephen_Lynch I see that you make a lot of historical assertions and spew out facts and figures without any reference to where you are sourcing facts and figures. I would appreciate if you could supply your sources for the Kill rates of PIRA/UVF/UFF/BA.

…whoops that was to JohnF and the revoking of citizen ship ?…

I’d be interested to know who you think is paying the hardline islamists and on what evidence you base your beliefs?

Are you telling me Mattoid that you are unaware of the training of these islamists in Turkey with the ongoing financing provided by Qatar and Saudi Arabia and who else knows?
If you are then you need to do a bit of investigation into the matter.
That lad should not have been there but I suppose when I think back to how foolish I was at that age myself maybe he’s not to be blamed fully.

What is clear is that Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been supplying the FSA with arms, and the US have been providing them with intelligence.

What is also well documented is that anti-regime forces have been involved in numerous war crimes, as have the regime forces and Shabiha.

What is much murkier though is that there are many disparate groups fighting against the Assad regime who have various agendas, often conflicting with each other.

Some of them are genuine Syrian freedom fighters who’s goal is an end to the tyranny of Assad and the introduction of democracy for their people.

Some of them are foreign islamic jihadists who seek only to impose hardline Sharia law in any post-Assad Syria, and who appear to be fighting independently. All the indications are that these groups crossed into Syria from Iraq and elsewhere bringing their weaponry with them, and the FSA have recognised the threat to democracy posed by them.

Still more of them are local warlords who have no particular regard for democracy but just want to manipulate the situation for their own benefit.

It is naive in the extreme to paint the rebels as a single unified force who are being supported by the middle-east troike, the US or anyone else. The situation is much more complex than that, and unfortunately the conflicting agendas of the various anti-Assad groups means that even if and when the regime collapses, the Syrian people will not see peace for a long time.

What I’m saying is that if you have any evidence that hardline jihadists and extreme islamists are being supported by the west, can you please post it.
Of course you’re welcome to speculate, but in the absence of evidence that’s all it is.

Blow…that’s a fact!…

Thank god someone else sees whats really happening, thought i was taking crazy pills

RobMang …probably what turned yer stomach…back in the dunny with ya!…

Dead right,the media keep portraying these foreign Islamists as heroes which turns my stomach.
Look at Libya,Somalia,Afghanistan,even Egypt,magnets for Islamists seeking Islamist states who couldnt care less about the ‘dictators’ they claim to be against.

RobMang ..glad to hear it get back in the dunny and stay there …..

So you are saying we should respect any nutcase who goes out of their way, carries a gun and tries to kill people? Really?

They certainly did Patrick. but your contradicting yourself by supporting his beliefs regardless of what they are and discounting other peoples beliefs to the opposite. I don’t know near enough about this conflict to judge this man. he paid the ultimate price for his ideals. as have many people on both sides of all conflicts. I personally don’t feel that the syrian rebels fight is as clear cut as it being ‘for freedom’ we will find out soon enough but not before much more blood being shed on both sides, innocent and otherwise..

Greg, turn on Jeremy Kyle and give us a break, your comments are inciteful and tiring, have some respect !

Sorry David that I don’t fall behind the tired old line of “everybody who goes to war is a hero” Idiots with guns kill people. This guy was a foreign person getting involved in a conflict far away from his own nation he got killed. I am not saying the cause he was fighting for was right or wrong, I have no idea. But you pick up a gun expect to be shot. Has anyone asked the question how many people he killed?

Greg, I do not see a a person taking up arms as being a hero but as in all wars young men choose to take up arms when their country asks them to. Even in the First World War children from Ireland and England as young as 15 did so and some ended up dying on French, Belgian and Irish soil. It is not up to us to judge motives but war is hell on earth and respect needs to be shown to the fallen of every war.

David, I don’t disagree with you. My point is that war should not be glamourised. We don’t know what this guy’s motives were, who he was fighting for or what he wanted to achieve. I will never blindly show respect to a person just because they have taken up arms. I want to know exactly what they wanted to achieve and how they were achieving it.

Pat well put yer man has said the same on similar occasions..to the unpatriotic amongst us ….

Gre…37 red thumbs and counting ….

What a deluded load of tripe. It infuriates me no end when people are saying “Wake up you idiots” when the exact same is happening to other people. But hey, if you choose a minority it makes it more shocking!

This is a war to remove a dictator and tyrant who has oppressed the country for years. His family have also been responsible for mass murder in the past. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hama_massacre

So please, if you are going to spout your drivel, at least make it entertaining.

Adam – The Hama Uprising, was exactly that, an unlawful insurgent uprising by the Sunni inspired Muslim Brotherhood that was later crushed at enormous cost to all involved. I believe the Syrian Arab Army, which is representative of Alawite, Sunni & Christian communities lost in excess of 1000 troops. I also understand that sectarian killings of the Syrian minority (Alawite, Christian & Sunni secularists) were a hallmark of this uprising.

If there is a principled & non sectarian objection to dictators and tyrants, then why target the most moderate, egalitarian & secularist Arab country in the Middle East & why not instead Israel’s new allies, the corrupt Houses of Al Saud, Al Sabah & Al Thani etc?

Indeed, if Jihad is a must, there is a population crying out for help since 1948 & they have been continually betrayed by the so-called Sunni ‘Sharia Democrats’. Surely you should ask yourself, why it is that young gullible Sunnis (blinded by Sectarianism) turn out in vast numbers to do Jihad for CIA backed operations – Afghanistan & Syria. Surely you can see who gains – Israel!

One should really consider whether these actions are really in the interest of Arabs whether they be Sunni, Shia or Christian. It might not seem obvious but, the real target of this assault is Arab unity, the Philospohy of Pan-Arabism, the only principles that can UNITE Arabs against Israel, for example Gamal Addel Nasser, Hussein, Assad etc

Hit the reply button.

Pat…yer man’s words….

Libya was a stable prosperous country – with no debts to the IMF or World Bank. Libya was an example to the world in engineering – ref Great Man Made River Project. Libya is in chaos and will stay that way as long as religious zealots stay in control. Gadaffis crime was to suppress the Muslim Brotherhood, fight imperialism (US/UK etc) as he saw it. Unfortunately for him his foreign enemies combined to defeat him. Libyans never rejected Gadaffi. Instead NATO airpower combined with the Qatari army and Al Qaeda boots on the ground did. If Libya has such great prospects, perhaps you should go there

Libya was not prosperous. There was no democracy, no accountability, no method of questioning the government. This is definitely not the sign of a prosperous country at all.

Now, the Libyan people have had numerous elections to try and move forward; it just takes time because states take years to build. This all started because people protested against the Gaddaffi regime and that regime ordered the shooting of these protesters. Are you telling me that is prosperous? I think you are slightly deluded at what prosperous means.

They still don’t have any debts for your information. AND the Muslim Brotherhood were not voted into parliament, but it is mostly a mish mash of every type of politician possible, mostly made up of liberals and left wing.

But its okay, you clearly know a lot about Libya :)

Libya was a prosperous country? The revolution and subsequent civil war seem to self-evidently suggest otherwise.

Reply to Adam Assahli:

For Democracy you should research – Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The so-called ‘democracy’ in Libya is democratic in name only, it is one in which the Law of God takes precedence over the Civil Law namely, the Laws of Man. This is a form of democracy that is theocratic, non-scientific as it is based on superstition and fundamentally sectarian in nature e.g.

Libyan Constitution – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_interim_Constitutional_Declaration
–Islam is the state religion
–The Islamic Sharia is its principal source of legislation

Liberal and Left wing principles are in no way SHARIA in nature.

Regarding prosperity, you should ask yourself
– Who is paying for the reconstruction of Libya?
–How many Multinationals (British French & German) are now on the ground to ensure the economic reconquest to Capitalism and future continuing monetary dependancy?
–How healthy can future populations of Libya be following the use of depleted uranium munitions, by the western powers, in , country?

Regarding prosperity – a return to the dark ages (as per Saudi Arabian/Qatari backed Democracy) is not my idea of either liberty, prosperity or indeed democracy.

Michael, are you telling me that it isn’t democracy because you don’t like Shariah law? Is it only democracy when it complies with your own beliefs? The Irish constitution in it’s preamble makes reference to Jesus Christ and Almighty God, does that mean that the Ireland is not a democracy?

Also your other remarks relating to depleted uranium, non-nationals on the ground etc are all the theories of the other tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorists that have popped up. Thank you for showing me that you are not at all sensible and are clutching at straws.

The Libyan growth will be funded by the huge oil wells that are within Libyan territory; non-nationals have worked in Libya for years, a change in regime is not going to change that; extremism is being tackled by the people of Libya not only at a national level but at a community level as well.

The fact that people can freely run for election without being arrested, tortured or killed is a huge step to being a prosperous state. The people of Libya voted in the constitution, that is democracy at work whether you like it or not.

Yes

Not the same at all Pat. I could probably understand a bit more if this guy was Syrian, he was Egyptian/Irish. I would be cautious to usher these ‘Freedom fighters’ as hero’s after seeing the aftermath of Egypt/Libya. What is their agenda for the new Syria? In my view the Arab Spring has left the people in a worst state than before, unfortunately Islam and Democracy don’t mix very well! I don’t think we should be applauding global vigilantes as heroes!

Ok John F that’s a fairly balanced view. It’s true to say that the vacuum left behind by the fall of these dictators can and is usually filled by extreme elements. The brotherhood of Islam is looking frightening right now and the expectation is that the same could happen in Syria

@Pat He was obviously a religious fundamentalist. Are you referring to the Irishmen who joined the British army for better wages to fight for imperialism?

“Another soldier pays the ultimate price in his attempt to rid his fellow Syrians of an evil and cruel dictator” Sorry I thought the article said he was Irish.

‘Fellow Syrians’? – did article verifies that he’s Egyptian.

He could just as easily be referring to the Irish who went to fight against fascism in the Spanish civil war, don’t let the chip on your shoulder get in the way of seeing another point of view.

Stephen Nolan, he could also just as easily be referring to Joe Duffy’s Blue Shirts who went to fight in support of fascism in the Spanish civil war, don’t let the chip on YOUR shoulder get in the way of seeing another point of view.

Indeed he could, thank you for further verifying my point. Clearly the chip is getting in the way you seeing that your actually making a mockery of your original point to which I responded.

Stephen I am not trying to be a smart arse. My point is that the cause is what matters not the action. What was this guy fighting for? Who was he fighting with? What did he do? Who did he kill? I am happy to be educated on the fight in Syria but I will not accept the line that because this guy lived in Ireland he is a hero & his cause must be great. Facts please.

Don’t think its quite that simple…

ma hey hey wondered when you’d turn up …. Are the hands putting in or taking out!?……..

He was looking for peace in Syria he outlines this clearly in the times article. That has not yet been achieved so no he has not achieved the peace he wanted.

At least he wasn’t forced into war like the majority of casualties

Ok, we get it, you’re a miserable git who thinks anyone with beliefs is a murderer. This article isn’t ABOUT that, it’s about the fact that either way an Irish citizen was killed

He chose to fight in a foreign war he got killed. Happens every day

That’s true, so why are you harping on about it on every single bloody thread here?

I am responding to idiots that think going to fight in foreign wars is somehow heroic. Follow the thread mate.

Why would his citizenship be revoked for assisting in overthrowing a ruthless dictator? What an utterly moronic suggestion.

Well done Seán. Do you think these ‘Freedom Fighters’ are innocent of all crimes? What is their agenda? I think we’ve seen from the other Arab revolts that there have been crimes committed on both sides, have a look at Syria! If this guy was an Irish national his allegiances certainly didn’t belong to Ireland… Just a thought!
Rip and condolonces to his family all the same!

*Libya (not Syria)

Does the same go for Irish member of the International brigade during the Spanish Civil War John?

“Well done Seán. Do you think these ‘Freedom Fighters’ are innocent of all crimes?”

Nope.

“What is their agenda?”

To overthrow a ruthless dictator, if I didn’t make myself clear in my first post.

Someone needs to fight against Assad, a ruthless dictator whi head a regime advocating the torture and killing if women and children.fighting isn’t always the answer but its better than doing nothing and just suturing round and complaining!

Go for it Ciara..let us know when you’ve installed peace with your AK.

It’s very easy for people of solely Western European heritage (I assume, granted) to sit behind a keyboard and pontificate over this man’s decisions. You couldn’t be more far removed and to condemn this man shows your ignorance more than anything.

Brave soul.

RIP.

Where’s the pontification..the kid was a fool and a tool of forces he did not understand.
My sympathies to his family.

Are you actually asking where the pontification is while calling the man a fool?

Did you know him personally? As you seem to think he was a “tool or forces he did not understand”, I would hope you do.

I imagine not though so yeah, I think it’s rather ignorant of you to condemn the man. I would hazard he was more informed of the situation in Syria than you or I am.

Sound, Gaff..so bring us up to speed on the PNAC program to reconfigure and balkanise the region and replace ageing clients past their shelf-life, such as Saddam, Mubarak and Gadafi and instal a fresh neoliberal set of tools using their Saudi Wahhabi fundamentalist al Qaida(and Saudi funds)along with Qatar and Turkish(Nato main man)and British and French special forces on the ground as a warm up to the reclaim of ‘our oil’ in Iran.

Fill us in on your understanding of the full spectrum dominance program being unrolled by Nato, since the Wall came down, and the imperial stand-off of the Cold War gave way to a unipolar hyperpower of western militarised capital determined to pre-empt any and all challenges to its monopolisation of global resources for its client elites.

And its nothing personal to this kid, he’s one of many useful idiots being manipulated.

The citizenship you’d have him stripped of was won in Ireland by freedom fighters like him. Were they saints? No. But it is on the merit of actions like his our country was founded for better or worse.

The man showed principal in fighting for what he believed, in trying to help overthrow a corrupt tyrannical mass murderer.
So John F, he stood in defence of the citizens that are presently being exterminated. In fact we should be proud of this Irish man.

The wisest thing in the world is to cry out before you are hurt. It is no good to cry out after you are hurt; especially after you are mortally hurt. People talk about the impatience of the populace; but sound historians know that most tyrannies have been possible because men moved too late. it is often essential to resist a tyranny before it exists.
 G.K. Chesterton, Eugenics and Other Evils: An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized State

…..?….

JF ….bloody hell …strap back!….you serious!?…

Really David? Can you tell us what he did? Who was he fighting for? What did they believe? he may be a a very “brave and dedicated person” but tell me what he committed himself to.

Other media were kept away and only Alex Thomson was given access to these witnesses. Odd that.

Check out some of his brave comrades at work…true heroes….

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/11/02/syria-rebels/1678201/

So Paul, to prove you are not just another “internet armchair” rightwing reactionary I expect you will be on the next flight to Syria to fight for???

Ask the child at 1:30 if he/she ever gets a chance to grow up – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiYKAoMcTHI

Please enlighten yourself. This man went to Syria because he is a Sunni Muslim and in his Mosque, the Imam was trained and is funded by Saudi Arabia. A blind faith and obedience, that is core to Sunni Islam, prevents an understanding of the fact that he and others like him are being brainwashed by the corrupt, violent, sectarian & medieval proponents of Wahhabism / Salafism.

Perhaps you should read some of the writings of Robert Fisk, John Pilger & Noam Chomsky before praising this mislead killer & calling Syria ‘a despicable Russian backed regime’. Syria under Assad may not be perfect, but it is a far sight better than any of the Emirati & Turkey (who are collectively funding this barbarity)

Pity the Nation Lebanon at war – Fisk
The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East – Fisk
‘The War You Don’t See’ – Pilger
Middle East Illusions: Including Peace in the Middle East? Reflections on Justice and Nationhood – Noam Chomsky

Irish people unless they have some significant exposure (not familial) to the Middle East are unfortunately extremely naive when trying to seek an understanding to the factors underlying recent events.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_19895&feature=iv&src_vid=b1ieZKsFkVA&v=-WvcV2PEuJc

Rubbish. That brave man lay down his life for his fellow Moslems in Syria.

Only if he was being paid for his services which I seriously doubt

Grow up, Ireland is a democracy. If you don’t like the government vote it out

and what about the regime vote them out too.

The Troika is democratically representative?
By which definition?

ooohhh…nothing like a nice plate o chips…

padriag, you seem to be the “keyboard warrior” If you truly believe what you are saying stop hiding behind your keyboard & go and take up arms