International News Stories

With the exception of Bahrain all the leaders in countries that saw large scale protests during the Arab Spring are now gone

(08-12-2024 10:44 )Charlemagne Wrote:  It's great that an Iran / Russian backed dictatorship has fallen in Syria.
It's rumoured that Assad's plane may have crashed whilst leaving the country. (not confirmed)

But we have to be careful of what comes next. It may be worse than the previous dictorship.

Commentators think this could be very bad news for women.

Assad was more of a believer in gender equality, when it came to persecution...

(18 mins)

It looks like Assad and his family have been given "Asylum" in Moscow. With any luck, Uncle Vladimir will invite him for a cup of tea soon or maybe there will be an unfortunate incident involving a window.

I see that back in June of this year a Paris court of Appeal upheld and validated an international arrest warrant fot Assad.

My thinking is - Wouldn't he face immediate arrest once he left Syria and set foot in another country or continent - or - would that warrant only apply if he tried to enter France?
But would the arrest warrant have any validality if he IS in Moscow?

Mind you, they could kill two birds with one stone as they say - and arrest him and Putin together...

I think we have to be very careful and see how things play out first - before even validating,supporting ANY new government in Syria.

(10-12-2024 15:58 )lovebabes56 Wrote:  I think we have to be very careful and see how things play out first - before even validating,supporting ANY new government in Syria.

They're making all the right noises, so far.
I think the West/UN/whoever should be dangling some carrots, in the hope they see it's not in their best interests to go full Taliban.

(10-12-2024 15:51 )lovebabes56 Wrote:  But would the arrest warrant have any validality if he IS in Moscow?

The warrant is valid wherever he is, be that Moscow or Mars. The question is, would it be enforced in Moscow and I really hope I don't need to answer that one for you.

I am sure that Putin is aware of the warrants' existence and he will probably assure Assad that his soldiers will not arrest him. If that proves to be the case it would be a brave Russian soldier or two to go rogue and capture him and hand him over, when it's probably likely the even the UN wouldn't risk sending troops in, and cause an international incident.. My guess is Assad will more than likely to stay in Moscow rather than risk going elsewhere, and after a period of time, probably will plot with Putin to somehow try to sneak back into Syria through Iran (or with Iranian support) and attempt to re -take power.

I can't see Putin being hospitable for very long. If he does eventually attempt to seek refuge in Iran, then arresting him will become a problem for the Middle Eastern countries to enforce.