Bashar the Vampire-Slayer
[ by Charles Cameron — pop messianism, Syria, 2013 ]
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The caption for the Bashar al-Assad image reads:
Bashar the Wahhabi Slayer [ image ] Has killed more than 40,000 Wahhabi terrorists who came from all over the world to destroy Syria
and Phillip Smyth, who tweeted it, commented:
This photo has been uploaded onto many pro-#Assad & pro-Shia (in #Syria) militia pages. Note how dead are characterized
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How the dead are characterized?
Why, as Wahhabi terrorists, explicitly — and implicitly as vampires.
FWIW, I’d argue (broad strokes) that “Wahhabi terrorists” is directed at the conscious mind, and “vampires” at the emotions.
August 21st, 2013 at 7:59 pm
When Brookings is audited to ensure the Doha tail is not wagging the D.C. dog then Mr. Smyth’s tweep Mike Doran will have more credibility, and the notion of a ‘neocon/Qatari Muslim Brotherhood’ alliance of convenience will be more debunked. Smyth’s ‘logic’ is ‘trust us, that’s impossible’ in a region where enemies of enemies = friend logic is as old as the hills. Hell, as I told him I wouldn’t be surprised if Israel were not handing off the coordinates of prominent jihadists in southern Syria to the Russian SVR so they in turn can have the Syrian air force bomb the Wahhabis and hence Israel kills off potential threats in a post-Assad Syria while keeping its hands clean.
August 23rd, 2013 at 1:12 pm
“Hell, as I told him I wouldn’t be surprised if Israel were not handing off the coordinates of prominent jihadists in southern Syria to the Russian SVR so they in turn can have the Syrian air force bomb the Wahhabis and hence Israel kills off potential threats in a post-Assad Syria while keeping its hands clean.”
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http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/hezbollah-hamas-setback-bombings.html
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It still remains to be seen whether Israel will be able to capitalize on the shifting alliances and alignments. I’m not sure if they will be able to break out of the pattern of dependence on their stronger patron (lately the US, but not always).
But I like your take better. The best strategic move would be a peace deal with the Shia instead of the PLO as the author suggests.