All-purpose news and politics thread: One Step Beyond!

[Charles RB]

Now the FSA are stockpiling and digging in as more regime forces head towards the city. Activists and journalists are saying the rebels expect to be outgunned; a journo for France's Le Figaro says they plan to use guerilla tactics, activists are telling the BBC's man they expect they'll have to withdraw (both could be true).


There's mass support in Aleppo's suburbs for the FSA troops, while the middle-class Sunnis are reportedly siding with the government and the Christians sound reluctant either way.

[Alan Lynch]

SNP, Labour, Lib Dem & Tory MSP's will vote it in and yes, this is throwing down the glove for Westminster to do the same, while very openly making the point that Scotland is going to go a separate path to Westminster whether the London based parties like it or not. Also, the Church of Scotland and the Catholics have just been seriously whittled down to size, especially as the new Archbishop of Glasgow came out with this gem.

He's now offering to meet with Cairns' partner. I'd only agree to meet the prick to call him such to his face mind you. And I doubt anyone's views have changed given that a Church spokesman went on TV to say the same thing. But it's compassionate! He only wants us to find out how those horrible gays are hurting themselves!

Cunts.

[the4thpip]

Turkey's PM Erdogan announced that Syria's Assad will step down "soon."

[Iangould]

Those damn Muslims are at it again, persecuting the poor innocent pacifist Buddhists.

No, wait:

Monks who played a vital role in Burma's recent struggle for democracy have been accused of fuelling ethnic tensions in the country by calling on people to shun a Muslim community that has suffered decades of abuse.

In a move that has shocked many observers, some monks' organisations have issued pamphlets telling people not to associate with the Rohingya community, and have blocked humanitarian assistance from reaching them. One leaflet described the Rohingya as "cruel by nature" and claimed it had "plans to exterminate" other ethnic groups.

The outburst against the Rohingya, often described as one of the world's most oppressed groups, comes after weeks of ethnic violence in the Rakhine state in the west of Burma that has left more than 80 dead and up to 100,000 people living in a situation described as "desperate" by humanitarian organisations. As state-sanctioned abuses against the Muslim community continue, Burma's president Thein Sein – credited by the international community for ushering in a series of democratic reforms in the country and releasing political prisoners such as Aung San Suu Kyi – has urged neighbouring Bangladesh to take in the Rohingya.

"In recent days, monks have emerged in a leading role to enforce denial of humanitarian assistance to Muslims, in support of policy statements by politicians," said Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan project, a regional NGO. "A member of a humanitarian agency in Sittwe told me that some monks were posted near Muslim displacement camps, checking on and turning away people they suspected would visit for assistance."

The Young Monks' Association of Sittwe and Mrauk Oo Monks' Association have both released statements in recent days urging locals not to associate with the group. Displaced Rohingya have been housed in over-crowded camps away from the Rakhine population – where a health and malnutrition crisis is said to be escalating – as political leaders move to segregate and expel the 800,000-strong minority from Burma. Earlier this month, Thein Sein attempted to hand over the group to the UN refugee agency.

Aid workers report ongoing threats and interference by local nationalist and religious groups. Some monasteries in Maungdaw and Sittwe sheltering displaced Rakhine people have openly refused to accept international aid, alleging that it is "biased" in favour of the Rohingya. Monks have traditionally played a critical role in helping vulnerable citizens, stepping in to care for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in 2008 after the military junta rejected international assistance.

[Iangould]

Turkey's PM Erdogan announced that Syria's Assad will step down "soon."

He's also saying Turkey could intervene militarily in northern Syria againt the PKK Kurdish separatist group.

Turkey's repeatedly sent troops into Iranian and Iraqi territory in pursuit of the PKK with mininal opposition from the world community so it's difficult to see how they could be prevented from doing this.

[Charles RB]

Turkey's repeatedly sent troops into Iranian and Iraqi territory in pursuit of the PKK with mininal opposition from the world community so it's difficult to see how they could be prevented from doing this.

Though since they've been openly helping an insurgency in Syria, it's really funny this time.

Unles you're a Kurd, of course.

[Charles RB]

More from Syria:

A Kurdish rebel commander is asking for Turkish weapons, saying they could help fight the PJKK in return. (Don't see Turkey trusting them on that...)

Arab states have plans to seek a resolution from the UN General Assembly if they can't get one from the Security Council. Ki-Moon's been very pointedly talking about the need to prevent massacres while visiting Srebrenica.

A Sunni imam turned activist shows the sinister bloodlust of the Sunnis by calling for unity and that Assad is the enemy, not all Alawites.

The humanitarian situation in Syria is collapsing and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Aid operations say they need a lot more funding.

[mikekerrIII]

Again, Mike THAT ISN'T THE ISSUE.

It's black letter law that churches can not be required to perform services that conflict with their beliefs. Hence Catholic churches can't be sued for refusing to marry divorcees. Orthodox synagogues can't be sued for refusing to celebrate the marriage of Jews and non-Jews.

The question here is two-fold;

1. Can churches that take a position that they will celebrate same-sex marriages compel individual clergy to do so?

2. Can lay members of churches that oppose same sex marriage who are employed in a civil capacity as celebrants or registrants claim a religious exemption from performing their civil duty?

from what I understand that is not black letter law yet.

[king mob]

Exactly. It's stupid to amend the law for this - we don't allow people to not perform interracial marriages, interfaith marriages, or marriages involving divorcees and preggers women, what makes same-sex couples different?

Nothing but the Church isn't going to change overnight and although it's great they've had this kick in the bollocks I think this is just to give them a bit of breathing room as they discover more Catholic churches than expected hold gay weddings. That's what Salmond is hoping for and the figures do tend to back him up that the church will eagerly grasp the Pink Pound.

[king mob]

from what I understand that is not black letter law yet.

Seriously, stop now because the hole your in is getting huge....

[Charles RB]

Your understanding is wrong on that, Mike.

[Charles RB]

A Palestinian camp in Damascus has been shelled and raided by regime soldiers, including an alleged raid on a Red Cresent hospital. The FSA are said to not be in the camp.

Defected Brigadier-General Manaf Tlass is on a visit to Turkey.

[Iangould]

This is all via Twitter and youtube but there are lots of pictures and reports floating around of the FSA in Aleppo employing tanks, mortars and anti-aircraft guns.

They're still massively outgunned but it does appear they've captured a signficant amount of ordinance from the government forces and are deploying it. (Accounts of the smuggling of weapons from Turkey suggest that they're mostly bringing in grenades and light arms because there's only a single small road being used. Most of the contraband is being walked in.)

[Charles RB]

This is all via Twitter and youtube but there are lots of pictures and reports floating around of the FSA in Aleppo employing tanks, mortars and anti-aircraft guns.

There's been tanks and anti-aircraft guns shown from the BBC's man in Aleppo - only the one tank shown but they'd reasonably have more than one. How well they can use it isn't clear.

[Charles RB]

Syrian activists are claiming chemical weapons have been used in Homs and Deir ez-Zour.

With luck, that's a mistake or a fabrication. If not... well, I dunno what happens if not.