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May 9Liked by vanessa beeley

Great to know President Assad has spoken out and pointed out some facts about those who are complicit In all that is going on. He's a good man.

Also looking forward to the transcripts you spoke of. All great people but I admit I have a soft spot for Prof Morandi, he reminds me of my Iranian friend who has sadly passed away now. Also a man who spoke common sense and kept a sense of calm.

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Vanessa, l have followed your work for a couple of decades now, and l want to place on record my admiration and deep respect for the way you have covered events in Syria. I cannot forget the way you almost single-handedly exposed the deep state construct of the White Helmets. I am still waiting for a book. At times it seems you are a lone voice. Your report is so important. If Assad can be persuaded to climb down from his postures of cautious indifference, there is hope that the rest of the Arab states can also be convinced there is no future in backing Israel. Zionism is dead. They can never now claim clear title to Palestine.

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May 10·edited May 10Author

Good morning Colin and thank you so much for your kind comment. I hope you will allow me to make a correction to the perception that Syria/Assad has had a cautiously indifferent approach to the Palestinian cause. The regime change war was waged against Syria to destroy its instrumental role as the land bridge between Iran, Iraq and Palestine, Lebanon. Syria's and Bashar Al Assad's refusal to abandon Palestine or members of the Resistance Axis is one of the primary reasons that the West waged its war against Syria having failed to woo Assad over to the Zionist cause. Despite Hamas (Muslim Brotherhood backed by Qatar) role in the destabilisation of Syria from pre-2011 Assad never stopped supplying weapons and assistance to the Palestinian Resistance (factions did remain loyal to Syria including the PFLP) and since October 7th that weapon supply has not wavered. Syria, while fighting a war on multiple fronts on all its borders (except Lebanon for now) has opened its territory to Resistance Axis groups to target the Zionist entity from multiple points. This has resulted in increased Zionist aggression against Syria and the deaths of Syrian Arab Army soldiers and civilians. Syria has the reputation of the best treatment of Palestinian refugees from 1948 onwards affording them full citizen rights without citizenship to ensure they maintain the right to return as PALESTINIAN citizens. There is a Palestinian brigade in the Syrian Arab Army that was instrumental in the liberation of East Aleppo in 2016 because for many soldiers that was their home. Please do not be fooled by Syria's lack of promotion of their pivotal role in supporting the Palestinian Resistance - the West weaponised the western pro Palestine movement against Syria in 2011 with a number of lies including Yarmouk Camp and many were gaslighted enough to believe that Al Qaeda would champion the Palestinian cause (show me one occasion that Al Qaeda, FSA, ISIS have attacked Israel before or now) while the reality is that Israel supported these groups to overthrown Assad and to break Syria which would break the bridge I mentioned. Never underestimate the importance of Palestine to Syria and perhaps remember it was all Bilad Al Sham at one point, one country. There is no cautious indifference here and blood has been spilled throughout history by the people of Syria to defend Palestine and to defeat the Zionist project. Syria can never be compared to the genetically modified Gulf States and their normalisation projects given oxygen by Trump, nor even Egypt that imo is the worst of the traitors to the Palestinian cause. Jordan is a British vassal state. Syria is proud of its role in the final war with the Zionist project and there is no cautious indifference - I suggest you could go back over Assad's speeches since 2000 to find any indifference at all - especially his speech at the Arab League Emergency Summit shortly after October 7th. Thank you for reading and my apologies if I came across a little rattled but the sacrifices Syria has made in this region are inestimable and perhaps the greatest beneficiary is the Palestinian cause.

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Thank you Vanessa. Knuckles suitably rapped. I must confess that l was AWOL for a lot that happened in Syria since the White Helmets. Global focus shifted, and mine with it. I should have known better. But l do appreciate the effort it took to write it all out for me. I promise l will study and absorb it. But l’m still waiting for a book.

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LOL sorry if it came across as a rap! Book - one day when I find time, electricity and isolation from world events ;-)

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That’s OK. No harm done. I’m still stuck with figuring out where l was, physically and mentally, during the years that your welcome essay covers. I might have been asleep. Or hibernating. It’s a bit worrying, losing a chunk of your life. Anyway, thanks for the corrective, and take good care of yourself out there. Ever Thine Colin

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