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Buffer Zones: Can They Help?

Posted by Joshua on Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

Israeli buffer zone inside Syria considered by Netanyahu

Buffer Zones have become the topic de jour in Washington DC. For some time, the language used in the White House to frame the Syria problem has been that of containment. Here are some of the oft repeated phrases I have been hearing from White House insiders:

“Keep the violence inside Syria
“Cauterize”
“Prepare for Syrian failure”
“Shore up the neighbors”
“There are no good guys in Syria”

This gloomy assessment of the prospects for Syria has created a cottage industry of policy proposals from Washington think tanks that appropriate White House language and focus on containment. They present possible plans for limiting the destabilization of the region and for shoring up weaker countries, such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq.

And for building “buffer zones” to ensure that the “Las Vegas rules” apply to Syria: that what takes place in Syria stays in Syria.

Here is Dennis Ross of WINEP on buffer zones: U.S. Policy Toward Syria, Dennis Ross, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, April 11, 2013

….[A] requirement of our policy now is to hedge against the disintegration of Syria. I often say that the Las Vegas rules don’t apply to Syria; what takes place in Syria won’t stay there. Without making the fragmentation of the country a self – fulfilling prophecy, we need a containment strategy. Much of the opposition is highly localized. We need to think about how buffers can be built up at least in southern Syria, along part of the Syrian/Iraqi border and in the north. Investing in local governance — as part of a coherent design with the British, French, Saudis, Emirates, Jordanians, Turks and others — may be a way to hedge against the unknowns of the future and build the stake of those in Syria to stay put and shape their own future. I don’t suggest that devising a containment strategy will be easy, but we have an interest in doing so and many of our allies, particularly those in the Gulf, do as well. And, the Saudis and Emiratis certainly understand this.

Ross proposes a buffer zone along the Jordanian border. He also earges the establishment of buffers along the Turkish border (already created by Patriot Missiles if they are used against Syrian aircraft) and a Kurdish buffer along the Iraq border. But the focus of his attention is the Jordan border and also presumably protecting the Occupied Golan and Israel from possible attacks by al-Qaida or militias with an anti-Israeli animus.

Ross in a recent talk expressed the hope that Saudi Arabia might be willing to fund such a militia which would serve to protect the monarchy in Jordan, a Saudi interest. The US could help train it.

US special forces are already training Syrian rebels in Jordan. And preparations have been made to possible send up to 20,000 if chemical weapons are used by Syria.

David Pollock, also of WINEP, responded to Ross with Syria’s Forgotten Front in the The New York Times on April 16, 2013.

To keep yet another Syrian frontier from spiraling downward, Washington should urge Israel and the mainstream Syrian opposition to focus on keeping Hizballah and jihadist groups away from the border.

As the civil war in Syria rages on, the risk that Israel will be drawn into the fray is rising…. The risk that Israeli retaliation for cross-border fire could spiral into a major skirmish, or even a larger Israeli intervention to set up a buffer zone in Syria, is real. To prevent it, the United States should broker a tacit agreement between Israel and moderate elements of the Syrian opposition.

Israel and the Syrian opposition don’t have much in common, but they do share some important mutual enemies, namely Hezbollah and Iran, both of which are fighting furiously to save Bashar al-Assad’s government.

This convergence of interests provides an opening for America to quietly strike a deal between Israel and the leadership of the Syrian opposition: Israel should agree to refrain from arming proxies inside Syria to protect its border; and the Syrian opposition should work to keep extremist groups like Hezbollah and Jabhat al-Nusra and other affiliates of Al Qaeda far away from the Israeli frontier. This would demonstrate the Syrian opposition’s bona fides to potential Western supporters and dissuade Israel from intervening or arming allies in Syria.

He goes on to argue that if Israel built a buffer zone inside Syria with a proxy force to protect the Golan , it could backfire as “happened in Lebanon, with disastrous long-term consequences, beginning in the late 1970s when Israel invaded southern Lebanon and set up the South Lebanon Army to protect its border before staging a second, larger invasion in 1982. The result was the creation of Hezbollah, with Iranian support, to “liberate” south Lebanon — a threat that remains today.”

The problem with buffer zones is that they could lead to the dismemberment of Syria. What is more, Obama seems to have little taste for such involvement in Syrian. He seems to believe that they would lead to mission creep.

Bill Frelick, the refugee policy director at Human Rights Watch, writes in the New York Times: Blocking Syrian Refugees Isn’t the Way.

The refugee burden that Syria’s neighbors are shouldering is heavy and should not be borne alone. But keeping people fleeing for their lives in buffer zones inside Syrian borders risks trapping rather than protecting them.

Yet this is precisely what President Michel Suleiman of Lebanon proposed on April 4, joining others such as Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey, who made a similar call in November 2011, and Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour of Jordan, who spoke in January of securing “safe havens” inside Syrian territory, saying of potential new refugee flows, “We will stop them and keep them in their country.”

It appears that steps are being taken to create such border zones. The United States is working with Jordanian authorities to train Syrian opposition forces in what may be an attempt to set up a buffer zone on the southern border of Syria for defectors from the army and displaced civilians….

It seems quite clear that all of Syria’s neighbors have an interest in creating buffer zones in Syria, particularly if someone else will pay for them and if the US will help manage them. This is not a solution that will be attractive to either the US or Syria.

News Round Up

How Chemical Weapons Could Change Strategy For Syria, Talk of the Nation
April 23, 2013, 30 min 20 sec

Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies, University of Oklahoma

Amy Smithson, senior fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies

On Syria, Jordan Caught Between Hesitant U.S. and Activist GCC
By: Muhammad Muslih | Briefing

In responding to the growing security crisis emanating from Syria, Jordan finds itself caught between the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council, with the U.S. insisting on restraint in Syria and the GCC pushing hard to tip the military balance against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Jordan’s King Abdullah must negotiate these competing forces to manage what he sees as an imminent threat in Syria.

Syrian Regime Shoring Up Hold on Capital, Coast
By RYAN LUCAS, 2013-04-22

BEIRUT (AP) — After watching much of Syria’s territory slip into rebel hands, President Bashar Assad’s regime is focusing on the basics: shoring up its hold on Damascus and the strip of land connecting the capital with the Mediterranean coast.

In the past week, government troops have overrun villages near the Lebanese border and suburbs of Damascus, including two districts west of the capital where activists say regime forces killed more than 100 people. The advances have improved the regime’s footing in strategic areas that are seen as crucial to its survival.

In many ways, Assad’s government has little choice at this point in the civil war, analysts say. Rebels have captured much of northern and eastern Syria, seizing control of military bases, hydroelectric dams, border crossings and even a provincial capital. Those areas are home to most of the country’s oil fields, and the losses have deprived the regime of badly needed cash and fuel for its war machine.

But those provinces — Raqqa, Hassakeh and Deir el-Zoura — are located hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the capital. Rebel advances there pose no direct threat to the regime’s hold on Damascus — the ultimate prize in the civil war — and any effort to claw back the lost territory would demand manpower and military hardware, neither of which the regime is inclined to invest at the moment.

Instead, it has used its remaining airbases and military outposts in those areas to shell and bomb the territory it has lost in an attempt to forestall the opposition from establishing an interim administration in the rebel-held regions.

“What’s important for the regime is not to leave any buffer zone, or any security zone for the rebels,” said Hisham Jaber, a retired Lebanese army general who heads the Middle East Center for Studies and Political Research in Beirut.

While keeping the rebels off-balance in the lands it has lost, the regime at the same time has dedicated its resources to Damascus and securing what it widely believed to be Assad’s Plan B — a retreat to the Mediterranean coastal region that is the heartland of his Alawite minority, which views its own survival as being tightly intertwined with that of the regime.

Key to that strategy is control of the corridor running from Damascus to the city of Homs and from there to the coast.

Syrian opposition to establish moderate form of Islamic law
Phil Sands, Apr 18, 2013

ISTANBUL // The main opposition to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad will begin establishing what it calls a moderate form of Islamic law in all rebel-held areas of the country, as part of an effort to prevent chaos and stop hardline interpretations of Islam from becoming entrenched.

The legal code was drawn up by Muslim scholars, judges and top anti-Assad politicians in advance of meetings this week in Istanbul convened by the Syrian National Council (SNC), where transitional justice arrangements are being discussed.

The opposition hopes that an interim government, as yet unformed, will apply a version of the new legal system nationwide, after it goes into effect in areas currently controlled by the insurgents.

Different systems of Sharia now govern pockets of Syrian territory controlled by the rebels. Some are enforced by Jabhat Al Nusra, a militant group affiliated with Al Qaeda, prompting fears that its interpretation of Islamic law is filling the legal vacuum.

Launching the initiative on Monday, Moaz Al Khatib, president of the SNC and himself a widely respected Islamic cleric, appealed for a moderate, fair legal system, which would meet demands for justice and head off the growing influence of extremists.

“I want to talk frankly. When there is injustice, there is a revolution against that injustice. In the same way there should be a revolution in religious thought,” he said.

“The goal of religion is to liberate human beings, all of the prophets came to liberate the people.”

Extremists, including groups such as Al Nusra, one of the most powerful rebel factions, should not be allowed to spread their ideas, Mr Al Khatib said.

“We do not need ignorant people coming to Syria and teaching us the meaning of religion,” he said, chiding members of Al Nusra for trying to enforce an uncompromising version of Islam on a country with traditions of greater religious tolerance.

“Some in Al Nusra have told women they must wear hijab and that is not right, if you want to preach, do it well, you can talk, you cannot command, there is no compulsion in Islam,” he said.

Al-Hayyat In this article the author argues that the “Sunni majority” is a made up Baathi concept. Sunnis do not form a solid block united by similar views. He does a good job in listing the different groups within that “majority”. The whole point of the article is to suggest that offering guarantees to the minorities in Syria is not the Sunnis job because the Sunni community itself is a group of minorities with conflicting views. [Tuesday, April 16, 2013]

Israel Is Choosing Regional Isolation, Not Alliances By Moshe Ma’oz | Haaretz, Apr.18, 2013

Israel has a rare chance to build a U.S.-coordinated alliance with the pragmatic Sunni Muslim states that have emerged from the Arab Spring – but the new coalition’s lack of political will is likely to block this happening.

… Egypt and other new Islamic regimes in the Arab world have continued to support the Saudi/Arab peace initiative, while the Palestinian issue has gained great interest and solidarity among the Muslim masses, notably amongst militant groups. Simultaneously hatred for Israel and for Jews continues to increase among many Arabs and Muslims, because of the continued occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel, especially of East Jerusalem with its Muslim holy shrines.

Consequently it is in Israel’s vital interest to neutralize or decrease this negative sentiment while improving its image and position among moderate/pragmatic Muslim groups and governments. These goals can be achieved by accepting the Arab peace initiative and renewing the peace process with the Palestinians. Such crucial steps are likely to facilitate Israel’s potential alliance with Sunni Muslim states, notably Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Gulf Emirates, vis-à-vis the common hazard emanating from Iran and its allies – Lebanese Hezbollah and the Alawi government in Syria.

Such an alliance must be coordinated by the U.S. with the tacit, gradual participation of Israel – provided Israel makes substantial progress in the peace negotiations with the Palestinians and simultaneously accepts the Arab Peace initiative. Alas, as during his previous government, the Netanyahu’s current cabinet is unlikely to assume such a pragmatic policy.

A significant change may occur only under U.S. pressure and with a reshuffle of the Israeli government, namely replacing Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party with the Labor party (and perhaps also Shas). The chances for this happening are slim; it is far more likely that Israel will continue to aggravate and intensify its regional and international isolation.

Israel ready to act on Syria weapons, warns Netanyahu – BBC

Mr Netanyahu, in an exclusive interview with the BBC’s Lyse Doucet, said Israel’s concern was “which rebels and which weapons?”

“The main arms of concern to us are the arms that are already in Syria – these are anti-aircraft weapons, these are chemical weapons and other very, very dangerous weapons that could be game changers,” he said.

“They will change the conditions, the balance of power in the Middle East. They could present a terrorist threat on a worldwide scale. It is definitely our interest to defend ourselves, but we also think it is in the interest of other countries.”

Assad Hold on Power in Syria ‘Tenuous’, U.S. Official Says

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad retains only a “tenuous hold” on power after two years of armed strife as opposition forces have grown more effective, according to the Pentagon’s top military intelligence official.

Assad’s government “maintains the military advantage — particularly in firepower and air superiority,” and his inner circle “appears to be largely cohesive,” Defense Intelligence Agency Director Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn said in testimony prepared for delivery later today to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Still, the government “continues to struggle with defections, morale problems and an overall inability to decisively defeat the opposition,” Flynn said in the remarks obtained by Bloomberg News. He also said the Syrian military “is likely stretched thin by constant operations.”…

Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., asked Hagel and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, who testified with him, if Obama had asked the Pentagon to recommend how to apply “any additional military pressure” on the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad.

“We’ve had national security staff meetings at which we’ve been asked to brief the options, but we haven’t been asked for a recommendation,” Dempsey said.

“We’ve not been asked,” Hagel said. “As I said, I’ve not been asked by the president.”

Dempsey argues that the US should not arm the rebels

DEMPSEY: Well, at the time the … we felt like we had a clear enough understanding of the moderate opposition. And we felt as though it was in the long-term interest of Syria as a nation-state that the institutions wouldn’t fail and that the time was proper at that moment to intervene that way. … My military judgment is that now that we have seen the emergence of Al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham notably, and now that we have seen photographs of some of the weapons that is have been flowing into Syria in the hands of those groups, now I am more concerned than I was before.

Regime Breaks Siege of Wadi al-Deif
By Jonathan Dupree, April 18, 2013, ISW

On April 14, 2013, regime forces broke the 6-month siege of the Wadi al-Deif and Hamidiya military compounds outside of Maarat al-Numan, putting the rebel opposition in the area on the defensive and reestablishing overland supply lines to the bases. [i] The regime is now able to redistribute its military forces in the north, particularly its airpower which was tied up running dangerous supply drops to the troops besieged in the two bases, and engage the opposition for control of the Aleppo-Damascus highway. Although this new development will impact military operations in the northern provinces for both sides, it also highlights the military deficiencies that exist among the opposition groups and the continued capabilities of the regime. Although the regime has given up territory to the opposition, it has largely done so by choice to consolidate forces in more strategic locations, and it retains the ability to seize the strategic advantage when the opportunity presents itself……

Syria’s Assad says West will pay for ‘supporting’ Qaeda

President Bashar Al Assad warned on Wednesday the West that it will pay a heavy price for its alleged support of Al Qaeda in Syria and said his regime’s defeat is not an option….

Dura-Europos Looted and Vandalized by FSA
Posted by: ProSyriana April 16, 2013

Maamoun Abdul-Karim, director general of antiquities and museums uncovered a dangerous crime against Syria and its history. The systematic looting of Syrian antiquities by Turkish, Lebanese and Iraqi artifacts merchants with the help of FSA groups.

Recently 300 unauthorized digging operations (holes) were discovered in Dura-Europos.

Maamoun Abdul-Karim pointed out that this illegal digging to steal antiquities have also compromised the underground structure of the whole site. 50 similar holes were found in Mari. This is endangering the whole Syrian historical heritage, a heritage that belongs to the whole world not only Syria.

Both sites are being systematically looted and vandalized by the FSA, professional thieves & criminals, and foreign artifacts merchants. FSA threatened the locals with death if they dared interfere.

Robert Fisk: The Syrian army would like to appear squeaky clean. It isn’t

The Syrian military, whether it admits it or not – and I’m not happy with the replies I got from Syrian officers on the subject last week – work with the shabiha (or “village defenders” as one soldier called them), who are a murderous, largely Alawite rabble who have slaughtered hundreds of Sunni civilians. Maybe the International Court in the Hague will one day name Syrian soldiers responsible for such crimes – be sure they won’t touch the West’s warriors – but it will be impossible for the Syrian army to write the shabiha out of the history of their war against the “terrorists”, “armed groups”, Free Syria Army and al-Qa’ida.

The attempted disconnect has already begun. Syrian troops are fighting at the request of their people to defend their country. The shabiha have nothing to do with them. And I have to say – and no, yet again, I am not comparing Bashar with Hitler or the Syrian conflict with the Second World War – that the German Wehrmacht tried to play the same narrative game in 1944 and 1945 and, then, in a much bigger way, in post-war Europe. The disciplined lads of the Wehrmacht never indulged in war crimes or genocide against the Jews in Russia, Ukraine or the Baltic states or Poland or Yugoslavia. No, it was those damned SS criminals or the Einsatzgruppen or the Ukrainian militia or the Lithuanian paramilitary police or the proto-Nazi Ustashe who besmirched the good name of Germany. Bulls***, of course, though German historians who set out to prove the criminality of the Wehrmacht still face abuse.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his growing fears of weapons falling into the wrong hands in Syria, and stressed “we are prepared to defend ourselves if the need arises.”

http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/brotherhood-denies-plans-for-islamist-rule-in-syria

Syria’s Assad reduces sentences for some rebels

Business Insider: The West Has ‘Hard Evidence’ That Assad Used Chemical Weapons In Syria. 2013-04-12

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Western nations have “hard evidence” that chemical weapons have been used at least once by the Syrian army, diplomats told Agence France-Presse. “In one case we have hard evidence,” a western diplomat said. “There are several …

Syrian regime’s air power keeps rebels in check
By BARBARA SURK — Apr. 11

BEIRUT (AP) — President Bashar Assad has exploited his greatest advantage in the Syrian civil war — his air power — to push back rebel advances and prevent the opposition from setting up a rival government in its northern stronghold…..

While the air force is an important tool in Assad’s battle for survival, it’s not his last one, said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma.

“It’s the 3 million Alawites who believe that they will be ethnically cleansed by the opposition if the rebels overthrow Assad,” Landis said. “It’s because of the fear of those who could come after him that has spread around Syrian minority communities in the past year of the revolution, that many — including Sunnis — continue fighting on the regime’s side.”

In their campaign against the opposition, the Syrians have been using helicopters, MiG jets and trainer aircraft to hit targets daily in the north, the east, the south and in rebel strongholds on the edges of the capital of Damascus.

“The aim of the airstrikes appears to be to terrorize civilians from the air, particularly in the opposition-controlled areas where they would otherwise be fairly safe from any effects of fighting,” Ole Solvang of Human Rights Watch told The Associated Press….

A Sunni-Shiite Showdown in Syria?
By Dale Gavlak | April 15, 2013

……Joshua Landis, who directs the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, sees Syria turning into an arena for a ‘Sunni-Shiite showdown,’ of potentially ‘apocalyptic’ proportions.

“Syria means a lot to Islamists [salafists],” Landis said. “Iraq for them has not been successful. The U.S. is still hunting and killing militants in Afghanistan and Yemen, but Syria presents a completely different possibility where the potential gains for them are real.”

Proxy wars

They have their sights set on removing Syria from Iran’s orb of Shiite influence and reasserting Sunni Muslim control over the country.

Moreover, the salafists and the West are seeking the same initial objective in Syria: the fall of the Assad regime. But what is hoped for afterward is radically different. Some believe the West and secular rebels want to see democracy flourish after decades of dictatorial rule, while militants say they will fight for the establishment of an Islamic state governed by ‘sharia’ or Islamic law.

“The fall of Assad would be a tremendous blow to Hezbollah, Iraq and Iran. The stakes are high even for the Sunni Muslims and jihadists,” Landis said.

He said jihadists from Sunni areas of Iraq and as far afield as Chechnya are flocking to Syria to fight. The same can be said for Shiites. Landis points to the upsurge in funerals of Hezbollah, Iraqi and Iranian fighters as one indication of the numbers of foreign Shiite fighters involved in the conflict. “It’s gaining pace,” he said.

A spokesman for the Free Syrian Army rebels, Loay al-Mikdad, claims that Hezbollah has expanded its operations over the past two months, mostly in central Homs province near the Lebanese border, and in Damascus, where Assad’s grip on the capital is weakening and more military defections are feared.

Hezbollah’s role in Syria is crucial, said Torbjorn Soltvedt, at the British risk analysis firm, Maplecroft, because it is more adept at fighting an irregular conflict than the Syrian regime troops trained for conventional warfare.

Shiite awakening

….Landis said the apex of Shiite power in the region was the Israel-Hezbollah war in July 2006 in which the Lebanese Shiite militant group claimed victory. Then, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was lauded even in Sunni Muslim capitals at the time. Shiites had also consolidated their political hold over Iraq, while Iran faced off with its Gulf Arab neighbors. A “Shiite awakening” was breaking out.

Shiites believed they lived under the heel of Sunni Muslims for far too long — the past 1,400 years — and were marginalized during the Ottoman Empire. But then the 1979 Islamic Revolution erupted in Iran, witnessing Shiite ascent to power.

“They don’t want to go back to the dark corner of the political halls of power, Landis said.

“But now, Sunni Muslims are on the march. They see the potential to compensate for Iraq in a big way,” he said of the Syrian conflict.

Landis also said that Syria’s Alawites and Shiites fear ethnic cleansing, seeing Iraqi Christians and minorities in Eastern Europe suffer that fate. “It’s a battle for survival,” he said.

He believes that we are witnessing a “big sorting out along ethnic and religious lines” in Syria, which could be part of the “painful process of nation-building.”

Islamist-Held Raqqa a Bellwether for Syria’s Rebellion
By: Balint Szlanko | Briefing

One feature sets the Syrian city of Raqqa apart from other towns captured by Syria’s rebels: The Syrian rebellion’s traditional flag — green, white and black with three red stars, representing the moderate views of the original rebel movement — is nowhere to be seen. Instead, a black flag bearing a verse from the Quran flies over Raqqa’s main square — a flag often associated with Sunni Islamist extremists.

CORKER WARNS OF LACK OF CLARITY IN US SYRIA STRATEGY, CALLS FOR POST-ASSAD PLAN AND CONGRESSIONAL CONSULTATION PRIOR TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN US INVOLVEMENT, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) News Release

In Syria, Follow the Money to Find the Roots of the Revolt
by Majid Rafizadeh Apr 8, 2013 – The Daily Beast

Economic liberalization without political reform to spread that wealth triggered the civil war, writes Majid Rafizadeh.

The media have paid a considerable amount of attention to political analyses that focus on the authoritarian, totalitarian, and corruptible character of Bashar al-Assad’s government. However, scarce attention has been given to one of the crucial factors that have contributed to the ongoing revolt against the police-state of Syria and other Arab states. Assad’s neoliberal policies and economic liberalization—without the political reforms to redistribute the wealth—severely exacerbated the inequality between the poor and the rich. In middle-class areas and cities, the separation was especially felt. While a small portion of the crony capitalists, business class, and loyalists to Assad were able to benefit from these policies, the vast majority of the population was disenfranchised. The regime attacked the worker and peasant unions in the country, viewing them as obstacles to the neoliberal policies, by not providing them with funds that they needed to continue to function…..

These policies of Bashar al-Assad were directly intended to transfer the “public asset” into the hands of crony capitalists, privileged networks, and corporations in order to increase the wealth of his inner circle. Unlike his father, Hafez, Bashar also sought to decrease the reliance of the Syrian regime on Russia and Iran by expanding the scope of the sweetening deals that the regime would receive from foreign and other Arab corporations. At this time, the regime’s policies and politico-economic and sociopolitical agenda departed heavily from the original Baath Party’s slogans voicing socialist and Arab nationalistic sentiments and aspirations. These sweeping changes left the Syrian people in a dire state of need and neglect…..

Although Bashar al-Assad appeared to be successful, in that moment, with his method of gradual liberalization, authoritarian upgrading, and readjustment of the economy to the advantage of the few privileged, the neoliberal change failed to correspond and did not go hand in hand with redistribution and political liberalization.

SAS News

The war of attrition in Syria ground on this week, with all sides locked in a death-grip. In A-Raqqa, our reporter finds the rebels continuing their assault on Division 17, the largest military presence left to the regime in the northeastern part of the country. The Syrian Air Force retaliated by using mortar shells inside nearby A-Raqqa city, hitting civilian residences and the Cultural Center for five days in a row. Meanwhile, the FSA and its allies continued to engage regime forces at the Tabaqah Air Force Base, with no end in sight.

Regime forces are hammering the key Eastern Ghouta town of Outaibah. If they capture it, it would mean a victory that would block the rebels’ supply route to eastern Damascus. Our coverage has strengthened with a new partnership with the Shahed Network, a network of citizen journalists based in and around Damascus. The network provides independent and credible reporting from inside the capital and its suburbs that we translate into English. Arabic speakers can follow their news on the شاهد من قلب الحدث Facebook page.

Also this week, a tape surfaced claiming a merger has taken place between Iraq’s Islamic State of Iraq and Jabhat a-Nusra in Syria. In our conversations with opposition figures inside Syria, we learned that they are privately concerned with the implications and impact for their cause abroad and their future at home. The regime claimed the merger as proof that the opposition is led by terrorists, while a number of dissidents cast doubt on the veracity of the claim, questioning why the head of Jabhat a-Nusra did not show his face in the video, as other jihadist leaders such as Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abul Musab al-Zarqawi have done in the past.

Time: Syria Muslim Brotherhood Denies Seeking Power Grab, 2013-04-15

The exiled leader of Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood denied Monday widespread accusations by other pro-rebel political factions that the group is seeking to impose its will on other members of the opposition. The rare news conference by Mohamamad …

A Third of Syria’s Housing Damaged or Destroyed by Conflict – A third of Syria’s housing units has been destroyed or damaged by the conflict, according to the United Nations. (Syria Report)

Government to Relocate Plants in “Safe Areas” – Syria report – The Syrian government is planning to relocate state factories to “safe areas” in the country, according to the Minister of Industry.

Factory bombed in Spayneh, 200 jobs lost

April 12, 2013 By Ahmed Kwider Shells slammed into a packaging and printing facility in the Outer Damascus town of Spayneh on… Read more

Damascus: Mid-day news update 4-12-13

The mid-day news update is provided by Shahed News, a network of vetted Syrian citizen journalists providing independent, accurate and reliable… Read more

Syrian air force reportedly drops exploding barrels as rebels close in on A-Raqqa’s Division 17

April 11, 2013 A dispatch from our reporter in A-Raqqa, who asked to remain anonymous due to concerns for his

U.S. Policy Toward Syria

Testimony by Elizabeth Jones, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Robert S. Ford, Ambassador to Syria Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Washington, DC, April 11, 2013

In rebel fighter’s personal story, the arc of Syria’s war
By Scott Peterson, Staff writer / April 16, 2013

When The Monitor first met Syrian rebel fighter Abu Omar last July, he was buoyant and determined to bring down the Assad regime. Now his outlook is a bit more grim.

Syrian president lashes out at Jordan
2013-04-17 15:06:56.507 GMT

Cairo (DPA) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad lashed out at Jordan: “We cannot believe that thousands of insurgents are entering Syria with their weapons, at a time when Jordan was capable of stopping and arresting one person carrying a simple weapon for the Palestinian resistance,”

The Syrian Heartbreak
by Peter Harling , Sarah Birke | published April 16, 2013

There was a distinctive sense of national pride in Syria. It flowed from the confidence of a civilization dating back to the times of the earliest alphabets and visible in the country’s wealth of archaeological sites, including some of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It came from the depth of local culture. It stemmed from the music of Syrian Arabic, the elegance of Syrian manners, the finesse of Syrian cuisine and the sincerity of Syrian hospitality. It proceeded from modern geopolitics, too, as Damascus carved out for itself a role bigger and bolder than its scarce resources should have allowed. In particular, and despite tremendous pressure, Damascus stood firm on the Palestinian cause, which Syrians feel more strongly about than anyone, perhaps, except the Palestinians. The regime may have been a conveniently quiescent foe for Israel, but Syria was, on the map of the Arab world, the only state still “resisting.”

Battle for Damascus: Regime Fights on Four Fronts
A young Syrian boy holds a bag as he collects plastic and metal items in a garbage dump in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on 17 April 2013. (Photo: AFP -Dimitar Dolkoff)

By: Nasser Charara

Published Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Syria: A women executed for adultery.

At the Istanbul meeting Moaz Al Khatib, the head of the opposition’s National Coalition, told of a Sharia court that had executed a woman after finding her guilty of adultery. Mr Al Khatib’s point was that the ruling had violated true Islamic law since hudud, the Islamic penal code, cannot be applied during wars or in the absence of a state or ruler.

Where the $1.5 billion in aid pledges for Syria have gone:

Heba Aly, IRIN – humanitarian news and analysis

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Guardian (GB): Syrians can be reconciled – through negotiation, not violence

2013-04-18. The situation in Syria is the gravest it has been since peaceful protests began in March 2011. Civil resistance has been reduced to relief operations and humanitarian assistance, and the efforts of Syria’s democratic forces are now scattered and …Syria’s

Christian Minority Lives in Fear of Kidnapping and Street Battles
Danny Gold Apr 18 2013, the Atlantic[The story of Ras al-Ain on the Turkish border]….

Those still left in the city feel defenseless among the current vacuum of authority. Despite a truce currently in place, the constant presence of heavily armed rebel soldiers from different warring factions does little to assuage their fears. “There are so many battles in this city, I don’t feel safe. There is no one in charge, no government,” Abdulahad says. “I am afraid of anyone with a gun.”Starting in November, roughly four months of fighting devastated the city. The Free Syrian Army, along with Islamist groups like Jabhat Al-Nusra, attacked Assad regime soldiers. After regime soldiers were forced out, the rebel coalition then battled the Kurdish militia known as the Popular Defense Forces (YPG), They fought pitched battles throughout the city streets as the Assad regime continued to send aircrafts on bombing runs.During the last phase of the fighting, in which the FSA fought the YPG, Abdulahad lay trapped in his apartment for 17 days, subsisting on very little water and stale bread. Many residents fled the city, with some activists speculating that 65 percent of the total population had left. In February, Syrian Christian dissident Michel Kilo brokered peace between the factions. Some residents have returned, despite power cuts, water shortages, and the constant presence of various armed fighters…..

“Protecting and Promoting Religious Freedom in Syria.”

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released its first ever report on Syria. USCIRF is concerned by the increasingly sectarian nature of the conflict and how it threatens Syria’s religious diversity and the religious freedoms of religious minorities, including Christians and Alawites. In response, the report provides a range of recommendations for U.S. government activity. For instance, the report recommends the U.S. government make clear to opposition forces and outside powers of the need to protect religious diversity and religious freedoms in a post-Assad Syria.

Syrian rebels seek control over oilfields
By Abigail Fielding-Smith and Roula Khalaf in Istanbul and Joshua Chaffin in Brussel

Syria’s top rebel commander is seeking to create a new military unit to assert authority over oilfields controlled by extremists and other rebels, as lucrative natural resources captured from the regime stoke tension between rival factions.

European Union foreign ministers on Monday lifted an oil embargo against Syria to allow rebels to sell crude to fund their operations. But the move comes amid growing signs of tensions within the rebel camp over control of captured oilfields and other strategic assets.

At the end of 2012, rebels seized oilfields in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor and earlier this year they advanced into resource-rich Hasaka and Raqqa, putting opponents of Syrian president Bashar al Assad in control of much of the country’s oil and a substantial portion of its agriculture. According to activists, however, many of those oilfields are now under the control of Jabhat al-Nusrah, the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group.

From Bartolo blog:

Israeli officials say Syria used chemical weapons, “probably sarin” (VIDEO) – The Washington Post

U.S. Sees No Hard Evidence of Syrian Chemical Weapons Use – Bloomberg

Lavrov Urges Caution Over Syria Chemical Weapons Reports, to Avoid the Repetition of the “Iraqi Scenario” – RIA Novosti

Kerry: Netanyahu Can’t Confirm Syria Chemical Weapons Use — Naharnet

The Battle for Qusayr Is Key Front in Syria War The Monitor

Report: Jordan opens skies for IAF drones flying to Syria, “They are also armed and therefore can hit targets anywhere” – JPost | Israel News

In Jordan, tensions rise between Syrian refugees and host community – The Washington Post

Iraq makes contingency plans for Syria dam collapse – NOW

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Comments (438)

Observer said:

As the debate has become sterile on this forum especially as manifested with the ZOO and Tara exchanges and the continued spaming of the site by ANN and others I call upon those of us that have supported freedom and dignity to start a “hunger” strike in solidarity with the Syrian people and refrain from posting at all for a period of time. I would say start with one full week.

April 24th, 2013, 2:25 am

revenire said:

Observer why only a week? Why not stop posting until Bashar falls?

April 24th, 2013, 2:33 am

Ameera said:

حبيبتي تارا لا تواخزيني تعوئت عليكي لا تواخزيني مشان الله
لك يسلمولي الشوام واهل الشام انا من ركن الدين برنية بس من سكان المزة ئريب من بنايات ١٤ عند طلعة جامع الزهراء

اخ يا تارا اخ ميتل ما بؤلوا شو رماك عل المر غير الامر الهي يجازي ولاد الحرام غير هيك ما بئول
انا بتناوئ على هالمنتدى كل حين ومين يعني منو بتثئف و منو بتعلم انكليزي

April 24th, 2013, 2:34 am

revenire said:

This one will cause a few to be VERY uncomfortable:

Western spies in Syria behind abduction of archbishops: Moaz al-Khatib

The former leader of Syria’s opposition National Coalition Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib says Western spies currently active inside Syria were behind the recent abduction of two archbishops in Aleppo.

According to Khatib, tens of Western spy agencies are currently active in Syria, reports show.

The reports also added that the former head of the opposition has claimed that it was also possible for a foreign intelligence agency to work in Syria to instigate more tension in the country.

He said that those responsible for the abduction of the archbishops are trying to add to the unrest in Syria.

Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo Paul Yazigi were abducted as they were reportedly carrying out humanitarian work in a village in Aleppo governorate on Monday.

According to Aleppo residents, Ibrahim went to pick up Yazigi from the rebel-controlled Bab al-Hawa crossing with Turkey. Their car was intercepted on the way back by militants who kidnapped the archbishops and killed their driver. The two were later released on Tuesday.

Khatib submitted his resignation in March, in protest against the institutional limitations of the foreign-backed body.

On Monday, George Sabra was named the caretaker of Syria’s opposition National Coalition.

The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.

The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/04/24/299938/western-spies-abducted-syria-bishops/

April 24th, 2013, 2:39 am

Ameera said:

يا ريفرين برضاي عليك حاجه بئه يعني حاجة تكون محراك شر لانو ازا فاعو عليك ما الها حل بنوب

April 24th, 2013, 2:41 am

Dominique said:

Matt writes:

“It seems quite clear that all of Syria’s neighbors have an interest in creating buffer zones in Syria, particularly if someone else will pay for them and if the US will help manage them. This is not a solution that will be attractive to either the US or Syria.”

Correct, Matt, but we’re dealing with sociopaths. What’s not good for the people of America and Syria has nothing to do with Washington’s policy of destabilization of the region. We have to remember that the ‘bad guys’ want to force Syria and Syrian ally Iran to fall under the umbrella of the falling dominoes of non- sovereign nations–a neocolonialism on a global scale. Europe falls from the weight of its bastardized financial system while nations not infected by Wall Street’s derivatives collapse through CIA mischief. CIA involvement in the Middle East is as old as the hills ( e.g. Mosaddaq in 1953 and CIA funding of the Ba’ath Party in Iraq). So, here we go again.

Yeah, maybe we could expect another US mission in Syria, like the one Washington supported via its cooperation with the Taliban in Pakistan. The idea is to create the problem that requires American solution. At the petty and local level, it’s like mobsters breaking storefront windows and then strong-arming merchants to pay for local protection. This is so old, too.

Then, of course, the CIA funded bin Laden in Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. After the Soviets left, bin Laden no longer was useful. In Syria, it’s Al-Qaeda fighting with US support against Russian and Chinese interests.

If someone hasn’t figured out, yet, that nearly every conflict across the globe are really proxy wars with Russia and China. The world has been in a resources and currency for quite some time, now. What we’re seeing is the end game played out, with Iran as the ultimate prize in the Middle East. But Syria must go first, completing the real ‘containment’ problem of the region: Iran. Don’t expect Russia and China to standby too much longer, but a response may not include a military one; it could financial. Think petrodollar system, the only source of US dollar stability.

In the eyes of Washington, what’s so wonderful about a dumbed-down public is that it can only read mainstream media sources, which effortlessly present propaganda to a eighth-grade reading public. A dummy can cast the same number of votes as anyone else. So, the narrative is always packaged to ‘enlighten’ your typical eight-grader.

As an example, has anyone wondered why chemical weapons are so evil? Why is it that rich countries with nuclear weapons get a free ride? Does it matter weather someone is killed by a nuclear weapon or chemical weapon? Of course not. It’s like being thrown out of a country club because you don’t wear a tie. If Israel has a nuclear weapon, Syria can have chemical weapons. I think we should all be equal-opportunity Neanderthals.

This forum, and posts by Matt, in particular, are invaluable to another public–a public which needs to be informed, but also doesn’t have the time to put a package of information together in a coherent way for the political atheists among us.

Kudos.

Now, let’s fight! May the junking begin.

April 24th, 2013, 2:56 am

Syria no Kandahar said:

Observer is on strike for one week! UZ air quit today.They can’t take the huge
Losses inflected on JN,Observer is back into his alcohol bottle. All along this
Terrorist movement one famous statement by wahabist Sunni has been:
وما رميت إذ رميت ولكن الله رما so god has been terrorist helping Wahabists in killing
And destroying ,what happened to this terrorists helper god the last tow weeks?
More than a thousand terrorists killed by the SAA?How is he going to be able to
Provide 72000 virgins to all these terrorists? Is he going to import them from china?
So at the same analysis when wahabist terrorist Sunni cuts someone neck from
The vien to the vien they will say:وما قطعت إذ قطعت ولكن الله قطع
Very easy methodology do any crime you want and blame it on your ugly terrorist
God!
So Observer the terrorists propagandists and Uzair shiek yakoubi’s Pakistani boy
Didn’t resign but god decided to kick them out of SC.

April 24th, 2013, 3:02 am

Syrian Atheist Against Dictatorships said:

One has to admit that there are very few who can sum up the Syrian situation in such an expressive way as Peter Harling and Sarah Birke do.

There is one part which I cannot agree with, though. Just as many have lamented the tack taken by the revolution away from peaceful protest toward violent confrontation and the constant refrain heard among sections of the opposition starting with “if only…”, the piece by Harling and Birke posits this slight flight from reality:

“…Had the protest movement been perfect — entirely non-violent, impeccably organized and infallibly on-message — it is more likely that the security services in particular would have wavered and changed sides. But Syrians are not saints.”

Well, I would like to say that EVEN IF Syrians were saints and the protest movement had managed to be perfect, it still would have been VERY UNLIKELY, even impossible for the security services to have changed sides. I agree that the majority within those services are just as marginalized as your average dispossessed rural and other lower socioeconomic rungs of Syrian society, but they still have a job and some income and, above all, the psychological edge of being “in charge” of all the others who differed little from them economically. Changing sides would have meant giving up that authority and the power to lord it over more than half of Syria’s population, including Sunnis and others who were economically better off than they were. Surrendering this power is unthinkable. That is why they did not hesitate to use excessive force against all forms of protest, because it challanged THEIR own non-surrenderable authority that they had over the populace, the single and only thing that separated them from the rest and gave them an edge, and the reason why they continue to fight to this day.

April 24th, 2013, 4:23 am

Dolly Buster said:

6. Dominique said:
As an example, has anyone wondered why chemical weapons are so evil? Why is it that rich countries with nuclear weapons get a free ride?

But only Syria is using chemical weapons against its own population. When you use sarin it leads to pretty serious effects, because it’s 500 times more toxic than cyanide. This is the humanitarianism of the Shia.

April 24th, 2013, 4:33 am

Dolly Buster said:

6. Dominique said:
If someone hasn’t figured out, yet, that nearly every conflict across the globe are really proxy wars with Russia and China.

And let me guess, Russia and China represent the side of Goodness and Liberty. And they are being attacked by aggressors from the West, who care nothing for freedom.

Funny that → considering that Russia has always been a horrible dictatorship, and China is run by red bandits. That doesn’t seem to fit into your аsinine analysis, now does it.

6. Dominique said:
Don’t expect Russia and China to standby too much longer, but a response may not include a military one; it could financial. Think petrodollar system, the only source of US dollar stability.

World GDP: $65 trillion a year

EU contribution: $16 trillion
US contribution: $15 trillion
Russian contribution: $1 trillion

As you can see, Russia is practically irrelevant to world economy.

You never see any Russian consumer products, so it makes sense that the ruble is a laughing stock.

April 24th, 2013, 4:46 am

Citizen said:

6. DOMINIQUE
for me you are lovely commentator! please Participate regularly!

April 24th, 2013, 5:43 am

Dominique said:

Response to 9. & 10. DOLLY BUSTER

Look here, Buster! Could resist that.

Firstly, the US said it would intervene if the ‘civil war’ took on a chemical turn. No one condones weapons used on citizens (non-combatants). Sound better?

Secondly, please take a refresher on the history of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency since Bretton Woods. You response indicates your lack of knowledge of what backs the Us currency. I assure you it has very little to do with the size of US GDP at this stage of the game (post 1971 gold standard). Money supply is the most important factor, as it relates to global central banking reserves. The dirt little secret is, Buster, and is the vital point to ANYTHING that happens in the Middle East has EVERYTHING to do with the US dollar. Can you image what would happen to the Us dollar if the world was ‘allowed’ to trade for oil in a currency other than the US dollar? Ask Saddam Hussein and M. Gaddafi. Oh, that’s right; dead men don’t tell tales! Both happen to have a problem with accepting the US for their oil. In 2002, Hussein wanted euros. Gaddafi was coordinating a dinar as the currency for N. African oil. Gaddafi was the ring leader in N. Africa.

And boy, what happened, 9-11 was blamed on Iraq (hijackers were Saudis) and Gaddafi is gone. Coincidence. No change, Buster Brown. Both dictators were US installations, who, over time, decided to ‘freelance’.

Wars are rarely about how people feel about governments; it’s about money! Saudi Arabia has one of the most oppressive regimes of the world, but everything seems hunky dory over there. Of course, the US and Saudis have a thing goin’ on.

So, I would suggest learning about international central banking and monetary system before stepping into a subject about which you know very little. You only parrot and encourage the propaganda. Damn it, Buster Booty, lives are at stake and your naivete doesn’t help.

You’re like an infected doctor treating patients, making things worse. Stick to the cause, not the misinterpretation of of symptoms. When you understand the role of the US dollar within the NATO alliance, everything makes sense. How can the US run current account deficits for 42 years and not end up like Argentina? When you can answer that question, you’ll understand why Russia and China have formed BRICS as the counter to the US dollar. Haven’t you noticed all the trade agreements made since the collapse of 2008? I’ll give you a hint. Whichever country is blessed with the “exorbitant privilege” of issuing the world’s primary reserve currency, as Charles de Gaulle had said in the 1960’s, it can pay for a military–and to do what with that military? Answer: Defend the the reserve currency from defectors. Defying a country’s fiscal policy of choosing between guns or butter can only be achieved by creating artificial demand for a nation’s currency with an active printing press. Get it? So, if the US goes off the gold standard, what backs the US dollar? The US economy? Are you joking? Since when did the US have a trade surplus? More than 40 years ago, is the answer. Why are Spanish sovereign paper 400 basis points above US sovereign paper? Spain’s balance sheet is better than the US’s balance sheet. Spain cannot print euros and force the US to accumulate it to buy Iraqi of Libyan oil. Now, since you’re so good at citing GDP statistics, go to Wiki and look up the size of the oil market.

Anything else?

April 24th, 2013, 5:52 am

majedkhaldoun said:

I have said before that US will push for NFZ and creates a northern state, and Assad must acquiese to that, this northern state will include Idlib,Aleppo,Raqqa Dair azzor ,till albukamal This will be called area B,the rest of Syria will be area A, Area B will be under the control of the opposition goverment,Area A will be under Assad control.
Meanwhile the war will continue in area A, US has not decided yet on area C which include Deraa because of Israel objection.
Later there will be a proposal that a negotiation between the two goverments of A and B that will lead to a solution.
This temporary arrangement,will allow the refugees to return to Syria,and relieve the neighbouring countries from their burden.This is what containment implies,and will protect Iraq and Jordan from the spread of the Arab spring to their countries.
Area B goverment will be watched to make sure they will follow moderate democratic system with tolerance to minorities,if they do that then the west will trust them and support them further,if they apply strict Islamic law then the west will abandone them.

April 24th, 2013, 6:22 am

Hanzala said:

Dozens Killed in Battles Across Iraq as Sunnis Escalate Protests Against Government

In Falluja, where clashes between the army and protesters in January killed at least seven protesters, thousands of citizens took to the streets demanding that the international community stop what they described as the “massacres of the government.” Near Hawija, Sunni gunmen briefly took control of some government checkpoints.

As the war in Syria grinds on, analysts and American officials are increasingly worried about its spreading into Iraq. Barham Salih, the former prime minister of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region in the north, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday after the violence in Hawija that “Iraq, Syria dynamics” could merge into one fight with “dire consequences.”

As evening fell, sporadic fighting continued there and in Ramadi in the Sunni homeland of Anbar Province, where protesters set fire to two military vehicles and tribal sheiks called on young men to take up arms against the government.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/world/middleeast/clashes-at-sunni-protest-site-in-iraq.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

April 24th, 2013, 6:24 am

Hanzala said:

Don’t believe this barking you hear between Iran, the US and Israel it’s all an act. The three are actually quite close and work together.

1.The US stood by and did nothing while Hezbollah took control of Lebanon. Everyone disarmed but the West tolerated Hezbollah keeping their weapons.

2. The West despite all its talk was actually quite pleased with the Assad regime, what could it want more for Israels security than a neighboring Secular Alawite regime brutally suppressing the Sunni majority?

3. The US invaded Iraq and set up a pro Iranian regime right next door, the US is purposely expanding Shiite influence. The US is HELPING Iran.

4. The US invaded Afghanistan and took out ANOTHER anti Iranian government (Taliban) and set up a new government with a heavy Shiite influence.

April 24th, 2013, 6:33 am

AKbar Palace said:

Still Blaming the Usual Suspects

But only Syria is using chemical weapons against its own population. When you use sarin it leads to pretty serious effects, because it’s 500 times more toxic than cyanide.

Dolly Buster,

I agree with your analysis. It’s not of question of balance, it’s a question of responsibility. Those few countries that have WMDs should not be threatening other countries or using them on their own people.

The reason Russia and China are allied with Syria is simple: their regimes are just as autocratic and freedom-hating. Thugs think alike, and Russia and China have no interest allowing their people to think and act freely. Forgot to include Iran in that little list of “Utopias”.

The US stood by and did nothing while Hezbollah took control of Lebanon.

What makes you think the US can “control” Hezbollah? Hezbollah is an Iranian invention, and their true colors have been exposed in Syria. Another is a long list of freedom-haters.

April 24th, 2013, 7:16 am

Syria no Kandahar said:

الله لا يعطيك العافية ياحجي مجيد انت وهل ثوره الخرا عملتولنا سوريا Aوسوريا BوسورياC
دخللك حجي شو جبهة النصره رح تطبق الشريعة المسيحية
بالله انو بدك شي مترين دنب ثوري

April 24th, 2013, 7:16 am

MarigoldRan said:

The war continues.

April 24th, 2013, 7:24 am

majedkhaldoun said:

انتقد رئيس “الإئتلاف الوطني” المستقيل أحمد معاذ الخطيب، يوم الثلاثاء القرار الأوربي “بتخفيف الحظر المفروض على قطاع النفط في سوريا”.

Sometimes I wonder about Khatib, Hito goverment should have the income to provide services ,where does he stand?inexperienced people they make strange statements

April 24th, 2013, 7:46 am

zoo said:

Some rebels are waking up: Qatar only help the Islamists
Qatar faces backlash among rebel groups in Syria

http://gulfnews.com/news/region/syria/qatar-faces-backlash-among-rebel-groups-in-syria-1.1174445

Rebels complain weapons are skipping over them to Islamist militias
Published: 12:20 April 24, 2013

Beirut: In a war-battered suburb of Damascus, a commander for one of the smaller nationalist brigades fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Al Assad grumbles about the lack of ammunition for his men. He blames Qatar, saying the oil-rich Gulf state directs its backing to rebels with a more Islamist ideology.
…
“Qatar is working to establish an Islamic state in Syria,” Abu Ziad, the commander of a brigade in the Damascus suburb, said sullenly, his Kalashnikov rifle resting on a wooden chair next to his tea glass.

“With their money, the Qataris and a bunch of other countries are exploiting the Syrian revolution, each for their own gains,” said Abu Ziad, speaking on condition he be identified by his nom de guerre for fear of reprisals from the Syrian regime.
…
Abu Ziad said tensions resulting from diverging allegiances among rebel factions have led to setbacks on the ground. He cited the case of Jobar, a key district on the northeastern edge of Damascus, where rebels have been trying to push in the capital and clashing with government troops for weeks.

The area is controlled by nationalist brigades including his own, Islamist groups backed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia and Jabhat Al Nusra. But the rebels’ advance in the district has been held up by disagreements between the groups over who should take the lead in the fight, he said. His account of the situation was corroborated by two other rebels, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the divisions among fighters.

“My men have been in Jobar for 55 days with hardly any ammunition,” said Abu Ziad. He said Islamic factions recently received shipments that “they do not share.”

There is also mistrust of Qatar on the opposite end of the rebel spectrum, among the more hard-line Islamic fighters.

Abu Mohammad, a fighter for Ahrar Al Sham, a prominent rebel brigade in northern Syria with an ultra-conservative ideology, said Qatar, as well as Turkey, “is interested in ruling Syria” once the regime is toppled.

April 24th, 2013, 8:14 am

zoo said:

#19 Majed

Al Khatib and many others know very well who will benefit from the oil: Al Nusra will buy more weapons and Turkey will get cheap oil.
Not Syria.

April 24th, 2013, 8:21 am

zoo said:

Majed

If this division ever happens, be sure that the rebels who will control the Eastern area will be in perpetual war among each others.The proximity with Iraq won’t help either.

The North will be taken over by the Kurds who may decide to merge with the Kurds in Turkey and in Iraq, something Turkeys wants to avoid at any cost. Therefore there will be continuous conflicts in this area as well and it will be unstable.

While the area in the West will include Damascus and Hons and inhabited by Alawites, Christians, Druzes and the Sunnis who prefer a secular environment to an islamist one. There will be no disunity among them and if it can protect itself, it will be stable and prospere. As it has no access to the oil fields, it will exploit the vast oil resources that have been newly discovered in the Mediterranean sea.

I still hope this will not happen, but the Sunnis who fought against Bashar Al Assad may get their reward, the Islamic Emirate of Al Raqqa.

April 24th, 2013, 8:38 am

zoo said:

Oh! The Syrians rebels don’t want anymore fighters! Isn’t a bit late to take that stand, now that the foreign Salafists they have invited, fed and fought with in the last two years are well established in Syria and plan to stay on?

Syria rebels reject Lebanon Salafists’ jihad call

April 24, 2013 03:10 PM
BEIRUT: Syria’s main rebel Free Syrian Army on Wednesday rejected calls for jihad (holy war) by radical Sunni sheikhs from neighbouring Lebanon.

“Our official position as the Supreme Military Command of the Free Syrian Army… is that we thank them but we reject any calls for jihad in Syria,” FSA political and media coordinator Louay Muqdad told AFP.

“We reject any presence of foreign fighters, regardless of where they are from. We have said that what we are missing in Syria is weapons, not men,” he added.

Thousands of foreign fighters have joined Syrian rebels pitted against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

April 24th, 2013, 8:43 am

zoo said:

#277 Sami

Ha Ha, Ha !
You think you are so smart to recycle indefinitely your absurd accusations and insinuations in posts full of arrogance and frustration and totally empty of any sign of a working brain. Signs of senility?

Have a lollypop, it may put you in a better mood!

April 24th, 2013, 8:58 am

majedkhaldoun said:

Zoo said
it will exploit the vast oil resources that have been newly discovered in the Mediterranean sea.

Zoo that will take minimum of 2-3 year,then there will be another war

April 24th, 2013, 9:01 am

zoo said:

Tara

16 millions? Yes, sure…

April 24th, 2013, 9:07 am

zoo said:

#25 Majed

It took one year for Israel to exploit their sea oil fields.

But of course, there will be continuous ‘revolutions for freedom and dignity’ until the whole country becomes an Islamic Emirate.
Will you go back then?

April 24th, 2013, 9:12 am

Syria no kandahar said:

This is why Iran as crappy as KSA , 2 people will be stoned for kissing! Iran is not,shouldn’t
And will never be a good friend or example,If this is how they treat Iranians for kissing they
Will never join the class of respected nations.Syria now and in the future should distance itself from such rodents entities.Bashar foreign policies has been a disaster for syria,Iran
Is not worth one drop of Syrian blood or one tear from Syrian mom.Even if other regime was pushed or cornered into this relationship by having no other choices ,it is wrong and
Not normal.And by the way HA is a Shia Hamas :
الرجم حتى الموت في حفرة ضيقة هي العقوبة التي تنتظر وزير التربية والتعليم الإيراني، كامران دانشجو، ومديرة المتحف الوطني، آزادة آردكاني، بعد نشر مقطع فيديو لهما وهما في وضع مخل بالآداب، ويتبادلان القبل بشكل شديد الحميمية، بأحد المصاعد.

وقد كان العشيقان يستغلان فرصة خلاء المصعد، ليتبادلا القبلات مع بعضهما البعض، دون أن ينتبها إلى كاميرات سرية تصور كل شيء، قبل أن يعمد “فاعل خير” إلى تنزيل شريط الفيديو ونشره على مختلف الوسائط الإلكترونية، ما استدعى من إيران توقيف المعنيين وإحالتهما على التحقيق معا في حالة اعتقال.

وحسب قانون العقوبات الإيرانية في قوانين الزواج وجرائم الزنا فإن عقوبة الرجم حتى الموت بالحجارة في حفرة ضيقة هي العقوبة المحتملة بعد تلك الواقعة التي هزت أرجاء العاصمة الإيرانية طهران.

وبموجب القانون والدستور المعمول بهما في إيران منذ ثورة 1979، فإن جريمة الزنا قد تستوجب الرجم حتى الموت، أما جرائم مثل القتل والسرقة والاغتصاب والسطو المسلح والردة وتجارة المخدرات فكلها يعاقب عليها بالإعدام شنقا.

April 24th, 2013, 9:27 am

Sami said:

What absurd accusation?

Are you not Why-Discuss/Irritated/Bronco/Zoo/…?

Who has multiple names and posts at the same time other than filthy propagandists like yourself pasting crap all? Not to mention the many times you had “conversations” with your OWN handles!

You are a liar and a deceiver, the perfect Baathist dirt…

All she asked was why dont you show the same care about the victims from Assad’s barbarity as those victimized by the rebels. You are so morally corrupted that you don’t have an answer for that so you went into your usual deflection, spin mode and made up accusation about Tara.

Be a human being and take those sectarian blinders off your head, see what your callous position in supporting murder has brought on Syria.

Now run a long and be a good propagandists and paste PressTV’s latest crap shoot!

April 24th, 2013, 9:48 am

apple_mini said:

This caught my eyes. BARBARA SURK from Associated Press reports a new round of mortar attack in Jaramana which killed at least 7 civilians:”The rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad have set up enclaves in the areas, firing mortar rounds into the capital and sowing fear among its residents.”

It is unusual for Barbara compared to the way she used to report Syria. Do we believe she has a change of heart or awakening of ethos of Journalism? I do not think so.

My hunch says the MSM is quietly shifting its tone. And we always know MSM is sync to overall policy by the west.

Are the west distancing themselves from “bad” rebels?

April 24th, 2013, 9:51 am

Sami said:

Jaame3 Al-2oumawi in Aleppo had its minaret destroyed by Assadists shelling today.

April 24th, 2013, 10:05 am

zoo said:

#29 Sami

Yes! Great! Go on with your accusations, I am also Jad, Warren etc..

If you are spending your time sneaking on the identities of the people commenting, I wonder who you are working for, you might have been trusted by JL as a moderator and then kicked out because of your suspicious behavior.
That may explain your anger and frustration.
In any case, until now, your contribution to this blog under the nickname of Sami are just angry, childish and useless accusations.
I hope you used another nicknames to express some normal ideas.

April 24th, 2013, 10:18 am

Sami said:

You admitted yourself you were those people and that only after Ehsani asked you did you stick with one moniker.

So were you lying then or know?

April 24th, 2013, 10:28 am

Sami said:

Yes I was a moderator for awhile, but I never was kicked out not did I ever reveal any info. Actually if I recall YOU THANKED ME for my unbiased work….

I only use the info revealed on this threads, nothing more nothing less. And btw if you did not want anyone to find out it was you maybe you should’ve been less obvious, people like Halabi as far back a two years were making the point all of you were the same person. From frequency of posting to writing and grammatical redundancies.

I never even hinted you were the same person until you yourself confirmed that, even though as a MOD I would be privy to that. Had you not wanted that revealed then I suggest you should have not revealed that yourself….

April 24th, 2013, 10:42 am

AIG said:

Zoo,

Did you read the post? One third of Syria’s housing is damaged. Assad the idiot has managed to damage one third of his country. And he continues to bomb his own cities! You have shown to the world that you are prize idiots. Not to mention that you could not defend the oil fields from the rebels, oil fields that are critical for Syria’s economy. Assad has made Syria into a hell hole and there are thousands of videos that document it. You and your leader have been completely and utterly humiliated with no chance of rehabilitation.

April 24th, 2013, 10:43 am

zoo said:

#30 Apple_mini

I think the media are as confused as the US government. The matter has become extremely complicated and there seems to be more and more doubts about the viability of the SNC as a political power and the reliability of the FSA as an solid army.

The notion of ‘bad rebels’ and ‘good rebels’ fits in the same infantile scheme of the fight between the ‘good’ opposition and the ‘bad’ Syrian government.

The trouble is that the Gulf money, as we see reported in the media, is increasingly going to the “bad” ones, therefore the “good” ones have a dilemma: either they defect, renounce to the ‘revolution’ and end up with no money to feed their family or join the ‘bad’ ones, get a salary, more weapons and continue fighting hoping that the extremists will “go home” once Bashar al Assad will be gone.
The West is unable to decide to send weapons as long as there is no strong military structure to control their flow.
While Idriss makes promises that he will do that, now one believe him. In the chaos and divisions reigning among the rebels, no one can guarantee that.

Therefore the media are maybe gradually moving away from the ‘angelization’ of the rebels and rather pushing the necessity of a political solution through negotiations to stop the civilian bloodshed. I hope that’s the case soon.

April 24th, 2013, 10:44 am

revenire said:

Sami the rats use mosques as bases – quit your crying. No one cares.

April 24th, 2013, 11:03 am

mjabali said:

Syrians on this board should do more than bothering each other while their country is being destroyed by violence.

Today, as Sami mentioned, another historic minaret got destroyed in Alleppo. The other day, it was al-‘Umari Mosque, a world heritage mosque. What is next?

It is obvious that all of the fighting groups do not care about the place. I think they are most likely ignorant and do not know…

April 24th, 2013, 11:05 am

ziad said:

I really would like to know the etymology of the Damascene word “بنوب”. Any idea?!!

April 24th, 2013, 11:06 am

AIG said:

Assad is wrecking Syria because he knows he will not be around to rebuild it and that he is a dead man walking. He is doing it out of spite: “Bashar or we burn Syria”. I had a hard time believing he was serious but the pictures and data speak for themselves. He and his followers are complete idiots that have no qualms about burning Syria. They do not understand the contempt and disgust that people view them with and the extent to which they have been humiliated.

April 24th, 2013, 11:10 am

zoo said:

#34 Sami

Finally you are admitting having had access to personal information of commenters.
Reading your radical anti-Bashar bursts, I am not surprised that JL kicked you out because of your obvious bias.
Now you are dumping your frustration on me, accusing me of being a baathist propagandist and all sorts of ridiculous accusations just because I used more than one nickname and I was honest to admit it.
I am sure you have other nicknames, but frankly I am not interested. What counts is the substance of the comments.
Unfortunately SAMI’s comments have no substance. SAMI just thinks that he has the power of shutting off people who don’t agree with him by insulting them just because he has access to privy information he gathered as a moderator.
I suggest you change your nickname if you want to be taken seriously. You blew up SAMI.

April 24th, 2013, 11:20 am

AIG said:

Zoo,

You are a vile hypocrite and a liar. Only liars and propagandists need multiple identities. Why did you have them in the first place? But thanks for even more humiliating yourself by admitting that you used multiple accounts.

April 24th, 2013, 11:24 am

Hanzala said:

Fierce clashes at Syria’s Minnigh airport

Syrian rebels battled regime troops inside the Minnigh military airport in the north of the country for the first time on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

“The rebels, who have laid siege to the airport for months now, entered it for the first time around dawn,” Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130424/fierce-clashes-at-syrias-minnigh-airport-1

Also, looks like that truce with between the FSA and Kurds is holding up quite nicely:

A group of regime-allied fighters who attempted to reach the airport to boost government troops there were intercepted by Kurdish fighters who killed nine of them, the Observatory said.

April 24th, 2013, 11:31 am

AIG said:

Zoo,

What a vile hypocrite and liar you are. Liars and propagandists need multiple identities. Why did you have them in the first place? But thanks for even more humiliating yourself by admitting that you used multiple accounts.

April 24th, 2013, 11:38 am

Juergen said:

One of the landmarks of Aleppo, the famous Tutush minarett of the Omayad mosque has been destroyed. Acknowledged by many for its beauty and uniqueness, the minarett and the tomb of Zacharias are two major sights for Aleppans. In its current form the minarett was from the 14th century, but the foundations go back to the 11th century.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=448121665272349&set=vb.168536393214693&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=450552508346412&set=a.168560016545664.36383.168536393214693&type=1&theater

April 24th, 2013, 11:48 am

ziad said:

Uncle Sam main sponsor of terror

Just as there are good dictators and bad dictators in Washington’s eyes, there are also good terrorists and bad terrorists: Al Qaeda in Iraq, bad. Al Qaeda in Syria, good. Al Qaeda in Mali, bad .Al Qaeda in Libya, good, now bad. This hypocrisy manifests

itself most acutely in how western media reports on the victims of terror. On the same day as the recent Boston bombings, at least 75 people were killed in Iraq and more than 250 injured by a series of car bombs.

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75033:uncle-sam-main-sponsor-of-terror&catid=39:opinion-a-analysis&Itemid=132#.UXd6kzZwYfQ

April 24th, 2013, 11:51 am

Mina said:

Ziad,
Probably “wa la bi nawba” i.e. not even a small piece of it.

April 24th, 2013, 11:53 am

Juergen said:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=601483536547465&set=a.376861195676368.102174.201686009860555&type=1&theater

April 24th, 2013, 11:54 am

Juergen said:

April 24th, 2013, 12:03 pm

Juergen said:

The famous Euphrat bridge of Deir az Zohr, also badly damaged

April 24th, 2013, 12:07 pm

revenire said:

Sami does Josh Landis know you shared personal information? You remind me of a stalker.

Did you know the Boston bombers?

April 24th, 2013, 12:10 pm

Juergen said:

April 24th, 2013, 12:27 pm

revenire said:

Juergen > newsflash >> there is a war on and in wars buildings get blown up.

File that tidbit and stop crying about it.

April 24th, 2013, 12:28 pm

revenire said:

Juergen is Sabra a communist? Bet he has a lot of support in Syria. LOL

April 24th, 2013, 12:30 pm

Akbar Palace said:

Reverse,

Can Israel fight her enemies the same way Assad does, or are there two sets of rules: one for un-elected arab leaders and one for Zionists?

A simple Yes or No answer will suffice. I know your busy.

April 24th, 2013, 12:35 pm

zoo said:

Body language: Al Thani with long freshly colored hair and moustache agitating his arthritic hands in front of grey-haired Obama looking unconvinced.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/images/ama_04242013.jpg

Rebels split on Qatar’s role

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2013/April/middleeast_April292.xml&section=middleeast&col=

April 24th, 2013, 12:42 pm

revenire said:

Juergen really – what sort of idiot would promote this dull clown Sabra?

“He is one of the writers for the Arabic version, Iftah Ya Simsim, of the children’s show Sesame Street.”

April 24th, 2013, 12:44 pm

revenire said:

Obama and Al Thani look like monsters.

April 24th, 2013, 12:46 pm

Sami said:

Again I never was kicked out as you claim but rather CHOSE not to continue moderating theses pages. As JL mentioned in his post THANKING ME I was opening a restaurant at the time and did not have the time to continue moderating. Not to mention the death threats I recieved from another one of your die hard Bashar worshipers like yourself.

And Sami is not my nickname, it is my actual name as in Sami Al-Midani from Sal7iyeh but originally from Midan. I am not hiding from anything and not deceiving anyone about who I am. Can you say the same? I think not…

April 24th, 2013, 12:55 pm

ziad said:

سرقة المحلات التجارية في حلب القديمة من قبل كلاب الناتو

April 24th, 2013, 1:01 pm

revenire said:

Akbar Israel is a terrorist state backed by US weapons and their nuclear umbrella. Has Israel signed the NPF treaty? Etc?

I am amused how eager the Zionist filth are to have someone – anyone – attack her enemy Syria. The recent chemical weapons garbage coming from the Israelis is funny. I had a good laugh.

April 24th, 2013, 1:03 pm

Sami said:

RAT,

I never revealed any info that was not divulged by the commentator himself. If you say otherwise please prove your point or you are nothing but another lying deceitful Assadists dirt…

April 24th, 2013, 1:14 pm

Juergen said:

From Chicago, This is Damascus

April 24th, 2013, 1:18 pm

zoo said:

Sami

I have no interest whatsoever to know you life story.
I am sorry you’ve been threatened, I and many here have been too.

On this blog what counts are the ideas one expresses that can be corroborated with data ( news, analysis, insights) when possible. I am not interested in reading repeated insults or bursts of anger and wild accusations.

We’ve seen enough of that in the last two years.
I rather read exchange of point of views about the events unraveling in a complex situation that none of us can control.

April 24th, 2013, 1:18 pm

Juergen said:

BBC:
In pictures: Umayyad minaret destroyed in Aleppo battle

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22284525

April 24th, 2013, 1:22 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

Thank you Juergen for the video of George Sabra,George is a very good leader,he is honest,and will not make decisions wothout approval by the SNC members,not like Khatib
Mr. Sabra will be called by the Shabbiha here on SC as bad,they will start attacking him threatening him ,conspire against him, but he is a stable man unlike Khatib,he is strong man not a weak,he will be the favorite to lead ,and I hope he will be elected the Coalition chief.
Assad will get mad of Christians because of him,it is not unusual that two church clerics were kidnapped the day Sabra was replacing Khatib,

April 24th, 2013, 1:23 pm

Dolly Buster said:

Aal Thani is a great man, and he is in good shape. He used to be fat and now no longer. He owns magnificent real estate, and Greek laws had to be amended when he bought their islands.

Despite his success: Prince Aal Thani doesn’t just kick back with his wives, but instead he cares to provide aid to the Syrians.

In contrast, Zoo is a degenerate.

April 24th, 2013, 1:39 pm

zoo said:

The Emir of Qatar is not in good health. He is reported to suffer from serious diabetis. His son, the crown prince suffers also from that disease, not uncommon in Qatar.

“Qatar, the richest nation on earth, is also the fattest with 40% of all adults obese and 17 per cent of the population suffering from diabetes.

April 24th, 2013, 1:54 pm

Sami said:

Zoo I am angry because my loved ones are being humiliated, tortured and killed by the person you call a hero, my country is being reduced into rubble by cluster bombs, artillery fire, barrel bombs, and S2S including ballistic missiles.

A lady I have known my entire life and helped raise me was murdered by your Assadists Militia during the Darayya massacre, yet you deny her death. She is not some number for you to wrongfully attribute her as a “rebel” or collateral damage, she was a mother and a decent human being that did not deserve to be paraded on Addunia as some prop.

Omar Aziz my fathers childhood friend and a man that sparked the love of books in me was tortured to death by the Jawiyeh. He was an educated man that strived for a better Syria. He helped set up the LCC and other humanitarian initiatives in Damascus only to be picked up and tortured to death for trying to bring aid to civilians in Darayya. He never carried a gun and never hurt so much a fly, yet you support the filth that killed him. How am I suppose to react to that in anything other than the anger and hate you Assadists put in my hearts?

April 24th, 2013, 2:02 pm

zoo said:

Syria conflict ‘poses risk to UK’

William Hague said violent Islamists enjoyed sufficient ‘uncontested space’ in Syria

24 April 2013
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/syria-conflict-poses-risk-to-uk-29220012.html

A “substantial number” of British citizens are fighting with extremist groups in Syria and could return to launch terror attacks against the UK or Western allies, William Hague warned.

April 24th, 2013, 2:07 pm

MarigoldRan said:

Zoo, you’re a retard.

The war continues.

April 24th, 2013, 2:39 pm

revenire said:

Grow up Marigoldran. You act like you’re 10 years old.

April 24th, 2013, 2:56 pm

Tara said:

Kandi,

“الرجم حتى الموت في حفرة ضيقة هي العقوبة التي تنتظر وزير التربية والتعليم الإيراني، كامران دانشجو، ومديرة المتحف الوطني، آزادة آردكاني، بعد نشر مقطع فيديو لهما وهما في وضع مخل بالآداب، ويتبادلان القبل بشكل شديد الحميمية، بأحد المصاعد.”

Iran’s superiority indeed.

April 24th, 2013, 2:58 pm

Badr said:

In case you didn’t get it, Mr. Hague is arguing that by easing or lifting of an EU arms embargo on vetted rebel groups, then the jihadists would not enjoy sufficient “uncontested space”.

April 24th, 2013, 3:00 pm

revenire said:

Sami it is a war, people die. Quit crying to us about it.

If Zoo says you divulged private information you did. Why would I believe you over Zoo?

I don’t trust any of you lying expats. Not one.

You back Nusra and the foreign conspiracy against Syria.

April 24th, 2013, 3:02 pm

revenire said:

“74. BADR said:
In case you didn’t get it, Mr. Hague is arguing that by easing or lifting of an EU arms embargo on vetted rebel groups, then the jihadists would not enjoy sufficient ‘uncontested space’.”

The British are trying to create a thing that doesn’t exist and use it as an excuse to arm Al-Qaeda. There are no moderate terrorists – there are only terrorists.

April 24th, 2013, 3:11 pm

Akbar Palace said:

I hate the Zionists so Much I think I’ll kill some more Arabs NewZ

Akbar Israel is a terrorist state backed by US weapons and their nuclear umbrella. Has Israel signed the NPF treaty? Etc?

I am amused how eager the Zionist filth are to have someone – anyone – attack her enemy Syria. The recent chemical weapons garbage coming from the Israelis is funny. I had a good laugh.

Reverse,

The international community considers Syria more of a “terrorist state” than Israel. But if the US protects Israel, can’t we also say that Russia and China protect Syria? Why is it the All Powerful Zionist Lobby can’t seem to bribe, coerce, or use “mind-control” against the Russians and the Chinese?

You still didn’t explain why Israel, a sovereign state and memeber of the UN can’t employ the same methods as Syria for protecting their people (which is 25% non-jewish).

And why isn’t Syria targeting “the Zionist filth” and why are Syrian ministers promising not to attack Israel (aka “Zionist Entity) with chemical weapons?

For all the hate you have of Israel, it seems to bounce off an imaginary wall and land on tens of thousands of your own people.

It your aim that bad? Why is Assad helping Israel and hurting his own country?

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4372084,00.html

April 24th, 2013, 3:18 pm

Ameera said:

اصلن هادا يلي شاطرين فيه طئ حنك و علاك مصدي
ازا راكبين راسكم ولسه عم تتئاتلو خلص تئاتلوا بعيد عنا صدق مين ئال فالج لا تعالج

حاجه بئا تعبنا و الله تعبنا

April 24th, 2013, 4:08 pm

Syrialover said:

MAJEDKHALDOUN #66

cc TARA

Below is a link to one of a number of things I’ve read that says the opposition is still MB-infested and manipulated and Khatib was forced out as a result of opposing them.

I’m puzzled as to whether you think (i) what this article says is completely untrue, or (ii) you think that situation is just fine and goodbye to Khatib for not wanting to play along with the Muslim Brotherhood.

It would be very hard to be inside the opposition and live with the misrepresentations, manipulations and vote rigging the MB has done in order to push its power inside the organization.

We know that Khatib is not alone in feeling angry, frustrated and concerned about being compromised and tainted by association.

That article reminds us of the group that froze its coalition membership after Hitto was suddenly appointed head of an interim government (by those with MB affiliations). They are not a homogenous group, and some of them are far more significant and authentic representatives of Syrians’ interests than the MB.

They are Kamal al-Labwani, Rima Fleihan, Suhair al-Atassi (she reversed her resignation a few hours later), Marwan Hijo, Yehya ak-Kurdi, Mohammed al-Assi Gerba, Walid al-Bunni, Burhan Ghalioun, Okab Yehya, Harith al-Nabhan and Ziad Abu Hamdan.

I believe Sabra is a quality person and am not going to get into a debate about him.

But you state that Sabra is good because he “will not make decisions wothout approval by the SNC members,not like Khatib” (for that, read MB approval). Well, fine, but as we are reminded above the the MB clique are the biggest at creating decisions without consultations with the rest.

If you think the MB are the best thing for the opposition, you are entitled to that opinion. I just don’t happen to share it.

Unlike you, I also think Khatib is strong, not weak for stepping off a stage run by them (although likely pushed).

His profile is now established, he still remains a member of the coalition and will continue to build his community following and be a genuine and impressive voice for opinions and desires held by many Syrians. Unfortunately for the MB he’s not going to go away.

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/04/syrian-opposition-coalition-khatib-resigns-setback.html

April 24th, 2013, 4:12 pm

Ameera said:

بدي اسس حزب و سميه (حاجه بئا) و صدؤني هي حال كل اهل الشام

April 24th, 2013, 4:14 pm

revenire said:

No, the international community doesn’t consider Syria a terrorist state. A few corrupt and evil nations do – heading the list is the rogue state of Israel.

April 24th, 2013, 4:22 pm

Ameera said:

اهداء لكل الشوام في المنتدى

بالي معاك
بالي بالي
بــالي
يا أبو الجبين
عالي عالي
عــالي
وحياة سواد عينك يا حبيبي
غيرك ما يحلالي
غيرك ما يحلالي

**
عمري ما راح يرتاح يا حبيبي
والشوق بقلبي يقيد
فكري معاك نوّر يا حبيبي
غيرك ما يحلالي
غيرك ما يحلالي
***
القلب لو قال آه يا حبيبي
آهاتو تكويني
أنت بقى الدنيا يا حبيبي
بقربك حتحلالي
بقربك حتحلالي
***
بالي معاك
بالي بالي بالي
بــالي
يا أبو الجبين
عالي عالي عالي
عــالي
وحياةسواد عينك يا حبييي
غيرك ما يحلالي
غيرك ما يحلالي

April 24th, 2013, 4:22 pm

revenire said:

“DISASTER HAS STRUCK”
RATS TAKING A BEATING, DESPERATE CRIES FOR HELP HEARD ON RADIO
CRY THE PRICE OF A BULLET WILL NOW GO TO 1000 SYRIAN POUNDS

Syrian army seizes strategic town near capital

(Reuters) – Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad seized a strategic town east of Damascus on Wednesday, breaking a critical weapons supply route for the rebels, activists and fighters said.

Rebels have held several suburbs ringing the southern and eastern parts Damascus for months, but they have been struggling to maintain their positions against a ground offensive backed by fierce army shelling and air strikes in recent weeks.

“The disaster has struck, the army entered Otaiba. The regime has managed to turn off the weapons tap,” a fighter from the town told Reuters via Skype.

“The price of a bullet will go from 50 Syrian pounds to 1,000 Syrian pounds ($10) now, but we must pay and retake it. It’s the main if not the only route.”

Rebels said they pulled out of Otaiba, a gateway to the eastern rural suburbs of Damascus known as al-Ghouta, in the early hours after more than 37 days of fighting in which they accused the government of using chemical weapons against them twice.

The government has denied using chemical weapons and accused rebels in turn of firing them in Aleppo.

Rebels used Otaiba for eight months as their main supply route to Damascus for weapons brought in from the Jordanian border, where Saudi Arabia and other private donors are believed to be sending in arms.

Government forces pushed in with tanks and soldiers.

“Now all the villages will start falling one after another, the battle in Eastern Ghouta will be a war of attrition,” another fighter in the area said, speaking by Skype.

More than two years into their struggle to end four decades of Assad family rule, the rebels remain divided by struggles over ideology and fighting for power

Rebels fighting in Otaiba said they sent a distress call to brigades in other parts of Ghouta but it went unanswered by other units with whom they compete for influence and weapons.

“To all mujahedeen (holy warriors): If Otaiba falls, the whole of Eastern Ghouta will fall … come and help ,” part of the message sent to fighters said.

The army appears to have been advancing on fronts across Syria in recent weeks, even in northern provinces where rebels seized large swathes of territory.

MINARET COLLAPSES

Most critically, it has made gains around Damascus and the Lebanese-Syrian border – critical to linking the capital to coastal provinces that are Assad’s stronghold.

The coast is an enclave of Assad’s minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam. Alawites have dominated Syria’s power structures during four decades of Assad family rule.

Rebels, mostly from the Sunni Muslim majority, have seized territory in northern and southern Syria, and hold about half of Aleppo, the country’s biggest city. But Assad’s forces have kept control of the capital Damascus and most major cities.

Elsewhere in Damascus, two mortar bombs hit the government-held suburb of Jaramana, killing seven and wounding more than 25, activists and state media said. State news agency SANA blamed the attack on “terrorists”, the term it commonly uses to describe Assad’s armed opponents.

Some rebel units condemned the attack on Jaramana.

“Our brigade loudly condemns these criminal acts, which have nothing to do with Islam in any way,” the Saad bin Abada al-Khudraji brigade said.

Islamist rebel units said on Wednesday they had launched an offensive on the coastal province of Latakia, a move which could further stoke sectarian tensions in a war that has increasingly divided the country along religious and ethnic lines.

Islamist fighters said they had fired two rockets that hit the town of Qurdaha, the birthplace and burial site of Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria for 30 years. Residents in Latakia province who spoke to Reuters by Skype said the rockets hit outside Qurdaha, in a rural area called Slunfeh.

It is impossible to verify the account due to government restrictions on media access in Syria.

Moscow was flying more Russians home after delivering humanitarian aid to Latakia, the Emergencies Ministry said. It was one of several government flights laid on in the past months by Russia, a long-standing arms supplier to Damascus.

The conflict has cost more than 70,000 lives and has also damaged or destroyed many archaeological and architectural treasures, some of them U.N. world heritage sites, such as Aleppo’s Old City where the mosque is located.

The 1,000-year-old minaret of Aleppo’s Umayyad Mosque has collapsed due to clashes between Syrian rebels and Assad’s forces, activists and state media said on Wednesday.

The opposing parties blamed the other for the toppling of the minaret, which predated the medieval-era mosque it stood in. Fighting has ravaged the Old City’s stone-vaulted alleyways for months and had already reduced much of the mosque to rubble.

SANA accused the Nusra Front, an al Qaeda-linked rebel group, of bringing down the minaret. Opposition groups said army tank fire was to blame.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/24/us-syria-crisis-mortars-idUSBRE93N0RB20130424

April 24th, 2013, 4:39 pm

zoo said:

Sami

I can hardly imagine the violent emotions that one can have when such horrors hit loved ones. They can be overwhelming
I regret that these events have tuned so bad as to make Syrians like you living in Syria, suffer so much.
I just hope that the end will come and that Syrians will re-learn how to live with each others again despite their different beliefs and the memories of terrible ordeal they went through.
When the Lebanese stopped the civil war, they made sure that none of the parties could claim victory or defeat on the others.

April 24th, 2013, 4:48 pm

zoo said:

Hagel about chemical weapons: unproven suspicions

http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-hagel-syria-chemical-weapons-20130424,0,4505714.story

CAIRO — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Wednesday described Israeli claims of Syrian chemical weapons use as unproven “suspicions” and declined to set a timeline for a U.S. assessment of the accusations.

April 24th, 2013, 4:59 pm

Syrialover said:

40. AIG said:

“Assad is wrecking Syria because he knows he will not be around to rebuild it and that he is a dead man walking. He is doing it out of spite: “Bashar or we burn Syria”

“[He and his followers] do not understand the contempt and disgust that people view them with and the extent to which they have been humiliated.”

Very well put.

It’s a primitive thinking and dictator-delusion syndrome.

It’s as if nature has programmed them as a subspecies to show others how unfit they are to be in power.

April 24th, 2013, 5:05 pm

zoo said:

Is the Syrian army employing Islamist Chechens to kidnap Christians ?

Ankara says unable to confirm release of kidnapped clerics in Syria

24 April 2013
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-313603-ankara-says-unable-to-confirm-release-of-kidnapped-clerics-in-syria.html

Ankara is unable to confirm claims regarding the release of two Syrian bishops who were taken hostage while on their way from Turkey to Syria before the victims enter Turkish territory, a Turkish official has said.
…
Hassun accused the Syrian regime of the kidnapping, saying they held the two clerics in order to create religious-based clashes in Syria
..
Sources from Hatay say the two men have been kidnapped by Chechen armed terrorists. However, Fawzi Zakri, a member of Syrian National Council (SNC) — a group within the national coalition — stated that no Chechen forces were situated in the area where they have been taken hostage.

April 24th, 2013, 5:07 pm

Citizen said:

welcome to the real war with Syria (with Russian capacity) in Syria.
Do not forget to order your ticket in advance! Spaces are limited!
200 US Troops in Jordan Could Become 20,000 for Syria Invasion
Intervention Options All Involve Huge Occupation Force
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/04/22/200-us-troops-in-jordan-could-become-20000-for-syria-invasion/
Last week’s announcement of another 200 US troops being deployed to Jordan with an eye on Syria could rapidly become 20,000, officials say, if the decision is made by President Obama to move beyond external aid to rebels to overt military intervention.

Even the 20,000 deployment is one of the more modest schemes among the many different plans considered by the Pentagon for a Syrian invasion, and in December they conceded one of the plans involved a minimum of 75,000 troops……..

April 24th, 2013, 5:07 pm

Citizen said:

500 Europeans fight against Assad in Syria – EU anti-terror chief
http://rt.com/news/europeans-fight-syria-assad-343/

April 24th, 2013, 5:13 pm

ghufran said:

محافظة ريف دمشق ::سيطرت القوات النظامية على بلدة العتيبة بعد اشتباكات عنيفة استمرت لعدة اسابيع استخدمت خلالها القوات النظامية الطائرات الحربية والدبابات وراجمات الصواريخ وقال احد النشطاء من البلدة ان الكتائب المقاتلة انسحبت من البلدة بعد مقاومة شرسة
source: SOHR
rebels are now only able to shell areas that they do not like:
في جرمانا بريف دمشق استشهد 11 مواطناً وأصيب عدد آخر بجروح جراء
سقوط قذيفتي هاون أطلقهما مسلحون في شارع المدارس بحي الجناين
more:
فجر مسلحون أمس عبوة ناسفة ألصقوها بسيارة نوع شام تعود لمدير التأهيل والتدريب في وزارة الكهرباء المهندس محمد عبد الوهاب حسن مقابل المعهد التقاني التجاري المصرفي الأول في البرامكة بدمشق أدت إلى استشهاده
they lose ground in battles with the army so they shell residential areas:
استشهد مواطن وأصيب عدد آخر جراء سقوط صاروخ على المنازل السكنية في بلدة صلنفة بريف اللاذقية.
وذكر مصدر مسؤول في المحافظة أن مسلحين ارهابيين أطلقوا الصاروخ من ريف اللاذقية الشمالي ما أدى إلى استشهاد مواطن وإصابة 4 آخرين إضافة إلى إلحاق أضرار مادية في الأبنية السكنية.
Slinfeh is very close to Salma where rebels have a large presence in the area.Fierce fighting is taking place now over Nabi Younes summit.
With 2 million external refugees, 4 million internal refugees,
$ 200 billion in losses (not including real estate) and over 100,000 people killed, it won’t matter much who wins this bloody war, Syria will be in a state of half death for years to come.
I dread the moment when the time comes for me to visit Syria, I am not sure I can take all of that destruction,death and misery.

April 24th, 2013, 5:16 pm

ghufran said:

Open letter from Moaz to Nasrallah:
السيد حسن نصرُ الله الأمين العام لحزب الله – لبنان
السلام على كل من يمدّ للحق يدا، ويحقِن للأبرياء دماً، ويجعل الإنسان مكرماً، وبعد؛
فلا يخفى عليكم أن المنطقة تُجَر إلى فتنة ربما لا ينجو منها أحد، وأن هناك سعياً نحو تفتيتها، وإدخالِها في صراع مذهبي مرعب يستهلكها عشراتِ السنين.
إنني لا أومن بالحرب، وأعتبرها عجزاً للإنسان فينا، وأن التفاهم وحدَه هو سبيل حل أيةِ مشكلة تنشأ بين الأفراد أو المجتمعات، وعلى الأمم ألا تغترّ بالقوة التي تمتلكها فكم تفككتْ إمبراطوريات عظيمة بسبب غرور القوة الذي يسكنها.
ألم يكفنا سنةً وشيعة أكثرُ من ألف عام من الخصام، لنَدفِنَ العقلية المذهبية الضيقة ونُخرجَ الأمة من وهم الانتصار.
في حرب تموز فتحنا نحن السوريين بيوتَنا وقلوبَنا للمقاومة رغم اختلافنا معها في عديد من أمور الاعتقاد، ليقينِنا أنهم كانوا يصدون صولةَ عدو لئيم، ورفرفتْ أعلامُ حزب الله اللبناني في شوارعنا، وامتدت أيدينا بما تيسّر من قُوت أبنائنا لدعم أشقائنا في لبنان. أفهكذا تكون المكافأةُ لشهامة هذا الشعب المعطاء الكريم؟؟
إنّ تدخل حزب الله اللبناني في سورية قد عقّد المسألة كثيراً، وكنتُ أتوقع منكم شخصياً بما لكم من ثقلٍ سياسي واجتماعي أن تكونوا عاملاً إيجابياً لحقْن دماء أبناء وبنات شعبنا.
هل يُرضيكم قصفُ النظام لشعبنا بالطائرات وصواريخ سكود، وعجنُه لحومَ الأطفال مع الخبز؟
هل يسرّكم اغتصابُ آلاف النساء! وقتلُ مئات الأطفال بالتعذيب حتى الموت!
هل يُعجبكم أن يعيشَ السوريون تحت حكم حزب طاغوتي خمسين عاماً، فإذا قاموا لنيل حريتهم عوقبوا بالدمار الشامل لبنيتهم التحتية، واجتثاثِ مجتمعاتهم، وتشريدهم ونفيهم، والمذابحِ الجماعية لهم، وإدخالِهم في دوامةِ مؤامرةٍ مرعبة كان النظام من ساعد في تحقيقها.
هل مذهبُ أهل البيت عليهم السلام هو نصرُ الحق مطلقاً كما أفهم، أم الانتصارُ لنظام طاغوتي أرعن، وإن شعب سورية بمجموعه هو عين مأساة الإمام الحسين المضطهد المظلوم الشهيد، ويبقى النظامُ هوَ المسؤولَ الأولَ عما يجري من قتلٍ وتخريبٍ في البلاد .
أقول لكم بكل صدقٍ وصراحة: إن الموقف اليوم وتصريحاتِ بعضِ المسؤولينَ في الحزب يضع بعض الأفكار تحت طائلةِ التفككِ التاريخي، والإفلاسِ الأخلاقي، وإن موجة عارمة من الإلحاد بدأت تغزو أجيالاً كاملة بسبب بعض المواقف التي (باعتقادي) لا يمكن أن تنتسب إلى فكر آل البيت عليهم السلام بأي طريق.
إن ضمائر الناس لم تعد تتحمل، وما دعوة الشيخين الرفاعي والأسير إلا استجابةٌ لِما تقشعرّ له الأبدان من المذابح والدماء وصرخات الحرائر في السجون.
إن زعم الدفاع عن بعض القرى الشيعية مرفوض، فهل كان الشيعة في خطر خلال مئات السنين؟
وهل سورية ميدانٌ لتصارُعِ كل قوة تريد حماية طرف ما؟؟
لا أريد أن أدخل في جدال لا ينتهي، وأذْكرَ ما فعله بعضُ المجرمين التابعين للنظام بالنساء في قرىً استغلّوا مذهب أهلها للاحتماء بها، فهل هذا هو السبب لكل ما يجري ؟
وهل في داريا والقابون طرفَي دمشق أيُّ قرى شيعيةٍ لقدوم كتائب الحزب إليها، بل رفعِ أعلامهم فيها.
رغم كل ذلك أقول لكم ماسبق أن ذكرتُه في الإعلام من خُطة ماكرة لجر العالم الإسلامي كلِّه إلى معركة سُنية شيعية ، يبدأ فتيلُها من سورية فلبنان ثم دولِ المنطقة كلها بما فيها إيرانُ وتركيا لتحطيمهما، واستهلاكِ أموال الخليج لدعم الحرب أو لشراء السلاح من أجل حرب مجنونة ليس فيها منتصر.
من خبرتي البسيطة في السياسة، والواسعةِ في الحياة عرفتُ أن السياسيين من أقل الناس ذكاء وإدراكاً للمخاطر التي تحيط بأوطانهم، وأكثرِهم بلادةً في الشعور بآلام الناس، وكلُّ حروب العالم أسهَم سياسيون كثيرون في إيقادها، واشتركوا فيها عمياناً لا يبصرون، وظنوا بصلَفِهم أنهم سيتحكمون في النار كما يريدون، وأغْرتهم انتصاراتٌ مزيفة تستهلك أممَهم وشعوبهم، ونسُوا أن إشعال الحرب ليس كإطفائها.
بكل أمانة أقول لكم: إن عشاق الحرية في سورية لديهم من الشجاعة ما يكفي أهلَ الأرض، ولكنّ دماءَ أبنائكم في لبنان لا يجوز أن تُهدَر في قتال أبنائنا المظلومين في سورية، فهناك من يُسرّ لمرأى الشباب من الطرفين وهم يتساقطون برصاص بعضهم .
وإنني أطالبُكم بسحب قوات حزب الله من سائر الأراضي السورية والتواصلِ مع الثوار في مناطق القرى الشيعية لضمان أمن الجميع .
أمَا من عبرة مما جرى في الحرب الطاحنة بين إيران والعراق لسنوات؟ أما اكتفى اللبنانيون من حرب مجنونة استمرت خمس عشرة سنة، ومازال لبنان يعاني آثارها حتى اليوم.
أما كفى طُوفان دمعِ الأمهات، وزفراتُ الأرامل، ونحيبُ الأطفال والأيتام … أما كفانا قتلاً للأرواح والأبدان !!
لستُ أخاطب فيكم السياسيَّ ولا الزعيم، بل الضميرَ والوجدان، والعقلَ والحكمة، وسوريةَ ولبنان، وأرجو منكم والشيخين الرفاعي والأسير أن تجتمعوا وتتفاهموا وتدرؤوا عن بلدنا الواحد مصيبةً قادمة ، وأن نكون جميعاً سفراء خير وعواملَ إنهاءِ صراع .. لا مُشعلي فتنة أومُوقدي حروب.
دعونا نَخـــَف فقط على شيءٍ واحد .. أن يضيع من بين أيدينا الإنسان …
أحمد معاذ الخطيب الحسني
رئيس الائتلاف الوطني السوري
(Moaz is still calling himself the head of the NC)

April 24th, 2013, 5:36 pm

Tara said:

SL,

I am not contesting that the MB is trying to influence the national coalition. I do not have inside info to know better. I still think that resigning his post is a sign of weakness not a sign of strength. Alkhatib needs to work with what he has. The coalition is recognized as the solo rep. He is much more effective as the head of the coalition as opposed to a solo oppositionist. He resigned to make a statement? Ok, the statement is made then what? Al Khatib was a high profile on the international arena. If he couldn’t influence an international decision, at least he could have his opinion heard. But now what? Is he going to have his own coalition? How is he going to help the Syrian people? By doing what exactly?

I think he should’ve stayed, talk the talk and walk the walk.

April 24th, 2013, 5:41 pm

zoo said:

Syria’s jihadists a big concern for Saudi Arabia

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
http://arabnews.com/news/449345

There is a deep conviction that an organization, such as Al-Qaeda, has decided to engage in the war in Syria to serve its own aims. It intends to reunite and rebuild its structure in Syria after being overpowered in Afghanistan and after most of its leaders were either killed or arrested following its failures in the Gulf, Iraq, Algeria and Yemen.
Due to the prolonged war in Syria, the country has become a safe haven for terrorists. The religious dimension of the conflict also attracts them.
Countries like Saudi Arabia, among others, fear that Syria would at some point embrace terrorist groups. This has been the Assad regime’s plan since the beginning of the conflict. The regime wants the Syrian people who revolted against it to inherit a devastated land, like Somalia where Al-Qaeda has set up camps amid fighting warlords.
Saudi Arabia’s fear is that these groups will once again target the Kingdom. These groups are making use of the fighting in Syria to train, collect funds and recruit young men just as they did in Afghanistan when they used Saudi Arabia’s funds and then, subsequently, turned against it.
….
It is also believed that Saudi secretly provides more than 80 percent of military aid to opposition parties. Of course, when Saudi Arabia notices that some of the weapons and funds are being diverted to terrorist organizations, like the Al-Nusra Front, there is bound to be a concern that why these groups are being aided. It does not make sense that groups linked to Al-Qaeda are being armed to topple Assad when there are more than 100,000 fighters among the Free Syrian Army requesting the same kind of support!
…
This is why I don’t think Saudi Arabia will accept Al-Qaeda hijacking the Syrian revolution. It will also not accept that other countries do so if these countries think of using this evil organization to attack Saudi Arabia and other countries later.

April 24th, 2013, 6:49 pm

Tara said:

Scorn that is well deserved:

The Obama administration former top adviser on Syria has delivered scathing criticism of his former colleague’s “indefensible” policy towards Syria.

Frederic Hoff, who was head of Syria policy at the state department until last August, attacked the mixed message on Syria given by US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Martin Dempsey, at a congressional hearing last week.

In an article for the Atlantic Council, Hoff said the confusion stemmed from Barack Obama’s failure to set clear objectives.

A Pentagon reflecting confusion is a Pentagon in need of clear guidance from the commander in chief, US President Barack Obama.

The central purpose of the defence secretary and the chairman was to pour cold water on the idea of military intervention in Syria. Leaving aside the fact that the theme itself is sweet music to the ears of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the arguments advanced by the two were unclear and unconvincing. No doubt this is attributable in part to a national security system that still resists setting clear objectives and thinking strategically, leaving senior officials stranded somewhere in between defending the indefensible and just making things up. Partly it reflects reluctance on the part of legislative and executive branch seniors alike to define what they are talking about.

Hoff said the US could intervene in Syria by destroying “the forces implementing Assad’s terror campaign” without become further embroiled in the conflict as Dempsey feared.

He wrote:

In setting an objective and defining a strategy, limits can be set and enforced … regime military air and missile assets can be erased. Yes, regime artillery will be a continuing factor. We can tell the Free Syrian Army where it is located. And if a demonstration of American lethality somehow inspires a regime shorn of aircraft and missiles to secure the military victory that has eluded it to date, Dempsey’s point about unintended consequences will have been sustained.

April 24th, 2013, 7:18 pm

zoo said:

The difficult question facing today the FOS is how to stop the proliferation of Jihadists and their military and ideological control over large parts of Syria while continuing the fights to defeat the Syrian army?

Qatar, UK & France: Let’s send better weapons to the rebels fighting so they topple Bashar al Assad without the need of Al Nusra, then we will deal with the jihadists.

USA: Weapons sent to the rebels may end up in the hands of the jihadists. Let’s send them non-lethal aid so they can survive until we find a political solution.

RUSSIA: Let’s oblige the two parties to negotiate a ceasefire and exclude the jihadists

SAUDI ARABIA : We don’t know what to do anymore, we are afraid of Jihadists, of the Moslem Brotherhood and of Iran. USA, Please advise.

April 24th, 2013, 7:30 pm

revenire said:

There would be no war on Syria without the United States. The arms the terrorists get come from the United States.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France and the UK do what the United States tells them to do.

There are no moderate terrorists.

Be careful of psychological warfare friends. Reading the liars in the press can weaken even the strongest minds.

April 24th, 2013, 7:40 pm

revenire said:

Well worth reading the entire article (click link). This is fantastic.

Syria: National Defense Forces at Forefront of Qusayr Fighting
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syria-national-defense-forces-forefront-qusayr-fighting

The soldiers fighting under the NDF banner appear to be the most enthusiastic among the various military formations deployed in the area. Many of them claim to be from the villages around the Assi River near the Lebanese border and have joined the battle to defend their families from the “takfiri” revolution.
The commander rejects that accusation that the NDF is a sectarian militia, pointing out that the troops around him are from the local villages and represent all the sects in the area.

What distinguishes this force from the Syrian army is that the NDF has adopted the guerilla warfare tactics used by the opposition and is not saddled with having to wait for orders from Damascus. He mocks rumors that his men were trained in Iran, dismissing such talk as an attempt to undermine their achievements.

April 24th, 2013, 7:45 pm

Visitor said:

….

April 24th, 2013, 8:06 pm

Visitor said:

Dr. Landis asks in his new post if buffer zones can help.

The answer is buffer zones will NOT help, because our most holy warriors of the Nusra Front and associates are now within range of the Scorpion Range.

http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/syria/2013/04/25/قصف-القرداحة-مسقط-رأس-الأسد-بصاروخي-غراد.html

While on the other hand our equally holy warriors in Iraq have begun the war of liberation from the stooges of the snake hole of Mullah-Stan.

http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/2013/04/25/مسلحون-يسيطرون-على-ناحية-سليمان-بيك-بمحافظة-صلاح-الدين.html

There is one and ONLY one outcome: The total annihilation of Mullah-Stan and Alawi-Stan.

April 24th, 2013, 8:07 pm

ann said:

59. Sami said:

“””Again I never was kicked out as you claim but rather CHOSE not to continue moderating theses pages. As JL mentioned in his post THANKING ME I was opening a restaurant at the time and did not have the time to continue moderating. Not to mention the death threats I recieved from another one of your die hard Bashar worshipers like yourself.

Well, well, well,

Looks like the masks are falling off!

Our Jabhat-Al-Nusra supporter aka “moderator” aka SAMI aka SON-OF-DAMASCUS aka… aka… aka…

Now I know who was too busy playing God and deleting my contributions that he did not personally approve of!

Always questioning my presence on this blog (his blog!), since it’s his God given right (Syrian Democracy!) to decide on who gets to stays, and who gets to go!

If it’s not our “moderator” who was fired under the flimsy pretext of “opening a new restaurant”, with plenty of winks and nods from the rest of Jabhat-Al-Nusra supporters/contributors wishing him good luck on his “restaurant plans” 😉

Posting personal information of those who do not agree with his agenda! Betraying Prof. Landis trust in him!

I feel really sorry for prof. Landis.

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME

April 24th, 2013, 8:32 pm

Tara said:

Ann

“Now I know who was too busy playing God and deleting my contributions”

Ann, please be realistic. I wouldn’t call your posts “contribution” .

April 24th, 2013, 8:49 pm

zoo said:

500 Europeans fight against Assad in Syria – EU anti-terror chief
http://rt.com/news/europeans-fight-syria-assad-343/
About 500 Europeans are now fighting for the rebels in Syria against Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the EU’s anti-terror chief told the BBC. He added the majority of those fighters are from the UK, Ireland and France.

“Not all of them are radical when they leave, but most likely many of them will be radicalized there, will be trained,” Gilles de Kerchove said. “And as we have seen this might lead to a serious threat when they get back.”

Intelligence agencies are now concerned that some of those currently in Syria could join Islamists groups linked to al-Qaeda and when they return to Europe may launch terrorist attacks.

April 24th, 2013, 8:55 pm

zoo said:

Syria accuses U.N. envoy Brahimi of (bias and) interfering

By Dominic Evans
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/24/us-syria-crisis-brahimi-idUSBRE93N10O20130424

(Reuters) – Syria accused international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Wednesday of bias and interference after he criticized its response to an opposition offer of talks and suggested Bashar al-Assad should not stand again for president.

Brahimi told a closed-door session of the United Nations Security Council last Friday that Damascus was “surprised and embarrassed” by a January offer of talks from opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib, and its response was “slow and confused”.

At the conclusion of his remarks, which were later circulated by U.N. diplomats, Brahimi suggested Assad “voluntarily forego” the right to stand for another term as president in an election scheduled for next year.

Syria’s foreign ministry said in a statement that if Brahimi wished to continue his role, he must show impartiality and realize that “the Syrian people are the only decision-makers who will choose their representatives”.
…
The ministry also said it would treat the veteran Algerian diplomat, who is the joint United Nations and Arab League envoy for Syria, as a purely U.N. envoy because it considered the Arab bloc as “a party to the conspiracy” against Assad.

April 24th, 2013, 9:04 pm

revenire said:

A massive plot? As in a conspiracy? Oh Moaz, please. 🙂

“There is a massive plot to drag the entire Muslim world into a Sunni-Shiite war beginning from Syria, and then to Lebanon and the rest of the region, including Iran and Turkey, destroying these two countries,” Khatib warned.

April 24th, 2013, 9:04 pm

Syrialover said:

TARA #92

You and I both want Moaz al Khatib to lead a coalition that truly represents and serves Syrians. Nobody wants than more than me.

BUT I am facing the reality that if it’s a dysfunctional tool of the MB, who have fouled and jammed the oppositions political choices, Khatib had to do something, anything, to break the impasse. The MB can’t remain unchallenged.

Bear in mind the MB’s game is to hijack the revolution and benefit without participating in it (as in Egypt. Their agenda is not representative of Syrians nor has the national interests of Syria at heart.

Khatib and others in the coalition are not there to prepare the meals and clean the dishes while the MB gorges on the feast and calls the shots.

And looking at it from another angle, let me ask you, what if it turns out that the MB did not really give Khatib the choice to continue?

Or it proved they had moved to marginalize, isolate and gag his role, using him as a figurehead while behind the scenes they crash ahead with their own agenda.

I think we had a strong signal of the way things are done internally with the shock Hitto appointment and the angry reaction of many dedicated and respected Syrian opposition figures in the coalition.

But I think the MB are now being watched and challenged more than before and Khatib has had a role in this.

I have been saying on these pages for some time the MB are a real danger to Syria’s future and shared plenty of articles explaining why.

Their destructive behavior in the coalition is bad enough, but they are building to something far worse, which is what they and their non-Syrian mates are after.

And that is for the MB to steamroll into power in post-Assad Syria, having aced the system to win the country’s first legitimate election.

They could pull this off by default as they did in Egypt because of their ruthless organizing tactics and the absence of a well organized and united opposition movement with strong charismatic leaders.

Which would be a tragedy and backward step, a waste of everything Syrians have sacrificed for. They need to be stopped NOW.

In the meantime, let Hitto, who seems to know he needs to distance himself from the MB, get on with creating a team of technocrats, and pulling together expertise and external assistance for the Day After.

April 24th, 2013, 9:06 pm

Tara said:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2013/apr/25/syria-umayyad-mosque-destroyed-pictures#/?picture=407785485&index=4

April 24th, 2013, 9:06 pm

Tara said:

SL,

Why has he not exposed them and called things by its name? Wouldn’t that simply rallied the FSA, the LCC, and the majority Syrians around him?

April 24th, 2013, 9:25 pm

zoo said:

Didn’t I read that any system even the Moslem Brotherhood or Al Nusra is better than a ruthless dictator that 16 millions Syrian hate (according to Tara), no?

Did you forget that the SNC dominated by the MB and infiltrated by Salafist is “the sole representative of the Syrian people”?

Do you want to go against the “democratical” process that gave the SNC that title or the ‘democratical’ that elected the PM Hitto?

April 24th, 2013, 9:30 pm

Tara said:

It is clear that the Assadists support Khatib’s resignation because they perceive him as a clear and present danger, so what is better than to neutralize him and keep him to his FB pages writing open letters?

In any case, we have a gem man now, George. I like his “عنفوان” if you will. I just hope that he call things as it is and does not feel inferior in the “lion den” because he is not a Muslim.

April 24th, 2013, 9:42 pm

zoo said:

Obama meet Al Thani

April 24th, 2013, 9:46 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

Syrialover
I am sure you are privy to inside informations ,you know what is going on in the coalition meetings,that make you able to reach such conclusion, and I admire your involvement,I personally have not read anything to believe that Mr. Khatib has announced the real reason for his resignation except I heared him saying we were promised help,but we got nothing,I will be keeping my eyes open and my ears listening, I don’t like to say things without evidence otherwise I will say it is my opinion,or make it clear it is my opinion.
I am worried about two things
1- I don’t like to fight while we both have a ferocious brutal enemy we both want to defeat him, so at the present time I will stay quiet,in the future once we defeat him then I will have frank discussion.
2- I detect intolerence to the other people opinion, in democracy we should tolerate each other opinion I like to leave it to the voting public to decided matters and I am willing to accept what the people say,No one should force his opinion on everybody,if things turned out opposite of what I believe in, then I waill wait for the next voting time,I am not arrogent, it is wrong to say it is my opinion or I am going to fight violently.
So if we don’t tolerate other people opinion then democracy is nonsense,that means we don’t believe in democracy, and that means we are not honest with ourselves.
Mr. Labwani joined the Coalition knowing what it was, and he joined the NSC knowing what it was he quit from both, I heared him saying they did not listen to me so I quit,he is not someone who believes in democracy, this revolution does not need people like this who quits.
The Coalition or the SNC are not the true revolution, it is the people inside who are fighting,we can not depend on quitters, this is disservice to the true fighting people,it hurt to quit, anyone who joins to quit later is doing harm to this revolution,to me he is the enemy of the revolution,they should have known before hand what they are joining, there are people dying, wounded, lost their life savings,turn to poor realy poor, women are raped children are growing in life like jungle, it is not the time to squabble and biker otherwise we are the enemy of this revolution, people should stand firm united or they are in the way.this is not a game,not a movie we are watching this is people dying and I refuse to enter in accusations or such discussions now, I believe in true democracy, others are taking it a movie to watch,with no feeling and respect to the dying martyrs.

April 24th, 2013, 9:47 pm

Tara said:

Majed@ 111

Outstanding!

April 24th, 2013, 9:56 pm

zoo said:

Salim Idriss calls Israeli agents present in Syria to confirm the use of chemical weapons.

Israel has a presence in Syria, would know if chemical weapons had been used, claims the Chief of Staff for the Free Syrian Army.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167467#.UXiNKTdVXso

By Elad Benari
Israel has a presence in Syria and it is thus logical that it would know if chemical weapons had been used in the civil war, a Syrian rebel leader has claimed.

Speaking to CNN, the Chief of Staff for the Free Syrian Army, General Salim Idriss, said Israel is one of the countries that now has “many, many” security services inside Syria.

April 24th, 2013, 9:59 pm

revenire said:

What about Khatib’s charge of a conspiracy? That’s a hot potato for the rat lovers here. Too close to home.

April 24th, 2013, 10:12 pm

Ghufran said:

This is a response to Moaz letter to Nasrallah published on a pro regime site:
يطلب الشيخ معاذ من السيد حسن نصرلله أن يقف مع الحق, ونحن بدورنا نوجه للشيخ معاذ الخطيب رسالة ونطلب منه أن يقف مع الحق و نسأله:
1- لماذا لا توجه مثل هذه الرسالة الى أمير قطر ليتوقف عن إرسال مجرميه وتمويلهم الى الداخل السوري وقد صرح الابراهيمي أن عدد المقاتلين الأجانب في سوريا يبلغ 40 ألفا ؟ لماذا لا يرسل رسالة الى أردوغان لإغلاق حدوده المفتوحة لإدخال القاعدة و المرتزقة الى سوريا ؟
2- ألم يتابع الشيخ معاذ خطابات السيد حسن نصرلله منذ بدايات اشتداد الصراع حول المواطنيين اللبنانيين الذين يعيشون في قرى سورية ويتعرضون لاعتداءات ممنهجة من العصابات الارهابية التي يقدسها الشيخ معاذ, ألا يعلم الشيخ معاذ أن هذه الاعتداءات مبمرمجة ومخطط لها لجر حزب الله الى الصراع السوري, فإما يدافع عن مواطنيه و إما يتركهم يذبحون كما ذبح غيرهم في سوريا.
3- لماذا يتحدث الشيخ معاذ عن القاعدة في سوريا بخجل و استحياء ومن باب الواجب الذي لم يعد يستطيع التهرب منه, بينما يعلو صراخه حين يتعلق الأمر بمقاتل يدافع عن أهله في قرى يسكنونها منذ عشرات السنين.
The regime actions and the infusion of foreign jihadists put hizbullah in a very tough spot. One of the major goals of the Syrian war was to weaken Iran and hizbullah through Syria and to change the struggle in the middle east from one against Israel to another struggle between Shia and Sunnis, in the process, the Arab spring, if there was ever one, will become a season for chaos instead of a jihad for freedom and democracy, events in all of the Arab countries that were affected by this ” spring” prove this point, this spring will only bring flowers to Israel, Turkey and the GCC .
يا أمة ضحكت من جهلها الامم

April 24th, 2013, 10:28 pm

MarigoldRan said:

The fighting continues. There’s really not much else to say. The regime and the Iranians wanted this war. They’re getting what they want (and deserve).

April 24th, 2013, 10:44 pm

Ghufran said:

Little Syria in 6th October city:
مع اربعمائة دولار أميركي في جيبه لا غير، فر باسل خليل مع اسرته من الحرب المدمرة في سورية بحثا عن ملاذ آمن في “دمشق الصغيرة” في القاهرة حيث يكتسب قوته اليوم باعطاء دروس في العزف على الغيتار.
ويعد خليل، الذي يقطن الان مع اسرة سورية اخرى في حي “6 اكتوبر” الهادىء غرب القاهرة، واحدا من عشرات الالاف من السوريين الذين تمكنوا من الوصول الى مصر.
وقال خليل لفرانس برس “لسنا سعداء بحياتنا هنا، لكن ليس هناك خيار اخر”.
وتحولت ضاحية “6 اكتوبر” الممتدة في الصحراء غرب العاصمة المصرية الى مركز تجمع اللاجئين السوريين في مصر، حيث تدل لافتات المحلات التجارية ذات الاسماء السورية المعروفة على حجم وجودهم فيها.
وتمكن خليل وصديقه عمار المنتميان للطبقة الوسطى من توفير نفقات السفر خلاف مئات الالاف من السوريين الذين انتهى بهم المطاف في لبنان او في معسكرات الايواء في الاردن او تركيا.
وشكل اللاجئون السوريون لانفسهم “سورية صغيرة” في حيهم الجديد الهاديء حيث ترفرف اعلام الجيش السوري الحر فوق عدد من البنايات.
وفي هذا الحي حيث ينتشر الحديث باللكنة السورية، تبيع عشرات المحال لحم الشاورما والحلويات الدمشقية.
“لقد اصبح حي 6 اكتوبر سورية صغيرة”، هكذا علقت سيما دياب منسقة بعض المشاريع التي تقدم مساعدات للاجئين السوريين.
وتابعت “يوجد عشرات الاف السوريين هنا. لكن لا يوجد عمل للاطباء او المحامين. معظم الوظائف في محلات الطعام”.
وفي شباط/فبراير، اعلن وزير الداخلية المصري انه يوجد قرابة 140 الف لاجيء سوري في مصر.
يقول بلال الذي جاء الى مصر في العام 2004 ويملك مطعما في حي “6 اكتوبر”، “حينها لم يكن هناك سوريون لكن كل شيء تغير بعد الثورة”.
واحضر بلال اسرته من حمص قبل سبعة اشهر الى مصر.
لكن بلال يقول “المصريون ضجروا من السوريين. خلال عامين ارتفعت الاسعار هنا والسوريون يحصلون على بعض فرص العمل”.
ويقول بلال انه عندما حضر كانت الشقة المناسبة لاسرة تكلف نحو الف جنيه (قرابة 145 دولارا) في الشهر. لكن الاسعار تضاعفت ثلاث مرات الان حيث تعاني مصر من ازمة اقتصادية ومن التضخم.
وعلى بعد بنايتين، تعيش لاجئة سورية تبلغ من العمر 16 عاما مع امها واخيها في الدور الارضي لبناية صغيرة.
فرت هذه الاسرة المسيحية من مدينة اللاذقية الساحلية قبل ستة اشهر تاركة خلفها باقي افرادها.
وتنشر الشابة الصغيرة، التي رفضت البوح باسمها، اغاني مناهضة للنظام السوري على موقع “يو تيوب”، وهي تعمل منذ وصولها الى مصر في متجر صغير او تغني في الحفلات.
وقالت الشابة “لا اطيق العيش هنا. نحن في جحيم منذ ستة اشهر. لكنني لا ازال على قيد الحياة”.
وكشفت الفتاة ان اكثر ما يزعجها تعرضها للتحرش الجنسي الذي عانت منه مرتين في مصر.
وتابعت “لا اريد البقاء هنا. الان عندما اخرج للشارع اضع الحجاب، كما يريد اخي ان احمل سكينا ليحميني”.
وتأمل الفتاة بالسفر للنرويج ولو اضطرت الى ذلك بطريقة غير قانونية لدراسة الموسيقى، وهي تنتظر فرصة لذلك.
وقالت باحباط “وضعنا كل اموالنا في تذاكر السفر لمصر. احاول الان ان ادخر لاغادر”.

April 24th, 2013, 10:51 pm

revenire said:

“Fadi Salem ‏@FadiSalem
Some citizen journalists in Aleppo claiming Tawhid Brigade (militia close to Muslim Brotherhood) demolished Grand mosque’s minaret #Aleppo”

April 24th, 2013, 10:52 pm

ann said:

White House rubbishes hacked tweets over Obama injury – 2013-04-25

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/video/2013-04/25/c_132338535.htm

The AP suspended its Twitter account after the hack and said it was working to correct the issue. The New York Times reported a group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army, which is supportive of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had claimed responsibility.

Member of Syrian electronic army said, “Our actions aim to protest against the Western media’s reports on the Syrian opposition. Their deceptive reports have hurt Syria and the people. ”

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/video/2013-04/25/c_132338535.htm

April 24th, 2013, 11:40 pm

Ghufran said:

This is now becoming a potential political bomb:
أفضى مؤتمر إسطنبول لأصدقاء سوريا إلى إعلان «الائتلاف» المعارض موافقته على التفاوض مع النظام السوري على أساس بنود بيان جنيف. وقال بيان الدول المشاركة في المؤتمر، إنّ هذا الموقف للائتلاف يعتبر فرصة للنظام، وفي حال لم يستجب لها فإنها ستزيد من مساعداتها العسكرية للمعارضة.
I have not seen a confirmation from either the NC or the US, the future of Assad continues to be the sticking point but nobody in the group of 5 is now talking about the departure of Assad as a precondition , Librahimi asked Assad not to run for the 2014 election.

April 24th, 2013, 11:49 pm

apple_mini said:

#115 Ghufran, the reply from the regime seems very articulate and convincing to me.

The opposition have two almost fatal diseases: One is that they rely on foreign backers politically, militarily and financially exclusively. That does not win hearts and minds from Syrians; Another one is that Islamic radicals and extremists are rampant among the rebels’ ranks. Even worse, those men are bloodthirsty and brutal. Their strategies and tactics are not serving the opposition’s revolution well.

Those diseases make the opposition vulnerable to the regime’s attack and counterattack on propaganda front.

In my opinion, the opposition have lost their PR war to the regime.

If the opposition can cure themselves by ridding off those, the current opposition will be finished. But a moderate and more constructive opposition can arise and it will be a blessing to Syria. How that opposition can play well politically inside Syria depends on at what stage the opposition will be engaging the regime for dialogue and peace talk. Also their ability to generate and exert their influence inside Syria, especially in urban centers and areas.

April 25th, 2013, 12:09 am

Juergen said:

REVE

It may be that my country has a national habit of preserving history, we have that since almost 250 years. Now we even rebuild the royal palace in Berlin, which got badly destroyed in the war and what was left of it got blown up by the communists in the 60s.
It may be our passion that love the history, that we care for the visual signs of the past. That brought Syria millions of tourists a year, and by the way those were tourists not coming for an beach vacation, ( sorry the Syrian Cote Azure isn’t very much appealing) they came in big numbers to see what is still there from the past. Only in Syria one could find so many different cultures and artefacts from almost all civilizations. My favorite places were f.e. Ain Dara near Afrin, an almost perfectly restored hethite temple, inmidst farm fields, always it left me speechless, or the abandoned cities near Aleppo.

See your attitude, which can be reduced to, its only stones, and there is a war, makes one sad. The fighting inmidst the nations heritage is morally an desaster. Not to mention that international treaties which Syria signed prohibit such targeting of antiquities. I blame not only the regime for the destruction, but the rebels sides as well. I understand that over 100.000 lives are lost and that this fact alone produced so much hate, so much despair that an destroyed mosque from the 8th century is only a tear more. See Aleppo had an almost perfectly restored old city not because the Assads were such admirers of the past. ( Damascus has seen that quite the opposite is true) Aleppo’s past was so present because it was neglected by the regime for long, and only when tourism boomed, it became their interest to use international help to restore. The GTZ( a german agency for restauration of antiquities) was in Aleppo active for almost a decade, they helped the Syrians to restore their homes. The jdaide quarter was almost finished restored by them when I was there the last time in November of 2011. Syria has laws prohibiting the destroyment of old houses f.e. I have seen in Damascus that if someone wanted to tear down an old house to make space for a larger modern building he would tear down the buidling in a nights time and no one seemed to care much. I think you and your attitude arent alone, for me though a country who deliberatly destroys its past will have most certainly not an future worth to live in.

April 25th, 2013, 12:16 am

ann said:

News Analysis: Turkey, Israel likely to put differences aside due to common interests – 2013-04-25

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/25/c_124627663.htm

ANKARA, April 24 (Xinhua) — The compensation agreement reached between Turkey and Israel over a 2010 attack indicates the two former allies are committed to restoring ties amid uncertainty and upheaval in the Middle East, analysts say.

The Turkish government announced earlier this week that the two countries have stricken a framework deal on compensation payments for the victims of a deadly 2010 Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters that resulted in the deaths of eight Turks and one Turkish American.

“Both countries have been bearing the brunt of the spillover of the Syrian crisis that has been dragging on for over two years,” Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, head of Ankara’s International Strategic and Security Research Center (USGAM), told Xinhua over the phone.

“As Syria’s instability poses risks for the national security of both countries, the leaders seem to have realized Turkey and Israel need to act together to confront the challenges,” he explained.

An Israeli delegation led by Yaakov Amidror, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s national security adviser, met on Monday in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu. The results of the meeting, first in three years at this level, were reportedly positive.

The compensation agreement came after an official apology by Israel in March under U.S. President Barack Obama’s mediation. The move may lead to resumption of ambassadors between the two countries with relations restored to full level.

“The meeting was positive, in general,” Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said, stressing that bilateral ties will be restored when the deal is approved by both governments and that there will be follow-up meetings to hammer out its details.

“It will take time and careful diplomatic work to reset bilateral relations,” Ibrahim Kalin, deputy undersecretary and chief foreign advisor to Turkish prime minister, said.

The normalization of ties between Turkey and Israel will also pave the way for cooperation between the two countries on energy projects in the Mediterranean, especially in the field of gas.

Charles Davidson, the CEO of U.S. company Nobel Energy that discovered natural gas reserves in the territorial waters of Israel and Cyprus, told Turkish media recently that they have already started to work on launching an energy project joined by Turkey and Israel.

Both Israel and Cyprus need Turkey to build a transit pipeline for the gas to reach European consumers as the liquefaction of gas for export via ships is a costlier alternative to ground transport.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/25/c_124627663.htm

April 25th, 2013, 12:18 am

Majedkhaldoun said:

In Iraq Maliki used the army to kill Citizen of his country, this is escalation, things may turn more violent, what would Obama do then?,most likely Iran will help Maliki to kill more Sunni, and KSA and Qatar will help the Sunni ,the two revolutions will be harder for Obama to control, the furtle crescent will be red bloody crescent,,The us will interfere in Iraq since it has oil, Russia has no interest in Iraq,where would the Iraqi refugees go?
I believe US policy will change then

April 25th, 2013, 12:19 am

revenire said:

Juergen blame the West, and all those deluded fools who betrayed their homeland for a few pieces of silver, for the destruction we see.

You’re a German. Please have a sausage and beer on me tonight. Charge it to “Rev” and be my guest.

We will celebrate the near route of the rats.

You understand once an army gains the sort of momentum the SAA now has there will be no stopping them and no mercy.

The Anglo-American mercenaries are not fighting the same SAA that existed two years ago. These are battle-hardended, tough soldiers – aided by 10s of 1000s of NDF volunteers.

April 25th, 2013, 12:40 am

Syrialover said:

MAJEDKHALDOUN,

cc TARA

Thank you for reading and responding to my comments.

I sense from your response that you felt I was in some ways being dismissive and “undemocratic”.

Absolutely the opposite. My fierce argument is against those in the coalition who have thwarted and trashed any democratic process.

I 100% endorse everything you said about the need to work together against the common enemy and the desperate need to focus on and respect the views and needs of those suffering inside

But here’s the main thing. Look back at the coverage of Moaz al-Khatib’s initial resignation in March, and see what was said.

The commentaries in both Arabic and English said overwhelmingly that Khatib had been pushed out by the Muslim Brotherhood. Even Joshua Landis stated: “Moaz al-Khatib was squeezed out.”

The “quitter” version was a confused popular interpretation.

Between then and now it’s clear the MB faction have refused to relent and negotiate with him and his allies. They want Khatib gone, and they have the numbers to squash him.

It appears Khatib has kept his dignity and instead of talking about that, used the situation to make a statement against the failure of the west to help the Syrians.

The MB and its mates are obsessed with cementing their power and ensuring their place in post-Assad Syria. They don’t want to get bogged down in the opinions and welfare of Syrians, or looking for solutions to stop the suffering. That has put them at odds with Khatib.

Surely, if they wanted to pull together a strong, united and credible opposition they would value Khatib is a wonderful asset, and see him as their best chance of success in forming alliances with groups inside Syria.

Surely, as a strong community leader with immediate links inside Syria, Khatib would be someone whose views and insights they would respect and make use of.

But no, amazingly they DON’T CARE about any of that! This is their version of “Bashar or we burn the country”.

I always seek and respect opinions of those on the same team. But I have nothing but anger and suspicion for those, like the MB, who steamroll others, cheat and manipulate things to suit their own selfish agendas.

Those who have pushed Moaz al-Khatib off the bus are mostly people who have plans for Syria that have nothing to do with the nation of Syria, they do not respresent Syrians, they do not really respect or value the ordinary Syrians. They do not want consensus, they want their interests to win.

Their treatment of Khatib symbolizes their attitude to Syrians.

(Go back 6 months and try to follow all the fast-moving, very complicated and confusing events indicating the coalition’s internal political struggle – you will see what Khatib was up against, and how he fought to uphold his vision and priorities for Syrians. In addition to dealing with the distraction of the internal MB problems, he has tried to steer the response to the al Nusrah/al quaeda issue, and now the Hizbollah issue.)

You are entitled to disagree, but I believe Khatib is truly exceptional. He inspired trust and respect, and his intelligence, authenticity and lack of ego was clear. He articulated a vision of hope, fairness, freedom and dignity like nobody else. And rare for the Arab world, he was a public figure to be proud of on the international stage.

The coalition will not find anyone else like him. But they couldn’t care less.

Like TARA, I wish Khatib was still leading the coalition and it was full of people on the same page as him. But instead they shelled his house from inside and forced him to leave it. Yet another major tragedy for Syria.

April 25th, 2013, 1:02 am

revenire said:

I am crying after reading that.

April 25th, 2013, 1:45 am

Hopeful said:

#126 SL

cc Majed, Tara

Firstly, a quick reminder that AL Khatib did not “quit”; rather, he resigned from the position of the “leader” of the SNC. He is still working for the revolution.

Whether he resigned on his own or was “squeezed out” because others challenged him is really a matter of semantics. The key point is this: he realized he was not being as effective as he wanted to be, so he stepped aside to allow a more effective leader to emerge and try to take control.

This is a big positive sign from a big person. Leading the Syrian revolution is a monumentous task. There is NOTHING wrong with stepping aside when one realizes he/she is not the right person for the job.

Had Assad had the same character, confidence and selfishness as those opposition leaders who are moving aside to make room for others – in search for the one who can save our country, we would not be in the mess we are in today.

Al Khatib, Ghalioun and others deserve our respect for showing what true leadership is all about: look in the mirror and know your limits as a human being.

April 25th, 2013, 2:01 am

Badr said:

“My fierce argument is against those in the coalition who have thwarted and trashed any democratic process.”

“…they have the numbers to squash him.”

SL,

Both propositions can’t be true at the same time. Tell me how the members of the SNC were selected in the first place, since “you are privy to inside informations, you know what is going on in the coalition meetings,” as Majed claimed and you did not refute.

April 25th, 2013, 4:24 am

Syrialover said:

HOPEFUL #128

Yes, I agree. You make a very good point. I am bothered that some opposition supporters keep dismissing Khatib as weak and a quitter. I think he will continue to make a strong contribution and can now speak more freely.

But the issue remains the MB and the weakenss they have arrogantly created. It is wishful thinking to imagine that Khatib stepping aside will allow someone more suitable to publicly represent the opposition, guide its political agenda and build alliances inside Syria (or ideally, “lead the revolution” as you put it).

It will mean someone better only in the eyes of the MB. And that aside, it is unlikely anybody else with the same credentials and popular appeal as Khatib can be found.

I suggest you take a closer look at the MB before assuming that everything is going to be OK.

The MB-engineered departure of Khatib disgraces them and enhances him. But it remains a frustrating setback for Syrians.

April 25th, 2013, 4:50 am

Syrialover said:

#129 BADR

Don’t be lazy – it’s extremely well explained and documented out there, including on this site with articles I have posted.

To de-confuse you I will re-phrase that to say “they had the numbers to squash the process” and suggest you research that.

April 25th, 2013, 4:58 am

Syrialover said:

Why REVENIRE thankyou, thankyou and thankyou again for drawing our attention to that great story on Moaz al-Khatib telling Nasrallah to get his Hezbollah thugs out of Syria.

I’m glad I didn’t miss it!

Khatib gets it right again. He’s painted Nasrallah into a corner.

EXCERPT:

Khatib urged Nasrallah to meet with two Salafist Lebanese sheikhs who earlier this week called for a jihad to defend Sunnis in the central Syrian town of Qusair, where Hezbollah fighters have taken the lead in battling anti-government rebels.

Khatib said that Nasrallah and the two Lebanese figures, Sheikhs Salem Rifai and Ahmad Assir, should sit down and work together to stave off a calamity.

“Haven’t over 1,000 years of Sunni-Shiite strife and disputes been enough for us to bury this rigid [sectarian] mentality and leave behind illusions of one side achieving victory over the other?” he asked.

“Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria has complicated matters greatly; I had expected someone of your political and social stature to act as a positive factor, halting the shedding of blood of Syrians,” Khatib told Nasrallah.

Khatib said the call for jihad “was nothing but a response to chilling incidents” of violence by regime forces against Syrian civilians.

He also cited the summer of 2006, when an Israeli offensive against Lebanon forced thousands of mainly Shiite Lebanese to take refuge in Syria.

“Is this the gift that you give as a reward to those generous and charitable people?” Khatib asked, referring to Hezbollah’s military involvement in the war in Syria.

Khatib said it was “unacceptable” for Hezbollah to justify its military involvement as coming to the defense of Lebanese Shiites who live in a string of villages located just inside Syria.

“Have they ever been under any threat in past centuries? Is Syria an area of conflict in which each power will come to defend a certain faction?” Khatib asked.

“I am not addressing you as a politician or a leader; I am addressing your conscience and heart, your mind and wisdom, and am addressing Syria and Lebanon,” he added.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2013/Apr-25/214989-khatib-appeals-to-nasrallah-to-leave-syria.ashx#ixzz2RQrjQzEO

April 25th, 2013, 5:10 am

Visitor said:

Al-Khatib was irrelevant and still is irrelevant. So is Hitto. And by extension so is SNC/NC.

That was my unwavering opinion from the beginning about the above three entities. There is an idiot on this blog who continues to argue in favor of irrelevance, while claiming to be on the side of the revolution.

We need to be aware of such impostors whose only objective is to engage our revolution and efforts in irrelevant issues in order to make our holy revolution fail.

Such characters need to be driven out to the wilderness.

April 25th, 2013, 5:25 am

Syrialover said:

Moaz al-Khatib has a lot of relevant things to say.

For example, this from the main post above:

“Extremists, including groups such as Al Nusra, one of the most powerful rebel factions, should not be allowed to spread their ideas, Mr Al Khatib said.

“We do not need ignorant people coming to Syria and teaching us the meaning of religion,” he said, chiding members of Al Nusra for trying to enforce an uncompromising version of Islam on a country with traditions of greater religious tolerance.”

“Some in Al Nusra have told women they must wear hijab and that is not right, if you want to preach, do it well, you can talk, you cannot command, there is no compulsion in Islam,” he said.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/syrian-opposition-to-establish-moderate-form-of-islamic-law#

April 25th, 2013, 6:06 am

MarigoldRan said:

There is no true stability without freedom. Those who sacrifice freedom for stability will have neither stability nor freedom.

Syrians are paying the price of the mistake of the previous generation in blood. This war is the logical consequence of Baathism. Every state that accepted “secular” dictatorship or Baathism has collapsed in disaster.

April 25th, 2013, 6:32 am

Tara said:

““We do not need ignorant people coming to Syria and teaching us the meaning of religion,” he said, chiding members of Al Nusra for trying to enforce an uncompromising version of Islam on a country with traditions of greater religious tolerance.”

“Some in Al Nusra have told women they must wear hijab and that is not right, if you want to preach, do it well, you can talk, you cannot command, there is no compulsion in Islam,” (khatib) said”

That is who we are. I hope a day will come soon when we call Al Khatib Mr. President.
The sad thing is minorities have always maintained that if they see a tolerant leader they will switch side. How come they voiced no support to al Khatib what so ever? As usual their statements were nothing but empty rhetoric meant to deceive and justify.

April 25th, 2013, 7:39 am

Tara said:

Hopeful @128

Yes. Very well said!

April 25th, 2013, 7:44 am

majedkhaldoun said:

Syrialover
You said
It appears Khatib has kept his dignity and instead of talking about that, used the situation to make a statement against the failure of the west to help the Syrians.

What you are saying is that Khatib is not honest with the Syrian people,what he needs is to tell the truth,to gain the Syrians trust, to show he is a fighter.
Is he a leader of Syrians or a leader of the Coalition that was not elected by Syrians but rather a group of activists, we know he is not a leader of the FSA, we know he is good person, he is preacher. is he going to create a new coalition?
The world leaders want to know who are they going to work with,they need someone to represent the Syrians if this person changed every few months the new one needs time to engage,quiting was waste of time to the revolution,the revolution want someone to speak on their concerns, the change confuses everybody,meanwhile people are dying,quitters are losers.Mr. Khatib hurt in his quitting more than he helped, we had hope in him, we had trust in him we wanted to support him, then he quits,I am deeply disappointed with him, but again he only represents John Doe, a temporary figure, a star appears for a very short time and disappear, a mirage in a desert,he made himself irrelevent by quiting, he is weak , extremely weak.
Now I wonder is he a revolutionist?I call on him to speak out,to explain his position,to tell us what is going on ,experience tells us agressors are winners,no peaceful prophet succeeded,fighting prophet always won, Jesus ended up crucified,Abraham and David and Mohammad they fought they became on top

April 25th, 2013, 8:41 am

majedkhaldoun said:

Khatib letter to the head of Hizb Iran is a good letter from a preacher,Hassan would ignore it.
Hizb Iran interfering in Syria sending people to kill Syrians, what if Syrians ,after winning,interfere in Lebanon and send troops to kill members of Hizb Iran?

Again Syrian revolution may not win till Iraq revolution starts.

April 25th, 2013, 9:23 am

hopeful said:

#130 SL

I am not one to ever want to vote for a MB candidate, but I do not believe I have the right to force them to change their behaviors and agendas so long as they are doing it democratically. I share your frustration that moderates like Al-Khatib are unable to stay in leadership roles. I share your concern about the future. I do not blame you for being angry at the MB, and I do not assume that everything will be OK, but I am not in a position to question their patriotism. However, I am 100% against terrorism in Syria (car bombings, killings, kidnappings, sectarian violence, etc.) as I am 100% against the current corrupt, brutal and incompetent regime that led Syria into the current catastrophe.

Armed revolutions are messy and unpredictable. They are like earthquakes. The aftermath will take a long time to settle and heal. I remain hopeful, but sad for the all suffering and destruction.

April 25th, 2013, 9:52 am

zoo said:

“Khatib said that Nasrallah and the two Lebanese figures, Sheikhs Salem Rifai and Ahmad Assir, should sit down and work together to stave off a calamity.”

Really?

Al Khatib is preaching what he is not able to do himself in Syria. He is presomptuous to advise Nasrallah to dialog with the Lebanese Salafists when he is not even able to dialog with the Moslem Brotherhood within the SNC and least with the Al Nusra Salafists that he defended!

I have lost any hope in Al Khatib. The guy got it in his head and he is taking himself very seriously. Just look at his facial expression. First he urges the USA to rescind their decision of adding Al Nusra as a terrorist group, then he says the Al Nusra is bad, and now he gives advices to Hassan Nasrallah to deal with terrorists.
The guys is getting paranoiac. He has no place in Syria other than in a mosque and in facebook when he can deploy his poetical talent, instead of his political flaws.

April 25th, 2013, 10:04 am

zoo said:

SL, a good news for you..

Exiled Muslim Brotherhood plans return to Syria

By Roula Khalaf and Abigail Fielding-Smith in Istanbul

The Muslim Brotherhood is set to open offices inside Syria for the first time since the organisation was crushed there decades ago, in an apparent effort to capitalise on the increasingly Islamised rebellion.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/00a7865a-ad86-11e2-a2c7-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2RU4YI3zB

April 25th, 2013, 10:12 am

ann said:

Direct involvement of NATO `turkey in Syria!

Syrian troops confront fierce attacks by rebels in military airport – 2013-04-25

The paper also cited well-informed sources as saying that Turkish officers and soldiers have partaken in the fight for the Mennegh airbase backed by Arab and foreign intelligence in black room at the Turkish borders with Syria

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/25/c_132339942.htm

DAMASCUS — Syrian troops backed by air force and artilleries have confronted fierce attacks by armed rebels against a military airport in the country’s northern province of Aleppo, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported Thursday, claiming that Turkish officers and soldiers were fighting alongside the rebels.

The intense fighting have flared over the past three days at the Mennegh military airbase, some 20 km north of Aleppo, the paper said, citing a military expert as saying that the attacks aimed to achieve a military victory for the rebels to cover for their repetitive defeats in central and northwestern Syria as well as in the suburbs of Damascus.

Yet, the Syrian troops have shown courage and proven strength and steadfastness despite the several violent attacks by thousands of armed men, whose ranks were filled with Arab and foreign combatants fighting under the banner of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/25/c_132339942.htm

April 25th, 2013, 10:15 am

zoo said:

Syria Campaigns to Persuade U.S. to Change Sides

Syria’s Shifting Strategy: As Syria’s civil war continues, Bashar al-Assad’s government is trying to convince Western countries that they should not support rebel forces because many are extremists allied with Al Qaeda.

Published: April 24, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/middleeast/syria-campaigns-to-persuade-us-to-change-sides.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1366899305-WuaPEKGGgEzlQmcKB7dadA

DAMASCUS, Syria — As Islamists increasingly fill the ranks of Syrian rebels, President Bashar al-Assad is waging an energized campaign to persuade the United States that it is on the wrong side of the civil war. Some government supporters and officials believe they are already coaxing — or at least frightening — the West into holding back stronger support for the opposition.
..
Confident they can sell their message, government officials have eased their reluctance to allow foreign reporters into Syria, paraded prisoners they described as extremist fighters and relied unofficially on a Syrian-American businessman to help tap into American fears of groups like Al Qaeda.

“We are partners in fighting terrorism,” Syria’s prime minister, Wael Nader al-Halqi, said.
..
In Damascus, officials and supporters sounded several themes: They believe they can win the war, and see no need to moderate the military crackdown. They expect Mr. Assad to run for re-election next year, and some say he can win, brushing off doubts about how voting will work in a country where nearly half the people have been forced from their homes.
…
Most of all, the war seems to have inspired some of Mr. Assad’s supporters. Some prominent Syrians, long frustrated by corruption and favoritism, say they have a newly compelling reason to stick by the government.
Now, they say, they are fighting for an idea: preserving Syria’s mosaic of religions and cultures.

And they see themselves, with their well-traveled, secular lifestyles, as ideally equipped to connect to the West.

That is the mission of Khaled Mahjoub, a Syrian-American businessman.

April 25th, 2013, 10:18 am

syrialover said:

MAJEDKHALDOUN #138

Again,thanks for responding.

1. If Khatib was sacked as so many say, your comments don’t so easily fit. But if you have a poor opinion of him – and you have repeatedly said you do – it should be a good thing in your books that he has gone.

This coalition is not going to be relevant in the big future stakes that matter: a legitimate election in Syria. But the MB and their mates still think controlling it now is important to their hopes for taking centre stage then.

They will not have an honest claim as representatives of the Syrian people whose priority is to serve them and not some external agenda.

However, if there is not a united, organized alternative under impressive leadership the worst could happen by default. That’s where Khatib’s biggest challenge and test will lie, and he needs to start working towards it now.

2. There is no way Nasrullah would listen to Khatib and reconsider, not with Iran’s orders ringing so loudly in his ears. But Khatib has cleverly hit the ball into Nasrallash’s court for everyone else to see it and think about how wrong and hypocritical N. and his Hezbollah boys are.

April 25th, 2013, 10:20 am

zoo said:

In view of the the gradual desintegration of the country and the failure of the opposition to present an acceptable alternative, it seems that many Syrian businessmen, previously appalled by the corruption, now think that it is better to have a corrupted but repented government governing their country than no government and no country.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/middleeast/syria-campaigns-to-persuade-us-to-change-sides.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1366899305-WuaPEKGGgEzlQmcKB7dadA

April 25th, 2013, 10:27 am

Syrialover said:

HOPEFUL #149 said: ” but I do not believe I have the right to force [the Muslim Brotherhood] to change their behaviors and agendas so long as they are doing it democratically”

That’s the entire point, they AREN’T doing it democratically. They have rigged, bullied and misrepresented their way into controlling the coalition. They have crippled it and made it dysfunctional.

That’s been well documented and demonstrated. Again, I hope you will take a closer look at that before assuming everything is OK.

But I don’t blame you for not wantng to. Just like I cannot bear to look at videos of physical violence and horror in Syria, this is yet another depressing and disturbing nightmare and indignity Syrians are suffering.

April 25th, 2013, 10:35 am

zoo said:

The accusation, later denied, that the Syrian Army used chemical weapon rumored by Israel sent a shockwave worldwide: Was it a gaffe or a manipulation? The Israeli journalist argue it was a gaffe

Why did the IDF’s top analyst drop his Syria WMD bombshell?
Was Itai Brun’s public declaration that Assad’s forces have used nerve gas an effort to push US intervention? Or was it an extraordinary gaffe?

http://www.timesofisrael.com/why-did-the-idfs-top-analyst-drop-his-syrian-wmd-bombshell/

…. (Brig. Gen. Itai Brun, the IDF’s top intelligence analyst) dropped his bombshell: “To the best of our professional understanding, the regime has used lethal chemical weapons,” he said of President Bashar Assad’s Syria, noting that the IDF believed the toxic element was Sarin, a nerve agent far more deadly than cyanide, and that it had been used on more than one occasion, including in a specific attack on March 19.
….

Instead, difficult as it is to believe, therefore, Brun may just have stumbled into his incendiary statement. Security experts, Eiland said, sometimes face a dilemma when asked to speak in public. “You don’t want to sound banal or boring, and you don’t want to give up secrets.”

April 25th, 2013, 10:38 am

Syrialover said:

ZOO, what role are you hoping to have in your imagined Assad post-war “government” in Syria? Your yearnings and ambitions are clear.

April 25th, 2013, 10:41 am

zoo said:

The Free Syrian Army using children as fighters as The Syrian army regain Otayba

http://cdncms.todayszaman.com/todayszaman/2013/04/25/261003.jpg

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-313687-syrian-govt-troops-opposition-battle-for-key-town-near-damascus.html
(The Otayba fall) “It’s a huge victory for the regime, and a big blow to the opposition that is now in danger of losing other towns and villages around Damascus,” Abdul-Rahman said of the army’s campaign.

Otaybah is located on a road linking Damascus to its international airport, along which opposition forces have been transporting weapons and other supplies from neighboring Jordan. The capital’s surrounding towns and neighborhoods have been opposition strongholds during the 2-year-old conflict.

April 25th, 2013, 10:53 am

revenire said:

Myself, I want to be ambassador to someplace exotic like Tahiti.

April 25th, 2013, 10:54 am

ann said:

Syria vows to protect oil resources with all possible means – 2013-04-25

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/25/c_132340223.htm

DAMASCUS, April 25 (Xinhua) — Syria’s Minister of Oil Slaiman Abbas stressed Thursday that his ministry will take all the necessary measures to protect the country’s oil resources, following the recent European Union’s decision to buy oil from the Syrian opposition in rebel-held areas in Syria.

Slaiman stressed that the Ministry of Oil is the only party authorized to invest in the Syrian oil, adding that it will undertake all necessary measures to preserve the oil resources in the face of the attempts of piracy and looting.

He said the oil wells are going to be fully monitored, adding that any illegal activity would be immediately reported to the competent authorities for immediate handling with “all possible means.”

The minister stressed that the foreign companies in Syria must pressure their governments not to apply the “illegal” EU’s decision that runs counter to the charters of the international law, and calling on all workers in the oil fields in Syria to shoulder their responsibilities to protect the country’s resources.

Slaiman made the comments after the EU lifted its oil embargo on Syria last Monday in hopes of turning the screw on Syria crisis and throwing a financial lifeline to the forces fighting to oust President Bashar Assad’s regime.

Syria Foreign Ministry blasted the EU decision as “illegitimate, ” adding that it violated the principle of non-interference in the countries’ affairs.

Oil sector was a pillar of Syria’s economy until the uprising, with the country producing about 380,000 barrels and exports around 130,000 barrels a day.

Syria said that its oil sector has lost at least 570 billion Syrian pounds (8.14 billion U.S. dollars) owing to a series of ” unjust” economic sanctions slapped by the EU and the U.S. on the country.

Those losses would significantly increase following the EU’s recent decision to ease oil embargo to shore up the opposition.

The state-run Tishrin newspaper said that the economic sanctions have hit the oil sector and throttled the national economy, adding that “armed terrorist groups” have further worsened the situation through their repetitive attacks on oil establishments.

Western media reports said that the rebels had captured many of the country’s oil fields with looters scooping up crude oil and vandals setting some oil wells ablaze.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/25/c_132340223.htm

April 25th, 2013, 10:57 am

zoo said:

#149 SL

I have no desire for any position in any government. I prefer to preserve my sanity and stay out of the cage.
What about you?

April 25th, 2013, 11:01 am

Syrialover said:

This brilliant and beautiful photo essay shows the pathetic reality of public education under Syria’s Baathist regime.

It symbolizes the wonderful Syria the Assadists are so proud of and are fighing to the death to maintain.

http://racanarchy.com/2013/04/25/doorknobs-syrian-schools-under-the-baathist-regime/

Warning: the bright, innocent faces of the children may break your heart

April 25th, 2013, 11:04 am

Tara said:

Zoo wants to be the personal assistant to the “gem” first lady in his dream Syria.

April 25th, 2013, 11:16 am

Syrialover said:

#153, but ZOO you ARE in the cage.

Me? I will be running around putting doorknobs in whatever schools haven’t been demolished (see photo essay I posted above) then doing whatever I can for those being rebuilt.

Imagine if Assad had allocated 2% of what was spent on his sinister network of 15 security service instead to school maintenance programs!

Imagine if instead of controlling 62% of Syria’s business assets Assad’s cousin Rami Makhlouf had stayed at 60% and that other 2% had ended up funding public infrastructure.

No excuses, a dictatorship can do anything it chooses with a country’s resources.

Including – as we are seeing in Syria for the first time in history anywhere – spitefully burning the country.

April 25th, 2013, 11:20 am

Syrialover said:

Oh dear, they aren’t very subtle in their games.

Even before I finish posting I get an instant simultaneous 4 thumbs down and posts by REVENIRE, ZOO and ANN get an instant simultaneous 4 thumbs up.

A reminder the voting system in this forum is truly corrupted and irrelevant.

April 25th, 2013, 11:40 am

Syrialover said:

TARA #155

That’s funny. But I think in reality ZOO would be more likley to end up in the entourage of witch Bouthaina Shabaan, his fantasies shattered.

April 25th, 2013, 11:45 am

Juergen said:

Finally:

U.S.: Intelligence points to small-scale use of sarin in Syria

The United States has evidence that the chemical weapon sarin has been used in Syria on a small scale, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday.

When asked if the intelligence community’s conclusion pushed the situation across President Barack Obama’s “red line” that could potentially trigger more U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war, Hagel said U.S. officials are still assessing the situation and need all the facts.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/25/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?sr=fb042513syriachemicalweapons1145a

April 25th, 2013, 12:14 pm

ann said:

Defense Secretary Hagel: Syria used chemical weapons – April 25, 2013

“The use of chemical weapons in an environment like Syria is very difficult to confirm,” a senior US Defense official told the Los Angeles Times in response while speaking on condition of anonymity. “Given the stakes involved, low-confidence assessments by foreign governments cannot be the basis for US action”

http://rt.com/usa/defense-used-chemical-weapons-401/

The United States Department of Defense says they suspect Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on a “small scale” against opposition fighters in that country’s ongoing civil war.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made the remark Thursday while speaking in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, adding that the American intelligence community has determined “with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin.”

Hagel insisted that the use of chemical weapons by any army would violate international guidelines for armed conflicts, and said confirmation of these reports would be a “game changer” in terms of America’s role in the Syrian civil war.

“It violates every convention of warfare,” said Hagel, the Associated Press reports.

According to the AP, Hagel said that the White House is informing Congress about the use of chemical weapons during a Thursday briefing. US President Barack Obama said previously that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be a “red line” that could trigger US reaction if crossed.

Reuters reports, however, that the White House isn’t 100 percent confident with Sec. Hagel’s claims. Even if the Obama administration speaks with members of Congress, it could be a while before any solid evidence can confirm the alleged use of chemical weapons.

Intelligence assessments on Syrian chemical weapons are “not enough,” Reuters quotes the White House, adding that “credit and corroborated facts” are needed.

Even one day earlier, Sec. Hagel himself had doubts about the rumored use of chemical weapons. Speaking in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday, Hagel said that Israeli claims of Assad employing chemical warfare were “suspicious” and that “we have to be very careful here before we draw any conclusions based on real intelligence.”

[…]

http://rt.com/usa/defense-used-chemical-weapons-401/

April 25th, 2013, 12:20 pm

revenire said:

Juergen finally what?

April 25th, 2013, 12:38 pm

Badr said:

SL,

All right. If “they AREN’T doing it democratically. They have rigged, bullied and misrepresented their way into controlling the coalition. They have crippled it and made it dysfunctional.”

is true, then I accept that both of:

“My fierce argument is against those in the coalition who have thwarted and trashed any democratic process.” and

“they have the numbers to squash him.”

can be true propositions at the same time. Because in this case, the numbers are ramped up in an unethical way.

April 25th, 2013, 12:41 pm

apple_mini said:

Now this is getting interesting. US says small scale of CW has been used because of sign of sarin. They already assumed the regime used it because the rebels do not have access to sarin.

We will see how this is going to be played out. A small scale of CW was used by SAA when the regime is winning on the battle ground. How does this even make sense?

Will Russia and China or other BRICS countries be ready to buy those so outlandish schemes?

When will the west experience a revolution because people get so fed up by the lies and dirty games from their corporates owned governments?

April 25th, 2013, 12:47 pm

ann said:

April 25th, 2013, 12:48 pm

revenire said:

Ha ha maybe this could be the next SC “story”?

A Syria Expert – Six Month Ago

Six month ago an often quoted academic (http://www.ou.edu/content/cis/ias/faculty/joshua-landis.html) and so called expert on Syria tweeted the following:

Aleppo falling to FSA. Rebels take al-Syrian Jadide, heart of Christian area. #syria #aleppo
4:46 AM – 25 Oct 12
https://twitter.com/joshua_landis/status/261433454984577024

al-Syiraan Adime just fell to rebel militias as well. Center of Aleppo fallen. #syria #aleppo
4:52 AM – 25 Oct 12

Syria Regime Gives up Aleppo. FSA sharpshooters on top of all buildings in a-Syrian jadide and Qadime, Christian heartland #Syria #Aleppo
4:54 AM – 25 Oct 12
https://twitter.com/joshua_landis/status/261435575515619329

Shooting has stopped totally in Aleppo. Eerie silence overtakes city as government relinquishes control and Rebels take over. #Syria #Aleppo
5:09 AM – 25 Oct 12
https://twitter.com/joshua_landis/status/261439369406185472

@FareedZakaria #syria Aleppo has fallen to rebels. Government gives up control as eerie silence decends over city.
5:12 AM – 25 Oct 12
https://twitter.com/joshua_landis/status/261440110321610752

Those hilarious illusions though, ended a few hours later:

Gov tanks descend on Faisal street – main road near al-Syriaan jadide, Rebel troops retreat into Ashrafiya. #syria #aleppo
12:33 PM – 25 Oct 12
https://twitter.com/joshua_landis/status/261551122660085760

Depending on the insurgency’s propaganda for information, working with a simplistic sectarian mental model of the complex Syrian society and having zero experience in the art of war is the base of such sorry expertise.

Experience based realistic interpretation of all available facts would certainly provide for better analysis. Unfortunately there are few real practitioners of such a process in U.S. foreign policy discussions.

http://www.moonofalabama.org/2013/04/a-syria-expert-six-month-ago.html

April 25th, 2013, 12:53 pm

revenire said:

Chemical weapons story because the SAA is kicking a** and taking names?

The entire investment of the West in overthrowing the Syrian government is going down the drain as the SAA mops up the rat army.

I bet they are in a panic in Washington and London!

April 25th, 2013, 12:54 pm

Dolly Buster said:

apple_mini said:

Will Russia and China or other BRICS countries be ready to buy those so outlandish schemes?

Nobody cares about those peasant countries.
South Africa has AIDS. People in India sleep on highways with their cows. The Chinese slave the whole month for 150 euros.

April 25th, 2013, 12:56 pm

ann said:

BIG YAWN!

April 25th, 2013, 1:12 pm

revenire said:

Dolly join the rest of humanity who live outside of caves. You don’t need to eat insects and worship trees any longer. You’ll feel better about yourself. Come on. We’re waiting for you brother.

April 25th, 2013, 1:25 pm

Dolly Buster said:

I am very worldly, this is a pic I took at the Pantheon earlier this month: http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2231/imageoie.jpg

April 25th, 2013, 1:43 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

Ann
You have been the bearer of good news lately,I thank you for it, # 143 is excellent news, and later your honesty is impressive when you talk about Syria used chemical weapons,,I am begining to like reading your comments.

Now that chemical weapons use has been documented, and that Hizb Iran are fighting inside Syria, and Iran is helping and interfering in Syria,all has been proven, US has to make a decision

April 25th, 2013, 1:53 pm

Tara said:

Obama is now stuck!

Is he going to live up to his word that the use of chemical weapon is a red light or would he makes a mockery out of himself?

Are we witnessing today the regime day one spiral to the bitter end? I surely hope so.

Obama as a citizen of the world bears the responsibility to protect.

April 25th, 2013, 2:10 pm

revenire said:

Tara 1.) chemical weapons have not been used by the government 2.) the story is being promoted because Obama’s mercenaries are losing so badly.

Relax.

April 25th, 2013, 2:27 pm

revenire said:

April 25th, 2013, 2:33 pm

Tara said:

Reve,

Try to convince the Pentagon not me. The secretary of defense should have consulted with you first to confirm. What is wrong with these people?

In any case, Tahiti no more. It is looking more like Iran.

Regime supporters. please, observe the code of conduct in Iran especially in elevators. They mean serious business there.

April 25th, 2013, 2:39 pm

Badr said:

Is the Syrian government using chemical weapons?

By Jonathan Marcus
BBC diplomatic correspondent

The US and its allies have been down the road of embarking upon armed conflict on the basis of uncertain evidence before in Iraq. The test of proof this time has to be much higher.

April 25th, 2013, 2:42 pm

zoo said:

Arab awakening: Qatar’s controversial alliance with Arab Islamists

Andrew Hammond 25 April 2013
http://www.opendemocracy.net/andrew-hammond/arab-awakening-qatar%E2%80%99s-controversial-alliance-with-arab-islamists
….
Thus, relations between Qatar and other Gulf states are at their most tense in a while since the street violence erupted in November between pro- and anti-Brotherhood forces in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates’ arrest and trial of 94 Islamists on charges of forming a group aiming to overthrow the system of government. The “question of Qatar” has become a favourite parlour game.
Influenced by this pervasive anti-Brotherhood atmosphere in their host countries, diplomats, analysts, policy makers and journalists in places like Dubai or Abu Dhabi feverishly debate the opaque decision-making processes in Qatar and wonder if Qatar as a state or perhaps the emir himself are going to pay some kind of price for the insolence of their dissonant tone in an era of febrile fear and loathing. The emir came by coup, he could leave by one too, commentators say in private.
….
But things changed radically once the uprisings erupted. The Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was a key player in the ‘axis of resistance’ to western hegemony that included Iran and Hamas. Qatar turned against Assad, Hizbullah stood with him. It wouldn’t be as easy for the emir to order Al Jazeera to switch off the Brotherhood.

April 25th, 2013, 3:42 pm

zoo said:

The chemical syndrome is on roller coaster. The more villages the armed rebels loose, the higher the voice rise about the use of chemical weapons. Otherwise how else could the weak and depressed Syrian Army succeed on the fierce and ideologically motivated rebels well paid by the GCC and equiped with Croatian weapons?

There must be a catch, either Hezbollah or Iranian fighters are on the field or the Syrian army is using chemical weapons. Otherwise there is no explanation for the recurrent defeat of the rebels.

I am not sure Al Khatib would like to see Syria invaded by the USA, become like Iraq and his islamist allies eradicated…

April 25th, 2013, 3:50 pm

zoo said:

The desperate and embattled opposition tries to catch the band wagon!
Syrian opposition urges West to act urgently

Published: April 25, 2013 Updated 2 minutes ago

April 25th, 2013, 3:52 pm

ann said:

171. majedkhaldoun said:

“”” Ann, US has to make a decision “””

Here you go, the US made it’s decision: 😉

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?play=1&video=3000164178

😀

April 25th, 2013, 3:59 pm

revenire said:

Tara I think your emotions are getting the better of you: the Obama regime said they had no PROOF of chemical weapons use.

Go ahead. Check.

April 25th, 2013, 4:13 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

In Adawi, huge explosion

April 25th, 2013, 4:16 pm

zoo said:

Will the USA use the pretext of the chemical to launch an attack on…. al Qaeda Islamists in Syria which are becoming more dangerous to the region and to the USA than the Syrian army?

April 25th, 2013, 4:18 pm

revenire said:

The Anglo-Americans have been totally humiliated and this chemical weapons nonsense is them showing their desperation.

Intervention? Against Syrian air defense? Ha ha. It is a delusion to think the West could succeed. Air campaigns alone can’t win wars and the US/UK are not going to land troops.

The rats are taking a savage beating all over Syria. Just a sample (frankly the news is coming in so fast it is too hard to keep up with all the victories):

============

HNN Homs News Network
BARZEH NOW – ARMY LAUNCHES FULL SCALE OFFENSIVE

Sounds of explosions and fierce clashes as battles rage from more than one axis in “Barzeh” rural Damascus, with the Syrian Arab Army launching a full scale attack on Terrorist Dens and positions, after they targeted more than one Army Barrier earlier in multiple attacks, which were defended successfully by the Syrian Troops securing them, and the Military assuring everyone that there is no need for alarm, as the explosive sounds emerging are from widespread clearing operations in progress now …

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR OUTSTANDING ARMY EVERYONE, MAY GOD PROTECT THEM AND GRANT THEM A QUICK VICTORY … – J

HNN Homs News Network
MAJOR MILITARY PROGRESS IN RURAL AL-QASEIR !! ..

We bring you news of great progress with thanks to God no martyrs recorded and only several Syrian Troops wounded in current Military Operations that reported 40 Terrorists eliminated today in Rural Al-Qaseir, where the Syrian Arab Army has now advanced from the east and west of “Abl” towards the City and excellent progress also reported from the west, with Armed Mercenaries seen fleeing towards the City to avoid confrontation with the Syrian Army, and with a decisive battle expected soon to finish the Terrorists in the South, which will then begin the advancement to the north of Homs …

SYRIA YOU ARE LOOKING FANTASTIC AND ON TRACK !!!!!!!!!

GOD IS PROTECTING SYRIA AND OUR ARMY … – J

HNN Homs News Network
ANOTHER TOWN SEIZED BY SYRIAN ARAB ARMY !!!!!!!!!

THE SYRIAN ARAB ARMY HAS ANNOUNCED FULL CONTROL OVER THE TOWN OF “KAMAM” IN RURAL AL-QASEIR …

FANTASTIC NEWS AND VICTORY AGAIN, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS HOW MANY LIKES FOR OUR HEROES EVERYONE ?? … – J

April 25th, 2013, 4:36 pm

ann said:

182. majedkhaldoun

NATOs AL-QAEDA FSA Mercenary Terrorists in ACTION in Syria 😀

April 25th, 2013, 4:48 pm

Tara said:

….

April 25th, 2013, 4:54 pm

Tara said:

“This is a public relations tightrope for the White House,” said Aram Nerguizian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “They are working hard to try to craft a message but it’s an unenviable position to be in.”

US says Syria may have used sarin gas in chemical weapons
White House sends nuanced letter to Congress saying it has ‘various amounts of confidence’ in reliability of evidence

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 25 April 2013 13.23 EDT

However, in a letter to Congress the administration made it clear that it did not believe that the evidence was conclusive, saying it only had “varying amounts of confidence” in its reliability. Nor did the evidence prove beyond any doubt that the Syrian government had been responsible for using sarin, though this was “very likely” to be the case.

Later, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, said that chemical weapons were believed to have been used in two separate attacks.

If the evidence was confirmed, the White House warned, “the United States and the international community have a number of responses available, and no option is off the table”.

“Our intelligence community does assess with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin,” the White House letter to Senators John McCain and Carl Levin said. “This assessment is based in part on physiological samples. Our standard of evidence must build on these intelligence assessments as we seek to establish credible and corroborated facts.”

The letter said that the “chain of custody” by which the samples were thought to have made their way from Syria to the west, was “not clear, so we cannot confirm how the exposure occurred and under what conditions”.

“We do believe that any use of chemical weapons in Syria would very likely have originated with the Assad regime. Thus far, we believe that the Assad regime maintains custody of these weapons, and has demonstrated a willingness to escalate its horrific use of violence against the Syrian people” the letter said. It was signed by Miguel Rodriguez, an assistant to the president charged with managing relations with Congress.

Chuck Hagel said “it [using a chemical weapon] violates every convention of warfare”. The US defence secretary, in Abu Dhabi while on a tour of the Middle East, added that the US administration had reached its conclusion over the past 24 hours. “As I’ve said, this is serious business – we need all the facts,” he said.

April 25th, 2013, 5:01 pm

revenire said:

Chew on this one friends:

“SYRIAN PERSPECTIVE HAS LEARNED FROM SOURCES IN DAMASCUS THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS LISTENING CAREFULLY TO ARGUMENTS FOR A DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST JORDAN. WATCH THIS AREA DEVELOP AS RUSSIA AND IRAN TIGHTEN THE NOOSE AROUND ABDULLAH’S NECK.”

http://syrianperspective.blogspot.com/2013/04/first-post-april-24-2013-syria-may.html

April 25th, 2013, 5:27 pm

zoo said:

Sarin or no Sarin, the opposition is in such a desperate situation politically and military that, if the Sarin claims falls on deaf ears, they will find another ‘massacre’ or another “war crime” that needs “urgent” intervention to force the military hands of the USA and possibly save the armed rebels from looming humiliated defeats.

When will Hitto and family move to Aazaaz? When will he announce the remaining of the interim government and the ambassadors in other countries than France, the UK and Qatar. I can’t wait.

April 25th, 2013, 5:31 pm

Dolly Buster said:

And I can’t wait to see your reaction to Assad’s mutilated body, Zoo.

Abidoo Saytaratihim. Iqtahimu Maaskaratihim. Qatioo Ausalahum. Inzaoo Afidatahum min Ajsamihim.

April 25th, 2013, 5:38 pm

revenire said:

Ha ha. Seems the rats dying under the boot of our heroic Syrian Arab Army are not the only desperate ones.

Mr Dolly seems rather unhinged.

April 25th, 2013, 5:48 pm

ann said:

No action without clear facts about Syria’s use of chemical weapons: White House – 2013-04-26

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/26/c_124633068.htm

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) — The world will not act before having “credible and corroborated facts” about the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government in its conflict with the opposition forces, the White House said on Thursday.

“The chain of custody is not clear, so we cannot confirm how the exposure occurred and under what conditions,” the official told reporters via a telephone conference.

“If we reach a definitive determination that this red line has been crossed based on credible corroborated information, what we will be doing is consulting closely with our friends and allies and the international community more broadly, and the Syrian opposition, to determine what the best course of action is,” he said.

“Given the stakes involved, given how serious the situation is and what we’ve learned from our own recent experience, intelligence assessments are not alone sufficient,” he explained, noting “Only credible and corroborated facts that provide us with some degree of certainty can then guide our decision making.”

The Obama administration is seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/26/c_124633068.htm

April 25th, 2013, 6:22 pm

zoo said:

Boosted by the support Al Nusra and other islamist groups are getting in Syria from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the EU and the USA, Sunnis Islamists in Iraq think than can topple Al Maliki as well.

When Bashar Al Assad warned the West to stop boosting and legitimazing the rebels in Syria because it would snowball in the region, he was laughed at.

Turkey is probably next on the line. Erdogan is just finishing the last touches on the ceasefire with the PKK. It is highly probable that another threat will soon emerge as more Al Qaeda operatives are infiltrating Turkey with the financial support of charities in Saudi Arabia and the tacit agreement of the Saudi government. Some analysts have warned that Saudi Arabia is jealous and hates Turkey as well as the Moslem Brotherhood ideology therefore they want to stop its increased interference and influence on Arab Sunnis.
KSA will finance anyone who will help them in destabilizing Turkey enough but not too much as Turkey protects KSA from Iran.

Now that the PPK has been neutralized, Turkey thinks it can sleep quietly. I am not sure this will be the case.

April 25th, 2013, 7:13 pm

revenire said:

Syrian Perspective

Al-‘Utayba: COMPLETELY RAT-FREE. SAA has found numerous tunnels and shelters under people’s homes the rodents used to stay alive. No more. This is a crushing defeat for the slimy, stinking little vermin. Over 1,000 rats died trying to defend it, according to Monzer. We only lost 78 soldiers and militia. God Bless Our Army!

https://www.facebook.com/SyrianPerspective

April 25th, 2013, 7:28 pm

revenire said:

Where is my little HASBARA friend AIG?

Israel’s Benefit Requires Fall of Assad: Amos Yadlin

Head of Israel’s Military Intelligence and Former Head of the Institute for National Security, General Amos Yadlin, called for taking steps to break the “axis of evil”, which consists of Iran, Hezbollah, and Syria, by weakening Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and ending his rule as soon as possible.

Yadlin added, in a statement at the conference of the Institute for National Security Studies (INNS) in Tel Aviv, that he did not rule out a confrontation between Israel and Syria. However, he warned of the Syrian Army’s power, indicating that “we are not talking about a war with Hezbollah or Hamas Movement, but about a tough war, because a war with the Syrian Army means that Scud missiles, and maybe more advanced missiles, would hit Tel Aviv.”

Channel 2 further quoted Yadlin as saying that “who is not aware that the fall of Assad is a positive development for Israel, would be incapable of reading the situation correctly.”

Moreover, he considered that “President Assad is a negative element in the Missile East, and Israel’s benefit requires weakening and withdrawing him, because this would break the Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah axis.”

“This would weaken Hezbollah, then Iran, which will not have any strength in the region, and all this would benefit Israel,” he added.

http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=91429&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=18&s1=1

April 25th, 2013, 7:33 pm

Syrian said:

توضيح من الشبكة الآشورية لحقوق الإنسان حول قضية المطرانين المخطوفين

نشرت الشبكة الآشورية لحقوق الإنسان أول أمس الثلاثاء بيانا حول إطلاق سراح المطرانين يوحنا ابراهيم وبولس يازجي وكانت من أوائل المصادر التي أعلنت الخبر بعد دقائق من عملية الإفراج.

إن الشبكة الآشورية إذ تؤكد بالحرف دقة المعلومات الواردة في بيانها السابق حول إطلاق سراح المطرانين بعد مفاوضات جرت مع الخاطفين، كما تؤكد وقوف مجموعة “شيشانية” وراء عملية الخطف، وهي المعلومات التي استقتها من مصادر موثوقة ومطلعة عن كثب على عملية الإفراج. وهو الخبر الذي تحققت منه ونشرته كبرى وكالات الأنباء الدولية وفي مقدمها رويترز و ووكالة الصحافة الفرنسية.

إلا أن الشبكة تعرب عن اعتقادها وخشيتها أن يكون المطرانان قد أعيد اعتقالهما مجددا بعيد الإفراج عنهما عند مشارف مدينة حلب من قبل المجموعة نفسها أو من قبل مجموعة أخرى قد تكون تابعة للنظام السوري، خصوصا أن جهات إعلامية قريبة من النظام السوري هي التي أصرت على نفي خبر الإطلاق.

وتعرب الشبكة الآشورية لحقوق الإنسان عن قلقها العميق إزاء إمكانية تعرض المطرانين يوحنا ويازجي للأذى من قبل الجهات الخاطفة بهدف طمس حقيقة اختطافهما من جهة، وتسويق مقولة سيطرة القاعدة على مناطق شمالي سوريا لترهيب المسيحيين والسوريين والمجتمع الدولي من جهة ثانية.

إننا في الشبكة الآشورية لحقوق الإنسان نناشد المجتمع الدولي من أجل التدخل السريع والعاجل لحماية أرواح المطرانين المخطوفين خصوصا أن أحدهما كان تلقى تهديدات من النظام السوري بعيد تصريحاته التي رفض فيها ربط مصير المسيحيين في سوريا بنظام الأسد.

الشبكة الآشورية لحقوق الإنسان
اللجنة الإعلامية ستوكهولم 25 نيسان 2013

April 25th, 2013, 7:45 pm

Tara said:

Syrian,

Do you have an access to sheikh al Tufili ‘s ( the previous HA general secretary before Nasrallah) interview on future TV to post? The interview is very damning to Nasrallah!

In essence he was exposing HA’s crimes in Syria.

April 25th, 2013, 8:20 pm

Ghufran said:

I think most of you drew the wrong conclusions about the new story of ” the probable use of chemical weapons on a limited scale in Syria”. If you think the West cares about the alleged death of. ” handful ” of Syrians by chemical weapons” then you are sadly mistaken.
The US will only intervene if it sees a danger of those weapons reaching Nusra and other terrorist groups, Israel and the US also care about the possible delivery of those weapons to hizbullah, until a strong case that one these possibilities become a high probability no military actions will be taken except for a possible ” small attack” on one or two targets to deliver a political message. Facts are not important to politicians unless those facts can be used to justify a pre planned attack, a matter that requires leaders who are willing to take risk , at the top of the challenges is how Russia will respond. If Russia signs up on a plan to undermine Assad to open the door to a political settlement, there are no indications that Russia is interested now. The US wants to pressure Assad and throw a bone to Israel and the UK, at this rate I do not see how Chuck’s statement is a game changer, let us see how Russia will react, that is where the beef is.
( I got tickled by the 9 thumbs down that I received from the two nusra gilmmans on this blog, they hate to see my posts 🙂

April 25th, 2013, 9:04 pm

Syrian said:

Tara,
Here you go
http://www.futuretvnetwork.com/node/14114

April 25th, 2013, 9:05 pm

revenire said:

HNN Homs News Network
AL-QASEIR ARE SURRENDERING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BLACK AL-QAEDA FLAGS ARE DOWN AND THE WHITE FLAGS OF SURRENDER ARE RAISED IN AL-QASEIR EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Terrorists of “Al-Qaseir” have removed the black flags of Al-Qaeda and now raised the white flags of surrender in their place, with the loss of the “Kamam” Village earlier dealing a severe blow to the Terrorists in the City.

No mercy should be shown to the criminal Terrorists of Al-Qaseir who for two years now, have been on a rampage of brutal slayings, kidnappings and destruction, and with the barbarians refusing to accept the earlier deadline to lay down their arms and surrender given by the Syrian Arab Army, as they were expecting the promised reinforcements from the criminal Terrorist Ahmed Al-Asir, which never arrived, therefore leaving them with no other options except to surrender …

GOD IS GREAT !!

THIS WILL HAVE A DOMINO AFFECT NOW, WITH MANY MORE “WHITE FLAGS” WAVED IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR MOST VALIANT ARMY INSHALLAH ..

HOW MANY LIKES EVERYONE ?????????????????? … – J
https://www.facebook.com/homs.news.network.english

April 25th, 2013, 9:24 pm

Syrian said:

Ex-Hezbollah leader: Iran told us to join Syrian war

“Disaffected former leader of terrorist group, Sobhi al-Tofaili, says Hezbollah split over involvement in Syria conflict.
Iran pressed Hezbollah fighters to join the civil war in Syria to bolster President Bashar Assad’s armed struggle, according to Sobhi al-Tofaili, a disaffected former leader of the militant group.

The allegation, made on Lebanon’s Future Television, echoes similar comments by George Sabra, interim leader of the Syrian National Coalition, at a press conference in Turkey on April 22.
The former Hezbollah secretary said that at least 138 militiamen had died in Syria and scores had been wounded. The organization is split over its involvement, he said.
The former Hezbollah secretary said that at least 138 militiamen had died in Syria and scores had been wounded. The organization is split over its involvement, he said.”
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Ex-Hezbollah-leader-Iran-told-us-to-join-Syrian-war-311115

You can see the full interview in here
http://www.futuretvnetwork.com/node/14114

April 25th, 2013, 9:57 pm

VISITOR said:

From Previous post,

“43. Akbar Palace said:

On one hand, I have already proven on this blog that the US administration did indeed stage the 9/11 events.

Visitor,

I wouldn’t call the videos you linked to as proof of anything. Basically, the videos concentrated on the collapse of WTC Tower #7 (they didn’t discuss tower #1 or #2), which was not hit directly by any aircraft. The video was largely a group of experienced structural engineers stating that there was no way a building could collapse like this and that there was no precedent for it. That’s true, there is no precedent. However, the sprinklers were not working.

Meanwhile, no one has any photos or knowledge of anyone planting explosives inside any WTC tower. No wiring was found, no holes were found drilled into columns or beams, no tell-tale signs. Those that wrote the NIST reports were also structural engineers, and they have explained how each tower collapsed. Unless, someone can show that explosives were planted in these buildings, I’ll believe the NIST reports.

Visitor,

BTW, I happen to be a structural engineer too.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/architecture/4278874

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/architecture/4278927

Sorry about the situation in Syria. I wish the rebels would win already.”

Akbar Palace,

I now have the time to answer your questions from the previous post even though I am not yet back from my trip.

My dear friend Akbar,

Sunder of NIST must be fired for incompetence. A little grade twelver can prove him wrong based on the compelling evidence presented in the A&E for 9/11 videos prepared by hundreds of experts in the field which I linked for you and others to watch.

Here’s the undisputed scientific evidence which CANNOT be accounted for by Sunder’s NIST bogus explanation-come-lately:

As a structural engineer, you should know very well that ANY two or more freely falling objects released from the same height will reach the ground simultaneously (at the same time) discounting resistance from the picture. The weights of the objects have NO influence on the time of free fall. It is only the height and the acceleration due to gravity that are the same for all the objects in our scenario, again discounting resistance.

What the A&E for 9/11 video presented was that the time it took for the top floor material to arrive at the ground was in accordance with the free fall scenario as explained above.

Sunder claims that the presumed uncontrolled fires on floors 9 to 13, which according to his belated bogus report caused lateral deformations in the girders unaccounted for in the design, resulted in column failures that caused the sudden collapse of the tower in a UNIQUE EVENT IN ENGINEERING HISTORY.

Well, Mr. Structural Engineer, where is the resistance of the remaining 9 storeys closer to the ground which should have caused the upper floors to reach the ground in a sluggish fashion as opposed to the FREE FALL descent clearly proven by A&E for 9/11? Remember, here the top floor(s) fell on their own foot prints all the way down.

And by the way the 15 second simulation based on FEM video is a piece of junk only Popular Mechanic would be eager to sensationally make it a selling pitch for such bogus reporting by NIST. It is well known modelling depends on many assumed parameters that could be off by miles, not to mention it is a mere mathematical model.

We can go further and cite the testimonies of the hundreds of experts who categorically confirmed that the structures are designed to withstand the LATERAL impacts of not only one jumbo plane but several such planes or the lateral forces caused by hurricane winds,

We can also cite the testimonies of the hundreds of experts who categorically confirmed that neither jet fuel nor office furnishing will produce such intense heat to cause such plastic deformation in girders to cause the free fall scenario as we witness in the videos.

And by the way NOT only WTC7 collapsed in free fall. You should go back and watch those videos.

April 25th, 2013, 10:25 pm

ann said:

Interview: Battle to be long due to terrorism in Syria: deputy FM – 2013-04-26

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/26/c_124633095.htm

DAMASCUS, April 25 (Xinhua) — The Syrian battle will be long as some countries back terrorism in Syria, a Syrian official said, referring to the flow of armed men to his country, most recently from Jordan.

“We and our brothers in the Jordanian government know very well that a lot of those (terrorist) agents have entered Syria … Wasn ‘t that done with the knowledge of the Jordanian government?” Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Mikdad’s statement followed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s words last week that thousands of fighters had crossed into Syria from Jordan to battle his government forces, and similar claim by Syria’s ambassador to Jordan.

Jordan’s growing involvement in the Syrian crisis is also seen from its compliance with the United States, with reports about the possible deployment of 200 U.S. troops on Jordanian soil near the border with Syria.

Mikdad pleaded with Jordan to be aware of the danger of extremists, expressing hopes that Amman would not bow to pressures by the West and some Gulf countries, “so that the Jordanian security will not be in jeopardy.”

“Menacing danger is threatening the two countries (Syria and Jordan) and the entire region, as well as all those who are supporting armed terrorist groups,” he warned, adding that “fire would move on from Syria to gut their houses and offices.”

According to Mikdad, Syria is also fighting terrorists backed by Europe and Turkey, which, he said, is opening its borders for terrorists funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Mikdad believed that the battle would be long and urged the international community to work on finding peaceful solutions, putting an end to anti-Syria policies and stopping funding and arming terrorists in the country.

“We are open and welcome any effort that might be exerted in this field within the framework of the international legitimacy and non-interference in the country’s internal affairs,” he said.

Commenting on the recent European Union decision to ease oil embargo to shore up the Syrian opposition, Mikdad said “This is another expression of the blatant intervention by Western countries against the sovereignty of an independent state and a direct cooperation with terrorists and gunmen.”

He played down media reports claiming that the opposition controls 60 percent of the Syrian territory, saying “These are lies and a psychological war.”

“I can assure you that the Syrian army is capable to defeat those in all areas, but within its plan and not according to what others want.”

Mikdad, during the interview, also brushed aside accusations that the Syrian government had ever used chemical weapons in the country, and charged that the British and French governments, via their UN deputies, were submitting “fabricated” information to taint the administration.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/26/c_124633095.htm

April 25th, 2013, 10:33 pm

ann said:

Central bank governor denies Syrian pound deterioration – 2013-04-26

He said the Syrian foreign exchange reserves amounted to more than 4 billion dollars, contending that the ratio of the Syrian reserves to population is now higher than other countries, such as Egypt

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/26/c_124633134.htm

DAMASCUS, April 25 (Xinhua) — The governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Adib Mayaleh, ruled out any crumbling in the Syrian pound under the brunt of a two-year-long crisis and denied reports that the country expects any foreign financial aid.

The pro-government al-Watan newspaper on Thursday quoted Mayaleh as saying that the depreciation of the Syrian pound value is not a collapse.

“It is true that the U.S. dollar before the crisis was trading at 50 (Syrian) pounds and now is up to 115 pounds … If we wanted, we would have brought the pound back to the best level but the performance of the national economy makes it incumbent on us to keep the value of the currency at this level,” he said, adding that the currency is protected and covered, and is printed abroad.

He also denied that Syria is on the verge of an agreement with Russia and Iran to get financial support to offset part of economic losses caused in the past two years, which reportedly exceeded 25 billion euros.

Mayaleh stressed that the Central Bank’s reserves of hard currency are large and enough to meet the needs of the country and defend a stable exchange rate.

He said the Syrian foreign exchange reserves amounted to more than 4 billion dollars, contending that the ratio of the Syrian reserves to population is now higher than other countries, such as Egypt.

Meanwhile, Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi said in a recent interview with the pro-government al-Ekhbariya TV that the pound would return to the real exchange rates against hard currencies at the end of the crisis.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/26/c_124633134.htm

April 25th, 2013, 10:39 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

» If you want to go to heaven, you had better get busy overthrowing Syria — Paul Craig Roberts April 21, 2013

http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/

The United States government has been at war for eleven years. The US military destroyed Iraq, leaving the country and millions of lives in ruins and releasing sectarian blood-letting that had been kept in check by the secular Saddam Hussein government. On any given day in “liberated” Iraq, the death toll is as high as during the height of the US attempted occupation.

In Afghanistan eleven years of US attempted occupation has had no more success than a decade of Soviet occupation. The Afghans are still not worn down despite more than two decades of war with the two superpowers. Like the Soviets, the Americans have managed to kill many women, children, and village elders, but precious few warriors. In place of the Soviet puppet government there is Washington’s puppet government. That is the only change, and Washington’s puppet is no more secure than the Soviet one was.

In Libya, Washington used its corrupt NATO puppets and CIA-recruited bandits to overthrow another stable government, that of Muammar Gaddafi, leaving Libya mired in sectarian violence. A stable prosperous country has simply been destroyed by western governments that profess human rights values and condemn China and Russia for not having any.

Washington has also been killing civilians with drones and air strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, two countries with which Washington is not at war but has purchased the governments, paying the Pakistani and Yemeni governments for the right to murder their citizens and destabilizing both countries in the process.

And now in Syria Washington is at work destroying another stable secular government headed by a British trained eye doctor.

Washington’s eleven years of illegal aggression against Muslim countries–war crimes according to the Nuremberg trials of Nazis–have resulted in civilian deaths far in excess of military casualties and in a domestic American police state that has destroyed the rule of law and the constitutional protections of US citizens. Washington and its presstitutes have emphasized that these costs are necessary to save Americans from al-Qaeda terrorists, none of whom have ever been apprehended in the United States.

Having listened to the propaganda line pumped out by Washington and its Ministry of Propaganda for eleven years, imagine my astonishment when I saw two juxtaposed headlines: “Al-Nusra pledges allegiance to al-Qaeda” (BBC) and “Move to Widen Help for Syrian Rebels Gains Speed in West” (NY Times). Al-Nusra is the main military component of the “Syrian rebels,” and it has allied itself with our mortal enemy–Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda.

Wait a minute! Our government told us for eleven years that we blew trillions of dollars on wars to protect Americans from al-Qaeda, endangering Social Security, Medicare, the social safety net, the dollar’s exchange value, the credit rating of the US Treasury, and our civil liberties in order to save America from al-Qaeda terrorists. So why is Washington now supporting al-Qaeda’s overthrow of the secular, non-Islamist government in Syria which has never ever done anything whatsoever to Americans!?

The New York Times presstitutes, Michael R. Gordon and Mark Landler, elevated the terrorist al-Qaeda organization to the status of “the Syrian opposition.” At a lunch meeting hosted by Washington’s puppet, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, and US Secretary of State John Kerry, “the Syrian opposition,” aka al-Qaeda, requested antiaircraft and antitank weapons. A senior Washington official said: “Our assistance has been on an upward trajectory, and the president (Obama) has directed his national security team to identify additional measures so that we can increase assistance.”

US Secretary of State John Kerry announced a $123 million “defense aid package” to “the Syrian opposition” that now includes al-Qaeda. Washington had already sent $117 million in “food and medical supplies” to “the Syrian opposition,” and ordered its Middle Eastern puppets to send arms. Note the Orwellian language: support for an outside terrorist force seeking to destroy a government and a people is called a “defense aid package.”

On April 11 the establishment French newspaper, Le Monde, reported that the al-Nosra organization affiliated with al-Qaeda is the dominant force in “the Syrian opposition,” not democratic revolutionaries. Despite this fact, Washington’s puppets, France and Britain, are pushing the European Union to send arms to the al-Qaeda affiliated “Syrian opposition.” And Senator John McCain wants US airstrikes on Syrian government forces with whom the US is not at war, in order to provide air cover for al-Qaeda’s takeover of Syria.

Meanwhile, the Islamist Shiites, whom the Americans left in control of Iraq, have announced that they have joined the battle against the American-supported al-Qaeda forces seeking to radicalize Syria.

So far at last count, the UN reports that the military attack on Syria organized by Washington’s proxies has killed 70,000 people. But americans are preoccupied with the Boson Marathon bombing, which killed 3.

Once again “the indispensable people” are bringing death and destruction to an entire country in order to bring to the dead “freedom and democracy.” No Syrian asked for this “liberation” from his life.

Be a Proud American. We are doing our duty to our rightful hegemony over the world and to Israel, which has purchased our government. It is our right to be the hegemonic power on the planet earth, and that includes the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore it is Washington’s right to overthrow Syria in order to get rid of the Russian naval base there. The Romans would never have put up with a foreign power having a naval base in the Mediterranean, and we can do no less, unless we are some kind of pansy state afraid of our own shadow. The Mediterranean was mare nostrum–our sea–for the Romans. Now it is our sea, and by god we are going to claim it by overthrowing Syria.

Israel, of course, was given the rights to “Greater Israel” by God himself–who am I to question the Christian Zionist preachers who are growing fat on Israeli money–and part of “Greater Israel” is the river in southern Lebanon that supplies precious water.

Hizbollah, provisioned by Syria and Iran has prevented Israel from confiscating southern Lebanon in order to acquire the water rights that God gave them. Therefore, to fulfill our obligations as Israel’s puppet, we are required to destroy both Syria and Iran so that Hizbollah is isolated and out of the way and “Greater Israel” can be created.

The Christian Zionist churches in the US repeat this message every Sunday. If you don’t believe it, you are some kind of anti-american anti-semite and should be exterminated. Or you could be a despicable Muslim terrorist to be waterboarded into confession. Homeland Security will make short work of you just like they did to those Russian Muslim terrorists in Boston who tried to blow up the Marathon race.

I mean, really, how can we indispensable people bring freedom and democracy to the world if the Russians have a naval base in our sea? How can we project strength if we project such weakness by permitting a foreign power’s presence in our exclusive sphere of influence many thousands of miles away from our borders. Don’t forget, America’s borders are the world’s borders. It says so in our song–”From sea to shining sea.” Don’t forget it.

Of course, we don’t want to go head-to-head with another well armed nuclear military power, but the way around that is to demonize the Syrian government and Russia for supporting an eye doctor who is “a brutal dictator” who is resisting an Islamist al-Qaeda takeover of Syria financed by Washington. Our masters in Washington can use the UN and all our well-paid puppet states to pressure the Russians to shut up and get out of our way. I mean, really, does Putin want all those Russian NGOs that we finance to bring their operatives out onto the streets in Moscow and bring down his government? I mean, really, who does Putin think he is standing up to our god-given hegemony over the world, much less Israel’s god-given hegemony over the Middle East? I mean, Putin is in for it, and so are those goddamn Chinese. I mean, really, who do they think they are? Americans? Don’t those Chinks know about our control of the Pacific? I mean, really, are they out to lunch?

And, I mean, really, how can all us get to heaven if we don’t do God’s will and deliver the Middle East to Israel as Israel says the scriptures require. I mean, really, do you want to oppose God and burn in hell? Instead of all those virgins Muslims promise you, you will be devoured by fire. You better get on the right side before you die.

I mean, really, who wants this fate. We had better get rid of Syria sooner than ordered.
If we don’t do what Israel tells us God requires, we are finished. That’s for sure.

April 25th, 2013, 11:25 pm

Ghufran said:

بيروت ـ ا ف ب: اعلن القيادي السوري المعارض احمد معاذ الخطيب على صفحته على الفيسبوك تعيين المعارض جورج صبرا رئيسا للائتلاف السوري غير شرعي لان مهلته في الائتلاف بعد استقالته تنتهي في 11 ايار (مايو) المقبل، كما اكد على ضرورة اجراء انتخابات لجميع المعارضة لاختيار رئيس للاتئلاف.
Moaz calling the appointment of Sabra illegitimate

April 25th, 2013, 11:28 pm

ghufran said:

Al-Maleh is “sour” over Sabra’s appointment:
أشار رئيس اللجنة القانونية في الائتلاف الوطني السوري المعارض هيثم المالح إلى ان “تكليف جورج صبرة بمهام رئيس الائتلاف خلفا لمعاذ الخطيب هو قرار باطل من الناحية القانونية ويمثل انقلابا على الشرعية
وأوضح المالح في رسالة بعنوان “مطالعة قانونية” أن “الهيئة العامة للائتلاف السوري قد انتخبت معاذ الخطيب بالإجماع رئيساً للائتلاف كما انتخبت نوابه والأمين العام، وهي بالتالي الجهة الوحيدة التي لها قبول الاستقالة، وحتى يتم انعقاد هذه الهيئة فإن الرئيس مستمر في عمله حتى تتم مناقشة استقالته أمامها فيما إذا أصر على ذلك”.
ودعا المالح الجميع إلى “التحلي بالمسؤولية وعدم التسرع في اتخاذ القرارات والقفز فوق الهيئة القانونية ودون مشاورتها”.
This is the latest garbage from Sharia court in Reef Halab:
“المحكمة الشرعية في ريف حلب الغربي قال الله تعالى ( قاتلوهم كما يقاتلوكم كافة ) تأكيداً على البلاغات الشفهية لألوية وكتائب الجيش الحر في المنطقة ، ومن واقع المسؤولية الشرعية والأخلاقية تجاه المسلمين في بلاد الشام ، واستناداً إلى مايقوم به أهالي مدينتي ( نبل والزهراء ) من دعم للنظام الأسدي الكافر ، وبناءً عليه فقد قررت المحكمة الشرعية في ريف حلب الغربي مايلي :
1- التعاون مع كافة القوى والفعاليات والكتائب لمنع وصول أي مواد غذائية إلى مدينتي ( نبل والزهراء )
2- التعاون مع كافة القوى والفعاليات والمتائب لمنع وصول أي مواد غذائية إلى القرى المحيطة بمدينتي نبل والزهراء ، وهذه القرى هي ( باسوفان,باعي,كالوته,مياسة,برج حيدر,براد,الزوق,بازيهر,خراب,فافرتين,كباشين,باطوطة,سمخار ) ، علماً أن أهالي هذه القرى تستطيع الحصول على كل احتياجاتها الغذائية من مدينة دارة عزة أو أي مدينة أخرى بواسطة مندوبين وبما يتناسب مع عدد السكان في كل قرية على حده .
3- كل من يثبت تورطه في تهريب أو المساعدة في تهريب أو المساعدة في تهريب المواد الغذائية إلى مدينتي نبل والزهراء بشكل مباشر أو غير مباشر عن طريق إيصال المواد الغذائية إلى القرى المحيطة بها دون موافقة مسبقة من المحكمة الشرعية سيتعرض لأشد العقوبات الرادعة .
4- يعتبر هذا التعميم بمثابة بلاغ رسمي لكل الأخوة المواطنين والتجار . والله ولي التوفيق ” (انتهى).

April 25th, 2013, 11:57 pm

Dolly Buster said:

But Visitor, 9/11 can’t be an inside job, because AQ has taken credit. How is it possible to have all these AQ parading on video tape, saying they did 9/11?

For instance have you watched the Aljazeera documantary by Yosri Fouda, which contains statements by Ramzi Binalshibh.

It is theoretically possible that all these numerous AQ are all employed in the U.S. government, but that seems like a big stretch. They sound sincere in the videos. People who doubt this haven’t seen the footage.

April 26th, 2013, 3:39 am

Dolly Buster said:

ann said:
Interview: Battle to be long due to terrorism in Syria: deputy FM

In this case, “terrorism” is a label used by oppressive governments to describe their political opposition. For example in Russia if you care about human rights, you become a “terrorist.” I remember Milosevic proposed a law that would make opposition groups subject to arrest under “anti-terrorism.”

The Syrian government is promoting xenophobic values of isolation. Such a mindset will never win in a globalizing integrating world.

April 26th, 2013, 3:45 am

Hopeful said:

# 208

It amazes me that some people believe in conpiracy theories like these. The US is a country where the president cannot get a blow job from an intern without the entire world knowing about it. Two simple examples come to mind:

1. The embarrassment of NOT finding WMD’s in Iraq. Iraq had 500,000 US soldiers in 2003. You would think the US could have easily planted some weapon making equipment and then told the world they found evidence of WMD’s instead of embarrassing themselves in front of the whole world by not finding WMD’s.

2. Abu Graib prisoners abuse. If the US is capable of plotting conspiracies, you wold think they would be able to cover up something like this, in the middle of a war, instead of the big embarrassment they faced.

In a democracy, especially in a big country, all politicians try to dig dirt on one another. They are the least competent organizations when it comes to creating some secret plans to to do something sneaky.

April 26th, 2013, 4:03 am

Hopeful said:

# 206, 207 Ghufran

Your post in #206 is inaccurate. I visited the page and Mr. Al Khatib simply posted Al Maleh’s legal opinion without any commentary.

Regarding #207, I did not read in the letter any “sourness”. I read a legal opinion from a professional who cares about preserving and strengthening the professional nature of a newly created organization by people who are doing their best to learn about the process and mechanisms of establishing political institutions. None of these guys had any experience in this field for obvious reasons. I commend them for trying thei best and I commend Al Maleh for expressing his opinion in the most professional manner.

April 26th, 2013, 4:13 am

Badr said:

army shifts to ‘war of highways’

AFP

Syria’s regime has changed strategy and is battling to seize main highways rather than spread its forces thin, aiming to regain key points and freeze the flow of fighters and arms towards Damascus.

To help achieve this goal, the army is being backed by local militiamen operating in their own towns and villages and who have been trained in street warfare for several months in Iran and Russia, according to experts and sources close to Syria’s security forces.

“There is a change of strategy. The country-wide war, which exhausts the army and has no proven results, is over. Now, the main theatre of war is on the highways. The goal is to allow the army to move easily between cities under its control,”
. . .

April 26th, 2013, 4:23 am

Visitor said:

#208,

It is no secrete AQ was in effect employed by the CIA during the Afghan war against USSR. Those who made the AJE video would simply be agents from olden days. The hijackers are simply mules who were made to believe they are doing it for a cause by their handlers within AQ higher ups or the CIA itself.

————————

#211,

Of course,the US is a democracy and that is why there is such epidemic called cognitive dissonance as a result of the un-answered questions arising from 9/11. Perhaps, you prefer to be blind.

What was the AbuGhraib conclusion? Blame it on rogue elements?
Where is Clinton now? Ex-president club after completing two full terms?
WMD’s? Bad intel?

Then Sunder’s NIST is just another one of those after the fact ‘theories’ which have many holes in them that simply cannot be plugged. Eventually, the sun shines through!

You answered yourself without knowing. It is because of democracy that such valid questions arise.

Don’t be an idiot.

April 26th, 2013, 7:21 am

ann said:

U.S, Israel stir talks of Syria’s chemical weapons amid denial from Damascus – 2013-04-26

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/26/c_132342915.htm

On Tuesday, Israel’s top military analyst, Brig. Gen. Itai Brun, told a security conference in Tel Aviv that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons, reports said.

In the Syrian capital of Damascus, Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad brushed aside accusations that the Syrian government has ever used chemical weapons either in the town of Khan al-Assal in Aleppo in northern Syria or in any other place in the country.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Mekdad indicated that Syria had initially called for an investigation committee from the General Secretariat of the United Nations and provided it with details about the rebels’ use of chemical weapons in Khan al-Asal, but charged that the British and French governments, via their deputies in the UN, submitted “fabricated” information over the use of chemical weapons in other areas in Syria.

“We want this committee to come to Syria as soon as possible to open investigations over the use of chemical weapons in Khan al- Assal,” he stressed, suggesting that the UN refuses to send this committee under Western pressures.

“We are totally open to deal and cooperate with the UN concerning this incident… this hinges on the evenhandedness and seriousness of this committee,” he said.

“The Syrian army had never used such weapons and Syria, as we have confirmed in many occasions, will not, even if it has, use such capabilities against its people,” Mekdad stressed.

He said that Syria is hopeful that the U.S. administration will work towards reaching a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria, adding that Syria will not allow other forces to encroach upon the country’s sovereignty, occupy and ruin it.

Earlier this week, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi charged that the United Nations wanted to capitalize on the issue of chemical weapons in Syria to justify intervention and to repeat the Iraqi scenario in Syria.

The minister made the remarks in a recent interview with Russia ‘s ITAR-TASS News Agency, during which he stressed that the Syrian government was the one that asked the UN to investigate the rebels ‘ use of chemical rocket in Khan al-Asal.

Al-Zoubi added that the UN started asking about investigations in other Syrian cities, despite the fact that no one has asked it to do so. He made it clear that the Syrian authority “doesn’t trust the Unites States.”

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-04/26/c_132342915.htm

April 26th, 2013, 7:30 am

majedkhaldoun said:

Hopeful said commenting on Ghufran
“Your post in #206 is inaccurate.”

What is new?Ghufran fabricates, and inaccurate all the time

Obama has to do something,he can not dismiss the news about chemical weapons as unimportant,,there will be pressure on him to declare NFZ in the north,help creating the north Syria goverment,Chemical weapons use will dubb Assad as a dangerous terrorist worse than Jabhat Nusra,Russia has to accept that Assad must leave because of his use of chemical weapons,Bogdanof trip to Beirut is to prepare for that,
Assad is ,not only illegitimate,but a dangerous terrorist,when he used Chemical weapons against Syrians,he will certainly use it against neighbouring countries.
Assad made a very dangerous mistake, and he is not to be trusted,his words mean nothing anymore,Russia assured USA Assad will not use chemical weapons ,but now here he is ,Russia can not defend him anymore.

April 26th, 2013, 7:34 am

ann said:

Exposing the Lies of NATO Propagandists Covering for Their Al Qaeda FSA Crimes

NATO propaganda channels accused the Syrian state of killing Islam top scholar Muhammad Saeed Ramadan Buti by sending mercenaries inside the mosque he was teaching students in and shooting them all not by a suicide bomber as the mosque carpets weren’t all burned. The following is an interview with one of the Syrian state agents who did so, as they claimed

April 26th, 2013, 7:47 am

Syrialover said:

People believe in conspracy theories about 9/11 because of some emotional or psychological need.

They will find all sorts of ways to support their belief.

They are often also intolerant and hostile about religious issues.

The two Boston bombers were both 9/11 deniers.

April 26th, 2013, 7:49 am

Majed97 said:

The west does not want the Syrian blood shed to end. The new chemical weapon use allegations are obviously a warning to Damascus to stop its progress on the ground and not finish the job so quickly. Through various forms of pressure, the west has been tying the SAA hands from day one by not allowing it to use its full might to clean up the country in order to prolong the conflict, which serves their agenda very well. The question is: will Syria’s allies (Russia, China and Iran) finally take a strong stand in support of Syria?!?

April 26th, 2013, 7:54 am

Akbar Palace said:

Visitor,

Thanks for the post (#202) concerning WTC 7. You received 18 green thumbs vs. 5 red ones, so you win!

Are you structural engineer also? I noticed you have the lingo down when you use phrases like “…plastic deformation in girders…”.

Before writing this response, I skimmed the NIST report on WTC #7 again. They addressed thermal issues, collapse sequence, fall time, etc. They went into great detail. They used ANSYS and LS-DYNA and their computer models took weeks to run. They had a team of scores of engineers, many of whom have arab/muslim sounding names (if that matters).

The weights of the objects have NO influence on the time of free fall.

The important phrase here is “free fall”. Building collapses usually take more time than “free fall” times because they are still somewhat connected to columns and structure. There is considerable resistive forces and thus it is simply not the same a releasing an object in mid-air.

Anyway, we will have to agree to disagree. You are probably one of millions of people (and certainly muslim/arab) who believe this was a staged event. I am not convinced of this. I think it was a terrorist attack and that WTC 7 went down because of this attack. As we are learning over the years and decades, terrorism is the arab/muslim world’s way of conducting “diplomacy”. The muslim/arab world is in disarray, governments can’t govern and their armies can’t fight. What is left is terrorism.

Attacks will continue. As a child I am familiar with the PLO murder of Israeli athletes during the Olympic games. That was 1972, 40 years ago. Since then, terrorism has been increasing. The purpose is to scare your enemy so they do what you want. It’s a very simple game.

In 1977, and movie was made, “Black Sunday”, and I think this is when people realized how vulnerable americans really are with respect to terrorism:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075765/

9-11 was, by far, the largest terror attack in US history, surpassing even the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor (in terms of numbers killed). I have always wondered why more larger attacks like this haven’t happened, and I think it is because not enough attackers are willing to die for it.

We will have to continue to re-double our efforts and continue to learn how to defend ourselves from such things in the future. We either do that, or we just do whatever our enemies want us to do.

I’m not prepared to cave into Iranian demands, and I don’t think the Syrian are either.

April 26th, 2013, 8:04 am

mjabali said:

Akbar palace:

I do not know if you were sleeping under a rock or not: Visitor your man gave himself these 18 thumbs up. Do you really think there are 18 people who read this form who would vote for that nonsense.

His theory about 9/11 is advocated by idiots only.

By the way I was reading Syria Comment when he posted this lunacy. He gave himself 12 thumbs up first. hhahaha then he added up another 6…

This man should be kicked out from this blog and investigated by WordPress for tampering with their systems.

April 26th, 2013, 8:15 am

ann said:

Hagel Claims Syrian Regime May Have Used Sarin, Ignores FSA Chemical Weapon Use – April 25, 2013

http://www.infowars.com/hagel-ignores-fsa-chemical-weapon-use-claims-syrian-regime-may-have-used-sarin/

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel dubiously stated Thursday that the U.S. has found “evidence” of Syria’s use of chemical weapons, prompting war-monger politicians to inquire as to whether the “red line” established by Obama for military intervention had yet been crossed; however, numerous reports have indicated the Free Syrian Army, or the US-funded rebel insurgency attempting to topple secular President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, are just as apt, if not more likely, to resort to chemical weapons use.

For instance, in December we reported the release of a ghastly video shot by Syrian rebels which showed them testing chemical weapons on lab rabbits before making threats to use them against Syria’s pro-Assad Alawite population.

But in a letter to senators Carl Levin and John McCain, special assistant to the President Miguel E. Rodriguez would have us believe “with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin.”

For over a year now, reports have been attempting to portray Assad as a brutal leader who would use chemical weapons on his own people, creating the illusion of a dire need for an invasion of Syria.

However, the Syrian government has repeatedly denied the allegations, and in December wrote to the UN warning that it believed the US may be attempting to frame it by alleging it had used such weapons on so-called “rebels,” as well as innocent civilians.

“The U.S. administration has consistently worked over the past year to launch a campaign of allegations on the possibility that Syria could use chemical weapons during the current crisis,” a letter penned to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by the Syrian Foreign Ministry stated.

Back in June 2012, photos indicated Western funded rebels were responsible for the ransacking of Christian churches in Syria, and in December, a video appeared to show Syrian rebels forcing a child to behead an unarmed prisoner.

Last month, another gruesome video began making its rounds showing a Syrian rebel member of the US-funded Free Syrian Army beheading a civilian, and yet another grisly image surfaced earlier this month showing an FSA rebel grilling the decapitated head of a victim.

But despite these reported and well documented atrocities, the US has consistently justified aiding Syrian opposition forces, giving more than $100 million in “support,” including providing food and medical support, with some of the funds being funneled directly to armed rebels, and has continued alleging the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons.

Given the numerous barbarities perpetrated by the US-backed and Al-Qaeda affiliated FSA Syrian opposition group, it is rather disturbing the US still refuses to acknowledge the various war crimes being committed by the very insurgents they are intent on arming and funding.

[…]

http://www.infowars.com/hagel-ignores-fsa-chemical-weapon-use-claims-syrian-regime-may-have-used-sarin/

April 26th, 2013, 8:16 am

zoo said:

The chemical weapon threat

The odds of Assad letting that happen are extremely low, not to mention the time it would take for an investigation to reach a clear conclusion one way or the other.
And even if an investigation does conclude that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against its people, does anyone still think Russia and China are going to dump Assad and authorize some kind of response through the U.N. Security Council?

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/04/25/the_three_key_words_of_obama_s_red_line_on_syria

April 26th, 2013, 8:17 am

Dolly Buster said:

Why would the odds be low? If you are an insane Alawite and you have sarin, then obviously you will gas your own population. It follows.

April 26th, 2013, 8:20 am

ann said:

Chemical Weapons Attack On Aleppo by Rebels Syria

25 people are killed and many tens injured by an unknown substance used Aleppo against Syrian Soldiers

April 26th, 2013, 8:22 am

zoo said:

155. Tara

That would be an honor, but I am not up to tough competition with other enthusiastic candidates.
You would be the perfect assistant to your ‘gem’ man, George Sabra or your ‘saint man’, Al Khatib.
I don’t think you’ll meet much competition. You’ve got all what is needed to be in politics helping isolated and eager wannabees amateur politicians: intelligence, humor, gender, determination, family connections and a shared deep hatred toward Bashar and Asma.
Jump in!

April 26th, 2013, 8:24 am

Dolly Buster said:

222. zoo said:
does anyone still think Russia and China are going to dump Assad

Of course those evil governments will stand by their servant Assad, but they will be overcome by the stronger countries.

DUH !!!

Look at Libya, Russians are still crying over their utter defeat there.

April 26th, 2013, 8:27 am

ann said:

Obama Buries Boston Massacre Saudi Connection – Apr 20, 2013
.
.

April 26th, 2013, 8:32 am

Akbar Palace said:

This man should be kicked out from this blog and investigated by WordPress for tampering with their systems.

Mjabali:

Please be respectful. I keep trying to load up my green thumbs, but it won’t allow me.;) I suppose you have to do it using 18 different computers. Now there’s another conspiracy theory…

April 26th, 2013, 8:33 am

Syrialover said:

# 210 HOPEFUL,

You put it very well. Thanks for some useful examples to support the case.

The strangest and most extreme beliefs held by conspiracy theorists are not related to what they imagine the secret evil the USA is up to.

No, it’s the fact they believe the US government has such supernatural powers, genius, extraordinary organizational systems and steel-grip controls over the media and politicians.

They would only need to spend a couple of hours reading the politics and government coverage in US newspapers to gain an understanding of the reality and have their illusions punctured.

April 26th, 2013, 8:33 am

zoo said:

The desperate opposition must quickly find something else to trigger a urgent military intervention as their terrorist wings are loosing ground in Syria.

White House: Obama’s red line not crossed on Syria chemical weapons

April 26, 2013 7:46 AM
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57581556/white-house-obamas-red-line-not-crossed-on-syria-chemical-weapons/

The White House said the evidence of Syrian chemical weapons attacks is still too thin and President Obama’s red line has not been crossed, and that means military intervention by the United States in the Syrian civil war is not imminent and not guaranteed but more study and investigation is needed.

April 26th, 2013, 8:34 am

Dolly Buster said:

ann said:
Chemical Weapons Attack On Aleppo by Rebels Syria

Sure yes… The rebels don’t even have a can opener in terms of equipment, but suddenly they have WMD.

That is so much more believable than THE FUСKING SHIITES USING THEIR VAST STOCKPILES.

Occam’s razor, try it. Try the regular razor too.

April 26th, 2013, 8:34 am

Dolly Buster said:

zoo said:
trigger a urgent military intervention as the their terrorist wings are loosing ground in Syria.

“Loosing”? I guess you are not a Westerner after all.

The disgusting Shiites have been using STATE OF THE ART JET FIGHTERS to kill starving civilians. So, to intervene with military assistance is not unfair, but the essence of fairness.

April 26th, 2013, 8:39 am

ann said:

220. mjabali said:

This man should be kicked out from this blog and investigated by WordPress for tampering with their systems.

Maybe this issue needs to be investigated by Dr. Landis and his moderator, and then share their findings with the rest of us on the board.

April 26th, 2013, 8:40 am

ann said:

Syria Ripe For A False Flag
.
.

April 26th, 2013, 8:46 am

zoo said:

…

April 26th, 2013, 8:48 am

zoo said:

Why is the West spending billions to overthrow Bashar al Assad: Besides Iran, are potential oil reserves of Syria some of the unspoken reasons?

Syria very hard a nut to crack for USA

http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/conflicts/26-04-2013/124428-syria_usa-1/

Many international experts have racked their brains over the reason behinds the West’s desire of military action in Syria. It seemed illogical to throw millions of euros for the support of terrorists of Al-Qaeda, as well as the Syrian Free Army, given the ongoing financial crisis, problems with countries such as Greece and Cyprus. But the answer is simple. The West is interested in overthrowing Bashar al-Assad and seizing all reserves of Syrian oil and gas.

According to the published data, their reserves would allow Syria to become a leader in the supply of “black gold.” According to Lebanese television, a Norwegian company conducted geological surveys of territorial waters a few years ago in Syria and discovered 14 oil pools. Four of them are the largest deposits located near the Syrian city of Banias.

The reserves of these fields are comparable with oil reserves in Kuwait. Four other deposit reserves are equal to Lebanese, Israeli and Cypriot ones combined. Damascus could produce 6.7 million barrels a day, which is 50% of the volume produced by Saudi Arabia. Syria with its oil is a tasty morsel for the West. This is precisely why it was dragged into the abyss of “Arab revolutions”.
The U.S. thought it could quickly remove the Assad regime with the rebels, but the Libyan scenario did not work out. It was therefore decided to impose economic sanctions. Many analysts do not rule out a direct military intervention.
…
Now a military intervention looks like the only sure way to overthrow the Assad regime. The West realized that the fighters it financed would not be able to win the civil war. The Syrian army took the initiative and cleared Damascus and Aleppo of rebels. But foreign investors cannot allow the defeat of the Syrian revolution. With this outcome the United States, Europe and the Gulf States would lose face, and Turkey may forget about its plans to become a regional leader.
…
The West has to fight in Syria through other means (by supplying the rebels with weapons, money and bringing new mercenaries). But this is not enough to topple the Assad regime and economic levers must be used. Will this help? Syria turned out to be very strong.

April 26th, 2013, 8:49 am

Dolly Buster said:

Russia is garbage. Pravda, the newspaper that the morоn Zoo is quoting here, belongs to Russia.

April 26th, 2013, 8:56 am

zoo said:

The EU not only are indifferent to the horrors that their nationals are doing in Syria but they are sending them aid to do more.
Now they worry about they coming back home after having decapitated, tortured and killed Syrian soldiers and civilians.

Maybe the EU officials secretly hope they come back in a body bag or not at all.

German Jihadists: Officials Fear Return of Syrian War Veterans

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-officials-fear-return-of-islamist-fighters-in-syria-a-896745.html#ref=rss

German security officials believe that a number of Germans have teamed up with radical Islamists on the frontlines in Syria. What worries them most are the training and ties they’ve gained abroad — and whether they’ll continue the jihad once home.

April 26th, 2013, 8:59 am

revenire said:

“210. HOPEFUL said:
# 208
It amazes me that some people believe in conpiracy theories like these. The US is a country where the president cannot get a blow job from an intern without the entire world knowing about it.”

Odd statement from you Hopeful. The Anglo-American governments did conspire to take the world to war on false stories of Iraqi WMD and they succeeded. The press went along with the stories. Very few politicians objected – some did.

911 was an inside job. Al-Qaeda is supported by the West and has been since Afghanistan and before that Islamic fundamentalists and Muslim Brotherhood types were always used as mercenaries.

April 26th, 2013, 9:03 am

Dolly Buster said:

I am very happy that Russia is entering recession and galloping inflation.

I hope these failures at home will dissuade them from further aggression against other countries (Czechoslovakia 1948, Afganistan 1979, Georgia 2008, Syria 2012).

I have just received the news that the United States economy has grown at 2.5% which is spectacular for a high-income country.

April 26th, 2013, 9:09 am

revenire said:

Israel again taunted Obama to act. The Zionists are really desperate to involve the US in open war against Syria.

Red line. Ha ha. Anyone who thinks Syria would use chemical weapons in its cities is nuts. It is a bigger lie than the Iraqi WMD story.

Chemical weapons would have zero military use. Sure if we had a concentration of say 20-30,000 rats in one spot without civilians (and any civilian helping terrorists is a terrorist and fair game) then I could see firing sarin-tipped Scuds at them. That would be nice. But we don’t have this.

All this talk of chemical weapons probably will have the unintended effect of scaring the Hell out of the terrorists (and they are already surrendering in droves rather than be killed – supply lines have been cut).

Dr. Assad step up the attacks. Now is the time to go for the killer blow and eliminate the rats. You have momentum. The West is terrified. Each day you are in power President Assad is a glorious day of victory against the Zionists.

April 26th, 2013, 9:13 am

Hopeful said:

#229 SL

You are so right! The Greeks used to think that the Gods of seas, with their supernatural powers, caused tsunamis! Any unexplained phenomenon surely must have some powerful figures behind it!

They give way too much credit to the US and the “Jews controlling it”, who can somehow continue to meet in basements to make plans to take over the world”‘. How is it that these powerful rich secretive people always manage to maintain their unity without ratting each other out?

April 26th, 2013, 9:13 am

revenire said:

Dolly the only thing growing in the US is disease.

April 26th, 2013, 9:14 am

Tara said:

Zoo,

I most certainly can help be honored and fulfil your dream with the subject of your adoration. I can leave a good word for you.

For me, I can’t be anyone’s personal assistant. It requires “humility” I do not have. Except perhaps for the French doctor..

April 26th, 2013, 9:21 am

zoo said:

Four Bad Arguments Pushing the U.S. into Syria’s War

http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2013/04/26/four_bad_arguments_pushing_the_us_into_syria_war-2.html

….
1. It’s in America’s national security interest
2. America has a moral obligation to stop the bloodshed
3. We need the “good guys” to win
4. They’ve used chemical weapons
…
What unites the four bad arguments for American involvement in Syria is that they treat the fall of Assad as the end of American (and Syrian) troubles, when in fact it would be just the beginning.
All of the supposed gains that flow from toppling Assad can only occur if a post-war state can be cobbled together that is secure and institutionally oriented toward the West. Many pundits and analysts have spent an inordinate amount of time lobbying for “leadership” (i.e. an intervention) without addressing the crucial questions of what follows in the aftermath.
To wit: Who will secure Syria when Assad falls? Who will fund a post-Assad government? What will stop Iranian influence from hijacking a new Syrian government? Who will protect the Alawite minority in Syria from reprisal killings? Who is responsible for targeting (or at least disarming) jihadist movements inside the country?

And consider this: What makes proponents of a U.S. intervention in Syria believe Washington has the werewithal to restore the country to some semblence of stability? In Iraq, the U.S. spent trillions of dollars, thousands of lives and, in the case of Afghanistan, over a decade trying to nation build with results that could best be described as modest. Have we suddenly become more capable, wealthier and fluent in the various tribal and sectarian intricacies of the Muslim world to make the third time the charm?

April 26th, 2013, 9:21 am

annie said:

159. Juergen said:

Finally:

U.S.: Intelligence points to small-scale use of sarin in Syria

The United States has evidence that the chemical weapon sarin has been used in Syria on a small scale, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday.

They’ll keep assessing until the sarin hits the zio neighbour. Then it will become an issue. But so far, they give the go ahead.

April 26th, 2013, 9:26 am

annie said:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=526138250756400&set=a.224155897621305.50803.217139528322942&type=1&theater

The Kafranbel kids

April 26th, 2013, 9:31 am

mjabali said:

Akbar Palace:

Get out from under the rock chief engineer: your man Visitor gave you 6 and 9 thumbs up…where were you?

This blog should investigate the mockery this man is doing to it. It is irresponsible and childish.

Hold on Structural Engineer: Visitor wants to tell you that 9/11 is done by the US government.

April 26th, 2013, 9:32 am

zoo said:

…

April 26th, 2013, 9:34 am

mjabali said:

Anni Allahu Akbar Revolutionary Songs:

Hajeh : What do you think of the Revolutionary Songs of al-Nusra? No kidding here. I would love to hear what you have to say.

April 26th, 2013, 9:36 am

revenire said:

Annie I hate to burst your bubble but the Syrian government is not using chemical weapons. Sure they might give the captured rats a bat but shampoo and soap are not really chemical weapons.

April 26th, 2013, 9:42 am

zoo said:

#244 Tara

I would have thought that a Syrian preacher would have taught you humility better than a ‘french’ doctor whoever he is. French are generally known to be rather arrogant.

April 26th, 2013, 9:43 am

ann said:

Glenn Beck Reveals More about Saudi National
.
.

April 26th, 2013, 10:02 am

zoo said:

<The mediatized 'samples' Hague claims that prove the use of sarin in Syria are "clouded with incertainties and questions"

http://www.dw.de/british-premier-ramps-up-pressure-on-syria/a-16774572?maca=en-rss-en-eu-2092-rdf

The Defense Science and Technology Laboratory in Wiltshire is reported to have obtained samples from inside Syria, and it sounds like they’ve tested positive for sarin?

Well, the UK has partly played a role in smuggling out soil samples from Syria, and possibly human tissue. We don’t know that for sure. And then those tests were carried out both here in the UK at our facility, and elsewhere in the UK. And I think both tests have showed some level of use of sarin – they’ve shown sarin. What they haven’t shown is where or when the sarin was used, by whom it was used, [or] who the victims were. And can we be 100 percent sure that these samples come from the attacked areas? Or might they have been altered or tampered in the process? In other words, there is evidence of use, but the evidence is clouded in all of these uncertainties and questions.
….

April 26th, 2013, 10:12 am

Hopeful said:

#239 Rev

The Anglo-American governments did not conspire to take the world to war- they debated and argued publicly, in the UN and on TV. France and Germany were against it – strongly I may add. There was no conspiracy.

The US did not lie. They had bad intelligence and Bush surrounded himself with people who would only tell him what he wanted to hear (as is happening now with Assad). A standard case of bad leadership, disfunctional organization, and poor planning. Many books were written about the subject and you can do yourself a favor by reading any one of them.

If the US wanted or could lie about the WMD, it would have been very easy and prudent that they would make up a story about finding them. But no conspiracy theorist can ever explain to me why they did not do that? Why did the US not make up a story about finding WMD’s in Iraq other than the obvious answer that they are incapable of making up this stuff?

April 26th, 2013, 11:06 am

Akbar Palace said:

Hopeful,

Nice to see we have sane people on this forum.

The WMD was bad intelligence and was the main impetus to get world opinion behind the US. Remember UNSC 1407 passed unanimously, including Syria. If Saddam would have let the inpsectors go where they wanted, he would still be alive.

Now we’re seeing Iran pull the same stunt.

IMHO, the “WMD” was Saddam Hussein, who had killed way more Iraqis than coalition forces.

I guess “resistance” is more glamorous.

April 26th, 2013, 11:16 am

revenire said:

Hopeful the Anglo-Americans conspired to take the world to war in Iraq for geopolitical reasons just as they are doing now in Syria.

They cooked the books of intelligence services. This later came out. The people feeding this intelligence knowingly lied in order to give justification for attacking Iraq. April Glaspie lied to Hussein about Kuwait. Colin Powell knew he was telling a lie and said so. Wesley Clark also has documented the conspiracy. It is written about in 1000s of articles and dozens of books – all documented with primary sources.

Today the same evil men are using chemical weapons stories to try to justify an attack on Syria. These are KNOWING lies. That is a conspiracy.

Do you know what the word conspiracy means?

con·spir·a·cy (kn-spîr-s)
n. pl. con·spir·a·cies
1. An agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act.
2. A group of conspirators.
3. Law An agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime or accomplish a legal purpose through illegal action.
4. A joining or acting together, as if by sinister design: a conspiracy of wind and tide that devastated coastal areas.

The Iraq wars, Libya and Syria all fit the definition. Maybe you use another dictionary?

I realize you’re trying to dismiss facts by deriding “conspiracy theorists” but that is silly in the face of facts.

Do yourself a favor and don’t EVER parrot the media line, or the Anglo-American line, to me. I don’t have time to educate every clown who shows up here spouting nonsense.

April 26th, 2013, 11:20 am

Hopeful said:

Watch it Akbar. If you compliment me too much you blow my cover as a secret CIA/Mossad/whatever agent!

Come to think of it, I wish more people join “intelligence services” everywhere, because most of our problems in the Middle East occurs because of bad intelligence everywhere around. If Saddam knew better how western governments worked, he would have allowed the inspectors in and prevented a war.

April 26th, 2013, 11:26 am

Dawoud said:

253. ann

Wow 🙂 Ann, Bashar al-Assad’s and Hasan Nasra$s’ chief supporter on this blog, is alignining herself with the crazy/wacko/Islamophobe Glen Beck 🙂 Not to be unexpected from her Hizba$s brainwashed a$$ 🙂 That’s why I call her the “American Hizbistan 🙂 ”

Speaking of Lebanon’s Shiite Hizba$s, its former genernal-secretary is estimating that almost 150 of Hizba$s’ fighters have so far died while supporting the bloody Syrian dictatorship. Good riddance!
http://www.alquds.co.uk/?p=37796
الطفيلي يتحدث عن سقوط 138 قتيلا من حزب الله في سورية: لا يقاتل دفاعاً عن ‘مقام السيدة زينب’ بل دفاعاً عن نظام الأسد
سعد الياس
APRIL 25, 2013

بيروت – ‘ القدس العربي ‘ تابع اللبنانيون امس نبأ إسقاط اسرائيل طائرة استطلاع تابعة لحزب الله آتية من لبنان، ولاحظت أوساط من قوى 14 آذار أن حزب الله اراد إرسال هذه الطائرة فوق اسرائيل بعدما كثرت الاعتراضات على انغماس بندقيته في القتال في سورية وبعد الدعوات المتكررة لاعادة تصويب وجهة البندقية في اتجاه اسرائيل.
وفي اطار المواقف المنتقدة تورط حزب الله في معارك سورية، كشف الامين العام السابق لحزب الله الشيخ صبحي الطفيلي ‘أن 138 قتيلاً سقطوا لحزب الله في معارك سورية التي جاء تدخله فيها بناء لأوامر مباشرة من ايران’، وتمنى ‘أن يتعقل الجميع ويرجعوا الى ضمائرهم’، داعياً ‘ حزب الله الى العودة من سورية ووقف القتال هناك’، ومعتبراً أنه ‘لا يقاتل دفاعاً عن ‘مقام السيدة زينب’ بل دفاعاً عن نظام بشار الأسد’، وقال: ‘ليرجعوا من سورية ومن الفتنة، حرام شرعاً نصرة الظالم وقتل المسلمين في سورية’.
ورأى الطفيلي ‘أن كل لبنان ليس بمأمن من سلاح المعارضة أو النظام السوري ولن نستطيع أن ننأى بأنفسنا اذا توغلنا الى الداخل السوري متعهداً بعدم مس اي شيعي او غير شيعي في سورية اذا انسحب حزب الله من الاقتتال’، قائلاً: ‘المعارضة السورية تعهدت بعدم المس بكل من لا يؤيد النظام وانا اتعهّد اذا كان الامر دفاعاً عن النفس كما يقولون بعدم مس اي شيعي او غير شيعي في سورية اذا انسحب حزب الله من سورية’
[…]

April 26th, 2013, 11:36 am

revenire said:

Dawoud how many rats have died this week? Any former rats talking? Oh, they can’t – they’re all dead.

🙂

April 26th, 2013, 12:01 pm

zoo said:

Did the opposition plant the WMD evidence to draw the US in? It’s highly probable as the opposition is in a state of extreme desperation and is looking for any pretext to force the West into a military intervention

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-26/king-urges-cautious-response-to-syrian-nerve-gas-reports.html

“We got to be sure that it really is the regime and not the opposition that is planting evidence in order to draw us in,” King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital With Al Hunt” airing this weekend. “These are very serious consequences.”

April 26th, 2013, 12:13 pm

Dolly Buster said:

revenire said:
the Anglo-Americans conspired to take the world to war in Iraq

Yeah but when the Crusaders attacked Iraq in 2003, they left behind their manservant Nouri al-Maliki.

So, any sane person should have built up Rage against this retard al-Maliki and his Shiite followers.

And today → those same purveyors of evil have sided with Bashar the pig.

April 26th, 2013, 12:32 pm

Dolly Buster said:

@ zoo 261.

No, it is not probable that people have voluntarily ingested Sarin just to have some neat results. Also: they don’t have such chemicals in their possession.

Yes your Shiite army is quite courageous when it uses 20th century air force against 3 year old malnourished civilians, but you will soon be crying uncle when we deliver sophisticated cruise missiles into your ass.

I spit on Imam Husayn’s corpse.

April 26th, 2013, 12:40 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

#243, yes.

I would add lies.

every post by dolly, the state dept cubicle jew, assigned to lie at sc.

April 26th, 2013, 12:46 pm

revenire said:

Dolly can you, or anyone, explain why Syria would use a limited amount of sarin? What use would it be? What possible military use would chemical weapons have?

It boggles the imagination.

April 26th, 2013, 1:07 pm

Akbar Palace said:

Green Thumbs just Don’t Grow Plants

every post by dolly, the state dept cubicle jew, assigned to lie at sc.

MATTHEW BARBER,

Are you still “moderator” or did you pass the baton to someone else?

5 Danicing Racists,

Leave Dolly alone, I am one of only two “cubicle jews” on this website whether you like it or not.

Hopeful,

I know you’re a Joo imposter. Give yourself up before it’s too late!

0 9

See what happens when you don’t become a conspiracy theorist: you get “shut out” without any green thumbs…

April 26th, 2013, 1:30 pm

ann said:

US Unveils Iraq WMD “Curveball-Style” Lies Vs. Syria – Tony Cartalucci – April 26, 2013

The “Curveball-style” lies told about Iraq are now being repeated about Syria by an increasingly unhinged West who has tried every trick in the book, and is flipping back to the beginning to start over again. The question is, can the world afford to be led down this path again, knowing exactly where it ends? Nations and people outside the Wall Street-London international order are tasked with foiling this criminal war of aggression – unable this time to plead ignorance to the West’s true intentions

http://www.infowars.com/us-unveils-iraq-wmd-curveball-style-lies-vs-syria/

The last two weeks have seen a series of victories for the Syrian Army across Syria. It appears that 2 full companies of so-called “Free Syrian Army” fighters have been annihilated near Damascus, while government forces have restored order in parts of Homs and along the previously porous Lebanese-Syrian border.

Time has run out for the West, and it appears that they are desperately seeking any excuse to rescue their failing proxy war. When urgent, but otherwise unjustified military intervention is needed, a “humanitarian” pretext is usually invented – as it was in Libya. Failing that, as the West has already clearly done in Syria, an even more tenuous narrative has been resurrected from its well-earned grave. CNN has reported in their article, “Hagel: Evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria,” that:

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Thursday that the United States has evidence that chemical weapons have been used in Syria.
This comes a couple of days after an Israeli intelligence official said Damascus was using weapons banned under international law against its own people in the country’s civil war. Syria has said rebels have used chemical weapons.
U.S. President Barack Obama has said the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons against its own people in the country would be a “game changer.”

Astonishingly, the West is attempting to repeat tales of “WMD’s” in Syria, just as it infamously did in Iraq. In the Washington Post’s “U.S. intelligence agencies: Assad used chemical weapons ‘on a small scale’,” the nature of this “evidence” is elaborated on (emphasis added):

Hagel said the intelligence agencies’ assessment was reached with “varying degrees of confidence,” meaning that they lacked proof or overwhelming evidence. He said the conclusion was “reached within the last 24 hours” and that the White House delivered a letter outlining the findings to Congress Thursday morning.

A letter from the White House via the Washington Post exposed further just how tenuous the evidence actually is (emphasis added):

Our intelligence community does assess with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin. This assessment is based in part on physiological samples. Our standard of evidence must build on these intelligence assessments as we seek to establish credible and corroborated facts. For example, the chain of custody is not clear, so we cannot confirm how the exposure occurred and under what conditions. We do believe that any use of chemical weapons in Syria would very likely have originated with the Assad regime.

Physiological samples indicating sarin – in other words – samples taken from people exposed to sarin, could have been produced in a number of ways. It is confirmed that Libya’s chemical weapon stockpiles included sarin and mustard gas. In the Washington Post’s 2011 “Libya’s poison gas unaffected by turmoil, official says,” it was stated:

Experts believe that Libya destroyed about 3,300 bombshells designed to carry mustard and sarin gas chemicals years ago, as part of its deal to end decades of economic and diplomatic isolation with the West.

But some 10 metric tons of mustard sulfate and sarin gas precursor remain stockpiled in barrels at three locations in the Libyan desert south of Tripoli, where Moammar Gaddafi has holed up in a last-ditch fight to keep from being overthrown.

Many experts worry that the barrels are ripe for picking by terrorists linked to al-Qaeda.

Of course, since 2011, it is now confirmed that the so-called “Libyan rebels” were actually Al Qaeda terrorists operating under the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) which has been confirmed to have subsequently traveled to Syria to join Al Qaeda’s al-Nusra franchise in NATO’s proxy war there.

It is just as likely that NATO’s proxy forces brought along with them not only small arms and cash from Libya, but also heavier weapons, including possibly chemical weapons – and specifically – sarin and mustard gas.
….

Considering that the Syrian government knows the use of chemical weapons would basically hand the moral, strategic, and geopolitical initiative over to the West, and in light of its recent gains made using conventional weapons and tactics, it makes it all the more likely any real sarin to be found and used in Syria was the work of NATO proxies attempting to produce a plausible casus belli. Terrorists operating in Syria have already been caught using other chemical weapons.

And yet still, despite all of this doubt, the Western political establishment has hailed the so-called “findings” as the “game changer” required to green-light US military intervention.

Remember “Curveball”

It is absolutely imperative to recall the propaganda campaign conducted prior to invading Iraq in 2003. Chemical weapons were also used as a pretext for an otherwise unjustified war. The “intelligence” used by Hagel’s predecessors was admittedly fabricated on-demand.

In the British Independent’s article, “Man whose WMD lies led to 100,000 deaths confesses all: Defector tells how US officials ‘sexed up’ his fictions to make the case for 2003 invasion,” it stated:

A man whose lies helped to make the case for invading Iraq – starting a nine-year war costing more than 100,000 lives and hundreds of billions of pounds – will come clean in his first British television interview tomorrow.

“Curveball”, the Iraqi defector who fabricated claims about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, smiles as he confirms how he made the whole thing up. It was a confidence trick that changed the course of history, with Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi’s lies used to justify the Iraq war.

He tries to defend his actions: “My main purpose was to topple the tyrant in Iraq because the longer this dictator remains in power, the more the Iraqi people will suffer from this regime’s oppression.”

We can already envision the establishment defending in hindsight its next “noble lie” to unseat “the tyrant in Syria.”

The Independent continues:

But Mr Janabi, speaking in a two-part series, Modern Spies, starting tomorrow on BBC2, says none of it was true. When it is put to him “we went to war in Iraq on a lie. And that lie was your lie”, he simply replies: “Yes.”

US officials “sexed up” Mr Janabi’s drawings of mobile biological weapons labs to make them more presentable, admits Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, General Powell’s former chief of staff. “I brought the White House team in to do the graphics,” he says, adding how “intelligence was being worked to fit around the policy”.

How “intelligence was being worked to fit around the policy,” indeed is the most important aspect of the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, and is without doubt what is being done in Washington, Doha, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv in regards to Syria now.

[…]

http://www.infowars.com/us-unveils-iraq-wmd-curveball-style-lies-vs-syria/

April 26th, 2013, 2:29 pm

Dolly Buster said:

If everyone adopted the advice of Hamad bin Jassem, the world would be a better place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA986PhQOlg

His Excellency owns among other things an $18 million apartment in London. If he can build success for himself, he can also help you and Qatar become a success.

Success is contagious, and everyone wins.

April 26th, 2013, 2:29 pm

Dolly Buster said:

revenire said:
explain why Syria would use a limited amount of sarin? What use would it be?
It boggles the imagination.

You are making the mistake of looking for Rational explanation for Shia actions. There is no logical reason why anyone would use a Mig airplane to kill mustad’afeen. There is no reason why Iraqi Shiites would imprison 30,000 Iraqi Sunnis in torture gulags. Yet all of this happens, because Shiites serve evil.

April 26th, 2013, 2:32 pm

revenire said:

Dolly you’re sounding pretty nuts with this crazy anti-Shia ranting and wild theories of why Syria would use chemical weapons.

Let’s cut to the chase: the terrorists the Anglo-Americans sent to destroy Syria are being badly beaten by the Syrian army and that is why we have heard the most recent chemical weapons stories – to try to prod the United States into attacking Syria directly.

The rest is just noise.

April 26th, 2013, 2:43 pm

Hopeful said:

#257 Rev

You still did not answer my question…

If Bush, Powell, etc. all knew they were lying about the WMD’s, why didn’t they cook up some story about finding them in Iraq to avoid all the lash back? It wouldn’t take much to plant some mobile trucks with equipment and bring the press/media (which was conspiring with them anyway) to cover the big story about how Bush was a hero to save the world from Saddam?

April 26th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Badr said:

No UN investigation team in Syria, then no verification, and an excuse for no reaction.

How to investigate chemical weapons allegations

April 26th, 2013, 3:46 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

Assad would use a limited amount of Sarin is to test Obama red line, This is what Iran is doing for their nuclear development,it is to test the world resolve, they are moving slowly,too,.
Assad already crossed the red line,by killing over 120,000 , Obama will be criticized for his hesitancy and procrastinating.
I like to know the results of his meeting with the Arab leaders,and waiting for his meeting with Erdogan,these meeting indicate he is going in that direction but rather slowly, very slow,but I am sure at the end he will declare NFZ in the north.
Iraq events will determine US involvements,two revolutions will force Obama to interfere,Iraq has oil , doing nothing in Iraq will effect US interest negatively,.
Free Syrian army did not decline the aid from Sheikh Assir in Lebanon,Hizb Iran is already in Halab and Idleb,If any member of Hizb Iran is captured he is to be treated as mercenary,and justify killing him after getting captured,the same for shabbiha.

April 26th, 2013, 3:46 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

# 271

since every one except bush w, who had to be kept in the dark for his righteous anger and signature, knew the lies they were giving out were lies (wolfowitz admitted it),

you answer your own question.

are the liars now planting lies of destruction against Syria so that bomber one can be a hero and save … ?

April 26th, 2013, 3:47 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

hot off the hot-air american news, former ct senator for Israel, drummer boy joe liarberman,

wants war

now

against Syria.

real war.

not sanctions, lies, and proxy terrorist rats type of war.

April 26th, 2013, 3:56 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

the cubicle jews

and

the talentless, state dept hacks

forget one truth can handle their infinite number of lies repeated endlessly.

but

they aren’t paid to remember or think.

only

to keyboard scripted lies.

April 26th, 2013, 4:04 pm

Hopeful said:

#266 Akbar

I am now at 0-21. I think it is a record on SC. I will try to beat it later by writing a post on how I believe that the US and Israel had nothing to do with the Suni-Shiite war in Karbala in 680.

April 26th, 2013, 4:06 pm

revenire said:

“If Bush, Powell, etc. all knew they were lying about the WMD’s, why didn’t they cook up some story about finding them in Iraq to avoid all the lash back?” – Hopeful

They floated the idea – in many places from many administration officials – that the Iraqi WMD had been smuggled to guess where?

SYRIA.

Remember?

“Condi: Saddam’s WMDs Possibly Smuggled to Syria

“National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that a
report indicating that Saddam Hussein smuggled his weapons of mass
destruction to Syria just before the U.S. attacked last year is ‘a scenario that has to be looked into.’

“‘We still don’t have clarity about what role Syria may have played inthe movement of weapons one way or another before the war,’ she told radio host Sean Hannity.”

AND MORE

Did Syria Receive Its Chemical Weapons from Saddam?
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2012/07/did-syria-receive-its-chemical-weapons-saddam/55142/

Anything else weak-minded HOPEFUL?

April 26th, 2013, 4:18 pm

revenire said:

One of the big TIN FOIL HAT boys. He is into conspiracy theories. No way a general like Clark – former NATO commander – would know this right?

LOL

April 26th, 2013, 4:22 pm

Hopeful said:

# 278 Rev

You still did not answer my question, why didn’t they plant them and find them in Iraq and avoided the humiliation? If they were capable of plotting 9/11 they are surely capable of planning a much simpler conspiracy as a few mobile trucks with WMD equipment on them.

The “probably been smuggled to Syria” comments show that they were as surprised as anyone else that WMD’s were not found in Iraq.

April 26th, 2013, 4:35 pm

Hopeful said:

#279 Rev

Clark and others have rightfully accused the Bush administration of selectively choosing intelligence and information to support their decision to go to war in Iraq. This is bad leadership (as I stated in my original post), but it does not mean lying. You are selectively choosing information to prove your point that the US conspired to invade Iraq, but that does not mean you are lying about your belief that the US did so. I do not accuse you of lying. I am simply saying you are wrong and misinformed.

The US administration under Bush was wrong and misinformed. Their intelligence failed. The leadership made a conclusion and started to look only for information and intelligence to support its point of view. It became a dysfunctional organization where only one opinion prevailed. But this is a far cry from what you are saying, which is they knew that WMD’s were NOT there and they chose to lie about it.

Reminds me of Syria under Assad today, but I won’t dwell on that to avoid diversion.

April 26th, 2013, 4:52 pm

Syrialover said:

The people of Kafranabel comment on Hezbollah mercenaries in Syria

https://twitter.com/yasmeenmobayed/status/327738472389545984/photo/1

April 26th, 2013, 4:52 pm

Hopeful said:

# 278 Rev

The “probably been smuggled to Syria” comments show that they were as surprised as anyone else that WMD’s were not found in Iraq.

April 26th, 2013, 4:55 pm

zoo said:

Syria: Rebels and Kurds clash in Aleppo

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/syria/130426/syria-rebels-fsa-kurds-aleppo

Despite attempts to remain neutral, Kurdish fighters have been drawn into conflict with Syrian rebels in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

ALEPPO, Syria — A Kurdish militia group that has maintained relatively fluid alliances during the 2-year-old Syrian conflict clashed with Free Syrian Army rebels on Friday.

Several people were killed in the initial fighting, including an 8-year-old boy. Heavy gunfire and mortar attacks continued into the night.

April 26th, 2013, 4:57 pm

revenire said:

No idea why they weren’t planted. If I were them I’d have planted them too.

Arrogance? Hubris? Stupidity? Anyone who can tell a knowing lie that results in the murder of 100s of 1000s of innocent people is nuts and what is the old cliche about “Whom they Gods would destroy”?

I am not being selective at all on Iraq at all. The neocons published their plans AHEAD of the war(s). I am not sure how you can dismiss that but feel free. No skin off my back either way.

The Anglo-Americans conspired to go to war against Iraq just as they conspired to overthrow Mosaddegh in 1953 and just as the British Empire conspired with the French early in the 20th century to draw the maps of the region with Skyes-Picot as the Ottoman fell.

We can’t deny history. The British Empire’s thirst for oil gave us dictatorships like Saudi Arabia, Qatar etc. The rivalries among great powers gave us wars. You aren’t naive enough to believe anyone in power in the West gives a damn about the rights of average Syrians are you? It is to destroy Iran-Syria-Hezbollah and have a go at Russia and China as well.

This is how our world works. You are too bogged down in this fake revolution if you ask me. There never really was a revolution. Time will prove what I say correct just as time has proven Assad correct about fighting Al-Qaeda.

April 26th, 2013, 5:16 pm

annie said:

Syria, in the collective imagination of the alternative media progressive had always been “a good guy” for the mere virtue that “the West” had it on a rogue list. Now, rogue lists are ridiculous at best, especially if those paying the price are not the leaders of those nations, and if the compiler of the list has invaded nations in a serial way, but paying the price are the people who face restrictions because they are citizens of those nations, so it is criminal at worst. But to turn Syria into an “anti-Imperialist paradise” also would require evidence to demonstrate such a claim… which has not been forthcoming. Yet… there was no believing the videos making their way out, they were just not taken into consideration, no matter that there were hundreds of thousands of them and they certainly could not continue to be labelled as creations of a film studio in Doha as many “anti-Imperialist pundits” were saying, taking the cue from the regime prompts.

full article here : http://wewritewhatwelike.com/2013/04/26/living-is-easy-with-eyes-closed-misunderstanding-all-you-see-the-mass-media-and-getting-things-wrong-about-syria/

April 26th, 2013, 5:31 pm

Tara said:

Syrian,

Thank you. I appreciate the time you spent finding Sheik Tufili’s interview. I wonder if Hassan Nasralla had any comment.

April 26th, 2013, 5:36 pm

Tara said:

Zoo,

If the US comes back and says they have conclusive evidence that the regime used Sarin against the people, would you stop supporting the regime?

April 26th, 2013, 5:38 pm

amspirnational said:

Hopeful

The WMDs were not planted because the Mideast press was already on the lookout for false planting thereof-it was too risky.
Even those directly involved could have outed the plot later.
Importantly it was assumed the war would be over very quickly, a pro-US, pro-Israel puppet installed and with so few losses the American public wouldn’t even care.

The Administration suppressed more authoritative dissenting intelligence, never presenting it to the American public.
This is called lying.

April 26th, 2013, 6:31 pm

revenire said:

Ha ha. If he says yes I will too Tara.

April 26th, 2013, 6:37 pm

Syrialover said:

HOPEFUL

I have very good recollection of the lead up to the US and allies move against Saddam Hussein in 2003.

And I know that if Iraqis today were living in peaceful prosperity with a competent government as a result of that move (which was the intention), the WMD issue would have been completely forgotten.

People forget there were other very strong drivers for the international community to go in to force regime change, and these issues were extensively debated and widely supported.

The WMD issue was a late arrival and only one element that tipped only slghtly what was already a powerfully primed decision. At one stage, allegations were also made that Saddam was linked to the 9/11 al qaeda gang, but this was disproved.

Here’s what I recall.

I hope this might refresh some people’s memories and inform others who were too young or busy to follow the news at the time:

– There was a lot of “unfinished business” after the Kuwait invasion ignited the Gulf War of 1990, which brought world attention to Saddam Hussein as both a regional security threat and vicious internal tyrant.

– That started out as a geopolitical war and response to an act of aggression, but became much more when the world saw Saddam Hussein close up (remember him with the western hostages?) and witnessed the scorched earth destruction of Kuwait by his forces (remember the burning oil wells?),then was shocked at the savage cruelty he inflicted on Iraqis in the aftermath of that war.

– Remember his terrible revenge on the populations in the south who had seized the chance to rebel when they mistakenly thought America would finish him off in 1990? America was heavily criticized by the victims and other countries for not taking it as far as regime change, for stirring things up then walking away.

– And of course, the Kurds. Remember the sight of that terrible mass exodus in 1991? This also heightened international awareness of the Iraqi regime’s genocidal Halabja gas attack on Kurdish civilians in 1998 and other atrocities.

– Just as is happening with Syria today, where the world has been shocked to discover the true nature of the Assad regime, there was a lot of anguished “what to do?” about Saddam Hussein for over a decade before the US took action in 2003.

– Those above factors contributed heavily to the move to invade and overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. The WMD issue was brought very late in the game by some as a hook, but the debate at the time was much wider and deeper and more compelling, centering on human rights, regional security and so on.

– As we know, the fact America stuffed up the post-invasion phase and Iran rushed to get in on the act has resulted in the current terrible disaster in IraQ.

– But the drivers, intensions and hoped-for outcomes of the American-led action in 2003 were very different. The strong momentum towards the decision to act had little to do with the WMD thing.

April 26th, 2013, 6:39 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

wmds weren’t needed to be planted for war only as propaganda for the hick americans.

wmds were an excuse. didn’t really need them. unnecessary effort.

say so is good enough for the patriots.

the war was accomplished. that’s all that counted for Israel.

no wmds? so what.

a ‘mistake’, blamed on Iraqis, was made.

again, you read into the mind of wolfowitz and tell us why he didn’t have a giant watermelon with a radioactive symbol put somewhere in iraq.

the honest inspectors would have said BS.

but the war, the objective, was accomplished. that was the whole point.

#288
more disingenuous than the dolly moniker.

if the lying, fabricating u.s. says anything, why would an honest person believe it?

why would another lie from the lying, fabricating u.s. have anything to do with anyone stop supporting the legitimate govt of Syria?

April 26th, 2013, 6:45 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

amurderka has nothing to do with human rights other than as an excuse to slaughter, destroy.

amurderka violates human rights including inside America.

April 26th, 2013, 6:49 pm

Syrialover said:

HOPEFUL,

I also wonder what the anti-American conspiracy theorists make of the fact that after Obama got through the last election, Hillary Clinton and the US’s top military leaders stood up in a televised public inquiry and revealed they had pushed strongly for early action against Assad.

That’s right, the US State Department and Defense Department heads wanted decisive action on Syria and lobbied strongly for it. But apparently Obama’s team rejected it in favor of focusing on domestic issues.

Can you imagine the ongoing anger and frustration of those senior official who lost the debate?

Likewise there was a lot of anguish, frustration and career damage in the State Department and Pentagon suffered by those who had drawn up very different plans for post-Saddam Iraq and seen them trashed by those close to Bush.

It’s all there to read about. But I guess it was scripted and stage-managed simply to confuse Ameerica’s critics.

April 26th, 2013, 6:59 pm

Syrialover said:

Sadly, my points in #290 and #293 are way over the head of poor old 5 DANCING SHLOMOS.

He has too many clanging noises in his brain to get a grip on reality. His posts here give us a glimpse of the mess. The same tormented confused tape of demon messages, playing on a loop.

I’d like to think that studying the facts presented in my posts could give him some relief.

April 26th, 2013, 7:08 pm

Syrialover said:

Excellent new photo gallery of life inside Syria.

Check out the police women manning the check point!

http://akhbar.alaan.tv/page/jenan-moussa-aleppo-syria?/page/kurds-jenan-moussa-aleppo-syria

April 26th, 2013, 7:30 pm

revenire said:

SL curious: do you believe everything the press reports? Or just things that fit your opinions? I see your snarky know-it-all posts going back at least one year here and that is okay. To each his own but why ask about something the media reported? Do we know it to be true? Doesn’t SANA report things? Those you dismiss but CNN, or whatever you are quoting from, you believe? It doesn’t make sense.

I don’t know Obama personally. I do know that without his support there would be no Syrian war and 70,000 (or whatever the real number is) of our people would be alive.

You can deride me as a nut but you know that in 1953 the Anglo-Americans overthrew Mosaddegh to install the Shah.

What I believe about you is you believe in conspiracies you like and dismiss those you don’t want to believe.

Take your boy Khatib – he said there was an international conspiracy arrayed against Syria. You did not touch that with a ten foot pole because he sounds like Assad when he says that. Maybe Khatib will have a Damascus Road conversion and rejoin humanity and help end the conspiracy murdering our people.

April 26th, 2013, 7:36 pm

zoo said:

#288 Tara

If the investigation shows that the rebels have used WMD, will you stop supporting them and support Bashar Al Assad?

April 26th, 2013, 7:59 pm

Tara said:

Zoo,

I asked you first. You answer and I will answer second. I thought about it and I promise I won’t change my answer based on yours. Please note, I asked you if you would stop supporting Batta as opposed to if you would switch sides.

April 26th, 2013, 8:27 pm

MarigoldRan said:

Pffffft.

The retard is arguing about objectivity? Give me a break.

You support evil, retard. You have no right to speak about morals.

April 26th, 2013, 8:38 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

Zoo if only the rebels used chemical weapons,I would certainly be against them,and call for their punishment.
If both sides used it I would call for both to be tried and punished,
If only Assad side used them then you and me must call for Assad arrest and punish him.
let us see what you say

April 26th, 2013, 8:42 pm

ann said:

Syria: U.S. manipulating chemical weapons evidence, like it did with Iraq – Fri April 26, 2013

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/26/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html

(CNN) — Syria on Friday denied that it has used, or even possesses, chemical weapons and accused the United States and Britain of lying.

“Everything that the American minister and British government have said lack credibility,” Syrian Information Minister Omran Al-Zoubi told Russia TV. “It’s baseless, and it’s a new tactic to put political and economic pressure on Syria.”

The Syrian government is the one who called for an investigation into an incident where chemical weapons were used, Al-Zoubi said. He blamed the use of such weapons on “terrorists,” a term the government uses for rebels.

Syria does not have chemical weapons, and would not use them if it did, he said.

The Americans “want to manipulate the issue, to let whoever used the chemical weapons … get away (with it), and to repeat the Iraq example,” Al-Zoubi said.

ISRAEL

meanwhile, is asking the United States to take the lead in crafting a response to the evidence of chemical weapons.

“I think the U.S., as the leader of the Western world, should lead the efforts with our partners in Europe and Israel and to take action with what we’re seeing happening today in Syria,” Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon told CNN on Friday.

Danon said he could confirm what Israeli military intelligence has reported about Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

“I will not go into specifics, but I can tell you very clear that we know that Syria has used chemical weapons,” he said.

MULLAH DAVID CAMERON

British Prime Minister David Cameron said that he supported Obama and that the use of chemical weapons should form a “red line,” the UK Press Association reported.

But if a red line has been crossed, Cameron was less clear on what the next steps should be.

Asked if the development could result in sending troops into Syria, Cameron said he didn’t want to see that.

[…]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/26/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html

April 26th, 2013, 8:52 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/world/middleeast/syria.html?_r=0
Military jets came from Iraq and attacked rebels area, this opens the borders,Syrian rebels must pour into Iraq

April 26th, 2013, 9:03 pm

zoo said:

…

April 26th, 2013, 9:04 pm

zoo said:

Syria, Iran say Assad to remain in power (at least) till 2014

http://news.yahoo.com/syria-iran-assad-remain-power-till-2014-201138255.html

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Iran and Syria condemned a U.S. plan to assist rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad on Saturday and signaled the Syrian leader intends to stay in power at least until 2014 presidential elections.

The remarks came against the backdrop of a strategic victory for the regime as the military regained control over a string of villages along a key highway to open a potential supply route in Syria’s heavily contested north.

The army command boasted of the achievement in a statement, saying it had eradicated the remnants of “terrorist agents and mercenaries” in the area that links the government-controlled central city of Hama with Aleppo’s international airport.

The reversal of gains, confirmed by Syrian activists, has the potential to change the outcome of the battle in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city where government troops and rebels have been locked in a stalemate for months.

Syrian rebels have long complained that they are hampered by the world’s failure to provide heavier arms to help them battle Assad’s better-equipped military. The international community is reluctant to send weapons partly because of fears they may fall into the hands of extremists who have been gaining influence among the rebels.

April 26th, 2013, 9:05 pm

zoo said:

#289 Tara

This a highly hypothetical question so I don’t want to even think about it.
If if WMD are used to eliminate Al Nusra or Al Qaeda terrorists, I won’t object at all, nor any western country..

April 26th, 2013, 9:11 pm

Ghufran said:

There is no doubt that the intention to attack Syria never faded away but calculations by NATO made those attacks unlikely due to the fear of igniting a regional war where Russia may not allow another Libya scenario to occur, therefore for an attack to occur Putin has to be convinced that he should allow NATO to take another Arab country while Russia agrees to only throw sound bombs at the attackers. Proponents of an attack on Syria have not yet provided us with any believable argument that Russia has anything to gain by giving its back to its last friendly regime in the middle east. This new fuss about chemical weapons is not likely to lead to a real war but it can be used to justify small measures to punish the regime and put a break on its recent military advances. Read Obama and Cameron latest statement on the subject and you will understand why a war is possible but very unlikely.
NATO may choose to use Israel to stretch its muscles but that will not be enough to topple the regime or end the war, this is not 1982.

April 26th, 2013, 9:11 pm

ann said:

Covert help for Syria’s rebels in Jordan – 26 April 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22285555

More evidence has come to light of Syrian rebels receiving training from Western sources in neighbouring Jordan – but the Jordanian Islamists are also taking an interest in the conflict, as the BBC’s Gabriel Gatehouse reports.

The US on Sunday pledged to increase what it calls “non-lethal aid” to the more secular-minded Free Syrian Army. But there have also been reports – officially denied – that US military personnel have been training select groups of FSA fighters in neighbouring Jordan.

In a nondescript block of flats in an anonymous Jordanian town, we met a senior commander from the FSA. He agreed to talk to the BBC only on condition of anonymity.

“The lessons focused on small and medium arms, as well as mortars, RPGs [rocket propelled grenades,]” he said.

The commander had not attended the training courses himself. But some of his fighters had and he had been asked to provide a list of names to be put forward for more training in the future.

He said the training took place at a military facility outside the Jordanian capital. This information has been corroborated by other sources in the FSA, who told the BBC that fighters were trained in relatively small groups, on courses lasting two weeks.

The government in Amman has denied that FSA fighters are receiving training on Jordanian soil. Washington has not officially commented on its alleged involvement, stressing only that its assistance to the FSA is strictly “non-lethal”.

But off the record, officials in both capitals have been quoted as confirming the existence of both the camps and of the presence of American trainers. Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported plans to accelerate the pace of the training.

Asked how the Syrian rebels had identified the nationality of their trainers, the FSA commander said:

“Most of the rebels have some education; it was not hard for them to detect the American accent of the trainer. He spoke through a translator. But the way he spoke indicated that he was American.”

other groups too besides the FSA who are using Jordan as a base from which to further their aims inside Syria. And those aims do not necessarily coincide with those of the Americans.

‘God’s law on Earth’

The town of Ma’an is a two-hour drive south of Amman through the featureless Jordanian desert.

In a compound on the outskirts we met one of Jordan’s leading Salafists, a man by the name of Abu Sayyaf.

His full name is Mohammed al-Chalabi. In 2004 he was convicted of involvement in an al-Qaeda-linked plot to attack a Jordanian military base housing American soldiers.

Mr Chalabi was later sentenced to death. But his sentence was commuted, and now he is out, helping to recruit young Jordanians to cross into Syria and fight with the Islamist rebel group the al-Nusra Front.

“We have 500 of our men [Jordanian Salafists] fighting in Syria,” he said, adding that more than 30 had been killed.

Earlier this month, leaders from al-Nusra announced their allegiance to al-Qaeda. Mr Chalabi said his Salafist movement shared the same goals.

“Our aim is an Islamic government that establishes God’s sharia law. Any regime that doesn’t do this is blasphemous and must be removed.”

“We hope that the fall of the regime in Damascus will bring about the end of the conflict in Syria,” Mr Chalabi said.

“But my personal belief is that, after the fall of the regime, there will be other battles. The fight will last until God’s laws are established on Earth.”

“On Earth?” I queried.

“In Syria,” Abu Sayyaf corrected himself.

[…]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22285555

April 26th, 2013, 9:15 pm

zoo said:

#302 Majed

After the fiasco of the WMD, I think the rebels are inventing just anything to get the West to intervene.
Yet, if this true, it is a great news! After Hezbollah, now Iraq is attacking the Al Nusra rebels!
Al Maliki probably got the OK from the USA to start eliminating the all Sunni terrorists allied with Al Qaeda.
I’d like to see the courageous Qatar army with its billions worth of US made planes and weapons intervening…

April 26th, 2013, 9:23 pm

Tara said:

Zoo,

So if the regime has used chemical weapons to destroy al Nusra or Al Qaeda, how many collateral damage you are willing to accept? 1000, 10,0000, 100,000, a million? Where is your cut off?

Before you answer, please think…Would that also be applicable to Israel in its relation to Hamas which Israelis wholeheartedly believe it to be a terrorist organization? Or was it ok for Saddam to use it against the Kurds who I am sure he believed to be terrorists trying to destabilize his reign (ie Iraq in his opinion).

I know I am trading a dangerous territory, after all there is a fantasy living in my brain that I would like not to shatter.

—

My answer is if the rebels are proved to have used chemical weapons, I would stop suppoting armed struggle and declared Syrians not ready for it yet. I would continue to support non-violent struggle to topple the regime and will never ever switch ton Batta al
Assad side.

April 26th, 2013, 9:42 pm

Sami said:

A few interesting reads:

A Hired Killer in Syria Reconsiders His Role

Abu Rami, a slightly built 17-year-old, said that for nine months last year he killed countless times for the Assad government. In his neighborhood, people called him the Assassin of Nisreen, he said — a name taken from a street of Alawite and Druse families in Tadamon. He and his men were not soldiers or police, but members of the shabiha …

Abu Rami said he was paid 15,000 Syrian pounds, or $215, per month, which is around the minimum wage in Syria. Payments were higher, he added, for those who accepted missions outside their own neighborhoods and for killing armed opponents. A confirmed kill earned a bonus of 2,000 pounds.

Life changed for Abu Rami in January, however, when his older brother, in a bid to extract him from the shabiha, took him to a workshop organized by an opposition group that promotes dialogue over violence.

{…}

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/middleeast/a-hired-killer-in-syria-reconsiders-his-role.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

Bashar’s War

For the Syrian regime’s faithful mouthpieces, victory is always around the corner.

Activists’ accounts of the Syrian military’s capture of the town over the weekend, which culminated in an alleged wave of summary executions and dismemberments, have placed the number of dead at anywhere from 80 to 500 people. But according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Jdeidet al-Fadl saw “a series of successful operations” in which the Syrian military “destroyed the terrorists’ nests and gatherings.” Forebodingly, SANA says that operations in Jdeidet al-Fadl “have neared their end.”

This is the sort of victory that defines the worldview of the Syrian regime media. Television, radio, and print outlets controlled by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad articulate a single vision of the war: that the Syrian Arab Army is waging an unrelenting campaign against terrorists led by Jabhat al-Nusra, an affiliate of al Qaeda, who are the vanguard of a “universal” conspiracy against the Syrian people. But Syria will prevail, state media contend, and its people will build a new, better country founded on dialogue and openness — an oasis of religious and ethnic tolerance.

[…]

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/04/23/bashar_s_war?page=full

Syria: The Reckoning

(A two part series by AJE on the history leading up to the revolution.)

The history of modern Syria offering an intriguing and incisive perspective on the current war in the country.

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2013/04/2013415114923968435.html

A one hour long footage from atop an Assadi tank in Darayya filmed by ANNA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1lQJ8dMOvqk

(Click on the CC tab for the english subtitle, an interesting window into the “other side” without the usual LiveLeaks vulgarity. This is obviously heavily edited for the Russian consumption as ANNA is a Kremlin mouth piece)

April 26th, 2013, 9:56 pm

Citizen said:

It appears that the US, Israel, or NATO plan to stage a huge false flag chemical attack in Syria, blame it on Bashar al-Assad’s government, and go in with an overt invasion, because nothing they have tried in the last two years, in terms of arming, funding, and training the hired mercs who comprise the Free Syrian Army, has worked.
Obama is literally out of time, in terms of scheduling for this to take place, because he did, apparently promise Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu last summer that if there was no diplomatic resolution on Iran by June of this year, that the US would attack Iran; and regime change in Syria, which would isolate Iran, is a necessary component to the accomplishment of that plan.
Next Wednesday is the 1st of May, so this administration has roughly one month to get Al-Assad out of the way to prepare for the invasion of Iran.

Building a Pretext to Wage War on Syria: As NATO Terror Front Collapses, US Drums Up Familiar WMD Lies
http://www.globalresearch.ca/building-a-pretext-to-wage-war-on-syria-as-nato-terror-front-collapses-us-drums-up-familiar-wmd-lies/5332923
If NATO or the United States decide to go to invade Syria, catastrophic consequences will come and curse the invaders!

April 26th, 2013, 10:01 pm

Juergen said:

April 26th, 2013, 10:14 pm

Juergen said:

The path was set a long time ago. Hassan Nasrallah in an old speech:

„ Our aim is to turn Lebanon in an shiite state which will be part of an bigger schiite state under the leadership of the righteous. ( he means here clearly the reign of the Mullahs in Iran) “
قرآت اليوم على احدى المدونات والتي تدعى شؤون استرتجية تجليلا يتناول اسباب ونتائج دخول حزب الله على خط الحرب في سوريا
وقد لاحظت ان هذا التحليل يتطابق مع ما قاله منذ مدة الطفيلي الامين العام السابق لحزب الله.

April 26th, 2013, 10:19 pm

Juergen said:

AJ in the destroyed Omayad mosque of Aleppo.

April 26th, 2013, 10:22 pm

zoo said:

#308 Tara

I know it won’t be easy to get rid of the terrorists without massive casualties so I don’t recommend the use of WMD. They better be killed by the Syrian Army with traditionnal weapons.

Hoping for ‘peaceful demonstrations’ to topple Bashar Al Assad after two years of violence is pure fantasy I guess you believe in fairy tales, I don’t.

April 26th, 2013, 10:53 pm

zoo said:

Citizen

The US administration has huge problems on their hand.
First the disastrous state of the opposition that is supposed to take over the institutions if the regime falls.
Second the FSA that was supposed to replace the army to ensure the security, is infested by Al Qaeda and are in the process of loosing the areas they occupied for more than a year..

Therefore, the US army will have to get in and ensure the security of the country. That seems like an impossible task and I doubt Obama will opt for that.

This is why I think Obama will call on Russia to find a compromise solution even if the opposition must be squeezed to accept negotiations without conditions.
We’re getting close…

April 26th, 2013, 11:08 pm

zoo said:

Citizen

The US administration has huge problems on their hand if the regime falls..
First the disastrous state of the opposition that is supposed to take over the institutions.
Second the FSA that was supposed to replace the army to ensure the security, is infested by Al Qaeda and are in the process of loosing the areas they occupied for more than a year..

Therefore, the US army will have to get in and ensure the security of the country. That seems like an impossible task and I doubt Obama will opt for that.

This is why I think Obama will call on Russia to find a compromise solution to keep the present institutions even if the opposition must be squeezed to accept negotiations without conditions.
We’re getting close…

April 26th, 2013, 11:11 pm

revenire said:

Sami with the garbage Western propaganda singing to a rat choir.

April 26th, 2013, 11:27 pm

Citizen said:

The main idea regarding Middle East and Central Asia wealth (natural resources) is for USA and some European country to occupy the entire area from Lebanon to Afghanistan or even Pakistan.., the origin of the idea is from Paul Wolfowitz, the architect of Balkan war is Madeline Albright, the architect of Syrian war is Hillary Clinton and Obama following the Paul Wolfowitz, George w. Bush the Saudis, Wahhabis Salafis that are helped by EU and us government during USSR occupation of Afghanistan.., nothing has changed in that regard.., but the fact that a cultural, political and economic unity has been established between, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Russia and China is whats bothering these regimes.., USA government can not see such unity, they see it as a threat to their economic interests, so as Europeans needs to steal more of the people’s wealth by stealing more of people’s natural resources from all over.., for USA being able to continue with its world economic domination they need to have this war to brake that unity and doing so they or in this case israel can come up with all kind of nonsense as such accusation.

There is a war in Syria.., conducted mainly by terrorism from all over Europe and Qatar, Saudi Arabia is the main supporter of these terrorist organizations.., Jordan, Turkish and other regimes are sucked into this war because their political existence depends on Syrian war.., beside that all other news are nothing but nonsense and not even worthy of reading them. Syrian government will never use chemical against their own people or other nation.., because they don’t need to…, they don’t have any interests to occupy or start a war anywhere.., on the other hand.., it is regimes like USA, Europe and Israel that will lie because they have a interests and that is to safguard their system in vulture capitalism.

April 26th, 2013, 11:40 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

291 – “The strong momentum towards the decision to act had little to do with the WMD thing.”

yes, as has been said. the “WMD thing” was the selected lie.

the momentum, rationale to attack Iraq 2003 was provided by israelis occupying u.s. govt positions for their state – Israel.

s. Hussein’s slaughter of the shias in the south was aided and quietly abetted by u.s.

saddam/Iraq was not a regional threat without u.s. pushing, connivance, manipulation, entrapment.

u.s. pushed, aided, and prolonged attack against iran. deceived s. h. to invade Kuwait. s.h. had many good, legitimate reasons to invade the backstabbing, thieving, treacherous al-sabahs.

most if not all the burning oil wells were set afire by u.s. munitions.

kurds fighting against s.h. would be in revolt and should expect the response they received, 1988 not 1998.

note what israel and u.s. do when they aren’t attacked but are the aggressors against innocents – especially wedding parties and hospitals and orphanages.

note especially the jewish westernamerican attacks against the innocent population and culture and religions and history and government of Syria.

there was no anguish for a decade about what to do about s.h. except from jews and jewish media for israel and their hired mouths.

your memory is like your history is like neocon provided u.s. truths – faulty, fabricated.

read oded yinon’s, a strategy for israel for the 1980s.
http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/articles/article0005345.html

April 27th, 2013, 12:05 am

revenire said:

“There is a massive plot to drag the whole world of Islam into a Sunni-Shia war beginning from Syria, then to Lebanon and then to the rest of the region including Iran and Turkey in order to destroy the region, and to consume completely the money in the Gulf states in order to fund this massive war and the purchasing of weapons to fuel this war in which there will be no victor.” – Mouaz Al-Khatib begging Nasrallah to betray his allies and side with the Zionists Khatib is with (fat chance).

April 27th, 2013, 12:11 am

Citizen said:

Israeli government claims that it does not spy on the United States are intended for the media and popular consumption. The reality is that Israel’s intelligence agencies target the United States intensively, particularly in pursuit of military and dual-use civilian technology. Among nations considered to be friendly to Washington, Israel leads all others in its active espionage directed against American companies and the Defense Department. It also dominates two commercial sectors that enable it to extend its reach inside America’s domestic infrastructure: airline and telecommunications security. Israel is believed to have the ability to monitor nearly all phone records originating in the United States, while numerous Israeli air-travel security companies are known to act as the local Mossad stations.

As tensions with Iran increase, sources in the counterintelligence community report that Israeli agents have become more aggressive in targeting Muslims living in the United States as well as in operating against critics. There have been a number of cases reported to the FBI about Mossad officers who have approached leaders in Arab-American communities and have falsely represented themselves as “U.S. intelligence.” Because few Muslims would assist an Israeli, this is done to increase the likelihood that the target will cooperate. It’s referred to as a “false flag” operation.

Mossad officers sought to recruit Arab-Americans as sources willing to inform on their associates and neighbors. The approaches, which took place in New York and New Jersey, were reportedly handled clumsily, making the targets of the operation suspicious. These Arab-Americans turned down the requests for cooperation, and some of the contacts were eventually reported to the FBI, which has determined that at least two of the Mossad officers are, ironically, Israeli Arabs operating out of Israel’s mission to the United Nations in New York under cover as consular assistants.

In another bizarre case, U.S.S. Liberty survivor Phil Tourney was recently accosted in Southern California by a foreigner who eventually identified himself as an Israeli government representative. Tourney was taunted, and the Israeli threatened both him and journalist Mark Glenn, who has been reporting on the Liberty story. Tourney was approached in a hotel lounge, and it is not completely clear how the Israeli was able to identify him. But he knew exactly who Tourney was, as the official referred to the Liberty, saying that the people who had been killed on board had gotten what they deserved. There were a number of witnesses to the incident, including Tourney’s wife. The threat has been reported to the FBI, which is investigating, but Tourney and Glenn believe that the incident is not being taken seriously by the bureau.

FBI sources indicate that the increase in Mossad activity is a major problem, particularly when Israelis are posing as U.S. government officials, but they also note that there is little they can do to stop it as the Justice Department refuses to initiate any punitive action or prosecutions of the Mossad officers who have been identified as involved in the illegal activity.

In another ongoing Israeli spy case, Stewart Nozette appears to be headed towards eventual freedom as his case drags on through the District of Columbia courts. Nozette, an aerospace scientist with a top secret clearance and access to highly sensitive information, offered to sell classified material to a man he believed to be a Mossad officer, but who instead turned out to be with the FBI. Nozette has been in jail since October, but he has now been granted an additional 90-day delay so his lawyers can review the documents in the government’s case, many of which are classified. If Nozette demands that sensitive information be used in his defense, his case will likely follow the pattern set in the nine-times-postponed trial of AIPAC spies Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, who were ultimately acquitted in April 2009 when prosecutors determined that they could not make their case without doing significant damage to national security. A month after Rosen and Weissman were freed, Ben-Ami Kadish, who admitted to providing defense secrets to Israel while working as an engineer at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, walked out of a Manhattan court after paying a fine. He did no jail time and continues to receive his substantial Defense Department pension.

The mainstream media reported the Rosen and Weissman trial intermittently, but there was virtually no coverage of Ben-Ami Kadish, and there has been even less of Nozette. Compare that with the recent reporting on the Russian spies who, by all accounts, did almost nothing and never obtained any classified information. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that spying for Israel is consequence free.
Philip Giraldi, a former CIA Officer, is the Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest.

April 27th, 2013, 12:30 am

ann said:

The Fueling of Unrest in Syria, Israel’s Territorial Ambitions – April 26, 2013

Why We Must Change The Narrative On Syria

Syria today is in turmoil in order to promote Israel’s grand strategy – even as the perpetrator – Israel, plays the victim and warns of chemical weapons use by Assad’s regime, demanding intervention.

“Evil requires the sanction of the victim.” Ayn Rand.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-fuelling-of-unrest-in-syria-israels-territorial-ambitions/5333075

This is sheer misdirection — deliberate or otherwise. Undisputed, Syria and Iran have been staunch allies since the Iranian Revolution in their joint cause to protect Palestinian rights and to stand up Israel and America, and any change in Syria would adversely affect Iran (as it would Russia). But this is a secondary consideration. The generally accepted narrative takes the focus away from the primary reason for the current assault on Syria – Israel .

Since the 1948 war, Syria and Israel have been in a state of war (with brief periods of unsuccessful negotiations). The conflict has been primarily over land and water (see a previous essay The Syria Imperative). Since the 1950’s, conflict over water (and land) has been at the root of hostilities between the two. In the 1950’s, Eisenhower commissioned Eric Johnston to generate a regional water allocation agreement. The failure of the Johnston plan exacerbated the conflict. The published diaries of Israeli Foreign Minister Sharett helps understand why the Johnston negotiations were unsuccessful. Sharett maintained: “[P]olitical decisions concerning the occupation of the rest of Eretz Israel were taken as early as 1954, although implemented in 1967.[i]”

The 1967 occupation of Syria Golan (Golan Heights) and the Upper Mount Hermon by Israel enabled Israel to seize the entire Upper Jordan River giving Israel the advantage of placing its riparian position to fully upstream. Consequently, not only was Syria denied access to Upper Jordan waters, but its territorial and national integrity were assaulted.

Some years later, Haaretz would reveal the existence of a study (Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, Tel-Aviv university) under General Aaron Yariv, former intelligence services chief, which outlined a “zone of hydraulic security”, which called for placing water resources in Syria and Lebanon under full Israeli control[ii]. Disputes continued unabated and the status quo maintained until 1982 when the military prowess of both sides were tested.

A 1987 book by Col. Emmanuel Wald of the Israeli General Staff entitled “The Ruse of the Broken Vessels: The Twilight of Israeli Military Might (1967-1982) reveals the aims of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon and the month of pre-planning that had gone into it. Wald writes that Ariel Sharon’s master plan codenamed “Oranim” was to defeat the Syrian troops deployed in the Bekaa Valley all the way to the district of Baalbek in North of Lebanon. According to Wald, “during the fist days, it was quietly approved by the U.S. ”.

With this aim, on June 6, 1982, Israeli advanced into Lebanon. However, the Syrian army halted the Israeli army advance in the battle of Sultan Yakub and the battle of Ain Zahalta. Sharon ’s plan to conquer all of Lebanon and destroy Syria as a military power was thwarted. In reviewing the book and the battles, the famous scholar and activist, Israel Shahak, opined that “the principal purpose of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon was destruction of the Syrian Army”[iii].

Shahak posits that Israel needs to win its wars quickly or not at all. In spite of technological and nuclear superiority, another assault on Syria would not predictably bring an easy win to Israel and defenses could ‘drag out a war endlessly’. He further argues that during the entire history of Israel , Israeli Jews have shown themselves to be highly sensitive to their losses, and high losses make Israelis “susceptible to political arguments against modes of domination and oppression which they otherwise would accept”.

Shahak’s analysis shed a light on events which pursued the failure of “Oranim” as outlined in The Syria Imperative. Israel continues to pursue its grand strategy, using a different tactic given its awareness of, and its familiarity with the strengths of the Syrian army – an army which must be disrupted from within given Israel ’s 1982 failure to do so. And this is the primary reason for arming terrorists posing as “opposition”.

It is not without irony that Netanyahu has recently admitted that he does not rule out arming Syrian rebels, given Israel’s age-old tactic of arming minorities or rebels and cultivating dissent and chaos (such as the Anya Nya in Sudan , later the Sudanese People Liberation Army (SPLA), and the leader of the Sudanese rebels, John Garang armed by Israel from neighboring countries). This is a scenario being repeated in Syria .

Paradoxically, the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) who are today on a mission to secure Israel’s vision (with a nod from Washington) by arming rebels and undermining Syria, were all in favor of securing Syria in 2003 when they told Washington: “We think the threat to Syria should stop. We don’t think Syria wants a war or to escalate any situation. We reject any infringement of Syria ‘s security.”[iv] There is no end to their duplicity.

Amos Yadlin, the outgoing military intelligence chief warnedthe Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in November 2010 that Israel ‘s next war would take longer and be fought on more fronts. Yaldin warned that Syria in particular, posed a greater military obstacle to Israel than at any time in the past three decades. It would appear that the Syria unrest has allayed his concerns. The Syrian forces which put up such a resistance in 1982, are now engaged fighting terrorists, while the world is being told that they are the violators. Perhaps Netanyahu’s plan will succeed where Sharon ’s Oranim failed.

[…]

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-fuelling-of-unrest-in-syria-israels-territorial-ambitions/5333075

April 27th, 2013, 12:31 am

ziad said:

The US used chemical weapons in Iraq – and then lied about it

http://m.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/nov/15/usa.iraq

April 27th, 2013, 12:31 am

Jasmine said:

Very disturbing clip,just wondering why it is not included in the Syrian video collection?

April 27th, 2013, 1:11 am

Juergen said:

Reve

I bet you would love to see your dreams of an regionwide war come true. You seem to indulge yourself in a lot of violent fantasies.

Zoo

The last thing an US president can afford is to look weak. I think Obama will impose soon stringent measures, may be through NATO allied nations, may be a joined combat force including AL nations and Turkey.

April 27th, 2013, 1:12 am

Citizen said:

http://youtu.be/rtuk08E09cw?t=2m10s

April 27th, 2013, 1:37 am

ann said:

Boston Bombers Had Links to al Qaeda Terrorist Cells
.
.

April 27th, 2013, 1:58 am

ann said:

BULLSIHT ALERT!! US says Syria may have used chemical weapons
.
.

April 27th, 2013, 2:05 am

Dolly Buster said:

Iraq turned into a hell because of the Shia. They volunteered to fill the ranks of the puppet armed forces & police. They voted in the fake elections.

All of this lead to civil war, as the joint forces of Christianity (USA) and Shiism decided to attack the Sunnis. Fallujah is one example of this.

April 27th, 2013, 2:18 am

Dolly Buster said:

When Bashar dies and makes the front cover of Time without his head, Russia will lose 100% of the war. There is no compromise, but only pure victory for his highness Emir Qatar.

April 27th, 2013, 2:25 am

Citizen said:

Paracetamol – good antipyretic

April 27th, 2013, 2:30 am

Dolly Buster said:

The Russian stock market is collapsing, probably in anticipation of Russia’s disintegration into another 20 countries soon.

http://dyingrussia.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/micec-2013.jpg

I have always maintained that Siberia is a Chinese land, and I invite the Chinese to march in as of tonight.

April 27th, 2013, 2:33 am

Citizen said:

https://twitter.com/MFA_Russia
Lukashevich: UN Secretariat is doing the bidding of those who are more concerned about regime change in Syria than curbing toxic agent use

Lukashevich: The UN Secretariat’s position regarding chemical weapons use in Syria demonstrates a politically charged approach

Lukashevich: An investigation must be carried out by the UN onto toxic agent use by the Syrian opposition near Aleppo on March 19

Lukashevich: We note that some Western nations are spreading alarmist rumours regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria

April 27th, 2013, 2:59 am

annie said:

why we women fight

http://www.featureshoot.com/2013/04/portraits-of-an-all-female-fighting-unit-of-the-free-syrian-army/

April 27th, 2013, 4:16 am

Visitor said:

As we see in this field report, our victorious holy warriors of Nusra Front and associates began the volcano operation in the south of the country and are on the outskirts of Abbaseen in Damascus inflicting fatal blows on the head of the snake. The noble warriors of Nusra are also advancing in the coastal cities and are preparing to flush the scorpion out of its den ridding Syria once and for ALL times to come of this abomination,

http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/syria/2013/04/27/الأمم-المتحدة-تجمع-أدلة-كيماوي-سوريا-وأوباما-يحذر.html

On the other hand, our equally holy warriors in Iraq have completed preparations in forming armies of liberation and have declared holy war to rid the eastern Part of the fertile crescent of Syria from the abomination brought upon it by the manipulative and EVIL designs of the US that were pursued by EVIL GWB which brought the Mullah stooges to this eastern part of the Syrian homeland,

http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/2013/04/26/جيش-العراق-يمهل-المسلحين-48-ساعة-قبل-تطهير-سليمان-بيك.html#

The time for mullah evil is coming to an end due to the heroic efforts and dedications of our holy warriors.

So is the time of EVIL US manipulation. Syria proper (fertile crescent).will soon be free of BOTH EVILS – i.e. mullah and US EVILS.

April 27th, 2013, 4:59 am

Visitor said:

In addition to 337, the holy warriors have extended their reach to the western part of the Syrian homeland. The pictures of the eliminated criminals of the mullah stooges have become ubiquitous in this mullah-infected part of the homeland, thanks to the valiant efforts of the holy Warrioirs of Nusra and associates,

http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/syria/2013/04/27/صور-قتلى-حزب-الله-بسوريا-تنتشر-في-الهرمل-اللبنانية.html#

April 27th, 2013, 5:12 am

MarigoldRan said:

Every violent act by the regime creates more enemies for the regime. Rebel ranks have SWELLED over the last two years of war. Every shell the Assadists launch at a city means further loss of legitimacy. The Assadists can commit violence, but every act of violence only encourages its enemies to fight harder.

After all, what’s the point of killing a “terrorist” if every “terrorist” killed encourages two more to fight?

The war continues.

April 27th, 2013, 5:27 am

Hopeful said:

# 291 SL

Your recollections are all accurate. Thank you for the recap.

The US Adminstration had many reasons to go to war with Saddam, but they did not have the public fully behind them. As any good marketing/PR consultant would tell you, instead of messaging and explaining all the reasons, pick the one that would resonate the most with your audience, and keep repeating it. They chose the WMD issue, which, after 9/11, had the biggest impact with the US public.

Did they use the WMD issue to rally the public to support them on a decision they already made? Of course they did, no one is denying this.

What I am arguing are two things:

1. They did not know that Saddam had NO WMD. Had they known that, they would have picked another reason to sell to the public. Had they been lying about it, they would have as easily lied about finding them in Iraq rather than face the global embarrassment and loss of face of not fining them.

2. Had Saddam been smarter, he would have avoided the war by simply allowing the inspectors in. He would have pulled the rug right from under the US admin and eliminated the reason to invade which they sold to the public. But Alas, Saddam, like many in the Arab world prefer to believe in conspiracies rather than understand how western governments work and steer them to his advantage.

What saddens me the most about the conspiracy theories is the fact that they hurt us more than they hurt them (the west). The Isrealies learned a long time ago how western democracies work and how the US system works and used that knowledge to leverage the US public and resources to advance their agendas and country. Challabi and friends in Iraq learned that as well and used it effectively to convince the US to help the Iraqi opposition topple Saddam by force. He tried for years under Clinton with no success (Clinton was busy domestically and with the Balkan wars), but smartly waited till the right circumstances occurred (9/11 and then Saddam’s own actions against the inspectors) to try again.

April 27th, 2013, 7:24 am

Mina said:

Soooo nice that no one in the discussion of chemical weapons noticed the great ethical step taken by Israel, who by the way never used them but will certainly stop doing it.
Israel ‘to stop using white phosphorus shells’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22310544

April 27th, 2013, 8:16 am

zoo said:

King Abdullah urges the USA to press for a political solution in Syria

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/jordans-abdullah-urges-diplomatic-action-to-end-syrian-conflict/2013/04/25/67f95f32-adbc-11e2-a986-eec837b1888b_story.html?hpid=z3

Jordan is urging the Obama administration to intensify efforts to find a political settlement to the Syrian conflict, warning that its northern neighbor appears increasingly headed toward either anarchy or a breakup that could imperil the region for decades to come.

Jordan’s monarch, King Abdullah II, presented a blunt assessment of the two-year-old conflict during meetings this week with congressional leaders and White House officials, citing evidence that a long-feared splintering of Syria along sectarian and tribal lines appears to be speeding up.

At the White House on Friday, the king described a “fragmentation of Syrian society, which is becoming more and more alarming.”

“We’re now seeing the surge of the second threat appear, which is that of militant terrorist organizations that have risen over the past several months,” Abdullah told reporters at the start of the meeting, his second with President Obama in a month.

Despite military gains by the rebels in some parts of Syria, Jordanian intelligence officials see potential for a protracted struggle lasting many more months or even longer, with neither side capable of a decisive victory. Left on its current trajectory, the conflict will result in “a Taliban-style failed state, or a series of small mini-states,” said a senior Jordanian official, insisting on anonymity in discussing intelligence assessments. “We’re looking at the potential for sectarian spillover, threatening the whole region.”

April 27th, 2013, 9:01 am

revenire said:

“327. JUERGEN said:
Reve
I bet you would love to see your dreams of an regionwide war come true. You seem to indulge yourself in a lot of violent fantasies.”

Isn’t already a regional war with foreign backing of your rats? How many countries have sent filth to die in Syria? I forget but it was something like 24-30 at last count. And to think a few idiots cry about Hezbollah. Pretty funny.

On another note…

Tiny flea Abudullah and his Washington Post story. Trash talk from both.

April 27th, 2013, 9:26 am

zoo said:

327. Juergen

For some Obama is weak, for others he is wise.

For two years he has been mislead by the stupid Clinton that Bashar al Assad would easily fall because his army will desintegrate and anyway all the Syrians are against him.
She was fed with these ridiculous ideas by Qatar, Turkey, France and the UK that assured her that the opposition will become stronger and reliable and can easily replace the Syria government. How little they knew how strong and determined the Syrian governement supported by a large part of the Syrians could be.
Therefore the calls for dialog by Bashar al Assad were seen as signs of his weakness and the USA and the EU just ignored them.

Now it is a mess. The witch Clinton is out for good, all her rants are forgotten, the opposition has never been weaker and Obama has to start from scratch in a situation more explosive than ever.

I believe that Obama is realizing that Bashar al Assad’s presence is a absolute necessity to keep the country together. If Bashar’s government falls because of the USA, the USA will be responsible to maintain the security in the country with US and EU soldiers. He does not want to reach that stage.
Therefore in my view, he will work a new strategy in concert with Russia to force the opposition onto the negotiation table while Bashar is in power and controls the army and all the institutions.

That is the soundest possible policy even if it entails allowing Bashar al Assad to stay in power and get re elected in 2014.
The opposition has received so any slaps, one more won’t harm them.

As the USA has not objected that Mobarak goes, even after having been his ally for 40 years, maybe it’s time for the USA does not object that Bashar stay even if he has been their enemy for a decade.

April 27th, 2013, 9:27 am

Tara said:

Back to Tahiti, Obama ain’t lifting a finger. The red line is now pink

Obama: proof of Syrian chemical weapons would be ‘game-changer’

President Barack Obama warned the Syrian regime on Friday that proof it had used chemical weapons on its civilian population would be a “game-changer”, but cautioned that more evidence was required.

Speaking at the White House, Obama said that confirmation Bashar al-Assad had deployed chemical agents in the protracted Syrian civil war would alter his administration’s “calculus”, but stopped short of declaring that a “red line” had been crossed.

Obama’s cautious comments reflected the lack of a consensus in Washington over how to respond to claims that Syria has used sarin gas in recent incidents. US congressmen briefed by secretary of state John Kerry on Friday said the most likely option would involve joining other countries in arming specific rebel groups.

Sitting alongside King Abdullah of Jordan at the White House, Obama said that the international community “could not stand by and permit the systematic use of weapons like chemical weapons on civilian populations”.
….
Chemical weapons experts have mostly reacted with caution over the claims. Referring to video footage purported to show victims foaming at the mouth, Richard Guthrie, a British chemical weapons expert and former head of the Chemical and Biological Warfare Project of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), said: “That would not be indicative of use of nerve agents, but is more likely to be a sign of a choking agent such as phosgene being used, if anything were used.”

Jean-Pascal Zanders, another expert at the EU Institute for Strategic Studies said: “It’s not possible that what is being shown to the public is a chemical weapons attack. The video from Aleppo showing foaming at the mouth does not look like a nerve agent. I’m wholly unconvinced.” Some press reports of the sarin attack on the Tokyo metro system in March 1995 do refer to some victims foaming at the mouth.

Experts also said that evidence in the form of physical samples, of soil or human tissue, would be of little use without a clear “chain of custody” between the site of an alleged attack at the laboratory where it was analysed. According to a report by McClatchy in the US, the soil sample examined by American experts is “minuscule” and contains a byproduct of sarin that could also be a byproduct of fertiliser production.

The UN has launched an investigation in cooperation with the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the world’s experts on the subject. However, because of disagreements with the Syrian government, some of the investigators are still in Cyprus waiting for a green light, and some have returned to their home countries.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/26/obama-proof-syria-chemical-weapons

April 27th, 2013, 9:31 am

revenire said:

Joke for the Day:

What are the only two Saudi exports?

1. oil
2. Wahabism

Ha ha ha.

April 27th, 2013, 9:36 am

zoo said:

Without a political solution, spillover in neighboring countries is inevitable. Bashar is far from desperate quite the contrary as the Syrian army seems to regain most of the lost areas. It’s the embattled opposition who is calling desperately for foreign intervention, invoking WMD, massacres, Scuds etc..

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/70227/World/Region/Syria-spillover-risk-as-Assad-turns-desperate-Anal.aspx

For Yezid Sayigh of the Carnegie Middle East Centre in Beirut, “the main impact on Jordan and Lebanon is the refugees, which puts them under severe pressure.

“Even those who support the Syrian opposition, are becoming fed up with the refugee influx. If the situation develops, more Syrians, maybe millions, will flee to Jordan and Lebanon,” exacerbating the chances of conflict in the host countries, he told AFP.

Syria’s conflict is increasingly becoming a proxy war, with the rebels backed by US allies Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, and Assad by Hezbollah, Iran and Russia.

Assad’s forces are too stretched to retaliate against those who back the rebels, but occasional cross-border shelling is conceivable, said Skinner.

“Though, these attacks would not be deemed large enough to provoke a strong counter-punch, it’s conceivable that Assad would use proxies that are not so clearly linked to his line of command.”

April 27th, 2013, 9:39 am

revenire said:

Tara what some intelligent people believe about the recent chemical weapons scare: Israel tried to corner the US into attacking Syria.

Syria never used any chemical weapons but your terrorist friends did in Khan al-Assal and the Anglo-Americans blocked investigation of that use.

As the Russians said, if you have proof these weapons were used we need an investigation and the first step is showing the evidence.

It would be embarrassing for the Anglo-Americans (although they don’t care about shame do they?) to show their evidence is nothing but some Israeli trash.

Israel is really terrified of Syria – even today after two years of war.

April 27th, 2013, 9:41 am

5 dancing shlomos said:

buffer zones, yes.

syria requires return to original plus.

buffer zones: lebanon, jordan, palestine, s. arabia, qatar, bahrain, erdogan’s house.

real game changer would be truth from israeli occupied washington.

April 27th, 2013, 9:44 am

zoo said:

Tara

Lot of media bla bla bla to hide that nothing drastic will happen for months to come.
Forget about that WMD story, it is just a diversion to fill the news and hide that the heroic Syrian army is gradually winning back the ‘75%’ that the Al Nusra terrorist and their FSA ally claimed they occupy.

April 27th, 2013, 9:45 am

Tara said:

Zoo,

Heroic?

Heroism means sacrificing one’s life to protect the others, not sacrificing the others to protect oneself. What happened to all bedtime stories your mother used to share with baby Zoo? Did you forget them all?

April 27th, 2013, 9:59 am

revenire said:

Ha ha I love it.

HNN Homs News Network
WHAT’S THIS ?? THE EU WANTS TO RECONCILE WITH SYRIA ???

Véronique De Keyser Vice President of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament: “EU countries must restore their relations with Syria and communicate with President Bashar Al-Assad as a fait accompli.” (accomplished fact)

ENEMIES OF SYRIA, DON’T FORGET TO GET INTO POSITION FOR THE PROCTOLOGIST … – J

Arabic Source

April 27th, 2013, 10:15 am

revenire said:

Tara I don’t know what happened in your life to turn you into this bitter, hateful woman but someday I pray you will understand that a Syrian soldier defending his homeland from a foreign conspiracy is an act of heroism.

A soldier willing to lay down his, or her, life for the motherland is the supreme act of heroism.

We salute these martyrs and their families. With men and women like this Syria will never be defeated.

God be with Syria and her brave army.

April 27th, 2013, 10:27 am

ziad said:

العمل من أجل مجتمع (وعالم) اللاعنف، يعني العمل من أجل بناء مواطنة حقيقية قائمة على حقوق إنسان متغيرة ومتطورة بتغير وتطور الناس واحتياجاتهم..
يعني بالضرورة العمل ضد كل أصولية وطائفية، وخاصة ضد كل سلاح خارج سلاح الدولة.
ويعني بالضرورة أنه لا يمكن أبدا البدء بمسار اللاعنف دون أن تقضي الدولة نفسها على كل جماعة مسلحة خارجها، حتى إن كانت موالية لها،
ودون أن تصير الدولة علمانية مدنية قائمة على المواطنة حصرا.
فكل تمييز بين البشر على أساس الجنس أو الدين أو القومية أو.. هو عنف وتأسيس لعنف.

ولذلك فإن العمل من أجل مجتمع اللاعنف في سورية يمر حكما بالقضاء العنيف على الثورة السورية المنحطة التي هي هيجان قطعان أصولية لا تعترف بحقوق ولا بإنسان، يلونها بعض من مستثقفين حقدهم كان عقلهم، وصار سيدهم، وباعوه لمن يدفع لهم أكثر فيملكهم/ن جسديا وروحيا وعقليا.

القضاء العنيف عليها ما لم يسلم كل من يحمل سلاحا فيها سلاحه وأنفسه، وكل من خان ودعا إلى احتلال سورية أو تقسيمها أو تدميرها أو تجويع شعبها تحت أي مسمى كان.

اللاعنف هو وسيلة لحل النزاعات بين الأفراد، وبين المجموعات، وبين الدول،
وسيلة لا يمكن أن تكون إلا بالقضاء على من هو عنف إجرامي خالص، كالأخونجية والوهابية والقاعدة ومن لف لفهم.

بسام القاضي

April 27th, 2013, 10:56 am

Dawoud said:

Yesterday, I posted on the number of filthy Shiite Lebanese TERRORISTS from Hasan Nasra$s’ Hizba$s, who have been killed in Syria while fighting to support Bashar’s war crimes. Below an excellent news article on this terror group and its role in Syria:

http://news.yahoo.com/lebanon-dragged-hezbollah-joins-syria-war-071508597.html

Lebanon dragged in as Hezbollah joins Syria war
By Oliver Holmes | Reuters – Fri, Apr 26, 2013

By Oliver Holmes
BAALBEK, Lebanon (Reuters) – Along north Lebanon’s highways, the portraits of Hezbollah militants who have died in skirmishes with Israel are fading. But there are glistening photos of those killed in Hezbollah’s new fight.
These men died in Syria, battling alongside the army of Hezbollah’s close ally President Bashar al-Assad against rebel units in a conflict which has killed more than 70,000 people and risks reigniting Lebanon’s 15-year sectarian civil war.
The Shi’ite Muslim group, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, is the most effective military body in Lebanon and its growing involvement in Syria’s quagmire has angered Lebanese Sunni rebel sympathizers.
[…]

Free Syria, Free Palestine, Free Lebanon, Bahrain is Arab Forever!

April 27th, 2013, 11:01 am

Akbar Palace said:

The Syrian Shell Game

Reverse said:

Tara what some intelligent people believe about the recent chemical weapons scare: Israel tried to corner the US into attacking Syria.

Reverse,

I appreciate your POV, and I know all about the need for conspiracy and all the supposed machinations “behind the scenes”, however, I offer my American/pro-Zionist POV for your sense of “open-mindedness”, assuming there is any.

I was encouraged that Chuck Hagel’s meetings in Israel went well and that the US and Israel are basically on the same page. Chuck Hagel stated the obvious, Israel is free to defend herself. I’m reading this in terms of the chemical weapons threat (Syria) and in terms of the nuclear threat (Iran).

MY POV is that whether or not US feels it needs to get involved in these conflicts, it will let Israel do what she wants. The US will help arm Israel and the US will share intelligence. Let us not forget, it isn’t just the US and Israel that is worried about chemical and nuclear weapons in the hands of Syria and Iran, respectively, it is also the Gulf States and Europe.

The latest “tit for tat” was the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Apparently, everyone knows it was used except the US. The uncertainty surrounding it’s usage and the “proof” provided/or not provided is basically a message to Assad that he better not use them again or else.

We’ll see what the US does if and when Assad crosses the next line in the sand, and we’ll see what the GOI does. As with the North Korean nuclear facility that was destroyed by the IDF, chemical weapons stores may be next.

This is just my non-conspiratorial POV.

Syria never used any chemical weapons…

Maybe? I wouldn’t recommend it.

As the Russians said, if you have proof these weapons were used we need an investigation and the first step is showing the evidence.

Sure. An investigation. Just like the one Saddan conducted.

It would be embarrassing for the Anglo-Americans (although they don’t care about shame do they?) to show their evidence is nothing but some Israeli trash.

You’re not supposed to say “Israeli”. This admits to recognizing a country that you’re not supposed to recognize. Get with the resistance program please. Follow Assad’s lead. He’s the best “resistance” fighter the arab world has right now.

Israel is really terrified of Syria – even today after two years of war

Everyone is terrified of Syria, most of all, Syrians.

April 27th, 2013, 11:09 am

majedkhaldoun said:

Zoo
Stop deceiving yourself, Assad army,is not heroeic and is not gaining anything,Quayress airport has been taken by FSA, meenegh airport is partly in FSA hands, Your weak army took a town of 300 people Apel, that fettaish army could not take Qusayr , your fettaish army is losing in Hama and in Deraa provinces too.

Jordan has nothing to worry about, in forming northern Syria,FSA controled free Syria, it is far from Jordan, and Jordan does not have sectarian problem, No Alawi community no Kurd either,over 90% sunni,(true Moslem).
Iraq has to worry about sectarian division where three sects are there,Shiaa,Sunni and Kurd,the christians there are less than 2 %, Maliki army is weak,and he can not use airforce nor missiles there

April 27th, 2013, 11:58 am

zoo said:

Majed and Tara

Are the Al Nusra terrorists, their weak and divided FSA islamist “brigades” your heroes? or the greedy puppets of the SNC or the Moslem Brotherhood sneaking in Syria? or Qatar, the vicious virus of the region?

Then bravo! You well deserve them.

I’ll stick to the heroic national Syria Army fighting to get rid of the parasites that have invaded the country as well as their local accomplices who called them in.

April 27th, 2013, 12:40 pm

zoo said:

Well said

“The American hysteria about the use of chemical weapons was caused by the success of the Syrian Arab Army in striking terrorists,” al-Zoubi was quoted by state TV as saying. The government refers to rebels as “terrorists.”

April 27th, 2013, 12:46 pm

Visitor said:

Kweires airbase is now liberated thanks to the heroic efforts of our fearless holy warriors of the Nusra Front and associates who exhibited extraordinary courage, heroism, dedication, fighting skills and steadfastness in the face of the Mongolian remnants supported by stooges of mullah-stan and Hizbistan. In addition to the quality warfare exhibited by the holy warriors, the Unseen Help of the Al-Mighty was undoubtedly the deciding factor in the happy and positive outcome. Praise be to Allah for granting His servants on this earth of His such a resounding victory,

http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/2dad2dd5-ed93-4b89-896e-111430173b8a

April 27th, 2013, 12:46 pm

revenire said:

AP are you suggesting Israel DOESN’T want Syria to be destroyed in a long, protracted war? Are you saying Israel has no drawn imaginary RED LINES – after they are crossed the US is supposed to attack Iran?

On the chemical weapons: where is the proof? Who has provided it and to what government? I am all ears.

It should be very simple for either Israel – the ones who said they had proof – or the US to provide the world proof of chemical weapons use. I rather believe they have no proof and will accuse the Syrian government of not allowing UN inspectors to find such proof.

“Due to considerable progress by the Syrian government against the foreign sponsored, jihadist insurgency new allegations have to be found to justify additional foreign intervention.”

I have to agree with B and further agree if Syria is hit Israel will also be hit. I also agree this bluff of intervention will not work and Syria will continue its offensive.

The SAA is on the move and really making headway in defeating the Al-Qaeda forces and this is causing a great deal of anxiety in London-Washington-Tel Aviv. The Zionists would love nothing more than to goad the Americans into attacking Syria.

Again, it should be very simple for Israel – the one charging use – to provide its proof. If not this will simply fade away as did the use of Scuds on cities etc.

April 27th, 2013, 12:47 pm

zoo said:

Qatar the paranoiac virus, tries to steal the ICAO from Canada

Qatar wants to host world aviation group

Agence France-Presse
Apr 26, 2013

MONTREAL, CANADA // Qatar has proposed moving the International Civil Aviation Organisation from its base in Montreal to Doha, a move Canada has vowed to fight.

The UN agency’s 191 members are scheduled to consider the relocation bid at its next assembly in September, the ICAO spokesman Anthony Philbin said, adding approval would require the support of at least 60 per cent of member states.

A government spokesman in Ottawa said Canada would fight to keep the organisation on its turf.

Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/qatar-wants-to-host-world-aviation-group#ixzz2RgQ9s8Ez
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook

April 27th, 2013, 12:50 pm

ziad said:

US Unveils Iraq WMD “Curveball-Style” Lies Vs. Syria

As NATO terror front collapses in Syria, US attempts to justify intervention by drumming up familiar WMD lies.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34736.htm

April 27th, 2013, 1:00 pm

revenire said:

AP do you know more? Is that because you’re one of God’s chosen people?

Col. Patrick Lang (U.S. Army-ret.), who headed the Middle East divison of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and at one time directed all of the DIA’s humint programs, has voiced profound skepticism, warning:

“So now we have the emergence of supposed proof of Assad’s government being in violation of the self-assigned ‘red line’ of poison gas use against the rebels. Let’s see the proof. Let’s see and hear something beyond Andrea Mitchell beating her drum for war. This is especially important on this day when the arch deceiver (or buffoon) is fawned over at his Presidential library. He still does not admit that his Administration chose to believe fabricated information in the matter of Iraq’s posession of nuclear weapons and poison gas. Now we have Obama and his Sancho Panza man [Biden] walking the American people toward war in Syria in pursuit of god knows what interest of the U.S. Don’t think for a minute that a ‘no fly zone’ over Syria is anything but war against the Syrian government. There would be massive movement of air assets to Turkey, Israel and Jordan. There would be sufficient air to air combat to destroy the Syrian Air Force. There would be Search Air Rescue operations in Syria for downed air crew. And at the end there would be a Saudi satellite jihadi state in Syria. We should be trusting about this?”

April 27th, 2013, 1:04 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

Zoo
One would only respect the fighting ability of Nusra Soldiers, I bet if you see one of them in front of you, and out of fear you will wet your pants and collapse.
I have nothing to do with Al Nusre, it is accusations that is totally wrong,but as long as they are fighting Assad army I like what they are doing,they are showing extreme successes against worthless army with all its great weapons that are supplied by Russia and Iran,meanwhile your Hizb Iran fighters(Revenir call them RATS) are falling dead, Baalbak having several funerals daily,they proved to be no match for Nusra soldiers, \One expert said it is Iran that will be wiped out not Israel, I am begining to believe that.Do not forget Saddam defeated Iran.
If you believe Assad will win,you believe the camel will pass through needle hole.
Assad rats are facing fight in Latakia area

April 27th, 2013, 1:08 pm

Badr said:

“Zoo” believes that “Obama is realizing that Bashar al Assad’s presence is a absolute necessity to keep the country together.”

Well “Zoo”, I have news for you. Obama seems to have a different idea:

Remarks by President Obama and His Majesty King Abdullah II before Bilateral Meeting

“And we both agree that at this point, President Assad has lost legitimacy and that we need to find a political transition that allows a multi-sect, democratic transition to take place so that Syria can be a place where all people can live in peace and harmony.”

April 27th, 2013, 1:11 pm

revenire said:

Brother Majed is lying in your version of the Koran?

No airbases have fallen.

April 27th, 2013, 1:17 pm

Citizen said:

عفوا سيد بسام القاضي /354/ الكلام المسطر فائت و لاجدوى منه
العالم بشطريه الشرقي و الغربي أصبح شديد الاستقطاب . ولن تنحصر نتائج زيادةاستقطابه عند سورية! ستندلع حروب أكبر لا محالة! ولن يكون أحد في منأى عن تطاير شرره! سواء الأراضي الأمريكية أو غيرها !!! و لن تأتي على البشرية الا بالكوارث!

April 27th, 2013, 1:21 pm

revenire said:

Mansour: Hezbollah Fighters Deployed in Border Towns to Defend Lebanese

Lebanese care-taker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour stressed on Friday that the Lebanese government hasn’t breached the policy of ‘self-distancing’ it adopted since the unrest erupted in Syria two years ago, indicating that Hezbollah fighters are deployed in the northern border area to defend the Lebanese citizens residing there.

“Hezbollah declared that its fighters exist in Lebanese towns to defend the Lebanese citizens and not to participate in military operations inside Syria,” Mansour told Al-Manar TV presenter.

“There is a wide propaganda campaign claiming that Hezbollah participates in conflicts of Deir al-Zoor, Aleppo, Homs, etc., but this is not true,” he added.

“Throughout the two years, we were saying that the solution in Syria should be political and not military. Whom who thinks that military option is the solution that can lead to positive results is totally wrong,” the Lebanese care-taker minister stated.

Syria was hit by a violent unrest since Mid-March 2011, where Syrian government believes it is orchestrated by may Western and Arab countries, including Qatar and Turkey.

April 27th, 2013, 1:23 pm

Tara said:

First Amir Qatar, then the king of Jordan. What is Obama up to?

April 27th, 2013, 1:25 pm

syrian said:

Rev.said
“On the chemical weapons: where is the proof? Who has provided it and to what government? I am all ears.”

You are the proof, you the best educated regime supporter the regime can offer,were calling relentlessly to use chemical weapon, even on civilian if they refused to move from their villages,
what do you think the foot soldier will call for when he has been losing for 2 years.

Or was all your cheering for using it was just empty idiotic words like all your posts from your laughable HNN news sources?

April 27th, 2013, 1:30 pm

Citizen said:

التورط الأردني في سوريا – غالب قنديل
يسعى البعض للتخفيف من خطورة التورط الأردني في العدوان الاستعماري على سوريا و لأسباب عديدة تدفعنا الوقائع لاستنتاج آخر بناء على المعاينة العلمية لسلوك السلطات الأردنية الغارق في التورط على جميع الصعد استجابة للمشيئة البريطانية المنشئة لنظام الخدمات الأمنية في إمارة شرق الأردن و المتحولة أميركية بالكامل وكنتيجة لطلبات سعودية مدفوعة الأجر ولظهور خطط إسرائيلية اقتصادية و استخباراتية ينخرط فيها النظام الأردني بكل وضوح .

أولا إن شكل التدخل الأردني المحوري تبلور مع الإعلان عبر وسائل الإعلام العالمية عن معسكرات التدريب التي أقيمت للإرهابيين في الأردن و يشرف عليها ضباط من الحلف الأطلسي و خصوصا من مخابرات الولايات المتحدة الأميركية و فرنسا و بريطانيا و حيث يجري تدريب و إعداد مجموعات قيادية لعصابة ما يسمى بالجيش الحر ليتم إرسالها بعد ذلك إلى سوريا و هذه المعسكرات ترافقت مع اعتماد مطار عمان و مستودعات جهزتها المخابرات الأردنية لاستجلاب أكثر من ثلاثة آلاف طن من السلاح في مئة و أربع و ستين رحلة جوية من كرواتيا إلى الأردن لحساب العصابات الإرهابية في سوريا و بنتيجة صفقة سعودية تقاضت منها السلطات الأردنية أجور طائرات الشحن و المخازن و شبكات التهريب إضافة لمليار دولار حمله بندر بن سلطان إلى عمان عندما وضعت الخطة العملية للشحن و التهريب و التي انطلق تنفيذها في تشرين الأول من العام 2012 و ليس في ربيع 2013 كما يزعم بعض المنافقين .

ثانيا إن الدور الإسرائيلي المباشر في العدوان على سوريا هو ثمرة تنسيق ثلاثي أميركي أردني إسرائيلي حظي بمباركة الرئيس الأميركي اوباما خلال جولته في المنطقة و من نتائج هذا العمل تكوين فرق مخابراتية مشتركة متخصصة بالشأن السوري رافقت مناورات عسكرية عديدة جرت في الأردن تضم وحدات من الناتو و إسرائيل و الأردن و تركيا و دول الخليج تحدثت عنها الصحف و تلك الفرق المشتركة تضم ضباطا اميركيين وفرنسيين وبريطانيين إضافة لضباط من المخابرات الأردنية والإسرائيلية والتركية وهذه المجموعات العاملة في الملف السوري تقود تنسيقا وتعاونا لتحريك شبكات من العملاء داخل الأراضي السورية بمهمات محددة تتناول الأهداف الاستراتيجية التي تصنفها إسرائيل مصدرا للخطر وتجند كل من الدول المشاركة في هذا العمل المخابراتي العدواني وحدات خاصة يتواجد بعضها على الأرض الأردنية و آخرها كانت القوة الخاصة الأميركية التي اعلن عن وصولها إلى عمان و تضم مئتي عنصر من قوة التخريب و التجسس الخاصة التابعة للمخابرات الأميركية .

ثالثا لعبت المخابرات الأردنية دورا حاسما في تنفيذ الخطة الإسرائيلية المتعلقة بتكوين قوة سورية عميلة من وحدات ما يدعى بالجيش الحر ونشرها في منطقة فصل القوات على جبهة الجولان وقد ارتكز الصهاينة إلى التسهيلات الأردنية في فرض هذا الواقع ومحاولة تطويره بالاستفادة من عرض الممر الجغرافي الفاصل من ناحية الحدود الأردنية والذي يقدر بنحو كيلومترين عرضا وهو ممر تسعى إسرائيل لتعبئته بعناصر من العصابات الإرهابية السورية ممسوكة من المخابرات الأردنية والإسرائيلية تمهيدا لمد انتشاره داخل الأراضي السورية في محاكاة لفكرة الشريط الحدودي اللبناني الذي أقامه المحتلون الصهاينة في الثمانينات، و تلعب المخابرات الأردنية دورا رئيسيا في إقحام عملائها الفلسطينيين ضمن مجموعات النشاط الإرهابي على الأرض السورية و في مجموعات المؤازرة و التهريب من لبنان حيث يتغلغل عملاء امنيون اردنيون في عمق المخيمات الفلسطينية حيث تقدم السلطات الأردنية بواسطة شبكاتها الأمنية خدمات كثيرة للمخابرات الإسرائيلية في سوريا و لبنان منذ عقود وهذا التعاون التقليدي ترسخ بصورة نشطة مؤخرا .

رابعا أقامت السلطات الأردنية جسرا للشحن البري مع ميناء حيفا في فلسطين المحتلة يؤمن انتقال البضائع من تركيا إلى الخليج عبر الأردن و هو ناشط ويضاعف من حركته وهذا المشروع يشكل خطوة لاستبدال النقل البري عبر سوريا من خلال نقل الشاحنات بحرا على عبارات تركية ترسو في ميناء حيفا و تنتقل برا إلى الأردن فالخليج و هذه الخطوة التي يشارك فيها النظام الأردني مع إسرائيل و تركيا و حكومات الخليج ليست معزولة عن خطط إسرائيل الخاصة بتوسيع نطاق اختراقها الاقتصادي للمنطقة و جميع الحكومات المتورطة في هذا المخطط تسعى لتمكين إسرائيل من دخول شبكات الترانزيت و التبادل التجاري في البلاد العربية و من المعلوم ان شركات إسرائيلية كثيرة تصدر منتوجاتها إلى البلاد العربية بتغطية أردنية و بواسطة مسوقين أردنيين ترعاهم السلطات السياسية و الأمنية في عمان ، و بكلمة إن النظام الأردني الذي سيكون اول المهنئين في دمشق بعد انتصارها هو ذاته المتدخل و المتورط الخطر في التآمر على سوريا اما نفاق البعض لتلميع الصورة فخدمة لا نعرف سرها لكن لتوقيتها علاقة بانقلاب الصورة في الميدان بعد معارك الجيش العربي السوري الناجحة و إنجازاته في أرياف دمشق و حمص و إدلب و حلب .

April 27th, 2013, 1:41 pm

ghufran said:

The story that Sarin gas was used in Syria has many holes, here is what one scientist said:
Dr Sally Leivesley, a chemical and biological analyst, and a former scientific adviser to the Home Office, said: “There are things here which do not add up. A chemical attack using Sarin would leave mass fatalities and very few people alive. From what one hears about the symptoms it’s possible a harassing agent rather than a nerve agent was used”. She added: “The latest ones show people with an eye disorder, which is obviously worrying but does not mean chemical [weapons] or Sarin was involved. Some of the earlier photos we had seen were odd: people in masks and gloves, who were supposedly doctors, touching the victims – something which will not happen. The symptoms we’ve seen could be caused by other elements, such as chlorine.
Here is another testimony:
Analysts are also puzzled by the way regime supposedly used its WMD arsenal. Dr Ralf Trapp, a specialist on chemical proliferation, said: “From a military perspective, it doesn’t make sense to use chemical weapons bit by bit. Why would the regime just put it on a grenade here or a rocket launcher there? It’s just not the way you would expect a military force to act.”

Doubts about provenance of the evidence are providing the US administration the caveats to resist activating the “red-line” threat. Washington is now desperate to get UN inspectors involved. In Brussels, the Americans have urged Mr Lavrov to intercede with Assad to allow the teams access to sites inside Syria.
(The Independent-UK)

April 27th, 2013, 1:43 pm

zoo said:

#366 Badr

No US diplomat since the witch Clinton left has repeated that Bashar al Assad must step aside.
They talk about a political transition to democracy. This is not new, Bashar al Assad has announced months ago the end to the single party system and there are already official political parties in Syria.
It is not the USA, France and the UK, or the unelected Jordanian and Qatar rulers that decide about the legitimacy of the president of another country. The election of 2014 in Syria will decide if the Syrians want to renew Bashar al Assad’s presidency or not.
In view of the limited popularity of any of the opposition candidates, I guess Bashar Al Assadd has high chances to be re elected in 2014 if he decides to stay in power.

April 27th, 2013, 1:50 pm

Citizen said:

Who is the real modorator ? something going wrong Mr Landis !!!

April 27th, 2013, 1:51 pm

revenire said:

“Syrian” so, like France-UK-US and the Israelis, you have no proof?

April 27th, 2013, 1:57 pm

zoo said:

Ghufran

The FOS will do everything it can so an UNSC resolution obliges Syria to accept the inspectors with threats if Syria refuses.

It is a trap and Russia should either veto or impose Russian and Iranian experts in the team as a condition for acceptance.
But after the Libyan trap at the UNSC, it is highly probable that Russia will veto the resolution.

These “foreign” experts are usually infiltrated by CIA agents and pressured by politicians with agendas. They will do all they can to create doubts by making ambiguous declaration.
We will see the same scenario as Iran, Iraq and Libya.

April 27th, 2013, 2:02 pm

Tara said:

Ghufran

“of the earlier photos we had seen were odd: people in masks and gloves, who were supposedly doctors, touching the victims – something which will not happen”

This is the stupidest thing I heard in my life. Is she stupid or what? What does this doctor think? The doctors in Syria have a biological suit to handle the victims? It is rather good that they have gloves and masks.

April 27th, 2013, 2:09 pm

revenire said:

Did Israel Ambush the US on Syria?
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/washington-embarrassed-over-israeli-declarations-on-syria.html
By: Alon Ben David for Al-Monitor Israel Pulse Posted on April 26.

On the next day, April 23, at the Institute for National Security Studies, Brun said, “Assad used chemical weapons against his citizens, and on more than one occasion.” Brun emphasized that his assertion was being made “in my best judgment”; his listeners, however, had no doubt that he was speaking on good authority.

Several hours later, Secretary of State John Kerry called Netanyahu, hoping to get out of this pickle. Netanyahu agreed that Israel didn’t have 100% conclusive evidence — which was sufficient for Kerry to continue his denials. But the media pressure on senior administration officials kept mounting, forcing all of them to admit two days later that there was sufficient evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian military against civilians.

April 27th, 2013, 2:22 pm

ghufran said:

Washington post on Syrian refugees in Lebanon:

“Some Syrians, both inside and out of Syria, maintain their support for the regime because they prefer the idea of a minority-led government over a Sunni-majority or Islamist-led government,” said Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Others, he said, “favor stability over instability and blame the rebels for taking it away.”

“Wherever the opposition goes, bombs follow,” said Mohammad, a Sunni Muslim from a neighborhood near Damascus who declined to give his last name, worried that he could be targeted by Assad’s opponents if he returns home.
Mohammad said he fled Syria eight months ago, after the regime destroyed his house while trying to dislodge opposition forces embedded nearby. The former employee of a clothing stand now lives in Baalbek with 15 family members in a two-room house, furnished only with thin mattresses and blankets strewn over the concrete floors.
“The opposition is fighting between houses and among areas populated with civilians. They try to hit the regime’s airplanes, so the airplanes hit back,” Mohammad said.

Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, said some Christians, for example, initially wanted to see reforms or a change of leadership but now “are staunch reborn supporters [of Assad] and hoping for the regime to reassert its authority.”

this guy speaks on behalf of many Syrians:
“I’m afraid of everyone,” said Younes Ibrahim Khalaf, a refugee in his early 30s from the Sayyida Zainab neighborhood of Damascus. He said shelling by the regime and the opposition contributed to the destruction of his village.
Khalaf, who worked at a clothing store back home, said he was indifferent to Assad and the opposition and wished for the simple life he once led.
“It won’t ever be like it was before,” Khalaf said, covered in oil and dirt from his shift in the used-car shop where he had just started working. “There is no more Syria.”

April 27th, 2013, 2:29 pm

Wim Roffel said:

Some myths keep being repeated.

claim: “Saudi Arabia supports the stabilization of Jordan”
fact: the Gulf states stopped their financial support for Jordan at a time that is was already weakened by the war in Syria and they encouraged the Muslim Brotherhood to make trouble. The only reversed course when Jordan surrendered and gave the Saudi’s a free hand to supply the rebels over its territory.

claim: “the rebels were initially moderate”
fact: From the very beginning the main support for the rebels was from conservative Sunni areas that used to support the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda. And the uprising had rather limited support until preachers like Arour reframed it as an uprising of Sunni against Alawite repression.

April 27th, 2013, 2:39 pm

Citizen said:

http://youtu.be/u40y-UH30do?t=49s

April 27th, 2013, 2:39 pm

Citizen said:

http://youtu.be/ggGpIUcNlDo?t=3m50s

April 27th, 2013, 2:42 pm

ghufran said:

The UN is not prepared yet to back Western and Israeli claims that Syria used banned chemical weapons:

(Reuters) – Assertions of chemical weapon use in Syria by Western and Israeli officials citing photos, sporadic shelling and traces of toxins do not meet the standard of proof needed for a U.N. team of experts waiting to gather their own field evidence.
Weapons inspectors will only determine whether banned chemical agents were used in the two-year-old conflict if they are able to access sites and take soil, blood, urine or tissue samples and examine them in certified laboratories, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which works with the United Nations on inspections.
That type of evidence, needed to show definitively if banned chemicals were found, has not been presented by governments and intelligence agencies accusing Syria of using chemical weapons against insurgents.
“This is the only basis on which the OPCW would provide a formal assessment of whether chemical weapons have been used,” said Michael Luhan, a spokesman for the Hague-based OPCW.

April 27th, 2013, 2:47 pm

ziad said:

Zionists and Gulf Monarchs Ponder

Pushing Al Qaeda to Take on Hezbollah

http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/04/26/pushing-al-qaeda-to-take-on-hezbollah/#.UXwbnVFtCH8.twitter

April 27th, 2013, 2:48 pm

Citizen said:

http://youtu.be/_vbrMbOa9Xs?t=17s

April 27th, 2013, 2:54 pm

annie said:

URGENT: Please share with media and humanitarian organisations

26-04-2013: Regime insiders have stated that the Assad regime intends to cut all telecommunications, mobile and internet services in Syria from the beginning of next month (starting on May 1st, 2013). The regime is apparently set to declare a ”public holiday” between May 1st and May 5th. It intends to carry out further chemical and massacres attacks during this period in an effort to end all opposition by killing as many people as possible, with communications services being severed in an attempt to prevent people in Syria from informing the outside world what is happening.
Please share this information.

From: Union of Syrian Christians and Muslims Against Bashar Assad

April 27th, 2013, 2:54 pm

revenire said:

Annie did you read the new Batman comic book to come up with that fantastic story?

April 27th, 2013, 3:14 pm

syrian said:

The place where all the important actions is Dara’a, in the last 2 days there have been great Advances for the FSA,
the good news is that all Dara’a fighting forces have united under one command,under the pressure of Jordan who conditioned the delivery of the new and greatly improved weapons by being under one command,
In the end liberating Damascus will come from Dara’a,not from the north
All the talk about the chemical weapon will make Batta think twice about using them again, we can see here also how chemical Rev. is eating his words,about advocating their use

April 27th, 2013, 3:34 pm

zoo said:

Syria: Al-Qaeda’s battle for control of Assad’s chemical weapons plant

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10022753/Syria-Al-Qaedas-battle-for-control-of-Assads-chemical-weapons-plant.html

A battle near a factory believed to be one of the Syrian regime’s main chemical weapons plants shows just how close such weapons could be to falling into al-Qaeda’s hands, writes Colin Freeman.
…
For among the rebel lines in al-Safira flutters the black flag of the al-Nusra Brigade, the jihadist group that recently declared its allegiance to al-Qaeda. Known for their fighting prowess honed in Iraq, they are now taking the lead in nearly every frontline in the Syrian war, and earlier this month, pushed to within just over a mile of al-Safira, only to for the Syrian troops to regain the ground last week.

Should the tide of battle turn in al-Nusra’s favour again, though, there is the possibility of the West’s worst-case scenario unfolding – Syria’s weapons of mass destruction falling into al-Qaeda’s control.

April 27th, 2013, 3:34 pm

ziad said:

Annie #387 said:
“URGENT: Please share with media and humanitarian organisations”

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Union of Syrian Christians and Muslims ………

Those must be the Christians whose villages were besieged for months without access to food and fuel, or may be those Christians whose bishops were kidnapped.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Oh God, my stomach hurts.

How sneaky from the Syrian government to shut down mobile coms and Internet so the world would not know about the chemical weapons used.

The countries who are scrambling now to manufacture a proof can relax, because SARG will give it to them next week on a silver platter. All it takes is one satellite phone.

April 27th, 2013, 3:40 pm

zoo said:

Will Hague listen to the voice of wisdom?

Commentary: Arming the Syrian rebels is pouring petrol on the fire
Assad believes he is fighting for his life. His fall would not only see Syria’s collapse, but could engulf Lebanon and even Iraq. We must look to the alternatives: better a distant hope than an imminent disaster, writes Sir Andrew Green.

By Sir Andrew Green, former British Ambassador to Syria

27 Apr 2013
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10022576/Commentary-Arming-the-Syrian-rebels-is-pouring-petrol-on-the-fire.html
Reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria threaten to propel us into another disastrous intervention in the Middle East. Our political leaders must stop, calm down and think carefully through the consequences of any form of military intervention in Syria. Harmless-sounding “assistance to the opposition” threatens to be a slippery slope that will drag us into the chaos that is developing in Syria.
..
This is why I feel sure that our policy is pointing in the wrong direction. Supplying arms to the opposition would simply be pouring petrol on the fire – quite apart from the risk of the weapons falling into the wrong hands. The collapse of Syria would be a disaster, not only for that country but for Lebanon and perhaps Iraq and, indeed, more widely.

As we look over this precipice, we must have the courage to take a pace back. Indeed, we should reverse the policy of arming the opposition. Instead, we should enter into a serious dialogue with the Russians and, if necessary, the Iranians, designed to reduce the flow of weapons to both sides. Only when both sides realise that a military victory is no longer possible can we hope to have the beginnings of a political process. Better a distant hope than an imminent disaster.

April 27th, 2013, 3:45 pm

revenire said:

Ha ha the “secret” plans to gas the rats exposed here at SC by Annie.

Ha ha ha ha.

Come back Annie – we need a laugh.

April 27th, 2013, 4:37 pm

ghufran said:

This summarizes the attitude of most Americans about asking the US to interfere in Syria (from CNN comment section):

LBColorado•a day ago −
Israel, if you want something done about Syria, you are more than welcome to risk your lives and money, we do not belong there and they do not like us – you want to deal with Syria – well go for it, but leave us the heck alone, not our war and not our money and not our lives – NO.

The White House is trying to create a wiggle room for itself on the subject:
The White House cautioned that the “chain of custody” of the chemicals was not clear and that intelligence analysts could not confirm the circumstances under which the sarin was used, including the role of al-Assad’s regime.

April 27th, 2013, 4:49 pm

Citizen said:

“In a critical indication of growing U.S. military involvement in the civil war in Syria, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the deployment of more American troops to Jordan.

Hagel announced the deployment, which was first reported on CNN, in a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.

He said the troops will work alongside Jordanian forces to “improve readiness and prepare for a number of scenarios.”

The troops, which will number up to 200, are from the headquarters of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas, two Defense Department officials told CNN.”

In looking at all these scenarios, in which NATO will most probably play a large role, it is obvious that the US government is looking at war with Russia, which has warned the US and NATO not to intervene militarily.

It is useful to remind those few adults in the room in the bowels of power in DC and Brussels that the US military, at this point in the history, does not have the troop strength, the money, or the manufacturing to win a conventional war in Syria. Russia strongly will come to help militarily. It must be clear for all American!!!!

U.S. weighs no-fly zone, ground forces among options to topple Assad regime

http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/12121

April 27th, 2013, 4:53 pm

zoo said:

Moslem Brotherhood Minister practising sexual harassment on TV exposes the misogynist culture of the MB.
“I hope your questions are not as hot as you are”
“come and i will show you.”

Egypt minister must resign over offensive talk: Journalists union head

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/1/70261/Egypt/Egypt-minister-must-resign-over-offensive-talk-Jou.aspx

Head of Egypt’s Journalists syndicate demands an apology and resignation of minister of information following ‘sexually offensive’ comments against women colleagues
…
Abdel-Maksoud, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, came under fire last week when a female Egyptian journalist accused him of sexual harassment after he answered a question she posed to him by saying “come and i will show you.”

The phrasing, which the minister had also used in an answer to another journalist a week earlier, is held by many Egyptians to bear sexual connotations.

Prior to the two recent incidents, Muslim Brotherhoood member Abdel-Maksoud had been accused of sexually harassing a female Syrian television host.

“I hope your questions are not as hot as you are,” he said during an interview with the anchor before backtracking.

April 27th, 2013, 5:11 pm

Syrian said:

ورد في خــــبر ســــابق انــــه قــــد تــــم قصــــف المجمــــع الحكـــــومي في مــــدينة درعـــــا …

و وصلنـــــــــــا الآن …

هليكــــوبتــــر ســــوريــــة منشقــــة تهبــــط فــــي الاراضــــي الاردنيــــة وتحمــــل طيـــــار بــــرتبــــة عقيــــد …. بعــــد ان قصفــــت المجمــــع الحكــــومـــي بمدينــــة درعــــا , والــــذي يضــم مبنــــى الامــــن السيــــاســـي ومجمـــــع المحـــــافظــــة الامنــــي

العميد المنشق زاهر الساكت صرح للعربية بعد انشقاقه بما يلي :
طلب مني استخداام الاسلحة الكيماوية في قصف مواقع المعارضة في بصر الحرير وقد وصلتني كميات جاهزة للاطلاق قمت باستبدالها بماء جافيل وخبأت المواد بمكان اعلمه جيدا
وانا مستعد لاطلاعكم على المكان في حال تواجد تحقيق جدي حول استخدام النظام للكيماوي

April 27th, 2013, 5:16 pm

zoo said:

Egypt presidential aides ‘in Iran to discuss Syria’
Aides of Egypt’s president dicusses Syria in Iran

AFP, Saturday 27 Apr 2013
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/70253/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-presidential-aides-in-Iran-to-discuss-Syria.aspx

Senior Egyptian officials visited Iran on Saturday to further a proposal by Cairo for an Islamic quartet that would help to resolve the Syrian conflict, the presidency said.

President Mohamed Morsi’s foreign relations adviser Essam El Haddad led the delegation which included the president’s chief of staff Refaa al-Tahtawi, the presidency said in a statement.Egypt had proposed that Turkey, Egypt and bitter regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran form the quartet.

April 27th, 2013, 5:26 pm

Syrian said:

الفيديو
http://youtu.be/qmEcE3tIdhg

April 27th, 2013, 5:29 pm

revenire said:

April 27th, 2013, 5:41 pm

Syrian said:

Last night inside Damascus
http://youtu.be/GGXIuM6Tncc

April 27th, 2013, 5:43 pm

Tara said:

Dear Syrian

Thanks again. The defected colonel is priceless. It appears that he hid the chemical weapons given to him to use against the Syrian people and can easily lead the CIA to its location. That is great news. While Obama’s red line may remain pink , this will prove without a doubt the regime use of chemical weapons against the people of Syria.

April 27th, 2013, 6:17 pm

5 dancing shlomos said:

talmud and jewish version of history engenders bitterness and hate.

April 27th, 2013, 7:01 pm

revenire said:

Funny… who else has been saying this all along? Assad and the Syrian government.

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/world/middleeast/islamist-rebels-gains-in-syria-create-dilemma-for-us.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

“Nowhere in rebel-controlled Syria is there a secular fighting force to speak of.”

April 27th, 2013, 7:02 pm

ann said:

Washington fabricates chemical weapons pretext for war against Syria
By Bill Van Auken – 27 April 2013

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/27/syri-a27.html

In an attempt to pave the way for a direct military intervention aimed at toppling the government of President Bashar al-Assad, Washington, its NATO allies, Israel and Qatar have all in recent days broadcast trumped-up charges that Syria has used chemical weapons.

In a letter to members of Congress Thursday, the White House declared, “The US intelligence community assesses with some degree of varying confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria.”

In the midst of a Middle East tour dedicated to arranging a $10 billion deal to provide Israel and the right-wing Arab monarchies with advanced weaponry directed against Iran, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel denounced the chemical weapons use, saying it “violates every convention of warfare.” He went on to acknowledge, “We cannot confirm the origin of these weapons, but [they] …very likely have originated with the Assad regime.”

Similarly, British Prime Minister David Cameron charged Syria with a “war crime,” stating: “It’s limited evidence, but there’s growing evidence that we have seen too of the use of chemical weapons, probably by the regime.”

All of these convoluted statements—“with some degree of varying confidence,” “cannot confirm the origin of these weapons,” “limited evidence” and “probably by the regime”—underscore the fraudulent character of these accusations.

There is no proof whatsoever that the Assad regime used chemical weapons. The Syrian government has itself charged the US-backed rebels—dominated by Al Qaeda-linked elements who have boasted that they have obtained such arms and are prepared to use them—of carrying out a gas attack in the village of Khan al-Assal near Aleppo last March. According to the Syrian military, the weapon was a rocket carrying chlorine gas that was fired from a rebel-controlled area at a military checkpoint in an area controlled by the government. A number of soldiers were among its victims.

The Assad government requested that the United Nations send an inspection team to investigate the incident, but the US, Britain and France demanded that any team be given unfettered access to the entire country and all Syrian facilities. This would have created the same kind of inspection regime used to prepare the US invasion of Iraq.

Knowing that they have no proof and what evidence there is points to the Al Qaeda-affiliated elements they have supported, the US and its allies are nonetheless determined to use the accusations over chemical weapons to sell another war to the public.

Powerful sections of the ruling strata in the United States are determined to provoke a direct US military intervention and are flogging the poison gas pretext for all it is worth. Much of the corporate media is demanding that the Obama administration make good on its threat to treat the use of chemical weapons in Syria as a “red line” and a “game changer.”

But what gives the US the moral authority to proclaim “red lines” on this issue? In its nearly nine-year war in Iraq, the US military used chemical weapons to devastating effect. In its barbaric siege of Fallujah, it employed white phosphorus shells and an advanced form of napalm, both banned by international conventions, to burn men, women and children alive.

The legacy of these weapons continues to plague the Iraqi people—with huge increases in child leukemia and cancer, and an epidemic of nightmarish birth defects in Fallujah, Basra and other cities subjected to US military siege.

It should also be recalled that it was the British who introduced chemical warfare to the Middle East, dropping mustard gas bombs on Iraqi tribes that resisted British colonial rule. Winston Churchill, then secretary of state for war and air, declared at the time: “I am strongly in favor of using poisoned gas against uncivilized tribes…[to] spread a lively terror.”

Washington continues to defend its own massive stockpiles of “weapons of mass destruction,” while reserving to itself the right to respond to any chemical attack with nuclear weapons.

Behind the sudden turn to promoting the chemical weapons pretext for direct military intervention is the growing frustration of the US and its European allies over the failure of their proxy forces in Syria to make any headway in overthrowing the Assad regime.

This is in large measure because the Syrian government retains a popular base and, even among those who detest the regime, many hate and fear even more the Islamist elements, from the Muslim Brotherhood to Al Qaeda, which are seeking to replace it.

The US and its allies are themselves increasingly wary about the potential “blowback” from the sectarian civil war that they have started. The governments in Britain and Germany as well as the European Union have all made statements in the last week warning of the dangers posed by hundreds of Islamists from their own countries going to Syria to join with Al Qaeda elements.

Behind the pretense that the cutthroats that rule the US and Europe are concerned about human rights and Syrian lives, the reality is that they are preparing bombings, the use of cruise missiles and Predator drones, as well as a potential ground invasion that will dramatically increase Syria’s death toll.

The motives underlying such a war have nothing to do with qualms about chemical weapons, but rather concern definite geo-strategic interests.

“Syria and the changing Middle East energy map,” an article by Ruba Husari, a Middle East energy expert and editor of “IraqOilForum.com”, published earlier this year by the Carnegie Middle East Center, provides a glimpse into the real reasons for the mounting pressure for direct US-NATO intervention.

“Syria might not be a major oil or gas producer in the Middle East, but—depending on the outcome of the Syrian uprising—it may determine the shape of the future regional energy map,” she writes. “The country’s geographic location offers Mediterranean access to landlocked entities in search of markets for their hydrocarbons and to countries seeking access to Europe without having to go through Turkey. The opportunities presented to many in the region by the current Syrian regime could be lost in a post-crisis Syria. To others, new opportunities will emerge under a new Syrian regime.”

The principal losers in a successful war for regime change would be Iran, which recently signed a major pipeline deal—bitterly opposed by Washington—with Syria and Iraq that is ultimately aimed at bringing Iranian gas to the Mediterranean Sea, and Russia, which has sought to expand its own influence in energy development in the region.

The principal winners would be the US and its allies, together with the major US and Western European-based energy conglomerates.

Ultimately, the goal of US and its NATO allies in Syria is to isolate and prepare for a far larger war against Iran, with the aim of imposing neo-colonial control over the vast energy-producing region stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Basin.

[…]

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/27/syri-a27.html

April 27th, 2013, 7:03 pm

majedkhaldoun said:

Kamal Labwani is not democratic, I found him to be silly person, it is good that he is out of the coalition.
Labwani call to arrest Moaz Khatib,I think he himself should be arrested

April 27th, 2013, 7:12 pm

Dawoud said:

Filthy Shiite TERRORISTS from Lebanon’s terror group, Hizba@s of Hasan (Iranian Agent) Nasra@s, are supporting the murderous Bashar and terrorizing Syrians.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/04/20134266353798163.html
Refugees claim Hezbollah fighting in Syria
Syrian refugees in Lebanon say Hezbollah fighters are working with government to defeat rebel uprising.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/04/20134266353798163.html

April 27th, 2013, 7:20 pm

zoo said:

If Jordan was a democracy, King Abdallah would have been asked to resign over his failure to control a situation that he stupidly contributed to by allowing terrorists to use Jordanian territories to fuel violence in Syria and by ignoring Bashar’s repeated warnings

Syria’s escalating refugee crisis means that Jordan is crying out for help

The organisations helping to keep peace in the camps will be forced to withdraw without financial help

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/28/syria-refugee-crisis-jordan-help

April 27th, 2013, 7:26 pm

revenire said:

Dawoud show Sayyed Nasrallah the proper respect please.

April 27th, 2013, 8:15 pm

Observer said:

Well as promised I did not visit this site since I posted first on it.

I must confess that it was great as I can tell again from reading the pro regime news outlets and the pro regime supporters on this site that I have great appreciation of how bad the situation is for the regime.

It is clear that it has not been able to break the momentum of the rebels. Even with the help of the HA fighters it has not been able to get much leverage in the Homs area.

It is also clear that both north and south are heating up nicely for it. A few more videos of destroyed tanks and overrun military bases would be quite detrimental to the moral of the regime and I can sense that fully on this blog

I have just finished a month long visit to the ME and I can say that the Lebanese are fighting each other in Syria. They go there fight and come back for rest and more recruitment.

Iraq is in deep trouble with Maliki over playing his hand. His elections did not bring more than 40% of voters at best (despite the so called official number of 50% )

The NYT report today is quite interesting and in a sense the rebellion is now becoming more radical and more based on Islamist discourse. This is because the culture is steeped in Islam and in times of crisis it is the natural phenomenon especially since the democratic secular tradition has been weak to start with and was wrecked by 40 years of Athad rule. The radical islamists are the best fighter and the best endowed and best equipped and are getting help from expatriate and Gulf communities.

ZOO is right in predicting the demise of many a rebellion aspect but he is dead wrong in confusing the changing nature ( to be expected in any revolution ) with the demise of the revolution. As a matter of fact the revolution is now deeply anchored in the people’s mind and the continued incompetence of the regime is telling

Here are the headlines from Cham Press the economic section

Dollar is 125 now and I did change it myself during my latest trip by the way

محلل مالي: أسعار صرف السوق السوداء هي الفاعلة والرسمية وهمية
أسواق الخضار تعتاش على 25 براداً ولم يدخل أي قوافل إلى سورية منذ أسبوع
وسيط مالي: تساؤلات حول أسباب عدم إدراج الشركات الجاهزة في بورصة دمشق
الحكومة تسعى إلى حل جذري لأزمة الغاز خلال 15 يوماً

All of those news plus the admission by the central bank head that Syria has lost 23 billion Euros in two years and that they are awaiting help from Russia and Iran is telling.

Obama is not going to do anything it is too late now will the international community intervene when the massacres start on either side?

Reve and ZOO please post where is Hassan to help us with great insight into the minds of the retards running the regime brutal stupidity into the ground.

April 27th, 2013, 8:33 pm

Tara said:

Sooner or later, we’ll have to go into Syria
David Cameron makes comparisons with Iraq, but more apt is Bosnia, where Western self-interest put a stop to its inertia in the face of bloodshed

….
The better comparison, however, is not Iraq or Libya but Bosnia, where Serb “ethnic cleansing” raged uncheckedfrom 1992 to 1995. There, Western powers at first refused to intervene for fear of becoming embroiled in an ethnic morass of marginal strategic relevance. The result was to weaken the strong multi-ethnic consensus within the Bosnian government in Sarajevo, as loyal Croats, Serbs and moderate Muslims despaired of outside help, and either emigrated or retreated into passivity. Their places were often taken by more extreme elements, including jihadists from abroad. The radicalisation of the Bosnian side then became a staple of the argument against intervention. Even if Bosnia might once have been saved, it was too late. Eventually, Nato was forced to step in, and the killing came to an end, but the unique multi-ethnic Bosnia, which might have been rescued, was shattered beyond repair.

We see a similar pattern in Syria. It should not be forgotten that the rebellion against Assad began in March 2011 as a non-violent protest against the brutality of his intelligence services in the southern town of Deraa. The unarmed demonstrators were shot down by regime forces, but it was some time before armed resistance began, and many months before the first substantial Islamist presence was reported. The lack of effective Western intervention, however, narrowed the middle ground, as secular moderates fled the fighting or went to ground. Radical Islamists moved more to the forefront, many financially and logistically supported by politically conservative and religiously radical Gulf Arab monarchies. These are effective fighters, but a terrible scourge to any Christians, Alawites and Shias who cross their paths. As in Bosnia, the retreat of the moderates has become an argument against intervention. We now regularly hear that it is “too late” to save Syria.
….
Britain should begin by asking Nato to impose a no-fly zone over the country, and threaten air attacks on all of the regime’s heavy weaponry. This should be accompanied by a political initiative to support the opposition under the Syrian National Council to setting up free zones along the Turkish border, in which a provisional government should be established with representation from all major population groups. This approach needs to be embedded in a broader Western strategy to protect Middle East minorities, especially the Shias of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia whom we have neglected for too long. The west should insist (as in Bosnia) that foreign fighters be sent home, and local Islamists disarmed. Nato should then train and equip the remaining opposition forces until the regime has fallen. There is no guarantee that Christians, Alawites and Shias will not suffer reprisals, but there seems to be little support for this among ordinary Syrians, and in any case the biggest long-term threat to minorities’ survival is the Sunni anger the regime is stoking.

April 27th, 2013, 8:44 pm

Syrialover said:

ANNIE thank you very much for that alert in #387 on the Syrian government’s plans to cut all internet and mobile phone services on May 1-5 while they go on a massacre spree.

See the hysterical mocking reaction in screaming capitals from pro-Assad ZIAD in #391 and donkey-bray echo from REVENIRE #393.

It makes me fear it’s going to happen.

COMMENT: Sofa parasites and jokesters ZIAD and REVENIRE are also mockingly indifferent to those serving in the front line for the regime.

They make childish jokes while the young Syrian men in uniform ordered to carry out these acts are forced into depravity, debasement and criminalization that will bring psychological damage for the rest of their lives.

April 27th, 2013, 9:12 pm

Syrialover said:

SYRIAN #317

Good catch on REVENIRE!

And what you say about Assad’s desperate, weary and no-escape foot soldiers looking for a solution from chemical weapons is chillingly likely.

April 27th, 2013, 9:19 pm

Dawoud said:

410. REVENIRE

Fu$k Hasan Nasra$s 🙂 He and his Hizba$s TERRORISTS are guilty of war crimes against Syrians seeking freedom. They only deserve to be treated as Hizba$s terrorists.

Again, fu@k Hasan Nasra$s

April 27th, 2013, 9:24 pm

zoo said:

#413 SL

Your concern for the heroic soldiers doing their national job to defend their country from terrorists foreigners and Islamic extremists is really touching.
Maybe you should be more concerned by the irreversible psychological damages inflicted on the young Syrians who have witnessed Al Nusra terrorists and their Islamist allies slitting throats in the name of Allah.
These will probably become the terrorists of the future…

April 27th, 2013, 9:26 pm

zoo said:

Sheikh Assir Declares Arrival of His Mujahideen in Syria

By: Amal Khalil

Published Saturday, April 27, 2013
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/sheikh-assir-declares-arrival-his-mujahideen-syria

“I will not keep this a secret. Let everyone know. As I speak to you now, there are brothers of yours, from this mosque, fighting in Syria.” Salafi Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir made this proclamation during his Friday sermon at the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque in Abra, less than a week after he announced the creation of the so-called Free Resistance Brigade, a volunteer-based group that would wage “jihad” against the Syrian regime.

April 27th, 2013, 9:32 pm

zoo said:

Observer

“As a matter of fact the anti-revolution is now deeply anchored in the people’s mind and the continued incompetence of the opposition is telling.

April 27th, 2013, 9:40 pm

Syrialover said:

ZOO

I have always said here how much I sympathize with the ordinary Syrians wearing uniform and what they and those who love them are going through.

Your comment #416 is shallow and silly.

April 27th, 2013, 9:40 pm

Majed97 said:

Revenire,
I know you already posted this article earlier, but I think it’s worth re-posting because when the biggest American media source (The New York Times) publishes an article that vindicates what Bashar has been saying from day one, it suggests a possible shift in America’s approach toward the crisis.

Islamist Rebels Create Dilemma on Syria Policy
By BEN HUBBARD
Published: April 27, 2013

This phrase sums it all up: “Nowhere in rebel-controlled Syria is there a secular fighting force to speak of.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/world/middleeast/islamist-rebels-gains-in-syria-create-dilemma-for-us.html?_r=0

April 27th, 2013, 9:43 pm

zoo said:

$419 SL

I hope you sympathize as much for the poor FSA soldiers brainwashed by hysterical sheikhs and witnesses of horrors made in the name of Allah.
They deserve your noble thoughts too.

April 27th, 2013, 9:45 pm

Dawoud said:

April 27th, 2013, 10:03 pm

MarigoldRan said:

A regime supporter is talking about propaganda and brainwashing?

That’s hilarious. That’s like hearing you talk about international law.

What comes around, goes around. The war continues.

April 27th, 2013, 10:10 pm

MarigoldRan said:

The Assadists wanted war. So they’re going to get it. The war continues.

April 27th, 2013, 10:12 pm

zoo said:

With the failure of the MB take over of Syria, a geographical and ideological division, permanent or temporary, seems inevitable.

Like in Egypt and Tunisia, the USA tolerates the Moslem Brotherhood but has zero tolerance for Salafists. The USA considers the MB as moderates or potentially moderates. That’s what Erdogan and Qatar have been saying to Clinton and Obama all along.

The USA has started by trying to promote the Moslem Brotherhood in Syria with the guarantee that Turkey will ensure its ‘moderate’ behavior. With that assumption, the USA gave support to the SNC, dominated by the MB, by recognzing it as the sole representative of the Syrians.
The USA had high hopes that the MB will get organized and block the way to the salafist terrorists.
Unfortunately, the ineptitude of the SNC and the chaotic behavior of the FSA has obliged them to look for another approach. Now the MB is out of favor. Egypt’s MB government is not encouraging either.

Now the USA has to start a new strategy and it does not know which one. The options are extremely limited as the SNC without the MB is in disarray and the FSA is practically under the control of the Salafists.
One option is to intervene militarily but this option will meet international vetos.
The other option is to let Bashar al Assad wins militarily, so he can secure at least part of the country. Therefore Syria will be divided and there would be a need for negotiations either to divide the country or to work out a reconciliation or a kind of federation.
I think this is what is happening now. We are witnessing the consolidation of the geographical-ideological division of the country under the eyes of the West that hopes it won’t last too long.

April 27th, 2013, 10:17 pm

Ghufran said:

I am surprised that some of you bought alarabiya story about Al-saket who stayed ” saket” for two years before he defected. Mr alsaket has the right to defect but his story is not believable to most Syrians for obvious reasons, enjoy the sci fi stories from alarabiya.

April 27th, 2013, 10:27 pm

zoo said:

Syria to allow Russian experts to probe alleged chemical attack
2013-04-26

MOSCOW, April 26 (Xinhua) — Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said Friday that Damascus would agree that inspections of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria be conducted by Russian experts.

“If there is a need to investigate in a field, we’d offer that to be done by the Russian experts,” the visiting Syrian official told reporters.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that the UN team was ready to be deployed in 24-48 hours to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Zoubi said the chemical shelling of in the town of Khan al-Asal near Aleppo was fired by terrorists based near the Turkish border and the ammunition could be shipped from Turkey.

April 27th, 2013, 10:40 pm

revenire said:

I am laughing watching this revolution die.

April 27th, 2013, 11:02 pm

Syrian said:

Alarabia, while not the NYtimes,but for sure is a lot more realible than lots of the regime news sources, or the comment sections of the face book pages that some use.
In addition everyone knows that every defector put everything dear to him on the line when he defects….
At any case if the regime have nothing to hide why is not it allowing the UN team to investigate?

April 28th, 2013, 12:09 am

Hopeful said:

Personally I do not find the Al-saket story about chemical weapons to be credible. He seems too angry and too animated to be someone who just defected from the regular Army. The story that he “buried the weapons with his own hands” is hard to believe. It looks like some rebels are probably making up stories to get the west to intervene. I hope that is NOT the case and I hope they do not continue down this path if this is the case.

April 28th, 2013, 12:23 am

Syrian said:

Hopeful , he has not just defected, sorry if my earlier post gave that impression,I tried to edit it but it could it do it in time
According to his face book page he has been posting anti regime since Apr5
https://m.facebook.com/#!/AlmydAlrknAlmjazZahrAlsakt?v=timeline&filter=1&__user=100003131418721

April 28th, 2013, 12:40 am

Syrian said:

Dear Tara, Thank you for all your posts, you are an inspiration to all of us

April 28th, 2013, 12:42 am

Syrian said:

‎The Syrian Revolution 2011 الثورة السورية ضد بشار الاسد‎
:: عـــــــــــاجل :::
مــطــــــار أبو الضـــهــــــور العـــسكـــــري::
القـــبـــض علــــى قائــــــد المطــــــار أحــــمــــد عـــيــــسى وقــــتله وتدميــــــر آخــــــر دبابـــــة .

April 28th, 2013, 12:58 am

zoo said:

#432 Syrian

Who is “all of us”?

April 28th, 2013, 8:16 am

zoo said:

UK general: A full war or nothing and forget about the NFZ
TimesofIsrael
The head of the British Armed Forces told his government that the United Kingdom should be prepared to go to war in Syria, according to a report in The Sunday Times.

Gen. Sir David Richards, chief of the defense staff, warned that a military response to Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons would have to be on a full scale to be effective. He further cautioned that even creating safe zones would risk dragging UK forces into a military confrontation.up!

The general also argued that imposing a no-fly zone like the one in Bosnia in 1993 would not be effective because of Syria’s air defense.

April 28th, 2013, 8:23 am

zoo said:

To protect women, only ugly men are allowed in Saudi Arabia

Meet Emirati who was expelled from Saudi for being ‘handsome’

http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/meet-emirati-who-was-expelled-from-saudi-for-being-handsome-2013-04-28-1.504308

Omar Gala hit world headlines after he was kicked out by Saudi religious police
..
Comments sent by women to newspapers worldwide showed Gala is really handsome, with one American woman asking the Saudis to “deport him to Texas.”

“MMmmm Mmmm Mmmm… Deport him to Houston, Texas please!!!!!,” said the woman, who did not identify herself.

“He is kinda hot though. He’s more than welcome to visit Chicago. I guarantee he will not be turned away,” another woman commented.

April 28th, 2013, 8:52 am

zoo said:

Bogdanov meet with Hassan Abdul Azim’s SNCB opposition delegation in Beirut and with Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah

BEIRUT, April 28 (Xinhua) — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov concluded Sunday his three-day visit to Lebanon, voicing concerns over the spillover of the Syrian unrest to Lebanon.
…
“I met at the Russian embassy with organizers of the Syrian opposition and a delegation headed by Secretary General of Syria’s National Coordination Body, which we find to be a main organization in the ranks of the Syrian opposition,” he said, introducing that this organization represented a program to resolve the Syrian crisis.

“This program complies with our vision, and its points correspond to the Geneva communique of June 30 of last year, which we find to be irreplaceable,” he continued.

Also, Bogdanov on Saturday met with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, calling on Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Syria out of the concern that the fighting may spread to Lebanon, the An Nahar daily said.

April 28th, 2013, 9:16 am

Tara said:

Zooصباح الخير يا,

New biased post is on. Enjoy!

April 28th, 2013, 9:31 am

Syrian said:

Zoo@433
Let me use your way and answe your question with a question.

You don’t think Tara is Inspirational?

April 28th, 2013, 10:09 am

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