Syrian Nationalist Party
Metaz K M Aldendeshe
Chief Strategist

Crocodile tears, that is all I can see from those pretending to care about Syrians. The real tears you see are the ones shed over the failure of the original intended plan to dissect Syria and roll it back. The consoling feeling they get now, is that they, you know the list of whose who, can feel satisfied that they did manage to spread sectarian hatred and expose the Shia Munafekken to Syria’s Sunnis.

Turkey opposition qualifies Erdogan’s “fight” against Israel as a hoax.

Duel over ties with Israel
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/duel-over-ties-with-israel.aspx?pageID=238&nID=13360&NewsCatID=338

The main opposition’s chief has fired a new salvo in a verbal battle between himself and the prime minister over Israel, saying the latter had agreed to host a NATO missile defense program that was functioning merely as an “Israel Shield.”

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s public image of fighting Israel is a hoax, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu told Anatolia news agency.

“Although he seems like he is against Israel, Erdoğan behind the curtain has ordered the establishment of the radar missile to protect Israel. He shall not deceive the public,” said the CHP leader.

“The prime minister himself is the reason for this radar to be based in Turkey. He should first be held accountable for this,” he said.
{..}

All qualified analysts in the world see Assad as a politically walking dead. He can decide how many people he can bring to death with with before he falls, but he cannot decide his future.

I would like to see a future Syria in a peacefull arrangement but this is yet impossible. Assad has committed too many mistakes and he, his mafia and probably many innocent alawites will pay a high price for Assads faults.

Arab League mission to return to Syria: Ban
AFP – 1 hr 7 mins ago
http://news.yahoo.com/arab-league-mission-return-syria-ban-230938900.html

The Arab League intends to restart its observer mission in Syria where government forces have killed thousands of civilians, UN leader Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.

Ban told reporters the head of the Arab League had told him of the plan to revive the mission and had asked for it to become a joint UN-Arab League operation.

The Arab League suspended observer work in Syria on January 28 because of the mounting violence by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in key protest cities. Many states withdrew their observers completely.

Ban said he spoke to Arab League secretary general Nabil al-Arabi by telephone on Tuesday.

“He informed me that he intends to send the Arab League observer mission back to Syria and ask for UN help,” Ban said.

“He further suggested that we consider a joint observer mission in Syria, including a joint special envoy.”

The UN leader said consultations would be held with UN Security Council members in coming days “before fleshing out the details”.

Ban condemned the 15-nation council’s failure to agree a resolution on Syria, saying it had been “disastrous” for the country’s people.

Russia and China vetoed a resolution on Saturday which would have backed the Arab League plan to end the deadly crackdown.

“It has encouraged the Syrian government to step up its war on its own people,” Ban said of the veto. ( HE DID NOT SAY THAT!? )

Arab states and USA holding on the money pledged to Egypt as Egypt does not seem to bow to renewed blackmail. Can Egypt’s economy survives without the 1.5 billion US aid?

Egypt’s PM says US threats to cut aid won’t work
Associated PressBy SARAH EL DEEB | Associated Press – 4 hrs ago
http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-pm-says-us-threats-cut-aid-wont-151508098.html
..
On Sunday, Egyptian investigative judges referred 16 Americans and 27 others to trial on accusations they illegally used foreign funds to foment unrest in the country.

That immediately drew a sharp rebuke from Washington, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warning that failure to resolve the dispute may lead to the loss of some $1.5 billion in aid to Egypt

…
El-Ganzouri also charged that aid pledged by Arab states has also stalled since the dispute began. He said he met in early December with Arab ambassadors “who promised that Egypt will receive a lot of money,” but two months later “none of these promises have come through.”

He hinted that the U.S. and Arab allies are withholding aid money because Egypt has adopted more independent policies since the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in February.

4. zoosaid: Arab League mission to return to Syria: Ban

If it happens, that’s good. Besides monitoring, it could serve as a conduit for communication between the opposing forces.

Will the frustrated Arab Gulf states finally recognize the frustrated SNC and help them financially and in the creation of the elusive no-fly zone?
http://rt.com/news/syria-opposition-controversy-homs-785/

…
On Wednesday, the opposition called for a no-fly zone over Syria
and asked for financial support from Arab nations. They addressed businessmen seeking finance to fund their ongoing fight against Assad’s regime

While encountering problems on the front, armed opposition says Bashar Assad would only understand a no-fly zone being imposed over his country as a clear signal to stop the bloodshed.

Syrian National Council’s Radwan Ziadeh claimed a dialogue with the Assad regime is impossible. “We will not accept any dialogue with Bashar al-Assad,” he said, “Without international intervention Bashar al-Assad will not stop the killings. Without such kind of action enforcing no-fly zone in Syria, I don’t think that Bashar al-Assad will understand the message and stop the violence.”

Ziadeh said they expected the Russian delegation in Syria to discuss ways to help President Assad to step down. But instead“what’s coming out from the visit, it is mainly about getting more financial aid to Bashar al-Assad to continue killing Syrian people.”

(..)

Post Revolution Libya, who is protecting the black refugees?

Refugee camp massacre: Libyan militia launch racist raid.
Published: 09 February, 2012, 01:38
http://rt.com/news/libya-war-crimes-racism-827/
…
Heavily armed fighters have attacked a camp of about 1,500 refugees on the outskirts of Tripoli, opening fire on its inhabitants. At least six were killed in the incident raising fears that civilians have little protection from militias running amok.

Moreover, the fact that the attack took place just outside the capital itself begs the question of just how much control the interim government actually has over the country.

“Men from Misrata came to the camp [in Janzour district] at 10 o’clock [Monday]. We knew they were from Misrata because it was written all over their cars,” camp resident Huda Bel-Eid said at Tripoli Medical Hospital, Al Jazeera reports.

According to various reports between six and twelve people were killed, including children, women and the elderly. The area around the camp was cut off by the attackers to prevent any help reaching the refugees.

Authorities in Janzour say the refugees armed themselves with knives and sticks to resist the attack. But locals and medics receiving the injured say the camp inhabitants were unarmed. Doctors in Central Tripoli hospital have confirmed they have begun receiving bodies from the camp.
{…}

Professor Landis:

The truth should be told no matter what. When you post a video stating that Baba Amro is being hit with rockets I as a reader need a proof because these things seem to me like explosions on the roof. I could be wrong also, but what type of weapon did the Assad forces use here? I served in the army myself and seen in my life time the rocket launcher and what is its effect. This video should be watched by a specialist to let us all know the truth.

I wish I could find online footage of the weapons they are claiming it is being used.

To me, I did not see any destruction of the buildings. A pyrotechician could do these stunts. Army trained individuals could do this very easy. Also notice the man taking the video is aiming exactly to where the “rockets” landed. I said it before every participant in this chaos lies for their own ends.

Please show this video to a specialist before claiming it is for real.

This video is very dangerous because it may lead into bigger full scale war something many parties are calling, participating and wanting.

Syria is burning and to those who want to pour gas onto this fire SHAME ON YOU.

Syria two-faced first lady

Last week, as Bashar al-Assad’s forces continued their bombardment of the city of Homs, the The Times’s Martin Fletcher asked whether Asma al-Assad, Bashar’s wife, whose family hails from the besieged city, would remain silent. “Has Syria’s Princess Diana become its Marie Antoinette?” he asked.

 Today he received an answer. In an email to The Times, Asma—or her office—said her husband “is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role.” The email continued: “The First Lady’s very busy agenda is still focused on supporting the various charities she has long been involved with,” but that “She listens to and comforts the families of the victims of the violence.”

Whether the comment about her busy agenda qualifies as Antoinette-level tone-deafness is debatable, but it may indeed signal the end of the Princess Diana-like position she has long occupied in the media. A stylish, London-born, quadri-lingual former investment banker, Asma was skilled at garnering good press, despite the abuses of her husband’s regime.

According to Andrew Tabler, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who worked as a media representative for Asma’s charities, “She was used as a media emissary by the regime to the West because she grew up in London, and as an emissary for the Alawite rulers because she came from a Sunni family.” Tabler recently published a book on his experience with the Assads.

Vogue’s embarrassingly timed and much derided profile of the first lady is a recent example of such coverage. Published in the March issue, just as the regime’s deadly crackdown began in earnest, the article described the Assad household as “wildly democratic” and praised Syria as the “safest country in the Middle East.” There’s a saturated photograph of Bashar and their kids playing with a monster truck. “She’s breezy, conspiratorial, and fun,” the article says. Her central mission is encouraging “active citizenship.”

Vogue stood by the article, briefly, then pulled it. The only extant copy online is at a Bashar fan site called presidentassad.net.

“There’s been a lot of pressure to show the international community where she stands, and it shows you she’s standing by her man.” 
Though the piece came about with the help of a public-relations firm hired by the Syrian regime at $5,000 a month, Vogue is far from the only publication to puff Syria’s first lady. Two years ago, The Huffington Post published a slide show called Asma Al Assad: Syria’s First Lady And All-Natural Beauty, and Paris Match called her “the element of light in a country full of shadow zones.” In March of last year Chrystia Freeland wrote in Reuters that the lesson to learn from all the glowing coverage is that “a dictator who wants to be accepted by polite Western society should look for a charming, glamorous wife.”

Almost every profile of Asma begins with a mention of her beauty and fashion sense, though her allure is more than superficial. For those hoping for reform in Syria, her background and public statements were a source of encouragement. The daughter of a Syrian cardiologist, she grew up in London and graduated from the University of London with a degree in computer science and French literature. She worked as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan—by all accounts a very good one—and was set to begin a Harvard M.B.A. program when she married Bashar in 2000, six months after he assumed the presidency. She’d met him years earlier, when on vacation with her family in Syria, back when Bashar was set to become an ophthalmologist and his older brother, Basil, was being groomed for the presidency.

As first lady, Asma’s concern for the plight of young and rural Syrians seemed genuine. She traveled the country for three months incognito, according to the Vogue article, taking notes on the country’s problems before founding several NGOs for childhood education, rural development, and female empowerment. In 2010 she hosted a conference in Damascus calling for more NGOs and the strengthening of civil society in Syria. As late as mid-March of last year, the Harvard Arab Alumni Association was praising Asma, who had been invited as the keynote speaker at a conference, for her work fostering civil society and social change.

But Tabler points out that Syria never passed an NGO law that would allow the groups to function properly. Only charities that fall under Asma’s umbrella organization and are approved by the regime are allowed to operate, says Tabler. “In many ways I think she functioned as an enabler for the regime,” he says. “She promoted the idea of reform but they never reached fruition.”

It’s not a complete surprise that Asma would side with the regime when pressed. In a far more critical profile for The New York Times magazine in 2005, she speaks eloquently about the importance of a free press and her hopes for reform, but when James Bennett asked about the political dissidents jailed by her husband, she fires back, “’How many prisoners do you have in the U.S., political or otherwise? It doesn’t mean you’re a repressive society either.”

With the escalation of violence in Syria, Asma’s ability to serve as a representative for wished-for reform may be at an end. Before the letter, she had made only one public appearance since the uprising began—silent, at her husband’s side, along with two of their three elementary school-age children. And now, with the letter to The Times, she appears to have come out explicitly against the uprising. “There’s been a lot of pressure to show the international community where she stands,” says Tabler, “and it shows you she’s standing by her man.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/08/asma-al-assad-poses-as-reformer-but-supports-syria-s-brutal-regime.html

Time to demonize Asma. Any straw that can be used in media war, will be used by any side.

So, Gulf council wants observers back. Not a week ago they shoot and buried the mission. I hope we will hear many reasons how good mission really was, how it prevented casualties, exactly the opposite than a bit ago. Maybe someone will even read the report. Results are really relative to situation.

A Tunisian AL observers talks ( a long interview)

The observer Ahmed Manaï “The Arab League has buried the observers report on Syria”
Lilia Weslaty | Feb 08, 2012
http://nawaat.org/portail/2012/02/08/ahmed-manai-the-arab-league-has-buried-the-observers-report-on-syria/
INTERVIEW WITH AHMED MANAÏ, ARAB LEAGUE OBSERVER IN SYRIA. Translated by Kacem Jlidi

As one of 166 observers from the Arab League in Syria, we interviewed Ahmed Manaï, former UN international expert, militant for a democratic Tunisia and author of “Tunisian torture – The Secret Garden General Ben Ali.”

Nawaat: What was your reaction, as a Tunisian member of the observers sent by the Arab League, facing the Sino-Russian veto on the draft resolution of the UN Security Council on Syria?

AM: A great satisfaction for the Syrian people and Syria, their present and future. The Sino-Russian veto saved a country, the cradle of human and Arab civilization, from total destruction to which destined him and other Arab powers of the war were about to make him suffer. With this veto Syria will not know, I hope the fate of Iraq so close with its million deaths, its 3 million orphans, its two million widows, its four million refugees and his unstructured society. It will not know the uncertain fate of Libya, unstructured and disjointed.

Nawaat: You wrote on your Facebook page that the decision that “to return the Syrian ambassador” of Tunisia emanates not from the President Marzouki but from Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Islamist party Ennahdha and Qatar, where from you hold this information?

AM: I’d like to remind you first that there is no Syrian ambassador in Tunis since more than a year, but just a vice affairs handler.

…
Why Qatar? Because this country, a subcontractor of dirty work, which drives the “Arab initiative” had ordered all countries under its supervision, to accompany the meeting of the Security Council on 04/02, with a concerted action to break with Syria. They thought of everything except the double veto. He also gave instructions to some Medias to heat up the atmosphere a little more. The Syrian CNT has recommended to his followers to occupy the Syrian embassies around the world and its militants and armed groups to distinguish themselves by large scale action. However, I must admit that I have friends in the league who have confirmed to me certain things, including the unconditional alignment of the Tunisian delegation to the Arab League in Qatar.

On the other hand, it is all in line with the approach between the “brothers” and their Arab allies, Turkish and Western.

Nawaat: What do you think of the decision itself to « return the ambassador » ?

AM: I recall that Tunisia has sent an official delegation that participated in drafting the report of the Arab mission in Syria. If the Tunisian decision-makers had consulted the members of this delegation on the situation in Syria, they surely would have advised them otherwise. I also do not know if these decision-makers were aware of this mission that includes ambassadors, senior officials and officers.

So what do I think? This is a hasty decision, taken by diplomacy and international relations amateurs, unaware of the harm they do to the interests and image of a country that has long been distinguished for its wise and balanced diplomacy, or so, a decision dictated by someone stronger than them!
Curiously none of the powers which were about a few weeks ago to launch their planes over Syria has used the severance of relations with it.

Nawaat: Who are the different agents (There has been talk of Iran, Hizb Allah, Iraqis …) involved in the events taking place in Syria since March 2011? Can you please clarify more on these actors?

AM: Iran and Hezbollah are strategic allies of the Syrians. The Iraqis, on the contrary, were in bad terms with them, though now we witness their reconciliation.

Would they be involved in the events in Syria? I do not think the Syrians would need anyone’s help to manage the situation within their country. Many Medias spoke of Hezbollah fighters and Iranian Pasdaran who would get involved in the repression of demonstrators. It’s just propaganda. But it is certain that they cooperate full in intelligence, for example.

There are other countries fully involved in the Syrian crisis: what are the Gulf countries headed by Qatar, Turkey and all NATO countries. Among these, there are those who welcome the armed groups on their soil, others do the funding, others train them and others provide them with media coverage.
There are other big players, such as Russians and Chinese, but as we saw in the last Security Council’s vote, their role is primarily supportive.

But there are also, in addition to these states, few highly influential political movements, such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis.

Nawaat: What do you think of media coverage in Syria? What about the censorship?
{..}

Are you serious MJABALI?! You need more proof of the shelling?
Here are a few videos of the hundreds on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PyeoBLF75o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9bAw1UEC2U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdwxZz_SX1E
It’s not just Homs getting bombarded, Zabadani, Madaya, Rankous, Ar-Rastan….etc, etc. It’s just worst in Baba Amr, that’s why all the focus is on it. This is shelling in Ar-Rastan and the last vid in Zabadani:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlfOsVji018
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF4f2AaavEw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGTVCCbTMh8

Here’s 1 video that shows the utter destruction in 1 small part of Baba Amr. It also shows the regime shelling the Homs oil refinery:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdtvzHyYvKc&feature=related

Here’s 1 video of the weapons you couldn’t find. Pieces of rockets and shells that hit Baba Amr and an unexploded mortar round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48YeiQg9ngw

You talk about pyrotechnicians and stunts as if Baba Amr isn’t under siege with a severe lack of food and medical aid, let alone explosives and pyrotechnics.

There are soooo many videos you just have to open your eyes. You could follow one of the many revolution news pages on FB or YouTube if you really want to see what is happening in Syria.
The truth is that the criminal Assad regime has gone nuts and needs to be removed by any means possible to save the lives of the Syrian people.

Pulling out a dead family from under the rubble of a home destroyed by regime bombardment of Baba Amr.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi17E5GEm1E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SPWDbAnaY0&feature=related

Bronco

What I lack in imagination I try to make up with realistic observations. You couldn’t even find propaganda from the regime saying people are blocked or scared of the FSA and are thus demanding a temporary truce.

I know you don’t watch amateur videos, so here’s a CNN report with Arab League monitors in Zabadani. The video shows civilians leaving the town without being hassled by the FSA. This was before the truce, and before the breach of that truce last week.

http://youtu.be/Ak1peaS3HBg

The people in Zabadani didn’t seem afraid of the FSA and said that the Syrian military was shooting at civilians. When the crowd turns on the AL monitors, the news crew and monitors try to leave and then are blocked by Assad’s military.

I hope you understand that I’m done with this debate unless you can dig up something from Syria Truth to bolster your argument. Your position is clear: you support the continued slaughter of the Syrian people and eternal oppression under the Assad dictatorship.

On the other hand, I demand my full political and human rights, and I wanted it when I was growing up in Aleppo decades ago. Any reform short of a complete transformation of the government is too little too late.

On that note, I can’t wait to see the new constitution that Assad’s cronies ginned up. I really hope they keep the article requiring that the president must be a Muslim, because it’s going to be awesome to hear the menhebak racists defend this blatant discrimination.

For the record, I am against a religious requirement or the mention of any religion in the constitution. I’m pretty sure the SNC has the same position. But secular Assad has a different view.

13. Mohammad

Is internet working in besieged Homs to be able to post such a number of videos in Youtube?
Good to know, I thought there was no electricity even to recharge the mobiles..

من نعم الله علينا تكاثر اصحاب العلم الديني و لهم الفضل الاكبر في علو شان هذه الامه
نشرت الصفحة الرسمية للهيئة الشرعية للحقوق والإصلاح على “فيسبوك” فيديو منسوباً للدكتور سعد الدين هلالي الأستاذ بجامعة الأزهر في لقائه مع الداعية المصري الشيخ خالد الجندي، وعلقت على الفيديو بأن هلالي يقول: إن الراقصة شهيدة لأنها خرجت في طلب رزقها.
لكن هلالي قال لـ”العربية.نت” إن الراقصة شهيدة إذا نزلت للتظاهر ضد الفساد أو الظلم، أو كانت ذاهبة إلى عمل خير ثم غرقت أو حرقت أو انهدم عليها جدار، أو طعنت بآلة حادة أو قتلت بطلق ناري.

Halabi #15

“you support the continued slaughter of the Syrian people and eternal oppression under the Assad dictatorship.”

I don’t.

I support the elimination of violent outlaws who are preventing the reforms elaborated and planned for Syria that will move it to a democracy without the need of armed gangs, a no-fly-zone, sectarian violence, civilians death, hatred, revenge, foreign troops or Youtube.

16. Irritated

The activists have their ways of getting the videos out.

You’re detracting from the main point. Syrian people are getting blown and shot to pieces. By whom and what is being done to stop it are the questions to ask.

I hope you’re getting ‘Irritated’ at the death of all those men, women and children.

Justice with due process and equal protection under the law.
The Syrian people can look forward to the Taliban style of governing in rebel controlled areas in Syria.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS_8st2r8Cs&feature=related

Mohammad – Thanks for collecting the videos from Homs. I’ve been watching them for days and it’s devastating. Hardcore menhebak terrorists on this site won’t accept anything that violates their version of reality. لا حياة لمن تنادي

Amal Hanano interviewed one of the activists in Homs on Monday. It’s a good read, but psychopaths won’t like it.

http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/4281/one-morning-in-homs

When the revolution began people were angry that the military wasn’t using rubber bullets, but then the shabbiha began returning tortured corpses to their families which made Syrians long for bullets again. This cycle is repeating itself with the shelling. The activist in Hanano’s piece calls AK47s and machine guns precision weapons. The heroic Syrian people aren’t asking for much, just the dignity of a bullet in the head rather than mutilation.

When the attacks on Khalidia started on Saturday menhebaks said those that were killed were kidnapped civilians and soldiers. They aren’t saying that anymore, and we are still waiting for the state funeral for the victims. I really thought they would tire of lying, but they have kept it up for more than four decades. Hats off to Assad and his supporters, you will go down in history as one of history’s greatest criminal enterprises.

19. Mohamed

I hope you’re getting ‘Irritated’ at the death of all those men, women and children.

I certainly am because these are innocents whose death is wasted to satisfy the goal of people sitting in the US and in Europe counting if the death toll is enough to call for an emergency session of the UNSC.

all the western media about the army shelling of Homs is exposed and proofed to be lies and fabrication.
I am speaking to syrians on a daily basis and many state; it is the terrorists are the ones killing the innocents in Syria. therefore
stop spreading propaganda and lies here. many of the dead are army and police killed by the terrorists in HOMS.
the USA wants to topple Assad at any cost, obviously his time is over because the USA doesn’t want him there, will Russia allow that that’s the million dollar question?

Read this piece of garbage from champress:
إن الولايات المتحدة الأميركية، ومعها تركيا و”عرب الديمقراطيات” كانوا يدركون منذ البداية بأن الرئيس الأسد بصدد القيام بثورة إصلاحية في سورية، وقد هالهم هذا الأمر، فبدأوا تحت جنح الظلام بحياكة خيوط المؤامرة على سورية لقطع الطريق على أي نقلة نوعية إن في السياسة أو الاقتصاد أو على مستوى خلق مساحات للحوار بين مكونات المجتمع السوري للوصول إلى سورية أفضل. ووجدوا لتنفيذ مآربهم البنية الحاضنة لذلك، والمتمكنة بما تسمى المعارضة التي كانت أداة طيعة في تنفيذ الأجندة التي وضعت لزعزعة استقرار سورية وإدخالها في دائرة الفوضى.

[Link added by Moderator: http://www.champress.net/index.php?q=ar/Article/view/112732 ]
What is most outrageous about this mukhabarati analysis is its assumption that there are still readers who are stupid enough to believe it.

Ghufran @24

There are. Most Mnhebaks on SC.

Halabi,

Hi. I liked the statement you made yesterday. It was like “Hamad is fat. His wife has a yacht, therefore Syrian should not get freedom”…. Pretty good! Thanks.

21 Halabi
ref : Amal Hanano, the pseudo of an syrian-american writer sitting behind his/her computer in the the USA.

The interview was made on Skype? and there is a live stream from Homs? Looks like internet is still on in Homs? Without electricity, satellite? Strange? Maybe the Syrian government forgot to cut internet as it seems Twitter is also working and Youtube, just what Amal Hanano needs.

Salah Addin

That is a horrible crime. I’m not going to be like the menhebak and question the authenticity of the video, it seems to be valid.

But I have a problem with your comment. Tell me, in Syria where does one go for “justice with due process and equal protection under the law?” There hasn’t been a single trial or conviction for murder in over ten months. Not one.

If the narrator in the video is honest, where would the people of Kfartakhareem turn in a man with a machine gun and grenades who was firing at a funeral procession? To the police, mukhabarat and army who were also killing civilians?

By unleashing violence and crippling the normal police and court functions of the government, Assad hasn’t left the Syrian people with any choice. Syria has laws on the books which allow people to kill attackers in self defense, and courts have been extremely lenient for revenge killings if it happens when “the blood is still hot.” I don’t agree with the latter, but it is part of the legal regime.

I’ve been to Kfartakhareem a few times and I remember it to be a wonderful town with peaceful people. Nothing scary. Of course I wasn’t armed and I didn’t lob a grenade on mourners. That kind of thing gets you shot in cities from Kandahar to Texas.

That being said, it’s both morally and strategically wrong to lynch this man. Everyone deserves a fair trial, from the smallest shabbih to Bashar.

From the often unreliable Debka files ( what media is reliable now anyways?)
Are they providing the rebels with communications equipment(internet, mobiles etc..)?

First foreign troops in Syria back Homs rebels. Damascus and Moscow at odds
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report February 8, 2012, 1:35 PM (GMT+02:00)
http://www.debka.com/article/21718/

British and Qatari special operations units are operating with rebel forces under cover in the Syrian city of Homs just 162 kilometers from Damascus, according to debkafile’s exclusive military and intelligence sources. The foreign troops are not engaged in direct combat with the Syrian forces bombarding different parts of Syria’s third largest city of 1.2 million. They are tactical advisers, manage rebel communications lines and relay their requests for arms, ammo, fighters and logistical aid to outside suppliers, mostly in Turkey.

This site is the first to report the presence of foreign military forces in any of the Syrian uprising’s embattled areas.
Our sources report the two foreign contingents have set up four centers of operation – in the northern Homs district of Khaldiya, Bab Amro in the east, and Bab Derib and Rastan in the north. Each district is home to about a quarter of a million people.
{…}

Three Libyan Salafis Killed In Syria
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2012/02/libyian-salafis-killed-in-syria.html
Borzou Daragahi is the Middle East and North Africa correspondent for the Financial Times. He just tweeted:

borzou Borzou Daragahi
Wow – Misurata revolutionaries announce combat deaths of three #Libyan fighters in #Syria on.fb.me/z8a6kV

This is the first confirmation of what former CIA agent Philip Giraldi reported back in December:

Unmarked NATO warplanes are arriving at Turkish military bases close to Iskenderum on the Syrian border, delivering weapons from the late Muammar Gaddafi’s arsenals as well as volunteers from the Libyan Transitional National Council who are experienced in pitting local volunteers against trained soldiers, a skill they acquired confronting Gaddafi’s army.

Giraldi, without naming any sources, also claimed:

French and British special forces trainers are on the ground, assisting the Syrian rebels while the CIA and U.S. Spec Ops are providing communications equipment and intelligence to assist the rebel cause, enabling the fighters to avoid concentrations of Syrian soldiers.

The obvious attempt of regime-change the U.S., its European followers and its Arab stooges are engineering in their service to Israel, could eventually push Syria into the direction of a civil war. The Israelis believe that a weakened Syria will be good for them.

But, like nearly always, the blowback of such a campaign is likely larger than the gain and in the end will disappoint the instigators.

Thanks Tara. I’ve been watching you mind the fort for months almost on your own, so I thought I would lend a hand. You are very patient with these people who are seriously misguided.

Bronco #18
You seem like a nice guy. We don’t agree on the situation in Syria and probably never will. Assad could have tried to reform in April, instead he attacked Daraa. There will be no reform, just a long, bloody revolutionary war, the final legacy of tyrant.

Irritated #26
There is nothing going on in Homs. Hans said so. Buthaina said خلصت nine months ago, so there is no reason to even talk about this stuff anymore. http://www.thuraya.com/

I agree Halabi. The mehebakjiyye and shabeeha live in denial of the truth, they are Bashar’s slaves.
Very good piece, thanks for the link. We all share a similar experience every night (depending on your timezone).

Free-lance journalist Jane Ferguson sneaked into Homs and reported for Aljazeera English:
Inside Homs with the Free Syrian Army:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/02/20122714022499769.html
Homs residents narrate horror:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/02/20122812238715489.html

The game is over for Assad and his criminal gang, and he knows it, it’s just a matter of time now. I just hope the regime doesn’t destroy the country and massacre thousands more people in the process of its downfall.

On a side-note. Assad’s worst nightmare is slowly coming true. Every week the protests in Halab increase in size and scope. Last Friday there were demonstrations in more than 80 areas of Aleppo province, 16 in the city alone.

22. Irritated

You’re wrong. The civilians getting killed aren’t innocent, not in the eyes of the regime that is. They are guilty of calling for freedom and the fall of the regime. The bombardment and siege is collective punishment.
The US and Europe don’t give a damn about what’s happening in Syria. They would rather see Assad in power than an elected, honest government. The Assad regime has been maintaining stability and thus, Israel’s security, for the past 40 years. That’s why they haven’t taken any serious steps to topple the regime till now.

It is becoming clear that Syria is going to be divided as i do not see any chance for the two parties to live together, It is going to be a secular Syria of all kinds and religions and a religous Syria with all religous people that will apply Sharia laws, many are going in the process and forget the Golan forever,

9. mjabali: ((Professor Landis: This video should be watched by a specialist to let us all know the truth.))

Would you not still claim that the expert was biased and paid by Qatari, Israeli, Al Qaeda, MB if the conclusion corroborated Mr Landis claim quote?

The fact is you, like most Alawis will disbelieve what you fear to believe; the stigma of being associated with a community who perpetrated, supported, or acquiesced and benefited from decades of power abuse and crimes against humanity by the Assad-Makhlouf regime!

Hama historic old quarter, and with it a whole community including women and children, and a treasured piece of civilization was wiped out by the Assad brothers and Jabali gangsters.
Rocket launchers, artillery, tanks, and air assaults were used in the process.
I have no YouTube videos to show you; the story was told by the very few who escaped, after the fact visiting journalists, and the gap in the landscape of city center

But you really do not need a You-tube to show you the extent of destruction that was inflicted on the city. Go to Al 3assi square and look north and you will see the largest symbolic tomb stone that you have seen; 5 star Apamee hotel built atop the mass grave and ruins of historic Hama.

The day shall come when this hotel would be torn down to dig out the remains of the victims, and serve them what you and I owe them; a long-due burial writes to usher in a genuine national reconciliation.

You could also claim that that neighborhood was destroyed by city dwellers themselves who decided to commit self-destruct. So they detonated all houses over the heads of their own families and children just o implicate the peaceful, on-looking, innocent minority Jabali forces.

I invite you and all of you community compatriots who believe in freedom and the sanctity of blood to denounce the crimes against humanity that were and are still being committed in Hama and all over Syria by your community-lead and controlled regime forces against rising Syrians who sought, and are still seeking to regain their civil rights and God-given freedoms and dignity through peaceful, demonstrations.

I invite you and your community to declare criminal all of those who shall be found guilty of killing civilians in the name of their ideology, be it religion, nationalism, or secularism.

I invite you and your community to declare your commitment to cooperate with the other communities of Syria to facilitate the application of justice, even if it meant the punishment of own members.

I invite you and your community to show a fraction of the courage of your Syrian compatriots who died or still marching and risking their lives to secure freedom for all of us, including you and your community.

I invite you and your community to stop feeding on the bread served by your community warlords for it is stolen from and made with blood of your neighbors.

I invite you and the rest of your community to take heart from the courageous stand of Fadwa Suleiman and others in dissociating from the killing machine and associating with the just cause of the revolution for freedom and dignity.

Nic Robertson at CNN
http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.html#
There is already a regional civil war in Homs and the only thing that stops it from becoming a national civil war is the heavy presence of army and security forces in Syria’s two largest cities and the traditional reluctance of Damascenes and Aleppines to support and engage violence. Unless there is a political breakthrough in the very near future, people will start preparing for a long and bloody internal war that does not spare innocent Syrians who could not care less about who is President and who is from the SNC or the CNB.

Bronco
It’s unbelievable that the same people who were calling nonstop for more violence as a solution since day one and kept showing the support of the armed militia and want to militarize the uprising and glorifying every atrocity made by the terrorists against everything and anything Syrian and the same people who kept telling us that the terrorist militias are now more than 40000 ‘angels’ and will take over everything within days to SAVE us all, are the same ones refusing to accept reality that violence is NOT THE ANSWER and shooting at the Syrian Army will make them legitimate targets and they will affect every innocent person around them.
It seems that they prefer to see more misery and killing happening to the people they claim that they support over facing reality and stop this madness of wasting the lives of people they ‘dream’ of protecting. They fail in everything but destroying the country and wasting Syrian lives.
It’s time to face reality and recognize that they are no match to a real army and they should call for a truce to let the innocent people to go free to safety instead of using them as hostages and hijack their lives.
Dialogue and negotiations is the ONLY way out of this, NOTHING ELSE WILL WORK.

@24 Ghufran,

That is what I thought initially as well. A Syrian revolution hijacking attempt, and it could be so, in fact even now it appears to be that way. However, Assad could not be leading a political and economic revolution in Syria, that is a true fact, he is not a leader and that is proven now. Just look how he failed to lead in almost a year of spiraling mayhem, death and economic degradation. It would have taken him two days to sign all the necessary Presidential Decrees needed to accommodate the legitimate opposition demands and take the wind out the fake ones that are backed by shady interests. Instead, he is gone on mad slaughter fest and still to this day. That is not a leader, that is a brutal dictatorship of militant mafia face.

@35 JAD

“…….It seems that they prefer to see more misery and killing happening to the people they claim that they support …….”

Yes this disconnect is pronounced and has been since the very first week, specially between the bloggers and the street. No feeling, no attachment, no remorse, it is noticeable on part of those promoting violence and those that are promoting the oppositions. The feeling I am getting is this:

بيقتلو القتيل وبيطلعو بجنازته

jad

From the link posted by Mohamed #31

Jane Ferguson’s conclusion: “In this war, both sides are weak, but who the winner will be is still unclear.

Either way, it is ordinary civilians who are losing.”

reports that Abdelrezak Tlass has been killed?

قناة الجزيره
قناة حقيره

ريفلون يعتقد ان الجيش العلوي قصف المصفاة لانها مصفاة سنيه
لماذا قام نظام يوصف بالطائفية بوضع نصف المشاريع الاقتصاديه السوريه في حمص السنيه ريفلون بيك؟

Israeli-SNC cooperation

رامبو الجيش الكر
المجرم القاتل الفار عبد الرزاق طلاس يستعرض للكاميرا والبنات

Mjabali

When you deny that there is a massive military operation is taking place in Homs you sound like those Germans who would up to the end believe that no Russian could set a foot on germanys soil.Those people died mostly when they tried to defend their country and their leader by recruiting ten year olds to shoot RPGs at tanks but the majority of those just became very silent after the war. I never understood how my grandmother always claimed that she did not know what happend with the jews. Now i know all that was available to know, the regime published the news about the camps. I know now that she just lived in denial of the truth. Whats the next step for you? Will you say that those terrorists ( or rats and dogs as most regime supporters will title their dehumanization) deserved being killed? Sorry it really saddens me to see people living so comfortably in denial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiHDQVUITpc

This will leave the stone hearted Assad lovers unmoved, I know

Annie
This is sad.FSA terrorists,including Libyans,Kwaitis,Libanese..are responsible for what is happening in Homs,They were a gangrene ,without removing them the whole city
Would have been Kandahar.

42. Syria no kandahar said:
ريفلون يعتقد ان الجيش العلوي قصف المصفاة لانها مصفاة سنيه
لماذا قام نظام يوصف بالطائفية بوضع نصف المشاريع الاقتصاديه السوريه في حمص السنيه ريفلون بيك؟

Good querries SNK!
Her is my answers

FIRST, Baba Amr is located within 2 to 5 km of the oil refinery and even closer to the pipe lines that cross Homs city from east to west, across Baba Amr.
A shell from the indiscriminate shelling of Baba Amr could easily dig a hole in the ground resulting in the destruction of any nearby infra-structure, including pipelines.
Mind you, the same took place in Deir Alzor and that also coincided with Assad forces (the outlaws) shelling of the city and perimeters.
Had the FSA had the capacity to defend with artillery, the outlawed Assad regime forces would not have been given the time and space to mass, make fortifications, and bomb their neighborhood, at their leisure.

SECOND, There are four government run economical projects. Here they are and why they were chosen to be built HOMS.
– The refinery: Baath party had nothing to do with building of this refinery. It was built where it is for economical common sense; It is on the course of the pre-existing pipeline that extended from Kirkouk to the Mediterranean. But do not worry SNK; Your Alawis mates monopolize its highest paid jobs and all of its proceeds. So your Jabali mates could still cash in from their privileged jobs and go back to breath fresh air in their mountain villages, while Sunni city dwellers get left over jobs and endure its devastating environmental effects.

– Phosphate factory: It was built by the Baathist government. The reason for being where it is was two fold. First, the location. It is on the direct route from the phosphate mines source of Tyas region to the east , and the export outlet port of Tartous to the west. Factories require large resource of fresh water, like Qatteeneh lake where it is now. The Jobs, proceeds and devastating pollution added to the refinery’s complications.

– Electricity steam Generators of city of Homs. Do you think building it in your backyard in Qirdaha would have made more sense?

Before I finish, there is another devastating project that was also built around Qattineh’s lake: The Military tank’s workshop. Do I need to tell you who run that place, where it’s proceeds’ go and what it has done to the wild life in and around Qattineh?

Comment is free
Intervention in Syria will escalate not stop the killing
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/07/syria-intervention-escalate-killing

Sarkozy asks Russia to support the LAS plan on Syria

PARIS, February 9 (Itar-Tass) —— Paris calls on Moscow to support the plan of the League of Arab States /LAS/, which includes the transfer of power in Syria.
France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed this position during his telephone conversation with Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday night, the Elisee Palace said on Thursday.
Paris still insists Bashar Assad should leave and asks the Russian side “to give full support” to the LAS’ plan. France claims that Assad’s leaving will “prevent a civil war” in Syria.
During the conversation, Sarkozy stressed it was “necessary to add pressure on the Syrian regime in order to stop the repressions,” the Elisee Palace reported.
The telephone conversation was organised at the initiative of the French side.
Earlier, the Kremlin’s press service said that during the conversation, Medvedev presented to his French counterpart results of the negotiations of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Frankov with President Assad and Syria’s leaders, which happened on February 7 in Damascus.
[Link added by Moderator: http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/338433.html ]

Remember the public oath taken by the Homsi’s in december?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkg2RAwwe5Q

It may be that we are now seeing the oath being tested and God Almighty may soon answer their prayers InshaAllah. May Allah Almighty grant the Homsi’s (and all revolutionaries) protection, steadfastness and a speedy victory.

These are the neighbours of Sayyidina Khaled bin Walid (RA) who was blessed with victory upon victory.

Allah SWT Knows best.

CIA-Backed Terrorist Groups Continue Attacks against Civilians and Vital Facilities in Syria
http://info-wars.org/2012/02/09/cia-backed-terrorist-groups-continue-attacks-against-civilians-and-vital-facilities-in-syria/

Obama Signs Executive Order On Iran

Remember the public oath taken by the Homsis in December?

1. SYRIAN NATIONALIST PARTY said :

“The consoling feeling they get now, is that they, you know the list of whose who, can feel satisfied that they did manage to spread sectarian hatred and expose the Shia Munafekken to Syria’s Sunnis”

Two questions –

1. Do you think exposing the Shia munafekeen to the Syrian Sunnis was a good thing or bad thing for Syrian nation ?

2. In future, Syrian nation should be closer to whom, Shia munafekeen, or those who exposed them ?

Iran and Russian backed Assad regime terrorists continue attacks against civilian homes with heavy artillery:
This is today morning! (ie a few hours ago)
[WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AWVvfBPM14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP13aixy1EE&skipcontrinter=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-iHTLo8AZk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvJrhaF6Zuo

Iranian and Russian backed Assad regime terrorists continue attacks against civilian homes with heavy artillery:
This is today morning! (ie a few hours ago)
[WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AWVvfBPM14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP13aixy1EE&skipcontrinter=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-iHTLo8AZk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvJrhaF6Zuo

Just read that Ban Ki Moon may decide to sen an special envoy to Syria, and may staff up the existing AL mission. Would be smart of him if his envoy would be either russian or of chinese nationality.

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2012/02/08/threat-assessment-report-us-vision.html

Threat Assessment Report: US Vision

NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ALLEGATIONS

As in Vietnam, and so many other cases, more recently Iraq, for instance, the probability is high the USA may resort to fraudulent casus belli against other states. The report accuses Iran of all crimes without producing any real evidence whatsoever. Even the top US officials differ in assessments of how far Iran gas gone on the way of going nuclear, if that is its intention. Evidently supportive of Arab spring the General still mentioned the risks the situation may lead to. He said: “As the ancient historian Tacitus once observed, the best day after a bad emperor is the first,” Mr. Clapper said. “After that, I would add, things get very problematic.” Something we clearly see after Muslim fundamentalists swept election victories in Tunisia and Egypt and going strong in Libya, Yemen and Syria. It never made precise what exactly “liberalization and reforms” Russia needs according to Mr. Clapper’s view. It gives no explanation what caused Russia’s response to US missile defense or doubts about sincerity of the “reset” policy. As well as it never mentions the reasons Russia takes a different stand on Syria. Of course the “closed door” part of the report may be quite different from the “open to public one”, still evidence to support allegations is what the document lacks.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=29127

Sabotage
The report said that once the necessary degree of fear had been created, frontier incidents and border clashes would be staged to provide a pretext for Iraqi and Jordanian military intervention. Syria had to be “made to appear as the sponsor of plots, sabotage and violence directed against neighbouring governments,” the report says. “CIA and SIS should use their capabilities in both the psychological and action fields to augment tension.” That meant operations in Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon, taking the form of “sabotage, national conspiracies and various strong-arm activities” to be blamed on Damascus.

The plan called for funding of a “Free Syria Committee”, and the arming of “political factions with paramilitary or other actionist capabilities” within Syria. The CIA and MI6 would instigate internal uprisings, for instance by the Druze in the south, help to free political prisoners held in the Mezze prison, and stir up the Muslim Brotherhood in Damascus.

The planners envisaged replacing the Ba’ath/Communist regime with one that was firmly anti-Soviet, but they conceded that this would not be popular and “would probably need to rely first upon repressive measures and arbitrary exercise of power”.

The plan was never used, chiefly because Syria’s Arab neighbours could not be persuaded to take action and an attack from Turkey alone was thought to be unacceptable. The following year, the Ba’athists moved against their Communist former allies and took Syria into a federation with Gen Nasser’s Egypt, which lasted until 1963.

Absolutely there are western terrorists on the ground in Syria and this explains now part of the hysteria behind the UNSC resolution, basically because without safe havens to work from, the job of the western terrorists is made very much more difficult. Basically Syria now has a full on western backed insurgency, the interesting thing is that whilst the US think it is OK to drone strike and kill civilians, when they are dealing with an insurgency, they think Syria should somehow lay down their arms and commit suicide when dealing with one themselves – but then again, nothing new there, it is the hallmark of the west – pure hypocrisy!

http://rt.com/news/britain-qatar-troops-syria-893/
British, Qatari troops already waging secret war in Syria?
Britain and Qatar have secretly sent their troops to aid Syrian rebel forces in fighting the government, according to a report.
The troops based at the city of Homs are not engaged in direct combat with Syrian forces, reports debkafile news website, citing its intelligence sources. They are rather acting as tactical advisers and communication officers. They also supply ammunition, mostly from Turkey.
Four centers of operation have been established in the city, the report says. Homs itself is currently witnessing heavy fighting between the army and the armed rebels.
The Israel-based website, which is reputed to have ties with intelligence services, says the secret operation paves the way for a future undercover incursion into Syrian territory by Turkish forces.
The presence of British and Qatari troops in Homs was on top of the agenda of Tuesday’s talks between Assad’s top officials with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov, according to the report.
The visit gave a chance for intelligence of the two countries to share their data on the situation in Homs. No official confirmation of such dealings was voiced after the visit, however.
Qatar makes little secret of supporting opposition in Syria with money, arms and political backing. Qatar’s leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani also said in mid-January it he is ready to send troops to Syria to stop the violence there. Britain so far insisted it is not planning any military action against the Assad regime.
The report resembles the way last year’s war in Libya unfolded. The UN Security Council resolution 1973 gave the pretext to NATO to launch a bombing campaign against Muammar Gaddafi’s troops, but forbade any ground troops from intervening.
However Qatar later confirmed that it did send its units to assist the Libya rebels. Britain and France sent their officers to train the anti-Gaddafi forces. There were also unconfirmed reports that Western special forces units were operating in the country, directing air strikes and engaging with the loyalists in combat.
The negative Libyan example was among the biggest concerns cited by Russia and China when they blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Syria last Saturday. Sponsors of the document lashed out at Moscow and Beijing, accusing them of siding with Assad in the bloody crackdown on the opposition.

Jeurgen:

Dude, I do not live comfortably. I have family members who died in this chaos in Syria, do you? Living comfortably is a state of mind. In spite of this I always, from day one, called for a halt to all violent actions by all parties. did you ever call for anything close to this?

If you know how to read English and understand what is written you could find that I am not a fan of al-Assad and his resort to violence and the way he is sacrificing these youth and destroying the country.

As for your people the Nazis, the Russians, the generations of denial and the correlation of this to what is going on in Syria: I say we are not here analyzing characters but to see facts before making irrational decisions. Why can’t you save us your emotions and analyzing prowess and show these video to army specialists to let us know the truth?

The only similarity between what goes on in Syria and your people the Nazis comes through the strong role of propaganda plus the usage of violence to solve matters. The Nazis were masters in manipulating and brainwashing. These video fall into the Nazi propaganda playbook 100%.

Leave psycho-analysis and get me facts to save my country Syria.

Are you able or just you gonna answer with some more emotional bull***t?

[NOTE — do NOT use Nazi-labels to denigrate another poster ]

Revelon:

All I am asking for is the Truth, why is that hard for you to grasp and instead gave me a long lecture about the importance of morals and where I should stand in your opinion.

Morals say that you need to know the Truth before anything else. In your religion they ask the people to make sure of the truth before they make the wrong decision:
سورة الحجرات (6) :يا ايها الذين امنوا ان جاءكم فاسق بنبا فتبينوا ان تصيبوا قوما بجهاله فتصبحوا على ما فعلتم نادمين )

It is proven so far that all parties in this chaos are involved in violent acts and have blood on their hands. It is proven also, beyond any shred of doubt, that all participants in this chaos lie also.

I do not represent the Alawis so stop talking to me as if I am their chief. Talk to me as a Syrian who hates to see his countrymen killing and decapitating each other.

I am not like you getting happy for violent acts by a certain faction in this chaos. I see the dead as Syrians no matter what camp they are in. Getting happy for the death of certain people is not moral. Violence has to stop and those supporting and calling for it should be held accountable too.

German foreign office has just released an statement calling 4 syrian diplomats as persona non grata. The three men and one women who are accredited in the syrian embassy here in Berlin were asked to leave the country within 3 day. In the statement the minestry stated ´that all 4 diplomats engaged in activities which arent compatible with the statutes of diplomats in the country.

Mjabali
I will answer your post later on.

Mohamed #54

A variation:

Regular Assad forces continue attacks against Turkish and Qatari backed terrorists hiding in civilian homes with heavy artillery.
Just like Nahr Al Bared in Lebanon.

Turkey’s Syria Imperative
Leon Hadar
|
February 8, 2012
http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/turkeys-syria-imperative-6474?page=1

..
The choice facing the Turks is not between launching a full-blown military intervention aimed at regime change in Damascus and doing nothing. Working together with the members of the Arab League, the Turks should pursue a regional solution to the crisis in Syria that involves the removal of the Assad family and their entourage from power. Their exile to Moscow would be followed by a deployment of Turkish and Arab peacekeeping troops in the country.

Ankara and its Arab partners—not the United States—should be putting pressure on Moscow and Beijing to provide a UN stamp on that kind of strategy, warning them that a rejection could leave no choice to Turkey but to use military power to resolve the crisis.

Turkey has the second-largest armed forces in NATO after the United States and one of the ten largest militaries in the world. It is time for Ankara to demonstrate that it is willing to put its political-military power where its somewhat loud mouth has been in recent years.

Appeasing Assad
The Editors
|
February 8, 2012
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/appeasing-assad-6478
The last thing anyone wants to do is offer Bashar al-Assad a carrot. The idea of granting concessions to the brutal dictator is enough to make one’s stomach turn. But the implications of failing to do so are more dire than anyone cares to admit.

In a thoughtful New York Times op-ed, Nicholas Noe makes the case for negotiating with Assad—for “bargaining with the devil.” His point, well made and well-taken, is that the United States and its allies are currently operating as if they can somehow engineer a controlled collapse of the Assad government. In fact, for a number of reasons that Noe puts forth, the far likelier scenario is “a bloody last-ditch effort by Mr. Assad, Iran and Hezbollah to save the Syrian government, which they have the means to do.”

The crucial part of Noe’s piece is his insistence that Washington—not Russia, not China, not even Assad himself, although these actors certainly deserve their fair shares of blame—should be held accountable for jettisoning its “inconsistent maxim that bargaining is morally prohibited when a leader is deemed to have gone beyond the pale—especially when bargaining could actually mitigate future fallout, while eventually securing one’s interests and values.” Sanctions aren’t working. Threats aren’t working. The UN Security Council resolution is dead in its tracks. Washington should be willing to seriously consider the option of negotiating, even if it will produce a less-than-ideal outcome and even if it entails granting concessions to the devil.

The details of Noe’s proposed bargain are murky—it’s probably unfeasible to base a deal on Israel’s willingness to return the Golan Heights, for example, or to expect that the Syrian insurgents will suspend their operations if America asks nicely—but his point about accountability is pivotal. Before pointing the finger at Moscow and Beijing for their UN vetoes, Washington should acknowledge that it is equally unwilling to take a course that, however distasteful, may produce acceptable results and help avoid a catastrophe. Noe’s analysis isn’t perfect, but his central argument is notable.

The activists in Homs call for an immediate foreign intervention

Assad’s forces tighten siege of restive Homs, say Syria activists
Latest update 10:31 09.02.12
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/assad-s-forces-tighten-siege-of-restive-homs-say-syria-activists-1.411894
….
He said the shelling continued Thursday on the districts of Baba Amr, al-Bayyada and al-Khalidiyeh in Homs, killing at least five people.

“This signals preparations for a major onslaught on the areas where activists and defectors are based,” Homsi said.

The Syrian opposition has called for Arab and Western countries to intervene to immediately stop attacks on residential areas.

On Wednesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Arab League head Nabil al-Arabi had informed him that the pan-Arab organization planned to send a monitoring mission back to Syria and asked for UN help.

Would there ever be a Benghazi in Syria? Homs, Zabadani under heavy siege

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/world/middleeast/syrian-forces-said-to-renew-assault-on-homs.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=global-home
“They are trying to weaken the social cradle that has embraced the Free Syrian Army in those neighborhoods and to turn the residents against them,” said Omar Idilbi, a member of the Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, based in Lebanon.
…
Government troops requisitioned empty apartments that commanded a view over the neighborhood, said the wife in the family, speaking anonymously out of fear of repercussions.

Soldiers appeared at the family’s door asking for coffee and food. When she told them in response to their questions that she was afraid, they assured her that everything would be fine because Mr. Assad had issued orders to clean up the neighborhood within a week, she said.

….
In the mountain town of Zabadani, near Damascus, which the Free Syrian Army controlled briefly last month, one resident reached by telephone said the tanks had approached but while shelling had stayed about a kilometer away (about five-eighths of a mile).

“God is great, God is great; do you hear that? Do you hear?” the resident, Zein Nour, said during a satellite telephone interview as shells erupted in the background every five or six minutes. Since the assault began five days ago, shellfire has intensified during the day and diminished after dark, he said, and about 5,000 residents have fled.

“There is no life, no communications, no bread, no hospitals,” Mr. Nour said. “There is no Zabadani. There used to be a Zabadani, but now there is no Zabadani; there is just destruction.”

U.N.’s Ban says Arab League to revive Syria mission
ReutersBy Patrick Worsnip | Reuters – 8 hrs ago

http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-ban-says-arab-league-revive-syria-002434144.html

FSA a mouse threatening the elephant Syrian Army:
1-Threat that it will destroy the whole city
2-Threat that it will attack minorities villages
3-look at none-Syrian faces of many of the terrorists.

It was clear for a long time that attacks on army will result in response. One side did actions like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wSYLUmAVjE&feature=related and got a response, which is Homs now.

You can’t have it both ways, there’s bound to be escalation.

Zoo

There is nothing going on in Homs. Hans said so!

Numbers of death in questions over the unreliability of the sources.

Deaths in Syria: Counting them (politically) correctly
Published: 09 February, 2012, 12:10
http://rt.com/news/syria-death-count-political-875/

…
The British-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) is one of the most widely-quoted sources of Syrian casualty figures. However the group is currently experiencing an ownership row, which has left media outlets wondering how reliable this source is.

Currently there are two sites, each claiming to be the official Observatory. The original one is in Arabic with an English version on Facebook. The splinter site was launched in December, with most posts in English. Both call each other impostors.

Currently there are two sites, each claiming to be the official Observatory. The original one is in Arabic with an English version on Facebook. The splinter site was launched in December, with most posts in English. Both call each other impostors.

They give different casualty reports – and a very different perspective of the crisis. The original site’s latest figures show just over 5,100 civilian deaths against almost 2,000 military casualties. The rival site claims well over 6,500 civilians have been killed and barely 600 troops.

The numbers are not the only thing the two SOHR groups differ on though. Politics seems to be at the core of the split.

The man behind the new site is Mousab Azzawi. He launched a smear campaign against the original Observatory co-founder Rami Abdulrahman. Azzawi revealed Abdulrahman’s real name and said his rival was linked to the Assad family, is unprofessional and barely related to the Observatory. He also accused the rival of hijacking the original site by changing all logins and passwords.

The original Observatory says Mousab Azzawi used to translate for them, but then was fired after he falsely claimed to be an official spokesman for the group and called for foreign intervention into Syria.

RT’s Ivor Bennet spoke to Hivin Kako, who is spokesperson of the original SOHR. “Azzawi group tried to pass some political view like calling for a no-fly zone and international intervention. We made it clear that we are against an intervention; we are against a no-fly zone. All we need is to stop the bloodshed that is going on in Syria,” she said.

Azzawi refused to speak on camera, stating, “I cannot waste my time talking about this at the moment whilst people are dying in Homs. They are my priority right now.”
..
Abdulrahman says the whole conflict stems from an internal dispute in the Syrian opposition, reports the Al-Akhbar news website. He and his group have been attacked by those in the anti-Assad activists, who want NATO to invade the country, similar to what happened in Libya. They also want the SOHR not to report the deaths of government loyalists to make the case for an intervention.

Is this a real video by opposition or is it faked by government?

71. Tara

Like any civil war, it depends where you are, I guess in some areas of the city, its business as usual.

Zoo

I borrowed that from Halabi. I just posted that to make you smile. Do you smile at all? Sometimes it makes me cry when someone smiles at me. Weird. Right? I am tired of thinking. I hope I don’t have to think today. It pains me sometimes to think.

Ales

Curiously, compared to the huge amount of videos pouring from Homs, I don’t sense yet an unusual outcry or urgency neither in the UN nor in the Arab countries ( except Tunisia).
Lavrov was in Damascus when the media was reporting ‘brutal pounding.. massacre etc..’ and he made no comment.
Either they are all indifferent or they are all waiting to see the outcome of the fights between the regular army and the armed gangs and mutineers occupying Homs, Zabadani and Edlib.
In a way they seem to condone the crackdown.
This is a matter of days before the Arab FM meet again. It is hoped that the situation on the ground would be clear by then, so they can send again the AL observers that they withdrew to escalate to the UNSC.

Great job guys ! A leader who kills his own people is crazy. To wit :http://youtu.be/ntJG8qcGjDM

Where is the world?

Has humanity been lost?

http://www.youtube.com/user/journeymanpictures#p/c/3A4C018BB1B234EC/0/cIp_zf-to7c

What I loved when living in Syria was the insaniya; I was so wrong!

Very important news from Tartous on Syrian TV.

Alikhbaria Syria (الاخبارية السورية)
مدير صحة طرطوس خير الدين السيد ينفي نفياً قاطعاً تسمم مادة المتة في طرطوس او ريفها

Assad’s army is airing a crude, text-only recruitment ad on Syrian TV. Its target: men who graduated from grade school. The benefits: housing, healthcare and fair compensation. The fine print: soldiers must be ready to kill Syrians, Lebanese and Palestinians, but shouldn’t even dream about liberating occupied territories.

Syria’s Army – Be the worst that you can be.

http://youtu.be/m8i7GUnKoqs

Zoo,
It seems that the story you linked about Qatari and Brit fighters in Syria is true, the Russian are warning about such actions.

Bronco,
More about Alqaeda fighters in Syria, which explain why they are not calling for a truce and why they are using civilians as human shields, THEY ARE NOT SYRIAN to care for wasting Syrian blood, they attack the army from within the civilian areas, it’s a strategy not a coincidence.

سقوط المزيد من القتلى والجرحى في صفوف عناصر” القاعدة” والحركات الوهابية على الأراضي السورية

مواقع المنظمات المرتبطة بـ”القاعدة” والمنظمات الوهابية الأخرى بدأت تتنشر أسماء قتلاها وجرحاها العرب ومن دول إسلامية على الأراضي السورية

دممشق ، الحقيقة ( خاص من : مازن ابراهيم) : منذ بضعة أشهر كنا السباقين إلى القول إن “الجيش السوري الحر” ليس أكثر من واجهة خلبية للمنظمات التكفيرية والأصولية و عملاء الاستخبارات الأجنبية الذين تدفقوا للقتال على الأراضي السورية. وقد أكدنا مرارا وتكرارا ، وفي مناسبات مختلفة ، أن عناصر هذا “الجيش” من المنشقين لا يعادل أكثر من 3 أو 5 بالمئة في الحد الأقصى . وهو ما جاءت لاحقا تقارير مراكز أبحاث غربية ( “مجموعة الأزمات الدولية” في بروكسل مثلا) لتؤكده . أما الآن ، وتحديدا منذ يومين ، فقد أصبحنا أمام معطيات ملموسة وموثقة حول حجم تدفق أولئك المسلحين ، تتمثل في سقوط المزيد من القتلى والجرحى في صفوفهم، وهو ما باتت تكشفه صفحات المنظمات الأصولية التي تدور في فلك “القاعدة” وأخواتها. فبعد كشف المواقع الليبيبة سقوط ثلاثة قتلى من الإسلاميين الليبيين في “بابا عمرو” في مدينة حمص يوم الإثنين الماضي ، توالت عمليات الكشف خلال اليومين الماضيين من قبل تلك الصفحات لتظهر أن المسلحين التكفيريين جاؤوا من العديد من الدول العرب والإسلامية.

على هذا الصعيد ، كشف موقعا ” شبكة أنصار الشام” و ” شبكة المراسلون الإعلامية”، وهما موقعان مرتبطان بأوساط “القاعدة” والحركات السلفية، عن سقوط الأردني ” أبو البراء السلطي” في مواجهة مع أجهزة الأمن في منطقة ” تل أبيض” التابعة لريف حلب والقريبة من الحدود التركية. وفي خبر آخر ، كشف الموقعان عن سقوط ” أبو أسامة المهاجر” و ” أبو سارة الإماراتي” من الإمارات العربية بينما كانا يهربان السلاح من داخل العراق في منطقة ” البوكمال” في محافظة دير الزور. كما وأشارت هذه المواقع إلى إصابة المدعو ” أبو حامد الجبوري” العراقي ، دون تحديد مكان إصابته.

وكانت وكالة ” يونايتد برس إنترناشيونال” نقلت أمس عن مصدر أمني قوله إن خمسة من أخطر الإرهابيين الوهابيين سقطوا في منطقة الزبداني بريف دمشق ، بينهم الكويتي فؤاد خالد ( أبو حذيفة)، خلال مواجهات مع أجهزة الأمن. وتقدر مصادر أمنية عدد الأصوليين الذين تسللوا إلى سوريا ، من ” القاعدة” وتوابعها من المنظمات السلفية التكفيرية بما لا يقل عن ألف مسلح ، تركز معظمهم في ريف دمشق و حمص و “جبل الزاوية” في محافظة إدلب.
http://www.syriatruth.org/news/tabid/93/Article/6665/Default.aspx

Not sure of this news. the Syrian army killed Abd Alrazaq Tlass in Baba Amr in Homs:

أفادت قناة “الاخبارية السورية” عن ورود انباء عن مقتل الملازم اول الفار عبد الرزاق طلاس ومجموعته في بابا عمرو بحمص.

[Link added by Moderator: http://alkhabarpress.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A7/ ]

Alqaeda fighters, from Iraq prisons to ‘angels’ in the FSA:

عناصر “القاعدة” من سجون العراق الى صفوف الجيش السوري الحر عربي برس – العراق
بغداد: حيدر نجم

منذ أشهر اندلعت في العراق حرب بالإنابة عن سورية، تدور رحاها بين طرفين الأول يمثل تيارات سياسية ومجتمعية مؤيدة للإحتجاجات الشعبية التي انطلقت في عدد من المدن السورية قبل عام تقريبا، بينما المعسكر الآخر تمثله أحزاب السلطة وتحديداً ائتلاف الإسلام السياسي الحاكم والدعمة لدمشق وللسلطات السورية.
كما إن الولاءات الخارجية لجميع كتل السلطة في العراق تدفعها لتبني هكذا نوع من المواقف المتعارضة حيال الشأن الخارجي، وهو امر يثير الاستغراب والريبة لدى أوساط المراقبين والجمهور الذي يتهم قياداته المحلية في الارتباط بـ”أجندات خارجية مشبوهة”.
“حرب الإنابة” تجلت من خلال، ردود الأطراف المناصرة للحراك الاجتماعي الذي تحول الى نشاط مسلح في مدن سورية، على الإعلانات المتكررة لسلطات بلادها التي تكشف فيه عن عمليات تهريب أسلحة واجتياز مسلحين محليين وعرب لحدودها باتجاه سورية، بإدعاءات مماثلة عن دخول مسلحين إيرانيين إلى أراضي بلادهم أو منها إلى سورية.
هذه الادعاءات “المغرضة” التي تبثها القوى المعارضة لتوجهات حكومة بغداد بشأن الملف السوري، نفتها السلطات الحكومية نفيا قاطعا، مؤكدة إن مزاعم الأطراف المحلية “خاطئة، فالقوافل التي دخلت البلاد عبر الحدود السورية قبل أيام كانت تقل حجاج إيرانيين قدموا لزيارة المراقد المقدسة في النجف وسامراء”.
ورغم تشديد العراق لإجراءاته الأمنية على الحدود مع سورية منذ انطلاق الاحتجاجات الشعبية هناك قبل عام تقريبا، إلا أن عمليات تهريب مسلحين وأسلحة تشمل أنواع وأصناف مختلفة وصواريخ قاذفة، باتجاه سورية مستمرة على قدم وساق.
وطبقا لمسؤلين أمنيين عراقيين فان جزء كبير من عمليات التهريب يفلت من قبضة قوات الحدود ويصل المهربون لمبتغاهم، بينما بعضها الأخر الذي يشكل الجزء البسيط مما يهرب يتم إحباطه، ومن ثم يعلن عنه رسميا.
من جهته يعزو مصدر عراقي تابع لجهاز أمني حساس، نجاح المهربين في نشاطهم لكونهم يمتلكون أسلحة خفيفة ومتوسطة ونواظير ليلية، إضافة الى “كشافة” من أبناء المناطق الحدودية الذين يعرفون الطريق جيدا.
المصدر، أكد لـ “عربي برس” إن معلومات استخبارية وصلت الى الأجهزة الأمنية تفيد ان بعض عناصر وقيادات تنظيم “القاعدة في بلاد الرافدين” الذين هربوا من السجون الحكومية مؤخرا، تم نقلهم الى سورية بهدف المشاركة في القتال الدائر هناك بين القوات النظامية وعناصر ما يسمى بـ”الجيش السوري الحر”.
مؤخرا، أعلنت وزارة الداخلية العراقية إن قوات حرس الحدود تمكنت من القبض على عدد من المتهمين الذين حاولوا التسلل عبر الحدود. وأوضح بيان صادر عن الوزارة، إن تلك القوات “ألقت القبض على ( 35) متهماً عراقياً لمحاولتهم اجتياز الحدود بشكل غير رسمي، كما اعتقلت خمسة آخرين يحملان الجنسية السورية لنفس السبب”، مؤكداً انه تم ضبط أسلحة مهربة خفيفة ومتوسطة، فضلا عن أجهزة موبايل وشرائح هاتف سورية ولبنانية وسعودية.
هذا الإعلان الرسمي الذي لم يحدد فيه المكان الجغرافي للعمليات الأمنية، أكده ضابط برتبة نقيب يعمل في قيادة قوات الحدود قاطع محافظة الانبار غرب البلاد، عندما كشف عن إلقاء القبض على “عشرات المتسللين والمهربين والمشتبه بهم أغلبهم يحملون الجنسية العراقية، فضلا عن عدد قليل جدا ممن يحملون الجنسية السورية”.
كما أكد رئيس لجنة الأمن والدفاع في مجلس محافظة نينوى الحدودية مع سورية عبد الرحيم الشمري إن “المعلومات الدقيقة التي نمتلكها تثبت وجود عمليات تهريب أسلحة متنوعة، وهو ما أدى الى ارتفاع سعر قطعة السلاح عشرة أضعاف مقارنة مع ما كان عليه الحال قبل تهريبه الى سورية”.
وأضاف في تصريح خاص لـ”عربي برس” أن “هناك عمليات تهريب السلاح من العراق باتجاه الأراضي السورية”.
واتهم الشمري “حزب الديمقراطي الكردستاني – بزعامة رئيس إقليم كردستان مسعود بارزاني – بالتهاون في منع عمليات التهريب من خلال السيطرة على الملف العسكري في منطقة سنجار الحدودية التي يتمركز فيها لواء عسكري كامل تابع للفرقة الثالثة في الجيش العراقي”.
وتابع: “لدينا توجيه بان تتم السيطرة على عمليات التهريب بقبضة من حديدي، لكن قوات الحدود قليلة جدا واللواء الحادي عشر متمركز في منطقة سنجار المتنازع عليها بين العرب والأكراد، دون ان يُسمح له بتأمين الحدود كون قائده من القومية الكردية ولا يحرك القطعات خارج حدود سنجار”، مؤكدا ان العملية لا تخلو من دافع سياسي، دون ان يوضح تفاصيل هذا الدافع.
ما كشفه المسؤول المحلي، يؤكد أن الخندق الحدودي الذي يبلغ طوله 149 كم وعرضه اثنين ونصف المتر وبعمق ثلاثة أمتار، وحفرته السلطات في المناطق الوعرة على الحدود مع سورية، قبل ثلاث سنوات، لم يمنع الهجرة المعاكسة للمسلحين وتنقلهم بين البلدين.
كما لم يحد من عمليات التهريب التي تحول جزئها الأكبر من السلع والسكائر والأغنام الى الأسلحة والمعدات العسكرية.
وأكد الشمري انه “لغاية الان لم تُصادر قوات الحدود شحنات سلاح مهربة وإنما تم إلقاء القبض على مسلحين وأشخاص من جنسيات سورية وسعودية كان بحوزة عدد منهم لحظة اعتقالهم مبالغ مالية كبيرة كانوا يرمون بواسطتها شراء أسلحة وتهريبها الى سورية”، وهو خلافا لما أعلنته وزارة الداخلية قبل أيام فيما يخص ضبط أسلحة مهربة.
كما ينتشر 200 مخفر أمني على الشريط الحدودي بين العراق وسورية لحماية ومراقبة الحدود المشتركة بين البلدين التي تمتد لمسافة 600 كم، 230 كم منها تمثل حدود محافظة الانبار مع سورية، و270 كم المتبقية تمثل حدود محافظة نينوى مع الجارة العربية.

http://www.arabi-press.com/?page=article&id=21886

Ban Floats Syria Envoy, In Wake of Al Khatib Fiasco, No Q on Lavrov or Silva

http://www.innercitypress.com/ban1envsyr020812.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 8 — After telling the Security Council about his recent trips, including to Gaza where he was protested and had shoes thrown at him for not meeting with the families of prisoners, Ban Ki-moon emerged and told the media he is discussing a joint observer mission and envoy to Syria with the Arab League.

Ban’s envoy to Libya, Jordanian businessman and senator Abdel-Elah Mohamed Al Khatib, flew around on private planes, replete with potential conflicts of interest until he was unceremoniously separately from the UN.

It is not clear if on Ban’s recent trip to Jordan he sought out his former envoy. Inquiring minds want to know: where is Al Khatib now? And has Ban learned anything from that failure, if and when he ever actually appoints an envoy to Syria?

Even Western-side diplomats expressed skepticism to Inner City Press. It doesn’t seem very well thought out, one said, referring back to the Al Khatib “fiasco.” One wondered of a reverse “dream team” of Al Khatib and Observer chief Al Daby of Sudan.

Let’s see what the Arab League says on Sunday, added another, opining that Ban should not have “blabbed” his call with Nabil Elaraby of the Arab League so quickly.

Bashar al Assad of Syria, meanwhile, remains in power in Syria. Ban named a UN system task force on Syria headed by a former minister of Yemen dictator Ali Saleh, something Ban’s spokesman said he would look into and confirm or deny but hasn’t. Then he ensures that Ban himself can’t be asked. This is Ban’s UN.

We are going to see more of the alleged Qaida/ foreign fighters being involved- cut and paste articlesposted on Syria Comment as provided by the propaganda machine of Assad and his thugs in order to diminish the impact of the footage of human suffering inflicted on Syrians and to justify the unjustifiable.

You can not hide a needle in Syria in the presence of the pervasive Mulhabarat apparatus. Where did all of the sudden, aliens and foreign fighters came from? Did they ride extraterrestrial spaceships?

I would like to use a the term “blood prostitution”to describe those who are paid to spread the regime’s propaganda.

[NOTE from Moderator: let’s not use terms like ‘blood prostitution,’ please]

It seems that not all the bombing is done only by the regime, the armed militia are doing their best too:
عملية لكتيبة الفاروق ج 2 بتاريخ 4-2-2012.3gp
http://youtu.be/v9xMaFKV_Lc

@53. Antoinesaid:

1- Syrians already knows they are Munafekeen, no reason for this mayhem.

2- Syrians will always wants to be Independent State, not puuppet.

#84
“blood prostitution” is the occupation of the ones who keep calling for more blood, the ones who use sectarian hate language against others, the ones who see children abuse as a propaganda opportunity, the ones who enjoy showing Syrians killed in the street and instead of saving them they wait until they die to take them pictures and sell it online, they are the ones who wanted from day one to see Syrians suffer for their own hatred and they are the real thugs who never ever called for peace or dialogue or any kind of solution.
““blood prostitution” ‘workers’ are the ones who doesn’t want to stop this madness but the opposite they want to see more blood spelled for their sick twisted enjoyment.

Jad,

At this stage, you either with the junta or against it. you can’t be both.
Your sitting on the fence (or trying to pretend you are) is childish and pathetic.
.

JAD, ZOO

Al-Akhbar also mentions reports of Lebanese with the FSA.

“The FSA itself is reported to have about 100 Lebanese members, many hailing from border areas where ties with villages across the border in Syria have always been close. They are said to include the four Lebanese who were reported killed on January 29 in an army ambush near the Syrian town of Tal Kalakh.”
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/wadi-khaled-free-syrian-army-base-lebanon-ii

Amir
So when your junta was bombing Gaza and Lebanon killing thousands of civilians you were
In ,out or on the fence?

Kandahar,

If the Israeli government gave the IDF illegal orders to shoot at me, and on other Israelis, then I would call them junta, and would join forces to bring them down.

The Gaza campaign was conducted by the IDF, who was sent by a democratic Israeli government, and with a overwhelming support of the Israeli public, as was shown in the Knesset, which completely backed the government.
.

#84 Tara

After the Assad ‘killing machine’ now we have the ‘propaganda machine’.
Let’s admit that the “propaganda machine” is very efficient as it is standing against the enormously rich and powerful US, EU and Arab “propaganda machines” and is still able to have its little voice heard.
I don’t know who is behind the Assad ‘propaganda machine’ but they must be very resilient and bright to be able to continue their work so consistently. For an “embattled” regime, it seem to still be standing very well.

A very good analysis on RT

‘Outside meddling fuels Syria fire’
http://youtu.be/Wx6UuuwpAFo

“The West continues to put more pressure on Syrian leader Bashar Assad to step aside and shows its support to the opposition. But who are the opposition and could they handle Syria?

Camille Otrakji, a contributing editor with Syria Comment online magazine tells RT that many members of the opposition have little to do with Syrian people as they have been living abroad for decades”

WIKILEAKS CABLE SHOWS USA BEEN IN STRATEGIC UNITY WITH SAUDIS FOR MANY YEARS AGAINST SYRIA

Please see here (http://wikileaks.cabledrum.net/cable/2006/12/06DAMASCUS5399.html)
for the cable showing how the usa highlighted the different aspect and weaknesses in their view of the Syrian government and how they sought to unite with Saudi Arabia and to a lesser extent with Egypt in undermining the Syrian government. Did Muburak back track on this strategy in relation to Syria, and was this part of the reason why the west felt they had to drop Mubarak?

Here is one quote from the cable which clearly shows how the usa seeks to play upon and magnify sectarian divisions in the region to contain the resistance to their greater domination being mainly Iran as well as Syria and Hizbullah:

“PLAY ON SUNNI FEARS OF IRANIAN INFLUENCE: There are fears in Syria that the Iranians are active in both Shia proselytizing and conversion of, mostly poor, Sunnis. Though often exaggerated, such fears reflect an element of the Sunni community in Syria that is increasingly upset by and focused on the spread of Iranian influence in their country through activities ranging from mosque construction to business. Both the local Egyptian and Saudi missions here, (as well as prominent Syrian Sunni religious leaders), are giving increasing attention to the matter and we should coordinate more closely with their governments on ways to better publicize and focus regional attention on the issue.”

One doesn’t need these cable exposed to see the obvious anyhow, that the west use these divide and rule tricks, rely upon their chief allies in the region such as Saudi to give an Arab face to their dirty tricks.

The obvious position in response to these empire games would be those who believe in independence, people-centred development and greater democracy in the struggle against zionism and imperialism to focus on the struggle to free the region against the primary anti-demoractic and pro-western regimes and forces in the region, above all being israel, Saudi and the other Gulf monarchies, of whom all are creations of the British. It is a real tragedy that instead too many of our people are falling into the trap set by empire, and are instead going after those governments that the west have wanted regime change in for some time now.

Sukant Chandan, Sons of Malcolm
http://sonsofmalcolm.blogspot.com/2012/02/wikileaks-cable-shows-usa-been-in.html

The Wikileaks news in Arabic:

وثيقة من”ويكيليكس” : خطة السفارة الأميركية بدمشق في العام 2006 لزعزعة استقرار نظام الأسد

هذا ما اقترحته السفارة على الإدارة الأميركية لزعزعة استقرار النظام السوري: نشر الإشاعات وإثارة التحريض المذهبي وتشجيع خصومه مثل رفعت وخدام!؟

دمشق ، واشنطن ـ الحقيقة (خاص): نشر موقع “ويكيليكس” إحدى البرقيات السرية الصادرة عن السفارة الأميركية بدمشق بتاريخ 13 كانون الأول / ديسمبر 2006 ، تتضمن تقريرا من السفارة حول الوضع الداخلي السوري ونقاط الضعف في النظام والمجتمع والاقتصاد والأمن ، والتي يمكن استغلالها لزعزعة استقرار النظام السوري . ويقترح التقرير على الإدارة الأميركية عددا من الخطوات التي يمكن القيام بها من أجل ذلك ، في مقدمتها تضخيم قصة ” التشيع” في سوريا من أجل تحريض المسلمين السنة في سوريا والمنطقة ضد النظام وإيران ، و استخدام خصومه مثل عبد الحليم خدام و رفعت الاسد كفزاعة من خلال تشجيع الإعلام الخليجي على استضافتهم .. وغير ذلك!؟

هنا ترجمة كاملة للتقرير / البرقية خاصة بـ”الحقيقة” من: أوغاريت دمشقية

ملخص: أصبح وضع حكومة الجمهورية العربية السورية عام 2006 أقوى بكثير على المستوى المحلي والدولي، مما كان عليه عام 2005. وفي الوقت الذي يمكن فيه ممارسة ضغوط اضافية متنوعة قد تؤثر على سوريا، يستند النظام على مجموعة صغيرة هي الى حد كبير في مأمن من مثل هذه الضغوط.
وعلى الرغم من ذلك، قد تتوفر لنا فرص جديدة من خلال إرتكاب بشار الأسد، الذي تتزايد ثقته بنفسه واعتماده على هذه المجموعة الصغيرة، أخطاء وإساءة الحكم فيما يتعلق بالقرارات السياسية عبر ردود فعل عاطفية لمواجهة التحديات. وعلى سبيل المثال، رد فعل بشار غير المنطقي حول محكمة الحريري المحتملة، والدعاية الاعلامية التي حظي بها خدام وجبهة الخلاص الوطني.

بالإضافة إلى ذلك، يمكن إعتبار إنشغال بشار بصورته وكيف ينظر إليه على الصعيد الدولي، عنصر محتمل في التأثير علىه في عملية اتخاذ القرار. نعتقد أن نقاط الضعف لدى بشار تكمن في الطريقة التي يختارها للرد على القضايا التي تلوح في الأفق، سواء النظرية او العملية، مثل الصراع بين خطوات الإصلاح الاقتصادي (مهما كانت محدودة) وقوى الفساد الراسخة، والمسألة الكردية، والتهديد المحتمل للنظام من الوجود المتزايد للمتطرفين الاسلاميين العابرين. وتلخص هذه البرقية تقويمنا لهذه الثغرات الأمنية، وتقترح الإجراءات المحتملة والبيانات والإشارات التي يمكن أن ترسلها الحكومة الاميركية ومن شأنها تحسين مثل هذه الفرص الناشئة. وهذه المقترحات تحتاج إلى بلورة وتحويلها الى افعال حقيقية وعلينا أن نكون على استعداد للتحرك بسرعة للاستفادة من هذه الفرص. العديد من الاقتراحات لدينا تشدد على استخدام الدبلوماسية والوسائل غير المباشرة لإرسال الرسائل التي تؤثر في الدائرة الداخلية. نهاية الملخص.

مع حلول نهاية عام 2006، ظهر بشار بوضع اقوى مما كان عليه في العامين السابقين، بعدة طرق. البلد مستقر اقتصاديا (على الأقل في المدى القصير)، المعارضة الداخلية التي يواجهها النظام تعاني من الضعف والترهيب ويبدو أن القضايا الاقليمية تسير وفق الرؤية السورية ومنظور دمشق. ومع ذلك، هناك بعض نقاط الضعف التي طال أمدها وقضايا تلوح في الأفق قد توفر فرصا لزيادة الضغط على بشار وبطانته. ويقتصر صنع القرار في النظام السوري على بشار والدائرة الداخلية التي تتخذ في اغلب الأحيان قرارات تكتيكية سيئة ووتسير وفق نهج عاطفي، في بعض الأوقات، مثل خطاب بشارفي 15 آب / أغسطس والذي قوبل باستهزاء عالمي. يمكن الاستفادة من بعض نقاط الضعف هذه، مثل نظرة النظام غير العقلانية حول لبنان، ممارسة الضغط على النظام. ومن مصلحتنا اتباع إجراءات تتسبب في فقدان بشار التوازن وزيادة انعدام الأمن له، وذلك نتيجة قلة خبرته ونظامه الذي يعتمد على دائرة صغيرة جداً لصنع القرار، الامر الذي يجعله عرضة للعثرات الدبلوماسية التي يمكن أن تضعفه محليا وإقليميا. وعلى الرغم من انه يصعب التنبؤ بعواقب أخطائه وقد تختلف الفوائد، يمكننا إحداث تأثير مباشر في سلوك النظام، بشار وحاشيته، بطرق مختلفة في حال إستعدادنا للتحرك بسرعة للاستفادة من الفرص المتاحة.

نورد تالياً ملخص لنقاط الضعف المحتملة وكيفية الاستفادة منها:

–نقطة الضعف: – التحقيق في اغتيال الحريري والمحكمة: – أثار التحقيق في اغتيال الحريري واحتمال قيام محكمة خاصة بلبنان، ردود فعل قوية من قبل الحكومة السورية، ربما بسبب الاحراج الذي يسببه التحقيق. يجب على النظام ان يتعامل بعقلانية مع اي اتهامات توجه لمسؤولين سوريين عبر رفض تسليم اي مشتبه فيه أو، في الحدود القصوى، تصعيد حالات الانتحار. لكن يبدو أن القضية الأساسية بالنسبة لبشار هي أن كرامة سوريا وسمعتها الدولية أصبحت في موضع تشكيك. وياتي أطلاق تصريحات عنفية حول ضرورة استمرار الدور الذي تلعبه سورية في لبنان، ضمن هذه الحساسيات، التي يجب ان نسعى لإستغلالها دون انتظار تشكيل المحكمة.

— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها: –الدعاية: تسليط الضوء على نتائج التحقيق الجاري، حيث يسبب تقرير ميليس قلقا شخصيا لبشار وربما يؤدي به إلى التصرف بطريقة غير منطقية. يوجد لدي النظام مخاوف عميقة من تشديد الرقابة الدولية التي قد تنتج عن محكمة أو إتهامات يسوقها براميرتز لمسؤولين من المستوى المتوسط. تسببت الاتهامات التي سوقها ميليس في تشرين الأول / أكتوبر 2005 بالشرخ الأكثر خطورة في حلقة بشار الداخلية. وعلى الرغم من عودة الحلقة معاً مرة أخرى، إلا أن هذه الإنقسامات ما تزال كامنة تحت السطح.

–نقطة الضعف: – التحالف مع طهران: يسير بشار على خط دقيق في علاقاته القوية وعلى نحو متزايد مع إيران، حيث يسعى لتأمين الدعم اللازم منها وفي نفس الوقت عدم استعداء جيران سوريا المعتدلين من العرب السنة من خلال النظر اليها على أنها تساند المصالح الفارسية والأصولية الشيعة. ويمكن ملاحظة أن قرار بشار الأسد بعدم حضور قمة جلال الطالباني- احمدي نجاد في طهران وارسال وزير الخارجية المعلم إلى العراق، يشير إلى أخذ بشار بعين الاعتبار حساسية الرؤية العربية تجاه تحالفه الايراني.

— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها: -اللعب على وتر المخاوف السنية من النفوذ الايراني: هناك مخاوف في سورية أن الإيرانيين ينشطون في عملية التبشير الشيعي وحركة تشيع السنة، وخاصة الفقراء منهم، على حد سواء. وعلى الرغم من ان مثل هذه الأنباء مبالغ فيها، في كثير من الأحيان، إلا ان مثل الاشاعات تثير مخاوف الطائفة السنية في سوريا ويزيد من شعورها بالاحباط وتجعلها تركز على انتشار النفوذ الايراني في بلدهم من خلال الأنشطة التي تمتد من بناء المساجد إلى الأعمال.

وتولي البعثات المحلية المصرية والسعودية هنا (إلى جانب قيادات سنية دينية سورية بارزة)، اهتماماً متزايداً لهذه المسألة، ولهذا يجب التنسيق بشكل وثيق مع حكوماتها حول أفضل السبل للترويج لهذه القضية والتركيز الإقليمي عليها.

–نقطة الضعف:- الدائرة الداخلية: تهيمن عائلة الأسد على النظام وبدرجة أقل من قبل عائلة والدة بشار الأسد ـ مخلوف- إلى جانب أفراد من الأسرة يعتقد أنهم فاسدون بشكل متزايد. وليست الأسرة والمتسلقون، والطائفة العلوية بشكل أكبر، محصنة ضد الخلافات والمؤامرات المعادية للنظام، كما كان واضحا في العام الماضي عندما قام مقربون من أركان النظام (بما في ذلك عائلة مخلوف) بالإتصال بنا حول إحتمالات مرحلة ما بعد بشار.
يعتبر الفساد وسيلة هامة للتقسيم وحلقة بشار الضيقة مهيئة للخلافات والمشاحنات المعتادة التي تتعلق بالكسب غير المشروع والفساد. فعلى سبيل المثال، معروف عموما أن ماهر الأسد فاسد ولا يمكن تقويمه. ليس لديه أي وازع في نزاعاته مع أفراد الأسرة أو غيرهم. وهناك أيضا خوف كبير لدى الطائفة العلوية من عواقب استرداد الغالبية السنية للسلطة في أي وقت.
— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها – عقوبات إضافية: رحبت معظم أطياف المجتمع السوري عموما بالعقوبات الموجهة ضد اعضاء النظام والمقربين منه. ولكن يجب أن يتم تطبيق العقوبات والأسماء التي يمكن ان تضاف بطريقة تعزز الأنقسام داخل الدائرة الضيقة وإضعافها بدلا من دفع اعضاء هذه الدائرة الى الالتصاق ببعضهم البعض. سبب تسمية شوكت ببعض القلق الشخصي له حيث كان موضوع نقاش واسع في مجتمع الأعمال هنا. وبينما تمثل رد فعل الجمهور على الفساد بالصمت، فان استمرار التذكير بقضايا الفساد كان له صدى كبير داخل في الدائرة الضيقة. ينبغي أن نبحث عن طرق لتذكير الجمهور بعقوباتنا السابقة.

–نقطة الضعف:- عامل خدام: يعلم خدام أين يتم إخفاء اسرار النظام مما يثير قلق بشار الكبير، على الرغم من عدم وجود دعم لخدام داخل سوريا. ويتابع بشار الأسد شخصيا، ونظامه بشكل عام، كل خبر يتصل بخدام باهتمام كبير. ويبادر النظام إلى رد فعل دفاعي غاضب في كل مرة يستضيف بلد عربي خدام أو يسمح له بإصدار بيان علني من خلال أي من وسائل الاعلام التابعة له.

— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها:- يجب أن نستمر في تشجيع السعوديين وغيرهم للسماح لخدام بالتواصل مع وسائل الاعلام الخاصة بهم، وتوفير منابر له لنشر غسيل الحكومة السورية القذر. وينبغي أن نتوقع رد فعل مبالغا فيه من قبل النظام من شأنه أن يعزز من عزلته والإبتعاد عن جيرانه العرب.

–نقطة الضعف – الانقسامات في الخدمات العسكرية والأمنية: يحرص بشار على التحصن المتواصل لمواجهة التحديات من أولئك الذين تربطهم صلات داخل الجيش والأجهزة الأمنية. وهو أيضا قلق من ولاءات أي من الضباط الكبار (أو من كبار الضباط السابقين) لعناصر النظام السابقين مثل
رفعت الاسد وخدام. بينما تركز الدائرة الضيقة بشكل مستمر على من يحصل على ماذا من كعكة الفساد.
وأدت بعض التحركات من قبل بشار لتضييق دائرة أولئك الذين يستفيدون من الفساد على مستوى عال الى توثيق علاقة اولئك مع الاجهزة الامنية.
— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها:- تشجيع الشائعات والاشارات حول التآمر الخارجي: يشعر النظام بحساسية كبيرة فيما يتعلق بالشائعات حول التخطيط للانقلاب ولا يرتاح فيما يتعلق بالاجهزة الامنية والعسكرية. وينبغي تشجيع حلفائنا الاقليميين مثل مصر والمملكة العربية السعودية للاجتماع مع شخصيات مثل خدام ورفعت الاسد، باعتباره وسيلة لإرسال إشارات من هذا القبيل، مع تسريبات مناسبة لاجتماعات مستقبلية. ستقود مثل هذه التحركات، النظام الى المزيد من الانعزالية وجنون العظمة ويزيد من احتمال حدوث ردود فعل مبالغ فيها تؤدي إلى هزيمة ذاتية.

–نقطة الضعف – قوى الإصلاح مقابل البعثيين والنخب الفاسدة الأخرى: يواصل بشار الكشف عن تدفق مستمر لمبادرات الإصلاح الاقتصادي والتأكيد عليها، حيث يؤمن ان هذا الموضوع هو الإرث الذي سيتركه لسوريا. وعلى الرغم من محدودية هذه الخطوات وعدم فعاليتها، إلإ أنها أدت إلى عودة المغتربين السوريين للاستثمار وخلقت، على الأقل، وهم الانفتاح الإقتصادي المتزايد.
ـ إيجاد السبل لتناول هذه الخطوات علناً والتساؤل حول جدية جهود بشار الاصلاحية، تسليط الضوء مثلا إستخدام الاصلاح كغطاء للمحسوبية – من شأنه أن يحرج بشار ويقوض هذه الجهود لتعزيز شرعيته. والكشف عن فساد عائلة الاسد ودائرته الصغيرة سيكون له تأثير مشابه.
— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها:- – تسليط الضوء على فشل الإصلاح: مثل هذه الخطوة وخصوصا في خلال التحضيرات لإنتخابات عام 2007 الرئاسية، سيعتبرها بشار محرجة للغاية وتقلل من شرعيته. وكما سيحرج بشار ويقلقه، إجراء مقارنات ومقاربات بين جهود الإصلاح السوري السقيمة مع بقية منطقة الشرق الأوسط.

–نقطة الضعف – الاقتصاد: يخلق الاقتصاد السوري فرص عمل لأقل من 50 في المئة من خريجي الجامعات. ويشكل النفط 70 في المئة من الصادرات و30 في المئة من عائدات الحكومة، إلا أن إنتاج النفط في تراجع مستمر. ومن المتوقع أن تصبح سورية مستوردا كاملا للنفط بحلول 2010. بعض الخبراء يعتقدون أن الحكومة السورية غير قادرة على النجاح بإدارة الاضطرابات الاقتصادية المتوقعة.

— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها:- – عدم تشجيع الاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر، خاصة من الخليج: تمتعت سوريا بإرتفاع نسبة الاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر (FDI) في العامين الماضيين، ويأتي أهم الإستثمارات الأجنبية المباشرة الجديدة بلا شك من دول الخليج.

–نقطة الضعف – الاقتصاد:- الأكراد: تعتبر الاقلية العرقية الكردية المعارضة الأكثر تنظيما وجرأة سياسية ومنظمات المجتمع المدني في سوريا، وهي تتمركز في شمال شرق البلاد وفي تجمعات محلية في دمشق وحلب. وكانت هذه المجموعة على استعداد لتنفيذ احتجاجات عنيفة في مناطقها فيما لم يجرؤ البعض الأخر على القيام بذلك. تمثل الإضطرابات الكردية بعض التهديدات التي تدور في عقل بشار. وفي حدث نادر تم إستدعاء ملحقنا العسكري من قبل الإستخبارات العسكرية السورية في أيار /مايو 2006 احتجاجا على ما إعتقده السوريون جهودا من قبل الولايات المتحدة لتوفير التدريب والمعدات العسكرية للأكراد في سوريا.

— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها- تسليط الضوء على الشكاوى الكردية علناً: بما في ذلك الإعلان عن انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان مما يؤدي إلى تفاقم مخاوف النظام تجاه السكان الأكراد. إلى جانب التركيز على الصعوبات الاقتصادية في المناطق الكردية ورفض الحكومة السورية الممتد منذ زمن طويل منح الجنسية لحوالي 200،000 من الأكراد المجردين من الجنسية. ويجب التعامل مع هذه المسألة بعناية، لأن إعطاء إنطباع خاطئ حول أولوية القضية الكردية في سوريا، قد يعرقل جهودنا التي نبذلها لتوحيد المعارضة، من خلال إثارة شكوك المجتمع السوري (العربي في غالبيته) في أهداف الحركة الكردية وغاياتها.

–نقطة الضعف – العناصر المتطرفة التي تستخدم بشكل متزايد من سوريا مقرا، على الرغم من إتخاذ الحكومة السورية بعض الإجراءات ضد الجماعات ذات الصلة بتنظيم القاعدة. مع مقتل زعيم تنظيم “القاعدة” على الحدود مع لبنان في أوائل كانون الأول / ديسمبر، وتزايد الهجمات الإرهابية داخل سورية والتي بلغت ذروتها في هجوم 12 أيلول / سبتمبر ضد السفارة الأميركية، أصبحت الحكومة السورية ترى ان سياساتها في العراق وتقديم الدعم للارهابيين في أماكن أخرى، يمكن ان ترتد عليها وتستقر في بلدها.

— الإجراءات التي يمكن إتخاذها—الترويج حول تواجد الجماعات المتطرفة الداخلية (أو التي تركز على الارهاب خارجيا) في سوريا، بما فيها حركة حماس ومنظمة الجهاد الإسلامي. الترويج للجهود السورية ضد الجماعات المتطرفة بطريقة توحي بأن هذه الجهود عبارة عن علامات ضعف وعدم استقرار وتراجع غير منضبط. كما يجب استخدام حجة الحكومة السورية (تستخدم عادة بعد الهجمات الارهابية في سوريا) بأنها هي أيضا ضحية للإرهاب، ضدها لإعطاء أهمية أكبر لزيادة علامات عدم الاستقرار في سوريا.
الخلاصة: هذا التحليل يستبعد الإسلاميين المناهضين للنظام السوري لأنه من الصعب الحصول على صورة دقيقة للحجم الذي يشكله تهديد هذه الجماعات في سوريا. وهي بالتأكيد تشكل تهديدا على المدى الطويل. في الوقت الذي تشير فيه الى نقطة ضعف تواجه سوريا بسبب تحالفها مع ايران، لكنها لا تتوافق تماماً مع موضوع هذه البرقية. خلاصة القول هي أن بشار يدخل العام الجديد في موقف أقوى مما كان عليه في سنوات عدة، ولكن تلك القوة تحمل أو تغلف نقاط الضعف. وإذا كنا على استعداد للاستفادة، سوف تتيح لنا فرصا لتعطيل صنع القرار لديه، وخلخلة توازنه، وجعله يدفع ثمن أخطائه.

http://www.syriatruth.org/news/tabid/93/Article/6668/Default.aspx

Camille Otrakji has little to do with Syrian people as he have been living abroad for decades.
.

LOLOLOL
And an immigrant Jewish ‘prince’ in Yafa in the occupied Palestine has a lot to say about Syria… very entertaining indeed!

Turkey calls for int’l conference on Syria

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-calls-for-intl-conference-on-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=13342&NewsCatID=338

“Damascus Radio claimed 49 intelligence officers were detained in Syria. Gürcan Balık, special adviser to Foreign Minister Davutoğlu, denied the claims on his Twitter account. “Those allegations are totally untrue,” Balık said. “

عضو هيئة التنسيق عبد العزيز الخير: لن نحاور في موسكو الا اذا توافر المناخ المواتي

قال رئيس اللجنة الإعلامية في هيئة التنسيق الوطنية لقوى التغير الوطني الديمقراطي المعارضة عبد العزيز الخير إن الهيئة أجرت مع السلطات الروسية مشاورات أولية حول دعوة موسكو للحكومة السورية والمعارضة لإجراء حوار في موسكو، موضحاً أن الهيئة طرحت رأيها المعروف حول ضرورة توفير المناخ المواتي للحوار ودون ذلك يتعذر الحديث عن الحوار.
لكن الخير وفي تصريح لـصحيفة «الوطن» السورية حول زيارة وزير الخارجية الروسي سيرغي لافروف لدمشق أردف قائلاً: إن «ذلك هو الموقف المبدئي ولكن كل ما سبق خاضع للتقييم من قبل المكتب التنفيذي لهيئة التنسيق والذي سيجتمع قريبا لإعادة قراءة اللوحة بشكل كلي بعد المستجدات التي طرأت في الأسبوع الأخير».
ورداً على سؤال إن كانت الهيئة ستشارك في جلسة للحوار إن تم الإعلان عن تلك جلسة قال: لدينا أصلاً دعوة رسمية من الخارجية الروسية لوفد من هيئة التنسيق الوطنية لزيارة موسكو لتدارس الوضع والتشاور على أعلى المستويات وهو ما يمكن أن يتم على المدى القريب وتصريح لافروف هو تأكيد إضافي للموضوع.
وإن كانت هيئة التنسيق تبنت مبادرة الجامعة العربية الأخيرة التي أعلنت عنها وأخذتها إلى مجلس الأمن بدلاً من خطة العمل العربية التي وقعت عليها سورية سابقاً وتبنتها الهيئة أيضاً وخصوصاً بعد تعليق عمل بعثة المراقبين العرب قال الخير: إن «الجامعة العربية علقت عمل المراقبين العرب على الأرض وهي لم تعلق خطة العمل العربية أبدا، ونحن بانتظار توضيحات إضافية من جانب الجامعة».
وتابع: إن «الهيئة ترى أن موقفها المعلن من خطة الجامعة العربية هو موقف منسجم إلى حد كبير مع رؤاها التي عبرت عنها مراراً وتكراراً ولكن بكل الأحوال بعد كل المستجدات النوعية الأسبوع الأخير بات الموضوع بالكامل بحاجة إلى إعادة تقييم وسنصدر موقفنا تجاه ذلك قريباً».
وعن موقف الهيئة من قرار مجلس التعاون الخليجي بسحب سفرائه ومطالبة سفراء سورية بمغادرة العواصم الخليجية قال الخير: إلى «الآن لا موقف رسمياً من الهيئة تجاه هذا الموضوع ولكني شخصيا أعتقد أن هذا الموضوع لا يساعد في معالجة الأزمة وإنما يزيد في تعقيد الوضع وصعوبته وسيزيد في كلفة الدم بين السوريين وهو بمثابة نقلة في الاتجاه غير المطلوب أبدا».
وعن مستقبل نقاشات الهيئة مع ما يسمى «المجلس الوطني السوري» فيما يتعلق وتوحيد المعارضة، قال الخير: إن «لا جديد في هذا الملف نوعياً ولكن الهيئة بصدد دراسة تحرك جديد على أكثر من مستوى أحدها هو باتجاه المجلس الوطني وسيدرس المكتب التنفيذي التحرك باتجاهات أخرى». وعن تقييمه لزيارة لافروف إلى سورية والتصريحات الصادرة عنها، قال: إنها زيارة «شديدة الأهمية وهي موضوع اهتمام الشعب السوري وكل القوى السياسية داخل وخارج البلاد والكل يترقب ليعرف شيئاً دقيقا عما حمله وزير الخارجية ومدير الاستخبارات الروسية قبل اتخاذ أي مواقف من القضية، وما رشح عن الموضوع حتى الآن لا يزال غير كاف وغير رسمي لاتخاذ مواقف واضحة تجاهها».
في غضون ذلك وجه «تيار إعادة بناء الدولة السورية» المعارض نداء إلى الجامعة العربية لإعادة إرسال بعثة المراقبين إلى سورية، وتركيز وجودهم في حمص والمناطق المتوترة الأخرى، داعياً الجامعة أن تعمل على زيادة عدد المراقبين وإرسال خبراء عسكريين.
وأكد التيار ضرورة أن تركز بعثة المراقبين اشتغالها على بند حماية المدنيين بالتعاون مع جميع المنظمات المدنية والأهلية المحلية، وعدم الاكتفاء بالتصريحات الصحفية.

http://syrianncb.org/2012/02/08/%D8%B9%D8%B6%D9%88-%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%82-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%AD/

For Israel, sleeping with the devil is better than to face its Nemesis, Iran.

Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran’s nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News
http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/08/10354553-israel-teams-with-terror-group-to-kill-irans-nuclear-scientists-us-officials-tell-nbc-news
Updated: 11:14 a.m. ET — Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident group that is financed, trained and armed by Israel’s secret service, U.S. officials tell NBC News, confirming charges leveled by Iran’s leaders.
ROCK CENTER EXCLUSIVE

The group, the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, has long been designated as a terrorist group by the United States, accused of killing American servicemen and contractors in the 1970s and supporting the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran before breaking with the Iranian mullahs in 1980.

The attacks, which have killed five Iranian nuclear scientists since 2007 and may have destroyed a missile research and development site, have been carried out in dramatic fashion, with motorcycle-borne assailants often attaching small magnetic bombs to the exterior of the victims’ cars.
{…}

The PKK renewed war and the witch hunt for PKK sympathizers is threatening the political stability of Turkey.

Turkish clashes with PKK militants kill 14
Staff Reporter
http://www.realclearworld.com/news/reuters/international/2012/Feb/09/turkish_clashes_with_pkk_militants_kill_14.html

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkish security forces killed 13 Kurdish militants in fighting in southeast Turkey overnight, security sources said, marking an escalation in violence at a time when cold winter weather normally limits clashes.

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters attacked some 10 different security force locations at 2:30 a.m. in Cukurca in Hakkari province near the Iraqi border, the sources said.

One soldier and four militants were killed in the fighting and military operations were continuing in the area.

Separately, nine PKK guerrillas died in clashes with Turkish troops in a mountainous region of Bingol province after the soldiers discovered a winter shelter used by the militants.

Security sources said most of the militants were believed to have killed themselves by detonating hand grenades rather than being captured
{…}

Who Will Rule Syria?

Posted by Greg Scoblete at 10:18 AM
http://www.realclearworld.com/blog/2012/02/who_will_rule_syria.html

“Syria will have a post-Assad future. That future could be in the hands of Qatari backed Salafis, Saudi-backed Islamists, or the Western world could have a say. Sitting on the sidelines will ensure that we have as little as possible. – Danielle Pletka
(Neo-Con American Institute)”

I think this is a good way of putting it, but it also raises an important question. Let’s suppose the Western world has its say – would it be loud and decisive enough to marginalize the Qatari-backed Salafis or the Saudi-backed Islamists? Isn’t it reasonable to conclude that there is a larger constituency inside Syria for what Qatar and Saudi Arabia are peddling than what the U.S. would offer? The unfolding events in Egypt would make me very leery about basing any U.S. strategy on the presumption that there is a broad constituency in any Middle Eastern country that would be keen to take its cue from the U.S. or Western powers.

Intervening in Syria Won’t Promote Democracy

Posted by Greg Scoblete at 9:36 AM

I’m not sure how the U.S. should proceed with respect to the uprising in Syria, but I think the claim, on the basis of no evidence whatsoever, that those battling the Assad regime are democrats needs to be subjected to scrutiny. (See this, for example, which equates American reluctance to overthrow Assad with a reluctance to promote democracy, as if the two things are in anyway related.)

There is absolutely no reason to believe that Syria’s rebel forces will be any less brutal than the regime they are seeking to overthrow. There is no way to know how they will govern (and there is obviously no reason to trust declarations made explicitly to court foreign assistance). Nor is there any way U.S. or NATO assistance can ensure a democratic outcome. The U.S. couldn’t steer Iraqi politics to its liking while it was an occupying power – it would have even less leverage in a post-Assad Syria.

None of this is to say that a democratic Syria is impossible or that those risking their lives against the Assad regime do not genuinely desire a more representative government. It’s also not to suggest that there are no good reasons to intervene (in some fashion) in Syria’s uprising. But for the case to be made with a modicum of intellectual honesty, it has to acknowledge that the nature of a post-Assad regime is absolutely unknowable and could produce human carnage far in excess of anything we’re currently witnessing.

Ajami Fouad is pathetic…even after the war on Iraq he wrote a book saying it’s too early to call Iraq war a failure. May be his right from Dick Cheney & family perspective as they became richer after the war.
Ajami Fouad on 360 CNN Anderson Cooper numbed our ears every evening by saying Muslim brothers are ONLY a thorn in Mubarak thigh to threaten the West. Guess who is in power now!! Surprise surprise!!

Adonis’s translator shares details of his own nuanced art
Ben East
Feb 9, 2012
http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/adoniss-translator-shares-details-of-his-own-nuanced-art
It’s a measure of the huge current interest in Arab writing that an 82-year-old Syrian poet is the talk of London literary circles right now. Last weekend, audiences flocked to The Mosaic Rooms to celebrate an exhibition devoted to Adonis’s artwork and writing, to hear the man read and discuss his lengthy career. And on Monday, a similarly impressive crowd gathered to celebrate the winning book in the Saif Ghobash-Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. Adonis: Selected Poems, translated by Khaled Mattawa, is a worthy, timely winner – the judges calling it a “stunning, monumental piece of work filling a great gap in the English language”.
{..}

Bronco,

The killing machine goes hand in hand with the propaganda machine with one goal in mind, the silencing of a nation. It is part and parcel of the whole process. The propaganda machine of Assad and his thugs is indeed efficient but only inside Syria. It has many people outside Syria on its payroll that are not efficient at all and do not deserve their salary.. We just heard about Jaafari’ daughter being on the payroll…..if I was the head of the the propaganda machine, I would pick and choose . I guess qualifications and attributes do not matter much in Syria. she strikes
me as a size 12 and above kind of gal.

Call me superficial but I think weight loss and exercise should be a prerequisite for hiring propagandists outside Syria.

You did not tell me, what name do you like more?

بيان سوري
أنا الموقع/ة أدناه، باسمي الصريح ومكان إقامتي، أعلن ما يلي:

– أريد سورية “مستقلة وآمنة ومدنية وديمقراطية وتعددية” لا مكان في دستورها وقوانينها وممارساتها لأي تمييز على أساس الجنس أو الدين أو الطائفة أو القومية أو الاعتقاد، ولا مكان لأي مواد تنتقص من الديمقراطية والتعددية والمواطنة لأي شخص أو فئة أو اعتقاد. وأرفض كل تعديل دستوري لا يحقق ذلك كاملا.

– أدين وأرفض تسييس الدين على أي وجه، وأطالب بفصل الدين عن الدولة والأحزاب والحركات والقوى السياسية فصلا تاما ونهائيا.

– أرفض، دون تحفظ ولا شروط، العقوبات المفروضة على سورية، السياسية منها والاقتصادية والعسكرية.

– أدين، دون تحفظ ولا شروط، أي محاولة للتدخل الخارجي في الشأن السوري، وأيا كان شعاره أو مبرراته.

– أدين كل من يحمل سلاحا في سورية من غير أجهزة الدولة، وأطالب باعتقاله ومحاكمته محاكمة علنية عادلة.

– أعتبر كل ميليشيا/مجموعة منظمة مسلحة خارج أجهزة الدولة الرسمية هي ميليشيا إرهابية.

– أدين كل اعتقال لمتظاهر سلمي ينبذ العنف والتدخل الخارجي، أيا كانت مطالبه.

– أطالب النظام السوري بإطلاق سراح كل معتقل سياسي لم يمارس عنفا ولا ساهم في عنف، وتحويل من فعل ذلك إلى محكمة مدنية علنية عادلة.

– أدين كافة أشكال التعذيب أثناء الاعتقال، وأطالب القضاء السوري برفع دعوى الحق العام ضد كل جهاز مخابرات يثبت ارتكابه تعذيبا ضد معتقليه.

– أطالب بالكشف الفوري عن مصير كل المفقودين ممن اعتقلوا وانقطعت أخبارهم، ومحاكمة كل من تثبت علاقته بوفاة أي مواطن/ة سورية تحت التعذيب.

– أدين أي استهداف للمدنيين العزل من قبل أجهزة الدولة، ضمنا عدم مراعاة قواعد الاشتباك بين المدنيين.

– أؤيد الجيش السوري في معركته ضد المجموعات المسلحة داخل سورية، ودفاعه عن الوطن ضد أي عدوان خارجي.

– أطالب بحماية الجيش السوري وقراره من أي سلطة أخرى داخل أجهزة الدولة أو خارجها، وضمان استقاله وحرفيته.

وعليه أوقع…

الخميس، 2012/2/9

(أعد هذا النص بناء على ملاحظات عدد من السوريين/ات)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A/125443980911914

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Thursday reiterated its position stated earlier by the Foreign Ministry: Russia will do its best to avoid military intervention in Syria.
“As for Syria, we see that harsh discussions are going on in New York and we are just giving backup to our colleagues from the Foreign Ministry who are tackling these problems. Of course, we think it is necessary to prevent military intervention in Syria,” Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told Vesti 24 TV channel.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120209/171236087.html

Fouad Ajami is not pathetic and I like his name.

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16969501

Syria analysis: Can Assad’s army withstand growing pressure?

By Shashank Joshi
Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute

At the same time, no army can withstand stresses of this intensity and duration without suffering problems of morale, integrity and loyalty.

At the same time, President Assad’s force long ago passed the point at which they could hope for a final, decisive assault like that of Assad senior at Hama in 1982.

These growing commitments thin out, and increase the strain on loyal units. The paradox is that more fighting means more defections, but failing to do so risks conceding territory on which the armed parts of the opposition can regroup and consolidate.

Assad’s “Homs rules” mean that he has no strategy, only tactics: indiscriminate bombardment of a fragmented opposition, the sharpening of sectarian loyalty to force minority communities to pick sides, and outreach to foreign patrons with a stake in his survival.

It is hard to see how this can do anything but accelerate the militarisation of the opposition, induce greater countervailing help to the rebels from frustrated outsiders, and make it very hard for any pluralistic, democratic settlement to emerge from the wreckage.

Congratulations to all of these ¨human¨ beings calling for the destruction of Homs. You are really the symbol of a poor and miserable ideology that has been created in Syria during more than 40 years. There is nothing left about humanitarian rights and democracy inside your heads and your hearts. At the end you will be frustrated. It is just a question of time. And with your attitude you will find your beloved country and your beloved syrian patriotism destryed and turned to ashes.

Why does Hafez Makhlouf have $4 million sitting in Swiss banks? Shouldn’t he keep his wealth in Syrian banks in order to improve our economy? And now that the cash is unfrozen, he’s going to use it to buy some real estate rather than help the families of soldiers who died for the regime.

Any news on Rami’s charity that was announced more than six months ago? It would be great to get an update from the very effective regime propagandists about his philanthropic work.

Cousin of Syria’s Assad wins case to unfreeze $4 million from Swiss bank accounts

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, February 9, 12:05 PM

GENEVA — A cousin of Syria’s President Bashar Assad has won a legal bid to unfreeze €3 million ($4 million) held in bank accounts in Switzerland after convincing a Swiss court that the money had already been promised as part of a property deal before it was blocked.

The decision last month by Switzerland’s top criminal court is a victory for Hafez Makhlouf, who was added to a Swiss government sanctions list in September in response to Syria’s brutal crackdown on opposition protesters.

…
Switzerland has blocked some 50 million Swiss francs ($55 million) linked to senior regime officials, including Assad.

…
Makhlouf lost a legal bid to gain entry to Switzerland last year to meet with his lawyer over the sanctions case.

But in the latest verdict, the Federal Criminal Court agreed with Makhlouf’s argument that the money he held in four Geneva bank accounts was designated for a property purchase in Syria made in April 2011, five months before the funds were frozen.

…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/cousin-of-syrias-assad-wins-case-to-unfreeze-3-million-from-swiss-bank-accounts/2012/02/09/gIQAWGNT1Q_story.html

I have been to Hama many many times. Everytime I visited it I thought about the 1982 massacre. I had the feeling that Assad Jr ¨Reformer the Second¨ was ashamed of what his father did in Hama.

Also I said to myself that this massacre would have not happen in the global higly communicated world we live in these days.

But unfortunately ¨Reformer the Second¨ seems to be proud about his father realpolitiks and the global world is just able to communicate but not to take action to avoid disasters being communicated.

The US, EU, UN and AL have proved to be a zero on the left and I think US, EU and Arab populations should be ashamed about what their governments ARE NOT DOING.

Is a colective lost. Nobody wins. US and EU are losing day after day the remaining moral authority they were supposed to have as ¨pseudo democratic¨ regimes. They are unable to redirect the stupidity of barbaric regimes. Specially the US has proved incredibly cynical about lifes of arab people. Probably even Bush would have done more than Obama.

84. SYRIAN NATIONALIST PARTY said:

“1- Syrians already knows they are Munafekeen, no reason for this mayhem.

2- Syrians will always wants to be Independent State, not puuppet”

Regarding point 1, I don’t think so. Weren’t Syria’s Sunnis going crazy about Hassan Nasrallah in 2006 until he started to kill the Sunnis of Lebanon in 2008 ?

Also, I thought the munafekeen were exposed only after the mayhem started, not the other way round ( i.e munafek were exposed to start the mayhem).

I think the munafekeen were exposed only because of and after the mayhem, the mayhem did not start becoz the munafekeen were expsoed.

Please tell me how or why you think otherwise.

What a fXXX are the AL and UN doing, delaying meetings, while syrian people is being massacred under its own army bombs? Just waiting for Assad to crush the opposition and execute HAMA II in front of their eyes? Really shamefull. Many terrorists will come from Homs in the next future if Assad wins, as many palestinians became terrorists as a result of Israel victories and lack of action from international organisms.

105. SANDRO LOEWE said:

What I find even more astonisihing is that we haven’t seen any huge rally in Hama, Damascus, Idlib, daraa, etc in the last 6 days. They shoukd come out in huge numbers to put more pressure on the regime while Homs is being battered. Fridat tomorrow will be interesting.

Obama and his gang don’t care a shit what happens to Homs, anyway they have been convinced by the three-letter-whats-the-name-opposition that the FSA is Al Qaeda and the FSA needs to be crushed before the negotiations can take place, trust me, the US is hand in glove and wants to see FSA crushed.

Turkey has the most stake in avoiding a disaster massacre in Homs, obvious becoz they do not want more and more refugees streaming into Iskanderun and one day claiming it an Arab majority provonce, also Turkey stands most to gain if FSA strength is increased.

Only Turkey, Qatar and France have any intention of supporting FSA, if at all. USA doesn’t trust them one bit.

98. Tara

Queen Tara or if under 30, Princess Tara.

I do not discard the fact that there is an insider who have asked Russia and China to veto the UN resolution in order to avoid putting pressure on US to take undesired decisions toward Syria. That is the only way I can explain the pasivity of Occident. This is the first time in recent history that an national army is crushing its population with total impunity.

107. SANDRO LOEWE said:

Obama and his gang don’t care shit what happens to Homs. They have been convinced by the three-letter-whats-the-name-opposition that Homs is crawlng with Al Qaeda and that FSA is Al Qaeda. Blame it on short-sightedness of American policy. Trust me, Obama wants to see FSA crushed, according to best sources, US feels negotiations can start only when FSA is totally crushed, apparently because they feel FSA is infiltrated by Al Qaeda. They see Homs as another Fallujah.

Syrians are not terrorists by nature, unlike Palos and Iraqis, how many terrorists came from Hama after 1982 ?

[NOTE — please do not use discriminatory language. Comments under moderation are released if they observe Syria Comment Rules and Regulations ]

Syrians are generally not revengeul and don’t feel humiliated very easily. Many more Syrians have died at the hands of this regime between 1963 and 2011 than will die in Homs, the only terrorists in Syria were created by the regime from the depths of Sednaya prision to create mayhem in Iraq.

107. SANDRO LOEWE said :

Obama doesn’t care shit what happens to Homs, anyway he is convinced by pro-regime oppositions that FSA is Al Qaeda and Homs is crawling with Al Qaeda. He sees Homs as another Fallujah, believe me, Obama feels that any negotations can start only when FSA is totally eradicated, which means not until the next decade.

110. ANTOINE

Maybe you are a terrorist and you do not know it. Like those in Homs, Daraa, etc.

[NOTE — sarcasm can miss its target. Please keep to discussion.]

Sandro,

For some reason I cannot see my own comments on this page,

I am anti-regime, trust me, so pls avoid being angry with me. FSA cannot be crushed so easily as Obama hopes and thinks, civilans cam be murdered, what we will have is long-drawn-out armed resistance, eventual fall of the regime. Secularism is not at all strong among Syrian Sunnis and they have strong sectarian loyalties, eventually the hardcore menhebaks among them will defect.

Syria uprising is now a battle to the death

Rockets rain down on towns that residents can neither defend nor leave, as Bashar al-Assad’s forces besiege Free Syria Army

Martin Chulov near Homs
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 9 February 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/09/syria-uprising-homs-residents-plight

“….Probably even Bush would have done more than Obama….”

Once we told Ahmadinejad when he was so excited about Obama likelihood of becoming U.S. President ” Are all Iranians naive like you, Bush is better for you and the Arab world, at least he was able to get rid of Saddam and his Baathist regime and hold off Israel from attacking you, this guy Obama is just a puppet”

And it looks like this comment still stand true today. I mean look how he is dealing with Syria, helping the Alciada Moslem fighters ensue mayhem, in the hope that they come to power, because he knows they will trash the country and help Israel expand its border, help Saudi/Arab to dominate it and degrade it to tribalism. That is not in U.S. National Interests and more of Multinational Special Interests pushing own agenda and are after own financial interests with total disregards to Syria’s population or their suffering. A democratic Syria with strong institutions that is at peace with Israel, is in the U.S. and the Worlds best interests, but of course this outcome highly unlikely because it is the worst conclusion for Syria crises to the plotters with money power.

SNP,

Do you really think Obama is helping “Moslem terrorists ensue mayhem” ? If so, why isnt he moving his @#$ to stop massacre of Syrians in Homs, and if he really support Moslem terrorists, why isn’t he giving them more advanced weapons ?

Also would you regard FSA in Homs and other areas within Syria as Moslem terrorists ?

C’mon, I though SNP was smarter than to fall for the same old recycled socialst garbage of “multinational special interests” and “financial interests”.

116 ANTOINE said:

¨What I find even more astonisihing is that we haven’t seen any huge rally in Hama, Damascus, Idlib, Daraa, etc in the last 6 days.¨

Right, it seems as if people in different towns and cities are beginning to get consciousness that nobody will help them even if Hama Massacre takes place once again. Maybe the destruction of Homs will surge the desired effect that Hama produced 30 years ago. Nobody wants its city, town or village to be demolished under bombs with children and women inside buildings.

As you said tomorrow maybe an important day. Maybe an inflexion date. If demonstrations keep same momentum then Assad will have not terryfied people enough, and people would have shown and indestructible desire for victory. If revolution and people expressions slow down consistently then maybe we will be the beginning of a ¨coma¨ of this revolution.

In this case losers will bury their deads and will live a miserable life under a long mafious Assads rule. Assad will have exposed his virtues to the world. And US, UN, AL will have to deal with Assad and beg relations will the SUPER POWERBROKER, ASSAD II ¨THE REFORMER¨ (also know as the KILLER, or the SLAVE OF THE OLD OF THE MOUNTAIN).

Antoine thinks it is all about humanitarian, freedom and democracy causes in Syria. If that so, why only Moslem fighters with radical extremist Wahhabi and Salafism of Alqaida-alciada schools are supported financially and militarilly.

More advanced than what they equipped with now? They have very sophisticated advanced means of communication / network and light infantry hardware. Who has the export license in US to export such weapons and systems to Syria or Lebanon. The setup coasted hundredth of millions, where did this money come from. Forget the advertising and media which would have coasted a billion dollar by now, but these incompetent fighters and plotters plundered and wasted it all, with nothing to show for on the ground after almost a year of fighting.

So far, the only accomplishments FSA and other foreign sponsored fighters accomplished are getting dozen to defect, 6000+ dead, and as much as 20,000 thrown in Assad prisons, no one knows how many of these prisoners died under torture in secret. Can you justify all that mayhem, property destruction, killing and human suffering for what has been accomplished so far in a year?

Don’t you think, it is time to either throw in the towels, change strategy, change leadership, change plot and let others get a shot at building better Syria, one that is not for the service of its enemies interests.
You may think not, but face the music, Assad men kicked ass and rule the land still to this day.

HOWATTISNEXT. Surprise us with more stupidity and bloodbaths.

Call for a massive demonstration tomorrow against Russia ( what about China?)
http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-homs-under-deadly-blitz-162532226.html
…
Despite the bloodshed, activists urged Syrians to turn out for a big demonstration against Russia on Friday, a traditional day of protests that follow the main weekly Muslim prayers.

“Russia is killing our children. Its planes, tanks and veto are also killing our children,” said a banner on the Facebook page of The Syrian Revolution 2011.

The opposition Syrian National Council, meeting in Qatar ahead of weekend talks with Arab countries, called Russia’s credibility “badly damaged.”

“Russia needs to restore its credibility in the eyes of the Syrian people by using its influence on the Assad regime” to immediately stop the killings and negotiate Assad’s departure, it said.
(….}

128. SYRIAN NATIONALIST PARTY said :

“More advanced than what they equipped with now? They have very sophisticated advanced means of communication / network and light infantry hardware”

C’mon, I mean longer-range weapons, if US and others was so inetersting in helping Moslem terrorists they would have given them those, oike they gave to the Afghans who were fighting against Soviet Russia.

Also, what is SNP estimate of the percenttage of Syrians hardcore anti-regime, hardcore pro-regime and fence-sitters ? Don’t SNP think the populations of Homs, Hama, Idlib are very much anti-regime and represent a credible slice of the Syrian popukation ?

SNP, since when did armed foreign supported terrorists start their operations in Syria ? As far as I know it wasn’t before July, does SNP have credible intellgence to show they were active from the very start of the uprising ?

Also can SNP confirm Iranian snipers in Syria ?

120. Antoine
After the death of Ben Laden and the quagmire of Aghanistan, Obama is starting a new strategy of ‘containment’ of the islamist extremists.
He got this bright idea from Turkey and Qatar who convinced Obama that the Taliban, Hamas and Al Qaeda could be lured into becoming ‘moderate sunnis’ once they see the money that Qatar will offer and the joy of modernism, Ipad, iphone internet etc…
This has always been the philosophy of the AKP and Qatar: build lots of shopping malls, let the extremists become consumers and they will forget their extremist ideologies. See how peaceful is Saudi Arabia and Qatar and how peaceful and successful Turkey has become under the AKP: Islam is an asset for a capitalistic society, make use of it creatively.

In Syria, it is the same strategy, the western world wants to give a chance to the islamists to take power and to be hooked by the consumer world. They hope they will become ‘moderate’ bourgeois.

The Arab nation ideology is obsolete, let’s move on to a new one. Let’ enter into the new era of islamo-capitalism and forget all about socialism!

15 died today in Zabadani while Assad official milicias, iranian and lebanese mercenaries keep on bombing Zabadani.

Doctor Kamal Al Labwany

Declaration to the syrian people:

http://www.sooryoon.net/archives/47015

132. BRONCO said,

¨In Syria, it is the same strategy, the western world wants to give a chance to the islamists to take power and to be hooked by the consumer world. They hope they will become ‘moderate’ bourgeois.

The Arab nation ideology is obsolete, let’s move on to a new one. Let’ enter into the new era of islamo-capitalism and forget all about socialism!¨

Exactly, this is what is going to happen in Syria. Like it or not.
The point is that wild capitalism the Assads are monopolyzing will be finally open to the global market, and most population will beneffit from free market and free competition. This is something awfull for the corrupts in power. They defend the idea that people must remain poor and ¨ideollogically socialist¨ while they steal lands and monopolyze the economy to the beneffit of a reduced ring of mafious and corrupts.

Maybe you think Russia is socialist? Russia is one of the most wild capitalist systems in the world, with lack of democracy,
and ex-communist members leading the mafia of capitalist power creating monopolies.

So, see how you know perfectly the sollution but as many old guard syrians are pushing against globals dynamics.

You told before you got 11 years of extra time, but Assad waisted reforms time and increased stolen amounts and abuses of all kinds.

Now, see the results in Hama, Idlib, Daraa, Damascus and many other poor areas.

It is just a question of time. Remeber, a question of time. The time has come.

BRONCO,

Do you mean practising Muslims are inherently more consumerist and bourgeois tyoes than others ?

This morning, reporter Alastair Beach of The Independent newspaper based in London, cited “evidence” that Syrian President Assad’s security forces have indiscriminately killed scores of newborn babies in Homs this week, as his featured article states:

“Bashar al-Assad’s bloody siege of Homs intensified yesterday as clear evidence emerged that his indiscriminate shelling of the restive town had started claiming innocent victims, including at least 18 premature babies and three entire families. The evidence came as civilians in the besieged city endured a fifth day of incessant shellfire – the worst yet, according to eyewitnesses – with dozens of other people being killed as the brutal assault continued.”

Writer Beach’s source for his claims seem to originate from only one organization, not in Syria – but in London. Surprisingly, the Independent’s chief source for the alleged horrors in question is a nearly invisible organization known as the ”Syrian Observatory for Human Rights”(SOHR), who claim to have an office based in London, but apparently have no address or contact phone number listed – only and email address. Even murkier however, is that fact that there are no names associated with the SOHR on their website, and many of its articles have been written under the fictitious pen name known as “Rami Abdul Rahman“.

http://counterpsyops.com/2012/02/09/like-for-iraq-war-1-regime-change-pr-hits-high-gear-syrias-newborn-baby-slaughter-propaganda/

I am surprised that some of you are “surprised” about the AL irresponsible position regarding the Syian crisis. Forget about the AL,it is now hijacked by the GCC,most other countries are either bankrupt or facing serious internal problems . The GCC wants the UN to solve the Syrian crisis the same way Libyan crisis was solved,through international military intervention,or through a long civil war. The only “dangerous” solution those sheikhs fear is a political one,a dilution that respects the will of all syrians ,the pro and the anti regime. I spoke about the half hearted AL mission and the outrageously inadequate funding it received,then we all saw the reaction of the GCC when the observers report dared to state the obvious: violence in Syria is not one sided and the solution will not be one sided either. Without a real dialogue that takes place under international supervision and guarantees,nothing will be achieved. The NCB is right on target in its insistence that no dialogue can be done until the regime stops its bombardment but this raises two questions: who can influence armed anti regime militias and make them stop their violence? And what is the regime forces supposed to do if armed groups attack government targets or try to control certain neighborhoods or towns ?
The violence provides the perfect environment for thugs to operate and makes it harder for people to rise against the regime,not the opposite,especially in urban areas where people traditionally preferred stability over the promise of democracy if the only thing they see is violence and a dying economy.

Mr. Obomber has used drones to kill Muslim children and innocent adults by the hundreds (Where were Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Muslims protege). He has refused to disclose his legal arguments for why he can do this or to justify the attacks in any way. He has even had rescuers and funeral mourners deliberately targeted.
I didn’t see CNN or al Jazeerah making a big deal out of it or any American asking for regime change although 14% of the Americans live in poverty

Full Article:
http://www.salon.com/2012/02/08/repulsive_progressive_hypocrisy/singleton/

Adonis-the Guardian

“It’s savage,” Adonis said of the bombardment. “It’s the logic of all dictatorships – any dictator would do likewise against the people.”

The poet, who was imprisoned by the regime for a year in 1955 and now lives in Paris, called for Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad to step down last June, warning that he could not “imprison an entire nation” . But he also criticised elements of the Syrian opposition for its “violent tendencies”, leading to criticism from supporters of the revolution.

Speaking to the Guardian at an exhibition of his art in London, Adonis reiterated his call for the opposition to use “only peaceful means – like Gandhi”, suggesting that “there is no cause which could justify violence”, and pointing out that “violence from the opposition gives a justification for the regime to attack.”
Nevertheless, the 82-year-old poet was keen to stress that his stance against violence did not indicate any support for the Syrian government, or for undemocratic regimes across the region.
“All Arab regimes, without exception, should fall,” he said, “because these regimes incarnate despotism, oppression and obscurantism.” The manner of their fall is very important, he continued. “Intervention by foreign powers, particularly military, must be avoided; it is vital that religious fundamentalists don’t come to power in the aftermath.
“We must work to found a new Arab society which is secular, plural and democratic.”

The AL may recognize the SNC as the legitimate representative if the Syrian people…also the Syrian’s top envoy to Libya is now expelled.  I propose that all expelled diplomat form an expelled diplomat fraternity to reflect.

Suffering deepens in bombarded Syrian city of Homs

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY 
The Associated Press

“This brutal assault on residential neighborhoods shows the Syrian authorities’ contempt for the lives of their citizens in Homs,” said Anna Neistat, associate emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. “Those responsible for such horrific attacks will have to answer for them.”

Human Rights Watch also said eyewitness accounts, as well as video reviewed by the group’s arms experts, suggest Syrian government forces are using long-range, indirect fire weapons such as mortars.

Such weapons “are inherently indiscriminate when fired into densely populated areas,” the New York-based group said.
…
Saleh said most of the government attacks have been “bombardment from a distance,” with regime forces keeping armored vehicles out of the neighborhoods.

Fighters from the rebel Free Syrian Army have been firing back with rocket-propelled grenades and rockets, according to activists’ accounts.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees were trying to compile numbers and names of those killed Thursday. The LCC, an activist group, said up to 100 people were killed in Homs, but the toll was impossible to independently verify. The Observatory reported 63 deaths in Homs.

Activists also reported violence in the towns of Zabadani and Daraa.
…
latest action, Libya on Thursday gave Syria’s top envoy to the country and embassy staff 72 hours to leave, according to Libyan Foreign Ministry press officer Saad Elshlmani.
…
But as the uprising surged, with Sunnis making up the backbone of the revolt, Assad called heavily upon his Alawite power base to crush the resistance, feeding sectarian tensions like those that fueled civil wars in Iraq and Lebanon.

A senior Arab League official said the Cairo-based organization will discuss Sunday whether to recognize the opposition Syrian National Council as the legitimate representative of Syria and whether to allow it to open offices in Arab capitals. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been made on the issue.

{….)

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/suffering-deepens-in-bombarded-1339402.html

136. Antoine

The christian religion is in general “socialist”, it does not have a high esteem for rich people and it praises being poor.
Jesus Christ kicked out the merchants from the temples and had warnings to rich merchants that they could easily succumb to the temptation of greed and become sinners. The protestantism have somehow mollified that and has praised the sanctity of working, but still among christians, there is an internal uneasiness of being rich and especially of showing it off.
Islam is a religion that has a positive view of rich people as long as they acquired their richness honestly. There is no special danger of sin associated with wealth and in showing off your success. Yet it requires to give a share to the poor by the mandatory zaqat. I wonder, in view of the poverty in Arab countries, if this actually practised by many.
In an Islamic society, arts are not encouraged, painting, dance , music are just tolerated and in some countries simply forbidden. Therefore idle time is usually the time for sports or shopping in the souk, buying jewels, new clothes, latest fashion, gold watches, or a new electronic gadget or a new car.
As gambling is not allowed, most rich Moslems are investing and enjoying the thrills of the stock market fluctuations. As entertainment is scarce, they travel abroad to enjoy shows and pleasures not readily available in their countries.
There are many other aspects pointing in the same direction.
While this is a superficial evaluation, it seems that an Islamic society is prone to be a successful consumer society.

Pentagon draws up ‘internal review’ as US searches for way to stop Syria killing
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/08/pentagon-internal-review-syria-killing

Military action not ruled out as pressure grows for more decisive action from Washington against Bashar al-Assad regime

The Pentagon is drawing up contingency plans for intervention in Syria that include military action, as the Obama administration casts around for a more effective strategy to stop the regime in Damascus carrying out violence its own people.

The defence department has for several weeks been planning a range of US actions, from dealing with a flood of refugees and the provision of medical relief to a direct military assault on Syria. Included in the planning is intervention coordinated with allies such as Turkey and other countries in Nato.

Administration officials said the “internal review” was at the initiative of the Pentagon, not the White House, in order to be able to present options to President Obama if he were to call for them. Officials said they are not an indication of a shift away from the focus on the pursuit of a diplomatic solution with a strong emphasis on sanctions against Damascus.

But pressure is growing in Washington for more decisive action by the Obama administration as the Assad regime intensifies its assault on Homs, reportedly killing scores of people in recent days in shelling. More than 5,000 people are believed to have been killed in the uprising over the past year.

The calls for Washington to act more decisively have also strengthened after Russia and China vetoed a UN security council resolution intended to ratchet up international pressure by calling on Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, to resign.

Senator John McCain, who was a strong supporter of military intervention in Libya, this week said the US should plan to deliver weapons to the Syrian rebels.

“We should start considering … arming the opposition. The blood-letting has got to stop,” he said.

McCain was joined in the call for support to the rebels by senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham and other members of Congress.

Syrian protesters have been appealing for outside intervention for months.

The Pentagon declined to discuss the preparations.

“Our military plans for a variety of contingencies. That’s what we do. Our focus remains on diplomacy, which we believe is still possible,” said major Chris Perrine, a defence department spokesman.

Barack Obama at the weekend ruled out a Libya-style military operation in which the US and Nato conducted a bombing campaign ostensibly to defend civilians from attack from Muammar Gaddafi’s forces but which swiftly evolved in to a war of support for the Libyan rebels.

The state department said in response to McCain’s call that arming Syrian rebels is not likely.

“We never take anything off the table,” said Victoria Nuland, a state department spokeswoman. “However, as the president himself made absolutely clear and as the secretary has continued to say, we don’t think more arms into Syria is the answer … Some of these proposals that people are brooding about could not be done without foreign military intervention.”

The Obama administration says that for now the focus remains firmly on diplomatic pressure on Damascus. This week the US closed its embassy in Damascus. Several European countries, including Britain, withdrew their ambassadors.

more…..

Abdul Razzaq Tlass has been killed in Homs

He was the commander of the Al Faruk brigade responsible for the kidnapping of the Iranians engineers ( later accused of being from the revolutionnary guards) .
Sorry I could not find any report in english

http://lavoixdelasyrie.com/data/?p=738

Branco,

Since when is Wahhabi Islam the SOLE representative of the entire Muslim world, Wahhabi Islam is not the only Islamic beliefs and foundations out there, and you using Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan as a barometer to how Muslims see the Arts is prejudicial and bigoted. Was it not the Muslims that built Cordoba, was it not the Muslims that preserved and translated the works of ancient Greece and Romans, or the great poets from Khayyam to Moutanabi were they not Muslim?

For the record while Calvinist and Lutherans are uneasy with wealth, the same can’t be said of the Catholic Church, and that was one of the catalyst to the Protestant Reformation.

Before you go generalize any group, you might want to read up about them and really learn about them, or else you risk looking like a bigot.

Listen to Joshua speaking about Homs:
http://www.theworld.org/2012/02/syria-crisis-why-homs-is-the-center-of-revolt/

A last ditch to save the SNC. The FSA may take over in the dialog.

Syria crisis talks in bid for unified opposition
Omar Karmi
Feb 10, 2012
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/syria-crisis-talks-in-bid-for-unified-opposition#page1
…
There is no such opposition yet. The many disparate individuals and groups that make up the Syrian National Council, the main opposition umbrella organisation led by Burhan Ghalioun, a political scientist in Paris, have failed to coalesce into a coherent organisation, said Steven Heydemann of the United States Institute of Peace, a non-partisan policy group funded by the US Congress.

“As we look at the narrowing of political options, the importance of the SNC as a framework for engagement with the international community grows,” Mr Heydemann said.

But the council needs to “step up” a level, and it has not yet, he said.

Randa Slim, an adjunct research fellow at the New America Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, suggested the SNC was not up to the task.

Made up mostly of exiles, the council lacks the legitimacy on the ground, she said, that is enjoyed by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), soldiers who have defected.
Until the SNC can accomplish some of the more basic things, however, it will struggle to convince international powers it is a viable force.
….
It took the Libyan Transitional Council just two weeks after the February 16 uprising in Libya to secure the services of The Harbour Group, a Washington-based public relations company, working free.

And after four months, the Libyan opposition had hired Patton Boggs, one of Washington’s biggest lobbying firms, to promote its interests among US politicians.

Nearly five months after its creation, the SNC, by contrast, has yet to even name a representative in the US.

There is no legal requirement to do so, but that lack of organisation is a “significant deficiency”, said Mr Heydemann.
{…}

More than 100 killed by the regime in Syria today…

Here’s some footage from the Bab Amr war zone in Homs dating from early January: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=aaxYkyZDAMA#t=94s . The particular rebel speaking at time 4:30 in that video is now reportedly dead. His name was Abdul Razzaq Tlass and he was a genuine low-ranking Army officer who had deserted from the Army. A report of his death dated 9 Feb 2012 was linked to by ZOO #144 and another report is at http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=345903608764448&id=266209936733816 . I trust the report of his death is true.

Relately, on 9 feb 2012 Lebanon’s Al-Manar news reports that it has been told by “a well-informed Syrian source” that although the Syrian leadership was late in initiating a military operation due to certain calculations that mainly involved avoiding civilian casualties, a serious operation has been underway for the past few days and will be completed in the next few days. The source reported that the gunmen in Baba Amro and in Madaya were “finished”, and the districts have come under the Syrian army’s control, and the armed groups’ main commanders were killed. The Syrian source assured Al-Manar that the operations taking place will be “more than decisive” because the official decision is to execute a “conclusive military option”. “No country should suffer having armed rebels to exist in its territories or having regions out of its control,” said the source. http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=23&frid=23&eid=44949

It’s not possible to execute a “conclusive” military operation in just a few days in the circumstances. After regaining control of the districts it will be necessary to keep the Army present in the districts maintaining control.

Attacking the rebels with a sustained “iron fist” is strictly necessary. And like some other important moves by this regime it is LATE.

@TARA
make that more than 270 and over 500 injured.

“…..In Syria, it is the same strategy, the western world wants to give a chance to the islamists to take power and to be hooked by the consumer world. They hope they will become ‘moderate’ bourgeois. The Arab nation ideology is obsolete, let’s move on to a new one. Let’ enter into the new era of islamo-capitalism and forget all about socialism!…..”

—————————————————————-

Such a brilliant strategy huuuh… and Obama got it from Moslem Turkmen and Qataris. Did he toss this concept of Islamo-Capitalism / Islamo-Consumerism around with other experts in the U.S., I don’t mean those living in Deecceland and lalangleyland, nor shopping mall and every brandname owning Khazzaro-Capitalists who would jump on the idea of taking all the Moslem consumer cash they can, I mean people having experience in Syria and Syrian society.

So did Obama, think with his other head when he approved the plan, I mean, did it ever crossed to his mind once that this Moslem Bourgeois / capitalism is somehow flawed talk, considering that the majority of Wahabbis and Salafis kids of AlQaida came out of well to do Islamic societies, having a well to do family, not short of anything, unlike the majority of Syrians who immigrate to live in their societies to make a living. Did Obama question that Osama bin Laden is a millionaire from the wealthiest Wahabi family that spent its wealth all over the world to the point is called by world’s media “disgusting Islamo-consumerism?”

Why do I have a feeling that this concept is really the product of Yale-Harvard school kids, recently recruited by the Maxwell Smart Agency, or a bunch of ladies who recently recruited out of the Nationally run radio-Ad paid for by Al-Ciada promising an exciting career for unemployed housewife.

Anyway, your combative fighters / future bourgeois Islamo-Consumers have no chance at what you sent them to do in Syria, they will be Islamo-Consumers for sure, but not at the local Mall in Homs, just for coffins and the funeral service. And that Mall in Homs your Obama promising his Moslem hordes, is it going to be built before the one planned for Baghdad in 2289 or a Century after, if ever.

My thanks to Antoine #52 above for the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkg2RAwwe5Q where the crowd at an anti-regime rally take an oath of “Victory or Death”.

You might want to know what Erdogan wants ,

——————————————————————————–

رئيس الوزراء التركي يثير قلق المدافعين عن العلمانية

أ. ف. ب. GMT 1:00:00 2012 الجمعة 10 فبراير

اثارت تصريحات رئيس الوزراء التركي رجب طيب اردوغان حول رغبة حزبه في ظهور نشء متدين حفيظة العلمانيين، وعلق رئيس حزب الشعب الجمهوري الذي أسسه اتاتورك على ذلك بالقول: “ماذا على أن افعل إذا كنت لا أريد ان ينشأ طفلي على الدين والتربية المحافظة.

——————————————————————————–

اردوغان يقول إن حزبه يرغب في ظهور جيل متدين
انقرة: اثار رئيس الوزراء التركي رجب طيب اردوغان مخاوف المدافعين عن العلمانية، الذين يتهمونه بالعمل شيئا فشيئا على اسلمة المجتمع التركي، وذلك بعد ان ابدى رغبته في ظهور “نشء متدين”.

وكان اردوغان، الاسلامي التربية الذي يتزعم حزبا منبثقا عن التيار الاسلامي، قال في كلمة امام النواب الاسبوع الماضي “نريد تربية نشء متدين”.

واضاف متوجها الى المعارضة “هل تنتظرون من حزب محافظ وديموقراطي مثل العدالة والتنمية (الحاكم) ان ينشىء جيلا من الملحدين؟ ربما يكون هذا شانكم ورسالتكم، لكنه ليس شأننا. سننشىء جيلا ديموقراطيا محافظا يؤمن بقيم ومبادىء امتنا”.

ولم يتاخر رد حزب المعارضة الرئيسي، حزب الشعب الجمهوري، الذي اسسه اتاتورك والذي يدافع عن المبادىء العلمانية على هذا الخطاب.

وقال زعيم هذا الحزب كمال كيلشدار اوغلو ان “اجتذاب الاصوات باستخدام الدين خطيئة” واصفا اردوغان بانه “احد تجار الهيكل”.

من جانبه كتب الصحافي الشهير حسان جمال في صحيفة ميلييت الليبرالية هذا الاسبوع متسائلا “اطرح السؤال على رئيس الوزراء: ماذا علي ان افعل اذا كنت لا اريد ان ينشأ طفلي على الدين والتربية المحافظة؟”.

كما تساءل الكاتب الصحافي المعروف محمد علي بيراند في صحيفة حرييت ديلي نيوز الثلاثاء “ماذا يعني القول بان الدولة ستنشىء جيلا متدينا؟ هل يكون ذلك الخطوة الاولى نحو دولة دينية؟”.

من جهة اخرى اعتبر سميح ايديز في صحيفة حرييت انه لا يمكن فرض اي قالب سياسي او ديني على تركيا مشيرا الى ان ملايين الاتراك “اتبعوا اسلوب حياة علمانيا” حتى قبل قيام الجمهورية عام 1923.

وقد بدأ حزب العدالة والتنمية، الذي يتولى الحكم منذ 2002، ولاية تشريعية ثالثة بعد فوزه الكاسح في انتخابات حزيران/يونيو الماضي.

وفي السنوات الاخيرة فقد العسكريون، الذين يعتبرون انفسهم حماة الاسس العلمانية للجمهورية، وزنهم السياسي مع اعتقال العشرات من كبار الضباط بتهمة التامر على النظام.

وتتهم المعارضة السلطة بالاستبداد وبالعمل في الخفاء على اسلمة المجتمع التركي.

وكشفت ان العديد من المطاعم ترفض تقديم الخمور خلال شهر رمضان. كما تحتج على تعديل للقانون يسمح لخريجي المدارس الدينية بالالتحاق بجميع الكليات في حين ان دراستهم تقتصر حتى الان على العلوم الفقهية.

وتساءل محمد علي بيراند عن المدى الذي يمكن ان تذهب اليه هذه التغييرات.

وابدى تخوفه من ان تتعرض هيئة الرقابة على البرامج الاذاعية والتلفزيونية التركية قريبا ل”الممثلين الذين يتبادلون القبلات” امام عدسات الكامير.

واضاف “بعد ذلك سياتي دور المؤسسات الدينية ثم البلديات وستشهد كل اشكال تعليم القرآن، المشروعة وغير المشروعة، ازدهارا”.

ويشير بعض المعلقين الى وجود تعارض بين خطاب اردوغان هذا وبين الخطاب الذي اتبعه خلال زيارته الى مصر في ايلول/سبتمبر الماضي.

وكان اردوغان قال انذاك في حديث لقناة تلفزيونية مصرية نشرته صحيفة وطن التركية “بصفتي الشخصية فانا مسلم ولست علمانيا. لكنني رئيس وزراء دولة علمانية. وللناس في النظام العلماني حرية الاختيار بين ان يكونوا متدينين ام لا”.

واضاف ان “الدستور التركي يعرف العلمانية على ان الدولة تقف على مسافة واحدة من كل الاديان” وهو ما اثار غضب الاخوان المسلمين في القاهرة والدهشة في تركيا.

http://www.elaph.com/Web/news/2012/2/715430.html

إغلاق النافذة

145. Son of Damascus

You’re putting words in my mouth, I never said that Wahhabism was representing Islam. I don’t understand what is that you don’t agree with in what I said about the way Islamic countries are today.
I am not talking about the Islamic Civilisation hundred year ago, I am talking about the ‘modern’ Islamic countries today, Indonesia, Iran, Soudan, KSA, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, China etc… Do you deny that these restrictions exist in these countries in a form or another?
You are talking about the Catholic church and I am talking about Jesus-Christ gospels. Sorry, but I do not consider the Catholic church a good example for Christians to follow: The Borgias are not really what I like my children to imitate. In addition read well what I said about protestantism before jumping and putting words in my mouth.

In any case this is a large and complex subject and I was just answering to Antoine very schematically with my personal interpretation. Fell free to disagree, I won’t argue

In a sitution of civil disturbances in any country, if moral, political and rhetorical support is given to the rebels by the Western powers and the international community, it weakens the established government’s position and it elevates the expectations of the rebels in their battle against the government. Foreign interventions of this political kind can make a conflict harder to resolve because they distort the domestic mechanisms which exist inside any country for resolving the conflict. Sergei Lavrov said in October: “If the international community promotes the theory that “the government is so bad it cannot orchestrate a National Dialog and it should resign from office no matter what the consequences”, of course, that would be incitement to violence and unrest in Syria.” Vladimir Putin said yesterday: “We must provide to the Syrian people the possibility to resolve their problems on their own… our task is limited to helping them do that without any foreign interference.” The Western powers and the Arab League are not aiming at helping the Syrians to resolve their problems on their own. They are aiming at supporting the rebels against the government. The rebels are much weaker than the government on the ground in Syria. The foreigners’ moral support to the rebels fans the flames of violence and incivility. The only good pathway out of the crisis is the comprehensive reform program being introduced by the regime, plus attacking the violent rebels with an iron fist; and anybody who is advocating for a different pathway is faning the flames of hell.

That’s my view. Here’s the view of the foreign minister of the UK a few days ago: “This is a doomed regime as well as a murdering regime. There is no way it can get its credibility back internationally or with its own people. When you realise that, you see what a mistake Russia is making by backing this regime.” Here then is another way to say what my perspective is: “This is a decent and sensible regime, it is not a murdering regime, and it has the support of most Syrians. The rebels are benighted working class people who have no ideas and no agenda other than to rage at the establishment. When you realise that, you see what a mistake the UK is making in backing the rebels.”

الخميس 17 ربيع الأول 1433هـ – 09 فبراير 2012م

——————————————————————————–

طالبت بتسليم عناصر “الجيش السوري الحر” إلى السلطات السورية والكف عن تدريبهم
دمشق تشترط إشراف إيران على إطلاق سراح ضباط أتراك
——————————————————————————–

أردوغان وبشار الأسد (أرشيفية)

دبي – سعود الزاهد

ذكرت وكالة أنباء فارس شبه الرسمية القريبة من الحرس الثوري الإيراني في نبأ لها نقلا إذاعة “شام أف أم” السورية الخاصة إن سوريا قدمت شروطها لإطلاق سراح 49 ضابط أمن تركي احتجزتهم على أراضيها مؤكدة ضرورة إشراف إيراني على هذه الصفقة. ونشرت وكالة أنباء “أ. ف. ب” من دمشق يوم الثلاثاء أن المفاوضات بدأت فعليا بين الجانبين لإطلاق سراح 49 ضابط استخبارات تركي “كانوا ينشطون بشكل غير شرعي” في سوريا حسب إذاعة “شام أف إم”. وحسب هذا المصدر الإعلامي فإن السلطات السورية وضعت ثلاثة شروط للإفراج عن هؤلاء الضباط، هي تسليم عناصر من “الجيش السوري الحر” الى السلطات السورية، ووضع حد لتسلل عناصره إلى الأراضي السورية انطلاقا من الأراضي التركية، والكف عن تدريبهم.

تحت إشراف إيراني

هذا وأضافت الإذاعة السورية أن دمشق اشترطت على أنقرة أن تكون إيران شاهدا على الاتفاق بين الطرفين.

وتؤكد هذه الإذاعة السورية التي تشير وسائل الإعلام بأنها قريبة من السلطات أن المفاوضات التي بدأت منذ فترة لم تتوصل إلى نتيجة تذكر بعد.

يذكر أن العلاقات الإيرانية التركية يسودها التوتر بسبب الموقف من الثورة السورية وفي الثامن من أكتوبر 2011 هدد الجنرال رحيم صفوي، القائد السابق للحرس الثوري الإيراني والمستشار العسكري للمرشد الإيراني، تركيا بخفض العلاقات السياسية والاقتصادية إذا استمرت في سياساتها تجاه سوريا أهم حليف للجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية في العالم العربي.

زيارة سرية لوفد استخباراتي تركي

وكانت أسبوعية “آيدنليك” التركية كشفت النقاب قبل أسبوعين عن إلقاء القبض على 49 ضابطا تركيا من جهاز الاستخبارات على الأراضي السورية وأضافت: “قام وفد استخباراتي تركي بزيارة سرية لسوريا قبل شهر بغية إطلاق سراح الضباط إلا أنه عاد من دمشق دون التوصل إلى أي نتيجة”.

وقال مسؤولون سوريون لمراسل الأسبوعية التركية إن دمشق على استعداد لإطلاق سراح الضباط الأتراك المحتجزين شريطة طرد كافة المعارضين السوريين الناشطين من خلال “المجلس الوطني السوري” وإغلاق مكاتب هذا المجلس على الأراضي التركية.

——————————————————————————–

جميع الحقوق محفوظة لقناة العربية © 2010

This video was sent to aljazeera English:

Report by Human Rights Watch about the shelling on Homs:http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/02/09/syria-stop-shelling-residential-areas
Mjabali, they got arms experts to view the some of the videos coming out of Homs.
It’s indiscriminate bombardment by the criminal Assad on Homs is undeniable, unless you believe Addounia and state TV.

Before the Arab FM meeting, the AL shows a refreshing realism and determination to find a “Syrian-Syrian” political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Russia, China seek coordination with Arab League after Syria veto – AL deputy
09/02/2012
By Sawsan Abu Hussein
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=28423
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Deputy Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Bin Helli informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the Arab League has been in communication with both Russia and China following their veto of the UN Security Council draft resolution backing the Arab League initiative on Syria.

Bin Helli revealed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in constant contact with Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby, and that he was in contact with Elaraby both prior to his recent visit to Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and following this meeting. Bin Helli stressed that Lavrov kept the Arab League Secretary-General in the picture with regards to his talks with al-Assad, whilst Elaraby will also keep Lavrov informed regarding the outcome of the meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers that is scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Bin Helli told Asharq Al-Awsat that “I also received a message from the Chinese Ambassador clarifying Beijing’s position with regards to resolving the Syrian crisis.” He revealed that Beijing had confirmed the necessity of coordination taking place between China and the Arab states to reach an agreement. This comes after both Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution calling for an end to violence in Syria and backing the Arab League initiative in this regard.

As for whether there are opportunities for dialogue and talks to take place to resolve the Syrian crisis, Arab League Deputy Secretary-General Ahmed Bin Helli stressed that dialogue is imperative to stop the violence that is taking place in Syria today and in order to achieve the demands of the Syrian people.

He said “we are gambling on the achievement of reform and change which serves the interests of the Syrian people.”

He added “there are ongoing Arab efforts in this regard, and everybody is committed to this, because we do not want to see things moving in any other direction.”

Asked about whether Arab states intend to officially recognize the Syrian opposition during the forthcoming meeting of Arab foreign ministers, Bin Helli said “so far, the Arab League is committed to communicating and working with the [Syrian] opposition in order to reach genuine dialogue between the opposition and the Syrian government, in order to allow them to reach a solution to the crisis.”

As for the possibility of Syria following the Yemeni model, where former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh eventually signed an agreement relinquishing his authority and securing the peaceful transfer of power, Bin Helli stressed that the situation in Syria is different than that in Yemen, and that any solution must be a “Syrian – Syrian” one.

As for whether Arab States could exert political pressure on the al-Assad regime to push it to reach such a “Syrian – Syrian” solution, the Arab League deputy chief said “I cannot comment on this…the Arab League Secretary-General will reveal all the latest developments and communications during the ministerial meeting….whilst the president of the committee on Syria will put forward the latest development about the future of the Arab initiative, particularly following the UN Security Council meeting” adding “any decisions will be based on this.”

Bin Helli stressed that it has become clear to everybody that the security solution is not an option, and that all Arab states are concerned by and working to halt the violence that is taking place in Syria.

As for the Turkish statements regarding an initiative being put forward in coordination between Ankara and the Arab States, particularly following the Russian and Chinese veto of the UN Security Council resolution on Syria, Bin Helli revealed that “we have yet to see any Turkish initiative.” He added “the Arab League Secretary-General is scheduled to meet with the Turkish ambassador, and we stress that the Arab League support…any efforts to assist the Arab states.”

Asked about the Gulf States decision to expel Syria’s ambassadors to their countries and whether this will make it easier or more difficult to reach a solution, Bin Helli stressed that this was an old decision taken during the Arab League meeting of foreign ministers in December. He stressed that the Arab League will work to build consensus amongst the Arab states regarding a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis at the next Arab League meeting, scheduled to take place next week.

Bin Helli refused to comment on whether the Arab states intend to increase pressure on the al-Assad regime, but stressed that any country has the sovereignty to withdraw its ambassadors from another country.

On the fate of the Arab League’s observer mission to Syria, Bin Helli said that the mission is on leave until the Arab League Council can agree on its assignments and tasks. He also revealed that the observer mission’s personnel will not change, however the nature of its work may change to ensure that it is more effective.

Joshua linked to a video — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V0LsKSCYVs — which he describes as depicting “rockets falling on Bab al-Amr in Homs”. But what the video shows — it is clear to me at time 4:30 to 4:40 — is explosions of bombs planted in buildings by rebels. The same sort of thing goes for all the videos posted by Mohammed at #13, i.e. what they depict is all the work of rebels. Like MJabali #9 I am not an expert in explosives. I draw my confidence mainly from my knowledge that the stuff depicted in the videos would be contrary to Syrian government policy and military strategy if it were what Joshua and Mohammed are fooled into thinking it is.

The regime tells the truth. The rebels are liars.

Mawal 95

Kindly say Hello to Ya Mara Ghalbana.

159. MAWAL95

Are you being sarcastic Mawal?

If not, then I’m dumbfounded.

Did you read the HRW report?
Of course the regime is waaaaaaaay more credible than HRW and most of the world for that matter.(Note: sarcasm intended)

There’s no such thing as rebels, it’s people vs. criminal regime.

“…..Islam is a religion that has a positive view of rich people as long as they acquired their richness honestly. There is no special danger of sin associated with wealth and in showing off your success….”

Honestly!! You mean through Al Anfal right سورة الأ نفال Here is some of the Holly Quran text as stated by the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) about obtaining richness and getting rich quick honestly:

Al-Anfal (Spoils of War, Battle Booty, Concubine Slaves – The Holy Quran – Yusuf Ali Translation

“…….it is clear to me at time 4:30 to 4:40 — is explosions of bombs planted in buildings by rebels. The same sort of thing goes for all the videos….”

Don’t trust this poster. I have various reports from relatives of the army amassing and ongoing shelling, from Mahatta, Inshaat and Waar areas. I have nothing against taking out these foreign fighters who are responsible for mayhem and suffering, they have zero chance at liberating Syria from Baathist mafia. Therefore, they are purely used for terror tactics and not as liberation force. The net results of their ops are purely negative and destructive to Syria, just like the Baathist. We need other options, and those that are shedding croc tears needs to come up with it fast if they are sincere, which I doubt. I think all they wanted is this mayhem in Homs specifically and not push the Baathist out of Syria.

This is a web poll on aljazeera:
ما السبيل لوقف العنف المتصاعد في سوريا ضد الثوار والمدنيين؟
الخيارات النسبة عدد الأصوات
التدخل العسكري
74.9%
7596
العزلة وفرض مزيد من العقوبات
7.8%
796
الحوار والتفاوض
17.3%
1751
إجمالي المصوتين

[Link added by Moderator: http://www.aljazeera.net/Portal/KServices/supportPages/vote/vote.aspx?voteID=3656&yourAnswer=0&actionType=0&dispType=1 ]

A report from ALzabadani:

مراسل عربي برس بين نيران الجيش والمسلحين في ريف دمشق الغربي
خاص عربي برس – الزبداني

يبدو أن الساعات القليلة القادمة ستحمل معها “الحسم” في ريف دمشق الغربي (الزبداني وما حولها)، أياً كان شكل هذا الحسم، فالمعلومات الواردة من المنطقة التي تشهد عمليات عسكرية واشتباكات مكثفة منذ أسبوع وحتى اليوم، ترجح أن تشهد ساعات الغد واحداً من ثلاث سيناريوهات..

حيث تشير المعلومات العسكرية أن الجيش قام بإنهاك المسلحين في المنطقة، ووجه لهم ضربات كبيرة، تمثلت بخسارتهم غالبية مراكزهم، وقطع الإمداد عنهم، وفقدانهم لجزء كبير من عتادهم وذخيرتهم، دون وقوع قتلى كُثر في صفوفهم، حيث أكدت مصادر متعددة أن عدد المسلحين الذين سقطوا حتى اليوم (مساء الأربعاء 8 – 2)، وبعد ما يقارب الأسبوع على بدء العملية العسكرية، لم يتجاوز العشرة في مدينة الزبداني وبلدة مضايا القريبة منها، أما ما تتناقله المعارضة المسلحة عبر صفحاتها على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي ليست سوى حرب نفسية، بحسب مصدر أهلي واسع الإطلاع.

ويشير المصدر إلى أن المعارضة تستخدم أسماء مدنيين ماتوا بشكل طبيعي وليس بإصابات نارية، وتصويرهم على أنهم ضحايا الحملة العسكرية، ويستدل المصدر على ذلك بأن صفحات المعارضة على الفايس بوك لم تتناقل سوى تسجيل فيديو واحد لشاب من مضايا وآخر من الزبداني؛ الأول من عائلة أسعد والثاني من عائلة الكويفي، بينما ذكرت أسماء أشخاص آخرين ولم تقم بتصويرهم، وهم مدنيون توفوا بحالات مرضية، كشخص من عائلة “ناصيف” (في العقد السابع من العمر)، وشخص آخر من آل إسماعيل (في العقد السادس) من بلدة مضايا توفوا بأمراض قلبية، وهم غير متواجدين في البلدة بل نازحين إلى القرى الأخرى.
ويشير المصدر إلى أن الوضع الإنساني في المنطقة سيء للغاية، حيث لا تستطيع شحنات الطحين والأغذية والحاجات الأساسية المرور بسبب اشتداد الاشتباكات، وبسبب خشية السلطات من قيام المسلحين بالاستيلاء على هذه الشحنات وتقديمها للأهالي على أنها أعطيات من قبلهم..

أما ما يقال عن قصفٍ للمنطقة من قبل الجيش السوري يقول المصدر أن المسلحين تحصنوا في الأماكن المأهولة وأجبروا السكان على الخروج منها، عبر تخويفهم من المجازر التي سيرتكبها الجيش السوري، وهم يستخدمونها بعض هذه المنازل حالياً لاستهداف قوات الجيش ومنعها من دخول الأحياء السكنية عبر ضربها بقذائف الهاون أو “الآر بي جي”، ما يضطر القوات العسكرية لتوجيه ضربات تجبرهم على ترك مواقعهم، ولكن بعد أن توجه لهم تحذيرات بضرورة إخلاء المباني السكنية.
ويشير المصدر العارف بخبايا المنطقة أن بعض المسلحين قاموا بتفخيف مداخل البلدات حتى يمنع الجيش من التقدم، وعند اقتراب قوات الجيش يقوم بتفجيرها، ما يؤدي لتضرر المباني القريبة.
وقد حدثنا المصدر عن أمر خطير تقوم به الجماعات المسلحة وهو تفخيخ بعض المساجد ومآذنها وتفجيرها، للإيحاء بأنها تهدمت بسبب قصف الجيش السوري، وقد أفاد أن مسجداً واحداً في بلدة مضايا قد تضرر بالفعل، ومسجدين في الزبداني تم تفخيخ مآذنها وضربها، وقد استطاع المسلحون تمرير هذه الكذبة على الأهالي الذين يخافون من مغادرة منازلهم ولا يعلمون حقيقة ما يجري في الخارج، إلا بمقدار ما يخبرهم المسلحون.

وتشير المعلومات أن الجيش لم يعد موجوداً على تخوم مدينة الزبداني وبلدة مضايا، بل تمكن فعلاً من دخولها ويسيطر على أحياء منها، ويعمل على استكمال مواجهته للمسلحين. ويقوم أحياناً بعمليات كر وفر حيث يدخل منطقة ويستكشفها، ولا يلبث أن يتراجع قليلاً حتى يخرج المسلحون من أماكن اختبائهم ويعاود الدخول مرة أخرى.

هذا الوضع على الأرض، أما في السيناريوهات المحتملة فهي تُبنى انطلاقاً من واقع ميداني ومفاوضات تجري للحيلولة دون خسارة المزيد من الدماء، من قبل وجهاء يتدخلون لنزع فتيل المواجهات:

يقضي السيناريو الأول وهو الأرجح، أن يرفض المسلحون كل الدعوات والوساطات ويتابع الجيش العربي السوري تقدمه ليقضي على المسلحين، وهو أمر تفرضه الحقيقة على الأرض، بسبب سيطرة القوات الحكومية على الميدان وتحكمها بشروطه، وسهولة حصولها على الإمداد، بينما تعرض المسلحون لضربات قوية وبدأت تنفذ مؤنهم وذخيرتهم، وترجح المصادر المطلعة على الواقع الميداني، أنه في حال المضي في هذا الخيار، فإن الجيش سيحسم المعركة لمصلحته وبغضون يومين، ومساء يوم الجمعة 10 شباط هو موعد أقصى لهذا السيناريو..

أما السيناريو الثاني، فقد بدأ يتبلور يوم الأربعاء 8 شباط مع قيام وفد من وجهاء المنطقة بالتدخل بوساطة جديدة لتجنب إراقة المزيد من الدماء والحفاظ على الممتلكات، وهي وساطة تنشط في الساعات القليلة الماضية، وتتركز بشكل أساسي في بلدة مضايا، حيث تقدم الوجهاء باقتراح عُرض على الطرفين مفاده أن يقوم المسلحون بالانسحاب من مراكز المدن والقرى، ودخول الجيش إليها دون قتال، والسماح للأهالي النازحين بالعودة إلى منازلهم وتسهيل دخول المواد الأساسية للأهالي.
وفي حين يبدي الداخلون في الوساطة تفاؤلهم بموافقة قيادة العمليات على هذا الاقتراح لا يرون أن المسلحين ميالين للقبول به، نظراً لرفضهم مقترحات مشابهة من قبل.

أما السيناريو الثالث، والذي يبدو الأكثر بعداً ولكنه يبقى قائماً؛ فيقضي بالعودة إلى مفاوضات جرت من قبل، طلبت فيها السلطات الحكومية أن يقوم قادة المجموعات المسلحة بتسليم أنفسهم وسلاحهم (ويقدر عددهم بحوالي الخمسين فرداً)، بينما يلقي باقي المسلحين أسلحتهم، ويتم العفو عنهم، ولكنه أمر قبلته قيادة العمليات ولم يقبل به قادة المجموعات المسلحة…

يتبع… (أسرار مفاوضات ما قبل الحسم وعروض السلطة للمسلحين في الزبداني)

http://www.arabi-press.com/?page=article&id=22055

Mohammed:

I read the Human Rights Watch’s report and it is very emotional and not based on facts. They are taking sides as obvious and that is not good because they should present both sides of the argument. They are taking what one side has said as facts and this is laughable in this tragic moment. They either should shut up or sent monitors and tell the truth.

They do not have monitors on the ground to verify numbers and events.

They have no way on earth to confirm their claims. It is based on he said/she said. We both know that people lie for their political gains.

But still you could tell about few important things from it if you read between the lines and connect the dots. For example, this reports said:

“The Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces, which consist mainly of low-ranking soldiers who had defected from the Syrian army, had earlier this year taken several neighborhoods in Homs under their control, and launched attacks on the Syrian military. One of the video clips from the area, for example, shows FSA soldiers setting an armored vehicle on fire. One witness, “Khaled,” told Human Rights Watch that FSA soldiers, estimated by various witnesses as ranging from a few hundred to 2,000 people in Homs, controlled a few neighborhoods inside Homs, while the city remained surrounded by government forces. Mani, a French photographer based in Homs, reported that the FSA attacked two other positions of the security forces in Bayyada on the night of February 5.”

[ Link added by Moderator: http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/02/09/syria-stop-shelling-residential-areas ]

So, there are around 2000 anti Assad armed elements who conduct operations every day. They have attacked Assad’s positions and keep on doing this. They also conducts revenge killings (many beheadings as you know) of non Sunni Syrian citizens.
It is a war over there and Human Rights Watch still has a romantic version of the events.

If you understand English, I have said ALL parties in this chaos had proven themselves to be liars and manipulators. This is a fact.

Russia U.N. veto on Syria aimed at crushing West’s crusade
By Louis Charbonneau | Reuters – Wed, Feb 8, 2012
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-u-n-veto-syria-aimed-crushing-wests-060305629.html
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Russia’s veto of a Security Council resolution on Syria goes far beyond mere protection for a close ally and arms buyer – it showed Moscow’s determination to crush what it sees as a Western crusade to use the United Nations to topple unfriendly regimes.

The same holds true for China, which followed Russia’s lead and joined Moscow in its second double veto to strike down a European-Arab draft resolution that would have endorsed an Arab League plan for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer power to his deputy to prepare free elections.

Russia’s move, analysts and diplomats say, was a diplomatic counteroffensive responding to an unusually active period for the Security Council. Last year the 15-nation panel twice adopted resolutions authorizing “all necessary measures” – diplomatic code for military force – in Libya and Ivory Coast.

Libya and Ivory Coast were also the first time the council invoked the Western-backed notion of the “responsibility to protect” civilians threatened by their own governments.

In both cases U.N.-authorized military intervention led to the ouster of the countries’ leaders. Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was killed at the hands of rebels who overthrew him during a six-month civil war and Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo is now in a holding cell at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Russia and China did not stand in the way of U.N. action in Ivory Coast or Libya, whose civil war was initially the bloodiest of last year’s Arab Spring uprisings.

But while Western governments and human rights groups welcomed enforcement of the concept of the “responsibility to protect” civilians, Moscow and Beijing did not hide their disdain for an idea they equate with violating states’ sovereignty, which the United Nations was founded to protect.

In the case of Libya, Moscow was infuriated by the decision of France and others to supply weapons to rebels in violation of a U.N. arms embargo, while NATO appeared to be providing crucial air support for rebel offensives against Gaddafi’s forces.

Russia accused the United States and its European allies of tricking fellow Security Council members and using a mandate to protect civilians as a cover for providing support to Libyan rebels and ousting Gaddafi. It was, in short, “regime change.”

Russia, which abstained from the March 17, 2011, vote authorizing the use of force in Libya and allowed it to pass, vowed not to let that happen again in Syria, a key weapons-export destination and host to Moscow’s only warm-water naval port outside the former Soviet Union.

“I see the Russian veto this week as the latest manifestation of their rejection of the pro-active, norm-enforcing Security Council that has emerged in the past decade,” said George Lopez, a professor at Notre Dame University.

“The Libyan case was the final straw for the Russians, hence their October veto of the first Syrian resolution,” he said. The second veto on Saturday was more of the same.
{…}

Joe Liberman, McCain, Newt and others, are in support of arming the opposition of Syria.
Obama as well, I guess both the republicans and the Democrats have agreed on one thing finally.
The all in agreement in the killing of more Syrians and using the Same AlQaida prisoners who were released from Iraq prisons to move to Syria and kill more.
it is a lucrative deal for the Americans this terrorists who were attacking the Americans army at one time now they are attacking the Syrians and worse that the Syrian army is not suppose to retaliate or destroy them.
that’s what the Americans want in Syria.
eventually an Islamic regime supported by Alqaida and financed by the Wahabis KSA is the goal in Syria.
we know and everyone know that ASSAD is not the only problem in Syria, post Syria without Assad is worse than Syria with Assad.
example of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia all clear to everyone.
Iraq will go in a civil war when the next election or when the American leave it is a sectarian is the goal for most of the middle east.
Sarokousy told the the Arabs Christians to leave the middle east because they are going to blow the middles east in pieces this will make Israel feel very safe and can control most of the middle east.

[Edited for racist language]

Hans,
They have plans already:

Syria: Pentagon Prepares Military “Options” for Obama
Kurt Nimmo

The Pentagon and the U.S. Central Command are preparing “options” for Obama as the United States transitions from diplomatic pressure to military action against Syria.
“Before we start talking about military options, we very much want to ensure that we have exhausted all the political, economic and diplomatic means at our disposal,” AmbassadorSusan Rice said on CNN’s “Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” on Wednesday.
The administration calls the preparation a “scooping exercise” designed to find out what military assets Obama will use when the signal is finally given to attack Syria. According to CNN, the planning exercise is typical Pentagon protocol.
“The Pentagon is closely monitoring developments in Syria. It wouldn’t be doing its job if it didn’t put some ideas on the table,” senior U.S. officials explained. “But absolutely no decisions have been made on military support for Syria.”
According to CNN, the options under consideration include military support for opposition groups supported by NATO, the CIA and MI6. Military strikes by the U.S. inside the country are also under consideration.
Most of the analysis is being done by the staff of Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command. Mattis is working in collaboration with General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who will present options to the White House.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/syria-pentagon-prepares-military-%E2%80%9Coptions%E2%80%9D-for-obama.html

Maybe because I’m so shocked and stressed and can’t think back. But can anyone come up with another case of a regime attacking its OWN citizens like this?

There was Saddam Hussein and the Kurds and Shias and the sustained attacks on demonstrators and mass arrests by the government of Uzbekistan and Iran. But no, even they were not like this, not across a country for endless months. And nothing like Homs has happened anywhere since Hama.

Those bleating for proof and accusing everyone of exaggerating, are out of touch with the situation and kidding themselves. The losses in Libya far exceeded what everyone thought was happening at the time. The reality of the full body count and massive damage in Syria will be revealed and those armchair speculators will pretend they never said otherwise.

La médecine, arme de la répression en Syrie
(Medicine, weapon of repression in Syria)

http://bit.ly/wcbD2E

الظواهري يبارك الارهاب وثورة القاعده في سوريا

Computer nurd terrorist

The militias are now killing each others and acting like warlords while using civilians as human shields:

معارك عنيفة بين الجيش السوري ومئات المسلحين في حمص ، و مسلحو”الجيش الحر” بدأوا يقتلون بعضهم

سقوط العديد من الأبرياء المدنيين بسبب تحصن المسلحين وسط الأهالي، و مقتل العشرات من ضباط وعناصر ” كتيبة الفاروق” ومعهم العديد من المسلحين العرب

حمص ، الحقيقة ( خاص + وكالات): شهدت حمص يوم أمس الخميس معارك عنيفة بين وحدات الجيش والمئات من مسلحي”الجيش الإسلامي الحر” الذي يقوده العميل رياض الأسعد المقيم في حمى المخابرات التركية. وقالت أنباء واردة من حمص إن العشرات من المسلحين قتلوا في مواجهات أمس التي تركزت في ضاحية ” الإنشاءات ” و ” بابا عمرو”، بينما استسلم عشرات آخرون منهم . وأكدت معلومات متطابقة أن ما يسمى بـ” كتيبة الفاروق” ، التي تتولى الأعمال المسلحة في منطقة حمص وضواحيها ، تعرضت لضربات قاصمة خلال الايام الأخيرة ، لاسيما يوم أمس، حيث قتل العديد من ضباطها وعسكرييها الفارين وعلى رأسهم الضابط الأهم بينهم الملازم الأول عبد الرزاق طلاس ، المسؤول عن خطف الرهائن الإيرانيين وعن مقتل الصحفي الفرنسي جيل جاكييه. وقالت هذه المعلومات إن “حي الإنشاءات” أصبح الآن بكامله تحت سيطرة الجيش ، حيث تعمل الأجهزة الأمنية على تمشيط أقبيته وتنظيفها من مستوعات السلاح والذخيرة ووسائل الاتصال اللاسلكية التي تربطهم مع الخارج. وأشارت هذه المعلومات إلى مقتل 15 مسلحا إسلاميا على الأقل قدموا من الأردن والعراق والإمارات العربية وليبيا ، كانت “الحقيقة” نشرت أسماء وصور بعضهم خلال اليومين الماضيين، استنادا إلى مواقع إسلامية تدور في فلك ” القاعدة”. ونتيجة لهذه الضربات ، وفي محاولة منهم لايتزاز السلطة، عمد مسلحو ” الكتيبة” المذكورة إلى استهداف مصفاة حمص بهجمات متوالية من قذائف الهاون أدت الدفعة الأولى منها إلى اندلاع النيران في خزانين من خزاناتها، فيما سقطت القذائف اللاحقة في خلاء حرم المصفاة. كما عمدوا إلى أخذ العديد من العائلات دروعا بشرية والتحصن وسط الأماكن المأهولة ومنع المدنيين من مغادرة منطقة المواجهات، وهو ما أدى إلى استشهاد ما بين 20 إلى ثلاثين من المدنيين الأبرياء بينهم نساء وأطفال. وكان من الملاحظ أن صفحة ” كتيبة الفاروق” توقفت عن نشر أية أخبار منذ يوم الأحد الماضي ، وحتى لحظة نشر هذا التقرير ، الثانية صباحا بتوقيت دمشق. وهو ما يؤشر إلى عنف الضربات التي تلقاها مسلحوها.

على صعيد متصل ، قالت “لجان التنسيق المحلية ” في بيان نشره موقع “الجزيرة” إن طائرات هيبلوكبتر ساهمت في قصف أماكن تحصن المسلحين. وأشار البيان إلى أنها المرة الأولى التي تلجأ فيها السلطة إلى استخدام طائرات الهيلوكبتر في حمص ، علما بأن ” لجان التنسيق” كانت قالت خلال الأشهر الماضية مرات عديدة أن السلطة تستخدم طائرات الهيلوكبتر ، لكنها تؤكد اليوم أنها هذه الطائرات استخدمت يوم أمس للمرة الأولى!؟ وهذا ما يؤكد أن بيااناتها تفتقد للمصداقية ، وتلجأ إلى التهويل كلما رأت ضرورة في ذلك. وقال خبير عسكري إن اللجوء إلى طائرات الهيلوكبتر ، في حال تأكد ذلك، هو لتفادي الأخطاء التي قد تحصل عند اللجوء إلى الأسلحة البرية. بالنظر لأن طائرات الهيلوكبتر ، لاسيما MI24 التي يستخدمها سلاح الجو السوري، يمكنها تحقيق إصابة مباشرة ودقيقة في المكان المراد استهدافه ، حتى لو كان نافذة مبنى أو غرفة محددة في شقة يتحصن فيها مسلحون ، بالنظر لأن أسلحتها الرشاشة وقذائفها الصاروخية لا تتجاوز نسبة الخطأ فيها المتر الواحد أو المترين على أبعد تحديد، حتى وإن كانت في الطوابق الأرضية والأقبية ، بينما لا تستطيع الأسلحة البرية القيام بذلك ، لاسيما فيما يخص الطوابق الأرضية، دون أن تؤذي الطوابق العليا، نظرا للشكل القوسي الذي يتخذه مسار القذيفة. وجاء في معلومات لاحقة أن حوالي 35 نقطة من نقاط تجمع المسلحين ( شقق ، بنايات ، منازل…) استهدفت بصواريخ موجهة أدت إلى تدميرها بشكل كامل.

وإلى ذلك ، تكشف الأرقام المتباينة جدا التي توزعها جهات معارضة أنه لا يمكن الوثوق بأي من معلوماتها. ففي الوقت الذي تحدثت فيها “لجان التنسيق” في البيان المشار إليه عن سقوط 145 قتيلا يوم أمس في عموم أنحاء سوريا ، قال ” المرصد السوري” إن العدد هو 83 فقط! أي أن الفرق بين الرقمين يبلغ 60 ضحية ، وليس ثلاثة أو أربعة أو حتى عشرة!. وهذا لا يمكن أن يحصل في أي عمل يتمتع بالمهنية والمصداقية!!!؟

مسلحو ” الجيش الحر” يبدأون تصفية بعضهم :

على صعيد متصل ، أكدت معلومات ميدانية أن العديد من المسلحين الذين سقطوا يوم أمس في حمص وريف دمشق سقطوا بنيران بعضهم البعض بعد أن امتد الصراع بين العقيد رياض الأسعد و مصطفى الشيخ في تركيا إلى داخل سوريا. وقالت هذه المعلومات إن مسلحي الطرفين باتوا يتصرفون كأمراء الحرب وزعماء ميليشيات الزواريب التي شهدها لبنان خلال الحرب الأهلية. ويعود ذلك إلى أن هناك أربع مجموعات أساسية تنشط تحت اسم “الجيش الحر” ، ولكنها منفصلة عن بعضها تماما . وهذه المجموعات هي ” الجنود المنشقون ” الذين يشكلون ما بين 3 إلى 5 بالمئة فقط من عداد ” الجيش الحر”، و ” المسلحون الإسلاميون” القادمون من دول عربية وإسلامية ، والذين بدأت أسماء قتلاهم تنتشر على المواقع الإسلامية ، و المسلحون المدنيون المحليون المسيسون ( أغلبهم من مناصري الأخوان المسلمين و “المجلس الوطني السوري”) الذين حملوا السلاح ردا على عنف السلطة ، كما يقولون. أما المجموعة الرابعة فهي ” الخارجون على القانون” بالمعنى الجنائي للكلمة. وهؤلاء عبارة عن مهربين وسجناء جنائيين سابقين . ويشكل هؤلاء أكثر من نصف عدد مسلحي “الجيش الحر” ، لاسيما في مناطق التهريب التقليدية كالزبداني وتلكلخ وبعض الأماكن في ريف إدلب. وكانت صحيفة ” فايننشال تايمز” كشفت يوم أمس أن صراعا يدور بين الضابطين ، الأسعد والشيخ ، على تزعم ” الجيش الحر” . وقالت الصحيفة إن “زعماء المعارضة السورية يحاولون احتواء خلاف بين أرفع ضابطين سوريين ينشقان عن الجيش النظامي، في اطار مساعي دعم المعارضة المسلحة لنظام الرئيس بشار الأسد عقب انهيار الجهود الدبلوماسية بالأمم المتحدة”.وقالت الصحيفة إن العقيد رياض الأسعد، قائد ‘الجيش السوري الحر’ الموجود في تركيا والذي وقفت قواته مع نشطاء المعارضة بأنحاء مختلفة من سورية، يواجه الآن تحدياً على قيادته من قبل ضابط أرفع رتبة انشق مؤخراً ويقيم في تركيا أيضاً وهو العميد مصطفى أحمد الشيخ.
واضافت أن مسؤولين من المجلس الوطني السوري المعارض يعملون على التوصل إلى حل وسط من شأنه أن يبقي العقيد الأسعد قائداً للجيش السوري الحر ويستحدث مجلساً عسكرياً أعلى يضم الضباط المنشقين من الرتب العليا ويكون مفتوحاً أمام الضباط من الرتب نفسها الذين ينشقون في المستقبل.
واشارت إلى أن الاتفاق خرج عن مساره حين شجب العقيد الأسعد قبل أيام المجلس الوطني السوري ووصف اعضاءه بـ ‘الخونة’، واصدر الجيش السوري الحر الذي يقوده بياناً الإثنين الماضي نأى فيه بنفسه عن المجلس العسكري الأعلى بقيادة العميد الشيخ عقب الإعلان عن تشكيله.ونسبت ‘فايننشال تايمز’ إلى مصدر مقرّب من قائد الجيش السوري الحر قوله ‘إن العقيد الأسعد انشق في وقت مبكر وتخضع لقيادته الآن كافة الوحدات المنشقة عن الجيش النظامي السوري مع أن سلسلة القيادة غير واضحة الآن، لكن هذه الوحدات اعلنت ولاءها للجيش السوري الحر’.واضاف المصدر أن ‘لسان العقيد الأسعد يزل في بعض الأحيان، غير أن الجيش السوري الحر ليس جيشاً حقيقياً لذلك نرى أن الشخص المناسب هو الأعلى رتبة، لأن هذه ثورة”.

http://www.syriatruth.org/news/tabid/93/Article/6669/Default.aspx

Even the SNC members are arguing about positions too, Mo is attacking Ghalyoun and asking him to go after failing his job:

Mohammad Al Abdallah
أعلم أن الوقت غير مناسب لهذا الكلام، لكني إن لم أتكلم سأنفجر:

د. برهان غليون، يا رئيس المجلس الموقر… أرجوك افتح موبايلك… مدينتك حمص تذبح ونحن والإعلام نريد التحدث إليك. والله رائع أنك طلعت قد المسؤولية تمام!!

أنت مسؤول عما يحصل ثلاث مرات: مرة بصفتك سوري، ومرة بصفتك حمصي، ومرة بصفتك رئيس المجلس.

رأيي أن تستقيل وتدع من هو أهل للقيادة أن يقوم بها. حتى لو كانت رغبة قطر أن تبقى في رئاسة المجلس، أرجوك احفظ ما تبقى من ماء وجهك واستقيل.

صاير فيك: لا برحمك ولا بخلي رحمة ربك تنزل عليك!

[Link added by Moderator: http://www.facebook.com/daraaalmahataCoordination/posts/320226928027479 ]

آسف إنك اضطريتني أن أكتب هذا البوست، لكن نحن شعب لا يقبل الابتزاز عزيزي!

Syria Regime Change PR in High Gear: More ‘Newborn Baby Slaughter’ Propaganda

by Patrick Henningsen

This morning, reporter Alastair Beach of The Independent newspaper based in London, cited “evidence” in his article entitled “Assad’s slaughter of the innocents“, claiming that Syrian President Assad’s security forces have indiscriminately killed scores of newborn babies in Homs this week, as his article claims:

“Bashar al-Assad’s bloody siege of Homs intensified yesterday as clear evidence emerged that his indiscriminate shelling of the restive town had started claiming innocent victims, including at least 18 premature babies and three entire families. The evidence came as civilians in the besieged city endured a fifth day of incessant shellfire – the worst yet, according to eyewitnesses – with dozens of other people being killed as the brutal assault continued.”

Writer Beach’s source for his claims seem to originate from only one organization, not in Syria – but in London. Surprisingly, the Independent’s chief source for the alleged horrors in question is a nearly invisible organization known as the ”Syrian Observatory for Human Rights”(SOHR) (and to make matters worse, there are two competing SOHR orgs in London- with the same name although the Independent does not provide a link to either org), who claim to have an office based in London, but apparently have no address or contact phone number listed – only and email address. Even murkier however, is that fact that there are no names associated with the SOHR on their website, and many of its articles have been written under the fictitious pen name known as “Rami Abdul Rahman“.

It’s likely that “Rami Abdul Rahman” is in fact one Rami Abdelrahman, depicted in other online press coverage as head of the SOHR, and is reported to have met with Britain’s Foreign Secretary,William Hague at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on November 21, 2011.

One can only conclude that with no names or contact information, the SOHR is – by definition – a very well-hidden, clandestine lobbying organization, and in this case, it appears to be lobbying for regime change in Syria, from inside Britain’s Foreign Office.

Before regime change in Tripoli, the US, France and Britain relied on the likes of Soliman Bouchuiguir, the former Libyan League for Human Rights president with ties to NATO’s National Transitional Council (NTC), helped to generate numerous lies needed by the west to justify NATO’s now famously titled “humanitarian intervention” – allegedly to protect Libyans. This human rights impostor – like his present day Syrian counterpart Rami Abdelrahman who may very well have ties to the Paris-based rebel coalition known as Syrian National Council (SNC), made then Colonel Moumar Gaddafi a targeted by spreading lies of alleged state crimes – but with with no evidence, as outlined in documents released last October by the publication Voltaire. Syria’s President Assad is currently undergoing the exact same treatment, and in the exact same manner.

Babies in incubators: a recycled media hoax

Amazingly, this exact same story was also making the rounds recently in August of 2011, when a similar claim was busy circulating online through various social networks including Twitter in Arabic – the exact same tale of premature babies who died in their incubators when Syrian forces cut off electricity to hospitals during their assault, not in Homs, but on the city of Hama.

Even though it admits that it could not independently verify the account, CNN still ran with the SOHR rumor back in August, broadcasting: ”Rights Group: 8 babies die after power cut to Syrian hospital“.

Electronic Infidada reported on the August 2011 baby hoax, stating back then, “Evidence suggests it is a cruel hoax, and the pictures of the “dead babies” widely circulated online are false.” They went on to outline parallels between the August faux story and other past regime change PR campaigns:

“URGENT – Syria | The electricity was cut today from the city of Hama, and the outage included the hospitals. Following this, the Shabiha [state militia] deliberately destroyed the electricity generators in the hospitals which led to the deaths of all the premature babies (more than 40 in a single hospital).”

To me the story was immediately suspicious. First of all it sounded too much like the false reports of invading Iraqi troops throwing babies out of incubators in Kuwait in August 1990 — reports that were used to build public support and urgency for the 1991 Gulf War. These claims were part of an elaborate propaganda effort by the Washington PR consultancy Hill & Knowlton hired by the Kuwaiti government.

The fact that an award-winning newspaper like the UK’s Independent would use such a shadowy outfit to support one of its most shocking headlined stories on the crisis in Syria – is also surprising in itself. The biggest problem with both seperate claims of dying babies in incubators put forward by the SOHR, and circulated in the corporate media by the likes of The Independent and CNN, is that at no point along the line, has the SOHR been held accountable for what are patently unsubstantiated claims.

Lobbying groups and their governments in-exile are traditionally the source of anti-regime “heart-string” reports which have in the past been passed on for broadcast by major media outlets, which naturally follows with favoring pre-emptive military strike, or as recently seen with Libya – a ‘humanitarian intervention’.

{….}

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=29186

تحرير حمص ودخول الجيش العربي السوري

165. MJABALI

Why is it emotional? Most of the report is accounts from witnesses. More importantly; “The witness accounts were corroborated by international journalists present in the city during the attacks.” and “Videos and photos of the attacks, reviewed by Human Rights Watch’s arms experts, and accounts from international journalists on the ground, confirm that government forces launched long-range indirect fire attacks into densely populated areas.” A Free-lance journalist reported for Aljazeera English from Homs: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/02/20122714022499769.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pr4wPlsczo
The BBC also had a reporter in Homs:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16956335

I don’t know how much confirmation you need. My friend has family all over Homs and they confirm the what is being reported by the activists and journalists. So many videos and and witness accounts. Why has the regime been cutting off communications and electricity on the areas they’re attacking? The activists have to use small electricity generators and satellite phones/internet to reach the outside world.

About Anti Assad elements. Where do you think they came from? The moon? They’re army defectors and civilians who have chosen to defend themselves from the regime. It’s their right to defend themselves. They attack regime army checkpoints because it’s from these checkpoints that the regime bombards and shoots at civilian neighborhoods. The armed opposition is a reaction to the regime’s non-stop killing and oppression from day 1 of the revolution. I’ve never heard of beheadings carried out by the Free Army, but there have been many cases of whole families slaughtered by the regime’s Shabeeha. I don’t know, there may have been revenge beheadings carried out on the shabeeha and 3awainiyye. What did they expect? to kill people like sheep without someone retaliating.

The war is on the people by the regime. Don’t pretend it’s something new, the regime has survived the past 40 years with brutal oppression. It has been at war with the people ever since Hama 1982, and it

I disagree about all parties being liars and manipulators. The regime’s policy for ever has been lying and manipulating. Ever since day 1 of the revolution and before that.

Believe what you like, there’s no point arguing with you over who’s right and who’s wrong. At the end of the day, the revolution cannot be crushed because the Syrian people aren’t going to bow down to the Assad family and his gang ever again.

Mjabali

Sorry my time was limited yesterday.

I am sorry to read that you have lossed family members. I do not have a family in Syria just good friends whom i care about. Well i assume its a difficult task to write to someone whom one has not met or know better.
You dont like emotions, or expressing them in regard of Syria. I think there are no logical issues involved when people go on the streets and protest against a regime which controlled the hearts and minds of a nation for over 40 years. The logic would tell you to stay home and shut up, because the consequences are known and evident: you risk your health or even more by prostesting against this regime. Without emotions many of us wouldnt write here and most Syrians would not risk their lives if they would not feel anger or joy.

The regime claims that in every civilized country armed unrest would be faced with the utmost brutality of the government.
We had armed unrest in Germany in the 70s, but yet the measures taken by the government never included shelling an whole neighborhood. The armed unrest which we see since summer is due to the fact that the regime pulled the trigger on its own people in the most drastic and harsh way. I did just read these days the memoires of our late communist ruler, and he too was ready to use the military and tanks to stop people of revolting. The army convinced him that tanks in a city do not work well, and it was pure luck that no one was willing to die for this regime. Every factory had an weapon room filled with guns, it could have all ended in a bloody showdown, and in Romania it did so for some days.

You have your right to ask for facts, but which group, which organization would you trust? I think at the end the UN, will always be called by some as phonies and backers of zionism and all other sort of labels. The truth is that there is not one truth nowadays. Those baathist loyalists, those priviledged in government jobs, i understand that they feel afraid about loosing their position or worst their live because they support this regime.

The regime choosed this brutal crackdown, this senseless killing of its own people, thats a fact and i think thats the last nail to seal the coffin so to speak for this regime.

Reforms as other despotes have at least started would have saved this regime, by using brutal force it has lost already.

I think there are images and things no one should ever see and experience, war and those atrocities we see everyday are not making us better people. You are right both sides use violence, and we see the existence of anarchism in some parts of the country. But i think that the regime has more cards on the table than the opposition. I do believe reports that criminals use this time to get their hand on things. But i dont see a stop to all of that with just a call to both sides to stop. You call for investigations by military experts of the videos. What difference would that make? If an expert will tell you well this one is a fake, that one is good and just.

See, this regime has tried to get the international media out, one big mistake they did from day 1. If all allegations are true then what do they have against a world media showing just what they claim? By closing the door to the media the opposition had a monopoly on propagating their view and their pictures.

# 177. Mohammad

Thank you. The sanest and clearest comment here.

I am amazed at those judging and accusing and sneering at those who are fighting back. They have zero insight into others’ reality. They demand people in Syria behave like a different race from normal humans.

What would they do themselves if they were young men inside Syria in those communities under attack? Or in an army unit defecting from the Assad campaigns? Hide whimpering under the kitchen table? Probably.

Lucky them, safe in their armchairs outside Syria. How upsetting for them that their ideal Assad regime is having difficulties and being criticised. They are the ones who are a different race.

The Asad regime would rather fight an armed opposition than a non-violent one.

From http://www.straight.com/article-603851/vancouver/gwynne-dyer-syrian-oppositions-great-mistake

Two Explosion Hit Northern Syrian City of Aleppo – February 10, 2012

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/explosion-hit-northern-syrian-city-aleppo-15553351

Two explosions targeted security compounds in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Friday, state media said, causing an unspecified number of casualties in a major city seen as key to President Bashar Assad’s grip on power.

State-TV said “civilians and members of the military were martyred and wounded in the terrorist explosions that targeted Aleppo.” It added that the targets of the blasts were a compound of the Military Security Directorate and another of a police force.

Syria: War prevented – 10 February, 2012

The Russo-Chinese veto in the UN Security Council effectively prevented a military operation against Syria. Writer and political scientist Igor Panarin believes France, Britain and the US have increased pressure against Moscow following the vote.

http://rt.com/politics/syria-russia-un-panarin-879/

Moscow and Beijing have been absolutely reasonable in their concerns about a possible “Libya scenario” being imposed on Syria. A similar UN Security Council resolution on Libya triggered a NATO military operation in support of an armed coup in that country, which resulted in the toppling of a legitimate government. Notably, even with Muammar Gaddafi deposed and killed, there is still no stability in Libya to this day. Not to mention all the Libyan civilians killed by NATO air strikes – something the leaders in London, Paris and Washington are reluctant to admit.

Sergey Lavrov commented on his meeting in Damascus on February 7 with the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad by saying his trip to Syria was well-timed and helpful. “There is every reason to believe that the message we have brought with us [to Syria] for progressing on every track has been appreciated,” Lavrov said.

Kremlin has repeatedly contributed effort to refrain Syria’s civil disorder from escalating, prevent a foreign invasion, and facilitate a peaceful dialogue between Syria’s opposing political parties. Yet the Western powers, who have long pressed for a military intervention against Syria, expressed their utter resentment over the Russo-Chinese stance in the UNSC, and then reacted with outrage to the Russian officials’ visit to Damascus. An intense and comprehensive pressure campaign against Russia promptly ensued.

First, on February 5, a group of people presenting themselves as Syrian opposition activists stormed the Russian embassy in Tripoli, Libya. It is no secret that NATO spec op troops spearheaded the capture of Tripoli by rebel forces in the summer of 2011, and that the present Libyan government is under control of the West. Moreover, the reported “hundreds of Syrian activists” would have no particular reason or opportunity for being in Libya. Which means that the assault against the Russian diplomatic mission was a special operation pulled off by Western secret services. It is very reminiscent of the “stray” missile that hit the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999. The assault on the embassy is a blatant offense against Russia’s national security, which must be retaliated for adequately.

Secondly, US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice persistently refers to the “atrocities” allegedly committed by the Assad regime. No sound evidence of such atrocities has been presented so far, which reminds us of former US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s case against Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the alleged weapons of mass destruction, which were eventually never discovered in Iraq.

Thirdly, caving to American pressure, Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Britain recalled their ambassadors from Syria within three days. The US has shut down its embassy in Damascus and evacuated its staff. On February 7, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar similarly withdrew their ambassadors from Damascus. All six of these Arab nations are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
[ . . . ]

Haaretz exclusive: The Clinton-Assad meeting that never happened – 08.02.12

In part three of the Haaretz expose of emails leaked from the account of the Syrian president’s media adviser, former American Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk tried his best to bring President Bill Clinton to Syria in 2009 in an attempt to mend relations.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/haaretz-exclusive-the-clinton-assad-meeting-that-never-happened-1.411776

It’s the sovereignty, stupid – 10.02.12

Outrageous as their vetoes of the Security Council resolution on Syria might have seemed in the West, China and Russia had good reasons to oppose a UN condemnation of Assad.

http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/it-s-the-sovereignty-stupid-1.412150

The first inklings of such a coalition of the willing could be seen this week in French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s statements and in the harsh reaction to the vetoes by U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Such things have happened in the past: The United Nation’s paralysis at the time of the breakup of Yugoslavia ultimately nudged the United States and NATO into taking military action against Serbia to prevent massacres in Bosnia and subsequently in Kosovo. It is not impossible that something similar will ultimately happen in the Syrian case, in which paradoxically the key to actively help the uprising will be in the hands of Turkey, which has changed its tune from a supportive embrace of Assad to leading the criticism of his regime.

Medvedev warns France against hasty decisions on Syria – 2012-02-09

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-02/09/c_131401055.htm

MOSCOW, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy Wednesday, calling on members of the U.N. Security Council to avoid hasty unilateral actions on Syria, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

In the phone conversation initiated by Paris, the Russian leader stressed that the international community’s position on Syria should be objective and balanced.

“In context of continuing the difficult work, including by the U.N. Security Council, to regulate the Syrian crisis, Medvedev called on Russia’s partners to avoid any hasty unilateral steps,” the Kremlin press service said.

Medvedev informed the French president about Russian efforts to stop any violence in Syria as soon as possible through comprehensive dialogues between the confronting parties and facilitating democratic reforms in that country.

He also briefed Sarkozy on the results of the talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held on Tuesday in Damascus.

“Moscow said it was ready to continue mediatory efforts but considered any bloodshed unacceptable,” the Kremlin said.

Syria Session of UN GA Predicted for Monday, P5 Perm Reps Met Thursday

http://www.innercitypress.com/ga1syria020912.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 9 — Amid buzz that Syria could soon be debated in the UN General Assembly, Inner City Press on Thursday asked the spokesperson for the GA about a report the debate would take place Friday.

The spokesperson denied it, but barely an hour later at a reception for Iran’s national day, the Permanent Representative most concerned told Inner City Press that “the Qatari, the President of the General Assembly, has already launched invitations to member states for a GA meeting on Monday.”

Inner City Press asked about the absence from Thursday afternoon’s Security Council session of Permanent Five members’ Permanent Representatives, which one Deputy told Inner City Press was a “PR level meeting on Syria.” (Inner City Press reported this earlier on Thursday; a Council diplomat said it was particularly noteworthy that “UK Perm Rep Lyall Grant wasn’t there for the Irish foreign minister” who spoke in the Council Thursday afternoon.) The answer was, it concerned Syria but not the General Assembly.

Ironically, the Security Council ambassadors are scheduled to travel to Haiti, which would have them missing a General Assembly session on Monday or even the next two days, a sort of Second Syria Superbowl.

Also at the Iranian reception, which featured Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s outgoing chief of staff Vijay Nambiar but not apparently Ban himself, a UN budget expert told Inner City Press that Ban has the flexibility to spend up to $8 million on an envoy or mission to Syria without seeking any approval.

At Thursday’s noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban’s spokesman Martin Nesirky the most recent date on which Ban spoke with is previous envoy, to Libya, Jordanian politician and businessness Al Khatib. Nesirky said he would get the date, but nine hours later and counting it had not been provided.

IMF Won’t Substantiate “Arab Spring” Spending, Downplays Military Spending

http://www.innercitypress.com/imf1arabsri020912.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 9 — While the International Monetary Fund bragged about committing $35 billion to the “Arab Spring,” now it has been questioned by area finance ministry officials and, although the IMF dodged the question, by the Press how many much has been disbursed.

Every two weeks the IMF holds a press briefing, for journalists in DC and online around the world. Spokesman Gerry Rice at the February 9 briefing purported to take online questions, one from a reporter usually there in person, and one each about Argentina and the Dominican Republic.

But the IMF ignored, and did not answer by deadline, questions about its Arab Spring pledge, about Yemen and Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Romania. Nor did the IMF explain its logic. It took question after question about Greece, and one about Bosnia not having a 2011 budget. Nothing on Ireland, either.

Inner City Press, as soon as the briefing began, asked three, four then five questions, including:

How much of the $35 billion “Arab Spring” pledge has the IMF disbursed, given this criticism?

There are directly in the IMF’s wheelhouse, but even more under Christine Lagarde, the IMF does not want to take or answer the questions. So this IMF brags about Arab Spring spending but won’t answer, misrepresents increased military spending it is now partially responsible for, and refuses to answer. Here is Mr. Aitken’s letter, that the IMF has refused to explain or substantiate.

What is the name of this Friday ?
.

“Russia is killing our children”

Bronco,

The expelled Syrian diplomats fraternity should read and learn.

A note from Ambassador Ford on recent events in Syria
by U.S. Embassy Damascus on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 5:52pm ·
Satellite image taken February 6, 2012

First, like people around the world, my colleagues and friends are watching the video coming out of Homs and some of the other Syrian cities in the last days with horror and revulsion.  I hear the devastating stories about newborns in Homs dying in hospitals where electricity has been cut and when we see disturbing photos offering proof that the regime is using mortars and artillery against residential neighborhoods, all of us become even more concerned about the tragic outcome for Syrian civilians. The Arab League protocol, which received wide support from the international community, called for the Syrian military to withdraw from residential areas, to stop firing at peaceful protests and to release prisoners arrested due to the unrest.  The film coming out of Homs and elsewhere in Syria shows the Syrian government’s real response.  And we have never heard of the armed opposition firing artillery for example.  It is odd to me that anyone would try to equate the actions of the Syrian army and armed opposition groups since the Syrian government consistently initiates the attacks on civilian areas, and it is using its heaviest weapons.  
I also want to say a word about our suspending the work of the American Embassy in Damascus.  I can say without exaggeration that February 6 was the most emotionally taxing day of my career as a Foreign Service Officer. Due to the elevated security risks we confronted in Syria, the Government of the United States had to suspend operations at our Embassy in Damascus, and I had to depart with my American colleagues and say goodbye to our Syrian colleagues and friends who face a very uncertain future. 
I left Damascus with immense sadness and regret—I wish our departure had not been necessary, but our Embassy, along with several other diplomatic missions in the area, was not sufficiently protected, given the new security concerns in the capital. We and those other embassies requested extra protection measures from the Syrian government, given the danger to both our citizens and the Syrian citizens that worked with and near us. Our concerns were not addressed.
As the United States’ Ambassador to Syria—a position that the Secretary of State and President are keeping me in —I will work with colleagues in Washington  to support a peaceful transition for the Syrian people.  We and our international partners hope to see a transition that reaches out and includes all of Syria’s communities and that gives all Syrians hope for a better future.  My year in Syria tells me such a transition is possible, but not when one side constantly initiates attacks against people taking shelter in their homes.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/us-embassy-damascus/a-note-from-ambassador-ford-on-recent-events-in-syria/10150545674871938

Russia Says West “Accomplice” to Violence in Syria

Russia accused the West on Friday of being an “accomplice” to the violence in Syria and said the country’s opposition bore full responsibility for ending the ongoing violence.
Speaking to ITAR-TASS news agency, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that “Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s promise to stage a new constitutional referendum meant that it was now up to the armed resistance movement to take the next step.”
He also warned that “Russia was ready to follow this month’s veto of a draft UN Security Council resolution on the crisis with additional strong measures if the West continues to refuse acknowledging the opposition’s role in the crisis.”
“The Syrian leadership has assured us of its readiness to quickly hold a referendum on a new constitution and move toward elections,” Ryabkov said.
“This means that the opposition bears full responsibility for improving the situation and finding a way to stop the bloodshed… Western states that push the Syrian opposition into uncompromising measures, which arm them and give them advice and instructions are accomplices in the process of inflaming the crisis,” he added.
“The responsibility rests with those who while holding the levers of influence over the opposition still fail to call it to order and demand that it accepts the Syrian government’s offers and begin real talks,” the Russian deputy foreign minister further pointed out, warning that “Russia will have to again and again resort to strong measures at the Security Council if Western states introduce new resolutions on the crisis that only blame Assad.”
In addition, Ryabkov dismissed joint efforts by the United States and Turkey to organize an international conference on the crisis and possible relief efforts for the opposition.
“Russia does not share the West’s views about so-called humanitarian intervention,” he said.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=45189&frid=23&seccatid=20&cid=23&fromval=1

BEIRUT: France 24 reports that Colonel Arif Hamood of the Free Syrian Army claimed responsibility for two blasts on security buildings in Syria’s second city Aleppo earlier on Friday.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Feb-10/162798-free-syrian-army-claims-responsibilty-for-twin-aleppo-blasts-france-24.ashx

#192 Tara

Don’t expect me to shed a tear for Heckle Ford’s long waited departure. I have no sympathy for US ambassadors. History show that few were useful to the country they were in. The good ones have usually torn loyalties, the others just cynically care about their future career in Washington.
Ford made very damaging moves in Syria. By publicly taking side too early without a proper understanding of the power the regime and the weakness of the opposition, he paralyzed the local opposition instead of trying to create a bridge of communication with the regime. The Syrian opposition is still suffering of the sequel of that paralysis.
Now about his immature ’emotional’ farewell text in Facebook:
He is shedding tears about the Kuwaiti-like hoax of the babies dying in the hospital in Homs. It just show that Heckle Ford is increasingly out of contact with the reality in Syria and it is much better he gets out and live his fantasies in the USA, at least he would have the excuse of later saying: I was on Facebook but not in Syria.

@191. Mohammad

“Russia is killing our children”

What about China?
“Thanks China for the mobile phones”

One Year Later, Egypt’s Multiple Revolutions Rage On: Roger Owen
By Roger Owen – Feb 9, 2012
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2012-02-10/one-year-later-egypt-s-many-revolutions-rage-on-commentary-by-roger-owen.html
Saturday marks the first anniversary of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s downfall, and it doesn’t look to be a happy one. Sure, there will be some celebrations in and around Tahrir Square by the battered, but still enthusiastic, remainder of the multitude of young people who launched the uprising itself on National Police Day: Jan. 25, 2011.

But this will be overshadowed by two dangerous divisions: between the army and the Egyptian people; and between the army and the Obama administration and Congress.
{…}

Syria Stares Into the Abyss
By Hassan Mneimneh
February 10, 2012
http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2012/02/10/syria_stares_into_the_abyss_99887.html
…..
The Syrian revolutionaries’ commitment to nonviolence was premised on expectations that they would be able to divide the security apparatus through insubordination and defections and that the world community would act to stop the massacres. Neither expectation was realized.

The revolutionaries have underestimated the ability of the regime to leverage ethnic and religious community cleavages. Recruits from the Alawi community are playing a key role in the repression. Defections are happening, but remain at about 10 percent of the military. The defectors, with no unified leadership, are unable to defeat the regime, but are used by it as proof of being engaged in combating “armed gangs.
Even more dramatically, the international community was unable to provide the revolutionaries the support they needed. Most observers remain wary as to the implications of regime change in Syria, and indeed the revolutionaries have yet to offer a convincing post-Assad scenario to alleviate these concerns (including those of the regime’s internal constituencies)
…
The Assad family’s decades-long stranglehold on power has been largely based on a fear-instilling aura of power. The Syrian revolutionaries have broken through the wall of fear. Their ultimate success depends on denying the regime the ability to re-erect it. They will not be able to succeed without Western help.
(…)

Note to “Syria No Kandahar” #177: That video you linked to dates from 12 Oct 2011, and not 8 Feb 2012. The original is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fyYryDVYfA

@196. IRRITATED

I don’t know how you can come up with lame jokes when Syrian blood is running in the streets.
Russia is supplying all the weapons and ammunition to the war criminal Assad, if you didn’t know. China is just tagging-along with Russia. The Russian Mafia government values money over the blood of Syrians. I don’t know how they can mediate for a solution when they themselves are big criminals. What happened in Chechnya? The Russian mafia gangsters will sorely regret supporting the dictator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uK9UVooNPRo
[10 Feb 2012] Taybat El-Imam, #Hama: A message to Russia and China from a large demonstration:. The protesters chant; “We will be victorious despite Russia and China!!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A_gQ414d46Y
[10 Feb 2012] #Homs, Karm Al-Zaytoon: The first child to get killed on “Russia is killing our children” Friday. Child martyr Marwa A’dil Bhar. The video was filmed at 7am.
The poster reads:
“Russia is a partner in the spilling of Syrian blood.
We demand a clear stance by the International community against Russia’s support for the killers in Syria”