Yes, it can. Syrian Kurdistan, like Iraq’s Kurdistan, is overwhelmingly inhabited by Sunnis-whose hearts are broken to see the murder of their Sunni Arab brothers. Their blood pressure goes up whenever Iran and its sectarian puppets in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon curse Aisha, Omar, Othman, and Abu Bakr. Salah al-Din, the Kurdish Sunni, was the liberator of Jerusalem.

Sister Tara (whom I hope one day I can meet in free Damascus for lunch and discuss with her the idiocy and immoral comments of the pro-Bashar commentators):

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are now put to shame by Iran’s anti-Sunni Shi’a theocracy, which is sending 747 civilian planes full of arms/sectarian fighters through al-Maliki’s anti-Sunni airspace. Hopefully, this will motivate Arabs to resist this non-Arab Persian intervention in Arab Syria. The Jordanian army can easily and secretly smuggle to the FSA Saudi/Qatari weapons. I am hoping to see anti-MIG/T72 missiles smuggled to FSA. I think that sooner or later President Morsi (who a few days ago told Ayatollah’s foreign minister that Egypt couldn’t have good relations with Tehran as long as the latter continues to support Bashar) would send arms and maybe covert fighters to Syria.

Isn’t it funny that al-Maliki is trying to appease the United States by claiming to deny air passage of a North Korean plane to Syria? He should show his “manhood” and independence by standing up to his sectarian masters in Tehran and stopping their daily flights to Syria.

Free Syria, free Palestine

145. (from previous article) Tara

I pay for anything that you wish, up to one million dollars!!! Having been often a-one-lady truth squad standing up to the immoral pro-Bashar/Iran/Hizbillat commentators, you have earned it and deserved it!

to 144. Syrian Natonalist Party (from previous article):

Nothing nationalist about somebody like you who seems to be supportive/cheerful when non-Arab/Persian sectarian Iran sends it planes and fighters to KILL SYRIANS, whose only crime is to end a 42-year-old bloody dictatorship!

Free Palestine and Syria, while Bahrain remains Arab forever!

This is from a correspondent-at-large for Angry Arab who was in Syria and who visited different places in the country. For her protection, her identify won’t be revealed:

“I do not claim to have spent enough time to offer a deep analysis but I have been to places many of those reporting on Syria have not been to, that is if they have been to Syria at all, and conversed for hours with many many Syrians on both sides.
The impression to anyone who comes to Damascus, is that the fall of the regime is farfetched. Despite surrounding fighting and destruction in Rural Damascus, life seems to be going, somehow. There is general sadness in the air, yes. Even people here talk of ka’aba bil jaw. I have never seen Souk Al Hamidiyyeh that empty. For shop owners there, their businesses are ruined. No more tourists for more than a year and a half. One told me: we are losing in millions. All of this is a constant reminder along with the sounds of explosions (in nearby towns) that everything is not okay. But people got used to it. This is however not an indication that the end is soon. Even the officials here admit that Syria is going through a serious crisis but are confident. They try to undermine the reasons but not the consequences. They do not mind showing the destruction, they blame the terrorist groups for it. The regime propaganda unlike the opposition’s is consistent. They speak in one voice. The rhetoric of the terrorist groups is the same whenever you meet officials, low to high ranking officials. They do believe it and the opposition is helping them a lot prove it. In the past months I have been meeting with refugees. The impressions you get from talking to them is that Syria is gone. You leave with the impression that the regime lost all kind of legitimacy or support. They tell you that their homes are destroyed, burned, or flattened. They talk of huge destruction, etc. but coming to Damascus, you get a totally different impression. Damascus does seem peaceful, maybe it gives you a false sense of safety but somehow you know it is safe. People are out even at night, restaurants, cafes, and shops are open. I didn’t see checkpoints or tanks or armed soldiers inside the city centre. The military in the streets of Beirut are more than in here. On the way to Damascus on the international highway (from the border), yes, I could see the smoke, many checkpoints, some damages in a few buildings, but once you arrive, you see the same beautiful Damascus. That was relieving. You would say it is hypocrite for people living here to be leading a normal life, going out while other parts of their country is being shelled. Truth is you cannot say that all these people are regime supporters. I talked to some young Syrians in Damascus, many of them oppose the regime, though they do not necessarily support the opposition. You have those who hate both the SNC and the regime, those who hate the regime to an extent that they are willing to excuse all wrongdoings of the opposition, those who do not necessarily heart Bashar but are skeptic of the alternative and can be apologetic to the regime, and of course regime supporters. Syrians are much less polarized than the Lebanese though, yes some do accuse fellow Syrians of being a shabih or a traitor, but the average Syrian, the non activist less so. At the end of the day, they do care, and want this to end. Some want it to end at any cost. They see a futility in this war and want their lives back. The political discourse is so rich here. It is not black and white neither among the supporters nor the opponents. One regime opponent told me he only respects Haytham Manna’, he is against foreign intervention, he said he respects Hassan Nasrallah and Suleiman Frangieh (yeah I was surprised too) but he hates Bashar. These people were discussing politics openly though they are not all on one side. It was impressive to see that. They remind you that when it started people were only calling for changing the governor of Daraa. No one called for a regime change and that even after, they called for reforms, and that it wasn’t until Bashar “insulted” them in his speeches that people started calling for the fall of the regime. They blame Bashar in person for this. I heard this even from someone who wants him to stay. All of this though does not change the fact that Damascus is still run by the same regime, it is totally under control, it does not seem to be slipping anytime soon; but all political discourses seem to be more tolerated now. You have those who oppose the regime but look at army soldiers with pity and say: this soldier is poor and cannot be blamed. The army should not be targeted, etc. Outside Damascus, it is a different story. Hajar Al Aswad, for instance, used to have about half a million population, the highest concentration in Damascus, is there. About a month and a half ago, when the fighting started there (after the militants were flushed out of other areas)- Hajar Al Aswad has a strategic significance- the militants chose to move it there. Most of its inhabitants now left. I was told, but cannot confirm, that the regime warned civilians and gave them time to leave before they started their military operation. Most inhabitants fled to Rural Damascus. Some 5000 families in hajar Al-Aswad who are originally from the Golan heights fled to Quneitra (these people left Golan heights on the wake of the 67 war and went to Hajjar Al Aswad). Unlike among refugees, the FSA is not very popular inside, even among anti-regime people. They blame the FSA for the destruction, actually for the useless destruction, while also seeing that it is the regime that is killing. They learned from Baba Amr and do not want to lose their homes for nothing. A guy from Hajar Al Asswad, who is anti-Assad, told me that when the FSA came, the people asked them to leave, the FSA told them: we are sacrificing our lives for you and you cannot sacrifice your homes!!. He told me: no we do not want to sacrifice our homes. They will only bring destruction and then lose and leave.
In Homs, the destruction is huge but not everywhere, I have to say. In some places, houses are not recognizable, example Jouret el Chiyah in old Homs is a crumbled village, it is turned into a huge mountain of cement. We could not go in but we could see it from the outskirt. The damage is in the old city mainly. I had different reactions: When I first entered Homs, the city centre looked very normal. There was traffic, young people going to university, the souk of vegetables is open. Except for the checkpoints every few meters, you would say, there was no war here. Then in the afternoon around 6:00, suddenly the streets are empty and you start hearing the shelling. In some places I went to, I was shocked; I could not believe this is Syria. Every single building endured some damages of different degrees. You could tell there that the shelling was indiscriminate. In other places, you see specific targets damaged while the rest is not. In places like Baba Amr, the damage is huge. It is now fully under government control but who do they control? the place is still deserted. They say 2000 families returned. I saw only a few (much less than 2000 for sure, I would say maybe 200). Some neighborhoods are totally deserted. When they talk of ghost towns, it is true. The walls are littered with pro-Bashar slogans, and anti ‘Ar’our writings. They wrote on garbage bins: donate to ‘Ar’our. In baba Amr I did not see one man, only women and children. But my main surprise is that the regime has isolated the fighting areas, creating “normal life zones” right next to “fighting zones”. They are literally besieged, as if the fighting is in a neighboring country. People got used to the sounds of explosions. I was even told this joke: A guy in Homs goes to the balcony holding his baby, his neighbor sees him and shouts: what are you doing on the balcony, can’t you hear the shelling? go inside. The guy replies: Trying to make my baby sleep!. This is how much they got used to these sounds that they stopped hearing them. In Homs, there are some Alawite villages, clearly the regime has supporters there as well. There are checkpoints in the city centre but they do not check every car. You can survive in the city even if you are a regime opponent (as long as you do not participate in anything of course). The regime does control the city and all the main highways – on the highways, checking cars is more frequent. They stopped a truck carrying potatos, and were searching each and every bag. The old city in Homs is deserted so where they are shelling, there are only militants. Barely any civilian stayed behind. The displaced assure you that in their villages in the old city there is no one left. No one and nothing can enter the old city (like Jouret el chiah, al hamidiyeh, al khaldiyeh, al qousour, etc.). The sounds of explosions are loud and get louder at night. I could not hear the FSA reaction to that so I think at this rate, they will soon be finished. But you can imagine that it will reveal a huge destruction after. The discrepancy from one place to another is remarkable. There are clear hotspot areas, or pockets of fighting, and where it is safe you have a displacement problem. So everyone feels the crisis one way or another.”
http://angryarab.blogspot.de/2012/09/extensive-report-from-syria.html

 قال الشيخ علي ييرال، رئيس وقف الطائفة العلوية في أنطاكيا، أنهم ليسوا الوحيدون المساندون للرئيس بشار الأسد، “فغالبية الشعب والطائفة السنية تساند النظام، وكذلك الأمر بالنسبة للشارع التركي الذي يساند النظام على عكس الحكومة التركية”.
و أكد “بيرال” في حديث ل”راديو مونتي كارلو” أن أنطاكيا مدينة عريقة شهدت حضارات عدة، وفيها قوميات وطوائف ومذاهب وأديان مختلفة تعيش كلها في أمن وسلم من علويين وسنة وكاثوليك وأرثوذكس ويهود وعرب وأتراك وأكراد، ولم تقع لحد اليوم أي مشكلة بينهم، لكن عندما بدأت الأزمة السورية ودخلت العديد من الطوائف والجنسيات من ليبيا ومصر وقطر والسعودية والشيشان مدينة أنطاكيا، أصبحوا يهددون العلويين بالقتل والذبح وتهجيرهم منها، لذا أصبحت المشاكل قائمة وأصبح الخوف بين أبناء الشعب من الطائفة العلوية.
و إذ لفت إلى أنه لم تكن هناك مشاكل بين العلويين والسنة قبل الأزمة في سوريا، أكد أن الأزمة مصطنعة يريدها الغرب لتجزئة سوريا كما جزّأ العراق وكما يريد تجزئة تركيا وإيران.
و قال “بيرال” أنهم ينتقدون سياسات أردوغان حيال النظام السوري لأنه ” لا نريد أي تدخل لا من تركيا ولا من السعودية ولا من إيران ولا من أمريكا ولا من الغرب في الشؤون الداخلية السورية. الأزمة السورية داخلية يحلها الشعب من الداخل، فإذا تدخلت أياد من الخارج فإنها ستكون للتخريب وليس للإعمار”، لافتا إلى أنهم “لا نريد تسليح المدنيين لأن هذا يؤدي حتما إلى الحرب، والحرب تؤدي إلى الدمار ولا يريدها أحد وهي ليست في مصلحة العلوي ولا السني ولا المسيحي ولا العربي ولا التركي”.
و عبر “بيرال” عن قلقه وتخوفه من حالة الإحتقان الطائفي، لأنه لا تخدم أحدا ولا تخدم أي طائفة، مشيراً إلى أنهم التقوا بالمسؤولين في الأمن بتركيا وبمسؤولين برلمانيين لشرح ضرورة إطفاء النار وهذه الحرب وعدم إشعالها أكثر.
و أوضح “بيرال” أن المسؤولين الأتراك استمعوا لهم ، و بدأوا بنقل اللاجئين إلى مناطق أخرى، مشددا على أنه “لا دين ولا طائفة ولا قومية للإرهاب، ومن يريد الفتنة إلا الإرهابيين”.

@HABIB

You go ahead and get deceived that the Mullahs and Shia are holly worriers against Zionism, leave me out of your deception. I know Israel oil imports mostly of Iranian origin, from the Shah time to the tanker unloading in Tel Aviv right now. No one should be fooled by the deception plan and little giva-a- way fool’em tricks, look at the overall strategy and policy and see its end means: The service and propagation of the Grand Zionist Plan for the world. Albeit rather than hidden Messiah coming soon a hidden Mahdi will appear to rule as One World Order ruler.

If you don’t readily understand what is said here, get out of the way and go do what you good at in your little understanding, flip Burgers and be your best.

Is the Syrian army trying to regain border posts from rebels?

Panic in Turkish border town as Syrian tanks fire on rebel positions

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/panic-in-turkish-border-town-as-syrian-tanks-fire-on-rebel-positions.aspx?pageID=238&nID=30726&NewsCatID=341

There was panic in the Turkish border town of Akçakale as the Syrian army brought in heavy weaponry to flush out rebel forces in Tell Abyad today.

The sound of explosions caused fear in Akçakale, as Syrian tanks and artillery pounded rebel positions in Tell Abyad. Smoke from the explosions crossed onto the Turkish side of the border as the battle for the town raged on roughly 300 meters from the frontier.

اتهم المنسق العام لـ”هيئة التنسيق الوطنية” حسن عبد العظيم، يوم الجمعة السلطات السورية باعتقال 3 من أعضاء “هيئة التنسيق”، عقب خروجهم من مطار دمشق عقب عودتهم من زيارة للوفد الى الصين.
وقال عبد العظيم في تصريح لسيريانيوز ان “السلطات السورية قامت يوم الخميس باعتقال رئيس مكتب العلاقات الخارجية في هيئة التنسيق عبد العزيز الخير، وعضو المكتب التنفيذي للهيئة اياس عياش، والقيادي في حركة الاشتراكيين العرب ماهر طحان الذي قدم الى المطار لاستقبالهم”.
وأشار المعارض السوري الى انه “لدى دخول الدكتور عبد العزيز الخير الى الهجرة والجوازات في مطار دمشق تأخر نحو ربع ساعة بهدف الاعتقال الا انه لم يعتقل في حينها”، ولدى خروجهم من المطار أوقفوا من قبل دورية مسلحة عند مدخل المطار من جهة دمشق حيث تم اعتقاله مع من برفقته”، بحسب رايه.

Turkey friendly and “mercantile” policy toward Iraq Kurdistan is sending the wrong message to Turkish and Syrian Kurds.

By not only recognizing but flirting outrageously with Iraq Kurdistan, the Turks, inadvertedly have send a message to the PKK that Turkey can, should it happen, deal as harmoniously with an autonomous Turkey Kurdistan. The Kurds are now encouraged to move into that direction at any cost.

That’s another failure of the ‘worst foreign ministry’ of Turkey for decades, Davutoglu

The conscription in ‘democratic’ Turkey

A comment

“99 per cent of all the soldiers sent to the East or anywhere dangerous are from poor families, the politicians and the rich of this country either pay for their sons to do a short stint or get away with not doing their service at all, the government should be ashamed of these conditions.”

Turkish conscripts forced to assemble in miserable conditions
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nID=30668&NewsCatID=341

Video footage uploaded to a social media website by an unidentified Turkish soldier has showed the apparently appalling conditions under which conscripts were forced to assemble prior to shipping out to their respective units, daily Radikal reported yesterday.

The anti-Islam new wave in the USA follows the US ambassador’s murder in Libya.

Anti-Islam banner to go up on New York subway stops

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/anti-islam-banner-to-go-up-on-new-york-subway-stops.aspx?pageID=238&nID=30659&NewsCatID=358
A banner likening Muslims to barbarians will soon be hung in New York subway stops following a court ruling that will permit the message to be displayed in public, the New York Post has reported.

The banner, which reads, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel, defeat Jihad,” was funded by radical conservative blog writer Pamela Geller and will be put up at 10 different locations.

The truth is we do not know yet who kidnapped the 3 NCB leaders, the usual suspect is the regime security forces but I am not sure I would follow this easy route this time .
The NCB visit to China was done with the regime’s knowledge and it was supposed to be in preparation for a dialogue among the opposition parties first then between those parties and the regime. There will be a price if the regime was behind the arrest , Russia and China are clearly fed up with this brutal and foolish regime, their support for a dialogue vs a revolution is due to geopolitical factors but not due to their love for Assad and his thugs.
I would not be surprised if the three men were kidnapped by armed rebels or rouge elements in almukhabarat aljawiyyah, I tend to favor the first possibility, I hate to believe that another dialogue window has been shut, Syrians are ready for a way out.

Zoo

The family says the regime kidnapped them, the NCB said the regime kidnaped them, why shoiuld I believe any thing different?

Libyans ‘exploiting Syrian women’ with marriage offers

Hard living conditions for Syrian refugees in Libya are forcing some families to marry off their daughters to wealthy local men. Syrians say Libyans often knock at their doors asking for especially underage girls, as BBC Arabic’s Ahmed Maher reports from Benghazi.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19660293

How Muslim Men Are “Helping” Syrian Refugees

Muslim men from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have asked their embassies to help to help them find Syrian girls living in makeshift refugee camps in Jordan and Iraq. “Exploiting the conditions of the girls in the refugee camps by marrying them temporarily is a form of rape that must stop immediately. Those responsible for this crime should be brought to trial,” says Abdel Bari Atwan of Al-Quds Al-Arabi.

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3339/syrian-refugees

The United States supported the rights of people in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt against their rulers express their opinion.
those people had to demonstrate against overlook the Government of the United States of America for filming harm the dignity of spiritual and religious
U.S. administration stupidly and traditionaly went to the rulers and governments of those countries to exert influence and pressure on the people by the rulers! It’s nonsense! Was it difficult for Obama or Clinton to form a committee for interfaith dialogue and sent to meet with the elders and religious scholars in those countries! That the American administration is now a burden on American society! They are not different from their counterparts Mubarak, Ben Ali and Gaddafi!

Manufacturing Dissent: The truth about Syria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwv7JXgPxLI
Manufacturing Dissent is a documentary about the psychological-warfare by the media and political establishment of the west and their allies aimed at facilitating the US, European and Israeli agenda of getting rid of the current Syrian government. It demonstrates how the media has directly contributed to the bloodshed in Syria.

The documentary de-constructs the main allegations those actors have presented, namely that the Syrian government was systematically repressing peaceful protests and that it has lost legitimacy. It shows how such claims are supported by scant evidence and are therefore little more than propaganda to serve the foreign policy interests of their countries.

Manufacturing Dissent includes evidence of fake reports broadcasted/published by the likes of CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and others and interviews with a cross section of the Syrian population including an actor, a craftsman, a journalist, a resident from Homs and an activist who have all been affected by the crisis.

Victory is Near ‏@IbnOmar2005

#BREAKING #NEWS! 90 officers have defected along with tanks from a military academy in #Aleppo! ALLAHU AKBAAAAR!… http://fb.me/254deDWb6

Dearest Annie,

Your Allahu Akbar may cause heart attacks on this site.

Justice will eventually be served. There is no doubt.

Breaking news : the number 17 has mixture of colors when
Can not distinguish between the Infantry School and Military Academy
ALLAHU AKBAAAAR! 🙂

Blue on blue. Update from nearly 2 hrs ago:

#BreakingNews ||SKYNEWS Arabia|| Activists: Syrian warplanes bombed by mistake the officers’ club in Deir al-Zour…. http://fb.me/WIRRtFOz

http://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/breakingnews-skynews-arabia-activists-syrian-warplanes-bombed-by/

JERUSALEM — One Israeli soldier was killed and another seriously injured on Friday morning when three men breached the Egypt-Israel border and attacked them, a spokesman for the Israeli army reported.
The Israeli military killed all three of the men, whom the spokesman, Eytan Buchman, said were “well equipped,” wearing camouflage vests and at least one suicide belt.
Jihadist groups may be trying to discredit claims that they are only interested in killing fellow Muslims in the middle east.

I’m breathless.

Powerful spoken word response to the anti-Islam film. Ignored it at first but finally decided to check it out. Very powerful.

Saudi Arabia Is Buying Nuclear Weapons From Pakistan (Revealed)
http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/saudi-arabia-is-buying-nuclear-weapons-from-pakistan-revealed/21755/
Israel dismisses nuke-free Mideast summit; U.S. warns against Iran strike
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/09/20/239170.html
BBC – Evidence Israel’s nuclear weapons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIHcYLm2d3s
http://snippits-and-slappits.blogspot.com/2009/09/vanunu-and-israel-dimona-nuclear.html
Kuwait urges inspection of Israeli nuclear facilities …
http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2263605&language=en

So Much for “Democracy” in the Middle East
Posted on September 21, 2012 by Henry Shivley
http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/so-much-for-democracy-in-the-middle-east/21833/

As predicted right here on From the Trenches, the peoples of the Middle East and Northern Africa are uniting under a common flag and that would be the flag of Jihad and of course the mainstream propagandists are acting surprised.

For forty years the international elite, using the power of the United States, did implant puppet governments in these foreign states, and of course the illusion we were sold here at home, via the idiot box, was that westernization was being welcomed in these countries and that they were embracing democracy. It is indeed fascinating that we call so many of these places democracies when they have actually all along been monarchies.

Look at Kuwait. When Saddam Hussein decided to invade that country to capture territories that had been in dispute, he was given the go ahead by the Bush I regime with a wink and a nod. However, once the invasion was complete, all of the sudden Kuwait was America’s best friend and so our military force invaded, drove Saddam out, and put the Kuwaiti king back on his throne…for democracy of course.

When Obama bowed before the Saudi king, again, it was for democracy right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdjuGekJfBo&feature=share&list=UUwkZmJlss559itLGgNRD6mQ
GERALD CELENTE – 2 Year Old ARRESTED for PEEING on Lampost & Protests over Anti-Islam film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow_mXneszpQ&feature=share&list=UUwkZmJlss559itLGgNRD6mQ
DAVID ICKE – America, The End Game. The Police State & New World Order is Here

History Repeats Itself as Tragedy

The must-read secret Pentagon memo on Syria’s 1982 massacre.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Cut the dates from this just-declassified Defense Intelligence Agency paper and it reads like an analysis of the current 18-month-old Syrian civil war, as if it could have gone to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta yesterday. But DIA analysts wrote this paper in April 1982, 30 years ago — just after the horrific Hama massacre by then-Syrian leader Hafez Assad, who used jets and artillery to level the city and wipe out a Muslim Brotherhood-led uprising.

Read more

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/21/history_repeats_itself_as_tragedy

It is now all over the news

http://news.yahoo.com/syria-seizes-opposition-members-china-trip-opposition-135456682.html

Syria seizes opposition members after China trip – opposition
By Oliver Holmes | Reuters – 8 hrs ago

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Security forces seized three members of Syria’s government-sanctioned opposition shortly after they returned from an official trip to China, a spokesman for the group said on Friday.
Five other members of the National Coordination Body (NCB) were reportedly detained by Syrian security agents on Monday.

NCB spokesman Khalaf Dahowd said NCB foreign affairs head Abdel Aziz al-Khair and executive committee member Eyas Ayyash arrived in Damascus on Thursday night and were followed by Syrian security agents to their car where they joined NCB member Maher Tahan.

In July last year, an opposition conference was cancelled after the owner of the venue was threatened by police and security forces fired on a pro-democracy protest outside, killing 14.

Dahowd also said one of the seized men, al-Khair, had been given assurances from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov at a meeting in Paris on September 9th that Russia, another country that supports Assad, would back and protect the upcoming opposition conference.

The Russian and Chinese foreign ministries did immediately respond to requests for comment.

“Our group is a group that calls for a peaceful transition. The government knows we are nationalists and that we are not calling for an armed revolt,” said Dahowd.
Since the start of the revolt, many of its members had been arrested and killed, he said.
“There is a strong part of the regime who are trying to kill a peaceful solution because they believe this is a conspiracy and they have to sort it out militarily. That’s all they’ve known for 40 years.”
….

Saudi millions and special forces expertise turn Syria’s rebels into a fighting force
Syria’s ragtag rebel army is being turned into a disciplined military force, with the help of tens of millions of dollars of funding from the Middle East and under the watchful gaze of foreign former special forces.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9559151/Saudi-millions-and-special-forces-expertise-turn-Syrias-rebels-into-a-fighting-force.html

Two men looked on from the tented sleeping quarters nearby. Tall with shaven heads, fair skin, bulging pectoral muscles, and biceps covered in tattoos, they were incongruous among the scrawny young fighters. They could not speak Arabic and were extremely unhappy in the presence of The Daily Telegraph.
The men, who use the code names Radwan and Mohammed, come from Scandinavia, but have requested that the country not be disclosed.
Though they refused to speak, saying only that they were “here to help”, recruits in the Free Syrian Army told this newspaper that the men were ex-special forces working as military advisers.

More..

Let’s wait before spreading unfounded accusation

http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-bars-syria-bound-plane-suspected-arms-181758361.html
….

The group’s head, Hassan Abdul-Azim, said the regime was believed to be behind the disappearance. The state-run news agency SANA quoted the Interior Ministry as saying “terrorist groups” kidnapped the three, and that a search has been launched.

29. Tara

“Saudi millions and special forces expertise turn Syria’s rebels into a fighting force”

Nothing to be proud of… Selling their souls to the West and to Saudi Arabia, the proud “democracy” of the Arab world.

#13 Tara

“why shoiuld I believe any thing different?”

Because I hope you are less gullible than them…
We got many ‘confirmed’ news about defections etc.. that turned out to be lies.
Let’s wait and see.

If the “terrorists” who allegedly kidnapped them, release them, they will render a huge service to the government.
I just hope the terrorists won’t kill them to frame the government instead.

Zoo

Very good. You are very smart…I got it
—-

Time will come when KSA has its own spring. I am though more interested in Islam spring than KSA spring. May be Mecca and Medina should be part of a small country similar to the Vatican city with no political power. The religion must be put aside…

27. Tara

Let´s see what xinhuanet says about it. Come ANN you are already in delay.

Sandro

You did not know? Ann lost her calculator. Went shopping for new one.

“BOOM” alahu akbar! alahu akbar!

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dcb_1348243976

This is how the Shabi7a media treats the Assad-sanctioned “opposition.”

http://youtu.be/VLca_lwD-Lo

On another note, nice job Mr. Landis on 7adeeth Althawra on Al Jazeera today. I hope your prediction of Sunni unity doesn’t happen – good humans who live in Syria should all unite against this tyrant and police state that only exists to oppress us all.

Mosques were used to encourage revolt against Ben Ali, now they encourages revolt against al Nahda.

Tunisia Islamist chief vows crackdown on Salafists

21/09/2012
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=31156

TUNIS, (AFP) – The veteran leader of Tunisia’s ruling Islamist party told AFP that the authorites would crack down on hardline Salafists after deadly violence around the US embassy, saying they pose a threat to the country’s freedoms and security.
…
The Ennadha-led government has come in for strong criticism in the Tunisian press for failing to arrest Ibn Hussein, also known as Abu Iyadh, when he delivered the sermon at a Tunis mosque earlier week.

Ibn Hussein, who heads the extremist Ansar al-Sharia movement, preached at the Al-Fatah mosque in the heart of the capital on Monday surrounded by his followers, and then left, despite a heavy security deployment around the building.

During his sermon, he accused the police of provoking the protesters who attacked the US embassy, and called for the resignation of Interior Minister Ali Latayedh, an Ennahda member.

Mossad CIA Mi6 and French Intelligence Operating in Syria Helping Al-Qaeda – Sep-21-2012

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=503_1348241507

A Turkish television broadcast a tape recording for telephone calls
of Mossad agents who were in the Syrian territories near the Turkish
border.

Israeli daily, Maariv cited Ulusal TV which broadcast the calls in Hebrew.

The channel said that the tape was recorded through communication apparatus which existed in a mosque in one of the Turkish towns on the border with Syria.

According to the tape the language of the speakers was Hebrew, but it was not clear. One of the speakers said: “I feel high pressure from the maritime line, anchorage 1. I want to free it in the direction 1,74 K, over,” according to the recording.

Another replied with a series of numbers and then said: “You know? I will free it and at that time the forces would advance.”

The Turkish channel said that the speakers were Mossad agents who are working in the Syrian side on the border with Turkey. It added that Mossad is the only agency which is active inside Syria, but there are agents who are working in favor of the American Central Intelligence Agency, CIA.

There are 50 senior agents in Turkey, ex-spy says

Source: Hurriyet

There are nearly 50 high-ranking intelligence agents on Turkey’s Syria border, including agents from the United States, France, Germany, Britain and “perhaps Greece,” former CIA agent Philip Giraldi told Tolga Tanış of daily Hürriyet in an interview.

The former agent said there would be numerous spies working under the high-ranking spies and “many” informants working under them. Giraldi said he thought there were 15-20 high-ranking CIA agents in Turkey working on the Syrian conflict alone.

“They would be paramilitary agents,” Giraldi said. “They would be based at the consulate in Adana or the İncirlik Air Base, but could operate in the field as well,” Giraldi said, adding that the agents would not cross into Syria but would direct intelligence operations from within Turkey in collaboration with Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MİT).“

The CIA probably has only 10 agents who are fluent in Arabic and maybe five who can speak Turkish fluently. For this reason, they need to rely on MİT agents when dealing with Syrian rebels,” Giraldi said. The CIA lacks personnel who are fluent in Middle Eastern languages because their tours of duty only last two or three years before they are transferred elsewhere.“

The agents do not have enough time to specialize in that language or culture,” he said, but added that the Russians were much better trained language-wise. “A Russian agent receives language courses for two years before arriving in Turkey, and once here, they can stay on duty for up to 10 years. ”Turkish and American intelligence agencies were working “very closely” on the Syrian issue, Giraldi said, adding that the U.S. provided Turkey with photographs including satellite pictures and sensitive technical information it normally would not share with anyone.

A Turkish intelligence officer “always” accompanies CIA agents in their dealings with officials from the Free Syrian Army, according to Giraldi. “This is not a rule, but that is how things work.” Giraldi guessed there would be high-ranking agents from France, Germany, Britain and “possibly Greece” near the Turkish-Syrian border, and would operate from the İncirlik Air Base, since it was a NATO base.

[…]

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=503_1348241507

Obama’s Shaky Libya Narrative
by Eli Lake Sep 21, 2012 4:45 AM EDT

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/21/obama-s-shaky-libya-narrative.html

Sources say the attack on the Libyan ambassador was pre-meditated, with the possible collaboration of a Libyan politician. Eli Lake on the continuing collapse of the official U.S. line.
….
What’s more, two U.S. intelligence officials told The Daily Beast that the intelligence community is currently analyzing an intercept between a Libyan politician whose sympathies are with al Qaeda and the Libyan militia known as the February 17 Brigade—which had been charged with providing local security to the consulate. In the intercept, the Libyan politician apparently asks an officer in the brigade to have his men stand down for a pending attack—another piece of evidence implying the violence was planned in advance.

Are we seeing a similar Al-Qaeeda strategy in the making in Syria?
“Although al Qaeda did not bring the Arab Spring, the terrorist group is seeking to capitalize on it.”

Al Qaeda’s plan for Libya highlighted in congressional report
By Thomas JoscelynSeptember 21, 2012

An unclassified report published in August highlights al Qaeda’s strategy for building a fully operational network in Libya. The report (“Al Qaeda in Libya: A Profile”) was prepared by the federal research division of the Library of Congress (LOC) under an agreement with the Defense Department’s Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office.

Al Qaeda’s senior leadership (AQSL) in Pakistan has overseen the effort. AQSL “issued strategic guidance to followers in Libya and elsewhere to take advantage of the Libyan rebellion,” the report reads. AQSL ordered its followers to “gather weapons,” “establish training camps,” “build a network in secret,” “establish an Islamic state,” and “institute sharia” law in Libya.
…
The report’s authors warn that Libya “may already have become the favorite destination for would-be jihadists in Syria.” Recruits from north Africa and Europe “are increasingly crossing Libya’s borders on their way to Syria, probably with the blessing of the current Libyan government.” Libya has long been tied to the jihadist network in Syria, as many of the al Qaeda fighters who transited through Syria to fight the US-led coalition in Iraq came from eastern Libya.

Although al Qaeda did not bring the Arab Spring, the terrorist group is seeking to capitalize on it. Al Qaeda “has tried to exploit the ‘Arab Awakening’ in North Africa for its own purposes during the past year,” the report reads.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/09/al_qaedas_plan_for_l.php#ixzz279ZtVqb2

WELL DUH!

Swiss say grenades sent to UAE ended up in Syria – September 21, 2012

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Swiss-say-grenades-sent-to-UAE-ended-up-in-Syria-3883887.php

BERLIN (AP) — An investigation has concluded that Swiss hand grenades exported to the United Arab Emirates several years ago found their way to Syria after being given to Jordan, the Swiss government said Friday.

Switzerland set up a joint commission in July with the UAE to investigate whether grenades exported to the Gulf nation were sent on to Syria. The move came after a newspaper published a photograph indicating a Swiss-made grenade was found with Syrian rebels.

The commission found that the UAE gave part of a shipment of Swiss hand grenades to Jordan in 2004 to support that country in fighting terrorism.

“From there the hand grenades evidently made their way to Syria,” a Swiss government statement said, without elaborating on how or when that might have happened. Jordan has a border with Syria.

[…]

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Swiss-say-grenades-sent-to-UAE-ended-up-in-Syria-3883887.php

I still have not heard from ANN about her news of great investment opportunities being offered by the regime.

How much are you investing? I dill double that if you can tell me how and where to invest in this heaven of security and stability.

Long live free and independent Kurdistan and free and independent Palestine and free and independent Druzistan and free and independent Allawistan and free and independent Christian land and free and independent Sunnistan and free and independent Bosrastan and free and independent city states of Baghdad and Aleppo and Damascus and Homs.

Long live the break up of the Sykes Picot artificial unnatural instability generating borders and divisions.

ZOO can you explain to us what is the purpose of the ANN-like postings that you do?

Who cares on this post what is happening in Tunisia and the travails of the birth of a new order? Today the Libyans actually demonstrated against the presence of armed groups and against fundamentalists.

I said before, anyone has to DELIVER today, neither Islam is the answer nor Democracy now, nor Resistance against hegemony count. Deliver the goods of work, housing, justice, education, health, and a better future and hope for our children, OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM POWER.

ZOO you did not answer: how come you admire Mullastan so much when you want religion to be a private matter? Don’t you think that the Islamic revolution ideology has made Iran a true regional power?

Is living in Iran an option for you?

Libyan pro-government activists storm Islamist headquarters – 22 September, 2012

http://rt.com/news/libya-storm-islamist-headquarters-700/

Islamist militiamen have opened fire on pro-government demonstrators who stormed their headquarters in Benghazi, Libya, as thousands took to the streets to rally against militias on Friday. Eight people have reportedly been wounded.

Pro-democracy activists entered the headquarters of the Islamist militia, Ansar al-Sharia, evicting the militiamen and setting fire to their building. The incident took place in the city that became the cradle of last year’s uprising against Muammar Gaddafi regime.

Reuters correspondents heard gunfire coming from the direction of the compound. The agency quoted an ambulance driver as saying that at least eight people had been wounded.

“We entered here to give the place to the national security forces,” activist Musaf al-Sheikhy said, according to Reuters.

The “Rescue Benghazi day” demonstration drew tens of thousands of people discontent with armed Islamist militias.Anger has boiled over with the groups refusing to give up their weapons and repeatedly disobeying the new Libyan government, threatening stability in post-Gaddafi Libya.

“No to armed formations” and “Yes to the Libyan army”, read some banners used by demonstrators.

“I don’t want to see armed men wearing Afghani-style clothes stopping me in the street to give me orders, I only want to see people in uniform,” Omar Mohammed, a university student who took part in the takeover of the Islamist headquarters, told AP.

The activists demanded the central government disband militias and also condemned last week’s attack on the US embassy in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

US officials told AP that what may have initially seemed like a protest over an anti-Islam movie that had spun out of control, turns out to have been a more sophisticated operation. On Friday, US officials released details about the assault that indicated thatheavily armed militants stormed the consulate using military-style tactics.

[…]

http://rt.com/news/libya-storm-islamist-headquarters-700/

West tests double standards on Syria – Sep 21, 2012

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_21/West-tests-double-standards-on-Syria/

The West is testing its double standard policy on Syria. That’s how Russian experts have reacted to the reports that Western countries are planning to supply a large batch of heavy arms to the Syrian opposition and also that the United States has tightened sanctions against a Belarusian company which it suspects of supplying weapons to Damascus.

At the latest session of the so-called Friends of Syria Group in the Netherlands, representatives of more than 60 European and Arab countries called for boosting military support to opponents of the Bashar Assad regime. The possibility of bringing more groups of anti-Assad mercenaries into the country was also discussed.

Simultaneously, the United States slapped new sanctions against a Belarusian company, Belvneshpromservis, for the alleged arms supplies to Syria. Minsk refuted the allegations, seeing them as part of pressure on Belarus for having repeatedly spoken out in favor of a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Sergei Demidenko, an expert at the Institute for Strategic Assessments and Analysts, comments the issue:

“This is a standard situation. The Americans said nothing new but just accentuated their stance. And not just the Americans, but also that part of the global pool which campaigns for the overthrow of the Assad regime. They will make all sorts of verbal declaration in support of a political solution, while at the same time continuing to help the opposition. So here we once again came across double standards.”

Yevgeny Satanovsky, President of the Institute of Middle East Studies in Moscow, remarked that the Americans had always practiced double standards towards virtually any conflict on the planet.

“It’s a U.S. foreign policy tradition that doesn’t pertain only to the civil war in Syria. As for Syria, the foreign policy task has been set – to remove Assad. That’s why, everything that helps the anti-Assad militants and terrorists is supported or ignored, while everything that helps government troops is condemned and punished with sanctions.”

In this situation, Russia has renewed its calls for internal political dialogue in Syria without outside interference. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov reiterated Moscow’s position during a meeting with Syrian ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad. The ambassador thanked Russia for humanitarian supplies to Syrian civilians.

[…]

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_21/West-tests-double-standards-on-Syria/

Mass grave of terrorists’ victims found in Damascus – Sep 21, 2012

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_21/Mass-grave-of-terrorists-victims-found-in-Damascus/

A mass grave containing the remains of 25 people, kidnapped by the oppositional rebel army, has been discovered by the Syrian armed forces in the al-Qadam district in southern Damascus, state-run TV channel SANA reports.

All victims were abducted by armed gunmen. According to investigators, they were blind-folded and had their hands tied before being slaughtered. Locals were first to locate the burial grounds.

The Syrian armed forces have been conducting an anti-terror operation in al-Qadam, as well as in the adjacent al-Aswad and al-Tadamun districts for a fortnight. They have claimed to have captured a large number of the Free Syrian Army militants.

[…]

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_21/Mass-grave-of-terrorists-victims-found-in-Damascus/

Russia sends second planeload of humanitarian aid to Syria – Sep 21, 2012

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_21/Russia-sends-second-planeload-of-humanitarian-aid-to-Syria/

On Thursday a Russian Emergencies Situations Ministry plane flew to Syria with 38 tons of humanitarian aid on board.

The cargo that was sent to Damascus includes sugar, canned fish and meat and baby food.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Emergency Situations Ministry has already sent Damascus 80 tons of humanitarian aid.

The Syrian Red Crescent Society was given tents, blankets, utensils and light furniture, baby food, perishable goods.

On Tuesday, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, met with Russian Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov, and said that humanitarian assistance should not be part of the politics.

[…]

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_21/Russia-sends-second-planeload-of-humanitarian-aid-to-Syria/

UN confirms existence of foreign militants in Syria – 22.09.2012

In an interactive dialogue with the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the expert denounced the use of children under 18 years of age by armed opposition groups

http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/22-09-2012/122239-un_militants-0/

With Vermelho – Geneva

Crimes performed by these elements such as kidnappings, torture and mistreatment of captured government soldiers also were repudiated by the UN High Commissioner

A team of UN experts confirmed on Monday the existence of aliens within the armed opposition groups in Syria, who commit war crimes.

– There are reasonable grounds to believe that antigovernment forces in that country perpetrate killings, extrajudicial executions and torture – said Paulo Pinheiro, head of an independent international panel investigating the situation in Syria.

In an interactive dialogue with the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the expert also denounced the use of children under 18 years of age by armed opposition groups.

– These forces do not identify its members with real uniforms or insignia to distinguish them from civilians – he added. Crimes performed by these elements such as kidnappings, torture and mistreatment of captured government soldiers also were repudiated by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.

He also spoke out against the imposition of sanctions against Syria, by constituting a denial of fundamental rights to the people of that country, where, according to the UN, there are 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid. The expert reiterated the need for a political solution in Syria and stressed that there is no possibility of a military solution.

[…]

http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/22-09-2012/122239-un_militants-0/

Exported Swiss arms mysteriously reach Syria – 22 September, 2012

http://rt.com/news/exported-swiss-arms-syria-699/

Hand grenades exported by Switzerland to the United Arab Emirates several years ago, are now in Syria, according to the Swiss government. The finding comes after a newspaper photograph showed a Syrian rebel with a Swiss-made grenade.

The picture prompted Switzerland to set up a joint commission with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in July, according to AP.

Switzerland temporarily halted arms shipments to the UAE after the photo was printed, but lifted a block on licenses for such deliveries once the commission was established.

The investigation found that the UAE gave part of a shipment of Swiss hand grenades to Jordan in 2004, to support its fight against terrorism.

“From there the hand grenades evidently made their way to Syria,” a Swiss government statement said.

The statement did not give details of how the weapons made their way from Jordan to Syria. It did, however, note that the case pre-dated Switzerland’s 2006 introduction of rules which prohibit countries to re-export arms.

Additionally, countries are now explicitly prohibited from transferring weapons in the form of gifts or loans.

Berne has stated that application procedures for arms can now be resumed, but that new safeguards will be implemented.

Applications to export weapons to the UAE must include a declaration that they won’t be re-exported. The document will also grant Switzerland the right to conduct an on-site inspection of the weapons after they’re shipped.

[…]

http://rt.com/news/exported-swiss-arms-syria-699/

أكدت وزارة الإعلام أن بعض أعضاء هيئة التنسيق المعارضة تعرضوا لعملية اختطاف من عناصر إرهابية أثناء مرورهم على طريق مطار دمشق الدولي وهم عبد العزيز الخير وإياس عياش وماهر طحان.
وأشارت الوزارة في بيان لها اليوم إلى أن الأجهزة الأمنية المختصة باشرت عملية واسعة للمتابعة والتحقيق وتحمل من ارتكب هذا الفعل المسؤولية القانونية التامة وتطالب الخاطفين بإطلاق سراح المعارضين المخطوفين فورا.
Will know who is lying in a day or two

I would like to re-submit here what I wrote in the last post, just in case those concerned may have missed it.

147. ATHEIST SYRIAN SALAFIST AGAINST DICTATORSHIPS said:

@Zoo 146

Here it is, from the horse’s mouth (I presume you can understand Arabic):

(BTW, I have long wandered if you are the same person known as zozo elsewhere…I sure hope not! because it would be a huge shock -m-a-s-a-k-a- if you and that zozo turned out to be one and the same).

Dawoud:

As supporters of Syrians’ right to democracy and the rule of law, we should also (and I personally do) support the right of Bahrainis (and Palestinians, and Jordanians…all Arabs and all peoples) to have the same in their country too. The Shiaa Bahrainis are Arabs, and a democracy there will not change this fact.
——————————————————-
And if I may comment on this post by JL by asking: what is wrong with the Kurds’ having and exercising the right of self-determination, as long as they guarantee equal rights for non-Kurds who have lived in that land for just as long as they have? Nothing wrong at all!

@Zoo and Ghufran above:

It truly is curious to see both Zoo and Ghufran try their damnedest to undermine the statements by NCB figures who say over and again that their comrades were in fact detained by the regime’s airforce security branch. For Zoo to harp on in that way is understandable and to be expected. But what are to make of Ghufran”s position? The same Ghufran who claims to favor dialog and any groups that promote ceasing of all hostilities and peaceful protest, for him to cast doubt on the NCB’s statements and to be FINDING EXCUSES FOR THE REGIME “oh they are innocent, couldn’t have done it, (because they are too moral and good and fair!) it must have been rogue elements in the security branch”…etc,etc?

It should not come as a surprise, however, that it is coming from the same person who always reserved his most vehement and venemous condemnation for the opposition and its armed defense of helpless Syrians in the face of the hundred fold cases of regime brutality and indiscriminate and wanton destruction of villages, towns and cities which he chooses to just gloss over or not even mention.

So here’s what HM said (the latest, btw) to emphasize the point:

He even answers the bogus question asked here before: why weren’t they arrested before as they could have been at any time by the regime?

I don’t think Bassam al-Kadi can write in English as well as Gh, but if he could I would have thought him and Ghufran to be one and the same persons!

Mass grave with 25 bodies found near Damascus: state media – 2012-09-21

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/21/c_131865257.htm

DAMASCUS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) — Syrian troops Friday uncovered a mass grave with 25 dead bodies in a restive part of suburban Damascus, the state-run SANA news agency said.

The grave was dug out at al-Qadam, which has recently been a hotbed of armed confrontation between the government troops and the armed rebels.

SANA said the residents of al-Qadam had tipped the Syrian troops about the grave, adding that the bodies had been found handcuffed and eye-folded. It said “armed terrorist groups” committed the massacre.

The clashes in Syria have spread to several hotspots nationwide but mainly taking place in the northern city of Aleppo and at a cluster of southern suburbs of Damascus, such as Hajar al-Aswad, Tadamun and al-Yarmouk camp for the Palestinian refugees, where the Syrian authorities said they have rounded up more than 100 “terrorists” on Thursday.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/21/c_131865257.htm

Syria says missing opponents kidnapped by “terrorists” – 2012-09-22

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/22/c_131865977.htm

DAMASCUS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — Three missing opposition figures have been kidnapped by “terrorists,” Syria’s Information Ministry said on Friday evening.

In a brief statement, the ministry said three members of the oppositional National Coordination Body (NCB) had been kidnapped by “terrorists” on the international airport’s road in Syria’s capital of Damascus.

The ministry said the authorities had unleashed a wide-scale investigation and called on the kidnappers to release the figures.

The Damascus-based NCB said it had lost contact with three of its members who paid a visit to China earlier this week and arrived at the international airport of Damascus on Thursday.

Five of its members left the airport in two cars, one of which disappeared and the communication with its occupants was cut, according to the NCB.

The missing members are Abdul-Aziz Khair, head of the body’s foreign relations, Aias Aiash, a member of the executive office, and Maher al-Tahhan, who picked the two up from the airport.

The NCB said it could not get hold of the party responsible for the kidnapping, adding that it had informed a number of foreign embassies and national figures in and outside the country in hopes of knowing what happened to them.

No party claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, but it came apparently to hinder the start of the National Salvation Conference slated for Sept. 23.

[…]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/22/c_131865977.htm

A peace loving Islamist recites from the holy book

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=50b_1348267547

Talking about the Kurds and their right to self determination, I should have also said that the people of Iskandaron were allowed to make that call too, weren’t they? But to make sure that these “calls” are genuine and truly come from the people, this right should become part of every cyclical local and national election. In other words they also have the right, and should always continue to be independent, so possibly reversing an earlier decision to be with whomever they chose to join before. This should forever expose the folly that is known as the nation-state and steer humanity towards a collection of self-managing open communities cohabitating in peace and harmony on this fragile planet of ours.

Syria intervention not solution – NATO – September 22, 2012

http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=797628

NATO does not believe that military intervention in Syria would bring any improvement in the security situation there, a senior alliance official says.

Germany’s Manfred Lange, Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), said the military was telling leaders that there was no good case for military action and the political process had to be pursued.

“The military advice is (that) there are not sufficient visible signs at the moment that a military intervention could lead to an improvement of the security situation,” Lange said.

“The political process has to be pushed forward, sanctions need to take effect. At the moment, this situation cannot be solved by the military in a responsible way,” he told a briefing.

He added that with little prospect of action at the United Nations “it is clear that the alliance doesn’t have any military plans on Syria”.

[…]

http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=797628

ALabo said
“In case you didn’t notice, most people here are worried solely about Syria, even those you call “pro-regime” and couldn’t care less about her whereabouts, her going wouldn’t change the political situation one inch.”
ZOO said:
“Albo
A big fuss is made because a grieving widow, still under the shock of the violent death of her husband wants to protect her children from kidnapping, revengeful hatred and further terrorist attacks.”
Actually what made me pay extra attention to this story, was a rigeme supporter,who keeps luerking in the background and only appears for something really irritating,’so when he just came out of the blue to attack just for reporting the story، that Is when I noticed the importance of this story.
Now here we are not talking about just any women,Bashara was very involved in the decision making of what is happening,she is very well known for her strong personality
that not even Hafez,Basel,maher and Anissa combined could make her change her decision of getting involved with her bodyguard Assef the maried man with kids.
So she is very far from calling her a “grieving widow” and try to play that sad tune,
Now bileve it or not, I’m worrid,but not about Syria but about you,Syria will be fine,an equal savages passed through her,be it the Mongol or the curseders and Syria came out on top,but we Syrians not “Syrian’s Assad “have to worry about earning the privilege to belong to her,and no one else

Athiest,
You should read my posts about the 3 missing NCB members,I was the first,as far as I could see,to bring the news to SC, my condemnation for their kidnapping or arrest is stated loud and clear, I am not yet sold on the assumption that security forces was behind it but I said that those forces are the usual suspect. What would be a big embarrassment for the regime is if those people were arrested by security forces without the knowledge of Bashar and his top advisors. This incident is very serious, let us wait a day or two before passing a final judgement of this issue, I am still hoping that the men will show up alive before Sunday, one terrible possibility is that we may only see bodies and the two fighting factions will trade accusations about who did what, Manna’s statement puts a lot of pressure on the regime, I sincerely hope that this story has a happy ending,we had enough. Bashar is about to be sidelined in a way or the other, Syria is much bigger than a person or a family, arresting those men,assuming that the regime did the deed, will not improve Bashar’s chances of political survival,even alawites are ready to open a new page without him.

أعلنت كتائب حيدرة الكرار ،التي تنشط في ريف مدينة اللاذقية ، أنها أعتقلت رئيس مفرزة الأمن العسكري في بانياس العقيد موسى عبد الله حداد، قبل أن تصفيه فجر الجمعة.
و ذكرت الكتائب في بيان نشر على موقع الفيس بوك أنها أعتقلت العقيد “حداد” قرب فندق القيصر في بانياس، و توجهت به إلى ريف اللاذقية و حققت معه قبل أن تصفيه ، في حين سحبت عناصر من الكتائب سيارته نحو مدينة طرطوس، بغية تضليل الجهات الأمنية.
و نشرت الكتائب شريطا مصورا على موقع اليوتيوب يظهر العقيد “حداد” معصوب العينين، و هو على قيد الحياة ، بالإضافة إلى صور للأسلحة التي كان يحملها لحظة إعتقاله و أوراقه الثبوتية.

قال مسؤول هيئة التنسيق الوطنية في الخارج هيثم مناع لـصحيفة «السفير» اللبنانية إن الهيئة اتخذت قرارها مؤخرا بألا يحضر «مؤتمر الإنقاذ الوطني» المزمع عقده في دمشق. وشرح أن القرار اتخذ لأن «عودتي إلى دمشق تتطلب حماية وهذه الحماية نحن غير قادرين عليها اليوم». وأضاف أن أطرافا قالت إنها «تستطيع تأميننا بسيارة ديبلوماسية، ونحن لم نقبل بالطبع، كما لن نقبل أن ندخل بحماية الأمن» السوري، مضيفا أنه في نهاية الأمر «لن يطلب هذه الحماية من احد». 

Rebel group ‘moves command centre to Syria’
Last Modified: 22 Sep 2012 11:57

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/09/201292291126206166.html

Riyad al-Asaad, commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), announced the move on Saturday in a video message from Syria, the first since the group founded its command centre in Turkey at the beginning of the 19-month conflict.

“To the Syrian people, its freedom fighters and all the armed factions, we are glad to let you know that the leadership of the FSA has moved into Syria following arrangements made with other brigades that included securing liberated areas with the hope of launching the offensive on Damascus,” Asaad said.

He said the FSA has felt pressure by the international community to take a leading role in post-war Syria. Asaad said the FSA rejected those offers, reiterating that the people of Syria should decide the future of the country.

“Since we left our country we suffered all sorts of regional and international interference and political pressure, we were isolated. Their goal was to have the FSA replace Assad once he is gone, but we categorically made it clear that we would never betray our people reiterating that only the Syrians should decide their future institutions.”

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, reporting from Akcakale on the Turkey-Syria border, said the rebels have been cautiously edging forward, taking territory 5km inside Syria.

“The move of the command centre is not necessarily a massive breakthrough because the FSA is still very much dependent on Turkey for its supply lines,” he said.
….,

The public Libyan conscience rejects the Islamist extremists and the killing of the American Ambassador.  Ironically, and i’m sure to the dismay of Batta’s supporters, The US has not lost Libya to Islamists.  The US had gained Libya.  This anti-Islamist demonstration will not go unnoticed.  This is an encouragement to the West to do more in term of helping transforming the Arab countries into democracies.    
—-
Islamist Militia Ousted From Benghazi Bases

Sky News – 3 hours ago

Hundreds of protesters angry over last week’s killing of the US ambassador stormed the compounds of the Islamic extremist militias suspected of carrying out the attack.

A crowd overwhelmed the Ansar al Shariah Brigade’s site in the centre of the city. Buildings and a car were set alight and the fighters were evicted.

The protesters chanted “Libya, Libya”, “No more al Qaeda!” and “The blood we shed for freedom shall not go in vain!” as they carried weapons out of the base.

One of the demonstrators Hassan Ahmed said: “After what happened at the American consulate, the people of Benghazi had enough of the extremists.
…..
The violence followed a day of protests by more than 30,000 citizens who marched in Benghazi against armed militias.

“No, no, to militias,” the crowd chanted. One sign read: “Benghazi is in a trap. Where is the army, where is the police?”

Other signs mourned the killing of the ambassador, reading: “The ambassador was Libya’s friend” and “Libya lost a friend.”
,,,

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/protesters-storm-libyan-militia-bases-033132148.html

“Now bileve it or not, I’m worrid,but not about Syria but about you,Syria will be fine,an equal savages passed through her,be it the Mongol or the curseders and Syria came out on top,but we Syrians not “Syrian’s Assad “have to worry about earning the privilege to belong to her,and no one else”

It’s not entirely clear what you’re trying to tell me.
By the way, I had a post answering your jizya and zakat comment I did not notice because of the new articles.

Basically, jizya varied, was often higher, but jizya+kharaj were always higher,. We even have evidence that in the early centuries, the rulers sought to restrict conversions in order to keep their tax revenues. Likewise the Ottomans weren’t very interested in converting christians for the same reasons.

SYRIAN
SYRAIN

I was addressing the first in the last part of my post. You’re not the same right? You act as if you were.

As usual I made the rounds of the news at Manar, Press TV,Mayadeen, Syrian TV and Cham Press and listen to the Addounia newscast.

Then BBC and Aj and others as well.

First the internal opposition came out accusing the security forces of kidnapping its members

Second Manaa is apparently not going to Syria for despite his incessant call to any use of arms has come to realize that even his completely pacifist stance and his willingness to discuss all options with the regime cannot guarantee his personal safety.

A hypocrite for while staying in Paris and denying the average Syrian the right for self defense, when it comes to the prospect of becoming a “visitor” to one of the notorious underground detention centers he prefers to stay in lush Paris eating his croissants and sipping coffee and pontificating about the need for dialogue.

I do not know if he is stupid or delusional to think that he can sit with the likes of Shalish and Maher to “discuss” things.

ANN

Please tell us where to invest in Syria. You posted on the incentives the regime is putting out for investments. I would like to join you in this venture and I would like to know how and where to invest in this most profitable stable country.

ZOO

Your crocodile tears about the bereaved widow that has chosen to leave Syria are just that, go tell this story to the mother of Hamza Khatib that was tortured to death and go tell that to the bereaved thousands that have seen their children with slit throats in Houla and go tell the parents and husbands and fathers and brothers and sisters of those that were tortured every other day for years in the prisons of this brutal regime. Syrians will exact fair and full justice from Bushra and from every one of the criminals running this mafiosi enterprise.

Now my questions

I saw Frontline and AJ with Dr. Landis
Pray tell me, since the regime is not going to crush the revolution and its ranks are increasing by the day due to this ongoing crackdown what options does it have?

If as some suggested that the opposition put itself in a corner by insisting on the resignation of the president, isn’t the regime in the same dead end with its insistence on the military solution?

I hope that the Kurds and Palestinians and Turkmen and Allawis and Druze will have their independence be it in a separate geographic entity or in a federation where they can establish rules and regulations and a political system whereby they feel safe and are free.

Why not have a free and independent Kurdistan and if as Majbali points out to us that the Allawis have suffered and are defined by this suffering and are marked by a visceral hatred for this suffering why not have a free Allawistan federated or united with a Turkish Alevistan?

Why not have the Druze establish their state and the Shia in Iraq have theirs and the Sunnis if they ever come out of their divisions have their state?

Long live the day where we see the end of the imposed artificial inherently destabilizing Sykes Picot borders disappear and where we can forge a greater ME economic union and leave both religion and politics to the stooges that entertain us without harming us. I say stooges for every one of these communities today has stooges as their leaders except that they are ever so vicious and nasty and brutal be they Barzani or Jumblatt or Freddo or Maliki or the stooges of KSA or the GCC.

So let there be a redrawing of the maps and let people become free.

Long live Kurdistan and Southern Sudan and Allawistan and Druzistan and Shiaastan and Sunnistan and every other conceivable and inconceivable stan.

What those BOOMS that Ann is so happy to see actually do to civilians.

What back to school in Assad’s Syria means:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chroniclesyrianuprising/8008974136/

What Homsi’s do with the plenty of Tank shells that keep falling over their heads:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chroniclesyrianuprising/8010250598/

Leader of Muslim Brotherhood Opposes Kurdish Entity in Syria
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood’s secretary general, Mohammed Riad al-Shaqfa, emphasized his party’s rejection of a Kurdish entity being established in Syria.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/index.php?news=5231

Why not worry first about ousting Bashar ?

“Pray tell me, since the regime is not going to crush the revolution and its ranks are increasing by the day due to this ongoing crackdown what options does it have?”

Think about it, does a fragmentation of Syria is in Turkey’s or Saudi’s interest? They too have sub-groups, religious or ethnic ressenting their rule. So when they continue to fuel this civil war, and their efforts only lead to chaos with each region becoming ruled locally and fiefdoms being formed by warlords- then what sort of example this will set for their own unruly groups, including those across the border?
The side they support will not become dominant, the pro-regime regional powers will never allow it.

When they finally realize, they will back down. But it will take time, and they still haven’t figured out although it was obvious from the beginning. It isn’t surprising that they would be a bit slow, they aren’t known for their intellectual achievements after all.

بعدما ترددت أنباء عن انتقال بشرى حافظ الأسد وعائلتها من سوريا الى دبي، عقب مقتل زوجها العماد آصف شوكت، شوهد ابنها باسل، أمام أحد منتجعات دبي، وهو ينتظر وصول سيارته ( لومبرغيني).

باسل آصف شوكت، في الصورة، وهو يرتدي القميص الرمادي.
http://youkal.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64068%3A2012-09-22-04-59-31&catid=54%3A2011-04-29-12-25-44&Itemid=126

Do not read this until after you eat your breakfast:

WASHINGTON — Rarely in the annals of lobbying in the capital has so obscure a cause attracted so stellar a group of supporters: former directors of the C.I.A. and the F.B.I., retired generals and famous politicians of both parties.
Members of the Mujahedeen Khalq at the former Camp Liberty, near the Baghdad airport, this month. The group relocated to Iraq in the years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Iranian opposition group that attracted that A-list of Washington backers, many of them generously compensated for speeches, learned Friday that it had achieved its goal: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to remove the group, the Mujahedeen Khalq, or People’s Mujahedeen, from the State Department’s list of designated terrorist organizations.
On a related subject, half of aljazeera.net web poll participants did not think that bombing Iran will be harmful to the regions.
I have known Iranians for decades, most of those that I met are educated, open minded and opposed to the Mullahs but when it comes to Iran they are overwhelming against violence and anti foreign intervention, Iranians are also supportive of each other in diaspora unlike the bitterly divided arab community. Iranians with all of their shortcomings are generations ahead of most Arabs.

ZOO

The NCB website has confirmed that Air Force intelligence has the three members
http://syrianncb.org/2012/09/22/ncb-statement-forcibly-disappeared-ncb-leaders-are-now-known-to-be-in-hands-of-the-airforce-intelligence/

So if this softest of the softest of allowed internal opposition is incarcerated and disappeared a la mafia style; and Manaa cancels his visit to Syria it means that your regime is CRIMINAL to say the least.

Are there any neurons that connect in the brains of the regime supporters when it comes to facing reality and posting pro regime nonsense?