SyrianGirl on Alex Jones Update on the Situation [video]
Syrian Girl
August 10, 2012
A general update on the situation in Syria
Syrian refugees flee to Lebanon [video]
PressTV
August 10, 2012
Since the outburst of subversive activities by the western foreign backed groups in Syria, over 115,000 Syrian Nationals have reportedly fled their country seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Though officials say the number of registered refugees doesn’t count those who have blended in, thus the number is not accurate. Refugees who have come to Lebanon are currently staying at crowded public schools or have set up tents in regions along the borders with Syria.
Saudi Arabia Revolution May Ruin NATO’s Syria Plans [video]
Webster G. Tarpley, Ph.D.
PressTV – Tarpley.net
August 9, 2012
Syrian PM “Defection” Another PR Stunt
PM was only in office since June 2012 – had been planning “defection” for at least as long based on battlefield before “Damascus Volcano” fizzled.
by Tony Cartalucci
August 6, 2012 – Hailed by the Western press and its impressionable readers worldwide as the “latest blow to Assad,” the departure of Syria’s Prime Minister Riad Hijab followed a mere 2 months in office. Hijab had been Syria’s agricultural minister since April of 2011, and only just recently was advanced to prime minister in June after recent elections were held in May 2012.
Image: Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab was in office for only 2 months before allegedly “defecting.” According to an aide, he had been planning his departures “for months” meaning his decision was not based on current events in Syria – events that have decidedly seen NATO’s momentum blunted after brazen terrorist attacks in Damascus and Aleppo were rolled back by a resilient Syrian Army.
According to Hijab’s aide, the “defection” was planned “for months,” indicating that Hijab had apparently made his decision either upon becoming prime minister, or even beforehand – and that his decision to do so was not based on current events unfolding in Damascus or Aleppo, but on the lay of the battlefield “months” ago.
Months ago, NATO and its militant extremist front, the so-called “Free Syrian Army,” were preparing for “Operation Damascus Volcano.” Had Hijab become aware of the operation – an operation the Syrian government clearly knew about and was preparing for – the decision to escape being targeted in the operation by quietly agreeing to defect, might have been very tempting.
Speculation aside, Hijab’s preparations to leave would have inevitably caught the attention of the Syrian government, jeopardizing his future prospects regardless of how “Operation Damascus Volcano” turned out. For Hijab, NATO and its FSA proxies failed to materialize the momentum they sought with the assassination of top Syrian officials and militant attacks on Damascus and Aleppo, meaning that the government Hijab had quietly turned against would be in power significantly longer than expected.
Additionally, the brevity of Hijab’s premiership precluded his ability to provide any meaningful tactical or operational capacity to solving Syria’s current crisis, even if he possessed the capability of doing so. His loss, for whatever reason, will ultimately be of little consequence inside Syria, and serve only a muted role in boosting morale for NATO’s terrorist front on and around the Turkish-Syrian border, and the West’s sagging, morally bankrupt propaganda campaign abroad.
Full-Scale War In Syria
SteveLendmanBlog
August 9, 2012
Former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov calls it “full-scale civil war.” It’s full-scale but not civil.
Syria’s been invaded. Civil war implies two internal warring sides. That’s very much not the case. Primakov said:
“Mercenaries and volunteers from other states are fighting (Assad) jointly with” violent internal forces. Most Syria opponents are nonviolent. They want peaceful conflict resolution. Washington has other ideas.
“President Obama has given a direct order to the CIA to support the Syrian opposition.”
“That is flagrant interference in internal affairs of a sovereign state, which does not endanger the United States or anyone else.”
“Saudi Arabia and Qatar are funding militants. Turkey is giving them active support.” So are other regional countries.
“Russia holds the only correct position,” he added. “We have a moral position: we care for life and security of millions of people and for stability of the huge and important region.”
Syria is strategically important for Moscow. Tartus is its only Mediterranean base. Protecting it is key. Assad is a valued regional ally. It’s in Russia’s interest to support him.
Moscow backed Annan’s peace plan dependent on keeping him in power and having Syrian sovereignty be respected. Its strategy also lets other global allies know it’s committed to back them if needed. Some have their own internal problems and need reassurance.
Regional economic interests are also important. Much more is involved than weapons.
Russia constructed Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility and agreed to build three more. Both countries have strategic ties. They also have other economic relations.
Russian Federation regions have additional ones. Both countries cooperate on oil and gas interests.
Russian expertise and technology helped build Syrian infrastructure. It’s also responsible for dozens of industrial facilities. It includes about one-third of its electrical power capacity, another third of its oil-related operations, and help building the Euphrates dam.
Maritime interests are important. Linking Latakia, Syria with Novorossiysk, Russia on the Black Sea facilitates cargo shipments. Gazprom has oil and gas development operations.
Both countries have nuclear energy ties. They also cooperate on other commercial, scientific, military, and environmental issues.
Russia and Syria enjoyed strategic relations for decades. Patrick Seale called Moscow Hafez Assad’s main ally. Given Washington’s regional ambitions, both countries serve each other strategically.
Greater Washington Eurasian control threatens Moscow directly. Preventing it is key. Standing firm on Syria and Iran is vital.
America infests the region with military bases. Offensive missile shield installations target Russia and China. Both countries partnered with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) alliance.
India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mongolia have observer status. Belarus and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners. Expanding the organization is planned.
SCO supports economic cooperation, peace, and national sovereignty. Member states are a potential bulwark against Washington-led NATO aggression.
On June 6 and 7, members met in Beijing. Security and economic cooperation issues were discussed. Washington’s missile shield was condemned.
Its North Africa/Eurasian militarization threatens Russia, China, Iran, and other countries. Syria is ground zero. Holding the line is vital. Odds of succeeding are uncertain. Washington doesn’t quit once strategic plans are implemented.
Assad promises to try. On August 8, SANA state media said he’s determined to defeat terrorists responsible for mass killings and atrocities.
He spoke during a meeting with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili. They met on issues affecting both countries. They agreed that resolving Syria’s crisis depends on internal solutions.
Separately, SANA reported Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi warning about:
“Plots which aim at destabilizing peace and stability in the region, instigate conflicts among the minorities and sects which lived together in peace in order to change the situations in the region.”
Salehi met with Turkish officials in Ankara. They discussed 48 Iranian visitors abducted by Syrian insurgents. At issue is ensuring their safety and release. Reportedly three were killed.
Syrian captors said one was a Russian general. They identified him as Major General Vladimir Kuzheez. Moscow’s Defense Ministry called the claim “complete lies.” An official statement added:
“The goal of broadcasting such statements is not just to cause a sensation, but a clear attempt at a slur toward the Russian Army.”
Kuzheev is very much alive. He met with journalists and dismissed reports of his death, saying:
“I want to express thanks to the media for their attention to my person….I want to confirm that I am well and alive in Moscow….I realize that this information is a provocation not only against me but against my country.”
Saudi controlled Al Arabiya broadcast a video featuring Free Syrian Army representatives claiming Kuzheev was killed. They showed what they called his photo ID identity card. It was fake.
The battle for Aleppo continues. Government forces cleared insurgents from Salaheddin. They’re gaining the upper hand. Reports are the city is surrounded.
Five Saudi and two Turkish military officers were captured. One was a Turkish general. Earlier insurgent claims about controlling most of the city were false.
They’re outmanned, outgunned, and outmaneuvered. They’re being defeated. Nonetheless, clearing them from neighborhoods takes time.
Press TV cited reports about insurgents supplied with chemical weapons. It said Turkey gave them surface-to-air Stinger missiles. They came with “thermal rockets and sophisticated weaponry.”
“More than 100 Turkish troops backed with armored vehicles and helicopters entered the Syrian border town of Cerablos in the Kurdish region of Kobani on Tuesday.”
“A spokesman for the Kurdish militias in the border towns of Kobani and Efrin accused the Turkish forces of supplying arms and ammunition to insurgents fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.”
“NBC News also reported on July 31 that nearly two dozen MANPADs (man-portable air-defense systems) have been delivered to the insurgents in Syria by Turkey.”
Rick Rozoff also said Turkey has troops in Syria. They threatened to use them to protect a site agreed to in 1921.
Ankara was guaranteed the right to station forces at the Suleyman Shah mausoleum. He’s the grandfather of Ottoman Empire founder Osman I (Osman Bey).
Turkey considers the site and surrounding area sovereign territory. A small military contingent protects it. Whether it’s a wedge for larger numbers and planned belligerency remains to be seen.
Rozoff said the site was “proclaimed a NATO outpost in Syria.” Developments ahead warrant close monitoring. Incrementally they head toward Western and/or regional intervention.
On August 6, Ron Paul warned about more war, saying:
“The administration seems determined to fight yet another war in Syria that has nothing to do with American national interests.”
“Neoconservatives have long demanded that we overthrow the Syrian government before moving on to war against Iran. This bellicosity continues regardless of which party is in the White House.”
“In Syria we see once again we see how our interventionist policies backfire and make us less secure.”
Washington has no business being involved in Syria, he added. “When will we learn our lesson and stop intervening in conflicts….having nothing to do with American national interests?”
Republican and Democrat hawks way outnumber Paul and other congressional doves. Obama heads toward war. Electoral politics dictate timing. Post-election may be planned. He and Romney are like-minded.
It doesn’t matter who wins. Both men support war. Expect it. Only its timing is unknown. Catastrophic consequences look certain.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War”
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
Kidnapping Iranian pilgrims, crime against humanity [video]
PressTV
August 8, 2012
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has called on the United Nations to act immediately to secure the release of the Iranian nationals abducted in Syria and Libya.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran calls for the immediate release of its abducted nationals and is of the view that using the hostages as human shields violates… international law and (the) human rights of these innocent civilians,” Salehi said in a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday.
“I would like to seek the cooperation and the good offices of Your Excellency for securing the release of these hostages,” he added.
A UN spokesman confirmed that the letter had been received but did not offer an immediate response.
On August 4, 48 Iranians, who were traveling on a bus from Damascus International Airport to the shrine of Hazrat Zainab (AS) on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, were abducted by insurgents. Three of the abductees have reportedly been killed. Insurgents from the self-proclaimed Free Syrian Army have threatened to kill the other abductees.
Press TV has conducted an interview with Mohsen Saleh, professor at the Lebanese University, to further discuss the issue.
Syria reportedly captures foreign military officers, UN chief won’t condemn kidnapping of Iranians
By Madison Ruppert
Editor of End the Lie
In this Tuesday, June 12, 2012 file photo, Free Syrian Army fighters sit in a house on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria. (Image credit: AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
As Syrian media is reporting the capture of military officers from foreign nations in Aleppo, the city which has a heavy presence of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) terrorist organization, the Secretary General of the United Nations is refusing to condemn the kidnapping of Iranian pilgrims in Syria.
This just highlights how laughable the United Nations is as an organization. When it suits them, they are suddenly champions of humanitarianism and human rights, just as the United States is.
Then, suddenly, when the position no longer benefits them, they quickly ignore the murder of innocent civilians at the hands of Syrian rebels. Indeed, unconfirmed reports have stated that three of the 48 Iranian pilgrims kidnapped by rebels have been killed, something which the UN doesn’t seem to care about all that much.
Keep in mind, these are the same rebels who recently carried out what is almost certainly a war crime by slaughtering detained Syrian policemen, to just name one incident.
The reports of the capture of several military officers from Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been relatively few and far between including SINA, Voice of Russia, and Press TV. Unsurprisingly, the Western mainstream media hasn’t been quick to jump on the story.
The arrests of the officers occurred during the clashes in Aleppo and come on the heels of multiple reports from various news agencies on the foreign agents present in the opposition.
For instance, on June 21, 2012, the New York Times reported that the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was directly aiding in getting arms into the hands of the terrorists in the Syrian opposition.
Then on June 22, 2012, the British Guardian reported that Saudi Arabia actually plans to fund and arm the Syrian rebels through a command center in Turkey.
On August 2, 2012, Reuters reported that Syria accused Turkey of taking a “fundamental role” in supporting terrorism by allowing insurgents to carry out attacks in Syria, further widening the gap between the two former allies.
Most noteworthy, however, came on July 27, 2012 when none other than Reuters reported that Turkey actually set up a secret base in concert with Saudi Arabia and Qatar in order to aid the opposition forces.
This is quite important because the unnamed “Doha-based source” quoted by Reuters said, “It’s the Turks who are militarily controlling it. Turkey is the main co-ordinator/facilitator. Think of a triangle, with Turkey at the top and Saudi Arabia and Qatar at the bottom.”
“The Americans are very hands-off on this. U.S. intel(ligence) are working through middlemen. Middlemen are controlling access to weapons and routes,” the anonymous source added.
The alleged activities of these nations are hardly surprising given the fact that there have long been reports of cross-border operations being run into Syria, Syria allegedly downed a Turkish jet and Qatar was running the rebel operations in Libya.
Of course, the U.S. played the same “hands-off” role in Libya, which involved bombing the country into smithereens.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s refused to outright condemn the kidnapping of Iranian pilgrims, with his spokesman Martin Nesirky saying, “I don’t have anything at the moment.”
When Iran’s Press TV asked Nesirky if Ban might be taking some action in terms of intervening before more hostages are slaughtered, he said, “I think it’s obvious that there are a number of players involved in this already and I don’t think I want to go to any more details at this point.”
The Iranians are clearly taking it much more seriously than the United Nations, with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian making some quite heated statements.
“We hold the Turkish government responsible for giving shelter to these armed groups and also if a criminal act is carried out by these groups, such as kidnapping Iranian citizens,” Abdollahian said, according to Press TV.
“We also hold the Qatari government accountable. It is worth mentioning that the US is openly supporting the armed groups with ammunition,” he added.
It will be quite interesting to see if the United Nations continues to delegitimize itself as an institution by silently watching as the rebels continue to carry out terrorist acts and potential war crimes or if they will step up and protect human life regardless of the politics behind it.
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[hat tip: The Intel Hub]
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