US begins war on Syria as early as Thursday officials say

 

The guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107)

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/27/320762/us-war-on-syria-as-early-as-thursday/

Senior American officials say the United States has planned to launch missile strikes against Syria “as early as Thursday” in order to punish Damascus over the alleged use of chemical weapons.

The unnamed officials told NBC News on Tuesday that the “three days” of strikes would be limited in scope, and aimed at “sending a message to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad rather than degrading his military capabilities.”

On Monday night, four US warships were deployed in the Mediterranean within cruise missile range of Syria.

American defense officials said if the US wants to send a message to Assad, the most likely military action would be a Tomahawk missile strike, launched from a ship in the Mediterranean.

The US military has beefed up equipment during the past weeks. Several nuclear-powered submarines are reportedly in the water near Syria, also cruise-missile equipped.

The report came one day after US Secretary of State John Kerry accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem on Tuesday accused Kerry of lying about the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, challenging Washington and its allies to provide evidence.

This is while the UN inspectors are still in Syria to investigate the chemical weapons attacks and they are not scheduled to leave the country until Sunday.

Russia and China have both warned against a US-led military intervention in Syria. Moscow says a military action would have "catastrophic consequences" for the entire region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told British Prime Minister David Cameron in a telephone call Monday that there was no evidence that an attack had taken place or who was responsible.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Monday that the use of force without a U.N. mandate would violate international law.
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West, Arab leaders reach ‘consensus’ on Syria attack

 

 

The British Royal Navy's helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious is deployed to the Mediterranean, on August 25, 2013

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/27/320745/west-arabs-reach-consensus-on-syria/

Western and Arab military leaders have reached a “consensus” on military intervention in Syria over accusations that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons, a Jordanian security official told German news agency, DPA.

“It was decided that should the international community be forced to act in Syria, the most responsible and sustainable response would be limited missile strikes,” the official said on condition of anonymity on Tuesday following a meeting held in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

The military leaders led by Chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey agreed to prepare for the strike as early as this week, the official added.

Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said UK armed forces are devising contingency plans for military action against the Arab country over the alleged use of chemical weapons.

The UK has been reportedly sending warplanes and military transporters to its airbase in Cyprus, situated near Syria.

US defense officials also say several navy destroyers have been deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean to be used against Syria upon an order of President Barack Obama.

“[The destroyers] are in position if needed, but they, to my knowledge, have received no tasking to this point, and that would come obviously from the White House,” an American military official said on condition of anonymity.

 

On August 21, the militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed that 1,300 people had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.

However, the Syrian government categorically rejected the baseless claim, and announced later that the chemical attack had been actually carried out by the militants themselves as a false flag operation.

Damascus later allowed UN chemical weapons inspectors to the site of the chemical weapons attack near the Syrian capital on Monday, when they began taking samples from the victims.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the outbreak of the violence.

------------------------------------------------

 

Iran warns against military intervention in Syria

 

 

This file photo shows Takfiri militants operating in Syria

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/27/320733/iran-warns-against-attack-on-syria/

 

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has warned against the dire consequences of a potential foreign military intervention in Syria.

 

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Araqchi said a potential military offensive against Syria will entail dangerous and dire consequences, which will impact the whole Middle East.

The Iranian official also censured Western countries for their double standards regarding the ongoing crisis in Syria, saying, “Wherever the terrorists serve Western interests, they (Western powers) support these groups.”

Araqchi said there are documents indicating that the Takfiri militants in Syria had carried out the recent chemical attacks in the country.

The Russian government has presented the documents to the United Nations Security Council, he said.

On August 23, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Pentagon was positioning military forces as part of “contingency options” provided to US President Barack Obama regarding Syria.

Hagel made the comments after the militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed on August 21 that 1,300 people had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.

However, Damascus categorically rejected the baseless claim, and announced later that the chemical attack had actually been carried out by the militants themselves as a false flag operation.

Araqchi said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a victim of chemical arms, condemns the use of such weapons by any side.”

Visits by Omani leader and UN official to Iran

Commenting on the recent visit by Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Araqchi said Tehran and Muscat discussed the expansion of bilateral ties and cooperation in the fields of energy, economy and culture during the trip.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed any connection between the Omani ruler’s trip to Tehran and that of UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, saying the two visits had different goals.

The Omani ruler arrived in Tehran at the head of a high-ranking delegation on a three-day official visit on Sunday as the first head of state to visit Iran since President Hassan Rouhani took office on August 4, 2013.

Feltman also visited Tehran on Monday to discuss regional issues, including the crisis in Syria, with Iranian officials.

Iran-Britain relations

Responding to a question regarding the possibility of the resumption of Iran-UK ties, Araqchi reiterated that reestablishing the relations between the two countries required time and expert negotiations.

He further emphasized that it must become evident that the British approach toward Iran has been changed.

Even under such circumstances, the resumption of the ties must be decided by Iran's Majlis, the foreign ministry spokesman added.

Nuclear negotiations

Araqchi said Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has made it clear that no one is to retreat from the rights of the Iranian nation with respect to the country’s nuclear energy program.

“What is important,” he said, “is entering the negotiations with new approaches, based on a win-win interaction that would result in acceptable outcomes for the Iranian nation.”

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Obama reportedly considering two-day strike on Syria

 

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/usa/us-syria-strike-chemical-060/

 

White House officials say the United States may launch a limited military strike on Syria as early as this Thursday as the intelligence community prepares to release a report justifying action and allies are rallied.

Senior officials in the Obama administration told the Washington Post for an article published on Tuesday that the White House is weighing a limited strike on Syria and said on condition of anonymity that “We’re actively looking at the various legal angles that would inform a decision.”

According to the Post, the likely response from Washington would be a sea-to-land strike from the Mediterranean that would last no longer than two days and would not be directed towards targets where the chemical weapons arsenal is believed to be stored.

But while an attack is all but imminent and will likely be launched from warships already mobilized in the Mediterranean by the week’s end, public support in the US has teetered towards nil as of late. The Obama administration says there is undeniable proof that chemical weapons were used on civilians outside of Damascus on August 21, but a five-day-long Reuters poll taken during that time concluded only nine percent of Americans favor intervention.
 

 

An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube on August 26, 2013 allegedly shows a UN inspectors (C) visiting a hospital in the Damascus suburb of Moadamiyet al-Sham. (AFP Photo)

 

Notwithstanding that lack of support, US Secretary of State John Kerry hinted Monday at a response which will jolt Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and ideally worsen the odds that his regime will implement chemical warheads again.

Despite insistence from Assad and allies in Russia that the Syrian government is not guilty of using chemical weapons, Sec. Kerry said during a press conference on Monday that “our understanding of what has already happened in Syria is grounded in facts, informed by conscious and guided by common sense.” Kerry called Assad’s reported attempt to cover-up the alleged use of chemical weapons “cynical” and said, “President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world’s heinous weapons against the world’s most vulnerable people.”

One day earlier, Sec. Kerry admitted that Pres. Obama was considering his options with regards to a strike and was to meet with lawmakers in Congress as well as with international leaders. According to the Post article, however, the president may forego getting approval from Capitol Hill and will instead rely on striking Syria due to “undeniable,” as the White House puts it, war crimes.

“The administration has said that it will follow international law in shaping its response,” Karen DeYoung and Anne Gearan wrote for the Post, adding, “But much of international law is untested, and administration lawyers are also examining possible legal justifications based on a violation of international prohibitions on chemical weapons use, or on an appeal for assistance from a neighboring nation such as Turkey.” Additionally, the US has already received assurance of support from Britain, France and Turkey.
 

 

(FILE PHOTO) The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) (L) and the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) transiting the Strait of Gibraltar on their way to the Mediterranean Sea. (AFP Photo / Jamie Cosby)

 

According to senior administration officials who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity, Pres. Obama met with his national security team this past weekend and has ordered that a declassified intelligence report showing the rationale for any attack on Syria be released before it occurs.

While only nine percent of the respondents polled in the Reuters survey between August 19 and 23 said they want the White House to respond to Assad’s reported use of chemical weapons immediately, 25 percent said they would favor intervention if the US concludes with certainty that those warheads were illegally used. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from earlier in the month found that 30.2 percent of Americans would support intervention if Assad is linked to using chemical weapons.

Sec. Kerry said the indiscriminate slaughter of women and children apparently being carried out by the Assad regime constitutes a “moral obscenity.”


 

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Egypt must now throw off Zionist yoke: Analyst

 

Egyptians protest against ousted President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo’s landmark Liberation square. (File photo)

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/07/04/312253/egypt-must-now-throw-off-zionist-yoke/

A political analyst says Egypt must rid itself of the domination of the Zionist regime of Israel, which has been plaguing the Middle East, or it will face secession and be lost, Press TV reports.

In an article published on Press TV website on Thursday, co-founder of the Global Justice Movement, Rodney Shakespeare, said Egyptians are well aware that their overthrow of the Western-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak did not result in a genuine revolution as it failed to end Western and Zionist control, which continued under Mohamed Morsi in a different form.

“Egypt must express the will of millions in the Middle East or it will continue to be controlled and crushed. It must throw off the Zionist yoke or it will be forever unable to resist the expansion of the Zionist entity into the lands of others,” Shakespeare wrote in his article.

He further warned Egypt against the sectarian plots by Israel, the US, and their regional allies in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Shakespeare also cautioned that Egyptians’ failure in moving forward in a democratic course will put them under permanent control of "Western finance capitalism."

The expert called on the Egyptian nation to build a democratic future for their country and limit the role of the military so that their 2011 revolution that toppled Mubarak would not go to waste.

Shakespeare questioned the army’s motives in overthrowing Morsi and warned against the “illusion that the Egyptian Army has suddenly become a genuine force for democracy and anti-Zionism,” stressing that the Egyptian armed forces receive a large sum of money from the United States and remain in control of about one quarter of the country’s economy.

He further called on Egypt to establish new economic and political alliances with the Non-aligned Movement nations instead of the US and its allies, fully open the Rafah border crossing into the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, and clearly reject support for the foreign-backed militants and Takfiri extremists in Syria.

The economics professor also insisted that Egypt must make a landmark decision and establish a genuinely independent national bank in an open rejection of the International Monetary Fund, which he said was to blame for putting Egypt into permanent debt and pushing the country deeper into poverty.

Shakespeare finally called on Egyptian politicians to avoid narrow party politics that is concerned with the economic interests of only one section of the society.

"It [Egypt] must proclaim that everybody’s economic interest, although it may take time, will be promoted,” he said


 

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Brzezinski: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, their western allies orchestrated Syria crisis

Last Update: July 02 - 2013 5:00 PM EST

 

Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former US national security adviser

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/06/29/311339/ksa-qatar-orchestrated-syria-crisis/

The former US national security adviser says the ongoing crisis in Syria has been orchestrated by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and their western allies.

“In late 2011 there are outbreaks in Syria produced by a drought and abetted by two well-known autocracies in the Middle East: Qatar and Saudi Arabia,” Zbigniew Brzezinski said in an interview with The National Interest on June 24.

He added that US President Barack Obama also supported the unrest in Syria and suddenly announced that President Bashar al-Assad “has to go -- without, apparently, any real preparation for making that happen.”

“Then in the spring of 2012, the election year here, the CIA under General Petraeus, according to The New York Times of March 24th of this year, a very revealing article, mounts a large-scale effort to assist the Qataris and the Saudis and link them somehow with the Turks in that effort,” said Brzezinski, who was former White House national security adviser under Jimmy Carter and now a counselor and trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a senior research professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Criticizing the Obama administration’s policies regarding Syria, he questioned, “Was this a strategic position? Why did we all of a sudden decide that Syria had to be destabilized and its government overthrown? Had it ever been explained to the American people? Then in the latter part of 2012, especially after the elections, the tide of conflict turns somewhat against the rebels. And it becomes clear that not all of those rebels are all that ‘democratic.’ And so the whole policy begins to be reconsidered.”

“I think these things need to be clarified so that one can have a more insightful understanding of what exactly US policy was aiming at,” Brzezinski added.

He also called on US officials to push much more urgently to draw in China, Russia and other regional powers to reach some kind of peaceful end to the Syrian crisis.

“I think if we tackle the issue alone with the Russians, which I think has to be done because they’re involved partially, and if we do it relying primarily on the former colonial powers in the region-France and Great Britain, who are really hated in the region-the chances of success are not as high as if we do engage in it, somehow, with China, India and Japan, which have a stake in a more stable Middle East,” Brzezinski said.

Brzezinski also warned again any US-led military intervention in Syria or arming the militants fighting government forces there.

“I’m afraid that we’re headed toward an ineffective American intervention, which is even worse. There are circumstances in which intervention is not the best but also not the worst of all outcomes. But what you are talking about means increasing our aid to the least effective of the forces opposing Assad. So at best, it’s simply damaging to our credibility. At worst, it hastens the victory of groups that are much more hostile to us than Assad ever was. I still do not understand why -- and that refers to my first answer -- why we concluded somewhere back in 2011 or 2012 -- an election year, incidentally that Assad should go.”

Foreign-sponsored militancy in Syria, which erupted in March 2011, has claimed the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.

the New York Times said in a recent report the CIA was cooperating with Turkey and a number of other regional governments to supply arms to militants fighting the government in Syria.

The report comes as the US has repeatedly voiced concern over weapons falling into the hands of al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups.

Al-Nusra Front was named a terrorist organization by Washington last December, even though it has been fighting with the US-backed so-called Free Syrian Army in its battle against Damascus.
------------------------------------

Update: July 02 - 2013 5:00 PM EST

Zbigniew Brzezinski on Syria

Video Source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPiZF0RGwv8

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Israeli warplanes bombed research center near Damascus - Syrian military

An Israeli F-15 fighter jet (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/israeli-warplanes-bomb-damascus-114/

Israeli fighter jets targeted a military research center near Damascus early on Wednesday morning, Syrian state news agency SANA said citing army officials.

The Syrian army’s general command has issued a statement, saying an air strike was launched by the IAF targeting a military research center in Jamraya, rural Damascus.­

“Israeli fighter jets violated our air space at dawn today and carried out a direct strike on a scientific research center in charge of raising our level of resistance and self-defence,” the army statement said as cited by SANA.

The strike caused material damage to the center and a nearby building, killing two workers and wounding five others, the statement added.

The Israeli military has neither confirmed nor denied the reports of attacks on Syrian territory, an IDF spokeswoman said they “do not comment on reports of this kind.”

Earlier there were reports in the media of an attack by Israeli jets on Wednesday morning striking a target on the Syrian-Lebanese border amid repeated violations of Lebanese airspace. A US government official has confirmed reports that Israeli warplanes targeted a convoy headed from Syria to Lebanon, the Associated Press says.

The Syrian military however has denied this, saying there was no Israeli strike on a convoy of trucks on its border. It called the strike a “blatant act of aggression” against Syria and accused Israel of supporting terrorist activity in the country.

It is unclear whether this is the same air raid the Syrian military is now referring to or if there were two separate assaults.

­Although it has not yet been confirmed whether an air strike indeed targeted a military site near Damascus, experts believe that after months of constant rebel attacks on Syrian air defence systems an air strike would make sense.

“It finally makes sense because the rebels or as they like to call themselves the revolutionaries, they have been attacking air defence bases near Damascus for the past seven months,” Dr Ali Mohamad, editor in chief of the Syria Tribune news website told RT. “They’ve managed to attack the S-200 base and over four SM-2 and SM-3 bases. Now this followed by an air strike from Israel. So it all adds up, it makes sense. It only shows that Israel has a great interest in the instability in Syria and that it is being helped by groups of armed rebels in Syria."

 

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EU follows Italy’s move to recognize Syrian opposition coalition

 

French President Francois Hollande and Foreign Affairs minister Laurent Fabius pose with Syrian opposition coalition members. France was the first European country to recognize the coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. (AFP Photo / Kenzo Tribouillard)

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/syria-opposition-eu-representative-099/

Italy has recognized Syria’s National Coalition as the "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people. The EU has followed that lead declaring the newly formed political body as the only representative of the “aspirations of the Syrian people.”

"We have recognized the coalition that brings together the various opposition groups as legitimate representatives of the Syrian people," Italian Prime Minister, Mario Monti told reporters in Doha on Monday.

The Syrian National Coalition was formed on 11 November when the country’s disparate opposition leaders met in Doha. The body replaced Syrian National Council which had been criticized for being ineffective.

The Foreign ministers of 27 EU nations said the agreement reached in Qatar is a major step towards the necessary unification of the Syrian opposition.

The ministers urged the coalition to continue to respect human rights and democracy and to work with all opposition groups and sections of Syrian society. The statement also said that the EU was “ready” to support coalition relations with the international community.

"I think we will invite the Coalition leaders to our next meeting (in December) to allow them to talk to all the foreign ministers, which will be highly symbolic," said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

Last week France was the first European country to recognize the coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people and a future democratic government. The newly formed coalition has also been recognized by the Gulf Cooperation Council and Turkey.

Earlier this month Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron suggested lifting the 2011 EU arms embargo against all sides in the Syrian conflict. This would allow Western countries to help the opposition in its fight against President Assad.

According to different estimates, the conflict that has been unfolding in Syria since March 2011 has already claimed between 28,000 and 40,000 lives.

 

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100 members of Egypts assembly quit

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/19/273188/100-members-of-egypts-assembly-quit/

Despite a road map that sets December as the deadline for the constituent assembly to be finished with Egypt's new constitution, it seems the 100 man assembly is quickly crumbling away.

Various significant withdrawals have been taking place from the assembly including Representatives of Egypt's 3 churches and AL Wafd, Egypt's oldest liberal party.

After the presser, Amr Moussa, Former Presidential candidate explained to Press TV their reasons of withdrawal from the assembly.

The withdrawals are happening after months of anger and dismay with the make up of the assembly, sidelining some political affiliations as well as minorities.

Politicians said that the draft document is catastrophic and more limiting to personal freedoms in comparison to the previous constitution written in 1971, what they believe is totally against the aspirations of the January 25 uprising

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Qatari emir’s visit to Gaza aimed at locating Hamas leaders - Report

 

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani waves to the crowd as he arrives in the Gaza Strip on October 23, 2012

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/17/272801/qatar-emir-located-hamas-cmdrs/

Qatar’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has reportedly located the whereabouts of senior Hamas members during his recent visit to the Gaza Strip, and later provided Israel with the information to assassinate them.

According to a report published by the Fars news agency, the emir of Qatar distributed a number of watches and ballpoint pens among Hamas leaders, which could transmit low-frequency signals to Israeli satellites.

The Israeli military officials would then use the received signals to spot the high-ranking Hamas fighters, and launch assassination strikes on them.

Sheikh Hamad arrived in Gaza on October 23 to become the first head of state to visit the besieged enclave since the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, took power in the territory five years ago.

Qatar’s emir has met Israeli leaders in the past, and is working hard to boost the diplomatic clout of his small Persian Gulf country.

Gaza has been blockaded by the Israeli regime since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.

The Israeli military frequently carries out airstrikes and other attacks on Gaza Strip, saying the actions are being conducted for defensive purposes. However, disproportionate force is always used, in violation of international law, and civilians are often killed or injured.

The new wave of Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has claimed more than 41 lives since November 14. Ahmed al-Ja'abari, the popular and influential head of the Hamas military wing, the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades, was assassinated in an Israeli attack on his car on Wednesday.

On Friday, Ahmed Abu Jalal, a field commander of the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades, was also killed in an Israeli airstrike on the central Gaza district of Maghazi.

 

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France recognizes Syrian opposition coalition

Video Link: Russia Today - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3896i8coaZE

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/france-syria-opposition-coalition-619/

France is the first of the European countries to fully recognize the Syrian opposition coalition as the "sole legitimate representative" of the Syrian people. Meanwhile the US calls it “a legitimate representative" but is yet to fully recognize it.

"I announce today that France recognizes the Syrian national coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people and as the future government of a democratic Syria which will allow for an end to Bashar al-Assad's regime," President Hollande told a news conference in Paris.

On Sunday in Doha, Syrian opposition groups finally agreed to create a new leadership body united against President Bashar Assad. The coalition emerged after days of talks sponsored by foreign governments pushing for regime change in the embattled nation.

The US has also recognized the National Coalition of Forces of the Syrian Revolution and Opposition as “a legitimate representative” of the Syrian people but stopped short of describing it as the "sole" representative. Washington stressed that the nascent group must first demonstrate its ability to represent Syrians inside the country.

"We look forward to supporting the national coalition as it charts a course for the end of Assad's bloody rule, and marks the start, we believe, of a peaceful, just and democratic future for the people of Syria," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Hollande also said he would reconsider the question of arming the opposition.

“On the question of weapons deliveries, France has not supported the initiative as it has been unclear who would ultimately receive the weapons. As soon as there is a legitimate government formed by the coalition in Syria, France will once again look at this question,” he said.

France was also the first country to recognize the Libyan transitional government after the civil war which toppled Gaddafi.

The Arab League, however, has fallen short of giving full recognition. Both Iraq and Algeria have expressed reservations. The Arab League countries that have recognized the new coalition include, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, countries which have been called a US-led ‘puppet group’ by some political commentators.

The umbrella organization, called the National Coalition for Opposition Forces and the Syrian Revolution, will be made up of rebel groups in and outside Syria.

The Syrian opposition hopes that the formation of a more unified body will attract donations from the West and the Arab League, who have both bemoaned the lack of unity among Syrian rebels.

But Franklyn Lamb, an investigative journalist based in Beirut, told RT that the agreement reached by Syrian rebels was weak and they were pushed into an agreement by western powers.

“The reason that we have this tissue paper agreement was because of all the pressure that was put on them; they had to do something,” Lamb said.

The Syrian National Council (SNC), which is the main opposition group within the National Coalition for Opposition Forces, criticized the international community for its inaction, saying that fighters were in desperate need of weapons to break the stalemate with Assad’s forces.

Until the Doha agreement the SNC had refused to fully cooperate with other groups which make up Syria’s disparate opposition but its leader George Sabra, yielded to international pressure and signed an agreement with Moaz Khatib, the leader of the new coalition, which effectively relinquished control of the SNC to the new body.

France was also the first country to recognize the Libyan transitional government, during the civil war which toppled Gaddafi. Since Gaddafi was hunted down and murdered Libya has been in chaos with the government unable to reign-in the various militias, which still control parts of the country.

 

Syrian Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib (L), the newly elected leader of National Coalition for Opposition Forces, walks inside the Arab League headquarters after a meeting on Syria in Cairo on November 12, 2012. (AFP Photo / Khaled Desouki)

 

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Newly formed Syrian opposition bloc calls for specialized weapons

 

Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/13/272026/syrian-opposition-bloc-calls-for-weapons/

The leader of the newly-formed Syrian opposition bloc, known as the National Coalition, has called on world powers to arm insurgents with "specialized weapons".

Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib said on Tuesday that insurgent groups fighting against the Syrian government are in desperate need of arms, AFP reported.

"We need specialized weapons," he said in Cairo without specifying the nature of the arms.

He also urged the European Union to recognize their group and provide them with financial support.

Khatib was elected as the head of the so-called National Coalition Forces of the Syrian Revolution on Sunday after opposition groups signed an initial unity agreement to form a new leadership against President Bashar al-Assad's government after four days of talks in Doha.

The Arab League and six Persian Gulf Arab states have so far recognized the newly-formed bloc as the Syrian people's legitimate representative. The EU and US have also declared support for the opposition bloc, but fell short of recognizing it.

On Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged world powers to recognize the newly-formed opposition bloc.

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Syria without Assad will turn into Salafis terror hub: Analyst

 

Members of the terrorist Free Syrian Army (file Photo)

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/11/271548/syria-salafis-terror-hub-without-assad/

A political analyst warns that if the Salafi-Jihadists fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad take control of Syria, the Arab country will turn into a “breeding ground” for terrorism in the region.

“Syria without Bashar Assad would mean a country in the hands of the Salafi-Jihadists who will undoubtedly turn the country into a graveyard for the Alawites and the moderate Sunnis and a breeding ground for terrorism and extremism in the region,” Iranian academic Dr. Ismail Salami wrote in an article published on Press TV's website.

“The fact is that the al-Qaeda-affiliated Salafi-Jihadists have already swarmed into the country and are already fighting against Bashar Assad’s government,” he added.

Referring to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s call on his followers to fight against Assad last February, Salami said, “The grand plan is to turn Syria into a safe haven for the Salafis.”

In a two-hour video released on Jihadists websites in October, Zawahiri repeated his call and said, “I incite Muslims everywhere, especially in the countries that are contiguous to Syria, to rise up to support their brothers in Syria with all what they can and not to spare anything that they can offer.”

The analyst said videos of Salafi-Jihadists beheading Syrian troops and civilians in cold blood have caused outrage among humanitarian organizations which have condemned the attacks as “war crimes.”

“This shocking footage depicts a potential war crime in progress, and demonstrates an utter disregard for international humanitarian law by the armed group in question,” Amnesty International said.

Salami added that the Middle East region is being “systematically and consciously devoured by an act of extremism funded and promoted by Washington and some Arab regimes.”

"Without envisaging any foreign intervention and the domino effect it will have on the region and on the world as President Bashar Assad predicts, Syria is being eroded from within and without by different forces which have mobilized despite the rift in their ideologies but each with a unique agenda," Salami added.

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UK PM deals out diplomacy and fighter jets in the Gulf

 

Eurofighter typhoon fighter jets (Reuters/Darren Staples)

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/uk-deal-saudi-arabia-987/

PM Cameron has begun a diplomatic tour to patch up relations with the Gulf with a billion-dollar arms deal on the cards. He has minimized press coverage of the trip amidst accusations Britain is arming countries with debatable human rights records.

During the tour Cameron will seek to revive relations with both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where the UK has significant business interests in the oil industry. In addition, Britain will also seek to peddle 100 Typhoon fighter jets to both nations in a deal worth a potential US$10 billion.

The UK PM faces stiff competition, with French President Francois Holland also in the region to sell defense equipment.

Despite the minimized press presence accompanying the PM, Downing Street has said they are in no way trying to hush up coverage.

"This is not a secretive trip in any shape or form. We have the media traveling on the plane with the prime minister – they will have access to the events he is doing in country,” said a Downing Street spokesperson.

The British government has stated that the motive behind the trip is “to work together with the Gulf countries towards a future that is rich in prosperity, strong in defense and open in its handling and pursuit of political and economic reform.”

However, in the wake of the Arab Spring, ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been put under strain with both countries being targeted for their questionable human rights policies and authoritarian governments.

The UK’s significant financial dealings with the region, worth around $27 billion according to UK newspaper The Guardian, are also on the rocks. Saudi Arabia has warned that if the UK shows support for anti-regime groups pushing for government reform it will begin courting Asian markets with lucrative trade deals.

The UK government has come under increasing pressure from human rights groups to use its influence with UAE and Saudi Arabia to push for reform. Nevertheless, Britain has been reluctant to vocalize any criticism for fear of endangering economic ties with the Gulf nations.
­

Saudi Arabia ‘insulted’ by UK

The trip comes after Saudi representative said that they felt insulted by a UK parliamentary review of relations with Saudi Arabia and its neighbor Bahrain, which has been undergoing significant social upheaval against the country’s Sunni monarchy.

Enraged Saudi officials told the BBC that they were "re-evaluating their country's historic relations with Britain,” adding they would rule nothing out.

The parliamentary inquiry followed a report on the Arab Spring which said that the UK should "support peaceful reform efforts where possible in Bahrain," but that it "must also be clear in its public criticism of human rights violations there if it is to avoid charges of hypocrisy."

Saudi Arabia has shown open support for Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy, lending 1,000 troops last year to quash a pro-democracy movement.

The Saudi Arabian monarchy implicates Iran in having a hand in the unrest currently engulfing Bahrain and also accuses it of triggering a Shiite uprising on its own territory.

The currently international nuclear conflict with Iran is also expected to be high on the agenda during Cameron’s visit. In the case of a severe deterioration in relations with Tehran, British media have speculated the UK might base fighter jets in the UAE for a possible strike on the country.

The US, along with other Western countries, has accused Tehran of enriching uranium for the purposes of building nuclear weapons and have sought to allay progress by slamming sanctions on Iran.

Iran, for its part, maintains its atomic research is purely for civilians ends and denies claims it is developing weapons.

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West supports Qatar plan to unify terrorist Syrian opposition

 

An insurgent keeps an eye out for Syrian government forces in the Karmel al-Jabl district of Aleppo city on October 31, 2012.

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/03/270183/west-backs-new-syria-opposition-plan/

The US, Britain and other western states have backed a Qatari plan that seeks creation of a consistent Syrian opposition that would engage in talks with Damascus government, or provide greater arms supports to insurgents if negotiations fail.

The plan, due to be formally introduced in Qatar’s capital city of Doha on November 8, will unify foreign-based Syrian opposition groups with armed groups fighting on the ground, the Guardian reported on Friday.

A blueprint for the plan, known as the Syrian National Initiative, is outlined in a document put forward by Riad Seif, a Syrian dissident driving the council’s formation.

The Doha initiative has been organized by the Qatari government, and the US, Britain and France have already thrown weight behind it.

Russia, however, opposes the plan, stating that it violates earlier international agreements that seek formation of a new Syrian government by "mutual consent" of parties involved in the conflict.

The Istanbul-based Syrian National Council (SNC), the leadership of the main opposition group, also dismissed the plan, arguing that it attempts to mitigate SNC influence.

Washington's decision to shift support away from the SNC and swing it behind the Doha initiative comes as US officials are deeply frustrated over the exile group's failure to incorporate all internal and external factions of the Syrian opposition.

"We've made it clear that the SNC can no longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition," the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said on October 31.

"They can be part of a larger opposition, but that opposition must include people from inside Syria and others who have a legitimate voice that needs to be heard," she pointed out.

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Violent Syria video footage: UN warns of possible rebel war crimes (GRAPHIC VIDEO)

YouTube video screenshot showing rebel fighters

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/syria-rebel-video-crime-874/

Video footage has emerged from Syria allegedly showing rebel fighters beating and kicking surrendered soldiers before shooting them dead. The UN says that if the killings are confirmed, the acts constitute a war crime.

The killings took place on Thursday, during an assault by rebels in the northern town of Saraqeb – which has been the scene of heavy fighting between rebels and government forces in past weeks, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. However, the video cannot be independently verified.

Rebels are now in full control of the town, after regime troops pulled back during Thursday's fighting, the observatory said.

The YouTube video, shows around ten armed men in what looks to be a building under construction.

In the footage they surround a group of captured men on the ground, some of whom are in Syrian military uniforms. Some of the men are lying on their stomachs, while others are sprawled out as if they are injured.

One of the men can be heard saying, “These are Assad’s dogs,” in the background. Another says, “Damn you,” as the gunmen kick and beat some of the men.

Seconds later, screaming is heard simultaneously with gunfire, which erupts for about 35 seconds. The men on the floor are seen twitching and shaking, presumably from being shot.

“I’m not sure of the identity of these people, but this is a war crime in any event. Shooting people after they surrender and especially if they are army people is a war crime in law – both domestic and international – and I think this should be viewed in that light,” President of the Arab Lawyers Association, Sabah al-Mukhtar, told RT.

Amnesty International and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights say they are trying to confirm the video’s authenticity and determine the identity of those responsible.

“The allegations are that these were soldiers who were no longer combatants and therefore, at this point, it looks very like a war crime,” spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, said in a statement.

Even the country’s main opposition group, the Syrian National Council (SNC), says that if rebel fighters are indeed responsible for the execution, then they should be held accountable for their actions.

“We urge the (rebel) Free Syrian Army and the revolutionary movement on the ground to hold to account anyone who violates human rights,” SNC human rights committee head Radif Mustafa told AFP.

But if the gunmen are identified, many have little hope that the guilty parties will ever be brought to justice.

“The western world which created the International Court of Justice doesn’t want it to operate except when they want it to. It didn’t happen in Libya, it didn’t happen in the crimes that were committed in Iraq or Afghanistan, and it’s not likely to happen in Syria because most of these campaigns are being backed by western powers, in particular NATO, the USA, and France,” al Mukhtar said.

What’s worse is that this is not the first report of human rights abuses committed by armed rebels.

“Every day, these so-called rebels supported by NATO and the GCC countries are performing killings of this type. In this case, [the men] are being shot by guns but in other cases, they kill them with knives, slitting their throats and performing unspeakable acts on some of their prisoners. This form of brutality is part of the mentality of these rebels…they are anti-humanistic,” political analyst Dr. Ibrahim Alloush told RT.

Washington’s ongoing support of Syrian rebels

The video comes just after Washington called for a re-shaping of the opposition’s leadership so it could better represent those fighting on the frontlines.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made clear that the SNC should no longer play a large role in the opposition’s leadership.

The Syrian opposition is composed of a variety of rebel groups, some of which have reportedly been infiltrated by Al-Qaeda linked radical Islamists. The opposition has been largely criticized for its lack of organization and unity.

Clinton went on to say that the Obama administration is suggesting names and organizations that should feature in the new rebel leadership that is to come from a four-day conference in Doha, Qatar, starting on Sunday.

As Washington continues to support the rebel opposition, professor and political analyst Joseph Cheng says such support will only encourage more violence.

“It’s likely we’ll see more violence because it appears the American government is indicating it will support those groups which have been proven most effective in fighting the pro-government forces,” he told RT.

China’s peace plan to be rejected by US?

Just one day after Clinton’s speech supporting the rebel opposition, China unveiled its own four-point peace plan for Syria. The proposal calls for a ceasefire in stages and a political transition.

The details of the plan have been deemed vague, it most likely won’t involve Assad stepping down – which is what the US wants. China has been against a one-sided approach since the uprising began in March 2011.

Editor of the Corbett Report, James Corbett, says it’s the only real peace plan on the table – but that Washington won’t even consider approving it.

“It’s a political non starter in Washington…the US is keen to see that Assad stepping down is part of any proposal and they’re not going to accept anything short of that. So I think they’re content to watch these atrocities and murders and executions and tortures pile up in the name of trying to get rid of Assad. And unfortunately the only real peace plan on the table at the moment isn’t even being considered seriously by Washington,” he told RT.

 

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Syrian opposition rejects US meddling

AFP Photo / HO / Shaam News Network

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/syria-opposition-reject-us-791/

Members of the Syrian opposition have given an icy response to Washington’s calls to revamp the movement’s leadership, slamming it for attempting to dictate its will on Syrians.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for a re-shaping of the Syrian opposition's leadership adding that the Obama administration was suggesting names and organizations that should be included in the new leadership that may emerge in the talks held next week in Qatar.

“This direct tutelage and these dictates are not acceptable to the Syrian people anymore,'' said Zuhair Salem, the London-based spokesman for Syria's banned Muslim Brotherhood opposition group, which is a part of the Syrian National Council, AP reports.

Clinton was also dismissive of the Syrian National Council (SNC) holding a leading role, saying that the Paris-based group of exiled regime opponents does not represent those fighting on the ground in Syria.

Syria has various militias fighting Assad, many of which have reportedly been infiltrated by radical Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda.

According to Salem, Clinton's remarks show that Washington wishes to “tailor the Syrian opposition to specific demands.''

American criticism of the SNC reflects a growing sense that Washington has grown disillusioned with the group, for failing to gain support from numerous rebel factions. But despite US efforts to forge a new united opposition, one ready to cooperate with the West, many remain skeptical.

A defected Syrian army general, Faiz Amru, told AP that any transitional government or body created abroad, cannot possibly represent those dying in Syria. “Everyone is trying to push their own agendas,'' he said. “The big powers have hijacked the Syrian revolution.''

Amru claimed that none of the opposition groups really care about fighters on the ground.

Meanwhile violence continues to ravage Syria with at least 153 people – civilians, soldiers and rebels – killed in one day, according to activists.

Rebel forces are reported to have killed at least 78 soldiers on Thursday. About a half of them were killed in attacks on military checkpoints in the north of the country that followed a wave of bombings in the Damascus area earlier in the day.

Also a YouTube video showing rebels executing soldiers appeared on Thursday – though its authenticity could not be verified. It appeared to show rebels beating about 10 soldiers before lining them on the ground and executing them with automatic rifles.

Amnesty International slammed the summary execution of security forces that have allegedly happened in Idlib.

Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director said in a statement, "This shocking footage depicts a potential war crime in progress and demonstrates an utter disregard for international humanitarian law by the armed group in question."

Adrian Salbuchi, an international consultant and author, believes the revamp of the Syrian opposition proposed by Clinton will lead to even further violence.

“What we are going to see is even more violence in Syria because in the case of Syria, Obama for example had specifically said ‘Assad must go.’, Mitt Romney has said that he would be giving anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to the so called ‘opposition,’ the guerilla opposition, the terrorist opposition. Secretary of State Clinton has said the same,” he told RT.

Salbuchi claims that the US needs Damascus to fall quickly, to pave the way for an attack on Iran.

“What they need is to have overall turmoil throughout Syria. Let’s not forget that the road to Iran from the American point of view goes through Damascus. So they need Syria to fall quickly before the Israelis go ahead and unilaterally attack Iran.

 

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US defeat in Syria would be end of US hegemony in Middle East

AFP Photo / John Cantlie

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/syria-us-strategy-fail-783/

The United States is doing everything possible to salvage 'operation Syria' and in doing so hedging all their bets on its success, says Eric Draitser, geopolitical analyst from stopimperialism.com. But that strategy, Draitser believes, will fail.

­Earlier, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US no longer sees Syria’s foreign-based National Council as a leading opposition force, due to its lack of support on the ground.

The Syrian opposition consists of various rebel militias, many of which have been infiltrated by radical Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda.

A new 51 member "National Initiative Council" is due to be unveiled in Doha next week, and will include only 15 seats for the SNC.

Meanwhile, the SNC is planning to base itself inside Syria, in an attempt to prove its relevance to skeptical international backers. But as Eric Draitser told RT, these efforts may be too little too late to fit into US plans for the region.

RT:Washington's already suggesting names to represent a new opposition leadership, with the Syrian National Council to have just a few seats – why this shift now?

Eric Draitser: First and foremost I think it represents the manufactured nature of the opposition or at least the political opposition that we see in the public sphere. The Syrian national council and other leadership there, they never had any legitimacy among the Syrian people. They merely had legitimacy within the ruling class circles of the west. But what’s happened in recent months as the offensive from the Syrian military has developed, is that they have no real backing on the ground – that is to say the manufactured opposition. And so the United States, in their imperialist project to destroy the independent nation of Syria, has to find another way. And so a shakeup of the opposition with new “leaders” emerging…this is the US strategy. One that is doomed to fail.

RT:Doesn't Washington risk being accused of controlling events from the outside, rather than Syrians deciding things for themselves?

ED: Certainly it does run that risk. However I think the United States, the Obama Administration, Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, and the other major players, I think they’ve taken the calculated decision that it is worth the risk if it means they can salvage the Syria operation. We have to remember the US adventure in Syria ending in defeat would be the end of US hegemony in the Middle East. If they’re unable to continue their march from Syria, that means their attempt to destroy Iran is unlikely to evolve. That means that their stranglehold over the Persian Gulf and the oil resources is weakening so they’re putting all their cards on the table and all their chips in the pot when it comes to Syria.

RT:In an attempt to prove its relevance, the exiled opposition group has said it will move to Syria. But that might not be enough to save its credibility – could the major western-backed shift in the opposition help change anything on the ground?

ED: Well what’s interesting about the development of the SNC moving into Syria is that the propaganda line from CNN and the western corporate media is that this is to prove their relevance and legitimacy. But what I’m hearing from my sources and from independent sourcse around the world, this is because Turkey has grown tired of basing the FSA and so theyre pushing them and prodding and encouraging them to enter into Syria because it seems that turkey is looking for any way to disengage from this conflict once they’ve seen the writing on the wall that this would be the end of modern Turkey.

RT:Washington has revealed plans to hand more political power to major figures fighting on the frontline, but says extremists should NOT 'hijack' the Syrian revolution. Doesn't its latest policy make that more likely?

ED: Sure! And we shouldn’t be taken in by the rhetoric of the Syrian opposition. The manufactured opposition has been riddled with Al Qaeda and other forms of extremists, many of them imported from the imperialist war against Libya directly into Syria. So when they say on one hand that they don’t want to arm the extremist elements, on the other hand it is the same extremist elements that were imported by the US and Qatar and Saudi Arabia. So they’re talking out of both sides of their mouth. But the reality is they’re arming the opposition, arming extremists, because they want chaos in Syria. That is the only way to get military intervention and move forward with the imperialist project.

RT:Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that the violence in Syria could spread terror throughout the Middle East, and that ousting Assad's government would lead to more bloodshed. Why do you think some western states don't share his views?

ED: It’s not that they don’t share the view. I think it’s an objective fact that Alawites and Shias and Armenians and Jews and Christians, would all be slaughtered under an al qaeda regime. This is an objective fact. What’s not being recognized by the west is that the attempt to destroy Syria has stalled and ended. The rhetoric from Moscow has always been the same – defend human rights, defend territorial sovereignty and the norms of international relations. But what we see time and time again is that the United States is not interested in that. The us is interested in the singular goal of the destruction of Syria with the longterm project of destroying Iran so it makes sense that any attempt to reconstitute the opposition would be in the interest in the US and the Obama administration, which is going to be the one that suffers politically from all of this.

 

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