The world’s attention is fixed on Paris. France is tonight a police state. There is concern over ISIS infiltrating Syrian refugees. And of course, the big question, how will the world rid itself of the Islamic State?
But before you listen to one more politician tell you what we need to do, you need to know what politicians knew about ISIS three years ago and the actions they still took.
This is a Reality Check you won’t see anywhere else.
US warplanes began bombing Iraqi targets in June 2014. Last September, US Syrian airstrikes followed. Washington falsely claims it’s waging war on the Islamic State (IS) – with pinpoint accuracy against positions and fighters targeted. It’s just the opposite.
Bombing aims to destabilize Iraq and Syria more than already. Infrastructure sites are struck – not IS fighters as claimed. America is its de facto air force.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) in charge of the air campaign falsely claims few civilian deaths at most – saying pinpoint targeting avoids them, one of the many Big Lies proliferated in all US wars.
Special Forces soldiers from Britain’s most shadowy military unit are dressing as Islamic State militants and traveling deep into the badlands of Syria to track and destroy enemy assets, according to military sources.
It is reported that up to two SAS squadrons of men, around 120 personnel in all, are operating inside the borders of Syria as part of Operation Shader, which aims to destroy equipment and munitions used by the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL). Continue reading
Russia and the United States reached a deal on a framework that will see the destruction or removal of Syria’s chemical weapons by mid- 2014. Under the plan, the Assad government has one week to hand over an inventory of its chemical weapons arsenal. Continue reading
Al-Qaeda militants and other Sunni extremists are becoming a greater and greater part of the conflict in Syria, just as the US officially announced it was abandoning any pretense of a diplomatic approach in favor of toppling the regime through proxy rebel groups. Continue reading
Washington’s decision to arm Syria’s Sunni Muslim rebels has plunged America into the great Sunni-Shia conflict of the Islamic Middle East, entering a struggle that now dwarfs the Arab revolutions which overthrew dictatorships across the region.
MOSCOW—The Kremlin criticized the U.S. decision to arm Syrian opposition fighters and said Washington’s evidence that the Syrian regime is using chemical weapons was unconvincing, but said Friday that Moscow is “not yet” discussing its plans to deliver of air-defense missiles to the regime. Continue reading
Syrian troops began the first phase of operation “Northern Storm” to liberate the city of Aleppo, attacking militants in the settlements in the west and south of the province.
Their goal is to block militants in the town of Anadan, free the federal road linking the city of Aleppo to Aazaz on the Syrian-Turkish border, controlled by militants for over a year.
Fierce fighting continues for the second day in the vicinity of a military airfield near Aleppo.
“Decisive action by the Syrian army in Aleppo, after the taking of Qusair on the border with Lebanon, as well as the collapse of all hopes for a foreign invasion have utterly demoralized the militants,” said one of the commanders, noting that many members of the opposition are ready to lay down their arms.
Voice of Russia, TASS
Read more: http://english.ruvr.ru/news/2013_06_11/Syrian-troops-begin-first-phase-of-Northern-Storm-8480/
CARACAS, (SANA) – The media delegation from Venezuela and Latin American countries which visited Damascus recently held a press conference organized by the Syrian Embassy in Caracas on Thursday to discuss the results of their visit to Syria.
The media delegation said that Syria is facing a war waged by an international coalition, and that this has nothing to do with the slogans of freedom of democracy as the western media is distorting the evens in Syria.
The journalists said that their visit’s goal was to tell the world about what is really happening in Syria away from the lies and libel which characterizes many media sources’ coverage of Syria.
They spoke about their field visits and their interviews with Syrian citizens, stressing that Syria is strong and that media talk about its downfall is mere dreams.
The delegation members stressed that what is happening in Syria is not a civil war as some countries and the UN are claiming; rather it’s a real war between Syria and an unprecedented international alliance.
They underlined the negative role played by the UN through its silence over the terrorism affecting Syria.
One of the journalists said that he covered many conflicts around the world, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Egypt, asserting that what happened in these countries is completely different from Syria.
The delegation members focused on the lies and hypocrisy of media outlets regarding the events in Syria, saying that what they witnessed in Syria proves that western media is waging the largest media war in its history.
They affirmed that there are extremist terrorist groups fighting in Syria without cause or a political agenda, noting that they were worried about going to Syria but upon arriving and seeing the truth they were reassured.
The journalists lauded the steadfastness of the Syrian people and their love for life, adding that the Syrians they met told them that they don’t want freedom and democracy from countries that know neither, asserting that Syria has not fallen and will not fall because of its resistant people, wise leadership and strong army.
They also lauded the Russian and Chinese role regarding the events in Syria.
H. Sabbagh
The following report by Syria’s official news agency SANA suggest that the Al Nusra rebels –which constitute the core of the “opposition” insurgency– are been defeated.
The decision by the US and Israel to conduct air strikes against Syria (May 5, 2013) is related to the the failures of the Western backed jihadist insurgency which has been ongoing since March 2011.
While the insurgency is being defeated, other military options are currently being contemplated by the Western military alliance. (GR Ed. M.Ch.)
PROVINCES, (SANA)- In the framework of their continued operations against Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists, the armed forces on Friday carried out several operations in which they left many terrorists killed and injured in several areas.
Mortar and Heavy Machine guns Destroyed in Idleb
SANA reporter quoted an official source in Idleb province as saying that units of the armed forces destroyed a mortar and a number of heavy machine guns which the terrorists had been using in their attacks on Abo al-Duhour airport and against the residents and their properties in the towns of al-Tur’eh, Um Jrein, al-Hamidiyeh, al-Buweideh and Qarn Ghazal.
The source added that other army units pursued terrorist groups in the areas of al-Janoudiyeh, Tall Dahab, Qatroun, Teibat, Jabal al-Arbaeen, Maaret al-Numan, Maartamsarin, Binnesh, Nahliya, Majdaliya and Heish in the countryside of Idleb.
The terrorists’ equipment and weapons were destroyed in the operations.
Army Units Restore Security to villages in Hama Countryside
Units of the Armed Forces carried out several operations against terrorists’ dens and gatherings to restore security and stability to Zor Abo Zaid and Zor al-Assi towns in Hama countryside.
A military source told SANA reporter that the Army units destroyed the terrorists’ remaining dens and gatherings in Zor Abo Zaid and Zor al-Assi towns in Hama countryside and restored security and stability to them.
The source added that the Army units dismantled scores of explosive devices planted by terrorists on the main roads in the two towns before they were killed by the Army units.
The source pointed out that other Army units killed a number of terrorists, affiliated to “Jabhat al-Nusra” who were perpetrating acts of terrorism on Hilfaia-Taibet al-Imam road, destroying their weapons and equipment.
The Army units pursued the armed terrorist groups in Kaferkala, Taldo and Talldahab in Homs countryside and in al-Haydaria, al-Khalidia and al-Hamidia in the city, inflicting heavy losses upon terrorists, in addition to destroying their equipment.
Army Units Restore Security to Villages in Hama Countryside
Units of the Armed Forces carried out several operations against terrorists’ dens and gatherings to restore security and stability to Zor Abo Zaid and Zor al-Assi towns in Hama countryside.
A military source told SANA reporter that the Army units destroyed the terrorists’ remaining dens and gatherings in Zor Abo Zaid and Zor al-Assi towns in Hama countryside and restored security and stability to them.
The source added that the Army units dismantled scores of explosive devices planted by terrorists on the main roads in the two towns before they were killed by the Army units.
Terrorists Suffer Heavy Losses in Operations in Homs
Meanwhile, a unit of the armed forces clashed with an armed terrorist group that was trying to flee away from al-Qseir to al-Husseiniyeh area in the countryside of Homs, killing and injuring all of its members.
Other army units continued operations against terrorists’ gatherings and dens in Bab Hood and al-Qusour neighborhoods, inflicting heavy losses upon the terrorists.
The source said that the Army units continued pursuing terrorists in al-Qseir city, killing scores of them and dismantling several explosive devices in the area between Jousia, al-Soumaria and al-Slumia.
Other Army units killed a number of terrorists and arrested others in Deba village while they were trying to escape from al-Qseir city, in addition to seizing their weapons.
Meanwhile, an Army unit foiled terrorists attempt to detonate 8 explosive devices weighing between 15-20Kgs which were set up to be detonated remotely and planted on Palmyra-Damascus road.
Terrorists Killed, Their Weapons Destroyed in Hama
In the same context, a unit of the armed forces clashed with a terrorist group affiliated to the so-called ‘Ahfad al-Rasoul Brigade’ in the village of Qasr Abo Samra in Hama.
An official source told SANA reporter that all members of the terrorist group were killed and their weapons and equipment were destroyed.
Army Units Eliminate Jabhat al-Nusra Terrorists in Damascus Countryside
Units of the armed forces carried out operations against terrorists affiliated to Jabhat al-Nusra in Hijeira, al-Zyabiyeha, al-Husseiniyeh and Babila in Damascus Countryside, destroying their weapons and equipment which they used in their terrorist acts of against the citizens.
An official source told SANA reporter that the army units killed a number of terrorists in Fayez Mansour Street in Hijeira. Among the killed terrorists were Nayef al-Ghadab from Jordan and Abo Baker Khahramani from Afghanistan.
The source added that another army unit killed several terrorists near al-Zayzafoun Café in Hijeira. Terrorist Kasem al-Nueimi was identified among the dead.
Meanwhile, another army unit killed a number of terrorists and destroyed their weapons and ammunition in al-Husseiniyeh town. Among the killed terrorists were Ali al-Shanwan, leader of an armed terrorist group, Ali al-Numeiri and Mohmmad Raja.
Units of the armed forces destroyed a gathering for terrorists along with weapons and ammunition, in addition to killing and injuring all terrorists inside it. Muhammad Khleif and Naser al-Zaal were identified among the dead terrorists.
An official source told SANA reporter that an army unit destroyed a weapons’ cache in the town of al-Shifounyeh in Douma and killed scores of terrorists, among them was their leader, terrorist Abu Oudai.
The source added that another army unit killed three terrorists and seized weapons and ammunition used by the terrorists to terrorize locals in the area of Zamalka.
The army eliminated scores of terrorists In the area of al-Shayyah in Daraya, and destroyed two terrorists’ hideouts in the area of Jubar.
Another army unit pursued terrorists in Barzeh neighborhood and killed and injured the majority of them.
Terrorists Targeted in Several Areas in Aleppo
Units of the armed forces continued operations against terrorists’ dens and gatherings in al-Maslamiyeh, Khan al-Assal and Minnegh in Aleppo countryside, killing and injuring several terrorists, in addition to destroying their weapons and ammunition, including a number of mortars and anti-aircraft guns.
An official source told SANA reporter that the army units ambushed an armed terrorist group, killed most its members at al-Sarwat crossroads in Khan al-Assal destroyed a heavy machinegun they had with them.
The source added that other army units destroyed a mortar and a 23 mm caliber anti-aircraft gun near al-Khoulandi gas station and killed and injured scores of terrorists in al-Zyra’a area in the surrounding of the iron warehouse in al-Maslamiyeh.
Meanwhile, other Army units destroyed large amounts of weapons and ammunition in Hyllan and killed several terrorists at the entrance of the industrial city, including Ahmad al-Hamwi, known as al-Daba’a.
In the same context, another army unit destroyed an amount of weapons and ammunition in Hilan and killed many terrorists at the entrance of the Industrial City.
Numbers of terrorists were killed and injured in Byanon, Tatmwas and Ein Dakneh in Minnegh town, in addition to destroying a mortar.
In Aleppo city, a terrorists’ gathering was targeted in Masakin Hanano with many of the terrorists inside killed and injured.
Terrorists Killed in Clashes with Army Units in Idleb Countryside
A unit of the armed forces clashed with an armed terrorist group, affiliated to the so-called ‘al-Tawhid Brigade’ who were perpetrating acts of terrorism and blocking roads between al- Mastoumeh- and al-Jabal al-Wastani in Idleb countryside.
A military source told SANA reporter that the clash resulted in killing all members of the armed terrorist group.
Ahmad Suleiman al-Sheikh Mohammad, Ouqba al-Sheikh Mohammad, Marwan Hussein al-Yasin, Yaser Abdul-Hammid and Mohammad Omar al-Salloum were identified among the killed terrorists.
Tow Terrorist Groups Clash on Dividing Stolen Materials in Daraa Countryside
Two terrorist groups clashed due to disagreement on dividing the stolen materials in al-Jyza and al-Tayba in Daraa countryside.
An official source in the province told SANA that the terrorists used all kinds of weapons in the fight, causing the killing of most members of the two groups.
Terrorists Inflict Heavy Losses in Lattakia Countryside
Army units destroyed terrorists’ gatherings in al-Mraij, al-Koum al-Fukhani and al-Tahtani in Lattakia countryside, destroying heavy machineguns and various weapons which were used in their acts of terrorism against the citizens.
Another Army unit repelled terrorists near Kafria village killing and injuring scores of them, in addition to destroying their weapons and ammunition.
An Army unit targeted terrorist gatherings in the villages of Ghamam and Beit Halibeh in Lattakia’s northern countryside, resulting in the killing and injuring of a number of terrorists and the destruction of their vehicles.
(RT) Forty-two people were killed and over 100 injured when several explosions struck a city in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria, Turkish media reported quoting officials.
“Two car [bombs] were set off in front of the municipality,” Interior Minister Muammer Güler said, adding that one of the car bombs exploded outside the city hall while the other went off outside the post office in the city of Reyhanli.
In initial comments, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said nearly 20 people died in the blast.
“We have around 20 dead and 46 people were injured, but we have to note that many of the injuries are severe, which means the death toll could unfortunately rise,” he said.
A municipality building was severely damaged by one of the explosions, Reyhanli Mayor Huseyin Sanverdi said. A wooden building close to the municipality collapsed following the blasts.
Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said at least 15 ambulances rushed to the scene to help the injured, AP reported.
A few hours after that a third explosion was reported in Reyhanli.
According to local media, the third explosion targeted the basement of a building where Syrian refugees have been staying.
At the same time Reuters reports that according to local media the blast appeared to have been caused by a car engine or building boiler room.
No one has claimed responsibility yet for Saturday’s bomb attack; an investigation has been launched. Five people, three of whom are Syrians, have been arrested in connection to the blasts, local channel NTV reported.
In a comment on the attacks, Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu called the attacks a “provocation,” saying that the timing was not coincidental: “Such provocation can [come to mind] in such a critical transition phase regarding Syria. It is not a coincidence that this happened when diplomatic traffic is intensifying. We invite our citizens to be prudent. The incident will be investigated.”
Turkish Minister also warned against “testing Turkey’s power,” saying that those behind the attacks “will get a response.”
“No one should attempt to test Turkey’s power. Our security forces will take all necessary measures,”Reuters quoted Ahmet Davutoglu as saying. “Those who for whatever reason attempt to bring the external chaos into our country will get a response.”
Local media reported that the blasts sparked panic in the town; some locals started attacking Syrian refugees and cars with Syrian license plates.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said the blasts may have been related to Syria, or to protests against the Kurdish peace process.
“We have started a resolution process in our country, and there are those who don’t accept this new era or do not consider the air of freedom to be positive who might have been involved in such [attacks],” Erdoğan said.
“Hatay is a province where there are some sensibilities. Some might have intended to incite these sensitivities. Around 20,000 to 25,000 Syrians live in camps [across Hatay]. It might be a factor of not accepting this,” he stressed.
Following the blasts, large numbers of Turkish air and ground military units were deployed to Reyhanlı, Haya Province, on the Syrian border.
US ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone has “strongly condemned” Reyhanli attack, saying his country stands with Turkey in identifying those responsible.
“The United States stands with the people and Government of Turkey to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” Ricciardone said in a statement. “We mourn the tragic loss of life and pray for a full and speedy recovery for those who were injured,” the statement added.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also published a statement on the organization’s website, in which he condemned the attacks.
“These despicable acts show total disregard for the life of civilians. I express full solidarity with the people and the authorities of our ally Turkey,” Rasmussen said.
Reyhanli, a town of about 60,000 in Hatay province just across the border from Syria’s Idlib province, has come under attack several times in recent months. In February, a mortar round landed near the border, killing 13 and injuring 33.
Calls for a war with Syria mounted yesterday, despite mass popular opposition to war in the United States, amid reports that US-backed Islamist opposition forces fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have suffered serious reverses.
Speaking on NBC News yesterday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pressed for Washington to take military action against Syria.
He repeated unsubstantiated allegations that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, which have been refuted by UN investigator Carla del Ponte, claiming, “It is clear the regime has used chemical weapons and missiles.” Claiming that a “red line” had been crossed, he said: “We want the United States to assume more responsibilities and take further steps. And what sort of steps they will take, we are going to talk about this.”
Erdogan dismissed out of hand reports that chemical weapons used in Syria were in fact used by the US-backed opposition.
He stressed that his government would support US imposition of a “no-fly zone” in Syria, which would involve destroying Syrian air defenses and shooting down any Syrian aircraft that took to the skies.
Erdogan’s calls for military action were echoed across the American press. The Washington Post ’s editorial board called for “an air campaign as well as arms for the moderate opposition” aimed to “quickly tip the military balance against the Assad regime.” Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens proposed a long list of attacks against Assad, including sending in US ground forces: “disable the runways of Syrian air bases, including the international airport in Damascus…use naval assets to impose a no-fly zone over western Syria…supply the Free Syrian Army with heavy military equipment, including armored personnel carriers and light tanks; and be prepared to seize and remove Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, even if it means putting boots (temporarily) on the ground.”
The calls for war come amid reports of major setbacks in Syria for the US-backed opposition, reflecting its small size and lack of popular support, and growing military assistance from Russia, Iran, and Lebanon for the Assad regime.
After two months of heavy bombardment, government forces have retaken the strategic town of Khirbet Ghazaleh from the “rebels,” re-opening government transport routes to Deraa, the city where initial opposition protests began two years ago. Opposition leaders acknowledged it as a major setback. “Tomorrow, the big tragedy will happen, the regime’s supply route to Deraa will reopen, and the officers will go back and ammunition will be resupplied and the bombardment will resume,” said Abu Yacoub, commander of the Martyrs of Khirbet Ghazaleh brigade.
Yesterday, BBC Middle East bureau chief Paul Danahar wrote that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) amounts to little more than “men with guns,” united only by the fact that they “point their guns in the same direction.” He said the FSA is not a “cohesive force” and lacks a “command structure.”
A Jerusalem Post article of May 3rd entitled “Is Assad Winning in Syria?” describes the defeat of opposition militias around Qusayr by Hezbollah forces, as well as the capture of Otaiba by Assad’s forces last week, indicating the growing strength of Assad vis-à-vis the US proxy forces. According to the article, “morale among supporters of the regime has improved markedly in recent weeks.” It concluded, “Assad shows no signs of cracking.”
Under these conditions, Assad’s allies are stepping up military deliveries to Damascus. The Russian government has announced plans to sell S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria, in a $900 million deal that would substantially bolster the Syrian regime’s capacity to defend itself against US and Israeli airstrikes.
Secretary of State John Kerry criticized the sale as “destabilizing,” and the Israeli government appealed to Russia to halt the transaction. Syria’s purchase comes in after Israeli air strikes that used long-range “stand-off” missiles to attack Damascus from beyond the Syrian border.
On Thursday, Iran vowed to respond to the Israeli raids with “blows under the belt in several locations.” Iran’s envoy to Syria, Ali Akbar Salehi, promised “full and unlimited support from Iran, politically, militarily, and economically, to the Syrian leadership and people, against the takfiris [Al Qaeda-type Sunni extremist forces], terrorists, Israel, the US, and all who dare attack this country.”
Also on Thursday, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah announced that Syria would supply his militia “special weapons it never had before,” calling the decision “game-changing.” The weapons are apparently being transferred as a response to Israel’s air strikes on Damascus. “This is the Syrian strategic reaction,” he explained.
These deliveries highlight the broad regional implications of the proxy war Washington has waged against the Assad regime, relying primarily on Islamist forces tied to Al Qaeda, and the risk of a US war in Syria escalating into a regional or even global conflict.
There is broad opposition in the working class to the US drive to war in Syria overseen by President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. A recent poll pegged popular opposition to war at 62 percent of the US population.
The conflict has already taken a horrific toll on the Syrian people. Over the past several months, the number of Syrians displaced from their homes by the war has increased from 2 million to 4.25 million. A total of 6.8 million Syrians, including 3.1 million children, are classified as “in dire need of humanitarian assistance” by the UN’s Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Jordanian officials have stated that Syrian refugees now make up 10 percent of Jordan’s total population, with this figure set to explode to 40 percent by mid-2014 on current trends.
The ramping up of US military operations against Syria is accompanied by diplomatic efforts to bring about a post-Assad government on terms favorable to US imperialism. Secretary of State John Kerry has sought an agreement with Russia, which would pave the way for a power-sharing arrangement.
This plan also received significant endorsement in US strategic and media circles. Zbigniew Brzezinski, a prominent architect of US imperial policy, issued a strong criticism of proposed US military action against Syria, proposing instead to try to involve Russia and China in US plans to remove Assad through diplomacy.
He said,
“The various schemes that have been proposed for a kind of tiddlywinks intervention from around the edges of the conflict—no-fly zones, bombing Damascus and so forth—would simply make the situation worse. None of the proposals would result in an outcome strategically beneficial for the US On the contrary, they would produce a more complex, undefined slide into the worst-case scenario. The only solution is to seek Russia’s and China’s support for U.N.-sponsored elections in which, with luck, Assad might be ‘persuaded’ not to participate.”
Along these lines, David Ignatius of the Washington Post proposed “a military transition government” that would include “reconcilable elements of Assad’s army,” under the leadership of US-backed General Salim Idriss, a defector who now commands Syrian opposition forces.
Effectively, US officials are hoping that, in the context of negotiations jointly organized by the Russian government, they could persuade Syrian officers to organize a coup to oust Assad, and then make a deal with the US-backed opposition. Their plan involves a new ruling coalition composed of opposition and regime elements, described by Ignatius as a “military transition government that would include reconcilable elements of Assad’s army.” Assad would be removed, though lower-ranking members of his government might remain.
The US has announced that it will provide militants in Syria, now openly admitted to being Al Qaeda terrorists, with $123 million in military aid – while thousands of cancer patients at home are being turned away from clinics because of budget cuts. Compounding the the criminal negligence of telling sick people to seek help elsewhere, is the fact that the military aid the US is providing terrorists in Syria will be used to perpetuate an already 2 year long, sectarian-driven humanitarian disaster.
RT recently reported in their article, “US to give $123 million military aid package to Syrian rebels,” that:
The US$123 million defense aid package, announced by Kerry at the meeting in the Turkish capital on Sunday, includes body armor, armored vehicles, advanced communication equipment and night vision goggles.
In an April 3, 2013 Washington Post article titled, “Cancer clinics are turning away thousands of Medicare patients. Blame the sequester,” it was reporte
d:
Cancer clinics across the country have begun turning away thousands of Medicare patients, blaming the sequester budget cuts.
Oncologists say the reduced funding, which took effect for Medicare on April 1, makes it impossible to administer expensive chemotherapy drugs while staying afloat financially.
In testimony before the US Senate Armed Forces Committee on Wednesday, top US defense officials announced that they are deploying 200 troops of the 1st Armored Division to Jordan. They will establish headquarters near the Syrian-Jordanian border and plan for a rapid build-up, involving 20,000 or more US troops, awaiting orders from the White House to invade Syria.
A US invasion force would reportedly include Special Forces troops and regular units preparing for operations inside Syria, as well as air defense units guarding against possible retaliatory Syrian air strikes on Jordan.
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the Senate committee that these deployments are part of “robust military planning for a range of contingencies,” carried out by the United States and its European and Middle Eastern allies.
At the same time, Washington is carrying out an international diplomatic offensive setting the stage for war with the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The topic of US military operations against Syria will reportedly be on the agenda of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s discussions in Turkey this weekend, of General Martin Dempsey’s talks with Chinese officials next week, and of Hagel’s upcoming talks with military officials in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
As US officials admitted, invading Syria would likely involve the United States in a regional war throughout the Middle East. Hagel said that a US intervention in Syria “could have the unintended consequence of bringing the United States into a broader regional conflict or proxy war.” He noted that this “could embroil the US in a significant, lengthy, and uncertain military commitment.”
He detailed the streams of cash Washington is pouring into the anti-Assad opposition, including $117 million for “communications and medical equipment” as well as undisclosed US State Department and US Agency for International Development funding. Hagel explained, “The goal is to strengthen those opposition groups that share the international community’s vision for Syria’s future and minimize the influence of extremists.”
Hagel was apparently referring to Washington’s fears that ultra-right Islamist terrorist groups active in the opposition and funded by the United States’ Middle Eastern allies could take over Syria, should the Assad regime collapse. The Al Nusra Front, the military spearhead of the US-backed opposition in Syria, recently swore loyalty to Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. (See “Syrian opposition militia declares allegiance to Al Qaeda”)
Though the US has been fighting a proxy war with Syria since 2011, Hagel’s comments were the first public confirmation that the Obama administration is preparing a direct US invasion of Syria. Launching such a neo-colonial war would be a historic crime against the population of the Middle East on the scale of the Bush administration’s unprovoked invasion of Iraq.
That such a war is being planned 10 years after the unpopular US war in nearby Iraq—which cost over a million Iraqi lives, tens of thousands of US casualties, and trillions of dollars—is a devastating exposure of the decay of American democracy.
The Obama administration and the Democratic Party, having come to power in 2008 with cynical and false appeals to popular opposition to the Iraq war, is pursuing similar policies, with total contempt for popular opposition to war in the US and Middle Eastern population.
In pursuing regime change in Syria, US imperialism is seeking to impose its hegemony on the entire Middle East. Besides Syria, it is targeting and trying to isolate Syria’s main regional ally, oil-rich Iran, which has emerged as the strongest regional power in the Persian Gulf. It also hopes that by eliminating Assad, it will cut off the flow of arms and money to forces and groups in Lebanon and the Occupied Territories opposed to Israel.
The Obama administration’s official justifications for the war—that war is necessary to secure Syria’s chemical weapons, or to restrain terrorist forces operating inside the US-backed opposition but that are somehow opposed by Washington—are absurd lies. They are contradicted even by the testimony of US officials.
Speaking in a separate meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Kerry made clear that Washington is working very closely with the countries that are funding Al Qaeda-linked forces in Syria. He said, “The United States policy right now is that we are not providing lethal aid, but we are coordinating very, very closely with those who are.”
As for Syria’s chemical weapons, General Dempsey told the Senate committee that he was not confident that a US invasion of Syria would secure them, as the Assad regime has been moving them to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile, Al Qaeda-linked fighters. Dempsey explained, “They have been moving [the stockpiles], and the number of sites is quite numerous.”
Dempsey indicated that he was not sure that the US can “clearly identify the right people” to support inside the Islamist-dominated Syrian opposition. He added, “The introduction of military power right now certainly has the possibility of making the situation worse.”
The Senate Armed Forces Committee chairman, Democratic Senator Carl Levin, criticized Hagel and Dempsey’s testimony for not threatening Assad strongly enough. He told reporters that after the hearing, he had asked Hagel and Dempsey if they wanted to send a “tough message” to Assad, adding: “Their answer is yes. That’s not what came out in their testimony. We didn’t hear it.”
Levin recently co-wrote a letter with Republican Senator John McCain to Obama, calling on him to establish a “safe zone” for US-backed opposition fighters in Syria. The letter stated that “the time has come to intensify the military pressure on Assad.”
On Wednesday, the anniversary of Syria’s independence from French colonial rule, Assad gave a televised address denouncing the US-led war in Syria. While Assad’s reactionary regime is no friend of the working class—having imposed free-market policies in Syria and repeatedly made deals with US imperialism to crush opposition to Israel—Assad hit the nail on the head when describing the imperialist forces arrayed against him. They are waging a military campaign to re-impose colonial shackles on the Middle East.
He said, “The truth is, what is happening is a war. It is not security problems. It is a war in every sense of the word. There are big powers, especially Western powers, who historically never accepted the idea of other nations having their independence. They want those nations to submit to them.”
Asked about other Middle Eastern countries’ role in stoking the war on Syria, he said: “We mustn’t blame those countries, because they’re not independent. The decision is made by foreign countries.”
Assad tartly dismissed claims by the US and its European allies that they are waging “humanitarian” war in Syria, noting: “We saw their humanitarian intervention in Iraq, in Libya, and now we see it in Syria.”
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel informed congress today he has ordered the deployment of troops to Jordan to prepare for possible military operations in Syria.
Hagel stated that 200 troops are to be deployed to Jordan to make preparations to conduct intelligence and to make contingency plans to conduct military operations to secure chemical and biological weapon stashes inside of Syria.
Hagel further stated that the troops can provide leadership and training support for additional troops that may deployed in the future.
The threat of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorist is a tried and true tactic for drumming up public support for military operations in the Middle East.
Truth be told, the ongoing civil war in Syria is actually the result of a coalition of westeren governments training, arming and supplying intelligence to the same Muslim extremists they are fighting against in so-called War on Terror.
CNN reports:
In a critical indication of growing U.S. military involvement in the civil war in Syria, CNN has learned Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is ordering the deployment of up to 200 troops to Jordan, according to two Defense Department officials.
The troops, which will come from the headquarters of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas, “creates an additional capability” beyond what has been there, one official said.
The group will give the United States the ability to “potentially form a joint task force for military operations, if ordered,” he said.
The new deployment will include communications and intelligence specialists who will assist the Jordanians and “be ready for military action” if President Barack Obama were to order it, the official said.
This comes as the Pentagon has recently reviewed military options for Syria although Obama has not ordered any to be put into action.
Al Aryabia reports:
The Pentagon is sending about 200 soldiers from a U.S. Army headquarters unit to Jordan to assist efforts to contain violence along the Syrian border and plan for any operations needed to ensure the safety of chemical weapons in Syria, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Congress Wednesday.
The decision to dispatch the 1st Armored Division troops of planners and specialists in intelligence, logistics and operations comes as several lawmakers pressed the Obama administration for even more aggressive steps to end the two-year civil war.
Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, faced persistent questions from senior members of the Armed Services Committee about efforts to force out Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Pentagon leaders made clear that the situation is extremely complicated and they must be certain of the endgame before any military step to try to end the bloodshed.
http://beforeitsnews.com/war-and-conflict/2013/04/us-deploys-troops-to-prepare-for-syria-military-intervention-2446218.html
(AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) — The National Institutes of Health (NIH) gave $424,062 in tax dollars to researchers who worked with Muslim scholars to develop strategies to prevent HIV infection among prostitutes, homosexuals, and IV-drug users in Aleppo, Syria. The project was not completed because of the outbreak of the rebellion in Syria.
“I’m very disappointed we weren’t able to carry out this project as far as we had hoped, but sometimes things happen and that’s the way it is,” Professor David Seal of Tulane University, the principal researcher, told CNSNews.com. “It’s unfortunate, but human safety comes first.”
The NIH disbursed the $424,062 for the project in fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
According to the description of the project posted online by the NIH, the first aim of the project was: “To identify HIV/STI risk and preventive behaviors, mediators, and moderators that will need to be addressed in a subsequent prevention intervention aimed at groups at high-risk for HIV/STI infection and transmission, including people living with HIV, people seeking STI-related services, female commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men, and injection drug users.”
Professor Seal told CNSNews.com, “Phase one was the provider interviews, with practitioners, people that provided HIV and sexually transmitted infection service. And then phase two was actually interviewing people who were seeking treatment or services related to sexually transmitted infections and/or who were HIV positive.”
Phase three, he said, “would’ve been the interviews with the sex workers, [men who have sex with men], injection drug users, as well as the pilot team of the quantitative survey.”
Hypodermic needle. (AP)
Researchers worked with a “Community Advisory Board” comprised of Syrian health providers and Islamic scholars to assess interview questions, obtain community feedback and recruit individuals to participate in the study, according to the description.
“The support of local Religious Scholars and health care delivery systems will enhance our capacity to successfully implement evidence-based public health HIV/STI risk reduction intervention programs,” according to the project’s description.
However, research on the project had to stop in June 2012 because of the civil unrest and ongoing violence that has been taking place in Syria since early 2011. The research team left Aleppo for safety reasons.
Since March 2011, Syria has been enveloped in an uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
The researchers never received the opportunity to interview persons of at-risk groups, but were able to interview Syrian health providers who dealt with HIV patients, as well as those seeking treatment for HIV.
Seal said it was “really exciting” to work on a project that focused on HIV prevention in an area where there was not an outbreak, making it possible to “preemptively” implement prevention strategies.
“For me, it was really exciting to try do something preemptively instead of so much of our work where it’s already too late, the epidemic is already occurring,” he said.
The project’s funding was administered by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), but the majority of funds ($412,201) came from the NIH Office of the Director (OD.) During FY 2010, the NIH gave $230,332 from the OD and $1 from the National Institute of Mental Health.
According to the CIA World Factbook, seventy-four percent of the Syrian population are Sunni Muslims; 16 belong to other Islamic sects such as Alawite and Druze, and 10 percent are Christians.
An Al-Watan report Monday says the family and Assad aides are residing on the ship in the Mediterranean Sea and that he travels to Syria by helicopter to attend official meetings and receptions.
Otherwise, he stays on the warship, the sources told the Arabic language newspaper.
When he flies to his embattled country, the president lands at undisclosed locations and is transported to the presidential palace under heavy guard, the sources said.
The Russian-guarded warship provides a safe environment for Assad, who has lost confidence in his own security detail, the report said.
Assad’s presence on the warship suggests he has been granted political asylum by Russia but there has been no official comment from Moscow, the newspaper said.
The circumstances reinforce Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov‘s comment Sunday that Assad’s removal from power is “impossible to implement,” the newspaper said.
Assad’s presence on the ship could be a sign of looming negotiations on the conflict in Syria, the report said.
“It is necessary to make everybody, including the opposition, which is still categorically denying any dialogue, to sit down at the negotiating table, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty quoted Lavrov as saying during a visit to the Ukraine.
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(Godfather Politics) There are rising concerns on Capitol Hill that President Obama is considering sending US troops into Syria. The military has already taken steps to increase its presence in the area and has been supplying Patriot missiles to Turkey.
At a recent press conference, Rep Walter Jones (R-NC) explained his resolution before the House (H.Con. Res. 107), saying:
“The sense of Congress that the use of offensive military force by a president without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under article II, section 4 of the Constitution.”
The US Constitution states that only Congress has the power to maintain an army, navy and to declare war. None of these fall under the constitutional duties of the president. Article I, Section 8 of says:
“The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;…”
“To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;”
“To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;”
“To provide and maintain a Navy;”
In a surprise move, one noted Democratic congressman has sided with Jones. Charles Rangel (D-NY) explained that the proper constitutional procedure for sending troops to war is for the president to go to Congress with the request first. Having Congressional approval is viewed as meeting the will of the people, although that can be questioned in today’s politics.
Others that have expressed support of Jones’ actions are Michael Michaud (D-ME); Ron Paul (R-TX), Mo Brooks (R-AL) and Justin Amash (R-MI).
Jones and his supporters sent a letter to President Obama which read in part:
“Outside of an actual or imminent attack on America, the only precursor to war can be the authorization of Congress. We call on you to abide by our Constitution, and rely on our country’s representatives to decide when war is necessary.”
When asked what he would do if Obama does carry out his intentions of sending troops to Syria without congressional approval, Jones said he would have no choice but to bring impeachment charges against the president.
(Ibitimes) - NBC News reports that the network’s chief foreign correspondent and his colleagues are healthy and unharmed. The 39-year-old veteran journalist went missing on Thursday after crossing the border from Turkey to Syria. Speaking live on the “Today” show from Antakya, Turkey, on Tuesday morning, Engel recounted the traumatic experience, during which said he was prepared to die “many times.”
“We were driving in Syria about five days ago in what we thought was a rebel-controlled area,” he said on the show. “We were with some of the rebels, and as we were moving down the road, a group of gunmen just literally jumped out of the trees and bushes on the side of the road. There were probably 15 gunmen wearing ski masks. They were heavily armed.”
That psychological torture included mock shootings, in which the captors pretended to kill one of his colleagues, Engel reported.
Engel said that he and his colleagues escaped from a truck on Monday night after the kidnappers unexpectedly came across a Syrian rebel checkpoint. A gunfight ensued, during which two of the kidnappers were killed. Engel and crew escaped during the commotion.
Engel said he believed his captors were part of a “Shabiha” militia group loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. That account countered an earlier statement released by NBC, which said that the kidnappers “were not believed to be loyal to the Assad regime.”
With violence escalating, Syria has become one of the world’s most dangerous countries for foreign reporters. Journalist deaths spiked in the country in 2012, according to a recent report by the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists. According to Engel, many journalists reporting from Syria have not been as lucky as he and his crew were.
“There are many people who are still not at liberty to do this kind of thing,” he said on the “Today” show. “There are still hostages … we wish them well.”
(IBITimes) - A Turkish producer working for NBC News and possibly the network’s chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, are believed missing in Syria, according to a Turkish news agency.
![Is Richard Engel Missing? NBC's Chief Foreign Correspondent Unaccounted For In Syria [REPORT]](../../sites/ibtimes.com/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2012/12/17/richard-engel.jpg "Is Richard Engel Missing? NBC's Chief Foreign Correspondent Unaccounted For In Syria [REPORT]")
Turkey’s NTV news channel said on Monday that NBC has been unable to reach Aziz Akyavas since Thursday. Similarly, the American network has not had any communication with Engel.
Currently, no major news networks have confirmed or denied reports of Engel’s status. NBC has yet to comment. Reports could not be verified. Reza Aslan, a prominent scholar of religions, professor at University of California-Riverside and a contributing editor for the Daily Beast, tweeted Monday that NBC hasn’t been able to contact Engel.
Elsewhere, media circles on Twitter were alight with hope for Engel’s safety. Reporters and editors from Reuters, Talking Points Memo, Quartz, Politico, Fast Company, and Slate all expressed — or retweeted — their concern and dismay.
Gawker is reporting that NBC has asked inquiring reporters to agree to a news blackout regarding Engel. The network has also taken to Twitter to ask users to delete retweets of Turkish reports, which have been blogged about by Daily Kos and Breitbart. The Daily Kos has since deleted its story.
(StratRisks) -The US Senate recommended that US President Barack Obama study the possibility of imposing the no-fly zone over Syria in an amendment approved on Wednesday.
The senators have voted 92-6 to require the Pentagon to report on options for using U.S. military assets to prevent Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from using air power against opposition forces.
“This amendment is simply a way of saying we in the Senate are concerned, care about the slaughter going on in Syria and agitated that those in the rest of the world are not doing more,” Senator from Connecticut Joseph Lieberman said introducing the amendment.
The amendment gives Defense Secretary Leon Panetta 90 days after the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act to report back to the House and Senate defense committees what options the US has to try to contain the Syrian conflict.
The US administration earlier said it opposed the move. The White House said, however, that it was ready to study all options for ending the Syrian conflict.
