"Syria warns of its chemical weapons" by Elizabeth A. Kennedy | Associated Press, July 24, 2012
They just set me off again!
BEIRUT — Syria threatened Monday to unleash its chemical and biological weapons if the country faces a foreign attack, a desperate warning from a regime that has failed to crush a powerful and strengthening rebellion.
The statement — Syria’s first acknowledgment that the country possesses weapons of mass destruction — suggests President Bashar Assad will continue the fight to stay in power, regardless of the cost.
‘‘It would be reprehensible if anybody in Syria is contemplating use of such weapons of mass destruction like chemical weapons,’’ United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during a trip to Belgrade. ‘‘I sincerely hope the international community will keep an eye on this so that there will be no such things happening.’’
Of course, when the U.S. or Israel dumps white phosphorous on Muslims they close that eye.
Syria is believed to have nerve agents as well as mustard gas, Scud missiles capable of delivering these lethal chemicals, and a variety of advanced conventional arms, including antitank rockets and late-model portable antiaircraft missiles.
During a televised news conference Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi stressed that the weapons are secure and would be used only in the case of an external attack.
‘‘No chemical or biological weapons will ever be used, and I repeat, will never be used, during the crisis in Syria no matter what the developments inside Syria,’’ he said. ‘‘All of these types of weapons are in storage and under security and the direct supervision of the Syrian armed forces and will never be used unless Syria is exposed to external aggression.’’
Meaning if Syria is accused of using chemical weapons it will be a set-up.
The Syrian government later tried to back off from the announcement, sending journalists an amendment to the prepared statement read out by Makdissi. The amendment said ‘‘all of these types of weapons — IF ANY — are in storage and under security.’’ It was an attempt to return to Damascus’ position of neither confirming nor denying the existence of unconventional weapons.
In his comments to reporters, Makdissi also repeated the regime’s assertion that the country’s 17-month-old conflict, which activists say has killed at least 19,000 people, is not the result of a popular uprising, casting it instead as the work of foreign extremists looking to destroy the nation.
It is: The Boston Globe's Invisible Ink: CIA Arming Syrian Rebels
Yes, the whole world knows this is a coup attempt.
Israel and the United States are concerned that Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons could fall into the hands of Islamist militants should the regime in Damascus collapse.
Then stop backing them.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday that his country would ‘‘have to act’’ if necessary to safeguard the arsenal from rogue elements.
Related: Sunday Globe Special: Israeli Invasion of Syria Imminent
Any day now.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday that ‘‘any possible use of these kinds of weapons would be completely unacceptable.’’
Unless we do it.
‘‘The Syrian regime has a responsibility to the world, has a responsibility first and foremost to its own citizens to protect and safeguard those weapons,’’ she said, adding that Washington was working with allies to monitor the situation.
A senior US intelligence official said Friday the Syrians have moved chemical weapons material from the country’s north, where the fighting was fiercest, apparently to both secure and consolidate it, which US officials considered a responsible step. But there has also been a disturbing rise in activity at the installations, so the US intelligence community is intensifying its monitoring efforts to track the weapons and figure out whether the Syrians are trying to use them, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Didn't we already go through all this crap with Iraq?
Also see: Israel Planted Soil Samples Against Syria
What makes you think they would no do it again?
Concerns over Syria’s long-suspected chemical weapons stockpiles have grown in recent days as the rebels gain serious momentum in their fight to oust the Assad regime.
Another script I'm sick of seeing.
Since last week, anti-Assad fighters have claimed a stunning bomb attack that killed four high-level security officials in Damascus; captured several border crossings; and launched sustained offensives in Damascus and Aleppo, the two largest cities and both regime strongholds.
Pushed back and out, but that is left out.
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"Syrian troops rout most rebels in Damascus, control Aleppo" by Ben Hubbard Associated Press / July 25, 2012
Fighter jets unleashed sonic booms and helicopter gunships strafed rebels as they pressed their fight Tuesday into new neighborhoods in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. Farther south, ground troops combed Damascus after the nearly complete rout of the largest rebel assault yet on the capital.
After a series of setbacks, President Bashar Assad’s forces are solidifying their grip on Aleppo and Damascus, knowing that defeat there would almost certainly spell the regime’s end.
Click to continue reading this article or to log in to BostonGlobe.com.
Globe's web WaPo replacement: Syrian warplanes hit Aleppo, ramping up conflict
What they didn't want you to know:
"The regime appears to be regaining momentum after a series of setbacks that put it on the defensive. But while its forces easily outgun the rebels in direct confrontations, the rebellion has spread them thin — pointing to a drawn-out civil war....
I'm really tired of the script.
"The new fighting in Syria came as Turkey sealed its border to trade with Syria, a further sign of enmity between the neighbors whose leaders were once close friends. Turkey’s decision did not affect its policy on accepting Syrian refugees, thousands of whom have fled the mayhem for sanctuary across the border since the conflict started in March 2011. Also on Wednesday, another Syrian ambassador to a neighboring Middle East country announced his defection."
I think I'll just hold back my comments for now.
"Syrian forces reportedly kill 12 in Aleppo; Residents ready for bloody siege; Supplies of food, fuel shrinking" by Kareem Fahim | New York Times, July 28, 2012
BEIRUT — Increased international alarm about the prospects of a bloody siege by the government....
The United States expressed alarm on Thursday about the possibility of mass civilian casualties in Aleppo. Victoria Nuland, a State Department spokeswoman, told reporters in Washington that there was ‘‘concern that we will see a massacre in Aleppo, and that’s what the regime appears to be lining up for.’’
I'm tired of the double standards and hypocrisy, too.
--more--"
Yup, they are also killing kids. Can we invade now?
"Syria’s rebels hold Aleppo neighborhoods; Government’s forces take aim at commercial hub; Assad complains of interference by regional powers" by Paul Schemm | Associated Press, July 30, 2012
BEIRUT — The rebels seem to be putting up a much more effective fight than before, occasionally succeeding in disabling or capturing the regime’s heavy, Russian-made tanks....
Are YOU sick of the SCRIPT yet?
The battle for Aleppo, once a bastion of support for Assad, is crucial in the struggle for Syria’s future. Rebels control large sections of the neighboring Idlib province, which borders Turkey, and if a major metropolis fell to them it could possibly create the nucleus of some kind of ‘‘liberated’’ territory that could receive further support from the international community — much the way eastern Libya became a rebel sanctuary during the fight against Moammar Khadafy last year.
Yet Syria’s rebels are still massively outgunned and it seems just a matter of time before Assad’s massed forces outside the city of 3 million crush them, much the way a similar rebel assault on Damascus over a week ago was quashed.
But the tone has been rebels are winning.
--more--"
"Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defects; 90 die in fighting and many remain stuck in Aleppo" By Babak Dehghanpisheh | Washington Post, July 31, 2012
BEIRUT — The defection was a symbolic setback, but the Syrian government is trying to project an image of strength as it steps up its offensive in Aleppo....
In addition to Turkey, the violence in Syria has sent refugees flooding into Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon.
Just what the Middle East needed: another refugee crisis.
The Turkish state-run Anadolu agency reported Monday that Turkey is deploying more troops to the border and sending tanks, armored trucks, and more missiles.
Invasion imminent!
Related: Turkey a NATO Tool
They are also liars!
Greece has quadrupled the number of guards on its borders with Turkey out of fear of a potential influx of refugees.
Related: Gaza Shows Greek Government Works For Israel
The Syrian government sent a clear message on Sunday that it doesn’t want any outside interference as the army attacked the convoy of the new head of the UN observer team, Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, while on a trip outside Damascus.
‘‘Yesterday the convoy of General Gaye was attacked by army tanks,’’ UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in New York. ‘‘Fortunately, there were no injuries.’’
More likely attacked by the rebels.
--more--"
And the humanitarian conditions get worse, even while the rebels are winning.
"Syria's Aleppo running low on food amid siege" by Elizabeth A. Kennedy Associated Press / July 31, 2012
BEIRUT—Massacres....
War crimes....
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Washington is "not contemplating any unilateral steps" in Syria. There are fears that military intervention could exacerbate the war. Syria's close ties to Iran and the Islamic militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon mean that the conflict has the potential to draw in the country's neighbors....
Some view it with elated excitement.
Rebels have captured a number of government tanks [and] said they planned to use them in future operations....
Maybe they already have.
Still, the regime appears to have regained the momentum....
But, but, but.... the rebels are winning.
A high-ranking Western diplomat familiar with the intelligence assessments on Syria said there is a great deal of concern in the West over the flow of foreign militants into Syria to fight a jihad, or holy war, against Assad's regime.
Then STOP SENDING THEM IN!
Militants from Chechnya, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been joining the rebels in significant number, he said. They are entering by way of Iraq and Lebanon and bringing along skills gleaned from battling the Americans and Russians, according to the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss such matters.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have both expressed a willingness to fund the revolt and are believed to be sending money to rebels to purchase weapons. On Tuesday, the official Saudi Press Agency said a weeklong national campaign to support "our brothers in Syria" had collected $117 million in cash donations to outfit relief convoys for Syrian refugees.
That is where my printed paper cut it.
The violence has fueled a growing refugee crisis in neighboring countries....
The Turkish government has said that ethnic Kurds have seized control of five towns in northern Syria. The Turks are concerned that Syrian Kurds may seek an autonomous region or an alliance with their ethnic brethren in northern Iraq and Turkey. Kurdish rebels have long been fighting for an autonomous region in Turkey.
Should have thought about that before becoming NATO's lackey.
--more--"
So are we winning?
"There was also heavy shelling around the town of Azaz on the Turkish border, which has been in rebel hands for weeks along with a nearby checkpoint crossing, key to delivering rebel weapons and supplies to the Aleppo battle. It would be a huge blow to the opposition if the government retook the crossing."
One thing is clear:
"President Bashar Assad ‘‘must leave office.’’
It's always been about regime change.
"Before the vote, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reminded the Assembly of the fresh violence in the city of Aleppo and drew comparisons between the failure to act in Syria to past genocide in Srebrenica and Rwanda.
What else are they going to pull out in the push for war?
The vote came as the more powerful Security Council has been deadlocked by Russian and Chinese vetoes on resolutions that would open the door to sanctions on Syria.
But it is okay when the U.S. vetoes for Israel.
The vote was 133 in support of the resolution and 12 against, with 31 abstaining. General Assembly resolutions are unenforceable but can carry moral weight."
Unless it is criticizing Israel.
The rest of the article was hacked.
What my printed paper gave us:
"Syria's ambassador angrily called the vote "a piece of theater."
Russia and China had objected to those provisions. Both voted "no" Friday, along with Syria, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Belarus, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Myanmar, Zimbabwe and Venezuela.
The revised resolution takes a swipe at Russia and China by "deploring the Security Council failure" to act....
The Syria uprising has left 19,000 dead since it erupted in March 2011. The U.N. estimates that 1.5 million people have been forced to abandon their homes but remain in the country.
"The acts of brutality that are being reported may constitute crimes against humanity or war crimes," Ban said of the Aleppo fighting. "Such acts must be investigated and the perpetrators held to account."
Yeah, let me know when Bush, Bliar, the cadre of Israeli war criminals, et al, are indicted, 'kay?
Otherwise, shut the fuck up!
The resolution backs Annan's "demand that the first step in the cessation of violence has to be made by the Syrian authorities."
It also demands the lockdown of the regime's chemical and biological weapons. Israel's Ambassador Ron Prosor said, "We should not pretend that a regime that cuts the throats of children today will not be prepared to gas them tomorrow. Assad must know that he will be held accountable for using these weapons."
What's an AmeriKan newspaper without some good Israeli hyperbole?
So when is the false flag?
The resolution denounces attacks on children as young as 9 by the Syrian government, military intelligence services and militias. It condemns the increasing Syrian military reliance on heavy weapons, including tanks and helicopters....
Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari called the resolution's main sponsors, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, "despotic oligarchies."
He's right about that.
--MORE--"
And nothing about rebel atrocities!!!
"General Assembly denounces Syria crackdown" by Dalal Mawad and Damien Cave | New York Times, August 04, 2012
BEIRUT — The first explosion tore into a busy street in Damascus. The second, which occurred minutes later as neighbors rushed to help those wounded in the first — may put an end, analysts said, to the effort by Palestinians in Syria to stay out of the country’s widening conflict.
At least 20 people were killed in the shelling Thursday night, according to the United Nations. Witnesses recalled a horrific scene, also portrayed in an online video, with bodies in burning storefronts and women screaming in the streets.
But with responsibility for the attack a matter of intense dispute — the government blames rebels; the rebels blame the Syrian army — its impact may reach beyond the carnage. Analysts said it could push Palestinian allegiances, already drifting from President Bashar Assad of Syria, fully into the rebel camp, greatly assisting the opposition’s struggle for recognition....
Excuse me, CUI BONO?
The Assad government has long declared that it is the Palestinians’ grand protector, providing them with more rights than do Lebanon and supporting groups that have gone to war with Israel. In a nod to that history, most Palestinians have insisted on neutrality since the conflict in Syria began 17 months ago.
Trying to break that bond has been a primary goal of the opposition. And on Friday, Syrian activists urged Palestinian leaders to act....
Details surrounding the attack suggest it may not be that simple. The area where the shelling occurred, Yarmouk, is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Syria with about 150,000 Palestinians, according to the United Nations. That is nearly a third of Syria’s Palestinian population. Even before the attack Thursday, the neighborhood was becoming more politicized. Since the militant Palestinian group Hamas broke with the Assad government in February, residents said that various factional leaders had come under fire from young Palestinians who had marched or taken up arms against government troops.
They wouldn't happen to be Fatah Al Islam, would they?
‘‘There is a huge gap between the factions’ position and the youth,’’ said Jafra, 25, who would give only her first name and said she had recently fled Yarmouk after a decade there. ‘‘The Yarmouk youth are supporters of the revolution.’’
Meaning they are working for the CIA.
--more--"
"Explosions and fighting rock two of Syria’s largest cities; Iranian pilgrims are kidnapped by rebels" by Damien Cave and Hwaida Saad | New York Times, August 05, 2012
BEIRUT — Iran’s state news agency reported that unidentified ‘‘armed groups’’ had kidnapped 48 Iranians on the road to the Damascus airport after the Iranians visited a religious shrine.
The agency quoted an official from the Iranian Embassy in Damascus as saying it knew of the pilgrims’ whereabouts and was trying to get them released, Reuters reported. It would be at least the third time since the uprising began more than a year ago that a group of Iranians had been kidnapped, apparently by rebel forces angered by Iran’s support for Syria’s president, Bashar Assad.
Those are the "good guys," right?
The latest kidnapping report could not be verified, and it was unclear who might have been responsible. But if true, the kidnapping and the greater use of heavy weapons — tanks, helicopters, and jets are involved daily now — suggest that Syria’s civil conflict is expanding and intensifying as new tactics, players, and areas are drawn into the battle for control....
Still reading from the script.
A conflict in which momentum swings wildly and progress is difficult to ascertain....
Translation: the AmeriKan media is a pos liar
So far, especially in Aleppo, that means the rebels advance and retreat, gain territory, give it up, hide among the population, and then return again for another fight.
In other words, they are LIKE the "TERRORISTS" and "TALIBAN" we are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq!!
And THEY AIN'T WINNING SHIT despite what my pos Zionist prism has been saying!!!!!!!!!!!
This has already occurred several times in Aleppo, and the battle over the television station offers yet another example of the current way of war in Syria....
--more--"
Time to change the script:
BEIRUT — Opposition forces appear to be shifting toward more hit-and-run strikes in Damascus and elsewhere to tie up Bashar Assad’s forces and blur the lines between rebel and government-held territory.
That's what my newspaper is for.
The biggest prize of the ambush brigades so far — 48 abducted Iranians branded as spies by rebels — was put on display in a video that carried a warning that all Iranians in Syria would be captured or killed because of Iran’s strong backing for Assad. Iran said those captured when their bus was commandeered on Saturday were pilgrims visiting an important Shi’ite shrine on the outskirts of Damascus.
The ambush brigades, huh? Looks like a glowing endorsement of terrorists from the paper.
The abductions threaten to suck Iran deeper into Syria’s civil war and the wider political brinkmanship around the region. Iran claims it has no fighting forces aiding Assad, but it has sharply amplified its criticism of countries supporting the rebels such as neighboring Turkey and Gulf states led by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Which is EXACTLY what the GLOBE-KICKERS WANT!!!
In further signs of the growing proxy nature of Syria’s conflict, Iran was forced to reach out to Turkey and Qatar with appeals to help return the captives.
The daylight hijacking on the main airport road in Damascus also raises questions about the regime’s ability to control key parts of the capital and protect the symbols of Assad’s power such as ministries and government offices....
Oh, we are winning again.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to visit Istanbul later this week for talks with Turkish officials over the worsening crisis in Syria, the State Department said Sunday....
In other words, she will be coordinating the Turkish invasion with other things.
--more--"
