West Asia News and Discussions

[member_27444]

Ok got it err what about Rafale for IAF? Not F18 or F16
Ok let's get back to popcorn tamasha of mare riding and marilyn man woes

[Anant]

Amyrao

Please post when the French planes are actually in Iaf livery. Till then let's enjoy Ass-ad getting bombed.

[member_20317]

Syria welcomes Russia’s offer to put its chemical weapons under intl control
http://rt.com/news/syria-chemical-weapons-handover-619/

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has welcomed Russia’s call to hand control over its chemical weapons to the international community.

“Syria Arab Republic welcomes Russia’s initiative, based on the Syrian’s government care about the lives of our people and security of our country,” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said in response to the statement by his Russian counterpart.

“We are calling on the Syrian authorities not only agree on putting chemical weapons storages under international control, but also for its further destruction and then joining the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,” Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier.

But won't that take away their only defence?

[member_27444]

Ok get the last word
Leon Penetta in his unusual instance of speaking truth correctly identifiedI India as a(potential) enemy of United States , while rice said US will make India super power no?

[Sanku]

But won't that take away their only defence?

They are just yanking O'Bombers chain. They know that O'Bomber is up a shit creek without a paddle to use an americanism... They are adding to his woes.

He will have to lie twice as hard to his country men when doing his warmongering act. This not Libya or Iraq, O'Bomber will have to pay a high price for his "murder your way to oil" agenda.

He still may, after all, all the dollars he has been printing need some collateral before it goes the way of Rouble under the drunk american plant.

[Anant]

Who cares what who said. America and India have a healthy relationship regardless of the vitriol in this room. Now let's watch Ass-ad do his best imitation of a mole rat.

[habal]

Habal The only thing special is the stuff you smoke before posting.

nothing special .. it's just passive smoke from Kerry's chamber.

Your so called brave Russians are now running like a dog with its tail between his legs trying to save that looser Ass-ad from eating some Tomahawks.

Please fire away your tomahawks, B1s, B2s, & whatever else you can manage. Also strap yourself and TSJonesy to one of them while you are at it.

[Austin]

But won't that take away their only defence?

CW is a liability for Assad , he cannot use it to the extent where it will be to his advantage since it would get detected and UN will be obliged to response ......he just cannot keep it there without using it as Rebels will use it and blame it on Assad like it happend recently.

So CW under UN control is good for him ....... also unlike Libya this time around Russia and China , Iran are deeply involved so the West wont be able to bomb their way out as they did in Libya.

[Anant]

Habal I'd love to meet you in Damascus once the roaches are gone. Please don't sob when Ass-ad is missing a major body part.

[ramana]

Folks stick to West Asia.

[member_27444]

If one thinks thru
I think Saddam inflicted a very heavy blow to greatest democracy by destroying the credibility of American Intelligence and consequently it's trust worthiness better word is Stephen Colberts word
Truthiness
So in that sense the English slogan of the king is dead long live the king has new meaning
Saddam is dead long live Saddam ?

[Garooda]

Chief of Staff of the White House: We don`t need evidence to accuse Assad of chemical weapons use.

Sarin was already used by other terrorists.
The Chief of Staff of the White House, Denis McDonough, was asked in a TV interview on Sunday where the evidence would be that shows the direct links between Assad and the chemical weapons use in Syria, and he replied to this logical question with the following statement:
“Do we have photos or irrefutable evidence without reasonable doubt? This is not a court case. That is not like intelligence agencies are operating. What the test of our common sense is telling us is that he should be held accountable for this.”

McDonough says by this that the U.S. government has no evidence for the accusation, but only conjecture. His following statement is an absolute impudence. He went on and said that this is no court hearing where one has to prove that the accused is really guilty – without a doubt.

Obama has self-aggrandizing decided that Assad is guilty and he wants to punish him with a war of aggression. Obama is prosecutor, judge and executioner all in one. And the United States are said to be a nation of law?

Thousands of Syrian civilians could soon be killed by American bombs and missiles because of the unproven allegations and lies. Obama says by this, because Assad has reportedly killed Syrians, Obama is going to kill Syrians as a punishment, too. How completely inhumane and criminal is that? Only psychopaths have such a mind-set.

According to the latest news, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has shown the Syrian President a “way out” – how Assad can prevent the American attack on Syria. Bashar al-Assad has to give all the chemical weapons in possess his army to the international community within a week. John Kerry said in London today that the crisis could be easily solved if Assad will do it. In other words, one week otherwise I’ll shoot.

How transparent and outrageous is this demand? Cause John Kerry concedes in a jiffy by himself that Assad will not do it.

Washington makes a hypocritical proposal, from which they know from the outset that this proposal is not satisfiable. Why should Assad do it? Wherefrom has the Obama regime the insolence to give a government an ultimatum, that it either is doing what Washington has ordered and will disarm itself, or they launch a war of aggression against this country?

Syria’s President Assad has never confirmed that the Syrian army would have chemical weapons. These are yet again unproven allegations and insinuations of the warmongers of the West. Just like it has been claimed that Saddam Hussein would also have such weapons. As it turned out after the invasion of Iraq, they found nothing, really nothing at all in Iraq. All has been a pack of lies!

What is deliberately omitted in the whole media coverage is the information about who has used sarin against civilians the last time. When I heard yesterday that the International Olympic Committee had awarded Tokyo with the 2020 Olympic Games and that the main reason would be that Tokyo is the safest city in the world, I really had to laugh out loud. The safest city in the world, my ass. Have all forgotten that in 1994 and 1995, several terrorist attacks were carried out in Tokyo’s subway with sarin nerve agent? Thereby, 13 people were killed and 5,000 injured.

The members of the Aum Shinrikyo (currently known as Aleph) were identified as the perpetrators. They were arrested and brought to justice. They had concocted the sarin from freely available ingredients in a primitive laboratory.

They brought the sarin in 11 plastic bags as passengers into the subway cars, waited until the underground stopped at a station and the doors were open. Afterwards, they stabbed on the plastic bags with an umbrella with a metal top and ran away. It was so simple.

The terrorists of the Aum sect had already committed murders in advance of the terror attacks in the subway of Tokyo – for example, they filled the sarin into aerosol cans and attacked individual persons. The victims have inhaled the spray mist and then died from it. This shows just how easy it is to use this poison gas.

The terrorists made the sarin gas by adding Isopropyl alcohol to a mixture of Methylphosphonyl difluoride and Methylphosphonoyl dichloride. They have cooked together the two substance by a series of chemical reactions – step by step.

Apropos, sarin was discovered by German chemists of the IG Farben Leverkusen (now Bayer) in 1938 when they were searching for a strong pesticide. The name “sarin” consists of the name of the discoverers: Schrader, Ambros, Rüdiger and Van der Linde.

The media and politicians, who are vehemently demanding the attack on Syria, pretend constantly that only a state would be able to produce sarin, because the production of sarin nerve agent would be so difficult. Hence, they insinuate, that only the Syrian Army is able to use this chemical weapon. However, that terrorists can easily tinker it themselves and use it afterwards, as they already have done it, gets concealed by them. They never mentioned this in their coverage of Syria. On purpose.

The ingredients to produce the Sarin nerve agent was found in hide-outs and improvised labs of the terrorists in Syria already several times. On the barrels and the sacks with the chemicals, there was the label “Made in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”. One can therefore assume that the Saudi intelligence has delivered the goods into the hands of the terrorists, including the recipe of how to concoct the Sarin.

Anyone is able to produce the toxic substance with a little knowledge of chemistry. You fill the liquid into the warhead of a mortar shell or rocket and shoot it. Very simple. This is then a chemical weapon, and as shown by Tokyo, terrorists like to use it.

[member_27444]

The CWs would be surely destroyed in the first wave of attack
So why not offer them for the custody if they exist and are not disbursed to alkeeda?
It's like scorched earth policy of wars of yesterday years

It's a great public winning strategy at best and at worst a speed bump to Ombaba

But on the contrary now Ombaba can say see told ya no ground troops and fire away at conventional targets that way Assad loses both weapons in one shot ok about 150 shots.

There will be people with garlands and belly dancers of sects like they were in Baghdad for sure to welcome international coercion of the willing

[vishvak]

Roaches are going away soon? Jihaadis are not going away in Iraq, Libya; and going away in Syria?

Now the question of chemical weapons also seems to be solved.

Hopefully no more chemical attacks on kidnapped Alwite kids now. No more jihaadis running wild. No more mass killings, mass pillage, loot, ethnic cleansing.

What would US do if Sunni axis comes out and declares they ordered chemical attacks on kidnapped kids or UN finds that out with proof. Being most powerful US and NATO members attack Sunni axis and al-mobs right?

Another important part is what happens to Syrians once stripped off of chemical weapons. Should Syria Israel Iraq Iran make strategic friendly pact then what happens to bloodthirst of al-mobs.

[member_20317]

Who cares what who said. America and India have a healthy relationship regardless of the vitriol in this room. Now let's watch Ass-ad do his best imitation of a mole rat.

Anant ji you are making it sound like America is going to war against BRF.

We did not force the President of the Universe to climb the pole. He managed to do that all by himself.

We love americans man. Even their short stubby planes. At least some of us do. I am one among those.

[member_27444]

No Israel does not need any allies. war is very profitable business
Israel gains after each war and in peace builds new settlements. Nothing wrong that's the way live and prosper. Forget Iran Syria and Israel to have a pact. Even with out pact Israel has helped Iran many times including trading with Iran right under US sanctions.
With out trade empires can not be forged. Remember east India company remember Spanish and American trading posts in the new world.
Trading is the best way to easy conquest ask china
And one more time

Whoever controls the seas controls the world trade; whoever controls world trade holds all the treasures of the world in his possession, and in fact, the whole world.”

Add sea and land route for oil and gas you get the importance of this war

[Baikul]

Habal

......Your so called brave Russians are now running like a dog with its tail between his legs trying to save that looser Ass-ad from eating some Tomahawks. Nuclear weapon. Funny stuff. I always thought Russian exports were vodka and prostitutes.

While at times Habalji has posted some stuff that is IMO not credible, there is hardly any data to assume that the Russians are panicking. They're as good players of the game of geopolitics as anyone else and better than many. Also the history of Indian forces should easily indicate their export capabilities. Finally, it is that much more effective, and that less ironic, when you call someone a 'loser' and get the spelling right.

[member_27444]

Ok set back to KSA Bandars and Israel as well
Making money and losing the opportunity of making some else do heavy lifting.

Israel will do it alone may start Iran crossing red line with bibi model bulb with a wick

Interesting times but have to put my popcorn back in its wrapper
Sham darn it

[Philip]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/s ... ria-rebels
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 04536.html

Syria crisis: Assad warns US it will ‘pay the price’ if threatened missile strikes happen
In first American TV interview for two years, Syrian dictator tells America: ‘You will pay the price if you are not wise with dealing with terrorists’

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remained defiant in the face of threats of missile strikes today, telling an American television network that the US would “pay the price” for any attack.

“If you strike somewhere, you have to expect the repercussions somewhere else,” he said.

The comments came in a rare interview for the CBS network with the veteran journalist Charlie Rose, extracts of which were released today. It will be broadcast in full in America tonight.

The interview showed the embattled Syrian leader refuting American intelligence reports that his regime used chemical weapons nearly three weeks ago; and giving notice that strikes against his country would bring retaliation that might in part come in the form of terrorist action.

His reference to a possible terrorist backlash against America and its interests was calculated in part to stir fear in ordinary Americans on the eve of the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by al-Qa’ida in New York.

“You should expect everything,” he told Rose. “It’s not only the government that’s the only player in the region. You have different parties. You have different factions. You have different ideology. You have everything in this region now. So you have to expect that.”

He added: “You are going to pay the price if you are not wise with dealing with terrorists.”

Assad, who has accused the rebels of the poison gas attack, added that repercussions “may take different forms,” including “direct and indirect” effects.

Indirect effects could include “instability and the spread of terrorism all over the region that will influence the West directly,” Assad said.

He suggested there could be repercussions against the United States from other countries or groups such as Iran or Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Asked if he was making a threat of a direct military response to any such attack, Assad was vague, saying at one point, “I am not [a] fortune teller to tell you what’s going to happen.”

When Rose asked if chemical warfare could be one repercussion from a US intervention in Syria, Assad told him: “That depends if the rebels or the terrorists in this region or any other group have it. It could happen.”

He also repeatedly rejected the idea that there is any evidence linking his government to the 21 August attack, claiming his forces were not in the area. “Our soldiers in another area were attacked chemically,” he said.” “... But in the area where they said the government used chemical weapons, we only had video and we only have pictures and allegations. We’re not there.”

He also said Washington’s credibility is “at an all-time low.” And he told CBS the Syrian government opposes the use of chemical weapons. “We are against any WMD, any weapons of mass destruction whether chemical or nuclear,” he said.

Asked if he considers chemical warfare equivalent to nuclear warfare, Assad said: “I don’t know. We haven’t tried either.”

To US President Barack Obama, Assad said: “I will tell him very simply, ‘Present what you have as evidence ... to the public. Be transparent.’”

The remarks drew an instant rebuff from the White House. “It doesn’t surprise us that someone who would kill thousands of his own people, including hundreds of children with poison gas, would also lie about it,” spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said.

American threats widen fault lines among Syria's rebels

Martin Chulov writes from a roadhouse near Aleppo where jihadists and al-Qaida affiliates prepare to face the US enemy

When the Guardian spoke to Abu Ismail last November he was a new arrival to the Liwa al-Tawheed, which, though Islamic, fights for a new leadership in Syria and broadly embraces the worldview of the Free Syrian Army. With his new status as local emir, or prince, he claims that momentum for a regional jihad – which aims to install a strict interpretation of sharia law and create a caliphate on a crumbling nation state – is building. "If you control this part of Syria, you control all the Middle East," he said.

"The fight here is more difficult than Iraq. We have the regime, Hezbollah, the Lebanese army, the Shabiha, the Shia mercenaries, Iran, all of them fighting us. And now maybe the Americans. We know how to defeat their air force. We know how to manoeuvre and hide from them. Their number one goal is to prevent the mujahideen getting access to strategic weapons. The planned attack on Assad is a pretence to attack us."

[Garooda]

Oh well. Yet another move that we've seen it before.

Libya_To_Give_Up_WMD

Libya has said it will give up its programmes for developing weapons of mass destruction and allow unconditional inspections. President Muammar Gaddafi said that, after months of negotiations with the West, his country was ready to play its role in building a world free from all forms of terrorism,
Friday's surprise statement drew immediate praise from Washington and London. Phir bhi usko tapkaa daalaa
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair called the announcement "an historic one and a courageous one".
A welcome seasonal present for President Bush and Prime Minister Blair
Analysis: Gaddafi in from the cold
US President George Bush said: "Colonel Gaddafi's's commitment, once fulfilled, will make our country more safe and our world more peaceful."
"Leaders who abandon the pursuit of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them will find an open path to better relations with the US and other nations."

The US and its allies have long suspected that Libya had secret chemical and biological weapons programmes, but Libya repeatedly denied such allegations saying it only had facilities for pharmaceutical or agricultural research.

In 1995, the country reopened its Rabta pharmaceutical plant at Qabilat az Zaribah which, prior to its 1990 closure, had produced up to 100 tons of chemical weapons, according to the US. It is an example to all nations that political differences can be resolved peacefully
But chemical weapons production at Libya's underground Tarhuna facility is thought to have been suspended following intense international scrutiny.
UK officials believe Libya was close to obtaining a nuclear weapons capability before the deal.
Libya says it has now agreed to immediate international monitoring of its facilities.

Tripoli also promised to negotiate a new deal with the United Nation's nuclear agency and provide guarantees on biological weapons.
Mr Blair said Britain had been engaged in talks with Libya for nine months.
Tony Blair applauded the move
""Libya came to us in March following successful negotiations on Lockerbie to see if it could resolve its weapons of mass destruction issue in a similarly co-operative manner," he said.
Friday's decision entitled Libya to rejoin the international community, Mr Blair said.

"It shows that problems of proliferation can, with good will, be tackled through discussion and engagement, to be followed up by the responsible international agencies.

"It demonstrates that countries can abandon programmes voluntarily and peacefully."

Mr Blair contrasted Libya's voluntary relinquishment of weapons of mass destruction with Iraq's defiance, which led to military action and the toppling of leader Saddam Hussein.

During three weeks in October and early December, a team of experts from Britain and the US had visited Libya and gained access to projects, including uranium enrichment, under way at more than 10 sites.
The team had also been shown "significant quantities" of chemical agent and bombs designed to carry it, British officials said.

The Libyan Government said it had shown the experts equipment that could have been used to develop "internationally banned weapons".

It said it had now decided to abandon the programme of its own "free will " and to admit weapons inspectors.

Libya called on other countries to follow its lead.

It said: "By taking this initiative, (Libya) wants all countries to follow its steps, starting with the Middle East, without any exception or double standards."

BBC world affairs editor John Simpson says Libya has not been at the centre of the war on terror, but has always been regarded as a "friend of terrorists" - and had, for example, helped the IRA in the 1970s.

BBC Jerusalem correspondent James Reynolds said Israel would be "surprised and relieved" by the announcement.

"Israel's main hope will be that the announcement puts additional pressure on Iran."

But he added: "It may also refocus attention on Israel's own nuclear weapons programme."

If the U.N proves that chemical weapons were used by Assad then it won't matter if they sign anything.
If the U.N proves that the rebels used the chemical weapons and not Assad then troops in place,
will bomb the Rebels and there will be Syrian casualites thus Syria enters the mess one way or the other.

Funny thing that Syria denied having any chemical weapons and now they're willing to handover the stockpile?
It might not work as was found in Libya. Qaddafi retained a secret cache of CW.

Hidden_CW_Stash_Of_Libya

A team of OPCW inspectors visited Libya from 17 to 19 January 2012 to verify previously undisclosed chemical weapons that were discovered after the fall of the former regime. The new government in Tripoli announced the discovery last year and submitted a formal declaration of the weapons to the OPCW on 28 November.

The two-fold purpose of this inspection was to verify the new declaration in terms of types and quantities of chemical weapons, and to assist Libyan authorities in determining whether another set of discovered materials is declarable under the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The mission was carried out with the logistical support of the Federal Republic of Germany and the UN Department of Safety and Security, and with the full cooperation of Libyan authorities.

The OPCW inspectors verified the declared chemical weapons, which consist of sulfur mustard agent that is not loaded into munitions. At the same time, at the request of the Libyan authorities the inspectors examined munitions, mainly artillery shells, which they determined are chemical munitions and hence declarable.

All of the newly declared materials are stored at the Ruwagha depot in southeastern Libya, together with quantities of sulfur mustard and precursor chemicals that were declared by the Qaddafi government when Libya joined the OPCW in early 2004. The Qaddafi government succeeded in destroying 54% of its declared sulfur mustard and about 40% of the precursor chemicals before operations had to be suspended in February 2011 when the destruction facility malfunctioned.

Libya must now submit a detailed plan and completion date for destroying all of the declared materials to the OPCW not later than 29 April 2012, the date of the final extended deadline.

DHS_News_Piece

Last week international weapons inspector found clear evidence that the late Libyan dictator Moammar Qaddafi had large caches of hidden chemical weapons, despite making a promise to destroy all weapons of mass destruction weapons in 2004.

It would be interesting to see the madaari come up with more khels (UN, FalseFlag etc etc ?)

[Garooda]

This brings up the possibility that if Israel is attacked, then the US would fully support Israel? Hmmm one way or the other, they'll find a way to get in? Or just another chess move by Putin?

Rebels_Might_Attack_Israel

A chemical attack may be launched on Israel by Syrian rebels from government-controlled territories as a "major provocation", a number of sources have told RT.

The news comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed that Syria puts its chemical weapons arsenal under international control for subsequent destruction in order to prevent a possible military strike against the war-torn republic.

Moscow also urged the Syrian authorities to join the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The offer has already been passed over to the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, who met Lavrov in Moscow for talks on Monday.

“We don’t know if Syria will accept the offer, but if imposing international control over chemical weapons stored in the country can help to avoid military strikes, we are immediately going to start working with Damascus,” Lavrov said.

[nachiket]

Habal I'd love to meet you in Damascus once the roaches are gone. Please don't sob when Ass-ad is missing a major body part.

If you go to Damascus after Assad's demise, make sure your beloved rebels don't find out you are a kaffir yindoo and give you the standard treatment.

[Garooda]

Kabhi haan tau kabhi naa. Which one is it?

Desi_Jihaadis_In_Syria

India has summoned Syrian Ambassador Riad Abbas regarding his remarks on presence of "Indian Jihadis" in his country.

However, the Syrian envoy, categorically stated that "he had not made any remarks on the presence of Indian jihadis" and had spoken about jihadis in general, who were coming in from Turkey into Syria.

Abbas was summoned on Friday by Joint Secretary Sandeep Kumar JS (West Asia and North Africa) in External Affairs Ministry in connection with his remarks during an interview that "Indian fighters" are waging "Islamic jihad" against President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria alongside fighters from Afghanistan and Chechnya.

As regards comments on not sharing evidence with the Indian side as no Indian official had been to Syria for the last two years, Abbas stated that the evidence was with reference to use of chemical weapons by the rebels, What does this has anything to do with desi jihaadis in syria? and not relating to presence of Indian jihadis in Syria, official sources said.

Abbas also stated strongly that he was always deeply appreciative of India's position on Syria.

[Lalmohan]

if this game gets played any longer then soon we will have obama and assad issue a joint declaration of war against al-qaeda... its getting very kafkaesque out there kids

[Karan M]

The Syria war has brought out the hypocrisy of the US when it comes to the ME in stark detail. They want Assad out as KSA and Israel, the two Amrikkan allies want him out. All the rest is a charade. As if the US cares about chem weapons after having supported Saddam, firebombed Tokyo and Dresden, plus nuked other countries.

[RSoami]

So who will rule Syria if Assad is gone. U have to have another regime ready before trying to overthrow one.
Its foolish what US and Israel are trying to do in Syria. They might end up having Hamas or Fateh types ruling Syria.
Worse still, complete chaos.
The credibility of the west is going down with each intervention. Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now Syria. It no surprise that Cameroon lost the vote.

[RSoami]

On second thoughts Obama should bomb Kerry first. He has been getting him into funny n funnier positions with his big mouth nonsensical utterings.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion- ... 7048.story

[Shanmukh]

The Syria war has brought out the hypocrisy of the US when it comes to the ME in stark detail. They want Assad out as KSA and Israel, the two Amrikkan allies want him out. All the rest is a charade. As if the US cares about chem weapons after having supported Saddam, firebombed Tokyo and Dresden, plus nuked other countries.

Karan-ji,
I am not sure what the government of Israel thinks - they have maintained an ambivalent stance. I suspect it is the feeling that they are going to have a problem in the north no matter the outcome that keeps them ambivalent. But the Hebrew press has been divided, on the lines of the leftists (Haaretz) wanting to bomb Syria and the right (Jerusalem Post) wanting to keep their hands off the mess.

[member_27444]

No ambivalence at all
AiPAC is full team lobbying for attack.
Would they do it with out bibi behind them?
That would be proving bibi is a dove.
Which will traumatize him even in dreams

A crisis is always an opportunity, if not create one
Wish Indians learn at least half the play book...

Sigh. PRC has given stern warning not to do anything Indian territory or else...

[Shanmukh]

No ambivalence at all
AiPAC is full team lobbying for attack.
Would they do it with out bibi behind them?
That would be proving bibi is a dove.
Which will traumatize him even in dreams

A crisis is always an opportunity, if not create one
Wish Indians learn at least half the play book...

Sigh. PRC has given stern warning not to do anything Indian territory or else...

I have no idea about AIPAC since I am not in touch with US, but I do read Hebrew newspapers regularly. Israelis (particularly their right) are worried about a huge exodus of refugees into Israel if Syria is attacked. This would put Israel in a very dicey situation, since the Druze are their allies and a huge inflow of these refugees would greatly upset the Israeli economy, and their population balance (something that worries them greatly). Also, Israel is in a Catch 22 situation. If Assad is backed into a corner, he may attack Israel with chemical weapons, or hand them over to the Hezbollah, and this will make him a hero. Which of the Sunnis will dare attack Assad while he is in a confrontation with the vile kufr? Finally, they are worried about what comes next. As bad as an Alawite dictatorship is, it is relatively secular and much better, in their view, than having an al-Qaeda or Muslim Brotherhood government. Also, with the Alawites gone, Israel will be in a terrible situation, with Sunni terrorists on three of their flanks.

From Israeli right's pov, getting rid of Assad's Chemical weapons = good.
Getting rid of Assad = bad.

[Rudradev]

Rudradevji, a few nitpicks.

Carter largely lost his presidency over his disastrous decision to insert US strike troops into Iran. In 1993 Clinton's decisions led to the battle of Mogadishu, in which US troops were committed on the ground.

Baikul ji,

Carter lost his presidency over a number of things, most prominently the energy crisis prevailing in the US at the time. The public perception of his anemic response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian hostage crisis also affected him; in all of this, the failure of Eagle Claw was simply one more kick to his H&D. However, the op itself was a small special forces op similar to Neptune Spear that killed OBL (except that it failed in its goal of rescuing the hostages.) Democrat Presidents have been willing to insert SF onto the ground in many places, in fact there are probably teams of them in Syria already, but a full-scale ground invasion is a different matter.

Also in Somalia, the policy decisions to implement Operations Provide Relief and Restore Hope were taken during GHW Bush's presidency, not Clinton's.The only large-scale ground intervention ordered by Clinton was Op Uphold Democracy in Haiti, which involved large deployments of 82nd Airborne and 10th Mtn Divs of the US Army.

So I think in general my statement stands. Democrats have not had the guts to order significant ground invasions of other countries, with the sole exception of Haiti, since LBJ in Vietnam.

[member_27444]

One can easily as well access AIPAC
If you are reading the papers that you posted
Would you have missed this?

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.545661

Home News Diplomacy and Defense
AIPAC to deploy hundreds of lobbyists to push for Syria action
Pro-Israel lobby says 250 activists will meet with their senators and representatives in Washington in a bid to win support Congressional support for military action in Syria.

The influential pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee will deploy hundreds of activists next week to win support in Congress for military action in Syria, amid an intense White House effort to convince wavering U.S. lawmakers to vote for limited strikes.

"We plan a major lobbying effort with about 250 activists in Washington to meet with their senators and representatives," an AIPAC source said on Saturday.

Congressional aides said they expected the meetings and calls on Tuesday, as President Barack Obama and officials from his administration make their case for missile strikes over the apparent use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

The vote on action in Syria is a significant political test for Obama and a major push by AIPAC, considered one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington, could provide a boost.

The U.S. Senate is due to vote on a resolution to authorize the use of military force as early as Wednesday. Leaders of the House of Representatives have not yet said when they would vote beyond saying consideration of an authorization is "possible" sometime this week.

Obama has asked Congress to approve strikes against Assad's government in response to a chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21 that killed more than 1,400 Syrians.

But many Republicans and several of Obama's fellow Democrats have not been enthused about the prospect, partly because war-weary Americans strongly oppose getting involved in another Middle Eastern conflict.

Pro-Israel groups had largely kept a low profile on Syria as the Obama administration sought to build its case for limited strikes after last month's attack on rebel-held areas outside Damascus.

Supporters of the groups and government sources acknowledged they had made it known that they supported U.S. action, concerned about instability in neighboring Syria and what message inaction might send to Assad's ally, Iran.

But they had generally wanted the debate to focus on U.S. national security rather than how a decision to attack Syria might help Israel, a reflection of their sensitivity to being seen as rooting for the United States to go to war.

For your quick reference only

[Shanmukh]

One can easily as well access AIPAC
If you are reading the papers that you posted
Would you have missed this?

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.545661

Home News Diplomacy and Defense
AIPAC to deploy hundreds of lobbyists to push for Syria action
Pro-Israel lobby says 250 activists will meet with their senators and representatives in Washington in a bid to win support Congressional support for military action in Syria.

The influential pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee will deploy hundreds of activists next week to win support in Congress for military action in Syria, amid an intense White House effort to convince wavering U.S. lawmakers to vote for limited strikes.

"We plan a major lobbying effort with about 250 activists in Washington to meet with their senators and representatives," an AIPAC source said on Saturday.

Congressional aides said they expected the meetings and calls on Tuesday, as President Barack Obama and officials from his administration make their case for missile strikes over the apparent use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

The vote on action in Syria is a significant political test for Obama and a major push by AIPAC, considered one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington, could provide a boost.

The U.S. Senate is due to vote on a resolution to authorize the use of military force as early as Wednesday. Leaders of the House of Representatives have not yet said when they would vote beyond saying consideration of an authorization is "possible" sometime this week.

Obama has asked Congress to approve strikes against Assad's government in response to a chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21 that killed more than 1,400 Syrians.

But many Republicans and several of Obama's fellow Democrats have not been enthused about the prospect, partly because war-weary Americans strongly oppose getting involved in another Middle Eastern conflict.

Pro-Israel groups had largely kept a low profile on Syria as the Obama administration sought to build its case for limited strikes after last month's attack on rebel-held areas outside Damascus.

Supporters of the groups and government sources acknowledged they had made it known that they supported U.S. action, concerned about instability in neighboring Syria and what message inaction might send to Assad's ally, Iran.

But they had generally wanted the debate to focus on U.S. national security rather than how a decision to attack Syria might help Israel, a reflection of their sensitivity to being seen as rooting for the United States to go to war.

For your quick reference only

No - I had not missed it. But I did mention to you that Haaretz is a centrist newspaper (think of it as Israel's Times of India). Basically, the Haaretz will go ahead and support most of what the Americans say. AIPAC and the Israeli right do not exactly echo each other, other than when it comes to Israel's borders and settlements.

[member_27444]

Boss one of the great tricks of journalism if you notice BbC CNN etc
They always include a dissent opinion to bolster a semblance of being right or left
But that's just a facade

Any way I am not interested in opinion shaping but a student of world.

Logically like in "My name is nobody movie" ( must watch)
Assad will be accidented in couple of months for sure

......
Some quotes relevant to events in world affairs

Jack Beauregard: Folks that throw dirt on you aren't always trying to hurt you, and folks that pull you out of a jam aren't always trying to help you. But the main point is when you're up to your nose in shit, keep your mouth shut.

.....

Nobody: It's always the best who are the first to go.
Jack Beauregard: Which means you ain't going nowhere.
.......
Jack Beauregard: You're sure trying hard to make a hero out of me.
Nobody: You're that already. You just need a special act, something that'll make your name a legend.

[harbans]

MMS woke up from his sleep and summoned Syrian envoy..guess why MMS wakes up from his sleep..read it here:

Far from tales of several Indians joining Islamists to topple the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria, it has now emerged that only two persons of Indian origin are the specific cases known till now but both are British citizens.

One is Shah Abbas Khan, a British doctor of Indian origin, who entered Syria illegally through Turkey and is under detention. His mother has been calling up various authorities, including the Indian government as also the Syrian Embassy here. However as Dr. Khan is a British national, New Delhi has not pursued his case.

The second case is of another British doctor of Indian origin, Isa Abdur Rahman, who had travelled to a rebel-held area in northern Syria and was killed in May this year. Government sources said no case of Indian passport holders being involved in the Syrian strife has been brought to their notice so far.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/i ... 110494.ece

[RamaY]

if this game gets played any longer then soon we will have obama and assad issue a joint declaration of war against al-qaeda... its getting very kafkaesque out there kids

what will happen to al-bin-soursi's bandaars?

Something like KSA. Use keeda to hurt outsiders only.

Since India is completely in the super-powah tent, we are safe onlee...

[Prem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/2 ... 30214.html

Isaiah 17:1 Is Syria War Part Of Jesus' Second Coming? Christians And Muslims Quote Scripture

The second coming of Jesus is linked with the city of Damascus in both Christian and Muslim scripture, and some are interpreting those verses as an indication that the current Syria conflict points to the imminent return of Christ.

Some Christians point to Isaiah 17:1, which states:
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. (King James version)
The rest of Isaiah 17 elaborates upon the coming destruction, which some interpret as Armageddon, heralding the return of Christ.The second coming aside, many Christian websites have been speculating about whether the Syria conflict was prophesied in the Bible. Some scholars believe that this prophecy was fulfilled in 732 BC when Assyrians destroyed the city, while others are convinced that it is an "end times event yet come to pass," according to the Christian Post.Muslims also believe in the second coming of Jesus, which is mentioned in Surat An-Nisa, which says:And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness. (Sahih International translation)
More specifically, these Muslims quote a hadith that relates to Damascus and Jesus' second coming. Sahih Muslim Book 41, Hadith 7015 says:
...Allah would send Christ, son of Mary, and he will descend at the white minaret in the eastern side of Damascus wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron and placing his hands on the wings of two Angels.
However, in the Muslim tradition, Jesus descends before the destruction happens.

Imam Abdullah Antepli, the Muslim chaplain at Duke University and founder of the Muslim Chaplains Association, explained to The Huffington Post that "there are two schools of thought within Islam regarding prophecies. Some Muslims understand prophecy as written in the Quran and hadith as literal, but the majority of Muslims have never taken prophetic predictions in the literal sense."
With regards to the second coming of Christ, Antepli commented, "As a Muslim Imam, to me the second coming of Jesus represents a coming peace between Muslims and Christians to establish a kingdom of peace and justice on the earth." A literal coming of Christ is not necessary for this to occur.David Lose of Luther Seminary, author of "Making Sense of Scripture," also weighed in to The Huffington Post about the problems with literally interpreting prophetic verses, "Some read almost any prophetic utterances as blueprints about the future, rather than as metaphors meant to inspire hope and offer comfort in the present. If that's your lens, then the Bible is full of clues through which to read current events."Lose suggests that the reason that some are driven to interpret the Bible in that way is because "it gives them a sense of security to have a way of figuring out the time-table for the end of days."Twitter users have been speculating about the links between the end of days prophecies and the Syria conflict for a while, citing both Christian and Muslim traditions.

[member_27444]

That saffron robes man is none other than NaMo

[habal]

If solid evidence emerges from testimony of parents of Kidnapped children, and it is proven that rebels gassed the kidnapped children. Will Obama be tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity ?

why are american war crimes always excused under some guise or another ? If the world has to remain livable, their time has to come, better sooner than later.

a blog compiles the war crimes of Kerry and Obama sponsored quislings
http://barracudabrigade.blogspot.com.br ... ed-as.html

The children do not correspond to a sample of the population: they are all almost of the same age and have light hair. They are not accompanied by their grieving families.

They are in fact children who were abducted by jihadists two weeks before in Alawite villages in the surroundings of Latakia, 200km away from Ghouta.

Barack Obama’s narrative is unraveling as the truth of who murdered these children is being exposed.

http://www.abna.co/data.asp?lang=3&id=460606

Ray McGovern predicts false flag attack on US destroyers off Syria coast

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern predicts that the United States is looking for a “false flag” attack off the coast of Syria this week to start its planned military attack against the country.

“There may be a false flag attack on one of those US destroyers just off the coast of Syria blamed on guess who? Syria or maybe Syria’s ally Iran and then all hell will break loose,” he told Press TV on Saturday.

“So, I hope that the communications between the Syrian Navy and the US and the Iranian Navy and the US are good enough so that nobody will be able to mount that kind of provocation in a credible way. That’s the critical danger as I see it in the next week,” McGovern added.

The analyst said “the way for us to stop” the US from waging military strike on Syria is to press the administration to reveal its “so-called evidence” that the Syrian government launched a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs last month.

“There is a danger from the administration’s perspective, the danger is that the Congress will not approve this war,” if the White House declassified its intelligence “assessment,” McGovern argued.

On the other hand, “the Israel lobby and others who dearly want the US to be deeply involved in Syria so that the war that will never end, they have only a week to do something to affect things,” he said.

This is while American lawmakers say many of their constituents have told them they do not think the US should use military force against Syria.

Latest newsmax poll shows that overwhelming majority of Americans do not want war over Syria.

http://www.newsmax.com/Surveys/Results/id/88

[Philip]

You're more likely to see Tomahawaks "descending upon Damascus" these days! Interpreting Biblical or other prophecy is best understood after the events have taken place. Trying to unravel Nostradamus' quatrains is a pleasant time-consuming pastime that is still going on centuries later.Nevertheless,during the Iraq War,it is no secret that over zealous neo-Crusaders in America actually thought that they were accelerating events that would lead to the "second-coming of Christ",the destruction of Babylon,which would be laid waste according to Biblical prophecy.They wanted to see the Messiah arrive in their own lifetime and therefore sabre-rattling of anything that would resemble the apocalyptic wars of the Middle East threatening Israel is music to their ears.They must be in ecstasy that Syria is now about to be laid waste by O'Bomber and the presence of Russians in Syria also is an interpretation of Biblical end-of-days prophecy,from the Book of Ezekiel.Some interpreters say that Magog is Turkey ,others Russia.

In short, the battle Gog and Magog is war in the latter days (Last days) when a confederacy of nations attack Israel, which has been restored in the last days. These nations, which attack Israel in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, include nations, which are Muslim and have a clear animosity to Israel. Along with these Muslims nations, a northern kingdom, called Gog and Magog, which many identify, as the land Russia, will ally itself with Muslim nations, to oppose Israel in the last days.

So neo-Crusaders could read Iran,Syria as Muslim nations allied with Russia..

One very important factor driving the attack on Syria that has not been mentioned enough is the spike in oil prices expected to happen.This will bring colossal windfall profits for the Saudis,who will make approx. $200-400M per day (!) if the price hovers between $125-150 a barrel.It is astonishing how oil,control of it and insatiable greed is driving conflicts worldwide.Whether the chem-weapons handing over gambit will assuage the US is a moot Q.Even if the Syrians hand over their chem weapons,what guarantee is there that Assad will remain untouched? The funding,training and arming of Syrian mercenaries will still go on."Killer" Kerry like a modern-day blood-sucking vampire wants to drink Syrian blood at any cost. He wants his moment in history as a victorious leader in a little war,and grab his spoils of victory.I wonder spoils of victory what Prince Bandar has promised to the warmongers.Just a couple of weeks of war will give him several billions of extra moolah to spread around to his bum-chums.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/s ... al-weapons

Obama welcomes Russian proposal for Syria to hand over chemical weapons
Russia's suggestion for Syria to place weapons under international control made after apparent stumble by John Kerry

Obama welcomes Russian proposal for Syria to hand over chemical weapons

Russia's suggestion for Syria to place weapons under international control made after apparent stumble by John Kerry

Dan Roberts in Washington and Julian Borger in London
The Guardian, Tuesday 10 September 2013

Barack Obama has described the Russian proposal for the Syrian regime to hand over its chemical weapons as a 'possible breakthrough'. Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Barack Obama welcomed a Russian proposal on Monday for Syria to place its chemical weapons under international control, opening up the first real chance of a political settlement to the crisis since hundreds of civilians died in an attack on a Damascus suburb last month.

In a series of primetime television interviews, Obama described Russia's offer as a "possible breakthrough" and a "potentially positive development" in the standoff with the regime of Bashar al-Assad. With the prospect of a deal with the Syrians in the offing, the Senate majority leader Harry Reid postponed a crucial vote to authorise military action. Obama conceded in an NBC interview on Monday night that he might lose his campaign in Congress for authorisation. "I wouldn't say I'm confident" of the outcome, he said, adding that he had not decided what to do if it voted against him.

Russia's proposal came after an apparent stumble by the US secretary of state, John Kerry, which set off a diplomatic scramble in Washington as administration officials sought to assess whether it offered a way out for Obama from what has become an increasingly intractable problem.

Speaking in London, Kerry suggested that the only way for Syria to avoid the threat of a US attack would be for it to hand over all its chemical weapons within a week. The remarks were characterised as a blunder by some Washington commentators, and the Department of State at first attempted to play down their significance, saying Kerry had been speaking "rhetorically" about a situation that was unlikely to materialise.

But the comments were immediately seized on by the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who raised the prospect of international observers supervising such a handover. "If the establishment of international control over chemical weapons in that country would allow avoiding strikes, we will immediately start working with Damascus," Lavrov said.

"We are calling on the Syrian leadership to not only agree on placing chemical weapons storage sites under international control, but also on its subsequent destruction and fully joining the treaty on prohibition of chemical weapons," Lavrov said after a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Moallem.

Intentional or not, Kerry's comments opened up a chance to defuse the crisis at a moment when Obama was already struggling to persuade Congress of the need for US intervention. In his NBC interview, the president said: "You have to take this with a grain of salt initially, but between the statements that we saw from the Russians, the statement today from the Syrians, this represents a potentially positive development."

Obama said that the administration would work to assess the seriousness of the proposals. "We are going to run this to ground. John Kerry will be talking to his Russian counterpart. We're going to make sure that we see how serious these proposals are," Obama said.

But US officials nevertheless expressed scepticism over whether Syria would follow through. "Unfortunately, the track record to date does not inspire a lot of confidence," said US deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken.

Obama also claimed that he had first discussed the idea at the G20 summit as his administration scrambled to claim credit for the Russian deal and insisted Syria was responding to US pressure. "It is unlikely that we would have arrived at that point without a credible military threat," Obama told CNN.

The president will address the American people in a direct televised broadcast on Tuesday evening. By that time, the White House will have had the opportunity to assess the viability of the Russian proposal. But already on Monday night there was a clear sense of relief on Capitol Hill, where support for military action had been patchy.

A key legislative ally of Obama, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee, said she would welcome a move by Syria to put chemical weapons beyond use. "I believe that Russia can be most effective in encouraging the Syrian president to stop any use of chemical weapons and place all his chemical munitions, as well as storage facilities, under United Nations control until they can be destroyed," Feinstein said.

The former US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, speaking after a hastily arranged meeting with Obama at the White House, where she was due to speak at an event about illegal wildlife trafficking, said the move could represent an "important step". In her first comments about the Syria crisis, Clinton warned that it could not make "another excuse for delay or obstruction".

Kerry later spoke to Lavrov by phone and Washington scrambled to place its own spin on the unexpected developments. Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, insisted that the offer by Russia and Syria had only come about because of "sustained pressure" from the US.

"It is our position, and has been for some time, that the Syrian regime should not use and also not possess stockpiles of chemical weapons, and we would welcome any proposals that would result in the international control and destruction of that chemical weapon stockpile," he said at a White House briefing.

"There is no question that we have seen some indications of an acceptance of this proposal [from the Syrians], but this is a very early stage and we approach this with scepticism," he added.

The proposal was welcomed by the UN and a number of European governments. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said he would propose the security council unite and vote on an immediate chemical weapons transfer, placing weapons and chemical precursors in a safe place within Syria for international destruction.

Earlier, Ban said that he hoped that a forthcoming report by UN inspectors on the 21 August attack on a rebel-held areas east of Damascus, which the US says killed more than 1,400 people, would spur the international community into action.

"Two and half years of conflict in Syria have produced only embarrassing paralysis in the security council," Ban said at a press conference.
The French government has said it would wait for the UN report, being prepared by a Swedish scientist, Åke Sellström, before making a final decision on taking part in military action.

The Sellström report is unlikely to come before the end of this week, diplomatic sources said. The samples brought back from a two-week visit are being studied in four European laboratories, to ensure that the result is conclusive.

In the British parliament, David Cameron responded positively but cautiously to Russia's move, saying if it was a genuine offer, it should be regarded as a big step forward.

Downing Street initially indicated that the Kerry proposal was not serious, pointing out that the idea had not been raised during the lengthy discussion on Syria at the G20 dinner in St Petersburg. They added that the focus should be on Assad's record with chemical weapons.

But in a Commons debate on the G20 and Syria, Cameron said it would be "hugely welcome" if the Assad regime were to hand over its chemical weapons stockpile.

Susan Rice, the US national security adviser, said that "even greater barbarism" would follow if the US did not take military action against Assad. "The decision our nation makes in the coming days is being watching in capitols around the world, especially in Teheran or Pyongyang," Rice told an audience at the New America Foundation in Washington on Monday.

Rice, the former US ambassador to the UN, did not address Russia's offer for Assad to relinquish his chemical stockpiles.

Additional reporting by Spencer Ackerman in Washington and Patrick Wintour in London

PS:Here is one interpretation of "latter-day" prophecies,there are plenty on the shelves in bookstores of the west.

"I am firmly convinced that Islam is the single greatest challenge that the Church will face before the return of Jesus, yet most are still either asleep or in denial." - Joel Richardson

"Mideast Beast" completes and establishes the revolutionary argument introduced in Joel Richardson's New York Times bestselling "Islamic Antichrist," namely that the Antichrist will be a Muslim, whose empire will arise out of the Middle East.

Whereas most students of the Bible have long held that some form of humanism or universalist religion would catapult the Antichrist to world power, "Mideast Beast: The Scriptural Case for an Islamic Antichrist" systematically proves from that the long-awaited system of the Antichrist is even now before us and knocking at our door.

Through a highly scholarly, theologically grounded yet simple presentation, Richardson thoroughly corrects the objections of critics, establishing beyond a doubt the biblical case for an Islamic Antichrist. With large segments of the Christian missionary movement embracing a heretical method of outreach to Muslims, "Mideast Beast" cuts to the core of the matter, revealing the true nature and origins of Islam. After finishing Richardson's work, you too will be convinced concerning the challenge of Islam to the Church.