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How an American Disaster Paved the Way for Big Oil’s Rise — and Possible Fall — in Iraq

In 2011, after nearly nine years of war and occupation, U.S. troops finally left Iraq. In their place, Big Oil is now present in force and the country’s oil output, crippled for decades, is growing again. Iraq recently reclaimed the number two position in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), overtaking oil-sanctioned Iran. Now, there’s talk of a new world petroleum glut. So is this finally mission accomplished?

Well, not exactly. In fact, any oil company victory in Iraq is likely to prove as temporary as George W. Bush’s triumph in 2003. The main reason is yet another of those stories the mainstream media didn’t quite find room for: the role of Iraqi civil society. But before telling that story, let’s look at what’s happening to Iraqi oil today, and how we got from the “no blood for oil” global protests of 2003 to the present moment.

Here, as a start, is a little scorecard of what’s gone on in Iraq since Big Oil arrived two and a half years ago: corruption’s skyrocketed; two Western oil companies are being investigated for either giving or receiving bribes; the Iraqi government is paying oil companies a per-barrel fee according to wildly unrealistic production targets they’ve set, whether or not they deliver that number of barrels; contractors are heavily over-charging for drilling wells, which the companies don’t mind since the Iraqi government picks up the tab.

Meanwhile, to protect the oil giants from dissent and protest, trade union offices have been raided, computers seized and equipment smashed, leaders arrested and prosecuted. And that’s just in the oil-rich southern part of the country.

In Kurdistan in the north, the regional government awards contracts on land outside its jurisdiction, contracts which permit the government to transfer its stake in the oil projects — up to 25% — to private companies of its choice. Fuel is smuggled across the border to the tune of hundreds of tankers a day.

In Kurdistan, at least the approach is deliberate: the two ruling families of the region, the Barzanis and Talabanis, know that they can do whatever they like, since their Peshmerga militia control the territory. In contrast, the Iraqi federal government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has little control over anything. As a result, in the rest of the country the oil industry operates, gold-rush-style, in an almost complete absence of oversight or regulation.

Oil companies differ as to which of these two Iraqs they prefer to operate in. BP and Shell have opted to rush for black gold in the super-giant oilfields of southern Iraq. Exxon has hedged its bets by investing in both options. This summer, Chevron and the French oil company Total voted for the Kurdish approach, trading smaller oil fields for better terms and a bit more stability.

Keep in mind that the incapacity of the Iraqi government is hardly limited to the oil business: stagnation hangs over its every institution. Iraqis still have an average of just five hours of electricity a day, which in 130-degree heat causes tempers to boil over regularly. The country’s two great rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, which watered the cradle of civilization 5,000 years ago, are drying up. This is largely due to the inability of the government to engage in effective regional diplomacy that would control upstream dam-building by Turkey.

After elections in 2010, the country’s leading politicians couldn’t even agree on how to form a government until the Iraqi Supreme Court forced them to. This record of haplessness, along with rampant corruption, significant repression, and a revival of sectarianism can all be traced back to American decisions in the occupation years. Tragically, these persistent ills have manifested themselves in a recent spate of car-bombings and other bloody attacks.

Washington’s Yen for Oil

In the period before and around the invasion, the Bush administration barely mentioned Iraqi oil, describing it reverently only as that country’s “patrimony.” As for the reasons for war, the administration insisted that it had barely noticed Iraq had one-tenth of the world’s oil reserves. But my new book reveals documents I received, marked SECRET/NOFORN, that laid out for the first time pre-war oil plans hatched in the Pentagon by arch-neoconservative Douglas Feith’s Energy Infrastructure Planning Group (EIPG).

In November 2002, four months before the invasion, that planning group came up with a novel idea: it proposed that any American occupation authority not repair war damage to the country’s oil infrastructure, as doing so “could discourage private sector involvement.” In other words, it suggested that the landscape should be cleared of Iraq’s homegrown oil industry to make room for Big Oil.

When the administration worried that this might disrupt oil markets, EIPG came up with a new strategy under which initial repairs would be carried out by KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton. Long-term contracts with multinational companies, awarded by the U.S. occupation authority, would follow. International law notwithstanding, the EIPG documents noted cheerily that such an approach would put “long-term downward pressure on [the oil] price” and force “questions about Iraq’s future relations with OPEC.”

At the same time, the Pentagon planning group recommended that Washington state that its policy was “not to prejudice Iraq’s future decisions regarding its oil development policies.” Here, in writing, was the approach adopted in the years to come by the Bush administration and the occupation authorities: lie to the public while secretly planning to hand Iraq over to Big Oil.

There turned out, however, to be a small kink in the plan: the oil companies declined the American-awarded contracts, fearing that they would not stand up in international courts and so prove illegitimate. They wanted Iraq first to have an elected permanent government that would arrive at the same results. The question then became how to get the required results with the Iraqis nominally in charge. The answer: install a friendly government and destroy the Iraqi oil industry.

In July 2003, the U.S. occupation established the Iraqi Governing Council, a quasi-governmental body led by friendly Iraqi exiles who had been out of the country for the previous few decades. They would be housed in an area of Baghdad isolated from the Iraqi population by concrete blast walls and machine gun towers, and dubbed the Green Zone. There, the politicians would feast, oblivious to and unconcerned with the suffering of the rest of the population.

The first post-invasion Oil Minister was Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, a man who held the country’s homegrown oil expertise in open contempt. He quickly set about sacking the technicians and managers who had built the industry following nationalization in the 1970s and had kept it running through wars and sanctions. He replaced them with friends and fellow party members. One typical replacement was a former pizza chef.

The resulting damage to the oil industry exceeded anything caused by missiles and tanks. As a result the country found itself — as Washington had hoped — dependent on the expertise of foreign companies. Meanwhile, not only did the Coalition Provisional authority (CPA) that oversaw the occupation lose $6.6 billion of Iraqi money, it effectively suggested corruption wasn’t something to worry about. A December 2003 CPA policy document recommended that Iraq follow the lead of Azerbaijan, where the government had attracted oil multinationals despite an atmosphere of staggering corruption (“less attractive governance”) simply by offering highly profitable deals.

Now, so many years later, the corruption is all-pervasive and the multinationals continue to operate without oversight, since the country’s ministry is run by the equivalent of pizza chefs.

The first permanent government was formed under Prime Minister Maliki in May 2006. In the preceding months, the American and British governments made sure the candidates for prime minister knew what their first priority had to be: to pass a law legalizing the return of the foreign multinationals — tossed out of the country in the 1970s — to run the oil sector.

The law was drafted within weeks, dutifully shown to U.S. officials within days, and to oil multinationals not long after. Members of the Iraqi parliament, however, had to wait seven months to see the text.

How Temporary the Victory of Big Oil?

The trouble was: getting it through that parliament proved far more difficult than Washington or its officials in Iraq had anticipated. In January 2007, an impatient President Bush announced a “surge” of 30,000 U.S. troops into the country, by then wracked by a bloody civil war. Compliant journalists accepted the story of a gamble by General David Petraeus to bring peace to warring Iraqis.

In fact, those troops spearheaded a strategy with rather less altruistic objectives: first, broker a new political deal among U.S. allies, who were the most sectarian and corrupt of Iraq’s politicians (hence, with the irony characteristic of American foreign policy, regularly described as “moderates”); second, pressure them to deliver on political objectives set in Washington and known as “benchmarks” — of which passing the oil law was the only one ever really talked about: in President Bush’s biweekly video conferences with Maliki, in almost daily meetings of the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, and in frequent visits by senior administration officials.

On this issue, the Democrats, by then increasingly against the Iraq War but still pro-Big Oil, lent a helping hand to a Republican administration. Having failed to end the war, the newly Democrat-controlled Congress passed an appropriations bill that would cut off reconstruction funds to Iraq if the oil law weren’t passed. Generals warned that without an oil law Prime Minister Maliki would lose their support, which he knew well would mean losing his job. And to ramp up the pressure further, the U.S. set a deadline of September 2007 to pass the law or face the consequences.

It was then that things started going really wrong for Bush and company. In December 2006, I was at a meeting where leaders of Iraq’s trade unions decided to fight the oil law. One of them summed up the general sentiment this way: “We do not need thieves to take us back to the middle ages.” So they began organizing. They printed pamphlets, held public meetings and conferences, staged protests, and watched support for their movement grow.

Most Iraqis feel strongly that the country’s oil reserves belong in the public sector, to be developed to benefit them, not foreign energy companies. And so word spread fast — and with it, popular anger. Iraq’s oil professionals and various civil society groups denounced the law. Preachers railed against it in Friday sermons. Demonstrations were held in Baghdad and elsewhere, and as Washington ratcheted up the pressure, members of the Iraqi parliament started to see political opportunity in aligning themselves with this ever more popular cause. Even some U.S. allies in Parliament confided in diplomats at the American embassy that it would be political suicide to vote for the law.

By the September deadline, a majority of the parliament was against the law and — a remarkable victory for the trade unions — it was not passed. It’s still not passed today.

Given the political capital the Bush administration had invested in the passage of the oil law, its failure offered Iraqis a glimpse of the limits of U.S. power, and from that moment on, Washington’s influence began to wane.

Things changed again in 2009 when the Maliki government, eager for oil revenues, began awarding contracts to them even without an oil law in place. As a result, however, the victory of Big Oil is likely to be a temporary one: the present contracts are illegal, and so they will last only as long as there’s a government in Baghdad that supports them.

This helps explain why the government’s repression of trade unions increased once the contracts were signed. Now, Iraq is showing signs of a more general return to authoritarianism (as well as internecine violence and possibly renewed sectarian conflict).

But there is another possibility for Iraq. Years before the Arab Spring, I saw what Iraqi civil society can achieve by organizing: it stopped the world’s superpower from reaching its main objective and steered Iraq onto a more positive course.

Many times since 2003 Iraqis have moved their country in a more democratic direction: establishing trade unions in that year, building Shi’a-Sunni connections in 2004, promoting anti-sectarian politicians in 2007 and 2008, and voting for them in 2009. Sadly, each of these times Washington has pushed it back toward sectarianism, the atmosphere in which its allies thrive. While mainstream commentators now regularly blame the recent escalation of violence on the departure of U.S. troops, it would be more accurate to say that the real reason is they didn’t leave far sooner.

Now, without its troops and bases, much of Washington’s political heft has vanished. Whether Iraq heads in the direction of dictatorship, sectarianism, or democracy remains to be seen, but if Iraqis again start to build a more democratic future, the U.S. will no longer be there to obstruct it. Meanwhile, if a new politics does emerge, Big Oil may discover that, in the end, it was mission unaccomplished.

By Greg Muttitt

23 August, 2012

@ TomDispatch.com

Greg Muttitt is the author of Fuel on the Fire: Oil and Politics in Occupied Iraq (New Press), just published, and described by Naomi Klein as “nothing short of a secret history of the war.” Since 2003, he has worked with Iraqi trade unions campaigning against the privatization of Iraq’s oil, most of that time as co-director of the British charity Platform.

Somewhere in my home I have a set of photo albums I rarely go near. I fear the flood of cruel memories that might be evoked from looking at the countless photos I took during a trip to Iraq. Many of the pictures are of children who developed rare forms of cancer as a result of exposure to Depleted Uranium (DU), which was used in the US-led war against Iraq over two decades ago.

I remember visiting a hospital that was attached to Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad. The odor that filled its corridors was not the stench of medicine, but rather the aroma of death. At a time of oppressive siege, the hospital lacked even basic anesthetic equipment and drugs. Children sat and stared at their visitors. Some wailed in inconceivable pain. Parents teetered between hope and the futility of hope, and at prayer times they duly prayed.

A young doctor gave a sweeping diagnosis: “No child that ever enters this place ever leaves alive.” Being the young reporter I was at the time, I diligently made a note of his words before asking more questions. I didn’t quite grasp the finality of death.

Several years later, Iraq’s desolation continues. On August 16, 90 people were killed and more were wounded in attacks across the country. Media sources reported on the bloodbath (nearly 200 Iraqis were killed this month alone), but without much context. Are we meant to believe that violence in Iraq has transcended any level of reason? That Iraqis get blown up simply because it is their fate to live in perpetual fear and misery?

But the dead, before they were killed, were people with names and faces. They were fascinating individuals in their own right, deserving of life, rights and dignity. Many are children, who knew nothing of Iraq’s political disputes, invited by US wars and occupation and fomented by those who feed on sectarianism.

We often forget this. Those who refuse to fall into the trap of political extremes still tend to process and accept violence in one way or another. We co-exist with tragedy, with the belief that bombs just go off randomly and that surviving victims cannot be helped. We somehow accept the idea that refugees cannot be repatriated and the hungry cannot be fed.

This strange wisdom is most apparent in Sudan. In the Upper Nile state, people are dying from sheer exhaustion before they reach refugee camps in Batil. Some walk for weeks between South Kordofan and the Blue Nile, seeking respite and any chance of survival. Those who endure the journey – compelled by fighting between the Sudanese army and rebels groups – might not survive the harshness of life awaiting them at Batil. The BBC News reported on August 17, citing a warning by Medecins Sans Frontieres, that “[p]eople are dying in large numbers in a refugee camp in South Sudan.”

I almost stumbled on the ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ in Batil (as described by MSF’s medical co-ordinator, Helen Patterson) while reviewing reports of the deteriorating situation in some Darfur refugee camps. Batil now hosts nearly 100,000 of the estimated 170,000 refugees who recently fled their homes. According to the medical charity, 28% of the children are malnourished, and the mortality rate is twice that of the accepted emergency threshold.

Darfur is, of course, a festering wound. Many of the internally displaced refugees often find themselves in a constant state of displacement, as was the case earlier this month. UN officials say that ‘all’ 25,000 people in a single refugee camp, Kassab, went on the run again after armed groups clashed with government forces. They settled in another ‘shelter’ nearby, the town of Kutum. According to the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the supposed new shelter ‘lacks water, food and sanitation’ (CNN, August 9).

Since then, the story has somewhat subsided. Not because the fleeing refugees are in a good standing, but because this is all the attention that 25,000 refugees can expect from a media awash with news of two-faced politicians and celebrity scandals. It might take a ‘peacemaking’ celebrity to place Batil or Kassab on the media map for another day or two, and surely nothing less than a sizable number of deaths to make the refugees a relevant news item once again.

That said, no attention-seeking VIP is likely to venture out to Mali anytime soon. While the humanitarian crisis in West Africa is reaching frightening levels, the media continues to address the conflict in Mali in terms of the logic of Western interests being threatened by rebels, coups and jihadists. Aside from the fact that few ask of Western complicity in the chaos, 435,000 refugees are flooding neighboring countries. This was the most recent estimate by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on August 16, but the fact is ignored by most media.

The World Food Program says that the food crisis is devastating – not only for distraught refugees, but also for millions within the country. Malian children are, of course, outnumbering all other victims. They are helplessly dragged around through endless deserts. When they die, they merely leave a mark as yet another statistic, estimated without much certainty, and, sadly, without value.

However, here may lay the moral to the story. Every Malian, Sudanese, Iraqi, Syrian, Palestinian, Yemeni or Rohingya child matters immensely to those around him. His or her life – or death – might conveniently serve to fortify a political argument, make a good National Geographic reportage, or a Facebook photo with many ‘shares’ and ‘likes’. But for parents, families, friends and neighbors, their children are the center of their universe, however poor and seemingly wretched. Thus, when UNICEF or UNRWA complains about a shortage of funds, it actually means that thousands of innocent people will needlessly suffer, and that centers of many universes will dramatically implode, replacing hope with bottomless despair, and often rage.

It may be convenient to assign conventional political wisdom to explain complex political issues and violent conflicts. But protracted conflicts don’t make life any less precious, or children any less innocent. It is a tragedy when Iraqis seem to be on a constant parade of burying their loved ones, or when the Sudanese seem to be on a constant quest to save their lives. It’s a greater tragedy, however, when we get so used to the unfolding drama of human violence that we can accept as destined the reality of children crossing the Sahara in search of a sip of water.

By Ramzy Baroud

23 August, 2012

@ Countercurrents.org

Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an internationally-syndicated columnist and the editor of PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story (Pluto Press, London.)

Almost three years ago I wrote an analytical piece on the concept of deliberately engineering wars, big and small, by elitists to distract the masses away from particular global developments that work to the benefit of the establishment power structure. That article was entitled ‘Will The Globalists Trigger Yet Another World War?’:

http://www.alt-market.com/neithercorp/press/2010/01/will-globalists-trigger-yet-another-world-war/

In that analysis, I concluded that since at least 2008, the power’s that be (whether posing as Republicans or Democrats) had set in a motion a series of events that revolved around Iran, and most disturbingly, Syria, which could be used to trigger a vast global war scenario. Today, unfortunately, it seems my concerns were more than valid, and circumstances evolving in that particular region are dire indeed.

Now, some may argue that circumstances in the Middle East have always been “dire” and that it does not take much to predict a renewal of chaos. Admittedly, for the past six years alone the American public has been treated to one propaganda campaign after the other testing the social waters to see if a sizable majority of the citizenry could be convinced to support strikes against Iran. The U.S. and Israeli governments have come very close on several occasions in rhetoric and in the build up of arms, to just such an event. However, I would submit that the previous threats of war that came and went are absolutely nothing in comparison to the danger today.

Syria’s civil war has developed into something quite frightening, well beyond the blind insurrections of the so-called “Arab Spring”. So many outside interests (especially U.S. interests) are involved in the conflict it is impossible to tell whether there are actually any real revolutionaries in Syria anymore. This unsettling of the country’s foundation has taken a turn which I warned about recently, namely, the removal of UN monitors from the area, which was announced only days ago:

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/16/syria-crisis-idINL6E8JGDXH20120816

The removal of UN monitors is a sign that some kind of strike is near the horizon.

Accusations of potential “chemical weapons stores” in Syria are being floated by the Department of Defense as a clear cut rationale for invasion, and Israel has essentially admitted that an attack on Iran is not only on the table but beyond planning stages into near implementation. Even Israeli citizens are openly worried that their government is “serious” this time in its calls for preemptive attack, stockpiling gas masks and even protesting against the policy:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-14/israel-plans-for-iran-strike-as-citizens-say-government-serious.html

The tension of the atmosphere surrounding this crisis is unlike anything the Middle East has seen in decades, and that includes the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

But before we can understand the true gravity of this situation, we must first confront some misconceptions…

Firstly, I realize that there are many people out there who have natural and conditioned inclinations towards the hatred of Muslim nations. There are also just as many people out there who are inclined to distrust the intentions of the government of Israel. Both sides make good points on occasion, and both sides also have a tendency to get lazy, painting with a ridiculously broad brush and blaming all the woes of the world on one side or the other so that they don’t have to think through the complexities of globalism and the one world technocratic club, or accept that “Al-Qaeda” is not the biggest threat to peace and stability. It’s much easier to convict an entire race, or an entire religion, than it is to comprehend the mechanizations of an elite minority that plays both sides off each other.

Whatever side you may favor, simply know that in the end the sides are irrelevant. We could argue for months about who is just, who is right, who was there first, etc. Again, it’s irrelevant. What does matter, though, are the potential consequences of an exponential conflict in the region, which no one can afford.

Sadly, there are still plenty of Americans out there that believe the U.S. is the “richest nation on the globe” and has finances beyond reckoning with which to wage endless wars.

Here are the facts. Here is exactly what will happen if the U.S., NATO, or Israel, enter into a hot war with either Iran or Syria, and the results are not optimistic:

1) Syria And Iran Will Join Forces

In 2006, Iran and Syria signed a mutual defense treaty in response to the growing possibility of conflict with the West. Both countries are highly inclined to fulfill this treaty, and it would seem that Iran is already doing so, at least financially, as Syria spirals into civil war. In fact, the U.S. supported insurgency in Syria was likely developed in order to strain or test the mutual aid treaty. Given that the CFR is now applauding Al-Qaeda for its efforts in destabilizing the country, I hardly find it outlandish to suggest that the entire rebellion is being at least loosely organized by NATO interests to either draw Iran into open military support of Assad and a weakening proxy war, or to remove Syria from the equation in preparation for a strike on Iran itself (take notice that whenever the mainstream media shows images of Syrian rebels, they are always smiling or looking valiant with guns held high; a typical subliminal tactic used to paint them as “the good guys”):

http://www.cfr.org/syria/al-qaedas-specter-syria/p28782

2) Iran Will Shut Down The Strait Of Hormuz

With all the grandstanding at the Department of Defense, you would think that the Hormuz is a non-issue. This is a mistake. The strait is around 21 miles wide at its narrowest point which lays right off the coast of Iran, however, of that 21 miles only two safe shipping lanes are available, each measuring a miniscule 2 miles across. Hormuz is one of two of the most vital oil transit checkpoints in the world, and approximately 20% of all oil produced passes through it. The logistics for blocking the two working shipping lanes on the strait are simple given the existence of the new Ghader Missile System, which Iran tested successfully this year. The weapon is specifically designed as a “ship-killer” with the ability to travel at Mach 3, and evade most known radar methods:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-01-01/iran-missile-test/52318422/1

In the tightly boxed in waterways of the Hormuz, a large scale and difficult to track missile attack would be devastating to any Navy present, and would turn the sea lanes into a junk yard impossible to navigate for oil tankers. Result? A catastrophic inflationary event in oil around the world, making gasoline unaffordable for most people and most uses. The EU’s recent move to stockpile oil in preparation for an Iran strike reveals the seriousness of the situation:

http://www.euractiv.com/energy/europe-starts-piling-oil-iran-wa-news-514340

3) Israeli Action Will Draw In The U.S.

Forget what the U.S. Joint Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey says; the U.S. will absolutely involve itself militarily in Iran or Syria following an Israeli strike. To begin with, there is no way around a supporting or primary role, especially when Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz. With 20% of the world’s oil supply on hiatus, at least half of the American populace will be crying out for U.S. military involvement. Guaranteed. Dempsey’s claim that Israel may not get American support is simply a charade meant to infer that the subversion of Syria and Iran is not necessarily a joint venture, which it absolutely is. There is zero chance that an Israeli strike will not be met with frantic calls by the Pentagon and the White House to open the floodgates of U.S. military might and protect one of our few “democratic allies” in the Middle East.

4) Syria Will Receive Support From Russia And China

The Russian government has clearly stated on numerous occasions that they will not step back during a strike against Syria, and has even begun positioning naval ships and extra troops at is permanent base off the coast of Tartus, a development which I have been warning about for years:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/03/us-syria-russia-navy-idUSBRE8720AO20120803

Tartus is Russia’s only naval base outside the periphery of its borders, and is strategically imperative to the nation. Action by the U.S. or Israel against Syria would invariably ellicit, at the very least, economic retaliation, and at the most, Russian military involvement and possible widespread war.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/21/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8610SH20120821

China, on the other hand, will likely respond with full scale financial retaliation, up to and including a dump of U.S. Treasury Bonds (a move which they have been preparing for since 2005 anyway). With oil prices skyrocketing due to increased Middle Eastern distress, multiple countries including the BRIC trading bloc nations and most of the ASEAN trading bloc will have the perfect excuse to dump the dollar, allowing for the introduction of the IMF’s newly revamped SDR (Special Drawing Rights) global currency mechanism to take hold.

Syria is the key to what I believe will be an attempt on the part of globalists within our government to actually coax a volatile conflict into being, a conflict that will create ample cover for the final push towards global currency, and eventually, global governance.

5) Economic Implosion Will Become “Secondary”…To The Banksters’ Benefit

In the minds of the general public, the economic distress that we will soon face regardless of whether or not there is ever a war with Iran and Syria will be an afterthought, at least for a time, if the threat of global combat becomes reality. The fog of war is a fantastic cover for all kind of crime, most especially the economic kind. Sizable wars naturally inhibit markets and cause erratic flux in capital flows. Anything, and I mean anything, can be blamed on a war, even the destruction of the U.S. economy and the dollar. Of course, the real culprits (international and central banks) which have been corrupting and dismantling the American fiscal structure for decades will benefit most from the distraction.

Syria and Iran are, in a way, the first dominos in a long chain of terrible events. This chain, as chaotic as it seems, leads to only one end result: Third world status for almost every country on the planet, including the U.S., leaving the financial institutions, like monetary grim reapers, to swoop in and gather up the pieces that remain to be fashioned into a kind of Frankenstein economy. A fiscal golem. A global monstrosity that removes all sovereignty whether real or imagined and centralizes the decision making processes of humanity into the hands of a morally bankrupt few.

For those on the side of Israel, the U.S., and NATO, and for those on the side of the Middle East, Russia China, etc., the bottom line is, there will be no winners. There is no “best case scenario”. There will be no victory parade, for anyone. There will be no great reformation or peace in the cradle of civilization. The only people celebrating at the end of the calamitous hostilities will be the hyper-moneyed power addicted .01%, who will celebrate their global coup in private, laughing as the rest of the world burns itself out, and comes begging them for help.

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You can contact Brandon Smith at: brandon@alt-market.com

Alt-Market is an organization designed to help you find like-minded activists and preppers in your local area so that you can network and construct communities for mutual aid and defense. Join Alt-Market.com today and learn what it means to step away from the system and build something better.

By Brandon Smith

22 August 2012

@ Activist Post

Armed Forces in Cooperation with Aleppo People Continue Pursuing Terrorists in Aleppo, Inflict Heavy Losses on them

Aug 23, 2012

ALEPPO, (SANA) – The Syrian armed forces continued on Thursday in cooperation with the people of Aleppo city pursuing the armed terrorist groups in the neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo and its countryside.

A source in the province told SANA reporter that the armed forces inflicted heavy losses upon the armed terrorist groups as they killed tens of terrorists and demolished their ammunition dumps.

The source added that the authorities are still rehabilitating the basic facilities and providing the daily needs in the areas which were cleansed of terrorists.

In al-Izaa neighborhood, an army unit targeted a hideout of terrorists and destroyed a mortar that terrorists used to shell buildings and killed a number of terrorists.

In cooperation with the residence, the security forces carried out a qualitative operation in al-Modah street and killed several terrorists.

Army units found an ammunition dump and a field hospital in Seif al-Dawlah neighborhood which has been cleansed of armed terrorist groups.

In Dawar al-Jandoul neighborhood, the brave soldiers of the Syrian Arab Army confronted two armed terrorist groups as they tried to infiltrate into the city center.

In Aleppo countryside, the Syrian armed forces attacked ammunition dumps and hideouts of armed terrorist groups in Anadan, Mare’ and al-Atareb districts and killed several terrorists including the warlords of these groups.

Meanwhile, the governorate of Aleppo started rehabilitating al-Jdeidah and al-Talal outskirts after they were cleansed of armed terrorist groups to restore life back to normal.

Terrorists Confronted in Aleppo and Homs

Aug 23, 2012

PROVINCES, (SANA)- In cooperation with the inhabitants, the security authorities on Thursday carried out a qualitative operation against a group of terrorists in al-Mawaddeh Street leading to the area of Qastal Harami in the city of Aleppo.

A source in the province told SANA reporter that the authorities clashed with the terrorists and killed and injured many of them.

An official source said that terrorists’ gatherings were pounded in Qastal Harami in Aleppo old city, inflicting heavy losses on them.

A number of terrorists were killed in a qualitative operation near the Cultural Center and Extensive Clinics in Hanano area in Aleppo.

In Homs, the authorities on Wednesday night repelled armed terrorist groups that attacked law enforcement personnel in the area of Jousiyeh in al-Qseir countryside.

SANA reporter in the province quoted a source as saying that the authorities inflicted heavy losses upon the terrorists killing large numbers of them including Khalid Hussein Abu Fares, Abdul-Karim Matar and Mohammad Kheir Khalaf.

Work To Rehabilitate al-Jdeida and al-Talal Areas Started

Meanwhile, Aleppo Governorate, along with the services institutions and Civil Defense services, started work to rehabilitate the areas of al-Jdeida and al-Talal after having been cleared of the terrorist groups.

SANA reporter said that the inhabitants are cooperating with the state institutions to help bring life back to normal in the cleared areas.

A weapons’ warehouse and a field hospital were discovered in Saif al-Dawla area in Aleppo that the armed forces came close to cleansing it of terrorists.

Terrorists Receive Severe Blows in Damascus, Daraa Countryside

The competent authorities pursued armed terrorist groups that committed crimes, acts of vandalism and thefts in Babila in Damascus countryside, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorists.

An official source said that the clash left six terrorists dead while others fled, leaving their weapons behind.

In al-Hrak, in Daraa countryside, the crackdown on the terrorist groups continued. The competent authorities killed and injured a number of terrorists. The source added that Mohammad Abdul-Rahim Farhan al-Matar was among the dead.

Army continues pursuit of terrorists in Ariha, Idleb

The Syrian armed forces continued their pursuit of the armed terrorist groups in Ariha, Idleb countryside.

A source in Idleb announced that the army destroyed a car fully loaded with ammunition coming from Jabal al-Zawiya into Ariha, killing and arresting a number of terrorists.

Authorities Kill Members of Armed Group in Hama Countryside

The competent authorities at night ambushed an armed terrorist group to the west of Seger town in Hama countryside, killing all its members and confiscating their weapons, ammunitions and communication sets.

SANA reporter quoted an official source in Hama as saying that the armed group was killing, abducting and sabotaging the private and public properties.

Among the terrorists killed were Mukhtar Saloum and Abdul-Hakim Saloum.

Terrorist Groups Attacking Security Personnel and Citizens Repelled

The source mentioned that the authorities also repelled other terrorist groups that planned to launch attack on the residents in the city of Talkalakh in the countryside of Homs and inflicted heavy losses upon their members.

Prime Minister: All Food Items are Available at Moderate Prices

Aug 23, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)_Prime Minister, Dr. Wael al-Halki, said that all food items are available in the governmental sale centers at moderate prices.

During a tour of a number of sale centers on Thursday, al-Halki said that are diverse food items, including vegetables, fruit, meat and oil, since they are domestic industries that are a source of power for Syria in the face of schemes to subdue the Syrian people.

Dr. al-Halki stressed that the national economy is robust and capable of withstanding the economic sanctions against the Syrian people.

Big Welcome Festival Organized in Honor of Freed Prisoner al-Maqt

Aug 23, 2012

QUNEITRA, (SANA)_The villages of the occupied Syrian Golan organized on Wednesday a big welcome festival in honor of the freed Dean of the Arab and Syrian prisoners in Israeli jails, Sudqi al-Maqt, who ended 27 years of imprisonment on charge of resisting the Israeli occupation.

Al-Maqt’s convoy passed through the squares and villages of Massada, Ein Qinya and Boquatha, ending up in his home town, Majdal Shams town, where an oratorical festival was held in Sultan Pasha al-Atrash Square, with the participation of religious and national personalities from the Palestinian lands occupied in 1948.

In a speech during the festival, al-Maqt said that his freedom is but a step on the way of liberating all the prisoners in the Israeli jails until liberating the occupied Syrian Golan by the valiant Syrian Arab army, who is fighting the battles of glory and dignity.

Al-Maqt expressed trust in Syria’s ability to overcome the Western and Zionist project and its tools in the region thanks to the awareness of the Syrian people.

For his part, Metropolitan Atallah Hanna, Archbishop of Sevastia for the Greek Orthodox, reaffirmed the Palestinians’ support to Syria which is facing an unprecedented war that will be met with failure, due to the awareness of the Syrian people and the resolve of the Syrian army.

The Palestinian author Mohammad Nafa’ condemned the conspiracy targeting Syria, hailing the national spirit of al-Makt and his sacrifices.

The freed prisoner Assem al-Wali said Golan will definitely return to the homeland, thanking all Golan people who stood by al-Makt while in jail.

Fisk: Syrian Army is Fighting Mercenary Gangs of Foreigners in Aleppo

Aug 23, 2012

LONDON, (SANA)_The British Journalists Robert Fisk said the Syrian army is fighting gangs of mercenary foreigners in the northern city of Aleppo.

In an article published by The Independent newspaper on Thursday, Fisk said that most of the mercenary fighters’ weapons which were were taken by the Syrian army included Nato-standard sniper rifles, one mortar, eight Austrian machine-pistols and a host of Kalashnikovs.

Citing an example that illustrates the ignorance of mislead foreigners who were recruited to fight in Syria, Fisk quoted a Syrian army officer as saying that he did not believe it when one of the prisoners told him : “I didn’t realize Palestine was as beautiful as this.”’ He thought he was in Palestine to fight the Israelis.

He described the bombs and bullets that littered Sharaf mosque, indicating to the Syrian soldiers’ immense sadness for the damage caused to the old city.

Fisk described the fighters who made their way to the old streets in Aleppo as a ”ragtag bunch”, expressing sorrow for the scenes of destruction and the damage done to the building and streets of the old city due to the battles fought by the foreigners against the Syrian army.

Fisk added that these gangs realized that success cannot be attained in Aleppo, that’s why they brought foreigners to fight, quoting a soldier in the Syrian army as saying “If the enemy are so sure that they are going to win the battle, then surely there’s no need to bring these foreigners to participate; they will lose.”

Russian Foreign Ministry: Russian-Syrian Economic Relations Developing Dynamically

Aug 23, 2012

MOSCOW, (SANA) – The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the Russian-Syrian economic relations are developing dynamically.

In a statement, the Ministry added that last May the Joint Russian-Syrian Committee for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation held its eighth meeting in Moscow, pointing out the implementation of the decisions made during that meeting was discussed on July 30th between the Russian and Syrian sides in Moscow.

The statement stressed that the unilateral sanctions imposed by some states on Syria will not stop the joint economic plans and programs between the two countries.

Syria’s Ambassador in Lebanon: Smuggling Weapons into Syria Contrary to ‘Dissociation Policy’

Aug 23, 2012

BEIRUT, (SANA) –Syria’s Ambassador in Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, reiterated on Thursday that Syria is committed to sustaining best relations with Lebanon, pointing out that the fraternal relationship and the agreements signed between the two countries should be respected.

In an interview with al-Nour Radio, Ambassador Abdul-Karim stressed that smuggling weapons and gunmen through the Syrian-Lebanese borders contradicts the ‘dissociation policy’ which was adopted by the Lebanese Government towards the events in Syria.

He added that western experts and gunmen have crossed the borders into Syria; some of them were arrested and others confessed to killing and slaughtering Syrian civilians and military officers.

Mansour: Syria Fortified from the Inside and any Opposition Resorting to Arms Does Not Seek Reform

Aug 23, 2012

BEIRUT, (SANA)- Lebanese Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Adnan Mansour, stressed that Syria is fortified from the inside, “otherwise there would have been a disaster,” highlighting the Syrians’ awareness of what Syria wants on the one hand and what is planned for Syria from the outside on the other.

“Since the first moment of stirring the Syrian file, external and international hands have been standing behind this file,” Mansour said on Wednesday night in an interview with the Lebanese NBN channel.

He referred to some countries which called for overthrowing the regime in Syria stressing that “this manner is rejected in the international relations.”

“The situation in Syria has taken a serious direction that has gone beyond the Syrian borders in terms of the all-direction attack- media and arming, which doesn’t lie in the framework of reform as they claim,” Lebanon’s Foreign Minister said.

He added that any opposition that resorts to arms and aid from the outside and to media campaigns and incitement does not seek achieving reform demands.

Mansour reiterated Lebanon’s stance towards Syria in terms of self-distancing policy and respecting the agreements signed with Syria.

“Some want the Lebanese foreign policy to take a hostile stand towards Syria and its leadership. However, this will not happen today nor tomorrow,” he stressed.

Mansour said that Lebanon is concerned with what is happening in Syria and in the stability and security of the region, adding that any repercussions of the crisis in Syria will reflect on Lebanon and the neighboring countries as well.

Tehran Reiterates Rejection of any Foreign Interference in Syria

Aug 23, 2012

BEIRUT, (SANA)-Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated his country’s rejection of any foreign interference in Syria’s domestic affairs, saying that the resolution to the crisis in Syria would only be reached by the Syrians.

In an interview with al-Manar TV and al-Nour Radio on Thursday, Salehi hoped the regional countries will cooperate and hold consultations in order to realize a resolution to the crisis in Syria according to the plan of the UN former Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan.

Prime Minister Underlines Deep Relations between Syria and Russia

Aug 22, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)_Prime Minister Wael al-Halki stressed the deep historic and strategic relations between the Syrian and Russian peoples at all levels, underlining the mutual desire to develop these relations and broaden their scope to cover various development fields.

During his meeting on Wednesday with a delegation representing the Russian Association of Islamic Accord and the Russian Muftis Council, headed by Chairman of the executive committee of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord mufti Mukhammedgali Khuzin.

The Prime Minister gave a thorough review of the multi-dimensional challenges and conspiracies which are aimed to distort facts and undermine the steadfastness of the Syrian people, affirming that Syria is capable of confronting challenges and bringing back security and stability.

Al-Halki said Syria will remain the example of national unity and religious tolerance in the face of all challenges.

For his part, Mufti Khuzin said that the Russian people support the Syrians against the Zionist-US campaign against them, voicing trust in Syria’s ability to emerge victorious from the crisis.

The General Mufti of the Republic, Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, stressed the Syrians’ steadfastness in the face of the conspiracy and the takfiri wahhabi expansion.

In a statement to journalists following the meeting, the chairman of the Ulema Council of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord, Farid Salman Haydarov, said that the delegation’s visit comes to express the full support to Syria amid the current circumstances.

He expressed trust that Syria and the Syrian people will achieve success eventually as they are on the right side, who always defended the just causes in the face of Western and colonial schemes that seek to pillage the peoples’ resources.

Haydarov said Syria is targeted for being the bastion of Islam and Arabism and the prime defender of the Arab just causes, hailing the prominent role of Syrian religious scholars throughout history.

Information Minister Discusses with Russian Religious Delegation Cooperation to Repel Campaign against Syria

Information Minister, Omran al-Zoubi, discussed with the delegation of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord and the Russian Muftis Council means of cooperation to confront the campaign and conspiracy against Syria.

Minister al-Zoubi said that tolerance, logic and human civilization are being targeted in Syria, stressing the importance of conveying the true image of what is taking place in Syria to the world public opinion.

Al-Zoubi said that principles are put head of interests in the relations between Syria and Russia, underlining necessity of enhancing the human and cultural relations, side by side with the economic, political and military fields.

He underlined the importance of spreading a new discourse against the Western one that seeks to bring down the media institutions that do not revolve in its orbit, adding that the ministry is working to activate the mechanism of marketing the truth conveyed by national media as opposed to the lies spread by biased channels.

For his part, Haydarov stressed that Syria is the homeland of the real Islam, not that one fabricated by the British occupation which is marred with suspicious aspects as is Wahhabi Islam.

He added that Wahhabism targets the Muslims in Russia as in Syria, using the tactics of killing and bombings, indicating that the battle in Syria will determine the fate of the whole region.

Mufti Hassoun said that the Syrian Islamic history and culture are the enemies of the US and Wahhabism, indicating that the US and Wahhabi movements seek to undermine the Syrian Islamic culture.

Syria Wins over India at Asian Basketball Championship

Aug 22, 2012

ULAN-BATOR, MONGOLIA, (SANA)- Syria’s national under-18 basketball team on Wednesday won over the Indian team 69/57 within the competitions of the second round of the Asian finals held in Mongolia.

Despite the win, the Syrian team was out of competition coming second to last following the Lebanese team, which lost to its Japanese counterpart 82/94.

The Syrian team lost twice in the Asian Basketball Championship, which is to last until August 28th. The first was to the Lebanese team 72/91/ and the second was to the Chinese team 71/101.

Money Wired from Europe to Tunisian Salafis to Recruit Youths to Fight in Syria

Aug 22, 2012

TUNIS, (SANA) – A number of leaders and members of Tunisian salafi groups are receiving money on regular basis from Europe via money orders, Tunisian Tanit Press newspaper said on its website.

The newspaper said that the amount of money ranges between 1500 and 2000 Tunisian dinars each time.

The newspaper added that the money is allocated to recruit youths from Tunisia and Libya to be sent to Syria via Turkey, highlighting that the operation is being carried out in coordination with Turkey and Jabhet al-Nusra front, which is the branch Of al-Qaeda in Syria.

The report said that the recruited persons are being sent to training camps in Libya, adding that these camps are funded by the Qatari ambassador.

NEW YORK — In more than six years of spying on Muslim neighborhoods, eavesdropping on conversations and cataloguing mosques, the New York Police Department’s secret Demographics Unit never generated a lead or triggered a terrorism investigation, the department acknowledged in court testimony unsealed late Monday.

The Demographics Unit is at the heart of a police spying program, built with help from the CIA, which assembled databases on where Muslims lived, shopped, worked and prayed. Police infiltrated Muslim student groups, put informants in mosques, monitored sermons and catalogued every Muslim in New York who adopted new, Americanized surnames.

Police hoped the Demographics Unit would serve as an early warning system for terrorism. And if police ever got a tip about, say, an Afghan terrorist in the city, they’d know where he was likely to rent a room, buy groceries and watch sports.

But in a June 28 deposition as part of a longstanding federal civil rights case, Assistant Chief Thomas Galati said none of the conversations the officers overheard ever led to a case.

“Related to Demographics,” Galati testified that information that has come in “has not commenced an investigation.”

The NYPD is the largest police department in the nation and Mayor Michael Bloomberg has held up its counterterrorism tactics as a model for the rest of the country. After The Associated Press began reporting on those tactics last year, supporters argued that the Demographics Unit was central to keeping the city safe. Galati testified that it was an important tool, but conceded it had not generated any leads.

“I never made a lead from rhetoric that came from a Demographics report, and I’m here since 2006,” he said. “I don’t recall other ones prior to my arrival. Again, that’s always a possibility. I am not aware of any.”

Galati, the commanding officer of the NYPD Intelligence Division, offered the first official look at the Demographics Unit, which the NYPD denied ever existed when it was revealed by the AP last year. He described how police gather information on people even when there is no evidence of wrongdoing, simply because of their ethnicity and native language.

As a rule, Galati said, a business can be labeled a “location of concern” whenever police can expect to find groups of Middle Easterners there.

Galati testified as part of a lawsuit that began in 1971 over NYPD spying on students, civil rights groups and suspected Communist sympathizers during the 1950s and 1960s. The lawsuit, known as the Handschu case, resulted in federal guidelines that prohibit the NYPD from collecting information about political speech unless it is related to potential terrorism.

Civil rights lawyers believe the Demographics Unit violated those rules. Documents obtained by the AP show the unit conducted operations outside its jurisdiction, including in New Jersey. The FBI there said those operations damaged its partnerships with Muslims and jeopardized national security.

In one instance discussed in the testimony, plainclothes NYPD officers known as “rakers” overheard two Pakistani men complaining about airport security policies that they believed unfairly singled out Muslims. They bemoaned what they saw as the nation’s anti-Muslim sentiment since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Galati said police were allowed to collect that information because the men spoke Urdu, a fact that could help police find potential terrorists in the future.

“I’m seeing Urdu. I’m seeing them identify the individuals involved in that are Pakistani,” Galati explained. “I’m using that information for me to determine that this would be a kind of place that a terrorist would be comfortable in.”

He added, “Most Urdu speakers from that region would be of concern, so that’s why it’s important to me.”

About 15 million Pakistanis and 60 million Indians speak Urdu. Along with English, it is one of the national languages of Pakistan.

In another example, Galati said, eavesdropping on a conversation in a Lebanese cafe could be useful, even if the topic is innocuous. Analysts might be able to determine that the customers were from South Lebanon, he said, adding, “That may be an indicator of possibility that that is a sympathizer to Hezbollah because Southern Lebanon is dominated by Hezbollah.”

After the AP began reporting on the Demographics Unit, the department’s former senior analyst, Mitchell Silber, said the unit provided the tip that ultimately led to a case against a bookstore clerk who was convicted of plotting to bomb the Herald Square subway station in Manhattan. Galati testified that he could find no evidence of that.

Attorney Jethro Eisenstein, who filed the Handschu case more than 40 years ago and questioned Galati during the deposition, said he will go back to court soon to ask that the Demographics Unit be shut down. It operates today under a new name, the Zone Assessment Unit. It recently stopped operating out of state, Galati said.

“This is a terribly pernicious set of policies,” Eisenstein said. “No other group since the Japanese Americans in World War II has been subjected to this kind of widespread public policy.”

Dozens of members of Congress have asked the Justice Department to investigate the NYPD. Attorney General Eric Holder has said he was disturbed by the reports. But John Brennan, President Barack Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, has said he is confident the NYPD’s activities are lawful and have kept the city safe.

By ADAM GOLDMAN and MATT APUZZO

21 August 2012

@ huffingtonpost.com

Yesterday US and NATO officials discussed plans for a US military invasion of Syria to bring down Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, after US President Barack Obama announced that the US was contemplating a direct attack on Syria at a press conference Monday night.

A delegation led by Assistant Secretary for State for near East Affairs Beth Jones discussed US military plans with Turkey. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that Defense Department and US intelligence officials met their Turkish counterparts “to share operational pictures, to talk about the effectiveness of what we’re doing now, and about what more we can do.”

Senior US officials said that contingency plans for US intervention in Syria include scenarios requiring tens of thousands of American troops.

At a press conference at the White House Monday, Obama declared: “I have indicated repeatedly that President al-Assad has lost legitimacy, that he needs to step down. So far, he hasn’t gotten the message, and instead has double downed in violence on his own people. The international community has sent a clear message that rather than drag his country into civil war he should move in the direction of a political transition. But at this point, the likelihood of a soft landing seems pretty distant.”

Obama said that he would order “military engagement” if chemical or biological weapons are moved or used in Syria. He said that Syria’s alleged stockpile of chemical weapons “concerns our close allies in the region, including Israel. It concerns us. We cannot have a situation in which chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people.”

Obama added that the US “have communicated in no uncertain terms with every player in the region, that that’s a red line for us, and that there would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on the chemical weapons front, or the use of chemical weapons.”

The cynicism with which Obama is seeking to justify the next US imperialist aggression in the Middle East is staggering. The main groups in Syria who could seize chemical weapons from Syrian government stockpiles are Al Qaeda forces promoted by the US and its allies as shock troops against Assad. (See also: “Washington’s proxy in Syria: Al Qaeda”)

Having armed Al Qaeda-linked groups and sent them into Syria to carry out bombings and assassinations, the US and its allies now plan to justify their invasion of Syria by citing the need to protect the world’s population from Al Qaeda’s terrorist atrocities!

The Obama administration advances its arguments today with total disregard for the fact that they clash with the lies used until now to justify its support for Sunni anti-Assad “rebels.”

For months it maintained the pretense that it would not directly attack Syria, and that the Syrian regime’s statements that it was fighting US-backed terrorists were “propaganda.” Now, the White House is admitting that terrorist groups play a major role in the anti-Assad forces, and citing this as a pretext for war.

By proceeding in this fashion, the Obama administration demonstrates its complete contempt for the American electorate, which voted him into office in 2008 in large part based on hopes he would stop the US military aggressions against countries in the Middle East. Today, as during the 2003 invasion of Syria’s neighbor, Iraq, Washington is preparing to invade a country based on cynical lies about weapons of mass destruction.

A US invasion of Syria would be a crime of historic proportions, like the war in Iraq—a country whose population is only slightly larger than Syria’s. This war led to the deaths of over a million Iraqis and thousands of US and allied soldiers. Iraq became a battleground for US occupation forces, as well as for sectarian bombings and massacres carried out by Sunni and Shiite death squads.

A US invasion would threaten similar carnage inside Syria, which is already being torn apart by sectarian fighting in which Washington is working with right-wing regimes in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to back Sunni Islamist forces against Syria’s Alawite regime. However, the far greater tensions in a region already destabilized by a decade of US and Israeli wars in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and Libya now threaten to spread the violence over the entire Middle East.

Sectarian bloodshed provoked by the intensifying US intervention in the region is already spilling over into Syria’s neighbors. On Tuesday four people were killed and more than 60 wounded in firefights between Sunni Muslims and Shiite Alawites in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. Tensions in Lebanon have been growing for months, with Western-backed forces seeking to provoke the Lebanese government which is led by the Shiite organization Hizbollah, a close ally of Syria and Iran.

A US war against Syria would be the next step in an ongoing US imperialism to deepen its hegemony over the energy-rich and geo-strategically vital regions of the Persian Gulf and Central Asia.

The Syrian regime responded to US threats with warnings and proposals for negotiations. Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil described Obama’s statements about chemical weapons as a pretext for Western intervention in Syria. “The West is looking for an excuse for direct intervention. If this excuse does not work, it will look for another excuse.” He warned that an attack on Syria would turn the conflict into a regional war, saying: “Those who are contemplating this evidently want to see the crisis expand beyond Syria’s borders.”

Jamil announced that the Syrian regime is willing to talk with the opposition to work out a transition, however. He even declared that Assad’s presidency is negotiable, stating: “We are ready to discuss Assad’s resignation—but not as precondition.”

Obama’s war threats against Syria are also deepening tensions with Russia and China, who have already vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions backed by the US and its Western and Arab allies aiming to give a pseudo-legal fig leaf for US aggression against Syria.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov spoke at a meeting in Moscow with China’s State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who also met Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top security adviser, Nikolai Patrushev, on Monday. Lavrov said that both Russia and China base their diplomatic cooperation on “the need to strictly adhere to the norms of international law and the principles contained in the U.N. Charter, and not to allow their violation.”

Lavrov said that only the Security Council has the authority to approve the use of external force against Syria, warning against imposing “democracy by bombs.” Russian officials have reportedly stated that they hope to avoid a repetition of the attack on Libya last year. Moscow abstained from the Security Council vote on Libya, and a resolution was passed which was subsequently used by NATO to justify its bombing of the country.

By Johannes Stern

22 August, 2012

@ WSWS.org

Syrian Army Cleans Several Neighborhoods in Aleppo from Mercenaries.. Terrorists Severely Hit

Aug 22, 2012

PROVINCES, (SANA) – The armed forces are severely hitting the mercenary terrorists in a number of neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo in a continued process to eliminate the armed terrorist groups in the province.

SANA reporter quoted a source in the province as saying that the army is continuing chasing down the terrorist groups in Aleppo where tens of terrorists have been killed in the operations, while others have dropped their weapons and turned themselves in.

The army clashed with terrorists in Abbart Bolis and al-Haddadeh areas, said the source, adding that scores of terrorists were arrested and snipers were killed.

The source mentioned that the military engineering units dismantled an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by terrorists in al-Hatab Square in al-Jdeida area in Aleppo and clashed with the terrorists, Killing three gunmen, one of them was terrorist Izzat Eddin Hassan.

The armed forces also arrested five terrorists in al-Jdeida area, one of them was the leader of an armed terrorist group.

The source said that a unit form the armed forces clashed with an armed terrorist group that set up a barrier in front of the Sports Institute in the area of Bustan al-Basha and killed most of its members while other were injured.

The army units also targeted another armed terrorist group stationed in front of the Water Establishment in Suleiman al-Halabi area killing tens of terrorists.

The army also repelled another terrorist group which set up a barrier near teh Industry School in the same area and killed all its members.

Another terrorist group was targeted near al-Khudr Mosque in the same area and was completely eliminated.

The source told SANA reporter that an army unit conducted a qualitative operation in al-Firdous area and killed the group of terrorists positioned near al-Walid school. A group of terrorists were targeted in Jib al-Qubbeh area and were killed at the hands of the armed forces.

SANA reporter cited the source as saying that he armed forces continued chasing down the fleeing mercenary terrorists in Saif al-Dawla neighborhood in the city of Aleppo, helped by the citizens who have informed the authorities of the movement and whereabouts of the terrroist groups.

The source stressed the existence of persons from a number of Arab nationalities who are involved in the acts of violence against the Syrian people as many of such persons were arrested in Saif al-Dawla neighborhood.

The source said that the armed forces carried out a qualitative operation in the same neighborhood killing one of the leaders of the armed groups and arresting a number of terrorists.

The suthorities seized large amounts of weapons, ammunition and medical equipment in the same area.

Another unit form the armed forces conducted a qualitative operation in the surrounding of al-Zaidiyeh Police Station in the area of Saif al-Dawla killing a number of terrorists who were stationed in the area.

A unit from the armed forces ambushed an armed terrorist group coming from Aleppo countryside to back up the terrorists in the city and killed all its members.

The terrorists’ cars were completely destroyed by the army unit, some of them were equipped with machineguns.

The armed forces clashed with an armed terrorist group stationed near al-Tahrir School in al-Fardous neighborhood in Aleppo and killed all of the mercenary terrorists.

The army conducted a qualitative operation in Andan area in Aleppo countryside, targeting a post used to provide weapons and ammunition to the armed terrorist groups, dozens of terrorists were killed.

Scores of terrorists were arrested in Andan while trying to enter Aleppo via the road of Gazi Intab.

In Mare’ in Aleppo countryside, the armed forces targeted and destroyed a command center of the armed terrorist groups and an ammunition depot, killing large numbers of the terrorists.

The armed forces also killed scores of terrorists in Bustan al-Bashar area in Aleppo and destroyed their ammunition depot.

The armed forces killed scores of terrorist who were disguised in women cloths in the area of Said al-Dawla and others who were trying to flee the area using sewage lines.

The armed forces also destroyed several terrorists’ centers in al-Sayyed Ali and al-Sheikh Maqsoud areas in Aleppo, inflicting heavy losses upon the terrorists.

The Syrian Heroic Army Cleans Several Neighborhoods in Aleppo from Mercenaries

Later on the day, the Syrian Arab Army fully cleaned al-Talal, al-Jdeida and Farhat square from the armed terrorist groups, killing and inuring scores of terrorist mercenaries and confiscating big quantities of weapons and stolen medical equipment.

Crowds of citizens gathered in Saadallah al-Jaberi Square, while hundreds of the residents of the area of al-Suleimaniyeh gathered in a rally to express their happiness over the Syrian Army’s control of the areas of al-Talal, al-Jdeida and Farhat Square after cleaning them from the terrorist groups.

A source in Aleppo told SANA that units of the Syrian Army had full control of Saif al-Dawla neighborhood from the right side extended from al-Koora al-Ardiya till Said al-Dawla Garden.

The Army units also arrested scores of terrorists who were attacking private and public properties at al-Faid area in Aleppo, destroying three cars equipped with Dushka machineguns at the entrance of Andan, Aleppo countryside, killing a number of mercenaries.

Other Army units clashed with armed terrorist groups at Mare’e and Azaz and Hreitan in Aleppo countryside , inflicting heavy losses among them.

The Army also clashed with an armed group near the directorate of the Health Affairs at Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood, killing and injuring all the mercenaries.

The source added that a unit from the Syrian Army confronted an armed terrorist group at al-Arkoub area where the mercenaries launched mortars on two buildings. A big number of the terrorist group were killed.

Another Army unit clashed with mercenaries at Tal Rifaat in Aleppo countryside, destroying a car loaded with ammunition and weapons.

An armed forces’ unit clashed with a terrorist group near the Post Establishment in Saif al-Dawla neighborhood in Aleppo, killing scores of terrorists, and discovers a field hospital.

The competent authorities pursued an armed terrorist group in Nahr Aisha neighborhood in Damascus, killed its members and confiscated their weapons that included machineguns, rifles, RPG launchers and ammunition.

Authorities Kill Scores of Terrorists in Homs

Authorities ambushed an armed terrorist group in jusyeih area in al-Qseir countryside and killed scores of terrorists, among them were Mustafa al-Zaqrait, Mohammad Mustafa al-Zaqrait, Salah Noor Eddin Matar and Hammoud Amoun.

Authorities also ambushed an armed terrorist group in al-Qantara in al-Qseir and killed four terrorists and wounded another two.

Authorities Seize weapons inside hideout for terrorists in Ma’adamiyat al-Sham, Damascus Countryside

The competent authorities seized a big quantity of weapons and ammunitions while storming a hideout for an armed terrorist group at Ma’adamiyat al-Sham in Damascus countryside.

The seized weapons included RPGs, military uniforms and medical equipment.

The competent authorities seized a big quantity of weapons and ammunitions while storming a hideout for an armed terrorist group at Ma’adamiyat al-Sham in Damascus countryside.

The seized weapons included RPGs, military uniforms and medical equipment.

The armed forces also clashed with an armed terrorist group that attacked citizens in Darayya Basatin in Damascus countryside.

An official source told SANA that the clash left all the group’s members dead, adding that their weapons were confiscated. The source added that a factory for manufacturing explosive devices was discovered in the area.

Authorities Clash with Terrorists in al-Qseir, Homs

Late Monday, authorities clashed with an armed terrorist group in al-Nahriyah town in al-Qseir city in Homs province.

A source in the province said to SANA that the authorities also clashed with another terrorist group in al-Qseir city, adding that all the terrorists were killed or wounded.

Terrorists’ Infiltration Attempt from Lebanon Foiled

The source highlighted that the armed forces clashed with an armed terrorist group in Halat area in Talkalakh. The terrorists were trying to enter the Syrian lands from Lebanon. Heavy losses were inflicted upon them.

With residents’ cooperation, border guards inflicted heavy upon terrorist groups that attacked people of Harem in Idleb and tried to force them out of their homes.

Qualitative Operation Conducted in Area in Hama Countryside

In Hama, authorities conducted a qualitative operation in Mourk area in the countryside in which the terrorist Mustafa al-Shawardi, a leader of an armed terrorist group, was killed.

A source in the province told SANA reporter that the rest of the group’s members were arrested.

Terrorist Group Crossing Border from Turkey Repelled

In the province of Idleb, the border guard forces foiled, in cooperation with the citizens, an attempt at infiltration by an armed terrorist group coming from Turkey between the areas of Salqeen and Harem in the countryside of Idleb.

A source in the province said that the border guards clashed with the group’s members and killed and injured many of them and arresting another.

6 Explosive Devices Dismantled in Idleb Countryside

In another context, the military engineering units dismantled 6 explosive devices planted by an armed terrorist group on the main road of Khirbet al-Jouz in Jisr al-Shughour.

Another source in the province said the explosive devices, which weighed 50-60 kg, were placed on both sides of the road to target citizens and law enforcement personnel and were rigged for remote detonation.

Russian Foreign Ministry: The West is Inciting Syrian Opposition to Continue Fighting

Aug 22, 2012

MOSCOW, (SANA)_The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the West is unequivocally inciting the Syrian opposition to continue fighting.

RT website quoted the ministry as saying in a statement on Wednesday ”Our Western partners have done nothing so far to pressure the Syrian opposition to start dialogue with the government, otherwise they are clearly inciting it to continue fighting, which will undoubtedly lead to no political solution to the crisis.”

”The Russian government knows what ought to be done, as all the members of the work group on Syria vowed in their final statement in Geneva to work with the Syrian government and opposition to launch the national reconciliation process as soon as possible,” added the statement.

The statement said that Moscow proposed few days ago adopting a concise statement on behalf of the work group on Syria that calls upon the Syrian government and opposition to end violence as soon as possible and appoint negotiators to start political dialogue.

”But our Western partners showed total opposition even to the idea of discussing the possibility of this statement, trying instead to distort the content of Geneva agreements, in addition to leveling accusations at Russia of foiling the efforts of the UN Security Council to find a solution to the crisis in Syria…This stance is sheer hypocrisy.”

”It is well-known that Russia is shouldering its responsibility, and is working with the Syrian government and opposition to halt violence and launch dialogue as soon as possible to solve the crisis,” said the statement,” said the statement, adding that Moscow received yesterday a Syrian official delegation who renewed readiness for political dialogue with the opposition.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement came in response to the statement of the spokeswoman for the US Department of State Victoria Noland which stated that the Russian government knows what ought to be done to solve the crisis in Syria.

Russian Military Expert: US Responsible for Victims in Syria

Director of the Russian Center for Analyzing World Arms Trade, Igor Korotchenko said that the US is responsible for the victims and suffering in Syria, as it has supported the opposition and armed groups there and rejects a solution to the crisis.

In an interview with Russia Today TV on Wednesday, Korotchenko said there are confirmed reports that the US President Barack Obama signed a memo that allows the US forces to support the opposition and armed groups in Syria, which proves the US does not want a solution to the crisis.

He indicated that al-Qaeda organization is fighting alongside the armed opposition in Syria, adding that the goals of the US and al-Qaeda are the same at this stage.

Korotchenko stressed that the priority now is to dialogue and work to end violence, adding that the Russian position is clear unlike the stances of Western countries which are trying to supply the opposition with weapons.

Prime Minister Underlines Deep Relations between Syria and Russia

Aug 22, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)_Prime Minister Wael al-Halki stressed the deep historic and strategic relations between the Syrian and Russian peoples at all levels, underlining the mutual desire to develop these relations and broaden their scope to cover various development fields.

During his meeting on Wednesday with a delegation representing the Russian Association of Islamic Accord and the Russian Muftis Council, headed by Chairman of the executive committee of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord mufti Mukhammedgali Khuzin.

The Prime Minister gave a thorough review of the multi-dimensional challenges and conspiracies which are aimed to distort facts and undermine the steadfastness of the Syrian people, affirming that Syria is capable of confronting challenges and bringing back security and stability.

Al-Halki said Syria will remain the example of national unity and religious tolerance in the face of all challenges.

For his part, Mufti Khuzin said that the Russian people support the Syrians against the Zionist-US campaign against them, voicing trust in Syria’s ability to emerge victorious from the crisis.

The General Mufti of the Republic, Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, stressed the Syrians’ steadfastness in the face of the conspiracy and the takfiri wahhabi expansion.

In a statement to journalists following the meeting, the chairman of the Ulema Council of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord, Farid Salman Haydarov, said that the delegation’s visit comes to express the full support to Syria amid the current circumstances.

He expressed trust that Syria and the Syrian people will achieve success eventually as they are on the right side, who always defended the just causes in the face of Western and colonial schemes that seek to pillage the peoples’ resources.

Haydarov said Syria is targeted for being the bastion of Islam and Arabism and the prime defender of the Arab just causes, hailing the prominent role of Syrian religious scholars throughout history.

Information Minister Discusses with Russian Religious Delegation Cooperation to Repel Campaign against Syria

Information Minister, Omran al-Zoubi, discussed with the delegation of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord and the Russian Muftis Council means of cooperation to confront the campaign and conspiracy against Syria.

Minister al-Zoubi said that tolerance, logic and human civilization are being targeted in Syria, stressing the importance of conveying the true image of what is taking place in Syria to the world public opinion.

Al-Zoubi said that principles are put head of interests in the relations between Syria and Russia, underlining necessity of enhancing the human and cultural relations, side by side with the economic, political and military fields.

He underlined the importance of spreading a new discourse against the Western one that seeks to bring down the media institutions that do not revolve in its orbit, adding that the ministry is working to activate the mechanism of marketing the truth conveyed by national media as opposed to the lies spread by biased channels.

For his part, Haydarov stressed that Syria is the homeland of the real Islam, not that one fabricated by the British occupation which is marred with suspicious aspects as is Wahhabi Islam.

He added that Wahhabism targets the Muslims in Russia as in Syria, using the tactics of killing and bombings, indicating that the battle in Syria will determine the fate of the whole region.

Mufti Hassoun said that the Syrian Islamic history and culture are the enemies of the US and Wahhabism, indicating that the US and Wahhabi movements seek to undermine the Syrian Islamic

Lavrov: Russia Ready to Support any Decision to Be Taken by the Syrians Themselves

Aug 22, 2012

MOSCOW, (SANA)- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated on Tuesday his country’s readiness to support any decision that will be taken by the Syrian people in the framework a national comprehensive dialogue.

“The international community with all its members, particularly those who have direct influence on the situation in Syria, should help the Syrian sides reach dialogue and national reconciliation as this is the only way to stop violence and bloodshed,” Lavrov said to SANA correspondent in Moscow following the meeting with the Syrian delegation.

He described the talks with Jamil and Haidar as very useful , saying ” undoubtedly, the general approach taken by the Syrian leadership was the only correct approach in spite of some delay in work and a number of mistakes.”

Lavrov added that his talks with the Syrian delegation dealt with the tangible issues of contacts between the Syrian government, the National Reconciliation Ministry from one side and the opposition from the other, particularly the latest initiative proposed by “the National Coordination Board.”

“We saw that our Syrian friends, the representatives of the government, were ready for that as the initiative is called to put an end to the violence and bloodshed from whatever source it was, later comes the issues of detainees, refugees and the humanitarian aid as well as the immediate start of dialogue between the government and the Syrian opposition groups,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov: Implementing Geneva Agreement Is the Only Way to Settle Crisis

Minister Lavrov stressed during his meeting with the Syrian government delegation Russia’s commitment to Geneva agreement on the situation in Syria as the only way to settle the crisis in it.

Quoted by Russia Today website, Lavrov expressed interest in listening to the delegation’s assessment of the current situation and plans for the next steps the future to help quickly take the situation to the track of political dialogue so as for the Syrians to be able to determine their destiny by themselves without foreign interference.

The Russian Minister stressed that implementing Geneva agreement is the only way to settle the crisis in Syria.

“We are committed to Geneva agreement which developed and explained in details Annan’s plan, and we are certain that it is the fastest way towards halting the violence and saving the lives of many,” said Lavrov.

He added that this requires a political will on the part of the Syrian government and the parties of the opposition without exception.

“Of course, if this was related to the economy or the humanitarian situation, then all of this has to do with the necessity of implementing the agreements reached and which were agreed on by the Syrian government on June 30 regarding halting the acts of violence and entering into dialogue with the opposition’s groups about the details of the transitional stage,” said Lavrov

Golan people Celebrate Freeing Long-Time Prisoner al-Maqt

Aug 22, 2012

QUNEITRA, (SANA) – People of the occupied Syrian Golan on Wednesday celebrated freeing Dean of Syrian and Arab prisoners Sudqi al-Maqt after 27 years in the Israeli occupation’s prisons.

Secretary of al-Baath Party Branch in Quneitra, Ghassan Khalaf, congratulated al-Maqt’s relatives and all the Syrians in Golan, expressing pride in al-Maqt’s triumph against all the Israeli practices which violate the human rights laws and agreements.

For his part, Governor of Quneitra Malek Mohammad said that al-Maqt has shocked the Israelis by his courage and steadfastness.

Bishr al-Maqt, Sudqi’s brother and dean of the freed prisoners, said that his brother, like all the young men of Golan, has shown unparalleled dignity and belonging to Syria and challenged the Israeli jailors for years.

Freed prisoner Ali al-Younes, Chairman of the Committee for Supporting Golan Prisoners, said that ” The sit-ins which were carried out for years in front of the Red Cross Committees and the UN Emergency Forces in Damascus and Quneitra showed the whole world that we never forget our prisoners who endowed torture and didn’t bow to terrorism.”

Ata Farhat, Syrian TV reporter in Golan and freed prisoner, said that al-Maqt represents a unique struggle experience through his activities in coordination with the Palestinian prisoners and his national writings which found their way to Arab dailies and newspapers and revealed the Israeli terrorist acts in and outside prisons.

Money Wired from Europe to Tunisian Salafis to Recruit Youths to Fight in Syria

Aug 22, 2012

TUNIS, (SANA) – A number of leaders and members of Tunisian salafi groups are receiving money on regular basis from Europe via money orders, Tunisian Tanit Press newspaper said on its website.

The newspaper said that the amount of money ranges between 1500 and 2000 Tunisian dinars each time.

The newspaper added that the money is allocated to recruit youths from Tunisia and Libya to be sent to Syria via Turkey, highlighting that the operation is being carried out in coordination with Turkey and Jabhet al-Nusra front, which is the branch Of al-Qaeda in Syria.

The report said that the recruited persons are being sent to training camps in Libya, adding that these camps are funded by the Qatari ambassador.

Jamil: Dialogue without Pre-conditions…Haidar: Solution is a Syrian One

Aug 22, 2012

MOSCOW, (SANA)- Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, Dr. Qadri Jamil, on Tuesday said that the current Syrian government has put on its agenda the goal of achieving national reconciliation, stressing that this goal requires starting a comprehensive political process to secure a safe way out of the prevailing situation in Syria.

In a joint press conference with Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs, Ali Haidar, held in Moscow, Jamil made clear that the Syrian delegation discussed with Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, the prospects of solving the crisis in Syria in details, which he said “has caused spilling of blood and strong pressure on the Syrian economy in a way that reflected negatively on the life and livelihood of the Syrian citizens.”

“Our stance has been clear since the start of the crisis in terms of the necessity of going for dialogue without pre-conditions,” stressed Minister Jamil, adding that putting such pre-conditions hinders the process of starting dialogue.

“Those who want to start dialogue should go for it immediately and put forth on the table their ideas and views on solving the crisis and visions for the upcoming renewed Syria,” he said.

The Minister pointed out that there are principles for dialogue that must be committed to for getting the dialogue table started.

“These principles have become known and are represented in the rejection of foreign interference and violence in all their forms,” said Jamil, reiterating that these two points are not conditions but principles that should be agreed on, “otherwise dialogue will be doomed to failure.”

Once agreement is made on these two principles, he added, the other issues will be solvable through dialogue that is aimed at reaching accord.

On the US-European sanctions imposed on Syria, Jamil said that Syria suffers illegitimate, unfair and unilateral sanctions by the EU and USA, underlining that the sanctions don’t target the Syrian government as they claim, but they affect the Syrian people.

“The US-European stance towards sanctions is hypocrite and affected the Syrian people who suffer today from these sanctions.. we felt that our Russian friends want to help us ease the effects of these sanctions on the Syrian people,” Jamil said.

He added that at this point comes the necessity of heading towards the East in order to solve a lot of problems which occurred as a result of the crisis and the foreign sanctions which damaged the Syrian economy and closed the traditional lines through which export and import were done.

“The Syrian government has many substitutes and alternations to provide what is required to the Syrian economy in a way to be positively reflected on the repercussions of the crisis,” Jamil said.

As for the US threats of military interference in Syria, Jamil said “the military direct intervention in Syria is impossible,” stressing that the threats posed by the US President are a form of “games” in the framework of the forthcoming electoral campaigns.

For his part, Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs, Haidar, stressed that “halting the violence needs a international atmosphere helped prepared by the friends to be imposed on the international level and at the international forums as this will help a lot in taking the other files inside Syria towards the direction of serving the final comprehensive national reconciliation.”

“The political process for the national reconciliation should immediately follow the halt of violence as it is not possible to go for a political process on a moving ground and under the pressure of military clashes because then we will be going to a process of a different kind,” said Minister Haidar.

He continued that “halting the violence needs a road map and clear headlines represented in stopping this violence and recognizing the existence of one legitimate weapon which is that of the state.”

“In addition to that,” Haidar added, “there needs to be a mechanism for handing over weapons, providing that all holders of this weapon move to the political process on the ground not of defeat or withdrawal but of shifting to the normal situation of all the Syrians which is that of engaging into a clear political movement and finding their representatives in the upcoming political process.”

This, the Minister said, will ensure heading to the dialogue table on a firm and clear ground to achieve a comprehensive national reconciliation that guarantees the rights of everybody and secures their interests without exception.

Haidar lashed out at the blackout practiced by the West against the work of the Ministry of National Reconciliation Affairs.

He stressed that such attempts are aimed at “saying that there is no Syrian political will to solve the crisis through a political process, and therefore the only way out of the current difficult situation is through a military action and foreign intervention in the Syrian affair.”

Haidar said that the establishment of the National Reconciliation Ministry was one of the factors of preventing foreign interference, reiterating that “the solution to the crisis in Syria should be a Syrian one par excellence on Syria’s land through a Syrian project among the Syrian people.”

Haidar underlined that the halt of violence needs a road map and clear and frank titles which are cease-fire, recognition of the existence of one legitimate weapon which is the weapon of the state in addition to finding a mechanism to remove all the illegitimate weapons.

He reiterated that there is a big foreign, western blackout on the work of the Ministry of the National Reconciliation affairs in order to say that there is no Syrian political will to resolve the crisis through a political process.

“The political process is open and available to all today more than before .. it is the only way to come out of the crisis in Syria.. we always say that there no exclusion to anyone on the dialogue table, no preconditions and doors are open to discuss everything,” Haidar said.

Jamil to SANA: We discussed how to Continue Preventing the Foreign Interference

Jamil described the talks held in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as very deep and cordial.

“We discussed two important files; the crisis in Syria which is related to the national reconciliation and how to continue preventing the foreign intervention in the Syrian affairs in a way that lets the Syrian people resolve their own problems,” Jamil said in a speech to SANA correspondent in Moscow.

He added that the second file was represented by discussing all the economic files which were tackled during the visit of the Syrian Economic delegation several weeks ago to Moscow.

“The Russian friends will do their best to prevent the foreign interference.. their efforts will succeed to reach a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria,” Jamil underlined.

For his part, Haidar said “There was an agreement on all basic headlines which were proposed.. we have talked in details about the executive process to stop violence in Syria, launch the political process and how to realize the political needed solution in the country.”

Iran’s Interior Minister: Creating Crisis in Syria Is Part of the Scenarios to Cover Israel’s Crimes

Aug 22, 2012

TEHRAN, (SANA)- Iranian Interior Minister, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, said creating crisis and tension in Syria is one of the scenarios of the leaders of the hegemony powers that are aimed to provide cover for the crimes of the Zionist entity in the region.

In a speech on Tuesday in the province of Hamdan, in western Iran, Najjar added that the world hegemony powers are seeking through this scheme to divert the public opinion’s attention from the Zionist entity’s brutal crimes and direct it towards Syria.

He warned that what is happening in Syria comes in the context of plots prepared in advance by the leaders of world hegemony to spread discord among the ranks of the Islamic Nation.

Iran’s Interior Minister said the opening and use by these powers of hundreds of satellite channels and radio stations and the allocation of huge budgets for media and for sending arms into Syria is aimed at making what the Zionist entity is doing look as if it is among the less important issues in the region.

Boroujerdi: US Project of Targeting Syria Suffered New Defeat in the Region

Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee at Iran’s Shura Council, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, considered that the American project targeting Syria has recorded a new defeat for the US.

In a statement to the Iranian IRNA news agency on Tuesday, Boroujerdi said Washington seeks to change the political structure in Syria through creating crisis in it with the aim of consolidating its capabilities after losing its bases in Iraq and Egypt.

He highlighted how Washington has sought, by making use of the capabilities of the European countries and the Zionist entity and with the encouragement of some Arab countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to inflame the situation in Syria and target it.

The Iranian official however stressed that the US’s project against Syria suffered another defeat in the region.

Premier al-Halqi: Gradual Decrease in Shelter Centers due to Return of the Displaced

Aug 22, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi on Tuesday stressed the government’s readiness around the clock to secure temporary and alternative residential places and all service and living requirements to the displaced citizens.

Al-Halqi was speaking during a tour to the shelter centers at the schools of Othman Bin Affan, Mamoun Mansour and Sumaiyeh al-Makhzoumiyeh in al-Mazzeh area in Damascus where citizens affected by the armed terrorist acts are staying temporarily.

He highlighted the great efforts exerted by the state’s institutions and ministries in cooperation with the international organizations and civil associations to find appropriate accommodation centers to the displaced citizens coming from areas in Damascus and other Syrian provinces.

Premier al-Halqi said there is a gradual decrease in the number of temporary shelter centers due to increase in the number of the displaced families who have returned to their homes and neighborhoods where security was restored by the armed forces and essential infrastructure was rehabilitated.

He stressed that the government is working at a fast pace in coordination with the parties concerned to ensure stability and security in all the Syrian areas and consequently secure speedy return of all the displaced families back to their homes.

Work is underway to get rehabilitation and repair works completed for affected houses and infrastructure in the areas cleaned from the terrorist groups, the Prime Minister said.

However, he added, in the case of grave damages, the government will secure alternative places whether at its institutions or through renting temporary residential places.

The Premier was accompanied on his tour by the Ministers of Education and Social Affairs and Labor and State Minister for the Red Crescent Affairs, in addition to Governor of Damascus.

Minister of State for Red Crescent Affairs, Joseph Sweid, pointed out that the organization is working with government and civil bodies to secure living and service requirements for the displaced citizens at 356 schools across Syria.

For his part, Damascus Governor, Bishr al-Sabban, said a relief committee has been formed to coordinate work among the various government and civil parties concerned regarding the issue of the affected families and the shelter centers.

He clarified that the committee will work on ensuring equal distribution of food, medical and living aid to the displaced families at the shelter centers and facilitating their return to their home areas.

Long Time Prisoner al-Maqt Back to Freedom in Occupied Golan

Aug 22, 2012

QUNEITRA, (SANA)- After 27 years of imprisonment on charge of resisting the Israeli occupation and belonging to homeland Syria, long-time prisoner Sudqi al-Maqt has been released to embrace freedom and be back in occupied Golan.

Al-Maqt was arrested on August 23, 1985 and was sentenced to 27 years in jail on the charge of resisting occupation. He moved into several jails theroughout the period of his imprisonment.

The released prisoner is from Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan. He was born in April 17, 1967 and was brought up within a family known for its struggle against the occupation in the Golan.

In a statement to SANA, al-Maqt saluted his homeland, Syria, and its great people, brave army and the wise political leadership with President Bashar al-Assad on top.

He reiterated resolve to continuing resistance against occupation after he returned to his family in the occupied Syrian Golan.

He stressed that the national unity and the brave Syrian Arab Army are a redline, adding that Syria will triumph against the conspirators.

Al-Maqt addressed the Israeli occupation with a message of challenge and steadfastness saying that he will support the resistance led by Damascus until the Israeli occupation is expelled from the Syrian Golan and security and stability are restored to the homeland.

Stand in Amman in Solidarity with Syria and the Syrian Army

Aug 22, 2012

AMMAN, (SANA)- Members of the Syrian community in Jordan, in cooperation with the Jordanian Popular Committee for Supporting Syria, organized a stand outside the Syrian Embassy in Amman in expression of solidarity with Syria.

The participants in the event, which was held on Tuesday, expressed great confidence in the Syrian Arab Army’s ability to protect Syria and its people from terrorism.

They applauded the Syrian people over their steadfastness and awareness of the conspiracy hatched against their homeland, stressing that the Syrians are able to defend their homeland against whoever thinks to tamper with its security and stability.

“Victory is close…we say to the Syrian Arab Army: ‘be patient because you have a date with victory and pride,'” Ahmad Tahtamouni, member of the Jordanian Committee, told the Syrian TV.

He added that the Syrian army is considered “the last fortress of the Arab nationalism, and this why they are trying to destroy it.”

Laila Sleiman, a member of the Syrian community in Jordan, said the community has full confidence that the Syrian army will pound the mercenary terrorists in Syria.

The participants hailed the role of the Syrian national media in confronting the misleading and fabrication practiced by tendentious media outlets in the framework of the war against Syria, expressing condemnation of the assassination of Syrian journalists and the targeting of the Syrian media institutions.

Situation of Inmates at Adra and Women Prisons Inspected

Aug 21, 2012

DAMASCUS COUNTRYSIDE, (SANA)- Director of Prisons Directorate at the Interior Ministry, Maj. Gen. Malek Sallouh, Commander of Damascus Police, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Ibrahim and Commander of Damascus Countryside Police, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Razzq Mutleq, on Tuesday visited Adra Central Prison and the Women Prison in Damascus Countryside.

The visit, which came on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, was aimed at inspecting the services provided to the inmates at all the departments in both prisons and listening to the inmates’ demands and complaints.

The delegation stressed that the Interior Ministry will continue work on improving the conditions of the inmates and providing social and medical care services for free, in addition to activating the prisoners’ role in the society.

The officers called on the prisoners, once they end their imprisonment period, to participate in building the renewed Syria and preserving its security and stability, hailing the role of the Internal Security Forces personnel in preserving the homeland’s security and the citizens’ safety.

The stressed that the violation of the rules governing the way of dealing with the inmates will not be tolerated.

Hasaka Governor: Drinking Water Is Pure Contrary to Media Reports

Aug 21, 2012

HASAKA, (SANA)- Governor of Hasaka, Khudr al-Hussein, on Tuesday dismissed some media reports on the poisoning of drinking water in the province as “completely untrue”, considering them as part of the psychological war waged against the Syrian people.

Al-Hussein confirmed that the news broadcast by some media outlets on poisoning cases resulted from the drinking water in the province are “false” coming in the framework of “the paid-for media propagandas that are aimed at spreading panic and chaos among the safe citizens.”

He affirmed that the drinking water in Hasaka province is “pure, fit for human consumption and free from any impurities or harmful substances,” adding that water is being monitored around the clock by the General Establishment for Drinking Water and the Directorates of Health and Water Resources.

Thameco Production Estimated at SYP 835 Million in 2012 First Half

Aug 21, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The production of the Arabian Medical Company (Thameco) in the first half of 2012 was estimated at SYP 835.677 million.

The production and marketing report of the company stipulated that the value of the company’s sales in the same period was SYP 752.304 million.

The company achieved 85% of its production plan and 75% of its selling plan set for the first half of this year.

According to the report, the company is still facing problems related to obsolete machines and the competition of private medical companies.

Thameco, which is covering about 20% of the Syrian local market’s need, was established in 1956 and obtained ISO 9001 in 2003 and Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Services (OHSAS) 14001 and 18001 in 2005, the company is located in Damascus.

“The implication is that Saudi backing for the Syrian rebels is part of a strategy to replace the Assad regime with a Sunni-dominated governance which might include Salafist elements. The presence of al-Qaida-linked paramilitaries in Syria may help to further the Saudi plan. Iran’s efforts to prop up its Syrian ally reinforce the Riyadh-Tehran antagonism, as well as making the US even more determined to curb Iran’s influence. Washington’s strong support for its Saudi partner casts further doubt on the argument that its encouragement of the Syrian opposition has much to do with democracy.”

— Paul Rogers, “Syria, the Proxy War”, 14th June 2012

It is unbelievable but true that America, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, al Qaeda and other Western, Arab and Islamist allies have been sponsoring and arming the “Free Syrian Army” and other militants with a view to staging another regime-change in Syria. This time, very similar to what it did in Libya, America is not going to directly invade Syria in the manner it invaded Iraq to topple the Saddam Hussein regime. Thanks to the influence of the Israel Lobby, America has had a problematic relationship with Syria since the 1940s. America first intervened into Syria in March 1949 by toppling the democratically elected President Shukri al-Quwatly who had been elected for a five-year-term in 1943. The CIA-sponsored coup d’état installed Colonel Husni al-Zaim, the “America’s Boy” to power. Unlike nationalist Quwatly, who did not toe the American line, al-Zaim was too compliant to fulfill American desire. He legitimized Israel by signing an armistice with it and allowed ARAMCO (Arabian-American Oil Company) to pipe Saudi oil through Syria to the Mediterranean coast. Between 1949 and 1955, America staged five military coups in Syria to complete the de-democratization process in the country.

Newly discovered documents reveal a joint Anglo-American ploy to overthrow the anti-Western Syrian regime in 1957. Interestingly, very similar to what America and its allies have been doing since 2011 to overthrow the Assad-regime through the “Free Syrian Army”, President Eisenhower and Prime Minsiter Macmillan wanted a “regime change” in Syria in the name of the “Free Syria Committee”. The CIA and SIS (MI6) planned to stage fake border incidents between Syria and its pro-Western neighbors (Turkey and Jordan) as an excuse for an invasion by its neighbors. The plan was not only to topple the pro-Russian regime but also to eliminate some key figures in the Syrian government. Afterwards, with a brief union with Egypt as part of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961), Syria gradually distanced itself from the West and came under the avowedly anti-Western / anti-Israeli Arab Socialist Baath Party rule. America adopted a more hostile policy towards Syria after 9/11, and there were speculations about America-led regime-change in Syria after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Bashar Assad’s opposition to the US invasion of Iraq and his harbouring Iraqi fugitives and opening Syrian border to encourage armed Syrian / Arab fighters to infiltrate into Iraq to fight Americans angered the Bush administration.

In February 2012, American- and Israeli-armed and Saudi financed Arab League mercenaries infiltrated into Syria in the guise of Free Syrian Army. Interestingly, they were fighting along with al Qaeda fighters against the Assad regime in Syria. Secretary Hillary Clinton later admitted that anti-Assad rebels and al Qaeda had fought together against Syrian army. By March 2012, the American and Arab-League sponsored rebellion backfired. The UN, America and the Arab League agreed to a ceasefire and a negotiated peace in Syria under the mediation of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. However, because of American interest in breaking the Syria-Iran-Hezbollah nexus – and to diminish the growing Iranian influence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bahrain – a US-backed war against Syria is very much on the cards. As a former director of Mossad (Israeli intelligence agency) has written, the West needs to evict Iran from Syria to “cut off Iran’s access to its proxies (Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza)…. and Israel and the West must prevent this at all costs”.

An understanding of the Syrian crisis requires an understanding of the “Arab Spring”. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain witnessed mass uprisings for democracy. However, as the Tunisian revolution was different from the Libyan, Egyptian or Yemeni uprisings; so was the Syrian unrest very different from uprisings elsewhere in the Arab World. Unlike the Mubarak regime in Egypt, the Assad regime in Syria is neither at peace with Israel nor is friendly towards America. Syria also has a mutual defense pact with Iran and allows a Russian base on its territory. The “Israel Lobby” in America is trying to isolate and neutralize Syria, first through UN-sponsored sanctions, and then through open invasion of the country to overthrow Bashar Assad a la Qaddafi. Syria, an adversary of Israel and a close ally of Iran and Hezbollah with 300,000 regular troops and 200,000 reservists, is an impediment to the Israeli design in Iran. Israel seems to believe that the road to Iran goes through Damascus.

America, Israel and Saudi Arabia know it well that Syria must fall before they neutralize Iran. It is interesting that while America has turned a blind eye to Israeli threats to attack Iran to neutralize the latter’s alleged nuclear program, on 12th January 2012 President Obama wrote a letter to the Iranian leadership. In the letter, he spelled out the position of the United States, which Iranian officials read as a sign of American weakness. “The U.S. cannot afford to wage a war against Iran”, they surmised. However, the reality is quite different. “What Washington is doing is exerting psychological pressure on Iran as a means of distancing it from Syria, so that the United States and its cohorts can go for the kill,” observed one analyst. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia stated in 2011that “nothing would weaken Iran more than losing Syria.” The so-called “Friends of Syria” that includes America, Turkey and Saudi Arabia decided in Istanbul on 1 April 2012 to arm Syrian rebels. Arab nations pledged $100 million to pay the rebels. As one analyst elaborates: “[T]heir [the GCC member states’] interest is clearly in bringing down an ally of their arch-enemy Iran and not humanitarian….The stakes are too high to make, and repeat big mistakes with terrible consequences…. More weapons in civilian hands would lead Syria to a mix of Lebanon in the 1970s, Algeria in the 1980s and Iraq since 2003.”

In February 2012 a Saudi TV station broadcast a Salafist religious leader giving his blessing for spilling the blood of foreign observers. Most people do not know that al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a video recording – “Onwards, Lions of Syria” – appealed to Syrians and Muslims in Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan to help those who were fighting to topple “the butcher, son of the butcher Bashar bin Hafiz”. One wonders, if the Salafists, al Qaeda, America and its allies have discovered common friends and enemies in Syria. In the case of Libya, the American “Oil Lobby” achieved what they had wanted since long – to control the oil fields in Benghazi – through UN-sponsored sanctions against Libya to justify a full-fledged invasion of the country to topple the not-so-compliant Qaddafi regime. Nevertheless, as our experience tells us, America is not going to let Syria go its way. Not only the overpowering Israel Lobby is determined to overthrow the Assad regime, but to paraphrase Michael Ledeen, “every ten years or so” America also needs to invade “some crappy little country”. However, as the regime-changes in the Arab World have so far strengthened the Islamists, Syria would not be an exception in this regard.

One analyst has succinctly explained the Western design to weaken the “axis of resistance” between Iran, Syria and Hizbullah, eventually to attack Iran:

The strategy was simple, clear, tried and tested. It had been used successfully not only against Libya, but also Kosovo (in 1999), and was rapidly underway in Syria. It was to run as follows: train proxies to launch armed provocations; label the state’s response to these provocations as genocide; intimidate the UN Security Council into agreeing that “something must be done”; incinerate the army and any other resistance with fragmentation bombs and Hellfire missiles; and finally install a weak, compliant government to sign off new contracts and alliances drawn up in London, Paris and Washington, whilst the country tore itself apart.

According to Samir Amin: “The Muslim Brotherhood took advantage of the opportunity to appear as the ‘opposition’. Thus, a coherent plan crystallized under the leadership of imperialism and its allies that sought not to ‘rid the Syrian people of a dictator’, but to destroy the Syrian state, modeled on the United States’ work in Iraq and Libya.” He also believes that: “Contemporary imperialism’s strategy for the region (the ‘greater Middle East’) does not aim at all at establishing some form of ‘democracy’. It aims at destroying the countries and societies through the support of so-called Islamic regimes, which guarantee the continuation of a ‘lumpen development’ (to use the words of my late friend AG Frank), i.e. a process of continuous pauperization.” He has aptly raised the question about autocratic Saudi Arabian and Qatari governments’ support for democracy in Syria: “Isn’t it a curiosity that we see now the emir of Qatar and the king of Saudi Arabia among the most vocal advocates of ‘democracy’? What a farce!”

America’s sincere efforts to settle the Syrian-Israeli conflict could have enhanced America’s position in the Middle East by cleaning up its “tarnished image as a neo-imperialistic crusader power” and stabilized US-Syria relationship. Instead, George W. Bush during 2006 and 2007 exerted pressure on Syria to agree for a “peace talk” with Israel. The Israel Lobby was instrumental in America’s adopting a confrontational policy toward Syria, although the country was not a serious military threat to nuclear-armed Israel. Then again, although Syria is not in a position to withstand an Israeli pressure, it can create problems for the latter through Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. However, American belligerence toward Syria is unwarranted and counterproductive. Conversely, America should have remembered that Syria fought against Saddam Hussein along with America in the First Gulf War of 1991. Israeli unwillingness to return the Golan Heights to Syria has complicated the situation. Syria by default has come closer to Iran by distancing from America and Israel. Interestingly, Israel and Syria had some sort of understanding during the Clinton administration, which the Bush administration thwarted after the 9/11 attacks. Since “the road to Tehran goes through Damascus”, an analyst has observed: “It appears that Syria has become a crucial fulcrum for the White House [to overthrow the Iranian regime], with the option of overt military intervention, on one side, and a continuation of diplomacy and covert action on the other”.

Syria has all the potential to turn itself into another fractured country polarized on sectarian and ideological lines. Since early 2012 America and Arab League sponsored mercenaries (that include al Qaeda terrorists) and Assad loyalists are engaged in a bloody conflict. One may impute the indiscriminate killing of Syrians to government troops, foreign fighters and Syrian rebels. However, not only has the regime substantial domestic support and powerful allies in Russia and China, it has also the support from neighboring Iraq, Jordan, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and last but not least, from Iran, another bête noir to the Western-Saudi-Israeli triumvirate. Interestingly, Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki of Iraq, who is very close to the Iranian President, does not want the removal of the Assad regime, and allows Iranian convoys through Iraqi territories into Syria. As Fawaz Gerges reveals, of late the Tehran-Baghdad highway has virtually become the “life-line” for Syria. Thus it appears that the Assad regime is not that vulnerable to Syrian rebels and foreign mercenaries.

Meanwhile, during and after the Houla Massacre in Syria in May-June 2012, which led to hundreds of civilian casualties, we heard contradictory statements as to who had been responsible for the killing. The Syrian government media and its counterpart circulated totally opposite stories about the massacre. We may consider the following BBC report a credible account on the killing: “They [presence of Syrian troops not far from Houla] do not prove conclusively that the Syrian regime was responsible for the deaths on 25-26 May.” The same report describes the anti-Assad Shabiha militia, which was also around, “as armed paramilitary thugs.…widely blamed for committing the bulk of the killings at Houla”. In sum, to a large extent, Syria is the battlefield for two proxy wars between the US and Russia and between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The US-Israel lobby is also interested in breaking Syria into pieces. They are using Kurdish separatists and other anti-Assad elements, including al Qaeda and Wahhabis, against the Syrian regime.

It is time that America and its allies understand what Kofi Annan emphatically stated after the failure of the UN-sponsored peace plan in Syria: “’Syria is not Libya, it will not implode; it will explode beyond its borders.” Contrary to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s stand on Syria – who one analyst believes “frequently reflects Washington’s interests” – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and the CIA have been mainly responsible for the Syrian crisis. Judy Bello’s criticism of America for what she thinks is “pouring gas on the fire in Syria” – in view of her fact finding report on Syria – seems quite pertinent. She singles out America as “incorrigible in its determination to control the wealth and peoples of the earth”. She also blames the US and Israel for their six decade-long intervention in Syria and Palestine, for turning people into refugees and destitute even in their own countries – Palestinians and Kurds, for example – and she has raised the question if Egyptians and Jordanians are better off than Syrians under Assad. She has also raised issues like American, Israeli, Saudi Arabian and Islamist over-enthusiasm about the prospect of overthrowing the Assad regime, through violence or through the UN-sponsored invasion of Syria. She pointed out that Syria under Assad was not a Shiite Alawite minority rule but a joint Shiite-Sunni-Christian-Kurdish rule. The summary of her findings is as follows:

Many of the “facts” presented in media about the situation in Syria are undocumented and the truth is difficult to ascertain; a “continual stream of reports of atrocities in Syria has over time been shown to be untrue or distorted”. “The London Observatory, a significant source of information on the Syrian crisis from day 1, has no one on the ground in Syria, and has rather shady credentials”;

“However, even a year ago, about 1/3 of the casualties were members of the police and military, though this fact was not reported in western news outlets. Suicide bombings of government buildings have killed scores and injured hundreds in Damascus and Aleppo. The question as to who perpetrated the recent massacres in Hula and Hama remains unanswered. Investigations have not been completed”;

“The Free Syrian Army is not a single organization, but rather an assortment of militias composed of conscripts who have defected from the Syrian Army, Islamic fighters from within Syria and Islamic fighters from neighboring states along with members of al Qaeda and militiamen from other Middle East wars in Libya, Lebanon and Iraq looking for a new war”;

“Muslim Brotherhood fighters have assassinated Christian, Alawite and Druze, and leaders of these communities”;

“US Ambassador Robert Ford was meeting with and advising members of the Syrian Opposition from the day he set foot on the ground in Syria, which was only shortly before protests began there. The US has been demanding that the Syrian President step down from day one of the protests. The US has been training and arming a military insurgency in Syria that initially took cover behind peaceful protesters, and now has driven them from the streets. The US admits to having CIA agents on the ground in Turkey assisting Syrian militants”.

As Paul Rogers puts it, Syria [very much like post-Cold War Afghanistan] since the open rebellion against Bashar Assad in 2011 has become a battlefield of a long-drawn proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and between the US-Israeli duumvirate and Iran. The old Cold War adversaries, Russia and America have had their interests in Syria as well, both vying for compliant regimes in the country. The upshot has been the Syrian civil war. In view of the presence of hardcore Islamist fighters in the anti-Assad coalition, I think Rogers has aptly explained the Syrian conundrum:

The implication is that Saudi backing for the Syrian rebels is part of a strategy to replace the Assad regime with Sunni-dominated governance, which might include Salafist elements. The presence of al-Qaida-linked paramilitaries in Syria may help to further the Saudi plan. Iran’s efforts to prop up its Syrian ally reinforce the Riyadh-Tehran antagonism, as well as making the US even more determined to curb Iran’s influence. Washington’s strong support for its Saudi partner casts further doubt on the argument that its encouragement of the Syrian opposition has much to do with democracy.

Post-Assad Syria under America- and Arab League-backed regime would not be a stable country. Russia and China – along with Iran and Hezbollah – are not going to give up their interests in Syria. They have different interests in Syria. Russia is not going to accept a pro-Western regime in Syria. It has more than 100,000 “advisers” in Syria. As discussed above, Russians would go to any extent to defend its strategic interests in Syria. America’s apparent benefits would back fire as hardcore Islamists would call the shots in Suria, which would go through a violent civil war that could kill as many as four million people out of its twenty million population. Turkey would not gain anything either. Tukey is not likely to intervene further as it depends on Russia, more than eighty per cent of its natural gas comes from Russia. Israel is likely to be a “major loser”, as any pro-American post-Assad regimes would not have any control over Hezbollah. And Islamists would not be that friendly towards Israel in the long run. As the Economist has put it: “Those who wish Syrian well now need to focus not just on how to bring about Mr Assad’s swift fall from power, but also on how to spare the post-Assad Syria from murder and chaos and how to prevent violence from spreading across a combustible region.” America is least likely to pay heed to its analysts who believe that Syria has all the potential to become “another Iraq”, to the detriment of America:

Washington should stay focused on four key objectives: preventing outside groups from benefiting from the power vacuum; denying weapons to extremists; providing humanitarian aid to those in need; and supporting efforts to build opposition unity. Through material, technical, communications and other nonlethal assistance, the United States should work with allies and neighboring countries to ensure that those who are organizing the courageous internal resistance against the regime and leading the revolution will have a key role in the transition to a new Syria.

In sum, the Syrian crisis is not about the fate of the Assad regime but about the overall security situation that transcends the boundaries of the Middle East. America should pay heed to the following and refrain from intensifying the Syrian crisis just to punish Iran: a) the Red Cross considered the Syrian conflict a civil war between pro- and anti-Assad groups, not a genocide initiated by the Syrian government; and b) a Syria-based anti-Assad opposition group, “Building the Syrian State”, led by Louay Hussein blamed both the Government and opposition for their cynical zero-sum games in Syria: while the Assad regime wanted “either the authority or anarchy” and the opposition demanded “Burn the Country Until Assad Falls”.

The post-Assad Syria is not going to be a stable country. It could become a fractured country of rival sects, religions and ethnic communities, or even worse five different political entities run by five major sects/ethnic groups. “For most of the past 5,000 years, Syria was not a sovereign state”. In the event of Assad’s forced exit, Syria is likely to disintegrate into at least five warring states: Alawites in the mountains by the sea, the Druze in the southern mountains, Maronite Christians in the Mount Lebanon, Kurds in the north, and Sunni majority, 60 percent of the population elsewhere in the country. It can be a replica of post-Saddam Iraq and even worse, a failed state. Alawites constitute twelve percent of the population. The conflict is likely to overflow into Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq among Kurds and others. Syrian Kurds might also strive for autonomy. The spillover effect of the Syrian sectarian conflicts would further destabilize Iraq. Since Hezbollah in Lebanon depends on Syrian support, a Sunni Islamist regime could be lukewarm to hostile to the Shiite militia. One is not sure if the post-Assad Syria could be still friends with Iran and Hezbollah. However, Iran is likely to control Iraq for decades, and through Iraq is likely to keep an eye on Syria and influence Syrians.

Meanwhile, thanks to American and Arab League sponsorship, al Qaeda and militant supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood are likely to go for an Islamist takeover in Syria. An Islamist Syrian regime would be anything but pro-US and friendly to Israel. The departure of Assad – who maintains the balance by restraining / controlling the Hezbollah – would be a headache for Israel. Syrian chemical and biological weapons could also threaten Israel, as Hezbollah’s 30/40,000 missiles are capable of carrying chemical weapons to Israel. Al Qaeda operative and Osama bin Laden’s Libyan accomplice Abdelhakim Belhadj, who fought against Qaddafi along with pro-US / pro-NATO fighters, has hundreds of Islamist mercenaries in Syria fighting against Assad. Things in neighboring Iraq are far from normal. Terrorist bomb attacks are killing Iraqi civilians and soldiers on a regular basis. Secular political parties are giving way to Islamists and pro-Iranian al Maliki government.

By Taj Hashmi

20 August, 2012

@ Countercurrents.org

Taj Hashmi teaches at Austin Peay State University Clarksville, Tennesse

Two thousand protesters massed outside the Ecuadorean embassy in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Homemade placards spelt out the international legal conventions being trodden on by the British, US, and Swedish governments.

Two hundred police officers surrounded the embassy, with large numbers in reserve parked in side streets. Police helicopters hovered overhead.

World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke to Samanta, a student from Sri Lanka, who said, “I am here to support Julian Assange because of what he has done for the greater good, for everyone else, for this planet. He has changed the nature of media in general. He’s a huge advocate of citizen journalism.

“News companies and news corporations tell lies—like Fox News, CNN, BBC or Sky News. They have one or two owners like Murdoch and a handful of other people and states like the British state, or the American state. They are completely biased.

“You can see what’s happening in Syria today. We are being told that there are rebels, on the BBC for example, that are under attack by the Assad regime. But never once have the rebels attacked the Assad regime, according to the BBC.

“It is clear who is telling the truth here. And that’s the truth when it comes to the economy, when it comes to unemployment, when it comes to who has got the money, where the money is going around the planet. Apparently there is sixty billion US dollars missing in offshore accounts. We don’t hear about that, but we hear about the guy that’s claimed a few extra benefits. Julian Assange is very different, the opposite to all that.”

Ali, an Afghan worker, explained, “I’m here to support Julian Assange because he stands for freedom, and for people who haven’t got any voice. He reveals the crimes being done in the name of ‘democracy’: in Afghanistan, the drone attacks in Pakistan, the bombings in Iraq, and also the crisis in Europe and America.

“For me Assange is a hero. He is not scared, and he is still fighting for freedom and justice. What the British police are doing is the Americans’ dirty work, what they want them to do. They want him to disappear forever, to put him in prison somewhere. It’s not only the UK. You have America and other allies that are trying to get a hold of this man. They want to show everyone that you either surrender, or we keep you shut up.

“I believe the whole scenario about democracy or WMD’s is all rubbish, American-made scenarios to justify invading other countries. And I think Julian Assange is standing up against America. It does not matter who stands up in the White House, either a black man or a white man. I used to be a big fan of Barack Obama. I thought he stood up against the Republicans, but he is worse than George W. Bush! He said he would close down Guantanomo Bay on 1st of January, 2008. Now, in 2012, he says there’s no way he can close it down. So he’s another liar.”

A young female student from Britain who wished to remain anonymous said, “Obviously this case is incredibly difficult, because if he really did what he’s accused of then of course he should stand trial. If he didn’t, and it’s just a way of getting him into the US then that is disgusting. The state should not be using such a serious charge of rape in order to suppress freedom of speech. I think it’s brilliant that Ecuador kept him safe from immediate danger.”

By Daniel O’Flynn and Rick Wilson

20 August, 2012

@ WSWS.org

With the Non-Aligned Movement meeting this week in Tehran, Veterans For Peace is urging the organization of 120 nations not formally allied with any major power bloc to take steps to deter the Israeli-American threats of war against Iran over its nuclear enrichment program.

Appeal To Non-Aligned Leaders Meeting In Tehran

From: Veterans For Peace

This is an urgent appeal from Veterans For Peace. We are an organization of U.S. veterans formed in 1985 to try to bring an end to war. VFP is a non-profit organization recognized by the UN as an NGO.

We are appealing to the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement to do everything in your power to head off a military attack on Iranin the coming weeks. Israel’s leaders regard the period between now and the U.S. election on November 6 as the most opportune time to virtually guarantee U.S. support for such an attack. And the continuing build-up of U.S. forces in the area of the Persian Gulf strengthens the impression of U.S. readiness to provide it.

As you non-aligned leaders meet later this week in Tehran, it seems time for plain speaking — and warning. Official statements by Israel and the U.S. assert, with cavalier nonchalance, that the “military option” against Iran is “on the table.”

Thus, Israel and the U.S. are, de facto, in open violation of Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter, which prohibits not only the use of force but also the threat to use force against a country from which there is no imminent danger. Sadly, after such threats it can be a short step to the actual use of force, as we observed in the lead-up to the illegal attack on Iraq in March 2003.

The U.S. corporate-owned media is highlighting the same kind of “fixed” intelligence and facts used exactly ten years ago to “justify” the attack on Iraq. Even though in January both Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and his Israeli counterpart, Ehud Barak, acknowledged that Iran is NOT working on a nuclear weapon, military action is still being blithely promoted as one option to deal with Iran’s “nuclear ambitions.”

We Veterans For Peace know what war is like. President Obama does not. His political advisers also do not. Besides, their attention is fixed almost exclusively on the upcoming presidential election.

What is most dangerous is that the White House threat/mantra that all options, expressly including the “military option,” are on the table is seen by Israeli leaders as tantamount to a pledge that Obama will feel forced to honor, giving them carte blanche for attacking Iran, with the full expectation of U.S. military support.

Veterans For Peace has been trying to warn about the mounting threat to Iran, but our warnings have been kept out of the U.S. corporate-owned media. Six months ago we sent an official memorandum to President Obama warning him that he needed to “talk sense to [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu.”

More recently, at the conclusion of our national conference on August 12th, we issued this statement:

“We reaffirm our solidarity with the Iranian people and urge the United States to lift the economic sanctions that were imposed on Iran. These sanctions are an act of war and are hurting the people of Iran. We demand that our own government stop its threats of war and we implore President Obama to state publicly and very clearly to Israel that the United States will not support an attack on Iran.”

Most Israelis and most Americans do not want war with Iran. As for the harsh sanctions on Iran, it is only the rhetoric of the governments in Tel Aviv and Washington and the parroting corporate media that have misled so many into thinking that sanctions against Iran are needed and morally justified.

Nonaligned countries are aware, better than most, of the suffering incurred by the imposition of such measures. Sanctions against Iran are no more justified than the ones imposed earlier on Iraq, which caused the deaths of at least 500,000 children under the age of five, according to the U.N.

The U.S. Catholic Bishops denounced that death toll as “unconscionable” in a formal statement on November 14, 2001. Madeleine Albright, in contrast, when she was U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., said she thought the toll was “worth it.” Sadly, that kind of thinking still prevails in the Obama administration.

The stringent economic sanctions imposed on Iran are equally unconscionable. And a military attack on Iran would be a flagrant violation of international law.

This is not a time to sit on the sidelines and watch events unfold. Accordingly, we appeal to the leaders of non-aligned nations about to meet this week in Tehran to move swiftly to do what they can to head off any military attack on Iran and to take a strong position against the economic sanctions.

In peace,

Leah Bolger, CDR, USN, (Ret)

President, Veterans For Peace

By Veterans For Peace

20 August, 2012

@ Countercurrents.org