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Syria News On 13th july,2012

Russian Foreign Ministry: Russia Opposes New Western Draft Resolution on Syria

Jul 13, 2012

MOSCOW, (SANA) – Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that it will not accept a new UN draft resolution on Syria submitted by a number of western countries to the UN Security Council.

The Ministry stressed that Russia will oppose a resolution on Syria under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

Russia Today Website quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov as saying that Moscow has repeatedly informed its partners at the UN Security Council that it will not accept issuing a resolution on Syria under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, stressing that “Using the resolution to justify the use of force in the future is absolutely unacceptable to us.”

He underlined the need for making use of opportunities provided after Geneva meeting, adding that such thing requires all foreign players to work with both the government and the opposition.

Gatilov warned that the stance of the Syrian opposition factions in insisting on excluding the government from the negotiations put an obstacle in the way of launching political dialogue in Syria, adding that if there is a political will to start the negotiations, parties should show flexibility otherwise this will lead to a dead end.

The United States, France, Britain and Germany have drafted a resolution two days after Russia’s resolution on extending the mission of the UN Observers in Syria for three months.

Russia will Veto Western-backed UNSC Draft Resolution on Syria

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister added that his country will veto the Western-backed UN Security Council draft resolution on Syria.

The French News Agency (AFP) quoted Gatilov as saying, “In case they decided to submit the draft resolution for voting on Thursday although they already know that it is rejected, Russia will veto the draft resolution.”

Bogdanov Underlines Necessity of the continuation of observers’ mission

The Special Representative of the Russian President for the Middle East Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bogdanov reiterated Russia’s stance on the necessity of continuing the task of the UN observer mission in Syria in light of the discussions currently held at the UN Security Council.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Bogdanov discussed today with the Syrian Ambassador in Moscow Riad Haddad viewpoints on the crisis in Syria as well as the work done by the Russian side with representatives of the Syrian opposition in light of the plan of the UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan.

Later, Bogdanov discussed with Director of the Middle East, Asia and Latin America at the German Foreign Ministry the crisis in Syria and the efforts exerted to find a peaceful solution to this crisis in light of Anna’s plan and Geneva Conference.

Russian Naval Fleet General Staff: Black Sea Fleet Ships will start trainings late July

The Russian Naval military Fleet’s General Staff announced that a group of the Black Sea fleet ships crossed Boshporus and Dardanelles Straits and sailed to meet the unified ships’ group affiliated to the Russian fleets positioned in the North, Baltic and the black sea.

A source at the Russian Naval General Staff said today that the warships will run drills under one leadership in late July, adding “they will not enter Syrian Tartous port except for supplying the ships with fuel, water and food.”

The Russian Source denied reports saying that the Russian warships head for Syrian shores, saying “such mission was not proposed… the Russian fleet will enter Tartous port to provide ships with fuel, water and food.. the warships will not enter the Syrian port except in case there was a technical necessity for that.”

Authorities Destroy Two Boats Used by Terrorists to Transfer Weapons in Homs

Jul 13, 2012

PROVINCES, (SANA)- The authorities on Thursday clashed with a number of terrorists on board two boats in Qitina Lake in Homs province that were transferring weapons and ammunition to terrorist groups in the village of al-Qseir in the province’s countryside.

A source in the province told SANA reporter that the authorities destroyed the two boats completely.

Authorities Clash with Terrorists in Daraa and Lattakia Causing them Big Losses

In Daraa, law enforcement members clashed with an armed terrorist group which blocked the highway in Khabab village for stealing passengers’ cars.

An official source in the Province said that three members of the terrorist group were killed, as the other members were arrested.

Mohammad Fuad al-Turkmani, one of the killed terrorist members was identified.

In Lattakia Province, the authorities hunted an armed terrorist group in al-Rabia town in Lattakia countryside, causing big losses to the terrorists.

An official source in the Province told SANA reporter that a number of the terrorists fled to the Turkish borders, pointing out that the authorities confiscated amounts of weapons and ammunition from the terrorists.

Military Engineering Units Dismantle 3 Roadside Bombs Planted by Armed Terrorist Groups in Idleb

Military engineering units dismantled on Thursday 3 roadside bombs, each weighs over 100 kilograms, planted by armed terrorist groups on Idleb-Ariha highway.

A source in the province told SANA correspondent that the roadside bombs were set to be remotely detonated to attack civilians and law-enforcement forces.

The source added that the competent authorities arrested the terrorists who planted the roadside bombs.

Meanwhile, the competent authorities clashed with an armed terrorist group that attacked law-enforcement forces in Ariha city and seized the terrorists’ weapons.

Competent Authorities Cause Armed Terrorist Group Heavy Losses in Homs

The competent authorities clashed on Thursday with an armed terrorist group in Homs city causing them heavy losses.

A source in the province told SANA correspondent that during the clashes some terrorists tried to run away with a car; however, the competent authorities destroyed the car.

Authorities clash with terrorists at al-Trimsa Town in Hama countryside

The competent security forces today clashed with armed terrorist groups at al-Trimsa town in Hama countryside, arresting a number of terrorists and causing great losses among them.

SANA reporter said that the clashes, which came after the appeals of families, led to confiscating the terrorists’ weapons.

Foreign and Expatriates Ministry: Nawaf al-Fares Made Statements Contrary to His Position’s Duties and Was Relieved of Duty

Jul 12, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- The Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said Nawaf al-Fares made press statements that contradict the duties of his position of defending the country’s stances and issues, which demands legal and behavioral accountability.

The Ministry pointed out in a statement on Thursday that al-Fares had left the headquarters of the Syrian Embassy in Baghdad without having obtained prior consent from the Ministry according to instructions followed in the diplomatic corps and missions.

The Ministry announced that Nawaf al-Fares was relieved of his duties according to rules and has no longer any relation with the Syrian Embassy in Baghdad or with the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry.

The statement noted that the Syrian Ministry will continue its work as usual with accustomed efficiency in service of the interests of the brotherly people of Syria and Iraq.

Syria News On 12th july,2012

Syria’s Missile Forces Conclude Military Exercises with Live Ammunition

Jul 11, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Syrian missile forces concluded on Wednesday the military exercises carried out by the Syrian armed forces with a tactical exercise using live ammunition.

The missile forces proved high performance based on self-confidence and permanent readiness and ability to destroy any enemy target.

Launching various types of missiles and hitting their targets accurately highlight the high level of training of the missile troops and their ability to invest the destructive power of their weapons perfectly.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Armed Forces, Gen. Dawood Rajiha, accompanied by General Talal Mustafa Tlas and a number of senior officers attended the exercises.

Al-Jaafari, Pankin and Annan Stress Need to Support and Implement Six-Point Plan

Jul 12, 2012

NEW YORK/GENEVA, (SANA) – Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari affirmed that the success of the plan of UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan depends on international commitment and an honest and impartial political will to implement the plan fully and stop the arming of funding of armed terrorist groups by some countries and sides.

In a press conference held on Wednesday following a Security Council closed session, al-Jaafari said that Annan’s talks in Damascus were positive and constructive, with the Syrian side affirming its commitment to implementing the six-point plan and agreeing to a number of mechanism to reduce violence and restore security fully across Syria.

He pointed out that Annan’s briefing during the session and the UN Secretary-General’s report didn’t indicate a need to escalate the situation politically nor did they refer to the UN Chapter VII or ending the observer mission; rather they both stressed the need to help the Syrian people and government by carrying out all six points of Annan’s plan in full, not partially.

Al-Jaafari stressed the need for those who can influence sides in Syria to help Annan and the Syrian government to implement the plan, adding that without ceasing the funding and arming of armed groups, it would be very hard for the plan to succeed if only the Syrian government is committed to it.

He said that those who jumped immediately to adopting a resolution based on Chapter VII and called for sanctions aren’t genuine and true supporters of Annan’s plan, reiterating the Syrian government’s commitment to ensuring the success of Annan’s plan and that it warns against the efforts of some countries to derail it and sabotage it, which is very dangerous.

Al-Jaafari indicated that the UN Secretary-General’s report said that the UN observer mission was greatly supported by Syria, and that the members of the workgroup on Syria pledged to each other and to Annan to apply equal pressure on all side to prevent further militarization.

“The situation has become more complex as there have been a series of bombings, some of which indicate the existence of a third part,” he added.

“Since the beginning, we warned about the presence of armed terrorist groups in Syria, which was denied by some members of the Security Council and others outside it, but Ban Ki-moon himself admits that there’s a third party fighting in Syria,” al-Jaafari said, noting that Washington and London admitted to this, as well as Switzerland whose grenades which were exported to the UAE were used in Syria.

He stressed the need for those who have influence over amred group to desist from arming and funding them and instead support comprehensive dialogue among all Syrians under the leadership of the Syrians themselves.

Al-Jaafari said that the Security Council needs to extend the mission of the observer mission in Syria, which is a proper procedural step, noting that some countries are seeking to politicize it.

Regarding the Russian raft resolution which was submitted to the Council, al-Jaafari said that it is objective and deals with the Syrian issue in a procedural manner according to Security Council protocols, and that it deals with the extension of the observer mission based on the report of Ki-moon and Annan’s position, not based on the narrow interests of specific countries.

He said that it’s natural for delegations to disagree, but it’s necessary to maintain integrity and help Annan implement his plan rather than derail it through loopholes to serve agendas that don’t benefit the Syrians.

Al-Jaafari pointed out that Syria sent to the Security Council and international organizations 141 documented letters confirming the presence of terrorists from some Arab countries including Libya, Tunisia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and others, and that these terrorists committed crimes and terrorist acts in Syria, calling on the Security Council to deal with this issue at the source and assume responsibility as part of its efforts in combating terrorism.

He said that a part of the Syrian crisis is internal and UN resolutions insist that the solution must be by Syrians, noting that if this matter was dealt with by Syrians from the beginning then the crisis would have been over a long time ago, adding that the west acknowledges the presence of Al Qaeda in Syria, and thus there’s also a terrorism aspect of the crisis controlled by elements from outside Syria and this aspect has nothing to do with Syrians or the Syrian government.

Al-Jaafari affirmed that the majority of Syrians are against corruption with the exception of only a smalls section of Syrians who should be made accountable, stressing that political opposition must never push a country towards group suicide and destroying all the social gains made since independence.

He stressed that the opposition must be nationalistic and responsible, which is necessary, legitimate and required for building Syria’s future, as long as its motives are honest and against foreign interference, bloodshed and sabotage.

Al-Jaafari said that all Syrians are involved in rebuilding Syrian on correct reformative basis that meet the people’s needs and the reforms that began a year ago, adding “However, we must move as politicians, not as terrorists.”

He affirmed that the issue of power is an internal issue that is up to the Syrian people alone, which applies to any member of the UN and is the basis of relations in the world, stressing that the UN charter confirms the sanctity of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity, adding that any interference in others’ internal affairs breaches this charter.

Al-Jaafari said that the work of the observer mission’s leader, Gen. Mood, was somewhat positive, affirming that Mood is a professional who carries out his duties properly and has the trust of many people in Syria and outside it, noting that Syria has no objections on how he conducts his work.

“I don’t want to praise him more than that because he may find himself removed from heading the observer mission as a result of that,” he added.

In response to the German representative’s statements who thanked Mood for his work, al-Jaafari said that he wished that Germany would be positive with the efforts to cease violence, as Germany has adopted contradictory approaches towards the region, noting that Germany cannot help Syria reach a peaceful solution by encouraging escalation through providing Israel with six submarines capable of launching nuclear weapons.

Pankin: Russian Draft Resolution Focuses on Supporting Annan’s Plan

In  a similar press conference, Russia’s Deputy Representative to the UN Alexander Pankin said that the Russiand raft resolution submitted to the UN on extending the observer mission focuses on supporting Annan’s efforts and six-point plan and the statement of the Geneva meeting of the workgroup on Syria, adding that it doesn’t include any steps involving Chapter VII nor any sanctions.

Pankin said that both the six-point plan and the Geneva statement require pressure on all sides in Syria and all foreign players for them to be applicable, stressing the need for agreement in the Security Council on helping Annan, which can’t be done through Chapter VII which isn’t effective in most cases, stressing that without political will by all sides and faith in the process, then the unilateral steps against the Syrian government will not be useful.

He noted that some described the Russian draft resolution as insufficient because they want it to include Chapter VII, saying that the Security Council’s resolution must be applied and political pressure must be used equally on all sides, adding that unfortunately, there are sides constituting the third party in the crisis who are unreachable.

Pankin said that the work of the observer mission in Syria was positive and helped towards achieving stability, but the circumstances changed in May which led to suspending its primary operations.

He pointed out that the mission isn’t used to apply pressure, and that it was established and deployed on the basis that the circumstances will be suitable and that Annan’s plan will be carried out, with their duty being supervising, monitoring and reporting.

Pankin said that minimizing or withdrawing ht emission would send a wrong mission, explaining that it doesn’t mean that there’s no believe in ceasing violence, peace, political dialogue and diplomacy for resolving the crisis.

He went on to note that Russia’s meetings with Syrian opposition groups weren’t easy yet were constructive and showed differing opinions, with most of the opposition showing that they’re not ready for dialogue and will continue fighting, which isn’t encouraging.

Pankin said that the meetings with the opposition aimed to move things forward and learn about their goals and purposes, adding that one cannot talk about a unified opposition as most opposition figures confessed to having no influence on many of the actual combatants.

He stressed that those who commit murder in Syria mustn’t be affiliated with civilized political opposition and should be dealt with separately, explaining that fighting won’t cease with dialogue and a political process because those who are fighting don’t listen to those who negotiate.

Pankin said that weapons are being sent to armed groups include countries along with terrorist organizations and individual combatants who fight for their own causes and aren’t part of any political group, adding that this causes the situation to resemble a mosaic that must be dealt with.

He stressed that the only way to realize the Geneva agreement is by exercising constant pressure on all sides, including those involved in the crisis and those who support them by providing financial, human and material resources, including combatants who are flocking to Syria in great numbers from the Middle East and elsewhere.

On the sending of Russian ships to Syria, Pankin said that many countries have ships and fleets in the area, and that Russian ships were sent to Tartous for refueling and doesn’t have a military dimension nor is it a show of power of presence, adding that Russia’s contracts with Syria are for providing defensive systems only, not weapons that can be used against protestors.

He said that discussions during the Council’s session involved the arming of the opposition, pointing out that the more weapons flow into the area, the more the crisis will escalate, adding that there are many weapons being used to target government forces and civilians, including small arms, grenades and handheld weaponry which are more dangerous and come via land from neighboring countries that aren’t ashamed to admit it; rather they vaunt it, stressing that this should stop and that there should be means to guarantee closing the borders and stopping the flow of weapons.

Pankin concluded by calling for brining all the influential foreign sides to the table regardless of their viewpoints, including Iran, noting that Russia called for brining all influential players while preparing for the Geneva meeting, including the countries neighboring Syria such as Iran, adding that ignoring these countries is unwise.

Later, Pankin said in statements to Russian journalists that Russia will not support any Security Council resolution on imposing sanctions on Syria, saying that this is based on the fact that sanctions will not achieve results, adding that China also opposes imposing sanctions on Syria.

He said that the west didn’t exclude imposing sanctions on the Syrian opposition, but he pointed out that it’s difficult to imagine how such sanctions can be imposed on individual opposition groups.

Pankin said that the Syrian government gave a sign that inspires trust when it shoed readiness for taking an initiative to stop armed conflicts in the more sensitive areas, adding that the government is generally prepared to join various operations related to implementing Annan’s plan.

He also added that Annan will visit Moscow next week to hold talks with Russian officials.

Annan: My Talks in Syria Covered Means to Implement Six-Point Plan and Taking Steps to End Violence

UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan said that the Security Council discussed during a closed session on Wednesday the crisis in Syria and the steps to be taken in the future, and that he briefed the Council on the results of his recent visit to the region and outcomes of the work group which convened recently in Geneva.

In a press conference after addressing the Security Council, Annan said that the talks he held in Syria covered the implantation of the six-point plan approved by the Council, and that there were no discussions about “three months.”

He said that talks also discussed steps that should be taken in areas witnessing extreme violence into which no humanitarian aid can be sent nor can trapped people leave them, and that the discussions covered steps to affect a ceasefire in these areas with the help of observers, adding that this doesn’t absolve any side of their duty towards the ceasefire according to the plan, regardless of the area in question.

Annan said that the members of the workgroup on Syria pledged to maintain constant pressure on all sides of the crisis to implement the Security Council decisions then take steps to end violence in order to launch political dialogue.

He said that Iran and Iraq voiced support for the six-point plan and the idea of a political transition that allows Syrians to decide upon their future, and that the two countries will use their influence to move forward in this direction.

Regarding the future of the UN observer mission in Syria, Annan said this matter is up to the Security Council, explaining that there’s a Russian draft resolution in addition to another draft which will be presented by three members according to the British representative, adding that there’s also the report of the UN Secretary-General which outlines options about what should be done in the future.

He said that so far, he has not witnessed success in ending violence and he told all governments that and asked them to work together to pressure all sides to support the plan in order to ensure the success of all sides’ mutual goal.

Annan said that the Security Council’s voice would be stronger if it were united rather than divided, and that the region’s government’s all voiced mutual interests, adding “we all want to protect the Syrian people, see an end to violence and not have the conflict go out of control or spread in the region.”

He said that this calls for working to achieve mutual interests rather than moving in different directions which would make everyone a loser and end up making the Syrians the biggest victims.

On his talks with President al-Assad on appointing a negotiator to talk with the opposition, Annan said that this issue was broached and President al-Assad proposed a name, and that he would like to know more information about the person in question.

60 Civilians Who Were Trapped by Terrorists in Homs Neighborhoods Evacuated

Jul 12, 2012

HOMS, (SANA) – The National Reconciliation Committee, in cooperation with the authorities in Homs, managed to evacuate on Wednesday a second group of civilians who had been trapped by armed terrorist groups in the old neighborhoods of the city.

The 60 civilians include women and children who were trapped in the neighborhood of al-Warsheh, Jouret al-Shiyah and al-Khalidiye.

During this week, the National Reconciliation Committee managed to evacuate 23 civilians, most of them women and children, who were trapped by terrorist groups in the neighborhoods of al-Khalidiye and al-Hamidiye.

This bring the total of civilians evacuated from Homs within a week to 92.

The citizens expressed relief over being freed from the terrorists’ grip and reaching safety after weeks of hardships, saying that they couldn’t leave on their owns because the terrorist had set up roadblocks in the neighborhoods

Authorities Arrest Terrorists, Tunnel Used by Terrorists Found in Homs

Jul 11, 2012

PROVINCES, (SANA) – Authorities in Hama on Wednesday clashed with 6 gunmen in Qalet al-Mdeiq town after the locals informed them about the gunmen’s digging works for antiquities.

An official source told SANA reporter that the clash resulted in wounding the gunmen, four of whom hold Turkish nationality.

The source added that the authorities confronted am armed terrorist group in al-Tweineh village, pursued its members in the agricultural lands and injured some of them.

Authorities Clash with Terrorists Who Were Planting Explosives in Hama

The authorities in Hama province also clashed with a terrorist group that was setting ambushes and planting explosives in the area between the villages of Mork and Ma’an in the province.

The clash inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists, injuring many of them and destroying five cars equipped with machineguns along with the terrorists inside them, in addition to destroying two motorbikes they were using.

The terrorists’ weapons, which included RPG launchers and rounds, machineguns, and sniper rifles, were confiscated, along with ammo and advanced communication equipment.

Large Amounts of Ammunition, Weapons and Money Seized in Hasaka

In Hasaka, the authorities seized large amount of weapons, ammunition and money while storming a terrorist hideout in Tal Hamis.

A source in the province told SANA reporter that the seized weapons included 24 machineguns, sniper rifle and large amount of ammunition.

One of the terrorists was found to have had USD 28000 and SYP 360000 buried in the ground.

Authorities Storm Terrorists’ Den in Darayya in Damascus Countryside

The authorities stormed a terrorist den in Bayader Nader orchards in Darayya, Damascus Countryside, after they were informed by the residents.

An official source told SANA reporter that a number of terrorists were arrested and their weapons were confiscated during the raid, adding that a workshop for making explosive devices and stolen cars prepared for bombs were found.

The source pointed out that machine guns, pistols, detonators, batteries, row materials for preparing explosive devices and ammunition, in addition to stolen military uniforms were found in a nearby farm.

Military engineering units dismantled a number of explosive devices planted in different places on Darayya farms.

Terrorists’ Tunnel Extending from Jouret al-Shaiyah Area to Orontes River in Homs Uncovered

In Homs, the authorities uncovered a tunnel used by terrorists to move and transfer weapons extending from Jouret al-Shaiyah through al-Qarabis neighborhood and al-Ghouteh orchards to reach the Orontes River.

SANA reporter cited a source in the province as saying that a house linked with the tunnel by holes was found to include a large amount of food supply materials.

Authorities Storm Den of Terrorists in Homs

The authorities today stormed a den used by armed terrorist groups at al-Qarabes neighborhood in Homs used by them as a center for their operations against law enforcement personnel.

A source in Homs told SANA reporter that the authorities discovered inside the den different weapons and ammunitions, maps and documents that help the terrorists move in the city, explosives and cameras.

Authorities Raid Terrorist Hideout in al-Waer al-Qadim Neighborhood in Homs

In Homs city, the authorities raided a terrorist hideout in the neighborhood of al-Waer al-Qadim, arresting all the members of the terrorist group hiding in it and confiscating their weapons.

The arrested terrorist include Mohammad Ammar al-Jandali, Anas Ahmad Sleiman, Haitham Mustafa al-Hemsiye, and Huzaifa Abdelhadi Ghali

Russian Foreign Ministry: Moscow Committed to Peaceful Solution to Crisis in Syria

Jul 11, 2012

MOSCOW, (SANA) – Russia’s Foreign Ministry stressed Moscow’s commitment to peaceful settlement to the crisis in Syria by the Syrians themselves within the framework of Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial safety.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that “Only dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition without pre-conditions can guarantee the rapid cessation of shedding blood and destroying the country, in addition to achieving the aspirations of Syrian people in democratic, free and stable development in line with Syria’s unity and the respect of the rights of all religious and ethnic groups there.”

The statement added that the Ministry received a delegation from Istanbul Council which held talks with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President special envoy to Middle East Affairs and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

The Ministry stressed that Lavrov stressed the need for taking a clear stance which affirms Istanbul Council’s readiness to implement its commitments according to the plan of the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, the UNSC resolution and Geneva meeting decisions.

The statement added that the delegation members reviewed Istanbul Council’s current and future vision of situation in Syria and stressed Russia’s key role in providing appropriate circumstances to halt violence and launch a transitional political process.

Lavrov Calls on Syrian Government and all Opposition Factions to Start Dialogue

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday called on the Syrian Government and all opposition factions to start a dialogue that gives the Syrian people the opportunity to decide their destiny.

Meeting the Istanbul Council delegation visiting Moscow, Lavrov said, “We want to understand the prospects of uniting opposition factions on the basis of dialogue with the Syrian Government according to the plan of UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan.”

“Supporting Annan’s plan emphasizes Russia’s commitment to the necessity of ending violence with all its forms and from all sides as soon as possible, as well as moving to a dialogue in which the Syrian Government and all opposition factions take part,” Lavrov added.

He pointed out that the Russian side is seeking to get more details on the relationship between Istanbul Council and all other opposition groups, including the opposition inside Syria.

Russian Military Official: The Syrian Army Ready to Counter any Foreign Aggression

Chairman of the Social Council at the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Korotchenko, said the Syrian Army has strong faith and is well armed, highly trained, coherent and supportive of its leadership and ready to defend its country against any foreign aggression as it is equipped with sophisticated weapons including anti-naval counterforce weapons.

In an interview with Russia Today TV, Korotchenko warned the NATO of any military venture against Syria, saying “If the NATO tried to use its naval capabilities against Syria, it wouldn’t be on an easy picnic.”

He called on the alliance to back the political process in Syria and refrain, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, from providing support and arms to the armed terrorist groups in Syria.

He affirmed that Russia’s arms exports to Syria do not contradict international law and are legally based on agreements signed with the Syrian side.

“Russia legitimately provides arms to Syria, whereas the West send arms to the armed terrorist groups secretly and in violation of the international laws which these groups use against the Syrian army and people,” said Korotchenko.

He pointed out that Moscow has documented information on the Turkish fighter aircraft’s violation of the Syrian airspace through which the Turkish intelligence hoped for getting information on the work mechanism and capabilities of the Syrian air defenses to be made use of by the NATO.

Abdullahian: Talks with Annan Focused on Monitoring Syrian Borders to Prevent Arms Smuggling

Jul 11, 2012

TEHRAN, (SANA)_ Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdullahian said that the talks with the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, focused on the need for monitoring the Syrian borders to prevent smuggling arms to the terrorist groups.

In a statement to the Iranian News Agency (IRNA), he said that Tehran stressed that “the important issue for now is to monitor the Syrian borders to prevent the flow of weapons to the terrorist groups to end violence, which will give the chance for the situation to go back to normal.”

Abdullahian said that Annan’s plan to halt violence has not achieved the hoped-for results because of smuggling arms from other countries to Syria, adding that Iran informed Annan of its concern over obstacles put by some countries in the way of the implementation of Annan’s plan as well as weapons smuggling into Syria.

For Tehran, the solution in Syria is not military or security one, rather it is a political solution within the framework of Annan’s six-point plan which is the same plan of President Bashar al-Assad for reforms, said Abdullahian, stressing that Annan’s plan can help settle the current crisis in Syria.

He added that the terrorist groups in Syria, which have connections with some foreign countries, are becoming more active, pushing popular demands into the shade.

German Journalist: I Met Terrorists from al-Qaeda in Syria

Jul 11, 2012

BERLIN, (SANA) – The German Journalist Jurgen Todenhofer said that there are armed terrorist groups affiliated to al-Qaeda organization in Syria.

Todenhofer, Ph.D in International Law and former member of the German Parliament, told German TV that he met several al-Qaeda-affiliated groups which are committing violence acts in Syria.

He underscored that the western media outlets are conveying distorted image of the events taking place in Syria.

“The U.S. administration should hold dialogue with the Syrian leadership with the aim of reaching a peaceful solution for the crisis in Syria,” Todenhofer said.

New Media Outlets See Light

Jul 11, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- The National Media Council approved the book of terms and general rules of licensing audio or visual media outlets.

Chairman of the Council, Taleb Qadi Amin, clarified that four newspapers were given license, including Sham, a political, cultural and social daily, the weekly newspaper of al-Minbar al-Hur, the legal magazine of Arwiqat al-Mahakem (Court Lobbies) and the medical magazine of al-Kamal.

Since its establishment last November, the Council granted authorization for 20 print media of different specializations.

Al-Zoubi: Job Opportunities for Top Media Graduates

Jul 11, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Minister of Information Omran al-Zoubi stressed that top and excellent graduates of the Faculty of Information will be given the chance to work at the various audio, visual and print media institutions within the framework of Youth Employment Program.

Touring the Faculty of Information at Damascus University, Minister al-Zoubi indicated to the efforts exerted to provide media with high qualified graduates, calling for making use of the faculty capabilities to turn it into a center for media training with the participation of academics and specialists.

He stressed the Ministry’s readiness to change the faculty into a media center that would contribute to upgrading national media.

The minister hailed the role of journalists in official and private media under the current crisis, adding that the attack against the Syrian al-Ikhbariya TV revealed the ability of Syrian journalists to face the most difficult circumstances.

Dean of Information Faculty, Kamal al-Haj, said that the graduates enjoy all qualifications required to enter the job market due to the efforts and facilitations provided regarding practical study and the facilitations provided in this regard such as TV, radio and program preparation studios and training courses to improve the students’ creative skills.

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The SYP/USD opened the week’s trade at SYP 64.25 and closed at 64.39, recording a rise of 0.22%, while the Euro started off the weekly trading against the SYP at 81.38 and closed at 80.74, dropping by 0.8%.

According to the Central Bank of Syria (CBS) weekly report, the CBS has continued steps to support the exchange rate of the SYP as it started last September to move the SYP/USD exchange rate in accordance with the global exchange rate movements in a way that reflects the changes in the local supply and demand of foreign currency.

The CBS decision came after the recent US sanctions which led Syria to replace the Dollar with other currencies. This move ensures better stability of the SYP exchange rate against other foreign currencies after the CBS fixed the SYP exchange rate against Dollar since the crisis started.

The Central Bank continues to meet the market’s needs of different currencies to keep the exchange processes going on and prevent any freeze due to the imposed sanctions.

The CBS has included the Chinese Yuan and the Russian Ruble in its daily exchange rates bulletin since last September to facilitate trading in light of heading eastward, particularly towards China.

The CBS also directly intervened in purchasing and selling of foreign currency at a price set according to the active market price and the offer and demand movement. Accordingly, this price becomes a reference for banks and exchange institutions when setting up their own exchange rate bulletins, which has effectively contributed to the local market stabilization and a gradual and calculated drop of the exchange rate.

The local market is witnessing a remarkable improvement in the trading in the Euro after the CBS decision to stop dealing in the Dollar and shift to other currencies

Sheikh Hajiri: Syria Facing Fierce Attack because of Rejecting US-Zionist Schemes in Region

Jul 11, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) –Sheikh Akl of al-Muwahhidun in Syria, Hekmat al-Hajiri, stressed on Wednesday that Syria constitutes an integrated pattern of Christian-Muslim fraternity, adding that today Syria is facing a fierce attack aimed at undermining the national unity of the Syrian society.

Meeting a Czech religious delegation, Sheikh al-Hajiri said that the fierce attack on Syria today is because of rejecting the US-Zionist schemes aimed at imposing hegemony on the region, calling on the delegation to relate the truth of what is happening in Syria to the world.

He pointed out that the religious message of the Muwahhidun is based on spreading amity and peace among people, adding that al-Muwahhidun stress that Syria is facing a conspiracy that is targeting the unity and security of the Syrians.

He noted that the Syrian people’s confidence in their leadership and their brave army, in addition to rallying around President Bashar al-Assad prove that Syria will get out of the crisis stronger.

The Czech delegation stressed that their visit is to know the truth of what is happening in Syria and inspecting the situation of Christians in it, expressing astonishment at some states’ behavior which are sending terrorists to kill and commit crimes against the Syrian people.

Syria News On 11th july,2012

Air Force Formations Conduct Live Fire Tactical Operational Project with Bombing Aircrafts and Attack Helicopters

Jul 11, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- The Syrian Armed Forces on Tuesday continued military exercises for the fourth consecutive day with the participation of units from the air force formations which conducted a tactical operational project with live fire simulating real battle conditions.

Fighter aircrafts performed the tasks of repelling virtual counter air strikes in the project, while bombing aircrafts took part in carrying out the tasks of fire impacting and destroying hostile targets, with attack helicopters providing fire support to the forces.

The project included an airdrop behind proposed enemy lines in which the Special Armed Forces members were able to take control of the specified area at the right time with great efficiency and high combat spirit.

Transport aircrafts successfully conducted a cargo airdrop operation, in which healthcare vehicles and medically-equipped helicopters participated in evacuation and first aid tasks on battleground.

Chief of General Staff of the Army and the Armed Forces, Gen. `Fahd Jassem al-Freij, attended the exercises, accompanied by a number of senior General Command officers.

Gen. al-Freij praised the high morale of the Air Defense Forces and their successful performance at all the stages of the project.

He stressed that there is no need to fear for Syria as long as it has such men who have devoted themselves to defending the homeland and its air, sea and land.

Terrorists Assassinate Doctor, Farmer Martyred, Two Border Infiltration Attempts Foiled

Jul 10, 2012

PROVINCES, (SANA) – An armed terrorist group on Tuesday assassinated Dr. Adbul-Baset Arja at al-Kura al-Ardyyah Roundabout in Aleppo.

A source at the province told SANA that the armed terrorist group monitored Dr. Arja and opened fire at his car, Dr. Arja was hospitalized and martyred at the hospital.

Infiltration Attempts of Terrorists Coming from Lebanon Foiled

Authorities and border guards have foiled infiltration attempts by armed terrorist groups coming from Lebanon into Syria from several locations in Talkalkh, Homs countryside. Huge losses were reported among the terrorists.

SANA correspondent quoted a source at the province as saying that the terrorist groups opened fire on the sites of border guards on the Syrian side in Jisr Qumar, Jisr Abo Swaid, Harmoush crossings, al-Armouta, al-Arida, Noura, and al-Dalia and tried, several times, to infiltrate to the Syrian territories by several (SUV) cars equipped with machine-guns.

The source added that the clash resulted in the killing and injury of a number of terrorists. One person of the competent authorities was wounded.

Authorities Arrest Two Terrorists, Disable Four IEDs, Prevent Border Infiltration Attempt in Idleb Countryside

The authorities chased down a terrorist group which had opened fire on a food transport belonging to law-enforcement forces in Jisr al-Shughour area in Idleb countryside.

After returning fire, the authorities chased the terrorist and managed to arrest two of them: Ammar al-Ammoura and Mohammad al-Gharib, and confiscated their weapons.

On a relevant note, engineering units disabled four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by terrorists on the Jisr al-Shughour-Darkoush road. The IEDs ranged in weight from 40 to 50 kilograms and were rigged for remote detonation.

Authorities in Idleb also managed to prevent an attempt by an armed terrorist group which tried to infiltrate the Syrian borders and enter Syria from Turkey at Khirbet al-Hoz area in Jisr al-Shughour.

The authorities clashed with the armed group, injuring some of its members and confiscating their weapons.

Farmer Martyred, Three Citizens Injured by Terrorists’ Gunfire in Lattakia

Farmer Mufeed Mohammad Badour was martyred while three citizens, including a mother and her daughter, were injured in an attack by a number of terrorists on their fields in al-Balateh and al-Kharateh villages in al-Haffeh in Lattakia countryside.

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

Authorities Confront attack by gunmen in al-Qseir, Homs

The competent authorities confronted an attack by armed terrorist groups on a number of law enforcement checkpoints near al-Qseir in Homs.

SANA reporter quoted a source in Homs as saying that the authorities clashed with the gunmen, destroying a Doshka vehicle used by the armed men in the attack, and killing a number of them.

Cabinet Approves Providing 25,000 Job Opportunities in One Year, Approves Bills on Combating Illicit Gains and Corruption

Jul 10, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Prime Minister, Dr. Riad Hijab, on Tuesday called on ministers to continue their field tours and intensify meetings and communication with citizens to fulfill their daily and basic demands.

In a session held on Tuesday, the cabinet discussed job opportunities currently available through the Youth Employment Program. The cabinet approved providing 25,000 job opportunities this year with annual contracts, with emphasis on appointing employees in their own areas.

The Cabinet also discussed economic and services issues as deputy Prime Minister for Services Affairs and Minister of Local Administration Omar Ghallawanji and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection Qadri Jamil briefed the Cabinet on the economic and services situation.

Within the context of completing the Administrative Reform Program, the cabinet approved a bill on illicit gains, a bill on establishing a commission for combating corruption, and a bill on establishing a department for inspection and supervision in every ministry.

For his part, Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs, Dr. Ali Haidar, briefed the cabinet on the ministry’s activities and meetings with some opposition figures to reach joint cooperation and common denominators to achieve national reconciliation and prepare for holding a conference on national reconciliation soon.

In a statement after the session, Director of the Prime Minister’s Office Tayseer al-Zou’bi said that the Cabinet reviewed the economic, service and infrastructure issues which concern citizens.

He added that the cabinet took several decisions including offering services and rehabilitating infrastructure and public facilitations in the areas badly affected by the armed terrorist groups

Annan Holds Talks in Tehran and Baghdad on the situation in Syria

Jul 10, 2012

TEHRAN, (SANA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi stressed that the ominous interference of some foreign countries in the crisis in Syria led to its continuity despite that the Syrian leadership has adopted constructive steps to meet demands of the Syrian people.

In a joint press conference with the UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan in Tehran on Tuesday, Salehi said “The political issues are complicated ones and the region and the world are on the brink of sensitive developments, ”

” All efforts should unite to prevent the extension of the crisis in Syria and limit its repercussions and we should not allow the situation to become worse,” he added.

The Iranian Minister pointed out that “Democracy, independence and combating corruption are preserved rights for the Syrian people,” asserting that the Syrian government committed to achieve its promises to meet all the legitimate demands of the Syrian people as it achieved tangible steps in this regard.

” We concentrate on ending the crisis in Syria which, if continued, will not be in the interest of anyone in the region, ” Salehi said.

Salehi advised the regional countries to exercise prudence over the crisis in Syria and warned against the ‘catastrophic’ upshots of a ‘wrong’ decision on Syria.

“We should not allow the situation to become worse, which would not be to anyone’s benefit.”

For his part, Annan said that his talks in Tehran aim at ensuring Iran’s support to find peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria, expressing hope to cooperate together to reach important upshots and steps to resolve this crisis, prevent its spreading to reach the whole region and to limit its repercussions which would not be to anyone’s interest.

On disarming the armed terrorist groups in Syria and preventing countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia from sending weapons to them and the role of the UN in implementing that, Annan said “The international organization seeks to defuse the violence in Syria by all sides,” asserting that if we want to halt the acts of violence we should talk to all those who carry weapons who should not kill the innocents.

Annan stressed that the disarmament of the armed terrorist groups is a very important thing in such crisis and after its end.

” I believe that the Syrian government should be able to control the weapons and we should have a strong state to prevent the spreading of the armed groups, ” he said.

The UN Envoy added “Regarding sending weapons to the armed terrorist groups, we discussed this issue in details in Geneva Conference and we clearly confirmed that we don’t wish the crisis to continue or to use a military solution but we should search for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria,”

He went on to say the use of arms is not consistent with the search for a peaceful solution. On the Iranian role in the crisis in Syria, Annan said “Iran plays positive role in this crisis and seeks to find a peaceful solution to it through dialogue which should start soon with the participation of all sides and that is a pivotal point in the six-point plan I had proposed, ”

Annan called on all sides to work together to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria and defuse it to prevent its bad consequences on the region.

Jalili: Solution in Syria Should Be Reached Without Foreign Intervention

For his part, Secretary General of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili stressed that the solution to the crisis in Syria should be reached in Syria and without foreign interference.

During his meeting with the UN Envoy Kofi Annan, Jalili added that the political dialogue and the efforts to reach a ceasefire should be synchronized.

He highlighted that the solution in Syria will be achieved by reaching the real democracy not by sending weapons and committing criminal acts.

“The International Observers should prevent the flow of weapons to the armed terrorist groups in Syria. The history of the USA proves that it is unable to play a positive role in solving the crisis in Syria, so it can’t be part of the solution,” Jalili said.

In return, Annan talked about the results of Geneva meeting, hailing the role of Tehran in solving the crisis in Syria.

Annan.. I held good Talks with al-Maliki on Syria

The UN envoy to Syria Kofi Annan said that he held good talks with the Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad on the situation in Syria, adding that al-Maliki showed support to the six-point plan.

“I came to the region to discuss the crisis in Syria.. my trip took me to Damascus, Tehran and Baghdad, I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with the leaders to stop killing for  the sake of the Syrian people, and to guarantee no spread of conflict to Syrian neighbors,” AFP quoted Annan as saying at a press conference following his talks with al-Maliki.

Annan underlined that he will brief the UN Security Council tomorrow on the outcome of his talks in the region about Syria, saying that the UN will take the suitable measure and will adopt another decision regarding the task of observers whom mission end on July 12th.

“I believe that we have to continue pressures and we need to do so in a constructive way,” Annan concluded.

Boroujerdi: Syria Has Overcome the Difficult Circumstances

Chairman of the Iranian Shura Council’s Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security Alaeddin Boroujerdi, in a statement on Tuesday, stressed that Syria has overcome the difficult circumstances and is heading towards stability.

He underlined Iran’s pivotal role in solving the crisis in Syria

Moscow Denies Reports by some Media about Russian Warships Sailing into Syria

Jul 10, 2012

MOSCOW, (SANA)-An informed source at the Russian Foreign Ministry Tuesday denied reports of some media that Russian warships sailed into Syria, expressing astonishment at the attempts of stirring up this issue again.

“Simply, it is ridiculous what occurs in the mass media of rumors about alleged sailing of Russian ships that carry landing units into Syria,” the source stated, clarifying that Russia has nothing to hide.

” Russian Defense Ministry announced that a number of the North Sea fleet ships left Severomorsk Navy and sailed into the north part of the Atlantic Ocean to run regular trainings that have no relation to the events in Syria.” The source said.

It added that in spite of the noise about the Russian ships, no one talks about the maneuvers of the Western States’ fleets in the region.

Russian Defense Minister: Russia will not accept any foreign intervention in the Syrian domestic affairs

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that his country supports any steps leading to a settlement for the crisis in Syria with peaceful means, adding “Russia will not accept any foreign intervention in the Syrian domestic affairs.

Russia Today site quoted a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that Serdyukov held talks with his Italian counterpart in Roma, reiterating that Russia will not accept any foreign intervention in the Syrian affairs.

In a relevant context, a Russian military source stated that 3 helicopters, of MI-25 style, have been mended in Russia and they will be sent back to Damascus via sea.

Bogdanov: Russia Ready to Host International Conference on Syria

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Tuesday that Russia is ready to host a new meeting of the world powers on Syria, adding that Moscow calls for holding such meetings periodically and extending representation.

In a statement, Bogdanov said that the Geneva meeting results provided that UN Envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, calls for another meeting of the international group which met in Geneva on June 30, adding that the Russian side is waiting for tangible results out of Geneva’s negotiations.

He expressed Russia’s regret for the absence of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Geneva meeting, adding that these two countries have enormous influence on the situation in Syria and they can contribute to the joint efforts exerted by Syria’s neighbors such as Lebanon and Jordan, which were not represented at Geneva meeting, to restore security and stability to Syria.

He added that talks on the failure of Annan’s plan are harmful politically and morally as they directly or indirectly lead to escalating violence in Syria.

On some interpretations of Geneva meeting outcome, Bogdanov said that any international meeting cannot decide the fate of Syria and its president.

“The fate of a particular leader should be decided by the people in accordance with international legislation,” Bogdanov said.

He pointed out that the final document of Geneva meeting provides that members of the current government and the opposition can enter the governing transitional body in Syria according to mutual agreement.

On the military technical cooperation between Russia and Syria, Bogdanov pointed out that the two countries had established various relations since the 1950s. military technical cooperation is an essential component of these relations.

Margelov: Map of Africa and Middle East May Be Changed by Crisis in Syria

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Russian Federation Council Mikhail Margelov said that Syria’s understanding of the Middle East in general and Syria in particular is deeper than that of its partners.

In a radio interview, Margelov said that the crisis in Syria may lead to changing the map of Africa and the Middle East, stressing the need for this process to be civilized and controllable.

He said that Russia presented an initiative presenting alternatives for resolving the Syrian crisis, and that he’s due to hold his seventh meeting with a delegation from the Syrian opposition on Wednesday.

Margelov pointed out that the Syrian opposition is fragmented and divided, and that the opposition – whether in Syria, Turkey, France, Italy, the US or elsewhere – and are against the Syrian government often have conflicting positions to a degree that makes it seem hard to bring them all under one roof.

He noted that this is what prompted Russia to attend the Geneva meeting on Syria in June, and that some of Russia’s concerns and suggestions were heard.

Margelov stressed that Russia doesn’t want the Libyan scenario to be repeated in Syria, nor do its western partners, and that there must be dialogue to reach an agreement as differences do not necessarily mean hostility.

Youths and Children of Martyrs Present Shield and Letter of Thanks to Chinese Embassy

Jul 10, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – A youth delegation including children of martyrs visited on Tuesday the Chinese Embassy in Damascus and presented the ambassador with a commemorative shield and a letter of thanks in a gesture of appreciation for China’s support for the Syrian people and leadership.

In the letter, the children of martyrs voiced appreciation of China’s honorable stance and its tireless efforts to achieve peace and security and benefit Syria and its people.

China’s Ambassador in Damascus  Zhang Xun voiced hope that Syria will emerge from the crisis soon through political solutions, expressing support for the political process led by the Syrian people and the plan of UN Envoy to Syrian Kofi Annan.

He also affirmed that China will work diligently to direct the course of the Syrian issue in a political and peaceful direction.

For their part, members of the delegation said their visit aims to thank China’s government and people for their support of the Syrian people and for their rejection of foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs, stressing that showing gratitude is the least that can be done.

They also said that the children of martyrs hold all those who conspired against Syria – including Arab and western countries – responsible for their fathers’ deaths.

The delegation members said that by supporting Syria, China stood up to the US hegemony and proved that China is a main and effective pole in the world.

New Health Center to Provide Medical Services to Douma Citizens

Jul 10, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Ministry of Health established a temporary health center in Adra region in Damascus Countryside with the aim of providing health services to people in Douma and its surrounding who were forced under the current circumstances to move to Adra.

In a statement on Tuesday, Minister of Health, Wael al-Halqi said that establishing a health center in Adra came in line with cooperation between the Ministry and the civil sector to improve health services.

He added that the center is equipped with all medical equipment and medicine, including those for diabetic , heart and high-blood pressure patients and vaccines for children.

Al-Halqi stressed the Ministry’s continuous efforts to meet the citizens’ growing health needs, particularly in the affected areas.

People of Golan Refute Allegations of Zionist Media, Stress Adherence to Syrian Identity

Jul 10, 2012

QUNEITRA, (SANA) – People of the occupied Syrian Golan reiterated their adherence to the Syrian nationality and their rejection to all practices of the Israeli occupation forces.

In a statement made by religious and social bodies in Majdal Shams town, people of Golan refuted the allegations of Zionist media outlets saying that they halted excommunication measures against the Syrians who accepted the Israeli IDs.

They stressed their commitment to the national document made on March 31st 1981, adding that the Golan is an integral part of the homeland, Syria.

Sheikh Atef Shaalan from Ein Qniyyeh town told SANA that “We are Syrian Arab people, we were and we’ll continue to be. occupation will go eventually as several armies came to this region and went out throughout centuries.”

Sheikh Hayel Sharaf from the occupied town of Mas’ada said that “These media allegations are an attempt to target the people of the occupied Golan as they preserved their Arab identity despite more than four decades of occupation.”

Hassan Fakhr Eddin from the occupied town of Majdal Shams said that the ‘excommunication’ measure is taken against any person from the Golan who disobeys the will of his society and refuses the national principles

275 Citizens Involved in Recent Events Set Free

Jul 10, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- 275 citizens who got involved in the recent events in the country and whose hands are clear of the Syrian blood were released on Tuesday in a seventh process of the kind.

Syria News On 9th july,2012

Syria’s Naval, Land and Air Forces Conduct Military Exercises with Live Ammunitions

Jul 08, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Syrian armed forces continued on Sunday their military exercises for the second consecutive day with high performance as the anti-submarine vessels in cooperation with the navy helicopters searched for proposed enemy submarines and destroyed them.

The coastal artillery also took part in the military exercises against vessels offshore, while the Syrian frogmen commandos and other forces performed marine landing and airdrop  to storm and free any given site from enemies.

The Syrian armored units performed a tactical exercise with live ammunition involving various kinds of weapons, including aircrafts, helicopters and artillery.

The Syrian forces which took part in those military exercises proved high performance and coordination among various units.

Terrorists Confess to Committing Murder, Rape, Abduction, Robbery and Smuggling Weapons and Gunmen

Jul 09, 2012

HOMS, (SANA) – The Syrian TV broadcast on Sunday the confessions of four terrorists who admitted to committing murder, rape, abduction and robbery, in addition to smuggling weapons and gunmen, in Homs countryside.

Terrorist Abdelkafi Abdelhamid Bakkour, a farmer born in Homs in 1980, said that he started off by being part of group that attempted to incite people to protest, and his job was to transport protestors from mosques to squares in the town of al-Qseir.

Afterwards, he and his cohorts were offered money to bear arms, and they accepted and received a rifle, a backpack, four magazine and two grenades each. They started by attacking an intelligence detachment and setting up a roadblock in al-Qseir.

Bakkour and his cohorts would halt passing cars and rob the passengers of their money, gold and mobile phones, and once he abducted two women and took them to nearby fields where he raped them then let them go.

Afterwards, Bakkour and some members of his group accompanied an empty fuel tanker into Lebanon in order to smuggle weapons into Syria, and they filled the tanker with 30 rifles and ammo, then they delivered the weapons to a man called Abu Jaafar Bakkar in al-Bayouda area.

Bakkour and his group smuggled weapons from Lebanon to Syria several times using motorbikes, delivering shipments containing 30 rifles and ammo each, adding that he wanted to become a professional weapon smuggler, so he tried to approach their contact in Lebanon who provided the weapons, a Syrian called Mehiddin Jarban, and asked him about his sources, and after initially refusing to divulge them, Jarban said that the weapons came from the Future Movement in Lebanon, and that they’re the ones supporting him.

He also confessed to attacking the municipal building in al-Qseir with his group, opening heavy fire on it, only to learn later that they killed four people.

In turn, terrorist Ahmad Amin Fayyad, a farmer from al-Qseir area, said that he started off by joining protests then he was recruited by Ahmad Amon who was forming an armed group.

Amon gave each member of the group a rifle and instructed them to attack military checkpoints, and so they attacked two checkpoints, then Amon told them to smuggle weapons from Lebanon to Syria, and they did as they were told and delivered 60 rifles, 5 sniper rifles, grenades and ammo to Amon, who paid them SYP 25,000 for bringing the weapons, and at a later time they smuggled four journalists from Lebanon into Syria and escorted them to their headquarters where they stayed for a day then left with Amon.

Fayyad also confessed to setting up a roadblock on al-Aboudiye road and robbing cars that passed buys, stealing phones, money and sometimes various things they found in the cars.

Similarly, terrorist Haitham Mohammad al-Qassem, born in al-Houla in 1975, said that a man called Khalil asked him to form a detachment and contacted a man called Mohammad Saad Shamseddin to provide them with weapons. He met Shamseddin and agreed to begin taking weapons one a time, either an RPG launcher or an AK-47 rifle, and al-Qassem was paid SYP 10 to 15 thousand per shipment.

Al-Qassem went on to say that he joined the detachment formed by Khalil, which consisted of civilians only, and they took control of a cement warehouse to use as headquarters.

He said that they started off by abducting two women and raping them, and afterwards they abducted two other women and attempted to rape them but they resisted, so they murdered them and dumped their body.

Al-Qassem said that they then began attacking checkpoints and security points, beginning with Teldo police department and a security checkpoint, followed by two more, then he was instructed to go to Damascus countryside since he was a driver by profession and wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

He met his contact in Damascus Countryside who gave him medicine, SYP 50,000 and gold bracelets, but he was halted by a military security patrol in al-Houla area and arrested.

For his part, terrorist Salman Khaled al-Kurdi, born in Telkalakh in 1990, said that he had been smuggling cigarettes and weapons from 2010 and throughout the events.

Al-Kurdi was approached by two men, Mohannad al-Hasan and Hammoud al-Leili, who asked him to smuggle weapons to armed groups and he agreed, and began smuggling firearms from a village called Jenin to the village of al-Ameriya, receiving the weapons from a Lebanese man and two others then delivering them to two others who distributed them among armed groups in Telkalakh, al-Zara and al-Hosn areas.

He confessed to smuggling 11 weapon shipments, one of which included wireless communication devices. Each shipment consisted of 10 rifles equipped with scopes, 5 rocket launchers, and FAL and M16 rifles.

Al-Kurdi said that upon the instructions of al-Hasan and al-Leili, he began smuggling members of Islamist groups into Syria, smuggling 23 fully-armed men and receiving SYP 5000 for each gunmen he brought into Syria. He added that the gunmen were Lebanese and that they were distributed among various areas, with most of them ending up in al-Hosn Citadel (Krak des Chevaliers).

Authorities Clash with Terrorists in Homs and Deir Ezzor, Terrorists Kill Three Civilians and Attack TV Crew, Infiltration Attempt from Turkey Foiled

Jul 08, 2012

PROVINCES, (SANA)_ The authorities on Sunday clashed with armed terrorist groups which were attacking citizens and the law-enforcement forces in al-Qseir city in Homs countryside.

A source in Homs Province told SANA reporter that the clash resulted in the killing and injury of a number of terrorists in addition to destroying two cars equipped with machinegun.

The source added that two members of the law-enforcement forces were wounded.

The authorities also clashed with terrorists in al-Qseir countryside, killing a number of terrorists including their leader Khaled al-Shabab, and confiscating their weapons. The authorities sustained no casualties or injuries.

Authorities Clash with Terrorists in al-Hosn Town in Homs

The authorities clashed with an armed terrorist group that attacked citizens and law-enforcement members in al-Hosn town in Talkalakh countryside, inflicting heavy losses among them.

SANA correspondent quoted an informed source in the governorate as saying that among the terrorists killed in the clash were the terrorists Haitham Meri, Khaled Zyad Safar and Odai Jamal Safar.

Tunnel Used by Terrorist Groups Found in Homs

The authorities discovered a tunnel that was used by armed terrorist groups to move between the neighborhoods of al-Khalidiya and al-Baiyada through al-Qahira roundabout.

A source told SANA reporter that the tunnel was found to include explosive devices and an amount of ammunition, indicating that it was used by the gunmen to smuggle and store arms.

Authorities Clash with Armed Groups in Deir Ezzor, Killing and Wounding a Number of Terrorists

The authorities clashed with gunmen who were shooting and attacking the public and private properties in Mohasan town in Deir Ezzor, causing huge losses among them.

A source in Deir Ezzor Province told SANA reporter that the clash resulted in destroying two cars equipped with machineguns.

The source added that the authorities also clashed with another armed group in al-Mayadin city killing a number of its members.

Dentist Assassinated by Terrorists in His Clinic in Jouber, Damascus

An armed terrorist group on Saturday evening assassinated the dentist Ali Jamil Abbas in his clinic in Jouber area in Damascus.

A source at Damascus Police Department told SANA reporter that four veiled terrorists stormed Dr. Abbas’ clinic around 9 pm, shooting him several times in the head.

Citizen and Son Martyred in Jdaydet Artouz in Damascus Countryside

An armed terrorist group opened fire and killed a citizen and his son in Jdaydet Artouz in Damascus countryside.

SANA correspondent quoted a police source in the governorate as saying that the armed group broke into a shop owned by the citizen Haitham Jameel Muhammad in al-Baladieh Street and opened fire on him and his son Wi’am, 21 years-old, causing their immediate death.

Terrorists Attack Syrian TV Crew Near Hosn Village Roundabout in Homs Countryside

An armed terrorist group attacked a news crew from the Syrian TV near the Hosn village roundabout in Homs Countryside, injuring driver Salah Ayoub and shattering the glass of the crew’s car.

Infiltration Attempt by Terrorist Group Coming from Turkey Foiled

In Idleb province, the authorities foiled an attempt of infiltration by an armed terrorist group that was trying to enter the Syrian territories from the Turkish land at al-Fouz site in Jisr al-Shughour.

SANA reporter quoted a source in the province as saying that the authorities clashed with the group’s members and killed and injured a number of terrorists, while the rest managed to flee away back into Turkey.

This is the second time within two days the authorities foil infiltration attempts of terrorists coming from Turkey.

Last Friday, a similar attempt was foiled near Bab al-Hawa site on the borders with Turkey.

The source added that members of the military engineering units dismantled two explosive devices, weighing 40-50 kg, that were planted by an armed terrorist group on Jisr al-Shughour-Ariha road to target citizens and law enforcement personnel.

Plans to Boost Industrialists’ Work and Increase Production and Export Capacity

Jul 08, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- Prime Minister, Dr. Riyad Hijab, on Sunday stressed the government’s commitment to providing all forms of support to the Syrian industry to enable it increase its production and export capacity and competitiveness in foreign markets.

Hijab was speaking during a meeting with the head and members of the Board of Directors of Damascus and Damascus Countryside Chamber of Industry.

He called for boosting cooperation and integration between the government and the Syrian chambers of industry to develop the industrial sector and overcoming the difficulties and obstacles it is suffering from at the current stage.

It was initially agreed during the meeting on allotting the needed land for Damascus and Damascus Countryside Chamber of Industry to establish industrial parks for the small and tiny facilities, a plan aimed to boost industrial production, and taking the required measures and procedures to start setting up these parks.

Another meeting was held between the Minister of Finance with the members of the ministries of industry and economy, the Central Bank of Syria and Damascus and Damascus Countryside Chamber of Industry to study the financial issues of interest to the industrialists.

Talks discussed activating the role of the Exporters’ Union through opening new foreign offices in the friendly countries to promote the industrial products in the foreign markets.

Information Minister Stresses Support to Journalists, Increasing Their Union’s Allocations

Jul 08, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- Information Minister, Omran al-Zubei, stressed that the media in Syria is media of the state with all its components, on top being the Syrian people with its spectrums, and not that of partisan or political media.

During the General Conference of the Journalists’ Union, held at al-Wahda Institution, al-Zubei said media should be free and independent and not subject to anybody’s guardianship and governed only by the authority of the judiciary.

He referred to President Bashar al-Assad’s directives in terms of regulating the situation of all the workers in the media sector and meeting the journalists’ demands as much as possible, stressing the point of not cancelling anyone’s contract or firing anyone except for corruption-related cases.

The Minister stressed on offering every possible thing to continue supporting retired journalists, highlighting the necessity of embracing skills and talents.

He voiced the Ministry’s desire to increase the Journalists’ Union’s allocations from the state budget and provide all forms of support to the National Media Council to enable it to carry out its tasks properly.

The Syrian journalists hailed the sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army to restore security and stability to the country, stressing that the journalists will remain the soldiers that defend the nation.

They discussed a number of issues related to their job conditions and the difficulties that may face their tasks.

Palestinian Figures in al-Jaleel Express Solidarity with Syria and Its Leadership

Jul 08, 2012

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (SANA)- The Popular Front for Defending the Syrian People and Its National Leadership on Sunday held an event to express solidarity with Syria in Shaab village in al-Jaleel.

A number of Muslim and Christian clergymen participated in the event, in addition to national figures and a huge crowd of the different spectrums of the Palestinian society, along with delegations from Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan.

The participants expressed full solidarity with Syria, leadership and people, considering the conspiracy hatched against Syria as a targeting of the whole Arab nations.

They denounced the instigative media campaign against Syria asking for boycotting the tendentious ad biased media outlets and voicing strong condemnation of the terrorist attack which recently targeted the Syrian al-Akhbariya TV channel and all other terrorist attacks and bombings in the country.

They saluted the Syrian Arab Army, saying it is a symbol of the unity of Syria and its people, calling upon the Syrians to cooperate and stand together to stop the violence and foil the conspiracy against their homeland.

Haidar: Everyone in Syria Except a Few Agree that the Only Way Out is Through a National Project

Jul 08, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – State Minister for National Reconciliation Affairs Dr. Ali Haidar stressed the need to form an establishment responsible for national reconciliation in Syria, stressing that everyone in Syria except a few agree that the only way out of the crisis is through a national project that benefits everybody and doesn’t exclude anybody.

In an interview with the Syrian TV on Sunday, Haidar said that this is why national reconciliation is the headline of the current government’s program, noting that the government started working since its first meeting with the idea that reconciliation is the main issue, adding that the government has already prepared a main outline and structure for moving on with this project.

He pointed out that national reconciliation isn’t about reconciling two disputing sides; rather it’s about building a nationwide reconciliation based on the unanimous acknowledgment by all Syrians that there’s a crisis that must be overcome.

Haidar called on all Syrians to work for finding a way out of the crisis and erasing the effects of the past through compassion and justice.

He noted that his ministry quickly began working on the basis that an opinion cannot be formed before being well-informed, which is why it started tours of Syria to inspect the situation on the ground, visiting Hama, Homs and Damascus already to identify the current situation so that an executive work program can be devised to realize urgent and justified popular demands, which would reduce tension and prepare the atmosphere for a true national project on which all Syrians can agree.

Haidar concluded by stating that the National Reconciliation Ministry will have a spate headquarters and will rely chiefly on open interactions with all Syrians inside and abroad through phone lines that are standing by all day long, in additions to fax, email and an interactive website.

Two Terrorists Confess to Smuggling Weapons and Gunmen, Receiving Weapon Training from Turkish Security Forces

Jul 08, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Terrorists Mustafa Sharrouf and Sobhi Aswad confessed to smuggling gunmen and various types of weapons from Turkey to Syria, and that one of them received weapon training from Turkish security forces at the so-called refugee camps.

In confessions broadcast by the Syrian TV on Saturday, Sharrouf, a 22 year-old Idleb native, said that he and his cousin Alaa Sharrouf and Samer Bakkoure smuggle weapons from Turkey to Syria and smuggling people into Turkey from Syria.

Sharrouf said that a man called Mohammad al-Tabak asked his cousin to provide him with weapons, so they sold him 12 pump-action shotguns with 18 boxes or rounds, and 11 PKC machineguns with its ammo.

Later, while on a smuggling run to bring more weapons for al-Tabak, the terrorists were arrested by the Turkish police who sent them to a “refugee camp” in Yayladagi, and there they were distributed among groups, with Sharrouf’s group numbering around 50.

Sharrouf and his group were trained to use firearms by Turkish officers, then after 25 days he and his cohorts were released and returned to smuggling, bringing al-Tabak anti-air missiles, 6 sniper rifles, 5 machineguns, 10 automatic rifles, 30 grenades, and military uniforms. Their last weapon shipment before being arrested consisted of 11 automatic rifles and 18 pump-action shotguns.

For his part, terrorist Aswad, born in 1980, said he started off smuggling fuel and cows into Turkey with a man called Hussam al-Shahoud, and then they moved on to smuggling weapons after striking a deal with a man in Turkey called Suheil Karadabasht who transported weapons to the Turkish side of the borders, while Aswad and al-Shahoud brought them into Syria through Orontes River and stored them in the latter’s basement.

Aswad said that the weapons then were distributed among terrorist groups by a man called Abdelkader Hajjar and his brothers.

He went on to say that he visited his cousin who lives in Izmir and works in Antioch, and the latter took him to a camp in Rihaniya, where he met people who warned him that visiting the camp was dangerous because he could be arrested by the Turkish security forces and transported to a shelter in Antioch, and they expressed regret over coming to the camp as the Turkish security forces abuse and mistreat them and prevent them from returning to Syria or leaving the camp.

Aswad said that he also visited the camp in Yayladagi, which had a hospital nearby along with a training camp where gunmen from Syria were trained.

Syria News On 4th july, 2012

President al-Assad to Cumhuriyet Newspaper: Base of Syrian-Turkish Relations is the Relation between the two Peoples

Damascus, (SANA) – The Cumhurieyt Turkish daily today published part of an interview it conducted with H.E. President Bashar al-Assad about the events in Syria and regional and international developments. A group of Turkish media, including Cumhurieyt, represented by Utku Cakirozer, Kanal D, CNN Turk and Posta newspaper, represented by Mehmet Ali Birand, and Hurriyet newspaper represented by Ertugrul Ozkok, and Radikal newspaper represented by Fehim Tastekin, and Haberturk newspaper represented by Amberin Zaman, requested interviews with President al-Assad. Based on Syria’s policy of opening up to the mass media, it was agreed to grant an interview to the abovementioned media organs. However, four of the representatives of these organs were not able to come to Syria to conduct the interview after they were contacted by the director of the office of the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, asking them not to conduct the interview.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Journalist: Mr. President, will the current tension in the relations between Syria and Turkey, caused by Syria’s downing of the Turkish aircraft, lead to a confrontation between the two sides, as the Turkish leadership believes?

President Assad: This period is full of events and developments, and it is a historical period during which the map of the whole region is being drawn. I think this is perhaps similar to what happened a hundred years ago when the Ottoman Empire declined and fell. Then, there was conflict between the Arabs and the Turks. As far as we are concerned, our vision during the past twelve years, i.e. since the first visit of President Sezer to Syria is to change this historical image, to delete it completely from the Arab mind. We have always said that the period of historical differences taught us plenty of lessons.

The Arabs lost and the Turks lost. So, it is unreasonable to go back suddenly to that stage so that we lose and you lose. During the past fifteen months, i.e. since the crisis began, we tried to work on more than one front. First, to solve the internal crisis in Syria and confront the terrorists. Second, to try and maintain what we have achieved in the Syrian-Turkish relations. We found that with every speech, with every step, with every decision taken by the current Turkish government there was an attempt to destroy these relations. I can say that they have been able to destroy most of what we have built. But what has remained is the foundation which consists of the relationship between the two peoples. So, in answer to your question, I would like to say that we will continue to work hard in Syria so that things do not reach the stage of confrontation. This confrontation is a losing one for Syria and for Turkey. Nevertheless, I think that this is happening only on the government level. On the popular level, the Turkish people are intelligent and fully aware of what is going on and will not allow – as we will not – things to lead to confrontation. The Turkish people know that this Turkish government wants to drag it to a confrontation for private interests, not for national interests.

Journalist: Mr. President, you said that you will not allow things to move in this direction. What is Syria’s position concerning the downing of the Turkish aircraft, and concerning the statements made by the Turkish government and the Turkish state to the effect that Syria downed the aircraft intentionally and under instructions from President al-Assad directly?

President Assad: Maybe they were sitting with me in the same room. This is ridiculous. We should ask logical questions. There are two options: that we downed it deliberately, as they claim, or that we downed it by mistake outside our territorial waters. If there was a mistake, and we downed the aircraft outside our territorial waters, we have no problem to say so and to apologize officially. The Turkish people will understand this. But if we downed it deliberately, the logical question is: what is Syria’s interest in downing a Turkish aircraft deliberately? Do we hate the Turkish people?! Do we want to send them a certain message? This is untrue, because the Turkish people reciprocated our love and affection during the past years. And during the crisis, the largest part of the Turkish people did not believe the claims of the Erdogan government. Did we down the aircraft in order to harm the Turkish army?! The Turkish army committed no aggression against Syria, so why should we attack it? What happened in fact is that the aircraft was downed with the smallest caliber gun used against aircraft. Its range is between two and two and a half kilometers. Usually, it’s very difficult for anti-aircraft guns to down a fighter jet unless it is flying too low. This means that downing it with this type of gun means that it was less than 2.5 kilometers from Syrian land and that it was flying at a very low altitude. In normal situations, and in peacetime, when you see a friendly aircraft from any country of the world doing this, you don’t down it, let alone if it were from a neighboring country like Turkey. But we are in a state of war, and when you do not know the identity of such an aircraft, you assume that it is an enemy aircraft. Usually, this kind of thing is not dealt with at the central level. Because the aircraft was flying at a very low altitude, it was not visible on Syrian radar screens. What happened was the following: we knew that we downed an unidentified aircraft, and Turkey announced the disappearance of one of its aircraft. So we expected that this aircraft was Turkish. No Turkish party contacted us. We contacted the Turkish side. The direct relationship between the Turkish and Syrian armies is fully severed upon a decision by the Turkish side, so we called the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Hours later, we received an answer and rescue boats were sent to the site. Of course, there was Syrian-Turkish cooperation in order to rescue the pilots. But the point which was not talked about is that the place which was violated was the same place which Israel has always tried to violate our airspace through. So this violation on this border point gives an indication to any Syrian military officer that the aircraft might be an enemy aircraft, and consequently he has to respond accordingly based on the velocity of the aircraft, the low altitude it was flying at, and the fact that it violated our airspace. Once again I stress that the Syrian side had no knowledge of the identity of the aircraft before downing it.

Journalist: The question now, Mr. President, why wasn’t the aircraft warned?

President Assad: Had it appeared centrally on the radar screen, it would have been warned. But when a soldier is behind his gun, and has no mechanism for sending a warning, and the military rules applied as far as such guns are concerned, are that when you see an aircraft, and you don’t have any information or instructions that an aircraft will be passing from that particular place, you shoot it. These are the standing military rules: the soldier shoots without going back to command and control, because the whole issue happens in a matter of seconds.

Journalist: Didn’t the aircraft appear on Syrian radars at all?

President Assad: Maybe it appeared on the radar screens when it was flying at a high altitude and was outside territorial waters. Inside territorial waters, the issue is different, and we all know that, we are talking about 20 kilometers and an aircraft usually takes a minute or maybe less to cover that distance. When an aircraft is flying at a low altitude the radar screens cannot catch it. The evidence is that when the Israeli aircraft that violated the same area in order to bomb a Syrian military site in 2007, Syrian radars did not see them. More importantly, there are no anti-aircraft missiles in that area which can reach beyond the limits of the territorial waters. So, the things said about this point are mere lies made up by some Turkish officials.

Journalist: The Turkish army said that it is in possession of communications made by Syrian officials on Syrian radars related to downing the Turkish aircraft, and it called on all the countries which possess eavesdropping equipment, satellites, and military bases in the region, like Cyprus, to present what they have in this regard.

President Assad: Let them publish what they have. But they are lying. We downed the aircraft, and we didn’t know its identity until it was announced by Turkey. Once again, I ask those who are saying this to state what is Syria’s interest in downing a Turkish aircraft? They don’t have an answer, although up till this moment, we are not dealing with the issue in terms of an aircraft sent to violate Syrian airspace. Up till now, we want to assume goodwill, that there was a mistake made by the pilot maybe. We in Syria dealt with the subject as we deal with any other accident.

Journalist: Mr. President, what did you feel when you were informed that a Turkish aircraft was downed?

President Assad: Psychologically, it wasn’t pleasant, because the Turkish people are brotherly people, so it is natural that you shouldn’t be pleased if an aircraft was downed unless it is an enemy aircraft. As far as we are concerned, the enemy is Israel only. But on the other hand, we felt that Erdogan and his government want to exploit this accident in order to make political gains they were not able to make last year. They haven’t been able to mobilize the Turkish people behind them on the Syrian issue during the past 15 months. They tried to create a case of animosity between the two peoples instead of having differences between the two governments. And this is a dangerous thing.

Journalist: Mr. President, you are telling the Turkish people that the aircraft was not downed deliberately by the Syrians, and you gave a different interpretation of the incident. But on the other hand, there are two pilots, two young people, killed in this accident, and they are victims whether they were sent deliberately or unintentionally. So, what do you say to the families of these two pilots, knowing that one of them was going to be sent on a space mission?

President Assad: Despite Erdogan’s policies which cause the Syrian people only blood and destruction, and regardless of this Turkish government which wants death for our people, we wish the Turkish people well, for it is a brotherly people. As far as we are concerned, there is no discussion about this. When a Turkish citizen dies, this means the death of a brother of ours.  So we offer their families our deepest condolences. We appreciate what we heard from the father of one of these two pilots when he addressed Erdogan by saying “the person killed is my son, and we do not want this incident to be manipulated in order to cause war.” This is an honorable position and is worthy of our respect. We certainly feel for them and sympathize with them. Since they are our brothers, we feel that the loss of any Turkish citizen is the same as the loss of a Syrian citizen, regardless, as I said, of Erdogan’s policies.

Journalist: Did you wish that the incident had never happened?

President Assad: We do not wish for such an incident to happen with any non-hostile aircraft, let alone with a Turkish aircraft. But on the other hand, any unidentified aircraft, an in the same circumstances, even if it the aircraft were Syrian, it would be considered an enemy aircraft. These are military rules of engagement, not political rules, and I believe that they exist in most countries of the world.

Journalist: Mr. President, what do you say to the fact that the two pilots who were killed do not belong to the Turkish government or state. With full appreciation for your sentiments towards them, what do you say to their families and to the Turkish people?

President Assad: This is natural, but these two pilots are part of the military establishment, and what you are proposing should be done through the direct relations between the two military establishments, and this has ceased to exist completely, i.e. there is no direct relationship between the two armies. There was supposed to be direct communication during the incident, but this did not happen.

Journalist: Communications are absent in relation to this incident alone?

President Assad: No, communications were stopped over six months ago by the Turkish government, specifically since the changes which took place in the Turkish army. You know that in neighboring countries, there is always the possibility for similar incident which needs direct coordination between the armed forces. Now the Syrian military establishment doesn’t have the phone numbers of the Turkish military if they wanted to communicate with them for any emergency. When we tried to contact them earlier through the military attaché, he said that contacts should be made through the foreign ministry. This is not practical, but all of that was upon a decision by the Turkish government and not by the Syrian side.

Journalist: Mr. President, the Turkish side claims that a point of strength for it case is the fact that this is a reconnaissance aircraft which doesn’t carry any weapons or any kind of protection. So why was it downed?

President Assad: Military rules are not related to the type, task or armament of an aircraft. The fighter or the solider sitting behind the gun doesn’t know whether this aircraft is a reconnaissance aircraft, a fighter aircraft, or whether it’s carrying missiles or not, whether it entered that area by mistake or whether it was carrying out a hostile act. He cannot make his own estimates. But there is a question in return to this question: why didn’t they notify us that there are aircraft approaching the Syrian airspace. Had there been coordination between the two armies, we would have been told about their exercises. Then it would have been easier to deal with such situations. The Turkish side should publically say what this aircraft was doing in Syrian airspace. Nevertheless, we are not demanding these things because we consider it an accident.

Journalist: The Turkish government now sees that in Syria there is an enemy government and regime, and they started to deploy military forces on the Syrian borders as a result of the last crisis. How do you see Turkey, and what is the Syrian response to what they are doing?

President Assad: The worst two stages in the Syrian-Turkish relations were in 1998 when Turkey deployed its army, and in the 1950s – I believe in 1955 – during the days of the Baghdad Alliance. Nevertheless, we have never looked at Turkey as an enemy. So it is self-evident that neither today nor in the future shall we look at Turkey as an enemy, even when we have differences with the governments. For animosity to exist between Syria and Turkey, that animosity should exist at the popular level, not at the government level. That’s why there’s no Syrian deployment against Turkey.

Journalist: Mr. President, there is talk in Turkey about new rules of engagement to the effect that any Syrian aircraft, tank, or piece of artillery coming close to the Turkish borders, will be shot at. What are your comments on that?

President Assad: No state has the right to fire unless its land has been encroached into.

Journalist: Let’s assume that a Syrian tank or aircraft was targeted?

President Assad: This is a hypothetical question, but we do not want things to move in that direction between Syria and Turkey. When they target anything inside Syrian borders, this is an aggression against Syria.

Journalist: What is you assessment of the Geneva Summit yesterday, particularly the points Kofi Annan talked about?

President Assad: There hasn’t been any direct contact between us and Kofi Annan or the Russians. But there were clear points in what Kofi Annan and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said. First, that the Syrian people decide, and this is our position in Syria. Violence should stop first, and this is our position in Syria. The armed groups should be disarmed, and this is our position. Hands stained with Syrian blood, as Kofi Annan said, do not exist only in Syria, but outside Syria as well. This shows the role of the other countries which have been involved. These points are essential for us, but the most important thing is that everything should be decided inside Syria, not outside it.

Journalist: Is there anything you didn’t like in what Kofi Annan said in his statement yesterday?

President Assad: As long as everything is subject to Syrian sovereignty, anything else can be discussed. We do not like anything that interferes with Syrian sovereignty. Yesterday, Annan said that everything should be decided by the Syrian people, and we are happy with that.

Journalist: I don’t know, Mr. President, if you followed Clinton’s statement in the press conference in which she said that she understood from what Kofi Annan said that President al-Assad should go. How did you understand what Clinton said?

President Assad: For us, what American officials say has no credibility in general. Second, the American position is already hostile to Syria in this crisis. They are part of the problem. They support the terrorists very clearly. That’s why we are not very interested in what this or that official says during this crisis.

Journalist: What’s important is how you understood what Kofi Annan said, not what Clinton or Lavrov said. How did you understand the result of the Geneva conference?

President Assad: The basic point which concerns us is that everything should be decided by the Syrian people. This is what we are interested in understanding. This is what concerns us: protecting our sovereignty and non-interference in our internal affairs.

Journalist: There was talk in the Geneva conference yesterday about a transition in Syria, with or without President al-Assad, and about internal, regional and international demands that should be implemented in order to complete the reform process. What is your position in that regard?

President Assad: Regionally and internationally they have nothing to do with us. We do not accept anything imposed on us from the outside. Everything will be decided internally. If I personally were interested in just holding this office, I would have implemented America’s dictates and the demands made through petrodollars, I would have accepted to sell my stances and principles in return for petrodollars, and what’s more important, I would have accepted the installation of a missile shield in Syria.

Journalist: If this process meant that you abandon your office in order to save your people and save Syria, would you do that?

President Assad: If the president’s departure is in the interest of Syria, the president should naturally go. This is self-evident. You should never stay in office one day if the people do not want you; and the elections are the means through which the people show whether they want you or not.

Journalist: This means that you are not thinking of staying in this office forever?

President Assad: I have just said that the office doesn’t mean anything to me. What is important is what I achieve. I am a person who likes to achieve.

Authorities Clash with Terrorists in Homs, Deir Ezzor, Aleppo… Terrorists Abduct Citizens in Idleb Countryside

PROVINCES, (SANA)- The competent authorities stormed terrorists dens in al-Qseir area in Homs countryside on Monday and seized a warehouse for explosive devices.

A source in Homs Province told SANA reporter that 25 explosive devices weighing 30 to 40 kg for each, were found in the warehouse and were ready for remote detonation.

The source added that the authorities also confronted an armed terrorist group which attacked the law-enforcement forces in al-Nizariya town, killing a number of terrorists.

In Aleppo, the authorities also stormed a house which was used by an armed terrorist group in al-Meridyan Neighborhood.

A source in Aleppo Province said that the authorities arrested 5 terrorists and seized their weapons.

Terrorists Abduct Citizens, Including Women and Children, in Idleb Countryside

An armed terrorist group abducted a number of citizens from the town of Maaret Masrin in Idleb countryside, with a source at the province telling SANA’s correspondent that the abducted include women in children.

In salkin area, a terrorist group attacked several neighborhoods and burned down a number of houses.

Engineering Units Dismantle IEDs in Idleb and Hama

Engineering units dismantled 10 IEDs (improvised explosive devices) planted by terrorists in several neighborhoods in Idleb city, with a source from the units saying that the IEDs ranging in weight from 30 to 80 kilograms, and that one of them was mounted on a motorbike.

In Hama, engineering units detonated an IED planted by terrorists in al-Qusur neighborhood without resulting in any injuries or damages.

Authorities Clash with Terrorists and Storm a Hideout in Deir Ezzor

Authorities in Deir Ezzor clashed with terrorists who were attacking citizens, looting and committing sabotage acts in al-Jubailiyeh and al-Arafi neighborhoods in the city.

A source in the province told SANA reporter that the clash resulted in killing many terrorists and destroying their six cars.

The source added that the authorities, after information by the locals, stormed a terrorist hideout in al-Sina’a neighborhood in Deir Ezzor and seized large amount of weapons including machineguns, grenades and a mortar, in addition to dismantling large number of explosive devices.

Authorities Confront Armed Terrorist Group who Attacked Branch of Omran Establishment in Aleppo Countryside

In Aleppo, the authorities confronted an armed terrorist group who attacked the branch of Omran Establishment in Deir Hafer area in Aleppo countryside and tried to burglarize its cars.

SANA reporter said that many terrorists were injured and the leader of the terrorist group was arrested, in addition to destroying the three cars which the terrorists were driving.

In Mesraba in Damascus Countryside, the authorities stormed a terrorist hideout and seized large amounts of sugar that were stolen from al-Shifouniyeh warehouses in Douma, in addition to 10 kg of Heroin and a number of explosive devices.

Authorities Seize Factory for Making Explosives in Douma

Authorities in Douma in Damascus Countryside seized a store that was used by terrorists to make explosive devices.

The seized materials included gas cylinders, bombs, stolen medical equipment, communication devices and cloths.

Engineering units dismantle two explosives put inside a car in Aleppo

Engineering units today dismantled two explosives put inside a white KIA RIO car, parked at Merza street in Aleppo.

A source told SANA that the first explosive which weighs 30 KG was put inside the package of the car while the second, weighs 3 KG was put in the back seat.

It added that the driver of the stolen car was arrested.

Lavrov: Western Countries Try to Twist Results of Geneva Meeting

MOSCOW, (SANA) – The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said that some western countries are trying to distort the results of the Geneva meeting on Syria’s crisis.

During a press conference with Vietnam’s Foreign Minister in Moscow, Lavrov said that sadly, some representatives of the Syrian opposition started to announce that Geneva resolutions are unacceptable for them, adding that at the same time some participants in the Geneva meeting began distorting the results with their statements.

He affirmed that there’s no need to reinterpret the results of the Geneva meeting because these results are exactly what was written in the statement, and that the agreements reached during the meeting must be followed, stressing that Russia’s stance on this matter is honest.

“We aren’t trying to distort facts as if they mean something more than what is written in the text,” Lavrov said, underlining the importance of refraining from resorting to unsafe reinterpretations; rather everyone must coordinate and pressure all the sides relevant to the Syria process for the sole purpose of ending violence and holding talks.

Lavrov described the Geneva meeting as an important step to unite efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful settlement for the crisis in Syria and setting aside attempts to solve the issue by military means, adding that Geneva created new opportunities to achieve this end and that these opportunities must be seized.

He stressed the need for an immediate start of dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition groups.

Regarding the meeting of the so-called “friends of Syria” in Paris, Lavrov said that Russia won’t participate in it because the need to do so has become redundant after the Geneva meeting.

He noted that the so-called “friends of Syria” group sought from the beginning to support a single group of the Syrian opposition which is outside Syria, not the opposition inside, and that Russia has honestly revealed the reasons for not joining this group, voicing belief that the Geneva meeting removed the need for other forums such as the one set to take place in Paris.

Lavrov affirmed that Russia cannot share the goals of the aforementioned group because those goals seek to escalate confrontations, not create an atmosphere for a comprehensive Syrian dialogue removed from foreign interference, underlining the contradiction between the group’s name and its goals, saying that the name contradicts their actions.

He also said that the Russian Ambassador in Egypt will work on convincing the Syrian opposition to unite their stances concerning the peaceful settlement of the crisis, and that the Ambassador is  participating in the Syrian’s opposition’s conference.

“Moscow calls for unifying the Syrian opposition in preparation for dialogue with the Syrian authorities as is stipulated in Annan’s plan which was approved by the Security Council… In accordance with that, we consider our participation in Cairo meeting which aims at unifying the Syrian opposition a logical matter,”  Lavrov concluded

Al-Hamwi Calls on Countries to Boycott Agricultural Products Originating from Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Arab Lands

GENEVA, (SANA) – Syria’s Representative at the United Nations office in Geneva Dr. Faisal al-Hamwi called upon the countries of the world to refrain immediately from refraining agricultural products produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Arab lands.

In a speech during a session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Monday to discuss the “state of human rights in Palestine and other occupied Arab lands,” al-Hamwi said that the aforementioned products are, in the eyes of international law, stolen and illegal products.

He underlined the Israeli occupation forces’ methodical violation of human rights in occupied Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan, which include practices such as seizing lands and farms, preventing the Syrians in the Golan from exporting their cross under the seeing eye of the International Committee of the Red Cross which used to help market these crops on annual basis.

Al-Hamwi affirmed that the goals behind Israel’s practices is to force the people of the occupied Golan to emigrate and leave their lands so that it may construct more Israeli settlements, which already number over 40 settlements in which over 40,000 settlers live.

He went on to note that Israel continues to uproot fruit-bearing trees and confiscate lands to build turbines for generating electricity on them, in addition to its campaigns to excavate gas and oil and steal Golan’s water, despite the fact that international law forbids the exploitation of natural resources in occupied areas.

“The most dangerous thing done by the Israeli occupation authorities is building segregating walls… after the wall of shame erected in the West Bank, it began erecting segregating walls on the borders with Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon in Syria,” al-Hamwi said, adding that the occupation authorities is still detaining nine captives from the Golan in inhumane conditions that cause them to contract deadly illnesses which eventually claim their lives, which constitutes a blatant disregard for the 4th Geneva Convention and all principles of international humanitarian laws.

“Israel continues to torture detainees at a time when it promotes its image as the only democracy in the Middle East,” he said.

Al-Hamwi remarked that despite all of the aforementioned practices, none of those who support the Israeli occupation authorities called for holding a special session for condemning this series of crimes, because they consider Israel above accountability and above international law, while others are busy planning the internationalization of the Syrian crisis, the summoning of military intervention, and the active participation in shedding Syrian blood, while at the same time ignoring the deliberate tragedies, starvation, blockade and other human rights violations in Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan.

“The Human Rights Council and the Higher Commission and the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – if they want to preserve their reputation as international organizations for achieving justice and  being just towards victims of violations – must not be silent over these Israeli violations of human rights nor submit to the threats of a side that practices state terrorism and commits massacres that many UN observers described as crimes against humanity.

“The few countries that defend Israel and find excuses for its crimes must cease this eclecticism and move to get the occupation authority to respect the principles of international humanitarian law and end the occupation of the Arab lands which must be restored to their owners,” he concluded.

Jalili Reiterates Iran’s Support to Syria

TEHRAN, (SANA) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili  stressed Iran’s support to Syria against the ferocious regional and international conspiracy.

He added that Syria is on the front line of resistance, reiterating Iran’s support to the reform process taking place in it.

Meeting Speaker of People’s Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Laham in Tehran, Jalili condemned the pressure and threats that Syria is facing and the desperate attempts to undermine the determination of the Syrian people and Syria’s pioneering role.

Al-Laham stressed that the Syrian people’s steadfastness and their rallying around their leadership foiled all schemes hatched against Syria and its people.

He said that the Syrians support reforms and reject all forms of foreign interference in their affairs, adding that the Syrians are determined to move ahead with reforms despite the conspiracy and the news broadcast by misleading media.

Al-Laham hailed the role of China, Russia and Iran, their understanding of the current situation in Syria and what it faces, their support of what is right, their respect of other countries’ sovereignty and independence, and the fact that they never intervene in countries’ internal affairs.

He underlined that “the US and some mercenaries in the region try to impose their dictations on Syria in order to achieve the Zionist Entity’s goal to dominate the area.”

Later, al-Laham reviewed with heads of the parliamentary Committees at the Iranian Shura Council the situation in Syria and the conspiracy to which it is exposed.

Earlier, Speaker of the People’s Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Laham stressed the importance of the Syrian-Iranian relations and the need to develop and activate them, particularly on the level of parliamentary cooperation.

In a statement upon his arrival in Tehran on Tuesday on a 3-day visit, Laham said that his visit aims at consolidating the parliamentary relations and exchanging views and full consultations and coordination between the Iranian Shura Council and the Syrian People’s Assembly to serve the interests of the two countries.

He underlined the importance of parliamentary coordination between the two countries, particularly in the light of the global conspiracy and the political, economic and media war waged against Syria.

Premier Hijab Asks  the Bodies Concerned to Speed up Renovation Works in Douma

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Prime Minister Dr. Riyad Hijab on Tuesday urged all the bodies concerned to speed up the rehabilitation and renovation works in Douma city in Damascus Countryside.

Chairing the Cabinet meeting, Hijab stressed the need to take the appropriate measures that enable inhabitants, who left the city because of the armed terrorist groups, to return to their houses.

Deputy Prime Minister for Services Affairs, Minister of Local Administration Eng. Omar Ghalawanji said that the rehabilitation and renovation works are to be implemented completely in a few days.

For his part, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection Dr. Qadri Jamil briefed the ministers on the measures taken by the Ministry to fight monopoly and mitigate the effects of the crisis on the citizens.

Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs Dr. Ali Haidar talked about the efforts exerted by the Ministry in regard of national reconciliation, briefing the attendants on the Ministry’s meetings and visits to Hama and Homs provinces.

In a statement to the press after the session, Secretary General of the Cabinet Taisir al-Zoubi said that the ministers discussed the state of economy and services and the repercussions of the current crisis on the livelihood of citizens and the country in general, in addition to mechanisms for investing the available oil resources to reduce the burdens on citizens caused by the crisis.

Al-Zoubi underlined the steps being taken by the authorities to rehabilitate the infrastructure in areas affected by vandalism at the hands of terrorists, adding that the Cabinet also stressed the need to deal with the media directly and transparently.

He also said that the State Ministry for National Reconciliation Affairs laid basis for beginning reconciliation and assigned a team of volunteers for devising the necessary mechanism in this regard.

Regarding economy, al-Zoubi said that the government’s priority is providing citizens’ basic needs, and that the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection will establish a framework for alleviating the crisis, adding that in terms of foreign trade, the Cabinet also established new mechanisms for reconnecting with countries that used to import Syrian products to enhance trade with them and reduce the effects of unjust economic sanctions.

He went on to affirm that the government will pursue administrative reform, as the Cabinet reformed the Administrative Reform Committee, concluding by noting that the Cabinet approved the steps for distributing reparations of the Fund for Relieving the Effects of Drought and Natural Disasters among eligible and affected farmers and livestock breeders.

Rehabilitation and Maintenance Works in Douma City Continue

DAMASCUS COUNTRYSIDE, (SANA) – Minister of Health Wael al-Halqi stressed that the Ministry and Damascus Countryside Heath Directorate are working hard to rehabilitate Douma Hospital to resume provision of medical services to the people in Douma city and its surrounding after its equipment was sabotaged by the armed terrorist groups.

Touring al-Zahrawi and Red Crescent hospitals in Damascus, the Minister said that the emergency department and outpatient clinics in Douma will be back into service in the next few hours while services in other departments will be restored gradually.

Minister al-Halqi inspected the situation of health services provided in the two hospitals and the readiness of its departments, stressing the need for making necessary medicine and medical equipment available.

He said that the Ministry is committed to providing free health services to people who cannot afford treatment costs and those who were forced to move to another province due to the current circumstances and the terrorist acts in their provinces.

The Minister called for training resident doctors and improve their scientific level to upgrade the level of health care services in the hospital.

 

For his part, Governor of Damascus Countryside Hussein Makhlouf visited a number of government departments and buildings in the city of Douma and inspected the situation of the service facilities and the ongoing rehabilitation and maintenance works for the electricity, water and telephone departments.

He assured that the water networks in the city have restored normal function, while the repair works of the electricity network are going on to bring power transmission centers back to normal.

The Governor also toured the National Hospital in Douma, calling on Damascus Countryside Health Directorate to supply the hospital with the necessary medical equipment and medicine.

The Governor also toured the National Hospital in Douma, calling on Damascus Countryside Health Directorate to supply the hospital with the necessary medical equipment and medicine.

He stressed that all administration units’ staff are to resume work on Wednesday, giving directives to supply food baskets to the citizens once they return to the city.

He called on the residents of Douma to return to their homes since the city is now safe and all the necessary services have been restored

Leader of Turkish Labour Party: Government of Justice and Development Party Responsible for Killing Hundreds of Syrians

ANKARA, (SANA) – Leader of the Turkish Labour Party, Dogu Perincek, stressed that the government of Justice and Development Party is exploiting its hostile stance against Syria to train terrorists on the Turkish territories, provide them with light and heavy arms and send them to commit murdering and sabotage acts in Syria which resulted in killing hundreds of Syrians.

The Turkish Aydinlik Gazete quoted Perincek as saying that the government of Justice and Development Party is carrying out the task assigned to it within the framework of the so-called Great Middle East.

Perincek said that the government’s crimes are documented with evidence and should be punished according to the Turkish law, adding that putting part of the Turkish territories under the control of some foreign countries and committing acts that might undermine the independence of the country are crimes to be punished in the law.

He said that groups of gunmen to launch attacks against a foreign country or take hostile stances against another country are crimes according to the Turkish law

In Condemnation of Terrorists’ Crimes, Teachers Syndicate and Arab Teachers Union Stage a Sit-In in Damascus

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – In condemnation of the crimes committed by the armed terrorist groups against teachers and professors, the Syrian teachers Syndicate and the Arab Teachers Union on Tuesday staged a sit-in at the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Damascus University.

The participants held banners condemning the crimes of the armed terrorist groups, stressing that teachers are resolved to continue their work to preserve the strength of Syria.

Dean of Damascus University Dr. Mohammad al-Mardini said that targeting teachers is an inhuman act which aims at targeting the development progress in Syria.

For his part, Chairman of the Teachers Syndicate in Syria, Ziad Muhsen, said that the sit-in is a stand in solidarity with the martyrs from the education sector.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Teachers Union, Khaled al-Maqt, said that the sit-in is held in condemnation of all murder and kidnapping acts.

He stressed that assassination of the Syrian teachers is in the framework of the fierce attack against Syria by the Zionists and imperialists

Superspy Confesses To MI6 Black Ops In Iran

 

Preposterously bizarre as it is, the head of MI6 foreign intelligence agency John Sawers made a rare appearance before Britain’s civil servants in London on Friday and warned that the Iranians are “determinedly going down a path to master all aspects of nuclear weapons; all the technologies they need,” and that they will by 2014 acquire a nuclear bomb.

Apart from his political fallacy concerning Iran nuclear energy program, he smugly owns up to the MI6 covert operations in Iran which the British government had denied for years. The superspy’s confession to MI6 covert operations in Iran comes at a time when a few weeks earlier, a book claims that the nuclear assassinations in Iran were orchestrated and carried out by Mossad agents.

There is a Persian fictional character innocently known as Uncle Napoleon in Persian literature who readily discerns the hand of Britain behind any social or political chicanery which takes place in Iran. An initial evaluation of such an attitude might strike one as somewhat illogical or even ludicrous but when you scrutinize all the available evidence with a critical eye, you will concur that Uncle Napoleon enjoys a bittersweet sense of the true nature of the British government.

Back to his Excellency Sir John Sawyers, one cannot help smiling with some considerable degree of amusement especially when one sees how he boasts that the MI6 men prevented Tehran from developing nuclear weapons earlier and that without intervention, Iran may have gone nuclear as early as 2008.

Britain’s black ops in Iran range from carrying out assassination attempts to sabotaging and staging coup d’état.

Perhaps the first instance of MI6 black ops in Iran dates back to the early fifties when MI6 spymaster Colonel Monty Woodhouse was serving in the spy agency. In that capacity, he engineered the notorious Operation Boot with the intention of overthrowing the government of Mohammad Mossadegh, the Iranian politician who had a penchant for nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in favor of restoring the British-friendly Shah of Iran to his throne in 1953. Monty Woodhouse personally flew guns into Iran from Baghdad aboard an RAF aircraft. He then “bought Iranian rials for sovereigns and – at a secret rendezvous in the Tehran suburbs – handed the cash to one of two mysterious Iranian brothers to help finance plans for the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh.” In fact, the government of Mossadegh was overthrown through an inauspicious liaison of MI6 and CIA.

In 2010, Iranian Intelligence Ministry revealed that they had arrested four MI6-linked terrorists in the western city of Marivan. These British elements were behind five assassinations in 2007 and 2008 in Iran. The detainees said they had been promised USD 20,000 for every assassination. They reportedly received instructions from their commander Jalal Fattahi in Sulaimaniya, Iraq. Fattahi, who was also a commander with the terrorist Komala group, resides in London and has, on the strength of the detainees’ testimonies, conducted a number of assassinations in western Iranian cities since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The detained terrorists, Bakhtiar Me’mari, Hajeer Ebrahimi, Loqman Moradi and Zanyar Moradi, also belong to the Komala group. Founded in 1967, the Komala group, purportedly defunct now, is a Kurdish separatist group which garnered international attention for their sabotage and terrorist activities within Iran. Apart from conducting terrorist operations inside Iran, they are also responsible for helping the despotic Saddam regime attack and kill Iranian combatants during the Iran-Iraq war. The terrorist Komala group works under the aegis of the MI6.

In 2010, the British Foreign Office vehemently dismissed the claim, and said, “There is a long history of baseless Iranian allegations against the UK. This is just the latest,” a spokesman said.

“The UK does not support or encourage terrorist activity in Iran, or anywhere else in the world, and this claim will be seen as what it is: another in a long line of slurs against the United Kingdom from the government of Iran.”

Interestingly, earlier in the week, the head of MI6, John Sawers, had emphasized the importance of covert ops in Iran, and said, “Stopping nuclear proliferation cannot be addressed purely by conventional diplomacy. We need intelligence-led operations to make it more difficult for countries like Iran to develop nuclear weapons.”

As the Persian saying goes, “the wall of denial is high.”

Further to that, the British government has been collaborating with the Mossad agents on a plot to topple the Iranian government. In this murky business was involved Adam Werritty, a close friend of former British Defense Secretary Liam Fox who resigned when the scandal was made public. Liam Fox’s right-hand man Werritty who speaks Farsi after a broken fashion was said to “have regularly met Iranian dissidents, Israeli spies and right-wing US groups with an interest in destabilizing President Ahmadinejad.”

Apparently, he had been briefed by MI6 after returning from overseas trips. Werritty reportedly worked closely with right-wing neoconservative groups in the US to push ahead with his anti-Iran sabotage plot.

Confession to black ops within the Iranian soil is an absolute source of shame for the British government, an egregious invitation to military invasion by the Zio-Americans and the knowledge of it is a bitter reality which will rankle in the Iranian collective memory for all the time to come.

So true was Uncle Napoleon’s mantra, “The Brits are to blame.”

 

By Ismail Salami

17 July, 2012

Countercurrents.org

 

Dr. Ismail Salami is an Iranian writer, Middle East expert, Iranologist and lexicographer. He writes extensively on the US and Middle East issues and his articles have been translated into a number of languages.

 

Strait History And Iran ‘s Options

George Santayana wisely said: “” Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it .”  Oblivious to history and its lessons, America and its Western allies are repeating their actions of the  1950’s — that of imposing an oil embargo on Iran .   The American-led alliance has forgotten the past.

Iran remembers

When under the leadership of the nationalist Dr. Mossadegh, Iran opted to nationalize its oil industry,  the British Royal Navy blocked Iran ‘s oil exports to forcefully prevent if from nationalizing its oil.  In retaliation to Iran ‘s nationalistic ambitions, and to punish Iran for pursuing its national interests, the British instigated a worldwide boycott of Iranian oil.

In the 1950’s, Iran did not have the military might to retaliate to the oil embargo and the naval blockade was aimed at crushing the economy in order to bring about regime change.   The subsequent events is described in The New York Times [i] article  as a “lesson in the heavy cost that must be paid” when an oil-rich Third World nation “goes berserk with fanatical nationalism.”    Iran learnt that sovereignty and nationalism necessitate tactical/military strength and determination.

Not heeding the aftermath of the 1950’s,  the American-led Western allies have once again imposed an oil embargo on Iran .  In retaliation,  Iran has drafted a bill to stop the flow of oil through its territorial waters – the Strait of Hormuz , to countries which have imposed sanctions against it.  This bill is not without merit and contrary to the previous oil embargo, it would appear that Tehran has the upper hand and the heavy cost associated with the embargo will not be borne by Iran alone.

Iran’s Legal Standing

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that vessels can exercise the right of innocent passage, and coastal states should not impede their passage.  Although Iran has signed the Treaty, the Treaty was not ratified, as such, it has no legal standing.    However, even if one overlooks the non-binding signature, under UNCLOS framework of international law, a coastal state can block ships from entering its territorial waters if the passage of the ships harms “peace, good order or security” of said state, as the passage of such ships would no longer be deemed “innocent” [ii] .

Even if Iran simply chooses to merely delay the passage of tankers by exercising its right to inspect every oil-tanker that passes through the Strait of Hormuz , these inspections and subsequent delays would maintain or contribute to higher oil prices.    While higher oil prices would benefit Iran and other oil-producing countries, they would further destabilize the European economy which is already in crisis.

The  Military Option

Although American-led Western allies are flexing their muscles by sending battle ships to the Persian Gulf, Washington ‘s own war game exercise, The Millennium Challenge 2002 with a price tag of $250 million, underscored America ‘s inability to defeat Iran .  Oblivious to the lesson of its own making, by sending more warships to the Persian Gulf, the United States is inching towards a full scale conflict.   The inherent danger from the naval buildup is that unlike the Cuban Missile Crisis, the forces in the Persian Gulf are not confined to two leaders who would be able to communicate to stop a run-away situation.   Nor would the consequences of such a potential conflict be limited to the region.

Given that 17 million barrels of oil a day, or 35% of the world’s seaborne oil exports go through the Strait of Hormuz, incidents in the Strait would be fatal for the world economy.    While only 1.1 millions barrels per day goes to the United States , a significant amount of this oil is destined for Europe .  Surely, one must ask why the United States demands that its “European allies” act contrary to their own national interest, pay a higher price for oil by boycotting Iranian oil and running the risk of Iran blocking the passage of other oil-tankers destined for them?

Again, history has the straight answer.  Contrary to conventional wisdom, the United States   and not the oil-producing countries has used oil as a weapon.  Some examples include the pressure the United States put on Britain in the 1920s to share its oil concessions in the Middle East with U.S. companies.  Post World War II,  the United States violated the terms of the 1928 Red Line Agreement freezing the British and the French out of the Agreement.

In 1956, the United States made it clear to Britain and France that no oil would be sent to Western Europe unless the two aforementioned countries agreed to a rapid withdrawal from Egypt .  The U.S.   was not opposed to the overthrow of Nasser , but as Eisenhower said: “Had they done it quickly, we would have accepted it “ [iii] .

Demonstrably, although Europe is a major trade partner of the United States , the U.S. does not concern itself with Europe ‘s well being when it comes to executing its foreign policy.   This should come as no surprise, especially since the United States sacrifices its own national interest to promote the Israeli agenda and that of the military industrial complex.   But this does not explain why Europe would shoot itself in the foot at a time when its economical woes have passed the crisis point.

It is possible that the leaders of Western European countries are beholden to special interest groups – the pro-Israel lobbies, as the United States is, or they believe Iran will not call their bluff by ratifying the bill passed by Majlis and their oil will be delivered unhindered; perhaps both.  Either way, they are committing financial suicide and their demise may well come before Iran ‘s resolve  is shaken.

By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich

05 July, 2012
Countercurrents.org

Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich is a Public Diplomacy Scholar, independent researcher and blogger with a focus on U.S. foreign policy and the role of lobby groups.

[i] “THE IRANIAN ACCORD”, The New York  Times , Aug 6,1954, cited by S. Shalom

[ii] Martin Wahlisch, The Yale Journal of International Law, March 2012, citing UNCLOS, supra note 12, , art. 19, para1, and art. 25, para1.

[iii] Stephen Shalom; The Iran-Iraq War citing Kennett Love, Suez : the Twice-Fought War, New York : McGraw Hill, 1969, p. 651

STATEMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON RIO +20 AND THE GREEN ECONOMY

Defend Life and Peoples ‘Rights in Rio +20!

Reject the Green Economy and Commodification of Nature!

The world faces a crisis of civilization in which the global economic system based on the accumulation of capital has broken balance with mother earth. The current model is taking us to the limit, soon arriving at a point where the damage will be having irreversible impacts on and consequences for the peoples of the world.

10% of the world’s richest have more than half of the global income and people in rich countries consume ten times more natural resources than in poor countries, while globally, 1 billion people are hungry, 1.6 billion have no access to electricity and more than 1 billion do not have access to safe drinking water.

The current capitalist system has led to the empowerment of transnational corporations that profit from the natural resources and speculate in the financial market, going so far as that out of the 100 largest global economies, more than 40 are trans-national.

The commitments of governments for the reduction of greenhouse gas are by far insufficient, so many regions will suffer under extreme unpredictability, where billions of people will be affected and displaced.

In the midst of this financial, energy, climate, environmental and food crises, the G8, representing the most powerful countries in the world,  with their allies as Brazil and transnational corporations are seeking to save the capitalist system through the imposition of the “green economy”, rather than making changes to the structural causes of the crisis.

The civil society of Latin America and the Caribbean states:

On the proposal of the green economy

We denounce that the green economy is still pursuing to the erroneous idea of infinite economic growth in a world that has limits.

We reject the commodification of mother earth – of their life cycles and their functions, as well as payments for “environmental services” to create new financial products for the speculative market.

We denounce the green economy will not put an end to extractive industries, mining, hydrocarbons and the agro-exporting model that will continue to have negative impacts on the environment and the rights of peoples.

The green economy will strengthen the economic power of transnational corporations, being even much more influential than the more developed countries, having also self-protection mechanisms through free trade agreements, such as arbitration systems to protect their investment and future earnings, such as the ICSID.

The imposition of the green economy in Latin America and the Caribbean will be going far behind the achievements of the peoples’ struggles constituted as the right to water, the right to a healthy environment, the sovereignty and self-determination of indigenous peoples, among others.

We support the State of Acre letter signed by thirty civil society organizations in rejection of the commodification of nature and in defense of the territories. We call on the communities in other territories to be alert and to resist implementation of green economy and not to follow the example of the Government of Acre.

Facing the false solutions that are part of the proposal for a green economy, the North should take the initiative to cut greenhouse gas emissions drastically and immediately and comply with its obligations on technology transfer and financing without any conditions. The green economy is a “permit” for large industries polluting the environment.

We denounce the false solutions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as nuclear energy, capture and artificial storage of carbon, GM crops and bio-fuels. Solutions to the problem the planet is facing, are not the application of new technologies, but the transformation of structural policies.

We demand the immediate stop of all projects destructive to mother earth, such as open pit mining, the exploitation of hydrocarbons in ecologically sensitive areas, the mega-projects and the IIRSA projects.

We reject any process of regional integration dominated by the big capital.

Before the negotiations of Rio + 20

We demand from the national governments to actively defend the interests of their peoples in the current negotiating text and assume responsibility for future generations. We demand the governments to not endorse the green economy and to not accept the agreements of the Rio + 20. Governments should ensure that the negotiations will be comprehensive, open and transparent.

We require national governments to defend the right to water, the rights of mother earth and the rights of indigenous peoples as expressed in the resolutions of the Peoples’ Summit on Climate Change (Tiquipaya, 2010).

We affirm the importance of upholding the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, the precautionary principle and the principle of access to information, public participation and justice.

We demand realistic and creative mechanisms such as the creation of a tax on financial transactions. It is necessary to construct instruments at the service of the people, with a system of democratic and transparent governance that promotes inclusive public policies, integration between peoples and a new model of development.

Trans-nationals of the G8, in complicity with the governments, have co-opted the UN system, have taken over the social and ecological discourse, and have greater participation in the Rio + 20 negotiations than civil society. Large private corporations have contaminated the planet most, along with the World Bank and the G20, promoting green economy and continue doing “business as usual”. Rio + 20 negotiations must be ” party driven ” with more participation of civil society.

Alternative models of the life – alternatives to the green economy

Living well, a holistic approach to the rights of mother earth are an alternative to the model of capitalist development, exploiting mother earth and human beings. We are not owners of the nature: we are part of mother earth and demand respect for her life cycles.

Likewise we demand governments to promote policies to support a genuine sustainable agricultural production and food sovereignty without GMOs, as the only way to stop the advance of transnational corporations profiting from the food production in the planet.

We must generate a new global alternative to the green economy to restore balance with mother earth and establish living well, with complementarity and solidarity between people and guaranty well being.

An alternative economy based on mutuality would mean a life model based on the interests of communities, peasant organizations, workers, peasants, women and indigenous peoples.

An equitable redistribution of wealth, establishing modes of production to meet the real needs of women and men.

Build an alternative to the concept of “environmental services” and “natural capital” which only aim to the commodification of nature. Management and integral management of forests, water, land, among other beings of nature is a viable alternative to the philosophy of the green economy.

We demand from governments to comply with the principles of living well, stated in the declaration of civil society at a global level in the Peoples’ Summit on Climate Change Cochabamba, Bolivia, in 2010, in order to not just leaving it a speech, but elaborating specific policies for a gradual transition to overcome capitalism in all its forms.

Immediate joint actions

We call upon the international civil society to build alliances to resist the imposition of the green economy in the region and to build a new model for living well in harmony with mother earth.

The governments, communities, international cooperation and other sectors must prevent the degradation of the environment either directly or indirectly, further violations of human rights and mother earth, (water, air, land),  and must ensure the restoration of the affected areas.

Let’s mobilize towards Rio + 20 in rejection to green economy!

Let’s build alternative models to defend life and achieve the living well!

Brasil

Amazon link (Acre)

Ecuador

PIDHDD – Plataforma Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, Democracia y Desarrollo

Frente Popular

CDES – Centro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales

Nicaragua

RENICC  – Fundación Red Nicaraguense de Comercio Comunitario

Honduras

Colectivo

Chile

Plataforma Rio+20

México

Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericana

Colombia

CIASE – Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económica

RLIE – Res Latinoamericana sobre las Industrias Extractivas

ILSA – Instituto Latinoamericano para una Sociedad y un Derecho Alternativos

Perú

Propuesta Ciudadana

Construyendo Puentes

CAOI – Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas

Argentina

Abogados Ambientalistas

Guatemala

Movimiento Tzuk Kim-pop (Guatemala); Centro América por el Diálogo –CAD

R. Dominicana

Alianza ONG

Red regional

Movimiento Independencia, Unidad y Cambio

Equipo de Coordinación, Red Latinoamericana de Deuda, Derechos y Desarrollo  LATINDADD

Bolivia

Academia Diplomática

ACSUR LAS SEGOVIAS

AGRUCO – Agroecología  Universidad Cochabamba

Fundación Agua Sustentable

AIPE – Asociación de Instituciones de Promoción y Educación

AMUPEI – Articulación de Mujeres por la Equidad e Igualdad

AOPEB – Asociación de Organizaciones de Productores Ecológicos de Bolvia

Asamblea del Pueblo Guaraní – APG

Asociación de Guías de Bolivia

Asociación de Regantes de Santa Cruz

Broederlijk Delen

CAFOD – Agencia oficial de la Iglesia Católica de Inglaterra y el País de Gales para el desarrollo y la ayuda en casos de emergencia

CCGTT-  Concejo de Capitanes Guaraní y Tapiete de Tarija

CDES – Centro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales

CEADESC – Centro de Estudios Aplicados a los Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales

CEDLA – Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo Laboral Agrario

CEEDI – Centro de Estudios Ecológicos y Desarrollo Integral

CEJIS – Centro de Estudios Jurídicos e Investigación Social

CENDA – Centro de Comunicación y Desarrollo Andino

COB – Central Obrera Boliviana

Centro para la Democracia

CEPA –  Centro de Ecología y Pueblos Andinos.

CESA – Centro de Servicios Agropecuarios

CESU – Centro de Estudios Superiores Universitarios

CIDEM – Centro de Información y Desarrollo de la Mujeres

CIOEC-  Coordinadora de Integración de Organizaciones Económicas Campesinas Indígenas Originarias de Bolivia

CIPCA – Centro de Investigación y Promoción del Campesinado

CLADEM – Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer

CODEPIO-BENI  – Consejo Departamental de Pueblos Indígenas Originarios del Beni

Colectivo Cabildeo

CONAMAQ – Consejo Nacional de Ayllus y Marcas del Qullasuyo

CPILAP – Central de Pueblos Indígenas de La Paz

CRHISTIAN AID – Una Agencia Oficial de las Iglesias Británicas e Irlandesas

CSIB – Confederación Sindical de Interculturales de Bolivia

CSUTCB – Confederación Sindical Unica de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia

Democracy Center

FCA-AIS BOLIVIA –

FEDECEP-LP – La Federación Departamental de Centros y Comités Cívicos Provinciales de La Paz

Foro Indígena

FSTMB – Federación Sindical de Trabajadores Mineros de Bolivia

FSUTC-BENI – Federación Sindical Unica de Trabajadores Campesinos del Beni

Fundación CONSTRUIR

Fundación JUBILEO

Fundación SOLON

Fundación Gaia Pacha

GTCC – Grupo de Trabajo Conjunto de Cumbres

HERENCIA – Interdisciplinaria para el Desarrollo Sostenible

IESE – Instituto de Estudios Sociales y Económicos

LIDEMA – Liga de Defensa del Medio Ambiente

MOFISP – Movimiento Femenino Indoamericano Senti-Pensante

OXFAM – GB

Plataforma Boliviana Frente al cambio Climático

Plataforma Energética

PROBIOMA – Productividad Biosfera Medio Ambiente

PRODENA – Prodefensa de la Naturaleza

Programa NINA

Reacción Climática

Red de Comunicaciones Apachita

Red Habitat

REMTE – Red Latinoamericana de Mujeres Transformando la Economía

SERNAP – Servicio Nacional de Areas Protegidas

SOPE – Sociedad Potosina de Ecología

Subcentral TIPNIS – Territorio Indígena del Parque Nacional Isiboro Sécure

TROCAIRE – Agencia Católica Irlandesa para el Desarrollo

UMAVIDA –  Asociación Boliviana Uniendo Manos por la Vida

UMSA – Universidad Mayor de San Andrés

UNICOR – Universidad Cordillera

UNITAS – Unión Nacional de Instituciones para el Trabajo de Acción Social

Filipinas

IBON Internacional

Solidaridad

SOMALIA: FAMINE FOR PROFIT AND THE EAST AFRICAN FOOD CRISIS

 

 

By Nile Bowie

Global Research, April 14, 2012

nilebowie.blogspot.com – 2011-08-13

Few parts of the world aptly fit the description of hell better than Somalia’s crumbling capital city, Mogadishu; a nation ravaged by imperialism, domestic instability and economic sabotage from foreign forces. Parades of malnourished Africans queuing up to receive rations are trumpeted in thirty second news pieces on most mainstream media outlets, of which offer embarrassingly insubstantial examples of journalism with little explanation for such images of unparalleled inequality, past the effects of droughts, while never missing the opportunity to highlight the threat of al-Qaeda. While it cannot be denied that the current droughts in East Africa, which have been reported to be the most dire in sixty years, have been negatively exacerbating the climate of food availability in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia; the mammoth aid conglomerates which ‘shake their coin cup’ for incoming donations from the predominately cash-strapped civilian populations of the ‘developed’ world and the reporting mainstream media outlets consistently fail to maturely scrutinize the basis for such economic dysfunction in East Africa,  responsible for the starvation of thousands of people. In Somalia’s case (a nation once self sufficient in it’s food production), the ‘economic medicine’ of the International Monetary Fund and the behest of colossal oil robber-barrens have contributed far more devastation than droughts towards producing the images of deprived and inebriated bodies you see on television.

While a percentage of people around the world enjoy the supersized culture of fast food Globalization in our age of 3D HDTV, quadruple-decker cheese burgers and senseless commodity overproduction, three billion people or nearly half the world’s population individually sustain themselves on less than two USD per day amidst an annual surge in the global price of food, which has increased by thirty seven percent since last year. The loathsomely bias individuals which comprise the International Community, of whom are capable of feeding the entire African content with the loose change in their couch cushions, use today’s reports of legitimate or fabricated human rights abuses in Africa and all over the world as a pretext for exercising avenues of modern imperial conquest in the morally bankrupt pursuit of private geopolitical, economic and militarily strategic gain; this should lend serious credence to the motivations of East African aid supplied by Western Political & Financial Institutions, which have contributed to the very economic genocide responsible for requiring such aid to begin with. The area designated as modern day Somalia is a region believed to have produced the first Homo sapiens, who were responsible for crafting vast anthropological treasures and archeological artifacts, evidence of a highly sophisticated ancient civilization. The region once thrived as a bustling hub of commerce and lucrative international trade, Somali merchants of the time were chieftains of commercial exchange between Asia, Persia and Africa during the time of the Ming Dynasty and were even responsible for influencing Chinese linguistics during the period. Today, the people of Somalia are regarded as little more than ants at a picnic for the Intelligence Agencies and Corporate Interests that seek to occupy this strategically located area. The weapon of choice against them is man made famine.

Somalians belong to a single homogenous ethnic group comprised predominately of nomadic tribesmen who place great importance on poetry and other oral traditions, they are historically characterized by fiercely striving for independence against foreign forces during the Scramble for Africa, most notably from the imposing agents of the British Empire in league with Christian Ethiopians and Italian Fascists in the late 19th century in their pursuit to control Somalia’s trading ports and strategic coastline. The religious cleric turned patriotic leader of the day, Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan led several successful military ventures using guerilla armies of ethnically Somali fighters from across the Horn of Africa, which overpowered British imperial forces on several occasions. While its surrounding peers had been colonized or utilized as proxy forces, as such in Ethiopia, Hassan fathered the Dervish State in modern day Somalia built on the pillars of homogenous, linguistic and religious unity and national self sufficiency, which had remained the only independent Muslim State on the entire African continent. Like today, any governance that resists the command of Imperialists (now called ‘Globalists’) are dispensed militarily; the British launched the first modern airstrike in Africa against Dervish military bases in Somalia, effectively crushing the resistance of the rightful indigenous inhabitants for their own private objectives of which have continued to the present day in more sophisticated ways.

Somalia was once a progressive developing nation built on homogenous unity and agricultural self-sufficiency, which encouraged gender equality, the emerging roles of women in military and production, and the banning female circumcision.

With total disregard for anthropological requirements and ethnic distinctions of the people within the areas of foreign territory they carved up, the British invaders ceded regions populated by ethnic Somalis such as Haud and Ogaden over to their ally, the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik in 1948; later, crippling regional conflict would ensue in regaining these stolen territories. The geographical borders of the first Somali Republic, which achieved independence in 1960, were literally drawn by British and Italian forces. Mohamed Siad Barre declared Somalia a Socialist state after a military coup in ’69 and attempted to build a nation in Hassan’s vision of state unity and self-sufficiency through cooperative farming and nationalization programs of industry and mass production. While life in the times of Socialist Somalia was far from glamorous, it was absolutely blissful compared to the current state of affairs within the Horn of Africa. At the time Somalia was agriculturally stable and actively implementing sweeping public works programs and working to dramatically increase the nations literacy rate through urban and rural programs, while introducing the first Latin-based orthography of the Somalian dialect as the national language of education. The Islamic government exercised very progressive views towards improving the influence of women in society by offering unisex education and creating laws forbidding female circumcision, woman were actively recruited in the military and female employment in factory production was encouraged. Barre supported the model of Greater Somalia, which sought to regain ethnic Somali territories handed out by the preceding colonial administrations that would encompass Somalia, Djibouti, Ogaden (Ethiopia) and the North Eastern Province (Kenya); these aspirations led to the Ogaden War with Ethiopia, the superpowers of the time aided and funded this conflict in exchange for constructing military bases, thus effectively reducing the Horn of Africa to pliant client states and of the Cold War.

The Soviet Union was closely allied with Barre’s government and supplied vast military and economic aid, allowing Somalia to build up the largest armory on the continent before switching strategies and backing Ethiopia, which was synonymous for being an American proxy state prior to a military takeover which led to the rise of Ethiopian Marxist leader, Mengistu Haile Mariam. Somalia turned to the United States for aid and the resulting conflicts killed thousands of Africans and severely weakened Ethiopia and Somalia, as their lands were used as the inconsequential frontlines of foreign forces. Following the Somalia’s military withdrawal in the Ogaden War, the economy was crippled due to disproportionate military spending and looming foreign debt. In the face of increasing public discontent with Barre’s government and the loss of aid from the Soviet Union, Somalia called to the West; unfortunately for the Somali people, The International Monetary Fund answered. As part of the IMF’s loan protocol, the borrower country must accept the conditions stipulated within structural adjustment policies, thus requiring the suspension of public work programs, investments in education and nearly any outlet which gives priority towards improving people’s conditions and standards of living. Structural adjustment programs are designed to pry countries open to predatory capital, often purging the authority of national companies over the management of the resources in their own lands; these schemes of the IMF and other financial institutions are designed to secure the indebtedness the borrower country to total dependency on further loans and foreign aid; directly attacking national sovereignty and practices of self sufficiency which the Somalis gave their lives to protect.

Following the IMF-imposed austerity measures, Somalia began to grovel and churn by facing food shortages, record inflation and currency devaluation, to a point where a simple meal at a restaurant required paying with bundles of currency notes. Barre’s increasingly irrelevant leadership settled further loan agreements with the Paris Club and International Development Association, which required the Government to sell off vital public systems, such as the countries’ electricity generators, which cast Mogadishu into a nightly darkness.  As the situation in Somalia became increasingly unstable, Ethiopians armed and funded various militia clans such as the Somali Salvation Democratic Front and the Somali National Movement, which ousted President Barre after twenty-two years of military rule. Warring foreign funded clans sought to legitimize themselves as Barre’s successor, leading to a Civil War in ‘91, which plunged the nation into anarchy. James Bishop, the former United States ambassador to Somalia stated, “There is competition for water, pasturage, and cattle. It is a competition that used to be fought out with arrows and sabers, now it is fought out with AK-47’s”. Since that time, the nation of Somalia has been largely without a stable Government, after decades of intervention from foreign forces, the Somali people have been brought to their knees. In the present day, Somalia is trumpeted as an emerging front in the ever expanding and oxymoronic War on Terror.  Much of the country is under the control of Al Qaeda linked militia group, ‘Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen’, simply known as Al-Shabaab. Under further examination of the International Communities’ engagements in Somalia, the goal of cleansing the land of its indigenous inhabitants becomes glaringly obvious in its brazen criminality.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF MAN-MADE FAMINE & THE CARTELIZATION OF FOOD

“The present vast overpopulation, now far beyond the world carrying capacity, cannot be answered by future reductions in the birth rate due to contraception, sterilization and abortion, but must be met in the present by the reduction of numbers presently existing. This must be done by whatever means necessary.” – Initiative for the United Nations ECO-92 EARTH CHARTER

The key policy makers, in which the International Community is comprised of, are among the worst examples of human beings our globalized civilization has to offer; through the lenses of their own superiority complex, these individuals view the Third World as a place designated for their personal plunder, populated with third-rate individuals and useless eaters who are unworthy to consume the nourishments produced on their own indigenous lands. Presently, Somalia is weathering consecutively severe droughts, which prevail in the regions of southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle, partially controlled by jihadist militia group, Al-Shabaab. Traditionally, due to its harsh geographical climate, Somalia has always been a pastoral and rural economy of barter between nomadic herdsmen and resident agriculturalists. Despite persistent droughts, Somalia maintained agricultural self-sufficiency throughout the 1970’s and implemented programs, which led to sizeable commercial pastoral development. The IMF-World Bank intervened in the 80’s and set the stage for an agricultural crisis through economic reforms, which diluted the delicate exchange relationship between pastoralists and small farmers, in their relative nomadic and sedentary economies.

In order to service debt owed to the Paris Club and other Washington-based financial institutions, harsh austerity measures were imposed on the former Somali Government, which reinforced national dependency on imported grain, further contributing to bankruptcy and the need for additional loan supplements. Food aid increased by fifteen times between the mid seventies to mid eighties and continued to rise by thirty-one percent per annum. Sedentary agricultural producers were ruined by the IMF stipulated increase of commercial imports, traditionally consumed locally grown crops such as maize and sorghum were replaced with cheap foreign wheat and subsidized US grain in an effort to increase Somalia’s dependency – not its sovereignty. Prices of fuel, fertilizer and farm inputs rose exorbitantly following periodic IMF imposed devaluations of the Somali Shilling, which crushed the nations purchasing power and severely impacted domestic agricultural producers and irrigated farming. The real causes of impoverishment in Somali farming communities were caused by deregulation of the grain market, currency warfare and the influx of foreign food aid, such donations were made with the expectation that Somalia’s best-irrigated farmlands would be used to harvest fruits, vegetables, oilseeds and cotton, not for domestic consumption, but for export into lucrative grocery market shelves in the First World. Donors were able to take control of the entire budgetary process by providing food aid because its domestic sale became the principal source of revenue for the state.

“Depopulation should be the highest priority of foreign policy towards the Third World, because the US economy will require large and increasing amounts of minerals from abroad, especially from less developed countries.”- Henry Kissinger, Nobel Peace Prize recipient & former US Secretary of State

In a country where fifty percent of the population is comprised of nomadic pastoralists, the role of camels and other livestock is integral to survival and wealth procurement; prior to the IMF’s involvement in Somalia, livestock contributed to eighty percent of export earnings. Ultimately, creating dependency is profitable and securing such relationships is the ultimate goal of a lending institution, loans are distributed attached to structural adjustment polices for that reason. The World Bank encouraged the privatization of livestock veterinary services, a private market for veterinary drugs, and administered the commercialization of water during times of drought, while effectively dissolving the functions performed by the government’s own Ministry of Livestock; thus forcing a traditional exchange economy onto a privatized for-profit system, not catered towards the needs of nomadic herders in remote pastoral areas, which yielded devastating results by wiping out herds and any semblance of the pastoralist economy. Bretton Woods’ institutions oversaw the restructuring of government budgeting and expenditure, which prevented the government from independently utilizing the available domestic resources, leading to an eighty five percent decline in agricultural expenditures from levels in the mid seventies.

The economic restructuring programs implemented by the IMF-World Bank have devastated the practices of nomadic pastoralists and driven them to impoverished austerity. The traditional exchange economy was undone; grain producers who bartered their grain for livestock were ruined as grazing herds faded from starvation, which contributed to dwindling foreign exchange earnings from international beef exports. It is no surprise that the governments once reasonably sound economic and social programs began to deteriorate. According to research published by Michael Chossudovsky, government expenditure on health in ’89 had declined by seventy eight percent in comparison with their relative mid seventies levels and the levels of recurrent annual expenditure on education was only four USD per student, when previously the budget in ’82 allowed for eighty two USD to be allocated per student, amidst a forty one percent decrease in school enrollment, resulting in the relative collapse of the education system. The average public sector wage was reduced to three USD per month and Somalia’s debt-servicing obligations represented a bleak 194.6 percent of export earnings, the situation became hopeless.The World Bank had permitted a structural adjustment loan for seventy million USD in ‘89, but was later frozen due to hemorrhaging economic performance; even if the country were to take new loans in an attempt to repay their debts, Somalia has been taken hostage by predatory capital, debt servicing and structural adjustment. Traditional economies in hundreds of different countries are under attack from the IMF; famines in the present day are not an outcome of a food shortage but the result of economic restructuring, unaffordability and global oversupply.

“A total population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.” – Ted Turner, CNN founder and donor to the United Nations

The work of the IMF, World Bank and other Bretton Woods financial institutions is to secure the handcuffed dependency of the borrower country to world markets and the destruction of food security; environmental conditions and drought foster additional vulnerability towards food insecurity, as seen presently unfolding in the Horn. Somalia was cast further into economic dysfunction due to the subsidization of duty-free beef and dairy products, imported from the European Union; pastoral farmers are prevented from traditionally procuring wealth from their herds because low quality meat products imported from the EU sell for half the price of domestically produced product. Food aid to sub-Saharan Africa has increased more than seven times since 1974 and commercial grain imports have flooded local markets and more than doubled in availability in countries known to be agriculturally self-sufficient, such as Zimbabwe, where the population was subjected consuming tree bark during a food crisis in 1992, while their fertile lands were used for cultivating tobacco exports to service foreign debt. Financial institutions apply debilitating restructuring to the economies of borrower countries to effectively turn them into breadbaskets for cash crops and other money harvests, using the highest quality farmlands available to cultivate tobacco crops for export, while simultaneously flooding the local market with subsidized foreign grain and meat products; creating a deliberate express route to creating poverty and unraveling local economies. In addition to implementing crippling initiatives of austerity in the rural development, public works and agricultural infrastructure projects of African countries, their shameless pursuit of turning a profit has led the World Bank to trumpet the commoditization of water, which does nothing but actively contribute to food insecurity and famine in arid climates.

IMF-World Bank imposed structural adjustment is the ultimate attack on sovereignty and any local system of exchange that bypasses the global market. The ensuing economic dysfunctions are not a terrible coincidence or a result of mismanagement; they are designed to create dependency through Malthusian policies, market sabotage and contrived famines, resulting in intentionally culling the population of the developing world, out of fear that their indigenous resources and sovereign economies may potentially yield a bountiful amount of wealth and independent development. According to research conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the global price of food has skyrocketed more than two hundred and forty percent since 2004; the unwarranted upward mobility of such necessities must not be naively dismissed as market fluctuations, the price of food is directly manipulated by key constituents of the Anglo-Dutch-Swiss food cartel, comprised of a dozen pivotal companies, assisted by another three dozen, which literally hold a monopoly over the world’s food supply under the nauseating influence of the inbreeding feudalists within the Royal British House of Windsor. Never before in history have such powerful oligarchs been so blatant in expressing their advocacy for depopulation. Their control of the food supply is enough to loose sleep over.

“To really reduce population, quickly, you have to pull all the males into the fighting and you have to kill significant numbers of fertile age females The quickest way to reduce population is through famine, like in Africa, or through disease, like the Black Death.” –  Thomas Ferguson, US State Department Office of Population Affairs

The work of the Windsor-led food cartel directly serves to influence the deaths of millions of people annually, by means of starvation through man-made famines. The cartel is comprised of six leading private grain producing companies: Cargill, Continental, Louis Dreyfus, Bunge and Born, André, and Archer Daniels Midland, which control the majority of the world’s grain, wheat, corn, oats, rye, sorghum, barley, meats, dairy, oils, fruits, vegetables, sugars and spices. In an effort to dominate the world’s natural resources, the institution of the House of Windsor has worked to centrally focus control over energy distribution, management of mineral/resources and the cultivation of food. Extensive research published by Richard Freeman in the Executive Intelligence Review thoroughly illustrate the central control of the food cartel, of whom have established four main export blocks used to fuel the global food economy. The regional breakdown of market control includes the United States, the European Union, the Commonwealth Nations such as Australia, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Latin America (Argentina & Brazil); Although these regions account for much less than a quarter of the world population by today’s estimates, they are used to grow produce and other food products, which cheaply pour into the markets of the other 80% of the world.

While it is common for countries producing bountiful and nutritious food to become active in the export market, the four focus regions of the cartel were given unbridled priority as world distributors, effectively instilling forced dependency in the restructuring Third World, which fell into the trap of accepting adjustment loans from the very foreign forces which plundered them in colonization; the countries outside the four export regions could either import from the global market, or starve. War was waged against the independent farm economies of the four export regions, sparring nothing outside of corporate central control. In 1976, Russia was sold 12.4 million tons of grain produced in North America by Cargill and Continental, creating a grain shortage in America and Canada at time. Just because the food is grown in the four export regions, does not entitle those countries to guaranteed food security, or mean the ruling governments of those countries have any authority over the destination or prices of the products, because they are harvested and distributed by totally private entities who make their decisions based on profit, not merit or moral supremacy. In studies conducted by the Trade Analysis Branch of the US Department of Agriculture in 1994, the export regions account for eighty eight percent of the world’s wheat exports, when it comprised only thirty nine percent of the world’s wheat production of 522.4 million tons in ’94 – ’95; although these regions came nowhere close to producing the largest quantities of product, their preeminence is forced by the food cartel through flooding any semblance of a ‘free market’.

“AIDS and other diseases will be the COVER STORY for the decimation. The real causes will be starvation, contaminated water (which has existed for a long time), toxic vaccines given to people who are already immune-suppressed, wars, and of course, stolen farmland.“  – John Rappoport, author of Depopulation and HIV

The direct control apparatus of the Anglo-Dutch-Swiss food cartel are to blame for these tragic fluctuations within this intentionally Malthusian food system. Research published in the Executive Intelligence Review by Joseph Brewda highlight a memorandum authored by the openly eugenic Henry Kissinger, vainly discussing the “Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for U.S. Security and Overseas Interests”.  Kissinger, who was the former US Secretary of State during the Nixon and Ford administrations, channels the racial pseudo science of the 1940’s by proposing the implementation of a covert plan to reduce population growth in selected developing countries through targeted birth control, war and famine due to the threat of population growth in the former colonial sector, which was subsequently adopted as official policy by President Gerald Ford in 1975, former National Security Advisor and then-CIA Director George Bush senior would be commissioned to implement the policy. Kissinger gloats, “Capital investments for irrigation and infrastructure and the organization requirements for continuous improvements in agricultural yields may be beyond the financial and administrative capacity of many least developed countries. For some of the areas under heaviest population pressure, there is little or no prospect for foreign exchange earnings to cover constantly increasingly imports of food. It is questionable, whether aid donor countries will be prepared to provide the sort of massive food aid called for by the import projections on a long-term continuing basis” before subsequently warning of a “large-scale famine of a kind not experienced for several decades, a kind the world thought had been permanently banished”.

Mr. Kissinger is well aware that these anomalies are not products of backwards peoples, unable to feed themselves in their own countries, but orchestrated by deliberate financial policies designed to ‘stabilize’ populate levels in potentially competitive and more resource-rich countries. The sheer human suffering being experienced in the Horn of Africa right now is solely a product of decades of Malthusian policies, which harbor food as a weapon. Ironically, the authors of genocidal policies and Malthus advocates never volunteer themselves to starvation; perhaps Mr. Kissinger should experience the receiving end of his population stabilization, although one assumes he wouldn’t fair too well without two thousand-dollar bottles of champagne, foie gras and gourmet truffles. Most people assume the United Nations, with it’s World Food Program and ‘peacekeeping soldiers are on a bold mission to make the world a better place, however these agencies are at the forefront of implementing policies of central control by trumpeting genetically modified organisms, vaccination and sterilization programs in the developing world under the guise of sustainable development, orchestrated by people who can only be described as eco-extremists.

U.N. ENFORCING MASS POPULATION REDUCTION THROUGH VACCINES & GMO

“Perhaps those agencies, combined with UNEP and the United Nations population agencies, might eventually be developed into a Planetary Regime—sort of an international superagency for population, resources, and environment. Such a comprehensive Planetary Regime could control the development, administration, conservation, and distribution of all natural resources, renewable or nonrenewable, at least insofar as international implications exist.”

– Page 942 of ‘ECOSCIENCE’, authored by current US Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, John P. Holdren

Creating a solution to the current problems within the Horn of Africa is not an issue of unwillingness in utilizing the bountiful available resources of the unimaginably wealthy cabal of bankers, corporate profiteers, monarchs and the general ruling class, all of whom who can contribute such insignificant amounts of their relative fortunes to drastically offset this maltreatment. This is an issue of intentional depopulation, brought you to by the agencies administering the framework for a sounder ecological and sustainable world, which can only be administered through population reduction, primarily in the Third World. Over the past several years millions of dollars have been invested into slick corporate public relations campaigns attempting to subtly condition the public to what appears to be at first, a more reasoned consumer consciousness relating to the environmental impacts of human consumption and unwavering capitalism. While it may be reasonable to conserve water and adopt more ecological forms of waste disposal and packaging, the unwarranted flow of green propaganda is designed to centralize control of nations through a monogovernmental system, in addition to further transferring wealth between the public and the ruling class, by delicately molding public opinion into accepting new forms of taxation, such as a carbon tax.

The world being brought in by the International Community is one where total control is implemented under the guise of environmentalism, where human beings are viewed as liabilities and inadequate pollutants of carbon, of whom, must be culled through policies of enforced genocide and population reduction. The United Nations Population Division released a policy brief in 2009, which literally begins with the phrase, “What would it take to accelerate fertility decline in the least developed countries?”. Another mention by the United Nations Population Fund in it’s 2009 State of the World Population Report entitled, “Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate“ goes on to say “Each birth results not only in the emissions attributable to that person in his or her lifetime, but also the emissions of all his or her descendants. Hence, the emissions savings from intended or planned births multiply with time” and also “Strong family planning programmes are in the interests of all countries for greenhouse-gas concerns as well as for broader welfare concerns”. These eco-extremists attempt to rationalize reducing population levels through declaring carbon as a pollutant, effectively accusing human beings or carbon-based forms of life as ‘unsustainable’.

“In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill, but in designating them as the enemy, we fall into the trap of mistaking symptoms for causes. All these dangers are caused by human intervention and it is only through changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome. The real enemy, then, is humanity itself.”

– Page 104 of ‘The First Global Revolution’, authored by The Club of Rome, a prominent global think tank consisting of current and former Heads of State, UN bureaucrats, high-level politicians and government officials, diplomats, scientists, economists, and business leaders from around the globe

These accusations of the International Community spiriting a genocidal consensus are not speculation and cannot be immaturely dismissed as ridiculous conspiracy theories, although the proponents of such policies are quite vocal of their intentions, one only has to observe the dire inequalities of the human condition around the world to aptly reach the conclusion that the architecture of our governing institutions are not designed to benefit the common man. Currently, there is a food war being raged against the people of the Horn of Africa and Somalia; the United States is currently working to block international food assistance to areas controlled by Al-Shabaab resistance forces. There is an internationally recognized Somalian Transitional Government, heavily influenced by the United States; the Americans have proposed limiting the distribution of incoming international aid strictly to areas in control of their own Somali proxy leaders, which effectively means starvation for about three million people, since only a few neighborhoods in Mogadishu would receive supplies, amidst an annually dwindling aid program; U.S. food relief to the UN’s Somali operations has been steeply declining since 2009.

The UN’ bankrolled World Food Program is happy to take your money to assist you in ‘saving lives’, the organization has syphoned $160 million dollars of aid money to UN employees, delivered 12% of food aid to intended poverty stricken areas of Ethiopia, used foreign aid donations to purchase arms and inflated shipping and trucking fees up to 300% over the actual cost.

The current Somali Transitional Government can aptly be described as American puppets, which have exhibited incapabilities in garnering public support, defending themselves without the aid of foreign forces and have essentially failed to maintain the infrastructure of a functioning government.  The actions of the US Government in the Horn have been a total failure and have only contributed to further civil chaos and domestic instability. Partnered with agencies such as the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), the Somali people are being starved in submission, while the West is refusing to authorize the release of grain piled high in Kenyan warehouses because American forces have failed to install a handpicked ruler can who adequately defend against resistance forces. While they have no problem exploiting the genuine morality and concern of ordinary individuals by fishing for donations to help save lives, the WFP has been accused of syphoning one hundred and sixty million dollars of aid money to UN employees and into arms trading deals with Islamic militants and hired defense contractors by the United Nation’s own Monitoring Group. Elsewhere in Georgia, the WFP proved to be totally incompetent by failing to provide a daily minimum diet to prevent malnutrition and starvation, after food rations were not adjusted during a harsh winter in ’09, in addition to providing terrible quality flour, which produced inedible hardened bread.

“I don’t claim to have any special interest in natural history, but as a boy I was made aware of the annual fluctuations in the number of game animals and the need to adjust the cull to the size of the surplus population.” – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, patron of the World Wildlife Fund

The racial pseudo science of the 20th century resulted in the extermination of millions of people, motivated by the elimination of undesirable elements within the population. Eugenics is coined as the study of the hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled selective breeding; these maniacal ideas have stealthily transitioned into the 21st century, where extraordinarily influential bodies such as the United Nations and other prominent think tanks lined with bureaucrats, government officials, scientists and global business leaders have explicitly called for reducing the world population, strictly cordoning areas of human habitat into designated population zones and the transition of environmentalism into the faith of the future. The vapid performance of the United Nations and its subsidiary organizations to adequately contribute to alleviating food-related disasters and their efforts to influence a reasoned system for food pricing and distribution only gives credence to the fact that although their organizations may market themselves on morally superior concepts such as global harmony and sustainability, individuals within these institutions themselves envision a single sterilization state, within a world absent of the majority of humans.

One may find it curious why bodies such as USAID, the UN’s World Food Program and many other NGO’s concerned with ‘reproductive rights’ still provide food relief to crisis zones if their true intent was the eventual depopulation of the regional occupants; In the Somalian context, creating dependency has been reached through the commoditization of food aid from the outside world, like the situation in Somalia, entire nations can be brought to grovel in impoverishment through economic restructuring and the bounties of ‘free trade’ brought to you by the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition to reports of the WFP delivering only 12% of food aid to intended poverty stricken areas of Ethiopia, using foreign aid donations to purchase arms and of inflating shipping and trucking fees up to 300% over the actual cost (reflecting the total corruption of private organizations which hold billion dollar contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan), the organization, backed up tirades of UN collectivists actively attempt to coerce governments to adopt transgenic genetically modified organisms and mass vaccination schemes as the only contributable aid or face being cut off and to receive nothing, after all, beggars can’t be choosers.  In 1998, the mammoth American pesticide and GM-producing corporation, Monsanto authored an appeal entitled ‘Let The Harvest Begin’, which proposed the only hope in alleviating the plight of the world’s poor is through force-feeding GMO seeds without prior subjection to independent safety testing, onto African crops and distributed the document to the various African Heads of State, amidst staunch debate and objections from American and European consumers, healthcare experts, environmentalists and food retailers.

“The FDA has placed the interest of a handful of biotechnology companies ahead of their responsibility to protect public health. By failing to require testing and labeling of genetically engineered foods, the agency has made consumers unknowing guinea pigs for potentially harmful, unregulated food substances.”  – Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA)

In response to Monsanto’s appeal, representatives from every African nation except South Africa issued a collective response, stating “We strongly object that the image of the poor and hungry from our countries is being used by giant multinational corporations to push a technology that is neither safe, environmentally friendly, nor economically beneficial to us. We think it will destroy the diversity, the local knowledge and the sustainable agricultural systems that our farmers have developed for millennia, and that it will thus undermine our capacity to feed ourselves”.  Elsewhere, such as in Hungary, nearly one thousand acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds have been destroyed in an effort to rid the country of Monsanto’s GMO products; Peru has also recently issued a decade-long ban on GMO production. Monsanto has been systematically blocking researchers from using its patented gene modified GMO seeds to conduct independent research into the potentially debilitating health effects of consuming such products, the company is also the forerunner in attempting to privatize the world seed supply in an attempt to create a world where 100% of all commercial seeds are genetically modified and patented, the company already owns 90% of the world’s patents for GMO seeds including cotton, soybeans, corn, sugar beets and canola.

Monsanto has literally taken organic seeds from farmers to create genetically engineered copycat versions, promising higher yields and effectively committing bio-piracy by retaining all intellectual property rights of the seed; the company invested eighteen million USD to develop technologies to monopolize nature, which directly attack food sovereignty by creating seeds which only yield a single harvest and die before the second generation in an effort to force farmers in developing countries to abide by their agreements to continually purchase the junk seeds, resulting in the accumulation of enormous debt; in India, accounts of over two hundred thousand indebted farmer suicides have been reported. Ironically enough, a large amount of those farmers take their own lives by drinking Round Up Ready, a toxic herbicide produced by Monsanto. In their unwaveringly ethical pursuit of profit, Monsanto has actually filed patent infringement claims against conventional and organic farmers in both Canada and the US whose crops suffer with trace contamination from neighboring GMO crops, and often times, Monsanto is the victor, leaving local farmers with outrageous legal bills and fines, which forces them to shut down, allowing Monsanto to buy up the land. Representatives from Monsanto, The WPF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are annual guests of secret Bilderberg Group meetings, both prominent bodies enforcing sterilization and mass genocide.

“Whatever the price of the Chinese Revolution, it has obviously succeeded not only in producing a more efficient and dedicated administration, but also in fostering high morale and community of purpose. The social experiment in China under Chairman Mao’s leadership is one of the most important and successful in human history.”

– David Rockefeller, banker, honorary director of Council on Foreign Relations, honorary chairman of Bilderberg Group & founder of Trilateral Commission, praising Chairman Mao, whose policies resulted in the extermination at least 35 million people

Monsanto was one of the corporate sponsors of HR 875, a bill in the United States that would grant the US Federal Department Of Agriculture central authority to dictate strict laws over organic farming, which include the mandatory spraying of toxic herbicides such as Round Up Ready and control over livestock diets and veterinary services; these new stipulations backed the establishment intentionally mirror loan-restructuring protocol required by indebted countries such as Somalia. The enormously wealthy and influential Rockefeller Foundation, chaired by the robber-barren-Mao-praising David Rockefeller, has long influenced the movement towards sustainability by encouraging the widespread use of transgenic GM seeds, particularly in Africa. On behalf of the Rockefeller Foundation, Representative Akinwumi Adesina stated the following before the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference in 2007: ‘”Regarding genetic engineering, by and large, African countries do not currently have in place regulatory frameworks that allow their use for food production. Many challenges face the introduction and cultivation of GM crops in Africa, including fear of GE crops. Assisting Africa to meet its food needs has other advantages for climate change. Increasing population pressure and reliance on extensive agricultural practices will likely lead to further deforestations and carbon dioxide emissions and contributions to climate change”.

While Adesina parrots the tired talking points and green pseudoscience of the International Community by trying to argue that traditional agricultural methods, which have been practiced on the African continent since the early days of human existence will lead to deforestation and that GMO seeds produced by transnational corporations such as Monsanto, backed by maniacal environmental extremists are good, documents released by the Rockefeller Foundation shed light on their strategic motives: “Major organizations such as the Population Council and the National and International Planned Parenthood Federations have been supported by the Foundation in a variety of ways. These and other existing organizations, as well as others that may come into being, represent exceedingly important instrumentalities for the extension of family planning information and contraceptive methods. Future initiatives of the foundation are described: ‘It will explore potentialities of training programs, seminars, public forums, symposia, and other devices for conveying information about the impact of population growth on economic and social development to government officials from ministries of health, planning commissions, and other appropriate agencies, in the interest of motivating greater action on population policy and population control programs.”

“The eugenics of Hitler were financed to a major extent by the same Rockefeller Foundation which today is building a doomsday seed vault to preserve samples of every seed on our planet, in reality, as it years later emerged, the Green Revolution was a brilliant Rockefeller family scheme to develop a globalized agribusiness which they then could monopolize just as they had done in the world oil industry beginning a half century before. As Henry Kissinger declared in the 1970’s, ‘If you control the oil you control the country; if you control food, you control the population’. Agribusiness and the Rockefeller Green Revolution went hand-in-hand.” – F. William Engdahl, author and researcher

Large swaths of land in Africa around the world are being converted into crops used for growing biofuels, such as corn-based ethanol, an increasingly popular additive used in diesel-fueled vehicles and commercial trucks because it is popularly considered to be environmentally friendly due to it’s renewability. Surprisingly enough, recent studies issued by the European Union reveal that biofuels, or fuel made from living, renewable sources, produces 400 percent more CO2 than conventional fossil fuels do; take into consideration that many arguments used to promote transgenic seeds highlight their sustainability to the environment and their potential to reduce carbon emissions. We are told to believe traditional agricultural methods can contribute to famine, deforestation and environmental degradation, while the International Community is authoring authoritarian new green policing policies and claiming the environment is really a priority, when lush rainforests, up to twenty million acres of American farm land in states such as Iowa and the best lands in the Third World, which are traditionally used to grow food for the local communities, are taken over by corporations to grow corn-based ethanol thus, working to exacerbate the phony issue of carbon emissions in the first place.

The green dialogue we are being fed is phony, self contradictory and completely criminal. Biofuels have helped to fuel man-made famines by reducing the amount of local crops allowed to be grown, thus globally increasing the price of food, that includes the subsidized foreign foods used to flood developing markets. This is a sick and twisted scheme to use food as a weapon to achieve the desired culls of the surplus population. The sheer fact that a “marketplace” for life-sustaining goods exists let alone, the fact that such precious resources are subject to maniacal manipulations enforced by a speculative club of super-rich perverts who commoditize everything of value to humanity, leaves little wonder why people around the world are showing their discontent on the streets. Directionless people, totally disenfranchised by leading substance-less lives revolving around neglect and consumerism, the kind of people currently attempting to create chaos on the streets of London are a strong signification that something is really wrong with every foundation of our society, our culture of commodities and our mutual alienation of compassion for human life. Our civilization is looking very bleak at the moment; people loot liquor stores and steal iPads in the developed world, while people in the undeveloped world are viewed as liabilities and denied their sustenance because the International Community tell us, we cannot accommodate their carbon pollution.

“The world today has 6.8 billion people. That’s heading up to about nine billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 percent.” – Bill Gates, founder of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Microsoft

The threat of death, autism and other debilitating neurological disorders associated with pandemic vaccinations is a subject rarely, if ever, brought up by the mainstream media. An episode of 60 Minutes aired once in 1979 and later banned from being rebroadcasted attempted to touch on the subject of devastating vaccination side effects following a US Government sponsored Swine Flu hype, which resulted in the vaccination of 48 million people in 1976. The host interviews a middle-aged schoolteacher named Judy Roberts, who obediently took a vaccination after being influence by Swine Flu propaganda produced by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) and subsequently began suffering from paralysis. She was later diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), a fatal disease affecting the peripheral nervous system, causing Roberts to become a quadriplegic. When the director of the vaccination program, Dr. David Sensor was interviewed, he uncomfortably admitted that the pro-vaccination hype generated CDC was unwarranted, because no confirmed cases of the Swine Flu existed. The CDC was responsible for authoring a consent sheet, which stated that scientists performed several safety checks on the vaccine, however the vaccination that was actually distributed, X53A, was another concoction entirely and was subject to no testing.

An interview was also conducted with Dr. Michael Hatwick, the Director of the Vaccination Surveillance team at the time who claimed the agency was fully aware of the health risks attributed to the X53A vaccination. In a blatant lie, Director David Sensor awkwardly claims to never have been aware of such health risks. The CDC was also responsible for creating a vaccination awareness campaign; the agency also used the names of celebrities and pop culture icons of the day without their consent to garner support for their program. It’s hard to distinguish which is more disturbing, the content of the story itself or the fact that the episode had been banned from air. There has been a longstanding demonization of medical doctors who face their careers and credentials being challenged by the establishment if they are viewed as vocal opponents of pandemic vaccinations. Ghislaine Lanctôt, a Canadian author and medical doctor investigated the ineffectiveness and dangers of vaccination and concluded that vaccinations are intentionally being used as a eugenics weapon for a massive and targeted reduction of the world population. Lanctôt writes, “Because of my professional status, my words weighed significantly in the public eye. The Medical Board’s reaction was immediate and strong. Its leaders demanded that I resign as a physician. I answered that I would do so as long as they could prove that what I had written was false. The Medical Board replied with a call for my expulsion. As I witnessed the disproportionate reaction of the Medical Board, I discovered that, despite official claims, vaccines have nothing to do with public health. Underneath the governmental stamp of approval, there are deep military, political and industrial interests.”

“Scientific evidence links vaccinations to chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders, aids, learning disabilities, and other health problems. Viera Scheibner notes that the annual death rate in Europe prior to 1940 from diphtheria was negligible (less than 300 deaths per million).  After this date, when mass vaccinations against the disease were begun, “unprecedented” diphtheria epidemics followed in fully vaccinated subjects.”- Ron Garner, researcher and author of ‘Conscious Health’

Scientists and other prominent professionals who have bravely questioned the inconclusive official account of the September 11th attacks have similarly been blacklisted and subject to career suicide, equating any intellectual deviation from the Corporate media’s version of effects enough to warrant being burnt at the stake. Recently in Australia, the nation’s most prominent anti-vaccination group, The Australian Vaccination Network, which provides anti-vaccination information through its website, magazines and seminars, has been stripped of it’s charitable status by the government of New South Wales and can no longer appeal for public fundraising. The countries seasonal flu vaccine (which is pushed with priority towards loathed Australian Aboriginals and pregnant women), Fluvax, reportedly caused convulsions in ninety-nine children. The rate of seizures in 2010 were fifty times higher than would ordinarily be expected with a vaccine; similarly in Ghaziabad, India, two nine-month-old twins in died within fifteen minutes of receiving a measles vaccination, research published by Archie Kalokerinos, M.D. states that in some Aboriginal communities of Australia every second child given a vaccination died of crib death, but when fed high doses of vitamin C before and after vaccinations, not a single child died; according to the Australian Government, permitting any awareness toward these legitimate concerns is unacceptable.

In 2009, The World Health Organization declared the first flu pandemic of the 21st century during a propagated Swine Flu scare, which like in 1976, never came into fruition. However, the virus created to combat the much-hyped H1N1, which millions of people willfully accepted, contained some very alarming substances. One of the noted components was Thimerosal, a noted mercury derivative, a substance banned in Russia, Denmark, Austria, Japan, Great Britain and Scandinavian countries.

According to a Russian study conducted in 1977, adults exposed to ethylmercury, which is the form of mercury found in thimerosal, suffered brain damage and nervous system injury, which in many cases resulted in coma and death. The vaccine also contained Squalene, an experimental anthrax vaccine component given to returning Gulf War veterans who were used as guinea pigs and subsequently suffered from eveloped arthritis, non-healing skin lesions, aphthous ulcers, neuropsychiatric problems, anti-thyroid effects, anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic diarrhea and multiple sclerosis, to name a few. Author of the book “Vaccine-A” and journalist Gary Matsumoto commented, “Squalene adjuvants are a key ingredient in a whole new generation of vaccines intended for mass immunization around the globe. Eating and digesting Squalene isn’t a problem. But, injecting it galvanizes the immune system into attacking it, which can produce self-destructive cross reactions against the same molecule in the places where it occurs naturally in the body and where it is critical to the health of the nervous system” and has also stated “Squalene is a kind of trigger for a real biological weapon.” Numerous scientists and medical professionals have refused to take the vaccine.

“Despite the refusal of the conventional health establishment to investigate the long-term effects of childhood vaccinations, independent research reports have increasingly been made public. These link vaccination rates to the epidemic of childhood asthma, as well as to crib death, shaken baby syndrome, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, autism, and juvenile diabetes. Since the 1990s, there has been a tenfold or 1000-percent increase in autism, an increase which has been linked by some researchers to the organic mercury preservative commonly found in baby vaccines.” – Walter Last, author of ‘The Natural Way to Heal’

Despite the findings of medical professionals and numerous researchers, the establishment media and the International Community still find no problem with promoting the supposed ‘beneficial qualities’ of mass vaccination. Bill Gates, who has previously attended closed Bilderberg meetings lined with individuals attempting to influence global society with eugenics and strict breeding policies, has contributed 27.6 million USD on five hundred thousand shares of Monsanto stock between April and June 2010 and unsurprisingly, is an outspoken proponent of global vaccinations and touts goals of vaccinating every single child on the planet, claiming that vaccines are “one of the most effective health interventions ever developed.” Chillingly, Gates, when speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, pledged ten billion USD to developing new vaccines for the world’s poorest countries and while declaring “the decade of vaccines” and their huge impact.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have also contributed over 12.5 million USD since 1998 to the organization, Planned Parenthood. Founded by Margaret Sanger in 1921, a prominent eugenicist famous for quotes such as “We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population”, “Birth control must lead ultimately to a cleaner race”, “The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it” and “Eugenics is… the most adequate and thorough avenue to the solution of racial, political and social problems.” In 1939, Sanger launched The Negro Project, with aim of steadily reducing the African American population. Sanger managed to cleverly recruit prominent and well-educated African American ministers into supporting her scheme by portraying birth control as a means to attain economic empowerment, elevate the race and garner the respect of whites; abortion clinics were opened en masse in African American inner city neighborhoods. In 1942, the organization achieved federal status and today has 820 clinic locations in the US, with a total budget of approximately one billion USD. To date, according to studies by the CDC, over thirteen million African American fetuses have been aborted and 78% of their clinics are in minority communities. African Americans make up 12% of the US population and 35% of the domestic abortions, effectively making them the only minority in American with a declining population. Annually, the US Government contributes about three hundred and sixty million USD to Planned Parenthood. Jill Stannic, an Illinois hospital employee has testified before the US House Committee about her experiences with Induced Labor Abortions, where medicines inserted into the vaginal cavity produce a premature live birth, the child is the brought by nursing staff into a room where soiled linens are kept until the child dies. Unlike an abortion, the child receives a birth and death certificate.

“I have studied with great interest, the laws of several American states concerning prevention of reproduction by people whose progeny would, in all probability, be of no value or be injurious to the racial stock.”  – Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Under the regime of Barack Obama, who has personally voted no against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which aims to protect the rights of children who survive abortion procedures, has unanimously passed four times, having been backed by every Democratic candidate include Hilary Clinton and John Kerry.  Barack Obama and the American establishment effectively support infanticide and the continued rates of abortion within African American communities. The President himself has personally advocated Planned Parenthood, an organization founded on the pillars of racial purity and eugenics: “There will always be people, many of goodwill, who do not share my view on the issue of choice. On this fundamental issue, I will not yield and Planned Parenthood will not yield.”  The work of federally funded Planned Parenthood is not the leisurely use of contraceptives, a woman’s right to choose and advocating practices of safe sex; it is about culling racial undesirables and creating a cleaner white race. Unfortunately for Somalians and the people of the African continent, the aims of the Negro Project have not been confined to American borders.

Earlier this year, the United Nation’s news service reports a UN-backed campaign in rural areas of Somalia to vaccinate more than 1.8 million young children against polio, four years after Somalia was declared to be polio-free. The campaign is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and touts goals of reaching every eligible child in the country, despite the fact that the last recorded case of polio in Somalia was in March 2007. Despite numerous studies within the scientific community which indicate that autism may be the result of adverse reactions to childhood vaccinations, research published by environmental physician, Dr. Alan Cohen, stipulates that high levels of autism and attention deficit disorder (ADD) did not occur until the mandatory use of childhood vaccinations, which are still being trumpeted in Africa by the maniacal Neo-Malthusian International Community; officials in Somalia have stated that they hope to reach an estimated 800,000 children in the country’s south-central region, UNICEF’s representative in Somalia has called for the necessity of vaccination teams able to access every community, every household and every child aged under five. In reality these vaccinations offer little protection against yearly flu virus strains and are heavily promoted by the CDC, US Public Health Department and most physicians despite the fact that these substances have resulted in thousands of deaths and paralyzing illnesses. There is enough evidence from the medical community available to confirm that the development of the immune system after contracting the usual childhood diseases matures and renders it capable to fight future infections.

The use of multiple vaccines prevents natural immunity and promotes the development of detrimental side effects. Disturbingly, many hospitals have made flu vaccinations of the elderly a part of routine admission orders and studies have disclosed that 23% of vaccinated children develop asthma compared to zero in unvaccinated children. The vaccination of the Somalian masses was allowed to continue; despite reports from the Associated Press stating the accounts of Nigerian health officials claiming the paralyzation of 124 Nigerian children had been caused by a cheap oral polio vaccine used to fight the paralyzing disease, which was made from a live poliovirus and carries a risk of causing polio, even the vaccines used in the United States and other Western nations are administered in shots, which use a killed virus that cannot cause polio. Numerous members of the scientific and medical communities have published their studies against the detrimental effects of pandemic and immunizational vaccination and have bravely questioned disturbing movements designed to reach vast numbers of the population during stages of infancy. It is documented that immune systems are impaired by vaccinations because even though they may claim to protect the body from one strain of infectious disease, they weaken the immune system against future strains in people who have received vaccinations at a young age, who in the future may seek additional vaccinations to offset their weak immunities caused by infantile vaccination in the first place.

International studies have shown that immunization vaccination contributes to around ten thousand cases of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) annually and other studies have determined at least three thousand children die annually from vaccines within the United States. Because of the dire climate of food instability currently unfolding in Somalia, it difficult to track the adverse effects of vaccinations because most casualties may sooner perish from starvation or at least, that is what the mainstream media outlets will report. As a further indication of the true conditions of concern for the people of Somalia, one must investigate the origins of the heavily reported Somalian piracy and the reports of nuclear waste dumped in the Gulf of Aden off the coasts of Somalia. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy to Somalia claims, “Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. European companies found it to be very cheap to get rid of the waste, costing as little as $2.50 a tonne, where waste disposal costs in Europe are something like $1000 a tonne. And the waste is many different kinds. There is uranium radioactive waste. There is lead, and heavy metals like cadmium and mercury. There is also industrial waste, and there are hospital wastes, chemical wastes – you name it. Since the containers came ashore, hundreds of residents have fallen ill, suffering from mouth and abdominal bleeding, skin infections and other ailments.”

Much of the materials reported in the Somalian seas, which are contributing to new cases of radiation sickness, strange rashes, nausea, malformed babies and death, can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, that have apparently been passed to the Italian mafia to conduct it’s cheap disposal. During a tsunami in 2005, hundreds of the dumped and leaking barrels washed up on shore, Ould-Abdallah has claimed European governments were offering, “Nothing. There has been no cleanup, no compensation and no prevention.” Reports within certain circles of Somalian pirates who take over large cargo ships in exchange for millions in ransom money are commonplace, but the media rarely mentions that some pirates have pledged the money going towards cleaning up the radioactive material on their shores.  Januna Ali Jama, a spokesperson representing groups of Somalian pirates has claimed that ransom demand is a means of “reacting to the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country for nearly 20 years. The Somali coastline has been destroyed, and we believe this money is nothing compared to the devastation that we have seen on the seas.” Additionally, other European ships have been illegally fishing in Somalia’s seas and harvesting seafood, their greatest resource. Vast trawlers illegally sailing into Somalia’s unprotected seas are stealing more than three hundred million USD worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster and other sea life every year. Consider the fact that not only are millions of dollars worth of seafood illegally harvested annually, but also it is harvested off the coast of regions synonymous for recent food instability in waters where nuclear waste is being dumped; those fish are then sold at exorbitant prices in grocery stores all over Europe and elsewhere; the total negligence for human health and well being is astonishing.

Although holding hostages may not be justifiable or the best way to go about addressing solutions to the issues and surely several less-enlightened people take part in piracy to fuel their own personal gain, these are characteristics of people who have lost their livelihoods and have nothing else to loose; the mainstream media has totally neglected this perspective on the issue and only focuses on championing the dispatchment of UN paramilitary forces into Somalian waters, which is an excuse for furthering additional geopolitical objectives of the US. The local fishermen have suddenly lost their livelihoods and the nation is starving. Mohammed Hussein, a local fisherman in the town of Marka told reporters, “If nothing is done, there soon won’t be much fish left in our coastal waters.” A group, who originally referred to them selves as the Volunteer Coast Guard of Somalia, was comprised of ordinary Somalian fishermen who were first to take out speedboats to try to dissuade foreign dumpers and trawlers and establish a fishing tax.

CONCLUSION

The evidence laid out in this article to support the complex array of sabotage being tragically committed against Somalians, residents with the Horn of Africa and the world is enough to leave one overwhelmed and with a very bleak world view. As if things couldn’t get worse for the Somali people, the Washington Post, New York Times and other major American newspapers have recently reported that the US has extended it’s illegal and oxymoronic War on Terror by beginning to launch drone missile attacks over Somalia, while the Pentagon has roughly three thousand troops from all four major branches of the military assigned to the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa stationed in Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, Somalia’s neighboring country to the north. Under the guise of fighting Islamic extremists (the funding of which, will be subject to a separate in-depth article) and degenerate pirates, The US military is preparing to implement an East African military geo-strategy to control the maritime waterways and the movement of international shipping through the Gulf of Aden, as well as the prospects of descending looming multinational corporations to harvest the potential yields of the East African energy basin. Somalia’s lands can very well be subjected to predatory capital and resource-robbers, due to it’s untapped and unexplored potential, and the possibility of American oil giants such as Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips, who have been sitting quietly since nearly two-thirds of Somalia land was allocated to them in the final years before President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and thrown into disarray, to reap prospective fortune in exclusive concessions to explore millions of acres of the Somali countryside for potential petroleum deposits, once the Somalian people have been democratized and liberated by the United States, of course.

John P. Holdren

Concerned people, disenfranchised with what is taking place in the Horn need to drastically reexamine the claims of this article and adjust their vocalization of this issue away from “a failure of the International Community to make sure people have food to eat” to “a deliberate effort of the International Community to enforce austerity and use food as a weapon to enforce population reduction.” Perhaps there is no better example of the Neo-Malthusian philosophy and it’s role in influencing the future, than the genocidal material authored by John P. Holdren, the Obama administration’s US Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, Paul Ralph Ehrlich, biologist and founder of the Zero Population Growth group and his wife, Anne Howland Ehrlich. The lengthy book they published together is called ‘Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment’ and it provides incredible clarity into the intended directions of the Obama Administration and the United Nations policies on the future management of the world’s resources and society. The document encourages the creation of a Global State run by a Planetary Regime, which enforces mass sterilization, compulsory abortions and the rule of law through an International Police force that has control over the intimate and trivial details of our lives. Dr. Webster Tarpley has been critical in offering his insight into the document and the impacts it may have on the future direction of policy.

Holdren, who proudly boasts himself as a Neo-Malthusianist, views human life has a cancerous outgrowth and ridicules ‘Cornucopians’ or people who believe in the bounties of nature in relation to growth and production, contending that harsh limits must be taken to avoid production and innovation by living within the confines of whichever amount of growth he deems suitable, while actively enforcing deindustrialization. The authors of Ecoscience suggest triaging nations deemed too populous such as India and Bangladesh, withholding them from receiving any international food or monetary aid or any kind and the creation of a Science Court charged with the issuance and controls of innovative new sciences and technology. Holdren argues that the world’s population must be adjusted to ‘carrying capacity’ to be in harmony with nature and advocates reducing the population to one billion people by means of sterilization. Excerpts from the genocidal document suggest the following on page 786: “A program of sterilizing women after their second or third child, despite the relatively greater difficulty of the operation than vasectomy, might be easier to implement than trying to sterilize men. The development of a long-term sterilizing capsule that could be implanted under the skin and removed when pregnancy is desired opens additional possibilities for coercive fertility control. The capsule could be implanted at puberty and might be removable, with official permission, for a limited number of births.” On page 942: “The Planetary Regime might be given responsibility for determining the optimum population for the world and for each region and for arbitrating various countries’ shares within their regional limits. Control of population size might remain the responsibility of each government, but the Regime would have some power to enforce the agreed limits.

On page 837, Holdren advocates compulsory abortion, “Indeed, it has been concluded that compulsory population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing Constitution if the population crisis became sufficiently severe to endanger the society” and the right of the Government to take away children born in single parent households on page 786, “One way to carry out this disapproval might be to insist that all illegitimate babies be put up for adoption—especially those born to minors, who generally are not capable of caring properly for a child alone. If a single mother really wished to keep her baby, she might be obliged to go through adoption proceedings and demonstrate her ability to support and care for it. Adoption proceedings probably should remain more difficult for single people than for married couples, in recognition of the relative difficulty of raising children alone. It would even be possible to require pregnant single women to marry or have abortions, perhaps as an alternative to placement for adoption, depending on the society.” Certainly, we have come to a time of great transition in the human story and the prospects our leaders are advocating appear to be intentionally deceptive and contribute to enthusiastically killing any hope of offsetting the abuses described in this article. The eloquence of Mr. Kissinger may help to shed light on why all central authority is mounting towards the continuation of destroying the human condition.

“Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac”   – Henry Kissinger

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Sec. Clinton In Laos Sees US Crimes Against Humanity Still Ongoing

NY Times photo shows Clinton at an artificial-limb center, visiting with a nineteen year old, who lost his forearms and sight from a blast of an unexploded bomb, dropped by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. The bomb, unexploded for decades, finally blew up three years ago. The young man gesticulated with his arm stumps – US has not signed ban on cluster bombs. US Dropped 250 million bombs, 80 million failed to explode

Feature article in New York Times, 7/11/2012 Vietnam War’s Legacy Is Vivid as Clinton Visits Laos by Jane Perlez:

Accompanying photo shows Mrs. Clinton at an artificial-limb center, visiting with a nineteen year old, who lost his forearms and sight from a blast of an unexploded bomb, dropped by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. The bomb, unexploded for decades, finally blew up three years ago.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/12/world/asia/on-visit-to-laos-clinton-is-reminded-of-vietnam-war.html

Clinton’s brief four hour stop-over in Laos was the first visit by an American secretary of state since President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, came here in 1955, and tried to persuade the Lao royal family to drop its neutrality in the cold war and join the American camp. (But already from 1953 on President Ike had had the CIA, not so covertly, operating on the side of the French colonal army in the First Indochinese war both in Laos and in Vietnam – just as he had the CIA overthrowing democratically eleccted, but insuffiently pro-American governments, in the Congo and Guatemala.)

“The young man, Phongsavath Sonilya, gesticulated with his arm stumps as he explained to Mrs. Clinton that more than three decades after the end of the war, not enough had been done to stop the use of cluster bombs and to support those who may be injured in the future by bombs still lying unexploded in the countryside. The United States has not signed the Convention on Cluster Bombs.”

Laos was hit by an average of one B-52 bombload every eight minutes, 24 hours a day. Between 1964 and 1973, US Bombers dropped more ordnance on Laos in this period that was dropped during the whole of the Second World War. Of the 260 Million bombs rainded down, some 80 million failed to explode, leaving a deadly legacy. Laos is the most heavily-bombed country, per capita, in the world. Because it was particularly heavily affected by cluster bombs during this war, Laos was, Laos was a strong advocate of the Convention on Cluster Munitions to Ban the Weapons and assist victimes, and hosted the first meeting of states parties to the convention in November 2010.(The US has consistently opposed the ban.) [The Guardian, UK]

“The government of Laos is run by the Communist Party, and five of the nine members of the Politburo, including the prime minister, … are veterans of the Pathet Lao guerrilla group that supported North Vietnam against the United States. … After Saigon fell, more than 1,200 Americans were evacuated from Laos.” In 1975, with the withdrawal of the massive US Army, Navy and Air Force from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, the Pathet Lao, an intellectual Marxist nationalist independence movement born to fight against the US backed French restoration of brutal colonialism in 1949, that had bravely withstood all the inexpressively horrific US bombings, became the government of all Laos. This historic crime against humanity of bombing a tiny agricultural colonial population mercilessly flowed forward from Eisenhower dutifully preaching, in the name of the miltary-industrial-complex, that retaining control of Laos was the key to retaining control of all South-East Asia.

[The Guardian, UK]

Now Laos is closely aligned with China. The Chinese built many of the main buildings in this relaxed tropical capital and are now constructing a new convention center … for a European-Asian summit meeting in November, a meeting that does not include the United States.

There was no news conference with the prime minister but a carefully worded statement negotiated by both sides that noted the coming entry of Laos into the World Trade Organization, and cooperation between the United States and Laos on environmental protection.

At the center that provides artificial limbs, … Mrs. Clinton viewed a map embedded with red dots that showed where bombs were dropped along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and on the Plain of Jars. There were more than 580,000 bombing missions by the United States Air Force, making Laos the most heavily bombed country on a per-person basis, the text said.

At the end of the war, more than 30 percent of the bombs remained unexploded, leaving Laos with a deadly problem in rural areas that persists today.

Each bomb contained about 600 bomblets, and in recent years about 100 people have been killed by unexploded ordnance, 40 percent of them children.”

… As she toured the center, … There was evidence, too, of the low-cost nature of some of the homemade limbs that farmers put together using bamboo, metal tubes from bombs and wood, while they awaited more professional limbs.

After the visit to the center, Mrs. Clinton said it was “a painful reminder of the Vietnam War era. “The international community will join us in our efforts to bring this legacy of the Vietnam War to a safe end.”

Reading this NY Times article, what immediately jumps up in one’s mind, is ‘boy if the “war’s legacy” had been millions of unexploded bombs in the soil of New Jersey, for instance, they would have been all cleaned up right away.

The article incredulously, reports that Mrs. Clinton “as she toured the center, asked several times “why more sophisticated technology could not be used to find the bombs”

Why indeed, “the international community” is busy in Afghanistan, in Syria and just about everywhere in the Middle East. Busy, not cleaning up, but laying down unexploded bombs that the locals will, as in Laos and elsewhere, eventually be trying to find and explode the unexploded that the US and other Colonial powers leave behind.

By Jay Janson

13 July, 2012

Countercurrents.org

Jay Janson is an archival research peoples historian activist, musician and writer; has lived and worked on all continents; articles on media published in China, Italy, UK, India and the US; now resides in NYC; First effort was a series of article on deadly cultural pollution endangering seven areas of life emanating from Western corporate owned commercial media published in Hong Kong’s Window Magazine 1993. During his last years, Howard Zinn lent his name to various projects of his; Global Research; Information Clearing House; Counter Currents, Kerala, India; Minority Perspective, UK; Dissident Voice, OpEdNews; HistoryNews Network; Vermont Citizen News and others have published his articles, 250 of which are available at: clickhttp://www.opednews.com/author/author1723.html Weekly column, South China Morning Post, 1986-87; reviews for Ta Kung Bao; articles China Daily, 1989. Is coordinator and founder of the King Condemned US Wars International Awareness Campaign click: (King Condemned US Wars)http://kingcondemneduswars.blogspot.com/and originator of Prosecute US Crimes Against Humanity Now Campaign click: http://prosecuteuscrimesagainsthumanitynow.blogspot.com/ with a country by country history of US crimes. Studied history at CCNY, Columbia U., U. Puerto Rico, Dolmetscher Institut München, Germany;