Yahoo: Assad predicts disaster if West meddles in Syria

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Putin isn't going to go to war over Syria.  He's already said a few times Russia can't and won't do anything to stop intervention. (other than at the UN.)

 

I don't think he would. But after his tense conference with Cameron, and reported veiled threat at British intervention; I wouldn't trust what he'd do or who he'd side with down the line. 

 

Hail. 

[visionary]

Unfortunately, some of the people we are supporting are terrorists, how about both sides suck and we dont get involved at all. While the while situation is horrible , we need to focus on home, and if the President is.going to move forward, he should ask Congress.for approval, afterall this is tax payers money and the last time I checked Syria is not a threat to the USA.

We aren't supporting terrorists, but they do fight on the same side as people we support (somewhat, since we haven't sent any weapons so far), like how we fought alongside Russia against Hitler. 

 

I don't understand this idea that somehow we can ignore the situation and it won't effect us.

There are thousands of people going from Europe, Australia, the Gulf Countries, and some from the US to fight in Syria, and becoming radicalized because of this situation.  There are Americans over there providing aid, reporting, held prisoner, killed in battle or assassinated.  And there are millions of refugees pouring out of Syria in the hundreds of thousands to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Libya, and in smaller amounts to the US and Europe among other places. 

 

As the war goes on it would drive up numbers of refugees going out and jihadis coming in. This means destabilization of nearby countries, which has already happened, and the entire region through extension of that.  And it means more and more refugees being spread farther and farther out to places like the US.  And it means increasing radicalization of Syrians and others around the world who see the world ignoring the situation and deciding to take matters into their own hands by going to fight in Syria themselves.  Many of these people will become dangerous extremists and some will come back and recruit others. 

 

 

https://twitter.com/ScottPelley

.@CBSDavidMartin has learned about the evidence the US is using to support an attack on Syria; we'll have it tonight on EveNews.

5:48 PM

 

https://twitter.com/CharlieKayeCBS

From @CBSNews: number of House members signing a letter urging POTUS to receive authorization from Congress before Syria strike now at 37.

6:20 PM

.@CBSDavidMartin: UK Parliament votes Thurs on Syria. Although POTUS hasn't made final decision, US officials expect strike soon after that.

6:37 PM

[Predicto]

Unfortunately, some of the people we are supporting are terrorists, how about both sides suck and we dont get involved at all. While the while situation is horrible , we need to focus on home, and if the President is.going to move forward, he should ask Congress.for approval, afterall this is tax payers money and the last time I checked Syria is not a threat to the USA.

 

I wish I could feels as certain of the right thing to do in this situation as you seem to be.  What a mess.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

O will get Cameron's backing regardless of the vote. The Prime Minister has Royal Prerogative Powers which are basically powers that the Queen has that have been passed to the Head of her Government to allow him to make decisions without consent of Parliament. So he can basically overrule a 'no' vote if you will Thursday if that's how it falls. And the PM has again been VERY forceful today in saying that the use of chemical weapons cannot be allowed to stand. 

 

We could well be about to enter dark times yet again Gentleman. 

 

Hail. 

[Predicto]

The Iraq War supporters reunion!

 

http://m.weeklystandard.com/blogs/experts-obama-here-what-do-syria_751267.html?page=1

 

Note the use of the word "expert" when these guys have about as much "expertise" on good foreign policy as my mother has on the read option offense

 

Notice some of the names who have signed this letter. If several of these people, including Max Boot, Bill Kristol (what a total douche he is), Paul Bremer (who led our wonderful occupation of Iraq), Robert Kagan, Elliot Abrams, Karl Rove ( ) and Governor Tim Pawlenty (since when the hell is that loser a foreign policy expert)

 

That pretty much clinches my view of whether or not to intervene.  

 

You make a good point.  That is an impressive collection of discredited neo-con jerkoffs, and they are almost always wrong.

 

On the other hand, Glenn Beck and Newt Gingrich say we should stay out, so the stupidity is weighing in on both sides.  

[GoSkins561]

You make a good point.  That is an impressive collection of discredited neo-con jerkoffs, and they are almost always wrong.

 

On the other hand, Glenn Beck and Newt Gingrich say we should stay out, so the stupidity is weighing in on both sides.  

 

OTOH, Gingrich is saying we should focus on Iran instead, so it's not like they have adopted a new view on spreading democracy.

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/AlexanderPageSY

Lebanese authorities arrest a Sheikh with proof of involvement in the Trablus explosions and proof of connection to Syria'n intelligence.
8:18 PM

 

https://twitter.com/911BUFF

THE NEW YORK TIMES CONFIRMS ITS WEBSITE HAS BEEN HACKED BY THE SYRIAN ELECTRONIC ARMY.
5:35 PM

NBC: THE FBI IS AWARE AND INVESTIGATING THE HACK OF THE NEW YORK TIMES WEBSITE.

THE SYRIAN ELECTRONIC ARMY CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY.
7:21 PM

CBS: SHIPS TO FIRE AN OPENING SALVO AT NIGHT, WAIT FOR SATELLITES TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE AND RE-STRIKE ANY TARGETS THAT WEREN'T DESTROYED.
7:53 PM

BREAKING NEWS: JORDANIAN AUTHORITIES CLEARING BORDERING AREAS WITH SYRIA AND INPARTICULAR AL RAMTHA ASKING RESIDNETS TO LEAVE FOR SAFETY.
8:28 PM

RIGHT NOW! LOCAL MEDIA REPORT LARGE EXPLOSION IN CENTRAL DAMASCUS IN THE MUHAJRIN AREA JUST A KILOMETER AWAY FROM PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE.
8:35 PM

 

 

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/27/exclusive_us_spies_say_intercepted_calls_prove_syrias_army_used_nerve_gas

Exclusive: Intercepted Calls Prove Syria's Army Used Nerve Gas, U.S. Spies Say

 

Last Monday, in the hours after a horrific chemical attack east of Damascus, an official at the Syrian Ministry of Defense exchanged panicked phone calls with leader of a chemical weapons unit, demanding answers for a nerve agent strike that killed more than 1,000 people. Those conversations were overheard by U.S. intelligence services, The Cable has learned. And that is the major reason why American officials now say they're certain that the attacks were the work of the Bashar al-Assad regime -- and why the U.S. military is likely to attack that regime in a matter of days.

 

But the intercept raises questions about culpability for the chemical massacre, even as it answers others: Was the attack on August 21 the work of a Syrian officer overstepping his bounds? Or was the strike explicitly directed by senior members of the Assad regime? "It's unclear where control lies," one U.S. intelligence official told The Cable. "Is there just some sort of general blessing to use these things? Or are there explicit orders for each attack?"

There is an ongoing debate within the Obama administration about whether to strike Assad immediately -- or whether to allow United Nations inspectors try to collect that proof before the bombing begins. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney called the work of that team "redundant ... because it is clearly established already that chemical weapons have been used on a significant scale."

 

But within the intelligence community, at least, "there's an interest in letting the U.N. piece run its course," the official said. "It puts the period on the end of the sentence."

 

[twa]

OTOH, Gingrich is saying we should focus on Iran instead, so it's not like they have adopted a new view on spreading democracy.

Their reaction should be interesting

[GoSkins561]

McCain is licking his chops at the chance of getting the US involved in yet another war, you would think Republicans would back their boy from a few years ago.

[twa]

I wonder if we could have prevented the attack

lotta people dying no matter what we do

[visionary]

UN Security Council meeting on Syria about to start, UK has put forward a resolution condemning Syria for the chemical weapon attacks and calling for necessary measures to be taken to protect civilians.

 

Russia says there should be no discussion of any resolutions until the UN is done investigating.  The UN, and BKM have said it will take 4 days to finish up.

 

 

NATO just spoke up and said that they believe the regime responsible and that it can not go unanswered.

 

 

http://nytimes.com, we are also publishing at http://news.nytco.com."

 

On Tuesday the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad who have hacked a number of media websites and their Twitter accounts, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Times as well as one on Twitter itself.

 

"Media is going down," a message at the shadowy group's Twitter account proclaimed. "Twitter, are you ready?"

 

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/139874/michael-weiss/how-to-oust-assad

How to Oust Assad

And Why the United States Should Try

 

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke of the recent chemical attack in Syria as an “undeniable” fact -- not a subject for debate. He called it “moral obscenity” and laid the blame squarely on the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The statement was an undisguised war speech. The only question now is what form that war might take and how long the battle will last.

 

There are several rumors swirling. One is that the Obama administration would prefer a mere “punitive” campaign. Some precision-timed leaks to the media seem to point in this direction. But such a strategy would accomplish nothing if the goal is to deter the Assad regime from ever using chemical agents again. Over the past year, Israel has waged half a dozen pinprick strikes on caches of advanced weapons inside Syria, likely because they were destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. The very number of operations attests to how little they altered Assad’s mindset: he still imports high-tech hardware.

 

Another rumored plan, which NBC reported, citing senior U.S. officials, is that sorties over the next few days would not aim to kill Assad or topple his regime, but may seek to destroy or to degrade his command-and-control facilities, artillery systems, and airfields. That is surely a smarter option, provided that the strikes rise above sending a message and do some lasting damage to the regime’s military infrastructure. Anything short of that would be strategically useless and a waste of expensive missiles.

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/SimaDiab

Non-interventionalists: **** your hypocrisy. Iran, Hezbollah intervened in Syria for 2yrs while you watched YouTube vids of Miley Cyrus.
3:54 AM

 

https://twitter.com/BSyria

Can the pentagon stop leaking attack plans? Only thing left is for Obama to call Bashar and ask for recommended targets.
8:14 AM

 

https://twitter.com/LeShaque

@BSyria That's exactly the idea. Minimize the damage from the strikes. Make sure not to get some official that warrants retaliation.
8:16 AM

 

I'm telling you, this is the most cowardly use of force I've ever seen.
8:16 AM

 

 

https://twitter.com/glcarlstrom

Jordanian gov't spokesman tells reporters that the kingdom "will not be a launching pad for any military action against Syria."
8:52 AM

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/28/us-syria-crisis-army-preparations-idUSBRE97R0R320130828

Syria evacuates most army buildings in Damascus: residents

 

President Bashar al-Assad's forces appear to have evacuated most personnel from army and security command headquarters in central Damascus in preparation for a Western military strike, residents and opposition sources said on Wednesday.

 

U.S.-led air or missile strikes on Syria look all but certain after the United States and European and Middle Eastern allies blamed a suspected poison gas attack that killed hundreds in the city on Aug 21 on President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

 

Army units stationed near the capital have confiscated several trailer trucks, apparently to transport heavy weaponry to alternative locations, though no significant movement of military hardware has been reported, possibly due to heavy fighting near major highways, one of the sources added.

 

Among the buildings that have been partially evacuated are the General Staff Command Building on Umayyad Square, the nearby airforce command and the security compounds in the Western Kfar Souseh districts, residents of the area and a Free Syrian Army rebel source said.

 

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/topic/syria/belgium-not-convinced-military-action-syria

Belgium not convinced on military action in Syria

 

Belgium, which joined international military actions in Libya and in Mali, is "not yet convinced" of the merits of intervening in Syria and wants proof that Damascus used chemical weapons against its people.

 

"I am not yet convinced. What we want is to receive information showing the use of these arms," Didier Reynders, foreign minister of Belgium, said Wednesday in an interview on state broadcaster RTBF.

 

Belgium hopes for such information from the United Nations, "but should France, the United States and United Kingdom have information on this subject, they could share it with their NATO allies," he said.

 

While condemning the use of chemical arms as "odious", Reynders highlighted the risks of a military riposte.

 

"What would be the consequences in Syria and in the region? What would be the consequences of acting without the consent of the UN Security Council? For tomorrow Russia too could decide to intervene without consent if others do," he said.

[visionary]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/28/strike-assad-regime-british?CMP=twt_fd&CMP=SOCxx2I2

Strike against Assad regime stalled by British political rows

 

Allied air strikes against the Syrian government over the alleged use of chemical weapons could be delayed until next week in the face of strong opposition in the UK parliament to British involvement in immediate military action.

 

British prime minister David Cameron conceded that MPs would be given a second vote to approve military action to defuse a parliamentary revolt, ahead of a Commons debate on Syria on Thursday. UK sources insisted that the US, which had planned to launch the strikes by the weekend, had delayed, handing Cameron a lifeline, and revived a back-up plan to delay the strikes until Tuesday when Barack Obama is due to set out for the G20 summit in Russia.

In a reflection of the different political pressures pulling the transatlantic allies in different directions, Downing Street undertook to return to the security council in a renewed effort to secure a UN mandate for military action after Russia blocked a British resolution at an informal meeting in New York. But the US state department meanwhile insisted it saw "no avenue forward" at the UN for finding an international consensus for armed action, because of Russian support for Bashar al-Assad's regime.

 

Furthermore, Washington made it clear it saw no need to wait for a report by UN inspectors currently in Damascus investigating the gas attack, estimated to have killed more than 1,000 people.

 

"We are going to make our own decisions on our own timelines about our response," the state department spokeswoman Marie Harf said. She added that because of initial Syrian government obstruction of the UN investigation, it had "passed the point where it can be credible".

 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/syria-wants-un-weapons-inspectors-to-stay-longer-move-could-forestall-us-military-strike/2013/08/28/69855348-1008-11e3-85b6-d27422650fd5_story.html

Syria wants U.N. weapons inspectors to stay longer; move could forestall U.S. military strike

 

The Syrian government on Wednesday asked the United Nations to keep its team of weapons inspectors in Damascus beyond their Sunday deadline, a request that could complicate the timeline for a widely expected U.S. military strike.

 

In a letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Syrian government claimed that rebels attacked Syrian forces with chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus on three days earlier this month. Syria’s envoy to the United Nations said the agent used in the attack was “close to what we call the nerve gas sarin.”

 

U.S. officials, however, said Syria’s allegations lack credibility.

U.N. officials issued no immediate response to the Syrian letter, but Ban called Tuesday night for enough time for inspectors to do complete their mission.

 

“The use of chemical weapons by anyone, for any reasons, under any circumstances, would be an atrocious violation of international law,” Ban said. “It is essential to establish the facts. A United Nations investigation team is now on the ground to do just that.”

 

http://brown-moses.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-smoking-gun-video-shows-assads.html

The Smoking Gun - Video Shows Assad's Forces Loading, Firing, Munition Linked To Chemical Attacks

 

The following video was just sent to me by @Paradoxy13, showing the type of munition linked to alleged chemical attacks being loaded and fired by what appears to be Assad's forces.

 

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/8/28/a-night-in-the-fieldclinic.html

On Syria's front lines: A night in the field clinic

 

Scrambling to save lives in the Syrian conflict

 

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/28/20232943-what-happens-after-a-strike-on-syria-it-depends-on-how-far-the-us-goes?lite?ocid=twitter

What happens after a strike on Syria? It depends on how far the U.S. goes

 

America’s expected “limited” strikes in Syria could push the country into an even more dangerous and unpredictable downward spiral or even an international crisis, but doing nothing may be unconscionable and has consequences of its own.

 

Iran says a U.S. strike in Syria will result in disaster in the region.

 

Syria's foreign minister promised the Syrian military would defend against an attack in ways that will “surprise” the world.

 

Israel said it is putting its missile defenses, including the Iron Dome and Arrow systems, on their highest state of alert.

Hezbollah is fighting hand in glove with the Syrian regime. The group has tens of thousands of rockets just across Israel’s northern border. It could fire them if it fears it's losing its ally.

 

In Syria, rebels hope foreign military intervention will be just enough to make the regime wobble. They say they’ll be ready with their own offensive to push the regime over the rest of the way.

 

 

https://twitter.com/vvanwilgenburg

FSA Gen. Salim Idriss and FSA Colonel Abdul-Jabbar Aqidi visit Aleppo at Salahadin front before 'US action'? http://twitpic.com/dar3dz
11:28 AM

 

https://twitter.com/AmbassadorPower

In P5 mtg this morning UK introduced UNSC resolution text that was appropriately strong given gravity of Syrian regime’s CW use last week.
4:53 PM

Unfortunate outcome of P5 meeting: Russia & China continue to block meaningful Security Council action on Syria, impeding UN path forward.
4:54 PM

Recall: In July Russia blocked nonbinding UNSC resolution condemning any CW use; last week even blocked press statement against CW attack.
4:56 PM

 
Syrian regime must be held accountable, which UNSC has refused to do for 2+ years. US considering appropriate response.
4:56 PM

 

https://twitter.com/ajamlive

Speaker Boehner asks Pres. Obama to personally make case to Congress and American people for potential action in Syria
5:00 PM

[Predicto]

I wonder if we could have prevented the attack

lotta people dying no matter what we do

 

I'm not sure what you mean.   The phone interception happened after the attack.

 

Or are you referring to something else?

[visionary]

I'm not sure what you mean.   The phone interception happened after the attack.

 

Or are you referring to something else?

Well, US intelligence had reports of movement in their CW facilities, but didn't think it was anything special at the time.

Not sure we could have stopped it from happening though.

[twa]

I'm not sure what you mean.   The phone interception happened after the attack.

 

Or are you referring to something else?

 

just curious if waiting was better{idle speculation as to how much is enough to justify pre-emption or if we are stuck in react mode}

the phone interception and video are just confirmation, the chem/bio weapons are under observation

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/28/us-syria-crisis-usa-obama-idUSBRE97R1A920130828?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=992637

Obama says has not made a decision on Syria military strike: PBS

 

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that he has not made a decision on making a military strike against Syria, but said the goal of a limited action would be to deter future use of chemical weapons.

 

"If we are saying in a clear and decisive but very limited way, we send a shot across the bow saying, stop doing this, this can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term," he told Public Broadcasting Service in a televised interview.

 

The president said U.S. officials believe the Syrian government is responsible for the attack a week ago in the suburbs of Damascus that killed hundreds of people, and do not believe the Syrian opposition has chemical weapons that could have been used on that scale.

Seems like world leaders are backing away. 

People are pretty disappointed...well other than Assad and anybody out there with chemical weapons.

[visionary]

http://backchannel.al-monitor.com/index.php/2013/08/6072/obama-clear-decisive-limited-action-on-syria-will-benefit-us-national-security/#ixzz2dJb0jjqY

Obama makes case for ‘decisive’ but ‘limited’ action on Syria

 

While insisting that he has not made a decision yet, President Obama explained Wednesday that the military strike on Syria he is contemplating was for the limited purpose of preventing the further use chemical weapons, and was not intended to insert the U.S. into the bloody Syrian civil war. Even as he said he had not made a final decision, his precise explanation of the scope and purpose of U.S. military action made clear that he has all but made up his mind.

 

“If we are saying in a clear and decisive but very limited way, we send a shot across the bow saying, ‘Stop doing this,’ this can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term,” Obama told PBS’s News Hour Wednesday.

 

The President’s comments came as the United Kingdom, facing demands from opposition lawmakers, signaled it wouldn’t be prepared to participate in any action for at least another week, following two votes by parliament and consideration of a UN inspectors report on Syria.

While Washington will want UK participation, it “will be more concerned to get it done quickly,” a former senior U.S. administration official told Al-Monitor Wednesday, on condition of anonymity. The Obama administration “will accept that the UK needs a few days, but if [british Prime Minister David] Cameron doesn’t get [his ducks] in a row, they will not accept any more delays and not let it stop them.”

 

 

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/08/28/did_white_house_leaks_already_spoil_the_syria_attack?page=0,0

Did White House Leaks Already Spoil the Syria Attack?

 

U.S. airstrikes into Syria will begin within days and involve Tomahawk cruise missiles fired by American warships in the eastern Mediterranean.  They will last less than a week and target a limited number of Syrian military installations.  And they will be designed to send a stern message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, not force him from power.

 

That's the word coming out of the White House and Pentagon, at least. While the Obama administration publicly insists that it hasn't made a final decision about whether to attack Syria, anonymous officials within that administration are leaking a strikingly large amount of detailed information about the timing, duration and scope of the potential military intervention.  The flood of details raises a pair of related questions. Is the administration deliberately trying to telegraph its plans for a strike? And if so, why?

 

"I have no earthly idea why they're talking so much," said retired Admiral William Fallon, the former head of the military's Central Command. "It's not leaking out; it's coming out through a hose. It's just a complete head-scratcher."

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/08/28/heres-how-one-hacker-is-waging-war-on-the-syrian-government/

Here’s how one hacker is waging war on the Syrian government

 

As President Obama weighed U.S. air strikes in Syria this week, a lone American hacker was waging his own attack on the Syrian government. He works a white-collar job in the United States by day, while at night he’s on the digital front lines of the civil war in Syria, where hacktivists on both sides of the conflict are fighting to deliver their messages over cyberspace.

 

The American, who identified himself with the pseudonym “Oliver Tucket,” contacted me over the weekend. He shared copies of two Syrian government documents he said he had gleaned from a hacked server. The shy, earnest, clean-cut young professional of about 30 says he doesn’t have any specific ties to the Syrian conflict but was upset about the actions of the Syrian government and wanted to embarrass the Assad regime.

 

Online attacks have become one more front in modern warfare. But the Internet’s global reach gives those cyber battles a more freewheeling character than conventional warfare. Smart hackers around the world can insert themselves into volatile situations to embarrass enemies, draw attention to pet causes, or cause mischief.

 

Tucket says he was surprised at just how weak the Syrian regime’s network defenses were. Evidently, as the government has become overwhelmed with the country’s raging civil war, network security hasn’t been a priority. And with the U.S. government on the brink of launching airstrikes in the country, the security of Syria’s IT systems might not be improved any time soon.

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article3854838.ece

Government fury as Miliband scuppers plan for Syria attack

 

David Cameron’s plans for British participation in military action in Syria — painstakingly agreed with President Obama in recent days — unravelled in a bad-tempered conversation with Ed Miliband at 5.15pm yesterday.

 

The Prime Minister was apparently unprepared for the call from the Labour leader. Mr Miliband said his party would not back a Commons vote today allowing British submarines to fire rockets at Syrian military targets.

 

http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/28/us_and_syria_trade_places_on_chemical_weapons_inspections

U.S. and Syria Trade Places on Chemical Weapons Inspections

 

It wasn't long ago that the Obama administration was championing the cause of U.N. chemical weapons inspectors in Syria. And it wasn't long ago that Syria was resisting every effort by the weapons inspectors to gain access to their territory.

 

But the tables turned Wednesday, as Washington dismissed the work of the inspectors as largely pointless, and Syria appealed to the United Nations to expand the chemical weapons teams mandate and to keep them in the country beyond the Sunday deadline. The change in tone has caused some friction between Washington and its closest friends in London. The Americans have concluded that the inspections can't tell U.S. policy makers anything they don't already know; The British, on the other hand, would like to give the inspectors a chance to present their case.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-in-syria-us-credibility-is-at-stake/2013/08/28/54e8bc50-0ffd-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.htmlI

In Syria, U.S. credibility is at stake

 

What does the world look like when people begin to doubt the credibility of U.S. power? Unfortunately, we’re finding that out in Syria and other nations where leaders have concluded they can defy a war-weary United States without paying a price.

 

Using military power to maintain a nation’s credibility may sound like an antiquated idea, but it’s all too relevant in the real world we inhabit. It has become obvious in recent weeks that President Obama, whose restrained and realistic foreign policy I generally admire, needs to demonstrate that there are consequences for crossing a U.S. “red line.” Otherwise, the coherence of the global system begins to dissolve.

 

Look around the world and you can see how unscrupulous leaders are trying to exploit Obama’s attempt to disentangle America from the tumult of the Middle East. As we consider these opportunistic actions, it’s easier to understand the rationale for a punitive military strike against Syria for its use of chemical weapons.

 

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/08/syria-kurds-join-national-coalition.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Syria’s Kurds Formally Join Opposition Coalition

 

Officials in the opposition’s Syrian National Coalition, led by Ahmad al-Jarba, and the Kurdish National Council (KNC), led by Abdel Hakim Bashar, signed an agreement that resulted in Bashar being appointed vice president of the National Coalition and the Kurdish entity joining the opposition bloc. However, the leader of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), Salih Muslim, told Al-Hayat that he rejects any agreement that is not signed with the Kurdish Supreme Committee.

 

Abdel Hamid Darwish, head of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party, told Al-Hayat that the talks between the National Coalition and the KNC culminated in a 16-article agreement that was signed by both parties in Istanbul a day earlier. The agreement includes recognizing the constitutional rights of the Kurdish people and changing the name of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Syrian Republic, as well as including 11 members of the KNC in the National Coalition’s 114-member general commission and adding three members to the political commission, composed of 19 members.

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/29/us-syria-crisis-usa-congress-idUSBRE97R18W20130829

U.S. congressional leaders to receive Syria briefing on Thursday

 

Senior Obama administration officials will brief congressional leaders on Thursday on the situation in Syria, congressional aides said, amid complaints by lawmakers they have not been properly consulted as the president deliberates about possible military action.

 

The briefing by senior White House and national security officials will be with leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives, and the chairmen and ranking members of national security committees, Democratic and Republican congressional aides said.

 

President Barack Obama has a legal obligation to consult with Congress before sending U.S. forces into harm's way.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/29/world/middleeast/legislators-push-for-vote-before-strike.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimesworld

Legislators Push for Vote Before Strike

 

Lawmakers stepped up their call on Wednesday for President Obama to consult with Congress before ordering a military strike on Syria, with more than 100 House members signing a letter pressing the president to seek a vote before taking action.

 

“We strongly urge you to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria,” read the letter, signed by 98 Republicans and 18 Democrats. “Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution.”

 

Speaker John A. Boehner weighed in as well, sending Mr. Obama a letter that stopped short of demanding a Congressional vote while calling on the president to provide a legal justification for force. Mr. Boehner’s letter also asked Mr. Obama to answer more than a dozen questions about potential military plans in Syria.

 

“We strongly urge you to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria,” read the letter, signed by 98 Republicans and 18 Democrats. “Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution.”

 

Speaker John A. Boehner weighed in as well, sending Mr. Obama a letter that stopped short of demanding a Congressional vote while calling on the president to provide a legal justification for force. Mr. Boehner’s letter also asked Mr. Obama to answer more than a dozen questions about potential military plans in Syria.

 

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2013/08/marco-rubio-breaks-silence-on-syria-wants-obama-to-clearly-lay-out-details.html

In damage control, Marco Rubio breaks silence on Syria, wants Obama to "clearly lay out" details

 

The United States has significant national interests at stake in the conflict in Syria. First, Assad is a close ally and supporter of the Iranian regime. He has allowed Syria to be used as a staging ground and way station for terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and al Qaeda. Second, an unstable Syria threatens to become the premier operational area in the world from which jihadis can train, plan and carry out attacks against our allies in the region including Israel and even the United States.

 

That is why at the outset of this conflict more than two years ago, I argued that the United States should identify non-jihadist groups in Syria and help train and equip them so that they could not only topple Asaad, but also be the best organized, trained and armed group on the ground in a post-Assad Syria.

 

Instead, the President chose to lead from behind. The result is that the best funded and armed groups in Syria today are Assad's Iranian-backed killers, Hezbollah fighters aligned with Assad, and rebels with links to al Qaeda.

 

http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/is-this-19-year-old-the-leader-of-the-syrian-electronic-army

Is This 19-Year-Old the Leader of the Syrian Electronic Army?

 

The Syrian Electronic Army topped the news cycle again this week, following takedowns of The New York Times, Twitter, and Huffington Post UK. They're just the most recent efforts in a long string of high-profile hacks, which have targeted the likes of the Associated Press, the Onion, and NPR.

 

The SEA has said it is waging cyberwar to denounce media coverage of the conflict in Syria they see as being overwhelmingly anti-Assad. But who's actually running the operation? New evidence indicates that it's a 19-year-old Syrian named Hatem Deeb.

 

While the SEA has conducted a handful of interviews with the media, including our colleagues at VICE, they have done so anonymously. Their identities have remained secret in all media correspondences, veiled behind user names like TheShadow and ThePro. ThePro, or Th3Pr0, has claimed the mantle of lead hacker, and his identity has so far been under wraps.

 

 

https://twitter.com/lrozen

Now hearing air attack will be more robust than expected......... senior US officials to lawmaker.......
7:45 PM

quite clear from responses to queries to US officials they are not waiting on the UN and not waiting more than couple days for Brits
7:47 PM

"While we’re clearly consulting closely with the Brits, we are making decisions on our timeline," US off'l just told me, not delaying 4UN/UK
7:49 PM

 

[visionary]

http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2013/05/27/chemical-war-in-syria_3417708_3218.html

Chemical warfare in Syria

 

Reporters for Le Monde spent two months clandestinely in the Damascus area alongside Syrian rebels. They describe the extent of the Syrian tragedy, the intensity of the fighting, the humanitarian drama. On the scene during chemical weapons attacks, they bear witness to the use of toxic arms by the government of Bashar al-Assad.

 

A chemical attack on the Jobar front, on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, doesn't look like anything much at first. It's not spectacular. Above all, it's not detectable. And that's the aim: by the time the rebel fighters of the Free Syrian Army who have penetrated furthest into Damascus understand that they've been exposed to chemical products by government forces, it's too late. No matter which type of gas is used, it has already produced its effects, only a few hundred meters from residential areas of the Syrian capital.

 

At first, there is only a little sound, a metallic ping, almost a click. And in the confusion of daily combat in Jobar's Bahra 1 sector, this sound didn't catch the attention of the fighters of the Tahrir al-Sham ('Liberation of Syria') Brigade. 'We thought it was a mortar that didn't explode, and no one really paid attention to it,' said Omar Haidar, chief of operations of the brigade, which holds this forward position less than 500 meters from Abbasid Square.

In the tangled web of the Jobar front, where enemy lines are so close that the fighters exchange insults as often as they kill each other, gas attacks occurred on a regular basis in April. The gas was not diffused over a broad swath of territory but used occasionally in specific locations by government forces to attack the areas of toughest fighting with the encroaching opposition rebels. This sector is the place where Free Syrian Army groups have penetrated most deeply into Damascus. A merciless war is being waged here.

 

http://www.theonion.com/articles/so-whats-it-going-to-be,33662/

So, What’s It Going To Be?

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/29/syria-debate-house-commons-motion?CMP=twt_gu

Syria motion: what the House of Commons will debate

 

https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/kremlin-putin-rowhani-agree-chemical-weapon-use-impermissible

Kremlin: Putin, Rowhani agree chemical weapon use 'impermissible'

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian counterpart Hassan Rowhani agree that chemical weapon use is "impermissible" but oppose intervention in their ally Syria, the Kremlin said after the two held telephone talks.

 

"Both sides consider that the use of chemical weapons by anyone is impermissible," said a statement posted on the Kremlin website late Wednesday.

 

"Considering the calls for outside military intervention in the Syrian conflict, they have also highlighted the need to seek ways to settle [the conflict] solely through political-diplomatic means," it said.

 

The two presidents discussed the Syrian conflict "at the initiative of the Iranian side," it said.

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/29/us-syria-crisis-inspectors-idUSBRE97S0AO20130829?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

U.N. team goes to Damascus suburbs to test poison gas attack sites

 

A team of U.N. experts left their Damascus hotel for a third day of on-site investigations into apparent chemical weapons attacks on the outskirts of the capital.

 

Activists and doctors in rebel-held areas said the six-car U.N. convoy was scheduled to visit the scene of strikes in the eastern Ghouta suburbs.

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/THE_47th

Aljazeera is quoting Ban Ki Moon saying that the UN Inspectors will leave Damascus this Saturday.
4:28 AM

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=727465087280630&l=9d35dfafb5

Local Cordination Committees in Syria

By the end of Wednesday the cordination committees were able to document 104 martyrs including 7 children, 5 women and 3 under torture: 72 martyrs were reported in Alepoo including 55 in Sfera massacre has been discovered today ; 10 in Damascus and its suburbs; 7 in Idlib; 3 in Hama; 3 in Homs; 2 in Deir Ezzor

 

 

In Daraa, the FSA has secured the defection of 20 soldiers from regime forces with their full equipment from Tal Harrah, and targeted Armored Brigade 12 with more than 20 mortar shells in Daraa's eastern countryside, and targeted a BMP vehicle and a Doshka vehicle, the FSA has also liberated Bado alley in Daraa Al-Balad, and targeted Qasad

 

 

https://twitter.com/markito0171

Syria MIG warplane bombing Daraa city

4:51 AM

[visionary]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/29/obama-refused-to-send-gas-masks-to-syria-opposition-for-over-a-year.html

Exclusive: Obama Refused to Send Gas Masks to Syrian Opposition for Over a Year

 

The Obama administration has refused to send gas masks and other chemical-weapons protection gear to Syrian opposition groups, despite numerous requests dating back more than a year and until the reported chemical-weapons attack that struck the Damascus suburbs August 21.

A senior Obama administration official confirmed to The Daily Beast on Wednesday that the White House did review the issue last year and determined it wouldn’t provide any gas masks or other chemical-weapons protective gear to the Syria opposition because of fears the equipment could get into the wrong hands.

“The provision of protective gear for the opposition sounds like an easy idea, but we need consider the potential for misuse as well,” the official said. “Such equipment requires proper training to be effective, and we need to be careful about how and to whom we provide it.”

To date, the administration has provided only one tranche of nonlethal military supplies to the Free Syrian Army, a convoy of medical kits and Meals Ready to Eat in May that were set to expire shortly after delivery. Despite indicating in June that the U.S. would provide increased military assistance to the FSA to respond to previous chemical-weapons attacks, little or no military aid from the U.S. has reached the rebels.

 

 

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-attack-syria-20130829,0,5321181.story

U.S. would rely on missiles in a strike on Syria

 

A U.S. attack on Syria is likely to begin at night with fiery explosions at military installations, artillery batteries and headquarters near the capital, Damascus, and other government strongholds around the country, according to current and former U.S. officials.

The strikes, involving dozens of cruise missiles launched from U.S. warships, attack submarines and possibly warplanes, would probably last up to three days. The Obama administration is seeking to punish President Bashar Assad's government for its alleged use of chemical weapons while avoiding a messy intervention in the country's civil war.

 

U.S. planners expect Syria to activate its sizable air defense system once the attack commences, firing antiaircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles into the night sky in an effort to shoot down the low-flying Tomahawk missiles whizzing over buildings and mountains at more than 500 mph. Most of the weapons are likely to get through, though, because the U.S. will be jamming Syrian radars, analysts say.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/29/uk-report-chemical-attack-Syria

UK report on chemical attack in Syria adds nothing to informed speculation

 

The report by Britain's Joint Intelligence Committee on the Syrian chemical warfare attacks fails to answer a central question – about the motivation of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Its conclusion that the Syrian government was "highly likely" to be responsible largely rests on precedent and the firm view that the opposition was not capable of carrying out attacks on this scale.

 

The JIC did say that it had "some intelligence" to suggest "regime culpability" for the August 21st attack, which it says resulted in at least 350 fatalities. David Cameron, according to a covering letter from the JIC chairman, Jon Day, has had access to it all. But there is no further elaboration on this central point.

 

There is also a striking lack of any scientific evidence in the document.

 

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Aug-29/229152-obama-makes-case-for-punishing-syria-but-possible-delays-loom.ashx#axzz2dN92S7XQ

Intelligence on weapons no 'slam dunk': sources

 

The intelligence linking Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle to an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed at least 100 people is no "slam dunk," with questions remaining about who actually controls some of Syria's chemical weapons stores and doubts about whether Assad himself ordered the strike, U.S. intelligence officials say.

 

President Barack Obama declared unequivocally Wednesday that the Syrian government was responsible, while laying the groundwork for an expected U.S. military strike.

 

"We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out," Obama said in an interview with "NewsHour" on PBS. "And if that's so, then there need to be international consequences."

 

However, multiple U.S. officials used the phrase "not a slam dunk" to describe the intelligence picture - a reference to then-CIA Director George Tenet's insistence in 2002 that U.S. intelligence showing Iraq had weapons of mass destruction was a "slam dunk" - intelligence that turned out to be wrong.

 

[GoSkins561]

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is sending two warships to the east

Mediterranean, Interfax news agency said on Thursday, but Moscow denied

this meant it was beefing up its naval force there as Western powers

prepare for military action against Syria.

Interfax quoted a source in the armed forces' general staff as

saying Russia, Syria's most powerful ally, was deploying a missile

cruiser from the Black Sea Fleet and a large anti-submarine ship from

the Northern Fleet in the "coming days".

 

http://news.yahoo.com/russia-send-two-ships-east-mediterranean-interfax-081001695.html

 

Awesome, a few cruise missiles are not  going to solve Syria's problems, all they are going to do is cause bigger problems, hopefully Obama turns his back and walks away from the entire situation. 

[visionary]

Awesome, a few cruise missiles are not  going to solve Syria's problems, all they are going to do is cause bigger problems, hopefully Obama turns his back and walks away from the entire situation. 

So what do you think the appropriate response is?

Obviously cruise missiles aren't supposed to solve Syria's problems, but make anyone think twice about using CW in the future.

Personally I think any strikes in Syria need to be coupled with some sort of international plan to deal with the refugee situation, and provide more assistance to the opposition, but I haven't seen too much of that yet.

 

 

 

http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/29/new_fears_for_syria_s_jihadists

New fears for Syria’s jihadists

 

Amid the considerable media frenzy regarding apparently imminent U.S.-led punitive strikes on Syrian military forces and facilities, one interesting party to this country's conflict has been largely ignored: the jihadists. In recent days, a notable number of members of the online jihadist community -- some involved directly and others indirectly in the conflict in Syria -- have been somewhat fixated on a widespread fear that their leaders, personnel, and bases will also be the target of Tomahawk cruise missiles. 

 

While no Western officials have suggested any such eventuality is being considered, the extent of the discussion is telling. In the last one-and-a-half years, jihadists have established a concrete foothold in the heart of the Middle East. Jabhat al-Nusra maintains an operational presence in 11 of Syria's 13 governorates and the roughly four-month old Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) -- an extension of al Qaeda in Iraq's (AQI) front group, the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) -- is catching up fast. This is not to mention at least 10 other decidedly jihadist groups operating on a more localized level across the country. Clearly, this remarkable expansion in jihadist territorial spread and influence is of long-term concern to the West, and it is for this reason that jihadists are so concerned. 

 

In a note entitled "Important Instructions... Before the US initiates its Mission," distributed via social media on August 27, senior Fatah al-Islam leader Abdullah Shaker (Abu Bakr) claimed: "For each and every missile that strikes a [syrian] missile site, there will be another that targets the mujahideen's positions," suggesting such strikes would aim to kill as many jihadist leaders as possible. Shaker went on to advise all jihadists to "change your positions, take shelter, and do not move in public," and underlined how previous experiences in Mali, Iraq, and Afghanistan had seen "the mujahideen destroyed in a very short time," as the necessary precautions were not undertaken. Shaker also advised against any attempts to deploy anti-aircraft weapons against U.S. "raids" as this would "practically be suicidal."

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/29/us-syria-crisis-missiles-idUSBRE97S12920130829?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Exclusive: Syrian army moves Scud missiles to avoid strike

 

President Bashar al-Assad's forces have removed several Scud missiles and dozens of launchers from a base north of Damascus, possibly to protect the weapons from a Western attack, opposition sources said on Thursday.

 

The move from the position in the foothills of the Qalamoun mountains, one of Syria's most heavily militarized districts, appears part of a precautionary but limited redeployment of armaments in areas of central Syria still held by Assad's forces, diplomats based in the Middle East told Reuters.

 

They said rebel raids and fighting near key roads had blocked a wider evacuation of the hundreds of security and army bases that dot the country of 22 million, where Assad's late father imposed his autocratic dynasty four decades ago.

At the headquarters of the army's 155th Brigade, a missile unit whose base sprawls along the western edge of Syria's main highway running north from the capital to Homs, rebel scouts saw dozens mobile Scud launchers pulling out early on Thursday.

 

Rebel military sources said spotters saw missiles draped in tarpaulins on the launchers, as well as trailer trucks carrying other rockets and equipment. More than two dozen Scuds - 11-metre (35-foot) long ballistic missiles with ranges of 300 km (200 miles) and more - were fired from the base in the Qalamoun area this year, some of which hit even Aleppo in the far north.

 

 

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/topic/syria/un-council-powers-meeting-again-Syria

UN council powers meeting again on Syria

 

The UN Security Council's permanent members are meeting for the second time in two days to discuss Syria's crisis.

 

Envoys from the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China entered the meeting on Thursday afternoon at UN headquarters.

 

Russia remains firmly opposed to such action, saying there is no evidence the Syrian regime was responsible for the attack, as the U.S. and its allies contend.

 

A Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private, said Russia called Thursday's meeting. Russia's U.N. mission refused to comment.

 

 

http://en.ria.ru/analysis/20130829/183047608/Russia-Worried-About-Strikes-on-Syria-Not-Really.html

Russia Worried About Strikes on Syria? Not Really

 

As US destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean are aiming their cruise missiles at Syrian state targets, what can Moscow – which has been vocally opposed to Western military intervention – do and how much does it stand to lose? Surprisingly little on both counts, foreign policy experts say.

To Avoid List:

 

- Getting cozier with Iran

Syria’s No. 1 regional ally is Iran, the world’s main stronghold of Shiite Islam. Russia has a track record of working with the Islamic Republic: It has built a nuclear plant in the Iranian city of Bushehr and agreed to sell Tehran some S-300 air defense systems, though pulled out of the deal in 2010, largely under Western and Israeli pressure. It is feasible that Moscow could consider deeper involvement with Iran, but the Kremlin would not want to be drawn into any Iran-related escalation of the Syria conflict, Allison said. He added that, while Moscow would try to preserve its relations with Tehran, it would also strive to limit any damage to its generally cordial relations with Israel. Russia fears empowering Iran too much, given the country’s nuclear ambitions and reputation as a regional troublemaker.

 

- Destroying relations with the US

Russia’s relations with the United States are in disarray, but Syria is only one item on the agenda, said Oliker of RAND. Moscow may make some symbolic moves toward suspending defense cooperation with Western countries, including on Iran and Afghanistan, but “it is unlikely that Russia will follow through on threats of this kind,” said Lough of Chatham House.

 

- War

One thing Russia will not do is fight for Syria. Lavrov said it explicitly Monday, and pundits were unequivocal in agreeing he meant it. Like many recent US-led military operations, a strike against Syria simply would not touch enough on Russia’s vital geopolitical interests, leaving Moscow without an incentive to expend the considerable economic and military effort required by overseas military operations, analysts said. Another concern would be public opinion: About the only example of Russia’s military involvement against a US-led military offensive was a sudden takeover by Russian paratroopers of a Kosovo airport in 1999, which left the world slack-jawed but had few consequences otherwise. In that case, however, Moscow could boast to the Russian public of its bold support for the Serbs, a brethren Slavic people perceived as unfairly attacked by the West.

[SKINS@THEGOALLINE]

Awesome, a few cruise missiles are not  going to solve Syria's problems, all they are going to do is cause bigger problems, hopefully Obama turns his back and walks away from the entire situation. 

 

From what I gather, it is not a question of if, but when. (With regards to a U.S. strike on Syria) I fear a larger conflict may result.

[GoSkins561]

So what do you think the appropriate response is?

Obviously cruise missiles aren't supposed to solve Syria's problems, but make anyone think twice about using CW in the future.

Personally I think any strikes in Syria need to be coupled with some sort of international plan to deal with the refugee situation, and provide more assistance to the opposition, but I haven't seen too much of that yet.

 

 

I think the 2 sides that are fighting should continue to fight and we should focus on taking care of our own issues.  I'm not opposed to assisting other countries who are assisting with the refugee situation.    Do you really think this is just going to end with a few missiles blowing up a couple of chemical weapons plants?

From what I gather, it is not a question of if, but when. (With regards to a U.S. strike on Syria) I fear a larger conflict may result.

 

If true, Obama should be impeached if he proceeds without getting the approval of Congress, it appears that Congress would reject any military action.

[visionary]

I think the 2 sides that are fighting should continue to fight and we should focus on taking care of our own issues.  I'm not opposed to assisting other countries who are assisting with the refugee situation.    Do you really think this is just going to end with a few missiles blowing up a couple of chemical weapons plants?

Of course not.  That isn't the point of it though.  The missiles are supposed to send a message.

I hope they also take out some air bases, and scud bases (though at least some of these seem to have been evacuated already) to lesson the damage going on and speed things up a bit.

 

I worry that the refugee situation may be already out of hand.

Ideally I would like to see some sort of safe zone (as France and Turkey suggested over the past couple of years) in Syria itself to keep the overcrowding in neighboring countries from getting worse, but I doubt that's going to be put in place.

The problem with the refugee situation is that it will only increase as the war drags on, so anything that's done towards helping refugees will need to keep increasing as well.  That's going to be a serious issue down the line if it isn't already.