visionary Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 OK, so from what I'm reading from you, and what I've watched on TV (almost the whole argument by Cameron, and the UK voting "no"), we might have to go it alone? That's gonna suck. France seem pretty certain on going with us. And the UK might not be completely out of it after all. We'll have to see if they have another vote. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=729995677027571&l=a13add12bb Deir Ezzoer: FSA able to down a warplane in Howeiqa neighborhood http://m.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Sep-02/229571-hard-trail-for-refugees-desperate-to-reach-europe.ashx Hard trail for refugees desperate to reach Europe Oliver Ivanovic’s patience paid off. Shortly before midnight, on a hilltop in no-man’s-land between Serbia and Macedonia, dozens of grainy figures shuffled through the sights of his thermal goggles. “I have a feeling we’re going to get lucky tonight,” the Serbian border patrol officer said with a grin. Among the 34 illegal immigrants netted that night trying to steal into Serbia was Mohammad Bakr. The 25-year-old Syrian, a clean-cut student of electrical engineering, said he had fled the besieged city of Aleppo after his home was struck by a rocket fired in an unrelenting civil war. With him were 11 relatives, including small children, part of a rising tide seeking passage from Syria and the tented squalor of refugee camps on its borders to the safety of Western Europe. It had taken Bakr six months to get this far, running a gauntlet of extortion and abuse at the hands of professional people smugglers and corrupt police. As Washington weighs a military strike against Syrian leader Bashar Assad, the human fallout of two-and-a-half years of conflict that has sent millions to flight is no longer contained to the Middle East. It’s on Europe’s doorstep. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/un-7-million-syrians-displaced-civil-war UN: 7 million Syrians displaced by civil war The head of the U.N. refugee agency in Syria says 7 million Syrians, or almost one-third of the population, have been displaced by the country's civil war. Tarik Kurdi told The Associated Press on Monday that 5 million of the displaced are still in Syria while about 2 million have fled to neighboring countries. He says 2 million children are among those directly affected by the war. Kurdi says U.N. assistance has been a "drop in the sea of humanitarian need" and that the funding gap is "very, very wide." He says international donors have sent less than one-third of the money needed to help those displaced by the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-01/obama-on-week-long-drive-to-get-congress-behind-him.html Syria Rebels Urge Defections as Obama Rallies Support Syrian rebels urged President Bashar al-Assad’s officers to defect, seeking to swing momentum in the country’s civil war during a lull created by President Barack Obama’s decision to consult Congress on military strikes. As Obama’s top aides embarked on a campaign to win support for an attack on Syria, a key group fighting to topple Assad said it’s already seeing benefits, including a faster flow of arms, because of the international outrage at his alleged use of chemical weapons. Meanwhile Russia reiterated its skepticism about what the U.S. says is the evidence against Assad, while Obama’s Arab allies stopped short of endorsing unilateral U.S. action. Oil extended declines. Syrian officers who abandon Assad will get guarantees that “we will protect them and their families,” Mohammed Almustafa, media coordinator for the Free Syrian Army’s leadership, said by phone today from an undisclosed location on the Syria-Turkey border. He said there’s been a surge in defections, and a parallel increase in weapons supplies for the rebels in the past two weeks, with Turkey and “some Arab countries” being especially supportive. The claims couldn’t be verified. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/02/us-syria-crisis-france-chemical-idUSBRE9810GQ20130902?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews French intelligence: Assad behind 'massive, coordinated' chemical attack Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out a "massive and coordinated" chemical attack on August 21, according to a declassified French intelligence report released on Monday, a French government source told Reuters. The nine-page document - issued by external and military intelligence services and to be presented to lawmakers later on Monday - lays out five points that suggest Assad was behind the attacks. "This poses a major threat to national and global security," the source said. The intelligence includes satellite imagery showing the attacks coming from government-controlled areas to the east and west of Damascus and targeting rebel-held zones. The source said Assad's forces had since bombed the areas to wipe out evidence. "Unlike previous attacks that used small amounts of chemicals and were aimed at terrorizing people, this attack was tactical and aimed at regaining territory," the source said. https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/israel-president-backs-obama-on-Syria Israel president backs Obama on Syria Israel's President Shimon Peres on Monday said he supported US President Barack Obama's decision to seek Congressional approval for military action against Syria. "I have full faith in President Obama's moral and operational stance," Peres said in an interview with Israeli army radio. "I recommend patience, I am confident that the United States will respond in the right way to Syria." Obama said Saturday he will ask the US Congress to authorize military action against Syria over an alleged chemical attack, lifting the threat of immediate strikes on President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Peres said the situation in Syria was now more complicated than ever, requiring careful deliberation over foreign intervention. "There is no one Syria anymore. Syria as it was is no longer. Assad cannot unite Syria, there are three or four countries in one," he said, in apparent reference to various rebel groups fighting to topple the regime. Peres also ruled out Israeli involvement in any intervention. "It is not for Israel to decide on Syria, we are in a unique position, for varying reasons there is consensus against Israeli involvement. We did not create the Syrian situation," he said. http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-nato-chief-convinced-syrian-government-behind-chemical-attack/1741591.html?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=voa_news&utm_medium=twitter NATO Chief Convinced Syrian Regime Behind Chemical Attack NATO's secretary-general said on Monday he had seen evidence convincing him Syrian authorities were behind a deadly chemical weapons attack and said it would send a "dangerous signal to dictators'' if the world did not respond firmly. However, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said it was up to individual NATO countries to decide how they would respond to the attack and he did not envisage any NATO role beyond existing plans to defend NATO member Turkey, which borders Syria. "I have been presented with concrete information and, without going into details, I can tell you that personally I am convinced, not only that a chemical attack has taken place ...but I am also convinced that the Syrian regime is responsible,'' Rasmussen told a news conference. http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=325255 Nearly 10,000 Syrian refugees enter Turkey in past week As Washington weighs a military strike against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, the two-and-a-half years of conflict that have sent millions to neighboring countries are continuing to take a toll on Turkey as at least 9,400 Syrian refugees crossed into southern Turkey in the past week. The fighting has displaced 5 million inside Syria while two million Syrians have sought refuge abroad in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, according to UN figures. The total, at about 7 million, amounts to nearly one-third of Syria's population. Turkey has long been one of Assad's most vocal critics and has been a staunch supporter of the opposition fighting against him. It has spent around $2 billion sheltering Syrian refugees, according to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Turkish authorities, however, said last week that Turkey had spent nearly $740 million for half a million Syrian refugees in the past two years. At least 8,000 Syrian refugees crossed into Turkey from border crossings in the Reyhanlı district of Hatay in the past week, with more crossing at other points. https://twitter.com/Lara In some places, like in the Damascus suburbs, people are starting to eat the leaves off trees because there’s not enough food.6:44 AM https://twitter.com/annepenketh French general says Obama decision showed contempt for France http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2013/09/02/la-volte-face-d-obama-temoigne-d-un-grand-mepris-pour-la-france_3469762_3218.html12:58 PM https://twitter.com/wissamtarif Russian Pres. @PutinRF_Eng sends his parliamentarians to lobby #US congress against @BarackObama on Syria. US Foreign Policy worst moment.1:08 PM https://twitter.com/markito0171 Damascus Rebels destroyed the next 2 tanks inside huge base of brigade 81 today (yesterday 4 T-72 + 2 Shilkahttp://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.729694&lon=36.691761&z=14&m=b10:42 AM https://twitter.com/AcrossTheBay Der Spiegel says German BND intercepted conversation between high ranking Hezbollah official and Iranian embassy re Assad's order to use CW.1:54 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Hmmm I wonder if the extra time discussion of possible strikes has somehow prompted more defections: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=730182617008877&l=8cab0bdcbd Raqqa: Dissent of 55 members including officers from 17th division https://twitter.com/SoccerMouaz the defection of 55 Conscript in Assads Army including a high ranking officer from the 17th Division of Regime forces in Raqa1:48 PM https://twitter.com/THE_47th Exclusive: The Syrian Coalition have just secured a major military defection from Syria. Top ranking officer said to have a LOT of evidence.2:05 PM This sounds like a high-level defection. Expecting a big conference in Turkey by tomorrow to reveal. SC is being very secretive.2:06 PM My source wouldn't give me the name of this Military top ranking general, said the Syrian Coalition want to handle this from A-Z.2:09 PM I'm being told the General has game-changing evidence from Assad's military, including the latest chemical attack.2:10 PM Now don't start bugging me if the NC don't reveal him tomorrow.. I just say things as I hear them, and yes, the source is very reliable. The general is now safe in Turkey.2:12 PM http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=324930 Turkey debates citizenship for Syrian refugees The status of Syrian refugees, which has been uncertain for over two years and may remain in limbo for some time to come, has become a topic of discussion in Turkey, which could continue to host them as guests or turn the situation to its advantage by granting them citizenship. As an intervention by foreign countries seems likely after the Bashar al-Assad regime's use of chemical weapons, the future of the Syrian civil war is moving into unknown territory, and thus Turkey has begun to consider how it will handle the approximately 500,000 Syrian refugees, a number that is expected to reach 1 million by the end of this year. While some believe that the refugee situation can be turned to Turkey's advantage by granting them citizenship, others fear that this may result in the troubles in Syria being transferred to Turkey. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/02/us-syria-crisis-france-pm-idUSBRE9810JB20130902?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews France says can't act alone on Syria, wants to create coalition France aims to build a coalition of countries to back military action against the Syrian government in response to a chemical weapons attack in Damascus, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Monday. "This act cannot be left without a response," Ayrault said after presenting an intelligence report on Syria to lawmakers. "It's not for France to act alone. The president is continuing his work of persuasion to bring together a coalition without delay." "France is determined to penalize the use of chemical weapons by (President Bashar al-)Assad's regime and to dissuade with a forceful and firm response," Ayrault said. "The objective is neither to topple the regime or liberate the country." he said, adding that only a political solution in Syria was possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 http://theaviationist.com/2013/09/02/atl2-cyprus/#.UiUC4mzD9fM France deploys spyplanes to Cyprus to monitor Assad’s next move As happened in 2011, in the weeks that preceded the kick off of Operation Odyssey Dawn against Gaddafi, airborne surveillance platforms are amassing around Syria. According to Air Cosmos, two French Navy Atlantique II aircraft were moved to RAF Akrotiri, in Cyprus, where they have joined the two E-3D AWACS and the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets that London has detached in the Eastern Mediterranean sea to provide the air defense of the small island located just 200 km off the Syrian coasts. The Atlantique maritime patrol aircraft are SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) assets that have been extensively used in Mali, during Operation Serval operating from Dakar, in Senegal. They will be used to eavesdrop Syrian communications and signals to have a better understanding of what is happening in the country. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/john-mccain-syria-vote-96170.html John McCain: Syria ‘no’ vote would be ‘catastrophic’ Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Monday that it would be “catastrophic” if a use-of-force resolution against Syria fails to pass Congress. “A rejection of this resolution would be catastrophic, not just for him but for the institution of the presidency and the credibility of the United States,” McCain said after meeting with President Barack Obama. Yet McCain said he has not yet been convinced to support Obama’s Syria proposal because the president has yet to outline his plan of attack against the Assad regime. “I’m already talking to a lot of my colleagues, but before I can persuade them to support this, I have to be persuaded,” McCain said. “I’m saying that I think the president made sense in a lot of things he had to say, but we are a long way from achieving what I think would be a most effective strategy.” McCain, who along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) met with Obama for an hour at the White House Monday, said the administration must provide substantial support for the Syrian opposition at the same time it launches a bombing campaign. Graham pushed for Obama to publicly outline his plan not just for a bombing campaign, but for assistance to the Syrian rebels. “I am hopeful that in the coming days we will learn more about this strategy of degrading and upgrading, and when the vote comes we can go on the floor of the Senate and say the administration has a plan apart from a limited military action that will allow us to get to where we need to go as a nation,” Graham said. https://twitter.com/HannahAllam State Dept: Kerry spoke w/Netanyahu on Sun, Syrian SMC Gen Salim Idriss today. Expressed confidence US would hold Assad 'accountable' for CW2:48 PM Over weekend, SecKerry also spoke 2x w/Emirati FM Abdullah bin Zayed, Saudi nat sec adviser Bandar, SOC's Jarba, Arab League's Araby.2:53 PM https://twitter.com/TheMoeDee my uncle literally sold his car to donate the money to refugee families that came to Damascus from Homs. RealFSA2:57 PM muslim FSA soldiers protect and help take elderly christians to the church on Sunday. RealFSA3:01 PM - https://twitter.com/BSyria I asked a defected Air Force General: Will the strike achieve any results? "It is achieving results even before it happens", he said.5:08 PM Accrdng to him: It has hit the morale of regime soldiers; it's dispersing previously concentrated brigades & thereby enabling defections5:10 PM https://twitter.com/MuathAlWari Kerry: The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have offered the US the use of their military bases for the proposed strike against Assad.5:04 PM https://twitter.com/BSyria "50 soldiers defect from the Republican Guard in Damascus" (Use salt) @ikhwanSyria: انشقاق 50 من قوات اللواء 104 حرس جمهوري بريف دمشق"5:05 PM https://twitter.com/jenanmoussa Source tells me: V. high up Syrian army officer defected. 2mrrw official announcement w/name &details. Threat of intervention having effect.5:37 PM Source tells me: Since West threatened to intervene, 400 Syria army personnel defected from regime.5:38 PM Probably the same one 47 mentioned. He added later that the guy is reportedly an Alawite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 McCain has a such a boner for war, I wish he would go away. I haven't talked to a single person that thinks we should attack Syria, if Congress is listening to the people, they will approve attacks on Syria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I haven't talked to a single person that thinks we should attack Syria, if Congress is listening to the people, they will approve attacks on Syria. Um... Anyway, that's why this isn't a direct democracy and the average person who knows extremely little of foreign events isn't in control of foreign policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Commando Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Was the Parliament vote a resolution to take military action off the table entirely? If so, that's unbelievable to me. Military intervention must at least be on the table or you're absolutely neutering your ability to enforce international law. It has to be an option just like the police must have the option to use force to enforce local laws. Chemical weapons are still an evil right? Using them must be forbidden right? Well, enforcing that ban is going to require the application of hard power against regimes using horrific means to murder their own people. I don't understand the political ins and outs of the vote in Parliament, but it seems like it was basically motivated by short sighted political opportunism by a minority coalition--a bald and successful move to obstruct the majority government simply to undermine them. They took advantage of a poorly informed public sentiment of apathy to score short term political points. It was irresponsible government and it sounds familiar. I would hate to see the same thing play out in our own government but I have essentially no faith in this Congress at all. I would hope that our members of congress have enough of a sense of civic and humanitarian duty to do their jobs and govern. Or at least stay out of the way of the Obama administration on Syria. In particularl, I'd hope the Republicans will not play hyper-partisan obstructionist politics when actual people are getting gassed and murdered. But congress has shown willingness to hurt our own country already, heaven help the Syrians... Most of what I've read from ordinary people in support of the Parliament vote were just anti-war platitudes stemming from apathy. Public sentiment need not be a consideration in the enforcement of international law, and in this case it's going to have to be ignored IMO. The country has a duty that must be performed, regardless of whether or not Joe Blow on the street feels like we should do it. Also, the skepticism over whether the attacks originated from the Assad regime was simply thinly veiled apologia/appeasement. My general thoughts on the situation: - Letting Russia, China, and Iran dictate the situation thus far produced a humanitarian disaster. - Watching Britain try and wash their hands of the situation entirely is disgraceful. - Relying on France to take the lead in these recent crises is troubling and feels cowardly--as sure a sign of the decline of America's geopolitical power as any. - Syria is an all out catastrophe. Where did we go wrong? We've been observing this situation daily from the very beginning and it still became a catastrophe on our watch. We've failed to stop something that we should have had the power and opportunity to prevent. I don't know what sort of military response to the Syrian crisis is best. Of course I don't, I have no expertise there. But I believe that some form of military response must absolutely be on the table, that some form of military action will likely be necessary to punish and prevent the Assad regime from using chemical weapons again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324202304579051280341316034.html?mod=rss_middle_east_news&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter U.S. Still Hasn't Armed Syrian Rebels In June, the White House authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to help arm moderate fighters battling the Assad regime, a signal to Syrian rebels that the cavalry was coming. Three months later, they are still waiting. The delay, in part, reflects a broader U.S. approach rarely discussed publicly but that underpins its decision-making, according to former and current U.S. officials: The Obama administration doesn't want to tip the balance in favor of the opposition for fear the outcome may be even worse for U.S. interests than the current stalemate. U.S. officials attribute the delay in providing small arms and munitions from the CIA weapons program to the difficulty of establishing secure delivery "pipelines" to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands, in particular Jihadi militants also battling the Assad regime. Allied rebel commanders in Syria and congressional proponents of a more aggressive military response instead blame a White House that wants to be seen as responsive to allies' needs but fundamentally doesn't want to get pulled any deeper into the country's grinding conflict. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/02/syria-congress-guide-obama-pelosi-mccain/2754963/ The six key players in Congress' Syria debate A week ago, it seemed the question of whether to take military action against Syria rested solely on the shoulders of President Obama. But he has turned to Congress to authorize military airstrikes against Syria for using chemical weapons, setting up the most consequential foreign policy vote since the 2002 authorization of the Iraq War. Obama and his supporters on Capitol Hill will have to overcome broad skepticism about the merits of military strikes and navigate the political divisions that have left Congress largely paralyzed. The vote also cast a spotlight on key lawmakers who will be critical in determining whether or not Congress authorizes Obama to use military force. Congress is still on recess, but the arm-twisting has begun and the Syria resolution will be the first order of business in both the House and Senate when they return Sept. 9. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/09/02/201027/to-some-us-case-for-syrian-gas.html#.UiVKwWzD9fM To some, US case for Syrian gas attack and need for strike has too many holes The Obama administration’s public case for attacking Syria is riddled with inconsistencies and hinges mainly on circumstantial evidence, undermining U.S. efforts this week to build support at home and abroad for a punitive strike against Bashar Assad’s regime. The case Secretary of State John Kerry laid out last Friday contained claims that were disputed by the United Nations, inconsistent in some details with British and French intelligence reports or lacking sufficient transparency for international chemical weapons experts to accept at face value. After the false weapons claims preceding the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the threshold for evidence to support intervention is exceedingly high. And while there’s little dispute that a chemical agent was used in an Aug. 21 attack outside of Damascus – and probably on a smaller scale before that – there are calls from many quarters for independent, scientific evidence to support the U.S. narrative that the Assad regime used sarin gas in an operation that killed 1,429 people, including more than 400 children. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/09/undermine-al-qaeda-syria.html Attacking al-Qaeda in Syria US President Barack Obama has made a compelling case that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has used nerve agents to kill hundreds of Syrians. A decision to use military force against the Assad regime is now rightly being debated in Congress. The United States wants to find some way to strike Assad that does not benefit the most dangerous elements of the Syrian opposition — the al-Qaeda franchises that have become increasingly important in the Syrian civil war. One way is to better use information warfare against the al-Qaeda menace. The United States and its partners should do more to expose al-Qaeda’s factions in Syria as the terrorists they are. A campaign providing more information about the groups, and especially their leaders, would damage their credibility. Who are al-Baghdadi and Golani really? What are their real names and backgrounds? What are their connections to Zawahiri and Zarqawi? Who is calling the shots in al-Qaeda’s war in Syria? The more information brought to light about these figures, the less they are likely to be seen as freedom fighters or holy warriors. The United States' Arab allies, especially Jordan, which has an excellent intelligence service, could play a significant role in such a campaign. So too can Washington's European partners with expertise in the area. The Turks, Saudis and Qataris, who are arming the opposition, should be included in the effort. There is, of course, a downside. The Russians will argue that the United States is just exposing the Syrian opposition for what it really is — an al-Qaeda-dominated movement. Since 2011 Moscow has been parroting the Assad regime’s line that the opposition has always just been a bunch of terrorists. In fact, however, the uprising against Assad began without any help from al-Qaeda, which was surprised by the start of the Arab Awakening and slow to get on the bandwagon against Assad. It was only when the regime resorted to brutal, massive violence that al-Qaeda became a player. In that sense, Assad — having created a self-fulfilling prophecy — is the real grandfather of al-Qaeda in Syria. There are no good options in Syria for Washington and its allies. Any military intervention is certain to have unintended negative consequences. Americans are right to worry that the country will be dragged into another Iraq-like, expensive and ultimately futile quagmire. There is no simple answer to the difficult challenges Syria’s civil war presents, and there is no way to hermetically separate attacking Assad for his criminal use of chemical weapons from the larger drama of the civil war. A more robust information campaign to undermine al-Qaeda in Syria would help to mitigate, but not eliminate, the dangers of the civil war. It should become part of the strategy Congress endorses, with or without military action. http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2013/09/09/130909taco_talk_coll Crossing the Line Early in 1987, Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi President, decided to clear out scores of Kurdish villages, in order to undermine separatist rebels. He asked Ali Hassan al-Majid, a general and a first cousin, to lead the project. In tape recordings later produced by Iraqi prosecutors, Majid told Baath Party colleagues that the novelty and the terror of chemical weapons would “threaten” the Kurds and “motivate them to surrender.” On April 16th of that year, Iraq became the first nation ever to drop gas bombs on its own citizens; the gassing campaign lasted two years and killed thousands of people. “I will kill them all with chemical weapons!” Majid told his colleagues. “Who is going to say anything? The international community? **** them! The international community and those who listen to them!” Two weeks ago, on August 21st, a poison-gas attack killed more than fourteen hundred civilians in the suburbs of Damascus, Syria’s capital. President Obama, in fashioning a response, has been burdened by the United States’ recent history with Iraq. The Administration of Ronald Reagan stood by as “Chemical Ali” waged his campaign against the Kurds. Fifteen years later, to justify an invasion of Iraq, the Administration of George W. Bush infamously claimed that Saddam Hussein still possessed chemical and biological arms. It soon became apparent that Saddam had abandoned them. That tragic war has rightly raised the standards of proof that Obama must meet to credibly propose military action in the Middle East, particularly if the casus belli concerns unconventional arms. In Iraq, starting in 2006, Chemical Ali went on trial for mass murder and other crimes against humanity. The proceedings were undeniably flawed. Yet they put Majid’s murderous arrogance on full display to his countrymen, and guaranteed that the record of his guilt can never be obscured. He was hanged in 2010. The prospect of even such rough justice for Syria’s chemical bombers looks elusive. Yet Obama’s original instincts were sound. There are red lines even in a war as devoid of clarity as Syria’s. The best available evidence is that on August 21st Bashar al-Assad’s forces crossed to the other side. ♦ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/02/vladimir-putin-syria?CMP=twt_gu Vladimir Putin under new pressure over Syria Vladimir Putin is to be confronted at the G20 summit of world leaders in St Petersburg this week with an array of western intelligence including damning new French evidence directly linking Syrian government forces with a massive and co-ordinated chemical attack on 21 August that led to hundreds of civilian deaths. The Russian president will also be urged to show a new diplomatic flexibility and come closer to accepting that the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, has to stand aside. A nine-page declassified French intelligence report was released on Monday which claimed to show Assad forces had launched an attack on Damascus suburbs held by opposition units using a combination of conventional weapons and "the massive use of chemical weapons". The report follows similar documents from British and American intelligence. The Nato secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen also insisted that "personally I am convinced, not only that a chemical attack has taken place … but I am also convinced that the Syrian regime is responsible." http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/senate-syria-plan-barack-obama-96172.html New Senate Syria plan limits Barack Obama Senate leaders are working on a revised resolution authorizing U.S. strikes in Syria that puts President Barack Obama on a short leash in responding to the alleged use of chemical weapons by Bashar Assad’s forces, sources said Monday. But whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) can find the 60 votes he will need to overcome an expected filibuster of the new Syria proposal is still far from clear. Aides to Reid and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) have set aside a proposed Syria resolution submitted by the White House on Saturday night. That draft resolution — developed without congressional input — is seen as far too broad by lawmakers in both parties. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee, is also involved in the discussions over the new resolution, Senate sources said. Some of the options being considered for the revised Authorization for the Use of Military Force include a 60-day period for Obama to launch “narrow, limited” strikes against Assad’s regime with the potential for a 30-day extension of that deadline. Language barring the insertion of U.S. ground troops — but crafted to allow special forces operations or the rescue of a downed American flier, for instance — is also being considered, the sources said. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/john-kerry-to-democrats-munich-moment-96165.html John Kerry to Democrats: ‘Munich moment’ Secretary of State John Kerry told House Democrats that the United States faced a “Munich moment” in deciding whether to respond to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. In a 70-minute conference call on Monday afternoon, Kerry derided Syrian President Bashar Assad as a “two-bit dictator” who will “continue to act with impunity,” and he urged lawmakers to back President Barack Obama’s plan for “limited, narrow” strikes against the Assad regime, Democratic sources on the call said. Kerry’s derisive comments on Assad and his reference to the 1938 Munich agreement between Adolf Hitler and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain — after which Chamberlain infamously declared it would lead to “peace for our time” — showed the hard line the White House is taking in its drive for congressional approval of the Syrian resolution. Top administration officials argue that a failure by the United States to respond to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime will only lead to more violence and instability in the region. Kerry also said that Israel, America’s closest ally in the region, backed the need for a U.S. military response. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=730298556997283&l=d778ae9bdc Local Cordination Committees in Syria By the end of Monday the cordination committees were able to document 107 martyrs includings 4 women, 9 children, 1 under torture: 63 Martyrs were reported in Damascus and its suburbs; 16 in Aleppo; 9 in Idlib; 8 in Daraa; 4 in Homs; 4 in Hama; 3 in Deir Ezzor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 - Relying on France to take the lead in these recent crises is troubling and feels cowardly--as sure a sign of the decline of America's geopolitical power as any. - Syria is an all out catastrophe. Where did we go wrong? We've been observing this situation daily from the very beginning and it still became a catastrophe on our watch. We've failed to stop something that we should have had the power and opportunity to prevent. I don't know what sort of military response to the Syrian crisis is best. Of course I don't, I have no expertise there. But I believe that some form of military response must absolutely be on the table, that some form of military action will likely be necessary to punish and prevent the Assad regime from using chemical weapons again. Why shouldn't France take a turn?..especially since you think military action will be needed again. we are covering them from retribution and they need the practice. (fwiw I supported taking Assad down long ago) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323932604579051234076232794.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet Syria Prepares for U.S. Attack The Assad regime prepared for a U.S. attack on the capital despite a likely delay in any military action, urging civilian evacuations, moving soldiers into vacant apartments and issuing new threats of retaliation. A senior Syrian official on Monday said that both the Syrian army and its ally Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group, would strike back in the event of a U.S.-led offensive by first hitting American warships now in the Mediterranean Sea. Referring to Hezbollah as the resistance, Khaled Abboud, a parliament member and confidant of President Bashar al-Assad, told The Wall Street Journal: "The resistance and the armed forces are now one body. In my assessment, Hezbollah will side with Syria in certain operations targeting warships in the Mediterranean." They're making much more aggressive threats now that they've sensed weakness. Quite a different tone from a few days ago. This is interesting though. Possibly confirms new accounts of defections the past couple of days: The regime warned Syrians to beware of rumors which it said were part of possible psychological warfare that could be waged by the U.S. and its allies. This included "rumors about the escape of important people from the country" and "videos of people impersonating Syrian officials," read full-page advertisements in state newspapers. http://news.sky.com/story/1135749/syria-assad-planned-gas-attack-last-summer Syria: Assad 'Planned Gas Attack Last Summer' A former high-ranking Syrian diplomat who defected saying his conscience could not allow him to continue representing the regime has emerged from hiding to give his first interview to Sky News. Khaled al Ayoubi was President Bashar al Assad's most senior figure in Britain and was at the heart of discussions between Britain and Syria over its use of chemical weapons. After resigning as the charge d'affaire at the Syrian embassy in July 2012, Mr al Ayoubi said he had been granted protection by the UK's Foreign Office. Since then he said he received death threats from members of Mr Assad's secret intelligence service and had been forced to live at a secret location. Mr al Ayoubi, an ethnic Kurd who joined the Syrian diplomatic service in 2001, now intends to apply for political asylum in the UK on the grounds he could face persecution if he was to return to his home country. Mr al Ayoubi revealed how the Foreign Office knew last year of the existence of chemical weapons in Syria and that the regime assured authorities they would not be used against civilians. He said he believed President Assad was planning a chemical attack last summer but a crucial intervention by the British government may have prevented it. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/03/world/middleeast/flow-of-refugees-out-of-syria-passes-two-million.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimesworld Flow of Refugees Out of Syria Passes Two Million As the United States and its allies struggled for a course of action to punish the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the United Nations said the number of civilians who had fled to neighboring countries had surpassed two million — a new milestone in what it called “the great tragedy of this century, a disgraceful humanitarian calamity.” Fear of Western airstrikes in the past week was a factor in an exodus that continued to gather momentum, inflicting acute social strain and political tension on receiving countries, António Guterres, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, said in an interview in Geneva on Monday. It took two years of conflict in Syria for the refugee figure to reach one million, but only six more months to reach two million, Mr. Guterres noted. In addition, at least 4.5 million people have been driven from their homes inside Syria by the destruction and violence, meaning that close to one-third of the country’s population has been displaced by the civil war, and about half the population has needed humanitarian aid, Mr. Guterres said, putting Syria’s crisis at a level unseen in recent decades. About 40,000 Syrians fled to Iraq in the last two weeks of August, and 13,000 arrived in Lebanon in the past week. Over all, close to 5,000 Syrians are leaving every day. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/defence/article3858964.ece?CMP=SOC-appshare-iphonetto-tw-ios-1.5 US leaves ‘unreliable’ British out in the cold British military chiefs are being ejected from US meetings about Syria in the first direct consequence of David Cameron’s refusal to join military action. The role of senior British officers based at US Central Command in Tampa, Florida, has been downgraded because they cannot be trusted with high-level intelligence about a conflict with which they are no longer involved, military sources say. That seems kind of unfair and counterproductive, especially if Britain changes it's mind or ends up being forced to help out anyway. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/03/opinion/nato-must-help-obama-on-syria.html NATO Must Help Obama on Syria James G. Stavridis, a retired admiral of the United States Navy, was the supreme allied commander, Europe, for NATO from 2009 to 2013. He is dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. President Obama has sensibly opted to seek support from Congress on Syria, which provides a window of time to approach another body that should offer more than moral support: NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization must be part of an international effort to respond to the crisis in Syria, beginning immediately with punitive strikes following the highly probable use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. The president, the secretaries of defense and state, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should all approach their counterparts to secure NATO action. Such action could be justified based on self-defense, owing to the threat posed to Turkey, a NATO member that has backed Mr. Obama’s call for an American-led intervention; the overall threat posed by weapons of mass destruction; and, more controversially, on the evolving international doctrine of a “responsibility to protect.” NATO has not moved forward so far, because of the absence of a United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing action against Syria, but that is not required under the rules of the alliance — indeed, NATO has previously acted with force without such approval, notably in Kosovo in 1999. Despite the potential unpopularity of such action — particularly following Parliament’s vote on Aug. 29 against Britain’s use of military force — such a mission is at the core of NATO’s role in the 21st century. While NATO had a Security Council resolution to enforce in Libya, in 2011, the alliance went into Kosovo without such approval. That could be the case in Syria, with a strong push by the United States and its allies France and Turkey, which have pledged to support an intervention in Syria. As with Libya, not every nation would need to actually provide forces (only about half did so in Libya), so long as all supported the basic principle of engagement. https://twitter.com/dickinsonbeth impressive that McCain has become such an imp FP figure that his backing for Obama re Syria warrants http://nytimes.com top headline12:57 AM McCain's always been imp in FP, but has upped the ante post-pres campaign - and generally well respected out in this part of world12:58 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 http://www.buzzfeed.com/miriamelder/assad-speaks-the-only-way-to-deal-with-them-is-to-annihilate Assad Speaks: “The Only Way To Deal With Them Is To Annihilate Them” Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has said there is no longer hope for a political solution to the conflict in Syria and that the only way to deal with the rebels challenging his leadership “is to annihilate them.” In an interview with Le Figaro, a French newspaper, Assad claimed that rebel forces had been almost entirely infiltrated by al-Qaeda. “We are fighting terrorists,” he said. “80-90% of those we are fighting belong to al-Qaeda. They are not interested in reform or in politics. The only way to deal with them is to annihilate them.” https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/us-marine-website-targeted-by-pro-assad-hackers US Marine website targeted by pro-Assad hackers Pro-Syrian regime hackers posted messages on a US Marine Corps recruiting website on Monday, urging troops to defy orders from President Barack Obama. The hackers showed photos of people in American uniforms holding hand-written signs saying they would not fight for Al-Qaeda in Syria. "Obama is a traitor who wants to put your lives in danger to rescue al-Qaeda insurgents," the message read, according to a screenshot from The Wall Street Journal. The US Marine Corps confirmed the intrusion but said the affected site, Marines.com, the official recruitment portal for the Corps, was back to normal. http://jordantimes.com/article/40000-syrian-refugees-amassed-on-jordan-border ‘40,000 Syrian refugees amassed on Jordan border’ Over 40,000 Syrians remained stranded along the Jordan border on Monday, activists and officials said as rising violence continued to prevent thousands fleeing potential chemical attacks from entering the country. According to rebel officials and activists, some 5,000 civilians fleeing last month’s alleged chemical weapons attacks in the Damascus suburbs arrived in rebel strongholds in southern Syria on Monday trying to enter Jordan. Heavy shelling along the Jordanian-Syrian border prevented the would-be refugees from crossing into Jordan, rebel leaders and Jordanian military sources say, bringing to the total number of Syrians fleeing chemical attacks currently stranded in the border towns of Tal Shihab and Al Nasib to 40,000. “Thousands are arriving each day because we are the one of the only liberated regions left near the border, but they can’t continue to Jordan,” says Ahmed Al Saad, an activist with the so-called Local Coordination Committees in Tal Shihab, which has reportedly received an influx of 12,000 displaced since last month’s alleged chemical attacks. “We have opened our homes, schools and farms, but there just isn’t any space left to host new arrivals,” he warned. Rebel officials confirmed that intense shelling across southern Syria continued to block off access routes into Jordan, rendering mass refugee crossings all but “impossible”. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/02/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Russia, which has major trade deals with Syria, is sending a delegation to Washington for "dialogue" with members of Congress, the Kremlin said Monday. When the two sides share "opinions and arguments, then we'll better understand each other," said Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. "And I hope that the U.S. Congress will take a balanced position" and reject military intervention. In the region, meanwhile, Yemen's parliament announced its opposition to any outside intervention in Syria on Monday. https://twitter.com/markito0171 Damascus Rebels destroyed 3 tanks in Qalamoon1:39 AM https://twitter.com/petersbeaumont UN official told me Sunday cos border near Zaatari closed refugees now coming in thru NE near Ruweished near Iraq border. middle of nowhere. Just desert scattered with basalt stones. Said came across one woman on crutches who had been walking for 7 hours that day with a bag hanging round her neck through this landscape. 1:43 AM UN and other agencies doing amazing job in places like Zaatari. But crushingly depressing place empty of hope, full of horror stories1:46 AM https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice "Syrians are facing genocide and crimes against humanity, and the world is not acting", Qatar FM tells BBCNewsday's @Shaimaakhalil3:15 AM https://twitter.com/THE_47th Al-Arabiya has landed exclusive on the defection of Top Syrian Military defection to date. the one I was talking about last night.3:41 AM announcement shd be later today. Immediate fam are all out & safe3:45 AM If the SOC want to play this right, they won't break the defection news to the world until 5 or 6 PM local time, when the US wakes up.4:08 AM https://twitter.com/BBCAndrewH Zuma: there must be negotiated settlement in Syria. UNSC must not undermine its own authority.4:14 AM Zuma: cannot support decision taken by one or two countries (on Syria). It is wrong. You attack Syria u likely to spark war. Irresponsible.4:20 AM Zuma: want world to be run by collective leadership so all of us have a say.4:21 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Uh Oh.... http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/03/us-syria-crisis-russia-defence-idUSBRE9820AC20130903?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=992637 Russia says ballistic 'objects' fired in Mediterranean Russian radar detected two ballistic "objects" that were fired towards the eastern Mediterranean from the central part of the sea on Tuesday, state-run news agency RIA quoted the Defense Ministry as saying. The Defense Ministry declined immediate comment to Reuters. A ministry official had earlier criticized the United States for deploying warships in the Mediterranean close to Syria. https://twitter.com/MiddleEast_BRK Russia says pres. Putin was informed by Defense Minister Shoigu about the launch of 2 ballistic missiles in the Mediterranean.5:08 AM https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak Reuters: Russian embassy in Syria reportedly says no sign of missile attack or explosions in Damascus after ballistic launches detected5:20 AM https://twitter.com/Naharnet Breaking The Israeli military said it is not aware of any missile launch in the eastern Mediterranean. http://www.naharnet.com/5:25 AM https://twitter.com/THE_47th IDF says BS, no ballistic bodies were tracked anywhere in the area. It added: Putin's mom is a whore.5:27 AM https://twitter.com/ReutersIndia Ballistic "objects" detected by Russian radar fell into sea - Russian news agency RIA cites source in Damascus5:35 AM https://twitter.com/BreakingNews No US planes or ships have launched missiles in the Mediterranean, US official says following ballistic objects report - @CBSNews5:43 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Now Israel has said they were testing anchor anti-missile missiles, with the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 This notion of the US being viewed as weak is a load of crap, if we bomb them we are viewed as bullies, if we.hit a hospital on accident we are murderers. I'll take being viewed as being viewed as weak so when our national security is actually threatened, we will be able to defend ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Commando Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 This notion of the US being viewed as weak is a load of crap, if we bomb them we are viewed as bullies, if we.hit a hospital on accident we are murderers. I'll take being viewed as being viewed as weak so when our national security is actually threatened, we will be able to defend ourselves. Being viewed as weak would be a large threat to our national security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Being viewed as weak would be a large threat to our national security. The reality is, the entire world knows we have the strongest military in the world, we don't need to put it on display to prove them wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 The reality is, the entire world knows we have the strongest military in the world, we don't need to put it on display to prove them wrong. according to Bin Laden the will to use it matters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 according to Bin Laden the will to use it matters Using our military actually weakens it, we are being suckered into this mess, we all know our military is very powerful, pimp slapping Syria isn't going to do squat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneskins Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Boehner has announced his support for strikes. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/03/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html I am not against sending a message, but how can we afford to do this when the gov't is still under sequestration? I also cant help but feel that we are being suckered into something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Boehner has announced his support for strikes. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/03/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html I am not against sending a message, but how can we afford to do this when the gov't is still under sequestration? I also cant help but feel that we are being suckered into something. My question is: is Boehner still influential enough to wrangle the rest of his party onto the Syria bandwagon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Using our military actually weakens it, we are being suckered into this mess, we all know our military is very powerful, pimp slapping Syria isn't going to do squat. using it wisely strengthens it, it is not cheap though we have battle tested weapons and warriors which is better than a peace time army. I do agree a slap on his wrist is a waste(which is why I favor letting the French) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Graphic from the Washington Post says its going to be a tough fight for Boenher and Obama in the House. The Senate is split right down the middle. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/where-lawmakers-stand-on-syria/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Commando Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 The reality is, the entire world knows we have the strongest military in the world, we don't need to put it on display to prove them wrong. Just having the military itself isn't enough of a deterrent. We're still attacked and crimes against humanity are still being committed. The military seems to help deter major conflicts between world powers, but there are rogue states like Syria and extranational organizations like Al Qaeda that are willing to fight asymmetrical unconventional conflicts against us and are not deterred by our military superiority. And we still have to enforce international law, and the military is a part of that. Actually, I'd say enforcing international law is probably the most important function of the military today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Just having the military itself isn't enough of a deterrent. We're still attacked and crimes against humanity are still being committed. The military seems to help deter major conflicts between world powers, but there are rogue states like Syria and extranational organizations like Al Qaeda that are willing to fight asymmetrical unconventional conflicts against us and are not deterred by our military superiority. And we still have to enforce international law, and the military is a part of that. Actually, I'd say enforcing international law is probably the most important function of the military today. So we are the world's police? I understand that we can't let bullies like Assad get away with using chemical weapons against his people. As I said before, if we had more of an international coalition, I'd be alright with this. Hell, I could even cozy up to the idea of just using areal or naval attacks on Assad; but I cannot get on board with putting boots on the ground. Too much blood has been shed in the Middle East and we've accomplished too little for it. We can't keep looking for monsters to slay, especially if we're going at it alone. We have the United Nations to uphold international law, don't we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 http://pos.org/2013/09/public-opinion-regarding-taking-military-action-in-syria-murky/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tqia+%28TQIA+-+Turning+Questions+Into+Answers%29 Public Opinion Regarding Taking Military Action in Syria – Murky •Just 42% of Americans support US military action against the Syrian government in response to the use of chemical weapons. •Interestingly, there is little partisan difference, as 46% of Democrats and 41% of GOP’ers support military action. Yet, support for a limited cruise missile strike hits the 50% mark: •The cruise missile approach is supported by 51% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans, but attitudes are still nearly evenly divided, with Independents supporting the action by a narrow 48%-45% margin. Despite the fact that Americans believe the use of chemical weapons is a “red line” that would require a “significant US response”… •By a 58%-35% margin, Americans believe the use of chemical weapons requires a significant US response, including more than 60% of both Republicans and Democrats. Numbers seem a lot higher than the ones I've seen before. The poll points out that only around 20% think it's in our interest though. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23801200 Zaatari refugee camp: Rebuilding lives in the desert The dusty tent city, about 12km (eight miles) from the Syrian border, is the world's second-largest refugee camp - behind Dadaab in eastern Kenya - and has become the fourth largest city in Jordan. Opening in July a year ago with some 100 refugee families, the original camp was built in nine days. It now welcomes 2,000 new residents each day and is made up of 30,000 shelters and administration buildings. It costs about $500,000 (£320,000) a day to run, with half a million pieces of bread and 4.2 million litres of water distributed daily. Some interesting details, stories, and maps from the refugee camp. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/03/world/meast/syria-refugees-unhcr/index.html?sr=sharebar_twitter Number of Syrian refugees rises above 2 million, U.N. agency says Every 15 seconds, a Syrian becomes a refugee, and those witnessing the violence unfolding on the ground don't believe military action against the regime would bring relief. While a doctor who treats refugees says the regime has a history of becoming more vicious when backed into a corner, one Syrian says he doesn't believe strikes against Bashar al-Assad's forces would be effective because the regime would protect its own people and leave the rest to die so it could blame the massacre on the United States. The overwhelming majority of the refugees who leave Syria end up staying in countries in the surrounding region, and the UNHCR said it has less than 50% of the funds it needs to meet their basic needs. That places a heavy strain on the infrastructures, economies and societies of those host countries, the United Nations said. The four biggest recipients of Syrians registered as refugees or awaiting registration are: Lebanon -- 716,000 Jordan -- 515,000 Turkey -- 460,000 Iraq -- 168,000 Government ministers from those four countries will meet with the UNHCR in Geneva Wednesday in an effort to generate greater international support for dealing with the refugee exodus. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/03/us-syria-crisis-ariha-idUSBRE9820DZ20130903?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews Syrian forces capture strategic northern town: opposition Syrian forces seized the strategic northern town of Ariha on Tuesday, an opposition group said, in a move that would open the supply line between the coastal stronghold and pockets of army control in a region that is largely rebel controlled. Other activists, however, said the battle was not over and that rebels were still fighting the regime in Ariha, located near a major highway in the northern province of Idlib. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which reported the Assad military gain, said loyalist paramilitary forces, known as the National Defence Forces, stormed and captured Ariha under the cover of a fierce army artillery assault. http://news.sky.com/story/1136599/syria-defector-exposes-assad-chemical-attack Syria Defector 'Exposes Assad Chemical Attack' A former Syrian forensic medicine expert has provided evidence that the Assad regime used chemical weapons, opposition forces say. Abdeltawwab Shahrour, head of the forensic medicine committee in Aleppo, claims there was a chemical attack in Khan al-Assal, Aleppo, on March 19, said Istanbul-based opposition coalition spokeswoman Sarah Karkour. Mr Shahrour, who has defected to Turkey, has documents proving the attack took place and eyewitness accounts from police authorities that contradict the administration's version of events, a second opposition official said. Both the government and rebels have blamed each other for what they say was an attack involving chemical weapons. More than two dozen people died. https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/time-ripe-for-syria-political-deal-says-ex-rebel-leader Time ripe for Syria political deal, says ex rebel leader Former Syria opposition chief, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, on Tuesday said the time was ripe to wrest a political solution while Damascus faces the threat of military action. "A political solution is possible because this is the first time the regime is worried," he told a group of journalists. "I say we must have a political initiative with a military action." Khatib, who spoke after meeting European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, headed the main opposition National Coalition from November until April and is currently exiled in Cairo. He said a quick surgical strike would have little effect on President Bashar al-Assad. "If you don't finish the regime he will come back again and he will consider he's won." "We must push for a political initiative," he stressed. "I don't believe war can bring peace to people." Lugar supports the authorization...and he was against getting involved in Syria and pretty critical of intervention in Libya. http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/lugar-random-outliers-in-congress-shouldnt-stop-syria-action/2013/09/03/e56481ce-14bc-11e3-b182-1b3bb2eb474c_video.html Lugar: 'Random outliers' in Congress shouldn't stop Syria action September 3, 2013 1:04 PM EDT — President Obama has ignored Congress on foreign policy, says former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.). But, he insists, "America's standing in the world would suffer" if Congress votes down the resolution to strike Syria. (The Washington Post) http://stream.wsj.com/story/syria/SS-2-34182/ Just in: Aide says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confident he has votes to pass Syria resolution https://twitter.com/denisfitz Ban Ki-moon: The use of force is lawful only when exercised in self-defense under article 51 of UN charter or when UNSC approves such action1:19 PM https://twitter.com/mpoppel REU: U.N.'S BAN SAYS IF CHEMICAL WEAPONS WERE USED IN SYRIA, U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL MUST UNITE AND TAKE ACTION1:23 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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