Posts Tagged Assad

Al Akahbar: Syria – Damascus Repels Another Rebel Attack

A Syrian rebel takes position with a heavy machine gun on the Jabal al-Turkman mountain in Syrian's northern Latakia province on 5 February 2013. (Photo: AFP - Aamir Qureshi)

A Syrian rebel takes position with a heavy machine gun on the Jabal al-Turkman mountain in Syrian’s northern Latakia province on 5 February 2013. (Photo: AFP – Aamir Qureshi)

Remember all those articles over the last few months – Syria to fall soon; what will post-Assad Syria look like?  Soon, we were lead to believe, the demands of Former Secretary of State (and neo-colonialism) Hillary Clinton would come true.  When didn’t she say – “Assad must go!”  Ironically, Assad is  still around and Clinton is  gone. That’s one big step for mankind and an even bigger step backwards for the Syrian rebels, particularly the very Al Qaeda fighters operating under the name Al Nusra.  They fight and win but rely on direct or indirect funding, weapons, and technical assistance from NATO and the Gulf plutocrats.  In fact, we now know that Ms. Clinton and the disgraced General Petraeus were pushing for the United States to openly arm the rebels.  Cooler heads prevailed.  Weapons and other items were stalled.  Assad’s military made some changes.  And now, voila!, the Syrian Arab Army is defending the capital.

 

  Was any of this dreadful, deadly conflict worth it?
– Michael Collins

From Al Akahbar-English
Creative Commons

By: Anas Zarzar, Marah Mashi

Published Thursday, February 7, 2013

The armed Syrian opposition declared yet another “zero hour” to take Damascus on Wednesday. By nightfall, however, the army managed to restore order in the capital and widen its offensive against the rebels in the countryside. Read the rest of this entry »

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Turkey Plays Lee Harvey for NATO Plotters

Michael Collins

(Washington, DC 10/6) The United States and European Union are setting the stage for a Syrian invasion. (Image)

Turkey is the fall guy.

The Turkish parliament provided Prime Minister Recep Erdoğan with a broad authorization “to make the necessary arrangements for sending the Turkish Armed Forces to foreign countries” Hurriyet, October 4, 2012. The vote was on party lines with the dominant AKP party forming a majority. Muharrem İnce of the CHP opposition party said: “This motion has no limits. You can wage a world war with [it].”

The warning about the road to war may be near reality. McClatchy Newspapers just reported the following:

ISTANBUL — One day after winning blanket authority to send forces into Syria, Turkey’s prime minister warned Friday that his country is “not far from war” and said that it would be a “deadly mistake” for the Syrian government to test Turkey’s will. McClatchy Newspapers, October 6, 2012 Read the rest of this entry »

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Skip a news cycle – Rebels in Damascus already surrounded

We can expect all sorts of breathless reports on how the Assad regime is about to fall (as per Hillary Clinton’s officially announced plan).  We will be told that the Free Syria Army (NATO & the Saudis) is in Damascus battling the government in its stronghold.

It may be worth skipping this mini cycle altogether.  Here’s a Reuters story from the Egypt Independent.  Here’s the time saving news:

Syrian government forces encircled rebel fighters in Damascus on Monday, waging a second day of fighting that residents described as the worst to hit the capital since the 17-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad began.

A fighter told Reuters rebels could not retreat after a few hours of fighting, as they had in previous incursions into the capital, because they were surrounded by security forces and checkpoints.

“They want to leave. If they were able to leave they would have left,” he said. “The whole area is surrounded.”  Syrian forces surround rebels fighting in capital, Egypt Independent (Reuters), July 16, 2012

Perhaps, the rebels made a big push to influence Russia and China into giving up on Assad.  The big push lacked a tactical plan for retreat.   What’s the likelihood that the actual Syrian Army will let them leave to fight another day?

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The Guardian Challenge – War Propoganda or Real Reporting

Take a look at the image of the Guardian front page today.  There are five stories listed.  From the “Friends of Syria” meeting, the Saudi’s suggest arming the Syrian “rebels” (they already have, according to Brian Downing).  Then we get the sub headlines telling us that Assad is targeting children (surely incubators are soon to follow), two journalists are in trouble, and Syria is committing war crimes (what about U.S, UK, and French leader war crimes in Libya?).  This is truly “Fair and Balanced” in the Murdoch/Fox sense of the phrase.

While the Guardian stenographers are busy carrying the water for Cameron and NATO, some of their first rate reporters should follow this story.

The Guardian Challenge

This video is from an anti Libyan rebel site.  It purportedly shows “-Criminal “rebels” of Misurata locked up and humiliate the residents of Tawerga to the Zoo cage, which was at the end of August – beginning of September.”  Tawerga, you may recall, is the town of 30,000 black Libyans that was ethnically cleansed by the victorious rebel forces from Misurata.

Here’s the challenge to the Guardian.  Is this video showing prisoners forced to eat the former flag of Libya for real?  Are these prisoners from Tawerga?  Are they being abused by rebels from Misurata?  We’ve seen many anonymous pro rebel videos from Syria and Libya.  Take a look at this one, Guardian, and tell us all about it.  And while you’re t it, answer this:  where are the people of Tawerga?

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