.
The travesty of decency, the speech by US highest diplomat John Kerry closes the door of hope for the United States of America. How dare he speak of moral conscience and a matter of sound judgement on Syria and the Assad regime. When you have the likes of Susan Rice and Samantha Power impersonating humanity, my jaw drops to the ground.
A short and personal history of my cries for moral conscience and sound judgement.
Living in the states and studying in St. Louis, I lost many friends in 1965 because I opposed the Vietnam War. A year later I would make a judgement to leave the US and try to earn a living in the old country and prefer the uncertainty of my career. The Vietnam opposition rallied in 1968 after the Tet offensive showed the lies of the Johnson administration and US military. Nixon and Kissinger would take over and tried the Christmas bombings on Hanoi killing tens of thousands. Every war on this scale is obscene and immoral as John Kerry told the US Senate. Vietnam brought the US My Lai, civilian deaths and Agent Orange.
The US empire showed its teeth with Chili of Allende and the social uprising of the left against dictators in South America. This policy continued in Central America in the 1980s and the well documented death squads of terror and extrajudicial killings. Thousands of activist citizens and leaders were killed in a most gruesome manner. Personification of all those lives lost stand out with Bishop Romero in El Salvador, six Dutch journalists making a documentary for an evangelical church group and the US nuns and six Jesuits killed.
US stupidity took another turn with the overthrow of the Shah, foolish reaction by President Carter and the beginning of US involvement in Afghanistan to teach the Red Bear a lesson or two. We now know how the world community suffers decades later of the blowback: Afghanistan and Pakistan as failed states and the muhijadeen or jihad fighters roaming the Middle-East and the North African countries. The US received a devastating blow with the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers of WTC in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC. The Saudi renegades struck at the heart of America. The jihadists continue to receive charitable funds from the very wealthy sheiks of the GCC states, our new allies in mischief in the world: Bahrain, Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia with world’s nr. 1 terrorist Prince Bandar.
Should I even mention the years of Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinski and the impeachment trials? Let’s jump to the next administration and the 8 years of George Bush and Dick Cheney. Let’s just skip those years as too many words and too few deeds aren’t worth covering again. It has become clear the Neocons laid out US policy for the coming years and never mind who resided in the White House or enjoy the plush seats in the US Senate and House of Representatives.
A new administration of hope and change, Barack Hussein Obama. The legacy of the Bush administration of a failing ecomomy tied the hands of Obama during his first term. On foreign policy he was undoubtedly willing to push ahead his agenda of openness and diplomacy. I’m afraid the State apparatus was too conservative and Ms Clinton had her own agenda, so nothing worth mentioning happened.
Yesterday, US top diplomat John Kerry expressed his conviction: “It’s not peace that’s our goal, that’s a cause for America’s youth. We are wise men working with our conscience, natural decency and sound judgement. We have made up our minds and decided to go to war. I don’t want to be a fool like my predecessor Colin Powell in front of the world community of the United Nations to defend these lies. I just can’t, so this speech will do.” [paraphrasing by Oui]
I’m fed up with US foreign policy. I’ve participated on this blog because of an open and friendly atmosphere. Frogs quacking at the pond as in a community. I must agree with Frank Schnittger, this community has changed. This will be my last contribution @BooMan. I’ll spend more time doing local activism, starting with enjoying my extended family. Good bye and God’s speed.
I don’t want to be a witness of my dire prediction becoming part of history. John Kerry, sir, you have lost my respect. I recently found a new hero on local activism and follow his lead.
An illustration of the friends the Obama administration supports:
○ Francois Murad, Catholic Priest ‘Beheaded By Jihadist Fighters In Syria’
Later reports state the person beheaded was not the priest, who was shot defending the nuns of his monastery.
○ Mixing Truths and Propaganda on Syrian Chemicals
PS It’s just so sad, I won’t participate further by reacting on any comments to this diary.
.
My deepest respect for the decency of Martin Longman and his excellence on domestic policy.
With great appreciation for the years of hospitality. User ID #452 signing off.
Genuinely sorry to see you go old bean. Have always enjoyed your contributions, especially in foreign relations.
As am I. Bon voyage, Oui, wherever you may go.
Just please reconsider. Take a breather, if you must, but return.
You see how we miss you and depend on your diaries and news clips. I know it must be a huge drain on your energy. So, step back, recharge your energy , then come back and talk with your friends, mon Ami.
Kerry told me who he had become in 2002 with his IWR vote. (Like he was until March 1, 1970 when he was discharged early from the Navy so that he could run for Congress.) Reaffirmed it in 2004 with his “me a warrior” campaign. Thus, there is nothing surprising in his latest threats against Syria.
Perhaps our time and treasure would be better spent making amends for US chemical weapons dropped for a decade.
The photos in that link were heartbreaking, and they need to be looked at. Mad me think of this quote from William Blum (it might have made an appearance in his book “Rogue State” or I might have merely caught it while perusing his website many moons ago, back when AOL was still hosting it):
Blum also, not too surprisingly, had some less than pleasant things to say about Kerry back in 2004.
Meant for that to read “made me think” – although I guess “mad” was accurate enough.
The pictures of the children killed by our drones is heartbreaking as well. The difference is that we know who launched those drones and we don’t know who released the CW.
Learned to ask a simple question many years ago when a McKinsey Co Partner was pressuring my employer to proceed with a business proposal that they were pitching to us. “How much would it cost to buy McKinsey’s client and what do we get?” My response was that we wouldn’t get much: a small computer (this was before the days of PCs), some nice lithographs, an expense account at Chez X, and a well dressed, hard salesman. But if our choices were limited to going with their deal or buying them out, the latter would be cheaper. We could have “bought” Iraq and Afghanistan for a fraction of what our wars cost — and yes, I did suggest that a few months into our follies.
For my own selfish reasons, I hope you’ll find an excuse to pop in from time to time. I’d make the argument that a contrarian voice in what passes for a liberal/progressive/whatever community blog is probably more needed than ever before.
I used to spend a lot of time on blogs, but after my stalker incident a few years ago, I did a major rethink. I made a conscious decision – with both my personal blog and Tumblr, and my re-emergence here – about four years ago to take extended breaks from blogging as often as I wanted or needed, and to only post on my terms and when I felt that I had something to say. Otherwise, I’d leave the rest of my time to family, career, etc. I am a much happier human being because of it, and I say that knowing that much of what is happening domestically and internationally will continue to frustrate the hell out of me for likely the remainder of my life. It’s a truism that if you’re not outraged, your not paying attention. I am definitely outraged, as I suspect you are as well.
Hopefully, this is only a “so long”. I don’t know if old Hammer and Sickle Guy’s request that you reconsider leaving has any pull, but perhaps I can hold out some hope.
I did, by the way, notice one of the headlines this morning make mention of Obama finding a new Coalition of the Willing to attack Syria. That’s a phrase I had hoped to never read or hear again. More change we can believe in, eh?
White House:
Except US official policy for years now has been that Assad must go.
Yep. About the only thing the US seems willing to negotiate are the terms of Assad’s surrender. His ideal replacement will be one hostile to the Iranian government and amenable to the still dominant neoliberal economic order. As for the rest – years of civil war, and another training ground for suicide bombers – well that’s just the cost of doing business.
Jaded, I know.
The neo-liberal economic order seems to be firmly entrenched throughout the region regardless of foreign power affiliation. It’s mostly a question of who will be their major trading partners, how much of the spoils go abroad and stay at home for the elites, and how much religion will dominate the lives of the citizens.
Must remain mindful of the current split between KSA and Qatar and how the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt ended up as collateral damage in that spat. Of course Prince Bandar and KSA are also playing off Russia and the US – doubt Obama is up to that game which should greatly worry us.
You see? Neoliberal = Neoconservative. Crony Capitalism with a (somewhat) human face. Right wing hot button soc8ial policy vs Left wing hot button social policy, but the little guy keeps getting ground into the dirt, the CEO’s keep getting richer, the White House gets more and more Imperial and the Mid-East wars keep rolling along.
So tell me again I’m crazy to refer to the Black Bush.
What was crazy was to Hope for Change.
There is definitely some overlap between neoliberalism and neoconservatism – the former is essentially the dominant phase of capitalist economics that gets credited to folks like Hayek, and the latter is essentially a foreign policy perspective credited to Strauss. Together, a lot of damage can be caused, as we saw most vividly during the George W. Bush era. The proponents of both harbor a great deal of disdain for us proles – essentially wealth should be redistributed to the 1% who were the rightful heirs to begin with, and the postmodern equivalent of the “philosopher kings” should make all decisions regarding foreign policy without the inconvenience caused by democratic institutions. To put it in a vernacular with which I am more familiar, they’re a bunch of fucking elitist wankers.
Naomi Klein did a wonderful job documenting “disaster capitalism” (and the ugly offspring produced by the union of neolibs and neocons) in her book “The Shock Doctrine”, and David Harvey’s “Brief History of Neoliberalism” offers a more scholarly (but still very readable) treatment.
The neocons never really left. A few of them were a bit stealthier for a while, they’ve been feeling their oats again since the Arab Spring. Big darkness, soon come.
Good Luck to you Oui.
Oui’s departure serves as a stark reminder that we shall, very very soon, see the space for Recommended World Diaries go blank. Damn, indeed.
Bye Oui. Thanks for sharing your active mind all of these years. It was a learning experience. That you never forgot the Palestinian cause, one of my interests, was always appreciated.
The latest truth: Roadmap to Apartheid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQz-L9t-QQ0
No, I am not back, but what disturbed me is the recent global terror threat, what happened … just mixing a cocktail of recent events. The bs commentators hired by MSM on their panel discussion all state as fact, the Al Qaeda rebels don’t have the know-how to handle chemical agents. News items this year proved otherwise. Using terror of massive suicide bombings, the Sunni rebels have sufficient “martyrs” to execute any operation.
Zawahiri Conference and the Sarin Gas Attack Inside Syria
.
The intent of this post is to provide a timeline for an attack initiated by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Whatever did happen to the US Global security warning of an imminent attack? What was discussed in AQ leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s video roundtable with his regional leaders? Perhaps the central intelligence (CI) agencies picked-up the announcement what turned out to be the imminent attack in al-Sham (Syria) as coordinated by Nasir al Wuhayshi, AQ’s new general manager. The time lapsed between the intercepted conference call, the global alert by the US State Department and the “sarin” gas attack in Damascus provided ample time for rogue elements to prepare als sorts of intelligence tricks and deceit. Internet and social media works 24/7 on pure propaganda for a rogue state’s self-interest. A space filled with smoke and mirrors …
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the appointment of Wuhayshi, a Yemeni national, into the No. 2 position in the global al Qaeda terrorist network, could very well have joined in the toxic gas attack on civilians in the suburbs of Damascus. This message released by Pepe Escobar would make the gas attack an operation executed by the ISIL rebel group in Syria.
Russia has conclusive evidence – based on documents and Russian satellite images – the rockets were fired from rebel controled Douma
.
Wait for the ‘evidence’ from the US intelligence community, some of our partners have contributed also …
Israel’s IDF intelligence Unit 8200 Affirms Syria Government Responsibility for Chemical Attacks
We can’t afford to have you gone.
.
If CoC Obama c.s. has to backtrack on his war rhetoric … uh, no, intelligence agencies never do.
Don’t you love Christiane Amanpour’s softball questions to General Amos Yadlin? She let the General’s remark stand: “Assad’s forces killed 100,000.” A neutral position at CNN, no way.
.
Humanity is a matter of convenience for the Obama administration …
Secretary Clinton stated that the Armenian Genocide was a matter of `historical debate’
In the letter to Clinton, Schiff and his colleagues noted that her “historically inaccurate description of the Armenian Genocide as an open question, in addition to the offense it rep- resents to Armenian Americans and other victims of genocide, provides American encouragement to the Republic of Turkey in its shameful campaign of denial.” It also notes that, as a senator, Clinton joined with then-Senator Barack Obama in writing a letter explaining to President George W. Bush that the Armenian Genocide was a “systematic and deliberate campaign of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915… The victims of the Genocide deserve our remembrance and their rightful place in history… It is in the best interests of our nation and the entire global community to remember the past and learn from these crimes against humanity to ensure that they are never repeated.” [Dick Gebhardt lobbies for Sultan Erdogan’s Turkey – pdf version]
President Obama avoids calling Armenia deaths genocide
This seems to be another area where realpolitik triumphs evidence. As I understand it, by any accepted definition of genocide, whether Lemkin’s or more recent, what the Ottoman Empire perpetrated nearly a century ago was a clear-cut case. Calling the Armenian genocide a matter of historical debate serves to minimize it – it’s a technique revisionists have used for a while.
.
PM Cameron admits you can never be 100% sure on intelligence, it’s a judgement call. What a bs!! His conscience is acting up similar to Obama, Kerry, Hagel, Rice, Power etc., etc.
Obama’s case for war evaporated in the last 24 hours! In the UK there was no appetite for another intervention in the Arab world without a clearcut goal of military action and the unknown aftermath. BS LOST!
This being apparently compared to the Parliamentary rebellion that brought down Neville Chaimberlain’s government in 1940. Even with that vote, Chamberlain got his majority. In other words, we just saw something unprecedented happen. Elsewhere, in the Guardian live blog link you provided, there has been commentary that war powers have now effectively been transferred from the PM to the MPs.
Some tentative good news this evening. If the US government really wants to bomb Syria, the US will have to go it alone.
.
US forces would never conceive a false flag operation in the dark of night. It just happens US Special Forces have had a trainings camp in Jordan near the border with Syria.
.
From Booman’s fp story and a link to Juan Cole’s argument: “It can’t be Al Nusra, because they fight in the north.” Local militia wouldn’t kill their own cousins in Damascus. Every massive car bombing in Damascus were perpetrated by extremist Sunni fighters, not locals but by the Al Nusra Front. There are no boundaries, Juan Cole has been wrong before as I have written. US intelligence have been meeting with leaders of Israeli intelligence in Langley, Va. No doubt at the George Bush Center for Intelligence. The Israeli military leaders have conferred in past months and undoubtedly are being briefed in the Pentagon. Israel is a frontline state are there is no certainty what Bashar Al-Assad will decide if the US cruise missile attack endangers the survival of his regime. In Israel the civilian population are stocking up and gas masks are being distributed. In any military attack, no one can envision step 2 and 3. The British are beefing up the air defences of the naval base on Cyprus with six additional fighter planes and the Russians have recently added two naval ships in the Eastern Mediterranean.
I don’t believe it was US intelligence as the Israeli IDF Unit 8200 has hundreds of military employed in its service. I give credibility to Richard Silverstein as he blogged a few days ago: Israel’s IDF Unit 8200 Affirms Syria Government Responsibility for Chemical Attacks.
.
Yesterday even Juan Cole was gung-ho on teaching the Assad regime a lesson for the gas attack on its civilians in the district of Ghouta. After the rejection of Cameron’s case of war by British parliament, the coalition of the willing is very small. The valiant French and socialist President Hollande are determined to join the air strikes on Syria. The French have a colonial history in the region and it serves their self-interest. Can someone explain why Hollande went to war in Mali against the Islamists and now joins the side of the opposition to Assad, the same jihadists the French tried to destroy in Northern Mali. President Obama and Saudi King Abdullah did promise bonus points in any future ventures.
Juan Cole still doesn’t have proof it was the Syrian regime responsible for the gas attack. Looking forward (not!) to the Power Point presentation of John Kerry this evening with the evidence to go to war to save the people of Syria. Must be an awful lot of humanity he will spread around in explaining to up the military actions. More arms anyone? Perhaps he might explain why the US undermined Geneva 1 Conference in June 2012 to seek a political solution. Russia was willing, the US (Ms Clinton and Obama) were not.
No doubt Kerry will have his Colin Powell moment. A wiser fellow than me once said something about how history might not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme a lot. That fellow was on to something.
Sad to read this, Oui, but completely understand. FWIW, I would take 10000 of your global news links over the jokers in tv and print media any day.
I had to step away big-time from blogging in order to preserve some form of mental health stability. I hope you are able to spend a lot of healing, quality time with your family and find local activism efforts that not only improve your community but also strengthens your spirit.
Hopefully our paths will cross online again someday, friend. paz
I can only second what Man Eegee said and all the others in that your leaving is truly leaving a big hole in my heart. Like losing a old and trusted friend.
Your posts with all your amazing links made me more informed then certainly the news(that I quit watching years ago)or any other blog or bloggers.
I hope someday for selfish reasons after an extended break I see the name ‘OUI’ once again.
.
○ UN Ban Ki-Moon in The Hague occasion 100-year Anniversary of Peace Palace (Andrew Carnegie);
○ UK FM Hague decision delayed, vote parliament after UN inspection
○ BBC Hot Talk interview UN envoy Brahimi – Both Russia and US to blame for Syrian impasse – Security Council not acting responsibly;
○ Obama interview NPR – nervous, uncomfortable misspeaks saying rebels have no nuclear.. eh chemical weapons capabilities – remember the Al Qaeda nuclear and chemical warfare bible found in Kabul in 2001?
○ Strike against Assad regime stalled by British political rows
5 Pinocchios for the Obama administration: “Syrian strike will not be about regime change.”
Reason for this, already flaunting International Law, the Coalition of the Willing will use the new Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine of pre-emptive strikes to “protect the civilian population from harm.” The legitimacy of the R2P doctrine is very limited in scope. The “humanitarian hawks” in the White House are more creative to fight a war than to win the peace. There are more opportunities Susan Rice and Samanthe Power can focus on to help those suffering and in need – US Has ‘Moral Obligation’ to Destroy Syria (Assad).
PS Thank you all for the kind words and heartwarming expression of feelings. This is what attracted me to the pond and BooMan’s spirit for many, many years. I felt that spirit was gone and indifference took a turn for the worse. Thanking all for the many “recommends” and 4’s. Truly a friendship.
I want to sort of repeat something that I think bears repeating. Our international contributors – such as Frank Schnittger and Oui – offer a much needed perspective on the global implications of our nation’s actions. We would be wise to listen, rather than to be casually dismissive. These contributors are potentially valuable friends and allies, if we let them.
I’ll add further, my silence, when there is silence, should never be taken as indifference. It may mean I am at a loss for words, or that I don’t feel I have the knowledge base from which to add something insightful. Oui, I consistently recommend your diaries for a reason. For whatever it is worth to you.
By the way, saw this on one of the front page posts: looks like there are stories floating around that the Saudi and Russian governments have been posturing a bit in the run up to a possible attack on Syria. This could get pretty ugly.
Looks as if Mr. Putin not rolling over this time.
US and Israel might want to be very careful not to initiate any hostile actions against Russian vessels. Considering that it would be an act of war.
.
The first link has been reported 2-3 weeks ago, the Saudi Prince of Darkness got a nyeht from Putin. Of course, UK Cameron can’t deliver the goods today for the Saudis after that sweet $60bn arms deal.
Qatar also has wasted billions on the jihadists in Libya, Syria and the Morsi Muslim Brothers in Egypt. Low return on investment. The new military supported interim government in Egypt isn’t happy with threats coming from Erdogan in Turkey. Obama has reaped maximum benefits from multiyear military contracts with the Saudis. The Neocon strategy hits a minor delay in timeline.
The second link is not worthy of any credibility. The Britam Defence emails are forgeries as I have written recently here @BooMan and over at European Tribune. The Britam server was hacked, however most likely Iranian cyber warriors added the email for more smoke and mirrors. The ME hackers are quite busy, the Syrian hackers took down part of the NY Times website this week.
Good to know. Regrettably I gave those only a cursory look.
I am so sorry to read that you are leaving, oui. You have been a constant here. I have read your news links with great interest, along with your other contributions. It seems that you will not reconsider, and that is sad. You will be greatly missed. Be well. Maybe you will feel differently after a time and come back to us.
Part of the Pond’s unique flavor had been its group of international contributors. One by one, they have faded away. There were at one point all these diaries that gave the place a bit of a homespun (maybe not the best descriptor, but the one I can come up with at this late hour) feel – those are largely gone too. They were largely gone when I re-emerged after a very lengthy hiatus about two or so years ago. The Cafe/Lounge and your painting series are the last of the hold-overs.
No easy answers. How does one go about rebuilding? How to convince those who justifiably feel taken for granted that they matter? How to make those who maybe don’t quite fit the mold that they are welcome? How to acknowledge that there is more to life than the next electoral cycle, even on a largely political blog? At this late hour, I draw a blank. I’m vexed. Good night.
.
From this Wikipedia entry, the Syrian Army made important advances. There is also mention of the presence of Al Nusra Front rebels fighting a losing battle in Ghouta as Hezbollah fighters have augmented government forces. I don’t understand the claim made by Juan Cole as argued in the fp story by BooMan. All elements were present for a false flag attack by rebels (recent supply Saudi Arabian arms) as thousands have lost their lives in this district since March 2013. The report of the UN inspection team will establish what cocktail of chemical agents was used last week.
Should we accord any credibility to this report?
And where is Kerry getting that 1,400 death toll figure from?
I’ve read it. What do you think about it? I respect your analytical ability.
For a story based on “numerous interviews” it is implied but surprisingly unclear if one or both of the authors actually conducted them. It goes on to fill in the context with an article from Business Insider and the very interesting Telegraph article which harpoons Bandar.
It ends with the disclaimer, “Some information in this article could not be independently verified.”
If one or both of the authors took journalistic responsibility for the interviews that would be a start; at least then it would be credible as hearsay among alleged witnesses rather than possibly something merely invented out of whole cloth.
Probably credible reports of statements from Syrian residents — but what they said is less fact and more suspicion. Interesting or curious that they would point a finger at Prince Bandar which for me lessens their credibility.
Some back and forth between Petri Krohn and Adam Larson on this.
Yeah, interesting link but I am having a little trouble making sense of it just because it is laid out choppily. Not sure but there seems to be a bit of speculative contradiction going on there. Were these journalists even there? It is nowhere clear. I thought my analysis more cogent, frankly, that Gavlek just lent his name to a freelancer’s story, perhaps second hand. Most of that discussion just seems like crosstalk to me.
As for Bandar, I wish I knew the circumstances surrounding the leak of that Putin/Bandar meeting story. That would tell us a lot. Of all the players in this he is about the only one I consider as cynical and ruthless as Assad. He makes me nervous, frankly. And the Chechen/Sochi angle in that story is totally inflammatory.
If you take the Bandar/Putin dialogue story at face value it basically implies Bandar is responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings.
Dale Gavlak is a woman and she does have a journalistic reputation. That said, even good journalists sometimes get it wrong.
The Putin-Bandar story is so odd that I’m inclined to discount most of it. Bandar has survived this long and so well to be so blatant in his encounters with other powerful players. Or to sully his hands that much. Then again I’m disinclined to give any player too much credit for some overarching game plan that’s well executed at multiple steps. If there’s some truth to the Putin-Bandar story (but exaggerated) one or both of them could be bluffing. Honestly can’t see any advantage for Putin to deal with Bandar and the KSA, but he’s not a fool and recognizes KSA powerful ally.
So much is below the surface and as a moderately well trained American that struggles when more than teams A and B are in play, I’m unlikely to see more than vague outlines and shapes. For example, what is KSA’s interest in Syria? It had been economic for Qatar, but they screwed that up in Egypt and allowed KSA to reassert it power and dominance.
Dare we ask if Obama has played his hand as poorly as Qatar did? A woo-woo take is that KSA and Israel have him right where they want him. Overly confident after Libya and seeing Kosovo 1999 when he looks at Syria. It’s not and he may be walking into a trap.
Whoops, thanks for the correction. Yeah, unless someone tells me she and her co-author were actually there and not just picking up scuttlebutt in the refugee camps I find it unconvincing.
As for the Kingdom, well that is a fascinating subject for further inquiry. The whole Sunni insurgency narrative since Afghanistan days weaves a tale. At the moment I see the interest in Syria largely a response to Iran’s nuclear program. Iraq was a wash but they’re happy to be rid of Saddam.
I’m not ready to believe the ‘tail wagging the dog’ narrative though; not so long as the US Navy guarantees free transit of the Gulf. But I think it is appropriate to have some other factions emerging as a regional, non-nuclear power. Frankly I think the Kindgom is feeling a bit stressed internally, externally and economically.
The leak of that Bandar/Putin meeting ‘transcript’ seems to have Vladimir’s fingerprints all over it if you ask me. He’s a naughty boy and if he has one weakness it is for a cheap thrill. That, or something like it, probably earned him the ‘bored kid in the back of the room’ remark from Obama.
.
Doesn’t seem to work, found the discussion at Moon of Alabama.
That Yahya Ababneh is not mentioned in the Mint Press masthead and that Dale Gavlak is probably not wandering around conducting interviews in the suburbs that the UN had to negotiate a cease-fire to enter I am guessing that Jordanian ‘freelancer’ Yahya is the sole source for this, for what it is worth. Your thoughts?
.
Comment by niqnaq:
“Anyway, I’m not 100% with this translation: “And unfortunately, some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off the explosions.” Is he really saying the entire mass casualty event was caused by an accident in a tunnel? Or just: “And unfortunately, some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off explosions,” without the definite article, meaning, set off individual gas munitions prior to the mass casualty event? The latter seems to me much more probable, since we have multiple reports of casualties in the tunnels prior to the mass casualty event. I’ve posted the above as a query in the comments to the story at Mint News Press, so perhaps Yahya Ababneh will clarify from the original Arabic notes or recordings. I’ve also posted it as a query at the AntiWar.com copy of this, which has just gone up. PJ Watson at Infowars.com has an article about it where he clearly jumps to the conclusion that the tunnel accident was the direct cause of the mass casualty event, and a YouTube report on it which does so even more emphatically, but I don’t incline to that interpretation myself. It makes a major difference, as will become apparent if this story gathers traction.”
Yahya Ababneh | LinkedIn profile
Coverage across the Internet: Democratic Underground and Land Destroyer – Syrians in Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack
Yeah, I had a look at Yahya’s LinkedIn profile myself. Looks like he knows his way around the refugee camps, at least. And speaks good Jordanian Arabic.
Fortunately the author of that post seemed sufficiently skeptical of the info from the Infowars link. Citing any Alex Jones-owned website without skepticism is typically a bad move, given Jones’ rather sketchy reputation.
.
Prince Bandar was sacked by King Fahd in June 2005, a few months after the Hariri assasination in Beirut. I have written about the conflict within the Saudi Kingdom: King Kahd was ill and supporter of Rafiq Hariri in Lebanon, Crown Prince Abdullah was running the Saudi policy on a daily basis and was a supporter of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Hariri was killed by a Sunni terror group.
See my earlier diaries:
○ The Saudi-Israeli Alliance and Piggy-back Coup of 2005
○ US Will Be Ousted by Saudi King Abdullah in Middle-East
When BooMan quotes this man for essentials on the Syrian strife, he just fails to comprehend US ME policy as a continous story of meddling in domestic affairs to bolster Israel. It leads to further isolation of both Israel and now the US in the world community. Obama has lost all credibility on foreign policy in five years. With the unilateral attack on Syria, Obama will reach a point of no return and my and others worry this strike may be the “shot heard ’round the world” leading to worse events. Obama’s coalition of the willing is France, Turkey, Israel and Jordan (reluctantly). States with pure self-interest and perpetrators of war crimes themselves. Direct opposition will come from Russia, China, Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iraq (Maliki), Egypt and Palestinian factions. The world has become multipolar on economics and financials: USA | Europe | Russia | GCC states | China. US is militarily and financially stretched, undoubtedly the GCC states wil reward Obama. The isolation and suppression of the Iranian people will be aggravated.
In both Obama and Kerry’s statements a lot of arguments are laid down with reference to “humanity, morality and conscience” for a judgement to attack Syria. Also blame is laid on the inadiquacy of the UN Security Council on Syria. Obama and Kerry forget it was Ms Clinton and Susan Rice who both failed in diplomacy towards Russia and undermined the start of the Geneva 1 talks in June 2012. Is Susan Rice vindictive towards Russia? Yes, often these international dilemmas depends on a working relationship as we have seen during the cold war crisis and diplomacy between Kennedy and Krutchev. Obama with the erroneously awarded Nobel Peace Prize, stands nowhere near in the shadow of any former US statesman. A botched approach toward the Syrian issue and permitting the influx of arms and deadly force by foreign jihadists. A quagmire in the making.
Kremlin press statement visit Prince Banda on July 31, 2013 – Meeting with Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Arabia .
Saudi Arabia And The Kremlin: The Strategic Significance Of The Bandar-Putin Meeting – Analysis
Iranian view – Prince Bandar’s Syria Ambitions Trouble Riyadh.
Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Sultan has negotiated with Vladimir Putin in “his capacity as the Prince of the Mujahedeen” in Syria and this also includes the jihadists and Islamists from Dagestan, Chechnya, and the Caucasus in Russia’s backyard.
I am equally shocked (perhaps I shouldn’t be) regarding Kerry’s recent warmongering statements– given the fact he’s a Vietnam veteran who tossed his medals over the White House fence in protest of that particular war.
I have to conclude he has higher political aspirations so he has to assure the MIC that he’s on their side. A crass yet expected political move, since one doesn’t get far by being anti war.
Regardless of that, Oui, I hope you reconsider your decision and stick around here. your contribution is valued by myself and obviously many people here.
.
After writing my opinion here in this diary, I can’t get my head around to watch and listen to Obama and Kerry once again. From the few highlights in the news, it’s clear both have not presented the evidence as the global communty is united in rejecting the unilateral decision. Even amongst NATO partners the concensus is against, save for France and the UK.
I’m afraid Obama has boxed himself in with previous remarks on Syria and the overthrow of Assad in a matter of weeks. As the civil/sectarian war lasts longer, the devastation spreads and deaths, wounded and suffering multiplies, the Syrians want to end the hostilities and more people will back the dictator above the Islamic state endorsed by the Al Qaeda fighting forces. A proxy war by western powers and regional players is the cause of war crimes committed by all sides. The ugliest of wars is a civil war as the US knows so well from history.
It’s not Bush’s fault and the lies about the Iraq War, the Europeans and the US came together for the R2P decision on Gaddafi and Libya. Because the US and the West abused the powers given by the UN Security Council and its permanent members Russia and China, the people won’t be fooled again by Obama and his minions. What you do see is the gullibility of the US public after the barrage of MSM propaganda, the numbers FOR action on Syria are increasing.
So, let me get this straight… The US abused Russia and China over Libya so it is reasonable that they would use their veto to shield the Syrian regime from the UN exercising its authority to enforce the prohibition of a chemical weapons ban the Syrian regime violated to kill God knows how many innocent civilians?
Are you saying the regime didn’t do it or are you saying that what they did was OK? Because otherwise that makes no sense to me at all.
That’s an insane reply.
.
BREAKING: Obama speaking – will take decision to US Congress. Attack delayed and US inspection has chance to report. Caution by US President. A wise move.
Obama’s credibility is on the line in regards to ally Israel and the promises made to Netanyahu and Iran’s advances in nuclear capability. Obama and his advisors are inert in diplomacy, they could give Netanyahu and Liberman a hand. Riding roughshod because the US and Israel have the upper hand in weaponry. Their isolation in the world advances another step.
○ Lavrov-Clinton talks: `Very good chance’ of progress on Syria in Geneva June 29, 2012
○ Clinton Travel Diary: Action Group on Syria Meets in Geneva July 7, 2012
○ The Geneva-2 Conference has again been delayed July 2, 2013
○ US, Russian ministers agree to prepare for Syria peace talks – Lavrov Aug. 10, 2013
○ Russia `regrets’ US decision to shelve Syria talks
Aug. 27, 2013
.
After …
the case build on Israeli intelligence from IDF Unit 8200;
can’t be shared because of security assets in region;
war rhetoric by Peres and Liberman;
got decision from US president to react with force;
credibility on the (red) line;
surprise moment of caution;
the truth starts to manifest itself:
JPost – Weak world response on Syria boosts chance of strong Israeli action on Iran.
Israel never stops its manipulation of the truth.
.
That the Security Council does it work illustrates the Mali episode of a complex domestic situation with a military coup, dealing with the junta, getting a UN Security Council resolution, French Army going in ahead of the UN Forces due to imminent humanitarian crisis, the UN African nations going into Mali to battle the Islamic insurgents in the North and presently Chinese UN troops on the ground.
Yang ruled out the rumours of `combat forces' in UN peacekeeping forces [Xinhua]It’s the issue at hand, Syria, and US intransigence to come together doing some old-fashioned diplomacy. France was
just trying to get some extra bonus points from Obama and King Abdullah … even Old Europe is opposed.
.
Ban Ki-moon, Press Conference on Syria and Investigation Ghouta Gas Attack Sept. 3, 2013
.
[Comment posted in a diary @European Tribune – The Sunset Empire Shudders and Shakes.]
It’s not about being the policeman of the world, it’s still about empire building of influence around the Arabian Oil peninsula as was seen in 1953 with the overthrow of Mossadeq in Persia by the CIA with support of the British. During Obama’s first term, Ms Clinton trusted US foreign policy on advisors from Bill Clinton’s presidency with a NeoCon signature lacking skills of diplomacy. I’ve covered this extensively @BooMan in many, many diaries followed by the Syrian crisis. There is not a single starting point for the Syrian civil/sectarian war as it has been raging for more than a decade of US policy of regime change in Syria. See the crisis in Lebanon, influence of Syria (Shia Iran) and Saudi Arabia (Sunni wahhabism and salafism) and the Hariri assassination by a plot of a Sunni militant group. The Saudi regime of King Abdullah had been stirring the sectarian differences in Syria through Wahhabist clerics and funneling funds to mosques and madrasses.
NeoCon policy got a makeover under the pretense of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine invoked to legitimize the 2011 war on Libya and just morphed into ”responsibility to attack” (R2A) policy for Syria. The so-called red line on the Assad regime had been crossed a number of times and ahead of the G8 conference in June, president Obama came with a hard statement: Syria Has Used Chemical Arms on Rebels, and Crossed a Red Line. The intense diplomatic effort by John Kerry was a welcome change from Ms Clinton. Obama made a irresponsible choice of appointing Susan Rice to the position of National Security advisor, trumping diplomat John Kerry. Both Susan Rice and the new Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power are “humanitarian hawks.” With the commitment to attack Syria, this is a first result of that effort.
US Will Be Ousted by Saudi King Abdullah in Middle-East
++++++++++
Obama’s Credibility and Israel’s Red Line
.
After …
the case build on Israeli intelligence from IDF Unit 8200;
can’t be shared because of security assets in region;
war rhetoric by Peres and Liberman;
got decision from US president to react with force;
credibility on the (red) line;
surprise moment of caution;
the truth starts to manifest itself:
JPost – Weak world response on Syria boosts chance of strong Israeli action on Iran.
Stock of CW and BW was seen as a poor man’s option for a nuclear deterrent. Both Syria, Libya and Iraq used this strategy because of Israel’s rogue status as the only nuclear power in the region and with no scrutiny by the IAEA. Now Obama is using a new argument for a casus bellum?
.
.
Stock of CW and BW was seen as a poor man’s option for a nuclear deterrent.
.
[US involved in proxy war between Iean and Saudi Arabia … posted earlier on Sat Jan 7th, 2012.]
Always betting on the wrong horse and using an act of war to provoke a retaliatory attack. Downfall of Mussadeq in 1953, support of the Shah in 1979, support of Saddam Hussein in the Iraq-Iran War and a million deaths, support of Pakistan developing Islam atom bomb contrary to NPT treaty, support of Mujahideen and Arab Sunni mercenaries in Afghanistan, US military forces on Saudi soil, blowback Islamic extremists (Saudi/Sunni) in period 1993-2007, unlawful invasion of Iraq providing Iranian power surge in Middle East, extending stay in Afghanistan without sufficient ISAF forces and US assets thereby alienating Pakistan.
Why continue doing the bidding for Saudi Arabia, Gulf States and Israel to provoke Iran. Excellent opportunity to supply modern fighter jets, intelligent bombs, missiles and anti-missile systems. Just waiting for the big-bang …
Ahmadinejad and Iranian people will most likely make the choice to risk a limited US bombing raid on the bunkers of their nuclear program, calculating the US and the West will suffer more from financial and economic havoc. Russia and China still offer backing of Iran in the UNSC. Europe in a cowardly way closes ranks with Obama on the Iranian boycott. Their choice is made out of domestic political gain and the uncontroled anti-muslim sentiment since 11/9.
Iraq may become a political ally of Iran due to Saudi Arabia funding Sunni insurgents and Maliki’s opposition to removal of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
.
From Politico article John Kerry to Democrats: ‘Munich moment’.
“Kerry also said that Israel, America’s closest ally in the region, backed the need for a U.S. military response.”
Right, once again going to war for Israel and the Arab Gulf states. Fighting Iran in Syria.
○ UK ‘approved nerve gas chemical exports to Syria’
○ Mondoweiss: Dubious Intelligence and Iran Blackmail: How Israel is driving the US to war in Syria
.
From a number of sources: Russia’s early radars detect launch of two ballistic rockets in Mediterranean – Defense Ministry
[Did not reach the Syrian coastline and landed in sea – Oui]
.
.
○ Threat Level Raised for Al Qaeda Attacks – US Stat Aug. 3, 2013
○ US Has ‘Moral Obligation’ to Destroy Syria (Assad) Aug. 24, 2013
○ Neocon Design Wrapped In ‘Humanity’ Aug. 26, 2013
.
Not quite TD! There is no tolerance between the two and there will be sectarian strife. The AKP party of Erdogan is aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood as was clear with the overthrow of Mosri and the Muslim Brothers in Egypt. The opposition forces “united” in the Syrian National Council (SNC) was split along the sectarian liones of Qatar (Muslim Brothers) and Saudi Arabia (Salafists and Wahhabists). The US spend two and a half years on the so-called “opposition forces” and failed to unite them. This was a disappointment and blocked a chance for dialogue and a diplomatic sollution. See this post – FSA Statement: Will Break with Infidel Powers .
○ Diary of a Traveling Scholar in the Arab World
○ Muslim Brothers’ Axis Egypt – Turkey – Qatar Faces Defeat
.
Flaws in Obama’s personality becoming a risk: narcissist, self-confident, arrogant; believes he can do no wrong on a decision. This positive trait can however lead to grandeur when nurtured as a cult person. The above are first indications of living 5 years under the glass dome of Washington DC where the president loses touch with reality in the outside world. His campaign promise to engage in dialogue has been lost in a rush to war. Obama loses perception of risks and what will be step 2, 3 and 4 in the aftermath. Not getting the right judgement of his advisors Kerry and Ms Rice will lead to a wrong decision on Syria. The strength of Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) are underestimated.
Putin Says Kerry Lied About Al Qaeda Role in Syria
.
I’m speaking of foreign policy and Obama’s promise to engage with friend and foe. It’s about diplomacy and statesmanship, the UN Security Council and Amb.
RicePower, Israel and Netanyahu, Iraq and Maliki, Afghanistan and Karzai, Pakistan and Zardari, Iran and Rouhani, Russia and Putin, Egypt and Mansour. Farce of sending senators McCain and Graham to Egypt as US envoys after the people’s revolt and overthrow of Muslim Brother Morsi – US senators urge release of Islamists, Egypt unhappy with ‘foreign pressure’.Iran’s President Rouhani Is Moderate, Netanyahu Doesn’t Buy It
The US House of Representatives passed a bill by a commanding 400-20 bipartisan majority to tighten sanctions on Iran’s petroleum sector. The move came just days before the inauguration of Rouhani as Iran’s new president.
○ JPost: Saudi feud too bitter for new Iranian president to fix
○ US sure to ‘suffer loss’ if it acts in Syria, says Iran’s Khamenei
.
.
[Cross-posted from BooMan’s fp story – A Brief Look Behind the Curtain.]
Obama and Kerry done their best to bend the truth so the attack on Syria would be claimed as legitimate. It was framed as follows: putting case before the UN Security Council was a no-no, the evidence isn’t there. It had to be framed around the use of a nerve agent on civilians with a high body count. By invoking the 1925 Geneva Protocol signed under the auspices of the League of Nations and the UN Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 1993, the Obama administration found an opening for legitimacy of a punitive attack. This legal argument is on very thin ice as it’s the UN Security Council which needs to act. So Obama used the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine for a quick reaction on Syria to “protect the civilians ” from further nerve gas attack. That’s why Obama and Kerry were very careful in their statements as “regime change” would void the legality to act. Lo and behold, the US Senate Commission added this goal to the resolution and this makes any attack on Syria “f*cking” illegal, no doubts about it. The morons, thank you. And Obama and Kerry keeping a straight face while mouthing their lies and deceit before the global community.
To make the US attack on Syria to remove Assad more legal …
Arab states want to take costs
Arab states, according to Kerry agreed to pay the cost of a U.S. military operation. The sum offered was “pretty significant.” Defense Chuck Hagel said again that the military was ready whenever Obama give an order.
.
Churchill was right, what do we care if they gas each other?
Propaganda: Repeating Lies Over and Over Again. What had effect perhaps 60 years ago leading up to WWII and during the Cold War, today people can find the other views and opinions through modern media. Listening to the press conference of John Kerry and French FM Laurent Fabius, it’s repeating the same old lines of total bs. Reading from the same playbook as Samantha Power yesterday and the day before that by President Obama. The EU will only act on Syria and the apparent gas attack through the UN Security Council. No one knows whether Obama will wait that long. The objective is to degrade the military capability of the Assad regime and make a political solution possible. Kerry mentioned the strenghtening of the Al Qaeda groups but provides no insight how to deal with these thugs committing war crimes every day.
It’s just a disgusting mess in US foreign policy towards the Middle-East. Kerry did mention our “national interest,” meaning Israel, Lebanon and Turkey. Kerry dares to speak out that if Assad isn’t stopped with his chemical arsenal, it will endanger all of us. Both Kerry and Fabius referred to the heinous scenes on videos of children suffering in neurotoxin attack in Ghouta, telling the world it’s Assad’s crime. No, the US will do all that’s necessary to get rid of Assad and hope for the best. There is no room for failure. I find it once again stunning he mentions the gas attack of Assad in the same breath as Hitler and Saddam Hussein. Also mentions Syria, Hezbollah, Iran and North Korea with possessing WMDs and risk of proliferation to terror groups. This does injustice to Iran and its people who have been on the receiving end of heinous gas attacks in the 1980s by Iraq. Iran has signed and ratified the CWC protocol and treaty. Iran leadership has always condemned the use of nerve gas in the strongest terms. John Kerry, you are a fraud! It’s just ugly propaganda based on LIES.
○ JPost – America’s real Middle East priority: Iran
.
A new argument added by John Kerry to the earlier “moral high ground” and “conscience“, supported by his right hand Minister of Propaganda at the UN …
To meet the needs of right-wing Repugs like McCain … do a bit extra on bombing runs! Obama needs to get the votes in Congress.
Read on – It Stinks A Mile In the Wind.
.
Regime change didn’t happen in a matter of weeks or months as expected (based on intelligence?). The chosen policy of feeding arms, funds and intelligence to the rebels backfired as there was no opposition to unite and foreign fighters came in with its goal of a Sunni Islamic state accompanied by ugly atrocities and war crimes. A re-evaluation and Obama is staying the course by increasing support for the rebels. Excellent reminder by Juan Cole …
○ Russia calls for Syrian “Taif” accord
During the last decade, beginning with the Bush presidency, Bashar Assad was again vilified and blamed for most of the atrocities in Lebanon. This included the so-called Israeli evidence pointing towards Damascus for responsibility of the Rafic Hariri assassination in Beirut. Bush was clearly doing King Abdullah’s bidding through “mediator” Ambassador Prince Bandar in Washington DC. Can someone explain why the Syrian Orthodox Christians will be left to hang and dry and by bombing the Assad regime, the US will give military advantage to Al Qaeda terror groups funded and aided by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Western powers.
.
A must read, quite excellent investigative journalism by Max Blumenthal @Mondoweiss. Article established for a fact what my suspicion has been from the outset.
○ Vladimir Putin calls John Kerry a liar on Syrian opposition at Senate hearing
.
Both McCain and Kerry quoted from O’Bagy’s op-ed article. Kerry has worded all his statements on Syria very carefully, therefore all would have been vetted. Someone on his team let this pass? No, not really. This whole propaganda stunt is based on numerous lies and plain deceit. Had Obama not postponed the intented date to strike Syria, who would be talking about the lies going to war? The media would be filled with “shock and awe” Obama style. War is A Lie.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, the once quality paper The Wall Street Journalis now in the possession of Murdock and all is focused on supporting right-wing US policy (Israel included) and more anti-Obama editorial stance.
○ WSJ on Real Cause of Homelessness in America
○ WSJ on ObamaCare’s Broken Promises
○ The MurdochStreet Journal, Not for Me, Thanks.
.
○ Report: Israel to Seek US Attack on Syria, or Freedom to Do So March 18, 2013
Cross-posted from my diary – It Stinks A Mile In the Wind.
.
Jerusalem Post could as well add Susan Rice to the list of NeoCons.
○ AIPAC: Susan Rice Emerges As Pro-Israel Courter-In-Chief
○ Watch and listen to her presentation why Syria’s chemical weapons are a risk to the US and is declared our National Security interest:
Susan Rice is not a “humanitarian hawk” but a true NeoCon
○ John Kerry’s ‘Munich moment’ and the holocaust reference in argument to go to war on Syria
Listening to the conciliatory words by JFK towards the communists and people of the Soviet Union, the world has drifted apart more than we realize in our daily, busy world. Such a shame, even Obama cannot provide change. See the diplomatic rhetoric by Susan Rice at the UN Security Council. Such a bloody shame.
.
A follow-up from my earlier post about John Kerry and his source Elizabeth O’Bagy, “expert” on Syria. Read my diary – It Stinks A Mile In the Wind.
.
Do we need more Syrian Rebels propaganda pieces from Murdoch’s press?? What a bs.
Syria faces a looming humanitarian disaster and is in the midst of an acute political paralysis by Vijay Prashad
.
Excellent, well balanced and credible statements by our President. PBO should have ended his presentation at 13:00 min., the rest was a redundancy where he put extra focus on the horror of Ghouta and puts repeated blame on the Assad regime. All images of war crimes from all sides in the civil war in Syria are horrific. The stream of hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled destruction, bloodshed and murders are heart wrenching. The need for a political solution could have warranted more space in his speech. I’m glad the war rhetoric has diminished and I hear a clear intention and commitment for dialogue and diplomacy. A break with the rhetoric of our Minister of Propaganda just 24 hours earlier, NeoCon Susan Rice, she shames us all.
.
Universally it is seen the US has failed in policy towards Syria, the revolution and the analysis of Assad’s overthrow. There is a reason only France is capable and willing to join Obama’s military strike on Syria. As I have written the last two years and is repeated today in the US, Europe and the Arab states: US policy is confused and not credible. It’s wonderful for Obama, the perception is otherwise within Washington DC and the 50 states. The decision to hold off a strike on the Assad regime has really pissed-off King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the Emir of Qatar, Emirates, Erdogan in Turkey and Netanyahu of Israel. Obama has just set a break with 35 years of tradition in the Middle-East. The step Obama has taken is very courageous, we’ll have to wait if it is rewarded with a positive result: a political solution to the civil/sectarian war in Syria. Obama is putting US National Interest first as recent Chiefs of Staff have asked.
In another excellent panel discussion on France24, short interviews were seen with Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran. Unheard praise for the US and Obama for taking the military action on Syria off the top priority list. It was suggested that Putin and Lavrov will, in the short term, propose a new offer in the nuclear armament stalemate. Mentioned was the offer to take high enriched uranium processing out of Iran and move this to Russia and under IAEA inspection. No doubt, Bashar Assad, Maliki and Iran are emboldened by the latest decison for diplomacy by PBO. I have said all along, a solution to the I-P issue must be comprehensive and include the greater Middle-East and Gulf region. Kerry needs a chance to work the diplomatic channels as senator Obama promised during his campaign in 2008.
○ UN report: War crimes on both sides have worsened in Syria
○ Taking WMDs out of Syria is ‘nightmare’ for Obama
.
I expect NSA intelligence will have covered the UN Inspection team and lab tests, so the results should be known by both the US and Israel.
Cross-posted from my diary – Across the Globe, Praise for Putin ‖ Op-ed.
.
Kerry and Lavrov have an excellent working relationship and are devoted to a political solution for the Syria crisis. Since the end of May, efforts of Kerry for diplomacy have been stymied from inside the White House. I suspect the NeoCon influence of National Security adviser Susan Rice as the culprit. Ms Rice has a close relationship with PBO and put sufficient doubt in his mind to take a tough stand on the Assad regime and threaten military action. Obama himself decided to step away from the brink of starting another prolonged war on a Muslim nation.
○ Kerry In Moscow – A Breath of Fresh Air May 7, 2013
○ Obama ahead of G8 – Syria Crossed Red Line June 15, 2013
○ John Kerry Again Rules Out Military Action in Syria June 26, 2013
○ Rice and Kerry: War Inside the White House Aug. 8, 2013
○ Barack Obama and an Act of War plus follow-up Aug. 26, 2013
If John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov illustrate their determination …
STEP 1 – Resolve CW issue on Syria
STEP 2 – Arms embargo and a political solution for Syria
STEP 3 – Resolve nuclear issue of Iran with president Rouhani
STEP 4 – Finalize a peace treaty between Israel and Palestine
Obama made a courageous decision stepping away from 35 years of biased US policy on the Middle East. Angry Arab states Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar plus Turkey and Israel. Praise from Russia, Iran and Iraq (Maliki).
.
I don’t know this writer, I do agree with his analysis to see recent developments as an opportunity to correct historic wrongs.
○ US/Russia Should Lead – A Yalta Conference on Middle East
.
Came across this oldie …
Samantha Power, the Monster, and the Libyan Intervention by Frank Schnittger - Sept. 8, 2011
.
Speaking of morals and conscience in the 21th century. Just watched part of a documentary on Al Jazeera about the Salvadorization in Iraq. Policy set by Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld, executed by Gen. Petreaus with the mention of two mystical figures: Jim Steele and Special Forces Colonel James Coffman. Because the training of a new Iraqi police force was nor effective in a surge of Sunni led terror attacks, the Pentagon decided to train “police” commandos drawn from the Shia community and belonging to the Sadr militia. These death squads of terror, torture and murder were very effective to start a full-fledged sectarian war inside Iraq which is still raging. One Sunni city that suffered greatly was Samarra, where the mosque with the golden dome was bombed.
Found only a single mention of “Fraga 242” here @BooMan, a diary by danps in 2010 – State-run Iranian media beats the NY Times on WikiLeaks reporting. Of course, the “Salvador option” was witnessed and reported at the time. With “Fraga 242” the order is laid at the desk of President George Bush.
Excellent reporting by Steven D in October 2006 – You Get What You Pay For, and in Iraq We Paid for Death Squads.
.
.
Syria & Antibodies to the US Empire, excellent diary about latest developments. That moderate FSA fighters are joining Al-Nusra Front (Jabhat Al-Nusra) and the extreme Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is not new nor recent. The extreme groups are in battle with the moderate FSA forces and have assassinated top commanders. In return a top leader of Al-Nusra has also been assassinated. Furthermore, the Islamic militants or foreign mujahideen jihadists are confronting the Syrian Kurds on north-eastern parts of Syria. After the slaughter of 450 civilians, a mass flight of refugees headed for the Iraq border, not entering Turkey by choice. Only a third of the 100,000 rebels are moderates.
‘Moderate forces that make up the majority’
Reminds me of the Kerry/McCain sham in his statements before the Senate hearing in an attempt to convince Congress to pass legislation to grant powers for a military strike on Syria for “humanitarian” reasons. The bs coming from the likes of Susan Rice and Samantha Power. The warmongers used an article from WSJ to “proof” the Al Qaeda groups were just a small minority in opposition to the Assad regime.
The confrontation inside the White House between National Security adviser Susan Rice and Secretary John Kerry was analysed in my diary – Rice and Kerry: War Inside the White House.
Saudi commander of the Syrian mujahideen fighters, Prince Bandar, has recruited more “cut throats” by emptying the cells of death row in Saudi Arabia. Capable men are granted pardon, provided large sums of money for redemption on the battlefield of the Levant and die a martyr of Islam. Spreading fear in Syria, a return to the dark Middle-Ages.
Juan Cole ‘Not So Informed Comment’ Jan. 19, 2013
.
○ Leading Fighters in Syria are Al-Qaeda Linked Al-Nusra Front Jan 9, 2013
○ Sir Barack of Arabia: Obama’s War on Syria May 17, 2012
○ Foreign Troops and al-Qaeda Infiltrating Into Syria Feb. 8, 2012 [0 recommends]
.
Haven’t seen Qatar’s propaganda station offer a report in opposition to jihadists in Syria in the last two years.
Concerns grow over Syria’s foreign fighters and groups affiliated to al-Qaeda are having on the conflict.
Even some criticism thrown at Erdogan’s Turkey for letting foreign fighters travel via its territory to Northern Syria as easy as tourists.
My earlier diary – MB Axis Egypt – Turkey – Qatar Faces Defeat.
.
○ Clinton to meet Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in Geneva – 2000
○ Report: Netanyahu agreed to full Golan Heights withdrawal
○ France24 – Domestic opposition groups not part of talks for a political solution in Syria
.
○ Middle East reconfigured: Turkey vs. Iran vs. Saudi Arabia
○ Obama Breaks With Bibi on Iranian Uranium Enrichment
○ The Other Lobby: Newspapers of Gulf Oil Monarchies Condemn US-Iran Rapprochement
Most notable, the Sultanate of Erdogan’s Turkey just made a political U-turn and backs the UN Security Council in its effort
to organize Geneva 2 and a political solution for Syria. Amazing, I fell off my chair reading Gül’s plea:
○ Gül warns of dark Middle Ages in Muslim world
.
A dry analysis of the political positioning at the UN General Assembly yesterday. Preaching to the global community or placating the warmongers at home. A new spirit of optimism may be justified, the work will be done behind closed doors and through back-channels. Plenty of work do be done by Secretary Kerry in the coming months.
○ UN Address: Obama created a logical connection between Tehran, Ramallah and Jerusalem
○ US, Iran: Decades of complex, troubled relations
○ UN Corridors: Obama to meet Netanyahu, but not Rohani
.
Of course, all Obama loyalists call it a masterpiece of 11th Dimensional Chess, he can do no wrong. What a bs. Remember, France and the US were just hours away from a devastating military strike on Syria that would have destroyed any Obama “legacy.”
It’s not 11th Dimensional Chess, just a lucky hand at poker when Secretary Kerry set up a one-two rebuttal with his Russian colleague Lavrov and secured the CW removal option in Syria. Left AIPAC look like fools and empty handed, so did the hawks in the White House, Capitol Hill and Jerusalem. Not even speaking of Ankara, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.
Here is how the blog community reacts on poor brinkmanship from the Oval Office:
○ It’s At Least 11-Dimensional Chess BooMan on Sept. 25, 2009
○ Russia’s chess game trumps Obama’s checkers (with video) Sept.11, 2013
○ Obama Wins 11th Dimensional Chess Match: Agreement with Russia to Remove Syrian Chemical Weapons Daily Kos on Sept.14, 2013
My earlier comment – Regime Change for Syria Was Never A Secret .
.
A blueprint for Mali but likely followed in other regions as in Syria by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
○ Independence Day: Congratulations Islamic State Azawad May 27, 2012
○ US Administratons’ Failure to Distinquish Strands of Islam Sept. 15, 2012
○ US Special Forces Trained Malian Army, Ethnic Tuareq Defect to Rebels Jan. 16, 2013
.