Home
Portal
Gallery
Register
Log inWho is online?
In total there are 16 users online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 16 Guests None
Most users ever online was 386 on Sun 25 Apr 2021, 2:56 pm
Latest topics
SYRIA NEWS
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Thu 26 Sep 2013, 4:06 pm
Assad: We have weapons that could blindside Israel -
http://www.timesofisrael.com/assad-we-have-weapons-that-could-blindside-israel/
September 26
The predicted "perilous times" just intensify daily
Syrian president says West is only seeking to strip him of his chemical weapons in order to tip balance of power in Jerusalem’s favor
“Originally, we produced chemical weapons in the 1980s as a deterrent to Israel’s nuclear capabilities,” Assad said in an interview with the Hezbollah-affiliated, Lebanon-based Al-Akhbar newspaper, adding that “today, we have weapons that are far mSyria has deterrent weapons, more advanced than anything in its chemical arsenal, that could blindside Israel in mere moments, Syrian President Bashar Assad claimed Thursday.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories FREE SIGN UP!
“Originally, we produced chemical weapons in the 1980s as a deterrent to Israel’s nuclear capabilities,” Assad said in an interview with the Hezbollah-affiliated, Lebanon-based Al-Akhbar newspaper, adding that “today, we have weapons that are far more important and sophisticated and that can blindside Israel in the blink of an eye.”
The Syrian president also charged that the West was not really concerned with stripping Syria of its weapons stockpile in order to safeguard the country’s civilians but, rather, that its goal was to tip the balance of power in the Middle East in Israel’s favor.
“They wanted to change the balance of power to protect Israel, but we turned the table on them and now the ball is in their court,” said Assad.
Referring to his regime’s chemical weapons arsenal, which, under a US-Russian agreement reached earlier this month, is due to be destroyed by mid-2014, Assad said that his stockpile, of about 1,000 tons, is a burden and will be costly and time-consuming to dispose of.
The Syrian president went on to mock President Barack Obama as “hesitant” and “weak.” He called the US administration’s handling of the threat to attack Syria — in response to the regime’s alleged chemical attack in Damascus on August 21 that killed over 1,400 people according to US officials — an “embarrassment.”
“The steps we’ve taken embarrassed the US government in the eyes of the American and European publics. Obama lost in his own home [turf]. where [he] lost the ability to maneuver internally,” Assad added.
In a previous interview with Venezuelan television, the Syrian president accused the Obama administration of lying to US citizens by claiming it had proof that Assad’s government was responsible for the August 21 gas attack.
Assad told Al-Akhbar that the level of Syrian cooperation and coordination with Russia was “unprecedented” and that should a US attack on Syria occur — a possibility he did not rule out — he had Moscow’s assurances that Russian forces would be sent to back the regime.
“We have a full Russian pledges that Russian troops will enter in any war waged against Syria,” he was quoted as saying.
Russia has remained a staunch ally of the Assad regime throughout the two-and-a half-year civil war, blocking any meaningful UN Security Council resolutions and cautioning the US against military action.
The Russians, like Assad, insist Syrian rebels were responsible for the August 21 attack.
UN inspectors returned to Syria on Wednesday to continue investigating three incidents of suspected chemical weapons use this year.ore important and sophisticated and that can blindside Israel in the blink of an eye.”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/assad-we-have-weapons-that-could-blindside-israel/
September 26
The predicted "perilous times" just intensify daily
Syrian president says West is only seeking to strip him of his chemical weapons in order to tip balance of power in Jerusalem’s favor
“Originally, we produced chemical weapons in the 1980s as a deterrent to Israel’s nuclear capabilities,” Assad said in an interview with the Hezbollah-affiliated, Lebanon-based Al-Akhbar newspaper, adding that “today, we have weapons that are far mSyria has deterrent weapons, more advanced than anything in its chemical arsenal, that could blindside Israel in mere moments, Syrian President Bashar Assad claimed Thursday.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories FREE SIGN UP!
“Originally, we produced chemical weapons in the 1980s as a deterrent to Israel’s nuclear capabilities,” Assad said in an interview with the Hezbollah-affiliated, Lebanon-based Al-Akhbar newspaper, adding that “today, we have weapons that are far more important and sophisticated and that can blindside Israel in the blink of an eye.”
The Syrian president also charged that the West was not really concerned with stripping Syria of its weapons stockpile in order to safeguard the country’s civilians but, rather, that its goal was to tip the balance of power in the Middle East in Israel’s favor.
“They wanted to change the balance of power to protect Israel, but we turned the table on them and now the ball is in their court,” said Assad.
Referring to his regime’s chemical weapons arsenal, which, under a US-Russian agreement reached earlier this month, is due to be destroyed by mid-2014, Assad said that his stockpile, of about 1,000 tons, is a burden and will be costly and time-consuming to dispose of.
The Syrian president went on to mock President Barack Obama as “hesitant” and “weak.” He called the US administration’s handling of the threat to attack Syria — in response to the regime’s alleged chemical attack in Damascus on August 21 that killed over 1,400 people according to US officials — an “embarrassment.”
“The steps we’ve taken embarrassed the US government in the eyes of the American and European publics. Obama lost in his own home [turf]. where [he] lost the ability to maneuver internally,” Assad added.
In a previous interview with Venezuelan television, the Syrian president accused the Obama administration of lying to US citizens by claiming it had proof that Assad’s government was responsible for the August 21 gas attack.
Assad told Al-Akhbar that the level of Syrian cooperation and coordination with Russia was “unprecedented” and that should a US attack on Syria occur — a possibility he did not rule out — he had Moscow’s assurances that Russian forces would be sent to back the regime.
“We have a full Russian pledges that Russian troops will enter in any war waged against Syria,” he was quoted as saying.
Russia has remained a staunch ally of the Assad regime throughout the two-and-a half-year civil war, blocking any meaningful UN Security Council resolutions and cautioning the US against military action.
The Russians, like Assad, insist Syrian rebels were responsible for the August 21 attack.
UN inspectors returned to Syria on Wednesday to continue investigating three incidents of suspected chemical weapons use this year.ore important and sophisticated and that can blindside Israel in the blink of an eye.”
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Mon 09 Sep 2013, 12:21 pm
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57601902/bashar-assad-tells-charlie-rose-u.s-should-expect-every-action-in-response-to-syria-strikes/
President Bashar Assad warned Sunday that if President Obama decides to launch military strikes on Syria, the U.S. and its allies should "expect every action" in retaliation.
"You should expect everything. Not necessarily from the government," Assad told "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose in his first television interview since Mr. Obama sought congressional approval for military action.
Play VIDEO
If U.S. strikes Syria, what happens next?
14 PHOTOS
Alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria
In a clear reference to his allies in Iran and the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, Assad warned that his government is "not the only player in this region."
"You have different parties, you have different factions, you have different ideology. You have everything in this region now," said Assad, who has been accused by the White House of killing 1,400 of his own people in an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack on the Damascus suburbs.
Asked by Rose whether any retaliation for U.S. strikes could include the use of chemical weapons, Assad -- whose government has never confirmed officially that it even has chemical weapons -- said it would depend "if the rebels or the terrorists in this region or any other group have it. It could happen, I don't know. I am not fortune teller."
Rose said Sunday on the "CBS Evening News" that the Syrian dictator was "remarkably calm" during the interview as he addressed the claims that he had gassed his own people.
Rose's full interview with Assad will air Monday night on "The Charlie Rose Show" on PBS. More excerpts were released Monday on "CBS This Morning."
Assad's government has blamed the Aug. 21 attack in Damascus' eastern Ghouta suburbs on opposition forces which have been battling to topple him from power for more than two years.
Russia has also suggested the rebels could have been behind the attack, and Moscow continues to urge the U.S. to delay any military action at least until a team of United Nations inspectors issues its report on the incident after collecting samples and evidence on the ground in Ghouta. The report is expected by mid-September, but will offer conclusions only on which chemical agents were used and how -- not on which side used them.
The Obama administration believes the evidence is already clear, based on secret intelligence allegedly showing Assad regime troops preparing for and even carrying out the attack on Ghouta using missiles tipped with chemical warheads, and intercepted communications between regime officials on the day of the attack.
Play VIDEO
Congressmen: Syrian action unpopular among American public
But while the White House has shared that intelligence with some members of Congress, and has managed to convince a few skeptical lawmakers, its public case for punitive action against Assad is based largely on circumstantial evidence.
U.S. officials and their allies around the world insist the Ghouta attack could only have been carried out by the Syrian government because only the Syrian military possesses the missiles, chemical agents and know-how necessary to successfully deliver a deadly toxin like sarin gas on such a wide scale.
Play VIDEO
Kerry makes case for Syria strike to Arab leaders
Secretary of State John Kerry has spent days trying to garner international backers for any U.S. military action in Syria, but he's managed to get firm commitments only from France and Saudi Arabia.
Kerry said Sunday in London that Saudi Arabia was supportive of a U.S-led strike and was convinced Assad was behind the Ghouta attack -- and he expected other Arab countries to issue statements of support on Monday, reported CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan.
But few were expected to say they would join in a military strike.
Kerry got a similarly hesitant response from the European Union on Saturday, which urged the world to send "a clear and strong response," but asked the U.S. to delay any action until the U.N. weapons inspectors finish their report.
President Bashar Assad warned Sunday that if President Obama decides to launch military strikes on Syria, the U.S. and its allies should "expect every action" in retaliation.
"You should expect everything. Not necessarily from the government," Assad told "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose in his first television interview since Mr. Obama sought congressional approval for military action.
Play VIDEO
If U.S. strikes Syria, what happens next?
14 PHOTOS
Alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria
In a clear reference to his allies in Iran and the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, Assad warned that his government is "not the only player in this region."
"You have different parties, you have different factions, you have different ideology. You have everything in this region now," said Assad, who has been accused by the White House of killing 1,400 of his own people in an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack on the Damascus suburbs.
Asked by Rose whether any retaliation for U.S. strikes could include the use of chemical weapons, Assad -- whose government has never confirmed officially that it even has chemical weapons -- said it would depend "if the rebels or the terrorists in this region or any other group have it. It could happen, I don't know. I am not fortune teller."
Rose said Sunday on the "CBS Evening News" that the Syrian dictator was "remarkably calm" during the interview as he addressed the claims that he had gassed his own people.
Rose's full interview with Assad will air Monday night on "The Charlie Rose Show" on PBS. More excerpts were released Monday on "CBS This Morning."
Assad's government has blamed the Aug. 21 attack in Damascus' eastern Ghouta suburbs on opposition forces which have been battling to topple him from power for more than two years.
Russia has also suggested the rebels could have been behind the attack, and Moscow continues to urge the U.S. to delay any military action at least until a team of United Nations inspectors issues its report on the incident after collecting samples and evidence on the ground in Ghouta. The report is expected by mid-September, but will offer conclusions only on which chemical agents were used and how -- not on which side used them.
The Obama administration believes the evidence is already clear, based on secret intelligence allegedly showing Assad regime troops preparing for and even carrying out the attack on Ghouta using missiles tipped with chemical warheads, and intercepted communications between regime officials on the day of the attack.
Play VIDEO
Congressmen: Syrian action unpopular among American public
But while the White House has shared that intelligence with some members of Congress, and has managed to convince a few skeptical lawmakers, its public case for punitive action against Assad is based largely on circumstantial evidence.
U.S. officials and their allies around the world insist the Ghouta attack could only have been carried out by the Syrian government because only the Syrian military possesses the missiles, chemical agents and know-how necessary to successfully deliver a deadly toxin like sarin gas on such a wide scale.
Play VIDEO
Kerry makes case for Syria strike to Arab leaders
Secretary of State John Kerry has spent days trying to garner international backers for any U.S. military action in Syria, but he's managed to get firm commitments only from France and Saudi Arabia.
Kerry said Sunday in London that Saudi Arabia was supportive of a U.S-led strike and was convinced Assad was behind the Ghouta attack -- and he expected other Arab countries to issue statements of support on Monday, reported CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan.
But few were expected to say they would join in a military strike.
Kerry got a similarly hesitant response from the European Union on Saturday, which urged the world to send "a clear and strong response," but asked the U.S. to delay any action until the U.N. weapons inspectors finish their report.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Mon 09 Sep 2013, 10:40 am
This morning I saw on TV news it was said Aleppo Govn'r would welcome U.S. attack.
Christians in Aleppo fear Iraq style Ethnic Cleansing.
ALEPPO, Syria — Aleppo is basically “Little Syria,” a melting pot, representative of the diverse ethnic and religious groups that make up the nation. Christians in Aleppo have tended to live together in close-knit communities in neighborhoods usually clustered around churches.
It would be very accurate to describe some areas of Aleppo as “Christian,” although this by no means implies any sort of self- or outside-imposed segregation or discrimination. Residents of other faiths are found, and get along just fine in those areas. It is just that they are predominantly Christian.
Unfortunately, by a stroke of peculiarly bad luck, all the Christian neighborhoods are on or near the front lines in the parts of Aleppo divided between regime and rebel control. They have seen more than their fair share of fighting, “collateral damage” and a long line of civilian casualties.
The area of Midan in particular, home to many of Aleppo’s Armenian Christian minority, was a front-line area that saw heavy fighting for many months. It is still the scene of sporadic fighting and shelling today, although a large proportion of its inhabitants have already fled. Some went to Lebanon, others went back to Armenia where they applied for Armenian citizenship and passports, then moved on to settle in Europe or the Arab Gulf — where Syrian passport holders are denied work or residence permits, hence their change of passports.
It is particularly sad and ironic to witness today the Armenians, who fled persecution and sought sanctuary in Aleppo more than a century ago, again being forced to do the same, this time from Aleppo. I doubt very much whether they would have considered doing so under any other circumstances. They have always enjoyed excellent communal relations with the rest of Aleppan society, and were even allowed to set up their own private schools which taught in Armenian — something not allowed for other ethnic groups, most notably the Kurds. The Armenians were guaranteed a place in the Syrian parliament via their own elected representatives.
As for Arab Christians — in other front-line places such as Sliemaniyeh, Siryan and Azizieh — the wealthy among them have fled, mostly to Europe or Lebanon, as have most of Aleppo’s wealthy elites. Those who stayed behind have now irrevocably tied their fate with that of the Syrian regime. Not out of love or loyalty or ideology, but out of fear and necessity.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/aleppo-christians-syria-rebels-regime.html
Christians in Aleppo fear Iraq style Ethnic Cleansing.
ALEPPO, Syria — Aleppo is basically “Little Syria,” a melting pot, representative of the diverse ethnic and religious groups that make up the nation. Christians in Aleppo have tended to live together in close-knit communities in neighborhoods usually clustered around churches.
It would be very accurate to describe some areas of Aleppo as “Christian,” although this by no means implies any sort of self- or outside-imposed segregation or discrimination. Residents of other faiths are found, and get along just fine in those areas. It is just that they are predominantly Christian.
Unfortunately, by a stroke of peculiarly bad luck, all the Christian neighborhoods are on or near the front lines in the parts of Aleppo divided between regime and rebel control. They have seen more than their fair share of fighting, “collateral damage” and a long line of civilian casualties.
The area of Midan in particular, home to many of Aleppo’s Armenian Christian minority, was a front-line area that saw heavy fighting for many months. It is still the scene of sporadic fighting and shelling today, although a large proportion of its inhabitants have already fled. Some went to Lebanon, others went back to Armenia where they applied for Armenian citizenship and passports, then moved on to settle in Europe or the Arab Gulf — where Syrian passport holders are denied work or residence permits, hence their change of passports.
It is particularly sad and ironic to witness today the Armenians, who fled persecution and sought sanctuary in Aleppo more than a century ago, again being forced to do the same, this time from Aleppo. I doubt very much whether they would have considered doing so under any other circumstances. They have always enjoyed excellent communal relations with the rest of Aleppan society, and were even allowed to set up their own private schools which taught in Armenian — something not allowed for other ethnic groups, most notably the Kurds. The Armenians were guaranteed a place in the Syrian parliament via their own elected representatives.
As for Arab Christians — in other front-line places such as Sliemaniyeh, Siryan and Azizieh — the wealthy among them have fled, mostly to Europe or Lebanon, as have most of Aleppo’s wealthy elites. Those who stayed behind have now irrevocably tied their fate with that of the Syrian regime. Not out of love or loyalty or ideology, but out of fear and necessity.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/aleppo-christians-syria-rebels-regime.html
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Sun 08 Sep 2013, 6:04 pm
Syria & Yom Kippur
Now is the time to take responsibility, no matter how difficult it may be.
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons
President Obama is on a 10-day mission to drum up support, both international and domestic, for a strike against Syria, whose use of chemical weapons against thousands of civilians violates the most fundamental of human rights.
Those who voice objection to the strike insist that the United States “should not be the world’s policeman.”
Many Americans would prefer that the United Nations step in. But that body has been rendered impotent by a bloc of Arab, Muslim and dictatorial Third World forces who give automatic license to autocrats.
NATO, the European Union, British Parliament, and the Arab League have proven equally feckless.
It seems the entire world is running away from responsibility.
In such situations, Jewish wisdom states a clear imperative:
“In a place where no one is taking responsibility, strive to take responsibility” (Mishnah – Avos 2:6).
When the world is descending into chaos, we do not have the option of standing idly by. We have to be the adult in the room who stands up and says that evil behavior will not be tolerated.
As the president himself stated:
"Make no mistake – this has implications beyond chemical warfare. If we won't enforce accountability in the face of this heinous act, what does it say about our resolve to stand up to others who flout fundamental international rules?”
This is much deeper than just the Middle East. This is a defining moment for America to reaffirm itself as a civilizing force in the world.
Jonah’s Flight
It is no coincidence that (due to a Congressional recess for the High Holidays) this 10-day debate falls out precisely during the Ten Days of Teshuva – the days of clarifying our priorities and committing ourselves to taking responsibility.
At the afternoon service of Yom Kippur we read the biblical Book of Jonah – the classic tale of flight from responsibility.
God sends Jonah to confront a moral evil in the city of Nineveh. Yet Jonah finds it uncomfortable to deal with, so he flees in the opposite direction via boat, and ends up in the belly of a huge fish.
Jonah’s mistake was to focus on the uncomfortable aspect of the mission.
This was God’s way of getting Jonah to introspect, to realize his mistake of focusing on the uncomfortable aspect of the mission. Jonah scrutinized all the consequences, and concluded that no matter how difficult it may be, taking action was the only way to achieve the maximum good. He realized that at the end of the end, you can never run away from doing the right thing.
Eventually, by agreeing to take responsibility, Jonah was able to save the population of an entire large city (Jonah 3:10).
Taking Responsibility
Why do people run from responsibility?
Rabbi Noah Weinberg ob’m defines this as the fundamental challenge between comfort and pleasure. We all want to be great; we all want to change the world. But we don't always feel like putting forth the effort. So we choose the path of comfort, of running away from the consequences in our lives.
We rationalize all sorts of destructive behavior. Whether it’s a compromise of business ethics, or a broken diet, we too often set a personal red line… and then move it. And in the process, we fail to accomplish some of the most important things in life.
Choosing comfort leads to the decline of civilization.
The danger is even greater when an entire society makes "comfort" its primary goal. As one scholar observed: “The definition of civilization is when you choose what's right over what's comfortable.” The choices of comfort create an atmosphere of non-accountability, and ultimately, anarchy. This is the decline of all civilizations; historians peg the collapse of the Roman Empire due to comfort and decadence.
Doing the right thing – no matter how difficult it may be – is always the best choice. In the short-term, if we pay in the pain of trying, we are spared the wrenching emotional pain of knowing we were too weak to even try.
Likewise, doing the right thing is the best long-term solution: Making an effort now is nothing compared to the pain when reality confronts us (as it invariably will do), when it may be too late to do anything about it.
The Red Line
One question that has many observers perplexed: Why would Assad cross the red line of chemical weapons and provoke such negative global reaction?
Perhaps it is the Iranians – as Syria’s primary sponsor (Mehdi Taaib,head of the Ayatollah's think tank, refers to Syria as a "district of Iran") – who ordered the Syrians to cross this red line, in order to "test" international resolve against dictators using WMD.
In other words, everything unfolding in this Syrian scenario is a trial run for the big showdown with Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons.
Be assured that the Ayatollah is watching very carefully to see how America reacts.
If there is no global response to this breaching of a universal taboo on using poison gas, that will embolden Iran with a green light.
Click here to receive Aish.com's free weekly email.
And if you think poison gas is bad, try to imagine nuclear weapons in the hands of the Mad Mullahs.
Forty Years
This week marks the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad launched a war of annihilation against Israel. The Jewish state prevailed, but for a time things were in real jeopardy; many northern Israeli towns were evacuated and then overrun by the Syrian army.
During these High Holidays, as we face this new Syrian challenge, it is time to take stock of what's at stake.
As Winston Churchill once said: "This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure."
Time for each to wake up and stop the rationalizations.
Time to take responsibility for ourselves and for the world.
Now is the time to take responsibility, no matter how difficult it may be.
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons
President Obama is on a 10-day mission to drum up support, both international and domestic, for a strike against Syria, whose use of chemical weapons against thousands of civilians violates the most fundamental of human rights.
Those who voice objection to the strike insist that the United States “should not be the world’s policeman.”
Many Americans would prefer that the United Nations step in. But that body has been rendered impotent by a bloc of Arab, Muslim and dictatorial Third World forces who give automatic license to autocrats.
NATO, the European Union, British Parliament, and the Arab League have proven equally feckless.
It seems the entire world is running away from responsibility.
In such situations, Jewish wisdom states a clear imperative:
“In a place where no one is taking responsibility, strive to take responsibility” (Mishnah – Avos 2:6).
When the world is descending into chaos, we do not have the option of standing idly by. We have to be the adult in the room who stands up and says that evil behavior will not be tolerated.
As the president himself stated:
"Make no mistake – this has implications beyond chemical warfare. If we won't enforce accountability in the face of this heinous act, what does it say about our resolve to stand up to others who flout fundamental international rules?”
This is much deeper than just the Middle East. This is a defining moment for America to reaffirm itself as a civilizing force in the world.
Jonah’s Flight
It is no coincidence that (due to a Congressional recess for the High Holidays) this 10-day debate falls out precisely during the Ten Days of Teshuva – the days of clarifying our priorities and committing ourselves to taking responsibility.
At the afternoon service of Yom Kippur we read the biblical Book of Jonah – the classic tale of flight from responsibility.
God sends Jonah to confront a moral evil in the city of Nineveh. Yet Jonah finds it uncomfortable to deal with, so he flees in the opposite direction via boat, and ends up in the belly of a huge fish.
Jonah’s mistake was to focus on the uncomfortable aspect of the mission.
This was God’s way of getting Jonah to introspect, to realize his mistake of focusing on the uncomfortable aspect of the mission. Jonah scrutinized all the consequences, and concluded that no matter how difficult it may be, taking action was the only way to achieve the maximum good. He realized that at the end of the end, you can never run away from doing the right thing.
Eventually, by agreeing to take responsibility, Jonah was able to save the population of an entire large city (Jonah 3:10).
Taking Responsibility
Why do people run from responsibility?
Rabbi Noah Weinberg ob’m defines this as the fundamental challenge between comfort and pleasure. We all want to be great; we all want to change the world. But we don't always feel like putting forth the effort. So we choose the path of comfort, of running away from the consequences in our lives.
We rationalize all sorts of destructive behavior. Whether it’s a compromise of business ethics, or a broken diet, we too often set a personal red line… and then move it. And in the process, we fail to accomplish some of the most important things in life.
Choosing comfort leads to the decline of civilization.
The danger is even greater when an entire society makes "comfort" its primary goal. As one scholar observed: “The definition of civilization is when you choose what's right over what's comfortable.” The choices of comfort create an atmosphere of non-accountability, and ultimately, anarchy. This is the decline of all civilizations; historians peg the collapse of the Roman Empire due to comfort and decadence.
Doing the right thing – no matter how difficult it may be – is always the best choice. In the short-term, if we pay in the pain of trying, we are spared the wrenching emotional pain of knowing we were too weak to even try.
Likewise, doing the right thing is the best long-term solution: Making an effort now is nothing compared to the pain when reality confronts us (as it invariably will do), when it may be too late to do anything about it.
The Red Line
One question that has many observers perplexed: Why would Assad cross the red line of chemical weapons and provoke such negative global reaction?
Perhaps it is the Iranians – as Syria’s primary sponsor (Mehdi Taaib,head of the Ayatollah's think tank, refers to Syria as a "district of Iran") – who ordered the Syrians to cross this red line, in order to "test" international resolve against dictators using WMD.
In other words, everything unfolding in this Syrian scenario is a trial run for the big showdown with Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons.
Be assured that the Ayatollah is watching very carefully to see how America reacts.
If there is no global response to this breaching of a universal taboo on using poison gas, that will embolden Iran with a green light.
Click here to receive Aish.com's free weekly email.
And if you think poison gas is bad, try to imagine nuclear weapons in the hands of the Mad Mullahs.
Forty Years
This week marks the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad launched a war of annihilation against Israel. The Jewish state prevailed, but for a time things were in real jeopardy; many northern Israeli towns were evacuated and then overrun by the Syrian army.
During these High Holidays, as we face this new Syrian challenge, it is time to take stock of what's at stake.
As Winston Churchill once said: "This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure."
Time for each to wake up and stop the rationalizations.
Time to take responsibility for ourselves and for the world.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Sun 08 Sep 2013, 12:04 pm
A Powerful Message from Christian Syrians - Ministry Videos
This poem by a Coptic orphan child in Egypt will leave you spellbound.
This will break your heart. GodTube!
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WW66GWNX&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_
campaign=dailyupdate
http://www.copticorphans.org/ ;
This poem by a Coptic orphan child in Egypt will leave you spellbound.
This will break your heart. GodTube!
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WW66GWNX&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_
campaign=dailyupdate
http://www.copticorphans.org/ ;
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Sun 08 Sep 2013, 11:59 am
Searching for something else I found this. FOR YOUR INTEREST.
http://facingislam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/syria-news-russia-releases-key-findings.html
Facing Islam Blog
An Orthodox Christian Confronts the Religion of Muhammad
http://facingislam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/syria-news-russia-releases-key-findings.html
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
SYRIA NEWS: Russia releases key findings on chemical attack near Aleppo indicating similarity with rebel-made weapons
Russia Today — 9/4/2013
Probes from Khan al-Assal show chemicals used in the March 19 attack did not belong to standard Syrian army ammunition, and that the shell carrying the substance was similar to those made by a rebel fighter group, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
A statement released by the ministry on Wednesday particularly drew attention to the “massive stove-piping of various information aimed at placing the responsibility for the alleged chemical weapons use in Syria on Damascus, even though the results of the UN investigation have not yet been revealed.”
By such means “the way is being paved for military action” against Damascus, the ministry pointed out.
But the samples taken at the site of the March 19 attack and analyzed by Russian experts indicate that a projectile carrying the deadly nerve agent sarin was most likely fired at Khan al-Assal by the rebels, the ministry statement suggests, outlining the 100-page report handed over to the UN by Russia.
The key points of the report have been given as follows:
• the shell used in the incident “does not belong to the standard ammunition of the Syrian army and was crudely according to type and parameters of the rocket-propelled unguided missiles manufactured in the north of Syria by the so-called Bashair al-Nasr brigade”;
• RDX, which is also known as hexogen or cyclonite, was used as the bursting charge for the shell, and it is “not used in standard chemical munitions”;
• soil and shell samples contain “the non-industrially synthesized nerve agent sarin and diisopropylfluorophosphate,” which was “used by Western states for producing chemical weapons during World War II.”
The findings of the report are “extremely specific,” as they mostly consist of scientific and technical data from probes’ analysis, the ministry stressed, adding that this data can “substantially aid” the UN investigation of the incident.
While focusing on the Khan al-Assal attack on March 19, in which at least 26 civilians and Syrian army soldiers were killed, and 86 more were injured, the Russian Foreign Ministry also criticized the “flawed selective approach” of certain states in reporting the recent incidents of alleged chemical weapons use in August.
The hype around the alleged attack on the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta showed “apparent attempts to cast a veil over the incidents of gas poisoning of Syrian army soldiers on August 22, 24 and 25,” the ministry said, adding that all the respective evidence was handed to the UN by Syria.
The condition of the soldiers who, according to Damascus, suffered poisoning after discovering tanks with traces of sarin, has been examined and documented by the UN inspectors, the ministry pointed out, adding that “any objective investigation of the August 21incident in eastern Ghouta is impossible without the consideration of all these facts.”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said the UN investigators are set to return to Syria to investigate several other cases of alleged chemical weapons use, including the March 19 incident in Khan al-Assal.
http://facingislam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/syria-news-russia-releases-key-findings.html
Facing Islam Blog
An Orthodox Christian Confronts the Religion of Muhammad
http://facingislam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/syria-news-russia-releases-key-findings.html
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
SYRIA NEWS: Russia releases key findings on chemical attack near Aleppo indicating similarity with rebel-made weapons
Russia Today — 9/4/2013
Probes from Khan al-Assal show chemicals used in the March 19 attack did not belong to standard Syrian army ammunition, and that the shell carrying the substance was similar to those made by a rebel fighter group, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
A statement released by the ministry on Wednesday particularly drew attention to the “massive stove-piping of various information aimed at placing the responsibility for the alleged chemical weapons use in Syria on Damascus, even though the results of the UN investigation have not yet been revealed.”
By such means “the way is being paved for military action” against Damascus, the ministry pointed out.
But the samples taken at the site of the March 19 attack and analyzed by Russian experts indicate that a projectile carrying the deadly nerve agent sarin was most likely fired at Khan al-Assal by the rebels, the ministry statement suggests, outlining the 100-page report handed over to the UN by Russia.
The key points of the report have been given as follows:
• the shell used in the incident “does not belong to the standard ammunition of the Syrian army and was crudely according to type and parameters of the rocket-propelled unguided missiles manufactured in the north of Syria by the so-called Bashair al-Nasr brigade”;
• RDX, which is also known as hexogen or cyclonite, was used as the bursting charge for the shell, and it is “not used in standard chemical munitions”;
• soil and shell samples contain “the non-industrially synthesized nerve agent sarin and diisopropylfluorophosphate,” which was “used by Western states for producing chemical weapons during World War II.”
The findings of the report are “extremely specific,” as they mostly consist of scientific and technical data from probes’ analysis, the ministry stressed, adding that this data can “substantially aid” the UN investigation of the incident.
While focusing on the Khan al-Assal attack on March 19, in which at least 26 civilians and Syrian army soldiers were killed, and 86 more were injured, the Russian Foreign Ministry also criticized the “flawed selective approach” of certain states in reporting the recent incidents of alleged chemical weapons use in August.
The hype around the alleged attack on the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta showed “apparent attempts to cast a veil over the incidents of gas poisoning of Syrian army soldiers on August 22, 24 and 25,” the ministry said, adding that all the respective evidence was handed to the UN by Syria.
The condition of the soldiers who, according to Damascus, suffered poisoning after discovering tanks with traces of sarin, has been examined and documented by the UN inspectors, the ministry pointed out, adding that “any objective investigation of the August 21incident in eastern Ghouta is impossible without the consideration of all these facts.”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said the UN investigators are set to return to Syria to investigate several other cases of alleged chemical weapons use, including the March 19 incident in Khan al-Assal.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Fri 06 Sep 2013, 1:11 pm
Al-Qaeda Vows To Slaughter Christians After U.S. ‘Liberates’ Syria – THIS Is Who Obama Is Helping!!!! (Graphic Videos)
Thursday, September 5, 2013 8:38
(Before It's News)
By Susan Duclos
The headline says it all. Al-Qaeda is waiting for Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America, to do their work for them and weaken the Syrian government, so they can then “slaughter Christians.”
This should be no surprise for anyone that watched the Syrian rebels behead a priest on camera. This should be no surprise to anyone that watched a member of Obama’s Syrian rebels eat human organs.
Before showing you, in graphic details, those videos of who and what type of monsters Barack Obama is supporting, arming and funding, let’s deal with this newest “vow” by al-Qaeda.
Via Raymond Ibrahim:
Arabic news agency Al Hadath gives more information concerning this latest terror attack on Syria’s Christians, specifically how the al-Qaeda linked rebels “terrorized the Christians,threatening to be avenged on them after the triumph of the revolution.”
Thus al-Qaeda terrorists eagerly await U.S. assistance against the Syrian government, so they can subjugate if not slaughter Syria’s Christians, secularists, and non-Muslims — even as the Obama administration tries to justify war on Syria by absurdly evoking the “human rights” of Syrians on the one hand, and lying about al-Qaeda’s presence in Syria on the other.
The video below is from this latest attack on Christians by the very people who are waiting for Obama to help them take over Syria.
Now a little reminder of the type of people Obama’s little buddies are are joined at the hip with.
GRAPHIC WARNING ALERT- Two months ago, Syrian rebels behead a Christian priest and another man, while being filmed.
PLEASE SEE LINK FOR VIDEO's CLICK HERE.
Thursday, September 5, 2013 8:38
(Before It's News)
By Susan Duclos
The headline says it all. Al-Qaeda is waiting for Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America, to do their work for them and weaken the Syrian government, so they can then “slaughter Christians.”
This should be no surprise for anyone that watched the Syrian rebels behead a priest on camera. This should be no surprise to anyone that watched a member of Obama’s Syrian rebels eat human organs.
Before showing you, in graphic details, those videos of who and what type of monsters Barack Obama is supporting, arming and funding, let’s deal with this newest “vow” by al-Qaeda.
Via Raymond Ibrahim:
Arabic news agency Al Hadath gives more information concerning this latest terror attack on Syria’s Christians, specifically how the al-Qaeda linked rebels “terrorized the Christians,threatening to be avenged on them after the triumph of the revolution.”
Thus al-Qaeda terrorists eagerly await U.S. assistance against the Syrian government, so they can subjugate if not slaughter Syria’s Christians, secularists, and non-Muslims — even as the Obama administration tries to justify war on Syria by absurdly evoking the “human rights” of Syrians on the one hand, and lying about al-Qaeda’s presence in Syria on the other.
The video below is from this latest attack on Christians by the very people who are waiting for Obama to help them take over Syria.
Now a little reminder of the type of people Obama’s little buddies are are joined at the hip with.
GRAPHIC WARNING ALERT- Two months ago, Syrian rebels behead a Christian priest and another man, while being filmed.
PLEASE SEE LINK FOR VIDEO's CLICK HERE.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Tue 03 Sep 2013, 12:40 pm
BREAKING NEWS SYRIA CRISIS
REUTERS: OPPOSITION SAYS HEAD OF SYRIAN FORENSIC MEDICINE CTTEE HAS DEFECTED
SKY TV REPORTING
According to Syrian oppOsition, says the defected Forensic expert has evidence that the Assad Administration was involved in a suspected chemical attach in Aleppo in March. They say he had evidence in March.
REUTERS: OPPOSITION SAYS HEAD OF SYRIAN FORENSIC MEDICINE CTTEE HAS DEFECTED
SKY TV REPORTING
According to Syrian oppOsition, says the defected Forensic expert has evidence that the Assad Administration was involved in a suspected chemical attach in Aleppo in March. They say he had evidence in March.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Tue 03 Sep 2013, 12:22 pm
NEWS ALERT
16 mins ago from my time of posting
http://www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/2013/sep/03/syria-crisis-2-million-refugees-live
Assad chemical warfare chief set to 'defect'
TV NEWS Reuters say DEFECTED
Syria crisis: Israel and US test missiles - live updates
LIVE• Assad chemical warfare chief set to 'defect'
• Russian radar picks up objects fired into Mediterranean
• Number of refugees tops 2 million, says UNHCR
• Assad warns that intervention could prompt regional war
• Obama officials to make case to Congress for Syria strikes
16 mins ago from my time of posting
http://www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/2013/sep/03/syria-crisis-2-million-refugees-live
Assad chemical warfare chief set to 'defect'
TV NEWS Reuters say DEFECTED
Syria crisis: Israel and US test missiles - live updates
LIVE• Assad chemical warfare chief set to 'defect'
• Russian radar picks up objects fired into Mediterranean
• Number of refugees tops 2 million, says UNHCR
• Assad warns that intervention could prompt regional war
• Obama officials to make case to Congress for Syria strikes
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Tue 03 Sep 2013, 11:42 am
http://news.sky.com/story/1136479/syria-israel-fires-missiles-in-mediterranean
3rd September 2013
Syria: Israel Fires Missiles In Mediterranean
Russia's missile early warning system spots two launches heading towards Syria,
before Israel admits it was carrying out a test.12:35pm UK, Tuesday 03 September 2013
ISRAEL-SYRIA-CONFLICT-SECURITY-ARMY
Video: Israel Admits To Firing Missiles
Israel has said it carried out a missile test in the Mediterranean, amid continued tensions in the region over the ongoing crisis in Syria.
Israel's defence ministry said it had tested a single 'Ankor' target missile, which it said formed part of a US-funded anti-missile system.
Two ballistic "objects" were fired towards the eastern Mediterranean from the central part of the sea, Russia's defence ministry had reportedly said.
Interfax news agency quoted a ministry spokesman as saying the launch was detected at 10.16 am Moscow time (7.16am UK time) by an early warning radar station at Armavir, near the Black Sea, which is designed to detect missiles from Europe and Iran.
Sky News' Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said: "This is Israel saying ‘we can defend ourselves’. They do these tests frequently but they would have chosen today as a reminder (to Israel’s enemies)."
Despite reports that Israel had claimed the launch was a joint test with America, a US Navy spokesman said no missiles had been fired from any of its ships in the Mediterranean.
The Russian Embassy in Syria said there were no signs of a missile attack or explosions in the capital, Damascus.
Handout photo of guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage operating in the Arabian Gulf
The US Navy denied involvement in the test
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had informed President Vladimir Putin of the launch, according to Interfax.
"The trajectory of these objects goes from the central part of the Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern part of the Mediterranean coast," Interfax quoted the spokesman as saying.
Russia opposes any outside military intervention in the Syrian civil war and a ministry official had earlier criticised the United States for deploying warships in the Mediterranean close to Syria.
An Israeli military spokeswoman had previously said she was not aware of any missile launch in the eastern Mediterranean.
Washington is currently assessing whether to order sea-launched strikes against Syria, with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden attempting to convince Congress of the need to intervene.
Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham, who are both campaigning for action, met the President to discuss operations.
Mr Graham said: "It is all in the details, but I left the meeting feeling better than I felt before about what happens the day after and that the purpose of the attack is going to be a little more robust than I thought."
And Mr McCain said in an interview that Mr Obama did not reveal what weapons might be provided to the opposition in Syria or discuss in what targets might be attacked.
"There was no concrete agreement, 'OK, we got a deal,’" Mr McCain said.
"Like a lot of things, the devil is in the details."
It came as Foreign Secretary William Hague answered questions on the Syria crisis in Parliament.
France previously released satellite imagery it said showed strikes came from government-controlled areas to the east and west of the Syrian capital and targeting rebel-held zones, just before civilians began dying from gas poisoning.
President Bashar al Assad warned Syria would retaliate if France takes part in foreign strikes on his forces.
3rd September 2013
Syria: Israel Fires Missiles In Mediterranean
Russia's missile early warning system spots two launches heading towards Syria,
before Israel admits it was carrying out a test.12:35pm UK, Tuesday 03 September 2013
ISRAEL-SYRIA-CONFLICT-SECURITY-ARMY
Video: Israel Admits To Firing Missiles
Israel has said it carried out a missile test in the Mediterranean, amid continued tensions in the region over the ongoing crisis in Syria.
Israel's defence ministry said it had tested a single 'Ankor' target missile, which it said formed part of a US-funded anti-missile system.
Two ballistic "objects" were fired towards the eastern Mediterranean from the central part of the sea, Russia's defence ministry had reportedly said.
Interfax news agency quoted a ministry spokesman as saying the launch was detected at 10.16 am Moscow time (7.16am UK time) by an early warning radar station at Armavir, near the Black Sea, which is designed to detect missiles from Europe and Iran.
Sky News' Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said: "This is Israel saying ‘we can defend ourselves’. They do these tests frequently but they would have chosen today as a reminder (to Israel’s enemies)."
Despite reports that Israel had claimed the launch was a joint test with America, a US Navy spokesman said no missiles had been fired from any of its ships in the Mediterranean.
The Russian Embassy in Syria said there were no signs of a missile attack or explosions in the capital, Damascus.
Handout photo of guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage operating in the Arabian Gulf
The US Navy denied involvement in the test
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had informed President Vladimir Putin of the launch, according to Interfax.
"The trajectory of these objects goes from the central part of the Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern part of the Mediterranean coast," Interfax quoted the spokesman as saying.
Russia opposes any outside military intervention in the Syrian civil war and a ministry official had earlier criticised the United States for deploying warships in the Mediterranean close to Syria.
An Israeli military spokeswoman had previously said she was not aware of any missile launch in the eastern Mediterranean.
Washington is currently assessing whether to order sea-launched strikes against Syria, with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden attempting to convince Congress of the need to intervene.
Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham, who are both campaigning for action, met the President to discuss operations.
Mr Graham said: "It is all in the details, but I left the meeting feeling better than I felt before about what happens the day after and that the purpose of the attack is going to be a little more robust than I thought."
And Mr McCain said in an interview that Mr Obama did not reveal what weapons might be provided to the opposition in Syria or discuss in what targets might be attacked.
"There was no concrete agreement, 'OK, we got a deal,’" Mr McCain said.
"Like a lot of things, the devil is in the details."
It came as Foreign Secretary William Hague answered questions on the Syria crisis in Parliament.
France previously released satellite imagery it said showed strikes came from government-controlled areas to the east and west of the Syrian capital and targeting rebel-held zones, just before civilians began dying from gas poisoning.
President Bashar al Assad warned Syria would retaliate if France takes part in foreign strikes on his forces.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Sat 31 Aug 2013, 10:06 pm
Syrian Media Releases List of Potential Targets in Israel
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/171466#.UiJlStKUTpz
Syrian state media releases list of potential targets for retaliatory strikes in the event of US intervention.
By Dalit Halevi and Ari Soffer
First Publish: 8/31/2013, 11:51 PM
As US President Obama continues to mull his options over a potential military intervention in Syria, Syrian state media is upping the ante, publicizing a list of "targets" that the Syrian military could target with "long-range missiles" in the event of a US-led attack.
Aerial photos of the purported targets were released by state media, including strategic military positions in Israel, Turkey and Cyprus, such as airports and chemical weapons factories.
Syrian officials have repeatedly threatened to target Israel in the event of a western strike.
Specific targets labeled as "legitimate" for Syrian missile strikes included Israel's Dimona nuclear plant, petrochemical production plants in Haifa, Hazor military airbase, the Palmachim, Zala'im and Tzrifin military bases, Kalandia airport, and military and intelligence facilities in Turkey and Cyprus.
Turkey, once an emerging ally of the Assad regime and its Iranian backers, realigned itself to support the rebel movement following the outbreak of civil war in Syria. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist AKP party is closely aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, which wields considerable influence among many Free Syrian Army battalions. His government has been providing support and refuge to an array of Islamist rebel groups.
Cyprus is also considered central to any western attempts to intervene in Syria, due to the presence of numerous military bases there.
Read more on this page
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/171317#.UiJoMNKUTpw
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/171466#.UiJlStKUTpz
Syrian state media releases list of potential targets for retaliatory strikes in the event of US intervention.
By Dalit Halevi and Ari Soffer
First Publish: 8/31/2013, 11:51 PM
As US President Obama continues to mull his options over a potential military intervention in Syria, Syrian state media is upping the ante, publicizing a list of "targets" that the Syrian military could target with "long-range missiles" in the event of a US-led attack.
Aerial photos of the purported targets were released by state media, including strategic military positions in Israel, Turkey and Cyprus, such as airports and chemical weapons factories.
Syrian officials have repeatedly threatened to target Israel in the event of a western strike.
Specific targets labeled as "legitimate" for Syrian missile strikes included Israel's Dimona nuclear plant, petrochemical production plants in Haifa, Hazor military airbase, the Palmachim, Zala'im and Tzrifin military bases, Kalandia airport, and military and intelligence facilities in Turkey and Cyprus.
Turkey, once an emerging ally of the Assad regime and its Iranian backers, realigned itself to support the rebel movement following the outbreak of civil war in Syria. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist AKP party is closely aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, which wields considerable influence among many Free Syrian Army battalions. His government has been providing support and refuge to an array of Islamist rebel groups.
Cyprus is also considered central to any western attempts to intervene in Syria, due to the presence of numerous military bases there.
Read more on this page
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/171317#.UiJoMNKUTpw
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Sat 31 Aug 2013, 5:26 pm
Syria: Attack Could Open Pandora's Box
If the US does launch military strikes against Syria, the world will be waiting to see how Iran and Lebanon respond.
http://news.sky.com/story/1135465/syria-attack-could-open-pandoras-box
By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent in Beirut
This is a conflict which threatens to engulf the region. If that happens how Lebanon and Iran respond will be crucial.
Lebanon is already extremely vulnerable to the fall-out of the Syrian civil war.
It has recently suffered its worst sectarian violence in years - a car bomb in Shi'ite Hizbollah territory in the Beirut suburbs and two at Sunni mosques in the northern city of Tripoli.
Lebanese authorities accused Syria of involvement in the Tripoli attacks and intelligence officials fear there could be more to follow.
Syria could retaliate to an attack by America by lobbing missiles into Israel.
Israel has vowed retaliation if it is attacked by Hizbollah, which is supporting Syria. That could draw Lebanon even further into the conflict.
Then there's Iran. Iran is unlikely to respond by carrying out attacks from its soil but would get involved "through" Syria.
While Iran and Hizbollah support Syria's President Bashar al Assad, the Sunni opposition are supported and being armed by Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who want to bring down Assad's regime.
Into all this President Obama is considering firing his cruise missiles.
He may get away with a short, sharp slap, which will save face for America after the president warned Assad not to cross a "red line".
But it could be more than chemical weapons sites that President Obama hits.
He could open a Pandora's box of repercussions, which he may find hard to put a lid back on.
If the US does launch military strikes against Syria, the world will be waiting to see how Iran and Lebanon respond.
http://news.sky.com/story/1135465/syria-attack-could-open-pandoras-box
By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent in Beirut
This is a conflict which threatens to engulf the region. If that happens how Lebanon and Iran respond will be crucial.
Lebanon is already extremely vulnerable to the fall-out of the Syrian civil war.
It has recently suffered its worst sectarian violence in years - a car bomb in Shi'ite Hizbollah territory in the Beirut suburbs and two at Sunni mosques in the northern city of Tripoli.
Lebanese authorities accused Syria of involvement in the Tripoli attacks and intelligence officials fear there could be more to follow.
Syria could retaliate to an attack by America by lobbing missiles into Israel.
Israel has vowed retaliation if it is attacked by Hizbollah, which is supporting Syria. That could draw Lebanon even further into the conflict.
Then there's Iran. Iran is unlikely to respond by carrying out attacks from its soil but would get involved "through" Syria.
While Iran and Hizbollah support Syria's President Bashar al Assad, the Sunni opposition are supported and being armed by Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who want to bring down Assad's regime.
Into all this President Obama is considering firing his cruise missiles.
He may get away with a short, sharp slap, which will save face for America after the president warned Assad not to cross a "red line".
But it could be more than chemical weapons sites that President Obama hits.
He could open a Pandora's box of repercussions, which he may find hard to put a lid back on.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Sat 31 Aug 2013, 11:03 am
Pastor Bill Randles Blog
Syria in Prophecy
Posted on August 25, 2013 by billrandles
(In view of recent developments in Syria, (The use of Chemical weapons), I am reprinting a Dec 2011 column on Syria in Prophecy)
http://billrandles.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/syria-in-prophecy-2/
See link for more.
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.(Isaiah 17:1-2)
At a breath-taking rate, world events are increasingly lining up with predictions of the prophets of the Bible, signifying that the Day of the Lord draws near. The biblical prophets are specific as to geo-political alignments and events which are to occur in the last days. The rapidly festering situation in Syria is an example of this phenomenom.
The Assad government of Syria is currently reacting to its own version of the so-called ‘Arab spring’. The wave of populist reform demonstrations in the Arab world has already swept aside the governments of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and has stirred discontent in several other Arab nations.
Bashir Assad has shown a willingness to brutally suppress all internal dissent, having slaughtered four thousand of his own people, and sent tens of thousands into hiding, to maintain his power. But he is feeling besieged, and is looking for insurance in the form of beefed up weapons and military.
Having recently been censured by the Arab league, and threatened by Turkey, and seeing what NATO did to fellow Arab despot Gaddafi, Assad is looking for help from Iran,Russia, and even North Korea in his quest to fend off his enemies.
Here is an article from the English edition of ADNKRONOS International, titled,“Syria:Iranian and N.Korean Rocket Experts hold Damascus Meetings”
Damascus, 1 Dec. (AKI) – Dozens of officials from North Korea and Iran have conducted meetings with representatives of the Syrian government in Damascus to help president Bashar al-Assad obtain weapons following the implementation of sanctions by members of the Arab League and other countries.
For more please CONTINUE Reading AT LINK http://billrandles.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/syria-in-prophecy-2/
Syria in Prophecy
Posted on August 25, 2013 by billrandles
(In view of recent developments in Syria, (The use of Chemical weapons), I am reprinting a Dec 2011 column on Syria in Prophecy)
http://billrandles.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/syria-in-prophecy-2/
See link for more.
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.(Isaiah 17:1-2)
At a breath-taking rate, world events are increasingly lining up with predictions of the prophets of the Bible, signifying that the Day of the Lord draws near. The biblical prophets are specific as to geo-political alignments and events which are to occur in the last days. The rapidly festering situation in Syria is an example of this phenomenom.
The Assad government of Syria is currently reacting to its own version of the so-called ‘Arab spring’. The wave of populist reform demonstrations in the Arab world has already swept aside the governments of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and has stirred discontent in several other Arab nations.
Bashir Assad has shown a willingness to brutally suppress all internal dissent, having slaughtered four thousand of his own people, and sent tens of thousands into hiding, to maintain his power. But he is feeling besieged, and is looking for insurance in the form of beefed up weapons and military.
Having recently been censured by the Arab league, and threatened by Turkey, and seeing what NATO did to fellow Arab despot Gaddafi, Assad is looking for help from Iran,Russia, and even North Korea in his quest to fend off his enemies.
Here is an article from the English edition of ADNKRONOS International, titled,“Syria:Iranian and N.Korean Rocket Experts hold Damascus Meetings”
Damascus, 1 Dec. (AKI) – Dozens of officials from North Korea and Iran have conducted meetings with representatives of the Syrian government in Damascus to help president Bashar al-Assad obtain weapons following the implementation of sanctions by members of the Arab League and other countries.
For more please CONTINUE Reading AT LINK http://billrandles.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/syria-in-prophecy-2/
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Fri 30 Aug 2013, 6:32 pm
The CLARION PROJECT
http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/us-ready-aftermath-attack-assad
Dr. Hamid: Attack on Syrian Regime - Hazardous
Sometimes making a decision is a lot easier than dealing with the consequences. A look at possible ramifications of a U.S. attack on Syria.
BY TAWFIK HAMID Thu, August 29, 2013
A female jihadi fighter from the Syrian opposition Ahbab Al-Mustafa Battalion trains to use an anti-aircraft weapon. Will these weapons be turned against the U.S.? (Photo: © Reuters)
The U.S. is considering a military attack on Syria to weaken the Al-Assad regime. Sometimes making a decision is a lot easier than dealing with the consequences. Consider some of the possible consequences of a U.S. attack on Al-Assad:
1. While an attack may certainly weaken Iranian influence in the area as Al-Assad is an Iranian ally, it may push the Iranians to use nontraditional warfare tactics against U.S. interests in the region. This will be much more difficult to control and may actually cause more damage to U.S. interests in the region than would traditional warfare.
2. Radical Islamists who currently lead the opposition army against Al-Assad will wreak a horrible vengeance on Al-Assad supporters, especially those Christian minorities and liberals who do not want to live under a barbaric and oppressive Islamist regime. It is likely that we will see massacres of these groups, and also of the minority Shia Alawites who largely support Al-Assad. I fear such massacres
will make the chemical weapon attacks look trivial by comparison.
3. Should that occur, the Shia in Iraq may take revenge on the Sunnis (who will likely support their Syrian Sunni brothers in the east of Syria). This will further divide Iraq and may push the Kurds in the north of Iraq to separate themselves from the conflict.
4. Furthermore, the Shia majority in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia and in Bahrain may react to Sunni massacres of Syrian Shia in a manner that endangers the oil supply coming from the area.
5. The Kurds in the north of Syria will likely decide to separate to avoid living under a Mujahidin rulership. Were that to happen, it is not unlikely that the Kurds in Turkey and Iraqi will at last join with their Syrian brethren and push to make the dream of a united Kurdistan a reality. This would be a nightmare scenario for Turkey, which would fight to prevent its Kurds from separating from Turkey and joining the new Kurdistan.
6. The collapse of the staunchly pro-Russian Al-Assad regime is likely to force Russia to seek new allies in the region. The extremely negative current perception of the U.S. by most Egyptians -- due to U.S. failure to show clear support for their revolution against the Muslim Brotherhood -- could provide a huge opportunity for the Russians to establish a very strong foothold in Egypt, with its strategic access to both the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal.
7. Islamists in Egypt will celebrate a U.S. attack on Al-Assad as it is helping their Mujahidin or radical Islamist brothers in Syria. This will be seen as an act of betrayal by most Egyptians and will result in more crackdowns on the Islamists in the country.
8. A new political paradox will be created in which Egypt and Saudi Arabia are united on the removal of Morsi (the Saudis are rightly worried about the Muslim Brotherhood's global and pan-Islamic ambitions) but divided on the attack on Al-Assad (the Egyptians see it as an attack that will empower the radical Sunni Islamists in the area while Saudi Arabia is interested in removing Al-Assad to weaken Iranian influence in the region). This political division over the removal of Al-Assad is unlikely to weaken the currently strong Egyptian-Saudi relationship.
9. Iran may respond to the fall of Al-Assad by attacking Israel, which may drag Israel also into the conflict and end in a devastating attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
10. Sleeper Shia loyalist cells may try to attack the Suez Canal in retaliation for an attack on Al-Assad. Such actions against U.S. interests may also be supported by the extreme left wing & anti-American groups in Egypt (who are already trying to figure out how to boycott U.S. products). The U.S. must guard against this possibility by supporting the Egyptian Military, which is responsible for protecting the Suez Canal. Such support could significantly ameliorate the potential backlash against U.S. interests in the area.
Irrespective of whether or not the U.S. ultimately decides to attack Syria, U.S. decision makers need to be fully aware of the above possible consequences and need to have a plan to deal with them. Taking an action without knowing how to deal with its consequences is not only irresponsible but utterly irrational.
U.S. decision makers also need to answer this question: If it turns out that the radical Islamist rebels --and not Al Assad --were actually responsible for the chemical weapon attack, would the U.S. then attack the rebels?
http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/us-ready-aftermath-attack-assad
Dr. Hamid: Attack on Syrian Regime - Hazardous
Sometimes making a decision is a lot easier than dealing with the consequences. A look at possible ramifications of a U.S. attack on Syria.
BY TAWFIK HAMID Thu, August 29, 2013
A female jihadi fighter from the Syrian opposition Ahbab Al-Mustafa Battalion trains to use an anti-aircraft weapon. Will these weapons be turned against the U.S.? (Photo: © Reuters)
The U.S. is considering a military attack on Syria to weaken the Al-Assad regime. Sometimes making a decision is a lot easier than dealing with the consequences. Consider some of the possible consequences of a U.S. attack on Al-Assad:
1. While an attack may certainly weaken Iranian influence in the area as Al-Assad is an Iranian ally, it may push the Iranians to use nontraditional warfare tactics against U.S. interests in the region. This will be much more difficult to control and may actually cause more damage to U.S. interests in the region than would traditional warfare.
2. Radical Islamists who currently lead the opposition army against Al-Assad will wreak a horrible vengeance on Al-Assad supporters, especially those Christian minorities and liberals who do not want to live under a barbaric and oppressive Islamist regime. It is likely that we will see massacres of these groups, and also of the minority Shia Alawites who largely support Al-Assad. I fear such massacres
will make the chemical weapon attacks look trivial by comparison.
3. Should that occur, the Shia in Iraq may take revenge on the Sunnis (who will likely support their Syrian Sunni brothers in the east of Syria). This will further divide Iraq and may push the Kurds in the north of Iraq to separate themselves from the conflict.
4. Furthermore, the Shia majority in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia and in Bahrain may react to Sunni massacres of Syrian Shia in a manner that endangers the oil supply coming from the area.
5. The Kurds in the north of Syria will likely decide to separate to avoid living under a Mujahidin rulership. Were that to happen, it is not unlikely that the Kurds in Turkey and Iraqi will at last join with their Syrian brethren and push to make the dream of a united Kurdistan a reality. This would be a nightmare scenario for Turkey, which would fight to prevent its Kurds from separating from Turkey and joining the new Kurdistan.
6. The collapse of the staunchly pro-Russian Al-Assad regime is likely to force Russia to seek new allies in the region. The extremely negative current perception of the U.S. by most Egyptians -- due to U.S. failure to show clear support for their revolution against the Muslim Brotherhood -- could provide a huge opportunity for the Russians to establish a very strong foothold in Egypt, with its strategic access to both the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal.
7. Islamists in Egypt will celebrate a U.S. attack on Al-Assad as it is helping their Mujahidin or radical Islamist brothers in Syria. This will be seen as an act of betrayal by most Egyptians and will result in more crackdowns on the Islamists in the country.
8. A new political paradox will be created in which Egypt and Saudi Arabia are united on the removal of Morsi (the Saudis are rightly worried about the Muslim Brotherhood's global and pan-Islamic ambitions) but divided on the attack on Al-Assad (the Egyptians see it as an attack that will empower the radical Sunni Islamists in the area while Saudi Arabia is interested in removing Al-Assad to weaken Iranian influence in the region). This political division over the removal of Al-Assad is unlikely to weaken the currently strong Egyptian-Saudi relationship.
9. Iran may respond to the fall of Al-Assad by attacking Israel, which may drag Israel also into the conflict and end in a devastating attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
10. Sleeper Shia loyalist cells may try to attack the Suez Canal in retaliation for an attack on Al-Assad. Such actions against U.S. interests may also be supported by the extreme left wing & anti-American groups in Egypt (who are already trying to figure out how to boycott U.S. products). The U.S. must guard against this possibility by supporting the Egyptian Military, which is responsible for protecting the Suez Canal. Such support could significantly ameliorate the potential backlash against U.S. interests in the area.
Irrespective of whether or not the U.S. ultimately decides to attack Syria, U.S. decision makers need to be fully aware of the above possible consequences and need to have a plan to deal with them. Taking an action without knowing how to deal with its consequences is not only irresponsible but utterly irrational.
U.S. decision makers also need to answer this question: If it turns out that the radical Islamist rebels --and not Al Assad --were actually responsible for the chemical weapon attack, would the U.S. then attack the rebels?
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Thu 29 Aug 2013, 2:43 pm
29AUG/13
IS THERE A PROHETIC SIGNIFICANCE TO THE TIMING OF A WAR IN SYRIA? By George Whitten Please click link for much more on this.
http://www.georgewhitten.com/is-there-a-prophetic-significance-to-the-timing-of-a-war-in-syria
Today, the Iranians announced the installation another 1,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium, it's apparent that the newly installed Iranian president is pressing forward with their dreams of creating a bomb to “eradicate” the Zionist presence from the Middle East.
Meanwhile the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khameni has warned the West of “dire consequences” if it were to launch a strike against Syria.
If the Iranians don't retaliate, then it would project weakness in the Iranian regime, so be sure they will do all in their power to strike American and Israeli interests throughout the world. If they are able to pull off a significant terrorist attack, then this very well may force Obama to give the Israelis the 'green' light they've been waiting for to take out the Iranian nuclear program.
“Starting this fire will be like a spark in a large store of gunpowder, with unclear and unspecified outcomes and consequences,” the Ayatollah said. His words may very well come to pass!
Concurrently, Syrian army officials were quoted by Fars News Agency, if the West attacks Syria, they will have nothing to lose and it will rain Scud missiles on Tel Aviv. If Syria attacks, then you have to expect that the Lebanese will launch everything they have as well. Every missile would be launched simultaneously as the only strategy to defeat the Iron Dome and the Arrow defense missile systems is to overwhelm them with the number of missiles fired! This would force Israel to retaliate in force and thus the first few days of a 'limited' skirmish the US Administration is calling for – very likely not be a skirmish, but a full blown war!
The Russian media is reporting of “intercepted” emails between U.S. Officials detailing how a “false” flag event would be needed to launch an attack against Syria. Whether this is true or not is not as significant as the fact the Russians are engaging in their own propaganda war which means they rejected the Saudi offer.
Continued at link
IS THERE A PROHETIC SIGNIFICANCE TO THE TIMING OF A WAR IN SYRIA? By George Whitten Please click link for much more on this.
http://www.georgewhitten.com/is-there-a-prophetic-significance-to-the-timing-of-a-war-in-syria
Today, the Iranians announced the installation another 1,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium, it's apparent that the newly installed Iranian president is pressing forward with their dreams of creating a bomb to “eradicate” the Zionist presence from the Middle East.
Meanwhile the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khameni has warned the West of “dire consequences” if it were to launch a strike against Syria.
If the Iranians don't retaliate, then it would project weakness in the Iranian regime, so be sure they will do all in their power to strike American and Israeli interests throughout the world. If they are able to pull off a significant terrorist attack, then this very well may force Obama to give the Israelis the 'green' light they've been waiting for to take out the Iranian nuclear program.
“Starting this fire will be like a spark in a large store of gunpowder, with unclear and unspecified outcomes and consequences,” the Ayatollah said. His words may very well come to pass!
Concurrently, Syrian army officials were quoted by Fars News Agency, if the West attacks Syria, they will have nothing to lose and it will rain Scud missiles on Tel Aviv. If Syria attacks, then you have to expect that the Lebanese will launch everything they have as well. Every missile would be launched simultaneously as the only strategy to defeat the Iron Dome and the Arrow defense missile systems is to overwhelm them with the number of missiles fired! This would force Israel to retaliate in force and thus the first few days of a 'limited' skirmish the US Administration is calling for – very likely not be a skirmish, but a full blown war!
The Russian media is reporting of “intercepted” emails between U.S. Officials detailing how a “false” flag event would be needed to launch an attack against Syria. Whether this is true or not is not as significant as the fact the Russians are engaging in their own propaganda war which means they rejected the Saudi offer.
Continued at link
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Tue 27 Aug 2013, 1:39 pm
Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog
UPDATE: Kerry confirms chemical weapons were used in Syria. US strikes all but certain. Syria, Iran threaten to attack Israel with “strategic weapons” if West hits Assad regime. Netanyahu says Israel is ready. “Our finger…is on the trigger.”
In Uncategorized on August 26, 2013 at 3:38 pm
syria-attackmapUPDATE: On Monday afternoon, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the evidence “screaming at us is real, that chemical weapons were used in Syria.” Military strikes by the U.S., Britain and France on the Assad regime and its assets now appear all but certain. The X factor on timing at this point is that the Obama administration may seek U.N. authorization.
>> Video of Kerry briefing.
Excerpts from Kerry’s statement: “What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world. It defies any code of morality. Let me be clear. The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity. By any standard, it is inexcusable. And despite the excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured, it is undeniable.
“The meaning of this attack goes beyond the conflict on Syria itself. And that conflict has already brought so much terrible suffering. This is about the large-scale indiscriminate use of weapons that the civilized world long ago decided must never be used at all, a conviction shared even by countries that agree on little else.
“There is a clear reason that the world has banned entirely the use of chemical weapons. There is a reason the international community has set a clear standard and why many countries have taken major steps to eradicate these weapons. There is a reason why President Obama has made it such a priority to stop the proliferation of these weapons, and lock them down where they do exist. There is a reason why President Obama has made clear to the Assad regime that this international norm cannot be violated without consequences. And there is a reason why no matter what you believe about Syria, all peoples and all nations who believe in the cause of our common humanity must stand up to assure that there is accountability for the use of chemical weapons so that it never happens again.”
ORIGINAL POST: (Washington, D.C.) — U.S., British and French forces are preparing for military strikes in Syria amidst credible reports of a chemical weapons massacre. But Russia is warning the West not to intervene against its ally, especially with U.N. authorization, and especially because Moscow says their is “no proof” chemical weapons were really used. What’s more, Syria and Iran are directly threatening to retaliate against Israel with “strategic” weapons.
UPDATE: Kerry confirms chemical weapons were used in Syria. US strikes all but certain. Syria, Iran threaten to attack Israel with “strategic weapons” if West hits Assad regime. Netanyahu says Israel is ready. “Our finger…is on the trigger.”
In Uncategorized on August 26, 2013 at 3:38 pm
syria-attackmapUPDATE: On Monday afternoon, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the evidence “screaming at us is real, that chemical weapons were used in Syria.” Military strikes by the U.S., Britain and France on the Assad regime and its assets now appear all but certain. The X factor on timing at this point is that the Obama administration may seek U.N. authorization.
>> Video of Kerry briefing.
Excerpts from Kerry’s statement: “What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world. It defies any code of morality. Let me be clear. The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity. By any standard, it is inexcusable. And despite the excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured, it is undeniable.
“The meaning of this attack goes beyond the conflict on Syria itself. And that conflict has already brought so much terrible suffering. This is about the large-scale indiscriminate use of weapons that the civilized world long ago decided must never be used at all, a conviction shared even by countries that agree on little else.
“There is a clear reason that the world has banned entirely the use of chemical weapons. There is a reason the international community has set a clear standard and why many countries have taken major steps to eradicate these weapons. There is a reason why President Obama has made it such a priority to stop the proliferation of these weapons, and lock them down where they do exist. There is a reason why President Obama has made clear to the Assad regime that this international norm cannot be violated without consequences. And there is a reason why no matter what you believe about Syria, all peoples and all nations who believe in the cause of our common humanity must stand up to assure that there is accountability for the use of chemical weapons so that it never happens again.”
ORIGINAL POST: (Washington, D.C.) — U.S., British and French forces are preparing for military strikes in Syria amidst credible reports of a chemical weapons massacre. But Russia is warning the West not to intervene against its ally, especially with U.N. authorization, and especially because Moscow says their is “no proof” chemical weapons were really used. What’s more, Syria and Iran are directly threatening to retaliate against Israel with “strategic” weapons.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Mon 26 Aug 2013, 1:45 pm
Hague: Syria Massacre 'Was A Chemical Attack'
http://news.sky.com/story/1132378/hague-syria-massacre-was-a-chemical-attack
The Foreign Secretary says the "only plausible explanation" for the scenes of mass death are a chemical attack by Assad forces.
Video: Hague: World Needs To Know
Foreign Secretary William Hague has said for the first time that the "atrocity" in Syria "was a chemical attack" carried out by Assad forces.
Mr Hague said that the chances of the attack being a conspiracy by opposition forces was "vanishingly small" and that the only "plausible explanation" for the mass deaths was an attack by the regime.
He said it was essential to get UN inspectors already in the country to the site outside Damascus and that "time was of the essence".
If inspectors were not allowed in, the evidence, he said, would deteriorate.
Girls who survived the apparent attack take refuge in a mosque
Syria's opposition said it was "critical that the UN inspectors [get to the site] within 48 hours".
Forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad have been carrying out air strikes on the area, which could already have considerably damaged any proof of the use of nerve gas.
And Mr Hague warned the Assad regime that if they did not comply with the UN request to carry out inspections at the scene of the attack then Britain would be prepared to go back to the UN Security Council for a mandate "for the world to speak more forcefully about this".
A child receives treatment in a make-shift hospital
He stressed that inspectors were just 20 minutes away from the site where 1,300, including scores of children, are said to have perished on Tuesday.
Mr Hague said: "The only possible explanation of what we have been able to see is that it was a chemical attack and clearly many, many hundreds of people have been killed, some of the estimates are well over 1,000.
"There is no other plausible explanation for casualties so intense in such a small area on this scale.
"I know some people in the world would like to say this is some kind of conspiracy brought about by the opposition in Syria - I think the chances of that are vanishingly small.
"So we do believe this is a chemical attack by the Assad regime on a large scale but we would like the United Nations to be able to assess that so those who don't believe that, those who doubt that, the evidence can be gathered.
Activists inspect the bodies of the victims of the alleged gas attack
"But that is certainly our opinion."
He said it "seems the Assad regime has something to hide" and questioned why it had refused to allow the UN inspectors, who are staying in a hotel in Damascus, to investigate.
Footage and images released by the opposition has showed scores of children lying dead, some seemingly gassed as they slept in their beds.
Other pictures appear to show adults foaming at the mouths from the effects of gas and row upon row of corpses, some being loaded into vans.
A map showing the area targeted in the apparent chemical attack
The images, Mr Hague said, were "something that a humane or civilised world cannot ignore".
UN chemical weapons inspectors have been in the country since Sunday on a mission to investigate sites where previous gas attacks are alleged to have been carried out.
Activists said on Friday they were smuggling body tissue samples from victims to the UN inspectors in their hotel but that it had been a struggle because they were heavily guarded by government forces.
One activist, Abu Nidal, said: "The UN team spoke with us and since then we prepared samples of hair, skin and blood and smuggled them back to Damascus with trusted couriers."
In his first comments since the footage of the attacks emerged, US President Barack Obama said it was a "big event of grave concern" and that " this is something that is going to require America's attention".
The chemical weapons inspectors arrive in Damascus
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the use of chemical weapons would constitute "a crime against humanity".
Significantly, Syria's key ally Russia has joined international calls for the inspectors to be given access to the site of the alleged massacre.
Moscow suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces but urged Mr Assad and the UN to agree to a visit to the site in the Damascus suburbs of Ein Tarma and Zamalka.
But Russia dismissed calls for use of force against its ally.
"Against the background of another anti-Syrian wave of propaganda, we believe calls from some European countries to apply pressure on the UN Security Council and already now take a decision on the use of force are unacceptable," its foreign ministry said.
http://news.sky.com/story/1132378/hague-syria-massacre-was-a-chemical-attack
The Foreign Secretary says the "only plausible explanation" for the scenes of mass death are a chemical attack by Assad forces.
Video: Hague: World Needs To Know
Foreign Secretary William Hague has said for the first time that the "atrocity" in Syria "was a chemical attack" carried out by Assad forces.
Mr Hague said that the chances of the attack being a conspiracy by opposition forces was "vanishingly small" and that the only "plausible explanation" for the mass deaths was an attack by the regime.
He said it was essential to get UN inspectors already in the country to the site outside Damascus and that "time was of the essence".
If inspectors were not allowed in, the evidence, he said, would deteriorate.
Girls who survived the apparent attack take refuge in a mosque
Syria's opposition said it was "critical that the UN inspectors [get to the site] within 48 hours".
Forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad have been carrying out air strikes on the area, which could already have considerably damaged any proof of the use of nerve gas.
And Mr Hague warned the Assad regime that if they did not comply with the UN request to carry out inspections at the scene of the attack then Britain would be prepared to go back to the UN Security Council for a mandate "for the world to speak more forcefully about this".
A child receives treatment in a make-shift hospital
He stressed that inspectors were just 20 minutes away from the site where 1,300, including scores of children, are said to have perished on Tuesday.
Mr Hague said: "The only possible explanation of what we have been able to see is that it was a chemical attack and clearly many, many hundreds of people have been killed, some of the estimates are well over 1,000.
"There is no other plausible explanation for casualties so intense in such a small area on this scale.
"I know some people in the world would like to say this is some kind of conspiracy brought about by the opposition in Syria - I think the chances of that are vanishingly small.
"So we do believe this is a chemical attack by the Assad regime on a large scale but we would like the United Nations to be able to assess that so those who don't believe that, those who doubt that, the evidence can be gathered.
Activists inspect the bodies of the victims of the alleged gas attack
"But that is certainly our opinion."
He said it "seems the Assad regime has something to hide" and questioned why it had refused to allow the UN inspectors, who are staying in a hotel in Damascus, to investigate.
Footage and images released by the opposition has showed scores of children lying dead, some seemingly gassed as they slept in their beds.
Other pictures appear to show adults foaming at the mouths from the effects of gas and row upon row of corpses, some being loaded into vans.
A map showing the area targeted in the apparent chemical attack
The images, Mr Hague said, were "something that a humane or civilised world cannot ignore".
UN chemical weapons inspectors have been in the country since Sunday on a mission to investigate sites where previous gas attacks are alleged to have been carried out.
Activists said on Friday they were smuggling body tissue samples from victims to the UN inspectors in their hotel but that it had been a struggle because they were heavily guarded by government forces.
One activist, Abu Nidal, said: "The UN team spoke with us and since then we prepared samples of hair, skin and blood and smuggled them back to Damascus with trusted couriers."
In his first comments since the footage of the attacks emerged, US President Barack Obama said it was a "big event of grave concern" and that " this is something that is going to require America's attention".
The chemical weapons inspectors arrive in Damascus
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the use of chemical weapons would constitute "a crime against humanity".
Significantly, Syria's key ally Russia has joined international calls for the inspectors to be given access to the site of the alleged massacre.
Moscow suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces but urged Mr Assad and the UN to agree to a visit to the site in the Damascus suburbs of Ein Tarma and Zamalka.
But Russia dismissed calls for use of force against its ally.
"Against the background of another anti-Syrian wave of propaganda, we believe calls from some European countries to apply pressure on the UN Security Council and already now take a decision on the use of force are unacceptable," its foreign ministry said.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Mon 26 Aug 2013, 1:39 pm
BREAKING SYRIA
Syria: UN Inspectors 'Shot At By Snipers'
http://news.sky.com/story/1133285/syria-un-inspectors-shot-at-by-snipers
The UN team investigating an alleged chemical attack in Damascus come under fire, after mortar bombs land close to their hotel. Video: At least one of the inspectors' vehicles was hit by gunfire
Weapons inspectors investigating an alleged chemical attack in Damascus have been shot at by snipers, a spokesman for the UN has said.
The team's lead vehicle was "deliberately shot at multiple times" as they left a government checkpoint during a visit to part of the city where hundreds of people were allegedly killed, Martin Nesirky told Sky News.
None of the inspectors, who were dressed in body armour, are believed to have been injured in the attack, which came after two mortar bombs landed close to their hotel.
UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Angela Kane leaves a hotel in Damascus
The UN's Angela Kane leaves the inspectors' hotel in Damascus
"The inspectors are determined to carry out the mission they are mandated to carry out," Mr Nesirky said.
"But it's obvious that all sides need to extend their co-operation so they can conduct this work safely."
Mr Nesirky said it was not clear who was responsible for the sniper attack, although Bashar al Assad's regime blamed the bombings on rebel fighters.
After the shooting, the UN inspectors were able to change vehicles and are now meeting victims of the alleged chemical attack.
The Assad regime said the inspections in Zamalka and Ein Tarma districts will prove allegations that chemical weapons were used against civilians, including children, were "lies".
The opposition claimed 1,300 people were killed, while Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in hospital from "neurotoxic" symptoms.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said the people of Syria deserved to know the truth, adding: "We cannot allow impunity in what appears to be a grave crime against humanity."
Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in the alleged attack
However, defence expert Chris Bellamy told Sky News that while the UN inspection may reveal whether chemical weapons were used, it may not identify who they were used by.
"If that's the case, we would need another investigation to identify who fired the shells," he said.
The international community continues to consider its response to the crisis, with the Foreign Secretary warning military action may be the only remaining option.
William Hague said Britain and other countries could respond to the alleged attack without the unanimous backing of the UN, telling the BBC: "Otherwise it might be impossible to respond to such outrages, such crimes."
Bashar al Assad denied his regime had used chemical weapons
His comments came as David Cameron announced he was cutting short his holiday to chair a meeting of the UK's National Security Committee.
Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander urged the Prime Minister to recall Parliament to "make his case in advance of a decision being made".
A Downing Street spokesman insisted no decisions had been taken on military action and said there was no clear timetable.
Meanwhile, French politicians are preparing to meet "in the coming days" to decide whether to respond with force, according to the country's foreign minister Laurent Fabius.
There is mounting speculation that France, together with Britain and the US, could back limited airstrikes to demonstrate that deployment of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.
However, Mr Assad said military intervention by the US would fail.
"Failure awaits the United States as in all previous wars it has unleashed," the Syrian president said in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia.
Describing the chemical weapons accusations as "nonsense", Mr Assad added: "Would any state use chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction in a place where its own forces are concentrated? That would go against elementary logic.
"Accusations of this kind are entirely political and the reason for them is the government forces' series of victories over the terrorists."
Syria: UN Inspectors 'Shot At By Snipers'
http://news.sky.com/story/1133285/syria-un-inspectors-shot-at-by-snipers
The UN team investigating an alleged chemical attack in Damascus come under fire, after mortar bombs land close to their hotel. Video: At least one of the inspectors' vehicles was hit by gunfire
Weapons inspectors investigating an alleged chemical attack in Damascus have been shot at by snipers, a spokesman for the UN has said.
The team's lead vehicle was "deliberately shot at multiple times" as they left a government checkpoint during a visit to part of the city where hundreds of people were allegedly killed, Martin Nesirky told Sky News.
None of the inspectors, who were dressed in body armour, are believed to have been injured in the attack, which came after two mortar bombs landed close to their hotel.
UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Angela Kane leaves a hotel in Damascus
The UN's Angela Kane leaves the inspectors' hotel in Damascus
"The inspectors are determined to carry out the mission they are mandated to carry out," Mr Nesirky said.
"But it's obvious that all sides need to extend their co-operation so they can conduct this work safely."
Mr Nesirky said it was not clear who was responsible for the sniper attack, although Bashar al Assad's regime blamed the bombings on rebel fighters.
After the shooting, the UN inspectors were able to change vehicles and are now meeting victims of the alleged chemical attack.
The Assad regime said the inspections in Zamalka and Ein Tarma districts will prove allegations that chemical weapons were used against civilians, including children, were "lies".
The opposition claimed 1,300 people were killed, while Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in hospital from "neurotoxic" symptoms.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said the people of Syria deserved to know the truth, adding: "We cannot allow impunity in what appears to be a grave crime against humanity."
Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in the alleged attack
However, defence expert Chris Bellamy told Sky News that while the UN inspection may reveal whether chemical weapons were used, it may not identify who they were used by.
"If that's the case, we would need another investigation to identify who fired the shells," he said.
The international community continues to consider its response to the crisis, with the Foreign Secretary warning military action may be the only remaining option.
William Hague said Britain and other countries could respond to the alleged attack without the unanimous backing of the UN, telling the BBC: "Otherwise it might be impossible to respond to such outrages, such crimes."
Bashar al Assad denied his regime had used chemical weapons
His comments came as David Cameron announced he was cutting short his holiday to chair a meeting of the UK's National Security Committee.
Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander urged the Prime Minister to recall Parliament to "make his case in advance of a decision being made".
A Downing Street spokesman insisted no decisions had been taken on military action and said there was no clear timetable.
Meanwhile, French politicians are preparing to meet "in the coming days" to decide whether to respond with force, according to the country's foreign minister Laurent Fabius.
There is mounting speculation that France, together with Britain and the US, could back limited airstrikes to demonstrate that deployment of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.
However, Mr Assad said military intervention by the US would fail.
"Failure awaits the United States as in all previous wars it has unleashed," the Syrian president said in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia.
Describing the chemical weapons accusations as "nonsense", Mr Assad added: "Would any state use chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction in a place where its own forces are concentrated? That would go against elementary logic.
"Accusations of this kind are entirely political and the reason for them is the government forces' series of victories over the terrorists."
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Re: SYRIA NEWS
Admin Sun 25 Aug 2013, 6:23 pm
Syria Crosses Red Line with Chemical Weapons
UNITED WITH ISRAEL
Civilian journalists confirmed by the AP reported Wednesday morning that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s army forces unleashed chemical weapons on rebel-controlled civilian areas of eastern and western Damascus.
Shortly afterward, news outlets published photos and videos of lines of corpses bearing no visible wounds. An exact death toll is still unknown. While British NGO Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates the attack claimed 40 casualties, Free Syrian Army sources place the number much higher at around 1,300 deaths.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented, “This act adds to the roster of crimes committed by the Syrian regime, with the aid of Iran and Hezbollah, against the Syrian people.”
Reuters reported Thursday morning that additional shells launched by Assad’s forces bombarded the civilian neighborhoods along the eastern edge of Damascus.
Last year, United States President Barack Obama delineated Assad’s use of chemical weapons as a “red line” which would trigger U.S. intervention. While Syria-based United Nations inspectors have not yet investigated the alleged attack, the UN has called for an immediate inquiry into yesterday’s events.
In the past two years, more than 100,000 people have been killed in the Syrian Civil war.
UNITED WITH ISRAEL
Civilian journalists confirmed by the AP reported Wednesday morning that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s army forces unleashed chemical weapons on rebel-controlled civilian areas of eastern and western Damascus.
Shortly afterward, news outlets published photos and videos of lines of corpses bearing no visible wounds. An exact death toll is still unknown. While British NGO Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates the attack claimed 40 casualties, Free Syrian Army sources place the number much higher at around 1,300 deaths.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented, “This act adds to the roster of crimes committed by the Syrian regime, with the aid of Iran and Hezbollah, against the Syrian people.”
Reuters reported Thursday morning that additional shells launched by Assad’s forces bombarded the civilian neighborhoods along the eastern edge of Damascus.
Last year, United States President Barack Obama delineated Assad’s use of chemical weapons as a “red line” which would trigger U.S. intervention. While Syria-based United Nations inspectors have not yet investigated the alleged attack, the UN has called for an immediate inquiry into yesterday’s events.
In the past two years, more than 100,000 people have been killed in the Syrian Civil war.
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
SYRIA NEWS
Admin Fri 23 Aug 2013, 7:20 pm
Hundreds of dead cats and dogs are removed from the streets of Damascus suburb hit by nerve gas attack
Up to 1,700 civilians reported killed by alleged chemical weapons attack
By DAMIEN GAYLE
PUBLISHED: 09:38, 23 August 2013 | UPDATED: 19:20, 23 August 2013
Whatever it was that caused the alleged slaughter of up to 1,700 civilians in a Damascus suburb this week, it did not spare the animals in the area, according to these pictures.
These photographs show rebel fighters in gas masks apparently walking the streets of Zamalka, bagging up dead pets and livestock.
It was claimed on Wednesday that the government launched a early morning poison gas attack on the rebel-held area, wiping out hundreds as they lay sleeping in their beds.
Scroll down for video WARNING Graphic content
Reuters
Aftermath: A Syrian opposition activist wearing a gas mask stands next to a dead dog as he looks for dead bodies to collect samples to check for chemical weapon use in Zamalka, east Damascus
Pet cemetery: A pile of dead animals is seen in Zamalka, one of three Damascus neighbourhoods reportedly hit by poison gas early on Wednesday morning in an attack which, rebels claimed, left up to 1,700 dead
Activists said rockets with chemical agents hit the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar before dawn.
While the allegation has not yet been proven, Western governments are lining up to condemn the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is clinging to power as a two-year-old insurgency against his rule rumbles on.
More...
U.S. accuses Assad over Syrian chemical strike: Pressure grows on West to arm rebels after massacre of 1,700
Syria's darkest hour: Hundreds of children's bodies piled high after nerve gas attack near Damascus leaves up to 1,300 dead
White House ‘deeply concerned’ about reports of 1,300 killed in chemical attack in Syria – a year after Obama said use of such weapons was a ‘red line’
The Syrian government denies launching the attack.
These pictures, dated to yesterday and distributed by the news agency Reuters, show men walking barren streets, looking for dead bodies to gather more evidence of chemical weapons use.
They show piles of dead animals - cats, dogs, sheep and goats - apparently killed where they stood by the same poison gas allegedly used to massacre the area's men, women and children.
Devastation: Activists look for dead bodies among Zamalka's now-deserted ruins. Western governments are lining up to condemn the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the alleged atrocity
An activist poses for the camera in his gas mask: The Syrian government denies launching the attack
Activists wearing gas masks bag a dead cat as they collect samples for chemical weapon use: Any evidence gathered could prove crucial in determining what actually happened in Damascus's eastern suburbs.
Any evidence gathered could prove crucial in determining what actually happened in Damascus's eastern suburbs.
This morning, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon renewed his push for Syria to allow inspectors already in the city immediate access to the area to investigate the allegations.
'I can think of no good reason why any party, either government or opposition forces - would decline this opportunity to get to the truth of the matter,' the UN chief told a diplomatic forum in Seoul.
Syria's government has offered no public response to UN calls for its team to inspect the site of the attack.
However, the longer chemical weapons inspectors wait for permission to drive up the road to the site of what appears to be the worst poison gas attack in a quarter century, the less likely they will be able to get to the bottom of it.
FIRST INDEPENDENT VIDEO OF CHEMICAL ATTACK
Up to 1,700 civilians reported killed by alleged chemical weapons attack
By DAMIEN GAYLE
PUBLISHED: 09:38, 23 August 2013 | UPDATED: 19:20, 23 August 2013
Whatever it was that caused the alleged slaughter of up to 1,700 civilians in a Damascus suburb this week, it did not spare the animals in the area, according to these pictures.
These photographs show rebel fighters in gas masks apparently walking the streets of Zamalka, bagging up dead pets and livestock.
It was claimed on Wednesday that the government launched a early morning poison gas attack on the rebel-held area, wiping out hundreds as they lay sleeping in their beds.
Scroll down for video WARNING Graphic content
Reuters
Aftermath: A Syrian opposition activist wearing a gas mask stands next to a dead dog as he looks for dead bodies to collect samples to check for chemical weapon use in Zamalka, east Damascus
Pet cemetery: A pile of dead animals is seen in Zamalka, one of three Damascus neighbourhoods reportedly hit by poison gas early on Wednesday morning in an attack which, rebels claimed, left up to 1,700 dead
Activists said rockets with chemical agents hit the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar before dawn.
While the allegation has not yet been proven, Western governments are lining up to condemn the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is clinging to power as a two-year-old insurgency against his rule rumbles on.
More...
U.S. accuses Assad over Syrian chemical strike: Pressure grows on West to arm rebels after massacre of 1,700
Syria's darkest hour: Hundreds of children's bodies piled high after nerve gas attack near Damascus leaves up to 1,300 dead
White House ‘deeply concerned’ about reports of 1,300 killed in chemical attack in Syria – a year after Obama said use of such weapons was a ‘red line’
The Syrian government denies launching the attack.
These pictures, dated to yesterday and distributed by the news agency Reuters, show men walking barren streets, looking for dead bodies to gather more evidence of chemical weapons use.
They show piles of dead animals - cats, dogs, sheep and goats - apparently killed where they stood by the same poison gas allegedly used to massacre the area's men, women and children.
Devastation: Activists look for dead bodies among Zamalka's now-deserted ruins. Western governments are lining up to condemn the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the alleged atrocity
An activist poses for the camera in his gas mask: The Syrian government denies launching the attack
Activists wearing gas masks bag a dead cat as they collect samples for chemical weapon use: Any evidence gathered could prove crucial in determining what actually happened in Damascus's eastern suburbs.
Any evidence gathered could prove crucial in determining what actually happened in Damascus's eastern suburbs.
This morning, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon renewed his push for Syria to allow inspectors already in the city immediate access to the area to investigate the allegations.
'I can think of no good reason why any party, either government or opposition forces - would decline this opportunity to get to the truth of the matter,' the UN chief told a diplomatic forum in Seoul.
Syria's government has offered no public response to UN calls for its team to inspect the site of the attack.
However, the longer chemical weapons inspectors wait for permission to drive up the road to the site of what appears to be the worst poison gas attack in a quarter century, the less likely they will be able to get to the bottom of it.
FIRST INDEPENDENT VIDEO OF CHEMICAL ATTACK
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 81675
Join date : 2008-10-25
Age : 78
Location : Wales UK -
Similar topics» breaking news SYRIA
» BREAKING NEWS: Turkish Jets Bomb US-backed forces in Iraq and Syria
» Abbas refuse Syria's refugee's Go to Israel or 'Die in Syria'
» Syria & Nuclear War within days?
» Who is Fighting in Syria
» BREAKING NEWS: Turkish Jets Bomb US-backed forces in Iraq and Syria
» Abbas refuse Syria's refugee's Go to Israel or 'Die in Syria'
» Syria & Nuclear War within days?
» Who is Fighting in Syria
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
» Israel War UPDATE
» AISH
» WORTHY NEWS
» BIBLE STUDY on VERSE
» MONSANTO Glyphosate: SOS
» Israel Reserve Soldiers killed
» Open letter Jewish COLLEGE STUDENTS
» Historic Milestone Saudi Arabia-Israel stability
» AISH Honest Reporting
» PRO TRUTH of Israel what Pro PA want
» ISRAEL BREAKING NEWS
» BRITAIN NEWS AND ALERT's
» JIHAD WATCH
» NUGGET Today's Devotional
» Israel 365 News
» CHRISTIAN NEWS NETWORK
» PULSE OF ISRAEL
» iNSPIRATIONAL DEVOTION Israel
» THE FREE PRESS