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Post by jeffolie on Jul 14, 2013 10:33:29 GMT -6
Post by jeffolie on Jan 31, 2013 at 8:28am Read more: www.unlawflcombatnt.proboards.com/thread/12040/started-syria-iran-israel-airstrike?page=1#scrollTo=39983#ixzz2YxC37Dhy War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended============================================ US officials confirm Israeli strike on Yakhont missiles in Syria July 12, 2013 US officials have confirmed that Israel recently carried out a strike against Yakhont missiles near Latakia, Syria on July 5. Threat Matrix had previously reported on the incident on July 9. " ... keep weapons from HezbollahWar started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended==================================================== Israeli leader vows to keep weapons from HezbollahAssociated Press July 14, 2013 www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/14/isreal-react-weapons/2515817/
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Post by jeffolie on Jul 14, 2013 13:33:43 GMT -6
Netanyahu: 'I won’t wait until it’s too late' to decide on Israeli attack on Iran In interview with CBS News, prime minister calls on U.S. to 'ratchet up sanctions and show will to use force'; says world distracted by Mideast turmoil, lacks 'sense of urgency' on 'messianic, apocalyptic' Tehran. Jul.14, 2013 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an unusually explicit warning of a possible Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear installations on Sunday, saying that he “won’t wait until it’s too late” to reach such a decision. Appearing on the CBS' “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Netanyahu repeatedly alluded to an Israeli “go it alone” scenario. He said that because Israel is more vulnerable to an Iranian attack than the United States it would “have to address this question of how to stop Iran before the U.S. does.” Iran “would be sorely mistaken if they think that Israel will let them” make an atomic bomb, he added. When asked specifically by veteran host Bob Schieffer “when will you make a decision on whether to attack Iran?” Netanyahu responded: “I can tell you one thing – before it’s too late.” “I am determined to do whatever is necessary to defend my country from a regime that threatens us with renewed annihilation,” Netanyahu added. Although he refrained from leveling the kind of direct criticism that strained his relations with the Obama Administration in a similar “Meet the Press” appearance last September, Netanyahu clearly urged the U.S. to “ratchet up sanctions and to demonstrate by action that the military option that is on the table – is truly on the table.” “They have to know that you are prepared to take military action. It’s the only thing that will get their attention,” Netanyahu said. He called on the administration to make clear to Tehran that the recent election of the “moderate” Hassan Rohani as president won’t change its policy of preventing Iran from going nuclear. “His strategy,” Netanyahu said of Rohani, “is to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Smile and build the bomb. He can’t be allowed to get away with it.” Netanyahu expressed concern that the “international community has lost its sense of urgency” vis-a-vis Iran because of other crises in the Middle East. However, he added, “all the problems that we have will be dwarfed by this messianic apocalyptic regime that would have atomic bombs.” Netanyahu warned Americans that Iran is developing intercontinental ballistic missiles – ICBMs – that are capable of reaching “the American mainland.” “It’s to reach you, not us,” he said. “They don’t need them to reach us.” While saying that the Iranians “took heed of the ‘red line’ that I sketched out at the UN” they were nonetheless getting “closer and closer” to nuclear capacity. They have accumulated 190 kilos of 20 percent enriched uranium of the 250 kilos needed to manufacture a bomb – and they are building "alternative route" thorough plutonium, Netanyahu added. Asked about the possibility that the U.S. would cut military aid to Egypt, Netanyahu said that Israel’s only concern was for the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, of which the U.S. assistance is a component. But to make clear that Egypt was not foremost on his mind, Netanyahu veered off course midway through his reply to return to the clear and present danger of Iran. www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-i-won-t-wait-until-it-s-too-late-to-decide-on-israeli-attack-on-iran.premium-1.535724
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Post by jeffolie on Jul 14, 2013 15:13:01 GMT -6
Netanyahu Says Israel May Have to Deal With Iran ‘Before’ U.S. Jul 14, 2013 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran is moving ahead toward nuclear weapons capability and warned that his country would act by itself if necessary to prevent that from happening. “We’re closer than the United States,” Netanyahu said today in an interview on CBS-TV’s current affairs program “Face the Nation,” according to a transcript of his remarks. “We’re more vulnerable. And therefore, we’ll have to address this question of how to stop Iran, perhaps before the United States does.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed speculation that Iranian president-elect Hassan Rohani’s victory last month signals a possible change in Iranian nuclear policy, and urged the international community to toughen the sanctions. Iranian officials have said the country’s nuclear facilities are intended only for civilian purposes such as energy and medical purposes. Netanyahu has said Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons that would pose an “existential threat” to Israel and “all options are on the table” to stop it, including a military strike. Iran’s president-elect, Hassan Rohani, has said he would seek to ease international economic sanctions aimed at curtailing the development of his country’s nuclear program. Netanyahu dismissed speculation that Rohani’s victory last month signals a possible change in Iranian nuclear policy, and urged the international community to toughen the sanctions. Rohani’s strategy “is be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Smile and build a bomb,” the Israeli leader said on “Face the Nation.” www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-14/netanyahu-says-israel-may-have-to-deal-with-iran-before-u-s-.html
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Post by jeffolie on Jul 14, 2013 16:10:00 GMT -6
Israeli Subs Destroy Russian Missiles In Syria; Russia Holds Largest Post-Soviet Military Drill 07/14/2013 While the (chemical) dust over Syria has yet to settle, one country is not waiting around before in tried and true fashion it kicks the proverbial hornets nest. Only this time the recipient of Israeli aggression is not some small country that can hardly afford to defend itself against made in the US, state-of-the-art weapons: it is Russia, if only indirectly. Last Friday, July 5, in the fog of the Egyptian coup, a contingent of 50 Russian-made Yakhont P-800 anti-ship missiles at the Syrian port-city of Latakia was destroyed. It has since become clear that the attack was launched by none other than an Israeli Dolphin-class (German-made) submarine according to a report in the British Sunday Times, which in turn contradicts a previous report that the attack had been the work of the Israeli air force. Furthermore, the alleged Israeli naval strike was closely coordinated with the United States. While this open aggression on Russian interests in Syria for now remains unchallenged, one wonder what happens when the news hits that US-made weapons supporting Syrian "rebels" have been mysteriously blown up by Russian rockets and how furious the public outcry would be against such an open Russian provocation. From Jerusalem Post: According to the report, the Israeli fleet of German-built submarines launched a cruise missile at the weapons cache after which Syrian rebels reportedly attested to hearing early-morning explosions at a Syrian port-side naval barracks. On Friday, anonymous US officials told CNN that Israel had carried out an air strike on the Syrian city. Three unnamed US officials told CNN the IAF had targeted Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles that could pose a threat to Israel. Qassem Saadeddine, spokesman for the Free Syrian Army’s Supreme Military Council, said the pre-dawn attack hit Syrian Navy barracks at Safira, near the port of Latakia. The rebel forces’ intelligence network had identified newly supplied Yakhont missiles being stored there, he said. “It was not the FSA that targeted this,” Saadeddine told Reuters. “It is not an attack that was carried out by rebels. This attack was either by air raid or long-range missiles fired from boats in the Mediterranean.” A loud explosion was heard near Latakia on Wednesday, an opposition monitoring group said, but the cause of the blast was unclear. Fast forward one week when we learn that in a perfectly unrelated event, a massive military drill involving naval forces, strategic bomber aircraft, missile-defense teams, tactical and strategic missiles, infantry, and armored vehicles took place in Russia's far east: a perfectly unrelated exercise that just happens to have 160,000 soliders, 1,000 tanks, 130 aircraft and 70 naval vessels that has been classified as the largest of its kind in the post-Soviet period. From RFE: An unspecified number of Tu-95MS strategic nuclear bomber aircraft reportedly were being readied for combat missions at an airbase in the Amur region. An armored brigade with some 100 tanks made a 1,100-kilometer rail journey from Buryatia to the Tsugol testing ground in Chita Oblast. Tank commander Dmitry Manyukin told the Russian TV news station Rossia 24 on July 14 that his company's final objectives in the exercise had not yet been issued in order to test the ability of Russian troops to respond quickly to freshly received orders. "The peculiarity [of this drill] is that [although] we deployed here 24 hours ... it hasn't yet been disclosed to us where we will move from here and what we will be ordered to accomplish," he said. According to Manyukin, the emphasis on being prepared for rapid deployment was being emphasized by the Defense Ministry in Moscow. "Since the appointment of the new Defense Minister [Sergei Shoigu], combat readiness has been treated very seriously," he said. "Very strict demands have been put in place for combat readiness ever since." The 83rd Airborne Brigade has been ordered from its base in Ussuriisk to Sakhalin Island, where an amphibious assault will be carried out in coordination with assault ships "Oslyabya" and "Nikolai Vilkov" assault ships. A mobile radiation, chemical, and biological defense brigade has also been taking part in the exercise. And speaking of hands on... Putin has said he might personally participate in the drill, which is scheduled to end on July 20. Surely this news alone, even in the absence of GDP-boosting riots, should be enough to send the S&P futures to 1,700 in tonight's upcoming Kevin Henry inspired, low volume melt-up ramp. www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-07-14/israeli-german-made-subs-destroy-russian-missiles-syria-russia-holds-largest-post-so
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Post by jeffolie on Jul 22, 2013 11:47:03 GMT -6
EU blacklists Hezbollah 'military wing'
By Bryan McManus (AFP) – 50 minutes ago
BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers on Monday put the military wing of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organisations despite Lebanon warning against such a move.
At the same time, analysts voiced doubts about the effectiveness of the measure, questioning if Hezbollah really can be broken down into separate parts for punishment or reward.
Britain, which had pressed long and hard for the decision, had no misgivings however that the EU was doing the right thing.
"In reaching this agreement, the EU has sent a clear message that it stands united against terrorism," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said at the end of the one-day ministers' talks.
Asked about the difficulty of targeting Hezbollah's military wing alone, he conceded it would not be straightforward.
"We will have to distinguish as best we can" between the various parts, he said, suggesting military and administrative sections could be identified.
Hague also said he recognised that "Hezbollah has a political role in Lebanon ... but violence ... is unacceptable".
To get the agreement, ministers had to overcome reservations in some member states that it would further destabilise Lebanon where the Iranian-backed militant group plays a key role in politics and has dominated the government since 2011.
Accordingly, EU political and economic ties with Lebanon will be fully maintained in a delicate balancing act.
It is also only the military wing that is affected, after it was blamed for a deadly attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year.
In March, a Hezbollah operative was also convicted in Cyprus of plotting a similar attack.
Monday's political decision will be given legal form within days and most likely result in sanctions such as an asset freeze.
The EU adopted a terror and sanctions regime in late 2001 after the September 11 attacks in the United States so as to target individuals and groups.
As of last year, there were 25 groups named, among them several Palestinian entities, FARC, the Colombian insurgent movement, and Peru's Shining Path.
On Thursday, Lebanon asked Brussels not to blacklist Hezbollah on the grounds the militant group was an "essential component of Lebanese society".
Hezbollah fought a bitter war with Israel in 2006 and more recently has been providing military support to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as it tries to put down an insurgency that has escalated into civil war.
The decision to put the militia on the EU's list of terrorist groups required the unanimous consent of the bloc's 28 members.
Analysts however were sceptical as to its actual impact, saying it was virtually impossible to distinguish between the military and political wings of Hezbollah.
"It is the security wing, not the military, which is the most effective and the most dangerous in Hezbollah," said Waddah Charara, professor of sociology at Lebanese University.
"The EU move actually gives Hezbollah a lot of leeway, especially given that the party works in a secret fashion and operates through many channels," he added. "It also allows the EU to continue to have contacts with the 'political' Hezbollah."
The United States, Australia, Britain, Canada and the Netherlands had all previously blacklisted Hezbollah as a terror group separately.
Support for the EU sanctions against Hezbollah grew in recent weeks after the party admitted it was sending fighters to back Assad's regime.
Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni praised the EU decision, saying it was the right move but Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated his government's objections.
"We wish the EU countries had carried out a careful reading of the facts and sought out more information," Mikati said.
Elsewhere at the talks, EU ministers also highlighted the possible resumption of stalled Israel-Palestinian talks after a major push by US Secretary of State John Kerry and the need to promote democracy in Egypt after the military ouster of the elected government.
Ministers called on the Egyptian military to stand aside so as to allow a peaceful transition to a civilian government, and to release political prisoners led by ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
Hague and other ministers deplored the deterioration of the situation in Syria where regime forces have made inroads against the rebels who are torn by bloody infighting and growing extremism, prompting concerns they will lose the war.
There are also concerns that funding for EU and other humanitarian assistance programmes needed by millions of refugees inside and outside the country are running short.
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Post by jeffolie on Jul 22, 2013 13:03:35 GMT -6
EU blacklists Hezbollah 'military wing'By Bryan McManus (AFP) – 50 minutes ago BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers on Monday put the military wing of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organisations despite Lebanon warning against such a move. At the same time, analysts voiced doubts about the effectiveness of the measure, questioning if Hezbollah really can be broken down into separate parts for punishment or reward.
Britain, which had pressed long and hard for the decision, had no misgivings however that the EU was doing the right thing. "In reaching this agreement, the EU has sent a clear message that it stands united against terrorism," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said at the end of the one-day ministers' talks. Asked about the difficulty of targeting Hezbollah's military wing alone, he conceded it would not be straightforward. "We will have to distinguish as best we can" between the various parts, he said, suggesting military and administrative sections could be identified. Hague also said he recognised that "Hezbollah has a political role in Lebanon ... but violence ... is unacceptable". To get the agreement, ministers had to overcome reservations in some member states that it would further destabilise Lebanon where the Iranian-backed militant group plays a key role in politics and has dominated the government since 2011. Accordingly, EU political and economic ties with Lebanon will be fully maintained in a delicate balancing act. It is also only the military wing that is affected, after it was blamed for a deadly attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. In March, a Hezbollah operative was also convicted in Cyprus of plotting a similar attack. Monday's political decision will be given legal form within days and most likely result in sanctions such as an asset freeze. The EU adopted a terror and sanctions regime in late 2001 after the September 11 attacks in the United States so as to target individuals and groups. As of last year, there were 25 groups named, among them several Palestinian entities, FARC, the Colombian insurgent movement, and Peru's Shining Path. On Thursday, Lebanon asked Brussels not to blacklist Hezbollah on the grounds the militant group was an "essential component of Lebanese society". Hezbollah fought a bitter war with Israel in 2006 and more recently has been providing military support to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as it tries to put down an insurgency that has escalated into civil war. The decision to put the militia on the EU's list of terrorist groups required the unanimous consent of the bloc's 28 members. Analysts however were sceptical as to its actual impact, saying it was virtually impossible to distinguish between the military and political wings of Hezbollah.
"It is the security wing, not the military, which is the most effective and the most dangerous in Hezbollah," said Waddah Charara, professor of sociology at Lebanese University. "The EU move actually gives Hezbollah a lot of leeway, especially given that the party works in a secret fashion and operates through many channels," he added. "It also allows the EU to continue to have contacts with the 'political' Hezbollah." The United States, Australia, Britain, Canada and the Netherlands had all previously blacklisted Hezbollah as a terror group separately. Support for the EU sanctions against Hezbollah grew in recent weeks after the party admitted it was sending fighters to back Assad's regime. Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni praised the EU decision, saying it was the right move but Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated his government's objections. "We wish the EU countries had carried out a careful reading of the facts and sought out more information," Mikati said. Elsewhere at the talks, EU ministers also highlighted the possible resumption of stalled Israel-Palestinian talks after a major push by US Secretary of State John Kerry and the need to promote democracy in Egypt after the military ouster of the elected government. Ministers called on the Egyptian military to stand aside so as to allow a peaceful transition to a civilian government, and to release political prisoners led by ousted president Mohamed Morsi. Hague and other ministers deplored the deterioration of the situation in Syria where regime forces have made inroads against the rebels who are torn by bloody infighting and growing extremism, prompting concerns they will lose the war. There are also concerns that funding for EU and other humanitarian assistance programmes needed by millions of refugees inside and outside the country are running short. Israel says EU stance against Hezbollah should be stronger Edmund Sanders July 22, 2013 JERUSALEM -- Israeli leaders reacted coolly to the European Union’s move Monday to designate the military wing of Hezbollah in Lebanon a terrorist organization. After working for nearly two decades to persuade European nations to follow Israel and the United States in boycotting Hezbollah, Israel said it welcomed the EU's decision. But officials expressed concern about the body's attempt to distinguish between the military and political arms of the militant Shiite group, saying it might weaken enforcement. “Israel sees Hezbollah as a unified organization with no distinction between its wings," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I hope the decision will bring about significant steps against the organization." EU declares Hezbollah's military wing a terrorist organization
Hezbollah's role in Syria fighting threatens to spread holy war Egypt's politics creep into beloved Ramadan soap operas Israel reportedly OKs prisoner release, but not settlement freeze Former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, ridiculed the EU’s decision as “going only halfway and making a partial decision that is not enough.” "The military wing and the political wing of Hezbollah are two sides of the same coin,” Lieberman said. “At the head of each stands Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. The attempt to present the group as if it is partially extremist and partially moderate is like asking can a cannibal be a vegetarian.” Some European nations resisted labeling Hezbollah as a terror group out of fear it would complicate relations between Europe and Lebanon, where Hezbollah is a leading political force. The EU’s move will make it easier for European governments to seize assets, block financial transactions, restrict travel of certain individuals and cooperate with other law enforcement agencies in gathering intelligence. EU diplomats would not be permitted to meet with representatives of the military wing. “Hezbollah is going to be more isolated, more weakened and under much greater pressure,” said one Israeli government official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. But he cautioned that to focus on only the military wing might create a loophole for European nations looking for a way to maintain ties with Hezbollah. “The implementation is going to depend upon the political will,’’ he said. Israel’s diplomatic campaign against Hezbollah gained new steam last year after a bombing in Bulgaria killed five Israeli tourists and one Bulgarian in the resort town of Burgas. Israeli and Bulgarian officials blamed Hezbollah for the attack. Hezbollah denied the claim. The group’s growing involvement in Syria’s civil war also played a role. To support the regime of President Bashar Assad, Hezbollah fighters have entered Syria, which has been a key weapons supplier for their movement. www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-israel-eu-hezbollah-reaction-20130722,0,2848923.story
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Post by jeffolie on Aug 2, 2013 5:51:34 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013" .... Iran's Rohani: Israel is an 'old wound’ that should be removed ... " my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ======================================================= Iran's Rohani: Israel is an 'old wound’ that should be removedIn pro-Palestinian rally, incoming Iranian president says 'Zionist regime has been a wound on body of the Islamic world for years'; Netanyahu: Comments reveal Rohani's true face. By The Associated Press and DPA | Aug. 2, 2013 Hassan Rohani Iran threat Iran FM: Tehran ready to resume nuclear talks when Rohani names negotiating team Iran's new president has called Israel an "old wound" that should be removed in comments published just two days ahead of his inauguration. Hasan Rohani's remarks about Israel - his country's archenemy - echo those of other Iranian leaders. Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency said Rohani spoke after taking part in an annual "Quds Day" pro-Palestine rally in Tehran on Friday. The report quoted Rohani as saying: "The Zionist regime has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world for years and the wound should be removed." Rohani won a landslide victory in Iran's June 14 presidential election. He replaces Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday. Rohani has pledged to follow a "path of moderation" and promised greater openness over Iran's nuclear program, which has placed it at odds with the West. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the comments revealed the true face of Iran's president-elect, often considered a moderate reformer. "Rohani has shown his true colors sooner than expected," Netanyahu said in Jerusalem. "This is what the man thinks and it is the action plan of the Iranian regime," he said. "There is a new president, but the goal of the regime has not changed - to develop nuclear weapons to threaten Israel, the Middle East and peace and security in the entire world." Netanyahu added that a state that threatens Israel with annihilation should be prevented from acquiring any weapons of mass destruction.
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Post by jeffolie on Aug 22, 2013 16:44:29 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike " ... focusing on Syria's chemical weapons ... " " ... the Nobel Peace Prize winning president has just engaged in yet another unsanctioned by Congress war. Another jeffolie prediction coming true ... America goes to war in Syria focusing on chemical weapons
==================== American, Israeli And Jordanian Troops And CIA Agents Have Entered Syria, Le Figaro Reports 08/22/2013 We have yet to see secondary confirmation of the following breaking news from the second largest French newspaper, Le Figaro, but if accurate, it means the Nobel Peace Prize winning president has just engaged in yet another unsanctioned by Congress war. From Le Figaro, google translated: According to our information, the regime's opponents, supervised by Jordanian, Israeli and American commandos moving towards Damascus since mid-August. This attack could explain the possible use of the Syrian president to chemical weapons. According to information obtained by Le Figaro , the first trained in guerrilla warfare by the Americans in Jordan Syrian troops reportedly entered into action since mid-August in southern Syria, in the region of Deraa. A first group of 300 men, probably supported by Israeli and Jordanian commandos, as well as men of the CIA, had crossed the border on August 17. A second would have joined the 19. According to military sources, the Americans, who do not want to put troops on the Syrian soil or arming rebels in part controlled by radical Islamists form quietly for several months in a training camp set up at the border Jordanian- Syrian fighters ASL, the Free Syrian Army, handpicked. According to this expert on the region, the idea proposed by Washington would be the possible establishment of a buffer zone from the south of Syria, or even a no-fly zone, which would cause opponents safely until the balance of power changes. This is the reason why the United States has deployed Patriot batteries and F16 in late June Jordan. More here. Why is the US, or rather Federal Reserve, desperate for a war with Syria? It was all explained previously here, but here is the one chart that matters. In brief: to allow the Untaper once the Taper ends, the US needs to find much more deficit funding needs, and as always there is no place better to achieve this than to spike the contracting spending budget by engaging in war. And now, the ball is in Putin's court. www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-08-22/american-israeli-and-jordanian-troops-and-cia-agents-have-entered-syria-le-figaro-re
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Post by jeffolie on Aug 25, 2013 5:46:55 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 Iran army warns US of 'harsh consequences' over Syria 8/25/2013 A top Iranian military chief warned on Sunday that the US will face "harsh consequences" if it intervenes in ally Syria over claims of chemical attacks, Fars news agency reported. "If the United States crosses this red line, there will be harsh consequences for the White House," armed forces deputy chief of staff Massoud Jazayeri was quoted as saying. A year ago US President Barack Obama warned the use of chemical weapons in Syria would cross a "red line" and have "enormous consequences". On Sunday, his Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the US military was ready to take action against Syria. "President Obama has asked the Defence Department to prepare options for all contingencies. We have done that," Hagel told reporters in Malaysia. "Again, we are prepared to exercise whatever option, if he decides to employ one of those options," he said, a day after Obama held a rare meeting his top aides and brass to discuss Syria. After the meeting, Obama spoke by phone with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, which has accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons on a large scale. A statement from Cameron's office said if the use of chemical weapons by Syria would "merit a serious response" -- echoing French calls that "force" be used if the claims are confirmed. But the Iranian military leader warned Washington, its Western allies and Israel against playing with "fire". "The terrorist war under way in Syria was planned by the United States and reactionary countries in the region against the resistance front (against Israel)," Fars quoted Jazayeri as saying. "Despite this, the government and people of Syria have achieved huge successes. "Those who add fire to the oil will not escape the vengeance of the people," added Jazayeri. Foes of the Damascus regime say Syrian forces unleashed a chemical attack Wednesday on areas southwest and east of the capital, killing hundreds of people. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad denies the accusations, saying instead that rebel fighters have used chemical weapons in the 29-month conflict. An undated file picture of the Iranian armed forces' deputy chief of staff Seyyed Massoud Jazayeri taken in Tehran news.yahoo.com/iran-army-warns-us-harsh-consequences-over-syria-092109227.html
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Post by jeffolie on Aug 25, 2013 11:39:36 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 Iran army warns US of 'harsh consequences' over Syria 8/25/2013 White House says 'little doubt' of Syrian government chemical use August 25, 2013, 9:17 a.m. WASHINGTON — There is "very little doubt" that the Syrian government used a chemical weapon against civilians, a senior Obama administration official said Sunday as the president and his advisors continue to weigh options for a military strike. The official also dismissed reports that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad may soon allow United Nations inspectors to visit the site of the alleged Aug. 21 poison-gas attack, in a suburb of Damascus, the country's capital. "If the Syrian government had nothing to hide and wanted to prove to the world that it had not used chemical weapons in this incident, it would have ceased its attacks on the area and granted immediate access to the U.N. — five days ago," the official said. By now, the regime has had many opportunities to destroy evidence, the official noted, adding that a "belated decision by the regime to grant access to the U.N. team is too late to be credible." U.S. officials are continuing to assess the facts to determine "how to respond to this indiscriminate use of chemical weapons," said the official, who was authorized to discuss internal deliberations only on condition of anonymity. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told reporters traveling with him in Malaysia that "President Obama has asked the Defense Department to prepare options for all contingencies. We have done that." Meantime, a Republican senator and a House Democrat joined Sunday in calling for Obama to launch air strikes against the Syrian regime. “I do think we have to respond, and I do think we will take action,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said on "Fox News Sunday." He called for the administration to attack Syria in a “surgical way,” such as by launching cruise missiles directed at military targets. Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), appearing on the same program, agreed the administration should launch an attack on Syria. “I think we have to respond, and we have to act rather quickly,” he said. “We can’t afford to sit back and wait for the United Nations.” Engel said the United States could hit a series of military targets, including attacking the bases and runways used by Syria’s air force. “We can destroy the Syrian air force,” he said. While both urged swift military action by the Obama administration, Corker said the president should seek approval from Congress before acting. He predicted there would be bipartisan support for a measure that authorizes military action against the Syrian regime. As lawmakers, “It’s time for us to step up and take responsibility,” he said. www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-wn-us-official-little-doubt-of-syrian-government-chemical-use-20130825,0,4225356.story
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Post by jeffolie on Aug 26, 2013 18:19:14 GMT -6
Syria, Iran issue first explicit warning to Israel if US attacks ‘We have strategic weapons and we’re capable of responding,’ says official in Damscus; Russia: West has no proof of chemical attack AP August 26, 2013 senior Syrian official on Monday issued a first direct warning that if attacked, his country would retaliate against Israel. Khalaf Muftah, a senior Baath Party official who used to serve as Syria’s assistant information minister, said in a radio interview that Damascus would consider Israel “behind the [Western] aggression and [it] will therefore come under fire.” “We have strategic weapons and we’re capable of responding,” he said. “Normally the strategic weapons are aimed at Israel.” Muftah concluded with a warning that “If the US or Israel make the mistake of taking advantage of the chemical issue… the region will go up in flames… that will affect security not only in the region but across the world.” His words were echoed by Iranian officials, who on Monday shrugged off the threat of a US attack on its close ally Syria, but said that if such a strike were to take place, Israel would suffer. “[The Americans] are incapable of starting a new war in the region, because of their lacking economic capabilities and their lack of morale,” said Mohammad Reza Naqdi, the commander of the Republican Guards’ elite Basij force.
“No military attack will be waged against Syria,” said Hossein Sheikholeslam, a member of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly. “Yet, if such an incident takes place, which is impossible, the Zionist regime will be the first victim of a military attack on Syria.”Israeli military officials have indicated they believe it unlikely that Syria would target Israel if the US or others intervened, but Israel has reportedly been taking security precautions just in case. more... www.timesofisrael.com/syria-iran-issue-explicit-warning-to-israel-if-us-attacks/
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Post by jeffolie on Aug 28, 2013 0:57:29 GMT -6
Syria, Iran issue first explicit warning to Israel if US attacks ‘We have strategic weapons and we’re capable of responding,’ says official in Damscus; Russia: West has no proof of chemical attack AP August 26, 2013 senior Syrian official on Monday issued a first direct warning that if attacked, his country would retaliate against Israel. Khalaf Muftah, a senior Baath Party official who used to serve as Syria’s assistant information minister, said in a radio interview that Damascus would consider Israel “behind the [Western] aggression and [it] will therefore come under fire.” “We have strategic weapons and we’re capable of responding,” he said. “Normally the strategic weapons are aimed at Israel.” Muftah concluded with a warning that “If the US or Israel make the mistake of taking advantage of the chemical issue… the region will go up in flames… that will affect security not only in the region but across the world.” His words were echoed by Iranian officials, who on Monday shrugged off the threat of a US attack on its close ally Syria, but said that if such a strike were to take place, Israel would suffer. “[The Americans] are incapable of starting a new war in the region, because of their lacking economic capabilities and their lack of morale,” said Mohammad Reza Naqdi, the commander of the Republican Guards’ elite Basij force.
“No military attack will be waged against Syria,” said Hossein Sheikholeslam, a member of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly. “Yet, if such an incident takes place, which is impossible, the Zionist regime will be the first victim of a military attack on Syria.”Israeli military officials have indicated they believe it unlikely that Syria would target Israel if the US or others intervened, but Israel has reportedly been taking security precautions just in case. more... www.timesofisrael.com/syria-iran-issue-explicit-warning-to-israel-if-us-attacks/Could Israeli experts be wrong about a Syrian attack on Israel? By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON 08/28/2013 07:12 Select Language▼ Analysis: Many analysts speak about Assad’s “rationality,” but it is clear that he does not always think according to the logic of analysts. A Syrian army tank in action. A Syrian army tank in action. Photo: REUTERS Israeli experts may be wrong. Syria or Hezbollah could attack Israel if the US and other Western forces attack Syria. It would not be the first time analysts predicted that the Arabs would do the opposite of what they declared they would do – and attack Israel. Related: • US response to Syria chemical weapons attack 'not aimed at regime change' • Analysis: Syria should not be equated with Libya nor Iraq Such a scenario seems more likely if Syrian President Bashar Assad feels that his regime is going to fall, and decides to lash out in a similar way as fellow Ba’ath party leader Iraqi president Saddam Hussein did during the first Gulf war – firing scud missiles at Israel. Iran, Hezbollah and Syria have been warning over the past few days that a Western attack would trigger a reaction against Israel. A Syrian attack against Israel would make Assad a hero to many in the Islamic world. Many analysts speak about Assad’s “rationality,” but it is clear that he does not always think according to the logic of analysts. Was it logical for Syria to use chemical weapons against its own people? The more so knowing that a large=scale massacre could pressure US president Barack Obama to enforce his red-line? According to Mordechai Kedar, director of the Center for the Study of the Middle East and Islam (under formation) and a research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University, “Assad is very rational, but not according to our standards, but to his.” Kedar told The Jerusalem Post that after two and a half years of Assad butchering his own citizens, he knows he will never again be accepted as a legitimate ruler. “All he is fighting for is his family’s and his Alawi sect’s survival,” but don’t forget that he has lost many Alawites along the way, said Kedar. “Since he feels that his time is coming to an end, he sees no importance in people’s lives, and therefore he can gas masses to death,” he said, adding that “he could not care less about any casualties he might cause.” Therefore, “killing Israelis is as easy in his view as killing Syrians or rebels,” he said. Israeli threats to destroy various targets in Syria, hence, have no meaning for him since “the state is almost totally destroyed anyway.” “Only an Israeli threat to target the connection between his own head and his own shoulders could deter Assad from attacking”, he said. Eyal Zisser, an expert on Syria from the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, believes that a Syrian attack on Israel at this point is unlikely. He told the Post that the Iraqi missile attack against Israel during the first Gulf War failed to unite the Arab world and that an attack by Assad today would fail to help him as well. After all, he said, Assad failed to respond to an alleged Israeli attack on Syria a few months ago. “In any case, his ability to harm Israel is limited,” Zisser added. If he thinks that he can survive an American attack, he is likely to leave Israel alone as Israel retains an effective deterrence. And the latest reports do indicate that Obama is looking to avoid regime change or any major military action. Michael Widlanski, an Arab-affairs expert and author of Battle for Our Minds: Western Elites and the Terror Threat, told the Post in an interview that a US attack would probably be less drastic than the alleged Israeli bombing of Syria’s nuclear reactor in 2007. “He has nothing to gain from attacking Israel and did not do so in the past,” he said. Widlanski, a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University, believes that Assad knows that any attack would result in a severe Israeli retaliation. “People in Israel will expect the army to hit back hard and a serious attack could cost him his regime,” he said. “He is not a suicide bomber,” he said noting that the history of Assad’s actions and the strategic reality make it clear that he is “not going to do anything.” Asked about the chances of an attack if Assad knew he was about to fall, Widlanski responded that in a “desperate man scenario,” this could happen, but he does not see the US as interested in trying to bring him down right now as it would require “more than a few cruise missiles.” He also rules out any Hezbollah action now as the organization is overextended in Syria’s civil war and any attack by the group would ensure a heavy Israeli response. In terms of Iran, it may want something to happen so it can discover Israel’s operational plans. www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Could-Israeli-experts-be-wrong-about-a-Syrian-attack-on-Israel-324496
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Post by jeffolie on Aug 28, 2013 18:16:06 GMT -6
Wait for UN report, vote: Britain slows Syria Strikes ================================ Britain to Wait on Weapons Report Ahead of Syria Strikes " ... Britain signaled it would first await the findings of a United Nations inquiry into the suspected use of chemical weapons in a mass killing near Damascus, and would then hold a separate parliamentary vote, which could be days away. Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, who runs a coalition government, is facing political difficulties from legislators mindful of the experience in Iraq, when assurances from Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction proved inaccurate and a false pretext for war. Mr. Cameron bowed on Wednesday to pressure from the opposition Labour Party and some within his own coalition who want to allow United Nations weapons inspectors a chance to report their findings and for the United Nations Security Council to make one more effort to give a more solid legal backing to military action against Damascus. As Mr. Cameron ran into difficulties, the Syrian government, which has denied accusations by a range of Western and Arab countries that it had used the weapons in the Aug. 21 mass killing, moved abruptly to prolong the visit of the United Nations inspectors, announcing it had evidence of three previously unreported chemical weapons assaults that they should investigate, and which the government said had been carried out by insurgents. If the investigators look into those accusations, they could remain in Syria well past this weekend, beyond their original mandate. The developments had the effect of slowing the momentum led by the United States and Britain for military intervention in the Syria conflict, which began more than two years ago as a popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and has since morphed into a civil war that has left more than 100,000 people dead and destabilized the Middle East. more ... www.nytimes.com/2013/08/29/world/middleeast/syria.html
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Post by jeffolie on Sept 2, 2013 15:43:58 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 ‘ Obama assures Netanyahu on Iran ’ Obama's actions in the POLITICS MATTERS lay the legal foundation for a larger ME, Iran action if Congress tacitly approves my predicted action: " ... focusing on Syria's chemical weapons ... " my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ================================================================= ‘Obama assures Netanyahu on Iran’ 09/02/2013 Report: US president calls PM regarding possible Syria strike. US President Barack Obama assured Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in a telephone conversation on Saturday that he remains determined to keep Iran from going nuclear, Channel 2 reported Monday. According to the report, Obama’s assurances came in a phone conversation with Netanyahu just prior to announcing in a White House speech that he would ask Congress to approve a limited US attack on Syria. Related: • Weak world response on Syria boosts chance of strong Israeli action on Iran Ex-Iranian president Rafsanjani says Syria government behind chemical attack The advanced notice Obama gave Netanyahu of his plans is believed to have been motivated partly by a desire to mute Israeli criticism. And, indeed, there has been relatively little public criticism from government circles of Obama’s tactics. The media, however, has been full of commentary arguing that Obama’s actions are sending the wrong signal to Iran, and showing that if the US president does not have the resolve to act immediately against the use of chemical weapons in Syria, it was unlikely he would act against Iran’s nuclear program. According to the Channel 2 report, Obama told Netanyahu that the confrontation with Syria did not negatively impact on the Iranian situation, and that the two situations were completely different. Obama, in his efforts to win votes in Congress for using limited force as a punitive measure against Syria, is expected to use as one of his arguments that a failure to do so would hurt America’s deterrence against Iran and Hezbollah, and be bad for Israel.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, reiterated his dual message Monday of trying to calm the Israeli public on one hand, while warning Israel’s enemies on the other. “We have very great tasks in light of what is occurring throughout our region both near and far,” Netanyahu said at the dedication ceremony of the new Golani interchange in the north. “While they shoot at each other, we build for each other,” he said. “Our state is peaceful, certain of the strength of the IDF and sure of itself because it knows that it can defend itself. I will not allow anyone to harm the State of Israel. I ask you to go out and enjoy the [upcoming Rosh Hashana] holiday and if someone thinks of harming the tranquility of the holiday, he knows what awaits him.” President Shimon Peres said Monday that he does not regard Obama’s decision to seek authorization from Congress for a strike against Syria as a sign of cold feet, and that he was not disappointed that America is not taking immediate action. In an hour-long Rosh Hashana interview on Army Radio on Monday, Peres expressed full approval for Obama’s stance, saying he was someone restrained who weighed matters carefully. It was preferable for Obama to get approval of Congress than to act without it, Peres said, adding that he trusted the US president implicitly on matters regarding Israel. He expressed confidence that Obama has some basis for believing that Congress will ultimately support his decision, and that America will use force to deter Syria. The Iranian threat, Peres said, was not a regional issue but a global one, because if Iran acquires nuclear arms, this could impact on the whole world. www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Obama-assures-PM-on-Iran-325116
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Post by jeffolie on Sept 3, 2013 7:00:23 GMT -6
Hezbollah mobilises ahead of potential US Syria strike9/3/2013 Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group, a close ally of the Syrian regime, is redeploying its forces ahead of possible US strikes on Damascus, according to witnesses in Lebanon. The reports come as the daily Al-Akhbar, which is close to both Hezbollah and the Syrian regime, said on Monday that the group had "called on all its officers and members to man their positions." Residents speaking to AFP in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre said there appeared to be a general mobilisation of the group's members, even if such a movement was not being publicly discussed. Many Hezbollah fighters have disappeared from local villages in the last five days, though strict security measures around group headquarters and checkpoints have remained in place, residents said. The situation is the same in the Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon, a stronghold of the organisation. Residents said fighters, including gunners, had left their regular posts, and switched off their mobile phones to ensure they could not be traced. In the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, also considered a Hezbollah bastion, teenagers have replaced more experienced fighters at checkpoints inspecting cars entering the district. A Hezbollah spokesman declined to comment on the reported redeployment of the group's forces. On Monday, Al-Akhbar also reported that the "Syrian army has mobilised units that have not participated until now in the conflict." "It has established an operations room... with Hezbollah and the units in charge of missiles are at an unprecedented level of alert," the daily added. "The Islamic resistance (Hezbollah) has called on all its officers and members to man their positions," the newspaper reported. The reported mobilisation comes after US President Barack Obama said he favoured the use of military action against Syria in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus. But Obama has said he will seek approval from Congress for any strikes in response to the attack, for which the Syrian regime denies responsibility. Hezbollah is a close ally of the Syrian regime, and has dispatched fighters to battle alongside Syrian troops and against rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Wadah Charara, an expert on the group, says it commands around 30,000 fighters, including 10,000 with extensive combat experience.
Between 800 and 1,2000 Hezbollah fighters are thought to have taken part in the Syrian regime's battle to recapture the town of Qusayr in central Homs province earlier this year. news.yahoo.com/hezbollah-mobilises-ahead-potential-us-syria-strike-191153343.html
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Post by jeffolie on Sept 6, 2013 10:59:34 GMT -6
Obama to address a skeptical nation Tuesday on Syria September 6, 2013 ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – President Obama said Friday he will take his case for military strikes in Syria to the nation in an address next week as he argued against letting “paralysis” at the United Nations stand in the way of an international response to the reported use of chemical weapons. Speaking at a news conference at the end of a two-day trip to Russia, Obama said he will address the American public from the White House on Tuesday in an attempt to win support for his plan. “In the coming days, I'll continue to consult with my fellow leaders around the world, and I will continue to consult with Congress,” he said. “And I will make the best case that I can to the American people, as well as to the international community, for taking necessary and appropriate action.” Obama said that the world doesn’t need “another statement of condemnation,” suggesting he will not leave the question of military action up to a vote of the U.N. Security Council, which has so far been unable to take action against Syria because its allies Russia and China have vetoes. “Given the Security Council paralysis on this issue, if we are serious about upholding a ban on chemical weapons use, then an international response is required,” he said. “If we end up using the U.N. Security Council not as a means of enforcing international norms and international law, but rather as a barrier to acting, then I think people rightly are going to be pretty skeptical about the system.” Obama refused to say whether he would proceed without a vote of authorization from Congress, saying only that he would continue making his case to lawmakers and to the public. Making sure the American people understand his reasoning is important “before I take action,” Obama said. Obama has been under pressure from Democratic lawmakers to make a forceful public case for the strike. Secretary of State John F. Kerry suggested earlier this week that Obama would make such a speech, although the White House said the president was not yet decided. Obama was in Russia for a meeting of leaders of the Group of 20 major economies. Immediately after he spoke, leaders of 10 nations at the G-20 summit issued a joint statement with the U.S. supporting "efforts undertaken by the United States and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons." The Obama administration says the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad killed at least 1,429 people, including at least 426 children, in an Aug. 21 chemical attack on the suburbs of Damascus -- charges denied by the Syrian authorities. Britain and France have cited lower confirmed death tolls. "The evidence clearly points to the Syrian government being responsible for the attack, which is part of a pattern of chemical weapons use by the regime," said the statement from "leaders and representatives" of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Turkey, as well as the United States. "We call for a strong international response to this grave violation of the world’s rules and conscience that will send a clear message that this kind of atrocity can never be repeated." www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-obama-syria-20130906,0,6749160.story
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Post by jeffolie on Sept 8, 2013 15:19:33 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 ‘ Obama assures Netanyahu on Iran ’ Obama's actions in the POLITICS MATTERS lay the legal foundation for a larger ME, Iran action if Congress tacitly approves my predicted action: " ... focusing on Syria's chemical weapons ... " my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ================================================================= ‘Obama assures Netanyahu on Iran’ 09/02/2013 Report: US president calls PM regarding possible Syria strike. US President Barack Obama assured Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in a telephone conversation on Saturday that he remains determined to keep Iran from going nuclear, Channel 2 reported Monday. According to the report, Obama’s assurances came in a phone conversation with Netanyahu just prior to announcing in a White House speech that he would ask Congress to approve a limited US attack on Syria. Related: • Weak world response on Syria boosts chance of strong Israeli action on Iran Ex-Iranian president Rafsanjani says Syria government behind chemical attack The advanced notice Obama gave Netanyahu of his plans is believed to have been motivated partly by a desire to mute Israeli criticism. And, indeed, there has been relatively little public criticism from government circles of Obama’s tactics. The media, however, has been full of commentary arguing that Obama’s actions are sending the wrong signal to Iran, and showing that if the US president does not have the resolve to act immediately against the use of chemical weapons in Syria, it was unlikely he would act against Iran’s nuclear program. According to the Channel 2 report, Obama told Netanyahu that the confrontation with Syria did not negatively impact on the Iranian situation, and that the two situations were completely different. Obama, in his efforts to win votes in Congress for using limited force as a punitive measure against Syria, is expected to use as one of his arguments that a failure to do so would hurt America’s deterrence against Iran and Hezbollah, and be bad for Israel.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, reiterated his dual message Monday of trying to calm the Israeli public on one hand, while warning Israel’s enemies on the other. “We have very great tasks in light of what is occurring throughout our region both near and far,” Netanyahu said at the dedication ceremony of the new Golani interchange in the north. “While they shoot at each other, we build for each other,” he said. “Our state is peaceful, certain of the strength of the IDF and sure of itself because it knows that it can defend itself. I will not allow anyone to harm the State of Israel. I ask you to go out and enjoy the [upcoming Rosh Hashana] holiday and if someone thinks of harming the tranquility of the holiday, he knows what awaits him.” President Shimon Peres said Monday that he does not regard Obama’s decision to seek authorization from Congress for a strike against Syria as a sign of cold feet, and that he was not disappointed that America is not taking immediate action. In an hour-long Rosh Hashana interview on Army Radio on Monday, Peres expressed full approval for Obama’s stance, saying he was someone restrained who weighed matters carefully. It was preferable for Obama to get approval of Congress than to act without it, Peres said, adding that he trusted the US president implicitly on matters regarding Israel. He expressed confidence that Obama has some basis for believing that Congress will ultimately support his decision, and that America will use force to deter Syria. The Iranian threat, Peres said, was not a regional issue but a global one, because if Iran acquires nuclear arms, this could impact on the whole world. www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Obama-assures-PM-on-Iran-325116" ... attack on Assad regime would send message to Iran ... White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said Sunday that an impending U.S. attack on Syria would send a message to Iranian leaders that they should not feel free to develop nuclear weapons." my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================== McDonough says attack on Assad regime would send message to IranSun Sep 8, 2013 9 White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said Sunday that an impending U.S. attack on Syria would send a message to Iranian leaders that they should not feel free to develop nuclear weapons.McDonough said on NBC’s Meet the Press that “to communicate with them we have to be very clear, very forthright. This is an opportunity to be both with the Iranians....” He said, “nobody is rebutting the intelligence; nobody doubts the intelligence” that is the basis for President Barack Obama pinning the blame for an August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria on President Bashar Assad's regime which is fighting to suppress a rebellion that began in 2011. McDonough noted that “our troops have not been subject to chemical weapons attacks since World War I” and argued that “we have to make sure that for the sake of our guys – our men and women on the front lines – that we reinforce this prohibition against using chemical weapons.” If Assad is not deterred, he will put chemical weapons on the front lines in his battle against the Syrian rebels and that would mean “a greater risk of them being proliferated” and perhaps falling into terrorists’ hands, McDonough argued. He added that “the momentum on the battle field will be changed by a targeted, limited effort” but he said ultimately “there’s not a military resolution” to the civil war in Syria, only a “political, diplomatic resolution.” McDonough’s appearance on Meet the Press and other Sunday talk shows was one part of an intense public offensive headed by Obama himself, including the president doing interviews Monday with six television networks and culminating in his speech to the nation Tuesday night. McDonough said Obama wants Congress to be “a full partner” in military action against Assad’s regime. Obama faces one of the crucial weeks of his presidency with the Senate headed for a vote as early as Wednesday to end debate on a measure authorizing an attack on Syria; the measure’s supporters need 60 votes to move it ahead to final passage. Reaction from members of Congress has ranged from endorsing an attack to wariness to fervent opposition. The division on the issue hasn’t followed party lines. Sen. Tom Udall, D- N.M., who voted against the resolution authorizing use of military force last week in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Meet the Press Sunday that he was “very disappointed that the administration has given up” on the United Nations and “on rallying the world.” The American people, Udall said, “don’t want to be embroiled in a Middle Eastern civil war; this is an act of war that we’re going to take. We haven’t exhausted all of our political, economic, and diplomatic alternatives.” Obama, he charged, “is moving much too rapidly down the war path and not trying to find a political solution….” Another Democrat, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D- Calif. said she was leaning against the resolution authorizing use of force. She said it is not clear to her that United States national security is directly at risk from Assad’s regime. “I haven’t heard that Assad wants to use the weapons against us; I haven’t heard that he wants to use the weapons against our allies (or ) that he’s moving them to terrorist organizations.” She said, “The minute that one of those cruise missiles lands in there, we are in the Syrian war. It’s a civil war and we’re taking sides with the rebels,” some of whom, she said, were linked to al Qaeda. Sanchez indicated that she’s quite skeptical of Obama’s argument that any military action will be carefully limited: “For the president to say, ‘this is just, you know, a very quick thing and we’re out of there.’ That’s how long wars start.” Republican Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who he said he couldn’t support Obama’s plan, agreed with Sanchez: “Once we hit, this is an act of war. Little wars start big wars.” He called an attack on Assad “kind of a face-saving measure” by Obama “after he drew the red line” against use of chemical weapons by Assad’s regime. Even Rep. Peter King, R- N.Y., who supports an attack on the Assad regime and warned Sunday of the danger of an “Iran-Syrian axis in the Middle East,” harshly criticized Obama whom he said has been “vacillating. I can’t imagine Harry Truman or John Kennedy or Ronald Reagan or Dwight Eisenhower ever putting the nation in a position like this….” He said, “I wish he was more of a commander-in-chief than a community organizer.” In another example of the Syria issue crossing party lines, Sen. Mark Pryor, D- Ark, who is up for re-election next year, announced Saturday that he opposes an attack, while his Republican opponent, Rep. Tom Cotton, has said he strongly supports military action and wants to go even further and topple the Assad regime to achieve “an ultimate victory in Syria” with “a pro-Western, moderate native Syrian government” taking Assad’s place. Pryor said Saturday that the Obama administration had to “prove a compelling national security interest, clearly define a mission that has a definitive end-state, and then build a true coalition of allies” that would take part in action against Assad. But “based on the information presented to me and the evidence I have gathered, I do not believe these criteria have been met, and I cannot support military action against Syria at this time,” Pryor said. Obama said Friday, “it’s conceivable that at the end of the day I don’t persuade a majority of the American people that it's the right thing to do,” but he added that sometimes members of Congress must do what they think is right even if they go against their constituents’ wishes. Obama has not explicitly said whether he might choose to launch an attack anyway even if Congress votes down a resolution authorizing him to attack Syria. He rebuffed reporters’ questions on that point in a press conference Friday at the meeting of G-20 nations in St. Petersburg, Russia. Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar Assad has emerged in the U.S. media, granting an interview to CBS' Charlie Rose, which will be aired Monday. While the network did not release direct quotes from the exchange, Rose said Sunday on "Face the Nation" that Assad denied having anything to do with the chemical weapons attack that has the world on edge. "He does accept some of the responsibility" for the attack that killed almost 1,500 Syrian civilians - including hundreds of children, Rose said. "I asked that very question: 'Do you feel any remorse?' He said, 'Of course I do,' but it did not come in a way that was sort of deeply felt inside. It was much more of a calm recitation of anybody who's a leader of a country would feel terrible about what's happened to its citizens." presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/08/20386023-mcdonough-says-attack-on-assad-regime-would-send-message-to-iran?lite
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Post by economyraft on Sept 10, 2013 10:24:16 GMT -6
Syria and its ally Iran are threatening to retaliate against Israel for an airstrike carried out within Syrian borders. U.S. officials said Israel launched the airstrike inside Syria on Wednesday, targeting a convoy believed to be carrying anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militant group allied with Syria and Iran. Syria's official forces would never attack Israel, this would spell disaster for an already struggling Army. Yet, Bashar el Assad could trigger armed parties in Syria or Lebanon to retaliate against Israel and would blame it on terrorists or extremist Islamist groups... This is how the Syrian Regime plays the war games in the Middle East.
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Post by jeffolie on Sept 10, 2013 12:17:30 GMT -6
Syria and its ally Iran are threatening to retaliate against Israel for an airstrike carried out within Syrian borders. U.S. officials said Israel launched the airstrike inside Syria on Wednesday, targeting a convoy believed to be carrying anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militant group allied with Syria and Iran. Syria's official forces would never attack Israel, this would spell disaster for an already struggling Army. Yet, Bashar el Assad could trigger armed parties in Syria or Lebanon to retaliate against Israel and would blame it on terrorists or extremist Islamist groups... This is how the Syrian Regime plays the war games in the Middle East. Assad did threaten Israel ... this remains a common ME reply by rulers seeking to gain support from their countries supporters ... Israel has been often attacked by neighbors and continues to this day to be attacked by rockets, mortars, suicide bombers so this remains a real and present danger The existential threat to destroy Israel remains the potential nuke bomb from Iran laing waste to the targeted Israeli city and the radiation spread in the surrounding region which considering how narrow Israel is would most likely significantly destroy Israel's economy ... Obama just referred to this yesterday in his speaking attempts to persuade Congress to authorize Obama to attack Syria by claiming backing his attack on Syria would help convince Iran that Obama was going to continue to oppose Iran building a nuke bomb.
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Post by jeffolie on Sept 16, 2013 11:11:45 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 Obama’s new ‘red line’ — Iran September 16, 2013 WASHINGTON — Here we go again. President Obama drew another “red line” Sunday, now on Iranian nukes — and insisted that this time, he really means it, despite infamously wavering on his red-line pledge about Syria using chemical weapons. “My suspicion is that the Iranians recognize they shouldn’t draw a lesson that we haven’t struck [Syria] to think we won’t strike Iran,” Obama said in an interview aired on ABC’s “This Week.” Obama stressed that he wouldn’t just talk tough but act tough when it comes to nuclear weapons. “I think what the Iranians understand is that the nuclear issue is a far larger issue for us than the chemical-weapons issue, that the threat against Israel, that a nuclear Iran poses, is much closer to our core interests,” he said.Obama said his threat of military action had spurred the Russian-brokered deal that would have Syria give up its chemical weapons. “My view is that if you have both a credible threat of force, combined with a rigorous diplomatic effort, that, in fact, you can you can strike a deal,” Obama said. Syria has yet to agree to a deal that would require President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to identify all its chemical-weapons stockpiles by the end of this week and begin handing them over. One of Obama’s former top advisers said Iran might respond to a strike on Syria with a terrorist or cyberattack on the US. “If there were to be a cyber-response to a US attack on Syria, I would expect it to come from Iran, not Syria,” said Mike Morell, the CIA’s former deputy director. Obama had vacillated about how to intervene since an alleged sarin gas attack killed more than 1,000 civilians — including about 400 children — near Damascus on Aug. 21. The president was urging Congress to pull the trigger on a military strike. Then, with lawmakers on the verge of rejecting military action, Obama turned to a last-minute Russian offer for a diplomatic solution. Obama boasted that his willingness to shift positions and create foreign policy on the fly demonstrates that he is “less concerned about style points” and “more concerned about getting the policy right.” “What I’ve said consistently throughout is that the chemical-weapons issue is a problem,” Obama said. “I want that problem dealt with. And, as a consequence of the steps that we’ve taken over the last two weeks to three weeks, we now have a situation in which Syria has acknowledged it has chemical weapons, has said it’s willing to join the convention on chemical weapons, and Russia, its primary sponsor, has said that it will pressure Syria to reach that agreement. “That’s my goal. And if that goal is achieved, then it sounds to me like we did something right.” Obama said critics must move beyond the Cold War rhetoric. “I know that sometimes this gets framed or looked at through the lens of the US versus Russia,” he said. Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars news agency reported Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted Tehran’ s invitation to visit and help work out a strategy on its nuclear program. nypost.com/2013/09/16/obamas-new-red-line-iran/
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Post by jeffolie on Oct 17, 2013 10:25:53 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 ISRAELI STRIKE COMING? Talks in Geneva on Iran’s nuclear program are triggering fears within U.S. intelligence agencies that Israel is hardening its stance on Iran and could conduct a military attack to stave off what the Jewish state believes is a delaying tactic for Tehran to buy time to build nuclear weapons. The clearest indicator of growing Israeli concerns, according to defense officials, is the recent large-scale Israeli air force drill Tuesday in the northern part of the country. The exercises along the northern border and over the Mediterranean were considered unusually large. An Israeli defense source told Israel’s Walla! news outlet: “Changes have recently occurred in the Middle East. The [Israeli Defense Force] is preparing for those changes in both the closer and more distant perimeters, and yesterday’s exercise was intended to signal the IDF’s serious intention of dealing with those problems and thwarting them.” Additionally, Israeli air forces conducted long-range fighter exercises last week involving in-flight refueling practice.
The talks in Geneva have produced press reports that the Obama administration is preparing to ease sanctions on Iran following conciliatory statements by Iranian Prime Minister Hasan Rouhani at the U.N. last month. Israeli Minister of Strategic and Intelligence Affairs Yuval Steinitz, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Wednesday that Israel would welcome an agreement to end Iran’s nuclear arms program. But Israel remains concerned that “Geneva 2013 could become Munich 1938,” Mr. Steinitz said, referring to the agreement appeasing Nazi Germany’s seizure of Czech territory in the months before the outbreak of World War II. www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/16/inside-the-ring-russia-to-test-new-missile/?page=3
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Post by jeffolie on Oct 20, 2013 16:21:18 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 ISRAELI STRIKE COMING? Talks in Geneva on Iran’s nuclear program are triggering fears within U.S. intelligence agencies that Israel is hardening its stance on Iran and could conduct a military attack to stave off what the Jewish state believes is a delaying tactic for Tehran to buy time to build nuclear weapons. The clearest indicator of growing Israeli concerns, according to defense officials, is the recent large-scale Israeli air force drill Tuesday in the northern part of the country. The exercises along the northern border and over the Mediterranean were considered unusually large. An Israeli defense source told Israel’s Walla! news outlet: “Changes have recently occurred in the Middle East. The [Israeli Defense Force] is preparing for those changes in both the closer and more distant perimeters, and yesterday’s exercise was intended to signal the IDF’s serious intention of dealing with those problems and thwarting them.” Additionally, Israeli air forces conducted long-range fighter exercises last week involving in-flight refueling practice.
The talks in Geneva have produced press reports that the Obama administration is preparing to ease sanctions on Iran following conciliatory statements by Iranian Prime Minister Hasan Rouhani at the U.N. last month. Israeli Minister of Strategic and Intelligence Affairs Yuval Steinitz, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Wednesday that Israel would welcome an agreement to end Iran’s nuclear arms program. But Israel remains concerned that “Geneva 2013 could become Munich 1938,” Mr. Steinitz said, referring to the agreement appeasing Nazi Germany’s seizure of Czech territory in the months before the outbreak of World War II. www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/16/inside-the-ring-russia-to-test-new-missile/?page=3'Israel will not fall asleep on its watch again': Israeli prime minister Netanyahu makes case for pre-emptive strike on Iran
Benjamin Netanyahu said situations when pre-emptive strike is justified Speaking during commemoration of 40th anniversary of Yom Kippur War Said Israel 'would never underestimate an enemy' again 16 October 2013 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of the merits of pre-emptive strikes in what has been seen as a warning to Iran after talks on its nuclear programme. Speaking at an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Netanyahu told law makers there are situations when a strike is justified. He said lessons had been learned since the war, which broke out when forces led by Syria and Egypt invaded Israeli land in 1973. Thousands were killed during the 19 day conflict. Netanyahu told the Knesset: 'The enemy can surprise us. Israel will not fall asleep on its watch again', according to the Times of Israel. He said Israel would never again 'underestimate an enemy' or ignore warning signs. Speaking openly about the option of a pre-emptive strike, he said: 'But there are situations in which paying heed to the international price of such a step is outweighed by the price in blood we will pay if we absorb a strategic strike that will demand a response later on, and perhaps too late.' However, he acknowledged that such a decision would be among the most difficult a government can take. The speech comes as Netanyahu announced plans today to hold talks next week with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about world power talks with Iran aimed at curbing its nuclear programme and peace talks with the Palestinians. The meeting planned for October 23 will take place in Rome, as Netanyahu visits the Italian capital for his first face-to-face meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Earlier this week Netanyahu phoned David Cameron and France president Francois Hollande to urge them not to ease sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme. The Israeli leader met U.S. President Barack Obama last week in Washington and made a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in which he said Israel was ready to stand alone to deny Iran nuclear weapons. During the speech to the Knesset, Netanyahu spoke about the importance of buffer zones. The Israeli president reportedly phoned Mr Cameron (left) and French President, Francois Hollande (right) to tell them sanctions were close to achieving their goal The Israeli president reportedly phoned Mr Cameron (left) and French President, Francois Hollande (right) to tell them sanctions were close to achieving their goal The Israeli PM reportedly phoned Mr Cameron (left) and French President, Francois Hollande (right) to tell them sanctions on Iran were close to achieving their goal In remarks that will be seen as shedding light on proposed peace talks over Palestine, Netanyahu said peace is achieved when it is understood Israel is powerful. Talks between Iran and six world powers over its nuclear programme ended today. After discussions in Geneva involving Iran and the five U.N. Security Council members - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - and Germany, Moscow Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said he saw no guarantee of progress in future talks. He said: 'The positions of the Iranian side and the group (of six powers) are wide apart from each other - the distance can be measured in kilometres, while advances forward can be measured in steps - half a metre each.' Read more: Netanyahu makes a case for a preemptive strike
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2463591/Israeli-prime-minister-Netanyahu-makes-case-pre-emptive-strike-Iran.html
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Post by jeffolie on Oct 31, 2013 15:59:53 GMT -6
Israel strikes Russian weapons shipment in Syria Associated Press | October 31, BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli warplanes attacked a shipment of Russian missiles inside a Syrian government stronghold, officials said Thursday, a development that threatened to add another explosive layer to regional tensions from the Syrian civil war. An Obama administration official confirmed the Israeli airstrike overnight, but provided no details. Another security official said the attack occurred late Wednesday in the Syrian port city of Latakia and that the target was Russian-made SA-125 missiles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the attack. There was no immediate confirmation from Syria. The revelation came as the government of President Bashar Assad met a key deadline in an ambitious plan to eliminate Syria's entire chemical weapons stockpile by mid-2014 and avoid international military action. The announcement by a global chemical weapons watchdog that the country has completed the destruction of equipment used to produce the deadly agents highlights Assad's willingness to cooperate, and puts more pressure on the divided and outgunned rebels to attend a planned peace conference. Since the civil war in Syria began in March 2011, Israel has carefully avoided taking sides, but has struck shipments of missiles inside Syria at least twice this year. The Syrian military, overstretched by the civil war, has not retaliated, and it was not clear whether the embattled Syrian leader would choose to take action this time. Assad may decide to again let the Israeli attack slide, particularly when his army has the upper hand on the battlefield inside Syria. Israel has repeatedly declared a series of red lines that could trigger Israeli military intervention, including the delivery of "game-changing" weapons to the Syrian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group. Israel has never officially confirmed taking action inside Syria to avoid embarrassing Assad and sparking a potential response. But foreign officials say it has done so several times when Israeli intelligence determined that sophisticated missiles were on the move. In January, an Israeli airstrike in Syria destroyed a shipment of advanced anti-aircraft missiles bound for Hezbollah, according to U.S. officials. And in May, it was said to have acted again, taking out a shipment of Iranian-made Fateh-110 missiles at a Damascus airport. The Fateh-110s have advanced guidance systems that allow them to travel up to 200 miles (300 kilometers) per hour with great precision. Their solid-fuel propellant allows them to be launched at short notice, making them hard to detect and neutralize. Israel has identified several other weapons systems as game changers, including chemical weapons, Russian-made Yakhont missiles that can be fired from land and destroy ships at sea, and Russian SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles. Israel's January airstrike is believed to have destroyed a shipment of SA-17s. Syrian activists and opposition groups reported strong explosions Wednesday night that appeared to come from inside an air defense facility in Latakia. They said the cause of the blasts was not known. The announcement Thursday that Syria had completed the destruction of equipment used to produce chemical weapons came one day ahead of a Nov. 1 deadline set by the Hague-based watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. But while some experts portrayed the step as a milestone, others said it has little impact as long as Syria still has its entire remaining stockpile of functioning chemical weapons. "Only after those weapons have been destroyed or removed from Syrian control will the state be demilitarized," said David Reeths, director at HIS Jane's Consulting. With the initial stage of verification and destruction of weapons machinery completed, the hard task now begins. The executive committee of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has until Nov. 15 to decide how best to permanently destroy Syria's chemical weapons program and its stockpile of deadly mustard gas, sarin and precursor chemicals. It's not yet clear how and where the arsenal will be destroyed, but carrying out the work in Syria or transporting the chemical weapons out of the country for destruction elsewhere are both fraught with risks amid the ongoing civil war. The country is believed to have around 1,000 metric tons of chemical weapons. Assad has so far met all required deadlines according to the strict timeline, demonstrating his willingness to go to great lengths to avoid international military action. "This is a clear indication of the Syrian government's wish to cooperate and abide by its commitments," said Syrian lawmaker Issam Khalil. He said Syria knows "full well that the U.S. has not ceased its hostile policies toward Syria and will attempt to exploit any excuse — however small and inconsequential — to carry out a military strike against Syria." The U.S.-Russian deal to destroy Syria's stockpile averted a U.S. military strike against the Syrian government that appeared certain in August, following a chemical weapons attack near Damascus that killed hundreds the U.S. blamed on Assad. By making him a partner in implementing the disarmament deal, the agreement appears to have restored some of Assad's legitimacy while angering his opponents, who now balk at attending political transition talks the U.S. hopes will begin in Geneva in November. No final date has been set for the talks, and there have been disagreements among opposition groups on whether to attend or not, and the conditions for taking part. Syria's main opposition group in exile, the Syrian National Coalition, postponed its general council meeting in Istanbul from Friday to Nov. 10, pending further discussions on the highly divisive talks. U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, currently in Damascus, has urged both sides to come to the talks without preconditions. But both have placed seemingly unrealistic conditions for attending. At a Senate hearing in Washington on Thursday, Sen. John McCain said Assad, who was about to be toppled a year ago, has "turned the tide" while continuing to slaughter innocent civilians. Fighting continued at a high pace across many parts of the country, including in the town of Safira, in northern Aleppo province. Experts say the town is home to a chemical weapons production facility, as well as storage sites. Activists said troops were advancing Thursday in the town, capturing several neighborhoods and causing casualties on both sides. Also on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based Syria watchdog, said more than 120,000 people have been killed since the start of the country's conflict nearly three years ago. In July, the U.N. estimated 100,000 have died in the conflict since March 2011. It has not updated that figure since. The violence underscored the dangers the chemical weapons' inspectors face as they race against tight deadlines in the midst of an ongoing civil war. Earlier this week, the inspectors said they had completed their first round of verification work, visiting 21 of 23 sites declared by Damascus. They were unable to visit two sites because of security concerns, the inspectors said. On Thursday, the chemical weapons agency said the two locations were, according to Syria, "abandoned and ... the chemical weapons program items they contained were moved to other declared sites, which were inspected." It was not immediately clear if the facility in Safira was one of the two sites. Commenting on the two sites, OPCW spokesman Michael Luhan said, "it was just deemed too risky." He told the AP that Syrian authorities were not able to offer the necessary security guarantees for inspectors to visit those sites. He added, however, that the Syrian side provided "quite compelling documentary evidence" that equipment in one of the sites was moved to another location that inspectors did visit. www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Israel-strikes-Russian-weapons-shipment-in-Syria-4941662.php
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Post by jeffolie on Nov 10, 2013 15:47:59 GMT -6
November 10, 2013 www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57611664/netanyahu-failed-nuke-talks-with-iran-were-leading-to-a-very-bad-deal/Netanyahu: Failed nuke talks with Iran were leading to "a very bad deal" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing to pour cold water over the prospects of a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program even after talks between the Middle Eastern nation and six world powers collapsed early Sunday morning. Engaging in direct talks with Iran for the first time in more than three decades, the U.S. and its allies sought to limit Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapon in exchange for some sanctions relief. The talks were far enough along last week that Secretary Kerry flew to Geneva to participate, but ultimately failed after French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius implied the deal did not go far enough in constraining Iran's ability to enrich uranium or to complete a reactor that will be able to produce plutonium. "Iran gives practically nothing and it gets a hell of a lot," Netanyahu said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "That's not a good deal. I hope -- I can only express my wish -- that the P5+1 use the time to get a good deal that takes away Iran's nuclear military capability," he said. The P5+1 is the group of six world powers negotiating with Iran, including the five permanent members of the U.N. Security council and Germany. "I'm expressing, as I said, not only the concerns of Israel but the concerns of many in the region. Some of them say it aloud, some say it behind closed doors, but I'll tell you this is the broad feeling here, broad feeling, that Iran might hit the jackpot here. And it's not good. It's not good for us, it's not good for America, it's not good for the Middle East, it's not good for Europe either," Netanyahu said. The Israeli prime minister has repeatedly spoken out about his concerns over the U.S. negotiating with Iran. He argued that Iran got too much from the deal, as described to him by American sources, because it did not require them to dismantle a single centrifuge, and would set off a scramble among the international community to ease sanctions on the country. "Not a good idea, not a good deal. A very bad deal," he said. Former Defense Sec. Leon Panetta, also on "Face the Nation," said it was appropriate for the U.S. to be wary of Iran's intentions. "We've got to be very skeptical," Panetta said. "Iran is a country that has promoted terrorism. They've had a hidden enrichment facility that we had to find out about. So we've got to be skeptical and make sure that, even with some kind of interim agreement, that we know what the next steps are going to be in order to ensure that they really do stand by their word." "You better operate from a position of strength if you want to deal with the Iranians," he added. Any deal must question what will happen to enriched fuel that Iran already has, the country's centrifuges, and heavy water reactors, Panetta said, and must address ensure that the country does not have any other hidden enrichment sites. "The president and I share the goal of making sure that Iran doesn't have nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said of President Obama. "I think where we might have a difference of opinion is on how to prevent it." www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57611664/netanyahu-failed-nuke-talks-with-iran-were-leading-to-a-very-bad-deal/
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Post by jeffolie on Nov 17, 2013 6:58:34 GMT -6
War started: Syria, Iran, Israel over airstrike my jeffolie view: war has started involving Iran, Syria and Israel that will slowly escalate into actions to delay Iran's nuke bombs while focusing on Syria's chemical weapons plus sending Syrian weapons to Lebanon based Hezbollah. Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. ============================================ Syria, Iran threaten retaliation against Israel over airstrike January 31, 2013 Netty acts independently from Obama now that America's and Israel's elections ended. =============================================================================================== Israel said to be working with Saudi Arabia on Iran strike plan Riyadh reported to give Jerusalem okay to use Saudi airspace and to cooperate on other tactical support, according to Sunday Times By Times of Israel staff November 17, 2013 Israel is working on coordinating plans for a possible military strike with Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh prepared to provide tactical support to Jerusalem, a British newspaper reported early Sunday. The two countries have both united in worry that the West may come to terms with Iran, easing sanctions and allowing the Islamic Republic to continue its nuclear program. According to the Sunday Times, Riyadh has agreed to let Israel use its airspace in a military strike on Iran and cooperate over the use of rescue helicopters, tanker planes and drones. “The Saudis are furious and are willing to give Israel all the help it needs,” an unnamed diplomatic source told the paper. The report comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the midst of a blitz to lobby against a deal and cobble together an international alliance opposed to an agreement that allows Iran to continue enriching uranium. On Sunday, Israel will welcome French President Francois Hollande, who a week earlier put the kibosh on a deal between six world powers and Iran that would ease sanctions in return for initial steps toward curbing enrichment. Netanyahu on Friday urged France to remain firm in its pressure on Iran ahead of a new round of talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program in Geneva, kicking off Wednesday. After meeting Hollande, Netanyahu will head to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and lobby against the deal. Iran’s bid for the bomb “threatens directly the future of the Jewish state,” Netanyahu told CNN recently, in a short preview clip of an interview broadcast on Saturday. As the prime minister of Israel, he stressed, he had to care for “the survival of my country.” CNN reported that Netanyahu also said in the interview that he would do whatever it was necessary to do in order to protect Israel. The full interview will air Sunday morning. Should a deal be reached at talks set to resume in Geneva on Wednesday, according to the diplomatic source, a military option would be back on the table. Saudi tactical support, in lieu of backup from the Pentagon, would be vital for a long-range mission targeting Iran’s nuclear program. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim country across the Persian Gulf from Iran has long been at odds with Tehran, and fears a nuclear weapon would threaten Riyadh and set off a nuclear arms race in the region. www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-be-working-with-saudi-arabia-on-iran-strike-plan/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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