Syrian residents say they're bracing for full-blown war
updated 9:13 PM EST, Tue February 14, 2012
(CNN) -- Syrian opposition activists spoke Tuesday of being past the point of no return in their struggle against the al-Assad regime, which stepped up its siege on the city of Homs and reportedly launched fresh attacks across the country.
At least 49 people were killed, according to the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria. The deaths included three defected Syrian soldiers, the group said.
Deaths took place in Idlib, Homs, Daraa, Aleppo, Deir Ezzor, Hama, Damascus, the Damascus suburbs and Latakia, the group said.
Fear and horror paralyzed residents of Homs, which was struck by heavy shelling; snipers prevented people from walking in the streets, opposition activists said.
Jer 8:11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
Jer 8:12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
Britain and the Holy See on Wednesday called for an end to violence in Syria and underlined the role of Christians in the Middle East after a British delegation met with Pope Benedict XVI.
The Vatican and Britain in a joint statement appealed for "an immediate end to violence in Syria," and stressed "the need for co-operation to overcome the present crisis" at a joint press conference in the Holy See.
They also called for "real reforms" following the Arab Spring revolutions.
The speech, which drew to a close a visit to mark 30 years since Britain and the Vatican established full diplomatic ties, pointed to "the role which Christians can play and the importance of interreligious dialogue".
UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday for a resolution backing an Arab League plan calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down and strongly condemning human rights violations by his regime.
The vote in the 193-member world body on the Arab-sponsored resolution was 137-12 with 17 abstentions. Several countries complained immediately afterward that they were unable to vote due to problems with the U.N.'s voting machine.
Supporters were hoping for a high "yes" vote to deliver a strong message to Assad to immediately stop the bloody crackdown that has killed over 5,400 people and hand power to his vice president. The measure had over 70 co-sponsors and won support from more than two-thirds of the General Assembly.
"Today, the U.N. General Assembly sent a clear message of the people of Syria: the world is with you," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said in a statement. Assad "has never been more isolated. A rapid transition to democracy in Syria has garnered the resounding support of the international community. Change must now come."
Davutoğlu: Assad regime, PKK outdated Cold War structures
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said Syria's Assad regime and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are "outdated regimes and structures" from the Cold War which will soon be eliminated.
“We wanted him [Assad] to be Syria's Gorbachev, but he chose to be Syria's Milošević,” said Davutoğlu, who gave a speech on Thursday at George Washington University comparing the parallels between the events in Syria and the massacres carried out by the former Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic, in Bosnia during the '90s.
Davutoğlu discussed the failure of Assad's regime and called for a “new world order,” pointing out that Turkey wants to be on the “right side” of history.
Davutoğlu also reiterated Turkey's support for the recent political upheaval in the Arab World. Linking the “Arab awakening” with an ongoing, regional confrontation between Cold War structures and new, dynamic forces in society, Davutoğlu said if dictators think they can resist change, they are “delusional.”
Adding that Turkey will not remain indifferent to the massacres in the region, Davutoğlu said, "To show that we support and are in solidarity with the Syrian people, Turkey wants to establish an international platform to discuss the uneasy situation in Syria.” Davutoğlu also said that, with this goal in mind, Turkey is currently reassessing the situation in Syria in cooperation with the Arab League.
US 'very closely' watching Syrian chemical weapons
2/15/12
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and its allies are closely monitoring Syria's stockpiles of chemical arms and portable anti-aircraft missiles, a State Department official says, amid concerns that the country's unconventional weapons could fall into the hands of terrorist or militant groups while the 11-month-old uprising continues.
"Syria is a country of significant proliferation concern, so we monitor its chemical weapons activities very closely," the State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence-related matters. "We believe Syria's chemical weapons stockpile remains under Syrian government control, and we will continue to work closely with like-minded countries to impede proliferation (of) Syria's chemical weapons program."
The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that there is growing concern in the Israeli army that Syrian dictator Bashar Assad could attack the Jewish state as pressure mounts for him to step down.
Assad is currently facing a revolution in his own country that he has sought to quell with brutal military force. Those bloody tactics have resulted in a good portion of the Syrian army joining the opposition, and Syria is nearing the point of full-scale civil war.
The situation has prompted the Arab League and Western powers to consider injecting their own military forces into Syria with the aim of ending Assad's rule. But before that happens, Israeli military officials believe Assad would lash out at Israel, both to divert Arab attention on Syria's internal struggle and to establish a lasting legacy for himself.
What has made this prospect all the more worrying is that recent reports suggest Assad has been using chemical weapons against the Syrian opposition, including civilians. If he attacks Israel, it is believed Assad would have no problem using those same weapons against the Jewish state.
Iran warships enter Mediterranean via Suez Canal
18 February 2012 This is bad news. Egypt runs Suez and they will NOT keep their peace with Israel. Both nations plan war on Israel.
Iranian warships have entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal.
The Kharg likely loaded with weapons for Lebanon-Syria.
Israel called it a provocation.
The ships docked earlier at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, who were unfriendly to Iran until Hussein Obama encouraged the overthrow of Egypt's Mubarak, a friend of Saudi.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17083791
The dumb reporterette on Fox TV Saturday (Feb 1 reported this, then said 'if this is true.'
Who would want to show the world they are that stupid?!
These Iran warships are docked at Syria port after passing thru Suez Canal - and Israel is in grave danger -
and she says - if this is true?
February 19, 2012 Sunday
The 2 Iranian ships that crossed the Suez Canal have docked at Syria, Tartus Port.
Egypt decided on Sunday to recall its ambassador to Syria, the foreign ministry announced, as Arab states pile pressure on Damascus over its crackdown on dissent that has left thousands dead.
Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr recalled the Egyptian ambassador to Damascus "and it was decided that the ambassador will remain in Cairo until further notice," ministry spokesman Amr Rushdi said in a statement.
The move follows the withdrawal by several Arab and European countries of their envoys from Damascus as the authorities continue their brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests.
Amr had on Wednesday said that Cairo wants to see "a real and peaceful change in Syria," starting with an immediate end to violence and with the "government responding to the aspirations of the Syrian people."
more
Exclusive: Venezuela ships fuel to war-torn Syria
2/18/12
CARACAS/GENEVA (Reuters) - The government of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is emerging as a rare supplier of diesel to Syria, potentially undermining Western sanctions and helping the Syrian government fuel its military in the middle of a bloody crackdown on civilian protests.
A cargo of diesel, which can be used to fuel army tanks or as heating fuel, was expected to arrive at Syria's Mediterranean port of Banias this week, according to two traders and shipping data. The cargo could be worth up to $50 million.
Chavez is a vociferous advocate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who face pressure from Western sanctions. Few leaders on the world stage have polarized opinion as sharply as the Venezuelan president.
Chavez, who still defends the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has repeatedly backed Arab leaders who have faced a year-long wave of popular protests, which have already toppled four governments.
Syria intervention 'very difficult': top US general
The top US military officer warned Sunday that intervention in Syria would be "very difficult" and said it would be "premature" to arm the besieged country's opposition movement.
General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN that Syria was the focus of competing Middle Eastern states, notably Iran and Saudi Arabia, and posed different problems for the United States than Libya did.
Iran jamming communications in SYRIA
February 20, 2012
Egypt and the Syrian opposition claim that the 2 Iranian ships docked off the Syrian coast have military
jamming devices that are disrupting communications made by the Syrian opposition via satellite.
The Syrian Assad regime was finding it hard to monitor opposition calls.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4192056,00.html
2 Iranian naval vessels passed through the Suez Canal and docked in Syria, raising tensions in Israel and Iran.
The two vessels in question were a supply vessel and a destroyer and traveled through the Suez Canal on Saturday and later docked in the Syrian port of Tarsus. The two ships were sent to Syria as support for Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad, who enjoys a close relationship with the Iranian government. It is suspected that the ships are carrying arms that would be used against Syrian dissidents who are currently embroiled in a civil war with the government or possibly some sort of weapon that could be used against Israel.
According to Iranian Navy Chief, Admiral Habibollah Sayari, the ships’ passage through the Suez was to show off Iran’s military might, but he was silent as to the details of the ships’ mission. This morning, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi reiterated Sayari’s statement and said that Iran has a natural right to have “warships in the high seas”. Iranian news outlets claimed the boats are carrying sailors who are to provide training for the Syrian navy. Iranian ships have been seen in the Indian Ocean and near the coast of Africa protecting Iranian cargo ships that pass through that area that is rife with piracy.
Iranian ships first appeared in the Mediterranean Sea in February 2011 and raised the ire of Israel and the US, who put their navies on alert. Those two ships, a destroyer and supply ship, took the same route – traveling via the Suez Canal. The ships docked in Syria, unloaded some cargo and returned to Iran via the Suez and Red Sea.
The Israeli reaction has been subdued but the Foreign Ministry said it would be monitoring the movement of the ships to ensure they do not approach Israel. Most nations in the Western world were silent or expressed concern regarding the presence of Iranian ships as it could lead to regional mid-east war. China accused the West of provoking a civil war in Syria but also demanded that the Assad regime cease its violence against its citizens.
http://www.worldofjudaica.com/jew...th-warships-sent-to-syria/5647/00
SYRIA using chemical weapons February 22, 2012 Turk news
Syrian Air Force Gen Fayez Amro has defected to Turkey while another Syrian defector, Lt Abdulselam Abdulrezzak, claims chemical weapons were used in Homs.
Syrian army used BZ-CS chemical weapons against its own citizens. BZ-CS, Chlorine Benzilate, which damages people’s nerves and makes them fade away
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/...8&nid=14223&NewsCatID=338
U.S. warms to the idea of arming Syrian opposition
Posted on February 22, 2012
February 22, 2012 – SYRIA – The United States appeared to open the door to eventually arming Syria’s opposition, saying that if a political solution to the crisis was impossible it might have to consider other options. The comments, made by officials at both the White House and the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, marked a shift in emphasis by Washington, which so far has stressed a policy of not arming the opposition and has said little about alternatives. In Syria on Tuesday, activists said President Bashar al-Assad’s forces killed more than 60 people in attacks on villages and an artillery barrage on the restive city of Homs. The Red Cross called for daily ceasefires to allow in urgently needed aid. “We still believe that a political solution is what’s needed in Syria,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. “We don’t want to take actions that would contribute to the further militarization of Syria, because that could take the country down a dangerous path. But we don’t rule out additional measures.” Asked if the United States was shifting its stance on arming the rebels, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington did not want to see the violence increase and was concentrating on political efforts to halt the bloodshed. “That said … if we can’t get Assad to yield to the pressure that we are all bringing to bear, we may have to consider additional measures,” she said, declining to elaborate. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet representatives of some 70 countries in Tunis on Friday for the first “Friends of Syria” meeting to coordinate the international community’s next steps in response to the nearly year-long uprising against Assad. –Reuters
NATO to intervene in Syria February 23, 2012 debka
US, France, UK, Turkey, Italy prepare for military intervention in Syria
USA prepares for intervention in Syria along with Paris, Rome, London and Ankara, just like Libya.
Libya and Egypt and the other 'Arab spring' victim nations are all worse off now.
http://debka.com/article/21762
February 24
SYRIA has all of Saddam Husseins mustard gas and other chemical weapons.
Saddam sent them all to Syria thru Lebanon Bekaa Valley before USA invaded Iraq.
.
Last edited by CJ on Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:06 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:02 am Post subject: The beginning of the end of Assad
Foreign intervention in Syria begins The beginning of the end of Assad February 25, 2012
Red Cross convoys reached Homs, SYRIA Friday, under the protection of the United States, Turkey, Britain, France, Italy, Qatar and the UAE.
They began evacuating untreated injured victims and bringing in medical aid.
Assad was warned that if his forces interfered, US and Turkish warplanes would give the medical convoys air cover.
Hussein Obama publicly denunced Assad. What he said in private unknown.
Hellary Clinton stated Assad’s days are numbered.
He will not go without a fight. He might nuke Damascus himself, fulfilling Isaiah 17:1
There was no sign of a ceasefire Saturday morning. I dont believe any death count. Believe nothinig.
http://debka.com/article/21770
Aerial blockade on Syria
February 25, 2012
As expected, US readies for possibility of intervention without UN resolution, plans humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Pentagon is aiming to halt Syrian President Bashsar Assad's violent crackdown on protesters.
(We dont know its Assad. FAR more probable its NWO-sponsored, just like Egypt, Yemen and others.)
USA calls for a buffer zone on the Turkish border. The Red Cross would then provide humanitarian aid, before NATO crews would arrive from Turkey and join the efforts.
The measure would pave the way for the US to declare an aerial blockade on Syria to include aerial shelling.
Russia, China have opposed foreign intervention in Syria. But the US expects the two nations to join the humanitarian aid efforts,
support a ceasefire between the Syrian regime and rebels and send special UN envoys to investigate.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4194506,00.html
Mideast war in March?
NATO considering intervention as opposition fights Syrian regime
Feb. 24, 2012
NATO countries are strongly considering the possibility of an international deployment to Syria if the Syrian opposition does not make major advances in the next few weeks, according to informed Middle Eastern diplomatic and security officials.
Egyptian security officials, meanwhile, outlined what they said was large scale international backing for the rebels attacking the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad – including arms and training from the U.S., Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Several knowledgeable Egyptian and Arab security officials claimed the U.S., Turkey and Jordan were running a training base for the Syrian rebels in the Jordanian town of Safawi in the country’s northern desert region.
http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/mideast-war-in-march/
2/26/12 BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 31 Syrian civilians and soldiers were killed on Sunday in bloodshed that coincided with a vote on a new constitution that could keep President Bashar al-Assad in power until 2028.
Assad's opponents see the referendum as a sick joke given Syria's turmoil. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a military bombardment of opposition districts in Homs had killed nine civilians while rebels had killed four soldiers in clashes.
The British-based Observatory said eight civilians and 10 members of the security forces were killed in violence elsewhere in Syria, scene of what has become an increasingly militarised revolt against four decades of Assad family rule.
Voting took place in the referendum on a new constitution, which Assad says will lead to a multi-party parliamentary election in three months. The result is expected to be announced on Monday. Western powers described the vote as a sham.
http://news.yahoo.com/violence-ra...a-holds-referendum-030825956.html
Syria storms out of U.N. rights meeting
29 Feb 2012 GENEVA (Reuters)
Syria's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva stormed out of the U.N. Human Rights Council Tuesday after demanding angrily that countries stop "inciting sectarianism and providing arms" to opposition forces in his country.
Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui said sanctions were preventing Damascus from buying medicines and fuel and then abruptly left the Geneva forum's emergency debate called at the request of Gulf countries and Turkey, and backed by the West.
"We reaffirm to all those alleged friends of the Syrian people that the simple step to immediately help the Syrian people is to stop inciting sectarianism, providing arms and weapons and funding and putting the Syrian people one against the other," he said.
"Unjust and unilateral sanctions imposed by some countries on the Syrian people are preventing access to medicines, to fuel in all forms as well as electricity, and are also impeding bank transfers to buy these materials."
http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-rights-...-syria-fourth-time-094859791.html
.
Syrian forces pound Homs, block aid convoy
3/3/12 BEIRUT (Reuters)
Syrian forces renewed their bombardment of parts of the shattered city of Homs on Saturday and for a second day blocked Red Cross aid meant for civilians stranded without food and fuel in the former rebel stronghold, activists and aid workers said.
The government assault came a day after U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had received "grisly reports" that President Bashar al-Assad's troops were executing and torturing people in the city after rebels abandoned their positions there.
"In an act of pure revenge, Assad's army has been firing mortar rounds and ... machine guns since this morning at Jobar," said the Syrian Network for Human Rights, naming a district next to Baba Amro, where rebels held out against almost a month of siege and shelling before fleeing this week.
"We have no immediate reports of casualties because of the difficulty of communications," the campaign group said in a statement.
http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-forc...s-block-aid-convoy-114637922.html
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Friday that France would shut its Syrian embassy due to the repression of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad and was ready to step up its support of rebels if the United Nations can give a green light.
"We will do nothing without a U.N. Security Council resolution," Sarkozy told a news conference at a European summit in Brussels, noting France supported the creation of a humanitarian zone close to one of Syria's borders.
"There's no question of acting directly or indirectly unless the Council has established legal conditions for a humanitarian zone, for arms delivery for the opposition or for corridors."
He said it was "frustrating, when you are seeing the deaths mounting up" but warned that perpetrators of crimes against humanity would be taken before the international criminal court.
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reported this, then said 'if this is true.'