Syria

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26/6/2012 21:47
Russia
Obama Extends National Emergency Over Russian Nuke Material


U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered a one-year extension of the U.S. national emergency over Russian atomic material suitable for use in nuclear weapons
© RIA Novosti. Sergey Guneev

03:15 19/06/2012
WASHINGTON, June 19 (RIA Novosti)

Tags: nuclear weapons, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Russia, United States
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• How the nuclear weapons era began

U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered a one-year extension of the U.S. national emergency over Russian atomic material suitable for use in nuclear weapons.

Obama submitted a notice of the extension for publication in the U.S. Federal Register on Monday.

“The accumulation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” Obama said in a message to the U.S. Congress accompanying the notice.

“For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation and maintain in force these emergency authorities to respond to this threat,” he said.

The national emergency over Russian nuke material was declared in Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000 by the then-president Bill Clinton.

It has been extended annually ever since.

The extension of the emergency is necessary to support the execution of a 1993 Moscow-Washington agreement on eliminating highly enriched uranium removed from Russian nuclear warheads (the so-called HEU-LEU agreement).




June 26, 2012
Obama declares National Emergency and issues E.O. against Russian assets

Kenneth Schortgen Jr

On June 25, President Barack Obama issued a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the President of the Senate stating that under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, he was declaring a National Emergency due to actions incurred with Russia, and the Russian Federation. The submitted letter provides a declaration to Congress of the President signing Executive Order (E.O.) 13159, and its immediate implementation.

Under this National Emergency and Executive Order, the United States is seizing assets and property owned or managed by the Russian Federation relating to nuclear items and programs tied to Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU).

Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), I hereby report that I have exercised my authority to declare a national emergency to deal with the threat posed to the United States by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material.

The United States and the Russian Federation had entered into a series of agreements that provide for the conversion of highly enriched uranium (HEU) extracted from Russian nuclear weapons into low enriched uranium (LEU) for use in commercial nuclear reactors. There were concerns that payments due to the Russian Federation under these agreements may be subject to attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process, in the United States, which could put implementation of such agreements at risk. In Executive Order 13159, the President therefore ordered blocked all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements so that it would be protected from the threat of attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process. - White House.gov

The ramifications of this Executive Order, along with portions that remain classified from the public, have vast consequences for the American people.

Earlier this year, President Obama updated and signed several Executive Orders that deal with the complete control and confiscation of U.S. assets, infrastructure, and manpower in the case of a declared National Emergency.

As of yesterday, that National Emergency has been invoked, opening the door for any number of policies to be enacted by the President going forward.

Additionally, this action against Russia and the Russian Federation could have massive consequences for America in regards to foreign policy, and even a potential act of war should Russia see fit to perceive Obama's actions as such. With NATO and Russia both rattling sabers in the region of Syria, the possible threat of a global conflict increased with this new asset confiscation order.

Events in the Middle East, along with regime changes in Egypt, Libya, and a number of Arab states, are engulfing Russia, Europe, and the United States into a potential global conflict that could quickly grow into something not seen in 68 years. With President Obama declaring a state of National Emergency, and imposing a new asset seizure on properties owned or controlled by the Russian Federation, the ramifications for war on several fronts, along with the potential of liberties and freedoms lost to the American people has increased to dangerous levels.

[vector7]

Turkish jet shot down by Russians, opposition leader claims

ISTANBUL
June/26/2012


Türker said Russian warship Admiral Chabanenko hit the Turkish jet that went down on June 22. AFP photo

The Turkish military jet that went down off Syrian coast on June 22 was shot down by the Russians, not the Syrian military, an opposition party leader has claimed.

“There are currently two Russian war ships and a Russian frigate in Latakia harbor,” Masum Türker, leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) said today in an interview with TV8. “One of them, Admiral Chabanenko, has the technology to detect the slightest action in the air.”

Türker said Russian warship Admiral Chabanenko hit the Turkish jet that went down on June 22.

“The vessel that shot down our plane is Chabanenko, it is the most equipped vessel of the three,” Türker said, arguing that the foreign ministry and the foreign intelligence services have this information.

An unarmed Turkish military plane conducting a test mission was shot down by Syria on June 22. Turkey claims the plane was shot down in international airspace with a laser or heat-guided missile. Syria, however, says they shot the plane down with anti-aircraft guns as the plane flew within Syrian airspace at an altitude of 100 meters.

Russian FM Lavrov will attend Syria meeting if it happens

*Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is planning to attend the meeting on Syria’s escalating conflict if the meeting which Kofi Annan is attempting to organize in Geneva takes place this weekend. "Sergei Lavrov has officially accepted the invitation to come to the actual meeting in Geneva on Saturday, June 30," said Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin.

Russia hopes that the meeting “can provide powerful impetus for political efforts to put an end to the conflict," the diplomat said.

[vector7]

Shocking claim! Turkish jet, Russia shot it down!

26.06.12 14:39

Turkish jets hit Masum Turker DSP Chairman put forward a claim related to the shock: our aircraft struck Russia in person!

Tan's guest on tv8 of Scott's in Erkan, "is currently at 2 Laskiye Türker Russian warship and 1 friggin did and added:" the description of the "One 1 of both radar and missile hardware have sensitivity to detect even sees currently fly. Çapanenko carrier is engaged after just the slightest incident immediately. The first event occurred in the moment; When you are looking at separating the internal politics of Syria said ' we're sorry ' policy. Sorry, another person has done. "

"Uçağımızı Çapanenko: ship struck Admiral!"

Turker, casting the ship Admiral Çapanenko Uçağımızı ". Because most equipped with this ship, "he said and foreign intelligence services knew it. The search and rescue efforts, "why not make for an interesting, they are not incorporated in search and rescue efforts, Türker? The lack of the aircraft for a period of time is required for them. The airplane cockpit boiled ".

"Where is the National Secretary of Defense?"

Minister of national defense and the leaders at the Summit, "the Prime Minister's attention to the serialization of the Shepherd leader watched the speech with 3. So what is the National Defense Minister neredeydi?

Minister of national defence of this country? This country is not mülkiyetinden the Joint Chiefs of staff, Ministry of national defense of the aircraft were reduced.

For some reason that this event is not anywhere. "...

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Russia Shot Down Turkish F-4 Jet, not Syria, Claims Ankara Opposition MP

Masum Turker claims intelligence services pinpoint Russia's Admiral Chabanenko warship in Syrian harbour as aggressor

By Gianluca Mezzofiore: Subscribe to Gianluca's RSS feed
June 26, 2012 7:00 PM GMT

A Turkish opposition leader has claimed that the F-4 Phantom fighter shot down off the Syrian coast was attacked by Russia, not the Syrian military.


(Photo: Reuters)
File Picture of Turkish F4 Jets. Syria Shot at Another Turkish Flight During Search Operation - Turkey

Masum Turker, leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), told TV8 the Russian ship Admiral Chabanenko downed the Turkish jet on 22 June.

"There are two Russian warships and a Russian frigate in Latakia [Syria] harbour," Hurriyet News quoted him saying. "One of them, Admiral Chabanenko, has the technology to detect the slightest action in the air.
"The vessel that shot down our plane is Chabanenko. It is the [best] equipped vessel of the three," he said.

Turker quoted turkey's foreign ministry and the foreign intelligence services as his source.
The claim came after Turkey's prime minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan pledged to "liberate Syrians from dictatorship" after the shooting down.

He also announced that the country has changed its military rules of engagement and that any Syrian troops approaching Turkey's border would be dealt with as a military threat.

Turkey claimed the plane was shot down in international airspace with a laser or a heat-guided missle. Syria said it shot the plane down with anti-aircraft guns as it was hovering within Syrian airspace at low altitude.

The F-4 Phantom fighter was said to be unarmed and was conducting a test and training mission on the border with Syria.

Erdogan insisted that a short-term border violation "can never be a pretext for an attack", citing hundreds of Syrian violations of Turkey's border.

[vector7]

Russian warship ADMIRAL CHABANENKO shot down Turkish Jet near Syria?

Disclose.tv - Russian warship ADMIRAL CHABANENKO shot down Turkish Jet near Syria?

Destroyer 1155.1 ADMIRAL CHABANENKO

[American Patriot]

Didn't I make that remark a few days ago myself? The Russians did it? I think I did.

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Yes You Did!

[American Patriot]

It's been a very hectic few days here. Fires every where, dentist appointments... work, you name it. The days are running together. Now we have this shit in Syria.

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Turkish gov’t puts Syrian border troops on red alert

June/27/2012



The Turkish government has instructed its army to intercept any potential security risk posed by Syrian security forces along its land and sea border, in response to the downing of a Turkish jet by Syria in international airspace. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also described the al-Assad regime as a “clear and present danger to Turkey’s security” in the wake of the incident.

“After this attack, we have entered into a new stage. The rules of engagement of the Turkish Armed Forces have changed. Any risk posed by Syria on the Turkish border, any military element that could pose a threat, will be considered a threat and treated as a military target,” Erdoğan said in his parliamentary group meeting yesterday. The comments are his first public statements on the issue after it was clarified that a Turkish RF4-E Phantom jet had been shot down by Syria.

‘Turkey’s wrath is as strong as its friendship’

“We urge the Syrian regime not to make a mistake and test Turkey’s determinacy and capacity. … Our rational response should not be perceived as weakness, our mild manners do not mean we are a tame lamb. …

Everybody should know that Turkey’s wrath is as strong and devastating as its friendship is valuable.” A Turkish unarmed reconnaissance jet that was performing a training flight over the Mediterranean Sea was shot down by Syria 13 nautical miles off the Syrian coast in international airspace. Syria had claimed the incident took place in Syrian airspace.

Five Syrian helicopters recently violated Turkish airspace, but no action was taken against them other than issuing diplomatic notes. Some minor shooting incidents have even taken place without being made into an issue between the two countries, a Turkish diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News.

“After now, if they occur, they will surely become a matter,” the source said. Erdoğan underlined that Turkey would also use its rights stemming from international laws. “Turkey will use its rights born out of international law with determination and take the necessary steps by determining the time, place and method by itself in the face of this unfairness. This is what I want to stress.”

According to diplomatic sources, this refers to Article 51 of the 7th Chapter of the U.N. Charter, which gives countries the right to self-defense in the event of a foreign attack. The prime minister also challenged the Syrian administration’s argument that it shot down the jet in its own airspace.

“Our plane was targeted on purpose and in a hostile way and not as a result of a mistake. The attitude of the Syrian officials following the incident is the most concrete evidence that our jet was attacked on purpose. The harassing fire on our Casa-type plane during the search and rescue operations is the most palpable evidence of this intent.”

‘Turkey’s support will continue’

Despite his strongly worded statements that also mentioned increasing military measures against Syria, Erdoğan said they would not fall into the traps of what he called “war provocateurs,” although “this does not mean we’ll stand idle with our hands tied.”

He also vowed that Turkey would continue to support the Syrian people until they get rid of the “blood-shedding dictator and his gang.”

Turkey has no eye on any neighbors’ soil and has no intention to intervene in their internal affairs, Erdoğan said, emphasizing that the security of Anatolia was very much dependent on the security of Damascus, once ruled by the Ottoman Empire until the early 20th century. “Today when we are talking about Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, we are not talking about political gain, but in the name of the bloodshed of our brothers.”

TURKEY BEGINS DEPLOYMENT

MARDIN - Doğan News Agency
Turkey has deployed a large number of military vehicles to the Syrian border. The shipment included 15 armored tanks, in addition to long-distance guns and other military vehicles. The convoy was heavily guarded as it moved toward the border in the event of an attack by outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members. Military sources couldn’t immediately confirm the report. Military units reportedly increased security measures on the border following recent events that have strained bilateral relations. In a related development in the region, 13 zones near Hakkari, Diyarbakır and Şırnak have been declared temporary militray security zones. Diyarbakır Governor’s Office said yesterday in a written satement that no civilians will be allowed in the mentioned regions between July 6 and Oct. 6 since shooting drills will be exercised in those areas.

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Erdoğan says Russia is “like Syria’s mouthpiece” on downed Turkish jet

26 June 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed Russia’s statement on a downed Turkish warplane by Syrian forces, saying that Russia is being mouthpiece of Syrian officials in this issue.

Russia said on Tuesday said Syria's shooting down of the Turkish warplane should not be seen as a provocation and warned world powers against using the incident to push for stronger action against Damascus.

It was Moscow's first reaction to Friday's downing of a Turkish military aircraft by Syrian air defences, which has given an international dimension to the worsening conflict in Syria.

Turkey's NATO allies condemned Syria's action as unacceptable but stopped short of threatening any military response. Turkey also plans to approach the UN Security Council.

Erdoğan lauded NATO’s condemnation and described it as a positive development as he talked to reporters in a joint news conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev after the signing ceremony of a gas pipeline in İstanbul on Tuesday.

"It is important that what happened is not viewed as a provocation or a premeditated action (by Syria)," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.

Moscow reiterated calls for restraint, warning that any political escalation would be "extremely dangerous" and threaten international efforts to salvage a moribund six-point Syrian peace plan drawn up by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

"Once again, we call on all sides to act exclusively in the interests of such an agenda (the peace plan) and not to take steps that go beyond its limits," the ministry said.

"We believe that the best course of action is restraint and constructive interaction between the Turkish and Syrian sides in order to clarify all the circumstances of the incident."

Erdoğan says he doesn’t understand on what bases Lavrov, referring to the Russian statement, made that statement. “He was different in his talks with our foreign minister [Ahmet Davutoğlu]. He is saying this after his talks with Syrian officials. He is kind of being their mouthpiece,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan says evidence Turkey has suggests otherwise.

Syria provides Moscow with its firmest foothold in the Middle East, buys weapons from Russia worth billions of dollars, and hosts the Russian navy's only permanent warm water port outside the former Soviet Union.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he would attend a meeting on Syria that Annan is trying to arrange on Saturday but suggested it would not produce results without the participation of Iran, a close Syrian ally.

"Iran must be present. Otherwise the circle of participants will be incomplete and will not gather everybody who has influence on all Syrian sides," Lavrov told reporters, on the sidelines of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Jordan.

Annan has also said Iran should attend, but diplomats say the United States, Saudi Arabia and others dislike that idea.

Russia has used its power of veto in the UN Security Council to shield Syria from harsher international sanctions over Damascus's crackdown on the 16-month revolt.

It has backed Annan's plan, insisting it is the only way to end the bloodshed in Syria and arguing firmly against any kind of military intervention.

So far Annan's attempts to get the Syrian opposition and government to begin talks aimed at ending the conflict have failed, but he is pushing for a meeting of key regional players and permanent UN Security Council members in Geneva on Saturday, hoping to kickstart political negotiations.

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Russia says Syria downing of Turkey jet not a 'provocation'


AFP photo

Russia said today its regional ally Syria's downing of a Turkish jet last week should not be viewed as a provocation or an intentional move.

"We believe it is important that the incident is not viewed as a provocation or an intentional action, and that it does not lead to destabilising the situation," the foreign ministry said in its first comment on Friday's incident.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rus...&NewsCatID=353

[AGEUSAF]

Wish I was back in Incirlik right now.


This seems odd to me... Does Obama really want to go at it with these guys. Is that a way to win the election???(gets harry enough, wouldn't be an election).

Maybe he has been playing opossum the whole time and is actually quite hawkish when it comes to having the military at your finger tips and the world at your feet.

And of course zero mention on the nightly news of this entire event...strange.


I hope like hell we have an equalizer that no public has seen yet for this sort of thing. You know the sort of stuff that can't be seen until you win ww3 and the same kind of thing that can super boost an economy afterwards.

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The War Recovery?

David S. Broder
Sunday, October 31, 2010



When the midterm election cycle began, the prevailing opinion was that Barack Obama was cleverer and more inspirational than anyone else on the scene. As it ends, nothing appears to have changed.

OH, YES, I know that Democrats have fallen into a peck of trouble and may lose control of Congress. But even if they do, Obama can still storm back to win a second term in 2012. He is that much better than the competition.

In what respects is he enduringly superior? Let's start with the basics.

He is much smarter than his challengers in either party, better able to read the evidence and come to the right conclusions.

Over time, his conclusions are likely to stand scrutiny better than those of other politicians.

The crucial case in point is his analysis of economic forces. No one would pretend that this is anything but a daunting situation. The nation is suffering simultaneously from high and persistent unemployment, lagging investment, massive public and private debt, and a highly inefficient tax system.

The steps that have been ordered so far in Washington have done nothing more than put the brakes on the runaway decline. They have not spurred new growth.

But if Obama cannot spur that growth by 2012, he is unlikely to be reelected. The lingering effects of the recession that accompanied him to the White House will probably doom him.

Can Obama harness the forces that might spur new growth? This is the key question for the next two years.

What are those forces? Essentially, there are two. One is the power of the business cycle, the tidal force that throughout history has dictated when the economy expands and when it contracts.

Economists struggle to analyze this, but they almost inevitably conclude that it cannot be rushed and almost resists political command. As the saying goes, the market will go where it is going to go.

In this regard, Obama has no advantage over any other pol. Even in analyzing the tidal force correctly, he cannot control it.

What else might affect the economy? The answer is obvious, but its implications are frightening. War and peace influence the economy.

Look back at FDR and the Great Depression. What finally resolved that economic crisis? World War II.

Here is where Obama is likely to prevail. With strong Republican support in Congress for challenging Iran's ambition to become a nuclear power, he can spend much of 2011 and 2012 orchestrating a showdown with the mullahs. This will help him politically because the opposition party will be urging him on. And as tensions rise and we accelerate preparations for war, the economy will improve.

I am not suggesting, of course, that the president incite a war to get reelected. But the nation will rally around Obama because Iran is the greatest threat to the world in the young century. If he can confront this threat and contain Iran's nuclear ambitions, he will have made the world safer and may be regarded as one of the most successful presidents in history.

MIDDLE EAST NEWS
Updated June 26, 2012, 7:31 p.m. ET

Backers of Syrian Rebel Army Open Washington Office

By JAY SOLOMON And SIOBHAN GORMAN



WASHINGTON—Supporters of the Free Syrian Army have established an outreach office here for a lobbying effort that is likely to feed the Obama administration's discussions on whether to arm the group or more directly intervene in the Syrian conflict.

The organization, called the Syrian Support Group, says it will seek backing from Congress, the White House and relevant federal agencies to deliver arms and other military goods to help in the group's fight against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"This focuses on the FSA's capabilities to bring down Assad on its own if provided with the right equipment and information," said Louay Sakka, a Syrian-Canadian co-founder of the support group.

The Obama administration has ruled out supplying U.S. weapons, but the Central Intelligence Agency and State Department have stepped up contacts with the Free Syrian Army through the group's bases in countries such as Turkey and Lebanon.

The contacts are mainly intended to assess the army; the CIA also has helped to develop logistical routes and train army members in communications, officials say.

In new assessments, U.S. officials and military analysts said the rebel army has improved its capabilities in recent months, but remains poorly organized. Some analysts said Mr. Assad's dwindling finances and a strengthening rebel army are diminishing chances that his government will ever fully regain control.

"The conflict in Syria is approaching a tipping point at which the insurgency will control more territory than the regime," wrote Joseph Holliday, an expert on Syria at the Institute for the Study of War, this month.

However, U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday that the conflict is likely to continue for an extended period as the regime and the opposition struggle for dominance, with no near-term resolution in sight.

"It doesn't seem to us that either side at this point is in a position to dominate the other or to prevail in the near term," a senior U.S. intelligence official said. "We're probably looking at a protracted conflict."

For the past six to eight months, the Syrian regime of President Assad and opposition fighters have repeatedly traded the upper hand, the intelligence officials said.

Contributing to the deadlock is the scattered nature of the opposition forces. The Syrian National Council, the nominal governing group for the opposition, has yet to become a force for unifying opposition groups inside Syria, a senior U.S. intelligence official said. "There's nothing to suggest it is now a cohesive insurgency," the official said.

Meanwhile, defections from the Syrian military to the opposition remain largely in the lower ranks, with just a small number of officers leaving, intelligence officials said. One described it as "a trickle of defections."

Mr. Assad's inner circle remains largely intact, the officials noted, and the Sunni business community so far hasn't abandoned the regime.

Mr. Assad continues to control his country's largest cities, such as Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia, military analysts and Syria experts said.

Homs, the third-largest city, is held by the government but contested by rebels. And large areas of Syria, particularly in northern Idlib province and southern Deraa province, are now out of the government's writ, experts said.

The White House remains wary of the Free Syrian Army because of suspected ties to Islamic extremists. The Obama administration also remains concerned that U.S. arms could add to the instability.

In Washington, official administration contacts with the Syrian Support Group are expected to remain at lower levels. But the group's presence is likely to increase the rebels' visibility among members of Congress and the American public.

Mr. Sakka says he and other expatriates initially supported a peaceful political transition. He said his perspective changed in April 2011 when Syrian forces were accused of killing hundreds of people during a peaceful protest in Homs, an incident that has become known as the Clock Tower Massacre.

Since then, Mr. Sakka has been working with Syrian expatriates, retired Syrian military officers, and Western advisers to arm and organize the makeshift army. They also have tried to address U.S. concerns. The Syrian Support Group, Mr. Sakka says, has focused on purging hard-line Islamic militants from the army's ranks.

Mr. Sakka and the Syrian Support Group's full-time director of government relations, Brian Sayers, have crisscrossed Washington in recent days to meet with congressional staffers and Washington think tanks.

Mr. Sayers, a former political officer at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, said the group is looking for a champion on Capitol Hill in the mold of the late Texas congressman, Charlie Wilson, who drove efforts to fund the Afghan mujahedeen against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

"There is a window of opportunity," said Mr. Sayers. "What we do now will affect the region for the next 20 to 30 years."

Write to Jay Solomon at jay.solomon@wsj.com and Siobhan Gorman at siobhan.gorman@wsj.com

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British special forces inside Syria


British forces are inside Syria, having advanced up to ten kilometers inside the country.

Tue Jun 26, 2012 8:35PM GMT

31

Where shall I invade next? I’ve done Libya.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron

Unconfirmed reports say that Britain’s special operations forces have crossed from Turkey into Syria advancing up to ten kilometers inside the country.

DEBKAfile, an Israeli military intelligence website, has reported that unconfirmed first reports from British, French, and Turkish sources say British forces have entered Syria from Turkey, taking the lead of a western military incursion.

Moreover, on Sunday 24 June, The Daily Star reported that Britain’s fighter planes were on stand-by to invade Syria in case Britain’s NATO ally, Turkey, decided to launch a strike on Syria.

DEBKAfile said the British incursion was aimed at securing the start of western intervention in Syria to topple President Bashar Al Assad.

Earlier this year, the Israeli website also revealed that British troops and intelligence agents were operating in the Syrian city of Homs, assisting Syria’s armed rebels in their bloody battle against civilians and the Syrian army.

Moreover, earlier this month, The Daily Star reported that Britain’s Special Air Service (SAS) and MI6 agents were setting up camps in Syria to assist armed rebels if a civil war would break out in the country.

This all and the recent report about the British incursion in Syria comes as earlier this month British Prime Minister David Cameron asked his fellow Tory MPs: “Where shall I invade next? I’ve done Libya” as he stopped in front of a map of the world at his Downing Street flat.

ISH/HE

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Russia may fly military cargo to Syria

Report June 27, 2012 05:06 PM

MOSCOW: Russia may decide to fly a controversial military cargo of helicopters and air defense systems to Syria after it abandoned an attempt to ship the materiel by sea, a report said Wednesday.

The West wants Russia to halt all military cooperation with Syria because of the escalating conflict between the Damascus regime and rebels but Moscow has insisted it cannot break contracts.

A freighter, the Alaed, at the weekend docked in the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk after turning back off the British coast from a voyage to Syria to deliver the military cargo when its British insurer dropped cover.

"The three Mi-25 helicopters and air defense systems could easily be delivered to Syria by air," a military source, who was not identified, told the Interfax news agency.

"Russia has to fulfill its obligations. But everything will depend on if we can resist pressure from the West who want us to break military cooperation with Syria," the source said, adding a decision would be made soon.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has confirmed the Alaed was carrying three attack helicopters Moscow had repaired for Damascus under a previous agreement.

He said last week the cargo also included air defense systems but gave no further details on the type or quantity on board.

Russia delivers a range of limited air defense systems to Syria but reportedly has refused to provide the more advanced S-300 technology that it had previously also failed to give to Iran under Western pressure.

The Vedomosti business daily reported on Tuesday that Russia this year chose to withhold the S-300 from Syria, despite a $105 million delivery contract being signed by the system's producer and Damascus in 2011.

Military experts have speculated that the Alaed was carrying the more basic Russian Buk-M2e air defense systems for Syria, whose forces last week shot down a Turkish warplane off the Syrian coast.

In Murmansk, the Alaed's flag has been changed to a Russian flag from that of the Caribbean island of Curacao.

But Russia has yet to confirm if the ship will now make a repeat attempt to reach the Syrian port of Tartus or travel on to Russia's Far East port city of Vladivostok as originally planned.


Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Mid...#ixzz1z0N65Sp5
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

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Russian trap in Syria

27 June 2012 / DENÝZ ÜLKE ARIBOÐAN , AKÞAM

Syria is important for Russia not only because of the Russian naval base in Syria. Syria is Russia’s backyard in the Arab region.

And as the US is focused on its upcoming elections, and the Western countries are too caught up with their own problems to grapple with the conflict, the duty of teaching Turkey a lesson in not meddling in the Syrian crisis fell on Russia’s shoulders. Our downed military jet can be interpreted as a message from Russia that “I am now in Syrian lands.” As Turkey has a well-balanced relationship with Russia, particularly on the energy issue, Russia could not have delivered this message directly; it had to use Syria instead.

Further, openly meddling in Syrian politics and with a possible regime change is too risky for Russian politicians, as there are millions of Muslims living under the Russian administration. These complexities and Russian interests lie behind Turkey’s even-tempered and calm stance regarding Syria.

[samizdat]

tweeter gossip...but this news from another board
@High&Mighty ‏@MohammedKayani
Saudi Forces on full mobilization after Turkish Pres tel call to King Abdulla of imminent strike on Syria. All leave canceled.

[samizdat]

top yahoo headlines....nothing bout ME. God bless msm. What a distraction.

Rogue dolphin, alone after Katrina, menaces lake area @ Good Morning America - 5 hrs ago
A menacing animal is terrorizing residents of an upscale waterfront community just outside New Orleans.

Obama better suited to handle alien invasion than Romney: Poll

[samizdat]

shit...*that-s also tweet from anudder board...

& 2bl sheet...
Jordanian news source reporting Iran carried out secret tests last month on Scud missiles armed with chemical warheads.
etc./etc.

O well...small world.
final preps?... laptops in microwave/check generators/motos/buy x-tra spark plugs
....y last but not least....pray & do charity. maybe it will go away by the time you're prepped_ & dont forget to check the check (filter) if you have a well.

good info here_ I won't bother to repeat copy paste-post
(geo-political breaking news from
market ticker forum)
http://tickerforum.org/cgi-ticker/ak...613&page=4#new

[vector7]

Annan: Russia, West agree on transition government for Syria



Published: 30 June, 2012, 21:11
Edited: 01 July, 2012, 13:54



UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan (C) speaks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) next to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (L) at the opening of a meeting on June 30, 2012, at the United Nations office in Geneva. (AFP Photo / Fabrice Coffrini)
(28.1Mb) embed video

TRENDS: Syria unrest
TAGS: Conflict, Meeting, Military, Politics, Egor Piskunov, Bill Dod, War, Syria

The Syrian crisis is to be resolved by a transition government consisting of the current authorities and opposition leaders. The proposal was announced by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan after talks in Geneva.

The unity government should be formed on the basis of "mutual consent" said Annan. The Syrian-led transition should take place within a fixed period of time and the envoy hopes this may happen by the end of the year.

Annan, announcing the official communiqué of the international meeting in Geneva, called on the Syrian regime and opposition groups to re-commit to a ceasefire and to start implementing his six-point peace plan immediately, without waiting for the other side.

The plan urges the sides in the Syrian conflict to cooperate with UN observers, allow humanitarian aid delivery, release detainees and grant journalists access to the country. The right to peaceful demonstrations must also be respected, stressed Annan.

Prior to the conference, Annan had proposed a plan for a unity government in Syria excluding political figures that would compromise the country’s stability and effectively calling for the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. Moscow refused to back such a condition and also made sure the plan brokered in Geneva would not require Assad to step down.

Kofi Annan also said that foreign ministers who took part in the conference in Geneva would make up a regular working group on the Syrian crisis. A new round of Syria talks may take place in Moscow, suggest diplomatic sources.



U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gestures during a news conference after the meeting of the Action Group on Syria at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, June 30, 2012 (Reuters/Valentin Flauraud)

Assad: To stay or not to stay?

Despite calls from some international players for the Syrian president to immediately step down, the world powers have agreed in Geneva that it is up to the Syrian people to determine their political future, leaving the door open for Assad to be a part of the new government.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov pointed out the new document does not lay down a political process for Syria, a provision that was among major demands Russia and China took to Geneva.

“We consider it of the utmost importance that this document does not seek to dictate to the Syrian sides how the transition process should happen politically. How exactly this process will take place is up to the Syrian people. This document is very precise on that,” Lavrov told reporters.

To find compromise with Russia, the United States backed away from its calls for the immediate resignation of President Assad but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton still said the new transition plan means Assad will have to go anyway, as the Syrian leader would hardly pass a “mutual consent test, given the blood on his hands.”

“There is a credible alternative to the Assad regime,” she said. “What we have done here is to strip away the fiction that he and those with blood on their hands can stay in power.”

Lavrov however stressed that Moscow“is not justifying” the actions of the Syrian government. “It is the regime that is responsible for the security in the country. The regime is significantly late with reforms,” Russian foreign minister noted.

During the meeting, British foreign secretary William Hague called for the UN Security Council to draft a resolution imposing sanctions against the Arab country. He also maintained that President Assad and his close associates could not lead a transition, reports Reuters.

“Without [a UNSC resolution] and the prospect of penalties for non-compliance, there can be little credible pressure on the Syrian regime and other parties to change course," said Hague.

The US would call a UNSC session over the Syrian crisis, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in the press conference that followed. Sanctions based on UN Charter VII should be used against Syria if Annan’s new plan is not implemented, she added.

The violent uprisings that started over 16 months ago in Syria have become increasingly more militarized over the last few months. Both the Syrian president and the UN envoy Annan have classified the conflict as an all-out war.

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said that the death toll has reached over 10,000, while opposition groups say that the figure is a lot higher.

*However Patrick Henningsen, associate editor at Infowar.com, does not believe the Geneva meeting will have a positive outcome, saying it was set up to fail.

“As this meeting is going on in Geneva, the West are backing proxy guerilla armies of foreign fighters who are getting refuge in countries like Turkey over the border where Syria cannot hit them.”

Assad had earlier stated that he will not accept any transition plan that is “not Syrian,” “not national.” Henningsen believes that Assad has hinted in the media as to what Western plans for Syria really are.

“Ideally they would like to break the county up into separate regions and to balkanize this country for many reasons – energy pipeline project coming from Qatar, border disputes with Turkey, and also to minimize Russia’s influence not just in Tartus, but overall in the coastal region.”