Syria: Head of opposition's negotiating team Declares Four Red Lines For Syrian Negotiating Process.

Syria: Head of opposition's negotiating team Declares Four Red Lines For Syrian Negotiating Process. (SO).

Sources familiar with the recent meeting between the United Nations envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and members of the High Committee for Negotiations say the envoy faced a solid delegation which appeared to have reached a clear consensus.

The sources told Al-Souria Net that the committee’s general coordinator, Riyad Hijab, insisted in his recent meeting with de Mistura on adhering to the principles demanded by the Syrian people, and said there was no room for compromise.

Al-Souria Net learned that Hijab specified four red lines which cannot be abandoned in any negotiation process with the Assad regime:

The establishment of a pluralistic regime – representing the full spectrum of the Syrian people – with no place for Bashar al-Assad, the military leadership or prominent figures of his regime in any current or future political arrangements; adhering to the integrity of Syrian territory; preserving the state institutions while restructuring and reforming its security and military institutions; and rejecting terrorism in all its forms.

Hijab stressed his full support for the efforts of the UN envoy in carrying out the provisions of the Geneva 2012 statement and UN Security Council decision 2118 to launch a political process conducive to the establishment of a transitional ruling body with full powers. He expressed his full readiness to cooperate with the UN envoy in taking the necessary steps to launch the political process and guarantee its success, stressing the need to commit to official direct communication channels with the general coordinator for the High Committee for Negotiations.

Hijab also noted the need for the international community to open channels to negotiate with those who have the real ability to create a ceasefire and guarantee it is adhered to, in accordance with binding international resolutions.

Hijab noted that some countries were bent on diplomatic attrition and were wasting time by requiring a unified terrorism list to be issued by countries holding different views on the definition of terrorism. He considered this to be a destructive attempt to hinder the political process.

Hijab added that the counter-terrorism track would require working to remove thousands of foreign fighters, whether members of the Islamic State group or sectarian factions or mercenary groups of various nationalities.

Addressing the role of the international community, Hijab stressed that, “the complexity of the crisis and the entry of various foreign parties places before us demands which we cannot ignore or get rid of under a UN resolution that aims to reach international consensus at the expense of the Syrian people. Security Council resolution 2254 has left serious gaps which the initiative must fill to guarantee the launch of a viable political process in Syria.”

He added: “It is not appropriate to issue a clause calling for an end to attacks against civilians and civilian targets, the targeting of medical facilities and those working in them, and the use of indiscriminate weapons including artillery and aerial bombardment, when the following day one of the international powers signing the resolution targets populated areas and uses cluster munitions and kills civilians and leaders of moderate factions who we are depended upon to guarantee the progress of the negotiating process and to fight ISIS [a reference to Russia]. This empties the resolution of its content and makes the concept of confidence-building unattainable, especially given that the resolution did not specify a timeframe to implement the ceasefire.”Read the full story here.

Muslim Brotherhood member Louay Safi Is Syrian Opposition Leader; We Told You About him Two years Ago.

Muslim Brotherhood member Louay Safi Is Syrian Opposition Leader; We Told You About him Two years Ago.HT:TheGlobalMuslimBrotherhoodReport.

Flashback Sept 2011: U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Leader Central Figure In Newly Formed Syrian Opposition Council

U.S. media is reporting that U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leader Louay Safi is a leading member of a newly formed council of Syrian opposition leaders. According to a Washington Post report:

A group of Syrian opposition activists announced Thursday the creation of a council designed to present a united front against President Bashar Assad’s regime, which has waged a bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters during the past six months. The Syrian opposition consists of a variety of groups with often differing ideologies, including Islamists and secularists, and there have been many meetings of dissidents who say they represent the opposition. 

But activists said the new “Syrian National Council,” formed during a meeting in Turkey, is the most serious initiative aimed at bringing revolutionary forces together. It groups some 140 opposition figures, including exiled opponents and 70 dissidents inside Syria, said Bassma Kodmani, a Paris-based academic. Kodmani added that the council “categorically opposes” any foreign intervention or military operations to bring down Assad’s regime….. Louay Safi, a U.S.-based academic, said the council is broad-based and includes Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, Kurds and members of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is “open to everyone unless they are against democracy,” he said

An AFP news photo shows Dr. Safi at the center of the group of council members who announced the formation of the council at a press conference in Turkey.
Dr. Safi was born and educated in Damascus and came to the U.S. sometime during the early 1980′s, likely around the time of the infamous “Hama Rebellion” when then Syrian President Hafez al-Assad brutally crushed an uprising in the city of Hama and many members of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood fled abroad. Following the awarding of his PH.D in the U.S., Dr. Safi reports that in May 1992, he became an associate professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), closely associated with the global Muslim Brotherhood, and later became a Deputy Dean and then Dean of the Research Centre and College of Islamic Knowledge and Human Sciences.

U.S. court records indicate that in 1995, Dr. Safi was in phone contact with convicted Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sami Al- Arian. According to a transcript of the intercepted conversation, the two discussed President Clinton’s new executive order banning financial transactions with terrorist groups including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

In 1998, Dr. Safi was a member of the advisory council of a journal published by the United Association for Studies and Research (UASR), a part of the Palestine Committee of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood which was closely tied to Hamas.

In January 1999, Dr. Safi reports that he became the Research Director for the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), an important part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood.

Also in January 1999, Dr. Safi says he was a founding member of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) whose other founding members included several individuals associated with IIIT.

CSID is also part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood and has close relations with the U.S. State Department.
In January 2000, Dr. Safi says he became editor of the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, the publication of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), headquartered at IIIT. From January 2001 to January 2003, Dr. Safi says he was also AMSS President. In January 2003, Dr. Safi says he ended his position at IIIT and in January 2004 became Executive Director of the Leadership Development Center of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), another important part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood.

In November 2005, Dr. Safi became Chairman of the newly established Syrian American Congress, described on its website as …a grassroots organization devoted to promoting educational, civic, economic, and human development, as well as advancing civil liberties and human dignity in Syria.” In January 2005, local media report indicates that Dr. Safi was identified as Unindicted Co-Conspirator Four in the indictment against Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sami Al-Arian.

The report notes that Dr. Safi was the research director at IIIT which provided Al-Arian’s think tank with the bulk of its financial support.In September 2009, Dr. Safi became the ISNA Communications Director. Dr. Safi has been perhaps the leading voice at ISNA in complaining that criticism of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood is a form of “Muslim bashing.”

A previous post discussed Dr. Safi’s suspension as a lecturer for the U.S. military pending a criminal inquiry.

Another post discussed leaked diplomatic cables showing that the U.S. State Department secretly financed Syrian opposition groups and related projects, including a satellite TV station whose news director may have a brother with ties to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood.

In 2007, the Wall Street Journal reported on moves by the U.S. Government to reach closer relations with the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood.

Flashback 2011: Former White House Syrian Intermediary And Muslim Brotherhood Supporter Appears At CAIR Event With State Department Official

The GMBDW had exposed most of this same information in a post from September 2011.

For more info on Louay Safi, go here.

Al-Qaeda replacing Assad is the biggest threat to US security - CIA deputy director.

Al-Qaeda replacing Assad is the biggest threat to US security - CIA deputy director.(RT).

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell said the prospect of the Syrian government being replaced by al-Qaeda his biggest worry.

Morell’s statement is especially surprising considering America’s official position on the Syrian civil war. US President Barack Obama and his officials have repeatedly called Assad a "dictator" who is responsible for more than 92,000 lives lost in a bloody conflict between government forces and rebels - some of whom are openly affiliated with al-Qaeda.  
Should the current regime collapse without a stable government to step up to the plate, Morell said the warheads being held by Assad may end up in the hands of America’s adversaries.
The US remains embarked on a plan that would aid Syrian rebels by way of supplying them with arms. With al-Qaeda extremists entwined in that same war against Assad, however, one wrong turn could cause the US to accidentally equip its most feared enemy.
According to Morell, the Syrian government's weapons "are going to be up for grabs and up for sale" if Assad is ousted. Unless the US has a plan of attack ready for that moment, munitions and warheads currently controlled by Assad could end up in the hands of just about anyone.
And with al-Qaeda close to the action, Morell warned that they could pounce on the opportunity to gain Assad’s equipment.
"Al-Qaeda has had its own victory as well," he said. "The dispersal of al-Qaeda is their victory."
With al-Qaeda increasing the scope of its operation in Syria, the US could have a whole new front in its war on terror. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 brought American troops to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and later to Iraq. In the decade-plus since, the US has launched drones over locales like Yemen and Somalia to take a stab at diminishing al-Qaeda’s presence. As hostilities increase in Syria, a new adversary could worsen the current situation.
Given what the US has reported about the current Syrian government, al-Qaeda stands to collect all sorts of goodies if they can grab hold of Assad’s goods as well.
The White House has insisted that Assad deployed chemical weapons on citizens during the civil war, and the opposition and government have both relied on whatever weapons they can collect in order to fight off their foes. That hostile environment is increasingly being populated by al-Qaeda extremists, and Morell says that’s not good for US security.
Syria is “probably the most important issue in the world today because of where it is currently heading," Morell said. He added that Iran, core al-Qaeda, and the North Korean government are following just behind Syria. 

"I don't remember a time when there have been so many national security issues on the front burner as there are today," Morell said. Hmmm......Obama BUILD THAT.Read the full story here.

Related: Obama During Campaign: “Al Qaeda Has Been Decimated”

Putin: Didn’t feel isolated, not all G8 leaders agree Assad used chemical weapons.

Putin: Didn’t feel isolated, not all G8 leaders agree Assad used chemical weapons.(RT).

There is no proof that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the G8 summit. Some of the G8 countries share this view, he added.

“We do not have any facts of the use of such weapons by the Syrian government. I assure you, that by no means all the G8 members believe that they were used,” Putin said.

The Russian President stressed he “never felt isolated” at the summit despite the difference in views, and said the G8 leaders have been seeking a common solution to the Syrian conflict.

Supplying arms to the rebels based on unconfirmed reports that chemical weapons were used by the Assad government would further destabilize Syria, Putin warned.

Putin urged Western nations not to be hasty in arming the Syrian opposition, saying that such weapons could fall into the wrong hands, or be uncontrollable.

“I call on all our partners to think twice before making such steps. It is a very dangerous stuff,” the Russian president said, pointing to the “horrible” and “tragic” Woolwich murder.

There are “loads of such criminals fighting for the [Syrian] opposition, who could commit a brutal murder like this,” he stressed.
 Russia and the United States will spearhead the development of a peace plan for Syria, Putin said. The G8 countries have agreed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the US Secretary of State John Kerry will take on “main role and the main burden of responsibility” for working out the principles of the solution to the crisis, he added. Read the full story here.

Video - FSA General : 'The superpowers' set a timetable for the revolution - Gives Int'l Community One Month to Provide Anti-Tank, Anti-Aircraft Weapons

Video - FSA General : 'The superpowers' set a timetable for the revolution - Gives Int'l Community One Month to Provide Anti-Tank, Anti-Aircraft Weapons

Following are excerpts from an interview with Abd Al-Baset Tawila, the commander of the Free Syrian Army's northern front, which aired on the Al-Jazeera network on June 10, 2013:

Interviewer: There is a lot of talk about advanced weapons, and about the fact that countries are supplying the Free Syrian Army with advanced weapons like anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: That's right. In my opinion, if we were provided with such weapons, we would shorten the timetable set for this country.

Interviewer: Who set this timetable?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: The superpowers.

Interviewer: They set a timetable for the revolution?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: Yes.

Interviewer: So what you are saying is that these countries want to control the timing of the victory of the revolution or the toppling of the regime?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: Yes.

Interviewer: What is their aim?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: Various agendas and schemes. I do not know all the details of these schemes, but I can tell you that it is difficult for us to overcome the timetable set for the revolution. Let me give you some evidence. The weapons and ammunition that the FSA receives do not include anti-aircraft or anti-tank weapons. We are unable to confront these [tanks and aircraft] here.

If we had received the quantity and type of ammunition we needed in the battlefield from the outset of the revolution, this regime would not have lasted more than a month or two.

Interviewer: Can you specify who [prevents you from getting these weapons]?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: Uncle Sam.

Interviewer: What is Uncle Sam's aim, in your opinion?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: Let me tell you frankly, the only outcome I see is the destruction of the country. We will be unable to rebuild our country for the next fifty years.

Interviewer: Why do they want to destroy the country? Do they hate the Syrians merely for being Syrians?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: No. Let's be candid. What choices does the international community have with regard to the Syrian revolution? Either they find a faction that can safeguard the border with Israel – and they will not find such a faction – or else they destroy this country for the next fifty years.

Regarding the factions that the West wants to classify as terrorist organizations – the Nusra Front – we believe that we can conduct a dialogue with them.

Interviewer: About what?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: About the shape of the future state, about the possibility of establishing a state that will suit everybody. We should cooperate and conduct a dialogue. It is no secret that we have ties with everybody, even the brothers in the Nusra Front, and we cooperate in many places.

Interviewer: What form of state do you support?

Abd Al-Baset Tawila: In all candidness, I would like to see a civilized state, with Islamic law. Let me give you an example. We would like our army, in the future, to have a clear Islamic nature.

I give the international community one month to provide the rebels and the FSA with weapons and ammunition, so that we can defeat this criminal regime. We give them one month. If we see that the international community continues to desert our revolution, we will reveal all the evidence we have [about use of chemical weapons]. I think you know full well that I mean what I say.Source: Menri.

Maronite, Orthodox Leaders Call for Release of Kidnapped Syrian Bishops, while Obama arms the Rebels.

Maronite, Orthodox Leaders Call for Release of Kidnapped Syrian Bishops, while Obama arms the Rebels.(AINA).

BEIRUT -- Lebanon's Maronite Catholic patriarch and Syria's Greek Orthodox patriarch called for the release of two Orthodox bishops kidnapped in Syria. "We demand the kidnappers and the countries concerned" to release the two bishops and the two priests kidnapped before them, and all those who have been kidnapped on Syrian territory, said Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai, the Maronite patriarch, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X in a joint statement from Bkerke, the Maronite patriarchate north of Beirut.

"We express our sorrow and regret for the continuation of the cycle of violence in Syria, which kills people and destroys their homes," the two religious leaders said in their appeal on behalf of Orthodox Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo and Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Gregorios Yohanna of Aleppo. The Orthodox leaders were kidnapped April 22 in northern Syria while on a humanitarian mission.

Cardinal Rai and Patriarch John also urged all Lebanese parties, as well as regional and international powers to end their involvement in the Syrian conflict. "On the contrary, we appeal to everyone to work for peace, safeguard the history of Syria and its civilization, which dates back to centuries," they said. 

The cardinal and the patriarch called for "a political solution through dialogue and negotiation" to the Syrian conflict that is "fair and equitable for all." They emphasized that such a solution should be generated internally and not imposed on the Syrian people from outside powers. They urged countries in the region, the international community and international institutions "to carry out their responsibilities towards displaced Syrians" and to help Lebanon as it struggles to host and accommodate more than 1 million displaced Syrians.
However, they said, what is needed is "the foundation to stop the violence and war, so that the displaced people can return to their homes and lands as soon as possible." "We ask God to inspire all consciences ... to work to bring about a just and comprehensive peace, and respect for the dignity and sanctity of human life," they said.Hmmmm......."The future does not belong to those who slander the prophet."Read the full story here.

Foreign special services trying to recruit young Chechens to fight in Syria - Kadyrov.

Foreign special services trying to recruit young Chechens to fight in Syria - Kadyrov.(Rbth).

Foreign special services are trying to recruit young people from Chechnya to fight with the Syrian opposition, Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov said.

"It is no secret that the so-called opposition in Syria acts under the guidance of foreign special services. No one even tries to hide it. Naturally, young people coming to Syria from Russia are a delicacy for them. One tries to recruit them. And one cannot be sure that such kind of recruiting will not be then directed against Russia," Kadyrov said in an interview with Interfax on Saturday. There is no 'sacred war' in Syria, he said. "There is an action clearly planned by external forces to overthrow the regime, destroy the country and liquidate its armed forces," Kadyrov said.

"There are several people from Chechnya in Syria," he said.

"According to our data, five or six nationals of our republic died there. In the name of what? For the sake of what and who? It would be better if they stayed at home, helped their parents, raised their children, work and study," he said. "The problem of the former participants in the Syrian events may be very acute, if one returns from there alive, which is rather doubtful. It cannot be fully solved by our special services and police. First of all, one should show on TV what 'the Syrian opposition' is, what it seeks and what its attitude is has to Islam," Kadyrov said.

"Our Muslim theologians say that there can be no signs of jihad in Syria. Both parties use weapons. There is a fight for power and resources. And the opposition is under the power of those who fund it, ship arms and ammunition, and send military experts," Kadyrov said.Read the full story here.

Iran receives verbal proposal to take part in int’l conference on Syria.

Iran receives verbal proposal to take part in int’l conference on Syria.(TI).

Iran received a verbal proposal to take part in the international conference on Syria just over a week ago, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said at a press conference in RIA Novosti today. "We received a verbal proposal to participate in this conference 10 days ago," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry voiced the idea of holding "Geneva-2" international conference on Syria during a meeting in Moscow on May 7.Read the full story here.

Video - Syrian rebels open fire on convoy carrying Russian journalists.

Video - Syrian rebels open fire on convoy carrying Russian journalists.HT: RussiaToday.

The convoy shelled on Saturday was led by a Syrian army military vehicle, and consisted of several cars occupied by civilians, including one with Russian TV journalists. 

The shelling started when the cars were about 5 kilometers away from their destination – ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ – the only crossing between Syria and the Golan Heights, disputed territory claimed by both Syria and Israel.  

“The Syrian troops started to fight the rebels back, but the insurgents targeted the civilian cars,” said Evgeny Poddubny, the head of the Russian TV crew and special correspondent for Rossiya TV channel.

Throughout the fighting, a Russian cameraman kept filming; gunshots can be heard on the video for 15 minutes. The footage also features a Syrian army officer reporting to command that armed militants attacked first, that shelling was coming from both sides of the road.

“The convoy could not make it to the checkpoint, the rebels set an ambush on the road, fighting broke out, the military responded with heavy fire to cover the retreat of our TV crew, and then they retreated themselves. The militants were further confronted by the field artillery, which is deployed in the area,” Poddubny said.

No one was injured in the attack. A similar incident occurred recently in the Golan Heights buffer zone when Checkpoint Charlie was attacked and seized by rebels on Thursday, and quickly recaptured by government troops.

"The militants use the status of the territory; they hide in the buffer zone and are carrying out attacks like the one you’ve just witnessed. Then they retreat. And we cannot carry out special operations here – as that would be a breach of international agreements. Besides, the rebels are getting help from Israel – it supplies them with ammunition and even provides medical aid to terrorists in mobile hospitals,” Syrian army General Nasr Haidar, whose regiment is deployed in the area, told Rossiya.

Provocations by the insurgents are seen as major reason why international peacekeepers have been withdrawing from the area. Austrian troops, which accounted for 40 percent of the UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, have announced their withdrawal. Read the full story here.

"The Silence On The Bishops" - Syrian Opposition Leader Says he Doesn't Know Bishops' Whereabouts.

"The Silence On The Bishops" -Syrian Opposition Leader Says he Doesn't Know Bishops' Whereabouts.HT: Aina.

The leader of the Syrian opposition coalition is backing away from previous reports that he is certain of the location and condition of two Syrian Orthodox bishops kidnapped April 22.

George Sabra, president of the Syrian National Coalition, told World Watch Monitor on May 21 he is not informed of the movement of the bishops from day to day, or of the identity of the captors. This is a change from May 7 statements attributed to Sabra during a meeting of Middle East leaders in Beirut.

Sabra also told World Watch Monitor the coalition is "doing our best" to expel the handful of Muslims who have come from Europe at the urging of jihadist groups with al-Qaeda links who count themselves among the broader Syrian opposition movement.

Yohanna Ibrahim, head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Aleppo, was kidnapped alongside his counterpart from the Greek Orthodox Church, Boulos Yaziji, after travelling to the Turkish border in an attempt to secure the release of two priests kidnapped in February. Their driver, Fathallah Kaboud, later was killed.

Apart from an early flurry of erroneous reports that the clerics had been released, little was heard about their whereabouts, who snatched them, or why.

That changed May 7 when Amin Gemayel, former president of Lebanon and current leader of its Kataeb Party, held a meeting in his Beirut office.

"The bishops are in good health and are being held by a small group in a town called Bshaqtin, 20 kilometers northwest of Aleppo," Sabra told Gemayel by phone during the meeing, according to the Lebanon Star.

Attending the meeting were Deputy Bishop of Aleppo Joseph Shabo, Mount Lebanon's Syriac Orthodox Bishop George Saliba, Beirut's Bishop Daniel Koriyeh and Syriac League President Habib Afram.

Afram told World Watch Monitor the group had sought the meeting with Gemayel to seek his help securing the bishops' release. Instead, he said, they heard Sabra tell them he was powerless to help.

"During our meeting, Syrian opposition leader George Sabra spoke with both Cheikh Gemayel and Bishop Saliba over the phone. Sabra claimed that he knows where the abducted bishops are and who the kidnappers are. I find it outrageous that one of the most powerful leaders of the Syrian opposition says he knows where they are but can't do anything to release them."

Afram, Secretary General of the Union of Lebanese Christian Leagues and a prominent defender of the fate of Christians in the Middle East, said Sabra's inability to secure the release of the bishops has troubling implications for the future of Christians in Syria.

"Sabra said things like: 'This is not giving a good impression of our revolution and we promise to take all possible actions to get them released'. But that is only words," Afram said. "We emphasized that if he can't control his own area -- the place where the bishops were kidnapped -- then how can he claim that he can change Syria for the better? And how will he be able to make Christians remain in Syria?"

Contacted May 21 by World Watch Monitor, Sabra gave a less certain accounting of the bishops than he was reported to give May 7. "You know that the bishops are moved always day by day or from week to week. So therefore we don't know the place exactly," he said.

He also said the coalition isn't sure who is behind the kidnappings.

"About this we have different information, we have new news that we will check. We have news that they are in Aleppo. We can't say that this information is real; we have to check."

When asked how he knows the bishops are moved, if anyone has spoken to them, and if there is any evidence they are alive, he replied: "you know, by our people inside Syria that interrogated the groups."

"Really we believe that they are alive," he said. "But there is no clear picture of that. We are doing our best, but right now we didn't succeed."

Still, when pressed, Sabra acknowledged one similarity to Iraq of grave concern to resident Christians: the presence of imported Islamist militants, some of them aligned with al-Qaeda. An April report by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, at London's King's College, estimates that somewhat less than 10 percent of the opposition fighters are from outside Syria, and that between 7 percent and 10 percent of that fraction come from Europe.

"We are sorry to hear about that," Sabra said. "We were informed about two young people from Belgium. Believe me, we are doing our best to contact these people and to operate with the European community and the European governments to save their lives and send them back home to their countries safely."

Meanwhile, Afram said he meets with Christians that have fled Syria every day in his office in Lebanon. "People are kidnapped on a daily basis for ransom or just to scare them to leave," he said. "Christians are systematically targeted by kidnappings."

He said if the bishops are alive, Sabra should employ the power of his position to win their release.

"George Sabra should act and he should show leadership capability, or leave," Afram said. "He should exercise direct involvement, even take risks to go himself with the army of the opposition to negotiate the release of the bishops; make a clear statement regarding his [objection] that bishops were treated like this."Hmmmmm......Notice the 'Silence of the US President.'.......Who remembers the Syrian bishops anyway?Read the full story here.

By Nuri Kino
http://www.worldwatchmonitor.org

Video - ISLAM VS. ISLAMISM.

Video - ISLAM VS. ISLAMISM.HT: SunNewsNetwork.

Middle East expert Daniel Pipes joins Ezra Levant to discuss the difference between Islam and Islamism as well as the issues surrounding the US senate vote to arm Syrian jihadists.

Syrian Army Detains French, British, Belgian, Dutch, Qatari Rebel army Officers in al-Qusseir.

Syrian Army Detains French, British, Belgian, Dutch, Qatari Rebel army Officers in al-Qusseir.(Abna).

Assim Qansou, a representative of the socialist party in Lebanon’s parliament, told the Lebanese al-Nashrah newspaper that during the battle in al-Qusseir city, the Syrian army has arrested tens of French, British, Belgian, Dutch and Qatari officers.

The EU’s anti-terror chief said in April that hundreds of Europeans are now fighting with rebel forces in Syria against Bashar al-Assad’s government.Gilles de Kerchove estimated the number in Syria at about 500.

Intelligence agencies are concerned some could join groups linked to al-Qaeda and later return to Europe to launch terrorist attacks.

The UK, Ireland and France are among the EU countries estimated to have the highest numbers of fighters in Syria.

“Not all of them are radical when they leave, but most likely many of them will be radicalized there, will be trained,” de Kerchove said.

“And as we’ve seen this might lead to a serious threat when they get back.”

Across Europe, intelligence agencies have stepped up investigations, says the BBC’s Europe correspondent Duncan Crawford.In Britain and Belgium they have increased efforts to track how people are recruited.
In the Netherlands, officials have raised the terror threat level there to “substantial” – partly over concerns about radicalized citizens returning from Syria.

The Syrian army announced on Tuesday that it found an Israeli military vehicle during its wide-scale attack in the central city of al-Qusseir.

According to the report, the vehicle was found along with tapping and jamming devices in al-Qusseir where the Syrian army has taken full control over the entire Eastern part of the strategic city near the borders with Lebanon.

Al-Qaeda now self sufficiant - Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing takes over the oilfields once belonging to Assad.

Al-Qaeda now self sufficiant - Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing takes over the oilfields once belonging to Assad.(Telegraph).By Richard Spencer. Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing is helping to finance its activities by selling the product of oilfields that once helped to prop up the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Up to 380,000 barrels of crude oil were previously produced by wells around the city of Raqqa and in the desert region to its east that are now in rebel hands – in particular Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda off-shoot which is the strongest faction in this part of the country.

Now the violently anti-Western jihadist group, which has been steadily extending its control in the region, is selling the crude oil to local entrepreneurs, who use home-made refineries to produce low-grade petrol and other fuels for Syrians facing acute shortages.

The ability of Jabhat al-Nusra to profit from the oil locally, despite international sanctions which have hindered its sale abroad, will be particularly worrying to the European Union, which has voted to ease the embargo but at the same time wants to marginalise the extremist group within the opposition.

General Selim Idriss, the head of the western-backed opposition Military Council, has appealed for Western help specifically to seize the fields from Jabhat, but the forces required - he put it at 30,000 men - make that a pipe dream. Even pro-Western rebel militias in the area admit that the level of support received from the council is at present minimal. Their battlefield supremacy has enabled them to seize the economic as well as the military high-ground.

In Raqqa, they also control flour production, earning money from selling to bakeries, some of which they own as well. "Jabhat now own everything here," one disillusioned secular activist said.

In other places they sell the flour at a loss, further endearing them to the local population. Until now it has been a virtuous circle. Well-funded anyway from foreign contributions, they are able to avoid levying the fees – some say bribes – to pay their men and for supplies that have made other brigades increasingly unpopular. That in turn has been a major boon to recruitment, with thousands defecting to them. Hmmmm......The Obama 'admin' BUILD THAT!Read the full story here.

Israeli official: Assad preferable to Islamic extremist rebels, The Times of London reports.

Israeli official: Assad preferable to Islamic extremist rebels, The Times of London reports.(Haaretz).

According to Israeli intelligence officer quoted in report, weakened but intact Syria under President Bashar Assad is better for Israel and region than takeover by Islamist rebels.

Israel prefers the regime of President Bashar Assad in Syria to continue than see a takeover of the country by rebel Islamist militants, The Times of London reported Friday, quoting an Israeli intelligence official.

"Better the devil we know than the demons we can only imagine if Syria falls into chaos, and the extremists from across the Arab world gain a foothold there," the official said, according to the report.

According to the Times, the senior intelligence officer in the north of Israel said a weakened but stable Syria under Assad is not only better for Israel but for the region as a whole.
Another defense official was quoted saying it is more likely than initially estimated that Assad will remain in power.
“We originally underestimated Assad’s staying power and overestimated the rebels’ fighting power,” the source said.
The report in the Times comes a day after the United States said the Russian missile shipment to Syria will embolden Assad and prolong the conflict.Hmmmm......Isn't this what Russia has been saying All Along?Read the full story here.

Syrian rebel Khalid al-Hamad defends gruesome video as revenge.

Syrian rebel Khalid al-Hamad defends gruesome video as revenge.(AA).A Syrian rebel who was filmed apparently cutting out and eating the organs of a soldier has defended his actions as revenge for regime atrocities, Time magazine reported on Tuesday.

The U.S. news weekly said it had talked by Skype with the fighter, identified as Khalid al-Hamad, who appeared in a video that sparked outrage and condemnation, including from the Syrian opposition.

Hamad claimed he was driven to the gruesome acts by footage on the dead soldier’s cellphone, showing him “humiliating” a naked woman and her two daughters.

The magazine said Hamad described participating in another acts of mutilating regime forces, including militiamen known as shabiha. “I have another video clip... In the clip I am sawing another shabiha with a saw. The saw we use to cut trees. I sawed him in small pieces and large ones,” Time quoted him as saying.

The magazine said Hamad, a Sunni like much of the opposition fighting against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, expressed hatred of member’s of the leader’s Alawite sect.

He also insisted that the rebel, identified as Hamad, had been “previously ejected” from his unit “because of his history of brutality.”

“Hopefully we will slaughter all of them,” he told the magazine, “They were the ones who killed our children in Baba Amr and raped our women,” he said, referring to a neighborhood of the central city of Homs.

“We didn’t start it, they started it,” he added. “Our slogan is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

The video, in which Hamad leans over a uniformed body, cuts out organs and then holds one up to his mouth, has prompted both outrage and condemnation.

The United States on Tuesday denounced the actions of a Syrian rebel filmed cutting out and eating the organs of a dead soldier, but insisted it was the act of a lone brutal individual. “We’re appalled by this video, and we’ve been very clear that all sides in this conflict must abide by international humanitarian law,” State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters. Washington had “raised this gruesome act in our recent conversations with leaders of the Supreme Military Council, who assured us that they do not support such actions and that this is not representative of the vast majority of the armed opposition,” he added.

The National Coalition, the country’s main political opposition grouping, issued a statement saying it “strongly condemns” the act. “The Coalition stresses that such an act contradicts the morals of the Syrian people, as well as the values and principles of the Free Syrian Army,” it said. “The Syrian Coalition reiterates its condemnation of such an act and stresses that it is a crime, regardless of the perpetrator. “The culprit will eventually be tried in court in front of an honest and fair judiciary.”

Human Rights Watch said condemnation alone was not sufficient. “It is not enough for Syria’s opposition to condemn such behavior or blame it on violence by the government,” said Nadim Houry, Middle East deputy director at the New York-based watchdog.“The opposition forces need to act firmly to stop such abuses.”Read the full story here.

More here: Syrian rebel atrocity video: No apology for ‘revenge’, more clips promised

Video - Syrian opposition “Independent Omar al-Farouq” brigade commander mutilating Syrian soldiers corpse, bites Liver.

Video - Syrian opposition “Independent Omar al-Farouq” brigade commander mutilating Syrian soldiers corpse, bites Liver.HT: HumanrightsWatch.
Human Rights Watch has reviewed graphic evidence that appears to show a commander of the Syrian opposition “Independent Omar al-Farouq” brigade mutilating the corpse of a pro-government fighter. The figure in the video cuts the heart and liver out of the body and uses sectarian language to insult Alawites. The same brigade was implicated in April 2013 in the cross-border indiscriminate shelling of the Lebanese Shi’a villages of al-Qasr and Hawsh al-Sayyed.

It is not known whether the Independent Omar al-Farouq Brigade operates within the command structure of the Free Syrian Army. But the opposition Syrian National Coalition and the Free Syrian Army leadership should take all possible steps to hold those responsible for war crimes accountable and prevent such abuses by anyone under their command. Any party with the power to do so should do all it can to keep weapons from reaching the brigade. Human Rights Watch repeated its call to the United Nations Security Council to refer the Syria situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ensure accountability for all war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“One important way to stop Syria’s daily horrors, from beheadings to mutilations to executions, is to strip all sides from their sense of impunity,” said Nadim Houry, Middle East deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “These atrocities are shocking but so is the obstruction of some Security Council members that still do not support an ICC referral for all sides.”

In the video obtained by Human Rights Watch, a man identified by the person filming the incident as Abu Sakkar is filmed cutting the chest of a dead uniformed fighter, and removing the heart and liver from the corpse. The person filming the incident then comments, while “Abu Sakkar” is cutting out the corpse’s liver: “God Bless you, Abu Sakkar, you look like you are drawing [carving] a heart of love on him.” After Abu Sakkar completes the cutting out of the corpse’s heart and liver, he is filmed holding the heart and liver in his hands and speaks into the camera:

I swear to God, soldiers of Bashar, you dogs – we will eat your heart and livers! Takbir! God is Great! Oh my heroes of Baba Amr, you slaughter the Alawites and take their hearts out to eat them!

At the end of the video, after that statement, the man called Abu Sakkar is filmed putting the corpse’s heart into his mouth, as if he is taking a bite out of it. Because of the extremely graphic and disturbing nature of the video, Human Rights Watch has decided not to publicly release the footage, although an edited and blurred version is available on the internet.

By comparing frames of the mutilation video to other videos showing what appears to be the same man participating in the shelling that indiscriminately hit Lebanese Shi’a villages and talking about killed Hezbollah fighters, Human Rights Watch believes the person in the video to be Commander Abu Sakkar. Journalists and other commanders have said that Abu Sakkar is the nom de guerre of a former commander from the mainstream al-Farouq Brigade from the Baba Amr district of Homs, in Syria.

Four international journalists told Human Rights Watch that they met him during or after the battle of Homs in 2011 and 2012. Several other videos posted by the Independent Omar al-Farouq Brigade also show the man known as Abu Sakkar, wearing the same jacket as in the mutilation video, loading rockets into an improvised rocket launcher before apparently firing them into Lebanon at Shi’a villages in the Bekaa Valley. In yet another video, Abu Sakkar appears with what he claims are the bodies of killed Hezbollah fighters in the town of al-Qusayr.

The laws of war prohibit any mutilation of dead bodies. As set out by the International Committee of the Red Cross’s study of customary international humanitarian law, this rule requires that “each party to the conflict must take all possible measures to prevent the dead from being despoiled.” Under the Rome Statute of the ICC, “outrage upon personal dignity” is a war crime, which includes humiliating, degrading, or otherwise violating the dignity of a dead body.

When asked about the video, Maj. Gen. Salim Idriss, Chief of Staff for the Supreme Military Council of the opposition, told TIME Magazine that “such violence is unacceptable, and no soldier under the council’s command would be allowed to get away with such actions.” However, opposition forces have not set up proper accountability mechanisms for abuses committed by their members.

“It is not enough for Syria’s opposition to condemn such behavior or blame it on violence by the government,” Houry said. “The opposition forces need to act firmly to stop such abuses.”Hmmmm......Reminds me of the lynching of two Israeli soldiers who strayed into the wrong part of Ramallah, the 'Palestinians' tore them limb from limb and paraded around with their entrails.Read the full story here.

9 Turkish citizens detained over Reyhanlı bombs, more wanted.

9 Turkish citizens detained over Reyhanlı bombs, more wanted.(HD).Nine suspects, all Turkish citizens, have been detained over alleged connections to the Reyhanlı bombs on May 11 that killed 46 people, with officials still looking for a few more, according to Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay.

Accompanied by Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, Interior Minister Muammer Güler and Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, Atalay told members of the press that the nine suspects had been identified through their own confessions and statements.

Atalay also said 38 of the victims had been identified, three of which are Syrian citizens. “What is aimed at here is provocative sensation, an attempt to form negativity toward the refugees. Citizens must beware of that.”

Güler added that one of the nine suspects detained was the person who planned the incident and was involved in hiding the vehicle.

“Since yesterday, an atmosphere has been created as if other organizations had been claiming the act. It has nothing to do with the Syrian refugees or the Syrian opposition,” Güler said.

Over 732 workplaces, 62 vehicles, eight public buildings and 120 individual houses have been damaged by the explosions, Güler added, assuring citizens that the damage would be taken care of by state officials in the framework of the related laws.

Müezzinoğlu said 155 wounded have applied to hospitals, with 55 of them still receiving treatment. Seven of those are Syrian nationals, he added. Twenty-four people are still in critical condition, he said.Hmmmm.....“Muslims don’t resort to terror. There is no Islamic terror.” (Various dates) - Prime Minister Erdoğan.Read the full story here.

Death toll rises to 43 as explosions hit Turkish town, Officials confirm link with Syrian intelligence.

Death toll rises to 43 as explosions hit Turkish town, Officials confirm link with Syrian intelligence.(HD).The death toll from suspected twin car bombs that hit the southern province of Hatay’s Reyhanlı district on the Turkish-Syrian border has risen to 43, Turkish Deputy Prime Ministrer Beşir Atalay said today. More than 100 were injured, 56 of whom are still being treated, he added.

The town center of Reyhanlı, which is hosting many Syrians fleeing the conflict in the Arab republic, was the target of deadly explosions at around 1:45 p.m. local time. Bombs were set off near the municipality, causing major damage to buildings in the town center. A wooden building close to the municipality collapsed following the explosions, while power has reportedly been cut in the town. Police took heavy security measures after the explosions.

The explosions were likely caused by two cars filled with explosives, Interior Minister Muammer Güler told reporters after the attacks, but other reports indicated that there were three or more explosions.

However, Güler said that the third explosion was unrelated to the twin blasts. "The third explosion was a car's fuel tank. It had nothing to do with the events," he said.

The explosions caused massive panic in Reyhanlı, leading many locals to try and leave town, according to reports. Scuffles were also reported between locals and Syrians, as tensions had been mounting ahead of the attacks.

It was confirmed that the perpetrators were linked to the Syrian regime and intelligence agency, Güler was also quoted as saying by the public broadcaster TRT.

Atalay also confirmed that the attackers were linked to the Syrian intelligence organization, known as the Mukhabarat. He added that they were from inside Turkey. “The organization is known, who they are is also known to a great extent. It is abolutely certain that [the attack] has nothing to do with Syrian refugees,” Atalay said.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said Syria could be behind the attacks. “Bashar al-Assad with his Mukhabarat is the usual suspect in planning and carrying out such an attack,” Arınç said.

"If it is proven that al-Assad is responsible [for the attack], we will do what is necessary," he said.Read the full story here.

Turkey - Death toll rises to 40 as explosions hit Turkish town on border with Syria

Turkey - Death toll rises to 40 as explosions hit Turkish town on border with Syria.(HD).The death toll from suspected twin car bombs that hit the southern province of Hatay’s Reyhanlı district on the Turkish-Syrian border has risen to 40, Turkish Interior Minister said today. At least 100 people were injured, 29 of whom are in critical condition, he added.

The town center of Reyhanlı, which is hosting many Syrians fleeing the conflict in the Arab republic, was the target of deadly explosions at around 1:45 p.m. local time. Bombs were set off near the municipality, causing major damage to buildings in the town center. A wooden building close to the municipality collapsed following the explosions, while power has reportedly been cut in the town.

The explosions were likely caused by two cars filled with explosives, Güler told reporters in his first remarks after the attacks, but other reports indicated that there were three or more explosions. Güler also said they had preliminary information about the source of the attacks. Police took heavy security measures after the explosions.

The explosions caused massive panic in Reyhanlı, leading many locals to try and leave town, according to reports. Scuffles were also reported between locals and Syrians, as tensions had been mounting ahead of the attacks.

Assad regime 'Usual suspect': Deputy PM

Meanwhile, Turkish politicians warned against provocations and suggested that the attack might have been aimed at Turkey’s ongoing peace process.

“We have started a resolution process in our country, and there are those who don’t accept this new era,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after the attacks.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said Syria could be behind the attacks. “Bashar al-Assad with his Mukhabarat [Syrian intelligence agency] is the usual suspect in planning and carrying out such an attack,” Arınç said.

"If it is proven that al-Assad is responsible [for the attack], we will do what is necessary," he said.

Turkish President Abdullah Gül also called for people to “be vigilant to provocations,” while Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, a Hatay deputy, said the attacks “were intentional.”

Speaking during a visit to Germany, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the timing of the attack was not a coincidence. “The diplomatic traffic [on Syria] is intensifying,” he said.Hmmmmm......Just in time for Erdogan's visit to the US and to ask for a US led boots on the ground offensive in Syria.Read the full story here.

Video - 18 killed, 22 injured as explosions rock Turkish town on Syrian border.

Video - 18 killed, 22 injured as explosions rock Turkish town on Syrian border.HT: RussiaToday. No one has claimed responsibility yet for Saturday's bomb attack; an investigation has been launched.
Five people, three of whom are Syrians, have been arrested in connection to the blasts, local channel NTV reported. In a comment on the attacks, the Turkish Foreign Minister warned against “testing Turkey’s power.” "No one should attempt to test Turkey's power. Our security forces will take all necessary measures," Reuters quoted Ahmet Davutoglu as saying.