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.

"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

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.

Video - Lebanese Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt: It Is Permissible to Kill Anybody Who Is with the Syrian Regime.

Lebanese Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt: It Is Permissible to Kill Anybody Who Is with the Syrian Regime.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, which aired on LBC/LDC TV on April 4, 2013.:

Walid Jumblatt: I salute the courage of Sheik Moaz Al-Khatib [president of the Syrian opposition coalition]. I criticize his critics. I hold him in esteem. I reject the Western logic of refusing to arm the resistance in Syria because of [Al-Qaeda's] Nusra Front. I categorically reject this logic.

Interviewer: What, the Nusra Front does not exist?

Walid Jumblatt: It is the Syrian people in its entirety that is fighting. I would like to talk about the special circumstances of the Druze. At first, my main concern was the future of the Druze there, but not anymore. All the supporters of the regime are on one side, and all those who oppose it will be part of the victorious side. It is permissible to kill anybody who is with the [Syrian] regime.Source: Memri.

Report: Nasrallah flown to Tehran for 'cancer treatment'

Report: Nasrallah flown to Tehran for 'cancer treatment'.(IH).
According to "The Voice of Lebanon," the Hezbollah leader's health deteriorated due to cancer-related complications
• Another report claims Nasrallah was wounded in an attack by Syrian rebels 
• His deputy, Naim Kassem, has reportedly assumed command.

The reports are attributed to "senior Hezbollah officials," but there were no official confirmation of the reports from any other source.

According to the reports, Nasrallah's deputy, Naim Kassem, has assumed command of the terrorist organization.

Last Friday, Syrian rebels threatened to attack Nasrallah if he continued to aid the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

A message published on Thursday by the Joint Command of the Free Syrian Army said that Nasrallah was not immune from attack and that the rebels knew how to reach him.
The message referred to Nasrallah as a "criminal" and said, "Your era has practically ended." "Anyone who dares to attack our people and our land will pay a hefty price," the message said.Hmmmm....Aramaic Bible:Psalm 109:8 - "Their days will be few and whatever is kept for them others will take. Read the full story here.

Turkey seeks parliament approval to deploy troops beyond borders.

Turkey seeks parliament approval to deploy troops beyond borders.(AA).The Turkish government on Thursday sought parliament’s approval to deploy troops beyond its borders, saying “aggressive action” by Syria's military had become a serious threat to its security, according to a memorandum sent to parliament. After having shelled Syrian targets on Wednesday Turkish artillery again hit targets in Syria on Thursday morning in reprisal for cross-border fire that killed five Turkish civilians the previous day, a security source told AFP. “Artillery fire resumed at 03:00 GMT this morning,” the source said on condition of anonymity. Several Syrian soldiers have been killed in Turkish fire, a watchdog said earlier, without giving an exact figure.
Ibrahim Kalin, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, said on his Twitter account that Turkey had no interest in a war with Syria but would protect its borders. He said political and diplomatic initiatives would continue. Turkey has demanded that the U.N. Security Council take action against Damascus. NATO in an emergency meeting Wednesday backed Turkey and called on Syria to respect international law “The Alliance continues to stand by Turkey and demands the immediate cessation of such aggressive acts against an Ally and urges the Syrian regime to end flagrant violations of international law,” a NATO statement said after the meeting was called at member Ankara's request. The alliance said Syria's “recent aggressive acts at NATO's southeastern border” were a “flagrant breach of international law and a clear and present danger” to an ally. “The most recent shelling... which caused the death of five Turkish citizens and injured many, constitutes a cause of greatest concern and is strongly condemned by all Allies,” it added. Earlier, NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen had spoken to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu to express “his strong condemnation of the incident in Akcakale” town, a spokeswoman said.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Thursday condemned Syria for shelling that killed civilians in Turkey, and urged restraint after Ankara returned fire.“I strongly condemn yesterday’s shelling by Syrian forces of the Turkish border town of Akcakale, which killed five and injured many more,” Ashton said, adding: “I call for restraint from all sides.”
Ashton said she was in contact with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to express the European Union's “solidarity and our condolences to the families of the victims and to the Turkish people.”She said she was following Turkish pounding of Syrian military positions “extremely closely” given mounting concern over “the tragic spill-over effects of the Syrian crisis in neighboring countries”.

She added in her statement: “I once again urge the Syrian authorities to put an immediate end to the violence and fully respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all neighboring countries -- such violations of Turkey's sovereignty cannot be tolerated.”
In related news, Syria’s chief ally Iran echoed Ashton’s sentiments and urged Syria and Turkey to both show “restraint”, according to the Fars news agency.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran asks both sides to show restraint, to investigate the issue and take note of the enemy's goals in the region,” Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab affairs, Hossein Amir Adbolahian, told the news agency.“Both sides have to take note of armed extremist and terrorist groups in the region.... The security in the region lies in increasing control over the borders around Syria,” he said.Read the full story here, more here.

NATO backs Turkey in emergency summit on Syrian ‘threat’.

NATO backs Turkey in emergency summit on Syrian ‘threat’.(AA).NATO in an emergency meeting on Wednesday backed Turkey in its military response to Syrian cross border shelling that killed five Turkish nationals and called on Syria to abide by international law. NATO ambassadors met under the alliance’s article 4, for consultations when a member state feels its territorial integrity is under threat. “The Alliance continues to stand by Turkey and demands the immediate cessation of such aggressive acts against an Ally and urges the Syrian regime to end flagrant violations of international law,” a statement said after the meeting was called at Ankara’s request. Turkey on Wednesday bombed Syrian targets in response to Syrian mortar shelling, the prime minister’s office said. “Our armed forces in the border region immediately retaliated against this heinous attack... by shelling the targets spotted by radar,” Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s office said in a statement. The United States condemned the “depraved” Syrian shelling and said it was monitoring the tense situation closely. “This is yet another example of the depraved behavior of the Syrian regime, and why it must go,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said. “We regret the loss of life in Turkey, a strong ally, and continue to monitor the situation closely.” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced American outrage at Syria’s shelling of Turkish territories and described the situation as “very dangerous.” “We are outraged that the Syrians have been shooting across the border. We are very regretful about the loss of life on the Turkish side,” Clinton told reporters after Syrian shells hit the Turkish town of Akcakale. She added it was a “very, very dangerous” situation, and would be talking later with Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu about “what the best way forward would be.” “This also comes down to a regime that is causing untold suffering to its own people solely driven by their desire to stay in power,” Clinton said after talks in the State Department with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov. The United States has long insisted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should step down and end a 19-month rebellion that has claimed some 30,000 lives. Damascus is “aided and abetted by nations like Iran that are standing firmly by the Assad regime regardless of the loss of life, the damage that is happening both inside Syria and now increasingly across Syria’s borders with their neighbors,” Clinton added. All “responsible nations need to band together” to persuade the Assad regime to agree to a ceasefire and begin a political transition, she said. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said earlier that the cross-border shelling was a clear violation of Turkey’s sovereignty.Read the full story here.

Free Syrian Army Groups 'expelled' from Turkey.

Free Syrian Army Groups 'expelled' from Turkey.(Fars).According to a report by Arabi Press news website, defected Colonel Ahmad Hijazi admitted that Ankara has fired the rebel group from Turkish soil and gave it a deadline to transfer its central command to Syria. Meantime, he said FSA was also forced to move into Syrian soil in a bid to prevent further rift among rebel groups. The so-called Free Syrian Army announced on Saturday that is has moved its headquarters inside Syria for the first time since the start of crisis in Syria in 2011. Hijazi unveiled growing rift and internal disputes among the FSA groups, adding that the recent decision to move from Turkey to Syria has been taken to "unite all rebel groups". He further confirmed that there are problems in coordination and contacts between all FSA-affiliated brigades and factions in Syria. The opposition activists in Syria have derided the FSA leaders and other exiles as opportunists, removed from the battle and lacking credibility among the Syrians directly involved in the fighting. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.Read the full story here.

Lebanon - Meqdad Military Wing Kidnaps Turkish National, 20 FSA Members, Speaks of 'Bank of Targets'.

Lebanon - Meqdad Military Wing Kidnaps Turkish National, 20 FSA Members, Speaks of 'Bank of Targets'.(Naharnet).Al-Meqdad family announced on Wednesday that its military wing has so far kidnapped more than 20 Free Syrian Army members in Lebanon, as well as a Turkish national, promising a “hefty catch.”

The military wing told LBCI television: “We may take escalatory measures depending on the latest developments.” “We have a bank of targets in Lebanon and we are capable of reaching regional targets,” it warned. 

“We can reach Aley, Tripoli, and Iqlim al-Kharroub,” said an unidentified masked gunman who was surrounded by a number of other gunmen of the Meqdad military wing. Media report had earlier announced that the wing had abducted a Turkish national of the Soufan family. Voice of Lebanon radio said that Turkish national is a diplomat called Soufan. LBCI later broadcast images of the passport of the Turkish national who was kidnapped by the Meqdad family, identifying him as Aydin Tufan. The Turkish Foreign Ministry demanded that the Lebanese government provide information on its abducted national, reported al-Jadeed television. On the abduction of Syrian FSA members, Abu Ali al-Meqdad said on behalf of the family: “The family’s military wing kidnapped several Syrians. We are not afraid of anyone.” He said the tribes of the eastern Bekaa valley such as Shamas, Zoaiter, Nasreddine and Dandash are all working together and will reveal their “big catch” on Thursday morning.
“There are over 20 FSA members kidnapped in Lebanon,” he pointed out. Media reports said that over 30 members had been kidnapped. Al-Mayadeen news channel later broadcasted a video of the kidnapped Syrians. According to LBCI one of the abductees is a captain and another is an officer, who has been wounded. He confirmed that the military wing kidnapped another member while the press conference was underway. Al-Meqdad’s move comes in light of the FSA’s detention of Hassan Salim al-Meqdad in Damascus for allegedly belonging to Hizbullah. The family’s statement also held Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey responsible for the kidnapping of Hassan.
Hatem told LBCI that the family will kidnap factions other than the FSA if the man was not released within 24 hours. Another member of al-Meqdad family vowed to abduct Turks, Saudis and Qataris also, but Abu Ali ruled out this possibility saying that our threats to these countries will remain political. “We will only kidnap members of the FSA,” he added. Security sources told LBCI that security measures near the Turkish, Qatari and Saudi embassies were boosted. His other brother, Habib, threatened on Tuesday that the family will take escalatory measures if he wasn’t released within 24 hours. “We will not wait for the government so that the fate of our son becomes the same as those 11 kidnapped men, therefore, we will not wait for the efforts exerted by Speaker Nabih Berri or (Hizbullah) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” he said.Hmmmm......the enemy of my enemy....Read the full story here.

Assad's termobarics – "From Russia with love".

Assad's termobarics – "From Russia with love".(YNet).The civil war raging in Syria exposed the existence of a new weapon in the region – thermobarics. Thermobarics are lethal weapons also known as "fuel-air bomb," which explode above a target area with a massive blast and suck air in, leaving a vacuum. When such a weapon is detonated, it produces a blast wave with a significantly longer duration, maximizing damage and casualties. Thermobaric weapons vary and some rounds can be fitted to hand held launchers such as RPGs and antitank weapons. Victims of a thermobaric explosion suffer severe burns and extensive internal organ damage, before suffocating to death. Israel, however, was not taken aback by the Syrian opposition's reports that thermobarics were used on civilians in Aleppo. Israel knew that thermobaric weapons were supplied to the Syrian Army by Russia and unfortunate have already found their way to Hezbollah. The defense establishment, however, chose to keep this information under wraps – until now. During the Second Lebanon War, Israel seized several RPG-29 launchers, given to Hezbollah by Syria, which were found to be armed with thermobarics. An exercise held in February 2008 by the Ordnance Corps with aim of testing the deadly weapon, ended up in three IDF casualties – including an officer who was seriously wounded.Read the full story here.

NATO’s Fleet Comes To Syria?

NATO’s Fleet Comes To Syria?(Stratrisks)(Interfax).Britain and France will soon be sent to the eastern Mediterranean, a powerful grouping of the Navy, Western media reported, citing sources in the British military. The composition of the joint task group from the British side will include helicopter Illustrious, a large amphibious assault ship Bulwark with 400 marines on board, as well as the destroyer, frigate and a submarine. France will be represented by a compound aircraft carrier as part of an aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and ships outposts. As part of the British ships would be in defense destroyer Defender, is able to protect the group from the Syrian anti-ship cruise missiles stationed on the coast. It is expected that the ships set sail after the Olympic Games, as currently Illustrious helicopter involved in providing security in the London area. He was inducted into the River Thames in the center of the British capital, and will remain there until the end of the Olympics. The official version of the War Department of Great Britain, the British and French ships of Task Force will take part in the exercises Cougar-12 in the eastern Mediterranean. The training objective is to develop amphibious operations with the landing on the shore of the potential enemy. In particular, it is conducting amphibious operations on the coast of the Italian island of Sardinia, Albania and Turkey. Following this, the ships will go to the coast of Cyprus, located 150 km from Syria, which will continue teaching. Meanwhile, a source in the UK Ministry of Defence has assured that the ships would not participate in any military action against Syria, and will be located in the eastern Mediterranean in case the need for evacuation of British nationals from the region. “At the moment the question of any military purpose should not be, our goal is solely to have a plan in case of evacuation of British subjects, if the conflict spread to Lebanon and Jordan – the source said. – The worst case scenario would be terrorist attacks in Lebanon and Jordan, the Syrian authorities if they want to destabilize the entire region. ” “It is possible that if the situation will result in a flood of refugees, then we will need to take care of its citizens,” – said a senior officer in the Royal Navy. According to the British military, the ships will stay away from the Syrian coast, and may be involved only in escorting civilian vessels, which will take out foreign nationals traveling from Syria and neighboring countries. Note that in the middle of July it became known to form in the Mediterranean, Russia mezhflotskoy group consisting of ships of the Northern and Baltic fleets, which were to join the already in the Mediterranean, Black Sea Fleet ships. The Northern Fleet in the group represented by large landing ships “Alexander Otrakovsky,” “George” and “Kondopoga”, as well as a large antisubmarine ship “Vice-Admiral Kulakov.” The Baltic Fleet patrol ships represent the “Yaroslav the Wise,” “Fearless” and the rescue tug “SBS-921″ Black Sea Fleet has sent patrol “Smetliviy” and BBC “Nicholas Fil’chenkov” and “Caesar Kunikov.” 
In the Defense Ministry said that the ships will conduct exercises in the Mediterranean, and can go to the Syrian port of Tartus , where Russia inherited from the Soviet Union point to logistics of the Navy. The ministry, however, agree that the purpose of the visit will only recharge and do not in any way a show of force in support of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, unsuccessfully trying to suppress the rebellion broke out in the country last spring. The Russian General Staff, however, said that in the event of an attack on the Syrian rebels the Navy will have to use force to protect their property.Read the full story here.(GoogleTranslate).

Syrian rebels withdraw from frontline district in Aleppo: FSA.

Syrian rebels withdraw from frontline district in Aleppo: FSA.(AA).The rebel Free Syrian Army on Thursday withdrew completely from the embattled district of Salaheddin, in the northern city of Aleppo, a rebel commander said. “We have staged a tactical withdrawal from Salaheddin,” the commander, Wassel Ayub, told AFP by phone. “The district is completely empty of rebel fighters. Regime forces are now advancing into Salaheddin.” Troops battled rebels in central Aleppo Thursday a day after launching a ground offensive backed by air power for control of the commercial capital, a strategic prize in Syria's nearly 17-month uprising. Day two of the most significant ground attack in Aleppo came as Syria's key regional ally Iran prepared to host a meeting aimed at finding ways to end the raging conflict. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported an intense bombardment of the Hanano, Saif al-Dawla, Shaar and Sakhur districts of Aleppo from 3:00 am. It also reported the deployment of regime reinforcements, saying several hundred soldiers, three more tanks and troop transports arrived early in the morning. The Local Coordination Committees, a network of opposition activists on the ground, said gunfire was also heard in several suburbs of the northern city, with shelling focused on opposition bastion of Saleheddine and a northeast district and areas in the city's southwest. Damascus said its troops had retaken the key Salaheddin district, but the insurgents said they had recaptured much of what they had lost. Rebel commander Wassel Ayub of the Free Syrian Army said the FSA had launched a counter-attack and retaken part of Salaheddin. "For an hour and a half, the Free Syrian Army has staged a counter-attack and reclaimed three streets out of five seized by regime forces," he told AFP by telephone. "We staged our counter-attack after 700 fighters arrived from the southern neighbourhood of Sukari, Bustan al-Qasr, Shaar and Hanano" in the east.
On Tuesday, Jordan's King Abdullah II said Assad might make a "worst case scenario" retreat to an Alawite stronghold in the predominantly Sunni Muslim country if he falls. "I have a feeling that if he can't rule Greater Syria, then maybe an Alawi enclave is Plan B," Abdullah told US television network CBS, referring to the offshoot sect of Shiite Islam to which Assad belongs. Jordan is currently hosting more than 150,000 Syrians, many of them in temporary residences in Ramtha across the border from Daraa, cradle of the revolution in southern Syria. The Jordanian authorities have started transferring some of the refugees to a new seven-square-kilometer camp at Zaatari, which the United Nations says can take up to 120,000 people.Read the full story here.

Syria - The Local Coordination Committees Issue a "Code of Conduct" for Free Syrian Army.

Syria - The Local Coordination Committees Issue a "Code of Conduct" for Free Syrian Army.(EAWorldview).
The Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC) has posted a "Code of Conduct" for all Free Syrian Army members to follow. It appears to have been designed to address concerns about human rights violations, including field trials and summary executions, conducted by some members of the disparate and decentralised insurgency. It is also likely to be an initiative for a leadership role for the LCC, as part of a coordinated effort to reform the leadership and structure of the FSA.

Article I

In the Free Syrian Army, as an independent, defected soldier, or civilian volunteer, my first responsibilities are to:

Defend Syrian revolutionaries in the face of tyranny and ensure the continuation of the revolution to oust the regime. I will direct my weapons exclusively against Assad aggressors. I will serve my nation, Syria, and the freedom of the Syrian people. I am a fighter in the battle to defend my people.

I will use my weapons to overthrow the criminal regime that has been imposed upon us.

Article II

I pledge to my people and my revolution that I will refrain from any behavior or practice that would undermine the principles of our revolution: the principles of freedom, citizenship, and dignity. I will respect human rights in accordance with our legal principles, our tolerant religious principles, and the international laws governing human rights – the very human rights for which we struggle today and which we intend to implement in the future Syria.

Article III

Any person who takes up arms in the name of the regime, regardless of their rank, should be arrested and remain in the custody of the Free Syrian Army. In the event that an individual is arrested, and it is determined that the individual was working for the regime, voluntarily or for payment, to supply information about revolutionary activists, that individual shall be considered a prisoner and treated in accordance with laws governing prisoners of war.

Article IV

I pledge not to practice any form of torture, rape, mutilation, or degradation. I will preserve prisoners’ rights and will not exercise any of the above practices in order to obtain confessions.

Article V

I will not issue any executive orders, particularly with regard to death or corporal punishment. Only an appropriate legal authority, with relevant expertise, may conduct trials and find perpetrators guilty.

Article VI

I will not engage in any practice that leads to the physical torture or murder of prisoners or informants, and I will not participate in any public execution.

Article VII

I pledge not to engage in any form of theft or looting on the pretext that I am helping to finance the armed struggle. I pledge not to take any person hostage for ransom.

Article VIII

I pledge not to use my weapon against activists or civilians, whether or not I agree with them; and I pledge to not use my weapon against any other Syrian citizen. I pledge to limit my use of weapons to the defense of our people and myself in facing the criminal regime.

Article IX

I pledge not to exercise reprisals on the basis of ethnicity, sect, religion, or any other basis, and to refrain from any abusive practices, in word or in deed, against any component of the Syrian people.

Article X

I pledge to surrender my weapons to the Transitional Authority, which will manage the country’s affairs during the transitional period after the fall of the regime.

Article XI

If found guilty of violating any of these articles, I agree to submit to a fair trial undertaken by specialized committees formed under the supervision of the Free Syrian Army’s leadership and monitored by an independent judiciary body.

Initial Signatories:
Lieutenant Colonel Muhannad Ahmad Al-Talaa, Commander of the Military Council of Deir Ezzor
Colonel Qassim Saad Eddin, Commander of the Military Council in Homs
Sergeant Ismail Sheikh Saleh, Jisr Al-Shoghour, Idlib
Lieutenant Colonel Zahid Hourani, head of the Military Office in Homs
Major Ibrahim Moutawaa, Commander of the Al-Nour Battalion in Qosair
Colonel Radwan Ayyoush, Commander of the Military Office in Homs
Lieutenant Colonel Jamil Ra’adoun, Commander of the League of Battalions in the Hama Countryside
Colonel Khaled Alqatini of Khan Sheihoun and its countryside
First Lieutenant Hamza Qaziz, Al-Baraa Brigade in Douma
The Al-Baraa Brigade in Douma
Major Abou Mohammad Al-Homsi, the Soldiers of God Brigade in Damascus
The Falcons of the Land Brigade in Hama
The Martyrs of Latamna Battalion
The Martyrs of Asi Battalion in Hama
The Abi Al-Fidaa Battalion in Hama
The Special Operations Battalion in Hama
The Sunna Lions Battalion in Mayadeen
The Omar Al-Mukhtar Battalion in Deir Baalba, Homs
Abdul Baset Sarout
New Signatures

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad al-Aboud Commander of the Revolutionary Military Council in Deir Ezzor

Captain Mostafa Shawardi/ Ansar Mohammad Battalion in Mawrak

Lieutenant Colonel Hafez Jad AlKaeem Faraj Commander of the Military Council in the Governorate of Sweida

Lieutenant Maher al-Tamer Commander of Shuhada al-Hurriya (Martyrs of Freedom) Battalion in Mawrak

Al-Haq (The Truth) Battalion in Mqeilbiya

Burkan al-Sham (Damascus Volcano) Battalion

New Signatures

Major Qassem Najem/ Tahrir alJanoob Battalion in Daraa

Captain Khaled Fatehallah Commander of the Free Syrian Army in Daeel

Captain Ali Shakerdi/ al-Amjad Battalion in Aleppo.

Hmmmm.....Nice to know the names of those who need to be put on trial later for war crimes.Read the full story here.

Syrian army says it is in control of Aleppo, FSA denies claims.

Syrian army says it is in control of Aleppo, FSA denies claims.(AA).Syria said its troops seized a rebel-held Aleppo district on Wednesday after storming it and “annihilating” most of the insurgents, as a long-threatened ground assault on the key city was launched. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) promptly denied the claim, acknowledging that a “barbaric and savage attack” on the neighborhood of Salaheddin was under way but later saying they had recaptured much of what they lost. The offensive came as Amnesty International raised concerns about the plight of civilians in Syria’s commercial capital and warned both sides they would be held accountable for attacks on residential areas. Early in the afternoon, state news agency SANA said “our brave armed forces have taken full control of the district of Salaheddin” and “inflicted heavy losses on groups of armed terrorists, killing or wounding a large number of them.” Dozens of rebels were captured, including foreigners, and others surrendered, SANA said.
It said troops seized a large number of arms. State television said the “armed forces dealt violent blows to the mercenary terrorists” in Salaheddin, “annihilating most of the terrorists.” But FSA spokesman Colonel Abdel Jabbar al-Oqaidi said: “It is not true the regime army has seized control of the district. “It is true that there is a barbaric and savage attack,” he told AFP via Skype. “They are using all the weapons at their disposal to attack Salaheddin, including fighter jets, tanks and mortars.” He said there was fighting in many districts, but it was concentrated on Salaheddin because of the “great symbolic value for us and the army.” Hours later, rebel commander Wassel Ayub said the FSA had launched a counter-attack and retaken part of Salaheddin. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights likewise said the rebels were making gains. “Clashes also raged in Aleppo’s Al-Midan district as rebels tried to seize” an air force security bureau, the Britain-based watchdog said. At least 37 people were killed in Aleppo -- 17 civilians, 10 rebels and 10 soldiers -- from a total of at least 162 nationwide, it said. “I believe the real number is much higher but it is impossible to document the figures because of the ferocity of the clashes” in Aleppo, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said. A total of 225 people -- mostly civilians -- died in Syria on Tuesday, one of the worst days for casualties in the nearly 17-month uprising the Observatory said last week has cost more than 21,000 lives.Read the full story here.

Russian Cargo Ship MV Alaed slowly Approaches Syria

Russian Cargo Ship MV Alaed slowly Approaches Syria.(Heritage).By Luke Coffey.Under the cover of the 2012 London Summer Olympics, the Russian cargo ship MV Alaed, allegedly carrying attack helicopters for the Bashar al-Assad regime, is once again en route to Syria. In addition to the attack helicopters, it is thought that the ship is also carrying air defense weapons.
Nobody seems to notice.In July, The Foundry pointed out that the Alaed had once again left its Russian port—but this time under a Russian flag. It is thought that this will get the Alaed around the insurance problems and EU arms embargo it faced during its last journey in June.
Since its second departure, the ship seems to be making good progress.
After circling around the Scandinavian Peninsula, the ship briefly stopped at the Russian city of St. Petersburg. Curiously, according to the ships records, it also had another short stop in the Swedish port of Helsingborg.
After departing St. Petersburg, the ship passed through the English Channel in early August. During this time it must have passed within 75 miles of the Olympic Stadium in East London—but with Olympic fever hitting the British capital, nobody noticed or cared in the same way they did in June.
Presently, the ship is well into the Mediterranean Sea and is located about 70 miles of the southern coast of Spain. Assuming it keeps its current speed of 11 knots, it should reach the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, in approximately seven days—if that is where it is heading.The progress of the ship can be tracked on the MarineTraffic.com by searching for “Alaed” as long as the ship is not out of range or turns off its Automatic Identification System Transponder.Hmmm........And where are the Russian Military vessels now?Read the full story here.

Video - The Syrian army moving into Aleppo neighborhoods.

Russian general denies reports he was killed by rebels in Syria.

Russian general denies reports he was killed by rebels in Syria.(Haaretz).A Russian general met reporters at the Defense Ministry in Moscow on Wednesday to deny reports that he had been killed by rebel forces in Syria and was shown on television looking well. "I want to confirm that I am alive and well. I am in good health and I'm living in Moscow," Vladimir Petrovich Kuzheyev, a reserve general, was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass news agency. Russian television briefly showed footage of Kuzheyev, in a blue shirt and no tie, at the Defence Ministry. Syrian rebel group said it had killed a Russian general working as an adviser to Syria's defence ministry in an operation in the western Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus. The video, sent to Reuters, showed what the rebels said was a copy of the general's ID, as issued by the Syrian military, and named him as Vladimir Petrovich Kochyev The difference between that spelling and the name of the general who appeared in Moscow may be due to the way the Cyrillic letters were transcribed. 
Kuzheyev did not make clear whether he had been in Syria. But Interfax news agency quoted a security source as saying he had been there advising the Syrian Defence Ministry before being transferred to the reserves in 2010. It said he now lived in Moscow. Russian news agencies quoted the Russian Defence Ministry as saying the report of his death was a "bald-faced lie." The Syrian rebels also stated that they obtained documents and maps belonging to the Syrian Army, which show opposition positions throughout the country. The rebels said Kuzheyev was killed outside of Damascus, when according to reports, his bodyguards attempted to open fire on a Free Syrian Army roadblock. The rebels told “Al-Arabiya” that the Russian adviser’s presence in Syria is further evidence of Russian involvement in the Syrian crisis. In a video statement sent to Reuters, the group, calling itself the "Hawks Special Operations Battalion, a division of the Military Leadership of Damascus City and Province", showed what the rebels said was a copy of the general’s ID, as issued by the Syrian military. Many thousands of Russian professionals reside in Syria, some of which work on civil projects that Russia built for Assad, others serve as advisers to the Syrian military with operating sensitive intelligence equipment. Last month, the head of the Arabic-language television network “Russia Today,” broadcast in Moscow, claimed that “there are no longer any Russian military personnel in Syria.” The net work is an official outlet of the Russian government (a parallel network is broadcast in English). Apparently, that claim is incorrect, though it demonstrates the need to begin recalling Russian proessionals from Syria, because of the danger, and also because of the need to reduce ties with Assad. Also on Tuesday, Assad appeared on television for the first time in two weeks, in footage showing him meeting with Saeed Jalili, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in Damascus. Read the full story here.