|
Hezbollah takes casualties in Syrian rebel offensive
[MIAMIHERALD] Rebels on the outskirts of the Syrian capital launched an offensive over the weekend that apparently succeeded in breaking the government siege of several contested villages in a long battle that apparently involved the Lebanese Musselmen Shiite bad boy group Hezbollah.Three rebel commanders confirmed to McClatchy on Monday that the offensive was ongoing, but each refused to provide details, saying that the newly dominant faction that controls rebel forces around Damascus had put a news blackout in place. Abu Yaser, a front man for Jaysh al Islam, a coalition of Islamist rebel groups, said details of the fight would be made public when the operation was completed. Photos posted on Facebook and Twitter showed rebels celebrating what appeared to be a series of bloody victories over Hezbollah fighters who'd been supporting the Syrian army in the area. Rebels appeared to be holding prisoners, and some of the photos depicted apparent executions. Word of the fighting came the same day that the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... announced that the United States and Russia had agreed to Jan. 22 as the date for the so-called Geneva 2 peace talks, intended to find a political solution to the civil war. U.N. Secretary-General  the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... announced the date in New York. If the talks take place as planned, it will be the first meeting between representatives of  Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators... 's government and the opposition since the civil war broke out in 2011. "At long last and for the first time, the Syrian government and opposition will meet at the negotiation table rather than the battlefield," Ban said. It was still unclear who'd be attending the conference, which was originally called for in the so-called Geneva Communique agreed to by the United States, Russia and several other countries in June 2012. Assad has said he'll send a representative, but it's been unclear which rebel factions will appear and whether countries such as Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , which supports the rebels, and Iran, which supports Assad, will be invited. Posted by: Fred 2013-11-26 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=380402 |