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Syria Opposition Rejects Assad's Reconciliation Plan
Today's Headlines
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Africa North
Diplomats: Yemeni Jihadists Have Base In Sinai
[Ynet] A senior US diplomatic source told the Daily Beast that "Western officials believe that foreign Jihadists, possibly from Yemen and Somalia, are among the several hundred faceless myrmidons operating close to the Israeli border in Egypt's Sinai desert."
Posted by: trailing wife || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336072 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Morsi, Egyptian Army, + MB are where, today???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 01/07/2013 1:13 Comments || Top||


Egypt's Morsi adds more Brothers to his cabinet
[CS MONITOR] Egypt swore in 10 new ministers on Sunday in a Cabinet shake-up aimed at improving the government's handling of the country's ailing economy ahead of talks this week with the International Monetary Fund over a badly needed $4.8 billion loan.
Because Islam is the answer. To everything.
The reshuffle, which President Mohammed Morsi had promised in response to public anger over Egypt's economic malaise, affected two key ministries, the interior and finance. It also solidified Islamist control of the government, putting three portfolios in the hands of members of the president's Muslim Brotherhood.
Funny how it worked out that a cabinet reshuffle meant more Muslim Brothers. I'm sure the world financial community gets the message...
The dire state of Egypt's economy was punctuated Sunday by new central bank figures that put December's foreign currency reserves at $15.01 billion, down $26 million from a month earlier. The reserves have dropped by more than half since the uprising that ousted longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336073 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Arabia
Yemen Charges Local Man With Spying For Mossad
[Times of Israel] 'Jewish national' named as Ibrahim al-Dharqhi, 24, to go on trial in next few days.

Authorities in Yemen have charged a local man with spying for Israel and he will soon be put on trial in Aden, officials said on Friday.

Named as Ibrahim al-Dharahi, 24, a computer engineer, he was said to have confessed to spying on behalf of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336077 views] Top|| File under:


Minority Ismaeli Shia Leader Refuse Sectarian Representation in Yemen National Dialogue
[Yemen Post] A top leader from Yemen's minority Ismaeli Shia sect denounced politicians who called on the national dialogue preparatory commission to specify seats for Ismaelis in Yemen to ensure they are represented.

Abdullah Shaban, a leader within the Ismaeli sect in Yemen told Yemen Post that sectarian representation in the national dialogue is not what Yemen needs today and that all should enter the dialogue sessions as Yemenis operating within political parties and not religious sects. "We need to put sectarian differences behind us and Ismaelis do not want seats within the national dialogue because of their sect," said Shaban.

He added, "Ismaelis over the years have been involved in the political process in Yemen without having their own party. We joined other parties hoping to serve the country and not the sect."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336066 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Saudi says its air force has not struck Al Qaeda in Yemen
[Al Ahram] 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 their national face...
n fighter jets have not attacked al Qaeda targets in Yemen, Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Saturday, denying a newspaper report that some strikes attributed to U.S. drones were made instead by the kingdom's air force.

Britannia's Times newspaper on Friday cited an unnamed U.S. intelligence source as saying "some of the so-called drone missions are actually Saudi Air Force missions".

Asked to comment by news hounds in Riyadh on Saturday, Prince Saud said, "This is not true." He did not elaborate.

Any evidence of Saudi involvement in air strikes in Yemen risks damaging Riyadh's efforts to target snuffies there by complicating its relationship with the government in Sanaa and with Yemeni tribal leaders, who control large parts of the country, including areas where al Qaeda members are present.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336073 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia


Fifth Column
Strategy Page: SOCOM Spies Told To Stand Down
The CIA has persuaded Congress to rein in Department of Defense plans to increase the number of its intelligence operatives.

In particular, the CIA wants fewer non-SOCOM (Special Operations Command) spies from the Department of Defense.
Posted by: Water Modem || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336092 views] Top|| File under:

#1  He may be a fine Irishman, but a bit of what Dunnigan says, needs some salt. The target of the agency appeal to Congress, not mentioned herein, is their nemesis over at Bolling AFB, the Defense Intelligence Agency. The other aspect or reality, is the obvious reduction in administration participation or interest in clandestine collection activities and missions. Following the Money as the old saying goes, generally reveals at least a few potential motives.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/07/2013 0:49 Comments || Top||

#2  Remember the revolt when they tried to subordinate DoD intel to a Czar? Big dirty fight. DoD won that round, but the bureaucrats are always back to expand their domain and power.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 01/07/2013 8:48 Comments || Top||

#3  That picture reminds me of the Chicken Joke.

"A farmer wanted to raise chickens and sell them for food, he quickly found that people wanted more chicken Drumsticks than chickens."

So he invested in Hybrid Chickens(With 6 legs each).

A friend came by one day withgood wishes and found the hapless farmer sitting and crying, he said "What's wrong?"

The crying farmer said "I can't catch them".

Beware, the unexpected will bite you in the ass.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 01/07/2013 10:23 Comments || Top||

#4  Following the Money as the old saying goes, generally reveals at least a few potential motives.

In this case, it'd be among the top two motives.
Posted by: Pappy || 01/07/2013 10:57 Comments || Top||

#5  ARTIC read, POOR ECONOMY, FISCAL CLIFF(S?), DEFICITS.

Sub-read, "USDOD" IS MOVING AWAY FROM A NATIONALIST "US DEFENSE DEPARTMENT" TOWARD A POST-NATIONALIST, OWG GLOBALIST "GLOBAL DEFENSE DEPARTMENT/AGENCY" [Space Strike/"Star" firepower]. THE FUTURE OWG MIGHTY USSA = OWG WEAK USRoA GLOBAL SSR WANTS A POLITICALLY-ORIENTED, POLITICALLY-CONTROLLED INTERNAL "KGB" + "KOMMISSAR" CORP FOR THAT???

[LATE 1960'S BRIT SHOW "UFO" + "S.H.A.D.O" SUPREME HEADQUARTERS, ALIEN DEFENSE ORGANIZATION here].
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 01/07/2013 22:55 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Imran Khan strongly condemns US drone strike
[Dawn] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI) Chairman Imran Khan
... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems...
has strongly condemned a US drone strike in Wazoo which claimed over a dozen lives on Sunday.

In a statement issued by the PTI media center, Imran Khan called upon the authorities to take the nation into confidence about the details and identify those killed in the drone attack.

The PTI chairman said that drone attacks were a violation of international laws and also violated the country's illusory sovereignty.

He said that the government had turned Pakistain into a banana republic and the US authorities were allowed to hit and kill any civilian at will inside Pak territory. Imran Khan expressed grief over the loss of lives.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336072 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


PPP ready for talks with Taliban, says Kaira
[Dawn] Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Saturday the PPP was ready for talks with everyone, including bully boys.

"The PPP is ready for dialogue with anyone, even the Taliban," he remarked while answering a question here.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain has offered the government 'conditional talks' for peace.

He said the nation was worried about the announcement made by Dr Tahirul Qadri about his planned march on Islamabad on Jan 14. "Dr Qadri should better approach the Election Commission of Pakistain if he has any objections to the electoral process," he said.

Mr Qadri should first decide about taking part in the election and then get his party registered with the ECP in line with the constitutional process, he added. Mr Kaira said the caretaker set-up would be formed after consultation with all stakeholders.

He said anything against the Constitution was unacceptable and all suggestions within the domain of the Constitution would be welcomed.

He said the PPP was pursuing the reconciliation policy because it believed in the unity of people and not in their division. The PPP had kept all its coalition partners on board while taking decisions.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336071 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Iraq
Maliki warns of foreign agendas to fuel Iraq political crisis
[Iran Press TV] Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party....
has warned against what he calls foreign agendas to fuel the country's political crisis.

Addressing a ceremony marking the 92nd anniversary of the founding of Iraq's armed forces, Maliki on Sunday warned against foreign interference, saying it would push the country toward sectarian violence.

"Competition and polarization exists in the region, and what is surrounding us, sectarian tension, is affecting Iraq badly," Maliki said in a speech to army officers in Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
's heavily fortified Green Zone.

He also called for unity in Iraq and stressed that the country's problems must be solved by national dialogue.

Iraq has been the scene of anti-government demonstrations since December 23 when bodyguards of Finance Minister Rafie al-Issawi were tossed in the slammer
Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please!
on terrorism-related charges.

The demonstrators allege that the arrests were made on sectarian grounds and demand an end to anti-terrorism laws. But the government says it is up to parliament to decide on abolishing those laws.

On Wednesday, Maliki said Storied Baghdad would use force to end the protests in Anbar, where protesters have blocked off a highway linking Iraq to Syria and Jordan. The Iraqi government says there are foreign agendas behind the protests.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336073 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Abbas orders official use of 'State of Palestine'
[Al Ahram] The Paleostinian president has ordered his government to officially change the name of the Paleostinian Authority to 'State of Paleostine'
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336075 views] Top|| File under: Palestinian Authority

#1  Getting ready for SSSSSHHHHH ...CCCCCC the "Jordanian Spring"???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 01/07/2013 1:14 Comments || Top||

#2  The PA has the LR Artillery, or soon will have it, to suppor the forward base/camp in side Jordan???

* BIG NEWS NETWORK > IRAN PLEDGING LONG-RANGE MISSLES FOR HAMAS.

OFFICIALLY 'tis for use by Hamas agz the wily dastardly Israelis.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 01/07/2013 1:19 Comments || Top||

#3  'State of Palestine'

A more polite synonym for FUBAR? "After being destroyed by a tornado, the mobile home park was in a complete state of Palestine."
Posted by: SteveS || 01/07/2013 1:55 Comments || Top||

#4  IRAN PLEDGING LONG-RANGE MISSLES FOR HAMAS.

Just what the Paleos need - yet another reason for the Juices to kick the snot out of 'em.
Posted by: SteveS || 01/07/2013 1:57 Comments || Top||

#5  After serving a Mother's Day all you can eat seafood buffet...with turned seafood...the restaurant's bathrooms were in a complete state of Palestine.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 01/07/2013 12:33 Comments || Top||

#6  LOL, but gak.
There's an RB illustration... (please no)
Posted by: Shipman || 01/07/2013 15:51 Comments || Top||


Israel grave threat to global peace: Chomsky
[Iran Press TV] Renowned American academician Noam Chomsky
...intellectual and political theorist of a socialist persuasion. He is noted for being so far out in left field he can't see the shortstop on every issue he pushes...
has slammed the West's allegations against Iran's nuclear energy program while it turns a blind eye to Israel's 'grave threat to the global peace.'
"Yes. A grave threat. Very grave. Harrupmph."
"The 'Iranian threat' is overwhelmingly a Western obsession, shared by Arab dictators, though not Arab populations," Chomsky wrote in a Friday article at AlterNet.
"Not at all. Certainly not. I've asked them."
The prominent analyst alluded to numerous polls which confirm that citizens of Arab countries perceive Israel and the US as a serious threat and sometimes considerable majorities regard Iran's nuclear capabilities as "a counter to these threats."
"Yes. Very much a counter-threat. Harrupmph."
"The Non-Aligned Movement has vigorously supported Iran's right to enrich uranium, most recently at its summit meeting in Tehran last August," Chomsky added.
"I was there, you know."
The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
"Yes. That was bad of them. Very bad. A sign of incipient aggression. Harrumph. Harrumph."
Iran argues that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
"And who could dispute that statement. Q.E.D. Harrumph."
The analyst made reference to the 1998 remarks by former head of the US Strategic Command Gen. Lee Butler who said "It is dangerous in the extreme that in the cauldron of animosities that we call the Middle East," only Israel should have a powerful nuclear weapons arsenal which "inspires other nations to do so."
"That means 'Quod Erat Demonstrandum.' That's Roman. Very old. Very old. Harrumph."
Chomsky described Israel as "the only nuclear power" in the Middle East and argued, "The United States will not allow measures to place Israel's nuclear facilities under international inspection. Nor will the U.S. release information on 'the nature and scope of Israeli nuclear facilities and activities.'"
"They do that because they're Imperialists, you know. Look at all the times Israel has used those nuclear weapons. And they won't even let me into the country. Harrumph."
The analyst pointed out that establishment of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East requires the cooperation of the nuclear powers, including "the United States, and Israel, which refuse."
"Ibid. Harrumph."
"The United States will not allow measures to place Israel's nuclear facilities under international inspection. Nor will the U.S. release information on the nature and scope of Israeli nuclear facilities and activities," he added
"That's Roman, too. I know lots of Roman because I'm a brilliant linguist. Harrumph."
The prominent academician
"Yes. I'm very famous. Harrumph."
also pointed to the December remarks by Dennis Ross, Elliott Abrams, the former top advisers to Barack Obama
I've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go...
and George W. Bush, at The Times of Israel who assured that if the standoff over the Iranian nuclear energy program is not resolved diplomatically in the coming year, it will be resolved militarily by the end of 2013.
"The consequences will be grave. Very grave. I make these predictions of war regularly and they come true like clockwork. Harrumph."
Chomsky pointed to the failure of diplomatic channels aimed at establishing a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East and argued that the sole reason behind such failure is that "virtually nothing is reported in the United States about the fate of the most obvious way to address 'the gravest threat.'"
"Kill all the Jews. Harrumph."
This article starring:
Dennis Ross
Elliott Abrams
Noam Chomsky
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336086 views] Top|| File under:

#1  And how do I know this? Because I'm CHOMSKY, dammit!
CHOMSKY! Remember the name...CHOMSKY!
Posted by: Chomsky || 01/07/2013 0:33 Comments || Top||

#2  CHOMSKY Grave threat to peace.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 01/07/2013 2:56 Comments || Top||

#3  Chomsky, Brzezinski, Kissenger....are there no fresh minds? Bring me an American, an encourager, preferably a Methodist, Presbyterian, or Baptist, someone from Indiana, Kentucky, or Kansas who has never written a book but worked silently and diligently with his or her hands. Someone who can ignore a slight and walk away from conflict, I want to hear from them.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/07/2013 6:54 Comments || Top||

#4  Did you remember the name? It's CHOMSKY! CHOMSKY, dammit! CHOMSKY!
Posted by: Chomsky || 01/07/2013 16:47 Comments || Top||

#5  Chomsky, Brzezinski, Kissenger....are there no fresh minds?

Rather says something about the US intelligentsia, eh>
Posted by: Pappy || 01/07/2013 18:17 Comments || Top||

#6  Indeed it does Pappy. Indeed it does.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/07/2013 19:09 Comments || Top||

#7  re B. @ 3; i think the type of folks you are describing live here @ the 'burg......(so to speak)
Posted by: USN,Ret. || 01/07/2013 21:44 Comments || Top||


Palestinian PM Fayad Blasts Arab Donors For Non-Payment Of Pledges
[Ynet] The Paleostinian government is close to being "completely incapacitated," largely because Arab countries haven't delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in promised aid, the Paleostinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad
...Fayyad's political agenda holds that neither violence nor peaceful negotiations have brought the Paleostinians any closer to an independent state. The alternative to both, violent negotiations, doesn't seem to be working too well, either...
said in an interview Sunday.
They're busy, and y'all aren't important anymore. Sorry. Perhaps you ought to consider living within your actual means, instead of on promises.
Hard to live within their means when they don't have any...
Hard to have any when you promote very large families living on welfare, discourage effective education and loot the productive assets you're given.
According to him, if allowed to continue, the unprecedented financial crisis will quickly double the number of Paleostinian poor to 50 percent, as well as boosting the political appeal of the Islamic cut-thoat Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, while discrediting him and other proponents of a nonviolent path to statehood in the West Bank, Gazoo Strip and east Jerusalem.
Posted by: trailing wife || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336124 views] Top|| File under: Palestinian Authority

#1  Inter-Arab squabbling? Who's ever heard of such a thing?
Posted by: American Delight || 01/07/2013 5:14 Comments || Top||

#2  Just one more example of the cancer that is the entitlement society.

Why in hell should so many people be allowed to live, if not thrive, on the largess of others. This is nothing more than large scale panhandling, sort of like San Francisco.
Posted by: AlanC || 01/07/2013 15:38 Comments || Top||

#3  "You cheap chislin' bastards!"
Posted by: Muggsy Mussolini1226 || 01/07/2013 17:06 Comments || Top||

#4  At least panhandlers in S.F. aren't strapping suicide vests to their rags.
Posted by: American Delight || 01/07/2013 18:34 Comments || Top||

#5  Want them to pay up? Tell them you'll have a bunch of their Pali "brothers" move to their countries.
Posted by: tu3031 || 01/07/2013 19:18 Comments || Top||

#6  The PA in Gaza-West Bank is a Govt. widout any sovereign physical land to call its own - IFF THE PA CAN'T DEFEAT + TAKEOVER FROM ISRAEL, ITS ONLY REALISTIC + POLITICAL CHOICE IS TO CONQUER SOVEREIGN LANDS FOR ITSELF FROM NEIGHBORING ARAB-MUSLIM STATES.

Read, JORDAN.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 01/07/2013 22:40 Comments || Top||

#7  That would be the Jordan that kicked them out once before for being undesirable neighbors?

Based on their progress in building a thriving economy and functional government over the last 50 years, I fully expect that when the next century rolls over, the Paleos will still be living in "refugee camps", squabbling amongst themselves and trying to mooch off an Arab world that only cherishes them for their nuisance value to Israel and the West.
Posted by: SteveS || 01/07/2013 22:53 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
U.S. gives unstable Lebanon 200 armored vehicles
The United States has given 200 armored vehicles to Lebanon, the Lebanese army said on Monday, bolstering forces that have been struggling to deal with sectarian violence inflamed by the war across the border in Syria.

The M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs) arrived by ship to Beirut on Sunday, the army said in a statement. A Lebanese security source said the army now had 1,200 APCs.

A U.S. diplomat said the shipment of vehicles would support the Lebanese armed forces' “capabilities and their mobility and ability to respond to crises. It is also to protect borders and internal stability.”

The diplomat, who preferred not to be named, said the vehicles were used but were all in “very good working order and will be refurbished here in Lebanon”.

The United States has provided more than $140 million in equipment and assistance to the Lebanese armed forces in the past six months, including six Huey 2 helicopters, a 42-metre coastal security craft, more than 1,000 guns - including grenade launchers -- and 38 million rounds of ammunition.
Posted by: tipper || 01/07/2013 12:27 || Comments || Link || [336086 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I had no idea M113s were still being manufactured. This is pretty old tech ... talking 1960's/1970's armored vehicle.
Posted by: Phinenter the Lesser1556 || 01/07/2013 15:39 Comments || Top||

#2  Per the article used, but with enough sandbags, screens, tack-on plate, a serious urban ride.
Posted by: Shipman || 01/07/2013 15:52 Comments || Top||

#3  Are they the aluminium-skinned ones, that burst into flames at the drop of a hat?
Posted by: Muggsy Mussolini1226 || 01/07/2013 17:05 Comments || Top||

#4  Handing out 'sandbags', hoping they'll protect against the Syrian flood...
Posted by: Pappy || 01/07/2013 18:19 Comments || Top||


Syria Opposition Rejects Assad's Reconciliation Plan
[An Nahar] The opposition Syrian National Coalition rejects a reconciliation plan outlined by Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Leveler of Latakia...
in Damascus
...The place where Pencilneck hangs his brass hat...
on Sunday, front man Walid al-Bunni told Agence La Belle France Presse by phone.

"We said at the founding of the National Coalition that we want a political solution, but ... there are now over 60,000 deaders. The Syrians did not make all those sacrifices in order to bolster this tyrannical regime," he said.

Bunni said that the speech was directed primarily at the "international community, which engaged in a real effort to create a political solution that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people and ends the tyranny of the Assad family regime."

Assad will not accept "any initiative that does not restore stability to his regime and put him at the helm of control", Bunni said.

The president, he added, has "excluded the possibility of any dialogue with the rebels".

"He wants negotiating partners of his own choosing and will not accept any initiative that could meet the aspirations of the Syrian people or ultimately lead to his departure and the dismantling of his regime."

Assad's call to dialogue "excludes those who revolt" and is addressed to "those who did not rise up or who will gladly accept the return of stability despite all the sacrifices made by the Syrian people," Bunni said.

Assad in a rare speech denounced the opposition on Sunday as "slaves" of the West and called for national dialogue to draft a new charter and pave the way for legislative polls.

He said the conflict was not one between the government and the opposition but between the "nation and its enemies."

"Just because we have not found a partner, it does not mean we are not interested in a political solution, but that we did not find a partner," he told the audience.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336130 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  It's not a good sign, Pencilneck, when you find yourself willing to negotiate and your enemy unwilling.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 01/07/2013 16:22 Comments || Top||


London Says Assad Speech 'Beyond Hypocritical', Berlin Sees 'No New Insights'
[An Nahar] Britannia denounced Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs...
's speech on Sunday calling for a conference of national dialogue to end the Syrian conflict as "beyond hypocritical," as Germany said the address offered "no new insights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Assad's first speech to the nation since June was full of "empty promises" and would "fool no-one".

In an address to an ecstatic audience in a Damascus
...Home to a staggering array of terrorist organizations...
theater, Assad described the opposition as "slaves" of the West and outlined a reconciliation plan aimed at resolving a civil war which according to the U.N. has claimed more than 60,000 lives.

He called for a conference of national dialogue to be followed by a referendum on a national charter and parliamentary elections.

Assad also called on foreign powers to end their support for rebels seeking to bring down his regime.

Hague took to Twitter to vent his anger about the speech, writing: "AssadSpeech beyond hypocritical. Deaths, violence and oppression engulfing Syria are his own making, empty promises of reform fool no one."

Prime Minister David Cameron
... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ...
earlier reiterated his calls for the Syrian leader to stand down.

"My message to Assad is go," he told BBC TV. "He has the most phenomenal amount of blood on his hands."

Meanwhile,
...back at the Hubba Hubba Club, Nunzio wondered: Where the hell was Chumbaloni? And where was his $600?...
Guido Westerwelle, Germany's foreign minister, said "unfortunately the Assad speech contains no new insights."

"Instead of martial tones again, he should finally free the way up for a transition government and a political new start in Syria," he added in a written statement.

And he called for Assad "not only to vaguely declare the readiness for a ceasefire, but to finally stop the violence of his troops".
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336076 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  The Poms defining hypocrisy? Pull me another pint of Guinness please.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/07/2013 1:30 Comments || Top||


Assad Slams Palestinians Who Treat Syria Like 'Hotel'
[An Nahar] Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Horror of Homs...
accused Paleostinian groups he did not identify on Sunday of treating the country like a "hotel", in his first public speech in seven months.

Assad praised every "honorable Paleostinian in Syria who has served (the country's interests alongside) his Syrian brother and not treated Syria like a hotel, leaving it when circumstances become difficult."

His comments appeared to be an allusion to Islamist group Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, which had its headquarters in exile in Damascus
...The place where Pencilneck hangs his brass hat...
before quietly moving abroad and declaring its support for the uprising against Assad.

Syrian members of the Moslem Brüderbund movement, from which Hamas sprung, were among the first to participate in the revolt when it erupted in March 2011.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336069 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  The 5 Star Cluster, Royal Bashir Hotel caters to the Russian, a more distinguished and cosmopolitan guest.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/07/2013 1:48 Comments || Top||


EU Reiterates that Assad Must 'Step Aside'
[An Nahar] The European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
reiterated Sunday that President Basahar Assad must step aside to allow a political settlement after the Syrian leader called for a national dialogue in a much-awaited speech in Damascus
...Capital of the last remaining Baathist regime in the world...
A front man for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a short statement: "We will look carefully if there is anything new in the speech but we maintain our position that Assad has to step aside and allow for a political transition."

The 27-nation bloc first demanded Assad step down in mid-August 2011, just a few months after the beginning of the uprising against his regime.

Ashton at the time said that "the EU notes the complete loss of Bashir al-Assad's legitimacy in the eyes of the Syrian people and the necessity for him to step aside."

The EU has imposed 19 rounds of sanctions against the Damascus regime since the 21-month conflict began in March 2011, including a wide range of trade and financial measures as well as an arms embargo.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336069 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


U.S. Says Assad Plan 'Detached from Reality'
[An Nahar] Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs...
's road map to end the civil war ravaging his country is "detached from reality" and he should step down, the U.S. State Department said Sunday.

Assad's speech "is yet another attempt by the regime to cling to power and does nothing to advance the Syrian people's goal of a political transition. His initiative is detached from reality," spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

Nuland also said that Assad's proposal undermined the work of special U.N.-Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, and "would only allow the regime to further perpetuate its bloody oppression of the Syrian people."

"For nearly two years, the Assad regime has brutalized its own people," she said.

"Assad has lost all legitimacy and must step aside to enable a political solution and a democratic transition that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people."
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336080 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  File under - It takes one to know one
Posted by: Procopius2k || 01/07/2013 8:46 Comments || Top||


Iran welcomes Assad peace initiative for Syria
[Iran Press TV] An aide to Iran's diminutive President Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad has welcomed Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad's
Leveler of Latakia...
initiative for peace.

In a meeting on Sunday with visiting Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad, senior presidential advisor Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi said Assad's peace plan matches the six-point peace plan the Islamic Theocratic Republic unveiled recently.

Earlier on Sunday, Assad voiced his readiness for dialogue with the opposition and political parties in Syria. The Syrian leader also proposed general elections, adoption of a new constitution as well as a national reconciliation conference.

"The Syrian president's new initiative clears the way for a stronger presence by Syria in politics and in resolving [ongoing] problems, and I believe that anyone who claims to be a supporter of the Syrian nation and its progress must support this plan," Samareh Hashemi stated.

For his part, Al-Miqdad said the majority of Syrians consider Assad a symbol of resistance, integrity and unity, and back him.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336075 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Syria conflict between nation, enemies: President Assad
[Iran Press TV] Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
says the ongoing conflict in his country is not between the state and opposition but between the nation and its enemies.
From the graphic at Iran Press, it looks like Pencilneck has shaved his little Hitler mustache, presumably so he doesn't look like Adolph.
In a key speech on the situation in the country, Assad said on Sunday that his government will always extend its hand for dialogue with the opposition and political parties.

The Syrian president, however, said that the government "will not have dialogue with a puppet made by the West."

"Government will call for a comprehensive national dialogue" in the near future, he said.

"Syria wants peace and reconciliation," he said, adding that "Armed groups must halt terrorist acts."

The president added that the constitution will be subjected to referendum and that general amnesty will be announced.

Assad warned that that there is an "agenda to partition Syria" but stated that "the nation is for all and we all must protect it."

"Any initiative must be based on Syrian vision," Assad said, adding "we are to go ahead with own political process."

The president went on to say that the Geneva initiative on the transition in Syria was ambigiuous. He also said that "Any talk of revolution in Syria is just bubbles of soap."

The Syrian president lauded people in the villages that tried to block the enterance of gunnies from Turkey, adding that "the nation is for those who protect it."

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of security personnel, have been killed in the violence.

The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the gunnies fighting the Syrian government are foreign nationals.

Several international human rights
When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much...
organizations have accused the foreign-sponsored gunnies of committing war crimes.
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336073 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Assad calls for 'purely Syrian' solution
[Iran Press TV] In his rare public appearance, Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Trampler of Homs...
offered on Sunday a plan for putting an end to the country's 22-month-old crisis stoked up by the West and some regional puppet regimes, assuring his friends and foes that he did not have the least intention of stepping down and that he would steadfastly protect his people against those he described as 'slaves of foreign powers'.

Assad outlined a new peace initiative, a strategic roadmap and proposed the formation of a national reconciliation conference and a new government and constitution while at the same time he warned against the intervention of Western and regional powers through funding the jihad boys.

The crisis in Syria which had already begun to deepen and plunge the country into irretrievable chaos now seems to have partly ameliorated. Yet, stability is far off or even impossible although the gangs have reached a temporary military and political impasse.
The crisis in Syria which had already begun to deepen and plunge the country into irretrievable chaos now seems to have partly ameliorated. Yet, stability is far off or even impossible although the gangs have reached a temporary military and political impasse.

Syria is faced with two grave threats which in one way or another nullify any efforts directed at establishing peace and stability in the country. On the one hand, the al-Qaeda elements which make up a considerable part of the opposition have infiltrated into the country and on the other hand, the opposition is reportedly funded by the West and Arab dictators in the region.

On October 28, 2012, the Syrian army conducted a mop-up operation on the outskirts of Deir al-Zour, a city situated about 420 kilometers northeast of Damascus
...The capital of Iran's Syrian satrapy...
, engaged a group of gunnies and rubbed out Ammar Nawar al-Hajr, an al-Qaeda leader. In a recent development, 59-year-old Mohamed al-Zawahiri, the brother of al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri has been tossed in the clink
Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please!
by Syrian military forces in the city of Dara'a, southwest of Damascus. He was arrested while he was having a meeting with opposition gun-hung tough guys in Dara'a.

The gun-hung tough guys insist that Mohamed al-Zawahiri was engaged on a humanitarian mission and that he had, in fact, 'proposed a local truce to enable aid to get through.' The assertion roughly runs counter to the so-called fatwa his brother Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued, calling for a jihad against the "pernicious, cancerous regime" of Bashir al-Assad.

The fatwa of the al-Qaeda leader against the government of Bashir al-Assad consolidated the gradually surfacing assumption that the rebellion in Syria was of a different stock in comparison to what was happening in other Arab countries and that it was being funded and guided through a mysterious network.

In his speech, Assad reinforced that the conflict was not one "between the government and the opposition but between the "nation and its enemies."

"The one thing that is sure that those who we face today are those who carry the al-Qaeda ideology. There are those who seek to partition Syria and weaken it. But Syria is stronger... and will remain sovereign... and this is what upsets the West."

However,
some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves...
al-Qaeda is not the only party which contributes to unrest and dissension in Syria. The US and the West are also responsible for the Syrian mayhem. Among others, the UK seems to take the most interest in and to be the staunchest supporter of a regime change or euphemistically speaking a 'revolution' in Syria. British Prime Minister David Cameron
... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ...
has indicated Britannia is ready to step up its support for the Syrian opposition and warned that "nothing is off the table. I want a very clear message to go out to President Assad that nothing is off the table ... I want us to work with that opposition, to help shape that opposition, to advise and work with that opposition, so that we can see the speediest possible transition in Syria."

As if everything is in its place, and everybody is enjoying their lion's share of human rights
One man's rights are another man's existential threat.
and democracy in the UK, Cameron commenced pontificating about democracy in the Arab country, spoke of a transition of power and predicted a "a future for Syria that is democratic and inclusive, with full support for human rights and the rights of minorities."

Syria has never "rejected a political solution" but the problem is, as Assad said, "With whom should we talk? With those who have bad boy ideology who only understand the language of terrorism? Or should we negotiate with puppets whom the West brought...We negotiate with the master, not with the slave."

In point of fact, the problem is that neither the al-Qaeda nor the West-backed gun-hung tough guys have the least proclivity to construct an effective, diplomatically-centered dialogic relation with the government of Assad and prevent a crippling crisis from snowballing into a tortuously uncontrollable tight spot. From the outset, the West and the regional puppet regimes have called on Assad to step down and abandon the country to the care of the multiethnic and multinational gun-hung tough guys who do not even follow a selfsame agenda. US President B.O. has explicitly called on Syrian President Bashir al-Assad to step down. He also issued an executive order for the immediate freezing of all assets of Damascus and the prohibition of Americans from engaging in any transaction involving the government.

"We have consistently said that President Assad must lead a democratic transition or get out of the way. He has not led," Obama said in a statement. "For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside."

Obama's words have not only been reflected by Arab puppet regimes in the region but also been placed high on their agenda. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, has called for an Arab military intervention in Syria.

"It is better for Arab countries themselves to intervene out of their humanitarian, political and military duties and do what is necessary to stop the bloodshed."

The prospect of a Syria in the hands of the al-Qaeda Islamic fascisti is calamitously bleak and bare enough even without the presence of the US and the UK, which cherish gloomy musings for the country and will readily turn Syria into another Afghanistan.

What appears to be a definitive solution to the crisis in Syria lies in Assad's own words that any resolution must be "purely Syrian and ratified by referendum, including a charter drafted at the national dialogue conference."
Posted by: Fred || 01/07/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336068 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  "Mohammed al-Zawahiri ... tossed in the clink" > PIC(S) PLEASE.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 01/07/2013 1:12 Comments || Top||

#2  He has not led," Obama said in a statement.

But he does appear to be winning !
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/07/2013 2:14 Comments || Top||

#3  Gee, where have we seen that lately in the US?
Posted by: lotp || 01/07/2013 7:09 Comments || Top||



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Two weeks of WOT
Mon 2013-01-07
  Syria Opposition Rejects Assad's Reconciliation Plan
Sun 2013-01-06
  Dronezap in South Wazoo send 18 TTP Jihadis to their rewards
Sat 2013-01-05
  Syria jets, troops wage offensive on rebels near capital
Fri 2013-01-04
  New U.S. Drone Strike Kills Three Qaida Suspects in Yemen
Thu 2013-01-03
  Iran to Citizens: Flee Isfahan
Wed 2013-01-02
  Fourteen Killed as Nigerian Troops Clash with Islamists
Tue 2013-01-01
  Pakistan: Six charity workers shot dead
Mon 2012-12-31
  Qaeda in Yemen offers bounty for killing US ambassador, troops
Sun 2012-12-30
  Pakistan reports 21 tribal policemen kidnapped, found dead
Sat 2012-12-29
  At Least 15 Killed in Sect Attack in North Nigeria
Fri 2012-12-28
  Militants kill two, kidnap 22 Pakistani soldiers
Thu 2012-12-27
  Somalia sets 100 days for Al Shabab militants to surrender
Wed 2012-12-26
  6 Killed in Attack on Nigerian Church
Tue 2012-12-25
  Drone Strikes Kill Six Qaida Suspects in Yemen
Mon 2012-12-24
  Tunisia arrests 16 al-Qaeda suspects

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