Syria government is stronger now, British PM admits

British Prime Minister David Cameron 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has strengthened his position in recent months, British Prime Minister David Cameron admits.

Speaking on the state-run BBC’s Andrew Marr show, Cameron said the Syrian government is stronger now than few months ago. 

"I think he [Assad] may be stronger than he was a few months ago but I'd still describe the situation as a stalemate,” Cameron said. 

He also said London is still committed to help the insurgents in Syria despite dorpping plans to arm them in the Arab country. 

Britain pushed to lift an European Union (EU) arms embargo on Syria militants to open up the possibility for the West to arm the insurgents fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 

Cameron, however, held off after military chiefs warned over the risks of arming the insurgents. 

According to reports, British public is largely against sending arms to the militats in Syria. There are also fears that any weapons Britain supply could fall into the hands of extremists. 

Syrian government forces recaptured the strategically important town of al-Qusayr in Western Syria in June. Most of the much bigger city of Homs also has been retaken by the government troops. 

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011. According to the United Nations, more than 90,000 people have died and millions of others displaced in the violence. 

The Western countries, including Britain, and their other regional allies, have been supporting over two years of militancy in Syria. 

source : MOS/HE

Pakatan sues EC members to force re-election?

Published on 14 Jul 2013 : Pakatan Rakyat has filed a lawsuit against all seven members of the Election Commission (EC) in a bid to seek a declaration that the results of the 13th general election are null and void.

Pakatan’s uphill GE13 battle in the courts

The Malaysian Insider | July 15, 2013

The simple summary of Pakatan Rakyat’s suit in court today is that it did not get a fair election. The question now is, what can and will the courts do?

No matter how you slice or dice it, it is tough for Pakatan to win its suit against the Election Commission (EC) because courts here are loath to disturb anything to do with elections. It is even rare for election courts to overturn polls results.

What more nullifying the whole Election 2013.

Also, Malaysian courts have in recent years not demonstrated a willingness to confront the government of the day on various issues – be it conversions of minors to land matters.

That said, it is remains important for Pakatan to thoroughly detail its cases in which it believed fraud prevented it from winning on May 5, 2013. In dispute are at least 43 seats before the courts.

But what is quite clear is that the EC’s handling of the indelible ink over the past five years would have made the Keystone Kops proud. Never have we seen a commission blunder and make a hash of things the way it has.

All these years under the Prime Minister’s Department has insulated it so much so that it has fallen out of touch with the people and the need to be independent.

One hopes having parliamentary oversight will at least improve the commission because more is needed than a change of staff, and that is a change of mindset.

The commission has one job only, conduct free and fair elections. But Pakatan and other civil societies have complained that they have done the reverse.

So, the courts now have to decide whether Pakatan’s lawsuit has merits or the EC did conduct free and fair elections on May 5. – July 15, 2013.

source :

Military Coup in Egypt

BBC News Egypt unrest Morsi marchers die as army fires | Published on 5 Jul 2013

International reactions to Morsi's removal.

World leaders weigh in after Egypt's army commander announces that president had been removed.  Last Modified: 04 Jul 2013 18:28

The Egyptian army's suspension of the constitution and removal of President Mohamed Morsi has drawn mixed responses from world leaders:

European Union

The EU has called for a rapid return to democracy in Egypt.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said: "I urge all sides to rapidly return to the democratic process, including the holding of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections and the approval of a constitution, to be done in a fully inclusive manner, so as to permit the country to resume and complete its democratic transition,"

"I strongly condemn all violent acts, offer my condolences to the families of the victims, and urge the security forces to do everything in their power to protect the lives and well-being of Egyptian citizens."

France

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris took note that elections had been announced in Egypt following a transition period after the army ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

"In a situation that has worsened seriously and with extreme tension in Egypt, new elections have finally been announced, after a transition period."

France hoped a timetable would be drawn up respecting "civil peace, pluralism, individual liberties and the achievements of the democratic transition, so that the Egyptian people can freely choose their leaders and their future", he added.

Qatar

Qatar's new emir congratulated Egypt's Adli Mansour after he was sworn in as an interim leader.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, "sent a cable of congratulations" following the swearing in.

The foreign ministry said: "Qatar will continue to respect the will of Egypt and its people across the spectrum," the source said.

Qatar was alone among Gulf Arab states in celebrating the 2011 Arab Spring revolt that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi King Abdullah sent a message of congratulations to Adly Mansour ahead of his appointment as interim president.

"In the name of the people of Saudi Arabia and on my behalf, we congratulate your leadership of Egypt in this critical period of its history. We pray for God to help you bear the responsibility laid upon you to achieve the ambitions of our brotherly people of Egypt," the message said.

Syria

Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday praised Egypt's protests against their leader and said his overthrow by the military means the end of "political Islam".

Assad, who is seeking to crush a revolt against his own rule, said Egyptians have discovered the "lies" of the Muslim Brotherhood.

He spoke in an interview with the state-run Al-Thawra newspaper.

"What is happening in Egypt is the fall of so-called political Islam," Assad said. "This is the fate of anyone in the world who tries to use religion for political or factional interests."

United Arab Emirates

The UAE welcomed the change in Egypt, according to state news agency WAM, and praised the Egyptian armed forces.

"His Highness Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the foreign minister of the UAE, expressed his full confidence that the great people of Egypt are able to cross these difficult moments that Egypt is going through," WAM said in a statement.

"Sheikh Abdullah said that the great Egyptian army was able to prove again that they are the fence of Egypt and that they are the protector and strong shield that guarantee Egypt will remain a state of institutions and law," it added.

United Kingdom

The UK urged for calm in Egypt, but stopped short of calling the military intervention a coup.

"The situation is clearly dangerous and we call on all sides to show restraint and avoid violence," said Foreign Secretary William Hague. "The United Kingdom does not support military intervention as a way to resolve disputes in a democratic system."

The UK called on all parties to move forward and "show the leadership and vision needed to restore and renew Egypt's democratic transition".

"It is vital for them to respond to the strong desire of the Egyptian people for faster economic and political progress for their country," stressed Hague.

This must involve early and fair elections and civilian-led government, he said.

United States

The US State Department expressed concern over the military intervention.

The US ordered the mandatory evacuation of its embassy in Cairo, just hours after the army deposed Morsi. A later travel advisory confirmed that "the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and family members from Egypt due to the ongoing political and social unrest."

US President Barack Obama released a statement saying he was deeply concerned by the decision by Egyptian military to depose Morsi, and called for a swift return to civilian government.

"No transition to democracy comes without difficulty, but in the end it must stay true to the will of the people. An honest, capable and representative government is what ordinary Egyptians seek and what they deserve," Obama said.

"The long-standing partnership between the United States and Egypt is based on shared interests and values, and we will continue to work with the Egyptian people to ensure that Egypt’s transition to democracy succeeds.”

However, the US also stopped short of calling the military intervention a coup.

Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington, noted that any country involved in a coup was not entitled to aid from the US.

Germany

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the military intervention was "a major setback for democracy in Egypt" and called for "dialogue and political compromise".

"This is a major setback for democracy in Egypt," Westerwelle said during a visit to Athens. "It is urgent that Egypt return as quickly as possible to the constitutional order... there is a real danger that the democratic transition in Egypt will be seriously damaged."

"We call on all sides to renounce violence. We will watch developments in Egypt very closely. And then make our political decisions.

"Political detentions and a political wave of repression must be avoided at all cost. Now this is about returning to the path of democratic order."

source >>

As the army takes control of Egypt, demonstrators in favour of the ousted president feel isolated and ignored.

Supporters of Mohamed Morsi react after hearing that the army 
have decided to overthrow Morsi [Reuters]

Cairo - The fireworks celebrating Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s removal by the military are visible a few kilometres away, where thousands of his supporters are holding a sit-in, a protest they plan to continue until Morsi is reinstated.

Hours after his removal, the mood at the rally, outside a mosque in Cairo’s Nasr City neighbourhood, was sombre and confused.

Supporters of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood wondered how the man who last year became Egypt’s first democratically-elected president could be ousted so ignominiously.

Fear hovered over the rally, too, with many Brotherhood members wondering if Morsi’s removal would portend a wider crackdown on the once-banned group.

The army has encircled the site of the protest, blocking main roads with barbed wire and armoured vehicles; helicopters buzz overhead, often to jeers and curses from below. One man spat at a helicopter, dismissing its pilots as traitors.

read more >>

The REAL Reason Israel Attacked Syria

Published on 6 May 2013 : There is much more to Israel's recent attacks on Syria than we are being told by the mainstream media.

Israeli Intelligence News: Syria Rebels Possess Chemical Weapons, US-NATO Delivering Heavy Weapons to the Terrorists

The following report by the Israeli Intelligence news outlet Debka (quoting Turkish police sources) acknowledges that Al Nusrah rather than Syrian government forces have chemical weapons in their possession:

Turkish police round up Al Qaeda-linked Syrian Al Nusra terrorists in raids in Istanbul and southern cities near the Syrian border, Turkey police Friday arrested 12 members of al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Al Nusra Front. Found in their possession were four and a half pounds of sarin nerve gas, hand guns, grenades, bullets and documents for what the Turkish daily Zaman reported was a bomb attack on the Turkish town of Adana. (Debka, June 15, 2013, emphasis)

The Israeli intelligence news report quoted above contradicts the authoritative memo of the US intelligence community. It refutes the assessment of US intelligence which allegedly provides evidence of Syrian government forces using chemical weapons against the rebels.  It was on the basis of this US intelligence memo that Obama threatened President Bashar Al Assad for having crossed the red line:

“Following a deliberative review, our intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year,”

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said in a statement. “Our intelligence community has high confidence in that assessment given multiple, independent streams of information.”
“Obama has give notice to President Bashar Al Assad of  ‘enormous consequences’  for having crossed the ‘red line’” by allegedly using chemical weapons.

In  an unusual twist, the Israeli Debka report largely upholds the position taken by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin at the G-8 Summit in Northern Ireland.

Of significance, Debka also acknowledges that Al Nusrah –which is also supported covertly by Israel– is a terrorist organization. Moreover, Debka also confirms (without explicitly referring to Al Nusrah) that the US and NATO have delivered heavy weapons to the same Al Qaeda affiliated rebels in the Aleppo region bordering onto Turkey:

NATO and a number of European governments, most significantly the UK, have started airlifting heavy weapons to the Syrian rebels poised in Aleppo to fend off a major Syrian army offensive, according to debkafile’s exclusive military sources. They disclose that the first shipments were landed Monday night, June 17, and early Tuesday in Turkey and Jordan. They contained anti-air and tank missiles as well as recoilless 120 mm cannons mounted on jeeps. From there, they were transferred to rebel forces in southern Syria and Aleppo in the northwest. (Debka, June 18, 2013)

source here >>>

UN expresses doubt about chemical weapons use in Syria

The United Nations is now saying it has no conclusive evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria.

The statement marks an about-turn from statements made by Investigator Carla Del Ponte at the weekend when she suggested that rebels had been using the banned nerve agent sarin.

The Syrian government has renewed its demand for an investigation on the ground in Syria, and has called for it to take place as soon as possible.

"We are a hundred percent confident that Syria did not use chemical weapons against its own people. We are one hundred percent sure, but the opposition are fabricating all of these lies to create a real problem and to cover up for the crime committed in Aleppo. Through you we tell the United Nations to come immediately," said Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.

In America, President Obama has said a red line will be crossed if chemical weapons are used, and some appear convinced they already have - by the government.

"We find it highly likely that chemical weapons, if they were in fact used in Syria - and there is certainly evidence that they were - that the Assad regime was responsible," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

In a separate development in Washington the chairman of Congress's Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Robert Menendez, has introduced a bill which, if passed by house, senate and president, would provide weapons for selected rebel groups.

‘They are killing each other’: Western weapons for Syrian rebels will intensify war

 

The US decision to arm the Syrian rebels fighting government troops has sparked feuds among various rebel factions dominated by radical Islamist fighters. RT contributor Afshin Rattansi warns against the move, as internal schisms among the rebels deepen.

A power struggle may also be brewing in the rebels’ ranks: Fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front have reportedly assassinated a large number of officers of the Free Syrian Army.

RT: The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front is now said to be targeting Free Syrian Army (FSA), but these two share a common goal – to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. Is there some sort of power struggle we are seeing within the rebel ranks?

Afshin Rattansi: The rebel ranks were in Istanbul recently, where they could make no type of agreement between themselves. Now they are actually killing each other. This power struggle has been going on for months and months.

And presumably President Obama and the NATO powers are saying that they will give weapons to the Free Syrian Army. Well, if Al-Nusra Front is murdering members of the Free Syrian Army, then presume they take some of those arms and use them. Disunity in the rebel ranks is high, and is now extending to attacking Kurds in the northern part of Syria.

CIA drone war - How has the US got away with it?

Published on Jun 17, 2013 : Over the past decade the CIA has launched hundreds of drone attacks on Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan, killing nearly 1,000 civilians, and making daily life a living hell for those on the ground. We explain exactly what drones are and how the US has been getting away with these attacks for so long.

Working around 10 Downing Street Memo!

It's an open secret that some Nations are arming Syrians 'rebels' (Incl America?), the current noise is to increase the stakes to the extend of imposing a no fly zone?

Syrian civilians will be sitting ducks?

Indications are US & Allies are working out the '10 Downing Street memo' instructions for Syria. Have a policy to armed Syrians rebel, and have everything else to work around that policy!

Can we trust US intelligence on Syrian chemical weapons?

Published on Jun 14, 2013 : Barack Obama has announced that the US will support the rebels in Syria with weapons. Russia have said that the evidence used to justify this is not convincing, yet both France and Britain are on board that Assad has used chemical weapons. We want to hear your thoughts. Can a military intervention be justified on these assertions?

AJE Iranian election campaigns?

Never mine about their rights, don't talk about it!
Forget all the wrongs done by the US on them...
Don't talk of compensations & not even of releasing
or allow them to liquidate their frozen assets...
Just campaign for forces - pro getting the US sanctions lifted?

We know what you expect from some one you termed moderate? 

Hasan Rouhani leads vote count in Iran

Published on 15 Jun 2013 : In early results for Iran's presidential election, Hassan Rouhani has a significant lead. The cleric is the only relative moderate centrist running against his conservative rivals.

AJE, voice of US State Dept - Going after Hezbollah?

1] Attempts at listing Hezbollah a a terrorists organization by EU, not very successful & popular with the people, many knew by heart the history of formation of Israel - is this a desperate move by AJE to ensure that?
2] US & Israel have not been 100% successful to create a global Sunni hatred towards Iran & Hezbollah - is this a double sided sword move by AJE to achieve that?
3] Lebanon has not seen much successful moves to create sectarian violence there, lately - is this a triple agenda by AJE to realize that goal? GIVING THEIR MERCENARIES A BOOST?

Syria rebels mull next move after Qusayr fall

Published on 6 Jun 2013 The Syrian town of Qusayr was lost by the rebels 24 hours ago, a big strategic win for the Assad government. By holding Qusayr, the government is now in control of vital roads and supply routes. As the Free Syrian Army retreats, the focus turns to Syria's other frontlines. It is likely that Assad loyalist supported by Hezbollah fighters will try to secure towns in and around Homs, as well as the rebel stronghold of Aleppo. Rebel forces have been in control of the main military airports in Aleppo for the past few months.

Selling Usury?

International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings Highlights

Published on 7 Jun 2013: Gerry Rice, Director of IMF's External Relations Department, provides highlights of the main messages, issues and events taking place during the 2013 World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings

Afghanistan: The price of revenge - Episode 2

Published on 7 Jun 2013 AJE Analysis : After years of violence and bloodshed, the lives of more than 3,000 soldiers have been lost, and the US leaves behind a country on the brink of civil war.

Syrian civil war widens worryingly?

Cystalizing & moving towards end of history? Syrian forces regain main Golan Heights crossing

Published on 6 Jun 2013 : The Syrian conflict is edging closer to Israel. Syrian government forces have retaken a crossing between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Rebels had seized Quneitra earlier on Thursday. The fighting took place close to the headquarters of a United Nations peacekeeping force. Two UN peacekeepers were wounded, prompting Austria to announce it was withdrawing its troops.

Assad claims, Russia denies, and fighting in Syria continues

Published on 30 May 2013 : The boasts expressed by Syria's president Bashar al-Assad on Thursday that his country had taken delivery of an entire system of advanced Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles have done nothing to ease tension in the Syrian crisis.

New Film Exposes the Israeli Weapon and Security Industry

Published on 19 May 2013 - Yotam Feldman: the Israeli economy has become dependent on the massive security market. Governments act in hypocrisy when they purchase Israeli arms used against Palestinians, but criticize Israeli violence.

Israeli Strikes in Syria Pose Dilemma for Arab States

Published on 6 May 2013 : The response to Israeli airstrikes against Syrian government targets highlights the intricate web of loyalties ensnaring neighboring Arab states. VOA's Elizabeth Arrott has more from Cairo.

Dozens die in quake near Iran nuclear plant

Published on 9 Apr 2013 : A powerful earthquake has struck close to Iran's only nuclear power station, killing at least 32 people and injuring 850 more as it devastated small villages, according to state media reports.

Tuesday's 6.3 magnitude quake totally destroyed one village, a Red Crescent official told the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), but the nearby Bushehr nuclear plant was undamaged, according to a local politician and the Russian company that built it.

Many houses in rural parts of the province are made of mud brick, which can easily crumble in a quake.

     

Malaysia PM dissolves parliament

Published on 3 Apr 2013 : Malaysia's parliament has been dissolved ahead of a general election expected to be held later this month. The party of the prime minister, Najib Razak, has ruled for more than 50 years. The next election is expected to be a tight contest.