Updated throughout the day to witness the 2 Million Bikers to DC ride.
The Washington Times notes that the Million Muslim American March got s permit for 1,000 participants, which they have neglected to mention in their advertising.
(Reuters) - On a warm, late August evening in Kabul, a long line of black, armoured four-wheel-drives rolled into a palatial compound owned by Abdul Rashid Dostum, an infamous Afghan warlord turned political powerbroker. Infamous to some perhaps.
Some of the country's most powerful men alighted and slipped through Dostum's front door for a meeting that marked the first tentative step to maintain stability as the conflict-torn nation faces a turning-point next year, when Western troops withdraw after over a decade of war against Taliban insurgents. Some of the country's most powerful men.... sans Karzai.
For much of the 1990s, after the withdrawal of Soviet troops, Afghanistan was wracked by a civil war between various warlords fighting for territory. The Taliban, a movement born in Afghan refugee camps in neighbouring Pakistan, swept into Kabul in 1996, taking advantage of the disarray. Note the "born in refugee camps" misinformation.
Dostum's meeting appeared aimed at preventing a return to the chaos of the 1990s, which would fritter away the gains of over a decade of intensive Western engagement in Afghanistan and billions of dollars in aid. We shall see if he is once again betrayed by the feckless west.
[An Nahar] A U.S. envoy on Tuesday dismissed suggestions that Washington would withdraw all troops from Afghanistan after next year, saying that both countries wanted to preserve a smaller force.
Aides to U.S. President Barack Obama I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody... earlier this year openly mulled the so-called "zero option" of a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan once U.S. troops end their combat role in 2014.
"We talk about the zero option -- that's not an option for the United States," said James Dobbins, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistain.
"It's obviously an option for the Afghans -- If they don't want anybody, we're not going to stay. But I don't think that's an option the Afghans are likely to choose," he said at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank.
Dobbins said he expected "several thousand American forces and several thousand non-American NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants... forces" in 2015 and beyond. Roughly 100,000 foreign troops now serve in Afghanistan, two-thirds of them from the United States.
Obama has pledged to the war-weary U.S. public to end the country's longest-ever war, which was launched to fight Al-Qaeda and their Taliban allies after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Taliban
HARGEISA, Somalia -– An Anglo-Turkish oil exploration company, Genel Energy withdrew its expatriates from Somalia’s separatist region of Somaliland in an unofficial move, Garowe Online reports. Independent sources in Hargeisa tell Garowe Online that following security threats and political pressure, Genel Energy decided to permanently stop exploration operations and pull the company’s teams out of Somaliland regions, of northwestern Somalia.
Somaliland government which awarded an exploration license for onshore blocks SL-10-B and SL-13 with a 75% working interest in August 2012 to Genel Energy confirmed the pullout; however, Somaliland officials say the operations were halted due to political pressure with the possibility that Federal Government of Somalia threatened license revocation.
According to local reports and sources close to Somaliland's separatist administration, the exploration company staffers noted that security issues forced them to vacate exploration fields.
"In the face of a deteriorating security situation we are temporarily suspending our seismic operations," said a Genel spokesman, in a statement that annoyed Somaliland officials.
Garowe Online has learned that Somaliland renewed the previous license by signing Oodweyne Production Sharing Agreement which covers blocks SL-6, SL-7 and SL-10-A in November 2012 with Genel Energy Company.
In regard to that agreement, Genel dispatched its first mission to Somaliland at the end of 2012 and commenced to conduct exploration activities at selected targets in Togdheer region of Somaliland.
Before suspending its operation, in an official statement titled “Our operation in Somaliland”, Genel Energy said the drilling has been scheduled to begin in mid-2014.
On August 6, Somali Federal Government signed an oil and gas exploration deal with newly established UK-based company Soma Oil and Gas, but according to the agreement, Soma Oil and Gas would carry out seismic surveys in territorial waters while the onshore regions are likely to witness limited operations.
UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea warned in 2013 confidential report that Western commercial oil exploration may spark new conflict in Somalia: "These inconsistencies, unless resolved, may lead to increased political conflict between federal and regional governments that risk exacerbating clan divisions and therefore threaten peace and security," the UN report noted.
Somaliland’s neighbor to east, Puntland warmed of “consequences” in Somaliland’s pursuit of oil exploration in Sool and Sanaag regions.
"Somaliland is creating conflict in the region. Somaliland cannot give land to foreign companies to explore oil when the land does not belong to Somaliland," Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole said while he was delivering a keynote address at Puntland State House in Garowe on 1 August, a date on which Puntland people celebrated 15 years of statehood.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
back to Civil War, hmmmm?
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/11/2013 9:28 Comments ||
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[WashingtonTimes] The Moslem Brüderbund and its supporters have began forcing the roughly 15,000 Christian Copts of Dalga village in Egypt to pay a jizya tax as indicated in Koran 9:29, author and translator Raymond Ibrahim reported on Sunday.
Jizya is the money, or tribute, "that conquered non-Moslems historically had to pay to their Islamic overlords 'with willing submission and while feeling themselves subdued' to safeguard their existence," Mr. Ibrahim explained.
According to Fr. Yunis Shawqi, who spoke yesterday to Dostor news hounds in Dalga, all Copts in the village, "without exception," are being forced to pay the tax.
"[The] value of the tribute and method of payment differ from one place to another in the village, so that, some are being expected to pay 200 Egyptian pounds per day, others 500 Egyptian pounds per day," Mr. Shawqi said, according to the translator.
In some cases, families not able to pay have been attacked. As many as 40 Christian families have now fled Dalga, Mr. Ibrahim reported.
The taxes are not unique to Egypt either.
Just over the weekend Syrian rebels went into a Christian man's "shop and gave him three options: become Moslem; pay $70,000 as a tax levied on non-Moslems, known as jizya; or be killed along with his family," Christian Science Monitor reported.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
09/11/2013 12:42 ||
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Top|| File under: Muslim Brotherhood
#1
"It's okay - they're not "christians like 'we' are"...
#4
Much better article. In short, the entire province of Minya is out of central control, there was an uprising by local Brotherhood types, including a coup within the provincial police.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
09/11/2013 15:50 Comments ||
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[Ynet] During the Egyptian army's operations against terrorist strongholds in Sinai, documents revealing radical jihadist agents' plans to assassinate a number of senior military and public figures were revealed.
As Al-Ahram news website reported, according to senior security sources, among the officials targeted is Defense Minister General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
09/11/2013 01:11 ||
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[MAGHAREBIA] For several days, men have been distributing leaflets and going door to door in Algiers, distributing leaflets and collecting signatures for a petition to close a well-known bar.
The "Park Inn" (better known as "Kader's Place") is not the first such establishment to come under fire in the capital city.
Other owners of bars and restaurants serving alcohol have shut their doors in the face of pressure from conservative residents.
Amid the rise of the Islamists, Algiers Mayor Abdelkrim Bettache has taken steps to reopen those establishments forced to close, including a bar at 90 Boulevard Mohamed V.
The mayor is advocating dialogue as a means of easing the tensions.
"You can't shut a shop, school or anything else by closing roads," he said. "There are regulations, laws and institutions in this country that must be respected."
"These untimely decisions must end. Yes, there are regulations that have to be complied with, but that's all," he told the local governors.
"We need to create social interaction," Sellal said at the June meeting. "You have to give people some breathing space. How can you expect there to be security if you oblige restaurants and other places to close? Let people unwind and relax."
The premier's statements have done little to allay the fears of bar and nightclub managers. They did not wish to be quoted for fear that someone might come after them.
"On the one hand, there is a rise in religious conservatism, and on the other hand, there are Algerians who like to drink. Our establishments are not empty and even if we close our doors, they will go on drinking," the owner of one of the oldest bar-restaurants in Algiers told Magharebia.
"During the era of terrorism, coppers encouraged us to stay open until 11pm. It was a form of resistance," he added.
There is also a heavy price to be paid for shuttering all the bars, he noted.
The closure of these establishments will lead to job losses, a rise in black markets, tax evasion, the emergence of adulterated goods and the accumulation of litter in the city, he said.
And according to the Association of Algerian Beverage Producers (APAB), alcohol consumption is not falling.
Each year, Algeria consumes some 1.2 million hectolitres of beer, 600,000 hectolitres of wine and 120,000 hectolitres of imported spirits, APAB President Ali Hamani told Magharebia.
Nearly 2,000 bars selling alcoholic drinks closed down between 2008 and 2012. "A parallel distribution market has emerged due to the high demand," Hamani claimed.
The closure of bars has also given rise to new habits. When night falls, cars can now be seen parked along roads where young people chat over a beer.
"We're not doing anyone any harm, we just want to booze with our friends but people make out that we're hooligans," 27-year-old Nazim told Magharebia.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Salafists
#1
Don't try to do that with a gay-owned cupcake shoppe here in America...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
09/11/2013 8:05 Comments ||
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#2
"Cheers" in Islam - where everybody knows your name, what car you drive, and where you live, Infidel!
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/11/2013 9:30 Comments ||
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[An Nahar] Tunisian prisons and detention centers are facing the risk of "terrorist" acts, the prison officers union said on Tuesday, with several attacks having reportedly been foiled already.
"The Tunisian authorities have been notified by the international organization Interpol about the existence of a terrorist threat against the prisons," the union's secretary general Olfa Ayar told a news conference.
The intelligence services have already thwarted several planned attacks targeting prisons and prison staff, she said, adding guards had received death threats.
Tunisia's prison service chief Habib Sboui confirmed her claims.
"These threats are illustrated by calls from (al-Qaeda-linked Salafist group) Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Tunisia and Yemen, with the Tunisian version currently most active... to release its placed in durance vile Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! members," Sboui told Agence La Belle France Presse.
"There is daily coordination between the justice and interior ministries to ensure the security of the detention centers, despite the shortcomings" of those centers, he added.
Tunisian prisons are notoriously overcrowded, with some holding three times as many detainees as they were designed for.
There have been a number of large-scale jailbreaks across the region in past weeks, notably in the Libyan city of Benghazi where nearly 1,300 inmates escaped in late July with the suspected assistance of al-Qaeda.
Following a string of attacks blamed on jihadists, Tunisia's Islamist-led government has taken a much tougher stand towards krazed killer groups like Ansar al-Sharia in recent months after being heavily criticized for complacency towards them.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[2 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[An Nahar] The Gulf Cooperation Council stated on Tuesday that the process of blacklisting Hizbullah as a terrorist organization would take time.
"The process requires time and a procedures linked to a united Gulf stance on the party," explained Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled bin Mohammed al-Khalifa at the beginning of a GCC council meeting in Jeddah, 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... He added however that Bahrain had already blacklisted the group "due to its meddling in the country's internal affairs."
So embarrassing when a bunch of Mossad agents in tennis whites kill a Hizb'allah arms merchant operating out of one of the nation's nicer hotels...
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Army has secured the western borders of the country by thwarting the nefarious designs of terrorists, says Maj-Gen Sanaullah Niazi.
He said that hard boyz wouldn't be allowed to disturb peace of the area. Militants wanted to disturb peace of the region as proxies of some forces, he added.
Maj-Gen Sanaullah, who commands security forces in Malakand division, visited Dir to inaugurate Jashn-e-Kumrat, a sports festival, the other day.
The festival, which couldn't be held for several years owing to security problems in Malakand division, would continue for 10 days and nights.
Maj-Gen Sanaullah told the participants of inaugural ceremony that the sports festival would promote peace and tourism in the district.
He said that people of Upper Dir not only cooperated with security forces but also fought Death Eaters bravely. Every citizen wanted peace as development was not possible without it, he said.
A huge number of people thronged Dir Stadium as more than 3,000 players, participating in different games, marched past the stage. A spectacular show of firework illuminated the sky as people cheered and clapped. The tournaments of cricket, basketball, volleyball, football, badminton, snooker, tug-of-war and table tennis tournaments are part of Jashn-e-Kumrat.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] The top military leadership of Pakistain Tuesday discussed the operational situation at the borders and vowed that territorial integrity of the country would be safeguarded at all cost, said an ISPR blurb.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) meeting, presided over by its chairman General Khalid Shameem Wynne, discussed the emerging geo-strategic environment and internal security along with matters related to tri-service operational readiness at length.
The meeting of the military's highest coordination forum took place a day after a unanimous decision of holding talks with Talibs was taken by politicians and military leadership in the best national interest.
Besides the internal threats being faced by the country, tensions had also flared up last month in the heavily militarised Kashmire valley with the nuclear-armed neighbours pointing the finger at each other.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Tuesday that the framework for holding dialogue with Taliban is ready and there was no foreign pressure in this regard.
Addressing a presser, he said it was the unanimous decision of politicians and military leadership to hold talks with the Taliban in the best national interest.
"It is our own decision. The draft for the talks is ready, however, I cannot share its details. We will keep you updating and share information as the talks progress," he added.
The minister said it was the government's prime responsibility to pull the country out of the crisis by carefully analyzing the situation and pursuing a pragmatic strategy.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah Tuesday said the government should hold result-oriented dialogue with Taliban to curb terrorism and restore peace in the country.
Speaking to journalists at his chamber in the Parliament House, he said, "There are two types of Taliban: Afghans and Paks. It is easy to negotiate with the Afghan Taliban as compared to the Paks, because there are around 59 groups operating in the country."
Shah said the Pakistain People's Party (PPP) government had brought Sufi Muhammad to the negotiating table for 13 times, but all efforts went in vain as many agreements reached in the talks were not even adhered to by the Taliban themselves.
He urged the government to devise a mechanism to check the mushroom-growth of seminaries in the country. "The government will have to take strict decisions to improve the law and order situation in the country. The PPP will support the government in this regard as it has backed the government's stance at the All Parties Conference (APC)," he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
It is easy to negotiate with the Afghan Taliban as compared to the Paks, because there are around 59 groups operating in the country."
Much easier to deal with one's pets than with feral animals.
[Ynet] A statement released by al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, Fatah's military wing, called on all units and sleeper cells to prepare for a confrontation with the "Israeli occupation" on Friday. The statement further added there will be a "green light" to carry out attacks beginning Friday.
The statement also referred to the events that take place at the al-Aqsa Mosque on a daily basis. According to the military wing, there is "an invasion of herds of settlers to the compound and (they) harm the worshippers without any intervention from the international community."
Besoeker: Syria posts go into the Syria column, not 'Africa North'. AoS.
White Rino Republican Sen. John McShame said Wednesday President Champ struck an emotional chord with the American public late Tuesday, but he was "very disappointed" that he did not lay out a plan to arm vetted rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad. What is good for America, not good for McShame ?
"I feel very badly for my friends in the Free Syrian Army today," Mr. McShame of Arizona told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." Perhaps you should find some new 'friends'.
Unlike many of his more sane colleagues, the senator has pushed for military action to punish Mr. Assad for a chemical attack Aug. 21 near Damascus that killed an estimated 1,400 civilians.
"I thought we should have acted a long time ago," Mr. McShame said. "I thought, I thought, I thought, I thought".
He said Syrian rebels will be driven into the hands of extremist groups in the region if they think the they've been abandoned by the United States and other western nations. It will be a short drive.
"That impression I'm sure has been made on them today," he told MSNBC. Exercising diplomacy and avoiding war....a bad impression ?
#2
He said Syrian rebels will be driven into the hands of extremist groups in the region if they think the theyÂ’ve been abandoned by the United States and other western nations.
I didn't immediately see the flag on the field. First, it seems our illustrious demi-gods have been going about the world making promises they can't keep. Second, putting on the jersey of the US Military doesn't mean you will automatically win your pick-up basketball game. In fact, I think if I wore a Jeter Jersey and went to bat in a Georgia league game I would deserve the social beating.
These are the extremists who just assassinated the proclaimed moderate general of Team Free Syria. Helping them out needed to happen about a year ago. Vegas baby. Vegas.
Where were the howls then Johnny? Binders full of Senators. Binders.
Posted by: Paul D ||
09/11/2013 10:45 Comments ||
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#5
Maybe next time they'll think twice before they start a war.
McCain was calling for air support for the rebels long before there were any gas attacks. He's been itching for a fight for a long, long time. All the gas attacks did were to give him and his friend the Champ an excuse. If there's anything good that came from the 2008 election it is that McCain didn't win.
Hey, I have an idea. How about we all contribute to pay for his air fare to Turkey. Then he can grab an AK, cross the border into Syria, join his friends on the ground and do some real fighting.
#6
The Gulf nations are funding the extremists, Paul D., especially Saudi Arabia. Turkey is involved as well, because Prime Minister Erdogan is miffed his former best friend Bashir is choosing not to surrender as commended. We are providing training, to our shame. Because the extremists are either directly Al Qaeda in Iraq or tied to Al Qaeda (Al Nousra), or jihadis from all over happy to be generalled by Al Qaeda experts.
Why? Because the Sunni-Shiite war has erupted again, and Syria is the current battlefield.
#7
One more thing, Johnny Boy. The American people never made any commitment to your "friends" in the Free Syrian Army. NEVER.
If your friends are feeling abandoned it's because you went over there on your own whim and fed them a load of crap. That'll teach 'em to listen to you.
#11
McCain is becoming a real embarrassment. You had your day and we respect your courage and sacrifice, but retire before you're completely senile, John.
As for Obumble cutting a deal with the rooskies, if it happens it will be a Potemkin deal, and Vlad will hurt himself laughing.
#14
“I feel very badly for my friends in the Free Syrian Army today,” Mr. McCain of Arizona told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Odd, I thought that was Treason, Silly me, I guess not if you're a democrat.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/11/2013 19:21 Comments ||
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#15
ZOOOOOOMMMG, really???
hehe.
The Rebs are not just feeling abandoned, IMO they're even more po'ed at the Bammer = USA + now the Russians.
ITV THE PROPOSED DEAL IS AN ALL-AROUND LOSE-LOSE-LOSE .... [again] FOR THEM.
> Baby Assad stays in power.
> Russia + Iran [China?] to continue to support him, now likely wid even bigger flows of new arms + $$$, etc. to offset Assad's surrender of his ChemWar arsenal.
> "STATUS QUO" VEE THE BAMMER ADMIN, i.e. NOTHING OR NEXT-TO-NOTHING TO THE REBS.
AFP - Russian President Vladimir Putin will offer to supply Iran S-300 air defence missile systems as well as build a second reactor at the Bushehr nuclear plant, the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday.
Putin will renew an old offer to supply Iran with five of the sophisticated ground-to-air missile systems at a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rowhani on Friday, Kommersant said, quoting a souce close to the Kremlin.
Putin is set to meet Rowhani at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation held in Kyrgyzstan on Friday.
Russia in 2007 signed a contract to deliver five of the advanced ground-to-air weapons -- which can take out aircraft or guided missiles -- to Iran at a cost of $800 million.
In 2010, then-president Dmitry Medvedev cancelled the contract after coming under strong US and Israeli pressure not to go ahead with the sale of the weapons system, drawing vehement protests from Tehran.
The source told Kommersant that Russia's offer would depend on Iran's withdrawing a $4 billion lawsuit that it has lodged at an international court in Geneva against Russia's arms export agency.
Kommersant wrote that Putin would offer to supply Tehran with a modified export version of the S-300 systems called S-300VM Antey-2500.
Russia has urged the West to soften sanctions against Iran after the election of Rowhani, a centrist cleric, in June.
The source also said that Putin was ready to sign a deal with Iran on building a second reactor for the Bushehr nuclear plant.
The source said the deal was not "particularly profitable from an economic point of view, but was rather political."
Russia completed the construction of Bushehr, which is Iran's only functioning nuclear power station, despite protests from Israel and the United States.
Iran is at loggerheads with world powers over its controversial nuclear programme, which the Western powers and Israel suspect is aimed at making a bomb despite repeated denials by Tehran.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Kommersant that Putin and Rowhani were expected to discuss "working together in the nuclear energy sphere" and "questions of military technical cooperation" in talks at the summit in Bishkek.
#1
feeling spunky, isn't he? Not skeeered by Kerry's "incredibly small, insignificant, teeny-tiny" military threat
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/11/2013 9:33 Comments ||
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#2
He's on a roll. Who's going to stop him. He has a free hand now. Making money, building his economy and without war. Like the Chinese. We'll supply the weapons your politics are your concern. Longterm trade agreements and political clout in the world arena. What a contrast with our leadership. O even adds more internal problems. I will be surprised if the race riots don't start up again.
Another win from those brilliant foreign policy johnnies of the Obama administration.
[Ynet] The B.O. regime on Tuesday eased longstanding restraints on humanitarian and good-will activities between Iran and the United States, including athletic exchanges, the New York Times ...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... reported.
The Treasury Department said in a statement that it had cut the bureaucracy for obtaining exemptions in order to expedite the provision of health services, disaster relief, wildlife conservation and human rights ...not to be confused with individual rights, mind you... projects in the country, it was reported.
The deal that ended the Cuban missile crisis also involved a secret agreement (not revealed until 25 years later)to pull US nuclear missiles out of Turkey. A lesser-known aspect of that deal removed US listening posts from Turkey as well.
Which begs the question: What other, secret agreements will come out of this?
"There are two clear winners in this slow-motion train wreck, and they are not Obama or Kerry," New Republic Editor Julia Ioffe points out. "They are Assad and Putin."
#3
Had Saddam been savvy enough to have made such an announcement and brought the UN inspectors back, we might still have a 500,000 soldiers, Marines, and airmen sitting in Kuwait, ready to jump off.
I personally don't give a fok who gets credit for not starting WWIII. If Vlad helped Champ get something off the bottom of his shoe, good on him. It's only a temp fix however. Champ will step in it again. Amateurs usually do.
#4
Champ blew his international seriousness one year ago today when he traded US Response for Election Results.
Chickens coming home to roost.
I don't think there is credit to be given anywhere - in the Real World you don't have to call Check when your opponent makes a bad move. Scoreless soccer and strikeless baseball are fairy tales.
#5
In my opinion Putin will now be relentless. Every day in one direction or another. Not war, he doesn't need that. He is the hunter sensing the weakness in another. It is clearly his day in the Sun. A self made man. A master in this game.
#6
I personally don't give a fok who gets credit for not starting WWIII. If Vlad helped Champ get something off the bottom of his shoe, good on him. It's only a temp fix however. Champ will step in it again. Amateurs usually do.
Bingo. I weep for my country, but BHO does not personally embody the United States. So I'm sort of enjoying seeing him get pwned.
#7
BHO does not personally embody the United States.
Half-black, confused Kenyan, coke snorting, foreign student, former lawyer, Chicago ghetto organizer, with a deep seated hatred of all things British and nearly everything white who has never held a private sector job.
#12
rjschwarz, Hello, I respectfully disagree. Money is the tie that binds here. Many in a close circle including Putin are now billionaires. Like the Kennedy's their version of a Camelot. This power will be handed down for many generations. Yes, some will squander their family money. Money will marry money and so the economic cement is nearly perfectly set. This is a unique moment in history for Russia. Putin will grab every bit of opportunity that presents itself. We should export Democrats , EPA, NSA or Pelosi. They would suck the life out of any country.
#13
Putin's achievements will not long outlive him. The question really is, will Obama's failures outlive him?
Count on it, there won't be another Black President ever.
(Probably not a woman either, Shrillary)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/11/2013 19:35 Comments ||
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#14
HOT AIR ARTIC = opined iff Vladimir Putin = Russia, N-O-T POTUS Obama = USA, is now the West's + International Community's leader in the Syria Crisis??
* INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > INDIAN DEFENCE NEWS - PROOF OF SYRIAN REBEL CHEMICAL USE GIVEN TO UN: RUSSIA.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > FIASCO: RUSSIA "NOT ENTHUSIASTIC" ABOUT UN RESOLUTION ON SYRIA, SAYS FRENCH PM.
* RELATED RIA NOVOSTI/RIAN.RU > RUSSIA REJECTS FRENCH DRAFT PROPOSAL ON SYRIA.
* RUSSIAN RADIO > TALKS ARE ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SUPERVISION OF [Syria's] CEHMICAL WEAPONS, NOT THEIR TRANFER - SYRIAN MINISTER.
* SAME > SYRIAN OPPOSITION WANTS [asks] MOSCOW TO
TAKE CONTROL OF COUNTRY'S CHEMICAL WEAPONS - RUSSIAN RADIO.
* DAILY STAR LEBANON > RUSSIA MAY EXPAND ARMS SALES TO IRAN IFF US STRIKES SYRIA.
Russian Lawmaker ALexei Pushkov.
* TOPIX > [Various] WHITE HOUSE: RUSSIAN PRESTIGE AT STAKE/ON THE LINE IN SYRIA.
Personally, I'm interpreting this diversion by the Bammer Admin as yet another victory for anti-US, pro-OWG-NWO Marxism/Leftism-Globalism, NOT AMERICA = AMERIKA.
Chief of the Arab League (AL) Nabil al-Arabi said the group will support Russia's proposal to place Syria's chemical weapons under international supervision, Egypt's official news agency MENA reported on Tuesday.
The AL will announce its support for the initiative of Russia in an official statement, Nabil al-Arabi was quoted by MENA as saying. He also urged the world to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the proposal early Monday, asking Syria to "put its chemical arms stockpiles under international control for eventual destruction." The plan was met with positive response from the Syrian government.
Earlier this month, AL urged the international community and the United Nations to take "deterrent and necessary measures" against the Syrian government over alleged chemical attacks that has killed hundreds on Aug. 21.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Russia doesn't actually have a final proposal yet
there may be some un pleasant details in it
Posted by: lord garth ||
09/11/2013 0:26 Comments ||
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#2
Lord Garth ---
"there may be some unpleasant details in it"
There WILL be some unpleasant details in it... just sayn'
#5
rumors of the still not finalized Russian proposal are coming out
one item is that Russia gets to sell more military stuff to Iran
another item is that US warships near Syria redeploy (or retreat in less PC terms)
another is a long time for Syria to identify sites and a longer time to inspect them and even longer to secure them (the last of these is actually reasonable given the logistical problems)
Posted by: lord garth ||
09/11/2013 9:55 Comments ||
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#6
Just so happens there are about a 1000 3rd party Chinese who just showed up. Put about 30 at High Value Targets, 10 at Mid Value, and that eliminates any meaningful strike vs. war with China. Its not even checkers, its Sorry! but without the high brow strategic considerations.
As International Troops come in to secure chemical facilities, that frees up Assad's troops to continue the fight. And what good are international security forces without their own air assets to protect the, uhem, removal of chemical weapons.
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has ordered to send weapons and ammunition humanitarian aid to neighboring Syria, Mehr news agency reported.
"Despite that Iran itself experiences some problems, yesterday I gave necessary orders to supply Syria with humanitarian aid, in particular food," Rouhani said. "We cannot watch an Islamic country being in crisis, as there are Muslims that are in need of help."
The widows need more ammo!
Iranian president went on to note that all of Iran's efforst are directed towards preventing a new war in the region.
Sure, they and Russia are doing everything they can...
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The United States is waiting to see a Russian proposal to put Syria's chemical weapons stock under international control, but will not wait for long, top diplomat John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... said Tuesday.
And Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said while everyone was hopeful the move could be "a real solution to the crisis," he warned the threat of "credible, real" U.S. military action had to remain on the table.
Kerry, claiming U.S. ownership of the plan to rein in chemical weapons first floated Monday, said: "Yesterday, we challenged the regime to turn them over to the secure control of the international community so that they could be destroyed."
Such a move "would be the ultimate way to degrade and deter" the arsenal held by Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Lord of the Baath... , he told the House Armed Services Committee.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had promised Kerry he would come up with a proposal to achieve the plan.
"We're waiting for that proposal. But we're not waiting for long," Kerry said.
He vowed that President Barack Obama I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody... -- who is due to address the nation later Tuesday -- "will take a hard look at it, but it has to be swift. It has to be real. It has to be verifiable," Kerry insisted.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
It's easy to talk tough when your bluff was called and everyone knows you don't mean any of it
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/11/2013 9:36 Comments ||
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#2
I thought our Syria arms plan fell apart about 12 months ago.
Credible threat: President who was elected on anti-war post-American world smart diplomacy, and a lead negotiator who had actively collaborated with enemy forces and shat on the US Military.
Ketchup Diplomacy - catch all 57 states of flavor!
You do mean, hypothetically challenged the regime? Verifiable, whut?
[An Nahar] A Syrian caricature shows U.S. President Barack Obama I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody... smile and pluck the petals of a daisy, as he wonders, "Should I bomb? Or shouldn't I bomb?"
While delays a strike against Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Scourge of Qusayr... 's regime that was thought imminent a week ago, Syrians on both sides of their civil war are resorting to black humor, sharing jokes and cartoons via mobile phone and the Internet.
After saying he had the authority to act on his own to strike the Syrian regime for its deadly use of chemical weapons near Damascus on August 21, Obama then referred the matter to Congress for a vote.
Now, with the prospects of a quick congressional vote diminishing and Obama cautiously welcoming a Russian initiative that would see Assad hand over his chemical arsenal, an imminent decision by the president is even less likely.
That apparent hesitation to act has given both pro- and anti-Assad Syrians a field day.
One Syrian posted a picture of Obama on Facebook with a biting caption that reads: "When Congress gives me the green light to strike, I will ask my wife Michelle and my in-laws. If they say it's alright, I'll go ahead!"
Meanwhile, ...back at the cheese factory, all the pieces finally fell together in Fluffy's mind... an Assad opponent said on the Internet he wants to "sue Barack Obama for spreading false information and for breaching the peace," 10 days after announcements were made of what seemed to be an imminent strike.
Another joke making the rounds on anti-regime Facebook pages was much darker, more than two years into a conflict that has left more than 100,000 dead.
"Mr President, you are right. We should wait another three years until the Syrian people are extinct," it read.
Cartoons mocking Obama's "indecision" made the rounds, with one depicting the U.S. president as Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse.
Another joke makes fun of the U.S. secretary of state, calling on Syrians to sign up for an imagined mobile phone service called John "Kerry, inform me at any cost" of when a strike would take place.
Some shared a joke about a man using unconventional means to propose to his fiancee: "Honey, let's wait till after the strike. We'll see what happens then."
Others told of a man who tried to convince his wife they needed to find a new home before the strike, while she replied: "Let's wait. Rent will be cheaper afterwards."
While the regime appeared not to have put in place any exceptional measures ahead of a possible, some commentators mocked the panic stirred in neighboring countries.
"The Israelis have distributed gas masks, the Jordanians are on alert, the Turks are deploying anti-aircraft missiles day and night, the Lebanese are nervous, the Iraqis are lost and the Egyptians are following up on our news more than their own...
"Are we sure there's a strike against Syria?" quipped one Facebook user.
Another imagined Syrians gathering, as they would to watch a football match, around "giant screens in public places, to watch the military strike live".
"An evening with shisha and drinks," the Internet surfer joked.
The football theme ran through other jokes, as a cartoon mocking the idea that Obama's strike would hit sensitive targets showed players covering their groins with their hands.
"Hide them well. We want to continue having children," the caption reads.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] President Hasan Rowhani Tuesday appointed decorated admiral and ex-defense minister Ali Shamkhani to replace hardline Saeed Jalili as secretary of the key Supreme National Security Council, media reported.
The SNSC is responsible for dictating defense and security policies under guidelines set out by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and for marshaling the country's resources to confront domestic and foreign threats.
Until now, it has been heavily involved in Iran's showdown with world powers over the country's nuclear ambitions, particularly under Rowhani's predecessor, Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad.
It is expected that the SNSC's direct involvement will be reduced but not eliminated after Rowhani last week tasked the foreign ministry with taking lead on future nuclear talks.
Jalili, who lost to Rowhani in the June 14 presidential election, acted as the SNSC's secretary since 2007 in a period talks between Iran and so-called P5+1 group of world powers failed to produce a breakthrough.
His performance in the talks and inability to make concession was criticized during the presidential campaign.
While being replaced as SNSC secretary, Jalili is not expected to leave the council, as he, along with Rowhani, are both special representatives of Khamenei to the council.
Shamkhani, an ethnic Arab, was reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami's defense minister for two four-year terms until 2005.
His record also includes serving as head of the now-abolished ministry for the Revolutionary Guards under then premier Mir Hossein Mousavi in the 1980s and commanding Iran's naval forces in the 1990s.
His appointment comes as Rowhani, who took office last month, has expressed a desire to improve strained ties with the Arab world, particularly tarnished over Tehran's support for the regime of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now...
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Russia will send the United States details of a proposal to secure Syria's chemical weapons stockpile later Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... said, as he urged Damascus to seize the change for "peace."
The details would come during the "course of the day," Kerry said, shortly after talking with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. But he insisted that any plan must contain "consequences" if it turns out to be a delaying tactic to avoid U.S. military action.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kerry said the United States was waiting for Russia's proposal but will not wait for long.
While everyone was hopeful the move could be "a real solution to the crisis," said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, he warned the threat of "credible, real" U.S. military action had to remain on the table.
Kerry alleged Syria had about "1,000 metric tons of numerous chemical weapons" including components for mustard and sarin gas, some of which was unmixed, and some of which was stored in tanks.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#2
How long before we hear about Russian guards and Iranian perimeter assistants?
"We have assets already in place."
Kerry is an office prank. Morning news had the money shots of El Prez's rally - whose idea was it to make him talk an octive up and keep doing the incomplete pass motion? If he was trying to chase a Tom Cat off the porch, the damn cat would have come in and pissed on the fridge.
[An Nahar] Syria wants to join the chemical weapons ban treaty and is ready to give other countries and the United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... access to its arsenal, Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said Tuesday.
"We are ready to state where the chemical weapons are, to halt production of chemical weapons and show these installations to representatives of Russia, other countries and the U.N.," Muallem said in a statement sent to Russia's Interfax news agency.
"We want to join the chemical weapons ban treaty. We will respect our commitments in relation to the treaty, including providing information on these weapons."
The statement followed Russia's surprise proposal Monday to secure Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.
"Our backing of the Russian initiative shows our willingness to give up possession of all chemical weapons," added Muallem at the the end of a two-day visit to Moscow.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Free Patriotic Movement Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... leader MP Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... on Tuesday revealed that the bully boy al-Nusra Front is preparing to storm the mainly Christian Syrian town of Bloudan near Damascus, lashing out at those who are allegedly backing the jihadist group instead of supporting the historic neighboring town of Maalula.
"We were surprised by a cable received by OTV and FPM's website saying '... amid the assault on the town of Maalula, al-Nusra Front is trying to invade the Christian town of Bloudan, and we are raising our voice because we need greater protection.'"
"We fear that the Front might enter the town like what happened in Maalula and we fear being slaughtered. We hope our message will be delivered to the patriarchs, as al-Nusra Front is encircling the town and we have not seen any reinforcements or strong response until the moment and we can't but defend ourselves," Aoun quoted the cable's authors as saying.
"We have contacted the patriarchs so that they in turn contact the Syrian officials," Aoun said.
Former French president Nicolas "Sarkozy said Christians have no place in the Middle East, but we don't want a protection for Christians, we rather want the implementation of human rights ...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless... . They're saying that they're fighting in Syria for the sake of human rights, doesn't that include Christians? Are they discriminating between Moslems and Christians?" Aoun added.
The FPM leader noted that "human rights involve the freedom of belief and the freedom of the human."
"We want protection from al-Nusra Front, which is killing and slaughtering," he added.
"In Egypt, Sunnis themselves did not tolerate the extremism and they quickly reevaluated their political and social situations, and we all have the right to identify the problem," Aoun said, referring to the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi by a popular-backed military takeover.
Aoun pointed out that rival Lebanese politicians have said that "no monasteries were torched in Maalula."
"Where did the published pictures come from? Let's suppose that they (Syrian rebels and jihadists) have not committed any violations, why did they enter Maalula? A funeral has been held for three victims and Greek Catholic Patriarch (Gregory III) Laham prayed for their souls," Aoun noted.
"We will not accept to remain silent over this issue and this is a series that started in Paleostine and moved to Iraq and Egypt, where so many Copts decided to leave the country. But we will remain here and those justifying the deeds of those who are slaughtering them are spineless. They are not a resistance because resistance must start in the head first. They must stand on their feet and become aware of the problem instead of being anesthetized," Aoun added, in reference to the Christians of the rival March 14 camp which supports the Syrian revolt.
"There is the Nusra and there is Maalula. You can be either with the Nusra or with Maalula and the difference between the two is like the difference between hell and heaven, and those who choose hell can remain in hell," he added.
Noting that the rebel attack on Maalula was unjustified, Aoun said the town "can be monitored with the satellites of world powers and they can tell if they Syrian army is inside the town."
"Nothing justifies the presence of fighters in the town, as it was a peaceful town that was not taking part in the fighting and that did not harbor any fighters. I visited it and it contains monasteries. I visited the Mar Jerjes Monastery that they have torched," he added, reminiscing his visit to Syria.
Aoun went on to say that Italian Jesuit priest "Father Paolo (Dall'Oglio) was slaughtered when he tried to mediate the release of a hostage."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Russia clashed once again with Western powers Tuesday as envoys drafted a U.N. resolution to add muscle to a plan to strip Syria of its chemical weapons.
U.S. President Barack Obama If you have a small business, you didn't build that... maintained his threat to launch military strikes against the regime of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Terror of Aleppo ... , even while cranking up the diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
Envoys from La Belle France, Britannia and the United States launched talks on a resolution after Russia had revealed a surprise plan of its own to secure Assad's banned weapons.
But Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared that any resolution under Chapter Seven of the U.N. charter, which authorizes enforcement measures, would be "unacceptable."
"Mr. Lavrov stressed (to his French counterpart Laurent Fabius) that La Belle France's proposal to seek approval at the U.N. Security Council for a resolution ..., that puts the responsibility for the possible use of chemical weapons on the Syrian authorities is unacceptable," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
But French Foreign ministry front man Philippe Lalliot told Agence La Belle France Presse later on Tuesday that Gay Paree was "ready to amend (the) draft as long as its main principles and aims are preserved."
"It is astonishing that the Russians are rejecting a document that they haven't even seen," said Lalliot. "It is naturally our intention to discuss it with them."
Moscow's U.N. mission had called an urgent Security Council meeting for 2000 GMT but the session was postponed later at Russia's request.
No reason was given for calling off the closed talks among the 15 council members. "The meeting has been called off until further notice," said a council diplomat.
"Britannia and La Belle France and America will be tabling a U.N. Security Council resolution today," UK 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 ... told British politicians earlier as officials from the three countries met at U.N. headquarters in New York.
Asked when the resolution should be introduced, Cameron told politicians: "I think that should happen today."
"I think we do need some deadlines, we do need some timetables. So I think in any Security Council resolution that we draft -- and Britannia, La Belle France and America are discussing this right now -- we need to be clear there do need to be some thresholds," he said.
"This is not about... monitoring chemical weapons in Syria. It's got to be about handing them over to international control and their destruction."
The prime minister told British politicians the Russian proposals must be treated seriously, but also "tested out properly" to ensure they were not a "ruse."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Major Powers
Remind me once again why the British and French qualify as Major Powers - ie permanent seat on the Security Council - while other counties which could match GDP and ability to 'project' force are not?
[An Nahar] Russian President Vladimir Putin ...Second and fourth President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead... said Tuesday the United States should renounce the option of using force in Syria to allow checks on Damascus' chemical weapons to go ahead.
"It all makes sense and can work if the U.S. side and all those who support it renounce the use of force," he said according to Russian television.
Putin, whose proposal Monday to secure Syria's chemical weapons was welcomed by Western powers, said Syrians viewed the arsenal as an "alternative" to Israel's nuclear arms.
"It is difficult to constrain Syria or another country to disarm unilaterally while military action against that country is being prepared.
"Russia's position on this question is well known: we are against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, chemical or nuclear," he added.
The United States, which accuses the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons on its people, has insisted that military action to punish the regime remains on the table.
But Putin said he hoped that by working with Syria in tandem with the Americans, a peaceful solution could be reached.
Meanwhile, ...back at the abandoned silver mine, there was another kaboom... a group of U.S. senators were crafting a new measure Tuesday that ties authorization for a military strike on Syria to action by the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... The politicians, including allies and foes of President Barack Obama I've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go... , were drafting language that would alter a resolution currently under debate which would green-light limited U.S. strikes to punish Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Terror of Aleppo ... 's regime for its alleged use of chemical weapons.
The new measure, according to congressional aides familiar with it, would require the immediate initiation of the transfer of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile to international control, as proposed by Russia in an initiative which is being closely studied by the White House.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
No problem! I renounce thee, I renounce thee, I renounce thee.
[FOXNEWS] Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry's Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... seemingly casual proposal for the Assad regime to turn over its chemical weapons has within 24 hours become the de facto policy of the B.O. regime, and is now being heralded by Kerry as the "ideal way" to defuse the stand-off between the United States and Syria.
But a look at the administration's statements shows that the plan has undergone an incredible evolution.
Just one day ago, Kerry mentioned the idea in response to a question about what Bashir al-Assad could do to avert an attack "He could turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week," Kerry said. He then immediately splashed water on the notion: "But he isn't about to do it, and it can't be done, obviously."
His aides swiftly set about to walking the remark back, describing Kerry's comment as merely a "rhetorical argument."
Yet on Tuesday morning -- after the Russians had co-opted the idea and formally presented it to the Syrian government -- Kerry was claiming full credit for the plan during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. "Yesterday, we challenged the regime to turn (its chemical weapons) over to the secure control of the international community so that they can be destroyed," Kerry said.
He added, "Nothing focuses the mind like the prospect of a hanging," claiming the "credible threat" of military action is what brought the Assad regime to its knees.
Several U.S. officials echoed Kerry on that point, claiming Assad would not be willing to negotiate if it weren't for the imminent threat of a U.S. missile strike.
But the notion that Kerry had deliberately opened the door to the chemical weapons turn-over plan raised doubts. "We still don't know exactly how this plan came about," Fox News contributor Byron York said.
Whatever the origin of the plan, it was taking off on Tuesday even as Kerry and others pressed Congress to continue debating a resolution authorizing military force, and even as President B.O. prepared to address the nation Tuesday night.
After the Russian government proposed having the Assad regime turn over its chemical weapons, the Syrian foreign minister said his government would accept the plan.
U.S. officials continue to voice doubts about the idea, but are opening the door to pursuing the "diplomatic track."
"We're waiting for that proposal, but we're not waiting for long," Kerry said Tuesday.
He said Obama would take a "hard look" at the plan. "It has to be swift. It has to be real. It has to be verifiable," Kerry said.
The deliberation comes as Congress considers a resolution to authorize the use of force. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid ... the charismatic senator-for-life from Nevada, currently majority leader ... postponed a test vote originally expected for Wednesday, but Congress could still consider it later in the week.
Kerry urged politicians to keep debating, claiming that Washington needs to keep the pressure on Syria while the new proposal is considered.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[WeeklyStandard] An unclassified version of a September report from the Director of National Intelligence reveals that another five former Guantanamo Bay detainees have either been confirmed as reengaging in terrorism or are suspected of doing so. The report comes just as a judge in Algeria has approved parole of two detainees recently transferred to Algerian custody from the Cuba-based detention facility.
Of the 603 former detainees tracked by US intelligence services, a total of 100 have now been confirmed as reengaging in "terrorism" or "insurgent" activities, while another 74 are suspected of reengaging. This brings the total rate of recidivism to nearly 29 percent, up from 28 percent as of the last report six months ago.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[WashingtonTimes] The 
[Dawn] The top military leadership of Pakistain Tuesday discussed the operational situation at the borders and vowed that territorial integrity of the country would be safeguarded at all cost, said an ISPR 
[An Nahar] The United States is waiting to see a Russian proposal to put Syria's chemical weapons stock under international control, but will not wait for long, top diplomat 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[An Nahar] A Syrian caricature shows U.S. President 
Shamkhani, an ethnic Arab, was reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami's defense minister for two four-year terms until 2005.
[An Nahar] Syria wants to join the chemical weapons ban treaty and is ready to give other countries and the 
Michel Aoun
David Cameron
...Second and fourth President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...
[FOXNEWS] Secretary of State 
Harry Reid
[WeeklyStandard] An unclassified version of a September report from the Director of National Intelligence reveals that another five former Guantanamo Bay detainees have either been confirmed as reengaging in terrorism or are suspected of doing so. The report comes just as a judge in Algeria has approved parole of two detainees recently transferred to Algerian custody from the Cuba-based detention facility.
