Tuesday, July 31, 2012

US to al-Qaeda, Iran and Taliban: you owe us $6 billion for 9/11


Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/usa/news/iran-taliban-judge-attacks-519/

A US Federal Judge has a message for al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the Islamic Republic of Iran: pay up. Federal Magistrate Judge Frank Maas ruled that those three entities must compensate victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to the tune of $6 billion.

From Manhattan on Monday, Judge Maas ruled that relatives of the nearly 3,000 people killed during the September 11 terrorist attacks shall be awarded a total of $6 billion from three groups of defendants determined by a separate judge last year. Previously Federal Judge George Daniels ruled that al-Qaeda, the Taliban regime and the Iranian government were accountable for the tragedy, although Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied any connection on his country’s part. This week Judge Maas put a monetary number to that damage.

In the latest ruling, Judge Maas calls the defendants “entities that carried out, or aided and abetted” in 9/11 and that they should be responsible for paying the families of those killed. And while some are admitting that collecting that award is almost quite literally impossible, others involved in the suit seem confident that further actions will help them see a paycheck in a matter of months.

“I never was in this for the money. I wanted accountability,” plaintiff Ellen Saracini tells the New York Daily News. “The money will never bring back my husband, so I don’t care about it.”

Saracini’s husband, Victor Saracini, was the pilot onboard the plane that crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center. She tells reporters that “It’s hard being happy,” but is still pleased by the outcome in court this week.

“We were never in it for a lawsuit,” she says. “I wanted to know what happened to my husband.”

“It just didn’t seem like our government was moving forward in trying to determine who was responsible for these attacks,” Saracini continues. “Maybe the mindset will change now, but I doubt it.”

Others say that the accountability isn’t all they want, though, and expect to see compensation in the near future.

“Now we have to go about the business of collecting this money both domestically and overseas,” attorney Thomas Mellon tells Pennsylvania’s The Intelligencer. “We are very hopeful that in the next six to 18 months we will be in the process of seizing Iranian assets, such as Iranian airlines, oil tankers and wells.”

Mellon says that even a decade after the terrorist attacks, most Americans are unaware of whom the government faulted. “The average American citizen doesn’t yet realize that a major player in the Sept. 11 attacks was Iran and Hezbollah,” the attorney insists. He adds to the Daily News, however, that “in the terror world,” collecting compensation like this “is uncharted territory.”

If all goes accordingly, the Saracini family will see $9.5 million under the judge’s order. Collecting that sum from known insurgents is with certainly a task unfit for a federal judge from Manhattan, however, which has already prompted the Associated Press to consider the ruling “largely symbolic.”

Personal Input:
By: Stewart Brennan

Obviously, this incompetent Federal Magistrate Judge, Frank Maas who by the way was APPOINTED to the position by the very same entity that wish to cover up the evidence of WHAT REALLY HAPPENED on that day (September 11th, 2001), has climbed out from under his rock to fan the disinformation on Iran and further the lies of endless war of US Government and Israeli bullshit…and don’t even get me started with the Talibans inclusion in all this!  

Not only is this an outrage to the people of Iran but to the World Community at large. There should be an investigation conducted against Judge Frank Maas. I lay the following information in your eyes and ears by the people who were IN THE BUILDINGS on that day! The ONLY people that could have long term access to the Buildings to set explosive charges and demolish these buildings were the US Shadow Government…look at who this benefits and you will find their partner in crime. The evidence is overwhelming that this was an inside job!! 









Israel and the US Government want a war on Iran…is there any questions about who judge Frank Maas  works for?

QUESTION EVERYTHING! But more importantly, question the Judge, the prosecution and the US Government because the mainstream media will not do it…

Israel, US faking intelligence to attack Iran: Ex-CIA analyst


In 2003, the US invaded Iraq under the pretext that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. (File photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/31/253635/beware-of-fixed-intelligence-on-iran/

A former CIA analyst says the United States and Israel seek to come up with a pretext for attacking Iran by fabricating intelligence, a ploy similar to the one adopted by the United States for justifying the war on Iraq a decade ago.

“As we saw 10 years ago with respect to Iraq, if one intends to whip up support for war, one needs to find a casus belli - however thin a pretext it might be,” Ray McGovern wrote in an article.

“How about juxtaposing ‘weapons of mass destruction’ with terrorism. That worked to prepare for war on Iraq, and similar rhetorical groundwork for an attack on Iran is now being laid in Israel,” his article further read.

Referring to the recent attack on a number of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, McGovern said, “Netanyahu broke all records for speed in blaming Iran and Hezbollah” for the bombing.

“On Fox News, Sunday on July 22, Mr. Netanyahu claimed Israel has ‘rock-solid evidence’ tying Iran to the attack in Bulgaria. The same day on CBS's Face the Nation, Mr. Netanyahu said, ‘We have unquestionable, fully substantiated intelligence that this [terrorist attack] was done by Hezbollah backed by Iran,’ adding that Israel gives ‘specific details to … responsible governments and agencies,’" McGovern went on to say.

The former CIA analyst added that Israel, however, has so far failed to provide any evidence for its claims of Iran's involvement.

“Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has admitted that he was aware of no information concerning the terrorist or those who dispatched him,” he underlined.

McGovern then refered to the historical moment when British intelligence chief Sir Richard Dearlove admitted that intelligence on Iraq had been fixed.

"… Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove [executed Iraqi dictator] Saddam [Hussein], through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD [weapons of mass destruction]. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy,” Dearlove said on July 23, 2005.

“The likelihood of hostilities with Iran before the [US] presidential election in November is increasing. Beware of "fixed" intelligence,” McGovern concluded.


Assad better get the hell out – Panetta


U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (Reuters/Mark Wilson/Pool)

Source: Russia Today
http://www.rt.com/news/panetta-syrian-military-intact-458/

US Defense Sec. Leon Panetta has advice for Syria’s President Assad: “If you want to be able to protect yourself and your family, you’d better get the hell out now.” Panetta also warned that the US would not repeat the mistakes it made in Iraq.

“The United States and the international community has made very clear that this is intolerable, and have brought their diplomatic and economic pressure on Syria to stop this kind of violence, to have Assad step down and to transition to a democratic form of government,” he said in an interview with CNN during a visit to Tunisia.

The international community has yet to reach consensus on the ongoing strife in Syria. Russia and China oppose removing Assad, saying his government is supported by a majority of Syrians.

Syria’s government forces should remain intact after embattled President Assad is ousted, said Panetta. Though the Obama administration is resolved against military intervention in the country, Panetta nevertheless drew a comparison with the occupation of Iraq following the 2003 US-led invasion.

"It's very important that we don't make the same mistakes we made in Iraq," he said, referring to the Bush administration’s decision to disband the country’s military in the wake of the invasion. “I think it’s important when Assad leaves, and he will leave, to try to preserve stability in that country.”

The Defense Secretary said that the most effective way to preserve Syrian stability is to “maintain as much of the military and police as you can, along with security forces, and hope that they will transition to a democratic form of government.”

A temporary military regime is a strategy similar to the one employed by Egypt following the ouster of President Mubarak in January last year, where the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) formed an interim government. But prolonged military rule sparked massive protests amid claims that SCAF was stalling democratic elections in a bid to cling to power.

Government forces will be essential to securing key Syrian military sites, including alleged chemical weapons stashes: “It would be a disaster to have those chemical weapons fall into the wrong hands,” Panetta said.

"The key right now is to continue to bring that pressure on Syria, to provide assistance to the opposition, and to provide whatever kind of humanitarian aid we can to assist the refugees," he told CNN.

Panetta is currently in Tunisia as part of a week-long tour of the Middle East, during which the Syrian conflict will be at the top of his agenda.

This aggressive rhetoric comes as the fighting between government forces and rebels intensifies across Syria. Clashes have wracked the industrial hub of Aleppo for the past week, with rebels vowing to turn the northern city into the “grave of the regime.”

The Obama administration has said that it is providing as much “non-lethal” aid as it can to Syrian rebel forces. Russia has accused the West of fueling the conflict by supporting the opposition, claiming that more should be done to facilitate dialogue between the warring camps.

Bid for naval dominance: Russia significantly boosts nuclear fleet


Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting "On implementation of the state armaments program regarding procurement for the naval forces".(RIA Novosti / Aleksey Nikolskyi)

Source: Russia Today
http://www.rt.com/news/russia-navy-nuclear-submarine-fleet-450/

Russia’s navy will be reinforced with 51 modern warships and 24 submarines, including eight fitted to carry nuclear missiles, by 2020. Over $140 billion will be spent on realizing the “potential of the sea-based nuclear force,” Vladimir Putin said.

­To maintain Russia’s place as a leading sea power Russia will allocate over 4.5 trillion rubles to build the vessels over the next eight years. Putin has emphasized that almost all orders will go to Russian industry, with all 24 submarines and 49 of the ships being built at domestic shipyards.

"We have a sufficient potential of a sea-based nuclear force,” Putin said. “And by 2020, it will be considerably improved by eight Borei-class new-generation missile-carrying submarines."

Russia’s navy has always been and remains one of the main tools of “protecting national economic interests,” Putin said, adding that it has a particular importance in such resource-rich regions as the Arctic. He expressed the hope that missile-equipped nuclear submarines will become the heart and cornerstone of the Russian Navy.

The main development task for the navy would be the formation of “multi-purpose naval groups,” which should be capable of repelling military threats from the sea, safeguarding transport communications, protecting the merchant marine and effectively resisting piracy.

Putin’s comments came after he oversaw the start of the construction of one of Russia’s latest generation Borei-class submarines.

The president noted that it was symbolic that the latest submarine was called after the unifier and defender of Russian lands, Prince Vladimir.

The Prince Vladimir submarine, which belongs to the fourth generation of nuclear strategic missile-carriers, will be built under the modernized Borei A project. It will carry 20 Bulava inter-continental ballistic missiles as compared to 16 carried by the submarines built during the earlier project.

The first Borei-class sub, Yuri Dolgoruky, laid down in 1996, is currently completing its final tests, and will soon be handed over to the navy. Meanwhile, the Sevmash plant is building two other submarines, which were laid down in 2004 and 2006.


Turkey’s Hatay Province, Mossad, CIA spy hub: Turkish MP


A picture taken on July 5, 2012 shows a Turkish military radar station near the Syrian border in Hatay Province.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/31/253605/turkish-province-mossad-cia-spy-hub/

A member of Turkey’s parliament says the country’s Hatay Province on the border with Syria has become a hub for swarms of CIA and Mossad spies moving into Syria freely.

The legislator of the Republican People’s Party, Refik Er-Yilmaz, said that thousands of CIA and Mossad agents are currently in the province and are moving freely in the area, Turkish media reported.

He noted that local people in the province are getting agitated over the presence of the strangers.

Turkish police remain mute spectators as the spies carry various types of identification, Er-Yimaz went on to say.

He also accused the authorities of allowing American and Israeli troopers on Turkish soil without any approval from the parliament.

Er-Yilmaz’s comments came after the deputy of the Republican People’s Party, Osman Faruk Logoglu, on Monday blamed Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party for fomenting the unrest in Syria.

Logoglu criticized the Turkish government for aggravating the situation by sending military forces and vehicles towards the Syrian border.

The former Turkish ambassador to the United States also criticized Turkey’s foreign policy towards its neighbor, saying it has been irrational and unsuccessful.

Syria has been the scene of unrest since March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of many people, including large numbers of security forces.

Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.


Monday, July 30, 2012

Humanitarian Military Intervention in Syria? Who is Behind the Atrocities?


By: Prof. Michel Chossudovsky

Source: Global Research
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=32117

In the wake of the UN Security Council face-off with Russia and China, a new dangerous phase of the war on Syria is unfolding. The Obama administration, in liaison with London, Paris, Tel Aviv and NATO headquarters in Brussels, is mulling over various military "intervention options", including the conduct of both naval and air operations in support of "opposition" rebel forces on the ground.

The dubious justification for waging a "humanitarian war" on Syria hinges upon the West's "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) the Syrian people against their own government, which allegedly is involved in the routine killing of civilians.

In the aftermath of the battle of Damascus and the setbacks of the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta reiterated Washington's threat of military intervention, accusing Syrian government forces of waging "a tragic attack on their own people". The Defense Secretary vowed not only to unseat the Syrian president, but also, in so many words, "to get rid of" Bashar Al Assad:

... I think it ultimately will be a nail in Assad's own coffin,.. What Assad has been doing to his own people and what he continues to do to his own people makes clear that his regime is coming to an end. It's lost all legitimacy," he said, adding, "It's no longer a question of whether he's coming to an end, it's when." (Quoted in Syria says it recaptures Aleppo district after battle, Reuters, July 29, 2012, emphasis added)

Meanwhile, Moscow has accused the US led coalition of supporting the terrorist attacks committed by the "Free Syrian Army" (FSA) and Al Qaeda affiliated entities operating inside Syria.

It is important at this historical juncture to set the record straight as to who is behind these atrocities and crimes against humanity, particularly in view of the fact that the Obama administration and its allies are contemplating outright military intervention against Syria on "humanitarian grounds".

Who is behind the Atrocities?

Whereas the government bears a burden of responsibility pertaining to the conduct of its military operations in urban areas directed against the rebels, the gruesome human rights record of the US-NATO supported "Free Syrian Army" (FSA) is unequivocal. Amply documented, the killings of innocent civilians were not carried by the government but, quite deliberately, by the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

These killings were implemented as part of a diabolical intelligence operation, which consisted in blaming the Syrian government for the atrocities committed by rebel forces. (See Michel Chossudovsky, SYRIA: Killing Innocent Civilians as part of a US Covert Op. Mobilizing Public Support for a R2P War against Syria, Global Research, May 30, 2012)

The substance of Russia's finger pointing is confirmed by numerous reports.

According to the leaked Arab League Observer Mission Report: which had initially been commissioned by the Arab League at Washington's behest:

"In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include the bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children. ... Such incidents include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the police, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups." (League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria, Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria for the period from 24 December 2011 to 18 January 2012,

The Arab League Observer mission report was subsequently shelved because it revealed the forbidden truth, namely that the US-NATO sponsored "rebels" rather than the government were behind the massacres.

A report of Der Spiegel (March 29, 2012) entitled "An Executioner for Syria's Rebels Tells His Story", confirms an organized process of mass-murder and extra-judicial killing of civilians conducted by the Free Syrian Army (FSA). This single "burial brigade", according to the executioner's testimony, was responsible for the arbitrary execution of 350-400 people including "prisoners" and "traitors". The "traitors" are Sunni civilians within the occupied urban and rural areas, who express their opposition to the rule of terror of the Free Syrian Army (FSA):

"Since last summer, we have executed slightly fewer than 150 men, which represents about 20 percent of our prisoners," says Abu Rami. ... But the executioners of Homs have been busier with traitors within their own ranks than with prisoners of war. "If we catch a Sunni spying, or if a citizen betrays the revolution, we make it quick," says the fighter. According to Abu Rami, Hussein's burial brigade has put between 200 and 250 traitors to death since the beginning of the uprising." (Der Spiegel, March 29, 2012)

The Vatican News Service Agenzia Fides largely confirms that the Western backed "opposition forces" rather than the Al Assad government are responsible for countless atrocities:

"The Syrian soldiers in fact, continue to face foreign fighters, mercenaries Libyans, Lebanese militants from the Gulf, Afghans, Turks. "The Sunni Salafist militants - says the Bishop - continue to commit crimes against civilians, or to recruit fighters with force. The fanatical Sunni extremists are fighting a holy war proudly, especially against the Alawites. When terrorists seek to control the religious identity of a suspect, they ask him to cite the genealogies dating back to Moses. And they ask to recite a prayer that the Alawites removed. The Alawites have no chance to get out alive." (Agenzia Fides, Vatican News Service, 4 June 2012)

Russian journalist Marat Musin in a comprehensive report dispels the lies and fabrications of the Western media.

The report is based on a chronology of events as well as eyewitness accounts. Entire pro-government families in Houla were massacred. The terrorists were not pro-government shabbiha militia as conveyed, in chorus, by the mainstream media, they were in large part mercenaries and professional killers operating under the auspices of the self-proclaimed Free Syrian Army (FSA):

"When the rebels seized the lower checkpoint in the center of town and located next to the local police department, they began to sweep all the families loyal to the authorities in neighboring houses, including the elderly, women and children.

Several families of the Al-Sayed were killed, including 20 young children and the family of Abdul Razak. The people were killed with knives and shot at point blank range.

Then they presented the murdered [corpses] to the UN and the international community as victims of bombings by the Syrian army, something that was not verified by any marks on their bodies." (See Marat Musdin, THE HOULA MASSACRE: Opposition Terrorists "Killed Families Loyal to the Government" ANNA News, translated from Russian, June 1, 2012)

According to a detailed report by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ):

"Those killed were almost exclusively from families belonging to Houla’s Alawi and Shia minorities. .... Immediately following the massacre, the perpetrators are supposed to have filmed their victims and then presented them as Sunni victims in videos posted on the internet." (Neue Erkenntnisse zu Getöteten von Hula.Abermals Massaker in Syrien, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, June 7, 2012)

The recently released "Intelligence Estimates" of Germany's Bundes Nachrichtendienst (BND) states that "'around 90 [terror attacks] can be attributed to organizations that are close to al-Qaeda or jihadist groups' (January through June 2012) as reported by the German daily Die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)". (quoted in English by John Rosenthal, German intelligence: al-Qaeda all over Syria The Asian Times, July 24, 2012).

The above mainstream media --together with an extensive body of evidence contained in independent alternative media reports-- confirm unequivocally that crimes against humanity are being committed by terrorist militia.

We are at a very dangerous crossroads. An all out "humanitarian war" against Syria is on the drawing board of the Pentagon, which, if carried out, could lead the World into a regional war extending from the Eastern Mediterranean to the heartland of Central Asia.

It is essential to reverse the tide of war propaganda which uses civilian deaths as a pretext to wage war on humanitarian grounds, when those killings of civilians were carried out not by government forces but by professional terrorists operating under the helm of the US-NATO sponsored Free Syrian Army (FSA).

--------------------

For further detailed documentation on Who is behind the Atrocities in Syria see Michel Chossudovsky (Editor), SYRIA: NATO's Next "Humanitarian" War? ONLINE INTERACTIVE I-BOOK, Global Research, February 2012, updated June 15, 2012, PART VI of this Collection pertains to War Propaganda and The Massacre of Innocent Civilians

SYRIA: Killing Innocent Civilians as part of a US Covert Op. Mobilizing Public Support for a R2P War against Syria
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=31122

US military doctrine envisages the central role of "massive casualty producing events" in which innocent civilians are killed. The killings are carried out as part of a covert operation. The enemy is blamed for the resulting atrocities

Report: Rebels Responsible for Houla Massacre
Armed rebels murdered “entire Alawi families” in village of Taldo in Houla
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=31340

Propaganda War: Houla Massacre Committed by US-NATO Sponsored “Free Syrian Army”. But They Accuse Syrian Government.
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=31333

"Humanitarian War Criminals" in High Office: Was the Houla Massacre Ordered by the Western Military Alliance?
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=31359

VATICAN NEWS: Foreign Fighters, Mercenaries, Terrorists, behind Syria Massacre
"The desolation of Homs and the war of information ": the Words of a Greek-Catholic Bishop.
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=31245

THE HOULA MASSACRE: Opposition Terrorists "Killed Families Loyal to the Government"
Detailed Investigation
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=31184

VIDEO: US-NATO “Humanitarian Intervention” in Syria: Towards a Regional War
http://tv.globalresearch.ca/2012/06/humanitarian-intervention-syria-towards-regional-war

Syria: NATO’s Next “Humanitarian War” – Online Interactive I-Book
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=29234

Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (Emeritus) at the University of Ottawa. He is the Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal and Editor of the globalresearch.ca website. He is the author of The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order (2003) and America's "War on Terrorism"(2005). His most recent book is entitled Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War (2011).

He has taught as Visiting Professor at universities in Western Europe, South East Asia, Latin America and the Pacific, acted as an adviser to governments of developing countries and as a consultant for several international organizations.

Prof. Chossudovsky is a signatory of the Kuala Lumpur declaration to criminalize war and recipient of the Human Rights Prize of the Society for the Protection of Civil Rights and Human Dignity (GBM), Berlin. He is also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His writings have been published in more than twenty languages.


‘British-born jihadists fighting Assad in Syria’ – captured photographer


Armed members of the Free Syrian Army are seen in the western border town of Zabadani in this undated still image taken from amateur video obtained by Reuters (Reuters / Reuters TV)

Source: Russia Today
http://www.rt.com/news/british-jihadists-fighting-syria-360/

Radical Islamists with “British accents” are among the coalition forces looking to topple Bashar Assad, says Jeroen Oerlemans, a photographer who was held hostage in Syria for a week. The UK Foreign Office has launched an investigation.

Oerlemans, a famous Dutch photo journalist, and John Cantlie, another photographer from the UK, were captured by a group of between 30 and 100 anti-Assad fighters when crossing the Syrian border from Turkey last week. They were then blindfolded.

"One of the black jihadists freaked out and shouted: 'These are journalists and now they will see we are preparing an international jihad in this place.'" Oerlemans told NRC Handelsblatt newspaper. He said that none of the fighters was Syrian.

"They all claimed they came from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh and Chechnya and they said there was some vague 'emir' at the head of the group."

About 40 per cent of the militants spoke English. In fact, several apparently talked with recognizable regional British accents, from Birmingham and London.

The two photographers suspected that a ransom would be demanded for their release and tried to escape. Oerlemans was shot twice in the leg during the failed attempt and Cantlie, who has so far not spoken to any media, was wounded in the arm.

The pair’s ordeal ended when the Free Syrian Army, the main anti-Assad force, demanded that their nominal allies hand them over.

"They took us with them like a bunch of gangsters," Oerlemans said, "Shooting in the air as we rode out of there.”

The Free Syrian Army released the men and the two are now resting in Turkey. They expect to travel home in the coming days.

If it is confirmed, Oerleman’s story will add to reports that Syria has become a magnet for radical Islamists, who are there either as mercenaries or because of ideology.

"As soon as Assad has fallen, these fighters want to introduce Islamic law, Sharia, in Syria," said Oerlemans.


US army prepares for war against al-Shabab in Somalia: Report


US Army Maj. Gen. David Hogg (C) inspects Sierra Leone troops in Freetown during a deployment ceremony this year. (File photo)

Source: Press TV

A new report has unveiled that the US Army is “quietly equipping and training” thousands of African troops to prepare them for a war against al-Shabab fighters in Somalia.

“Officially, the troops are under the auspices of the African Union (AU). But in truth, according to interviews by US and African officials and senior military officers and budget documents, the 15,000-strong force pulled from five African countries is largely a creation of the State Department and Pentagon, trained and supplied by the US government,” Los Angeles Times reported on Monday.

The report added that the American officers along with dozens of retired foreign military personnel, hired through private contractors, are guiding the African soldiers.

“Nearly 20 years after US Army Rangers suffered a bloody defeat in Somalia, losing 18 soldiers and two Black Hawk helicopters, Washington is once again heavily engaged in the chaotic country. Only this time, African troops are doing the fighting and dying,” the report said.

Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital is one of the bases the US army uses to train African soldiers, it said.

Through deploying African troops to Somalia, “the Obama administration is trying to achieve US military goals with minimal risk of American deaths and scant public debate,” the report added.

“The US can underwrite the war in Somalia for a relative pittance -- the cost over four years has been less than USD 700 million, a tenth of what the military spends in Afghanistan in a month -- but the price tag is growing. More than a third of the US assistance has been spent since early 2011,” the American newspaper said.

African forces are supplied “with surveillance drones, ammunition, small arms, armored personnel carriers, night-vision goggles, communications gear, medical equipment and other sophisticated aid and training,” the report added.

"The US government has done extremely well in providing for us and we are grateful for that, but they can do more," said Brig. Gen Komba Mondeh, Sierra Leone's chief of operations and plans.

"This is real war, and we expect to see the body bags coming back home," he said.

The report came as the US has recently stepped up its assassination drone operations in the famine-stricken Somalia.

The weak Western-backed transitional government in Mogadishu has been battling al-Shabab for the past five years and is propped up by a strong AU force from Uganda, Burundi, and Djibouti.

The country has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Swiss journalist censures Tel Aviv regime, angers Israeli diplomat


Israeli Ambassador to Switzerland Yigal Caspi

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/30/253451/swiss-journalist-angers-israeli-diplomat/

A Swiss journalist has angered the Israeli ambassador to Switzerland by censuring the Tel Aviv regime for its occupation of Palestine.

The journalist, Jon Mettler, with the Berner Zeitung daily, recently interviewed Yigal Caspi and asked him whether he admitted to the occupation of the Palestinian territories by the Israeli regime.

Caspi expressed extreme discontent with the question and quickly accused the journalist of ‘practicing anti-Semitism,’ to which the journalist responded by asking whether the accusation meant that no criticism of the Israeli regime was allowed.

The Israeli diplomat said he ‘had problems with criticism which sought to weaken the Tel Aviv regime.’

Caspi was also asked about a recent decision by Migros, one of Switzerland's largest retailing companies and the country’s largest supermarket chain and largest employer, to boycott products made by Israel. In response, he said such moves would be ‘counter-productive.’

The Swiss journalist also brought up the subject of Iran’s nuclear energy program during the interview. The Israeli envoy stated that the West would not tolerate a ‘situation in which Iran would have control over the Persian Gulf and consequently determine the oil prices.’
Caspi refused to answer a final question on the issue of Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons.
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran refutes such allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
Unlike Iran, Israel is a non-signatory to the NPT and continues to defy international calls to join the treaty.
The Israeli regime, which is widely believed to possess between 200 to 400 nuclear warheads, maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity over its nuclear work


Sunday, July 29, 2012

US rages at Syrian forces success against rebels in Aleppo


US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/29/253425/us-rages-at-syria-success-against-rebels/

The US voices outrage at the Syrian Army’s success in clearing Syria’s largest city of Aleppo of anti-Damascus armed groups.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Sunday that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has lost all legitimacy by attacking the armed groups in the city.

"If they continue this kind of tragic attack on their own people in Aleppo, I think it ultimately will be a nail in Assad's own coffin," Panetta told reporters.

"What Assad has been doing to his own people and what he continues to do to his own people makes clear that his regime is coming to an end. It's lost all legitimacy," he added.

This is while Syrian security forces are clearing more areas across the country of militants.

The US official made the remarks ahead of a weeklong trip to the Middle East and North Africa.

The United States has said it is enlarging its assistance to Syria's fractured opposition. Also, according to Reuters, the White House will soon authorize greater covert assistance to the armed gangs.

Washington has already thrown its support behind Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey for arming the Syrian opposition.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. The country says outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorists are the driving factor behind the unrest and deadly violence, while the opposition accuses the security forces of being behind the killings.

Western states have been calling for Assad to step down. However, Russia and China are strongly opposed to the Western drive to oust the Syrian president.

Damascus says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country. There are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

Syria forces strike militant hideout in al-Hasakah countryside


Militants guard a checkpoint during clashes in the center of the northern city of Aleppo on July 25, 2012

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/29/253424/syrian-forces-strike-militant-hideout/

Syrian security forces have attacked a militant hideout in the al-Hasakah countryside in the far northeast corner of the country.

Clashes continue between the Syrian Army and armed groups as security forces are clearing more areas of militants across the country.

The fighting is still underway in the northern city of Aleppo and the Syrian army regained control of the city's Sallaheddin neighborhood.

In the southwestern city of Dara’a, a large number of armed men were arrested while many other militants were killed, when they tried to cross into Syria from neighboring states of Jordan and Turkey.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem on Sunday reiterated that several countries in the region are aiding the anti-Syria militants.

"Syria is the target of a global plot whose agents are the countries in the region," Muallem said.

“We believe that all the anti-Syrian forces have gathered in Aleppo to fight the government… and they will definitely be defeated,” he added.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Damascus says outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorists are the driving factor behind the unrest and deadly violence while the opposition accuses the security forces of being behind the killings.

Western states have been calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. However, Russia and China are strongly opposed to the Western drive to oust Assad.

The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country. There are reports that a very large number of the armed militants are foreign nationals.


Romney will support Israel’s unilateral strike on Iran


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shakes hands with US Republican presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, before a meeting at the premier's office in al-Quds (Jerusalem) on July 29, 2012

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/29/253331/romney-will-back-israel-attack-on-iran/

US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney will support Israel if Tel Aviv decides to launch a unilateral military attack against Iran's nuclear energy facilities, his senior campaign aide says.

"If Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing the [nuclear] capability, the governor would respect that decision," Romney's senior national security aide Dan Senor told reporters on Sunday.

The US presidential candidate is meeting with top Israeli and Palestinian leaders today as part of a six-day international tour designed to shore up his foreign-policy credentials abroad and woo Jewish voters at home, Bloomberg reported.

“My message to...Israel and...Iran is one and the same: I will not look away, and neither will my country,” he will say according to excerpts of his speech released by the campaign.

This is while the Israeli daily Haaretz reported earlier on Sunday that US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon has informed Israel of Washington's ‘contingency plans’ for a possible attack on Iran, should the negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 fail.

During his visit to Israel two weeks ago, Donilon also shared information on US weaponry and military capabilities for dealing with Iran's nuclear facilities.

Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly threatened Tehran with a military strike to force it to halt its nuclear energy program, claimed by the duo to have been diverted towards military purposes.

But Iran has dismissed the allegations and the threats, pledging a crushing response to any attack on its soil.

Syrian army kills terrorists entering from Turkey


Syrian troops walk in a neighborhood of Damascus, which has been the scene of clashes with foreign-sponsored terrorists in recent days. (File photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/29/253381/syria-army-kills-terrorists-near-turkey/

Syrian security forces have killed a large number of terrorists attempting to enter the country from neighboring Turkey.

The development comes as clashes continue between Syrian troops and foreign-sponsored armed gangs in the northwestern city of Aleppo.
The security forces have also foiled infiltration attempts by terrorists from Jordan, reports say.
In Aleppo, there has been fierce fighting in the southwestern neighborhoods of Salahuddin and Hamdaniya and the eastern neighborhood of Sakhour.
The Syrian army began a major operation on Saturday from the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo to clear the city of armed gangs.

On Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said, “We believe that all the anti-Syrian forces have gathered in Aleppo to fight the government… and they will definitely be defeated.”

Muallem made the remarks in a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran.
Meanwhile, nearly 150 militants were killed during clashes with Syrian troops in the suburbs of the western city of Homs on Sunday.
Over the past few days, Syrian troops have reportedly inflicted heavy losses on militants in the southwestern city of Dara’a, about 114 kilometers (70 miles) south of the capital, Damascus.

The anti-Syria Western regimes have been calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, but Russia and China remain strongly opposed to the Western drive to oust Assad.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on July 28, “Our Western partners… together with some of Syria’s neighbors are essentially encouraging, supporting and directing an armed struggle against [the Syrian government].”


US assures Israel of 'contingency plans' to attack Iran if talks fail


US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon

Source: Press TV

US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon has informed Israel of Washington's ‘contingency plans’ for a possible attack on Iran, should the negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 fail, an Israeli paper says.

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Sunday that US President Barack Obama's national security adviser briefed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the plan during his visit to Tel Aviv two weeks ago.

Citing a senior American official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the report said Donilon has assured the Israeli premier that the US “is seriously preparing for the possibility that negotiations will reach a dead end and military action will become necessary.”

Donilon also shared information on US weaponry and military capabilities for dealing with Iran's nuclear facilities.

Last week, Secretary of US Air Force Michael Donley said the force’s new bunker buster bombs, each weighing 15 tons, were ready to be used in an attack.
According to the report, these bombs are intended for fortified bunkers.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has told EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton that the ‘stalled talks proved that the time had come to move from talk to action to stop Iran.’

However, Ashton, who is scheduled to meet Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council in the coming days, said she was still hopeful the standoff could be resolved diplomatically.

Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly threatened Tehran with a military strike to force it to halt its nuclear energy program, claimed by the duo to have been directed towards the acquisition of military nuclear capability.

But Iran has dismissed the allegations and the threats, pledging a crushing response to any attack on its soil.


Antiatom Japanese rally in thousands




Source: Russia Today

Thousands of activists have shown up for a protest around Japan’s parliament, demanding that the government not restart the nuclear power plants, which have been put on hold after last year’s Fukushima nuclear disaster.

­Many of the protesters came to Japan's parliament complex wearing gas masks. They chanted anti-nuclear slogans and were beating on yellow oil-drums. They also voiced their anger at the restart of two plants earlier this month.

Organizers put the number of those who came at 200,000 people, though police estimated the lower figure of 17,000.

The information about details of the planned protest was actively being spread via Twitter and social networks.

The main aim was to attract ordinary people’s attention to the problem.

In comparison, the first rally in a string of peaceful events fueled by fears over the safety of nuclear power on March 29 gathered only 300 people.

Protesters have grown increasingly frustrated with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s order to restart two reactors – No. 3 and nearby No. 4 – in June.

The public fears over the risks of nuclear power are at decades high after the meltdown at the Fukushima Daichi power plant, which happened after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Several probes into the accident revealed the poor state of both industry safety standards and governmental regulation of the nuclear power industry.

Prior to the disaster Japan received a third of its electricity output from nuclear power. After Fukushima, all of the country’s operational reactors were suspended for safety inspections. All 50 working reactors in Japan went offline in May for “routine checks”.

The government says Japan’s economy cannot function without the restart of reactors, explaining that people's living standards could not be maintained without nuclear energy.

Just days before the latest protest, on Friday, activists gathered outside Prime Minister Noda’s residence

Russia won’t comply with anti-Syrian sanctions, vessel inspections


The Alaed cargo vessel was stopped in UK waters under suspicion that it was carrying Russia-made helicopters to Syria. (RIA Novosti / Vadim Zhernov)

Source: Press TV
http://rt.com/politics/russia-vessels-search-sanctions-syria-302/

Russia says it will not cooperate with new EU sanctions which allow searching all vessels suspected of delivering weapons to Syria. Moscow warned it will not consent to inspections of ships traveling under its flag.

­"We will not consider requests and give consent to the search of ships sailing under the Russian flag, nor to the use of other restrictive measures," the statement released by Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday reads.

The comment by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich comes in response to the EU’s new round of sanction against Syria, which took place on July 23.

On Monday, foreign ministers from the 27-nation bloc agreed to tighten arms embargo by inspecting vessels and planes suspected of carrying arms and broaden the list of Syrian officials banned from EU. The diplomats all agreed to freeze bank accounts and assets of 26 Syrians and three firms close to the Assad regime. Previously the list included 129 people and 49 entities.

Russia underlines it considers the implementation of sanctions violate Syria’s sovereignty and the principle of noninterference in internal affairs.

Russia’s resistance to new requirements comes a month after the the Alaed cargo vessel, under a Curacao flag, was stopped in UK waters under suspicion that it was carrying Russia-made helicopters to Syria. Washington requested to search the ship, but was refused. The Alaed was forced to turn back when the British insurer canceled its coverage. The vessel returned to Russia and swapped its flag for a Russian one.

Russia argued that the Mi-25 helicopters already belonged to Syria and were only returned to Russia for upgrades under a 2008 contract signed long before the fighting began and thus it was only carrying out its obligations.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the situation in Aleppo, which has been under fire since last week, is only heating up. He believes that a “new tragedy” in the area is possible soon.

Lavrov said that it is “unrealistic” that the government will accept the situation and step down when “well-armed opposition forces take cities” and does not hide the fact that they plan to launch a transitional government.

"Unfortunately, our Western partners prefer to do different things. In fact, together with some of Syria’s neighboring countries, they encourage, support and direct an armed struggle against the regime. The price of all this is more blood," he added


Friday, July 27, 2012

The US-NATO War on Syria: Western Naval Forces Confront Russia Off the Syrian Coastline?



Video: General Wesley Clark - 7 Countries in 5 Years

By: Michel Chossudovsky
Source: Global Research

“As I went back through the Pentagon in November 2001, one of the senior military staff officers had time for a chat. Yes, we were still on track for going against Iraq, he said. But there was more. This was being discussed as part of a five-year campaign plan, he said, and there were a total of seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia, and Sudan."
Former Nato Commander General Wesley Clark
"Let me say to the soldiers and officials still supporting the Syrian regime -- the Syrian people will remember the choices you make in the coming days...."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Friends of Syria conference in Paris' July 7, 2012

While confrontation between Russia and the West was, until recently, confined to the polite ambit of international diplomacy, within the confines of the UN Nations Security Council, an uncertain and perilous situation is now unfolding in the Eastern Mediterranean


"Polite Diplomacy" (without smiles). Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet in St. Petersbourg, June 29, 2012

Allied forces including intelligence operatives and special forces have reinforced their presence on the ground in Syria following the UN stalemate. Meanwhile, coinciding with the UN Security Council deadlock, Moscow has dispatched to the Mediterranean a flotilla of ten Russian warships and escort vessels led by the Admiral Chabanenko anti-submarine destroyer. Russia's flotilla is currently stationed off the Southern Syrian coastline.

Back in August of last year, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin warned that "NATO is planning a military campaign against Syria to help overthrow the regime of President Bashar al-Assad with a long-reaching goal of preparing a beachhead for an attack on Iran,..." In relation to the current naval deployment, Russia’s navy chief, Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov, confirmed, however, that while the [Russian] flotilla was carrying marines, the warships would "not be engaged in Syria Tasks". "The ships will perform "planned military manoeuvres", said the [Russian Defense] ministry"

The US-NATO alliance has retorted to Russia's naval initiative, with a much larger naval deployment, a formidable Western armada, consisting of British, French and American warships, slated to be deployed later this Summer in the Eastern Mediterranean, leading to a potential "Cold War style confrontation" between Russian and Western naval forces.

Meanwhile, US-NATO military planners have announced that various "military options" and "intervention scenarios" are being contemplated in the wake of the Russian-Chinese veto in the UN Security Council.
The planned naval deployment is coordinated with allied ground operations in support of the US-NATO sponsored "Free Syrian Army"(FSA). In this regard, US-NATO has speeded up the recruitment of foreign fighters trained in Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.


(Russian warships enter the Med, bound for Syria - timesofmalta.com, July 24, 2012)


Franco-British War Games: "Warship Diplomacy"

France and Britain will be participating later this Summer in war games codenamed Exercise Cougar 12 [2012]. The games will be conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean as part of a Franco-British "Response Force Task Group" involving Britain's HMS Bulwark and France's Charles De Gaulle carrier battle group. The focus of these naval exercises will be on amphibious operations involving the (planned simulated) landing ashore of troops on "enemy territory".


Britain's HMS Bulwark


France's Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier

Smokescreen: The Proposed Evacuation of Western Nationals "Using a Humanitarian Naval Fleet of WMDs"

Barely mentioned by the mainstream media, the warships involved in the Cougar 12 naval exercise will also participate in the planned evacuation of "British nationals from the Middle East, should the ongoing conflict in Syria further spill across borders into neighboring Lebanon and Jordan.":

The British would likely send the HMS Illustrious, a helicopter carrier, along with the HMS Bulwark, an amphibious ship, as well as an advanced destroyer to provide defenses for the task force. On board will be several hundred Royal Marine commandos, as well as a complement of AH-64 attack helicopters (the same ones used in Libya last year). A fleet of French ships, including the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier, carrying a complement of Rafale fighter aircraft, are expected to join them.
Those forces are expected stay offshore and could escort specially chartered civilian ships meant to pick up foreign nationals fleeing Syria and surrounding countries. (ibtimes.com, 24 July 2012).

Sources in the British Ministry of Defense, while confirming the Royal Navy's "humanitarian mandate" in the planned evacuation program, have categorically denied "any intention of a combat role for British forces [against Syria]".
The evacuation plan using the most advanced military hardware including the HMS Bulwark, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is an obvious smokescreen. The not so hidden agenda is military threat and intimidation directed against a sovereign nation located at the cradle of civilization in Mespotamia:

"The Charles De Gaulle alone is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with an entire squadron of jets more advanced than anything the Syrians have -- is sparking speculation that those forces could become involved in a NATO operation against Syrian forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad...
The HMS Illustrious, which is currently sitting on the Thames in central London, will likely only be sent to the region after the end of the Olympics." (Ibid)

This impressive deployment of Franco-British naval power could also include the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier, which is to be sent back to the Middle East:

[On July 16, 2912], the Pentagon also confirmed that it would be redeploying the USS John C. Stennis, a nuclear-powered supercarrier capable of carrying 90 aircraft, to the Middle East... The Stennis would be arriving in the region with an advanced missile-launching cruiser, .... The carrier USS Eisenhower is already expected to be in the Middle East by that time (two carriers currently in the region are to be relieved and sent back to the U.S.).

Amid unpredictable situations in both Syria and Iran, that would have left U.S. forces stretched and overly burdened if a firm military response were needed in either circumstance.


USS Stennis aircraft carrier

The USS Stennis strike group is to be sent back to the Middle East "by an unspecified date in the late summer" to be deployed to the Central Command area of responsibility:

"The Defense Department said that the early deployment had come from a request made by Marine Corps General James N. Mattis, the commander for Central Command (the U.S. military authority area that covers the Middle East), partly out of concern that there would be a short period where only one carrier would be located in the region." ((Strike group headed to Central Command early - Stripes Central - Stripes, July 16, 2012)

Marine Gen. James Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, "asked to move up the strike group’s deployment based on “a range of factors,” and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta approved it"... (Ibid)

A Pentagon spokesman stated that the deployment shift of the USS Stennis pertained to "a wide range of U.S. security interests in the region". "We’re always mindful of the challenges posed by Iran. Let me be very clear: This is not a decision that is based solely on the challenges posed by Iran, ... " This is not about any one particular country or one particular threat.” intimating that Syria was also part of planned deployment. (Ibid, emphasis added)

"Intervention Scenarios"

This massive deployment of naval power is an act of coercion with a view to terrorizing the Syrian people. The threat of military intervention purports to destabilize Syria as a nation state as well confront and weaken Russia's role in brokering the Syrian crisis.

The UN diplomatic game is at an impasse. The UN Security Council is defunct. The transition is towards Twenty-first Century "Warship Diplomacy".

While an all out allied military operation directed against Syria is not "officially" contemplated, military planners are currently involved in preparing various "intervention scenarios":

‘Western political leaders may have no appetite for deeper intervention. But as history has shown, we do not always choose which wars to fight - sometimes wars choose us. ‘Military planners have a responsibility to prepare for intervention options in Syria for their political masters in case this conflict chooses them. ‘Preparation will be proceeding today in several Western capitals and on the ground in Syria and in Turkey. ‘Up to the point of Assad’s collapse, we are most likely to see a continuation or intensification of the under-the-radar options of financial support, arming and advising the rebels, clandestine operations and perhaps cyber warfare from the West. ‘After any collapse, however, the military options will be seen in a different light.’ (Daily Mail, July 24, 2012, emphasis added)

Concluding Remarks

The World is at a dangerous crossroads. The shape of this planned naval deployment in the Eastern Mediterranean with US-NATO warships contiguous to those of Russia is unprecedented in recent history.

History tells us that wars are often triggered unexpectedly as a result of "political mistakes" and human error. The latter are all the more likely within the realm of a divisive and corrupt political system in the US and Western Europe.

US-NATO military planning is overseen by a centralized military hierarchy. Command and Control operations are in theory "coordinated" but in practice they are often marked by human error. Intelligence operatives often function independently and outside the realm of political accountability.

Military planners are acutely aware of the dangers of escalation. Syria has significant air defense capabilities as well as ground forces. Syria has been building up its air defense system with the delivery of Russian Pantsir S1 air-defense missiles.

Any form of US-NATO direct military intervention against Syria would destabilize the entire region, potentially leading to escalation over a vast geographical area, extending from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border with Tajikistan and China.

Military planning involves intricate scenarios and war games by both sides including military options pertaining to advanced weapons systems. A Third World War scenario has been contemplated by US-NATO-Israeli military planners since early 2000.

Escalation is an integral part of the military agenda. War preparations to attack Syria and Iran have been in "an advanced state of readiness" for several years.

We are dealing with complex political and strategic decision-making involving the interplay of powerful economic interest groups, the actions of covert intelligence operatives.

The role of war propaganda is paramount not only in moulding public opinion into accepting a war agenda, but also in establishing a consensus within the upper echelons of the decision-making process. A selective form of war propaganda intended for "Top Officials" in government agencies, intelligence, the Military, law enforcement, etc. is intended to create an unbending consensus in favor of war and the Police State.

For the war project to go ahead, it is essential that both politicians and military planners are rightfully committed to leading the war "in the name of justice and democracy". For this to occur, they must firmly believe in their own propaganda, namely that war is an instrument of peace and democracy.

They have no concern for the devastating impacts of advanced weapons systems, routinely categorized as "collateral damage", let alone the meaning and significance of pre-emptive warfare, using nuclear weapons.

Wars are invariably decided upon by civilian leaders and interest groups rather than by the military. War serves dominant economic interests which operate from behind the scenes, behind closed doors in corporate boardrooms, in the Washington think tanks, etc.

War propaganda, namely media lies, constitutes the most powerful instrument of warfare.

Without media disinformation, the US-NATO led war agenda would collapse like a deck of cards. The legitimacy of the war criminals in high office would be broken.

It is therefore essential to disarm not only the mainstream media but also a segment of the self proclaimed "progressive" alternative media, which has provided legitimacy to NATO's "Responsibility to protect" (R2P) mandate, largely with a view to dismantling the antiwar movement.

The road to Tehran goes through Damascus. A US-NATO sponsored war on Iran would involve, as a first step, the destabilization of Syria as a nation state. Military planning pertaining to Syria is an integral part of the war on Iran agenda.

A war on Syria could evolve towards a US-NATO military campaign directed against Iran, in which Turkey and Israel would be directly involved.
It is crucial to spread the word and break the channels of media disinformation.

A critical and unbiased understanding of what is happening in Syria is of crucial importance in reversing the tide of military escalation towards a broader regional war.

Our objective is ultimately to dismantle the US-NATO-Israeli military arsenal and restore World Peace.
Spread the word. Forward this article. Post it on Facebook.

Please visit Global Research for more information by Dr. Michel Chossudovsky


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