http://news.antiwar.com/2013/08/07/obama-al-qaeda-on-the-way-to-defeat/
Obama went on to insist that “those who cowardly attack civilians” don’t understand his position that the US “do not get terrorized” by terrorism and will keep up its current foreign policy in place to prove that Americans “will never retreat from the world.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-08-08/putin-laughs-saudi-offer-betray-syria-exchange-huge-arms-deal
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/08/2013 11:20 -0400
At least 62 of the 70 have been confirmed killed, though the toll may be higher as some rebel factions say they believe only three of the rebels survived, a major setback for one of the biggest, most aggressive rebel factions.
Rohani’s reasonableness isn’t sitting well with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who from the moment the election ended began campaigning against diplomacy and is now ramping up his threats to attack Iran unilaterally before the talks can really get off the ground.
Yemen......
The latest two attacks targeted cars, and none of the slain were identified, though all have been dubbed “suspected militants” as is common practice in Yemen whenever the US kills somebody.
Obama: Al-Qaeda ‘On the Way to Defeat’
Insists US 'Not Terrorized' by Terrorists
by Jason Ditz, August 07, 2013
While reiterating that al-Qaeda remains a threat “to the homeland,” President Obama insisted today that his military offensives have decimated the group’s leadership and it is “on the way to defeat.”
Obama went on to insist that “those who cowardly attack civilians” don’t understand his position that the US “do not get terrorized” by terrorism and will keep up its current foreign policy in place to prove that Americans “will never retreat from the world.”
The comments come as the US has closed dozens of embassies abroad over fear of terrorist attacks, and has issued a global travel warning for the rest of the month, urging civilians to avoid any travel anywhere on the planet.
He was addressing Camp Pendleton Marines at the time, and it is possible that the broad position of the speech was penned before all of the embassy closures, though Obama did note that the recent days are a “reminder” of the global war on terror.
Syria........
Putin Laughs At Saudi Offer To Betray Syria In Exchange For "Huge" Arms Deal
- Ben Bernanke
- European Central Bank
- Eurozone
- Iran
- Israel
- Middle East
- Nat Gas
- Natural Gas
- Newspaper
- None
- Saudi Arabia
- Vladimir Putin
One of the more surprising news to hit the tape yesterday was that Saudi Arabia, exasperated and desperate by Russia's relentless support of the Syrian regime and refusal to abandon the Syrian army thus facilitating the Qatari plan to pass its natgas pipeline to Europe under Syria, had quietly approached Putin with a proposal for a huge arms deal and a pledge to boost Russian influence in the Arab world if only Putin would abandon Syria's Assad. It will hardly come as a surprise to anyone that in the aftermath of yesterday's dilettante mistake by Obama which alienated Putin from the western world (and its subservient states such as Saudi Arabia of course), has just said no. It will certainly come as no surprise because as weexplained previously, the biggest loser from Russia abandoning Syria (something we predicted would never happen) would be none other than Russia's most important company -Gazprom - which would lose its energy grip over Europe as Qatar replaced it as a nat gas vendor. What is shocking in all of this is that Saudi Arabia was so stupid and/or naive to believe that Putin would voluntarily cede geopolitical control over the insolvent Eurozone, where he has more influence according to some than even the ECB, or Bernanke. Especially in the winter.
On July 31, President Vladimir Putin, a strong backer of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, met Saudi Arabia's influential intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, after which both Moscow and Riyadh kept a lid on the substance of the talks."Every two years, Bandar bin Sultan meets his Russian counterparts, but this time, he wanted to meet the head of state," said a European diplomat who shuttles between Beirut and Damascus."During the meeting at the Kremlin, the Saudi official explained to his interlocutor that Riyadh is ready to help Moscow play a bigger role in the Middle East at a time when the United States is disengaging from the region."Bandar proposed that Saudi Arabia buy $15 billion (11 billion euros) of weapons from Russia and invest "considerably in the country," the source said.
This is where it gets funny:
The Saudi prince also reassured Putin that "whatever regime comes after" Assad, it will be "completely" in the Saudis' hands and will not sign any agreement allowing any Gulf country to transport its gas across Syria to Europe and compete with Russian gas exports, the diplomat said.
Right. Of course, if Saudi is found to have lied about this tiny factoid, it will be none other than the US who would step in and defend its brand new "allies" in the Syrian government.
In 2009, Assad refused to sign an agreement with Qatar for an overland pipeline running from the Gulf to Europe via Syria to protect the interests of its Russian ally, which is Europe's top supplied of natural gas.An Arab diplomat with contacts in Moscow said: "President Putin listened politely to his interlocutor and let him know that his country would not change its strategy.""Bandar bin Sultan then let the Russians know that the only option left in Syria was military and that they should forget about Geneva because the opposition would not attend."Russia and the United States have been trying for months to organise an international peace conference between Assad's regime and the opposition to take place in Geneva, but so far to no avail.Asked about the Putin-Bandar meeting, a Syrian politician said: "As was the case before with Qatar and Lavrov (in talks), Saudi Arabia thinks that politics is a simple matter of buying people or countries. It doesn't understand that Russia is a major power and that this is not how it draws up policy.""Syria and Russia have had close ties for over half a century in all fields and it's not Saudi rials that will change this fact," he added.The meeting between Bandar and Putin came amid tension between Moscow and Riyadh over the conflict in Syria, as Russia has accused the Saudis of "financing and arming terrorists and extremist groups" in the war which has killed more than 100,000 people since March 2011.While there was no official reaction to the meeting, Russian experts also said Putin had apparently turned down the Saudi offer.According to military expert Alexander Goltz from online opposition newspaper Ejednevny, "such an agreement seems extremely improbable."
Of course it is, because as JPM and Goldman are to the US government, so Gazprom is to Russia.
What is most interesting here is that Russia is now actively stretching its wings against not only the US but its chief foreign allies abroad. Which only means that a confrontation with Israel, directly over Iran or otherwise, is only a matter of time.
Syrian Troops Ambush al-Qaeda Rebels, at Least 62 Killed
Fighters Were Going to Attack Town Near Damascus
by Jason Ditz, August 07, 2013
A group of approximately 70 fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked rebel faction Jabhat al-Nusra got caught up in an ambush while heading to attack the town of Adra, near Damascus, and were routed by the Syrian military.
At least 62 of the 70 have been confirmed killed, though the toll may be higher as some rebel factions say they believe only three of the rebels survived, a major setback for one of the biggest, most aggressive rebel factions.
Syrian state media showed identification cards and passports taken off the slain rebels, showing many of them were foreign fighters from Tunisia, Libya and Saudi Arabia. Nusra and other Islamist factions have put considerable effort into recruiting foreign fighters as the war has taken on a more sectarian tone.
Rebels familiar with the operation say the Nusra fighters were traveling on a “secret road” to Adra, which they didn’t think the Syrian military knew about, and found that the army was already set up and waiting for them when they got close to the town.
Iran.......
Iran’s Pro-Diplomacy President Fuels New Israeli Threats
Netanyahu Hopes Congress Will Keep Talks From Progressing
by Jason Ditz, August 07, 2013
The inauguration of Iranian President Hassan Rohani over the weekend finally puts the pro-diplomacy candidate into a position to make good on his campaign promises for negotiations with the US and a rapprochement over the nation’s nuclear program.
Rohani’s reasonableness isn’t sitting well with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who from the moment the election ended began campaigning against diplomacy and is now ramping up his threats to attack Iran unilaterally before the talks can really get off the ground.
Netanyahu’s campaign has the Obama Administration toning down expectations for talks, but at the same time it seems like a unilateral Israeli attack right now would be hugely unpopular, especially as hopes for negotiations rise.
That means such a strike is likely “plan B,” while Netanyahu is instead focusing on getting the US Congress to keep up the hostile rhetoric and push Obama against giving diplomacy any serious consideration. The early indications are he’s been effective, as an overwhelming majority of the Senate is pushing against talks.
Yemen......
US Drones Pound Yemen: 34 Killed in 10 Days as Govt Declares Plot ‘Foiled’
Latest Strikes Target Cars in Maarib, Hadramawt
by Jason Ditz, August 08, 2013
Despite the Yemeni government already terming the terror plot in their nation “foiled,” US drones continue to pound the nation’s south and southeast, with three more attacks reported today in Maarib and Hadramawt Provinces, killing six in Maarib and three each in two attacks on Hadramawt.
The latest two attacks targeted cars, and none of the slain were identified, though all have been dubbed “suspected militants” as is common practice in Yemen whenever the US kills somebody.
The latest strikes mark eight in the last 10 days, with 34 reported killed overall. None of the victims of any of the strikes have been identified by name, and mostly the drones targeted cars traveling from one town to another.
Officials have suggested the strikes were part of a campaign to foil a plot by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to take over several cities, mostly in Hadramawt, though since Yemen already dubbed that plot foiled it is unclear why the strikes are continuing.
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