Monday, September 2, 2013

Syria chemical weapon investigation - Was the Syria " chemical attack " staged " , as in a fake ? Russia asks Turkey for information on sarin seized from Syrian Rebels ( 2 kg cylinder full of sarin gas. ) France accuses Syria of three chemical attacks .... Iraq just says no to US attacks on Syria... John Kerry spinning like a pinwheel on the Sunday morning talk shows - peic fail ? ...... 9/1 - 9/2 - News pertaining to Syria , the ongoing chemical weapon investigations , War plans and votes on tap....

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-02/fiction-fact-or-scandal-epic-proportions

( interesting.....)


Fiction, Fact... Or Scandal?

Tyler Durden's picture
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 09/02/2013 20:40 -0400



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* * * We make no claims that any of the presented is in any way accurate or representative of the truth. It is sourced from a "hack" by €Wagn3r of what the hacker purports to be numerous emails of one Colonel Anthony James MacDonald, his wife, and various other "Pentagon officers." However, if accurate, the exposed data sheds some critical, if circumstantial, light on the events that transpired in the days ahead of the Wednesday, August 22 "nerve gas" chemical attack alleged to have been executed by Syria's president al-Assad, and presented "beyond a doubt" as such, and as the basis for full-scale military operations and "surgical strikes" targeting Syrian assets, which in the coming days will involve a Congressional vote to determine the fate of the Syrian government and ostensibly of ten of thousands of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. While we doubt the Pentagon, the US Military, or any person in the administration will officially address these "hacked" emails, the world has a right to be aware of the existence of this information, and to come their own conclusions about the veracity of the official "case" for Syrian involvement * * *
The following is the message that hacker€Wagn3r posted on a Pastebin data dump (located here) on August 30:
I've hacked colonel Anthony Jamie MacDonald mail he is intelligence US Army Staff boss. First I hacked his Link3dIn account and got access to his mail through it then.

Among mail Mayhem like Amazon mails I've found his correspondence with his colleague Eugene Furst. He congratulates Col. with success and gives a link to the Washington Post publication about chemical attack in Syria on August 21. Furst also mentions it was “well staged”. Holy shit. I was shocked my eyes refused to believe it. Bloody bastards they “staged” a chemical attack.

Then a friend of Anthony MacDonald's wife Jennifer writes she was shocked seeing on TV the children died after chemical attack in Syria. Jennifer answers she saw the story but Tony calm her down saying children were alive and the scene was staged.
While hacks traditionally have little credibility in the media sphere, absent extensive outside corroboration, what drew our attention to his particular breach of email security is that whether due to this publicly announced hacking (or some other reason) the LinkedIn profile of Colonel MacDonald, which he lists on his also hacked resume as residing atwww.linkedin.com/pub/anthony-j-macdonald/31/615/a2, has been removed. The hack, with supporting documentation, was made publicly available for the first time on August 30, 2013. His resume can still be traced using an archived version of the website, andcan be found here (full screen grab provided below).
The source data provided by the hacker can be traced in the following three files:
Two best mails I uploaded here



Cutting to the chase, the hacker focuses on the following key exchange between Colonel MacDonald, found in an excerpt from an email thread dating to August 22.
It is as follows - bold, underlined highlights ours :
Good luck for you, see you soon
Regards,
-Gene
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AJMacDonald [mailto:XXXXXX@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2013 2:31 PM
> To: Furst, Eugene P CIV (US)
> Subject: Re: Follow-up, 20130820

> As you see I'm far from this now, but I know our guys did their best.
> I enjoyed catching-up with you. Hope to see you soon again.

> Sincerely,
> Jamie

> On Aug 22, 2013, at 2:14 PM, "Furst, Eugene P CIV (US)"
> <XXXXXX@mail.mil> wrote:


>> You're exactly right.  We have to work with both theater on the
>> requirement and the organization that owns the contract to ensure we
>> don't have too few or too many contractors.

>> CITP - Rock Island Contract
>> CIAT - DIA Contract


>> Regards,
>> -Gene

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: AJMacDonald [mailto:XXXXXX@yahoo.com]
>> Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2013 1:00 PM
>> To: Furst, Eugene P CIV (US)
>> Subject: Re: Follow-up, 20130820

>> Gene; CIAT and CITP contracts are MIP funded.  I recall the issue
>> that often surfaced was how the drawdown affected demand
>> necessitating our assessment of where we had folks, the quantity of
>> analysts, and costs associate with their employment.  My recollection
>> of this is correct is it not?  Please advise.  Thank you.  Jamie On
>> Aug 21, 2013, at 4:19 PM, "Furst, Eugene P CIV (US)" <XXXXX@mail.mil> wrote:

>>> Jamie,
>>>
>>> Next time you come in, I'll grab Katrina in DAMI-RI to help out if needed.
>>> Your comment below is correct.  It's just important to remember that
>>> the POM captures our "request".  It isn't approved until Congress
>>> puts its stamp of approval on it.  Pretty sure you understood that,
>>> we're just at the point where we're covering minor nuances...
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> -Gene
>>>
The full contents of the email exchange can be found in the archived email located in the "best" mail folder, under the title: "Follow-up, 20130820 (UNCLASSIFIED)"
If factual, Mr. Furst's (CIV) email's congratulates Col. MacDonald for his "latest success" referencing the Washington Post article in which the Syrian government is accused of the chemical attack near Damascus. The Colonel's response is: "As you see I'm far from this now,but I know our guys did their best."
At this point, and for the sake of clarity and transparency, perhaps it would be beneficial for Congress to hear our Colonel MacDonald about just what it is "his guys" did their best in, and why he is acknowledging their performance when referencing a chemical attack that allegedly was launched by Syria's Assad.
* * *
The other referenced excerpt between one Marh Shapiro and one Jennifer MacDonald, allegedly the wife of the abovementioned Colonel.
It is as follows. Once again, excerpt highlights ours:
Good Morning Jennifer:

I guess you returned from MA, I hope everything went.  I pick the kids up at the train station today at 12pm.  They probably don't want to come home.  It looks like they had a lot of fun in NYC.

You see, I'm still thinking about those Syrian kids. Thanks God, they are alive. I hope they got a kind of present or some cash.

This afternoon or tomorrow are good days for me to call.  On wed we have women's equality day at Steve' work I need to be over there to hear what he says HA HA.  I will have the girls contact Molly-we would love to drive by.  I'll let you know.
________________________________________
Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 14:59:42 -0700
From: XXXXX@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Let's talk
To: XXXXX@hotmail.com
Hi Mary;
I saw it either and got afraid very much. But Tony comforted me. He said the kids weren't hurt, it was done for cameras. So you don't worry, my dear.

That'll be nice to get down to NC to see your Dad and Lee.  If you feel like a road trip about 1/2 hour down the road, go visit the "resort" and have Molly give you a tour of campus.  She'd love to see you guys since she didn't get to PA for Steve's COC.

Would love to see you during the 7-11 October visit.  Ugh, my birthday!  We need to go to FL instead of you coming here!  I'm trying to forget that day.....But seriously, it would be great to see you anytime.

I will have time to chat this week.  Can't believe Tuesday is the Stallion Stampede.  Grace's first FH game is Wednesday.  She has had 2 scrimmages so far and they have won both of them.

Jennifer

From: mary shapiro <XXXXX@hotmail.com>
To: jennifer macdonald <XXXXX@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2013 1:30 PM
Subject: RE: Let's talk

Everytime I hear about HighPoint...it sounds like a place that I want to live!  I hope all goes well in MA.  I know its difficult for Pat without you living nearby. 
Thank you for you offer to visit over Labor Day, however we are going to my Dad's house over that weekend.  Its going to be a tight turn around, but if we don't go then it may be a while before we can head down there. 
I am going to be joining Steve at his Capstone class 7-11 October so we should be able to meet for dinner then.  Also I would like to try and come down during the day in September to celebrate your bday.  So we can start thinking about a few dates. 
You know, I can't stop thinking about that terrible gas attack in Syria now. Did you see those kids? I was really crying… They were poisoned, they died. When is it over? I see their faces when in sleep. What did Tony say you about this?
If factual, the implications of this second follow up email are self-explanatory: the wife of Colonel MacDonald responds to a sincere query by what appears to be a friend or acquaintance, about the tragic fate of the Syrian children that perished in the chemical attack, to which the response is: "I saw it either and got afraid very much. But Tony comforted me. He said the kids weren't hurt, it was done for cameras. So you don't worry, my dear."
Perhaps if and when Col. MacDonald provides his explanation for his response to the first email, he can also share some insight into why he told his wife that the entire Syrian massacre has been staged "for the cameras." This kind type of prevarication will hardly be without pretext: recall the video clip presented 4 weeks ago showing Muslim Brotherhood supporters staging for the camera in what appears to be an act designed to feign injury and death.
The full contents of the email exchange can be found in the archived email located in the "best" mail folder, under the title 7a231bc6-1490-4fe1-98ef-6bdf8e9b4a265.
* * *
Going back to the hacker's original message: he alleges to have hacked the emails of the following "other Pentagon officers' mail boxes:"
Evans, Anthony O COL USARMY HQDA ASA ALT  (US)
Sims, John D COL USARMY HQDA OCPA (US)
Griffith, David M COL USARMY (US)
Bell, Craig A COL USARMY (US)
Parramore, David J (Dave) COL USARMY  MEDCOM HQ (US)
Morris, Daniel L COL USARMY (US)
Ellison, Brenda K COL USARMY (US)
Jennings, Wesley J COL USARMY HQDA DCS G-8  (US)
Eberle, Brian K COL  USARMY HQDA DCS G-3-5-7 (US)
Bradsher, John M COL USARMY (US)
Fish, Charles A COL USARMY JS J8 (US)
Roquemore, Darlene M COL USAF (US)
Mott, Robert L Jr COL USARMY HQDA  OTSG (US)
Parramore, David J (Dave) COL USARMY  MEDCOM HQ (US)
Weeks, Colin A LTC USARMY (US)
Reynolds, M Bridget LTC USARMY HQDA DCS G-2 (US)
Grahek, Christopher J LTC USARMY HQDA  OTSG (US)
Henderson, Valerie D LTC USARMY HQDA OCPA (US)
The hacker's parting words:
I've no time to look through all their mails. A lot of shit to be sure there. I will upload their correspondence later.
* * *
Those curious about the credentials of Colonel MacDonald, can find more in what appears to be his resume which can be found in the email titled "Resume" located in assorted "MacDonalds" folder. It is in the headers to this resume that Col. MacDonald allegedly lists theLinkedIn profile URL which appears to have been taken down as of this writing.
Objective: A senior leadership position within an organization where my expertise in planning and leading intelligence operations and developing interagency partnerships will contribute to the organization’s growth and success.

Executive Leadership and Management Profile:

•    Thirty years of leadership experience specializing in planning and directing multi-disciplined intelligence operations, and coordinating and developing partnerships.
•    Proven ability to build consensus across competing joint and interagency interests to form coalitions that deliver balanced and executable results.
•    Successfully and effectively organized and commanded two complex, highly visible and politically sensitive joint and interagency intelligence collection organizations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
•    Proven manager of large and diverse organizations comprised of more than 300 multi-disciplined intelligence and support personnel responsible for producing intelligence for joint service, interagency, and multi-national organizations.
•    Experienced and effective in developing strategies that produce successful Army and interagency solutions to address complex tasks in resource constrained and austere operating environments.
•    Accomplished leader, mentor and trainer with a proven record of building high achieving units; frequently handpicked to perform critical and high visibility missions of national importance.
•    Superb oral and written communication skills.

Experience:

Director of Operations and Plans, Colonel                                   October 2010 – July 2013
Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, Headquarters Department of the Army, Pentagon, Virginia
Direct and manage Army G-2 intelligence operations, plans, policies, and the integration of emerging capabilities in support of Army current and future operations and force structure design.  Staff Lead for support to combat operations and the Army intelligence force at large, and the development of innovative solutions for training critical skills.  Direct and oversee the management of more than $1 billion of Army training programs and intelligence support contracts.

•    Leveraged an Army intelligence force of 58,000 personnel to develop solutions for Army Force Generation requirements in support of the Global War on Terror and other contingencies.
•    Oversaw coordination with the United States Army Forces Command, the Army and Joint Staffs, and Human Resources Command to ensure all deploying Brigade Combat Teams, Division Headquarters and Corps Headquarters personnel and equipment requirements were met prior to deployment.  Conducted essential follow-up to ensure all tasks were completed and units satisfied with any mitigation efforts.
•    Managed Intelligence 2020 strategic planning and force design to ensure compliance and compatibility with Army 2020 objectives force composition, and requirements; including the formation of an Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade and two Theater Intelligence Brigades.
•    Selected to lead a Chief of Staff of the Army tasked team to evaluate competing intelligence fusion systems in Afghanistan that directly influenced the integration of enabling capabilities into a multi - billion dollar Army Program of Record and shaped intelligence training for all Army commands. 
There is much more in the full resume.
His full screencaptured LinkedIn profile is shown below:
* * *
In conclusion, and as prefaced in the opening statement, we make no reps and warranties thatany of the above information is factual, valid or accurate. However, due to the gravity and relevance of the content to current world events, we believe that the authorities responsible for denying (or validating) the above contents will take all appropriate measures to do just that.
Because if there is even a trace of circumstantial evidence, albeit obtained through illicit means, that the chemical attack was "staged", potentially with the prior knowledge of a respected and decorated former Pentagon Colonel and Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, Headquarters Department of the Army, Pentagon, Director of Operations and Plans, then both the American people, and Congress which is set to make a critical decision whether or not to engage in war, have the right to know.














http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/151261/russia-asks-turkey-for-info-on-sarin-terrorists.html

Russia asks Turkey for info on sarin terrorists
printable version
6 June 2013

Russia has called on Turkey to share its findings in the case of Syrian rebels who were seized on the Turkish-Syrian border with a 2kg cylinder full of nerve gas sarin.

Russia’s top foreign official Sergei Lavrov tolday said the Kremlin wanted to get clear on the issue of chemical weapons used in Syria, since the allegation had taken on the role of a trading card in the conflict, becoming a focus of constant provocations.

“I do not rule out that some force may want to use it [the rumour] to say that the “red line” has been crossed and a foreign intervention is needed,” the minister said.

“We are still waiting on a comprehensive report from our Turkish colleagues,” he added, citing the incident when a gang of terrorists carrying a canister with nerve gas sarin was arrested inside the Turkish territory about two weeks ago.

Moscow calls to pick side in Syria conflict

Russia’s chief of foreign affairs has urged the international community to finally take its pick and decide whether it is going to side with forces set to topple the Syrian regime or with the ones calling for a nationwide dialogue on Syrian peace.

Speaking at a press conference, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “We want that… the international community took off the blinders that make its focus on its immediate urge to overthrow one leader, then unseat another one, while turning a blind eye on the outcome of these actions.”

“Whatever has been happening during this ‘Arab Spring,’ it is clear now that these events are closely connected, so it is important to choose who you are siding with… with those who want to cut the knot without looking back at the suffering nation – or with those who want to solve this problem though dialogue,” Mr. Lavrov said.

Russia urges prompt inquiry into chemical arms use in Syria - Lavrov
All of the possible instances of chemical weapons use in Syria should be established as soon as possible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"I would like to support Guido [German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle] regarding the need to urgently establish all of the facts linked to reports about the possible use of chemical weapons by the sides," Lavrov said at a press conference in the Kaliningrad region on Thursday.

A serious mistake was made when the Syrian government's request to investigate the possible use of chemical toxic substances in the city of Aleppo on March 19 was left without any response, but unlimited and unhindered access to any facility on Syrian territory was demanded instead, the Russian minister said.

All opposition groups in Syria should be able to be involved in reaching compromise - Lavrov

Russia insists that all structures related to the settlement of the situation in Syria should take part in the international conference on Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"All structures should be present at that conference. That applies not only to the national coalition, which has so far failed to take a constructive stance in the conference. That also applies to those opposition structures that do not want to be present at the Geneva conference if it is called under the 'umbrella' of the national coalition," Lavrov told a press conference on Thursday.

Among the organization that want to take an independent part in the conference are the National Coordination Committee and the Syrian Kurds, he said.

"We believe all opposition structures in Syria should be given an opportunity to communicate their viewpoint and participate in the achievement of a compromise, which will ensure peace, stability, ad equal rights for all ethnic and religious groups in the country," Lavrov said.

Russia vows to bring Iran to Syria parley amid Western criticism

Russia is set to push for Iranian presence at the planned Syria conference, dubbed Geneva II, in Switzerland, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

Mr. Lavrov stressed Moscow was intent on bringing all countries who can influence the parley to the negotiating table. And one of those world powers is Tehran, he pointed out.

The West has met this motion with a great deal of resentment. “At the current stage our partners have been quite outspoken and critical about Iran’s participation,” Sergei Lavrov said at a briefing today. “We think they are mistaken,” he added.

The Russian foreign minister vowed that Russia “will keep pressing for including all influential parties in the conference.”




http://rt.com/news/syria-crisis-live-updates-047/


Monday, September 2

08:40 GMT: US Senator John McCain stated Monday that Congress rejecting President Obama's proposal for military force in Syria would be catastrophic.

"If the Congress were to reject a resolution like this after the president of the United States has already committed to action, the consequences would be catastrophic," McCain told reporters after a meeting with Obama.
20:19 GMT: The White House is ready to rework language in a draft resolution that would authorize military force in Syria, Reuters quoted an administration official as saying. The change would address concerns from lawmakers. The administration is open to changes "within the parameters that (the) president has previously explained."
16:56 GMT: A declassified French intelligence report, based on satellite images of the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria, shows that the strikes came from government-controlled areas to the east and west of Damascus, and targeted rebel-held zones, sources told Reuters.

The Syrian government subsequently bombed areas where chemical strikes took place to wipe out evidence, a source in the French government said, adding that the chemical attack was massive and coordinated and the opposition would not have the means to carry it out.

"Unlike previous attacks that used small amounts of chemicals and were aimed at terrorizing people, this attack was tactical and aimed at regaining territory," the source said.
16:55 GMT: Syria's President Bashar Assad told French newspaper Le Figaro that the allegations on chemical attacks were “illogical.”
15:50 GMT: US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will appear as witnesses at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday on the authorization of the use of military force in Syria, the committee said in a statement.
15:24 GMT: Foreign ministers from the 11 countries of the Friends of Syria group will meet September 8 in Rome, a diplomatic source told Reuters. The core group of nations includes France, the United States, Britain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
15:22 GMT: The British government has no intention to hold a second parliamentary vote on taking military action against Syria, AFP reported. "Parliament has spoken and that is why the government has absolutely no plans to go back to parliament," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said. "The position we are in is that parliament has expressed its will and that is the basis on which we will proceed.”
14:59 GMT: A senior member of France’s ruling Socialist Party rebuffed opposition calls for a parliamentary vote on whether to take military action against Syria. Elisabeth Guigou urged lawmakers to respect the president's constitutional right as the army's commander-in-chief to decide what action French armed forces would take.
"In a complicated situation like this, we need to stick to principles, in other words the constitution, which does not oblige the president to hold a vote, nor even a debate," Guigou, the parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman, told France Info radio.
13:29 GMT: President Vladimir Putin has supported a proposal from Russian MPs to send a parliamentary delegation to the US Congress in an effort to resolve the Syrian crisis. 
“We should more actively involve the parliaments of our countries,” Federation Council chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko said. “We would like to address senators and members of the House of Representatives in Congress, to have a dialogue with our partners.” 
Russia will also welcome members of the US Congress in Moscow, Matviyenko said. 
"I think if we manage to establish a dialogue with our partners in the U.S. Congress ... we could possibly better understand each other, and we hope that the U.S. Congress will occupy a balanced position in the end and, without strong arguments in place ... will not support the proposal on use of force in Syria,"Valentina Matviyenko said.
12:39 GMT: NATO has “its own role in settling the Syrian crisis,” said Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, adding that it conducts “closed consultations between allies.”
“I don't foresee any further NATO role” in the crisis solution, he noted. “It’s for individual allies to decide how they will respond.” 
He called the international community for a firm response to the alleged August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria. 
"We believe that these unspeakable actions which claimed the lives of hundreds of men, women and children cannot be ignored," Rasmussen told a news conference. "I think there is an agreement that we need a firm international response in order to avoid chemical attacks taking place in the future," he said. 
Rasmussen also said he is convinced that the Syrian government was responsible for the chemical attack.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (AFP Photo / Georges Gobet)
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (AFP Photo / Georges Gobet)
12:31 GMT: The crisis in Syria is not on the agenda of the G20 Leaders’ Summit on September 5-6 in St. Petersburg, but “it is for the Russian presidency of the G20 to make this decision," a spokesman for the EU said.  Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that, since the G20 was founded as financial summit, Syria would not be on the agenda. Lavrov added, however, that any leader could raise the subject of Syria and “they will be ready for this talk.” 
12:01 GMT: A BBC poll has found that almost three quarters of the UK population believe that MPs were right to reject military intervention in Syria. Seventy-one percent of people thought Parliament voted the right way, while 72 percent said they did not think the move would negatively impact UK-US relations. A further two thirds said they would not care if it did.
10:21 GMT: Hezbollah has promised to retaliate by firing surface-to-surface missiles at Israel if it decides to partake in the strike against Damascus. 
“Hizbullah is controlling 8,000 kilometers in Reef Homs and will not hesitate to participate in an attack by firing surface-to-surface missiles from Syria,” said a source from a joint operation run by Hezbollah and the forces of President Assad, as reported by the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper. 
10:00 GMT: The war in Syria has displaced 7 million Syrians, or almost one-third of the population, the head of the UN refugee agency, Tarik Kurdi, says. Two million children are among those directly affected by the war. Kurdi stressed that UN assistance has been a "drop in the sea of humanitarian need" and that the funding gap is "very, very wide." 
09:49 GMT: Syria's army is on high alert and will “remain so until terrorism is completely eradicated," a security official in Damascus said Monday. 
09:25 GMT: Foreign Minister Lavrov met with his South-African counterpart to discuss a range of issues including Syria, on which he said that "The framework for [the Geneva peace talks on Syria] was in place", but that partners who side with the US strike are less interested in bringing the rebels to the negotiating table than they are in creating a "controlled chaos". He added that this puts the peace talks in danger, and finally, that a strike would only allow extremism to flourish, instead of creating a stable transition that everyone seems to desire. 
08:15 GMT: The US has briefed China about evidence on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, said during a daily news briefing on Monday. Hong did not say what China thought of the evidence, but reiterated that China opposes the use of chemical weapons by any side, adding that Beijing supported the independent, objective investigation by the UN experts. 
07:39 GMT: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that a 'regime of secrecy' by the West is unacceptable with regard to Syria and evidence of the use of chemical weapons there.

"If there truly is top secret information available, the veil should be lifted. This is a question of war and peace. To continue this game of secrecy is simply inappropriate," Lavrov said during an address to the students of the Moscow State University of International Relations.

Lavrov has called the information provided to Russia by the US 'inconclusive’.

"We were shown some sketches, but there was nothing concrete, no geographical coordinates or details... and no proof the test was done by professionals... there were no comments anywhere regarding the experts' doubt about the footage circulating all over the internet," Lavrov said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (RIA Novosti / Maxim Blinov)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (RIA Novosti / Maxim Blinov)
He added that "what our American, British and French partners have shown us before - as well as now - does not convince us at all. There are no supporting facts, there is only repetitive talk in the vein of 'we know for sure.' And when we ask for further clarification, we receive the following response: 'You are aware that this is classified information, therefore we cannot show it to you.' So there are still no facts." 


Sunday, September 1

04:45 GMT: World's number one tennis superstar Novak Djokovic speaks out against a military strike on Syria, recounting his experience as a child growing up in Belgrade, during the 78-day NATO bombing of 1999.
After winning his third match of the US Open, he told Reuters that "I'm totally against any kind of weapon, any kind of air strike, missile attack."
"I'm totally against anything that is destructive... because I had this personal experience, I know it cannot bring any good to anybody."
23:43 GMT: The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz along with four destroyers and a cruiserhave been ordered to move west in the Arabian Sea toward the Red Sea, so that it can help support a US strike on Syria if requested, a US official told Reuters. 
22:16 GMT: The two identical letters delivered to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and President of the UN Security Council, Maria Cristina Perceval call on the international body to maintain its role of protector of international legitimacy and prevent US-led aggression against Damascus, Syria's permanent representative to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari told Sana. 
20:30 GMT: The Arab League has issued a resolution calling on the international community to act against the Syrian government and punish it as a war criminal for killing hundreds of civilians in a chemical attack.
Arab League foreign ministers have urged the United Nations and international community to "take the deterrent and necessary measures against the culprits of this crime that the Syrian regime bears responsibility for," according to the final resolution of the Cairo meeting.
19:56 GMT: Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would only take part in a military intervention in Syria with a NATO or United Nations mandate. She was planning to talk with Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the next G20 meeting to find common ground on the Syrian conflict, she said during a TV debate with her political rival Peer Steinbrueck.
19:39 GMT: France plans to “make public the declassified documents on the Syrian chemical arms program” soon, a source within the country’s government said.

The source added that media reports, claiming that French intelligence possess information that Bashar Assad’s government has a chemical weapons arsenal of 1,000 tons, are “correct.”

18:40 GMT: A US amphibious transport ship has been deployed to the Mediterranean, reports AFP quoting an anonymous defense official. The USS San Antonio is "on station in the Eastern Mediterranean" but "has received no specific tasking," he said. 
The San Antonio carries no Tomahawk cruise missiles but has up to four choppers and hundreds of Marines on board. The US already has five destroyers in place for possible missile strikes on Syria.
USS San Antonio (AFP Photo / HO / US Navy / MC3 Derek Paumen)
USS San Antonio (AFP Photo / HO / US Navy / MC3 Derek Paumen)
17:51 GMT: The US essentially declared war on Syria, according to c Syrian Minister for National Reconciliation Ali Haidar, who spoke to Bloomberg in a phone interview. “I am among those who call for a preemptive [response by all Syrians],” Haidar said.

“He’s kept the sword in his hand, he just hasn’t chosen to limit himself to a date,” Haidar added, in reference to Obama's announcement that he would seek Congressional approval for a strike on Saturday. 
17:42 GMT: The Syrian opposition chief has urged the Arab League to back Western strikes. Ahmad Jarba stated that Syria could be the gate to fight Iran.
"I am here before you today to appeal to your brotherly and humanitarian sentiments and ask you to back the international operation against the destructive war machine," Jarba stated at the meeting of minsiters in Cairo. 
17:41 GMT: Saudi Arabia has called on the world community to take all necessary steps to deter “Syrian government violence.” The call comes as Arab League Foreign Ministers convene for an urgent meeting in Cairo.
"The time has come to call on the world community to bear its responsibility and take the deterrent measure that puts a halt to the tragedy," Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Faisa said adding that the Syrian regime has lost its Arab and Islamic legitimacy.
16:53 GMT: Turkish police blocked the entrance to the Gezi Park in Istanbul preventing hundreds of demonstrators from rallying there against a possible US intervention in Syria. 
At least 1,000 people took part in the demonstration, forming human chains on the city's celebrated Istiklal Avenue, the AFP reported. Smaller protests have also spread across Istanbul, aimed at combatting its commercial development. Earlier this summer Turkey was convulsed by a series of violent protests across the country. Their target was Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), accused of repressing critics and of forcing Islamic values on the mainly Muslim but staunchly secular nation.


http://rt.com/news/france-syria-chemical-report-324/



France accuses Syria of 3 chemical attacks, Assad slams Western logic

Published time: September 02, 2013 17:45
Edited time: September 02, 2013 20:06
French Prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault,Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.(AFP Photo / Jacques Demarthon / SANA)
French Prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault,Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.(AFP Photo / Jacques Demarthon / SANA)
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Syria unrest
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At least three chemical attacks were staged in Syria between April and August, a declassified French intelligence report claims, while President Bashar Assad said it was “illogical” for the government to launch a chemical weapons strike.
The declassified nine-page French intelligence report, issued by the country’s external and military services, suggests government forces loyal to President Assad were behind the attack, which took place on August 21 in eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus.
The report alleges the strikes were directed from government-controlled areas to the east and west of Damascus and targeted rebel zones; the intelligence also describes "massive use of chemical agents" involved in the attack. 
“Unlike previous attacks that used small amounts of chemicals and were aimed at terrorizing people, this attack was tactical and aimed at regaining territory," government sources commented to Reuters. 
The source added that since then Assad’s forces had subsequently bombed the areas to erase evidence of strikes. 
Moreover, the report alleges the Syrian government staged at least three chemical attacks since April, according to AFP, including those in the towns of Saraqib and Jobar in April. Those attacks appeared to have killed about 280 people. 
The report was published on the websites of the French presidency, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry at 5 pm Paris time (7 pm GMT). 
"We are going to give the MPs everything we have – classified until now – to enable every one of them to take on board the reality of the unacceptable attack," French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Monday. 
Syrian activists inspect the bodies of people they say were killed by nerve gas in the Ghouta region, in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus August 21, 2013.(Reuters / Bassam Khabieh)
Syrian activists inspect the bodies of people they say were killed by nerve gas in the Ghouta region, in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus August 21, 2013.(Reuters / Bassam Khabieh)

French President Francois Hollande has backed a call from US President Barack Obama for a military strike against the Syrian government as a punitive response to the Aug. 21 chemical attack. However, after Obama requested an authorization from the Congress, France said they do not intend to act alone and intends to create a coalition for intervention in Syria.  
"It's not for France to act alone. The president is continuing his work of persuasion to bring together a coalition without delay. This act cannot be left without a response," PM Ayrault reiterated after presenting an intelligence report on Syria to lawmakers, his defense and foreign ministers, intelligence and security officials.
"France is determined to penalize the use of chemical weapons by Assad's regime and to dissuade [further attacks] with a forceful and firm response," Ayrault said. "The objective is neither to topple the regime nor to liberate the country," he said, adding that only a political solution in Syria was possible. 
Ayrault also said no vote was scheduled for Wednesday’s parliamentary debate on the Syrian conflict. The French constitution doesn't require a vote for the president to be able to authorize military action, Ayrault added. 

Assad slams ‘illogical’ accusations of chemical attacks

Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar Assad has derided allegations from the West that his government was behind alleged chemical attacks in the country.  He challenged the world to provide “the slightest proof” he had used chemical weapons against his own people, and questioned the logic behind such accusations. 
“Supposing that our army wants to use weapons of mass destruction… Is it possible that it does so in an area that it is itself in, and where soldiers are wounded by these weapons, which UN inspectors noted while visiting hospitals in which they were treated. Where is the logic?” the Syrian leader said. 
“We have challenged the United States and France to come up with a single piece of proof,” he told Le Figaro. “Obama and Hollande have been incapable of doing so.” 
People demonstrate against a US-led strike on Syria in front of the White House in Washington on August 31, 2013.(AFP Photo / Nicholas Kamm)
People demonstrate against a US-led strike on Syria in front of the White House in Washington on August 31, 2013.(AFP Photo / Nicholas Kamm)

“Anybody who contributes to the financial and military reinforcement of terrorists is the enemy of the Syrian people. If the policies of the French state are hostile to the Syrian people, the state will be their enemy,” Assad said, adding that the French people themselves were not enemies, but the French government’s policies were regarded as hostile. 
“There will be repercussions, negative ones obviously, on French interests,” he concluded.
Assad said that any military action from the country would spark negative repercussions on French interests, calling the region a “powder keg.” 
“The whole world will lose control of the situation. Chaos and extremism will spread. The risk of a regional war exists,” he said. Assad’s comments came before the French intelligence report was published.

UN chemical attack investigation

The samples collected by the UN chemical investigation team of the suspected chemical attack in Ghouta are to be examined by the Swedish Defense Research Institute in the northern city of Umea, said Ake Sellstrom, who leads the investigation, Russian media reported. 
Sellstrom rebuffed assumptions that the samples were not reliable due to too much time having elapsed after the attack. He noted that the material was collected in a short time, so there is a good chance for accurate analysis.
"It is rarely possible to collect samples after such a short time," Sellstrom said. The Defense Research Institute says the analysis of samples brought back from Syria will take about two weeks. Some samples will also be studied in Finland. 
The publication of the intelligence report follows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s call for lifting the veil on all available information regarding the alleged chemical attack.
He added that the evidence provided by the US was not convincing, ‘nothing concrete, no geographical coordinates or details.'
Finally, he warned that a strike on Syria would lead to a huge increase in extremism and have the opposite effect to what the Western powers desire.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.(AFP Photo / Vasily Maximov)
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.(AFP Photo / Vasily Maximov)

The Russian minister had previously warned that Western military action would sink efforts to organize a peace conference in Geneva. 
"If the action announced by the US president – to the great regret of all of us – does in fact take place... it will put off the chances of (holding) this conference for a long time, if not forever", Lavrov said. 
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin labeled the idea that the Syrian government would use chemical weapons on its own people when UN inspectors were in Damascus as “utter nonsense.” The Russian President called the affair a “provocation” by Syrian rebels hoping to embroil Western powers in the conflict.
The Geneva conference which is due to take place in late 2013,  is meant to bring the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad and the Syrian National Coalition, the two main opposing sides of the conflict, to the negotiating table in a bid to find a political solution to the crisis. 

‘I did not join for this’: US military men speak out against Syria strike

Published time: September 02, 2013 15:11
Edited time: September 02, 2013 16:45
AFP Photo / Mario Tama
AFP Photo / Mario Tama
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Syria unrest
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Conflict, Military, Obama, Politics, Syria,USA
Many US servicemen are against the looming strike on Syria, Republican Congressman Justin Amash said on Twitter, in an attempt to counter the idea that the country might be overwhelmingly in favor of military action.
Amash made his comments after President Barack Obama’s statement, in which he all but promised a strike in retaliation for the supposed use of chemical agents by the Syrian government.
The Congressman for Michigan backed up his comments with a multitude of retweets from servicemen.
Amash said he had been “hearing a lot from members of our Armed Forces" and said that "the message I consistently hear [is]: Please vote no on military action against Syria."
The US Congress is expected to debate and vote on military action soon after it returns from summer recess on September 9.
Amash has since been re-tweeting anti-intervention comments sent by members and veterans of the US armed forces. Many cite experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan that have steered them in this direction. Here is a selection of some of those tweets:

Justin Amash        ✔ @repjustinamash

I've been hearing a lot from members of our Armed Forces. The message I consistently hear: Please vote no on military action against .
Mr. King @derekking1980

@repjustinamash 13 year USAF vet here...thanks for actually appreciating our constitution! Vote no to actions in Syria!
 из: Midwest City, OK, United States
George @jorge5863

@repjustinamash Former Army Ranger. 2 tours in Iraq. 1 tour in Afghanistan. Please vote no on military action in Syria.
  1. Justin Amash        ✔ @repjustinamash
    I've been hearing a lot from members of our Armed Forces. The message I consistently hear: Please vote no on military action against .

George @jorge5863

@repjustinamash Former Army Ranger. 2 tours in Iraq. 1 tour in Afghanistan. Please vote no on military action in Syria.
Matt Drennan @DrennanMatt

@repjustinamash Navy vet here. 9 years. I know you will vote no. Thank you!


Likewise, a number of pictures have been appearing on the Internet, purportedly showing US army and navy service personnel’s discontent at the proposed military intervention in Syria. 
Image from facebook.com
Image from facebook.com

A Syrian pro-government hacker group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) posted the above picture on the US Marines’ website as an example that not all US soldiers are on board with Obama.
According to the International Business Times, the SEA went onto the marines’ official website,www.marines.com, and ended up defacing it temporarily to post an emotional message of peace to their“brothers-in-arms” and pleading with them to understand that by agreeing to carry out the strike they are fighting against friendlies and helping their own worst enemy, Al-Qaeda. 
A screenshot from marines.com
A screenshot from marines.com


http://www.juancole.com/2013/09/government-rejects-strike.html


Iraqi Government Rejects US Strike on Syria, Fears Civil War

Posted on 09/02/2013 by Juan Cole
In his speech on Saturday on the Syria crisis, President Obama instanced Iraq among the countries that might suffer if the Baath regime were allowed to get away with using chemical weapons.
The elected government of Iraq, however, says thanks but no thanks. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki categorically rejects a Western strike on Syria. Sectarian struggles lie behind this reaction.
The Iraqi government has announced that it won’t permit the US to fly over Iraqi territory in the course of any operation against Syria.

Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari admitted that Iraq was unable to stop the weapons flow from Iran to Syria.
Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the hard line Sadr II bloc among Shiites, completely rejected any Western strike on Syria. Unlike most Iraqi Shiites, al-Sadr supports the Syrian revolution and says Syria should have free and fair elections so as to create a truly representative government. But al-Sadr reminded Syrians of the disasters visited on Iraq by sectarian faction-fighting and by American military occupation, and urged them to avoid both. Al-Sadr called for the Iraqis peacefully to demonstrate against any prospect of a US strike on Syria.
The radical Shiite group Asa’ib ahl al-Haqq threatened retaliation against any US strike.
In contrast, the Iraqiya Party that represents most Iraqi Sunnis is in favor of US military intervention against Syria.

Video: John Kerry’s not good, very bad day with Chris Wallace

POSTED AT 12:31 PM ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 BY JAZZ SHAW

 
Ed warned you this morning, so we all knew that John Kerry was doing the Full Ginsburg for Sunday morning. The topic, of course, was the President’s sudden about-face on letting Congress make the call on attacking Syria. It was bound to be a tough sell, but I don’t think anyone expected things to go as badly as they did when he talked to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, so you should really see the video here if you missed it.
It’s a roughly 12 minute interview, but if you want to jump straight to the opening volley of the fireworks, skip to the two minute mark of the video below. Kerry is busy trying to spin the I-Formation hand-off from POTUS to the Congress as a “big gain” as the world receives the “legitimacy of the full throated response of the Congress of the United States and the President acting together after our democratic process has worked properly.” Wallace is having none of it.
Chris Wallace: But Mr. Secretary, this isn’t CSI. This isn’t a civics lesson. People’s lives are at stake, as I don’t have to tell you, on the ground in Syria. In your remarks on Friday you said that this matters, and it matters beyond the borders of Syria. Take a look.
[Insert video from Friday]
CW: Mr. Secretary, what message are we sending to Iran and Hezbollah and North Korea when the President announces that he thinks that we should take military action, but he’s going to wait nine days for Congress to come back before he takes any action, and then he goes off and plays a round of golf? What message does that send to the rebels on the ground whose lives are in danger and to our enemies who are watching?
Secretary of State John Kerry: I think actually North Korea and Iran ought to take note that the United States of America has the confidence in its democratic process to be able to ask all of the American people to join in an action that could have profound implications with respect to Iran. The fact is that if we act, and if we act in concert, then Iran will know that this nation is capable of speaking with one voice on something like this, and that has serious, profound implications, I think, with respect to the potential of a confrontation over their nuclear program. That is one of the things that is at stake here. You just quoted it. That and America’s willingness to enforce the international norm on chemical weapons. I think we are stronger. The President thinks we are stronger when the Congress of the United States joins in this. I mean, Congress can’t have it both ways. You can’t sit there and say you’ve got to consult with us and honor the constitutional process, and Congress has the right to make its voice heard in these decisions, and the President is giving them that opportunity, and I think you should welcome it, Chris. And the Congress and the country should welcome this.
CW: But Mr. Secretary…
JK: It’s an important debate, and we do not lose anything militarily in the meantime.
CW: But the refugees on the ground lose something, sir. They lose with the possibility that they’re going to get killed in the meantime. Let me just, if I may, follow up.
I omitted all of the “ummms, uhs” and pauses from Kerry’s answers as per usual standards, but you have to see it to get the full flavor. It goes downhill from there. Let’s cut to the video, and then come back for a bit of different coverage.
The panel discussion before the interview is also worth a look. It covers many of the same scenes with a variety of opinions. But if there is one take from the opposite side which is at least worth a chuckle, it’s brought up by a panelist who quotes Axlerod from Twitter. On Obama’s decision to let Congress decide after so many of them insisted he needed their approval before going to war, he described the President as essentially turning Congress into “the dog that caught the car.”
Discuss at your leisure.



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