Commentary on the economic , geopolitical and simply fascinating things going on. Served occasionally with a side of snark.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Syria Updates - September 6 , 2013 - As the House of Representatives support for Obama's war flounders , the latest alleged threats ( today its Iran ) is floated , along with the US suddenly ordering its Diplomats to leave Lebanon - this while Congress is relatively early in the process of formulating , debating and ultimately voting on Syria War Resolutions .....Current events from the contentious G-20 Summit as Pro vs Anti War perspectives ( for and against ) the Syria War only harden ..... As support appears to weaken , expect the full court press from the White House this weekend as the Senate vote will probably occur next week !
Straight from Bizarro World ......
The Soap Opera Plot Thickens: Iran Plots Revenge If US Hits Syria, According To "Intercepted" Message
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 09/06/2013 07:55 -0400
We have not seen the YouTube clip that will serve as "incontrovertible" evidence of the following, nor is there any indication that Iran is actually aware of the NSA and that it intercepts every form of electronic communication (and when such communication is not available, one is made up), but since we have no reason to doubt the US government or its pristine, best intentions with or without YouTube clips, it is only obvious that the latest development in the Syrian/Iranian/Qatari/Saudi/Israeli soap opera is definitive proof that a US attack must happen to punish not only evil Assad but the just as evil Iranians, who dare to contemplate retaliation in the case of the latest defensive US war of aggression.
The U.S. has intercepted an order from Iran to militants in Iraq to attack the U.S. Embassy and other American interests in Baghdad in the event of a strike on Syria, officials said, amid an expanding array of reprisal threats across the region.
Military officials have been trying to predict the range of possible responses from Syria, Iran and their allies. U.S. officials said they are on alert for Iran's fleet of small, fast boats in the Persian Gulf, where American warships are positioned. U.S. officials also fear Hezbollah could attack the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
...
The Iranian message, intercepted in recent days, came from Qasem Soleimani, the head of Revolutionary Guards' Qods Force, and went to Iranian-supported Shiite militia groups in Iraq, according to U.S. officials.
In it, Mr. Soleimani said Shiite groups must be prepared to respond with force after a U.S. strike on Syria. Iranian officials didn't respond to requests for comment.
Iraqi Shiites have been sympathetic to the Alawite-dominated government of Syria and oppose U.S. strikes against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
U.S. officials said the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was one likely target. The officials didn't describe the range of potential targets indicated by the intelligence.
Somewhere out there, there is, or will be, a YouTube clip, which shows Iran launching ballistic missiles at the cornucopia of US destroyers parked in the vicinity of Syria:
The destroyers positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean are equipped with—in addition to Tomahawk missiles that could be used against Syria—the Standard Missile-3, which could be used to intercept ballistic missiles should Iran launch a retaliatory strike, officials said.
Then there are, or will be, YouTube clips showing "vicious offensives" by Syria against the opposition. Even more "vicious" than the YouTube clips "proving" Assad launched the chemical weapons against the opposition:
Syrians could also respond with "a vicious offensive" against the opposition inside Syria, said Aaron David Miller, a former top Middle East negotiator in the State Department who now is a vice president at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Such a move, he said, would be a way "to demonstrate defiance" without running the risk of hitting American targets.
And if that doesn't happen, there will be a YouTube clip showing Hezbollah attacking the US, Israel, or whatever other US ally was currently easiest to edit in the NSA's evidence manipulation room:
Some officials believe a direct response from the Syrian or Iranian governments is less likely than reprisals from allied militant groups, such as Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, whose members have been fighting alongside government forces against the Syrian rebellion, could be used to launch rocket attacks against U.S. military assets or American allies, including Israel.
But the funniest YouTube clip proving beyond a reasonable doubt a US war of aggression was really a defensive one, is when the French are attacked:
French officials said they are concerned Hezbollah could target the hundreds of French troops taking part in a U.N.-backed peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.
And so forth. That US foreign policy has devolved into a false flag hypothetical narrative chain is beyond deplorable: in the past at least they tried to make it somewhat credible. Now Kerry's minions are appealing to the lowest common Kardashian-watching denominator. Which is why we know for sure: no matter just how preposterously idiotic the next false flag will be: there will be YouTube clips!
http://rt.com/news/syria-crisis-live-updates-047/
Friday, September 6
12:00 GMT: The U.S. has ordered its diplomats to leave Lebanon as Congress debates Syria military strikes, in a move that will be interpreted that the possibility of a military strikes has moved a step closer.
11:55 GMT: The Geneva II peace conference is under threat in the current situation, said UN-Arab League envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi during the G20 summit held in St. Petersburg, Russia.
11:50 GMT: The Syrian government has announced that it is offering a bounty to anyone who captures a"non-Syrian terrorist", or helps to apprehend one, state television said. A bounty of 500,000 Syrian pounds (roughly $4,000) will be offered for capture, while 200,000 Syrian pounds (about $1,500) goes to anyone who gives information regarding terrorist locations.
The statement said the identities of those who provided information would be kept secret and their"protection ensured". Concerning Syrian rebels who informed on their comrades, state television added, that they would be granted amnesty and “their affairs will be settled.”
11:29 GMT: Moscow has warned Washington against staging attacks on Syria’s chemical weapons depots.
"With particular concern, we perceive the fact that among possible targets for attacks are objects of military infrastructure securing the safety of Syrian chemical weapons arsenals,” according to a statement in the comment of the Department of Information and Media relations of the Russian Foreign Ministry, issued on Friday.
“In this regard, we would like to warn the US government and its allies from inflicting any assaults on chemical facilities and adjacent territories,” the document says.
11:22 GMT: The crisis in Syria should be resolved through political means and not a military strike, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Barack Obama during the G20 summit in St. Petersburg in Russia.
"A political solution is the only right way out for the Syrian crisis, and a military strike cannot solve the problem from the root," Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying. "We expect certain countries to have a second thought before action," he added.
10:50 GMT: The UN nuclear watchdog has confirmed receipt of a request from Russia to estimate the impact if a missile were to hit a small Syrian reactor that contains radioactive uranium.
"I can confirm that the IAEA has received a formal request from the Russian Federation. The agency is considering the questions raised," IAEA spokeswoman Gill Tudor said in an email to Reuters.
A military strike on Syria could have catastrophic effects if the research reactor near Damascus was struck "by design or by chance," Russia said in a statement earlier this week.
10:32 GMT: British scientists found traces of sarin gas in soil and fabric samples collected in Syria, the UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed earlier reports, BBC states.
9:43 GMT: EU defense ministers have agreed that embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons in an attack in a Damascus suburb on August 21, reports AFP.
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama told G20 leaders in St. Petersburg that the US was “confident” Assad’s forces had used chemical weapons. Obama urged the G20 leaders to support the international ban on chemical weapons and authorize the use of military force against Syria.
7:55 GMT: A Russian parliamentary delegation will not travel to Washington to meet with Congress to discuss Syria, announced Russian lawmaker and State Duma representative, Sergey Naryshkin.
03:48 GMT: US President Barack Obama instructed the Pentagon to expand the list of potential Syria targets as a reaction to new intelligence that Syrian President Bashar Assad has been moving troops and chemical weapons equipment, military officials told the The New York Times. This means that the original list of at least 50 major sites will be further expanded.
03:20 GMT: The US State Department responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks that US Secretary of State John Kerry “lied” about the influence of Al-Qaeda in Syria, saying that it is“preposterous” and a mischaracterization of what America’s top diplomat actually said.
Kerry is “not losing sleep after such a preposterous comment that was based on an inaccurate quote and was completely mischaracterized,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.
Putin made his remarks on Wednesday, reportedly referring to the Secretary of State’s testimony before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee a day earlier, where Kerry said that Al-Qaeda’s presence within the Syrian opposition has not been increasing.
02:00 GMT: US Navy destroyers in the Mediterranean are “fully ready” to launch cruise missiles into Syria as part of a US military campaign that would not involve “extraordinary” monetary costs, a top admiral said Thursday.
Greenert, a chief naval operations officer who focuses on preparedness of Navy forces, also seemed to confirm the rough estimate made by US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Wednesday in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, when he told Congress that a US campaign in Syria would likely cost"tens of millions" of dollars.
"The numbers are nagging but they're not extraordinary at this point," Greenert said at an event held by the conservative think-tank American Enterprise Institute, though defense budget analysts say Hagel's figure is a low estimate.
The US State Department is ordering non essential diplomatic to leave Lebanon due to security concerns as Obama contemplates military strikes against neighbouring Syria.
In a new travel warning for Lebanon, the department said it had instructed nonessential staffers to leave Beirut and urged private American citizens to depart Lebanon.
It said:
The Department of State urges US citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of current safety and security concerns. US citizens living and working in Lebanon should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks. On September 6, the Department of State drew down non-emergency personnel and family members from Embassy Beirut due to potential threats to US Mission facilities and personnel.
David Cameron described the debate at the four-hour dinner as passionate, but said the summit was never going to reach agreement on Syria due to the depth of divisions.
He expressed his frustration with Russia's President Vladimir Putin's insistence that the chemical attack which claimed more than 1,000 lives was undertaken by rebel forces rather than the government. He said Putin "was miles away from what I think the truth is and miles away from what many of us believe".
He expressed scepticism that Putin could be persuaded by any evidence that the chemical attack was launched by the government's forces. Cameron reported Putin "said to me he would like to see further evidence of regime culpability and we will go on providing him evidence, but I think it will take a lot to change his mind, let me put it that way".
During the dinner, Putin told Barack Obama and François Hollande that the chances of reviving peace talks soon after a punitive bombing strike would be minimal.
It interviews weapons expert Theodor Postol who reckons the weapons used were newly-designed to include 10 to 20 times more sarin gas than is usually deployed. Al-Jazeera reports Postol as saying that the Assad regime is the main suspect for the attack because the missiles used would almost certainly have been made in a well-equipped weapons facilities.
China has insisted that the UN security council be involved in resolving the crisis in Syria after its leader Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting with Obama at the G20 summit in St Petersburg.
Asked about those comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei insisted that the security council still needed to be involved.
Speaking at his daily briefing, Hong said:
China supports the important role that the UN Security Council plays in properly resolving the Syria issue. We hope that relevant parties can continue communications and coordination and hold deep consultations so as to resolve the relevant issue in a peaceful way."
China believes that a political solution is the only realistic way out on the Syria issue. Given the current circumstances, a political solution is of utmost importance.
We also hope the international community can work together and push for the holding of an international conference on the Syria issue at an early date.
Summary
Welcome to Middle East Live on day two of the G20 summit in St Petersburg where the issue of Syria continues to divide world leaders.
A crowd member holds up signs against military action in Syria as US Senator John McCain speaks with constituents during a town hall meeting in Phoenix. Photograph: Ralph Freso/AP
If a laboratory finds signs of a chemical agent, it must follow up with a second test that uses different equipment. If that tests positive, the scientists must then synthesise the chemical the equipment has found and test that as a final proof. To make the procedure even more laborious, every sample must be sent to at least two laboratories for independent testing. If their results do not agree, a third laboratory performs a fresh analysis.
Barack Obama may not be able to seek overall congressional support for an attack on Syria for as long as a fortnight, amid signs he has failed to build an international alliance at the G20 and still faces the prospect of heavy defeat in the House of Representatives.
Sources at the G20 expected a vote in the Senate next week but a delay for at least for another week in the House.
But the Republican-controlled House – where Obama faces his toughest opposition – has yet to even agree on the text of a resolution. Current calculations suggest Obama will lose in the House substantially.
Unless both Houses adopted the same resolution, which is unlikely, additional time would also be required to synchronise the two resolutions in order for a unified congressional position on the limits of force to emerge.
( Exit strategy = 45 day ultimatum Obama knows will be rejected ? )
President Barack Obama hinted Friday that he might not strike Syria if Congress rejects his authorization request.
“I’m not itching for military action… and if there are good ideas that are worth pursuing, then I’m going to be open to them,” he told one reporter who asked if he was seeking alternatives to a missile strike.
“Are we on a fast track to military action as soon as Congress renders its judgment one way or the other?” the reporter asked Obama, during his morning press conference in St. Petersburg, Russia.
“Some in Congress have suggested giving the Syrian regime 45 days to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention, get rid of its chemical stockpiles, do something that would enhance the international sense of accountability for Syria, but delay military action,” the reporter asked.
“I am listening to all these ideas, and some of them are constructive,” he said.
“My goal is to maintain the international norm on banning chemical weapons. I want that enforcement to be real… I want people to understand that gassing innocent people, you know, delivering chemical weapons against children, is not something we do,” he said.
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 09/06/2013 07:55 -0400
Hey Fred, Internet outage this morning now I'm behind again. High school football tonight.
ReplyDeleteHave a great evening
Enjoy the game !
Deletehttp://dailycaller.com/2013/09/06/obama-hints-his-may-abandon-syria-strike/
ReplyDelete( Exit strategy = 45 day ultimatum Obama knows will be rejected ? )
President Barack Obama hinted Friday that he might not strike Syria if Congress rejects his authorization request.
“I’m not itching for military action… and if there are good ideas that are worth pursuing, then I’m going to be open to them,” he told one reporter who asked if he was seeking alternatives to a missile strike.
“Are we on a fast track to military action as soon as Congress renders its judgment one way or the other?” the reporter asked Obama, during his morning press conference in St. Petersburg, Russia.
“Some in Congress have suggested giving the Syrian regime 45 days to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention, get rid of its chemical stockpiles, do something that would enhance the international sense of accountability for Syria, but delay military action,” the reporter asked.
“I am listening to all these ideas, and some of them are constructive,” he said.
“My goal is to maintain the international norm on banning chemical weapons. I want that enforcement to be real… I want people to understand that gassing innocent people, you know, delivering chemical weapons against children, is not something we do,” he said.
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