Major series of top military Brass defect from Syria - Assad given last warning by the West not to further move WMD - defiance of this threat will result in military action against Syria's WMD ! Regional War watch - past misadventures and misadventures yet to come....

http://www.debka.com/article/22182/Assad-receives-last-warning-to-stop-moving-his-WMD-Top-generals-defect

Assad receives last warning to stop moving his WMD: Top generals defect

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 15, 2012, 10:36 PM (GMT+02:00)

Tags:  Syrian uprising   defections   Bashar Assad   chemical weapons   Turkey 

Shabiha heavies. Their generals defected

Several high-placed generals bolted Bashar Assad’s inner circle Sunday, July 17, including such key figures as two security services chiefs who were operations commanders of the Alawite Shabiha militia plus the former head of Syria’s chemical and biological administration who took six other generals with him. They all fled to Turkey and defected. A fourth senior general from another security service was assassinated in Aleppo. This is reported exclusively by DEBKAfile’s military sources.

The loss of the generals orchestrating the pro-Assad paramilitary Shabiha’s savage crackdown on the opposition has seriously weakened Assad’s protective circle of trusties and reduced his military and security options.
Also today, the Syrian ruler was given a “last warning” through intelligence channels in the West to leave the warheads and shells loaded with mustard gas, sarin and cyanide where they are. If he dared move them out of the northern and central locations where he deployed them last week, they would be destroyed from the air.
DEBKAfile names the defecting Shabiha commanders as:  Gen. Mohamed Tatouh, Deputy chief of Syrian political intelligence, and Gen. Mohamed Kodissia, deputy chief of the “Palestinian” Intelligence agency (a misnomer: it has nothing to do with Palestinians).

The murdered general, Ali Khallouf, was ambushed by rebels in Aleppo.
Maj. Gen. Adnan Nawras Salou, a Sunnite, who headed the chemical warfare authority until 2008, will no doubt have important intelligence to offer the West about the Assad regime’s current activities and plans for his WMD.
DEBKAfile points to three singular features of the latest wave of defections:
1.  They all managed to spirit their families out of Syria well before they absconded themselves, an operation that must have required weeks of careful and secret preparation. The failure of Assad’s many-tentacled, clandestine agencies to discover what was up and foil the walkouts, attests to serious lapses in their notorious efficiency.

2.  All the defectors served in Damascus at the regime’s nerve center for suppressing the revolt.
3.  They all made tracks for Beirut before making their way to Turkey. Neverthetheless, the extensive spy networks run by Iran and Hizballah in the Lebanese capital failed to pick up on the city’s use as a way station for Syrian defectors in flight to Turkey.

and....

Arab nations are set to hold an emergency meeting of the Arab Committee on Syria.

The July 22 meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha, will discuss the deteriorating situation in Syria and the massacres being committed in the nation's towns and villages.

Ambassador Ahmad ben Huli, Arab League deputy secretary general says the emergency meeting follows intensive talks between Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim Bin Jaber, and the foreign inisters of Kuwait, Iraq and Egypt, as well as Arab League Secretary General Nabil El Araby, discussing the Syrian governments bombardment of cities and neighbourhoods and use of heavy weaponry.

above item from al jazeera......

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/07/14/reports-of-syrian-massacre-discredited/

Reports of Syrian Massacre Discredited

Western leaders and news media hyped the account of the Syrian opposition, which turns out to be exaggerated and fabricated

by John Glaser, July 14, 2012

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A purported massacre by the Syrian army near Hama on Thursday has turned out to be a battle between government forces and armed rebel militias, in another example of Western leaders hyping Syrian rebel propaganda.

After the battle, online videos and news reports detailed the heavy casualties sustained by the rebel forces making it out to be a massacre of mostly unarmed opposition members by Syrian forces. Spokesmen for the opposition claimed the number of dead to be as high as 250, prompting Western leaders like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to express “outrage.”

New details of the incident, however, reveal the death count to have been much less, around 100. Almost all of those killed were men of military age who were armed and engaged in a battle with government forces.

“Although what actually happened in Tremseh remains murky,” reports the New York Times, “the evidence available suggested that events on Thursday more closely followed the Syrian government account.” That is, a battle between regime forces and rebel militias, rather than a slaughter of unarmed civilians, as was claimed by the opposition and subsequently touted by Western officials.

and...

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/07/2012714154845450394.html

Iran renews oil blockade warning

Naval chief of Revolutionary Guards says it could prevent even "a single drop of oil" passing through Strait of Hormuz. Last Modified: 14 Jul 2012 16:48 inShare Email Print Share Feedback

Iran has said it wants recognition of its right to enrich uranium to "all levels" in any future nuclear deal [AFP]

Iran could prevent even "a single drop of oil" passing through the Strait of Hormuz if its security is threatened, country's naval commander has said, as tensions simmer over Tehran's nuclear programme. Tehran will increase its military presence in international waters, Ali Fadavi, naval commander in Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday. Iran's oil exports have gone down drastically in recent months in the wake of sanctions by the West ostensibly over its clandestine nuclear programme, a charge the Islamic republic has denied. "If [the US] do not obey international laws and the IRGC's warnings, it will have very bad consequences for them," Fadavi said, according to Iran's Fars News Agency. In-depth coverage of a growing regional debate  "The IRGC's naval forces have had the ability since the [Iran-Iraq] war to completely control the Strait of Hormuz and not allow even a single drop of oil to pass through." Fadavi added: "IRGC special naval forces are present on all of the Islamic Republic of Iran's ships in the Indian Ocean and to its east and west, to prevent any movement ... This IRGC naval force presence in international waters will increase." Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel, through which 40 per cent of the world's sea-borne oil exports passes, in retaliation for sanctions placed on its crude exports by Western powers. The sanctions were imposed over Iran's nuclear programme, which the West suspects is aimed at creating an atomic weapon. Iran says the programme is for peaceful energy purposes. The US has beefed up its presence in the Gulf, adding a navy ship last week to help mine-clearing operations if Iran were to act on threats to block the strait. Tehran said last month it was building more warships, in part to guard Iranian cargo ships from pirates, and Iranian military leaders often assert Iran's strength in the region and dominance in the Strait of Hormuz. Yet military analysts have cast doubt on Iran's willingness to block the slender waterway, given the massive US-led retaliation it would likely incur. Sanctions in effect Meanwhile, Iran's oil minister has said his office has drawn up plans to make newly tightened sanctions against the Islamic Republic ineffective. Rostam Qasemi said his ministry is at the forefront of an economic battle with the West. His remarks carried by ministry website shana.ir on Saturday did not elaborate on the plans. Qasemi's comments come two weeks after an EU oil embargo went into effect against Iran for its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment. Iranian officials have earlier said they are organising a consortium of private companies to bypass the embargo, without specifying exactly how this will work. Iran has also said it can always find buyers for oil. The US this week took additional measures to prevent Iran from circumventing sanctions. The US Treasury identified Tehran's main tanker firm - National Iranian Tanker Company - and dozens of its vessels as government-controlled entities. The body also identified four fronts for the National Iranian Oil Company. Meanwhile on Friday, the US announced charges against an Iranian citizen and Chinese resident for allegedly trying to export nuclear-related material to help Tehran enrich uranium.

http://www.debka.com/article/22180/Israel-advised-to-brace-for-Syrian-missile-attack-%E2%80%93-conventional-or-chemical

Israel advised to brace for Syrian missile attack – conventional or chemical

DEBKAfile Special Report July 14, 2012, 2:36 PM (GMT+02:00)

Tags:  Syrian missiles   chemical weapons   Israel   Turkey   Barack Obama   Iran 

Syrian missiles capable of carrying chemical weapons

As the already unthinkable pace of slaughter in Syria accelerates further, Western military sources warned Saturday, July 14, that not only Israel, but additional strategic targets in Middle East lands deemed enemies by Bashar Assad should prepare for him to launch surface-to-surface missile attacks. The assaults would start out with conventional warheads, but as the regime continued to be hammered, the beleaguered ruler might well arm the next round of missiles from his huge stockpile of mustard gas - not to mention sarin nerve poison and cyanide.
Western intelligence sources say Assad has a list of targets ready to go. Analyzing the Syrian war game taking place last week, they calculated that Wednesday and Thursday, July 11 and 12, the Syrian army practiced shooting missiles at strategic centers in Israel, Turkey and Jordan.
But while most Western officials now confirm that Assad has moved his WMD warheads and shells out of storage, they are already divided on what it means. Some US officials are soft-pedaling the menace, offering the theory that the Syrian ruler is only safeguarding his unconventional weapons from falling into rebel – or what he calls “terrorist” – hands.

Other Western intelligence watchers, especially in Britain, believe he is preparing a campaign of ethnic cleansing at centers of revolt and report that chemical weapons have already been transferred to Homs, Latakia and Aleppo for operational use.
That is one game-changing predicament facing the West. It would quickly assume a regional dimension if Turkey, Israel and Jordan were to come under Syrian missile assault.  Air and missile reprisals against Syrian military or regime centers would carry the danger of Hizballah retaliation from Lebanon leading to direct attacks from Iran. Before going down that road, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan – who are not on speaking terms – would certainly confer with US President Barack Obama.

Even then, their consultations would not necessarily lead to action.
For example, three weeks have gone by since Syria shot down a Turkish Air Force reconnaissance jet and yet after, close consultation with Washington, the Erdogan government was persuaded to leave the incident without response. Administration officials explained to the Turks that covert warfare carried a price in failure and casualties.This US attitude might well embolden the Syrian ruler to risk his arm with limited missile strikes against Turkey and Israel and bank on the Obama administration twisting their leaders’ arms behind their backs to prevent them making any serious response.

and...

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/07/13/as-iran-talks-peter-out-a-new-push-for-even-harsher-sanctions/

As Iran Talks Peter Out, A New Push for Even Harsher Sanctions

The sanctions not only harm the Iranian people, they are ineffective in changing the behavior of the regime

by John Glaser, July 13, 2012

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After weeks of international negotiations with Iran over their nuclear program produced no silver bullet, there is another bipartisan push in Congress to increase the already crushing economic sanctions on Iran.

House and Senate officials started crafting legislation this week that will intensify the pain and suffering, mostly  for ordinary Iranian civilians. The new set of sanctions will make it even harder for Iranian businesses to buy insurance, obtain foreign financing and export goods.

While revenue for the Iranian regime is expected to be cut in half very soon, the population is feeling the pain too. Unemployment and inflation are rising uncontrollably and there are shortages of many foreign drugs, even though the punitive sanctions don’t directly target supplies such as medicines.

As effective as these measures may be in harming ordinary Iranians and cutting the revenue of the Iranian regime, they are completely ineffective in changing the behavior or make-up of the regime (the interventionists’ stated goal). Sanctions have a terrible track record for effectiveness throughout history and this case is no different.

So far, the US-led P5+1 group has made overly strict demands on Iran while continuing aggressive military and economic postures. Iran, on the other hand, has offered a measured proposal which the West balked at and rejected.

In principle, the talks and the Western aggression against Iran are illegitimate. There is a consensus in the US intelligence community that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons and has demonstrated no intention to do so.

Still, the sanctions and then negotiations were imposed on Iran. But the so-called diplomacy with Iran has been “predicated on intimidation, illegal threats of military action, unilateral ‘crippling’ sanctions, sabotage, and extrajudicial killings of Iran’s brightest minds,” writes Reza Nasri at PBS Frontline’s Tehran Bureau. These postures have spoiled the chance to resolve this issue promptly and respectfully.

and.....

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/07/201271445145150582.html

Deadly suicide bombing in Afghanistan

Member of parliament among 18 killed in an attack on his daughter's wedding in the northern Samangan province. Last Modified: 14 Jul 2012 13:49 inShare Email Print Share Feedback

The bomber attacked the wedding party of MP Ahmad Khan's daughter in the north of the country [Reuters]

At least 18 people, including a member of parliament, have been killed and some 43 others injured in a suicide attack in northern Afghanistan. The attacker embraced MP Ahmad Khan, a former militia commander, in front of guests at his daughter's wedding before detonating the explosives strapped around his waist, a security forces spokesman said. Al Jazeera's correspondent Bernard Smith described the wedding in Samangan Province as "high profile". He reported that it had attracted a list of guests including MPs, senators and the head of intelligence for the province, Mohammed Khan, who was also killed in the blast early Saturday. President Hamid Karzai's office said in a statement 17 people were killed and around 43 wounded, revising an earlier statement that said 23 were killed in the attack in Aybak, capital of normally peaceful Samangan province. The police chief for western Afghanistan later died of his injuries, increasing the death toll to 18. The Samangan Province is ordinarily a quiet province and there is confusion at the moment as to who is behind the attack. "It could be some sort of revenge attack, ordinarily it is the Taliban that uses suicide attacks," Smith reported. "Surprisingly the Taliban have denied responsibility for the attack." Presidential delegation Karzai also appointed a delegation to investigate the attack. An ethnic Uzbek, Khan was a militia commander during the decades of conflict in Afghanistan, when his forces held sway in the area. This attack comes a day after a regional head of women's affairs was targeted and killed by a car bomb in Afghanistan's east. Hanifa Safi was killed while driving through the capital of Laghman province, Mehtar Lam, when a bomb attached to her car exploded, provincial governor spokesman Sarhadi Zwak said. "The deliberate killing of a brave woman and a public servant, dedicated to improving the situation of Afghan women and working for the safety and security of her country, is an outrage," Jan Kubis, the UN representative to Kabul, said. Safi, appointed in 2008, was the second provincial head of women's affairs to be assassinated since the posts were created a decade ago in each of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, reporting to the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Kabul.  Safia Ama Jan, who headed the department in southern Kandahar province, was gunned down in 2006 by the Taliban. and.... http://news.antiwar.com/2012/07/13/election-over-libyan-militias-still-hunting-gadhafi-loyalists/ Election Over, Libyan Militias Still Hunting ‘Gadhafi Loyalists’ Misrata Rebels Prepare to Move Against Bani Walid by Jason Ditz, July 13, 2012 Print This | Share This We’re now a week into post-election Libya, and we don’t really know what the new Libyan government will look like. This vote count, seemingly cementing Libya as “post-revolution,” comes around the backdrop of Misrata’s military planning yet anotheroffensive against “Gadhafi loyalists.” After months of score-settling, always done in the context of one side accusing another of harboring secret loyalty, and mass detentions of suspected loyalists, the attacks are still going on, and the Misrata militia, always aggressive, is turning its eye once again toward the town of Bani Walid. The town of Bani Walid has been sacked a number of times by Misrata and other militia factions, and a tribalfaction called the Warfallah Elders Council (WEC), which still flies to Gadhafi-era flag, has held the town since late January. The latest row centers around the kidnapping of Libyan journalists, with the group that captured them saying they filmed local military areas without permission. Misrata militia head Mohammed al-Swehill issued an ultimatum Wednesday threatening a full attack in the journalists weren’t released in 48 hours. The exact timing of the attack remains to be seen. and.... http://news.antiwar.com/2012/07/13/clinton-outraged-at-syria-massacre-slams-un-for-not-imposing-regime-change/ Clinton ‘Outraged’ at Syria Massacre, Slams UN for Not Imposing Regime Change Warns Syria Cannot Be Peaceful Until Assad Ousted by Jason Ditz, July 13, 2012 Print This | Share This Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed official “outrage” today at the reports of a massacre in the Syrian village of Tremseh, which rebels claimed yesterday killed over 250 people and involved a pro-regime militia conducting mass executions. Clinton referred to the rebel claims as “credible reports” and later “indisputable evidence” that Bashar Assad was to blame for the deaths, slamming the UN Security Council for not having forced a regime change yet. The UN statement also blamed the Assad regime for the killings, though locals have changed the story a few times since Thursday night, and are now saying 103 people were killed, not “over 250″ and insisted they were all killed by artillery, not militias. Clinton insisted that history would “judge the Security Council” if it didn’t immediately accept Western proposals for regime change, French President Francois Hollande also slammed Russia and China for opposing their resolutions against Assad, saying that it was “damaging their interests.” What happened in Tremseh, is, as always, a matter of intense speculation, as no independent media is on the ground and UN observers, which had previously thrown into doubt other rebel claims of regime massacres, don’t seem to be in the mix. The Syrian state media yesterday blamed a rebel faction for the killings. and.... http://news.antiwar.com/2012/07/13/final-audit-leaves-open-how-many-billions-us-wasted-in-iraq-reconstruction/ Final Audit Leaves Open How Many Billions US Wasted in Iraq Reconstruction Report: Precise Amount 'Can Never Be Known' by Jason Ditz, July 13, 2012 Print This | Share This The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Funds (SIGIR) has issued what it says will be its “final” audit report on the massive amounts of money lost or wasted in the course of the Iraq occupation. Perhaps the most glaring omission, particularlyconsidering this is a “final” report, is an actual dollar figure. The report concedes that the number is in the billions, but concludes that “the precise amount lost to fraud and waste can never be known.” The audit cites double-payments, poor inventory controls, and sloppy billing procedures that led to the military paying $80 a pop for a pipe fitting that was available for $1.41. They explained this by saying the billing documents were either “sloppily” reviewed or not looked at at all. SIGIR itself was a huge money sink, spending more than $200 million trying to figure out what happened to billions of unaccounted for dollars, only to finally concede that it would never be able to.