Syria items of note.....

http://rt.com/news/rebels-warning-civilian-airports-114/

http://www.infowars.com/nato-terrorists-to-target-syrias-civilian-airports/

NATO Terrorists to Target Syria’s Civilian Airports

Tony Cartalucci
Infowars.com
September 2, 2012

Image: Aleppo International Airport (Wikipedia). With dozens of dedicated military airbases and airfields to choose from, NATO-backed terrorists have decided instead to target Syria’s two main civilian airports, not because of military or defensive objectives, but to terrorize Syria’s population, undermine the government politically, and paralyze civilian infrastructure. This unconscionable act of blatant terrorism will have no impact on Syria’s security operations and is yet another demonstration of the absolute illegitimacy of both the so-called “Free Syrian Army” and their Western sponsors.

….

September 1, 2012 – Syria has over 15 military airbases, including dedicated airbases located near Aleppo and Damascus. These airbases are generally surrounded by networks of military infrastructure including storage depots, barracks, motor pools, and defensive positions. So much as even denting these facilities would require a standing enemy army, airpower, and armor – something the terrorists operating in Syria with NATO backing currently lack. Even a successful, concentrated attack on a single airbase would make little difference tilting the balance of power in favor of NATO-backed foreign terrorists operating under the banner of the so-called “Free Syrian Army” (FSA).

Image: (via GlobalSecurity.org) Syria has over 15 dedicated military airbases located across the country, including bases within effective range of Damascus and Aleppo. Many more airbases either are, or can easily be converted into dual military/civilian use. Additionally, helicopter airfields can be set up ad-hoc nearly anywhere. The latest threat then, by terrorists operating in Syria against the nation’s two main international airports is a craven act of terrorism seeking psychological, not military, and certainly not defensive objectives. The West’s continued support of the so-called FSA, and the UN’s continued silence has entirely eviscerated both their collective legitimacy and the primacy of “international law.”

….

Puzzling then was an announcement made by NATO terrorists, warning that in 72 hours, starting September 1, 2012, they would begin operations to target Syria’s two international airports, Damascus International, and Aleppo International. The Telegraph would report that NATO’s terrorist front, “warned it would target civilian planes using the airports in Damascus and Aleppo from tomorrow.” The Telegraph would also claim, “it [the FSA] suspected government was using the flights to bring in weapons.” Like all of NATO terrorist claims, no evidence has been provided by either the militants, or the Western press.

The Telegraph has just reported that terrorists are planning to shoot at civilian planes and paralyze civilian flights across the country – a terrorist act by any definition or law.

Declaration of Terrorist Intend in Absolute Violation of International Law.

RT has also reported in their article, “Syrian rebels give airlines ’72-hour warning’ before they plan to seize civilian airports,” that terrorists, “gave a 72-hour advance warning to airlines to suspend flights to Syria before the rebels try to seize civilian airports in Damascus and Aleppo. They claim the Syrian Air Force is using them ‘illegally.’” RT also noted that, “international law prohibits attacks on civilian airports, whether during internal conflicts or wars between states.”

Indeed, even corporate-financier funded faux-NGOs like Human Rights Watch (HRW) note that attacking civilian infrastructure, such as an airport can only be done if achieving a military objective outweighs the impact on civilians. HRW says specifically:

Civil airports, roads and bridges are civilian objects that become military objectives subject to attack if they are actually used for military purposes or military objectives are located on or within them. Even then, the rule of proportionality applies, requiring the parties to the conflict to weigh the short- and long-term harm on civilians against the military advantage served; they must consider all ways of minimizing the impact on civilians; and they should not undertake attacks if the expected civilian harm outweighs the definite military advantage.

Clearly, if the Syrian Air Force has 15 bases in addition to whatever they may or may not be using its two international airports for, terrorist attacks on its two main civilian airports in no way achieve military objectives proportional to the adverse impact such attacks will have on Syria’s civilian population.

A Blatant Terroristic Threat.

Instead, the two airports have been picked to maximize terror against both the Syrian people and government forces, as well as undermine Syria politically on the international stage. In other words, they are craven acts of terrorism designed to achieve a political, not military objective – to attack, not defend Syria’s civilian population. And it will be craven terrorist attacks carried out with funding, arms, and logistical support provided by the US, UK, Israel, NATO-member Turkey, and the Gulf State despots of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The attacks will have absolutely no impact on Syrian security operations, and will instead simply paralyze civilian infrastructure and inevitably cost civilian lives. It will serve to panic the Syrian people, thus creating yet more refugees with which NATO will then claim demands foreign military intervention in the form of long sought-after “safe havens.” Essentially, NATO is purposefully encouraging an atmosphere of terror and panic, then using the resulting refugees and humanitarian crisis as political bargaining chips.

The silence of the UN in the face of this bold declaration of terroristic intent, as well as its utter indifference toward US, NATO, GCC, and Israeli sponsorship of terrorism and purposeful creation of humanitarian catastrophe, further undermines both the organization itself and the primacy of “international law” it is charged with maintaining.

Now more than ever, nations as well as individuals must begin both boycotting these failing institutions while replacing them with viable alternatives.

and......

Official: Iran would take action if US attacked Syria

Reuters
September 2, 2012

Iran would take action if the United States were to carry out an act of “stupidity” and attack Syria, an Iranian military official was quoted as saying on Saturday, but the comments later disappeared from the state-linked agency website.

Iran has steadfastly supported Syrian President Bashar Assad in his bid to suppress an uprising which both Tehran and Damascus see as a proxy war by Israel and Western states to extend their influence in the Middle East.

“If America were to attack Syria, Iran along with Syria’s allies will take action, which would amount to a fiasco for America,” Mohammad Ali Assoudi, the deputy for culture and propaganda of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was quoted as saying.

Assoudi’s comments were first carried by the government-linked news agency Young Journalists’ Club but were later apparently taken down from the group’s website. The comments were picked up by Iranian news sites including Iran’s Jam-e Jam newspaper and the BBC’s Persian-language site.

and.....

Syrian rebels give airlines '72-hour warning' before they plan to seize civilian airports

Get short URL

email story to a friend print version

Published: 01 September, 2012, 15:44

People wait at the arrivals in Damascus International airport (AFP Photo/Louai Beshara)

TRENDS:Syria unrest

TAGS: Arms, Conflict, Military, Scandal, War,Syria, Bashar Assad, Army, Air Force

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) gave a 72-hour advance warning to airlines to suspend flights to Syria before the rebels try to seize civilian airports in Damascus and Aleppo. They claim the Syrian Air Force is using them 'illegally.'

The 72-hour period begins on Saturday, September 1, the FSA told Asharq Al-Awsat, the major pan-Arab daily newspaper based in London.
The FSA believes that Syria's civilian airports are being used to support pro-regime military operations.

“The criminal regime of Syria has begun to use civilian airports for take-off and landing of warplanes,” the FSA said.

International law prohibits attacks on civilian airports, whether during internal conflicts or wars between states. Prior to the FSA's ultimatum, some international companies already cancelled flights to Syria over security and cost concerns.

The UAE’s Etihad Airways suspended flights to Damascus on Friday, citing the country's “deteriorating security situation.” Royal Jordanian Airlines suspended all flights to Syria in July. Russia’s Aeroflot also ceased flights to Damascus in the beginning of August until further notice.

The rebels believe the Assad regime has been forced to use civilian airports for military purposes after an allegedly successful attack against the army's Abu Zuhour airbase in Syria's Idlib province, near the Turkish border. In the attack, rebels claimed they destroyed 10 grounded MIG-23 fighter jets and shot down two others.

Government forces thwarted another opposition attack on the Rasmi al-Aboud airport near the city of Aleppo on Saturday, Syrian state television reports. Images of cars filled with machine guns and other weapons were broadcast, and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the attack. The group claims many government troops were killed and injured in the assault, though no exact figures were forthcoming.

Syrian state television acknowledged that rebels had targeting the base, but said “the terrorists” were forced to flee after suffering heavy losses.

Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat, the FSA's Colonel Riad al-Asaad claimed that all of the downed aircraft – including “eight to ten helicopters” – were damaged with heavy 14.5mm machine guns, and not with anti-aircraft missiles.

In August, NBC reported that two dozen portable surface-to-air (SAM) missiles, possibly Soviet-made, were smuggled through Turkey to the FSA. The weapons may have originated in Libya, where thousands of SAM launchers were stolen from military arsenals after the fall of the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

The rebels have requested SAMs to challenge the air superiority of Assad's troops. The Persian Gulf monarchiesSaudi Arabia and Qatar support the idea, and said they were ready to pay for the arms.

But many fear that the portable SAMs may end up in the hands of militants with links to Al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations that have infiltrated the ranks of the FSA.

Dr. Ali Mohammad, the editor in chief of Syria Tribune, told RT that the threat to seize civilian airports shows the Syrian rebels terrorist intent.

“First, there is no proof that they will only be targeting government aircraft… I don’t think they have the means to distinguish which are government ones and which are not. The rebels saying they are attacking civilian airports now is just one more step in reveling their terrorist nature,” he said.

Dr. Mohammad supported comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday, who said it is“absolutely unrealistic” to expect the Syrian government to “unilaterally capitulate.” He claims the West contradicts itself in claiming its desire to protect civilians, when its actions are directly fueling the ongoing conflict.

“The only reason the rebels are still fighting until today is because they enjoy logistic, weapons and financial support from many countries.  What Mr. Lavrov said is very important. How can you ask a national army in any country in the world to stop fighting rebels [whose] existence you recognize…what do you expect the army to do,” he said.

“How can your protect civilians by imposing war? If you want to protect civilians you have to stop war, and stopping war starts with stopping the influx of weapons and money to the rebels,” he continued.

and......