http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/86176
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2013/06/20136817372628828.html
http://www.debka.com/article/23029/Putin-offers-Russian-troops-in-lieu-of-Austrian-Golan-peacekeepers-UN-Thank-you-but-no-
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/06/06/white-house-unacceptable-for-syrian-govt-to-retake-qusayr-from-rebels/
Spokesman Jay Carney insisted that the US knew Syria’s government couldn’t retake the town of Qusayr without Hezbollah’s help. The town had been under rebel control for months and finally fell after weeks of fighting. Carney also demanded Hezbollah immediately withdraw to Lebanon
The fighting started with rebels ceasing an important crossing point along the ceasefire line with Israeli-occupied Golan. The post was eventually retaken by government forces, but it added to concerns about rebel influence in the area.
Zawahri’s statement came by way of an audio recording posted on a militant website. It wasn’t clear exactly when the record was made, but it urged Sunnis to “rise above their differences” and focus on defeating the Shi’ites.
Report: Hizbullah to Suspend Syria Operations after Taking Zabadani
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Hizbullah will suspend its military operations in Syria after securing the Damascus suburb of Zabadani “from which rockets are being fired on Shiite villages in Baalbek and Hermel,” the Central News Agency reported on Saturday.
“After the operations officially ended in Qusayr, Hizbullah is about to finish the Zabadani battle, from which rockets are still being fired on Baalbek and Sarein,” the agency quoted prominent high-ranking sources close to Hizbullah as saying.
Zabadani is a city in the Damascus governorate, close to the border with Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.
“The party's leadership has informed the allies and friends that the mission of protecting the Lebanese in Syria and towns inside Lebanon from any attack is almost accomplished,” the sources said.
“It is not in the party's interest to engage in a war in Syria's heart (against rebels) as the Syrian army is capable of winning it,” the sources added.
Around 10 rockets and mortar rounds from Syria slammed into the northeastern city of Baalbek on Wednesday night, injuring a Lebanese man and causing material damage.
Last week, around 18 rockets targeted the Baalbek region. Over the past weeks, Syrian rebels have also fired dozens of rockets on the northeastern region of Hermel, across the border from Qusayr.
Syrian regime forces backed by elite Hizbullah fighters on Wednesday managed to recapture the strategic town of Qusayr near Lebanon's border from rebel hands following a fierce assault.
And on Saturday the Eastern Bweida village, the last rebel bastion in the area, was seized by Syrian forces, bringing the entire Qusayr region near the border with Lebanon back under regime control.
Only 10 kilometers from Lebanon, Qusayr is strategic for the regime and Hizbullah because of its proximity to the border and because it lies on a route linking Damascus to the the regime's bastion on the Syrian coast.
For the rebels, it was an important conduit from Lebanon for men and weapons.
The sources close to Hizbullah also downplayed remarks by the rebel Free Syrian Army and the jihadist al-Nusra Front, who had threatened to retaliate against the party in its strongholds in Dahiyeh and southern Lebanon, describing them as “mere media soap bubbles aimed at raising morale.”
The sources advised the rebels to “focus on the battles in the Syrian interior, where regions have started falling one after another.”
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had previously justified the group's involvement in Syria by saying they were defending Lebanese-inhabited border villages inside Syria and Shiite holy sites in the Damascus province.
But during a May 25 speech marking the 13th anniversary of Israel's military withdrawal from Lebanon, Nasrallah said the hardline Takfiris are the “most prevailing group in the Syrian opposition,” warning against a defeat against them in the ongoing war in Syria.
He said: “If Syria falls in the hands of the Takfiris and the United States, the resistance will become under a siege and Israel will enter Lebanon. If Syria falls, the Palestinian cause will be lost.”
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2013/06/20136817372628828.html
Syrian rebels urge global military action | ||
Acting leader Sabra says he will not attend Geneva peace talks as he calls for military help to overcome regime.
Last Modified: 08 Jun 2013 19:57
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| Syria's opposition leader has said he will not attend planned US and Russian-backed peace talks in Geneva as he urged the world to act over the conflict. George Sabra, the acting president of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), said at a media conference in Istanbul on Saturday that the opposition needed military assistance, not talks. "Now isn't the time to be thinking about international conferences," Sabra said. "What is happening in Syria today completely closes the doors on any discussions about international conferences and political initiatives." He said that the continuing conflict was undermining the stability of the region and that the war would result in mass graves all over Syria. Sabra said that he wanted urgent military assistance to push back Hezbollah and Iranian fighters who were rushing to major cities. SNC presidential selection
"We have been warning the entire world of the gravity of the deployment of Hezbollah militias on Syria's home soil." Sabra had said on May 30 that the opposition would not attend a peace conference while Iran and the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah were supporting Syrian troops on the ground. The SNC urged the international community to act quickly to help Syrian civilians in a post on its Facebook page on Saturday. "The Syrian Coalition also reiterates its appeal to the international community to quickly pass and adopt a binding resolution through the UNSC to implement practical steps to end the bloodshed, establish humanitarian corridors for aid in affected areas, and to support the revolution and end the ongoing violence in Syria," the statement said of the UN National Community Council. Meanwhile, the Syrian National Coalition will hold a meeting on June 12 to choose a new president. The meeting, sponsored by the Arab League, will be held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. | ||
http://www.debka.com/article/23029/Putin-offers-Russian-troops-in-lieu-of-Austrian-Golan-peacekeepers-UN-Thank-you-but-no-
Just 24 hours after Austria decided to withdraw its 380-strong contingent from the UN force policing the Golan separation zone, President Vladimir Putin stepped forward Friday, June 7, with an offer of a Russian force to take its place on the highly sensitive Syrian-Israeli border. Thursday, two peacekeepers were injured by falling ordnance from a battle between Syrian and rebel troops around Quneitra.
DEBKAfile: The Russian president saw his opportunity to pluck the fruits of Moscow’s success in backing the Syrian-Hizballah forces’ advances in major battles against rebels, notably at al Qusayr, and position Russian troops face to face with the Israeli army. They would constitute a barrier against any military intervention being mounted against the Assad regime from Israel.
DEBKAfile: The Russian president saw his opportunity to pluck the fruits of Moscow’s success in backing the Syrian-Hizballah forces’ advances in major battles against rebels, notably at al Qusayr, and position Russian troops face to face with the Israeli army. They would constitute a barrier against any military intervention being mounted against the Assad regime from Israel.
UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Hak said: "The UN would welcome Russia’s contribution to peacekeeping efforts in the region."
Our military and intelligence sources doubt whether the Israeli government will be enthusiastic about Russian troops policing the Golan sector separating Israeli and Syrian forces. Jerusalem may be expected to seek advice from Washington in order to get the Russian contribution disqualified on the grounds that Moscow can hardly claim to be a neutral party when it is so heavily committed militarily to one side of the Syrian conflict.
Our military and intelligence sources doubt whether the Israeli government will be enthusiastic about Russian troops policing the Golan sector separating Israeli and Syrian forces. Jerusalem may be expected to seek advice from Washington in order to get the Russian contribution disqualified on the grounds that Moscow can hardly claim to be a neutral party when it is so heavily committed militarily to one side of the Syrian conflict.
The Obama administration’s reaction to Putin’s move is hard to predict because a rejection could torpedo the fading prospects of the US-Russian-sponsored Geneva conference for a political solution of the Syrian war - for which no date has yet been set. The Russian president appears to be aiming at having Russian troops posted on Syrian soil under the US flag when – and if - the conference ever gets off the ground.
What Putin said was this: “In view of the complicated situation which is currently unfolding on the Golan Heights, we could replace the Austrian peacekeeping contingent, which is withdrawing from this region, on the disengagement line between Israeli troops and the Syrian army.”
The Russian president made no mention of the presence of Syrian rebels on the Golan.
Israel has four major concerns in this matter:
What Putin said was this: “In view of the complicated situation which is currently unfolding on the Golan Heights, we could replace the Austrian peacekeeping contingent, which is withdrawing from this region, on the disengagement line between Israeli troops and the Syrian army.”
The Russian president made no mention of the presence of Syrian rebels on the Golan.
Israel has four major concerns in this matter:
1. The presence of Russian troops on the Syrian side of the Golan would inhibit Israeli cross-border military action should it become necessary for its security.
2. It would upset the relations the IDF has developed with certain Syrian rebel units, manifested by their war wounded receiving treatment at the military field hospital set up especially at the Tel Hazaka post on the Golan and transferred in severe case to hospitals in Haifa and Safed.
Last week, US military released data with pictures showing the movements of Israeli special forces in and out of Syria.
3. The possibility of Russian officers in blue helmets interfering with Israeli military movements on the Israeli side of the Golan as well cannot be ruled out.
4. Some of the Russian contingent may be assigned to gather intelligence on Israeli military movements in the north of the country. There is no way to stop them handing those secrets over to the Syrian and Hizballah.
2. It would upset the relations the IDF has developed with certain Syrian rebel units, manifested by their war wounded receiving treatment at the military field hospital set up especially at the Tel Hazaka post on the Golan and transferred in severe case to hospitals in Haifa and Safed.
Last week, US military released data with pictures showing the movements of Israeli special forces in and out of Syria.
3. The possibility of Russian officers in blue helmets interfering with Israeli military movements on the Israeli side of the Golan as well cannot be ruled out.
4. Some of the Russian contingent may be assigned to gather intelligence on Israeli military movements in the north of the country. There is no way to stop them handing those secrets over to the Syrian and Hizballah.
In the event, the UN thanked Moscow but explained that the Syrian-Israeli 1974 disengagement accord did not allow permanent UN Security Council members with veto power to serve in UNDOF.
« Breaking News »
DEBKAfile June 7, 2013, 11:23 PM (GMT+02:00)
The UN spokesman thanked Russian for offering to replace peacekeepers from Austria for the Golan but said the disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel pecludes the participation of permanent Security Council members in UNDOF.President Vladimir Putin made the offer Friday after Vienna decided to withdraw Austrian troops from the UN mission following clashes between Syrian and rebel troops around the Quneitra crossing.
« Breaking News »
DEBKAfile June 7, 2013, 7:06 PM (GMT+02:00)
Ayman Zawahiri, the al Qaeda leader, in his first remarks about the Syrian civil conflict, warned rebel fighters “not to do the West’s work by replacing President Assad with a moderate, democratic government.” Instead, an Islamic caliphate must rise in Syria “to wage all-out war with neighboring Israel.” Zawahiri declared: “America, its agents and allies want you [the rebels] to shed your blood and the blood of your children and women to bring down the criminal Ba'athist regime, and then set up a government loyal to them and to safeguard Israel's security," he said.
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/06/06/white-house-unacceptable-for-syrian-govt-to-retake-qusayr-from-rebels/
White House: Unacceptable for Syrian Govt to Retake Qusayr From Rebels
Demands Hezbollah Immediately Withdraw
by Jason Ditz, June 06, 2013
The White House has issued a statement today condemning the Syrian government for retaking a strategically important town along the Lebanese border, insisting that it caused “untold humanitarian suffering.”
Spokesman Jay Carney insisted that the US knew Syria’s government couldn’t retake the town of Qusayr without Hezbollah’s help. The town had been under rebel control for months and finally fell after weeks of fighting. Carney also demanded Hezbollah immediately withdraw to Lebanon
CNN reported that there are actually “no civilians in this city anymore,” despite US claims that huge numbers of civilians were trapped in the town. Rebels have demanded that Syria allow the Red Cross into the town, which it had said it would do once the remnants of the rebels were ousted.
Though a town of only 30,000 people, Qusayr was strategically important because of its location along a key highway linking Damascus to the north of the country. The rebel occupation kept Syrian forces from using the highway to reinforce units in the north.
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/06/06/golan-dangerous-escalation-in-south-syria-hotspot/
Golan: Dangerous Escalation in South Syria Hotspot
Israeli Tanks Deployed Along Frontier as Tensions Soar
by Jason Ditz, June 06, 2013
There has been off-and-on fighting in the Syrian-held portion of Golan for months now, but the situation has grown dramatically less stable in the past 24 hours, with rebels and Syrian military forces clashing in the area near Israel’s border.
The fighting started with rebels ceasing an important crossing point along the ceasefire line with Israeli-occupied Golan. The post was eventually retaken by government forces, but it added to concerns about rebel influence in the area.
As the fighting grew seemingly everybody has gotten involved in some manner, with two UN soldiers suffering injuries from the shelling in the area near the crossing, and Austria announcing that it will withdraw its portion of the UN monitoring mission.
Israel also claimed two “projectiles” from the Syrian fighting landed on their side of the Golan Heights, though they didn’t actually hit anything and Israeli officials conceded they probably weren’t aimed at them.
That still doesn’t mean Israel couldn’t react, and reports have Israeli forces scrambling tanks along the Golan frontier. They also reportedly moved against a group of refugees from a contested Golan town trying to flee the fighting, forcing them to return to Syria on the grounds that the contested town was, by Israeli reckoning, “safe.”
It’s anything but for the UN, which is struggling to keep anyone involved in the Disengagement Force. Austria had hinted that they were going to leave at any rate, expressing concern that British and French efforts to sabotage an EU arms embargo on both sides in the Syrian conflict risked their neutrality in the situation, and put their troops at inordinate risk.
The UN’s problem runs much deeper though, with Syrian rebels repeatedly attacking and kidnapping UN troops over the past several weeks. The Austrian troops represented a large chunk of the remaining force, and at this point the Philippines is virtually the whole mission.
Which has Israel all the more riled up, and Israeli Foreign Ministry officials demanding that the UN immediately find a suitable replacement for the Austrian deploying, saying they “regret” Austria’s decision.
Rebel factions active in Golan are mostly Islamist groups, with the Yarmouk Martrys Brigade the most high profile group in the area. It is unclear if, with the situation growing more unstable, more rebels will move south into the area.
In the past the Syrian military has shown a general disinterest in contesting towns along the Israeli border when they are attacked by rebels. At one point Israel was openly talking about invading and occupying those towns at any rate as a new “buffer zone,” and they may have believed there was little point in taking them back if they’re just going to be attacked again by Israel.
That seems to have changed now, with Syria’s military quick to contest anything taken by the rebels, seemingly an effort to retain the momentum they are perceived to have gained with the capture of Qusayr, a town along the Lebanese border.
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/06/06/al-qaeda-leader-urges-sunnis-to-fight-secular-rebels-in-syria/
Al-Qaeda Leader Urges Sunnis to Fight Secular Rebels in Syria
Sunnis Should 'Rise Above Their Differences' and Fight Shi'ites, Insists Zawahri
by Jason Ditz, June 06, 2013
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has issued a statement urging all Sunnis worldwide to flock to Syria to join the civil war, saying it is vital that they “spare no effort” to ensure that not only is Assad ousted, but that US-backed secular rebels don’t replace him.
Zawahri’s statement came by way of an audio recording posted on a militant website. It wasn’t clear exactly when the record was made, but it urged Sunnis to “rise above their differences” and focus on defeating the Shi’ites.
The comments admonishing them to fight other, different rebels appears to mirror similar efforts by the US to get secular rebels to abandon the fight for regime change, at least in the near-term, and focus on fighting the Islamist rebels.
The big difference is that the Islamist rebels seem to have a considerable advantage on the ground, at least compared to the relatively small secular rebel forces, which have appeared more or less rudderless over the past several months. The US has repeatedly expressed annoyance with the lack of leadership among secular fighters, and efforts to back them at the expense of the Islamists has not borne any fruit.
