The Middle East Crisis

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Aye. Beware those who think that ideas such as democracy and religion are more important than people.

There will be no new Muslim empire until they

- start looking into themselves for the solutions instead of blaming others
- start asking questions instead of slavishly following the rules
- eradicate their susceptibility to crackpot conspiracy theory
- remember how to apply the science which they themselves developed, instead of choosing that evidence which confirms their beliefs and disregarding that which does not
- stop allowing themselves to be ruled by despots

Then their glory days of scientific and cultural achievement and peaceful rule might return.

Absolutely correct. I don't like terms like "conspiracy theory" as in all truth everyone uses them when it suits their own agenda. But all nations have their own interests at heart. What makes anyone think that Turkey would attack Syria on anyone else's behalf? So what if NATO has some grand plan to install their own regime in Syria. If they can do it and the Syrians can't stop them then that's too bad. Don't blame the Zionists for building heavy artillery while you argue over pop guns.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Wow only took five posts for someone to post a conspiracy theory.

Western terrorists, war criminals etc etc. Oh hang on its Turkey! This is confusing. I know it must be a Zionist plot!

Genuine sincere advice to you, stick to cricket.


Thankfully the Turkish people are clued up.

Thousands protest in Turkey over Syria mandate
Protesters take to the streets in Ankara and Istanbul after Turkey's parliament approved military operations against targets in Syria following the deaths of five Turkish citizens from Syrian shelling.

Around 5,000 people took to the streets of Istanbul on Thursday evening in an anti-war protest which turned into a demonstration against Turkey's ruling AK Party. Protesters chanted slogans against the war as they carried anti-government banners.

"We are going through an ugly provocation of war. The Turkish and Syrian people are not enemies, but the ruling AK Party government is trying to drag our country into a war with Syria in compliance with US interests," said protester Nevzat Evrim Onal.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...nds-protest-in-Turkey-over-Syria-mandate.html

Turkey needs to hold strong and not be used against Syria for others interests and against their own interests. If they do go to war a huge revolution will hit Turkey eventually ending their lapdog status of a Nato member.

 

[90MPH]

I don't think any war will happen. Its more of a warning to Asaad and his cronies. Turkey has accommodated thousands of Strian refugees.
It really is a horrific civil war now in Syria. Asaad will not survive this, it's just a matter of time.

 

[Robert]

It really is a horrific civil war now in Syria. Asaad will not survive this, it's just a matter of time.

No, don't listen to Zionist propaganda! - it's just a few wicked dissidents rioting against the good man Assad.

 

[KingKhanWC]

No, don't listen to Zionist propaganda! - it's just a few wicked dissidents rioting against the good man Assad.

Roberto's trolling is of exceptional quality shame about the comedy value.

The majority of Syrians back Assad. Foreign fighters and weapons are imported for these terrorists.

These facts should end your stand up attempts for today.

 

[anakin]

Roberto's trolling is of exceptional quality shame about the comedy value.

The majority of Syrians back Assad. Foreign fighters and weapons are imported for these terrorists.

These facts should end your stand up attempts for today.

Facts!!

 

[KingKhanWC]

Facts!!

Which bit are you struggling with, the definition of 'facts'?

 

[Robert]

Roberto's trolling is of exceptional quality shame about the comedy value.

So when I say it I'm trolling, but when you say it, it's true?

 

[KingKhanWC]

So when I say it I'm trolling, but when you say it, it's true?

You're getting there Roberto.

Please respond to my two simple enough points now.

 

[anakin]

Which bit are you struggling with, the definition of 'facts'?

yes plz!! Enlighten me, I am not versed in the language thy speak.

 

[KingKhanWC]

yes plz!! Enlighten me, I am not versed in the language thy speak.

If you can't understand this then school is your best option.

"
The majority of Syrians back Assad. Foreign fighters and weapons are imported for these terrorists. "

 

[anakin]

If you can't understand this then school is your best option.

"
The majority of Syrians back Assad. Foreign fighters and weapons are imported for these terrorists. "

I don't know any school that teaches your language.

As far as I know there is a clear difference between perspective and facts!

 

[KingKhanWC]

I don't know any school that teaches your language.

As far as I know there is a clear difference between perspective and facts!

Well get on with refuting my two simple claims. Good luck

 

[anakin]

Well get on with refuting my two simple claims. Good luck

Hi Sachin!! surprised to see you hear, didn't you were interested in Syria.
What is the basis of you claims?

I find it hard to understand people defending dictators?
The government, which has to wipe out entire towns, is the one terrorizing its own people,
You would go on to defend the Tianamenn square massacre too.

 

[Markhor]

Assad only has support from his own Alawite sect and a few Sunni middle class businessmen who are benefitting from the Assad regime. Everyone else opposes him.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Hi Sachin!! surprised to see you hear, didn't you were interested in Syria.
What is the basis of you claims?

Take a read.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-as-un-talks-of-syrian-civil-war-7845026.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/17/syrians-support-assad-western-propaganda

I find it hard to understand people defending dictators?
The government, which has to wipe out entire towns, is the one terrorizing its own people,
You would go on to defend the Tianamenn square massacre too.

Which entire towns have been wiped out?

The mess in Syria was instigated by the terrorists not by the regime. Do you condone their terrorism?

 

[shaykh1985]

Assad only has support from his own Alawite sect and a few Sunni middle class businessmen who are benefitting from the Assad regime. Everyone else opposes him.

Not quite true...Hezbollah for instance are big supporters...

And on the point of everyone else opposes him thats just not true...for there to be opposition to him presumes that everyone supports the alternative or people actually want a revolution of some sorts...the alternatives aren't particularly appealing frankly...

The insurgents are killing civilians and destabilising the country...and they are foreign backed...and now with Turkey threatening an invasion what you will find naturally is most people don't want war...not supporting Assad generally doesn't mean your against him in this instance...

Case in point...i abhor the British government but I don't support an invasion of the country nor do I support an insurgency...I prefer a stable country under a leadership I don't like over chaos and anarchy...especially when the alternative is using indiscriminate means to take power and that too with foreign backers who don't give two hoots about justice or improving the livelihood of the population...

 

[Robert]

You're getting there Roberto.

Please respond to my two simple enough points now.

That a "majority of Syrians" back Assad, and foreigners are assisting the "terrorists" ?

Firstly, I think that the Syrian people are torn between two bad lots here, so a majority is sticking to the devil they know.

Secondly, I'm sure that foreign agents are arming the dissidents, because that is an easier way to destabilise Assad than by dismantling his modern integrated air defence system with air and sea strikes.

As for the dissidents, I am with the Plebian in Julius Caesar who said "I fear a worse will come in his place."

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Assad only has support from his own Alawite sect and a few Sunni middle class businessmen who are benefitting from the Assad regime. Everyone else opposes him.

Careful - you'll be accused of promoting Zionist propaganda soon.

 

[KingKhanWC]

That a "majority of Syrians" back Assad, and foreigners are assisting the "terrorists" ?

Firstly, I think that the Syrian people are torn between two bad lots here, so a majority is sticking to the devil they know.

Secondly, I'm sure that foreign agents are arming the dissidents, because that is an easier way to destabilise Assad than by dismantling his modern integrated air defence system with air and sea strikes.

As for the dissidents, I am with the Plebian in Julius Caesar who said "I fear a worse will come in his place."

Great so you agree, then whose interests does it serve?

Careful - you'll be accused of promoting Zionist propaganda soon

Well unintentionally he actually is.

Most Syrians back President Assad, but you'd never know from western media

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/17/syrians-support-assad-western-propaganda

 

[Markhor]

If President Assad has the backing of the majority of the Syrian people then why doesn't he call the election that he's promised ?

What's he afraid of ?

 

[KingKhanWC]

If President Assad has the backing of the majority of the Syrian people then why doesn't he call the election that he's promised ?

What's he afraid of ?

You really think elections can take place while there is foreign backed terrorism in Syria? The Syrians have openly said they will allow elections including at the UN speech by the ambassador recently. Anyone getting their information on this situation only from media such as the BBC will be clueless.

 

[Markhor]

You really think elections can take place while there is foreign backed terrorism in Syria? The Syrians have openly said they will allow elections including at the UN speech by the ambassador recently. Anyone getting their information on this situation only from media such as the BBC will be clueless.

By this logic there shouldn't have been elections in Pakistan in 2008, due to the terrorism that was going on then, there shouldn't have been elections in Iraq or in Afghanistan due to the wars.

I agree there are foreign hands in Syria, countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar all have anti-Iranian agendas and see Syria who are a key Iranian ally, a way of furthering their geopolitical goals.

But Assad should call an election, if he wins, he wins. If he loses, he loses but that won't happen since he has the majority of the Syrian peoples support right ?

 

[KingKhanWC]

By this logic there shouldn't have been elections in Pakistan in 2008, due to the terrorism that was going on then, there shouldn't have been elections in Iraq or in Afghanistan due to the wars.

Neither Iraq or Afghanistan had a potential war brewing with a neighbour as Syria does with Turkey now. The elections in Afghanistan were a farce in a tribal nation where most didn't even bother considering to vote.

I agree there are foreign hands in Syria, countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar all have anti-Iranian agendas and see Syria who are a key Iranian ally, a way of furthering their geopolitical goals.

But Assad should call an election, if he wins, he wins. If he loses, he loses but that won't happen since he has the majority of the Syrian peoples support right ?

Assad already called for elections in May but were rejected by the terrorists.

 

[Markhor]

Neither Iraq or Afghanistan had a potential war brewing with a neighbour as Syria does with Turkey now. The elections in Afghanistan were a farce in a tribal nation where most didn't even bother considering to vote.

Obviously the circumstances aren't exactly the same and yes the election you mention were a farce but they had the election. Syria are not having an election at all.

Assad already called for elections in May but were rejected by the terrorists.

That was a parliamentary election, not a presidential election - what is needed for Assad himself to stand for election, put his money where his mouth is and see whether the Syrian people back him or not.

 

[munda_khi]

Roberto's trolling is of exceptional quality shame about the comedy value.

The majority of Syrians back Assad. Foreign fighters and weapons are imported for these terrorists.

These facts should end your stand up attempts for today.

how can anybody validate these facts

 

[Looney]

If Turkey disapproves , that will be at their own country`s expense . Can`t blame them .

 

[wasim-fan]

how can anybody validate these facts

Facts are stupid things

 

[anakin]

@KK: If you are against defending Turkey defending their own sovereignty, I think you would be against protesting Drone strikes in Pakistan too. Turkey's resolution simply calls for right to defend their own and they very well should have that right

 

[KingKhanWC]

Obviously the circumstances aren't exactly the same and yes the election you mention were a farce but they had the election. Syria are not having an election at all.


That was a parliamentary election, not a presidential election - what is needed for Assad himself to stand for election, put his money where his mouth is and see whether the Syrian people back him or not.

lThe FSA and it's Nato masters first condition is Assad to step down. Obviously meaning they would be against any Presidential election.

how can anybody validate these facts

It would help you to click on the links provided above.

@KK: If you are against defending Turkey defending their own sovereignty, I think you would be against protesting Drone strikes in Pakistan too. Turkey's resolution simply calls for right to defend their own and they very well should have that right

lol, Where have I stated I'm against Turkey's right to self defence? Daft comparison anyway.

 

[anakin]

l
lol, Where have I stated I'm against Turkey's right to self defence? Daft comparison anyway.

Turkey's border villages are coming under cross fire and they pass a bill authorizing them to protect their own lands and you are blasting them.

Turkey needs to hold strong and not be used against Syria for others interests and against their own interests. If they do go to war a huge revolution will hit Turkey eventually ending their lapdog status of a Nato member.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Turkey's border villages are coming under cross fire and they pass a bill authorizing them to protect their own lands and you are blasting them.

This is your poor interpretation, something which I can't help. It's very simple to understand, Turkey is being used so although it has a right to self defence it should be careful of all out war which is not in it's interests but in the interests of others. Hope that helps but I doubt it.

 

[munda_khi]

It would help you to click on the links provided above.

if you don't mind can you please post that link again.

 

[Random Aussie]

Genuine sincere advice to you, stick to cricket.

So you can be free in here to post your public relations efforts? Or "facts" as you mistakenly call them. You are as obvious a plant as I have seen, except you are not getting paid for it because you probably believe what you post.

 

[Robert]

You really think elections can take place while there is foreign backed terrorism in Syria?

Sure, why not? There was foreign-backed terrorism in the UK for decades and we kept on holding democratic electrions.

 

[Derek Randall]

Which bit are you struggling with, the definition of 'facts'?

Well most people see that you struggle with the definition

 

[anakin]

This is your poor interpretation, something which I can't help. It's very simple to understand, Turkey is being used so although it has a right to self defence it should be careful of all out war which is not in it's interests but in the interests of others. Hope that helps but I doubt it.

I think people of Turkey and Syria know about the concerns of the war!
You don't need go threatening the Sovereignty of Turkey here.
A perfectly reasonable and just decision taken by Turkish parliament after its borders have been violated several times.

They have their own laws and have empowered themselves to protect their own people at the borders. 18 months have gone by, they did not interfere.

Hope that Helps but I doubt it

 

[KingKhanWC]

So you can be free in here to post your public relations efforts? Or "facts" as you mistakenly call them. You are as obvious a plant as I have seen, except you are not getting paid for it because you probably believe what you post.

So Zionism is a conspiracy but I'm a plant working for free. Faired income.

Sure, why not? There was foreign-backed terrorism in the UK for decades and we kept on holding democratic electrions.

As mentioned earlier you can't have elections if one side is insisting the other step down completely. A free and fair election is when all sides/parties are allowed to stand.

think people of Turkey and Syria know about the concerns of the war!
You don't need go threatening the Sovereignty of Turkey here.
A perfectly reasonable and just decision taken by Turkish parliament after its borders have been violated several times.

They have their own laws and have empowered themselves to protect their own people at the borders. 18 months have gone by, they did not interfere.

This is just ignorance. Firstly it is unknown if it's the Syrian regime who fired into Turkey or whether it was the FSA/rebels/terrorists. The Turkish government for a long while has been instigating attempts to change the Syrian regime within it's border. It's a Nato member and cowardly Nato are using Turkey to destabalise Syria which could eventually lead to all out war, a war which isn't in favour of Turkey.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/turkey-attempts-to-trigger-a-nato-led-war-against-syria/

 

[speed]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wJEp9Ekxseo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

back in july

 

[Markhor]

Tensions continue to escalate. Really getting the feeling that Turkey and Syria are on the road to war.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19912532

Russian anger at Turkey over Syria plane interception

 

[Markhor]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19912534

Syria-Moscow plane was carrying munitions - Turkey PM

A Syrian-bound plane forced to land in Turkey was carrying Russian-made munitions, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

The plane, coming from Moscow, was intercepted by Turkish jets on Wednesday and forced to land in Ankara.

Mr Erdogan said the arms on board were destined for Syria's defence ministry.

Syria and Russia have reacted angrily to the incident, denying allegations of illegal cargo and accusing Turkey of putting lives in danger.

The Syrian Air Airbus A320, with about 30 passengers on board, was intercepted on Wednesday evening by two Turkish fighters and escorted to the capital's Esenboga airport.

Turkey said previously it had received an intelligence tip-off that it had illegal cargo on board.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said Turkey is determined to stop any transfer of weapons to Syria through its airspace.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Turkey highjacking a passenger plane was a pretty stupid move taking orders by it's Nato masters.

According to some reports the passengers were forced to sign a document stating no military personnel boarded the plane.

It will be interesting to see what 'cargo' the Turks have discovered.

 

[Markhor]

Even more Middle East news. Bloody hell.

Hezbollah admits it was behind Israel drone launch

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19914441

The leader of Lebanese Shia militant movement Hezbollah has said that his group was behind the launch of a drone shot down over Israel last week.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah told the movement's television network that the drone was made in Iran and had flown over "sensitive sites" in Israel.

Israeli fighter planes shot down the drone north of the Negev desert after it entered from the Mediterranean.

Israel's prime minister has again vowed to defend the country's borders.

"We are acting with determination to protect our borders," Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to the frontier with Egypt, according to a statement issued by his office.

"As we prevented last weekend an attempt by Hezbollah, we shall continue to act aggressively against all threats," he added.

The drone, which did not carry any explosives, was destroyed over a largely uninhabited area. It flew some 35 miles (55km) inland before being shot down.

On at least three occasions unmanned aircraft operated by Hezbollah have been detected over Israeli territory.

On Thursday, Mr Netanyahu's office also announced the date of the general election as 22 January.

The vote was brought forward by nine months after the prime minister failed to agree an annual budget with his coalition partners.

His right-wing coalition government has been in power since 2009.

The date selected was chosen as a compromise date following consultations between Mr Netanyahu and heads of parliamentary factions.

The next election for the 120-member Knesset - the Israeli parliament - had originally been scheduled to take place in October next year.

Officials said that a proposal to dissolve parliament and set an election on 22 January would be submitted for cabinet approval on Sunday and brought to the legislature next week, Reuters reports.

The BBC's Wyre Davies, in Jerusalem, says that with Mr Netanyahu's high personal approval ratings, his Likud party is expected to improve on the 27 Knesset seats it took during the last election.

But even if he wins, he will almost certainly have to form another coalition, given the proportional nature of Israel's voting system, our correspondent says.

 

[Markhor]

Syria conflict: Rebels may have committed war crime - UN

Atrocious behaviour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20177384

Syrian rebels have been accused of possibly committing a war crime after a video allegedly showing the shooting of government soldiers appeared online.

The UN and Amnesty International condemned the alleged killings which reportedly took place after the rebels seized army checkpoints on Thursday.

Footage apparently shows the rebels beating soldiers before shooting them.

Unconfirmed reports say troops have now quit all bases near the strategic northern town of Saraqeb.

The town lies near both the main Damascus-Aleppo highway and the highway linking Aleppo to the coastal city of Latakia - making it doubly strategic.

The army, meanwhile, continued its air strikes across Syria on Thursday.

In all, more than 150 people reportedly died in fighting, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based activist group.

The SOHR said that among the victims were more than 70 government soldiers, 43 civilians and 38 rebels.

The claim has not been independently verified.

In a separate development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Araby would meet in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the Syrian crisis, the Arab League announced.

The alleged shootings took place after the rebels overran the strategic army checkpoints between on Thursday.

The video purportedly shows agitated rebels kicking and pushing the soldiers to the ground inside one of the seized buildings. Shots are then seen fired into the cowering mass of bodies.

A spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said it appeared that "these were soldiers who were no longer combatants and therefore, at this point, it looks very like a war crime".

Spokesman Rupert Colville added that the video - if proved to be genuine - would almost certainly form part of a future prosecution.

Meanwhile, Amnesty said in a statement: "This shocking footage depicts a potential war crime in progress, and demonstrates an utter disregard for international humanitarian law by the armed group in question."

No group has so far admitted carrying out the alleged killings.

But it is alleged that an extremist Islamist group, the al-Nusra front, was responsible, the BBC's Jim Muir in neighbouring Lebanon reports.

For months, activists have reported similar summary executions by regime forces virtually every day.

But there has been mounting evidence of similar tactics being used by some rebel groups too, although many have signed a code of practice banning such abuses, our correspondent says.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier warned that radical Islamist fighters were trying to hijack the Syrian revolution.

The comments have drawn an angry response from some opposition leaders, who say that it is the failure of the outside world to support the uprising with practical help that has left the field open to the radicals.

The SOHR more than 36,000 people have been killed since protests against President Bashar al-Assad erupted in March 2011.

The SOHR is one of the most prominent organisations documenting and reporting incidents and casualties in the Syrian conflict. It says its reports are impartial, though its information cannot be independently verified.

 

[Markhor]

Laughable claims by the UK Foreign Office that Syria has chemical weapons. Its WMDs all over again - they really take the British public for mugs, taxpayers are now having to fund yet another war, and yet another Middle Eastern country is going to descend into further bloodshed and carnage.

The UK says there are 'signs' that Assad's chemical weapons have been readied. UN Chief Ban Ki Moon said last night there are no such signs.

This claim is to justify what is now an inevitable military intervention - the rebels have not been able to resist the Syrian troops and now a golden opportunity has arrived in their view to remove an Iranian ally.

 

[Markhor]

UK's Hague confirms 'evidence' of Syria chemical arms plans

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20650582

British Foreign Secretary William Hague says the UK and the US have seen evidence that Syria is preparing to use chemical weapons.

Mr Hague told the BBC there was "enough evidence to know that they need a warning".

The foreign secretary did not give details, as he said the evidence had come from "intelligence sources".

Well last time it was an Iraqi taxi driver in London. Who is it this time ? A Syrian TV repairman in Bournemouth ?

 

[waqar goraya]

They are only preparing for final assault...A very critical time is this...Iran is also increasing its combat or nuclear abilities,world is also recognizing Palestinian struggle and Israel's hypocrisy,Syria condition is also critical......very crunch time this is for the world, people believe...

 

[pakistanalltheway]

I don't know who to back in this conflict . I don't want to back Assad and the government because of the atrocities they have caused and if the rebels succeed Syria becomes a zionist state .

 

[pakistanalltheway]

They are only preparing for final assault...A very critical time is this...Iran is also increasing its combat or nuclear abilities,world is also recognizing Palestinian struggle and Israel's hypocrisy,Syria condition is also critical......very crunch time this is for the world, people believe...

I give this world 30 years before we self destruct .

 

[KingKhanWC]

It may not be long before bald Hague declares Assad can hit Britain with it's chemical weapons aka fairy liquid.

Plan A of arming terrorists has failed, so now plan B of direct military intervention is being set into motion. The ball is in the court of Russia. Putin went to Turkey recently to discuss the Turkish missile plan against Syria's border and there are some reports Russia has provided extra military hardware to counter this.

 

[shaykh1985]

UK's Hague confirms 'evidence' of Syria chemical arms plans

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20650582


Well last time it was an Iraqi taxi driver in London. Who is it this time ? A Syrian TV repairman in Bournemouth ?

Lol brilliant...

 

[Markhor]

Sectarian conflict

Brutal dictator

Foreign backed insurgency

claims of chemical weapons

Oil rich nation

Country in key region

Iran major player in conflict...

Hmm I wonder what this reminds me of ! Are Western governments seriously this ignorant ?

 

[speed]

If Syria goes what does it mean for Iran?

 

[Looney]

chemical weapons again ?

 

[mahout]

[utube]9-kbp5RIHk4[/utube]

 

[pakistanalltheway]

[utube]9-kbp5RIHk4[/utube]

Rebels in Deir Ezzor are seen encouraging a young child to seek martyrdom and film him as he apprently digs his own grave on their instruction. The narrator claims 'the children of freedom desire martyrdom for the sake of Allah.' Insurgent groups are known to employ child soldiers.

From the description

 

[James]

So you can be free in here to post your public relations efforts? Or "facts" as you mistakenly call them. You are as obvious a plant as I have seen, except you are not getting paid for it because you probably believe what you post.

Spot on. Just read this page of the thread again in utter astonishment.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I don't know who to back in this conflict . I don't want to back Assad and the government because of the atrocities they have caused and if the rebels succeed Syria becomes a zionist state .

Im torn too but for definite reasons. Im pro democracy BUT the level of bloodshed and brutality shown by Assad makes me feel that it might be better for the Syrians to surrender.

No doubt the western nations are circling like vultures but the ineptitude of other Arab states is as equally to blame as oil hungry western governments.

 

[shaykh1985]

Im torn too but for definite reasons. Im pro democracy BUT the level of bloodshed and brutality shown by Assad makes me feel that it might be better for the Syrians to surrender.

No doubt the western nations are circling like vultures but the ineptitude of other Arab states is as equally to blame as oil hungry western governments.

Your presuming the opposing side is interested in democracy...there are no good guys here...

And your presuming its as simple as two sides...its militias forming who will eventually oppose each other when and if they rid themselves of Assad...Libya is a fine example...everyone looked as who was being fought against and had no interest in those who were looking to be replacements...

 

[MRSN]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VUbrYGvj7FI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Somali Pirate]

Bashar al kalb is a dead man and he will share the fate as gaddafi. That includes his cronies and the rest of the sabiha. The syrian revolutionaries and the fearless brigades who are fighting for their freedom have paid a heavy price for rebellion but no one is going to go back to the status quo


P.S

MRSN

Press TV is just another state run garbage station like RT. Only it's iran instead of russia.

 

[pakistanalltheway]

Bashar al kalb is a dead man and he will share the fate as gaddafi. That includes his cronies and the rest of the sabiha. The syrian revolutionaries and the fearless brigades who are fighting for their freedom have paid a heavy price for rebellion but no one is going to go back to the status quo


P.S

MRSN

Press TV is just another state run garbage station like RT. Only it's iran instead of russia.

Which side do you back ?

 

[MRSN]

Bashar al kalb is a dead man and he will share the fate as gaddafi. That includes his cronies and the rest of the sabiha. The syrian revolutionaries and the fearless brigades who are fighting for their freedom have paid a heavy price for rebellion but no one is going to go back to the status quo


P.S

MRSN

Press TV is just another state run garbage station like RT. Only it's iran instead of russia.

but the question is who's funding these rebels?Why USA is backing them? does he want to do another Iraq type of operation? it is building like that one to me.

 

[shaykh1985]

Bashar al kalb is a dead man and he will share the fate as gaddafi. That includes his cronies and the rest of the sabiha. The syrian revolutionaries and the fearless brigades who are fighting for their freedom have paid a heavy price for rebellion but no one is going to go back to the status quo


P.S

MRSN

Press TV is just another state run garbage station like RT. Only it's iran instead of russia.

Lol because of course the likes of Al Jazeera are impartial news stations right? ...

The losers in Syria are the Syrian people who wanted no war in their country and have essentially become collateral damage between a Russian and Iranian supported dictator and Gulf/US/ Israel supported brigades...

Neither side is interested in democracy...

Those that were interested in democracy are no longer part of this conflict as they aren't the ones provided arms...

 

[Somali Pirate]

Which side do you back ?

The side fighting for freedom. The side who are fighting mig 21s from the skies and snipers on the ground. The side who lost 40,000 people. The side are fighting just like their forefathers who got murdered by hafez al kalb back in the 80s.

but the question is who's funding these rebels?Why USA is backing them? does he want to do another Iraq type of operation? it is building like that one to me.

Who is funding these rebels? I can certainly tell you it aint the americans. The americans are just cowards. After 20 months of fighting they are still waiting on the sides. Why? because they are scared. they are scared that the syrians will be taken over muslims who do not bow down to them or their ideologies or their interests.


Why do you think they named jabhet nusra a terrorist organisation? The only folks backing the syrians are the turks, the saudis and the qataris. And even they have backed off in the recent few weeks.

The rebels dont need them anyway. Taking over bashar al kalb's military bases is providing all the ammunition they need

Lol because of course the likes of Al Jazeera are impartial news stations right? ...

The losers in Syria are the Syrian people who wanted no war in their country and have essentially become collateral damage between a Russian and Iranian supported dictator and Gulf/US/ Israel supported brigades...

Neither side is interested in democracy...

Those that were interested in democracy are no longer part of this conflict as they aren't the ones provided arms...

Ha democracy! I have heard that one before. The majority of the syrian people have spoken. They have risen and decided to fight for their freedom. Men women and even old men. No more being slaves to the alwaites and their ilk who rape women in the checkpoints and kill children in cold blood.

Things will never go back to where it was. The minority abusing, killing and torturing the majority. The losers here are the majoos of iran, the hezboshaytan of lebanon and ofcourse the israelis. Funny you mentioned the israelis supporting the rebels. I take it you havent actually seen any videos of the rebels lately

 

[shaykh1985]

The side fighting for freedom. The side who are fighting mig 21s from the skies and snipers on the ground. The side who lost 40,000 people. The side are fighting just like their forefathers who got murdered by hafez al kalb back in the 80s.




Who is funding these rebels? I can certainly tell you it aint the americans. The americans are just cowards. After 20 months of fighting they are still waiting on the sides. Why? because they are scared. they are scared that the syrians will be taken over muslims who do not bow down to them or their ideologies or their interests.


Why do you think they named jabhet nusra a terrorist organisation? The only folks backing the syrians are the turks, the saudis and the qataris. And even they have backed off in the recent few weeks.

The rebels dont need them anyway. Taking over bashar al kalb's military bases is providing all the ammunition they need





Ha democracy! I have heard that one before. The majority of the syrian people have spoken. They have risen and decided to fight for their freedom. Men women and even old men. No more being slaves to the alwaites and their ilk who rape women in the checkpoints and kill children in cold blood.

Things will never go back to where it was. The minority abusing, killing and torturing the majority. The losers here are the majoos of iran, the hezboshaytan of lebanon and ofcourse the israelis. Funny you mentioned the israelis supporting the rebels. I take it you havent actually seen any videos of the rebels lately

Thats interesting...a supporter of Saudi concerned about democracy lol...

Oh wait they oppose Iran so thats ok...I forgot ...

And LOOOOOOOOLLLL at Israel being the losers...please do explain that comment...

Next your gonna be telling me Saudi opposes Israel...

 

[Somali Pirate]

Thats interesting...a supporter of Saudi concerned about democracy lol...

Oh wait they oppose Iran so thats ok...I forgot ...

And LOOOOOOOOLLLL at Israel being the losers...please do explain that comment...

Next your gonna be telling me Saudi opposes Israel...

You have assumed incorectly that i am a suporter of the saudi political system which is nothing but a monarchy.

Saudi attitude towards religion is remarkable. Their politics is a different story. I would like nothing more than seeing the house of saud wiped out and a true representative take power


As for israel well didnt you know hat bibi netanyahu was considering peace talks with bashar al kalb and handing over the golan heights back to syria?

 

[Markhor]

Despite the 'zionist' media conspiracy' lines we always get on here, this is actually a very balanced article about a recent UN report, which was very accurate I have to say. There is no clear cut good and bad side in this conflict.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/20/syria-war-sectarian-_n_2336563.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

BRUSSELS -- Syria's civil war is increasingly turning into a sectarian conflict pitting majority Sunni rebels against government forces supported by the country's religious and ethnic minorities, a new U.N. human rights report said Thursday.

Sergio Pinheiro, who heads an independent commission investigating abuses, said the bulk of the victims of the nearly two-year war were civilians, and blamed both sides for abuses including torture and illegal executions.

Activists say about 40,000 people have died on both sides since the conflict erupted in March 2011.

The report, commissioned by the U.N. Human Rights Council, found that foreign fighters, many linked to extremist Sunni groups, are infiltrating into Syria. They are operating in independent units that coordinate actions with the Free Syrian Army – the Western-backed armed group which is the rebels' main military force.

"The commission is extremely worried by the presence of foreign fighters ... who are not fighting for human rights and democracy," Pinheiro told reporters in Brussels. "By their own admission, they are very proud of their breaches of humanitarian law."

Although Pinheiro visited Damascus, the panel was not allowed into Syria and was forced to compile its report – which covers Sept. 28 to Dec. 16 – from interviews with Syrians who have fled the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have escaped into Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.

Pinheiro noted that anti-government rebels were hiding in Syrian cities where they were "failing to distinguish themselves" from the civilian population, triggering strikes by government artillery and the air force.

While the sectarian divide is sharpest between the Sunnis and Allawite communities – from which most of the senior government and military leaders hail – other minority groups have been increasingly drawn into the conflict, the report said.

"As battles between government and anti-government armed groups approach the end of their second year, the conflict has become overtly sectarian in nature," it said, adding that Christians, Armenians, Druze and others have largely aligned themselves with President Bashar Assad's regime.

"The commission has received credible reports of anti-government groups attacking Allawites and other minority communities," the report said.

Almost all of the 80,000 Christians who used to live in the central town of Homs, the scene of intense fighting between the warring sides, have fled to Damascus or Beirut, the report said. Jabhat al-Nusra, the largest grouping of foreign jihadis in Syria, is said to have a significant presence in Homs.

Syria's Kurds, who predominantly live in the northeast, have clashed with both government and anti-government armed groups over control of that territory, the report said. But in recent months, as the Syrian army ceded control of the region, clashes between Kurds and opposition groups and foreign fighters have intensified.

"We think this is a war where no military victory is possible," Pinheiro said. "It is a great illusion that providing arms to one side or the other will help end it."

 

[LongHorn]

the majoos of iran, the hezboshaytan of lebanon and ofcourse the israelis. Funny you mentioned the israelis supporting the rebels. I take it you havent actually seen any videos of the rebels lately

The only ones who call Iran "Majoos" or Hezbollah as Hezbshaytan are Saudi supporters or extremist sectarians

 

[waqar goraya]

In the end the real conspirators will win...

 

[Markhor]

The UN say the death toll has now reached 60,000 and 1.2 million displaced. So you can definitely put this conflict alongside Iraq, the Yugoslav Wars, Afghanistan, and so on, and there seems to be no end in sight.

In 2013, that death toll is unfortunately all but likely to rise.

 

[eradicator]

The UN say the death toll has now reached 60,000 and 1.2 million displaced. So you can definitely put this conflict alongside Iraq, the Yugoslav Wars, Afghanistan, and so on, and there seems to be no end in sight.

In 2013, that death toll is unfortunately all but likely to rise.

What are the rebels fighting for and on whose side is the public ?

How did the 10% Alawi manage to control the Power in the country ? Is it sectarian violence to topple the Alawi regime ?

Provide Brief explanations or Links if possible .

 

[Markhor]

What are the rebels fighting for and on whose side is the public ?

How did the 10% Alawi manage to control the Power in the country ? Is it sectarian violence to topple the Alawi regime ?

Provide Brief explanations or Links if possible .

The rebels are fighting for a complete overthrow of the Alawite Baathist Party regime, led by President Bashar al-Assad.

The public is divided on sectarian lines, so yes its definitely a sectarian war. The rebellion is mainly Sunni who form about 75% of the population. Protests back in March 2011 when this all began was mainly based in Sunni communities, especially Daraa and Homs. With rising youth unemployment and poverty - it was the arrests of Daraa students who wrote anti-government slogans on a school wall that triggered the uprising.

The forces loyal to Assad are mainly Alawite, and the Sunni middle/merchant class who have profited out of the Baathist rule. Some Alawites don't even necessarily support Assad, but they fear Sunni rule would lead to massive reprisals on their community.

The Alawites make up most of the government, and they have a tight control of the military and intelligence services hence their control of the population, and that's led to Sunni resentment.

NATO, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are backing the rebels, providing arms and diplomatic support. There have been calls for a NATO military intervention but Russia and China have opposed it at the UN Security Council, so the reason that there has not been a Libya-like intevention is because of the Russians and Chinese. The Russians in particular have important interests because their only Mediterranean naval base is in Tartus, Syria. China and Syria have significant trade relations. In 2009, mutual trade between the two countries was worth nearly $2.2 billion according to the IMF.

Iran backs the Assad government, Syria and Iran are close allies.

The Syrian government has used overwhelming force, tanks, aircraft and are one of the most powerful armies in the Arab World, 325,000 active troops.

The Syrian rebels are also brutal, they've committed terrible human rights violations. They have been involved in torture of prisoners, killing any potential 'collaborators' in the opposition and have orchestrated bombings in major cities. They are also deeply divided along ideological lines.

Its going to be a tough year ahead for the Syrians, no end in sight.

 

[MRSN]

Aleppo blast, car bombs cap bloody Syria week

BEIRUT (AP) — A rocket slammed into a building in Syria's northern city of Aleppo and two suicide bombers struck near a mosque in the south Friday, capping a particularly bloody week in the country's civil war with more than 800 civilians killed, including an unusually large proportion in government-held areas.

The residential building struck in Aleppo was in a part of the city controlled by regime forces, as was a university hit earlier in the week in an attack that killed 87 people, mostly students. The government accused rebels in both attacks, saying the hit the locations with rockets, a claim the opposition denies.

But if confirmed it would signal that the rebels have acquired more sophisticated weaponry from captured regime bases and are now using them to take the fight more into government-held areas in an attempt to break a monthslong stalemate in the war.

Rebels have in the past posted videos showing them capturing heavy rockets — apparently of the style fired from truck-mounted launchers — at regime military bases that they have overrun. But it is not clear whether the fighters have — or are able to — use any of the ballistics. The rebels' main weaponry are automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

Rockets would for the first time give them a greater range, an advantage that until now the regime military has overwhelmingly held, with its arsenal of warplanes, helicopters, artillery, rockets and mortars. Regime bombardment has caused heavy civilian casualties — and if the rebels start blasting back with sometimes inaccurate rockets, the civilian toll would likely rise.

But the opposition has denied being behind the Aleppo university strike and the hit Friday on the residential building, which one activist group said killed 12 people. The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an activist group, and the Aleppo Media Center, a network of anti-regime activists, of hitting the building with an airstrike.

"It was an air raid," said Aleppo-based activist Abu Raed al-Halabi. When asked why the regime would attack a government-held area, al-Halabi said most people in Aleppo are opposed to the regime in Aleppo.

Al-Halabi said the rebels have captured some rockets around the capital Damascus but not in the Aleppo region. "If they have such missile they would have fired it at the Military Intelligence headquarters," he said.

Even if the rebels have captured surface-to-surface rockets it won't be a turning point in their battle against the regime of President Bashar Assad, said Aram Nerguizian, a Middle East security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Such systems would "do little to erode (regime) air power, effectively target (its) infrastructure, turn the tide of the conflict or change the broader strategic picture," he said. And rebel use of rockets could backfire since "these inaccurate systems are more likely to produce either no impact or kill more civilians than Syrian military forces."

Friday's strike in Aleppo and suicide car bombings in the southern town of Daraa occurred during a particularly bloody week in Syria's nearly two-year-old conflict. Since the previous Friday, more than 1,000 people have been killed, including 804 civilians, 214 soldiers and 20 army defectors fighting with the rebels, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based activist group that gathers information from a network of contacts on the ground.

An Al-Jazeera TV correspondent was killed in Syria on Friday, the second journalist to lose his life in as many days covering the brutal civil war. Mohammed al-Masalmeh was shot to death by a sniper while covering fighting in his hometown of Busra al-Harir in the south. A day earlier, French journalist Yves Debay was killed by a sniper in Aleppo.

Around 200 civilians were killed this week in government-controlled areas. The bulk of them died in the strike on the university in Aleppo and in a mass killing Thursday in the central town of Haswiyeh, where opposition activists say a pro-government militia torched houses and killed more than 100 people.

A BBC team entered Haswiyeh on Friday and reported that it found at least five charred bodies in houses where scattered bullet casings and blood smears were on the floor. Villagers, still visibly shocked, also gave a toll of at least 100 killed, according to the British Broadcasting Corp.

Government troops and rebels have been locked in a deadly stalemate in Aleppo, Syria's largest urban center and main commercial hub, and other areas in the north since last summer. Six months later, the rebels hold large parts of the city. Still, they have been unable to overcome the regime's far superior firepower.

The residential building hit Friday was in a regime-held zone. Syrian state TV showed footage of the building with several floors collapsed, with one man carrying a baby out of the building and another man clutching his head as blood ran down his forehead. Residents were also seen looking for people buried in the rubble. At least one injured person on a stretcher was seen being carried away in a Red Crescent ambulance.

State TV said that soon after two suicide car bombs detonated near a mosque in Daraa, causing casualties among worshippers as they left from weekly prayers. TV blamed the blast on Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaida-linked group which the U.S. has declared a terrorist organization but which fights alongside Syrian rebels.

State TV said both the Aleppo and Daraa attacks caused casualties but did not give an exact number. The Observatory said 12 people were killed in Aleppo and five in Daraa.

Daraa is the birthplace of the revolt against Assad's rule that erupted in March 2011. The uprising began as peaceful protests but quickly turned into a civil war after a brutal government crackdown. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the violence, according to a recent United Nation's estimate.

Also on Friday, fighting between Syrian rebels and Assad's loyalists flared in a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, killing 12 people and wounding at least 20 others, a U.N. refugee agency said. Children were among the casualties, according to a statement issued by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. The agency called on both sides to "pull back from civilian areas, including refugee camps."

The Palestinian camp called Yarmouk has been the scene of heavy clashes between rebels and regime loyalists since mid-December, when opposition fighters moved into the camp during an attempt to storm the capital.

About half of Yarmouk's 150,000 residents have fled since fighting erupted in mid-December, according to UNRWA, which administers Palestinian camps in the Middle East. Some sought refuge in neighboring Lebanon, and others found shelter in UNRWA schools in Damascus and other Syrian cities.

Dozens have been killed in the fighting, although the United Nations did not provide an exact figure of casualties in Yarmouk violence, which has included airstrikes and artillery shelling from the Syrian military.

On Syria's northern border with Turkey, regime fighter jets pounded villages in rebel-held areas in Latakia province, dropping makeshift bombs made from hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of explosives stuffed into barrels, Turkey's state-run Anadolu agency said.

The Observatory reported later Friday that an air raid on the Damascus suburb of Maydaa killed at least 11 people, including a woman and four children. An amateur video showed four bloodied children who were lined near a pick group that also carried the body of an adult.

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting on the events depicted.

Syrian TV reported that troops targeted rebel gatherings in the central city of Homs and killed "tens" of them.

http://news.yahoo.com/aleppo-blast-...N3b3JsZHxtaWRkbGVlYXN0BHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

 

[MRSN]

so this is revolution?these are freedom fighters?

wherever the Al Qaida and co have gone , did nothing but kill innocent Muslims and created unrest for the Muslims only.

 

[MRSN]

Hama Car Bomb Toll at Least 42


Syrian rights activists said the death toll from a suicide car bombing in the central province of Hama late Monday has risen to at least 42 people.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack targeted a building used by pro-government militiamen in the town of Salamiyah. It said civilians were among the dead.

Syrian state news agency SANA gave a death toll of 32 people and blamed the bombing on terrorists whom it said are behind a 22-month rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the situation in Syria as a "calamity." Speaking at a Tuesday news conference outlining his 2013 agenda, he said the Syrian civil war is his "main immediate test."

"The humanitarian situation is dire and getting worse and worse. Millions of people are struggling to survive. More than 650,000 people have fled the country," said the U.N. chief. "Lack of food and denial of access to medical treatment, inadequate shelter and heating during a harsh winter are taking their toll."

Ban called on U.N. members to send senior delegations to an international donor conference for Syria, to be held in Kuwait on January 30.

The U.N. chief also said he reviewed the crisis with special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Monday.

"Our shared assessment is that we are still a long way from getting the Syrians together. The key decisions about the country's future are in the hands of the Syrians," he said. "But, the international community, and in particular the Security Council, has a grave responsibility to act to bring the desperate suffering of the Syrian people to an end."

In other developments, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported deadly battles between mostly Sunni anti-government rebels and minority Kurdish fighters in the northeastern town of Ras al-Ain, on the border with Turkey.

It said at least 56 fighters have been killed in a week of fighting in the area. Syria's minority Kurds have largely remained on the sidelines of the majority-Sunni led rebellion, but have long sought greater autonomy from Damascus.

The Observatory also said pro-Assad troops and rebels engaged in more battles in Damascus province on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, dozens of Russians boarded buses from Syria to neighboring Lebanon in the first evacuation organized by Moscow since the start of the Syrian uprising in 2011.

The Russian government had sent two planes to the Lebanese capital Beirut to fly the Russians back home. Syria's main international airport outside Damascus has been largely devoid of traffic in recent weeks due to fighting along the road to the capital.

Russia is one of the few remaining international allies of Mr. Assad's government. But, it has been distancing itself from the Syrian leader, acknowledging that he may be ousted by the uprising.

The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, Saud al-Faisal, one of Mr. Assad's strongest regional opponents, expressed support for the Syrian opposition's refusal to negotiate with Damascus.

"Damascus, which is the oldest remaining city that has been a city for the oldest period of time, is carpet bombed," he said. "How can you conceive of the possibility of negotiated settlement with somebody who does that to his own country, to his own history, to his own people? It is inconceivable to us."

Addressing a news conference in Riyadh, al-Faisal criticized the U.N. Security Council for failing to agree on how to end the Syrian conflict.

"We have a call to make to the Security Council to finally show the responsibility that they must show in front of the trust that was put in him, or otherwise I think it is the duty of the General Assembly to censure the Security Council for failing in its duty," he said.

http://www.voanews.com/content/syria-activists-car-bomb-toll-at-least-42/1588641.html

 

[MRSN]

Saudi prince calls for Syrian rebels to be armed


A senior member of Saudi Arabia’s monarchy called on Friday for Syrian rebels to be given anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to “level the playing field” in their battle against President Bashar al-Assad.

Insurgents in Syria have seized territory in the north of the country and control suburbs to the east and south of the capital, but Assad’s air power and continued army strength have limited their advances 22 months into the conflict.

“I’m not in government so I don’t have to be diplomatic. I assume we’re sending weapons and if we were not sending weapons it would be terrible mistake on our part,” Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former intelligence chief and brother of Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, said in a televised debate at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting moderated by Al-Arabiya.

The prince warned of extremists flowing into Syria from North Africa, Europe and other regions to fight with opposition forces.

“Stop the killing and you won’t have these terrorists, they won’t have any place to go in Syria,” he said. Their presence was predicted from day one in the event of a prolonged crisis, he added.

Funds should be channeled to “the good guys” among the opposition to help them regain their credibility among the people.

“You have to level the playing field. Most of the weapons the rebels have come from captured Syrian stocks and defectors bringing their weapons,” he said.

“What is needed are sophisticated, high-level weapons that can bring down planes, can take out tanks at a distance. This is not getting through.”

More than 60,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which started nearly two years ago with mainly peaceful protests but has mushroomed into a civil war that has driven half a million people from the country and displaced many more.

Syria has accused Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, the United States and France of funding and arming the rebels, something they have all denied. But U.N. diplomats say that weapons are clearly reaching the rebels via Gulf Arab states and Turkey.

Saudi Arabia has called in the past for the rebels to be armed, but diplomats say that Western countries are reluctant to allow sophisticated weapons into the country, fearing they would fall into the hands of increasingly powerful Islamist forces.

The United States has designated one Islamist group in Syria - the Nusra Front - as a terrorist organization and expressed concern about the growing Islamist militant strength in Syria.

But the Saudi prince said foreign powers should have enough information on the many rebel brigades to ensure weapons only reached specific groups.

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/25/262519.html

so hoe admits Saudis are supporting the rebels?What benefits they get from this support?

 

[Gabbar Singh]

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/25/262519.html

so hoe admits Saudis are supporting the rebels?What benefits they get from this support?

They get a new regime in Syria who aren't as close to Iran and will be more sympathetic to the Saudis.

 

[mahout]

Israeli hospital treats wounded from Syria

Jerusalem (CNN) -- An Israeli hospital is treating people wounded in Syria, where civil war has killed thousands and wounded thousands more.

Ziv Medical Center in Safed, Israel, "cannot confirm" whether the seven Syrians being treated are from the Syrian opposition or the military, said Dr. Oscar Embon, the hospital's director.

"We treat patients regardless of religion, race, nationality and give the best care we can provide," Embon said.

The Syrians are under guard for their own protection, he said.

Israeli doctors frequently treat people from groups with which Israel has tensions, or even is engaged in conflict. In November, CNN visited an Israeli hospital treating an Israeli child and a Palestinian child, both wounded in warfare between Israel and militants in Gaza.


http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/17/world/meast/israel-syria/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[MRSN]

The armed militant groups in Syria say they have started to attack the positions of Hezbollah resistance movement in neighboring Lebanon since February 21.


The self-proclaimed Free Syrian Army said its militants launched the attack less than a day after they accused Hezbollah of shelling militant bases in Syria’s Homs province on February 20.

“We have bombed the territories of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria. The Free Syrian Army will continue bombing these positions,” Hisam al-Avvak, a commander of the armed group, told Turkey's Anatolia News Agency on Thursday.



The assaults took place while the militants had given Hezbollah 48 hours to halt the alleged shelling, threatening to attack after two days.

However, the Lebanese movement has rejected the accusations.

He also reiterated threats that the militants would target Hezbollah strongholds located south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

On February 18, Syria’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali said Hezbollah was not assisting the Syrian army in the fight against foreign-backed militants.

A recent UN report revealed that militants from nearly 30 countries have infiltrated into Syria to fight against the Syrian government.

www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syrian-re...ander.aspx?pageID=238&nID=41647&NewsCatID=352