Wednesday, 4 September 2013

The European Union Times

Israeli Cruise Missiles Fired At Syria Destroyed By US Navy

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:44 AM PDT

A new urgent action report prepared by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) for President Putin today states that specialized forces operating the highly advanced Vityaz air defense system in the Southern Military District detected the launching of two Popeye Turbo SLCM ballistic cruise missiles from an Israeli Dolphin-class submarine patrolling in the Eastern Mediterranean whereupon they were “nearly immediately” destroyed by a US Navy Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer operating in the same region.
The Vityaz air defense system guarantees the detection of enemy ballistic and long-range cruise missiles at blastoff and is currently being deployed along the entire Russian border; while the Popeye ballistic cruise missile is the type used by Israel during its Dolphin submarine 5 July attack on an arms depot in the Syrian port city of Latakia that targeted a contingent of 50 Russian-made Yakhont P-800 anti-ship missiles; and the Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers are the United States Navy’s first class of destroyer built around the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar making them some of the most feared warships in the world.

According to this MoD report, these ballistic cruise missile launches took place at 10:16 am Moscow time (0616 GMT) with the Israelis first denying any knowledge, but subsequently stating that they were conducting missile tests in Mediterranean.
As to the exact method the US Navy utilized in destroying these two ballistic cruise missiles this MoD report does not speculate upon, but a review of an Australian Air Force technical report [Technical Report APA-TR-2007-0402] clearly shows it can be done, but only at great expense and using First-World technical skills and 21st Century technology.
With Syrian President Bashar Assad warning that any military strike against his country would spark an uncontrollable regional war and spread “chaos and extremism,” this MoD report says, the Israeli motivation for launching these ballistic cruise missiles earlier today remains “highly suspect,” a situation made even more dangerous as all International treaties require advanced notification prior to conducting any tests of this type.
This MoD report further states that the launching of these ballistic cruise missiles could have been a test of Russian military capability to detect these types of launches and Kremlin resolve to notify the entire world immediately upon their detection.
In the former the Russian military proved its ability to immediately detect these types of launches, and in the latter the Kremlin, indeed, showed it would not hide from the world any knowledge the West was attacking Syria.

Though not explicitly stated in this MoD report, but speculated upon, Russian defense intelligence experts contributing to it note that Israel may have been attempting to start this war by an unprovoked attack upon Syria that would be blamed on the Americans and whose effect would be the starting of at least a wide-ranging regional war, or at its worst, World War III.
As to why Israel would want to start a major war lies in its “demographic time bomb” of a population that is pitting the Jewish states main factions (Zionist-Haredi-Arab) against each other with mounting fears of civil war growing by the day.
With the Haredi religious movement in Israel bound by three oaths, (1) not to settle in Israel by using force or violence, (2) not to make war with other nations and (3) not to act as if the other nations of the world would persecute Israel; and their booming population numbers, these strictest of Jewish sects have aligned themselves with Israeli Arabs and who both now control over 30% of the population.
To the reason(s) as to why Syria is now the main target of this war lies mainly in the machinations of Saudi Arabia, especially their current intelligence chief Prince Bandar who last month the Libyan Defense Ministry warned delivered Israeli chemical weapons to Syrian terrorists.
Confirmation of chemical weapons being delivered to Syrian rebels by the Saudis were confirmed by Turkey this past May when seven terrorists from the al-Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front were captured in antiterrorist operations in Adana, Turkey, and two kilos (4,5 pounds) of sarin gas were found in their apartments.
Further confirmation of Syrian rebels using chemical weapons were detailed by the United Nations whose investigators proved their use against the Syrian army at least 5 times by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists this past year.
Even the latest chemical weapons attack against Syrian civilians has been put squarely at the door of Saudi Arabia, and as we had previously reported on, Syrian rebels in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta admitted to Associated Press journalist Dale Gavlak that they were responsible for the 21 August chemical weapons incident which Western powers have blamed on Bashar Al-Assad’s forces, revealing that the casualties were the result of an accident caused by rebels mishandling chemical weapons provided to them by Saudi Arabia.
“From numerous interviews with doctors, Ghouta residents, rebel fighters and their families….many believe that certain rebels received chemical weapons via the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, and were responsible for carrying out the (deadly) gas attack,” writes Gavlak.
Even though all of the major US mainstream propaganda media organs are still refusing to tell the American people the truth about what happened in Ghouta, the same cannot be said of the respected Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) organization who when analyzing the Obama regimes evidence for war against Syria against the Associated Press report written by Gavlak, found the latter to be more credible.
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Microsoft buys Nokia mobile business for $7.2 billion

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:32 AM PDT

Microsoft is buying Nokia’s smartphone business and a portfolio of patents and services in an attempt to improve its position in the mobile market and compete with Apple and Google at a time when more people pursue their lives on mobile devices.
The $7.2 billion deal announced late on Monday marks a major step in Microsoft’s push to transform itself from a software maker focused on operating systems and applications for desktop and laptop computers into a more versatile and nimble company that delivers services on any kind of internet gadget, the Associated Press reports.
The acquisition will represent the second most expensive deal in Microsoft’s 38-year history, ranking behind an $8.5 billion purchase of internet telephony and video conferencing service Skype.
The deal sent Nokia’s Helsinki-listed shares higher by as much as 48 percent on Tuesday, which was ranked by Bloomberg as a record advance. Microsoft’s shares fell around 1 percent in pre-market activity.
Microsoft, which has dominated the PC software market for the past 30 years, is now under increasing pressure. More people are shifting to smartphones and tablet computers, causing the demand for PCs to shrivel.
As Microsoft weakened, Apple, the maker of the trend-setting iPhone and iPad, as well as Google, which is behind world’s most popular mobile operating system, Android have been gaining pace.
Finland – based Nokia and the US tech giant Microsoft first tried to cooperate in the smartphone market in 2011. Under the alliance, Nokia’s Lumia smartphones have run Microsoft’s Windows software, though the devices have not been as popular as the iPhone or an array of Android-powered devices spearheaded by Samsung Electronics’ smartphones and tablets.
Microsoft is betting it will have a better chance of narrowing the gap if it seizes complete control of how the mobile devices work with its Windows software.
The deal is expected to be completed early next year. If that timetable pans out, about 32,000 Nokia employees will transfer to Microsoft, which currently has about 99,000 workers.
Microsoft expansion into mobile devices hasn’t fared well. Last year, the company began selling a line of tablets called Surface in the hope of competing with Apple’s iPad. The version of Surface running on a revamped version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system fared so poorly that the company absorbed a $900 million charge in its last quarter to account for the flop.
Nokia plans to hold a news conference in Finland on Tuesday morning to outline the deal. Microsoft executives will elaborate on their rationale for the deal shortly after Nokia wraps up its presentation.
Microsoft transition
The acquisition is being made at a time when Microsoft is looking for a new leader. Just 10 days ago, Steve Ballmer, 57, announced he will step down as the company’s CEO within a year. Many analysts took the step as Microsoft’s tacit admission that the company needed an infusion of fresh blood to revitalize itself.
The deal could fuel speculation that Nokia’s CEO, former Microsoft executive Stephon Elop, will emerge as a top candidate to succeed Ballmer. Elop will step aside as Nokia’s President and CEO to become executive vice president of Nokia devices and services in preparation for joining Microsoft once the acquisition closes. Chairman Risto Siilasmaa will stay in his current role and assume the duties of interim CEO.
Tony Bates the ex-boss of Skype, is also regarded as a potential successor to Ballmer.
The money to buy Nokia’s smartphones and patents will be drawn from the nearly $70 billion Microsoft holds in overseas accounts as of June 30.
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Mirrors: Schizophrenia or devil’s temptation?

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:09 AM PDT

Remember scenes from horror movies where a character looks in the mirror and sees a completely unfamiliar face emerging out of it? Sometimes they see a reflection of a certain entity behind them. Where does this come from? Some explain this phenomenon by an optical illusion, others – deviations in the psyche, while others blame it on supernatural causes.
Italian psychologist Giovanni Caputo describes this phenomenon in detail in an article published in the journal Perception. To see someone else’s face in the mirror, you need to stare at your own reflection in a dimly lit room. Optimal conditions for the experiment include a room lit only by a dim lamp (the author suggests a 25W bulb) placed behind your back, while the participant stares into a large mirror placed about 40 cm in front. Within a minute you will discover a “stranger.”
Caputo invited 50 volunteers to participate in the experiment. At the end of a 10 minutes session of mirror gazing, the participants were asked to write what they saw in the mirror. 66% of 50 participants saw huge deformations of their own face. 18 % saw a parent’s face with traits changed, of whom 8% were still alive and 10% were deceased. 28% saw an unknown person. 18% saw different animal faces such as a cat, pig, or lion, and 48% saw fantastical and monstrous beings.
According to Caputo, such effects may be a combination of visual distortion when the visual system again and again has to recognize the same images, which leads to changes in their interpretation.
The participants’ emotional reactions to the changes were even more interesting. Approximately half of them reported that emergence of new faces in the mirror caused sensations that an unknown person was looking at them from within or beyond the mirror. Some participants felt that the “stranger” looked at them with a malign and scary expression; others thought that their stare was enigmatic, while the third group of the participants felt that the “stranger” was encouraging. If deceased family members appeared in the mirror, the participants often felt that they wanted to ask them a question. Monstrous beings produced fear or even horror. Dynamic deformations of new faces (like pulsations or shrinking, smiling or grinding) made the participants feel helpless before these creatures.
There is also an existing practice of telling fortune using mirrors when people try to predict who their soul mate would be. Biologist Mezentsev clearly stated in the “Encyclopedia of Miracles” that “mirror visions” is nothing more than a hallucination.
“What is the process like? he wrote. “Late in the evening, a girl is alone in a dark room lit by a small candle. She sits at a table, and trying not to move, she is staring into the dimly shining mirror surface. Time goes by, and gradually she falls into a drowsy state. Then, fleeting vision-images start popping in her “twilight” consciousness. There is no way to check what images the girl sees. Maybe there was no image, but she feels like there was one. In short, the nature of such illusions, “visions” is easily explained by the properties of our psyche.”
Cases where the reflection in the mirror acts as an independent entity are more difficult to explain. For Svetlana N. of St. Petersburg a spiritual session was just a distraction on a boring Saturday night. She invited friends to her apartment. First they called the spirit of Pushkin, then Vysotsky, and a saucer moved in a circle while pointing at the letters of the alphabet, correctly answering their questions. And then Svetlana thought to call for her own spirit. When she uttered a spell she felt instant piercing pain.
The saucer on the table began to move, but the spirit replied in generalities. Soon her friends were bored with it, and the session was over. The guests began leaving and the host was left alone in her apartment. While washing dishes, Svetlana heard footsteps behind her. She looked around and saw a vague silhouette in the hallway. The figure slipped into the bathroom, where the lights came on and water gushed out of the tap. She gained courage to look in the bathroom and discovered that the tap was in off position, but there were water splashes in the sink. She looked in the mirror and was speechless when he saw herself in a dressing gown, while she knew that she had not had time to change after her guests had left. It seemed that the reflection was reaching for her, as if to grasp. Svetlana took a step back, and then some invisible hand started throwing items from the bathroom shelf at her. The woman had never engaged in spiritualism again.
Source

Morsi to be tried for ‘incitement to murder and violence’

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:51 AM PDT

Egypt’s ousted president Mohamed Morsi is to be tried for what has been called ‘incitement to murder,’ by Egyptian state media.
According to a report by the state TV on Sunday, Morsi will stand trial in a criminal court along with 14 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement on charges of “incitement to murder and violence” in December 2012 when fatal clashes erupted between supporters and opponents of Morsi in the capital Cairo.
The report, however, did not give a date for the trial.
Earlier in July, a court in the Arab country ordered Morsi’s detention over allegations of collaboration with Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
Morsi was due to be questioned on whether he collaborated with Hamas in attacks on police stations and prison breaks in early 2011, when he and some members of the Muslim Brotherhood escaped from jail during a revolution against the regime of former dictator, Hosni Mubarak.
Hamas reacted to the allegations on July 26 and condemned Morsi’s detention, saying that “it is based on the premise that the Hamas movement is hostile.”
The movement’s spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, noted, “This is a dangerous development, which confirms that the current powers in Egypt are giving up on national causes and even using these issues to deal with other parties — first among them the Palestinian cause.”
Egypt plunged into chaos after the head of the country’s armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, ousted Morsi on July 3, and declared that the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mansour, had been appointed as the new interim president of Egypt. The army also suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament.
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Israel readies anti-missile defenses for probable Syrian strike

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:47 AM PDT

Israel announced it is prepared for “every possible scenario,” including a retaliatory strike, in response to a possible US attack on Syria. Over the weekend, the Israeli Defense Force deployed Iron Dome anti-missile batteries in the Tel Aviv area.
With the US threatening to attack Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons, Israel fears Damascus may respond by firing missiles at Israel.
“Israel is calm and sure of itself, the citizens of Israel know that we are prepared for every possible scenario,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.
Apart from deploying Iron Dome batteries and raising the alert levels of the Patriot and Arrow systems, the Israeli Defense Force canceled weekend leave for soldiers based in the north, Israel Hayom reported. Weekend leave was also canceled for soldiers serving in key units of the Israeli Air Force, Homefront Command and Intelligence Corps, and several hundred reservists have been called up to these units.
With gas mask distribution centers mushrooming around the country, Netanyahu issued a statement Thursday reassuring people that “there is no need to change our routine at this time.”
“Despite the low probability that Israel will become involved in what is happening in Syria, we decided to deploy the Iron Dome batteries and other interception systems,” Netanyahu said. “We are not involved in the civil war in Syria, but let me reiterate, if someone tries to harm Israel’s citizens, the Israeli Defense Force will respond with immense power.”
While polls in the UK and France have found strong opposition to their countries attacking Syria, a similar poll in Israel showed that two-thirds of respondents would support American and European military intervention in Syria.
Israel may be the only pro-Western country where there is widespread support for an American and European attack on Syria, according to Israel Hayom newspaper. Its latest survey, conducted by New Wave Research, showed that 66.8 percent of the Israeli population approve of a possible attack, and only 17 percent are opposed to a US/EU strike.
Up to 73 percent of Israelis believe that an attack against President Assad’s regime will ultimately take place. To be on the safe side, over 71 percent of those questioned have already equipped themselves with gas masks.
Over 57 percent believe if the US attacks Syria, the Israeli Defense Force will act against specific targets or threats. Only 13 percent of Israelis think that things will worsen into an all-out war in the Middle East. Over 28 percent stated they are not concerned that a US attack will drag Israel into a war.
Another poll, published in Friday’s Ma’ariv newspaper, found that Israelis are strongly against an Israeli attack on Syria. If the US does not intervene in Syria, 77 percent of respondents said Israel should not get involved militarily, while only 11 percent believed it should.
The US government claims that Syria is responsible for using banned chemical weapons. US intelligence agencies claim that the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus killed a total of 1,429 Syrian civilians, including 426 children, and that Assad should be held responsible for the attack.
US President Barack Obama used the data to make the case for military retaliation against the Syrian government.
Syria’s Prime Minister has said his country is ready for any possible foreign strikes, saying that “the Syrian army is fully ready, its finger on the trigger, to face any challenge or scenario that they want to carry out,” in a written statement broadcast on television.
On Saturday, Obama said he was putting on hold the plan to strike against Syria until Congress votes on military intervention. A vote is planned for when US lawmakers return from summer recess on September 9.
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, said Saturday that the idea that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons on its own people was “utter nonsense,” and urged Washington to present its evidence to the UN Security Council. Earlier in the week, the UN chemical inspection team finished its work in Syria and headed to The Hague with samples taken at the sites of the alleged chemical attack. According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, it may be two weeks before for final results of their analysis are ready.
Source

New radioactive hotspots suggest more leaks at Fukushima

Posted: 02 Sep 2013 01:44 PM PDT

Several new hotspots reading potentially lethal doses of radiation have been detected near the tanks storing the radioactive water, forcing the operator to admit there might be even more leaks at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The high radiation readings were detected during the daily inspection on Saturday near three water tanks and one pipe stretched between the tanks and the plant, Kyodo news agency reported.
Traces of water leak measuring 230 millisieverts per hour were found below the pipe, the agency added. Meanwhile, Jiji news reported a reading of 1,800 millisieverts per hour was near one of the tanks, while the other reported readings measured between 70 and 230 millisieverts.
Tokyo Electric Power Co has admitted the peaking radiation readings, but claimed that none of the containers showed any visible fall in their water levels, according to a statement cited in Japanese media.
Just last week the plant operator disclosed that at least one of the 1,060 temporary tanks used to store highly contaminated water sprang a leak discharging as much as 300 tons of radioactive liquid containing large amounts of cesium.
Following the incident Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority raised the rating of the water leak to Level 3 – a “serious incident” on an international scale of radioactivity from the previously assigned Level 1, an “anomaly.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency lashed out at TEPCO for ignoring their calls for stepping up patrolling efforts at the plant, accusing TEPCO of being slow in measuring the levels of radioactive elements that have flowed out of the station, as well as publishing its data.
“Unfortunately, TEPCO waited until a severe emergency arose to finally report how bad things really are,” nuclear accident researcher Christina Consolo told RT earlier. “Historically, everything TEPCO says always turns out to be much worse than they initially admit.”
While Japanese government promised it would supervise the clean-up at the plant from then on, most experts say that it could still take between four decades and a century to eliminate the impact of the Fukushima disaster.
Dr. Robert Jacobs from the Hiroshima Peace Institute told RT that in Japan most people think the situation at Fukushima is “out of control”.
He also warned that should another natural disaster, such as another serious earthquake, occur then the situation would be catastrophic.
“There tanks are being put up in an ad hoc manner. Were there to be another serious earthquake you, have all these tanks with massive amounts of contaminated water,” he told RT.
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Royal prerogative gives UK PM power to overrule parliament, cabinet

Posted: 02 Sep 2013 01:18 PM PDT

British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) meeting the Queen of England (right) outside 10 Downing Street in London

Prime Minister David Cameron enjoys the power to overrule the UK parliament’s recent vote in opposition to military intervention in Syria by using the so-called ‘royal prerogative’, which bypasses any Commons decision over acts of war.
Although last Thursday’s vote decided, by 13 votes, against the proposed air strikes on the Arab country, it would have been pointless if Cameron used the royal prerogative, which is the true face of the undemocratic ruling system of Britain and its internal and foreign affairs, which are dictated by the unelected monarchy.
Cameron abided to go with the majority, but still strongly believes there is a need to strike Syria.
Since Thursday, relations between the UK and US have been scarred by Britain’s overall decision to not intervene in the US-led strikes. US President Barack Obama reconsidered his stance as the commander-in-chief by asking Congress for a backing. It has also worsened the reputation of Cameron to control his party and decreased the level of respect from the opposition.
In the coming weeks up to the vote, Foreign Secretary William Hague was adamant that foreign-backed terrorists in Syria were to get air support from the UK. The opposition Labour Party said Hague was furious over Cameron’s decision to not give the green light directly by using the royal prerogative. Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick quit as shadow transport spokesman, saying he opposes military intervention of any kind.
Royals in Britain, although officially only having a constitutional role, still pertain over the country’s affairs with the prime minister attending weekly meetings with the Queen and in January, reports revealed the monarchy’s secretive power of veto over any new legislations.
The royal prerogative was originally just in the hands of the monarchy, which has diminished over the years and is now exercised in accordance with advice from government ministers.
It gives the prime minister the chance to approach the queen requesting to overrule decisions of the cabinet and the parliament without any considerations for the public opinion. It can be used in foreign affairs, defence, and national security matters. This medieval and undemocratic power that can be used by an unelected monarch has yet to be withdrawn. In the 1999, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, on the basis of pleasing the Queen, used the prerogative to launch the Kosovo war, which killed 600 people.
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Russia unable to stop USA from attacking Syria

Posted: 02 Sep 2013 12:59 PM PDT

The situation around the likelihood of attacks on Syria by Western countries remains the main topic for the foreign media. Most of them believe the war is inevitable and bring a variety of arguments in favor of the war. This is understandable because the point of view of their own governments is closer to them than the true state of affairs. Western journalists do not believe in Russia’s ability to prevent the war.
American Foreign Policy recognizes the fact that the attacks on Syria look very doubtful from the point of view of the law. “U.S. spy services still have not acquired the evidence traditionally considered to be the gold standard in chemical weapons cases…. That’s the kind of proof that America and its allies processed from earlier, small-scale attacks that the White House described in equivocal tones, and declined to muster a military response to in retaliation.” However, the author of the article believes that the attacks on Syria are avoidable. “The official White House line is that the president is still considering his options for Syria. But all of Washington is talking about a punitive strike on the Assad government in terms of when, not if. Even some congressional doves have said they’re now at least open to the possibility of U.S. airstrikes in Syria. Images of dead children, neatly stacked in rows, have a way of changing minds,” noted the author.
U.S. magazine The National Interest published an article about the relations between the U.S. and Russia in light of the differences in their approaches to the events in Syria. The newspaper wrote that the U.S. decided to blame the government of Bashar al-Assad, while Russia was going to wait until the completion of the UN inspection. Russia has already made it clear that it held the opposition responsible for the use of chemical weapons, the newspaper continued.
At the same time, American journalists believe that Russia secretly welcomes such US behavior. The National Interest explains its position by saying that after the attack on Syria, the Americans will have to address issues not only with the Syrian leadership but also with Iran. This is not an easy task, and thus the U.S. will not have time to resist Russia’s attempts to integrate the post-Soviet space.
British The Guardian made an attempt to anticipate the reaction of the Syrian authorities to the attacks by Western allies. The newspaper suggested that the Syrian authorities have already formed a squadron of suicide pilot bombers. In addition, all ground units are in full combat readiness. It is likely that thousands of militias who might not have shown loyalty to Assad under different circumstances would go against foreign aggressors.
The French Le Figaro said that the French leadership has done and is doing everything to ensure that attacks on Syria take place. The United States, Britain and France are the backbone of the coalition that Paris would like to see expanding, the paper wrote. The authors continued that the legitimacy of the reaction force was above the law that simply cannot be achieved in view of the blocked decision-making process at the UN.
The newspaper also believes that Russia would not take any effective measures that can stop the West. According to the newspaper, from Russian statements that caution about military intervention it can be concluded that Moscow does not intend to take action. This in turn highlights the feasibility of limited western operations in response to the use of chemical weapons that Russia also cannot justify, Le Figaro wrote.
The French State.fr explores the point of view of Israel that has refused to participate in the war against the current Syrian government. According to State.fr, the Israelis do not imagine the clear outlines of this operation that may ultimately strengthen the position of Israel. Israel should have no complaints about the regime of Hafez and Bashar Al-Assad that is maintaining a cold peace. Since 1973, no single shot has been made on the Syrian border, stated the article. In addition, there are two reasons that explain the caution or even suspicion of the Israelis. First of all, the results of previous experiments in Iraq and Libya have shown that the new regimes in fact proved to be even worse than the old ones. At the moment it is impossible to predict what the new power in the country will be in the case of the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Israel cannot allow a formation of an Islamists’ nest a hundred kilometers from its border, the publication stressed.
The Italian newspaper Il Foglio also noted Russia’s restrained behavior. It wrote that Moscow resorted to statements appropriate for such situations, but did not draw a red line. In the language of Kremlin diplomacy it means the green light for an American attack, the newspaper stated. According to the paper, Russia understands that the international repercussions of the use of chemical weapons are too strong, and the operation of the Western countries will be limited.
Allowing the West to “punish” the Assad clan does not mean giving up its interests in Syria. Russia will ensure that the invasion of Syria is not a repetition of the operation in Libya. Possible responses could include a boycott of the UN ban on the transfer of funds through its territory to the forces of NATO in Afghanistan, termination of economic agreements, and strengthening of the relations with Iran and China in anti-American direction, the Italian journalists believe.
The situation in Syria and around it is actively discussed by the neighboring Turkey whose Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated his willingness to participate in the bombing, even if it means bypassing the UN Security Council. Commenting on this possibility, the newspaper Hürriyet was skeptical. According to its journalists, there will be no strikes without UN sanctions. In addition, President Barack Obama is acting very hesitantly.
Turkish Zaman agrees with its compatriots and colleagues in the fact that Obama is behaving very hesitantly. However, the paper has a different opinion about the possibility and accuracy of strikes. The journalists remembered that the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 and before that, bombing of the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs, were also held without a UN mandate. If the U.S. decides to bomb Syria, it will, and will not ask anyone.
Combat actions by the Western coalition against Syria (albeit limited) seem like a foregone conclusion to the majority of Western journalists. They did not bother trying to legally justify the attack. Neither Russia nor the United Nations nor anyone else can prevent the implementation of such intentions by the United States and its allies.
Source

Obama will attack Syria if Congress votes down military action

Posted: 02 Sep 2013 10:22 AM PDT

A senior State Department official says US President Barack Obama has made up his mind to attack Syria even without congressional approval.
“That’s going to happen, anyway,” the unnamed official said in an interview with Fox News.
The official added that that was why Obama, in his Rose Garden remarks over the weekend, was careful to establish that he believes he has the authority to launch a military attack on Syria without congressional authorization.
In a speech about Syria last week, President Obama said he will seek authorization from Congress when federal lawmakers return from recess on September 9.
“While I believe I have the authority to carry out this military action without specific Congressional authorization, I know the country will be stronger if we take this course and our actions will be even more effective,” Obama said.
The State Department official said Obama’s decision to seek a congressional vote was a surprise to members of the National Security Council, but insisted the request for Congress to vote did not supplant the president’s earlier decision to use force in Syria, only delayed its implementation.
When asked what Obama would do in the event that Congress refuses to give its consent, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday, “The president has taken his decision.”
“I think this is a smart decision by the president. … He is not trying to create an imperial presidency,” Kerry said. “I believe that in the end, Congress will do what is right.”
Meanwhile, Obama is trying to rally support among US congressmen and senators for military strikes against Syria. He invited hawkish Senator John McCain to the White House on Monday in order to help sell the idea of a US military intervention in Syria.
Following the meeting, McCain said a Congressional vote against military action would be “catastrophic.”
The United States accuses the Syrian government of a chemical weapons attack, an allegation denied by Damascus.
US Navy warships are still on standby in the eastern Mediterranean ready to launch missiles on Syrian targets.
On Sunday, Congress began a series of meetings that are expected to continue over the next several days in preparation for a vote once lawmakers return from summer break.
Source

Kerry: ‘US tests show sarin used in Syria chemical attack’

Posted: 02 Sep 2013 09:45 AM PDT

Samples collected by first responders after the Aug. 21 chemical attack in a Damascus suburb have tested positive for the Sarin nerve agent, US Secretary of State John Kerry told US media as he sought build support for a military strike.
Kerry made his comments as part of a series of nine TV appearances to persuade the US public opinion of the need for military retaliation on Syria, following Saturday’s announcement by Barack Obama that he will seek approval for the use of force in Congress.
“In the last 24 hours, we have learned through samples that were provided to the US that have now been tested from first responders in east Damascus and hair samples and blood samples have tested positive for signatures of sarin,” Kerry said on NBC’s Meet The Press.
In a later appearance on CNN, Kerry said that the evidence, which was gathered independently of the UN, strengthened Obama’s call for military action against the regime of President Bashar Assad, which the US accuses of being responsible for the chemical weapons attack.
“Each day that goes by, this case is even stronger,” Kerry said, calling the case “overwhelming.”
Sarin is a man-made chemical warfare agent, considered the most toxic and fast-acting of its kind. The odorless, colorless nerve agent interferes with an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase that controls nerve signals to the muscles.
The US lawmakers are to return from recess on September 9. Kerry said he believed there are “good people in the Congress” who would support intervention.
In his interviews, Kerry avoided answering the question whether Obama would still act if the Congress voted against strikes on the Syrian targets.
Meanwhile, in an interview with ABC, Kerry expressed the hope that Russia would realize that Assad crossed the line by using chemical weapons against civilians, and join the US in their effort to hold the Syrian regime accountable.
The head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian Duma, Aleksey Pushkov, believes that Kerry’s claims of discovered sarin traces doesn’t in any way prove that the chemical weapons were used by the Syrian government.
“The traces of sarin near Damascus prove nothing. It could’ve been used by the militants. Like one British MP said: ‘You don’t have to be Einstein’ to do that,” Pushkov wrote on his Twitter page.
Russia has been calling for a full investigation into the allegations surrounding the Aug. 21 attack which reportedly killed hundreds of people. On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Washington to present its evidence to the UN Security Council before beginning the attack, saying doing otherwise would be “a violation of international law.”
Putin labeled as “utter nonsense” the idea that the Syrian government would use chemical weapons on its own people when UN inspectors were in Damascus, calling the whole affair a “provocation” by Syrian rebels hoping to embroil Western powers in the conflict.
Meanwhile, the samples that UN investigators gathered at the site of the attack near Damascus are yet to be sent to European laboratories, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
According to Nesirky, “two Syrian officials” will be monitoring the testing to ensure transparency.
Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it may be two weeks before the final results of the analysis are ready.
Source

US military men speak out against Syria strike

Posted: 01 Sep 2013 02:36 PM PDT

Many US servicemen are against the looming strike on Syria, Republican Congressman Justin Amash said on Twitter, in an attempt to counter the idea that the country might be overwhelmingly in favor of military action.
Amash made his comments after President Barack Obama’s statement, in which he all but promised a strike in retaliation for the supposed use of chemical agents by the Syrian government.
The Congressman for Michigan backed up his comments with a multitude of retweets from servicemen.
Amash said he had been “hearing a lot from members of our Armed Forces” and said that “the message I consistently hear [is]: Please vote no on military action against Syria.”
The US Congress is expected to debate and vote on military action soon after it returns from summer recess on September 9.
Amash has since been re-tweeting anti-intervention comments sent by members and veterans of the US armed forces. Many cite experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan that have steered them in this direction.
Likewise, a number of pictures have been appearing on the Internet, purportedly showing US army and navy service personnel’s discontent at the proposed military intervention in Syria.
A Syrian pro-government hacker group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) posted the above picture on the US Marines’ website as an example that not all US soldiers are on board with Obama.
According to the International Business Times, the SEA went onto the marines’ official website, www.marines.com, and ended up defacing it temporarily to post an emotional message of peace to their “brothers-in-arms” and pleading with them to understand that by agreeing to carry out the strike they are fighting against friendlies and helping their own worst enemy, Al-Qaeda.

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American Navy ships still ready to attack Syria

Posted: 01 Sep 2013 01:14 PM PDT

USS San Antonio (LPD 17)

The US military warships are reportedly staying in the eastern Mediterranean as President Barack Obama is waiting for a congressional approval to attack Syria.
A defense official told Politico that the five American guided-missile destroyers and one amphibious transport are going to continue to stay in place for now.
The USS Stout, USS Gravely, USS Mahan, USS Barry and USS Ramage are all in the region with dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The amphibious transport USS San Antonio, which is carrying about 700 troops from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is also there along with some of their aircraft and amphibious equipment.
On Saturday, the Obama White House asked Congress for authorization to conduct military strikes against Syria.
“The objective of the United States use of military force in connection with this authorization should be to deter, disrupt, prevent and degrade the potential for future uses of chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction,” the White House said in a draft resolution.
Washington accuses Damascus of launching a chemical weapons attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus last week, an allegation denied by the Syrian government.
President Obama also said the US military “has positioned assets in the region.”
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey “has informed me that we are prepared to strike whenever we choose. Moreover, the chairman has indicated to me that our capacity to execute this mission is not time-sensitive; it will be effective tomorrow, or next week, or one month from now. And I’m prepared to give that order,” Obama said.
Reacting to US allegations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said it would have been “utter nonsense” for Syria to use chemical weapons.
“I would like to address Obama as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate: Before using force in Syria, it would be good to think about future casualties,” Putin said.
“Russia is urging you to think twice before making a decision on an operation in Syria,” he said.
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Syria anti-war march in London draws thousands

Posted: 01 Sep 2013 01:08 PM PDT

Thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square in London to take part in the ‘Hands off Syria’ rally, protesting against the US-lead military intervention in the Middle Eastern country.
The demonstrators carried banners, saying “War solves nothing,” “Cut war not welfare,” and “Stop the war coalition” as polls show that opposition against the use of British missiles in Syria stands at two to one among UK citizens.
One of the speakers on stage – Labour Party MP, Diane Abbott – said that an “illegal” war in Syria “wouldn’t solve anything,” adding that “if the answer is an American military intervention than you have asked the wrong questions.”
British Pakistani writer, Tariq Ali, stressed that this time the anti-war protest has “the support of an overwhelming majority of the British and the American people,” warning that military intervention will only prolong the Syrian civil war, which started in earnest in March 2011.
The Stop the War Coalition said they expected around 5,000 people to take part in the action, which would also include a march in central London through the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street.
It’s the second ‘Hands off Syria’ rally to take place in the British capital this week after around a 1,000 gathered in front of the UK government’s headquarters on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the UK parliament voted against British involvement in a military campaign in Syria, leaving the US without the support of its usual ally.
Pro-Syria rallies hit US
Rallies to support Syria were also staged in Washington D.C. The shouts of the protestors: “Obama, hands off Syria” were clearly audible on the coverage from the White House as the US president was about to address the nation on the Syrian issue from the Rose Garden. Obama announced that he would seek approval from the Congress before proceeding with a “limited” strike on Syrian government targets.
While right across the street, Syrians and Syrian Americans, who support US military intervention, waved Syrian flags and shouted that Assad must go.
Another protest took place in Iowa City, with a larger rally scheduled for Saturday.
“Not only is it wrong, in the terms of the reason why we’re doing it, the way in which we are doing it is also illegal,” the rally’s organizer, Ed Flaherty, director of the Iowa chapter of Veterans for Peace, told NBC.
On Friday, anti-war demonstrations took place in different cities and towns across the US, with hundreds protesting Obama’s plans to strike Syria in the Times Square in New York.
The Australian capital, Sydney, also saw a rally on Friday as hundreds of protestors demanded: “Obama hear us now and hear us loud, hands off Syria.”
The wave of international protests was sparked by US President, Barack Obama, announcing that Washington was weighing a “limited and narrow” military action against Syria, which wouldn’t involve “boots on the ground.”
The US intelligence report, released on Friday, assessed with “high confidence” that Syrian government of Bashar Assad is behind an alleged chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus last week, killing hundreds of civilians.
Earlier, French president, Francois Hollande, said that the Western coalition may strike Syria before September 4.
On Saturday, Vladimir Putin urged Washington to present its evidence to the UN Security Council before beginning the attack, with the Russian labeling as “utter nonsense” the idea that the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its own people.
Source

Obama returnes to his comfort zone: The golf course

Posted: 01 Sep 2013 01:07 PM PDT

After bringing the world to the edge of WWIII and nearly giving the first order to launch the ironically named Patriot missile, then dramatically punting in the very last second whether to invade Syria to Congress, something he should have done from the every beginning, Obama went on to do what he does best.
Politico explains:
Right after shipping responsibility for authorizing an attack on Syria, President Barack Obama returned to his comfort zone: The golf course.
Obama’s motorcade left the White House at 2:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after completing his statement.
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are playing at Fort Belvoir, Va., along with White House trip director Marvin Nicholson and Walter Nicholson, according to the White House.
And so after last month’s Snowden humiliation, Russia’s Putin just schooled the US golfer-in-chief again. Although, was there ever any doubt?
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War on Syria, Obama-Saudi plot to destabilize Mideast

Posted: 01 Sep 2013 12:41 PM PDT

War against Syria is a scenario jointly hatched by US President Barack Obama and the Saudi regime to destabilize the Middle Eastern countries, a political analyst tells Press TV.
“The real policy underlying this (US war on Syria) is that there is an alliance between the Obama administration, as there was with the Bush administration, and the Saudis through Prince Bandar and the British to overthrow these countries in the Middle East,” said Lawrence Freeman in a Sunday interview.
“They’ve done it to a number of countries and they want to continue their policy in Syria, which will spread to Lebanon and will spread to other countries as well,” he added.
On Saturday, US President Barack Obama delayed an imminent military strike against Syria to seek approval for the move from the Congress, which will debate the issue when federal lawmakers return from recess on September 9.
The United States has its navy ships in place at the Mediterranean and the vessels await orders to launch missiles against targets in Syria.
Freeman argued that any war on Syria will also provoke Russia to get involved in the confrontation, warning, “Any attempt for the US military involvement in Syria is a step moving us closer to nuclear war, which is an annihilation war if it takes place.”
On August 21, the Takfiri militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed that the government forces had used chemical weapons in an attack against militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar, killing hundreds of people.
The Syrian government has categorically rejected the accusation as part of a false flag operation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that accusing the Syrian government of using chemical weapons against the militants is “utter nonsense.”
Putin also called on Washington to show proof that Damascus was behind the attack. The Russian president added that the US failure to do so means that “there is none (proof).”
On Saturday, a UN team of chemical weapons inspectors left Syria and arrived in the Netherlands to take evidence they had gathered during their four-day trip to the attack sites to the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons in The Hague.
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