The Aleppo campaign seems bogged down by lack of dry powder.They agree to disagree. But one thing is certain, they don’t seem to really want a free functioning liberal democracy with both secular and religious rights in harmony side by side. Like a Skinner Box, they seem ready to feed the Free Syrian Army enough pellets to keep them functioning, but not enough to actually take over. Looks like Iran/Iraq War part II. Its the fine line by design between utter chaos and the new, which more closely resembled recycled trash. So much for this new coalition of the willing.In the meantime, the Palestine question is like an overdue library book that has been forgotten….
One outcome of the Arab Spring cannot be contested: Its been great in ratcheting up arms sales to regimes worrying about the domino effect…
(see link at end) …But the Jordanians and the Turks are hesitant. Turkey is allowing some weapons in but there are a lot of restrictions. People are waiting for a shift after the US election.”…
—Last month, Yoni Alpert’s Terror Watch reported that Iranian Revolutionary Guards along with Hezbollah’s security apparatus arrested Hussein Fahs, who is considered Hezbollah’s CFO and head of the organization’s operational communications network. Fahs was arrested at Beirut’s Hariri Airport, on his way to an unknown destination. He and four other Hezbollah members were interrogated on suspicion of embezzling the organization’s funds and of collaborating with Israeli Intelligence. At the time it was suspected that they stole at least $5 million in Iranian aid funds.
Now it turns out, according to TW, citing Lebanese sources, that Fahs, a 29-year-old telecommunications engineer, a native of southern Lebanon, was able to flee the country, crossing the border into Israel.
According to official Hezbollah sources, Fahs took with him maps, classified documents and a large sum of money.—Read More:http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/hezbollah-official-flees-to-israel-with-embezzled-millions/2012/10/10/ image Ray Caesar:http://donutchocula.blogspot.ca/2011/01/ray-caesar-gentle-kind-of-cruelty-solo.html
Another growing problem is a lack of co-ordination between Qatar and the Saudis – the likely subject of Wednesday’s talks in Doha between the Emir and the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar. King Abdullah is said to be growing impatient with the difficulties of the Syrian crisis. According to Syrian opposition activists, the Saudis now sponsor only rebel groups which are at odds with those backed by Qatar and Turkey, which are often linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The Qataris are much more proactive than the Saudis,” said one well-placed Arab source. “The Saudis are not interested in democracy, they just want to be rid of Bashar. They would be happy with a Yemeni solution that gets rid of the president and leaves the regime intact.”
Intelligence chiefs from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and France reportedly met in Turkey in early September along with the CIA director general, David Petraeus. But they apparently failed to reach agreement on a co-ordinated strategy.
— The growing role of the Islamist fighters and their battlefield prowess has also caused concern among Western powers as they weigh up how best to support the opposition forces arrayed against Assad.
The new front does not include some groups which Western officials consider the most radical such as the Nusra Front, an affiliate of al Qaeda which has claimed responsibility for a series of devastating bombs in Damascus and Aleppo.
Ahrar al-Sham, a Salafist group which includes a large contingent of foreign fighters, withdrew, objecting to the killing of a Salafist leader killed by a rival rebel force.
But rebel sources said talks were continuing to bring Ahrar al-Sham back, and leader of the new front, Ahmad al-Sheikh, said it was continuing to attract members.
“We have more than 40,000 fighters now and the numbers are growing because more brigades are expressing interest in joining,” said Sheikh, known to his men as Abu Eissa.
Accurate figures for the total rebel numbers are hard to establish but such a force could represent around half of Assad’s armed opponents.
Originally the group was called the Islamic Front to Liberate Syria. Brigade leaders voted to drop the word ‘Islamic’ but Islam remains a central element, Sheikh told Reuters.
“We are proud of our Islamism and we are Islamists. But we do not want to show it in a slogan because we might not live up to the responsibility of Islam,” said Sheikh, who is also the head of the Sukour al-Sham Brigades. “But we want a state with Islamic reference and we are calling for it.”—Read More:http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-islamist-rebels-join-forces-against-assad-143559404.html image Ray Caesar:http://bonexpose.com/featured/ray-caesar/
US officials say the opaque nature of the opposition and the creeping presence of foreign jihadis are behind their pressure on Riyadh and Doha. “They have both been given a yellow light by the Americans,” said a Lebanese minister aligned to the Future movement. “The Saudis see yellow as yellow, but the Qataris have seen it as green. Read More:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/10/arms-supplies-syrian-rebels-rivalries
—Franz Marc. Deer in the Forest II, 1914. —Image:http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product/59338/deerintheforestii1914
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