War escalating in the Mideast - 0 views
started by Paul Merrell on 22 May 13
started by Paul Merrell on 22 May 13
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started by Paul Merrell on 22 May 13
SUMMARY:
A fierce battle is raging in the Al Qusayr, Syria area, with a new indication that Israel is participating with boots on the ground in Syria, more than the length of Lebanon away from Israel. Militant losses have been heavy in the battle for AlQusayr, including a leader of the al-Qaeda al-Nusra front organization. This suggests that Israel is working directly in collaboration with al-Qaeda in Syria. Lebanese Hesbollah also reported that 16 of its soldiers have been killed in that battle.
Meanwhile, open battles between Israel and Syria have also begun in the Israeli-Syrian border area of the Golan Heights. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War but never returned the area upon the cessation of hostilities as required by international law, claiming that retention of the Heights was necessary for it to retain defensible borders, which is not grounds recognized by international law.
Syrian fighting has now spilled over into Lebanon and thousands of Iraqi Shia fighters have entered the war on the side of the Syrian government. Sporadic small firefights between Syrian forces and those of Turkey continue to occur along the border between those two countries, where the U.S. has stationed Patriot anti-aircraft missile batteries.
The UK government continues its efforts toward repeal of an E.U. ban on providing arms to the Syrian militants but doesn't have the votes to do so absent some change on the ground that would cause other E.U. nations to shift positions.
The war is currently going badly for the militants, who are being driven out of cities and having their supply lines cut by Syrian military forces. That is provoking some chatter by the governments backing the militants and increasing their incentives to put their own boots on the ground. But increased countering pressure is coming from Russia, which has created a new Mediterranean fleet, to which submarines capable of firing nukes may be added. Russia has also equipped Syria with advanced mobile ground-to-air anti-aircraft missiles, checkmating the U.S. mobilization of Patriot missile batteries along Syrian borders. So don't look for an Iraq-style "shock and awe" attack or a Libya-style "no-fly zone."
Meanwhile, the Syrian refugee crisis worsens, with Jordan closing its borders to more Syrian refugees.
ARTICLES
Syrian Army Seizes Israeli Military Vehicle in Al Qusayr:
Footage posted by media outlets showed the Jeep-type armored military vehicle containing uniforms and communication equipment believed to be used for jamming or to spy on the Syrian army communications.
Large-Scale Operation in Al Qusayr, Heavy Losses for Militants:
Abu Omar, al-Nusra front leader in Al Qusayr was reportedly killed following clashes with the Syrian army, Syrian state television stated this afternoon.
Hezbollah (Lebanonese) fighters killed in Al Qusayr as battles continue:
Websites associated with Hezbollah announced the names of 16 killed yesterday, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed the figure was 23 dead and 70 wounded.
Lebanon: 3 killed in Tripoli as war in Syria spills over.
Syrian activists say the latest fighting in Tripoli, Lebanon where an Alawite minority lives on a hill overlooking the mainly Sunni Muslim port city, was ignited by tensions over an assault by Syrian troops backed by Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah group on the rebel-held Syrian border town of Al Qusayr.
http://is.gd/rRDgwD
Mortar bomb falls near Tripoli's downtown area:
A mortar bomb fell near Downtown Tripoli Tuesday, security sources said, leading to a powerful explosion in the northern city.
http://is.gd/P5YNMW
IDF chief issues stern warning to Assad over rapidly heating "border":
Damascus will 'bear consequences' of further gunfire, says Gantz, after cross-border shooting; tensions 'several times more explosive than they were this morning,' says top Israeli analyst
Fact or fiction:
'Iraqi Shia fighters' join regime in battle:
The BBC has seen evidence that the Syrian regime is getting support from Shia fighters crossing into the country from Iraq. In an interview with the BBC's Aleem Maqbool, one man claimed to have recruited and prepared some of the "thousands" of Iraqi Shia fighters travelling across the border.
Evidence Of Iranian Arms Provided To Syria In The Past 18 Months? :
It appears what we have here is an Iranian rocket manufactured in 2012, during the Syrian conflict, and the arms embargo, that has managed to find it's way into Damascus.
From his office in cloud cuckoo land:
William Hague seeks to change arms embargo on Syria:
Britain is seeking to amend the EU arms embargo on Syria to press Bashar al-Assad into holding peace talks with the rebels because the escalating conflict is threatening a regional "catastrophe", William Hague warned on Monday.
Britain asks EU to put Hezbollah armed wing on terror list:
Britain said on Tuesday it had asked the European Union to put Hezbollah's military arm on its list of terrorist organizations, urging Europe to respond robustly to evidence of the Islamist group's involvement in an attack that killed five Israelis.
Syrian opposition groups say Assad must go:
Dissidents meeting in Spain say they oppose negotiation with Syrian president unless it is aimed at his departure. Syrian opposition groups say they oppose all negotiation with President Bashar al-Assad's government unless it is aimed at his giving up of power. The groups oppose Assad representatives taking part in the meeting.
Russia: Assad foes must come to Syria meeting without conditions:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday it is crucial for Syrian opposition envoys to engage in peace talks without setting preconditions, apparently referring to demands for President Bashar al-Assad's removal.
Russian Med fleet returns - an unintended consequence:" Op-Ed:
Russian Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov has announced that a permanent staff was being set up, and the present force might eventually include their nuclear submarines. In speaking to RIA:
Syria top priority as Saudi crown prince visits Turkey:
The planned two-day visit comes as violence rages in Syria between Syrian government forces and rebels. The Crown Prince Salman is set to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a number of other Turkish officials. They are looking to discuss the two-year Syrian conflict and Iran's nuclear program.
Syria's Idriss warns Lebanon to restrain Hezbollah:
The defected Syrian General and head of the opposition Supreme Military Council has issued a stern warning to the Lebanese government to stop Hezbollah forces from entering Syria or risk bringing the Syrian war to its doorstep.
Obama voices concern to Lebanon on Hezbollah role in Syria:
U.S. President Barack Obama told his Lebanese counterpart on Monday he was concerned about Lebanese Hezbollah militants fighting in Syria to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the White House said.
No room at the inn:
Jordan keeps out Syrian refugees in border clampdown:
Jordan has turned away thousands of Syrian refugees in the past week in the first such clampdown since the crisis in Syria began more than two years ago, diplomats, activists and aid workers said on Tuesday.