Thread: Obama administration moves to aid Syrian opposition

Obama administration moves to aid Syrian opposition


Posted By Josh Rogin Tuesday, March 6, 2012 - 11:43 AM


The Obama administration is moving to provide direct assistance to the internal opposition in Syria for the first time, marking a shift in U.S. policy toward a more aggressive plan to help oust President Bashar al-Assad.

Last week, a group of senior Obama administration officials met to finalize a package of options for aiding both the internal and external Syrian opposition, to include providing direct humanitarian and communications assistance to the Syrian opposition, two administration officials confirmed to The Cable. This meeting of what's known as the Deputies Committee of the National Security Council set forth a new and assertive strategy for expanding U.S. engagement with Syrian activists and providing them with the means to organize themselves, but stops short of providing any direct military assistance to the armed opposition.

For now, riskier options, such as creating a no-fly zone in Syria, using U.S. military force there, or engaging directly with the Free Syrian Army, are all still off the table. But the administration has decided not to oppose, either in public or in private, the arming of the rebels by other countries, the officials said.

"These moves are going to invest the U.S. in a much deeper sense with the opposition," one administration official said. "U.S. policy is now aligned with enabling the opposition to overthrow the Assad regime. This codifies a significant change in our Syria policy."

The package of options will be debated by cabinet-level officials at what's known as a Principals Committee meeting as early as this afternoon, the two officials said. The principals could endorse the entire package or make some changes, the officials said, although the package does have the consensus of the interagency coming out of last week's Deputies Committee meeting.

The administration is planning to greatly expand its interactions with the external Syrian opposition, led by the Syrian National Council, as well as with internal opposition bodies to include Syrian NGOs, the Local Coordinating Councils, and the Revolutionary Councils that are increasingly becoming the de facto representation of the Syrian opposition. The Free Syrian Army works with these councils, but the administration is not ready to engage the armed rebels directly out of concern that they are still somewhat unaccountable and may have contacts with extremist elements.

As part of the new outreach, the State Department and USAID have been tasked with devising a plan to speed humanitarian and communications assistance to the internal Syrian civilian opposition, working through State's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) office. There is no concrete plan yet as to how to get the goods into Syria if the Assad regime doesn't grant access to affected areas.

"We're leaving State and USAID to work that out. That's the million-dollar question. We're working on that now," the official explained.

Meanwhile, the administration wants to bolster the new defense committee established by the SNC last week, hoping to solidify that body's prominence as the contact point for coordinating military and technical assistance to the rebels, if a decision is taken later to move in that direction. The FSA has rejected the SNC's defense committee as being part of its chain of command, but for now the Obama administration sees the SNC as a more credible organization with which to explore options to potentially provide military aid.

"The prevailing narrative is enabling the transition while keeping options open for reaching out to the armed opposition," the administration official said. "There is recognition that lethal assistance to the opposition may be necessary, but not at this time."

At last month's initial Friends of Syria meeting in Tunis, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said that arming the Syrian rebels was "an excellent idea," though there are conflicting reports as to whether and to what extent Saudi weapons and cash were already flowing into the country.

In preparation for the next Friends of Syria meeting in Turkey later this month, the Obama administration has decided not to openly oppose direct military assistance to the rebels as long as it comes from another country, not the United States, one of the administration officials said.

"The decision has been made at the next Friends of Syria meeting to not oppose any proposals to arm the FSA and we're not going to publicly or privately message on that," the official said. "We're not going to publicly or privately tell the Friends of Syria not to do this."

Inside the administration, there is still a consensus that U.S. military intervention in Syria is not wise at this time and there are still voices expressing hope that political transition could take place in Syria without all out civil war.

"It's more about what could be accomplished by intervening. So many questions haven't been answered," another administration official said, expressing the widespread internal uneasiness about involving the U.S. military in yet another war in the Middle East. "There's a chance we could get embroiled in a conflict. What does that do to our preparedness for other contingencies?"

Some in the administration still hold out hope that the Russians can be persuaded to play a more helpful role in Syria. But two officials confirmed that Russian arms deliveries to Syria are ongoing and one administration official said that the latest shipment included large amounts of advanced anti-aircraft missile systems, which are meant to help Syria repel any attempt to establish a no-fly zone.

"What that says is that the Russians are doubling down on Assad. They're preparing for the next step, which is the internationalization of the conflict," one administration official said.

For the critics of Obama's Syria policy, these moves represent a step in the right direction but still fall short of what is needed for the United States to halt the violence.

"I am encouraged the Obama administration is exploring steps to provide direct assistance to Syrians inside their country, but the incremental measures reportedly under consideration still do not come to grips with the fundamental reality in Syria, which is that Bashar al-Assad, equipped and resupplied by Iran and Russia, is now waging an outright war against the Syrian people, who are outmatched, outgunned, and urgently in need of decisive international intervention," Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) told The Cable today.

Lieberman, along with Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) came out Monday in favor of a U.S.-led intervention in Syria to begin immediately.
"To me this should begin with medical and military assistance for the opposition, including tactical intelligence and weapons, and ultimately should include targeted airstrikes against Assad's bases and forces," Lieberman said. "The United States should help organize such support for the Syrian opposition, but it should be international and include our concerned allies in the Arab League, the GCC, NATO, and the EU."

Lieberman, McCain, and Graham will all have a chance to question the administration on these new moves Wednesday when the Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joints Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey.

NSC spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to comment on the administration's internal deliberations.

Obama administration moves to aid Syrian opposition | The Cable

US cannot afford war on Iran, Syria: Ron Paul

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul addresses a group of supporters in Hollis, New Hampshire, January 8, 2012.

Wed Mar 7, 2012 9:34AM GMT


US Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul has criticized Washington’s policy of ‘policing’ the world, insisting that Americans cannot afford a war with Iran or Syria.

“If you expect to continue to be the policeman of the world and advocate preemptive war” on Iran or an attack on Syria, and “if you want that kind of foreign policy, you cannot do it,” said Paul, speaking to his supporters in North Dakota on March 6, the so-called Super Tuesday.

Paul also noted that he would cut the US military spending overseas as America’s wars have caused all sorts of problems for Americans, including a skyrocketing of the US national debt.

“That is what you're inheriting. This is the reason why it is so important, if you're talking about peace and prosperity, you have to change the Constitution and have a lot less war and make a lot more sincere effort to promote the cause of peace,” Paul added.

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program and have used this pretext to impose international and unilateral sanctions on the Islamic Republic as well as to call for a military strike against the country.

Iran has denied the Western allegations, promising a crushing response to any military strike against the country. Tehran has also warned that any such measure could result in a war that would spread beyond the Middle East.

GHN/MB/HJL

PressTV - US cannot afford war on Iran, Syria: Ron Paul

CNN Botches Effort To Refute ‘Syria Danny’ Propaganda Scandal

Danny Dayem admits propaganda stunt video should have been deleted

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Wednesday, March 7, 2012

CNN’s attempt to refute claims that dubious activist Danny Dayem, known as ‘Syria Danny’, was caught staging sounds of gunfire during a recent interview with the network only resulted in further embarrassment, when Dayem admitted that the suspect video “should have been deleted,” presumably to hide the evidence of his propaganda stunt.

As we have previously documented, ‘Syria Danny’ is a 22-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent from Cambridge. After returning from Homs in summer last year, he lived in London for a few months before returning to Syria in December, from which point onwards he became the poster child for a western military intervention in Syria, begging almost daily on CNN for the United States or even Israel to bombard the country.
The clip above shows Danny being connected to CNN for one of the many interviews the station has conducted within him over the last few months.
While waiting to be connected, Danny says, “Well, let the gunfire sound then,” before subsequently asking someone off camera, “Did you tell him to get the gunfire ready?” An explosion is heard soon after, but Danny doesn’t even flinch.
The person working the camera, Danny himself, and at least one person off camera, clearly appear to be coordinating staged gunfire and explosions to coincide with the CNN interview.
The cameraman then reminds Danny to talk about recovering dead bodies before the interview with Anderson Cooper begins. The talking point about Assad’s forces carrying out indiscriminate violence is strongly emphasized.
Despite the threat of the violence he claims is occurring all around him, in addition to his high profile as a media-friendly anti-regime activist which would make him a prime target, Danny seems remarkably calm and composed in an environment one would expect to be fraught with tension. At one point, he even appears to be bored, jokingly asking for a mattress.
Observers have noted that Danny’s stories about the violence he claims to have witnessed appear to change each time he appears on a different news show, suggesting he is embellishing or outright manufacturing his testimony.
In another clip, footage presented by the mainstream media as depicting “government shelling” of innocent citizens actually shows the camera shot being set up hours beforehand, ready to capture an attack on an oil refinery in the city of Homs which occurred on February 8. There is no evidence of tanks or “shelling” and the clip was likely produced by the same terrorists who blew up the oil refinery.



With some sources predicting that the NATO invasion of Syria could take place as soon as this month, it’s guaranteed that we will witness a great deal more propaganda broadcast by the mainstream media to perpetuate the myth that Assad’s forces are indiscriminately killing innocent “activists,” when in reality the opposition is comprised of armed rebels and Al-Qaeda terrorists who have also been responsible for indiscriminate violence.

Prison Planet.com » ‘Syria Danny’ Caught Staging CNN War Propaganda Stunt

Leaked Email: Pentagon Admits Plan To Direct Terror Attacks Inside Syria

US is preparing to “commit guerrilla attacks, assassination campaigns” to topple Assad

Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
Tuesday, March 6, 2012

A shocking email leaked as part of the Wikileaks Stratfor data dump reveals that the Pentagon is planning to direct terror attacks and assassinations inside Syria in a bid to topple President President Bashar al-Assad.

The email, written by Reva Bhalla, Stratfor’s Director of Analysis, contains details of a December 6 Pentagon meeting attended by members of the USAF strategic studies group along with four military officers at the Lieutenant Colonel level, “including one French and one British representative.”
Bhalla was told by the military officials that, despite official claims to the contrary, foreign troops from NATO powers were already on the ground in Syria.
“After a couple hours of talking, they said without saying that SOF teams (presumably from US, UK, France, Jordan, Turkey) are already on the ground focused on recce [reconnaissance] missions and training opposition forces,” states the email.
Bhalla goes on to describe how the mission of the undercover commandoes is hypothetically to “commit guerrilla attacks, assassination campaigns, try to break the back of the Alawite forces [Assad's support base], elicit collapse from within.”
In other words, the Pentagon, along with other NATO powers, have already directed Special Forces troops stationed inside Syria to carry out terrorist attacks and assassinations in an effort to topple President President Bashar al-Assad.
The email states that such actions should be ready within a 2-3 month time period. Bhalla describes how a destabilization campaign was favorable to air strikes because unlike Libya, “Syrian air defenses are a lot more robust and are much denser.”
Some would argue that far from merely planning such attacks, the United States and other NATO powers are already using the Al-Qaeda- affiliated terrorists airlifted out of Libya into Syria to do the job for them. These terrorists have been blamed for bloody attacks that have killed both Syrian regime officials and innocent civilians, including a bombing last month in Syria’s second city of Aleppo which killed 28 people.
Footage has also emerged of western-looking troops carrying out indiscriminate attacks using rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
Carrying out terrorist attacks to destabilize governments is not a conspiracy theory, it is a widely acknowledged form of covert warfare. Only last month NBC News reported that Israel was paying terror groups to carry out bombings and assassinations in Iran in a bid to weaken the regime in Tehran.

Reports of foreign troops entering Syria have been circulating for months.

Last month Israeli intelligence outfit DebkaFile revealed that British Special Forces were inside Syria “operating with rebel forces under cover in the Syrian city of Homs just 162 kilometers from Damascus.”
According to the report, the foreign units are not engaging in direct combat but are acting in an advisory capacity, while also relaying requests for arms outside of the country.
According to Egyptian security officials, United States, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are also providing arms and training for Syrian rebels, dovetailing with former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds’ report that hundreds of NATO and US troops arrived on the Jordanian and Syrian border back in December for the purpose of training militants to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
NATO member Turkey is also reportedly arming terrorist groups to aid rebel fighters. Leaders of the Free Syria Army have also bragged about the claim that France and the United States have provided them with weapons and anti-aircraft missiles.
As we reported last week, during a BBC interview U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted that the United States and Al-Qaeda were on the same side when it came to achieving regime change in Syria.

Just as in Libya, where the overthrow of Gaddafi was achieved through the use of Al-Qaeda groups, NATO and the United States are once again turning to terrorists as a means of achieving their geopolitical objectives in the region.

Indeed, as we reported back in November, some of the same Al-Qaeda terrorists who fought U.S. troops in Iraq were airlifted into Syria to aid rebels. Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri’s has also publicly expressed support for Syrian rebel forces.

*********************

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show and Infowars Nightly News.

» Leaked Email: Pentagon Admits Plan To Direct Terror Attacks Inside Syria Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

Similar/Related Articles

Hillary Clinton Admits US and Al-Qaeda On Same Side in Syria
Syria: Pentagon Prepares Military “Options” for Obama
Defected Syrian colonel plots guerrilla attacks against Assad regime
U.S. Ambassador to Syria Calls On Protesters to End Assad Rule
U.S. Fighting On the Same Side as Three Terrorist Groups In Syria
US plot to wage Syria war revealed
Western-Backed Terrorists Kill 30 In Syria Attacks
NATO Invasion Of Syria Set For This Month?
Are jihadists hijacking Syria’s uprising?
‘Qatar fosters anti-Syria terrorism’
Iran to deploy 15,000 troops to help Syria’s Assad
Arab League report leaked: slaughter in Syria is work of ‘foreign-backed subversives’