A Zionist plan for Syria

Thomas Friedman: "The least bad solution is a partition of Syria and the creation of a primarily Sunni protected area — protected by an international force, including, if necessary, some U.S. troops. That should at least stop the killing — and the refugee flows that are fueling a populist-nationalist backlash all across the European Union.  It won’t be pretty or easy. But in the Cold War we put 400,000 troops in Europe to keep the sectarian peace there and to keep Europe on a democracy track. Having NATO and the Arab League establish a safe zone in Syria for the same purpose is worth a try. And then if Putin and Iran want to keep the butcher Assad in Damascus, they can have him." (thanks David)

These are the people that Western correspondents in the Middle East talk to

"“Most Arab people want an Islamic state to take control,” Abu Haniyeh said. “They dream of this utopia of dignity, justice and righteousness.”"  Of course, there is absolutely no evidence to this, and no public opinion survey pans this out. None.  

Western suppliers of chemical weapons and UNSC's silence

From a reader: "At the time, the United States prevented a move in the UN to impose economic sanctions against Iraq, saying that the sanctions would be useless or counterproductive. So in effect, the United States defended Saddam Hussein's use of chemical weapons even as late as 1988, and this kind of a relationship continued through the Reagan administration and into the first President Bush administration until the very day that Iraq invaded Kuwait in early August 1990."

 "USDEL. should work to develop general western position in support of a motion to take "no decision" on Iranian draft resolution on use of chemical weapons by Iraq." Department of State Cable from George P. Shultz to the Mission to the European Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations. "UN Human Rights Commission: Item 12: Iranian Resolution on Use of Chemical Weapons by Iraq," March 14, 1984.

 "Iraq's 11,000-page report to the UN Security Council lists 150 foreign companies, including some from America, Britain, Germany and France, that supported Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction programme, a German newspaper said yesterday."

"A number of French companies have exported machinery and raw material for the manufacture of chemical weapons to Iraq since 1986, a French magazine reported today." "The magazine reported that Protec had struck up a relationship with the West German company, Karl Kolb, which the magazine said was implicated in the traffic of chemicals to Iraq, and with another export-import firm in Hamburg known as Water Engineering Trading, or W.E.T. The arrangements resulted in the sale of several units for fabricating chemical warfare agents to Iraq, the weekly reported."

"And here's the strange part, easily forgotten in the barrage of recent rhetoric: It was Western governments and businesses that helped build that capacity in the first place. From anthrax to high-speed computers to artillery ammunition cases, the militarily useful products of a long list of Western democracies flowed into Iraq in the decade before its 1990 invasion of Kuwait." "Also before the Gulf War, Iraq took delivery on billions of dollars of equipment "useful for making mass destruction weapons" from companies operating in more than a dozen Western nations: Germany mostly, but also the United States, Britain, France, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and more, according to Iraq Watch, a research group affiliated with the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control. This wasn't, of course, charity. There was money to be made."

A human zoo of "exotic peoples" to entertain the Europeans

"The history of the African Quarter goes back to the late 19th century, when the animal trader Carl Hagenbeck devised a grand plan for Berlin: a permanent zoo that would exhibit both wild animals and humans. Even before it hosted the 1884-5 Berlin Conference at which European imperial powers wrangled for control of Africa, Germany had enthusiastically embraced the spirit of colonialism. Hagenbeck’s zoo would be a celebration of the German colonial project and its spoils, from German South-West Africa (present-day Namibia) to German East Africa (present-day Burundi, Rwanda and mainland Tanzania). It would build on the success of his “exotic peoples” exhibits (Völkerschau) all over Europe."

When Muslims are victims of the fanaticism of other religion it is not a big story

"A Muslim man has died in western India after he was attacked by hundreds of Hindu cow protection vigilantes, the latest attack in a spate of mob killings in the name of the revered animal."

Something if wrong if...

Something is wrong if you find yourself on the same side of the Washington-DC Zionist Republican-Democratic establishment.

Frenzy for a US war

It is rather sickening: the Republican and Democratic establishment in DC is really pushing and begging for a US war.  Richard Haas yesterday clarified that he wasn't talking about a regime change. He was talking merely about a mini-war or mini-invasion of Syria.  

Now this is a human rights person who is trusted by Western media and governments

For decades, Western governments, media, and human rights organizations lionized this advocate of war crimes and religious cleanings in Burma: "Aung San Suu Kyi has denied there is ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, despite widespread reports of abuses. Ms Suu Kyi added: "I think there is a lot of hostility there - it is Muslims killing Muslims as well, if they think they are co-operating with the authorities." (thanks Basim)

A friend on Zionist propaganda versus the propaganda of pro-Gulf regimes rebel groups in Syria

A friend sent me this: "Zionists just want you to shut up. These people will not leave you until you recite exactly what they want you to say, and join in their foreign campaigns and follow their political objectives."

Who are the rebels in the Rif Idlib area

Do you notice that Western media rare rather obfuscating or disregarding an element of the story about the clashes and fighting in Idlib? That Al-Qa`idah in Syria is the dominant force there?  Western media always like to leave the story of the identify of the rebels vague so as to not tell readers that they are Al-Qa`idah in many cases.

Responses to my comments about Syrian regime and the gas attacks

Many comrades and friends have faulted me for jumping the gun on holding the Syrian regime responsible for the gas attacks.  I was a bit more cautious by saying that it is "most likely" in the absence of evidence to the contrary.  I am no expert and I know that caution is imperative amid an avalanche of Western and Gulf regime propaganda.  I don't above the regime but I don't absolve the rebels, although the use of fighter jets (if proven) would implicate the regime. A friend and comrade who is a professor at a major US medical school sent me this (I cite with his permission):

"There is no way that the Western powers could have determined virtually immediately the full nature of the attack and the culpability of the regime. They have not even done a forensic examination yet, not of the bodies nor of the materials involved. There is too much propaganda involved in packaging this story. You would think the English Guardian newspaper has a correspondent sitting in the Syrian defense ministry and being fed all the state secrets in real time.   And yes, As’ad, you jumped the gun too fast. This is not to say the regime is innocent, but that is different from firmly claiming it is guilty."

Where is the outrage? Where is the weeping over this? Where are Western human rights organizations? Where are the fake tears?

"U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria may have already killed 1,484 civilians in just Iraq and Syria this month alone".  Would any Western human rights organizations and any fake Qatari and Saudi-created Arab human rights shop dare to urge war against the US and its allies over this?

Kenneth Roth and his destruction of the credibility of Human Rights Watch--if it had any

When it comes to Israeli war crimes and massacres, Kenneth Roth and HRW has been always keen on saying that they can't judge and they can't determine if a war crime was committed pending on-site investigation and documentation. Follow Roth in the last few days: he now reaches conclusions purely on the basis of media accounts.  Hell, Roth has been all but urging the US government to go to war.  Would this uncredible human rights poseur ever dare urge the US to go to war against Israel for its long record of human rights violations and war crimes?  A reader sent me this about Roth:

https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/849522184502562817

https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/849381830537207808

And here he seems to be demanding that Trump escalate the US war in Syria, despite the mass casualties from recent US airstrikes:

https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/849369345692229634

Syrian rebels and Sarin gas: from 2013

Many people who are opposed to Syrian rebels are promoting a story in the Washington Times about Syrian rebels and their possible use of sarin gas.   But the story in the Washington Times is from 2013.  However, there was a testimony from that year that Syrian rebels may have used the nerve gas, sarin in the past. Story below: having said that, I only urge caution and that we don't get swept by Western propaganda and Gulf regime propaganda which either produce Syrian rebels propaganda or conceive it.  There is a need for an international investigation because both sides are capable of war crimes and both sides can't be trusted and US and Western governments and media are the least credible voices on the international stage. And whenever I see Democratic-Republican consensus over any issue, I get even more skeptical and smell a rat--a dirty rotten rat.   

From 2013: "Testimony from victims of the conflict in Syria suggests rebels have used the nerve agent, sarin, a leading member of a UN commission of inquiry has said.  Carla Del Ponte told Swiss TV that there were "strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof". Ms Del Ponte did not rule out the possibility that government forces might also have used chemical weapons. Later, the commission stressed that it had "not reached conclusive findings" as to their use by any parties. "As a result, the commission is not in a position to further comment on the allegations at this time," a statement added."

You know how insincere Western media and political and academic expression of sympathy with Syrians when you read this

Ivanka Trump‏Verified account 

Heartbroken and outraged by the images coming out of Syria following the atrocious chemical attack yesterday.

Socialist mayor of Paris

"A Palestine solidarity rally that Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had urged police to ban went ahead on Saturday, but under tight restrictions. A journalist was attacked during the rally by pro-Israel counter demonstrators as police watched and did nothing." "In August 2015 – a year after Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza – Hidalgo’s administration sparked outrage by partnering with Israel for a propaganda stunt to turn part of the Seine river bank into a “Tel Aviv beach.” " (thanks Amir)

Gas attacks in Syria

There is high likelihood that the Syrian regime was behind the gas attacks (I am not expert on chemical attacks but found the Russian explanation unconvincing) although there is a need for a reliable investigation and I am surprised that Ken Roth of HRW (who never EVER makes judgements about Israeli massacres and attacks as he calls calls for caution in the case of Israel pending further on-site investigations) has determined responsibility within seconds of the news.  If the Syrian regime is sincere in its denial (which I doubt very much) it should be eager for an investigation.  But having said all that: for those among the rebels who pick and select children from among the victims (unless there are only children among the victims) and then to pile them up on top of each other for extra photo-op effect is nothing short of another war crime.  It is mutilation of bodies.  

Longstanding US policy of endorsing and supporting depots around the world--provided they are loyal and obedient

""A key asset for U.S. imperialism is the ability of U.S. presidents to put a pretty, pleasant face on heinous actions." "Embracing the world’s worst tyrants is and has long been a key prong of U.S. foreign policy. Trump, through a combination of ineptitude and a willingness to openly endorse authoritarianism, just makes all of this less hidden, less deniable."" (thanks Amir)

Tulsi Gubbard's letter to Bashshar Al-Asad

I did not know what to make of this story published in Al-Akhbar by editor-in-chief, Ibrahim Amin.  I knew that Syrian regime is notorious in misreading and exaggerating diplomatic signals.  But Ibrahim assured me that his source was not the Syrian regime at all.

Look at this propaganda: they make it sound like Obama was not aligned with Middle East despots

"Trump Shifts Course on Egypt, Praising Its Authoritarian Leader"

UAE and Israel

"The UAE’s participation in Greece’s multi-national joint air force exercise with Israel is part of a wider UAE effort to deepen its strategic ties with key Eastern Mediterranean states. Concurrent with Iniohos 17, the UAE is hosting a major joint military exercise with Egypt. The joint exercise named Zayed 2 includes ground, naval, and air forces from the two nations, as well as marine units drilling beach landing operations." (thanks Sadeq)

Saudi regime influence can now be detected in all Western newspapers

LA Times open its pages to a Saudi princes to speak on behalf of women in Saudi Arabia.  Why not then allow North Korean dictator to speak on behalf of North Korean people? It is the same, no?  Look at these softball questions posed to the princess: "Why was it necessary to host a women’s empowerment conference?".

A shift in Saudi policy toward Syrian regime

There are signs of a significant shift in Saudi policies toward Syria: the shift was evident in the statement by the Arab League last week.  And Ali Shihabi (childhood friend and head of a new pro-Prince Muhammad bin Salman think tank in DC), said to CNN that Syria is "a lost cause" (he later denied or corrected the statement).  And now this: `Abdul-Rahman Al-Rashid (the influential propagandist of King Salman and his sons) says that Gulf regimes are likely to "adjust" (the words he used were "to deal favorably with the new political reality"--in reference to US policy of leaving Asad in power).  He also looks back favorably at Hafidh Al-Asad and praised him.  It seems that the new policy of Saudi regime toward Syria is reduced to calling on an end to Iranian presence there.  I feel sorry for all the Syrians and the supporters of the Syrian "revolution" who--BIZARRELY--counted on the House of Saud to save their "revolution".  I also feel sorry for the leftists around the world who treated Gulf regimes as the true sponsors of "revolution".

Syrian regime and attacks in Syria

It isn't impossible that the brutal Syrian regime may feel more confident and as a result may resort to more brutality.  Just as the US government now feels less restrained and its bombing in the region (not that Obama felt restrained in his bombing all over the Middle East).

A competition among killers of Syrian civilians: "the number of alleged civilian casualties in events carried out by the U.S.-led coalition has exceeded the death toll of attacks launched by Russia"

"U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria may have already killed 1,484 civilians in just Iraq and Syria this month alone, more than three times the number killed in President Barack Obama’s final full month in office, according to British monitoring group Airwars. For the first time, the number of alleged civilian casualties in events carried out by the U.S.-led coalition has exceeded the death toll of attacks launched by Russia."  Yet, when Syrian people are killed by US and its allies or by Syrian rebels, they receive no sympathy from Western correspondents and journalists, academics, and human rights organizations.

Prince `Abdul-`Aziz bin Fahd threatens to "destroy" the person behind MBC TV campaign about women

The sexist MBC station promoted an empty campaign on social media under the banner "Be Free" (in Arabic).  Prince `Abdul-`Aziz bin Fahd (who used to own MBC with his maternal uncle, before it was purchased by Muhammad bin Salman) went on social media this morning and made threats against it saying that the campaign is against Islam, and that they have to apologize and that he will "destroy" whoever is responsible.  Within minutes, MBC responded and ended the campaign and said a staffer has been identified and that he went off message on social media.

1. عبدالعزيز بن فهد‏Verified account @afaaa73  13h13 hours ago

   #عبدالعزيز_بن_فهد,تابع ,وأنني أنذر القائم بذلك كان من كان , أن لم يسحب فورا هذه الدعوه ويعتذرون بندم وكل شيء فيها خارج.إني أقسم بالله أدمره

   1,363 replies11,241 retweets2,465 likes

    

    
2. عبدالعزيز بن فهد‏Verified account @afaaa73  13h13 hours ago

   #عبدالعزيز_بن_فهد , بسم الله إني أبرأ إلى الله من إم بي سي وخاصة دعوة المرأه ب كوني حره ,هذا ضلال مبين , فالله سبحانه أعلم بها وبنا,يتبع

   

By Sudanese cartoonist, Khalid AlBaih

Israeli occupation terrorists chasing a 4-year old Palestinian child in Jerusalem

Did Trump send a private message to Bashshar Al-Asad through Tulsi Gubbard?

Ibrahim Al-Amin (editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar) writes about the visit of Tulsi Gubbard to Damascus and that she carried a private message from Trump to Bashshar Al-Asad.

Before liberals tomorrow start expressing shock that a US president is meeting with an Egyptian dictator, here are Democrats with despots

This is a Palestinian child arrested by Israeli occupation terrorists

Washington Post vomits Bahraini despotic propaganda

But let us face it: Bahraini despotic propaganda (like Gulf regimes propaganda) never comes cheap. And I like how the Post talks about obtaining the "document", as if this official Bahraini despotic document could come from a source other than Bahraini despotic embassy.  Also, would the Post publish Iranian government propaganda without even any skepticism? 

The new political document of Hamas

The new Political Document of Hamas, which was just published seems to correct misconception about trends in the movement.  There is an interesting change: it is quite different from the first political document which was anti-Semitic and cited the notorious Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This one clearly distinguishes between hostility to Jews to as Jews (i.e. anti-Semitism) and political hostility to Israel and Zionism. The document makes it very clear that the movement is not opposed to Jewish people.  Interestingly, the document also talks about European persecution of Jews.  The document speaks about Islam as a point of reference for the movement and offers an apologetic view of Islam--that is not surprising. It speaks against Oslo and calls for dialogue and democratic rule in areas where Palestinian are, but this does not coincide with the rule of Hamas in Gaza (which remains far less worse than the rule of PA's Fath in Ramallah of course).  It insists on the liberation of all of Palestine and talks about full return of refugees and calls for armed struggle against occupation: but it should have elaborated on its understanding of armed struggle given the practice of forms of violence by Hamas which it later abandoned.  It has an article about the role of women but it is not clear or specific.  It seems that Hamas has been wrestled from Khalid Mish`al's hands. 

Yevtushenko

Never liked this poet: never liked his poetry or his personal.  I felt that he performed for audiences: he was able to play to Soviet sensibilities and to Western sensibilities.  I never felt that he was principled.  He used to go to developing countries during the Cold War and share the views of the Soviet Union (which were close to the views of people there), and then travel to the West and share views that were in tune with Western public opinion.  Some of his poetry are quite lousy, in fact.  

Sam Heller on genuinely desirable...war

"of any genuinely desirable, worthwhile outcome resulting from more robust U.S. intervention discouraged more decisive U.S. escalation."  

Aron Lund assures you that Western policy makers are "100 percent sincere" in their love for Syrian people

"Many Europeans and Americans, including influential decision-makers, are 100 percent sincere when they say they’re disgusted by the Syrian regime." Of course, they are sincere. Those are people who have a long history of feeling the pain of the Arab people and being outraged at their killers and oppressive. In fact, i would argue that US congresspeople are 140% sincere.  But he does not explain if they are sincere also about their non-revulsion at the crimes of pro-US despots in the region.

When people criticize White Helmets, they are accused practically of war crimes: here, Thanassis Cambanis accuses UN of working for Syrian regime

He provides no evidence whatsoever of this serious allegation: "The UN’s approach has been to strengthen the regime while pretending to be an impartial and neutral arbiter".

The Century Foundation offers FOUR perspectives on Syria

This is what is amusing to me: whenever a DC think tank or a Western media promises "different perspectives" on Syria, they always manage to offer the same perspective really.  Look at this "four" perspectives" as the authors speak: "Sam: Well, as you said, I don’t think we’re heading towards some conclusive, comprehensive resolution to Syria’s war....Michael: I’ll pick up on Sam’s last very useful point that we’re effectively post-“the war.”...Aron: Boringly enough, I mostly agree with what was said above."  I read this very long session, having learned what Westerners mean when they say "different perspectives".

Isaac Deutscher, in the Nation

“Even now, however, I am not a Zionist.” 


The book contains two versions of a famous parable of Israel’s founding in the wake of the Holocaust, a parable that is sometimes all that people remember of Deutscher. In the first telling, from 1954, a man jumps from a burning ship onto a raft. Deutscher’s point is that any nation-state is merely a raft, a temporary solution that should not be turned into a permanent (nationalist) program, as Israel seemed to be doing. In the second telling, from 1967, written in response to the Six-Day War, the man jumps from a burning building and survives, but he lands on a person on the sidewalk below (who stands in, of course, for the Palestinians) and breaks his arms and legs. 
 “If both behaved rationally,” Deutscher comments, “they would not become enemies.” But rationality does not prevail. “The injured man blames the other for his misery and swears to make him pay for it. The other, afraid of the crippled man’s revenge, insults him, kicks him, and beats him up whenever they meet. The kicked man again swears revenge and is again punched and punished.” 
 I don’t imagine that many will be entirely happy with this parable." Why would they not be happy? Why do you say that?  I quibble with the writer's characterization of some of Deutscher's views on Israel and Zionism (although I don't have time to elaborate) but the it was clear that he always asserted that he was an atheist that he is not a Zionist that he abhorred Israeli and Zionist invocation of the Holocaust for political ends.  Nevertherless, in 1954 essay “Israel’s Spiritual Climate” (91-117), Heutscher seems to (disturbingly) favor Ashkenazi Jews to Sephardim because of what he considered attributes of "high culture" and bookshops.   That sounds so bad coming from Deutscher.  I am glad that the writer of the Nation settled the question about the role of Isiah Berlin in denying an academic job to Deutscher in UK.

CIA's malware attacks blamed on other nations

"A collection of 676 source code files, the Marble cache reveals details of the CIA's Marble Framework tool, used to hide the true source of CIA malware, and sometimes going as far as appearing to originate from countries other than the US." "Analysis of the source code shows that the CIA is not only trying to hide its tracks, but goes as far as trying to pin the blame for malware attacks on other nations. The code includes Chinese, Russian, Korean, Arabic and Farsi language examples, indicating that the CIA has engaged in clever games of hide and seek"

Israeli state racism

"While the Israeli state espouses multiculturalism and diversity, it oppresses not just the Palestinian population, but also any Black person within its borders." (thanks Amir)

Palestine Land Day

According to Palestinian Census Bureau, Israeli occupation has since 2016 destroyed 1023 homes and buildings in all of the West Bank, and displaced 1620 Palestinians, half of whom are children.   Don't forget; don't forgive. Ever.

Does this sound pathetically desperate?

Syria Opposition HNC (@SyrianHNC_en)

3/30/17, 11:01 AM

We hope #US administration understands we are at forefront of fight against terrorism in #Syria. - @FarahALAtassi @SyrianHNC #GenevaTalks

Notes on the Abortion of the Palestinian Revolution

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "Notes on the Abortion of the Palestinian Revolution: A Century after Balfour".

French students students of Sciences Po Rennes refuse to attend israeli ambassador's conference. They make à common declaration and then leave

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