Britain and France Join the US in Warning Syria About Military Action as Sunni cleric killed in north Lebanon clashes

Big Foreign Military Forces Pile Up On Syria’s Borders As War Looms

Sunni cleric killed in north Lebanon clashes: Fierce clashes raged between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli, killing a Salafist sheikh and wounding 21 other people, including a Canadian journalist and 9 soldiers.

Britain and France Join the US in Warning Syria About Military Action: In a further sign of anxiety over the security surrounding chemical weapons stashed in Syria, officials said the subject came up in Istanbul during the first meeting of a newly created joint working group of the United States and Turkey. The purpose of the group, first announced by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton a few weeks ago, is to prepare for the aftermath of what leaders from both countries have described as the inevitable fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

Worries about the chemical weapons were also expressed by Russia, the Assad government’s most important foreign supporter.

France backs no-fly zone over Syria, Russia continues cooperation with Damascus: The international community is still divided on ways to solve the Syrian conflict as France indicated Thursday that it would support a partial no-fly zone over Syria while Russia continues close cooperation with the Syrian authorities on energy. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, speaking on France 24 television, called for a partial closure of Syria's air space, as suggested by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. However, he warned that shutting Syria's entire air space would mean "going to war." Do you think Russia is going to stand still for this?

This is only going to end in a much wider war any way you look at it. It absolutely will not end. It will continue without the direction of Assad. Maybe the Alawite's may no longer be leading it against the Sunni majority and Christian minority but it will continue. Only now the Sunni may be leading it against the Alawite's who will continue to be armed and reinforced by Iran. The Russians will meanwhile have gone nowhere and the big unknown is the large Chinese military contingency in the area.

This is all about the future direction of the entire middle east. The goal absolutely is to be the country who decides which direction the new Middle East (dis)order will take. Bush started it by attacking Iraq to get into the middle east to destabilize it and start the new middle east order the idiot said God told him to do now it will be up to Iran and Saudi Arabia (Al Qaeda?) at least up front fight it out whether this goes the Iranian Shiite way or the Saudi Arabian Sunni way and do not forget Israel!

The goal absolutely is to be the country who decides which direction the new middle east (dis)order will take. Bush started it by attacking Iraq to get into the middle east to destabilize it and start the new middle east order the idiot said God told him to do now it will be up to Iran and Saudi Arabia at least up front fight it out whether this goes the Iranian Shiite way or the Saudi Arabian Sunni way and do not forget Israel!

Both Iran and Saudi Arabia have been using Lebanon and now Syria as their battlefront, up to now they have been able to avoid direct confrontation. Iran has pumped millions of dollars in supplies and arms into Lebanon and Syria much to the consternation of her suffering people while Saudi Arabia has been supporting the Palestinian Authority.

So far there has been no direct confrontation. However I absolutely see what I have been warning about since Bush diverted from Afghanistan to attack Iraq and get back in the middle east to create a new middle east (dis)order! I do not give a damn what anyone says. Bush, Cheney, and their Democratization program in an already historically unstable middle east set all of this and more in motion!

The hell on earth Bush created for Iraqi’s will engulf the entire Middle East before it encompasses the entire world if we can not contain it. Under Bush we broke a long standing tradition of not adding fuel to the Middle East fire by supplying weapons. We are now, including advanced weaponry and missile defense systems. The Middle East breakdown Bush started armed and funded is continuing under Obama. This up to now proxy war in the middle east is under way.

You know I firmly believe and have said so a million times by now that since 9/11 everything was construed to allow Bush to gain the power he needed to prosecute his new order not just in the Middle East but on the entire world! He diverted from Afghanistan to get back into the Middle East with the goal of setting up a larger safety zone for Israel and going after Iran. Both will fail! It has long been my contention that coming to Israel's aid once they attack Iran will be our in to Iran but with Iran, the Gulf, Syria, and everything else who knows what will happen first.

We must contain this to the middle east and keep it from turning into WW3. This must be a middle east fight and problem or the entire world is in dire trouble and we have too much already as we try to move successfully through the 21st century. I am afraid we are failing our children in every regard.




James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Iran should give refuge to Bashar Al-Assad and his high level supporters

Highlights: Iran ready to hold talks with Syrian opposition as Damascus struck by 'most intense' clashes yet. Major General Adnan Salo, who is a former head of the chemical weapons unit in the Syrian army, told Asharq al-Awsat "All we need from NATO are two air attacks on the presidential palace to topple the regime and we will be able to control all the Syrian cities," Last night, heavy fighting raged in the heart of Damascus, hitherto regarded as an impregnable bastion of power. The rebels claim control of two districts: Midane and Tadamoun, in the south and east of the Syrian capital. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Monday that tanks and troop carriers were deployed for the first time in Midane. Local residents reported the presence of snipers on the roofs.

Several family members of Syrian General Rustom Ghazaleh, the security chief in the province of Damascus, fled to Jordan, said the pan-Arab TV channel al-Arabiya , quoting sources in the Syrian opposition. They are now in a Syrian refugee camp near the Jordanian capital, Amman, the source said.

In a video posted on YouTube, Mohamad Sillu, a defected general who is now part of the leadership of the rebel Free Syrian Army said: “I say to the regime, Damascus we are coming, and we will relegate Bashar and his regime to the dustbin of history.

In a further twist in the battle for the capital, al-Arabiya television reported the defection of a man claiming to be the brother in law of Rustom Ghazale, a powerful regime figure who is the head of military intelligence for Damascus and its suburbs. Mr Ghazale, who was effectively the governor of Lebanon until Syrian troops were forced out in 2005, denied members of his family had defected.


Several family members of Syrian General Rustom Ghazaleh, the security chief in the province of Damascus, fled to Jordan, said the pan-Arab TV channel al-Arabiya , quoting sources in the Syrian opposition. They are now in a Syrian refugee camp near the Jordanian capital, Amman, the source said.


Last night, heavy fighting raged in the heart of Damascus, hitherto regarded as an impregnable bastion of power. The rebels claim control of two districts: Midane and Tadamoun, in the south and east of the Syrian capital. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Monday that tanks and troop carriers were deployed for the first time in Midane. Local residents reported the presence of snipers on the roofs.In London, the former Syrian ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf Fares, who defected on July 11, warned that President Assad could use chemical weapons against opposition forces to stay in power.

Heavy clashes hit Syrian Capital:The scenes from the second straight day of fierce clashes in Damascus, unfolding in amateur videos posted online, were the latest evidence that Syria's conflict is fast devolving into a civil war that is moving ever closer to the seat of President Bashar Assad's power.
Plumes of black smoke drifted over the city skyline and gunfire could be heard throughout the capital, even in the upscale cafes in downtown frequented by members of Assad's regime. The fighting left many streets deserted in a string of neighborhoods on the city's southwest corner where the fighting was focused. Many families have fled, and fear grips many who remain behind."It is a war here, a war," said a woman reached by phone in the Midan neighborhood

As Damascus battle rages, Syria army defector urges limited NATO intervention: A Syrian army defector said that the rebels controlled 60 per cent of the country and that all they needed was limited military intervention from NATO to help them topple President Bashar Assad, a pan-Arab daily newspaper reported on Monday.

"All we need from NATO are two air attacks on the presidential palace to topple the regime and we will be able to control all the Syrian cities," Major General Adnan Salo, who is a former head of the chemical weapons unit in the Syrian army, told Asharq al-Awsat. Meanwhile, Syrian rebels on Monday fought fierce battles with government forces in Damascus, including in an area close to President Bashar Assad's residence, activists said. Videos posted on opposition websites showed fighting allegedly taking place in Kfar Soussa, an area in the capital close to the presidential palace.

Iran ready to hold talks with Syrian opposition: The Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Sunday that Tehran was ready to meet with Syrian opposition groups in order to promote dialogue between them and the Syrian government. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to have meetings with Syrian dissidents in order to facilitate talks between government and Syrian dissidents," said Salehi, was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
He told reporters in Tehran that it was very important to find a solution to the Syrian crisis. In addition, Iran's top diplomat expressed the hope that this crisis could be resolved through cooperation between the countries of the region.

Damascus struck by 'most intense' clashes yet: Heavy clashes between rebels and regular troops have erupted in Damascus in the "most intense" fighting in the capital since the start of the anti-regime revolt in Syria 16 months ago, a monitoring group has said. "The regular army fired mortar rounds into several suburbs" where fighters of the Free Syrian Army are entrenched, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Sunday.

"They have never been this intense," Abdel Rahman told the AFP news agency. He said the fighting was heaviest in the Tadamon, Kfar Sousa, Nahr Aisha and Sidi Qadad neighbourhoods. "The security forces are attempting to take control of these neighborhoods, but so far they have not succeeded," he added. The Local Co-ordination Committees, which organizes anti-regime protests in Syria, said plumes of black smoke were Sunday night billowing out of Tadamon and that loud explosions were heard in Nahr Aisha.


We can still be guaranteed the United States is going to be dragged into this one way or the other, you know along with the rest of the world we are already there clandestinely. This is looking good but the US can not be foolish enough to believe that one strategic bombing will make the Government fall. I absolutely believe Assad will use those chemical weapons on his own supporters and people as all he sees is his regime in trouble and a last chance to kill the vermin "terrorist" protesters.

* Assad kept saying that Syria is no Libya but it is in the respect that all the fears we had in Libya essentially did not come true but heretofore have come true in Syria. This includes the fear of chemical weapons being used on the protesters. You better absolutely believe that fear will become real if Assad feels the Alawite's are in danger of losing their control over Syria.

*You also really have to wonder now about that large Russian Naval force that arrived over there recently supposedly to guard the Russian submarine base in Tartus "complete with landing marines.

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Russia and China let alone Iran are not going to let this go down. I see their Vietnam. They will keep installing "their leaders" until they are overwhelmed and they are forced out. The entire middle east will be in this if not the world. The future direction of the middle east and the world is at stake and nothing less.

* High ranking Government officials have started defecting along with high ranking military officials. I am hoping they do so en masse because I fear they will be fighting at least Iran and Russia for total control of their beloved Syria.

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Free Syrian Army preparing for “final battle” for Damascus, US believes Syria moving part of chemical stockpile

"Over 200" dead in new Syria massacre as Free Syrian Army preparing for “final battle” for Damascus and US believes Syria moving part of chemical stockpile

"Over 200" dead in new Syria massacre: "Government troops bombed (Treimsa) using tanks and helicopters," said by phone the president of the SOHR, Rami Abdel Rahman. The NGO has estimated that the death toll amounts to over 150, thus putting the overall daily death toll on Thursday at over 200. "Considering the small size of the town, it is perhaps the biggest massacre since the beginning of the revolution," said Mr. Abdel Rahman.

Abu Mohamad, a rebel leader of fighters based nearby has said the attack had left "over 200 dead ". According to an activist living in the province, the situation is particularly serious because the government forces shelled a mosque where many people had sought refuge. Treimsa "is now empty. Everyone is dead or has fled, "said the activist, calling himself Abu Ghazi. "About thirty army vehicles have completely surrounded the village. There was no way out. Whoever tried to escape through the fields was shot," said a fellow activist. "After the bombing, the army came (into Treimsa) with small arms and the (pro-regime militia called) Shabiha followed with knives," he added.

Free Syrian Army preparing for “final battle” for Damascus: In light of the noticeable development in the Free Syrian Army [FSA]’s military operations, not to mention the escalated pace of defections from the regular army’s forces, the FSA has announced that it is gearing up to take the fight to the al-Assad regime in Damascus. Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat, FSA commander Colonel Riad al-Asaad revealed that “preparations for the battle of Damascus are underway and are in full swing, particularly as this operation – which will be the final and decisive confrontation with the regime – requires special preparations and arrangements”.

He added “this has led to the battle being postponed so far; however once it starts it will be resolved quickly, within a matter of weeks.” The FSA commander also stressed that “with regards to today, you could say that the situation has changed. We are now able to take decisions at the right time, after the FSA seized weapons at depots affiliated to the regime, in addition to those present in the border regions.”

'US believes Syria moving part of chemical stockpile': U.S. officials said that Syria has started to move part of its chemical weapons arsenal out of storage facilities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The country's undeclared stockpiles of sarin nerve agent, mustard gas and cyanide have long worried U.S. officials and their allies in the region, the report said. Western nations have looked for signs amid the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad's government of any change in the location of those weapons, believed to be the world's largest stockpile.

I absolutely believe Assad will use those chemical weapons on his own supporters and people as all he sees is his regime in trouble and a last chance to kill the vermin "terrorist" protesters.

* Assad kept saying that Syria is no Libya but it is in the respect that all the fears we had in Libya essentially did not come true but heretofore have come true in Syria. This includes the fear of chemical weapons being used on the protesters. You better absolutely believe that fear will become real if Assad feels the Alawite's are in danger of losing their control over Syria.

*You also really have to wonder now about that large Russian Naval force that arrived over there recently supposedly to guard the Russian submarine base in Tartus "complete with landing marines.

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Russia and China let alone Iran are not going to let this go down. I see their Vietnam. They will keep installing "their leaders" until they are overwhelmed and they are forced out. The entire middle east will be in this if not the world. The future direction of the middle east and the world is at stake and nothing less.

* High ranking Government officials have started defecting along with high ranking military officials. I am hoping they do so en masse because I fear they will be fighting at least Iran and Russia for total control of their beloved Syria.

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Damascus residents fear regime reprisals if and when Syria falls to opposition

 
Many Syrian political activists are certain that the Syrian capital will be the scene for the final battle to topple the al-Assad regime, however they also fear that the Baathist regime will seek to carry out systematic reprisals against Damascus residents upon its ouster, particularly as the city is surrounded by heavily armed pro-regime troops and militia.
A Damascus political activist working with the opposition Local Coordination Committee [LCC], who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat under the name “Farah”, revealed that “Bashar al-Assad will not easily surrender Damascus, even if he believes that his regime has been toppled. There is a spirit of retribution in the decisions of this man and those around him, and this spirit will be transformed into a burning desire for revenge, particularly against the residents of Damascus, the city which rose up against al-Assad after he believed that they would stand by him.”

Assad: I won't quit: In an interview with German journalist Juergen Todenhoefer, the Syrian head of state Bashar Assad insisted he would not quit. "A president should not run away from problems, and we have significant problems in Syria. A president should not escape in this situation. " The interview was held on July 5 2012 in Damascus.

When asked if he believed the majority of the Syrians stand behind him, Assad replied: "Yes. Of course, I still enjoy the support of the Syrian public." Assad denied that his family alone holds the power in its hands. "The majority does not participate in the demonstrations," he said.

It is not that he is delusional, him saying the people are still behind him tells you he believes only the Alawite's are people and all other sets are vermin to be eradicated! Also, those Alawite's still behind him are because they now feel they will be eradicated.

You have to be very concerned about what is happening in Syria especially. Russia, China, and Iran are not going to allow Syria to fall to Democracy. What we saw after the voter fraud in Iran was mild compared to what the IRG will do if this movement spreads to Iran. I really wish Bashar would step down but Iran is the elephant in the room any way you look at it. The total middle east breakdown we have written about numerous times is well under way. We can only hope we keep it from erupting into WW3.

In closing: You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

*You really have to wonder now about that large Russian Naval force that arrived over there recently supposedly to guard the Russian submarine base in Tartus "complete with landing marines.

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Russia and China let alone Iran are not going to let this go down. I see their Vietnam. They will keep installing "their leaders" until they are overwhelmed and they are forced out. The entire middle east will be in this if not the world. The future direction of the middle east and the world is at stake and nothing less.

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Lebanese ready to fight next to Syrian 'brothers' Assad: I won't quit:

Lebanese ready to fight next to Syrian 'brothers

Lebanese ready to fight next to Syrian 'brothers': About 20 armed men enter a dilapidated barn in northeastern Lebanon, preparing to sneak across the border and fight alongside their Syrian "brothers" against the regime in Damascus. The young men decide to rest briefly at the farm near Al-Qaa in the Bekaa Valley, their arms and baggage placed against a wall. The volunteers aim is to join the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is made up mostly of Syrian army deserters.

Reclining on mattresses on the ground, they dip bread into tins of sardines or tuna, their evening meal. "We will cross the border to go to Idlib (in northwest Syria). The FSA is trying to retake the city and needs all the help it can get. Let's go for it," says Abdel Hakim says in decent English. Like his comrades, the young man from the Baalbek region has dropped everything to go fight in Syria.

The defection this week of a key general with longstanding ties to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad was hailed Friday by officials in the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as an important step towards ending the regime. Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlas, the son of former defence minister Mustafa Tlas, was reportedly smuggled by opposition activists to Turkey three days ago.

and may be en route to Paris, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters Friday during a high-level meeting of the “Friends of Syria” group in the French capital. Fabius later stated that he had no indication of Tlas’s final destination. “We welcome this defection and we believe it is significant,” Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby said, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who took part in the Paris meeting, also praised Tlas’s defection and predicted that more would follow.

Assad: I won't quit: In an interview with German journalist Juergen Todenhoefer, the Syrian head of state Bashar Assad insisted he would not quit. "A president should not run away from problems, and we have significant problems in Syria. A president should not escape in this situation. " The interview was held on July 5 2012 in Damascus.
When asked if he believed the majority of the Syrians stand behind him, Assad replied: "Yes. Of course, I still enjoy the support of the Syrian public." Assad denied that his family alone holds the power in its hands. "The majority does not participate in the demonstrations," he said.

It is not that he is delusional, him saying the people are still behind him tells you he believes only the Alawite's are people and all other sets are vermin to be eradicated! Also, those Alawite's still behind him are because they now feel they will be eradicated.

You have to be very concerned about what is happening in Syria especially. Russia, China, and Iran are not going to allow Syria to fall to Democracy. What we saw after the voter fraud in Iran was mild compared to what the IRG will do if this movement spreads to Iran. I really wish Bashar would step down but Iran is the elephant in the room any way you look at it. The total middle east breakdown we have written about numerous times is well under way. We can only hope we keep it from erupting into WW3.

In closing: You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Russia and China let alone Iran are not going to let this go down. I see their Vietnam. They will keep installing "their leaders" until they are overwhelmed and they are forced out. The entire middle east will be in this if not the world. The future direction of the middle east and the world is at stake and nothing less.

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri accuses lebanese Government of being Assad's puppets

Syrian artillery strikes north Lebanon, Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri accuses Lebanese Government of being Assad's puppets

Syrian artillery strikes north Lebanon, : Syrian artillery hit villages in northern Lebanon on Saturday killing two women and a man and wounding scores more after opposition rebels crossed the border into Lebanon, residents said. Residents of the Wadi Khaled region said several mortar bombs started falling on farm buildings five to 20 km (3 to 12 miles) from the border at around 2 a.m. At midday on Saturday villagers reported more explosions.

Hariri slams government 'silence' over Syria border killings: “The silence of the Lebanese Government is ... unacceptable. It shows total disrespect for the lives of our citizens and our sovereignty,” Hariri said. Two people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed Saturday and 10 were wounded in north Lebanon in separate incidents as a result of shelling from the Syrian side of the border. Earlier this week, Syrian forces briefly kidnapped two General Security personnel at the Bqayaa border crossing in the north of the country.

“However the Lebanese are not surprised their government doesn't care if our citizens are killed and sovereignty violated by Syrian regime,” he said. “In fact all Lebanese know this government was appointed to facilitate such crimes to begin with,” the head of the Future Movement added. Siniora added that the continual blocking of the transfer of telecoms data from the Telecommunications Ministry to security agencies is a decision “to kill all opposing” Hezbollah’s arms and the government. "We declare our fear for the nation, the state, national unity, coexistence and legitimate institutions,” she added.

I have to agree that the Lebanese Government is being complicit with Assad and or at the very least turning a blind eye to the growing incursions into Lebanon and the killing of their own people. A brush up: Lebanon: Residents of the northern city of Tripoli held a general strike Monday to protest the deadly clashes that gripped the area last week, killing at least 14 and wounding 52.

Assad blames Syria's hell on an outside influence and yes there is a growing outside influence and it is on both sides. Assad says there is a danger this growing conflagration will envelop the entire middle east and it will. Because of actions taken by those who want to see him stay in power to protect their interest I am afraid this is going to grow way beyond Lebanon. We will be lucky to keep this from becoming world war three.

Deadly violence flares in Beirut: Gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns early on Monday in intense street battles in Beirut, Iran’s ardent courtship of the Lebanese government indicates that Tehran is scrambling to find a replacement for its closest Arab ally, politicians, diplomats and analysts say.
Deadly violence flares in Beirut: Gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns early on Monday in intense street battles in Beirut, killing two people and wounding at least 18 others."There is an uneasy calm.. streets are relatively empty," Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reported from Beirut."The situation overnight, the clashes that were witnessed in Beirut, were the worst since January 2001 when we saw people take to the streets in protest following the collapse of the government of the former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.

"People who took to the streets were supporters of Saad al-Hariri's movement, mainly Sunnis. they were protesting the death and killing of a Sunni cleric and his bodyguard in northern Lebanon," Khodr said. The clashes erupted hours after Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahid, a Sunni Muslim cleric, and Muhammed Hussein Miraib, both members of the March 14 alliance, were shot in their car near Tripoli on Sunday as they "sped through a Lebanese army checkpoint without stopping". The fighting, some of the worst in Beirut in years, exacerbated deep political and sectarian divisions, as fears mounted that the conflict in neighbouring Syria was spilling across the border.

Lebanon's new wild card: Shaker al-Barjawi For more than a year, battlelines have been clearly drawn between pro-Bashar al-Assad and anti-Assad politicians in Lebanon, with the March 14 Alliance desperate to see regime change in Syria, and Hezbollah and its allies willing to fight until curtain-fall with Syrian officialdom. On Arabic satellite talk shows, members of the two camps had blasted at each other for months, once even getting into a fist-fight live on air. Last week, pro-Syrian regime and anti-Syrian regime factions

clashed with arms in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, prompting Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to advise their citizens from traveling to Lebanon, and calling on those already in the country to leave. On Sunday, Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Wahed, a prominent Sunni cleric affiliated with ex-prime minister Saad al-Hariri, was shot dead at a checkpoint in Akkar in northern Lebanon, along with his bodyguard, when his car reportedly failed to stop at a military checkpoint. The cleric was heading to the city of Halba to participate in a sit-in against the Syrian regime, staged by Hariri's Future Movement.

Iran Is Seeking Lebanon Stake as Syria Totters: Iran’s eagerness to shower money on Lebanon when its own finances are being squeezed by sanctions is the latest indication of just how worried Tehran is at the prospect that Syria’s leader, Bashar al-Assad, could fall. Iran relies on Syria as its bridge to the Arab world, and as a crucial strategic partner in confronting Israel. But the Arab revolts have shaken Tehran’s calculations, with Mr. Assad unable to vanquish an uprising that is in its 15th month.

Iran’s ardent courtship of the Lebanese government indicates that Tehran is scrambling to find a replacement for its closest Arab ally, politicians, diplomats and analysts say. It is not only financing public projects, but also seeking to forge closer ties through cultural, military and economic agreements. The challenge for Iran’s leaders is that many Lebanese — including the residents of Tannourine, the site of the proposed hydroelectric dam — squirm in that embrace. They see Iran’s gestures not as a show of good will, but as a stealth cultural and military colonization.

With the return of Putin to the Russian Presidency I am again very concerned and see an end to a partner country whose leaders words and actions we can trust and a return to a confrontational relationship with Russia. I do not like the man, I do not trust the man, and I am very concerned as to which direction Russia and the United States are headed now and at a time when China is surging militarily.

Watching what is happening in Syria and Iran at this point it looks like Russia and China are going to unite at least until the shit hits the fan and it will. Russia is going to go to the limit to allow Syria to slaughter its own. At that point China I am hoping will start backing the US I hope. This has barely begun! Which way will Lebanon go?

We are going to get dragged into this rest assured and you can't really think at least Russia and Iran will not come out in the open: I remember saying from day one that it would take almost the whole military to defect before they would have a chance and now that we know how involved Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are in the slaughtering that is going on around the country that is beginning to look like the beginning of their fight.

You have to be very concerned about what is happening in Syria especially. Russia, China, and Iran are not going to allow Syria to fall to Democracy. What we saw after the voter fraud in Iran was mild compared to what the IRG will do if this movement spreads to Iran. I really wish Bashar would step down but Iran is the elephant in the room any way you look at it. The total middle east breakdown we have written about numerous times is well under way. We can only hope we keep it from erupting into WW3.

In closing: You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad. Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?

* We now know Iran and probably Russia are preparing for Syria to fall to the protesters or at the very least into total disarray for years. Russia and China let alone Iran are not going to let this go down. I see their Vietnam. They will keep installing "their leaders" until they are overwhelmed and they are forced out. The entire middle east will be in this if not the world. The future direction of the middle east and the world is at stake and nothing less.

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com