Hezbollah Forces Prepare To Attack The Syrian City Of Aleppo

In Syria, Hezbollah Forces Appear Ready To Attack Rebels In City Of Aleppo -- Washington Post

BEIRUT — Thousands of Lebanese Hezbollah militants were massed around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday, according to rebels and a senior commander in the Lebanese Shiite movement, broadening Hezbollah’s backing of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and stoking fears of an imminent assault on the city.

The commander, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media, said there were about 2,000 Hezbollah fighters in Aleppo province, largely stationed in Shiite towns north of the city. The rebel Free Syrian Army said Hezbollah forces had gathered in a suburb of the city Sunday and appeared to be preparing for an attack.

Rebels have secured swaths of Aleppo — Syria’s commercial capital and most populous city — since fighting engulfed it last summer, but the two sides have been locked in a grinding stalemate for months. An assault on the city could stretch rebel forces, which have sent reinforcements from Aleppo to fight against Hezbollah and Syrian troops in the battle for the town of Qusair, near the Lebanese border.

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Update: Hezbollah fighters amassing in Aleppo -- Digital Journal

My Comment: If these reports are true ..... Hezbollah has decided to go "all in" to support Syrian President Assad.

Life Inside A Syrian Refugee Camp

About 110,000 Syrian refugees are now living in the Zaatari Camp in Jordan. And while life may be better there than in the war-ravaged country they fled, some describe the camp as a lawless and frightening place. Muhammad Hamed / Reuters

'The Jungle': Syrian Refugees Endure Crowded, Lawless Camp -- NBC

ZAATARI CAMP, Jordan -- Just 5 miles from Jordan's border with the war-torn country he fled, Ahmed Mohammad Salti spends each day cleaning one corner of the largest camps for Syrian refugees in the Middle East.

At night, gangs of youngsters run wild in the Zaatari Camp, battering and defacing walls, throwing rocks and creating "mess and rubbish," he said.

Salti, 33, says he feels powerless to stop them.

"We have really, really naughty kids here who have become sort of criminalized street kids," said Kilian Kleinschmidt, camp manager and field coordinator for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR. "They are out of control."

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My Comment: From prosperity and a home to being a refugee living in poverty .... all within one year .... coupled with the loss of a loved one and/or loved ones .... this has become the nightmare scenario for tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.

Influential Sunni Cleric Calls For Jihad In Syria

Egyptian Cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, gives a speech during Friday prayers, before a protest against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, at Al Azhar mosque in old Cairo, Egypt, Dec. 28, 2012. Voice of America

Syria Conflict: Cleric Qaradawi Urges Sunnis To Join Rebels -- BBC

An influential cleric has called on Sunni Muslims from around the Middle East to go to Syria to join the battle against President Bashar al-Assad.

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian Islamist based in Qatar, told a rally in Doha that every Sunni capable of fighting should support the rebels.

He also claimed Iran and the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, Mr Assad's main allies, wanted to exterminate Sunnis.

His call came as fighting continued for the control of the key town of Qusair.

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Update #1: Leading Sunni Muslim cleric calls for "jihad" in Syria -- Reuters
Update #2: Leading Sunni Cleric Calls for Holy War in Syria -- Voice of America

My Comment: When the region's top religious leaders call for war .... and are listened to .... that is when you know that any prospects for peace in Syria are "down the toilet".

Syria's Civil War Spreads Into Lebanon

Syrian Rebels, Hezbollah In Deadly Fight In Lebanon: Sources -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Several fighters were killed in an overnight clash between Hezbollah fighters and Syrian rebel forces in Lebanon's eastern border region with Syria, Lebanese security sources said on Sunday.

One source said 15 rebels were killed in the fighting east of the Bekaa Valley town of Baalbek, but the exact toll would not be clear until bodies could be retrieved from the remote and rugged border area. One Hezbollah fighter also died, he said.

Syria's two-year-old conflict has increasingly sucked in its smaller neighbor, with deadly fighting shaking the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli and rockets hitting the Bekaa Valley and southern Beirut.

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More News On Syrian Rebels And Hezbollah Fighters Clashing Along the Syrian - Lebanese Border

Hezbollah fighter, rebels killed in clashes with Syria forces in east Lebanon -- Haaretz/Reuters
Hezbollah, Syrian rebels clash on Lebanese soil, casualties reported as Syria war spills over -- Washington Post/AP
Rockets from Syria hit Hezbollah stronghold -- The Guardian
Syrian Troops, Hezbollah Fight Rebels in Border Town -- Voice of America
Syrian Rebels Clash With Hezbollah in Lebanon, Arabiya Reports -- Bloomberg
Hezbollah, Syria rebels clash in east Lebanon: sources -- Daily Star

U.N. Says World Watching The Civil War In Syria

Forces of Syrian President Bashar al Assad are seen on a tank in Arjoun village near Qusair town May 30, 2013. REUTERS/ Rami Bleible

Fighting In Syria's Qusair; U.N. Says World Watching -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Syrian troops and Hezbollah guerrillas besieging the border town of Qusair fought with rebels on Saturday as the United Nations warned all sides they could be held accountable for the suffering of civilians trapped there.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighting was taking place inside Qusair and in villages around it, largely controlled by President Bashar al-Assad's forces who have cut off access to the town.

Rebels have pleaded for military help and medical aid for the hundreds of people wounded in the onslaught by government forces, who are also fighting back fiercely around the capital Damascus and the south and center of the country.

The battle for Qusair is happening as the United States and Russia seek to overcome deep differences over Syria and bring the two sides to the negotiating table for a political solution to the civil war in which 80,000 people have been killed.

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My Comment: Yup .... the U.N. and the world is watching .... and that's about it.

Russian And Iranian Military Tech Is Making A Difference In Syria's Civil War

Forces of Syrian President Bashar al Assad are seen in Arjoun village near Qusair town May 30, 2013. REUTERS/ Rami Bleible

Russian, Iranian Technology Is Boosting Assad’s Assault On Syrian Rebels -- Washington Post

RAMTHA, Jordan — Sophisticated technology from Russia and Iran has given Syrian government troops new advantages in tracking and destroying their foes, helping them solidify battlefield gains against rebels, according to Middle Eastern intelligence officials and analysts.

The technology includes increased numbers of Iranian-made surveillance drones and, in some areas, anti-mortar systems similar to those used by U.S. forces to trace the source of mortar fire, the officials and experts said. Syrian military units also are making greater use of monitoring equipment to gather intelligence about rebel positions and jamming devices to block rebel communications, they said.

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My Comment: It is hard to fight a foe who is better armed than you .... and in Syria .... doubly so when thousands of Hezbollah soldiers from Lebanon are deployed to add to this technical and weaponry advantage.

UNICEF: Syria Risks A Lost Generation

 

From CNN: CNN's Zain Verjee speaks with UNICEF COO Jon Sparkes about the situation facing Syrian refugee children in Iraq.  

My Comment: The humanitarian crisis in Syria is getting worse .... kudos to organizations like UNICEF in trying to help as much as they can.

Syrian War Seen Dragging On For Years

Analysis: Syrian War Seen Dragging On For Years -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad cannot regain full control of his battered country and his rebel foes are not strong enough to overthrow him, dooming Syria to months or even years of sectarian civil war.

Bolstered by his Iranian and Russian backers, Assad has chalked up some military successes in recent weeks, defying his many critics, who have been confidently predicting his imminent downfall since the start of the uprising in March 2011.

But any suggestion his government might secure the total defeat of its disparate opponents shows little understanding of the nature of the war or the multitude of forces involved.

"As things stand, the regime cannot reconquer, it cannot reconcile, it cannot reform and it cannot rebuild," said Peter Harling, a project director at the International Crisis Group.

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My Comment: Syria's civil war may not only last a few more years .... but it has the potential to get even more bloodier if this happens.

US And Germany Urge Russia To Not Send Missiles And Weapons To Assad's Syrian Military

US And Germany Urge Russia Not To Arm Syria Military -- BBC

The US and Germany have called on Russia not to supply Syria's military with an advanced missile system they say could prolong the conflict there.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the delivery of Russian weaponry would have a "profoundly negative impact" and put Israel's security at risk.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged Moscow not to hinder the chances of mooted peace talks.

The US and Russia are pushing for talks in Geneva aimed at ending the conflict.

Mr Kerry and Mr Westerwelle held talks in Washington the day after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said a Russian contract to supply the S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system was being implemented, without confirming any deliveries.

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More News On The U.S. And Germany Urging Russia To Not Arm The Syrian Military

US, Germany to Russia: Don't send Assad missiles -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
US, Germany to Russia: Don't hurt Syria peace efforts -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
German FM warns Russia S-300 shipment 'totally wrong' -- YNet News
German FM blasts arms sales to Assad -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
The price will be high, but the solution to Syria lies in Moscow -- Ehud Barak, National Post

My Comment: Russia regards Assad as a loyal ally .... they are not going to abandon him.

Syria's Sectarian Civil War Is Spreading Across Borders

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Syria's Deepening Sectarian War Bleeds Across Borders -- USA Today

AMMAN, Jordan — The Syrian civil war is increasingly drawing in nations across the Middle East, a regionwide conflict that threatens to pit world powers against each other.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Human Rights Council pushed through a resolution to investigate the abuses of the Syrian regime, over the objections of the regime's ally Russia, who insisted the West was making matters worse.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry continued his travels in the region, trying to get all parties to agree to a peace conference in Geneva in the next few weeks. But councils representing the Syrian rebels again refused to join, demanding representatives of Bashar Assad's regime be banned.

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My Comment: These two different Islamic sects have been at war against each other since the founding of Islam .... the only difference is that in today's conflicts modern day weapons are being used. A must read on this growing Sunni - Shiite split can be read here.

How Libyan Weapons and Know-How Reach Anti-Assad Fighters

A Free Syrian Army sniper takes position in a damaged house in Idlib on May 18, 2013. ABDALGHNE KAROOF / REUTERS

Arming Syria’s Rebellion: How Libyan Weapons and Know-How Reach Anti-Assad Fighters -- Rania Abouzeid, Time

The beefy Libyan revolutionary field commander turned politician rose from the beige couch to greet his new Syrian guest, who pulled up a chair to join the two other Syrian men seated in a semicircle around the couch in the café of a hotel in the southern Turkish city of Antakya, near the Syrian border.

The Libyan had traveled from Zintan, in northwest Libya, while a fellow countryman, a former militia commander from Benghazi, had traveled from that port city to hold court in this Turkish hotel and meet some of the rebels trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad. (Both Libyans requested anonymity, because of the nature of their mission.)

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My Comment: It is going to take more than a few weapons from Libya to overthrow the Assad regime.

10 Improvised Weapons Made By Syrian Rebels (Photo Gallery)

Syrian Hell Cannon an improvised artillery piece used by Syrian rebels. Ahrar Al-Shamal Battalions, via Brown Moses

10 Improvised Weapons Made By Syrian Rebels -- Popular Science

Syrian rebels have developed all sorts of crazy weapons to fight against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. They have fashioned weapons from PlayStation controllers, rope, fertilizer, and the explosive material of unexploded bombs. That taste for DIY weaponry could end--or at least slow down--now that the European Union is ending an arms embargo that stanched the flow of weapons to Syrian rebels. The lifted embargo is expected to give rebels access to better weapons. Here, we look back at 10 of the Syrian rebels' most intriguing home-grown weapons.

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My Comment: Simple. Crude. And very deadly.

Why You Should Care About Russia Shipping S-300 Air-Dwefense Missiles To Syria

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Why You Should Care About Russia, Syria, and Air-Defense Missiles -- Popular Mechanics

Syrian head Bashar al-Assad said today that he was acquiring S-300 antiaircraft missiles from Russia. Why is this happening now, after so many months of civil war, and what does it mean?

The civil war in Syria just got even more complicated. Today, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told a Lebanese TV network run by the Islamic group Hezbollah that Russia has delivered the first pieces of advanced, long-range antiaircraft missiles called S-300PMUs. These are some of the world’s most capable air-defense missile systems, though they’ve never before been shot in combat. (Here’s a description of the mobile system from Almaz-Antey, the company that makes them. Click “Favorit” for details.)

This could be a bluff, and one enabled and abetted by the Russians. But it could be true, because the Russians have been supplying the Assad regime with heavy weapons that have helped the dictator stave off the rebel factions arrayed against him. (Lest you start rooting for any side too quickly, remember those rebel factions include radical Islamists, including those tied to al-Qaida, in their ranks.) Either way, here’s what you should know.

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My Comment: A good summary on why Syria is receiving this surface to air missile system.

Russia To Send S-300 Missile Systems To Syria

Report: Assad Claims Delivery of Russian Arms -- Voice of America

Lebanese media say Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has acknowledged receiving a first shipment of a Russian air defense system that could help him to deter foreign military intervention in his conflict with rebels.

The reports say Assad claimed to have received the S-300 air defense shipment while speaking with Lebanese TV station Al-Manar in an interview to be broadcast later Thursday. Al-Manar is run by pro-Assad Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

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More News On Syria Receiving Russia's S-300 Missile Systems

Assad tells Lebanese media Syria has received Russian missile shipment -- Foreign Policy
Syria's president claims Russian arms are already arriving -- Christian Science Monitor
Syria's Assad vague on delivery of Russian missiles -- CBS/AP
Assad Says Russian Missiles Arrive While Analysts Skeptical -- SFGate/Bloomberg
Syria's Assad says Russia will deliver on arms deals -- Reuters
Moscow suggests missiles have yet to reach Assad -- Reuters
Russia suggests it will now sell 'offensive' weapons to Syria -- Christian Science Monitor
Bashar al-Assad vows to complete purchase of advanced Russian S-300 missiles -- Washington Post
What Happens If Syria Gets S-300 Missiles? -- Yaakov Katz, Daily Beast

Syrian President Assad Confident Of Victory In Syria's Civil War

Security personnel loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad hold their weapons as they take positions in Damascus May 27, 2013. Photo by Reuters

Syrian President Assad Says Army 'Has Balance Of Power' -- BBC

The Syrian army has scored "major victories" against rebels and now holds "the balance of power" in the conflict, President Bashar al-Assad has told a Lebanese TV station.

He also suggested Syria may have received the first shipment of an advanced Russian air defence system.

Russia vowed earlier this week to go ahead with sending S-300 missiles.

Meanwhile, the main opposition outside Syria said it would not take part in peace talks while massacres continued.

Speaking in Istanbul where the Syrian National Coalition is meeting, its interim head, George Sabra, said talk of diplomatic conferences was farcical while Syrian government forces backed by the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah were carrying out heinous crimes.

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More News On Syria's Civil War

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
Assad vows to stay in power until Syrian people vote him out – as it happened -- The Guardian

Syria's Assad 'confident in victory' in civil war -- AP
Syria's Assad confident in country's civil war -- Detroit Free Press
Syria’s Assad pledges to attend proposed peace talks, says his side is winning war -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News
Assad Touts Military Gain, Russian Arms Support in War -- Bloomberg
Assad Regime Recaptures Air Base, Presses Siege of Syria Border Town -- Voice of America
Syrian rebels plead for help as army bombards strategic Qusair -- Reuters
Battle for Syria’s Qusair Leaves 1,000 Injured Civilians Trapped -- Bloomberg Businessweek
12K Hezbollah Fighters Turning Tide in Syria, Top General Says -- US News and World Report
Syrian rebel chief accuses Hezbollah of 'invading' Syria -- BBC
Syria: Hezbollah triumphs, but loses veterans -- UPI
Hezbollah Escalates Fighting in Syria as Sectarian Tensions Grow in Lebanon -- Heritage Foundation
Turkey returns fire after shots fired from Syria -- CBS/AP
Report: Syrian forces kill American, British citizen accused of fighting alongside rebels -- CNN
U.S. investigates report of American woman killed in Syria -- Reuters
Russia sends arms to Syria as it tries to reassert its role in region -- Washington Post
Russia criticises U.S. refusal to rule out Syria no-fly zone -- Reuters
Syrian National Coalition Won't Participate In Geneva Peace Talks -- AP
Syrian opposition says no to peace talks in Geneva -- Christian Science Monitor
Syrian Opposition Demands Assad Departure Deadline -- Voice of America
Russian, U.S. and U.N. officials to meet on Syria on June 5 -- Reuters
Syrian civil war forces Sunni and Shiite Muslims to pick sides -- Washington Post
McCain insists US weapons would 'help the right people' in Syria war -- NBC
West Debates Whether to Arm Syrian Opposition -- Voice of America
Will Assad Prevail in Syria? -- Council on Foreign Relations
What If al-Assad Prevails? -- Charles Dunne, Special to CNN

Major Defeat For Syrian Rebels In Qusayr

Hezbollah said to control most of Qusayr in major setback for Syria rebels -- McClatchy News

BEIRUT — Hezbollah and Syrian government forces have seized most of the strategically important town of Qusayr near the Lebanese border, fighters on both sides of the conflict said Wednesday, in what would be a huge setback for the rebels fighting to topple the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A fighter for Hezbollah, the Lebanese group that’s sent troops to Syria to join Assad loyalist forces, said the group had cleared rebels from most of Qusayr. A spokesman for one of the main rebel groups in the area confirmed the assertion.

“We have suffered heavy losses,” said Yazed al Hasan, a spokesman for the rebel Farouq Battalions, which have occupied Qusayr since last year. He also acknowledged that government forces had recaptured the military airport north of the city.

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Update: Syrian army seizes strategic air base near Qusair -- Reuters

My Comment: Helped by thousands of "Hezbollah volunteers", it was only a matter of time before Qusayr fell. What everyone is wondering now is to what extent will Hezbollah commit it's forces to other battles .... will they stay on the border, or will they participate in the bloody of battles of Homs, Aleppo, Damascus, and elsewhere.

Syria And Hezbollah Forces Mass For A Final Assault On Qusayr

Syria And Hezbollah Bolster Forces In Qusayr -- Al Jazeera

Assad's elite forces and fighters from Lebanese Shia group sent to battle rebels in strategic town, activists say.

Syrian elite forces and more fighters from the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah have been sent to reinforce government troops battling rebels in the strategic border town of Qusayr, activists report.

Government fighter jets launched early on Wednesday six air raids on the rebel-held areas of the town, Hadi al-Abdallah, an activist in Qusayr, told Al Jazeera, as clashes raged between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and opposition fighters on several frontlines.

"Up to 40 tanks and 40 pick-up vehicles fitted with heavy machine guns were moving towards the town from Qalamoun [in Damascus province]. Rebels will try to foil their advance," Abdallah said.

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More News On Syria's Civil War

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
Syrian minister warns of retaliation if Israel strikes Syria again - live updates -- The Guardian

Assad's forces score victory in Syria fight -- Sydney Morning Herald
Elite troops in pivotal battle for Syria’s Qusayr -- Al Arabiya
Elite troops in pivotal battle for Syria's Qusayr -- Global Post/AFP
Hezbollah fighters 'invading' Syria - rebel chief -- BBC
Hezbollah-led attack cuts off rebels in Syria's Qusayr -- Bangkok Post
Hezbollah sends more fighters to Syria after rebels issue ultimatum -- Al Arabiya
US calls on Hezbollah to pull fighters out of Syria -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
Three new cases of chemical weapons use by Syrian regime, UN told -- The Guardian
UN gets new info on alleged chemical weapons use in Syria -- FOX News/AP
U.N. Security Council set to blacklist Syria’s Nusra militants -- Al Arabiya
Syrian Opposition Groups in Disarray -- Voice of America
Syrian opposition says peace talks must mean Assad exit -- Reuters
UN human rights body condemns foreign fighters in Syria -- BBC
UN rights body condemns Syria at heated debate -- Reuters
UN rights council passes resolution demanding Syria protect civilians, grant aid access -- Washington Post/AP
Syrian official says Assad will be president until 2014, referendum needed on any peace deal -- Washington Post/AP

A Chilling Interview With A Syrian Jabhat al-Nusra Fighter

Syria's Fighters: An Interview With Jabhat al-Nusra -- The Economist

The interviewee is a young fighter from Jabhat al-Nusra, an extremist Sunni group in Syria affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq. A former teacher and then tiler, he is dressed in well-ironed black trousers, a white shirt and a black turban. A gun rests on his lap. He is accompanied by an older man, who appears to be judging him on his answers. Both are Syrian and ask not to be named because they do not have permission to speak to the press.

How has Jabhat al-Nusra become so powerful?

The reason is the weakening of the other groups. Jabhat al-Nusra gets the advantage because of our ideology. We are not just rebels; we are doing something we believe in. We are not just fighting against tyranny; Bashar Assad is only part of our fight. The other groups are only a reaction to the regime, whereas we are fighting for a vision.

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My Comment: A chilling interview .... but not surprising when one considers how radicalized much of Syria has become after 2 years of war. Hezbollah on one side .... Jabhat al-Nusra on the other .... with luck .... they may end up killing each other off.

Syria's Rebel Coalition On The Verge Of Collapse

A Free Syria Army fighter runs for cover after firing towards Syria forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad at the front line in Aleppo on December 24, 2012. (Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters)

Syrian National Coalition On Brink Of Collapse -- The National

ISTANBUL: Attempts to revitalise the opposition Syrian National Coalition and widen its narrow support base were in disarray yesterday after efforts to significantly expand its membership stalled.

A key decision about attendance at the Geneva 2 talks had also not been made, with a senior SNC official saying that more details were needed.

“We are waiting to hear the outcome of the Kerry-Lavrov talks, the outcome of the EU arms embargo talks, and for more details about the negotiations before we decide,” he said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov discussed Syria in Paris yesterday, each backing different sides in the rapidly expanding civil war.

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More News On The Disunity In the Syrian Opposition Movement

Syrian opposition chaos threatens to delay Geneva peace talks -- Financial Times
Syrian opposition disarray threatens international support -- Reuters
Syria's paralysed opposition makes no progress on peace talks -- Global Post/AFP
The Syrian opposition is in crisis, and it’s all on video -- The Independent
US Frustrated By Syrian Opposition -- Al Monitor
Fatal bickering -- The Daily Star editorial
The Folly of Waiting for a More Perfect Syrian Opposition -- Shadi Hamid, The Atlantic

Is The Iraq Shiite Led Government Assisting Syrian President Assad

Iraqi Shiites Fight For Syrian Government -- Washington Post

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi fighters in the video shoulder assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades as they walk down a highway lined with cypress trees. Grinning, some hold up cellphones and camcorders to capture the moment — the aftermath of a victorious battle to secure the Aleppo airport from Syrian rebels who had attempted to take it.

“You are the sons of Iraq and the sons of Islam!” shouts one of their commanders. The men cheer.

Weeks later in Baghdad, Abu Sajad, the nom de guerre of an Iraqi militia commander who appears in the video, proudly displayed it as proof that Iraqi Shiites are playing a critical role supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in what has become an increasingly sectarian and regional war. It was impossible to verify the location in the video or the circumstances.

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My Comment: Giving diplomatic support to the Syrian government. Permitting Iranian overflights of weapons to Syria. Using the military to remove anti-Assad forces on the Iraqi side of the Syrian-Iraq border. And now permitting Iraqi Shiites to go and fight for the Syrian regime ....from this observer it is clear that Baghdad has made the strategic decision to support Assad .... but I suspect that this support is going to have a cost.