Syrian security forces incur casualties as opposition fights back

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...d_n_871814.html

quote:

Armed men attacked Syrian security forces in a tense northern city on Monday, Syrian officials said, and 120 policemen and security forces were killed in a region where the army has carried out days of deadly assaults on protesters calling for the end of President Bashar Assad's rule. The government vowed to respond "decisively," setting the stage for a new crackdown. Communications were cut to the area around Jisr al-Shughour on Monday and the details of the attack were impossible to verify, but there have been unconfirmed reports in the past by residents and activists of Syrians fighting back against security forces and even mutinous troops. Adnan Mahmoud, the chief government spokesman, acknowledged that Syrian forces had lost control of some areas for "intermittent periods of time" and promised that the army would restore security in the area. "We will deal strongly and decisively, and according to the law, and we will not be silent about any armed attack that targets the security of the state and its citizens," said Interior Minister Ibrahim Shaar. The government's response set the stage for an even stronger crackdown against a popular uprising that began in mid-March and poses a potent threat to the 40-year regime of the Assad family. The possibility of a mutiny would show new cracks in a rule that has held out through weekly protests of thousands of people. State television added the armed groups carried out a "real massacre," mutilating some bodies and throwing others in the Orontes River. Jisr al-Shughour, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Turkish border, has been the latest focus of Syria's military, whose nationwide crackdown on the revolt has left more than 1,200 Syrians dead, activists say. The town was a stronghold of the country's banned Muslim Brotherhood in the 1980s. Human rights groups said at least 42 civilians have been killed there since Saturday. Syria's government has a history of violent retaliation against dissent, including a three-week bombing campaign against the city of Hama that crushed an uprising there in 1982. Jisr al-Shughour itself came under government shelling in 1980, when it was a stronghold of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, with a reported 70 people killed. Assad's decision to allow pro-Palestinian protesters to storm the Israeli border twice in recent weeks indicates he may be trying to deflect focus from a serious crisis at home, and possibly divert international attention from a new crackdown. State television broadly carried Sunday's protest at the Golan Heights to the south frontier, which left as many as 23 people dead in fighting with Israeli forces, but it has not carried any footage of the protest, crackdown or ambush at the northern edge of Syria. Monday's state television report said the officers were ambushed as they responded to calls from residents for protection from the armed groups. It said 20 policemen were initially killed, and then the groups blew up a post office and attacked a security post, killing other forces. The report said the armed groups were hiding in homes and firing at security forces and civilians alike, using residents as human shields. The TV reports could not be independently confirmed. The Syrian government has severely restricted the media and expelled foreign reporters, making it nearly impossible to independently verify events. Details of the operations in Jisr al-Shughour and nearby Khan Sheikhoun have been sketchy and attempts to reach residents of the town were unsuccessful. Human rights activist Mustafa Osso cast doubt on the government accounts. "The protesters have so far been peaceful and unarmed," he said. Osso said there were unconfirmed reports of a few army deserters who switched sides and were fighting security forces. Ahead of Monday's report, another activist said gunmen had successfully kept security forces out of the area, but he had no details. Fearing retaliation, the activist requested anonymity. Amnesty International criticized Syria's "brutal treatment of protesters" and called on the UN Security Council to condemn the killings and refer Syria to the International Criminal Court. "Those responsible for the brutal crackdown of pro-reform protesters must no longer be allowed to get away with murder," Philip Luther, Amnesty's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement Monday.

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And America officially enters a 4th military conflict

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...n_n_873620.html

quote:

The Obama administration has intensified air strikes on suspected militants in Yemen in a bid to keep them from consolidating power as the government in Sanaa teeters, The New York Times reported Wednesday. A U.S. official confirmed to Reuters that a U.S. strike last Friday killed Abu Ali al-Harithi, a midlevel al Qaeda operative, which followed last month's attempted strike against Anwar al-Awlaki, the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Citing U.S. officials, the Times said a U.S. campaign using armed drones and fighter jets had accelerated in recent weeks as U.S. officials see the strikes as one of the few options to contain al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. With the country in violent conflict, Yemeni troops that had been battling militants linked to al Qaeda in the south have been pulled back to Sanaa, the newspaper said. Yemen's authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, was wounded Friday and is being treated in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. He appears to have been wounded by a bombing at a mosque inside his palace, not a rocket attack as first thought, U.S. and Arab officials told Reuters. Story continues below There were conflicting reports about his condition -- ranging from fairly minor, to life-threatening 40 percent burns. There had been nearly a yearlong pause in U.S. airstrikes after concerns that poor intelligence had resulted in civilian deaths that undercut goals of the secret campaign. U.S. and Saudi spy services have been receiving more information from electronic eavesdropping and informants about possible locations of militants, the newspaper said, citing officials in Washington. But there were concerns that with the wider conflict in Yemen, factions might feed information to trigger air strikes against rival groups. The operations were further complicated by al Qaeda operatives' mingling with other rebel and anti-government militants, the newspaper said, citing a senior Pentagon official. The U.S. ambassador in Yemen met recently with opposition leaders, partly to make the case for continuing operations in case Saleh's government falls, the newspaper said. Opposition leaders have told the ambassador that operations against al Qaeda in Yemen should continue regardless of who wins the power struggle in the capital, the Times said, citing officials in Washington. Al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen has been linked to the attempt to blow up a trans-Atlantic jetliner on Christmas Day 2009 and a plot last year to blow up cargo planes with bombs hidden in printer cartridges.

I guess Obummer thinks he can carpet bomb our way out of this recession. Never would have thought the guy would have us enter two other conflicts while keeping our troops engaged in the previous two Bush Jr started. Sad day for my country. Very sad day.

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Win Nobel Peace Prize, start two new wars.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...-_n_877459.html

quote:

WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials say the CIA has stepped up the schedule for building a Persian Gulf base for armed U.S. drones going after terrorists in Yemen. But the base is at least eight months away from completion and plagued with logistics difficulties, so the counterterror operation remains in the hands of the Pentagon's elite special operations forces. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. Since 2009, Yemen has allowed those U.S. forces to employ a mixture of armed and unarmed drones, ship-fired missiles, small special operations teams working with Yemenis, and occasional war plane bombing runs, Yemeni and U.S. officials say. The recent unrest has driven al-Qaida targets into the open, presenting U.S. forces with new targets of opportunity.

I wonder how many more millions of dollars will get squandered trying to kill terrorists in yet another Middle Eastern country. They can't even find the 6.6 billion they lost while investing in Iraq. This whole country is run by idiots.

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NATO's response: OOOPS sorry about that shit happens get over it.

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quote:

Originally posted by hardcore trancer NATO's response: OOOPS sorry about that shit happens get over it.

Yea, let's get out and let Qaddafi massacre his opposition, which asked NATO to intervene on their behalf.

quote:

Originally posted by Comrade Stalin Yea, let's get out and let Qaddafi massacre his opposition, which asked NATO to intervene on their behalf.

I always wondered who exactly these “Rebel fighters” are. How do we know that by supporting them life would be better for the people of Libya? Why is this war still going on and for how long is NATO planning to bomb this country? What are the true motives behind this war? There are lots of ideas going around and the whole going to war to save the Libyan people isn’t one of them.

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quote:

Originally posted by hardcore trancer I always wondered who exactly these “Rebel fighters” are. How do we know that by supporting them life would be better for the people of Libya? Why is this war still going on and for how long is NATO planning to bomb this country? What are the true motives behind this war? There are lots of ideas going around and the whole going to war to save the Libyan people isn’t one of them.

Of course NATO is there because of the oil. The rebel movement just provides an excuse to intervene. What I don't get is why you're apparently defending a dictator who is facing the wrath of his own people? Seriously, Qaddafi has to hire foreign mercenaries to fight his own people. Why are you defending this guy?

quote:

Originally posted by Comrade Stalin What I don't get is why you're apparently defending a dictator who is facing the wrath of his own people? Seriously, Qaddafi has to hire foreign mercenaries to fight his own people. Why are you defending this guy?

My point is why now? He had close ties with the Europe and the U.S. and did all sort of business with them. Was he not a dictator at the time? Now he is all evil and must be taken out? Qaddafi’s story is very identical to Saddam’s in Iraq. One day he is considered an ally the next day he is a dead man. It is yet another double standard game played by the west.

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quote:

Originally posted by hardcore trancer My point is why now? He had close ties with the Europe and the U.S. and did all sort of business with them. Was he not a dictator at the time? Now he is all evil and must be taken out? Qaddafi’s story is very identical to Saddam’s in Iraq. One day he is considered an ally the next day he is a dead man. It is yet another double standard game played by the west.

Why now? Because he is facing a massive popular uprising by his people. What other pretext would the West have before then? None. It was the perfect excuse. The rebels even asked for NATO help and sent representatives to Europe and Qatar asking for help and recognition. I would have been afraid of not doing something. Qaddafi forces were just outside Benghazi when NATO intervened. What do you think would have happened in Benghazi had NATO done nothing? Are there other motives behind the intervention? Hell yea. The rebellion is just an excuse to carry out Western interests in the region. I don't, however, think in this instance that such interests make this intervention wrong. Why else does a nation or alliance intervene if not for their own benefit some way? Such interventions cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It better be to our interest!

quote:

Originally posted by Comrade Stalin Why now? Because he is facing a massive popular uprising by his people. What other pretext would the West have before then? None. It was the perfect excuse. The rebels even asked for NATO help and sent representatives to Europe and Qatar asking for help and recognition. I would have been afraid of not doing something. Qaddafi forces were just outside Benghazi when NATO intervened. What do you think would have happened in Benghazi had NATO done nothing? Are there other motives behind the intervention? Hell yea. The rebellion is just an excuse to carry out Western interests in the region. I don't, however, think in this instance that such interests make this intervention wrong. Why else does a nation or alliance intervene if not for their own benefit some way? Such interventions cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It better be to our interest!

where you at on Syria then? their rebellion is worse, and Assad has had his military strait up massacre way more civilians than Qaddafi. If you're supporting the Libya mission, one must assume you're even more gung-ho to do something in Syria (who also has oil).

Like I said before this is yet another double standard game by the U.S. and NATO sadly. They are playing with people's lives and using the whole peace excuse to achieve their own agenda.

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