In his book, The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire, Julian Assange claims that United States had called Saudi Arabia and Egypt to promote sectarian conflict in Syria by destabilizing its government.
http://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/world/us-saudi-planned-to-stir-up-sectarian-conflict-in-syria-wikileaks-903/
Over recent months the situation in the Mediterranean has served as a dramatic reminder of what the leaders of Europe have tried hard to forget. The Syrian crisis has reached Europe. Although a lot of talk has been made over numbers and percentages of refugees that every country may or may not accept, lets not forget that behind those numbers and the showy emotionalism of the politicians hides the ugly side of world politics.
The plans to overthrow the annoying regimes in the Middle East began at the time when the war hawks of Washington and their European allies prepared the first Iraqi war.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/17/the-dirty-politics-behind-the-syrian-conflict/
Netanyahu says he and Putin agreed on ways to avoid conflict between their forces in Syria. For years Israel has had a free hand to attack arms transfers to Hezbollah.
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-syria-did-putin-just-clip-israels-wings-145309020.html
Rebels see tougher war with Russians in Syria, evoke Afghanistan
Rebels who have inflicted big losses on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad say Russia's intervention in support of its ally will only lead to an escalation of the war and may encourage the rebels' Gulf Arab backers to pour in more military aid.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/09/21/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-rebels-insight-idUKKCN0RL0ED20150921
US-trained Division 30 Rebels 'Betrayed US
Hands Weapons Over to al-Qaeda's Affiliate in Syria'
Pentagon-trained rebels in Syria are reported to have betrayed their American backers and handed their weapons over to al-Qaeda in Syria immediately after re-entering the country.
Fighters with Division 30, the moderate rebel division favoured by the United States, surrendered to the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, a raft of sources claimed on Monday night.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42928.htm
BRITISH Special Forces are mounting hit and run raids against Islamic State deep inside eastern Syria dressed as insurgent fighters, the Sunday Express can reveal.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/595439/SAS-ISIS-fighter-Jihadis
Divided over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, Arab countries have kept silent over Russian airstrikes in Syria - apart from Cairo, which openly supports Moscow's campaign, experts say.
"The Arab world has lacked regional leadership for years from within the region, and in that void, the US and Russia have been engaging," said HA Hellyer, Middle East policy expert at the Washington-based Brookings Center.
"There are some signs that some wish to change that from within the region, but the first example of leadership is being shown in the multilateral Arab intervention into the Yemen [conflict] - and it is not a promising example at all," he said, referring to a Saudi-led coalition against Shiite rebels thought to be backed by Iran, a regional heavyweight.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/analysis-divided-over-assad-arab-states-remain-silent-over-russian-airstrikes-933045586
.......Sly reported a very different story in March, however, after the dissolution of Harakat Hazm, the main CIA-supported moderate rebel group remaining in the north, following its complete defeat by al-Nusra Front. The victorious al-Nusra announced publicly, according to Slys report, that it had seized the TOW anti-tank missiles the CIA had supplied to Harakat Hazm when it occupied the groups headquarters near Aleppo. Moreover, the Saudis reportedly had ownership of TOW missiles, and they and the Qataris had already been funneling arms to al-Nusra Front, as Vice-President Joe Biden revealed in October 2014.
It is astonishing that at this late date, anyone in the media could still be seriously suggesting that the CIA somehow managed to turn the moderate Syrian rebels into a powerful offensive force threatening the Assad regime in the north. Since the Idlib victory, it is generally understood that the primary threat to drive the Assad regime from power comes from al-Nusra Front and the forces allied with it, and not from the Islamic State - and certainly not the mythical moderate rebels.
It is easy to understand why the Obama administration is not interested in talking about the role of al-Nusra in the present Syrian political-military situation. According to Slys source, the covert operation to provide the TOW missiles to the Army of Conquest was aimed at putting sufficient pressure on Assads forces to persuade him to compromise but not so much that his government would precipitously collapse and leave a dangerous power vacuum.
The Obama administration strategy on Syria assumed a degree of control that is so obviously unrealistic that it was inherently risky to the point of recklessness. That is why no one in the administration or the news media is discussing the reality that the Russian offensive is targeting the biggest jihadist threat to the Assad regime.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/obama-won-t-admit-real-targets-russian-airstrikes-386489294
Ahrar al-Shams apocalyptic vision for Syria and beyond
Apparently, Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya (the Islamic Movement of the Free Men of Syria), one of the largest rebel groups in Syria, is going through a moderate ideological transformation.
At least thats what one would think from the recent spate of PR, suggesting Washington should ally with the group.
Ahrar plays a lead role alongside al-Qaedas Syrian arm, Jabhut al-Nusra, in the wider rebel coalition, Jaish al Fatah (the Army of Conquest).
The Army of Conquest, which includes moderate rebels, receives weapons, funding and logistical support from US-led coalition allies, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
In April, US commanders at the operations room in southern Turkey green-lighted coordination between Islamist factions and moderate vetted rebel groups. Then in July, the US agreed to Turkish demands to create a de facto safe zone in northwest Syria along the border, supported by US air cover a move that if implemented would empower Ahrar and al-Nusra.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/ahrar-al-sham-s-apocalyptic-vision-syria-and-beyond-455405201
U.S. President Barack Obamas plan to directly arm rebels fighting
inside Syria is raising concern from Congress and intelligence
officials over whether it provides enough safeguards to prevent the
weapons falling into the wrong hands.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Oct-21/319636-obama
s-plan-to-arm-rebels-gives-rise-to-new-worries.ashx
At least 35,000 displaced from Aleppo as Russian bombing continues
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced from southwestern
Aleppo since last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. The organisation said that it could
confirm that 35,000 people had been displaced so far.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/35000-people-displaced-aleppo-russi
a-air-strikes-continue-unabated-976256390
VIDEO: Unbelievably clear drone footage of Damascus devastation
Clear drone footage showing the ongoing Syrian army offensive against a rebel stronghold in Damascus.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/video-clear-drone-footage-jobar-damascus-1322280871
An Iranian news site close to the country's elite Revolutionary Guard military force has acknowledged the deaths of at least 200 of its fighters in Syria, as fighting on the ground continues to intensify.
Farsi-language news website Tabnak, which was founded by a former Revolutionary Guard chief and is considered to be close to the group, said on Tuesday that 200 fighters from the Fatemiyoun Brigade have been killed so far fighting in Syria.
The Fatemiyoun Brigade is a force composed of Afghan refugees living in Iran, who are reportedly paid $500 a month and promised residency papers in return for fighting alongside Syrian government forces.
Iranian officials have so far declined to mention casualty figures arising from their participation in Syrias civil war, which has seen regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia give their backing to opposing sides.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/200-iran-backed-fighters-killed-syria-war-iranian-report-1567448953
Russia and Iran diverging on Syria
After nearly a month of conducting daily air strikes, Russia is beginning to reveal its political calculations and strategic intent in Syria.
The Russian outreach to the Free Syrian Army (FSA), whilst dismissed as disingenuous by the West, is in fact a reflection of Russias desired outcome.
Fearful of getting embroiled too deeply into the Syrian quagmire, Russia is all too aware that it needs Washingtons - and by extension the Gulf States - help to steer the conflict toward an endgame.
Meanwhile, lacking Russias diplomatic reach, Iran is mostly focused on the battle on the ground, not only to shore up the position of the embattled Syrian government, but equally importantly to protect its Lebanese ally Hezbollah from the fallout of the conflict.
Unlike Russia, the Islamic Republic cannot afford to see elements of the armed Syrian opposition gain even minimal influence in Damascus as part of a final peace settlement.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/russia-and-iran-diverging-syria-30321057
Ashton Carter: U.S. to Begin 'Direct Action on the Ground' in Iraq, Syria
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday that the U.S. will begin "direct action on the ground" against ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria, aiming to intensify pressure on the militants as progress against them remains elusive.
"We won't hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground," Carter said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services committee, using an alternative name for the militant group.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sec-carter-direct-u-s-action-ground-iraq-syria-n452131
US ground ops in Syria illegal, may lead to unpredictable consequences
The consequences of potential US ground operations in Syria would be unpredictable, the head of Russias parliamentary committee on foreign affairs told RT. He added that claims Russian airstrikes have targeted civilians are part of ongoing information war.
https://www.rt.com/news/319907-us-syria-unpredictable-consequences/
Just as Russia escalates its military involvement in Syria and meets with the IDF central command in Moscow to coördinate both sides operational activity there, Israel attacked Hezbollah targets there over the past few days. Though Israeli security sources told Haaretz that they were not involved and refused to comment to the Jerusalem Post, my own confidential Israeli source confirms the attack.
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2015/11/01/israel-attacked-hezbollah-targets-in-syria-censor-prohibited-israeli-reporting/
Interview: Gilbert Achcar on the Russian military operation in Syria
Ilya Budraitskis: It has been several days since the start of the Russian military operation in Syria and the goals and strategy of this operation are still unclear. The explanation coming from Russian officials is unclear. On one hand they put an anti-ISIS agenda as the main reason of the operation, and on the other they present it, like Putin did at the UN, as an aid to the legitimate government of Assad. What do you think is the real goal of this operation?
http://www.criticatac.ro/lefteast/interview-gilbert-achcar-on-russian-military-operation-in-syria/
IDF Gen. (Res.) Amos Gilad revealed in a public talk reported by Israeli media that PM Netanyahu and Russias Putin made a secret deal permitting the Russian air force to use Israeli airspace during its attacks on Syrian rebel targets:
Russian war planes sometimes cross into Israeli airspace. As a result of excellent security coördination, which began with a Putin-Netanyahu meeting which established the sector boundaries, the IDF and Russian military agreed to security arrangements which provided, in the event of an incident, both would know what to do and how to prevent an escalation.
In return, Putin has assured Israel that it will not interfere in IAF attacks on Hezbollah targets inside Syria. Specifically, weapons convoys ferrying Iranian hardware to Lebanon via Syria.
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2015/11/28/israel-permits-russian-overflight-of-israeli-airspace/
The real reason for Turkey's shoot-down of the Russian jet
The data supports Putin's assertion that the shoot-down was prepared in advance due to Russian bombing of Turkey-linked rebels in Syria
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/real-turkeys-shoot-down-russian-jet-1615790737