And of course my favourite PCR. When he's running amok with his favourite topic "(put current US president name here) regime must go" it's a pure gold, every single quote, love him. Read it here: http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2013/06/17/washington-is-insane-paul-craig-roberts/

Washington Is Insane

Paul Craig Roberts

In the 21st century the two hundred year-old propaganda that the American people control their government has been completely shattered. Both the Bush and Obama regimes have made it unmistakenly clear that the American people don’t even influence, much less control, the government. As far as Washington is concerned, the people are nothing but chaff in the wind.

Polls demonstrate that 65% of the US population opposes US intervention in Syria. Despite this clear indication of the people’s will, the Obama regime is ramping up a propaganda case for more arming of Washington’s mercenaries sent to overthrow the secular Syrian government and for a “no-fly zone” over Syria, which, if Libya is the example, means US or NATO aircraft attacking the Syrian army on the ground, thus serving as the air force of Washington’s imported mercenaries, euphemistically called “the Syrian rebels.”

Washington declared some time ago that the “red line” that would bring Syria under Washington’s military attack was the Assad government’s use of chemical weapons of mass destruction against Washington’s mercenaries. Once this announcement was made, everyone with a brain immediately knew that Washington would fabricate false intelligence that Assad had used chemical weapons, just as Washington presented to the United Nations the intentional lie via Secretary of State Colin Powell that Saddam Hussein in Iraq had dangerous weapons of mass destruction. Remember National Security Advisor Condi Rice’s image of a “mushroom cloud over American cities?” Propagandistic lies were Washington’s orders of the day.

And they still are. Now Washington has fabricated the false intelligence, and president obama has announced it with a straight face, that Syria’s Assad has used sarin gas on several occasions and that between 100 and 150 “of his own people,” a euphemism for the US supplied foreign mercenaries, have been killed by the weapon of mass destruction.

Think about that for a minute. As unfortunate as is any death from war, is 100-150 deaths “mass destruction?” According to low-ball estimates, the US-sponsored foreign mercenary invasion of Syria has cost 93,000 lives, of which 150 deaths amounts to 0.0016 or sixteen hundredths of one percent.

In other words, 92,850 of the deaths did not cross the “red line.” But 150 did, allegedly.

Yes, I know. Washington’s position makes no sense. But when has it ever made any sense?

Let’s stretch our minds just a tiny bit farther. Assad knows about Washington’s “red line.” It has been repeated over and over in order to create in the minds of the distracted American public that there is a real, valid reason for attacking Syria. Why would Assad use the proscribed weapons of mass destruction in order to kill a measly 100-150 mercenaries when his army is mopping up the US mercenaries without the use of gas and when Assad knows that the use of gas brings in the US military against him?

As the Russian government made clear, Washington’s accusation is not believable. No informed person could possibly believe it. No doubt, many Americans wearing patriotism on their sleeves will fall for Washington’s latest lie, but no one else in the world will. Even Washington’s NATO puppets calling for attacking Syria know that the justification for the attack is a lie. For the NATO puppets, Washington’s money overwhelms integrity, for which the rewards are low.

The Russians certainly know that Washington is lying. The Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said: “The [Assad] government, as the opposition is saying openly, is enjoying military success on the ground. The [Assad] regime isn’t driven to the wall. What sense is there for the regime to use chemical arms–especially in such small amounts.”

Lavrov is a relatively civilized person in the role of Russia’s main diplomat. However, other Russian officials can be more pointed in their dismissal of Washington’s latest blatant lies. Yury Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Putin said: “The Americans tried to present us with information on the use of chemical weapons by the [Assad] regime, but frankly we thought that it was not convincing. We wouldn’t like to invoke references to [the infamous lies of] Secretary of State Powell [at the UN alleging Iraqi WMD], but the facts don’t look convincing in our eyes.” Aleksey Pushkov, the chairman of the Russian Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee, cut to the chase. “The data about Assad’s use of chemical weapons is fabricated by the same facility that made up the lies about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. Obama is walking George W. Bush’s path.”

Here in America no one will ever hear straight talk like this from the US presstitutes.

Orwellian double-speak is now the language of the United States government. Secretary of State john kerry condemned Assad for harming “peace talks” while the US arms its Syrian mercenaries.

Washington’s double-speak is now obvious to the world. Not only Assad, but also the Russians, Chinese, Iranians, and every US puppet state which includes all of NATO and Japan, are fully aware that Washington is again lying through its teeth. The Russians, Chinese, and Iranians are trying to avoid confrontation with Washington, as war with the modern nuclear weapons would destroy all life on planet earth. What is striking is that despite 24/7 brainwashing by the presstitutes, a large majority of the American population opposes obama’s war on Syria.

This is good news. It means more Americans are developing the ability to think independently of the lies Washington feeds to them.

What the neocon nazis, the bush/obama regime, and the presstitute media have made
clear is that Washington is going to push its agenda of world hegemony to the point of
starting World War III, which, of course, means the end of life on earth.

Russia and China, either one of which can destroy the United States, have learned that the US government is a liar and cannot be trusted. The Libyan “no-fly” policy to which Russia and China agreed turned out to be a NATO air attack on the Libyan army so that the CIA-sponsored mercenaries could prevail.

Russia and China, having learned their lesson, are protesting Washington’s assault on Syria that Washington pretends is a “civil war.” If Syria falls, Russia and China know that Iran is next.

Iran is Russia’s underbelly, and for China Iran is 20% of its energy imports. Both Russian and Chinese governments know that after Iran falls, they are next. There is no other explanation for Washington surrounding Russia with missile bases and surrounding China with naval and air bases.

Both Russia and China are now preparing for the war that they see as inevitable. Washington’s crazed, demented drive for world hegemony is bringing unsuspecting Americans up against two countries with hydrogen bombs whose combined population is five times the US population. In such a conflict everyone dies.

Considering the utterly insane government ruling in Washington, if human life exists in 2020, it will be a miracle. All the worry about future Medicare and Social Security deficits is meaningless. There will be no one here to collect the benefits.

Addendum: If the report below from RT is accurate, it seems obvious that the ignorant and evil denizens of Washington, D.C., are driving the world to World War III. http://rt.com/news/iran-troop-deployment-syria-782/

Addendum: Russia says it will not allow Syria no-fly zones.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article35318.htm

Addendum: Once again Washington demonstrates that it is home to the most stupid people on earth:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-to-send-4000-troops-to-aid-president-assad-forces-in-syria-8660358.html?printService=print

Actually in regards to BBC report posted above I must say that the quote "American people don’t even influence, much less control, the government" could be equally applied to Europeans, and given this specific situation in Syria they should be concerend, they should be seriously concerned. Islamists underground groups do exist in Europe, but I never heard of any special services work in that regard, no arrests, no anything -- it means there're no such work while it should be or they're good at hiding facts. Just think about it... hundreeds of dead meat from Europe in Syria, which means there're thousands of djundallahs from Europe, ten thousands supporters, hundreed thousands of sympathizers over multi-million audience. The problem won't go away all by itself and if the time is lost -- the only viable solution left is building concetration camps for immigrants in order to have some sort of control over European islamism.

bla-bla-blah

Their discussions focussed on how to discourage people from making the journey by raising awareness about the tough conditions on these battlefields as well as offering social support for those that have returned from war.

bla-bla-blah

http://cphpost.dk/news/national/government-tackles-online-radicalisation-and-foreign-fighters

*facepalm* wrong, Denmark, so wrong.

Actually, while it was kept pretty lo key ebcause nobody really gives a fuck in the US, it's been knwong they've been investigating the whol Syria chemcial weapons thing every since the Europeons and Israelis confirmed usage.

When they announced it, Obama said "wait now, hold up.  We've got to make sure it was them using it.  The United States needs to  study and research the issue more."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/world/middleeast/israel-says-syria-has-used-chemical-weapons.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Which was just a... strange commnet.  Did he think the Syrian rebels broke into a chemcial weapons storehouse?

Did he think it was faked by Israel/Turkey?

So it's been t least 2 months they've been looking at it.

The UN also so much isn't saying "The evidence is convincing" as it is "You can present evidence, but we're already predisposed not to believe you."

Spanish security forces broke up an Al-Qaeda linked network and arrested eight suspects in raids early Friday morning in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in north Africa, the government said. "We have broken up a network responsible for sending combatants to Al-Qaeda linked terrorist groups operating in Syria," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

http://www.afp.com/en/news/topstories/spain-detains-8-suspected-al-qaeda-linked-ring

And here's move in the right direction.

The problem is they calim to have evidence of chemical weapons being used. However it's not clear at all wich side used them.

What's the latest news from the frontlines?

^Nothing ground-breaking, though not following very closely.

On political front. Moscow sends samples of chemical weapons used by rebels to UN, Washington doubts it, blames Assad (d-oh!). Congress (surpise!) blocks Obama plan to arm Syrian rebels (I mean, legally they can't do it for now, ilegally on the other hand nothing changes). Geneva-2 has been pushed further to September, a lot of bargain behind the curtain I guess. On war front. The war is progessing as planned, big SAA offensive in Homs (the more dead meat -- the better), there're reports that SAA is surrounded in Aleppo though (even federal channel reports that, but doubt credibility, locals from Aleppo denies the fact). BTW terrorist attack in Homs, many dead and wounded.

Same old, same old -- imperialism at its finest.

BTW there's nice interview with Anhar. She's some travel agent from Syria, best known for being self-made journalist (I guess, no job for travel agent now). She was very kind to share her perosnal observations on the situation and translate, comment few reports for me (and not only me). She's been kidnapped and managed to escape recently, that made her relatively famous in Syria (see video of negotiations with terrorist I posted earlier, it's her voice behind the scene).

It's google translate, of course...

Anhar Kochneva was not known in Ukraine before the fall of last year, and then the Syrian rebels kidnapped her and asked her for a ransom of $ 50 million. However, the Ukrainian government has shown unprecedented strength of mind and did not hurry to release Kochnev.

Representatives of the Syrian diaspora even put forward the theory that her captors Bashar Assad's security forces. In general, Anhar had the most to escape from captivity, and the story of the escape of any series looks cooler adventures of James Bond. Too many took the story with skepticism Kochneva, including us.

A couple of days ago Anhar Kochneva came to our colleagues from The Dipcomment and invited her to record the interview. After some discussion we decided to put it on "Hvilya" because of its vivid account of life in Syria is an alternative view of the events in the Middle Eastern country.

You move to Syria as a reporter and what passport?

I live in Damascus ever since October 22, 2011. First came to the country in November 1999 and since then has worked and is working with Syria as a tour operator. That is my main profession - tourism. Sell ​​tours to Syria (tourists here go so far, though very little - we've got not so much bad as commonly believed) in Lebanon, Jordan. Wrote several books: the first guide to Jordan and the Russian Guide to Cairo. It feeds me and tourism. Since I absolutely free Arabic and I know the country, I work also as a producer and translator for Russian journalists. Therefore, all allegations to the effect that I'm here for the money allegedly came - the attempts of some people measure others by themselves. About 90% of the work. I am doing as a journalist, I'm doing for free. Passport I have a very ordinary.

Can you briefly describe how you were captured?

Nothing complicated: going home to Damascus from Tartus. The bag among other personal items was a swimsuit, which, together with other clothing and hygiene items stolen attackers. I take my underwear and swimsuit were vital to the revolution. So, I was riding in a taxi from the sea to their home. On the road popped up a few thugs sent to us machines. My taxi driver and accidentally picked up our companion shoved into the trunk, I was left in the cabin and drove fields - deep into the villages they seized the enclave, which was located around Quseir. Such are the methods in this leash. The driver in the first day after the kidnapping showed me he was beaten so that it was impossible to find out. She was beaten for what he Alava of Homs. That is, it was the usual radical thugs. Later, I took away from this group other bandits, they were more sane, that is, to me in this regard with them luck. But this is a very conventional "luck": I can say that. for example, the well-known Abu Saqqara (the one who ate the inside front of the camera he had killed a soldier) I saw a few times just a few meters around him.

Public organization "Syrian House" in Kharkov, in a statement said that during your abduction regime security forces are "al-Assad?"

They are lying. You know, I would urge, if possible ask these people to show their passport for that. when these people were last in Syria. I think, two feet on their former homeland was not. Otherwise, they would not carry such nonsense: we are living in Syria. good to know who is actually standing there for terror, murder and kidnapping. Personally, I have at my very wide social circle there is no one in the family who would not have killed someone or kidnapped. You know, the first two days after the abduction, I was held in a house in which there was a TV. But the TV was tuned to the satellite, which no normal Syrian channels: 7-8 of opposition. I'm not just wrote in his blog after the escape, come back through the mirror: the TV that's Through the Looking Glass and show. I'm living in Syria, and I know the truth. Example. I have many times been in Homs. I knew I was under the control of militants only a few urban areas. And show me a bouncer tear movie about "blocked completely rebellious Homs" and tells the tale someone Khaled Abu Salah, who says that this is the most besieged Homs, and I have it in the first days after the abduction through the window of my room saw. Then he went to Jordan to marry. They say that even in Moscow noted. And the TV - a miserable, sitting with torches - allegedly without light ... a lie a lie. I told stories gangsters Al Jazeera that the May 10, 2012 allegedly organized the attack the state itself and exploded some buses with corpses umorennyh prison revolutionaries ... But I was on the site of the explosion. I'm from the excavator bucket lifted all. There was only one bus ... small bus. which were burned alive who were traveling to school students ... I mean. if you watch all these channels. You can become a kid. All Syrian normal channels of satellite discarded. For what? To those who do not live in Syria, calmly ate what they are fed by the enemies of Syria? Other explanation I personally have not.

We have to go and see what we have here and how do we have here. Tickets cost about $ 500. Come and see: opposition channels lie. I myself saw the bandits kidnapped them beaten man recorded video and shouting pro-government slogans. Guess one time, it was presented as a video? Of course, this is an evil army of people stealing and beating them.

Alas, I was kidnapped Dzhibhat Nusra, after two days spent in the rest of them I was 149 days at the head voenshtaba Farouk Brigades. They were also struck in the captive for 53 days, two Russians and an Italian ...

Standing the blame on habit is not very useful, so to speak. Like, adults in Kharkov, and do not understand the simple things ...

In your stories many gaps: the kidnappers put Ukraine expense of $ 50 million, and then the figure was less, and then suddenly you manage to escape? If you're standing so expensive, why you did not guard, respectively - this issue has sent us a skeptic, a native of Syria in Ukraine, he is one of the most ardent supporters of the Syrian government's policy with regard to the armed opposition?

I do not particularly guarded. I have the same one group from another selected. Told me that they want to kill me first, and therefore are looking for. And in my best interest to sit where I was being held without revealing themselves. In our house there were people who had no idea. that in addition to the two guards in the house lives a third party.

Those were the days. When my guards slept almost all the daylight hours. That is, in fact, if I had gone then I would be enough only for the evening. I carried out a diary. It says, when someone how much woke up when I was left completely and one ton. § In recent days, just the security was strengthened: in "my" group having trouble relating to al-Qaeda Dzhiyubhat Nusra. As the head of the group that kept me at home, have been Qaida in line for elimination (yes, they do kill each other), he exhibited at the house armed. And this protection was located near the exit of the house, where they kept me. In the future could be even worse, so I ran away to a time when it was still possible to be there and when it became increasingly dangerous, I decided that in the end they will kill me and try to blame the crime on the army (as this is the "home of Syria "tried to hang on the State to my abduction - technology perfected).

Of course, the chance to get out was negligible. But out of the house there was a problem. We had to just have the courage, and I do not take her from childhood. Just open the door and go past the gate, behind which sat guard. The most difficult part was to get out of a gangster enclave. And just then there was a non-human act of luck: I have taken out on a boat the locals I met, having about 9 km.

Audacity. decisiveness, ability to use your head, not in order that the user has + luck.

About 40 days ago I first came to the house from which I fled. With me were journalists channel "Inter" I found it easy, and two houses in that village where I was held, and then found a home in Quseir - I lived there for 8 days. She took off her interview with the people who have helped me to evacuate. I will make an amateur documentary.

You managed to avoid almost death, why did you decide to risk their lives and go back to Syria, again with what passport?

I have a passport, I repeat, the most common. Where else can I have a passport other than the one issued to the Visa Office? Is it that he now had a new: my old passport. phone and camera were the bandits.

As for the risk, if I really want to kill, they can do it anywhere, right? I was not afraid or during the abduction. or during captivity. Why should I be afraid of some thugs after she became free again? Especially because not long ago I was on the phone with the man who held me. Joke - a good laugh. He told me that Dzhibhat Nusra stabbed the two guards. from which I slipped away. He personally against me does not hold: so far I have not said anything wrong. I say what that was and is. I've been doing psychology in 1988, I was able to build a more or less respectful relationship with those with whom I was. And if there is a situation where they get into the environment, I am ready to act as a mediator in the negotiations of surrender. I know these people, I understand. who they are and whatever they think. There are both full of thugs and people who just went out there and did not become criminals, thinking that they are involved in a good business. Some of the people I saw there, I do not want to die. In principle, this is no different from the position of the president of Syria, we want to. people pay for their mistakes by law, and then return to their parents. Here, the two men who were killed because of my escape, Al Qaeda, I certainly would not want the death. It's just lost souls. Which, I think, it was still possible to return to a normal life.

How do you assess the current situation in Syria as a person who is directly side by side with armed men - by government soldiers.

The bandits have become a political bankruptcy. bankrupt and militarily, and they understand it very well. Understand that without intervention they have no chance. After all, just because of the Trojan horse in the form of a "Annan Plan" bandits managed to capture the towns from which they are now forced to beat Army. The plan meant the complete withdrawal of troops from population centers. Army withdrew and towns and parts of towns were immediately captured by bandits. We Nastya Popova from Russian "Vesti-24" in November 2011 were at the center of Homs, in the governor's office. They were driving through the city ... After the implementation of the Annan plan and so far in these neighborhoods can not get - get killed. That there are now bandits. Which, by the way, hide behind the human shield of the power held by them civilians. You say, great warriors - chop off part of the city? Alas: capturing peaceful neighborhoods, which the UN has made the throw without the protection of the army, it is not courage and military skill. Not satisfied if Syria UN conditions imposed on it - there would be a situation where the bandits have smoke and punch out of the settlements. But the army is still in fact stronger. And the people in the majority on the side of the army. Because what people want? Stability, and it can give only the state, not a bunch of armed men, kill the dogs and birds of anything better to do. I'm 5 months, consider lived under the rule of the most revolutionaries. You know, I really do not want the horror came across the country.

Why did you fail to establish direct contacts with the Ukrainian channels interested in such an experienced partner like you? There are some pitfalls ...

I'm always open for cooperation, let address, we have a video and a photo of what's really going on here. The main thing - to want to tell their viewers and readers the truth. I than I can - help. Now gradually collect on a separate site its publications, photos and videos, an interview with me. To have everything in one place for easy reference. There are dozens of publications. In different languages. It is always possible to join this list of publications. The company is quite solid.

Last question, what is happening in Syria, after two years of civil war, as is the daily life?

It is important to understand exactly what is happening in Syria. Alas, the TV almost does not give true and complete picture. Opposition channels openly lie (I was doing a report on how on the captured airfield agricultural training aircraft bandits were painted in different colors and were issued for government aircraft shot down, each time for a different). Syrian television ejected from the satellites and it can only look inside Syria. A foreign journalists in pursuit of sensation and heroic picture shoot tanks, ruins, shooting ...

But this is not what the country lives. At 200 meters from the place where he was shot ruined house can be a crowded market or crowded cafe visitors. Also in Homs, all of which are working on the government-controlled area businesses, shops, schools and hospitals. I am sitting at home, watching TV (I have Russian and Arab channels), work on the internet, I drink coffee and eat cakes, which are now falling due course the Syrian lira sold 10 pieces of $ 2.

The country lives. The country is mostly intact and will not go away. Operating hotels in the same Damascus and the coastal zone. Just live there than foreign tourists, and temporary migrants from troubled areas. It takes a military operation - people are returning to their home. Places in cheap hotels Damascus is not available. But the cost of living in, say, 3 * fell from $ 80-100 per room up to 15-20. In those places where law and order are working museums. Intact the vast majority of the Syrian tourist attractions (the variety and quantity of Syria has no equal in the world). That is, the country is more or less okay, she lives. People are tired of what is happening. Bandits killed already, apparently, more than 300 000 people (as strenuously silent in a rag UN and the notorious Syrian foreign opposition). Yes, it is hard when the whole world deceived and drawn into the anti-Syrian company focused on the destruction of the country. But stood in the same time Cuba? Sanctions, embargoes. And Syria is not Cuba, Syria - a country with a developed economy. So, the chances to survive and win she has.

http://hvylya.org/interview/politics2/anhar-kochneva-bolshaya-chast-naroda-sirii-podderzhivaet-asada.html

Well, as those of you who follow the events might have know already, there's a lot of talks about bigger US military involvement after recent chemical attack in Syria, which is worth a small update in the thread.

I'm remembering similar events that lead to another war or two. So called Racak massacre, which independent investigation report, that effectively put in doubt official version, cost a lot of diplomatic efforts and political will, but nevertheless misteriously vanished afterwards. Or that WMD dossier that some suggest was the reason behind mysterious death of UN inspector, D.Kelly, even though his involvement was minimal. Even this alone might make regular, far from consipracy people suspicious about whatever J.Kerry is going to reveal. Not so long ago, information about alleged chemical attack provocation surfaced the net. Rumor it is, that should be taken with mountain of salt, but what have made it more believable for me is the mention of certain British PMC, that crossed my radar not for the first time due to it's legally questionable activity in Somali. Nevertheless who did that and why, decide that for yourself, as usual there're many contradictory opinions.

My working hypothesis, they are just trying to solidify their position before Geneva-2 if it ever happens. Full blown invasion is absoluteley out of question here, only viable platzdarm could be Jordan, but I never heard of any worth noting movement from over there, while preparations for such operation might take months (almost a year in case of Iraq). Airstrikes possible but doubtful.

too many bumbling idiots in power, especially in the US. the end result is not going to be good for anyone.

i saw the pics of the dead people and babies from the gas attack it was revolting and reminded me of nazi gas camps, just disgusting and deplorable.

dark days ahead, i think we all can agree on that.