Do you believe any of the rhetoric, spin and propaganda regarding Syria? Tuesday it was the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war; a now widely acknowledged illegal war. There have been reports of widescale corruption. Money given by the USA, and others, for rebuilding either stolen or missing. Areas of Iraq crippled.

Already, however, the west has no eyes for Iraq as it set its sights on Syria, the next target.

The Syrian civil war looks set to become a war involving foreign forces. The west and Israel want rid of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. How they achieve this end is debateable. Currently they are attempting to sell costly action in Syria on the basis that it is a humanitarian effort. Of course it is not. Relieving the humanitarian crisis may be an effect of intervention but it is not a cause.

Tuesday there were reports that the Syrian National Coalition opposition elected naturalized US citizen Ghassan Hitto as interim prime minister. His mission is to form an interim government.

An American as interim leader? What a surprise, says she with heavy sarcasm.

This man has lived in Dallas for many years. He was elected at the Syrian exile opposition group meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. So he was not elected by the people, who may not want him. Of course he may only be a temporary measure but do not forget Afghanistan. That country is led by one of America's puppets, Hamid Karzai.

The press continue to claim that the Syrian National Coalition is now recognized as the legitmate government of Syria by 100 countries, but that statement is meaningless. 100 countries could recognise any rebels as the legitimate leaders of a country and topple any number of regimes.

In the west we may believe that our way, democracy, is the best way but that does not mean it necessarily is. Are we that arrogant that we cannot accept this world has a place for diversity? Tribal nations such as those in the middle east need purpose made governments.

Hitto, who was born in Damascus, the capital of Syria, in 1963, was elected by 35 out of 48 votes and selected from 12 candidates. No unanimous win then. Other candidates came close which could mean the rebels are still divided. The candidates included Assad Mustafa, who served as a minister of agriculture under Bashar al-Assad’s predecessor and father.

You may think the vote is legitimate but consider this, some of those eligible to vote left the meeting before the voting began. Their gripe was western influence.  "He{Hitto} is a practical man with management experience and is open to debate. He promised to consult widely before naming ministers and only appoint those with a long experience," reports The Telegraph.

The hope is that Hitto will unite the rebels under one leader, albeit temporarily. Currently they are spilt into factions including jihadists, a cause for concern to the west and Syrians. Hitto may or may not be the right man for the job. Two things are certain. One is that the USA is pulling the strings in Syria. Two the west, but particularly the USA, will oust Assad one way or another.

Will they leave behind a peaceful new nation or a crippled Syria, useless on the world stage? If it is the latter will it be mission accomplished?

Source:
US Citizen Is Picked as Syria Opposition's Prime Minister

This report is going to sound harsh but it is not. It is realistic. British news channels Wednesday ran images of just a few of the refugees displaced by the Syrian civil war. The old, young and vulnerable left homeless due to the ongoing crisis in Syria.

As the images touch your heart remember that it is part of the media bandwagon to ease us into war.

UK foreign Secretary William Hague today pledged an increase in aid to the Syrian rebels, insurgents, opposition, free Syrian army, or call them what you will. The UN is pleading with countries to send aid to help the humanitarian aid effort in Syria but Hague is opting to send military style vests and armoured vehicles. According to the BBC,

Will this help the refugees? It may if Syrian President Assad is ousted but that will depend on who or what replaces him. Hague did not have a free ride in parliament and his announcement of aid to the rebels angered some. That will not prevent him acting to help the rebels though. Hague has already said that armoured vehicles and protective clothing for the rebels are only a first step.

Certainly some of the political talk is spin and propaganda aimed at outfoxing Assad but make no mistake Britain is upping its involvement in Syria. Is it about oil, money and power rather than humanitarian aid?

At time of writing a breaking news story by the BBC that around 20 UN observers are being held by armed Syrian rebels speaks oodles, if it is true. Yet these are the people the West wants to support and fund.

How about sending humanitarian aid and leaving the Syrian civil war to play out?  That is without covert interference also.

William Hague and his government ministers expect the British people to endure a new bedroom tax, austerity and more but there is always money for conflict. It will be sold to Brits as indirect humanitarian aid but it is not. Few people in the UK wuld object to direct help to ease the suffering of the refugees, that will not be the case for rebel support.

Related reading:
Britain's "Nasty Party" pushes for secret courts
Syria's Assad accuses Britain of bullying, as Hague considers arming rebels
UK foreign secretary William Hague: Don't mention the Iraq war

An airbase which has been used to launch helicopter attcks on rebels in Syria has been taken the FSA, Free Syrian Army, reports,the BBC. Footage appears to show fierce fighting at the Taftanaz airport, in north western Syria, but the video footage has not been verified. The airtbase is a strategic military airbase used by the Syrian authorities.

As the fighting ensues talks are uinderway in Geneva.  US top brass and Russian officials are attending the talks beimg held with the UN envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi. The discussion is expected to be about how to bring forward a peace plane for Syria, but it is doubtful that a diplomatic resolution will be found.

The FSA attacking the airbase are being led by jihadist groups al-Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham and the Islamic Vanguard. Videos to support the claims have been posted online but as always these are impossible to verify and date. One report claims that the fighting ended around 11:00 local time (09:00 GMT).

Only 20 helicopters are left at the base, claim the rebels, and they maintain these are no longer operational. The Syrian army have moved other helicopters elsewhere.There are reports of casualties and a heavy response by the Syrian military. According to the the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), the FSA is now in complete control of the base.

"Many regime forces have been killed and most of the soldiers and officers fled at dawn," Rami Abdul Rahman told the AFP news agency. "This is the largest airbase to be seized since the revolt began." reported the BBC.

The Syrian army have launched airstrikes and the LCC reported that a warplane had bombed the nearby town of Taftanaz. According to the LCC 53 people have been killed across the country Friday, including 40 people in Nahat al-Houl in the north-western province of Hassakeh. It is still early in the day.

OPINION
Picking through the propaganda and spin is never easy. Reporting restrictions remain tight in Syria. Each side, with a vested interest, is telling news stories in a way which suits. The one constant is that people are dying.

Relations between Turkey and Syria have continued to plummet this week. The latest incident tonight involved a Syrian passenger flight over Turkey. The plane was forced to land in Ankara Turkey.

The plane was on route from Moscow to Syria when Turkish fighter jets forced it to land at Ankara airport in Turkey. The reason given was that intelligence reports indicated that the plane was carrying "non-civilian cargo".

The 35 passengers on board have disembarked and Turkish authorities are now searching the plane. State run Turkish television have been told that the plane is suspected of carrying "certain equipment in breach of civil aviation rules".

As the crisis deepens the USA have sent a military task force to Jordan. This is allegedly to monitor the situation, help aid efforts and keep a check on the safety of Syria's chemical weapon stash.

OPINION: More secrets and lies. Turkey is supporting the rebels. The West is supporting the rebels. The US is supporting the rebels. Russia and China appear to be on the side of the Syrian regime. Just who the rebels are is not known. What foreign forces are at work in Syria, Turkey and beyond is also unclear.

We seem happy to befriend countries with poor human rights records if there is something in it for us. Right now we, the West, want change in Syria. Maybe the majority of Syrians do also.

How would we respond if rebel forces launched an uprising against the authorities in our lands? We all know the answer to that one.

The West is playing a dangerous game in order to satisfy its own agenda. The plight of the people of Syria is just a side headline. We should never forget that in this region there are also Iran and Israel with another set of issues which are proving impossibe to resolve,

The National Health Service in the UK has many staff who are not native Britons. Doctors in particular come from a wide range of countries, including those in the Middle East, Syria and Iraq. The NHS relies on these foreign workers. Without them currently it would not be able to function.

Today there have been reports that a terror suspect has been arrested as he entered the UK via Heathrow Airport, London. There are claims that he is, or was, an NHS doctor.

The 26-year-old man arrived in the UK from Egypt. He was accompanied by a 26-year-old British woman. He had worked in the UK for the NHS but had taken a sabbatical. What he was up to during that sabbatical is now the question.

The British authorities believe that during his time away from work he was in Syria heading a terrorist organisation. Such groups in Syria have increasingly had members from other countries or former citizens who have travelled back home. The groups are helping those who want to remove President Assad from Syria.

The allegations against this man are that he was heavily involved in the terorist group which shot and kidnapped a British photographer in Syria in July 2012. Dutchman Jeroen Oerlemans was also captured and held captive along with the veteran phographer, John Cantlie. Both men were released after a week or so.

Mr Cantile was injured during his capture and he claims that a member of the gang said he had worked as a doctor for the UK NHS. In the end he treat Mr Cantile's wounds.

There have been many reports of supporters of the Syrian rebels leaving the UK to actively work on the ground in Syria. For some it will remain home. They may also have family still living in that country. For others they  may have their own reasons for wanting President Assad removed from Office.

The two who were arrested at Heathrow are both British residents. Police investigations are ongoing. Under the prevention of Terrorism Act police have conducted searches of two residential properties in London.

In conflicts it is so often the young and the old who suffer most. Yes, all generations suffer but those at either end of life are the most vulnerable, and least able to protect and nourish themselves. In the case of young people there are additional concerns.The children of Syria are a prime example. Living in an unstable country many children are lacking basic education, nourishment and care. Those in their formative years will be learning little apart from hate and an unsatisfied need.

Whatever is going on in Syria, be it a revolution by the people, an uprising by a minority of citizens or a created conflict by outside forces, there will be many losers. A protracted period of unrest is not productive to anyone.

By the time this conflict is resolved the infrastructure of Syria will be wrecked, buildings destroyed, lives lost, and hearts hardened forever, We will have sympathy for the children living through this terrible time in Syria's history but once they become violent teenagers or adults we will not. Yet in many cases they will have grown into the type of person they are because of this conflict.

We are already seeing in Libya and Egypt that once dictators are ousted it is not plain sailing. Without knowing who is going to take over interfering in such civil wars in merely destructive.Yes foreign forces such as the US, the UK, Germany or whoever may feel happier knowing that Gaddafi, for example, has gone but are the people really any better off?

Today Sky News has carried a report on those who have fled the conflict in Syria. More than 250,000 Syrians have fled the country. At least half of the Syrians in refugee camps are children. That is a sad and sorry state of affairs. They may be away from the direct harm of conflict but their lives will not be good.

In Islahiye, Turkey, 4,500 children are reliant on the Turkish authorities for the basics of life, that is water and food. Their lives for now are played out in a "tent city" behind a barbed wire fence. Whilst it is good that these refugees have shelter it is a prison. The adults are not allowed to work. They can only leave the camp for a few hours each day..

Not all children though have parents with them. There are some children who are alone. Orphans whose parents have died in the conflict. The longer the Syrian uprising continues the tougher it will be for these children. They have already had to grow up fast.

How will they cope with adulthood, assuming that they survive.

Secrets and lies

It has been more of the same in Syria this week. There have been deaths on all sides, rebels and regime supporters, There has been killing by the hands of both sides, rebels and regime supporters. This week though events have taken Syria a step closer to all out war.

Early in the week TEK reported on video footage broadcast in the UK apparently showing rebels brutally killing pro regime militia. There was no verification but it was hard to cover up the shootings as they were so graphically captured on a mobile phone and uploaded to the Internet. There has been more killing by the regime, done in the name of stopping terrorism and more.

Finally yesterday August 2, 2012 UN special envoy for the Arab League in Syria Mr Kofi Annan resigned in frustration at his inability to make any inroads in the Syrian conflict.

The World was left wondering what now for Syria?, and today we are beginning to find out what the country's future could be.

It is no secret that Syria will never be an easy problem to solve. World leaders such as those in Russia, China, the US, The UK and beyond all have their own agendas. This means that all will view Syria in a different way. 

Israel wants Assad and his regime ousted. That does not necessarily mean the majority of Syrian people do. After all it should be they who ultimately decide the future of their own country.

The West continues to say that it supports democracy and Assad as a non elected dictator should go. That may be true but it must surely be up to the people of Syria to decide. The West has chosen to ignore many similar regimes which are dictatorships. We do not interfere in Russia, China, Korea et al demanding democracy, do we?

We choose which middle eastern country to interfere in as far as democracy goes, don't we? Atrocities continue in Bahrain, for example, but remain off the mainstream media's radar for most of the time.

The Syrian civil war is hard to assess but the situation has worsened. The problem is that the Regime still attempts to ban media reporting from Syria. The rebels are made up of at least two hard line groups, at odds with each other.

The West is over confident about what it can do in Syria, following its apparent success in Libya. Syria is not Libya though. Many are starting to wonder just why the west appears to want a broken Middle East. A region which will be unstable.Is it all part of a master plan involving Iran?

The day after Mr Annan's resignation already western leaders are plotting. In the UK foreign Secretary William Hague has announced that the UK will step up its practical help for the Syrian rebels. Just when and why we begun to support rebels around the world is not clear. It will not be for the reasons given, such as to widen democracy, but rather for a hidden agenda.

Mr Hague has said that Britain is giving its support to the Syrian rebels but in truth he should have said, "The British Government is giving support" This blogger for one does not want more conflict in her name. Hague told media sources that he would make more announcements in the coming days and weeks. For now he has said that the UKs help will be "mainly advice and expertise, help with communications and capacity to plan."

Hague denied that there would be any "boots" on ground or weapons involved. However we have heard all of that before, in Libya for example. When such a person lies continually you tend to look at all such announcements with more than a touch of scepticism.

Hague went on to say that Great Britain will be asking other countries to tighten their sanctions on Syria. He also said that human rights abuses would be noted, no doubt for war crime trials at a future date. Will that include abuses by all sides? 

Whilst we agree with Hague that the Syrian people were not happy with Assad by and large we are less believing of his other claims. According to Hague there has been no foreign intervention in Syria, period. Reports that some Libyan rebels had joined the Syrian rebels, that members of the American CIA and others were in Syria and that some in the West were manipulating the situation were simply not true, according to Hague. Mr Hague claims that is all a myth started by Assad.

To convince most people Mr Hague will have to prove that his words are true and we doubt he could do that, even if it were possible to try. In Libya we were told much the same but the truth was we were guiding and directing the rebels. 

Today also the US Security Council will hold another vote on Syria. This time it will be to condemn its own Security Council for failing to end the unrest. 

So what now for Syria. Tough sanctions which will hit the people as much as the regime and western interference in a civil war? That after all is what is happening. Will it go that step further though? Are we looking at the start of World War Three?

Related reading here

UK SkyNews aired a shocking video from Syria today. Throughout the day the video was shown again and again. No matter how many times you viewed it the graphic footage made for uncomfortable viewing.

As yet the footage has not been verified but if it is what it seems then there is little hope for Syria.

The first time the footage was shown it appeared to involve a handful of the Syrian regime's pro-militia. The men were unarmed and bloodied. Some were not fully dressed. Amidst a hungry mob shouting for blood the men were unceremoniously pushed against a wall where they fell to the ground. What followed was murder. It cannot be called an execution.

The mob of rebels continued to shout as a couple of them began to fire into the men. Rapid fire was heard for more than 30 seconds. When the shooting stopped a still image displayed the heap of mangled bodies.

As today progressed further footage was posted online. The source remains unclear. This time it was footage leading up to the shootings It showed the victims in a very sorry state appearing to confess to killing Syrian people. The men were already severely beaten which means that their confessions mean nothing. Most of us would admit to anything in certain circumstances. The rebels however believe that the confessions justify the killings and the way in which they were carried out.

Condemnation of the Free Syria Army's actions has hardly been aired. As usual the West makes excuses for the rebels. Yes no doubt the opposition has done worse, but what does that mean?. The truth is that if the footage is accurate it was the work of a lawless gang. It was the work of people who would be no better should they manage to free Syria of President Bashar Assad and his regime.

It has been noted that many of the weapons used by the rebels have been supplied by Saudi Arabia. That country will have no desire for democracy in Syria. It may however have a desire to oust Assad. There are also allegations that the US is more than a bystander in this civil war.

The Geneva Convention may be unrealistic in such conflicts but it offers some protection to our troops. This is not the first instance of wrong doing by the rebels and no doubt it will not be the last. In the heat of conflict the rag tag army is undisciplined and dangerous. In the West we are choosing to ignore that.

Allowing the rule of law to be lost to suit ones own ends is a dangerous game. It may be that it is never regained.

Hypocrisy and name calling by the West, Russia et al will not help the people of Syria.

NOTE: SkyNews still has not verified the footage.

As Arab League Ministers call for President Bashar Assad to go, even offering safe passage for Assad and his family, Syrian rebels close in. The situation in Syria continues to worsen by the hour and life for ordinary citizens must be a daily struggle.

As rebels press ever closer to the current seat of power in Syria once again questions are raised about just who the rebels are? 

In the West mainstream media tends to report on the Free Syrian Army (FSA), as the only rebels gaining ground. They are not alone though. There is also  the Salafis, a rival group made up of hardline Islamists. They are looking for the creation of a Syrian Sharia Sate if and when Assad steps down or is ousted. These two groups of rebels are each made up of two factions, working against each other.

Those in Syria and in the West who want Assad ousted must surely be considering what his exit could mean. Currently the alternative to the Assad regime is conflict. Conflict to remove him and conflict between warring factions until the strongest force wins. The FSA claim that the opposing rebels have the benefit of foreign money which is swelling their arsenals. Do we believe that the FSA is not getting money and more from the West? No we do not.

Both rebel sides will have their foreign supporters. So will the Assad regime, although right now they also have the wealth of Syria.

As Assad continues to ignore calls for him to step down regime Forces have today, July 23, 2012, gone on the offensive once more. They have been driving FSA rebel forces out of Damascus.

Whilst the West purports to support the rebels at least verbally there are many causes for concern.

Israel has voiced its worries over the stash of chemical weapons it believes the Assad regime to hold. These include mustard gas and sarin nerve agents. Its fear is that if the Assad regime topples an "unknown quantity" will have access to or control of such weapons. If those who replace Assad are hardline Islamists will they want to attack Israel or is that just scaremongering?

The West will look to Russia who has exercised its veto all too often in UN votes regarding Syria, to provide Some form of control of armaments. 

The Assad regime has also threatened that outside aggression against them may be met with chemical warfare. A frightening prospect. It could be bluff but who would want to take the risk? The regime continues to maintain that such weapons will not be used against its own people though.

European arms embargoes placed on the Assad regime have been tightened today. How much effect they will have is not known. 

A heavy presence of US forces in the strait of Hormuz are aimed at sending a clear message to Iran. Many believe that Iranian leaders could see a political vacuum in Syria as a positive.

Countries such as Turkey, that border Syria, are waiting with bated breath. They are expecting refugees and more. They too have a reason to fear a hardline Islamist neighbour it seems.

All in all Syria is in a state of virtual collapse. Still Assad clings to power. It is doubtful that he will accept today's offer of a safe exit from the Arab League. Where he would go is unknown. 

Time is running out for Assad but he may, like a ship's captain, choose to go down with his ship. If he does he will take many with him.

Tags: Syrian end game, chemical weapons, Arab League, World politics, Syrian politics, Assad, rebels

The Middle Eastern country of Syria has been torn apart during the last year. The Arab Spring of 2012 which heralded change in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya spread from one country to another. Syria has experienced a virtual civil war during the last year but President Bashir Assad has clung on to power. Whilst his restrictive dictatorship will not suit all Syrians it is claimed that he still has support from the majority.

So much remains a puzzle in this strange conflict. Who are the rebels? What sort of government could they form? Are outside forces at work behind the scenes? How many people have actually been killed by the Assad regime and how many by the rebels?

,Around 11,500 people have died during this uprising. Syria is proving to be a difficult problem to solve. The West claim that Russia is supplying the regime with weapons and more. A shipment of helicopters heading for the Syrian regime was intercepted in Scotland last week. Who is supplying the rebels with arms though?

In the last week a Turkish plane which it is thought strayed into Syrian airspace was downed and reports of defections by senior military personnel have continued. Whether these defections are real is hard to assess. In such troubling times propaganda is used by all sides.

Today an email received by TEK;s Peter B Meter makes for interesting reading.:

"Syria: US in hypocrisy of the highest order, and in a crime against humanity."

"The New York Times claims that, "the C.I.A. officers have been in southern Turkey for several weeks, in part to help keep weapons out of the hands of fighters allied with Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, one senior American official said," an unsubstantiated claim that was similarly made in Libya before Al Qaeda flags were run up poles in Benghazi by rebels flush with NATO cash and arms used to collapse the government of Muammar Qaddafi. In fact, it is confirmed that Libyan LIFG rebels, led by Al Qaeda commander Abdul Hakim Belhaj, have now made their way by the hundreds to Syria (and here). 

Despite months of the US claiming the "international community" sought to end the violence and protect the population of Syria, the New York Times now admits that the US is engaged in supporting a "military campaign" against the Syrian government aimed at increasing "pressure" on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Efforts to impose an arms embargo on Syria is now revealed to be one-sided, aimed at giving rebels an advantage in the prolonged bloodbath with the intent on tipping the balance in favor of Western proxy-forces - not end the violence as soon as possible as claimed by the UN, and in particular, Kofi Annan.

The Times also reported that Turkey has been directly delivering weapons to terrorists operating in Syria - Turkey being a NATO member and implicating NATO as now being directly involved in perpetuating bloodshed in the Middle Eastern nation. For months, Turkey has been allowing terrorists to use its border region as a refuge from which to stage attacks against Syria.

Despite this, however, the so-called "Free Syrian Army," according to the New York Times, consists of only 100 or so small formations made up of  "a handful of fighters to a couple of hundred combatants," betraying the narrative that the Syrian government faces a large popular uprising, and revealing that the "Free Syrian Army" is in fact a small collection of mercenaries, foreign fighters, and sectarian extremists, armed, funded, and directed by foreign interests solely to wreak havoc within Syria. It should be noted that these terrorist proxies were organized as early as 2007 by the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, specifically to enact regime change and transform Syria into a Western client regime.  

As the West's propaganda campaign imploded after a torrent of unsubstantiated claims of "massacres" and "atrocities," all unverified, some in fact being revealed as the work of the West's sectarian proxies themselves,  it appears that sidelining Syria in headlines while pursuing a clandestine proxy war is now the tactic of choice for the time being. 

For the United States to claim Syria has "failed" to protect it population while simultaneously fueling the very armed conflict it claims it is seeking to end is not only hypocrisy of the highest order, but a crime against world peace - punishable under the Nuremberg precedent."

Whilst it is true that some of the reports linked here are not current, as in today's news, they are relevant to Syria. Some may be unverified or more propaganda but they all pose interesting questions. More than one points the finger at the US and appears to be a verified report.

Syria is a conflict which could easily take the World into its third global war. Is that what we really want?

Related reading:
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/middleeast/index.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9334707/US-holds-high-level-talks-with-Syrian-rebels-seeking-weapons-in-Washington.html