Middle East

Kucinich: Top 10 Unproven Claims for War Against Syria

"In the lead-up to the Iraq War, I researched, wrote and circulated a document to members of Congress which explored unanswered questions and refuted President Bush's claim for a cause for war. The document detailed how there was no proof Iraq was connected to 9/11 or tied to al Qaeda's role in 9/11, that Iraq neither had WMDs nor was it a threat to the U.S., lacking intention and capability to attack. Unfortunately, not enough members of Congress performed due diligence before they approved the war. Here are some key questions which President Obama has yet to answer in the call for congressional approval for war against Syria." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKucinich: Top 10 Unproven Claims for War Against Syria

Iran’s foreign minister condemns Holocaust on Facebook

"'We condemn the massacre of Jews by the Nazis, and we condemn the massacre of Palestinians by the Zionists,' Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Facebook page, where he published the text of an interview he gave to the Tasnim news agency. [On Twitter, Zarif said]: 'Iran never denied it (the Holocaust). The man who was perceived to be denying it is now gone. Happy New Year.' The controversial Ahmadinejad was succeeded as president by Hassan Rowhani, who won a surprise election victory over five conservatives on June 14." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIran’s foreign minister condemns Holocaust on Facebook

Iranian Military Chief: ‘We Will Support Syria To The End’

"Iran will support Syria 'until the end' in the face of possible US-led military strikes, the chief of Iran's elite Quds Force unit was quoted Thursday by the media as saying. Iran is Syria's main regional ally and some analysts believe a wider goal of US President Barack Obama's determination to launch a strike against the Damascus regime is to blunt Tehran's growing regional influence and any consequent threat to Washington ally Israel. President Hassan Rowhani said Iran will do 'everything to prevent' an attack on the Syrian regime, according to extracts from statements he made before the Assembly of Experts published in the media." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIranian Military Chief: ‘We Will Support Syria To The End’

Official: Potential Syria strikes could include long-range bombers

"Aircraft including long-range bombers may be used in any eventual strike on Syria, but 'that does not fundamentally change the parameters of the mission,' a U.S. official said. The official was responding to a report from ABC News' Jonathan Karl that said the U.S. attack plan for Syria could potentially include missiles fired from B-2 and B-52 bombers flying from the United States. The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, has reported that the Pentagon was preparing to employ greater firepower to reach shifting military targets. The revised options under development include the use of Air Force bombers to supplement U.S. destroyers in the Mediterranean, the newspaper said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOfficial: Potential Syria strikes could include long-range bombers

Report: Assad agreed to quit on own conditions, US refused

"An Iraqi official close to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told Lebanese newspaper Al-Mustaqbal that Syrian President Bashar Assad agreed to step down from power on his own conditions. Acording to the report, Assad's conditions were that elections were to be held almost immediately and that he would be immune from any international legal prosecution. Nonetheless, the report claimed that the US refused." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReport: Assad agreed to quit on own conditions, US refused

Russia warns of nuclear disaster if Syria is hit

"A military strike on Syria could lead to a nuclear catastrophe if a missile were to hit a reactor containing radioactive uranium, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman warned. The remark comes as the US continues to push for a military strike on Syria. 'If a warhead, by design or by chance, were to hit the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) near Damascus, the consequences could be catastrophic,' Aleksandr Lukashevich said in a Wednesday statement. Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to complete a risk evaluation as the US continues to seek support for military action." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRussia warns of nuclear disaster if Syria is hit

China Officially Backs Russia On Syria, Warns On Global Economy

"China warned on Thursday that military intervention in Syria would hurt the world economy and push up oil prices, reinforcing Vladimir Putin’s attempts to talk US President Barack Obama out of air strikes. 'Military action would have a negative impact on the global economy, especially on the oil price – it will cause a hike in the oil price,' Chinese vice-finance minister Zhu Guangyao told a briefing before the start of the G20 leaders’ talks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina Officially Backs Russia On Syria, Warns On Global Economy

Brutality of Syrian Rebels Posing Dilemma in West

"As the United States debates whether to support the Obama administration’s proposal that Syrian forces should be attacked for using chemical weapons against civilians, this video, shot in the spring of 2012, joins a growing body of evidence of an increasingly criminal environment populated by gangs of highwaymen, kidnappers and killers. Across much of Syria, where rebels with Western support live and fight, areas outside of government influence have evolved into a complex guerrilla and criminal landscape. That has raised the prospect that American military action could inadvertently strengthen Islamic extremists and criminals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBrutality of Syrian Rebels Posing Dilemma in West

Decentralize to Neutralize Turmoil in Middle East

"The international community—which includes many multi-tribal, ethnic, racial, or sectarian states—frowns on solutions that formally or implicitly break up states. Many have their own minorities that might be encouraged to break away. Thus, arguments are used that it’s a form of apartheid or that boundaries cannot be drawn exactly and will always leave some unfortunate souls on the other side of the line. In South Africa, apartheid was forced separation using armed might of a minority against a majority. In Iraq and Libya, such decentralized governance would have to be voluntary and would reflect existing ethno-sectarian or tribal areas, respectively." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDecentralize to Neutralize Turmoil in Middle East

Poll: Majority Of Americans Approve Of Sending Congress To Syria

"As President Obama continues to push for a plan of limited military intervention in Syria, a New York Times/CBS News poll showed that though just 1 in 4 Americans believe that the United States has a responsibility to intervene in the Syrian conflict, more than 90 percent of the public is convinced that putting all 535 representatives of the United States Congress on the ground in Syria—including Senate pro tempore Patrick Leahy, House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and, in fact, all current members of the House and Senate—is the best course of action at this time." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPoll: Majority Of Americans Approve Of Sending Congress To Syria