About that Syrian "Civil War"...
I'm sure you are all aware of the brave struggles of desperate freedom fighters in Syria who toil to free themselves from the grasp of that evil dictator Assad. Well, as it turns out, that story may not be entirely accurate. Much more likely is that it's entirely made-up out of whole cloth... particularly now that we've got the smoking gun(s).
First, we have a press conference which is going viral. Now this guy speaking is not just any old person. This is former Quatar Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani. He oversaw Syria operations on behalf of Qatar until 2013.
In an interview with Qatari TV Wednesday, bin Jaber al-Thani revealed that his country, alongside Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States, began shipping weapons to jihadists from the very moment events "first started" (in 2011).
Al-Thani even likened the covert operation to "hunting prey" - the prey being President Assad and his supporters - "prey" which he admits got away (as Assad is still in power; he used a Gulf Arabic dialect word, "al-sayda", which implies hunting animals or prey for sport). Though Thani denied credible allegations of support for ISIS, the former prime minister's words implied direct Gulf and US support for al-Qaeda in Syria (al-Nusra Front) from the earliest years of the war, and even said Qatar has "full documents" and records proving that the war was planned to effect regime change.
This is high level and knowledgeable government acknowledgement that the "civil war" was, in fact, bought & paid for by the US & Allies. In other words, it's not a civil war. It's a foreign invasion.
But hey, why should anyone trust those shifty-eyed guys in turbans from Quatar, right? Let's ask the NSA all about it -- courtesy of Edward Snowden:
What's being documented here is that the Saudis were directly commanding the attack on a civilian target. Roughly 60 civilians died. The US knew about it.
According to the document, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was ordered to "light up Damascus" and "flatten" the Syrian capital's international airport by Prince Salman bin Sultan - a prominent member of the Saudi royal family tasked with overseeing operations in Syria as a top Saudi intelligence officer. The document further reveals that the "Saudis sent 120 tons of explosives/weapons to opposition forces" - presumably in the lead up to the operation.
The report not only confirms that the assault happened, but that the Saudi government was "very pleased" with the outcome: "Attacks against airport, Presidential palace and other locations occurred on 18 March," the memo reads. Also significant is that the memo confirms US intelligence foreknowledge of the attack on a major civilian airport: "Reports gave U.S. three days warning about 18 March 2013 attacks (2 year anniversary of revolution)."
Zerohedge, Bombshell NSA Memo: Saudi Arabia Ordered Attack On Damascus International Airport With US Knowledge
OK, it's not like this is news to any of us. But one wonders how people like my family and the DKOS crowd are going to cope with this little revelation. These are not whispered rumours from anonymous sources. Of course, MSM won't discuss this at all but still, the facade crumbles on.
Read the Zerohedge link to follow the link train
TLDR; Clinton & Obama lied to us from the beginning about the Syrian war and are jointly responsible for upwards of half a million deaths.
Comments
We had the smoking gun in Benghazi
…when Hillary and the Deep State Department and its CIA enabler got caught running guns to Syria and arming the us-al qaeda rebels.
I think one could either see that very plainly…. or one could not see it at all. Benghazi probably got the most coverage by the "official" press that particular smoking gun will ever get.
We came this close || to having Susan Rice riding shotgun with the Deep State as Secretary of State. That false flag chemical attack in 2013 would have wiped the sovereign democratic nation of Syria off the globe, along with all its people.
[edit: addition of final line for context]
Unfortunately, they’re still at it—and in Germany, big parts of
what passes for a Left and/or Green alternative counterculture are still buying it, joining the parade behind the neocons tooting the “Saddam used sarin gas, Saddam must go” horn.
https://www.taz.de/!t5007911/
https://www.taz.de/UN-zum-Angriff-auf-Chan-Scheichun/!5458452/
Nothing learned from Dubya and Iraq; nothing learned from Hillary and Libya.
It’s crazy — right now the only way to register a protest against US-EU-NATO regime-change wars and make a difference on the parliamentary level is to support the allegedly neo-Nazi, right-wing populist AfD.
Only the Nazis are against the war?
(shakes head incredulously)
We are truly through the looking glass.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
As I said, crazy. These “Nazis” want Germany to work WITH Russia
The rest of the parties support “Europe,” by which they mean plans for ever-tighter integration such as those proposed by Macron, France’s president.
This vision calls for the E.U. to have its own military, taxation power, and budget.
In practice — since Brexit leaves France as the only E.U. member with The Bomb — this would put France in charge of foreign policy and military adventurism, under an E.U. figleaf.
Where that is likely to lead is best illustrated by recent history involving Sarkozy, Libya, and Gaddafi.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=sarkozy+libya+gaddafi&t=ffsb&ia=web
Germany would, as usual, have economic power only, and be expected to pay the bills.
To that neoliberal vision and globalist dream, the New Right in Germany says “Nuts.” They think German sovereignty would be better asserted in common cause with BRICS, the Visegrad group, One Belt One Road, etc. — anything to get away from the U.S.-dominated world of NATO, the IMF, neolib-neocon think tanks, and the petrodollar.
@lotlizard The neo-Nazis in
The neo-Nazis in Germany, if they are against the U.S. and the E.U., must shake their heads at the neo-Nazis in the Ukraine, who appear to be a tool of those interests.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal Although maybe it
Although maybe it's just an odd couple kind of political alliance, united in hatred for Russia.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Yeah, that's it
The Ukranian Nazis are tied closely to the US and are rabidly anti-Russian. Basically the "good" Nazis are those who support American wars, and the "bad" Nazis are those who don't, or worse, would support peace.
It's hard to keep up.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
Is the New Right
really Nazi? Isn't the military group we fund and train in Ukraine, and which aligns with the EU/NATO block, really Nazi, and not neo-Nazi, but truly Nazi all the way back to WWII?
I find this connection between the right wing and the truly Nazi very difficult for Americans to address.
@Linda Wood Yes, to the
Yes, to the extent that the party leader served as a character witness for a Nazi prison guard.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I remember when the European Left stood for peace and justice
I'm baffled that they now support "nation-building", which is Newspeak for intervention and conquest by and for the banks. If you want to know how they're going to screw us next, just find out what BHL is doing these days.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
Lebanon is on the hit-list too
I don't know if they have the political traction to go through with it though.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
There's also a good piece in the Intercept
Saudis directly order attacks on Assad's troops
https://theintercept.com/2017/10/24/syria-rebels-nsa-saudi-prince-assad/
Additional confirmation in a Fox interview with Saudi offical...
Seems the Saudis always cheer for war...former Saudi Chief of Intelligence and Ambassador to the U.S. and U.K. Prince Turki al-Faisal is asking the Trump team to defeat “the biggest terrorist in Syria” — the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad — while at the same time praising the clear, ironfisted strategy of the U.S. toward Iran. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/10/22/saudi-ex-intel-chief-says-assad-...
What I find incredulous is the pro-Saudi anti-Iran position of the US. Saudi helped create ISIS, Iran was instrumental in their defeat...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-fight-against-isis-iraq-effective-coul...
For that matter who do you find more inhumane...Saudi or Syria?
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hmmm that's a tough one..
That's like asking," which would you prefer, a kick in the nuts with a golf shoe or football cleats...?"
Ummm, I'll take what's behind door number 3 please?
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
@Alphalop I think I'd take the
I think I'd take the Syrians over the Saudis because, while it's not clear which are the most brutal, it's damned clear which are the most corrupt. It's also clear which are the tools of a coalition of world-wreckers.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@Alphalop Still, door number
Still, door number three would be nice.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
The Saudis are more inhumane.
All of the countries attacked by the Saudi-led forces, Syria, Iraq, Lybia, Yemen and, on the list, Iran, have had voting rights for women, education and healthcare systems, and economic systems more humane for more of the population than the Saudi system will allow.
The countries being attacked by Saudi Arabia are, from their perspective, too democratic, and too representative of the Middle East moving toward nationalization of resources and social progress. Big Oil can't stand for that.
I'm with you Linda
I think the Saudi are trying to impose their Wahhabi approach to religion on the region (and world) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahhabism
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
But but
didn't Saudi Arabia recently give women the right to drive? Isn't that a major leap forward into the 19th century?
It's surely a coincidence ...
that all of the countries on Saudi Arabia's enemies list are also on Israel's enemies list.
Bingo!!!
Another coincidence is that all the attacks in the US
…by Muslims are done by Sunnis. Our allies.
Shiites (Iran) are just not that into us.
How dare they not be into us?
We are the One Exceptional Nation! If they don't get into us PDQ, we can just bomb them.
native
“Seems the Saudis always cheer for war..”
They sure do. As long as somebody else supplies the bombs, bullets, and warm bodies.
I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks
Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa
Don't forget that Israel has also been behind the wars
they just don't bother sending their men and women to die like we are fond of doing.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Syria.
I can go have a beer with a Syrian female who owns her own car and house in Damascus and no one would care one way or the other.
Solidarity forever
Destroy all Arab secular republics and prop up theocrat monarchs
Could what the West – the Anglo “Five Eyes,” Israel, NATO – really stands for in the Middle East be any more obvious?
If I had a nickel for every time I said
"it's not a civil war", I'd have about five bucks.
The term civil war was a U.S. government/corporate media false narrative constructed to hide the real deal which is that it's always been an aggressive externally orchestrated war led by the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia to enact regime change and balkanize Syria.
That false narrative is still being used, with little pushback, by the corporate media/government liars.
In all likelihood there was a genuine resistance to Assad
having no affiliation to "ISIS" nor to the government, probably composed of anarchists, and drowned out by the conflict between the Saudi-aided forces and Assad's armies.
“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon
Here's some background
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2011/04/official-arab-spring-subversio...
@Cassiodorus No doubt, just like there
No doubt, just like there was probably an actual contingent of people in the Tea Party who were genuinely and justly upset by the Obama administration's refusal to help homeowners or prosecute Wall St. Doesn't matter once the co-optation happens.
These days, the powerful can co-opt "justice movements," rebellions, and revolutions as easily as I pluck fruit off my tangerine tree.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal There are a few
There are a few exceptions here and there. The Occupy movement and the Standing Rock movement were, for the most part, less co-opted than crushed. Apparently the establishment still finds some things hard to digest.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Just more evidence that there is no left-wing in America...
...not that the right-wing democrats or the so-called alt-right or 'classical liberals' or the neo-nazis give a flying fuck.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
@The Aspie Corner How do the Occupy
How do the Occupy movement and Standing Rock support that conclusion?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Because they were punched down.
And their message, especially in Occupy's case, was co-opted by corporate right-wing cowards.
This has happened to every left-wing movement in US history. And those they could not co-opt were either incarcerated or assassinated before whitewashing their message as well.
Why do you think we see so many straw feminists and civil rights sellouts going along with the corporate (capitalist) narrative?
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
@The Aspie Corner I hadn't
I hadn't noticed Occupy's message being co-opted, unless you mean by Bernie?
I agree about the punching down, I guess.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
The message may not have been
but the label sure was. Go to the "Occupy Democrats" Facebook page to see what I mean, be sure to be near a toilet or bucket when you do though, so you have something to throw up in.
Solidarity forever
@Akze I agree
I agree with you. But I'd say, in the case of Occupy, the impact of that co-optation was lessened by the fact that there were so many offshoots that called themselves "Occupy_____." When there are multiple spinoffs happening at once, you can't assert that any one of them is The Real Thing.
With BLM and the Tea Party, there weren't multiple groups using multiple labels. There was just one label. When there's only one Coke, if you change the formula, you've changed Coke. If there's New England Coke and Southern Coke and Coke Midwest, changing New England Coke won't give you control over the idea of Coke. You won't be able to define what it is. You've just defined New England Coke.
It's a nitpicky point, but, I think, an important one. Because the brass ring for the establishment is being able to define reality. Having a bunch of loose threads spinning off is undesirable for them--it gives the impression that there are a diversity of options.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
At this point, it's the only thing keeping them alive.
God help them when this unwinds.
@The Aspie Corner Although being
Although being punched down doesn't mean the left doesn't exist. It means we are outgunned and haven't even begun to think of ways to work that might circumvent that asymmetry, if there are any (there might not be, but we generally don't even attempt to get there.) Our lack of strategizing also doesn't mean there isn't a Left, exactly; it means that what there is of the Left is stymied by the poverty of their language to describe and understand what they're going through, as well as being seriously encumbered by an addiction to old forms of action.
Then there's the fact that our intellectual framework leaves us absolutely vulnerable to being infiltrated and brought to a grinding halt by the very forces you describe--well, infiltrated, if the "feminists" and "antifa" and "anti-racists" are doing it for pay. Sometimes the same stupid shit arises organically from people who might even mean well, and brings us to a halt just the same.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Outgunned and outspent.
And as of now we have no way of circumventing that, I agree. Brevard Co., FL is no man's land for anyone on the left and the far right are more or less unopposed.
But even online we have no voice to speak of. BitChute is useful idiot alt-right territory and Google is going after the left any way it can long term.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal
Plus the neos keep stealing words and use them to mean their opposite, while twisting concepts until they scream, to confuse the issues.
Hard to use language when even the terms used to describe liberals, left, progressives have been used to describe corporate hacks so that this becomes how the right-wing defines our terms as well - making it even more difficult to unite the people against the Psychopaths That Be...
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
@Ellen North Just so.
Just so.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
They co-opted NGOs too
apparently everything and everybody is for sale these days.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
Oh this will be easy
They will either ignore it or say that it's fake news. After I left this Trump commune the other night, I linked an article about Hillary's role in the destruction of Libya. The article came from the New York Times and I included a lot of the article that related to Her role in it.
I'm told that the article was bullshit and that NATO had to intervene because Gaddafi was bombing his citizens. This was the propaganda that was spread by the Obama administration and unbelievably it worked as well as the Saddam has WMDs.
This just proves that the propaganda works time after time beginning with the Maine.
Obama, Hillary and every person in government swore an oath to protect and defend this country from foreign and domestic enemies. Every person who was involved with arming and funding Al Qaida and its offshoots should be charged with treason. And war crimes and crimes against humanity. This includes every member of NATO and the leaders in the Middle East. But we know that this will never happen.
Hundreds of millions of people have been murdered in the name of profits.
The worship of the military is never going to end because people won't do their own research and thinking.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
@snoopydawg
That being how you identify brainwashing, rather than reasoned opinions based on evidence, logic or strong indications. America desperately needs deprogramming, but at the least, shutting down the propaganda stream would help... just don't ask me how... gag them with their silver spoons?
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
The worship
of the military may end as servicemen and servicewomen return, heal, and tell their stories.
Veterans from the Vietnam war to the recent wars
@
have been telling their stories about the wars and their roles in them. Search for Winter Soldiers and you will find their stories. Some will make you sad, most will make you angry.
Plus there are the unwritten stories that people don't seem to take to hear. We have seen the thousands of homeless vets begging on street corners for financial help to the horrifying stories of the decayed veteran's hospitals that were filled with mold and other contamination.
The stories of the years long wait lists for appointments and treatments.
My local news website had an article about another veterans hospital that still had long waiting lists.
There were comments from veterans on it who explained their problems getting treatments or just appointments. One person said that he received an appointment countless times only to be told that the hospital lost his paperwork. He said that he just gave up. How many others just gave up too?
Then there's the visual stories of veterans with missing limbs seen walking the streets and the horrible and extremely sad stories of veterans who have severe traumatic brain injuries and their families wonder where their son or daughter went. Yes they are here physically, but so far gone mentally. These are the stories that break my heart.
Finally, there's Smedley Butler's book, War is a Racket that was written in the 1930's, but I doubt many of the newer generations even know about it. I think this should be required reading for high school students, but I'm sure that the PTB would do anything to keep this from happening.
And of course there are the number of congress members, mostly republicans who continue to vote against any veterans bill that comes up for a vote. McCain has voted against almost every one.
Congress is more than happy to send them off to their wars of choice which will cost millions, billions and trillions, but can't find money to pay for their care if they get injured.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
I was going to write something on my Vietnam era
service on a submarine after I saw an article today about the British sailors being fired for their partying. I do have some stories to tell.
But, I remember a phase I went through in the early to mid eighties, reading as many Vietnam war novels as I could find. About the guys who crawled down the tunnels head first, in the dark, with a pistol in one hand and a flashlight in the other, not knowing what the fuck they were getting into. About the river patrol boats (I knew a couple guys on those) who experienced gruesome death like few others. They told the stories then and here we are again.
I don't know if that's the answer, especially now with all the violent video games out there hooking the millenials on a new generation of violence. We have to find a way to develop systems that prevent war. Humans evidently are always going to be humans.
“Doonesbury” (comic strip) had a long, upbeat TBI-vet story arc
where the vet with TBI gets the girl and a job as sound tech with one of his pop-music idols.
I stopped finding Doonesbury interesting years ago. No idea how Garry Trudeau has been dealing with the binary black hole of Trump-Hillary and its aftermath.
I think I'm more sensitive to people who have tbi's
because I realize how very lucky I am not to be having more problems from mine humor. Or Tom Tom tomorrow's.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
I've had too many myself.
To the point where I have what's called a "Tonic" pupil in my right eye. It doesn't change size so one eye will have a very large pupil and the other small when I am in a place with low lighting.
One day an inmate asked me, "You high C/O?" because of it. My reply? "Only half high..." while pointing at the larger pupil, lol!
I find I have to have a sense of humor about all my various physical oddities.
If you can't laugh at yourself at least once in a while, particularly your failings, shortcomings or disabilities you're taking yourself too damn seriously has always been my motto...
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
Fortunately, I've only had 1-1/2
The first was when my motorcycle's kickstand fractured my skull and the other one was when my head collided with a soccer player's knee.
I've lost many of my memories from my 20's, but I do now laugh about this because I finally understand why I did. For years I had no idea what was happening until my doctor asked if no one had explained what types of problems they cause. This was after I asked my friend a question. 5 times in 5 minutes. I didn't understand why she said YES the way she did.
I still have problems with my short term, but as I said, I'm lucky.
It sounds like you are too if you have a Tonic pupil. Yeah, I can see why people ask if you are high.
How did you acquire yours?
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Who knows which one caused it, I didn't even notice it at first
it wasn't until it was pointed out that I even became aware of it. Thought my vision was just getting wonky on its own.
I suspect either when I managed to kick myself in the back of the head with my own ski or getting my noggin knocked into a steel bunk in a cell for my top two.
Third possibility is that it is a delayed effect from when I broke my neck in 3 places BMX racing or 4th possibly from the central cord damage I have in my spine (again from the prison, lol!)
Yeah, I got a list a mile long of things I have broken cracked, split or torn, lol!!!
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me