Great News out of Syria

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sun, 10/28/2018 - 9:20pm

France and Germany are effectively hiving off from the US

Germany And France Just Broke The US Boycott Of Syria

Says Syria expert Joshua Landis: "The real importance of France and Germany going to Turkey to meet Putin and Erdogan is that they are effectively hiving off from the US by joining the Astana process." Ultimately, according Professor Landis:

They are breaking the boycott of Syria, while preserving the "need for elections" talking point.

Alas, as the photo op of summit participants suggests, the United States has indeed effectively been cut out of the Russia and UN-brokered Astana process to bring Syria's war to a close — which has both set the terms for the current shaky Idlib ceasefire agreement, and brought Turkey and Russia into an orbit of cooperation to seek long-term peace and stability. Notably Germany's Merkel and France's Macron now see the Russia-Turkey deal on Idlib as the only workable track that could stave off another mass refugee and jihadi influx into Europe, already reeling from a years-long migrant crisis.
~
The real importance of France and Germany going to Turkey to meet Putin and Erdogan is that they are effectively hiving off from the US by joining the Astana process. They are breaking the boycott of Syria, while preserving the "need for elections" talking point.

We may safely conclude that Assad will not permit any "political process" or constitutional committee to dislodge him or bring members of the opposition to power in Damascus. He has won the war.

Europe is frightened for its security. It does not want the refugee situation nor the Jihadi situation in Europe to be made worse by an Idlib invasion. This is why Europe is in Istanbul. As Macron said, the Idlib deal must be sustained.

The summary of agreements

Only political solution for Syria: The leaders have “expressed their support for an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that is facilitated by the United Nations.”

Need to start work on constitution in Geneva: A committee tasked with drafting a new constitution for Syria should begin its work as soon as possible, preferably before the end of this year.

No to division of Syria: Syria must continue to exist within its pre-war borders. Any separatist movements or desires of foreign powers to occupy parts of the country are therefore firmly rejected.

Keep ceasefire & defeat terrorists: The four countries have expressed their support for the Idlib ceasefire deal, brokered earlier by Russia and Turkey. At the same time, they emphasized the importance of fighting terrorism and condemned the use of chemical weapons.

500,000 Syrians have been killed. Over a million have become refugees. Europe has been flooded with refugees. Countless cities have been pulverized and their infrastructure destroyed and for what? What has been accomplished since Obama made the decision to invade Syria and overthrow Assad for whatever reason he did? And how much money has been wasted or transferred to defense companies, banks and everyone else that profits from war?

This is just one of many countries that need to have wars ended. Next should be Yemen and it needs to be scheduled ASAP. The humanitarian crisis there is finally being talked about by the MSM and pictures of starving children are going viral. No matter that Facebook keeps deleting them.

Tags:

Syrian Peace Talks

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Comments

Submitted by Pricknick on Sun, 10/28/2018 - 10:28pm

Kind of looks like a red line

has been drawn. Bravo to all involved in peace.
Bolton must be chewing his facial hair.

—

Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 12:55pm

I hope he chokes on it.

@Pricknick

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by edg on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 2:01pm

Bolton.

@Pricknick

Bolton is a hematophage. If he can't get his blood fix from Syria, he'll get it from Iran or someplace else.

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Sun, 10/28/2018 - 10:33pm

ceterem censeo.....

This is just one of many countries that need to have wars ended. Next should be Yemen and it needs to be scheduled ASAP. The humanitarian crisis there is finally being talked about by the MSM and pictures of starving children are going viral. No matter that Facebook keeps deleting them.

ceterem censeo..... Facebook delendum est!

(Further, I opine: Facebook must be destroyed!)

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sun, 10/28/2018 - 10:56pm

Here's the skinny on Facebook

@thanatokephaloides
I have a very difficult time looking at the pictures coming from Yemen and that is the reason why everyone should see them. Maybe enough people saying that, "yes the murder of Khassoggi was brutal, but so is what the Saudis are doing to the people in Yemen. Why aren't we talking about that?" is why people are finally talking about it. I wonder how many people didn't even know that was happening. But the media is still leaving out our role in it. And that we have troops there. Along with private mercenaries that are hired to assassinate certain individuals.

‘Brutally honest’: Public outcry forces Facebook to stop banning pics of starving Yemeni girl

A backlash prompted Facebook to stop removing posts featuring a photo of an emaciated seven-year-old Yemeni girl, which accompanied a harrowing New York Times report from the war-torn country.
The atrocities in Yemen don’t make poignant headlines in Western mainstream media as often as stories about chemical weapons in Syria or ‘Russian meddling,’ as the conflict usually gets sidelined in the press, but there are notable exceptions. ‘The Tragedy of Saudi Arabia’s War’ was the title of a grim report published by the NYT on Friday.

An image of a starved child named Amal Hussain was chosen by the journalists to illustrate the horrible death toll and suffering inflicted on the small Arab nation of Yemen by the armed intervention of its Saudi neighbor.

Link to the tweet

—

Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by SancheLlewellyn on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 8:16am

Well, if the UN had some power and could step in

@thanatokephaloides like they reluctantly did in Bosnia in the 1990s, we could stop the carnage. Too often though, the UN gets used to rationalize bad behavior by the nations with veto power. In the case of Syria, who the hell knows what's going on now but it started because of a prolonged drought drove the farmers to ask Assad for help and, wise old leader that he was, he decided to gun them all down.

Syria has no heroes. Only victims.

Submitted by wendy davis on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 10:14am

you really need to make a

@SancheLlewellyn

case for that rubbish being so, imo.

on edit: i should have specified: "and assad mowing the farmers down" or close. sounds hasbarist to me, but you may be speaking of the earlier assad (father, uncle?) and i can't speak intelligently as to what he's been accused of doing.

Submitted by Nastarana on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 10:09am

President Assad had previously allowed himself

@SancheLlewellyn to be persuaded by, guess who, our old friends at Goldman Sachs, to sell Syria's grain stockpile on the open market. For which transactions the G-S operatives got healthy fees and probably other perks as well, such as paid travel overseas, ego-gratifying meetings with Important World Leaders, resume enhancement, a fund of great pick-up lines--"I told President Assad..." and so on.

If Pr. Assad is guilty of anything, it is of foolishly selling off his country's assets, a sin in which he has plenty of company worldwide.

—

Mary Bennett

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Tue, 10/30/2018 - 6:37pm

foolishly selling off his country's assets

@Nastarana

If Pr.[esident] Assad is guilty of anything, it is of foolishly selling off his country's assets, a sin in which he has plenty of company worldwide.

A certain sale of American Uranium to Russia comes easily to mind.....

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by Azazello on Sun, 10/28/2018 - 11:06pm

"Hiving off" ? I never heard that one.

This does look like good news, we'll see how it plays out.

—

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Submitted by mimi on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 12:12am

I guess, those four are all domesticated honeybees now ...

@Azazello @Azazello

hive (redirected from hiving)
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
hive (hīv)
n.
1.
a. A structure for housing domesticated honeybees.
b. A nest built by wild or feral bees.
c. A colony of bees living in such a structure or nest.
2. A place swarming with activity.
v. hived, hiv·ing, hives
v.tr.
1. To collect into a hive.
2. To store (honey) in a hive.
3. To store up; accumulate.
v.intr.
1. To enter and occupy a beehive.
2. To live with many others in close association.
Phrasal Verb:
hive off
To set apart from a group: hived off the department into another division.

which would be nice if it turns out to be true.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sun, 10/28/2018 - 11:56pm

When will FUKUS start bombing Saudi Arabia?

I have found a few other websites covering this information, but not any of the mainstream ones. Will they report on this?

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50516.htm

Saudi Arabia told the U.K. about their plan of abducting Khashoggi three weeks before the incident took place. The MI6 warned them against carrying out the said operation.

The murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was about to disclose details of Saudi Arabia’s use of chemical weapons in Yemen when he was killed, as reported by the Sunday Express, a source close to him told the media outlet Friday.

This revelation was made as different intelligence sources disclosed that the U.K. was made aware of the entire plot by Saudi Arabia three weeks before the incident took place on Oct. 2.

Intercepts by GCHQ of internal communications by the kingdom’s General Intelligence Directorate revealed orders by a “member of the royal circle” to abduct the troublesome journalist and take him back to Saudi Arabia. The report does not confirm or deny whether the order came from the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

They were supposed to abduct Khashoggi and take him back to Riyadh but could take other actions, if the journalist created problems.

“We were initially made aware that something was going in the first week of September, around three weeks before Mr. Khashoggi walked into the consulate on October 2, though it took more time for other details to emerge,” the intelligence source told the Sunday Express Friday.
~
“These details included primary orders to capture Mr. Khashoggi and bring him back to Saudi Arabia for questioning. However, the door seemed to be left open for alternative remedies to what was seen as a big problem. We know the orders came from a member of the royal circle but have no direct information to link them to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Whether this meant he was not the original issuer we cannot say.”
~
Iran has previously claimed that the kingdom had been supplying ingredients that can be used to make the nerve agent Sarin in Yemen but Khashoggi was possibly referring to phosphorus which can be used to burn bones. Last month it was claimed that Saudi Arabia had been using U.S.-supplied white phosphorus munitions against troops and even civilians in Yemen.

How many other countries have used white phosphorus against both troops and civilians. This country needs to raise its hand!

—

Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by SancheLlewellyn on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 8:20am

United States - hand up.

@snoopydawg Israel - hand up.
I don't know about Russia, even the old Soviet Union. They used everything else, well, not napalm either.
The French tested nukes in tropical paradise islands (as did the US), so Saudi Arabia still has a tiny hill to climb . . .

I have found a few other websites covering this information, but not any of the mainstream ones. Will they report on this?

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50516.htm

Saudi Arabia told the U.K. about their plan of abducting Khashoggi three weeks before the incident took place. The MI6 warned them against carrying out the said operation.

The murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was about to disclose details of Saudi Arabia’s use of chemical weapons in Yemen when he was killed, as reported by the Sunday Express, a source close to him told the media outlet Friday.

This revelation was made as different intelligence sources disclosed that the U.K. was made aware of the entire plot by Saudi Arabia three weeks before the incident took place on Oct. 2.

Intercepts by GCHQ of internal communications by the kingdom’s General Intelligence Directorate revealed orders by a “member of the royal circle” to abduct the troublesome journalist and take him back to Saudi Arabia. The report does not confirm or deny whether the order came from the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

They were supposed to abduct Khashoggi and take him back to Riyadh but could take other actions, if the journalist created problems.

“We were initially made aware that something was going in the first week of September, around three weeks before Mr. Khashoggi walked into the consulate on October 2, though it took more time for other details to emerge,” the intelligence source told the Sunday Express Friday.
~
“These details included primary orders to capture Mr. Khashoggi and bring him back to Saudi Arabia for questioning. However, the door seemed to be left open for alternative remedies to what was seen as a big problem. We know the orders came from a member of the royal circle but have no direct information to link them to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Whether this meant he was not the original issuer we cannot say.”
~
Iran has previously claimed that the kingdom had been supplying ingredients that can be used to make the nerve agent Sarin in Yemen but Khashoggi was possibly referring to phosphorus which can be used to burn bones. Last month it was claimed that Saudi Arabia had been using U.S.-supplied white phosphorus munitions against troops and even civilians in Yemen.

How many other countries have used white phosphorus against both troops and civilians. This country needs to raise its hand!

Submitted by edg on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 2:11pm

Link?

@SancheLlewellyn

Please provide documentation that the Soviet Union "used everything else". I've heard that they tested a lot of different things and considered many things for their arsenal but don't have any recollection that they actually used everything else in battle. Unlike the US, which has.

Submitted by Fishtroller 02 on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 9:08am

Thanks for that link...

@snoopydawg

I signed up for their email newsletter.

I have found a few other websites covering this information, but not any of the mainstream ones. Will they report on this?

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50516.htm

Saudi Arabia told the U.K. about their plan of abducting Khashoggi three weeks before the incident took place. The MI6 warned them against carrying out the said operation.

The murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was about to disclose details of Saudi Arabia’s use of chemical weapons in Yemen when he was killed, as reported by the Sunday Express, a source close to him told the media outlet Friday.

This revelation was made as different intelligence sources disclosed that the U.K. was made aware of the entire plot by Saudi Arabia three weeks before the incident took place on Oct. 2.

Intercepts by GCHQ of internal communications by the kingdom’s General Intelligence Directorate revealed orders by a “member of the royal circle” to abduct the troublesome journalist and take him back to Saudi Arabia. The report does not confirm or deny whether the order came from the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

They were supposed to abduct Khashoggi and take him back to Riyadh but could take other actions, if the journalist created problems.

“We were initially made aware that something was going in the first week of September, around three weeks before Mr. Khashoggi walked into the consulate on October 2, though it took more time for other details to emerge,” the intelligence source told the Sunday Express Friday.
~
“These details included primary orders to capture Mr. Khashoggi and bring him back to Saudi Arabia for questioning. However, the door seemed to be left open for alternative remedies to what was seen as a big problem. We know the orders came from a member of the royal circle but have no direct information to link them to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Whether this meant he was not the original issuer we cannot say.”
~
Iran has previously claimed that the kingdom had been supplying ingredients that can be used to make the nerve agent Sarin in Yemen but Khashoggi was possibly referring to phosphorus which can be used to burn bones. Last month it was claimed that Saudi Arabia had been using U.S.-supplied white phosphorus munitions against troops and even civilians in Yemen.

How many other countries have used white phosphorus against both troops and civilians. This country needs to raise its hand!

—

"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

Submitted by Nastarana on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 10:15am

Is there a reason

@snoopydawg why MI6 could not have warned Mr. Kashoggi that his life was in danger?

I have found a few other websites covering this information, but not any of the mainstream ones. Will they report on this?

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50516.htm

Saudi Arabia told the U.K. about their plan of abducting Khashoggi three weeks before the incident took place. The MI6 warned them against carrying out the said operation.

The murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was about to disclose details of Saudi Arabia’s use of chemical weapons in Yemen when he was killed, as reported by the Sunday Express, a source close to him told the media outlet Friday.

This revelation was made as different intelligence sources disclosed that the U.K. was made aware of the entire plot by Saudi Arabia three weeks before the incident took place on Oct. 2.

Intercepts by GCHQ of internal communications by the kingdom’s General Intelligence Directorate revealed orders by a “member of the royal circle” to abduct the troublesome journalist and take him back to Saudi Arabia. The report does not confirm or deny whether the order came from the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

They were supposed to abduct Khashoggi and take him back to Riyadh but could take other actions, if the journalist created problems.

“We were initially made aware that something was going in the first week of September, around three weeks before Mr. Khashoggi walked into the consulate on October 2, though it took more time for other details to emerge,” the intelligence source told the Sunday Express Friday.
~
“These details included primary orders to capture Mr. Khashoggi and bring him back to Saudi Arabia for questioning. However, the door seemed to be left open for alternative remedies to what was seen as a big problem. We know the orders came from a member of the royal circle but have no direct information to link them to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Whether this meant he was not the original issuer we cannot say.”
~
Iran has previously claimed that the kingdom had been supplying ingredients that can be used to make the nerve agent Sarin in Yemen but Khashoggi was possibly referring to phosphorus which can be used to burn bones. Last month it was claimed that Saudi Arabia had been using U.S.-supplied white phosphorus munitions against troops and even civilians in Yemen.

How many other countries have used white phosphorus against both troops and civilians. This country needs to raise its hand!

—

Mary Bennett

Submitted by snoopydawg on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 4:33pm

They could have warned him

@Nastarana

and possibly this country could have too because I'm sure that information was shared with the CIA. The U.K. just told them not to do it. Seems reasonable that someone would have warned him. Or maybe no one wanted this information to get out. Double standards and all that. If they are using chemical weapons on Yemen and FUKUS doesn't respond to it then it just shows how hypocritical they are.

—

Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by wendy davis on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 8:34am

re your question:

"What has been accomplished since Obama made the decision to invade Syria and overthrow Assad for whatever reason he did?"

‘Syria: Ultimate Pipelineistan War’, strategic-culture.org, july 2015, pepe escobar, strategic-culture.org

“The «Assad must go» obsession in Washington is a multi-headed hydra. It includes breaking a Russia-Iran-Iraq-Syria alliance (now very much in effect as the «4+1» alliance, including Hezbollah, actively fighting all strands of Salafi Jihadism in Syria). But it also includes isolating energy coordination among them, to the benefit of the Gulf petrodollar clients/vassals linked to US energy giants.

Thus Washington’s strategy so far of injecting the proverbial Empire of Chaos logic into Syria; feeding the flames of internal chaos, a pre-planned op by the CIA, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with the endgame being regime change in Damascus.

while i was a SC, i saw this on the right sidebar, it's long, but chock-full of other relationships, Qs, with turkey, KSA and 'bombing US partners kurds.

M. BHADRAKUMAR’s ‘Istanbul Summit on Syria Was a Success but Caveats Remain’ oct. 29

after naming some of agreements, this:

“Four, the participants snubbed the US-Israeli plan to balkanize Syria into “spheres of influence” and have also squashed the Israeli dreams of getting international legitimacy for its illegal occupation of Golan Heights as part of any settlement.

thanks for bringing this potentially great news.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 4:37pm

Kerry told congress that the Saudis would pay for us to

@wendy davis

remove Assad because he turned down their bid to build pipelines. Which Russia already controls IIRC. Isn't it nice to know that our troops die for them and Israel? I wonder if ours knows that? I'd be a tad pissed off if I was there. But then I'd be pissed if I was asked to train terrorists too.

—

Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by lotlizard on Tue, 10/30/2018 - 3:58am

The Saudis and Qatar started out on the same side, but then

@wendy davis
the Saudis turned on Qatar big time.

Has anyone heard a good explanation why, aside from the Saudi charge that the Qataris were being too chummy with and/or insufficiently hostile to Iran?

Submitted by NYCVG on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 8:42am

(No subject)

—

NYCVG

Submitted by divineorder on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 8:55am

Bolton in?

True to form, Bolton is absolutely breezy about the US leaving the INF Treaty, barely mentioning it in his statement to journalists. Instead we hear about rosy perspectives for cooperation with Russia in Syria, trade, anti-terrorism and anti-narcotics pic.twitter.com/OiQ7b3LJnD

— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) October 23, 2018

Wow, holding hands...

Russia, Germany, France and Turkey call for lasting ceasefire, constitutional meeting for Syria https://t.co/QfGA8THsRU

— Transition Bolton (@TTBolton) October 28, 2018

—

A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Submitted by The Wizard on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 10:05am

Yes, breaking from the Hegemon

Three very important agreements.
-one Syria
-no outside military presence
-reconstruction to start now with all parties contributing-- ignoring the US position that there must be a new government before the US contributes to reconstruction, i.e. "Assad must go."

—

Capitalism has always been the rule of the people by the oligarchs. You only have two choices, eliminate them or restrict their power.

Submitted by The Voice In th... on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 10:41am

Good! Time to end Obama's war.

—

I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Submitted by Nastarana on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 11:28am

Well, that didn't take long.

The Empire Strikes Back.

RT is reporting that Mme. Merkel has announced she will not seek reelection following losses by her party in provincial elections in Hesse, I think.

Macron up next? Pretty boy needs to be reminded who he really works for?

That is the trouble with puppets, they do tend to get too big for their britches and cut their strings. I seem to have a vague memory of another guy who was thought to be under control until he wasn't, mid 20th, somewhere in central Europe I think.

—

Mary Bennett