CounterPsyOps

Main al-Nusra Front commander killed in Qusayr clashes

MKERone — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:18 +0000

Syrian troops celebrate as they take control of the village of Haydariyah, some 7 km outside al-Qusayr on May 20, 2013.

The main commander of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front has been reportedly killed in clashes with the Syrian army in the western city of al-Qusayr.

According to Syria’s national television, top al-Nusra Front commander identified as Abu Omar was killed in al-Qusayr on Tuesday as clashes between Syrian troops and foreign-backed militants in the border town entered their third day.

The Syrian army says it is now in control of more than 70 percent of the strategic city, which connects the capital city of Damascus to the Mediterranean port of Tartous.

Intense fighting is reported to be still under way in some parts of al-Qusayr, about 30 km southwest of Homs, with the Syrian army making advances on terrorist groups fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

According to Syria’s official news agency, SANA, scores of militants were killed in clashes with government forces on Tuesday. Syrian troops also defused several explosive devices in the city.

Syrian troops entered al-Qusayr from several directions on May 19 after weeks of clashes with militants. Syrian sources say over 100 militants have been killed in the military operation to clear al-Qusayr of militants.

On Monday, Syrian army confiscated an Israeli military vehicle used by foreign-backed militants in al-Qusayr. A number of military uniforms as well as wiretapping and jamming equipment were found in the vehicle.

Source: Press TV

Syrian army destroys Israeli military vehicle in Golan Heights

MKERone — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:45:17 +0000

File photo shows the line that separates Syria from the Israeli-occupied lands on the Golan Heights.

Syria says its army has destroyed an Israeli military vehicle that had crossed the ceasefire line in the occupied Golan Heights.

The Syrian army said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the vehicle drove toward the village of Bir Ajam, located in the “liberated area of Syrian territories where there are armed terrorist groups.”

“Following that, the Israeli enemy fired two rockets from the occupied site of Tal al-Faras toward one of our sites in al-Zubaydiah site; no casualties reported,” the statement added.

Also on Tuesday, the Israeli military said its troops had shot at a target inside Syria, following an incident where gunfire from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Israeli regime has recently boosted its military activities in the Golan Heights, where clashes between the Syrian army and the militant groups continue.

Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said on May 18 that militants from 29 different countries were fighting against the government in different parts of the country.

Source: Press TV

‘Israel forces fired at target in Syria’

MKERone — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:42:50 +0000

The file photo shows an Israeli tank on Syria’s illegally annexed Golan Heights.

The Israeli military says its troops have shot at a target inside Syria, after gunfire from Damascus hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The military said in a Tuesday statement that the gunfire from Damascus damaged a military vehicle without causing any injuries.

The statement added that the Israeli soldiers “returned precise fire.”

Tel Aviv has recently boosted military activities in the occupied Golan Heights, where clashes between Syrian forces and foreign-sponsored militants have spiked dramatically in recent weeks.

The Israeli military has set up a “military field hospital” at military outpost 105 in the occupied Golan Heights to treat wounded militants fighting against the government in neighboring Syria.

The Israeli military has carried out three airstrikes against Syria so far this year.

On May 5, Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out an airstrike targeting a research center in a suburb of Damascus, following heavy losses of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups at the hands of the Syrian army. According to Syrian media reports, Israeli rockets struck the Jamraya Research Center.

The Jamraya facility was also targeted in an Israeli airstrike in January.

The May 5 attack came shortly after Tel Aviv confirmed that its warplanes had hit another target in Syria on May 3.

However, anti-Syria countries including Turkey and several Arab states in the region have been silent on Tel Aviv’s acts of aggression against Syria.

Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.

Source: Press TV

Monsanto takes over farmer in Supreme Court – “Progress leads to destruction”

MKERone — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:56:33 +0000

France to buy American drones for Mali operation

thomasmantell — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:29:04 +0000

An Air Force MQ-9 Reaper. (AFP Photo / James Lee Harper Jr.)

Two of America’s medium-altitude Reaper drones will be sold to France as backup for the country’s operations against Islamist rebels in Mali.

The news comes from the ‘Air et Cosmos’ specialist magazine, which reported online that a deal had been reached between France and the United States for the sale of two non-armed MQ-9 units.

The French air force had already deployed a European-made Harfang drone to Mali, with the country now wishing to acquire more modern models quickly, although any purchase of the US Reapers directly from the manufacturer (as was done with Harfang) is expected to delay delivery by seven months.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is presently on a visit to the US, where he is expected to make the announcement, according to Air et Cosmos. The defense ministry has declined to comment.

In a bid to curb the spread of extremism and Al Qaeda-linked militants in the northern parts of its former colony, France started a military operation in January of this year. The anti-government Islamists had spread Sharia law everywhere they went, and it is widely feared that if they are successful in Mali, the country will become a hotspot for extremism and the launching of terrorist attacks against European and other African nations.

French efforts have since pushed the militants into mountain and desert hideouts. However, this changed the rules of the game in such a way that they now launch sporadic guerrilla attacks.

Operation ‘Serval’ started with a deployment of 2,500 troops and the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius declaring on January 30 that they would be out of there “quickly”. Since that time, that number has risen to 4,000, while the departure date had been moved up. Currently, the idea is that half will leave by July, when Mali holds their presidential election.

Although Paris has begun withdrawal from the West African nation, ahead of the security handover to the International Mission for Support to Mali (MISMA), Le Drian’s recent visit to London paints a different picture, whereby 1,000 French troops will stay in Mali indefinitely, in case further problems arise.

“This is the reason why France will remain with roughly 1,000 troops on Malian territory for an undetermined period of time to carry out counter-terrorism operations if necessary,”said Le Drian.

As the battle against extremism in Mali shows no signs of abating, international donors have pledged €3.25bn to its rebuilding, as currently the country is in a state of complete destitution.

De l’antiracisme à Égalité & Réconciliation : rencontre avec Farida Belghoul

thomasmantell — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:19 +0000

À la fin de l’année 1983, suite aux incidents de l’été entre des jeunes de la banlieue lyonnaise et la police, se déroulait la « Marche pour l’égalité et contre le racisme », plus connue sous l’appellation « Marche des Beurs ». L’année suivante, une jeune femme du nom de Farida Belghoul organisait une seconde marche : « Convergence 84 ». Vingt-neuf ans plus tard, en exclusivité pour Égalité & Réconciliation, elle livre sa version de l’histoire, qui diffère radicalement du roman antiraciste officiel…

Farida Belghoul rencontre E&R (1/2)

Farida Belghoul rencontre E&R (2/2)

Syria- Al Qusayr: Syrian Arab Army seized an israeli jeep that was being used by the foreign backed terrorists

MKERone — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:16:44 +0000

Yet another proof of israHell’s direct involvement in the Syrian crisis, along with US, NATO, Turkey, EU, and other corrupt countries.

“Global War on Terror” is officially permanent

MKERone — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:29:12 +0000

Recently, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing regarding the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, the extremely dubious and un-Constitutional legislation that gave the United States government “legal authority” to use military force against “those who planned, authorized, committed or aided” the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Rather than arresting and executing the dual Israeli-American citizens and other traitors who planned, facilitated, executed, and covered up 9/11, using military force against the criminal terrorist state of Israel, whose agents and assets perpetrated and benefitted from that dastardly act, the United States military launched what has turned out to be an endless war against a faceless, amorphous enemy.

The “Global War on Terror” – an Orwellian concept concocted by Zionist Jews and their neocon henchmen – was officially launched as a result of the false flag, PSYOP-style terrorist attack on 9/11. More aptly called the Jewish War of Terror, the genocidal campaign of destruction against the Muslim world, combined with the rise and institutionalization of the tyrannical, un-American police state/Homeland Security complex, represents a threat to liberty and freedom perhaps unprecedented in history.9/11, the event which officially kick started the “Global War on Terror,” accomplished two goals primarily.

First, it justified the various military campaigns launched by the United States military at the behest of Israel and Jewish criminals largely controlling the United States government and foreign policy making apparatus. Since 9/11, a number of countries in the Middle East and Africa have been invaded and destroyed as a result of the “Global War on Terror”: Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya are prime examples. Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, and other countries have been targeted as well, and have either been bombed (often using pilotless drones) or have been invaded by small teams of elite special operations forces. Millions of innocent peoples have been murdered and millions more have seen their lives and families destroyed as a result of these immoral, illegal, and unjustified military actions. Syria and Iran have been in the crosshairs of the Jewish controlled regime occupying Washington for years now, and both nations have been repeatedly attacked in various ways by proxies and terrorist groups funded and directed by the West and Israel.

Second, 9/11 has been used to justify the tyrannical police state/Homeland Security complex that has arisen following that event. Indeed, the very idea of “Homeland Security” and the various policies implemented following 9/11 are Jewish at their very root. The Homeland Security complex is a Jewish racket, as I have detailed here. In essence, the Jews have turned America into occupied Palestine as a result of 9/11. The United States Constitution and rule of law have officially been destroyed – at least for those operating at the highest levels of society.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Obama administration and members of Congress are now openly saying the “Global War on Terror” may last another 10 or 20 years at least, maybe even indefinitely. This is what passes as legitimate political and public policy dialogue in America today. George Orwell would truly be amazed at what is going on. Charlie Savage of The New York Times reported on this recent development:

A top Pentagon official said Thursday that the evolving war against Al Qaedawas likely to continue “at least 10 to 20 years” and urged Congress not to modify the statute that provides its legal basis.

“As of right now, it suits us very well,” Michael A. Sheehan, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations, said, referring to the “authorization to use military force,” often referred to as the A.U.M.F., enacted by Congress in 2001. [...]

Lawmakers are considering enacting a new authorization, because the original Qaeda network has been largely decimated, while the current threat is increasingly seen as arising from terrorist groups in places like Yemen that share Al Qaeda’s ideology but have no connection to the 2001 attacks.

That possibility has elicited a decidedly mixed reaction. Human rights groups that want to see the 12-year-old military conflict wind down fear that a new authorization would create an open-ended “forever war.”

Some supporters of continuing the wartime approach to terrorism indefinitely fear that the war’s legal basis is eroding and needs to be bolstered, while others worry that a new statute might contain limits that would reduce the power that the Obama administration claims it already wields under the 2001 version.

And still others say that whatever the right policy may be, Congress should protect its constitutional role by explicitly authorizing the parameters of the war, rather than ceding that decision to the executive branch.

If you asked an average person on the street, “What is Al Qaeda?” what do you think they’d say? Does anyone know what or who “Al Qaeda” or “Islamic extremism” really is? Again, this is what passes for legitimate political and public policy dialogue in America today.

As an independent, critical thinker, how insulted and outraged are you? Do the criminals controlling the United States government and media really expect us to blindly support endless war against poor people thousands of miles away from us who pose absolutely no threat to our country and people?

Glenn Greenwald had some typically insightful and powerful commentary on this Orwellian development in his column in The Guardian entitled, “Washington gets explicit: it’s ‘war on terror’ is permanent”:

… each year of endless war that passes further normalizes the endless rights erosions justified in its name. The second term of the Bush administration and first five years of the Obama presidency have been devoted to codifying and institutionalizing the vast and unchecked powers that are typically vested in leaders in the name of war. Those powers of secrecy, indefinite detention, mass surveillance, and due-process-free assassination are not going anywhere. They are now permanent fixtures not only in the US political system but, worse, in American political culture.

Each year that passes, millions of young Americans come of age having spent their entire lives, literally, with these powers and this climate fixed in place: to them, there is nothing radical or aberrational about any of it. The post-9/11 era is all they have been trained to know. That is how a state of permanent war not only devastates its foreign targets but also degrades the population of the nation that prosecutes it. [...]

Nobody really even knows with whom the US is at war, or where. Everyone just knows that it is vital that it continue in unlimited form indefinitely.

In response to that, the only real movement in Congress is to think about how to enact a new law to expand the authorization even further. But it’s a worthless and illusory debate, affecting nothing other than the pretexts and symbols used to justify what will, in all cases, be a permanent and limitless war. The Washington AUMF debate is about nothing other than whether more fig leafs are needed to make it all pretty and legal.

The Obama administration already claims the power to wage endless and boundless war, in virtually total secrecy, and without a single meaningful check or constraint. No institution with any power disputes this. To the contrary, the only ones which exert real influence – Congress, the courts, the establishment media, the plutocratic class – clearly favor its continuation and only think about how further to enable it. That will continue unless and until Americans begin to realize just what a mammoth price they’re paying for this ongoing splurge of war spending and endless aggression.

The United States government, regardless of which party is in power, is fixated on prosecuting illegal, immoral, and unjust wars on a permanent basis at the behest of Israel and international Zionism. This endless war is becoming increasingly more and more difficult to justify to the American public. It is past time Americans of all political leanings unite in opposition to the fraudulent and destructive “Global War on Terror” and the various tyrannical policies enacted in order to prosecute it. We must demand an immediate withdraw of all American troops from every overseas outpost, and arrest the real criminals responsible for 9/11 and the wars of aggression launched as a result.

Source: John Friend blog

Iran Begins Production of New Mobile Air Defense System

MKERone — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:41:13 +0000

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Defense Ministry on Monday started mass-production of a highly mobile home-made air-defense system.

The production line of the new system, Herz (Protector) 9, was inaugurated in a special ceremony attended by the country’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi on the occasion of the liberation of Khorramshahr city from Iraqi occupation during the eight-year Iraqi imposed war in the 1980s.

Addressing the ceremony, Vahidi said that the system which has been designed and developed by Iranian experts at the Defense Industries Organization is a “sophisticated smart air-defense system and is capable of detecting, identifying and intercepting low-altitude targets through automatic controls”.

He said that the system enjoys high mobility and night operation capability and can be connected to the country’s integrated air-defense network.

The Iranian Armed Forces have recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of its home-made weapons, tools and equipments, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircraft, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran’s wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor, specially at a time of heightened threats by the US.

Source: Fars News

Al-Qusayr Battle Continues, Syrian Army in Control

MKERone — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:38:15 +0000

Clashes between the Syrian Army and militants continued in Al-Qusayr on Monday, after fierce battles on Sunday killed large numbers of militants and helped the Syrian Army regain control over most of the town.

Al-Manar correspondent in Syria reported that the Syrian Army had killed large numbers and captured dozens of militants, while the rest escaped.

In parallel, Syrian News Agency SANA reported the “Army restored security and stability to most of Al-Qusayr city neighborhoods in Homs countryside and eliminated large numbers of terrorists, most of them non-Syrians.”

The news agency quoted a military source as saying that “dozens of terrorists laid down their weapons and surrendered to the army.”

“Among the killed terrorists were Nawaf Alwani, leader of a terrorist group affiliated to Al-Nusra Front,” SANA added, indicating that the Army had also “destroyed large numbers of tunnels used by terrorists to carry out operations and hide their weapons.”

Source: Al Manar