Obama authorizes weapons to Syrian rebels, officials say

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has authorized sending weapons to Syrian rebels for the first time, U.S. officials said Thursday, after the White House disclosed that the United States has conclusive evidence President Bashar Assad’s government used chemical weapons against opposition forces trying to overthrow him.

Obama has repeatedly said the use of chemical weapons would cross a ‘‘red line’’ triggering greater American intervention in the two-year crisis.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the strongest proponents of U.S. military action in Syria, said he was told Thursday that Obama had decided to ‘‘provide arms to the rebels,’’ a decision confirmed by three U.S. officials. The officials cautioned that no decisions had been made on the specific type of weaponry or when it would reach the Syrian rebels, who are under increasing assault from Assad’s forces.

Still, the White House signaled that Obama did plan to step up U.S. involvement in the Syrian crisis in response to the chemical weapons disclosure.

‘‘This is going to be different in both scope and scale in terms of what we are providing,’’ said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser.

The U.S. has so far provided the Syrian rebel army with rations and medical supplies.

Thursday’s announcement followed a series of urgent meetings at the White House this week that revealed deep divisions within the administration over U.S. involvement in Syria’s civil war. The proponents of more aggressive action — including Secretary of State John Kerry — appeared to have won out over those wary of sending weapons and ammunition into a war zone where Hezbollah and Iranian fighters are backing Assad’s armed forces, and al-Qaida-linked extremists back the rebellion.

Obama still opposes putting American troops on the ground in Syria and the U.S. has made no decision on operating a no-fly zone over Syria, Rhodes said.

U.S. officials said the administration could provide the rebels with a range of weapons, including small arms, ammunition, assault rifles and a variety of anti-tank weaponry such as shoulder-fired remote-propelled grenades and other missiles. However, a final decision on the inventory has not been made, the officials said.

Most of those would be weapons the opposition forces could easily use and not require much additional training to operate. Obama’s opposition to deploying American troops to Syria makes it difficult to provide much large-scale training. Other smaller- scale training can be done outside Syria’s borders.

All of the officials insisted on anonymity in order to discuss internal administration discussions.

Word of the stepped up assistance followed new U.S. intelligence assessments showing that Assad has used chemical weapons, including sarin, on a small scale multiple times in the last year. Up to 150 people have been killed in those attacks, the White House said, constituting a small percentage of the 93,000 people killed in Syria over the last two years.

The White House said it believes Assad’s regime still maintains control of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles and does not see any evidence that rebel forces have launched attacks using the deadly agents.

The Obama administration announced in April that it had ‘‘varying degrees of confidence’’ that sarin had been used in Syria. But they said at the time that they had not been able to determine who was responsible for deploying the gas.

The more conclusive findings announced Thursday were aided by evidence sent to the United States by France, which, along with Britain, has announced it had determined that Assad’s government had used chemical weapons.

Obama has said repeatedly that the use of chemical weapons would cross a ‘‘red line’’ and constitute a ‘‘game changer’’ for U.S. policy on Syria, which until now has focused entirely on providing the opposition with nonlethal assistance and humanitarian aid.

The White House said it had notified Congress, the United Nations and key international allies about the new U.S. chemical weapons determination. Obama will discuss the assessments, along with broader problems in Syria, next week during the G-8 summit in Northern Ireland.

Among those in attendance will be Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Assad’s most powerful backers. Obama and Putin will hold a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of the summit, where the U.S. leader is expected to press his Russian counterpart to drop his political and military support for the Syrian government.

‘‘We believe that Russia and all members of the international community should be concerned about the use of chemical weapons,’’ Rhodes said.

Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said his country was ‘‘not surprised by the determination made by the U.S. government,’’ given its own assessments, and was in consultation with the Americans about next steps.

The U.S. has so far provided the Syrian rebel army with rations and medical supplies. In April, Kerry announced that the administration had agreed in principle to expand its military support to the opposition to include defensive items like night vision goggles, body armor and armored vehicles.

The Syrian fighters have been clamoring for bolder Western intervention, particularly given the estimated 5,000 Hezbollah guerrillas propping up Assad’s forces. Assad’s stunning military success last week at Qusair, near the Lebanese border, and preparations for offensives against Homs and Aleppo have made the matter more urgent.

While McCain has pressed for a greater role for the U.S. military, other lawmakers have expressed reservations about American involvement in another conflict and fears that weapons sent to the rebels could fall into the hands of al-Qaida-linked groups.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned the Assad regime but expressed serious concerns about the United States being pulled into a proxy war.

‘‘There are many actions that the United States can take to increase our humanitarian assistance to refugee populations and opposition groups short of injecting more weapons into the conflict,’’ Murphy said. ‘‘I urge the president to exercise restraint and to consult closely with Congress before undertaking any course of action to commit American military resources to Syrian opposition forces.’’

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, also urged the White House to consult with Congress.

‘‘It is long past time to bring the Assad regime’s bloodshed in Syria to an end,’’ he said through a spokesman, Brendan Buck. ‘‘As President Obama examines his options, it is our hope he will properly consult with Congress before taking any action.’’

Oh MY!

Obama is no different than the rest.  Now that the tide has turned in Assad's favor, they suddenly realize it was Assad who used Chemical weapons.  Do-little Obama trying to create a last-minute legacy after eight benign years.

JUST LIKE GEORGE BUSH AND HIS WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRUCTIONS!!!

Russia dismisses ‘unconvincing’ US claims on chemical weapons use by Syria

“…I will say frankly that what was presented to us by the Americans does not look convincing…. It would be hard even to call them facts,” Russian President Vladimir Putin's Foreign Policy Adviser Yuri Ushakov said in a statement on Friday.

Ushakov slammed Washington for decision to supply more arms to foreign-backed militants in Syria, saying the decision undermines joint efforts to organize a peace conference and find a solution to the crisis in the Arab country.

On June 13, US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes claimed in a White House statement that the Syrian government “has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent, sarin, on a small scale” against the foreign-backed Takfiri militants “multiple times in the last year.”

Syria strongly rejects such claims and says the militants have used chemical weapons on several occasions, including an attack in the region of Khan al-Assal in the northwestern province of Aleppo on March 19, where over two dozen people died.

Earlier probes by UN investigators have also pointed to evidence of insurgents having used chemical weapons in Syria.

US press reports on June 13 said the Obama administration had decided to begin supplying the militants in Syria with small arms and ammunition. The assistance, coordinated by the CIA spy agency, could include antitank weapons, according to US officials cited by the New York Times.

The foreign-sponsored militancy, which started in Syria more than two years ago, has been taking its toll on the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.

Russia is indirectly telling US President "You are a lier"

Syria slams US chemical weapons claims as fabrications

Scores of people, mostly civilians, were rushed to hospitals in Aleppo following the terrorist chemical attack on March 19, 2013.

“The White House published a statement full of lies about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, based on fabricated information, through which it is trying to hold the Syrian government responsible for such use,” Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The statement also noted that the US decision to arm militants is a flagrant example of double-standard policy.

“The United States, in resorting to a shameful use of pretexts in order to allow President Obama's decision to arm the Syrian opposition, shows that it has flagrant double standards in the way it deals with terrorism.”

Earlier in the day, a Syrian Foreign Ministry official said that the US decision to arm the foreign-backed insurgents “demonstrates... the direct involvement of the United States in the Syrian bloodbath.”

On June 13, US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes claimed in a White House statement that the Syrian government “has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale” against the foreign-backed Takfiri militants “multiple times in the last year.”

Hawkish US Senator John McCain, who is a staunch supporter of arming the militants in Syria, said Washington should even think of plans other than sending weapons to the militants “to change the equation on the battleground.”

Syria strongly rejects such claims and says the militants have used chemical weapons on several occasions, including an attack in the region of Khan al-Assal in the northwestern province of Aleppo on March 19, where over two dozen people died.

The foreign-sponsored militancy, which turned the situation in Syria into turmoil more than two years ago, has been taking its toll on the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.

When the UN found that were actually the rebels who used sarin gas the US understood they had to fabricate their own evidence against the country.

Guys, this is the long expected great World War III (WWIII). Asad has defeated the rebels.. We all well know the white master will never tolerate the success of other races. This is not only about the Arabs, but about surrounding and containing Asia and any other region that challenges the supremacy of US and its Harlot Mother, Britain.

Egypt is cutting diplomatic relations with Syria, Morsi says

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi addresses a rally in Cairo on June 15, 2013.

"We decided today to entirely break off relations with Syria and with the current Syrian” government, Morsi said during an address to thousands of supporters at a rally in Cairo on Saturday.

He added that his government would also be recalling the Egyptian charge d'affaires from Damascus.

In addition, Morsi called on Western states to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria.

The United States has recently announced that it will impose a no-fly zone over Syria and the Pentagon is drawing up plans for the action.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Morsi urged the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah to withdraw from Syria. "Hezbollah must leave Syria -- these are serious words. There is no space or place for Hezbollah in Syria."

In late May, Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said that members of the resistance movement were battling the anti-government militants alongside Syrian government forces in the strategic border town of al-Qusayr -- an important center and supply route for the foreign-sponsored militants.

On June 5, the Syrian army recaptured al-Qusayr after three weeks of fighting.

The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of government forces, have been killed.

Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

The Syrian government says the West and its regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants.

In addition, several international human rights organizations say the militants operating in Syria have committed war crimes.

Egypt is cutting diplomatic relations with Syria, Morsi says

"It is sad day for Egyptians.their revolution got them another Mubarak. Another stooge of the West.

He is no stooge of the West, he want's an Sunni/Al-Qaeda dominance of the ME and is being backed by those wicked Saudis.  After they get Syria, they will try to retake Iraq.

Russia warns US of imposing no-fly zone on Syria

“You don’t have to be a great expert to understand that this will still violate international law, and we really hope that our American colleagues will align their actions in accordance with the approach of the Russian-American initiative in preparation for the conference (on Syria),” Lavrov said on Saturday.

The Russian foreign minister was referring to Western media reports that US F-16 warplanes and Patriot anti-aircraft missiles in Jordan might be used in creating a no-fly zone over Syria.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement on Saturday that the F-16 aircraft and the Patriot missile batteries would stay in Jordan after the end of the joint drill between the United States and Jordan this month.

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel “has approved a request from the Kingdom of Jordan for a detachment of F-16s and Patriot Missiles to remain in Jordan following the conclusion of the Eager Lion Exercise next week,” Little stated.

“All other US personnel assigned to Jordan for Eager Lion will depart at the conclusion of the exercise. The United States enjoys a longstanding partnership with Jordan and is committed to its defense,” the Pentagon spokesman added.

Lavrov also dismissed as ‘unreliable’ Washington’s claims that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons.

He said the materials collected by the Obama administration regarding the use of chemical weapons would not meet the requirements of the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The Russian foreign minister added, “Blood samples, urine, soil, and clothing are considered serious evidence only in the case where these samples are taken by experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and if these experts controlled these samples during the entire duration of the investigation in appropriate laboratories.”

On June 13, hawkish US Senator John McCain, who is a staunch supporter of arming the militants in Syria, said that Washington should even think of plans other than sending weapons to the militants “to change the equation on the battleground.”

The turmoil in Syria erupted in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed so far.

In May, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said militants from as many as 29 different countries were fighting against the government in different parts of the country.

Quote "These Russian warnings are positive, at least as long as there is a little hope for a political settlement in Geneva 2. But US,Israel have already started the invasion process by sending a large number of US troops, F-16 jets and Patriot missiles, etc, to Jordan. There is evidence that the upcoming Jordanian-drill is not a "normal" war-game, it's going to become a real war. US,Israel are going for a last desperate war, either by using Chemical weapon hoax, a false-flag or other excuses." unquote

Quote "Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned against any effort by the United States and its allies to impose a no-fly zone over Syria, saying the move would be a ‘violation of international law." unquote

Russia tries to stick to international law. What international law? there is no international law anymore. The West breaks international law constantly, while other countries have to stick to it. The UN has indeed become a (UN) United Nothing. It is completely ruled by the zionazis. It can now only rap, slam and condemn. The only thing that will stop them is force. Slowly but gradually the world is moving towards WW III. In fact World War III has allready started, covertly. Positions have been taken. I sometimes wish that it would start overtly. Something has to trigger it ... a big false flag. Afterwards it clears the air and we all know that Israël will no longer exist and most of the West will be devastated.

Seriously what CAN Russia do?

I see you haven't lost your sense of humor.

Just a tad of BS perhaps?

You following the wrong news banna.

For a start they can use the shipment of Russian-made missile systems  that would give the regime of Bashar al-Assad a more potent weapon against a Western-led military intervention, including enforcement of a no-fly zone, as analyst points out.

The S-300 is one of Russia’s most sophisticated air-defense systems. Like the U.S.-made Patriot battery, it uses truck-mounted missiles and radar to strike such targets as aircraft and guided missiles more than 100 miles away.

Well, the Russians sat back and allow Libya to go, then the next will be perhaps now Syria, then Lebanon, then maybe Iran, you think that Russia wants to humored? Russia and China perhaps. Grim scenario 

maybe not in our lifetime.

You would be surprised.

So how yuh bai Obama doing these days, falling for the "intelligence" of convenience I see.  What a con-artist, and you clowns bought in lock, stock and barrel.

BTW, did you see the election outcome in Iran, the man the establishment did NOT want won.  How undemocratic, right!

You will see.

 "The Western powers are dangerously close to flooding Syria with weapons and ammunition which will officially go to the nice rebels – but will quickly pass to the horrid rebels, who will sell some of them to al-Qa’ida, Iraqi insurgents, Syrian government troops, Malian militiamen, Taliban fighters and Pakistani hitmen. Guns are about money.

It works like this. The nice rebels could be given anti-aircaft missiles (shoulder-fired variety preferred) to use against Assad’s helicopters and Migs. Thank you – “shukran” – the nice rebels will say. But once over the border, the horrid rebel Nusra chaps will make an offer the nice rebels can’t refuse: either many thousands of dollars or a threat to seize the munitions (head-chopping optional), or a mixture of both. For a hefty sum, the horrid rebels will then split the proceeds with their chaps in Iraq."

For more, see http://bit.ly/19cwuL8

Syria is entering a new phase.  Expect major blow-back in Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.  This is Obama's war, the unclenched fist!

Militants in Syria ask West for tanks, warplanes

“We are going to ask them directly and clearly that we need tanks and the air jets, all weapons that they can offer us,” FSA political coordinator Louay Meqdad said during an interview with Reuters on Friday.

“International community should use all their power because we need help.”

Meqdad did not reveal the date of the planned meeting.

On June 14, US President Barack Obama ordered his administration to provide the militants in Syria with weapons, which include assault rifles, shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles.

The delivery of the weapons would be carried out through the CIA spy agency, reports say.

The transfer will be conducted via confidential military bases in Turkey and Jordan - centers initially intended to give non-military aid to Syrians.

Russia and the United Nations have criticized the US decision to arm the militants in Syria. Moscow has warned that the move “risks escalating (violence) in the region.”

The United States has also claimed that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against the militants, but Damascus has categorically rejected the allegation as “lies.”

In recent weeks, the foreign-backed Takfiri militants have suffered heavy losses and lost control of the strategic town of Qusayr, which was brought under the control of the Syrian army with the help of Lebanon’s Hezbollah forces.

Syrian forces have also started an all-out operation to regain full control of the northwestern city of Aleppo.

Foreign-sponsored militancy in Syria has taken its toll on the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, since the turmoil erupted in March 2011.

In May, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said militants from as many as 29 different countries were fighting against the government in different parts of the country.

Santa Claus Obama, will give the terrorists their bagful of toys, there is no telling weather this will turn back and haunt him.

You support Assad?

Lesser of the two evils, at least he holds the country together, with Assad gone, who knows Syria will be uncontrollable, everyday there will be massacres, like we are now witnessing in Iraq, where everyday scores of people are bombed to death.

Ray If you have to support one side, which will it be?

I support a choice which gives the people of SYria the opportunity to democratically choose their leader. Unfortunately, I think the ME needs people like Assad and Hussein because they end up killing each other because of simple differences. The people over there can't seem to get along with each other..they are a bunch of stupid illiterates.

Syria is complex and the colonial legacy of a national boundary with several minority tribes compounds it. Unlike Iraq which has three distinct, large ethnicities - the Kurds, Shiite Arabs and Sunni Arabs - each with closely demarcated economic associations (for example oil in the Kurdish region, Oil in Shiite Basra, etc.), Syria is more of a mish-mash.

The minority Alawites in Syria have ruled the other tribes for decades since Assad's father's days. He leveled one entire town during his time instead of making Syria a Federated collection of enclaves.

There is a valid question of what happens after Assad goes. Will there be a Baltic-like solution or South African solution. There will be need to protect the Alawites and to ensure that the dominant Sunnis do not engage in revenge and state terrorism.

The current situation clearly calls for Assad to go and a UN Peace mission with constitutional changes and democratization. The Russians need to see Syria not as a strategic asset to bulwark against the US-backed Arab States. But then again it serves Putin's interest to keep the Iran, Hezbollah, Syrian axis going. This is antagonistic to the Palestinians, the Iranian people and the Syrians. So Asj sees anti-US interests trumping the aforementioned situation. You think he cares about Palestinians, the Iranians and Syrians who all want to live in peace and economic prosperity? Asj has stated his preference, which is opposed to Ray's.

asj sees US as the bad guy  no matter what...so he will support whomever is anti US...does not matter if they all kill off each other

Russia not to permit no-fly zone over Syria: Foreign Ministry

“I think that we will not permit in principle such a scenario,” Alexander Lukashevich said at a news briefing on Monday.

"We saw with the example of Libya how such a zone is introduced and how such decisions are implemented. We do not want a repeat of this in respect to the Syria conflict,” he added.

Reports that the US government was preparing to impose a no-fly zone over Syria were fuelled after Pentagon confirmed on Saturday that the US will keep its F-16 warplanes and Patriot anti-aircraft missiles in Jordan after the end of the joint drill this month.

"All these maneuvers about no-fly zones and humanitarian corridors are a direct consequence of a lack of respect for international law," Lukashevich added.

The remarks came ahead of planned talks between US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about the Syria crisis on the sidelines of G8 summit in Northern Ireland.

On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned against any effort to impose a no-fly zone over Syria.

“You don’t have to be a great expert to understand that this will still violate international law, and we really hope that our American colleagues will align their actions in accordance with the approach of the Russian-American initiative in preparation for the conference (on Syria),” he said.

On June 14, Obama ordered his administration to provide the militants with weapons, a day after the US claimed that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against the militants and thus crossed Washington’s “red line.” Damascus has rejected the allegation as “lies.”

The delivery of the weapons, which include assault rifles, shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades and antitank missiles, would be carried out through the CIA, reports say.

Last week, a US defense official also stated that Washington would keep a unit of US Marines on amphibious ships off the Red Sea coast after consultations with Jordan.

The US-based Wall Street Journal had earlier reported that the no-fly zone could be implemented from Jordan.

If the alternate is a terrorist Saudi/Al-Qaeda regime, maybe Assad ain't that bad.  Has the removal of Sadaam served the US's interest?

Yes it has. It created an oil rich enclave of Kurdistan for the first time that is stable. The fight in Iraq is the 700 year struggle of the shia and Sunnis. They have to stop it not the US which is not a nation a third the time this struggle has been on going. Getting rid of Saddam served its ends.

And what was that?

 The rise of a Kurdish homeland, the absence of genocidal slaughter of the swamp arabs (250K dead at h is hands) and the death of a personality cult that fed a one party state. The rest is up to them. One can only afford the opportunity to be able to fish. They have to become the fishermen.

Assad is holding the country together? 

Last time I checked, they were in the middle of a civil war in Syria and people are bombing each other to death every day. 

You are missing the fundamentalist narrative...what is happening there is all on account of the great satan destruction Islamic perfection!

Another warning from Russia:

Russia warns US, EU against consequences of arming Syria militants

Obama urged to crush Syria’s air power

In a letter to Obama on Tuesday, the chairmen of the Foreign Relations and Armed Forces panels Senator Bob Menendez, as well as Carl Levin and John McCain urged the president to immediately send weapons to the militants in Syria, The Hill reported.

“We must also degrade [Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad’s ability to use air power and ballistic missiles… Such actions could include the targeting of regime airfields, runways, and aircraft on the ground, which would also limit Assad’s ability to transport and resupply his ground forces and those of his allies by air,” the letter read.

As the last part of their plan, the senators called on Obama to help the militants create “safe zones” inside Syria to organize themselves better.

On Thursday, the White House said the US intelligence community concluded that the Syrian government had used chemical arms against the militants, crossing Washington’s red lines for taking action in Syria. Damascus rejected the claim as “lies.”

Based on the conclusion, White House officials said the US would send “military assistance” to the militants without specifying clearly what the aid would include.

The US announcement came after Syrian forces seized the strategic town of Qusayr from the militants and launched an offensive in the northern city of Aleppo to take full control of the city.

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday approved of the US decision to send arms to the militants, warning, however, that the crisis in Syria is turning into “a confrontation between two superpowers.”

On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland that the West must consider the consequences of supplying weapons to anti-Syria militants, saying the move would be a major blow to the chances for peace.

“We cannot agree to biased interpretations and groundless claims that the government of Syria has used chemical weapons,” Ryabkov said.