Obama has renewed sanctions on Syria for another year. This was expected.

Professor Josh,

I’m relieved this is what you “expected”. Sometimes I get the impression you think an American president will suddenly appear to throw Israel under the bus.

Your only hope is that a group of 19 yeshiva students hijack 4 commercial airliners and fly them into American skyscrapers.

Until then, keep waiting habibi…

It is clear that the US is weak and not able to be effective in the Mideast , that is if not to say that the US is an enemy state to the Palestinians and Arab rights, they should not be surprised if we are hated in the Mideast ,sooner or later the boiling pot will explode,

A.P. is arrogant,he reminds me of Lee Harvey Oswald,I suspect the scenario will be repated again,and the Mossad( A.P. friends) will try to assassinate President Obama,but this time they(the Israeli) will not get away with it.

Netanyahu’s plan as developed by Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, the Wurmser’s husband and wife as the “Clean Break” proposal to change the Middle East the way the Israelis want included the following extract.

“ISRAEL can shape its strategic environment, in cooperation with
Turkey and Jordan, by weakening, containing, and even rolling
back Syria. This effort can focus on removing Saddam Hussein
from power in IRAQ — an important Israeli strategic objective
in its own right — as a means of foiling Syria’s regional ambitions.”

ECHO:- WE THINK THE PRICE ( OF KILLING 500,000 IRAQI
CHILDREN) IS WORTH IT ). THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE USA.

Lesley Stahl on U.S. sanctions against Iraq:
We have heard that a HALF A MILLION CHILDREN
HAVE DIED.. . I mean, that’s more children than
died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a
hard choice, but the price–WE think the price is worth it.

Nothing lasts forever AP. And most probably IT will not be by bus.

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos interviews President Ahmedinejad.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/transcript-george-stephanopoulos-interviews-iranian-president-mahmoud-ahmadinejad/story?id=10558442

Syrian Martyrs’ Remembrance Day -May/6/1916-
In memory of our Syrian heroes who died for all of us to live with pride and dignity, to all our Syrian martyrs: we will never forget you.
May Syria and Syrians live free, strong and proud for ever and ever.

شهداء 6 ايار .. وايام “سفر برلك”
http://www.syria-news.com/dayin/6may/index.html

النص الكامل لوصية احد شهداء..

كتب بعض شهداء ايار وصيتهم الاخيرة وكانت تركز في معظمها في امور شخصية ، حيث كان من المحظر عليهم ان يكتبوا في السياسة او بالشأن العام ، وننشر هنا مضمون وصية الشهيد رفيق رزق سلوم كتبها لاهله قبل اسبوعين من استشهاده مع قافلة الشهداء الذين اعدموا في دمشق وبيروت.

نص الوصية

سلام وتحية وبعد: فهذه قصتي إليكم أحببت أن أذكر لكم تاريخ سجني باختصار، وأوصيكم ببعض أمور لا بد منها، لأنني متيقن من زمن غير بعيد، أن وقت الموت قد قرب، وأنه لا بد أن تشيع بعض إشاعات لا صحة لها، لذلك أحببت أن أذكر لكم كل شيء كما وقع تماماً.

ألقت الحكومة القبض عليّ في 14 أيلول شرقي قبل الظهر بساعة، وأوقفتني بسجن الضباط وبقيت هناك خمسة أيام لا أعرف سبب سجني، ويوم الجمعة صباحاً أخذوني إلى عاليه للاستنطاق فسألوني عن تاريخ حياتي في الآستانة، وتاريخ حياتي في دمشق وعن علاقتي مع المرحوم عبد الكريم الخليل، لأنهم ادعوا بأنني كاتم أسراره، وأنني كاتب عبد الحميد الزهراوي الخاص، وأن لي قصائد وأناشيد وطنية أحض فيها الناشئة العربية على طلب الاستقلال، هذه التهمة الموجهة إليّ، وقد دفعت هذه التهم بالحجة القاطعة، وعرفت الذين وشوا بي من بيروت ومن طرابلس الشام، ثم زاد الطين بلة، أحد رفاقي المسجونين معي، وهو رشدي من غزة، فكان يتظاهر أمامنا بالصداقة، ويذهب إلى الديوان العرفي فيفتري عليّ بعض أمور لكي يظهر إخلاصه للحكومة ويخلص من الإعدام، لأنه اعترف عن نفسه صراحة ولم يبقى له وسيلة ينقذ بها حياته إلا التجسس.

ثم بعد ذلك جاء أخي العزيز شاكر إلى عاليه، وأرسلني ديوان الحرب إلى القدس لأنهم لم يجدوا علي دليلاً يثبت دعواهم، وقالوا إن الذي أمر بتوقيفي جمال باشا، وأن مسألتي تتعلق به رأساً، فحبسوني بالقدس خمسة أيام عند قومندان المركز، ثم استدعاني الباشا وألقى علي نفس الأسئلة التي ألقيت عليّ في الديوان، وتهددني بالضرب وأنواع العذاب، فأجبته نفس الأسئلة التي أجبتها في الديوان، فغضب كثيراً، ثم استدعاني إليه ثانية وحاول أن يقنعني لأقص عليه شيئاً عما قام في ذهنه من الخيالات الوهمية، فأكدت له أنني بعيد عن السياسة بعد السماء عن الأرض، وحينئذ أمرهم بأن يعذبوني، فأخذني الضابط نور الدين ومعه بايرام وجندي آخر إلى غرفة خاصة، وربطوا يدي ورجلي بالحبال، وبدأوا يضربونني ضرباً أليماً، وأغمي عليّ من شدة الضرب ثم أفقت فعادوا إلى ضربي ثانية، فأغمي علي ثانية، ثم أفقت فعادوا إلى ضربي حتى تكسرت في أيديهم عدة عصي، وأغمي عليّ ثالثة وأنا أقول لهم لا أعرف شيئاً، ثم أعطاني الضابط نور الدين قلماً وورقة، وكلفني أن أعترف، وأعطاني فرصة مقدار ساعة قال لي: إذا لم تعترف أحضر آلة لقلع الأظافر، فأقلع أظافرك وأطيل عذابك، حتى تموت وأطرحك في الوادي للوحوش، فرأيت أن إصراري بهذه الصورة يجعلهم يتوهمون أنني عالم ببعض الأمور وأصر على إنكارها، فوعدته أنني عزمت على الاعتراف، ورجوت أن يمهلني إلى الصباح لأن رشدي ضاع من شدة الألم، فأخذت وكتبت له بالورقة بأن المرحوم عبد الكريم الخليل كان كلفني من ست سنوات الدخول في جمعيته، فرفضت طلبه، وإنني لا أعلم شيئاً غير ذلك، وذكرت له في الورقة تاريخ الإصلاحات، وأني كنت من حزب عبد الحميد الزهراوي صديق الحكومة الذي رضي بالإصلاح بالرغم من معارضة كثيرين.

وبعد أن قرأ الورقة ضربها في وجهي وقال هذا لا يكفي، فقلت له أن لي علاقة بجمعية أخرى ولكنها ليست سياسية، ومقصدها تشويق الطلاب ليذهبوا إلى أوروبا ويتعلموا فيها، وليس في ذلك ما يخالف قانون الحكومة أو إدارتها، ثم ذكرت له أنني استعفيت من هذه الجمعية أيضاً، وقدمت استقالتي إلى صديقي سيف الدين الخطيب، وهذا أرسل استعفائي إلى توفيق الناطور في بيروت، وكان سيف الدين حاضراً فاعترف أمام الباشا أنني استعفيت وأن الجمعية المذكورة لا تشتغل بالسياسة، وبعد هذا الحادث بيومين رجعت إلى عاليه وبقينا نحو خمسة وثلاثين يوماً ما سألونا عن شيء.

وحضر جمال باشا فأمر أن يستنطقونا من جديد، فشرعوا يتهددونا بالضرب، لأنهم رغبوا أن نوافقهم على بعض الإقرارات فرفضنا بتاتاً، وهكذا استنطقونا وقضينا أثناء الاستنطاق من العذاب ما يشيب له رأس الطفل، وكانت الحكومة في أثناء ذلك توسع دائرة التحقيقات بواسطة جواسيسها وهم (……) وغيرهم من الجواسيس، وقضينا هذه المدة ننتظر الإعدام يوماً فيوماً، أما عن حمص فلم تسألني الحكومة شيئاً لأني قلت لهم أني خرجت من حمص صغيراً، ولا معرفة لي بأحد منها أبداً، وقد صار لي من اليوم ستة أشهر وثمانية أيام ونحن ننتظر الإعدام يوماً فيوماً، لأن الحكومة لا تطبق قوانينها، بل لها سياسة خاصة في هذه الحالة، وإلا فإنه لا يوجد جرم في الحقيقة أبدا، ولكن هذه السياسة قاتلها الله.

هذا هو تاريخ حالتي عن حياتي في السجن، وكنت أتلقى كل هذه الأمور بصدر رحب، وكنت أضحك من هذه الأوهام وأنظر الموت كما ينظر العطشان إلى الماء، لأني مؤمن بالله وبالآخرة، ومعتقد أن الآخرة أحسن من الدنيا وإذا كان في الموت فراق الأحباب، ففي الآخرة أجتمع بوالدي وأختي وأخي وكثيرين من أقاربي، ولا يؤلمني إلا أمر واحد، وهو أنكم تعبتم كثيراً لأجلي، ولم تحصدوا شيئاً من تعبكم، ولكن استشهادي هو أعظم وأشرف نتيجة تحصدونها، فتصوروا أني مسافر إلى أميركا وأني ناجح في أعمالي، وهل نجاح أعظم من هذا النجاح؟ أنتم الآن لا تدركون معنى هذا النجاح ولكن المستقبل سيعرف حقيقتي، وحينئذ ترفعون رؤوسكم افتخاراً.n>

أما من جهة المعيشة فلا أخاف عليكم، لأنكم جميعكم قادرون على تحصيل معاشكم، ولا يوجد عندكم أولاد صغار وعجز، فإياكم والحزن، لأني أكره الحزن والحزانى، وثقوا بأن روحي ترفرف دائماً فوقكم فأرى كل حركة من حركاتكم، فأراكم ولا ترونني، فإذا حزنتم أهرب من عندكم، وإياكم أن تغيروا ثيابكم أو عادة من عاداتكم، ولقد تركت لكم أثراً من بعدي. أذكر منه كتاب الاقتصاد وإذا وجدتم فرصة فاطبعوا كتاب حقوق الدول الذي نشرته في المهذب، ثم اجمعوا المقالات التي كتبتها في المقتطف في رسالات خصوصية، وإني أحمد الله لأنني عشت شريفاً وأموت شريفاً، وأما الجواسيس الذين تكلموا عني فإني أسامحهم، واكتبوا على قبري هذه الأبيات: ((وإن الذي بيني وبين بني أبي))

ثم إنني لا أنسى الجميل والالتفات الذي لقيته في بيت عمي بالشام، وأشكر جميع الأصدقاء الذين ساعدوني في سجني سواء مادة أو معنى، سلام لجميع الأقارب وعليكم أن تعتنوا بتربية أولاد أخي الثلاثة على المبادئ القومية، وعلموهم أن يعيشوا ويموتوا لأجل الوطن.

أما الدين الذي عليّ، فهو خمسمائة ليرة ذهبية لأخي شاكر، جزاه الله عني خيراً، ولا حاجة أن أوصيك يا أخي في العائلة وأن لا يكون موتي سبباً ليأسك، بل كن رجلاً كبيراً كما عرفتك، وما الحياة إلى منام أو خيال ينقضي، فلنجتمع في أحضان سارة وإبراهيم وحيث ندرك أن الدنيا لم تكن سوى منام رأيناه وانقضى وليكن الله معك.

في 22 آذار 1916

رفيق رزق سلوم

Akbar Palace,

People like you keep reminding me that our quest is just, moral, and will not be abandoned even if it lasts a thousand years. Enjoy your toys while you can.

Akbar,

After reading Averroes response to your super-arrogant comment, what more do you want? Can you really not see how your arrogant approach serves no one, and only exacerbates the problem? If I was on the other side, and I’d hear someone like you, last thing I’d want to do is listen. I’d be busy planning to meet you, on the battlefield.

I always thought men who stuck their chest out farthest, had something else to hide… 😉

Netanyahu’s plan for the Middle East

“Forging A New U.S.-Israeli Relationship”

“Israel can make a clean break from the past and establish a new vision for the U.S.-Israeli partnership based on self-reliance, maturity and mutuality — not one focused narrowly on territorial disputes. Israel’s new strategy — based on a shared philosophy of peace through strength — reflects continuity with Western values by stressing that Israel is self-reliant, does not need U.S. troops in any capacity to defend it, including on the Golan Heights, and can manage its own affairs.” ( including the nuking of Iran back to the stone age? )

Looks like its time for killing at least 500,000 Iranian children!

http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/05/05/a-timetable-for-war/

AP
Your statement sounds like an acknowledgment that Israel Benefits when the US is hurt. DO you really want to state that Israel Thrives on American Misery?….. I will quote your statement, I may even frame your comment and send it to MEMRI to show them how much damage they can do to the brain of anyone following their racist propaganda. Come to think of it, you may have a lawsuit on your hand.

I told you before, you should really ask for a refund from those teaching you communication skills.

Print this page Close
Syria says US sanctions on Damascus fuel hostility
By ALBERT AJI, The Associated Press
Updated 2:57 PM Wednesday, May 5, 2010

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria on Wednesday criticized the United States’ renewal of sanctions against Damascus and warned that the penalties reinforce hostilities in the region.

The U.S. renewed the six-year-old economic and diplomatic sanctions Monday, saying Syria has made some progress containing terror networks that Washington says use the country to infiltrate Iraq but that Damascus continues to support terrorists and pursue weapons of mass destruction.

The Obama administration has reached out to Syria, trying to pry it away from the influence of Iran and encouraging it to end its support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups.

Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad said the sanctions decision shows Washington “has lost its credibility” and failed to live up to its promises to Syria.

Mekdad acknowledged that privately the tone from Washington was more positive.

“What is being heard publicly from the Americans is exaggerated and what is happening behind closed doors is the exact opposite,” he told the Al-Watan daily.

The Al-Thawra newspaper, considered a government mouthpiece, called the sanctions “a disappointment” but added that Damascus was not surprised. It warned that the U.S. decision “would keep the region in a state of antagonism and wars.”

Obama’s predecessor, former President George W. Bush, first imposed the sanctions in May 2004, accusing Syria of supporting terrorism, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and undermining U.S. operations in Iraq.

The recent U.S. outreach has included high-level diplomatic contacts with Damascus and a decision to send an ambassador to Syria after a five-year absence.

But the ties suffered a setback after Israel accused Syria last month of sending Scud missiles to Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants. Syria denies sending any weaponry to Hezbollah. The Shiite militant group and Lebanese government officials have also rejected the accusation.

Addressing the Israeli claim, the U.S. said last month that it was increasingly concerned about what it described as the transfer of more sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah.

On Wednesday, the commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon told the An-Nahar newspaper his forces had no evidence that Scud missiles had been sent to Hezbollah.

Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta Cuevas told the Lebanese newspaper it would be difficult to hide such large weapons systems from the 12,000 peacekeepers and three Lebanese army brigades that patrol the area near the border with Israel.

Hezbollah says it has rockets and missiles capable of reaching anywhere in Israel, but the group is not believed to keep its longer range missiles in the U.N. force’s area of operations, where the international patrols closely watch for suspicious activity.

___

May 05, 2010 05:51 PM EDT

Copyright 2010, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Find this article at:
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/nation-world-news/syria-says-us-sanctions-on-damascus-fuel-hostility-687380.html
Print this page Close

Syria warm to Israel, officials say
Published: May 5, 2010 at 12:52 PM

JERUSALEM, May 5 (UPI) — Despite allegations of Scud missile transfers to Hezbollah, Israeli relations are a priority for Damascus, senior Israeli intelligence officials said.

U.S. and Israeli officials are wary of Syrian activity in the region following allegations that Damascus transferred Scud missiles to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. Despite the nomination of a new U.S. envoy to Damascus, U.S. President Barack Obama renewed a state of emergency regarding Syria this week.

Brig. Gen. Yossi Baidatz, the head of the Israeli army’s intelligence research division, told lawmakers in the Knesset that he felt Damascus was still interested in peace, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports.

“A political settlement with Israel is high on Syria’s list of priorities and intelligence shows a will to reach an agreement — but on their terms, meaning a return of the Golan Heights and American involvement” he said.

Meanwhile, Haaretz added that unnamed Israeli defense officials believe Syria transferred M600 rockets to Hezbollah recently.

The report says the M600 is based on the Iranian Fateh-110, which can carry a 1,000-pound warhead more than 175 miles.

Haaretz warns, however, that senior Israeli defense officials have backed down on the Scud allegations, saying it is unclear whether Syria could have transferred such a large missile across national borders undetected.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Scuds story did not pan out nor was it accepted as logical, so now they throw in another story..oops, not Scuds…M600…yeah that’s what they did. Lets see if this sticks on the wall. Of course it will, 97% of the media is owned by pro-israeli groups.

Unfortunately, the only way Americans will wake up is when things are really bad, worst than what they are now. They will begin, in larger numbers, to question the fraud.

“Give credit where credit is due”.

Some “special/chosen people” excel at brainwashing having been
at it for centuries.Witness a statement made by the President of
the USA.

As recorded and noted by the ex-President of France:

“This confrontation [between the forces of the Apocalypse and
Israel] is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase
his people’s enemies before a New Age begins”.

U.S. President George W. Bush (in a 2003 conversation with
French President Jacques Chirac)

Harry S. Truman’s take on Jews.

“The Jews, I find, are very, very selfish. They care not how many Estonians, Latvians, Finns, Poles, Yugoslavs or Greeks get murdered or mistreated as D[isplaced] P[ersons] as long as the Jews get special treatment. Yet when they have power, physical, financial or political neither Hitler nor Stalin has anything on them for cruelty or mistreatment to the under dog.

Isn’t that just perceptive? According to news reports that while Jewish settlers were burning the mosque of the village of Yasuf near the city of Nablus in the West Bank they were writing on the walls of the village “WE’LL BURN YOU ALL”,

Paraphrasing the phrase German Nazis used to write on Jewish homes in the 1930s,

Taking example on the Western media frenzy in printing lies and rumors about ‘rogue states’ ( i.e resisting to US and Israel pressure), I wonder why the arabic media do not carry similar ‘rumors’ on Israel that may bring attention especially if Israel denies them.

Examples:

– ‘European scientific experts say that they suspect Israel is developing a new chemical gaz that it will infiltrate through the ground into Gaza. That chemical when drunk will make women unable to have childen.

– Military US officials, that cannot be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, are adamant that Israel is using the Dimona nuclear site to test new nuclear short effect bombs that have an immediate yet limited effect. They fear Israel may use it in the next round with Hezbollah.

– Dr Uri Mechtel, a renowned surgeon, has declared that the hospitals in Jerusalem are letting the arab-israelis wait undefinitely in the emergency rooms without treating them. Several arab-israelis has succumbed while waiting. He protested to the ethical committee of the Hospital but his request was ignored.

Bad taste? yes! More to add ….

Why Discuss said:

“Taking example on the Western media frenzy in printing lies and rumors about ‘rogue states’ ( i.e resisting to US and Israel pressure), I wonder why the arabic media do not carry similar ‘rumors’ on Israel that may bring attention especially if Israel denies them.”

Very good point. But, which Arabic Media are you refering to?

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY why would would they spread “rumors” when the “truths”, the “footage” and the live “reporting” gets you nowhere!

Ghat, please do not post any quotes about Jews. This is the same thing I would have asked Akbar Palace if he posted similar quotes (and there are many) about Muslims. we need to leave religion out of it

You can criticize “Settlers” or “Israel” or “Zionists” as much as you want, just like Akbar has been critical of “Baathists” or “Syria”.

Husam and W-D

Here is a real story (not a rumor) about Israeli misconduct, coming from an Arab country as you just requested : )

But of course nothing will come out of it.

Dubai official tells Wall Street Journal new names bring to 32 number of people identified as wanted in senior Hamas man’s death. International investigators probing whether one suspect is Zev Barkan, who is being sought by police in New Zealand in separate case

Officials in the United Arab Emirates have identified five new suspects in their probe of the January killing of senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a person familiar with the investigation told the Wall Street Journal.

The new names bring to 32 the number of people identified by Dubai police as wanted in their probe of the killing.

The person also said that international investigators believed a man identified earlier this year as a suspect could be sought by New Zealand in connection with passport fraud there. Separately, the person said international investigators were probing whether one suspect identified earlier was Zev Barkan, a man being sought by police in New Zealand in a separate case: .

In 2004, two Israeli citizens were sentenced by a New Zealand court to six-month jail terms for their role in attempting to fraudulently obtain a New Zealand passport. Barkan was sought by the police in connection with the case but fled the country and is believed to be still at large.

“Several agencies believe it is the same man,” the person familiar with the investigation told the Wall Street Journal.

The 2004 case led to a diplomatic incident between New Zealand and Israel, after Wellington officials said Barkan had been an Israel government official who served in embassies in Vienna and Brussels.

About a year later, Israel apologized to New Zealand for the involvement of its citizens in the incident and the relations between the two countries were restored.

Dubai police commander Dahi Khalfan Tamim said early last month that the investigation had revealed that there were residents in Gulf who had worked for the Israeli Mossad agency.

“Elements in our society have been hired for Israeli goals,” he said, refusing to elaborate.

The British secret intelligence service (MI6) suspects that airline staff working for the Mossad may have copied thousands of British passports, some of which were used in the assassination of Mabhouh in Dubai, the News of the World tabloid reported recently.

According to the report, British authorities are also concerned about security searches carried out on British officials attending a terrorism conference in Israel last September.

Schenker’s latest analysis on the Syrian delivery of Scuds to Hezbollah.

I wonder if Landis will ever speak out about Syrian recklessness?

__________________________
It’s Not the Scuds, It’s Support for the Resistance
By David Schenker
BitterLemons International
May 6, 2010

In late March, reports emerged in the Kuwaiti press that Syria had transferred Scud missiles to Hizballah. One month on, news of the Scud transfer continues to reverberate in Washington and the Middle East. A congressional resolution condemning Syria has been drafted and the confirmation of the Obama administration’s ambassador-designate to Damascus has been delayed. Meanwhile, tensions on the Lebanese-Israeli border have spiked, once again raising the specter of war.

Despite the fact that no authoritative evidence has been presented showing that the transfer actually occurred, in many ways the reports appear credible. First, the Israeli accusations were tabled by two unlikely officials — President Shimon Peres and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak — who are well-known supporters of Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations. Likewise, although Washington has not officially confirmed the transfer, several statements — including one from Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Dianne Feinstein and another off-the-record statement by a senior administration official to the Wall Street Journal — have lent weight to the allegations.

At the same time, the transfer of Scuds to Hizballah would be entirely consistent with the reckless and provocative policies pursued by Syrian President Bashar Assad in recent years. Despite the risks, for example, Damascus for years openly facilitated the movement of insurgents into Iraq to kill Americans and destabilize its neighbor. And Syria — which proclaims that its “foreign policy depends on supporting the resistance” — has a track record of providing top-shelf weapons to Hizballah, including the Russian-made Kornet anti-tank system and its own indigenously-produced 220mm anti-personnel rockets. In this regard, the Scuds — if transferred — would represent a change of magnitude but not of kind.

Not surprisingly, Damascus and Beirut — which increasingly is parroting the Syrian line — have denied the Scud reports. Indeed, in a recent interview with the Italian daily La Stampa, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri derisively likened the Scud claims to faulty US intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Meanwhile, in typical fashion, Hizballah has neither confirmed nor denied the Scud transfer, preferring, in its own inimical way, constructive ambiguity. Hizballah’s reaction in fact has been quite similar to the way the organization responded last year to reports that Syria provided it with the IGLA advanced anti-aircraft system, a weapon many analysts believe the Shi’ite militia has indeed obtained.

The Scud crisis is to some extent a tempest in a teapot. An antiquated system, the Scud is more a psychological than strategic threat to Israel. While the missile is capable of carrying WMD warheads or a heavy payload in excess of 1,000 pounds, it does little to expand the already impressive arsenal that Syria has helped Hizballah to acquire. Likewise, this heavy weapon would seem an anathema to the successful highly mobile insurgency tactics employed by the organization since its inception. On April 15, an article in the Kuwaiti daily Al Rai laid out why Hizballah — irrespective of whether the transfer occurred — does not consider the Scud to be a significant upgrade to its armory.

According to the anonymous Hizballah official interviewed, while the Scud has a range of 1,000-1,500 kilometers, the fire prep time is a lengthy 45-60 minutes, and it is only accurate to five kilometers. (Reports in the western press suggest the weapon in question, the Scud D variant, is accurate to within 50 meters). Meanwhile, the official said, Hizballah already possesses the Iranian-made (Syria-provided) Fatah-110, which takes “less than four minutes for an experienced hand” to launch and is accurate to within 5-10 meters. Of course, the payload capacity and range are less, but 250 kilometers, the Hizballahi says, “is the distance required for precise strikes in all the land of occupied Palestine”. The Fatah-110 is also WMD capable.

Given the negligible strategic benefit the Scud constitutes for Hizballah — as well as the logistical headaches involved with establishing an infrastructure for the nearly 40 feet tall weapon and its challenging liquid fuel rocket — and the minimal additional detrimental impact for Israel, the real question is: why have the reports emerged now? Some analysts in the region, including senior officials of the militia, suggest that the government of Israel invented the issue to distract from its current bilateral problems with the Obama administration. Based on Washington’s sympathetic response to Israeli claims, however, this explanation isn’t particularly convincing.

More likely, Damascus and Tehran engineered the Scud crisis to divert US-led efforts to build an international coalition to sanction Iran for its nuclear endeavors. Indeed, the timing of the reports is eerily reminiscent of Hizballah’s cross-border operation on July 12, 2006, which occurred the same day the P-5+1 meeting in Paris was slated to refer the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council. The kidnapping/killing of Israeli soldiers sparked a war that effectively purchased Tehran nearly another year of unfettered enrichment activity. (While it’s impossible to know with any certainty, the new diversion initiative might have been what was discussed at the February 2010 meeting in Damascus between Assad, Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinezhad).

Today, though tensions remain high, both Israel and Hizballah do not appear interested in an escalation. And until the next war, it will likely not be known whether Hizballah in fact obtained the Scuds from Syria. Nevertheless, for Washington the crisis is a useful reminder that Damascus, whether innocent or guilty of this particular transfer, continues to provide the Shi’ite militia with increasingly advanced capabilities that will make the next war even costlier for Lebanon and Israel. But for Washington, the Scud issue should prompt more than just a temporary refocusing on the well-intentioned but poorly implemented United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for Syria to end weapons transfers to its Iranian-backed allies in Lebanon.

That the Assad regime is upping the ante with Israel via Hizballah at the very moment Washington is working to deepen its diplomatic engagement with Damascus should give the Obama administration pause. If this unhelpful Syrian behavior continues, the Obama administration will likely arrive at the same conclusion the Bush administration reached in 2004: that Damascus actually is — as it so vociferously claims to be — a regime dedicated to supporting “the resistance.” One year into President Barack Obama’s tenure, it may be too early to declare the Syria policy a failure. But the administration’s decision earlier this month to renew sanctions against Damascus just might suggest a growing appreciation in the White House as to the nature of the Syrian regime and perhaps for the limits of diplomatic engagement with this self-defined resistance state.

David Schenker is the Aufzien Fellow and director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

I love it! … Israel’s friends have a well established procedure to make their anti-Syria cases:

1) make the accusers appear credible:

“Despite the fact that no authoritative evidence has been presented showing that the transfer actually occurred, in many ways the reports appear credible. First, the Israeli accusations were tabled by two unlikely officials — President Shimon Peres and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak — who are well-known supporters of Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations.” … and “and another off-the-record statement by a senior administration official to the Wall Street Journal — have lent weight to the allegations.”

2) Make anyone who denies it not credible:

“Not surprisingly, Damascus and Beirut — which increasingly is parroting the Syrian line — have denied the Scud reports. Indeed, in a recent interview with the Italian daily La Stampa, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri derisively likened the Scud claims to faulty US intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD). “

So .. Shimon Peres is now considered trustworthy?? … lol

And that “off-the-record statement by a senior administration official to the Wall Street Journal” … could it be the other trustworthy and 100% neutral … Dennis Ross?

And finally … Saad Hariri is now a bad guy? He was only a hero when he used to help Schenker and Israel’s friends in criticizing Syria after former Bush ambassador to Lebanon Jeff Feltman suggested it to him in their daily meetings?

It seems Israel’s friends and American right wing lunatics want to lead us to another bloody war. They are the top real war criminals and terrorists on this planet today. Ahmadinejad only talks .. they organize, cooperate and lie all over the place hoping to achieve their next mass killing “success” .. it is the only thing they will succeed at. Their large strategy will be defeated again.

Dear David … if after ONE YEAR you want President Obama to give up on Syria and consider his policy a failure (even though there was partial success in Iraq and Lebanon, and you know it), why should the Syrians and the poor Palestinians continue to believe Israeli intentions and stick to their peace negotiations with Israel that started OVER 20 YEARS ago without seeing the day Israel finally respects IN FULL the tens of UN resolutions that make it clear it is in constant violation of the will of the international community?

ALEX said:

Ghat, please do not post any quotes about Jews.

Really.

What do the members of the ADL call themselves? Zionists..Israelis… settlers or is the word Jew only to be spoken or written by Jews?

The US has as yet to deny its citizens the use of the word Jew. Until it does i have the right to use the word Jew whether you like it or not.

If the ADL believes that it has the right to define its existance as Jewish it must be appropriate for others to use the word Jew.or else whats the justification for its existance?

By the way ALEX the “settlers”, “israelis” and “zionists” in the rogue state of Israel are they by chance, mormons, hindus, buddists, gypsis, moldavains or are they not all Jews?

Nothing last forever.

Ghat,

I second Alex’s request. It gets very repetitive and offensive. You have made your feelings about Jews clear.

Medvedev to make landmark visit to Syria

Two-day trip on May 10-11 will be first ever visit to Syria by any Russian or Soviet head of state.

MOSCOW – President Dmitry Medvedev will travel to Syria next week, the Kremlin said Wednesday, the first visit by a Kremlin chief as Russia seeks to tighten ties with Cold War-era allies in the Middle East.

“Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will visit the Syrian Arab Republic on an official visit on May 10-11,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Communication Skills NewZ

10. Off the Wall said:

AP
Your statement sounds like an acknowledgment that Israel Benefits when the US is hurt.

OTW,

These are the unintended consequences. To anyone with half or even a quarter of a brain, it is in Israel’s best interest to support the US. And Israel DOES support the US and has the closest voting record to the US in the UN. Israel also has great economic exchange with the US in the medical field, technology, defense, etc. And for all intents and purposes, the US is Israel’s sole ally as well as the home to half of the world jewish population.

Terrorism (aka “resistance”) has always hurt the Arab cause. However, the governments of Iran, Syria, the PA, and their supporters (like Professor Josh) believe that terrorism will win. They believe enough terrorism will make it easier for Western governments like the US to pressure a single country like Israel, rather then “take-on” a billion and one-half Muslims. If Pat Buchanan, Ron Paul, and the Leftists had their way, Israel would have already been left to fend for herself.

DO you really want to state that Israel Thrives on American Misery?

Clearly, American misery doesn’t help Israel. A strong America is good for Israel. That is why Israelis aren’t trying to bomb the US.

Alex, Joshua:

I think if you want to leave religion out of it…then take out “religion” from your Syria Comment heading on top right corner.

Ghat,

I think what Alex & Josh mean is nothing is achieved by launching a negative campaign against Jews, it will be interpreted has hatred. Some Jews are good, some are bad, some are even worst like every religion, race, etc…

What bothers me, is that when Muslims get bundled up or Islam gets attacked as the source of all evil, you don’t see the same amount of referees throwing the red flag so fast.

HUSAM

I very much appreciate your comments.

Whats so puzzling is that Israel demands and is enforcing its views that it an it alone has the right to call Jerusalem its capital [meaning excluding other religions]
and is not sensitive about its intention to have an exclusive ethnic/religious state comprised of only one religion that no ONE has the right to call it by its rightful name.

As repeated over the years “nothing lasts for ever.”

شكرا

I do not know if i should jump in , but it looks to me that generalization is not good , not all Jews are rich or cheep , not all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists and not all Christian follow Christianity and are peace loving , many of them are murderers ,

Ghat , Husam , I understand your frustration about the western media, bundling all of us as terrorists ,dirty accusing everybody who is fighting Israel supremacy in the Mideast as terrorists , watching Fox news makes more angry than watching Al Jazeera and seeing dead bodies by American made Israeli bombs

Still , there are many good Jews who fear GOD,good Arabs , and bad Arabs , i think Mubarak is worse than Netanyahu , at least netanyahu stabbs in your face while Egypt Mubarak stabbs in the back ,

By the way these organizations who use Jewish in their names do that so they claim antisemitism if they are to be criticized ,

Ghat albird, Husam

First I’ll speak as a moderator:

“religion” in Syria Comment’s heading never meant anyone is welcome to attack the followers of any Middle Eastern religion. This blog’s rules are clear. If anyone feels like exposing what he or she perceive as some sick trait that ALL followers of some religion share, this is simply not the place to do that. There are many other blogs that are full of comments by people who hate Jews, Muslims, shia Muslims, infidels and crusaders. Syria comment’s comments section is read by a large number of leaders, diplomats, journalists, analysts … Please help us keep it pleasant enough. Respecting the rules of this blog is not optional.

Now I’ll write my personal opinion:

I understand your frustration with the attitudes and behaviors of a large percentage of Israeli Jews. I was shocked when I read that 94% of them supported their ugly army’s war crimes in Gaza. And I also realize that THEY (right wing Israelis) are forcing everyone to think that they represent Judaism. That makes it difficult to avoid criticizing Jews when you criticize the endless sequence of crimes committed by Israel … “the Jewish state”

But what applies to 94% of Israelis does not apply to the remaining 6% and does not apply to the over 70% of American Jews who voted for Obama and who support a land for peace agreement. Did you read what a large number of European Jewish intellectuals have been saying or writing to express their disapproval of Israel’s actions?

Please try harder to find a more reasonable and more fair approach to expressing your opinions without generalizations.

It is really not fair to generalize.

Alex, Ghat,

Please understand that the minute we bring religion into the equation, we lose all moderates as well. It is simply too powerful to resist, and we automatically fear a total attack on us, because we’re Jews, or because we’re Muslim, etc.

After the 9/11 attack, I found it sickening to watch Muslim leaders needing to defend Islam, because so many were quickly generalizing about all Muslims. While it is so easy to generalize, it is also so dangerous. Who’s to say we won’t have more Holocausts, if we allow generalizations to go unchallenged.

I don’t think I’ve ever been as impressed with a nation, as I am with Germany, as I watch the thousands and tens of thousands stand up to Neo-Nazis and say “We will not accept you!”

I agree with Norman, when certain pro-Israel organizations call themselves “Jewish this-and-that” they are doing so, amongst other reasons, to protect themselves of harsh criticism, by calling it whenever it appears anti-Semitism. Personally, I hate seeing the word Jewish in those groups, precisely because of the harm they have to our religion and to generalizations against it, when they express their often extremist views.

The Headline today on Ma’ariv (mainstream newspaper in Israel) says: “Heads of The Defense Establishment: ‘Immediate Negotiations with Assad'”.

This is super-important. It will be difficult for Netanyahu’s government to disregard this urgent call. It seems there are enough wise-men in Israel’s Security, Defense, and Intelligence apparatuses that recognize the danger in continuing along Israel’s current path of arrogance.

(Alex, a note about the infamous “94%”: While it is true that in the opening hours of Operation Cast Lead, the first poll taken did show historic and overwhelming support, with each day that passed, the numbers dropped. More grew critical, though not enough. If I had to guess, I would say that Israel over the past 4-5 years has been split along approximately 70% against return of land and rights to the Arabs, and 30% for it. Our next “War” should be over converting 20% over to the other side. They were there, just a decade and a half ago, and they will come back. I am absolutely sure of it.)

I am taking this opportunity to extend thanks and appreciation to SC for allowing me to participate on its forum. And to request a consideration of the following.

“Are not the long term goals of Israelis to create and maintain a strictly “Jewish” [religion] state? If so. Is it not logical then that they are the ones that are responsible for bringing the word “Jew” into any and all discussions?

Congratulations on the visit of President Medvedev with President Assad.

Ghat,

You ask an excellent question and I agree with you (as does Alex) that because (many/some) Jews simultaneously wish to be considered members of a religion AND ALSO a people with self-determination rights, in Israel/Palestine, they invite your criticism.

And indeed a lot of the information you have provided has been thought-provoking, e.g., the control over the American Federal Reserve. (How does that happen and what does it mean?)

However, you must understand that 95%+ of “Jews” are simple people who would like to get along and raise their children in safety and prosperity. They are not part of any scheming, that more powerful Jews might be engaged in or have been engaged in. Indeed, the Jewish masses always pay the prices for such scheming/overplaying their positions, as history taught us.

Also, consider that the evidence that you bring almost invariably deals with Ashkenazi Jewish elites. The Mizrahi/Oriental Jews were never a part of this story, as a collective. In Israel, they have been co-opted into defending/building the state (which is fairly reasonable for them to do, after they were kicked out of the their countries and had nowhere else to go), but in the US, they have nothing to do with the overbearing control over government that you often describe.

So that’s another distinction that you usually fail to make. In short, your criticism should be direct to a thin layer of Ashkenazi elite in the US and Israel.

Finally, you do monopolize discussion in an internet forum that is supposed to be about Syria. I would hope that Syrian endeavor does not being and end with endless consideration of Jews in America or elsewhere. This will not move Syria forward, naturally.

Ghat,

I agree with Yossi, that AIPAC has only 100,000 members, most American Jews have nothing to do with power games that some a minority of American Jews love to play.

But I am unhappy with the silence of the majority. I hope they, being clearly anti war, would be more active in trying to stop the next war. Nothing less than their active opposition to AIPAC’s massive machine will do. J-street is 100 times smaller than AIPAC

In Israel, I tend to agree with Shai’s 70/30 split … 30% of Israeli Jews still value peace to some extent, the other 70 % are bad news… Many of them spoiled and arrogant, just like their current government. The large number of Russian and eastern European Jews who grew up in a totally failed communist system and moved overnight to the middle east’s very successful mini-superpower got the worst symptoms of sudden power corruption… Just like some of those who win the lottery and wake up new millionaires. The difference is that they attributed their sudden success to the fact they are Jews … The Jewish people living in the Jewish state are successful, unlike the Russians they lived with before.

Then the Bush admin pampered all Israelis for 8 years … And now Obama is expected to take away from them that unlimited love and understanding,… it won’t go too well.

Alex:

1- You said (post #19) “we need to keep religion out of it”, period. In (post #29), you made it more clear. I agree, and thank you. I despise generalisations too.

2- You said (post #34): “Then the Bush admin pampered all Israelis for 8 years … And now Obama is expected to take away from them that unlimited love and understanding,… it won’t go too well.”

Alex I can’t understand, for the life of me, why you keep playing with this Bush-Obamania-Palin Presidency when you know fully well, as most of your comments seem to agree with, that Washington is controlled? It is has nothing to do with unlimited love of Israel, and everything to do with the same master who puts them in/out of office in the first place. I am sure you read most comments on SC as a moderator; Just yesterday I quoted what Woodrow Wilson said:

“A great industrial nation is controlled by it’s system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the world– no longer a government of free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men.”

Clearly contrary to what you stated, Obama has “taken nothing away”, actually as other commentators on SC posted, US & Israel today are more strategically united than ever. What we are seeing is change of style, but the owner is one!!!