A unit for Russian anti-terror troops has been deployed inside Syria, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency, a move which UN sources termed a “bomb” with the potential of serious ramifications on the ongoing civil war.
The nature of the revelation and the scant details are somewhat curious. The troops were apparently on the Iman, which has been docked in Tartus for 10 days, and the report was headline news on the state-run RIA Novosti, but only in the Arabic-language version.
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has denied claims that Russian troops were operating on the ground in Syria, though he did confirm “advisers” were on the ground. The nature and size of the current deployment is not readily apparent.
The deployment comes as fighting is escalating again in the nation, with major clashes reported in Damascus. Rebels also bombed a security convoy in Daraa, killing eight soldiers.
The continued fighting is going to have a major impact on France’s UN Security Council resolution, which is expected to both condemn the Assad regime and endorse Kofi Annan’s efforts at a negotiated settlement.
The second part is perhaps more significant, as efforts to condemn Assad are nothing new, but this is the first time France, or indeed any of the Western nations in the security council, has hinted at any real support for negotiation, instead of issuing demands for regime change.
According to CCTV and RTV that have reporters in Syria, the bombings over the weekend resulted mainly in closing off the areas around the bombed sites, for investigation. But today, the army located a house with a major supply of bombs and weapons, and the people inside resisted. That resulted in about three hour siege, in which gun fire was exchanged. The house was taken by army, and the militants inside were killed and captured. One soldier died.
But that seems to be the only area of "major fighting" that anybody reported on. The mainstream media is now in a real quandry how to deal with the bombings, and would dearly love to explain away who did it. As if the "dear revolutionaries" that they so gushingly support have nothing to do with it.
Thanks Antiwar.com for OBJECTIVITY and level-headed analysis.
NATO's antiSyria plans would seem to have become permanently derailed.
I wonder, what "civil war" are they talking about?
And didn't Syrian forces recently capture a bunch of French terrorists? And now all of a sudden France has a new-found interest in "negotiations"? Must be just another coincidence.
The Russians at least were invited by the legitimate government of Syria.
How can an imaginary entity "invite" anyone anywhere?
Beware of the denier!
Ask the USraeli Empire, they do it all the time.
And while you're at it, maybe you can ask how an imaginary "President" "Obama", who's not even legally eligible to be U.S. President in the first place, has any standing to say anything about who can rule Syria or Libya or Afghanistan or anywhere else for that matter.
Nelson,
I'm not sure where you imagine you heard me claim that the US government is "legitimate" either (although 100% of the available evidence indicates that pursuant to its internal rules, e.g. constitutional provisions, Obama is "eligible" to the role he plays in it, being a "natural born citizen," etc.), or that even if it were "legitimate" that its functionaries would have standing to dictate to Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, etc.
The Obama regime is just as "legitimate" as the Assad regime, which is to say that it's as "legitimate" as any other street gang.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Obama was born in Kenya. But for the sake of argument, even if he was born here, his Father was a British subject, not a U.S. citizen, thus Obama is not a "natural born citizen" as far as Art. 2, Sec 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution is concerned. I hope that clears things up for you.
BTW, what standing do you have to judge the rulers of other countries? Who are you and our bloodthirsty Zionist Masters to judge what Assad does in his own country? Who died and left you in charge?
"Obama was born in Kenya in my imagination."
There, fixed that for ya. According to all verifiable records and contemporaneous accounts, he was born in Hawaii.
"even if he was born here, his Father was a British subject, not a U.S. citizen, thus Obama is not a 'natural born citizen' as far as the version of Art. 2, Sec 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution which exists in my imagination is concerned."
Fixed that for ya too. From the very beginning, including English common law on which US law is based, the first US naturalization act, and every commentary and court decision between ratification and the 20th century, a "natural-born citizen" has been anyone who is born on US soil regardless of the nationality of either or both of his or her parents unless they are credentialed diplomats of another country; and anyone born to one or more America parents anywhere on Earth.
Those are the facts. They'll remain the facts, regardless of whether or not they happen to be convenient to the fairy tales your broken brain spins when you're out of thorazine. Have a nice day.
Sorry Chump, but if you had a brain, you'd realize that if Obama had a birth certificate proving he was born here, he would've produced it, rather than producing a fake document and hiding behind lawyers.
Moreover, if you had a brain, you'd know that Art 2. Sec. 1 Clause 5 is based not on English common law, but on natural law and the law of nations.
Maybe if you weren't so ignorant and stupid, you'd know that the U.S. Supreme Court defined "natural born citizen" as a person born on U.S. soil (or its jurisdictional equivalent) to U.S. citizen parents. See Minor v. Happersett, 88 U.S. 162 (1875) and U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649, 708 (1898).
Put simply, with the phrase "natural born citizen", the Framers and the Founders were denying eligibility to anyone with any foreign attachment at birth. And Obama, even if he actually was born here (and he wasn't), would've been a dual citizen, and thus ineligible.
Hope that clears things up for you, Goofball.
"Moreover, if you had a brain, you'd know that Art 2. Sec. 1 Clause 5 is based not on English common law, but on natural law and the law of nations."
I do have a brain, and I know the opposite. I also know that the "Law of Nations" is a general term of art, not a reference to the 1758 French essay that whackjobs like you try to tie it to.
Unlike you, I don't have to manufacture fairy tales about where Obama was born or ahistorical claims about the import of his parentage in order to oppose him. The fact that he is an evil representative of an evil institution is enough to impugn any "legitimacy" he might claim.
You know, I keep trying to see things from your perspective, knucklehead, but I'm just not flexible enough to get my head up my ass the way you have.
Anyway, knucklehead, the Court’s definition of a “citizen” and a “natural-born citizen” are paraphrased directly from Emer de Vattel’s, The Law of Nations, Sec. 212 (London 1797) (1st ed. Neuchatel 1758), where he defined a “natural-born citizen” as “those born in the country, of parents who are citizens.”
(1) Obama's step-grandmother, Sarah Obama, told Bishop McRae, who was in the United States, during a telephonic interview on October 12, 2008, while she was in her home located in Alego-Kogello, Kenya, that was full of security police and people and family who were celebrating then-Senator Obama's success story, that she was present to witness Obama's birth in Kenya, not the United States (the English and Swahili conversation is recorded and available for listening). She was adamant about this fact not once but twice. The conversation which was placed on speaker phone was translated into English by "Kweli Shuhubia" and one of the grandmother's grandsons who were present with the grandmother in the house.
2) The Kenyan Ambassador to the United States, Peter N.R.O. Ogego, confirmed on November 6, 2008, during a radio interview with Detroit radio talk-show hosts Mike Clark, Trudi Daniels, and Marc Fellhauer on WRIF's "Mike In the Morning," that "President-Elect Obama" was born in Kenya and that his birth place was already a "well-known" attraction.
(3) Ms. Odhiambo a Member of the Kenyan Parliament said in session and recorded in the official record of the Kenyan National Assembly on 5 Nov 2008 on page 3275 that Obama was a son of the soil of their country.
I could go on and on, but that's enough to show that you're an idiot and a hapless liar.
Hey, you're entitled to your deranged fantasies. If you ever decide to move back to Earth, let me know and I'll buy you a beer. A real one, not an imaginary one.
What's wrong Junior, you ran out of material? Well maybe it's time to get off your Mommy's computer and get back to your Talmudic studies.
Heh … I should have known. Scratch a birther/truther and 90% of the time there's a Jew-hater underneath. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not Jewish by either birth or inclination.
Hoorah! Now things are getting interesting. This is what I'd hoped for. With the Russians there the West will think twice.
This is good?
Damn straight it is! You want to put the brakes to the madness you first of all have to build speed bumps to the runaway bus that is the Isra-Merican war machine. And this is doing just that. You see… it messes with their heads in DC and Tel-Aviv. And any time you can confuse a psychopath it's all good.
There is no such thing as civil war in Syria, Jason, there never was a civil war in Syria, is a terrorists from Saudis and UAE attacking civilians killing innocent people wanting for you to call it a civil war.
Syria is a civilized, a progressive, modernized country with a civilization that goes back to 300 years, it is not Saudi Arabia nor is UAE. People are civilized enough to understand that these barbarian want nothing but to divid Syrian people turn the country into the dark age. If you want the modernized version in uncivilized regime look no further then into French and English militarism regime and US who are helping these terrorists groups calling their action democracy. Is laughable that for how long they can fool their people with such lies that there is democracy and thats what they are about.
"but this is the first time France, or indeed any of the Western nations in the security council, has hinted at any real support for negotiation, instead of issuing demands for regime change”.
Above is the West acknowledging that they have lost their bet for Saudis and UAE being able to divid the Syrian nation. In the other hand we need to wait for Turkey to admit that even they have lost and need to emphasize on their bet on creating their version of democracy in Syria. So by Russian being there is a case of a friend helping a friend when a friend needs it. I wish I could say the same for Sarkozi, because his mafia friend left him just after Libyan war.
there are literally hundreds of saudi, jordanian and other country's wahabbi terrorists in syria right now killing civilians and creating mayhem that the western media conveniently blames entirely on assad while the US government turns its back on the truth for yet another strange reason. Our foreign policy is so random and unintelligent, it makes me wonder how the russians have turned into the principled party..
The "troops" are an anti-terrorist trained unit of something like a dozen people. They also have been there at least 2 weeks, since they didn't arrive on the Iman, but with a ship that docked in Syria about 2 weeks ago and has since left. The Russian arrival is good news. Unless you are israeli or american or one of their quislings pretenting to be of a European country.
now this is a real war on terrorism – the terrorists are of course the US and its NATO allies. With Special Forces trained terrorist monkeys wreaking bloody havoc throughout Syria, this is all too much for Assad to handle on his own; Putin decided he had to act.
Yes. And no doubt the cries about Putin being "illegitimate" will rise up to heavens. Why? To make even this event appear to be the work of a mad man while their own murderous actions are portrayed as genteel, humane and above all "necessary".
The only problem is that the claims of Putin's "illegitimacy" only exist in the minds of western readers who've been brainwashed and deluged with anti-Putin/anti-Russian propaganda daily over the past few months. Everyday I read a different negative/spook "story" on Putin over the AP, and none of these stories make any claim to objectivity. Western leaders have now offcially acknowledged his "legitimacy" since the $400 million they poured into the NGO's and opposition to disrupt the election failed, and even the US State department financed "election monitor" GOLOS, states that Putin won the election.
Bingo. You're right.
Generally: Since USA/CIA and the Arab Dictator league does not withdraw their terrorists, sending anti-terror groups would be the first foreign attempt to stop violence in Syria. But this is obviously not the case.
How actually this article headline here (Russian troops deployed) is justified by those details? ->
"Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has denied claims that Russian troops were operating on the ground in Syria, though he did confirm “advisers” were on the ground. The nature and size of the current deployment is not readily apparent."
Since there is Russian Navy port with ships since decades, it is under such circumstances (terror bombings everywhere) quite natural to send at least a few anti-terror staff, to protect the ships and soldiers. But this article here does draw a totally different picture. It sounds like Russia is going to war and to interfere in Syria. Should I interpret this as a try of war mongering?
Dear All
It is obvious that it is all to do with religion, the Sunni are the rebels to topple the Assad regime which are made of different sect , I would like to know how many Shiite are against the regime and who is behind this uprising and why the west are encouraging this revolt maybe we should ask the Saudis who basically will do anything to protect their wealth, they even bribed their own people from revolting against them by offering 10 billion dollars to be distributed around therefore money does really talk.
France. and the US are Approaching their election soon thus they now offering the Assad regime a negotiating settlement. Is Syria better now? I just wonder , The Arabs will never learn they are so divided that it is not funny, the whole of this uprising is to do with wealth distribution .
For an uprising to succeed fully the people have to rise own their own and no outside interference.
I am still waiting to see the change in Iraq and Libya
Max.
why not the british did it Lybia and the Americans in Afghanistan.
max
For the sake of Syria (and the rest of the free world for that matter) I really hope there are Russian forces in Syria, but according to an article on the "Russia Today" web site, Russia is officially denying it.
Hey, if we can help governments in the Middle East, why can't the Russians? At least they haven't overthrown the established government like we did in Iraq with full scale sanctions, bombings, invasion and occupation.
Any anti-terrorist group or force from any country is welcome. Also time for French colonizers to shut up.
Russian's learned troops = advisors all is well
The Syrians say there are absolutely no Russian troops in Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov say there are no Russian troops whatsoever in Syria. But "Libertarian Conservative" (?!) Raymondo "The Just" knows better…. And he asks us for monetary contributions for that! Wouldn't it better to send your money to Fox News? It will be equally well misspent….
"The Syrians say"
Which Syrians?
I suspect that for any statement you care to throw out, more than one Syrian could be found who would cheerfully confirm it, and just as many who would roundly deny it.
A bunch of lies!
Camon Land of the free (????) show some GUTS now. Bomb Russia, mabye you will prevail (THE FIRST TWO MINUTES)
Thanks Danny, sorry I didn’t get a chance to speak to you and Jan. I truly didn’t intend to go as long as we did but we were having a great time singing to the folks and it was kind of hard to stop. Glad you like the new songs. Best for now.