Syrian Powder Keg Getting Ready to Blow: Iran Sends Thousands of Troops, Assad Preps to Hit Israel, and Lawmakers Call for Greater US Involvement (+video)

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Fox News

Photo Credit: Fox News

By Robert Fisk. Washington’s decision to arm Syria’s Sunni Muslim rebels has plunged America into the great Sunni-Shia conflict of the Islamic Middle East, entering a struggle that now dwarfs the Arab revolutions which overthrew dictatorships across the region.

For the first time, all of America’s ‘friends’ in the region are Sunni Muslims and all of its enemies are Shiites. Breaking all President Barack Obama’s rules of disengagement, the US is now fully engaged on the side of armed groups which include the most extreme Sunni Islamist movements in the Middle East.

The Independent on Sunday has learned that a military decision has been taken in Iran – even before last week’s presidential election – to send a first contingent of 4,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad’s forces against the largely Sunni rebellion that has cost almost 100,000 lives in just over two years. Iran is now fully committed to preserving Assad’s regime, according to pro-Iranian sources which have been deeply involved in the Islamic Republic’s security, even to the extent of proposing to open up a new ‘Syrian’ front on the Golan Heights against Israel.

In years to come, historians will ask how America – after its defeat in Iraq and its humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan scheduled for 2014 – could have so blithely aligned itself with one side in a titanic Islamic struggle stretching back to the seventh century death of the Prophet Mohamed. The profound effects of this great schism, between Sunnis who believe that the father of Mohamed’s wife was the new caliph of the Muslim world and Shias who regard his son in law Ali as his rightful successor – a seventh century battle swamped in blood around the present-day Iraqi cities of Najaf and Kerbala – continue across the region to this day. A 17th century Archbishop of Canterbury, George Abbott, compared this Muslim conflict to that between “Papists and Protestants”.

America’s alliance now includes the wealthiest states of the Arab Gulf, the vast Sunni territories between Egypt and Morocco, as well as Turkey and the fragile British-created monarchy in Jordan. King Abdullah of Jordan – flooded, like so many neighbouring nations, by hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees – may also now find himself at the fulcrum of the Syrian battle. Up to 3,000 American ‘advisers’ are now believed to be in Jordan, and the creation of a southern Syria ‘no-fly zone’ – opposed by Syrian-controlled anti-aircraft batteries – will turn a crisis into a ‘hot’ war. So much for America’s ‘friends’. Read more from this story HERE.

________________________________________________________________

Lawmakers press Obama to implement no-fly zone over Syria

By Fox News. Capitol Hill lawmakers pressed President Obama on Sunday to go beyond supplying Syrian rebels with small arms and to consider imposing a no-fly zone over the war-torn country.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said supplying rebels with automatic weapons and ammunition is not enough to stop the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

“We need to create a no-fly zone,” Graham told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We cannot take air power out of the equation.”

However, such a decision is not without peril.

Obama has not ruled out imposing a no-fly zone in Syria. Read more from this story HERE.


________________________________________________________________

Syrian forces training to storm Israel’s border

By Aaron Klein. Thousands of Syrians are currently training in Iran to serve as a force ready to storm Israel’s northern Golan Heights, according to informed Middle Eastern security officials.

The officials said between 3,000 and 5,000 Syrian men were being trained in the event Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decides to open a front against the Golan Heights, which borders Syria.

The training is being overseen by the Al Quds Force, the elite unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard responsible for the country’s extraterritorial operations, the sources said.

The Syrian forces are slated to return to their country next month, the sources added.

This is not the first report of Iran aiding Syria in preparations for ground attacks against Israel. Read more from this story HERE.

New England Patriots Owner: Putin Stole My $25k Super Bowl Ring, Bush Wouldn’t Help Me Get it Back

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Kraft: Putin stole Bowl ring

By NY Post. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed the real story behind a 2005 meeting with Vladimir Putin, during which the Russian president pocketed his Super Bowl ring, worth more than $25,000. Kraft, at the time, claimed the diamond-encrusted bauble was a gift, but he now admits Putin stole it, and the White House intervened when he demanded it back.

Kraft explained the incident happened while Sandy Weill and other business execs were in St. Petersburg. “I took out the ring and showed it to [Putin], and he put it on and he goes, ‘I can kill someone with this ring,’ ” Kraft told the crowd at Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence gala at the Waldorf-Astoria.“I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out”…

But Kraft really wanted the 4.94-carat bauble back, he said Thursday, admitting he’d gotten a call from the George W. Bush-run White House, saying, “‘It would really be in the best interest of US-Soviet relations if you meant to give the ring as a present.” (In fact the Soviet Union had collapsed 14 years earlier.) Read more from this story HERE.

_________________________________________________________

Photo Credit: NY Post

Kraft: Patriots inked Tebow to improve ‘spirituality’

By Bart Hubbuch. It turns out the Patriots signed Tim Tebow in part because their owner thinks the team’s “spirituality” was lacking.

That was the surprising word yesterday from Robert Kraft, who is more than happy to fill in the numerous blanks left by tight-lipped coach Bill Belichick when it comes to explaining New England’s surprise decision this week to sign the polarizing ex-Jets quarterback.

“For me personally, having Tim Tebow on this team, he’s someone who believes in spirituality, he’s very competitive, works hard and has a great attitude,” Kraft said at a charity event at Gillette Stadium honoring his late wife.

“He’s a winner, and the fact that spirituality is so important to him is very appealing to me.”

Kraft also labeled Tebow’s openly religious nature as “an added dimension” that helped convince the Patriots to sign him to a two-year deal (with no guaranteed money) after five weeks on the NFL unemployment line. Read more from this story HERE.

_________________________________________________________

Russian president: I did not steal Super Bowl ring

By Alla Eshchenko and Faith Karimi. Russia’s president is fighting back: No, he did not steal a Super Bowl ring. And no, he’s not rocking the diamond-encrusted prize on his finger, either.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman denied that the leader kept a Super Bowl ring that New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft wanted back.

Both sides agree that the ring, with its 124 diamonds, changed hands during Kraft’s visit to St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005.

The New York Post reported on remarks made by Kraft, 72, at a New York awards gala Thursday.

“I took out the ring and showed it to (Putin). And he put it on and he goes, ‘I can kill someone with this ring,'” Kraft said, according to the New York Post. “I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out.” Read more from this story HERE.

Bombshell Admission: Special Forces Were Near Benghazi when Ambassador was Murdered

/9 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: WND

In a bombshell admission that has until now gone unreported, Martin Dempsey, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, conceded that highly trained Special Forces were stationed just a few hours away from Benghazi on the night of the attacks but were not told to deploy to Libya.

In comments that may warrant further investigation, Dempsey stated at a Senate hearing Wednesday that on the night of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack, command of the Special Forces – known as C-110, or the EUCOM CIF – was transferred from the military’s European command to AFRICOM, or the United States Africa Command.

Dempsey did not state any reason for the strange transfer of command nor could he provide a timeline for the transfer the night of the attack…

His remarks for the first time confirm an exclusive Fox News interview aired April 30 in which a special government operator, speaking on condition of anonymity, contradicted claims by the Obama administration and a State Department review that there wasn’t enough time for military forces to deploy the night of the attack.

“I know for a fact that C-110, the EUCOM CIF, was doing a training exercise in … not in the region of North Africa, but in Europe,” the special operator told Fox News’ Adam Housley. “And they had the ability to act and to respond.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Pro-Democratic Lawmakers in Hong Kong Urge Obama to “Let Snowden Go!”

/1 Comment/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

During a press conference earlier today, two Hong Kong lawmakers suggested that the U.S. should “tread very carefully” with the Edward Snowden case and “consider letting go” of the NSA whistleblower.

Claudia Mo Man-ching and Gary Fan Kwok-wai also sent a letter to President Obama, suggesting that prosecution of Snowden might put a “stain … on his political career.”

Man-ching said that extraditing Snowden would be complicated, and wrote in the letter that she and Kwok-wai believe Snowden has “done liberal democracy a service” by leaking the information alleging a vast domestic surveillance program by NSA that may be illegal.

Read more from this story HERE.

Rand Paul Warns that US Taxpayers Could Fund Attack on Israel

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Thursday slammed the administration’s funding and arming of Israel’s foes, including Egypt, and said it is likely that if Muslim nations attack Israel as feared, American taxpayers might be partly responsible.

Addressing the Faith & Freedom Coalition convention in Washington, he also called for an end to funding of nations that persecute Christians. “Christians in Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria are on the run—persecuted or under fire—and yet, we continue to send aid to the folks chasing them,” said Paul. “While they burn the American flag and the mobs chant ‘Death to America,’ more of your money is sent to these haters of Christianity. Not one more penny to countries that are burning the American flag.”

Paul, who recently visited Israel to show his support for the Jewish State, expanded his embrace in calling for an end to the administration’s plan to send Air Force jets to Egypt and continue the long-standing aid to the nation, now under control of Muslim radicals. “The new leader of Egypt is Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Recently, he stood by when a radical cleric said a prayer for the destruction of Israel and her supporters in his presence,” said Paul.
Sign Up for the Paul Bedard newsletter!

“How does your government respond? The bipartisan consensus in Washington vows to increase Egypt’s funding. The president is currently requesting a billion dollar increase in aid to Egypt. This is an outrage!

Read more from this story HERE.

French Mayor Faces Five Years in Jail for Refusing to Marry Homosexuals

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: au.ibtimes

Same-sex or gay marriages may have been already legalized in France this year, but some heads of local governments are still willing to spare them the blessing. However, the stand of Jean-Michel Colo, the mayor of Arcangues in the Paye-Basques region of France, brave it might be to some, could risk him not only of his mayoralty post but land him in jail as well.

“The elects who do not respect the laws of the republic will risk significant sanctions,” Manuel Valls, France’s Minister of the Interior, said, according to news portal www.lefigaro.fr.

Mr Colo got into the hot seat after he refused to officiate the gay marriage of Guy Martineau-Espel to his long-time partner Jean-Michel Martin.

“When people close the door at home, they do what they want. For me, marriage is for a woman and man to have children. I am not discriminating as a same-sex couple is sterile. It’s a parody of equality, it’s a big lie,” Mr Colo told AFP.

“When I wanted to have a child, I had a woman, I did not turn to my neighbor,” he further pointed out.

Read more from this story HERE.

Koran: Beat Women to Alleviate Mental Disorders

/6 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

A Kuwaiti cleric and president of Iqra TV has said that Islam allows for wife beatings if she suffers from a “mental disorder,” such as masochism.

“We all know that some men suffer from a mental disorder known as sadism, and that some woman suffer from a mental disorder known as masochism,” Jassem Al-Mutawa said to guest host Muhammad Al-Hajj, a professor from the University of Jordan.

“What is the cure for such disorders? Beatings,” he continued. “Such a woman must be dealt with harshly.

“A psychiatrist friend of mine once told me that sometimes people come to him with marital problems, in which the woman suffers from that disease. He advises the husband to beat her in a certain way, and the problem is solved,” he said. “The Koran deals with such problems

Read more from this story HERE.

Belgium Poised to Legalize Euthanasia of Children

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Yves Herman

The Belgian Federal Parliament is reportedly about to expand its controversial “right to die” policies to include access to euthanasia for some gravely ill children.

A consensus among members of the legislative body has reportedly formed in support of legislation to allow children to choose to undergo euthanasia in certain dire cases, according to a report in the Belgian daily newspaper Der Morgen, as translated by the Paris-based news agency Presseurop.

If child euthanasia is legalized in Belgium, the country would become the first in the developed world to have a law on the books allowing the practice, although the Netherlands has since 2005 not prosecuted doctors who perform euthanasia on some minors as long as the doctors act in accordance with a set of medical guidelines dubbed the Groningen Protocol.

Belgium became the second country in the world after the Netherlands to legalize euthanasia in 2002, but the statute currently extends only to people 18 or older.

The bill, introduced by the Socialist party in December, would lay out guidelines for doctors to decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not a child is mature enough to make the decision to end his or her own life, as well as whether a child’s health is grave and hopeless enough to warrant euthanasia.

Read more from this story HERE.

NSA’s Vast Surveillance Program Receiving International Scrutiny; Obama Admin. Doubles Down

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Truthout.org

[T]he European Parliament planned to debate the spy programs Tuesday and whether they have violated local privacy protections. EU officials in Brussels pledged to seek answers from U.S. diplomats at a trans-Atlantic ministerial meeting in Dublin later this week.

The global scrutiny comes after revelations from Snowden, who has chosen to reveal his identity. Snowden has fled to Hong Kong in hopes of escaping criminal charges as lawmakers including Senate intelligence chairwoman Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California accuse him of committing an “act of treason” that should be prosecuted.

Officials in Germany and the European Union issued calm but firm complaints Monday over two National Security Agency programs that target suspicious foreign messages – potentially including phone numbers, email, images, video and other online communications transmitted through U.S. providers. The chief British diplomat felt it necessary to try to assure Parliament that the spy programs do not encroach on U.K. privacy laws…

A senior U.S. intelligence official on Monday said there were no plans to scrap the programs that, despite the backlash, continue to receive widespread if cautious support within Congress. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive security issue.

Read more from this story HERE.

Repugnant: Afghan Parliament Upholds Right to Marry Children

/3 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Stephanie Sinclair/Special to The Washington Times

Afghanistan’s parliament has rejected a measure that would have barred men from marrying girls younger than 16, saying the proposal ran counter to Islamic ideology.

The measure also would have banned “baad, [the] traditional practice of buying or selling women to settle disputes,” and outlawed criminal charges being imposed on rape victims, Breitbart reported. Rape victims in Afghanistan often are charged with fornication or adultery.

President Hamid Karzai reportedly supported the measures, but opponents said they “violate[d] Islamic principles,” Breitbart reported.

Read more from this story HERE.