There's Some Riots Going On..And It Was Planned

There's a number of riots going on in America right now. And there's no doubt they were planned.The excuse for them is the death of one George Floyd, a black man who was arrested by police in Minneapolis and died while in their control. There's a video (isn't there always?) showing Mr. Floyd being pulled over by police who were trying to arrest him for check forgery or passing counterfeit money, depending on what version you read.

BUT...I'm a bit puzzled. In the famous video, it shows George Floyd refusing to leave his car after he was stopped. The policeman dragged him out of his car and handcuffed him. SOP so far.  Then we see him handcuffed and seated on the pavement. Again, SOP (Standard Operational Procedure). Then we don't see anything until we see Floyd on the ground near the right side passenger door of his car with the cop kneeling on his neck. Definitely NOT SOP.So how did he get moved from leaning against the wall to the sidewalk near the car? What happened in between?

Did he make a run for it and have to get chased down? Did he heavily resist getting into the cop car? It will be interesting to find out. In any event, one of the other cops should have intervened. Did they?

And old and close high school friend of mine now retired from the LAPD tells me that something must have happened, because kneeling on someone's neck like that is a last resort and hardly ever used. In any event it was a stupid move.

Since this is Minneapolis, the four police officers involved were immediately fired, and the cop who did the kneeling has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter less than 30 hours after the incident took place.* And of course, violent riots broke out, mostly  in blue run cities. As we all know, they tend to be rather lenient of such things for political reasons.Nashville had its entire City Hall set on fire and of course, there was the usual 'shopping spree.' There's nothing that  expresses grief and a passion for law and order then grabbing a big screen TV for free or looting department  and liquor stores.

While the um, protests were masterminded by Black Lives Matter, Antifa's thugs and thugettes were obviously a huge part of the show. In fact, Antifa was very much involved.

Police cars and police were attacked, and in LA police were even shot at, although they were under orders NOT to shoot back. The mob, after the usual looting and destruction actually went onto the 101 Freeway, where they blocked traffic and attacked two police cars who were trying to keep them from being run over.

In Oakland's riot, A black federal officer, Patrick Underwood, was shot and killed and another FPS officer was wounded and in critical condition. They were victims of a drive by shooting right in front of the Ronald Dellums Federal Building. A number of other police were injured and some were killed in other 'peaceful demonstrations' around the country.

The most feckless and disgusting comments came from Jacob Frey, Minneapolis mayor and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms.

Get a load of this!

Mayor Jacob Frey

@MayorFrey

We are now confronting white supremacists, members of organized crime, out of state instigators, and possibly even foreign actors to destroy and destabilize our city and our region.

White Supremacists?? Really?

I'd say there was a mixture.

As for Mayor Bottoms, her response was disgraceful. First she talked about her black sons and how 'as a mother' she worries everyday about whether they'll be killed by the nasty, racist police. Who of course have been given a license to kill black people by President Trump who should 'just shut up.' She also explained to the rioters that they were looting and burning 'black owned businesses' without any words of concern for the destruction or looting of any businesses or property but those of her fellow blacks.

Talk about racism...I have a feeling she's bucking for the slot as Biden's VP.

The police for the most part are having any of their efforts to enforce law and order in their cities stymied by orders from the politicians involved and anything they do subject to micro analysis. Which of course means very little is being done towards stopping any of this. If you have a job, a pension and possibly your personal freedom to protect, you step very carefully if at all and just try to keep safe. And with a few exceptions, that's exactly what the cops are doing.

It's alsoobvious to me that the riots are well organized.There are plenty of reports of pallets of bricks having been "conveniently" staged near stores, banks and other buildings to be handy for the looters. Given the sort of people who were on the streets and the way it was coordinated in various locations, there's no doubt this was staged.

Ah, the age old question...Cui Bono, who benefits?

Obviously, the Democratic Party and the Left for various reasons.

First they're stuck with Biden (probably) and he isn't really making too many black friends
as of yet. This is an opportunity for his handlers to write up some statements for him to make about economic inequality, reparations for slavery, how wonderful Black Lives Matter is, et cetera. And also a perfect way for the Dems to paint Trump as an authoritarian/racist/what have you, and make him call out the National Guard or even the military to end the riots.

I can just see an elderly gentleman with the initials GS on the phone saying '"The pandemic isn't working. Call out the rioters. Let me know how much money you need."

George Soros spent  spent something like   $30 millions to defeat George Bush, and Bush was a dysfunctional  RINO.  Imagine how much he is spending to incite this civil war and defeat Donald Trump! And he's probably not the only one. The DNC has lots of millionaire celebs and others willing to shell out for the cause.

You'll notice that a lot of black race pimps are also being given time just now to sound the trumpets.

Robert Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television has the answer of course. He wants $14 trillion in reparations for slavery to people who were never slaves. The black population of America is 45,532,100 - 13%. That works out to $330,000 for every black man, woman and child in America.

Of course, Mr.Johnson neglects to figure in what's already been paid in terms the War on poverty, social welfare, affirmative action which gave backs priority in financial aid and placement in universities over far more qualified applicants, The money for the funding for the traditional black colleges, the money that formed and funded the civil rights movement (both almost entirely donated by Jews), repayment to businesses who were wrecked and looted in the various riots,  and of course,the cost of the Civil War, all figured in today's money.

In any event, I suggest that we start funding any reparations by confiscating Mr. Johnson's entire net worth to begin with.After all, he was never a slave...

Cornell West was on CNN just the other day yakking to Anderson Cooper about how wonderful and  the riots are, how evil Trump is and how we need to 'change the system' with  socialism that 'spreads the wealth around democratically' because America is 'a failed social experiment.'

West is a known anti-semite and a real fan of Black Lives Matter, another anti-semitic group, so this is to be expected.  Antifa has the same agenda when it comes to Jews and Israel. In Fairfax, a Jewish neighborhood in LA, every synagogue was vandalized by these people, as well as other synagogues and Jewish community buildings in other cities.

 

Speaking of race pimps and Jew haters, Al Sharpton also had a few things to say on his home network MSNBC  I won't even dignify them by repeating them.

Dan Bongino has the right of it as usual 

This is a rebellion and an attempted coup.Exactly.

So how do we stop it?

It's actually fairly simple. You stop bad behavior when there are consequences for it. Anyone who has ever trained a dog or raised a child understands that. If there are no consequences, the bad behavior continues. In this case of course, the bad behavior has been tolerated for some time...the politicians who run these cities need the votes, y'know. And felons and the kind of people who violently engage in looting and domestic terrorism are part of the bloc who votes for them especially in blue run states and cities.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), a decorated war vet and one of my favorite politicians put it this way:

The riots and the anarchy we’ve seen across the country have nothing to do with the death of George Floyd,” Cotton said. “In Washington, D.C., they set fire to a historic church attended by every president since James Madison. They defaced the Department of Veterans Affairs and the World War II memorial, which honor our veterans. They defaced the Lincoln Memorial, a temple in which we remember the great emancipator.”

“What the president can do is say that justice will be done in accordance with law for George Floyd,” he added**. “And we will always respect the right of peaceful protest, as many of these cities saw in the daytime. But the rioting, the anarchy, and the looting ends tonight. If local law enforcement is overwhelmed, if local politicians will not do their most basic job to protect our citizens, let’s see how these anarchists respond when the 101st Airborne is on the other side of the street.”

I have to agree. The one sure cure for rioting and looting is a dose of lead. Apparently a number of Americans feel this way. When the people who are supposedly charged with enforcing the law can't or won't, then it's time to take charge of it ourselves, or have the feds do it, since they don't need to answer to some mayor or governor catering to a certain voting bloc for re-election

I have never been prouder of President Trump than I have been the last few days. He has faced the most unwarranted criticism and outright lies from the media and the internet social media sites like Twitter and Facebook of any recent president and he has done it with courage. To see him yesterday walking to the vandalized historic St. John’s Episcopal Church while the Media rats yelled at him was definitely an act of courage. His reward, of course, was to be accused by these same media rats  of firing tear gas at 'peaceful protestors' for a photo op. As we now know, that was a blatant and deliberate lie.

Joe Biden's handlers even wrote him a lying statement to repeat for the media as well;

"When peaceful protestors dispersed in order for a president, a president from the doorstep of the people’s house, the White House, using tear gas and flash grenades in order to stage a photo-op at one of the most historic churches in the country or at least in Washington, DC, we can be forgiven for believing the president is more interested in power than in principle."

As we now know, these 'protesters' were far from peaceful,  and United States Park Police acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan made the following statement:

At approximately 6:33 pm, violent protestors on H Street NW began throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids. The protestors also climbed onto a historic building at the north end of Lafayette Park that was destroyed by arson days prior. Intelligence had revealed calls for violence against the police, and officers found caches of glass bottles, baseball bats and metal poles hidden along the street.

…

As many of the protestors became more combative, continued to throw projectiles, and attempted to grab officers’ weapons, officers then employed the use of smoke canisters and pepper balls. No tear gas was used by USPP officers or other assisting law enforcement partners to close the area at Lafayette Park.

Happy Hands Joe has always been a liar, so no surprise.

President Trump was also rewarded with some shrew of an Episcopal Bishop screaming that the president, 'had no right to go there.' She apparently forgot that every president since James Madison has visited that church. Disgusting.

And President Trump's simple  statement in response to the hideous media jackals bellowing at him  was simply to say, "We have the greatest country in the world. We're going to keep it that way."

The media  and social media have  also intensified their excusing of the violence, looting and vandalism as 'protest.' CNN, MSNBC, the New York Ties  the Washington Post and Twitter have been particularly odious.

Here's CNN's Chris Cuomo..

"Now too many see the protests as the problem. No, the problem is what forced your fellow citizens to take to the streets: persistent, poisonous inequities and injustice. And please, show me where it says protesters are supposed to be polite and peaceful."

Umm here, Fredo...it's called the First Amendment:

↓

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Fredo is also an Antifa supporter and cheerleader, so this is no surprise.

Even his big brother, New York's Governor openly said the protesters aren't peaceful. Not that he's doing much about it. Of course, he's also responsible for freeing lots of violent felons from jail and refusing to jail plenty of other criminals, which certainly intensified the problem,no?

Ok, so where do we go from here?

This is a sign of the Left's desperation. The impeachment fraud failed, their media allies don't have the clout they used to, the Pandemic didn't work, and they're stuck with Joe Biden. So bring on the riots, hmm?

Except that's not going to work either, although it's going to continue until it's forcibly stopped. The Left still have no clue who they're dealing with.

President Trump and AG Bill Barr have already started the game. Now that Antifa is officially a terrorist organization, not only can they be fought effectively but the people who have been funding them can also be investigated, arrested, tried and jailed for material support for terrorism. That could very well include certain millionaires, Hollywood celebs, and even certain politicians. The rot goes deep. It's also quite possible that certain media outlets can be sued for inciting violence.

Trump is also in a position to declare martial law if the Dem mayors still handcuff their police and refuse to do anything constructive. As I said, lead cures riots and consequences ends bad behavior...it never fails. And finally, given how the investigations regarding the attempted coup now going on, there are very likely to be a lot of Obama's former associates and fellow conspirators headed for jail.

Our gutsy President  also has the alternative of exercising his deal making expertise. 'You want money to rebuild your city after you sat back and let it burn? I want your unconstitutional sanctuary laws repealed and your voter registration lists and cooperation with ICE. Otherwise, no deal.'

And me? I live in a state where you don't even need a permit to buy a long gun, although you do need one for  a handgun.You can buy all the ammo you need.  Its Democrat Governor tried to change that and ended up having to forget the idea when both the population and the legislature rebelled. I doubt he gets re-elected based on how I hear him generally referred to. While where I live has a small percentage of Black people,they're decent people with jobs, houses and something to lose, the police here are respected, crime in general is low and overall, it's a pretty civilized place  so there haven't been any riots here nor are there likely to be.

If this doesn't describe where you live, I'd arm up. An armed society is a polite society, and if you live in a blue run city, the police might not be there or  simply won't be able to do anything to help you..orders from upstairs, you know.

We do have a great country...and yes, we're going to keep it that way. Just wait and see

* Wow, that was quick! A lot faster then they moved to charge a black Somali policeman who shot an unarmed white woman in cold blood not too long ago.

** President Trump immediately ordered the FBI and the DOJ to thoroughly investigate this as soon as it happened.

Rob Miller writes for Joshuapundit. His articles have appeared in The Jerusalem Post, The Washington Examiner, American Thinker, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The San Francisco Chronicle, Real Clear Politics, The Times Of Israel, Breitbart.Com, Yediot and other publications.

The Coup In Turkey And Why It Failed

 

Friday afternoon local time I began getting e-mails from acquaintances and correspondents in Turkey and elsewhere in the Middle East. They told of violence in the streets and military activity in the capitol of Ankara and in Istanbul, the city that sprawls between the Asian Turkey of Anatolia and the small piece of European Turkey on the other side of the Bosporus, the narrow strait that divides the Black Sea and the Aegean.

Was it some kind of ISIS or PKK attack?

As more time passed there were reports of an Army coup in Turkey underway. Had the Army finally tired of its neo-Ottoman Sultan Erdoğan?

As the news outlets in Turkey and the Middle East began filing reports, I noticed a few details that told me something had likely gone wrong. The first clue was that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was reported to be 'in a secure location' and inciting people to go into the streets and attack the soldiers attempting to pull off the coup...which they did.

This is very odd behavior for a coup. The very first rule of a military takeover is to get the leader you want to depose under your control and either dead or locked away. It's the first thing al-Sissi did in Egypt when he deposed Erdoğan's fellow Islamist Mohammed Morsi, and it's pretty much job one in any military coup. Among other things, it confuses the military players whom aren't involved as they wait to see what's happening or to receive orders.

The next odd note was for Erdoğan to call for civilians to attack elements of the Turkish military, and for them to comply eagerly. With the downward spiral of the Turkish economy, multiple instances of political corruption involving Erdoğan and with Erdoğan's increasingly authoritarian ways, he's not the most popular leader, especially in more cosmopolitan Istanbul. And the normal human behavior would be to lay low and let the military factions sort it out, not attack trained, armed troops. Yet, they did, and while much has been made of some civilians whom were shot, many of the soldiers involved in the coup seem to have reacted by simply retreating. One tank commander was even pulled out of his own tank by the mob and beheaded right on the spot while trying to do just that. (I've seen the footage. Trust me, you don't want to.)

The coup also was unusual in that it did not involve any senior officers and was not widespread. It mainly consisted of a few junior officers and enlisted men whom were primarily from Erdoğan's First Army. They were easily overpowered by troops loyal to Erdoğan and his AKP Party.

 

There are a number of stories out now claiming that Erdoğan staged his own coup. I highly doubt it. But what does seem obvious to me is that he had advance inside knowledge of it, that the men who attempted the coup believed that they were going to get more support from others in the military whom then either sat on their hands or decided to support Erdoğan, and that Erdoğan allowed the coup attempt to occur because it was beneficial to him.

 

As a result of the coup, a lot of elements Erdoğan considered disloyal have been flushed out, along with a number of others who simply oppose him politically or whom he finds convenient to lock up. Thus far, 2,745 judges and prosecutors whose loyalty to the Erdoğan regime has been questioned - especially those involved in the investigation and/or prosecution of the corruption surrounding Erdoğan - have been thrown in jail. Something like 2,839 soldiers have been arrested as well. Erdoğan is openly referring to the attempted coup as 'a gift from Allah' which pretty much gives the game away. Erdoğan will use it to quash any investigation of corruption and take out whatever remaining opposition there is to him. He's already calling for the reinstatement of Turkey's death penalty.
Think of this as Erdoğan's 'Night of the Long Knives.'

Another benefit for Erdoğan is that it gives him an excuse to demand the extradition to Turkey of a major political opponent, Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen is whom Erdoğan is blaming for the attempted coup.

Given that our President Barack Hussein Obama is one of the Islamist Erdoğan's best friends among foreign leaders, Erdoğan might very well get what he wants, event though Gulen has spoken out against the coup and claims he had nothing to do with it.

And Erdoğan has a powerful card to play as well to obtain this. America's Incirlik Air Base in Turkey has been completely shut down and remains so. The power has been cut off, no flights in or out are being allowed and 1,500 Americans are stranded there. All operations against ISIS have been postponed, meaning that the Iranian controlled militias have lost a part of their main edge against ISIS in Iraq.

In any event, Erdoğan is going to remain in power for now, and Turkey will become even less free and democratic and a lot more Islamist, exactly the opposite of what the Turkish Republic's Founder, Kemal Ataturk created after World War One.

This kind of development in a country with the largest conventional army in Europe is not something to ignore.

Breaking: Israel Uncovers Hamas Plot to Overthrow Palestinian Authority in West Bank

 

By the Tower staff writers

Hamas was plotting to start a third intifada and overthrow the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank according to information just cleared for public release by the Shin Bet and the IDF.

The Jerusalem Post reports:

The end goal was to destabilize the Palestinian territories and use the instability to carry out a military coup, overthrowing the government of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Hamas infrastructure relied on support from cells in neighboring Jordan, and on couriers who delivered terrorist finances, totaling at least two million shekels, which were used to purchase weapons and homes that were used as hideouts, according to the investigation.

The Shin Bet said that the investigation began in May during which time Israel has arrested over 90 suspects and is planning to indict 70 of them. The center of the investigation is Riad Nasser who was appointed by Turkey based Hamas operative, Saleh al-Arouri to lead the effort.

The plot was spread across 46 Palestinian cities and villages and was centered in Ramallah.

"This infrastructure stretched from Jenin in the north to Hebron in the south. It is one the biggest we've seen in Judea and Samaria since Hamas's formation in 1987," a senior Shin Bet source, responsible for securing the Jerusalem district, told reporters on Monday. "They planned to carry out a coup and topple the Palestinian Authority," he added.

Ynet has more details:

Palestinian engineering and chemistry students were recruited for the operation. One of the most notable detainees holds a doctorate in computer science – he was recruited in Malaysia and trained in encryption and cyber-attacks.

"The discovery of the infrastructure attests to the great danger posed by Hamas' headquarters abroad given its strategic plan to collapse the Palestinian Authority," said the Shin Bet.

At the end of May, the Shin Bet arrested Mahmoud Toameh a leading financier of Hamas' operations. At the time of his arrest Toameh explained to authorities how Hamas "funds its activities, especially in the absence of funding from Iran." Toameh admitted that Hamas used "real estate deals as a means of transferring money from abroad."

 

Discovery of this plot confirms fears that Hamas, in agreeing to a unity government with Fatah, was seeking to emulate the "Hezbollah model" in the West Bank as Ha'aretz reported in May, "A Hamas source has said the model being planned for the new Palestinian unity government is that of Hezbollah in Lebanon, in which the organization is a government party that has shed responsibility for routine matters but maintains an independent military."

Reposted courtesy of The Tower

Something Is Going On In Iraq - Coup Time?

I'm hearing all sorts of rumors tonight about a military coup going on in Baghdad. What has apparently sparked it was an angry tirade by Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki over Iraqi President  Fuad Masum not intervening after parliament failed to give him a third term as Prime Minister.

Al-Maliki claimed that this was against what passes for Iraq's constitution and that he was going to 'take  Masum to court.'

He accused him of "committing a clear constitutional violation for the sake of political calculations and... giving priority to the interests of some groups at the expense of the higher interests of the Iraqi people".

Apparently the Obama team had decided that Masum,Iraq'a new president  looked like a better bet than Maliki to put together that 'inclusive' government the Obama team  is seeking and was pushing for him to take over. But it looks like al-Maliki may have decided to take out the competition. Masum, by the way, is a Kurd.

Maliki's party won the most seats in a questionable election back in  April,but parliament is refusing to ratify a third term for al-Maliki. There are rumors of Shia militia and security forces loyal to al-Maliki stationing themselves at key points in Baghdad.The major bridges have been closed.

 

I've gotten a couple of tweets about clashes, but so far nothing concrete, On thing I have heard  is that Iraqi security forces have encircled the president's residence.

Stay Tuned!!

Putin Orders Military Readiness As Crimea Puts Russian Leader In Power

 

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has ordered military readiness exercises and a state of alert in the Russian strategic base of Sebastopol in the Crimea and along the Ukraine's borders:

Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, said Moscow was "carefully watching what is happening in Crimea" and that measures were being taken to ensure the security of the facilities and arsenals of its Black Sea naval fleet, which is based in the fiercely pro-Russian Crimean city of Sebastopol.

The autonomous eastern peninsula, which is home to a largely ethnic Russian population, is at the centre of tensions over the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of Moscow, by pro-European protesters at the weekend.

"In accordance with an order from the president of the Russian Federation, forces of the Western Military District were put on alert at 1400 (1000 GMT) today," Interfax quoted Mr Shoigu as saying.

At the same time, Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement today that 'extremists' were "imposing their will" on Ukraine and fomenting tension and unrest.

In the Crimea itself, where the population is 60% ethnic Russian, the local assembly in the Crimean capital of Simferopol is debating holding a referendum to decide whether the Crimea will remain part of Ukraine or return to Russia, which had control of the Crimea until Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine administratively within the old Soviet Union back in the 1960's. Numerous clashes between pro-Russian demonstrators and non-Russians, mainly Crimean Tatars who want to remain part of Ukraine are being reported.



And in Sebastopol itself, ethnic Russians have kicked out the city administrator and installed their own mayor, who promptly announced the formation of paramilitary 'self-defense' units to defend the Crimea against the "fascists" in Kiev.

Yesterday, the country's interim president, Oleksander Turchynov called the new Ukrainian parliament to discus "the question of not allowing any signs of separatism and threats to Ukraine's territorial integrity and punishing people guilty of this," according to an official statement while Russia caled on the EU's Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to condemn the rise of "nationalist and neo-fascist sentiment" in western Ukraine and 'anti-Russian' activity.
In reality of course, the Ukrainian parliament has no power to enforce anything and would probably be much better off concentrating on forming a government. Any moves to bring the ethnic Russian population to heel as part of Ukraine would provide the Russians with just the excuse they need to send the tanks in.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov continues to say Russia will not intervene militarily in Ukraine, but if the Crimea breaks away with Russian assistance , then he can say that technically, he kept his word. The same is true of eastern sections of the Ukraine where there are also a great many ethnic Russians whom retain their loyalty to Russia. Russia retaking the Crimea would essentially give them control of Ukraine's sea coast on the Black Sea and effective control of the country.

Stay tuned...

The Latest On The Ukraine...

The pro-Western forces in the Ukraine are solidifying their hold on the country, at least so far.

The Ukraine's new opposition-led parliament appointed a pro-Western interim leader, Oleksandr Turchynov, the former Speaker as interim president, with the job of forming a new government to rule the country until May 25, when new elections are to be held. The new government also fired the Ukraine's Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, the federal police chief and prosecutor general, and they appear to be in control of most of the country 's basic services, especially in Kiev.

Deposed pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych is still raving about this as a 'coup' but his authority was dealt another blow when his own Regions Party condemned him for issuing "criminal orders" that led to the deaths of 100 protesters.

The country has also taken steps to seek the vital economic aid it needs from the EU and US and appears to be meeting with some success so far.

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew told a G20 meeting in Sydney, Australia that America now "stands ready to assist Ukraine as it implements reforms". At the same time EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will fly to Kiev on Monday for a two-day visit that her office said will aim to work out "measures to stabilise the economic situation" in the Ukraine.

As far as Russia goes, Turchynov said that the country’s new leadership was ready for dialogue with Russia but relations had to be on a “new, equal and good-neighborly footing that takes into account Ukraine’s European choice.”

The US and EU also backed up the new government with some fairly blunt and surprising language.

Today on NBC’s “Meet the Press",President Obama’s National Security Adviser, Susan Rice warned Russia about sending its military into the Ukraine, saying, “That would be a grave mistake.”

“It’s not in the interests of the Ukraine or of Russia or of Europe or of the United States to see the country split. It’s in nobody’s interest to see violence return and the situation escalate.”

Asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin might see the volatility in Ukraine in a Cold War context–in which East and West battle for influence–Ms. Rice said: “He may, but if he does, that’s a pretty dated perspective that doesn’t reflect where the people of Ukraine are coming from.

“This is not about the U.S. and Russia. This is about whether the people of Ukraine have the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations and be democratic and be part of Europe, which they choose to be.”

Sorry Ms. Rice, but that is exactly how Putin sees it.

Meanwhile British foreign Secretary William Hague was far less aggressive in his language, but at least
tried to sound bold, saying that "any external duress on Ukraine any more than we've seen in recent weeks... it really would not be in the interests of Russia to do any such thing."

Of course, when he was asked what Britain might do if Putin ordered tanks into Ukraine, he waffled and said: "We don't know, of course, what Russia's next reaction will be."

How much steel there is behind this language from America and the EU and what might have been said behind the scenes to Putin, we have no way of knowing.

The remarks Rice made about a split in the Ukraine are interesting. Apparently she and I were thinking along the same lines, with Russia putting together a breakaway zone in the Eastern Ukraine under Yanukovych the way Russia did with South Ossetia and subverting the new government from there. It's certainly a possible scenario, and there are a number of Russian backed militias like Oplot, (“Stronghold”) in places like Kharkiv and Donetsk who back Yanukovych to make it a real possibility, especially with Russian arms and assistance.

Stay tuned...

Revolution! Rebels Take Over in Ukraine

In the course of 24 hours, the Ukraine's destiny has been totally altered.

The deal between the anti-government rebels and the pro-Russian government of President Viktor Yanukovych collapsed, and matters came to a head today.

President Yanukovych has been formally impeached by the Ukraine's parliament and ousted, most of his support has either melted away or defected to the rebels and his flight was blocked when he tried to leave the country. He compared his opponents to the Nazis and accused them of mounting a coup,says he considers the current parliament illegitimate and won't respect its rulings.

"Everything that is happening today is, to a greater degree, vandalism and banditry and a coup d'etat," he said. "I will do everything to protect my country from breakup, to stop bloodshed."

Yanukovych has apparently encamped with what's left of his followers in the eastern part of the Ukraine, where a number of ethnic Russians live and he has more support.According to my sources, he said to be in Kharkhiv, close to the Russian border.

In an iconic moment, the rebels took over Yanukoych's palatial mansion an hour's drive outside Kiev:



It is, as they say, no slum. It includes a private restaurant, a golf course, a garage chock full of boats and luxury cars, and 346 acres ( 140 hectares) of park-like grounds. This in a country where the average monthly wage is around $1,000 per month. People walked through the mansion and the grounds and took shots on Yanukovych's private golf course as rebel soldiers and police collected documents, including the charred fragments of a number of papers that someone apparently tried to burn in a hurry.

The rebels freed former PM Yulia Tymoshenko (pictured above) from prison, where she had languished since in 2011. She addressed an ecstatic crowd of 50,000 in Kiev's Independence Square ( called 'the Maidan' in Ukrainian) in Kiev.

Sitting in a wheel chair because of conditions brought on by her imprisonment, she eulogized the protesters who were killed this week by government forces.

"You are heroes, you are the best thing in Ukraine!" she said of the victims. The death toll in clashes between protesters and police, including snipers who fired into the crowd and simply picked off civilians has now reached 82.

And she urged the protesters to stay in the Square and not to give up their encampment in the square.

"In no case do you have the right to leave the Maidan until you have concluded everything that you planned to do," she said.

She also remarked that she was sure now that the Ukraine would join the EU.

New elections were originally set for May 25, but the rebels want them held earlier, as they no doubt will be in they're held at all.

The key to that is Russia and Vladimir Putin.

As I mentioned before, Putin sees this as a Russian security issue, and the history between Russia and the Ukraine makes it even less certain how he'll react.

Since he has a puppet president on hand in Yanukovych and the 'coup' meme has already been launched, I would not be at all surprised if Putin sent in Russian forces 'to restore order'. He might even have the Ukrainian/Russian population in the Eastern Ukraine declare their independence, ally with Russia and then pick a fight with Western Ukraine,after which the Russians would come in. Remember South Ossetia and Georgia?

According to an official Russian Foreign Ministry statement Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has already been talking to US Secretary of State John Kerry, saying that the peace deal signed yesterday had been violated and "sharply degraded by opposition forces'.

"Illegal extremist groups are refusing to disarm and in fact are taking Kiev under their control with the connivance of opposition leaders," Lavrov said according to the statement.

Putin may very well feel that using the Russian military to recreate his client state in the Ukraine is a pretty risk free endeavor.He almost certainly considers President Obama and Secretary Kerry foreign policy amateurs and weaklings unlikely to do more than issue a nuanced statement or two, and the EU lacks the military capability to stop him even if they possessed the spine or the political will. And if retaking the Ukraine gets a little bloody, that's more to the good from Putin's point of view, because it would be an object lesson to others.

Another factor, of course, is the economic one. Even if Putin holds off on sending the tanks in, He will do his best to co-opt any new government. Because the Ukraine is essentially broke.

Putin had bribed Yanukovych and the Old Guard with a $15 billion bailout last December in exchange for not joining the EU, but the Russians doled it out by the month to maximize their leverage, basically giving Yanukovych just enough cash to pay his security forces and keep the regime going. That bail out is history now.

The Russians will undoubtedly make things as tough for a new democratic Ukraine as possible and attempt to starve them into submission. A new EU-oriented Ukraine is going to pay a lot more for gas, which will be regularly cut off from time to time for whatever reason. Russia will also likely embargo the Ukraine's agricultural products, and Ukrainian nationals working in Russia whose jobs aren't essential will be booted out and sent home. Meanwhile Putin will try to sabotage the country's political process and get a pro-Russian government installed again by means fair or foul.

At this point, the Ukraine has less than $18 billion left in hard currency reserves, and immediate debt repayments coming up of something like $10 billion.

So if the West is serious about an independent, EU-oriented Ukraine (assuming Russia doesn't invade), they're going to need debt forgiveness and restructuring along with a hefty aid package, although this time at least corruption will probably not be the problem it used to be. But any way you slice it, if a new democratic Ukraine survives, they are in for a few tough years.

Stay tuned...

Obama Moves To Protect The Muslim Brotherhood

As you can imagine, President Barack Hussein Obama has been quick off the mark to defend his pet Islamists in the Muslim Brotherhood.

Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said July 4 in a statement that the White House has called on Egyptian leaders to pursue “a transparent political process that is inclusive of all parties and groups,” including “avoiding any arbitrary arrests of Mursi and his supporters” .

What exactly are they supposed to do with agitators like Morsi and Badie? Free them and allow them to incite further attacks like the ones of this morning?

And of course, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki weighed in,saying in a statement, "The voices of all who are protesting peacefully must be heard—including those who welcomed the events of earlier this week and those who supported President Morsi."

When Morsi's hired thugs were attacking protestors and raping demonstrators in Tahrir Square, did our State department utter a peep?

When the Brotherhood took over, the main opposition candidate Shaffik had to flee for his life and he was by no means the only one. And believe me, there was no call for “avoiding any arbitrary arrests" from the Obama Administration then. And when the Brotherhood was
brutalizing Coptic Christians and it's political opponents, we likewise heard nothing except how much financial aid we were going to give them:

The administration has urged the Egyptian military to stop using heavy-handed tactics, according to two U.S. officials who asked not to be identified commenting on private communications. They said the administration is concerned that some in the military may want to provoke the Islamists to violence and provide a rationale for crushing the movement once and for all.


Yes, if the genocidal Muslim Brotherhood were to be crushed, that would be such a tragedy, wouldn't it? It certainly would in Washington DC, where the Obama Administration is riddled with Muslim Brotherhood supporters and sympathizers.

Speaking of money, the president is citing a law as an excuse to cut off the $1.5 billion in aid to Egypt that bars the U.S. from giving “any assistance to the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by a military coup d’etat or decree,” or a coup “in which the military plays a decisive role.”

If my sources are correct, he's also going to do his best now to torpedo the $4.8 million IMF loan Egypt was on the verge of getting.

Yet niceties like lawfully elected governemnts or even material aid to terrorism never stopped him from giving money to Hamas,or to the Palestinian Authority, where where unelected dictator Mahmoud Abbas, whose term of office ran out four years ago refused to seat the Muslim Brotherhood parliament that was elected at that time.

And the Obama Administration has even gone to the extent of ignoring congressional holds when it comes to the Islamists, even when they burn our embassies.

But all of a sudden, this most lawless of president in insisting on observing the letter of the law!

Apparently the president still inhales the fiction that an Islamist Caliphate is still good for America somehow. He tried and failed to muscle the Egyptian military into knuckling under to an Islamist government even though the popular will wanted them deposed and the country was falling apart.

He's not taking this defeat gracefully.

The end result is that the Egyptian junta will get funding from Qatar of the Saudis as a new ally in the Sunni-Shi'ite war that has its main fighting front these days in Syria. And our influence will wane, along with that of our clueless president and the sycophants surrounding him.

The Coup In Egypt And Why It's Important

The military coup in Egypt is pretty much a done deal. Former president Morsi's in jail, along with the real people who were pulling the strings, the top figures from the Muslim Brotherhood including its chief Mohammed Badie and his deputy Khairat el-Shater.

I first saw this coming back in late June, and those of you who were awake and online at 3 AM Left Coast Time got the first reports of the army's move, thanks to a couple of my notorious Lil' Birdies.

So why is this important? To put that together, we have to get into the back story on what happened. Thanks to the Lil' Birdies, I have some new details on how the whole deal went down.

The Egyptian Army is not like the U.S. Army. Like China's PLA, it owns farms, companies and private businesses that are often staffed by conscripts.

A lot of the 'military aid' from us goes to the army directly to fund these enterprises.

Morsi had purged a number of the top generals of the Egyptian military and replaced them with men whop were either fellow Islamists or apolitical.. or so he thought. With the Muslim Brotherhood government receiving support and patronage from President Obama, Morsi figured he had the Army under his thumb.

One of his appointments, as defense minister and chief of the Army was General Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, a former junior member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the junta that ruled Egypt until the Brotherhood took over.

As Egypt's economy spiraled out of control, Morsi and his Brotherhood allies began leaning heavily on al-Sissi and the military to eliminate a number of their prerogatives and to transfer most of the military aid they receive back to the government, so the government could use it for their own purposes.

Morsi and the Brotherhood were fairly certain that they would be able to put the squeeze on al-Sissi with President Obama's help. They were wrong.

After his phone call with Morsi, President Obama tried exactly that, telling al-Sissi and the other generals that a military coup would have a loss of U.S. aid as a consequence. That had worked before for the president, when the SCAF tried to limit Morsi and the Brotherhood's power and President Obama intervened.

This time, Al-Sissi and the other generals decided to call Obama's bluff. They realized that giving in to Obama and Morsi would lead to them losing any vestige of independence and freedom they had, and since Morsi was already poised to take their aid money away they had nothing to lose anyway. In the end, al-Sissi and his fellow general's first loyalty was to Egypt and the army, not the Brotherhood.

Not only that, but not only had Morsi and the Brotherhood become deeply unpopular, so had President Obama. The Egyptian street was very much familiar with Obama's role in putting the Brotherhood in power and keeping them there.

 

Once the decision was made, the coup proceeded smoothly, without any hesitation from the army generals or the soldiers under their command.

So what does this mean? Why is it important?

Today's events amounted to a tremendous loss of prestige for the genocidal Muslim Brotherhood. It was one thing to be the romantic opposition, operate a few soup kitchens, schools and clinics and tell everyone that if only Mubarak was out and they were in power, they would bring true greatness and prosperity to Egypt by following Allah's divine sharia-licious path.

But when they finally got in power, things were different. They were almost as corrupt, far more dictatorial and brutal and far more incompetent than Mubarak ever was. They will not be trusted with power for years, if ever. And their loss extends to other countries aside from Egypt, like Jordan, Libya, the rest of the Maghreb and the Arabian Peninsula. Egypt was the Muslim Brotherhood's chance to show that their version of a Sunni Islamist state could work. They failed miserably, and not only did they lose Egypt but they did major damage to the Caliphate President Obama and his administration were trying so desperately to put together in the Arab World. People who were prepared to put the Islamists in power are now looking at what happened in Egypt are having second thoughts.

That is probably one of the most important effects of the coup - the damage it did to the Muslim Brotherhood and the nascent Caliphate that was forming.This is huge and cannot be underestimated.

As Dave Burge (IowaHawk) wittily tweeted, the only Muslim Brotherhood fans left are in Washington DC.

President Obama also suffered a tremendous loss of prestige. The Prevaricator-In-Chief is having his people work overtime to spin this and revise what happened here, saying he was, you know, always pimping for freedom and democracy in Egypt.

The people of Egypt know better. Obama was for the Muslim Brotherhood first, last and always.




It's an open question how much influence the U.S. has with the new junta.If President Obama offers them aid, they need it and will probably take it. But they're not going to forget how this president tried to muscle them into knuckling under to Morsi.

The junta could very well decide that they've had enough of Mr. Hopey-changey and decide to switch sponsors. The Russians are the most likely candidate. With Syria in turmoil, the Russians might well find another warm water strategic Mediterranean port useful. On the other hand, there are bad memories in Egypt from the last time it was a Russian client state.

Another source of non-US funding is apparently coming from the Saudis and GCE countries,  whom want Egypt as an ally in the ongoing Sunni-Shi'ite war in the region. This support involves pledges so far, which the Arab countries are notorious for reneging on. But it could very well be that the generals set this up with the Saudis before making their move. The Brotherhood regime, after all, had been making some friendly noises towards Iran.

But if the Saudi money comes through, the junta  may very well decide to go along with the U.S. for the present,especially  if fresh financial aid is forthcoming. That's especially true of the army, whose gear is all American made  and dependent on U.S. supplied spare parts.

In any event, Egypt's economy is in crisis mode, and the breakdown of simple law and order is something the country's new rulers are going to have to devote an awful lot of time and attention to if they're to succeed in governing.

While the Obama Administration has certainly suffered a major loss of influence and prestige, one winner here is Israel. Instead of a hostile, Hamas friendly regime in Cairo, they will now have a much more pragmatic and coldly neutral Egyptian government to deal with. While anti-semitism and Israel Derangement Syndrome is firmly engrained in Egypt, the new junta, to put it bluntly, needs stability and has other things to worry about. In addition, they will undoubtedly do a lot more than Morsi did to keep the Brotherhood regime in Gaza  isolated, in their own self interest. Just as Mubarak and SCAF did before, they will crack down on the smuggling tunnels and keep the Egyptian border with Gaza shut. And due to Egypt's financial difficulties, the junta might even welcome some discreet trade with the 'Zionists'.

Egypt's chief tasks in the immediate future will be creating stability in the country  and doing something about the execrable economic situation. The first is probably doable, since the military is widely respected.The second one is systemic and probably not doable in the short term. But  if the Army can at least tread water or even improve things slightly economically, especially when it comes to food supplies, they should be able to hang on.

UPDATES: Since I wrote this, the following has already happened...The Saudis and the Emirates have already kicked in $8 billion in aid to bolster then new regime, Egypt has isolated Hamas and closed down the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side to Gaza indefinitely, and most importantly - wait for it - the new Emir Of Qatar did a 180 degree turn from his father's policies and stripped the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader Sheik Qaradawi of his citizenship, closing down all Brotherhood offices and expelling Qaradawi and Hamas leader Khalid Mesha'al from the country.

The Brotherhood has now been revealed as a weak horse, and we know what happens to weak horses in this part of the world. If they try and institute a civil war as it looks like they're starting to do, they'll be crushed.

This is absolutely huge, and very good news for the West, if not for an Islamist friendly President Obama and his cabal in Washington.

Live From Egypt - The Celebration!!

It's official. Defense minister and army chief General al-Sissi has announced that the Islamist constitution has been suspended, Morsi has been removed (he's been jailed in an undisclosed location) and that that the chief of the Constitutional court would be named as civilian head of government during a transitional period before another election. Under the army's control, of course, although al-Sissi didn't say that.

My sources tell me that period will likely be anywhere from 9 months to a year.

Al-Sissi said the new government would be “diverse and include all the people,” and that the constitution would be revised to reverse changes made by the Muslim Brotherhood and President Mohammed Morsi.

Travel bans have been imposed on Morsi and the top figures from the Muslim Brotherhood including its chief Mohammed Badie and his deputy Khairat el-Shater.

Heh!

Confirmed! Morsi Under Arrest, Confined By Army

Al-Arabiya is reporting that Egypt's Morsi has been arrested by the army and is now confined in the Ministry of Defense 'for his own protection'.

It's all over.Good riddance to bad Islamist garbage.

Morsi, in one of his last statements told his Muslim Brotherhood followers to engage in 'non-violent resistance' to the military coup.

That's quite different from the rhetoric he was spouting just a few hours ago.

Report: Egypt's Islamist Leader Morsi In Custody, Under House Arrest

 

The Egyptian State TV is reporting that Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi has been arrested by the army and is under house arrest:

 from ABC News.

#Egypt’s Al Hayat TV reports #Morsi under house arrest. Working to confirm. #EgyptABC

— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) July 3, 2013

Tanks Move On Cairo; Morsi Defiant; Massive Anti-Obama Sentiment

 The Muslim Brotherhood Regime in Egypt appears to be within hours of being toppled.

As I write this, the army is already moving tanks into Cairo to take up key positions and according to one report, communications with President Morsi have already been cut off and State TV is in the army's hands.

As I reported earlier, the military has rebuffed President Obama's threat to cut off aid to Egypt if they removed his pet Islamist from power, and is moving ahead to consolidate control of the country and restore stability.

Last night, civilian political leaders met with the top generals. One of them was Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the U.N. nuclear weapons agency and a critic of Morsi.

An unidentified leading Muslim cleric and Pope Tawardos II, the head of Egypt’s Coptic Christians were also at the meeting.

Morsi remains defiant, refusing to step down and saying that he is Egypt’s "guardian of legitimacy". You couldn't convince the millions of Egyptians who have thronged the streets in three days of nationwide pro- and anti-Morsi and anti-Muslim Brotherhood protests.

Morsi's speech was answered by loud chants of "irhal!" - "leave!" from the protesters.

And the Islamist rats are leaving the sinking ship. Foreign Minister Kamel Amr tended his resignation, becoming the sixth minister to quit within the past 48 hours. Two of Morsi’s presidential spokesmen also quit, as did Sami Enan, Morsi's military adviser.

Another thing about the protests that isn't being mentioned here is the massive anti-Obama sentiment. Doug Ross has an entire gallery of 15 photos showing some of the sort of signs the protesters are carrying around excoriating President Obama and US Ambassador Anne Patterson, who they correctly see as enabling Morsi and the Brotherhood's tyranny.

 

The real story is what happens next. If Morsi is ousted, that would be a huge blow against the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist Caliphate President Obama appears to have been aiding and abetting in the Arab world, which is a wonderful thing.

But Egypt still has terrific problems that need to be solved. Will military chief and defense minister General Abdel Fattah al-Sissi take over as strongman? Will the military midwife a government? And if so, what kind of government? Have the Egyptians finally developed a taste for freedom and democracy? We'll see.

Report: Military To Take over Egypt Within Hours

I'm getting a lot of info from my sources that Islamist president Morsi is toast, and will either be toppled or resign within hours.

The semi-official Al-Ahram is already saying that the army will form a presidential council to run the country.If this goes down, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the armed forces commander appointed by Morsi last year will likely be Egypt's new strongman.

I'm also hearing that senior Muslim Brotherhood officials have been put under hpuse arrwest and even taken into custody by the army.

If things go down in this fashion, it means that (A) the Army called President Obama's bluff about cutting off aid if they pulled a coup (B)US influence on Egypt is negligible, thanks to our president.

Stay tuned..tomorrow should be interesting.

Syria's Basher Assad Moves His Family to Ship Off Of Syria's Coast

 

Saudi Arabia's al-Watan is reporting that Syrian dictator Basher Assad has moved his family and a select group of associates to a warship off Syria’s coast, where they're is being guarded by Russian naval forces. Reports are mixed about whether Assad is with them or whether he's still on the Syrian mainland. Some reports have him commuting to the mainland by helicopter, having lost confidence in elements of his security detail.

What this amounts to is political asylum for Assad by Russia, should he flee the country.

So far the civil war between Syria's Shi'ites, Alawites and other Assad loyalists and the Sunni, Muslim Brotherhood dominated Sunni insurgency has cost well over 60,000 lives, with numerous atrocities being committed by both sides.

Russia currently has a flotilla of five Russian warships laden with hundreds of troops deployed at the Syrian port of Tartus, Russia's chief naval base in the Middle East.

If Assad actually has taken asylum aboard the ship, it is fairly serious and a sign the endgame is approaching. if he merely got his family and close associates out of harm's way, then the end isn't near just yet.

In the meantime, the Russians continue to defend Assad, and have endorsed a speech he made last week calling for an end to hostilities, national elections and the formation of a new government.

I doubt the insurgents were impressed.Especially since they have important allies now like President Barack Obama.

Egypt: Islamist President Morsi Orders Head Of Military Council Tantawi To Resign

A major power play took place in Egypt today as Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi ordered the 'retirement' of several chief members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces(SCAF) the military junta that had been the de facto ruler of Egypt since the overthrow of Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak.

"Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi has been transferred into retirement from today," presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said in a statement. Gen Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, ( who just happens to be a Muslim Brotherhood member) was named to replace Field Marshal Tantawi as both armed forces chief and defense minister.

Also 'retired' were the army chief of staff, Sami Anan and the commanders of the Navy, Air Force and air defense. Annan and Tantawi supposedly retained as 'advisers' and were given Egypt's highest state honour, the Grand Collar of the Nile as a face saving gesture.

This is either a major overreach by Morsi and the Islamists or a signal that they have power well in hand. The key signal will be whether Tantawi, Assad and the others go quietly.

If they don't it will be because they have the rank and file military behind them, If they do, it will be because they're unable to get the troops to follow them against the Brotherhood.
Again, this is exactly what happened in Iran. Once Khomeini took over, he made a deal with the Iranian military to preserve some of their perks and power in exchange for them acquiescing to the Islamist Revolution. As soon as Khomeini felt he was strong enough. he purged the military.

As with most of these things, money is a major factor. What happens with the military and which way they jump will depend a great deal on economics.

Egypt's foreign currency reserves are disappearing steadily ( down to $5.8 billion in July, the last time I checked). Farmers are protesting ( and not peaceably) over water shortages. land taxes and the high cost of fertilizer, prices on staples continue to rise, and tourism is mordant, especially from western countries. Egypt's trade deficit is around $36 billion, the income from the canal brings in $5 billion or so a year, and they might net another $10-12 billion from taxes, cotton, what's left of the tourist industry and other miscellaneous sources, not including the $1.5 billion they get from the US, mainly military aid. An IMF loan is in the works, but hasn't materialized yet.

The country is notoriously corrupt, has very little foreign investment and a population of 80 million it's unable to feed.

In short, economically, Egypt is circling the drain.

The military might very well be taking a wait and see attitude, with the idea of putting together a coup later after an economic collapse that can be conveniently blamed on the Brotherhood.

So the big question that remains is whether the new Muslim Brotherhood-ruled Egypt is going to get a new 'sponsor.'

The main candidates are the Obama Administration, The Saudis and GCC countries and even, perhaps, Iran.

The Obama Administration has obviously made a few promises to Morsi and the Brotherhood about funding, and while President Obama hearts the Muslim Brotherhood, the money still has to go through Congress, and that becomes politically problematical, especially in an election year. Frankly, the U.S. and the EU have their own more pressing problems, which is also one of the holdups on the IMF loan.

Iran frankly lacks the amount of money the Egyptians need, but it might provide a few billion or so. I would expect the Muslim Brotherhood to flirt with Tehran in order to frighten their real target, the Saudis and GCC countries.

The Saudis haven't put much into Egypt yet ( they're not stupid) because the political situation is still very volatile. But if Morsi can goose the House of Saud along by flirting with the Iranians, there's a chance he might get them to play along.

Stay tuned...

Syrian Rebels Driven Out Of Key Frontline Aleppo District

Basher Assad's forces have driven the Syrian rebels out of a key position in the outlying areas of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city.

The Salaheddine district, a southern gateway into the city proper has been cleared of rebel troops, who were forced to retreat by coordinated attacks:


"We have retreated, get out of here," a lone rebel fighter yelled at Reuters journalists as they arrived on Wednesday in the Salaheddine district. A checkpoint that had been manned by rebel fighters for the last week had disappeared, its location marked only by an opposition flag.

Explosions could be heard as incoming gunfire hit buildings in the area. A Syrian government security source told Lebanon's Al-Manar television that Syrian forces were now in control of the Salaheddine district.

Helicopters flew over a police station that was still in rebel hands about 1 km (half a mile) away from Salaheddine. Fighters ran around in chaos shouting into walkie talkies: "The army has entered, the army has entered".

As my source noted earlier, it's business as usual in most of the city, with only a few outlying neighborhood the scene of heavy fighting. The rebels in the south have reportedly withdrawn to the Sukkari district ( south east of Salaheddine) where they're planning a stand against Assad's army.

Some shooting has been reported in a few outlying districts to the north of the city, but the main battle is in the south. That's where Aleppo will be won or lost. And with it, quite possibly the civil war.

In another setback for the rebels, their claim that they had killed a Russian general working for the Assad regime,one Vladimir Petrovich Kochyev proved to be false when the general himself contacted the media to show he was very much alive.

Whoopsie.

Iran Says it Will Not Allow Syria's Assad Regime To Fall

An important statement today by a prominent member of the Iranian regime tells us that Assad is going to be in Syria for the long haul:

Saeed Jalili, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, appeared with the Syrian leader in Damascus on Tuesday to pledge Iran’s support for the Assad regime.

"Iran will never allow the resistance axis - of which Syria is an essential pillar - to break. What is happening in Syria is not an internal issue but a conflict between the axis of resistance on one hand, and the regional and global enemies of this axis on the other,” he said.

An important thing to remember is that if Jalili is saying this, it is coming directly from Iran's Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei.

For his part, Basher Assad vowed to 'cleanse Syria of terrorists' as his forces continued attacks on rebel forces in the outer neighborhoods of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city:

“The Syrian people and their government are determined to purge the country of terrorists and to fight the terrorists without respite,” he said, according to state news agency SANA.

The Iranians see this clearly as a Sunni vs. Shi'ite war,as well as a key to their regional strategy.They see it as an attempt to thwart Iran by the Saudis, Qatar and the Emirates,who are bankrolling the rebels,and the Americans,who are providing arms. The Iranians frequently add the 'Zionists' into that litany, but Israel is just as unlikely to be arming or aiding the Muslim Brotherhood dominated rebels as the rebels would be willing to accept anything from Jews.

Adding to the mix is Iranian ire over 48 Iranians captured- or kidnapped, depending on your view - by rebel forces. They are said to be members of Iran's elite Qods Force.

In an interesting aside, Jalili said Iran held responsible not only the kidnappers but also those foreign governments that supported the rebels. “We believe that not only terrorists but also their supporters are responsible for this criminal act,” Jalali said.

I suppose we could call this a Persian version of the Bush Doctrine, except that unlike our former president, the Iranians are probably serious.

At this point, Basher Assad is receiving not only aid from Russia but aid and active military support from Hezbollah and Iran, and I have no doubt the Russians would send in troops in limited numbers to protect their Syrian client. In fact, they already have.

The Islamist rebels, in contrast, have money and some arms coming in from the Obama Administration and the GCC countries, but no boots on the ground.

Will President Obama get America into another undeclared war to put a Muslim Brotherhood regime in power? The answer to that question might well provide the fate of the Sunni Syrian rebellion.

Syria's Sunni Prime Minister Defects

In another sign that the Syrian civil war is settling down into a sectarian conflict, Syria's Sunni Prime Minister Riad Hijab, from the Deir al-Zour area in North eastern Syria, fled with his family and announced he had defected to the rebels today.

The Assad regime's story is that he was 'fired', but th etruth is probably somewhere in between. Hijab was appointed Prime Minister in order to bolster Sunni support for the regime, but a man in his position in these times needs to make calculations on a knife edge.

Am I still trusted by Assad? Is Basher Assad likely to make an example of me? Do the rebels have a chance to win? If they do, they'll consider me a traitor. If I side with the rebels now, as a high ranking politician, what are my chances of being part of the poltical leadership if they do win? And if they don't, do I have an avenue of escape?

These and similar considerations are going through the mind of every prominent Sunni in Basher Assad's regime.

Hijab's spokesman Mohammed el-Etri told al-Jazeera that he was in "a safe location".

"I address you today at this grave hour where the country is living under the brunt of genocide and barbarian brutal killing against unarmed people who are simply demanding freedom and a dignified life," ran Mr Hijab's statement read by his spokesman.

"Today I declare... that I have defected from the terrorist, murderous regime and [am] joining the holy revolution. And I declare that from today I am a soldier of this holy revolution."

The main focus of the civil war remains Aleppo, Syria's commercial hub and second largest city.

Some rebel spokesmen are telling gullible reporters they control 40% of the city, but my sources tell me that in most of Aleppo it's business as usual, with the fighting confined to some neighborhoods on the outskirts.

Given that Hezbollah is now actively engaged in helping the regime and that Basher Assad just received an new intake of weaponry from the Russians, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Muslim Brotherhood rebels puhed out of Aleppo, at least for now.

And if push comes to shove, I wouldn't even rule out the Russians sending a few 'advisers' back by air cover and armor to back up a valuable client state. It'll be even easier if Assad concentrates on holding a redoubt in northwest Syria.