I started working on this this past Sunday, then a bit on Monday,some more yesterday...It’s still relevant and updated for todayFutility defined : Lacking in effectiveness or successSince the Geneva talks are doomed to failure.... No matter how I might wish this was all being undertaken sincerely. -Syrian government has agreed in principle to participate. -The NATO backed opposition can’t agree to agree on just about anything.Which is not a shocker. SNC may not attend 2nd Geneva Conference Maybe today, or tomorrow they will decide to attend? Or not?What else can be expected from a completely disagreeable bunch of cutthroats?And, Moaz Khatib is a clown. Seriously.I just can't believe this man was a serious religious leader. It seems more plausible the NATO media wants us to believe that, but, I don't.More on the expatriate SNC (expatriate meaning not resident in Syria presently and possibly never resident)China is ready to participate
China, on the other hand, said it would take part in the Geneva gathering, proposed by the US and Russia, “to push for an early, just, peaceful and appropriate settlement of the Syrian issue”.
There is a dispute about Iran attending.I suspect, of course I could be wrong, but I suspect the US is going to ok Iran’s attendance. It makes no difference to the US, because they are disingenuous in this attempt at peace. Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be extremely unhappy if Iran is included. But, considering that both nations are despotic monarchies.... Certainly they can both go cry in a corner. Or something else?If the US was really having genuine concerns,actually being decent humans and respecting human life, regarding the harm being done to Syrians they would not even think about sending more arms to their murderous mercenaries.See John McCain consorting with psycho killers John McCain visits NATO mercs in Syria via Turkey; Whitehouse awareIf Geneva 2 was anything but an insincere charade the EU would not be sending heavy arms to their mercsAnd the US would not be supportive of this move to further arm the killers: US supports easing of Syria Arms EmbargoSending additional weapons to the mercenary killers simply ensures the armed mercs will continue killing and the SNC of expatriates and cut throats will feel no compulsion to negotiate.As is intended. Therefore we can be sure Geneva 2 is doomed to failureRussia appears to understand this quite clearlyHence the shipping of missiles after the EU decision, as covered in yesterday’s post: Israel threatens to strike Russian missile shipments to Syria
Sergei Ryabkov, wouldn’t say whether Russia has shipped any of the long-range S-300 air defence missile systems, but insisted that Moscow isn’t going to abandon the deal despite strong Western and Israeli criticism.
“We understand the concerns and signals sent to us from different capitals. We realize that many of our partners are concerned about the issue,” Ryabkov said. “We have no reason to revise our stance.”He said the missiles could be a deterrent against foreign intervention in Syria and would not be used against Syrian rebels, who do not have an air force.“We believe that such steps to a large extent help restrain some ’hotheads’ considering a scenario to give an international dimension to this conflict,” he said.
Lavrov addressed Russian media yesterday
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Tuesday that the 2nd Geneva International Conference on Syria due in June had to take place free from any pre-conditions.
Lavrov spoke to Russian media following his Paris meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and stated their common opinions were about the conference taking place free from any pre-conditions.Lavrov also reminded that during the conference there will be a delegation to represent the Assad regime, and stated that the first thing that had to be completed was to define the representatives of opposition groups.
I will be quoting from this article also
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry emerged without an agreed position on Iran from May 22 talks in Jordan with representatives from 10 nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, the U.K., France and Germany, according to a U.S. official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.
‘American Backsliding’
U.S. agreement to include Iran would be seen in the region as “American backsliding,” according to Michael Doran, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy, where he specializes in security issues.( As stated Iran attending is not really much of an issue)
Seeking Weapons
The head of the rebel military command, General Salim Idris, wrote Kerry last week asking for weapons . Idriss is not a moderate. There are no moderate mercs killing Syrians.
The NATO opposition
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in Moscow today that Assad’s government has agreed to attend a peace conference, and said main opposition groups are trying to sabotage the effort by continuing to insist that the Syrian leader step down.
Curbing Iran
The Sunni-led Arab nations backing the Syrian rebels, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, feel threatened by Shiite Iran
Saudi Arabia and Qatar feel threatened ? How? Are their panties in a bunch?I mean, excuse my sarcasm, but Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been feeding, arming, enabling the butchering of how many Syrians? And they feel threatened? I am not sympathetic.How threatened have the leaders of these two nations made the Syrian people? Syrians who are truly threatened. Syrians raped. Syrians beaten. Syrian who have had their homes besieged by these butchers. Kidnapped Syrians. Syrians who have had their organs consumed. Syrians who have had their very lives destroyed. And Saudi Arabia and Qatar feel threatened!!!??? I am even less sympathetic then I was just a moment ago.Regional Power (Iran)
Russia, a longtime ally of the Assad regime and an arms supplier, wants Iran at the table. Lavrov said he pressed Russia’s position in talks with Kerry in early May, saying Iran is a key regional power.“I said this to John Kerry,” Lavrov said in a May 19 interview with RIA-Novosti. “He kind of agreed with this, but said that a number of states in the region were categorically opposed to this.” “China thinks the Syrian issue cannot be solved without certain important countries in the region, and especially not without the participation and support of the countries that have an important influence on the current Syrian situation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said May 22, according to Iranian state-run Press TV.
“China is receptive to the participation of Iran and Saudi Arabia,” he added at his press briefing in Beijing.
And as mentioned, China will be in attendance.Kerry and Lavrov will be meeting in advance of the Geneva talks in France
US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet his Russian and French counterparts in Paris on Monday ahead of an expected international conference on ending Syria's conflict, officials said.
A day after the European Union agreed to lift its arms embargo for Syrian rebels, Russia confirmed Tuesday it was looking into giving the Syrian government more high-powered missiles -- raising the prospect of a new foreign-fed arms race in the Middle East.
Tit for tat.As stated at the beginning of this post the US is disingenuous & Russia is aware.Discouraging a peaceful solution is the intent.Turkey.What about Turkey? I came across an interesting piece with a title that beggars belief.Washington backs down from overthrowing Bashar Al-AssadYes, that was the headline. Incredible? Actually, completely non-credible. But it set's the tone for what you are supposed to 'believe'To my mind, this article was written to create specific perceptions about Obama and Erdogan. And their role in the destruction of Syria. Obama and Erdogan as strong leaders. Both holding to their beliefs?Beliefs of some kind. I am not sure what those beliefs might be, but the presentation of these two men, as if they are men of principal. Which we know is not the case.
According to a senior Turkish official close to those attending the meetings in Washington, "Obama remained firm and insisted on limiting the American role to two matters: humanitarian aid to the Syrian refugees and the countries hosting them Erdogan tactfully pointed out the "fluctuation" of the American position, addressing Obama during the dinner...
Obama remaining firm and Erdogan being tactful
Erdogan stated that the American Secretary of State had promised that the American plan for Syria aimed to "shift the military facts on the ground in favour of the opposition, in order for Bashar Al-Assad to read the writing on the wall and realise that there is no point of him staying in power and that the best solution for him was to step downErdogan went on to say to Obama, "Today you are saying something different and the writing on the wall disappeared. You are now focusing on the conference in Geneva, which will be attended by Al-Assad's men believing that their military position is strong and that they can continue, which means they will not make any concessions."
Syrian armies position is strong and why should or would they make concessions to paid mercenary terrorists?Then Obama replied harshly to Erdogan: "Turkey never committed to any of the NATO positions that did not serve its national interests," and that it stood "Against the war in Libya, despite the fact that civilians suffered massacres at the hands of Gaddafi's forces, similar to those carried out by Al-Assad." Moreover, Obama added that "Even in 2003, you did not let the American troops use the Incirlik Air Base during the war in Iraq."Turkey was ‘up to it’ in Libya. They were knee deep, no they were more then knee deep, in the muck & mire. And Turkey continued right on with the role they had played in Libya , arming and aiding the mercs that brought down Libya, then transporting fighters and weapons from or through Libya into Turkey. From there Turkey moved those fighters and their weapons on into Syria. ( I have multiple posts on this subject, I will not relink them all, find them and refresh if you are the least bit unfamiliar) So if Obama actually said these words.... he is lying. As for the Incirlik Airbase in Turkey not being used to invade Iraq?How many NATO bases are in Turkey? Plenty! I am sure the American troops just used one or more of any of the other ones.The conclusions I take away from this fanciful piece are as followsIt was written in such a way to give the impression that Obama is taking a ‘hands off approach’ and is in disagreement with Turkey over American involvementThat is flat out untrueThis is exactly the scenario from Libya, where the US ‘led from behind’The above linked piece was written to create a perception in the mind of the reader. Not a reality. Just the usual spoon fed version of reality.A spin free Update on Qusayr Qusayr
Assad government predicted a speedy victory after Syria’s army entered Qusayr near the Lebanese border a week last Sunday, claiming to have almost immediately taken 80 per cent of the town.
Syrian Army backed by fighters of Hezbollah control 80 percent of the strategic town of Qusayr, a source close to the Lebanese Shiite movement said on Sunday."We still have to take another 20 percent of Qusayr, since we took 10 percent on Sunday and the rest was already in our hands," the source said, declining to be named.In addition, "the main road between Baalbek and Homs has been secured," he said, referring to a vital artery through which the NATO merc terrorists have been moving men and equipment to Syria.
The Syrian army said Saturday its forces had infiltrated Dabaa military airport, a rebel post north of Qusayr, a week into the offensive to recapture the town near the Lebanese border."Fighting is taking place inside the airport after they broke the “rebel” (actually NATO merc/terrorist ) defence lines," an army source said.
Let’s hope Syria rids itself of the NATO mercs in this area before EU weapons reach their destination, if they haven’t been transported to them already?And one last piece, I promiseFollowing up on Journalist: Yara Abbas killed by NATO mercenary fire in Qusair, SyriaNews and images available at the link below.As I suspected ordinary Syrians came out in droves.You just knew she would be sorely missed Martyr Journalist Yara Abbas Laid to Rest