Back to Syria, yes, but we have to keep an eye on Egypt! Since the US is coincidentally & curiously moving troops to Egypt: U.S. soldiers set to deploy to Egypt at a tense time
A group of U.S. soldiers are rocked and ready to deploy to Egypt for a 9-month peacekeeping mission.
Oddly enough, or not, this deployment was announced before the warning from Egypt's military. Egypt's Army delivers an ominous warning Prepping for something?????Was going to get this up yesterday...better one day late then not at allIs the no fly zone a possibility? I noticed there wasn’t any mention of it after the Doha conference this past weekend. Which means, nothing.I found two news stories on Sunday that seemed to indicate that the no fly zone might still happen...Arab News :“Secret Steps” adopted to change Syria balance
World powers supporting Syria’s rebels decided on Saturday to take “secret steps” to change the balance on the battlefield.In their final communique, the ministers agreed to “provide urgently all the necessary materiel and equipment to the opposition on the ground, each country in its own way in order to enable them to counter brutal attacks by the regime and its allies and protect the Syrian people.”
“Secret steps” what might those be? “Secret steps” is most certainly not a reference to the weapons being sent, that is not secret. Being well publicized via the msm. Nor can the secret be all the training the hired mercs have been receiving. Arming and training the terrorist mercs is not new or startling. So that can’t be the secret steps taken?
Speaking in Doha, top Qatari diplomat Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani said the meeting of foreign ministers of the “Friends of Syria” had taken “secret decisions about practical measures to change the situation on the ground in Syria.”“Secret decisions about practical measures to change the situation on the ground in Syria”
Who attended the Doha meeting?
Ministers from Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States attended the talks.
NATO nations and their GCC lackies. I do wonder what ever happened to all the other ‘friends’?I am also curious if Israel was represented but that representation was not reported on?I am of the opinion that someone, or a few someones, from Israel were in Doha.Each country in it’s own way. Secret steps........
US troops to remain in Jordan
The US just so happened to move patriot missile batteries (1 or 2) and 12- 24, F-16 fighter jets in Jordan. Coincidentally the US, after wrapping up exercises in Jordan left ‘dozens’ of personnel in Jordan
“U.S. military personnel, including dozens staying on from joint military drills, are in Jordan”
Just what is needed for each country, in their own way, to shift the balance on the ground.The US leaves behind 1 or 2 patriot missile batteries. 12 -24 F-16 fighter jets. And dozens of personnel stay behind after exercises.Why?No fly zone?It looks like itFirst a word of warning about the next linked article..This piece is from WND.(World Net Daily) I do not find WND credible 99.9% of the time.This is the first time I have ever used their info.So, why am I using the upcoming piece?Because it is interesting and quite plausible considering Assad’s 4 seas strategy and the spoils going to Qatar if Syria fails. It could also be an attempt to demonize Russia and China further. You read, you decide. map from here, what looks like a good read Looking at that pipeline, what do I see? Egypt. Syria's backroom deal with Russia Notice the headline is already spinning? “Backroom deal” The Assad government, leading Syria, would be able to make such a deal with Russia. No “backroom” necessary. Also, information is from unnamed sources, originating with Israel. Still we are all aware of the eastern Mediterranean gas resources, therefore it seems possible the article has some truth buried in all the spin. Speaking of spin, I will omit it as much as possible and add my own commentary.
Assad last month agreed to sign the document, considered an understanding of principals on control of his country’s gas resources, including transiting pipelines.
The officials further said Russia helped to broker a separate understanding with Assad that would allow public and private Chinese companies to rebuild damaged infrastructure in Syria if Assad defeats the insurgency. The alleged deals underscore the economic benefits that may motivate Russia to back Assad while the West, including the Obama administration, aids the rebels seeking a post-Assad Syria.
As opposed to the economic deals that benefit US/Israel/UK via Qatar?
Syria is a key energy transit route to Europe. A number of countries appear to be seeking dominance of the energy market that runs through Syria.
In 2011, Syria announced it had discovered a promising gas field in the city of Homs, which would later see some of the fiercest battles between Assad’s forces and the rebels.
Isn’t that interesting. Promising gas fields in Homs....
Beside the prospect of its own gas field, Syria is also one of the most strategic locations for natural gas pipelines to flow to Europe.Syria is site of the proposed construction of a massive underground gas pipeline that, if completed, could drastically undercut the strategic energy power of U.S. ally Qatar and also would cut Turkey out of the pipeline flow.
I have covered the pipelines aspect of the Syrian conflict in a number of posts. Hopefully you have read them? For newer readers, I will relink later today
Set to open in 2016, Iran, Iraq and Syria signed a deal in 2010 to construct the 3,480-mile natural gas pipeline connecting Iran’s South Pars field to European customers.A key portion of the pipeline is concentrated on the Syrian ports, which would export directly to Europe out of the Eastern Mediterranean. Russia has reportedly built up its naval presence along the major Syrian ports of Latakia and Tartus.
Turkey, however, is a key player in the Nabucco natural gas pipeline, which is being constructed to transit natural gas to Europe from the Central Asia and Caspian regions. That pipeline is set to traverse Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, and end in Austria.
Turkey has been a key supporter of the rebels fighting Assad’s regime, while Qatar has reportedly been supplied arms and training to the rebels.
The Islamic pipeline would boost the Shiite factions in the Middle East at the expense of Sunni-dominated countries.
The Sunni dominate countries are already under the heel of Israel and company
Qatar, home to the world’s largest gas field along with Iran, recently proposed a U.S.-backed gas pipeline from the Gulf to Turkey to Europe. Qatar has also had previous designs for a Syria pipeline that would connect to Turkey.Qatar, while small, is backed up by the U.S. military. It is the location of U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center.
Mentioned this meeting last week: Russian and U.S. Officials Return to Geneva for Talks on Syria
Senior United States and Russian officials returned to Geneva on Tuesday for another round of talks at the United Nations on convening an international conference on Syria but with no hint of flexibility from parties to the conflict or their foreign backers.
Interview Rick Rozoff/Steve Lendmanapprox 30 minutes