Image Credit: Infowars.com
By Bouthaina Shaaban 2016-02-01
Originally appeared at Counterpunch
This essay examines the role of Western and regional players (i.e. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar) in inflaming the conflict and the growth of terrorism in Syria.
Talks in Geneva may produce little of substance, but winners and losers are starting to emerge
by Patrick Cockburn
Originally appeared at The Independent
Image: Two Syrian men in Haleb being flogged by representatives of Ahrar-al-Sham for the crime of not attending Friday prayer. Ahrar al Sham, a Turkish, Qatari and Saudi-funded extremist group whose backbone is a mix of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda.
President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to The Sunday Times in which he said Britain and France have neither the will nor the vision on how to defeat terrorism and their airstrikes against ISIS will yield no results, but will rather be illegal and harmful in that they will help in spreading terrorism.
Sana – Damascus
The following is the full text of the interview:
Cameron functions as a noisy little lap dog yapping and snapping at anyone ignoring his master, always in expectation of another approving stroke on the head. It truly is that simple, and all the rest we read and hear is just noisy propaganda.
John Chuckman
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the British Labour Party, is a man of genuine integrity and honesty in his opposition to British bombing of Syria.
Indeed, he is everything the Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, is not.
Yesterday Prime Minister David Cameron stood up in Parliament and told all the MPs how very important it was that the United Kingdom joined the orgy of bombing Syria. He is closely following Tony Blair’s path to Iraq, using fear of ‘terrorism’, exaggerating so-called ‘intelligence’ and wanting desperately to be seen as a tough leader. In a few days MPs will hold a vote on this and he’s sent them all home to ‘think it over’ during the weekend.
Damascus, SANA – President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday received a letter from U.S. Senator for the State of Virginia Richard Black a letter in which he said
Elite Syrian army units have broken the siege of Kweires airbase, following weeks of intense fighting against Islamic State and other jihadist forces. The base, which opens up routes for offensives against Raqqa and Aleppo, had been encircled for nearly two years.
“We, the heroes of Kweires, are now celebrating this victory with our brothers,” a soldier told Syrian state television. “We dedicate this victory to President Bashar Assad and we promise him we will continue fighting until all of Syria is liberated. We will not kneel to Daesh” [Islamic State].
Are you confused by the Middle East? Here are some things you should know. (But you’ll probably still be confused.)
