05-26-2018, 10:50 PM
*** 27-May-18 World View -- U.S. threatens 'firm measures' against al-Assad's military action in Deraa, Syria
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** U.S. threatens 'firm measures' against al-Assad's military action in Deraa, Syria
****
![[Image: g180526b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180526b.jpg)
A bulldozer clears debris from the streets in Deraa, Syria July 25, 2017 (Reuters)
The U.S. State Department is warning the regime of Syria's president
Bashar al-Assad that the U.S. will take "firm and appropriate
measures," if al-Assad violates a ceasefire deal in the southern
province of Deraa.
The U.S. warning was triggered when Syrian aircraft dropped leaflets
on Deraa, threatening a military offensive. One of the leaflets
includes a picture showing lined up bodies, saying, "This is the
inevitable fate of anyone who insists on carrying arms."
By means of massive bombing campaigns by Syrian and Russian warplanes,
especially targeting women and children in hospitals, schools and
markets, including the use of barrel bombs containing chlorine and
sometimes Sarin gas, the al-Assad regime has almost completed
taking control of the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus. The dropping
of leaflets indicates that al-Assad plans next to turn his attention
to Deraa.
Deraa is a critical region because it's on the border with
Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, so action by Syria and its allies
Iran and Hezbollah could spiral into a escalating military clash with
Israel. Deraa is a mostly Sunni Arab province under the control of
almost a dozen anti-Assad rebel groups, varying in ideology from
moderate to jihadist. Some reports indicate that Israel has provided
support for rebels and civilians in Deraa, treating them in their
hospitals and providing weapons and other aid. The National (Abu Dhabi) and Sputnik (Moscow) and Al Jazeera (Doha)
****
**** US State Department warns the Syrian regime of 'firm and appropriate measures'
****
On Friday evening, State Department spokesman Heather Nauert issued a
statement warning of "firm and appropriate measures in response to
Assad regime violations" in Deraa:
<QUOTE>"The United States is concerned by reports of an
impending Assad regime operation in southwest Syria within the
boundaries of the de-escalation zone negotiated between the United
States, Jordan, and the Russian Federation last year and
reaffirmed between Presidents Trump and Putin in Da Nang, Vietnam
in November. The United States remains committed to maintaining
the stability of the southwest de-escalation zone and to the
ceasefire underpinning it. We also caution the Syrian regime
against any actions that risk broadening the conflict or
jeopardize the ceasefire. As a guarantor of this de-escalation
area with Russia and Jordan, the United States will take firm and
appropriate measures in response to Assad regime violations.
The Presidents of the United States and Russia agreed in Da Nang
to de-escalate the conflict. This agreement must be enforced and
respected. Russia has declared to the world and to the UNSC that
it will “guarantee” ceasefires in its self-declared de-escalation
zones. Unfortunately, the Assad regime, with the support of Russia
and Iran, has repeatedly violated these de-escalation zones, most
recently in its brutal assault on East Ghouta. The Assad regime
and its allies continue to prolong the conflict by ignoring their
own de-escalation agreements and stonewalling the Geneva process.
Russia is duly responsible as a permanent member of the UN
Security Council to use its diplomatic and military advantage over
the Assad regime to stop attacks and compel the Assad regime to
cease further military offensives. Russia has blocked UN Security
Council actions that would have held Assad accountable for the use
of chemical weapons and possibly saved innocent lives in Syria 11
times so far in this conflict. Six of those vetoes related to the
use of chemical weapons, and others were providing humanitarian
access and aid, and ceasing attacks against civilians. Russia
should live up to its self-professed commitments in accordance
with UNSCR 2254 and the southwest ceasefire, embodied in the Da
Nang Statement issued by Presidents Trump and Putin."<END QUOTE>
This would not be the first time that Syrian-backed attacks on a
"US-enforced de-escalation zone" in Syria. On February 7,
Syrian-backed forces tried to cross the Euphrates River to attack
US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir az-Zour in eastern
Syria. The result was a disaster for the Syrian forces, as several
hundred were killed, and the rest were forced to flee in retreat.
I referred to this incident in yesterday's World View article,
since it's emerged that the
Syrian-backed forces were actually mercenaries working for the Russian
military contractor Wagner Private Military Company (Wagner PMC).
Wagner is sometimes called "Vladimir Putin's personal army," referring
to the president of Russia, and is often asked to perform Putin's
"dirty work," allowing him deniability.
Bashar al-Assad has stated that his objective is to regain control of
all of Syria. But anti-Assad rebels still control large contiguous
areas of territory in the northwest and southwest. Kurdish and allied
Arab militia in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), back by the US
hold the quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates. RTE (Dublin) and US State Dept. and Debka (Israel) and The National (Abu Dhabi)
Related Articles
****
**** Syria passes new 'Law #10' to block refugees from returning home after the war
****
On April 2, the Syrian government of the Bashar al-Assad regime passed
"Law #10," a complex new property law that requires property holders
in Syria to produce documentation to formally prove ownership of their
private property within a period of 30 days, or face confiscation.
There are six million internally displaced refugees in Syria, and five
million that have fled to other countries, with 3.5 million in Turkey,
almost one million in Lebanon, another million in Iraq and Jordan, and
over a million in Europe.
The intention has always been that these refugees would return home
when the war ended, al-Assad's clear intention is to make that
impossible, since their homes will be confiscated unless they can
return quickly with the proper documentation, which is obviously
impossible for the vast majority.
Even worse, any property owner wishing to register his lands must
first obtain approval from state security officials, which means that
anyone identified as having had anti-Assad sympathies can be arrested.
Every time I think that this psychopathic monster Bashar al-Assad
can't get any worse, he fools me by coming up with something new and
horrific beyond belief. Al-Assad has been conducting genocide and
ethnic cleansing against Arab Sunnis in Syria, and now he's taking
steps to make sure that anyone who fled his violence can't even return
home. Al-Assad is the worst genocidal monster and war criminal so far
this century, comparable to Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot in the
last century.
Lebanon is a country of four million people, and has had its resources
enormously strained by a million refugees that officials had hoped
would one day go home. Lebanon's prime minister Saad Hariri lambasted
the legislation, saying, "This total invention of Decree 10 has no
purpose but to prevent these displaced from going back to their
country." Daily Star (Lebanon) and AFP and Syria Direct (17-Apr) and Needa (Syria, 5-Apr) and
SANA (Damascus, 2-Apr)
(Trans)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Bashar al-Assad, Deraa, Ghouta,
Israel, Golan Heights, Iran, Hezbollah,
Heather Nauert, Russia, Vladimir Putin,
Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, Deir az-Zour,
Wagner Private Military Company, Wagner PMC,
Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Saad Hariri
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- U.S. threatens 'firm measures' against al-Assad's military action in Deraa, Syria
- US State Department warns the Syrian regime of 'firm and appropriate measures'
- Syria passes new 'Law #10' to block refugees from returning home after the war
****
**** U.S. threatens 'firm measures' against al-Assad's military action in Deraa, Syria
****
A bulldozer clears debris from the streets in Deraa, Syria July 25, 2017 (Reuters)
The U.S. State Department is warning the regime of Syria's president
Bashar al-Assad that the U.S. will take "firm and appropriate
measures," if al-Assad violates a ceasefire deal in the southern
province of Deraa.
The U.S. warning was triggered when Syrian aircraft dropped leaflets
on Deraa, threatening a military offensive. One of the leaflets
includes a picture showing lined up bodies, saying, "This is the
inevitable fate of anyone who insists on carrying arms."
By means of massive bombing campaigns by Syrian and Russian warplanes,
especially targeting women and children in hospitals, schools and
markets, including the use of barrel bombs containing chlorine and
sometimes Sarin gas, the al-Assad regime has almost completed
taking control of the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus. The dropping
of leaflets indicates that al-Assad plans next to turn his attention
to Deraa.
Deraa is a critical region because it's on the border with
Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, so action by Syria and its allies
Iran and Hezbollah could spiral into a escalating military clash with
Israel. Deraa is a mostly Sunni Arab province under the control of
almost a dozen anti-Assad rebel groups, varying in ideology from
moderate to jihadist. Some reports indicate that Israel has provided
support for rebels and civilians in Deraa, treating them in their
hospitals and providing weapons and other aid. The National (Abu Dhabi) and Sputnik (Moscow) and Al Jazeera (Doha)
****
**** US State Department warns the Syrian regime of 'firm and appropriate measures'
****
On Friday evening, State Department spokesman Heather Nauert issued a
statement warning of "firm and appropriate measures in response to
Assad regime violations" in Deraa:
<QUOTE>"The United States is concerned by reports of an
impending Assad regime operation in southwest Syria within the
boundaries of the de-escalation zone negotiated between the United
States, Jordan, and the Russian Federation last year and
reaffirmed between Presidents Trump and Putin in Da Nang, Vietnam
in November. The United States remains committed to maintaining
the stability of the southwest de-escalation zone and to the
ceasefire underpinning it. We also caution the Syrian regime
against any actions that risk broadening the conflict or
jeopardize the ceasefire. As a guarantor of this de-escalation
area with Russia and Jordan, the United States will take firm and
appropriate measures in response to Assad regime violations.
The Presidents of the United States and Russia agreed in Da Nang
to de-escalate the conflict. This agreement must be enforced and
respected. Russia has declared to the world and to the UNSC that
it will “guarantee” ceasefires in its self-declared de-escalation
zones. Unfortunately, the Assad regime, with the support of Russia
and Iran, has repeatedly violated these de-escalation zones, most
recently in its brutal assault on East Ghouta. The Assad regime
and its allies continue to prolong the conflict by ignoring their
own de-escalation agreements and stonewalling the Geneva process.
Russia is duly responsible as a permanent member of the UN
Security Council to use its diplomatic and military advantage over
the Assad regime to stop attacks and compel the Assad regime to
cease further military offensives. Russia has blocked UN Security
Council actions that would have held Assad accountable for the use
of chemical weapons and possibly saved innocent lives in Syria 11
times so far in this conflict. Six of those vetoes related to the
use of chemical weapons, and others were providing humanitarian
access and aid, and ceasing attacks against civilians. Russia
should live up to its self-professed commitments in accordance
with UNSCR 2254 and the southwest ceasefire, embodied in the Da
Nang Statement issued by Presidents Trump and Putin."<END QUOTE>
This would not be the first time that Syrian-backed attacks on a
"US-enforced de-escalation zone" in Syria. On February 7,
Syrian-backed forces tried to cross the Euphrates River to attack
US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir az-Zour in eastern
Syria. The result was a disaster for the Syrian forces, as several
hundred were killed, and the rest were forced to flee in retreat.
I referred to this incident in yesterday's World View article,
since it's emerged that the
Syrian-backed forces were actually mercenaries working for the Russian
military contractor Wagner Private Military Company (Wagner PMC).
Wagner is sometimes called "Vladimir Putin's personal army," referring
to the president of Russia, and is often asked to perform Putin's
"dirty work," allowing him deniability.
Bashar al-Assad has stated that his objective is to regain control of
all of Syria. But anti-Assad rebels still control large contiguous
areas of territory in the northwest and southwest. Kurdish and allied
Arab militia in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), back by the US
hold the quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates. RTE (Dublin) and US State Dept. and Debka (Israel) and The National (Abu Dhabi)
Related Articles
- The rise of Russia's military contractor Wagner Private Military Company (Wagner PMC) (26-May-2018)
- US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) clash with Syrian regime forces (09-Feb-2018)
- Armies and militias fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria increasingly turn on each other (15-Oct-2017)
- With ceasefire, American forces become more deeply involved in Syria's civil war (11-Jul-2017)
****
**** Syria passes new 'Law #10' to block refugees from returning home after the war
****
On April 2, the Syrian government of the Bashar al-Assad regime passed
"Law #10," a complex new property law that requires property holders
in Syria to produce documentation to formally prove ownership of their
private property within a period of 30 days, or face confiscation.
There are six million internally displaced refugees in Syria, and five
million that have fled to other countries, with 3.5 million in Turkey,
almost one million in Lebanon, another million in Iraq and Jordan, and
over a million in Europe.
The intention has always been that these refugees would return home
when the war ended, al-Assad's clear intention is to make that
impossible, since their homes will be confiscated unless they can
return quickly with the proper documentation, which is obviously
impossible for the vast majority.
Even worse, any property owner wishing to register his lands must
first obtain approval from state security officials, which means that
anyone identified as having had anti-Assad sympathies can be arrested.
Every time I think that this psychopathic monster Bashar al-Assad
can't get any worse, he fools me by coming up with something new and
horrific beyond belief. Al-Assad has been conducting genocide and
ethnic cleansing against Arab Sunnis in Syria, and now he's taking
steps to make sure that anyone who fled his violence can't even return
home. Al-Assad is the worst genocidal monster and war criminal so far
this century, comparable to Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot in the
last century.
Lebanon is a country of four million people, and has had its resources
enormously strained by a million refugees that officials had hoped
would one day go home. Lebanon's prime minister Saad Hariri lambasted
the legislation, saying, "This total invention of Decree 10 has no
purpose but to prevent these displaced from going back to their
country." Daily Star (Lebanon) and AFP and Syria Direct (17-Apr) and Needa (Syria, 5-Apr) and
SANA (Damascus, 2-Apr)
(Trans)
Related Articles
- Western leaders sickened by Assad's 'industrial strength' torture in Syria (22-Jan-2014)
- Syria refugees flee to Lebanon (15-May-2011)
- Sunni vs Shia sectarian clashes grow in northern Lebanon (27-Oct-2014)
- Syria war spills into Lebanon, as ISIS attacks town of Arsal (05-Aug-2014)
- Saad Hariri shocks Lebanon by resigning as PM while in Saudi Arabia (05-Nov-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Bashar al-Assad, Deraa, Ghouta,
Israel, Golan Heights, Iran, Hezbollah,
Heather Nauert, Russia, Vladimir Putin,
Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, Deir az-Zour,
Wagner Private Military Company, Wagner PMC,
Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Saad Hariri
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
