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Title: EXCLUSIVE: Syrians In Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack
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URL Source: http://www.mintpressnews.com/witnes ... -with-chemical-weapons/168135/
Published: Aug 30, 2013
Author: Dale Gavlak and Yahya Ababneh
Post Date: 2013-08-30 07:25:09 by Ada
Keywords: None
Views: 240
Comments: 13
Rebels and local residents in Ghouta accuse Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan of providing chemical weapons to an al-Qaida linked rebel group. This image provided by by Shaam News Network on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, purports to show several bodies being buried in a suburb of Damascus, Syria during a funeral on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013. Syrian government forces pressed their offensive in eastern Damascus on Thursday, bombing rebel-held suburbs where the opposition said the regime had killed more than 100 people the day before in a chemical weapons attack. The government has denied allegations it used chemical weapons in artillery barrages on the area known as eastern Ghouta on Wednesday as "absolutely baseless." (AP Photo/Shaam News Network) This image provided by by Shaam News Network on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, purports to show several bodies being buried in a suburb of Damascus, Syria during a funeral on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, following allegations of a chemical weapons attack that reportedly killed 355 people. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network) This article is a collaboration between Dale Gavlak reporting for Mint Press News (also of the Associated Press) and Yahya Ababneh. Ghouta, Syria — As the machinery for a U.S.-led military intervention in Syria gathers pace following last week’s chemical weapons attack, the U.S. and its allies may be targeting the wrong culprit. Interviews with people in Damascus and Ghouta, a suburb of the Syrian capital, where the humanitarian agency Doctors Without Borders said at least 355 people had died last week from what it believed to be a neurotoxic agent, appear to indicate as much. The U.S., Britain, and France as well as the Arab League have accused the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for carrying out the chemical weapons attack, which mainly targeted civilians. U.S. warships are stationed in the Mediterranean Sea to launch military strikes against Syria in punishment for carrying out a massive chemical weapons attack. The U.S. and others are not interested in examining any contrary evidence, with U.S Secretary of State John Kerry saying Monday that Assad’s guilt was “a judgment … already clear to the world.” However, from numerous interviews with doctors, Ghouta residents, rebel fighters and their families, a different picture emerges. Many believe that certain rebels received chemical weapons via the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, and were responsible for carrying out the dealing gas attack. “My son came to me two weeks ago asking what I thought the weapons were that he had been asked to carry,” said Abu Abdel-Moneim, the father of a rebel fighting to unseat Assad, who lives in Ghouta. Abdel-Moneim said his son and 12 other rebels were killed inside of a tunnel used to store weapons provided by a Saudi militant, known as Abu Ayesha, who was leading a fighting battalion. The father described the weapons as having a “tube-like structure” while others were like a “huge gas bottle.” Ghouta townspeople said the rebels were using mosques and private houses to sleep while storing their weapons in tunnels. Abdel-Moneim said his son and the others died during the chemical weapons attack. That same day, the militant group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is linked to al-Qaida, announced that it would similarly attack civilians in the Assad regime’s heartland of Latakia on Syria’s western coast, in purported retaliation. “They didn’t tell us what these arms were or how to use them,” complained a female fighter named ‘K.’ “We didn’t know they were chemical weapons. We never imagined they were chemical weapons.” “When Saudi Prince Bandar gives such weapons to people, he must give them to those who know how to handle and use them,” she warned. She, like other Syrians, do not want to use their full names for fear of retribution. A well-known rebel leader in Ghouta named ‘J’ agreed. “Jabhat al-Nusra militants do not cooperate with other rebels, except with fighting on the ground. They do not share secret information. They merely used some ordinary rebels to carry and operate this material,” he said. “We were very curious about these arms. And unfortunately, some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off the explosions,” ‘J’ said. Doctors who treated the chemical weapons attack victims cautioned interviewers to be careful about asking questions regarding who, exactly, was responsible for the deadly assault. The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders added that health workers aiding 3,600 patients also reported experiencing similar symptoms, including frothing at the mouth, respiratory distress, convulsions and blurry vision. The group has not been able to independently verify the information. More than a dozen rebels interviewed reported that their salaries came from the Saudi government. Saudi involvement In a recent article for Business Insider, reporter Geoffrey Ingersoll highlighted Saudi Prince Bandar’s role in the two-and-a-half year Syrian civil war. Many observers believe Bandar, with his close ties to Washington, has been at the very heart of the push for war by the U.S. against Assad. Ingersoll referred to an article in the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph about secret Russian-Saudi talks alleging that Bandar offered Russian President Vladimir Putin cheap oil in exchange for dumping Assad. “Prince Bandar pledged to safeguard Russia’s naval base in Syria if the Assad regime is toppled, but he also hinted at Chechen terrorist attacks on Russia’s Winter Olympics in Sochi if there is no accord,” Ingersoll wrote. “I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” Bandar allegedly told the Russians. “Along with Saudi officials, the U.S. allegedly gave the Saudi intelligence chief the thumbs up to conduct these talks with Russia, which comes as no surprise,” Ingersoll wrote. “Bandar is American-educated, both military and collegiate, served as a highly influential Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., and the CIA totally loves this guy,” he added. According to U.K.’s Independent newspaper, it was Prince Bandar’s intelligence agency that first brought allegations of the use of sarin gas by the regime to the attention of Western allies in February. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the CIA realized Saudi Arabia was “serious” about toppling Assad when the Saudi king named Prince Bandar to lead the effort. “They believed that Prince Bandar, a veteran of the diplomatic intrigues of Washington and the Arab world, could deliver what the CIA couldn’t: planeloads of money and arms, and, as one U.S. diplomat put it, wasta, Arabic for under- the-table clout,” it said. Bandar has been advancing Saudi Arabia’s top foreign policy goal, WSJ reported, of defeating Assad and his Iranian and Hezbollah allies. To that aim, Bandar worked Washington to back a program to arm and train rebels out of a planned military base in Jordan. The newspaper reports that he met with the “uneasy Jordanians about such a base”: His meetings in Amman with Jordan’s King Abdullah sometimes ran to eight hours in a single sitting. “The king would joke: ‘Oh, Bandar’s coming again? Let’s clear two days for the meeting,’ ” said a person familiar with the meetings. Jordan’s financial dependence on Saudi Arabia may have given the Saudis strong leverage. An operations center in Jordan started going online in the summer of 2012, including an airstrip and warehouses for arms. Saudi-procured AK-47s and ammunition arrived, WSJ reported, citing Arab officials. Although Saudi Arabia has officially maintained that it supported more moderate rebels, the newspaper reported that “funds and arms were being funneled to radicals on the side, simply to counter the influence of rival Islamists backed by Qatar.” But rebels interviewed said Prince Bandar is referred to as “al-Habib” or ‘the lover’ by al-Qaida militants fighting in Syria. Peter Oborne, writing in the Daily Telegraph on Thursday, has issued a word of caution about Washington’s rush to punish the Assad regime with so-called ‘limited’ strikes not meant to overthrow the Syrian leader but diminish his capacity to use chemical weapons: Consider this: the only beneficiaries from the atrocity were the rebels, previously losing the war, who now have Britain and America ready to intervene on their side. While there seems to be little doubt that chemical weapons were used, there is doubt about who deployed them. It is important to remember that Assad has been accused of using poison gas against civilians before. But on that occasion, Carla del Ponte, a U.N. commissioner on Syria, concluded that the rebels, not Assad, were probably responsible. Some information in this article could not be independently verified. Mint Press News will continue to provide further information and updates . Dale Gavlak is a Middle East correspondent for Mint Press News and the Associated Press. Gavlak has been stationed in Amman, Jordan for the Associated Press for over two decades. An expert in Middle Eastern Affairs, Gavlak currently covers the Levant region of the Middle East for AP, National Public Radio and Mint Press News, writing on topics including politics, social issues and economic trends. Dale holds a M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. Contact Dale at dgavlak@mintpressnews.com Yahya Ababneh is a Jordanian freelance journalist and is currently working on a master’s degree in journalism, He has covered events in Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Libya. His stories have appeared on Amman Net, Saraya News, Gerasa News and elsewhere.
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#1. To: Ada, All (#0)
Video appears to show world's most powerful rifle in hands of Syrian rebels - Fox News - Published April 03, 2013 | Excerpts: The British-made AS-50, accurate from a distance of 20 football fields, is made for British Special Forces and has been used by Navy SEALs. The video shows Syrian rebels, who are aligned with Al Qaeda, firing guns that look like the AS-50 and shouting “Alahu akbar.” Even if the rifle is a cheap knock-off of the AS-50, it has raised questions about who is supplying such devastating hardware. “The video, showing jihadist rebels of the 'Descendents of the Prophet Brigade' firing one of the world's most effective sniper rifles, should be cause for alarm," said David Reaboi, of the Washington-based Center for Security Policy. "We don't know who has been supplying this group (or the myriad others) with these weapons but, given the jihadist ideology of these groups, it's only a matter of time until they're turned on Americans or our allies and interests.” The Free Syrian Army has been receiving weapons from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey - all close allies of the U.S. The AS-50 costs about $10,000, according to Reaboi. Even if the rebels are toting cheap knock-offs, the weapons could be around long after the war in Syria ends. "We're unsure of how many they have," Reaboi said. "Equally troubling, of course, is the training ground of the Syrian civil war itself; like the conflict in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan, we will be facing tested veteran jihadist fighters who don't just leave the war when the one battle is over. I'm afraid we or our allies will have to face them shortly, and with exceedingly lethal weapons." ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
that is a chinese made 12.7mm m99 anti-material rifle and not as some articles say an AS-50 if anyone is wondering ****************************** I have no clue what dude is firing. “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
that is a chinese made 12.7mm m99 anti-material rifle and not as some articles say an AS-50 if anyone is wondering ****************************** I have no clue what dude is firing. Wondering if the flowers on it in the vid were for simulating camouflage or what. Anyway, thanks for checking. The article mentioned that it might be a cheap imitation of the AS-50 and there's some debate about it in the Comments section at the YouTube video site but most do agree that it is a Chinese gun. Here are two about that issue and some other examples: "That is in fact an AS-50. It is not a stock AS-50 muzzle brake" "this sniper is Syrian Nation rebels Spoils of war" "they will use it later against USA and Israeli Soldiers in Golan heights Hahahaha well done America thumbs uppp! you just created new 'Mujaheddin' nightmare..." "the free Syrian army will control all Syrian land & (Al-Nusra Battalion) will have no place in Syria" ... "wish France to return back to syria" This israelnationalnews listing posted at informationclearinghouse.info sounds to me like the Syrian rebels are fighting for Israel and trying to expand the war into Lebanon for America's Military to contend with there: Syrian Rebels Claim Responsibility for Beirut Blast: The Liwa'a 313 Brigade, a faction of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack which rocked the Bir al-Abed area of Beirut's Dahiyeh suburb, a stronghold of the Hezbollah terrorist group. Edited for punctuation and spelling. ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
Syrian Rebels Claim Responsibility for Beirut Blast: The Liwa'a 313 Brigade, a faction of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack which rocked the Bir al-Abed area of Beirut's Dahiyeh suburb, a stronghold of the Hezbollah terrorist group. Former Bush official: Syria resolution could authorize attack on Iran and Lebanon ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
Archiving some news reports here: July 23, 2013: Turkish troops kill civilian trying to cross into Syria August 2, 2013: 3 European arms experts killed in Syrian coastal city August 28, 2013: U.S. officer, 12 jihadis arrested in Sinai after attack The U.S. national possessed documents, some including information on Sinai. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. officer is being interrogated by authorities in Arish without giving further details on the documents or circumstances of the arrest. September 1, 2013: Suez Canal Authority says attack attempted on container ship ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
****************************** I have no clue what dude is firing. The AS50 as featured in images has a sloping gas vent bracket, while the Chinese knock-off 12.7mm has a squared off and slightly protruding bracket. This video don't tell us nothin' except that the international market for small arms is pretty fluid. Everything can be had at a price from almost every producer. Know guns, know safety, know liberty. No guns, no safety, no liberty.
[Pics] This video don't tell us nothin' except that the international market for small arms is pretty fluid. Everything can be had at a price from almost every producer. randge, can you understand what they're saying in that video besides "Allahu Akbar"? By itself, the video doesn't seem to tell us much but, with your help and Lod's, it's clearly discernable that the sniper rifle is a Chinese version. Along with the reports below, starting from last summer until soon before the alleged CW attack in Syria days ago, we can now make a guesstimate that the probable entry point of such high-powered Chinese weaponry (in defiance of America's security and directorate in the region) was through Sudan, probably transported by Ukranian aircraft. In other words: America's personnel have been undermined by the Syrian rebels, our Libyan rebel protégés and other supposed allies in the vicinity who seemingly want our Military might to be on their side but aren't actually on our side. foxnews.com | April 3, 2013 | Video appears to show world's most powerful rifle in hands of Syrian rebels: Even if the rifle is a cheap knock-off of the AS-50, it has raised questions about who is supplying such devastating hardware. ... The Free Syrian Army has been receiving weapons from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey intellihub.com | August 8, 2013 | Syrian Rebels Were Caught Sneaking Sarin Gas Across the Border in May: This past may Turkish police caught US-backed Al-Qaeda Rebels attempting to sneak sarin gas into Syria. ... As per the scheme ‘Qatar would fund rebel forces in Syria to use chemical weapons,’ nytimes.com | August 13, 2013 | Arms Shipments Seen From Sudan to Syria Rebels: Western officials and Syrian rebels say, Sudan’s government sold Sudanese-and Chinese-made arms to Qatar, which arranged delivery through Turkey to the rebels. ... Analysts suspect that Sudan has sold several other classes of weapons to the rebels, including Chinese-made antimateriel sniper rifles and antitank missiles, all of which have made debuts in the war this year but whose immediate sources have been uncertain. Two American officials said Ukrainian-flagged aircraft had delivered the shipments. ... Libya’s new leaders have publicly thanked Sudan. Libya has since been a busy supplier of the weapons to rebels in Syria. Video: General Wesley Clark: Wars Were Planned - Seven Countries In Five Years ...he said, "This is a memo that describes how we're going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran." This is another excerpt from the Australian news source above on August 12, 2012: This is an excerpt from an NBC report on July 23, 2013 about American Casualties in Afghanistan: The attacker was riding a donkey when he approached the U.S. personnel and detonated the bomb. According to a U.S. military official, the bomber and the donkey were also killed in the attack. Enlistment papers for Syria War Squawking Chickenhawks at whatreallyhappened.com: military_enlistment.pdf Edited for spacing + to add the 1st video link at paragraph 1. ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
RIP, donkey. You did not deserve to die, with that jackass. “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
12160.info | August 31, 2013 | Military.com: Russian Fighters Join NORAD for Exercise Vigilant Eagle 13 began Monday [August 26] and concluded Thursday [August 29], the Armed Forces Press Service said. The annual exercise allows pilots from the North American Aerospace Command, which includes U.S. and Canadian forces, and Russia to practice scenarios where they might have to work together to detect and track hijacked commercial planes. investmentwatchblog.com | September 2nd, 2013 | BREAKING: Royal Jordanian Airlines Plane Hijacked in Libya Edited for highlighting. ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
August 31, 2013 | zerohedge.com | Russia Restructures Cyprus Debt; Cyprus Prohibits US Strikes On Syria August 31st, 2013 | investmentwatchblog.com | BREAKING: Marine Landing Ship Stations off Syria. Syria Media on War Status. West & Arab Countries Advise Citizens to Evac Lebanon Those issuing the advice include Bahrain, Kuwait, Britain and France, while Austria told its citizens to contact its embassy in Lebanon before traveling there. September 1, 2013 | CNN video Interview of Rep. Alan Grayson | At 4:45. he says: "People forget this but the...the embassy in...in Beirut...the U.S. Embassy in Beirut is 15 miles away from the Syrian border and just down the block from Hezbollah. So, if we attack them and then they attack us, I think people can see where this is headed." He should run for President. ********** Other Cyprus-regional news before and after its debt restructuring terms/humanitarian coup(?) by Russia on August 31st to facilitate, if needed, the Cypriots' UN(?) responsibility to shelter nationals of friendly countries who evacuate from the Middle East. August 27, 2013 | ibtimes.co.uk | Syria: US Asks Greece for Military Base Access: Report August 29, 2013 | theguardian.com | Typhoon jets sent to Cyprus to guard against possible Syrian retaliation The bases are also home to listening and surveillance stations that provide the British and US militaries, and western intelligence services, with vital information about what is going on across the Middle East. September 1, 2013 | whatreallyhappened.com | Brit's Cyprus spy station should also have picked up the incriminating intercepts re Assad authorizing Sarin by Craig Murray (former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan) The GCHQ listening post on Mount Troodos in Cyprus is arguably the most valued asset which the UK contributes to UK/US intelligence cooperation. The communications intercept agencies, GCHQ in the UK and NSA in the US, share all their intelligence reports (as do the CIA and MI6). Troodos is valued enormously by the NSA. It monitors all radio, satellite and microwave traffic across the Middle East, ranging from Egypt and Eastern Libya right through to the Caucasus. Even almost all landline telephone communication in this region is routed through microwave links at some stage, picked up on Troodos. Troodos is highly effective – the jewel in the crown of British intelligence. Its capacity and efficiency, as well as its reach, is staggering. The US do not have their own comparable facility for the Middle East. I should state that I have actually been inside all of this facility and been fully briefed on its operations and capabilities, while I was head of the FCO Cyprus Section in the early 1990s. This is fact, not speculation. It is therefore very strange, to say the least, that John Kerry claims to have access to communications intercepts of Syrian military and officials organising chemical weapons attacks, which intercepts were not available to the British Joint Intelligence Committee. Edited for source referencing, date notation, punctuation and spacing. ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
The statement did not specify what kind of attack it was but shipping sources told Reuters they heard the sound of two explosions as the ship passed through the waterway. Egypt has faced a string of militant attacks in the lawless North Sinai region It was not immediately clear whether the attempted attack was related to the ousting of Mursi. U.S. warship the San Antonio passed through the waterway on Thursday [August 29th] to join other ships in the Mediterranean that could be used in any strike against Syria after a suspected chemical weapons attack. Thursday, August 29, 2013: Israeli merchant ship prevented from entering Red Sea ports The ship broke down four days ago after leaving Djibouti due to a fire on board that was later extinguished. Wednesday, August 28, 2013: U.S. officer, 12 jihadis arrested in Sinai after attack The U.S. national possessed documents, some including information on Sinai. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. officer is being interrogated by authorities in Arish without giving further details on the documents or circumstances of the arrest. A 55-year old American called James Henry was previously arrested, and turned out to be a retired officer. He was in possession of documents in English, and stated that he was on his way to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing, explaining that he is a historical documentation enthusiast. Sources said that the defendant was on the Arish-Rafah road after curfew. Several explosions took place near Sheikh Zuwayed's police station on Tuesday [August 27th]. August 28, 2013: Egypt Collapses 100s Of Tunnels To Bring Goods To Gaza [Sequential Egypt/Suez/Sinai reports -- expanded reposts + additional sources] ********** Syria August 24, 2013: Syrian army finds chemicals in militants tunnels The Syrian government also stated that the foreign-backed militants had carried out the recent chemical attack [Wednesday, August 21st] in Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar. intellihub.com | August 8, 2013 | Syrian Rebels Were Caught Sneaking Sarin Gas Across the Border in May: This past may Turkish police caught US-backed Al-Qaeda Rebels attempting to sneak sarin gas into Syria. ... As per the scheme ‘Qatar would fund rebel forces in Syria to use chemical weapons,’ shanghaidaily.com | August 2, 2013 | 3 European arms experts killed in Syrian coastal city: Three European arms experts working with Syrian rebels were killed Saturday in the countryside of Syrian coastal city of Latakia, pro-government Sham FM radio cited a military source as saying. Edited for formatting, sourcing and date notation + 2 additional reports appended here from Posts #7 and #5. ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
Maliki: Iraqi army subject to attacks by Nusra Front at borders with Syria: The Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki revealed on Monday that the Iraqi army forces were subject to attacks from the Nusra Front at the Iraqi-Syrian borders. ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
BBC News - Syria crisis: US orders non-emergency personnel out of Lebanon: The US state department has ordered non-emergency US personnel to leave Lebanon and has approved voluntary evacuation from southern Turkey. ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
Bandar worked Washington to back a program to arm and train rebels
YouTube video from the Syrian battlefield shows rebels firing what appears to be the same high-powered sniper rifle favored by U.S. Navy SEALs, leaving some experts wondering who the ragtag army of insurgents might train the guns on in the future.
#2. To: GreyLmist (#1)
one comment at site -
#3. To: Lod, All (#2)
(Edited)
one comment at site -
"This Rifle is 50-BMG Chinese cheap version of AS-50 good but not that accurate."
#4. To: All (#3)
This israelnationalnews listing posted at informationclearinghouse.info sounds to me like the Syrian rebels are fighting for Israel and trying to expand the war into Lebanon for America's Military to contend with there:
A former legal official from the Bush administration has warned that the text of President Barack Obama’s resolution authorizing the use of military force on Syria is so broad that it could justify attacks on Iran and Lebanon. Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard Law professor who resigned from the Bush administration over its executive overreach, wrote today in Lawfare that “the proposed AUMF focuses on Syrian WMD but is otherwise very broad”
#5. To: All (#4)
ANKARA: ...Monday's clash appeared to be the first time the army had shot at civilians trying to cross into Syria, and not into Turkey, as is more common.
Three European arms experts working with Syrian rebels were killed Saturday in the countryside of Syrian coastal city of Latakia, pro-government Sham FM radio cited a military source as saying.
Egyptian security services arrested on Wednesday a retired U.S. officer and 12 jihadis in Sheikh Zuwayed, North Sinai, German news agency DPA quoted a security source as saying.
A "terrorist" staged an unsuccessful attack on a container ship passing through the Suez Canal on Saturday, in an attempt to disrupt the flow of ships through the waterway, the head of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Memish said.
#6. To: Lod (#2)
that is a chinese made 12.7mm m99 anti-material rifle and not as some articles say an AS-50 if anyone is wondering
#7. To: randge, Lod. All (#6)
(Edited)
The AS50 as featured in images has a sloping gas vent bracket, while the Chinese knock-off 12.7mm has a squared off and slightly protruding bracket.
theaustralian.com.au | August 12, 2012 | CIA stopping weapons crossing border to aid Syrian rebel forces: ...they have approved supplies of AK-47 Kalashnikov rifles,...
The weapons are being carried across the [Syrian] border on donkeys, which are especially good for carrying ammunition," the official said. Since the fall to rebel forces of Azaz, a Syrian town near the Turkish border, guns have begun to arrive by truck.
Three Americans killed by suicide bomber in Afghanistan
#8. To: GreyLmist (#7)
(Edited)
the bomber and the donkey were also killed in the attack.
#9. To: All (#7)
(Edited)
Libya
This year's Vigilant Eagle training exercise for Russian, U.S. and Canadian military planes over Alaska was the most ambitious so far, military leaders say.
#10. To: All (#7)
(Edited)
At #4 and #7: Lebanon
Yesterday afternoon, Russia agreed to restructure Cyprus' EUR 2.5 billion loan terms to a much more affordable 2.5% semi-annual coupon through 2016 and a principal re-payment over the following four years. While probably still out of reach for the desparate economy, it was a positive step. Of course, this 'offer' by Russia has its quid pro quo. This morning, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides has stated that Cyprus territory will not be used to launch military strikes against Syria, as "Cyprus wants to live up to its responsibility as a shelter if needed for nationals of friendly countries who evacuate from Middle East".
European, Gulf states urge nationals to leave Lebanon immediately
Washington has asked Greece for permission to use its military bases in Kalamata and Souda for a possible strike on Syria over the alleged use of toxic gas in Ghouta on the eastern outskirts of Damascus.
The MoD stressed that the jets were not being sent to conduct potential ground-attack missions against Assad's regime, but were there as a precautionary measure.
The Troodos Conundrum
#11. To: All (#5)
(Edited)
September 1, 2013: Suez Canal Authority says attack attempted on container ship
A "terrorist" staged an unsuccessful attack on a container ship passing through the Suez Canal on Saturday [August 31st], in an attempt to disrupt the flow of ships through the waterway, the head of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Memish said.
"One of the terrorist elements has carried out a failed attempt to affect the movement of ships in the Suez Canal by targeting one of the passing ships, Cosco Asia," Memish said in a statement about the Panama-flagged ship.
Major General Hassan Fallah, head of the Red Sea Ports Authority, forbade the Israeli commercial ship Zim Rotterdam from entering any of the ports on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez.
Egyptian security services arrested on Wednesday a retired U.S. officer and 12 jihadis in Sheikh Zuwayed, North Sinai, German news agency DPA quoted a security source as saying.
The American national arrested on Tuesday [August 27th] was referred to a military prosecutor in Ismailia to be interrogated, said a security source.
Syrian army soldiers have found chemical agents in tunnels dug by the foreign-backed militants in a northeastern suburb of the capital, Damascus, Syrian TV says.
#12. To: All (#4)
Syrian Rebels Claim Responsibility for Beirut Blast: The Liwa'a 313 Brigade, a faction of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack which rocked the Bir al-Abed area of Beirut's Dahiyeh suburb, a stronghold of the Hezbollah
#13. To: All (#10)
Lebanon
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