Russia Views U.S. Plan to Arm Syrian Rebels as Hostile Act

[ckaihatsu]

http://www.newsweek.com/russia-syria-rebels-us-arm-weapons-hostile-assad-536495

WORLD

RUSSIA VIEWS U.S. PLAN TO ARM SYRIAN REBELS AS HOSTILE ACT

BY REUTERS ON 12/27/16 AT 8:13 AM

Russia said on Tuesday that a U.S. decision to ease some restrictions on arming Syrian rebels had opened the way for deliveries of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, a move it said would directly threaten Russian forces in Syria.

Moscow last year launched a campaign of air strikes in Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad and government forces in a conflict with rebels, some of whom are supported by the United States.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the policy change easing some restrictions on weapons supplies to rebels was set out in a new U.S. defense spending bill and that Moscow regarded the step as a hostile act.

Try Newsweek for only $1.25 per week

U.S. President Barack Obama signed the annual defense policy bill into law last week.

"In the administration of B. Obama they must understand that any weapons handed over will quickly end up in the hands of jihadists with whom the sham 'moderate' opposition have long acted jointly," Zakharova said in a statement.

"Such a decision is a direct threat to the Russian air force, to other Russian military personnel, and to our embassy in Syria, which has come under fire more than once. We therefore view the step as a hostile one."

Related Stories
Syrian Army Moves to Capture Damascus Water Supply
Christmas in Aleppo: A Hope for Peace
Inside Syria’s Propaganda Wars

Zakharova accused the Obama administration of trying to "put a mine" under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump by attempting to get it to continue what she called Washington's "anti-Russian line."

During his election campaign, Trump said he was keen to try to improve relations with Moscow and spoke positively about President Vladimir Putin's leadership skills.

A back-and-forth exchange between Trump and Putin over nuclear weapons last week tested the Republican's promises to improve relations with Russia.

The Obama administration and U.S. intelligence officials have accused Russia of trying to interfere with the U.S. election by hacking Democratic Party accounts.

© 2016 NEWSWEEK LLC

[thamexper]

There are some good answers there. When I am told that anyone who works hard enough can get rich, well, I work very hard but I am not rich and I doubt I ever will be.

[ckaihatsu]

Tell U.S. to Join Syrian Ceasefire. (http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2FzIA4D4pkZ0QI%2BCbnwFPfj1qpCAltj8t)


https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6503/images/syriaceasefireEMAIL.png


GRAPHIC: Sign here button (http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Gb9QColNPb3bb1UwN%2FCWeq1%2FVO6haXW6)


Share this action on Facebook (http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=MoN7uPnTJj6dO2Z%2BfQBXSz1qpCAltj8t)
Share this action on Twitter (http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=HLw7jv6OejqD6bEd9xeBXD1qpCAltj8t)

Russia and Turkey have announced a ceasefire in Syria, with Russia guaranteeing the side of the Syrian government, and Turkey guaranteeing much of the opposition -- including several opposition groups that have signed on, thereby giving this ceasefire more likelihood of lasting.

The U.S. State Department has declared this good news.

Missing is a commitment by the United States to itself cease fighting and cease arming fighters in Syria.

For this agreement to last and humanitarian aid to begin succeeding, the flow of weapons must end and be replaced by an appropriate investment in actual aid.

Not included in the agreement are ISIS, Al Nusra, and the Kurds. Russia, Turkey and the United States plan to continue a mix of counterproductive violence toward those groups. But solving this disaster has to begin with a first step.

Click here to email President Obama, your Congress Member, and your two Senators with one quick email. (http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Uke6tfU0bA9aR6HfPHJaCz1qpCAltj8t)

Please forward this to everyone you can.

Peace on Earth is more than just a saying to hang on the wall.

Those who want peace must push as hard as those who want war.

Put your name on the side of peace now. (http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=5YcAlpBJ4kNY90Ytzbpedj1qpCAltj8t)

-- The RootsAction.org Team

P.S. RootsAction is an independent online force endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Bill Fletcher Jr., Laura Flanders, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, Coleen Rowley, Frances Fox Piven, Lila Garrett, Phil Donahue, Sonali Kolhatkar, and many others.

Partner on this action: World Beyond War.



www.RootsAction.org

Donate button (http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Y4Gkt%2BDW2WYVQlGnwS%2BSZD1qpCAltj8t) Facebook button Twitter button

Click here to unsubscribe and stop ALL email from RootsAction.

empowered by Salsa

[ckaihatsu]

USLAW HEADLINE NEWS #45 - Pathologies of War (and more)


View this bulletin in your web browser (http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/3AA/ni0YAA/t.23o/t2fASI3-QhSuMXG73vNqtw/h2/ZcQUeioteD4kF6Kj0Iabgd1rbDwuvckpQTeRaVawvXO28AZZNR LBdae30t5ef2l4V6JuSfnIne2KOTJWgAJZaHK9dhjzy7tT-2FRTJ3Ow8hHz4AtOYw-2BSz1Xp-2B2k3OhRK5odoC8UeLTLofDUAGKlF9PgKcwG7ReH82uW2z6fxS o0RPgUnlDLtjvDJ-2BFh-2F9T5pIIYxDRu-2FnkpSlcFgSUaJUsa0ilgRXy7BYQzcDor-2BfCoTCh9zOKOV6PbrhfcnwvFIg1k4F3uuxliBPWLfW7aNGjL-2BOFT80Od-2FITqZLcVM1lYLBemAcvpqz40iPq40kWPljtH-2BviM-2B7yh5Rb4tPfCGEfaoF9kiSQrUhzV8-2FTdpI2Uy6ZMbyOOCDLYiz9H-2BkJpo5xFtKfEQ0S-2BMe3r-2FLfngH6eXKAXQ6d8rdgi16Yz-2FEX5tV96XO79f-2FfKYgICLir1DxmllZ7ak0X1YsIkhP0sH3zEc52kt5UQyOp272 3LtG9EM-3D)
(If you received this from a friend, SUBSCRIBE (http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/3AA/ni0YAA/t.23o/t2fASI3-QhSuMXG73vNqtw/h3/WQ-2BlIwq7W2eCmkkcwbDiBbZZ8k6zBVQtuO7myuMWelnHvYX0UR8 O3KvXmFBYuoJhTUBa5uv7M6-2F5XdtsTCwU2WhQ6QAS3-2Fvs4IfmJnbjQO3Q9-2FoHEcfG7SZnoxeoG1kzVnbsiJwlIVxALRWm8Jf32MWLmIg5FK KnM96EaJcE3FSPjixZ8Gr77W-2B44rK1lfkFeNfBMMyLmt0wpQmF9i0f2qS-2BjQrI4ztwTQfhoHLsbB00K0-2Bf4Aa6WT9ZHqVhL0lhfpZf8xd51oitjHFnesGibDrUw3Fl5lC k4fiU9OoE-2FtXrb4mJIA-2BOIyfKmUHtF-2Fpn9uyS5v7JXedJ7cEbA-2BAufFUKjqgco2uepugTEqz-2BHkaDmTfxlVRXpeP-2FSIvyAmLbl02AW0oo-2BT7hYdAyZ-2BZdvA-3D-3D) to be sent future weekly bulletins)

Featured Articles
Bulletin #45 for the Week Ending on January 2, 2017

Find more resources like these in the news feed at USLaborAgainstWar.org
[Don't be selfish. If you read an article you like, share it with others.]

CIA, FBI, DHS and ODNI Sued for Records on Russian Interference in the 2016 Election

The CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) are in violation of the Freedom of Information Act charge investigative journalist Jason Leopold and Ryan Shapiro,Harvard Klein Center for Internet & Society research affiliate. They filed a lawsuit over the agencies’ failures to comply with Shapiro and Leopold’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for records on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The FBI unlawfully failed to respond to Shapiro and Leopold’s FOIA request, and then slow-walked an initial response to Shapiro and Leopold’s lawsuit until after the election. In stark contrast to Director Comey’s pre-election rush to inform Congress that the FBI might re-open its investigation of Hillary Clinton, in this case the FBI dragged its feet to avoid revealing the same about Donald Trump until after the election. [More] Also see: Trump’s Frightening Picks for U.S. Policy in the Middle East and America’s concern for the poor is about to be tested and Fantasies About Russia Could Doom Opposition to Trump

Rebels Poison Water supply In Syrian Capital Damascus (http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/3AA/ni0YAA/t.23o/t2fASI3-QhSuMXG73vNqtw/h12/ZcQUeioteD4kF6Kj0Iabgd1rbDwuvckpQTeRaVawvXPBpuP6B8 XfbRkmzvEMYJP1Au662cp3Xc8J8Of8cKt8F6upPJniigsmC8Ty McKwBy113pRby7ISLK3fijEp7dS6Ebr2tJiiV-2BfDOJxYvU22B1FyW11ed-2BfK8Yu3H7p2R7t9YOTRGIEyQlyr64b3rZjBhIR9ntAkfih23h 4nxjHfVOoliRFyM7-2BNvCOhIg32zREtFPGOiopK-2FB8OzYKhpwr3cn0c-2BWC3-2BEUHY4ZOHSQR-2B3hAH4b4pWmQFQ7k48vxcieik7nhsk3fxAgjg74bQQhnk8No-2F-2F-2F-2BvQXjsyaKJMDCCzCNwCU80VLwr9ysPDAgFFqn1PLOr40ADxmf NJSONyeGuEMIWPlU3ddKqixiqmYgd3fZFfPUMZIY8Tdi3Kkn0g SiMvc-2Fdbp6YwDf3Pj1dLETxbf5wdBhCKN-2BEB-2Ft-2FTwT3g-3D-3D)

https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/066/513/original/Water_Crisis.jpg

Lizzie Phelan informs us that the Syrian capital Damascus has been without water for five days. Authorities have accused “terrorist groups” of deliberately poisoning water resources and the government cut off water to Damascus on Friday after concerns that rebel groups west of the city had poisoned wells and pipes. While media in the West has blamed the Syrian government for disrupting the water supply, there is evidence that rebels are behind the crisis, with renewed video threats. The government managed to shut off the supply before it could reach the capital, but a leaked UN memo shows the extent of the fear that started to grip the people. For a less government-friendly account, see a Reuters account that is linked at the end of this report. [More (http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/3AA/ni0YAA/t.23o/t2fASI3-QhSuMXG73vNqtw/h14/ZcQUeioteD4kF6Kj0Iabgd1rbDwuvckpQTeRaVawvXPBpuP6B8 XfbRkmzvEMYJP1Au662cp3Xc8J8Of8cKt8F6upPJniigsmC8Ty McKwBy113pRby7ISLK3fijEp7dS68TG2KJyaisJJ02vNNY0EET GwViAe2CgogIoG8qqrDFocWVV0ketGDQR0oOEeHbE4yrh-2Blv-2F7ZEdlZR-2B2o759Kz4MNpo0xylWi6nPKR6lZc5ksoKc2iNAfNf7709Mh6f-2Bxd5xtGv-2FNQlQ6W1JqwyHp-2B3PDRPm-2B9rZ-2FpJJpE2x8yAPXeaRMde8eimxzTR7W9z2M5RFxQgVRZhyTc6RZ YHyasVoTrbVtZY7-2FF6rZAohmiXy7a1Sa5AZ0KIBm0lAwcKf1Q0Ku8BR1fnoJUYW7 XkIFjI2qXNozjUGOdARgEzzxowWyWCV1n5pLq2sRxJAWCc-2BhFSAKXYdk0fttw7lOS0nxA-3D-3D)] Also see: Statement by Syrian Civil Society Organizations on Ceasefire Agreement and UNSC Resolution 2336 and Hundreds of peace activists are marching from Berlin to Aleppo and Cease-fire Agreement in Syria signed by the jihadists with the exception of al-Qaeda and Daesh

The Pathologies of War: Dual Propaganda Campaigns in Reporting on Syria (http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/3AA/ni0YAA/t.23o/t2fASI3-QhSuMXG73vNqtw/h18/ZcQUeioteD4kF6Kj0Iabgd1rbDwuvckpQTeRaVawvXNcfh-2BLdZdzbNPGFt8cae0dnZHSa5ScrAmghBuckSt7WLUScO2PgUR hGagheoMyI7eJOWyA-2BZdpULo2TGEt0nnJsvvOORJCk7ACUEWCIxVVAXxVhBZWzUmWq ATG81a3wfJ-2BvUgzwPymVxq01LxIOOM7Rdr92RwCMoJaYA-2BQO0MCASPbCChehc8dxzAGFqYotd9vY-2Fu-2B7d-2BhvsOlfsMGvpkO0mHYv-2Buy2-2FXnIim5eTvwltxXDRkihYfsgJgoimglLgTJhdtce-2F6T-2BnJHmeDimpSGADd-2BCRcVwQ5huwn1lcvge7vHibCceBFiNnpbVpGWgFFNg40rn8-2B3ffSNcD4ABFQU8LvSVBXXqOx9Yz0LV2ycIYDfpAS8adiblG-2BPk391-2FCgNmk7jRwiqZ15AwMWr82GaZ-2B6EDugHEouR003YxeymUjcHs8zgDjj-2B6tvoSmtCM48-3D)

https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/066/510/original/Propaganda.jpg

Anthony Dimaggio points to a serious problem that has emerged - the willful ignorance exhibited by the defenders of the U.S., Russian, and Syrian governments, which is driven largely by political considerations, rather than human rights concerns. "On one side," he says, "U.S. political officials and pundits eagerly condemn the Russian and Syrian governments for human rights atrocities, but they focus only on heinous crimes committed by officially designated enemies of state. . . . On the other side, the Putin and Assad governments have no interest in acknowledging their own atrocities, and make numerous attempts to woo naïve western bloggers, celebrities, and other willing dupes in terms of attributing the responsibility for war deaths exclusively at the feet of radical Islamists. Some critics of U.S. foreign policy reflexively assume that countries opposing U.S. imperialism and military power must represent a valiant, anti-imperialist, revolutionary force for good." [More (http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/3AA/ni0YAA/t.23o/t2fASI3-QhSuMXG73vNqtw/h19/ZcQUeioteD4kF6Kj0Iabgd1rbDwuvckpQTeRaVawvXNcfh-2BLdZdzbNPGFt8cae0dnZHSa5ScrAmghBuckSt7WLUScO2PgUR hGagheoMyI7eJOWyA-2BZdpULo2TGEt0nnJsvvOORJCk7ACUEWCIxVVAUYEruLAwGCDs AlPwePIwSY68p4116IRq-2FXmlZcRyWlP5dHZ5-2Bnq6OCM-2F2ibte-2BFuoDf-2Bj3FPA9S5bZaB2H1S-2F0CFGpWQW9t4orIuqZntKMbOlrgnus6jK1PRvYLQSKtuI3DUt eptg-2F1miEgV5I4-2Bgz6ipIv1QKmgWP1TCRP82dt5-2B4TODAFXyATop1Dt-2B-2FEk6WDqA0nBI1s9mEeV4HDONHhpqJB18YyoXTwqY2mS93XKhI cNM-2BZIk6b-2FDQVldPKmmDsyU4lm5iEIZZaHzBaFU-2BCWnxkdsoIj-2FTX9TqQ162-2FdCXpltToGkPKoG55Tsv59QHABpCYkwPYguf7w-2FhJ-2FuE-3D)] Also see: We Must Understand Syria as a Popular Struggle Despite Its Complications (http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/3AA/ni0YAA/t.23o/t2fASI3-QhSuMXG73vNqtw/h20/ZcQUeioteD4kF6Kj0Iabgd1rbDwuvckpQTeRaVawvXOLYsLxqu HQb4N73JbMQTu6xT9el8Br7XZ1PLQeMaYgolVoQLb88R2W-2Bf7OaJbSK-2FQDkVdIPFcD-2F1F8W3uB3Qpb4ljQHBWCIiokk-2Fjrk27-2Bb6W4rjRvvWuWSpLqMF3loFloELDh-2FnEn4xXFsuF46F-2BR3coFLkLhExfQnVXp-2FmkPZ3KMFnrOYEJdVz9Gr-2FXwqddGoVZnk7ke9gTIy-2BnjQcjdyGklWlJwilivGDMMnhIfFmDBlU4NYzoJEh4tcR76vF-2BhgiG8W3cAW4X8wNUqSD256TZyPswHAI9KXTFgkFGBx4wxI-2F7eheMKdgGcN9kI6Wm9hxE9-2FzPH1-2FS5Sn2a3WjsCzXBiTyo33phRxlQoD2Eb5yXZhcNPhtv5M-2FiKgT19AsCmExEwLXXFtahpPXtBQ9JSz-2BNjVwFO0WOggUFojbRmcIUa9dWE-2B9rMRDkbsk2Aco-3D)

U.S. Sold $40 Billion in Weapons in 2015, Topping Global Market

A new report informs us that the United States again ranked first in global weapons sales in 2015, signing deals for about $40 billion, or half of all agreements in the worldwide arms bazaar, and far ahead of France, the No. 2 weapons dealer with $15 billion in sales, according to a new congressional study. Although global tensions and terrorist threats have shown few signs of diminishing, the total size of the global arms trade dropped to around $80 billion in 2015 from the 2014 total of $89 billion, the study found. The report, “Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2008-2015,” was prepared by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. [More] Also see: US Continues to Be a Major Supplier of Weapons to Repressive Countries With a History of Human Rights Abuses and IS conflict: How is it getting hold of weapons from the West?

US Court of Appeals Rules Against Standing Rock Tribe in Dakota Access Pipeline Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Sunday rejected the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s request for an injunction to halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners. The decision comes as the Tribe is pursuing an appeal to stop construction while the rest of the case proceeds in U.S. District Court. “The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is not backing down from this fight,” said Dave Archambault II, Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. “We are guided by prayer, and we will continue to fight for our people. We will not rest until our lands, people, waters and sacred places are permanently protected from this destructive pipeline.” [More] Also see: BP pipeline ruptures into CO river

Kerry Slams Israeli Settlements But Strong Words Are 'No Plan At All'

In a lengthy speech delivered with less than a month until he leaves office, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday warned that Israeli settlement building is a dire threat to peace in the Middle East. One thing is very clear, says Deirdre Fulton, writing for Common Dreams, "[A]ny plan must include ensuring equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel, right of return for Palestinian refugees, an end to military occupation, and freedom for all Palestinians. But the reality is that Israel has no incentive to comply with the principles Kerry outlined." She concludes, "There’s no way around it: what Secretary Kerry outlined in his speech is flat out impossible. The window for a two-state solution has passed thanks primarily to Israel’s continued Jewish-only settlement expansion on Palestinian land, unhinged right-wing government passing a steady stream of anti-democratic legislation, and refusal to ensure Palestinians’ basic human rights." [More] Also see: New Details on Israel's Battle against the UN Vote

This is just a small sample of the many newly posted articles and videos added to the USLAW information archive in the last week. Check the site frequently to see what else is new, including the videos toward the bottom of the home page. If you find these resources to be useful, don't keep them a secret. Share the links with others and suggest they subscribe so they can receive this bulletin each week.

Use "Quick Search" buttons to see everything posted on various current topics in the news.




Your contribution will be greatly appreciated.


This is a low-volume email list operated by US Labor Against the War

1718 M St, NW #153 | Washington DC 20036 | 202-521-5265 | Contact USLAW

Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address or to stop receiving emails from U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW), please click here.

[ckaihatsu]

Michael Flynn pissed off the DIA and CIA for challenging their lies by declaring that Syria had to be preserved to prevent the spread of Islamic terrorism and the destabilization of the Middle East.

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/01/05/hack-j05.html

[ckaihatsu]

---





In a move that sharply increases the likelihood of a clash in the area, Turkey reversed its initial opposition to US drones and aircraft flying over al-Bab to gather intelligence last week. This means American and Russian planes will now be flying in close proximity to each other over the town in pursuit of ever more explicitly conflicting goals. Even a minor mishap, let alone a deliberate escalation of the conflict from either side, could provide the trigger for a devastating expansion of the war with catastrophic consequences for the region’s beleaguered population.

The US raid coincided with renewed criticism of Russia by outgoing Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. He blasted Russia for doing “virtually zero” in the fight against ISIS. He went on to declare that Russia’s involvement in Syria “almost certainly made the ending of the Syrian civil war harder” because the Kremlin had failed to “help Assad move aside gently” and “bring the moderate opposition into the Syrian government.”

Carter then went on to make clear what he expected of a Trump administration in relation to Russia. Citing as fact the unsubstantiated allegations of Russian hacking of the Democratic Party in the lead-up to November’s presidential election, Carter said of the type of response that should be adopted, “I don’t think it should be military or purely military response. There has to be a response, and I think the steps taken so far probably represent the beginning and not the end, the floor, not the ceiling… I believe the price should be more.”

In truth, chief responsibility for the Syrian catastrophe lies with US imperialism, which systematically fomented the civil war with the aim of bringing about regime change in Damascus so as to strengthen its position in the energy rich Middle East against its geostrategic rivals. In the process, it actively encouraged Jihadist groups, with which the Obama administration cooperated in the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. Only when Islamic State militants crossed into Iraq and seized territory did it become a concern for Washington.




http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/01/10/syri-j10.html