- Banned
- #1
BESHITTING OURSELF
++++++++++++++
AL JAZEERA
August 2, 2012
"US President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorising US support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, Reuters news agency said quoting sources familiar with the matter.
Obama's order, approved earlier this year and known as an intelligence "finding", broadly permits the CIA and other US agencies to provide aid that could help the rebels dislodge Assad from power.
The shift towards supporting Assad's armed opponents intensified following last month's failure of the UN Security Council to agree on tougher sanctions against the Damascus government.
The full extent of clandestine support that agencies like the CIA might be providing also is unclear. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor declined comment on the matter.
The White House has apparently stopped short of giving the rebels lethal weapons, even as some US allies have been doing just that.
US and European officials have said that there have been noticeable improvements in the coherence and effectiveness of Syrian rebel groups in the past few weeks. That represents a significant change in assessments of the rebels by Western officials, who previously characterised Assad's opponents as a disorganised.
Overt support
Separately from the president's secret order, the Obama administration has stated publicly that it is providing some backing for Assad's opponents.
The State Department said on Wednesday the US government had set aside a total of $25m for "non-lethal" assistance to the rebels.
A US official said that was mostly for communications equipment, including encrypted radios.
***"
===========================================
Given the thuggish, soldier of fortune, al quaeda, black ops make up of those euphemistically designated by Western influenced "news" media as Syrian rebels, should we consider that, as Pogo observed, we have met the enemy and it is us?
++++++++++++++
AL JAZEERA
August 2, 2012
"US President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorising US support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, Reuters news agency said quoting sources familiar with the matter.
Obama's order, approved earlier this year and known as an intelligence "finding", broadly permits the CIA and other US agencies to provide aid that could help the rebels dislodge Assad from power.
The shift towards supporting Assad's armed opponents intensified following last month's failure of the UN Security Council to agree on tougher sanctions against the Damascus government.
The full extent of clandestine support that agencies like the CIA might be providing also is unclear. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor declined comment on the matter.
The White House has apparently stopped short of giving the rebels lethal weapons, even as some US allies have been doing just that.
US and European officials have said that there have been noticeable improvements in the coherence and effectiveness of Syrian rebel groups in the past few weeks. That represents a significant change in assessments of the rebels by Western officials, who previously characterised Assad's opponents as a disorganised.
Overt support
Separately from the president's secret order, the Obama administration has stated publicly that it is providing some backing for Assad's opponents.
The State Department said on Wednesday the US government had set aside a total of $25m for "non-lethal" assistance to the rebels.
A US official said that was mostly for communications equipment, including encrypted radios.
***"
===========================================
Given the thuggish, soldier of fortune, al quaeda, black ops make up of those euphemistically designated by Western influenced "news" media as Syrian rebels, should we consider that, as Pogo observed, we have met the enemy and it is us?
