Richard Medhurst: Israel Behind US War on Syria

Fars News Agency

Richard Medhurst, journalist, says Washington aims to make a regime change in Syria, and establish a pro-Israeli regime in the Arab country.

Speaking in an interview with FNA, Medhurst said, “Efraim Halevy, former head of Israel’s intelligence service the Mossad, even admitted in an interview that Israel had provided aid to Al Qaeda fighters just because it was advantageous for them to see the Syrian government fall… The United States, United Kingdom and other countries began funding armed groups inside Syria, funneling weapons and supplies to them, in order to overthrow the Syrian government.” Richard Medhurst is an independent journalist and TV host, born in Damascus, Syria. Below is the full text of the interview.

Q: Three US Presidents over 10 years have waged war on Syria. What is the US after in Syria?


The Us Government Is A Gigantic Mass-Murdering Machine

Kourosh Ziabari/Fars News Agency Interview With Prof. John McMurtry

World-renowned Canadian philosopher Prof. John McMurtry argues that the US and its ally, Israel, violate the laws against armed aggression, occupation and crimes against humanity at will, while other world states are either their accomplices or afraid of taking any move against them since they will risk being labeled a rouge or terrorist state otherwise.

Prof. John McMurtry says that the US government is a gigantic mass-murdering machine which earns profit through waging wars, and is never held accountable over its unspeakable war crimes and crimes against humanity. He also believes that the US has become a police state, which treats its citizens in the most derogatory manner.

“I have travelled alone with only backpack possession through the world, and have found no state in which police forces are more habituated to violent bullying, more likely to draw a gun, more discriminatory against the dispossessed, and more arbitrarily vicious in normal behavior,” said McMurtry. “The US now leads the globe in an underlying civil war of the rich against the poor.”

“The US can … detain, kidnap and imprison without trial or indictment any US citizen or other citizens anywhere by designating them enemies to the US,” Prof. John McMurtry noted in an exclusive interview with Fars News Agency.

According to the Canadian intellectual, the United States statesmen have long supported dictatorial and tyrannical regimes and even funded and armed the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler in the period between 1939 and 1945.


Syrian Opposition in Disarray

Stephen Lendman

After 28 months of conflict, Assad defeated Washington's best laid plans. Its Syrian National Coalition (SNC) opposition lacks effective leadership. It lacks legitimacy. It's an artificial construct. It operates extrajudicially. It resembles a gang that can't shoot straight.

On July 8, another leader resigned. After four months, self-styled prime minister Ghassan Hitto announced he won't "continue in (his) capacity as prime minister tasked with leading the interim government, though (he) emphasize(s he'll) 'continue working for the interests of the revolution and towards achieving its objectives."

Hitto's resignation came two days after SNC members elected Ahmad Asi-al Jarba president. The post's been vacant since Mouaz al-Khatib resigned in April. He cited frustration over lack of enough international support, internal divisions, and disarray among "rebel" factions. Washington hoped he'd become Syria's Hamid Karzai. Maybe Obama has similar aspirations for al-Jarba. Washington's war on Syria's no "revolution." There's nothing civil about it. It's US proxy aggression. Foreign death squad invaders want Islamofacism replacing Syrian sovereignty.

Repeated changing of the guard shows SNC ranks in disarray. Al-Khatib and Hitto couldn't resolve SNC divisions. Don't expect al-Jarba to fare better. Just causes close ranks effectively. Rogue operations feature self-aggrandizing, power-hungry opportunists.

They face overwhelming Syrian opposition. Most Syrians support Assad. They do so for good reason. They alone want to decide who rule them. They deplore outside intervention. Disorganized "rebel" ranks are no match for Syria's superior military. It continues making impressive gains.


From a Chinese Point of View: Human rights record of the United States in 2012

China Daily


Kimani Gray Protest on Church Ave between E55th st Nostrand Ave, and
in Brooklyn, NY on March 13. In response to the shooting of a 16-year-old
boy by police, protesters in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn have been
holding nightly vigils and marches and there have been frequent clashes
with NYPD.
(Stephanie Keith / Polaris)

Editor's note: The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China published a report titled "Human Rights Record of the United States in 2012" on Sunday. [The] following is the full text:

Foreword: The State Department of the United States recently released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, posing as "the world judge of human rights" again. As in previous years, the reports are full of carping and irresponsible remarks on the human rights situation in more than 190 countries and regions including China.

However, the U.S. turned a blind eye to its own woeful human rights situation and never said a word about it. Facts show that there are serious human rights problems in the U.S. which incur extensive criticism in the world. The Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2012 is hereby prepared to reveal the true human rights situation of the U.S. to people across the world by simply laying down some facts.


Upcoming Iranian Nuclear Talks

Stephen Lendman

Multiple previous P5+1 talks were held. America manipulated them to fail. So did Israel covertly. Western nations were pressured to go along.

On February 26, new talks will be held in Almaty, Kazahhstan. Expect no more this time than earlier. It bears repeating. Tehran's nuclear program isn't at issue. It's red herring cover for imperial aims. It's the oil, stupid, and regional dominance. Iran's sovereignty stands in the way. Its program is peaceful. It complies with NPT provisions. World leaders know it. So do IAEA inspectors.

Washington targets all independent governments. It wants pro-Western puppet ones replacing them. It invents reasons to do so. It operates extrajudicially in defiance of rule of law principles. It gets UN Secretary-Generals to go along. Ban Ki-moon is one of the worst. He shames the office he holds. He spurns UN Charter principles. He's complicit in war crimes. He's well rewarded for doing so. He lies for Washington. He's a longstanding imperial tool.

On February 14, the Washington Post headlined "Iran could use UN talks as cover to build bomb, Ban K-moon says." He knows Iran has no such intention. He lies and claims otherwise. Decisive swift action should prevent what doesn't exist, he urges. Accelerated action should be prioritized.

"We should not give much more time to the Iranians, and we should not waste time," he says. "We have seen what happened with the DPRK." "It ended up that they (were) secretly, quietly, without any obligations, without any pressure, making progress." The Security Council must "show a firm, decisive and effective, quick response."

Like America and Israel, he wants Iran to prove a negative. He told Imam Khamenei he's not satisfied with peaceful reassurances. He did so on orders from Washington. He's "frustrated" about failed international talks. He points fingers the wrong way. He blames Iran for Western intransigency. He speaks with forked tongue.


Western Sponsored Aleppo Mass Murder

Stephen Lendman

For nearly two years, Washington waged terror war on Syria. Death squad proxies are used. They recruited largely from regional countries. Some come from Europe. America supplies small numbers. They invaded Syria. They want Assad toppled, so they say. They're manipulated to believe he must go. They want Islamic extremism replacing secular governance. They're reigning terror on defenseless people to achieve it. Assad loyalists are targeted. Scores die daily. No one's sure how many. For sure it's many thousands.

On January 16, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) headlined "Foreign and Expatriates Ministry Calls on UN and UNSC Member States to Condemn Massacre against Aleppo University Students and Terrorist Crimes in Syria." Students, employees, and others seeking refuge were slaughtered or injured. At least 87 died. Another 150 or more were injured. On January 15, terrorist rockets struck. A university dormitory was targeted. It was used as a shelter. Terrorists bombarded it. They've committed numerous other similar attacks and atrocities throughout the country. SANA said 2,362 schools were destroyed. Many innocent children and teachers were killed.

Washington and supportive Security Council members don't condemn terrorism. Nor does the UN Human Rights Council. It said nothing about Monday's attack. It blames Assad for death squad crimes. It's done it throughout the conflict. It's complicit in Washington's war on Syria.

SANA called on Security Council and other UN member states to condemn terrorist crimes. It wants Aleppo martyrs recognized. It wants guilty parties held responsible. There's "no excuse for states which are practicing double standards and supporting terrorism in Syria while they condemn it" elsewhere. Hypocrisy defines Washington's agenda. Complicit NATO partners and regional allies share guilt. Conflict shows no signs of ending.


Christof Lehmann: Doha Meeting Failed to Unite Syria's Foreign-Backed Opposition

Interview by Kourosh Ziabari

German political pundit Dr. Christof Lehmann believes that the Doha conference failed to unite the Syrian opposition and there are many conflicting interests even among those nations who support the foreign backed opposition.

"The Doha Conference and the establishment of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, SNCORF, was one more failed attempt to create a unified, politically and militarily credible opposition… The failure to create this opposition is not least caused by the fact that there exist considerable conflicts of interest between the US, UK, the PGCC members and Israel on one hand, and continental European EU member states and Turkey on the other," said Dr. Christof Lehmann in an interview with Fars News Agency.

Dr. Christof Lehmann is a German political pundit, analyst and author. He has been the advisor of many political figures and leaders across the world. He is also a practicing clinical psychologist and has been actively advocating Palestinians' right to statehood and self determination. He is the founder of NSNBC media collective and his writings have appeared on different online and print outlets such as China's The 4th Voice.

Christof Lehmann took part in an interview with Fars News Agency to discuss the latest developments in Syria, the failure of opposition groups to reach a consensus and the prospect of the 22-month crisis in the country. What follows is the text of the interview.


Foreign Terrorists Wage War on Syria

Stephen Lendman

Syrian authorities said so in 2011. Other reports acknowledged it then and now. Syria is Washington's war. It was planned years ago. America wants pro-Western puppet leadership replacing Assad. All independent governments are targeted for regime change. Imperial rogue states operate that way. Strategy used is longstanding.

On January 4, Michel Chossudovsky discussed it. Current US proxy wars employ earlier tactics.

Western-recruited death squads are used. Using them "go(es) back to the Vietnam war." "Terror brigades (commit) targeted assassinations (and) countless atrocities."

Since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, Washington, key NATO allies, Israel, and other regional allies recruited, armed, trained, and directed death squads. They're still doing it. They're imported from abroad. More on that below.

Washington prioritizes the "Salvador Option." Rules of engagement proliferated massacres, torture, and gruesome atrocities in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In Vietnam, Operation Phoenix (OP) did the same things earlier. It became a template for future counterterrorism operations. From 1968 - 1973, CIA operatives, Special Forces, and Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Special Operations Group (MACV-SOG) conducted covert missions. Their mandate was to crush National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) resistance. Strategy was to terrorize people into submission.

Operations were no holds barred. Indiscriminate mass murder and atrocities were committed. US military personnel and South Vietnamese government officials considered security risks were targeted. High-value elements mattered most. Countless others were affected. Around 80,000 died before operations ended. Later reports said OP failed. John Pilger called America's Southeast Asian war "the grand illusion of the American cause." What couldn't succeed finally ended.


Haaretz on Obama's Reelection

Stephen Lendman

Haaretz used most of its November 7 issue covering it. Doing so reflects the importance of America to Israeli interests.

Netanyahu and Obama don't like each other. Nonetheless, the Israeli prime minister extended congratulatory best wishes, saying:

"The strategic alliance between Israel the U.S. is stronger than ever. I will continue to work with President Obama to protect the security interests of Israeli citizens."

Expect both leaders to continue working with each other normally. Personal likes and dislikes won't interfere. Even when doing so harms US interests, American presidents and Congress yield to Israeli Lobby pressure. In September, a non-binding sense of the Senate resolution reminded Obama in case he forgot. At issue was open friction with Netanyahu. Senators voted 90 - 1 for action against Iran to prevent it developing nuclear weapons. It was a thinly veiled pro-Netanyahu motion. Senators supported him over their own president. It shows the power of Israeli influence in America. Netanyahu accepted Obama's victory. He expressed certainty of continued US support. It's forthcoming no matter who governs both countries.


US Radio Host: Iran's International Profile Raised through Hosting NAM Summit

Interview by Kourosh Ziabari
With Some Final Comments by Stephen Lendman

TEHRAN (FNA)- American writer and radio host Stephen Lendman believes that the successful arrangement and hosting of the 16th heads-of-state Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran was diplomatically a triumph for the Islamic Republic, which disappointed Israel and the United States and helped Iran improve its political profile on the international scene.

Stephen Lendman believes that despite the US and Israeli propaganda, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran which wrapped up on Friday was a great diplomatic victory for Iran and meant a great defeat and failure for the US and the Zionist regime of Israel.

What follows is the full text of Fars News Agency's interview with Stephen Lendman in which a number of issues pertaining to the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, the frustration of Western powers at the successful summit in Tehran, the attendance of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi at the summit, the prospects of the movement under Iran's presidency and the role it can play in fostering global peace and stability were discussed.


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