Alawites – The Conservative-Patriot Christian Right

Research on the Islamic State

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi

Here is a – know your enemy – moment courtesy of Middle East Forum.

JRH 5/27/15

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Research on the Islamic State

By Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi

various publications

April 1-May 15, 2015

Middle East Forum

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a research fellow at Middle East Forum’s Jihad Intel project, is one of world’s leading experts on the Islamic State (IS) group terrorizing Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS. The overwhelming majority of his writings and translations are too detailed or esoteric for distribution to a general audience, so instead MEF compiles periodic updates providing links and summaries for those who wish to follow the groundbreaking work of this prolific researcher.

For other research summaries and more general interest writings by Jawad al-Tamimi, click here.

Articles and Blog Posts

Is ISIS Islamic? (April 3)
Jihadology
Jawad al-Tamimi argues that IS documents and publications show respect for the four traditional schools of Sunni jurisprudence and that many of its actions, however heinous, “can find a place within the vastness of Islamic tradition.”

Translations

Jamaat Ansar al-Islam: Eulogy to Abu Ahmad of Mosul (April 15)

Translation and Analysis of a statement from the Sunni jihadist group Jamaat Ansar al-Islam, which was based primarily in Iraq until its disintegration in the wake of last year’s IS advance across the north of the country, with elements of its Syria chapter continuing to operate in a limited capacity. The statement eulogizes Abu Ahmad of Mosul, a leader of the group’s Iraq branch reportedly killed by IS.

Muqawama Suriya Statement: Loss of Jisr al-Shughur (April 26)

Translation and analysis of a statement by Muqawama Suriya, a pro-Assad militia led by Turkish-born Alawite Ali Kayali. The statement illustrates “growing war weariness among pro-Assad circles” in the wake of recent losses in Idlib province, notes Jawad al-Tamimi, while its emphasis on “popular” and “national” forces “implicitly acknowledges some of the increasing resentment in regime circles that the war effort is too dependent on foreign irregular forces.”

Interview with the leader of Harakat al-Nujaba (April 28)

Translation and analysis of an interview with Akram al-Ka’abi, the leader of Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba (The Movement of the Party of God of the Outstanding), or HHN, an Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militia that emerged in 2013, operating both in Iraq and in Syria via multiple front groups. The interview sheds light on several aspects of HHN, notably its open identification with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and ties with the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah movement.

“We have the Swords”- IS nasheed (May 2)

Translation of a musical chant (nasheed), produced by IS’s Ajnad Media Foundation. One of the “darker” nasheeds, according to Jawad al-Tamimi, with lyrics such as “we sever off heads by the strike of the sword.”

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About The Middle East Forum

With roots going back to 1990, the Middle East Forum has been an independent tax-exempt 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia since 1994.

Mission

The Middle East Forum promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects Western values from Middle Eastern threats.

The Forum sees the region — with its profusion of dictatorships, radical ideologies, existential conflicts, border disagreements, corruption, political violence, and weapons of mass destruction — as a major source of problems for the United States. Accordingly, we urge bold measures to protect Americans and their allies.

In the Middle East, we focus on ways to defeat radical Islam; work for Palestinian acceptance of Israel; develop strategies to contain Iran; and deal with the great advances of anarchy.

At home, the Forum emphasizes the danger of lawful Islamism; protects the freedoms of anti-Islamist authors, activists, and publishers; and works to improve Middle East studies.

Methods

The Middle East Forum realizes its goals through three main mechanisms:

1. Intellectual: The Forum provides context, insights, and policy recommendations through The East Quarterly, staff writings, public lectures, radio and television appearances, and conference calls (see below for details).

2. Operational: The Forum exerts an active influence through its projects, including Campus Watch, Islamist Watch, Legal Project, Washington Project, Apartheid Monitor, and Shillman/Ginsburg Writing Fellowship Program (see below for details).

3. Philanthropic: The Forum annually distributes US$1.5 million in earmarked donations through its Education Fund, helping researchers, writers, investigators, and activists around the world.

Activities

A Campus Speakers Bureau provides knowledgeable speakers capable of relating accurate and balanced information regarding the Middle East and Islam to American university students.

Campus Watch exposes the … READ THE REST

Assad is Winning Syrian Civil War

Bashar & Asma Assad voting 6-3-14

Assad is Winning Syrian Civil War

I.E. if Times of Israel Source is Accurate

John R. Houk

© June 6, 2014

I read in a Times of Israel article today that the government forces of the Shia-Alawite Syrian dictator Bashar Assad has “secured” 70-80% the Iranian client ally Syria. The source of this report is an unnamed Israeli diplomat.

I’ve always had mixed feelings on the civil war in Syria. If you want an example of an Apartheid State one could say Syria fits the bill. The minority Shia-Alawite (A very secretive Shia sect ergo hard to pin down their exact beliefs: See HERE, HERE and HERE) regime ruled the majority Sunni population in Syria. Although the Assad family has ruled Syria prior to the Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iranian revolution, Bashar Assad has cozied up to the Shia-Twelver (See Also HERE and HERE) regime as a client state. This makes Syria a conduit of hate the connection between Iran and Hezbollah (Shia) ruled Lebanon. It is the military aid of Iran and the Hezbollah terrorists that have allowed Assad to survive the Sunni uprising.

My initial reaction to the Sunnis revolting against Assad was “fantastic”! The reason I felt that way is that a deposing of Assad would throw a monkey wrench into the geopolitical agenda of Iran to dominate the Middle East.

BUT THEN it became apparent the most powerful of the Sunni factions revolting against Assad were the Muslims the West categorizes as followers of Radical Islam which is essentially a politically correct term for Islamic terrorists that hate Jews and America. AND to make things even worse the Islamic terrorist Sunnis were attacking what’s left of an ancient Christian minority in Syria with convert or die ultimatums. In some cases plainly not waiting for a Christian response and simply murdering Christians in a horrific manner.

It is evident now that no real change in Syria would occur no matter who won the civil war. Assad’s Syria would remain a Jew-hating and American-hating client State of Iran. OR a Sunni victory would mean a Syrian-Christian genocide added to the mix of Jew-hatred and American-hatred. Assad used Conventional and Chemical Weapons on the Sunnis and the Sunnis butchered Alawite-Shias, Christians and the pseudo-Islamic Druze minority in horrific ways. Both sides of that civil war are guilty of what the West via the old Geneva conventions would call war crimes. But hey, the only reason a Muslim nation participates in the Geneva Conventions anyway is so that there is a flow of commerce between Islamic nations and the West (~~cough~~ – can you say “oil”?).

Honestly as long as Assad sees the Syria-Christians as a political asset and protects them I am at least temporarily leaning toward his side winning. If it wasn’t for the Christians, I could care less who wins that civil war. I only can pray the U.S. Intelligence Community finds a way to exploit the Syrian civil war to the benefit of American National Interests and for the National Interests of the American ally Israel.

JRH 6/6/14

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Syria’s Assad has won civil war, Israeli diplomatic official says
Regime has secured ’70-80 percent of essential’ territory in the country and benefits from mass refugee exodus, source says

By MITCH GINSBURG

June 5, 2014, 11:46 pm

Times of Israel

Syrian President Bashar Assad, with Iran’s help, has attained most of the regime’s territorial goals and effectively won the civil war against the Sunni rebel forces, an Israeli diplomatic official told The Times of Israel on Thursday.

“Assad has secured 70-80 percent of essential Syria,” the official said, sketching a line from Aleppo in the north down through Hama, Homs, Damascus and the southern areas near Jordan and the city of Dara’a – a Syrian city where the war began and, currently, a channel through which Sunni extremists enter Syria from Jordan.

The capital, too, he said, remains very much in the hands of the regime. “The existential threat on Damascus has been lifted.”

Only the Kurdish regions have slipped irretrievably beyond Assad’s control, he added.

The official’s depiction of the situation in Syria contradicts an assessment given by a top defense official, who in May told several journalists that Assad’s forces have lost the entire Golan Heights, aside from Quneitra and one enclave, and that, “In Aleppo, in Damascus, in the north near the Turkish border, in the Golan Heights – in all of these places he is losing.”

The war in Syria has claimed some 165,000 lives since its outbreak in March 2011 and forced millions of Syrian’s to flee their homes and their country. Lebanon, for instance, has been radically altered by an influx of 1.5 million Syrian refugees who currently constitute 25 percent of the Lebanese population.

The diplomatic official said that the Sunni exodus from the country has “changed the demography in Assad’s favor,” and suggested that Assad, who has the support of most of the Druze and Christian minorities in Syria, did relatively poorly in this week’s national election, if one takes into account, among other factors, the nearly seven million displaced people and refugees who were not able to reach the ballot boxes. Assad ostensibly won over 88% of the votes, with more than 10 million in his favor. The official said he did not believe the figures, and also cited a survey suggesting that 88% of the refugees would have voted against him if they’d had the chance.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, noting that voting booths were stationed only in government-controlled areas, called the election “a great big zero,” because “you can’t have an election where millions of your people don’t even have an ability to vote.”

The Iranian influence in Syria, the Israeli diplomatic official said, was unaltered by President Hassan Rouhani’s rise to power, and a nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers, he added, will only encourage Iran to act more aggressively in pursuit of its goals in Syria.

The war effort is largely coordinated by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, he said, and carried out by loyalist troops and the 3,000-4,000 Hezbollah guerillas in Syria. A Baseej-like force of citizens loyal to the regime, the National Defense Army, has been established at the local level and is 60,000-people strong.

An indication of Hezbollah’s success, he asserted, was not merely the strategic territory held in places like Qusair, but the fact that in Lebanon the dominant concern today is the threat of Sunni jihadist fighters and not Hezbollah’s involvement in the civil war next door.

The official alluded to some of the difficult choices made by Hezbollah in recent years – the unpopular decision to fight in Syria, revealing the depth of its ideological ties to Iran and largely forsaking the fight against Israel – and said that while the Shiite terror organization is close to emerging victorious from the conflict, Israel remains very much ambiguous about its goals in the regional war. “We know what we don’t want,” he said, “but not what we do want.”

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Assad is Winning Syrian Civil War

John R. Houk

© June 6, 2014

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Syria’s Assad has won civil war, Israeli diplomatic official says

ABOUT THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

The Times of Israel is a Jerusalem-based online newspaper founded in 2012 to document developments in Israel, the Middle East and around the Jewish world.

It was established by veteran UK-born, Israeli journalist David Horovitz and his US-based capital partner Seth Klarman. Horovitz is the founding editor, responsible for the site’s editorial content.

The Times of Israel has no partisan political affiliation. It seeks to present the news fair-mindedly and offers a wide range of analysis and opinion pieces.

We also highlight developments from Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora, and thus serve as a global focal point for the Jewish world – informing and engaging members of the tribe everywhere.

We aim for the site to … READ THE REST

Chemical Assad is a War Criminal

John R. Houk

© May 28, 2013

Most Conservatives see the Syrian Civil War as a no-win situation for American National Interests. On one side you have the rogue government of Bashar al-Assad that is Iran’s ally and a conduit for Islamic terrorists especially the Shi’ites of Hezbollah entrenched in Lebanon. On the other side you have the Free Syrian Army (FSA) that is a loosely united bunch of Sunni Muslims and Syrian Secularists (See Also HERE and HERE) rebelling against Assad’s Shi’ite Alawite dominated government. The current problem with the Free Syrian Army rebels is that its army is dominated by Islamist factions of which the largest appears to an al Qaeda affiliate.

And so there is the appearance of a no-win choice existing for the U.S. government. It has been confirmed that the Assad government is indeed using chemical weapons against the FSA. It is probably a good guess that Assad is using internationally illegal chemical weapons against the FSA it is a good guess that Assad is using chemical weapons against the Sunni civilian population that is supportive of the FSA.

History shows that helping Islamists against a current common enemy of the USA will come back to bite us in the – you know what. We aided Taliban Islamists against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Taliban were more than willing to take American aid to be a thorn in Soviet Russia’s side until the Soviet army withdrew and the puppet Communist government eventually fell into the hands of Mullah Mohammed Omar. AND the old one-eyed Mullah Omar repaid our aid by giving al Qaeda and its power structure led by Usama bin Laden refuge after the psycho Islamic terrorist sneak attack on 9/11.

The same thing will probably happen if America decides to aid the FSA against Assad’s rogue Syrian government. So then why help the FSA?

The reason for helping the FSA is because ending Assad throws a monkey wrench into Iran and Hezbollah’s nefarious designs against Israel and the USA. Well, at least for awhile there will be disruption against Iran.

The hat trick is knowing history of radical Muslims we have helped will bite our gluteus maximus then at least be smart enough to develop a couple of back-up plans in preparation for that radical Muslim back-stabbing. And by back-up plans I mean something that will strike pain and fear for radical Muslim treachery. A military response does not necessarily mean soldiers on the ground. A military response can be a military strike using conventional weaponry or nuclear weaponry on a strategic basis. And strategic nukes does not turning a whole nation into nuclear made glass from a massive nuke blast.

So yes, at this time an American led coalition needs to remove and punish Assad and his chem-weapon happy generals as war criminals.

JRH 5/28/13

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ISW Report Examines the Free Syrian Army

Intro: Free Syrian Army

John R. Houk

© April 2, 2013

As Americans we should be kept up to date on the civil war happening now in Syria. Syria has been ruled by the Assad family for over 40 years as a ruthless dictatorship that is supportive of Syria’s minority religion of Alawite Shia Islam.

When the Arab Spring began to erupt across North Africa (Maghreb) against despotic regimes and influenced by Islamists but with secular minded Muslims in tow. The throw the dictators out syndrome reached Syria. Unfortunately for the anti-dictatorship crowd in Syria the current dictator Bashar al-Assad has aligned his regime politically and militarily with aspiring regional power Iran. Frankly I believe the Syrian civil war has lasted over a couple years because of Iranian support for the Assad Regime which has been a conduit connection with Lebanon’s Shi’ite terrorists Hezbollah.

Syria’s rebels are represented by the majority Sunni Muslims of which the most powerful elements are al Qaeda/Wahhabi influenced Islamists. This is significant because the Obama Administration is committed to bringing down Assad but is in the dilemma of supporting American-Jew hating Islamists to bring down Assad’s regime. Many people including me believe the secrecy being maintained by the Obama Administration has to do with Benghazigate; i.e. Islamic terrorists attacking a Consulate-like building in Benghazi killing Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others. The scandal surrounds the capability to prevent the attack (See HERE, HERE and HERE) and the reason that Stevens was there in the first place. That reason could be something to do with sending Qaddafi captured weapons to the Syrian rebels which in all likelihood are also American-Jew-hating Islamists.

Below is an email introduction from Institute for the Study of War (ISW) which has a link to a summary of the Free Syrian Army.

JRH 4/2/13

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ISW Report Examines the Free Syrian Army

ISW – For Immediate Release

Contact person: Maggie Rackl

Sent: Mar 25, 2013 at 4:34 PM

ISW’s latest report, The Free Syrian Army, analyzes how rebel commanders on the ground in Syria have begun to coordinate tactically in order to plan operations and combine resources. This cooperation has facilitated many important offensives and rebels have taken control of the majority of the northern and eastern portions of the country. However, rebels have been unable to capitalize on these successes, and fighting has largely stalemated along current battle fronts particularly in the key areas of Aleppo, Homs and Damascus.

In her report, ISW Senior Syria Analyst Elizabeth O’Bagy explores how rebels have attempted to overcome the fragmentation and disorganization that have plagued Syria’s armed opposition since peaceful protestors took up arms in December 2011. A lack of unity has made cooperation and coordination difficult on the battlefield and has limited the effectiveness of rebel operations.

On December 7, 2012, rebel leaders from across Syria announced the election of a new 30-member unified command structure called the Supreme Joint Military Command Council, known as the Supreme Military Command (SMC). The Supreme Military Command improves upon previous attempts at armed opposition unification through higher integration of disparate rebel groups and enhanced communication, which suggest that it could prove to be an enduring security institution. The SMC has the potential to serve as a check on radicalization and help to assert a moderate authority in Syria. If the SMC can create enough incentives for moderation it will likely be able to marginalize the most radical elements within its structure.

There remain a number of critical obstacles ahead for the SMC. They include the incorporation of existing command networks, which will have an impact on command and control and resource allocation; mitigating the strength of extremist groups; and managing disparate sources of financing. As the SMC develops its institutional capacity, its ability to assert greater authority will likely depend on its transactional legitimacy and its ability to distribute critical resources to rebel-held communities. Overcoming these obstacles will be difficult, especially as the nature of the conflict transforms and the sectarian polarization makes it more challenging to create a strong military institution and professional armed force.

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The Free Syrian Army

Executive Summary

By Elizabeth O’Bagy

Institute for the Study of War

Fragmentation and disorganization have plagued Syria’s armed opposition since peaceful protestors took up arms in December 2011 and began forming rebel groups under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army. A lack of unity has made cooperation and coordination difficult on the battlefield and has limited the effectiveness of rebel operations.

Since the summer of 2012, rebel commanders on the ground in Syria have begun to coordinate tactically in order to plan operations and combine resources. This cooperation has facilitated many important offensives and rebels have taken control of the majority of the eastern portion of the country, overrunning their first provincial capital in March 2013 with the capture of al-Raqqa city. However, rebels have been unable to capitalize on these successes, and fighting has largely stalemated along current battle fronts particularly in the key areas of Aleppo, Homs and Damascus.

In order to overcome the current military stalemate, the opposition needs to develop an operational level headquarters that can designate campaign priorities, task units to support priority missions, and resource these units with the proper equipment to execute their missions. Recently, the opposition has established a new national military structure that may grow to serve this purpose.

The SMC includes all of Syria’s most important opposition field commanders, and its authority is based on the power and influence of these rebel leaders. Its legitimacy is derived from the bottom-up, rather than top-down, and it has no institutional legitimacy apart from the legitimacy of the commanders associated with the council. Thus, the SMC is not structurally cohesive, and its ability to enforce command and control is dependent on the cooperation of each of its members.

The incorporation of rebel networks has resulted in chains of command that are not uniform across the five fronts, with each sub-unit retaining their own unique authority structures.

The SMC’s primary function to date has been to serve as a platform for coordination. Regardless of the limits of its current command and control, the SMC has played an important role in syncing rebel operations with several notable successes. It has allowed for greater opportunities for collaboration and coordination among the disparate rebel groups operating in Syria.

As the SMC develops its institutional capacity, its ability to assert greater authority will likely depend on its transactional legitimacy and its ability to distribute critical resources to rebel-held communities.

To date, disparate sources of funding have significantly handicapped the rebels’ ability to unite and consolidate authority on a national level. Although private sources of funding will likely continue outside the parameters of the SMC, uniting the support channels of rebels’ main state sponsors will be fundamental to ensuring the legitimacy of the new organization. The ability to provide resources and material support to its sub-units is the determining factor in whether or not the SMC will be able to unite rebel forces under its command and establish a level of command and control.

The SMC has the potential to serve as a check on radicalization and help to assert a moderate authority in Syria. If the SMC can create enough incentives for moderation it will likely be able to marginalize the most radical elements within its structure. To this end, the SMC has recognized the importance of the inclusion of some of the more radical forces, while still drawing a red line at the inclusion of forces that seek the destruction of a Syrian state, such as jihadist groups like Jabhat Nusra.

Ultimately, even if the SMC only serves as a mechanism for greater cooperation and coordination, it is a significant development in that it has united the efforts of rebel commanders across Syria. It is the first attempt at unity that incorporates important commanders from all Syrian provinces and has enough legitimacy on the ground to even begin the process of building a structure capable of providing a national-level chain of command.

Syria’s state security apparatus will collapse as the Assad regime finishes its transformation into a militia-like entity. The Supreme Military Command is currently the only organization that could serve to fill the security vacuum left by this transformation. As the Syrian opposition begins to build a transitional government, the SMC could create a framework for rebuilding Syria’s security and governing institutions if properly supported. The SMC’s ability to act as a basis for a national defense institution will be an important component in filling the power vacuum left by Assad’s fall and will aid in a secure and stable Syria.

There remain a number of critical obstacles ahead for the SMC. They include the incorporation of existing command networks, which will have an impact on command and control and resource allocation; mitigating the strength of extremist groups; and managing disparate sources of financing. Overcoming these obstacles will be difficult, especially as the nature of the conflict transforms and the sectarian polarization makes it more challenging to create a strong military institution and professional armed force. Although the SMC must do its part internally to overcome these obstacles, its success will largely depend on greater international support and access to more resources.

The goal behind U.S. support to the opposition should be to build a force on the ground that is committed to building a nonsectarian, stable Syria, with a government more likely to respect American interests. Working with the SMC could enhance America’s position vis-à-vis Syria’s armed opposition and provide a mechanism for stability should the Assad regime fall.

PDF Document:

The free Syrian army

MIDDLE EAST SECURITY REPORT 9

March 2013

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Intro: Free Syrian Army

John R. Houk

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ISW Report Examines the Free Syrian Army

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research organization. ISW advances an informed understanding of military affairs through reliable research, trusted analysis, and innovative education. We are committed to improving the nation’s ability to execute military operations and respond to emerging threats in order to achieve U.S. strategic objectives.

Who We Are Page

Syria is Becoming the Land of Massacres

John R. Houk

Danny Jeffrey of Freedom Rings 1776 has uncovered a Western Media conspiracy to make Bashar al-Assad look like the only butcher in the Syrian civil war. The conspiracies involve utilizing photographs from other Muslim perpetrated atrocities and link it to the grisly massacre in Houla, Syria. Jeffrey has a point because in the process of looking for independent sources I found out that the BBC used a 2003 Iraq photo and implied this was a picture of the result of Assad’s forces slaughtering Syrians at Houla.

A few days have passed since the BBC irresponsibly passed off this 2003 picture of dead Iraqis as depicting dead Syrians in last week’s Houla massacre. The original photographer, who works for Getty Images, said “Someone is using someone else’s picture for propaganda on purpose.” The Telegraph:

Photographer Marco di Lauro said he nearly “fell off his chair” when he saw the image being used, and said he was “astonished” at the failure of the corporation to check their sources.

The picture, which was actually taken on March 27, 2003, shows a young Iraqi child jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons found in a desert south of Baghdad.

It was posted on the BBC news website today under the heading “Syria massacre in Houla condemned as outrage grows”. (Read entire article: The BBC’s Photo Fib of a Syrian Massacre; by John Glaser, AntiWar.com, 5/29/12)

The photo Jeffrey uncovered was at Fox News (If Jeffrey’s uncovering gains traction, look to Fox News to remove photo at this story). Jeffrey goes through some very legitimate investigation which you can see by clicking HERE or going to the cross post below.

Jeffrey’s theme about the photo is that the Western Media is becoming a propaganda tool of the Western powers that are plugged into the United Nations’ concept of Responsibility to Protect:

The basic concept is that anytime a nation is being subjected to a forceful overthrow, the the UN affiliated members of the western powers are to intervene with a no fly zone over that nation. We did this in Libya along with providing arms to Al Qaeda in their effort to depose Qaddafi. The effort was perfect to enact R2P as Qaddafi was generally hated world wide so there was little outcry from the people of America. (From Jeffrey article cross posted at SlantRight 2.0 entitled “Israel’s Doomsday Scheme.”)

The R2P thinking in this light is a little practice of New World Order application under the auspices of the United Nations (think Agenda 21). Now I don’t know if Jeffrey thinks this is NWO stuff but I do. I do know that the R2P principle is a World Powers agenda to eliminate Israel (at least the EU and American Leftists) probably under the mistaken concept that no Israel means peace in the Middle East. After the Libyan R2P the Western powers then want to take down Assad.

The problem with taking down Assad is it is merely replacing a Jew-hating rogue Shia-Alawite regime with a Jew-hating Radical Islamic (al Qaeda influence) rogue Sunni regime. Israel – our chief ally in the Middle East – will not benefit in a regime change except perhaps Iran losing a chief ally in the Middle East.

Some short-sighted geopolitical thinking might see a National Security win for the USA with Iran losing its Syrian ally to a bunch Radical Islamic Sunnis. Historically there has been a bloody divide between Sunnis (90% of Islam) and Shias (10% of Islam). In Saudi Arabia the Wahhabi Clerics have often declared the Shias a bunch of infidels grouped with Christians, Jews and polytheists. On the other hand Iran has successfully crossed the Sunni-Shia divide by focusing on the modern enemy of Islam – Jewish Israel.

Hamas is a Sunni Muslim Brotherhood offshoot; however Iran has undoubtedly sent missiles to Hamas to use on Israel. Hamas has condemned the Assad regime for shooting Sunni Syrians; I believe that condemnation of Syria has more to do with traditional Sunni-Shia divide than insulting Assad-Hamas arms supporter Iran.

Jeffrey does not see the potential National Security benefit of screwing Iran by taking Assad out of Syria. Jeffrey sees only the R2P doctrine and Left Wing globalist conspirators like George Soros pulling the strings as part of an anti-Israel strategy. NOW I don’t discount Jeffrey’s thoughts about R2P, destroy Israel and globalism. It may very well be a part of multitudinous agendas that might have converged simultaneously in consensus to mess with Iran, but the agendas may part ways as far the end game of US Foreign Policy-Military Geopolitics. If I am correct on my convergence theory then Israel’s safety would depend largely who controls the White House after 2012. I am certain an Obama reelection will cement Jeffrey’s scenario!

Jeffrey starts his exposé on a false Houla photograph by throwing Senator McCain into complicity of knowingly supporting al Qaeda-like Sunni rebels as part of a greater R2P UN global strategy. Read the blog Friends of Syria which has a post specifically connecting Senator McCain, George Soros and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

There is no doubt in my mind that McCain is a RINO; however I believe McCain was a brave American veteran who suffered in a North Viet POW camp. I also believe McCain is unduly influenced by his staff which ropes him into projects that he stubbornly protects because his name is attached to it. For instance I believe it was brilliant to choose Sarah Palin as his VP running mate. McCain’s mistake was not unleashing Palin to be the lightening rod on bringing Obama’s sketchy history into question. McCain instead listened to his advisors to pull the reins on Palin allowing the press to portray her as a buffoon. Instead of trying to shut Palin up, McCain should have unleashed her to attack Obama on some of the same issues of experience in a tit-for-tat that I doubt Obama could answer straight forwardly. I think McCain would have won in 2008 if that political strategy was followed. BUT again, McCain was a Republican establishment RINO. As a RINO I doubt he would have taken the Socialist path Obama has taken however I doubt he would have done anything to change big government or take steps to lower or eliminate the deficit. For that matter I am doubtful Romney will be the Tea Party Conservative our nation needs; however I am confident Romney will end Obama’s Socialist agenda to change America. We need to elect Romney to put a hiccup in the Obama-Dem-Socialist agenda currently in place for America’s future.

Let’s get back to the Houla Massacre.

The issue about Houla is: Was it perpetrated by FSA (SA Wikipedia) rebels or Assad’s Shabiha Militia (not Syrian regular army)?

The United Nations version gravitates toward the Assad regime as the culprit or at the very least Assad’s irregular Shabiha Militia. A Reuters article dated June 27, 2012 reports the UN view:

(Reuters) – Syrian government forces have committed human rights violations, including executions, across the country “on an alarming scale” during military operations in the past three months, United Nations investigators said on Wednesday.

Their report, presented by investigation head Paulo Pinheiro to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, also listed multiple killings and kidnappings by armed opposition groups trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

“In the increasingly militarized context, human rights violations are occurring across the country on an alarming scale during military operations against locations believed to be hosting defectors and/or those perceived as affiliated with anti-government armed groups, including the Free Syrian Army,” the 20-page report said. (Emphasis Mine)

Syria’s ambassador dismissed the accusations and walked out of the debate after threatening to end cooperation.

The investigation’s report also said it was unable to determine who carried out a massacre of more than 100 people in Houla in late May but that forces loyal to Assad may have carried out many of the killings. This was based on its preliminary analysis of satellite images, videos and interviews with witnesses conducted either by telephone or Skype.

…

The U.N. investigators voiced concern that rebels were using children as medical porters, messengers and cooks, exposing them to risk of death and injury. Some had been going back and forth across the border with Turkey, they said.

Pinheiro, who made a first visit to Damascus at the weekend for talks with senior Syrian officials, presented the report to the U.N. Human Rights Council that set up the international inquiry last September.

…

“The evidence is incontrovertible. The Assad regime is waging a brutal campaign against the Syrian people, characterized by aerial bombardment, mass killings, rape and other atrocities,” U.S. ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe said in her speech.

The U.N. team, which conducted nearly 400 interviews, said it had collected photographs, videos, satellite imagery and other documentary evidence during its recent investigative missions in the region.

It was updating its confidential list of identified perpetrators for possible use in future criminal prosecutions for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“We provided a list of names and units of the military forces or security sections of the government of Syria that based on our evidence would be able to be investigated as being responsible for gross human rights violations and international crimes,” Pinheiro said. (Read Entirety: Syria government, rebels violate rights: U.N.; Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Toby Chopra; Reuters, June 27, 2012)

See also this NRO report John Rosenthal dated 6/9/12 stating “rebels” executed Christians and Shia Alawites and then proceeded to make it look like the Assad Regime were the culprits of mass murder.

Independent reports out of the influence of Western Media except a German periodical indicate that the FSA has been framed and that the Shabiha Militia (Assad supporters) executed the massacre in Houla:

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The summary killing of 108 civilians in Houla, many of them children, raised an international outcry against Assad’s regime, with many countries, including Bulgaria, breaking diplomatic ties with Syria.

However, an analysis of what happened in Houla on May 25, as well as reports by locals, show that the atrocity was carried out by rebel forces, just as claimed by official Syrian news information agency SANA.

Tuesday reputed German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes the fact that the larger part of victims of the massacre were members of the Alawi and Shia minorities in teh (sic) village strongly points to the massacre being committed by armed Sunni rebels.

According to eyewitness reports quoted by FAZ, the atrocity began after rebel forces attacked three army checkpoints near the village to protect local Alawi communities.

During the skirmish, the massacre itself began, in which armed Sunni rebels turned on Alawi and Shia families and slaughtered them.

Then they filmed and photographed the victims to present them as Sunni victims of the Assad regime.

… (Read Entirety: Houla Massacre Likely Committed by Rebels, Not Syrian Govt; novinite.com; 6/12/12)

A Chinese News agency known as The 4^th Media runs a long detailed article absolving the Assad Regime and the Shabiha Militia of the Houla Massacre utilizing info from Western sources, but keep in mind China is supportive of the Assad Regime. I doubt The 4^th Media would engage in reporting that made Assad as culpable as the FSM in any massacre in Syria.

The best dissection of what happened in Houla are the enumerated details from a Muslim journalist Siraj Datoo. He quotes the German Newspaper FAZ which claims that 90% of Houla’s population were Sunni Muslims yet the more than 100 dead were Shia Alawites.

Datoo describes Assad’s army shelling Datoo. Then he writes while the shelling was going on the Sunni FSA rebels sought out the Shia living in Houla by going house to house and executing families (men, women & children) by gunfire and knife stabs. The FSA then took pictures and disseminated them to the Western press along with the verified shelling of Houla by Assad forces with the implication that the Shabiha Militia entered Houla after the shelling to massacre the people. The obvious wonderment is: Why in the world would the Shabiha massacre Shias rather than Sunnis?

Now let’s be clear though, Assad is far from a sainted Shia hero defending the innocent lives of his own faith and tribal affiliations. Assad has gone after Sunni population centers and indiscriminately killing them. So what we are seeing in the Syrian civil war is how Muslims in the Middle East conduct war. The Sunni-Shia divide and the ensuing murders of civilian populations based on a religio-ethnic cleansing is the modus operandi of Muslim war. Just think what will happen in Israel if there ever is a successful military assault that breaks through the IDF lines will begin a slaughter of Jews that will make the Nazi Holocaust look like a humane ethnic cleansing.

JRH 7/2/12

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On Syria – Obama Indecision may be Worse than Decisiveness

John R. Houk

The current Syrian government – a client State of Iran – has been massacring its own citizens for months now. Unlike in Libya, the Obama solution is to look the other way. Why?

My best guess is that the consequences of aiding Syrian revolutionaries (the Sunni-Islam majority weary of the Alawite-Islam minority) have too many unknowns for President BHO to enter the fray to stop the genocide.

If BHO actively supports the revolutionaries will Iran have the guts to send troops into Syria to defend its client? And if Iran sends troops will Israel use the excuse to enter Syria militarily because of Iranian threats to wipe Israel off the map? Will the real Lebanese government in the form of Hezbollah offer military support to Assad’s Syria since Hezbollah is both a client of Iran and Shias like Alawites are Shias? Again, will Hezbollah action force Israel’s entrance into Syria?

I am sure there are other possible consequences that BHO does not want to deal with in an election year; nonetheless you can see that revolution in Syria could be the first domino leading to at least a Middle East regional war or worst WWIII.

If Obama Foreign Policy spinelessness continues his indecision might tip the first domino making things worse in a war somewhat like Britain and France waited on Hitler to have some common sense until the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939.

Below are some Leslie J. Sacks thoughts on the slaughter in Iran which is a bit different than my thoughts.

JRH 3/1/12 (Read the Sacks thoughts at the end of my thoughts at SlantRight 2.0)

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