The Syrian Crisis

[Cliff@sea]

"Intervention in Syria is a catastrophe," says Lavrov - English pravda.ru


Eduard Pesov - Olga Samofálova,
Russian Gazette

The Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, said in an interview with Sky News Arabia that Russia was surprised by the U.S. desire to resolve the crisis in Syria by ignoring the United Nations Organization. Lavrov denied that Moscow supports Bashar Assad and said that a decision on the resignation of the Syrian President can be taken only by the citizens of that country.

After a meeting in Geneva between representatives of the five member countries of the UN (United Nations) and others bordering Syria, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Patrick Ventrell, said the absence of a resolution does not impede the actions of the United States.

"Three times Russia and China blocked the resolutions on Syria in the UN. We tried to convince them to change their position, but could not," Ventrell said last June. "We have to continue working under the aegis of the United Nations, but we also have a broader strategy that should be respected. We do not intend to stop doing our job just because there is no resolution," added Ventrell.

"The United States has expressed its intention to intervene, ignoring the UN Security Council," countered the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, during an interview with Sky News.

The minister said the decision on the resignation of Bashar Al-Assad can only be taken by Syrians.

"I believe that the statements from Washington and other capitals that the declaration of Geneva is a dead letter are completely irresponsible. This document represents the most important consensus reached in cooperation with western countries, Russia, China, Turkey and the main Arab countries," said the Russian minister.

Lavrov added that there is an extremely complex ethnic and religious mix in Syria. "Minorities who gather around Assad expecting help in protecting their rights, are also part of the Syrian people," he said.

During an interview with Sky News, Lavrov also denied rumors that Russia had signed new contracts with the Syrian government to supply military equipment. "As we have stated repeatedly, we have no intention of signing new agreements," Lavrov added.

Previously, the assistant secretary of state for European affairs and Eurasians, Philip Gordon, had criticized Russian arms sales to Syria.

 

[asianobserve]

The unsaid complete title of that article should be "Intervention in Syria is a catastrophe for Russia," says Lavrov." This is more appropriate as after Iran it is Russia that has more to lose from a collapse of the Assad regime...

 

[Cliff@sea]

The unsaid complete title of that article should be "Intervention in Syria is a catastrophe for Russia," says Lavrov." This is more appropriate as after Iran it is Russia that has more to lose from a collapse of the Assad regime...

Sir you will do well to join CIA disinformation cell.

 

[Cliff@sea]

PressTV - Insurgents use civilians as human shields in Syria: Analyst


200,000 Syrians have fled to neighboring countries to escape the violence as FSA rebels use residential areas as human shields for their attacks on the Syrian army.


Press TV has interviewed Paul Wolf, human rights activist and international lawyer, Washington about the potential for high civilian casualties with the Free Syrian Army rebels engaging in street wars as they locate themselves in heavily residential areas. What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: The Syrian armed gangs are taking the war onto the streets with this recent report that they raid civilian homes, force the residents out and turn them into operating rooms. Why are such reports not highlighted in Western media that claims to be giving the news all its angles?

Wolf: The Western news media tends to support the views of the Western governments and the Western governments have views that are similar to the people in those countries, so you know, it's a vicious circle really for demonizing one group after another for example the Iraqis or the Taliban and it tends to be a vicious circle that's hard for us to get out of.

In the story that you've just presented I wanted to point out a view problems that I have with that. The first thing, which you correctly pointed out by calling the group 'armed gangs', is that the Free Syrian Army does not have the status of a belligerent force; they do have the status of criminals. So they can't take prisoners; they can't do things that you might expect a military force to have some right to do. To be a belligerent force they would have to control part of the territory; they'd have to wear uniforms; and they'd have to be at least trying to obey the laws of war.

So that's the first thing - that you're not dealing with probably even one uniformed group, you're dealing with a lot of criminal organizations and that's the legal status they have.

In the particular story that you're covering, they are using the most densely populated areas to launch attacks on the Syrian army. And that seems almost calculated to invite attacks by the Syrian air force and result in civilian casualties - And the buzz word that people use for that is human shields.

Of course I don't want to defend if the Syrian air force does go and kill civilians because they're not supposed to do that, but I think that the Free Syrian Army shouldn't be trying to attack the Syrian army from those locations.

And the second part of that problem is that when the war is concentrated in those urban areas it causes a great deal more forced displacement - and as you just mentioned there were over 200,000 just crossing the border and how many internally displaced people there are we don't know. Those are very serious problems, they cause health problems and they do result in quite a number of fatalities.

So I think that this is a real bad tactic that they're using to urbanize the war and go sort of house-to-house combat that it is going to be extremely bad for Syria and will result in a lot more loss of life.

Press TV: As the report says, such a tactic has resulted in what the UN claims is 200,000 refugees that have escaped the violence into neighboring countries. Interestingly there have been reports that some refugees have been prevented from going back to their homes.

Some observers say that there is an idea to evacuate Syria to give more room to these insurgents and armed gangs. What do you think?

Wolf: Well, I don't know, but if they're doing that (The Free Syrian Army) that certainly is a war crime, that would be a crime against humanity if it was widespread in practice. That's what we saw in the former Yugoslavia - we saw what we call ethnic cleansing - and in any kind of war the sides tend to try and do that.

In the area where they control they want to have the people who are their adversaries leave so they don't have to worry about them. And this also causes very long term destruction in these areas. So we refer to that with the term ethnic cleansing, we talk about it as a war crime and possibility a crime against humanity.

So if the Free Syrian Army is trying to do that, if they're trying to separate the people out because of their political view or even there could be some component of religious view - I have no idea - but anything along those lines would be considered ethnic cleansing.

These are all good things to point out because as you started with your question to me, the Western media is simply cheering for the rebels and, you know, we're hearing about how bad Assad is, may be all of that is true, but the situation right now is very, very serious.

Press TV: As you mentioned earlier, based upon reports, such houses occupied by insurgents become the targets of the Syrian army because they are occupied by the insurgents. This is often neglected in the West and otherwise interpreted as an attack by the Syrian army on residential units, which causes ambiguity and disrepute for the Syrian army.

How do you think the Syrian army should respond in such circumstances?

Wolf: Well, they have an obligation to protect the people. What can they do? Can they just ignore this because it is going on in urban areas? They have to fight back.

And I believe contrary to what you might in the Western press that the Free Syrian Army is not finding a lot of support in Aleppo and in other areas where they thought they would be able to situate themselves - because their culture a lot of them are not even Syrians so they're not gaining the support of the places where they want to kind of blend in with the population.


I just wish it wasn't happening in the most urban of areas because that seems to be calculated to cause the most casualties.

And, you know, that is terrorism. When you are trying to cause the most civilian casualties that you possibly can. It creates a situation where both sides are really going to be guilty because the Syrian army has to do something.

Now, maybe they can go in and not use the air force and go house to house and lose more Syrian soldiers"¦ That's a judgment call that somebody over there has to make. But I think the first criticism would be for the Free Syrian Army to locate themselves in those areas.

 

[Armand2REP]

Mil-17 crash. How could it have happened? Decide for yourselves.

If it was hit by a heat seeking missile it would have gone for the engine, not the fuselage. It looks like a tracer set the fuel tank on fire.

 

[asianobserve]

Sir you will do well to join CIA disinformation cell.

Well after so publicly siding with Assad and neutralising practically all major efforts to contain Assad, Russia will definitely be in the wrong end of the new Syrian regime after Assad is removed from power. "Catastrophe" may just be an understatement if that happens... Hence, to forestall a complete marginalization of Russia in that country Lavrov better start negotiating for a graceful exit for Assad...

 

[asianobserve]

If it was hit by a heat seeking missile it would have gone for the engine, not the fuselage. It looks like a tracer set the fuel tank on fire.

Besides after watching the video posted by IBSA it's clear that there was no tell-tale smoke trail suggesting an anti-aircraft missile was used against it.

 

[Cliff@sea]

'Global balance of power takes shape in Syria'

The Syrian crisis is comparable to the Suez Crisis when a US-USSR standoff marked the demise of the old world, Syria's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Dr. Qadri Jamil told RT. Today, Russia and China usher a unipolar world to an end.

RT: Let us start by revisiting your recent news conference in which you assessed the basic principles that must be observed for any kind of dialogue to be possible in Syria. You named two principles: ending hostilities and refraining from foreign interference. Is there anything else?

Dr. Qadri Jamil: No. There are only these two principles, which should be enough. If we were to agree on these two principles, all other issues would become technicalities, despite our contradictions, and we would be able to reach an agreement on certain reciprocal concessions.
The guidelines in question include refraining from foreign interference in any form, which means the Syrian people should be allowed to decide their fate by themselves. It is, in fact, a longstanding principle of international relations that's being violated right now.
The second principle requires giving up violence in any of its forms. If we look at the issues that lie at the core of contention in Syria, we'll see that it's something that simply cannot be resolved through use of force. Instead, the way to deal with them is to sit down at the negotiating table. I should say that pursuing a peaceful solution through dialogue would require the world to show quite a lot of courage by refraining from military action. It might seem that military force can get you farther than anything else; but in reality, we've all seen that warfare doesn't get you anywhere politically.

The situation in Syria is very volatile, and any instance of armed combat will only escalate the hostilities. What we need is a simultaneous ceasefire, which would be in line with the Kofi Annan plan, the Geneva arrangements, the stance of our friends, and the attitude of the Syrian government, which has published a resolution calling for national reconciliation.

RT: How would you respond to people who say they won't negotiate with a government whose military machine has been razing Syrian cities to the ground? How is that as a pre-condition for dialogue?

QJ: That's beyond reason. Violence has been employed by each of the warring parties. If we start regarding such statements as a precondition, then dialogue will never take place. Civil wars in Lebanon and Algeria have shown that, sooner or later, warring parties do come to negotiate with each other. So the Syrian people do have a chance.

If only we get down to reconciliation without delay, we might avoid having to pay an immense price for our country's war-torn economy. Common sense and wisdom call for sitting down at the negotiating table as soon as possible, without imposing any preconditions that will only impede the process. Such demands may be perfectly well-meaning but, at the end of the day, they are misleading and effectively do more to obstruct the peace process rather than encourage it. And anyone who's impeding dialogue right now should be held responsible for the continuing bloodshed in Syria.

RT: Dr. Qadri, you and [Syrian National Reconciliation Minister] Dr. [Ali] Haidar have been described as prominent personalities with the so-called domestic opposition. Today, you are members of a national reconciliation government. Notwithstanding the escalating violence, would you say that your cooperation with the regime has managed to make a change as far as government policies are concerned?

QJ: First of all, the present government can't be called a government of reconciliation, as it has a different shape. Still, our joining this government on behalf of the opposition was aimed at unraveling the maze and finding a way to establish a true, national unity government.
We know now that sitting by and expecting such conditions, which will make all the opposition parties join in the national unity government, can cause damage. So, we've taken it upon ourselves to make the first step toward forming a coalition government while retaining our opposition views. We joined the government based on a national unity agenda, which was put into practice by a governmental declaration.
The declaration includes two major provisions which are the backbone of the coalition and of the future. The Syrian government relies on the principle of national reconciliation, and its recent declaration upholds this principle as a cornerstone, regarding it as a process that would express the sovereign will of the people and be essential for resolving the crisis. Adopting a roadmap for national reconciliation by a national unity government can be regarded as a victory of the entire Syrian people.
The second provision goes in tune with our principles and was proven by the government declaration. It suggests focusing on the East, and not just in politics, given how the current worldwide situation was affected by Russia and China's veto, that meant the end of old age and the beginning of a new one.
I mean focusing on the East regarding the economy, fully revising all the economic ties of Syria which have existed throughout the years. The revision of the system is a crucial task. The Syrian crisis gave rise to it, and now the outset of this revision is of great importance and means a lot. This is not a short-term measure; this solution will have a positive impact for the Syrian economy, society and social structure.

RT: You've mentioned the cessation of hostilities as one of the key principles, and you reiterated that point at the news conference. However, there is violence employed on both sides of the conflict in Syria, and one of the warring parties is the government, of which you are a minister. Have you tried using your position in the cabinet to promote the notion of ending the violence?

QJ: As far as the cessation of violence is concerned, we should refer to the Geneva Communiqué, which provides for a ceasefire in accordance with the Kofi Annan plan, and requires each party to assign their empowered interlocutors. Syria did appoint its official representative, whereas the other party still hasn't done so, and I don't know why. Maybe they have trouble picking the right person for the job. Whatever the reason, dialogue and negotiation cannot happen without each party making their contribution. In our case, one of the parties cannot decide whether it wants to participate, their deadlines change constantly, and the talks are perpetually postponed. It's high time that we get on with the process of negotiation.
This issue is closely linked to the opposition choosing between options. The opposition is very diverse. One of its more reasonable factions is the National Coordinating Committee, which has made their stance clear: they call for dialogue with no preconditions. We have supported their position, which is indeed similar to our own long-standing perspective. We see that there are points for convergence among Syria's various political groups, including the opposition, both inside Syria and abroad.
In this regard, there was a very important statement made yesterday by Dr. Haitham, who has gone as far as to suggest handing over to The Hague tribunal the militants who are guilty of killing Syrians. Therefore, I am confident that reality itself urges every sane-minded person to call for dialogue. If we manage to agree on the principles I've already named, once we start a dialogue we would be able to address any issue. But we need to refrain from insisting on pre-conditions that are likely to prevent dialogue altogether. We can achieve a lot at the negotiating table, if only we agree on the two fundamental principles for starting a dialogue.

RT: Most observers believe that Syria has become hostage to a global competition for power and influence waged by major global players. Would you say that American presidential candidates, President Obama in particular, have taken advantage of this issue?

QJ: The Syrian crisis is unfolding at a turning point in history that I like to compare to the Suez Crisis. The US-Soviet standoff marked the demise of the old world, where the UK and France enjoyed hegemony, and the emergence of a new bipolar world. Today, the opposition of Russia and China is what ushers in the end of a unipolar world.

But the new world order is yet to take shape.
Today, international relations are going through a painful metamorphosis. There is a lot of chaos and disagreement, and this brings both positive and negative implications for the Syrian crisis.
The downside to this phenomenon is that the global balance of power is still taking shape. Continued hostilities in Syria are what the US and Europe wants to see. These hostilities follow the familiar Yugoslavia scenario. The bloodshed makes it impossible for various groups to coexist peacefully within the Syrian nation. This is why the current international situation is so dangerous.
However, it also creates a historically-unprecedented opportunity for the Syrian people to untangle a problem built on a long-standing and deep-rooted feud in a totally new way. This is, of course, only possible if there is enough political willpower to do that.
If Syria manages to resolve this crisis, it will, for the first time in history, cast away the all-too-familiar pattern of dividing the state and society along the lines of differences, as was the case in Libya and Iraq – to replace it by a renaissance that will get Syria a place in the sun in the new political and economic environment.


'Global balance of power takes shape in Syria' — RT

 

[asianobserve]

(self-deleted - unnecessary)

 

[Cliff@sea]

Well after so publicly siding with Assad and neutralising practically all major efforts to contain Assad, Russia will definitely be in the wrong end of the new Syrian regime after Assad is removed from power. "Catastrophe" may just be an understatement if that happens... Hence, to forestall a complete marginalization of Russia in that country Lavrov better start negotiating for a graceful exit for Assad...

The West and Saudi sympathisers try to project Assad's removal as a foregone conclusion .

Which is not so obvious to everybody else .

What IS indisputable is that if the Assad regime is toppled
it will invariably be replaced with a Wahhabi Sunni regime, and that will mean
the end of last bastion of secularism in the Arab wrold

Syria will then witness a systematic genocidal cleansing of Alawis and Christians in the country .

Truly a Catastrophe for the whole world.

 

[asianobserve]

The West and Saudi sympathisers try to project Assad's removal as a foregone conclusion .

Unless ones eyes are closed there's no escaping the fact that Assad is on the way out. Now it may not happen this year but definitely it is happening. Anyway, even if Assad is not removed his power is already seriously weakened.

What IS indisputable is that if the Assad regime is toppled
it will invariably be replaced with a Wahhabi Sunni regime, and that will mean
the end of last bastion of secularism in the Arab wrold

This is exactly what a lot of people thought about Lybia during the uprising.

 

[asianobserve]

Another perspective of the crisis

Geagea: Syrian crisis won't spread to Lebanon
August 24, 2012


Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said in remarks published Friday that the Syrian crisis will not spill over into Lebanon, downplaying the possibility of a civil war erupting in Syria's small neighbor.

"The Syrian crisis will not move into Lebanon and there is no fear of a [possible] civil war breaking out again [in Lebanon]. [However], some of the Syrian regime's allies [in the country, mainly] Hezbollah, are trying to whip up some problems in more than one Lebanese area to ease the pressure from which the [Syrian] regime is suffering," Geagea said during an interview with Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper.

Turing to the assassination attempt that targeted him in April, Geagea said that it was related to the waves of political assassination that rocked Lebanon in past years.

"[The assassination attempt] came as [part] of the series of assassinations that happened in Lebanon since the [killing] of former Premier Rafiq Hariri [in 2005] and up until now."

On April 4, snipers targeted Geagea outside his Maarab residence in the district of Kesrouan, but failed to hit him.

The LF leader told the German newspaper that he was not satisfied with the ongoing investigation into the incident, saying the Lebanese government was "partially paralyzed [on any issue related to] Syria and Hezbollah."

Geagea also expressed his concern that political assassinations might reoccur in Lebanon and target other figures.

In July, March 14 MP Boutros Harb also escaped an assassination bid.

Commenting on the case of detained former Lebanese Information Minister Michel Samaha, Geagea said that the Syrian regime was seeking "to stir strife between Sunnis and Alawites; [especially that] the [confiscated] explosions were prepared [for the purpose of] killing hundreds of people."

On August 9, Lebanese security forces arrested Samaha, who has close ties with Syria's embattled regime, in a case linked to explosives.

Judge Sami Sader charged Samaha and two Syrian army officers with setting up an armed group to incite sectarian strife through "terror attacks."

"The [Syrian] regime was [thinking] that Sunnis would react by murdering Shiites and Alawites in Lebanon; thus [leading] to a civil war in Lebanon – [an event that would] alleviate tension on the [Syrian] regime," Geagea said.

"The downfall of the Syrian regime is a matter of time. [This issue] might require some months, and once the regime comes to an end Lebanon will rid itself of one of its greatest problems," Geagea said.

However, he added that although the regime's demise "will affect Hezbollah, this does not mean the end [of the party]."

Lebanon's Shiite group Hezbollah is mainly backed by Tehran and Damascus. It spearheads the pro-Syrian regime March 8 alliance in Lebanon.



To read more: Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon -Geagea: Syrian crisis won't spread to Lebanon
Only 25% of a given NOW Lebanon article can be republished. For information on republishing rights from NOW Lebanon: Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon

 

[asianobserve]

(Sorry - double post)

 

[Cliff@sea]

Unless ones eyes are closed there's no escaping the fact that Assad is on the way out. Now it may not happen this year but definitely it is happening. Anyway, even if Assad is not removed his power is already seriously weakened.

cant dispute that Assad's Power has weakened but it still doesn't look like a government on its Last legs by a long long way

This is exactly what a lot of people thought about Lybia during the uprising.

Primus: Libya's situation hasn't stabilized yet to start quoting it as a positive example

Secundus: in Libya Muammar Gaddafi still belonged to the Majority Sunni Community.

Libya does not have a sizeable minority unlike in Syria which forms the ruling elite to boot ,

The Sunni Majority in Syria will undoubtedly wreck a vindictive havoc on Alawis and Christians (which are siding with Assad)

once it has free reign over its affairs, gradually, if not in an avalanche .


Lebonan has always had a western tilt in its outlook

& Ofcourse Sunnis and wahhabis everywhere are waiting

like vultures for another secular country to turn into a Wahhabi shithole.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Iran Said to Send Troops to Bolster Syria

BEIRUT—Iran is sending commanders from its elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and hundreds of foot soldiers to Syria, according to current and former members of the corps.The personnel moves come on top of what these people say are Tehran's stepped-up efforts to aid the military of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with cash and arms. That would indicate that regional capitals are being drawn deeper into Syria's conflict—and undergird a growing perception among Mr. Assad's opponents that the regime's military is increasingly strained.

A commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, appeared to offer Iran's first open acknowledgment of its military involvement in Syria.

"Today we are involved in fighting every aspect of a war, a military one in Syria and a cultural one as well," Gen. Salar Abnoush, commander of IRGC's Saheb al-Amr unit, told volunteer trainees in a speech Monday. The comments, reported by the Daneshjoo news agency, which is run by regime-aligned students, couldn't be independently verified. Top Iranian officials had previously said the country isn't involved in the conflict.

Iran has long trained members of the Syrian security apparatus in cybersecurity and spying on dissidents, U.S. officials and Syrian opposition members have said. The decision to send Iranian personnel comes after rebel attacks this summer in Syria's biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, in particular an explosion in July that killed four members of Mr. Assad's inner circle, according to the people familiar with the IRGC.

Syria's regime is increasingly relying on a core of loyalists to conduct operations, say Syrian opposition members and rebel fighters. In recent weeks, Mr. Assad's army has been hobbled by defections, losing territory in Kurdish areas as well as near Turkey's border, these people say. On Monday, a Syrian military helicopter crashed in a ball of fire in Damascus, according to the Associated Press, citing activists and video footage.

Syria's uprising has placed Iran in a foreign-policy predicament. As the Arab Spring unfolded in countries including Libya, Egypt and Bahrain, the Islamic Republic cast its own revolution as an inspiration for the uprisings.

But Tehran didn't support the protesters in Syria—its closest ally in the region, the conduit between it and the Lebanese Shiite militant and political group Hezbollah, and a gateway for Iranian influence in the Arab world. Iran's most influential voices, including its supreme leader and the political and military power structures, have steadfastly supported Syria's president and, like Mr. Assad, have blamed the country's violence on foreign meddling and terrorists.

But in continuing to support Mr. Assad, Tehran's popular support in the region appears to have waned. Some elements of the government appear to be hedging bets: In the past few months, Iran's Foreign Ministry has reached out to some Syrian opposition members, offering to mediate between the two sides.
Those efforts appear to be overshadowed now by Iran's support for the Syrian military in its fight against the rebel insurgency, according to analysts and the former and current guard members.

"One of Iran's wings will be broken if Assad falls. They are now using all their contacts from Iraq to Lebanon to keep him power," Mohsen Sazegara, a founding IRGC member who now opposes the Iranian regime and lives in exile in the U.S., said by telephone.

On Thursday, Iran's defense minister publicly signaled a shift. If Syria fails to put down the uprising, Iran would send military help based on a mutual defense agreement between the two countries, two Iranian newspapers quoted Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying. Syria hadn't asked for assistance yet, he added.

"Syria is managing this situation very well on its own," he said. "But if the government can't resolve the crisis on its own, then based on their request we will fulfill our mutual defense-security pact."

Syria's crisis tops the agenda at the summit of Non-Aligned Movement nations this week in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Thursday that Iran would announce a surprise peace plan for Syria during the five-day conference, which started Sunday.

In Tehran, Syrian National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar met Monday with several Iranian officials and expressed Syria's gratitude. "The people of Syria will never forget the support of Iran during these difficult times," Mr. Haidar said, according to Iranian media.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final word in all state matters, has appointed Qasim Solaimani, the commander of the elite Quds Forces, to spearhead military cooperation with Mr. Assad and his forces, according to an IRGC member in Tehran with knowledge about deployments to Syria.

The Quds Forces are the IRGC's operatives outside Iran, responsible for training proxy militants and exporting the revolution's ideology. The U.S. blames the Quds Forces for terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Solaimani has convinced Mr. Khamenei that Iran's borders extend beyond geographic frontiers, and fighting for Syria is an integral part of keeping the Shiite Crescent intact," said the IRGC member in Tehran. The so-called Crescent, which came together after Saddam Hussein's fall, includes Shiites from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

Iran is now sending hundreds of rank-and-file members of the IRGC and the basij—a plainclothes volunteer militia answering to the guards—to Damascus, said two people in the IRGC familiar with the movements.

Many of the Iranian troops hail from IRGC units outside Tehran, these people say, particularly from Iran's Azerbaijan and Kurdistan regions where they have experience dealing with ethnic separatist movements. They are replacing low-ranking Syrian soldiers who have defected to the Syrian opposition, these people said, and mainly assume non-fighting roles such as guarding weapons caches and helping to run military bases.

Iran is also deploying IRGC commanders to guide Syrian forces in battle strategy and Quds commanders to help with military intelligence, Mr. Sazegara and the current IRGC members said.

On the other side of Syria's conflict, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have funded and armed opposition rebels, while Turkey has allowed them to keep an unofficial base near Syria's border. Foreign Arab fighters, many of them extremist Jihadist, have also flocked to Syria to fight alongside rebels.

Iran has also started moving military aid and cash to Syria through Iranian companies in Iraq, such as a construction company owned by a former IRGC member now living in Iraq and a tour company servicing pilgrims to holy Shiite sites, said Mr. Sazegara and a person in Iran familiar with the construction company.

The IRGC and Syrian forces are working together to free 48 Iranian hostages kidnapped by a unit of the opposition Free Syrian Army this month, according to two IRGC officials in Tehran as well as comments from an Iranian parliamentarian in Damascus this week.

Iran at first denied the kidnapped Iranians had any link with the IRGC. But Mr. Salehi later said some of the hostages were retired members of the IRGC, calling them Iran's "most dear and beloved." Iranian opposition media, meanwhile, have named four of the men, calling them current IRGC commanders from various Iranian provinces.

Iran's ambassador to Syria said recently that the hostages' whereabouts have been determined and that Iran is negotiation with Syria on how to rescue them, Iranian media reported. The envoy also said Iran and Syria had formed a joint committee, with intelligence, policy and military experts, for the rescue mission. Iranian media said Monday that this committee sends Mr. Assad regular updates of their findings.

Iran Said to Send Troops to Bolster Syria - WSJ.com

 

[Kunal Biswas]

A member of the Free Syrian Army waves an Islamic flag during clashes with Syrian army forces in the Ghouta area of Damascus August 27, 2012.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

 

[Kunal Biswas]

^^ Hitler would be shocked..

 

[SADAKHUSH]

The main beneficiary of uprising int he Arab world is the rest of the world as it has taken the focus of Al-Queda(Jihadist) away from Afghanistan to certain degree. As the pressure increases on rebel forces due to the addition of Iran in this conflict the role of KSA and GCC will also increase till both sides are facing each other and air strikes start from both sides into each others territory. The wheels of war moving as per planning of West-Russia-China alliance against the Al-Queda and Jihadist.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Syrian T-72M1..