Tag Archive for Bashar Assad

Assad tells interviewer: “There are no Iranian forces among us.”

Interviewed with Russia Today news channel, Syrian President Bashar Assad accused Israel of propagating ‘lies’ about Iranian military involvement on his territory, adding, “In the attack a few weeks ago, they [Israel] said they [the IDF] had attacked Iranian bases … How can they say this? It’s a lie.”
– WATCH Interview

By Ynet and Associated Press

 

Syrian President Bashar Assad has rebuffed claims of an Iranian military presence in his country, while accusing Israel of launching attacks on his territory and of propagating “lies” about its massive aerial offensive launched earlier in May.

“Israel is attacking us, but we are only becoming stronger and improving our defenses even more,” he said in an interview with Russia Today. Continue Reading »

Israeli security confirms what world ignores: Assad regime uses chemical weapons

 

According to Israel, Syrian gov’t forces used a non-lethal chemical substance against rebel fighters on March 27, near Damascus.

 

 

The Assad regime used a non-lethal chemical weapon on March 27 on the outskirts of Damascus, an Israeli security source said Monday.

A UN team examining samples from site of August 21 attack in Damascus.

A UN team examining samples from site of August 21 attack in Damascus. – Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abdullah

The source said he could confirm claims made by Syrian rebels and doctors last month, that a substance was used on rebel fighters in Harasta, an outlying region of the Syrian capital, adding that the chemical “neutralizes but does not kill.” Continue Reading »

Assad Definitely Behind Blitz of Terrorism on Israel’s Northern Borders

With 4 violent terrorist events on the borders with Lebanon & Syria in just a month, it is no longer an exaggeration to speak of a resurgent northern front, reminiscence of the 1980s-90s.

 

After four violent incidents on the borders with Syria and Lebanon since the beginning of the month, it is no longer an exaggeration to speak of a resurgent northern front. The wounding of four paratroopers on the Golan on Tuesday was preceded by rockets on Mount Hermon from Syrian territory, the planting of an explosive device on the Golan (which was neutralized) and the explosion of another device aimed at an Israel Defense Forces convoy on Mount Dov last Friday.

Continue Reading »

EXPOSED: Israel providing humanitarian assistance to Syrian civilians

Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon says the IDF has sent food & water across the border, and has been helping the Syrian refugees prepare for winter rains.

 

The Israel Defense Forces has been providing humanitarian aid to Syrians living near the border, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon revealed on Tuesday during a tour of the frontier.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on a tour of the Syrian-Israeli border on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon on a tour of the Syrian-Israeli border on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.- Photo: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry

According to Ya’alon, Israel has sent water and food, including baby foods, across the border, and has been helping the Syrians prepare for winter. Continue Reading »

Kidnapped Lebanese Shi’ite pilgrims in Syria finally freed

Possible 3-way deal included release of 2   Turkish pilots held by Lebanese militants  & hopefully will also secure the release of female prisoners jailed by Assad’s gov’t.

 

Nine Shi’ite pilgrims from Lebanon kidnapped in Syria were freed late Friday night as part of a negotiated hostage deal that could see two Turkish pilots held by Lebanese militants released, officials said.

Lebanese Army soldiers patrol the road leading to Beirut international airport

Lebanese Army soldiers patrol the road leading to Beirut international airport, following the kidnap of a Turkish airlines pilot and his colleague in Beirut, August 9, 2013. – Photo: Reuters

The complicated three-way deal also potentially includes the release of female prisoners now held by the embattled government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Continue Reading »

Assad: No need for chemical weapons,”We can blind Israel in an instant”

Al-Akhbar, a Hezbollah newspaper reported Assad saying he no longer needs chemical weapons to deter Israel.

By YASSER OKBI, THE POST CORRESPONDENT

 

 

“We now possess deterrent weapons that are more important and more sophisticated than chemical weapons,” Syrian President Bashar Assad told visitors to his palace in Damascus on Thursday.

Syrian President Bashar Assad gives an interview to Venezuelan state TV TeleSUR, Sept. 26. 2013.

Syrian President Bashar Assad gives an interview to Venezuelan state TV TeleSUR, Sept. 26. 2013. – Photo: REUTERS/SANA/Handout

He emphasized that he had no need for chemical weapons.

According to the report, which was carried by Hezbollah’s paper Al-Akhbar, Assad said this was because the situation in Syria “has never been better,” as “we created chemical weapons in the ’80s as a deterrent against Israel’s nuclear arsenal.

Continue Reading »

Moscow reports it has proof rebels behind Damascus chemical attack

New York Times reports the UN investigation indicated Assad’s elite forces were behind the sarin attack that left more than 1,400 people dead.

By , DPA and Reuters

 

A senior Russian official Wednesday said that Syria had handed over new evidence showing that rebels had used chemical weapons in a deadly attack near Damascus last month.

Members of the UN investigation team take samples from the ground in the Damascus countryside

Members of the UN investigation team take samples from the ground in the Damascus countryside of Zamalka, Syria. – Photo: AP

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said details provided by the Syrian government would bolster claims supported by Moscow that President Bashar Assad was not responsible for the August 21 attack, which the United States says killed more than 1,400 people. Continue Reading »

Syrian Regime Smugling Weapons via Tunnels to Hizbullah

A Saudi newspaper has reported the Syrian gov’t is smuggling their chemical weapons to Hizbullah using tunnels.

By Adam Ross

 

 

A Saudi newspaper has claimed Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is using tunnels to smuggle chemical weapons to Hizbullah.

Hezbollah flag – AFP photo

The report by the Al-Watan daily said the regime had made the move to avoid being  spotted,  moving the deadly weapons before the arrival of int’l inspectors.

Last week, the Syrian regime agreed to a Russian brokered deal to hand over its chemical weapons stock to the international community amid the threat of a U.S. strike on the country. Continue Reading »

Israel’s Ambassador to U.S. Oren: Israel wanted Assad out since Syrian war started

Ambassador Oren: Jerusalem prefers ‘bad guys who aren’t backed by Iran’, adding, ‘Assad’s overthrow could also weaken Hezbollah.’

By Reuters

 

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, says Israel has wanted to see Syrian President Bashar Assad removed from power since before the outbreak of war there – a shift from its publicly-stated position.

Michael Oren.

Michael Oren – Photo: Bloomberg

It sees his defeat by rebels who include Al Qaida-linked Islamists as preferable to his current alliance with Iran, Oren said.

His comments in an interview with the Jerusalem Post marked a move in Israel’s public position on the civil war in Syria. Continue Reading »

UN debates resolution for dismantling Syrian chemical arms

Russia’s Security Council proposal would put Syria’s chemical weapons under int’l control & end the Washington-Moscow stalemate over Damascus’ deadly  poison gas attack on August 21.

By
 

Beirut – A French official says tense negotiations have begun on a proposed United Nations resolution that would put Syria‘s chemical weapons under international control and end a diplomatic stalemate over a deadly August 21 poison gas attack.

Demonstrating in support of U.S. strike on Syria.

Syrian-Americans rallying in favor of proposed U.S. military action outside U.S. Capitol in Washington. – Photo: Reuters

The official close to the French president, who spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations remained sensitive, said Russia objected not only to making the resolution militarily enforceable, but also to blaming chemical attack on the Syrian government and demanding that those responsible be taken before an international criminal court.

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Damascus accepts Russia’s suggestion of relinquishing control of its chemical weapons

Syria welcomed Russia’s foreign minister’s suggestion to surrender Assad’s chemical arsenal to int’l control, a move Moscow believes can avert a U.S. airstrike on Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Monday that his country welcomed Moscow’s proposal to relinquish control over its chemical arsenals, a move Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said could avert a U.S. strike.

Syria chemical attack

Members of the UN investigation team take soil samples in the Damascus countryside of Ain Terma, Syria, Aug. 28, 2013. – Photo: AP

“The Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the Russian initiative, which is motivated by the Russian leadership’s concern for the life of our citizens and the security of our country,” Moallem told reporters in Moscow, according to the Interfax news agency.

Continue Reading »

Assad on CBS interview: No evidence exists that I used chemical weapons on my people

In response John Kerry says, ‘The evidence speaks for itself.’

New Iranian foreign minister: ‘Obama will ignite a fire across the Middle East if the U.S. attacks Syria.’

By Reuters

 

Syrian President Bashar Assad denied once again that he was behind a chemical weapons attack on the Syrian people, and said evidence was not conclusive that there had been such an attack, CBS reported on Sunday on its news program “Face the Nation.”

Lebanese boys hold portraits of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Beirut.

Lebanese boys hold portraits of Syrian President Bashar Assad, during a demonstration against a possible military strike in Syria, in front of the UN headquarters, in Beirut, September 8, 2013.

Continue Reading »

U.S. official: Egyptian & Syrian unrest improves chances of success in peace talks

Fear of being engulfed by the regional turmoil motivates Palestinians & Israelis to reach peace agreement, says senior U.S. ST. Dep’t official.

By and Reuters

 

 

The turmoil in both Syria and Egypt is nudging Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, a United States official said on Friday, as Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Europe for talks on Middle East issues.

Kerry in Vilnius

US Secretary ofState John Kerry (l) is greeted in Vilnius by Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas (c) and US Ambassador to Lithuania Deborah McCarthy. – Photo: AFP

 

Kerry’s three-day trip was originally intended to brief European and Arab diplomats on the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, but that objective is likely to be overshadowed by the ongoing crisis in Syria. Continue Reading »

German Intel Report: Hezbollah Admitted that Assad used Chemical Weapons

German intel publicized it had intercepted a phone call where Hezbollah official admitted that Assad used chemical weapon on his own people.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

 

German intelligence says that an official with the Hezbollah terror group admitted that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad ordered a poison gas attack last month.

Hezbullah flag – Reuters

According to a report in the Reuters news agency on Wednesday, Hezbollah considered the move a mistake which showed Assad was losing his grip.

Participants at a confidential meeting of German lawmakers on Monday said the head of the BND foreign intelligence agency told them it had intercepted a phone call believed to be between a high-ranking member of Hezbollah and the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. Continue Reading »

Russian President Vladimir Putin warns Obama: Do not attack Syria without UN approval

After comparing recent evidence of Syrian chemical weapons use, to faulty U.S. intel on Iraq in 2003, the Russian president threatens to supply advanced air-defense systems to Assad and elsewhere if America strikes without accepted int’l approval.

 

 

President Vladimir Putin warned the West against taking one-sided action in Syria but also said Russia “doesn’t exclude” supporting a UN resolution on punitive military strikes if it is proved that Damascus used poison gas on its own people.

Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin – Photo: AP

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press and Russia’s state Channel 1 television, Putin said Moscow has provided some components of the S-300 air defense missile system to Syria but has frozen further shipments. Continue Reading »