Lavrov: Russia ready to share data on Turkish Jet- Failed Talks

Updates on the Turkish Jet below


Some blackmail ?

Russia possesses “objective observation data” concerning the downing of a Turkish jet off the Syrian coast one week ago and is prepared to present it, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference in Geneva on Saturday.

“We have our objective observation data and we are prepared to present it,” Lavrov said.
An F-4 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force was shot down by Syrian air defenses on June 22 and crashed in the Mediterranean Sea. Syrian authorities said the jet had violated its airspace while Turkish officials claimed it was attacked over international waters.

Turkey responded by moving air defense weapons close to the Syrian border.
“The main thing now is not to allow any incident to ignite passions in one or another direction,” Lavrov said.

Since Turkey was going to start the overtproxy war on Syria, has Lavrov issued a warning to Turkey to keep their "passions" in check?

Thanks for this one, Freethinker!-  Syria, Turkey and Russia: The Phantom of the Stealth Fleet
Is there a connection between what Lavrov is claiming about "sharing data" and the above linked story?

Updates begin here- More on the alleged Turkish Jet, today, the narrative originating with Israel.

Ynet- Russia involved in downing of Turkish jet

Times of Israel-
 Haaretz

The story quotes an Israeli air force source as suggesting Russia had a hand in the incident: “We would not be surprised if these Russian experts, if they didn’t push the button, at least were beside the Syrian officers who did it.”

Syria’s Information Minister Omran al-Zubi said last week that Syrian soldiers who downed the plane may have thought it was an Israeli aircraft.

Initial reports on the Turkish Jet included reports of it being an Israeli jet and as I mentioned in a previous comment, LVB had mentioned the jet had possibly been squawking Israeli code.
There was a curious little sentence in a DEBKA report 

"This was also the first time in five years any weapons system with Israeli manufacturing input had faced a Russian weapon acquired by Syria."

You know when the last time was?

"September 6, 2007, when Israeli fighter-bombers demolished the Iranian-North Korean-built nuclear reactor in the northern Syrian town of Al-Kibar"

The part about the reactor is Israeli spin from where I sit. However Israeli bombers did get through Syrian defences at that time.

Questions: Is the Israeli "source" doing some damage control? Was the Turkish jet, actually Turkish? Was it Israeli? Was it emitting Israeli code? If so would this demonstrate a level of collusion between Israel and Turkey that PM Erdogan can not afford to have public? Given his acquiescence to Israel on the Mavi Marmara?
 

Talks in Geneva fail:

The U.S. backed away from insisting that the plan explicitly exclude President Bashar al-Assad from any role in a new government, hoping the concession would encourage Russia to put greater pressure on its longtime ally

"There is a credible alternative to the Assad regime," she said.


Moscow had refused to back a provision that would call for Mr. al-Assad to step aside, insisting that outsiders cannot order a political solution for Syria and accusing the West of ignoring the darker side of the Syrian opposition. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov underlined that the plan does not require Mr. al-Assad’s ouster, saying there is 'no attempt in the document to impose on the Syrian people any type of transitional process."

Kofi Annan said ""I will doubt that the Syrians who have fought so hard to have independence ... will select people with blood on their hands to lead them," he said."

In reference to who exactly?

The Britain based Syrian observatory for human rights, said following the agreement that "no member of the Syrian opposition will accept to be part of a transitional government while Assad is still in power."

"Assad’s staying in power will mean the continuation of the bloodshed in Syria"

Russia: Assad not required to step down

 An international conference held in Geneva Saturday accepted a UN-brokered peace plan for Syria but left open whether the country's president could be part of a transitional government.
Russia's foreign minister said that the UN-brokered peace plan for Syria agreed on by major powers does not require the ouster of President Bashar Al Assad.

Changes in Syria's government have been ongoing and a diversity of persons are already involved in that government.


Regarding the death of New York Times journalist Anthony Shadid?
Came across this and thought it interesting

Did the New York Times Lead Anthony Shadid to His Death?

The narrative presented by the media seemed 'off '

Syria Update: Clinton & Lavrov in St Petersburgh. Officials fail to break deadlock

Did she like the gift?

 Officials fail to break Syria deadlock

Senior officials from major powers and regional players failed on Friday to overcome differences on a plan for political transition in Syria  
  
Russian diplomats told Reuters after the meeting that Moscow could not agree to a political solution imposed on Syria.

China also has resisted attempts to impose solutions on Assad, but Russia is seen as the bigger obstacle to ousting him. One Western diplomat, leaving the meeting, said it was still "nine against two".  

Nine against two- Which means Russia and China are staying the course. 

Russia proposed changes on Thursday to Annan's plan for a national unity government in Syria, despite initially supporting it, but the United States, Britain and France rejected the amendments, Western diplomats said.
The suggested changes are related to Moscow's refusal to support the ouster of Assad.

Russia has not once, from anything I have ever read, supported the ouster of Assad. The Russian position, to date, has always been that Syria's leadership is the choice of the Syrian people. Their stance has always been the same. It is not about supporting Assad, it is about the Syrian people choosing.

Assad said "We will not accept any non-Syrian, non-national model, whether it comes from big countries or friendly countries. No one knows how to solve Syria's problems as well as we do"

For Assad to make this statement, very firm, very sure, suggests he has the support necessary to make just such a statement.

Russia:  International talks on the Syria conflict should pursue a formula for a political transition but must not decide whether President Bashar al-Assad is barred from a possible national unity government.

Lavrov: "We do not support and cannot support any kind of meddling from outside, the imposition of recipes. This applies to the fate of Bashar al-Assad. It, this fate, must be decided by the Syrians, the Syrian people themselves"

How the media can spin this as Lavrov supporting the removal of Assad is beyond belief ? 
Not really though, it is the main stream media . The  main stream media can turn "shit into Shinola"


What will the meeting in Geneva bring? 
Or what may go on outside of the meeting?
War? Would the Euro cup provide a distraction for the start of war?

Turkey deploys Anti-aircraft Units Along Syrian Border

Turkey Deploys Antiaircraft Units Along Syrian Border

That was the headline the NYT's initially had up. Now it's changed. Was it giving to much away?
Interesting paragraph in the article:

"Rebels initially sought to present that attack’s perpetrators as a defecting unit of the elite Republican Guard assigned to the television station, but local residents told journalists that the only guards there were local security guards, not military units. The attack on the Republican Guard base earlier in the week was described by the rebels themselves as only a probe by a small unit of fighters.

 Can you imagine the rebels fabricating something? Anything? Lots of things?

Also interesting, while the meeting is going in Geneva, there is another meeting going on this weekend in Cairo, Egypt. 

 All of Syria’s non-government opposition forces are expected to come together at a meeting convened by the Arab League in Cairo on Sunday. That such a gathering is happening for the first time in the 16-month-long uprising is telling. 

Yes, it is. Very telling. Anyone still think the elections in Egypt were legit?

Regarding the Putin visit to Israel  

 Iran, Syria, And A Red Carpet: What Was Vladimir Putin Doing In Israel?

 Indeed, the two sides couldn't find a common position on the threat of a nuclear Iran.  Netanyahu urged Russia to call for tougher sanctions on Iran and to demand that Tehran stop its nuclear enrichment program. Israel, the United States and a number of Western countries believe (there is that "belief" thing again, not fact, not truth, just belief)Iran is attempting to build nuclear weapons. (While Iran says its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes, Israel has threatened a military strike if Iran refuses to stop enriching uranium.)

Putin's response was that he saw negotiations as the only solution, and that it was "unacceptable to think of mutual destruction" ...( I don't know what the rest of the quote is but what follows is not it, and is Israeli spin) as would result from a nuclear conflict between Israel and Iran.

Progress wasn't forthcoming on the other point of contention, Syria. Russia has supplied arms to the embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, while Israel has called for him to step down.

"Russia today is aspiring to re-emergence as an international power and it is interested in stability. [It] wants to do business and it is not in Russia's interest that there be chaos in Russia's former client states," said Dekel Chen.

Golan noted that the Russian-Israeli couple is not alone: There is a third partner in the room, and that's America. "The Russians are in a political competition with the United States, and one of the things that motivate the Russians is to maintain a relationship with Syria and Iran because that gives them a standing vis-a-vis the United States," she said.

Re: the quote from Putin

"Putin stressed that all disputes should be resolved on the basis of international law. “We think it is unacceptable according to international law to think of mutual destruction, regardless of who is voicing such threats,” he said in comments translated into Hebrew"

Who is voicing those threats?

Finally!

 CIA arms Islamic rebels, Syria downs Turkish warplane - June, 2012
This blogger has some interesting commentary. I will just quote a bit and hope you read the rest.

 "Even before these latest incidents, Syria had begun reporting increasing number of military loses to better armed Islamic rebels. It's clear that Western powers and allied Turco-Islamic interests are now pushing the envelope in the Levant. I personally think it's a time concern for them. It was clear last year that the West sought armed intervention in Syria by this spring. They were planning on a Libyan scenario. What Western powers may not have anticipated, however, was the steadfast resistance it has been shown by Moscow.

Let's call it as is, had it not been for direct threats by Moscow, had it not been for Russian arms shipments to Syria, I have no doubt NATO forces would have been operating inside Syrian territory by now.The primary difference between Syria and Libya has been the Russian factor. Thus far, it has been the provisions of Russian made anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile batteries and the willingness of Assad's forces to use them is what's keeping Syria's enemies off of Syrian territory. Once the cradle of Arab nationalism, Syria has become a victim of Arab treachery and stupidity. Arabs remain amongst the world's most easily manipulated and sacrificed sheeples Libya and Syria are glaring examples of who the leadership of Sunni Arab states throughout the Arabian peninsula and North Africa serve. Recent events also prove beyond any doubt that "Al-Qaeda" is the Islamic paramilitary wing of Western intelligence agencies. There should no longer be any doubt about this.The Western alliance has turned the stomping grounds of Mohammad into a stinking brothel and it has done so with the willing participation of brain-dead Sunni Arabs.

Needless to say, much is now dependent on Moscow. How far will Moscow go if NATO and its regional allies up-the-ante by invading Syria? Will Kremlin officials decide to go to war in defense of Syria as it has been suggested by some Russian officials or will they continue supporting Damascus from the sidelines? How will Moscow respond if Russian interests in Syria get attacked?  If NATO invades Syria will Moscow react by moving military units into Georgia? If Damascus is facing an imminent NATO military intervention will Iran respond by sending military units into Syria? What will Iraq's Shiite majority government react to all this? Will renewed fighting flareup between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah? What role will Kurds play? What role will Sunni Arab dictatorships throughout the Arabian peninsula play?

In light of this comment "If NATO invades Syria will Moscow react by moving military units into Georgia? " I am relinking this-  Georgia’s Parliament moves from Tiblisi to Kutaisi

 Now, even more reading

Geneva Meeting on Syria sans Saudi Arabia and Iran

Annan to convene meeting on Syria

 The announcement came only after Mr. Annan had made concessions over which countries would attend. Conspicuously absent from the list of invitees were Iran, the strongest regional ally of President Assad of Syria, and Saudi Arabia, a prominent supporter of Mr. Assad’s enemies.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov will attend along with foreign ministers from other permanent Security Council members Britain, China and France. Also invited are emissaries from Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the European Union, the Arab League as well as Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. 

The concession to Russia was the absence of Saudi Arabia.
The concession to the US was the absence of Iran.
Not really a biggie in the grand scheme of things

Critical to the outcome will be whether the United States and Russia can bridge their differences over Syria. The United States has demanded that President Assad step down.
 

Russia, the main military supplier to Mr. Assad’s government, has rejected any solution in which political change in Syria is imposed by outside powers.

Why not mention that the US has been the main support behind the opposition? 

Let's see what come out of this meeting?


Also interesting take about 30 minutes and give this  a listen from James Corbett

Interview 520 – Eric Draitser on Putin’s Russia

Posted by Corbett

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Eric Draitser of StopImperialism.com joins us today to discuss Putin’s re-election as Russian President last month and what this means on the global stage. We talk about the threat that Putin poses to the Western power bloc’s imperial ambitions, the destabilization campaign in Russia and its ties to Western NGOs, Russia-Sino relations, and the latest developments in Syria.

Syria: Turkey will create a buffer zone as NATO desires

Emboldened by NATO's support, PM Erdogan makes it clear that troops are moving down to the border and likely right into Syria. This latest will result in a buffer zone inside of Syria.

Buoyed by support from his country’s NATO allies, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syrian forces on Tuesday to stay clear of their troubled border or face a Turkish military response to any perceived threat

“Every military element that approaches the Turkish border from Syria in a manner that constitutes a security risk or danger would be considered as a threat and would be treated as a military target,” he said in a speech to lawmakers attended by Arab diplomats.  

The Turkish border is also the Syrian border. Erdogan is aware Syria has a right to defend it's territory and is now using language that indicates if Syria dares come near it's own border Turkey will consider it a threat and use military force.

Of course Erdogan has had no problem breaching Syria's border all along. Since June of last year. When the first big attack came through.

Since then, the 550-mile border has become a critical fault line and potential flash point, used by an increasingly sophisticated network of activists in southern Turkey smuggling crucial supplies into Syria including weapons, communications gear, field hospitals and even salaries for soldiers who defect.

 Turkey mobilizes tanks, troops to Syrian border

 

 The Turkish military mobilized large numbers of reinforcements from its eastern provinces to the Syrian border on Tuesday, amid rising tension with Damascus, after the downing by Syria of a Turkish Air Force jet on Friday, Turkish media reported.

Large numbers of Turkish troops — including at least 15 long-range artillery pieces and tanks – moved to the Syrian frontier from the eastern city of Diyarbakir. A video published by the Turkish Cihan News Agency showed Turkish tanks being transported by carrier trucks toward the frontier.

The father of one of the pilots says it is not appropriate to go to war over this incident

The father of one of the two missing pilots who were shot down in Friday’s incident told Turkish newspaper Hürriyet Daily News that he opposed Turkey going to war over his son.

“It is not appropriate for a country to go to war over a pilot, an airplane or 50 airplanes,” Ali Erton said. He said he was aware of the risks his son took as a military pilot, but added “what matters is that my son serves his country.”

 

NATO's despicable statement - 

Thanks Felix!

 Where is the concern for all the Syrians being killed by NATO's terrorists? 

Will a no fly zone be the next move? As NATO desires?

Zombie Memes: Revisiting Li/McLean & Magnotta/ Lin

What the hell is going on? Why the meme creation? Is a narrative  being created for some kind of biological warfare? Of course, I don't know. The continuous news such as this, Bangor Maine drills for Zombie Apocalypse has got my suspicions aroused. Or should I say "my spidey senses are tingling" ?

Meme creation and narrative set ups are not uncommon these days, so why not include the creation of a concept of zombie apocalypse? We witness narrative creation everyday via the main stream media. Every single war narrative has started somewhere and been built upon through so called news reports until finally the peak is hit, conditions are right, troops and weapons in place, then the shock & awe begins.

All this zombie stuff has called to mind this sad, scary and sordid news.  A few years back, 2008 to be precise, an incident took place, in Canada on a Greyhound bus.  The  attacker was allowed by law enforcement to stay at the scene and commit brutalities unrestrained on his victim, in full view of other passengers, who law enforcement had conveniently moved to just the right viewing position.

In 2008, there was no media meme on zombies. Only your typical "mad man" and such.
Now, everything is zombies and zombie attacks. Why?

I recall at the time of that attack being completely shocked by it all.
August 01/08 Greyhound bus incident-updated with RCMP Press Release

This news story is beyond bizarre, emotionless killer, silent, wearing sunglasses through the entire slaughter. Random victim, 20 yrs old, stabbed 50-60 times, beheaded, gutted and acts of cannibalism on a grey-hound bus?

An ordinary means of travel for ordinary people.

As I followed along with the reports, discrepancies appeared. Inconsistencies became apparent

Problems with the time line. Problems with the police response. Or lack of response. The way the remaining passengers were moved to the best seats in the house. The leaking of a specific audio clip. I doubt it is available any longer. The clip was police talking of the cannibalism that was taking place on the bus as they stood and watched.  So much of what happened appeared as if done to maximize the trauma.

I won't relink every post. Just, a few of the most relevant

Tim Mcleans mom wants to know why???

 "Why didn't they do something in that three hours, rather than having my son locked in with this maniac who, there was no question, had done this? And (they) allowed him to defile my son's body in the way that he did? What was their game plan? Why did they wait for him to throw himself out a window or fall out of it?"

To: Tim Mcleans Mom and Family regarding some tough questions- This is a lengthy post. Where the time line discrepancies are picked apart.

Was increased bus security already in the planning?- Transport Canada and Homeland Security  working together on "security"

Truck Driver at the Greyhound scene said cops should have shot attacker! 

 First: Christopher Alguire told the police repeatedly to shoot the attacker, instead they stood around for 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

Secondly: He criticizes the RCMP for moving the passengers to the windshield of the bus, enabling them to witness the atrocities being committed to the young victims body, after he" shepherded" the passengers to the back of the bus
Why would the RCMP do that, unless they had intended to further traumatize the other bus riders? They had the highway closed in both directions, so there was no traffic danger.There is no reasonable answer for this action.

Just to make this whole sordid tale more bizarre, after the McLean/Li incident, law enforcement put two other individuals onto buses with tragic results. One in BC. One in Ontario.

Three tragedies on buses, in one short span of time. Nothing since. Bus travel has been uneventful save for crashes etc. Recently it has been in the news that Vincent Li is being allowed day passes.


You know what else is odd?

Vincent Li, the perp is of Chinese descent, born in China.  Tim Mclean, victim,  young male 20is.
The perp in the latest cannibal/zombie incident is Newman/Magnotta  20ish, Canadian born.
 His victim Jun Lin is 30ish, Chinese descent, born in China.
It is as if these two incidents are the  photographic "negatives" of one another

" A negative image is a total inversion of a positive image"

Vince Li

Tim McLean

There has been comparisons made of Magnotta & Li Magnotta similar to Li?
There is a post from last month on the Magnotta crime, which also involved cannibalism.

Luka Magnotta: Starting with a US Lawyer and ending.....

Magnotta/Newman

Jun Lin

Magnotta/McLean?
Lin/Li?

Strange times.

Bangor, Maine drills for a Zombie Apocalypse?

This appears to be legitimate. Strangely enough.

Zombie Apocalypse in Bangor Teaches Emergency Crews How to Respond to Disasters

with video!

A little more here 

The undead are wreaking havoc in Maine — in a unique emergency preparedness drill, at least.  

About 100 first emergency responders from eight counties in Maine were summoned to Bangor to contain a "zombie apocalypse" Thursday in an exercise intended to train them to react to a mass casualty even.

“If they don’t receive the anti-zombie drug, they progress to stage two and then on to the ‘undead’ stage,” Kathy Knight, director of the exercise's organizer Northeastern Maine Regional Resource Center, explained.

 The premise behind the drill?

An unknown virus originating from Jamaica has reached Maine, turning the infected into zombies. Once infected, the virus quickly spreads to the brain, and turns the host into a full-fledged zombie, who has only one thing on its mind: biting other people. 

The officials were armed with two would-be vaccines – one to prevent the infection from reaching the brain, and one to bring the zombies back to life. 

Hmmmm.....

Turkey is upping the ante. New claims against Syria

Syrian forces opened fire on second Turkish plane: deputy PM 

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc also said for the first time that Syrian forces had opened ground fire on a CASA search and rescue plane shortly after the downing, but did not say if that plane was hit.

But they kept this news quiet all this time. Until now, that is? Why?

 Turkey said Monday it would push NATO to consider Syria’s downing of a Turkish jet as an attack on the whole military alliance.

The announcement came on the eve of a meeting by NATO’s governing body to discuss the incident.

Of course Turkey announced this uncorroborated news right now.  
Timed to hit the news at just the right time. To coincide with the NATO meeting

Arinc said Turkey retained its right to “retaliate” against what he called a “hostile act,” but he added, “We have no intention of going at war with anyone.”

Turkey will push NATO to consider the armed attack under Article 5 in a key alliance treaty, Arinc said. Article 5 states that an attack against one NATO member shall be considered an attack against all members.

Also Syria and Turkey offer differing accounts

Syria:  At a press conference in Damascus, Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi called Turkey’s version of events “baseless and inaccurate.” He said the plane had been flying fast and low in an act of “aggression on Syrian sovereignty,” according to the official news agency SANA.

Turkey:  Syria not only knew the plane was Turkish, but took a “deliberate” decision to target it, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal.

Syria: The anti-aircraft defenses were automatically triggered when the plane approached the Syrian coast.

 He cautioned against NATO involvement in Syria ahead of a meeting Tuesday called by Turkey, saying that Syria was prepared to defend its territory.

 “I want to reassure everyone that the Syrian territories, waters and airspace are sacrosanct for the Syrian army,” he said.

He also issued a warning to Turkey about its role in hosting the Free Syrian Army, whose leadership is living in a refugee camp in southern Turkey. Turkey is also reported to have been helping facilitate an effort to supply arms and funding to rebels inside the country.

“There is a crisis in Syria, but the solution cannot be through aggravating, mobilizing and arming the movement in Syria, nor through hosting entities that do not believe in a political solution but rather believe in militarizing the movement and undermining the stability of the neighboring country, Syria.”

All this news hitting the main stream media today about mass defections?
Turkey and FSA don't even corroborate one anothers stories

Turkish news outlets reported that a fresh wave of defectors from the Syrian army had recently crossed the border, including a general, two colonels, a major and at least 33 soldiers.

But officers with the Free Syrian Army in southern Turkey said the defections weren’t new.

More on the Syrian Air Defenses used:

Makdessi pointed out that the Syrian anti-aircraft defense used a land-based anti-aircraft machinegun with a maximum range of 2.5 kilometers, and that the wreckage found by the Syrian authorities and delivered to the Turkish side with an official record shows holes in the tail-end of the plane which confirm that it was shot down by a ground-based machinegun, not missiles.

"Had the aircraft been over territorial waters, we would have used missiles, not a land-based anti-aircraft machinegun with a maximum range of 2.5 kilometers... all of this confirms the falsity of the allegations that the aircraft was shot down outside Syrian territorial waters," he said.

In response to Davutoglu's statement that the aircraft wasn't alerted, Makedessi said that the Syrian anti-air defenses operate automatically in such cases, and that even if the unidentified aircraft was Syrian, it would have been shot down in the same manner, adding that that machinegun that shot down the plane isn't equipped with radar; rather it had visual confirmation of it approaching it at a distance of 1 to 2 kilometers at an altitude of 100 meters and at a speed of 800 kph.

Makdessi pointed out that Syria suggested to Turkey to form a joint military technical committee to visit the site of the incident in Lattakia to inspect the reality of what happened, but the Turkish side didn't respond up to the moment, adding that rescue operations are ongoing with coordination between the two sides

Missing Turkish Pilots? Or not. Syrian "defector" pilot still missing?

Two plane narratives in one week, both convenient propaganda  for NATO aspirations regarding Syria.
One looks as if it may have run it’s course. Another appears as if it still has legs. Let's catch up with that before it runs away!


The Turkish plane shot down by Syria.

I don’t want to rehash to much. You can get some background here:  Turkey's President Abdullah Gul acknowledges Turkish jet in Syrian airspace: Updated!
It is clear the plane was in Syrian airspace and Syria did what had to be done.
I have questions. Which should not come as a surprise.  Questions that beg asking. So, I am asking.

 Where are the pilots? The Syrian pilot and the two Turkish pilots? Why is the media still reporting the Turkish pilots as missing?
Why has no one found the "defected" Syrian pilot? The media sure hasn't found him.

The Turkish Pilots.

It seems odd when just two short days ago PM Erdogan was quoted , directly quoted, saying

"At this moment the air force and navy are conducting search and rescue operations in the western Mediterranean and luckily our pilots are alive, we have just lost a plane,'' he told journalists while travelling back from Brazil.

Quote from Bangkok Post You can also find the identical quote available at the Jamaican Observer

I find it unbelievable that Erdogan would make such a statement to the world media, unless he had been made fully aware of the situation. It is simply not credible to think otherwise. He knew the pilots were alive he said so, very clearly, very explicitly. “Luckily our pilots are alive”

This extremely important admission has all but disappeared from the main stream media created narratives, especially western propaganda type outfits. The narratives today are leaning towards retribution, of course

Hillary Clinton and Britain display respective blood lusts

"We will maintain close contact with Turkish officials as they continue to investigate the incident and determine Turkey's response, including in the Security Council," she said. "We will work with Turkey and other partners to hold the Assad regime accountable."

NATO has said it will discuss Turkey's accusations, while Britain, another member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has offered support for "robust" international action.

Can't wait for the killing of innocents.

I spent some time perusing the media releases today and noticed the Turkish Pilots continue to go unidentified. Two days later. Odd. Considering the emotional appeal these faces would have at this time?

Worth taking the time to read


LVB @ LVB Research has gathered some interesting information and put it together in a post:

Was Turkish F-4 Shot Down By Syria Actually an Unmanned Drone?

Whether the pilots did indeed survive as Erdogan originally stated or if there were no pilots at all as LVB suggests, and makes a god case for, it won’t matter to NATO. The narrative is being created.

The Syrian "defector" pilot

Speaking of the emotional appeal of human faces..... where is the Syrian pilot?
Three days ago the main stream media outlets ballyhooed little else. What a coup this was! What a blow to the Syrian regime! I was expecting non stop heart tugging stories from this “defector” who at the speed of light was given political asylum in Jordan. All I got was silence.
Yesterday I mentioned the lack of pictures in the media. Where is the defector?
Today, my question was answered. A picture appears. Sort of.

Would you like to see the picture the NATO media is presenting for public consumption?


A military certificate belonging to Colonel Hamada, the Syrian air force pilot that defected to Jordan, is seen at his home near Idlib. (Photo: Reuters)

Anyone find that a little strange? Ok, how about a lot strange?
Did you notice this picture was taken at his home. That's what is stated below the picture "seen at his home"
Of course being so close up there is no way to ascertain this picture was taken in anyone's home. Let alone the "defectors" home

I expressed my suspicions about this so called defection in a lengthy post when the news first broke. There were a great many inconsistencies. Did the Syrian pilot willingly defect or did he have "incentive" to do so?

Odd  that the “defection” was initially reported by Jordan as an emergency forced landing.
An emergency forced landing?  How about an emergency forced landing, which was not voluntary and in fact may have resulted in the death of the pilot?

The propaganda value of such a “defection” was huge and yet still today there is only silence. The defector does not speak, there are no pictures of him “ripping of his medals and kissing the tarmac”. Though these pictures would have been great to bolster the claim of a willing defection they are sorely lacking.
                                               
 A NYT’s article . Some of the language chosen for the narrative is unusual.

“It appeared to be a propaganda victory for the Syrian rebel movement”

A propaganda victory?  Not a real victory?

There was also a claim made by the opposition that the Syrian Forces burnt the defectors home.

Activists reached in the northern city of Idlib, the pilot’s home, said Syrian forces had set fire to his house. It was impossible to corroborate that assertion.

Not likely. The Syrian Forces are otherwise occupied. The NYT’s doesn’t seem to take that claim as fact either. Makes one wonder about the picture on the wall?

Despite rebel assertions that Mr. Assad is now using warplanes against the rebels, there has been no independent verification that he has escalated tactics to that extreme.

As mentioned in my previous post

“All stories of Syrian troops using helicopter gun ships etc., have originated with the opposition. I haven't been able to find anything to really bolster those claims. Nothing credible that is.”

Of course a lack of credibility or truth or fact never stops the mainstream media from promoting an expedient narrative

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul acknowledges Turkish jet in Syrian airspace: Updated!

Well not exactly. He says' it "may" have gone into Syrian airspace.

UPDATED, check it out!

He knows it did definitely enter Syrian airspace. He knows that was, as INTENDED.
It was not a mistake. It does not happen due to the high speeds that the jets fly.
It does not happen as "routine"
All that is spin. All that is lies
Fighter pilots KNOW when and how not to enter another nation's airspace.
That is what they are trained for!

That fact that he is acknowledging the fighter plane entered Syrian airspace is enough to be sure that Turkey did in fact, blatantly enter Syrian airspace.

Report: Downed Turkish jet may have strayed into Syrian airspace

"Turkey's President Abdullah Gul acknowledged Saturday that a Turkish military jet shot down by Syrian artillery may have entered Syria's airspace, according to the semi-official Anatolia news agency.

"When you take in to account the speeds at which jet planes travel over the sea, it is routine for planes to go in and out of borders," he is quoted as saying by the news agency.

"It is something that happens without bad intentions and that happens due to the high speeds."

Recalling a similar story that happens often enough in northern Canada:

The government of Canada, the Conservatives specifically, used to leak these reports regularly for perception management reasons. Demonize Russia.

Russian Fighter Jets Buzz Canadian Airspace- Or the North American Perimeter depending on source of info

Routine air patrols by the Russians pilots who despite flying at high speeds never enter Canadian/North American airspace.

Russian flights are routine and the Conservatives are playing domestic politics at the expense of international diplomacy. 

"How are we going to work with a country we have just chastised for not even coming into our airspace?"

Or: "Canada intercepted a pair of nuclear-capable (but they carry no nukes) Russian bombers Wednesday as they approached the North American nation's airspace"

The Russian jets and pilots do not enter Canadian/North American airspace. Despite their high speeds.

Getting back to the Turkish Presidents claims- They are lies. They are spin. The flight into Syrian territory was intentional. Turkey wanted to see what the reaction would be. They tested the waters at a very dangerous time. They put their own pilots at jeopardy for provocation purposes. Turkey undertook an act of war. One among so many they have been involved in.

 

UPDATE BEGINS

Turkey is backing away. For the time being. It was not insignificant that the President let this admission out.

BBC is reporting : Turkish warplane downed by Syria 'may have crossed border'

The National: Turkey: our jet may have violated Syria airspace

The claims that this was done in error are simply not credible.
When a military pilot is delivering his "pay load" he knows exactly where he is. That is his job.
Or alternatively, is Turkey  implying their air force is inept,  which is very unflattering to both the air force and how Turkey conducts the training of their pilots.

 Marie/Marty mentioned a possibility of linking this to Russia? It's possible but  if this spins in any direction it will be towards demonizing Iran. The plane went down very near Latakia.  Syria and Iran have a security agreement with regards to the Latakia facility. I have covered this somewhere on the blog previously.

Some additional reading: 

*  Iran agrees to fund Syrian military base

*Report: Iran to bankroll military base in Syria

* Iran to build new base in Syria

 This reconstruction was to be completed by the end of 2012

`"Under the terms of this new deal, Iran is to assist with the development of a new military compound which is to be completed by the end of the year at Latakia airport. Their objective is to open a new supply route that will enable Iran to directly transfer military equipment to Syria."

Did the Syrian pilot willingly defect or did he have "incentive" to do so?

Big news concerning Syria is the alleged defection of a Syrian pilot, who flew his plane into Jordan.
This story has more holes in it then a piece of Swiss cheese
Some inconsistencies in the story
And now an update at the bottom, please check it out!

The earliest reporting has the pilot making a forced emergency landing in Jordan.
But that changed to defection.

Checking out SANA first
SANA initially reported that contact had been lost with the plane.

"“Earlier, an official source announced that contact was lost with an MiG-21 aircraft that was on a training flight.”

SANA then reports that the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in Jordan

"In Amman, a Jordanian government source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the MiG-21 warplane was forced to land in north Jordan."

Since Syrian officials had lost contact with the plane and it's pilot the the information of the "forced landing" had to have come from Jordan.

I was able to find remnants of that earlier reporting:

 Including this one from Avion news

 The Jordanian minister of Information Taher Adwan clarified the misunderstanding that saw Syrian media reiterate what they had been informed of via Jordan.

“Syrian Air Force MiG-21 aircraft landed this morning on the runway of the al-Mafraq air base, in the northern part of the country, was forced to do it because of emergency reasons” 

Then Jordan "corrected" the news and the defection angle reigned supreme

The pilots story is interesting also-

He is either from Idlib Province or  Deir Ezzor, a city in what I believe is a province of the same name.(correct me if I am mistaken, please)


Don't you find it odd the conflicting reports about where the pilot is from?
Doesn't he know where his home is? His family is? Or is the narrative still fluid?

Two conflicting reports
Toronto Star  Or- here

TS: “A source indicated that Hamadeh is a father of five and a native of restive Idlib province, and that his family is said to be under rebel protection.”

AP: "The pilot is from Deir Ezzor (in eastern Syria) and his family is known for its opposition" to Assad's regime, spokesman George Sabra added." (The spokesman is of course the opposition giving us a narrative)

As the Toronto Star  let's us know.. "his family is under rebel protection"


Is his family under rebel protection?  Or has his family been kidnapped?  Being spun as "protection"?  Is his family being held hostage by the NATO backed rebels??


The rebels are vicious, without a doubt. Therefore, it is not a stretch to believe the pilot may have  undertook the "defection" to save his family.

Update here:

Why a pilot?  What a pilot now?  The psy-op value is huge for the push to war.

When one thinks of disgruntled military  personnel wanting to defect, "grunts" come to mind.
The hard fighting, low paid boots on the ground. These individuals have the most to gain by defecting, possible increase in income and status etc., A pilot already has prestige, better pay and is less exposed to the possibility of being shot, exploded and generally blown to smithereens.
 Therefore there is less incentive to defect.

Also as this article points out the Syrian Air Force is close to the Assad regime and pilots are very, very loyal.

"Defections in the air force form a real danger to the Syrian regime,” he added. “The only people who are allowed to join the air force in Syria are strong regime loyalists.”

The fact that only loyalists are allowed in the air force bolsters the likelihood the pilot was forced to land in Jordan. As was initially reported. 

The air force is particularly close to the regime. Mr. al-Assad's late father and predecessor, Hafez, was an air force pilot"

Making the contention that his family was kidnapped and being held by the rebels all the more plausible.

So why kidnap and hold the family of a pilot, thereby forcing him to "defect" ?

For the obvious reason, or what should be obvious, the pilot is going to provide gut wrenching testimony to bolster the opposition claims that the Syrian army is using planes and helicopters at attack " innocent" persons. 

His gut wrenching emotional "testimonials" will get NATO the no fly zone they have wanted all along.

 Another quote from above linked article

"The defection came at a time when Syria has started using its air force against rebels – something it had appeared reluctant to do previously. But in recent weeks, as rebels attacked government tanks, Syrian troops used helicopter gunships to besiege opposition areas."

All stories of Syrian troops using helicopter gunships etc have originated with the opposition. I haven't been able to find anything to really bolster those claims. Nothing credible that is.

For NATO to move there war plan to the next level, they have to get their no-fly zone in place. The only way they can "sell" this scheme, to make it palatable, is to create a narrative.

Conveniently just one day after Ambassador (death squad) Ford makes a call for defectors on Facebook,  

NATO gets a straight out of Hollywood, summer blockbuster,  worthy defection.  A daring flight. Pilot allegedly getting out of the plane and kissing the tarmac. Wow!

To believe that crazy story is to believe that this specific pilot actually spends time on Ambassador Ford's Facebook pageand actually saw the appeal to defect. How likely do you suppose that is?

What seems the most credible scenario is  the abduction of the pilot's family by the rebels, Ambassador Ford being made aware of it by his terrorist crew, then setting up the narrative via social media and letting the rest fall into place.

Keep an eye on the spin that follows this latest news out of Syria

CIA aiding in "steering" arms to "Syrian"/NATO backed rebels

NYT's confirming what has been going on all along in Syria. Who has been supplying arms. How are they getting to the fighters.

Confirming everything that has been posted here for oh so long (15 months and counting)
Validation and confirmation weren't necessary. It was obvious. So interesting to see the underhandedness and covert involvement of the US finally seeing the light of day. Sort of. As you will read there is still plenty of obfuscation. Still no mention of Israel's involvement? Why?

 C.I.A. Said to Aid in Steering Arms to Syrian Opposition

 A small number (or maybe a large number?) of CIA officers are operating secretly in southern Turkey, helping allies decide which Syrian opposition fighters across the border will receive arms to fight the Syrian government, according to American officials and Arab intelligence officers. 

The weapons, including automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and some antitank weapons, are being funneled mostly across the Turkish border by way of a shadowy network of intermediaries including  Muslim Brotherhood (terrorists) and paid for by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the officials said.

The C.I.A. officers have been in southern Turkey for several weeks, ( 50 weeks? 60 weeks? how many weeks is "several weeks") in part to help keep weapons out of the hands of fighters allied with Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, one senior American official said. 

"in part to help keep weapons out of the hands of fighters allied with Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups"

I simply must make a separate comment to that above nonsense.
How totally absurd!! How utterly ridiculous. How preposterous! What a line of garbage!
How stupid does the NYT's think it readers are?  
Is the CIA asking for ID? Are there Al Qaeda membership cards? 
How would the CIA be certain?
That sentence is so blatantly an in your face LIE!! Would anyone actually take that to be true?
The CIA is there to arm and train the destabilizers. That's it.

The Obama administration has said it is not providing arms to the rebels, but it has also acknowledged that Syria’s neighbors would do so. (More absurdity. The US provided the arms to the neighbours to supply the rebels) The clandestine intelligence-gathering ( intelligence gathering?)effort is the most detailed known instance of the limited American support for the military campaign against the Syrian government. It is also part of Washington’s attempt to increase the pressure on President Bashar al Assad of Syria

By helping to vet rebel groups, American intelligence operatives in Turkey hope to learn more about a growing, changing opposition network inside of Syria and to establish new ties. “C.I.A. officers are there and they are trying to make new sources and recruit people,” said one Arab intelligence official who is briefed regularly by American counterparts. 

 American officials and retired C.I.A. officials said the administration was also weighing additional assistance to rebels, like providing satellite imagery and other detailed intelligence on Syrian troop locations and movements.( Obviously the US has already been providing this service, so more baloney) The administration is also considering whether to help the opposition set up a rudimentary intelligence service. But no decisions have been made on those measures or even more aggressive steps, like sending C.I.A. officers into Syria itself, they said. 

What actions undertaken in Syria are suggestive of  the US already providing troop locations and movement info to the destabilizers?

You may have noticed a number of large hits on Syrian soldiers recently?  

" the rebels overran six army checkpoints in the northern province of Idlib, killing scores of soldier, and mounted a series of ambushes close to the capital Damascus. There were reports of operations elsewhere in the country as well. The attacks killed at least 80 soldiers over the weekend alone"
 

And targeted assassinations of high ranking military officials?


The large number of soldiers killed in ambushes and targeted assassinations should make clear to the average person that the rebels have had access to  detailed intelligence on troop movements and locations for some time now.


Continuing on from NYT's 

"What has changed since March is an influx of weapons and ammunition to the rebels. The increasingly fierce air and artillery assaults by the government are intended to counter improved coordination, tactics and weaponry among the opposition forces, according to members of the Syrian National Council and other activists."

Why make the above paragraph so large? Just making it is as easy to read as possible.

This paragraph makes very clear that the improved coordination, tactics and weaponry supplied to the destabilizers, via the NATO war machine, has increased the ferocity of the destabilization which has directly resulted in an increased response by the Syrian army.
Therefore, quite clearly, when Syria's Assad claims Syria is under attack, that is accurate, that is truth.
The Syrian army is defending the nation from attack. That is very clearly stated in that paragraph.

 Turkish Army vehicles delivered antitank weaponry to the border, where it was then smuggled into Syria.(Despite Turkey's lie of offering 'humanitarian aid only)

“The rebels are starting to crack the code on how to take out tanks,”  (With the US offering assistance to enable the rebels to do)

Finally

The State Department said Wednesday that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would meet with her Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, on the sidelines of a meeting of Asia-Pacific foreign ministers in St. Petersburg, Russia, next Thursday. The private talks are likely to focus, at least in part, on the crisis in Syria.

Some additional interesting reading: Syrian Dissidents Hit By Another Wave of Targeted Attacks

 A RAT (remotely accessed tool) has hit the destabilizers computers.

Maj Gen Mood at the UN- Observers to Stay

Western media lies by omission. Just had to point this one out.

Interesting words from him as quoted by Xinhua

"The (Syrian) government has expressed that very clearly in the last couple of days. I've not seen the same clear statements ( from) the opposition yet," Mood said."

Mr Mood, you will not get any very clear statements from the so called opposition.
Because they aren't going to make a very clear statement unless told to by their NATO masters.


Here are a few  links to western media sources.

I don't see Mood's words quoted verbatim. Can't imagine why? Not. I can imagine exactly why.

If you hadn't read what words Mr Mood had actually uttered via Xinhua  you would think this statement below absurd. From the Telegraph article.

Syria's UN ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, said that Maj Gen Mood's briefing was "well-balanced," and called on all interested parties to push for the resumption of Maj Gen Mood's mission. 

US & Israel: The Flame and a lust for war.

Late yesterday the story breaks, via the Washington Post also  picked up by the BBC , that the US and Israel developed the Flame computer virus to attack Iran's nuclear power efforts.

Why would this admission come out at this time? Why not  acknowledge or admit to being involved when the news of the Flame attack first hit the main stream media?

Keeping in mind much of the news makes it's way to the audience when it is necessary or required.

It seems admission of US and Israeli responsibility was leaked to coincide with news of failed talks with Iran.
These talks were doomed to fail. They were intended to fail. The US and Israel did not want any kind of agreement. They want war.

The admission of responsibility timed to coincide with failed talks will  excuse the US and Israel for their cyber attack. Really a cyber warfare attack. Which makes Israel and the US the instigators of war.
Since the talks have failed...  'they simply had to do it'. 
Really, the US and Israel were forced to take such extreme actions against an unreasonable Iran.

That's how it works in the world of  perception management

Iran, world powers fail to reach Moscow breakthrough

 Iran and world powers Tuesday failed to narrow differences over the Iranian nuclear drive after bruising talks in Moscow held amid threats of a crippling oil embargo or even military action against Tehran.

However the Iranian negotiating team and the world powers led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton succeeded in keeping talks alive by agreeing a process for future meetings. (The EU is being conciliatory, recall how that inflamed the psychotic John Bolton ?)

The United States and Israel have repeatedly refused to rule out air strikes on Iran against its nuclear programme, which the West suspects is a cover for a bid for nuclear weapons, and the Moscow meeting was seen as a crucial last test for the viability of talks.

Of course the US and Israel refused to rule out attacking, this is after all what they want.

"The fact is that they (Iran) did begin to address the substance for the first time but there is a very long way to go."
Jalili called the talks "more serious and more realistic" than the rounds held earlier this year in Istanbul and last month in Baghdad.

He also floated the possibility that the supply of nuclear fuel from abroad could form part of a deal in the future.

But in an indication that Iran still wanted to enrich uranium to 20 percent, he said: "We insisted on the fact that the enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes to all levels is the right of the Islamic Republic."
Jalili also warned that the widescale oil export sanctions that the European Union and the United States were now both set to impose against Iran risked derailing the negotiating process.

"If a path against this approach is started and certain actions disturb this approach, it will definitely affect the result of these talks," he said.

 There will be no more negotiating. These negotiations were theatre. Set up to fail.

 A senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity after the talks, said that there would be no softening of the sanctions against Tehran.

The stamina-busting final day negotiations were also marked by bilateral talks involving Iran and Russia which apparently stepped in during the afternoon to ensure the negotiating process stayed on track.

The MV Alead : A high seas drama

The MV Alead. The ship supposedly  filled with “attack helicopters”.

This ship originated in Kaliningrad, Russia was purported to have been reportedly stopped dead in it’s tracks, unable to provide Syria with helicopters because the ships insurance was cancelled and the ship is heading home to Russia.

Do you notice the words “purported” “reportedly” and “allegedly”?
Nothing concrete. Why?

Here is my take on this story.
The whole sorry tale has been promoted to bolster Hilary’s claim of “Russia sending attack helicopters”
She made the claim last week , I covered that here.
The State department admitted she had ‘put a spin’ on the story.

“She put a little spin on it to put the Russians in a difficult position”
And the boat from Kaliningrad bolstered the narrative for the  main stream media audience.

The Guardian makes clear that this narrative bolstered the bogus claims that spewed forth from Hilary Clinton’s vile mouth.

“British officials were aghast last week when Clinton first revealed news of the delivery.. But failed to mention they were refurbished.”

Refurbished? Or non-existent?
Look at the language in the stories! Even from William Hague and I quote.

"I am pleased that the ship that was reported to be carrying arms to Syria has turned back apparently towards Russia," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told the House of Commons

Reported and apparently? Come on. With all the surveillance ongoing? Not credible.
William Hague should know this with certainty. He doesn’t. Because the story is bogus.

Here is what Russia said about the ship-

The warship was taking part in the Kiel Week festival in Germany and was not heading to the Mediterranean sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that the vessel would return to its base after the German voyage, with no plan to visit Tartous.

Reports on the alleged visit were full of loopholes, and the only correct element in the reports is that "the Kaliningrad really belongs to the Baltic Fleet," a ministry spokesman said.
                                           

On June 15/12 Russia made clear there were no helicopters being returned to Syria at that time 

"As regards helicopters, planned repairs of (helicopters) delivered to Syria many years ago were conducted earlier"

I would take this to mean, repairs were done previously and helicopters returned as was likely contracted at the time.   

The sole benefactor of the drama on the high seas was the NATO war machine in their demonization campaign of Syria and Russia.
                                       

Israel to attack Egypt and the broader Middle East conflicts

You are thinking, no way !  It isn't going to happen. Israel attack Egypt !
But, they have a peace agreement!
When did something as insignificant as a  peace agreement ever get in the way of imperialism, land grabbing, resource grabbing and geo-strategic positioning?


Israel wants the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. This is pretty well known, generally speaking.
 If you wanted to be the most powerful nation in the Middle East, you too would want the Sinai Peninsula. It's a pretty strategic place. Using Wikipedia here

It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two continents.

Yup, quite a strategic piece of property. As they say in real estate "location, location, location"

The Sinai peninsula has it all.

Rehashing.  
Israel covets the Sinai Peninsula. Strategically speaking it is one hot property.
Israel always forgets the "though shalt not covet thy neighbours goods" kind of stuff..  the one handed down by their God.
Egypt is in chaos.The election in Egypt is a mess. In my opinion, intentionally so.
Remember order out of chaos...
Muslim Brotherhood is going to take that election and Israel is going to be loving it.

(Oh my looks as if the Muslim Brotherhood are claiming victory in the election. No surprise there at all.)- Muslim Brotherhood declares victory in Egypt elections
 Could see that one coming a mile away......


The Muslim Brotherhood election "win" more credibly a theft, same as in Greece just the other day  and Canada  last year,  will give Israel the pretext they need to launch an attack.
The Egyptian military is wholly owned by the US, so expect them to be easily defeated.
Many unsuspecting  Egyptians will die fighting
Sorry, getting ahead of myself here

Getting back to the news items keep that keep appearing to me as the clues to war.
The news of attacks emanating from the Sinai Peninsula on Israel. Today, another one. 

"Militants (Whoever they are? Muslim Brotherhood, Salafists ? Not mentioned) who crossed into Israel from Egypt's Sinai desert fired on Israelis building a barrier on the border on Monday, killing one worker, before soldiers shot dead two of the attackers, Israel's military said"

 These attacks play right into Israel's hand. They are all the bait needed to reel in the big one.
These attacks will serve as pretexts for Israel to launch an attack?

Remember order out of chaos......

The IDF is moving tanks closer to the Egyptian border 

The IDF has deployed Armored forces near the Israel -Egypt border, moving tanks closer to the fence, Ynet has learned. The unusual move followed Monday's attack on defense contractor crews building the new security fence. 

 Ynet was able to document the presence of Israeli tanks in close proximity to the border – maneuvers which are barred by Jerusalem's peace treaty with Cairo. 

That's right! The movement of tanks to the border is barred by the peace treaty with Cairo!

We are supposed to believe the tank movement was a response to the so called attack. Not likely.
Early in May, there was news that caused me to be a little suspicious that something was afoot with Egypt and Syria. Notice that date of this article? Large and in red. Israel prepares for Mideast war- May 04/2012

Today, Israel prepares for Mideast conflict; recently, six army battalions were called up to meet threats from Egyptian and Syrian borders The Times of Israel reported that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) gave emergency call up orders to six reserve battalions due to ongoing hostilities developing on the Egyptian and Syrian borders.

The Knesset gave the IDF permission to summon 16 additional reserve battalions when required, according to Israeli press on Wednesday, 2 May 2012. These actions demonstrate the severity of the tensions growing among Israel, Syria, and Egypt. Israel needs its army in place when it attacks Iran because Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas will immediately strike  Israel; therefore, the IDF must be ready

Notice the "when Israel attacks Iran" Israel the aggressor. Obviously

So, the tank movement being reported on today? Is it a response to the "attack" that took place at the border today, really?

Or, as is the more likely scenario, taking into consideration the news of war preparations being undertaken by Israel minimally six weeks ago, that Israel is preparing to take the Sinai territory as part of a larger middle east war.

It looks as if there will be a larger war "theatre" then just an attack on Syria.
As always, here is hoping I am wrong.


Flashback:  Posted May 15/2012  Saudi Arabia seeks union of Monarchies....

Saudi and Kuwaiti officials last year even leaked the idea that Egypt might become some kind of member of the group, though Egyptian diplomats quickly dismissed the idea.

I find the Egyptian angle really interesting. A tyrannical monarchy would put the people down once and for all. Keep an eye on this situation.

Flashback February 10/2011Mubarek stays in "power" and the Military supports the move

That the government is controlled externally. And, actually I have said it previously at my blog. I do not think the military is fully controlled by Egypt.
They have long been a part of NATO, though not officially.
So who controls the army?
You may be interested in this?"  Keep US aid flowing to Egypt's Military

"As the crisis in Egypt unfolds, the Egyptian military emerges as the most important factor in determining its immediate future. Critical too are U.S. links with the Egyptian military Washington's primary source of influence over what will happen."
"Continuing support for the Egyptian military will be crucial for U.S. influence and for an evolution in Egypt that can meet American interests."

"One reason Egypt's military responded to the demonstrations so positively has been its long-standing ties to the U.S. military, stretching back three decades"