Step down or face forcible removal, Saudis tell Syria’s al-Assad

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By dpa correspondents
Beirut (dpa) - Saudi Arabia, a staunch backer of Syria's opposition, on Thursday told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to leave through negotiations or face forcible removal from power.

The warning was made by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir as Syria's disparate opposition groups were meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to discuss al-Assad's future role and build a united front.

"Al-Assad will leave with no doubt either by a political solution, which can be easier for all, or he will leave through a military solution because he is no longer wanted by the Syrian people," al-Jubeir said in Riyadh.

The oil-rich kingdom is a financial and diplomatic backer of the Syrian opposition fighting to oust al-Assad.

http://www.dpa-international.com/news/international/step-down-or-face-forcible-removal-saudis-tell-syrias-al-assad-a-47599002.html

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1. Turkey ignores own history as it accuses Russia of ethnic cleansing in Syria

As Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accuses Russia of “ethnic cleansing” in northern Syria, an article by Kurt Nimmo published by infowars.com reminds Turkey about its own history.

“Russia is trying to make ethnic cleansing in northern Latakia to force (out) all Turkmen and Sunni population who do not have good relations with the regime,” Davutoglu said during a news conference in Istanbul.

“They want to expel them, they want to ethnically cleanse this area so that the regime [of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad] and Russian bases in Latakia and Tartus are protected,” he added.

Davutoglu also said targeting the supplies lines of Turkish supported jihadi groups will benefit the Islamic State.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/12/10/turkey-ignores-own-history-as-it-accuses-russia-of-ethnic-cleansing-in-syria/

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2. Syria, Russia impediments to establish no-fly zone: US Gen.

WASHINGTON

The U.S. is able to impose a no-fly zone in northern Syria, but political and military considerations are preventing it from doing so, a top general said Wednesday.

In a fiery exchange with lawmakers, Gen. Paul Selva acknowledged the military’s ability to create a safe zone, but said, “The question that we need to ask is, do we have the political and policy backdrop with which to do so?”.

Crucial to the Joint Chiefs Vice chairman was a potential confrontation with Russian forces should they opt to challenge the no-fly zone, or a “direct conflict” with the Syrian army.

A visibly perturbed Sen. John McCain, who has long criticized the Obama administration’s strategy, rebutted. “I must say, it's one of the more embarrassing statements I've ever heard from a uniformed military officer, that we are worried about Syria and Russia's reaction to saving the lives of thousands and thousands of Syrians who are being barrel-bombed and massacred."

http://aa.com.tr/en/world/syria-russia-impediments-to-establish-no-fly-zone-us-gen/488571

[Jefferson23]

10. McCain. always the ass waiting for another chance to bomb...ugh. n/t

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12. My only comment:

[Jefferson23]

15. When I think how McCain is considered a serious man by our MSM, a man as a Maverick.

What a horrible joke.

[Cayenne]

25. One more mishap and Russia declares no fly zone

It seems the Russians are in a better place to enforce a no fly zone. It seems they eventually will if the coalition keeps bombing the Syrian Army. The Russian hardware actually looks impressive to me, I don't think it would be easy to rid them. If our policy results in dead Russians, they will retaliate.

A visibly perturbed Sen. John McCain, who has long criticized the Obama administration’s strategy, rebutted. “I must say, it's one of the more embarrassing statements I've ever heard from a uniformed military officer, that we are worried about Syria and Russia's reaction to saving the lives of thousands and thousands of Syrians who are being barrel-bombed and massacred."

As if he cares about those poor people. This is about geopolitics and Assad and the Russians are in the way. ISIS is a mask and a tool.

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27. Putin is a crafty devil, he will pick his shots.

I don't think Putin wants a no-fly zone, he wants a big anti-ISIS coalition with Russia smack in the middle of it, and a seat at the table.

But yeah, I think he will start shooting them down if the provocations don't stop. And that will have the same effect.

[Cayenne]

30. McCain wants to keep poking the bear

He is truly fearless in the worst possible way. Anybody advocating a no fly zone, or a policy that results in dead Russians are the Strangeloves or really does not understand the risks.

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31. McCain is War Party, always has been. McCain wants war.

A no-fly zone will do the job, or rather conflicting no-fly zones with the Russians.

Yeah, they've been with us a long time, the War Party, they go way back. Who can forget Scoop Jackson? Curtis LeMay? Nixon and Kissinger?

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3. Western Officials: Iran Retreating From Syria Fight

Iran is beginning to withdraw its elite fighters from the Russian-led military campaign in Syria, according to U.S. and other Western military officials, suggesting a fissure in what President Barack Obama derided last month as a "coalition of two."

U.S. officials tell me they are seeing significant numbers of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps troops retreat from the Syrian combat zone in recent weeks, following the deaths and wounding of some of top officers in a campaign to retake Idlib Province and other areas lost this year to opposition forces supported by the West and Gulf Arab States. As a result, the Russian-initiated offensive that was launched in September seems to be losing an important ally.

On Friday at the Saban Forum at the Brookings Institution, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said that Russia's initial plan was to take back Idlib and other cities that had fallen under rebel control within three months. "It’s not going to happen because of the military difficulties," he said, adding that the campaign to date looked to be a "failure." He cited the "incompetence" of Syria's army as well as "the lack of determination of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps."

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-12-10/western-officials-iran-retreating-from-syria-fight

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4. John Kerry says progress made in Saudi-led talks with Syrian opposition

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday that Saudi-led talks to try to unite Syrian opposition groups had made progress, an important step for advancing political talks on ending the Syrian conflict.

Saudi Arabia, a strong supporter of the rebels fighting for more than four years to topple President Bashar al-Assad, is hosting the opposition this week in the most ambitious attempt yet to find an agreed platform ahead of planned international peace talks in New York.

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-john-kerry-says-progress-made-in-saudi-led-talks-with-syrian-opposition-2154166

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5. Saudi foreign minister criticizes Iran at Gulf Arab summit

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Gulf Arab leaders meeting in Saudi Arabia on Thursday reiterated their calls for a political solution to the wars in Yemen and Syria, but the kingdom's foreign minister went a step further and criticized Iran's role in those conflicts.

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters after the two-day summit in Riyadh concluded that "Iran is playing a negative role in most regional issues."

He added that he met only for "a few minutes" with his Iranian counterpart in Vienna last month on the sidelines of a meeting to discuss ways to end the nearly five-year Syrian war, in which Saudi Arabia and Iran are backing opposite sides of the conflict.

Riyadh is also hosting a Syrian opposition summit that gathered more than 100 factions, including rebel groups, in an effort to unite their ranks ahead of proposed peace talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_GULF_SUMMIT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-10-07-52-48

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6. Saudi FM: Syria's Assad must leave or be forced out

Syrian President Bashar Assad has two choices, "either to leave through negotiations" or be forcibly removed from power, the Saudi foreign minister said on Thursday, arguing that the Syrian people would not accept any other outcomes.

Speaking to reporters during a two-day meeting of Syrian opposition groups taking place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Adel al-Jubeir said he hoped the various factions can come up with a common vision for Syria.

The meeting, which ends on Thursday, aims at forming a unified front ahead of proposed peace negotiations with Assad's government.

A peace plan agreed last month by 20 nations meeting in Vienna set a Jan. 1 deadline for the start of talks between Assad's government and opposition groups.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/12/10/saudi-fm-syrias-assad-must-leave-or-be-forced-out.html

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7. Kurdish-Arab coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria creates political wing

A Kurdish-Arab coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group in northern Syria has announced the creation of a political wing, as momentum builds for a diplomatic solution to the war.

The formation of the Syrian Democratic Council was agreed at a two-day conference in the northeastern town of Al-Malikiyeh where participants also discussed the future of the country after more than four years of war.

"The participants agreed on the creation of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political branch of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)," a statement issued at the end of the conference read.

http://www.globalpost.com/article/6702811/2015/12/10/syria-kurd-arab-coalition-creates-political-wing

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8. Islamic State retakes key town in Syria's Homs province: Activists

BEIRUT -- Syrian activists say the Islamic State group has retaken a strategically important town in the central province of Homs from government forces.

The government had recaptured the town of Mheen and surrounding villages from the extremists two weeks ago as part of a general offensive to secure the highway connecting Damascus to the country's northwest.

The loss deals a setback to the Syrian army's strategy to fortify the corridor with support from Russian airpower.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/islamic-state-retakes-key-town-in-syria-s-homs-province-activists-1.2694683

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9. . nt

[Scootaloo]

11. They've been telling him this for two years

And all their best money and weapons have gone to the crazy head-choppers they've hired to do the job, without a lot of success.

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13. Talk is indeed cheap.

Saudis policy seems even more incoherent than ours at the moment, it's hard to see it working out well for them.

[Scootaloo]

17. Oh, it's coherent, it just doesn't work

Saudi Arabia's priority is subjugation, possibly even eradication of Shi'a Muslims. Thus the war against Yemen, the impetus for topping Assad (Alawites being a sub-group of Shia) and their desire for sanctions or military action on Iran. I wouldn't be surprised if Daesh activity in Iraq weren't at least somewhat coordinated from Riyadh.

To achieve this, Saudi Arabia funds and equips wahabbi groups - militant or otherwise. Saudi Arabia's trouble is the same as when Reagan was funding the mujahadin; once they're off the farm, they see their benefactors as a decadent clique of apostates. They'll still take the money, but they actively work against their patron's interests - and said patrons have invested too much to stop backing them by that point.

The idea is, through the toppling of Shia states, the imposition of wahabbist theology, and through monetary ties, saudi Arabia will become the "Ruler of the roost" in the Middle East.

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14. Head of Turkish Intelligence to Visit Iraq to Discuss Kurds, Daesh

Turkish Prime Minister said that head of the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT) and a deputy foreign minister will visit Iraq on Thursday.

ANKARA (Sputnik) – The head of the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT) and a deputy foreign minister will visit Iraq on Thursday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151210/1031513336/turkey-iraq-kurds-daesh.html

[Jefferson23]

16. Israel Key Link in Exporting ISIS Oil

Thirty thousand barrels of oil a day. $19 million a month. That's apparently the revenues that are flowing to the Islamic State. Its oil exports flowing through Turkey. And now and investigative report accuses Israel of being one of the principal middlemen for Islamic State oil. Now joining us to talk about how all this works, and how it can work given supposedly the bombing campaigns that are going on, is Vijay Prashad. Vijay joins us from Northampton, Massachusetts. He's the George and Martha Kellner Chair in South Asian History, professor of international studies at Trinity College. His latest book is Letters to Palestine: Writers Respond to War and Occupation. Thanks for joining us again, Vijay.

VIJAY PRASHAD: Pleasure.

JAY: So first of all, what do we know about how the oil gets out? It seems a little bizarre to me that such industrial-scale exports can take place without all the various countries that are supposedly attacking IS being able to stop this.

PRASHAD: Well, first I should say that there are a number of reports and studies that have been conducted. The Financial Times has done some reporting. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed has done a major study on the I think 26th of November, which they called Raqqa's Rockefeller. The Russian government has released their own paper on what they claim is going on between the ISIS territory, Turkey, and Israel. I did a report called ISIS Oil. So there's a number of people who have been looking at the phenomena of ISIS oil and how it's both being taken out of the ground and where it's going, how ISIS is able to make money.

The story is rooted actually in phenomena that predate ISIS. In other words, there are oil fields in northern Iraq in the Kurdish autonomous region where for many years the Iraqi regional government of Kurdistan has been in some kind of competition with the government in Baghdad, the central government. And oil has been siphoned out of these northern fields, these Kurdish fields, into, onto big trucks, smuggled into Turkey. And then they've gone out through [sehan] port, through Malta, often to Israel.

So this is a rather old network that has at least been going for 15 years or so. When ISIS took control of these fields about 18 months ago, they simply used the same networks, smuggling networks. They organized it, they've created in Mosul a, you know, an institution called Office of Resources, which controls things that were as far afield as oil smuggling to soft drink distribution. They do a variety of things, this Office of Resources.

As far as the oil is concerned, they've, as I said, utilized the old smuggling rings that had been used by the Kurdish regional government, so that oil travels across the border into Turkey. There is some preliminary refining that happens, because Turkey at least in this respect seems to be rather particular that you can only bring crude oil into Turkey if you have a license from the Iraqi government. If the oil is partly refined, then it can cross without that license. So there's crude refining of the oil. Bribes are paid at the border. And the trucks cross over and dispatch their crudely refined order onto trucks of another smuggling network. So the first set of trucks will return, essentially, to Mosul and to the oil fields in Iraq, and some of them in [inaud.] in eastern Syria.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=15244

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18. War with Islamic State, low oil prices cripple Iraq's Kurdish region

IRBIL, Iraq - Less than two years ago, Iraq's northern Kurdish region was booming, as oil revenues poured in and foreign investors flocked to a rare island of stability in a turbulent region, but that all began to change when the black flags of the Islamic State group darkened the horizon.

Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led airstrikes repelled an IS assault in the summer of 2014 and have been among the most effective forces battling the extremists. But low oil prices and a longstanding dispute with the central government over revenues, along with an influx of refugees, have crippled the local economy.

The regional capital, Irbil, is littered with half-finished or abandoned building projects -- hotels, offices and apartments that many had hoped would one day transform the largely autonomous region into a Kurdish Dubai. Foreigners attracted to the region by business opportunities and liberal social mores are leaving, civil servants haven't been paid for months and day labourers gather on street corners, hoping for work.

"The economy today has very bad indicators. Savings are running out, people are starting to borrow and cut their expenses, which is directly affecting the market's direction," said Nabil al-Ethari, an economic analyst and chairman of Development Iraq, a consultancy firm based in Irbil.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/war-with-islamic-state-low-oil-prices-cripple-iraq-s-kurdish-region-1.2694462

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19. ‘Don’t mess with Shorty’: Mexican cartel boss threatens ISIS over drug trade

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You [IS] are not soldiers,” El Chapo wrote, according to the unnamed blogger cited by cartelblog.com. “My men will destroy you…” he promised Al Baghdadi.

“Your god cannot save you from the true terror that my men will levy at you if you continue to impact my operation,” it said.

El Chapo became Mexico's top drug lord in 2003. He was believed in 2011 to have surpassed infamous “cocaine king” Pablo Escobar, with the US Drug Enforcement Administration calling El Chapo the biggest drug tycoon ever.

El Chapo is wanted by Mexico, Interpol and the US, which has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

https://www.rt.com/news/325468-mexican-cartel-threatens-isis/

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22. How the experts do it:

"Dost thou not know, that the greatest part of Asia is subject to our arms and our laws? that our invincible forces extend from one sea to the other? that the potentates of the earth form a line before our gate? and that we have compelled Fortune herself to watch over the prosperity of our empire. What is the foundation of thy insolence and folly? Thou hast fought some battles in the woods of Anatolia; contemptible trophies! Thou hast obtained some victories over the Christians of Europe; thy sword was blessed by the apostle of God; and thy obedience to the precept of the Koran, in waging war against the infidels, is the sole consideration that prevents us from destroying thy country, the frontier and bulwark of the Moslem world. Be wise in time; reflect; repent; and avert the thunder of our vengeance, which is yet suspended over thy head. Thou art no more than a pismire; why wilt thou seek to provoke the elephants? Alas! they will trample thee under their feet."

In his replies, Bajazet poured forth the indignation of a soul which was deeply stung by such unusual contempt. After retorting the basest reproaches on the thief and rebel of the desert, the Ottoman recapitulates his boasted victories in Iran, Touran, and the Indies; and labours to prove, that Timour had never triumphed unless by his own perfidy and the vices of his foes.

"Thy armies are innumerable: be they so; but what are the arrows of the flying Tartar against the cimeters and battle-axes of my firm and invincible Janizaries? I will guard the princes who have implored my protection: seek them in my tents. The cities of Arzingan and Erzeroum are mine; and unless the tribute be duly paid, I will demand the arrears under the walls of Tauris and Sultania."

The ungovernable rage of the sultan at length betrayed him to an insult of a more domestic kind.

"If I fly from thy arms," said he, "may my wives be thrice divorced from my bed: but if thou hast not courage to meet me in the field, mayest thou again receive thy wives after they have thrice endured the embraces of a stranger." (30)

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/gibbon/decline/volume2/chap65.htm

[Ghost Dog]

23. .

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24. +1

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20. Key Syria rebel faction pulls out of opposition talks

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- A powerful Syrian insurgent faction says it is pulling out of an opposition conference in Saudi Arabia in protest at the role given to groups it says are close to the Syrian government.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Ahrar al-Sham says it is withdrawing also because some of its comments and recommendations have been disregarded.

Ahrar al-Sham is a Saudi-backed ultraconservative group that operates mainly in northern Syria.

The withdrawal comes at the end of the two-day conference in Riyadh that sought to form a unified front ahead of proposed peace negotiations with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-10-10-15-55

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21. Key Syria Rebel Faction Pulls Out of Opposition Talks

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A powerful Syrian insurgent faction pulled out of an opposition conference held in Saudi Arabia on Thursday in protest at the role given to groups it said are close to the Syrian government.

Ahrar al-Sham, a Saudi-backed ultraconservative group that operates mainly in northern Syria, said in a statement that it was withdrawing also because some of its comments and recommendations have been disregarded at the meeting.

The group's withdrawal came at the end of the two-day conference in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, which sought to form a unified opposition front ahead of proposed peace negotiations with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

Earlier, the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking at a climate conference outside Paris, had described the talks in Riyadh as "very constructive."

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/10/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria.html?_r=0

[Agnosticsherbet]

26. We are going to end up in the middle of a regional war with Russia, Syria, and Iran on one side and

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and their allies on the other.

I doubt we will stay out of such a fray for long.

[bemildred]

28. Definitely a possibility. nt

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29. Syrian opposition says ready to negotiate with al-Assad government

By Weedah Hamzah, Jan Kuhlmann and Johnny Abo, dpa

Riyadh (dpa) - Syria's disparate opposition groups say they are ready to have UN-sponsored negotiations with representatives from President Bashar al-Assad's government - but insist he step down.

"The aim of the political settlement is to create a state based on the principle of citizenship without Bashar al-Assad or figures of his regime having a place in it or any future political arrangements," the groups said in a statement on Thursday.

They met in Saudi capital Riyadh for two days of talks to try to build a united front. The opposition and their armed rebels have repeatedly said there will be no role for al-Assad in the future of Syria.

But the Syrian leader's close allies, Russia and Iran, said his political fate should be up to Syrians to decide.

http://www.dpa-international.com/news/international/syrian-opposition-says-ready-to-negotiate-with-al-assad-government-a-47599002.html

Edit: I don't see any indication of forward progress here.

When Russia first intervened, the focus was on saving Assad and defending the Alawite heartland. But the Assad regime is now (mostly) on the offensive, and gaining territory piecemeal. Now the argument has moved on to the nature of the new Syria, how balkanized, into which pieces, and with whom in charge. It is not so simple even as Lebanon. Assad and his friends can be said to favor a more unitary state, Turkey and the Sauds and their friends think the weaker and more balkanized the better.

None of this suggests the fighting will stop soon.

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32. Meeting of Syrian rebel groups in Saudi Arabia ends in chaos as Islamist militia Ahrar al-Sham ...

A meeting hailed as an attempt to unite the disparate opposition to Bashar al-Assad in Syria broke up in disarray when a one of the main militia groups apparently walked out.

The two-day conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh was the first serious attempt to bring together largely moderate groups fighting the Assad regime inside Syria, and exiled political organisations, which have opposed Damascus from outside. Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra were not invited to take part.

The talks were designed to build a united front for future peace negotiations and a final communiqué, which called on President Assad to step down at the start of a “transitional period,” was issued as the conference concluded. However, a planned press conference was cancelled and the statement came only after Ahrar al-Sham – a 20,000-strong Islamist militia – pulled out of the talks saying that armed groups were being marginalised by the political bodies.

The final agreement backed a “democratic mechanism through a pluralistic regime that represents all sectors of the Syrian people”. This would include women and would not discriminate on religious, sectarian or ethnic grounds, reported Reuters. The participants also committed to preserving Syria’s state institutions and restructuring the army and security services.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/meeting-of-syrian-rebel-groups-in-saudi-arabia-ends-in-chaos-as-islamist-militia-ahrar-al-sham-walk-a6768566.html