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Up in arms: ‘Iraqi Jihadists and weapons flow to Syria’
Published: 12 February, 2012, 00:06
Edited: 12 February, 2012, 14:32
(AFP Photo / HO / Al-Akhbar newspaper)
TAGS: Arms, Conflict, UN, Protest, Politics, Iraq, Opposition, Syria
Jihadists are flocking to Syria from neighboring Iraq and weaponry is being sent across the border to support anti-Assad movement in the country, Iraqi Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Assadi has announced.
In his interview to AFP news agency, Adnan al-Assadi said that Iraqi authorities have intelligence information that a “number of Iraqi Jihadists” had gone to Syria to take part in the protest movement.
He added that his country also sees the major outflow of weapons towards its neighbor. A strong indicator of weapons smuggling is, according to the deputy minister, the sudden and steep hike in prices on the Iraqi side of the border.
“The weapons are transported from Baghdad to Nineveh province, and the prices of weapons in Mosul [city] are higher now because they are being sent to the opposition in Syria,” said Adnan al-Assadi. The official added that in the province bordering Syria, the price of a Kalashnikov assault rifle has recently risen from between $100 and $200 up to $1,500.
"The weapons are being smuggled from Mosul through the Rabia crossing to Syria, as members of the same families live on both sides of the border," Adnan al-Assadi added. There is also some smuggling ongoing through a crossing near the Syrian city of Abu Kamal, he claims.
The Syrian government has long claimed that the opposition was being largely helped by foreigners.
In a recent development, Al-Qaeda has voiced its support to the Syrian opposition, urging Muslims across the Middle East to aid the Syrian uprising.
According to The Guardian, Turkey comes as probably “the most significant outside player” against the current regime in Syria. The country hosts the opposition Syrian National Council and allows a “safe haven” for the Free Syrian Army. Syrian opposition sources say they receive weapons coming from the territory of Turkey and Jordan, The Washington Times newspaper reports.
The Syrian officials recently handed to another neighbor, Lebanon, a list of individuals allegedly involved in border smuggling of people and weapons “for destructive acts on the territory of Syria”. Syria asked its neighbor to tighten border controls between the two countries.
According to Israeli website depka.com, known for his links with intelligence, UK and Qatari troops are largely involved with the battle for Homs on the side of the opposition.
Adnan al-Assadi’s statement comes amid increased tensions over the Syrian crisis. On Saturday Syria told Libya and Tunisia to close their embassies in Damascus within 72 hours. The development follows Libya and Tunisia demanding that Syrian diplomats depart.
The United States closed its embassy in Syria on Monday, promising further pressure on Bashar al-Assad to step down. A number of the European countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Spain followed the suit days later. The six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council also withdrew their ambassadors from the country, expelling the Syrians.
Violence in the Middle Eastern country has been going on for almost a year, with anti-government groups fighting to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power. According to the UN, over 5,000 lives have been lost in the conflict.
Meanwhile, the international community is stepping up pressure for harsher measures against President Assad and his regime. A recent UN draft resolution was vetoed in the Security Council by Russia and China, the two states that oppose foreign intervention into the country. According to Russia, the draft left out sanctions for the country’s opposition. Moscow believes that due to its imbalanced approach, the document could send the wrong signal to the conflicting sides.
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To expand its operations in Syria, the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) must secure supplies of weapons, food, water and other necessities. The most important supply lines for the rebels -- though also the most difficult to maintain -- come from Lebanon. The Sunni-concentrated region of Homs in Syria depends heavily on supplies smuggled from northern Lebanon and the northern Bekaa Valley. Lebanese villages such al Al Fakiha, Arsal and Al Qaa have helped provide shelter to Syrian defectors and supplies to Syria's insurgents from the northern Bekaa. Another route that could be used to smuggle supplies runs through the northwestern tip of Lebanon where the Quleiat airstrip is located. This corner of Lebanon is predominately Sunni, and there are rumors that Lebanese officials sympathetic to the FSA are preparing the Quleiat airstrip. FSA rebels operating in the Damascus suburbs rely on the southern supply route that starts on the Lebanese side of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains near the central Bekaa Valley. The most important smuggling route in this region runs through Deir al-Ashaer on the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Several main roadways connect Rif Damascus to Deir al-Ashaer, but the most likely route for rebel supply lines runs through valleys and various passes throughout the Anti-Lebanon Mountains in an attempt to circumvent border checkpoints. Zahle receives supplies from Jouneih, the mostly Christian seaport city 15 kilometers north of Beirut. The southern route presents the most challenges, traversing mountainous border terrain. Supplies must be smuggled through valleys, cross checkpoints with bribable guards, traverse dangerous back roads through the mountains, or be taken by foot or animal through mountain passes. Be safe.
-The (Open) Rise to Power of the Russian Right-
Along side underhandedly creating war in and around the Middle East, it would be strategic for Moscow to instigate political turmoil and possibly civil war in Russia before launching an all-out attack. From such chaos, Moscow could stage an open rise to power by Russian neo-facists, more commonly referred to as the "Russian Right".
If, indeed, the East has been pursuing a grand deception over the past several years, then it is likely that Gorbachev's rise to power in 1985 entailed a dramatic ideological shift to the political right rather than the left. At first this may seem hard to believe, but, indeed, going into the 1980's, it was well-recognized that a shift to the right was taking place at the top in the Soviet Union {for instance, see: Alexander Yanov's, 'The Russian Challenge and the Year 2000' }.
The Russian Right is the ultimate form of facism. It is centered around an ideology that paints Jews and Westerners as satanic elements conspiring to overtake Russia and the world. Consequently, Russia has a messianic calling to wage a merciless war against Israel and the West before the world is completely controlled by evil "zionist" (Israeli/Jewish) and "freemasonry" (Western/liberal-democratic) forces (purportedly by the year 2000). Through this war Russia will fulfill its destiny of saving (dominating) the world and establishing a global kingdom of god (dictatorship of man). The pseudo-Christian underpinnings of the Russian Right brought about a strong alliance between Rightist elements in the government and leaders in the Russian Orthodox Church. In other words, with the emergence of the Russian Right, the ideology surrounding Russia's historical messianic complex shifted from Communism to Orthodoxy.
If arab leaders support Bashar immediately to supress the so called ''UPRISING'' which is infact gorilla war run by Mossad, CIA and MI6, that would be very wise of them. Otherwise they should wait till they are all toppled up one by one by this disguised western war. Fool Muslims, can't distinguish between what's Right and whats not.