“The video caused online outrage and heated debates on Twitter as to who the people committing the atrocity might be. The majority allege they are Free Syrian Army supporters who intentionally target civil servants backing the regime. RT’s correspondent on the ground Oksana Boyko reports that around one-and-a-half million of the country’s civil employees have now become targets. Doctors, teachers and municipal workers risk kidnapping or assassination for simply doing their jobs.”
Monthly Archives: August 2012
Death toll in Iran at 180 after twin earthquakes

“Rescue teams in northwest Iran strove Sunday to dig survivors out of the rubble of villages leveled by twin earthquakes that killed at least 180 people and injured more than 1,300, according to officials. The quakes, which struck Saturday within 11 minutes of each other, measured 6.2 and 6.0, according to Tehran University’s Seismological Center.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/11/death-toll-in-iran-at-180-after-twin-earthquakes/
Turkey treating Iraqi Kurdistan ‘as independent’

“Turkey is ‘dealing with the (Kurdistan) region as an independent state, and this is rejected by us,’ Maliki said in a soon-to-be broadcast interview with a Turkish television channel, according to the statement on his website. If Turkey ‘wants to establish good relations, its relations with the region must be built through the gate of Iraq,’ Maliki said.” [Cracks in the dike]
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/11/turkey-treating-iraqi-kurdistan-as-independent/
Iranian hemophilia society: U.S., EU sanctions endanger lives

“Extensive sanctions against the Iranian government and nation by the European Union and the United States- despite the fact that in official documents of these countries, the sanctions do not include a ban on (the supply of) medicines- have practically made it difficult for patients to purchase and access to medicines… The (sanctions) have also seriously endangered the lives of tens of thousands of patients, particularly children, suffering from special diseases.”
U.S., Turkey to study Syria no-fly zone
“The United States and Turkey indicated they were studying a range of possible measures over Syria, including a no-fly zone, as battles between rebels and President Bashar al-Assad’s forces shook Aleppo and the heart of Damascus. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after meeting her Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul on Saturday that Washington and Ankara should develop detailed operational planning on ways to assist the rebels fighting to topple Assad.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/11/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8610SH20120811
US to Slap New Sanctions on Syria

“The United States on Friday said it plans new sanctions against the Syrian regime and its supporters, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants and the Syrian state oil company. The U.S. action freezes any Hezbollah assets in the U.S. and prohibits Americans and U.S. companies from dealings with the group. The U.S. cited the Syrian state oil company Sytrol for trading with Iran, which already faces U.S. sanctions over is disputed nuclear program. Syria sent 33,000 metric tons of gasoline to Iran in April, a deal estimated at $36 million.”
http://www.voanews.com/content/battle-for-aleppo-continues/1483732.html
Syrian rebels receive UK funding, but no weapons

“The British government announced today that it would provide the Syrian rebels with $5 million to buy communications equipment and medical supplies. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the funds would be used for things like satellite phones, medical kits, and generators, but was insistent that none of it would go toward weapons. He also said that his government would increase its contact with the opposition’s political arm to help it prepare for a possible post-Assad Syria.”
Democratic foreign policy figures press for intervention in Syria
“Senior Democratic foreign policy figures, along with diplomats who have worked for Democratic administrations, are saying the administration needs to do more to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe and preserve U.S. influence in a key Mideast state. The views of these figures, including former Clinton administration Defense Secretary William Perry and former Obama administration officials Ann-Marie Slaughter and Dennis Ross, add to pressure on the White House from regional allies and Republican rivals as the Syrian conflict has intensified.” [So much for that ‘peacenik party’]
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-us-syria-20120811,0,5894858.story
US Officials: Al-Qaida Gaining Foothold in Syria

“Al-Qaida has advanced beyond isolated pockets of activity in Syria and now is building a network of well-organized cells, according to U.S. intelligence officials, who fear the terrorists could be on the verge of establishing an Iraq-like foothold that would be hard to defeat if rebels eventually oust President Bashar Assad. At least a couple of hundred al-Qaida-linked militants are already operating in Syria, and their ranks are growing as foreign fighters stream into the Arab country daily.” [Gee, who could have predicted that?]
Israeli Parliament Approves Austerity Measures
“The main measures include raising the value-added tax to 17% from 16%, beginning next month. In addition, income tax will rise between 1% and 3% for those in the middle tax brackets. The two lowest tax brackets and the highest bracket won’t see changes. Income-tax changes will take effect in January, according to the ministry of finance. Under the measures passed, employers will increase their payments to social security, which also funds the national health system.”