DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Funeral For Top Hezbollah Commander Marches in Sidon

Asian Defense News: DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Funeral For Top Hezbollah Commander Marches in Sidon

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 9, 2013: (Sidon, Lebanon) Hezbollah held a funeral procession in the suburb of the coastal city of Sidon Monday for a top military commander who was killed in Syria a day earlier.

The procession was led by Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad, the Imam of Haret Sayda Sheikh Abdel-Hussein Abdallah and a Hezbollah Commander, Ali Daoun.

Ali Bazzi's coffin was carried on the shoulders of Hezbollah members as the commander's friends fired shots in the air.

The large procession prompted the Lebanese Army to deploy at the northern entrance of the city and in several neighborhoods leading to Haret Sayda.

Sidon is the home of fugitive Salafi-labelled Sheikh Ahmad Assir who was a staunch critic of Hezbollah and its involvement in the Syrian crisis. Assir and his supporters were engaged in deadly armed clashes against the Army in June.

Bazzi is originally from the southern town of Bint Jbeil but his family moved to Sidon decades ago. His father owns a shoe shop in the area.

A Lebanese security source told The Daily Star Sunday that Bazzi was killed in a combat zone.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Hezbollah fighters were killed during battles in Nabk, one of the last rebel-held areas in the Qalamoun region bordering Lebanon.

Hezbollah-backed regime forces have launched a military campaign to root out rebel forces in Qalamoun, near the border with Lebanon.

Residents of southern Lebanon said Sunday that two other Hezbollah fighters – Ali Saleh and Qassem Ghamloush – were also killed in Syria Sunday and buried.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
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DTN News - SYRIA UNREST AL-QAEDA CONNECTION: Turkish Allies Flying 'New al-Qaeda' Fighters To Syria With U.S. Support - Report

Asian Defense News: DTN News -  SYRIA UNREST AL-QAEDA CONNECTION: Turkish Allies Flying 'New al-Qaeda' Fighters To Syria With U.S. Support - Report
*"A new Al-Qaeda has been created in the region through the financial and logistical backup ofTurkey... and a number of western states, [e]specially the US..."

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Timothy Whiteman - Examiner.com
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 24, 2013: Our NATO partner's and long considered one of our closest allies in the Muslim world, the Turks are now reportedly using their national airlines to ferry al-Qaeda terrorists to fight with the rebels in the Syrian Civil War, all with the support and approval of both the American and British governments, as reported by the London-based Muslim news portal Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA) on June 22, 2013.

The Turkish Connection...

Cited only as a military source speaking on the grounds of anonymity, the source accused the Turkish intelligence agency of sending 93 al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorists from their training camps in Pakistan's lawless Waziristan province to the Turkish province of Hatay on the Turkish-Syrian coastal border.

Previous reports by ABNA have cited Turkey's national airline, Turkish Air, of transporting al-Qaeda and Taliban militants from North Waziristan in Pakistan to the Turkish borders with Syria.

According to the covert source, all 93 terrorists were passengers on the Karachi-Istanbul flight route, Turkish Air No. 709 on September 10, 2012.

Reportedly, all those transported were originally from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan and a group of Arabs already residing in Waziristan.

The Iraq Connection...

The anonymous source stated that over 65 percent of the Salafi fighting with the Syrian rebels in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor are Afghans who have sworn allegiance to the al-Qaeda terrorist organization.

The unidentified source contends that these specific soon-to-be American equipped al-Qaeda fighters entered the eastern Syrian province via Iraq only after completing al-Qaeda training in Iraq.

The Obama Administration Connection...

ABNA reports that with Turkey, the U.S. and various Persian Gulf nations backing them, al-Qaeda has set up a new training camp for Salafi (radical Islamic fundamentalists) and Jihadi (Islamist global domination) terrorists in Northern Waziristan.

"A new Al-Qaeda has been created in the region through the financial and logistical backup of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and a number of western states, [e]specially the US," a source told the Fars News Agency of Iran (FNA) last September.

ABNA quotes FNA's Ali Mahdian that the US and the British governments have been "playing with the al-Qaeda through their Arab proxy regimes in the region in a bid to materialize their goals, specially in Syria."

He went on to state that the Saudi and Qatari regimes serve as go-betweens to "facilitate the CIA and (British) MI6 plans in Syria through instigating terrorist operations by Salafi and Arab Jihadi groups, adding that the terrorists do not know that they actually exercise the US plans."

Yet, the source said the US and Britain are looking at the new Al-Qaeda force as an instrument to attain their goals and do not intend to support them to ascend to power, "because if Salafi elements in Syria ascend to power, they will create many problems for the US, the Western states and Turkey in future."

"Thus, the US, Britain and Turkey are looking at the Al-Qaeda as a tactical instrument," he said, and warned of the regional and global repercussions of the US and Turkish aid to the Al-Qaeda and Salafi groups.

As previously covered by Examiner.com, the Obama Administration has authorized the transfer of American arms and ammunition to the various Syrian rebel groups, to include the largest, the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra li-Ahl al-Sham (The Front for the Protection of the Syrian People), also popularly known as the al-Nusra Front.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Timothy Whiteman - Examiner.com
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News: Syria Top Stories / Headlines News Dated June 8, 2013

Asian Defense News: DTN News: Syria Top Stories / Headlines News Dated June 8, 2013

 Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Major News Media, Google, Yahoo & Others

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 8, 2013: Comprehensive daily news related to Syria for the world of TODAY.

*Comprehensive daily news related to Syria Top Stories / Headlines News for the world of  TODAY

1. News for syria news today

   PakistanToday.com.pk
   1. Hezbollah in the fight in Syria to win, backed by Iran

      USA TODAY ‎- 1 day ago

      A staunch ally of Iran as well as of Syrian president Bachar Assad, Lebanese Hezbollah is leading operations to drive rebels out of Qussayr,...
   1. Rebels say Hezbollah, Iraqi fighters flooding into Syria

      Tucson Citizen‎ - 3 days ago
   2. Syria rebels battle Hezbollah in Lebanon

      PakistanToday.com.pk‎ - 5 days ago

2. Syria news, all the latest and breaking Syria news - Telegraph

   www.telegraph.co.uk › News › World News › Middle East‎

    

   Syria news, all the latest and breaking Syria news from telegraph.co.uk. ... Al-Qaeda's high command staked its interest in the outcome of Syria's civil war yesterday as its leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, .... TODAY; PAST WEEK; PAST MONTH ...

3. Syrian rebel haven teeters — along with rebellion itself - USA Today

   www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/05/23/syria-rebel-city/2351423/‎

    

   May 23, 2013 – A battle raging for control of a border town critical to the supply of men and arms to opponents of the regime of Bashar Assad may determine ...

4. NewsNow: Syria News | Every Source, Every Five Minutes, 24/7

   www.newsnow.co.uk › World News › Middle East‎

    

   Source: Situation in Saudi Arabia Nearing Explosion Fars News Agency 15:06. UN appeals for a record $5.2b in aid for victims of Syria war WA Today 15:04 ...

5. Syria | World news | The Guardian

   www.guardian.co.uk › World news‎

    

   Latest news and comment on Syria from guardian.co.uk. ... Today's paper ... Smoke from clashes between Syrian rebels and regime forces near Quneitra ...

6. Sniper kills Syrian journalist from pro-government TV - World News ...

   tvnz.co.nz/...news/sniper-kills-syrian-journalist-pro-government-tv-5449...‎

    

   May 27, 2013 – Sniper fire killed a well-known Syrian journalist working for a ... channel near the Lebanese-Syrian border today, the state news agency said.

7. Syria: Pictures, Videos, Breaking News - Huffington Post

   www.huffingtonpost.com/news/syria/‎

    

   Includes blogs, news, and community conversations about Syria. ... Qardawi's call for jihad completely ignores the world as it is today: a world of nation-states.

8. Syria News, Photos and Videos - ABC News

   abcnews.go.com › Topics › News‎

    

   Browse Syria latest news and updates, watch videos and view all photos and ... The country's current president is Bashar al-Asad and Wael Nader al-Halqi is the ...

9. Latest breaking news on Syria - breakingnews.com

   www.breakingnews.com/topic/syria‎

    

   The latest breaking news on Syria from hundreds of sources, all in one place.

   
   

   

   
   

   Latest news and comment on Bashar Al-Assad from guardian.co.uk.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources DTN News
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - SYRIA CIVIL WAR: Syrian General Apparently Defects, Says Morale Among Troops At A Low

Asian Defense News: DTN News - SYRIA CIVIL WAR: Syrian General Apparently Defects, Says Morale Among Troops At A Low

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Laura Smith-Spark. Chelsea J. Carter and Amir Ahmed, CNN
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 17, 2013:  A top Syrian general has reportedly defected from President Bashar al-Assad's government, telling an Arabic news station in an interview that aired Saturday that morale among security forces in Syria is at a low.

The reported defection followed the United Nations announcement that one of its employees, a teacher, was killed during fighting between rebels and government forces at a refugee camp outside Damascus.

If confirmed, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Ezz al-Din Khalouf's defection is the latest in a series of such moves by high-profile government officials, raising questions about the stability of al-Assad's government two years into the civil war gripping the country.

Khalouf, head of logistics and supply for the Syrian army, told the Arabic news network Al Arabiya that many tied to al-Assad's government have lost faith, but continue to pledge their allegiance to the president.

"It is only for appearance's sake to present an image to the international community showing that the regime is the one that pulls together all segments of Syrian society under."

Khalouf told Al Arabiya he had been working with rebels to defect. He appeared in the interview with his son, a Syrian army captain, who defected with him.

There was no immediate reaction from the Syrian government on the reported defection, which follows the two-year anniversary of the uprising.

Rebels posted what they claim are two videos on YouTube that offer proof that they helped Khalouf and his family escape Syria through Daraa province into Jordan.

CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the videos, but Al Arabiya reported the interview with Khalouf was conducted in Jordan.

U.N. employee killed at camp

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees confirmed Saturday that a member of its teaching staff was killed Wednesday trying to flee the fighting at the Khan Eshieh refugee camp in Syria.

Nasri Khalil Hasan was killed while trying to make his way with his wife and four children to a makeshift shelter after the camp was reportedly struck by an artillery shell, the UNRWA said in a statement.

Hasan was hit by shrapnel from a subsequent explosion, it said.

Because the hospital at the refugee camp was not open, he was taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Jdaydeh, according to the UNRWA. He died at the hospital the next day, the agency said.

Cluster bombs linked to civilian casualties

The news of Khalouf's apparent defection and the death of Hasan came the same day a human rights group accused Syrian forces of using an increasing number of cluster bombs in residential areas.

Human Rights Watch says its researchers have identified 119 locations across Syria, where at least 156 cluster bombs have been used from August to mid-February.

The result is "mounting civilian casualties," the rights group said.

Human Rights Watch said it has investigated two cluster bomb attacks in the past two weeks -- in Deir Jamal, near Aleppo, and Talbiseh, near Homs.

These attacks killed 11 civilians, including two women and five children, and injured 27 others, the rights group said.

"Syria is expanding its relentless use of cluster munitions, a banned weapon, and civilians are paying the price with their lives and limbs," said Steve Goose, director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch.

"The initial toll is only the beginning because cluster munitions often leave unexploded bomblets that kill and maim long afterward."

The Syrian government did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.

In October, Syrian armed forces denied the possession or use of cluster bombs.

A statement released through the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said "misleading media outlets" had published "untrue news claiming the Syrian Arab Army has been using cluster bombs against terrorists."

The Syrian army "does not possess such bombs," it said, adding that the media reports were "aimed at diverting the public opinion from the practices of the armed terrorist groups against civilians."

The Human Rights Watch report is based on field investigations, analysis of video footage posted by activists and eyewitness reports, it said.

The collection of data does not include details of casualty numbers but many deaths and injuries have been documented, the group said.

"Remnants of at least 156 distinct cluster bombs have been identified so far from the video footage," the group said.

"Human Rights Watch has documented government use of cluster munitions, both air-dropped and ground-delivered, but it has seen no evidence of cluster munition use by opposition rebel groups."

Weapons are indiscriminate

Another rights group, Amnesty International, has accused the Syrian government of using cluster bombs in civilian areas.

"Civilians continue to be at the receiving end of increasingly frequent indiscriminate attacks by Syrian government forces," Amnesty said in a report Thursday.

"Internationally banned cluster munitions are being used daily against civilian residential areas in towns and villages, in utter disregard for the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law."

The report said the "vast majority" of abuses were committed by Syrian government forces, but that rebel groups are also carrying out abuses such as kidnapping and summary executions.

Syria is not one of the 111 states worldwide that have signed up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use. The United States also is not a signatory.

Cluster munitions are widely viewed as unacceptable because the bomblets spread across a wide area and make no distinction between civilians and fighters.

Death toll

CNN cannot independently verify death tolls or other accounts of violence in Syria.

Last month, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said about 70,000 people had been killed in the two-year-old conflict.

The Syrian army continued to hunt "terrorists" -- its description of rebel fighters -- in several areas on Saturday, including outside Damascus and Homs, and in Idlib province, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Laura Smith-Spark. Chelsea J. Carter and Amir Ahmed, CNN
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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