Nowadays, the opponents of Bashar Assad are not camouflaging under the “democrats”, but frankly declare the creation of an Islamic state in Syria, based on Wahhabi fundamentalism. Judging by the published video, the Shiites, Alawites and other confessions, which, according to the militants, are associated with the Assad government, today are not only subjected to pressure, but their representatives are physically destroyed.
The most difficult is the position of the Christian minority of Syria (before the outbreak of armed confrontation, it was about 10% of the country's population). On the one hand, Christians are perceived by radical Sunni Islamists as "agents of Western influence," and on the other, as Assad's allies. The fact that the “opposition” itself receives support from the West does not save Christians.
In November, the “oppositionists” desecrated the ancient temple of the Melkite church - Saints Sergius and Bacchus in the city of Kara. September 20 suffered Catholics: on this day the residence of the archbishop was burned. 24 September 240 Melkite Christians were abducted near the village of Rabeh. Fortunately, local residents, their relatives and neighbors managed to negotiate with the kidnappers and release the entire group.
The Melkite Patriarch Gregory III Lakham in the summer called 80% of Western media reports about the situation in Syria a lie. The slogans of freedom and democracy put forward by the opposition, the patriarch said, are no more than a screen behind which supporters of the Shariah state are hiding.
Members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Antiochian Orthodox, the Greek Orthodox and other Eastern Christian churches in Syria are being harassed.
Western experts show Syrian militants how to use chemical weapons. Elise Labott (CNN; source of translation - "Translation") recently reported that the United States and its European allies are using military contractors to train Syrian rebels to secure chemical weapons stocks. Training takes place in Jordan and Turkey.
In the "courses" militants learn to ensure the safety of stocks, to comply with the rules of storing weapons and materials. One of the objectives of the “study” is to explore for these objects in real time.
It is reported that the very existence of this training program explains how Americans obtained information about the preparation of the Assad government for chemical weapons formulations and their loading into bombs. Intelligence allegedly came not only from satellite intelligence, but also from agents.
It is stated that the US military cannot train rebel forces militarily, since Washington gave the go-ahead only for the "non-lethal help" of the opposition.
In Israel, everyone knows: America is about to invade Syria. Israel’s Minister for Strategic Issues, Moshe Yaalon, in an interview with Army Radio, said that the United States was preparing for military intervention in the Syrian conflict, reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to "Arutz Sheva". According to the minister, the final decision on the beginning of the intervention will be made if the Syrian government decides to use chemical weapons against its own citizens.
Ya'alon says that Washington is concerned about the development of events in a country neighboring Israel and the possible consequences of a civil war for the entire region. The minister also noted that the governments of the United States and Israel are in close contact, jointly analyzing what is happening in Syria.
In addition, 26 in December, the Arab press reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II to discuss joint actions regarding Syrian chemical weapons. No details.
Not winners? It turns out that the overwhelming majority of Israelis do not agree with the opinion that their country emerged victorious in the conflict with the Hamas movement, writes "Lenta.ru" with reference to "Ediot Ahronot."
According to a sociological survey conducted by three organizations in Israel and Palestine, only 26% of the citizens of the Jewish state agree with the statement that their country won the war. At the same time, 81% of Palestinians agreed that Hamas won the war.
The Israelis were disappointed that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu did not continue the military operation in the Gaza Strip, but instead agreed to an armistice.
The Belarusian leader scares Israel. As transmits Rosbalt With reference to the “Market Leader” resource, the possibility of Belarus supplying C-300 to Iran is of concern to the Israeli side. In Israel, the planned deal was dubbed the “axis of evil.”
Alexander Lukashenko is ready to supply the necessary weapons to Iran, and at the same time earn.
Earlier, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against the Belarusian defense company Belvneshpromservice. The company is accused of supplying bombs of the Syrian army.
European face of Turkish diversification. Matteo Katstsulani ("Il Legno Storto", Italy; source of translation - "InoSMI") talked about how Turkey builds energy independence.
Russian gas is good, but Algerian is not bad either. To gain real energy independence, it is necessary to diversify sources of supply. December 23 Turkey announced its intention to extend the contract for the supply of 4,4 billion cubic meters of liquefied gas from Algeria. Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz announced his intention to increase the amount of gas purchased from the North African country to six billion cubic meters per year and extend the contract for 5 years.
Turkey is interested in gas supplies from the United States. Yildyz is going to sign an agreement with America to supply six billion cubic meters a year.
The author of the article notes that the strategy of diversifying gas supplies to Turkey is connected with the desire of Ankara to reduce its dependence on Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan.
Today, Russia supplies Turkey with thirty billion cubic meters of gas through the Blue Stream pipeline and through the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline.
Iran supplies Turkey with ten billion cubic meters of gas per year, Azerbaijan - 6,6 billion cubic meters.
There is also an intention to build the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline through the Turkish territory to transport thirty billion cubic meters of gas per year from Azerbaijan to the EU.
Why?
Because the import of Azerbaijani gas is part of the projects of the European Commission to diversify supply sources, invented to counter the almost complete monopoly of Russia, which now controls 40% of gas supplies to the Old World.
Traitors and upheavals. Egyptian prosecutors launched an investigation into opposition leaders: they are suspected of treason and plotting a coup, according to "Vesti".
We are talking about the leaders of the liberal parties, which organized in November the anti-presidential coalition - the National Front for Salvation. Their goal is to oppose President Mohammed Mursi by all possible peaceful means.
Remembering evolution. Residents of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, 27 December went to the assault on the French Embassy, reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to the Al-Jazeera channel. Preferring the words of the case, with him the guys grabbed stones and clubs.
By an attack they wanted to make it clear to Paris that it was time for him to take part in a local civil war. Residents of Bangui believe that France, once a former colonial power, must intervene in the conflict on the side of government forces in order to prevent the rebels from storming the capital from the so-called "Union of Democratic Forces for Unity". In the case of the seizure of the city, the rebels will massacre there.
What did France say? Official Paris sent units of the Foreign Legion to Bangui. They will guard diplomats from both zealous help-seekers and insurgents.
Tribute to Russian soldiers. As conveyed from Paris correspondent ITAR-TASS Dmitry Gorokhov, the coordinating council of Russian compatriots in France intends to pay tribute to the Russian soldiers who saved Europe in two world wars. According to its chairman, a well-known publicist Dmitry de Koshko, members of the council are planning a series of memorial events dedicated to the upcoming important dates of the all-European stories.
The head of the organization said in an interview with the ITAR-TASS correspondent: “The message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Federal Assembly rightly said about the Russian heroes of the First World War. Representatives of different waves of Russian emigration are ready to help recreate the fullness of the historical image of the Russian soldier in that war. ”
He recalled that Russia more than once came to the aid of France. At the initial stage of the First World War, the Russian army, which was not fully mobilized, launched an offensive in East Prussia in order to divert German forces from the western front at the cost of heavy losses.
“In the dramatic August 1914 of the year, Paris was saved thanks to the efforts of the Russian allies, who by actions on their front helped France win an important victory in the battle of Marne,” said de Koshko. “These historical events will be in the spotlight in connection with the upcoming 100 anniversary of the Great War, as they call it in France.”
In addition, at the beginning of 2013, the Council of Russian compatriots plans to celebrate the 70 anniversary of the victory in another memorable battle - the Battle of Stalingrad. In honor of this battle is named the square in Paris, the streets in Toulouse, Grenoble, Nice and other cities of France.
“We consider it important that the current generation paid tribute to the Russian army for this great feat,” the ITAR-TASS official said.The head of the coordination council also said: “Russian history deserves to be proud of it. And that is why it is so important that modern Russian society strives to link epochs together in order to rely on the continuity of Russia's thousand-year history. ”
Double Swedish standards. Russia sent a note to Sweden on the inadmissibility of indulging extremist organizations, reports "Russian peacemaker" with reference to the Voice of Russia.
“The Russian side has repeatedly called on the Swedish authorities to take measures to prohibit the activities in this country of the Kavkaz Center website, the information mouthpiece of the Caucasus Emirate terrorist organization, included in the consolidated list of the UN Security Council’s 1267 / 1989 sanctions against“ Al- Qaida ”and related individuals and legal entities,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said.
“Nevertheless, the necessary steps have not yet been taken,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.
“The legal functioning of terrorist and extremist organizations in the Swedish territory is not limited to this,” the ministry said. “In particular, the open activities in Sweden, banned in Russia as a terrorist, and in a number of EU member states, for example, in Germany, as the radical extremist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, are noteworthy.
“Recently there was an attempt by members of this group who found refuge in Sweden to hold an unauthorized rally outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm,” the diplomatic agency said. “The Swedish authorities consistently refuse extradition at the request of the Russian authorities of one of the organizers of this action, Khamzin, explaining his decision with allegedly political motives of the accusations against him in Russia.”
“We have to admit that such actions by the Swedish side are nothing but a manifestation of the policy of double standards,” summed up in Smolensk Square. “Persons accused in the Russian Federation of committing grave crimes continue to feel comfortable in the territory of Sweden.”
“The Russian Embassy in Stockholm sent a note to the Swedish Foreign Ministry, which draws attention to the inadmissibility of indulging extremist organizations and sentiments and calls on the Swedish authorities to ensure the safety of Russian overseas agencies and citizens in Sweden,” the ministry said. “We are waiting for the official reaction of the Swedish side to this note.”
Postal threat. Leonid Kovacic ("Voice of Russia") reported that the Far Eastern customs and police officers had blocked a large channel for the supply of synthetic drugs from China to Russia.
Prohibited substances are sent by international mail. It was possible to open the supply chain after the detention of a resident of Vladivostok, who was trying to get a raven figurine sent from Shanghai by mail. It was the place where the drugs were hidden.
As a rule, the criminal scheme is organized according to a typical scenario: the buyer places an order via the Internet, and then with the help of intermediaries, the potion is sent by mail. It turns out that mail is the most convenient way to organize drug trafficking.
The head of the center for legal and psychological assistance in extreme situations, Mikhail Vinogradov, says: “You can send a few grams of drugs in an envelope. This is a lot of money. In this case, the mail will not pay attention to such a slight difference in the weight of the letter. Another variant. The man sent the parcel. And who he is - no one knows, because he presents fake documents. Another person may simply not receive the package if he sees that, for example, he is being followed up. This scheme of drug transmission via mail has been operating for a long time. ”
How to deal with this?
“The most important way to combat drug trafficking is to determine where this mail comes from. Criminals do not send parcels from the same post office, but they still send them from the same region where synthetic drugs are manufactured. Therefore, if parcels to Russia — with toys, Christmas-tree decorations, figurines, or just letters — are constantly coming out of a settlement, then, of course, this leads to suspicions. ”
However, small batches of drugs are sent by mail. For transportation of large cargoes other schemes are used.
Recently, the FSB of Russia blocked the channel of air transportation of prohibited substances from China. Under the guise of mineral fertilizers and food concentrates, drugs were transported by flight attendants who pass through the green corridor at customs. Upon arrival in Moscow, the cargo was sent to one of the Chinese restaurants, it was sorted there, and sent to all regions of Russia. In the distribution of criminal involved mainly Chinese citizens.
Recently, China has become a supplier to the Far East not only for drugs of the cannabinoid group, but also for synthetic drugs: methamphetamine and ecstasy.
"Maximum did not interfere." Bidzina Ivanishvili 27 December announced that he supports the arrests of high-ranking officials in Georgia. About this, as transmits "Lenta.ru" With reference to Interfax, he said in an interview with the Georgian TV channel Imedi.
Ivanishvili remarked that he could have prevented the arrests of supporters of President Saakashvili, but did not.
“I deliberately“ provoked ”this process, you can use this word, but I will immediately explain what I mean, which did not interfere with the process as much as possible,” said the Prime Minister.
According to Ivanishvili, the new government of Georgia has to deal with a “criminal” system. “The victims of this system were many former officials, including its main creator, Saakashvili,” the prime minister said.
Russian cyber crook will be planted in America. 4 January 2013, the federal court of the Southern District of New York, will announce the verdict on Russian citizen Vladimir Zdorovin, accused by the US authorities of cyber fraud, identity theft, and illegal securities transactions, "Vesti".
Almost a year ago, in January, 2012, the 55-year-old Zdelenin was extradited to New York from Switzerland. According to the data of the American prosecutor’s office, Zlovedenin and his son Kirill have been stealing data from credit cards of US citizens through fake companies since 2004. At the same time, they broke into American brokerage accounts and manipulated stock prices in the securities market to their advantage.
According to the prosecutors, Zdoroveniny kidnapped up to a million dollars from Americans. They removed and transferred funds to their account from their bank cards. The defendants bought credit card numbers from individuals who obtained them illegally, or obtained them using spyware computer programs.
Cyril dealt with the technical aspects of operations, and his father Vladimir was responsible for the legalization of the stolen funds. Zdorovin Sr. came to the attention of the FBI in June 2004, when, during a meeting with a secret informant, the ministry allegedly tried to involve him in a fraudulent scheme.
In February, 2012, Vladimir Zdorovin pleaded guilty on two of the nine counts. The prosecutor's office is asking the court to sentence the Russians to 4-5 years in prison.
The Russians tried to go to the Russian Embassy in the United States, but they were not allowed to go there. This was reported to journalists by the head of the press group of the Russian Embassy in Washington, Yevgeny Khorishko, reports correspondent RIA "News" Maria Tabak.
On the eve of a group of people gathered at the Russian Embassy in Washington, among them was Tatiana McFadden, a three-time Paralympic champion in London. They gave the Russian ambassador a petition addressed to the Russian president with a request not to sign the "anti-magnetic law."
Comrade Khorishko told reporters the details: “14.59 came to the embassy with a camera escort from 14 - an incomprehensible group, it is not clear why they came to the embassy. When an authorized picket happens, the Americans who guard the embassy inform us, and the police outfit is always there. In this case, no one informed us of any picket, we did not receive any notification either from the Americans or from them. Therefore, according to the current instructions, we notified the Americans that such a group of people gathered near the entrance to the embassy ... They said they want to give the petition to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The senior diplomat came out, talked to them very respectfully, took the petition and returned to the embassy. In 15.22, they calmly, without any comments, without any statements, without any emotions, calmly turned and left ... "
From Hillary require answers, so John will wait. Olga Kanorskaya ("Voice of Russia"), citing the Washington Examiner, reports that at the same time several Republican senators refused to approve the candidacy of John Kerry as head of the State Department - until Hillary Clinton testifies to the 9 / 11 terrorist attack and the recent attack on the American consulate in Benghazi .
And the head of the State Department from December 15 is not shown to the public. Deputy Assistant Secretary Clinton Philip Rhines said that Clinton was very sick (gastric infection). Hillary canceled her testimony in these cases, previously scheduled for December 20, never appeared in public and missed the New Year's party at the State Department and the appointment of John Kerry as her own successor.
However, she still has to testify. The results of the investigation of the attack on the US office in Benghazi showed that the leadership of the State Department was guilty of the tragedy. And Hillary was the first to declare the involvement of terrorists in the attack.
"The nightmarish plan." In an editorial Infowars.com It is horrified that Democratic Senator from California Dian Feinstein is going to hold a bill in January, according to which all gun owners in the United States will undergo not only the registration procedure, but also fingerprinting.
Even today, the firearm seller is obliged to submit the 4473 form containing the name, address, driving license information, verification of the NICS transaction, serial number and model of the firearm to the government. The Feinstein bill, according to the editors of the site, will add red tape to the existing rules. All this is regarded in the article as a threat to the Second Amendment.
The registration process for Feinstein is generally a bureaucratic nightmare, journalists write. Not only will you have to pay 500 dollars for it, so the new permit will require two fresh color photographs, a birth certificate, documents confirming citizenship and place of residence, etc., etc.
Democrats and "their republican accomplices," the article says, are doing everything to ban firearms in the country.
Racists with pistols. Kurt Nimmo (Infowars.com) spoke about the new statements by director Michael Moore.
"Why should we have 300 millions of weapons in our homes?" - Comrade Moore asked the question on his website.
White people who own weapons are racists. Moore says: “This is because too many white people are afraid of black people ...”
Moore’s absurd claim. the journalist writes is part of an ongoing campaign to turn all Obama critics into "racists." In addition, this statement is consistent with the belief of most so-called progressists that white America is mired in racism, despite decades of civic education about human rights.
Meanwhile, US arms sales are growing. Good newsThe journalist says that almost half a million checks on transactions were performed only in the last six days before Christmas. A day, two days before Christmas, NIX performed 102.222 background checks. This day was the second in sales of weapons after the "Black Friday".
Recall that on the day of November 23 sales, according to the FBI, from stores received 154.873 applications for gun deals, which is 20% more than it was on Black Friday 2011 of the year (129.166 applications).
American “default” is coming. As the head of the US Treasury Department, Timothy Geithner, said, the United States has reached the ceiling of its national debt, which is 16,394 trillion. dollars, December 31. And Washington will have to default on its financial obligations, passes "Russian peacemaker" with reference to Rosbalt.
According to Geithner, the Ministry of Finance is preparing a series of measures to avoid default, if Congress does not have time to raise this ceiling to a new level and adopt a program to prevent automatic sequestration for the New Year.
According to the US law on raising the "ceiling", if an agreement on a plan to cut costs cannot be achieved, in 2013, the country will face sequestration (reduction) of the budget for 1,2 trillion. The funding of defense programs will be reduced by 9,4%, the Medicare health insurance program - by 2%, and scientific and educational programs - by 7,6%.
As a result, in the first months of 2013, the country expects a fall in GDP and an increase in unemployment to 10%. If the decision to increase the "ceiling" is not achieved, the United States can declare a technical "default."
As the "BBC Russian Service"The leader of the Democratic Senate majority, Harry Reid, said that the United States stands on the brink of a “fiscal cliff”: after all, the prospect of an agreement between Democrats and Republicans is very vague. Fiscal cliff means: with 1 in January in the United States, taxes for all Americans can rise at the same time and social costs decrease.
Speaking in the Senate, Harry Reid bluntly stated that there was no time left to reach an agreement until Monday, December 31.
The president wants to secure assurances that taxes for Americans who earn less than 400 thousand dollars per year will not increase, and insists that the new agreement provides for tax increases in any case. But many Republicans are against new taxes.
Experts believe that the "cliff" is fraught with a recession of the US economy and then a global economic downturn.
Republicans reacted to the near future with surprising ease: left for Christmas from Washington, blaming the failure in the negotiations on the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Speaking yesterday in the Senate, Harry Reid recalled that for the adoption of any bill you need at least 60 of 100 votes. This condemns any project that does not have the firm support of the Republicans. Mr Reed concluded that the United States is moving precisely toward the edge ...
Four thousand mistakes every year. Scientists from the medical school at Johns Hopkins University conducted a study: it was estimated that surgeons in the US annually allow four thousand cases of negligence, writes resource MIGnews.com with reference to MEDNews. The results of the study were published in the journal "Surgery".
Scientists have used the information collected in the national data bank from 1990 to 2010. It stores information about all pre-trial or court-based payments to patients as compensation for the negligence of doctors. The manifestations of the negligence of the surgeons included “incidents that should never have happened”: foreign objects forgotten in the patient’s body, carrying out the wrong type of operation, operating on another organ or even ... on another patient.
Surgical negligence led to temporary injuries (59% of cases) and death of patients (6,6%).
According to the study, American surgeons:
- 39 once a week, forget foreign objects in the patient's body;
- 20 once a week, patients are not the type of operation;
- the same time healthy organs operate.
Every year, doctors admit more than 4 thousands of cases of negligence.
“Our report affects the lower limit of this statistic, since many incidents are hidden,” said one of the co-authors of the work, MD, surgeon Marti Makari.
Zombies will not pass! Recently, one Mr. turned to the Department of Defense of the United Kingdom about the attack of the dead and the "return of England to its former greatness." The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense does not understand the jokes, and therefore gave the author an official response.
"In the case of apocalyptic incidents (for example, attacks of zombies) all plans for the restoration and return of England of former greatness will be supervised by the government" - the Defense Ministry quoted the answer resource Newsru.com, referring to The Telegraph.
Officials wrote: “The role of the Ministry of Defense in such an incident will be to help the civil authorities, and not to the functions of the leader. Consequently, the ministry does not have information on this issue. ”
Thus, we would add on our own if the author saw in the zombie attack a chance to consolidate the British people, led by the Defense Ministry to a brighter future through victory over a common enemy, then pessimist officials, knowing perfectly well that the indigenous British in search of the former British spirit are fleeing the country - mainly to Australia, less to Canada and the USA, - they pretended that they did not understand him.
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Dear friends! This is the last "Mosaic" in the past year. Be happy in the upcoming 2013 and stay with “VO”!
Observed and translated by Oleg Chuvakin
- especially for topwar.ru
- especially for topwar.ru