Posted on 06/09/2013 7:02:00 PM PDT by haffast
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese troops blocked streets in Beirut with tanks and barbed wire for several hours on Sunday after the killing of a protester outside the Iranian embassy raised factional tensions already inflamed by the war in Syria.
The man died during a clash between rival groups of Shi'ite Muslims after militiamen from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement opened fire when protesters drew up at the embassy, the latest sign of Syria's violence spilling over to its neighbors.
In Syria itself, fighting intensified in the north, where rebels said President Bashar al-Assad's forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies were preparing an offensive after success last week in seizing a strategic town further south.
In the past week Assad's forces and Hezbollah captured the town of Qusair, which controls vital supply routes across Syria and with Lebanon, a sign of reversing momentum after the rebels seized swathes of the country in the second half of last year.
Battles raged on Sunday near Al-Nubbul and Zahra, two rural Shi'ite Muslim enclaves outside the commercial hub Aleppo in Syria's north, and intensified in Aleppo itself.
"The aim is to use the two villages as forward bases to make advances in Aleppo and its countryside," said Brigadier General Mustafa Al-Sheikh, a rebel commander and former senior officer in Assad's military, referring to government tactics.
"The regime considers that it has received a shot in the arm after the Qusair battle, but they will find that it will not be easy to advance in Aleppo," Sheikh said, speaking from an undisclosed location in northern Syria.
The civil war now pits Assad, from the Alawite offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, and Shi'ite Hezbollah against mainly Sunni Muslim rebel groups. Assad is backed by Shi'ite Iran and armed by Russia.
snip
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Major military exercises under way in Jordan
6-9-2013
"Around 4,500 US troops and 3,000 Jordanian soldiers are taking part in the air, land and sea “Eager Lion 2013” exercise, which lasts until June 20."
http://beta.dawn.com/news/1017088/major-military-exercises-under-way-in-jordan
Eager Lion Illustrates American-Jordanian Partnership
American Forces Press Service - WASHINGTON, June 7, 2013
" At this time, the plan is for the F-16s and Patriot Missile battery to remain in Jordan through the completion of Exercise Eager Lion. We continue to consult closely with the Government of Jordan on their security needs in light of the Syrian crisis.
If requested by the Government of Jordan, we will consider extending the deployment of the F-16s and Patriot Battery associated with Eager Lion beyond the exercise, to further develop our strong bilateral defense relationship."
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=120238
Eager Lion kicks off with 8,000 army personnel participants
by Hani Hazaimeh | Jun 09, 2013 | 23:0
““All of this combined training, led by the JAF, will come together over the next two weeks, strengthening the partnership between 19 countries and increasing our ability to operate together during any contingency,” he said.
Major equipment utilised during the exercise will include amphibious assault ships, AV-B Harrier II, C130 Hercules, F18 Hornet, F16 Falcon, Patriot missile system and the V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft, according to the officers.
As far as Patriot missiles are concerned, the officers said that the decision to leave the Patriot missiles and some F-16 aircraft in the Kingdom after the conclusion of the drill is a political decision, stressing that according to the plan, no military assets or personnel will remain in the Kingdom after the drill is over.”
http://jordantimes.com/eager-lion-kicks-off-with-8000-army-personnel-participants
Only got in nine holes so far this week:
The White House says the president played the nine-hole course at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage on Sunday.
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. June 9, 2013 (AP)
“Obama played the course on Sunday with Mike Ramos and Bobby Titcomb, childhood friends from Hawaii, where Obama grew up. White House aide Marvin Nicholson rounded out the foursome.”
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-plays-golf-return-dc-19360179#.UbU2f9hCqCc
(Are we being Benghazied again?)
The news gets worse and worse, Thank you so much for pinging.
Never, during Israel’s past wars, when it was beset on all sides by the full might of Arab arms and its existence was in the balance, did the United States ever send troops to help it defend itself.
But today the small, irrelevant country of Jordan, with no enemies to speak of since it’s not worth wasting bullets on, receives the full panoply of American military hardware and gushing support.
Jordan is right next to Syria.
We’re there for the same reason we went into Iraq and Afghanistan.
Containment.
In Iraq and Afghanistan it was to encircle Iran.
With Jordan its to contain/intimidate Syria.
The man died during a clash between rival groups of Shi'ite Muslims after militiamen from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement opened fire when protesters drew up at the embassy...
That’s the problem with our military posture since World War
2.
There’s lots of containment that can lead to defeat like Vietnam or just a cease-fire like Korea.
The United States needs to either fight its wars to win or stay home.
The Bush’s and Obama’s were not committed to victory or else we would have dealt with Iran and Pakistan by now because they are both the ultimate problems in the region along with the Saudis who back terrorism.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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WTF? Aren't they content with just killing Sunnies?
Let'm kill each other - just keep it over there ........................................................................................................ FRegards
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