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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 4-Feb-2012
4-Feb-12 World View -- Threats of war in Iran and Syria

Web Log - February, 2012

4-Feb-12 World View -- Threats of war in Iran and Syria

Monday euro meeting cancelled as Greece bailout talks fail

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com.

Iran's supreme leader responds to threats of Israeli attack
200 people reported killed in Homs Syria on eve of U.N. vote
Debka: West, Turkey, Arabs infiltrate Syria to topple Assad
Monday euro meeting cancelled as Greece bailout talks fail

Iran's supreme leader responds to threats of Israeli attack

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Thursday's statement by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that he believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June has drawn a sharp reaction from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:

"You see every now and then in this way they say that all options are on the table. That means even the option of war. This is how they make these threats against us.
"Well, these kinds of threats are detrimental to the U.S. The war itself will be 10 times as detrimental to the U.S.
The Zionist regime is really the cancerous tumor of this region and it needs to be removed and will be removed."

There have been several cycles of escalating rhetoric between Iran on the one hand and Israel and the U.S. on the other. Whether this leads to war remains to be seen. CNN

200 people reported killed in Homs Syria on eve of U.N. vote

More than 200 people were reported kills in Homs, Syria, on Thursday, as the United Nations Security Council, tries to reach agreement on a resolution condemning the violence in Syria. Russia, which sells arms to Syria and has a naval base in Syria, has indicated that it will veto any proposed resolution that actually says anything. Guardian

Debka: West, Turkey, Arabs infiltrate Syria to topple Assad

According to Debka's subscriber-only newsletter (sent to me by a subscriber), the U.S., Britain, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar are currently in the midst of a clandestine operation to topple president Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Their intelligence agencies are pitching different groups of generals in Syria's army, many of whom are reached through their ethnic, tribal, religious, clan or class affiliations.

" The pitch is simple: It is past time to stop the cruel butchery devastating Syria before the country slides into civil war or breaks up into warring cantons. The only way to halt the bloodbath is for the army to march on Damascus, evict the Assad family regime and install a military government to hold the reins for the transition to civilian rule and national elections They are reached through diverse channels: Targeted officers are surprised by calls to their unlisted private phone numbers or their command centers through military communications networks. Some are reached by email; others find undercover couriers turning up on their doorsteps at home."

The objective is to spearhead a military coup.

"This stratagem is seen by our military and intelligence sources as more analogous to the American covert tactic for toppling Saddam Hussein in 2003 than the anti-Qaddafi operation five months ago. The CIA prepared the way for the US invasion of Iraq by subverting the Iraqi generals and colonels responsible for the defense of Baghdad to make sure they abstained from resisting the invasion. American agents worked through those officers' expatriate relatives living in the US and Iraqi officers recruited before the war."

According to the report, both Syria and Iran are fully aware of this plan, and are preparing for military action. Debka

Soooooo, let's keep score: A covert attack on Syria, a possible Israeli attack on Iran, utter chaos in Egypt and Yemen. What does that add up to?

Monday euro meeting cancelled as Greece bailout talks fail

I've been getting a headache listening to various European officials these last two weeks saying that a final deal on the next Greek bailout was "nearly complete" or "one step away" or "a couple of days away" or "almost in hand." These same statements were repeated day after day, and now over two weeks have slipped by, and there's no deal. A major stumbling block is the recent realization that the old €130 billion bailout amount is too little, and at least €15 billion more are needed. The Netherlands and Germany don't want to pay any more, the investors don't want to lose any more, and the European Central Bank (ECB) still doesn't want to lose anything. Meanwhile, Greece's unions don't want any layoffs or salary reductions or even a reduction in the minimum wage. So all these negotiators have apparently been in a room this past two weeks arguing about the same things over and over. The meetings are continuing into the weekend, but the EU has scrapped a planned Monday meeting of the eurozone finance ministers, to give the negotiators "a few more days" to come up with a deal. Irish Times

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 4-Feb-12 World View -- Threats of war in Iran and Syria thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (4-Feb-2012) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 4-Feb-2012 4-Feb-12 World View -- Threats of war in Iran and Syria

Iran's supreme leader responds to threats of Israeli attack

200 people reported killed in Homs Syria on eve of U.N. vote

Debka: West, Turkey, Arabs infiltrate Syria to topple Assad

Monday euro meeting cancelled as Greece bailout talks fail

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 4-Feb-2012
4-Feb-12 World View -- Threats of war in Iran and Syria