U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday that "the days are numbered" for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"There is no doubt that the opposition is getting more effective in their defense of themselves and in going on the offense against the Syrian military and the Syrian government's militias," Clinton said during a press conference in Tokyo on Sunday.
And with a recent increase in defections from the al-Assad regime, "the sand is running out of the hourglass," Clinton said.
"The sooner there can be an end to the violence and a beginning of a political transition process, not only will fewer people die, but there's a chance to save the Syrian state from a catastrophic assault that would be very dangerous not only to Syria but to the region," she said.
McCain on U.S. handling of Syria: 'Shameful and disgraceful'
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"My question to the secretary of state and the president of the United States is, how many more have to die before we take action to help these people with other nations?" he said.
"There is no doubt that the opposition is getting more effective in their defense of themselves and in going on the offense against the Syrian military and the Syrian government's militias," Clinton said during a press conference in Tokyo on Sunday
Evidently, the FSA offensive weapon of choice is coming down to an ol' Middle East standby, the IED.
Those sympathetic to the Free Syrian Army have uploaded several videos over the last few hours depicting the wholesale bombing by IED of Regular Syrian Army tanks, supply trucks, etc. In one video showing a bombed out bus, the representation was it transported Alawite thugs; spooky looking characters and the contingent whom Assad has replaced his former commanders with.
Now the question is if the next transitional phase may include Assad opening his stockpiles of WMD's soon, as his commanding advantage has now started to fast erode, transforming him into a rabid cornered dog.
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"The Spinning Cyclone Of Deflation Is Fueled By Deficit Spending. An efficient asset destroying storm powered by the printing press". - Me
When the Nazi's broke every law when coming to power, people in later years were asked, how were they allowed to do it? The answer was easy: They Simply Did It.
Syria's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the country's former ambassador to Iraq should be punished after his defection to the opposition seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad.
In a statement reported by Syria's state news agency, the ministry said Nawaf Fares had been "relieved of his duties" and should face "legal and disciplinary accountability." Fares announced his defection in a video released Wednesday, saying he was siding with "the revolution" against Assad.
Syria: Assad regime 'ready to use chemical weapons'
The most senior Syrian politician to defect to the opposition has told the BBC the regime will not hesitate to use chemical weapons if it is cornered.
Well yeah, like the US, or Russia or China or Israel are ready to use nuclear weapons if cornered... somehow this is considered ``news`` and people are going crazy over it...
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#CIA‬ thinks ‪#Syria‬'s chemical weapons arsenal includes mustard gas, tabun and some analysts think it has tried to weaponize VX - very deadly
The Israeli navy is looking for new long- and short-range missiles systems to support major ground offensives, senior officers say, a strong indication amphibious operations are being planned for Lebanon, Syria or the Gaza Strip if a new war erupts.
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Turkey building new refugee camp for Syrian refugees to accommodate 10,000 people (AP)
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Syrian general, officers among 1,280 to flee to Turkey overnight, says Turkish official (Reuters)
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Number of Syrian refugees almost tripled since April to 112,000, UN refugee agency says (AP)
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UN Security Council to vote on a Syria resolution on Wednesday (Reuters)
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We hang the petty thieves and promote the great ones to office.
Well, after all this, we will need to see him dragged through the streets, beaten bloody, butt raped by guards on camera while dead ... then hanged like Saddam ...
... oh wait
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"The politicians are put there to give you the idea you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice; you have owners. They own you. They own everything." - George Carlin
According to Al Manar TV Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar, President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat and head of the national security office Hisham Bekhtyar were all killed in the blast.
Syrian state TV said that several other participants in a top-level meeting who were wounded in the blast had been rushed to Al-Shami hospital in the capital.
Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Beirut, capital of neighbouring Lebanon, said: "We don know yet the number of casualties but the fact that it happened near where the president lives is significant."
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Liwa al-Islam, an Islamist rebel group whose name means "The Brigade of Islam", said in a statement on its Facebook page that it "targeted the cell called the crisis control room in the capital of Damascus."
A spokesman for the group confirmed the claim by telephone.
The Free Syrian Army also claimed responsibility for the attack, according to spokesman Qassim Saadedine. "This is the volcano we talked about, we have just started," he said.
Well, if they can't trust their inner circle and bodyguards anymore, it's pretty much over for the leadership (not necessarily for the conflict).
I wonder what stuff might be unleashed now. Hezbollah attack in Lebanon or against Israel? Chemical weapons?
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"Yep - and that ****er didn't want to light either. I had to soak it in gasoline for a full day before that rat bastard thing would combust." - Karl Denninger ""We could not be more ill served if we had some South American tribal witch doctor shaking monkey bones at us. " - Infidel
A statement by the armed forces read out on TV shortly after the attack said Syria was "more determined than ever" to fight terrorism and wipe out "criminal gangs".
Whoever thinks that killing top commanders "can twist Syria's arm... is delusional", it said.
1331: Meanwhile, Damascus has now appointed a new defence minister, state TV reports. He is Gen Fahad Jassim al-Freij, who was previously the chief of staff of the armed forces.
1329: Syria's information minister has denied that explosions have hit the headquarters of unit responsible for guarding the presidential palace.
1327: The rebel commander who has claimed responsibility for the attack has been named by AP as Riyad al-Assad. He says his forces planted a bomb inside a room where senior government officials were meeting. But he denies it was a suicide bombing.
1338: Olexiy Solohubenko, Editor at BBC Global News: Russia's news agencies say the Damascus bombing will not change Moscow's position of vetoing a UK-sponsored draft resolution at the UN Security Council. The agencies, however, quote Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying Russia won't be propping up President Assad.
Reports now that the Presidential Palace is being attacked and in flames.
If Assad is going to have a freak out and do something crazy, now is as good as time as any.
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"Until we look beyond the throne where the power structure lies, we'll fight amongst ourselves as freedom dies. The only hope for human kind lies in solidarity. The strength in our numbers sets us free."
UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has asked that a vote on a UN resolution on Syria be delayed, British diplomats have said. The vote had been scheduled for Wednesday. 1552:
Gen Hassan Turkomani, who Syrian state TV says was killed in Damascus today, was appointed assistant to the vice-president in 2009. He had the rank of minister and was also said to been made a special envoy of President Assad. He was a long-standing senior member of the ruling Baath Party. 1545:
State TV said Gen Turkomani died of injuries sustained during the explosion at the security building. 1544:
Syrian State TV has just confirmed the death of Hassan Turkomani, who was assistant to the vice-president.
1555: Russia has demanded that those behind the attack in the capital be brought to justice. "We expect the organisers of the act of terror in Damascus to be identified and for them to face their deserved punishment," the Russian foreign ministry said, in a statement carried by AFP news agency.
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