The Syrian regime, with critical assistance from Iran and Iran’s Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah, has brought the Middle East to the brink of all-out war and has brought geopolitical rivals like the U.S. and Russia streaming into the region.
“Sophie’s Choice” is slang for having to choose between two unbearable choices. With Syria, Obama seems to have gotten himself into exactly that …a real “Sophie’s Choice”.Yikes!
Today’s Updates with the Latest News from the Middle East
- World powers are streaming naval and air assets into the eastern Mediterranean, deepening concerns that the Syrian conflict may further destabilize the Middle East and expand to impact nations from outside the region. The U.S. and Russia, which many have suggested are on a geopolitical collision course for a variety of reasons, are both deploying warships into the theater. The U.S. this afternoon announced that a fifth destroyer, the USS Stout, would join ships that were already repositioning toward Syria in anticipation of possible strikes against regime infrastructure. The U.K. confirmed the deployment of six Typhoon fighter jets to Cyprus. State-owned Russian media reported that that Moscow has sent a missile cruiser and a large anti-submarine vessel to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. As world powers begin to mobilize in the Mediterranean, reports are emerging that Russia and Iran would engage in “extensive cooperation” to thwart Western action against Syria, even as Washington dismissed as a stalling tactic a request by Syria to extend chemical weapons inspections in the country.
- Iranian officials today escalated their threats against Israel, with multiple military figures declaring that Israel would be attacked in the event of Western air strikes against the Iranian-allied Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. Iranian media conveyed statements by Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, declaring that Israel will be drawn “deep into the fire” in the event of such strikes. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, asserted that U.S. military action against Syria would trigger the Jewish state’s “imminent destruction.” Other Iranian officials have recently threatened that Israel would become the “first victim” of Western air strikes against Syria, and that it would be consumed by “flames of outrage” in the event of such strikes. In Lebanon, Iran’s terror proxy Hezbollah began to mobilize troops in the country’s south, and declared that it would launch attacks against Israel if the West made moves to topple Assad.
- Egypt’s army-backed interim government is reportedly moving toward banning Al Jazeera’s local affiliate, which it alleges has been spreading “rumors and claims which are harmful to Egyptian national security and threaten the country’s unity.” Ongoing criticism of Al Jazeera Mubashir Misr has generated geopolitical blowback for Al Jazeera funder Qatar, which has been accused of seeking to promote extremist Islamist movements across the Middle East among other things, via biased coverage on Al Jazeera. Following the July 3 ouster of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-backed former President Mohammed Morsi, Al Jazeera Mubashir Misr aired statements by fugitive Islamist leaders and broadcast hours of protests by supporters of the Brotherhood and Morsi. Last month dozens of Egypt-based Al Jazeera employees resigned over what they alleged was editorial control from Doha enforcing pro-Brotherhood coverage. A leaked cable produced by a U.S. Ambassador to Qatar described Al Jazeera as “one of Qatar’s most valuable political and diplomatic tools.” During Morsi’s year of power, the Egyptian government received
approximately $8 billion in aid from Doha. - Israel is preparing for an array of cyber threats in the event that Syria and its Iranian backers make good on days of threats to lash out against the Jewish state should the West act militarily against the Bashar al-Assad regime. An IDF spokesperson told The Media Line that there are already hundreds of attempted cyber attacks on Israel every day, and that the number was expected to spike in the event of a military strike against Damascus. Pro-Syrian hacking groups have garnered renewed focus recently, including this week, for attacking Western websites. Israel’s cyber efforts are taking place alongside more concrete efforts to prepare for attacks by Syria and its allies. Two batteries of Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system have been deployed in northern Israel, and there is now an ongoing, two-day security exercise being held on Israel’s northern Golan Heights. Nearly five million gas masks have already been distributed to the Israeli population, against the backdrop of what is widely suspected to be the mass use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians by the Syrian regime. Syria has one of the world’s largest chemical weapons arsenals, containing roughly 1,000 tons of nerve agents.
| Syria and Iran Threaten to Attack Israel as Kerry Describes Chemical Weapons Use as “Undeniable” |
| August 26, 2013 |
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Secretary of State John Kerry this afternoon labeled Syria’s use of chemical weapons “undeniable,” declaring that U.S. officials will soon release “additional information” about what is widely believed to be a nerve gas attack conducted by the Bashar al-Assad regime against rebel-held suburbs of Damascus last week. “What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world,” Kerry said, calling last week’s chemical weapons attack against civilians a “moral obscenity.” |
| Blog Post |
| Israel prepares for Syrian lashout as Syrian official declares Israel will “burn with the fire of war” |
| August 27, 2013 |
 Iranian media today carried statements by a top Syrian officer declaring that Syria will lash out at Israel in the event of Western strikes against Damascus.A top officer with the Syrian army told the Iranian news agency FARS that should Damascus be attacked, the Syrians will retaliated against Tel Aviv.Read More |
| Blog Post |
| Egyptian Media Describe “Sharp Decline” in Pro-Brotherhood Rallies, as New Polling Shows Broad Support for Army’s Moves Against Islamists |
| August 27, 2013 |
 Egyptian media outlets report on dwindling crowds at Muslim Brotherhood rallies being held in support of the country’s former president Mohammed Morsi, even as the pro-Brotherhood National Alliance to Support Legitimacy announced that it was seeking to conduct new demonstrations. Al-Awsat noted a “sharp decline” in turnout, among other things:Pro-Mursi protests were met with public condemnation across Egypt, and anti-Brotherhood protesters reportedly attacked Islamists and tore down their placardsRead More |
| Blog Post |
| IDF Dispatches Emergency Instructors to Arab Schools to Prep for Potential Syrian Attack |
| August 28, 2013 |
 As the Israeli military makes preparations for a promised Syrian attack – all the while issuing public reassurances that such an attack remains uncertain – Israel’s Home Front Command is moving to ready Israel’s civilian population for potential attacks.Founded in response to attacks on the Jewish state during Operation Desert Storm, the Home Front is the IDF”s “fourth” command. It is charged with protecting Israel’s non-military population, freeing commanders on the front lines to focus solely on tactics and fighting.Read More |
