Islamist Syrian rebels claim to capture crossing on Jordanian border- Los Angeles Times

AMMAN, Jordan--A group of Islamist brigades, including the Al Qaeda-linked Nusrah Front, has taken over one of two official crossings on the 230-mile border between Syria and Jordan, according to a statement on one of the brigades' websites.

The Ahraar Al-Sham brigade, one of the largest armed rebel groups in Syria, announced that the Ramtha border crossing overlooking the city of Daraa in southern Syria was captured after more than four days of fighting by the "Operations Room of the Islamic Gathering," a coordinating body among various Islamist brigades. The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 26 government soldiers were killed in the clashes.

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-islamist-groups-syria-jordan-border-20130929,0,2851209.story

Syria govt ‘ready to go to Geneva for dialogue, not to hand over power to anyone’ – Syrian FM- RT

The Syrian government is ready for peace talks with the opposition, but the legitimacy of President Assad “isn’t up for discussion,” Syrian FM Walid Muallem said. It comes as the Syrian opposition remains undecided on who will represent them at Geneva.

Any political program or work document produced at the Geneva-2 peace conference would have to go through a popular referendum in Syria before it can be applied, Muallem, Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister said in an interview with Sky News Arabia on Saturday. 

Moreover, the minister reiterated that Syrian President Bashar Assad was legitimately elected to serve until the upcoming elections in mid- 2014, and that his resignation “isn’t up for discussion with anyone.” 

http://rt.com/news/syria-fm-geneva-opposition-510/

President al-Assad: We focus today on getting rid of terrorists and their ideology...We can make Syria much better than before the crisis- SANA

Damascus, (SANA)- President Bashar al-Assad has given an interview to the Italian Rai News 24 TV channel in which he stressed Syria's commitment to the international agreement on the prohibition of chemical weapons and its determination to go ahead with the political solution and halting violence.

The following is the full text of the interview:

We comply with every treaty we sign

Rai News: Mr. President, thanks for having us here. It’s a very important moment, because the UN Security Council just approved with unanimity a resolution asking Syria to eliminate completely its chemical weapons. Are you going to comply with this?

President al-Assad: Actually, we joined the international agreement for preventing the use and acquirement of chemical weapons before that resolution came to light. The main part of the Russian initiative is based on our will to do so. So, it's not the resolution. Actually, it's about our will. Of course, we have the will, because in 2003 we had a proposal in the United Nations Security Council, to get rid of those weapons in the Middle East, to have a chemical weapons free zone in the Middle East. So, of course we have to comply; this is our history: to comply with every treaty we sign.

Rai News: So, with no limit to any extent?

President al-Assad: According to every chapter in the agreement. We don't have any reservations. That's why we decided to join the agreement.

http://sana.sy/eng/21/2013/09/29/504921.htm

How 5 Countries Could Become 14- The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/29/sunday-review/how-5-countries-could-become-14.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Many rebel groups join forces in Syria- Youtube

Islamist Groups Declare Opposition to National Coalition and US Strategy [updated]- Syria Comment

Islamist Groups Declare Opposition to National Coalition and US Strategy

By Aron Lund for Syria Comment

Sept. 24, 2013

[Updates & additional commentary added to the end of the post]

Abdelaziz Salame, the highest political leader of the Tawhid Brigade in Aleppo, has issued a statement online where he claims to speak for 13 different rebel factions. You can see the video or read it in Arabic here. The statement is titled “communiqué number one” – making it slightly ominous right off the bat – and what it purports to do is to gut Western strategy on Syria and put an end to the exiled opposition.

http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/major-rebel-factions-drop-exiles-go-full-islamist/

Syria: the strategy has backfired- The Guardian

What a curious turn of events: from the very brink of a military intervention in Syria that might have precipitated a wider regional conflagration, we have moved to one of those rare "points of inflection" over Iran which seems fecund with potential possibilities, including a solution in Syria. Of course, such tipping points can tip either toward new solutions, or into a new phase of conflict.

Why should the possibility of US talks with Iran hold out such potential? It is because an earlier such point of inflection over Iran, a decade ago, tipped toward conflict, into the "axis of evil" versus the western-backed "moderates". It was the fierce push-back by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and (at that time) Hamas against this attempt to impose a "hegemony of moderation" across the region, that caused regime change in Syria to become such a priority for the Sunni monarchies of the Gulf.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/29/syria-brink-of-solution

UN Security Council unanimously adopts Syria resolution- RT

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution outlining the details of taking under international control and ultimately destroying Syria’s chemical arsenal.

"Today's historic resolution is the first hopeful news on Syria in a long time," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council immediately after the vote. 

The Syrian sides must engage constructively in the upcoming Geneva 2 conference, which would be a significant step towards the “creation of a democratic state that guarantees the human rights of all in Syria,” Moon said in his address to the Council.   

“The regional actors have a responsibility to challenge those who will actively undermine the process and those who do not fully respect Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity,” he added.

The target date for a new peace conference in Geneva was set for mid-November. However, the Syrian opposition should be represented at the Geneva peace talks in a single delegation, the Secretary-General said.

http://rt.com/news/syria-resolution-security-council-464/

Syria chemical weapons: UN adopts binding resolution- BBC News

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a binding resolution on ridding Syria of chemical weapons.

At a session in New York, the 15-member body backed the draft document agreed earlier by Russia and the US.

The deal breaks a two-and-a-half year deadlock in the UN over Syria, where fighting between government forces and rebels rages on.

The vote came after the international chemical watchdog agreed on a plan to destroy Syria's stockpile by mid-2014.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24308763

Syrian journalist killed in Deir Ezzor: AFP- FOX News

BEIRUT (AFP) –  A Syrian photographer who had contributed work to AFP has been killed by shelling in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, a colleague said on Sunday.

Murhaf al-Modahi, known by the pseudonym Abu Shuja, was killed on Saturday in fighting between rebels and troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, a fellow photographer from Deir Ezzor said.

AFP's photography director for the Middle East and North Africa Patrick Baz said he had trained Abu Shuja in June, and that "he had made huge progress."

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/09/29/syrian-journalist-killed-in-deir-ezzor-afp/

A Surface Calm, Punctured by Artillery and Weary Arguments- The New York Times

DAMASCUS, Syria — Camouflage-clad militiamen guard sandbagged checkpoints along this storied city’s elegant downtown boulevards. Merchants who once owned their own shops are reduced to selling plastic trinkets on the street. Families from war-torn provinces sleep in mosques and schools.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/world/middleeast/syria-updates.html?smid=tw-share

Qatar human rights problem: there is no difference between force labor and slavery - expert- Voice of Russia

Nicholas McGeehan, Gulf researcher at Human Rights Watch London, in interview to the Voice of Russia answers the question how severe are the violations of human rights and labor regulations in Qatar. 

How severe are the violations of human rights and labor regulations in Qatar? Are there Nepalese workers really treated like slaves?

Yes, the violations are extremely serious in the range of mechanisms, which facilitate the exploitation, so workers are taken away their passports, they have huge amounts of debts, they work on the system of sponsorship-based employment, they don’t have protection of trade unions and they can’t access the justice system. So, this facilitates force labor. If you regard force labor as different from slavery, you wouldn’t say it is like force labor, it is force labor in many cases. So, it is a very serious problem.

http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_09_27/Qatar-human-rights-problem-there-is-difference-between-force-labor-and-slavery-expert-9029/

Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_09_27/Qatar-human-rights-problem-there-is-difference-between-force-labor-and-slavery-expert-9029/

Group: car bomb in Damascus kills 20, wounds 30- Al-Araibya

A car bomb killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens more on Friday when it exploded in Rankus, a town 30 km (20 miles) north of the Syrian capital Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Activists in a nearby town said the blast occurred in front of a mosque soon after Friday prayers. They gave a higher death toll of 37 dead and said more than 100 had been wounded.

One of the activists told Reuters that government forces began shelling the same area soon after the explosion occurred, causing at least one more death.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/27/Group-car-bomb-in-Damascus-kills-20-wounds-30-.html

Syria's Good Soldier- Foreign Policy

Meet the man who could be the next president in Damascus. If he's not already dead.

BEIRUT - It was Sept. 4, and the war drums were sounding in Syria. The United States appeared to be on the verge of launching strikes against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Family members of the country's economic and political elite fled to Beirut, looking to avoid the cruise missiles. And there were rumblings that the Syrian opposition had secured their most important defection yet from the regime's ranks: former Defense Minister Ali Habib.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/09/25/syria_s_good_soldier_ali_habib

UN probes new alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria- BBC News

UN inspectors are investigating seven alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria - three of which happened after the 21 August Damascus incident that sparked threats of US military action.

The UN said its team of inspectors is set to finish its work by Monday.

The day after, a separate team is due to arrive in Damascus to inspect Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.

That visit, by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), is due to be formally approved later.

The OPCW's 41-nation executive council will vote on a draft agreement for the inspections on Friday evening.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24301618

Hamas Politburo on the Road Again- Al-Akhbar

Since Hamas decided to move its politburo from Syria to Qatar, its president Khaled Meshaal has been feeling like a prisoner, isolated from political developments in Palestine. The search for a new host country has begun, with Sudan as the most likely destination for the Islamist resistance movement.

Head of Hamas’ politburo in exile Khaled Meshaal cannot help but feel like a prisoner in his new headquarters in Qatar. But the local authorities who have surrounded the Palestinian leader with heavy security and restricted his movement say that the measures are for his own good, due to threats to his personal security.

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/hamas-politburo-road-again

Suriyeliler Bugün Vatan Savunmasında Her Zamankinden Daha Çok Kararlılar- SANA Türkçe

ŞAM – Cumhurbaşkanı Beşşar el-Esad, Latin Amerika’nın Telesur televizyonuna verdiği röportajda, Suriyelilerin bugün vatanlarını savunma konusunda her zamankinden daha çok ısrarlı olduklarını söyleyerek özellikle dışarıdan desteklenen ve kışkırtılan terör eylemlerinin Suriyelileri karamsarlığa sürüklemeyi hedeflediğini fakat ters etki yarattığını belirtti.

Cumhurbaşkanı el-Esad, Amerikan yönetimi yetkililerinin verdikleri demeçlerin güvenilir olmadığına, Amerikan politikalarının Suriye krizinin başından itibaren yalan üzerine kurulduğuna dikkat çekerek “kanımca onlar bütün bu yalanları biliyordu. Fakat iddialar ve yalanlar yoğunlaşırken 21 Ağustosta kimyasal silah kullanılması ardından Amerikan yönetimi sahtekârlığa katkıda bulundu. Bu yönetimin iddialar konusunda hiçbir kanıt sunmaması Amerikan halkına yalan söylediğini gösteriyor” dedi.

Suriye’nin imzaladığı tüm anlaşmalara bağlı kaldığını vurgulayan el-Esad, bu nedenle Amerikan iddialarının saçma olduğunu, mantıklı ve gerçekçi hiçbir dayanağı bulunmadığını ifade etti.

El-Esad, ABD diğer ülkelerin içişlerine müdahale etmekten vazgeçtiği zaman dünyanın daha iyi olacağına vurgu yaptı.

Teröristlerin taşıdıkları karanlık ideolojinin mesajını yaydıklarına dikkat çeken el-Esad, “onlara göre kendileri gibi düşünmeyenler ölümü hak ediyor. Vatandaşları kendileri gibi düşünemeye zorlamak ya da sindirmek amacıyla terör eylemleri gerçekleştiriyorlar. İnsanların yaşam umutlarını yitirmelerini istiyorlar. Umudunu yitirdiğin zaman da hayatın hiçbir değeri kalmaz” diye konuştu.

http://sana.sy/tur/236/2013/09/27/504420.htm

Al-Nusra Front forging al-Qaida base in Syria- The Jerusalem Post

Syria’s most prominent jihadist organization, the Nusra Front, is creating a base for al-Qaida in the heart of the Middle East from which waves of terrorism and radical subversion will likely ripple out and threaten regional and global security.

This is according to a report issued this week by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center near Tel Aviv.

A team of researchers from the center spent a year composing the 150-page document, which charts in remarkable detail the rise of the Nusra Front as well as its structure, leadership, size, scope of operations, ideological goals and growing geographic spheres of influence.

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Al-Nusra-Front-forging-al-Qaida-base-in-Syria-327252

Hans Blix: attacking Syria’s chemical weapons ‘was not a serious idea’- Al-Arabiya

The potential Western-led attack on Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile was not a “serious idea,” the former U.N. chief for weapons inspection in Iraq, Hans Blix, told Al Arabiya in an interview on Thursday.

“I don’t think you want to attack a military store of chemical weapons because it might spread and might have casualties and we don’t want that,” Blix, who was also the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the late 1970s, said.

“So I don’t think there was much of a serious idea, [or] intention of attacking the chemical [weapons stock],” he added.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/27/Hans-Blix-attacking-Syria-s-chemical-weapons-was-not-a-serious-idea-.html

UN Chief to hold preparatory meeting on Syria in Geneva Friday- SANA

New York, (SANA)- Official spokesman for UN Secretary General Martin Nesirky announced that a meeting will be held by UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon on Friday in Geneva to prepare for the international conference on Syria, Geneva 2.

"UN Chief will hold a preparatory meeting for reaching a political settlement to the crisis in Syria in Geneva on Friday," ITAR TASS quoted Nesirky as saying in a statement.

On the mission of international experts who returned to Syria to resume investigation on the use of chemical weapons, Nesirky said "the team ended preparations for work and held meetings with the Syrian authorities on pending issues."

http://sana.sy/eng/22/2013/09/27/504547.htm

Deal reached on Syria UN resolution- Al-Jazeera

US and Russian officials say UN Security Council could vote on Syria chemical arms resolution as early as Friday.

The US and Russia have said they have finally reached an agreement on a UN Security Council resolution aimed at ridding Syria of its chemical weapons.

The UN Security Council could vote as early as Friday night on a draft resolution to rid Syria of its chemical weapons, US, Russian, French and British diplomats said on Friday - provided the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague approved a plan for the destruction of Syria's poison gas arsenal beforehand.

Vitaly Churkin, Russia's UN envoy said he hoped the Security Council would be able to vote on a resolution demanding the eradication of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal about 8:00pm (00:00 GMT on Saturday).

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/09/agreement-reached-syria-un-resolution-201392616822564312.html

Erdogan’s Syria frustrations- Foreign Policy

On September 5, 2012, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the United States "lacked initiative" in dealing with the crisis in Syria. "There are certain things being expected from the United States. Obama has not yet catered to those expectations," he said. A year later Erdogan finds himself at sharper odds with the U.S. administration, whose decision to head off planned strikes on Syria has left him in a lonely spot both at home and in the region.

To Erdogan, a strong advocate of regime change, anything short of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's ouster carries the risk of further weakening his hand domestically and regionally. Only a few years ago Turkey was praised as a non-sectarian actor mediating regional conflicts through its access to various actors from Iran to Israel, Hamas to Fatah. The Syrian conflict, however, has dealt a blow to its image as a regional superpower pursuing non-sectarian foreign policy. Turkey's active support for the Sunni-majority Syrian opposition in what has become a largely sectarian civil war has projected Turkey as a Sunni power with a sectarian regional agenda, thus making it appear less impartial and leading to a slide in its regional influence. With the Saudis taking over the Syria portfolio from Turkey and Qatar and the establishment of the recent Russian-U.S. deal, Turkey has been marginalized in regional and international efforts to tackle the Syrian crisis. 

http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/09/26/erdogan_s_syria_frustrations

Turkey’s ‘Zero Problems’ Syria Dilemma (Yasin Atlioglu- Sharnoff's Global Views)

As long as the Syrian Civil War continues, Turkey will face greater political and security threats on its southern border.

In the first decade of the 21st century, Turkey carried out a multilateral and pro-active foreign policy strategy, known as “zero problems with neighbors,” towards the Middle East. The strategy of “zero problem” based on political and economic cooperation succeeded to create a peace and stability zone in the periphery of Turkey. It was realistic, pragmatic and result-oriented in practice.

With Syria, this foreign policy strategy brought impressive results. Syria became a strategic springboard for Turkey’s expanding role in the Middle East. Turkish-Syrian ties also contributed to Turkey’s national security, economic growth and regional influence.

http://www.sharnoffsglobalviews.com/turkey-syria-dilemma-173/

West Says U.N. Nears Syria Resolution- The New York Times

UNITED NATIONS — After months of crippling deadlock, members of the United Nations Security Council have inched closer to the details of a binding resolution on Syria, Western diplomats said Wednesday, though Russia, one of Syria’s strongest allies, denied that a consensus had been reached.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/world/middleeast/west-says-un-nears-syria-resolution.html?_r=0

Syria crisis: US and Russia agree UN draft over desctruction of chem..- Youtube

Suriye muhalefetinde çatlak- Al-Jazeera Turk

Suriye krizine siyasi çözüm çabalarının hızlanmasıyla muhalifler arasında da çatlak derinleşiyor. Ülkenin en büyük kenti Halep’terejime karşı mücadele veren 11 askeri grup Salı akşamı yayınladıkları ortak bildiride "Koalisyon ve Ahmed Tuma başkanlığında kurulması öngörülen hükümet bizi temsil etmiyor ve onu kabul etmiyoruz" dediler. Açıklama, Batı'nın SMDK'yı Esed yönetimiyle masaya oturmaya zorladığı bir dönemde geldi. 

Halep'in güçlü grupları

Grupların temsilcileri tarafından imzalanan yazılı bildiride, "İçeriyle istişare edilmeden dışarıda oluşturulan yapılanmalar bizi temsil etmiyor ve onları tanımıyoruz" ifadesi kullanıldı. Bildiride, tüm sivil ve askeri yapıların, şeriatı anayasanın tek kaynağı olarak kabul eden bir çatı altında toplanması istendi. Birlik çağrısı yapılan bildiride, ümmetin çıkarlarının grup çıkarlarının önüne konulması tavsiye edildi.

Bildiriyi imzalayan gruplar, ülkenin kuzeyinde özellikle de Halep'te önemli bir güce sahipler. Aralarında El Kaide bağlantılı Nusra Cehpesi ve Hür Suriye Ordusu'na bağlı Ahrar u Şam da var. Bildiriyi imzalayan diğer gruplar ise şunlar: Liva-u Tevhid, Liva-u İslam, 19.Bölük, Sukur-u Şam, Fecr-ul Şam, Nur Hareketi, Nureddin Zengi Tugayları, Festakim Kema Umirte Grubu ve Liva-u Ensar.

http://www.aljazeera.com.tr/haber/suriye-muhalefetinde-catlak#overlay-context=

The End of French Colonialism ( Thierry Meyssan- Voltaire.net)

President Putin recently wrote in the New York Times that the war in Syria pits the state against international jihadism. At the same time, President Hollande told TF1 that it was a war for democracy. The latter is wrong, as shown in the continuation of his argument with a battlefield in three camps. Behind the rhetorical contradictions it’s the end of colonialism that is being played out.

http://www.voltairenet.org/article180332.html

Gul: No Solution on Syria By Sidelining Iran- Al-Monitor

En route to New York, Turkish President Abdullah Gul explained, "The UN General Assembly is like a county fair for politicians. Everyone talks to each other easily without the hassle of protocols. It's a great opportunity.”

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/09/turkey-president-gul-iran-syria-egypt.html#ixzz2ivjnREbo

Jordan court jails 5 for allegedly seeking to join Syria's Nusra Front- FOX News

AMMAN, JORDAN –  Jordan's military court has convicted five Jordanians of trying to sneak into neighboring Syria to join rebels seeking to unseat President Bashar Assad.

The court sentenced the men in a brief hearing Monday to five years in jail with hard labor on charges of attempting to illegally cross the border to join a banned group.

Presiding judge Ahmed Qatarneh said the five — in their 20s and 30s — had confessed to planning to join the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, or Nusra Front.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/09/23/jordan-court-jails-5-for-allegedly-seeking-to-join-syria-nusra-front/

Profile: Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS)- BBC News

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is a jihadist group active in Iraq and Syria.

It is widely known by the acronym ISIS, in which the final "S" stems from the Arabic word "al-Sham". This can mean the Levant, Syria or even Damascus but in the context of the global jihad it refers to the Levant.

Roots in Iraq

When the group was formed in April 2013, it was initially presented as a merger between the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and a Syrian jihadist rebel group, the al-Nusra Front.

However, the announcement of the merger by ISI leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was immediately rejected by the al-Nusra Front.

Two months later, al-Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri reportedly ordered the merger to be annulled.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24179084

U.S., Russia strike deal on Syria chemical weapons arsenal-Al-Arabiya

The United States and Russia have agreed on a proposal to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday after nearly three days of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Kerry said that, under the deal, Syria must submit a “comprehensive listing” of its chemical weapons stockpiles within one week.

If Syria fails to meet these demands, the U.N. Security Council will act, Lavrov said.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/14/U-S-Russia-enter-third-day-of-Syria-chemical-weapons-talks-.html

US and Russia reach deal on Syria weapons- Al-Jazeera

Syria has been given a week to declare its stock of chemical weapons, and must allow international inspections, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said after talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

The demands are part of a six-point plan on eliminating the stockpiles, agreed on Saturday by the US and Russia after three days of negotiations in Geneva.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/09/2013914102758488772.html

Turkish prosecutors indict Syrian rebels for seeking chemical weapons- RT

A court indictment by the Turkish prosecutors into the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian rebels has once again highlighted fears this week that sarin toxic gas was used by the opposition and not the Assad government.

The prosecutor in the Turkish city of Adana has issued a 132-page indictment, alleging that six men of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham tried to seek out chemicals with the intent to produce the nerve agent, sarin gas, a number of Turkish publications reported. 

The main suspect in the case, 35-year-old Syrian-national Hytham Qassap has been charged with “being a member of a terrorist organization” and “attempting to acquire weapons for a terrorist organization.” The other 5, all Turkish nationals are being charged with “attempting to acquire weapons for a terrorist organization.” 

http://rt.com/news/turkey-syria-chemical-weapons-850/

Witness to a Syrian Execution: “I Saw a Scene of Utter Cruelty”- TIME

All wars are vicious, but the civil war in Syria seems every day to set new standards for brutality. As the fighting rages in its third year, increasing numbers of atrocities are committed by soldiers and fighters from forces loyal to the regime of President Bashar Assad, as well as armed rebels and Islamic militants from the numerous, loosely aligned groups opposing Assad. The violence is frequently sectarian in nature, with fighters claiming they act in defense of their faith, be it Sunni, Alawite, Shiite or any of the other sects that contribute to Syria’s religious landscape.

The perpetrators of atrocities themselves often use digital cameras or smartphones to photograph or film their acts of torture and murder, uploading the images to the Internet. These images and videos are used for propaganda, and their authenticity is often impossible to verify. It is very rare that a group of fighters from either side gives a professional photojournalist from a country outside Syria full and unfettered access to chronicle an atrocity as it unfolds. The images above are products of that access.

Read more: http://lightbox.time.com/2013/09/12/witness-to-a-syrian-execution-i-saw-a-scene-of-utter-cruelty/#ixzz2esLgCrzQ

Time photographer - why I took pictures of decapitation in Syria- The Guardian

Time magazine is running photographs of an execution by rebel forces inSyria that are an horrific example of cruelty during the country's civil war.

The images of the atrocity show a young Syrian being decapitated by Islamic militants. An eyewitness told Time that the executioners were from ISIS, a group linked to al-Qaida.

The pictures were taken by a non-Syrian photographer, described only as a professional photojournalist, in the town of Keferghan near Aleppo on 31 August.

Time did not to publish the photographer's name in order to protect him from repercussions should he return to Syria. The harrowing series of images can be seen on Time's website, Witness to a Syrian execution: "I saw a scene of utter cruelty."

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/sep/13/time-magazine-syria

U.S., Russia agree to framework on Syria chemical weapons- CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/14/politics/us-syria/?hpt=hp_t2

Syria: Al-Qaeda Looking for Local Mujahideen- Al-Akhbar

The number of foreigners flocking to fight in Syria is on the decline, and with it, the extent of areas under al-Qaeda’s control in the embattled country. Local mujahideen are now in high demand.

Until this moment, the identities of the leaders of the two al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria – al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) – remain unknown. The only public communication from the two leaders are voice recordings or written messages leaked through unknown sources, or perhaps even through the same source.

Also unclear is the groups’ funding sources, despite reports that point to Iraq or other centers where the global jihadi organization is active. The two radical groups have also been able to seize local revenue streams, for example, with fees collected at border crossings and profits from crude oil sold to Turkish companies and local vendors through unofficial channels.

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syria-al-qaeda-looking-local-mujahideen

Embattled Syria analyst vouched for rebel group that depicted burning US Capitol- FOX NEWS

WASHINGTON –  Elizabeth O’Bagy, a pro-Syrian opposition analyst whose credibility has come under fire, might have even more explaining to do – as court documents show she once vouched for a rebel group whose website displayed extremist and anti-American images.

Among the pictures was one showing a burning U.S. Capitol.

O’Bagy was fired earlier this week by the Institute for the Study of War for allegedly lying about her academic credentials. Her writings had been used by U.S. officials to bolster their case for military action against the Assad regime.

O’Bagy discussed the rebel group in question in a June 19, 2013 signed affidavit filed in the case of American Eric Harroun, who was indicted for fighting alongside the terror group al-Nusra in Syria.

O’Bagy’s signed declaration, which included a breakdown of rebel groups and their varying degrees of affiliation to Al Qaeda-linked terrorists, was used by Harroun’s defense to argue that the former Army medic had actually fought with a splinter group and not a terrorist one – a group tied to the one O’Bagy described.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/13/syrian-expert-elizabeth-obagy-vouches-for-jihadist-group-in-court-affidavit/#ixzz2hbSkLpHc 

US-Russia talks on Syria: A balance of ideals, interests- The Christian Science Monitor

In the US-Russia talks on Syria's chemical weapons, the two countries may clash over Moscow's interests and American ideals. Such disputes can be resolved, as US history shows.

If each American could be a fly on the wall during the Russian-US negotiations over Syria, they might witness a traditional clash between Russian “realism” over the country’s own national interests and American “idealism” over a moral issue like chemical weapons.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2013/0912/US-Russia-talks-on-Syria-A-balance-of-ideals-interests

President al-Assad's speech to Rossiya 24 TV channel- SANA

Damascus, (SANA) – President Bashar al-Assad gave a speech to Rossiya 24 TV channel.

Following is the full text of the speech;

Interviewer: Why did Syria agree to the Russian initiative which proposes handing over its chemical weapons to the international community? Why so rapidly?

President al-Assad: Over 10 years ago, Syria presented the UN with a proposal for a WMD-Free Middle East; this was because the region is turbulent and has been immersed in wars for decades. Thus removing unconventional weapons would be rational in order to enhance stability, at that particular time the U.S hindered the proposal.

Firstly, in principle we strive for peace and stability therefore we do not perceive the existence of WMD’s in the Middle East to have any positive effect. Secondly, in relation to current developments, Syria as a state genuinely seeks to avert another war of lunacy on itself and countries in the region, contrary to the efforts of warmongers in the U.S who seek to inflame a regional war. We continue to pay the price of U.S wars, be it in geographically distant Afghanistan or neighbouring Iraq. We believe that a war on Syria shall be destructive to the region and embroil it in a quagmire of instability for decades or generations to come. Thirdly, and most remarkably, what was most encouraging was the Russian initiative itself, without which we would not have been able to pursue this path.

Our relations with Russia are founded on trust which grew during the crisis throughout the last two and a half years. The fact that Russia has proven itself to have an insight into events in the region with high credibility as a reliable major power encouraged Syria to work towards signing the Chemical Weapons Convention. 

http://sana.sy/eng/21/2013/09/13/502247.htm

Birinci Dereceden ABD’nin Düşmancı Politikasına Son Vermeye Dayanıyor- SANA Türkçe

ŞAM – Cumhurbaşkanı Beşşar el-Esad Rus 24 Televizyonuna verdiği röportajda; Suriye'nin, kimyasal silahların uluslar arası denetim altına alınmasını kabul etmesinin en önemli nedenlerinden birinin Rusya'nın bulunduğu girişim olduğunu vurguladı.

El-Esad; Rusya'nın girişimi olmasaydı Suriye'nin kimyasal silah konusunu kesinlikle hiçbir devletle tartışmayacağını belirtirken, Suriye'nin bu girişimi kabul etmesiyle ABD’nin tehditleri arasında hiçbir ilişkinin olmadığını ifade etti. Suriye'nin bu girişimi devlet olarak kendisini ve genel olarak bölge devletlerini çılgınca yeni bir savaştan uzak tutmaya ciddi özeninden dolayı kabul ettiğine vurgu yapan el-Esad; ABD’de savaş yanlısı kimilerinin bölgede çılgın bir savaş alevlendirmeye çalıştıklarına dikkat çekti.

Rusya'nın bulunduğu bu girişimde ilerlemenin birinci dereceden ABD’nin Suriye'ye yönelik düşmancı politikasına son vermeye dayandığının altını çizen el-Esad; Suriye'nin ABD’nin istikrar doğrultusunda yöneliminde ciddi olduğu, saldırı tehditleri ve icraatlarına son verdiği ve teröristlere silah göndermekten vazgeçtiğini görmesi halinde bu girişimi sonuna dek yürütmesinin mümkün olabileceğini belirtti.

El-Esad bu süreç içinde temel rolün Rusya'ya düştüğünü belirtirken, Suriye ile ABD arasında hiçbir bağlantı yada güvenin bulunmadığını ifade etti. Suriye ve Rusya arasındaki ilişkileri sağlam ve güvenilir ilişkileri olarak nitelendiren el-Esad; bu ilişkilerin kriz sırasında daha çok pekiştiğini ve güven kazandığını söyledi. El-Esad Rusya'nın güvenilir büyük bir devlet olarak kendini kanıtladığını ekledi.

 ABD Engel Oldu

Suriye'nin Rusya'nın girişimini hızlı bir şekilde kabul etmesinin nedenine ilişkin bir soruya cevabında el-Esad; Suriye'nin on yıl öncesinden fazla bir süredir Birleşmiş Milletlerden (BM) Ortadoğu'nun kitle imha silahlarından arındırılmasını talep ettiğine dikkat çekti.

El-Esad bölgenin on yıllardan hatta yüzyıllardan beri savaş ve gerginlik bölgesi olduğuna işaret ederek, Suriye'nin, bölgenin kitle imha silahlarından arındırılmasının istikrarın sağlanmasına katkı sağlayacağına inandığını ifade etti. Dolayısıyla BM’den bölgenin her türlü kitle imha silahlarından arındırılmasını talep ettiğini belirten el-Esad; bu talep önünde engel teşkil edenin ABD olduğuna dikkat çekti.

Suriye'nin ilke olarak bölgede kitle imha silahlarının bulunmasını olumlu olarak değerlendirmediğini söyleyen el-Esad; Suriye'nin tam aksine her daim istikrarı düşündüğünü ve barış için çabaladığını belirtti.

Sözlerine devam eden el-Esad Suriye'nin girişimi kabul etmesinin ikinci nedeninin ise kendisini ve bölge devletlerini kimi tarafların alevlendirmeye çalıştığı delice bir savaşın tehlikesinden uzaklaştırmaya ciddi özeninin olduğunu vurguladı. Bölgenin ABD’nin Afganistan ve Irak’a karşı savaşının etkisinden henüz kurtulmadığına dikkat çeken el-Esad; Suriye'ye yönelik bir savaşın tüm bölge için tamamen yıkıcı bir savaş olacağını ifade etti. El-Esad bu savaşın etkilerinin on yıllar boyunca birçok nesli etkileyeceğini belirtti.

http://sana.sy/tur/236/2013/09/13/502203.htm

Dramatic report: Inside the battle for Syria's ancient Christian village (VIDEO)- RT

Anti-Assad rebels have been forced out of many parts of Syria’s ancient Christian village of Maaloula, but the fighting there remains heavy, RT correspondent Maria Finoshina reports from the scene.

After arriving in the center of the village Wednesday, Maria Finoshina and the RT camera crew saw signs of a recent battle and heard shelling. Syrian Army soldiers said the village was freed from jihadists. The claim would later in the day turn out to be premature.

Al-Nusra Front fighters first attacked the village last Wednesday. The following seven days saw Maaloula torn between the rebels and government forces, with both occasionally gaining control over the village.

Some residents, who claim rebels have resorted to looting, executions and forcing residents to convert to Islam, chose to join the Army to defend their village. Among them, Saba Ubeid, a store owner, said when filmed by RT in 2012 that he was sure the rebels would never come to the village. This time he was armed with a gun and fought alongside Syrian soldiers.

http://rt.com/news/syria-chistian-vallage-fighting-766/

Kerry calls Syria chemical weapons talks 'constructive'- BBC News

US Secretary of State John Kerry has described as "constructive" talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on securing Syria's chemical weapons.

The two men began a second day of talks in Geneva by meeting UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to discuss the wider issue of peace in Syria.

Talks between Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov on the weapons issue began on Thursday and could continue over the weekend.

Mr Kerry said they were working hard to find "common ground".

The BBC's Paul Adams in Geneva says this is a moment of diplomatic momentum over Syria which has not been seen for a couple of years and both parties want to make the most of that.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called Damascus's decision to join the Chemical Weapons Convention "an important step towards the resolution of the Syrian crisis" and said it showed the "serious intention" of President Assad "to follow this path".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24075787

For Turkey’s Leader, Syria’s War Worsens His Problems at Home- The New York Times

ISTANBUL — Sitting in his son’s wedding gown shop in a conservative neighborhood here, Sabah Bakirci heaped praise on Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with swagger matched only, perhaps, by Mr. Erdogan’s own.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/world/middleeast/for-turkeys-leader-syrias-war-worsens-his-problems-at-home.html?_r=0

US and Russia meet over Syrian chemical weapons disposal plan- Al-Akhbar)

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met the United Nations special envoy on Syria in Geneva on Friday as they worked on a deal that could avert US military action.

Lakhdar Brahimi, who acts for both the world body and the Arab League, met Kerry and Lavrov together. He has been trying to broker a political solution to the Syrian civil war. The two powers are trying to flesh out Moscow's plan to dispose of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons.

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/us-and-russia-meet-over-syrian-chemical-weapons-disposal-plan

Michael O’Hanlon: No military consensus on Syria- The Washington Post

Retired Maj. Gen. Robert H. Scales, in his Sept. 6 commentary, “A war the Pentagon doesn’t want” [Washington Forum], makes some valid points about the challenges the Obama administration has encountered — and, at times, created — in its approach to Syria. He may be right that this is a war that most officers in the military, like most Americans, don’t want. But greater scrutiny should be given to his suggestion of a widespread consensus within military ranks that the president’s handling of this crisis has been incompetent.

First, I do not share Scales’s impression of a prevalent view of Syria among military officers. In my own conversations with retired and serving Defense Department officers, I sense no overwhelming majority that believes President Obama is handling badly what all agree is a difficult situation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-ohanlon-there-is-no-military-consensus-on-syria/2013/09/12/1226e698-1bc0-11e3-a628-7e6dde8f889d_story.html