organization:syrian army

Syrie.
Utilisation d’armes chimiques par le régime syrien. Quelques liens sur la décision américaine de fournir des armes à l’opposition syrienne.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/13/syria-chemical-weapons-us-confirm
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/13/politics/syria-us-chemical-weapons
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/syria-chemical-weapons-assad_n_3437640.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22899289

(Il y a un mois) Selon l’Observatoire syrien des Droits de l’Homme, entre la moitié et le tiers des tués en Syrie seraient alaouites.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/syria-death-toll-120000_n_3272610.html

At least 94,000 people have been killed during Syria’s two-year conflict, but the death toll is likely to be as high as 120,000, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

The group said that at least 41,000 of those confirmed killed were Alawites, the sect of President Bashar al-Assad.

Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Observatory, said that the Alawite death figures were confirmed by eight different Alawite sources in coastal cities and in Homs.

À rapprocher de l’affirmation du même observatoire, cité le mois suivant, selon laquelle 43% des tués sont des soldats ou combattants du régime :
http://seenthis.net/messages/144656

Comme tout le monde, j’ai du mal à admettre ces chiffres, et je pensais qu’il s’agissait d’une citation erronée (ou inventée) de cet Observatoire, mais là on a deux citations différentes sur des informations différentes mais concordantes.

Ami lecteur, si tu as d’autres sources, je suis vraiment preneur, parce qu’en dehors de ces deux billets (eux-mêmes cités comme uniques sources par Wikipédia…), je n’ai rien trouvé d’autre.

France, Saudi Arabia Increase Syria Coordination Post-Qusair
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/06/france-saudi-arabia-coordinate-syria-efforts-qusair-geneva.html

The battle for Aleppo, for which the Syrian army is preparing, has become a joint French-Saudi concern. Another concern that French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius shared yesterday [June 11] with Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan and Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal was how to avoid turning the upcoming Geneva conference into a defeat of the Syrian opposition. That concern is reasonable in light of the current balance of power following the military victory by the Syrian army and Hezbollah in Qusair.

Il a donc été décidé que le Centaure de César, qui est super-haram, sera prochainement détruit par une foule de parisiens hystériques :
http://paris1900.lartnouveau.com/paris06/centaure/1cent4.JPG

Al-Jazeera and Co. Challenge Qusayr Victory
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/al-jazeera-and-co-challenge-qusayr-victory

Stations like al-Jazeera, al-Arabiya, and Future TV claimed the regime and Hezbollah had committed a massacre that killed hundreds. Future TV went even further, claiming that the battle was still raging.

Free Syrian Army (FSA) spokesperson Fahd al-Masry – who couldn’t confirm to al-Jadeed whether he was in Paris or somewhere along the Lebanese-Syrian border – made several appearances on local and satellite channels. He denied that the Syrian army regained control of Qusayr and claimed that the live images were either fabricated or pulled from the archives.

La reconstruction de la Syrie : entre 65 et 100 milliards de dollars. Les entreprises européennes sont sur les rangs :
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/184498

حالياً، يُشغّل الخبراء من المنطقة والعالم الآلات الحاسبة ويُدخلون المعطيات في النماذج الرياضية ترقباً للمرحلة المنتظرة. ووفقاً لأرقام عرضتها سلمى صبرا من البنك اللبناني الفرنسي في سوريا، فإنّ كلفة إعادة الإعمار في سوريا ستراوح بين 65 مليار دولار و100 مليار دولار إذا انتهت الأزمة عام 2015.

يُذكر هنا أنّ كبير الخبراء في منظمة «إسكوا»، عبد الله الدردري – وهو شغل سابقاً نائب رئيس مجلس الوزراء السوري للشؤون الاقتصادية – أشار أخيراً إلى أنّ الأضرار التي لحقت بالاقتصاد السوري خلال عامين من الأزمة بلغت 60 مليار دولار.

ويُشير أحد المصرفيين المشاركين في اللقاء إلى حماسة الأوروبيين لهذه الجائزة: «لا شكّ أنّ البلدان الأوروبية يهمها جداً أن تُطلق العنان لشركات المقاولات والبناء التي تتميز بها والتي لا تجد أشغالاً في اقتصاد أوروبا الراكد: ولذا هي فرصة مهمة لهم لتأمين وظائف لعمال القارة العجوز». غير أنّه يستطرد في الوقت نفسه: «رغم هذه التطلعات ورصد الفرص، أعتقد أننا نبقى بعيدين عن استقرار مقنع في سوريا».

Intervention du Hezbollah à Alep
La semaine dernière, plusieurs commentateurs expliquaient l’intervention du Hezbollah à Qusayr par la proximité de la ville du Liban et par le fait que ses intérêts stratégiques directs devaient y être défendus. On peut douter que ce soit le cas à Alep, ce qui signifierait - si cette intervention est confirmée - que l’intervention du Hezbollah dans le conflit syrien signifie une véritable régionalisation de la guerre et que cette organisation politique, longtemps perçue à travers le prisme de la libanisation, se dé-libanise.

4,000 Hezbollah fighters reach rebel-held Aleppo : FSA | News , Politics | THE DAILY STAR
http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2013/Jun-04/219388-4000-hezbollah-fighters-reach-rebel-held-aleppo-fsa.ashx#axzz2V

Over 4,000 fighters from Lebanon’s #Hezbollah have reached the northern Syrian city of Aleppo as part of military preparations to retake the rebel-held city, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army told The Daily Star Tuesday.

“The number of Hezbollah members who have entered Aleppo has exceeded 4,000,” Louay Meqdad, the FSA spokesman, said.

#Liban
#Syrie

La couverture de la « certitude française » quant à l’utilisation d’armes chimiques par le régime syrien, sur Google News États-Unis, donne une impression assez curieuse.

D’abord, la traduction des commentaires français sur le thème « la France est en pointe sur le dossier syrien », si l’on regarde les reprises aux États-Unis, c’est : « la France est isolée sur le dossier syrien » (vous pouvez aussi remplacer « isolée » par « ignorée » si vous voulez être méchant avec Fabius). Par rapport à l’importance attribuée ici à ces accusations, la couverture médiatique américaine apparaît très faible.

La Syrie est présente sur la page « World » de Google News, mais au travers de deux informations seulement pour l’instant :
– la reprise de Qusayr par les forces gouvernementales,
– la participation du Hezbollah au conflit syrien.
La couverture des armes chimiques n’est donc pas suffisante pour atteindre la page « World » de Google News États-Unis. Il faut effectuer une recherche à la main pour obtenir des résultats.

Il apparaît alors que la couverture d’accusations d’utilisation d’armes chimiques porte avant tout sur la remise d’un rapport de l’ONU, qui conclut qu’il ne peut certifier quelles armes ont été utilisées ni par quel camp. On le voit par exemple avec cet article de Sky News :
http://news.sky.com/story/1099138/syria-france-has-proof-chemical-weapons-used
Dans Google News, il est encore titré « Chemical Weapons Used In Syria : UN ». Pas de mention de la France. En revanche, une fois qu’on arrive sur la page en question, le titre est désormais « Syria : France Has ’Proof’ Chemical Weapons Used » ; l’article accole les accusations de Laurent Fabius au compte rendu du rapport remis par Paul Pinheiro.

Étonnant de voir comment l’intervention de Fabius tombe particulièrement bien pour « détourner » le rapport remis à l’ONU, dont les conclusions ne sont pas les mêmes que « la France ».

Quant à l’information qui a circulé il y a quelques jours sur l’arrestation de rebelles d’Al Nousra en Turquie transportant de grosses quantités de gaz Sarin, elle semble avoir disparu dans les limbes de l’internet :
►http://seenthis.net/messages/143292

Le Monde se prévaut également de l’opinion d’« Israël » pour dénoncer la mollesse d’Obama :
http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2013/06/05/syrie-israel-doute-de-la-volonte-de-washington-d-intervenir-militairement_34
Mais je note que la photo qui illustre un sujet du JPost, avant-hier, sur les armes chimiques en Syrie, montre… un soldat de l’armée syrienne apparemment blessé dans une attaque chimique : « Residents move a Syrian Army soldier, wounded in apparent chemical weapon attack, March 19, 2013. Photo : REUTERS/George Ourfalian »
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/UN-rights-team-sees-chemical-weapons-use-in-Syria-315373
Même l’opinion israélienne (dont on sait pourtant toute l’attention qu’elle porte à la bonne santé de ses voisins arabes) n’a pas l’air de partager l’enthousiasme de nos médias pour « le France en pointe sur le dossier syrien ».

Syrian war widens Sunni-Shia schism as foreign jihadis join fight for shrines
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/04/syria-islamic-sunni-shia-shrines-volunteers

Syrian rebels say they respect all holy sites but damage to Sayyida Zeinab shrine has spurred 10,000 Shias to volunteer

J’ignore si cet article est sérieux ou non. Les témoignages sont intéressants, mais il y a plusieurs assertions (par exemple le chiffre de 10000 volontaires chiites, l’obligation de s’enrôler dans l’armée syrienne, les bases d’entraînement…) assez invérifiables, et dont j’ignore comment on peut obtenir des informations fiables à leur sujet.

How We Lost The Syrian Revolution - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East
►http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/syria-revolution-aleppo-assad.html

Le témoignage (qui ne risque pas d’être disséminé) d’un habitant anti-Assad d’Alep sur la brutalité de certains « révolutionnaires » , témoignage très manichéen cependant par son opposition gentils-citadins-éduqués-cultivés versus ruraux-revanchards haineux-frustes, et qui ne peut de ce fait que passer complètement sous silence le rôle du parrainage étranger de certains desdits citadins qui alimente la brutalité.

So what went wrong? Or to be more accurate, where did we go wrong? How did a once inspirational and noble popular uprising calling for freedom and basic human rights degenerate into an orgy of bloodthirsty sectarian violence, with depravity unfit for even animals? Was it inevitable and wholly unavoidable, or did it not have to be this way?

...

To us, a rebel fighting against tyranny doesn’t commit the same sort of crimes as the regime he’s supposed to be fighting against. He doesn’t loot the homes, businesses and communities of the people he’s supposed to be fighting for. Yet, as the weeks went by in Aleppo, it became increasingly clear that this was exactly what was happening.

Rebels would systematically loot the neighborhoods they entered. They had very little regard for the lives and property of the people, and would even kidnap for ransom and execute anyone they pleased with little recourse to any form of judicial process. They would deliberately vandalize and destroy ancient and historical landmarks and icons of the city. They would strip factories and industrial zones bare, even down to the electrical wiring, hauling their loot of expensive industrial machinery and infrastructure off across the border to Turkey to be sold at a fraction of its price. Shopping malls were emptied, warehouses, too. They stole the grain in storage silos, creating a crisis and a sharp rise in staple food costs. They would incessantly shell residential civilian neighborhoods under regime control with mortars, rocket fire and car bombs, causing death and injury to countless innocent people, their snipers routinely killing in cold blood unsuspecting passersby. As a consequence, tens of thousands became destitute and homeless in this once bustling, thriving and rich commercial metropolis.

But why was this so? Why were they doing it? It became apparent soon enough, that it was simply a case of us versus them. They were the underprivileged rural class who took up arms and stormed the city, and they were out for revenge against the perceived injustices of years past. Their motivation wasn’t like ours, it was not to seek freedom, democracy or justice for the entire nation, it was simply unbridled hatred and vengeance for themselves.
Extremist and sectarian in nature, they made no secret that they thought us city folk in Aleppo, all of us, regime stooges and sympathizers, and that our lives and property were forfeit as far as they were concerned.

Rebel profiteer warlords soon became household names, their penchant for looting and spreading terror among the populace inducing far more bitterness and bile than what was felt against the regime and its forces. Add to that terrible fray, the extremist Islamists and their open association with Al-Qaeda and their horrific plans for the future of our nation, and you can guess what the atmosphere over here felt like: a stifling primordial fear, a mixture of terror and despair.

So who was “us,” and why did we feel that we were any different or better? Well, by “us” I mean, and at the risk of sounding rather elitist, the civil grassroots opposition movement in Aleppo, who for months were organizing peaceful protests and handing out aid at considerable danger and risk to our own lives. “We” truly believed in the higher ideals of social and political change, and tried to emulate them. We tried to model ourselves on the civil rights movement of the US in the 1960s, Mandela’s struggle against apartheid, and the teachings of Gandhi: precisely what similar civil movements in other Arab Spring countries such as Tunisia and Egypt had done before.  

...

Article de considérations politiciennes, mais quelques indications sur ce que pensent les aounistes :
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanon%E2%80%99s-aounists-hollow-election-victory

Some Aounists suspect that Hezbollah and Amal were behind the resignation of the Najib Mikati government and the naming of Tammam Salam as prime minister-designate. They also blame Hezbollah for not exerting enough pressure on their ally, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, for putting the Orthodox law up before a vote in parliament.

The two allies are also at odds today over priorities, with Hezbollah insisting that the decisive battle is taking place in Syria, while the FPM places local Lebanese issues at the fore of their agenda.

The Aounists concede that the Syrian crisis has a lot of bearing on what happens in their country, but they remind Hezbollah that even after the Resistance scored one of its greatest victories over Israel in 2006, it was unable to translate it positively on the ground in Lebanon, because it underestimated the importance of the internal front.

Averting a Crisis : Syrian Refugees in Lebanon - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/05/28/averting-crisis-syrian-refugees-in-lebanon/g6wd

Interessant, mais bon, c’est Caregie, donc... Voilà. Référencé ici surtout pour l’archive.

The protracted conflict in Syria, triggered by an antigovernment uprising that began in March 2011, has led huge numbers of Syrians to flee their home country. Many have become refugees in neighboring Lebanon.

Interviews with Syrian refugees, members of Lebanese host communities, NGOs, and intelligence sources provide a brief background on these refugees and the type of aid they are getting. They also offer insight into the impact this influx of refugees has had on host communities in different areas of Lebanon.

#syrie #liban

Poursuite de l’aventureuse épopée des S-300
http://www.dedefensa.org/article-poursuite_de_l_aventureuse_pop_e_des_s-300_30_05_2013.html

• Des Israéliens à Moscou pour empêcher la livraison des S-300. • Assad : les premiers S-300 sont déjà en Syrie.

Ici, le Commitee to Protect Journalists justifie le meurtre d’une journaliste syrienne :
http://cpj.org/2013/05/syrian-correspondent-killed-by-sniper-fire.php

Abbas had gained prominence for her reporting on the front lines while embedded with government forces. In her last report from Al-Qusayr, Abbas can be seen wearing camouflage that closely resembles the uniforms of the Assad army. In the report, broadcast the day before her death, she described clashes between the Syrian army and the rebels, who she called “terrorists” and “mercenaries.”

(Signalé par un lecteur d’Angry Arab.)

How We Lost The Syrian Revolution - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East
►http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/syria-revolution-aleppo-assad.html

How We Lost
The Syrian Revolution

Bilan autocritique attribué à un militant alépin.

Obama Asks Pentagon For Syria No-Fly Zone Plan - The Daily Beast
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/28/exclusive-barack-obama-asks-pentagon-for-syria-no-fly-zone-plan.html

Pentagon spokesman Dave Lapan sent the following statement to The Daily Beast after this story posted: “There is no new planning effort underway. The Joint Staff, along with the relevant combatant commanders, continue to conduct prudent planning for a range of possible military options.”

Israel Advocates Quiet on U.S. Plans To Arm Syria Rebels – Forward.com
http://forward.com/articles/177240/israel-advocates-quiet-on-us-plans-to-arm-syria-re/?p=all

WASHINGTON — Israel and its supporters in the United States are so far not challenging proposals to send ammunition and even light artillery to some Syrian opposition groups, despite fears that those arms could end up in the hands of fighters committed to global jihad.

An official with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby, said the group has not taken a position on proposed legislation calling for the arming of certain opposition groups, or on the broader issue of arming the Syrian opposition.

« Not Taken a position » ? Qui sont les auteurs des « proposals » ?

The bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Chairman Robert Menendez and ranking Republican Bob Corker...

Deux grands bénéficiaires des fonds de l’AIPAC. http://maplight.org/us-congress/interest/J5100/view/all

Contraste intéressant : alors qu’à la lecture des dépêches AFP et Reuters, on a quasiment l’impression que seuls des combattants du Hezbollah se battent à Qusayr, et se confient volontiers aux correspondants étrangers, la dépêche d’Al Manar ne fait absolument aucune mention des combattants du parti : seule l’armée syrienne régulière est mentionnée. Il devient alors particulièrement étonnant que des combattants du parti se répandraient dans les médias alors que la chaîne officielle du parti prend bien soin de ne pas les évoquer dans cette dépêche.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=94999&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=20&s1=1

The Syrian city of al-Qusayr witnessed on Saturday the fiercest fight since the Syrian army launched the operation against the foreign-backed militants almost nearly a week ago.

Syrian military sources told al-Manar that the Syrian army advanced on Saturday in the area of Hamidiyeh.

The source added that the Syrian armed forces destroyed a vehicle loaded with a 23 mm cannon in the airport of Dabaa in al-Qusayr countryside.

Note : je n’ai pas encore lu ce que Nasrallah a déclaré ce soir, je suis donc curieux de savoir comment il évoque Qusayr.

Syrie. Le point sur la bataille de Qoussaïr (21 mai 2013)

Où est Qoussaïr ? Ville située près de Homs, à quelques kilomètres de la frontière avec le Liban. Elle occupe une position stratégique. Elle permet aisément de rentrer et sortir du Liban.

Début des combats ? L’assaut de l’armée syrienne contre la rébellion installée à Qoussaïr a débuté le dimanche 19 mai. Il n’est pas terminé (1). L’armée régulière avait pris position dans les alentours depuis plusieurs semaines. Elle contrôlait depuis une dizaine de jours la zone d’al-Tal, qui domine Qoussaïr.

Qui combat ? D’un côté, des groupes de la rébellion qui contrôlaient la ville depuis une année (notamment la Brigade Farouk relevant de l’Armée Libre Syrienne) ; En face, l’armée syrienne assistée de combattants se revendiquant du Hezbollah et les Forces de la Défense Nationale (milice paramilitaire créée par le régime). L’aviation est intervenue. Il y aurait une centaine de morts des deux côtés.

Issue ? Tout le monde s’accorde à dire que le régime va reprendre le contrôle de la ville dans les heures ou jours à venir.

Réactions arabes ? La Ligue arabe a convoqué une réunion pour jeudi 23 mai pour évoquer la conférence internationale dans le contexte de la situation sur le terrain, notamment à Qoussaïr.

Contexte politique et diplomatique ? L’assaut de Qoussaïr est intervenu au lendemain du jour où Assad a déclaré qu’il ne quitterait pas le pouvoir (2). Personne ne croit que la conférence internationale, destinée à mettre fin au conflit par un accord entre le régime et la rébellion, puisse réellement se tenir début juin. Le fossé se creuse entre chiites et alaouites, combattant pour le régime, et sunnites qui forment le gros de la rébellion. Le Président Assad a récemment fait valoir que son gouvernement n’utilisait les services « d’aucun combattant extérieur à la Syrie, ni d’autres nationalités, et n’avait besoin d’aucun autre Etat arabe ou étranger » (2) (3) La participation du Hezbollah aux combats rend caduc la politique de non-intervention du Liban. Pire, le Front al-Nousra avait menacé, il y a plusieurs semaines, de prendre Beyrouth pour cible si le Hezbollah ne cessait pas ses opérations en Syrie.

Conséquences ? La chute de Qoussaïr permettra à Damas de reprendre le contrôle de la zone frontalière du Liban. Elle affaiblira la rébellion à Homs et ailleurs en Syrie. Elle offrira au régime la possibilité de choisir ses prochaines cibles. Elle modifiera la lecture des événements en replaçant les loyalistes au centre du jeu. Elle est susceptible de provoquer en Syrie des représailles à l’encontre des alaouites et des chiites (4) et de réalimenter les troubles à Tripoli entre alaouites et sunnites
1. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/05/2013519124646578835.html
2. http://www.clarin.com/zona/Renunciar-pueblo-decide-quedo-EEUU_0_922107887.html
3. http://www.syriaonline.sy/?f=Details&catid=12&pageid=5835
4. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/syria-conflict-lebanese-border-qusayr.html

Syria: National Defense Forces at Forefront of Qusayr Fighting | Al Akhbar English
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syria-national-defense-forces-forefront-qusayr-fighting

Backed by local forces, the Syrian army is closing in on the strategic town of Qusayr, which opposition fighters have controlled since the beginning of the Syrian crisis. Al-Akhbar toured the villages recently retaken by loyalist forces.

Syrie. (3 Articles et 1 communiqué du Ministère des Affaires étrangères français)

L’armée syrienne aurait repris pied dans la ville de Qoussaïr, ville proche de Homs où des combattants du Hezbollah se battent aux côtés du régime. Le contrôle de Qoussaïr est essentiel pour entrer au Liban ou en sortir. Si cette nouvelle était confirmée, ce serait un coup dur pour les opposants à Assad qui ont déjà perdu des positions le long de la frontière jordanienne et autour de Damas. La perte serait d’autant plus sévère que se profile la conférence internationale visant à mettre fin à la guerre. Les délégués d’Assad s’y présenteraient dans un rapport de forces plus équilibré en leur faveur (19 mai 2013). Le président se dit confiant dans le résultat des élections de 2014.

Article 1
Syrian army captures town of Qusair
Damascus: Syria | May 19, 2013
By arkar / Allvoices
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/14640053-syrian-army-captures-town-of-qusair

According to the latest reports, the Syrian army has taken control of the rebel held town of Qusair, a stronghold for the Syrian opposition located in the north of the country.

The storming of the city is said to have taken place earlier today according to Syrian state media, with the Syrian army apparently attacking the town from all sides, eventually capturing it, with many of the town’s main buildings such as the town hall in possession of the army. Qusair itself possess strategic importance as it means that whoever occupies it has access to the coast as well as to neighbouring Lebanon. (…) Syrian state media added that government troops were presently routing rebel soldiers and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview today that the “fight against terrorism” would continue and that in light of the recent announcement by Russia and the US to organize an international peace conference, that the international community should direct their attentions towards cutting the supply of money and weapons to the “terrorists” and that he himself would not step down as a captain does not abandon his ship (…)

Article 2
Syrian army storms rebel town of Qusair
BBC News Middle East
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22586378

Heavy fighting is reported in the besieged Syrian town of Qusair after state forces launched a major offensive to re-capture the rebel stronghold. State TV says troops have captured key buildings in the town centre, a claim strongly denied by activists. Rebels say 50 people have been killed while state media says 70 “terrorists” are dead. Lebanese militants are said to be involved - Hezbollah siding with the government, Sunni gunmen with rebels. The town - close to the border with Lebanon - has great strategic value. Its control would give the government access from the capital to the coast.

Article 3
Syria army ’storms’ rebel town Qusair
Syrian government forces have surrounded the rebel stronghold of Qusair and are storming it from several directions, says Syrian state TV.
19 May 2013 Pazar - 13:34
TIMETURK / News Center
http://www.timeturk.com/en/2013/05/19/syria-army-storms-rebel-town-qusair.html

(…) News of the assault on Qusair came as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed to continue the “fight against terrorism”. In his first interview since the US and Russia announced plans for a peace conference, Mr Assad told an Argentine newspaper that the meeting should focus on stopping the flow of money and weapons to “terrorists”. He rejected suggestions he might stand down, saying a captain did not abandon his ship and presidential elections next year would determine his future (…)

Article 4
Syrie - Assaut contre la ville de Qoussaïr (19 mai 2013)
Déclaration du Ministère des Affaires étrangères (France)

http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/syrie/la-france-et-la-syrie/evenements-4439/article/syrie-assaut-contre-la-ville-de

« La France est extrêmement préoccupée par la situation à Qoussaïr et s’inquiète des conséquences d’une action militaire massive du régime de Damas et de ses alliés. Elle appelle tous les acteurs en mesure d’éviter un nouveau massacre de la population civile syrienne à se mobiliser dans les meilleurs délais. Toute nouvelle violence entrave sérieusement l’espoir d’aboutir à une solution politique.

Évaluation des attaques israéliennes en Syrie
http://www.dedefensa.org/article-_valuation_des_attaques_isra_liennes_en_syrie_13_05_2013.html

Article du 13 mai 2013 – contribution de Conflicts Forum

L’agence de presse iranienne Fars News Agency commente longuement la cybe-rattaque syrienne contre Israël.

Fars News Agency :: Syrian Electronic Army Hacks Israel’s Main Infrastructure (SCADA)
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9107168206

The SEA said it has hacked into the Haifa infrastructural system at around 22:00 (local time) Monday night, underlining that the hacking was done in retaliation for the recent Israeli strike on a research center in suburban Damascus.

“We would like to announce that in response to the unfair and illegal attacks of Israel on DATE, the SEA has penetrated one of the main infrastructural systems (SCADA) in Haifa and managed to gain access to some sensitive data,” SEA said in a message left for the Israeli operators of Haifa SCADA system.

“Also, the SEA is now able to cause irrecoverable damage to the Israelis’ infrastructural systems,” it added.

Israel staged an airstrike on Syria on Sunday, hitting the Jamraya research center in the vicinity of the Syrian capital, Damascus. Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out the airstrike - the third in the last few months - after heavy losses were inflicted on al-Qaeda-affiliated groups by the Syrian army.

The SEA warned that it could cause a major blast by continuing the attack on the servers of the Haifa infrastructural systems, but avoided further move due to inescapable human casualties as it did not want a story like the recent accident in Texas which claimed the lives of dozens of the people.

“This message carries a serious warning to the Israeli statesmen. They should know that not receiving a quick reaction to such childish ventures does not show the Syrian inability in doing so, but it is based on wisdom and humanity considerations. We do not approve of killing civilians and innocent people as this is an Israeli type of solution,” added the message.

“Also an advice to those who left their homelands for many years, dreaming a happy and safe life, deceived by politicians whose deed is much far from their slogans; Do the best to express your objection to Israeli policies, since we do not like to see innocent people getting killed like in Texas, US, but this time in Haifa.”

The SEA has recently gathered a name for itself in the hacking market by successful attacks on a wide range of the western media, most notably the hacking of AP Twitter accounts and sending of bogus messages which wreaked havoc on stock exchanges. The hackers tweeted that President Obama had been injured in a bomb attack at the White House, causing a temporary 143-point drop on the Dow Jones industrial average.

In an apparent effort to cause disruption and embarrassment in the West and to spread support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the SEA has so far hacked the Guardian, the BBC (including BBC weather, BBC Arabic Online and BBC Radio Ulster), France 24 TV, the National Public Radio in the United States, al-Jazeera, the government of Qatar, E!, and Sepp Blatter, the president of football’s governing body Fifa, whose Twitter account was hacked.

Cybersecurity experts told the Guardian that the SEA attacks are designed to disrupt and embarrass the West and pro-Israeli lobbies, states and entities.

In the BBC case, the SEA, which emerged two years ago, hacked into the Twitter accounts of the British broadcaster and sent nine bogus tweets in an hour, including some with anti-Israeli sentiments, and others saying “Long Live Syria”, and the “Syrian Electronic Army Was Here”.

Guardian itself believes that the SEA attack was a reprisal for a number of leaked emails from the Assads and their inner circle that it had published.

Hours after the cyber-attack began, the SEA said it has targeted the Guardian for spreading “lies and slander about Syria” and said it was in a “state of war with the security team of Twitter”.

But this last cyberattack is certainly a boost in the platform of SEA operations as it required much more sophisticated knowledge and capabilities compared with the previous hackings; giving the Syrian Electronic Army the opportunity to rise to a different level of fame.

SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) is a type of industrial control system (ICS). Industrial control systems are computer controlled systems that monitor and control industrial processes that exist in the physical world. SCADA systems historically distinguish themselves from other ICS systems by being large scale processes that can include multiple sites, and large distances. These processes include industrial, infrastructure, and facility-based processes.

Industrial processes include those of manufacturing, production, power generation, fabrication, and refining, and may run in continuous, batch, repetitive, or discrete modes.

Infrastructure processes may be public or private, and include water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, oil and gas pipelines, electrical power transmission and distribution, wind farms, civil defense siren systems, and large communication systems.

Facility processes occur both in public facilities and private ones, including buildings, airports, ships, and space stations. They monitor and control heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC), access, and energy consumption.

Hackers usually leave a couple of files for their colleagues to prove that their allegations are true. The SEA has left the following files on its website to show others in the hacking industry that it has had a successful security breach and hacking into the Haifa SCADA system.

Do the Israeli Airstrikes Play Into Assad’s Hands ? - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/the-damascus-bombings-play-into-assads-hands.html

Do the Israeli Airstrikes Play
Into Assad’s Hands?

Un certain Kais Firro, spécialiste israélien de la Syrie. Son entretien souligne l’impact sur l’opinion des bombardements israéliens qui « dévoilent » les acteurs de la crise syrienne. Confirmation, dans ce point de vue israélien, des progrès militaires du régime, et de l’absence de fin du conflit, à court terme en tout cas...

Article apocalyptique dans le New York Times : Islamist Rebels’ Gains in Syria Create Dilemma for U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/world/middleeast/islamist-rebels-gains-in-syria-create-dilemma-for-us.html

Across Syria, rebel-held areas are dotted with Islamic courts staffed by lawyers and clerics, and by fighting brigades led by extremists. Even the Supreme Military Council, the umbrella rebel organization whose formation the West had hoped would sideline radical groups, is stocked with commanders who want to infuse Islamic law into a future Syrian government.

Nowhere in rebel-controlled Syria is there a secular fighting force to speak of.

(C’est moi qui souligne cette dernière phrase.)

Ne pas se méprendre : ça ne veut pas dire que c’est plus vrai que lorsque le New York Times ment dans l’autre sens… Mon intérêt ici, c’est à nouveau de remarquer qu’il y a d’un côté l’habituel discours assez simple et binaire des dirigeants (avec spectaculaire alignement du gouvernement français), mais qu’il y a aussi, quasiment depuis le début, nombre de tribunes totalement contraires dans les médias. Certes loin d’être majoritaires, mais beaucoup plus forts et présents que pour d’autres guerres. Et ces discours hétérodoxes (pendant que les gouvernements occidentaux refont le coup des armes de destruction massive) débarquent au NY Times. C’est assez curieux.

Long mais intéressant reportage en anglais de Fisk auprès de soldats de l’armée syrienne :
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/they-may-be-fighting-for-syria-not-assad-they-may-also-be-winning-rob