Syria opposition says rebels vying to retake key cities and supply routes east, south of Damascus

In an image taken from video posted on YouTube by a Syrian opposition group on May 14, 2013, rebels clash with government troops near a checkpoint in the al-Matahen suburb of Damascus.

In an image taken from video posted on YouTube by a Syrian opposition group on May 14, 2013, rebels clash with government troops near a checkpoint in the al-Matahen suburb of Damascus. / YouTube

.

BEIRUT Activists say Syrian rebels and Islamic fighters have joined forces in a push to reopen an arms supply route and retake a key town near Damascus that fell back to President Bashar Assad’s troops last month.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Islamic units, including the al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, and Syrian opposition fighters are battling around the town of Otaybah, east of the capital.

The army regained control of Otaybah in late April, cutting an arms route for rebels trying to topple Assad’s regime.

Young brides’ dreams crushed amid civil war
Kerry: Syrian peace conference likely in June
Syria rebels lose control of key town between Jordan and Damascus

The Observatory said Wednesday that at least 23 rebel groups and Islamic fighter units that operated individually have joined the push to take back Otaybah and reverse government gains there.

Little evidence of the renewed fighting around Otaybah was available on the usual opposition Youtube channels Wednesday, so it was impossible to independently confirm the extent of the fighting.

Opposition forces have lost significant ground to Assad’s troops in recent weeks — being forced also from a key town in the southern Daraa province which sits on the primary highway between the Jordanian border and Damascus, Assad’s seat of power.

Regime forces retook Khirbet Ghazaleh on Sunday and rebels withdrew from the area, said Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory. Troops reopened the highway, restoring the supply line between Damascus and the contested provincial capital of Daraa, he said.

/ CBS

Free Syrian Army rebels have said they’re preparing a counteroffensive to reclaim Khirbet Ghazaleh. A local opposition source in the area told CBS News’ Khaled Wassef on Wednesday, however, that fighters in the area are short on weapons and ammunition — the flow of which has decreased significantly from Jordan this year — and he wasn’t optimistic about their chances.

Damascus, still overwhelmingly under regime control, is the ultimate prize in a largely deadlocked civil war.

More than 70,000 people have been killed since the revolt began in March 2011, according to a conservative estimate by the United Nations.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory said Syrian rebels had detonated two car bombs outside the main prison in the northern city of Aleppo and were trying to storm the facility, where hundreds of regime opponents are believed to be held.

The Observatory said the car bombs exploded simultaneously outside the walls of the central prison Wednesday morning.

Abdul-Rahman said the blasts were part of a coordinated rebel assault on the prison, and clashes were ongoing between Assad’s troops and opposition fighters around the detention center.

Abdul-Rahman says Aleppo’s central prison is believed to be holding about 4,000 prisoners, around 250 are jailed for reasons related to the 26-month-old uprising against Assad’s regime.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Syria opposition says rebels vying to retake key cities and supply routes east, south of Damascus

In an image taken from video posted on YouTube by a Syrian opposition group on May 14, 2013, rebels clash with government troops near a checkpoint in the al-Matahen suburb of Damascus.

In an image taken from video posted on YouTube by a Syrian opposition group on May 14, 2013, rebels clash with government troops near a checkpoint in the al-Matahen suburb of Damascus. / YouTube

.

BEIRUT Activists say Syrian rebels and Islamic fighters have joined forces in a push to reopen an arms supply route and retake a key town near Damascus that fell back to President Bashar Assad’s troops last month.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Islamic units, including the al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, and Syrian opposition fighters are battling around the town of Otaybah, east of the capital.

The army regained control of Otaybah in late April, cutting an arms route for rebels trying to topple Assad’s regime.

Young brides’ dreams crushed amid civil war
Kerry: Syrian peace conference likely in June
Syria rebels lose control of key town between Jordan and Damascus

The Observatory said Wednesday that at least 23 rebel groups and Islamic fighter units that operated individually have joined the push to take back Otaybah and reverse government gains there.

Little evidence of the renewed fighting around Otaybah was available on the usual opposition Youtube channels Wednesday, so it was impossible to independently confirm the extent of the fighting.

Opposition forces have lost significant ground to Assad’s troops in recent weeks — being forced also from a key town in the southern Daraa province which sits on the primary highway between the Jordanian border and Damascus, Assad’s seat of power.

Regime forces retook Khirbet Ghazaleh on Sunday and rebels withdrew from the area, said Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory. Troops reopened the highway, restoring the supply line between Damascus and the contested provincial capital of Daraa, he said.

/ CBS

Free Syrian Army rebels have said they’re preparing a counteroffensive to reclaim Khirbet Ghazaleh. A local opposition source in the area told CBS News’ Khaled Wassef on Wednesday, however, that fighters in the area are short on weapons and ammunition — the flow of which has decreased significantly from Jordan this year — and he wasn’t optimistic about their chances.

Damascus, still overwhelmingly under regime control, is the ultimate prize in a largely deadlocked civil war.

More than 70,000 people have been killed since the revolt began in March 2011, according to a conservative estimate by the United Nations.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory said Syrian rebels had detonated two car bombs outside the main prison in the northern city of Aleppo and were trying to storm the facility, where hundreds of regime opponents are believed to be held.

The Observatory said the car bombs exploded simultaneously outside the walls of the central prison Wednesday morning.

Abdul-Rahman said the blasts were part of a coordinated rebel assault on the prison, and clashes were ongoing between Assad’s troops and opposition fighters around the detention center.

Abdul-Rahman says Aleppo’s central prison is believed to be holding about 4,000 prisoners, around 250 are jailed for reasons related to the 26-month-old uprising against Assad’s regime.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Japanese prime minister’s adviser arrives in Pyongyang, a report says
Isao Iijima, an adviser to Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe

Isao Iijima, an adviser to Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe

Tue May 14, 2013 4:39PM GMT

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February. Pyongyang had previously launched a long-range rocket on December 12, 2012.”

Related Interviews:

‘US plays very dangerous game in Korea’
‘US tightens military noose around China’

Related Viewpoints:

China backs North Korea against US

An adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has travelled to North Korea, but the purpose of his trip is still unknown, a report says.

Isao Iijima arrived in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, on Tuesday, Japan’s Kyodo news agency said, adding that he was greeted by Kim Chol-ho, the vice director of Asian Affairs Department of North Korea’s Foreign Ministry.

According to Japan’s national broadcaster NHK, Iijima is expected to remain in North Korea until later in the week.

The behind-the-scenes heavyweight was also a top aide to former premier Junichiro Koizumi, who visited Pyongyang for talks with late North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, in September 2002 and May 2004.

Apparently, the meeting has surprised Washington as Glyn Davies, the US State Department’s special representative for North Korea, told journalists in the South Korean capital of Seoul that he had not been aware of the journey.

“I had not heard that. So that will obviously be something that I will discuss with the Japanese when I have a chance to talk to my counterparts there in a couple of days,” said Davies, who is due in Japan later in the week.

Japan does not have diplomatic ties with North Korea. Tokyo’s concerns about Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests in recent years and a dispute over Japanese citizens who were allegedly kidnapped by North Korean agents decades ago have strained the two countries’ relations.

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February. Pyongyang had previously launched a long-range rocket on December 12, 2012.

The atomic test drew condemnation from several countries including Japan, South Korea as well as the US and triggered new UN sanctions against Pyongyang.

On February 22, US President Barack Obama met with Japanese prime minister in Washington and held talks on their concerns about “the provocative actions that have been taken by North Korea and our determination to take strong actions in response.”

MR/PR

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/14/303510/japan-pm-adviser-in-north-korea-report/

Japanese prime minister’s adviser arrives in Pyongyang, a report says
Isao Iijima, an adviser to Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe

Isao Iijima, an adviser to Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe

Tue May 14, 2013 4:39PM GMT

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February. Pyongyang had previously launched a long-range rocket on December 12, 2012.”

Related Interviews:

‘US plays very dangerous game in Korea’
‘US tightens military noose around China’

Related Viewpoints:

China backs North Korea against US

An adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has travelled to North Korea, but the purpose of his trip is still unknown, a report says.

Isao Iijima arrived in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, on Tuesday, Japan’s Kyodo news agency said, adding that he was greeted by Kim Chol-ho, the vice director of Asian Affairs Department of North Korea’s Foreign Ministry.

According to Japan’s national broadcaster NHK, Iijima is expected to remain in North Korea until later in the week.

The behind-the-scenes heavyweight was also a top aide to former premier Junichiro Koizumi, who visited Pyongyang for talks with late North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, in September 2002 and May 2004.

Apparently, the meeting has surprised Washington as Glyn Davies, the US State Department’s special representative for North Korea, told journalists in the South Korean capital of Seoul that he had not been aware of the journey.

“I had not heard that. So that will obviously be something that I will discuss with the Japanese when I have a chance to talk to my counterparts there in a couple of days,” said Davies, who is due in Japan later in the week.

Japan does not have diplomatic ties with North Korea. Tokyo’s concerns about Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests in recent years and a dispute over Japanese citizens who were allegedly kidnapped by North Korean agents decades ago have strained the two countries’ relations.

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February. Pyongyang had previously launched a long-range rocket on December 12, 2012.

The atomic test drew condemnation from several countries including Japan, South Korea as well as the US and triggered new UN sanctions against Pyongyang.

On February 22, US President Barack Obama met with Japanese prime minister in Washington and held talks on their concerns about “the provocative actions that have been taken by North Korea and our determination to take strong actions in response.”

MR/PR

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/14/303510/japan-pm-adviser-in-north-korea-report/

Japanese prime minister’s adviser arrives in Pyongyang, a report says
Isao Iijima, an adviser to Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe

Isao Iijima, an adviser to Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe

Tue May 14, 2013 4:39PM GMT

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February. Pyongyang had previously launched a long-range rocket on December 12, 2012.”

Related Interviews:

‘US plays very dangerous game in Korea’
‘US tightens military noose around China’

Related Viewpoints:

China backs North Korea against US

An adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has travelled to North Korea, but the purpose of his trip is still unknown, a report says.

Isao Iijima arrived in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, on Tuesday, Japan’s Kyodo news agency said, adding that he was greeted by Kim Chol-ho, the vice director of Asian Affairs Department of North Korea’s Foreign Ministry.

According to Japan’s national broadcaster NHK, Iijima is expected to remain in North Korea until later in the week.

The behind-the-scenes heavyweight was also a top aide to former premier Junichiro Koizumi, who visited Pyongyang for talks with late North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, in September 2002 and May 2004.

Apparently, the meeting has surprised Washington as Glyn Davies, the US State Department’s special representative for North Korea, told journalists in the South Korean capital of Seoul that he had not been aware of the journey.

“I had not heard that. So that will obviously be something that I will discuss with the Japanese when I have a chance to talk to my counterparts there in a couple of days,” said Davies, who is due in Japan later in the week.

Japan does not have diplomatic ties with North Korea. Tokyo’s concerns about Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests in recent years and a dispute over Japanese citizens who were allegedly kidnapped by North Korean agents decades ago have strained the two countries’ relations.

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February. Pyongyang had previously launched a long-range rocket on December 12, 2012.

The atomic test drew condemnation from several countries including Japan, South Korea as well as the US and triggered new UN sanctions against Pyongyang.

On February 22, US President Barack Obama met with Japanese prime minister in Washington and held talks on their concerns about “the provocative actions that have been taken by North Korea and our determination to take strong actions in response.”

MR/PR

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/14/303510/japan-pm-adviser-in-north-korea-report/

Federal Europe will be ‘a reality in a few years’, says Jose Manuel Barroso
A fully fledged federal Europe may seem like “political science fiction” today but will soon become reality for all European Union countries whether inside or outside the euro, Jose Manuel Barroso has said.
Federal Europe will be ‘a reality in a few years’, says Jose Manuel Barroso
Photo: AP
Bruno Waterfield By Bruno Waterfield, Brussels
3:52PM BST 07 May 2013
Comments981 Comments
The president of the European Commission has fanned the flames of British debate over EU membership by insisting that fiscal union in the eurozone will lead to “intensified political union” for all 27 member states.

“This is about the economic and monetary union but for the EU as a whole,” he said.

“The commission will, therefore, set out its views and explicit ideas for treaty change in order for them to be debated before the European elections.”

“We want to put all the elements on the table, in a clear and consistent way, even if some of them may sound like political science fiction today. They will be reality in a few years’ time.”

Mr Barroso’s announcement that he will set out plans for a European federation next spring, before elections to the European Parliament in May 2014, will further deepen Conservative divisions over the EU.

Related Articles
Brian Binley: It’s time to reach out to Ukip, Prime Minister
07 May 2013
The Tories must stop this dangerous talk of leaving Europe
07 May 2013
Britain faces defeat over EU budget increase
08 May 2013
Lord Lawson: Nick Clegg talking ‘poppycock’ about the EU
07 May 2013
Exit EU if renegotiation fails – Business for Britain
07 May 2013
Clegg rejects Lawson’s call to leave EU
07 May 2013

The intervention will add weight to the argument made by Lord Lawson, and other anti-EU Tories, that it is pointless to try and improve Britain’s membership terms when the dynamic, set by the eurozone, is towards a fully-fledged federal Europe.

The commission president’s argument is that as the eurozone adopts federalist structures on fiscal and economic policy, supported by Britain as necessary for financial stability, there will also be a need for political structures that will fundamentally change the way the EU works.

“Further economic integration would transcend the limits of the intergovernmental method of running the EU and the eurozone in particular,” Mr Barroso said.

Thank you for voting!
Yes 10.66% (1,610 votes)

No 86.03% (12,996 votes)

Not sure 3.31% (500 votes)

Total Votes: 15,106
Return To Poll

Writing in The Times today, Lord Lawson, the former Chancellor, has reignited the Tory debate on Europe by calling for exit from the EU because developments in the eurozone have changed Europe’s politifal structures, an argument that mirrors Mr Barroso’s case for a new federal or constitutional treaty.

“The heart of the matter is that the very nature of the EU, and of this country’s relationship with it, has fundamentally changed after the coming into being of the European monetary union and the creation of the eurozone, of which – quite rightly – we are not a part,” Lord Lawson wrote.

Proposals for an EU “political union”, with budget policies set in Brussels and an elected president of Europe, will derail David Cameron’s attempts to negotiate a new settlement for Britain, culminating in an “in or out” referendum in 2017.

In stark contrast to the Prime Minister’s call for Britain to regain sovereignty from Brussels, Mr Barroso has called on all European leaders to accept that political union is inevitable in order to confront outright opposition to the EU, such as that from the UK Independence Party.

“This is why I believe the mainstream forces in European politics must seize the initiative, should leave their comfort zone to welcome and embrace this debate, rather than relinquish the momentum to eurosceptic or europhobic forces,” he said.

“If you believe in the democratic resilience of Europe, if you take Europe’s citizens seriously, you have to fight with rational arguments and unwavering convictions – and be convinced, as I am personally, that these will win the debate for us in the end.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10041817/Federal-Europe-will-be-a-reality-in-a-few-years-says-Jose-Manuel-Barroso.html

Federal Europe will be ‘a reality in a few years’, says Jose Manuel Barroso
A fully fledged federal Europe may seem like “political science fiction” today but will soon become reality for all European Union countries whether inside or outside the euro, Jose Manuel Barroso has said.
Federal Europe will be ‘a reality in a few years’, says Jose Manuel Barroso
Photo: AP
Bruno Waterfield By Bruno Waterfield, Brussels
3:52PM BST 07 May 2013
Comments981 Comments
The president of the European Commission has fanned the flames of British debate over EU membership by insisting that fiscal union in the eurozone will lead to “intensified political union” for all 27 member states.

“This is about the economic and monetary union but for the EU as a whole,” he said.

“The commission will, therefore, set out its views and explicit ideas for treaty change in order for them to be debated before the European elections.”

“We want to put all the elements on the table, in a clear and consistent way, even if some of them may sound like political science fiction today. They will be reality in a few years’ time.”

Mr Barroso’s announcement that he will set out plans for a European federation next spring, before elections to the European Parliament in May 2014, will further deepen Conservative divisions over the EU.

Related Articles
Brian Binley: It’s time to reach out to Ukip, Prime Minister
07 May 2013
The Tories must stop this dangerous talk of leaving Europe
07 May 2013
Britain faces defeat over EU budget increase
08 May 2013
Lord Lawson: Nick Clegg talking ‘poppycock’ about the EU
07 May 2013
Exit EU if renegotiation fails – Business for Britain
07 May 2013
Clegg rejects Lawson’s call to leave EU
07 May 2013

The intervention will add weight to the argument made by Lord Lawson, and other anti-EU Tories, that it is pointless to try and improve Britain’s membership terms when the dynamic, set by the eurozone, is towards a fully-fledged federal Europe.

The commission president’s argument is that as the eurozone adopts federalist structures on fiscal and economic policy, supported by Britain as necessary for financial stability, there will also be a need for political structures that will fundamentally change the way the EU works.

“Further economic integration would transcend the limits of the intergovernmental method of running the EU and the eurozone in particular,” Mr Barroso said.

Thank you for voting!
Yes 10.66% (1,610 votes)

No 86.03% (12,996 votes)

Not sure 3.31% (500 votes)

Total Votes: 15,106
Return To Poll

Writing in The Times today, Lord Lawson, the former Chancellor, has reignited the Tory debate on Europe by calling for exit from the EU because developments in the eurozone have changed Europe’s politifal structures, an argument that mirrors Mr Barroso’s case for a new federal or constitutional treaty.

“The heart of the matter is that the very nature of the EU, and of this country’s relationship with it, has fundamentally changed after the coming into being of the European monetary union and the creation of the eurozone, of which – quite rightly – we are not a part,” Lord Lawson wrote.

Proposals for an EU “political union”, with budget policies set in Brussels and an elected president of Europe, will derail David Cameron’s attempts to negotiate a new settlement for Britain, culminating in an “in or out” referendum in 2017.

In stark contrast to the Prime Minister’s call for Britain to regain sovereignty from Brussels, Mr Barroso has called on all European leaders to accept that political union is inevitable in order to confront outright opposition to the EU, such as that from the UK Independence Party.

“This is why I believe the mainstream forces in European politics must seize the initiative, should leave their comfort zone to welcome and embrace this debate, rather than relinquish the momentum to eurosceptic or europhobic forces,” he said.

“If you believe in the democratic resilience of Europe, if you take Europe’s citizens seriously, you have to fight with rational arguments and unwavering convictions – and be convinced, as I am personally, that these will win the debate for us in the end.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10041817/Federal-Europe-will-be-a-reality-in-a-few-years-says-Jose-Manuel-Barroso.html

http://rense.com/general26/bombs.htm
US Air Force Says Israel Has
400 Atomic And Hydrogen Bombs
WorldTribune.com
7-4-2

A United States Air Force report asserts that Israel is building a nuclear naval force meant to respond to any nuclear strike by such countries as Iran or Iraq.

It is the first time a U.S. military institution has stated that Israel has produced a hydrogen bomb. The number of purported Israeli nuclear weapons cited in the report is double that of previous assessments.

The report, sponsored by the air force’s Counterproliferation Center, asserts that the navy can deploy any of what it asserts is Israel’s 400 atomic and hydrogen weapons, Middle East Newsline reported. The center is located in the Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.

In a report entitled “The Third Temple’s Holy of Holies: Israel’s Nuclear Weapons,” U.S. Army Col. Warner Farr said Israel’s nuclear arsenal has grown from an estimated 13 nuclear bombs in 1967 to 400 nuclear and thermonuclear weapons. Farr said Israel’s navy could deploy nuclear weapons on the fleet of three German-built Dolphin-class diesel submarines.

“Israel will then have a second strike capability with nuclear cruise missiles, and this capability could well change the nuclear arms race in the Middle East,” the report, which Farr said is based on unclassified sources, read. “Israeli rhetoric on the new submarines labels them ‘national deterrent’ assets.”

The report said these nuclear missiles could have a range of 350 kilometers. Israel would try to base its nuclear naval force near Oman, with which Israel has informal relations, the September 1999 report, which was recently published by the center, said.

“The first basing options for the new second-strike force of nuclear missile capable submarines include Oman, an Arab nation with unofficial Israeli relations, located strategically near Iran,” the report said.

The U.S. Air Force Counterproliferation Center was established in 1998. The center is meant to help prepare air force commanders counter the threat from weapons of mass destruction. The report did not deem Israel’s purported nuclear arsenal as a direct threat to the United States.

The report said Israel’s Defense Ministry has requested from the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon authorization for a retaliatory nuclear strike. Israel could also use Jordanian air space for a nuclear strike on Iran, which the report said could produce a nuclear warhead as early as 2004. http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/breaking_9.html

Comment

Josh Greenberg
7-4-2

I’ve been telling my American friends for years not to mess with Israel. We are the world’s 4th or 5th strongest nuclear power…nice to finally see it in print. That’s why toady Bush is powerless to infleunce the policies of the Sharon government. The US continues to give us many billions a year! … most of which has gone into building our nuclear weapons, fund our West Bank settlements, and pay for our spies and intelligence services! You don’t like Israeli policy? Tough sh*t! You funded it all and we did the rest! 400 nuclear warheads…minimum. Remember that. Now, just imagine what our biological weapons scientists have cooked up and have sitting on the shelf, ready to go. Get this: NO ONE is EVER going to force Israel to do anything against its will. Try it, world, and find out what happens.

There have appeared many reports in both the Eastern and Western press that the two hierarchs who were abducted yesterday by terrorists in Syria, Metropolitan Boulos Yazge, Antiochian Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo, and Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim, Syriac Archbishop of Aleppo, have been released. His Eminence Metropolitan Philip spoke by phone this morning to His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, who said that these reports are false, and that the release of these two hierarchs has NOT taken place.

We ask you to continue to pray for their safety, and eventual release.