Snowstorms brings another misery to Syrian refugees (ibtimes.co.uk)

Snow has blanketed areas of the Middle East, with hundreds of thousands of
refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war enduring freezing temperatures in makeshift
shelters across the region.
In Aleppo, which is contested by rebel and government forces, the streets were
strangely quiet as temperatures dropped below zero.
"All the fighters are cold and hiding," said one activist who uses the pseudonym
Abu Raed.
Though in some areas there has been a lull in the combat that has raged for
more than two years, the snow has increased the misery of many of the
country's estimated two million refugees, who in addition to disease and
malnutrition, now must endure freezing rain and blizzards.
In Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, where half of the country's refugees are crowded into
approximately 250 camps, aid agencies handed out warm clothing, heating
equipment, blankets and bedding.
There was not enough to go round though, and many now face the prospect of a
winter in freezing temperatures with no money for fuel, in shelters made of
tarpaulin or tin.
Ahmad Hasan, a 25-year-old business studies graduate living there, told The
Times: "We have no heating oil, few warm clothes. We have had to hunt for
scraps of wood to keep us warm. It has been terrible in every way."
Cold weather has killed nine children in Syria so far, according to activist
groups.
Simon Ingram, a spokesman for the UN Children's Fund, said the agency has
been able to mobilise winter supplies for Syrians in Lebanon and elsewhere but
"the needs will outstrip what we and our partners are able to provide".
"The severe snowstorm this week in Lebanon and Jordan is just the beginning of
winter misery for the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees struggling to
combat the bitterly cold and wet conditions," said Nigel Timmins of Oxfam.
"Many families are facing winter in makeshift tents and unfinished buildings,
unable to afford to buy fuel to run heating stoves, extra clothing or blankets.
Flimsy tents are prone to flooding and are likely to collapse under the weight of
snow."
Unlike in Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, the Lebanese government has refused to set
aside land for Syrian refugee camps.
Many live in appalling conditions on abandoned construction sites, in slums,
under bridges, or in camps squeezed between farmland.
The issue of refugees in the Lebanon is a thorny one, since many Lebanese
blame the civil war of 1975-1990 on the thousands of Palestinian refugees who
set up permanent camps in the country after being forced from their land by
Israel, which - they say - upset the country's delicate sectarian balance.

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FRANCE 'Pessimistic' about Syria

France’s foreign minister said he is “pessimistic” about the Syrian criss and has doubts
over upcoming peace talks scheduled for next month in Switzerland, Reuters reported.
"In Syria, I am sadly quite
pessimistic," Laurent Fabius told
delegates at the World Policy
Conference in Monaco.
"We are working on the success of
[the Geneva talks], but we can have
a great deal of doubt on that. If
sadly it isn't successful, that would
mean this martyred country will
continue to suffer as will its
neighbors.”
The talks are set to gather around 30
ministers in the Swiss resort of Montreux on January 22, with the proposed goal of
agreeing on a political solution for the crisis.

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US and Britain suspend aid to rebels after islamists siezes warehouse in northern Syria (Reuters)

(Reuters) - The United States and Britain suspended non-lethal
aid to northern Syria after Islamist fighters seized Western-
backed rebel weapons warehouses, highlighting fears that
supplies could end up in the wrong hands.
The rebel Free Syrian Army fighting President Bashar al-Assad
said the U.S. and British moves were rushed and mistaken. "We
hope our friends will rethink and wait for a few days when
things will be clearer," FSA spokesman Louay Meqdad said.
In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the
United States was concerned about reports that Islamic Front
forces had seized the buildings belonging to the Syrian Military
Council, which is nominally in charge of the FSA.
"As a result of the situation ... the United States has suspended
all further deliveries of non-lethal assistance into northern
Syria," Earnest said, adding that humanitarian aid was not
affected by the move.
The suspension underlines a crisis for the FSA leadership,
which needs international backing to reinforce its credibility
and to stop its fighters joining al Qaeda-backed Islamist
militants who now dominate the war with Assad.
Fighters from the Islamic Front, which groups six major rebel
brigades and which said last week it had quit the FSA, seized
the headquarters of the Syrian Military Council and weapons
warehouses at the Bab al-Hawa crossing on Syria's
northwestern border with Turkey.
A U.S. official said FSA leader General Salim Idriss had fled into Turkey during the takeover
of the warehouses, which contained trucks, food, medical packs and communication
equipment including laptops and radios.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based anti-Assad monitoring group,
said the Islamic Front had seized anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons from the SMC arms
stores in fighting on Saturday.
The Islamic Front's battlefield success in capturing the stores could undermine SMC
assurances to the United States that no supplies sent to their fighters would fall into the
hands of Islamist brigades.
A U.S. embassy spokesman in Ankara said the situation was being investigated "to
inventory the status of U.S. equipment and supplies provided to the SMC". Deliveries into
southern Syria, through Jordan, would not be affected, he said.
Five rebel fighters were killed in the clashes at Bab al-Hawa, but it was not clear which side
they were on.
REBELS PLAY DOWN INFIGHTING
American aid, including trucks, ambulances and ready meals, reaches Syria overland
through Turkey.
U.S. officials said in the summer that they had developed a system of distribution using
SMC operatives that would ensure the aid reached U.S.-allied groups. The United States has
been concerned the non-lethal aid should not reach Islamists.
A senior U.S. administration official said the suspension should not be misinterpreted.
"This is absolutely not the beginning of the U.S. washing its hands. We will remain engaged
in the humanitarian effort. We will remain engaged in the diplomatic effort," the official
said, adding: "This doesn't represent a change in policy in our support for the moderate
opposition."
He said the administration was looking for other ways to see how the support can be
provided to ensure it does not fall into the hands of "extremists".
The British wanted the situation clarified after the clashes. "We have no plans to deliver
any equipment while the situation remains so unclear. We will keep this under close
review," a spokesman from the British embassy in Ankara said.
Turkey shut its side of the border crossing in Hatay province, customs sources told
Reuters, citing a reported increase in clashes on the Syrian side. There was no immediate
confirmation from Turkish officials.
Wednesday's announcement does not affect humanitarian support because this is
distributed through aid groups and the United Nations. The first U.N. relief airlift to Syria
from neighbouring Iraq will deliver food and winter supplies to the mostly Kurdish
northeast over the next 10 days.
The 2-3/4 year conflict has killed more than 100,000 people, driven more than 2 million
abroad as refugees and left many millions more dependent on aid.
Playing down the fighting between the Islamic Front and the FSA brigades as a
"misunderstanding", the FSA's Meqdad said Idriss was talking to the front's leaders to try
to resolve the confrontation.
Asked whether any FSA stock was missing Meqdad said: "Everything will be clear in the
next hours, and we believe the Syrians are good people and we don't believe there was a
problem. They are our brothers."
Infighting among Syrian rebels has weakened their efforts to bring down Assad in a conflict
that began with peaceful protests against his rule in March 2011 and has descended into
civil war.
"EXTREMISTS" THREATEN REBEL UNITY
"I ... want to underline that our support to the opposition remains undiminished," the
British embassy spokesman said.
"We have been long-standing and strong supporters of General Idriss and the SMC. That
remains the case. It is important that the SMC remains united in the face of attacks from
the regime and from extremist groups.
"Otherwise this will be a setback for all Syrians who support a political solution and a
democratic, pluralist future for their country."
Assad's army, backed by Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group and Iraqi Shi'ite fighters, has
made steady gains around Damascus and to the north of the capital, while rebel territory in
the north has seen increasing cases of inter-rebel conflict.
Many activists who helped to organise protests against Assad have now fled abroad from
rebel-held territory, fearing not Assad's security forces but hard-line Islamists they say are
equally intolerant of dissent.
Prominent human rights lawyer Razan Zaitouneh was kidnapped in the rebel town of
Douma, activists said on Tuesday. They said it was not clear who had seized the 36-year-old
activist, who has documented human rights violations in Syria.
The family of two Spanish journalists said on Tuesday they have been held since September
by fighters linked to al Qaeda.
Fifty-five journalists have been killed and 30 are still missing in Syria, according to the New
York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, making the country the most dangerous place
in the world for media workers.

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Its Putin and Bandar on the syrian chess board (Russia Today)

Everyone remembers the spectacular four-and-a-half hour
meeting last August in Moscow between President Putin
and Bandar Bush – aka Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia’s
Director of National Intelligence.
Well, there was a remix last week, also in Moscow. And once again in absolute secrecy, until a
formidable leak from “a close and reliable source” in Russia reached Lebanese newspaper al-
Manar.
Bandar Bush’s first offensive was a disaster; not only did Putin rebuff his attempt to “bribe”
Moscow into abandoning Damascus, but subsequently Russia was pivotal in preventing the
Obama administration from bombing Syria.
Now Bandar Bush has “offered” softer terms. After all, Saudi Arabia is on board with the
Geneva-2 peace conference scheduled for January 22 – although it didn’t used to be.
President Bashar Assad may remain in Damascus during this period, but real power should be
transferred to an interim government headed by the “opposition” (which opposition is open to
speculation; certainly the “rebels” controlled by Riyadh).
Moreover, Bandar Bush expects Russia to pressure Assad not to call for a 2014 presidential
election. According to the Syrian constitution, a new constitution should be written and
approved during the interim government and only then elections should be called – with
Assad excluded. If Moscow abides, Saudi Arabia will be more than willing to “contribute” to
the cost of rebuilding Syria (which it helped destroy via financed/weaponized mercenaries).
Leaving aside the mind-boggling spectacle of the House of Saud’s medieval paradise dictating
the terms for the future of a third country,
President Putin’s answer can be summarized as a model of restraint.
The “opposition” armed and financed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar is on a losing streak. Saudi
support for the opposition has nothing to do with democracy; these “rebels” are in fact
terrorists.
Neither Damascus nor Moscow needs Saudi funds to rebuild Syria; Russia, Iran and China will
do the job. Moreover, Russia and the US reached an understanding that takfiri terrorism is a
danger not only to American security, but to Russian and global security. The Europeans –
fearful of returnee terrorists – also agree.
As the cherry on the sundae, Putin suggested to Bandar Bush to abandon “sectarian
instigations and supporting terrorism, because it is a double edged sword that will rebound
inside Saudi Arabia and gather momentum in a manner that you will not be able to control.”
Geneva II: Dead on arrival
Does all of this mean Bandar Bush will desist from his non-stop shadow play and role of
enforcer of the House of Saud’s jihad on Syria? Far from it.
A few days after the Putin-Bandar Bush get-together, the supreme commander of the
Washington-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), self-described ‘General Doctor Engineer’ Salim
Idris, was forced to flee Syria after the Islamic Front - Bandar Bush’s brigades - took over the
headquarters and warehouses of Idris’ Supreme Military Council (SMC) at the Bab al-Hawa
crossing near the Turkish border. Washington immediately announced it was freezing all “non-
lethal aid.”
The Islamic Front is a coalition of Islamist “rebels” that – in theory – do not include the two
top al-Qaeda-linked outfits, Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL). Washington believes its own propaganda that the Islamic Front is more “moderate” than
the ISIL.
After the debacle at Bab al-Hawa, Idris’ followers started spinning that the General Doctor
Engineer himself invited the Saudi-backed Islamic Front to take over the warehouses.
No wonder US Think-Tank-Land was as perplexed as crocodiles in the Hindu Kush; after all,
the General Doctor Engineer was their updated version of Ahmad Chalabi, the future of
democracy for Syrians and Arabs. How come he fled the scene of his greatest triumph? After
Idris fled to Doha, Washington told him to get his act together and go back to Syria. Instead,
he relocated to his fancy digs in Turkey.
Arab media has a different take on the whole operation - but it must be taken with a bulldozer
of salt, as Arab media is overwhelmingly controlled by Saudi money. The warehouses may not
have been taken over at all; they were “handed over” to the Islamic Front, according to an
agreement supervised by the cousin of the Doctor Engineer General (“rebel” nepotism,
anyone?).
Although Washington (laughably) swears it doesn’t know what was stolen from its “non-lethal
aid” package, the content of the warehouses couldn’t be juicier; a weaponizing orgy - M79 Osa
rocket launchers, rocket-propelled grenades, 14.5mm heavy machine guns, and even Stinger
missiles - generously supplied by Saudis, Qataris, and Emiratis, obviously after a green light
from Washington.
And by the way - US lethal, semi-lethal, or non-lethal “aid” continues and will continue to
flow via Jordan, while Turkey “discreetly” does nothing to prevent ISIL deployments in both
Syria and Iraq.
Washington - via the CIA - is in close contact with the Islamic Front; after all, these are
Bandar Bush’s goons, and Bandar Bush has access to everyone that counts in Washington. To
essentially summarize the “opposition” nebulae in Syria, there are absolutely negligible
ideological differences between the FSA of General Doctor Engineer Idris, Bandar Bush’s
brigades of the Islamic Front, and ISIL.
So Bandar Bush’s goons/foreign mercenaries - soon to number tens of thousands, and making
as much as $2,500 a month - are now weaponized to the max. The Washington narrative that
it’s “persuading” such a nasty bunch of Islamists to support Geneva-2 is no more than a joke.
No matter who will remain in control of those weapons - Bandar Bush’s brigades, the al-
Qaeda-style International Jihad, or both - what’s certain is that these lethal facts on the
ground will make a mockery of anything transpiring out of Geneva-2 next month. Washington
knows it, Bandar Bush knows it, and Putin knows it. Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets.

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Syrian army kills 22 saudis near Damascus country side (FARS NEWS)

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army killed around two dozen Saudi members of Al-Qaeda-linked rebel groups in Reef (outskirts of) Damascus in Southern Syria on Saturday.

The army units killed at least 22 Saudis, who were members of Jeish Al-Islam, in the town of Adra in the Southern countryside of Damascus.

The army’s operations against the terrorists came two days after the Al-Qaeda militants entered Adra town and beheaded 50 civilians, including the mayor of Adra named Abu Adnan.

Jeish Al-Islam is supported by the Saudi intelligence service and is headed by Zahran Aloush.

The population of Adra is about 100,000 comprising Sunnis, Alawis, Druzis and Christians.

Earlier this week, the Syrian army announced that it was preparing to launch a massive attack in Damascus countryside to take back the strategic town of Adra Al-Amalieh only few hours after the Al-Nusra Front terrorists took control of the town.

The members of the Al-Nusra Front raided Adra Al-Amalieh and killed over 30 civilians after gaining control over the town on Wednesday.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against the Syrian police, border guards, statesmen, army and the civilians being reported across the country.

Thousands of people have been killed since terrorist and armed groups turned protest rallies into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

In October 2011, calm was almost restored in most parts of the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies brought the country into chaos through every possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of increasing unrests in Syria.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May, 2012 that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

According to the report, material was being stockpiled in Damascus, in Idlib near the Turkish border and in Zabadani on the Lebanese border.

Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons - most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past - has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.

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