How Israel Is driving the US to War in Syria

[99th_Monkey]

How Israel Is driving the US to War in Syria
The threat of a unilateral Israeli strike on Iran if the US does not act on Syria is slowly seeping into American media.
September 3, 2013 * by Max Blumenthal * Alternet

Editor's note: What is the driving force in the building U.S. campaign to launch attacks on Syria? Max Blumenthal below argues that Israel's military intelligence and political leadership are forcing the issue, and a recent New York Times article described the Israel lobby as a powerful presence in the White House's deliberations. Other journalists, like the Guardian's Nafeez Ahmed have suggested that the impetus for attacking Syria is part of a larger regional multi-year project to sustain control over the production of oil and gas by Western oil companies. Noam Chomsky, long-time scholar and commentator on the Mideast has argued persuasively that the Israel lobby's influence in the United States is overstated; essentially arguing that Israel is a satellite of US power, and that its priorities are addressed to the extent that the US is in agreement with its wishes.

President Barack Obama’s August 31 announcement that he would seek congressional authorization to strike Syria has complicated an aggressive Israeli campaign to render a US attack inevitable. While the Israelis are far from the only force in bringing the US to the brink of war – obviously Assad’s own actions are the driving factor – their dubious intelligence assessments have proven pivotal.

On April 25, the head of the Israeli army’s Military Intelligence research and analysis division, Brig. Gen. Itai Brun, delivered a high profile lecture at the military-linked Institute for National Security Studies. “To the best of our professional understanding, the [Syrian] regime has used lethal chemical weapons,” Brun declared, referring to March 19 attacks near Damascus and Aleppo.

“The very fact that they have used chemical weapons without any appropriate reaction,” Brun said, “is a very worrying development, because it might signal that this is legitimate.”

The stunning statement by the Israeli army’s top intelligence analyst was significantly stronger than suspicions expressed days before by the UK and France about the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons. It was clearly aimed at Obama, who had declared in the summer of 2012 that chemical weapons attacks on civilian targets would transgress a “red line” and trigger US military action. But the White House pushed back against the Israeli ploy, dispatching Secretary of State John Kerry to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supply more conclusive evidence.

“I don’t know yet what the facts are,” Kerry said after a phone call with Netanyahu, “I don’t think anybody knows what they are.”
http://www.alternet.org/world/how-israel-driving-us-war-syria

[99th_Monkey]

1. Continuation: "Specious intelligence brightens the red line ...

Flash forward to the August 21 Ghouta massacre, where over 1000 Syrian civilians died without any sign of external wounds in a series of attacks. As in April, Israel has come forward with intelligence supposedly proving that the victims of the attacks died from nerve gas deployed by units from Assad’s Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

On August 24, Israel’s Channel 2 broadcast a report claiming that the 155th Brigade of the 4th Armored Division of Assad’s SAA fired the nerve gas shells on Ghouta. Channel 2 added that Israel was relaying its concerns to Washington, suggesting an urgent demand for US action. The report was echoed by an August 30 article in Germany’s Focus magazine claiming that Israeli army’s Unit 8200 — a cyber-warfare division that functions much like the American NSA — had intercepted communications of top Syrian officials ordering the chemical attack.

Oddly, neither outlet was able to reproduce audio or any quotes of the conversation between the Syrian officials. Channel 2 did not appear to cite any source at all – it referred only to “the assessment in Israel” – while Focus relied on an unnamed former Mossad official for its supposed bombshell. The definitive nature of the Israeli intelligence on Ghouta stood in stark contrast to the kind introduced by other US allies, which was entirely circumstantial in nature. At the same time, it relied on murky sources and consisted of vague assertions.

[darkangel218]

2. I disagree.

Israel is got nothing to do with this.

Try Assad gassing over 1000 people.

[sabrina 1]

15. Got any evidence of that The British Parliament saw it and guess what, they weren't buying. So what

do YOU have that Cameron didn't have?

We are waiting with baited breath to see this 'evidence'. Especially since every day more reports are emerging from people on the ground, from eyewitnesses on the ground, that it was the 'Rebels' who were responsible for the attack.

Their claims are just as compelling as those of the US who tell us they can't show us all of it because, well, National Security, same old, same old.

So I'm going with the evidence of people who are not hiding behind phony National Security claims. If you have something SHOW ME! Otherwise I go with the guys who ARE SHOWING ME.

[KittyWampus]

19. Ah, so you are a denier. Got it.

[KittyWampus]

3. the title comes across as Jew-Baiting & is unsupported by what is written. Israel knows Assad

as a secular enemy and probably would prefer to lock horns with him than face the possibility of a more religious Sunni regime.

I think.

Happy to stand corrected.

[snagglepuss]

5. If France was in the title instead of Israel would you say it's French baiting?

[FSogol]

12. Is France in the title?

[sabrina 1]

16. No it doesn't. Israel is a sovereign nation, I presume they are claiming to be a Democracy. So every

time they are criticized the phony cry 'Anti Semitism' is heard. It's a failed strategy. It wouldn't work for Germany, Britian, Ireland, Italy, The US etc. Why do you think that this is Israel's response to every news report that is not favorable to them?? If they have a case, which apparently they don't which is why they resort to this tactic.

Let them respond honestly to the criticisms or stop with the whining that is nothing more than an attempt to distract. And it isn't working.

Either they are willing to act like a Sovereign Democratic Nation, or cry wolf each time they are under fire, for legitimate reasons, and be viewed as insignificant as far as their views on International affairs.

Some things just grow so old, they fade and disintegrate and are no longer relevant. The 'anti-Semitic' cries out lived their shelf life many moons ago when it comes to these issues.

It is no secret that Israel is pushing for this invasion. It is also no secret that they are not part of the US and their opinions mean zilch to the American people who do not want their military used in these political war games anymore.

If Israel has some issues with Syria, let them handle it themselves. It is not our fight, we have enough fights of our own and need to get the hell out of all these countries we are currently invading, stop killing their citizens and come home where we have more than enough of our problems to spend money on.

[Crimson76]

4. Please stop with the Israel bashing

and can we please stop with the President is going along for the ride, like a lovable buffoon. He was fully aware what the job entailed, if he doesn't like it resign. The reason we are in this situation is because he thought he could be to cute by half on Syria, and Syria called him on it.

As for Israel, I believe they don't even want this war, they can contain what is going on now, but will be unable to stop what happens when the first rockets lift off from the Med.

[snagglepuss]

6. If Israel was in the least bit opposed to this it wouldn't be happening and

they'd be making their opposition loud and clear.

[99th_Monkey]

7. "because [Obama] thought he could be to cute by half on Syria, and Syria called him on it." <-what

pray tell, does this mean? Sorry, but this is unclear to me.

[Daniel537]

8. Lol, Israel, again.

You might as well just copy and paste any article from Press TV or RT if your going to resort to jew-baiting.

[FSogol]

9. Unrec. Your article is saying, it is all the fault of the scary JEWS!

Quite embarrassing.

:faceplam:

[99th_Monkey]

11. The Mossad is NOT a friend of the Jewish people.

Two very different loyalties, imho.

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. I am not a supporter of the State of Israel - but on this matter Saudi Arabia is much bigger factor

followed by Qatar and Turkey. Israel and the pro-Israeli lobby may very well support this - but they are not the prime agitator. And I'm quite sure their support for military action against Assad's Baathist regime comes with a bit of fear and loathing knowing that they will likely end up with an even more hostile regime than Assad on their northern boarder.

[99th_Monkey]

14. You don't think Mossad works with the Bandar & the Saudis? nt

[Douglas Carpenter]

17. oh that's possible - maybe even probable. But they are not the prime backers of the rebels - That

position belongs clearly to the Saudis followed by Turkey and Qatar.

[99th_Monkey]

20. There are suspicions of a "false flag" via Bandar/Mossad

So as to sucker Obama/USA into taking out Assad.

Putin claims to have "evidence", after meeting twice
with Prince Bandar Bush recently...

Not saying I'm buying into this quite yet, but it would
not surprise me much.

[Mosby]

21. according to the qatar government

The mossad assassinated some qatari terrorist in a dubai hotel room recently so I think it's fair to say the two countries are not cooperating.

The truth is that Israel has much to lose and nothing to gain by ousting assad, the border between the two countries has been relatively quiet for decades, why would they do something that upsets the balance?

That's why Israel wasn't happy to see mubarack gone, now they have terrorists in the Sinai, and attacks on the suez canal.

[99th_Monkey]

22. You could be right.

I see what you are saying about Israel having much to lose, but then
they don't always act in their own best interests imho, RE: Palestinians,
dismissing 2-state peace, etc.

like I said, I'm keeping an open mind. thanks for sharing.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. No one can deny Israel is involved, one way or the other.

And to discuss Israel, in light of what is happening next door to it, is certainly NOT "Jew-bating"
( what an ugly phrase that is)

No more than is discussing Saudi Arabia "Muslim baiting".

[KittyWampus]

18. Implying that Israel is &quot;driving&quot; the war in Syria is bullshit & not even supported by the

article. Hence the title is misleading and baiting.