Tipping Points: Syria

It looks like Syria may have moved slightly ahead in the race towards the tipping point in the Middle East:

U.S., France, UK, Turkey, Italy Prepare For Military Intervention In Syria

Despite public denials, military preparations for intervention in the horrendous Syrian crisis are quietly afoot in Washington, Paris, Rome, London and Ankara. President Barack Obama is poised for a final decision after the Pentagon submits operational plans for protecting Syrian rebels and beleaguered populations from the brutal assaults of Bashar Assad’s army, DEBKAfile’s Washington sources disclose.

This process is also underway in allied capitals which joined the US in the Libyan operation that ended Muammar Qaddafi’s rule in August, 2011. They are waiting for a White House decision before going forward.

The nuances of any such decision are interesting:

In Libya, foreign intervention began as an operation to protect the Libyan population against its ruler’s outrageous crackdown on dissent. It was mandated by UN Security Council.

There is no chance of this in the Syrian case because it will be blocked by a Russian veto

Therefore, Western countries are planning military action of limited scope outside the purview of the world body, possibly on behalf of “Friends of Syria,” a group of 80 world nations which meets for the first time in Tunis Friday, Feb. 24, to hammer out practical steps for terminating the bloodbath pursued by the Assad regime.

Preparations for the event are taking place at the Foreign Office in London. Wednesday, Foreign Secretary William Hague said: Governments around the world have the responsibility to act…and to redouble our efforts to stop the Assad regime’s despicable campaign of terror.”

That sounds a lot like "responsibility to protect" doesn't it?

UN: Highest Level Of Syrian Gov't Army Ordering Atrocities

Syrian forces have shot dead unarmed women and children, shelled residential areas and tortured wounded protesters in hospital under orders from the "highest level" of army and government officials, the United Nations said on Thursday.

Independent UN investigators called for perpetrators of such crimes against humanity to face prosecution and said they had drawn up a confidential list of names of commanding officers and officials alleged to be responsible.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces bombarded opposition Sunni Muslim districts in the city of Homs for the 20th day on Thursday, activists said, despite international outrage over the reported killing of more than 80 people on Wednesday.

Syria is "on the brink" of civil war and deep divisions among world powers complicate the prospects for ending nearly a year of violence sparked by protests against the regime, the three-member UN panel said in their latest 72-page report.

Navy's New Super-Sub Revealed

Israel's "doomsday weapon" revealed? The Navy will soon begin its test-deployment of Israel's new super-submarine, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday.

The report quoted various foreign newspapers as saying that the new Dolphin-Class submarine's systems will enable it to spends prolonged periods of time at sea and fire nuclear missiles.

According to German media, the Tannin – which will be supplied by the end of 2012 – is the first of three super-submarine slated to eventually be deployed by the Navy. A second super-sub – the INS Rahav ("Splendor") will arrive in 2014 and the third, which has yet to be named, by 2015.

Middle East Risks Becoming A 'Giant Failed State'

With EU countries crafting plans on how to shape events in Syria, David Hirst, a noted British writer on the Middle East, has warned that the Arab uprisings are a kind of "constructive chaos" completely out of Western control.

"What we're now witnessing is the greatest transformation of the region since the end of the first world war," he told EUobserver in an interview in his home in Beirut on Saturday (18 February).

"There is a deep-rooted, inescapable, anti-Israeli feeling in the Arab world," he said. "It's out of control. Nobody can control the Arab Spring ... It's an Arab movement. It's completely Arab."

Iran Court Convicts Christian Pastor To Death

A trial court in Iran has issued its final verdict, ordering a Christian pastor to be put to death for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, according to sources close to the pastor and his legal team.

Supporters fear Youcef Nadarkhani, a 34-year-old father of two who was arrested over two years ago on charges of apostasy, may now be executed at any time without prior warning, as death sentences in Iran may be carried out immediately or dragged out for years.

It is unclear whether Nadarkhani can appeal the execution order.

“The world needs to stand up and say that a man cannot be put to death because of his faith,” said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).

“This one case is not just about one execution. We have been able to expose the system instead of just letting one man disappear, like so many other Christians have in the past.”

It is also feared that Nadarkhani will be executed in retaliation as Iran endures crippling sanctions and international pressure in response to its nuclear agenda and rogue rhetoric. The number of executions in Iran has increased significantly in the last month.

“This is defiance,” Sekulow said. “They want to say they will carry out what they say they will do.”

Iranian Plan To Annihilate The Jews

Recently, I revealed a shocking piece, "Ayatollah: Kill All Jews, Annihilate Israel," in which a well-known strategist within the Iranian government introduced a new doctrine not only to destroy Israel in a preemptive attack, but also to commit to genocide and kill the Jewish people. The piece got international attention and made headlines across the world.

The facts in my piece were an exact copy of the original piece, which was published in Iran. I even left a link to the Iranian piece that interestingly was not only written in Farsi, but also translated into English. I wanted to make sure that the world could see that my piece was a true and accurate reflection of what was said in Iran.

I wanted the world to see that the jihadists in Tehran had no shame in openly calling for the mass murder of the people of another nation. I wanted the world to realize that we were once again dealing with madmen who had no interest in humanity, love, or peace, and that they were determined to commit a grave crime, based on their belief in glorifying Allah.

Wife Of Assassinated Scientist: Annihilation Of Israel: "Mostafa's Ultimate Goal"

The wife of Martyr Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan Behdast, who was assassinated by Mossad agents in Tehran in January, reiterated on Tuesday that her husband sought the annihilation of the Zionist regime wholeheartedly.

Earthquake "Swarm" Hits The Big Island