THE NOOSE IS CLOSING AROUND SYRIAN ASSAD’S NECK
December 3, 2011
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
Iran is panicking over the possibility of losing its strategic octopus tentacle hold in Syria and Lebanon. Many are changing their minds who thought Assad could weather the storm. I suspect he will be assassinated by hit men from his friends Hizbullah and Iran, unless he flees to France.
Begin Excerpts from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affaires/Daily Alert
Excerpt 1 – Wall Street Journal
Syria Would Cut Iran Military Tie, Opposition Head Says
Jay Solomon and Nour Malas
A Syrian government run by the country’s main opposition group would cut Damascus’ military relationship to Iran and end arms supplies to Middle East militant groups such as Hizbullah
and Hamas, Burhan Ghalioun, the president of the Syrian National Council, said Wednesday.
He said such moves would be part of a broader Syrian reorientation back into an alliance with the region’s major Arab powers. Ghalioun also called on the international community to take aggressive new steps, including the possible establishment of a no-fly zone in Syria. (Wall Street Journal)
Excerpt 2 – CNN
Why I Now Think Assad Will Fall
Fareed Zakaria
Earlier this year, I thought the Syrian regime would be able to persevere.
It has been extraordinarily brutal and, unfortunately, if governments are willing to open fire on their people with utter disregard for human life, it often works.
Syria is not an oil regime. It doesn’t have that much cash.
The UN sanctions are actually quite effective in cutting down trade.
And Turkey is now going to impose its own sanctions on Syria, which will squeeze Assad even tighter.
Assad leads a minority regime that has been able to stay in power by bribing key members of the Sunni elite in both the business community and the military.
At the end of the day, that game becomes much more difficult to play once the money runs out. I now think this regime is going to collapse after all. (CNN)
Excerpt 3 – AFP
Report: Russia Delivers Supersonic Cruise Missiles to Syria
(AFP)
“Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles have been delivered to Syria” based on a contract Russia signed in 2007, a military source told the Interfax news agency.
Another Russian official told Interfax that the missiles, which operate as part of the Bastion mobile coastal defense system, “will be able to protect Syria’s entire coast against a possible attack from the sea.”
Each Bastion system is equipped with 36 cruise missiles as well as truck-mounted radar.
Excerpt 4 – Bloomberg
EU and U.S. Hit Syrian Government with New Sanctions
Jones Hayden and Massoud A. Derhally
(Bloomberg)
The EU and U.S. toughened sanctions against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government Thursday. “Trade in Syrian public bonds and the provision of insurance and reinsurance to the Syrian government will be prohibited in the EU,” the bloc said.
The EU also halted new commitments for grants and concessional loans by EU countries to the Syrian government.
Excerpt 5 – Reuters
The U.S. Treasury said it imposed economic sanctions on Assad’s uncle, Muhammad Makhlouf, and on a commander of Syria’s 4th Armored Division, Gen. Aus Aslan. Report: Syrian Army Rebels Attack Intelligence Base, Kill Eight (Reuters)
“A group of army defectors…attacked the Air Force Intelligence center” on Thursday in Idlib province between Jisr al-Shughour and Latakia, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday.
“A clash ensued for three hours which led to the death of at least eight members of the Air Force Intelligence.”
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