Arms into Syria 2

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <***************>
Date: 31 October 2011 18:49
Subject: Re: \RE: "Large shipments of weapons have been smuggled into Syria from Lebanon and Turkey"
To: Zubair Islam <***********>

Dear Mr Islam,

Thanks again for your note. The western media frequently runs photos of
damaged buildings fired upon by security forces, but we don't know the
context, i.e. whether they were fired upon because of the presence of
armed men firing at soldiers and police. The Syrian government news agency
Sana has run photos of damage, including a derailed train and the bodies
of soldiers and civilians killed by armed bands. I have seen these over a
period of time.   Trying to thread your way through all of this is
difficult. Alastair Crooke has another good article on his web under the
heading of the 'great game'.  Wikileaks has released intercepted cables
from the US embassy in Damascus, showing the involvement of the US in
funding opposition groups inside and outside Syria.  I have seen other
material suggesting that the US and Saudi Arabia began planning to
destabilise the Syrian government in the wake of the Israeli war on
Lebanon (2006), when Israel tried  but failed to destroy Hizbullah.
Apparently the plan moved to an operational phase this year following the
collapse of the Hariri government in Lebanon and the overthrow of Mubarak.
The evidence is compelling, but not conclusive - if there is such a plan,
one would not expect those behind it to leave clear imprints, but as Syria
has been a target of the US, I would be greatly surprised if the US and
its allies were not taking advantage of the turmoil across the Middle East
to use the 'Arab spring' against the government in Damascus. I am trying
to find my own way through all of this.

With best wishes,

Jeremy Salt


> Dear Professor Jeremy Salt,
>
> I thank you very much for your swift reply. I am honoured to recieve such
> a
> response from someone as your self.
> I shall indeed try contacting Alistair Crooke, of Conflicts Forum, for
> more
> information.
>
> Have you at all come across any footage, or photographs or any other
> evidence, showing
> damage caused against government property and forces, that show the mark
> of
> guns and explosives?
> This would be very interesting to see.
>
> I shall try to someone from the International Crisis Group who also
> believe
> that weapons
> are coming into Libya from outside. I am surprised, that any such weapons
> smuggling
> would go without notice of Israeli and American surveillance. As Syria has
> been under
> their cross-hairs for a while now.
>
> Thank you again for your time Professor.
>
> Warm regards with Peace
> Zubair Islam
> :o)

Arms into Syria 1

On 28 October 2011 21:03, <*********> wrote:
>
>> Dear Mr Islam,
>>
>> Thank you for your note.  My reference to arms in Syria is based on a
>> number of sources, including claims by the Syrian government. These have
>> to be regarded with caution but the weight of evidence leaves  no doubt
>> in
>> my mind that very large quantities of arms as well as money are being
>> smuggled into Syria from Lebanon and Turkey.  Arms shipments have been
>> stopped at the border, according to mainstream media reports. The
>> International Crisis Group, which cannot be regarded as sympathetic to
>> the
>> Syrian government, accepts that arms are being smuggled into Syria.
>> There
>> is now a general acceptance that the Syrian government is coming under
>> sustained armed attack. The claim that these attacks are 'recent' cannot
>> be sustained against the evidence of armed attacks on soldiers and
>> civilians going back for months. The central question is the provenance
>> of
>> the weapons coming into Syria,  and that is something I do not know.
>> Neither does anyone else seem to know.  So far there is no 'smoking gun'
>> although, given that Syria has lived under siege for decades, I would be
>> very surprised if outside hands were not involved in this.  You could
>> read
>> the ICG's recent report on Syria for more. Alistair Crooke, of Conflicts
>> Forum, available on the web, has more to say about who is using them.
>>
>> With best wishes,
>>
>> Jeremy Salt
>>
>>
>>
>> >
>> > I am not sure if you know of an organisation called MediaLens.org
>> > They cited you with the following:
>> >
>> >> "Large shipments of weapons have been smuggled into Syria from
>> Lebanon
>> >> and
>> >> Turkey. They include pump action shotguns, machine guns,
>> Kalashnikovs,
>> >> RPG
>> >> launchers, Israeli-made hand grenades and numerous other explosives."
>> >>
>> > source :
>> >
>> http://www.medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=648:targeting-syria-the-bad-news-for-the-guardian&catid=24:alerts-2011&Itemid=68
>> >
>> > Please can you tell me when, where and why you made this comment, if
>> in
>> > fact
>> > it is true that these words are yours?
>> >
>> > I want to know more about this and how I can find out for myself more
>> > information.
>> >
>> > I asked someone you may know of called Yahya Birt. He is a commentator
>> in
>> > The Guardian (see http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/yahyabirt) and he
>> has
>> > his own website which is http://www.yahyabirt.com/
>> >
>> > I asked Yahya Birt for his opinion on MediaLens Media Alert in which
>> they
>> > cited your comments about large shipments of arms going to Syria via
>> > Turkey
>> > and Lebanon. He responded:
>> >
>> >> "It's an interesting analysis, and is not beyond the bounds of
>> >> possibility.
>> >> *What would really be needed is more the kind of investigative
>> >> journalism
>> >> that would trace the provenance of arms being shipped into Syria;
>> that
>> >> would
>> >> provide the smoking gun.* At the moment all we have are the views of
>> >> experienced analysts reading the situation. "
>> >>
>> >
>> > So please dear Professor, may you shed some light on this please.
>> >
>> > Thank you very much dearly
>> >
>> > Warm regards with Peace
>> > Zubair Islam
>> > :o)