Canada's democracy under siege...

... maybe. Sort of. Possibly. We have no proof, but we'd be naive to think it isn't happening.

So it's a slam dunk, then!

Three days ago the CBC reported that Chrystia Freeland thinks we're for sure going to be targeted by Russia. In fact, Chrystia is pretty sure there's already been some meddling!

And maybe there has, but how would you or I know? Are we to take Chrystia's word for it? Why can't she share with us the evidence of the meddling, so we at least know what to look out for?

Why is she keeping us in the dark?

Today the CBC follows up with another evidence-free presentation on the same theme, this time from the Communications Security Establishment, Why are all these people who are ostensibly protecting us not giving us more info?

Furthermore, if they know it's happening, what are they doing about it? Maybe they're doing lots, but saying so in public would just tip off Putin's trolls to the fact that we're on to them or something. So I guess there's a reason for the secrecy.

Maybe.

Or maybe this is just nonsense intended to turn the channel away from the SNC scandal, which has discredited Canada's government far more than anything the Ruskies could come up with...

...unless...  OMG, it's all making sense now!!!


JWR is a Russian agent!

Something's rotten in the State of Ar-Raqqah

After being told for months that Syrian government forces are making progress against the rebels, and after being told for at least a year that al-Qaeda and affiliates have sidelined the Free Syrian Army "good" rebels, we are now treated to the spectacle of a civil war within the civil war.

Earlier this year it was big news that the allegedly most powerful rebel group in the country had sworn allegiance to al-Qaeda. Since then, al-Qaeda has morphed into the "Islamist State of Iraq and Syria", and whadyaknow, the al-Nusra Front is now fighting against al-Qaeda!

Something's not adding up here, folks...

Susan Rice claims US still supporting moderate Syrian rebel

Four days after a coalition of Syrian rebel groups rejected the leadership of the US sponsored Syrian National Coalition, Susan Rice appeared on Fareed Zakaria's show on CNN to assure the American public that the US continues to support the moderate rebel in Syria.

Falling Downs field operatives tracked down the moderate rebel, Captain Abdul Barakat of Battalion One of the Free Syrian Army, at the Best Western in Istanbul for a Q & A.

FD: Captain Barakat, how is it you are able to fight Assad from your suite at the Best Western in Istanbul?

AB: I am temporarily on furlough, a little bit of R and R, and much needed, I must say.

FD: So you maintain command of your troops in the First Battalion from your command centre here?

AB: What troops? It's not called the First Battalion, it's Battalion One, because it has one guy. Me. Battalion Two had two guys but they defected to the Islamists.

FD: So when were you last in your country?

AB: I was in my country just last week.

FD: Where in Syria were you, and what was the situation on the ground?

AB: Syria? I wasn't in Syria, I was in my country. I live in London. Situation on the ground is tense. That Cameron is an idiot, worse than Blair.

FD: Oh... so when were you last in Syria?

AB: I flew in with Senator McCain a couple of months ago for a photo op. That's me there in the picture, right behind the Senator.






FD: So... do you actually have any fighters on the ground in Syria?

AB: Of course! We are all brothers united against Assad... every fighter is my brother!

FD: But do you command any of them?

AB: This the problem from the lack of support from USA. We need heavy weapons. Tanks and drones too, and no-fly zone across country. If Americans step up support, maybe nice shock and awe from Hellfire missiles and Pavemaster on Assad for a few months, then I have command in Syria, but America shameful for lack of help for Syrian freedom fighters. All they supporting now is State Department pay bill at Best Western, but Abdul left to fend for self on bar fridge tab.

FD: Well good luck to you, Captain Barakat, and thank you for your time.

Nations of Virtue leave Syrian opposition twisting in the wind

It's pretty much over for the dupes who dared rise up against Assad.

They are now sitting ducks, waiting to be mopped up by Assad loyalists. And you know what that means.

All the big talk about how Assad will crumble is pretty much forgotten now, especially in those countries most vocal in their condemnation of Assad.

Today SNC acting President George Sabra made a pathetic and desperate plea for more military assistance.

That won't be happening, my friend.

And it's partially the fault of Sabra and his minions, who allowed their "revolution" to be hi-jacked by parties that everyone always knew could never be countenanced by the Nations of Virtue.

Jabhat al Nusra might find sympathy in Saudi Arabia, but so did Bin Laden. They won't find much in the NATO nations.

True, you've still got Hague and Fabius clamoring for more arms to the Syrian rebels, but those are marginal men running from their domestic issues. Fabius in particular has no credibility whatsoever. France more than has her hands full in Mali. If they can't see that through, they shouldn't even dream about Syria.

And Hague is just running a diversionary campaign to take the British electorate's eye off Cameron's foibles at home.

The future of  Syria has been decided in Washington.

And in Washington they seem resigned to Assad staying on awhile.

Just in time for Friends of Syria Conference, Assad unleashes Scud missiles on his own people

Now that's a convenient coincidence of timing, wouldn't you think?

Just as the 114 representatives of the Friends of Syria sit down in Morocco to discuss how to divvy up the spoils post Assad, along comes the NYT with a blockbuster expose about the depraved madman Assad firing Scud missiles against his own peaceful protesters.

Any evidence? Nope, just the say-so of a couple of unnamed US security officials. The story is at this moment a staple of Syria coverage throughout the Western world.

Oddly enough, there has been no confirmation from the ever-alert "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights," nor has there been any cell-phone video coverage that the Syrian opposition typically has uploaded within minutes of recording any images that might help their cause.

And while far away US security officials seem to have the goods on the story, its only mention in Lebanese news sites sources those same Americans, and Turkish news site Hurriyet at this writing hasn't mentioned the story at all.

I could be wrong, but it sounds like made-up news to me. Meanwhile, the 114 delegates to the Friends of Syria's Treasury seem to be bogged down in squabbling about who is and is not an acceptable "rebel" with yesterday's announcement that the US had branded Jabhat al-Nusra a terror group not going over well with the SNC. The Free Army folks on the ground know who is doing the heavy lifting, and understand full well that a ban on al-Nusra effectively means victory for Assad.

So in spite of all the congratulatory press coverage of the Morocco conference, all that has been agreed is that the West will continue to fan the flames of Syria's immolation for the time being.

Syrian opposition needs $60 billion in aid in next six months

That's according to George Sabra, the former communist who is now the leader of the old SNC, which is not to be confused with the new SNC, but is a part of the new SNC...

Anyway, George is making headlines today with his call for 60 billion in aid for the six month period after the fall of Assad, which he is pretty sure will be tomorrow or maybe the day after.

60 billion over six months might be a little steep for the Nations of Virtue. After all, half of them are courting financial collapse themselves.

According to the CIA World Factbook, $60B was Syria's GDP the year before the revolution started.

I know that commies are notoriously incompetent at budgeting and all that stuff, but how is such a number even conceivable?

I think George is figuring on a chicken in every pot every day and a Volvo in every garage to come up with 60 billion.

Maybe it's just his opening gambit. Maybe they'll settle for 60 millions instead of 60 billions.

Hell, this is all contingent on Assad going somewhere, which he doesn't seem to be in any great rush to do.

In fact, now that Assad is taking the lead in fighting al Qaeda, maybe we should keep him around for awhile... and save 60 billion bucks!

Somewhere in Syria...

It was just a couple of days ago that some web-savvy youngsters affiliated with al-Qaeda in Syria put a video out that claimed they were not represented by the "new" Syrian National Coalition of Opposition Elements Who Hate The Evil Monster Assad (SNCOEWHTEMA).

Well, not so fast Abdul.

Even while I was writing about it, those self-same al-Qaeda types running the war on the ground in Syria were busy massaging their message to the world.

Seems they weren't rejecting the new SNC after all. Nope, those Syrian rebels have rejected their rejection of the new SNC.

Here's how it went down.

Those web-savvy youngsters were summoned to a hearing with the al-Qaeda commander. Just for the purpose of this brief recreation of the exchange, let's refer to this fictional commander as, oh, just to pick a name out of the hat... "Sheik Belhadj."

Sheik: IMBECILES!!! What in the name of Allah, blessed be His name, do you think you are doing?

Web-savvy youngsters: B-b-but we were speaking the truth...

S:IMBECILES!!! Do you imagine the infidels will give us guns and Stinger missiles and tons of money when you make public such truths.. I mean foolishness?

THERE WILL BE NO VIRGINS FOR YOU!!!

Now get out of my sight, IMBECILES!

While we're busy watching Gaza, al Qaeda declares Islamic Republic in Syria

It's been a busy week for the "new" USA-approved Syrian National Coalition of Opposition. While Gaza has taken over the news headlines, al Qaeda has taken over the Syrian revolution.

Yesterday the Jabhat al Nusra announced that they reject the "new" umbrella group, and then went on to announce that henceforth the city of Aleppo was to be considered an independent Islamic Republic.

This formalized the rift between two broad opposition currents, the secularists on the one hand and the radicals on the other. The secularists would be the ones touring the capitals of Europe collecting official recognition from the Nations of Virtue.

The radicals are the ones in Syria fighting Assad.

How this will pan out in the weeks to come remains to be seen. Britain and the EU have now joined the Arab League and the GCC in recognizing the Hillary-approved SNC (not to be confused with the old SNC) as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian People. This "new" group has announced that they intend to make their temporary base in Cairo.

That too is curious. A number of other options might have been more suitiable for a "secularist" group, especially options closer to the people of whom they are the alleged "only legitimate representatives."

The blossoming of the Syria Salvation Strategy

Hillary has succeeded with the Doha operation to imbue an American-sponsored Syrian opposition with the aura of legitimacy. The Gulf Cooperation Council, those Sunni state-lets fully dependent on American largess for their continued existence, were quick to rubber stamp the newly formed "We're Not The SNC We're Totally Different Revolutionary Coalition" (WNTSNCWTDRC) as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people today.

Their rubber stamp was quickly followed up by another from the Arab league.

One of the disturbing truths that Washington and her allies in the Nations of Virtue and their media will be struggling to obscure in the coming weeks is the fact that virtually none of the fighters on the ground in Syria answer to anyone in the newly minted cadre of  "legitimate representatives."

That means building a reliable revolutionary army from the ground up while Syria is in flames. While that job is already well underway across the border in Turkey, it will take US/NATO minders on the ground in Syria to keep an eye on who is receiving American arms and money.

This new "legitimate" entity will also pave the way for at least a partial no-fly zone in Syria as soon as the new representatives of the Syrian people can get at least a few representatives on the ground in Syria to justify calling for one. This will enable a repetition of the Libyan strategy of NATO bombing paving the way with Paveway smart bombs for our rebels.

There is a complication in Syria, of course. What of the rebels that are already fighting in the country, and do not take their orders from this new al-Attasi/ al-Khatib/ Sabra/ Saif (AASS, another acronym if you find WNTSNCWTDRC too unwieldy) pro-USA group?

Aye, that is a complication indeed, but only for the people of Syria. In the Nations of Virtue the prospect of having rival Islamist groups fight it out over the next generation or two isn't seen as an altogether unpleasant prospect.

Remember, the same crowd in Washington who did everything they could to provoke and prolong the Iran/Iraq war are engineering the Syrian Salvation Strategy.

Syria's ship of state listing dangerously

Here's how we know this.

The Syrian Arab News Agency is more or less the official government propaganda outlet.

What's interesting about this story is that it appears that the Assad government is relying on Agence France-Presse for its intelligence on the rebels. Note the reference to AFP a few paragraphs in.

I'd read the story about that particular smuggler on AFP's English language service France 24 before I saw it at SANA.

This is a government that was so sure of itself that it offered to do the out-sourced torture for Britain and Canada and the USA. A police state so confident that it knew it had every possible source of opposition well in hand.

Now they rely on foreign media to find out what's going on in their country.

Is this a good thing?

If you listen to the official nonsense emanating from London and Paris and Washington you'd be tempted to think so. After all, Assad is an evil tyrant who slaughters his own people while he's not busy doing our out-sourced torture for us, and we've been telling him for a year and a half he has to go.

So good riddance.

But then what?

As the Doha debacle this week showed, there is no such thing as a unified Syrian opposition. They've come up with a Christian communist who is going to direct the Salafist rebels on the ground in Syria?

Good luck with that.

If the Assad government collapses, there will be 10 million Syrian refugees fleeing the country instead of half a million, and the country will be the proxy battlefield for the war between the US and Iran for the next twenty years.

Life-long Communist becomes Uncle Sam's bum-boy in Syria

Ya right!

You know from the get-go that this is a marriage that will last until the shipments of Stinger missiles are cut off.

George Sabra knows that Uncle Sam is not his friend. In fact, as a committed commie, George Sabra knows that Uncle Sam is his avowed enemy.

Anyone with a brain should be able to figure out that a secular Christian communist isn't going to last long among the Salafist extremists who are doing the heavy lifting in Syria.

But at this point in time, Sabra is Uncle Sam's best bet in Syria.

This does not bode well for American designs on Syria.