June 16, 2012

US enlists Britain's help to stop ship 'carrying Russian attack helicopters' to Syria

Source: The Telegraph

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Washington, which last week condemned Moscow for continuing to arm the Syrian regime, has asked British officials to help stop the Alaed delivering its alleged cargo by using sanctions legislation to force its London-based insurer to withdraw its cover.


Under the terms of the current European Union arms embargo against Syria, imposed in May last year, there is a ban on the "transfer or export" of arms and any related "brokering" services such as insurance. Withdrawal of a ship's insurance cover would make it difficult for it legally to dock elsewhere and could force it to return the cargo to port.

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"We were informed on Friday evening that the ship might be carrying weapons, in particular attack helicopters, missiles and non-specific munitions, and we are making inquiries to establish what their side of the story is," said Mr Dorey. "There are exclusion clauses in our cover, and for anyone involved in improper or unlawful trade, we can cancel cover. We are investigating whether or not to do so in this case."

Like most international cargo ships, the Alaed has a complex ownership and management structure. Its registered owner is Volcano Shipping on the island of Curacao in the Dutch Antilles, but it is listed as part of a fleet belonging to a Russian company, FEMCO, which was unavailable for comment last night. According to FEMCO's website, the ship's commercial management and chartering is carried out by United Nordic Shipping, a Danish company based in Copenhagen, but yesterday, United Nordic shipping said that the management agreement had never actually been finalised, and that FEMCO's website was wrong.


Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9336170/US-enlists-Britains-help-to-stop-ship-carrying-Russian-attack-helicopters-to-Syria.html

June 16, 2012

Jordan imposes restrictions on refugees from Syria

Source: Reuters

Fearing spillover violence and clandestine Assad agents, Amman seeks to protect its borders.

AMMAN - Alarmed by escalating violence in Syria, Jordanian border authorities have placed restrictions on Syrian refugees arriving through its airports and at the border shared with the restive city of Deraa.

Official sources said screening of refugees is necessary amid worries that elements loyal to embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad who are among those entering Jordan could seek to destabilize the country.

The sources said the policy in effect is to refuse entry to male individuals altogether or to order them placed in refugee camps under police watch and with restricted mobility.

“There is a concern over violence spilling over,” said one source speaking to The Media Line on the condition of anonymity. “It is difficult to say who is a refugee and who just pretends to be.”

Read more: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=274037

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U.S. military completes initial planning for Syria

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The United States, Britain and France have all been discussing contingency scenarios, potential training and sharing of intelligence about what is happening in Syria with neighboring countries including Jordan, Turkey and Israel. But it is Jordan, so far, that is most seeking the help because of its relatively small military and potential need for outside help if unrest in southern Syria were to impact Jordan's security.

U.S. special forces are training and advising Jordanian troops on a range of specific military tasks they might need to undertake if unrest in Syria spills over into Jordan or poses a threat to that country, three Defense Department officials told CNN. The officials declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the training. Jordanian officials also are refusing to publicly confirm details, but a senior Middle Eastern government official also confirmed details to CNN.

The U.S. has been training in Jordan using mainly special operations forces under a program called Joint Combined Exchange Training, which sends troops overseas to train foreign soldiers and units in specific missions. Jordan's major security concern is that if the Syrian regime were to suddenly collapse, then it would face unrest on its northern border, as well as the possibility of large refugee flows, weapons smuggling into Jordan, and potential disarray in Syria's chemical and biological weapons complex. Jordan also is considering how and where to potentially set up humanitarian assistance bases inside its borders, another matter the U.S. is advising it on.

The Jordanians do not believe regime of Bashir al-Assad would attack them. But they have made it clear to the United States they want the training so they are ready to move quickly if any scenario develops that could destabilize their country, which is already reeling politically from a collapsing economy. While there's no formal agreement, one of the U.S. officials said the U.S. would come to the defense and support of Jordan in the event any of the Syria scenarios pose a challenge.

more: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/14/u-s-military-completes-planning-for-syria/?hpt=hp_t2

Syrian rebels have held meetings with senior US government officials in Washington as pressure mounts on the US to authorise a shipment of heavy weapons, including surface-to-air missiles to combat the Assad regime, the Daily Telegraph has learned.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9334707/US-holds-high-level-talks-with-Syrian-rebels-seeking-weapons-in-Washington.html

June 16, 2012

Lebanon must end rifts to withstand Syria turmoil

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Lebanon is still recovering from its bloody 1975-1990 civil war, but unrest in its larger and more powerful neighbor Syria has fuelled long-running tensions, sparking violent clashes on the streets of its northern port city of Tripoli and of its capital Beirut.

The opposition March 14 grouping has called on Prime Minister Najib Mikati's government, a coalition which includes Charbel's mainly Christian Free Patriotic Movement and the Shi'ite Hezbollah group, to be replaced by a "salvation government."

It is also pressing for the disarmament of Hezbollah, Lebanon's powerful Shi'ite militant and political group that fought a war against Israel in 2006. Hezbollah supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his crackdown on his opponents.

more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-syria-crisis-lebanonbre85f086-20120616,0,2070666.story




U.S. military completes initial planning for Syria

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The military planning includes a scenario for a no-fly zone as well as protecting chemical and biological sites. Officials say all the scenarios would be difficult to enact and involve large numbers of U.S. troops and extended operations.

The planning, officials insist, is being done protectively and there have been no orders for any action from the White House.

The U.S. Navy is maintaining a presence of three surface combatants and a submarine in the eastern Mediterranean to conduct electronic surveillance and reconnaissance on the Syrian regime, a senior Pentagon official said. The official emphasized that the U.S. routinely maintains this type of naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean, but acknowledged the current focus is on Syria.

The United States, Britain and France have all been discussing contingency scenarios, potential training and sharing of intelligence about what is happening in Syria with neighboring countries including Jordan, Turkey and Israel. But it is Jordan, so far, that is most seeking the help because of its relatively small military and potential need for outside help if unrest in southern Syria were to impact Jordan's security.

U.S. special forces are training and advising Jordanian troops on a range of specific military tasks they might need to undertake if unrest in Syria spills over into Jordan or poses a threat to that country, three Defense Department officials told CNN. The officials declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the training. Jordanian officials also are refusing to publicly confirm details, but a senior Middle Eastern government official also confirmed details to CNN

more: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/14/u-s-military-completes-planning-for-syria/?hpt=hp_t2