Israel And U.S. Coordinating How To Target Assad’s Military Arsenal

Syrian Civil War: Israel and U.S. Coordinating How to Target Assad’s Arsenal -- Time

52 days after an Israeli general publicly declared that Syria has used chemical weapons against rebels, the Obama administration reached the same conclusion, and used the finding to justify announcing it would send small arms to the side of the victims. “I will not say ‘We told you so,’ only, okay, the proof is there, so there’s no more question about it,” says Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor, taking with a smile the easy part of the equation now laid before Israel. As for the hard part: “Now, what should be done? It’s not for Israel to say, because the international involvement in this should not include Israel. Israel follows very closely developments there. It’s very concerned about activity on its borders. But we’re not aspiring to be involved in any action about what’s happening in Syria.”

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WNU Editor: Here's a map of the 23 places the U.S. will bomb if there's a Syria no-fly-zone.

It Will Take More Than Giving Small Arms To The Rebels To Change The Direction Of The Syrian Civil War

A general view shows damaged buildings and debris in Deir al-Zor, June 13, 2013. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Analysis: Transforming Syria's War Could Take More Than Arming Rebels -- Reuters

(Reuters) - - If the United States and allies genuinely want to change the course of the war in Syria, it may take considerably more than simply supplying the faltering opposition with weaponry.

Western officials say they still believe the ultimate endgame - and possibly the exit of Bashar al-Assad - will be through a negotiated settlement.

In the meantime, however, they say the war is increasingly tilting in what they see as the wrong direction, with Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters entering the fray on Assad's side. With government forces advancing on Aleppo, time may also be running out.

That, some analysts and officials believe, may now push Washington and others towards much more direct military action, perhaps targeted airstrikes or a limited "no-fly zone" over rebel held areas near the Jordanian border.

What happens next may come down to a personal decision for President Barack Obama.

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My Comment: I do not see or understand the vision, goals, objectives, end game, strategy, purpose .... well you get the point .... from what the White House hopes to accomplish with this intervention. But what I do see is the U.S. getting directly involved in another Middle Eastern conflict which will only exacerbate the bloodshed and involve an even greater intervention of outside powers i.e. Hezbollah, Iran, and (of course) Russia. Bottom line .... the entire region is unstable with religion and sectarianism being the main driving force for this conflict .... and the U.S. wants to get involved in this mess with no end game sketched out?!?!?!

And where is the President of the United States? For crying out loud .... he is getting the U.S. involved in another war .... and he has disappeared???? No speech. No address to the nation. No comment. No press conference. Nothing. Just a promise that he will say something next week ?!?!?!?

Trust me on this one .... this is not going to end well.

Hezbollah Vows To Continue The Fight In Syria

Hezbollah's leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah speaks on a TV screen during a ceremony in Beirut's southern suburbs, Friday, June 14, 2013. (The Daily Star/Hasan Shaaban)

Hezbollah Will Keep Fighting In Syria: Nasrallah -- Daily Star

BEIRUT: Hezbollah will continue fighting alongside forces loyal to President Bashar Assad against Syrian rebels, the head of the resistance group said Friday, adding that his party’s decision to intervene in Lebanon’s neighbor had been a calculated one.

Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah also said recent steps taken by Gulf Cooperation Countries targeting Hezbollah loyalists in the Gulf would not deter his group from its objectives in Syria.

“If anyone thinks that through lies, killings, and threats we will change our stances, they are wrong. Wherever we need to be, we will be. What we started taking responsibility for, we will continue to be responsible for, and there is no need to give details," Nasrallah said in an event commemorating wounded members of Hezbollah.

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More News On Reports That Hezbollah Will Continue To Fight In Syria

Hezbollah will stay involved in Syria war: Nasrallah -- AFP
Lebanon's Hezbollah Says to Keep Fighting in Syria -- ABC News/AP
Hezbollah leader says will keep fighting in Syria -- Reuters
Hezbollah leader vows to keep fight in Syria -- Al Jazeera
Nasrallah: Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria was ‘late’ -- Al Arabiya

Commentaries, Analysis, And Reactions To The U.S. Commitment To Arm Syria's Rebels

US Decision To Arm Syria Rebels 'Will Be Greeted With Horror In Russia' -- The Telegraph

President Barack Obama's open-ended commitment to provide weapons to Syrian rebels will place the US and Russia on opposite sides of a Middle Eastern regional war, says Damien McElroy, the Telegraph's Foreign Affairs Correspondent.

President Barack Obama has authorised sending weapons to Syrian rebels for the first time.

The announcement comes after the White House disclosed that the US has conclusive evidence President Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons against opposition forces trying to overthrow him.

Mr Obama has repeatedly said the use of chemical weapons would cross a "red line," suggesting it would trigger greater US intervention in the two-year crisis that has killed 93,000 people.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Reactions To The U.S. Commitment To Arm Syria's Rebels

Is Obama Prolonging The War In Syria? -- Massimo Calabresi, Time
In Syria, U.S. may find war centuries in the making -- Mona Alami, Special for USA TODAY
Obama’s Syria Aid: Too Late? -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast
Will US arms fix Syrian 'problem from hell'? -- Jonathan Marcus, BBC
Syria chemical weapons accusations ‘a means of justifying further military action’ -- RT
U.S. Says Syria Crossed 'Red Line'; Now What? -- Eyder Peralta, NPR
Global Insight: The US and Syria – it’s about time -- Roula Khalaf, Financial Times
Syria: Obama's red line has been crossed – it's time to act -- Ian Black, The Guardian
The West must act on Syria -- The Australian
Syria crosses 'red line' on chemical weapons. How will Obama respond? -- Brad Knickerbocker, Christian Science Monitor
Experts: Syria rebels need weapons before diplomacy -- Oren Dorell, USA TODAY
Is it too late to get involved in Syria? -- FOX News (Video)
Obama's half-hearted push into Syria -- Mark Mardell, BBC
Obama's support for the Syrian rebels is far too little, far too late -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph
Syria aid: Unconscionably late and an object lesson -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
Obama’s Betrayal On Syria -- The Dish
Why we should support the rebels in Syria -- Moshe Ma'oz, Haaretz
Analysis: New urgency for Obama’s Syria choices -- Michael Wilner, Jerusalem Post
First Thoughts: What's the endgame for Syria? -- Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro, NBC News
America’s ‘red lines’ aren’t what they used to be -- Matt Gurney, National Post
Obama proceeds cautiously in Syria, for good reason -- Paul Mirengoff, Powerline
Red Lined: White House Says It Knows For Sure That Assad Used Chemical Weapons -- John Hudson, The Cable/Foreign Policy
'Long overdue': Reactions to White House announcement on Syria -- Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News
White House plan to arm rebels raises warnings in Congress -- FOX News
John McCain: Delay on Syria ‘disgraceful’ -- Politico
On Syria, Bill Clinton says Obama decision 'trending in right direction' -- CNN

U.S. To Arm Syria's Rebels (Updated)

US Offers Syrian Rebels 'Military Support,' Alleges Assad Used Chemical Weapons -- NBC

The United States and its allies have concluded that the government of Bashar Assad has used chemical weapons in Syria's protracted civil war, leading President Barack Obama to broaden aid — including military support — to opposition groups.

The intelligence community concluded with "high confidence" that the Assad regime had used chemical weapons — including the nerve agent sarin — "on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year."

"The intelligence community estimates that 100 to 150 people have died from detected chemical weapons attacks in Syria to date; however, casualty data is likely incomplete," said Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes.

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Previous Post: U.S. To Provide Military Support To Syria's Rebels

More News On The U.S. Preparing To Provide Military Assistance To Syria's Rebels

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
US to arm Syrian rebels - live updates -- The Guardian
Syria: US 'to arm rebels' - latest -- The Telegraph

Analysis: U.S. military options in Syria remain challenging -- David Alexander and Phil Stewart, Reuters
Obama adviser: US to increase military support to Syria rebels -- The Telegraph
Obama Said to Order Arming Syrian Opposition Amid Setbacks -- Bloomberg Businessweek
US grapples with how much weaponry to give Syrian rebels -- AP
Obama to arm Syrian rebels -- MSNBC
Obama Plans to Arm Syrian Rebels -- Voice of America
U.S. says Syria used chemical weapons, will send military support to rebels -- McClatchy News
U.S. to start arming Syria rebels but still moving warily -- Reuters
US agrees to arm Syria rebels amid chemical weapons claims -- The Australian/AFP
US offers 'military support' to Syrian rebels -- Al Jazeera
Officials: US Planning to Arm Syrian Rebels -- Voice of America
U.S. considers no-fly zone after Syria crosses nerve gas "red line" -- Reuters
Jordan key to Pentagon plan for no-fly zone -- The Australian
France says U.N. backing for Syria no-fly zone 'unlikely' -- Reuters
Syria rebels want heavy weapons and no-flyzone from US -- Financial Times
Getting weapons to Syrian rebels not that hard -- USA Today

Syria And Russia Condemn U.S. Claims Of Chemical Weapons Use

Syria, Russia Push Back Over U.S. Chemical Weapons Claims -- CNN

(CNN) -- Claims and counterclaims came thick and fast Friday in response to the White House's declaration hours earlier that it believes the Syrian government has crossed a "red line" in using chemical weapons against rebels.

That conclusion -- declared for the first time Thursday -- is prompting the United States to increase the "scale and scope" of its support for the opposition, the White House said, although officials stopped short of saying it will put weapons in the hands of rebels.

The U.S. report won backing from the UK government Friday -- but Syria and its allies in Moscow quickly sought to cast its integrity into doubt.

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Previous Post: White House: Syria Crossed The Red Line On Chemical Weapons

More News On Syrian And Russian Reaction To The U.S. Claim Of Chemical Weapons Use

Syrian chemical weapons: White House statement -- BBC
Syria regime denounces US chemical weapons claim -- BBC
Syria: US chemical weapons charges 'full of lies' -- AP
Syria: U.S. lying about chemical weapons -- CNN
Syria FM says U.S. report on use of chemical weapons "full of lies" -- Xinhuanet
Syria civil war: Russia sceptical over US claims Bashar al-Assad's regime used chemical weapons -- The Independent
Russia Hits Back at U.S. Over Syria -- Wall Street Journal
Russia: U.S. claims of Syrian chemical arms use unconvincing -- Reuters
Russia dismisses US claims of Syrian chemical weapons use -- The Guardian
Russia warns of Syria chemical weapons fabrication as US ups involvement -- Christian Science Monitor
Russia Unconvinced by U.S. Claims of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use -- Bloomberg Businessweek

White House: Syria Crossed The Red Line On Chemical Weapons

Syria: US Says Assad Regime Used Chemical Weapons -- The Telegraph

The United States has confirmed that the Assad regime in Syria has used chemical weapons against opposition targets, in a move that now paves the way for a sharp increase in military support to rebel fighters.

The determination by US intelligence agencies that chemical weapons including Sarin gas have lead to the deaths of up to 150 people, comes as new figures from the United Nations estimates that 93,000 people have now died in the conflict.

Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser, signalled that the finding had opened a new phase in US engagement in the civil war, after a week in which the Assad regime’s Iranian-backed forces have made alarming gains from the rebels.

“The president has said that the use of chemical weapons would change his calculus, and it has,” said Mr Rhodes.

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More News On The White House Declaring That Syria Has Used Chemical Weapons

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
U.S. Officials Say Assad Used Chemical Weapons -- Time/AP
U.S. accuses Assad on chemical weapons, plans military aid to rebels -- Reuters
Syria Has Used Chemical Arms on Rebels, U.S. and Allies Find -- New York Times
U.S.: Syria used chemical weapons, crossing "red line" -- CBS
Obama administration: Syrian regime used chemical weapons against opposition -- NBC
White House: Syria crosses 'red line' with use of chemical weapons on its people -- CNN
Assad forces used chemical weapons - White House -- BBC
Syria regime used chemical weapons against rebels, US officials say -- The Guardian
U.S.: Syria used chemical weapons -- Washington Times
U.S. Concludes Assad Used Chemical Weapons Against Rebels -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Red Lined: White House Says It Knows For Sure That Assad Used Chemical Weapons -- The Cable/Foreign Policy
Syrian president has used chemical weapons, crossing 'red lines,' US says -- FOX News
U.S. has determined Syria used chemical weapons -- USA Today
U.S. says Syria has used chemical weapons -- McClatchy News
Red Line Crossed: U.S. Officials Confirm Syrian Chemical Weapons Use -- Time
White House: Assad Used Chemical Weapons in Syria -- Voice of America
US Says Syria Used Chemical Arms -- RIA Novosti
White House estimates Syrian chemical weapons have killed up to 150 people -- Washington Post/AP
White House statement on Syrian regime chemicals weapons - full text -- The Guardian

U.S. To Provide Military Support To Syria's Rebels

US Offers 'Military Support' To Syrian Rebels -- Al Jazeera

President Obama's decision comes after White House determines Syrian regime used chemical weapons against opposition.

The United States is boosting military support to the main Syrian rebel group after determining that the government has used chemical weapons against the opposition, a top White House official has said.

"The president has made a decision about providing more support to the opposition, that will involve providing direct
support to the [Supreme Military Council], that includes military support," Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes
told reporters on a conference call on Thursday.

"This is going to be different in both scope and scale in terms of what we are providing to the SMC than what we have provided before."

The Supreme Military Council is the military wing of the main civilian opposition group.

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More News On The U.S. To Supply 'Military Support' To Syrian Rebels

Obama to step up military support of Syrian rebels -- Boston.com/AP
U.S., citing use of chemical weapons by Syria, to provide military support to rebels -- Washington Post
U.S. Military Proposal to Arm Rebels Includes No-Fly Zone in Syria -- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Stepping Up 'Military Support' to Syrian Rebels -- Wall Street Journal
White House: We'll Give Syrian Rebels Arms, Support -- Reuters
Obama to step up military support of Syrian rebels following new chemical weapons assessments -- Newser/AP
Source: Obama approves arming Syrian rebels -- USA Today
US signals it is preparing to arm Syrian rebels and confirms use of chemical weapons by Assad regime -- The Independent
US to offer Syrian rebels armed help -- Sydney Morning Herald/AFP
Syria: U.S. boosting military support to opposition after chemical attacks confirmed -- Toronto Star
White House hints at lethal aid for Syrian rebels -- Daily Caller
US toughens stance on Syria after 'nerve gas attacks' -- AFP

The Growing Role Of Al Qaeda In Syria

Syria's al-Nusra Front soldiers. Business Insider

Syrian Rebels Pledge Loyalty To al-Qaeda -- USA Today

BEIRUT — A Syrian rebel group's pledge of allegiance to al-Qaeda's replacement for Osama bin Laden suggests that the terrorist group's influence is not waning and that it may take a greater role in the Western-backed fight to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The pledge of allegiance by Syrian Jabhat al Nusra Front chief Abou Mohamad al-Joulani to al-Qaeda leader Sheik Ayman al-Zawahri was coupled with an announcement by the al-Qaeda affiliate in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq, that it would work with al Nusra as well.

Lebanese Sheik Omar Bakri, a Salafist who says states must be governed by Muslim religious law, says al-Qaeda has assisted al Nusra for some time.

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My Comment: Are these the rebels that the U.S. is now going to support? Sadly .... this is probably going to be the case.

UN Report: 93,000 Have Been Killed In Syria's Civil War

UN Says 93,000 Dead In Syria Conflict -- Voice of America

The United Nations says nearly 93,000 people have been confirmed killed in Syria's war, although it warns the actual figure is probably much higher.

The U.N. human rights office says the latest toll, which accounted for deaths until the end of April, is most likely a minimum figure.

The U.N. said an average of more than 5,000 people have been killed monthly since last July. Navi Pillay, the U.N.'s top human rights official, said this reflects the "drastically deteriorating pattern of the conflict over the past year."

Pillay's spokesman, Rupert Colville, tells VOA most victims are civilians.

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More News On The UN's Report That 93,000 Have Been Killed In Syria's Civil War

UN says nearly 93,000 killed in Syrian conflict -- AP
U.N. says 93,000 killed in Syrian conflict, fears for Aleppo -- Reuters
UN says at least 93,000 killed in Syria conflict -- AFP
Syria death toll at least 93,000, says UN -- BBC
Syria death toll reaches 93,000: UN -- The Telegraph
Confirmed death toll in Syrian conflict nearly 93,000, says UN -- The Guardian
Syrian Death Toll Approaches 93,000, U.N. Says -- New York Times
Syria conflict has killed nearly 93,000, U.N. says -- Washington Post
U.N.: Documented killings in Syria rise to over 92,000 -- CNN
Syria Civil War Death Toll Rises to 93,000, UN Agency Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
UN study indicates at least 93,000 people killed in Syria conflict -- Xinhuanet
UN: At least 93,000 people killed in Syria -- AL Jazeera
Syria's death toll soars to nearly 93,000 -- Foreign Policy
How Syria's 93,000 Dead Compare to Other Terrible Wars -- The Atlantic

'Massacre' Being Reported In Eastern Syria

Syria Rebels 'Kill Shia Residents Of Eastern Billage' -- BBC

Rebels have attacked a village in eastern Syria, killing dozens of Shia Muslim residents, most of them pro-government fighters, activists say.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said at least 60 people died in Hatla on Tuesday.

The attack appeared to be retaliation for a raid on a rebel position by people from the village, it added.

Meanwhile, a government helicopter has reportedly fired three missiles at the northern Lebanese border town of Arsal.

Lebanese officials said one of the missiles had struck the town centre, and that a woman and her daughter were slightly hurt.

Arsal is a predominantly Sunni town about 15km (9 miles) from the Syrian border that is home to some 27,000 Syrian refugees.

It was used as a staging-post by Syrian rebels during the recent battle for the strategically important town of Qusair.

Qusair was recaptured by the army last week with help from the Lebanese Shia Islamist movement, Hezbollah.

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More News On Reports That There Has been A Massacre In Eastern Syria

Reports of 'massacre' in eastern Syria -- Al Jazeera
Syrian rebels kill dozens in mostly Shiite village -- Washington Post
Activists: Syrian rebels fight Shiites in eastern village, 60 killed -- Washington Post/AP
Syrian rebels kill 60 Shi'ites in eastern town: activists -- Reuters
Syria "rebels" behind alleged massacre of Shiites -- CBS/AP
Syrian rebel factions kill troops and civilians in Hatla -- Global Post
Syrian Rebels Accused of Massacring Shiites -- Atlantic Wire

Syria's Military Prepares For A Massive Assault Against Rebels In Aleppo

Syrian Troops Positioned for Aleppo Offensive -- Voice of America

BEIRUT — Syrian government forces are moving into position to launch a major offensive on the rebel-held half of the country’s biggest city, Aleppo, according to opposition activists.

They say assault is likely to feature the deployment once again of thousands of guerrillas from Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese Shia movement that is backing President Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime.

Hezbollah fighters were the key factor in the Syrian government’s capture last week of Qusair, a strategic town near the border with Lebanon – a gain that has disrupted important rebel supply lines.

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More News On The Upcoming Battle For Aleppo

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
Offensive reported on key Syrian city of Aleppo -- L.A. Times
Syria army launches attack on Aleppo airbase -- Al Arabiya
Syria Widens Offensive to Aleppo As Suicide Attackers Strike -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Syria troops 'preparing for Aleppo assault' -- BBC
In Syria, al-Assad’s forces move on Aleppo -- Reuters
Syria crisis: Assad's forces prepare assault on Aleppo -- The Guardian
Syrian regime vows to retake Aleppo as rebels advance -- The Hindu

Hezbollah Has Tipped The War In Favor Of Syrian President Assad

Analysis: Hezbollah Tips Syria Power Balance, Polarizes Lebanon -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Lebanese have long viewed the Hezbollah guerrilla army as a state-within-a-state. But having watched it launch a military adventure in Syria and brutality on the streets of Beirut, they feel ever more hostage to the Islamist group's regional agenda.

Within minutes of a busload of unarmed demonstrators arriving on Sunday at the Iranian embassy in Beirut to protest against Iran and Hezbollah's military involvement in Syria, Hezbollah enforcers surrounded the building and scattered the crowd with batons and gunfire, leaving one dead.

The small demonstration by an anti-Hezbollah crowd showed that the "Party of God", armed and financed by Iran, is not prepared to contemplate even the smallest level of threat.

Such visibly frayed nerves in Lebanon's capital follow the Shi'ite group's dramatically increased involvement in the two-year-old Syrian civil war, helping troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad retake the border town of Qusair.

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My Comment: Hezbollah's involvement in Syria's civil war is resulting a backlash .... more to the point .... other countries have made it clear that if Hezbollah continues, there will be consequences.

U.S. Decision To Arm Syrian Rebels To Come Soon

A Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during clashes with Syrian Army in central Aleppo in this August 7, 2012 photo. VOA

U.S. To Weigh Arming Syrian Rebels, Official Says -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The United States could make a decision as early as this week on whether to arm Syrian rebels, U.S. officials said on Monday, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry put off a Middle East trip to attend meetings on the subject.

However, the U.S. government has debated for months whether to provide weaponry to the rebels in their civil war against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces and has so far decided against.

One U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity stressed that while a decision on whether to start arming the rebels is possible as soon as this week, deliberations on the issue could easily take longer.

Kerry put off a planned trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories to attend the White House meetings, an Obama administration source said.

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More News On Reports That The U.S. Will Decide 'Soon" On Arming Syria's Rebels

Obama to decide whether U.S. will send Syrian rebels air power this week -- FOX News/AP
US decision on arming Syrian rebels imminent -- RTE News
US Poised to Decide Whether to Arm Syrian Rebels -- Voice of America
Is America about to start arming Syrian rebels? Kerry scraps visit to Israel as U.S. prepares to decide -- Daily Mail
US official: Washington to consider arming Syrian rebels -- Al Arabiya
Will U.S. arm Syrian rebels? White House to discuss it this week -- Elise Labott, CNN
Report: John Kerry Cleared His Schedule to Discuss Arming Syrian Rebels -- Atlantic Wire
Friend or Foe? Blurry portrait of Syrian fighters challenges US in sending support -- FOX News
U.S. to arm Syrian rebels? -- David Jackson, USA Today

Syrian Military Prepares For An All-Out Assault On Aleppo

Syria Troops 'Preparing For Aleppo Assault' -- BBC

Syrian government forces are reported to be preparing for a major offensive on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo and its surroundings.

A Syrian security source said it would start "in the coming hours or days".

Opposition activists in the city told the BBC that military reinforcements, including Hezbollah fighters, had been sent to parts of Aleppo.

Government forces backed by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Islamist group, last week recaptured the town of Qusair.

On Sunday, they retook the last remaining rebel-held villages in the strategically important area, which lies between the Lebanese border and the central city of Homs.

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More News On The Battle For Aleppo

Syria: Assad forces massing for major assault on Aleppo -- The Telegraph
Syrian army to move on Aleppo -- Sydney Morning Herald
Syria civil war: President Bashar al-Assad's forces plan assault on rebels in Aleppo -- Independent
Syrian army prepares for Aleppo battle -- Daily Star
Syrian assault on Aleppo imminent as government forces mount -- Global Post
Assad, Hezbollah set eyes on Aleppo -- YNet News
Syrian Army Launches Operation to Recapture Aleppo -- CRIEnglish/Xinhuanet
Syrian Army Launches Operation to Win Back Rebel-Held Aleppo -- RIA Novosti
After Qusayr victory, Syrian army launches Aleppo operation -- Press TV (Iran)
Battle escalates in renewed push for control of Aleppo -- Euronews
Syria rebels advance on key Aleppo airbase: activists -- Daily Star
Syrian Rebels: We Killed 100 Hezbollah Fighters in Aleppo -- Algemeiner

UN Launches The 'Largest Humanitarian Appeal In History' Over Syria

Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos at press conference announcing largest-ever humanitarian appeal by the UN for Syria. Photo: Violaine Martin

Syria Appeal Is Biggest In UN History -- The Guardian

Growing number of refugees prompts $5bn appeal, but fears remain that scale of crisis may have been underestimated.

The UN has launched the largest emergency appeal in its history – $5bn (£3.2bn) – as it warned that half the population will need humanitarian aid by the end of the year.

The civil war in Syria has led to the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world amid a conflict in which hospitals, schools and water and sanitation infrastructure have been targeted.

But some fear that the $5bn appeal will not be enough as aid agencies have struggled to keep pace with the three-year crisis which has left more than 80,000 people dead.

"Unfortunately, several of the former appeals for the humanitarian response inside Syria and in neighbouring countries have underestimated the scale of the crisis," said Toril Brekke, acting secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

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More News On The UN's Appeal For Aid To Syria

UN announces largest ever humanitarian appeal for conflict-torn Syria -- UN News Centre
U.N. Appeals for $5 Billion in Aid for Syria -- New York Times
U.N. seeks more than $5 billion in aid for Syria -- Washington Post
Syria crisis: UN launches largest ever aid appeal - BBC
UN launches record appeal for victims of Syrian war -- Reuters
UN urges Syria to immediately allow aid groups into newly captured Qusair to help civilians -- Washington Post/AP
UN Launches $4.4 Billion Appeal to Help Syrians -- Voice of America
UN launches 'largest humanitarian appeal in history' for Syria -- NBC
U.N.: Half of Syria's populace will need aid -- CNN

What A Military Stalemate Looks Like In The Syrian Countryside

Syrian Rebels Meet Setbacks On A New Front -- New York Times

IBLIL, Syria — The airstrikes resumed at 7:30 a.m., beginning with a rolling series of explosions in the village of Zoghba. An extended roar shook the northern Hama Plain.

In nearby Iblil, rebel fighters listened knowingly. If the pattern held, shells and rockets would soon follow — and hundreds of opposition fighters in villages they had recently claimed would face another punishing day.

Roughly six weeks ago, as foreign governments were focused on whether chemical weapons had been used in Syria’s civil war, several rebel groups made a decision blending boldness and risk. Eager to break a painful near-stalemate that has settled over the war since late last summer, they opened a front here on the arid flatlands east of the Aleppo-Damascus highway.

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My Comment: Unless the rebels get weapons to take out tanks and aircraft .... this is going to be a long war.

The Syrian Town Of Qusair Has Fallen To Government And Hezbollah Forces

Horrific Pictures Reveal The Slaughter In Syria As Government Forces Capture Key Town And Britain Accuses Regime Of Attacking Rebels With Chemical Weapons -- The Daily Mail

* Government troops regain control of strategic border town of Qusair
* Graphic images show bodies of rebel fighters defeated by Assad's army
* British and French officials reveal that sarin has been used in fighting
* David Cameron's spokesman accuses Assad of deploying chemical arms
* News could raise prospect of Western intervention in Syria's civil war
* Country built up its chemical stockpile thanks to foreign allies like Russia

Horrific pictures today revealed the scale of the ongoing slaughter in Syria after government troops regained control of a strategic border town from rebel fighters.

The graphic images purported to show the corpses of rebels killed during the three-week battle over the town of Qusair, which was captured by Bashar Al Assad's forces today.

The news comes as a British official insisted there is a 'growing body of persuasive evidence' that the regime has been using chemical weapons against its rebel opponents.

It is believed that Assad's government has acquired such weapons, including the deadly nerve gas sarin, from foreign allies such as Russia and Iran.

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More News On The Fall Of Qusair

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
Syria crisis: Assad's forces retake Qusair - live updates -- The Guardian

Syria army announces capture of key town to nation -- AP
Syrian rebels lose strategic town, bolstering Assad -- Reuters
Syrian army retakes key town of Qusair from rebels -- BBC
Syria crisis: Qusair capture 'major strategic victory' (Video) -- BBC
Pro-Assad forces retake strategic city of Qusayr in major setback for rebels -- McClatchy News
Syrian Army Regains Strategic City Of Qusayr -- Al Jazeera
Assad's troops seize control of Qusair -- The Guardian
Syria: Assad forces take control of Qusayr in major breakthrough -- The Telegraph
Assad's troops roll into Qusayr -- The Telegraph
Syrian regime takes over crucial city of Qusayr; rebels say war's not over -- CNN
Key Syria town of al-Qusayr falls to government troops -- USA Today
Syrian Regime Regains Key Border Town -- Wall Street Journal
Syria rebels lose battle for Qusair -- Sydney Morning Herald
Report: Lebanese militants help Syrian forces capture border town -- Washington Post
Syrian Army Takes Control of Qusair -- Voice of America
Qusair capture changes Syria conflict dynamics -- Jonathan Marcus, BBC

Being Linked To Al Qaeda Has Helped This Syrian Rebel Group To Gain New Recruits

U.N.: Nusra Front In Syria Gains Recruits After Announcing Tie To Al Qaida -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — The rebel Nusra Front in Syria appears to have gained recruits and equipment since pledging allegiance to al Qaida, according to a U.N. report released Tuesday that depicts a widening and increasingly sectarian conflict.

The more than two years of bloodshed in Syria has “accelerated radicalization,” allowing Nusra in particular to become more influential among Sunni Muslim extremist groups throughout the region, especially now that the Shiite Muslim fighters of Hezbollah are so visibly backing President Bashar Assad’s regime, the report said.

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My Comment: The above Al Jazeera video is a must watch on the who and what the Nusra Front are in Syria.

France Allege Chemical Weapons Use In Syria

UN, France Allege Chemical Weapons Use In Syria -- Voice of America

UNITED NATIONS — A United Nations report says there are “reasonable grounds” to believe a limited amount of chemical weapons have been used in Syria.

Findings of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria were released Tuesday just hours ahead of a statement from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that his government is certain the chemical agent sarin has been used several times in that conflict-torn country.

The commission's report says there is not enough evidence to determine which chemical agents have been used in Syria or who deployed them. For that to be established, it says, testing must be carried out on victims and from the site of the alleged attacks.

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More News On French Claims of Chemical Weapons Being Used In Syria

Syrian attack victims test positive for nerve agent sarin, say UK and France -- The Guardian
France, Britain say sarin gas used in Syria -- CBS/AP
France's Fabius 'confirms sarin use' by Syria regime -- BBC
France Says ‘No Doubt’ Syrian Regime Has Used Chemical Weapons -- Bloomberg Businessweek
France: Sarin gas used in Syria -- CNN
France says it is ‘certain’ that Syrian government has used sarin gas -- Washington Post
France says tests from Syria show sarin use -- Al Jazeera
France says tests prove Syria used nerve gas; U.S. sends Patriots to Jordan -- Reuters
France Certain Chemical Weapons Used in Syria - FM -- RIA Novosti