Wadah Khanfar, Al-Jazeerah and the triumph of televised propaganda
Al-Jazeera - the Qatari news channel that in the space of 15 years established itself in the Arab world as an innovative news outlet - suddenly embarked in a vast intoxication campaign to overthrow the regimes of Libya and Syria through any means. As demonstrated by Thierry Meyssan, this was not a conjunctural shift but one that was planned long in advance by individuals who shrewdly concealed their personal interests to the public. Revelations follow ...
Read original in English (cache) (SANA Arabic, SANA English)
by Thierry Meyssan
Voltaire Network | 26 September 2011
Economic relations between Turkey and Syria
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-258744-economic-relations-between-turkey-and-syria.html
03 October 2011, Monday
HASAN KANBOLAT, Columnist
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is headed this week to Hatay, to visit the tent cities accommodating Syrian refugees. This visit appears to mark the start of sanctions that will be placed on Syria by Ankara in the coming period.
Plans to open up these tent cities to local and foreign media are under way. Up until now, Turkey has kept the tent cities closed off to the media, in order not to "bother" Damascus and not provide a voice for the Syrian opposition in Turkey. But now in İstanbul, there is an office for the Syrian opposition being set up. It is expected that it will be through this office that the Syrian National Council will be formed.
As for the West, it has already begun implementing economic sanctions against Syria. The financial holdings of some of the top-level members of Syrian society have been frozen. The soft belly of the Syrian economy is the energy sector, and sanctions against petrol exports out of Syria have already begun. In order for the economic sanctions to prove successful, it is very important that Turkey participates. But thoughts are now focused on economic sanctions that would penalize only the leadership, and not the people of Syria. In addition to all this, it is important to keep in mind that Syria is Turkey's door to overland routes into the Middle East. Trade done by Turkey via roadways into the Middle East all done through Syria, which is why Turkey is taking hesitant steps when it comes to economic sanctions aimed at Syria.
In order to be able to analyze relations between Turkey and Syria post March 2011, we need to take a look at the recent history of economic relations between the two countries. The accords that place economic relations between Turkey and Syria on a legal foundation are the "Preventing Double Taxation" and "Reciprocal Stimulus and Protection of Investments" accords. The most important underpinning of the legal foundation that binds these two counties, however, is the "Turkey-Syria Free Trade Accord." What this accord presents is a 12-year period, during which industrial products exported from Turkey to Syria will be free from customs taxes in increments. As for products entering Turkey from Syria, they were made free entirely from customs taxes from the date the accord was put into implementation.
With regards to foreign trade, the volume between Turkey and Syria rose from $824.1 million in 2003 to $1.752 billion in 2009 and $1.844 billion in 2010. Both countries had aimed to see the volume of trade rise to $5 billion in 2012. Turkey's main exports to Syria include cement, electric energy, insulated wire, cables, fiber optic cable, synthetic fiber, plastic tubing, iron-steel construction accessories, iron-steel rods, pipes and hoses. As for important goods imported into Turkey from Syria, these include petrol oils, raw petrol, natural calcium, natural aluminum calcium phosphate, phosphate chalks, cotton yarns, and wheat.
The most important dual-sided plan of the Turkish-Syrian energy cooperation is exploration, production and processing in Syria's petrol and natural gas fields. At the same time, the most important multi-sided plan within the Turkish-Syrian energy cooperation is the "Arab Natural Gas Pipeline" project which aims to see the transport of energy resources from the Middle East to Europe. It is also important to note that Syria purchases around 1.5 billion kilowatts of electricity from Turkey on an annual basis.
Turkish companies active in the metal, food, cement and open sea fishing sectors of the Syrian economy have made total investments of around $223 million.
According to results from the Oct. 13, 2009 Aleppo and Gaziantep High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, Turkish-Syrian customs were to move to a single window system. In other words, Turkish and Syrian controls at the border dividing the two countries were to be combined into one spot. In addition, the no man's zone between the two countries was to be eliminated. Currently, five out of seven border crossing points between Turkey and Syria are functional, with plans to make the other two border crossings active in the near future. From the date of Sept. 18, 2009 onwards, visa requirements between Turkey and Syria were lifted, and visa-free visits were put into implementation. Thus, citizens holding Turkish and Syrian passports were able to make reciprocal visits to one another's countries, provided that stays did not exceed 90 days. While the number of Syrian tourists coming to Turkey in 2003 was 154,000, it rose to 500,000 in 2010.
Following the events which have unfolded in Syria since March 2011, small and mid-sized amounts of capital from Syria began to enter Turkish banks. Large amounts of deposits and assets are being accepted through İstanbul. Money deposited into İstanbul from Syria, however, is generally traceable back to Hatay these days.
18 Turkish Literary and Artistic Personalities Stress the Unclean Role International Media Has Played in Events in Syria (the Writers Union's association in Antakya)
http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/10/03/373153.htm
http://www.sana.sy/ara/9/2011/10/03/373116.htm
Oct 03, 2011
More than 300 young people from various provinces handed over a letter to the Turkish ambassador in Damascus confirms their rejection of the policy of the Turkish government about the events in Syria
http://www.sana.sy/ara/336/2011/10/03/373242.htm
03 Oct 0.2011
Muslim Brotherhood wants 'democratic' Syria: ex-leader
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Oct-03/150342-muslim-brotherhood-wants-democratic-syria-ex-leader.ashx
October 03, 2011 12:48 PM
Agence France Presse
DOHA: The Muslim Brotherhood wants a "democratic" Syria not an Islamic state to replace the regime of embattled President Bashar al-Assad, the group's former leader said late on Sunday.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Brookings Doha centre in the Qatari capital, Bayanouni said the Brotherhood was "not imposing itself on the opposition or on the people of Syria."
الملك عبد الله الثاني يقطع لقاءه بآصف شوكت بعد تهديد الأخير بقصف مدن أردنية
King Abdullah II cut off his meeting with Asef Shaukat after the recent threat of bombing of Jordanian cities
http://arabic.rt.com/news_all_news/news/568133
03.10.2011 12:07
According to news agency of Jordan, "Rum" that a meeting was held in the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan, Amman, the dawn of October 1 / October between King Abdullah II of Jordan is described as "Rum," the manager actually a Syrian General Intelligence, Gen. Asef Shawkat, was attended by Mohammed al-Raqqaad Director of Jordanian intelligence General, who visited the Syrian capital Damascus two months ago with a message from King Abdullah that it should "obey the wishes of the international community" and make real reforms in Syria.
According to the news agency, citing the location of "Sabr" of Kuwait, the Jordanian monarch ended the meeting when he stood sharply and asked the Director of the Jordanian intelligence to bid farewell to the Syrian guest, after he threatened the latter by targeting his country to the cities of Jordan missiles "Scud", which has such a lot according to the recipe, in case of " Jordan responded to pressure the country "and contributed to Amman in any Western aggression against Syria.
Before the end of King meeting Reply to Shawkat, saying that Jordan is not afraid of any threats, and he will deal positively with any UN resolution paving the way for a military operation in Syria, and Saudi Arabia will participate in this process and publicly "support for the Syrian people," just as involved in "the People's Liberation Libya ", he said, adding that the solution in the hands of the Syrian leadership which can help avoid situations in Damascus and Amman" beyond repair later. "
The sources said Asif Shawkat felt very embarrassed by the reaction of the Jordanian king, who finished the meeting in a hurry. The sources pointed out that the media did not disclose the royal palace on the visit of a high-level Syrian official and the resulting spasm during the meeting, which as Jordanian officials reflects a lack of desire to Amman with Damascus of fomenting differences, response media.
Ahmadinejad: Syria Able to Solve Its Problems on Its Own (Syria's Parliament Speaker visits Iran)
http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/10/03/373200.htm
http://www.sana.sy/ara/3/2011/10/03/373176.htm
Oct 03, 2011
Rai: My views reflect Vatican policy
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Oct-03/150269-rai-my-views-reflect-vatican-policy.ashx
October 03, 2011 02:21 AM
The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said before departing to the United States Saturday that his visit was pastoral in nature, while his recent controversial statements reflected the policy of the Vatican.
"I am on a pastoral visit on the occasion of the gathering of Maronite bishops who are in the diaspora countries across North America, South and Central America," Rai said at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut.
Rai said that his recent trip to Paris, where the patriarch's statements on Hezbollah's weapons and the Syria crisis had sparked controversy, had been of a different nature "because I received an official invitation from the French president … however, with regard to America I am going to visit our people and I will also go to other countries where we have parishes," Rai said.
Asked whether he would travel to Syria, Raid said: "It is my duty to visit all of our parishes and people in Jordan, the Holy Land, Syria and the rest of the Arab world."
Rai also confirmed that he would visit Iraq next month.
Questioned on the controversial statements he made in Paris and whether these reflected Vatican policy, Rai said: "It is enough to read what the Vatican says to know whether what I said reflected [Vatican policy] or not."
During a five-day visit to France last month, Rai tied the issue of Hezbollah's disarmament to an overall Middle East peace sand called for giving Syrian President Bashar Assad a chance to implement political reforms. He also warned that the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Syria could threaten the presence of Christians there.
Christians not a minority, Rai tells U.S.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Oct-03/150352-christians-not-a-minority-rai-tells-us.ashx
October 03, 2011 06:26 PM
The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said Christians in the Middle East are not a minority, and warned that current crises in the region hurt unity between Muslims and Christians.
"The world is talking about minorities nowadays, but we are not a minority ... we are the foundation of the East," Rai was quoted as saying during a sermon in the city of Peoria, Illinois during his 19-day pastoral visit to the U.S.
"The Christian presence in Lebanon is a model message for coexistence and dialogue between Christians and Muslims, where people of different religions bear witness to the possibility of coexistence and dialogue," Rai said. "We live today in various crises which [we cannot let] undermine our unity and Lebanon's message."
The trip was postponed from Sept. 30 to Oct.3 after the cancellation of the patriarch's stop to Washington, D.C., where he was to meet with U.S. officials.
Recent media reports said Rai's visit to Washington to meet with high-ranking officials, including U.S. President Barack Obama, was canceled as a sign of U.S. disapproval of the patriarch's remarks on Syria and Hezbollah's arms.
During his visit to Paris last month, Rai said that President Bashar Assad should be given a chance to carry out reforms in Syria, warning the international community that a change in rule might hurt the presence of minorities, especially Christians, in the country.
The patriarch also said that when Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory, Hezbollah's justification for carrying arms would collapse.
The patriarch's remarks drew criticism from Lebanon's March 14 coalition, and praise from the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance.
Lebanese Justice Issues Indictment against Three Arrested Men for Weapons Smuggling
http://www.sana.sy/eng/22/2011/10/03/373219.htm
Oct 03, 2011
Syria import ban deals heavy blow to already shaken Lebanese exports
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2011/Oct-03/150273-syria-import-ban-deals-heavy-blow-to-already-shaken-lebanese-exports.ashx
October 03, 2011 02:20 AM
The Daily Star
Syrian Infiltration in Wadi Khaled
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/16425-syrian-infiltration-in-wadi-khaled
by Naharnet Newsdesk
03 October 2011, 07:49
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