by Stephen Lendman

Western-recruited Islamofascist killers are US favorites. They committed mass murder and horrific atrocities since last year. Washington, other Western countries, and regional rogues arm, fund, train, direct, and encourage them.

On December 21, Russia Today interviewed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Moscow isn't "in the business of regime change," he said.

He categorically rejects notions about Russia granting Assad asylum. He condemned Western double standards. So-called friends are terrorists, he said. They're ravaging Syria.

"Our colleagues from the UN Security Council have been refusing to condemn these terror acts," he added.

"They have been critical of terrorism as a whole but said we must take into account the reasons why rebels are attacking security forces."

"Our Western colleagues are dividing terrorists into bad ones and acceptable ones. This could end badly."

Earlier chances to end conflict failed, he stressed. They're gone. Moscow pushed hard for diplomatic resolution. Washington, key NATO partners, and regional allies prevented it. Russia remains committed. It's going all out to prevent full-scale war.

Lavrov's concerned about Turkish-based offensive Patriot missiles on Syria's border. They "could be used against (Syria and) Iran."

Russia doesn't recognize Syrian National Council (SNC) 2.0 officials. It's ready to talk to all sides to end conflict. Only dialogue works, he believes. Conflict can persist longterm.

Neither side can win, he stressed. He's also concerned about terrorists getting chemical weapons. More on that below.

On December 22, the Syrian Free Press said "terrorist groups threaten to pollute Syrian drinking water with toxic chemicals."

Earlier, they threatened chemical weapons use. They uploaded a You Tube video. It showed them testing chemical weapons on lab rabbits. Threats to use them against Assad loyalists followed.

Lab equipment and chemical containers were shown. Some containers bore the Turkish chemical company Tekkim name.

An Arabic text wall poster read, "The Almighty Wind Brigade (Kateebat A Reeh Al Sarsar)."

A man shown begins mixing chemicals in a beaker. It emits gas. Rabbits in a glass box have convulsions, collapse and die. The audio states:

"You saw what happened. This will be your fate, you infidel Alawites. I swear by Allah to make you die like these rabbits, one minute after you inhale the gas."

Now they say they developed a toxic substance called Sunna 2. It can chemically pollute water, they claim. Two grams can kill an adult in less than an hour, they say. They threaten to use it.

Chemical weapons use fear-mongering continues. False allegations claim Assad may use them. On December 19, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) headlined "Preventing Chemical Weapons Use in Syria," saying:

It's "wrong to assume the (threat) is receding. Indeed, there are good reasons to believe it could grow in the coming weeks and months."

Syrian officials repeatedly stressed they won't use these weapons internally. Comments they make fall on deaf ears. They're largely ignored.

CFR shares guilt with others. Syria has a sizable arsenal, it says. It contains deadly Sarin nerve gas and other chemical agents. They've "been weaponized into bombs, artillery shells, and possibly warheads for delivery by missiles."

If "rebel forces progressively gain the upper hand," Assad may use them, CFR claims. No evidence suggests it. None shows insurgents made gains.

Their accomplishments include terror bombings, massacres, and other gruesome atrocities. Well-funded street gangs can commit similar crimes anywhere.

CFR urges aggressive preventive steps. "Military strikes" should be readied if "warnings," "securing loose weapons," and "information warfare" fail.

Iraq WMDs redux emerged. Secretary of State Colin Powell hyped nonexistent mobile weapon labs among other fraudulent claims. He said sound evidence proved it. He lied.

He later called his accusations "the lowest point in my life." Mea culpas don't wash when they come too late to matter. The cradle of civilization was destroyed. It no longer exists. Syria's turn is now.

Alleged Syrian mobile weapons labs are hyped. Claims don't wash. They're no more credible than about Iraq.

Washington Post contributor David Ignatius has close US intelligence ties. He openly favors arming Syrian death squads. He ignores gruesome atrocities they commit.

He reports what imperial America wants stressed. Facts don't interfere with propaganda. Media scoundrels prioritize it.

On December 19, he headlined "A defector's account of Syrian chemical weapons on the move."

He claims bogus "chilling evidence" that Assad "developed special vehicles (for) moving and mixing the weapons." He cites "unconfirmed allegation(s) that (Hezbollah) may have trained" in their use.

An unnamed Syrian source is cited. Allegedly he has inside information. He took refuge outside the country. An anti-Assad group connected Ignatius and him by phone.

Alleged Iraq defector "Curveball" performed similar services a decade ago. Everything he said was fabricated. Ignatius mentioned him briefly. He accepted his unnamed source's information on good faith.

He checked with "independent sources," he claims. He finds what they said credible. Allegations without proof followed. Doing so doesn't wash.

Chemical weapons use fear mongering is fraudulent. It doesn't deter media scoundrels from hyping it. According to Ignatius' source:

"Technicians constructed a mobile lab that could combine and activate so-called 'binary' chemical weapons agents."

"These mobile mixers were constructed inside Mercedes or Volvo trucks that appeared, from the outside, to be similar to refrigerator trucks."

"Inside were storage tanks, pipes and a motor to drive the mixing machinery."

"The (source) estimated that 10 to 15 of these mobile laboratories had been constructed. An independent source said these numbers were high, but he confirmed that the Syrians do have mobile labs."

These type claims emit a familiar odor. It's too obvious to miss. Ignatius dismisses it. He's confident that enough of what he reported is true.

His evidence is an unnamed source, one or more unnamed independent ones, and his own sense of what's right, wrong, or somewhere in between.

This type trash isn't journalism. It's fearmongering propaganda. We've heard it all before. It proliferates ahead of longstanding war plans. People are manipulated to believe Big Lies. Repeated ad nauseam, most do.

Washington repeatedly gets away with mass murder. How many more millions must die before this madness stops? Media scoundrels share responsibility. Blood on their hands won't wash off easily. They have much to answer for. Ignatius is as shameless as the rest of them.

They're paid to lie. Their job is to manipulate readers and viewers to support what they should oppose. It's a full-time job. It pays well. Truth-tellers aren't wanted. They obstruct America's imperial strategy.

Weeks after Washington invaded Iraq, Ignatius was unapologetic. "Personally, I don't much care if the US reports about (WMDs) prove to be imaginary," he said. Toppling Hussein's regime was still right."

Even first year law students and many others know international and US constitutional law prohibit interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. It's only permitted in self-defense or if imminent attack appears certain.

Ignatius and other media scoundrels care only about Washington's imperial agenda. Might over right, they believe, trumps rule of law principles. Despots feel the same way.

Lavrov told Russia Today that Moscow has Syria's chemical weapons "under control." Mossad-connected DEBKAfile (DF) reported the same thing.

Lavrov said Syria "consolidated its chemical weapons in one or two locations amid a rebel onslaught, and they are under control for the time being."

Russia "has military advisers training Syria's military," he added. They keep "close watch over its chemical arsenal." It's unlikely that Al Qaeda, Al Nursa, or other Islamofasist killers will get secured stockpiles.

Earlier reports suggesting they got them in amounts enough to matter are false. Russia's directly involved in preventing it. DF said its presence "delivers a heavy swipe to the rebels."

It's committed to ending conflict diplomatically. Keeping it from spinning out of control is prioritized.

DF said US, Jordanian, Czech, Polish, and perhaps other NATO countries are directly involved on the ground. They're present to secure "chemical or biological caches and dismantl(e) them."

Doing so intervenes directly in Syrian hostilities. DF stopped short of suggesting what else is ongoing. Perhaps Washington plans a false flag chemical attack.

Doing so would be pretext for greater intervention. Russia knows dirty US tactics well. It's going all out to deter them.

DF, US officials, and media scoundrels claimed Syria fired more Scud missiles. Insurgents were targeted, they said. Earlier reports were false. New ones lack credibility.

An unnamed Defense Department official said, "We know they've been firing Scuds and continue to fire them."

Washington sources prioritize false claims. Earlier ones are repeated. New ones are invented. Repetition gets people to believe them. No matter how many times they're deceived, they're simple to fool again.

Syria's pot keeps boiling. Updated reports will follow.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

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http://www.dailycensored.com/institutionalizing-indefinite-detention/