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by FRANKLIN LAMB
Damascus.

At the height of the war scare here in early September, a group 9 primarily Sunni, Christian, and Alawite students and activists, led by a charismatic and agnostic pro-Hezbollah Lebanese Shia woman from Hermel in Lebanon’s North Bekaa Valley, set up a Human Shields and Observers camp to protect the Syrian TV channels, radio and communication towers situated at the crest of Mount Qasioun which rises up 1,151 meters (3,776 ft) at its crest. The small community has the air of a sit-in as well as a teach-in. Within a few days, their numbers exceeded 200, and at weeks end the “Ala agsadona” (“over our dead bodies”), website was hosting thousands of visitors every day.
“We are prepared to take the first cruise missile with our bare chests,” explained one young man, an architecture student at Syrian University, a relatively expensive private institution which offers majors in French, English, German, Italian and other western languages.
by Stephen Lendman

Earlier articles called it a scam. It's a healthcare rationing scheme. It's a boon to predatory providers. It's a plan to enrich insurers, drug companies, and large hospital chains.
It's market-based for profit. It lets providers escalate costs. It's regulation light. Loopholes let profiteers game the system. They let business benefit at the expense of ordinary people.
Tens of millions are left uninsured. Millions more are underinsured. On August 12, The New York Times headlined "A Limit on Consumer Costs Is Delayed in Health Care Law," saying:
Obama delayed a "significant consumer protection." He did so until 2015. He did it secretly. He did it last February.
by Stephen Lendman

UN Secretary-Generals pledge to uphold UN Charter provisions. Under Chapter XV, Article 100, they're mandated "not (to) seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other authority external to the Organization."
"Each Member of the United Nations undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and the staff and not to seek to influence them in the discharge of their responsibilities."
On December 14, 2006, Ban Ki-moon was sworn in as UN Secretary-General. He pledged to:
Michael Collins

The United Nations weapons inspectors report on the August 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus has become a propaganda festival for the Western powers, including the United States.
Since the U.S. and Russia reached their deal to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, the report will have little impact on military action or sanctions against Syria. Even if there is a definitive finding that the Syrian government is responsible for the attacks, the U.S. has agreed to forego any military strikes as a result of the disarmament deal. (Image)
The real story concerns the risks of calamitous military conflict erupting in the Middle East through accident or miscalculation. More on that shortly but first, here is a quick summary of the credibility of the UN.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon leaks results of report on September 13
by Stephen Lendman

A previous article explained the following:
Consensus 9/11 seeks "best evidence" proof. It does so to dispel official story falsehoods. It's founded on:
"(1) The opinions of respected authorities, based on professional experience, descriptive studies, and reports of expert committees.
(2) Physical data in the form of photographs, videotapes, court testimony, witness reports, and FOIA releases.
(3) Direct rather than circumstantial evidence."
Determining "best evidence" depends on "integrating individual professional expertise with the best available documentary and scientific evidence."
Simplified Delphi methodology is followed. It's often used "where published information is inadequate or non-existent." Experts use "best evidence" to determine truth.
by Stephen Lendman

He's a dangerous sociopath. He exhibits psychopathic characteristics. Psychiatrist Robert Hare says these people are "often charming."
At the same time, they exhibit "a stunning lack of conscience." They prioritize self-gratification. They do it at the expense of others. They're all take. They give back little or nothing.
They flagrantly violate societal rules. Many are criminals. Others use "their charm and chameleon-like" characteristics advantageously.
They "leav(e) a wake of ruined lives behind them." They're "glib and superficial, egocentric and grandiose, (remorseless), deceitful and manipulative.
They're impulsive. They exhibit poor behavior control. They need excitement. They're irresponsible. They see no reason to change ingrained behavior.
by Stephen Lendman

America's national pastime isn't baseball. It's not other bread and circus distractions. It's one war after another. It's wars that don't end.
It's permanent ones for power and profits. Monied interests benefit most. Waging them for peace is a convenient illusion.
Humanitarian intervention is a ruse. So is responsibility to protect mumbo jumbo.
Code language conceals real motives. Invasions and occupations are called liberation. Plunder is called economic development. Imperial control is called spreading democratic values.
Exploitation is called freedom. Patriotism means going along with what's wrong. Mass slaughter and destruction are small prices to pay.
by Stephen Lendman

His full cooperation isn't good enough for Washington. Obama wants regime change. He wants war. More on that below.
On Thursday, Free Syrian Army head Selim Idriss rejected Russia's peace initiative.
World powers, he said, shouldn't "be satisfied only by removing the chemical weapon, which is the tool of a crime, but judge the author of the crime before the International Criminal Court, who has clearly acknowledged possessing it and agreed to get rid of it."
Idriss urged military force. He wants weapons supplied his forces increased. He promised to "intensify operations in all regions of the country."
Peaceful conflict resolution faces long odds. Washington's going all out to prevent it.
by Stephen Lendman

Longstanding US plans call for regime change. War is Obama's option of choice. Giving peace a chance isn't tolerated.
Proxy war continues. Throughout two and half years of conflict, Washington's been supplying insurgents with weapons, funding, training and direction. CIA operatives are involved. So are US special forces.
Russia's peace initiative slowed Obama's war machine. It's not deterred. It's perhaps another major false flag attack away.
Intense anti-Syrian propaganda continues. Media scoundrels regurgitate official lies. Truth and full disclosure are verboten.
by Stephen Lendman

Russia's going all out to avoid war on Syria. Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov and other top officials are doing so responsibly.
On September 11, Putin addressed Americans and US officials directly.
His New York Times op-ed headlined "A Plea for Caution From Russia," saying:
"Recent events surrounding Syria prompted (him) to speak directly (at) a time of insufficient communication between our societies."
Post-WW II, the UN was "established to prevent such devastation from ever happening again." More on what Putin said below.
Post-WW I, "never again" was vowed. The League of Nations was created to assure it.
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