[Occupymendocino] report from CFLG

[agnes at mcn.org]

More info re trajectory to a regional war in M.East.
AW

First Syria 'rebels' armed and trained by CIA 'on way to battlefield' 03
Sep 2013 The first cell of Syrian 'rebels' trained and armed by the CIA is
making its way to the battlefield, President Barack Obama has reportedly
told senators. Mr Obama said that a 50-man [terrorist] cell, believed to
have been trained by US special forces in Jordan, was making its way
across the border into Syria, according to the New York Times. The
deployment of the rebel unit seems to be the first tangible measure of
support since Mr Obama announced in June that the US would begin providing
the opposition with small arms.

Congress moves to approve Syria strike 03 Sep 2013 Obama's battle to get
congressional approval for a military strike on Syria moved a step closer
Tuesday, with leaders of both parties in Congress announcing that the
United States should respond to Syrian President Assad's alleged use of
chemical weapons. US President Barack Obama convinced leaders of both
Democrats and Republicans in Congress to support his request for the
authorization of a military strike on Syria. After a meeting with more
than a dozen senior lawmakers this week, members of both parties went
public, praising Obama's plan and pledging a 'yes' vote on the operation
against the Syrian government.

US Navy deploys five warships, one amphibious ship to Mediterranean for
Syria 02 Sep 2013 The US Navy has deployed an amphibious transport ship to
the Mediterranean, where five destroyers are already in place for possible
missile strikes on Syria, a defense official said Sunday. The USS San
Antonio, with several helicopters and hundreds of Marines on board, is "on
station in the Eastern Mediterranean" but "has received no specific
tasking," said the defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Unlike the destroyers deployed to the area, the San Antonio carries no
Tomahawk cruise missiles but can ferry up to four helicopters and is
designed to bring Marines ashore by chopper or landing craft.

U.S. positioning aircraft carrier for possible strike on Syria 02 Sep 2103
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and other ships in its
strike group are heading west toward the Red Sea to help support a limited
[sic] U.S. strike on Syria, if 'needed,' defense officials said on Sunday.
The Nimitz carrier strike group, which includes four destroyers and a
cruiser, has no specific orders to move to the eastern Mediterranean at
this point, but is moving west in the Arabian Sea so it can do so if
asked. It was not immediately clear when the ships would enter the Red
Sea, but they had not arrived by Sunday evening, said one official.

'IDF soldiers mass on Lebanese border' --Media reports claim Israeli
forces have mobilized in the north ahead of a possible US attack on Syria
31 Aug 2013 Lebanese media reported Saturday that the IDF has mobilized a
large number of troops along the Israel-Lebanon border, ahead of a likely
US attack on Syria following the alleged use of chemical weapons by regime
forces last week. According to the reports, which were not confirmed by
the IDF, Israeli soldiers were deployed in areas bordering the eastern
areas of south Lebanon, namely the Upper Galilee, the Shebaa Farms and the
Golan Heights.

US Marine website targeted by pro-Assad hackers 02 Sep 2013 Pro-Syrian
regime hackers posted messages on a US Marine Corps recruiting website on
Monday, urging troops to defy orders from President Barack Obama. The
hackers showed photos of people in American uniforms holding hand-written
signs saying they would not fight for 'al-Qaeda' in Syria. "Obama is a
traitor who wants to put your lives in danger to rescue al-Qaeda
insurgents," the message read, according to a screenshot from The Wall
Street Journal.