Update 130910-1630

Assad Bombs Damascus While Agreeing to Give Up Chemical Weapons | World Affairs Journal 9/10/2013 The Daily Star, Lebanon

Destroying Syria’s chemical weapons is harder than it sounds – The Week 9/10/2013

Update 130910-1540ET

Syria Will Sign Chemical Weapons Convention, Declare Arsenal, Foreign Ministery Says 9/10/2013 Huffington Post / AP

UN Council Syria meeting postponed: envoys – Yahoo! News 9/13/2013

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Battle For Ancient Historic Christian Village Of Maaloula In Syria

What is all that about?

I wish I knew — or I’m glad I don’t know.

As suggested by the PressTV inclusion in the above footage, we appear to have a secular dictatorship backed by a Shiite theocracy opposed to a Sunni Islamist force derided by other Sunni Arab influences (in achieved cooperation with London and Washington) in the theater but, nonetheless, the Al Qaeda affiliated are in the field, and it neither looks nor sounds like they’re running short on ammunition or manpower.

Upside-down?

Make that upside-down and all mixed up.

Russia now champions secular rule (yes, as they did back in that other Afghanistan) while the United States would seem to be championing God knows what if it were not for the more granular analyses leading back to the actual make-up of the forces of Syria’s revolution, but it seems only the wonks (and Christopher Dickey) want to get into that.

Fast Reference

Obama’s Syria speech is now a dual challenge – The Washington Post 9/10/2013

Pro-Democracy Forces Still Among Rebels Fighting Assad, Study Finds – The Daily Beast 9/9/2013

Syria: al Qaeda linked fighters take strategic town of Maaloula | euronews, world news 9/9/2013

Syrian Christians Pack Passports Fearing Islamist Onslaught – Bloomberg 9/10/2013:

If Islamist rebels exploit a U.S. attack to advance into their neighborhood, Nakazy will grab the bag and join the 1.2 million Syrians who have fled to Lebanon. At least 450,000 of Syria’s 2 million Christians have been displaced, Gregorios III, Patriarch of the Church of Antioch, said last week.

“We’re worried that the fighters would take advantage of any confusion,” Nakazy, 56, said by phone from Jaramana.

Syria Islamist rebels take control of Christian town of Maaloula – CNN.com 9/8/2013

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