Turkey sets up secret base to bring aid to Syria rebels, sources say

Source: Haaretz

Turkey sets up secret base to bring aid to Syria rebels, sources say
A Doha-based source said that Turkey is controlling the base militarily, in coordination with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
By Reuters | Jul.27, 2012 | 3:10 PM |

Turkey has set up a secret base with allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar to direct vital military and communications aid to Syria's rebels from a city near the border, Gulf sources have told Reuters.

News of the clandestine Middle East-run "nerve centre" working to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad underlines the extent to which Western powers - who played a key role in unseating Muammar Gadhafi in Libya - have avoided militaryinvolvement so far in Syria.

"It's the Turks who are militarily controlling it. Turkey is the mainco-ordinator/facilitator. Think of a triangle, with Turkey at the top and Saudi Arabia and Qatar at the bottom," said a Doha-based source.

"The Americans are very hands-off on this. U.S. intel(ligence) are working through middlemen. Middlemen arecontrolling access to weapons and routes."

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/turkey-sets-up-secret-base-to-bring-aid-to-syria-rebels-sources-say-1.454107

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5 replies	Author	Time	Post
Turkey sets up secret base to bring aid to Syria rebels, sources say (Original post)	TomClash	Jul 2012	OP
Jumblatt (Progressive Socialist Party leader ) calls for eliminating Assad, arming Syria rebels	may3rd	Jul 2012	#1
His politics is local.	Igel	Jul 2012	#2
I guess some Syrian drone strikes on the base in Turkey would be legit.	Comrade Grumpy	Jul 2012	#3
secret?	arely staircase	Jul 2012	#4
The whole operation was known even last year, here on DU	jakeXT	Jul 2012	#5

Response to TomClash (Original post)

Sat Jul 28, 2012, 09:25 AM

may3rd (593 posts)

1. Jumblatt (Progressive Socialist Party leader ) calls for eliminating Assad, arming Syria rebels

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt called for the eliminating Syrian President Bashar Assad and the arming of the rebels.

“Since Assad is still strong and his army is strong, he is not going to leave power. Therefore he should be eliminated, nothing less or more than that,” Jumblatt said.

In an interview with the radio station France Info, Jumblatt said that short of Assad being killed, he should be exiled to Siberia in Russia or the Iranian desert.

On arming the rebels he said

“I call for providing the Syrian people with arms and equipment to enable them to resist and shoot down the helicopters and warplanes that Assad is using against the towns and the whole population.”

More than 19,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in violence unleashed by Assad’s forces in its attempt to crush the uprising that started in March 2011, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights .

http://www.yalibnan.com/2012/07/28/jumblatt-calls-for-eliminating-assad-arming-syria-rebels/

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Response to may3rd (Reply #1)

Sat Jul 28, 2012, 11:05 AM

Igel (17,553 posts)

2. His politics is local.

Weak Syria = weaker Hezbolllah = more balanced (or "properly balanced") power inside Lebanon.

A strong Sunni Syria wouldn't be any better. That's not likely for a long time.

A far weaker Syria might be worse.

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Response to TomClash (Original post)

Sat Jul 28, 2012, 12:51 PM

Comrade Grumpy (3,341 posts)