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Subscribe to RSSU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks from Istanbul, Turkey, about the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Syria.
ALEPPO, Syria -- The United States and Turkey indicated on Saturday they might impose no-fly zones in Syria as battles between rebels and President Bashar al-Assad's forces shook Aleppo and fighting erupted in the heart of Damascus.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after meeting her Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul that Washington and Ankara should develop detailed operational planning on ways to assist the rebels fighting to topple Assad.
"Our intelligence services, our military have very important responsibilities and roles to play so we are going to be setting up a working group to do exactly that," she said.
She also said the U.S. would contribute another $5 million to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and $500,000 to the International Organization for Migration to support displaced Syrians inside Turkey.
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Asked about options such as imposing a no-fly zone over rebel-held territory, Clinton said these were possibilities she and Davutoglu had agreed "need greater in-depth analysis", while indicating that no decisions were necessarily imminent.
"It is one thing to talk about all kinds of potential actions, but you cannot make reasoned decisions without doing intense analysis and operational planning," she said.
AFP - Getty Images
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, left, Turkey's President Abdullah Gul and Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu chat Saturday before a meeting at the Tarabiya Palace in Istanbul.
"We share not only the frustration but the anger and outrage of the Syrian people at what this regime continues to do. But we also are well aware that his brutality seems to know no bounds and there is no doubt in the minds of the minister or myself that anything we do should be to hasten and lessen bloodshed, not to catalyze even greater and more horrible kinds of assaults," Clinton said.
Her remarks were the closest Washington has come to suggesting direct military intervention in Syria.
No-fly zones imposed by NATO and Arab allies helped Libyan rebels overthrow Moammar Gadhafi last year. Until recently, the West had shunned the idea of repeating any Libya-style action.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are believed to be arming Syrian rebels, while the United States and Britain have pledged to step up non-lethal assistance to Assad's opponents.
Davutoglu said it was time outside powers took decisive steps to resolve the humanitarian crisis in cities such as Aleppo, where Assad's forces have fought rebels for three weeks.
Jets, tanks in action
In the latest battles, tanks and troops pummeled rebels near the shattered district of Salaheddine, a former opposition stronghold that commands the main southern approach to Aleppo.
Tank fire crashed into the adjacent Saif al-Dawla neighborhood as military jets circled over an abandoned police station held by rebels, firing missiles every few minutes.
Insurgents said they had been forced to retreat in the latest twist in relentless, see-saw battles for Salaheddine, part of a swathe of Aleppo seized by rebels last month.
Some rebels, outgunned and low on ammunition in Aleppo, have pleaded for outside military help, arguing that more weapons and a no-fly zone over areas they control near the Turkish border would give them a secure base against Assad's forces.
NBC News
People resisting the army of President Bashar al-Assad in northern Syria cope with loss and prepare for fighting.
"The reason we retreated from Salaheddine this week is a lack of weapons," complained Abu Thadet, a rebel commander in Aleppo who said his fighters would regroup and fight back. "We can handle the bombing. It's the snipers that make it hard."
Ten of the 30 fighters in his brigade have been wounded, mostly by snipers lurking even in areas rebels claim to control. His men have broken holes in walls of buildings to try to create safe passages for them to move around in Salaheddine.
In Damascus, where Assad's forces have regained control of districts overrun by rebels last month, a resident reported an explosion near the Central Bank, followed by gunfire.
UN chief: 'There will be no winner in Syria'
"The explosion was huge. There has been fighting for the past half-hour along Pakistan Street. I am very close. Can you hear that?" she told Reuters, a bang audible over the telephone.
Syrian state TV said authorities were hunting "terrorists" who had set off a bomb in Merjeh, an area near the central bank, and who were "shooting at random to spark panic among citizens".
Despite their superior firepower, Assad's forces have been stretched by months of warfare against increasingly skilled and organized fighters who have taken them on in every city and in many parts of the countryside at one time or another.
Germany's spy chief said the Syrian army had been depleted by casualties, deserters and defectors.
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"There are a lot of indications that the end game for the regime has begun," said Gerhard Schindler, head of the BND intelligence agency, in an interview with Die Welt newspaper.
"The regular army is being confronted by a variety of flexible fighters. The recipe of their success is their guerrilla tactics. They're breaking the army's back."
Jordanian and Syrian forces clashed along the border overnight when Syrian refugees tried to cross into Jordan, a Syrian opposition activist who witnessed the fighting said.
He said armored vehicles were involved in the clash in the Tel Shihab-Turra area, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Jordan's capital, Amman. No deaths were reported on the Jordanian side.
Thousands of Syrians have fled into Jordan, but tensions heightened after Assad's newly installed prime minister, Riad Hijab, defected and escaped across the border this week.
This article includes reporting by Reuters.
Most of the people living in the towns near Syria's largest city have fled, and those without money to leave were killed, rebels say. The Syrian troops have created a no-man's land, reportedly so that rebels can't re-supply the fighters inside. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
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Leave a Comment:
Clinton and Obama support the Muslim Brotherhood radicals in Syria???? WTF???
Looks like Clinton really wants the Muslim Brotherhood installed in Syria as the new government. I wonder why she and Obama want Muslim radicals as the leaders in a country adjacent to Israel? I don't understand this, especially when the new Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt is already talking about ousting the infidels and moving to Sharia Law; including clitoris removal for women. What's going on??? And, why does the U.S. government support any group of revolutionary terrorists who use civil war to take over a government. I'm baffled...
Noooo they have supported all the radicals not just the ones in Syria kind of alarming ehh ! Who in the hell is in control of our military forces ? I mean they are already fighting there..secret wars and libs what next ..What is insulting is the fact she thinks we don't know what she is doing. Hey Turkey our rebels are getting slaughtered if we give you a bribe will you help. Take ten million Arabs and march in peace and tear down the fence of oppression and join hands ehh ---> You don't know whether to scold her or put her in jail . Tuff Luv..
If the US and the UN stay out of the Middle East, the Sunni's and @!$%#e's will be at each others throats for the next century. Leave the nut jobs alone and let them have a taste of Taliban for a few years. Strict Islamic Law is what they understand. They may not like it, but that's their problem.
Ohhh nooo all they will do is suicide bombings till we leave..and try to illegally populate America using O.bama to sell us out..They got game like the Joker ehhh .. and take our resources. Libs never change they just call themselves conservatives when they steal enough...Hey lib how did you get rich ..I worked uhuh...Hilary is a little heavy on the wild side ehh..One United nation under saudi rule. The only way is to march in peace in numbers.
Daddy why does Pres Obama keep bombing those countries? Didn't he promise the Afghanies we will be there until 2024, but said to his own people I would have them home just after my last election!
Our only alternative folks. Obama and his Pentagon friends/contractors are desperate for another war. We need it to keep money flowing in for our friends. Go Go Gadget.
Hilary has toy sin the attica too many bed time stories ..Assad must be a man now and go out and fight those rebels. Gadhaffi was dumb with all that fire power . Those drones turned him into spaghetti he should have gone down like Escobar..Hilary is mad because they are going to kick the rebels ass and make it a good fight . Grab the popcorn , I'll be back again soon.
We need to send Princess Nancy Pelosi back to see her buddy Asaad. Remember how she bowed and scraped in her Burkka last time she was over there. Gadzooks.
Stay out of it. It is not our business. Fix the USA before spending any more taxpayer money or American lives on foreign soil.
Wallace; Not to worry that is not taxpayer money that Obama is spending, it is Chinese Money and they can do nothing about it. HA, We WIN>
Regardless of what happens in Syria we have zero businesss enforcing anything there military or otherwise. Let Turkey slap Syria for shooting down one of its planes which wouldn't have gone down had it stayed in Turkish airspace. This Gov should focus for once on what is happening here and not everywhere else.
We continue to be leaderless and yet meddle in international affairs.
Make my backyard as no fly zone too. Too many flies whenever my dogggies poop drive me nutts.
Hillary Clinton is starting to look like Yoda.
The rebels are Al Qaeda forces and we want to support them? Wake up America. Wake up.
obama is just looking for more ways to spend us into bankruptsy . That was always his plan .
I find it amazing the current occupants of the WH are on the offensive concerning Syria. The left fringe likes to tout Bush as a warmonger and war criminal. What do you say now about Obama? Please chime in here. I'm interested to hear your reply.
One more thing, if story concerned any Republican, the thread would be swamped with posts filled with the usual rhetoric.
Hillary you look like one ugly prune. Woman you need a whole face job.
Do any of you realize that Russia and China will intervene on the side of Syria (Assad)?
Do any of you have the common sense to realize we are being lied to about this "civil war" to begin with?
Do any of realize the US has been giving money and weapons to these so called "Syrian rebels" all along?
Do any of you realize that the people of Syria DO NOT want the "Rebels" to take over?
Do any of you realize that our so called boogy man "Al-Qaida" is fighting on the side of these "Rebels"?
Do any of realize it is actually the "rebels" committing the massacres in Syria?
Do any of you realize this is ALL being done for "Greater israel"?
Do any of you listen to anything but the CONTROLLED MSM in this country?
DUH!
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
I didn't know all of that. Is Syria in Oklahoma? Please help me on this.
Yeah I realize it .Well you had me until the Isreal part .
We've already seen what the real meaning of a No Fly Zone is by its use in Libya.
Take out Syria's air craft capability in two or three days then bombard the country for 8 of 9 months until the Muslim Brotherhood(Rebels) can walk in kill Assad and claim victory.
Who's the war monger now?
Whydoes the US want to get involved in their civil war? Look at the problem therethis way: what if Americans in the US decided to attack the government withweapons because they were tired of the government. Would they be treated better than the Syrian rebels or would lethal force be used since they are armed and
shooting at military personal? Would the US government like it if other countries provided military aid to these rebels or would the government expect other countries to help maintain order? Occupy Walstreet is a good example. Police were heavily equipped with riot gear to deal with the unarmed protesters. Just imagine if they had weapons. I see this as a move to isolate Russia from its allies. This is why Russia is using their VETO to stop any type of intervention.
Bad move. This could force Russia to side with Syria, and, at the very least, Iran would be forced to side with Assad. This could literally turn into a world war. I just don't see Iran accepting the downfall of Assad, which would effectively leave them wide open for their enemies. This would definitely expand into a bigger conflict. We need to stay out of it.
Russia won't side with Assaud, nor will Iran. Assaud is not well-liked even among his so-called allies.
So who's the war monger now ? obamy stickin his nose in everywhere it don't belong .
Revisionism will not help Assad now. His end will be soon and like Gaddafi and Saddam, he too will die in the hands of the people he tried to murder.
Instead of thinking of ways of spending our money in a conflict that is none of our business, why don't you think of helping Americans in this country and not the rebels in another. If you want to waste money then stop pussy-footing around and send in drones to take out Assaud. Geez!!!
Why not just donate the 5 Million to all the unemployed people in the USA?????????????????
We can provide all the logistical support they need, but the planes and pilots should be Saudi, Turkish, Jordanian, Egyptian. If they do not wish to send their planes and pilots, why should we? The experience will be good for them. Get them ready to deal with Iran in the not to distant future.
We really do not want to put our troops and Russian troops on different sides in a civil war. This a really bad idea.
A No fly zone in Syria will indeed help the rebels but it should be limited to removing any Syrian aircraft flying and not to be used as a bombing tactic by the US to attack the Syrian military movements on the ground. If Turkey wants to engage Syrian military units on the ground, let them while we limit actions to ensuring Syria & Assad will not use aircraft against the rebels.