This is a translated article from French News source dated January 2, 2013. I used an online translator so it's not perfect but it's clear that we are not getting all the facts, unless the French story is bogus.
Here's a translation of a French news article dated January, 2013. I used an online translator so it's not perfect, but the details of the story are clear.
Israeli officials held talks in Jordan with leaders of the Syrian opposition, "in anticipation of a possible Israeli-American operation in Syria", in order to protect the Golan Heights, revealed sources of Western intelligence, Tuesday, January 1. There been no additional information concerning this transaction, nor how far rebel commanders were involved in these military plans "to protect the Golan Heights.
Taken as a whole, current events on the Israeli and Jordanian borders take place under the seal of total silence. But European information, which some French and Russian sources have revealed nighttime clashes that took place between the special forces U.S., Jordanian, Israeli and Syrian rebels, of one part, and the Syrian special forces, on the other. Debkafile military sources reveal why they fight:
1. Each of these four stakeholders maneuver at a time, to take control of the buffer zones and prevent his opponents to establish posts of information gathering in these same locations. American, Jordanian and IDF forces have tactical interest of the first order to prevent Syrian observation post to settle in the border areas, where they would be in a position to identify military and civilian targets if the Syrian conflict overflowed the boundaries.
2. The plan Assad has both interests to win a point of support in the area of the border with the Jordan. The first is to block the way for Syrian back rebels in the country to prevent them from joining the various war fronts. At least five military installations in Jordan train special units of the Syrian opposition. They are supervised by British, French, Czech and Polish military instructors. They instruct them of tactics able to take control of the Syrian army chemical weapons and fight Syrian units equipped with chemical or biological weapons.
Some of the trained rebels returned to Syria where they ranks; others are attached to units waiting in Jordan, where the Syrian conflict drifts to hostilities against Israel and the Jordan.
The second is a support for networks of espionage and sabotage the Assad Government deploys in the refugee camps of Jordan - just as others do in Turkey. The Jordan houses some 60 000 Syrian refugees, most of them in the huge camp of Zaatari, on the Syrian border. In order to facilitate communication with its clandestine networks and free passage information, instructions and funds, the Syria needs to keep control of both sides of the common border.
Monday, the Jordan has imposed censorship on the capture of four Syrian soldiers in the zone between the two countries. The spokesman for security in Amman revealed only that they were not armed and that they were subjected to interrogation - but not if they were about to enter the Kingdom or the way to come out. Earlier in the same day, a spokesman for the Jordanian army sounded the alert about an attempt to extend the Syrian war in Jordan. He attributed this attempt to any of the parties in particular.
Military sources in Moscow are more verbose about what is happening South of the Syria border. Tuesday, January 1, these sources have revealed that the Syrian army had repelled a rebel assault from Jordan.
They added that "the Syrian border police had also seized a large quantity of weapons, some of Israeli manufacture, intended for free Syrian army in the city of Daraa, South. ''
3 Additional preparations are secretly drawn up by American, IDF special forces and the Turkish and Jordanian armies ready to what Assad gave the order to the heads of his army to launch the offensive of a Syrian chemical on areas of military concentrations rebel warfare and their allies on the neighbours of the Syria territories. The training camps for the rebels in Jordan are seen as the first probable targets for Assad. Western intelligence sources explain that, to this end, the Syrian dictator requires maximum control of the Syrian borders, including the adjacent portion of the Israeli side of the Golan Heights.
The Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper in London reported that when Israeli officials have met with the commanders of the Syrian opposition in Jordan, this week, they have asked for help to locate the remains of Elie Cohen, one of the most famous Israeli spies. He was caught and had been hanged on May 18, 1965, after a career of more fantastic. For years, Cohen, posing as a businessman Arab opulent, had earned the trust of Syrian officials at the highest levels of the Government and managed to get his secret preparations for war plans and an excellent knowledge of its political intrigues.
Also, I did some digging to try to find the source, Le Figaro, being quoted about the timeline of US involvement in Syria and possible "death squads" reported yesterday by bobswern quoting emptywheel.
I found this from ZeroHedge, dated 8/22/2013
American, Israeli And Jordanian Troops And CIA Agents Have Entered Syria, Le Figaro Reports
Complete Le Figaro article translation here.
DEATH SQUADS is NOT used in the origianl Le Figaro article although, based on the Iraq history, I can appreciate the inference. However, is this inference relating to Syria helpful at this time?
Here's link to French version of the story printed in Le Figaro.
Le Figaro story.
But the January 2, 2013 story above makes it clear that our soldiers and military presence precedes January, 2013.
So, why the release of this story here after President Obama declares intentions to attack Assad?
The source of the recent coverage of this story, the Jerusalem which quotes Le Figaro, are extreme right wing sources.
Le Figaro is a very conservative news source. (Princeton)
This is the Muckety Map for the Jerusalem Post
If you click on this interactive link, here's what you will find.
Bret Stephens is the deputy editorial page editore for international opinion for the Wall Street Journal AND was the former editor-in-chief for the Jerusalem Post.
Saul Singer is on leave, but formerly editorial page editor for the Jerusalem Post.
Saul is married to Wendy Senor Singer who is the Head of the AIPAC office in Jerusalem, Israel.
Wendy's brother is Daniel Senor.
Dan Senor is married to Campbell Brown, was Senior Advisor to Paul Ryan, and an advisor to candidate Mitt Romney.
Is it possible that this story release timing by ultra conservative news sources is possibly intended to put the President Obama and, by association, Democrats in a bad light prior to the 2014 elections?
I ask this based on the relentless efforts by the GOP to try to discredit President Obama regarding Benghazi.
Sen. Jim Inhofe Says the Benghazi Cover-Up May Go as Far as Impeachment
Rep. Jason Chaffetz doesn't rule out impeachment for Obama over Benghazi
It's as if the GOP have a recipe now when we have a Democratic President: Impeachment in the second term.
I don't have any answers but this question won't stop nagging me.
What do you think?