A new Press TV poll shows 72% of respondents believe ravaging Syria continues "to destroy the (regional) axis of anti-Israeli resistance…."

 Only 8% said Washington, its allies, and Islamofacist fighters attacked Assad because he's undemocratic. Neither is America, Israel, key NATO partners, and rogue regional collaborators.

 Press TV also reported that Iran's Deputy Armed Forces Chief of Staff, General Massoud Jazayeri, said Israel's threat to attack Iran is falsified hype.

 Israeli Air Force Commander Major General Amir Eshel accused Iran of arming Hamas. He threatened retaliation to strike at "the heart of Tehran."

 He, Netanyahu, and other hardliners reflect buster, not bite. Instead of cooling tensions, they heighten them. They'll do nothing without Washington's permission and active cooperation. Inflammatory rhetoric substitutes for intentions.

 Other Obama priorities take precedence. Ousting Assad comes first. Scrambling for Africa's resources is planned. Iran matters most of all. It can wait until other objectives are resolved.

 Israel is "rotten on the inside," said Jazayeri. Hezbollah embarrassed the IDF in 2006. Pillar of Cloud fell short. "The Zionist regime is not capable of engaging in any serious war."

 After 45 years of occupation, Palestinian resistance remains strong.

 Tehran has more than enough military might to give Israel pause about attacking. It's population is large. It's territory is vast. Israel is tiny by comparison. It's vulnerable.

 Israeli cities could be ravaged. Thousands of deaths and injuries would follow. Its nuclear sites could be destroyed. Contamination would be widespread.

 Israeli military forces would suffer major losses. Its weakness would be revealed. It's hard imagining Israel wants its paper tiger vulnerability exposed. It prefers propaganda war instead.

 Iran showcased its might. Velayat 91 naval drills remain ongoing. They're proceeding over vital oil and gas shipping routes. Gulf of Oman/Strait of Hormuz/Northern Indian Ocean exercises will continue early into the new year. Shore-based forces joined them.

 Complex military tactics are being tested. Advanced weapons are used. Warships, hovercrafts, helicopters, ground-to-sea missiles, and submarines are involved.

 Iran is showing Israel and America its ability to defend territorial waters, interests and resources. Tehran prioritizes peace. Exercises reflect self-defense. They're not aggressive.

 Military officials said drills continue over a one million square km area. Iran's territorial and open waters are included.

 Iranian special forces and other military units practice defense. Territorial waters, ports, and coastlines are prioritized. Cyberattack simulations are involved.

 Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari said:

 "During one of the practices of the second day of the drills, aggressive forces launched a cyber attack against the computer network of defensive forces in order to infiltrate the network and hack information or spread viruses."

 Successful defensive measures blocked it. Iran's "cyber defense group" specializes in monitoring and protecting naval force computer systems.

 It detects "cyber infiltration and immediately takes necessary measures to counter them."

 Iran's Passive Defense Organization held cyber maneuvers during last October's Passive Defense Week. It tested cyber infrastructure.

 On December 31, AP/Reuters headlined "Iran test-fires upgraded missiles in naval drill near Strait of Hormuz," saying:

 Air defense system Raad (Thunder) weapons were tested. It fires missiles with a 50 km range. They can hit targets at 22,000 meters. Torpedoes, underwater weapons, and surface-to-surface rockets were successfully fired.

 Diving teams practiced attacks on enemy vessels. On Saturday, simulated cyber attacks, submarine, and mine-laying exercises took place.

 Defensive skills were honed. Iran intends to be ready in case Washington and Israel jointly attack. They'll get more than they bargain for if try.

 Daily attacks target Syria. Assad's forces confront them aggressively. The army's General Command said they serve American and Israeli interests.

 Regional fragmentation is planned. Both countries want unchallenged control. They want pro-Western puppet leadership replacing Assad. They're getting nowhere without full-scale intervention.

 Brahami's peace plan is no more legitimate than Kofi Annan's. Both men are ideologically pro-Western. They're imperial tools.

 UN authorities and rogue Arab leaders spurn Syrian sovereignty. They frame foreign invaders as legitimate opposition forces.

 They're cutthroat killers. They ignore Western support. They call Washington-backed aggression civil war.

 They urge dialogue but turn a blind eye to America prioritizing conflict. Resolution can't happen because Washington spurns it.

 Fighting may continue until Syria's entirely destroyed and Assad's ousted. Body counts don't matter. Civilians are targeted. Mass destruction is strategy. So is unconscionable human misery. No relief whatever is in sight.

 On December 30, BBC and other media scoundrels circulated false reports. Spurious sources were cited. Syrian forces retook Homs district, they said.

 BBC said they killed "more than 200 civilians. Residents of Deir Baalbeh were rounded up and forced into a petrochemical plant where they were summarily executed." Women and children were included, said reports.

 Saying so was false. Spurious reports are commonplace. Assad is blamed for death squad crimes. The Syrian Free Press said army forces won the "Second Battle of Homs." Terrorized civilians were freed.

 Media scoundrels falsified reports. BBC, Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, and others headlined them. Independent sources disproved them.

 Islamofascist cutthroats were killed. Civilians weren't involved. Bodies of women and children weren't found.

 On December 30, Mossad-connected DEBKAfile (DF) headlined "Failed Syria envoy Brahimi 's mission brings chemical war closer," saying:

 Brahmi told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov there's "no possibility of persuading (Assad) to leave Syria." Trying shows one-sided pro-Western support.

 Syria's sovereign independence demands respect. International law prohibits interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. Brahimi's mission prioritizes it. Doing so spurns inviolable rule of law principles.

 DF repeated Sunday's Big Lie. It called routed Islamofascist death squads civilian casualties. It falsified Scud missile attacks. It claimed Iranian officers are directing Fateh A-110 high-precision, short-range missile attacks.

 Syria makes its own M600 version. "Both sides….appear to have resorted to….chemical warfare." Falsified reports claim Assad used "grenades containing a gas that paralyzes lungs and causes extreme infirmity, or even death."

 Unnamed sources said perhaps "a concentrated irritant was used," not deadly chemicals. DF still says both sides appear preparing for chemical warfare. Syrian officials categorically deny intentions to use them.  

 Russia helped secure them. Lavrov said Syria won't use them "under any circumstances." Press TV said foreign invaders used chemical weapons in Daraya near Damascus.

 Toxic yellow gas killed at least seven Syrian forces. They died within an hour of inhaling it. Insurgents also threatened to poison Syria's drinking water. They showed video footage of rabbits killed by inhaling poisonous gas.

 DF stopped short of explaining. It claims "Israel cannot count on being exempt from a poison weapons attack."

 It could happen before January 22 elections. It could be a well-planned false flag attack. Israel and Washington specialize in launching them.

 Expect anything in 2013. War could preempt Russian/Syrian conflict resolution initiatives. Washington categorically spurns them.

 Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

 His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

 http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

 Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

 http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

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