First lets enjoy Ja'bar Castle, Diamond of Euphrates River
Let's us all see the place that is being destroyed.
First Syria:
Today’s news has reports of more attacks on Syria’s military members and a car bomb involving a teacher
Aleppo- A brigadier general was assassinated on Wednesday by a terrorist armed group in Aleppo when he was on his way to work. General Khleif al-Abdullah from the Air Forces was targeted by four terrorists in a Cerato car who shot the General dead near to al-Bassel Mosque in al-Hamadaniyeh neighborhood.
Damascus- Armed Terrorist Group Assassinates Colonel in Damascus Countryside
An armed terrorist group assassinated Colonel Tarek Mahmoud al-Houshi outside his home in Jobar in Damascus countryside.The terrorist group shot dead Colonel al-Houshi as he was leaving his house.
Hama- An explosive device planted by a terrorist group in the car of teacher Wafa'a Ibrahim al-Bunni was detonated in al-Sabouniyeh neighborhood in Hama, severely wounding al-Bunni who was rushed to Hama National Hospital.
The bomb was detonated near al-Sabouniyeh rotary while the teacher was driving from work to Abi al-Fida'a quarter, causing extensive damage to the car
The car bomb is interesting. That may give us a peek into the possibility of how car bombings work. Unsuspecting drivers with booby trapped cars, going about their daily lives. Had this bomb exploded at the school, there may have been substantial casualties. Was the bomb detonated to soon? Was the bomb defective? We'll never know. However, as mentioned already this gives us an informative look at how "car bombs' are set off by terrorists, who is chosen and why? The example in this case a school teacher so that children can be targetted.
- A brigadier pilot was kidnapped at a Damascus suburb on Thursday by an "armed terrorist group" while he was heading to work.
Mohammad Omar al-Dirbas was kidnapped in the Eastern Ghouta area
A series of assassinations targeting senior army and security personnel occurred recently in Syria. The government accused rebel forces of being behind the assassinations
Additional reading here and here
Onto the Baghdad summit
As the Baghdad summit opens, the one being boycotted by the GCC countries, explosions greet the attendees
Smoke billowed above Baghdad after a blast near the secure Green Zone
Two of the blasts occurred near the Iranian embassy, eyewitnesses said. There are unconfirmed reports that an explosion near the city's secure Green Zone was an IED (improvised explosive device).
Near the Iranian Embassy- that would be a Shiite target? As for the 'secure' Green Zone?
It would seem it is not so secure. Could that be intentional?
You may recall this is the meeting mentioned in the comments section yesterday.
The meeting where - Assad ouster not on agenda
The Arab summit in Baghdad will stop short of calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to quit or discuss arming his foes, both sharply divisive issues, Iraq's foreign minister said on Wednesday.You may recall that SA and Qatar are boycotting this meeting?
Hoshyar Zebari's confirmation that the 22-member Arab League will steer clear of the strong moves advocated by Qatar and Saudi Arabia came on the eve of the landmark summit in the Iraqi capital.
"The Arab League initiative is clear and did not demand that Bashar step down, we (foreign ministers) also did not ask for that and the upcoming decision will not go in this direction," Zebari said after a ministerial meeting.
Asked whether the arming of Syrian rebels was raised, Zebari said: "We did not discuss this subject at all."
Now to the BRICS:
BRICS says dialogue only answer for Syria, Iran
Seeking to reinforce their growing economic heft with global diplomatic clout, the world's top emerging economies Thursday warned the West against allowing the Iran situation to "escalate into conflict" and underlined that dialogue was the only way to resolve the Iranian issue and Syria crisis.
"We agreed that a lasting solution in Syria and Iran can only be found through dialogue"
BRICS to trade in their currencies
Taking note of uncertainty in global political and economic situation, India, China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa on Thursday took the first step towards mutual trade in local currency and voiced strong opposition to any military action or rhetoric with regard to Syria and Iran.
After the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) Summit, an agreement was signed under which credits would be extended in local currencies under the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism. Another pact signed was the Multilateral Letter of Credit Confirmation Facility Agreement between BRICS countries' Exim/Development Banks.
The agreements mark the initial steps for intra-BRICS trade in local currency.
Perhaps the next step would be the creation of a BRIC bank?
BRICS create their own bank
India's prime minister said Thursday that international institutions are failing to lift up the developing world and endorsed the creation of a new development bank to be run by five fast-rising nations.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke at a summit of the so called BRICS group — comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — aimed at harnessing the nations' increasing global clout and forging stronger ties between their fast-growing economies.
The five countries represent 45 per cent of the world's population, a quarter of its land mass and a quarter of its economy at $13.5 trillion US.
A prospect that the World bank did not see as possible
A plan to form a joint development bank by the BRICS group of the world's most powerful emerging economies will have a hard time getting off the ground and could struggle to match the World Bank's expertise, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said.
Zoellick told Reuters in an interview late on Wednesday that there are already a series of regional development banks and many countries have their own such banks, but if a BRICS bank was formed, the World Bank would work closely with it.
Or perhaps threatening? I find the language interesting and have highlighted it
Having a hard time and could struggle? Why, they certainly have the population, the resources etc.,
Does this mean the World Bank will make it difficult for the BRIC bank?
The World Bank's "expertise"? As if only certain individuals have enough "expertise" to run a bank?
How is Zoellick defining "expertise"