Who did the chemical attack?

Did the Whitehouse help plan the chemical attack

Atlas Shrugs

Yossef Bodansky’s sources reveal that on August 13 and 14, there was a high-level meeting in Turkey that included the al-Qaeda Syrian rebels, along with U.S., Turkish, and Qatari officials, in which the Obama regime planned a bombing campaign after a “war-changing” moment that was set to occur within days. This “war changing” moment, of course turned out to be the gassing of 1429 people, including hundreds of children, to be blamed on Bashar al-Assad. (thanks to John)

    There is a growing volume of new evidence from numerous sources in the Middle East — mostly affiliated with the Syrian opposition and its sponsors and supporters — which makes a very strong case, based on solid circumstantial evidence, that the August 21, 2013, chemical strike in the Damascus suburbs was indeed a pre-meditated provocation by the Syrian opposition.

    The extent of US foreknowledge of this provocation needs further investigation because available data puts the “horror” of the Barack Obama White House in a different and disturbing light.

    On August 13-14, 2013, Western-sponsored opposition forces in Turkey started advance preparations for a major and irregular military surge. Initial meetings between senior opposition military commanders and representatives of Qatari, Turkish, and US Intelligence [“Mukhabarat Amriki”] took place at the converted Turkish military garrison in Antakya, Hatay Province, used as the command center and headquarters of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and their foreign sponsors. Very senior opposition commanders who had arrived from Istanbul briefed the regional commanders of an imminent escalation in the fighting due to “a war-changing development” which would, in turn, lead to a US-led bombing of Syria.

    The opposition forces had to quickly prepare their forces for exploiting the US-led bombing in order to march on Damascus and topple the Bashar al-Assad Government, the senior commanders explained. The Qatari and Turkish intelligence officials assured the Syrian regional commanders that they would be provided with plenty of weapons for the coming offensive.

    Indeed, unprecedented weapons distribution started in all opposition camps in Hatay Province on August 21-23, 2013. In the Reyhanli area alone, opposition forces received well in excess of 400 tons of weapons, mainly anti-aircraft weaponry from shoulder-fired missiles to ammunition for light-guns and machineguns. The weapons were distributed from store-houses controlled by Qatari and Turkish Intelligence under the tight supervision of US Intelligence.

    These weapons were loaded on more than 20 trailer-trucks which crossed into northern Syria and distributed the weapons to several depots. Follow-up weapon shipments, also several hundred tons, took place over the weekend of August 24-25, 2013, and included mainly sophisticated anti-tank guided missiles and rockets. Opposition officials in Hatay said that these weapon shipments were “the biggest” they had received “since the beginning of the turmoil more than two years ago”. The deliveries from Hatay went to all the rebel forces operating in the Idlib-to-Aleppo area, including the al-Qaida affiliated jihadists (who constitute the largest rebel forces in the area).

    Several senior officials from both the Syrian opposition and sponsoring Arab states stressed that these weapon deliveries were specifically in anticipation for exploiting the impact of imminent bombing of Syria by the US and the Western allies. The latest strategy formulation and coordination meetings took place on August 26, 2013. The political coordination meeting took place in Istanbul and was attended by US Amb. Robert Ford.

    More important were the military and operational coordination meetings at the Antakya garrison. Senior Turkish, Qatari, and US Intelligence officials attended in addition to the Syrian senior (opposition) commanders. The Syrians were informed that bombing would start in a few days.

    “The opposition was told in clear terms that action to deter further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime could come as early as in the next few days,” a Syrian participant in the meeting said. Another Syrian participant said that he was convinced US bombing was scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 29, 2013. Several participants — both Syrian and Arab — stressed that the assurances of forthcoming bombing were most explicit even as formally Obama is still undecided.

    The descriptions of these meetings raise the question of the extent of foreknowledge of US Intelligence, and therefore, the Obama White House. All the sources consulted — both Syrian and Arab — stressed that officials of the “Mukhabarat Amriki” actively participated in the meetings and briefings in Turkey. Therefore, at the very least, they should have known that the opposition leaders were anticipating “a war-changing development”: that is, a dramatic event which would provoke a US-led military intervention.

    The mere fact that weapon storage sites under the tight supervision of US Intelligence were opened up and about a thousand tons of high-quality weapons were distributed to the opposition indicates that US Intelligence anticipated such a provocation and the opportunity for the Syrian opposition to exploit the impact of the ensuing US and allied bombing. Hence, even if the Obama White House did not know in advance of the chemical provocation, they should have concluded, or at the very least suspected, that the chemical attack was most likely the “war-changing development” anticipated by the opposition leaders as provocation of US-led bombing. Under such circumstances, the Obama White House should have refrained from rushing head-on to accuse Assad’s Damascus and threaten retaliation, thus making the Obama White House at the very least complicit after the act.

    Meanwhile, additional data from Damascus about the actual chemical attack increases the doubts about Washington’s version of events. Immediately after the attack, three hospitals of Doctors Without Borders (MSF: médecins sans frontières) in the greater Damascus area treated more than 3,600 Syrians affected by the chemical attack, and 355 of them died. MSF performed tests on the vast majority of those treated.

    MSF director of operations Bart Janssens summed up the findings: “MSF can neither scientifically confirm the cause of these symptoms nor establish who is responsible for the attack. However, the reported symptoms of the patients, in addition to the epidemiological pattern of the events — characterized by the massive influx of patients in a short period of time, the origin of the patients, and the contamination of medical and first aid workers — strongly indicate mass exposure to a neurotoxic agent.” Simply put, even after testing some 3,600 patients, MSF failed to confirm that sarin was the cause of the injuries. According to MSF, the cause could have been nerve agents like sarin, concentrated riot control gas, or even high-concentration pesticides. Moreover, opposition reports that there was distinct stench during the attack suggest that it could have come from the “kitchen sarin” used by jihadist groups (as distinct from the odorless military-type sarin) or improvised agents like pesticides.

    Some of the evidence touted by the Obama White House is questionable at best.

    A small incident in Beirut raises big questions. A day after the chemical attack, Lebanese fixers working for the “Mukhabarat Amriki” succeeded to convince a Syrian male who claimed to have been injured in the chemical attack to seek medical aid in Beirut in return for a hefty sum that would effectively settle him for life. The man was put into an ambulance and transferred overnight to the Farhat Hospital in Jib Janine, Beirut. The Obama White House immediately leaked friendly media that “the Lebanese Red Cross announced that test results found traces of sarin gas in his blood.” However, this was news to Lebanese intelligence and Red Cross officials.

    According to senior intelligence officials, “Red Cross Operations Director George Kettaneh told [them] that the injured Syrian fled the hospital before doctors were able to test for traces of toxic gas in his blood.” Apparently, the patient declared that he had recovered from his nausea and no longer needed medical treatment. The Lebanese security forces are still searching for the Syrian patient and his honorarium.

    On August 24, 2013, Syrian Commando forces acted on intelligence about the possible perpetrators of the chemical attack and raided a cluster of rebel tunnels in the Damascus suburb of Jobar. Canisters of toxic material were hit in the fierce fire-fight as several Syrian soldiers suffered from suffocation and “some of the injured are in a critical condition”.

    The Commando eventually seized an opposition warehouse containing barrels full of chemicals required for mixing “kitchen sarin”, laboratory equipment, as well as a large number of protective masks. The Syrian Commando also captured several improvised explosive devices, RPG rounds, and mortar shells. The same day, at least four HizbAllah fighters operating in Damascus near Ghouta were hit by chemical agents at the very same time the Syrian Commando unit was hit while searching a group of rebel tunnels in Jobar. Both the Syrian and the HizbAllah forces were acting on intelligence information about the real perpetrators of the chemical attack. Damascus told Moscow the Syrian troops were hit by some form of a nerve agent and sent samples (blood, tissues, and soil) and captured equipment to Russia.

    Several Syrian leaders, many of whom are not Bashar al-Assad supporters and are even his sworn enemies, are now convinced that the Syrian opposition is responsible for the August 21, 2013, chemical attack in the Damascus area in order to provoke the US and the allies into bombing Assad’s Syria. Most explicit and eloquent is Saleh Muslim, the head of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) which has been fighting the Syrian Government. Muslim doubts Assad would have used chemical weapons when he was winning the civil war.

    “The regime in Syria … has chemical weapons, but they wouldn’t use them around Damascus, five km from the [UN] committee which is investigating chemical weapons. Of course they are not so stupid as to do so,” Muslim told Reuters on August 27, 2013. He believes the attack was “aimed at framing Assad and provoking an international reaction”. Muslim is convinced that “some other sides who want to blame the Syrian regime, who want to show them as guilty and then see action” is responsible for the chemical attack. The US was exploiting the attack to further its own anti-Assad policies and should the UN inspectors find evidence that the rebels were behind the attack, then “everybody would forget it”, Muslim shrugged. “Who is the side who would be punished? Are they are going to punish the Emir of Qatar or the King of Saudi Arabia, or Mr Erdo?an of Turkey?”

    And there remain the questions: Given the extent of the involvement of the “Mukhabarat Amriki” in opposition activities, how is that US Intelligence did not know in advance about the opposition’s planned use of chemical weapons in Damascus?

    It is a colossal failure.

    And if they did know and warned the Obama White House, why then the sanctimonious rush to blame the Assad Administration?

    Moreover, how can the Obama Administration continue to support and seek to empower the opposition which had just intentionally killed some 1,300 innocent civilians in order to provoke a US military intervention?

Yossef Bodansky, Senior Editor, GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs

September 7, 2013 | 109 Comments »

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50 Comments / 109 Comments

  1. honeybee Said:

    Sorr
    ry weather coming in Loki is acting up!!!!!!!!!! How much do you eat??? LOVE to cook. My Swedish Grand-mother made the best Pig in the Blankets her own recipe. Not kosher.

    I Looove to eat, Next to Women & Booze It’s right up there. My tastes are pedestrian I’d rather have a tasty shepherds pot pie than a good steak.

    Love anything Italian and my own Chili HOT! I have what some called a cast iron stomach. Love soups anytime of day even breakfast. When I was in Yamit I had a restaurant and did some private catering. Owned a boutique Pita Bread Bakery for a short time before I sold it.

    Love Russian Black Bread and Corn Bread. Bake my own when the mood hits me.

    I don’t eat out much but do my own cooking and what I cook I like and have yet to find anyone who did not compliment my cooking.

    I love cooking except when I have to.

  5. @ honeybee:

    Babe, you don’t know a thing about me, and you never will.

    Save your fables for your virtual boyfriend. Perhaps you can find one that involves talking a great game, but doing nothing. I can’t motivate him. Maybe you can.

    Pity one so accomplished as he – or at least as he represents himself – is not getting through to his leaders at this time. The objective evidence of lack of effective action – as evidenced by the fact of the small neighborhood he lives in, on the one hand, and the incredible knowledge, toughness, etc., etc., that your dear friend here supposedly has in great abundance, on the other, is most telling.

    But never you mind about me. I’m just a mere “private” so far as you or anyone else here needs to be concerned.

  8. @ yamit82:

    Over what? Obama winning? Which, per you, is a “win” for Israel?

    Mr. Ross just asked if the “timely” release of a certain CIA report foreshadows someething being asked of Israel with respect to alleged Israeli stocks of chemical WMDs, in return for Syria being asked to give up the same.

    And the answer “yes” is highly plausible.

    Not only that, but this whole charade with Syria is already being described by some as a dress rehearsal for what lay ahead with Iran. Obama could very well intend that Iran is allowed to go nuclear, and then the trade-off: “Israel, you give up yours, and Iran is asked to give up theirs. Only with them, we’re asking nice. With you, we’re not asking. That’s an order, Jew state.”

    That is what is so great about Obama. Even though he is “irrelevant” to Israel, he keeps giving Israel all these great opportunities to break out of the “visegrip” of the U.S. One right after another. Amazingly, Israel has yet to demonstrate the will to do this. This could be due to the surreal, unprecedented nature of the situation.

    After all, I would wager that in the entire history of nations, no country has treated a declared “close ally” as shabbily as the U.S. has Israel. That may have been true to a greater or lesser extent before Obama, but Obama’s singular foreign policy accomplishment has been to take this idea to a whole new level. It is understandable, in this new, uncharted universe, that Israeli leaders may seem a bit confused at times, or even paralyzed.

    But that’s cool. Yes indeedy doody,in a situation where we are blessed to live in such times, now is the moment for YOU to set the example and show the rest of us how this works out to Israel’s benefit.

    Don’t look over your shoulder. Hey, you’re the “General”, by golly. You’re there on the spot, and you’ve got it all figured out, how this is going to work out grand for Israel, right? So, no need for me to have a case of “sour grapes”….why, I’m sure we can all count on YOU to work your doubtless numerous contacts with the Israeli leadership, and get them to stand up to Obama once and for all.

    Perhaps you are right, General Yamit. This isn’t about Obama at all…maybe…IT IS ABOUT YOU.

    This is your big chance, Yamit – er, “General” Yamit. Don’t blow it.

    Stop talking s*** already and do something.

  12. honeybee Said:

    For my Yamit 82 a Ranger or Screaming Eagle insignia,Darlin

    Ranger 8-week course in Panama and later 3-wks Korea.

    Vinnie seems expert around the food Buffet, he fights em off for the knishes and pigs in a blanket, to the death probably.

  14. honeybee Said:

    If I call you General Yamit 82 wil you respond to me???????????????

    When have I not responded to you???

    You seem to be having so much fun I didn’t think my absence would be noticed.

    QUE LASTIMA…NUNCA ESPERE.. QUE AQUEL GRANDE AMOR…FUERA A TERMINAR ASI…DEJANDO APAGAR EL FUEGO QUE FUE …CALOR SOLO DE LOS DOS..

  24. Yamit:

    That you had to go back three years, and on a completely unrelated issue, indicates both your intellectual bankruptcy and your desperation.

    Meet the real Yamit!

    But on that topic, I could hardly have included in calculation that the election woukd be rigged, which it clearly was.

    (No, I don’t have documentary proof of that. If I did, I’d probably be at the bottom of a river. But I live hete, you don’t, and in a swing state besides….it was pretty obvious.)

  25. Vinnie Said:

    @ yamit82:

    General Yamit:

    yamit82 Said:

    I am beginning to recall my original opinions and comments about and to you and why…

    Meet the real Vinnie: Great track record!! 😀

    Vinnie says:
    March 22, 2010 at 11:27 pm

    https://www.israpundit.org/2008/?p=21598&cpage=1#comment-75143

    He isn’t getting re-elected. Already, I’m likely to gain twenty pounds with all the lunches I’ve bet on his defeat.

    I fully expect that he will suffer the worst defeat of a sitting U.S. president in modern history…and with that, his whole agenda will be repudiated, to include his outrageous bias against Israel, as part and parcel of his failed policy paradigms. This will create a vacuum in public policy debate that presents an opportunity for us. Therefore, we need to start preparing the ground for his successor, assuming that NCHO doesn’t screw up things beyond repair before then (two years ten months to go…but who’s counting?).

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
    Your track record ain’t too good vinnie. So compared to your rank of private calling me a “general” seems quite fitting in comparison to you and your record of never getting it right.

  27. @ Vinnie:

    I posted 2 versions of response to your comment and both versions were blocked and I presume they now reside in Ted’s spam dump.. They might show up and I hope they do.
    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
    I am beginning to recall my original opinions and comments about and to you and why….

  28. Vinnie Said:

    General Yamit:

    Not yet, just a major in the reserves. And you Mr. Brave American reform (Jew) who would shit in his pants at the sound of a car backfiring, what’s your claim of military knowledge? Maybe you were one of those who cowered in sealed rooms\with gas masks on waiting for an Iraqi Scud to hit him on the head with poison gas? How did it feel everyday and night for a month? Oh, you weren’t here? What, you don’t know because you never experienced it? Thought so!!!!

    Do you honestly believe an Iran not yet with nuke capability is more of an existential threat to Israel then the combo of Hezbollah and Syria with some 150,000 missiles some thousands with Chemical warheads aimed at all of our population centers backed by Russia, Iran and to some degree China? Why do you believe Iran spent all that investment, for show??

    I think that you can’t get your head around Israels real strengths and capabilities and would prefer to see us support anything that diminishes Obama and the Democrats over advocating what is right and best for Israel and the Israeli people.

    You are the perfect example of why Israel should divorce herself from the input and “Support from American Jews” whose POV and judgement is based on ignorance, stupidity and American partisan interests over existential Israeli interests.

    Our civilian population has been under missile attacks several times in the past 20 years and it’s equal to Russian roulette for the population many who are not protected. Try it sometime you might enjoy the experience but you like the safe environment where in your self proclaimed brilliance feel justified to tell us what and how we should deal with threat against us but not against you.

    In several comments I outlined generally why Syria and Hezbollah first before Iran, you will find most Military experts and academics involved in analysis and strategy will support my position and not yours.


    Israel unconvinced by Russian plan for Syrian chemical arms
    ‘Assad is winning time and lots of it,’ Liberman says; Peres calls Damascus ‘not trustworthy’

    Russia has transferred several S-300 missile batteries into Syria?? Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai reported Tuesday.

    Russian-made S-300s, which can engage 12 targets simultaneously at distances of 200 kilometers and heights of up to 27 kilometers.

  31. bernard ross Said:

    what is for you? You do not cite history, behavior, events or any basis for your opinions

    “All the World is a stage and we are but meer players upon it” Shy Guy and I see the irony in life,that seems to escape you. That is why I sent you the whale! Darlin.

  33. Shy Guy Said:

    Most of the rest of your post however is pure speculation.

    anything on the future is speculation. Anything on the past and present which lies outside of the official narratives is speculation if one accepts the official narratives as truth. In order for me to do that I would have to see a track record of truth: not seeing it yet.
    What are your speculations based on: official narratives or the MSM; White House releases? If so I guarantee you will be at least 3 steps behind reality as it unfolds.
    Shy Guy Said:

    Heck, it’s hype! Nicht fer meer.

    what is for you? You do not cite history, behavior, events or any basis for your opinions. This is a forum for communication and therefore I would expect you to advance opinions and show the basis for your conclusions in the support which you cite. Otherwise we can only fling opinions at each other. I am interested in your opinion but I need some reasoning behind your conclusions.
    Do you disagree that the US has been aiding the GCC(sauds,Qatar)in arming the syrian “rebels” from libya?
    Do you disagree that the US has been training rebels in Jordan?
    Do you disagree that this has been going on for a couple of years and that the scandal in Benghazi exposed this?
    If you agree with these facts then you must wonder what Obama meant when he recently said that he was considering arming the rebels. Could he have been lying about that, if so what else was he lying about? Perhaps bengazi was about a video? 😛

  36. @ yamit82:

    General Yamit:

    Israel has limited military resources. With a population of 8 million, and a land area about one fifth that of Ohio, and a current dependence on foreign supply of a number of key weapons – e.g., fighter aircraft – this could not be any other way.

    So, what is the best way to spend these limited resources? Getting tied up with Iran’s tar baby, Syria?

    In ’06, you pounded Hezbollah pretty hard, ground them down. Within a few years, they were fully resupplied, by Iran. Fat lot of good that did.

    You yourself pointed out that it will be a serious stretch of Israeli forces now to hit Iran’s nuke sites.

    How much of a stretch do you think it will be after depleting the same in a fight with Syria? How much resupply do you think you’ll get from Obama? Oh yeah, I’m sure he’ll get right on that so you can hit Iran…in your dreams.

    You need to hit your enemy’s center of gravity, their source of supply. You have to knock down the bigger dude standing behind the smaller dude that is taunting you, because otherwise, after you’ve thrown a punch and bloodied your fist on the smaller dude…the bigger dude will still be standing there.

    Syria, as Shy Guy accurately pointed out, is busy with fighting the rebels. They don’t want to fight you if they don’t feel they absolutely have to. Heck, you’ve already hit them a few times in the past year, and they don’t hit back. You think South Korea could get away with that in the case of North Korea? And Iran is not Syria’s only source of support. There is Russia, who while not exactly world champion nice guys, are at least not trying to get the Twelfth Imam or whatever to come here by nuking you. And by the way, last time I checked, neither is Assad.

    But it is Iran that is the wellspring of support for Hezbollah, and for Assad as a bridge to supporting the same. They are the root problem, who have made clear their intentions. They have to be the focus of your best shot, since that is by far the shot that promises the biggest benefit to Israel. How much longer can you afford to wait? Only the top Israeli leadership know this, of course, but as time passes, they get closer and closer, and their defenses get better and better. Whereas in the case of Syria, as time passes – assuming no one intervenes seriously – Assad and his local ally Hezboollah, get weaker and weaker killing and getting killed by the rebels.

    This might have already been taken care of, a year ago right now, if Obama had not intervened. But oh, I forgot, he’s “irrelevant” to Israel, per you.

    Well, he wasn’t irrelevant when he forced you to terminate your war against Hamas in January of ’09. Truth be known, this is why the Scandinavian anti-Semites gave him his Nobel; that, and the box tops from Newport cigarrette cartons he mailed in.

    And, he wasn’t irrelevant in September of ’12, when he nixed your planned hit on Iran, unless Spengler and Eiland are simply lying about this, which I doubt.

    And he wasn’t irrelevant in November of ’12, when he twisted BB’s arm so that there would be no ground offensive in Gaza, much to the furious anger of the Israeli public.

    And, he wasn’t irrelevant when he forced that useless, humiliating apology to Turkey in March of this year, and now, with these outrageous prisoner releases for these stupid peace talks.

    So, I guess Obama is irrelevant, alright…except when he isn’t, which seems to be pretty often, and to your detriment.

    Now, you may WISH Obama were irrelevant to Israel, and you may indeed have some policy ideas in order to make this happen. Hey, nothing would make this guy happier, than to see Obama made irrelevant to Israel, believe me.

    So, in the greater scheme of things, I’ll concede that, as you assert, Israel doesn’t need America or the likes of me for that matter. Fair enough. But given your policy preferences, and the degree to which they are uncannily NOT followed in this regard by your national leaders, it is very clear that Israel NEEDS YOU, YAMIT.

    So, what are you doing, sitting on your arse posting on Israpundit? That’s ok for useless, irrelevant blokes like me, but you have no excuse. With your boundless knowledge, your keen insight, and your blinding brilliance, surely, in a country as small as Israel, you cannot go unnoticed. And as few of such special folk as yourself there must be in that besieged country, it is truly incumbent upon you to hustle your way into a position of responsibility and decision-making authority in your national government over there. Make it happen; stop beating your chest and venting at the irrelevant likes of me.

    I wish you every success, Yamit.

  38. @ honeybee:

    How so? I get The Blaze and saw nothing indicating agreement between Beck and Yamit.

    Yamit’s position, as I understand it, is that he wants an Obama strike on Syria – never mind Obama’s motives – in order to create a situation in which Syria/Hezbollah become a no-holds-barred free fire zone for Israel, in order to eliminate Iran’s proxies on Israel’s frontier (I’ll deal with you separately, Yamit).

    Beck’s position is closer to my own and Shy Guy’s. We say that a strike on Syria that draws in Israel would be a waste of Israeli resources that would be better spent directly on Iran. Beck wants NO American involvement in Syria, period. Again, I fail to see the parallel between Beck and Yamit. Perhaps you can clarify this, Honeybee.

  39. Shy Guy Said:

    bernard ross Said:
    Both are slated to bring blowback to israel, US forces, Jordan, etc. in the event of an iranian attack.
    shy guy said: I disagree. Asssad is on crutches

    Assad is on his crutches because the GCC jihadi mercenaries, armed with US help, have spent 2 years wearing him down and have draw hezbullah into syria thus splitting hezbullah assets and weakening their position. Syria and hezbullah are today less of a threat to Israel than 2 years ago. However, as to whether their degrading is finished, we’ll see.Shy Guy Said:

    Google tells me you’re most probably referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council. That’s America’s dirty work, not Israel’s. And if Israel benefits from it, so be it.

    GCC= arab sunni monarchies: the same guys who have provided the west with the most reliable flow of oil and kickback perks on a personal level. The west considers them to be the historically proven most reliable to do business with. Their jihadis are under their control to move them about in collaboration with western interests. Americas dirty work and GCC dirty work are the same. Israel is a 2nd tier player and IMHO has understandings with the GCC and US. I beleive that the ghaza cease fire,the egypt/qatar leashing of hamas, the faux pal state, the jordan confed talk, and most recently the 9month negotiations are all related to the US/GCC adventure. GCC might, not certainly and not only, be degrading Syria and hezbullah for a next step with Iran which they have been pushing the US to do. There is the possiblity that the weakening of Irans proxies, if not for direct GCC interests in Syria, may also be for Israel in exchange for Israel staying out while coalition attacks or more likely in exchange for Israel attacking Iran. I beleive the 9 month negotiations are meant to remove the israel pal conflict onto the back burner so that it does not interfere with raising arab muslim support agianst Iran and proxies. I beleive the GCC has made offers to Israel and Israel is sitting on the fence,overtly, waiting to see if they perform their part of the bargain(defangiing syria and hezbullah) like they leashed hamas and removed the iranian connection with Israels help(targeting iran’s jibari in gaza “war”) If a coalition can be raised against syria and iran then Israel may not be required except to take out hezbullah. Same if negotiations fragment syria. there are many things the GCC might have offered which would entice BB including a deal re the PA. It is not necessary that there be a winner in the syria war to achieve goals. Sunni Iraq and syrian zones can produce a GCC pipeline to the med and to Turkey pipleline. A fragmented Syria may mean the end of syrian claims on the golan with GCC support. A status quo deal putting jerusalem off for 10 years might suit BB. The possiblity of KSA oil taking the eilat haifa rail might also entice BB. The russians and turks will have to get something.