Several stray mortar shells from Syria struck occupied Golan. No injuries were reported. Israel holds Damascus responsible. On November 9, Israel warned Assad.

Last week, Doha hosted Washington's reinvented scheme to forge new Syrian opposition unity. Only pro-Western puppets need apply. So-called Friends of Syria are its enemies.

By Niall Green - 12 November 2012

Following the re-election of Barack Obama in last week’s US presidential poll, Washington and its allies have stepped up their war drive against Syria. In the most serious escalation of the 20-month conflict in the Middle East country, the Israeli armed forces fired a missile into Syrian territory Sunday.

By Bill Van Auken - 7 November 2012

US imperialism has a long and sordid record of bloody military interventions and interference in the affairs of other countries...[T]hese interventions have been justified with assertions of Washington’s unique role in bringing democracy to less fortunate peoples of the world...Seldom, however, has this pretense been proclaimed so shamelessly as in the announcement last week by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Washington had decided to appoint a new leadership for the “Syrian revolution.”

By Bill Van Auken - 6 November 2012

...[I]t has become clear that the US is bent on fashioning a “respectable” leadership, with representatives from the various religious and ethnic groups that comprise the Syrian population in order to better mask the bitter sectarian character of the conflict that Washington is fueling, as well as the increasingly prominent role played by Islamist militias with connections to Al Qaeda.

By Bill Van Auken - 2 November 2012

Speaking in Zagreb, Croatia on Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that Washington is reorganizing the front representing the so-called “rebels” in Syria. The shakeup, which includes the withdrawal of US support from the Syrian National Council, is evidently part of the preparations for a more direct US intervention once next Tuesday’s presidential election is over.

By Bill Van Auken - 30 October 2012

Fierce fighting has erupted between Western-backed insurgents and Kurds in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo amid growing threats of a Turkish military intervention...The fighting began on Friday after several hundred armed opponents of the Syrian government, dressed in black and wearing black bandanas inscribed with Islamist slogans, moved into the predominantly Kurdish neighborhood of Ashrafiya.

Turkey is Washington's lead anti-Syrian belligerent. It's playing with fire. It may end up burned. For good reason, Assad blames Ankara for heightened tensions and border confrontations.

Waging war is easy. Instigate provocative incidents. Blame them on targeted countries. False flags work as planned. So do Big Lies repeated enough times to get most people to believe them.

The news is out but bears repeating. New reports confirm it. It shouldn't surprise. It's one of the oldest stunts around. Attacks launched are blamed on victims. Wars follow.

If words could kill, America and Russia might be at war. Hopefully it won't come to that. Given America's rage to fight, even the unthinkable is possible.

What's been ongoing for over 18 months looks all too familiar. It could continue for some time. It took most of the 1990s to fully balkanize Yugoslavia. America was the lead belligerent.

Innocent men, women and children die. Murdering children, raping women, and beheading men are their specialities. So are other atrocities. Since winter 2011, many thousands of Syrians were slaughtered. Dozens more succumb daily.

The Times isn't alone, but its view matters. It has global reach. It's true in articles, editorials, and op-eds.

Rhetoric hides intent. Turkey wants safe zones, and perhaps a no-fly zone. Britain and France both said no options are ruled out, including a no-fly zone. Ahead of US November elections, Washington is more low key, but not entirely.