BACKGROUND: WikiLeaked evidence of Western PMFs active in Syria [Back in March 2012, Russia Today reported on evidence that SCG International Risk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCG_International_Risk) is pursuing regime change in Syria.[1] (SCG is a private military firm [PMF] run by a former director of Blackwater that has contracted for services with the U.S. Dept. of Defense, the FBI, U.S. Navy Special Warfare, U.S.

Army Special Operations Command, the U.S. Marine Corps, etc. as well as Fortune 500 companies and a number of foreign governments.)

While *Russia Today* reports are often propagandistic and suspect, in this case the RT story is based a primary source: a Stratfor email hacked by Anonymous and published by WikiLeaks.(http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/5331882_fwd-got-a-moment-syria-757-478-7383-post-i-think-.html). The assertion that U.S.-based
private military firm is involved in Syria was repeated on Wednesday in a Press TV story.[2] -

As for the Houla massacre on May 25, Syria's SANA offered its version of the situation in Syria; according to SANA, it was one of more than 3,500 violations of Kofi Annan's U.N./Arab League-backed peace plan that have been committed by armed terrorist groups in Syria.[3] -- COMMENT: Syria's stance rests, fundamentally, on a *cui bono* argument: who stands to benefit from an atrocity like the Houla massacre, the Assad régime, or the forces trying to overthrow that régime? The international response to the incident answers that question conclusively enough. --Mark] http://www.ufppc.org/us-a-world-news-mainmenu-35/11008/

1. WIKILEAKED: EX-BLACKWATER 'HELPS REGIME CHANGE' IN SYRIA
Russia Today March 21, 2012 http://www.chrisroubis.com/2012/03/wikileaked-ex-blackwater-helps-regime-change-in-syria/

A U.S. government-contracted private security firm is helping the Syrian opposition to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime, leaked Stratfor emails indicate. The same firm earlier operated extensively in Libya.

The private military company SCG International had been contracted to engage the Turkey-based Syrian opposition, according to correspondence released by WikiLeaks.

Their assignment was called a “fact finding mission,” but “the true mission is how they can help in regime change,” an email addressed to Stratfor VP for counterterrorism Fred Burton says.

The source reporting the info is most reliable -- it is SCG Chief Executive James F. Smith, who used to be director of notorious company Blackwater, now known as Academi. In a separate message Smith introduces himself to Stratfor as having background in CIA and heading a company “comprised of former DOD, CIA, and former law enforcement personnel.”

SCG’s mission with the Syrian opposition is said to have “air cover from Congresswoman [Sue] Myrick,” a Republican lawmaker from North Carolina, who is a member of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The body is charged with overseeing the American intelligence community.

The email adds that Smith “intends to offer his services to help protect the opposition members, like he had underway in Libya.”

Smith has an extensive record of sharing intelligence with Stratfor, according the *Al-Akhbar*, the Lebanese daily newspaper, which is one of the media outlets chosen by WikiLeaks as an information partner for disclosure of private Stratfor emails.

The security contractor provided insider data on services he provided to members of the Libyan National Transitional Council during the 2011 uprising, the search for the portable surface-to-air missiles that went missing during the civil war there, and the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi, among other things.

The trail on email ends in mid-December, days before Stratfor mail servers were reportedly hacked by the hacking group Anonymous. The WikiLeaks whistleblower website began publishing the emails, apparently handed over to it by the hacker team, in late February.

The U.S. has been increasingly dependent on private contractors like SCG, outsourcing functions to them that were previously fulfilled by regular troops. Employees of these “modern mercenaries” provide services like personal and area security, intelligence gathering and recruit training in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Critics of the practice say such firms lack accountability and allow the government to carry out “black op” tasks while being able to deny any involvement.

2. BLACKWATER AGENTS INVOLVED IN SYRIA UNREST: POLITICAL ANALYST
Press TV May 29, 2012
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/05/29/243617/blackwater-involved-in-syria-unrest/

The agents of the U.S. company Blackwater are operating inside Syria and are involved in the deadly turmoil in the Arab country that began in March 2011, a political analyst tells Press TV.

“We have real evidence now that the Blackwater company is working in Syrian territories,” said Taleb Ibrahim, a political analyst from Damascus, in an interview with Press TV on Monday.

Ibrahim also stated that there is a “third party” inside Syria that “wants to undermine” the six-point peace plan put forward by U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria Kofi Annan in March.

“I accuse directly the Turkish intelligence and the Saudi intelligence and the Qatari intelligence.” Over the past few months, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have expressed support for arming of the Syrian rebels. The political analyst added that the third party seeks to “prevent any political resolution for the crisis in Syria.”

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. Many people, including security forces, have been killed in the turmoil. While the West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of the killings, Damascus blames ''outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups'' for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad. Sporadic clashes between Syrian forces and armed groups continue in Syria despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 12, and was part of the Annan plan.

On May 25, clashes broke out between Syrian forces and armed groups in the town of Houla, located in the central province of Homs and about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the provincial capital city of Homs.

The head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria, Major General Robert Mood, said in a briefing via video from Damascus to an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Sunday that the U.N. observers in Houla estimate 108 people were killed, including 49 children and 34 women.

3.MAKDISSI: SYRIA CATEGORICALLY DENIES RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SYRIAN FORCES FOR AL-HOULA MASSACRE SANA May 27, 2012
http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2012/05/27/421700.htm

Spokesman for the Syrian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry, Jihad Makdissi, has categorically denied responsibility of the Syrian forces for the massacre that took place in al-Houla area in Homs Province.

In a press conference on Sunday, Makdissi condemned in strongest terms this terrorist massacre against the Syrian civilians as he condemned accusing the Syrian forces of doing that.

Makdissi stressed that no tanks or artillery entered al-Houla town, adding that hundreds of gunmen, armed with various kinds of heavy weapons, attacked al-Houla area in Homs countryside after they assembled in various areas in a deliberate and planned manner, indicating that "The law-enforcement members never left their positions and were in a state of self-defense."

Makdissi said that Syria also condemns the "tsunami" of lies against the Syrian government in the past couple of days and the ease in leveling accusations against the Syrian government by some foreign ministers and media.

"We've talked to the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the authorities concerned to put us in the picture of what happened in Houla," said Makdissi.

Makdissi added: "It has been confirmed that hundreds of gunmen gathered at 2:00 o'clock on Friday afternoon, using pick-up cars loaded with up-to-date and heavy weapons, like mortars, machineguns and anti-tank missiles, which are newly used in the confrontation with the state forces." "The gunmen headed to al-Houla area which is guarded by the government forces at five points where law-enforcement members and security are positioned, which lie outside the places where the massacres happened. The  attack lasted from 2:00 p.m. o'clock until 11:00 p.m. Three law-enforcement members were martyred and 16 injured, some critically, and there were charred bodies."

Makdissi said that there has been a massacre in al-Shoumarieh village where crops, houses, and the national hospital were burnt down, indicating that Al-Houla is only part of a larger terrorist attack.

Makdissi said that the attack is an unjustifiable act that deserves a Security Council meeting to find out who is funding, arming, hosting, and instigating terrorists.

"A military judicial committee was formed to conduct investigation and the results will be announced in three days," Makdissi added.

"Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem has spoken to the U.N. envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, and informed him of the details of what happened and the official investigation underway," Makdissi said.

"We regret that foreign ministers of some countries have rushed to level baseless accusations in such forums as the U.N. Security Council and the E.U., based on statements by opposition figures or biased media."

"The savage pattern of killing as shown by the images, children, elderly, and women were killed in a way which is alien to the morals of the valiant Syrian Arab army," Makdissi said.

"The Syrian state is responsible for protecting civilians according to the constitution and Syria preserves its right to defend its citizens," he said.

"It is not the Syrian army, who have taken an oath to protect civilians, who committed the crime. Those who come from hideouts and mountains and kill innocent civilians are well-known. There might be clashes and there is a high-level independent investigation at the ministries of defense and interior."

The suspicious coincidence between the attacks in parallel with the visit of U.N. Special Envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, is a slap to the political process, said Makdissi.

Answering a question on the beneficiary from this crime against the Syrian people, Makdissi said: "What happened does not serve the interests of the Syrian state, and we are committed to Annan's plan and wish him success," stressing that "We don't trade with the Syrian blood."

Makdissi said that the regional countries which are hosting terrorist groups and turn a blind eye to the infiltration of terrorists and the countries which are publically funding them are complicit in the crimes against the Syrian people.

On the report of the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Syria, Makdissi said: "I read the report and we have reservations about it . . . We already know that Ki-moon and Annan are involved with 15 other countries at the UNSC, which is a diplomatic and political labor, because most of these countries are hostile to Syria."

"There is no such thing as armed opposition as the report called them. There is either intellectual opposition that is welcomed to a dialogue that we've never shut the door on, or terrorists. Taking up arms against the state is unjustifiable, whatever the political excuse," said Makdissi.

Makdissi pointed to the contradiction in Ki-moon's report which states that some Syrian cities have become outside the control of the Syrian government as he says that tanks and heavy machines haven't been removed.

"There may be neighborhoods outside the control of the Syrian government due to the presence of gunmen, but not whole cities as the report said, that's why we hope that the coming reports would be more professional."

Answering a question on the opposition's benefit from committing such a crime, Makdissi said: "This question should be put to the opposition . . . there is an intellectual opposition and terrorists to whom the opposition turns a blind eye . . . It is not condemning their acts after all. Hence, there is an tacit alliance between the two."

 On the issue of the kidnapped Lebanese, Makdissi [said:] "We heard that there was a phone call between the Turkish authorities and the Lebanese foreign minister . . . We condemn this act and Syria will spare no effort to offer help in this regard."

 Makdissi said that a the Syrian government submitted a draft statement condemning the massacre to the U.N. Security Council.

"We admit that we have a crisis, but the solution does not lie in destabilizing Syria. But if they are out for confrontation, we'll be there for it and we are determined to defend our country."

 "If the outside opposition and the countries backing them agreed to political solution, we can say that the crisis is coming to a close. Syria has agreed to dialogue and to the Chinese plan and the Russian proposal for hosting an initial dialogue session, but the ones who fear the street rejected. We are sure that President Bashar al-Assad enjoys the majority necessary to change Syria in a democratic way," added Makdissi.

 Makdissi indicated that the terrorism and crimes have increased since Syria's approval on Annan's plan because they don't want to make the plan a success.

 He said that the armed terrorist groups committed more than 3,500 violations of Annan's plan, adding that "non-stability is a good environment for terrorists . . . there are al-Qaeda and takfiris but we won't allow them to make use of this environment no matter how long the confrontation takes."

 Makdissi stressed that the solution to the crisis in Syria lies in lending a helping hand to the Syrian government.

 --R. Raslan / M. Ismael / Ghossoun