October 14, 2015


News Clips For The Day


WEIRDEST STORY


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/attorneys-explain-why-woman-sued-12-year-old-nephew-over-exuberant-hug/

Attorneys explain why woman sued 12-year-old nephew over exuberant hug
CBS/AP
October 14, 2015

Photograph -- Jennifer Connell FACEBOOK VIA CBS NEW YORK

HARTFORD, Conn. --Lawyers for a New York City woman who sued her 12-year-old nephew for injuring her while excitedly greeting her say Connecticut law forced her to go to court over her medical bills.

A jury on Tuesday rejected Jennifer Connell's lawsuit seeking $127,000. She says she broke her wrist when the Westport, Connecticut, boy jumped into her arms at his eighth-birthday party, causing her to fall.

Connell's law firm says her nephew's parents' insurance company offered her $1 and she had no choice but to sue to pay medical bills. They say she was never looking for money from him.

Peter Kochenburger is an insurance law specialist at the University of Connecticut School of Law. He says state law typically requires those claiming injury to sue the individual responsible.

CBS New York reported that Connell testified before a jury that when the child jumped, she tumbled to the ground as she tried to catch him.

"All of a sudden he was there in the air, I had to catch him, and we tumbled to the ground," Connell told jurors.

"I remember him shouting, 'Auntie Jen I love you,' and there he was flying at me."

According to the Connecticut Post, Connell testified that she has a hard time walking up to her third-floor walkup apartment in Manhattan and her social life has been affected as well.

"I was at a party recently, and it was difficult to hold my hors d'oeuvre plate," she said.




One of the weird things here is that in the first paragraph it is stated that the boy is 12, while the second says it happened at his 8th birthday party. I suppose I should conclude that Connell waited four years to sue him, but why? Is it impossible to sue an 8 year old, but legal to sue a child of 12?

I suppose she tried to get his parents to pay her expenses and failed, thus her recourse to the law. How much does an 8 year old weigh, I wonder? Of course, like an overly exuberant 50 pound dog, anybody who jumps with all their weight in that manner may have been able to knock her off her feet. I personally don’t think that her complaint of being unable to hold her cocktail plate at a party is a very severe hardship, though her inability to walk up three flights of stairs is certainly worse. I don’t think a broken wrist would cause me an inability to walk up stairs 00 a broken ankle, yes. Maybe this article is just very poorly written and there is more involved.

This does strike me as the kind of problem that the upper 1% have, but if so, why is she living in a third floor walkup? Almost all buildings have elevators nowadays. Maybe I’m wrong about her and she holds down a job for her daily living, but I doubt it. It also looks to me as though there may be a lack of love for her nephew on her part. It’s a sad story, to me.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-parents-beat-son-to-death-in-church-counseling-session/

Police: Parents beat son to death in church "counseling session"
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP
October 14, 2015

Photograph -- joseph-irwin-david-morey-linda-morey-sarah-ferguson.jpg
Joseph Irwin (left), David Morey (left of center), Linda Morey (right of center) and Sarah Ferguson (right) NEW HARTFORD, N.Y., POLICE DEPARTMENT
Photographs -- bruce-leonard-deborah-leonard.jpg
Bruce Leonard (right) and Deborah Leonard NEW HARTFORD, N.Y., POLICE DEPARTMENT


NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- Brutal beatings that left one teenager dead and his brother seriously injured Monday at a New York church were part of what members considered a "counseling session," according to police.

New Hartford Police Chief Michael Inserra said Wednesday that both Lucas and Christopher Leonard were subjected to hours of physical punishment at the Word of Life Church "in hopes that each would confess to prior sins and ask for forgiveness."

Inserra says investigators are still looking into what the supposed sins were. He said there's no indication, at this point, that the issue was sexual assault.

Nineteen-year-old Lucas Leonard died. Seventeen-year-old Christopher is hospitalized in serious condition.

Six church members, including the victims' parents and sister, are now locked up on charges they assaulted the two young men on Monday.

Bruce Leonard, 65, and Deborah Leonard, 59, of Clayville, were charged with first-degree manslaughter in the death of their son Lucas, said Lt. Timothy O'Neill of the New Hartford Police Department. O'Neill said Lucas Leonard died Monday after he was beaten at Word of Life Church in New Hartford, which is 80 miles northwest of Albany.

He was said to have "died a violent death over several hours."

Police did not reveal if any weapons were used, but did say "feet and fists were involved."

The six church members were arraigned Tuesday and sent to Oneida County Jail. At the arraignment, it was revealed that both teens suffered injuries to their abdomens, genitals, backs and thighs. Bail for the Leonards was set at $100,000 each and for the four other defendants at $50,000 each. All pleaded not guilty.

Police said more arrests were expected as the investigation continues. A possible motive wasn't disclosed.

Oneida County District Attorney Scott D. McNamara indicated Wednesday during a phone call with 48 Hours' Crimesider that the location of the attack on Lucas Leonard, at the Word of Life Church, was not incidental. He declined to comment on a motive or other details of the case. McNamara said a preliminary hearing for all six defendants is scheduled for Friday.

A neighbor of the teenage brothers says they were not allowed to do "normal" kid things.

Nicole Howard says Christopher and Lucas Leonard weren't allowed to have sleepovers. The 31-year-old, who says grew up six houses away from the Leonards, says the family was very religious and the children were forced to read the Bible two hours each day.

The investigation began at about 12:30 p.m. Monday when family members brought Lucas Leonard to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators determined that the Word of Life Church was the scene of the death, and the building was surrounded by special operations teams from state and local police agencies.

Police eventually entered the church, a three-story brick building on a residential street that originally housed a school. Several church members were interviewed, and several children were turned over to child welfare officials.

It took time to find Christopher inside the church, according to officials. He was on the second floor and was not making himself known. Family members did not say where he was.

In addition to the Leonards, police arrested David Morey, 26, of Utica; Linda Morey, 54, of Utica; Sarah Ferguson, 33, who lives at the same address as the Leonards; and Joseph Irwin, 26, who lives in the church building.

Bruce Leonard's lawyer, Don Gerace, said his client will not be able to make the $100,000 bail. He said it was too early to comment on details of the case.

"We expect to learn more about the evidence and charges at that time," Gerace said of the upcoming hearing.

Deborah Leonard's lawyer, Devin Garramone, declined to comment. Contact information for the other defendants' attorneys wasn't immediately available.

CBS/AP




“New Hartford Police Chief Michael Inserra said Wednesday that both Lucas and Christopher Leonard were subjected to hours of physical punishment at the Word of Life Church "in hopes that each would confess to prior sins and ask for forgiveness." Inserra says investigators are still looking into what the supposed sins were. He said there's no indication, at this point, that the issue was sexual assault. …. Six church members, including the victims' parents and sister, are now locked up on charges they assaulted the two young men on Monday. …. Police did not reveal if any weapons were used, but did say "feet and fists were involved." The six church members were arraigned Tuesday and sent to Oneida County Jail. At the arraignment, it was revealed that both teens suffered injuries to their abdomens, genitals, backs and thighs. Bail for the Leonards was set at $100,000 each and for the four other defendants at $50,000 each. All pleaded not guilty. …. Oneida County District Attorney Scott D. McNamara indicated Wednesday during a phone call with 48 Hours' Crimesider that the location of the attack on Lucas Leonard, at the Word of Life Church, was not incidental. He declined to comment on a motive or other details of the case. McNamara said a preliminary hearing for all six defendants is scheduled for Friday. A neighbor of the teenage brothers says they were not allowed to do "normal" kid things. …. The investigation began at about 12:30 p.m. Monday when family members brought Lucas Leonard to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators determined that the Word of Life Church was the scene of the death, and the building was surrounded by special operations teams from state and local police agencies. Police eventually entered the church, a three-story brick building on a residential street that originally housed a school. Several church members were interviewed, and several children were turned over to child welfare officials. …. In addition to the Leonards, police arrested David Morey, 26, of Utica; Linda Morey, 54, of Utica; Sarah Ferguson, 33, who lives at the same address as the Leonards; and Joseph Irwin, 26, who lives in the church building. Bruce Leonard's lawyer, Don Gerace, said his client will not be able to make the $100,000 bail. He said it was too early to comment on details of the case.”

“Spare the rod and spoil the child” is questionable doctrine for any church to preach. That kind of thing, and especially in this extreme example, is cultlike rather than typical of what I consider to be a church. Doctrines that lead to this kind of abuse are unintelligent and even vicious. It’s exactly the same as the cases in hardline Islamic areas of women being killed in a mob-like setting for committing fornication, yet Christians tend to hold their group and beliefs above those of Islam. After all, we don’t do such things, right?

A civilized society has to have a few commonsensical rules of behavior that are held above the “freedom of religion.” I believe there should be no group or single partner sex, sacrificing of a human or even an animal, brainwashing, undue domination such as requiring large amounts of money to be paid to the church, etc. allowed by the US government as defensible under the doctrine of “freedom.” I do believe, however, that most “conservatives” in this country would not defend what happened in this group, no matter how their constituency expressed itself. This case goes beyond normal, sane human behavior.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/emotional-abuse-in-childhood-as-harmful-as-violence-or-neglect/

Emotional abuse in childhood as harmful as violence or neglect
By ASHLEY WELCH CBS NEWS
October 14, 2015

Photograph -- FASPHOTOGRAPHIC


Though abusive words don't leave physical scars, they may have the same lasting mental health effects as violence, new research finds.

According to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry, emotional abuse can be just as damaging as other forms of child abuse, including violence and neglect.

"Although people assume physical abuse is more harmful than other types of abuse, we found that they are associated with similar consequences," study author David Vachon, a professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University, said in a statement. "These consequences are wide-ranging and include everything from anxiety and depression to rule-breaking and aggression."

Emotional abuse, including ridicule, intimidation, rejection and humiliation, is experienced by about one third of children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

The study authors say their findings could have implications for how different forms of child abuse are recognized and treated.

The researchers analyzed data on almost 2,300 racially and ethnically diverse children aged 5 to 13 who attended a summer research camp designed for low-income kids from 1986 to 2012. About half of the boys and girls who attended the camp had a well-documented history of maltreatment.

At the end of each summer, researchers collected reports from counselors, peer ratings of behavior and child self-reports that were used to assess psychiatric and behavioral problems. If children attended the camp for multiple years, only the information from their first year of attendance was used in the analysis.

The researchers questioned common assumptions about child abuse, including the belief that each type of abuse has specific health effects and the belief that abuse has different consequences for boys and girls of different races.

"Many people have the assumption that physical abuse equals physical aggression and emotional abuse equals anxiety and depression," Katherine Lamparyk, a pediatric psychologist at the Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health at Cleveland Clinic Children's, told CBS News. "But what the study found is that that's not the case at all. Physical abuse can lead to depression just as emotional abuse can lead to physical aggression."

Lamparyk, who was not involved in the study, said these findings could result in a paradigm shift in how treatment for child abuse is approached.

"I think that we have to be a little more broad in our thinking," she said. "We need to look at each individual child and have treatment focusing on the individual and not have the assumption that because you have this specific type of abuse it means that you're going to have these problems. But we need to say that because you've suffered any of these types of abuse, you're likely to have more difficulty and we need to better assess what that might be."

Vachon told CBS News that "another implication is that awareness, prevention, and intervention strategies should not ignore the considerable harms associated with emotional abuse, the most common type of maltreatment."

Lamparyk said future research should look at the cumulative effects of abuse. "There's been other research that has found that if you have two types of abuse then it's going to be more problematic than one type," she said. "So I think it'd be interesting to see how that plays into it especially now that we know we can count emotional abuse as having the same consequences as physical abuse and neglect."

Vachon also suggested looking at whether abuse changes personality itself.

"My interest in this area is to understand how maltreatment changes the way in which children typically think, feel and behave," he said. How do they view themselves, others and the world? What kinds of emotions do they experience? What happens to their confidence and self-worth? Do they trust others? How do they protect themselves from future risk? If there are early changes in thinking, feeling and behaving, it is no surprise that some maltreated children experience mental illness further down the road."

"Ultimately, treatment may be more effective if it targets these immediate changes in personality and the neurobiological events that accompany them," he said.




"Although people assume physical abuse is more harmful than other types of abuse, we found that they are associated with similar consequences," study author David Vachon, a professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University, said in a statement. "These consequences are wide-ranging and include everything from anxiety and depression to rule-breaking and aggression." Emotional abuse, including ridicule, intimidation, rejection and humiliation, is experienced by about one third of children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The study authors say their findings could have implications for how different forms of child abuse are recognized and treated. …. About half of the boys and girls who attended the camp had a well-documented history of maltreatment. At the end of each summer, researchers collected reports from counselors, peer ratings of behavior and child self-reports that were used to assess psychiatric and behavioral problems. If children attended the camp for multiple years, only the information from their first year of attendance was used in the analysis. The researchers questioned common assumptions about child abuse, including the belief that each type of abuse has specific health effects and the belief that abuse has different consequences for boys and girls of different races. …. Physical abuse can lead to depression just as emotional abuse can lead to physical aggression." Lamparyk, who was not involved in the study, said these findings could result in a paradigm shift in how treatment for child abuse is approached. "I think that we have to be a little more broad in our thinking," she said. "We need to look at each individual child and have treatment focusing on the individual and not have the assumption that because you have this specific type of abuse it means that you're going to have these problems. But we need to say that because you've suffered any of these types of abuse, you're likely to have more difficulty and we need to better assess what that might be." …. ? If there are early changes in thinking, feeling and behaving, it is no surprise that some maltreated children experience mental illness further down the road." "Ultimately, treatment may be more effective if it targets these immediate changes in personality and the neurobiological events that accompany them," he said.”

It would be interesting if children who show up in school with an inability to deal with peers or adults, with their studies and with insufficient ability to learn, or other problems which have frequently been considered misbehavior rather than a negative internal reaction, would be given talk therapy and perhaps group therapy as well rather than psychotropic drugs or harsh punishments. In the old days it was all punishment, and it still is in many school settings. Early treatment of kids could perhaps heal their inner wounds and therefore stop the “misbehavior.” Adults tend to view children as little adults, but they simply are not. Their brain and emotions are not developed yet, and to a certain degree they also don’t “know right from wrong,” either. Even when a child is emotionally and mentally fully normal and healthy they still have to know a complex set of societal rules that are often different from society to society. Children have a very great deal to learn and grow into on their path through childhood.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gun-shop-found-liable-in-shooting-of-two-milwaukee-police-officers/

Gun shop found liable in shooting of two Milwaukee police officers
CBS NEWS
October 13, 2015

Play VIDEO -- Wisconsin officers shot in line of duty sue gun shop


MILWAUKEE -- Two police officers who were shot and seriously wounded have won their lawsuit against a gun store that sold the weapon used against them.

The jury awarded Bryan Norberg $1.5 million and Graham Kunisch $3.5 million, reports CBS affiliate WDJT.

The trial begin September 30, and closing arguments took place October 12.

CBS News' Adriana Diaz reports that in 2009, Officers Graham Kunish and Bryan Norberg approached 18-year-old Julius Burton for riding his bike on the sidewalk. A struggle ensued. Burton pulled out a gun and shot both officers in the face.

Kunisch lost an eye and had to have part of his brain removed. Norberg was shot in the mouth. Bullet fragments are still lodged in his cheek.

Surveillance video shows Burton with a friend at the Badger Gun store a month before the shooting. He paid the friend $40 to buy a gun for him because he was underage. Store Clerk, Donald Flora, appears to help the friend fill out the paperwork, Diaz reports. Flora told jurors he was unaware of an illegal sale known as a "straw purchase."

"The last thing we want to do is put a gun in somebody's hands that's going to commit a crime," said Flora on the stand.

In their lawsuit, the officers claim the weapon Burton used was "negligently and unlawfully sold by Badger Guns."

According to the charging document, in 2005, 537 guns recovered from crimes were traced back to Badger Guns, which "ranked as the number one crime gun dealer in America."

During closing arguments, Patrick Dunphy, the officer's attorney, said the store shares responsibility.

"If they had done their job, Bryan and Graham wouldn't have been shot June 9th," he said.

Legal experts previously said the officers face a very high bar to win their case and would likely need to prove criminal behavior on the part of the gun shop.

In opening arguments, the defense argued that gun sellers cannot be held responsible. President George W. Bush signed a law in 2005 that shielded the gun manufacturers and dealers from civil liability resulting from "the misuse of their products by others."

"I wouldn't be shocked if there were a jury verdict in this case that favor the plaintiffs. But then the question would be, would that jury verdict hold up on appeal?" Bloomberg Businessweek's senior writer Paul Barrett previously said to CBS News.




“Surveillance video shows Burton with a friend at the Badger Gun store a month before the shooting. He paid the friend $40 to buy a gun for him because he was underage. Store Clerk, Donald Flora, appears to help the friend fill out the paperwork, Diaz reports. Flora told jurors he was unaware of an illegal sale known as a "straw purchase." …. "The last thing we want to do is put a gun in somebody's hands that's going to commit a crime," said Flora on the stand. ….

“According to the charging document, in 2005, 537 guns recovered from crimes were traced back to Badger Guns, which "ranked as the number one crime gun dealer in America." Clearly, not only are laws covering gun sales lax, but so are the humans who do the selling. A man who had trouble filling out the form to purchase the gun might have caused the store owner to take a second look. One basic problem with businesses in general is that the “bottom line” is their profit margin, and a gun shop that gives buyers too many problems about the sale probably loses customers. Laws are only as effective as the people who enforce them. I’m glad to see a store get into trouble for doing what is probably commonplace, but is nonetheless deeply wrong.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nationwide-fbi-sex-trafficking-sting-nets-150-arrests/

Nationwide FBI sex trafficking sting nets 150 arrests
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS NEWS
October 14, 2015

Photograph -- An officer with the Alexandria, Va. Police Department monitors an undercover sting operation in an Alexandria hotel room during Operation Cross Country. FBI


A nationwide FBI sting focusing on underage victims of prostitution resulted in the rescue of 149 sexually exploited children and the arrests of more than 150 pimps and others, according the bureau.

The ninth annual initiative known as "Operation Cross Country" - the largest to date - was carried out last week in135 cities including Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver, Knoxville, Tenn., Alexandria. Va., Jackson, Miss., Los Angeles, Portland, Sacramento and Seattle, with the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Local initiatives were coordinated through 73 of the FBI's child exploitation task forces, which include local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, according to the Bureau. More than 500 law enforcement officers participated in stings at hotels, casinos, truck stops and other locations known to be frequented by pimps and prostitutes, the FBI says.

"When kids are treated as a commodity in seedy hotels and on dark roadsides, we must rescue them from their nightmare and severely punish those responsible for that horror," FBI Director James Comey said in a statement.

The youngest victim rescued was reportedly 12 years old.

"It's a really young age - we're really concerned about that," said Staca Shehan, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children executive director, in a video posted to the center's Facebook page. "The majority of cases we see involve 15-, 16- and 17-year-old children.

The Bureau released raw video footage of the stings at hotels in Alexandria, Va. and Jackson, Miss. via its Facebook page. It shows law enforcement agents conducting video surveillance on hotel rooms, raiding the rooms and arresting suspects.

According to NCMEC, many of the victims are runaways who are being targeted by traffickers.

"Runaway juveniles are particularly vulnerable to being led into prostitution because they run away from possibly a bad family situation and then get pulled into drugs or a lifestyle that leads to prostitution," Crystal Nosal, a spokeswoman for the Alexandria Police Department, which assisted in the effort, says in the video.

Nosal said detectives would interview the victims to determine how they became involved in prostitution, and offer help. Nearly 100 FBI victim specialists were on hand to assist the child victims after the stings, according to the FBI, providing services including crisis intervention, food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention.

"Human trafficking is a monstrous and devastating crime that steals lives and degrades our nation," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement. "As a result of the FBI's outstanding coordination and exemplary efforts alongside state and local partners during Operation Cross Country, more children will sleep safely tonight, and more wrongdoers will face the judgment of our criminal justice system."

"Operation Cross Country" was a part of the Bureau's Innocence Lost National Initiative, an effort launched in 2003 to combat sex trafficking.

"This operation is just a glimpse - just a snapshot into what's occurring in this country every day," said NCMEC's Shehan.




"When kids are treated as a commodity in seedy hotels and on dark roadsides, we must rescue them from their nightmare and severely punish those responsible for that horror," FBI Director James Comey said in a statement. The youngest victim rescued was reportedly 12 years old. "It's a really young age - we're really concerned about that," said Staca Shehan, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children executive director, in a video posted to the center's Facebook page. "The majority of cases we see involve 15-, 16- and 17-year-old children. …. Nosal said detectives would interview the victims to determine how they became involved in prostitution, and offer help. Nearly 100 FBI victim specialists were on hand to assist the child victims after the stings, according to the FBI, providing services including crisis intervention, food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention. …. "Operation Cross Country" was a part of the Bureau's Innocence Lost National Initiative, an effort launched in 2003 to combat sex trafficking. "This operation is just a glimpse - just a snapshot into what's occurring in this country every day," said NCMEC's Shehan.”

Some crimes and sins are worse than others, and sexually assaulting a child is one of the worst. Children are often unable to cope intellectually with that kind of damage to their view of the world and their emotional nature. A single assault leaves damage, but to use such kids as sex slaves and subject them to it repeatedly is inhuman. I’m glad to see the FBI brought victim specialists with them to aid the victims, and organized the whole thing so that the criminals didn’t have time to warn others of the sting. The Internet is capable of instantaneous communication, but 150 pimps were arrested, while 149 kids were rescued. I only hope the courts will give the pimps enough time in prison to make a difference. Too often when I see the actual sentences that such people have to serve I am appalled at how lenient they are.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-sends-fighters-to-syria-using-cover-from-russias-air-campaign/

Iran sends fighters to Syria, using cover from Russia's air campaign
CBS/AP
October 14, 2015

Photograph -- A group of Iranian Revolutionary Guard members mourn during the funeral ceremony of Gen. Hossein Hamedani in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015. Hamedani, a senior commander of the Guard, was killed by ISIS extremists last week near the Syrian city of Aleppo, according to a state TV report. AP PHOTO/VAHID SALEMI
Play VIDEO -- President Obama on Russia's military moves in Syria


BEIRUT -- Iran has sent hundreds of troops into northern and central Syria, its first such deployment in the country's civil war, joining fighters from its Lebanese ally Hezbollah in an offensive against rebels and taking advantage of cover from Russia's air campaign, a regional official and Syrian activists said Wednesday

CBS News' David Martin reports that U.S. officials say at least 1,000 Iranian fighters have deployed near Aleppo to augment Syrian ground forces fighting to retake the city. The Russians are expected to pitch in with air strikes, artillery and rocket launchers.

Their arrival is almost certain to fuel a civil war in Syria which has already claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people and displaced half of the country's population. It also highlights the far-reaching goals of Russia's military involvement in Syria.

Moscow began launching airstrikes in Syria on Sept. 30, and Syrian troops and allied militiamen began a ground offensive against rebels in central Syria a week later. Russia says its airstrikes are meant to weaken the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other terrorists in Syria, but Western officials and Syrian rebels say most the strikes have focused on areas in central and northern Syria where extremist group does not have a strong presence.

The arrival of Iranian troops reinforces fighting under the cover of Russian air power further strengthens the view that Russia's main goal is to shore up Syrian President Bashar Assad's embattled government.

The official, who has deep knowledge of operational details in Syria, said the Iranian fighters began arriving in Syria about two weeks ago, after the Russian airstrikes began, and have accelerated in recent days. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah group has also sent a fresh wave of fighters to Syria, he told The Associated Press.

He said the Iranian fighters were arriving at Damascus airport and transported to a military base in the coastal town of Latakia from where they were deploying on the ground - mainly in the central Hama province and northern Aleppo province.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss military affairs.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported Wednesday that Iranian troops were arriving in Syria and were transported to the military base in the town of Jableh.

Iranian and Syrian officials have long maintained that Iran has advisers and military experts in Syria. Wednesday's news is the first confirmation of Iranian fighters taking part in combat operations in Syria.




“Iran has sent hundreds of troops into northern and central Syria, its first such deployment in the country's civil war, joining fighters from its Lebanese ally Hezbollah in an offensive against rebels and taking advantage of cover from Russia's air campaign, a regional official and Syrian activists said Wednesday. CBS News' David Martin reports that U.S. officials say at least 1,000 Iranian fighters have deployed near Aleppo to augment Syrian ground forces fighting to retake the city. The Russians are expected to pitch in with air strikes, artillery and rocket launchers. …. Russia says its airstrikes are meant to weaken the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other terrorists in Syria, but Western officials and Syrian rebels say most the strikes have focused on areas in central and northern Syria where extremist group does not have a strong presence. …. Iranian and Syrian officials have long maintained that Iran has advisers and military experts in Syria. Wednesday's news is the first confirmation of Iranian fighters taking part in combat operations in Syria.”

I can only hope that the Iranian and Russian troops will actually fight ISIS rather than merely prop up the Assad regime. Russia has admitted that one of their goals is to do just that. Of course we always have a secondary and unstated goal when we send troops in anywhere also. There are no clean hands here.