Russia Begins Operations in Syria: End Game for the US Empire?

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Russian President Putin Visits Mount Athos Alongside Patriarch Kirill
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160528/1040406327/putin-mount-athos-visit.html

(Note: At the moment of this Posting - RT live video.)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Mount Athos in order to mark the 1,000 year presence of Russian Orthodox monks in Greece.

The Russian leader arrived in Greece for a two-day visit on Friday. During Friday talks with Putin, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that strengthening ties between Moscow and Athens is the "strategic choice" of the Greek nation.

The year 2016 is the Russia-Greece cross-cultural year, as it marks the 1,000-year anniversary since the first Russian settlement on the Holy Mount Athos in Greece.


Putin arrives at Mount Athos
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20050909/41350307.html

MOUNT ATHOS (Greece), September 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived at the Holy Mount of Athos, the world's only Orthodox monastic republic.
He is expected to view several monasteries and meet with representatives of the Holy Kinot, the mountain's governing body.

Mount Athos is a peninsula in the northeast of Greece with 20 monasteries - 17 Greek, one Russian named after St. Panteleimon, one Bulgarian and one Serbian. The 20 monasteries rule Athos through their representatives that make up the Holy Kinot (council). No women are allowed into the republic.


Vladimir Putin Uses 'Religious Diplomacy' During His Visit to Greece
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160528/1040402237/putin-diplomacy-greece.html

Russia and Greece have common values, including Orthodoxy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said ahead of his visit to Athens. Athens may help Moscow break Europe’s unity against Russia.

By using "religious diplomacy" Moscow wants to break Europe’s unity against Russia because Greece has long opposed Western anti-Russian sanctions, an article in the French newspaper Le Figaro said.

The Russian leader arrived in Greece for a two-day visit on Friday. During Friday talks with Putin, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that strengthening ties between Moscow and Athens is the "strategic choice" of the Greek nation.

"Vladimir Putin is the president of a country where the constitution proclaims the separation of church and state. At the same time, he is a religious person, taking into account his planned visit to Mount Athos, one of the most important orthodox holy places," the article read.


Russian President Putin, Greek PM Tsipras Hold Joint Press Conference (RT video)
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160527/1040377039/putin-tsipras-press-conference.html

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Greek PM Alexis Tsipras held a joint press conference on Friday in Athens. The two leaders touched upon a variety of topics, including bilateral cooperation, Russian relations with the West, and the ongoing Ukrainian crisis.


Russian President and the Patriarch on Mount Athos
http://katehon.com/agenda/russian-president-and-patriarch-mount-athos

On May 28th, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a pilgrimage visit to Mount Athos. Together with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, who arrived on Athos day before, the president will take part in ceremonies to mark the millennium of Russian monastic presence on Mount Athos.

The importance of Mount Athos for the President The Russian president arrives on Mount Athos for the second time. Prior to that, he was last on the Holy Mountain in 2005, when he became the first Russian head of state to visit Mount Athos. This fact demonstrates the special attention that the current ruler of Russia pays to spiritual factors.

The spiritual meaning of the visit Both the Russian government and the Russian Church is now in need of spiritual support from the Athos elders. The State holds back the tide of the godless Western liberalism, which increases the pressure on Russia in all directions and unambiguously threatens to start a direct military conflict. The Church wages a spiritual war, and is preparing to confront the ecumenical and Renovationist trend at the upcoming Pan-Orthodox Council in late July.

Not two, but three The joint visit of the Patriarch and the President on Athos can be a perfect illustration of the concept of the Byzantine symphony of powers, but in its particular dimension. The head of the temporal power and spiritual power, the main lay and chief cleric of Russia are in the world center of Orthodox monasticism. Taking the veil does not mean the adherence of man to the church clergy, but separates it from the laity. Thus, along with the clergy and laity, monks are the third component of a fully-fledged Orthodox society. The Institute of elders is a form of special spiritual and informal power, which complements the traditional dyad Byzantine symphony. On Mount Athos, in contact with the bearers of the living tradition of tacit pray and chain of elders’ succession, the Russian Symphony of powers gets its complete embodiment and obtains a universal dimension.

The visit of the Russian Patriarch and the President of Russia on Mount Athos is an appeal to their own Byzantine roots and to the Byzantine imperial paradigm underlying the Russian culture and statehood.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was the only world leader to apologize for the inconvenience his visit created to the residents of the Greek capital of Athens, national media reported.

Putin Only World Leader to Apologize for Traffic Jams in Greece
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160528/1040413687/putin-traffic-jams-greece.html

The outlet singled out Putin’s remark made at joint statements with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as unique in the face of customary safety measures and traffic arrangements during official visits.

"I am thankful to the people of Athens for the warm reception and ask their forgiveness for certain problems that may have been created," Putin was quoted as saying by the news247.gr online news outlet late Friday.

Russia and Greece celebrate 2016 as a cross-cultural year, marking the millennial anniversary since the first Russian settlement on the Holy Mount Athos.

Putin, on his second and last day of the trip, is at the monastic center of Holy Mount Athos to commemorate 1,000 years of Russian presence at the site.

 

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The proposal for a transitional government in Syria comprised of five vice presidents is intended to throw the nation into deeper chaos, Senator from the US State of Virginia Richard Black told Sputnik.

Proposed Transitional Gov't Designed to Collapse Syria - US State Senator
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160528/1040411766/transition-syria-collapse.html

On Thursday, the Syrian opposition’s Moscow platform put forward a proposed transitional government arrangement to appoint five vice presidents as deputies under President Bashar Assad. The proposal allegedly received a positive response from UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, though it was opposed by the High Negotiations Committee, the main ppposition delegation backed by Saudi Arabia

"There has never been a government run by five vice presidents and there never will be," Black said on Friday. "The proposal is foolish, it’s deceitful, and it is designed to collapse the Syrian government."

Black, who recently met with President Assad during a visit to Syria, explained that under the proposal, "Two of those [vice presidents] would be terrorists, two would be government officials, and one would be some nebulous undefined individual that presumably the terrorists would try to control or to threaten."

The division of power would leave the Syrian government "in total chaos," Black asserted, adding that "clearly this is their objective."

Under the proposed transition, Assad would be a "figurehead," divested of power, leaving the Syrian Army without leadership and the Syrian people "defenseless," Black argued.

The individuals brought to power under the auspices of the transition, would enter with relative "dictatorial powers" and "no mandate from the people," he added.

Though Assad is not recognized by numerous foreign governments, he maintains control over the majority of Syrian territory with a greater margin of popular support than any of the largely foreign-backed opposition groups.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey both have a stake in choosing representation for a Syrian transitional government comprised of five vice presidents, Richard Black told Sputnik.

"Somehow Saudi Arabia and Turkey are going to come along and say, ‘We are going to select two vice presidents for Syria,’ and put them in charge," Black said of two of the five deputies proposed for a Syrian transitional government. "And you know they are going to be put in place by the Turks and the Saudis."

Black explained that both Saudi Arabia and Turkey "want to have two out of the five vice presidencies," meaning that the Syrian people "are cut out of this whole process."

Black went on to describe the Saudi and Turkish-backed elements in Syria as "terrorist," and responsible for the recent massacre of Syrian civilians "under the guise of the ceasefire."

Prior to speaking with Sputnik, Black discussed the proposal this week with a high-level Syrian official and maintains contact with individuals from the Assad government.

Homs, Aleppo, SANA – A woman was killed and a number of people got injured when Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists fired two mortar shells on Ain al-Dananeer village in al-Meshrfeh area in the countryside of Homs central province.

A woman killed, other people injured in terrorist attacks with shells on Homs and Aleppo
http://sana.sy/en/?p=78617

A source at Homs Governorate told SANA reporter that the terrorist groups affiliated to Jabhat al-Nusra who fortify in Ez-Eddin village fired two mortar shells on houses in Ain al-Dananeer village in al-Meshrfeh area in the northeastern countryside of Homs.

It added that a woman was killed and several people got injured due to the terrorist attack.

In Aleppo, The Takfiri terrorist groups breached the cessation of hostilities agreement again through targeting al-Midan neighborhood in Aleppo city with a rocket shell.

A source at Aleppo Police Command told SANA that the terrorist groups on Saturday morning fired a rocket shell on al-Midan residential neighborhood, injuring a civilian and causing material damage to 7 cars and to a number of houses.

On Friday, the terrorist groups fired more than 10 rocket shells on al-Midan neighborhood leaving an elderly woman killed and 9 other people injured and causing huge damage.

Sweida, SANA – Popular defense groups seized a car transporting explosives and ammunition bound for terrorist groups in Eastern al-Badiya (desert).

Ammunition bound for terrorists seized in southern Sweida
http://sana.sy/en/?p=78623

The defense groups ambushed the car in al-Efeineh village in the southern countryside of the southern Sweida province.

The load included a number of RPG rounds, weapons charges, a 23 mm cannon’s barrel and over 70 kg of TNT, a source at Sweida Governorate told SANA on Saturday.

Ten days ago, the popular defense groups thwarted an attempt by terrorist to smuggle weapons and ammunition from the eastern countryside of Daraa to Eastern al-Badiya.

60 mm mortar round, B9 shells, RPG rounds, grenades, bullets and shoulder-fired rocket were confiscated in the operation, which took place at Kou Hadar area in northern Sweida.

Washington is apparently quite with some of NATO's European members, particularly Spain, for letting Russian ships refuel and resupply in their ports that the latest version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires the Pentagon to report to Congress on those countries that host Russian vessels.

US Congress Slams Spain for Allowing Russian Ships Into Its Ports (Video)
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160528/1040407522/us-ndaa-spain-russia.html

The initiative came from Congressman Joe Pitts, who suggested that "governments across the globe should be isolating the Russian Navy, not accommodating it," despite the fact that letting Russian vessels into their ports is perfectly legal and does not violate domestic or international law.

Madrid has been singled out as the key "wrongdoer."

The newly added measure, Pitts argued, "is particularly important in the case of Spain, who, although a cherished NATO ally, grants Russia access to the ports in its enclaves across the strategically important strait of Gibraltar, where the United Kingdom has a Permanent Joint Operating Base that hosts US ships."

Spain has indeed allowed more than 50 Russian ships, including warships, submarines and amphibious vessels, to refuel and resupply at its port city of Ceuta since 2011. The city bordering Morocco is located less than 20 miles away from Gibraltar, a small British overseas territory claimed by Spain.

For instance last year, Madrid allowed Russia's Novorossiysk submarine to spend three days in Ceuta's docks. Although the move was legal, the visit caused outrage in the UK and beyond.

Apart from Spain, Pitts also mentioned Greece, another NATO member, as well as Malta, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

"I hope this amendment will cause governments to think twice before offering up their ports to Putin's navy," he added.

A US military convoy has entered the territory of the Czech Republic to participate in the Saber Strike-2016 exercises in the Baltic states. "One day we will wake up and see that US troops are here to stay forever," Czech Senator Jaroslav Doubrava commented in an interview with Radio Sputnik.

One Day Czechs Will 'Wake Up and See That US Troops Are Here to Stay'
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160528/1040409090/czechs-convoy-protest.html

“These convoys are provoking the Czech people who have traditionally been wary of having foreign troops in country. This is also a provocation against Russia and I’m afraid that all these US military convoys and military shows are simply meant to lull our vigilance, make us used to this,” Czech Senator Jaroslav Doubrava commented in an interview with Radio Sputnik Jaroslav Doubrava added.

The Czech Republic, together with its V-4 partners (the Visegrad Group of countries, comprising the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, supporting the initiative to strengthen NATO's capabilities on the alliance's eastern flank), is ready to set up a company for permanent deployment in the Baltic states.

The proposal will discussed during the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw.

A few days ago Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka assured his Lithuanian colleague that the Czech Republic was ready to cover the Baltic states’ airspace amid the imagined threat by Russia.

When asked about Czech media speculating about Russia’s ability to occupy Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in a matter of just three days, Jaroslav Doubrava dismissed it as “sheer paranoia.”

“I can assure you that the majority of our society does not view Russia as an aggressor and feels no threat allegedly being posed by it to either the Czech Republic or Europe in general.

“Just look at the map with all these US military bases scattered around the world and compare this with the number of Russian bases and you will see whence the real threat to peace.”

He mentioned NATO’s consistent military buildup in Eastern Europe and the war games the alliance has been holding close to the Russian borders.

“I see no justification for NATO’s current buildup in eastern Europe, which increased the possibility of a military conflict. I can’t imagine a Czech or Slovak soldier fighting a Russian soldier. Even though our army now mainly consists of contract soldiers, mercenaries ready to fight anyone, our people will never forget the Red Army, which liberated our country from Nazi invaders during WW2,” Jaroslav Sobotka emphasized.

Meanwhile, the World Without Wars and Violence movement has sent an open letter to the participants of the US military convoy passing across the Czech Republic.

“In this letter we say that our children were born in peacetime and that we want to live in peace.

We're asking the US soldiers to urge their government to stop using American troops in Europe and militarizing the minds of our children who are happily climbing onto these armored vehicles and enjoy the sight of all these assault rifles they think are just a toy,” Dana Feminová, the leader of Centrum Narovinu public organization, said.

“We are dealing with a military-industrial lobby hell-bent on landing ever more contracts. We are calling on the US soldiers to stay away from these dangerous games, which are fraught with an armed conflict in Europe.”

"We are protesting against this convoy, but we are holding no grudge against these soldiers and would be glad to see them coming here as tourists. But now we want them to understand our fears,” Dana Feminová said.

The United States apparently has big plans for Kosovo and the Balkans in general, political analyst Petr Iskenderov told Radio Sputnik. These include increasing Washington's political influence and military presence in the territory that was carved out of Serbia following NATO's military intervention.

Pivot to Balkans: This is Where US Could Build NATO's Next Aegis Base
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160528/1040402646/us-kosovo-balkans.html

If accurate, this assessment should come as no surprise. NATO recently welcomed its 29th member, the small Balkan country of Montenegro, at a time when the alliance has become increasingly active on its eastern and southern flanks, citing a non-existent threat from Russia as one of the reasons.

"NATO, particularly the United States, wants to place Kosovo at the center of its military and political plans due to the territory's prime location," the senior analyst at the Institute of Slavic Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences explained.

Should these plans be carried out, Kosovo could become one of the nodes in Washington's massive missile shield in Europe that Moscow has described as a threat to its security. An element of this system has recently come online in Romania. Another Aegis Ashore base will become operation by 2018 in Poland.


The United States "is not only interested in maintaining its military and political presence in the central Balkans," Iskenderov added. "Washington also wants to turn this territory into a springboard to develop its military infrastructure [in the region]. For instance, the US could deploy its radars or a missile defense system there."

In addition to Washington's Kosovo ambitions, the self-proclaimed republic also has to deal with growing radical sentiments.

More than 300 people of the land's predominantly Muslim 1.8 million population have joined radical groups fighting in Iraq and Syria. This figure might not seem as much, but this is the highest ratio of any European country.

Approximately 120 fighters are reported to have already returned to Kosovo. "Kosovo has indeed become a staging area for radicals, Islamists and other groups that have taken advantage of the fact that this territory is not controlled by anyone," Iskenderov noted. Interestingly, this trend has developed in parallel with Washington's growing influence. The analyst suggested that there might be a link between the two.

"Since Kosovo Albanians have looked up to the US, it is quite possible that Kosovo authorities and NATO leadership have a secret understanding that these processes 'do not hinder each other,'" he asserted.

The United States’ Aegis Ashore system is not directed against Russia but is designed to protect against potential attacks from the Middle East, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Evans told RIA Novosti.

Pentagon: Aegis System in Europe Needed to Deter Attacks From Middle East
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160528/1040398580/aegis-europe-russia.html

Russia has repeatedly expressed its concern about the creation of a US-designed ballistic missile defense system in Europe, approved at the 2010 NATO summit in Lisbon. Poland and Romania joined Spain and Turkey in agreeing to deploy elements of the system on their territories.

"European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) is not directed against Russia and is not capable of undermining Russia’s strategic nuclear deterrent. Interceptors are designed to be launched from AEGIS Ashore sites to defend NATO in the case of a missile attack from the Middle East," Evans said on Friday.

The United States’ Aegis Ashore system is expected to become operational in Poland in 2018. It is planned to form part of the European missile shield and be armed with land-based Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors.

In recent years, the United States has taken significant steps to deploy ballistic missile defense systems throughout Europe under the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA). The Aegis Ashore facility in Poland marks the third phase of the EPAA.

US forces stationed in Japan’s Okinawa island will be put under a month-long curfew following the rape and murder of a Japanese woman by a former US marine, officials said.

US forces in Okinawa under curfew after rape, murder
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/28/467791/US-Okinawa-Japan-US-Abe-Obama-Gadson

Lawrence Nicholson, the head of US forces in Okinawa, said on Monday that a night-time curfew and some other liberty regulations will come into effect for a month.

“This period of unity and mourning will include the postponement of all festivals, celebrations and concerts on our bases and stations,” he added.

This came after US President Barack Obama expressed his regrets over the Okinawa crime and described it as “inexcusable.”

“The United States will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation and ensure that justice is done under the Japanese legal system,” Obama said at a joint press conference with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday.

Former US marine Kenneth Gadson was arrested on May 19 in connection with the death of a 20-year-old woman, Rina Shimabukuro, who went missing in late April.

Her body was found dumped in a wooded area near the US airbase, where the 32-year-old American was serving as a civilian contractor.

Police have found DNA matching the dead woman's in a car belonging to Gadson.

A court in Argentina has found the country's last dictator along with 14 other former military commanders guilty of complicity in a US-backed deadly crackdown on leftist dissidents across South America in the 1970s and 80s.

Argentina court jails ex-army officers for rights violations
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/28/467821/Argentina-court-exmilitary-officers-Bignone-Operation-Condor

The court on Friday sentenced former dictator Reynaldo Bignone, the highest ranking figure on trial, to 20 years in prison for being part of an illicit association, kidnapping and abusing his powers in the forced disappearance of more than 100 people.

Fourteen of the remaining 16 defendants received prison sentences of eight to 25 years for criminal association, kidnapping and torture. Two were found not guilty.

The 88-year-old Bignone, who ruled Argentina in 1982-1983, is already serving life sentences for multiple human rights violations during the 1976-1983 dictatorship. His conviction for crimes against humanity was related to Argentina’s so-called “Dirty War”, during which an estimated 30,000 left-wing guerillas, dissidents and others disappeared under the junta.

During the dictatorship, an estimated 500 babies were stolen by the regime which also abducted, tortured and killed dissidents and their suspected sympathizers.

This is the first time that a court has proved that the massive crackdown code-named 'Operation Condor' was carried out by the US-backed regimes in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The ruling was hailed by rights activists.

“This ruling, about the coordination of military dictatorships in the Americas to commit atrocities, sets a powerful precedent to ensure that these grave human rights violations do not ever take place again in the region,” said Jose Miguel Vivanco, the director of Human Rights Watch's Americas division.

It determines not only that state terrorism in Argentina was a “criminal conspiracy” but that it was “coordinated with other dictatorships,” said Luz Palmas Zaldua, a lawyer with the Center for Legal and Social Studies (Cels), which represented many of the plaintiffs in the case.

The prosecutors partly based their case on a declassified FBI agent’s cable, sent in 1976, which showed in detail how the regimes worked together to track down political exiles in neighboring countries and kill them or have them sent back to their home countries.

 

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The decision to extend restrictive measures was made by the Council of the European Union on Friday

EU decision to extend anti-Syrian sanctions comes into effect
http://tass.ru/en/world/878729

European Union’s decision to extend sanctions against Syria by one year comes into effect on Saturday, May 28, says the Official Journal which published the legal acts.

The decision to extend restrictive measures was made by the Council of the European Union on Friday. The statement said sanctions against Syria would stay in place "as long as repression continues".

The sanctions include an oil embargo, restrictions on investments, a freeze on the assets of the Syrian Central bank within the European Union, embargo on trade with dual purpose technologies, as well as export restrictions on equipment and technology for monitoring or interception of internet or telephone communications. Besides, more than 200 Syrian individuals and 70 entities have been blacklisted in the EU.

The sanctions will stay in place until July 1, 2017.

Three Daesh suicide bombers killed four Kurdish soldiers in an effort to stop the Kurdish offensive on its stronghold of Raqqa, northern Syria, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said in a statement Saturday.

Three Daesh Suicide Bombers Kill 4 Kurdish Militias in North Syria
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160528/1040423479/daesh-suicide-bombers-syria.html

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance liberated Shaddadi south of Hasakah city and use it as a staging ground to attack Daesh in Raqqa.

"The attacks targeted our checkpoints in the villages in south Shaddadi [Hasakah province]. These terrorist attacks resulted in the deaths of four [People’s Protection Units] YPG militiamen and injuries to 18 others," the group’s Russian-language update said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government may be on the verge of collapse according to Israel’s Channel 10.

Netanyahu’s government may be near collapse, report says
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahus-government-may-be-near-collapse-report-says-455232#.V0myI_t3zeM.twitter

In a report Friday night, the TV station quoted unnamed “party leaders” saying that Netanyahu’s surprise move to bring the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party into the coalition may be backfiring on him.

In the past eight days, two ministers have resigned: Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, of Likud, following reports that he would be replaced with the hawkish Avigdor Liberman, and Environmental Minister Avi Gabai of Kulanu. Both harshly criticized Netanyahu in their resignation announcements.

Gabai, who resigned Friday, said Israel’s increasingly “extremist” government was leading Israel on a path to destruction and that he “found it difficult” to be part of Netanyahu’s government for several reasons, including how it “totally upset the relationship with the world’s most important power – the one safeguarding our security interests,” referring to the United States.”

Relations between Likud and Jewish Home are also “in real crisis," the report also said

The report also said Finance Minister and Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon is working to persuade the center-left Zionist Union to renew talks with Netanyahu about joining the coalition, while Yaalon “has already begun preparing the organizational infrastructure” for a potential return to politics.

 

[thorbiorn]

Ukraine conducts exercises in Uzhgorod as Russia and Hungary enter into strategic partnership
Friday, May 27, 2016 - 15:53

This week, against the wishes of European and US officials, Budapest and Moscow have entered into a number of strategic agreements on cooperation and exchange, reports The Politnavigator.

The most important is the agreement on the expansion of the Hungarian NPP in Pakesh. Russia will allocate a $10 billion loan to Budapest for the construction of additional power units. The construction and maintenance will be carried out by Russian companies.

The loan allocation was announced in Budapest by the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov. The announcement was made at a meeting with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the Foreign Minister of the country.

These agreements caused 'serious concern of the European Commission'. It began proceedings directed against Hungary because of doubts whether two new reactors will be built on market principles.

The Foreign Minister of Hungary Peter Siyyarto said that Hungary would not now make an "automatic" decision on prolongation of the sanctions against Russia, which expire in July.

Yesterday, in Transcarpathia, Gennady Moskal, the governor of the region appointed by Kiev, had a one-day exercise carried out on the suppression of a "separatist rebellion" similar to that in Donbass, including working out actions against the local population.

DONi News Agency

 

[angelburst29]

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) listed Russian citizen Ruslan Mukhudinov wanted on suspicion of the murder of Boris Nemtsov.

Interpol Lists Russian Politician Nemtsov’s Suspected Killer
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160529/1040434007/interpol-nemtsov-mukhudinov.html

Mukhudinov, 29, is wanted on charges of murder and illegal firearms trafficking, Interpol’s website states.

Nemtsov, who occupied a number of senior positions in the Russian government in the 1990s, and was an active opposition politician in the 2000s, was gunned down in downtown Moscow on February 27, 2015.

Mukhudinov, the alleged mastermind, has been arrested in absentia and is believed to be in the United Arab Emirates. He is among six suspects of playing a role in Nemtsov's murder.

At least some of the US troops deployed to Syria have been spotted wearing yellow and green insignias of the Kurdish militias, raising questions as to what why they did it, as well as fueling concerns as to what goals Washington is trying to achieve in the region and whose interests it is truly pursuing.

US Troops With Kurdish Patches: Blending in or 'Hiding Behind YPG Skirts'
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160529/1040434720/us-troops-ypg-insignias.html

"Wearing YPG insignia takes things a step further. It says in effect not only that the United States finds the YPG useful in fighting against [Daesh] in Syria but that it identifies with YPG goals generally," Paul R. Pillar wrote for the National Interest.

Kurdish fighters both in Iraq and Syria have proved to be one of the most efficient ground forces trying to tackle Daesh. At the same time, experts have said that once the brutal group is defeated, the Kurds could demand greater autonomy, if not independence.

Senior officials in Iraqi Kurdistan have voiced similar sentiments in recent months as they prepare to conduct a referendum to determine the future of their region later this year.

​Photos showing US special operations forces sporting YPG insignias were released on Thursday, causing a firestorm. They were taken near the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of Daesh's caliphate, as the Kurdish forces are preparing for an offensive on the militant stronghold.

The incident was followed by some awkward flip-flopping on part of US defense officials. Initially, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook explained away the patches as a necessary step that US troops sometimes take "to blend in with the community to enhance their own protection."

Major Tiffany Bowens of Special Operations Command Central later told the Daily Beast that the move was a trust-building measure, adding that it was a tactical decision, since the practice goes against official regulations.

"US Special Operations Forces and their counterparts typically swap unit patches as a method to build trust," she noted. "This small act builds rapport and serves as a sign of cooperation, which we traditionally employed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Jordan."

Finally, US defense officials essentially backtracked on their earlier statements, saying that the move was unauthorized and all US troops taking part in Washington's anti-Daesh operation should remove all YPG insignias from their uniforms.

"Wearing those YPG patches was unauthorized, and it was inappropriate and corrective action has been taken," Army Col. Steve Warren, a Baghdad-based spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, told reporters on Friday.

Washington's "military partners and military allies in the region" have also been informed of this decision, he added. Although Warren did not name anyone, his message was most likely meant to assure Turkey that a similar incident will not take place in the future.

Unsurprisingly, Ankara was furious when photos of US troops wearing YPG insignia emerged. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the move, saying that Ankara's friends, let alone fellow NATO partners "must not send their soldiers to Syria wearing YPG insignia."

But Turkey's reservations are not the only thing that matters.

"The broader symbolism of US troops identifying with a local militia goes well beyond upsetting the Turks. The symbolism gets to the broader problem of the United States in effect subordinating itself to the goals and interests of some of the parties to local conflicts," Pillar noted.

Then there is the issue of Washington's true intentions in the region. "The false-front aspects of wearing someone else's insignia, as with wearing no insignia at all, tend to feed suspicions of what undeclared shenanigans the United States is up to," the analyst added.

Finally, Washington risked sending a wrong message when US special operations forces put Kurdish insignias on their uniforms.

"The US troops sent to Syria have a very difficult job, given the confusion about objectives and priorities that have plagued the US involvement in this multi-sided conflict. A move that can look like hiding behind the skirts of a Kurdish resistance group is one reflection of that confusion," Pillar observed.

The United Kingdom will offer to deploy 1,000 troops backed by tanks and artillery in the Baltic republics as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) military buildup on the Russian border, The Times said.

UK Eyes Deploying 1,000 Troops, Tanks, Artillery to Baltics in NATO Buildup
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160529/1040434960/uk-nato-baltics.html

The deployment would make up one of four 4,000-strong NATO battalions, two of which are planned to be manned by the US armed forces and one by German troops.

"We are considering ‘enhanced forward presence’ in the Baltic states — not only in the Baltic states, but along the eastern flank more generally — in the run-up to the summit," Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said as quoted by The Times daily, referring to NATO’s planned high-level meeting on July 8-9.

British defense officials are also deliberating plans to stockpile tanks and other heavy equipment across Eastern Europe, the publication added.

NATO has repeatedly blamed Russia for its agressive behavior, but it looks like the alliance forgot about its own military manoeuvres along the Russian border.

NATO Exercises Ongoing Near Russia Since 2014 (Graph)
http://sputniknews.com/infographics/20150603/1022907016.html

 

[bjorb]

UK Eyes Deploying 1,000 Troops, Tanks, Artillery to Baltics in NATO Buildup
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160529/1040434960/uk-nato-baltics.html

The deployment would make up one of four 4,000-strong NATO battalions, two of which are planned to be manned by the US armed forces and one by German troops.

"We are considering ‘enhanced forward presence’ in the Baltic states — not only in the Baltic states, but along the eastern flank more generally — in the run-up to the summit," Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said as quoted by The Times daily, referring to NATO’s planned high-level meeting on July 8-9.

British defense officials are also deliberating plans to stockpile tanks and other heavy equipment across Eastern Europe, the publication added.

The PTB are going to get more insane when they start to realize that Putin cannot be intimated. How much longer will their psychopath patience hold? It's not infinite to be sure. At some point they need to decide. Do we let the Russians thwart our plans for world domination. Or do we start invading them. And is that really a choose for a psychopath?

Hopefully Russian military modernization will be complete by then. They only need 3.5 more years. They can't beat Russia in an conventional war. And if the S-500 works at they say it does. Any nuclear strike on Russian cities will be futile.

 

[angelburst29]

Another "secret" visit to Syria - this time Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ayoub Kara. Betcha, Kara showed up at the same time General Joseph Votel, secretly visited Syria?

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ayoub Kara has acknowledged to have paid a clandestine visit to Syria's Aleppo, which is under the control of foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists.

Israeli deputy PM admits to visiting Aleppo secretly
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/29/467949/Israel-Kara-Syria-Aleppo

The Syrian army and its allies have been fighting to wrest control of the country's second city from terrorists who have reportedly received advanced weapons in recent weeks.

Kara did not say when his visit took place, saying “I won't get into it," the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

“Aleppo today is abandoned… Today when you enter it, you won't even think that it's Aleppo. It doesn't even remind you of Aleppo,” he said instead.

Late last month, Syrian officials and locals confiscated a vehicle loaded with Israeli-manufactured weapons in the southern province of Suwayda.

A military source told Syria’s official news agency SANA that the vehicle was traveling from the eastern countryside of Dara'a to the desert region of Badiya.

Anti-personnel landmines, RPG rounds and launchers, B9 shells, 120 mm, 80 mm and 60 mm mortars, grenades and 23 mm machine-gun rounds were among the confiscated weapons.

Syria says Israel and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups operating inside the Arab country.

The Syrian army has frequently said it had seized Israeli-made weapons and advanced military equipment from the foreign-backed militants.

Israel’s Channel 2 television network recently reported that wounded militants are transferred quietly into the occupied territories for medication and that the number has surpassed 2,100 since 2011.

In December 2015, Britain’s English-language tabloid newspaper Daily Mail said Israel has saved the lives of over 2,000 Takfiri militants at the cost of about USD 13 million since 2013.

Fierce infighting between the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and rival militants for control of two towns in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo has killed nearly 140 people and forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Militant infighting kills nearly 140, forces 1000s to flee northern Syria
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/29/467992/Syria-Aleppo-Daesh-Marea-Azaz-infighting

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday that at least 29 civilians have died in the crossfire since Daesh launched an assault against the towns of Marea and Azaz in Aleppo early on Friday.

The militant infighting has also killed at least a total of 108 extremists on both sides over the past days, the Britain-based monitoring group added.

There are many women and children among the over 6,000 civilians who have been forced to leave the troubled towns, which are on the outskirts of the provincial capital city of Aleppo.

The United Nations (UN) has expressed concern about some 165,000 civilians who have been trapped by the fighting between Azaz and the closed Turkish border.

The two towns have been under the control of extremist militants, which Daesh is attempting to push out.

An anesthetist who fled Marea with his family after five relatives were killed has said that Daesh surrounded the town’s hospital for 10 hours on Friday, injuring two members of the staff. The militants also forced doctors to operate on an injured militant without electricity since the terrorist group had deactivated the hospital’s generator.

Sortirdelotan.fr, May 28, 2016

Here at Fort Russ, we do not expect that signatures outside of France will be of use, but it seemed that Fort Russ readers would be interested in knowing of this project and in reading its rationale...

Translation by Tom Winter

Petition to get France out of NATO
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/05/petition-to-get-france-out-of-nato.html

Headline: "At Warsaw they are getting set for war. Let's get out of NATO!

"The next NATO summit in Warsaw July 8 and 9, just one more provocation against Russia. With this appeal, the signatories mean to say "STOP" to this nuclear escalation before something undoable gets done"

Text:

The hour is grave. A new missile crisis is brewing against Russia, a mirror image of the 1962 missile crisis when the Soviet Union deployed missiles in Cuba, at the very portals of the United States. The situation has gotten upside down: then NATO was struggling against the Warsaw Pact; today it meets in Warsaw!

Therefore, we the undersigned, find that we are faced with a provocative policy of encirclement:

1. continuous expansion of NATO to Russia's borders, despite the guarantees given by the West to Gorbachev in 1989 that this would not happen;

2. deployment of the Aegis missile defense shield in Romania, Poland, Turkey, and Spain. Featuring MK41 launch systems, these weapons can be used for defense missions (anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, anti-ship), but also for attack missions against ground targets;

3. deployment in the Baltic countries, Poland, and Romania, by rotation, of four regiments of a thousand men each with permanent military equipment;

4. constitution of a "northern" front against Russia, bringing together NATO members (Denmark, Iceland and Norway) or its Partnership for Peace (Sweden and Finland).

To end this menace we demand:
1. That the French government use the "policy of the empty chair" at the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw;

2. that it announce its decision to leave the organization that no longer has any raison d’être.

We call on France to create the conditions for a return to an order of peace in the world, based on "win-win" cooperation proposed by the BRICS, which Europe and the United States have an interest in joining.

Let us mobilize today all those means that we have committed in the twentieth century for war, for peace through mutual development!

 

[sToRmR1dR]

China Prepares to Deter the US in the Pacific - Reports

http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160530/1040457411/china-us-nuclear-deterrence.html

Amid mounting tensions between the US and China over disputed areas in the South China Sea, Beijing is set to send nuclear submarines to patrol the Pacific Ocean this year for the first time in history.

The news first emerged after a report by The Guardian that Beijing is planning its first nuclear deterrence patrol. The newspaper quoted unnamed Chinese military officials, who said such patrols are the only tool to secure China from US’ weapons systems.

While Chinese authorities haven’t confirmed or declined the news, a piece in the state-run People’s Daily added evidence to the allegations.

The report suggests that nuclear deterrence patrolling is essential to showcase China’s nuclear capabilities to the Americans. In the past, as reported, Washington politicians demonstrated ignorance toward Beijing’s nuclear potential. For instance, in the 2012 US presidential campaign, candidate Herman Cain stated that he was unaware China was a nuclear power.

Meanwhile, Beijing sticks to an "effective nuclear deterrence" strategy that relies on a smaller number of warheads compared to that of other nuclear powers.

“As Sino-US tensions build, it is necessary for China to strengthen its capability for nuclear retaliation. It will help with balance in the Asia-Pacific region and enhance the US willingness to seek peace with China.”

According to the People’s Daily, China has been successful in developing nuclear technologies with launches of missiles from both under water and from land. The reports adds that the “survival capability of China's nuclear force” has been improved.

“History shows that balanced power better contributes to peace. China should increase its number of nuclear weapons, and enhance their survival power and capability to hit the targets. It is the most important foundation of China's national security,” reported the Daily.

Earlier, the Pentagon projected that “China will probably conduct its first nuclear deterrence patrol sometime in 2016.” However, the exact start date is yet to be announced.

'Dereliction of Duty': US Fails to Protect Syrian Rebels It Trained

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160530/1040456444/us-fails-protect-moderate-rebels.html

The US fails to protect the only rebel group that remains fighting Daesh after completing the Pentagon’s $500 million train-and-equip program, US media reported, citing a battlefield commander.

The New Syrian Army (NSA), a small rebel group that was shaped in the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, is considered the only faction of all those taught by American instructors that kept fighting against its enemies after receiving training and American guns.

According to the Washington Post, last March the group reclaimed from their enemies a small patch at the Tanaf crossing on the Syrian-Iraqi border. Unlike many of the Pentagon’s apprentices, the NSA’s fighters weren’t deserting and weren’t kidnapped by other militants.

However, this success is at risk, according to the group’s leader, a former officer of the Syrian Army, Lt. Col. Mohammed Tallaa. He said that the NSA had several fighters killed after Daesh attacked the group’s base using a mine-strewn vehicle on May 7. Although Tallaa declined to comment on the exact number of casualties in the incident and on the overall number of fighters in the group, he said that the attack was a sensitive blow to the faction.

Tallaa underscored that prior to the attack the group had few members, and lacked guns and other equipment. The Americans vowed to allocate supplies to the NSA, but broke their promise, he added.

“I’m not saying the Americans let us down, but there is dereliction of duty. They are not doing what they could,” he told the Washington Post. “We don’t want the Americans to disrespect the lives of our men.”

Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Steve Warren argued that the US responded to the help request from rebels, when Daesh attacked the NSA’s base. But the planes that were directed to the explosion site, arrived there too late, he explained.

In the aftermath of the attack, US jets carried out a row of attacks against Daesh positions in the area, Warren said. The NSA rebels were provided with new weapons, he added.

In March, the Pentagon announced the shutdown of its train-and-equip program that failed to achieve its initial objectives of creating factions capable of countering Daesh. Later, the US decided to revive the effort, but on a smaller scale.

Syrian forces deliver air strikes at IS base to south of Raqqa - media

http://tass.ru/en/world/878826

As a result of the attack, IS transport and military equipment were destroyed on their way from the Syrian Desert

BEIRUT, May 29. /TASS/. Syrian Air Force has attacked a large base of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization in eastern Syria, SANA new agency reported on Monday.

As a result of the attack, IS transport and military equipment were destroyed on their way from the Syrian Desert.

Syria Air Force also delivered strikes at militant camps along the highway to Raqqa. According to SANA, IS transports oil and gas in tankers to the Turkish border through Rahum - a settlement at the junction of Raqqa and Homs provinces.

Air strikes were also delivered at IS positions in 70 kilometers from Palmyra and adjacent areas. Militants sustained losses in personnel and equipment.

In Deir ez-Zor on the Euphrates river (in 432 kilometers from Damascus), Syrian forces attacked IS positions on Jebel-Sarda heights near a military aerodrome.

Russian Air Force pulverizes the jihadist rebels in northern Aleppo

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-airstrikes-pulverize-jihadist-rebels-northern-aleppo/

The Russian Air Force has illuminated the night sky in the northern countryside of Aleppo tonight after they conducted over 30 airstrikes that targeted Jabhat Al-Nusra’s (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) positions around the ‘Anadan Plains.

According to an Al-Masdar field correspondent, the Russian Air Force struck the Handarat, Haritan, ‘Anadan, Bayyanoun, and Kafr Hamra areas of Aleppo in a two hour span on Sunday evening.

In addition to the Russian airstrikes, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) began shelling the jihadist rebels at the Handarat Camp, killing several enemy combatants from Jabhat Al-Nusra and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Chief negotiator of Syria’s Saudi-based opposition quits talks

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/30/468061/Syria-Mohammed-Alloush-HNC-Jaish-alIslam-Peace-Talks

Chief negotiator of the Saudi-based Syrian opposition has resigned over what he called the failure of UN-brokered negotiations to end the conflict in the Arab country.

Mohammed Alloush, a senior figure with the Jaish al-Islam militant group in the so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC), on Sunday called peace talks a “waste of time.”

The negotiations, he said, could not bring about a political settlement to the conflict, citing the failure to secure the release of thousands of detainees or to push President Bashar al-Assad out of office.

Jaish al-Islam is one of the Saudi-sponsored Takiri groups operating to topple Assad.

The HNC said it has not yet elected its new chief representative in the Geneva talks after Alloush tendered his resignation.

Head of the main Syrian opposition delegation Asaad al-Zoubi also told the Saudi al Hadath TV channel that he wanted to be relieved of his post, but did not confirm if he had taken a similar step.

Last peace talks were suspended on April 27 after the opposition abandoned them and declared a "new war" on the Syrian government.

UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said this week there were no plans for new talks in the next three weeks.

Ceasefire strengthens Nusra

Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria has recruited thousands of fighters, including teenagers, and taken territory from government forces in an offensive in the north, Associated Press reported on Sunday.

It is "illustrating how the ceasefire put in place by Russia and the United States to weaken the militants has in many ways backfired," the news agency said.

Since March, Nusra Front has recruited 3,000 new militants, including teenagers, in comparison to an average of 200 to 300 a month before, AP quoted the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying.

Other sources said hundreds living in camps for displaced people in the northern parts near Turkey have joined the al-Qaeda branch.

Nusra and other Takfiri terrorists hold most of the northwestern province of Idlib and parts of neighboring Aleppo province.

Saudi Arabia and its allies as well as Turkey are considered as the main supporters of Takfiri groups fighting to topple the Syrian government.

According to de Mistura, some 400,000 people have lost their lives in more than five years of foreign-backed militancy in Syria.

Lavrov calls on Washington to carry out its obligations regarding cessation of hostilities agreement

http://sana.sy/en/?p=78750

Moscow, SANA- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Washington to carry out its obligations regarding applying the cessation of hostilities agreement in Syria and closing Turkish borders with Syria to prevent terrorists from crossing through them.

“Lavrov agreed with US counterpart John Kerry , during a telephone call, to activate work in order to implement decisions of Syria international group and UN Security council resolutions No. 2254 and 2268,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that the discussions dealt with Russian proposals regarding carrying out joint operations against terrorist organizations and armed groups that didn’t join the cessation of hostilities agreement.”

Lavrov affirmed the need for closing the Turkish borders because through them, the human and financing supplies are brought into the terrorist organizations in Syria.

Massive network of tunnels, prisons unearthed near Damascus

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/massive-network-tunnels-prisons-unearthed-near-damascus/

The Syrian Arab Army’s Republican Guard unearthed a massive network of tunnels inside rural Damascus on Sunday after cleansing the entire southern pocket of the East Ghouta from the extremist rebels of Faylaq Al-Rahman and Jaysh Al-Fustat.

According to an Al-Masdar correspondent in Damascus, a total of 116 tunnels were discovered in the southern pocket of the East Ghouta, including Faylaq Al-Rahman’s primary tunnel that linked the village of Harasta Al-Quntara with the Badia area in rural Damascus. This tunnel was reportedly used by Jaysh Al-Islam’s former leader, Zahran ‘Alloush, to leave the East Ghouta in order to travel to Jordan and Turkey.

Upon unearthing these tunnels, the Syrian Republican Guard also discovered 9 prisons that belonged to the Saudi-backed “Jaysh Al-Islam” militants.

These tunnels were used to imprison captured Syrian Arab Army soldiers; however, the cells were empty once the government forces discovered them on Sunday.

 

[angelburst29]

Massive network of tunnels, prisons unearthed near Damascus
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/massive-network-tunnels-prisons-unearthed-near-damascus/

The Syrian Arab Army’s Republican Guard unearthed a massive network of tunnels inside rural Damascus on Sunday after cleansing the entire southern pocket of the East Ghouta from the extremist rebels of Faylaq Al-Rahman and Jaysh Al-Fustat.

According to an Al-Masdar correspondent in Damascus, a total of 116 tunnels were discovered in the southern pocket of the East Ghouta, including Faylaq Al-Rahman’s primary tunnel that linked the village of Harasta Al-Quntara with the Badia area in rural Damascus. This tunnel was reportedly used by Jaysh Al-Islam’s former leader, Zahran ‘Alloush, to leave the East Ghouta in order to travel to Jordan and Turkey.

Upon unearthing these tunnels, the Syrian Republican Guard also discovered 9 prisons that belonged to the Saudi-backed “Jaysh Al-Islam” militants.

These tunnels were used to imprison captured Syrian Arab Army soldiers; however, the cells were empty once the government forces discovered them on Sunday.

There have been reports of underground tunnels but that is an amazing amount in just one section of Syria - 116 tunnels! No wonder, the extremist, Faylaq Al-Rahman and Jaysh Al-Fustat have been so brazen in their activities - they have their own "rat-line" that connects right into Saudi and Turkey territories.

Same activity in Iraq:

A Shiite militia group uncovered a system of tunnels used by Daesh terrorists near the city of Fallujah in Iraq.

Shiite Militia Unearths Daesh Tunnels Near Iraq's Fallujah (PHOTO, VIDEO)
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160530/1040476990/daesh-tunnels-fallujah.html

Shiite militia, fighting Daesh in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, has discovered network of the tunnels used by extremists in the suburbs of the city, the al-Hashd al-Shaabi group told RIA Novosti on Monday.

"Tunnels begin out of city [of Fallujah] and go in the direction of the city center. Terrorists used it to move quickly between their positions," the group said.

According to the Shiite militia, one of the branched was found near the brickyard used by terrorists as a stronghold.

Last week, Iraqi military and Shiite militia with the support of the international coalition have launched the military operation to liberate the city 40 miles west of Baghdad. On Sunday, according to reports, these forces took control of almost all entrances to Fallujah.

Since 2014, Iraqi city of Fallujah has been controlled by the Islamic State, a terror group, outlawed in Russia. Before the war, the city was one of the country's biggest with population of 350,000 people.

New documents by a human rights watch disclosed that a Syrian-Saudi man has been the mastermind behind the infiltration of over 6,000 terrorists from the European countries into Syria.

Documents Reveal more Information about Infiltration of over 6,000 Foreign Terrorists into Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950309001007

"Tarrad Mohammad al-Jarba, originally a Syrian who later obtained Saudi nationality, has been an ISIL commander in charge of recruitment of fresh forces from the European countries and transferring them to the battlefields in Syria," documents by the watch said.

"Tarrad was in Saudi jails for at least four years. He further scaped the jail and went to Syria to join the ISIL," the documents went on to say.

Al-Watan paper, meantime, has claimed that al-Jarba is not the real family name of Tarrad.

Tarrad is the relative of Hareth al-Zari, the ex-secretary general of the Iraqi Muslim Ullema, who was killed in Jordan last year.

Daily Telegraph also had previously found out that the 36-year-old al-Jarba's real name, who used in many cases the family name of al-Haraki, was Abu Mohammad al-Shamali.

The Telegraph added that al-Shamali was responsible of transferring over 6,000 terrorists, one third of the total number of non-Syrian terrorists, into Syria in two years of 2013 until 2015.

The Telegraph went on to say that the family names of al-Jarba and al-Haraki can be seen on the top of recruitment forms of fresh forces heading to Syria battlefields.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi informed earlier this month that thousands of terrorists crossed the border into his country in early May or the last day of April.

"Around 6,000 terrorists have crossed the border and entered Syrian territories in recent days," al-Zoubi said.

Late in April, Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqi also warned that more than 5,000 fresh militants crossed the border into the Northwestern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib from Turkey, stressing that the ceasefire agreement was being violated by certain parties.

"In the end we see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar, as well as Western countries such as Great Britain and France have no real desire to move the process of the political settlement in Syria forward,” al-Halqi said.

The Syrian prime minister stressed that it's “just the opposite, they are aiding in the escalation of terrorist activity and arming terrorists. Over the last week, more than 5,000 troops crossed the border with Turkey into the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib.”

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Russia, China have high potential for direct investment — ambassador

http://tass.ru/en/economy/878866

Chinese ambassador says the current situation is favorable and prospects are wonderful to facilitate direct investments between the regions of Russia and China

SOCHI, May 30. /TASS/. The regions of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation have high potential for direct investment cooperation, Chinese ambassador to Russia Li Hui said at the Russian-Chinese forum on small and mid-sized business on Monday.

"The Chinese and Russian regions have high potential for investment promotion," he said, adding that "as the current situation is favorable and prospects are wonderful the embassy is ready to facilitate direct investments between the regions of Russia and China," he said.

Representatives of Russia’s Krasnodar, Kaluga, Chelyabinsk, Tomsk Regions as well as Kalmykia and Crimea are showcasing the country’s investment potential at the forum.

Deputy PM calls for Chinese investors to join Russia’s regional projects

http://tass.ru/en/economy/878945

Projects within small and mid-sized business are one of the promising areas for cooperation, says deputy PM

SOCHI, May 30. /TASS/. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich has called for Chinese investors to join more regional projects in the country, in special economic zones and regional technological clusters.

"As of April this year only eight bids out of 166 from investors from all over the world, have been submitted by Chinese partners. Hopefully, the Chinese business will take a more active position in this regard," Dvorkovich said at the Russian-Chinese forum on small and mid-sized business on Monday when speaking about regional projects.

He added that projects within small and mid-sized business are one of the promising areas for cooperation.

Russian NATO envoy says Black Sea will never be "NATO’s lake"

http://tass.ru/en/politics/879042

Russia's NATO ambassador says NATO is seeking to transfer confrontational schemes into the Black Sea waters

MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/. Brussels understands it perfectly well that the Black Sea will never be a "NATO lake," Russia’s Permanent Representative to NATO Alexander Grushko said in an interview with the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily to be published on Tuesday.

"Today, NATO is seeking to transfer confrontational schemes into the Black Sea waters," he said. "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said recently that the Black Sea has nearly turned into a ‘Russian lake’ because of NATO’s absence there. But NATO understands it perfectly well that the Black Sea will never be a NATO lake, and we are doing our best to neutralize possible threats and attempts to exert pressure on Russia from the south."

He reminded that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet "was involved in the international efforts to stabilize the situation in the Mediterranean region and south of it." "Thus, the fleet’s ships took an active part in anti-piracy operations in coordination with NATO and the European Union," he noted. "Now, NATO has denounced that."

Speaking about the current situation in Russia-NATO relations, Grushko drew attention to the fact the "tendency towards worsening of relations has not yet exhausted itself."

"Judging by the results of the recent meeting of NATO foreign ministers, the alliance is set to continue the policy of ‘containing’ Russia, despite its own calls for political dialogue," the Russian diplomat said. "I don’t want to say we have a ‘cold war’ in our relations with NATO, but the alliance seems to be opting for the cold-war-era security schemes. And it causes alarm as they imply not only politics but military buildup as well."

"Policies are materialized in hardware and the numerous measures taken today by the United States and its allies in Europe are geared to tighten such confrontational model," Grushko stressed. "And this model will impact further policies.".

Scrapping Russia-NATO Founding Act too dangerous

According to the diplomat, cancelling the Russia-NATO Founding Act would be too dangerous as it would lead to a new spiral in the arms race.

"The Russia-NATO Founding Act remains one of the few deterrents," the diplomat said. "That is why we believe its importance should in no way be downplayed," he added.

The NATO ambassador drew attention to "political forces existing in a range of NATO countries that come out in favor of renouncing the document". "That would be extremely dangerous. Then, probably, it would be possible to say that Europe is at risk of losing the remaining instruments to ensure security that would not be based on a balance of threats and counter-threats," Grushko said.

"Renunciation of the Founding Act, its provisions about restraint in the military sphere will become a direct invitation to a new phase of an arms race," the diplomat stressed. "This development of the situation will substantially destabilize the situation in Europe, and it is not in the European interests," he added.

Russia-NATO relations is only one of factors determining European security

Grushko has also pointed out that the absence of tensions in the Russia-NATO relations is not the only factor of European security.

"The quality of European security will depend not only on our ability to defuse the current tensions in relations between NATO and Russia in military terms but also on our ability to establish real collective cooperation in counteracting common security threats," the diplomat said.

"The situation looks more encouraging here because pragmatic interests are taking the upper hand. We see that despite attempts to use the organization like NATO as an instrument for isolating Russia, practical cooperation on key international problems and security challenges develops in other formats," the Russian official stressed.

According to him, over the past decades the international community and the European countries have created a fairly advanced system of arms control within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and developed measures, which allowed preventing and thwarting the threat of emergence of deliberate military incidents, and other instruments, including "hot lines" among the military.

"Russia has concluded a whole number of bilateral agreements, including with some NATO countries," the diplomat said. "They have proven to be good, especially in the Russian-Norwegian relations, and have been applied quite effectively in the north of Europe," Grushko stressed.

Grushko also named other formats, including the Middle East "quartet", the International Syria Support Group and the "Normandy four". "Therefore, countries, which take part in such efforts and which are ready to cooperate with Russia on the genuine collective basis; on the basis of equality and respect for our lawful security interests should apparently retune the policy of organizations of which they are members. I mean not only NATO but also the European Union," Russia’s Permanent Representative to NATO concluded.

Putin plans to visit China late in June

http://tass.ru/en/politics/879044

SOCHI, May 30./TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit China at the end of June, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told reporters after a session of the Russian-Chinese commission for energy cooperation.

Dvorkovich said the sides had discussed at the session the Yamal LNG project and expected that all issues related to financing the project would be settled by the time of the president’s visit.

Another round of intra-Syrian talks to be held not earlier than in two weeks — diplomat

http://tass.ru/en/world/879008

According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, the situation has complicated after resignation of Syrian chief opposition negotiator Mohammed Alloush

ROME, May 30. /TASS/. Another round of talks between Damascus and the Syrian opposition may begin in a span of two weeks, not earlier, however no exact date has yet been appointed, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Monday.

"Nothing will take place before Ramadan. [United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan] de Mistura has taken a break after the Vienna meeting of the International Syria Support Group. He has not yet appointed any concrete date for the next round. Judging by certain indirect signals, it will take place not earlier than in two weeks. Nevertheless, I would like to stress, the official date has not yet been announced," he said.

According to the Russian diplomat, the situation has complicated after resignation of Syrian chief opposition negotiator Mohammed Alloush. "It only proves that the opposition has no common platform and no common approach to how to conduct negotiations with the government delegation," Gatilov said, adding that constructive dialogue can be conducted only with the unified opposition.

Alloush’s resignation, in his words, complicates the entire negotiating process. "It might delay the resumption of dialogue between the Syrian parties," he said.

Kurds' participation in intra-Syrian talks

According to the diplomat, it is hard to say when Kurdish representatives will be able to join the intra-Syrian talks despite the fact that all the negotiators agree that the Kurdish side should be involved in the process.

"The Kurds are a real political and military force; they are fighting against the Islamic State [IS is a terrorist organization banned in Russia] and other terrorist groups. It is hard to speak about prospects for involving the Kurds but all the sides understand that they should join [the talks]. Both [US special envoy on Syria Staffan] de Mistura and his American partners agree with that," Gatilov said.

He added that Russia has insisted that Kurds be present at the Syria peace talks ever since the Syrian political settlement process got under way. "Without them, it is impossible to determine Syria’s future," the Russian deputy foreign minister went on to say.

"But our partners keep silent when asked about the next round of the talks when exactly they [the Kurds] are going to join the process," Gatilov concluded.

Daesh Kills 48 People for Suspected Links to Syrian Democratic Forces

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160530/1040502278/daesh-kurds-raqqa.html

Daesh militants killed 48 civilians in northern Syria for their alleged links to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan reported Monday.

SULAYMANIYAH (Sputnik) — The SDF, which includes the Kurdish People's Defense Units, have been fighting to liberate Daesh-occupied cities of Raqqa and Tabqa.

"On May 27, after the occupation of Kaljibril village [was stopped], the IS militants conducted raids among civilians and those providing support to the fighters [of the SDF) were captured… They were gathered together and killed. The number of civilians killed in these mass massacres reached 48," the union's media center said.

On Tuesday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), supported by Washington started an operation to liberate Daesh-occupied Raqqa from jihadists

Update 2- hospital, school and citizens’ properties damaged in terrorist rocket shells in several cities

http://sana.sy/en/?p=78790

Provinces, SANA In new breaches of the cessation of hostilities agreement, the terrorist groups targeted with a rocket shell al-Sabeel neighborhood in Homs city.

A source at Homs governorate told SANA that a rocket shell fired by terrorists on Monday morning fell on al-Sabeel residential neighborhood in Homs causing only material damage to the public and private properties.

On Sunday evening, the terrorist groups fired three rocket shells on al-Arman neighborhood in Homs, causing material damage to a number of the citizens’ houses.

In Hama province, terrorists of the so-called “Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement” shelled al-Sqeilbiyeh city with rockets, damaging its national hospital.

A source at Hama Police Command told SANA that the terrorists fired a number of rocket shells on al-Sqeilbiyeh, located to the northwest of Hama city, causing material damage to houses and other properties of the locals.

The National Hospital of al-Sqeilbiyeh also sustained damage as it was hit by two of the rocket shells, the source noted.

In the southern Quneitra province, Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists fired three mortar shells in coincidence with the Baccalaureate general exams on al-Khadami neighborhood in al-Baath city.

A source at Quneitra Police Command said that one of the shells, fired by the terrorists positioned in al-Samadaniya al-Gharbiya village, hit the building of Quneitra Health Directorate, leaving only material damage.

In Idleb province, Terrorist groups on Monday fired a rocket shell at a school in the besieged town of Kafraya to the north of Idleb city, according to local sources.

The sources confirmed that the terrorist attack caused material damage to the school and the surrounding houses.

Syrian Arab Army makes fresh gains in the Latakia countryside

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-arab-army-makes-fresh-gains-latakia-countryside/

During the afternoon, Syrian government troops wrestled al-Raqem hill & al-Mazaleh from rebel forces in the northeastern countryside of Latakia.

The aforementioned sites are located north of Kinsibba near the M4 (Idlib-Latakia) Highway.

Meanwhile, clashes continue at the disputed Jabal Hadadah with neither side fully able to secure the strategic mountain.

Today’s offensive was conducted by several elements of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), most notably the Desert Hawks Brigade and Syrian Marines.

Meanwhile, the insurgent fighting force was composed mostly of Jabhat al-Nusra fighters and the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) 1st Coastal Division.

Due to the advances, the SAA is now just one kilometer from Ain al-Hawr, one of few rebel villages left in the governorate.

Syrian Army, Russian Marines liberate Huwisays village in northeast Homs

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-russian-marines-liberate-huways/

The Syrian Arab Army’s 11th and 18th tank Divisions – backed by Liwaa Imam Al-‘Ali (Iraqi paramilitary) – imposed full control over the village of Huwisays on Sunday after a violent battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) in northeast Homs.

According to an Al-Masdar field correspondent, the liberation of Huwisays by the Syrian Armed Forces on Sunday afternoon was conducted in conjunction with their Russian military advisers.

Following the liberation Huwisays, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies advanced south towards the main road that leads to the Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields; this area is currently under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).

Recently, the pro-government paramilitary group “Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra” (Desert Hawks Brigade) was redeployed from east Homs to the Hama-Raqqa countryside; this has required the 11th and 18th tank divisions to step up their military operations against the Islamic State forces near Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields.

 

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The dead body of a US army soldier who was killed as he was fighting alongside the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has secretly been transferred to the US Incerlik airbase in Turkey from a village near Raqqa city.

US Soldier Killed in Clashes between SDF, ISIL Near Raqqa City
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950310001293

The US soldier was killed in an ISIL's suicide attack before the SDF troops could win back the village of al-Hisha, Syria's Breaking News site reported.

Informed sources told the site that the dead soldier was the first of the 200 American soldiers that Washington has recently dispatched to Syria.

The US soldier was killed last Saturday night in ISIL's suicide attack near al-Hisha village in the outskirts of Raqqa city and his dead body was secretly transferred to the US Incerlik airbase in Turkey.

The report comes as the rift between the US and Turkey has widened due to the former's support for the Kurdish forces in Syria.

In a relevant development, photos released by the local and European media showing the US soldiers wearing patches of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Raqqa battlefields have caused serious rifts between the US and its NATO ally Turkey over the US army's direct support for the Kurdish fighters in Syria, reports said.

The Turkish officials have on many occasions opposed any form of the US army's direct support for the YPG fighters in their battle against the ISIL in Syria.

A Syrian Air Force helicopter crashed near the city of Al-Qamishli, a local airport source said on Monday.

Syrian Air Force Helicopter Crashes Near Al-Qamishli
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950310001283

The source stated that the helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction, Sputnik reported.

"Two pilots of the helicopter lost their live in the incident," the source said, insisting that the initial reports showed technical issues caused the crash.

Several terrorists were killed in clashes between the ISIL and its rival militant groups in the Northern territories of Aleppo province on Monday.

Syria: Infighting Intensifies between ISIL, Rival Terrorists North of Aleppo Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950310001512

The rival militant groups tried to break the ISIL's siege of the city of Mareh, but the ISIL killed 13 of them.

The ISIL is trying to penetrate into Mareh city from the direction of the town of Talalin, but the rival militants have prevented it from achieving its objective.

The ISIL terrorists have also occupied the villages of Kafar Kalbin and Jabrin near Mareh city.

Earlier in May, the rival militant groups managed to capture five strategic regions in clashes with the ISIL terrorists near the town of Azaz.

The militant groups took Al-Hossein, al-Fariziya, Sheikh Rieh, Yahmoul and Jarez in Eastern Azaz back from the ISIL.

Meantime, the local sources announced that fierce clashes were underway between the militant groups and the ISIL near the village of Beel.

Daesh militants killed 48 civilians in northern Syria for their alleged links to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan reported Monday.

Daesh Kills 48 People for Suspected Links to Syrian Democratic Forces
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160530/1040502278/daesh-kurds-raqqa.html

The SDF, which includes the Kurdish People's Defense Units, have been fighting to liberate Daesh-occupied cities of Raqqa and Tabqa.

"On May 27, after the occupation of Kaljibril village [was stopped], the IS militants conducted raids among civilians and those providing support to the fighters [of the SDF) were captured… They were gathered together and killed. The number of civilians killed in these mass massacres reached 48," the union's media center said.

On Tuesday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), supported by Washington started an operation to liberate Daesh-occupied Raqqa from jihadists.

The number of settlements that have joined ceasefire regime in Syria has increased to 126, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.

Total of 126 Settlements Have Joined Syria Ceasefire - Russian Military
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160530/1040506133/syria-ceasefire-settlements.html

"Within the last 24 hours, a truce agreement has been reached with representatives of a settlement in the Homs province bringing the total number of settlements that have joined ceasefire to 126," the ministry said in a daily bulletin posted on its website.

The Russia-US brokered ceasefire regime in Syria came into force on February 27.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

US Still Acting as ‘Global Sherriff,’ Fanning Flames in S China Sea

http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160531/1040562983/us-china-tension.html

The United States’ overzealous involvement in the South China Sea is violating international law and escalating tensions in the region. But despite the continuous protests by China against such actions, the US military has called this move the ‘new normal,’ according to China Daily.

The United States has continued its military operations across the South China Sea, with some senior US officials saying that such moves will be even more frequent in the future.

A former US defense official, quoted by media reports, said that the United States is sticking to freedom of navigation and is ‘following the rules’.

“Some Western media on Sunday called the recent US military moves in the South China Sea the ‘new normal,’ in spite of continuous opposition from China,” online publication China Daily reported.

As the publication noted, the US’ interference into the South China Sea is unlawful and can never serve to cover up ‘gross violations of other countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity’.

These are attempts to whitewash Washington’s excessive ambition of keeping a dominant presence in the region. By promoting their ‘freedom of navigation or overflight,’

Washington has repeatedly shown itself as a “global sheriff, neglecting the fact that the South China Sea had enjoyed decades of peace and commercial prosperity before the 1970s.”

“Launching the ‘Freedom of Navigation (FON)’ program in 1979, under the Jimmy Carter administration, Washington just wants to legitimize its undeserved interests around the world depending on its military supremacy,” China Daily wrote.

The United States has always blamed China for inflaming regional tension but China has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution of disputes.

Ma Zhaoxu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said on Friday that the South China Sea issue must be resolved peacefully through constructive and meaningful negotiations with neighboring countries.

“Upholding freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea is not only an obligation under international law. It is also in line with China's own interests, as well as the interests of all countries in the region,” Ma said.

Moscow to respond to NATO growing presence near Russian border — diplomat

http://tass.ru/en/politics/879251

The increase of NATO military presence on the border with Russia undermines the spirit of the Russia-NATO founding act and cannot be left without response measures

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. NATO’s growing presence on the border with Russia cannot be left without response, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov told TASS on Tuesday.

"The Russian side has stated many times that the increase of NATO military presence on the border with Russia at least undermines the spirit of the Russia-NATO founding act and cannot be left without response measures for our part," Meshkov said during the conference of the Italian-Russian chamber of commerce. "We have to ensure security of our state," he stressed.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a joint briefing with Poland’s Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz earlier on Tuesday that military equipment will be dispatched on NATO’s eastern flank besides four battalions.

In an interview with The Financial Times on Tuesday, Stoltenberg also said this year defense spending by Europe’s NATO states is expected to rise for the first time in nearly a decade.

Russian, German Diplomats Discuss Situation in Syria, Libya - Moscow

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160531/1040562074/talks-russia-germany-officials.html

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held a meeting with German Ambassador to Russia Ruediger von Fritsch on Tuesday and discussed the situation in Syria, Libya and in the Middle East in general, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The meeting took place at the request of the German side.

"During the meeting the sides exchanged opinions over actual issues of the situation in the Middle East and North Africa. Special attention was paid to the issues of political settlement in Syria and Libya, as well as fight against international terrorism," the ministry said.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with the country’s government fighting multiple opposition factions and extremist groups, including Daesh, which is outlawed in many countries, including Russia.

Libya has been in a state of turmoil since the 2011 Arab Spring movement, which later led to a civil war and the overthrow of the country’s leader Muammar Gaddafi by Western-supported Islamic extremists.

The instability in the country has facilitated the emergence of numerous militant groups in the state, particularly the Islamic State.

Moscow considers US-led coalition's actions in Syria idle — Lavrov

http://tass.ru/en/politics/879250

According to Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, the US-led coalition "is just going through the motions" while Moscow is under impression of being fooled

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. The US-led coalition in Syria is idle while militants continue arriving through the Turkish border, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda daily’s website on Tuesday.

According to Lavrov, the US-led coalition "is just going through the motions." "When I talked recently with [US Secretary of State John] Kerry, I inquired why they had actually stopped bombing terrorists and actually had not made a single sortie to fight oil smuggling into Turkey," the Russian foreign minister said.

"He [Kerry] said they were dealing with this. Again, the logic is put forward that terrorists are mixed with the good opposition and, therefore, when you hit terrorists, you harm the good opposition, which must be avoided," Lavrov said.

"But I reminded him that late in February they solemnly promised us that the groups that they consider patriotic and loyal and with whom they cooperate, will be removed from the positions occupied by Jabhat al-Nusra," the Russian foreign minister said, noting that over the past three months nothing had been done.

As the Russian foreign minister said, the United States asked for several days before a scheme would come into force, under which the groups refusing to join the truce regime would be "the legitimate target," irrespective of whether or not they were included in the lists of terrorists.

"They [the United States] asked for several days to respond. These days expire this week, so we’ll see," the Russian foreign minister said.

"The coalition is now actually idle while militants and military hardware continue arriving through the Turkish border. They are clearly preparing an offensive, which is prohibited by the accords and UN Security Council resolutions," the minister said.

"Meanwhile, they answer to us that the groups that are seemingly good are ready to stop breaching the truce but this requires the start of a political process. However, the delegation they have hammered together, first of all, with the Turkish support - the High Negotiations Committee - says it cannot participate in the negotiations because [Syrian President Bashar] Assad has not gone. This circus has been going on for long," the Russian foreign minister said.

"I honestly told my counterpart [Kerry] that it seemed to us that you are fooling us. But he vowed that this was not so and that coordination between the militaries would be finally established," Lavrov said.

US should base its approach to Syrian settlement on lessons learnt from its past experiences

The top diplomat has recommended Washington to take into account the lessons learnt from its experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan in its approaches to the Syrian settlement.

The United States, in his words, is sure its mistake in Libya was not in violating the United Nations Security Council’s mandate which envisaged the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya. "Bombs were dropped from these closed skies and finally Gaddafi was atrociously murdered. Whatever one might think of him, this was a war crime too, he said. "Now terrorists engulf Libya, with flows of militants and weapons spreading up to Mali and Chad."

"John [Kerry] says the mistake was in not deploying land forces after these air strikes and in not consolidating the situation," Lavrov added.

"However the United States already has a record of deploying troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to counter terrorism," he noted. "They safely withdrew later to leave both countries in a miserable state."

According to Lavrov, the United States admits its mistakes in Afghanistan and Iraq. "They say, ‘Well, it was a mistake but let bygones be bygones. So, let us now do what we [in Washington] want,’" the Russian minister said. "We (in Moscow) also want to have a say on Syrian matters but let us base approaches on the lessons learnt from the past experience."

On Mohammad Alloush's walkout

Lavrov has pointed out that the talks between Damascus and the Syrian opposition should involve the Kurds but be freed from extremist representatives.

"We demand and will go on demanding Turkey stop outrage against the Kurds in Iraq," he said. "We supply weapons to Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan with the consent from the Iraqi government - we have and can have no other criteria - to counter terrorism."

The Syrian Kurds also enjoy air support, he said. "We keep on persuading, and not to no avail, the Syrian government to go on cooperating with the Kurds and not to limit their future role in the Syrian state."

Obviously, it makes no one happy when the Democratic Union Party adopted a manifesto on a federative constituency," the Russian minister said. "But it also is linked with Turkey’s position. We agreed that the Geneva talks on Syria are to be inclusive but an entire group representing 15% of Syria’s population was excluded from these talks only because Turkey vetoed it."

"We were told that if the Kurds join [the talks], the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) will stop cooperating. But they are not cooperating in any case," Lavrov stressed. "We have already witnessed two episodes of desertion: the walkout of when [Mohammed] Alloush of Jaysh al-Islam, a blatantly terrorist organization which is now being justified… there were episodes of desertion of normal moderate representatives of this Committee.

"I think we will gradually get rid of such extreme representatives. The Kurds should be part of this process in any case," he underscored.

Updated1-Lavrov: Timeline for separation of armed groups and Jabhat al-Nusra ends this week

http://sana.sy/en/?p=78935

Moscow, SANA – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia’s timeline given to armed groups in Syria to separate from the internationally-listed Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization runs out this week.

In an interview with the Russian Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper published on Tuesday, Lavrov said the Russian aerial forces will start delivering airstrikes against any armed group that does not separate from Jabhat al-Nusra by the deadline.

He explained that the US asked Russia to extend the deadline for a few days before Russia begins the plan it announces before in which all those who haven’t joined the cessation of hostilities agreement become viable targets, and this extension expires this week.

The Russian Foreign Minister blamed the delay in setting a date for the next round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva on the delegation of “Riyadh opposition” group.

Lavrov also asserted that within the first few months of their operations in Syria, the Russian Aerospace Forces managed to achieve a shift in the situation on the ground, and that clearly there are those who want to stop or reverse this process.

He added that in a recent phone call with US State Secretary John Kerry, he asked him why the Washington-led alliance practically stopped targeting terrorists in Syria and why it doesn’t do anything to stop the smuggling of oil to Turkey, explaining that Kerry repeated the same excuses based on the flawed logic that claims terrorist locations are intermixed with locations of what the Americans deem “good guys” and therefore they can’t target terrorists.

On another note, Lavrov called on the Turkish regime to apologize for shooting down the Russian fighter over Syrian territories before it talks about normalizing relations.

Russia denies launching airstrikes on sites in Idleb

In a relevant context, Russian Defense Ministry denied the allegations that the Russian Air Force delivered airstrikes on terrorists’ sites in Idleb province.

In a statement published by RT website, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said the Russian Air Force has not conducted any combat missions or airstrikes in the Idleb province.

The information about Russia’s alleged airstrikes has been spread by the US-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

“We urge people to remain critical of any scare stories spread by the ‘British tandem’ of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and Reuters news agency,” Konashenkov said.

The Defense Ministry spokesman also said that in previous cases when Russia had presented official data recorder information that disproved SOHR claims, neither Reuters nor the UK-based organization had published the refutations.

Komoyedov : Russia will not postpone targeting positions of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s defense committee Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov said that Russia will not postpone targeting the terrorists of Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria before situation be escalated as some powers tarry to agree with Moscow to strike the terrorists’ positions in Syria.

“The advent of the Zero hour is inevitable because any delay could lead to aggravating the situation,” Komoidov said at press conference in Moscow.

He added “if the Americans don’t want to support us to work together, I think that Russia will bomb the positions of Jabhat al-Nusra with the aim of providing support to the Syrian forces”.

NGO's Photos "Proving" Alleged Russian Strike on Idlib Are 6 Months Old

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160531/1040559835/russia-idlib-airstrikes-blame.html

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blamed Russian Aerospace Forces for conducting airstrikes in Idlib, it seems the group has once again spoken out before getting their facts straight as the exact same photo was first used by Al-Jazeera six months ago.

Reuters reported citing the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that Russian Aerospace Forces had allegedly carried out airstrikes in Idlib.

The Russian Ministry of Defense denied conducting any such strike. Russian jets did not conduct any operations in the Syrian province of Idlib, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday.

"There were neither military tasks nor airstrikes by Russian jets in the province of Idlib," Konashenkov said.

The photo purportedly of a ‘Russian airstrike on Idlib’ was in fact first used by Al- Jazeera six months ago.

The photo was used by Al-Jazeera on November 30, 2015, when it published an article by Diana Al Rifai. In the article it was said that a bakery which was established by Turkey’s largest humanitarian organization, IHH, was targeted by suspected Russian airstrikes in Idlib.

Russia was blamed by Syrian opposition activists for the attacks which left 44 people dead.

It is not the first time that Russia has been blamed for attacks it did not carry out.

In September 2015, evidence emerged showing that the "White Helmets," a controversial quasi-humanitarian organization was fabricating ‘evidence’ of Russia's ‘disastrous’ involvement in Syria.

The organization had published a photo on its Twitter account, depicting a bleeding girl claiming that the poor child was injured along with a number of civilians during the Russian airstrike launched on September 30.

However, the false claim was immediately exposed: Twitter users discovered that the photo of the wounded girl was actually taken on September 25, 2015, five days ago.

The White Helmets in their haste to point the finger of blame at Moscow managed to tweet about Russia's airstrikes several hours before the Russian Parliament actually authorized the use of the Air Force in Syria.

Back then, investigative journalist and peace activist Vanessa Beeley pointed out that the White Helmets (formerly called the Syria Civil Defense) was not created by Syrians and certainly does not operate in Syria's interests.

Funded by the UK, US and the Syrian Opposition Party, the controversial organization works mainly with the rebel group Jabat al-Nusra, the infamous al-Qaeda affiliate.

The "White Helmets demonize the Assad government and encourage direct foreign intervention," Beeley told Sputnik.

Western media has also presented Russian anti-Daesh operations in Syria as their own.

Back in February 2016, TV Channel France 2 showed footage of Russian planes bombing Daesh, claiming them to be the work of the US-led international coalition. The French state-funded media also accused Moscow of not bombing Daesh and “targeting civilians” all the while showing footage, originally released by the Russian Defense Ministry.

France 2 isn’t the only media that used footage of Russian airstrikes to praise the actions of the US-led anti-Daesh coalition. Last November, PBS NewsHour showed a video of Russian planes hitting Daesh oil storage facilities and claimed it was the work of US airplanes. In December, Euronews did the same thing.

Kurdish Forces Free 12 Villages From Daesh During Raqqa Offensive

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160531/1040533299/kurds-free-raqqa.html

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) liberated 12 villages from Daesh terrorist group during their offensive against the town of Tabqah on Tuesday, the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) said

ERBIL (Sputnik) – The Kurds also said they had seized Daesh weapons: two grenade launchers and 12 AK-47 assault rifles.

"Our forces are continuing the offensive in the direction of the town of Tabqah with 12 small villages being liberated from Daesh militants. A large number of militants were killed, 15 bodies [Daesh terrorists] are in our hands," the YPG statement said.

At the same time there are no reports about any YPG casualties.

Last week the SDF announced it had launched an offensive with help from the US-led international coalition against Daesh to free the northern the city of Raqqa, "capital" of the terrorist group.

At Least 8,000 Syrians Trapped as Daesh Moves North From Aleppo

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160531/1040556913/syria-daesh-trap.html

An advance of Daesh terrorists in northern outskirts of the Syrian city of Aleppo has left thousands of civilians trapped beyond the reach of humanitarian relief supplies, the United Nations said in a statement on Tuesday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The statement called on all parties in the conflict to allow unhindered movement and protection of civilians, who are attempting to reach safety, as well as access to life-saving assistance.

“The United Nations is deeply concerned over the fate of an estimated 8,000 Syrians trapped by fighting around the towns of Marea and Sheikh Issa in northern Aleppo Governorate following advances in the last three days by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [Daesh] into areas controlled by non-state armed groups,” the statement said.

Aleppo remains one of the several areas of Syria, where fighting between government and opposition forces has continued despite the Russia-US-brokered ceasefire in place across the country.

Breaking: Russian airstrike destroys bridge on the rebel supply road to Aleppo city

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-airstrike-destroys-bridge-rebel-supply-road-aleppo-city/

45 minutes ago, a Russian airstrike destroyed the al-Shuqqaif bridge on the Castillo road, north of Sheikh Maqsoud district.

The Castillo road is otherwise protected by large dirt piles on either side; however, the al-Shuqqaif bridge (located at the Castillo roundabout) is exposed from the air.

The destruction was observed by reconnaissance units of the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) Tiger Forces in northern Aleppo who informed Al-Masdar News of the event.

Subsequently, rebel forces will have to improvise heavily to bring in supplies, new arms and ammunitions for insurgents inside rebel districts of Aleppo city.

The Castillo road represents the only supply route to the provincial capital of Aleppo and a vital lifeline for the Syrian Opposition in Syria’s largest city.

The Tiger Forces are yet to begin a highly anticipated ground offensive to cut off the Castillo road; however, Major General Suheil al-Hassan is preparing the final plans for the risky undertaking.

300,000 civilians live in rebel areas inside Aleppo city, while more than a million live in government-held suburbs.

Tiger Forces full deploy to northern Aleppo

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/tiger-forces-full-deploy-northern-aleppo/

The main government force behind the upcoming northern Aleppo offensive in the ‘Anadan Plains is the Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces.”

According to an Al-Masdar correspondent that is currently embedded in northern Aleppo, the final Tiger Forces regiment arrived at the fringes of the ‘Anadan Plains on Monday.

The Tiger Forces consist of 11 regiments that are broken-up into several battalions, which all fall under the direct command of Colonel Suheil Al-Hassan.

The date of this Aleppo offensive is still unknown; however, the Syrian and Russian air forces have recently stepped up their airstrikes over the ‘Anadan Plains, which is likely the prelude to the ground assault.

EXCLUSIVE: Syrian Army Makes Fresh Advances in Damascus Countryside

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950311001401

The Syrian government troops managed to purge terrorists from the construction battalion of a strategic airbase in Eastern Ghouta after five hours of clashes.

The army units and popular forces also drove out terrorists from farms near the town of Darayya in Western Ghouta on Tuesday.

Meantime, the Syrian army launched fresh operations to seize back Beit Naim and al-Mohammadiya towns in Damascus countryside.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Syrian soldiers and their popular allies, in a new round of joint offensives, drove the terrorist groups back from five large farms in Western Ghouta.

The Syrian government forces struck the terrorist groups' positions in the Southern axis of the town of Darayya and forced the militants to pull force back from the region.

The terrorist groups suffered a heavy death toll and their military hardware sustained major damage in the attacks.

The army men were busy in fortifying their positions in the newly-liberated farms.

On Monday, the Syrian Army troops and their popular allies drove the terrorist groups back from the Southern part of Eastern Ghouta and completed their control over different villages and towns in the region.

"After hours of non-stop battle with the terrorists of Faylaq al-Rahman and Jeish al-Festat, the pro-government forces captured the town of Bala, the last base of the terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta, and pushed towards the Southern part of Eastern Ghouta, driving the militants back from Zabdean, Deir al-Assafir, Bzineh, Haroush, al-Admal, al-Ruqabiyeh farms, al-Bayadh farms and Nouleh," the sources said.

"The militant groups suffered a heavy death toll and their military hardware sustained major damage in the government forces' operation," they further added.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Moscow to respond to NATO growing presence near Russian border — diplomat

http://tass.ru/en/politics/879251

The increase of NATO military presence on the border with Russia undermines the spirit of the Russia-NATO founding act and cannot be left without response measures

Information Released on June NATO Exercise in Kherson

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/05/information-released-on-june-nato.html

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
31st May, 2016

https://cont.ws/post/282574

[Disclaimer: This information has not been confirmed by NATO or related persons or bodies]

During the intelligence activities by the "Odessa" brigade it became known that military exercises under the auspices of NATO will be held on the territory of the Kherson region in the first half of June. Such countries as Ukraine, USA, Turkey, and other contingents of NATO forces will take part.

Military equipment and heavy weapons involved in the above event will arrive and be unloaded at the deep-sea ports of Odessa and Nikolaev. With the above mentioned ports, it will spill over into the territory of Kherson region, namely the venue of military maneuvers.

One of the notable nuances is that the Western-controlled media is silent about these exercises. This occurs despite the fact that previously such plans were preceded any public statements or publication in the news.

In addition, another factor is that the accumulation of troops and military equipment will be in close proximity to the state border with the Russian Federation, namely the Crimean Peninsula.

Also, attention should be paid to the fact that over the past week Israeli vessels, in very small volumes and with an urgent speed, exported concentrated vegetable oil and grain through the Nikolaev seaport. It was very similar to the desire in short notice to remove liquid assets from certain territories. At the same time, given the agility of the Israelis, all this can have an ulterior motive.

The "Odessa" brigade focused on the fact that because of a combination of the information received in light of the aggressive policy of the West, the vassal government in Kiev, and also the created and supported armed groups, it looks quite alarming. Thus, there is a definite probability of a possible aggravation of the military-political situation in the southern regions of Ukraine in the form of armed aggression against the Russian Federation, namely Crimea.

NATO Parliament Has 'No Choice': More Troops to Eastern Europe, Yet Again

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160531/1040570309/nato-poland-baltic-buildup.html

In the latest sign of increasing NATO expansion, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has promised to deploy more troops to Poland.

Earlier this month, NATO announced plans to assuage concerns regarding political instability in Eastern Europe by increasing its military presence in the region.

"We will discuss how NATO can do more to project stability…and at the same time address how NATO can continue to adapt to a more assertive Russia to find the right balance between defense and dialogue," Stoltenberg told reporters.

As leaders of the alliance prepare for the NATO Warsaw Summit in July, the secretary-general has provided new details on the deployment.

"So let me be clear: there will be more NATO troops in Poland after the Warsaw Summit, to send a clear signal that an attack on Poland will be considered an attack on the whole alliance," he told reporters, after a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Monday.

Additional battalions will be placed in the Baltic, and all new deployments will be part of an international, rotational effort. The United States, for its part, will add a new armor brigade in Eastern Europe.

"It is extremely important for us and it will strengthen our feeling of security and effective security of Poland and Eastern flank," Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said on Tuesday.

NATO has consistently justified its unprecedented military buildup by citing a "Russian threat." Michael Turner, the US president of the alliance’s parliamentary assembly, reiterated his concerns on Monday.

"The challenge from Russia is real and serious," he told the assembly. "[It has] left NATO no choice but to consider the prospect of aggressive Russian action against an Alliance member as a potential threat, and to adopt measured, proportionate responses."

While the West has repeatedly cited debunked claims of Moscow’s involvement in a conflict in Eastern Ukraine, as well as the reunification of Crimea, a decision supported by 96% of the voting population during a referendum, it is NATO that has been prone to aggression.

"Let me remind you that NATO’s eastward expansion was launched in the 1990s. Crimea and Ukraine were a non-issue at the time, but the alliance welcomed several Eastern European countries into its ranks anyway," Russian politician Viktor Alksnis told Russian online newspaper Svobodnaya Pressa.

"They will say that their presence is rotational, that they are not violating the NATO-Russian Founding Act that prohibits NATO from establishing permanent bases in [Central and Eastern Europe]. But 'there’s small choice in rotten apples,'" he added.

"They are indeed getting ready for a possible aggression against Russia."

Writing for AntiWar.com, Jason Ditz pointed out that the alliance has predicted a Russian invasion for almost the entirety of its existence.

"The invasion never happened, and after years of NATO buildup [it] seems even sillier for officials to still be predicting," he wrote.

"The ability to use this ‘threat’ as justification for more NATO spending, however, means it will probably continue for the foreseeable future."

Russian warplanes hit IS oil facilities near Syria’s Raqqa — Russian defense ministry

http://tass.ru/en/world/879380

Su-34 bombers destroyed illegal terrorists’ oil production facilities near the settlement of al-Taura located 42 kilometers southwest of Raqqa

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. Russian Su-34 bombers hit illegal oil facilities operated by Islamic State near the settlement of al-Taura located 42 kilometers southwest of Raqqa, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria said in its regular daily news bulletin posted on the Russian defense ministry’s website on Tuesday.

"The Russian air group in Syria continues its mission aimed at undermining Islamic State terrorists’ economic base. Thus, Su-34 bombers destroyed illegal terrorists’ oil production facilities near the settlement of al-Taura located 42 kilometers southwest of Raqqa," the bulletin says.

Groups constituting the international terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) are continuing provocation aimed at disrupt the regime of cessation of hostilities, as follows from the bulletin. During the day, they conducted fire from multiple missile launcher systems and mortars at the settlement of Handrat, Aleppo’s districts of Meydan, Sheikh Maksoud, Amriya, northern areas of Old City, and the al-Nayrab airport.

"Terrorists shelled the settlements of Rasha, Ard al-Wata and Kermel in the province of Latakia, the settlement of Kherbet al-Meri and a checkpoint of Syrian government troops near Kafer-Nan in the province of Homs, the settlement of Haush Harabu in the province of Damascus, and the settlement of Jaba in the province of al-Quneitra. Jabhat al-Nusra gunmen continue attacks on Syrian government forces’ positions near the settlement of Mukheim Handrat in the province of Aleppo. All the attacks were repelled by the government forces and militias," the center said.

Russia’s aerospace forces launched pinpoint strikes against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra (both outlawed in Russian as terrorist organizations) targets in Syria on September 30, 2015 at the request from Syria’s President Bashar Assad. Air strikes were delivered at military hardware, communications centers, transport vehicles, munitions depots and other terrorist infrastructure facilities. With backing from the Russian air force, the Syrian army liberated about 400 settlements. Serious blow was delivered on illegal oil trade used by terrorists as a key source of incomes. Key channels of arms and munitions supplies to terrorists have been blocked.

Withdrawal of the major part of Russia’s air group from Syria began on March 15, 2016. As President Vladimir Putin said in a relevant decree of March 14, the Russian military had fulfilled most of their tasks. However two Russian military bases are still active - at the Khmeimim airfield and in Tartus. The Russian military continue participation in anti-terrorism efforts.

More settlements join reconciliation process

Reconciliation agreements have been signed with representatives of two settlements in the Syrian provinces of Homs and Daraa, the bulletin says.

"The number of settlement joining the reconciliation process has reached 128. Talks on joining the regime of cessation of hostilities are continued with field commanders of opposition groups in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, al-Quneitra and Hama," the center said.

The number of illegal armed groups that declared their commitment to the ceasefire terms remains unchanged - 60, as follows from the bulletin.

16 tons of humanitarian aid delivered

Officers of the Russian reconciliation center delivered 16 tons of humanitarian cargoes to a camp for internally displaced persons in the settlement of Deir al-Fardis in the
Syrian province of Homs, the bulletin says.

"A total of 16 tons of humanitarian cargoes, mostly flour, food kits and sweets for children, were delivered. One ton of humanitarian aid was delivered to the settlement of al-Malikyan in the province of Aleppo," the center said.

Apart from that, according to the center, infrastructure repair works continue in the settlement of Al-Qaryatayn. Water supplies have been resumed, a first-aid post has been opened. People are returning to their homes.

"Telephone lines are being repaired [in Al-Qaryatayn]. A call office is functioning round-the-clock. Works are underway to restore a bakery plant and the city system of electricity supplies. Trade outlets and shops open in the city," the bulletin says.

A ceasefire regime brokered by Russia and the United States on February 22 officially came into effect in Syria at midnight Damascus time on February 27. This does not cover terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, both outlawed in Russia, and other groups recognized as terrorist by the United Nations Security Council.

An hour before the ceasefire came into force, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution in support cessation of hostilities in Syria. The document was initiated by Russia and the United States and won support from all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council.

The Russian reconciliation center aims to assist armed groups in Syria in concluding ceasefire agreements, maintain the truce regime, control its observance and organize the delivery of humanitarian cargoes to civilians.

"Jaish al-Islam" bombarded Syrian Sanatorium

http://www.interfax.ru/world/511098

Moscow. June 1st. INTERFAX.RU - The government quarter Dahiyat al-Assad formation to identify themselves as the opposition group "Jaish al-Islam" fired mortars resort Ibn Al-Walid, as well as the position of the Syrian armed forces in the Duma, Dzhaur al-Basha and double - in Dzhaubare, said the Russian Center for the reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria.

"Formation to identify themselves as the opposition group" Jaish al-Islam "fired mortars resort Ibn al-Walid in the government quarter Dahiyat al-Assad, as well as the position of the Syrian armed forces in the settlements Duma Dzhaur al-Basha and twice - Dzhaubare ", - stated in the Centre a statement posted Tuesday on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defence.

It also noted that "Russian Air Force and videoconferencing Syria opposition militias, have declared a cessation of hostilities and to report to the Russian or American centers reconciliation information about their location, strikes are not applied."

"The groups of international terrorist organizations continue to attempt to disrupt the cessation of hostilities", - said in a statement.

It also notes that, in a camp for internally displaced persons, located in the village of Deir el-Fardis province of Homs, delivered 16 tons of humanitarian aid, which basis amounted flour, food packages and sweets for children.

One ton of humanitarian aid delivered to the town of El-Malikyan Aleppo province.

Militants in Key Town West of Damascus Agree to Surrender to Syrian Army

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950311000859

"Based on an agreement between the Syrian army and residents of the town of al-Mo'adhamiyeh, the militants in the town have to lay down their arms and end fight against the government forces," municipality's officials said, adding, "The entire positions, built by the militants, will be ruined and the army will deploy forces inside the town."

"This agreement will be materialized in the next few hours," the municipality added.

Military sources said in mid-May, following the significant advances of the government forces East of Damascus, tens of militants laid down their arms and turned themselves in to the Syrian officials.

"Dozens of the Takfiri terrorists in Zabdean region surrendered to the Syrian government as the forces loyal to the Syrian President Bashar Assad continue gaining ground across Eastern Ghouta," the sources said.

A report said at the time that the Syrian army managed to seize back over a dozen villages in heavy clashes with the Takfiri terrorists in Eastern Ghouta.

A sum of 13 villages covering an area of 40 square kilometers is now under the Syrian army's control, battlefield sources announced.

The Takfiri terrorists of Ahrar al-Sham, Faylaq al-Rahman and Jeish al-Islam were driven back by the Syrian army from Bayadh Shaba'a, Zabdean, Harasta al-Qantara, Bazina, Deir al-Assafir, Arz al-Nahasiya, Hosh al-Homsi, al-Rakabiyeh, Arz al-Shartout, Arz al-Kasar, al-Azodiya, Nouleh and Bala al-Qadima.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Putin to hold talks with Israeli PM in Moscow next week — Kremlin

http://tass.ru/en/politics/879442

The situation in Syria will be one of the issues discussed at the talks, the Kremlin spokesman says

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks next week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamini Netanyahu who will arrive in Moscow for a visit.

According to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the situation in Syria will be one of the issues discussed at the talks.

"Of course, (the situation in Syria will be discussed)," he said answering a question on the subject.

The Kremlin spokesman noted that this visit was planned well in advance. "The agenda is quite extensive," he said. "The relations (between Russia and Israel) are advanced and partnership in various fields. There is a huge potential in economy, there are extensive grounds for cooperation in security and international politics."

The meeting's agenda

Putin and Netanyahu will discuss the situation in and around Syria and the current state and prospects of the Israeli-Palestinian settlement, the Kremlin press service said.

"A detailed exchange of views on regional problems is expected as well, above all, in the context of efforts to combat international terrorism," the press service said. "Among the most important issues is the situation in Syria and around it as well as the current state and prospects of the Palestinian-Israeli settlement."

The Kremlin noted that the talks between Putin and Netanyahu will be held on June 7. The Israeli prime minister will pay an official visit to Russia timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations. "During the forthcoming meeting it is planned to discuss the progress in implementing the agreements reached during Benjamin Netanyahu’s working visit to Moscow on April 21, 2016," the press service said. "Special attention is expected to be paid to the topical issues of bilateral cooperation, including the prospects of further boosting the trade and economic cooperation, cultural and humanitarian ties."

US ‘provocations’ may force China to declare air defense zone in S. China Sea – report

https://www.rt.com/news/345026-air-defense-china-sea/

Beijing is reportedly planning to launch an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea, the timing of which will depend on US “provocations.” Billions of dollars of trade passes annually through the area, which is subject to rival claims.

A source close to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) told the South China Morning Post daily that security conditions in the region, namely the US military presence, would define the timing of the ADIZ declaration.

“If the US military keeps making provocative moves to challenge China’s sovereignty in the region, it will give Beijing a good opportunity to declare an ADIZ in the South China Sea,” the source told the newspaper.

The country's Defense Ministry told the South China Morning Post in a written statement that it was “the right of a sovereign state” to designate an ADIZ.

“Regarding when to declare such a zone, it will depend on whether China is facing security threats from the air, and what the level of the air safety threat is,” the ministry wrote.

In November 2013, Beijing set up an ADIZ in the East China Sea, causing an immediate backlash from Tokyo, Seoul and Washington. It covered the Diaoyu Islands, which Tokyo controls and calls the Senkakus.

Tensions have run high between Washington and Beijing over a reclamation project in the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands. Beijing has various territorial disputes in the area – which is rich in deposits of natural resources – with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

To bolster its claim over the disputed territory, Beijing has been rapidly setting up defense installations in the area. The US Navy is actively opposing the Chinese initiative, deploying additional warships to the disputed zone and conducting maneuvers near the Chinese artificial islands. It has also flown over them, using the “freedom of navigation” principle as justification.

Beijing has called the US involvement in the dispute the “greatest” threat to the region.

“We urge them to stop stirring up a storm in a teacup and stop sowing seeds of discord so as to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, which conforms to the common interests of all parties,” Yang Yujun, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said at a briefing, China Military Online reported.

Last month Beijing asked the US to stop its surveillance activities near China after two of its fighter jets carried out what the Pentagon labeled an "unsafe" intercept of a US military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.

The incident added fuel to the fire in the already tense relations between the two countries.

“What needs to be pointed out is that the US always likes to distort facts and draw media attention to the distance between the military aircraft of the two sides. But in essence, the root cause for security hazards and potential accidents in the air and at sea between China and the US is the long term, large-scale and frequent close-in reconnaissance activities against China by the US military vessels and aircraft,” a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman said.

Lavrov, Ayrault discuss Middle East settlement ahead of Paris conference

http://tass.ru/en/politics/879457

Lavrov expressed hope that the ideas of the Middle East quartet will be in great demand within the framework of the conference in Paris

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault have had a telephone conversation to discuss Middle East settlement ahead of the Paris conference on the issue.

The discussion was held at the initiative of the French side.

"The Middle East settlement theme was discussed in the context of the Paris-sponsored international meeting, due on June 3, 2016. Lavrov spoke highly of France’s efforts to arrange for the forum. He expressed the hope that the ideas of the Middle East quartet, which is an instrument of international mediation between the Palestinians and the Israelis, will be in great demand within the framework of the conference in Paris," the Foreign Ministry said.

Lavrov and Ayrault also exchanged opinion of the Normandy Quartet’s tasks to support the implementation of the Minsk Accords on overcoming the Ukrainian crisis, Nagorno-Karabakh, and some aspects of bilateral Russian-French contacts."

On May 19 Ayrault said that Paris would host a Palestinian-Israeli settlement conference on June 3. He remarked that the situation in the Middle East "was critical and aroused serious concern."

Lavrov: Diplomacy experiences renaissance, logic of coercion yields to dialogue

http://tass.ru/en/politics/879536

The Russian foreign minister hopes that the determination to achieve balanced solutions will gain the upper hand in settling current conflicts, including those in Syria and Ukraine

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Diplomacy is experiencing renaissance today, and personal contacts are a key instrument in the effort to solve global problems, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday at the ceremony of formal opening of the Diplomatic Club in the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy.

"Communication probably remains the key instrument to overcome difficulties," Lavrov said. "New communications tools will never replace direct face-to-face conversation. This helps promote some kind of mutual understanding, helping achieve mutually acceptable solutions."

"On the whole, diplomacy today is going through renaissance," he said.

Lavrov said the logic of coercion, ultimatums, condescending conversations "gradually, very slowly, is yielding to the understanding that it is necessary to communicate."

"Long conversations are held in various formats, including with participation of heads of state, foreign ministers, other representatives of states," he said. "During these contacts, agreements that may influence improvement of the global landscape are worked out."

Lavrov hopes for balanced approach to settling conflicts in Syria, Ukraine

Sergey Lavrov hopes that the determination to achieve balanced solutions will gain the upper hand in settling current conflicts, including those in Syria and Ukraine.

"International relations are at a turning point, at a stage of forming new multi-polar, a multi-centric system, which is expected to reflect the ever more complex nature of the modern world and to address the emerging challenges common to all more effectively," Lavrov said. He was speaking at the opening of the diplomatic club at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s diplomatic academy on Wednesday.

He believes that only concerted action can produce response to global threats.

"Attempts at trying to do that differently, through unilateral measures, have resulted in nothing good," he said. "This means that diplomacy is emerging in the forefront in the process of identifying solutions that would suit one and all."

"Last year’s events shows that there where all parties demonstrated the sincere wish to achieve harmonious solutions based on a balance of interests agreements accommodating everybody’s interests were achieved," Lavrov said. As an example he mentioned the agreements on the settlement of the Iranian nuclear program, chemical disarmament in Syria, and the establishment of a framework for the political settlement of the Syrian crisis and for overcoming the crisis in Ukraine.

"I do hope that this kind of approach will eventually prevail in tackling all problems resulting from numerous conflicts - those in Syria, Ukraine, the Middle East, Africa and other spots on the globe.

Lavrov, Kerry discuss joint actions against Jabhat Al-Nusra, other terrorist groups

http://tass.ru/en/world/879556

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday had a telephone conversation, in the course of which they discussed joint actions against the Jabhat Al-Nusra terrorist grouping, the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry said after the conversation.

"The situation around Syria and particularly the necessity of resolute joint actions against Jabhat Al-Nusra and other terrorist grouping - something the Russian side has long been calling for were the focal points of the discussion," it said.

Russia, US have no agreement on struggle with IS in Syria — Kremlin

http://tass.ru/en/world/879440

Twice a day Russia exchanges information with the US through the corresponding channels, but here is no cooperation in fighting terrorists in Syria

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russia and the United States have no agreement on cooperation in the struggle with the Islamic State in Syria, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told the media.

"As before, we can state with regret that there is no cooperation in fighting terrorists in Syria," Peskov has said. "I would like to recall that twice a day we exchange information with the US partners through the corresponding channels."

Asked if there had been some secret agreement with the United States, Peskov answered in the negative.

He also said that at the request of the Syrian leadership the Russian military group was fighting against the Islamic State only within Syria and not in Iraq.

Artillery Strike on Hospital in Aleppo Leads to Death of Doctors, Patients

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160601/1040601326/aleppo-strike-hospital.html

A number of doctors and patients were killed as result of artillery strike on the building of heath center in the Syrian province of Aleppo, according to a source.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — An artillery strike on a hospital in the Syrian province of Aleppo has killed doctors and patients, a local source told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"A number of doctors and patients were killed as result of artillery strike on the building of heath center, " the source said.

The source was unable to specify the number of dead and injured.

It has not been confirmed yet who is responsible of the strike.

Seven civilians killed, 15 others injured in terrorist attacks in Idleb and Aleppo

http://sana.sy/en/?p=78928

Idleb/Aleppo, SANA-Seven civilians, among them a child, were killed on Tuesday while 13 others were wounded in terrorist rocket attacks on residential neighborhoods in Aleppo.

SANA’s correspondent quoted a source at the province’s Police Command as saying that terrorist snipers positioned near Bilal Mosque in al-Kallaseh neighborhood opened fire on civilians in Bab al-Faraj neighborhood, injuring two people who were rushed to al-Razi Hospital for treatment.

The source added that terrorists also fired a rocket shell at Nile Street, injuring two people and causing damage to homes and private properties.

Another rocket shell fell near a vehicle in al-Ramousa neighborhood,killing a child and injuring five of the people on board.

In addition, a man and woman were killed and two others were injured in terrorist rocket attack on al-Ramouseh area , as a person was injured in terrorist rocket attack on New Aleppo neighborhood.

The terrorist groups also targeted the neighborhood of Bab al-Faraj and Nile Street with rocket shells and gunfire on Tuesday, injuring four people.

Two injured in Idleb

A baby girl and a woman were injured in terrorist shelling on the besieged al-Fouaa town in the northern countryside of Idleb province, local sources told SANA reporter.

The attack was caused by a number of rocket shells fired by terrorist groups on the town, in a new breach of the cessation of hostilities agreement enforced since February 27.

Thousands of Civilians in Aleppo Province in Danger of Displacement

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160601/1040604491/syria-aleppo-displacement.html

Daesh offensives on the towns of Marea, Kiljibrin and Kafr Kalbein in Syria's Aleppo province have resulted in over 15,000 people becoming trapped in besieged areas in late May, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The civilian population in Syria's Aleppo province is in danger of becoming internally displaced amid an Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) advance in the region, the United Nations said Wednesday.

Daesh offensives on the towns of Marea, Kiljibrin and Kafr Kalbein have resulted in over 15,000 people becoming trapped in besieged areas in late May, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said, citing UN special rapporteurs on human rights.

The special rapporteurs added that 165,000 internally displaced persons remain trapped in areas near the Turkish border and called for a safe passage of all civilians out of conflict areas, as well as unimpeded humanitarian aid access.

The UN also warned of possible mass executions taking place in the affected areas.

"Unconfirmed yet disturbing reports indicate that ISIL [ISIL or Daesh] militants have executed families, including women and children, with alleged links to Free Syrian Army affiliated groups in the town of Kiljibrin…If verified any such actions would constitute arbitrary executions and could amount to war crimes," Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns was quoted as saying in the statement.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions.

A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force across Syria on February 27. The ceasefire does not apply to terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic State and Nusra Front, outlawed in many countries, including Russia. Violence in and around Aleppo has continued despite the ceasefire, as both the Nusra Front and the IS maintain a heavy presence there.

Syrian Army Prepares Offensive Against Daesh-Occupied Deir ez-Zor

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160601/1040597463/syria-deir-ezzor-offensive.html

The Syrian army is reportedly preparing an offensive in occupied by Daesh terrorists Deir ez-Zor.

DAMSCUS (Sputnik) – The Syrian Army plans to advance on the city of Deir ez-Zor in the country’s east that has been occupied by Islamic State terrorists, prohibited in numerous countries including the United States and Russia, an informed source told Sputnik on Wednesday.

“The Syrian Army along with its allies are preparing for a broad military operation in the direction of Deir ez-Zor from the direction of Palmyra. It will begin within the next few days as soon as preparations are finished,” the source said.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups. A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire, which excludes terrorist groups, came into force across Syria on February 27.

 

[angelburst29]

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia’s timeline given to armed groups in Syria to separate from the internationally-listed Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization runs out this week.

Lavrov: Timeline for separation of armed groups and Jabhat al-Nusra ends this week
http://sana.sy/en/?p=78935

In an interview with the Russian Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper published on Tuesday, Lavrov said the Russian aerial forces will start delivering airstrikes against any armed group that does not separate from Jabhat al-Nusra by the deadline.

He explained that the US asked Russia to extend the deadline for a few days before Russia begins the plan it announces before in which all those who haven’t joined the cessation of hostilities agreement become viable targets, and this extension expires this week.

The Russian Foreign Minister blamed the delay in setting a date for the next round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva on the delegation of “Riyadh opposition” group.

Lavrov also asserted that within the first few months of their operations in Syria, the Russian Aerospace Forces managed to achieve a shift in the situation on the ground, and that clearly there are those who want to stop or reverse this process.

He added that in a recent phone call with US State Secretary John Kerry, he asked him why the Washington-led alliance practically stopped targeting terrorists in Syria and why it doesn’t do anything to stop the smuggling of oil to Turkey, explaining that Kerry repeated the same excuses based on the flawed logic that claims terrorist locations are intermixed with locations of what the Americans deem “good guys” and therefore they can’t target terrorists.

On another note, Lavrov called on the Turkish regime to apologize for shooting down the Russian fighter over Syrian territories before it talks about normalizing relations.

In a relevant context, Russian Defense Ministry denied the allegations that the Russian Air Force delivered airstrikes on terrorists’ sites in Idleb province.

In a statement published by RT website, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said the Russian Air Force has not conducted any combat missions or airstrikes in the Idleb province.

The information about Russia’s alleged airstrikes has been spread by the US-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

“We urge people to remain critical of any scare stories spread by the ‘British tandem’ of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and Reuters news agency ,” Konashenkov said.

The Defense Ministry spokesman also said that in previous cases when Russia had presented official data recorder information that disproved SOHR claims, neither Reuters nor the UK-based organization had published the refutations.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s defense committee Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov said that Russia will not postpone targeting the terrorists of Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria before situation be escalated as some powers tarry to agree with Moscow to strike the terrorists’ positions in Syria.

“The advent of the Zero hour is inevitable because any delay could lead to aggravating the situation,” Komoidov said at press conference in Moscow.

He added “if the Americans don’t want to support us to work together, I think that Russia will bomb the positions of Jabhat al-Nusra with the aim of providing support to the Syrian forces”.

Russia has accused the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Reuters news agency of spreading lies about its involvement in a series of airstrikes is Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.

Syrian Observatory, Reuters spreading lies about airstrikes: Russia
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/31/468361/russia-sohr-reuters-syria-fabrication

We urge people to remain critical of any horror stories spread by the ‘British tandem’ of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Reuters news agency,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov on Tuesday.

Note A statement in this article makes me wonder if King Salman is still alive?

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has been denied any manner of visits due to his deteriorating mental condition, a report states. Denial of visiting rights encompasses all members of the royal family and foreign dignitaries?

King Salman denied visits over deteriorating mental condition
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/01/468527/saudi-arabia-king-salman-mental-condition

Saudi Defense Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has issued orders to the Saudi court banning any manner of meeting with the king due to his "brain damage", said the report published by the Palestinian Manar online newspaper on Wednesday, citing an informed source.

The denial of visiting rights encompasses all members of the royal family and foreign dignitaries.

The source noted that foreign embassies, especially that of the US, are diligently tracking Salman’s health and reporting back to their countries.

These countries are afraid of the unrest in Saudi Arabia in the event of Salman’s death, the source added.

In a report published in January, the Palestinian newspaper said the Saudi king was suffering from periodic blackouts and the inability to speak.

It noted that his loss of awareness had prompted his physicians to advise his sons to restrict their father’s public appearances in a bid not to disclose the worsening conditions. The king was said to have been confined in one of the rooms of his palace.

Earlier reports said that the king was thought to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Government propaganda and NGO misinformation have coloured the story of the war on Syria from its inception. Stepping in to set the record straight, Dr. Tim Anderson explores the real beginnings of the conflict, the players behind it, and their agenda in his new book, “The Dirty War on Syria: Washington, Regime Change and Resistance.”

Video: The Dirty War on Syria – Prof. Tim Anderson on GRTV
http://www.globalresearch.ca/video-the-dirty-war-on-syria-prof-tim-anderson-on-grtv/5528264
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5CDJm0Edh8 ( 22 minutes)

The Dirty War on Syria has relied on a level of mass disinformation not seen in living memory. In seeking ‘regime change’ the big powers sought to hide their hand, using proxy armies of ‘Islamists’, demonising the Syrian Government and constantly accusing it of atrocities. In this way Syrian President Bashar al Assad, a mild-mannered eye doctor, became the new evil in the world.

The popular myths of this dirty war – that it is a ‘civil war’, a ‘popular revolt’ or a sectarian conflict – hide a murderous spree of ‘regime change’ across the region. The attack on Syria was a necessary consequence of Washington’s ambition, stated openly in 2006, to create a ‘New Middle East’. After the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, Syria was next in line.

Five years into this war the evidence is quite clear and must be set out in detail. The terrible massacres were mostly committed by the western backed jihadists, then blamed on the Syrian Army. The western media and many western NGOs parroted the official line. Their sources were almost invariably those allied to the ‘jihadists’. Contrary to the myth that the big powers now have their own ‘war on terror’, those same powers have backed every single anti-government armed group in Syria, ‘terrorists’ in any other context, adding thousands of ‘jihadis’ from dozens of countries.

Yet in Syria this dirty war has confronted a disciplined national army which did not disintegrate along sectarian lines. Despite terrible destruction and loss of life, Syria has survived, deepening its alliance with Russia, Iran, the Lebanese Resistance, the secular Palestinians and, more recently, with Iraq. The tide has turned against Washington, and that will have implications beyond Syria.