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

[sToRmR1dR]

Ending the Blame Game: Washington, Brussels 'Must Negotiate With Russia'

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160216/1034823128/us-europe-russia-syria.html

Although the Kremlin is often held responsible for "everything that goes wrong" in Europe and beyond, the blaming of Russia has to stop, because the West needs to work with Moscow to tackle global security challenges, the German media outlets wrote in response to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's remarks at the Munich Security Conference.

Medvedev asserted that relations between Russia and the West, as well as NATO increasingly resemble a new Cold War. He also called for a closer dialogue on regional and global security at a time when many try to present Moscow as a security threat to its Western neighbors. Russian officials and experts have repeatedly said that these allegations have no merit.

"The Ukrainian conflict, the refugee crisis, Pegida: the Russian president is blamed for everything that goes wrong on the continent," Jakob Augstein wrote for Germany's Spiegel. Should this trend be reinforced, Vladimir Putin will be blamed for Angela Merkel's hairstyle in the near future, he observed.

This blame game has to stop, because Europe and the United States, according to Augstein, have no right to "moralize" when it comes to Russia. Washington and Brussels have not done much to prevent the Syrian conflict from escalating into a deadly war, which has claimed over 250,000 lives and forced 11 million people to relocate.

"With a mixture of disinterest, calculus and inability we have watched Syria turn into a slaughterhouse," Augstei noted.

It is Russia's involvement in the embattled Arab country that has helped to turn the tide of war at a time when Damascus was struggling to contain the foreign-sponsored insurgency. Moscow has also made every effort to keep the nascent peace process going.

"Moscow is needed when it comes to Syria," Ingrid Müller wrote for Der Tagesspiegel. After all, resolving the deadly crisis is virtually impossible without all major stakeholders. But this process is complicated due to what the expert called "the deep mistrust" between Russia and the West.

Andreas Schwarzkopf echoed the sentiment in a piece for Frankfurter Rundshau. "The West can and must negotiate with Russia," especially when it comes to resolving the Ukrainian crisis, he noted.

Brennan stoking fears by invoking Daesh terror threat: Analyst

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/02/16/450578/CIA-director-professional-liar-Daesh/

CIA Director John Brennan is attempting to stoke the flames of fear among Americans by declaring that Daesh (ISIL) would definitely carry out terrorist attacks inside the US, says American writer and political analyst Mickey Z.

In a phone interview with Press TV on Tuesday, the author of Occupy This Book and Occupy These Photos called Brennan a professional liar.

“Brennan recently told CBS's 60 Minutes that it was ‘inevitable’ ISIS would attempt to carry out attacks on the United States,” Mickey Z. said.

‘I believe that their attempts are inevitable,’ he declared. ‘I don't think their successes necessarily are.’ Then the CIA chief boasted how ISIS has ‘been stopped and arrested and detained and debriefed because of very, very good intelligence,’” he added.

“Finally, he wrapped up by telling us that the attacks in Paris could’ve been stopped if not for terrorists being able ‘to take advantage of the newly available means of communication that are walled off from law enforcement officials.’ He was referring to encryption,” he stated.

“What’s actually ‘inevitable’ here is that the nation’s top spy - a professional liar - would stoke the flames of fear by evoking the name of our latest Public Enemy Number 1, ISIS, before telling blatant lies about hush-hush plots that were foiled by ‘brave’ American heroes who would be able to do so much more if only the liberals running the big bad government would get out of the way,” the analyst noted.

“The ‘inevitable’ outcome of such carefully crafted propaganda is a presidential year in which candidates - from Trump to Sanders - cry out in unison about the beat-down they’d put on ISIS while little or nothing is said or done about a dominant human culture hurtling towards social, economic, and environmental collapse,” the activist concluded.

Daesh terrorists, who were initially trained by the CIA in Jordan in 2012 to destabilize the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, now large control parts of Syria and Iraq. They have been engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control.

The United States and its allies have been conducting airstrikes against Daesh in Iraq and Syria since last year. Observers say while the US and its allies claim they are fighting against terrorist groups like ISIL, they in fact helped create and train those organizations to affect their policies in the Middle East.

 

[goyacobol]

They made it....We are playing their game. Putin is right, no its Obama, West is good, no its East. UN is the solution, yeah but maybe not....Who's right (rite) ? Dont be afraid of saying NONE OF THEM. Theres no way to end up this mess and u know why? Cause uve made ur choice. Everything is lesson, never forget it.

Agharta,

Yes, but we still have to stay on our toes at all times.

Session 3 December 1994

Q: (L) So we just have to stay on our toes at all times?

A: Absolutely don't let others distract you. You have suffered many attempts at distraction away from truth. Now follow some proclamations: Pause. All there is is lessons. This is one infinite school. There is no other reason for anything to exist. Even inanimate matter learns it is all an "Illusion." Each individual possesses all of creation within their minds. Now, contemplate for a moment. Each soul is all powerful and can create or destroy all existence if know how. You and us and all others are interconnected by our mutual possession of all there is. You may create alternative universes if you wish and dwell within. You are all a duplicate of the universe within which you dwell. Your mind represents all that exists. It is "fun" to see how much you can access.

Q: (L) It's fun for who to see how much we can access?

A: All. Challenges are fun. Where do you think the limit of your mind is?

Q: (L) Where?

A: We asked you.

Q: (L) Well, I guess there is no limit.

A: If there is no limit, then what is the difference between your own mind and everything else?

Q: (L) Well, I guess there is no difference if all is ultimately one.

A: Right. And when two things each have absolutely no limits, they are precisely the same thing.

And we need not become complacent while learning.

Although it seems this Syrian situation is hopeless or predictable we may all be surprised at the outcome.

One of the Cs answers to a personal question from Laura but they expanded the answer to the bigger picture. The picture may be bigger than we are perceiving it.

Q: (L) V__ had an incident at school where a small pile of powder appeared on her books after she had put her head down on them. What was this?

A: Materialized thoughts passed through frontal lobe.

Q: (V) Well, that is just amazing.

A: Amazement is fun.

Q: (V) I would like to know the source of the tension between my mother and myself?

A: Maternal influences. Psychological anxiety. Mother daughter rivalry for male attention. Enough personal dilly dallys. Long message to follow. Pause: Ukraine explosion; chemical or nuclear. Hawaii crash; aviation, possibly involving military. More California seismic activity after 1st of year: San Diego, San Bernardino, North Bakersfield, Barstow: all are fracture points. Hollister, Palo Alto, Imperial, Ukiah, Eureka, Point Mendocino, Monterrey, Offshore San Luis Obispo, Capistrano, Carmel: these are all stress points of fracture in sequence. "Time" is indefinite. Expect gradual destruction of California economy as people begin mass exodus. Also, Shasta erupts; Lassen activity. Ocean floor begins to subside. Leave channel open and pause: Queen Elizabeth serious illness; blood related. Princess Diana suicide attempt. Gas explosions this winter in NE United States, Texas and other. Supernova and unusual weather all over. Memphis feels tremors. Minneapolis banking scandal relates to mysterious Nordic covenant. Evangelical sexual tryst exposed. Gold is discovered in California after one of the quakes. UFOs dramatic increase and Gulf Breeze gets swarmed, becomes massive "Mecca". Laura sees much more UFO activity. Huge wave of UFO activity. All manner and origins. Just you wait, it will give you chills and that feeling in the pit of your stomach. Many aliens will appear and we will be visible too. Think of it as a convention. All must awaken to this. It is happening right now. The whole populace will play individual roles according to their individual frequencies. This is only the beginning. Just you wait "Henry Higgins," just you wait!

Many of the above predictions have been hits by the Cs.

I have a feeling there are a few choices left for all of us so I would try to be "open" to the future as it unfolds. FWIW

 

[SeekinTruth]

They made it....We are playing their game. Putin is right, no its Obama, West is good, no its East. UN is the solution, yeah but maybe not....Who's right (rite) ? Dont be afraid of saying NONE OF THEM. Theres no way to end up this mess and u know why? Cause uve made ur choice. Everything is lesson, never forget it.

So what's your lesson here? Sounds like you've made your choice to not make a choice. That's absolutely the right way to look at it for some nonsense like Democrats vs. Republicans in US politics and the like, but for those of us who have been observing events related to all this, especially in the last 15 years or so, the choice of not making a choice defaults to accepting the rape, murder, plunder, and destruction of the marauding psychopaths across the planet. That hasn't been Russia doing that, but the "West" aka Anglo-American-Zionist Empire of Evil Idiots. Russia, on the contrary, has been (along with her allies) doing just about everything possible to slow down this pathological train wreck before they bring more, and maybe final, catastrophe on the world including themselves.

Since what you wrote doesn't really contain much substance (just an attitude without much data), we can make the argument that YOU are "playing their game" - either to muddy the waters, or just propagating paramoralisms and paralogical clap-trap that you've swallowed and internalized. That's how it looks.

Plus, writing something like "Putin is right, now Obama is right" is ridiculous because Obama doesn't make any important decisions (beyond scheduling is golf playing maybe) or policies, whereas Russia has real leaders struggling not only against the enemies of humanity outside of Russia, but also all the saboteurs INSIDE Russia. Having eyes to see all that is part of the lessons... and the choices - more than just empty words.

 

[Ca.]

Syria 16 February 2016

https://youtu.be/y8q4ek4Oqyg

الجيش يعيد الأمن والاستقرار إلى قريتي أحرص ومسقان بريف حلب
Армия восстанавливает безопасности и стабильности в деревни острым Msagan Брив Алеппо
Army restores security and stability to the villages keen Msagan Brive Aleppo
Published on Feb 16, 2016 (Graphic Battle Field Confrontations Графические Столкновения Battlefield مواجهات ساحة المعركة الرسم)
الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء
Сирийское арабское информационное агентство
Syrian Arab News Agency
_https://youtu.be/91arVxOIegw

Russian Insider
Orgy of Russophobic Hysteria In German Media
2-16-20-5 minutes ago
http://russia-insider.com/en/germanys-aggressive-media-campaign-against-putin/ri12874
In Germany, the sinister Putin and and the country of Russia are painted with the same brush
Originally Appeared at Compact Magazin. Translated from the German by Werner Schrimpf
https://www.contra-magazin.com/2016/02/aggressive-medienkampagne-gegen-putin/

Hardly a day goes by without a barrage of anti-Putin articles and reports in German media. There are personal insults directed at Russia, and doomsday prophecies predicted for it as well. German main stream media pretends to differentiate between Putin and Russia but in reality, a strong and independent Russia is a thorn in the side of these transatlantic actors.

You can find journalist Boris Reitschuster at the frontline. His newest theory is that Putin is conducting a hybrid war against Germany. He’s trying to overthrow Ms. Merkel und then dominate Europe. Another member of the gang is Mr. Jan-Philipp Hein, in that he comes up with the weird assertion that the raid of 1.000 Muslim men against German women during New Years Eve in Cologne was orchestrated and planned by Putin, and carried out by Russian secret service agents. Then there is Mr. Anton Hofreiter, party whip of the Green Party, who is talking about a Putin-arranged assault on Europe. Mr. Benjamin Triebe, author of the newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemein” is dreaming of a regime change in Russia and of times when Western business conglomerates will be able to exploit Russia.


Of course each of these journalists would deny any anti-Russian stance. Russia is perfectly fine as long as Russia is weak and a poodle of the West. A strong and independent Russia will be rejected regardless of whether Mr. Putin is the president. This is the essence of their comments. It’s obvious that only the U.S. is entitled to articulate its own opinion, to assert its wishes on the international scene, and to have power. Everything else will be banned. It is more than just a hypocritical world view that is massively spread by Western media. During a time when more and more crises and showdowns are popping up in the Western hemisphere, the self-appointed elites between Washington and Berlin are afraid to lose control.

One example is the Dutch referendum on the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement, which is taking place on the 6th of April. The ruling class in the West is losing its lead while U.S. intelligence services are accusing the initiators of the referendum of being paid and corrupted by Russia. The Ukrainian government now wants to start a counter-campaign in the Netherlands and asked the Dutch government for assistance in doing this. Once again, collaborating governments are acting against the interests of the population.

During the last weeks, the amount of Russian-bashing articles have been launched in such a dense frequency that it gives a very clear picture at what kind of orchestrated campaign is going on here. At the touch a button you can see and hear the same streamlined arguments. Russia is facing a barrage of criticism.

However, as the Russia-bashing in the news media increases, so increases the idea among the people that Russia is a sign of hope for those in eroding and crisis-ridden Western countries, as well as for those struggling with never-ending conflicts in Middle and Near East countries. Russia holds its flag high and shows action, and that is what Western backroom politicians and lobbyists are afraid of. In times where it seems impossible to keep conflicts and crises in check, Russia will gain advantages. Things are going to get exciting in the years to come.

 

[angelburst29]

Ex-Security Chief: Russia to Launch Airstrikes on Turkish, Saudi Troops in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941127000182

Former Head of Russia's Federal Security Service Nikolai Kovalyov warned Turkey and Saudi Arabia against sending ground troops to Syria, saying that Russian warplanes are likely to launch airstrikes on their positions if they deploy in the war-torn country.

"The Turkish and Saudi officials are well aware that in case of deployment of their forces in the Syrian territories, the Russian air force will likely bomb them," Kovalyov, also a member of the State Duma's security and resistance to corruption committee, was quoted as saying by al-Mayadeen news channel on Tuesday.

"If the Saudi and Turkish ground forces enter Syria, they cannot be distinguished from the terrorists and Russia will act upon the demand of the legal Syrian government," he added.

His remarks came after Saudi Arabia and Turkey said they plan to send ground forces to Syria.

The idea of Riyadh’s possible participation in ground operations in Syria was first raised on February 4 by Ahmed Asiri, a spokesman for the Saudi Defense Ministry.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia are also both part of an effort to create an alleged “Islam Army,” ostensibly aimed at combating terrorism in the region and consisting of 34 Sunni Islam nations.

Almost the entire range of extremist and terrorist groups are supported by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, with their key commanders and leaders being Saudi nationals. ISIL, Al-Nusra and other extremist groups pursue the same line of ideology exercised and promoted by Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism. Hundreds of Saudi clerics are among the ranks of ISIL and Al-Nusra to mentor the militants.

Wahhabism is now the only source of the textbooks taught at schools in the self-declared capital of the ISIL terrorist group, Raqqa, in Northeastern Syria resembling the texts and lessons taught to schoolgoers in Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabi ideology, an extremist version of Sunni Islam that is promoted almost only in Saudi Arabia, sees all other faiths - from other interpretations of Sunni Islam to Shiism, Christianity and Judaism - as blasphemy, meaning that their followers should be decapitated as nonbelievers.

Early in February, the Saudi Defense Ministry said it stood ready to deploy ground troops to Syria to allegedly aid the US-led anti-ISIL, also known as Daesh, coalition.

Riyadh has been a member of the US-led coalition that has been launching airstrikes against Daesh in Syria since September 2014, without the permission of Damascus or the United Nations. In December 2015, Saudi Arabia started its own Muslim 34-nation coalition to allegedly fight Islamic extremism.

Daesh or ISIL/ISIS is a Wahhabi group mentored by Saudi Arabia and has been blacklisted as a terrorist group everywhere in the world, including the United States and Russia, but Saudi Arabia.

Damascus, Tehran and Moscow have issued stern warnings to Riyadh, stressing that the Saudi intruders, who in fact intend to rescue the terrorists that are sustaining heavy defeats these days, will be crushed in Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem warned that any ground operation in Syria without Damascus' approval is an "act of aggression", warning that the Saudi aggressors "would go back home in coffins".



Iran military advisers in Syria on Damscus demand: Zarif (Video)
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/02/16/450657/Iran-Brussels-Syria-Zarif-Mogherini

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iranian military advisers are in Syria at the request of the Damascus government.

Addressing the European Union lawmakers in Brussels on Tuesday, Zarif also dismissed media allegations that Iran has sent troops to Syria to fight for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying Tehran has no “boots on the ground” but only "military advisers" at the request of the Syrian government.

There we have military advisers at the request of the government of this country (Syria). We will move out military advisers when the local government deems it necessary for us to remove them,” he pointed out.

He said Syria has a “legitimate” government which is also recognized by the United Nations, adding, “Those who are conducting measures in Syria without a mandate by a legitimate government are violating international regulations.”



'No incidents, just professionalism' as Russian jets shadow German Tornados in Syria – Bundeswehr (Video)
https://www.rt.com/news/332609-german-tornados-syria-russia/

Russian fighter jets permanently monitor Luftwaffe Tornados performing reconnaissance missions in Syrian airspace, Germany’s flying operations center commander told the media. Both sides act professionally and prevent incidents, he added.

Russian pilots take no aggressive actions towards their German colleagues, such as intercepting them or attempting to force them out of the operations area, Joachim Wundrak told Rheinische Post daily.

“Those encounters go on professionally, no incidents have been registered,” said the Luftwaffe Lieutenant General, who has just returned from anti-Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) coalition’s coordination center in Qatar.

Wundrak said that among Russian jets accompanying German Tornados are advanced 4G++ air superiority Su-35S fighter jets.

The general believes the Russians want to make it clear that “unlike the international [US-led] anti-IS coalition, they operate at the invitation of the legitimate Syrian government.”

He noted that the German Air Force has experience in interacting with Russian colleagues, since Germany regularly provides fighter jets for patrolling airspace of NATO member states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, countries that do not have interceptor jets to secure their own airspace.

Wundrak estimated the total air force countering IS in Syria and Iraq at about 100 military aircrafts, revealing that to avoid incidents, the American and Russian militaries have established a kind of a “red phone” to stay in contact at all times.



Merkel calls for ‘no-fly zone’ in Syria
https://www.rt.com/news/332571-merkel-syria-no-fly-zone/

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed the controversial idea of imposing a no-fly zone over northern Syria to alleviate the refugee crisis as the country plays along with Ankara’s demands for the creation of a “buffer area” along its border.

“In the current situation it would be helpful, if there could be such an area, where none of the parties are allowed to launch aerial attacks, that is to say, a kind of no-fly zone,” Merkel told the daily Stuttgarter Zeitung, when asked by the publication about opening up areas to host refugees.

Echoing a long-standing call from Turkey to establish a no-fly zone over parts of Syria Merkel stressed that while it is impossible to negotiate with terrorists from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), she said it would be helpful if the “anti-Assad coalition and the Assad-supporters ... come to an agreement.”

Berlin’s rhetoric, which has been aimed at appeasing Turkey for months, goes against NATO policy. The body turned down the no-fly zone proposal as late as last week.



NATO buildup in Black Sea violates Montreux Convention — Russian deputy
http://tass.ru/en/defense/855842

Russia’s former Black Sea Fleet commander Vladimir Komoyedov warned NATO on Wednesday that the 1936 Montreux Convention restricted the time of stay of foreign warships in the Black Sea.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier on Wednesday that NATO would continue adapting and building up its military capabilities in the Black Sea region, including its naval forces, intelligence means and possibilities for redeploying reinforcements.

"First of all, the Black Sea is a closed theatre. It is an internal sea, in fact, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea by straits," Komoyedov told TASS on Wednesday in response to Stoltenberg’s words.

"There are rules of use and there is the Montreux Declaration, which specifies the duration of stay [of foreign warships in the Black Sea]," Komoyedov said adding that the warships of non-Black Sea states could stay there no longer than 21 days.



U.S. denies reports that 1 of its drones crashed in Somalia
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/15/somalia-residents-say-us-drone-crashes-in-rebel-he/

Monday, February 15, 2016 - MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - The U.S. military denies reports from residents and rebels in southwestern Somalia that a suspected U.S. drone with six missiles crashed Monday in a rebel-held village in the Gedo region.

Spokesman for the U.S. Africa Command, Chuck Prichard, said all their “assets in this area are accounted for and we have no indication that any were involved in this reported incident.”

Al-Shabab, Somalia’s Islamic extremists, claimed on their radio station that their fighters have seized the crashed drone with the missiles. This has not been independently verified.

U.S. drones have killed several al-Shabab leaders in airstrikes in Somalia over the past year.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Terrorists in Syria get arms via Turkey border: Russia

http://217.218.67.231/Detail/2016/02/16/450678/Russia-Syria-Turkey-Konashenkov-Zakharova

Russia says terrorists active in Syria’s volatile northwestern region still receive arms smuggled through the Turkish border during night.

"Simultaneously, weapons, ammunition and manpower reinforcements are still being smuggled across the Turkish-Syrian border at nighttime to supply terrorists in Idlib and Aleppo," Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday.

As clashes escalate in Aleppo Province, foreign-backed militants are massively evacuating their families to areas near the Turkish border, the Russian official said, adding, "However, as the Turkish authorities have tightened the pass controls, chiefly injured militants are allowed to pass across the border unimpeded."

Turkey's military has been shelling Kurdish positions in northern Syria since February 13. Turkey’s raids came after the Kurdish fighters, backed by Russian airstrikes, drove the militants from areas near the Turkish border.

Russia's Defense Ministry accused Ankara of launching “massed” artillery strikes on positions held by Syrian government forces as well as those by patriotic opposition groups.

Turkey has been among the main supporters of the militant groups operating in Syria, with reports saying that Ankara actively trains and arms the Takfiri terrorists there and facilitates their safe passage into the crisis-hit Arab country.

Turkey has also been accused on numerous occasions of being involved in illegal oil trade with the Takfiri Daesh terrorists. Russia has released pictures and videos purportedly showing the movement of oil tankers from Daesh-controlled areas in Syria toward Turkey.

In another development on Tuesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said some Western countries had called on Moscow not to hit a 100-kilometer corridor on the Syria-Turkey frontier around the city of Azaz in order to keep terrorists' supply routes open.

"Obviously, this (the request) is aimed at ensuring continued daily supplies to ISIS (Daesh), al-Nusra Front and other terrorist groups with weapons, ammunition and food from Turkey via this area, and also to allow it to serve as a passageway for terrorists," she said.

Russia launched its own campaign against Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria last September upon a request from the Damascus government. The airstrikes have expedited the advances of Syrian forces against militants.

 

[Ca.]

The Real News
What Turkey & Saudi Arabia Aim to Gain with Possible Ground Invasion in Syria
February 15, 2016
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=15678
Col. Larry Wilkerson says Turkish and Saudi officials may be bluffing, but the prospect nevertheless is a calamity reminiscent of pre-World War I conditions -
Bio:

Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired United States Army soldier and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Wilkerson is an adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary where he teaches courses on US national security. He also instructs a senior seminar in the Honors Department at the George Washington University entitled "National Security Decision Making.

Transcript and Video

https://youtu.be/NUfd-ebZKYk

Pravda
Will there be war with Russia in 2016?
16.02.2016
http://www.pravdareport.com/world/americas/16-02-2016/133347-war_with_russia-0/#sthash.j8gZca6U.dpuf

During the last two years, the geopolitical situation between two major powers of the world has aggravated even more. The current state of affairs in the US-Russia relations looks very much like a cold war. Many countries of the West imposed sanctions against Russia. The relations between Russia and Ukraine have been smashed to pieces.

As for the United States, one may already talk about another arms race between our countries. Russia and the USA compete in their military power, while officials of the two states release highly unfriendly statements. Ukraine does not even think to stop destroying its own eastern territory.

The worst thing is that the two possible scenarios for the current situation to develop further seem almost unreal, but they can not go up in smoke unless there are no changes for the better.

Scenario No. 1. The war between Ukraine and Russia. If Ukraine already says publicly that it has fallen a victim of Russia's aggression, Russia is wise enough not to get involved in this cross-talk. Russia tries not to respond to a lion's share of anti-Russian statements. Nevertheless, if the war becomes inevitable, it will be a war between Russia and NATO, rather than a war between Russia and Ukraine.

Scenario No. 2: War between Russia and the United States. The course of events in this scenario is even more serious than in the previous one, since the two powers are equally capable of wiping the human civilization off the face of Earth. Both Russia and the USA are nuclear powers. Even if nuclear weapons are not used, the military potential of both Russia and America are powerful enough to achieve the complete destruction of the enemy.

In other words, the winner in this war takes nothing, because there will be no winner per se, god2016.su website says. The Americans are working on powerful and instant strikes on infrastructure objects in Russia, but they do not forget about the missile defense system to repel enemy attacks either. The Russian nuclear triad can put an end to all nefarious intentions of the United States, and this is a fact, especially because we have our own missile defense system. All of this could be a specially designed system of rumors on the eve of elections. The United States has publicly acknowledged that Russia is a threat to its security.

All the information about the scale of Russia's military might is highly classified, and even Russian citizens know nothing about it. Yet, one can be sure that there is hardly a country in the world that would indeed decide to attack Russia to put its military power to the test. It goes without saying that Russia and the USA possess most modern defense technologies, but there is a difference between the two countries. The Americans continuously attack weaker countries, whereas Russia has never committed an act like that. No one can give a real assessment to missile defense systems of both Russia and the USA, but it is obvious that it is equally unprofitable for Russians and Americans to launch a global fight.

The US has only one method of how to hurt Russia even harder. The Americans can impose another package of sanctions on our country. Yet, all their sanctions damage the US economy as well, let alone the fact that Russia responds accordingly to all of such hostile moves that the EU and the USA take. All three major forces in the world (the EU, Russia and the US) have reasonable people in their administrations, and those people will not go to war. Therefore, forecasts are far from being optimistic, but they do not include radical measures.

Interestingly, most prominent clairvoyants (Pavel Globa, Baba Vanga) predict that Russia will become the world's most powerful nation in the next period of history. Russia will be able to revive the patriotic spirit and stabilize the economy. Clairvoyants believe that the conflict in Ukraine will be exhausted in 2016, and the south-east of the country will become a part of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the power of the United States will begin to crumble, and Russia will be on the same pedestal with the United States.

We have not forgotten the aftermath of two world wars and enormous losses that they entailed to start another major confrontation. Russian arms are so powerful that only a suicider or someone very silly may try to attack the country.

Pravda.Ru
Published on Feb 16, 2016

https://youtu.be/fCTWMLAbtyI

A conflict of interest among the Islamic states, which pursue their own interests in the Syrian war can erupt into a global confrontation, Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov stated and warned participants of the operation in Syria against ''sorting out ones' relationships''.

''Events on Syria develop at a furious pace. Some countries claimed about their intention to put boots on the ground and simultaneously start an air attack. Under use of air forces and subunits of some countries at a single military beachhead, there is a strong probability of accidental incidents, which are capable of provoking major conflicts and even military clashes,'' the politician wrote on his Instagram.

Satisfaction of one's own political ambitions may annihilate all the efforts on terrorism eradication in the region, Ramzan Kadyrov believes.
''Authors of wars and revolutions in the Middle East do not have plans to totally eliminate the ISIL and strengthen Bashar al-Assad's power…'' he believes.

In addition to that Kadyrov pointed out that the West and the US particularly should reconcile themselves to the fact that these are not them who still set the pace of this opposition and its settlement

 

[goyacobol]

The Real News
What Turkey & Saudi Arabia Aim to Gain with Possible Ground Invasion in Syria
February 15, 2016
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=15678
Col. Larry Wilkerson says Turkish and Saudi officials may be bluffing, but the prospect nevertheless is a calamity reminiscent of pre-World War I conditions -
Bio:

Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired United States Army soldier and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Wilkerson is an adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary where he teaches courses on US national security. He also instructs a senior seminar in the Honors Department at the George Washington University entitled "National Security Decision Making.

Transcript and Video

https://youtu.be/NUfd-ebZKYk

[....]

c.a.,

Larry Wilkerson is really to the point I think and appears to know the players and their intentions very well.

Thanks,

And by the way for someone living in France (?) you amaze me with your grasp of the US/Russian conflicts.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Regional cooperation to root out terrorism: Dehqan

http://217.218.67.231/Detail/2016/02/17/450751/Iran-Russia-Shoigu-Dehqan-Putin

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan, in a meeting with the Russian president, has called for further promotion of cooperation among regional countries to eradicate terrorism.

Dehqan made the marks in a Tuesday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where the two officials discussed bilateral issues as well as regional and international developments.

The Iranian defense chief described as “very good and constructive” the defense and security cooperation between Iran and Russia, saying Tehran and Moscow enjoy “strategic and long-term relations.”

Stating that the two countries’ presidents are determined to expand all-out ties, Dehqan said “such cooperation can offer a proper model for regional cooperation.”

President Putin, for his part, expressed satisfaction with defense and security cooperation between Iran and Russia, which he said is in line with the two mutual interests of the countries, and called for the promotion of such ties within the framework of implemented agreements.

The Russian president highlighted strategic relations between Tehran and Moscow in containing regional crises and said the two countries play an important role in the establishment of sustainable security in the region.

Dehqan also held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday, to exchange views on bilateral issues as well as the latest developments in the region.

During the meeting, Shoigu said Iran and Russia are facing common challenges in the region and urged further cooperation between the two countries to confront such threats, Russia's state news agency TASS.

“I am sure our meeting will help promote closer friendly ties between the Russian and Iranian armed forces,” Shoigu said.

The Russian defense minister pointed to a military agreement that was signed between Iran and Russia in 2015, saying it created a legal framework for closer cooperation between the two countries’ defense ministries for a long-term perspective.

During Shoigu’s visit to Tehran in January 2015, the Iranian and Russian defense ministers signed an agreement to improve cooperation in defense and military arenas.

“We believe that the efficiency of Russia’s and Iran’s efforts against international terrorism will depend on the practical realization of bilateral cooperation projects. We want Russian-Iranian cooperation in this sphere [to] be long-term and comprehensive,” Shoigu told his Iranian counterpart.

The Russian defense minister further said that Moscow and Tehran are ready to coordinate their cooperation on a wide range of global and regional problems.

“The years-long relations between our countries are distinguished by the high level of confidence and readiness to coordinate approaches on a wide variety of global and regional issues,” he said.

Shoigu said that the November 2015 talks between Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Putin in Tehran gave a fresh impetus to cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the appropriate level of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in politics and security and said the Russian president has pursued a “very good and innovative” stance on different issues, particularly over the past 1.5 years.

Also on Tuesday, the Iranian defense minister held a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, during which the two officials discussed mutual relations and the latest regional and international developments.

They described enhanced Tehran-Moscow cooperation as important and urged decisive and all-out fight against Takfiri terrorist groups operating in the Middle East and Africa.

The Iranian defense minister arrived in Moscow on Monday at the head of a high-ranking delegation to hold talks with senior Russian officials.

Iran and Russia both support the Syrian government in its fight against Takfiri groups in the war-stricken country.

Russia, Iran to Sign Contract on Delivering Su-30SM Fighters in 2016

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160217/1034884410/russia-iran-su-30.html

Moscow and Tehran will sign o contract on the delivery of Su-30SM multirole fighters to Iran this year.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A contract for the delivery of Russian Su-30SM Flanker multirole fighters to Iran will be signed in 2016, a high-ranking official in the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said Wednesday.

“Iran has actually expressed its interest in the purchase of an order of Su-30SM fighters, but so far the parties are only discussing the issue in negotiations. The contract will be signed this year,” the official told RIA Novosti.

On Tuesday, Iranian Defense Minister Hosein Dehghan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and other officials in Moscow

Zarif: Iran willing to boost ties with EU

http://www.irna.ir/en/News/81967379/

Tehran, Feb 17, IRNA – Iran is willing to improve relations with the European states, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday evening.

He made the remarks in a meeting with President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz.

Zarif stressed on boost of parliamentary ties between Iran and Europe, adding that Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi will pay a visit to the region in near future.

Boroujerdi's upcoming visit to Brussels can prepare the ground for enhancement of parliamentary cooperation between Iran and EU, he noted.

Zarif underlined that both Iran and EU are keen to accelerate enhancement of relations after implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA).

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia – plus Germany finalized the text of an agreement dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the Austrian capital city of Vienna.

Based on the JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the lifting of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic.

Iranian officials, however, have already said that in case of a violation of the agreement by the P5+1 member, the Islamic Republic reserves the right to return to its peaceful nuclear activities to the scale that existed before the JCPOA.

 

[Ca.]

And by the way for someone living in France (?) you amaze me with your grasp of the US/Russian conflicts.

Well .................. i am learning more about the reality of this ongoing conflict. Thanks to Ocean's start of this thread and with the continued education of other forum member's "contributions".

And a big boost from http://www.sott.net/ and the many benefaction's or gifts of those writers whom have shared their savvy.

So.......On Word up Word :)

Civilian casualties in Syria & Russian ‘propaganda & imperial ambitions’: FM Spox grilled
Published on Feb 17, 2016
Russia's been heavily criticized for its campaign against Islamic State with western media headlines claiming it's causing a flood of refugees and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, speaks to RT's 'In The Now'
https://youtu.be/1_TBZFKo3pY


Ps Op's also SOTT Radio Network :D
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sottradionetwork

 

[Ca.]

. إحاطة رئيس هيئة الأركان العامة للقوات المسلحة الروسية على أساس عمليات المجموعة الجوية الروسية في س
Брифинг начальника ГШ ВС РФ по итогам действий российской авиагруппы в Сири
Briefing the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces on the basis of actions of the Russian air group in Syria
Published on Feb 17, 2016
In Russian with Multi-wheel translation available

https://youtu.be/aH88Pn1Z6D8


Russian Defense Ministry denies reports on dispatching S-300 systems to Iran Feb 18
Military & Defense
February 17, 20:04 UTC
http://tass.ru/en/defense/857464

Russian diplomat compares Saudi-backed Syria opposition to Al-Qaeda and bin Laden
Russian Politics & Diplomacy
February 17, 15:13 UTC+3
http://tass.ru/en/politics/857291

MOSCOW

The actions of the group of Syrian opposition formed in Riyadh and supported by several countries from International Syria Support Group led to the disruption of negotiations in Geneva, Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson Maria Zakharova told RT TV channel 91

"Our colleagues, many countries - including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and others - were responsible for the so-called ‘Riyadh group’ of opposition. Remember how much effort it took to make them come. Not to start dialogue, just to come. This is largely the same opposition that is supported by these countries, and they are not even able to influence them. Remember how talks ended. The ended when the ‘Riyadh group’ refused to continue and left," Zakharova said.

She noted that "whims of the ‘Riyadh group’ are dangerous and can lead to serious consequences."

"We remember a very similar picture with Al-Qaeda and bin Laden, for example… He was created by the United States, it was their project. They talked about him saying he was a representative of the Taliban that was fighting for the future of his country. This ‘fighter for the future of his country’ then sent planes to New York to kill American citizens," the diplomat added.

 

[angelburst29]

Russian and U.S. military to discuss Syria ceasefire on Feb. 19
http://rbth.com/news/2016/02/17/russian-and-us-military-to-discuss-syria-ceasefire-on-feb-19_568519

The target group of the cessation of hostilities in Syria will have its first meeting this coming Friday, Feb. 19, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told Interfax.

"As to the work of the target group on the cessation of hostilities, its meeting is scheduled for Friday. We mean that military representatives of Russia and the U.S. and some other key countries included in the International Syria Support Group will participate in it," he said.

The date of a second round of the intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva, February 25, has not been adjusted so far, he said.

"[Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Syria] Staffan de Mistura has scheduled the next round for February 25, and he has not made any adjustments to that date as of yet," Gatilov told.



MUSH Brains! White House misses deadline to deliver Islamic State strategy to Capitol Hill
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/white-house-misses-deadline-to-deliver-islamic-state-strategy-to-capitol-hill/article/2583382

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said Tuesday that the administration is essentially sending troops into the "wilderness with a compass, but no map" after it failed to deliver a strategy to defeat the Islamic State by Monday's deadline.

The fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act required the administration to provide a strategy to counter violent extremism by Monday, a deadline it missed.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said the failure to come through is unsurprising, despite the administration's repeated assurances that its strategy is "well underway."

"The committee is working now to shape the FY17 National Defense Authorization Act and the Pentagon has already begun requesting authorities our troops need to defeat this enemy. Without a strategy, this amounts to leaving our troops in the wilderness with a compass, but no map,"
Thornberry said in a statement.

"Failing to comply with the report deadline represents more than a failure of strategic vision for the White House. It is a lost opportunity for the administration and Congress to work together on a common approach to face this threat," he continued.



Syria Invasion: Obama Is About to Make the Biggest Decision of His Presidency
https://consortiumnews.com/2016/02/15/obamas-most-momentous-decision/

Exclusive: President Obama must decide if he will let the Syrian civil war come to an end with Russian-backed President Assad still in power or if he will escalate by supporting a Turkish-Saudi invasion, which could push the world to the brink of nuclear war, writes Joe Lauria.

With the Russian-backed Syrian army encircling Aleppo, cutting off Turkish supplies to rebels and advancing on the Islamic State’s capital of Raqqa, a panicked Saudi Arabia and Turkey have set up a joint headquarters to direct an invasion of Syria that could lead to a vast escalation of the war. And there’s only one man who could stop them: President Barack Obama.

It is probably the most important decision Obama will make in his eight years in office since a Turkish-Saudi invasion risks a direct showdown between Russia and NATO, since Turkey is a member of the alliance.

The U.S. traditionally has held tremendous power over client states like Turkey and Saudi Arabia. So, an order from Washington is usually enough to get such governments to back down. But Ankara and Riyadh are being led by reckless men whose continued existence in power might well depend on stopping a Syrian government victory – helped by Russia, Iran and the Kurds – and a humiliating defeat of the Turkish-Saudi-backed Syrian rebels, who include some radical jihadist groups.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prince Mohammad bin Salman have shown increasing defiance of Washington. Neither man is the legal ruler of his respective country. But both have seized power nonetheless.

The U.S. traditionally has held tremendous power over client states like Turkey and Saudi Arabia. So, an order from Washington is usually enough to get such governments to back down. But Ankara and Riyadh are being led by reckless men whose continued existence in power might well depend on stopping a Syrian government victory – helped by Russia, Iran and the Kurds – and a humiliating defeat of the Turkish-Saudi-backed Syrian rebels, who include some radical jihadist groups.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prince Mohammad bin Salman have shown increasing defiance of Washington. Neither man is the legal ruler of his respective country. But both have seized power nonetheless. (Article continues...)



Russian helicopter chartered by UN comes under attack in Afghanistan
http://rbth.com/news/2016/02/17/russian-helicopter-chartered-by-un-comes-under-attack-in-afghanistan_568463

A Russian helicopter came under attack while landing at the airport in the city of Kunduz in Afghanistan, and suffered damage, an informed source has told Interfax.

The helicopter UTair was chartered by the UN mission, the source said.

"Unknown men opened small arms fire on the Mil Mi-8 when it was trying to land at the airport in the city of Kunduz. The helicopter was carrying four crewmembers and passengers. The pilots managed to leave the gunfire zone, yet the post-flight examination showed that the helicopter had holes in the external tank, fuselage and tail," the source said.

None of the people onboard were injured, he said.



Top Secret U.S. Nuke War Plans Thwarted
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/17/top-secret-u-s-nuke-war-plans-thwarted.html

They’re the ultimate weapons of war. And they’re being directed by Cold War-era guidance systems—throwing off the Pentagon’s top-secret doomsday plans.

It was Sept. 19, 2005, and the last MX Peacekeeper ballistic missile was being hoisted out of its underground vault in southeast Wyoming. Two hundred forty-two days into President George W. Bush’s second term, one of the most formidable nuclear weapons in the nation's history was trucked off into retirement, following nearly two decades on 24/7 alert.

At the time, a smattering of news headlines noted the quiet milestone. But what few people realized then—or even in the decade since—
is that the Peacekeeper’s exit from the arsenal also marked the disappearance of what the White House regards as an essential facet of U.S. nuclear deterrence: a constant ability to hold virtually all key Russian political and military targets at risk. Should that worst-case scenario play out, Washington also wants to retain enough residual weapons to deter any opportunistic attack by Beijing.

Even before the 10-warhead mega-missile retired, plans were hatched for the Air Force to retrofit MX-like accuracy into remaining land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, called ICBMs.

But that never happened. Somewhat amazingly, nearly nobody’s noticed. (Article continues.)

 

[sitting]

The Real News
What Turkey & Saudi Arabia Aim to Gain with Possible Ground Invasion in Syria

If it came down to Saudi Arabia vs the Russians, the idea is laughable. Really.
If Turkey were to join in -- the adventure would still be kind of nonsensical.

The Russians have made a clear demonstration (warning really,) for all to see. Cruise missiles (thus far of the non-nuclear variety) from long range strategic bombers ... from ships in the Caspian ... from a submarine in the Mediterranean. (Not to mention ICBM's if they really really had to.) That formidable display had someone other than ISIS in mind.

So why this talk?

I go back to Joe's initial observation of the Russian plane shoot down. It's entirely possible that Erdogan found out after the fact. The initial reaction (most telling) had Turkey running to NATO for cover. In a sort of panic.

Someone is setting Turkey up -- for a carving, in my opinion. Maybe the Saudis too. And I have a suspect in mind. It is good to go a bit beyond what you read. The media can both inform as well as mislead (either out of ignorance, or out of malice.)

This is pure speculation on my part. And I could be very wrong.

FWIW.

 

[angelburst29]

Syria's president announces amnesty for army deserters
http://tass.ru/en/world/857390

The law would apply to the military deserters outside and inside Syria who violated the country’s military law before February 17, 2016.

BEIRUT, February 17. /TASS/. Syria's President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree announcing an amnesty for those who deserted the army before February 17, 2016, the national SANA news agency said on Wednesday.

The decree, announced by the news agency, said that the law would apply to the military deserters outside and inside Syria who violated the country’s military law before February 17, 2016 and would not apply to those who are under investigation or fled from arrest.

The presidential decree has come into force after publication.



Russia dismisses proposal for creating no-fly zone in Syria
http://217.218.67.231/Detail/2016/02/17/450844/Syria-Russia-Germany-nofly-zone-Merkel/

A senior Russian diplomat rejected Wednesday a proposal by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the establishment of a no-fly zone over Syria.

According to Russian media reports, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said any no-fly zone should be first approved by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and endorsed by the UN Security Council.



Syria: At the Gateway of A Greater War
http://www.globalresearch.ca/syria-at-the-gateway-of-a-greater-war/5508349

Syrian forces backed by Russian airpower have made major advances across the battlefield along multiple fronts.

Around Aleppo, Syrian forces have cut supply lines from Turkey that were for years, supplying terrorists operating inside the country. Just east of a growing encirclement of the city of Aleppo, a secondary encirclement of so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) forces is forming as the offensive to relieve Kuweris Airbase has evolved into a northern advance toward Al Bab – a critical logistical hub used by US-NATO-GCC backed terrorists during the initial invasion of Aleppo in 2012 and onward.

Deeper within the interior of Syria, Syrian forces have advanced eastward into the Al Raqqa Governorate, approaching the Tabaqa Airbase. The airbase is a crucial waypoint toward seizing back the city of Al Raqqa itself, which has become the defacto capital of ISIS.

Advances Against ISIS in East Only Possible After Cutting NATO-Fed Supply Lines in North

This second operation aimed at ISIS in Al Raqqah has only been made possible because of successes amid the first operation around Aleppo and along the Turkish-Syrian border. It is now demonstrably clear that the source of ISIS’ fighting capacity originated almost exclusively from NATO-member Turkey’s territory and more specifically, from between the Afrin-Jarabulus corridor.

So far, NATO has been unable to account for this obvious fact, or explain why it has been unable to secure the Turkish border from the Turkish side, particularly when nations including the United States and United Kingdom have for years been conducting military and intelligence operations precisely in the same locations ISIS supplies have been crossing over into Syria from.

As Syrian and Kurdish forces backed by Russian airpower close one logistical corridor after another along the border, the fighting capacity of ISIS has withered to the verge of collapsing.

As ISIS Folds US-NATO-GCC Mount Rescue

For several days now, Turkey has been firing across the border at the pivotal Syrian city of Azaz. The city is on the verge of being overrun by Kurdish fighters who will for all intents and purposes shut down one of ISIS’ last remaining logistical hubs supplying their fighters in Syria from Turkey.

Turkey has vowed not to allow the city to fall and has implied that it is willing to go as far as invade Syria to ensure that it doesn’t.

While Turkey poses as an enemy of ISIS and has not mentioned its presence in the city of Azaz or why it would attempt to protect them, it would be in 2013 that the BBC itself would declare Azaz “seized” by the terrorist group. In their article, “Isis seizure of Syria’s Azaz exposes rebel rifts,” the BBC would report:

…the Free Syrian Army lost the town of Azaz to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Isis, the most hardline group linked to al-Qaeda on the rebel side. As a measure of the grip the jihadis have in Azaz, one eyewitness inside the town said no-one was smoking on the streets – tobacco is forbidden according to strict Islamist doctrine.

Other reports from last year indicated that ISIS was either near or in the city – suggesting not that it had ever lost control of Azaz – but that at various moments during the conflict, it suited the West and its regional allies better to pretend “moderate rebels” held it instead.

It should be noted that in all Western media stories, it is never precisely mentioned who the Kurds are fighting in Azaz – because it is ISIS.

[...] What will ultimately determine whether this remains mere “saber-rattling” or transforms incrementally into wider war, will be the actual deterrence Syria and its allies, including nuclear-armed Russia, are prepared to meet continued provocations with.

The next few days pose a critical test to Syria and its allies – a test that may determine whether or not this conflict passes through the gateway toward greater war.



NATO airplanes are dropping military waste in the Adriatic Sea
http://southfront.org/nato-airplanes-are-dropping-military-waste-in-the-adriatic-sea/

This article originally appeared at Novosti.rs translated by Stevo Marjanović exclusively for SouthFront.

Recent discovery that NATO airplanes are dropping bombs and rockets in the Adriatic Sea, not only in the special zones, but also near the coast has disturbed everyone in the region.

As it was reported by “Jutarnji list”, this will result in creation of high concentration of toxic chemicals, and because bombs are affected by the sea currents, this is a moveable arsenal of death.

Italian journalist Gianni Lannes claims that NATO and the Italian government are lying when they claim that bombs and missiles not used during military missions are dropped in six pre-determined zones. Lannes says that in reality, there are 24 such zones which lie not only in international waters but also within Croatian and Italian state borders.

Zones for military waste spread from Trieste (northern Adriatic) to Santa Maria di Leuca (town near Strait of Otranto).

“There is a large arsenal of bombs from Second World War and bombs used by NATO during the bombing of Serbia in 1999 just 50 miles from Istrian shores. The concentration of mustard gas, phosphorus and other poisonous chemicals is frightening, and bombs are susceptible to sea currents, this is mobile arsenal of death.”

“Recently there has been a large number of turtle and dolphin deaths near Italian shores. The Italian state agency Icram – which has been monitoring the phenomenon says that many of the carcasses found contain burns and deep wounds.”, said Lannes.

Lannes will soon publish a book in which, as he says, reveals terrifying details about a large number of tumors in infants.

 

[goyacobol]

Vital humanitarian aid flows into besieged Syrian towns – UN, ICRC

Humanitarian relief convoys have entered crisis-stricken Damascus suburbs under the supervision of the Red Crescent and the UN, becoming the first international aid deliveries since world powers agreed on a ceasefire plan starting Friday.

A 35-lorry convoy carrying food and medicine entered Muadamiyat al-Sham, a town 10 kilometers southwest of Damascus, on Wednesday. According to the NGO and an RT Arabic crew on the ground, the lorries are loaded with produce, medical supplies and milk. From Damascus some 100 trucks left to other parts of Syria carrying food, non-food items, medical equipment and medicine.

https://youtu.be/W43TvObuPK0

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo said that supplies were also sent to Madaya and Zabadani. Ahmad al-Najem, coordinator of field operations at Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) told the state-run Syrian news agency SANA that 59 trucks loaded with 15,600 flour bags and about 4,100 food rations in addition to medicines are on their way there. Muhannad al-Asadi of SARC also told the Syrian agency that that a mobile clinic entered Madaya on Wednesday.

https://youtu.be/992NmwrLCp4

Another mobile clinic will also be sent to al Fu’ah and Kafarya, in northwestern Idlib province to treat the critically wounded, the RT team reports on the ground. Al-Najem confirmed to SANA that a convoy of humanitarian aid including 18 trucks containing various food aid and 8,000 flour bags in addition to a medical team headed there.

Syria aid trucks enter one of five besieged areas to deliver relief

The population of these two towns is estimated by humanitarian organizations to be up to 20,000 people. The area is under siege of Jaish al-Fatah (the Army of Conquest) – a coalition of Islamist militant groups loosely affiliated with Al-Qaeda, according to SANA.

The UN has confirmed that the aid arrived to five towns in Syria to cater for the needs of thousands suffering from the years of armed conflict.

“The convoys contained life-saving aid including food, medical supplies and equipment, vaccines, water and sanitation items for almost 100,000 people in need of aid,” Yacoub el-Hillo said in a press release.

This is hopefully the beginning of the end of Syrian civilians’ suffering,” he added, saying that the next step for the UN is to hold discussions in Geneva on Thursday that will be co-chaired by UN envoy Staffan de Mistura who has recently returned from Syria and confirmed the flow of international aid by telephone to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Read more
© Omar Sanadiki Humanitarian aid to besieged areas is duty, not some ‘credibility test’ – Damascus

“Humanitarian delivery is not only important, it is essential,” de Mistura stressed. “There are now more than 400,000 people living in areas besieged by the government, by the opposition and by Daesh.”

The purpose of the Geneva meeting, the UN announced is to “further take stock of the status of humanitarian access to besieged areas with an initial focus on the locations referred to in the statement of the International Syria Support Group last week.”

On his visit to Syria, Mistura stressed that aid deliveries would serve as a “test” of the government’s commitment to allowing relief to besieged areas ahead of Friday’s planned truce that was agreed in Munich last week.

“It is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid,” he said in Damascus on Tuesday.

Mistura’s comment sparked criticism from Damascus which rejected the idea of testing or somehow linking its fundamental humanitarian duty to any peace talks.

https://youtu.be/VPnZQ3D_Pm4

Meanwhile the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the air force is working with a UN mission to “provide airdrops of emergency food supplies and life-saving items to the besieged areas,” as part of the Munich agreement. The final details on daily air drops are being finalized with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

The relief described above for many is a welcome gesture but my old programs give me pause.

King James Bible
Daniel 8:25
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

Sorry for going biblical, and I hope this verse doesn't apply. I just don't trust the timing of the relief aid while Russia and Syria are closing in on the terrorists. FWIW