The Russian's are exposing and calling out the Pentagon on it's military tactics! Serious business!
The timing of this exposure is interesting, considering Henry Kissenger just visited the White House and Trump for a second time in six months?
https://patch.com/us/white-house/president-trump-henry-kissinger-meet-oval-office-again
The Russian Defense Ministry has raised the issue of some 300 Daesh terrorists on pickup trucks infiltrating through a US-controlled zone in Syria's al-Tanf.
Moscow Wants Washington to Explain Why Militants Operate Near US Forces in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710111058123975-russia-us-forces-syria-militants/
The Russian Defense Ministry has urged "the US side to explain its selective blindness regarding militants" operating near US forces in Syria.
The ministry's spokesman said
the 300 Daesh militants had tried to block a strategically important road linking Damascus and Deir ez-Zor, used for delivering humanitarian aid for civilians and supplies for the Syrian Army.
Aid for Militants: US to Be Responsible for Peace Process Sabotage in Syria
Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that
truce in the southern de-escalation zone in Syria could be undermined after the relocation of 600 militants and two convoys with medical aid into the area.
"Considering such significant reinforcement in terms of manpower, medicines and food, at the US' tacit approval, one does not have to be an expert to forecast an attempt to derail the truce in the southern de-escalation zone", he said.
According to the spokesman,
on October 2-3 a group of 600 militants, previously based in the Rukban refugee camp, located in the American-controlled al-Tanf zone, headed westward in SUVs, and after covering some 300 kilometers entered the southern zone of de-escalation through a former border control point at the Syria-Jordan border in Daraa.
By another 'strange' coincidence, almost simultaneously with them, two convoys [30 and 60 tons respectively] with medicines and products for the local population entered this de-escalation zone… All humanitarian aid that arrived and, above all, medicines, was unloaded and is under control of the militants who came from al-Tanf. At the same time, according to available information, these settlements are under the control of al-Nusra Front 'sleeper cells'," he said.
Konashenkov said that meant that
600 militants who arrived from the US-controlled zone in al-Tanf were either to fight these 'cells' for medicines and food, or act jointly with them.
The spokesman underscored the US would solely bear all the responsibility for sabotaging the peace process in Syria.
US Actions in Syria Look Like an Attempt to Split the Country
In his turn, Director of the North America Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry Georgiy Borisenko told Sputnik that US actions near the al-Tanf base in Syria are reminiscent of an attempt to divide the war-torn state:
"Of course, we have a lot of questions about what the Americans are doing in Syria. Unlike the Russian forces, they are there in violation of international law," Borisenko said in an exclusive interview.
They even establish certain zones, for example, in the al-Tanf area, where they refuse to allow the forces of the legitimate government. In fact, this is reminiscent of an attempt to divide the country, split Syria in order to create governing bodies controlled by the United States and its allies in certain part [of Syria]," the Russian diplomat stressed.
He recalled that the Russian Defense Ministry, "on the basis of available objective data, draws attention to the fact that in fact,
the Americans and the opposition units oriented toward them are actually not fighting Daesh militants.
"We are surprised about it. We will further monitor the situation, but we proceed from the assumption that any flirtation with terrorists is always dangerous and will turn against those who play such games," Borisenko pointed out. DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Washington uses alleged N. Korean missile threat as a pretext for deploying THAAD systems close to the borders of Russia and China.
US THAAD Missile Defense Systems in S Korea Target Russia, China - Moscow
https://sputniknews.com/world/201710111058123733-us-thaad-russia/
The US THAAD missile defense systems in South Korea target Russia and China, Georgiy Borisenko, Director of the North America Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an exclusive interview with Sputnik.
According to Borisenko,
Washington is merely using the alleged N. Korean missile threat as a pretext for deploying THAAD systems close to the borders of Russia and China.
"But the fact is that these systems are absolutely incapable of preventing North Korea from retaliating in the event of aggression against it. The border on the Korean Peninsula passes so that Seoul is in the range of the long-range artillery of the neighboring state. THAAD systems are not capable of intercepting artillery shells. Therefore, they are simply not needed against N. Korea," the Russian diplomat said.
"So, we and our partners in China are well aware that THAAD is directed against Russia and China," Borisenko stressed.
Moscow and Beijing oppose THAAD's deployment, saying it could further deteriorate the nuclear crisis and provoke North Korean aggression. Russia, alongside China, also criticized the increase in South Korea's joint military activities with Washington as a danger to the peace and stability of the region.
Moscow has called on Washington to immediately reduce the intensity of rhetoric on Korean crisis, Georgiy Borisenko, Director of the North America Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Wednesday.
Approach of US Navy to Korean Peninsula Opens Room for Provocations - Moscow
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201710111058123405-uss-reagan-korea-provocation-russia/
The comments come as the American warships, led by the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, head toward the North Korean coast.
"The situation is very dangerous, it worries us very much, especially because we have borders with North Korea," Georgiy Borisenko told Sputnik.
"We have repeatedly said this to the Americans, urging them to solve this problem [the Korean crisis] exclusively by political and diplomatic means. We believe that it is always possible to agree on a mutually beneficial basis to avoid catastrophic developments," the diplomat stressed.
He further noted that the US, in working contact with Russia, as well as in public rhetoric, does not rule out any options for resolving the situation around the Korean Peninsula.
"But on our part, it is constantly stressed that this is a very dangerous game, that it is necessary to immediately reduce the intensity of rhetoric, because even verbal accusations are exacerbating the situation, not to mention specific actions when naval armadas are being pulled up to the DPRK coasts," Borisenko stated.
Earlier in September, the US Navy announced that
the entire USS Ronald Reagan strike group, which is comprised of four destroyers and two submarines, is set to participate in military drills alongside South Korean ships in late October.
The Pentagon then claimed that the exercises had been planned far in advance and are not a response to current tensions with Pyongyang.
The US Navy has announced that the nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Ronald Reagan will be deployed to the Korean Peninsula to participate in joint exercises with the South Korean Navy as part of a continued American military buildup in the region as it faces off against North Korea.
USS Ronald Reagan Supercarrier to Conduct Exercises Off Korean Peninsula
https://sputniknews.com/military/201709271057726851-ronald-reagan-korean-peninsula-exercises/
The entire USS Ronald Reagan strike group, which includes four destroyers and two submarines, will be participating in exercises alongside South Korean ships in late October. The Pentagon claims that the exercises have been in the works for a long time, and are not a response to current tensions with Pyongyang.
On Friday, the 100,000-ton Reagan conducted drills with Japanese warships south of the Korean Peninsula as a response to the twin North Korean ballistic missile tests in August and September.
Then on Saturday, a pair of US B-1B Lancer strategic bombers flew within miles of the North Korean border. North Korea did not issue an official response to the mission, leading South Korean intelligence to claim that Pyongyang only found out about the bombers when the Pentagon told them.
Japanese outlet Chosun Ilbo reports that
the Pentagon is considering arguably their most severe military action yet: sending a carrier group over the Northern Limit Line, a disputed maritime demarcation in the Yellow Sea. This could allow an American fleet to sail up North Korea's west coast and potentially threaten Pyongyang itself.
The peninsula has settled into an uncomfortable, but predictable, rhythm. US bloc military exercises are met with North Korean missile and nuclear tests; North Korean tests are followed by more drills, with increasingly lethal hardware. But bit by bit, the war of words between Pyongyang and Washington has become more belligerent as the stand-off threatens to wear
into its sixth month.
US Air Force, South Korean Air Force and Japanese Air-Self Defense jets conducted a military training exercise over the Sea of Japan Tuesday night, according to a US military statement, to hone their "combat skills."
Supersonic US B-1B Bombers Fly Near Korean Peninsula in Drill
https://sputniknews.com/news/201710111058118754-supersonic-us-b-1b-bombers-fly-drills/
"This is a clear demonstration of our ability to conduct seamless operations with all of our allies anytime anywhere," US Air Force Maj. Patrick Applegate said in an October 10 statement issued by US Pacific Command.
Flying and training at night with our allies in a safe, effective manner is an important capability shared between the US, Japan, and the Republic of Korea," the major said, adding that the drill "hones the tactical prowess of each nations' aviators."
Taking off from South Dakota, the drill marked the first time B-1B Lancers carried out training drills with Japanese and South Korean counterparts simultaneously at night, USPACOM added. The strategic bombers were escorted by Japan's F-15s and South Korea's F-15Ks while flying around the Sea of Japan.
The warplanes rehearsed an air attack over the Korean Peninsula, to the Peninsula's east in the Sea of Japan, and to the Peninsula's west in the Yellow Sea, Yonhap report. This included firing air-to-ground missiles.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the US deployment of its missile launchers at a base in Romania violates the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
US Missile Defense Deployment in Romania Threatens Russia - Senior Diplomat
https://sputniknews.com/world/201710111058123585-inf-treaty-romania-missile-defense/
By deploying missiles in Romania, the US is violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and poses a threat to Russia's security,
Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's North America Department Georgiy Borisenko said in an interview with Sputnik.
Borisenko said the United States has accused Russia of similar violations for "about four years, but it has not shown any real evidence that we are violating something somewhere, only some pictures from Google Earth, which allegedly depict some launching systems on the ground. But everything is very blurry, and it's completely unclear why these systems are supposed to shoot at a distance that violates INF," Borisenko said.
"The Americans themselves have already deployed… at its missile defense base in Romania, and next year will also deploy in Poland, launchers… whose placement on the ground is prohibited by the INF Treaty. They can only be on ships. We consider what is happening as an INF Treaty violation, and regard it as a direct threat to ourselves," he said.
The INF Treaty, signed by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and his US counterpart Ronald Reagan in 1987, prohibits the development, deployment and testing of ground-launched ballistic or cruise missiles with ranges of between 300 and 3,400 miles. Moscow and Washington have repeatedly accused each other of violating the treaty.
The US withdrawal from last year's agreement with Iran to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons will prompt more instability in the region and globally, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry diplomat told Sputnik.
Russia Warns Against US Withdrawal From Iran Nuclear Deal
https://sputniknews.com/world/201710111058124722-us-iran-nuclear-deal/
A possible US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal will make the situation in the Middle East worse, a senior Russian diplomat told Sputnik, adding that Moscow does not understand the reasoning behind Washington's desire to exit the accord.
"I cannot say that Russia should condemn somebody or something here. We want our interests to be taken into account and therefore we respect the interests of other states. Another thing is that we do not understand why the United States is interested in a withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal," the Director of the North America Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry Georgiy Borisenko said.
According to Borisenko, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached in 2015 by Tehran and international mediators to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, reflected "the common understanding of how this situation could be settled."
"No optimal alternatives [to JCPOA] have been presented so far… Will anyone benefit from Iran having a nuclear program which is not only peaceful in nature?…
It will lead to the further deterioration of the situation in the Middle East and affect global stability," Borisenko added.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow is considering various options for responding to the seizure of Russian diplomatic property in California by the United States and has not ruled out that it will demand real parity in the number of US and Russian diplomats.
Russia May Demand Further Reduction of US Diplomatic Staff, Close Consulate Gen.
https://sputniknews.com/world/201710111058122886-russia-us-consulate-general-diplomatic-staff/
A senior Russian diplomat stated that Moscow may demand real parity in the number of US and Russian diplomats, which would entail a US diplomatic mission staff cut to 300 people or less.
"As for the response, we've said, including in public, that in diplomacy there is an inviolable principle of reciprocity, and Americans know this very well. If they behaved in this way, it means they agree that we can act in kind with their foreign institutions in Russia. With regards to specific measures, we will consider them, and if necessary, they will be applied," Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's North America Department Georgiy Borisenko said in an exclusive interview.
Moscow has not abandoned its intention to file a lawsuit with a the US court over the situation around the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco,
Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's North America Department Georgiy Borisenko said.
"No, we have not abandoned anything at all. In line with the instruction of the Russian president, we are working actively on this. There are US lawyers who are ready to interact with us. But this is a slow process. In any case, the statute of limitations here is quite solid, so there is no hurry. We work methodically, consistently, select materials in order to maximally substantiate our lawsuit.
When everything is ready, it will be filed," Borisenko said.
In early August, the United States introduced its newest package of anti-Russian sanctions; after that, Russia declared that the diplomatic presence of the United States in Russia would be reduced from 755 people to 455 to coincide with the number of consular personnel that Russia had in US.
On September 2, at the request of US authorities, the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco and trade missions in Washington and New York were closed. After that, the buildings were searched. Washington said that this step was in response to Moscow's decision to reduce the size of the US diplomatic staff in Russia. Russia called these actions an unfriendly step and pledged to sue the US authorities over the situation.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that the US searches of Russian diplomatic property were outrageous and violated international law.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that searches conducted by US security forces in Russia's diplomatic compounds in the country amount to an occupation.
Russia Claims US Raid of Its Diplomatic Premises Tantamount to 'Occupation'
https://sputniknews.com/world/201709081057218775-russian-diplomatic-compounds-searches/
The searches conducted by US security forces in Russia's diplomatic compounds in the country amount to an occupation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday.
We insist that any presence in these buildings and on this territory without the consent of the rightful owner is occupation. This term is relevant not only to major developments of a conflict nature, military actions, this term is quite applicable to what the United States has done, and we will insist on this, the United States has already been informed about it," Ryabkov said.
A multi-million dollar reward was announced for tips leading to the capture of two Hezbollah senior officials, as the US believes that the Lebanese movement is determined to develop attack capability inside the country.
US Offers Rewards for 2 Hezbollah Senior Military Commanders (In the interest of Israel, no doubt?)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710101058115323-usa-offers-rewards-hezbollah-military-commanders/
The United States will offer multi-million dollar rewards for information leading to the arrest of two senior Hezbollah military commanders, US Department of State Coordinator for Counterterrorism Nathan Sales told reporters on Tuesday.
"Today, I am announcing rewards for two senior Hezbollah leaders under the State Department's Rewards for Justice Program. First, the department is offering a reward of up to $7 million for information that leads to the location, arrest or conviction in any country of Talal Hammiyeh," Sales said. "We're also offering a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to location, arrest or conviction in any country of Fouad Shukr."
(For the first time in ~a decade, the State Dept is offering reward money for Hezbollah leaders. Here's the new Wanted Poster:)
National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen claimed that the Lebanese group Hezbollah was determined to give itself an option to attack inside the United States.
"We in the intelligence community do continue to see activity on behalf of Hezbollah here inside the homeland," Rasmussen said. "It's our assessment that Hezbollah is determined to give itself a potential homeland option as a critical component of its terrorism playbook."
Hezbollah is a Shia islamist movement based in Lebanon. Since 2012 Hezbollah militants are fighting on the side of the government armed forces in Syrian civil war. The movement is classified as a terrorist organization in the US, Israel, the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
