Iraq
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angelburst29
The Living Force
More than 50,000 Iraqi government fighters are on a standby to start a military operation to liberate Nineveh province north of Iraq which has been under Daesh jihadist group occupation for the past two years, Nineveh Deputy Governor, Hasan Allaf told Sputnik on Wednesday.
Over 50,000 Iraqi Gov't Fighters on Standby to Start Liberating Nineveh
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610131046278636-nineveh-liberation-iraq/
Iraq and Syria have been plagued by Daesh since 2014. The terrorist group has seized large territories in both countries and declared the city of Mosul in Iraq as the capital of the Daesh caliphate. The terror group is outlawed in many countries around the world, including Russia and the United States.
"More than 50,000 fighters from various regular factions that include the police, the army, the joint forces in addition to the Golden Division [the Special Republican Guard] have united to liberate Nineveh province from the Islamic State's [Daesh] occupation" Allaf said.
He added that the General Command of the Armed forces has decided not to engage irregular forces from the tribesmen and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the battle to free Nineveh.
The deputy governor noted that all preparations to begin the military operation have been concluded and the fighters are waiting for midnight to launch their offense.
Paris Confirms Blast of Daesh-Linked Drone Injured Two Commandos in Iraq
https://sputniknews.com/military/201610121046263611-french-commandos-daesh-drone/
Two French commandos were injured in Iraq while investigating a drone allegedly sent in by a Daesh affiliate that turned out to be booby-trapped, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.
"Yes, this was indicated…the drone was stationary and exploded. Two were injured," Stephane Le Foll confirmed at a press briefing, as quoted by the French news magazine, Geotribune.
Local media reported late Tuesday that two French service members of Task Force Hydra were injured and two Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were killed by the exploding drone.
France has special operations forces working with Iraq’s Kurdish militias in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, as they prepare for an offensive against the northern Daesh stronghold of Mosul.
Yemen's Saleh Urges Russia to Resolve Yemeni War Via UN Security Council
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610121046273214-yemen-crisis-unsc-solution/
Russia has enough weight to resolve Yemen's civil war via internal dialogue instead of aggression from the outside, Saleh, who is currently allied to the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthi rebels, said during a meeting with Russia's Charge d'Affaires in Yemen Andrey Chernovol.
"I call on Russia as a superpower and a major player in the world, through all its vast network of relationships and influence that Russia possesses in the world, to cooperate with all peace seeking nations to issue a definitive and binding resolution in the UNSC to stop the aggression and lift the sanctions imposed on the Yemeni people by sea, air and land," Saleh said, as quoted by the Yemeni General People's Congress party Motamar.net website.
Over 50,000 Iraqi Gov't Fighters on Standby to Start Liberating Nineveh
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610131046278636-nineveh-liberation-iraq/
Iraq and Syria have been plagued by Daesh since 2014. The terrorist group has seized large territories in both countries and declared the city of Mosul in Iraq as the capital of the Daesh caliphate. The terror group is outlawed in many countries around the world, including Russia and the United States.
"More than 50,000 fighters from various regular factions that include the police, the army, the joint forces in addition to the Golden Division [the Special Republican Guard] have united to liberate Nineveh province from the Islamic State's [Daesh] occupation" Allaf said.
He added that the General Command of the Armed forces has decided not to engage irregular forces from the tribesmen and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the battle to free Nineveh.
The deputy governor noted that all preparations to begin the military operation have been concluded and the fighters are waiting for midnight to launch their offense.
Paris Confirms Blast of Daesh-Linked Drone Injured Two Commandos in Iraq
https://sputniknews.com/military/201610121046263611-french-commandos-daesh-drone/
Two French commandos were injured in Iraq while investigating a drone allegedly sent in by a Daesh affiliate that turned out to be booby-trapped, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.
"Yes, this was indicated…the drone was stationary and exploded. Two were injured," Stephane Le Foll confirmed at a press briefing, as quoted by the French news magazine, Geotribune.
Local media reported late Tuesday that two French service members of Task Force Hydra were injured and two Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were killed by the exploding drone.
France has special operations forces working with Iraq’s Kurdish militias in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, as they prepare for an offensive against the northern Daesh stronghold of Mosul.
Yemen's Saleh Urges Russia to Resolve Yemeni War Via UN Security Council
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610121046273214-yemen-crisis-unsc-solution/
Russia has enough weight to resolve Yemen's civil war via internal dialogue instead of aggression from the outside, Saleh, who is currently allied to the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthi rebels, said during a meeting with Russia's Charge d'Affaires in Yemen Andrey Chernovol.
"I call on Russia as a superpower and a major player in the world, through all its vast network of relationships and influence that Russia possesses in the world, to cooperate with all peace seeking nations to issue a definitive and binding resolution in the UNSC to stop the aggression and lift the sanctions imposed on the Yemeni people by sea, air and land," Saleh said, as quoted by the Yemeni General People's Congress party Motamar.net website.
angelburst29
The Living Force
A member of ISIL reportedly beheaded his own father in Mosul for insulting the terrorist group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
ISIL Militant Executes Own Father in Mosul for Insulting Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950722000573
A source from Mosul told al-Sumaria News that the insurgent claimed his father had called Baghdadi a “dog” and disrespected the group's ideology, BAS News reported.
According to the unidentified source, the execution took place on Wednesday, October 12, in public in the city center of Iraq’s second largest city that is under the control of the terrorists.
This is not the first act of parricide by the ISIL militants, earlier in January this year, a 20-year-old insurgent executed his own mother in the city of Raqqa, Syria.
According to local groups, the mother had asked her son to leave ISIL and escape with her, but her son reported the case to his commanders instead.
Official: ISIL Likely to Use Chemical Weapons in Battle for Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950722000580
Informed sources said that after seizing chemical weapons in Syria, ISIL militants moved a large deal of those weapons to Mosul, in Iraq’s Northwestern Nineveh province, ARA News reported.
“ISIL has brought several shipments of chemical weapons, particularly chlorine and mustard agents, to Mosul earlier this week,” the head of Nineveh media center Raafat al-Zarari said.
The move comes ahead of the Mosul operation, planned by Iraqi Army troops.
ISIL Militant Executes Own Father in Mosul for Insulting Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950722000573
A source from Mosul told al-Sumaria News that the insurgent claimed his father had called Baghdadi a “dog” and disrespected the group's ideology, BAS News reported.
According to the unidentified source, the execution took place on Wednesday, October 12, in public in the city center of Iraq’s second largest city that is under the control of the terrorists.
This is not the first act of parricide by the ISIL militants, earlier in January this year, a 20-year-old insurgent executed his own mother in the city of Raqqa, Syria.
According to local groups, the mother had asked her son to leave ISIL and escape with her, but her son reported the case to his commanders instead.
Official: ISIL Likely to Use Chemical Weapons in Battle for Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950722000580
Informed sources said that after seizing chemical weapons in Syria, ISIL militants moved a large deal of those weapons to Mosul, in Iraq’s Northwestern Nineveh province, ARA News reported.
“ISIL has brought several shipments of chemical weapons, particularly chlorine and mustard agents, to Mosul earlier this week,” the head of Nineveh media center Raafat al-Zarari said.
The move comes ahead of the Mosul operation, planned by Iraqi Army troops.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Iraqi media reported that at least 65,000 Iraqi soldiers in six divisions are preparing for the battle to retake the city of Mosul from the ISIL militants which has been under ISIL terror group occupation for the past two years.
Iraqi Media: At Least 65,000 Iraqi Troops Preparing to Retake Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950723000290
Some 10,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are also expected to join the battles in North and East of the city of over a million, plus around 24,000 provincial police and members of the country's National Mobilization Forces as support, Iraqi News reported.
The fight to retake the city from the estimated 3,000-5,000 ISIL fighters still holding and it is expected to start in weeks or days.
In the run-up to the battle, it is reported that the city is being ringed with bombs, with bridges booby-trapped and ISIL's suicide bombers prepared to deploy.
The new numbers came as Nineveh Deputy Governor had earlier said that more than 50,000 Iraqi government fighters are on standby to start the military operation to liberate Nineveh province North of Iraq.
"More than 50,000 fighters from various regular factions including the police, the army, the joint forces in addition to the Golden Division, also known as the Special Republican Guard have united to liberate Nineveh province from the ISIL occupation" Hasan Allaf said, Ria Novosti reported.
He added that the General Command of the Armed forces has decided not to engage irregular forces from the tribesmen and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the battle to free Nineveh. The deputy governor noted that all preparations to begin the military operation have been concluded and the fighters are waiting to launch their offensive.
Over 200 Soldiers Killed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 10 Days
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950723000686
This comes as the Taliban fight desperately to take the city in the country's South, Al Masdar reported.
The reports come from Abdul Majeed Akhonzada, deputy head of the provincial council, and lawmaker Sheer Muhammad Akhon.
Presstv also quoted sources that claimed over 100 security forces personnel were also wounded during the ongoing clashes with Taliban militants.
ISIL Crushes Alleged Mosul 'Coup Attempt' as Iraqi Forces Close in
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950723000707
ISIL executed 58 people suspected of taking part in the plot after it was uncovered last week, Middle East Eye reported.
Residents, who spoke from some of the few locations in the city that have phone service, said the plotters were killed by drowning and their bodies were buried in a mass grave in a wasteland on the outskirts of the city.
Among them was a local aide of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who led the plotters, according to matching accounts given by five residents, and confirmed by Hisham al-Hashimi, an expert on ISIL affairs who advises the government in Baghdad, and by colonel Ahmed al-Taie, from Mosul's Nineveh province command's military intelligence.
The name of the plot leader was not revealed to avoid increasing the safety risk for his family, nor the identities of those inside the city who spoke about the plot.
The aim of the plotters was to undermine ISIL's defence of Mosul in the upcoming fight, expected to be the biggest battle in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion.
According to Hashimi, the dissidents were arrested after one of them was caught with a message on his phone mentioning a transfer of weapons. He confessed during interrogation that weapons were being hidden in three locations, to be used in a rebellion to support the Iraqi army when it closes in on Mosul.
ISIL raided the three houses used to hide the weapons on 4 October, Hashimi said.
"Those were ISIL members who turned against the group in Mosul," said Iraqi counter-terrorism service spokesman Sabah al-Numani in Baghdad.
"This is a clear sign that the terrorist organization has started to lose support not only from the population, but even from its own members."
More than 200 troops killed in Lashkargah in 10 days: Officials
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/10/14/489018/Afghanistan-Helmand--Lashkar-Gah-Taliban-Kabul
According to Abdul Majeed Akhonzada, deputy head of the provincial council, and lawmaker Sheer Muhammad Akhon, more than 200 Afghan soldiers and police have been killed in the past 10 days in and around Lashkargah, the beleaguered capital of Helmand province.
Sources added that 100 security forces personnel were also wounded during the ongoing clashes with Taliban militants. At least 45 civilians have also been killed during the fierce fighting across the troubled region.
Afghanistan has sent hundreds of troops to Lashkargah in a bid to purge the strategic city of Taliban militants. The troops were sent from the capital Kabul and nearby provinces to launch a "clearance operation" in Lashkargah.
The government's special envoy for security in Helmand province said more than 300 commandos had been deployed to the city on Tuesday to prevent Taliban advancement.
Iraq’s Sinjar to Become an Open-Air Museum
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046341445-iraq-sinjar-museum/
He said that the authorities had decidied to turn the city into a museum so that people know what the jihadists had done to it.
Sinjar was under Daesh control for almost a year. During the operation to liberate it some of its parts, especially in the center were severely damaged and became uninhabitable. During their retreat the terrorists set off booby trap mines and bombs they had planted all across the city. So the people of Sinjar said they wanted to build a new city,” Muhammed Xelil said.
He added that Iraqi Kurdistan leader Masoud Barzani supported the idea and so they got down to work.
Iraqi Air Force Aircraft Fly Over Mosul Ahead of Liberation Operation
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046336506-daesh-mosul-aircraft/
Last week, Iraqi security forces were preparing an offensive to clear Daesh from its stronghold in the Hawija district of northern Kirkuk province, which was perceived as a major step toward liberation of Mosul, the de facto Daesh capital in Iraq. According to the diplomatic sources, the Mosul offensive is expected to start in several days.
"Iraqi planes entered [the airspace of] Mosul to prepare for future military operations," the source said.
Turkey Has 'Plan B' if Not Involved in Mosul Offensive - President Erdogan
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046339009-mosul-erdogan-paln-operation/
We are determined to take part in an operation by coalition forces in Iraq. If they [the US-led coalition] do not want Turkey's involvement, a Plan B or Plan C will be implemented," Erdogan said addressing participants of a rally in the city of Konya.
UK Ministers Accused of Being Implicated in War crimes Over Yemen Atrocities
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201610141046331565-uk-ministers-war-crimes/
The UK government has been selling arms to the Saudi-led coalition, who have been accused of numerous breaches of international humanitarian law over deaths of civilians in Yemen.
The UK has made over US$3.6 million in arms sales to Saudi Arabia since the military campaign began. On October 8, an airstrike widely believed to have been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition struck a funeral in Sana'a and killed 140 people.
It is the repeated atrocities that lead to some questioning whether UK MPs should in fact face warcrime charges. Britain is not only selling arms to Saudi Arabia, but also providing information to the control rooms which are in turn advising the Saudi-led coalition in bombing raids across Yemen, the Saudi foreign minister and the Ministry of Defense have confirmed.
Journalist Peter Oborne said in a recent article for the Middle East Eye, that supplying arms for the Saudi-led campaign could make the UK a co-conspirator in the conflict under international law.
Tobias Ellwood MP, the Foreign Office minister for the Middle East, said that he is deeply concerned about reports of an airstrike at a funeral and that the scenes at the site were truly shocking.
"There can be no military solution to this conflict. We urge all sides to recommit to political talks and to implement a cessation of hostilities," Ellwood said.
However, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson defended the sale of arms to the Saudi government.
"Having regard to all the information available to us, we assess this test has not been met."
Over the last 19 months as the war rages in Yemen, over 3 million people have been displaced and 14 million are suffering from starvation and malnutrition.
Children are the worst hit, with hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation. More than 370,000 children are suffering severe malnutrition.
Iraqi Media: At Least 65,000 Iraqi Troops Preparing to Retake Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950723000290
Some 10,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are also expected to join the battles in North and East of the city of over a million, plus around 24,000 provincial police and members of the country's National Mobilization Forces as support, Iraqi News reported.
The fight to retake the city from the estimated 3,000-5,000 ISIL fighters still holding and it is expected to start in weeks or days.
In the run-up to the battle, it is reported that the city is being ringed with bombs, with bridges booby-trapped and ISIL's suicide bombers prepared to deploy.
The new numbers came as Nineveh Deputy Governor had earlier said that more than 50,000 Iraqi government fighters are on standby to start the military operation to liberate Nineveh province North of Iraq.
"More than 50,000 fighters from various regular factions including the police, the army, the joint forces in addition to the Golden Division, also known as the Special Republican Guard have united to liberate Nineveh province from the ISIL occupation" Hasan Allaf said, Ria Novosti reported.
He added that the General Command of the Armed forces has decided not to engage irregular forces from the tribesmen and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the battle to free Nineveh. The deputy governor noted that all preparations to begin the military operation have been concluded and the fighters are waiting to launch their offensive.
Over 200 Soldiers Killed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 10 Days
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950723000686
This comes as the Taliban fight desperately to take the city in the country's South, Al Masdar reported.
The reports come from Abdul Majeed Akhonzada, deputy head of the provincial council, and lawmaker Sheer Muhammad Akhon.
Presstv also quoted sources that claimed over 100 security forces personnel were also wounded during the ongoing clashes with Taliban militants.
ISIL Crushes Alleged Mosul 'Coup Attempt' as Iraqi Forces Close in
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950723000707
ISIL executed 58 people suspected of taking part in the plot after it was uncovered last week, Middle East Eye reported.
Residents, who spoke from some of the few locations in the city that have phone service, said the plotters were killed by drowning and their bodies were buried in a mass grave in a wasteland on the outskirts of the city.
Among them was a local aide of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who led the plotters, according to matching accounts given by five residents, and confirmed by Hisham al-Hashimi, an expert on ISIL affairs who advises the government in Baghdad, and by colonel Ahmed al-Taie, from Mosul's Nineveh province command's military intelligence.
The name of the plot leader was not revealed to avoid increasing the safety risk for his family, nor the identities of those inside the city who spoke about the plot.
The aim of the plotters was to undermine ISIL's defence of Mosul in the upcoming fight, expected to be the biggest battle in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion.
According to Hashimi, the dissidents were arrested after one of them was caught with a message on his phone mentioning a transfer of weapons. He confessed during interrogation that weapons were being hidden in three locations, to be used in a rebellion to support the Iraqi army when it closes in on Mosul.
ISIL raided the three houses used to hide the weapons on 4 October, Hashimi said.
"Those were ISIL members who turned against the group in Mosul," said Iraqi counter-terrorism service spokesman Sabah al-Numani in Baghdad.
"This is a clear sign that the terrorist organization has started to lose support not only from the population, but even from its own members."
More than 200 troops killed in Lashkargah in 10 days: Officials
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/10/14/489018/Afghanistan-Helmand--Lashkar-Gah-Taliban-Kabul
According to Abdul Majeed Akhonzada, deputy head of the provincial council, and lawmaker Sheer Muhammad Akhon, more than 200 Afghan soldiers and police have been killed in the past 10 days in and around Lashkargah, the beleaguered capital of Helmand province.
Sources added that 100 security forces personnel were also wounded during the ongoing clashes with Taliban militants. At least 45 civilians have also been killed during the fierce fighting across the troubled region.
Afghanistan has sent hundreds of troops to Lashkargah in a bid to purge the strategic city of Taliban militants. The troops were sent from the capital Kabul and nearby provinces to launch a "clearance operation" in Lashkargah.
The government's special envoy for security in Helmand province said more than 300 commandos had been deployed to the city on Tuesday to prevent Taliban advancement.
Iraq’s Sinjar to Become an Open-Air Museum
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046341445-iraq-sinjar-museum/
He said that the authorities had decidied to turn the city into a museum so that people know what the jihadists had done to it.
Sinjar was under Daesh control for almost a year. During the operation to liberate it some of its parts, especially in the center were severely damaged and became uninhabitable. During their retreat the terrorists set off booby trap mines and bombs they had planted all across the city. So the people of Sinjar said they wanted to build a new city,” Muhammed Xelil said.
He added that Iraqi Kurdistan leader Masoud Barzani supported the idea and so they got down to work.
Iraqi Air Force Aircraft Fly Over Mosul Ahead of Liberation Operation
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046336506-daesh-mosul-aircraft/
Last week, Iraqi security forces were preparing an offensive to clear Daesh from its stronghold in the Hawija district of northern Kirkuk province, which was perceived as a major step toward liberation of Mosul, the de facto Daesh capital in Iraq. According to the diplomatic sources, the Mosul offensive is expected to start in several days.
"Iraqi planes entered [the airspace of] Mosul to prepare for future military operations," the source said.
Turkey Has 'Plan B' if Not Involved in Mosul Offensive - President Erdogan
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046339009-mosul-erdogan-paln-operation/
We are determined to take part in an operation by coalition forces in Iraq. If they [the US-led coalition] do not want Turkey's involvement, a Plan B or Plan C will be implemented," Erdogan said addressing participants of a rally in the city of Konya.
UK Ministers Accused of Being Implicated in War crimes Over Yemen Atrocities
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201610141046331565-uk-ministers-war-crimes/
The UK government has been selling arms to the Saudi-led coalition, who have been accused of numerous breaches of international humanitarian law over deaths of civilians in Yemen.
The UK has made over US$3.6 million in arms sales to Saudi Arabia since the military campaign began. On October 8, an airstrike widely believed to have been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition struck a funeral in Sana'a and killed 140 people.
It is the repeated atrocities that lead to some questioning whether UK MPs should in fact face warcrime charges. Britain is not only selling arms to Saudi Arabia, but also providing information to the control rooms which are in turn advising the Saudi-led coalition in bombing raids across Yemen, the Saudi foreign minister and the Ministry of Defense have confirmed.
Journalist Peter Oborne said in a recent article for the Middle East Eye, that supplying arms for the Saudi-led campaign could make the UK a co-conspirator in the conflict under international law.
Tobias Ellwood MP, the Foreign Office minister for the Middle East, said that he is deeply concerned about reports of an airstrike at a funeral and that the scenes at the site were truly shocking.
"There can be no military solution to this conflict. We urge all sides to recommit to political talks and to implement a cessation of hostilities," Ellwood said.
However, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson defended the sale of arms to the Saudi government.
"Having regard to all the information available to us, we assess this test has not been met."
Over the last 19 months as the war rages in Yemen, over 3 million people have been displaced and 14 million are suffering from starvation and malnutrition.
Children are the worst hit, with hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation. More than 370,000 children are suffering severe malnutrition.
angelburst29
The Living Force
If I understand this article correctly, the Houthis did not attack the Saudi/U.S. destroyer - the USS Mason or the two other reported attacks because the Houthis don't have the fire power/rockets that can reach that distance. The false flag was mainly to have an excuse to bomb the Houthis "coastal radar stations" that the Saudi's and U.S. considered a threat.
Did the US just commit a False Flag in Yemen? (Video)
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/10/did-us-just-commit-false-flag-in-yemen.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltqv2QR-n5E (3:26 min.)
On Thursday, October 13th, Reuters reported “another” Houthi attack on the USS Mason destroyer. Two anti-ship missiles were supposedly launched at the ship but missed, but the American ship was compelled to strike back and destroy a radar station on Yemeni territory.
Afterwards, the Pentagon published a rather interesting message: “Those who threaten our forces should know that U.S. commanders retain the right to defend their ships, and we will respond to this threat at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.”
There is much interesting here, but we’ll get to this later. First, let’s retrace the chain of events.
On October 1st, 2016, an American high-speed HSV-2 military transport, leased to the UAE for rapidly transporting troops between Yemeni ports, was attacked. The ship, which has a cruising speed of over 40 knots, was ideally useful and even indispensable for quickly transporting troops from one front to another.
As we can see, the ship burned out completely after the attack and will most likely never return to surf the ocean again.
Then, on October 10th, 2016, the US stated that its Mason destroyer had been attacked by two missiles which, before reaching the ship, fell into the water. Two days later, the attack was supposedly repeated but with the same failed result.
The Houthis’ arsenal in Yemen includes “Nur” coastal anti-ship rocket complexes of Iranian production. Each of corresponding missiles has a firing range of 120 km and a payload of around 150 kg. The HSV-2 and Mason destroyer were attacked near the port of Mokha, which is only 50 km away from the shores of Eritrea. How could the rocket have not made it to its target, especially if 2 were launched, and then another 2 were launched two days later? If they had been launched with the help of electronic warfare guidance, i.e., those radar stations, then the US could have simply said the the attack failed or was deflected. But the question here is not about bragging. There were hundreds of sailors on the ship who could spill the beans about what really happened.
If you shoot at a passing destroyer with any close-range missile complex, even at night, then the missiles will, of course, fall into the water, and then the world can talk about the treachery of the Houthis. And the ship’s crew might even have seen what happened. In fact, the port of Mokha is situated close to the front line, and therefore the Houthi supporters of Hadi easily could have produced such a strike.
If the Americans really did bother about these spectacles, then they could have thought through and invented the story from beginning to end.
It also cannot be said that the American ship was attacked by mistake. Dozens of vessels go through the strait daily and not a single one has been hit by a mistaken strike. Much less has one been shot at more than once. Moreover, confusing a 10,000 ton ship at a distance of 20-30 km for a light Saudi Arabian or UAE warship is simply impossible.
Even taking into consideration the disagreements between the US and Saudi Arabia, the Americans are continuing to support the Saudis. Iran and Russia are the enemies of the United States, and it is unlikely that Washington will allow Russia to gain a foothold in the region.
Any coastal missile system which can successfully attack an American military ship in the Bab El-Mandeb strait is therefore a threat to them, and needs to be removed. Hence why they came up with this provocation.
Most likely, the American destroyer simply patrolled the area for a few days and waited until the coastal radar station would work, and then struck. In order to cover up this act of aggression against a foreign country in the information space, they came up with the story of a failed attack which no one except themselves knows.
Judging by the Pentagon’s statement, they will continue to patrol the region and strike at radar systems which the US deems dangerous. In general, one can consider these actions by the US to be their reaction to a failed Houthi attack on their military ship rented to the UAE. But will this have further consequences? Definitely. The Houthis will have to stop attacking ships or their systems (especially radar stations) will be rapidly destroyed.
Will the Americans launch more strikes? There is too little information to analyze this. But the first and most important step towards this have already been taken. The pretext is the first strike. From now on, it’ll be easier. And after a year, everyone will forget about this.
US joins the war in Yemen: Obama orders strikes on Houthi radar stations
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/10/us-joins-war-in-yemen-obama-orders.html
First, on Monday, two missiles were fired at the ship which fell into the sea before reaching the ship. Then the Pentagon blamed the shelling on Houthi rebels, who have since rejected Washington’s claims.
On Wednesday, the USS Mason was once again under the gun as two missiles were fired at it. This time, another ship, the Ponce, also came under threat while accompanying the destroyer during combat duty.
This new incident occurred in the northern part of the Bab El-Mandeb Strait. Immediately afterwards, the Pentagon stated that it is ready to respond “appropriately.” Washington responded within a few hours of the shelling of the Mason. The American military’s targets were three radar stations located on the territory under the control of the Houthis.
“According to initial estimates, the radars were destroyed,” the spokesperson of the US Department of Defense, Peter Cook, announced.
The Pentagon’s spokesperson remarked that US President Barack Obama personally gave the green light for the attack. He was advised to strike Yemen by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and the head of the Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, Joseph Dunford.
As Mosul Battle Looms Large, Iraqi Troops Get Pentagon Drone Defense System
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046347959-us-gives-iraqi-troops-defense/
Iraqi News quoted a statement Dorrian released saying the system, called the "Drone Defender," "is well developed and capable to monitor and bombard the drones used by [Daesh] against Iraqi and coalition forces."
He explained that Daesh "is usually using drones against the coalition’s troops; these drones are small-sized and available in markets, and do not represent a threat to the coalition’s forces."
Dorrian added that a dozen Iraqi military battalions are preparing to retake Mosul from Daesh, which has controlled the northern Iraqi city since 2014. Baghdad has established 20 camps to house the people who are expected to be displaced once the battle begins. A day earlier he claimed that there have been no US casualties from Daesh’s drone strikes, though Iraq has sustained many such attacks, but did verify that two French troops were injured October 2 in Erbil, the capital city of Kurdistan, an autonomous region in northern Iraq, when a drone they had brought down exploded. Two Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers were killed in the same explosion.
Did the US just commit a False Flag in Yemen? (Video)
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/10/did-us-just-commit-false-flag-in-yemen.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltqv2QR-n5E (3:26 min.)
On Thursday, October 13th, Reuters reported “another” Houthi attack on the USS Mason destroyer. Two anti-ship missiles were supposedly launched at the ship but missed, but the American ship was compelled to strike back and destroy a radar station on Yemeni territory.
Afterwards, the Pentagon published a rather interesting message: “Those who threaten our forces should know that U.S. commanders retain the right to defend their ships, and we will respond to this threat at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.”
There is much interesting here, but we’ll get to this later. First, let’s retrace the chain of events.
On October 1st, 2016, an American high-speed HSV-2 military transport, leased to the UAE for rapidly transporting troops between Yemeni ports, was attacked. The ship, which has a cruising speed of over 40 knots, was ideally useful and even indispensable for quickly transporting troops from one front to another.
As we can see, the ship burned out completely after the attack and will most likely never return to surf the ocean again.
Then, on October 10th, 2016, the US stated that its Mason destroyer had been attacked by two missiles which, before reaching the ship, fell into the water. Two days later, the attack was supposedly repeated but with the same failed result.
The Houthis’ arsenal in Yemen includes “Nur” coastal anti-ship rocket complexes of Iranian production. Each of corresponding missiles has a firing range of 120 km and a payload of around 150 kg. The HSV-2 and Mason destroyer were attacked near the port of Mokha, which is only 50 km away from the shores of Eritrea. How could the rocket have not made it to its target, especially if 2 were launched, and then another 2 were launched two days later? If they had been launched with the help of electronic warfare guidance, i.e., those radar stations, then the US could have simply said the the attack failed or was deflected. But the question here is not about bragging. There were hundreds of sailors on the ship who could spill the beans about what really happened.
If you shoot at a passing destroyer with any close-range missile complex, even at night, then the missiles will, of course, fall into the water, and then the world can talk about the treachery of the Houthis. And the ship’s crew might even have seen what happened. In fact, the port of Mokha is situated close to the front line, and therefore the Houthi supporters of Hadi easily could have produced such a strike.
If the Americans really did bother about these spectacles, then they could have thought through and invented the story from beginning to end.
It also cannot be said that the American ship was attacked by mistake. Dozens of vessels go through the strait daily and not a single one has been hit by a mistaken strike. Much less has one been shot at more than once. Moreover, confusing a 10,000 ton ship at a distance of 20-30 km for a light Saudi Arabian or UAE warship is simply impossible.
Even taking into consideration the disagreements between the US and Saudi Arabia, the Americans are continuing to support the Saudis. Iran and Russia are the enemies of the United States, and it is unlikely that Washington will allow Russia to gain a foothold in the region.
Any coastal missile system which can successfully attack an American military ship in the Bab El-Mandeb strait is therefore a threat to them, and needs to be removed. Hence why they came up with this provocation.
Most likely, the American destroyer simply patrolled the area for a few days and waited until the coastal radar station would work, and then struck. In order to cover up this act of aggression against a foreign country in the information space, they came up with the story of a failed attack which no one except themselves knows.
Judging by the Pentagon’s statement, they will continue to patrol the region and strike at radar systems which the US deems dangerous. In general, one can consider these actions by the US to be their reaction to a failed Houthi attack on their military ship rented to the UAE. But will this have further consequences? Definitely. The Houthis will have to stop attacking ships or their systems (especially radar stations) will be rapidly destroyed.
Will the Americans launch more strikes? There is too little information to analyze this. But the first and most important step towards this have already been taken. The pretext is the first strike. From now on, it’ll be easier. And after a year, everyone will forget about this.
US joins the war in Yemen: Obama orders strikes on Houthi radar stations
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/10/us-joins-war-in-yemen-obama-orders.html
First, on Monday, two missiles were fired at the ship which fell into the sea before reaching the ship. Then the Pentagon blamed the shelling on Houthi rebels, who have since rejected Washington’s claims.
On Wednesday, the USS Mason was once again under the gun as two missiles were fired at it. This time, another ship, the Ponce, also came under threat while accompanying the destroyer during combat duty.
This new incident occurred in the northern part of the Bab El-Mandeb Strait. Immediately afterwards, the Pentagon stated that it is ready to respond “appropriately.” Washington responded within a few hours of the shelling of the Mason. The American military’s targets were three radar stations located on the territory under the control of the Houthis.
“According to initial estimates, the radars were destroyed,” the spokesperson of the US Department of Defense, Peter Cook, announced.
The Pentagon’s spokesperson remarked that US President Barack Obama personally gave the green light for the attack. He was advised to strike Yemen by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and the head of the Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, Joseph Dunford.
As Mosul Battle Looms Large, Iraqi Troops Get Pentagon Drone Defense System
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046347959-us-gives-iraqi-troops-defense/
Iraqi News quoted a statement Dorrian released saying the system, called the "Drone Defender," "is well developed and capable to monitor and bombard the drones used by [Daesh] against Iraqi and coalition forces."
He explained that Daesh "is usually using drones against the coalition’s troops; these drones are small-sized and available in markets, and do not represent a threat to the coalition’s forces."
Dorrian added that a dozen Iraqi military battalions are preparing to retake Mosul from Daesh, which has controlled the northern Iraqi city since 2014. Baghdad has established 20 camps to house the people who are expected to be displaced once the battle begins. A day earlier he claimed that there have been no US casualties from Daesh’s drone strikes, though Iraq has sustained many such attacks, but did verify that two French troops were injured October 2 in Erbil, the capital city of Kurdistan, an autonomous region in northern Iraq, when a drone they had brought down exploded. Two Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers were killed in the same explosion.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Carl said:
There does seem to be some unusual activity going on in Yemen, especially with the recent attacks on the ships, which seems to be a "false flag" instigated by the Saudi-U.S. side, to blame the Houthis, so they have "an excuse" to bomb their coastal radar stations. I'm thinking, the situation might have something to do with a recent U.S. expansion in South Sudan, in Africa - where the U.S./Pentagon/NATO have set up Military bases (in the past and are now expanding) near Oil Wells. Just a wild guess, they may be preparing "a safe route" via sea to transport crude oil and entering waters near Yemen - so they needed to take out the radar - the Houthis set up to protect their coastal waters?
Part of an article just Posted in the Turkey thread - might offer a clue to this false flag?
Revealed: US Fighter Jets, Troops Have Been Deployed in East Africa Since July
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201610141046349817-south-sudan-f-16-deployment/
A statement released by US Africa Command on October 13 indicates that the Pentagon has been prepared to engage in South Sudan since July, when the US Air Force quietly moved a number of F-16 fighters and KC 135 refueling tankers to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti.
"[The deployment was a] precautionary measure in order to protect Americans and American interests in South Sudan if required," said a statement from US Africa Command, according to Stars and Stripes.
Defensive in nature, the deployment was a response to diplomatic personnel coming under fire.
(Comment - another staged "false flag"?)
Also on Thursday, the US military launched strikes on three radar installations in Yemen. A response to recent threats made on naval vessels in the Red Sea, this marked the first time the United States has directly engaged in the Yemen conflict.
The strikes came in the wake of recent missile attacks on the USS Mason and other US Navy ships operating in international waters near the Bab al-Mandab Strait that separates Yemen and Djibouti.
"These limited self-defense strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships and our freedom of navigation in this important maritime passageway. The United States will respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic as appropriate, and will continue to maintain our freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb and elsewhere around the world."
And this article is about the crude oil:
Oil Could Lie at the Root of US Growing Military Presence in Africa
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201610011045905717-oil-africa-us-military-presence/
Still the exact number of US military installations on the continent is shrouded in secrecy. Likewise the Pentagon's tasks and objectives in Africa remain murky.
However, there is a strange correlation between the growing number of US military installations in the region, the increased activity of regional Islamist groups and Africa's oil production sites.
"West African oil remains strategically important for US policy makers, especially since it provides an alternative to Persian Gulf oil," Mansur wrote in his 2012 article.
Self-Defense: A Pretext for US Escalation of War in Yemen – and Elsewhere
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610151046353192-self-defense-escalation-war-yemen/
On October 8, Saudi forces bombed a civil hall in Yemen in which a funeral was being held, killing more than 140 people and wounding 525. The aftermath of the attack has been described by a local health official as "a lake of blood." This is just one of many instances of Saudi strikes using US-made weaponry killing civilians in Yemen.
On October 9, the Houthi rebels the Saudis are targeting reportedly fired two missiles at the USS Mason. The missiles fell into the water without causing any damage, but the US military nevertheless conducted a retaliation strike, destroying three coastal radar sites that the Pentagon says were used to conduct the missile attack.
Swanson, an anti-war activist and the creator of the warisacrime.org website, told Radio Sputnik that US media has presented the strike that destroyed the radar sites as "obviously" conducted in "self-defense," despite the fact that the US has been using drones to bomb the country for years while shipping obscene amounts of arms to Saudi Arabia.
"The bombs are US, the jets are US… US military is involved in every step, including literally fuelling jets in midair," Swanson said, referring to the weaponry the Saudis are using in their war with Houthi rebels in Yemen.
"With these harmless good intentions, the US had ships off the coast of Yemen, and someone [shot but missed] these ships, and they retaliated in a proper, proportionate and thereby somehow supposedly legal active self-defense," he added. Swanson compared the narrative to the situation in Syria, where deploying ground troops is being considered with exactly the same "self-defense" justification.
"This seems to be a new pattern in the US media speech that the US is able now to defend itself no matter where it is or who it has invaded or what right it has to be there," Swanson said.
The Saudis are one of the largest importers of weapons from the United States, and one of the largest exporters of oil. The US sells weapons, including the MK-82 guided bombs that destroyed the funeral hall, at incredible rate: during Barack Obama's presidency, more than $115 billion worth of weapons have been sold to the Saudis, according to a Reuters report. This is a presidential record.
With such deep mutual interest, "the US wishes to defend Saudi Arabia in the so-called international community from any allegations of so-called war crimes and abuses and atrocities. So Saudi Arabia sees it as it has nothing to lose in going ahead with escalating this war, and the more people who are killed, the better," Swanson said. All the while, the US claims to fight terrorism, but the country's involvement in conflicts around the world does exactly the opposite, according to Swanson: more and more terrorist groups, many of them affiliated with Daesh or Al-Qaeda, are emerging in the Middle East, including Yemen.
Drone strikes are known to be a part of this process, because US drone strikes are notorious for causing significant civilian casualties. According to Swanson, the US command generally has no idea who their drones are targeting.
No wonder these tactics create more enemies than they kill, as US officials have admitted. However, the drone strike program in Yemen has been called a success by President Obama, despite Yemen's ongoing destabilization and the new terrorists who are being perceived as heroes of resistance against US imperialism, Swanson remarks.
The crisis in Yemen is being covered by US media as a purely internal "civil war," Swanson notes, adding that the media discusses the "dangers of the US being sucked into a civil war" as though the US had not created the war in the first place by providing weaponry for the Saudis to use and helping them use their American arms. An escalated war in Yemen is a much-desired outcome for some people in the Pentagon and this administration, Swanson says. Hotheads in the US military clearly want escalation in Yemen, Iraq and Syria, and even with Russia, and "this is a very dangerous situation," he added. Ongoing, intensifying war is profitable: it promises more weapon sales the opportunities for US presidents, whoever they are, to posture as victorious commanders-in-chief.
However, Swanson argues, there is no legal, moral or practical justification for escalating the war in Yemen, and the missile attacks against the USS Mason cannot provide one, given the full context of US involvement.
"There is a desire for escalation [in the Pentagon and the White House]… but that is not good enough," he says.
angelburst29
The Living Force
I have my suspicions - that the Saudi's, along with the help of the U.S. are preparing the grounds - to steal massive amounts of African Crude Oil, similar to the operation that Turkey's Erdogan and his cohorts pulled off in Syria? Crude oil was loaded into tanker trucks and driven to a Sea Port, where it was off loaded onto tanker ships. At this point, I'm not sure where Yemen and the U.S. taking out three of their Coastal Radars fits in? Or if the Saudi's have a plan to use Yemen's off shore Ports, to load oil tankers or what their intensions are there?
In this mornings "The Barrons.com Emerging Markets Daily blog" the Saudi's seem to having some problems with diversifying their investments that are connected to oil and their profit margins? Even more reason to steal African oil?
Saudi Oil Deficit Exposed After U.S. Yemen Strikes
http://blogs.barrons.com/emergingmarketsdaily/2016/10/14/saudi-oil-deficit-exposed-after-u-s-yemen-strikes/
The U.S. said it responded to provocation after rebels fired on U.S. warships, while many Yemenis saw the attacks as the manifestation of “the hidden hand behind Saudi Arabia’s punishing air war,” The New York Times reports. The Economist declared “the carnage in Yemen is at last attracting the world’s attention,” adding: “Over 9,000 people have died in Yemen since Shia rebels, the Houthis, forced the government into exile, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015.”
Meanwhile, as the Saudis seek to diversify their investments and returns away from oil, the Saudis are shopping bonds in Boston and New York the week of Oct. 17. And the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and Japan’s SoftBank are partnering on a multi-billion dollar tech investing fund, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, Helima Croft, speaking Saturday at the Barron’s Art of Successful Investing conference in New York, and commodity strategists Michael Tran and Christopher Louney, now expect the U.S. oil price to average $56.50 per barrel in 2017. They put the international Brent price average at $59 per barrel.
Here are their thoughts on the Saudis, Yemen and prices:
“Saudi’s intervention in Yemen has put significant strain on Saudi finances and it looks like it will be a persistent drag. Signs of improving oil market fundamentals and sentiment are apparent, but we see prices grinding rather than gapping higher … as the market grapples with the historic level of global inventories, increasing US supply, and producer hedging pressure …
This week saw the first direct U.S. strikes on Houthi controlled Yemeni targets – the latest sign that the costly conflict shows no signs of abating. The US cruise missile strikes on three coastal radar sites came after two missiles were fired at the USS Mason on Sunday in the Red Sea. The escalation of U.S. involvement comes as the 19-month Saudi campaign to roll back Houthi territorial gains comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington as critics charge that it is once again turning the country into a terrorist sanctuary and a humanitarian disaster. A Saudi airstrike on a funeral in Sanaa earlier this month left 140 dead. As we have noted, the military intervention is proving a major drain on the Saudi treasury, driving military spending to record levels and offsetting some of the fiscal gains achieved by the removal of subsidies. It is also putting key Saudi infrastructure in the south of the country at risk, with Houthi missile strikes hitting a power station in August …
The higher and faster prices climb into year-end, the more pressure they could be under next year given the recent flurry of producer hedging. US producers become increasingly price agnostic as hedge ratios increase, which underscores the importance of OPEC follow-through as fortified hedges mean that US barrels will grow irrespective of price …”
For those who are interested:
In Saudi Bond Sale, Oil Value Questions
http://blogs.barrons.com/emergingmarketsdaily/2016/10/11/in-saudis-bond-sale-oil-value-questions/
October 11, 2016 - The bond road show starts in London Wednesday and continues next week in Boston and New York. The Wall Street Journal’s Margherita Stancati and Summer Said, along with Neanda Salvaterra, question if the Saudis’ ability to sell oil assets quickly enough to realize their value. The iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia Capped exchange-traded fund (KSA) has failed to attract investors, and is down nearly 15% this year, while The United States Oil Fund (USO) is up more than 5% and the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) is up nearly 16%.
The WSJ reporters write:
“Saudi Arabia … has warned investors it cannot accurately value its proven oil reserves that act as collateral for its fundraising scheme. In a prospectus released on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said its proven oil reserves stood at 266.5 billion barrels at the end of 2015 and are expected to last another 70 years at the average production levels of about 10.2 million barrels seen last year. … [but] the number hasn’t changed much over the years, despite the country pumping at top levels without making any new major oil discoveries …
In this mornings "The Barrons.com Emerging Markets Daily blog" the Saudi's seem to having some problems with diversifying their investments that are connected to oil and their profit margins? Even more reason to steal African oil?
Saudi Oil Deficit Exposed After U.S. Yemen Strikes
http://blogs.barrons.com/emergingmarketsdaily/2016/10/14/saudi-oil-deficit-exposed-after-u-s-yemen-strikes/
The U.S. said it responded to provocation after rebels fired on U.S. warships, while many Yemenis saw the attacks as the manifestation of “the hidden hand behind Saudi Arabia’s punishing air war,” The New York Times reports. The Economist declared “the carnage in Yemen is at last attracting the world’s attention,” adding: “Over 9,000 people have died in Yemen since Shia rebels, the Houthis, forced the government into exile, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015.”
Meanwhile, as the Saudis seek to diversify their investments and returns away from oil, the Saudis are shopping bonds in Boston and New York the week of Oct. 17. And the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and Japan’s SoftBank are partnering on a multi-billion dollar tech investing fund, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, Helima Croft, speaking Saturday at the Barron’s Art of Successful Investing conference in New York, and commodity strategists Michael Tran and Christopher Louney, now expect the U.S. oil price to average $56.50 per barrel in 2017. They put the international Brent price average at $59 per barrel.
Here are their thoughts on the Saudis, Yemen and prices:
“Saudi’s intervention in Yemen has put significant strain on Saudi finances and it looks like it will be a persistent drag. Signs of improving oil market fundamentals and sentiment are apparent, but we see prices grinding rather than gapping higher … as the market grapples with the historic level of global inventories, increasing US supply, and producer hedging pressure …
This week saw the first direct U.S. strikes on Houthi controlled Yemeni targets – the latest sign that the costly conflict shows no signs of abating. The US cruise missile strikes on three coastal radar sites came after two missiles were fired at the USS Mason on Sunday in the Red Sea. The escalation of U.S. involvement comes as the 19-month Saudi campaign to roll back Houthi territorial gains comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington as critics charge that it is once again turning the country into a terrorist sanctuary and a humanitarian disaster. A Saudi airstrike on a funeral in Sanaa earlier this month left 140 dead. As we have noted, the military intervention is proving a major drain on the Saudi treasury, driving military spending to record levels and offsetting some of the fiscal gains achieved by the removal of subsidies. It is also putting key Saudi infrastructure in the south of the country at risk, with Houthi missile strikes hitting a power station in August …
The higher and faster prices climb into year-end, the more pressure they could be under next year given the recent flurry of producer hedging. US producers become increasingly price agnostic as hedge ratios increase, which underscores the importance of OPEC follow-through as fortified hedges mean that US barrels will grow irrespective of price …”
For those who are interested:
In Saudi Bond Sale, Oil Value Questions
http://blogs.barrons.com/emergingmarketsdaily/2016/10/11/in-saudis-bond-sale-oil-value-questions/
October 11, 2016 - The bond road show starts in London Wednesday and continues next week in Boston and New York. The Wall Street Journal’s Margherita Stancati and Summer Said, along with Neanda Salvaterra, question if the Saudis’ ability to sell oil assets quickly enough to realize their value. The iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia Capped exchange-traded fund (KSA) has failed to attract investors, and is down nearly 15% this year, while The United States Oil Fund (USO) is up more than 5% and the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) is up nearly 16%.
The WSJ reporters write:
“Saudi Arabia … has warned investors it cannot accurately value its proven oil reserves that act as collateral for its fundraising scheme. In a prospectus released on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said its proven oil reserves stood at 266.5 billion barrels at the end of 2015 and are expected to last another 70 years at the average production levels of about 10.2 million barrels seen last year. … [but] the number hasn’t changed much over the years, despite the country pumping at top levels without making any new major oil discoveries …
angelburst29
The Living Force
Saudi-led coalition said that airstrike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen's capital of Sanaa that killed over 100 and wounded children was conducted by mistake.
Saudi Coalition Admits Strike on Funeral in Yemen Conducted by Mistake
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610151046371331-saudi/
The airstrike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen's capital of Sanaa that killed over 100 and wounded children
was conducted by mistake, Saudi-led coalition, fighting rebels in Yemen, said Saturday in the follow-up to the investigation on the matter.
"The team [of investigators] concluded that the representatives of the Yemeni General Headquarters provided the air force operations office with the information, which later proved to be wrong, on the exact location of the Houthi military leaders in Sanaa," the coalition’s statement said, as quoted by the Al Arabiya broadcaster.
Besides, the coalition stressed that the strike was supposed to be conducted against a military target and had not been agreed upon with the coalition’s Central Command.
The coalition also admitted the necessity to take legal measures regarding those responsible for the incident and to start providing the relatives of the victims with compensations. On October 8, the airstrike hit the funeral ceremony in Sanaa. According to UN estimates, the attack claimed over 140 lives and left more than 525 people wounded, while media suggested that 213 people may have been killed. AT first, the Saudi-led Arab coalition denied allegations of the Houthi rebels that it was involved in the incident, however, later it agreed to investigate the matter.
Riyadh Secretly Recognizes Coalition Plane Bombed Funeral in Yemen's Sanaa
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201610111046205726-sanaa-bombing-funeral/
On Saturday, an airstrike hit the funeral ceremony in Sanaa. The attack claimed at least 140 lives leaving over 500 of people injured. The Saudi-led Arab coalition denied allegations of the Houthi rebels that it was involved in the incident.
According to The BBC, Saudi Arabia approved the UK request to participate in the investigation of the incident. Investigators will determine whether the airstrike was pilot's personal decision or an order of the command.
The broadcaster reported, citing a Saudi official, that there would be no official statement unless the probe is over.
Photos Show Fragments of US Bombs Used in Saudi-led Yemen Funeral Massacre
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610111046204163-photos-show-using-us-bombs-yemen/
The Saudi-led coalition aircraft bombed a community hall in Yemen Saturday where thousands of people gathered to pay last respects to Sheikh Ali al-Rawishan, the father of the rebel-appointed interior minister. The jet struck the hall four times, leaving more than 140 people dead and over 520 people injured.
The Saudis first denied responsibility for the airstrike, but yesterday the alliance said it would invite US experts to participate in an "immediate investigation".
The US threatened to withdraw its military support to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the incident. "US security cooperation with Saudi Arabia is not a blank check. In light of this and other recent incidents, we have initiated an immediate review of our already significantly reduced support to the Saudi-led Coalition," NSC spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
At the same time, according to the Reuters, the Obama administration has been struggling to balance between a need to stay on friendly terms with Saudi Arabia and the risk of becoming a "co-belligerent" in the Yemen war under international law as that "would have obligated Washington to investigate allegations of war crimes in Yemen and would have raised a legal risk that U.S. military personnel could be subject to prosecution, at least in theory."
The US has repeatedly come under fire for supplying the Saudis with military equipment and training. Under the Obama administration, the US has sold over $115 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia violating international humanitarian law and contributing to instability in the Gulf region.
Brookings Institute Senior Fellow, CIA officer, Bruce Riedel said in April that the US does have the power to end the war in Yemen, "If the United States of America and the United Kingdom tonight told King Salman, ‘this war has to end,' it would end tomorrow because the Royal Saudi Air Force cannot operate without American and British support."
Saudi Coalition Admits Strike on Funeral in Yemen Conducted by Mistake
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610151046371331-saudi/
The airstrike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen's capital of Sanaa that killed over 100 and wounded children
was conducted by mistake, Saudi-led coalition, fighting rebels in Yemen, said Saturday in the follow-up to the investigation on the matter.
"The team [of investigators] concluded that the representatives of the Yemeni General Headquarters provided the air force operations office with the information, which later proved to be wrong, on the exact location of the Houthi military leaders in Sanaa," the coalition’s statement said, as quoted by the Al Arabiya broadcaster.
Besides, the coalition stressed that the strike was supposed to be conducted against a military target and had not been agreed upon with the coalition’s Central Command.
The coalition also admitted the necessity to take legal measures regarding those responsible for the incident and to start providing the relatives of the victims with compensations. On October 8, the airstrike hit the funeral ceremony in Sanaa. According to UN estimates, the attack claimed over 140 lives and left more than 525 people wounded, while media suggested that 213 people may have been killed. AT first, the Saudi-led Arab coalition denied allegations of the Houthi rebels that it was involved in the incident, however, later it agreed to investigate the matter.
Riyadh Secretly Recognizes Coalition Plane Bombed Funeral in Yemen's Sanaa
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201610111046205726-sanaa-bombing-funeral/
On Saturday, an airstrike hit the funeral ceremony in Sanaa. The attack claimed at least 140 lives leaving over 500 of people injured. The Saudi-led Arab coalition denied allegations of the Houthi rebels that it was involved in the incident.
According to The BBC, Saudi Arabia approved the UK request to participate in the investigation of the incident. Investigators will determine whether the airstrike was pilot's personal decision or an order of the command.
The broadcaster reported, citing a Saudi official, that there would be no official statement unless the probe is over.
Photos Show Fragments of US Bombs Used in Saudi-led Yemen Funeral Massacre
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610111046204163-photos-show-using-us-bombs-yemen/
The Saudi-led coalition aircraft bombed a community hall in Yemen Saturday where thousands of people gathered to pay last respects to Sheikh Ali al-Rawishan, the father of the rebel-appointed interior minister. The jet struck the hall four times, leaving more than 140 people dead and over 520 people injured.
The Saudis first denied responsibility for the airstrike, but yesterday the alliance said it would invite US experts to participate in an "immediate investigation".
The US threatened to withdraw its military support to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the incident. "US security cooperation with Saudi Arabia is not a blank check. In light of this and other recent incidents, we have initiated an immediate review of our already significantly reduced support to the Saudi-led Coalition," NSC spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
At the same time, according to the Reuters, the Obama administration has been struggling to balance between a need to stay on friendly terms with Saudi Arabia and the risk of becoming a "co-belligerent" in the Yemen war under international law as that "would have obligated Washington to investigate allegations of war crimes in Yemen and would have raised a legal risk that U.S. military personnel could be subject to prosecution, at least in theory."
The US has repeatedly come under fire for supplying the Saudis with military equipment and training. Under the Obama administration, the US has sold over $115 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia violating international humanitarian law and contributing to instability in the Gulf region.
Brookings Institute Senior Fellow, CIA officer, Bruce Riedel said in April that the US does have the power to end the war in Yemen, "If the United States of America and the United Kingdom tonight told King Salman, ‘this war has to end,' it would end tomorrow because the Royal Saudi Air Force cannot operate without American and British support."
Breaking: ISIS killed at least 31 in suicide blast in Baghdad
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-isis-killed-least-31-suicide-blast-baghdad/
Or for something else?
US Deploys 500 New Soldiers to Iraq for Mosul Operation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950724001284
60 Saudi Troops Killed, Over 70 Others Wounded in Yemeni Missile Attack in Najran
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950724000868
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-isis-killed-least-31-suicide-blast-baghdad/
Or for something else?
US Deploys 500 New Soldiers to Iraq for Mosul Operation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950724001284
60 Saudi Troops Killed, Over 70 Others Wounded in Yemeni Missile Attack in Najran
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950724000868
angelburst29
The Living Force
Iraqi air forces dropped early Sunday thousands leaflets over the northern Iraqi city of Mosul warning civilians of the forthcoming offensive aimed at liberation the city from the Daesh terrorists, according to media reports.
Iraqi Air Forces Drop Leaflets Over Mosul to Warn Civilians of Coming Offensive
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610161046379123-mosul-leaflets-offensive-civilians/
The four-page leaflets called on civilians not to fall into panic. People are recommended to stay away from certain places in the city, avoid Daesh positions and remain in homes with closed windows and doors.
On late Saturday, the Anadolu news agency reported that US howitzers deployed about 13 miles from the Mosul’s city center opened fire against the Daesh positions while the US-led coalition carried out a number of airstrikes. Iraqi sources told Sputnik that it was a preparation for a full-scale offensive on Mosul that may begin on Sunday.
Mosul, the second biggest Iraqi city, as well as a number of other northern and western Iraqi cities and towns was seized in 2014 during an offensive of the Daesh extremists, outlawed in Russia.
US Assault on Mosul Threatens to Flood Europe With Terrorists
https://sputniknews.com/world/201610151046372188-europe-syria-terrorists-return/
As a motley coalition of armed forces and militias gathered under the auspices of the United States prepares to assault Mosul, an increasing number of people are beginning to wonder where the Daesh forces currently entrenched within the Iraqi city will go when it falls.
Indeed, it seems unlikely that all of the terrorist would go down in some glorious last stand, especially considering recent revelations that the US and Saud Arabian intelligence agencies plan to allow over 9,000 Daesh militants to flee Mosul and move into eastern Syria – an elaborate scheme apparently meant hinder the efforts by President Bashar Assad to liberate his war-torn country.
However, it appears that the fall of Mosul may prompt a considerable number of militants who originally came there from Europe to return home, eager to make use of all the deadly experience they’ve gained while fighting in the Middle East, according to the Swedish newspaper Exressen.
According to Europol, over 5,000 Europeans travelled to the Middle East to join the ranks of Daesh, and about 1,700 of them have already returned home. Now, as the terrorist group’s fortunes have apparently been reversed, the European authorities fear that many of those foreign fighters might decide to jump ship or, even worse, to bring the battle home.
And while Europol struggles to keep Europe’s borders secure by deploying additional units to Greece and Italy, tasked with identifying the returning terrorists, it remains to be seen how effective these measures are.
ISIL's Families Reach Terrorist-Held Region in Hasaka Province After Leaving Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950725001248
"ISIL's families, including over 25 foreign families, escorted by military convoys reached the town of Merkedeh today," a local source said. The source also said that the ISIL has evacuated the families of its militants from Mosul as the Zero hour for the final large-scale offensive on the city by Iraq's joint military forces is approaching.
"The ISIL has recently issued a circular in Mosul city according to which all its offices will halt operation until further notice," a local source said.
The source noted that the ISIL has already evacuated its security offices in several districts of Mosul in recent days, while many ISIL members seem confused.
Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that the Iraqi army troops had been deployed 15 kilometers from Mosul city and the country's volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) were waiting for announcement of the zero hour to attack ISIL's military positions.
"The reconnaissance operation in Mosul ended; we are waiting for the operations to kick off," Hashd al-Shaabi announced in a statement.
The Iraqi volunteer forces also reiterated their full preparedness to start Mosul liberation operations.
3 Notorious ISIL Commanders Killed in Kirkuk Airstrike
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950725001296
The ISIL commanders were killed when their convoy of 12 military vehicles came under the Iraqi fighter jets' airstrikes in the city of Hawija in Kirkuk province.
The ISIL's military convoy was raided near Osman mosque in Hawija city.
Earlier in October, the most notorious executioner of the ISIL was also killed in an airstrike in Kirkuk province. Hundreds of Iraqi families whose relatives had been beheaded by Black Pig were no shy of displaying their joy and happiness over the death of the ISIL executioner.
In late September, the Iraqi Air Force carried out a powerful airstrike over the strategic town of Hawija, killing the ISIL-appointed governor and 13 of his aides in the Northern city.
A source in the district of Hawija reported that a tunnel dug by the ISIL had collapsed during the airstrike, killing the ISIL-appointed governor of Hawija, Abu Nasser Al-Zubai, and 13 of his aides," Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units, locally known as Hashd al-Sha'abi, said in a statement.
The latest airstrike by the Iraqi Air Force came just days ahead of the upcoming Hawija offensive that was scheduled to start on short notice.
Iraq's military forces liberated the key town of Al-Shirqat, which is located just East of Hawija, very recently.
With the city liberated from ISIL control, Iraqi popular and security forces have started distributing humanitarian aid among displaced people who are gradually returning to Shirqat and Talul al-baj in Salahuddin province.
Iraqi Air Forces Drop Leaflets Over Mosul to Warn Civilians of Coming Offensive
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610161046379123-mosul-leaflets-offensive-civilians/
The four-page leaflets called on civilians not to fall into panic. People are recommended to stay away from certain places in the city, avoid Daesh positions and remain in homes with closed windows and doors.
On late Saturday, the Anadolu news agency reported that US howitzers deployed about 13 miles from the Mosul’s city center opened fire against the Daesh positions while the US-led coalition carried out a number of airstrikes. Iraqi sources told Sputnik that it was a preparation for a full-scale offensive on Mosul that may begin on Sunday.
Mosul, the second biggest Iraqi city, as well as a number of other northern and western Iraqi cities and towns was seized in 2014 during an offensive of the Daesh extremists, outlawed in Russia.
US Assault on Mosul Threatens to Flood Europe With Terrorists
https://sputniknews.com/world/201610151046372188-europe-syria-terrorists-return/
As a motley coalition of armed forces and militias gathered under the auspices of the United States prepares to assault Mosul, an increasing number of people are beginning to wonder where the Daesh forces currently entrenched within the Iraqi city will go when it falls.
Indeed, it seems unlikely that all of the terrorist would go down in some glorious last stand, especially considering recent revelations that the US and Saud Arabian intelligence agencies plan to allow over 9,000 Daesh militants to flee Mosul and move into eastern Syria – an elaborate scheme apparently meant hinder the efforts by President Bashar Assad to liberate his war-torn country.
However, it appears that the fall of Mosul may prompt a considerable number of militants who originally came there from Europe to return home, eager to make use of all the deadly experience they’ve gained while fighting in the Middle East, according to the Swedish newspaper Exressen.
According to Europol, over 5,000 Europeans travelled to the Middle East to join the ranks of Daesh, and about 1,700 of them have already returned home. Now, as the terrorist group’s fortunes have apparently been reversed, the European authorities fear that many of those foreign fighters might decide to jump ship or, even worse, to bring the battle home.
And while Europol struggles to keep Europe’s borders secure by deploying additional units to Greece and Italy, tasked with identifying the returning terrorists, it remains to be seen how effective these measures are.
ISIL's Families Reach Terrorist-Held Region in Hasaka Province After Leaving Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950725001248
"ISIL's families, including over 25 foreign families, escorted by military convoys reached the town of Merkedeh today," a local source said. The source also said that the ISIL has evacuated the families of its militants from Mosul as the Zero hour for the final large-scale offensive on the city by Iraq's joint military forces is approaching.
"The ISIL has recently issued a circular in Mosul city according to which all its offices will halt operation until further notice," a local source said.
The source noted that the ISIL has already evacuated its security offices in several districts of Mosul in recent days, while many ISIL members seem confused.
Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that the Iraqi army troops had been deployed 15 kilometers from Mosul city and the country's volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) were waiting for announcement of the zero hour to attack ISIL's military positions.
"The reconnaissance operation in Mosul ended; we are waiting for the operations to kick off," Hashd al-Shaabi announced in a statement.
The Iraqi volunteer forces also reiterated their full preparedness to start Mosul liberation operations.
3 Notorious ISIL Commanders Killed in Kirkuk Airstrike
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950725001296
The ISIL commanders were killed when their convoy of 12 military vehicles came under the Iraqi fighter jets' airstrikes in the city of Hawija in Kirkuk province.
The ISIL's military convoy was raided near Osman mosque in Hawija city.
Earlier in October, the most notorious executioner of the ISIL was also killed in an airstrike in Kirkuk province. Hundreds of Iraqi families whose relatives had been beheaded by Black Pig were no shy of displaying their joy and happiness over the death of the ISIL executioner.
In late September, the Iraqi Air Force carried out a powerful airstrike over the strategic town of Hawija, killing the ISIL-appointed governor and 13 of his aides in the Northern city.
A source in the district of Hawija reported that a tunnel dug by the ISIL had collapsed during the airstrike, killing the ISIL-appointed governor of Hawija, Abu Nasser Al-Zubai, and 13 of his aides," Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units, locally known as Hashd al-Sha'abi, said in a statement.
The latest airstrike by the Iraqi Air Force came just days ahead of the upcoming Hawija offensive that was scheduled to start on short notice.
Iraq's military forces liberated the key town of Al-Shirqat, which is located just East of Hawija, very recently.
With the city liberated from ISIL control, Iraqi popular and security forces have started distributing humanitarian aid among displaced people who are gradually returning to Shirqat and Talul al-baj in Salahuddin province.
