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

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Military helicopter crash in Podgorica on Friday left two crew members dead, local media reported.

Two Crew Members Injured in Military Chopper Crash in Podgorica
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160610/1041131710/montenegro-military-chopper-podgorica.html

Two crew members sustained injuries as a military helicopter crashed in Montenegro's capital of Podgorica on Friday, local media reported.

A military pilot was severely wounded, while his co-pilot received lighter injuries in the incident, which took place at about 1:00 p.m. local time (11:00 GMT), the Montenegrin Vijesti daily newspaper said, citing the Defense Ministry.

"Helicopter of the Army of Montenegro – Gazelle HN – 45M, number 12941 – crashed today around 1 pm [11:00 GMT] near Komanski most in Podgorica, during the execution of regular planned flight training. Deputy Commander of the Air Forces of Montenegro Colonel Namik Arifovic and clerk at Flight Operations Desk Lieutenant Colonel Miroljub Antanasijevic were aboard," the Montenegro Defense Ministry said in a statement.

No one except the crew was injured. Police and ambulance teams have been deployed to the crash site. Both victims sustained sever injuries and were hospitalized, the military added.

The head of the Montenegrin General Staff, Dragan Samardzic, has reportedly arrived to investigate the incident. According to the statement, the defense ministry is creating a commission to probe into the cause of the incident.

According to lawyer Murat Ustundag, the trial of Alparslan Celik, who previously took responsibility for the murder Russian Su-24 pilot Oleg Peshkov, will begin in Turkey's Izmir on June 27.

Trial of Suspected Killer of Russian Su-24 Pilot to Start in Turkey June 27
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160610/1041130067/trial-turkey-killer-russian-pilot.html

The trial of Alparslan Celik, who previously took responsibility for the murder Russian Su-24 pilot Oleg Peshkov, will begin in Turkey's Izmir on June 27, Celik's lawyer Murat Ustundag said Friday.

Celik is accused of illegal possession of weapons.

"The date of the start of the trial has become known: June 27," Ustundag told RIA Novosti.

On Thursday, French defense ministry officials confirmed the deployment of French special forces in northern Syria with the announced purpose of advising Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the recapturing the city of Manbij from Daesh; however Russian military experts told the Russian media what might really be behind the move.

What is Behind the Deployment of French Special Forces in Syria
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160610/1041125229/syria-french-special-forces.html

"The offensive at Manbij is clearly being backed by a certain number of states including France. It's the usual support — it's advisory," AFP quoted one French defense ministry official as saying, without giving further details on the deployment.

The official especially stressed that French special forces will not intervene militarily themselves and are not supposed to engage in combat with Daesh militants.

Last Friday French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also commented on the issue saying that the French troops were helping operations at Manbij “through weapons supplies, air presence and advice.”

According to AFP reports, the SDF, a US-backed Kurdish-dominated alliance, are on the northern edge of Manbij, a strategic town held by Daesh that serves as a waypoint between the Turkish border and the jihadists' stronghold of Raqqa.

Russian military experts provided their own explanations what might lie behind the move.

'Thus the French President Can Announce He is Fighting Against Terrorism' Leonid Ivashov, retired General Colonel, former chief of the department for General affairs in the Soviet Union’s Ministry of Defense and currently the vice-president of the Academy on geopolitical affairs says that the French forces are not taking part in the fighting directly.

“The French units, more likely, are conducting reconnaissance and acting as air controllers. They also support contacts with the terrorist groups, among others, in the hope of being able to influence the overall situation in the region,” he said in an interview with Svobodnaya Pressa (Free Press).

The retired General Colonel also noted that such a group (about 100 people) could not play an important role in the conflict, but these activities serve as training for the French military in peaceful time but in combat conditions, what he described as a “run-in test” for the special forces.

He added that the French presence in Syria is also important from the political point of view, because in this case President Hollande can announce that the authorities are actively participating in the fight against terrorism.

This announcement will be reported by the mass media, hailing the president’s decision.

France Better Use These Forces at Home While It Hosts European Football Cup However, Middle East expert Abdel Bari Atwan is convinced that this move might turn out to be a counterproductive one and serve no good to France itself.

“I was surprised by the news about the deployment,” he said in an interview with RT.

“First, why the French special forces,” he questioned. “Secondly, why now?”

“I think that the move might turn out to be counterproductive and serve no good to France, which is currently hosting the European Football Cup.

He also suggested that the French might want to look involved in the military successes in Syria, which are currently owed to the Syrians, Russians and Iranians.

The expert also added that he does not see any sense in the move as it is already too late.

'It is All About Gas Pipelines' However Anatoly Nesmiyan, Russian military expert and blogger, better known by his username el_murid, provided a completely different point of view.

“Once Syria was France’s mandate territory and the French continue watching carefully over the situation in the country,” he said in an interview with Svobodnaya Pressa.

“However the problem is that the Americans are now trying to create a transit Kurdish corridor, but not against Daesh, but to ensure the transit of Iranian gas,” he suggested.

“In other words, the idea of two gas pipelines, which what the Syrian war is all about, is still hanging in the air: the first pipeline was to be from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey further into Europe; the second one, known as the “Islamic Pipeline” was supposed to run Iran-Iraq-Syria and further through Mediterranean Sea into Europe,” he explained.

The expert added that the failure of the Qatar project has not discouraged the ‘game players’ and the project might be revived, taking into account the thaw in relations with Iran and active Kurdish position.

In this case, he explained, the recapture of Manbij is of key interest, as there meet the interests of the US and Europe. The recapture will enable control of the border city of Jerablus, which is essential to the unification of the Kurdish cantons of Afrin and Kobani.

The Turks are against this scenario, he said, but it seems that nobody is listening to them. The problem however is that the SDF have encircled the city, which was not very difficult due to the open landscape and the aerial support of the US-led coalition.

But the Kurds are unable to enter the city on their own, this is beyond their potential. They don’t have such special forces which could efficiently fight in a city. Besides, Daesh has relocated some of its forces from the border city of Azaz to Raqqa and to Manbij, seriously reinforcing their positions there. This could be one of the main reasons why the French forces appeared near Manbij, where the American and British special forces are already operating.

There are some reports, the expert said, the Belgians will join them in the near future.

And taking into account the importance of the city, the expert did not rule out that the Americans and the Europeans will be in the first ranks of an offensive on Manbij.

'It is All About Division of Syria' Semyon Bagdasarov, Director of the Moscow-based Center for Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies is convinced that the move will lead to the division of Syria.

“The French now want to settle in Syria, and the simplest way is to do it in the north-east of the country, together with the Americans,” he said in an interview with Svobodnaya Pressa.

The expert also noted that in March the Kurds announced the creation of a federal region in the north of Syria. They also set up a council which united not only the Kurds, but also Arabs, Assyrians, Christians and Turkmen.

“It is a typical western vision of democracy – to unite everyone. What it will lead to, is another question, but, without any doubt, it is all about the division of Syria,” he said.

He also stressed that taking into consideration the interest of Turkey in the north-west of the country – near the city of Azaz and near Aleppo – Ankara was given the freedom of action, so to say, if the Turks with the help of rebels and their special forces can take Aleppo under its full control, this quasi-state will remain in their domain. The rest of the territory will be controlled by Damascus.

 

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According to a Kurdish source, French forces stationed in northern Syria have begun constructing a military base near the city of Kobani in Aleppo province.

French Forces Begin Construction of Military Base in Syria's Aleppo
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160610/1041141404/france-syria-military-base.html

French forces stationed in northern Syria have begun constructing a military base near the city of Kobani in Aleppo province, a Kurdish source told Sputnik on Friday.

"The French have begun constructing a military base similar to the US military bases… French experts and military advisers working in the region will be stationed there," the source said.

According to the source, French, UK and US experts are stationed in the city of Manbij in the same province to consult the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces militias.

Russian Foreign Ministry said that French bank Societe Generale is closing bank accounts of Russian diplomats in Paris without giving any explanations.

Bad Business: French Societe Generale Closes Russian Diplomats' Accounts
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160610/1041134234/russia-france-diplomats-accounts.html

French bank Societe Generale is closing bank accounts of Russian diplomats in Paris without giving any explanations, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti Friday.

"While members of the French National Assembly and Senate vote for lifting anti-Russian sanctions, French bank Societe Generale, apparently afraid of the United States, closes accounts of not just ordinary Russian nationals, it closes accounts of Russian diplomats," the source said.

He added that the bank's policy affected Russian officials working at the UNESCO, as well as Russian mission to France.

Societe Generale has not issued any statement on the issue so far.

The issue of Syria's "Federalization" continues to stir public opinion. Will the 'Plan B' work? What is the political balance of power in Syria? Why are the stakes so high in the race for Raqqa? Political scientist Oussama El-Mohtar shed light on the issues in his interview with Sputnik.

By Retaking Raqqa Syrian Army May Upset 'Federalization' Plan
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160610/1041140173/syria-raqqa-kurds-federalization.html

The problem of Syria's potential "federalization" is stirring public opinion inside the country and beyond its borders. There are rumors circulating in the media that some forces inside Syria may support the 'Plan B' championed by the United States. But is there really a plan for the federalization of Syria in which a Kurdish state is going to be created?

Syria's Federalization and the Kurdish State "This is a very important question and it must be treated carefully and in depth," Canada-based scholar and author with a deep knowledge of the Syrian political landscape Oussama El-Mohtar told Sputnik.

"Is the primary objective of the war on Syria to establish a new federal system? My answer is no. I think the primary objective is the destruction of Syria, the disintegration of its army and the tearing up of its social fabric. Should this succeed, then the outcome might reflect this success and a federal system or worse might ensue," the scholar underscored.

El-Mohtar called attention to the fact that while the destruction of the infrastructure has taken a huge toll on Syria, the arsonists of the war failed to break up the Syrian Arab Army and to tear apart the social fabric of Syria.

"While some damage has been done to the social fabric of Syria, the Syrian army remains intact. Yes, a few high ranking officers — and for that matter some high ranking government officials — have succumbed to bribery or blackmail and deserted. But the majority did not. The Syrian army which truly reflects the Syrian society's mix, is still intact and is still fighting after five years of relentless attacks on all fronts east and west, north and south," the scholar narrated.

So, could a federal system be imposed on Syria with a Kurdish autonomous enclave?

"Let us look at history. When the French occupied parts of Natural Syria after WWI, they tried this. They divided their 'Mandated area' into five autonomous states as shown in the map below."

"Those divisions, apart from Lebanon, did not last. This was not done out of a romantic notion of unity. No, life, and the necessities of life dictated that," El-Mohtar pointed out, adding that Lebanon was an exception for many reasons that need a separate article.

"But even Lebanon, as the current situation in that artificial state tells, cannot survive on its own," he stressed.

"Those divisions, back in the 1920, could not have been imposed without the destruction of the nascent and feeble Syrian army after the battle of Mayslaoun. And I doubt very much if they could be imposed today, without the destruction of the Syrian army who is fighting for the unity and integrity of the Syrian soil," the scholar continued.

El-Mohtar underscored that the Kurdish issue is one of the most complicated.

"The Kurdish question is bigger, more intricate and its implications much wider than a Maronite, or a Druze state due the vast number of Kurds distributed among four national states namely Syria, Iraq Turkey and Iran. But the same principle applies. You can only form a new Kurdish state or states after you destroy the national state(s) and their armies. Note that the Kurdish autonomous zone in Iraq could only be established after the Iraqi army was totally dismantled. In Syria, this is proving to be a much more difficult task to achieve," the scholar noted.

He emphasized that although some of the regional states might accept an autonomous zone in Iraq (some happily and others begrudgingly), the minute the zone starts to expand west, east or north, Turkey and Iran — let alone Syria and Iraq — will be impacted. And it seems Turkey is very much concerned about such a prospect.

The Baath and SSNP: Two Main Political Forces in Syria Besides the ruling Arab Socialist Baath party, there is yet another political force in Syria that is promoting the importance of Syrian integrity. It is the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), the second largest political group in Syria after the Baath.

"As for the SSNP, it categorically rejects any attempt at further dividing the Syrian homeland, be it along religious, sectarian or ethnic lines. The SSNP has been working relentlessly to remove the Sykes-Picot divisions, and it does not accept any form of an ethnic or religious state. The SSNP calls for unity and social justice within a state whereby all citizens are equal and whereby religion is separated from the state," El-Mohtar told Sputnik.

While the Syrian Baath party has recently come into sharp focus of the international community, the SSNP is somehow less known. What is the position of the SSNP regarding the Syrian Baath Party? How strong is the alliance between the SSNP and the Syrian Government?

"There are ideological differences between the Baath party and the SSNP. The Baath party calls for one Arab nation from the Atlantic to the Gulf, the SSNP calls for an Arab front among four distinct nations Natural Syria or the Syrian Fertile Crescent, Arabia, The Nile Valley (Egypt and Sudan) and the Great Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunis and Libya)," the scholar elaborated.

"The two parties were in fierce competition in the fifties for the minds of the Syrian people. The Baath party prevailed politically and the SSNP was outlawed. Reconciliation began in the seventies and old animosity gave way to cooperation and alliance," he continued.

"Right now, the two parties are the two main political forces working hand in hand to preserve the Syrian unity and the Syrian state. The alliance is very strong and getting stronger," El-Mohtar emphasized.

'Moderate' Opposition: Why Islamist Parties Can't Be Democratic While the West is pledging its commitment to support the Syrian "opposition," calling it "moderate" or "democratic," the question arises what parties and movements in Syria constitute the real "healthy" opposition today?

"I think this question could have been valid five years ago. Right now, with Syria the State under a relentless and systemic scheme of total destruction, the question is moot. It is as if one is asking me during the Stalingrad siege in WWII, who is the healthy opposition in Russia at the time?" the scholar asked.

"In other words, the Syrian opposition is opposed to what and to whom? Are you opposed to those fighting a) the occupation of vast areas of your country, b) the beheading of your fellow citizens, c) the theft of your natural resources and industrial infrastructure, b) the destruction of your vast cultural heritage sites, and c) the destruction of social cohesion in Syria, and so on?" El-Mohtar underscored.

But what about the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) and its most prominent members Ahrar ash-Sham and Jaish al-Islam? Whose interests do they represent?

Back in July 2015 Ahrar al-Sham even published an article in the Washington Post declaring that they are "moderates" and vowing to form a new "stable and representative government in Damascus."

Can we consider Ahrar ash-Sham and Jaish al-Islam a part of Syrian "democratic opposition"?

It [the HNC] represents the interests of those funding and hosting it; mostly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to a lesser extent Turkey and Qatar," El-Mohtar noted.

"As for the second part of the question, I am not sure that these two groups ever presented themselves as 'democratic opposition.' But even if they did, it would be a misrepresentation. Why? The full name of 'Ahrar Asham' is 'Harakat Ahrar Ash-Sham Al-Islamiah,' or (The Islamic Movement of Free Shami's.) Jaish Al-Islam is (the Army of Islam.) Both are part of the 'Al-Jabha Al-Islamiyah As-Souriah,' or (The Islamic Syrian Front.) So, it is Islamic first and Syrian second," the scholar told Sputnik.

"In my view, any religious movement cannot be democratic. Religion and democracy do not mix; they are mutually exclusive. Every religious movement gives an elevated status to its adherents. If one group has special privileges based on their religion, then others have a diminished status based on theirs. Religion is exclusive, democracy is inclusive. Hence, to say that a State or a political movement is both religious and democratic is an oxymoron," he explained.

The Race for Raqqa: To Preserve Syria's Integrity Today, the international community's attention is focused on the ongoing race for Raqqa, kicked off by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the US-based Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Why are the stakes so high? How can recapturing Raqqa by the SAA ahead of the US-backed Kurdish-Arab coalition change the course of the Syrian war?

"Capturing Al-Raqqa by the Syrian army will be a major blow to the talk of a Kurdish driven federation. It is interesting to note that SSNP fighters are fighting alongside the Syrian army [the SAA] in their drive towards that city," El-Mohtar underscored.

 

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Over 500 Russian Troops Take Part in Anti-Terror Drills in Amur Region

http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160611/1041168416/russia-anti-terror-drills.html

According to the district’s spokesman, over 500 military personnel of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Eastern Military District took part in the three-day inter-agency anti-terrorism exercises in the Amur region

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Over 500 military personnel of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Eastern Military District took part in the three-day inter-agency anti-terrorism exercises in the Amur region, the district’s spokesman said Saturday.

"During three days, the military forces on duty, the general army stationed in the Amur region and the regional offices of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Interior Ministry, Ministry of Emergency Situations and the local administration on operations in crisis situations have been working out issues of cooperation," Alexander Gordeyev told reporters.

He added that during the last stage of the training, the participating troops successfully managed to liberate a military facility and hostages from simulated terrorists, following the scenario of the exercise.

At Least 2 Die in Twin Terror Attack In Sayyidah Zaynab Town Near Damascus

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160611/1041169557/syria-damascus-terror-attack.html

At least two people died and three were injured in twin terrorist attacks in the Syrian Sayyidah Zaynab town south of Damascus, a source in the local security services told Sputnik on Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The first of the two attacks was reportedly carried out by a suicide bomber at the entrance to the town. Later in the day, a car bomb exploded in Sayyidah Zaynab.

The casualties reported were caused by the suicide bomber. There is no information so far on potential casualties in the second blast.

None of the terror groups have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Syrian Army, Popular Allies Drive ISIL back from more Industrial Sites in Western Raqqa

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950322000514

The Syrian government forces won the battle against the ISIL in al-Rasafeh triangle and captured oil pumping station and power station in this region.

The Syrian soldiers and NDF moved towards al-Rasafeh crossroad from Ithriya-Raqqa road.

The Syrian army men have cut off the ISIL communication lines in this region and are now hunting the remaining pockets of the Takfiri militants near al-Rasafeh.

Reports said earlier today that the Syrian Army troops, backed up by massive Russian air support, won another battle against the ISIL and entered the strategic al-Rasafeh triangle only 25 kilometers away form al-Tabaqa airbase in Western Raqqa.

The Syrian soldiers and navy commandoes launched a fresh round of joint offensives against the ISIL strongholds in al-Rasafeh desert from two directions of al-Nabaj and al-Harbiyat and entered al-Rasafeh triangle.

The government forces took full control over oil and gas well in al-Rasafeh region and captured Mafraq al-Rasafeh completely.

The ISIL left behind at least 45 dead or wounded members and fled the battlefield.

 

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The US military has acknowledged bombing a Syrian militant unit it had trained and armed purportedly to fight Daesh terrorists in the country, a report says.

US military admits bombing Pentagon-trained militants in Syria
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/11/469890/US-military-airstrike-trained-militants-

The incident was the most serious setback for a controversial Pentagon program that is angling to find new recruits for training after last efforts ended in disaster, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

The Pentagon carried out a series of airstrikes in and around Syria’s northern town of Mare’ on May 27 and May 28. The Mutasim Brigade, a force of US-trained militants, said one of the airstrikes hit the brigade.

The US military said at the time that three strikes had targeted “two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL tactical vehicles and an ISIL vehicle” near Mare’.

But Mutasim Brigade’s leaders told The Journal that one of the airstrikes hit the brigade’s fighters while they were battling Daesh terrorists. Ten US-backed militants were killed in the “friendly-fire incident.”

Col. Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the US military’s Central Command, said an investigation had been launched into the incident.

“We will continue our support to counter-ISIL forces and will apply any lessons learned derived from the investigation to improve our operations in the future,” Col. Ryder added.

It is unclear why the US military chose not to disclose the errant airstrike earlier. Col. Ryder told the Journal that the “dynamic and complex nature of the battlefield” led to a lag time in reporting.

The US military acknowledged last year that a $500 million program to train and equip militants for Syria had managed to produce only a handful of fighters.

The mission was halted under mounting pressure from members of Congress. However, new training efforts were launched this year for more “vetted” recruits.

Daesh terrorists, who were among the militants initially trained by the CIA in Jordan in 2012 to destabilize the Syrian government, now control parts of Iraq and Syria. They are engaged in heinous crimes against humanity in territories under their control.

Russia says Turkey’s military advisers are commanding Daesh terrorists operating around Syria’s northwestern city of Aleppo, which has been the scene of fierce fighting over the past few weeks.

Turkey commanding Daesh near Syria’s Aleppo: Russia
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/11/469909/Russia-Turkey-Syria-Aleppo-Daesh-Maria-Zakharova

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Friday that up to 2,000 militants are taking part in the Aleppo battle based on mass media reports.

“Journalists say Turkey’s military advisers are commanding them,” she said.

An intensive traffic of trucks accompanied with armed guards was spotted in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib while “carrying weapons and ammunition” from Turkey, Zakharova added.

“This looks like another stab in the back of the Syrian army,” she stated.

Zakharova further said al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorists have launched another offensive against Syrian army positions to the north and south of Aleppo in a bid to surround the area.

She said the situation in Syria remains tense, with “provocations” continuing in breach of a ceasefire regime in the Arab country.

Members of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in Syria have killed nearly 40 civilians in a bloody attack on a village in the strategic northern province of Aleppo, as the extremists continue perpetrating crimes against humanity in the conflict-ridden country.

Daesh terrorists massacre nearly 40 civilians in northern Syria village
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/10/469841/Daesh-Takfiri-militants-attack-village-Ghandoura-Manbij-Aleppo-uniform-Syrian-Democratic-Forces-SDF

A Kurdish source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Sputnik news agency that Daesh militants killed 36 civilians, among them women, children and senior civilians, as they mounted an assault against the village of al-Ghandoura, which lies northeast of the city of Manbij and is located nearly 450 kilometers (279 miles) north of the capital, Damascus, on Friday.

The source added that Daesh terrorists were clad in the uniform of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militiamen to carry out the heinous act of terror. Residents of Ghandoura greeted the terrorists thinking they were SDF fighters. The Daesh extremists then killed everybody whom they met.

The unnamed Kurdish source went on to say that a similar incident took place in a village north of Manbij on June 6, without specifying the number of the victims.

"Insane front-line footage shows rebel offensive in southern Aleppo"

Footage of southern Aleppo fighting corrborates Russia's claims (video)
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/06/footage-of-southern-aleppo-fighting.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy8z1YABslw

Russian claims that its aerial bombardment of terrorist positions in southern Aleppo indeed targets these positions, and not of 'moderate FSA' units which the US claims are also actually in the same position, which in practice are either one and the same or allied with Al-Nusra, are corroborated in this video footage.

At the battle for al-Qarassi, July 9th, 2016, we can clearly see the Al Qaeda spin-off Al-Nusra Wahhabis, in full regalia, one giving the Salafi finger, another with an Al-Nusra headband, attempting yesterday's so-called 'rebel offensive' in southern Aleppo.

A standard practice of Al-Nusra is to take or hold a position under their own colors, but then for a few individuals to pose using FSA flags for western media outlets, and establish through this inference that they are 'moderate opposition' and not the Al Qaeda spin-off terrorist invasion group, backed by the US, gulf states, and Israel. This is intended to shield them from attack by Russia, in the public eye, under terms of the cease-fire, which only applies to so-called moderate groups.

The Syrian Army and popular forces identified and captured scores of ISIL suicide attackers along al-Tabaqa airbase road before they could carry out their operations, military sources said minutes ago.

Syria: Tens of ISIL Suicide Bombers Arrested by Gov't Forces in Western Raqqa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950322001018

"The army men and the National Defense Forces (NDF), tipped off by the intelligence agents, surrounded the group of the ISIL terrorists carrying suicide-belts and arrested them," the sources said, adding, "The suicide attackers were mostly between 16-20 age and even one of them was at the age of 13."

"Three of the suicide bombers exploded their explosives but none of the army men was injured in the blasts," the sources said.

Earlier reports said that the Syrian Army troops and NDF, who captured al-Rasafeh energy-rich region earlier today, hit ISIL's positions around the region's oil and power facilities and captured them after hours of heavy clashes.

The Syrian government forces won the battle against the ISIL in al-Rasafeh triangle and captured oil pumping station and power station in this region.

The Syrian soldiers and NDF moved towards al-Rasafeh crossroad from Ithriya-Raqqa road.

The Syrian army men have cut off the ISIL communication lines in this region and are now hunting the remaining pockets of the Takfiri militants near al-Rasafeh.

Clashes between the Kurdish forces and the US-sponsored Arab coalition which has recently entered Raqqa have delayed the operations by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to free the Northeastern city from the ISIL hands, a field commander said on Saturday.

Field Commander: Clashes between Kurds, Arabs Delaying SDF Operations to Liberate Raqqa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950322000410

"Involvement of a coalition of Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, Christian and Turkmen forces into the Raqqa battle is in line with the US plots, in collaboration with Turkey, against Syria," Faras Shaboul told FNA.

"Among the reasons for the formation of such a coalition from different tribes in Syria is the US and Turkey's agreement to confront an integrated Kurdish force which can take control of all Kurds in the future," he added.

Shaboul said that the clashes between the Kurds and Arabs have delayed the SDF operations to advance towards Raqqa, adding that the Syrian army could use the conditions to move towards Raqqa.

Meantime, the latest reports from Raqqa said that the Syrian army continued advances towards Tabaqa Military Airport and managed to retake full control of a key road in Northeastern province of Raqqa.

A US Army officer arrested for trying to kill Muslim worshipers and making death threats against members of a mosque in North Carolina before they were going to pray in observance of the holy Ramadan.

US Army Major Charged for Trying to Kill Muslims
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950322000533

US Army Reserve major Russell Thomas Langford also left bacon at the Masjid Al Madina in Raeford, Hoke County, a move which is regarded as an insult since Muslims are prohibited from consuming pork products, press tv reported.

The mosque members found two packages of bacon at the mosque entrance on Thursday evening, the sheriff's office said.

The members spotted a Chevrolet Tahoe in the parking lot which apparently belonged to 36-year-old Langford, officials noted.

One of the members left the parking lot for home, but noticed that the same vehicle was following him. The member tried to evade the car, but could not, the officials added.

Later, Langford returned to the mosque and made death threats against the members, one of whom was a retired Army captain and Muslim chaplain at Fort Bragg.

The chaplain invited Langford inside to talk, but he refused and left. He returned again in his vehicle and tried to run over a group of people who were going inside the mosque for evening Ramadan prayers.

"He tried to run me over ... it's sad - we bring children here," said Mohammed Tareen a member at the mosque.

"This is very sad," said an official at the mosque. "We don't espouse that. We want to live in harmony. But this gentleman definitely has some issues and we hope that this is an isolated case."

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said "we have called for stepped-up police presence not only for that mosque but others in that state."

"Every mosque all over the country has nightly Ramadan activities, so they're vulnerable," he said.

Langford faces charges ranging from ethnic intimidation, to assault with a deadly weapon, going armed to the terror of the public, communicating threats, stalking and disorderly conduct, the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Firearms, ammunition and other weapons were found inside Langford's car, according to the statement.

The RT’s round-the-clock newscasts in Spanish in Argentina began in 2014

Argentina’s authorities to suspend transmission of Russia’s RT broadcaster
http://tass.ru/en/world/881516

Argentina’s authorities have made a decision to suspend the broadcasting of Russia’s multi-language news channel RT, as follows from a statement on the broadcaster’s website.

"Argentina’s department for radio and television broadcasting has made a decision to suspend all RT newscasts," the statement runs. The decision will take effect in 60 days’ time.

The RT’s round-the-clock newscasts in Spanish in Argentina began in 2014. Argentina’s consent to include the RT in Argentina’s government-run television network was the first instance of a foreign broadcaster getting such an opportunity, the RT’s website says. The channel is available to more than 80% of Argentina’s population.

The RT (Russia Today) is Russia’s international television company. It consists of three round-the-clock news channels broadcasting from Moscow in English, Arabic and Spanish, RT America (goes on the air from a studio in Washington), RT UK (from London), documentary channel RTD (in English and Russian), video news agency RUPTLY, and Internet news portals.

 

[Ca.]

MailOnline
_http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3636561/In-fine-formation-NATO-s-military-display-skies-Baltic-Sea-three-week-long-military-operation.html
In fine formation: NATO's military might on display in the skies over the Baltic Sea in three-week long military operation
Updated: 12:19 GMT, 11 June 2016
Militaries from NATO countries are taking part in the Baltops training exercises, which have been held since 1971
The US-led exercise is involving around 6,000 troops, 50 ships, 60 aircraft and one submarine in the Baltic Sea
Nations bordering Russia called on US to bolster its number of troops as the country continue to parade its power

The military might of NATO is on display as thousands of troops, aircraft and ships from 17 allied countries come together for a major training exercise.

Militaries from NATO countries are taking part in the Baltops training exercises, which have been held since 1971, for three weeks.

The US-led exercise is involving around 6,000 troops, 50 ships, 60 aircraft and one submarine.

In this dramatic picture below jets from US, Poland, Germany and Sweden are flown in formation over the Baltic Sea.

Complete Article @ the link

Published on Mar 7, 2015

https://youtu.be/FbQs_4ivZSA

Russia Defense Report: Russian Forces in Armenia
South Front
Published on Jun 11, 2016

https://youtu.be/llrFM9cXruQ

 

[Voyageur]

Eva Bartlett posted this interesting forum talk featuring Sara Flounders and others. It is a good 1.5 hours long, and brings out Middle East history, Syria, Ukraine, Libya, Iraq etc., and Russian moves against U.S./NATO imperialist designs. As Sara describes near the end, within the time period of the rising of the anti-imperialist voices across the world, especially in Islam, it was then that the U.S. moved "in a big way" to create the most reactionary groups used against Islam. In essence, this was the training of new Islamic infiltrators, the supporting - in all that that implies, of the most reactionary types such as we see supported today by Saudi Arabia (used initially in Afghanistan to draw in the Soviets to that conflict). Said types have been and are used ultimately used against Islam and the world itself, to spur on conflicts and the fear of terrorism that we see today (making a great deal of money for some) - destabilization, chaos, regime change et al - sadly.

Thankfully, there are people who are doing the best they can to bring things to light and talk to people on these horrible on going matters.

https://ingaza.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/sara-flounders-speech-on-syria-at-left-forum-2016/

Note: there is a fair amount of background noise, so you will have to filter it out the best you can.

Sara Flounders Speech on Syria at Left Forum 2016

In this forum, particularly interesting is the speech given by Sara Flounders, of the International Action Center, on her visits to Syria, on the reasons behind the global war on Syria and the documentation of US planning the destabilization of Syria since at least 2005. Flounders also gives historical context to the lead-up to the 2011-begun war on Syria, as well as the many reasons why the NATO-GCC-Zionist alliance want to destabilize and break apart Syria.

https://youtu.be/KZXKWQ7eLbI

 

[angelburst29]

The United Arab Emirates said Sunday a military helicopter crash killed the pilot and co-pilot on-board.

United Arab Emirates Military Helicopter Crash Kills 2
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950323001222

The UAE military said in a statement Sunday the crash happened "during a routine flight over international waters." The statement did not elaborate, nor did it offer any details on the type of helicopter involved, Stars and Stripes reported.

The UAE, one of the best-equipped militaries in the region, is part of a Saudi-led coalition now battling popular Yemeni groups allies in the country. It is also part of the US-led coalition fighting the ISIL in Syria and Iraq.

In May, the UAE said another military air crash over water killed two on board during a training exercise.

A security source in the Northeastern province of Raqqa announced that the Syrian Army troops have shot down a drone of the ISIL terrorist group.

ISIL Spying Drone Shot Down in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950323000397

"A spying drone of the ISIL Takfiri terrorists was shot down in Raqqa province while it was trying to monitor the Syrian army’s movement towards the Eastern Badiyeh to hinder the government forces' advances," the sources said.

Reports said on Saturday that the Syrian Army and popular forces identified and captured scores of ISIL suicide attackers along al-Tabaqa airbase road before they could carry out their operations.

The army men and the National Defense Forces (NDF), tipped off by the intelligence agents, surrounded the group of the ISIL terrorists carrying suicide-belts and arrested them," the sources said, adding, "The suicide attackers were mostly between 16-20 age and even one of them was at the age of 13."

"Three of the suicide bombers exploded their explosives but none of the army men was injured in the blasts," the sources said.

A top ISIL commander was reportedly killed in clashes with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Um Mayyal village on the road between Aleppo and Manbij in Northern Syria, Kurdish sources said.

Syria: Senior ISIL Commander Killed in Clashes with SDF Northeast of Aleppo
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950323001031

“We have collected corpses of 24 ISIl militants who were killed in the clashes, including their commander Dahham al-Hussein,” the official said.

Al-Hussein was appointed by the ISIL as an Emir [prince] in Um Mayyal village and he was in charge of the group’s military operations in Western Manbij.

Reports said earlier today that the fighters of Manbij Military Council, affiliated to the SDF, repelled ISIL's attacks on its positions near the town of Manbij Northeast of Aleppo, inflicting a heavy death toll on the militants.

The SDF fighters fended off the ISIL attacks in the region between the villages of al-Sultaniyeh and al-Hamdouniyeh one kilometer to the West of Manbij.

In the meantime, the ISIL attacked the SDF positions from three directions near the village of Madana, but the strong defense of the SDF fighter forced them to retreat from the battlefield.

Unofficial reports claimed that at least 69 ISIL terrorists were killed in the unsuccessful attacks on the SDF strongholds in the Western, Northern and Northwestern sides of Manbij.

Also, the SDF fighters, in their cleansing operation near the village of Kabarjeh al-Kabireh found 21 bodies of dead ISIL fighters.

Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry sent two letters to the UN Secretary General and Head of the Security Council on the continued terrorist attacks in the war-hit country targeting Syrian civilians.

Syria Accuses Ankara, Doha, Riyadh of Supporting Terrorist Attacks on Civilians
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950323000891

The letters referred to the twin terrorist bombings that rocked al-Sayyida Zainab town in Damascus Countryside on Saturday and claimed the lives of at least 12 people, SANA reported.

The ministry recounted the circumstances of the terrorist bombing, saying a car bomb went off in a vegetable market in a bustling street in the neighborhood, and a suicide bomber blew up his explosive belt amid a gathering of civilians at the city’s entrance.

The letters also cited the appalling massacre in which ISIL terrorists killed 40 civilians in Ghandoura village in the countryside of Aleppo province on Friday, in addition to mentioning the continued indiscriminate shelling of neighborhoods in Aleppo city by al-Nusra Front and the groups allied with it.

These attacks, the ministry added, are aimed to lift the sagging morale of terrorist organizations which have seen dramatic collapse in their ranks following a series of recent military wins by the Syrian army and allies.

The ministry said Syria will push ahead with its counterterrorism efforts as part of its duties in protecting the Syrian citizens, affirming that terrorist attacks won’t diminish its resolve to reach a political settlement to the crisis through an intra-Syrian dialogue.

The Ministry said in the letters that these blasts, massacres and shelling carried out by ISIL, al-Nusra Front and other terrorist groups come in the framework of the “fascist” and “criminal” policies of the regime of Erdogan and are being committed with financial and military support from this regime and those of Doha and Riyadh.

The ministry urged the UNSC to steer clear from double standards in approaching the issue of terrorism, explaining that terrorism is a stamp that applies to anyone who takes up arms against the state to kill or intimidate innocent civilians.

The Syrian government urged the Security Council to take immediate deterrent and punitive measures against the countries and regimes supporting and financing terrorism, especially those of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s letters added.

Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri pledged allegiance to new Afghan Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, who has taken control of the militant group since last month after his predecessor was killed in a US drone strike.

Al-Qaeda Chief Pledges Allegiance to New Taliban Leader
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950323000764

The pledge comes as al-Qaeda is facing rivalry from the ISIL terrorist group, which has also made inroads into Afghanistan where the Taliban have been waging an insurgency since they were ousted from power in 2001, Alaraby reported.

Zawahari's remarks came in a 14-minute audio and video message posted online, the US-based monitor SITE Intelligence Group said .

"We pledge allegiance to you on war to liberate every inch of the lands of the Muslims that are invaded and stolen, from Kashgar to al-Andalus, from the Caucasus to Somalia and Central Africa, from Kashmir to Jerusalem, from the Philippines to Kabul, and from Bukhara and Samarkand," it quoted Zawahiri as saying.

He described the new Taliban chief as the "emir of believers" and the "legitimate" head of the group.

"Allah has graced you by establishing the first legitimate emirate after the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate, and in the world there was no other legitimate emirate," he said.

Zawahiri is staunchly opposed to the ISIL group which in 2014 declared the creation of a "caliphate" straddling Syria and Iraq.

In Syria, al-Qaeda is represented by al-Nusra Front which is allied with other groups and has been locked in fighting with ISIL for control of territory in the North and around Damascus.

Last August, Zawahiri made a similar pledge to Mullah Mansour, who took charge of the Taliban the previous month at a time when ISIL was making inroads into Afghanistan.

Akhundzada was named by the Afghan Taliban as their new leader last month in a swift power transition after officially confirming the death of Mansour.

Akhundzada, formerly one of Mansour's deputies, faces the enormous challenge of unifying an increasingly fragmented militant movement.

The drone attack in May that killed Mansour, the first known American assault on a top Afghan Taliban leader on Pakistani soil, sent shockwaves through the insurgent movement which had seen a resurgence under Mansour.

He was killed just nine months after being formally appointed leader following a bitter power struggle upon confirmation of founder Mullah Omar's death.

Observers have said that Akhundzada, a low-profile religious figure who is seen as more of a spiritual figurehead than a military commander, will emulate Mansour in shunning peace talks and intensifying attacks against the Afghan government.

The Saudi interior ministry announced in a statement that any unpermitted and unofficial call for raising funds to help "Syrian brothers" - the term normally used for Al-Nusra and ISIL terrorist groups in Syria - is illegal and will be prosecuted.

Saudi Interior Ministry Admits Collecting Money for Terrorists in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950323000276

According to al-Akhbariya news website, General Mansour al-Turki, the spokesman of the Saudi interior ministry, called on the country's citizens and residents not to send aid to certain funds which collect money for the militant groups in Syria through the social media.

He called on the Saudi citizens to send their aid to the government and official organizations instead.

Gen. al-Turki also noted that the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid is responsible for any external charitable contributions from Saudi Arabia or Saudi citizens.

The Saudi interior ministry also warned that anyone taking actions outside the framework specified by the government will face prosecution and his/her account will be frozen.

"This has led to convicting more than 226 persons of terrorism financing activities, prosecuting more than 240 suspects, freezing and investigating more than 117 suspected bank accounts, closing all unlicensed charity collection locations," said Gen. al-Turki.

In relevant remarks on Saturday, a senior Iraqi foreign ministry official called on Riyadh to account for collection of aid for the ISIL terrorist group in Saudi Arabia.

"We are waiting for the Saudi officials' explanation about the Saudi interior ministry's statement on financial aid for the ISIL," a source in the Iraqi foreign ministry who called for anonymity was quoted by al-Mayadeen news channel.

"Collecting financial aid for the ISIL in Saudi Arabia is a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions," the source added.

General al-Turki had reportedly said earlier this week that the presence of Iraqi popular forces (Al-Hashd al-Shaabi) in operations to liberate Fallujah has made the Saudi people collect financial aid for the ISIL.

Earlier this month, a commander of the volunteer forces fighting alongside the Iraqi military against the ISIL terrorist group in Iraq said the ideology adopted by the terrorists originates in Saudi Arabia.

Hadi al-Ameri, who is also head of the Badr Organization, an Iraqi political party, dismissed as worthless the accusations made by certain Persian Gulf Arab states against the popular forces fighting against ISIL in Iraq.

“We don’t listen to the opponents, who echo the comments of certain Persian Gulf Arab states, because we consider them as a contributor to terrorism,” he said.

“Persian Gulf Arab states have played a great role in supporting terrorism in Syria. They support bloodshed and terrorism in Syria. Some Persian Gulf Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia... are to blame for all the damage that has been inflicted on Syria,” the Iraqi commander said.

“Therefore, we totally disregard those pointing the finger at us,” Ameri said, rejecting criticism that the volunteer forces, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units, are spreading sectarianism in Iraq.

Iraq has been fighting a campaign of terror launched by the ISIL terrorist group, which launched an offensive in the country in June 2014 and overtook certain areas of Iraq.

The Popular Mobilization Units have been an efficient force, allied with the Iraqi army, in attempts to take back the militant-held areas and degrade the terrorist group of ISIL.

The US intelligence agencies have ramped up their operations intended to remove Bolivian President Evo Morales from office. All options are on the table, including assassination.

US Preparing to Oust President Evo Morales
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950323000207

According to the 'Information Clearing House' news and analysis website, Barack Obama, who sees the weakening of Latin America’s “hostile bloc of populist states” as one of his administration’s foreign-policy victories, intends to buoy this success before stepping down.

Washington also feels under the gun in Bolivia because of China’s successful expansion in the country. Morales is steadily strengthening his financial, economic, trade, and military relationship with Beijing.

Chinese businesses in La Paz are thriving – making investments and loans and taking part in projects to secure a key position for Bolivia in the modernization of the continent’s transportation industry. In the next 10 years, thanks to Bolivia’s plentiful gas reserves, that country will become the energy hub of South America. Evo Morales sees his country’s development as his top priority, and the Chinese, unlike the Americans, have always viewed Bolivia as an ally and partner in a relationship that eschews double standards.

The US embassy in La Paz has been without an ambassador since 2008. He was declared persona non grata because of his subversive activities. The interim chargé d’affaires is currently Peter Brennan, and pointed questions have been raised about what agency he truly works for. He was previously stationed in Pakistan, where “difficult decisions” had to be made about assassinations, but most of his career has been spent handling Latin American countries. In particular, Brennan was responsible for introducing the ZunZuneo service into Cuba (an illegal program dubbed the “Cuban Twitter”). USAID fronted this CIA program, under the innocent pretext of helping to inform Cubans about cultural and sporting events and other international news. Once ZunZuneo was in place, there were plans to use this program to mobilize the population in preparation for a “Cuban Spring”. When reading about Brennan one often encounters the phrase – “dark horse”. He is used to getting what he wants, at any cost, and his tight deadline in Bolivia (before the end of Obama’s presidency) is forcing Brennan to take great risks.

Previously, Brennan had “distinguished himself” during the run-up to the referendum on allowing President Evo Morales to run for reelection in 2019, as well as during the vote itself. To encourage “no” votes, the US embassy mobilized its entire propaganda machine, roused to action the NGOs under its control, and allocated considerable additional funds for the staging of protests. It is telling that many of those culminated in the burning of photographs of Morales wearing his presidential sash. A record-setting volley of dirt was fired at the president. Accusations of corruption were the most common, although Morales has always been open about his personal finances. It would have been hard to pin ownership of “$43 billion in offshore accounts” on him, as was done to Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro.

Brennan also has agreements in place with Washington about other operations to compromise the Bolivian president. An attack was launched by the CIA agent Carlos Valverde Bravo, a well-known TV journalist and former agent with Bolivia’s security services. In his Feb. 3 program he accused Morales’s former companion, Gabriela Zapata, the commercial manager of the Chinese company CAMC Engineering Co, of orchestrating shady business deals worth $500 million. Insinuations simultaneously began circulating on the Internet about the Bolivian president’s involvement in those, although Morales completely broke ties with Zapata back in 2007 and has spared no individual, regardless of name and rank, in his battle against corruption.

The “exposés” staged by the US embassy continued until the day of the referendum itself on Feb. 21, 2016. The “no” votes prevailed, despite the favorable trend that had been indicated in the voter polls. Morales accepted defeat with his Indian equanimity, but in his statements after the referendum he was clear that the US embassy had waged a hostile campaign.

The investigation into Gabriela Zapata revealed that she had capitalized on her previous relationship with Morales to further her career. She was offered a position with the Chinese company CAMC and took possession of a luxury home in an upscale neighborhood in La Paz, making a big show of her “closeness” to the Bolivian leader, although he played no role in any of this. This was the same reason she tried to initiate a business and personal relationship with the president’s chief of staff, Juan Ramón Quintana. He has categorically denied having ever met Zapata.

Gradually, all the CIA’s fabricated evidence disintegrated. Zapata is now testifying, and her lawyer has holed up abroad because his contacts with the Americans have been exposed. The American agent Valverde Bravo has fled to Argentina. Accusations against Morales are being hurled from there with renewed vigor. The attack continues. It’s all quite logical: a continually repeated lie is an effective weapon in this newest generation of information warfare. The latest example was the ouster of Dilma Rousseff, who was accused of corruption by officials whom her government had identified as corrupt!

The US military has been increasing its presence in Bolivia in recent months. For example, Colonel Felando Pierre Thigpen visited the department of Santa Cruz, where there are strong separatist leanings. Thigpen is known to be involved in a joint program between the Pentagon and CIA to recruit and train potential personnel for American intelligence. In commentary by Bolivian bloggers and in publications about Thigpen, it is noted that the colonel was dispatched to the country on the eve of events related to “the impending replacement of a government that has exhausted its potential, as well as the need to recruit alternative young personalities into the new leadership structure.” Some comments have indicated that Thigpen is overseeing the work of diplomats Peter Brennan and Erik Foronda, a media and press advisor at the US embassy.

The embassy responded by stating that Thigpen had arrived in Bolivia “at his own initiative”, but it is no secret that he was invited to “work with youth” by NGOs that coordinate their activities with the Americans: the Foundation for Leadership and Integral Development (FULIDEI), the Global Transformation Network (RTG), the Bolivian School of Heroes (EHB), and others. So Thigpen’s work is not being improvised, but is rather a direct challenge to Morales’s government. Domestically, the far-right party Christian Democratic Party provides him with political cover.

The US plans to destabilize Bolivia – which were provided to Evo Morales’s government by an unnamed friendly country – include a step-by-step chronogram of the actions plotted by the Americans. For example: “To spark hunger strikes and mass mobilizations and to stir up conflicts within universities, civil organizations, indigenous communities, and varied social circles, as well as within government institutions. To strike up acquaintances with both active-duty and retired military officers, with the goal of undercutting the government’s credibility within the armed forces. It is absolutely essential to train the military for a crisis scenario, so that in an atmosphere of growing social conflict they will lead an uprising against the regime and support the protests in order to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy.”

The program’s first fruits have been the emergence of social protests (recent marches by disabled citizens were staged at the suggestion of the American embassy), although Evo Morales’s administration has evinced more concern for the interests of Bolivians on a limited income than any other government in the history of Bolivia.

The scope of the operation to oust President Morales – financed and directed by US intelligence agencies – continues to expand. The Americans’ biggest adversary in Latin America has been sentenced to a fate of “neutralization”. Speaking out against Evo Morales, the radical opposition has openly alluded to the fact that it has been a long time since the region has seen a really newsworthy air crash involving a politician who was hostile to Washington...

 

[Ca.]

Syrians protest against Nusra in Idlib Video
By Zen Adra - 12/06/2016
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrians-protest-nusra-idlib/ | Al-Masdar News

Dozens of angry protesters took the streets in the northwestern city of Maarat al-Numan to protest against the authoritarian rule of Jabhet al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria. A raw footage was filmed featuring a group of young men calling on the ultraconservative group to be forced out of the city, and branding the group’s chief, Abu Muhammed al-Jolani as “Iranian nark” On March, the city witnessed more violent protests after Nusra fighters stormed the headquarters of the FSA-affiliated Division 13. Dozens of fighters from both sides were reported killed and injured in the clashes.

Al-Masdar Podcast 13- Brandon Turbeville on western media
06/06/2016
By Brad Blankenship
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/podcast/
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/podcast/al-masdar-podcast-13-brandon-turbeville-western-media/ | Al-Masdar News

Brandon Turbeville is a writer out of Florence, South Carolina. He is the author of seven books, The Road To Damascus- The Anglo-American Assault on Syria, Codex Alimentarius- The End of Health Freedom, Seven Real Conspiracies, Five Sense Solutions, The Difference It Makes: 36 Reasons Hillary Clinton Should Never Be President, and Dispatches From A Dissident Vol. 1 and 2. He is a staff writer for Activist Post and has published over 700 hundred articles dealing with a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, war, government corruption, and civil liberties. He has been a guest on numerous alternative media broadcasts as well as mainstream outlets. Turbeville is also an occasional contributor to other media outlets such as Natural Blaze, The Anti Media, and Progressive Gazette, Era Of Wisdom, and Off Rail Alliance. His books can be found in the bookstore at BrandonTurbeville.com, www.FalseFlagPublications.blogspot.com,

ANNA NEWS на пути в Ракку/On the road to Raqqa (Multi Language Wheel)
Published on Jun 11, 2016

https://youtu.be/hVwhXAkyH7w

Syrian Arab Army and the militia "Desert Hawks" continue to step on the "capital" city LIH Rakka.10 June managed to advance another ten kilometers along the route Itria - Rakka.V result was occupied by the oil station al-Rasafa.Do airfield Tabka captured militants LIH in 2014 remains little more than 20 km.

Edit. Removed already covered Information

 

[sToRmR1dR]

In the Baltic countries start NATO exercises

http://www.interfax.ru/world/513189

Moscow. on 13 June. INTERFAX.RU - In the Baltic countries on Monday begin a NATO exercise Saber Strike.

As reported by "Interfax" the press service of the Main Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces, led by Saber Strike Estonia.

The exercises will be practiced interaction between ground and air forces of NATO, as well as the transfer and reception of the allied forces in the Baltic states.

They involved some 10 000 troops from 12 NATO member states, as well as in Finland, which is not a member of the alliance. The units from other states will be distributed in the three Baltic countries.

In Estonia will arrive around 1500 US troops. Latvia and Lithuania will send to Estonia Working Capital division, Finland will send a platoon of soldiers. The exercise in Estonia will also participate staff officers from Denmark and Slovenia.

To participate in the exercises in the Baltic States from Germany arrived armored units of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment United States, including about 400 pieces of equipment, mainly armored personnel carriers the Stryker, military, off-road and heavy vehicles, committed march in six European countries length of 2 400 kilometers.

To participate in Saber Strike the first time in Estonia brought the mobile missile system M142 HIMARS from Tennessee (USA) National Guard.

In the airspace of Estonia will make flights (without landing on the territory of the country), based in Fairfield (United Kingdom) strategic bombers B-52, capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

In Estonia also come based at the air base in Latvia Lielvārde US attack aircraft A-10 and based at the air base in Lask Poland, US fighter F-10.

On the Estonian Air Force Base in Ämari will be deployed transport aircraft C-130 Hercules, helicopters rescue HH-60 Pave Hawk, helicopter-gunships Apache, transport helicopter Chinook.

Complete the exercises on June 22 in Estonia, Tapa.

Media: Poland and the Baltic countries are discussing the establishment of air defense systems

http://ria.ru/world/20160613/1446461299.html

MOSCOW, June 13 -. RIA Novosti Poland and the Baltic countries have been negotiating with the enterprises of the military-industrial complexes on the establishment of anti-aircraft defense system to protect the borders, said the publication the Financial the Times .

According to the publication, in connection with the building of the presence of Russian troops on the borders of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, the authorities of these countries we are convinced that they need to strengthen the capacity of defense issues.

"At the moment we are in negotiations with Estonia, Latvia and Poland, about how we can create something like the air defense system," - said the Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas in an interview. It is expected that the system will be operational in the next two or three years.

Earlier it was reported that NATO is considering the possibility of placing one international battalion in the three Baltic countries and Poland. The final decision on the number and places of deployment will be made at the alliance's summit in Warsaw on 8-9 July.

"We are actively discussing with the NATO command in Europe (SACEUR) how to create a defense system in the Baltic countries, not only anti-aircraft missiles and air defense mission here" - leads edition statement Lithuanian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Jonas Vytautas joucas.

The Baltic countries are also trying to have some effect on the alliance. They require a full-scale air defense system, which may be required for placement of dozens of NATO aircraft.

Mississippi US Nuclear submarine entered the South Korean port of Busan

http://ria.ru/world/20160613/1446447782.html

TOKYO, June 13 -. RIA Novosti, Ivan Zakharchenko American multi-purpose nuclear submarine Mississippi came Monday in the South Korean port of Busan as part of sailing to Asia, reported news agency Rёnhap referring to the US military.

Virginia class submarine with a displacement of 7800 tons - one of the newest in the US Pacific Fleet. It is reported that it entered service in June 2012.

"With a crew of 141 sailor submarine Mississippi will perform a number of tasks and to maintain the level of the latest achievements of the submarine fleet", - quotes agency statement of the 7th Group US submarines.

According to her, Mississippi docked at Busan is "essential for the expansion of bilateral relations between the US and the Republic of Korea and existing ties between their naval forces."

Submarine Mississippi speeds up to 34 knots, equipped with 12 vertical launch missile launchers and may carry on board both torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missile type.

Seoul urged to abandon the dialogue with the DPRK to denuclearization

http://ria.ru/world/20160613/1446440504.html

TOKYO, June 13 -. RIA Novosti, Ivan Zakharchenko South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday put an end to the dialogue with the DPRK, called "break the vicious circle" practice of negotiating in response to the "provocation" of Pyongyang.

"At this time it is necessary to break the vicious circle that looks like a sequence: a provocation, then the dialogue, then compensation - and again a new provocation" - leads the news agency Rёnhap president's words from the speech at the opening of the 20th session of the National Republic of Korea meeting.

According Rёnhapa, Park Geun-hye thus signaled a "full stop" of relations with North Korea, which already from the beginning of this year were completely frozen.

The situation worsened after the January 6's fourth nuclear test by Pyongyang. In early February, when North Korea launched a satellite, presumably experienced with an intercontinental ballistic missile, Seoul decided to close the last project of inter-Korean cooperation - an industrial complex in Kaesong in North Korea, where more than a hundred South Korean firms.

At the recent proposals of North Korea, in particular, to resume negotiations between the military on both sides, in Seoul refused because of the unwillingness to stop Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

"The question of whether there will be the task of denuclearization is made in the end becomes a confrontation of will" - said Park Geun-hye. The president said that her government "will continue to be hard-line approach to the North Korean nuclear issue, united in the position of the international community."

"The offer of a dialogue without denuclearization - is a deception aimed at changing the situation" - said Park Geun-hye. On this, as she stressed, it is evidenced by the "fact that conducting negotiations on denuclearization, North Korea has continually invented, how to strengthen its nuclear capability."

"Hastily going to dialogue with North Korea for the sake of dialogue, it is possible to miss the pace of application of special sanctions imposed by the international community (against North Korea), and even more extend the path to the denuclearization of North Korea," - she said.

The position of "first cessation of nuclear development, then the dialogue" was the basis for the predecessor Park Geun-hye policy as President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak, who in 2008 rejected all previous agreements with the DPRK.

These agreements were reached with the development of an unprecedented economic cooperation of the South and the North for 10 years in power in Seoul democratic governments of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun in 1998. They developed a relationship with the DPRK, not placing them in dependence on the nuclear issue, hoping that eventually will result in the establishment of trust and to resolve it.

The nuclear and missile development under the pretext of the DPRK continues to protect against threats from the United States, in spite of the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council and individual countries. The six-party talks on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, which led from 2003 to 2009 in Beijing, Russian diplomats, the United States, China, the two Koreas and Japan have only led to the creation of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang because of political problems in the negotiations, which had no relation to the their ultimate goals.

Obama to Hold Meeting With Heads of US Counter-Terrorism Bodies on June 13

http://sputniknews.com/us/20160613/1041225130/obama-meeting-counter-terrorism.html

US President Barack Obama will hold a meeting on Monday with heads of country's main counter-terrorism bodies to discuss the investigation of the deadly shooting in Orlando, the White House said.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — According to the statement, US Vice President Joe Biden, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Nicholas Rasmussen and US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates are expected to attend the meeting.

The officials are expected to provide the information over the investigation of the shooting in Orlando, according to the White House.

On Sunday, US national Omar Mateen killed 50 people and injured 53 at Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando. The shooter was killed by the police at the scene of events. Obama called the deadly shooting in Orlando an "act of terror, act of hate," though the FBI said it had no immediate proofs of any direct ties between Omar and any foreign extremist groups.

US officials hiding Saudi, Israeli roles in 9/11: former US official

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/12/470151/911-Springmann-Brennan-Saudi-Israel-CIA

CIA Director John Brennan and other American officials are trying to hide Israeli and Saudi tracks in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, says a former US official.

J. Michael Springmann, a former US diplomat in Saudi Arabia, made the remarks on Sunday over Brennan’s claims that Saudi Arabia will be absolved of any responsibility for the 9/11 attacks based on 28 classified pages of a congressional report into the incident.

Springmann told Press TV that the spymaster was “absolutely mistaken,” as many key US politicians along with American intelligence agencies have acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s role in the attacks.

The Saudis were indeed involved “either through money or through assistance or through participation by high-level government or well-connected rich individuals,” he added.

Controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia’s role in the 9/11 attacks surged in May, when the US Senate passed a bill that allowed the families of 9/11 victims to sue the Riyadh regime for the damage caused by the tragic event.

The New York Post claimed in a report last month that Saudi Arabia’s involvement was deliberately covered up at the highest levels of the American government.

The extent of the cover-up goes beyond hiding 28 pages of a congressional report on 9/11 which was released in 2002, the report noted.

Pointing to investigations by case agents interviewed at the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) in Washington and San Diego, along with police detectives who investigated the incident, the Post said, “Virtually every road led back to the Saudi Embassy in Washington, as well as the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles.”

Springmann said according to the CIA, Congress could end the debates by simply releasing the hidden portion of the report.

“So they can declassify, they don’t have to wait for the executive branch, John Brennan or [US President] Barry Obama,” the analyst noted, adding that so far Obama has made promises in that regard but is not likely to deliver.

The Office of the US Director of National Intelligence is currently reviewing the pages to decide whether they can be declassified.

“What they are afraid of,” Springmann argued, “is essentially Saudis’ attempts to sell-off US securities and its blackmail as it did with the United Nations and its blacklist of Saudi Arabia for terrorism in Yemen.”

Riyadh has threatened that it might sell up to $750 billion in US securities and other assets if it is connected to the deadly attacks that killed some 3,000 people.

The United Nations blacklisted Saudi Arabia after concluding in a report released last week that it was responsible for 60 percent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year, but quickly scratched it from the list after facing threats by the kingdom to stop funding UN programs.

Springmann noted that although Saudi tracks in the attacks were visible, Israel’s role in the attack should not be ignored as well.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Together against NATO: Russia moves forces to Belarusian-Ukrainian border

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/06/together-against-nato-russia-moves.html

June 13, 2016 -
Ivan Proshkin, PolitRussia -
Translated by J. Arnoldski

http://politrussia.com/world/zachem-rossii-voyska-271/

In the first days of June, the news became known that the 28th mechanized brigade had been transferred from its place of permanent deployment in Ekaterinburg to the city of Klintsy in Bryansk region on the border with Belarus. According to the first deputy head of the city administration, Oleg Kletny, the soldiers arrived at their new stationing point on May 30th.

This instance of re-deployment has caused a real storm in the media on both sides of the Russian-Belarusian border. On June 2nd, two journalists asked the press-secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, to comment on the appearance of Russian soldiers on the Belarusian border, to which he answered:

“I know nothing about this. But speaking of a strengthening of the grouping on the border with Belarus would be an exaggeration.

The Russian ambassador to Belarus, Alexander Surikov, then came forth with commentary and stated that the transfer of Russian troops was due to the activism of radicals in Ukraine who could pose a threat to the security of the Russian border. He stated:

“Why Belorussia? As I understand it, the Minsk Agreements aren’t working out for us and radicalism in Ukraine is once again on the rise. Besides Right Sector, new forces are forming that are ultra-right and more radical. In Ukraine, the point of war is once again beginning to prevail. But we really wish that it wouldn’t. Thus, these are but preventative measures.”

Following this, at a routine press conference Peskov addressed the question put forth to him by journalists regarding the comments of the Russian ambassador in the Russian Foreign Ministry, and said that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is more competent to comment on such than he himself.

The redeployment of Russian soldiers was also enthusiastically commented on by Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian liberal media. The later have declared that Russia is allegedly planning to realize a “Crimean scenario” in the neighboring country, which means that Minsk should keep its eyes open and not allow any provocations on the part of its eastern neighbor. Russian liberal media declared that this was an attempt by Moscow to increase coercive pressure on Minsk on some important issues that the two have not yet agreed upon, such as on the price of gas. In Belarus, some publications sympathetic to liberal and nationalist movements inside the country declared that it was necessary to prepare for imminent “Russian aggression,” even by going as far as to discuss how many division should be put up against the Russian army.

The head of the analytical center Belarus Security Blog, Andrey Porotnikov, stated that the concentration of Russian military units intended for an offensive operation is a direct threat to Belarus. In his opinion, this is caused by the fact that in Russia an alleged “war party” is in power which under the pretext of strengthening positions in the context of the confrontation with NATO tends to intervene in the internal affairs of the republics of the post-Soviet space. Porotnikov stated:

“Russia has abandoned the principle to which it adhered since 1991 - non-interference in the internal affairs of its neighbors. Its foreign policy has become unpredictable and demonstrates a complete lack of recognition of the independence of post-Soviet states and the inviolability of borders in Europe.”

But let’s digress from this wave of hysteria, the goal of which among other things is warming up the next wave of Russophobia in Belarus, and let’s look at the situation from a position of reason. The Bryansk region to which Russian units have been relocated borders Belarus in the north. The southern part has a border with the Chernigovskaya and Sumskaya regions of Ukraine, in which there is an unstable situation that, according to the Russian ambassador in Belarus, is the region for the transfer of additional forces of the Russian army to this region. As for the city of Klintsy, it is located directly in the middle of the western ledge of the Bryanskaya region between the Russian-Belarusian and Russian-Ukrainian borders.

The forces which Russia has deployed to Klintsy are extremely small. According to some reports, the personnel of the unit that has arrived in Bryansk region consists of little more than 200 persons of the 28th brigade. But if you listen to biased media, then the impression might be made that Russia is re-locating just about its entire army along the Russian-Belarusian border in preparation for crossing the border and realizing the notorious “Crimean scenario” in the case of a problem in Russian-Belarusian relations.

In fact, Russia’s activity is explained firstly by the already-mentioned Ukrainian problem. Secondly, this comes in conjunction with the significant increase of NATO activity in Eastern Europe. Relatively recently, the general secretary of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, stated that four additional NATO battalions will be deployed in Poland this year. Moreover, American, British, German, Polish and other countries’ soldiers soldiers are periodically holding exercises in Poland and the Baltic states. Over the past few years, they have also become frequent guests in Ukraine, whose leaders have declared Russia to be the main national security threat, as in their official documents they now call our country the “aggressor country.” Naturally, in this context of the extremely hostile policy of our “Western partners” and their cohort Kiev, the strengthening of Russian troops on Russia’s western borders is a reasonable and justified step.

That such activities will be held was stated at the beginning of this year by the commander of Russia’s land forces, General-Colonel Oleg Salyukov. In his words, “the formation of new divisions is one of the measures of response to the increasing intensity of NATO exercises in the recent period.” The same statement was repeatedly made by the head of the Russian defense ministry, Sergey Shoigu, who on May 4th stated:

“The ministry of defense has adopted a number of measures whose goal is countering the buildup of NATO forces in close proximity to Russian borders.”

In the context of a further threat by NATO and its allies, NATO said that three new division will be established in the western zone which will be equipped with the most modern weapons. Frankly speaking, a land division of the Russian army has about 10,000 personnel. It isn't difficult to calculate that three new divisions would mean 30,000 people whom Russia would deploy to counter the NATO threat on its western borders. Thus, the hysteria spread by certain media sources, political analysts and other “experts” who decried a “Russian threat” when 200 Russian servicemen arrived in one of our western regions is not very understandable. Similar measures were announced in advance, and their purposes were also clearly stated. The purpose is not to blackmail any allies to the west in any way, especially not Belarus.

It’s good that Minsk understands this. Just the other day, the president of the republic, Alexander Lukashenko, stated that in the case of a war with NATO that the Russian and Belarusian armies would fight together against the alliance:

“The Russians often talk about how new NATO contingents are being deployed up to Russia’s borders. It must be emphasized that above all this is happening at our borders, Belarusian borders. We see this and accept it without whining. Adequate measures are being taken without any noise.”

In addition, Lukashenko emphasized that Belarusian units would be the first to enter into battle against the enemy and would hold back NATO forces until the first reinforcements of the Russian army arrive from its western regions. Lukashenko said: “We have a joint grouping of armed forces in the west which will ensure the security of our fatherland - Belarus and Russia. And at the heart of this group are units of the Belarusian army.”

Lukashenko’s promise is very clear. Belarus is the front line of defense of our Common Fatherland, and Russia is the rear of Belorussia which will immediately come to the rescue in the event of aggression. And it is precisely for such prompt aid that Russia should concentrate troops on its western border. And the more the better. Therefore, it is not worth listening to all kinds of hysterics aimed at inciting hatred between two fraternal and allied countries, between the two parts of which there is one people. Russia and Belorussia will always confront our common enemy together. He who comes to us with the sword will perish by the sword. Of course, no one wants war, but it’s always necessary to have a sharpened sword. We, together with the Belarusians, are taking care of this now.

Permanent Under Secretary of NATO: Russia remains the main threat to the alliance

http://ria.ru/world/20160613/1446730851.html

GENEVA, June 13 - RIA Novosti, Elizaveta Isakova. Russia remains a major threat to NATO, the Alliance does not renounce the possibility of resuming the strategic dialogue with Moscow, said NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow, speaking in Geneva on Monday at the opening of the 11th International Forum safety.

"Security Environment in Europe, perhaps the most under threat for the past ten years, starting from the time of the Cold War. The principal of the challenges are the actions of a more aggressive Russia and rasbalansirovannost and instability that swept the Middle East and North Africa. It is the biggest threat with which we are faced, but there are others - missile proliferation, cyber attacks, energy security and terrorism ", - he said.

Vershbow stressed that "the newly aggressive Russia" remains one of the major threats to NATO. He added that the alliance "would not want to take a number of steps, but Russian forces him to do it."

According to him, in response to a threat from Russia, NATO was forced to increase the number of its forces to respond to 40 thousand people, and expects to create a small task forces and headquarters in the eastern countries allied to "exercise the coordination and, if necessary, strengthening of (major powers). "

NATO can take part in the operation against the IG in the Middle East

http://ria.ru/world/20160613/1446730880.html

GENEVA, June 13 -. RIA Novosti, Elizaveta Isakova NATO may in the future take part in the fight against the terrorist group "Islamic State" (banned in Russia) in the composition of the US military coalition in the Middle East, Deputy General Secretary of NATO Alexander Vershbow.

NATO Permanent Under Secretary spoke on Monday in Geneva at the opening of the 11th International Security Forum, organized by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

"NATO can directly participate in the future in the coalition (the US-led anti-IG) is possible, providing intelligence, possibly with the help of NATO aircraft equipped with airborne early warning and control, to support air operations conducted by the coalition.", - He said.

Vershbow said that the alliance at the request of the Prime Minister of Iraq addressed to Baghdad evaluators possible expansion of NATO's mission to training and training the Iraqi military in the country

Lavrov, Kerry discuss cooperation in Syria during US-initiated call

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/06/lavrov-kerry-discuss-cooperation-in.html

June 13, 2016 -
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation -
Translated by J. Arnoldski

http://www.mid.ru/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/2313801

On June 13th, on American initiative, a telephone conversation was held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov and the US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The situation in Syria was discussed, including the possibility of Russian-American cooperation in the struggle against active terrorist organizations. Lavrov once again stressed the need of the US to quickly disassociate itself from the Syrian anti-government forces orientated towards it such as the Jebat Al-Nusra grouping linked to Al-Qaeda and currently leading offensive operations under the guise of “moderate” opposition units. Lavrov also pointed to the inadmissibility of supplies coming to terrorists across the open border with Turkey.

Other international problems, including the topic of the conflict in Ukraine, were considered along with some issues of bilateral relations.

S.V. Lavrov expressed his sincere condolences to the US Secretary of State in connection with the bloody crime in Orlando which killed dozens of people.

Moscow intends to bring relations with South Korea to new level - Lavrov

http://tass.ru/en/politics/881644

"We consider South Korea a key partner in the Asia-Pacific region," Russia’s Foreign Minister said

MOSCOW, June 13. /TASS/. Moscow highlights the fruitful cooperation with Seoul in security on the Korean Peninsula, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the opening of negotiations with South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Monday.

"We consider South Korea a key partner in the Asia-Pacific region," Lavrov said. "Despite the complicated international situation, we have managed to maintain the dynamics of the dialogue and to continue the fruitful cooperation in providing security on the Korean Peninsula."

The minister spoke about the meeting of the countries’ presidents in November 2015 in Paris, where they discussed all spheres of relations.

"Today we have a good opportunity to see how those agreements, achieved at the top level, are being implemented," he said. "We confirm the intention for development of the bilateral relations on the basis of friendship and good neighborhood."

Moscow is interested in bringing the bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level, Lavrov said.

Seoul commends cooperation with Moscow in nuclear aspects - minister

http://tass.ru/en/world/881645

"We expect cooperation in the trade, agriculture and other sectors," South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said

MOSCOW, June 13. /TASS/. South Korea commends the Russian-Korean cooperation, which had developed from the DPRK’s nuclear tests, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said during a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday.

"I am very happy to come to Moscow at your invitation," he said. "We have met earlier on the fringes of various international conferences for more than three times this year, and within the recent six months representatives of the South Korean justice ministry and parliament have visited Russia."

Those visits "make a certain input in the practical cooperation between the countries," he said. "We expect cooperation in the trade, agriculture and other sectors."

"I commend the Korean-Russian cooperation, which has developed from various nuclear tests made by North Korea," the South Korean foreign minister said. "We also appreciate our cooperation on the global agenda issues, including the climate change."

Moscow, Seoul do not accept self-declared nuclear status of DPRK - Lavrov

http://tass.ru/en/politics/881649

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said that Russia and the Republic of Korea are interested in supporting the dynamics of economic contacts

MOSCOW, June 13. /TASS/. Moscow and Seoul do not accept the self-declared nuclear status of the DPRK, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following the talks with South Korea's Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Monday.

"We have confirmed the adherence to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and stressed Russia and South Korea do not accept the self-declared nuclear status of the DPRK," Lavrov said. "We consider it unacceptable to turn the region into a confrontation area, as all problems should be settled by negotiations.".

Economic contacts

Lavrov also said that Russia and the Republic of Korea are interested in supporting the dynamics of economic contacts.

"We had very fruitful talks, our relations are at a very advanced stage," he said. "Last year, we marked the 25trh anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations, and over the past years we achieved major success in all spheres of cooperation."

"Both sides have expressed interest in developing close political dialogue to bring our relations to a qualitatively new level and the interest to support the dynamics of economic contacts," the Russian foreign minister said.

"We have discussed certain steps and measures to raise effectiveness of the trade and economic cooperation," Lavrov said. "We paid special attention to implementation of major investment projects, stressing good opportunities in the Far East and in the free port of Vladivostok."

Cooperation in the electric energy and in the oil and gas sector

Russia and the Republic of Korea intend to develop cooperation in the electric energy and in the oil and gas sector, Lavrov said.

"On the stage of implementation or advance planning are projects in the spheres of electric energy, in the oil and gas sector, in fishery," he said.

Meeting of the Russia-South Korea intergovernmental commission

A meeting of the Russia-South Korea intergovernmental commission is due in August in Seoul, Russia's Foreign Minister said.

"We have agreed on all these issues (of cooperation) to have good detailed consultations so that to get well prepared for the meeting of the intergovernmental commission, which will take place this August in Seoul," he said.

Free trade zone

The Eurasian Economic Commission and South Korea will continue contacts on establishment of a free trade zone between the Republic and EAEC, Lavrov said.

"From both sides was confirmed support for contacts, which have been established between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Republic of Korea to discuss a possible free trade zone," the foreign minister said.

"We have also discussed harmonization of various initiatives in the integration sphere, since the suggestions from the Russian president and from the president of the Republic of Korea on promotion of the Eurasian cooperation, add to each other to a big extent," Lavrov said.

Further contacts at highest level

The Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea will improve the cooperation in the electric energy and in the oil and gas sector, Russia's Foreign Minister said.

"We have fixed the agreements to continue close consultations between foreign ministries," he said. "This plan extends for 2016 and for 2017."

"Generally speaking, the agreements reached during the visit of President (of Russia Vladimir) Putin to the Republic of Korea in November, 2013, are being implemented," the Russian foreign minister said. "We have agreed to continue efforts in this direction, and also discussed a new contact at the highest level.".

Nuclear status of DPRK

Moscow and Seoul do not accept the self-declared nuclear status of the DPRK, Lavrov said.

"We have confirmed the adherence to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and stressed Russia and South Korea do not accept the self-declared nuclear status of the DPRK," Lavrov said. "We have stressed importance of the UN Security Council’s resolution 2270 in the interests of influencing Pyongyang and we shall insist it is observed fully."

"We consider it unacceptable to turn the region into a confrontation area, as all problems should be settled by negotiations," Lavrov said. "In this context, we have discussed in detail the issues related to formation in North-Eastern Asia of mechanisms to provide peace and security.".

DPRK's nuclear tests

The activities of the DPRK threaten security of the international community, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said on Monday.

"The DPRK's nuclear problem is the biggest problem for improvement of the multifaceted cooperation, for making the region peaceful and prosperous," he said. "South Korea and Russia have confirmed the DPRK's fourth nuclear test and the launch threaten the international community."

The South Korean foreign minister said Pyongyang had picked a wrong route trying to become a nuclear power and obtain a developed nuclear potential.

"The DPRK is moving backwards by not stopping its aspirations to obtain nuclear potential," he added.

The foreign minister appreciated Russia’s adherence to "thorough and complete observing of the UN Security Council’s resolution 2270 on North Korea and the fact the Russian side does not intend recognizing the DPRK’s nuclear status."

"We consider it necessary to direct the DPRK into a correct route by joint efforts of the international community in the support for full observation of the UN Security Council’s resolution.".

Сooperation with Russia in the Far East

Seoul is interested in development of cooperation with Russia in the Far East, Yun Byung-se said.

"We have agreed to raise to a new level the synergy effect between the Eurasian initiative and the policy of developing the Far East and Siberia, and, among others, we have agreed the Far East region contains a big potential for an active economic cooperation," the South Korean minister said. "For that, both sides will be using actively the potential of the Russian - South Korean investment platform, and will improve cooperation in development of the Far East in the spheres like fishery and in other spheres.".

New directions in the economic cooperation

Russia and the Republic of Korea will develop new directions in the economic cooperation, South Korea's Foreign Minister said.

"Our relations should have more substance," the South Korean minister said. "Over six months after the summit in November we see development of contacts at various levels. For example, in April we had a conference of Eurasian parliamentary speakers, which opened new horizons for communication between legislators of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea. Humanitarian exchanges between our countries are at the highest level and make 300,000 people a year."

"As for practical economic cooperation, both sides have agreed we shall cooperate not only in the automobile industry, electronics, energy and agriculture, but also in development of the Arctic, in medicine, ecology and in other new directions, thus building up trade between the countries," he said.

"We have agreed to raise to a new level the synergy effect between the Eurasian initiative and the policy of developing the Far East and Siberia, and, among others, we have agreed the Far East region contains a big potential for an active economic cooperation," the South Korean minister said. "For that, both sides will be using actively the potential of the Russian - South Korean investment platform, and will improve cooperation in development of the Far East in the spheres like fishery and in other spheres."

"Our government will be working jointly on ways to develop cooperation, including in the intergovernmental commission at the level of deputy prime ministers, and the commission's next meeting is due in August," he said. "And we shall participate actively in the second Eastern Economic Forum at the invitation from the Russian side - which is due in September in Vladivostok."

"Our talks have become a new benchmark in improvement of the strategic partnership between the countries," he said. "I expect Minister Lavrov will pay a visit to the Republic of Korea at his convenience.".

Step to improve strategic partnership

The talks in Moscow will favor improvement of the strategic partnership between Russia and the Republic of Korea, South Korea's Foreign Minister said.

"Our talks have become a new benchmark in improvement of the strategic partnership between the countries," he said. "I expect Minister Lavrov will pay a visit to the Republic of Korea at his convenience.".

Intra-Syrian talks should not suffer from artificial delays, Moscow asserts

http://sana.sy/en/?p=80087

Moscow, SANA- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov called for resuming the intra-Syrian talks immediately, stressing that there should be no artificial delays in the talks.

“We believe that talks must resume as soon as possible, there should be no artificial delays,” Gatilov told RIA Novosti in an interview on Monday .

“The situation is already difficult” he said, adding that “Moreover, it is desirable to run it in the format of direct talks between the parties, between the government delegation and the opposition.”

He continued to say that “there is still no unity in the opposition,” pointing out that “this creates a very serious obstacle for the launch of a substantive dialogue process.”

“And of course the intra-Syrian-talks must not be taken hostage by desires, whims of a single opposition group. It must not dictate its demands,” Gatilov affirmed.

Gatilov also underscored that Russia and the United States have reached a certain progress in military coordination in Syria, saying “We maintain quite close interaction and conduct consultations on military line. Russian and US military exchange information and we have reached a certain progress on the working level.”

Homs: Syrian Army, NDF Win Back Strategic Arak Oilfield Near Palmyra

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950324001356

The Syrian government forces, backed up by the heavy shelling of artillery units, stormed the Takfiri terrorists' positions East of Palmyra (Tadmur) and took full control of Arak oilfield.

The Syrian army and NDF have managed to reach Arak region after purging the Third Power Plant of ISIL terrorists.

Over 25 ISIL terrorists were killed in the Syrian army's operations on Monday.

The Syrian army is now planning to seize back the strategic al-Sukhnah region which is located to the East of Arak oilfield.

The Syrian government troops and resistance forces are now only 28 kilometers from al-Sukhnah.

Al-Sukhnah region is at the juncture of three provinces of Deir Ezzur, Homs and Hama.

On Monday, Governor-General of Homs province Tallal al-Barazi said the province will soon be declared a terrorist-free zone following the recent advances of the army.

"The Syrian army and its allies have made major advances in the road linking Tadmur (Palmyra) to al-Sukhnah in the Eastern parts of Palmyra and al-Sukhnah's liberation will lead to the freedom of Homs province from terrorism," Barazi told FNA on Monday.

He underlined the responsibility of local officials for returning the normal life to Palmyra and Quaryatayn, and said, "Over 700 families have returned to Quaryatayn and the number of families who have returned to Tadmur has reached 150."

SYRIAN FORCES DESTROY ISIS AND AL-NUSRA TERRORISTS IN SEVERAL AREAS

http://katehon.com/news/syrian-forces-destroy-isis-and-al-nusra-terrorists-several-areas

Army units on Monday eliminated a number of Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS terrorists and injured others in several areas around the country.

In Raqqa:

An army unit, in cooperation with popular defense groups, killed 16 terrorists from ISIS, some of them of foreign nationalities, during the terrorists’ attempt to infiltrate and attack a military checkpoint between Athrya and al-Tabqa at the Zakya junction in the western countryside of Raqqa province.

In Quneitra:

An army unit, in cooperation with popular defense groups, clashed with groups of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists which attacked a military post in Tal al-Hamiriya to the south of Hadar village.

The clashes ended up with killing and injuring a number of al-Nusra terrorists, forcing others to flee and destroying the weaponry in their procession.

In Deir Ezzor:

Units of the army and armed forces destroyed ISIS dens in Deir Ezzor city and the vicinity of Jabal al-Sha’er in concentrated operations against their fortified positions in the neighborhoods of al-Reshdia and al-tharda.

A field source told SANA that an army unit precisely fired ISIS gatherings in Hweijat Saqer Sharqi, destroying ISIS fortified centers, killing and injuring a number of Takfiri terrorists.

Army units killed 15 ISIS terrorists in the last two days and destroyed their weapons and ammunition-loaded vehicles in al-Reshdia neighborhood, in the vicinity of al-Tharda mount and the village of Ayash.

In Hama:

Army units carried out military operations against ISIS terrorists’ dens and movement axes in the eastern countryside of Hama central province, destroying vehicles equipped with machineguns and laden with weapons, and killing seven terrorists in the vicinity of al-Uqeirbat town.

A military source said that many ISIS terrorists were killed and their weapons destroyed in a military operation against their gatherings in al-Rweida village in the countryside of al-Salamiya area.

 

[angelburst29]

The attitude of NATO countries toward the planned deployment of troops in the Baltic States is far from united. There is a fierce debate going on in the alliance, with the United States literally struggling to coerce European states to strengthen military presence in the east, German magazine Focus Online wrote.

US 'Having Hard Time' Forcing EU to Deploy Troops Near Russian Borders
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160613/1041265225/us-hard-time.html

NATO is currently carrying out one of the biggest military maneuvers since the Cold War. The Anaconda War Games, viewed as a response to alleged "Russian aggression," are taking place in Poland and involve over 30,000 NATO troops.

Estonian activist Dmitry Linter is confident that the purpose of the statements about "possible Russian aggression" against the Baltic States is to create hysteria against Russia.

"This pressure is aimed at obtaining military budgets, creating a zone of instability around Russia and undermining the relations between Russia and the European Union," Linter told Russian newspaper Vzglyad.

In fact, there are very few people who believe that Russia is planning to attack the Baltics, Linter continued.

"Basically it is a political move, driven by the need to create a simulation that Russia constitutes a threat and that the Baltic countries could be forced to give up their independence," he stressed.

Despite the absurdity of such claims, they are very helpful to justify the presence of NATO troops in the Baltic region, Linter argued, adding that those who oppose NATO's presence are having hard times.

"Yesterday there was a protest in Tallinn, a picket in front of the Polish embassy against the expansion of NATO and the intervention of NATO structures in the activities of public organizations. The picket was sabotaged: the police found the initiator and detained him," the activist explained.

Meanwhile, there is an ongoing debate inside the military alliance about what kind of strategy NATO should pursue in the near future, German magazine Focus Online reported. While the United States and the Baltic countries are trying to counterweight the alleged "Russian aggression," Western Europe calls for a more active involvement in Africa and the Middle East in order to eliminate the causes of the current refugee crisis.

Where there seems to be a consensus, the fierce debate is actually going on behind closed doors. According to diplomats, the Americans are having hard times to force European countries to strengthening NATO troops in the east," the magazine wrote.

The reason behind such an indecisive stance in the EU is first of all the current migration crisis. Western European countries openly advocate for operations in Africa and the Middle East in order to eliminate the causes of the growing refugee inflow, the article said.

At the same time, some NATO members — such as Italy and France — are gradually cutting their defense spending. This, in turn, causes resentment among US conservative politicians who slam European countries for their readiness to accept Washington's protection without making any contributions and providing financial support, the magazine wrote.

According to Freie Welt, many articles written by German media are "copied" from international news agencies, which publish propaganda materials in the interests of the US, the EU and NATO.

Copycat? German Media 'Under Control' of Western Intelligence Agencies
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160613/1041262421/german-media-under-control.html

This is the conclusion of experts from the Research Group on Propaganda in Swiss Media. They also argue that Western intelligence services cooperate with the largest news agencies and, if necessary, "provide" them with the "right information," the researchers concluded.

According to the experts, Western intelligence agencies purposefully manipulate the global media to promote misinformation about certain politically relevant events.

The study was, in particular, focused on reports about the Syrian conflict published by German, Austrian and Swiss media. As result of their research, the experts came to a conclusion that most of the German media's publications are based on reports of the three international news agencies: AP, AFP and Reuters.

Due to the lack of foreign correspondents German, Swiss and Austrian media have to rely on information from other sources, the newspaper noted.

"Not only texts but also pictures, audio and video files, which we see in our media every day, come from the same agencies. What is perceived by the […] audience as a contribution by the local newspaper […] are actually (translated) reports from New York, London, Paris and Berlin," the study said.

The researchers also found that 82% of articles, comments, and opinions are written to support the position of the US, the EU and NATO. Moreover, Western intelligence agencies maintain direct contacts with large media sources and provide them with the "right information," the researchers say.

In this case, the articles indicate that the information comes from a source "close to the government or military circles."

"Our media from Vienna to Washington often report on the same subjects and even use the same formulations," the study said.

Thus, many Western media outlets have become a means for the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation, the researchers concluded.

 

[angelburst29]

The both pilots ejected safely, the Indian Air Force said.

India's MiG-27 Fighter Jet Crashes in Northern Jodhpur, Pilots Survive
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160613/1041233354/mig-27-india-crashes.html

An Indian Air Force MiG-27 fighter aircraft crashed in Jodhpur in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, Indian Air Force said in a statement on Monday.

There has been IAF Mig 27 crash close to Jodhpur Airbase, 5 kms from the Airbase. The aircraft was on a training Mission. Pilots have ejected safely. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered in the incident," the statement read.

The reasons behind the crash are still unknown.

A MiG-27 aircraft reportedly crashed in Jodhpur, Rajasthan on Monday, pilot ejected safely but at least 3 injured.

With ongoing Pentagon missile air attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US Air Force has, for the first time, outfitted its aircraft with laser-guided munitions.

In a First, USAF Arms Combat Aircraft With Laser-Guided Rockets
http://sputniknews.com/us/20160614/1041274832/usaf-laser-guided-missiles.html

The United States, continuing its anti-terror operations, has kept a fleet of F-16 fighter jets and A-10 ground-attack aircraft stationed in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

The weapons on both of these aircraft are about to get a major upgrade.

"The US Air Force has acquired BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided rockets…" reads a statement from the defense contracting company.

"The deployment marks the first time these systems have been used in combat operations from an Air Force fixed-wing platform."

The system modifies older Hydra rockets by adding a sophisticated, semi-active laser guidance and control mid-section, in what is a cost-effective alternative to purchasing more expensive missiles like Lockheed Martin’s AGM-114 Hellfire. While less powerful, each Hydra costs $30,000 to upgrade.

"The APKWS rocket’s innovative 'plug and play' design makes it possible to deploy these systems on a variety of platforms," said David Harrold, a BAE Systems spokesman, according to the statement.

"We are confident that the addition of this highly accurate, low-collateral-damage weapon system will be a game-changer for F-16 and A-10 users in the US Air Force and around the world."

Prior to Monday’s announcement, the system was tested on the US Marine Corp’s AV-8B Harrier jet and the US Army’s Apache helicopter.

An investigation is ongoing into the disappearance of ammunition belonging to the German Bundeswehr during an Air France flight from Berlin to Mali in May.

The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing German Ammunition
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160614/1041273711/german-ammunition-disappearing.html

The Air France plane, with German soldiers and ammunition on board, took off from Tegel airport in Berlin on May 28. The loss of a plastic crate containing 880 pieces of ammunition was discovered after the plane landed in the capital of Mali, Bamako.

"When the soldiers arrived at Bamako, Air France was unable to hand over the ammunition in accordance with the instructions it received from Bundeswehr," a representative of the Bundeswehr told Die Welt newspaper.

German military filed a case on missing ammunition with the Berlin police on June 6, and an investigation and search for the lost ammunition is under way.

Two likely versions suggest that the crate was either loaded into the wrong plane or stolen during a stop in Paris. A defense ministry spokesman has stated that the responsibility lies with the air carrier.

Germany is taking part in the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and has 200 soldiers in the country as part of a European mission to train Malian troops.

The Syria air force pounded the military positions of Jibhay al-Shamia (the Levant Front) in the town of Hraytan in Aleppo province, destroying the terrorist group's arms depot in the region.

Aleppo: Syrian Fighter Jets Destroy Terrorists' Arms Depots in Hraytan
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950324001060

The Syrian fighter jets annihilated two weapons depots of Jibhay al-Shamia that the terrorist group had smuggled through the Turkish border over the past week.

The Syrian government forces had received intelligence tips from local residents who witnessed the flow of weapons and ammunition from Turkey via Idlib province.

Earlier on Monday, the Syrian army and popular forces inflicted heavy losses on the Takfiri terrorists in Northwestern part of the Aleppo province.

The Syrian army killed a senior terrorist commander of 'Nour al-Din al-Zanki Movement" in Aleppo province on Monday.

Senior Terrorist Commander Killed in Aleppo
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950324001130

Ahmad Nassif, a military commander of the movement, was killed in heavy clashes with Syrian army in Northern Aleppo.

Nassif was one of the influential field commanders of 'Nour al-Din al-Zanki Movement' in Northern Aleppo.

On Sunday, the Syrian and Russian Air Forces, in separate but coordinated combat flights, targeted the strongholds of terrorist groups in Northern, Southern and Western Aleppo, inflicting major casualties on the militants.

The Russian fighter jets bombed heavily positions of al-Nusra and Jeish al-Fatah in al-Zarbeh, Khan Touman, al-Qarasi, al-Hamira, Me'arateh and ICARDA in Sothern Aleppo, which claimed the lives of several militants and destroyed their military hardware in large scale.

The Syrian fighter jets, for their part, struck the militants' centers in Anadan, Hraytan and Kafr Hamra in Northern Aleppo, which ended in the killing of several terrorists.

In the meantime, the militant positions in Kafr Dael West of Aleppo came under the heavy bombardments of the Syrian army aircraft.

The Syrian warplanes also hit the terrorist concentration centers hard in al-Yarmoun, al-Shaqif and Castello, which pinned down the militants' movements in the region.

The Syrian army's artillery and missile units also shelled the terrorist centers and positions in Bani Zeid, Castello, al-Mallah and al-Jandoun, which left scores of the militants dead or wounded.

The artillery units also shelled positions of al-Nusra and Jeish al-Fatah in al-Zarbeh, Khan Touman, al-Qarasi, al-Hamira, Me'arateh and ICARDA.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Baltics Not Satisfied With NATO Troops, Seek Air Defense Support

http://sputniknews.com/world/20160614/1041280104/nato-troops-baltics.html

Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland continue to pressure NATO, seeking enhancement of air defense on their territories as a means to counter an alleged Russian aggression.

NATO will deploy four international battalions to Poland and the three Baltic states, as a deterrence to Russia, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference prior to a Tuesday meeting of the defense ministers in Brussels.

While Baltic NATO members welcome the deployments, it is not viewed as being enough, and government officials are insisting that the build-up go further. The Baltic countries and Poland expect NATO to assist them in creating an air-defense missile system to act as a shield against the threat of a Russian aircraft and missile attack, Reuters wrote Monday, citing officials in the region.

"The first and foremost is the defense of our airspace," said the head of the Estonian defense force, Lieutenant General Riho Terras, who added, "Air defense is the challenge that needs to be solved together with the NATO alliance."

According to Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas, NATO jets protecting Baltic skies are essential to "stop possible air aggression."

"We are discussing creating a regional medium-range air defense system together with the Latvians, the Estonians and the Poles," he said.

Olekas stated that he will raise the matter during negotiations with NATO counterparts on Tuesday and Wednesday in Warsaw.

The Baltic states claim they need medium-range interceptor missiles produced by the US-Norwegian company Kongsberg Gruppen and the US defense contractor Raytheon.

"We are not talking about defense of Lithuania, we are talking about the credibility of the whole alliance," Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius remarked.

Moscow has repeatedly denied that it seeks to threaten the former Soviet states.

"Russia will never invade any NATO member country. We have no plans of any such kind," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently said.

Many high-level NATO officials suggest that talk about a possible invasion by Russia is groundless, and that view is shared by Paris and Berlin.

There is little chance that the request for advanced missiles will be fulfilled, however, as southern European countries are currently busy dealing with an unprecedented refugee crisis. Many consider that non-Baltic NATO members will be unwilling to allocate resources merely to strengthen a border against a nonexistent threat.

Also, the move would push Moscow to take countermeasures, which would not help ease the tensions in the region.

France Lacks Money for NATO-Linked Army Modernization Effort

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160614/1041279697/france-project-scorpion.html

Amid budget hurdles, the French military is seeking to secure funding that the government vowed to allocate for its ambitious army modernization projects in the upcoming decades.

Project Scorpion, originally a US idea, is a multinational military modernization program aimed at the integration of NATO-member militaries. The French version of the effort will see the development of military equipment like the Griffon multirole troop carrier and the Jaguar combat vehicle, as well as an upgrade for the Leclerc tank, and crew training and maintenance.

Of €6 billion Paris promised to allocate in the next 11 years, only €1 billion has been budgeted for 2014-2019.

The first stage of the Jaguar and Griffon vehicle development program development was kicked off in 2014, and the military is now trying to squeeze the rest of the promised money from the government.

“We still need to secure future funding under the next military budget law,” Army Maj. Gen. Bertrand Houitte de la Chesnais stated on April 25, adding that the armed services needs money for the “structural significance” of stage two.

Stage two is scheduled to begin in 2023, before the end of an inaugural phase to be completed by 2028.

“The challenge today is to secure funding for the program under the present and next multiyear budget law,” Jean-Marc Duquesne, managing director at Groupement des Industries de Défense et de Sécurité Terrestres et Aéroterrestres (Gicat), said, calling the program “ambitious.”

Under current projections, the €6 billion will cover the program’s expenses to 2033. Of that sum, €1.5 billion will be spent on developing military equipment as chassis, engines, electronics and communications.

By the end of the program, the Army hopes to have some 1,722 Griffon vehicles in ten versions, each for a specific mission, 248 Jaguar combat vehicles armed with MBDA medium-range missiles and 358 units of yet-to-be-designed reconnaissance vehicles.

The program also predicts a “collaborative combat” system that would network battle groups to limit “blue-on-blue” casualties.

2nd US aircraft carrier enters Mediterranean: US Navy

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/14/470333/US-Navy-Mediterranean-Daesh-Syria-Iraq

A second US aircraft carrier has arrived in the Mediterranean amid American officials’ concerns about Russian maritime expansion in the region, the Navy says.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower entered the Mediterranean late on Monday, leading a strike group of cruisers, destroyers and warplanes, according to the US Navy.

The carrier was deployed to the region to relieve the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group which is currently operating in the area following an extended eight-month deployment. It is expected to head back to the US later this month.

The Eisenhower, also known as the "Ike," will continue on to the Persian Gulf to participate in US air strikes on purported Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria.

Fighter jets have been flying off the board of the Truman to carry out air strikes on Daesh since June 3.

The Eisenhower's deployment is part of a rotation of US forces backing maritime security operations around the world, the Navy claimed.

Its strike group encompasses two guided-missile cruisers, four guided-missile destroyers and nine air squadrons.

The Navy said the presence of two US carriers in the Mediterranean is indicative of Washington’s commitment to safety and security of the region, while sending "a strong message of support to our allies and partners in Europe."

The deployment coincides with NATO military exercises across Eastern Europe and Turkey that may lead to intensification of tensions with Russia.

US officials argue that Russia is sailing its warships and submarines in the Mediterranean and plans to conduct its own military exercises in the coming weeks.

"Combined with extensive and frequent submarine patrols throughout the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea, and forward-deployed forces in Syria, Russia has the capability to hold nearly all NATO maritime forces at risk," according to an article written by Vice Admiral James Foggo, who heads the US Navy's fleet in the Mediterranean, and naval analyst Alarik Fritz, in the naval journal Proceedings.

They said last week that it was important to leverage allied navies to cooperate with NATO allies so that they could respond to emergencies and protect maritime infrastructure.

Russia last week said it would respond to a recent move by the US military to deploy a destroyer, upgraded with a new missile system, to the Black Sea near Russian borders.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Moscow would respond to the June 6 entry of the USS Porter into the Black Sea.

The US had declared that the mission was “routine” and was meant to promote “peace and stability.”

NATO recently launched its biggest-ever joint exercises in Poland — to the west of Russia, claiming that such military activities are not targeted at Russia, but Moscow has long complained that the military alliance was making inroads into Russian spheres of influence in Eastern Europe.

ISIS digs trenches, plants mines on Syrian border as Turkish military looks away (EXCLUSIVE)

https://www.rt.com/news/346567-turkey-syria-border-isis-trenches/

The Turkish military has been ordered to ignore Islamic State’s activities on Turkey’s border with Syria, allowing the jihadists to dig trenches and plant mines unimpeded, locals in the frontier town of Karkamis told RT.

The government of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has recently been keen to demonstrate its tough stance on Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), with reports of Turkish military operations against the terror group filling the national headlines.

However, RT learned that the situation on the ground is very different from that presented by Ankara when its correspondent, Lizzie Phelan, visited the Turkish town of Karkamis near the border area in Syria controlled by IS.

IS militants and their fortifications in the Syrian town of Jarablus are “strikingly visible” from the other side of the frontier, RT’s Phelan reported.

“When we zoom across the border, on top of… the building we can clearly see an IS flag,” she said.

Phelan said she saw IS “vehicles moving just across the fence [on the border]” and heard the jihadists “calling over their loudspeakers, saying things like ‘God help ISIS in its fight.’”

The terrorist group, which controls 98 kilometers along the border, had also dug extensive trenches – a task taking months to complete, but completely ignored by the Turkish army.

Bulent Polat, a local shop owner who is one of the few people remaining in Karkamis, confirmed to RT that the jihadists built the fortifications under the nose of Turkish troops.

“These are the trenches ISIS dug, we could seem them… We could easily watch them doing it. It’s very close to the border, like 50 meters away. If you can see the trenches from here now, you should have seen them being dug with all that big equipment,” he said.

Bulent has shot numerous videos showing how the Turkish military has turned a blind eye to the jihadists’ activities in Jarablus.

Among other things, they show how IS militants freely approached Turkish army positions and planted mines unimpeded.

The minefields around Jarablus eventually made it impossible for civilians to flee the IS-held town.

“Once when ISIS fired a rocket, when some top army officials came here we asked: ‘Why are you not taking action?’ They said the order from the top is only to take security measures for the soldiers,” Bulent said.

The shop owner believes that “if the army gets the order it will take only 24 hours for them to finish IS” in the area.

However, it’s not only the Turkish security forces, but also the US-led coalition that is reluctant to take action against IS.

“Whenever we saw a [coalition] plane in the sky, we would say: ‘Hey there is the faker,’” Bulent said.

He also pointed out that the Turkish-Syrian border is far from being impenetrable and offered to help the RT crew to cross it.

Bulent told Phelan that to make it to IS-held territory, she had to wear a burqa, a garment obligatorily worn by women in some Muslim states, but warned that this alone wouldn’t ensure her safety.

“You are not going to identify yourself as journalist, otherwise you are gone,” he added.

The locals believe that members of Erdogan’s ruling AKP party are “traitors” that cannot be trusted since they abandoned their own people to live side by side with IS.

“I won’t vote for AKP even if they offer me the whole Karkamis,” he stressed.

Accusations that the Turkish government maintains ties with Islamic State have been mounting in recent months, with some alleging that Erdogan is supporting the terror group so that it can remove his geopolitical rival, Syrian President Bashar Assad.

An RT Documentary crew visited Shaddadi and some other towns in northern Syria in March, shortly after their liberation from the militants.

On arriving, the journalists saw invoices detailing large-scale illegal oil trade carried out by the jihadists, as well as Islamist propaganda brochures printed in Turkey.

They also interviewed an IS fighter detained by the Kurds who confirmed that the group was selling oil to Turkey.

The RT crew also filmed the passports of deceased and escaped jihadists, most of which contained stamps issued at Turkish border checkpoints.

In late 2015, the Russian military released a batch of evidence, including satellite images showing columns of oil tanker trucks moving into Turkey from areas controlled by Islamic State in Syria.

 


Syrian Army seized three hills near last rebel stronghold in Latakia – Map update

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-seized-three-hills-near-last-rebel-stronghold-latakia-map-update/

Following months of stalemate in Latakia province, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) finally made a decisive advance on Monday towards the rebel stronghold of Kabbani.

Thus, the SAA’s special forces and National Defence Forces (NDF) managed to infiltrate rebel positions southwest of the town after militants in the area were struck by joint Syrian and Russian airstrikes.

According to a Syrian sergeant in Latakia, the SAA captured several hills that overlook Kabbani; specifically, Ruwysat al-Joz, Zyiqat mountain and hill 1112 were mentioned.

Kabbani is controlled by Islamist fighters of Ahrar al-Sham, Jabhat al-Nusra (Syrian al-Qaeda group) and Turkmen factions, according to intel obtained by Al-Masdar News.

The SAA is yet to enter Kabbani although the source said the rebel stronghold would automatically fall once all hills surrounding it were captured.

In the past, fire control has proven decisive in the mountainous Latakia governorate as it played a key role in the SAA’s capture of Salma and Rabia – the former ‘capitals’ of rebel forces in Latakia.

Russia’s military deliver 5 tons of humanitarian aid to Syria’s Latakia

http://tass.ru/en/world/881728

Some 500 local residents received bags with individual food rations, got medical aid

LATAKIA (Syria), June 14. /TASS/. Russia’s military have delivered some 5 metric tons of humanitarian aid for the Christian community of the city of Latakia in Syria, a spokesman for the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring sides in Syria, Col. Alexander Vladimirov, told journalists.

Some 500 local residents received bags with individual food rations, tinned fish and meat, meal, macaroni etc. Military medics mounted a mobile medical facility and provided medical aid to all those in need of it.

"Today we delivered five tons of humanitarian aid to the city of Latakia. The food was received by people in need whose list was provided by the senior priest of the Church of the Andrew the Apostle," Vladimirov said.

He said the aid was received not only by Christians but also by some 100 Muslims.

Earlier on June 14, the Russian ceasefire center said atotal of 18 tons of United Nations humanitarian cargoes, primarily food products and cereals, were delivered by a Russian plane to the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor besieged by Islamic State terrorists.

Apart from that, according to the Russian center, four tons of humanitarian aid was delivered to people living in the settlement of Khmira in the province of Hama. The humanitarian cargoes included flour and cereals.

The center also said that more humanitarian convoys are being formed for Syrian citizens.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Surprise! Putin Orders Large-Scale Snap Inspection of Russian Arsenals

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160614/1041283752/putin-snap-inspection-military.html

President Vladimir Putin ordered a snap inspection of the Russian Armed Forces.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered another unannounced inspection of Russia's Armed Forces, during which the state and readiness of military arsenals will be assessed, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.

"To assess combat and mobilization readiness, in accordance with a decision by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, another unannounced inspection started today at 7 a.m. A number of weapon and equipment depots will be inspected, as well as certain military control points," Shoigu said.

According to Shoigu, it is necessary to check the troops' preparation to carry out tasks as intended in armed conflicts of varying intensity and crisis situations.

"It is necessary to pay special attention to mobilization component of the Armed Forces, as well as to the condition of the reserve units," Shoigu said.

The minister added that the inspection would last for eight days, until June 22.

According to Shoigu, the inspection will also assess how smoothly the army, local authorities and military enlistment offices can organize a field mobile command and control centers.

"Particular attention is paid to the organization of the operational staff for planning the use of troops in various types of crisis situations," the defense minister said.

The practice of having unannounced inspections of combat readiness was revived after Shoigu took the defense minister's office in 2012. In February, the Russian president ordered snap inspections of the country’s Central Military District. During the inspections, the troops were carrying out various drills to test their combat readiness. The checks also assessed the airborne forces' readiness for long-distance missions and landing in unfamiliar terrain.

Some 100 military units delivered to Russian military base in Tajikistan

http://tass.ru/en/defense/881741

A military official says about 100 new armored personnel carriers and tanks with increased firepower, improved crew protective system delivered to the base

YEKATERINBURG, June 14. /TASS/. About 100 new armored personnel carriers and tanks have been delivered under the state defense order to the units of Russia’s 201st military base stationed in Tajikistan, Yaroslav Roshchupkin, an aide to the commander of the Central Military District of Russia, reported on Tuesday.

"Within the planned rearmament, about 100 units of new equipment, mostly the BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, as well as more than 10 T-72B1 tanks, have been delivered to the 201st military base. The exact number is not disclosed. The new armored vehicles have increased firepower, improved crew protective system and new communication systems", Roshchupkin said.

The military equipment was delivered to Tajikistan by special trains that traveled more than 6,000 km. "Helicopter and unmanned aviation units, logistics, engineering and medical support units, as well as military police personnel were receiving the armored vehicles", the official added.

Crews of the combat vehicles had undergone retraining in Russia in advance, and additional training was organized at the Sambuli range in Tajikistan. "The same number of units of the combat equipment earlier versions was taken from Tajikistan to Russia by return trains," he said.

The 201st military base is Russia’s largest foreign military facility. It is stationed in the Dushanbe and Kurgan-Tyube garrisons.

Russia Has Just Launched Its First New Military Icebreaker in 45 Years

http://russia-insider.com/en/russia-has-just-launched-its-first-new-military-icebreaker-45-years/ri14942

Originally appeared at The Diplomat

http://thediplomat.com/2016/06/russia-launches-first-new-military-icebreaker-in-45-years/

Russia has about 40 of these ships, the US has 2

Last week, Russia floated its first new military icebreaker in half a century, TASS news agency reports http://tass.ru/en/defense/881283. The 6,000-ton Project 21180 diesel-electric icebreaker Ilya Muromets was launched during a ceremony held at the Admiralty Wharves Shipyard in St. Petersburg on June 10.

The Ilya Muromets is expected to be inducted into the Russian Navy in 2017, the CEO of the Admiralty Wharves Shipyard, Alexander Buzakov, said during the ceremony. “Today, after a five-year break, we’re floating out a new vessel – a supply ice-breaker with large functional capabilities. Symbolically, the nuclear-powered ice-breaker Lenin was laid down at this slipway 60 years ago,” Buzakov added.

Furthermore, Buzakov said that in 2016 “new ships will be laid down at this slipway for their use in the Arctic zone.” Two arctic corvettes, armed with cruise missiles, capable of acting as icebreakers are expected to enter service with the Russian Navy by 2020.

Russia operates a fleet of 40 icebreakers and is working on adding about a dozen new ships over the next couple of years. I explained previously (See: “Russia and China in the Arctic: Is the US Facing an Icebreaker Gap?”):

Out of the 40 around 27 are ocean-going icebreakers, some of which are nuclear-powered. Russia is also planning to introduce a new class of super-nuclear icebreakers, by the end of 2020. According to Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Rogozin, the layout of the new vessel, purportedly capable of cutting through 13-feet-thick ice sheets, will be presented by the end of 2015.

The Ilya Muromets could be the lead ship of a new class of icebreakers, depending on how well the vessel will do perform in service. The 6,000-ton ship is 85-meter (280-feet) long and can purportedly break through a meter of ice. It can traverse the entire 5,600 kilometer (3,500 mile) length of the Northern Passage and can operate autonomously for up to 60 days, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The icebreaker will have a crew of 35.

As I explained in January, (See: “Russia and China in the Arctic: Is the US Facing an Icebreaker Gap?”), the United States is facing a shortage in Arctic icebreakers:

The United States currently operates two polar icebreakers: the Polar Star and the Healy. However, only the Polar Star is a heavy icebreaker capable of accessing all of the Arctic year-round. (The Polar Star’s sister ship, the Polar Sea, had a major engine breakdown in 2010 and has not been operational ever since.) Furthermore, the Polar Star, commissioned in 1976, is slated to reach the end of its operational lifespan in 2020.

As a consequence, the White House pledged its support in helping acquire additional ships in September 2015. There are, however, two major obstacles that first need to be overcome as I noted:

First, it [the U.S. Government] would need to find a way to circumvent the standard acquisition approach that would take the Coast Guard about ten years to build a new ship. (…) Second, the U.S. Coast Guard is facing severe budgetary constraints. The money ($1 billion) it would need to kick-start the development and construction of a new icebreaker is equivalent to the entire acquisitions budget of the Coast Guard for 2015, and it is highly unlikely that the service branch will receive additional funds in fiscal year 2016.

Russia, meanwhile, is planning to expand the number of its Arctic military bases and is even considering re-establishing an Arctic air force. In fact, the increase in the number of Russian military bases in the Arctic is one reason for the expansion of Russia’s icebreaker fleet, given that most supplies to the new outposts need to be ferried aboard icebreakers.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

NATO to deploy troops to Romania as part of eastward expansion

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/14/470439/NATO-Romania-Jens-Stoltenberg-Baltic

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) says it will send units to Romania as part of plans to expand its presence in Eastern Europe, a source of controversy with Russia.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the decision on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of the Western military alliance’s defense ministers in the Belgian capital, Brussels, on Tuesday.

Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO would take up an offer by Romania to deploy forces in the eastern European country, without elaborating on the number of troops.

The development comes a month after the alliance formally opened a missile shield base in Romania, prompting Russia to say that it will take counter-measures against what it denounced as a threat to its security.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the NATO chief noted that despite the build-up of troops, the military bloc avoids tensions with Russia.

"We convey a very strong message about that we don't seek confrontation with Russia. We don't want a new cold war and we will continue to strive for a more constructive and cooperative relationship with Russia,” he said.

Stoltenberg further emphasized that the alliance will formally approve the deployment of four "robust" multinational battalions in Poland as well as the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia.

"We will take decisions on a tailored presence for the southeast region, with a land element built around a multinational framework brigade in Romania," he said.

This unit will "organize and facilitate NATO activities in the region related to exercises and also assurance measures," he added.

The four battalions, which would tour through Eastern Europe and conduct drills with national troops, are likely to number 2,500-3,000 troops combined with the small force designed to act as a tripwire, according to diplomatic sources.

NATO has stepped up its military build-up near Russia’s borders since it suspended all ties with Moscow in April 2014 after the Black Sea Crimean Peninsula re-integrated into the Russian Federation following a referendum.

Moscow has repeatedly repudiated NATO’s expansion near its borders, saying such a move poses a threat to both regional and international peace.

Last month, NATO formally invited Montenegro to become its 29th member, forcing the Kremlin to warn that the decision risked fueling geopolitical tensions across Europe.

US Multiple Rocket Launchers Delivered to Estonia for Saber Strike Drills

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160614/1041324619/us-rocjet-launchers-estonia.html

Two US M124 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) were delivered to Estonia on Tuesday to participate in the ongoing Saber Strike military drills, the Estonian Defense Forces said.

TALLINN (Sputnik) – Military exercises dubbed Saber Strike 2016 started on Monday at Estonia's Tapa training base. Over 10,000 service personnel from 13 NATO and partner nations are taking part in the drills. Participating nations include the three Baltic states, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"This morning for the first time two US rocket batteries M124 HIMARS have arrived at Tallinn airport to participate in the Saber Strike [drills]…" the Estonian Defense Forces said in a statement.

The aim of using the HIMARS multiple rocket launchers is to boost military cooperation between the allies as well as training Estonian soldiers, according to Maj. Patrick Vardaro, who is a staff officer with the US 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

"The rocket complexes will participate in shootings at the central range of the [Estonian] Defense Forces. Special attention will be paid to exchange of information between us and the allies as well as to directing fire procedures," he said.

Kremlin says Russia to take steps if NATO deploys new battalions in Eastern Europe

http://tass.ru/en/politics/881801

The Defense Ministry concerned over the situation near Russia's borders, ready to take measures to protect the country's interests and security

MOSCOW, June 14. /TASS/. Russia will take the necessary measures to protect its security, if NATO deploys four new battalions in Eastern Europe, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

"The Defense Ministry and the other agencies concerned naturally keep track of the changes in the location of foreign armed forces near our borders. They analyze all these movements and changes in the contingents and, certainly, take the necessary measures to perform their functions, such as the protection of Russia’s interests and security," Peskov said.

Below the Radar: Russia's S-400, S-500 Set to Become Invisible to Enemies

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160614/1041287832/russia-s400-s500-invisibility.html

In an age when stealth is the game-changing capability everyone aspires to achieve, Russia's top-of-the-line air defense systems, the S-400 and the S-500, will receive an upgrade that will allow them to hide from enemy satellites, spy planes and radars, Izvestiya newspaper reported, citing an anonymous source in the Russian Defense Ministry.

The S-400 Triumf with the NATO designation SA-21 Growler and the S-500 Prometey, also known as the 55R6M Triumfator-M, will become undetectable thanks to a special container that will also be used to shield mobile command centers, air defense systems, radar stations and other hardware with complex electronic equipment.

"We plan to receive containers designed for the S-500 and other cutting-edge air- and missile-defense systems among other things this year," the source, who is involved in creating electronic warfare systems, said.

These containers or shelters, the source added, differ in length and mass. They could be installed on the chassis or transported by trucks and trains. Some of the containers have already entered mass production, while other types are currently being tested.

"Some of the containers will only have room for the equipment, while others will be able to house personnel," the source detailed.

Defense officials in Russia place particular emphasis on stealth because other countries have drastically improved their surveillance capabilities in the last two decades.

"The Pentagon has been actively developing reconnaissance systems that are capable of detecting so-called side electromagnetic interference (EMI) since early 1990s. They have land-based and aerial surveillance equipment, but spy satellites are considered to be the most efficient," the source explained.

Side EMI is produced by any functioning electronic equipment whenever it is on, from lightbulbs to major radar facilities, defense analyst Dmitry Kornev told Izvestiya. Once intercepted, the side EMI will give away the location, the type of the equipment and possibly its purpose.

The United States operates the so-called Mentor, also known as Orion or Advanced Orion, spy satellites that collect radio emissions (signals intelligence or SIGINT) from geostationary orbits during their highly classified missions. Since 1995, the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has launched at least five reconnaissance satellites of this type into space. They are equipped with large radio reflecting dishes believed to be approximately 100 meters in diameter.

In addition, the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft is outfitted with a SIGINT Senior Glass system. The suite was first tested in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.

Russia's new containers have special coating and equipment that prevents side EMI from escaping outside.

There is an additional bonus to using the new "invisibility cloaks" for Russia's high-end hardware.

"Electronic equipment from complex communications systems and radar stations interferes with hardware located nearby and has adverse health effects. We have to position the equipment in a way that takes potential conflicts into account, but this is not always possible," the source detailed. "New containers will make this task easier."

The Russians Have Already Shot Down Numerous US Drones Violating Crimean Airspace

http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/russians-have-shot-down-numerous-us-drones-violating-crimean-airspace/ri14963

And one of them, the mother of all drones, the massive Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, was apparently commandeered by Russian electronic warfare and landed in Simferopol

The war you don’t hear about: numerous American military aircraft (albeit of the unmanned variety, though with the possibility of being armed and dangerous) have apparently been violating Russian airspace, leading to the Russians shooting - yes, shooting - them down following the refusal of the Americans to acknowledge Russian diplomatic notes of protest.

The military violation of the territory, including the airspace, of a sovereign state is ordinarily taken to be a casus belli - an act of war.

https://youtu.be/_taR2VcKQKY

But to be fair to the Americans, they may justify their belligerent behavior, flagrantly refusing to respect Russia’s sovereignty, on the basis that they do not recognize Crimea to be a part of Russia. Therefore, they do not recognize any violation of the airspace of Russia as having taken place. Rather, they would contend that the American aircraft in question were flying within the sovereign territory of Ukraine, with the permission of the government with the only legitimate authority to grant, and refuse, such permission, namely the government of Ukraine.

Nevertheless the Russians have made it clear that they consider Crimea to be a sovereign part of Russia. The Russians have made diplomatic protests over what they see as violation of their territory. The Americans have ignored them. The Russians have therefore shot down - and in one case commandeered and landed - these aircraft making incursions into their sovereign territory.

An act of war has been committed by America against Russia; and if you accept the American position, an act of war has been committed by Russia against both the Ukraine and the United States. Shots have been fired, and the Americans have lost materiel.

Note that these are not exchanges of fire through proxies, as happened throughout the Cold War and is happening now through Syria and in the east of Ukraine. No, these are two nuclear-armed powers already in the process of shooting at each other!

Are we already in the opening stages of World War III? How many minutes to midnight is the nuclear clock? May God help us all.

Baltic Fleet escort ship to team up with Russia’s Mediterranean naval task force

http://tass.ru/en/defense/881824

Last weekend, The Yaroslav Mudry made a stopover at Malta’s port to stock up on fuel, water and food supplies for its voyage

KALININGRAD, June 14. /TASS/. An escort ship of Russia’s Baltic Fleet has set sail to join a naval task force in the Mediterranean Sea, fleet spokesman Vladimir Matveyev announced on Tuesday.

"The Yaroslav Mudry will be carrying out its assigned mission as part of the Russian Navy’s permanent task force in the Mediterranean," Matveyev said.

The ship left the Baltic Fleet’s main base on June 1st, with its voyage on the Russian Navy’s routine combat training schedule.

Last weekend, The Yaroslav Mudry made a stopover at Malta’s port to stock up on fuel, water and food supplies for its voyage.

On June 12, the Russian ambassador to Malta, Vladimir Malygin visited the ship to congratulate the crew in honor of the national public holiday, Russia Day.

Defense Ministry informs foreign attaches of snapchecks in Russian army

http://tass.ru/en/defense/881873

Snapchecks will be held between June 14 and 22

MOSCOW, June 14. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry has notified foreign military attaches as well as parties to the 2011 Vienna Document through channels of the OSCE European security agency about the start of a snap inspection of the Russian Armed Forces, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that a surprise combat readiness inspection was announced in the Russian Armed Forces at 07:00 am on Tuesday by the decision of the country’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Vladimir Putin. The inspection will involve a number of equipment storage bases, as well as separate bodies of military administration.

"On the instructions of Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu, information has been sent to the offices of military attaches at the foreign embassies, accredited at the Russian military agency, as well as through OSCE channels to all countries participants of the 2011 Vienna Document on confidence-and security-building measures, notifying them about surprise checks at some arms and hardware storage bases as well as separate bodies of military administration due between June 14 and 22," Anatoly Antonov said.

He noted that provisions of the Vienna Document did not apply to these checks, but the Russian side "has provided the above information in the spirit of goodwill".

"This confirms a bid of the Russian Defense Ministry to develop free-will transparency and confidence-building measures," the deputy minister said.

Churkin said the UN did not discuss the issue of strengthening NATO's activity in the borders of the Russian Federation

http://ria.ru/world/20160614/1447491650.html

MOSCOW, June 14 -. RIA Novosti The United Nations does not discuss the issue of strengthening the activity of NATO and Russian borders and growing in connection with the dissatisfaction on the part of Moscow, said on Tuesday Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin.

"No, do not discuss it is not the subject of UN discussions let in Brussels that will be engaged in my Brussels colleague, Ambassador to NATO, you are often talking -... I think he's details will tell you about this issue," - said Churkin, the TV channel " Russia 24 ".

NATO's relations with Russia deteriorated in March 2014, against the annexation of Crimea to Russia. At the same time work was suspended NATO-Russia Council, which held its first meeting only in April. Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier that the Russian Federation for anybody is not a threat, but not disregard the actions of potentially dangerous for its interests.

In May 2015 NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said that the number of exercises and patrols on the eastern borders of NATO will be increased and that is planning a major "strengthening of the alliance since the" Cold War "in the light of the security threats to the bloc member states on the eastern and southern borders. Stoltenberg has repeatedly He said that NATO is not seeking a confrontation with Russia.

Earlier, NATO stated on the activity of Russian VKS in European airspace, particularly over the Baltic Sea. Commander videoconferencing Russian Colonel-General Viktor Bondarev called such news reports "surge" designed to distract attention from the increasing NATO forces close to the borders of Russia.

Russian and US Diplomats, Military Staying in Touch on Anti-Daesh Fight

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160614/1041321898/russia-us-daesh-fight.html

Russian and US military as well as diplomats are staying in touch on combating Daesh terrorist group, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — He added that Russian and US ministers had never before had as mush contacts as they had then.

"In addition to well-known contacts between the military, talks between [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov and [US State Secretary John] Kerry held almost every day are even more notable," Ushakov told journalists.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry have been regularly holding phone conversations on the situation in Syria.

On June 13, Lavrov and Kerry discussed possible interaction in the fight against terrorism in Syria.

Syria: ISIL Withdraws from more Positions near Manbij

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950325001009

The SDF fighters struck the ISIL strongholds in Northern side of the town of Manbij and pushed the Takfiri terrorists back from the village of Hatabat and its surrounding farms.

The ISIL left behind at least eight members dead and several more wounded and fled the battlefront under the heavy fire of the SDF fighters.

Military sources also announced that the SDF fighters have engaged in an intense battle with the ISIL from several directions, including the village of Qanat al-Qarreh South of Manbij, to approach the town's entrances.

Earlier reports said today that the SDF, comprising mainly of Kurdish fighters, won more clashes against the ISIL near the strategic town of Manbij in Northeastern Aleppo and captured more territories in the region.

The SDF fighters pushed the ISIL back from the villages of Sahneh al-Kabireh, Saeediyeh, Saqireh and Um al-Satah near Mabij, which not only ended in the killing or wounding of tens of the militants but destroyed their military equipment in large scale.

200,000 Captagon tablets seized in Homs

http://sana.sy/en/?p=80166

Homs, SANA – The authorities in Homs seized on Tuesday a large amount of Captagon tablets which were hidden inside a truck traveling on the Homs-Damascus Highway.

In a statement to SANA, a source at Homs province said that a patrol chased the truck on the Homs-Damascus Highway, arrested the driver, and confiscated 200,000 Captagon tablets.

The stated added that the tablets were hidden inside boxes containing electrical equipment, and that the truck was bound for Damascus, adding that investigation is still under way to uncover the source of the drugs and the identities of the people involved in this case.

Terrorist cell members arrested in Jbab village in Daraa countryside

http://sana.sy/en/?p=80178

Daraa, SANA – Authorities in Daraa arrested the members of a terrorist cell in Jbab village in the northern countryside of the province.

A source at the province said in a statement to SANA’s reporter that the terrorist cell consists of 11 terrorists who committed acts of murder and abduction and facilitated transferring arms, munitions, and money to terrorist organizations.

The terrorist cell also smuggled motorcycles to the terrorists who are fortified in al-Lajjat area in the eastern countryside of the province, in addition to making explosive devices, according to the source.

Terrorist Mahmoud Abu Hawwa, nicknamed Mahmoud Darweesh, the leader of the cell, confessed to killing five locals from Jbab and admitted that the cell is linked to the terrorist groups known as al-Farouq brigade, Amoud Houran, Ajnad al-Sham, and al-Rahman brigades.

He also confessed to facilitating the transfer of arms, ammunition, and money transfer to terrorist groups in exchange for large sums of money, in addition to cooperation with terrorist groups positioned in al-Lajjat, Shaara, Busra al-Hareer, Busra al-Sham, and Tafas areas.

The members of the terrorist cell were sent to the judicial authorities for prosecution.

Lebanese Army attacks Nusra in Jaroud Arsal

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/lebanese-army-attacks-nusra-jaroud-arsal/

The Lebanese Army carried out a new assault against the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” in the ‘Arsal Barrens on Tuesday, killing a large number of terrorists in the process.

According to a Lebanese Army communique, their armed forces reportedly concentrated on Jabhat Al-Nusra’s positions near the Jaroud Rankous crossing into Syria.

The Lebanese Army has recently stepped up their military operations along the Syrian border-crossing as part of their new initiative to halt the spread of weapons in Lebanon; it has produced successful results.