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

[sToRmR1dR]

US, Allies Primarily Responsible for Situation in Syria, Region – Putin

https://sputniknews.com/politics/201610121046274364-putin-interview-tf1/

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given an interview to French TV-channel TF1. During that interview, President Putin talked about such issues as the situation in Syria, canceling his visit to Paris, and other topics.

The United States and its allies are overall primarily responsible for the situation in Syria, while accusations with respect to Russia are "political rhetoric," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"I would say that this is political rhetoric which has no common sense and is not taking the real situation into account," Putin said, speaking of the west accusing Russia of bombing Aleppo.

I am deeply convinced that the responsibility for the situation in the region as a whole and Syria in particular lies on our Western partners, primarily of course the United States and its allies," Putin told the TF1 television channel.

When talking about the attack on the aid convoy in Aleppo, President Putin said that Russia was ready to ensure the security of a humanitarian convoy heading to Aleppo via Castello Road jointly with US servicemen, but Washington refused.

"We got an offer that our armed forces, the servicemen of the Russian army, stand on this road and ensure security… I said no, we shall do it, but only with the US side, offer it to them. They refused straight away, they do not want to stand [there], they do not want to pull back military units of these opposition terrorist groups," Putin told the TF1 television channel.

On Refugee Crisis

Accusations that Russia is responsible for the mass outflow of people from Syria because of its military operation there are completely groundless, as this process commenced long before Russia became active in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

On Sunday, US Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton claimed that many people had to leave Syria because of alleged Russian aggression.

"Any accusations that Russia is allegedly to blame in the refugee issue are completely groundless," Putin told the TF1 television channel.

According to the president, the issue emerged long before Russia’s presence in Syria.

"The massive outflow of people from this huge territory in the Middle East, even in Africa, in Afghanistan, it began long before our active actions in Syria," Putin said.

Speaking of the humanitarian situation in Syria’s Aleppo, the Russian president stressed that militants could not be allowed to use people as a human shield.

"We cannot allow them to blackmail the whole world when they are taking hostages, killing, beheading. If you want to finish the job of fighting terrorism, then they should be fought," Putin said.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Putin's interview to French TV-channel TF1:

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/53081

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Mutual support, economy on agenda at upcoming meeting between Russian, Chinese PMs

http://tass.com/politics/906188?_ga=1.166373819.428721801.1475907383

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Premier of the Chinese State Council Li Keqiang will hold a meeting in November

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Premier of the Chinese State Council Li Keqiang will discuss strengthening international cooperation and mutual political support at the 21st regular meeting of the heads of governments of Russia and China scheduled for November, Gui Congyou, Director General of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of European-Central Asian Affairs, told journalists on Thursday.

"I want to note four main spheres for discussion at the upcoming meeting. Firstly, it is strengthening mutual political support. Secondly, expansion of economic cooperation. Thirdly, humanitarian exchange, and fourthly, strengthening coordination on the global arena," Gui said.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said earlier that Medvedev and Li will meet on November 7-8 in St. Petersburg. One of the issues on the agenda will be preparation of the agreement on creating a large Eurasian economic partnership, which may bring together the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), India, China, Pakistan, and other countries that are willing to join.

The first stage of the agreement will be the bilateral agreement between Russia and China, or between EAEU and China, that envisages establishing a free trade zone. Such agreement may be signed in the next two years, Shuvalov said.

Trade turnover between Russia and China slightly growing

http://tass.com/economy/906187?_ga=1.123880975.428721801.1475907383

In 2015, trade turnover between Russia and China fell by 27.8% to $64.2 billion

The trade turnover between Russia and China has grown by 0.4% in the annual terms to $50.27 billion over the first three quarters of 2016, the Chinese General Administration of Customs said in a report released on Thursday.

Russian export to China has grown by 7.1% over the same period to $26.98 billion while import decreased by 6.4% to $23.3 billion.

In 2015, trade turnover between Russia and China fell by 27.8% to $64.2 billion.

Chinese export to Russia fell by 34.4% to $32.9 billion last while import of Russian goods decreased by 19.1% to $31.4 billion.

Russian Embassy in Damascus Shelled From Rebel-Held Areas

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610131046285354-russian-embassy-damascus-shelled/

Moscow strongly condemns the shelling of the Russian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, from rebel-held areas, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

Mortar fire struck the area surrounding the embassy on Wednesday, October 12, without hurting any of the diplomatic staff, the ministry said.

"We strongly condemn the latest terrorist attack on the Russian diplomatic mission," it stressed.

The ministry specified that one shell detonated near the embassy's checkpoint and another near the entrance to the consular section in the course of two-hour mortar fire from the rebel-held district of Jobar.

"As a result of the shelling, the territory of the embassy complex was showered with shrapnel. None of the Russian staff was hurt. Material damage is being evaluated," the ministry said.

Russian Aircraft Carrier heads to Syria (Photos)

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-aircraft-carrier-heads-syria/

Yesterday, the Russian Aircraft Carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, began its long journey to the Syrian port-city of Tartous, carrying dozens of attack helicopters and fighter jets.

"Admiral Kuznetsov reportedly has about 15 fighters Su-33 and MiG-29K/KUB and more than ten helicopters Ka-52K, Ka-27 and Ka-31’ that will deliver strikes against militants in Syria from the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea," according to a report from the South Front.

Several photos were taken by a Russian Marine on the aircraft carrier; these were obtained by Al-Masdar News on Wednesday night.

The Admiral Kuznetsov will reportedly be deployed to Syria for a duration of 5 months before.

 

[Thebull]

I was looking for the thread that someone posted on the other day when Andrew Mitchell the MP for Sutton Coldfield was suggesting that the Russian actions in Syria compared to Nazi Atrocities. I think in the same debate Boris Johnson said there should be demonstrations outside the Russian embassy. I couldn't find that the post so if you think this post should be moved please do.

I wanted to comment that this week in the U.K The rhetoric about the siege in Aleppo has gone up to another level. I think it's at the same level of the previous chemical attacks when the western powers were pushing for military intervention. Sky news is having a day of one sided nauseating coverage highlighting the crimes of the Russians and Assad and calling on something to be done. Usual coverage with horrific pictures of children and a particular interview with an injured little girl callling for Assad to stop the bombing pulling on our heart strings. Of course the war is tragic and I feel for all these people and children but it's going beyond a joke listen to this now. The west can't directly intervene as it means a confrontation with Russia so what are they mentally preparing us for now something is in the air and I don't like it. Or is it just further demonisation of the Big Russian bear. It's becoming draining to listen to it all now as nothing actually ever changes and with the psychopaths in charge nothing can.

 

[Carl]

Check out the comments on this daily mail article. The headline itself is startling enough from a mainstream source:


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3833941/Russia-orders-officials-fly-home-relatives-living-abroad-tensions-mount-prospect-global-war.html
Russia orders all officials to fly home any relatives living abroad, as tensions mount over the prospect of a global war

"the west is wrong on this one,,,trying to overthrow assad by backing the rebels is wrong causing and prolonging mass deaths, we should have learnt from regime change in lybia and iraq....these countries are not ready for democracy"

"Putin is the only leader really fighting ISIS. America and France should shut their mouths and side with him on this. The world would be a lot safer without ISIS and the nut job religion."

"We need to know the real reason that Assad must be removed. Syria was the safest place for different religious groups who lived well together, all that has been destroyed, why? The whole of the middle east is in turmoil of horrific proportions to 'save the people from their leaders' who have been removed one by one; look at it now. What is going on?"

The tide is turning. I doubted that I would ever live to see such times, but here we are. Around 1 year since Putin's big move and the West is finished...

 

[goyacobol]

Check out the comments on this daily mail article. The headline itself is startling enough from a mainstream source:


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3833941/Russia-orders-officials-fly-home-relatives-living-abroad-tensions-mount-prospect-global-war.html
Russia orders all officials to fly home any relatives living abroad, as tensions mount over the prospect of a global war

"the west is wrong on this one,,,trying to overthrow assad by backing the rebels is wrong causing and prolonging mass deaths, we should have learnt from regime change in lybia and iraq....these countries are not ready for democracy"

"Putin is the only leader really fighting ISIS. America and France should shut their mouths and side with him on this. The world would be a lot safer without ISIS and the nut job religion."

"We need to know the real reason that Assad must be removed. Syria was the safest place for different religious groups who lived well together, all that has been destroyed, why? The whole of the middle east is in turmoil of horrific proportions to 'save the people from their leaders' who have been removed one by one; look at it now. What is going on?"

The tide is turning. I doubted that I would ever live to see such times, but here we are. Around 1 year since Putin's big move and the West is finished...

I do think the tide is turning but we still have to "wait and see". I see many others who see what is going on when I post on Twitter. I didn't really enjoy being on Twitter at first but now I see that even if we only "preach to the choir", the choir learns to sing better and others may hear the song and join in. I follow others when I notice that they are seeing the same things and it works both ways.

It does make me feel more hopeful but there is still much work to be done, if you consider flapping "butterfly wings" to be work, which seems to be a very small/weak effort on our part. :/

 

[goyacobol]

While we are kind of in limbo on the Syrian situation. I am thinking about the silence on the Zionist front (which seems to always hide in the shadows). I don't know how the "timeline" shift will affect this piece of the puzzle but every once in awhile I look for related news about Palestine.

Session 24 September 2001

Q: (L) What is the purpose of this control; this increasing control.
A: Preparation for war in Palestine.
Q: (L) But nobody has said anything about having a war in Palestine. They're all talking about having a war in Afghanistan. How does Palestine fit in here?
A: It is the ultimate objective of Israel.
Q: (L) Why would they want to have war in their own country? Well, aside from the fact that they've been having a war in their own country for a long time. I guess they want to bring it to a final conclusion. What is going to be the result of this plan?
A: Destruction of Jews.
Q: (L) Well obviously this is not what THEY are planning, is it?
A: No.
Q:(L) They are planning destruction of Palestinians, right?
A: Yes.
Q: (L) It seems that through out history whenever the Jews have plotted and planned to destroy somebody, they are the ones who have ended up being destroyed themselves. Or am I misreading my history here?
A: No.

It is the Jews who seem to get blamed for everything sometimes but it is really the Zionist agenda aka 4DSTS that is the unseen problem I think. I hate anti-semitism and hope the wars stop at some point for the sake of Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel Displays Impudence Without Limits By Dr. Mustafa al-Barghouti

Every time I accuse the Israeli Prime Minister with impudence, he becomes more impudent.

He reached a new level of impudence when he demanded the removal of all settlements, which is considered illegal by all international laws – an ethnic cleansing. Natenyahu’s best technique is to lie and repeat lies in order to be believed. This is not a new strategy, as several dictators, fascists, and racist regimes used this method before, but they could not stop the truth from rising.

Everybody knows that the major ethnic cleansing took place in the region by Zionist gangs who forced over 70% of Palestinians to leave their homeland in 1948.

Natenyahu cannot hide the truth of completing this cleansing against Palestinians in the valleys, around Jerusalem, and several areas in Hebron, most known is Susya village.

He also cannot deny that this army destroyed Al-Araqeeb village in Naqab over a hundred times. In addition to that, legions expelled us from the resistance villages like Bab-Shams, Ahfad Younis, Al Manateer, and Win Hijleh, although we built those villages on Palestinian lands.

Natenyahu’s government cannot justify banning people of Iqrit and Made Bir’im from returning to their homes despite them being Israeli nationals. There is no justification for banning people of Lifta, Emmaus, Yalu, and Beirut Nuba from the hope of returning to their destroyed villages.

400 Palestinian villages were destroyed by Israel who still wants to demolish more. This is the most repulsive ethnic cleansing in the 20th century and resulted in over six million Palestinian refugees around the world being prevented from returning.

Natenyahu and the Israeli government can continue describing themselves as the only democracy in the region, and say that it respects Human rights while it is the victim.

However, this doesn’t disclaim the fact that Israel has the most longstanding occupation in recent history, as well as the most racist apartheid regime of this age.

Nevertheless, the historical experience of what happened in Palestine shows that the lax attitude with regards to falsifying history or overlooking it may turn Palestinians from victims into aggressors in the minds of those who are unaware of facts.

The Israeli media and its hermetic control helps in falsifying history, as it turns any lie told by Natenyahu or his minsters into propaganda and spreads it all over the world. Two days ago, I had a look into a well-made handbook delivered to every Israeli passenger at the airport.

It includes a very aggressive attack on the BDS movement and accuses it of anti-semetism. It also accuses the Palestinians of corruption and terrorism as they fail at every attempt to attain peace.

The handbook invited every Israeli passenger to be a spokesman of the spread of propaganda in order to blacken the reputation of Palestinians, no matter to what party they belong to. The shameful thing is that the author is Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid from the opposition, who claims to be moderate.

In fact, we are facing a propagandist war against every Palestinian, and we have no choice but to stop it by confrontation and spreading the Palestinian version that relies on facts and information. This can only achieve success if it its governed by an organized awareness campaign.

(This article was published in Arabic by Safed. It was translated into English by The Palestine Chronicle.)

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi is the General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative.

Palestine Today 10 13 2016

Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for Thursday, October, 12, 2016.

Israeli troops and navy ships attack farmers and fishers in Gaza, and in the West Bank Israeli troops kidnap civilians during invasions. These stories, and more, coming up, stay tuned.

Israeli soldiers, stationed on military towers across the border fence, opened fire, on Thursday morning, at several Palestinian homes, and agricultural lands, east of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Damage was reported but no injuries.

Moreover, Israeli navy ships attacked Palestinian fishing boats sailing near the northern Gaza strip shoreline on Thursday morning. The fishing boats were forced to sail back to shore fearing the army attacks.

Elsewhere, Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Thursday at dawn, a young Palestinian man from Silwan town, in occupied East Jerusalem, and released five, who were previously detained, after issuing orders denying them access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The soldiers invaded the family home of Mohammad Shiokhi, 20, searched the property and abducted him. Mohammad is the twin brother of Ali Shiokhi, who was killed by the army on Tuesday evening, October 11, 2016.

Also on Thursday at dawn, Israeli soldiers invaded Nahhalin village and Teqoua’ town, in the West Bank district of Bethlehem, and kidnapped five Palestinians, including three children. The soldiers also invaded Beit Fajjar town, searched homes and threatened collective punishment, locals told media.

In other news, Israeli forces, on Thursday morning, have destroyed a road that leads to a Bedouin community site named Khirbet Hadidiya, in the northern Jordan Valley.

An army bulldozer, accompanied with four military jeeps, broke into the area and destroyed, for the second time, the 2-kilometer-long road leading to the community where 120 citizens are living.

And that’s all for today from the IMEMC News; this was the Thursday, October, 13, 2016, news round-up from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. From more news and updates, please visit our website at www.imemc.org Today’s report has been brought to you by George Rishmawi and me Ghassan Bannoura.

Although there is media silence in the US on most of the Israeli/Palestinian issues others are paying attention it seems.

 

[angelburst29]

Although the battle for one of the major Syrian cities, Aleppo, is not over yet, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has apparently been planning its next major offensive that, an unnamed SAA source said, is likely to take place in the provinces of Idlib, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa. Journalist Evgeny Krutikov assessed potential pros and cons of each option.

After Aleppo: Syria Army Contemplating Its Next Major Offensive in 3 Key Areas
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610131046284638-syria-saa-next-operation/

"All three areas are at the same time extremely appealing and highly risky," he wrote for the Russian newspaper Vzglyad.

Deir ez-Zor The Deir ez-Zor offensive, according to Krutikov, "should have been launched" six months ago, but the SAA opted to free the embattled city of Aleppo. By freeing the province of Deir ez-Zor and lifting the blockade on the city of the same name, the Syrian military will be able to cut Daesh supply routes in eastern Syria, "bringing them on the brink of survival," he explained.

The journalist added that the Deir ez-Zor offensive will also help to mitigate the threat to Palmyra, the world-famous ancient ruins that the SAA freed in late March 2016. In addition, a desert spanning to the borders with Iraq and Jordan as well as fertile lands along the Euphrates will also return under the government control.

Raqqa Krutikov pointed out that the Syrian Arab Army had already tried to mount an offensive on Raqqa, often referred to as the capital of Daesh's caliphate, but that operation was badly organized and poorly executed. Damascus-led forces failed to reach the Euphrates and almost lost Palmyra while retreating.

The Raqqa offensive, according to the journalist, could only be launched after the SAA pushes Daesh out of Deir ez-Zor. Government forces will then be able to redeploy troops to the left shore of the Euphrates and advance north towards Raqqa.

Idlib Krutikov named the Idlib offensive as the key challenge since al-Nusra Front is primarily active in this province. This area is also heavily fortified and well-supplied.

"Despite Ankara's posturing in recent months, Idlib mostly receives assistance from the Turkish territory. There is no lack of food, water, ammunition or money," he said. "This is also where various groups opposed to Damascus are located, a situation that Damascus to a certain extent created."

The journalist warned that Idlib could turn into the next Aleppo in terms of a reaction from the West to a counterterrorism operation in the area. He further said that Idlib is the key province where so-called moderate groups should be decoupled from radical fighters, but added that the United States has been unable to do that.

"In twelve months, government forces slowly breached massive defenses of the militants in the mountain ranges of Latakia and Idlib. This has been primarily achieved due to the assistance of the Russian Aerospace Forces," he said. "Ahead of them lies a valley all the way to the Turkish border. It is hard to say what risks (apart from political ones) a potential offensive to the north holds."

Earlier an unnamed source in the SAA told RIA Novosti that "the most important tasks" for Damascus-led forces were in the provinces of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa and Idlib.

Syrian President Bashar Assad is certain that retaking the city of Aleppo from terrorists would jump start the liberation of other Syrian cities.

Liberating Aleppo Would Lead to Freedom of Other Syrian Cities: Assad
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046316872-aleppo-liberation-syria/

In the past month, Aleppo has been a battlefield between Syrian government forces, jihadists, and numerous opposition groups. The September US-Russia ceasefire deal on Syria collapsed after a week, with Syrian troops renewing their offensive, stating that militant ceasefire violations made the cessation of hostilities impossible.

"From the military, strategic perspective we will not be able to isolate al-Nusra [Jabhat Fatah al Sham]. But it would be a springboard to move towards other cities and to liberate them from terrorists. That’s the importance of Aleppo," Assad told Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda daily.

The Syrian reconciliation minister said that al-Nusra Front terrorists will leave Aleppo only only if the military situation makes them do it.

Nusra Not to Leave Aleppo Unless Military Situation Makes Them – Syrian Minister
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610131046302300-nusra-aleppo-syria/

Members of Jabhat Fatah al Sham (also known as al-Nusra Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra), representing a major part of militants in Syria's Aleppo, will never leave the city unless the military situation makes them retreat, Syrian Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar told Sputnik on Thursday.

"Al-Nusra Front is the main force of militants in Aleppo, although some argue that there are no members of the group in the city. Nusra will not leave Aleppo unless the fighting and critical military situation makes them," Haidar said. Syria's civil war between government forces and a wide range of insurgents, including terrorists opposition forces, has ranged for some five years and has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

A car bomb explosion has killed at least 20 people near a checkpoint along the Turkish-Syrian border.

Car Bomb Near Syria-Turkey Border Kills At Least 20
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610141046314763-syria-car-bomb-azaz/

Dozens more are reportedly injured. Rescue workers rushed injured to a nearby hospital.

The explosion occurred near the Bab al Salam crossing, manned by the Free Syrian Army, near the city of Azaz, according to the Jerusalem Post.

According to Turkish news outlet Haber Turk, the terrorist group Daesh, also known as IS/ISIL, is believed to be behind the attack. This incident comes one week after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a border crossing Atmeh. That blast killed at least 25 people.

Intelligence agencies of the United States and Saudi Arabia plan to allow more than 9,000 Daesh fighters leave the Iraqi city of Mosul and travel to eastern Syria where they will take part in a major offensive to recapture Deir ez-Zor and Palmyra among over things, an unnamed source in military and diplomatic circles in Moscow told RIA Novosti.

Washington and Riyadh 'Plan to Let Daesh Leave Mosul and Move to Syria'
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610131046305859-us-saudi-arabia-daesh/

"American and Saudi intelligence services have reached an agreement to provide all militants a safe passage to leave the city with their families before" Iraqi security forces and their allies launch the operation to free Mosul, he suggested. The matter was ostensibly settled during the preliminary phase of the offensive.

When the Mosul campaign begins, "coalition warplanes will launch airstrikes solely against isolated and abandoned houses within the city," the source noted, adding that these targets have been chosen in coordination with the militants.

Daesh fighters, he said, will then move to Syria. "More than 9,000 Daesh fighters from Mosul will be redeployed to eastern Syria to carry out a large-scale offensive which will involve among other things taking control over Deir ez-Zor and Palmyra," the source detailed.

For Washington, this plan, the source suggested, will be an attempt to diminish Russia's success in Syria. Moscow has been credited with helping the Syrian Arab Army turn the tide of war that has seen Damascus fighting against foreign-sponsored terrorist groups for more than five years.

"Apart from political dividends, the other goal of this operation clearly involves discrediting the achievements of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Surely, this is also an attempt to undermine [Bashar] al-Assad," the source said.

Senior officials at the General Intelligence Directorate, Saudi Arabia's primary intelligence, served as mediators between the US and the militants, the source said, adding that they will also guarantee that Washington delivers on the deal. He explained that a similar idea was previously employed in Fallujah.

Baghdad-led forces freed Fallujah in late June after a three-months-long siege. Political analyst Alexander Perendzhiev doubted that this plan will work. Daesh "has Iraqi roots; Mosul is their stronghold and they will clearly be unwilling to leave Iraq," he told RIA Novosti. "Mosul will probably remain in the hands of terrorists. Some of them will travel to Syria and the rest will pretend that they surrender." The expert further said that the Democrats will try to claim any success in Mosul, whether perceived or real.

 

[goyacobol]

Attack on Mosul: Why It Matters So Much to Turkey

Ahead of the battle to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Daesh, Turkey has refused to withdraw its troops from Iraq, fueling an already heated confrontation with its regional neighbor.

Iraqi troops, supported by US Special Forces on the ground, are expected to begin the battle to liberate Mosul from Daesh this month, and Turkey seems to want be involved too. But the Iraqi government is not so enthusiastic about the uninvited presence of the Turks in the country and does not want Ankara to participate in the assault.

Journalist Alex Christoforou told Radio Sputnik's Brian Becker that Turkey's expansionist mindset could be one of the motives driving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decisions. But, first and foremost, Erdogan's actions are dictated not by Mosul's past as a part of the Ottoman empire but by Ankara's strong need to prevent the establishment of any kind of Kurdish state, he believes.

[Erdogan's] number-one priority right now is really beating back the Kurds," Christoforou said during the Loud & Clear broadcast. "Because we all know that a Kurdish state to the south of Turkey could really mean the fragmentation of the Turkish republic as we know it."

Journalist Alexander Mercouris noted that there are too many complicating factors in the conflict, apart from the Kurdish issue, including the fact that the Erdogan government "has become very much aligned with various Sunni forces" in the region, while the dominant force of the Iraqi government is Shia.

He added that although the US will do everything in its power to calm the conflict, given the opposing factors in play, it is hard to predict how things will play out.

"For the United States…the recapture of Mosul is extremely important. It was the capture of Mosul that really put Daesh on the map internationally," Mercouris said.

"My guess is that the United States is going to be working flat out over the next few weeks to try and resolve these tensions between the Turks and the Iraqis. It will probably persuade the Turks to back off from Mosul…But at the same time I expect the tensions in Iraq, between Iraq and Turkey to continue."

Christoforou emphasized that the fragmentation of Iraq, in which different groups had been able to live together in relative peace, was a "Pandora's box" opened by US intervention.

It's the case of creating chaos in a region which previously had enjoyed a certain stability." Mercouris agreed. "And these people who constantly advocate more war, more interference, more meddling in these regions, really ought to take a hard look at what they have already done."

 

[angelburst29]

Something "fishy" is going on here, anyways, that's the way I'm perceiving this situation. The U.S. Navy has addressed "this failure" with "the most expensive warship ever built" the USS Gerald R. Ford, on two prior occasions. Why keep bringing the subject up? I would think - they should be embarrassed "as Hell" considering they sucked $13 Billion into it? Is this actually "a strategic play" to appear weak - yet under the hood - it's packed with wall to wall "Nuclear accessories"?

During this same time period, after a series of mechanical breakdowns, all US Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) were ordered to "stand down" and ordered ashore, until engineers can review the state-of-the-art vessels and retrain crew members. Why do they have to "re-train" crew members - if it's a mechanical breakdown? Did the crew, build the ship? And all five ..... state-of-the-art Littoral Combat Ships, at the same time? We either have very dumb Sailors or they are retrofitting the ships with something?

With two different types of US military ships sustaining significant engine malfunctions, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has harsh words for the Pentagon’s shipbuilding strategy.

USS Ford Problems Even Worse Than Those of Littoral Combat Ships
https://sputniknews.com/military/201610131046311328-uss-ford-lcs-mabus/

In June, the $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford, the most expensive warship ever built, experienced an electrical explosion in its second main turbine generator. This forced debris into the turbine, causing damage to the ship’s engines. A similar incident occurred one month later.

But the USS Ford is only one of the Navy’s problems. In the last 15 months, five of the Navy’s state-of-the-art Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) have broken down.

Addressing these failures, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus had different explanations for the problems in each ship type.

"The Ford is a textbook example of how not to build a ship," he told reporters, according to Breaking Defense.

"[We were] building it while it’s still being designed [and] trying to force too much new and unproven technology on it."

On the LCS program, Mabus was more forgiving. When asked if the Littoral Combat Ship’s failings were also "textbook," he said, "No."

"Every time you start a new class of ship…you’re going to have issues. LCS gets a lot of attention, but during the first deployment of an LCS to Singapore…it was ready for sea more than the [US] Pacific Fleet average," Mabus said.

"It’s got a lot of attention mainly because it looks different. It is a different kind of ship." Throughout Mabus’ tenure, the Navy’s focus has been on increasing its fleet size. "Quantity has a quality all of its own," he said, adding that the Navy aims to deploy 300 vessels by 2019, and 308 by 2021. "308…is what we’ve been building to," he said.

We are undergoing a force structure assessment right now. The CNO [Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson] said during hearings last year that he would bet a paycheck that the number is going up. I’m happy to bet the CNO’s paycheck too.

The exploding generators are just one of several problems facing the Ford, repeatedly forcing delays to the ship’s delivery date.

"We continue to look for opportunities to get Gerald R. Ford to sea as soon as possible," Capt. Thurraya Kent, a spokeswoman for the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, earlier this month. "The Navy is evaluating the most cost-effective and efficient schedule to complete sea trials and ship delivery," she said, adding that it "wouldn’t be prudent" to provide a new delivery date estimate.

After a series of mechanical breakdowns, all US Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) have been ordered to “stand down” until engineers can review the state-of-the-art vessels and retrain crew members.

Stand Down: All US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships Ordered Ashore Pending Review
https://sputniknews.com/military/201609061045033535-lcs-stand-down/

"Due to the ongoing challenges with littoral combat ships, I ordered an engineering stand-down for LCS squadrons and the crews that fall under their command," Vice Adm. Tom Rowden said in a statement, according to Military.com.

 

[bjorb]

Russia’s next-gen strategic stealth bomber may be unveiled in 2018
https://www.rt.com/news/362724-russian-next-gen-strategic-bomber/

Russia’s next-generation strategic bomber, known as the PAK-DA, may be unveiled to the public by the end of 2018, the Defense Ministry announced. In the long term, the new stealth bomber is set to replace the current fleet of Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M3.

“There is a high probability that we will see it in 2018,” Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov told journalists during a visit to defence industry facilities in Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday.

The military official added that the PAK-DA (which stands for Prospective Aviation Complex for Long-range Aviation) will reach far beyond any existing long-range strategic bombers.

The PAK-DA project was started in 2009 by the Defense Ministry and the aircraft manufacturer Tupolev. While the work on the next generation bomber is being kept top secret, earlier this year, Long-Range Aviation Commander Lieutenant-General Anatoly Zhiharev, did shed some light on its characteristics.

“This is a fundamentally new plane with a new sighting and navigation system. This plane will be equipped with the latest communication systems and electronic warfare, and will have little visibility to radar,” Zhiharev said.

The plane is expected to be able to cover a range of 6,740 nautical miles and carry around 30-40 tons of weapons including air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles as well as conventional and smart-guided bombs.

The military hopes to fly the first bombers in 2023. But for now, Borisov said, by 2020-21 the Defense Ministry plans to procure around 50 upgraded versions of Tu-160M2 supersonic strategic bombers.

“For now, the baseline number remains the same, but it can be adjusted as we are continuing work on the advanced long-range aviation complex (PAK DA). The current baseline figure for the Tu-160M2 is 50 aircraft,” the Deputy Defense Minister said.

Mainwhile at the F35 camp ...

 

[sToRmR1dR]

President Bashar al-Assad’s interview given to Russia’s Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper

http://sana.sy/en/?p=90442

http://<iframe width="560" height="...HQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Windmill knight]

From Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-options-exclusiv-idUSKCN12D2B2

Exclusive: Obama, aides expected to weigh Syria military options on Friday

By Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay | WASHINGTON

U.S. President Barack Obama and his top foreign policy advisers are expected to meet on Friday to consider their military and other options in Syria as Syrian and Russian aircraft continue to pummel Aleppo and other targets, U.S. officials said.

Some top officials argue the United States must act more forcefully in Syria or risk losing what influence it still has over moderate rebels and its Arab, Kurdish and Turkish allies in the fight against Islamic State, the officials told Reuters.

One set of options includes direct U.S. military action such as air strikes on Syrian military bases, munitions depots or radar and anti-aircraft bases, said one official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

This official said one danger of such action is that Russian and Syrian forces are often co-mingled, raising the possibility of a direct confrontation with Russia that Obama has been at pains to avoid.

U.S. officials said they consider it unlikely that Obama will order U.S. air strikes on Syrian government targets, and they stressed that he may not make any decisions at the planned meeting of his National Security Council.

One alternative, U.S. officials said, is allowing allies to provide U.S.-vetted rebels with more sophisticated weapons, although not shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, which Washington fears could be used against Western airliners.

The White House declined to comment.

Friday's planned meeting is the latest in a long series of internal debates about what, if anything, to do to end a 5-1/2 year civil war that has killed at least 300,000 people and displaced half the country's population.

The ultimate aim of any new action could be to bolster the battered moderate rebels so they can weather what is now widely seen as the inevitable fall of rebel-held eastern Aleppo to the forces of Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

It also might temper a sense of betrayal among moderate rebels who feel Obama encouraged their uprising by calling for Assad to go but then abandoned them, failing even to enforce his own "red line" against Syria's use of chemical weapons.

This, in turn, might deter them from migrating to Islamist groups such as the Nusra Front, which the United States regards as Syria's al Qaeda branch. The group in July said it had cut ties to al Qaeda and changed its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. ANOTHER TRY AT DIPLOMACY

The U.S. and Russian foreign ministers will meet in Lausanne, Switzerland on Saturday to resume their failed effort to find a diplomatic solution, possibly joined by their counterparts from Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran, but

U.S. officials voiced little hope for success.

Friday's planned meeting at the White House and the session in Lausanne occur as Obama, with just 100 days left in office, faces other decisions about whether to deepen U.S. military involvement in the Middle East -- notably in Yemen and Iraq -- a stance he opposed when he won the White House in 2008.

Earlier Thursday the United States launched cruise missiles at three coastal radar sites in areas of Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces, retaliating after failed missile attacks this week on a U.S. Navy destroyer, U.S. officials said.

In Iraq, U.S. officials are debating whether government forces will need more U.S. support both during and after their campaign to retake Mosul, Islamic State’s de facto capital in the country.

Some officials argue the Iraqis now cannot retake the city without significant help from Kurdish peshmerga forces, as well as Sunni and Shi'ite militias, and that their participation could trigger religious and ethnic conflict in the city.

In Syria, Washington has turned to the question of whether to take military action after its latest effort to broker a truce with Russia collapsed last month.

The United States has called for Assad to step down, but for years has seemed resigned to his remaining in control of parts of the country as it prosecutes a separate fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and in Iraq.

The U.S. policy is to target Islamic State first, a decision that has opened it to charges that it is doing nothing to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria and particularly in Aleppo, Syria's largest city.

Renewed bombing of rebel-held eastern Aleppo has killed more than 150 people this week, rescue workers said, as Syria intensifies its Russian-backed offensive to take the whole city.

Anthony Cordesman of Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank suggested the United States' failure to act earlier in Syria, and in Aleppo in particular, had narrowed Obama's options.

"There is only so long you can ignore your options before you don’t have any," Cordesman said.

(Writing By Arshad Mohammed; Additional reporting by John Walcott; editing by Stuart Grudgings)

 

[Beau]

From Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-options-exclusiv-idUSKCN12D2B2

Exclusive: Obama, aides expected to weigh Syria military options on Friday

By Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay | WASHINGTON

U.S. President Barack Obama and his top foreign policy advisers are expected to meet on Friday to consider their military and other options in Syria as Syrian and Russian aircraft continue to pummel Aleppo and other targets, U.S. officials said.

Some top officials argue the United States must act more forcefully in Syria or risk losing what influence it still has over moderate rebels and its Arab, Kurdish and Turkish allies in the fight against Islamic State, the officials told Reuters.

One set of options includes direct U.S. military action such as air strikes on Syrian military bases, munitions depots or radar and anti-aircraft bases, said one official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

They're either foolishly arrogant, or just bluffing. If the US decides to bomb Syrian military positions, they are essentially deciding to go to war against Russia, OR they think that Russia won't actually use their S-300 systems against American aircraft. Maybe they think the Russians are bluffing about protecting the Syrian military and airspace against foreign missiles and want to test it. But it would be foolish to think that Russia is ever bluffing at this point. They have proven that they can be taken at their word. Most likely the American know they have been checkmated in Syria and are just blustering about attacking the Syrian military because that is all that hey can do now - talk. They have no moves left in Syria.

 

[Laura]

Gonna share that on FB with Beau's comment. Ya'll get on my page and start sharing it around.

 

[Joe]

From Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-options-exclusiv-idUSKCN12D2B2

Exclusive: Obama, aides expected to weigh Syria military options on Friday

By Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay | WASHINGTON

U.S. President Barack Obama and his top foreign policy advisers are expected to meet on Friday to consider their military and other options in Syria as Syrian and Russian aircraft continue to pummel Aleppo and other targets, U.S. officials said.

Some top officials argue the United States must act more forcefully in Syria or risk losing what influence it still has over moderate rebels and its Arab, Kurdish and Turkish allies in the fight against Islamic State, the officials told Reuters.

One set of options includes direct U.S. military action such as air strikes on Syrian military bases, munitions depots or radar and anti-aircraft bases, said one official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

They're either foolishly arrogant, or just bluffing. If the US decides to bomb Syrian military positions, they are essentially deciding to go to war against Russia, OR they think that Russia won't actually use their S-300 systems against American aircraft. Maybe they think the Russians are bluffing about protecting the Syrian military and airspace against foreign missiles and want to test it. But it would be foolish to think that Russia is ever bluffing at this point. They have proven that they can be taken at their word. Most likely the American know they have been checkmated in Syria and are just blustering about attacking the Syrian military because that is all that hey can do now - talk. They have no moves left in Syria.

Sounds like more bluffing to me. They tabled the idea of bombing Syrian positions/runways about 2 weeks ago, and....nothing.