"The serious exchange of missile fire between Israel and Syria early Friday morning reflects the Assad regime’s attempts to change the unofficial rules of the game."
Israeli Media Blames Putin For Syria’s Decision to Defend Itself Against Israeli Airstrikes
http://russia-insider.com/en/unreal-israeli-media-blames-putin-syrias-lack-restraint/ri19246
So begins a column published in Israel's Haaretz.
The newspaper is of course referring to the Israeli jets that "breached Syrian air space early in the morning and attacked a military target near Palmyra", apparently in an attempt to "aid" Islamic State forces.
According to reports, it's suspected that the Syrian Army responded to this "breach" by firing off a few S-200 missiles.
This flagrant violation of Israel's right to bomb Syria unmolested "changed the rules of the game", writes Haaretz. What game, and what rules? We will leave those two questions for our readers to ponder.
But Haaretz saves the best pouting for last:
Presumably the Syrian anti-aircraft salvo was a signal to Israel that the regime’s policy of restraint in the face of the airstrikes will not remain as it was. President Bashar Assad’s recent successes – first and foremost the conquest of Aleppo – have seemingly increased the dictator’s confidence. Israel will have to decide whether the operational need – to thwart advanced weapons shipments to Hezbollah – also justifies the possible risk of the downing of an Israeli fighter jet and a broader conflict developing with Syria.
There is an interesting question as to whether the aircraft detection radar system was deployed by Israel’s new great friend, Russia, precisely one week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from Moscow after yet another successful visit to see President Vladimir Putin.
One can imagine that the intelligence community will also be interested to learn whether the Syrian decision to fire back was coordinated with Assad’s collaborators and partners: Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.
Projectile fragments were found in a village in Jordan’s Irbid governorate near the Syrian border on Friday. The fragments may belong to Syrian anti-aircraft missiles that the IDF says either missed their targets or were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) during the latest air raid in Syria.
Missile fragments found in Jordan after Israeli air raid in Syria
https://www.rt.com/in-motion/381235-missile-fragments-israel-strike/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9170Nyau6A (1:39 min.)
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has threatened to destroy Syria's air defense systems if they target the Israeli jets once again.
Escalation Looming? Israel to Crush Syrian Air Defense if Jets Targeted Again
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703191051746758-israel-syria-strikes/
"The next time the Syrians use their air defense systems against our planes we will destroy them without the slightest hesitation. Israel's security is above everything else; there will be no compromise," Lieberman said on Israeli public radio on Sunday.
His remarks come after Israeli warplanes had attacked several targets in Syria overnight on Thursday.
On Friday, Israeli Intelligence and Atomic Energy Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed the attacks saying that it targeted a convoy which was supposedly carrying weapons to the Shiite Hezbollah movement.
"The Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes on a convoy in Syria, carrying a batch of weapons for Hezbollah," Katz said in a statement, distributed by his press service.
The Syrian Army command said in a statement it had downed one of the Israeli Air Force jets that violated its airspace, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied these claims to Sputnik.
The IDF, in turn, said on Friday that it used the advanced Arrow missile defense system to shoot down a Syrian anti-aircraft missile that was fired at an Israeli jet.
"We have no interest in interfering in the Syrian civil war, we are neither for nor against (President Bashar) Assad, and we have no interest in clashing with the Russians," Defense Minister Lieberman said on Sunday.
Our main problem is with the transfer of advanced weapons from Syria to Lebanon. That is why every time we identify an attempt to smuggle game-changing weapons, we will act to thwart it. There will be no compromise on this issue," he added.
"If the IDF does choose to act, there is a solid reason for it," he stated.
On Friday, just one day after the Israeli Ambassador to Russia Gary Koren presented his credentials to President Putin, he was summoned for clarifications over the strikes.
Also on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Israeli air strikes in Syria, making a "rare statement on the matter," according to Israeli media. He defended Israel's right to protect itself from the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah, which Israel classifies as a terrorist organization,
"Israel does not usually confirm or deny individual raids, but it may have been led to do so this time by the circumstances of the incident," Israeli international news TV channel i24 News reported on the issue.
Just as 21WIRE reported last week – the US mainstream media are still black-balling any substantial reporting about US boots on the ground in Syria. Instead, America’s media are obsessing over Trump’s tax returns, various Russian conspiracy theories, and Michael Flynn’s Moscow public speaking engagement in 2015.
BEYOND MISSION CREEP: U.S. Planning to Send 1,000 More Ground Troops into Syria
http://21stcenturywire.com/2017/03/17/beyond-mission-creep-u-s-planning-to-send-1000-more-ground-troops-into-syria/
With this latest Pentagon announcement of an additional 1,000 US troops to Syria, that would bring the total combat deployment to approximately 4,000 inside of Syria.
Considering the amount of media coverage and political debate over the 5,000 US military personnel send to Iraq over the last 3 years – one must ask why the silence in US media about the stealth build-up for a major battle in Raqqa, Syria.
Previously, 21WIRE reported how the United States has sent in combat troops to support YPG fighters (Kurdish People’s Protect Units in Syria) – much to the dismay of Turkey, and to the annoyance of both Russian and Syrian planners. Turkey has been pressing the US to change its strategy for fighting Islamic State in Syria by abandoning the YPG whom it deems as terrorists (in league with the Kurdish PKK in Turkey).
The other aspect of this is being ignored by western media and their legion of panel ‘experts’. There are a number of rival factions and militias being backed by the US besides the Syrian Democratic Forces (comprised of Kurdish YPG). the US-led Coalition have substantial investments in Sunni extremist (terrorist) fighting groups allied under the Al Nusra (al Qaeda in Syria) umbrella. Consider how back in late 2015, the US deployed 5o US Special Forces in Syria as ‘human shields’ – arguably to salvage its ‘rebels’ assets being ravaged by Russian airstrikes.
After the Coalition’s epic loss when Al Nusra-led brigades were driven out of terrorist stronghold in East Aleppo, one must ask if there an element of this in US positioning around Manbij and Raqqa?
With so many stakeholders, the margin for error is extremely thin. The situation is fraught with risks for all parties.
Note by author Patrick Henningsen This is taking place amid a political storm in Washington – as the entire Democratic Party, half the Republican Party and the whole of the US mainstream media are all trying to bring down the Trump Administration. If Raqqa is deemed a success, it will effectively give Trump a win. If it is deemed a disaster, then it will be used to fuel the anti-Trump resistance in the US. If the White House is too desperate for a win, then the prospect of a mistake or miscalculation becomes ever riskier. If a major world war is to be triggered – it could very well happen here.
Clearly, the US and others are planning a massive operation to lay siege to Raqqa, the ISIS stronghold in Syria. However, if the other similar allied operation in Mosul, Iraq is anything to go by, then expect massive civilian casualties in this battle too. The civilian carnage has been mostly censored from mainstream in the US and Europe, the ‘Coalition’ are afraid of the negative public relations backlash in the event that western public received too much negative news about the haphazard operation in Mosul. After early reports of massive civilian casualties in late 2016, it seems that the Pentagon have given the order to mainstream editorial desks to back off on negative reporting. How else can we explain how hundreds, and possibly thousands, of civilians killed in this month alone – has managed to escape any and all media scrutiny?
To underline this matter, yesterday, Human Rights Watch issued two new reports accusing Iraqi troops of using indiscriminate shelling into civilian areas in the fight to liberate Mosul from ISIS control.
Based these recent reports, it’s becoming more clear that US-led Coalition is sacrificing civilians in their objective to target ISIS fighters.To make matters worse, ISIS, like Al Nusra terrorists in Aleppo, have been using Mosul civilians as human shields. The only difference in this comparison is that western media were condemning the Syrian and Russian militaries for their anti-terror operations in Aleppo, while giving a free pass to clear US Coalition atrocities against civilians in Mosul.
Forget about any word from the US State Dept. either – as they run point on the cover-up:
All indications are that Raqqa could be even worse than Mosul. In addition to the civilian death toll for Raqqa, there is also the certainty of another Mosul repeat – a massive exodus of refugees out of the city, and heading somewhere – possibly towards Turkey.
The other conversation which has been
deemed off limits by US and western media – is the fact that this US deployment inside of Syria is completely illegal under every international law, as well as in total violation of the US Constitution. US were not invited by the Syrian government – therefore, like its fellow NATO member Turkey, the US has effectively invaded Syria. US involvement in Syria is now way past mission creep.
In an interview with Sputnik, Middle East expert Abbas Juma heaped scorn on the US for its unsanctioned air strikes in Syria, which have already claimed the lives of scores of civilians and Syrian Army soldiers.
Less-Than-Friendly Fire: US Conducts Too Many 'Mistaken' Airstrikes in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/world/201703181051724303-syria-united-states-air-strikes-civilians/
On Friday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted Syrian activists as saying that that at least 35 people had been killed in a rebel-held area in Syria's Idlib as a result of a US airstrike that hit a mosque.
UK-based Syrian dissident Rami Abdulrahman put the death toll at 42, stressing that most of those killed were civilians. A US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman, for his part, said that the US airstrike carried out in Idlib in northern Syria, did not target nor hit a mosque.
"We did not target any mosques. What we did target was destroyed. There is a mosque within 50 feet of that building that is still standing," Col. John J. Thomas said as cited by the New York Times late on Thursday, adding that the investigation would be conducted to establish whether civilians had been killed or injured by the strike.
Speaking to Sputnik, Abbas Juma said that similar "mistakes" are made by the US and its allies on a regular basis, a fact he believes should be cause for alarm.
"These mistaken air strikes take place very often. Of course, this is a war and this is a battlefield, where anything can happen. But the frequency of such 'mistakes' that lead to dozens of deaths among civilians and Syrian Army soldiers and their allies, is very annoying both to me and other people," he said.
"It seems to me that no one can guarantee that this will not happen again. I suspect that such 'mistakes' will occur regularly," according to Juma.
He also noted that the mainstream media as a rule prefers to shift the blame for similar air strikes to Russia and the Syrian Army, in an apparent bid to demonize the political image of Moscow and Damascus.
"[When such incidents occur] the Western media quickly attacks Russia and they don't care about the fact that half an hour after an incident, there will be thousands of confirmations that it was the US or the terrorists who did it. The main thing is that the 'demonic' background [the scapegoating of Russia and the Syrian Army] has been established. Regrettably, this is how mainstream media currently works," Juma said.
In February, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) said in a monthly report that the US-led coalition airstrikes have resulted in the unintentional deaths of 199 civilians in Iraq and Syria since 2014.
The coalition is still assessing 10 reports of civilian casualties related to separate airstrikes in September, November and December 2016.
The US-led coalition of 68 nations is conducting airstrikes, ground-based attacks and rocket-propelled artillery fire against the Daesh in Syria and Iraq.
The strikes in Iraq are being conducted in support of the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the government of President Bashar Assad or the UN Security Council.
The Russian Defense Ministry has urged a comment from the US after photos of a purported US missile fragment found in the rubble of a bombed Syrian mosque emerged online. The Pentagon denies that their forces hit the mosque.
Russia urges US comment on reports of fatal Syria mosque strike
https://www.rt.com/news/381144-syria-airstrike-usa-russia/
“A photo showing a fragment of an air-to-surface AGM-114 Hellfire missile has emerged. It leaves no chance for the US-led coalition to remain silent as usual and for diplomats to spout anti-Russian rhetoric,” Major-General Igor Konashenkov said Friday.
The airstrike on a mosque in Syria’s Aleppo province happened overnight into Friday, March 17. At least 40 civilians are feared killed.
“I think we should expect comments from the US partners anytime soon,” Konashenkov noted.
South Korean prosecutors allege that two American troops stationed in the country smuggled nine pounds worth of methamphetamine from California using the Army’s postal service.
Busted! US Soldiers Caught with $12M Worth of Crystal Meth in South Korea
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201703171051670019-busted-us-soldiers-millions-meth/
Fri. 17.03.2017 - Two South Korean nationals have also been detained, the law enforcement office said. The operation may also implicate four South Koreans with family members living in the US, Stars and Stripes reported.
One of the troops involved with the case has been indicted but not detained, while the other soldier has been imprisoned, South Korean attorneys said. Both are 19 years old and were part of the 2nd Infantry Division. They have denied the accusations that they violated the Narcotics Control Act.
Some reports suggest that the soldiers were acting on behalf of a separate third party whom officials have yet to track down. The second soldier, who was indicted but not arrested following a local court ruling, allegedly accepted money to help deliver the parcel but did not have knowledge of what was in the boxes of Reese’s Puffs and Honey Snacks.
That soldier was reported to have received the boxes of cereal and given them to another soldier, who then supplied the drugs to a civilian. The prosecution has reason to believe there is intent to distribute in this case.
“It’s the largest amount of drugs found coming through the APO [Army Post Office],” the prosecutor’s office told Stripes. The massive meth seizure could have fed or started the habits of 130,000 people. The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office cooperated with the US military and US Drug Enforcement Agency on the case, according to a statement.
SAN DIEGO — Officers in a burgeoning Navy bribery scandal called themselves the Lion King's Harem, the Wolfpack, the Cool Kids and the Brotherhood. They scouted for others who might also accept sex, trips and other lavish perks from a Malaysian defense contractor known as "Fat Leonard" in exchange for classified information.
Orgies in Manila, lavish perks: Details emerge on US Navy bribery scandal
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/03/15/1681369/orgies-manila-lavish-perks-details-emerge-us-navy-bribery-scandal
Wed. March 15, 2017 - Allegations outlined in an indictment unsealed in San Diego on Tuesday give more details in the
3-year-old scandal that had appeared to be fading before re-emerging even bigger and more sordid than before.
Nine current and former military officers were charged in the latest indictment, including a recently retired rear admiral who collected foreign intelligence for the Navy's Seventh Fleet.
Party with prostitutes in Manila - It gives an extensive list of bribes to the officers from 2006 to 2012 from Leonard Francis in exchange for classified shipping schedules and other information to help his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia. In one example, a party with prostitutes at the Manila Hotel's MacArthur Suite during a 2007 port call to the Philippines included sex acts using historic MacArthur memorabilia.
One meal during a 2006 port visit to Hong Kong cost $20,435. A dinner during a port call to Singapore that year featured foie gras, oxtail soup, cognac that cost about $2,000 a bottle and cigars at $2,000 a box.
Prosecutors say Francis, who is nicknamed Fat Leonard for his wide girth, bilked the Navy out of nearly $35 million, largely by overcharging for his company's services supplying Navy ships in the Pacific with food, water, fuel and other necessities.
Navy officers provided classified information to Francis that helped him beat competitors and, in some instances, commanders steered ships to ports in the Pacific where his company could charge fake tariffs and fees, prosecutors said.
The latest indictment raises the number of current and former officials charged to 20 in one of the Navy's worst corruption scandals. Bruce Loveless, who recently retired, became the second admiral charged in the investigation.
Adm. John Richardson, the Navy's top officer, vowed Tuesday to repair damage caused by the scandal.
"This behavior is inconsistent with our standards and the expectations the nation has for us as military professionals," he said. "It damages the trust that the nation places in us, and is an embarrassment to the Navy."
Betrayal of US Navy 'in epic proportions' - Five other defendants were arrested Tuesday in Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Colorado and Virginia. None had attorneys listed in court documents.
The indictment describes how defendants collaborated to expand their group. A 2007 email from Robert Gorsuch, a chief warrant officer, to Francis says they were developing "personality profiles" on potential recruits. A 2008 email to Francis from Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Shedd says he and another defendant assessed whether an officer was corruptible and concluded, "We still need to be cautious with his participation in events."
Five executives of Francis' company also have been charged. Francis has pleaded guilty to fraud and is awaiting sentencing.
"This is a fleecing and betrayal of the United States Navy in epic proportions, and it was allegedly carried out by the Navy's highest-ranking officers," said Alana W. Robinson, the acting U.S. attorney in San Diego.
To date, 13 defendants have pleaded guilty, including another admiral who was sentenced in June and is believed to be the first active-duty Naval flag officer charged in federal court. Other cases are pending.
But whatever? The more they try, the more airplanes they lose.
:P 
(by the way that means I agree with you)
