Russia Begins Operations in Syria: End Game for the US Empire?
- Thread starter Ocean
- Start date
angelburst29
The Living Force
bjorn said:
...... Add Navy Destroyers that can't read navigation equipment?
A US Navy ship collided with a trade vessel around 5:50 am local time. The number of injured sailors has yet to be determined, according to the US Pacific Command.
US Navy Destroyer Crashes Into Merchant Ship Off the Japanese Coast
https://sputniknews.com/news/201706161054711598-us-navy-destroyer-ship-japan/
The "extent of personnel injuries" is still being investigated, a US Pacific Fleet spokesman said.
Following the incident, US sailors had to call for help from the Japanese coast guard.
The collision occurred about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan. More details to follow
lilies
The Living Force
bjorn said:
Still there is one area, where the F35 excels more than any fighter jet ever built by any country: continuous shower of taxpayer money makes a golden heaven for parts-, software- and systems manufacturers, designers investors and subcontractors to profit from by forever needing repair, consulting, re-design, coming up with new ideas and solutions for its many ailing components. Any new job in the fields of "repair or mend" generates new income for people who work on the F35. Empire decline or not, it appears to be the perfect stable project guaranteeing earnings until reaching the retirement age and beyond.. One merely has to skillfully avoid being a member of the group blamed for a newly found fault.
angelburst29
The Living Force
angelburst29 said:
Update:
https://sputniknews.com/news/201706161054711598-us-navy-destroyer-ship-japan/
The "extent of personnel injuries" is still being investigated, a US Pacific Fleet spokesman said. The nature of the collision was "serious," according to CBS.
According to the Japanese Coast Guard, the trading ship was a Philippine container vessel, the ACX Crystal, a 29,060 ton-vessel.
Following the incident, US sailors had to call for help from the Japanese coast guard. Japanese tug boats are en route to assist.
The destroyer has started taking on water and saw flooding occur, Reuters reported.
The collision occurred about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan.
The Fitzgerald is an Arleigh-Burke class guided missile destroyer first commissioned in 1995 and is named after William Charles Fitzgerald, a Vietnam war veteran. At any given moment, more than 60 ships, 200 aircraft, and 40,000 personnel are deployed as part of the US 7th Fleet. The USS Fitzgerald is generally based out of San Diego, California.
The Fitzgerald has been operating in the Reagan Carrier Strike Group, according to US Naval Institute News, and recently completed training exercises with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force on June 1.
UPDATE: The USS Fitzgerald is on its way to Yokosuka under its own power sailing at just three knots. Nevertheless, she is expected to dock within the next two hours, a US Navy spokesman.
Seven US Navy Sailors Unaccounted For in Wake of Crash Off Japan Coast - Report
https://sputniknews.com/news/201706171054713056-seven-us-navy-missing-collision/
A crash between the US Navy destroyer and the ACX Cyrstal container vessel caused the warship to start taking on water, but the US Navy and 7th Fleet said no casualties had been incurred "at this time."
The "extent of number of personnel injuries is being determined," the 7th Fleet Public Affairs team said in a statement, possibly contradicting a statement from the US Navy indicating there had been "no casualties."
Sputnik reported that the ship was sailing under its own power toward Japan at a pace of just three knots.
Injuries had occurred as a result of the crash, and at least three compartments of the Fitzgerald were flooding. One sailor had been airlifted by a Japanese helicopter as part of a medevac procedure, the 7th Fleet said in a statement.
angelburst29
The Living Force
angelburst29 said:
If you’ve been thinking you haven’t seen much of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, you’re right. The 33-year-old is apparently so afraid of being assassinated that he’s cut way back on public appearances, according to South Korea’s top espionage agency – making his latest meeting with former NBA star Dennis Rodman extra precious.
North Korean Supreme Leader Paranoid About Navy SEAL Assassination – Spy Agency
https://sputniknews.com/military/201706161054710122-dprk-leader-paranoid-assassination-spy/
Kim has changed his traveling routines, assigned his top commanders to probe possible ‘decapitation operations’ and even given up cruising around in his own Mercedes-Benz over fear of giving shadowy assassins the opportunity they’re apparently waiting for, a South Korean parliamentarian told the Korea Times following a briefing with the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The 33-year-old may be justified in at least some of his fear: US and South Korean forces have undertaken military exercises mimicking taking out North Korea’s power structure in the event of a conflict. If war were to erupt on the Korean Peninsula, cutting off the leadership of North Korea’s formidable military is apparently one of the first missions US and South Korea undercover spies or Special Forces would undertake, according to the Korea Times.
Since the SEALs took a trip to the Korean Peninsula back in March, Kim’s anxieties have only grown. Kim has been involved in 51 public activities this year, Lee told reporters. His public visibility is down 32 percent from last year, Lee noted, citing NIS figures. “Since 2013, we have seen a downward trajectory of Kim’s public activities,” he said. “It shows that Kim has already succeeded in seizing power and securing his status in the regime.”
The ‘decapitation operation’ has been rehearsed by the US Navy’s SEAL Team Six, an elite fighting force credited with wiping Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden off the map when they stormed his hiding spot in Pakistan in 2011 in Operation Neptune Spear.
The SEALs joined forces with NIS operatives to train for the ‘decapitation operation’ back in March. Shortly after, North Korea’s Ministry of State Security threatened to “ferret out and mercilessly destroy every last one of the terrorists of the US CIA.” In Operation Neptune Spear, for instance, SEAL Team Six worked closely with the CIA.
Meanwhile, the western sanctions aimed at crippling the North may have backfired. “The despicable sanctions and pressure imposed on the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] by the US and its vassal forces have reached the extreme,” the North Korea Foreign Ministry said in a statement according to Yonhap News Agency. As a result, the DPRK plans to "speed up the strengthening of its nuclear force."
Of course, North Korea is doing its own spying as well: The NIS also informed lawmakers that the drone recently discovered near the demilitarized zone that divides the two countries had snapped some 551 photos of South Korea. A significant portion of the drone’s attention was directed at the controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system sitting on a golf course in Seogju.
Pentagon Urges Seoul to Finish THAAD Missile System Install to Fight DPRK Threat
https://sputniknews.com/military/201706131054603634-pentagon-wants-seoul-for-thaad/
Following the May 9 election of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the complete installation of six Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile systems — initiated by the previous administration — was halted by Moon's government at just two launchers, citing an environmental review.
The Pentagon, seeking to deploy its bleeding-edge weapons technology to the fullest extent, is now calling on Moon's administration to permit the installation of the final four launchers.
On Friday, an unnamed Pentagon spokesperson stated, "We still think it's very important to have a full battery there," although the two existing launch sites are "operational and can intercept North Korean missiles."
Moon's administration in Seoul has sought to reopen negotiations with Pyongyang, and views the installation of the US missile system aimed at the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a marked hindrance to that possibility.
Russia and China as well view the installation of the missile system as an aggressive act, as the powerful x-band radar deployed in THAAD is suspected to have the ability to snoop on regional defense installations.
Pentagon officials have urged Congress to pressure Seoul to complete the full THAAD installation, insisting that defending against the threat from Pyongyang makes it worthwhile.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Seven sailors missing after US Navy destroyer collides with container ship in Japan (Video)
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/multiple-injuries-as-us-navy-destroyer-hits-merchant-vessel-near-japan/ar-BBCMzfn?OCID=ansmsnnews11
7 U.S. Sailors Missing After Navy Destroyer's Collision With Merchant Vessel
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/16/533265027/u-s-navy-destroyer-collides-with-merchant-vessel-off-coast-of-japan
US sailors missing after Navy destroyer collision off Japan (Video)
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/politics/us-navy-destroyer-collides-with-merchant-ship-japan/index.html
Flooding in USS Fitzgerald After Collision With Philippine Vessel Stabilized
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201706171054717122-uss-fitzgerald-collision/
Sailor Missing for One Week Found Alive On His Ship
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/msn/sailor-missing-for-one-week-found-alive-on-his-ship/ar-BBCL7Ab
Four US F/A-18 Pilot Deaths Tied to Oxygen System Issues
https://sputniknews.com/us/201706171054714768-us-pilots-death-oxygen-systems/
Evidence of fakery in BBC “Saving Syria’s Children” is now undeniable
https://off-guardian.org/2017/06/14/even-more-evidence-of-fakery-in-bbc-saving-syrias-children-doc/
Note: A long comprehensive article with photos, chronology of events and documentation.
Syria – The End Of The War Is Now In Sight
http://www.4thmedia.org/2017/06/syria-the-end-of-the-war-is-now-in-sight/
The U.S. plan was to move from al-Tanf north towards the Euphrates river and to thereby capture and control the whole south-east of Syria. But Syria and its allies made an unexpected move and prevented that plan. The invaders are now cut off from the Euphrates by a Syrian west-to-east line that ends at the Iraqi border. On the Iraqi side elements of the Popular Military Unites under the command of the Iraqi government are moving to meet the Syrian forces at the border.
The U.S. invaders are now sitting in the mid of a piece of rather useless desert around al-Tanf where their only option is to die of boredom or to move back to Jordan from where they came. The Russian military has made it very clear that it would intervene forcefully should the U.S. attack the Syrian line and move further north.
The U.S. and its allies have no mandate to be in Syria in the first place. There is no justification or legal ground for them to attack any Syrian units. Their only option now is to retreat. The U.S. move into al-Tanf was covered by an attack of U.S. proxy forces in the south-west of Syria.
A large group of “rebels”, which include al-Qaeda elements and is supplied from Jordan, moved to take the city of Deraa from Syrian government control. It was hoped that this attack would divert Syrian forces from their move east.
But despite the use of suicide bombers the attack on Deraa failed to overwhelm the strong defenses of the Syrian forces. It did not provide the necessary diversion. The Syrian position in Deraa was reinforced by units from Damascus which are now attacking the U.S. proxy gangs. Significant progress was made today in the southern suburbs of Deraa and the Syrian army attack will likely continue the move until it has reached the Jordanian border.
The U.S. plans in south Syria, in the west as well as in the east, have failed for now. Unless the Trump administration is willing to invest significant more forces and to openly and against all laws wage war on the Syria government and its allies the situation there is contained. The Syrian forces will over time recapture all the (blue colored) land in the south that is currently held by the various U.S. proxies and other terrorist groups.
In the north-west the Takfiri “rebel” groups are concentrated around Idleb and further north. These groups are sponsored by Saudi, Qatari and Turkish money. The recent spat between Qatar and other Gulf states has throw the Idleb situation into further chaos. Saudi sponsored groups are now fighting Qatari and Turkish sponsored groups. These conflicts come on top of other animosities between al-Qaeda aligned forces and those of Ahrar al-Sham.
The Syrian government forces keep the province surrounded and Turkey in the north has kept its border mostly closed. The Takfiri “rebels” in Idleb will cook in their own juices until they are well done and completely exhausted. Eventually government forces will move in and destroy whatever is left of them.
In the center of the map the Syrian army (red) arrows are pointing towards the central desert areas held by ISIS forces which are retreating towards the east (black arrows). Moving simultaneously from the north, west and south the Syrian government forces make fast progress with several kilometers of ground retaken each day. During the last month 4,000 square kilometers and over 100 settlements and towns have been recovered. Within a few weeks they will have recovered all the (brown) ISIS held areas up to the Euphrates river line and the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Russian military bridging equipment recently started to arrive in Syria. It will be needed to cross the Euphrates and to recover the areas north of it.
Meanwhile U.S. supported Kurdish forces (yellow arrows) are attacking the ISIS held city of Raqqa. The Russian military command claims (video) that the Kurds and the U.S. made a deal with ISIS to let its fighters leave Raqqa towards the south and east. The fast progress the Kurds are making in taking the city supports that claim. There seems to be barely any Islamic State resistance left. (Article continues.)
Russian MoD Releases Photo of Strike That May Have Killed Daesh Leader Baghdadi
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706161054706394-russia-mod-photo-baghdadi-strike/
The Russian Defense Ministry released on Friday a photo demonstrating the results of the country's Aerospace Forces' airstrike conducted on May 28 against the headquarters of Daesh terrorist group in the Syrian city of Raqqa.
A photo dated May 13 shows four buildings of Daesh headquarters.
However, the photo dated May 28 shows that the buildings hit by the Russian airstrike have been completely destroyed.
Earlier in the day, the ministry said that it was verifying information that Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could have been killed in a Russian Aerospace Forces strike, carried out on May 28.
Russia is yet to confirm the death of Daesh leader Baghdadi in a Russian airstrike in Syria's Raqqa, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier in the day.
US nurtured Al-Qaeda & supported terrorists in Chechnya – Putin
https://www.rt.com/news/392022-putin-stone-us-alqaeda-chechnya/
“Al-Qaeda is not the result of our activities. This is the result of activities of our US friends. This all started in the times of the Soviet war in Afghanistan, when the US security services supported different movements of Islamic fundamentalism in their struggle against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan,” Putin told Stone, adding that the “US side has nurtured both Al-Qaeda and [Osama] bin Laden.”
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Bin Laden legends ‘made in USA’
https://alethonews.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-bin-laden-legends-made-in-usa/
By Kevin Barrett – Press TV – Back-dated November 10, 2014 (excerpts)
* The GWOT master narrative features two master villains. Indeed, it is a legend with two legendary anti-heroes: The villain of Act One, Osama Bin Laden; and the villain of the present Act Two, “Caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
* Both of these amazing individuals have accomplished near-miraculous feats: Bin Laden caused three skyscrapers to disappear at free-fall acceleration into the path of most resistance, while also making America’s air defenses disappear for two hours so he could bomb the Pentagon, the best-defended building on the planet; while Baghdadi and a ragtag bunch of amateur extremists have somehow seized control of a large swathe of oil-rich and geo-strategically important territory against the opposition of the entire world.
* Though both al-Qaeda and ISIL have claimed to be fighting to liberate Muslims from their imperialist and Zionist enemies, the two terror groups are actually doing tremendous harm to the Muslim cause.
* To understand who or what is really behind these two spectacularly successful and spectacularly counterproductive terror groups, we must begin with a simple question: Who benefits? The answer, of course, is that the beneficiaries of 9/11 and ISIL are the very people al-Qaeda and ISIL claim to be fighting: the Zionists and imperialists.
Which raises the question: Could the legends of Bin Laden and Baghdadi also be “legends” in the espionage sense, meaning false biographies crafted by an intelligence agency?
* One of the odd commonalities linking Bin Laden’s and Baghdadi’s biographies is that both alleged anti-American fanatics spent a lot of time in the company of the American military. During the 1980s, while fundraising for the Afghan Resistance against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, Bin Laden toured US military bases under the code name “Tim Osman” and helped procure Stinger missiles for the Afghan resistance fighters.
* Osama Bin Laden’s close association with Americans linked to military and intelligence agencies continued long after he had issued his famous “death to Americans” proclamation in 1998 – the same year the CIA, through its agent Sgt. Ali Mohamed, bombed US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and blamed the carnage on Bin Laden.
* Whistle-blowing FBI translator Sibel Edmonds says that the US maintained ‘intimate relations’ with Bin Laden “all the way through September 11th.” These “intimate relations,” Edmonds explains, consisted of using Bin Laden’s fighters as a proxy terrorist army to attack America’s competitors including Russia and China.
* The legend of “Caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, like that of Osama Bin Laden, is highly suspicious. Like Bin Laden, Baghdadi was a long-term guest of the American military – at a US base in Iraq rather than US bases in America. And as in the case of Bin Laden, the US military has emitted transparently false statements aimed at hiding or minimizing its relationship with Baghdadi, its supposed worst enemy.
The US says it held Baghdadi in the “terrorist training wing” of Camp Bucca for less than one year. But both American and Iraqi witnesses say it was more than five years. In any case, it would appear that the self-styled caliph was groomed for his future role while in US custody.
After his release, Baghdadi and his ISIL commanders received further training, as well as weapons and funds, at a secret CIA base in Jordan. The US worked through its regional proxies to create a formidable ISIL army aimed at overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It seems likely that the US and its proxies also provided the intelligence that allowed ISIL to overrun the Iraqi army – which the US had intentionally disarmed – and seize oil-rich parts of Iraq.
And yet the American people are still being told that Baghdadi is their worst enemy. Like the tale of the “anti-US terrorist mastermind” Bin Laden, the story of the latest bogeyman Baghdadi is a transparently absurd legend.
If the American people ever discover how badly they have been lied to, and for what purposes their Constitution has been shredded and their economy bankrupted, they are going to be exceedingly irate.
SYRIA: British and American Presence Directly Escalating Conflict Near Al-Tanf (Video)
http://21stcenturywire.com/2017/06/16/syria-british-and-american-presence-directly-escalating-conflict-near-al-tanf/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXF-rMoVd3I (5:16 min.)
Near to both the Iraqi and Jordanian borders, al-Tanf is currently the location of a contingent of US-led coalition forces, supposedly there for the purpose of providing training to ‘anti-ISIS’ militias, but also anti-Assad militias too – the fabled ‘moderate rebels’. Not surprisingly, the US-led coalition has unilaterally imposed a self-styled ‘deconfliction zone‘ around their camp in al-Tanf and claim to be defending their position from ‘pro-Syrian forces’, otherwise known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and allied militias. It has been reported by mainstream media outlets that coalition members represented at al-Tanf include not only the United States but also the British SAS, and also possibly Norway too.
Although coalition forces are also present in other parts of Syria, including the area around Raqqa, an ISIS stronghold, the last few weeks have seen coalition forces striking Syrian military targets on at least three occasions near the coalition training camp close to al-Tanf – including incidents on May 18th, June 6th and June 8th. It is now being reported that the US is supplying “truck-mounted long range missiles” to its forces near al-Tanf, in a move that risks immediate escalation in the already-tense situation, and despite diplomatic efforts by Russia to calm the situation. All this comes as the US and its Kurdish proxy militia, the SDF, mount their attack on the ISIS stronghold Raqqa in Northeast Syria. The US has also seized the opportunity to invade more Syrian territory after an alleged sarin gas attack on April 4th that prompted President Trump to launch a missile strike on a Syrian airbase in retaliation.
In the following segment filmed two weeks ago, 21WIRE editor Patrick Henningsen speaks to RT International about the recent US strike on Syrian forces near al-Tanf. Henningsen explains how the US are taking advantage of the tension to secure its own territory inside of Syria: (Video)
US and Britain: A Policy of Deception - One could easily be confused by the narrative that is being spun by the US, Britain, and compliant mainstream media in both countries. Less than two years ago, in 2015, then British Prime Minister David Cameron ruled out sending British ground troops into Syria. In mid-2016, however, it emerged that British special forces were engaged in combat in the country. Between 2013 and 2015, former US President Barack Obama said on at least 16 occasions that there would be ‘no boots on the ground’ in Syria, but then changed his mind in late 2015 when US Special Forces were deployed into Syria.
President Trump’s statements are no less contradictory. On April 11th 2017, soon after his initial missile strikes on the Syrian airbase, Trump said that the US was “not going into Syria”; the current situation at al-Tanf simply contradicts that statement.
Since that time, both Britain and the US have been slowly ramping up their presence in Syria, ostensibly to fight ISIS. But by repeatedly striking at Syrian government forces – the single most effective fighting force against ISIS – the US and Britain are actually helping ISIS to achieve its objectives.
Note the mismatch between the US-led coalition’s presence in Syria and how it’s presented to the public. Not only do they claim to be fighting ISIS while at the same time indirectly helping them, but they also call their attacks on Syrian army targets ‘defensive’ – even though the Syrian military has never attempted to attack any coalition forces. And it is similarly ironic that these strikes against the Syrian military have occurred in what the coalition calls a ‘deconfliction zone’, where supposedly no conflict is allowed. According to security analyst Charles Shoebridge:
“These are self-declared [US occupied] zones of ‘deconfliction.’ What they really mean there is that they are not allowing other people to enter these zones, notwithstanding that this is part of a sovereign country, Syria… What they mean is that actually conflict is allowed, and military forces, as long as they are American, British and their ‘rebel’ allies. They are not agreed deconfliction zones. Syria doesn’t agree to them. Russia, which of course has established de-escalation zones elsewhere in the country, hasn’t agreed to this. Consequently they really are, as [Russian Foreign Minister] Lavrov or his spokesman said, effectively unilateral zones.”
And not only is the narrative confusing, it is also not given the highest priority among mainstream headlines, with many other prominent stories conveniently serving to occupy the public while the situation in al-Tanf escalates. In a week that saw Congressmen shot at and injured at a baseball practice, a massive tower block fire in London taking at least 17 lives, and the UK election aftermath continuing to be unresolved, one could easily remain unaware of the escalating situation around al-Tanf in Syria. With the US-led coalition now directly and deliberately attacking Syrian forces, what has been a proxy war is suddenly growing more dangerous, and the prospect of a direct conflict between nuclear-armed powers looms ever closer.
As former British Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford remarked during a recent conversation with 21WIRE, the British military has neither Syrian approval to be in Syria, nor international approval from the UN, nor even legislative approval from its own Parliament. The same applies to the United States; although the US Constitution gives the power to declare war exclusively to Congress, the US now has quite a long history of entering wars or using deadly military force without Congressional approval under the flexible guise of an ‘Authorization of Force.’
Syrian War Report – June 16, 2017: US Rocket Artillery Systems Pose Direct Threat To Govt Forces In Southeastern Syria (Video)
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-june-16-2017-us-rocket-artillery-systems-pose-direct-threat-to-govt-forces-in-southeastern-syria/
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday that the US military has deployed two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from Jordan to Syria. The ministry added that these systems cannot provide a support to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces storming the ISIS stronghold of Raqqah. Instead, they pose a direct threat to government forces.
“The US-led anti-Daesh coalition has several times already attacked Syrian government forces fighting Daesh [ISIS] near the Jordanian border. It is possible to assume that similar strikes could be continued in the future, involving HIMARS from now on. So what objectives is the US pursuing in Syria and whom are the US servicemen fighting there?” the statement read.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/multiple-injuries-as-us-navy-destroyer-hits-merchant-vessel-near-japan/ar-BBCMzfn?OCID=ansmsnnews11
7 U.S. Sailors Missing After Navy Destroyer's Collision With Merchant Vessel
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/16/533265027/u-s-navy-destroyer-collides-with-merchant-vessel-off-coast-of-japan
US sailors missing after Navy destroyer collision off Japan (Video)
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/politics/us-navy-destroyer-collides-with-merchant-ship-japan/index.html
Flooding in USS Fitzgerald After Collision With Philippine Vessel Stabilized
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201706171054717122-uss-fitzgerald-collision/
Sailor Missing for One Week Found Alive On His Ship
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/msn/sailor-missing-for-one-week-found-alive-on-his-ship/ar-BBCL7Ab
Four US F/A-18 Pilot Deaths Tied to Oxygen System Issues
https://sputniknews.com/us/201706171054714768-us-pilots-death-oxygen-systems/
Evidence of fakery in BBC “Saving Syria’s Children” is now undeniable
https://off-guardian.org/2017/06/14/even-more-evidence-of-fakery-in-bbc-saving-syrias-children-doc/
Note: A long comprehensive article with photos, chronology of events and documentation.
Syria – The End Of The War Is Now In Sight
http://www.4thmedia.org/2017/06/syria-the-end-of-the-war-is-now-in-sight/
The U.S. plan was to move from al-Tanf north towards the Euphrates river and to thereby capture and control the whole south-east of Syria. But Syria and its allies made an unexpected move and prevented that plan. The invaders are now cut off from the Euphrates by a Syrian west-to-east line that ends at the Iraqi border. On the Iraqi side elements of the Popular Military Unites under the command of the Iraqi government are moving to meet the Syrian forces at the border.
The U.S. invaders are now sitting in the mid of a piece of rather useless desert around al-Tanf where their only option is to die of boredom or to move back to Jordan from where they came. The Russian military has made it very clear that it would intervene forcefully should the U.S. attack the Syrian line and move further north.
The U.S. and its allies have no mandate to be in Syria in the first place. There is no justification or legal ground for them to attack any Syrian units. Their only option now is to retreat. The U.S. move into al-Tanf was covered by an attack of U.S. proxy forces in the south-west of Syria.
A large group of “rebels”, which include al-Qaeda elements and is supplied from Jordan, moved to take the city of Deraa from Syrian government control. It was hoped that this attack would divert Syrian forces from their move east.
But despite the use of suicide bombers the attack on Deraa failed to overwhelm the strong defenses of the Syrian forces. It did not provide the necessary diversion. The Syrian position in Deraa was reinforced by units from Damascus which are now attacking the U.S. proxy gangs. Significant progress was made today in the southern suburbs of Deraa and the Syrian army attack will likely continue the move until it has reached the Jordanian border.
The U.S. plans in south Syria, in the west as well as in the east, have failed for now. Unless the Trump administration is willing to invest significant more forces and to openly and against all laws wage war on the Syria government and its allies the situation there is contained. The Syrian forces will over time recapture all the (blue colored) land in the south that is currently held by the various U.S. proxies and other terrorist groups.
In the north-west the Takfiri “rebel” groups are concentrated around Idleb and further north. These groups are sponsored by Saudi, Qatari and Turkish money. The recent spat between Qatar and other Gulf states has throw the Idleb situation into further chaos. Saudi sponsored groups are now fighting Qatari and Turkish sponsored groups. These conflicts come on top of other animosities between al-Qaeda aligned forces and those of Ahrar al-Sham.
The Syrian government forces keep the province surrounded and Turkey in the north has kept its border mostly closed. The Takfiri “rebels” in Idleb will cook in their own juices until they are well done and completely exhausted. Eventually government forces will move in and destroy whatever is left of them.
In the center of the map the Syrian army (red) arrows are pointing towards the central desert areas held by ISIS forces which are retreating towards the east (black arrows). Moving simultaneously from the north, west and south the Syrian government forces make fast progress with several kilometers of ground retaken each day. During the last month 4,000 square kilometers and over 100 settlements and towns have been recovered. Within a few weeks they will have recovered all the (brown) ISIS held areas up to the Euphrates river line and the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Russian military bridging equipment recently started to arrive in Syria. It will be needed to cross the Euphrates and to recover the areas north of it.
Meanwhile U.S. supported Kurdish forces (yellow arrows) are attacking the ISIS held city of Raqqa. The Russian military command claims (video) that the Kurds and the U.S. made a deal with ISIS to let its fighters leave Raqqa towards the south and east. The fast progress the Kurds are making in taking the city supports that claim. There seems to be barely any Islamic State resistance left. (Article continues.)
Russian MoD Releases Photo of Strike That May Have Killed Daesh Leader Baghdadi
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706161054706394-russia-mod-photo-baghdadi-strike/
The Russian Defense Ministry released on Friday a photo demonstrating the results of the country's Aerospace Forces' airstrike conducted on May 28 against the headquarters of Daesh terrorist group in the Syrian city of Raqqa.
A photo dated May 13 shows four buildings of Daesh headquarters.
However, the photo dated May 28 shows that the buildings hit by the Russian airstrike have been completely destroyed.
Earlier in the day, the ministry said that it was verifying information that Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could have been killed in a Russian Aerospace Forces strike, carried out on May 28.
Russia is yet to confirm the death of Daesh leader Baghdadi in a Russian airstrike in Syria's Raqqa, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier in the day.
US nurtured Al-Qaeda & supported terrorists in Chechnya – Putin
https://www.rt.com/news/392022-putin-stone-us-alqaeda-chechnya/
“Al-Qaeda is not the result of our activities. This is the result of activities of our US friends. This all started in the times of the Soviet war in Afghanistan, when the US security services supported different movements of Islamic fundamentalism in their struggle against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan,” Putin told Stone, adding that the “US side has nurtured both Al-Qaeda and [Osama] bin Laden.”
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Bin Laden legends ‘made in USA’
https://alethonews.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-bin-laden-legends-made-in-usa/
By Kevin Barrett – Press TV – Back-dated November 10, 2014 (excerpts)
* The GWOT master narrative features two master villains. Indeed, it is a legend with two legendary anti-heroes: The villain of Act One, Osama Bin Laden; and the villain of the present Act Two, “Caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
* Both of these amazing individuals have accomplished near-miraculous feats: Bin Laden caused three skyscrapers to disappear at free-fall acceleration into the path of most resistance, while also making America’s air defenses disappear for two hours so he could bomb the Pentagon, the best-defended building on the planet; while Baghdadi and a ragtag bunch of amateur extremists have somehow seized control of a large swathe of oil-rich and geo-strategically important territory against the opposition of the entire world.
* Though both al-Qaeda and ISIL have claimed to be fighting to liberate Muslims from their imperialist and Zionist enemies, the two terror groups are actually doing tremendous harm to the Muslim cause.
* To understand who or what is really behind these two spectacularly successful and spectacularly counterproductive terror groups, we must begin with a simple question: Who benefits? The answer, of course, is that the beneficiaries of 9/11 and ISIL are the very people al-Qaeda and ISIL claim to be fighting: the Zionists and imperialists.
Which raises the question: Could the legends of Bin Laden and Baghdadi also be “legends” in the espionage sense, meaning false biographies crafted by an intelligence agency?
* One of the odd commonalities linking Bin Laden’s and Baghdadi’s biographies is that both alleged anti-American fanatics spent a lot of time in the company of the American military. During the 1980s, while fundraising for the Afghan Resistance against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, Bin Laden toured US military bases under the code name “Tim Osman” and helped procure Stinger missiles for the Afghan resistance fighters.
* Osama Bin Laden’s close association with Americans linked to military and intelligence agencies continued long after he had issued his famous “death to Americans” proclamation in 1998 – the same year the CIA, through its agent Sgt. Ali Mohamed, bombed US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and blamed the carnage on Bin Laden.
* Whistle-blowing FBI translator Sibel Edmonds says that the US maintained ‘intimate relations’ with Bin Laden “all the way through September 11th.” These “intimate relations,” Edmonds explains, consisted of using Bin Laden’s fighters as a proxy terrorist army to attack America’s competitors including Russia and China.
* The legend of “Caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, like that of Osama Bin Laden, is highly suspicious. Like Bin Laden, Baghdadi was a long-term guest of the American military – at a US base in Iraq rather than US bases in America. And as in the case of Bin Laden, the US military has emitted transparently false statements aimed at hiding or minimizing its relationship with Baghdadi, its supposed worst enemy.
The US says it held Baghdadi in the “terrorist training wing” of Camp Bucca for less than one year. But both American and Iraqi witnesses say it was more than five years. In any case, it would appear that the self-styled caliph was groomed for his future role while in US custody.
After his release, Baghdadi and his ISIL commanders received further training, as well as weapons and funds, at a secret CIA base in Jordan. The US worked through its regional proxies to create a formidable ISIL army aimed at overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It seems likely that the US and its proxies also provided the intelligence that allowed ISIL to overrun the Iraqi army – which the US had intentionally disarmed – and seize oil-rich parts of Iraq.
And yet the American people are still being told that Baghdadi is their worst enemy. Like the tale of the “anti-US terrorist mastermind” Bin Laden, the story of the latest bogeyman Baghdadi is a transparently absurd legend.
If the American people ever discover how badly they have been lied to, and for what purposes their Constitution has been shredded and their economy bankrupted, they are going to be exceedingly irate.
SYRIA: British and American Presence Directly Escalating Conflict Near Al-Tanf (Video)
http://21stcenturywire.com/2017/06/16/syria-british-and-american-presence-directly-escalating-conflict-near-al-tanf/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXF-rMoVd3I (5:16 min.)
Near to both the Iraqi and Jordanian borders, al-Tanf is currently the location of a contingent of US-led coalition forces, supposedly there for the purpose of providing training to ‘anti-ISIS’ militias, but also anti-Assad militias too – the fabled ‘moderate rebels’. Not surprisingly, the US-led coalition has unilaterally imposed a self-styled ‘deconfliction zone‘ around their camp in al-Tanf and claim to be defending their position from ‘pro-Syrian forces’, otherwise known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and allied militias. It has been reported by mainstream media outlets that coalition members represented at al-Tanf include not only the United States but also the British SAS, and also possibly Norway too.
Although coalition forces are also present in other parts of Syria, including the area around Raqqa, an ISIS stronghold, the last few weeks have seen coalition forces striking Syrian military targets on at least three occasions near the coalition training camp close to al-Tanf – including incidents on May 18th, June 6th and June 8th. It is now being reported that the US is supplying “truck-mounted long range missiles” to its forces near al-Tanf, in a move that risks immediate escalation in the already-tense situation, and despite diplomatic efforts by Russia to calm the situation. All this comes as the US and its Kurdish proxy militia, the SDF, mount their attack on the ISIS stronghold Raqqa in Northeast Syria. The US has also seized the opportunity to invade more Syrian territory after an alleged sarin gas attack on April 4th that prompted President Trump to launch a missile strike on a Syrian airbase in retaliation.
In the following segment filmed two weeks ago, 21WIRE editor Patrick Henningsen speaks to RT International about the recent US strike on Syrian forces near al-Tanf. Henningsen explains how the US are taking advantage of the tension to secure its own territory inside of Syria: (Video)
US and Britain: A Policy of Deception - One could easily be confused by the narrative that is being spun by the US, Britain, and compliant mainstream media in both countries. Less than two years ago, in 2015, then British Prime Minister David Cameron ruled out sending British ground troops into Syria. In mid-2016, however, it emerged that British special forces were engaged in combat in the country. Between 2013 and 2015, former US President Barack Obama said on at least 16 occasions that there would be ‘no boots on the ground’ in Syria, but then changed his mind in late 2015 when US Special Forces were deployed into Syria.
President Trump’s statements are no less contradictory. On April 11th 2017, soon after his initial missile strikes on the Syrian airbase, Trump said that the US was “not going into Syria”; the current situation at al-Tanf simply contradicts that statement.
Since that time, both Britain and the US have been slowly ramping up their presence in Syria, ostensibly to fight ISIS. But by repeatedly striking at Syrian government forces – the single most effective fighting force against ISIS – the US and Britain are actually helping ISIS to achieve its objectives.
Note the mismatch between the US-led coalition’s presence in Syria and how it’s presented to the public. Not only do they claim to be fighting ISIS while at the same time indirectly helping them, but they also call their attacks on Syrian army targets ‘defensive’ – even though the Syrian military has never attempted to attack any coalition forces. And it is similarly ironic that these strikes against the Syrian military have occurred in what the coalition calls a ‘deconfliction zone’, where supposedly no conflict is allowed. According to security analyst Charles Shoebridge:
“These are self-declared [US occupied] zones of ‘deconfliction.’ What they really mean there is that they are not allowing other people to enter these zones, notwithstanding that this is part of a sovereign country, Syria… What they mean is that actually conflict is allowed, and military forces, as long as they are American, British and their ‘rebel’ allies. They are not agreed deconfliction zones. Syria doesn’t agree to them. Russia, which of course has established de-escalation zones elsewhere in the country, hasn’t agreed to this. Consequently they really are, as [Russian Foreign Minister] Lavrov or his spokesman said, effectively unilateral zones.”
And not only is the narrative confusing, it is also not given the highest priority among mainstream headlines, with many other prominent stories conveniently serving to occupy the public while the situation in al-Tanf escalates. In a week that saw Congressmen shot at and injured at a baseball practice, a massive tower block fire in London taking at least 17 lives, and the UK election aftermath continuing to be unresolved, one could easily remain unaware of the escalating situation around al-Tanf in Syria. With the US-led coalition now directly and deliberately attacking Syrian forces, what has been a proxy war is suddenly growing more dangerous, and the prospect of a direct conflict between nuclear-armed powers looms ever closer.
As former British Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford remarked during a recent conversation with 21WIRE, the British military has neither Syrian approval to be in Syria, nor international approval from the UN, nor even legislative approval from its own Parliament. The same applies to the United States; although the US Constitution gives the power to declare war exclusively to Congress, the US now has quite a long history of entering wars or using deadly military force without Congressional approval under the flexible guise of an ‘Authorization of Force.’
Syrian War Report – June 16, 2017: US Rocket Artillery Systems Pose Direct Threat To Govt Forces In Southeastern Syria (Video)
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-june-16-2017-us-rocket-artillery-systems-pose-direct-threat-to-govt-forces-in-southeastern-syria/
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday that the US military has deployed two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from Jordan to Syria. The ministry added that these systems cannot provide a support to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces storming the ISIS stronghold of Raqqah. Instead, they pose a direct threat to government forces.
“The US-led anti-Daesh coalition has several times already attacked Syrian government forces fighting Daesh [ISIS] near the Jordanian border. It is possible to assume that similar strikes could be continued in the future, involving HIMARS from now on. So what objectives is the US pursuing in Syria and whom are the US servicemen fighting there?” the statement read.
angelburst29
The Living Force
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — An unknown number of sailors missing after a collision between the USS Fitzgerald and a merchant vessel were found dead in a damaged compartment, Navy officials said Sunday.
Unknown number of missing USS Fitzgerald sailors found dead (Photo of damage to the Philippine container ship)
https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/unknown-number-of-missing-uss-fitzgerald-sailors-found-dead-1.474148#.WUXmFP6WwdU
A tweet from Commander Naval Forces Japan stated that “Divers were able to access the space and found a number of sailors. None alive. MTF. We will ID sailors after [next-of-kin] notification.”
An earlier 7th Fleet statement on Sunday said that the sailors had been found and were being transferred to Naval Hospital Yokosuka, but did not state whether they were dead.
The sailors were found in a flooded berthing compartment after search and rescue crew members gained access to spaces that were damaged during the collision, according to the 7th Fleet statement.
Jihadist suicide bomber kills two Syrian gov’t fighters in the Golan Heights
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/jihadist-suicide-bomber-kills-two-syrian-govt-fighters-golan-heights/
According to the Golani Regiment (Fouj Al-Joulan) of the National Defense Forces, a jihadist detonated his explosive belt around 1:00 A.M. (Damascus Time), Saturday, destroying a building in the Golan Heights city of Khan ‘Arnabeh.
A Syrian military source told Al-Masdar this afternoon that the attack was likely carried out by Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham militants, as there is Islamic State (ISIL) presence in the area.
Bitter irony in Daraa province as militants blow up trying to dismantle their own bomb
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/bitter-irony-daraa-province-militants-blow-trying-dismantle-bomb/
Commander of a technical unit in the so-called “Free Syrian Army” (FSA), Abd Allah Hussein Al-Shareef, was killed when trying to dismantle an IED (improvised explosive device) as it had reportedly blown up right to his own face.
Two of his associates have been injured as a result of the explosion.
Peculiarity of the situation is that the IED might well have been planted in Nassib outskirts by FSA militants themselves, as there are no rival jihadist factions in this area to conflict with them.
Aleppo: Terrorists in Al-Bab Region Agree to Leave Military Bases
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960327001373
A sum of 16 terrorist groups stationed in al-Bab city Northeast of Aleppo, including the Military and Local Councils came to terms over leaving the city after fierce clashes in the region, the Arabic-language al-Hadas News reported. It said that the agreement was reached in the presence of a number of Turkish officers.
The terrorist groups also accepted to bring to a halt any arrest operation or attacks without coordination with the main operation room or the military council.
As per the agreement, all military men or even civilians have been banned from covering their faces or firing guns in the city.
Meantime, all sides have reached an agreement to prevent the militants from carrying weapons while passing through the city.
The terrorist groups have also committed themselves to refrain from accepting any individual or civilians if it is proven that they have cooperated with the ISIL.
In a relevant development on Wednesday, local sources reported that over 50 civilians and militants have been killed in intensified clashes among rival terrorist groups in Northern Aleppo.
The sources said that Turkish army-backed terrorists engaged in fierce clashes with rival militants in al-Bab region and the town of al-Ra'ei and its surrounding areas in Northern Aleppo.
The sources added that the main clash occurred in the villages of Awlan and Sousyan in al-Bab region among Sultan Morad Brigade, al-Hamzeh division, Ahrar al-Sharqiyeh and Faylaq al-Sham.
A sum of 30 gunmen and 20 civilians were killed in the clashes that spilled over to the refugee camp in the villages of Shamarin in Azaz region.
Local sources in the town of al-Bab reported on Monday that over 30 gunmen have been killed or injured in a fresh round of clashes between rival terrorists groups in the Northeastern countryside of Aleppo.
The sources said that after al-Hamzeh division attacked the positions of the 1st regiment in al-Bab, fierce clashes erupted among militants of al-Hamzeh division and Ahrar al-Sham with other militants from al-Bab military council and Bezaeh military council.
The source further said that 12 terrorists were killed and seven more were wounded in the clashes, adding that along with intensification of the clashes, Liwa Sultan Morad attacked Ahrar al-Sham positions in the villages of Oweilan and Qadiran. The fresh round of clashes between the terrorists in al-Bab has thus far left 30 gunmen dead or wounded.
While the news websites affiliated to the terrorists claim that al-Hamzeh division's accusation against Ahrar al-Sham about the latter's ties with the Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) has been the root cause of the clashes, the local sources said that the clashes erupted only on distribution of wheat in al-Bab's silos and its warehouses that were left without guard after ISIL's withdrawal from al-Bab.
Unknown number of missing USS Fitzgerald sailors found dead (Photo of damage to the Philippine container ship)
https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/unknown-number-of-missing-uss-fitzgerald-sailors-found-dead-1.474148#.WUXmFP6WwdU
A tweet from Commander Naval Forces Japan stated that “Divers were able to access the space and found a number of sailors. None alive. MTF. We will ID sailors after [next-of-kin] notification.”
An earlier 7th Fleet statement on Sunday said that the sailors had been found and were being transferred to Naval Hospital Yokosuka, but did not state whether they were dead.
The sailors were found in a flooded berthing compartment after search and rescue crew members gained access to spaces that were damaged during the collision, according to the 7th Fleet statement.
Jihadist suicide bomber kills two Syrian gov’t fighters in the Golan Heights
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/jihadist-suicide-bomber-kills-two-syrian-govt-fighters-golan-heights/
According to the Golani Regiment (Fouj Al-Joulan) of the National Defense Forces, a jihadist detonated his explosive belt around 1:00 A.M. (Damascus Time), Saturday, destroying a building in the Golan Heights city of Khan ‘Arnabeh.
A Syrian military source told Al-Masdar this afternoon that the attack was likely carried out by Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham militants, as there is Islamic State (ISIL) presence in the area.
Bitter irony in Daraa province as militants blow up trying to dismantle their own bomb
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/bitter-irony-daraa-province-militants-blow-trying-dismantle-bomb/
Commander of a technical unit in the so-called “Free Syrian Army” (FSA), Abd Allah Hussein Al-Shareef, was killed when trying to dismantle an IED (improvised explosive device) as it had reportedly blown up right to his own face.
Two of his associates have been injured as a result of the explosion.
Peculiarity of the situation is that the IED might well have been planted in Nassib outskirts by FSA militants themselves, as there are no rival jihadist factions in this area to conflict with them.
Aleppo: Terrorists in Al-Bab Region Agree to Leave Military Bases
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960327001373
A sum of 16 terrorist groups stationed in al-Bab city Northeast of Aleppo, including the Military and Local Councils came to terms over leaving the city after fierce clashes in the region, the Arabic-language al-Hadas News reported. It said that the agreement was reached in the presence of a number of Turkish officers.
The terrorist groups also accepted to bring to a halt any arrest operation or attacks without coordination with the main operation room or the military council.
As per the agreement, all military men or even civilians have been banned from covering their faces or firing guns in the city.
Meantime, all sides have reached an agreement to prevent the militants from carrying weapons while passing through the city.
The terrorist groups have also committed themselves to refrain from accepting any individual or civilians if it is proven that they have cooperated with the ISIL.
In a relevant development on Wednesday, local sources reported that over 50 civilians and militants have been killed in intensified clashes among rival terrorist groups in Northern Aleppo.
The sources said that Turkish army-backed terrorists engaged in fierce clashes with rival militants in al-Bab region and the town of al-Ra'ei and its surrounding areas in Northern Aleppo.
The sources added that the main clash occurred in the villages of Awlan and Sousyan in al-Bab region among Sultan Morad Brigade, al-Hamzeh division, Ahrar al-Sharqiyeh and Faylaq al-Sham.
A sum of 30 gunmen and 20 civilians were killed in the clashes that spilled over to the refugee camp in the villages of Shamarin in Azaz region.
Local sources in the town of al-Bab reported on Monday that over 30 gunmen have been killed or injured in a fresh round of clashes between rival terrorists groups in the Northeastern countryside of Aleppo.
The sources said that after al-Hamzeh division attacked the positions of the 1st regiment in al-Bab, fierce clashes erupted among militants of al-Hamzeh division and Ahrar al-Sham with other militants from al-Bab military council and Bezaeh military council.
The source further said that 12 terrorists were killed and seven more were wounded in the clashes, adding that along with intensification of the clashes, Liwa Sultan Morad attacked Ahrar al-Sham positions in the villages of Oweilan and Qadiran. The fresh round of clashes between the terrorists in al-Bab has thus far left 30 gunmen dead or wounded.
While the news websites affiliated to the terrorists claim that al-Hamzeh division's accusation against Ahrar al-Sham about the latter's ties with the Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) has been the root cause of the clashes, the local sources said that the clashes erupted only on distribution of wheat in al-Bab's silos and its warehouses that were left without guard after ISIL's withdrawal from al-Bab.
angelburst29
The Living Force
I wonder what the percussions will be over this DUMB move by the U.S. led coalition?
US-led anti-terrorist coalition has reportedly shot down a Syrian government forces' aircraft.
US-Led Coalition Shoots Down Syrian Army Aircraft - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054746884-usa-coalition-shoots-down-syrian-aircraft/
Syrian Arab Army announced that the US-led anti-terrorist coalition had brought down its aircraft in southern Raqqa countryside, Syrian media reported citing a statement by the Syrian Defence Ministry.
According to the report, the Syrian jet fighter was carrying out military tasks fighting Daesh terrorist organization.
“Our aircraft was downed at lunch time today near the [Syrian] city of Raqqa, when it was fulfilling its mission against the IS,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the US-led coalition was responsible for downing the aircraft.
The ministry noted that the coalition’s “actions are aimed at halting the Syrian army and its allies in the fight against terrorism, whereas our army and allies make great progress.”
According to the ministry, the pilot of the aircraft has not been found to date.
This is not the first time the US-led coalition's activities in Raqqa cause casualties. Syrian media reported earlier that at least 43 civilians were killed as a result of the US-led coalition airstrike in the region. The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the airstrikes and sent two letters the UN secretary general and the head of the UN Security Council, in which the coalition's actions were compared to Daesh crimes. Just a few days later, the Lebanese media reported that the coalition's airstrikes killed more than 30 civilians more near Raqqa.
Raqqa has been under the control of Daesh since 2013, and is the de-facto capital of the self-proclaimed Daesh caliphate. The operation to retake Raqqa, conducted by a coalition consisting of almost 70 countries, has been on-going since November 2016. The strikes in Syria are not authorized by the UN Security Council or the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
US-Led Coalition Confirms Downing Syrian Plane
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054747850-internationl-coalition-prevents-syria-forces/
The US-led international anti-terrorist coalition confirmed bringing down the Syrian government forces aircraft earlier, adding that the plane had been bombing US-backed opposition forces' troops.
The coalition claims that it prevented the Syrian forces from advancing to the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) south of Tabqah by shooting down the aircraft.
"At 6:43 p.m., a Syrian regime SU-22 dropped bombs near SDF fighters south of Tabqah and, in accordance with rules of engagement and in collective self-defense of Coalition partnered forces, was immediately shot down by a U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornet," the statement read.
The Coalition headquarters said it contacted Russian representatives to de-escalate the situation after the attack.
Syrian Arab Army announced earlier that the US-led coalition had brought down its aircraft in southern Raqqa countryside.
“Our aircraft was downed at lunch time today near the [Syrian] city of Raqqa, when it was fulfilling its mission against Daesh,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry noted that the coalition’s “actions are aimed at halting the Syrian army and its allies in the fight against terrorism, whereas our army and allies make great progress.”
Germany Reveals When Its Jets Will Resume Flights Over Syria
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201706181054743532-germany-jets-flights-over-syria/
According to the politician, the exact dates of the transfer have not yet been determined. However, the main goal is that "the transfer phase is as short as possible and that the safety of the troops is ensured," von der Leyen said.
On June 7, Berlin decided to withdraw its military from the Incirlik air base in Turkey after Ankara banned German lawmakers from entering the base. Turkey explained the move, citing Berlin's decision to give asylum to Turkish soldiers after last year's attempted coup.
"Until the end of June, we are included in the schedule of the anti-Daesh coalition. Then we move our tankers to Jordan as soon as possible. After a few days, they are back in action, I think in the second half of July. The transfer of the Tornado jets and of the complex aerial photo equipment is more complicated; it will take two months, from August to September. From October, the reconnaissance tornados should resume their flights, according to the plan," von der Leyen said.
Germany deployed its military in Turkey after the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris to participate in the anti-Daesh campaign led by the United States. Berlin's activities included reconnaissance missions and refueling for coalition aircraft.
Iran Hits Syrian Terrorists With Missiles
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054746460-iran-syria-missiles/
Iran's forces announced that a large number of terrorists were killed by its missile attack in Deir Ezzor, Syria, AFP reported.
"A missile strike on militants' positions is a warning to terrorists. In case if attacks on Iran continue, the flame of our justifiable anger will burn terrorists to ashes," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.
Iranian forces have eliminated a significant number of militants, in addition to their outfits and weapons, the IRGC reported, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
The attack was carried out as a response to Tehran attacks, which resulted in 18 dead.
Terror Under the State Guise’: N Korean State Media Slams US Campaign in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054744709-north-korean-media-slams-us/
“Due to the terrorist actions under the guise of a government, the United States is in the way of the Syrian government [attempt] to preserve the territorial integrity of the country. It is like a stumbling block, while Yankees' missiles and bombs kill innocent people in different parts of the world,”
the North Korean state media outlet stated.
However, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) went on to insist that US military activity in Syria was becoming more and more outrageous every day. KCNA insists that the US is "the key element of international terrorism” and “destroys peace and security in the world."
On the Run: Terrorists Struggling to Flee as Daesh Gets Decapitated
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054743032-daesh-fleeing-syria-baghdadi/
Meanwhile, al-Baghdadi’s death has not been confirmed yet. The United States-led coalition in Syria also said it could not confirm the report. Currently, the Russian Defense Ministry is verifying the information.
In addition to al-Baghdadi, the liquidated Daesh commanders included the "emir of Raqqa" Abu al-Hadji al-Mysri, the ‘emir’ Ibrahim An-Naef al-Hajj, who controlled the area from Raqqa to Es-Suhne, and the head of the "Daesh security service" Suleiman Al-Shawah, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
According to Russian military expert Alexander Zhilin, if the information is confirmed, it will have a decisive effect on the course of the fight against terrorism in Syria.
However, Zhilin said that taking into account the available information, al-Baghdadi is "highly unlikely to have been killed."
"The death of the leader is a serious blow to a militant group. It is impossible to quickly find a replacement and re-arrange the entire command and communications structure within the group. It is very important to take advantage of the current situation," Zhilin told RT.
At the same time, commenting on the report, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that the ramifications of the reported death of the Daesh leader should not be overestimated.
"All examples of such actions on the destruction and 'beheading' of terrorist groups have always been presented with great enthusiasm, however, history shows that the fighting capacity of these structures [terror groups] were then restored," Lavrov said at a news conference Friday.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the "military council," during which al-Baghdadi was reportedly killed, was held to discuss an exit plan from Raqqa through the "southern corridor" to Daesh-controlled areas in Syria and Iraq.
Previously, media reported that Daesh leaders fled from Raqqa and Mosul to the city of Mayadin in Deir ez-Zor Province, near the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Nowhere to Run - According to Vyacheslav Matuzov, a Russian political analyst and expert on the Middle East, the Daesh relocation to Mayadin was due to the fact that the terrorists have nowhere to run.
Mayadin is the only major city in the mostly deserted territory that remains under Daesh control. "If you take a look at the map, it is clear that the terrorists have no other choice. In fact, they’re retreating in disarray," Matuzov told RT.
The Associated Press reported, citing US military sources, that the evacuation of the Daesh leadership to Mayadin began several months ago, when the US-led coalition was advancing on Raqqa.
Claims of the US Coalition’s Support for Militants - Experts note that the actions of the US-led coalition contributed to the fact that many terrorist could easily flee from Raqqa. On May 27, the Israeli analytical and intelligence agency Debka reported that the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had an agreement with Daesh on a corridor for evacuation from Raqqa.
The same information was obtained by Sputnik from other sources. In October 2016, a diplomatic source in Moscow told Sputnik that the US and Saudi Arabia were planning to withdraw some 9,000 militants from Mosul and redeploy them to Syria.
The Iranian news agency Fars has repeatedly claimed that the US and its allies were coordinating the relocation of militants with Daesh.
Last week, Iranian Armed Forces' Deputy Chief of Staff Mostafa Izadi claimed that Tehran allegedly has evidence proving US "direct support to Daesh."
"As the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution (Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei) said, we possess documents and information showing direct support by US imperialism for this highly disgusting stream [Daesh] in the region, which has destroyed the Islamic countries and created a wave of massacres and clashes," Fars cited Mostafa Izadi as saying.
Washington Still Undecided on Syria - According to Matuzov, the Daesh retreat and the elimination of its commanders is a sign that the terrorist group is in agony.
He underscored that the main question on the agenda is relations between the US coalition and pro-Damascus forces after the defeat of Daesh.
Whether al-Baghdadi is killed and where Daesh commanders will flee, these are technical matters. The principal issue is whether Russia and the US will be able to find common ground," the expert pointed out.
He said that there a couple of facts that would complicate the situation.
First, there is the risk of an open military confrontation between the US-backed SDF and the Syrian Army in northern Syria.
Second, Damascus sees the US military presence in Syria as illegitimate. On the other hand, Washington is still undecided on what its approach towards the Syrian government should be.
"The absence of a clear position from the American side is a problem," Matuzov said, adding that during the electoral campaign and after the election Donald Trump and members of his team have several times changed their attitude to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"Trump has his own stance. State Secretary Rex Tillerson has a different view. There is also the military with their own understanding of the situation," the expert said.
US-led anti-terrorist coalition has reportedly shot down a Syrian government forces' aircraft.
US-Led Coalition Shoots Down Syrian Army Aircraft - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054746884-usa-coalition-shoots-down-syrian-aircraft/
Syrian Arab Army announced that the US-led anti-terrorist coalition had brought down its aircraft in southern Raqqa countryside, Syrian media reported citing a statement by the Syrian Defence Ministry.
According to the report, the Syrian jet fighter was carrying out military tasks fighting Daesh terrorist organization.
“Our aircraft was downed at lunch time today near the [Syrian] city of Raqqa, when it was fulfilling its mission against the IS,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the US-led coalition was responsible for downing the aircraft.
The ministry noted that the coalition’s “actions are aimed at halting the Syrian army and its allies in the fight against terrorism, whereas our army and allies make great progress.”
According to the ministry, the pilot of the aircraft has not been found to date.
This is not the first time the US-led coalition's activities in Raqqa cause casualties. Syrian media reported earlier that at least 43 civilians were killed as a result of the US-led coalition airstrike in the region. The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the airstrikes and sent two letters the UN secretary general and the head of the UN Security Council, in which the coalition's actions were compared to Daesh crimes. Just a few days later, the Lebanese media reported that the coalition's airstrikes killed more than 30 civilians more near Raqqa.
Raqqa has been under the control of Daesh since 2013, and is the de-facto capital of the self-proclaimed Daesh caliphate. The operation to retake Raqqa, conducted by a coalition consisting of almost 70 countries, has been on-going since November 2016. The strikes in Syria are not authorized by the UN Security Council or the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
US-Led Coalition Confirms Downing Syrian Plane
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054747850-internationl-coalition-prevents-syria-forces/
The US-led international anti-terrorist coalition confirmed bringing down the Syrian government forces aircraft earlier, adding that the plane had been bombing US-backed opposition forces' troops.
The coalition claims that it prevented the Syrian forces from advancing to the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) south of Tabqah by shooting down the aircraft.
"At 6:43 p.m., a Syrian regime SU-22 dropped bombs near SDF fighters south of Tabqah and, in accordance with rules of engagement and in collective self-defense of Coalition partnered forces, was immediately shot down by a U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornet," the statement read.
The Coalition headquarters said it contacted Russian representatives to de-escalate the situation after the attack.
Syrian Arab Army announced earlier that the US-led coalition had brought down its aircraft in southern Raqqa countryside.
“Our aircraft was downed at lunch time today near the [Syrian] city of Raqqa, when it was fulfilling its mission against Daesh,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry noted that the coalition’s “actions are aimed at halting the Syrian army and its allies in the fight against terrorism, whereas our army and allies make great progress.”
Germany Reveals When Its Jets Will Resume Flights Over Syria
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201706181054743532-germany-jets-flights-over-syria/
According to the politician, the exact dates of the transfer have not yet been determined. However, the main goal is that "the transfer phase is as short as possible and that the safety of the troops is ensured," von der Leyen said.
On June 7, Berlin decided to withdraw its military from the Incirlik air base in Turkey after Ankara banned German lawmakers from entering the base. Turkey explained the move, citing Berlin's decision to give asylum to Turkish soldiers after last year's attempted coup.
"Until the end of June, we are included in the schedule of the anti-Daesh coalition. Then we move our tankers to Jordan as soon as possible. After a few days, they are back in action, I think in the second half of July. The transfer of the Tornado jets and of the complex aerial photo equipment is more complicated; it will take two months, from August to September. From October, the reconnaissance tornados should resume their flights, according to the plan," von der Leyen said.
Germany deployed its military in Turkey after the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris to participate in the anti-Daesh campaign led by the United States. Berlin's activities included reconnaissance missions and refueling for coalition aircraft.
Iran Hits Syrian Terrorists With Missiles
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054746460-iran-syria-missiles/
Iran's forces announced that a large number of terrorists were killed by its missile attack in Deir Ezzor, Syria, AFP reported.
"A missile strike on militants' positions is a warning to terrorists. In case if attacks on Iran continue, the flame of our justifiable anger will burn terrorists to ashes," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.
Iranian forces have eliminated a significant number of militants, in addition to their outfits and weapons, the IRGC reported, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
The attack was carried out as a response to Tehran attacks, which resulted in 18 dead.
Terror Under the State Guise’: N Korean State Media Slams US Campaign in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054744709-north-korean-media-slams-us/
“Due to the terrorist actions under the guise of a government, the United States is in the way of the Syrian government [attempt] to preserve the territorial integrity of the country. It is like a stumbling block, while Yankees' missiles and bombs kill innocent people in different parts of the world,”
the North Korean state media outlet stated.
However, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) went on to insist that US military activity in Syria was becoming more and more outrageous every day. KCNA insists that the US is "the key element of international terrorism” and “destroys peace and security in the world."
On the Run: Terrorists Struggling to Flee as Daesh Gets Decapitated
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706181054743032-daesh-fleeing-syria-baghdadi/
Meanwhile, al-Baghdadi’s death has not been confirmed yet. The United States-led coalition in Syria also said it could not confirm the report. Currently, the Russian Defense Ministry is verifying the information.
In addition to al-Baghdadi, the liquidated Daesh commanders included the "emir of Raqqa" Abu al-Hadji al-Mysri, the ‘emir’ Ibrahim An-Naef al-Hajj, who controlled the area from Raqqa to Es-Suhne, and the head of the "Daesh security service" Suleiman Al-Shawah, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
According to Russian military expert Alexander Zhilin, if the information is confirmed, it will have a decisive effect on the course of the fight against terrorism in Syria.
However, Zhilin said that taking into account the available information, al-Baghdadi is "highly unlikely to have been killed."
"The death of the leader is a serious blow to a militant group. It is impossible to quickly find a replacement and re-arrange the entire command and communications structure within the group. It is very important to take advantage of the current situation," Zhilin told RT.
At the same time, commenting on the report, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that the ramifications of the reported death of the Daesh leader should not be overestimated.
"All examples of such actions on the destruction and 'beheading' of terrorist groups have always been presented with great enthusiasm, however, history shows that the fighting capacity of these structures [terror groups] were then restored," Lavrov said at a news conference Friday.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the "military council," during which al-Baghdadi was reportedly killed, was held to discuss an exit plan from Raqqa through the "southern corridor" to Daesh-controlled areas in Syria and Iraq.
Previously, media reported that Daesh leaders fled from Raqqa and Mosul to the city of Mayadin in Deir ez-Zor Province, near the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Nowhere to Run - According to Vyacheslav Matuzov, a Russian political analyst and expert on the Middle East, the Daesh relocation to Mayadin was due to the fact that the terrorists have nowhere to run.
Mayadin is the only major city in the mostly deserted territory that remains under Daesh control. "If you take a look at the map, it is clear that the terrorists have no other choice. In fact, they’re retreating in disarray," Matuzov told RT.
The Associated Press reported, citing US military sources, that the evacuation of the Daesh leadership to Mayadin began several months ago, when the US-led coalition was advancing on Raqqa.
Claims of the US Coalition’s Support for Militants - Experts note that the actions of the US-led coalition contributed to the fact that many terrorist could easily flee from Raqqa. On May 27, the Israeli analytical and intelligence agency Debka reported that the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had an agreement with Daesh on a corridor for evacuation from Raqqa.
The same information was obtained by Sputnik from other sources. In October 2016, a diplomatic source in Moscow told Sputnik that the US and Saudi Arabia were planning to withdraw some 9,000 militants from Mosul and redeploy them to Syria.
The Iranian news agency Fars has repeatedly claimed that the US and its allies were coordinating the relocation of militants with Daesh.
Last week, Iranian Armed Forces' Deputy Chief of Staff Mostafa Izadi claimed that Tehran allegedly has evidence proving US "direct support to Daesh."
"As the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution (Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei) said, we possess documents and information showing direct support by US imperialism for this highly disgusting stream [Daesh] in the region, which has destroyed the Islamic countries and created a wave of massacres and clashes," Fars cited Mostafa Izadi as saying.
Washington Still Undecided on Syria - According to Matuzov, the Daesh retreat and the elimination of its commanders is a sign that the terrorist group is in agony.
He underscored that the main question on the agenda is relations between the US coalition and pro-Damascus forces after the defeat of Daesh.
Whether al-Baghdadi is killed and where Daesh commanders will flee, these are technical matters. The principal issue is whether Russia and the US will be able to find common ground," the expert pointed out.
He said that there a couple of facts that would complicate the situation.
First, there is the risk of an open military confrontation between the US-backed SDF and the Syrian Army in northern Syria.
Second, Damascus sees the US military presence in Syria as illegitimate. On the other hand, Washington is still undecided on what its approach towards the Syrian government should be.
"The absence of a clear position from the American side is a problem," Matuzov said, adding that during the electoral campaign and after the election Donald Trump and members of his team have several times changed their attitude to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"Trump has his own stance. State Secretary Rex Tillerson has a different view. There is also the military with their own understanding of the situation," the expert said.
angelburst29
The Living Force
QUNEITRA, Syria – Over the past five years, Israel has been quietly working to establish a foothold in southern Syria to prevent Syrian government-backed forces from controlling the area and to bolster its claim over the Golan Heights.
What began as tentative contacts with opposition factions and residents across the fence in 2012 has turned into a full-fledged, multifaceted operation that has military, logistical, political and humanitarian dimensions, according to an investigation by Syria Deeply, which interviewed residents, Syrian intelligence officials and opposition members for this story.
Israel’s Quiet Campaign to Gain a Foothold in Southern Syria
https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/06/15/long-read-israels-quiet-campaign-to-gain-a-foothold-in-southern-syria
Despite its official policy of non-intervention, Israel has taken on a very proactive role in Syria, working to establish an Israel-friendly zone in Quneitra, akin to its strategy in southern Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war.
Israel’s “safe zone” now unofficially runs roughly 6 miles (10km) deep and 12 miles (20km) long beyond the demarcation line of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The effort is intended to prevent the Syrian government and its allies, specifically Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, from maintaining a foothold along the Israeli fence. Israel used a similar tactic to establish a zone of control in the south of Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war.
In 2016, the Israeli army set up a liaison unit to better coordinate with Syrian residents, which now includes facilitating cross-border travel for residents into Israel, regular deliveries of food, clothing, construction equipment and educational materials, airstrikes on pro-government positions and the establishment of an Israeli-backed opposition faction in rebel-held southern Syria.
It is now a near-daily occurrence to see Israeli-run buses coming in and out of southern Syria, transporting residents from the opposition-controlled province of Quneitra into Israel. Most are coming in for medical treatment, generally given at Ziv Hospital in Safad, Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya or Rambam Health Care in Haifa. Some patients stay a few days, a month or up to a year and a half, during which time they are given the opportunity to learn Hebrew and adapt to their new surroundings.
According to the most recent UNDOF report, there has been “a significant increase in interaction” between the Israeli army and those within opposition-controlled areas along the fence, and “personnel and supplies were observed to have been transferred in both directions.”
A Syrian man who goes by the name of Abu Nidal coordinates with Israeli forces and “facilitates the transportation of residents to the border area,
[where they are] then picked up by the Israeli army and taken into Israel,” Abu Ahmad, a member of a local opposition civil administrative council inside Quneitra City, told Syria Deeply.
A Syrian government intelligence source, speaking to Syria Deeply on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, claimed Abu Nidal’s real name is Ahmad al Safouri and that he is originally from Nafha village in the Golan and now based in Maalqah – an opposition-controlled village meters away from the demarcation line. He added that Abu Nidal “uses two crossings into Israel, one at Maalqah and one in the Mari’e Valley.”
Abu Nidal apparently belongs to no faction, and runs a network of “several, at least 20, representatives that operate and coordinate bringing out Syrians and bringing in material at these crossings,” Abu Ahmad said.
Israeli civil society organizations, such as Amaliah, Israeli Flying Aid Organization and Shevet Achim, also coordinate through the Israeli army’s liaison unit to reach residents and local opposition councils in roughly 35 villages between them, providing education services and trucking in medical aid, food and clothing.
“The Israelis are working closely with civil society people on the ground,” a commander with the Jordan-backed Southern Front, who also has a presence in the area, told Syria Deeply on condition of anonymity. “We know it is happening, but we don’t want to have issues with the local population, so there is nothing we can do to stop it.”
Amaliah’s primary mission is to create a safe zone in southern Syria, eventually expanding its current area of operations – approximately 17 villages – to include Quneitra, southern Daraa and part of Sweida, and start initiatives such as training local law enforcement and building schools and hospitals.
The organization’s founder, Moti Kahana, is also spearheading Israel’s decision to adopt 100 Syrian children – a proposal interior minister Aryeh Deri approved in January – providing them with foster homes, residency and eventually citizenship in Israel.
More recently, Israel has stepped up its military involvement in southern Syria. Over the past year, it has funded and supported its own Free Syrian Army faction, known as the Golan Knights (Liwa Forsan al Joulan), led by local Syrian fighters Abu Suhaib al Joulani, opposition sources in the area told Syria Deeply. The group operates in Jabata Khashab, a Quneitra town in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) zone.
A member of the Golan Knights confirmed to Syria Deeply that the group is present in Jabata Khashab and led by Abu Suhaib, but refused to answer additional questions on the factions.
Syrian government security officials identified Abu Suhaib as Ahmad al Khatib, originally from Masharah in Quneitra, and said the group consists of around 1,000 fighters. However, a high-level Southern Front source put the number at between 300 and 400 local fighters. According to the source, the faction “receives around $50,000 a month from Israel [and] they’re in possession of only light weaponry, so they act predominantly as border guards and patrol the area they’re in.
“There’s nothing we can do about them, they are from the local population,” the source added. “We’ve been having our own problems in the area, and so we cannot clash with them.”
On the political front, Israel is publicly courting officials who claim to fall under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army, such as Issam Zeitoun and Kamal Labwani – both of whom regularly visit Israel. It has also been promoting the National Salvation Front leader Fahad al Masri, who has publicly called for Israeli intervention in Syria, as an example of a Syrian opposition figure willing to work with Tel Aviv.
The Lebanon Experience
Israel employed a similar strategy in southern Lebanon, after the Cairo Agreement of 1969, in which Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser brokered a deal between Lebanese army commander Emile Bustani and Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, establishing official guidelines for Palestinian groups operating in south Lebanon, and permitting them to launch attacks against Israel.
Capitalizing on the chaos in Lebanon when civil war broke out in 1975, Israel began to establish – both covertly and overtly – its own network of south Lebanon residents, under what the Israelis called the Good Fence Policy. Israel easily filled the vacuum in the area, where the population’s many and diverse sects had recently been abandoned by the government in terms of security and financial stability.
“Israel worked on establishing an Israeli-friendly network, both military and civilian, inside southern Lebanon,” Abu Abdullah, one resident of southern Lebanon, who grew up under the Israeli occupation, told Syria Deeply, adding that Israel capitalized on and manipulated the local population’s sectarian and anti-Palestinian sentiments to solidify its grip.
“They started off by sending humanitarian and medical aid through the border crossing at Fatima’s Gate and ended with sending arms and setting up their own militia,” he said. It was not unusual for Lebanese residents to seek free medical treatment and work opportunities in Israel, where the situation was considered more stable.
In 1975, Israel established, trained and funded the Free Lebanon Army, which later rebranded as the South Lebanon Army under the leadership of former Lebanese army commander Antoine Lahd in 1980. The group targeted anyone suspected of working against Israel, setting the foundation for Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon until 2000.
Forty years later, a comparable scenario is playing out in southern Syria.
Today, a number of factions operate in areas of Quneitra along the demarcation fence, including hyper-local groups, the Jordan- and U.S.-backed Southern Front opposition coalition, the al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and ISIS, many of which have clashed over the years. These clashes, along with government attacks and the arrival of IDPs from surrounding areas, further destabilized the area’s lack of governance and economy. The situation worsened in 2016 when Jordan effectively closed its border, preventing anyone from leaving to receive medical treatment or cross-border aid deliveries.
This created a fertile environment for Israel. Drawing from its experience in Lebanon, Israel’s strategy for control does not involve boots on the ground – but fills the gaps in basic services ensuring the population remains dependent and friendly toward its presence.
As Abu Ahmad pointed out, “We have no field hospitals that can deal with serious wounds, and the Jordanians are not giving us any help at all; can you blame a parent if their child is suffering and someone is offering them treatment in Israel?”
Beyond the Conflict in Syria
Syrian government sources have long accused Israel of coordinating with opposition factions in southern Syria, providing them with logistical aid and intelligence, and supporting their ground advances by striking pro-government positions in Quneitra. A case in point was the Syrian army’s offensive on East Samdaniyeh in April. “When the militants could not advance, the Israeli army attacked Syrian army positions in the area using the pretext of a mortar landing in the occupied Golan,” said one Syrian government military source. “This has happened on several occasions in the past, such as during the clashes around Khan Arnabeh last year and the battle of Tel Shaar in 2015.
“When it suits Israel, they refer back to the 1974 Agreement [which saw the withdrawal of Israeli troops to the 1967 armistice line and established the UNDOF buffer zone on the Syrian side] using this as a reason to hit at the Syrian army,” said the source, adding that the Syrian army has no presence in the demilitarized zone. “Yet they don’t seem to have an issue with the presence of heavy weapons and tanks belonging to the militants in the same area.”
For Israel, establishing a buffer zone in southern Syria not only creates distance between its border and pro-government forces – particularly those backed by Iran – it also cements Tel Aviv’s control over the occupied Golan Heights, an area of Syrian land that the Israeli army captured in 1967.
After the war erupted in Syria, Israeli officials pointed to this instability as a reason to reopen the discussion on internationally recognizing Israel’s stake over the Golan Heights. To secure its grip, Israel also launched several infrastructure projects in the area (including the expansion of settlements in the Golan), invested public money to boost the local economy, and encouraged local residents to accept Israeli nationality.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spent the past three years lobbying world leaders, specifically those involved in Syria, to recognize that “after 50 years, the time has come for the international community to finally recognize that the Golan Heights will remain under Israel’s sovereignty permanently.”
Israel’s strategy of increasing its influence – whether it be that of an Israeli-friendly society or via arms – on the Syrian side of the separation fence will impact future negotiations. However, it remains to be seen whether this new reality on the ground will translate into Israel’s permanent control over the Golan Heights, or if it will also include control over a stretch of land miles deep that separates its borders from the threat of its adversaries. ∎
What began as tentative contacts with opposition factions and residents across the fence in 2012 has turned into a full-fledged, multifaceted operation that has military, logistical, political and humanitarian dimensions, according to an investigation by Syria Deeply, which interviewed residents, Syrian intelligence officials and opposition members for this story.
Israel’s Quiet Campaign to Gain a Foothold in Southern Syria
https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2017/06/15/long-read-israels-quiet-campaign-to-gain-a-foothold-in-southern-syria
Despite its official policy of non-intervention, Israel has taken on a very proactive role in Syria, working to establish an Israel-friendly zone in Quneitra, akin to its strategy in southern Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war.
Israel’s “safe zone” now unofficially runs roughly 6 miles (10km) deep and 12 miles (20km) long beyond the demarcation line of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The effort is intended to prevent the Syrian government and its allies, specifically Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, from maintaining a foothold along the Israeli fence. Israel used a similar tactic to establish a zone of control in the south of Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war.
In 2016, the Israeli army set up a liaison unit to better coordinate with Syrian residents, which now includes facilitating cross-border travel for residents into Israel, regular deliveries of food, clothing, construction equipment and educational materials, airstrikes on pro-government positions and the establishment of an Israeli-backed opposition faction in rebel-held southern Syria.
It is now a near-daily occurrence to see Israeli-run buses coming in and out of southern Syria, transporting residents from the opposition-controlled province of Quneitra into Israel. Most are coming in for medical treatment, generally given at Ziv Hospital in Safad, Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya or Rambam Health Care in Haifa. Some patients stay a few days, a month or up to a year and a half, during which time they are given the opportunity to learn Hebrew and adapt to their new surroundings.
According to the most recent UNDOF report, there has been “a significant increase in interaction” between the Israeli army and those within opposition-controlled areas along the fence, and “personnel and supplies were observed to have been transferred in both directions.”
A Syrian man who goes by the name of Abu Nidal coordinates with Israeli forces and “facilitates the transportation of residents to the border area,
[where they are] then picked up by the Israeli army and taken into Israel,” Abu Ahmad, a member of a local opposition civil administrative council inside Quneitra City, told Syria Deeply.
A Syrian government intelligence source, speaking to Syria Deeply on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, claimed Abu Nidal’s real name is Ahmad al Safouri and that he is originally from Nafha village in the Golan and now based in Maalqah – an opposition-controlled village meters away from the demarcation line. He added that Abu Nidal “uses two crossings into Israel, one at Maalqah and one in the Mari’e Valley.”
Abu Nidal apparently belongs to no faction, and runs a network of “several, at least 20, representatives that operate and coordinate bringing out Syrians and bringing in material at these crossings,” Abu Ahmad said.
Israeli civil society organizations, such as Amaliah, Israeli Flying Aid Organization and Shevet Achim, also coordinate through the Israeli army’s liaison unit to reach residents and local opposition councils in roughly 35 villages between them, providing education services and trucking in medical aid, food and clothing.
“The Israelis are working closely with civil society people on the ground,” a commander with the Jordan-backed Southern Front, who also has a presence in the area, told Syria Deeply on condition of anonymity. “We know it is happening, but we don’t want to have issues with the local population, so there is nothing we can do to stop it.”
Amaliah’s primary mission is to create a safe zone in southern Syria, eventually expanding its current area of operations – approximately 17 villages – to include Quneitra, southern Daraa and part of Sweida, and start initiatives such as training local law enforcement and building schools and hospitals.
The organization’s founder, Moti Kahana, is also spearheading Israel’s decision to adopt 100 Syrian children – a proposal interior minister Aryeh Deri approved in January – providing them with foster homes, residency and eventually citizenship in Israel.
More recently, Israel has stepped up its military involvement in southern Syria. Over the past year, it has funded and supported its own Free Syrian Army faction, known as the Golan Knights (Liwa Forsan al Joulan), led by local Syrian fighters Abu Suhaib al Joulani, opposition sources in the area told Syria Deeply. The group operates in Jabata Khashab, a Quneitra town in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) zone.
A member of the Golan Knights confirmed to Syria Deeply that the group is present in Jabata Khashab and led by Abu Suhaib, but refused to answer additional questions on the factions.
Syrian government security officials identified Abu Suhaib as Ahmad al Khatib, originally from Masharah in Quneitra, and said the group consists of around 1,000 fighters. However, a high-level Southern Front source put the number at between 300 and 400 local fighters. According to the source, the faction “receives around $50,000 a month from Israel [and] they’re in possession of only light weaponry, so they act predominantly as border guards and patrol the area they’re in.
“There’s nothing we can do about them, they are from the local population,” the source added. “We’ve been having our own problems in the area, and so we cannot clash with them.”
On the political front, Israel is publicly courting officials who claim to fall under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army, such as Issam Zeitoun and Kamal Labwani – both of whom regularly visit Israel. It has also been promoting the National Salvation Front leader Fahad al Masri, who has publicly called for Israeli intervention in Syria, as an example of a Syrian opposition figure willing to work with Tel Aviv.
The Lebanon Experience
Israel employed a similar strategy in southern Lebanon, after the Cairo Agreement of 1969, in which Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser brokered a deal between Lebanese army commander Emile Bustani and Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, establishing official guidelines for Palestinian groups operating in south Lebanon, and permitting them to launch attacks against Israel.
Capitalizing on the chaos in Lebanon when civil war broke out in 1975, Israel began to establish – both covertly and overtly – its own network of south Lebanon residents, under what the Israelis called the Good Fence Policy. Israel easily filled the vacuum in the area, where the population’s many and diverse sects had recently been abandoned by the government in terms of security and financial stability.
“Israel worked on establishing an Israeli-friendly network, both military and civilian, inside southern Lebanon,” Abu Abdullah, one resident of southern Lebanon, who grew up under the Israeli occupation, told Syria Deeply, adding that Israel capitalized on and manipulated the local population’s sectarian and anti-Palestinian sentiments to solidify its grip.
“They started off by sending humanitarian and medical aid through the border crossing at Fatima’s Gate and ended with sending arms and setting up their own militia,” he said. It was not unusual for Lebanese residents to seek free medical treatment and work opportunities in Israel, where the situation was considered more stable.
In 1975, Israel established, trained and funded the Free Lebanon Army, which later rebranded as the South Lebanon Army under the leadership of former Lebanese army commander Antoine Lahd in 1980. The group targeted anyone suspected of working against Israel, setting the foundation for Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon until 2000.
Forty years later, a comparable scenario is playing out in southern Syria.
Today, a number of factions operate in areas of Quneitra along the demarcation fence, including hyper-local groups, the Jordan- and U.S.-backed Southern Front opposition coalition, the al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and ISIS, many of which have clashed over the years. These clashes, along with government attacks and the arrival of IDPs from surrounding areas, further destabilized the area’s lack of governance and economy. The situation worsened in 2016 when Jordan effectively closed its border, preventing anyone from leaving to receive medical treatment or cross-border aid deliveries.
This created a fertile environment for Israel. Drawing from its experience in Lebanon, Israel’s strategy for control does not involve boots on the ground – but fills the gaps in basic services ensuring the population remains dependent and friendly toward its presence.
As Abu Ahmad pointed out, “We have no field hospitals that can deal with serious wounds, and the Jordanians are not giving us any help at all; can you blame a parent if their child is suffering and someone is offering them treatment in Israel?”
Beyond the Conflict in Syria
Syrian government sources have long accused Israel of coordinating with opposition factions in southern Syria, providing them with logistical aid and intelligence, and supporting their ground advances by striking pro-government positions in Quneitra. A case in point was the Syrian army’s offensive on East Samdaniyeh in April. “When the militants could not advance, the Israeli army attacked Syrian army positions in the area using the pretext of a mortar landing in the occupied Golan,” said one Syrian government military source. “This has happened on several occasions in the past, such as during the clashes around Khan Arnabeh last year and the battle of Tel Shaar in 2015.
“When it suits Israel, they refer back to the 1974 Agreement [which saw the withdrawal of Israeli troops to the 1967 armistice line and established the UNDOF buffer zone on the Syrian side] using this as a reason to hit at the Syrian army,” said the source, adding that the Syrian army has no presence in the demilitarized zone. “Yet they don’t seem to have an issue with the presence of heavy weapons and tanks belonging to the militants in the same area.”
For Israel, establishing a buffer zone in southern Syria not only creates distance between its border and pro-government forces – particularly those backed by Iran – it also cements Tel Aviv’s control over the occupied Golan Heights, an area of Syrian land that the Israeli army captured in 1967.
After the war erupted in Syria, Israeli officials pointed to this instability as a reason to reopen the discussion on internationally recognizing Israel’s stake over the Golan Heights. To secure its grip, Israel also launched several infrastructure projects in the area (including the expansion of settlements in the Golan), invested public money to boost the local economy, and encouraged local residents to accept Israeli nationality.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spent the past three years lobbying world leaders, specifically those involved in Syria, to recognize that “after 50 years, the time has come for the international community to finally recognize that the Golan Heights will remain under Israel’s sovereignty permanently.”
Israel’s strategy of increasing its influence – whether it be that of an Israeli-friendly society or via arms – on the Syrian side of the separation fence will impact future negotiations. However, it remains to be seen whether this new reality on the ground will translate into Israel’s permanent control over the Golan Heights, or if it will also include control over a stretch of land miles deep that separates its borders from the threat of its adversaries. ∎
angelburst29
The Living Force
angelburst29 said:
At least two people were killed and five others were left injured after suicide bomber blew himself up the town of Khan Arnaba, located in the countryside of Syria’s southwestern province of Quneitra.
2 Killed in a Terror Blast in Syria's Quneitra Province
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/06/2-killed-in-terror-blast-in-syrias.html
According to Ahmad Sheikh Abdul Qader, the Governor of Quneitra, a terrorist, wearing an explosive belt blew himself up in the middle of the town of Khan Arnaba, killing 2 people and injuring 5 others, in addition to causing material damage to the surrounding buildings.
The injured have already been dispatched to the hospitals in Damascus in order to receive sufficient treatment.
Lavrov Urges US to Respect Syrian Sovereignty After Attack on Syrian Army Jet
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706191054752524-coalition-syria-jet-lavrov/
Russia calls on the United States to coordinate actions in Syria and avoid unilateral actions, Lavrov said.
He commented on the US' boosting of its presence in southern Syria, saying that all actions in Syria need to be coordinated with legitimate Syrian authorities, "especially when it comes to the occupation of certain territories in Syria, including those that could prompt questions from the point of view of the true intentions of those who carry out such seizures [of territory]."
Coalition Says Spoke to Russia Several Times via Deconfliction Channel on Sunday
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706191054770626-coalition-deconfliction-channel-russia/
Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it halted halted all interactions with the US within the framework on the memorandum of incident prevention in Syrian skies. Moscow said the US-led coalition didn't contact the Russian military over the incident. The move came following the US-led coalition's downing of a Syrian army's jet near Raqqa.
"The Coalition spoke to the Russians several times yesterday and is always available to de-conflict operations to ensure the safety of Coalition aircrews and operations," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the channel has proven to be effective at "at mitigating strategic miscalculations and de-escalating tense situations."
The US-led coalition has taken steps to reposition its aircraft in Syria after recent encounters with pro-Syrian government and Russian forces, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson told Sputnik.
"As a result of recent encounters involving pro-Syrian Regime and Russian forces, we have taken prudent measures to re-position aircraft over Syria so as to continue targeting ISIS [Daesh] forces while ensuring the safety of our aircrew given known threats in the battlespace."
Russian Missile Defense to Track US-Led Coalition Aircraft in Syria - MoD
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706191054760684-russia-us-syria-deconfliction-channel/
Russian missile defense will intercept any aircraft in the area of operations of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria, the ministry said.
"In areas where Russian aviation is conducting combat missions in the Syrian skies, any flying ojects, including jets and unmanned aerial vehicles of the international coalition discovered west of the Euphrates River will be followed by Russian air and ground defenses as air targets," the Russian Defense Ministry announced.
The US-led coalition command didn't use the deconfliction channel with Russia to avoid an incident during an operation in Raqqa, the ministry said.
Russian Aerospace Forces' jets were conducting operations in Syrian airspace that time. However, the command of the coalition forces didn't use the existing channel between the air command of the Qatari airbase al Udeid and the [Russian] Hmeymim airbase to avoid incidents over Syria," the ministry said.
The ministry added that it "demands a thorough investigation by the US command with the provision of its results and measures taken."
"We consider such actions of the US command as an intentional violation of its obligations in the framework of the memo on avoiding incidents and the safety of aviation flights during operations in Syria signed on October 20, 2015."
US Aggression Not Slowing Syrian Army's Progress Down, Al Rusafah Captured
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/06/us-aggression-not-slowing-syrian-armys.html
The Army has since managed to take control of the key strategic town of Al Rusafah, located in the southwestern countryside of Raqqah province, amid fierce clashes with the US-backed and Kurdish-led SDF/YPG.
New progress was also made in the countryside of Palmyra.
Earlier on Monday, units of the Syrian Army took control of Arak dam, Bir Hofnah, Tadmouriyah mountain chain and Mahmiet Al Taleela, located east of Palmyra, leaving dozens of ISIS terrorist corpses behind.
In the eastern province of Deir Ez Zour, Syrian Army’s artillery units once again heavily pounded ISIS positions in the surrounding areas of Al Panorama school, Tal Brouk, west of Deir Ez Zour Radio Station, the village of Ayyash, Al Thardah, the vicinity of military airport and in Al Howeiqa neighborhood of Deir Ez Zour city.
Scores of terrorists were killed and their equipment and barricades destroyed during the strikes.
In addition, Syrian Air Force carried out raids parallel with artillery strikes and destroyed several ISIS gatherings and vehicles in Al Hamidiyeh neighborhood of Deir Ez Zour city, Al Panorama and the villages of Al Baghiliyeh and Ayyash.
Putin fires several heads of regional law enforcement agencies
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/06/putin-fires-several-heads-of-regional.html
In the same decree the president made a number of new appointments: in particular, Mikhail Chernikov heads the traffic police, Igor Trifonov becomes Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia, Oleg Agarkov - Chief State Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Rostov region.
Oliver Stone Says His Son Working at RT is Not a 'Russian Agent'
https://sputniknews.com/world/201706191054753522-stone-rt-son-russia-agent/
The director was interviewed about his recent conversations with the Russian leader that were used for the film aired by the Showtime TV channel earlier in June. During the interview, a CNN host asked Stone if his son, working at RT was related to the film.
"He has been working at RT for six-seven years, way before this project was born… He does interviews with very good people… There's no connection there. He's not an agent, a Russian agent or something like that," Stone said Sunday.
The director added that if a person watched RT, he could find "a lot of interesting," as the broadcaster's correspondents "do a lot of work" and create interesting materials.
Stone's son, Sean, hosts the television show Watching the Hawks on RT America.
Stone's documentary "The Putin Interviews," which the director has been making for two years, is based on the conversations between the famous filmmaker and the Russian president and covered a number of issues, including Russia-US ties, crises in Syria and Ukraine and the case of US National Security Agency contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden, among other issues.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Additional information:
U.S. destroyer almost foundered after collision, bodies found: Seventh Fleet (Photos)
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bodies-of-uss-fitzgerald-sailors-found-in-ships-flooded-compartments-us-navy/ar-BBCP3NC
The bodies of missing sailors were found in flooded compartments of the USS Fitzgerald, which came close to sinking after a collision with a container ship off Japan tore a gash under the warship's waterline, the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet commander said on Sunday.
Vice Adm. Joseph P. Aucoin declined to say how many of the seven missing sailors had been recovered, but Japanese media said all had died. “Out of concern for the families and the notification process, I will decline to state how many we have found at this time,” Aucoin told a news conference.
The search at sea had ended, Aucoin said. The USS Fitzgerald could have foundered, or even sunk, but for the crew's desperate efforts to save the ship, he said.
The damage was significant. There was a big gash under the water," Aucoin said at Yokosuka naval base, home of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, the docked Fitzgerald behind him.
"A significant portion of the crew was sleeping" when the destroyer collided with the Philippine-flagged container ship, destroying the commander's cabin, he said.
The Fitzgerald is salvageable, he said, but repairs will likely take months. "Hopefully less than a year. You will see the USS Fitzgerald back," Aucoin said.
Multiple U.S. and Japanese investigations are under way on how a ship as large as the container could ram into the warship in clear weather.
Aucoin was asked if damage on the starboard side indicated the U.S. ship could have been at fault, but he declined to speculate on the cause of the collision. Maritime rules suggest vessels are supposed to give way to ships on their starboard..
LIMPING INTO PORT - The Seventh Fleet said in a statement earlier on Sunday: "Divers were able to access the space and found a number of bodies." They were transferred to a U.S. naval hospital for identification, it said.
The Fitzgerald collided with the merchant vessel more than three times its size some 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka early on Saturday.
Three people were medically evacuated to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka after the collision, including the ship's commanding officer, Bryce Benson, who was reported to be in stable condition, the Navy said.
The other two were being treated for lacerations and bruises.
The Fitzgerald limped into port on Saturday evening, listing around 5 degrees, a U.S. Navy spokesman in Yokosuka said. The flooding was in two berthing compartments, the radio room and auxiliary machine room, he said.
There were 285 crew onboard, the spokesman said.
Benson took command of the Fitzgerald on May 13. He had previously commanded a minesweeper based in Sasebo in western Japan.
'PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE' - Japanese authorities were looking into the possibility of "endangerment of traffic caused by professional negligence", Japanese media reported, but it was not clear whether that might apply to either or both of the vessels.
The U.S. Navy said the collision happened at about 2:30 a.m. local time (1730 GMT Friday), while the Japanese Coast Guard said it was 1:30 a.m. local time.
Japan's Nippon Yusen KK, which charters the container ship, ACX Crystal, said in a statement on Saturday it would "cooperate fully" with the Coast Guard's investigation of the incident.
At around 29,000 tons displacement, the ship dwarfs the 8,315-ton U.S. warship. It was carrying 1,080 containers from the port of Nagoya to Tokyo.
None of the 20 crew members aboard the container ship, all Filipino, were injured, and the ship was not leaking oil, Nippon Yusen said. The ship arrived at Tokyo Bay later on Saturday.
The waterways approaching Tokyo Bay are busy with commercial vessels sailing to and from Japan’s two biggest container ports in Tokyo and Yokohama.
But such collisions at sea are rare in an age of advanced navigational technology.
Naval historians recall possibly the last time a warship was hit by a larger vessel in peacetime was in 1964 off the coast of Australia’s New South Wales. The HMAS Melbourne, an aircraft carrier, collided with the destroyer HMAS Voyager, shearing the much smaller vessel in half and killing 82 of the Voyager's crew.
Probe Launched Over Delay in Reporting US Navy Ship, Merchant Vessel Collision
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201706191054779227-probe-launched-delay-/
Sailors aboard the 29,000-ton ACX Crystal told the Japan Times that the incident occurred around 1:30 a.m., not 2:25 a.m. as originally reported by the Japanese Coast Guard. The Crystal’s navigation route shows abrupt turn occurring at 1:30 a.m. when the accident first occurred indicating it had gotten off path, according to MarineTraffic, a ship tracker. The Crystal reversed and returned to the scene of the crash at 2:20 a.m. NYK Line, the Japan-based transportation company operating the merchant ship, agreed to the revised timeframe.
A spokeswoman for the ship’s operator refused to say what the crew was doing during the 50 minutes, but the investigation will include poring through communications records from that timeframe, officials said Monday.
As Tokyo scours the facts Japanese officials are “continuously enlisting US cooperation,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Monday, the Japan Times noted.
The deceased sailors were from all around the US, Axios reported Monday. Sailors Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, of Palmyra, Virginia; Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, of San Diego; Ngoc T. Truong Huynh, 25, of Oakville, Connecticut; Noe Hernandez, 26, of Weslaco, Texas; Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, of Chula Vista, California; Xavier Alec Martin, 24, of Halethorpe, Maryland; and Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, of Elyria, Ohio, were in their bunks asleep when the incident occurred the US 7th Fleet reported Monday.
Mia Sykes, a mother of one of the sailors, said that her son informed her that sleeping quarters immediately began taking on water following impact, the Chicago Tribune reported. Four men in her son’s berth died, including the ones on bunks immediately above and below him, did not survive. Many of the ship’s 300 sailors went up to the guns thinking the ship was under attack, she said. “You have to realize most of them are 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds living with guilt,” Sykes explained, adding, “But I told him, ‘there’s a reason you’re still here and make that count.’”
angelburst29
The Living Force
What we know about Navy destroyer's deadly collision with a container ship off Japan (Video)
http://abcnews.go.com/US/navy-destroyers-deadly-collision-container-ship-japan/story?id=48131357
Right after the collision, the USS Fitzgerald lost all of its communications because its communications room flooded, a defense official said.
Senior officers had to resort to using satellite phones on the ship, which were the only means of communication available to the ship for some time.
(Comment - If satellite phones were working, why did it take nearly an hour for the collision to be reported?)
Seven US sailors died as a result of Saturday's collision
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4621656/US-sailors-trapped-ALIVE-USS-Fitzgerald-sank.html
The Navy is investigating the horrifying possibility that some of those who died on the USS Fitzgerald ... may have been trapped alive in rapidly flooding compartments as emergency hatches were closed, it has emerged.
Pilot of Jet Downed by US-Led Coalition Rescued by Syrian Army
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330000701
An informed source told Sputnik that "the soldiers of General Suheil al-Hassan (Tiger Forces) discovered and rescued the pilot of the downed aircraft. Now, Col. Ali Fahd is in hospital and nothing threatens his life".
According to the source, the downed Syrian pilot was found around 30 kilometers (17 miles) South of Raqqa. The rescue operation was complicated by the fact that the pilot's landing site was in close proximity to the positions of ISIL group which also searched for the Syrian pilot.
On Sunday, a Syrian fighter jet engaged in operations against the ISIL in Raqqa was downed by the US-led coalition warplane.
Kurdish Politician: Syrian Fighter Jet Shot by US Not in Anti-SDF Operation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960329000889
"The phrase used by the US shows that the Syrian warplane had not tried to hit the SDF positions and therefore the Damascus government's version of the story about the attacks on ISIL's positions is correct," Member of the Syrian Democratic Council Rizan Hadu said.
He said it is at this point that the US cannot make any lame excuses as it is trying to deteriorate the relations between the Syrian army and the SDF. "This issue will have negative effects on the conditions of Qamishli, Aleppo and Afrin and it will cause the Syrian army and the SDF to enter a marginal war which will be harmful to the war on terrorism.
Army Intensifies Operations towards Deir Ezzur after US Downing of Syrian Fighter Jet
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330001081
Field reports said that after the US attack against the Syrian warplane in Western Raqqa, the army soldiers are now preparing for several coordinated military operations to advance towards Deir Ezzur.
ISIL units deployed at the Palmyra-al-Sukhnah region are expected to face major pressure by the Syrian army units who intend to take control of al-Sukhnah and move towards Deir Ezzur.
Also, the Syrian army is endeavoring to advance in Ithriya-al-Tabaqah region after retaking the two strategic regions of al-Masbah and Tal Abuzain to block the ISIL path into Southeastern Aleppo – in the Eastern parts of Khanasser road.
After liberation of the strategic city of al-Rasafah and several points around it, the Syrian soldiers will soon turn the city, located along the Euphrates river, into their operational center to advance towards Deir Ezzur from the Northwest and separate the city from the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and therefore, foil the US plots to help the SDF to reach Deir Ezzur.
Ex-US Envoy: Bashar Assad, Allies to Prevail in Syria, Drive US out
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330001072
Robert Ford, who served as the US’s envoy to Syria under former US president Barack Obama, made the remarks in an interview with the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday.
He said the US was, first of all, mistaken in giving support to the opposition in Syria back in 2011 and demanding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. Ford added that he knew that that expression of support would encourage certain elements of the opposition to take up arms and expect a US invasion against Damascus, which he said would not be forthcoming.
Ford also stressed that the US would not defend the Kurdish forces it has been supporting so far in case the Kurds engaged in clashes with the Syrian forces.
“[The US] will not defend the Kurds against Assad’s forces,” the former US envoy said, adding that “What we’re doing with the Kurds is not only politically stupid, but immoral.”
“Syrian Kurds are making their biggest mistake in trusting the Americans,” he underlined. The US has been backing a mainly Kurdish alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Ford also said that, given the strong support being offered by Iran and Russia to the Syrian government, the “game was finished” for US plans to overthrow Assad or compete with what he said would be Iran’s success in the country. “The Iranian position will advance,” Ford added.
“Assad won, I mean he’s the victor, or he thinks so,” he said, adding that “Maybe in 10 years, he will retake the entire country.”
Syria has been gripped by unrest since 2011, when militancy first began in the country. Foreign states opposed to President Assad have since then been funding and providing weapons to anti-Assad militants, among them thousands of paid foreign terrorists dispatched to help force Assad out of power.
The Syrian government, however, has been fighting that militancy back, aided in that battle by advisory military support from Iran and Russia. Moscow has also been conducting an aerial campaign against terrorist positions in the Arab country on a request by Damascus.
US State Senator: Syria's Assad to Win 90% of Votes if Election Held Now
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330000322
State Senator from Virginia, Richard Black, Syrian President Bashar Assad would receive 90 percent of the vote if an election took place at the moment based on recent intelligence gathered, Sputnik reported.
"I have had people that I worked very closely with who gather intelligence from Syria… and several interesting things come out of the reports I’ve received back," Black noted. "Right now I would say if you could hold an election in Syria… President Assad would probably be reelected with 90% of the vote and that’s including the terrorist occupied areas."
Black, who is the elected representative for Loudoun County, Virginia, personally met with Assad during a visit to Syria in April 2016.
The senator said the intelligence also revealed that "people are totally supportive of President Assad and the first lady Asma Assad, who is I think one of the great first ladies of the world."
"Totally self-sacrificing people," the senator added. "Unlike many leaders of the world they are not greedy, they are not hoarding national wealth, they are sacrificing themselves for the future of their nation. So the people love them."
Black also stressed that there is "total unity" among the Syrian army.
"There is almost total unity of the religions. The Christians, the Alawites, the Sunnis, the Shiites, the Druze, they’re all fighting together to retain Syria," he explained.
Syria: 2 FSA Commanders Killed in Al-Bab Bomb Blast
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330001369
Two FSA commanders named Abu Halal Homsi and Abu Omar al-Nimr were killed in the blast incident.
The attack on the FSA military positions took place at a time when a joint operation room to administer and monitor the military conditions in al-Bab town was set up several days ago.
On Saturday, media reports said that the terrorist groups in the city of al-Bab have agreed to evacuate and leave the military bases in the region.
A sum of 16 terrorist groups stationed in al-Bab town Northeast of Aleppo, including the Military and Local Councils came to terms over leaving the town after fierce clashes in the region, the Arabic-language al-Hadas News reported. It said that the agreement was reached in the presence of a number of Turkish officers.
Hundreds of Reinforcements Join Syrian Army's Anti-ISIL Battle in Raqqa Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330001096
The dispatch of the reinforcements comes concurrent with the Syrian army's military advances in Raqqa province which resulted in recapturing ISIL's strategic town of al-Resafa and also after the US-led coalition forces downed a Syrian fighter jet.
Hundreds of Syrian army troops arrived in Raqqa province from the Eastern part of Damascus to accelerate the anti-ISIL military operations West of Raqqa and also movements towards Deir Ezzur.
The fresh forces are also to accomplish the mission of protecting the newly-liberated areas against the ISIL and possibly the Kurdish forces.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/navy-destroyers-deadly-collision-container-ship-japan/story?id=48131357
Right after the collision, the USS Fitzgerald lost all of its communications because its communications room flooded, a defense official said.
Senior officers had to resort to using satellite phones on the ship, which were the only means of communication available to the ship for some time.
(Comment - If satellite phones were working, why did it take nearly an hour for the collision to be reported?)
Seven US sailors died as a result of Saturday's collision
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4621656/US-sailors-trapped-ALIVE-USS-Fitzgerald-sank.html
The Navy is investigating the horrifying possibility that some of those who died on the USS Fitzgerald ... may have been trapped alive in rapidly flooding compartments as emergency hatches were closed, it has emerged.
Pilot of Jet Downed by US-Led Coalition Rescued by Syrian Army
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330000701
An informed source told Sputnik that "the soldiers of General Suheil al-Hassan (Tiger Forces) discovered and rescued the pilot of the downed aircraft. Now, Col. Ali Fahd is in hospital and nothing threatens his life".
According to the source, the downed Syrian pilot was found around 30 kilometers (17 miles) South of Raqqa. The rescue operation was complicated by the fact that the pilot's landing site was in close proximity to the positions of ISIL group which also searched for the Syrian pilot.
On Sunday, a Syrian fighter jet engaged in operations against the ISIL in Raqqa was downed by the US-led coalition warplane.
Kurdish Politician: Syrian Fighter Jet Shot by US Not in Anti-SDF Operation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960329000889
"The phrase used by the US shows that the Syrian warplane had not tried to hit the SDF positions and therefore the Damascus government's version of the story about the attacks on ISIL's positions is correct," Member of the Syrian Democratic Council Rizan Hadu said.
He said it is at this point that the US cannot make any lame excuses as it is trying to deteriorate the relations between the Syrian army and the SDF. "This issue will have negative effects on the conditions of Qamishli, Aleppo and Afrin and it will cause the Syrian army and the SDF to enter a marginal war which will be harmful to the war on terrorism.
Army Intensifies Operations towards Deir Ezzur after US Downing of Syrian Fighter Jet
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330001081
Field reports said that after the US attack against the Syrian warplane in Western Raqqa, the army soldiers are now preparing for several coordinated military operations to advance towards Deir Ezzur.
ISIL units deployed at the Palmyra-al-Sukhnah region are expected to face major pressure by the Syrian army units who intend to take control of al-Sukhnah and move towards Deir Ezzur.
Also, the Syrian army is endeavoring to advance in Ithriya-al-Tabaqah region after retaking the two strategic regions of al-Masbah and Tal Abuzain to block the ISIL path into Southeastern Aleppo – in the Eastern parts of Khanasser road.
After liberation of the strategic city of al-Rasafah and several points around it, the Syrian soldiers will soon turn the city, located along the Euphrates river, into their operational center to advance towards Deir Ezzur from the Northwest and separate the city from the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and therefore, foil the US plots to help the SDF to reach Deir Ezzur.
Ex-US Envoy: Bashar Assad, Allies to Prevail in Syria, Drive US out
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330001072
Robert Ford, who served as the US’s envoy to Syria under former US president Barack Obama, made the remarks in an interview with the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday.
He said the US was, first of all, mistaken in giving support to the opposition in Syria back in 2011 and demanding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. Ford added that he knew that that expression of support would encourage certain elements of the opposition to take up arms and expect a US invasion against Damascus, which he said would not be forthcoming.
Ford also stressed that the US would not defend the Kurdish forces it has been supporting so far in case the Kurds engaged in clashes with the Syrian forces.
“[The US] will not defend the Kurds against Assad’s forces,” the former US envoy said, adding that “What we’re doing with the Kurds is not only politically stupid, but immoral.”
“Syrian Kurds are making their biggest mistake in trusting the Americans,” he underlined. The US has been backing a mainly Kurdish alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Ford also said that, given the strong support being offered by Iran and Russia to the Syrian government, the “game was finished” for US plans to overthrow Assad or compete with what he said would be Iran’s success in the country. “The Iranian position will advance,” Ford added.
“Assad won, I mean he’s the victor, or he thinks so,” he said, adding that “Maybe in 10 years, he will retake the entire country.”
Syria has been gripped by unrest since 2011, when militancy first began in the country. Foreign states opposed to President Assad have since then been funding and providing weapons to anti-Assad militants, among them thousands of paid foreign terrorists dispatched to help force Assad out of power.
The Syrian government, however, has been fighting that militancy back, aided in that battle by advisory military support from Iran and Russia. Moscow has also been conducting an aerial campaign against terrorist positions in the Arab country on a request by Damascus.
US State Senator: Syria's Assad to Win 90% of Votes if Election Held Now
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330000322
State Senator from Virginia, Richard Black, Syrian President Bashar Assad would receive 90 percent of the vote if an election took place at the moment based on recent intelligence gathered, Sputnik reported.
"I have had people that I worked very closely with who gather intelligence from Syria… and several interesting things come out of the reports I’ve received back," Black noted. "Right now I would say if you could hold an election in Syria… President Assad would probably be reelected with 90% of the vote and that’s including the terrorist occupied areas."
Black, who is the elected representative for Loudoun County, Virginia, personally met with Assad during a visit to Syria in April 2016.
The senator said the intelligence also revealed that "people are totally supportive of President Assad and the first lady Asma Assad, who is I think one of the great first ladies of the world."
"Totally self-sacrificing people," the senator added. "Unlike many leaders of the world they are not greedy, they are not hoarding national wealth, they are sacrificing themselves for the future of their nation. So the people love them."
Black also stressed that there is "total unity" among the Syrian army.
"There is almost total unity of the religions. The Christians, the Alawites, the Sunnis, the Shiites, the Druze, they’re all fighting together to retain Syria," he explained.
Syria: 2 FSA Commanders Killed in Al-Bab Bomb Blast
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330001369
Two FSA commanders named Abu Halal Homsi and Abu Omar al-Nimr were killed in the blast incident.
The attack on the FSA military positions took place at a time when a joint operation room to administer and monitor the military conditions in al-Bab town was set up several days ago.
On Saturday, media reports said that the terrorist groups in the city of al-Bab have agreed to evacuate and leave the military bases in the region.
A sum of 16 terrorist groups stationed in al-Bab town Northeast of Aleppo, including the Military and Local Councils came to terms over leaving the town after fierce clashes in the region, the Arabic-language al-Hadas News reported. It said that the agreement was reached in the presence of a number of Turkish officers.
Hundreds of Reinforcements Join Syrian Army's Anti-ISIL Battle in Raqqa Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960330001096
The dispatch of the reinforcements comes concurrent with the Syrian army's military advances in Raqqa province which resulted in recapturing ISIL's strategic town of al-Resafa and also after the US-led coalition forces downed a Syrian fighter jet.
Hundreds of Syrian army troops arrived in Raqqa province from the Eastern part of Damascus to accelerate the anti-ISIL military operations West of Raqqa and also movements towards Deir Ezzur.
The fresh forces are also to accomplish the mission of protecting the newly-liberated areas against the ISIL and possibly the Kurdish forces.
angelburst29
The Living Force
The latest air incident, which involved a NATO F-16 fighter that attempted to approach the plane of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over neutral Baltic waters, has raised a lot of questions. Speaking to Sputnik, military observer Boris Rozhin and former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Forces Pyotr Deinekin shed light on the matter.
NATO F-16's Maneuver: Unfriendly Signal to Russian Leadership or Routine Task? (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201706211054853889-nato-us-russia-signal/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Xaiu9gBDA (0:25 min.)
On Wednesday a Sputnik correspondent reported that a NATO F-16 supersonic multirole fighter had made an attempt to approach Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's plane over neutral Baltic waters but then retreated when it was chased away by a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet.
Speaking to Sputnik, Russian experts share their views on the incident and its potential implications.
Boris Rozhin, military observer and editor-in-chief of the Kassad information-analytical center, believes that the F-16's dangerous maneuver could be considered an unfriendly signal on the part of NATO and the US.
"The flights over the Baltic along Russia's borders are intended, first, to show that NATO is interested in the affairs related to our [Russian] armed forces and that it is trying to identify areas where Russian troops are concentrated, as well as air force and naval activity. This is standard intelligence work that is being conducted by [NATO]. Of course, it is directed against Russia," Rozhin told Radio Sputnik.
"Given the increase in the number of air incidents related to the rapprochement of Russian and American planes, including the last incident of [the NATO F-16 approaching] the plane of [Russian Defense Minister] Shoigu, sends an unfriendly signal to the Russian leadership," Rozhin believes.
"These [incidents] show that the US and NATO are not interested in the normalization of relations with Russia and that they continue to support the so-called escalation trend," he said.
Earlier this week, Russia scrambled its Su-27 fighter to intercept a target over neutral Baltic Sea waters, which turned out to be a US Boeing RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, over the past week, the US and NATO reconnaissance aircraft have carried out more than 15 flights over the Baltics in close proximity to the Russian border.
On June 6, the Ministry said it scrambled a Su-27 fighter over the Baltics in order to intercept and escort a US B-52 strategic bomber that had approached Russia's borders.
For his part, former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Forces Pyotr Deinekin praised the actions of the pilot of the Sukhoi Su-27 who got in the way of the NATO F-16 fighter.
However, Deinekin noted that the NATO jet approached the Shoigu aircraft within the permissible limits.
"Each of the pilots was performing his military duty," Deinekin told Sputnik, "The fact that our [Russian] pilot managed to maneuver in such a way that the aircraft F-16 had to halt its task, deserves respect. As for the [F-16]…, he apparently wanted to find out… whether it was a passenger or a military plane and why it was accompanied by a Russian fighter jet. Both [pilots] acted within the established norms and regulations."
He noted that during flights over the neutral waters military aircraft of different states carry out mutual escorts, sometimes at minimal distances from each other, but, as a rule, aviation accidents are avoided.
"Neutral waters are neutral waters. We [Russian Air Forces] also perform flights to the shores of America — we fulfill our own tasks. The main thing is to maintain discipline, restraint and not violate the laws of flight over neutral waters," the former commander-in-chief underscored.
Commenting on the possible implications of the recent air incident, Rozhin said that it is unlikely that it will "make a great impression on the Kremlin."
"Most likely, this will lead to symmetrical and asymmetric responses [on the part of Russia] in the West. Perhaps, the upcoming exercises of the USA and NATO in the Baltic will be accompanied by a large number of Russian reconnaissance aircraft," Rozhin suggested.
US F-16 Catches Fire During Takeoff In Texas (Video - Might be atmospheric temperature related - heat index close to 110-120*F?)
https://sputniknews.com/news/201706211054854092-us-f-16-fire-takeoff-texas/
The aviator was rushed to the hospital following the emergency event.
The incident occurred at Ellington Airport outside of Houston, where officials have warned locals to stay away while the Houston Fire Department puts out the blaze.
The "downed plane" reportedly went up in flames before the plane was airborne the Houston Fire Department said via Twitter. Officials have not detailed the extent of the pilot's injuries.
The Ellington air field is home to the US 147th Reconnaissance Wing of the Texas Air National Guard. The press team for the air wing did not immediately provide comment on the incident.
The runway has been shut down and an evacuation is underway that "covers a 4000 sq ft. radius," the Houston Fire Department said.
Phoenix Down: Record Temperatures Make it Too Hot for Planes to Take Off
https://sputniknews.com/us/201706211054822711-phoenix-heat-too-hot-planes/
The Tuesday forecast put the temperature in Phoenix at a clement 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the midday peak. However, the American Airlines' planes, the Bombardier CRJ, is only cleared to take off with an exterior temperature of 118 degrees. As a result, every flight between 3 and 6:00 p.m. local time using that aircraft was grounded.
"The CRJ aircraft's certification permits us to operate up to a certain temperature," Bombardier spokesman Bryan Trucker told the Phoenix New Times. "It doesn't mean the aircraft can't physically operate at higher temperatures than what we are certified for — but this is what the certification limits us to."
Planes achieve lift during take-off with the help of dense, heavy cold air. Hot air, which is less dense and more excited, forces the plane to build more speed before it can take off. That requires a longer runway, and the runway at Sky Harbor International Airport isn't long enough for the CRJs to achieve liftoff at such temps.
China Supports Creation of De-Escalation Zones in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/world/201706211054833103-china-syria-de-escalation/
Beijing is supportive of the initiative that resulted in the creation of the de-escalation zones in Syria and hopes that the move will contribute to a political solution of the conflict, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wednesday.
"China has a positive stance on this initiative and we believe that creation of the de-escalation zones would contribute to the decrease of tensions and creation of conditions to cease hostilities in Syria, as well as to hold peace talks," Geng said at a briefing.
Answering a question if China planned to become an observer in such zones, the official said that all the details of the monitoring activities had not been agreed yet, but Beijing hoped that all the efforts would result in the settlement of the Syrian crisis.
Syrian Army Destroys Terrorists in Five Areas of Southeast Damascus
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706211054855160-syria-army-terrorists-damascus/
The Syrian government troops, supported by combat jets and artillery, drove out terrorists from five areas in the southeastern suburb of Damascus, a Syrian military source told Sputnik on Wednesday.
"The Syrian army has regained control of five areas in the southeastern suburb of Damascus. As a result of the clashes, the terrorists sustained losses, their firing positions were destroyed," the source said.
Syrian Army Launches Special Operations from 3 Directions to Reinforce Damascus Security
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960331000699
"The Syrian army's military operations were kicked off from three directions, including in Jobar district and with the aim of impose overall dominance over the district," a military source said.
Meantime, the Syrian army forces moved towards Ain Terma in the second phase and towards the towns of Arabeen and Zumalka in the third phase.
The Syrian fighter jets as well as missile and artillery units hit hard the terrorists' military positions in these regions.
The Syrian army made a considerable advance towards Jobar district and also made rapid advances deep inside Ain Terma and took control of a mosque in Ain Terma and also several housing complexes in al-Dokhanieh region in the surrounding areas of al-Jud factory and several housing complexes adjacent to al-Kahyr markets.
Russian Diplomat Blasts US Military Presence in Southern Syria as Illegal
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960331000592
"It is absolutely illegal. There is neither a United Nations Security Council resolution nor a request from Syria’s legitimate authorities to this effect,"
"It’s a principle of international law," he added.
According to the Russian diplomat, it is applicable not only to the US military presence but also "to the Turks and all the rest."
"We are present there at the request from the legitimate authorities," Bogdanov stressed.
"Any presence, especially military presence, on the territory of a sovereign state is possible only when there is a corresponding resolution of the United Nations Security Council or a request or consent from the legitimate authorities," he underscored.
Contacts on Syria between Russia and the United States are not ruled out in the immediate future, he went on. "No, obviously, how can we exclude them <...>," he told the journalists.
UN Raises Alarm over Rise in Contacts between Israel Troops, Militants in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960331000591
In a report released recently, Guterres warned that the growing interactions between the two sides could lead to escalation and cause harm to members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force deployed to the Golan Heights, presstv reported.
According to the report, UN observers listed 16 meetings between the Israel forces and the Syria militants in the border area, including on Mount Hermon, in proximity to UN outposts in Syria’s Quneitra Province and the Golan Heights, from March 2 to May 16.
“Relative to the previous reporting period, there has been a significant increase in interaction” between Israeli soldiers and individuals from the Syrian side of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, “occurring on four occasions in February, three in March, eight in April and on one occasion in May,” the report said.
In its previous report released in March, the UN listed at least 17 interactions between the two sides between November 18, 2016, and March 1, 2017.
The figures show a significant increase when compared with only two such meetings recorded between August 30 and November 16, 2016.
The report said people likely affiliated with the militant groups, some of them armed, arrived at an Israeli outpost accompanied by mules and were greeted by the soldiers. “In some instances, personnel and supplies were observed to have been transferred in both directions. On all occasions, the unknown individuals and mules returned to the Bravo (Syrian) side,” it added.
The UN chief said such interactions “has the potential to lead to clashes between armed elements and the Syrian Arab Armed Forces.”
“All military activities in the area of separation conducted by any actor pose a risk to the ceasefire and to the local civilian population, in addition to the United Nations personnel on the ground,” he wrote.
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has been providing terrorists in Syria’s Golan Heights with a steady flow of funds and medical supplies.
Citing militant commanders and people familiar with Israel’s thinking, the paper said Israel’s “secret engagement” in the war aims to install a buffer zone on the Syrian border with elements friendly to Tel Aviv.
The Tel Aviv regime regularly attacks positions held by pro-Damascus forces in Syria, claiming that the attacks are retaliatory.
The Syrian army has on several occasions confiscated Israeli-made arms and military equipment from terrorists fighting the government forces. There are also reports that Israel has been providing medical treatment to the militants wounded in Syria.
In April, Israel’s former minister of military affairs Moshe Ya’alon admitted to a tacit alliance with ISIL, saying the terrorist group had "immediately apologized" to Tel Aviv after firing “once” into Israel.
NATO F-16's Maneuver: Unfriendly Signal to Russian Leadership or Routine Task? (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201706211054853889-nato-us-russia-signal/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Xaiu9gBDA (0:25 min.)
On Wednesday a Sputnik correspondent reported that a NATO F-16 supersonic multirole fighter had made an attempt to approach Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's plane over neutral Baltic waters but then retreated when it was chased away by a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet.
Speaking to Sputnik, Russian experts share their views on the incident and its potential implications.
Boris Rozhin, military observer and editor-in-chief of the Kassad information-analytical center, believes that the F-16's dangerous maneuver could be considered an unfriendly signal on the part of NATO and the US.
"The flights over the Baltic along Russia's borders are intended, first, to show that NATO is interested in the affairs related to our [Russian] armed forces and that it is trying to identify areas where Russian troops are concentrated, as well as air force and naval activity. This is standard intelligence work that is being conducted by [NATO]. Of course, it is directed against Russia," Rozhin told Radio Sputnik.
"Given the increase in the number of air incidents related to the rapprochement of Russian and American planes, including the last incident of [the NATO F-16 approaching] the plane of [Russian Defense Minister] Shoigu, sends an unfriendly signal to the Russian leadership," Rozhin believes.
"These [incidents] show that the US and NATO are not interested in the normalization of relations with Russia and that they continue to support the so-called escalation trend," he said.
Earlier this week, Russia scrambled its Su-27 fighter to intercept a target over neutral Baltic Sea waters, which turned out to be a US Boeing RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, over the past week, the US and NATO reconnaissance aircraft have carried out more than 15 flights over the Baltics in close proximity to the Russian border.
On June 6, the Ministry said it scrambled a Su-27 fighter over the Baltics in order to intercept and escort a US B-52 strategic bomber that had approached Russia's borders.
For his part, former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Forces Pyotr Deinekin praised the actions of the pilot of the Sukhoi Su-27 who got in the way of the NATO F-16 fighter.
However, Deinekin noted that the NATO jet approached the Shoigu aircraft within the permissible limits.
"Each of the pilots was performing his military duty," Deinekin told Sputnik, "The fact that our [Russian] pilot managed to maneuver in such a way that the aircraft F-16 had to halt its task, deserves respect. As for the [F-16]…, he apparently wanted to find out… whether it was a passenger or a military plane and why it was accompanied by a Russian fighter jet. Both [pilots] acted within the established norms and regulations."
He noted that during flights over the neutral waters military aircraft of different states carry out mutual escorts, sometimes at minimal distances from each other, but, as a rule, aviation accidents are avoided.
"Neutral waters are neutral waters. We [Russian Air Forces] also perform flights to the shores of America — we fulfill our own tasks. The main thing is to maintain discipline, restraint and not violate the laws of flight over neutral waters," the former commander-in-chief underscored.
Commenting on the possible implications of the recent air incident, Rozhin said that it is unlikely that it will "make a great impression on the Kremlin."
"Most likely, this will lead to symmetrical and asymmetric responses [on the part of Russia] in the West. Perhaps, the upcoming exercises of the USA and NATO in the Baltic will be accompanied by a large number of Russian reconnaissance aircraft," Rozhin suggested.
US F-16 Catches Fire During Takeoff In Texas (Video - Might be atmospheric temperature related - heat index close to 110-120*F?)
https://sputniknews.com/news/201706211054854092-us-f-16-fire-takeoff-texas/
The aviator was rushed to the hospital following the emergency event.
The incident occurred at Ellington Airport outside of Houston, where officials have warned locals to stay away while the Houston Fire Department puts out the blaze.
The "downed plane" reportedly went up in flames before the plane was airborne the Houston Fire Department said via Twitter. Officials have not detailed the extent of the pilot's injuries.
The Ellington air field is home to the US 147th Reconnaissance Wing of the Texas Air National Guard. The press team for the air wing did not immediately provide comment on the incident.
The runway has been shut down and an evacuation is underway that "covers a 4000 sq ft. radius," the Houston Fire Department said.
Phoenix Down: Record Temperatures Make it Too Hot for Planes to Take Off
https://sputniknews.com/us/201706211054822711-phoenix-heat-too-hot-planes/
The Tuesday forecast put the temperature in Phoenix at a clement 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the midday peak. However, the American Airlines' planes, the Bombardier CRJ, is only cleared to take off with an exterior temperature of 118 degrees. As a result, every flight between 3 and 6:00 p.m. local time using that aircraft was grounded.
"The CRJ aircraft's certification permits us to operate up to a certain temperature," Bombardier spokesman Bryan Trucker told the Phoenix New Times. "It doesn't mean the aircraft can't physically operate at higher temperatures than what we are certified for — but this is what the certification limits us to."
Planes achieve lift during take-off with the help of dense, heavy cold air. Hot air, which is less dense and more excited, forces the plane to build more speed before it can take off. That requires a longer runway, and the runway at Sky Harbor International Airport isn't long enough for the CRJs to achieve liftoff at such temps.
China Supports Creation of De-Escalation Zones in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/world/201706211054833103-china-syria-de-escalation/
Beijing is supportive of the initiative that resulted in the creation of the de-escalation zones in Syria and hopes that the move will contribute to a political solution of the conflict, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wednesday.
"China has a positive stance on this initiative and we believe that creation of the de-escalation zones would contribute to the decrease of tensions and creation of conditions to cease hostilities in Syria, as well as to hold peace talks," Geng said at a briefing.
Answering a question if China planned to become an observer in such zones, the official said that all the details of the monitoring activities had not been agreed yet, but Beijing hoped that all the efforts would result in the settlement of the Syrian crisis.
Syrian Army Destroys Terrorists in Five Areas of Southeast Damascus
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706211054855160-syria-army-terrorists-damascus/
The Syrian government troops, supported by combat jets and artillery, drove out terrorists from five areas in the southeastern suburb of Damascus, a Syrian military source told Sputnik on Wednesday.
"The Syrian army has regained control of five areas in the southeastern suburb of Damascus. As a result of the clashes, the terrorists sustained losses, their firing positions were destroyed," the source said.
Syrian Army Launches Special Operations from 3 Directions to Reinforce Damascus Security
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960331000699
"The Syrian army's military operations were kicked off from three directions, including in Jobar district and with the aim of impose overall dominance over the district," a military source said.
Meantime, the Syrian army forces moved towards Ain Terma in the second phase and towards the towns of Arabeen and Zumalka in the third phase.
The Syrian fighter jets as well as missile and artillery units hit hard the terrorists' military positions in these regions.
The Syrian army made a considerable advance towards Jobar district and also made rapid advances deep inside Ain Terma and took control of a mosque in Ain Terma and also several housing complexes in al-Dokhanieh region in the surrounding areas of al-Jud factory and several housing complexes adjacent to al-Kahyr markets.
Russian Diplomat Blasts US Military Presence in Southern Syria as Illegal
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960331000592
"It is absolutely illegal. There is neither a United Nations Security Council resolution nor a request from Syria’s legitimate authorities to this effect,"
"It’s a principle of international law," he added.
According to the Russian diplomat, it is applicable not only to the US military presence but also "to the Turks and all the rest."
"We are present there at the request from the legitimate authorities," Bogdanov stressed.
"Any presence, especially military presence, on the territory of a sovereign state is possible only when there is a corresponding resolution of the United Nations Security Council or a request or consent from the legitimate authorities," he underscored.
Contacts on Syria between Russia and the United States are not ruled out in the immediate future, he went on. "No, obviously, how can we exclude them <...>," he told the journalists.
UN Raises Alarm over Rise in Contacts between Israel Troops, Militants in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960331000591
In a report released recently, Guterres warned that the growing interactions between the two sides could lead to escalation and cause harm to members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force deployed to the Golan Heights, presstv reported.
According to the report, UN observers listed 16 meetings between the Israel forces and the Syria militants in the border area, including on Mount Hermon, in proximity to UN outposts in Syria’s Quneitra Province and the Golan Heights, from March 2 to May 16.
“Relative to the previous reporting period, there has been a significant increase in interaction” between Israeli soldiers and individuals from the Syrian side of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, “occurring on four occasions in February, three in March, eight in April and on one occasion in May,” the report said.
In its previous report released in March, the UN listed at least 17 interactions between the two sides between November 18, 2016, and March 1, 2017.
The figures show a significant increase when compared with only two such meetings recorded between August 30 and November 16, 2016.
The report said people likely affiliated with the militant groups, some of them armed, arrived at an Israeli outpost accompanied by mules and were greeted by the soldiers. “In some instances, personnel and supplies were observed to have been transferred in both directions. On all occasions, the unknown individuals and mules returned to the Bravo (Syrian) side,” it added.
The UN chief said such interactions “has the potential to lead to clashes between armed elements and the Syrian Arab Armed Forces.”
“All military activities in the area of separation conducted by any actor pose a risk to the ceasefire and to the local civilian population, in addition to the United Nations personnel on the ground,” he wrote.
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has been providing terrorists in Syria’s Golan Heights with a steady flow of funds and medical supplies.
Citing militant commanders and people familiar with Israel’s thinking, the paper said Israel’s “secret engagement” in the war aims to install a buffer zone on the Syrian border with elements friendly to Tel Aviv.
The Tel Aviv regime regularly attacks positions held by pro-Damascus forces in Syria, claiming that the attacks are retaliatory.
The Syrian army has on several occasions confiscated Israeli-made arms and military equipment from terrorists fighting the government forces. There are also reports that Israel has been providing medical treatment to the militants wounded in Syria.
In April, Israel’s former minister of military affairs Moshe Ya’alon admitted to a tacit alliance with ISIL, saying the terrorist group had "immediately apologized" to Tel Aviv after firing “once” into Israel.
Boy Toy French president says :".........."
France’s Macron sees no ‘legitimate successor’ to Assad, declares terrorism a common enemy in Syria
Published time: 22 Jun, 2017 00:50
https://www.rt.com/news/393518-france-macron-syria-policy/
Snips:
Ambassador Haddad: Syria will achieve victory over terrorism
20 June، 2017
http://sana.sy/en/?p=108452
الجيش العربي السوري يسيطر على منطقة بئر القصب بريف دمشق
The Syrian Arab Army controls the Bir al-Qasab area in the countryside of Damascus (3:13)
Jun 21, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCywaE95LAg
Syrian War Report – June 21, 2017: Government Forces Launched Large Advance In Daraa
https://youtu.be/PT7bQRI_uos
Six Zolfaqar MRV missiles to ISIS terrorists bases in Dayr al-Zawr Syria (11:43)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdm4UNgwtIQ
Australia’s military resumes air operations over Syria
http://www.breitbart.com/news/australias-military-resumes-air-operations-over-syria/
by AFP21 Jun 2017
France’s Macron sees no ‘legitimate successor’ to Assad, declares terrorism a common enemy in Syria
Published time: 22 Jun, 2017 00:50
https://www.rt.com/news/393518-france-macron-syria-policy/
Snips:
Ambassador Haddad: Syria will achieve victory over terrorism
20 June، 2017
http://sana.sy/en/?p=108452
الجيش العربي السوري يسيطر على منطقة بئر القصب بريف دمشق
The Syrian Arab Army controls the Bir al-Qasab area in the countryside of Damascus (3:13)
Jun 21, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCywaE95LAg
Syrian War Report – June 21, 2017: Government Forces Launched Large Advance In Daraa
https://youtu.be/PT7bQRI_uos
Six Zolfaqar MRV missiles to ISIS terrorists bases in Dayr al-Zawr Syria (11:43)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdm4UNgwtIQ
Australia’s military resumes air operations over Syria
http://www.breitbart.com/news/australias-military-resumes-air-operations-over-syria/
by AFP21 Jun 2017
I don't agree with the Alawite assessment and Assad being hated or disliked so much that the Syrian people would never accept his presidency but this report does possibly give a view of the neo-cons and why we are still sending troops to Syria. I'm not sure about his assumptions about Iran either but I think it may be the way the neo-cons are thinking.
Krauthammer: Trump inherited high level chess
https://youtu.be/1efn6eKKBv0?ecver=2
Krauthammer: Trump inherited high level chess
https://youtu.be/1efn6eKKBv0?ecver=2