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

[angelburst29]

Reports in this morning's news on the USS Fitzgerald appear "guarded and carefully scripted." The main focus seems to center around two Navy Seamen who tried to recuse five crewmembers, located in two berthing areas, that were taking on rushing water and flooding a lower deck. Questions remain if all seven were alive when a command order/decision was given - to close the watertight hatch to the berthing area and if the seven "were sacrificed" to save the remaining crew members and prevent the ship from taking on additional water and sinking? The collision also breeched the cabin of Cmdr. Bryce Benson who sustained serious injuries and was medevaced off the ship. Reports also state, two other ship members were seriously injured but it's uncertain if they were medevaced along with the Commander or if they received medical care after docking? The ship's communication was damaged in the impact and it's stated - the crew had to resort to using satellite based cell phones to communicate. It's unclear, when outside contact was made in the call for help and how much time lapsed to medevaced the commander off the ship?

New details emerge in USS Fitzgerald collision investigation
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/22/politics/uss-fitzgerald-investigation-update/

Washington (CNN) — Five of the seven Navy sailors who died aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald when it collided with a cargo ship off the east coast of Japan may have been almost instantly "incapacitated" and died quickly, according to a preliminary Navy analysis, a defense official told CNN.

That assessment is based on an examination of the point of impact and the berths in which the sailors were likely sleeping.

The two ships collided on the Fitzgerald's starboard side directly next to the berthing area, where sailors sleep. The impact ripped the Fitzgerald open and caused water to pour in.

The official also noted the Navy is trying to corroborate accounts which suggest that the two sailors who weren't almost instantly "incapacitated" attempted to help the other five escape the incoming water.

"But at some point the ship somehow lost communication," with the two sailors and they also perished, according to the official. All seven were found dead in the flooded area.

It also appears that the collision caused part of the berthing compartment to collapse inward, making it difficult for survivors to get out.

The official said It may never be known if the order to close the watertight hatch to the berthing area came while the two men were still alive.

The formal investigation will determine who gave that order, but the initial sense is the decision was necessary because water had not only flooded the berthing area but was flowing into other locations including a deck below.

The official emphasized that the Navy will wait for all the investigations to be completed before coming to any conclusions about the actions of the crew and decisions over citations for heroism or potential disciplinary action.

The official also strongly emphasized that no judgments are being made about the timing of the decision to shut the watertight hatch. It is also not clear if those on the bridge called the commanding officer as the crisis unfolded.

The collision occurred very close to the cabin of Cmdr. Bryce Benson, and he was briefly unable to get out. The crew helped him to the bridge, but he was so badly injured that he had to be medevaced off the ship and the second in command took over.

The US Navy, the US Coast Guard, and Japanese naval and maritime authorities are all conducting investigations.

An early assessment suggests the container ship might have been on some type of autopilot system at the time of the collision, the official said.

However, that does not explain how and why the crew of the Fitzgerald did not see the other ship coming, or why they were unable to maneuver away from it, the official said.

Initial reports suggest that the collision occurred at 1:30 a.m., but the container ship crew did not automatically realize it had happened. The container ship turned back, and it appears the collision was then formally reported around 2:20 a.m.

To help determine what happened, investigators will download radar data from the ship's Aegis weapons system, which records routine details on position, course, speed and any nearby ships or aircraft. Navigation and radar data will also be gathered from the cargo ship.

Another factor being examined is the impact of the destruction of the Fitzgerald's communications gear on the ability of the crew to call back to shore to inform commanders they needed help.

Preliminary analysis indicates the collision occurred where the ship's communication nodes are housed and the official said the crew had to resort to using satellite based cell phones to communicate both on board and back to shore.

With water rushing around them, sailors aboard the beleaguered USS Fitzgerald faced an agonizing decision.

Navy sailors made tough call to seal flooding ship compartments, unclear if survivors were inside
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-navy-sailors-flooding-ship-20170621-story.html

With water rushing around them, sailors aboard the beleaguered USS Fitzgerald faced an agonizing decision.

They had made several rescue attempts into the flooded portions of the 505-foot destroyer, which had collided off the coast of Japan with a much heavier container ship early morning Saturday. But they didn't know how many of their fellow shipmates were still trapped inside or even alive, and time was running out.

The sailors either had to close off the flooded areas of the ship, or they feared the entire destroyer might go down, according to three active or former members of the Navy familiar with the incident.

They decided to seal the doors.

By Sunday, the toll of the accident became clear. The bodies of seven drowned sailors were pulled from the areas of the ship that had been cut off. It is not yet clear whether the sailors had already died by the time their shipmates decided to contain the flooding — and it may never be known.

"They were in a situation where they had to make tough choices," said one member of the Navy with knowledge of the crisis, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.

The worst Navy accident in recent memory is now the subject of multiple investigations by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, as well as the Japanese Coast Guard and Transportation Board. Investigators are probing how an agile U.S. warship, capable of speeds of more than 30 mph, loaded with nearly 300 crew members and equipped with some of the most advanced sensors in the world, managed to collide with a lumbering container ship.

In the coming days, the Navy will download data from the Fitzgerald's Aegis Weapons Systems to help investigators with the reconstruction of the incident, according to Navy documents provided to The Washington Post. The crew from both ships will be interviewed, while the "black box" of the container ship will likely be examined.

Capt. Charlie Brown, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said he would not comment on details of the incident while it is under investigation.

Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis, who was once the captain of the Fitzgerald's sister ship, the USS Barry, said in an email that as a general rule, a watertight door to a flooded area would never be sealed without "knowing that all of your shipmates had escaped." However, he said there are specific exceptions.

"In an extremis situation in which the safety of the ship is threatened, and thus the lives of all are endangered, the damage control teams would make those decisions in real time," Stavridis said.

The command to close those doors, Stavridis said, would be given by the damage control assistant, who would be in communication with either the captain or the acting officer in charge of ship.

A "tremendous" amount of water flooded into the ship, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, the commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, said during a news conference this week. "They had to fight this ship to keep it above the surface. It was traumatic."

Sixteen hours after the accident, the Fitzgerald limped back to her home port in Yokosuka, Japan, and the remains of the seven sailors were pulled from below decks by Navy divers. They had been trapped in the forward berthing areas — home to more than 100 sailors — after the bulging, bulbous bow of the container ship, named MV ACX Crystal, gored a 12-foot hole below the Fitzgerald's waterline.

The ship's captain, Cmdr. Bryce Benson, also was in his quarters when the Crystal slammed into the right, or starboard, side of the Fitzgerald. The impact almost entirely flattened his room, according to the Navy member.

Benson was eventually helped to the bridge, but a decision was made afterward to put the executive officer of the ship in charge and medically evacuate Benson to Japan, according a Navy member. Two other sailors were also taken off the ship, and have since been released from the hospital.

The Navy member familiar with the incident said that in retrospect, there was little chance that the Fitzgerald was going to sink because of the damage. But he credited the quick actions by the crew with stopping the crisis from getting worse and ensured that ship was able to return to port under her own power. He added that the Navy will review the actions of the sailors involved — including those who drowned — for potential valor awards.

Those who died hailed from all parts of America. They included Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19; Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25; Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T. Truong Huynh, 25; Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26; Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23; Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24; and Firecontrolman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37.

The remains of the fallen sailors were flown home from Japan on Tuesday. Navy Adm. John Richardson, the Navy's top officer, and Master Chief Petty Officer Steven S. Giordano, its top enlisted sailor, were there to receive them, according to Navy officials.

Fuel and ammunition are slated to be offloaded from the Fitzgerald in preparation for more extensive repairs, according to the documents, and U.S. shipyards are already lobbying to fix the vessel. Navy officials are also considering putting the Fitzgerald on a gigantic lift ship to bring it back to the United States, much like it did with the USS Cole after it was targeted by a suicide bomber in 2000.

 

[angelburst29]

The attempt by a NATO fighter aircraft to approach a Russian plane carrying Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu became only the latest episode in a string of similar incidents as the alliance’s warplanes continue to test Russia’s defenses amid growing military escalation in Europe.

NATO-Russian Aerial Intercepts Intensify Amid Escalation in Europe (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/world/201706221054873568-russia-nato-intercepts-escalation/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Xaiu9gBDA (0:25 min.)

On June 21 a NATO F-16 fighter aircraft made an attempt to approach the plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over neutral Baltic waters, but was promptly chased away by a Russian Su-27 warplane.

This incident, however, wasn’t a singular occurrence, to put it mildly, as only a day prior to that, on June 20, Russia scrambled its fighters to intercept a US Boeing RC-135 surveillance plane, and on June 6 Russian fighters intercepted a US B-52 strategic bomber which attempted to approach Russia’s borders; both intercepts also took place over the Baltic Sea.

However, Ret. Lt. Gen. Aytech Bizhev, former Deputy Commander of the Russian Air Force, said the attempt to ‘escort’ the Defense Minister’s plane looks like a deliberate provocation.

It was a violation of flight rules over international waters. The US Air Force aircraft created a dangerous situation over the Baltic Sea by approaching (Shoigu’s plane) at an unacceptable distance according to international law. Anything could’ve happened: the planes might’ve collided, the pilot’s hand could’ve slipped, and the fighter’s slipstream could’ve caused the plane to stall. There were many risk factors involved," he said.

General Bizhev also remarked that while the NATO F-16 obviously didn’t intend to attack the Russian Defense Minister’s plane, the F-16 pilot was showing off.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry pointed out that during the past week NATO surveillance planes had attempted to approach Russia’s borders on at least 15 occasions.

The number of incidents involving Russian and NATO military aircraft has continued to steadily increase since 2014, when the relations between Moscow and Washington took a turn for the worse amid the crisis in Ukraine.

While NATO surveillance aircraft continue to probe Russian borders, the alliance also keeps funneling troops and military hardware to Eastern Europe, effectively creating a sizeable strike force right on Russia’s doorstep while claiming that this military buildup is a purely defensive measure.

While Russia moves to create adequate countermeasures to NATO’s new strategy, the alliance seeks to gain more intelligence about Moscow’s military preparations, which results in a steadily increasing number of surveillance flights near the country’s borders and therefore in an increasing number of aerial intercepts.

It should also be noted that while in September 2016 the Pentagon claimed that US military aircraft conducting flights over the Baltic Sea would keep their transponders on – a move that might’ve helped to deescalate tensions and avoid potentially dangerous incidents – it appears that the US leadership chose to renege on this promise.

Russia's jets have intercepted 14 foreign spy planes near its national borders in a week, a newspaper linked to the Russian Defense Ministry reported Thursday.

Russian Jets Intercepted 14 Spy Planes Near National Border in Past Week
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201706231054900844-russian-intercepts-border/

Russia’s MiG-31 and Su-27 fighters were scrambled in response to 23 flybys, most of them by US planes, the Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) outlet reported.

The paper estimated that US RC-135 planes and Global Hawk drones had been involved in ten reconnaissance missions, four were conducted by Norwegian P-3 Orions, and three by Swedish Air Force’s Gulfstream intelligence planes.

Planes of British and French air forces were each spotted twice by Russian air defense agencies. Portuguese and Japanese aircraft also made appearances close to Russia’s external frontiers.

The number of air incidents involving Russian and NATO planes has increased in the past years after the US-led alliance ratcheted up its presence on Russia’s western border in 2014.

Russian troops in Syria are closely monitoring jihadists' movements in the area with the use of all means of intelligence.

Daesh Transferring Militants to Hama Province Via Various Routes - MoD
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706231054906195-syria-daesh-militants/

The Daesh terrorist group, outlawed in Russia, is deploying its militants to the Syrian Hama province using different routes and plans to organize operational headquarters and ammunition warehouses there, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

"At night, taking advantage of a difficult terrain, terrorists deploy militants to the Hama province via various routes, where they plan to set up command posts in large buildings, as well as weapons and ammunition depots," the ministry said.

According to the statement, the Russian troops in Syria are closely monitoring jihadists' movements in the area with the use of all means of intelligence.

Turkey’s Minister of National Defense Fikri Isik said Turkey continues cooperating with Russia and Iran on fulfilling agreements on de-escalation zones in Syria.

Turkish Minister: Russia, Turkey, Iran Continue Cooperation on De-Escalation Zones in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960402001020

"It is necessary to maintain permanent ceasefire to prevent a more serious conflict," Isik said. "To ensure ceasefire, more forces of the guarantor-countries will be deployed," said the minister, NTV reported.

"We continue cooperating with Russia and Iran. Currently, talks are underway on where our soldiers will be present, their number and with whom particularly they will work," he said.

On Thursday, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that "Turkish and Russian military may be sent to Syria’s Idlib province as part of agreements on de-escalation zones."

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel had no intention to start a military campaign in Syria, however, Tel Aviv would continue responding to shelling from Syrian territory.

Establishing Safe Zones Not to Limit Israeli Freedom of Action in Syria - DM
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706221054890401-israel-syria-safe-zones/

The creation of de-escalation zones in Syria will not limit Israel's capabilities to act in the war-torn country in case of threats to the security of the Jewish state, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday.

"The United States and Russia are currently holding active talks… on buffer zones and so on. I hope they will reach mutual understanding, good agreements. But this will not limit our freedom of actions. Despite everything we will continue doing all necessary things to provide Israeli interests," Lieberman said at the Herzliya Conference on security.

According to Lieberman, Israel had no intention to start a military campaign in Syria, however, Tel Aviv would continue responding to shelling from Syrian territory, preventing attempts of terrorist attacks, and stopping militant groups, such as Lebanon-based Hezbollah, from getting modern weapons.

Poland's decision to destroy Soviet-era monuments, in particular those erected in honor of the Red Army soldiers, is in line with totalitarian practices performed by "modern barbarians," senior Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev said Thursday.

'Modern Barbarians': Top Russian MP Slams Poland for Toppling Soviet Monuments
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201706231054898909-kosachev-poland-soviet-monuments/

Earlier in the day, Poland’s lower house of parliament passed amendments to its law repealing remnants of communism in the country. This would include the demolition of nearly 500 Soviet monuments that supposedly glorify communism.

"The decision of the Polish Sejm, under which nearly 500 monuments, ‘glorifying the totalitarian system,’ will be demolished, including memorials in honor of the Red Army, is in itself absolutely in line with totalitarian practices. This is practiced either by modern barbarians like the Taliban [terrorist group, outlawed in Russia] and Ukrainian Nazis, or by the countries that turned anti-Russian hysteria into a permanent element of their domestic policy," the chairman of the upper house of the Russian parliament's international affairs committee said.

In contrast, Kosachev added that he had visited the Yad Vashem memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in Jerusalem and the the Soviet War Memorial Tiergarten in Berlin, noting that Germany and Israel respect and honor the heroism and memory of the Red Army servicemen.

Poland’s decision was made on June 22, the Day of Memory and Sorrow, which honors those deceased during World War II in Russia.

 

[Ant22]

(...)

Poland's decision to destroy Soviet-era monuments, in particular those erected in honor of the Red Army soldiers, is in line with totalitarian practices performed by "modern barbarians," senior Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev said Thursday.

'Modern Barbarians': Top Russian MP Slams Poland for Toppling Soviet Monuments
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201706231054898909-kosachev-poland-soviet-monuments/

Earlier in the day, Poland’s lower house of parliament passed amendments to its law repealing remnants of communism in the country. This would include the demolition of nearly 500 Soviet monuments that supposedly glorify communism.

"The decision of the Polish Sejm, under which nearly 500 monuments, ‘glorifying the totalitarian system,’ will be demolished, including memorials in honor of the Red Army, is in itself absolutely in line with totalitarian practices. This is practiced either by modern barbarians like the Taliban [terrorist group, outlawed in Russia] and Ukrainian Nazis, or by the countries that turned anti-Russian hysteria into a permanent element of their domestic policy," the chairman of the upper house of the Russian parliament's international affairs committee said.

In contrast, Kosachev added that he had visited the Yad Vashem memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in Jerusalem and the the Soviet War Memorial Tiergarten in Berlin, noting that Germany and Israel respect and honor the heroism and memory of the Red Army servicemen.

Poland’s decision was made on June 22, the Day of Memory and Sorrow, which honors those deceased during World War II in Russia.

Poland has managed to effectively blank out the simple and unquestionable fact that if it wasn't for the Russian army Poland wouldn't occupy much space (if any) on the European map today. To an average Polish person Russia = Communism but if you ask someone how we ended up with communism in the first place you get a blank stare at best.

Propaganda has done its job. I just can't help but feel absolutely heartbroken and disgusted

https://sputniknews.com/europe/201706231054916621-poland-soviet-monument-razing-reaction/

Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the Sejm's decision was an "outrage" to the memory of the Soviet soldiers who fought and died in the fight to liberate Poland from Nazi occupation. An estimated 600,000 Red Army soldiers, along with tens of thousands of Polish patriots, died during the campaign to liberate Poland in 1944 and early 1945. Slutsky stressed that the decision was disrespectful not only to Russia, but to the "memory of the millions who gave their lives to free the world from the plague of fascism."

80-85% of the first Soviet Union government was Jewish but Poland insists on blaming everything on Russia as a country.

I'm really sorry if this is off topic but I'd like to add a video of Putin describing the topic of the first Bolsheviks - in front of a Jewish audience:

https://youtu.be/j6p1zxKnDeM

ADDED:

https://sputniknews.com/europe/201706231054916621-poland-soviet-monument-razing-reaction/

Poland, Shatrov noted, has problems not only with its economy, but in its relations with the European Union, including thanks to the fact that Brussels has denied them their desired 'special, leading role' in Eastern Europe. "In order to explain away all of the mistakes and absurdities of their domestic policy, the country's leaders are trying to create a new state – to jettison everything that once united the country with Russia and with other states," he said.

Poland has successfully managed to alienate itself not only from Russia but also from the EU. And looking at the Polish history over the last couple of hundred of years, it hasn't been much of a strong country on its own, therefore it will need a stronger party to stand by it. At the moment it doesn't look like anyone will be willing to take that role.

 

[Ca.]

Exploitation of children in propaganda war against Syria continues (Video and Commentary)
June 21 2017 Eva Bartlett
https://ingaza.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/exploitation-of-children-in-propaganda-war-against-syria-continues/#more-23133

Still image from a video being filmed in Egypt, purporting to be in Aleppo, Syria.

In December 2016, filmmakers in Egypt were arrested in the process of staging an Aleppo video with two children: the girl was meant to look injured, and the boy was to vilify both Russia and Syria.

Even the corporate media reported on it, including: “The girl’s dress, covered in red paint, was what caught the attention of a police officer driving by, the ministry said.”

The incidences of fakery and hoaxes, however, does not end there.

Also in December, the scene of a ‘Girl running to survive after her family had been killed’ was said to be in Aleppo. In reality, it was a scene from a Lebanese music video, which someone at some point clearly chose to depict as in Aleppo, for the same anti-Russian, anti-Assad vilification purposes.

In November 2014, a clip dubbed ‘Syrian hero boy’ went viral, viewed over 5 million times already by mid-November. The clip showed what appeared to be a little boy saving his sister from sniper gunfire, and was assumed to have been in Syria.

The Telegraph’s Josie Ensor didn’t wait for any sort of verification of the video which she cited as having been uploaded on November 10, the next day writing: “…it is thought the incident took place in Yabroud – a town near the Lebanese border which was the last stronghold of the moderate Free Syrian Army. Experts tell the paper they have no reason to doubt its authenticity. The UN has previously accused the Syrian regime of ‘crimes against humanity’ – including the use of snipers against small children.”

On November 14, the BBC brought on ‘Middle East specialist’ Amira Galal to give her expert opinion on the clip. She asserted: “We can definitely say that it is Syria, and we can definitely say that it’s probably on the regime frontlines. We see in the footage that there is a barrel, it’s painted on it the Syrian army flag.”

Once again, the so-called ‘experts’ got it wrong. The barrel which Galal referred to had a poor imitation of the flag of Syria painted on it, the flag’s color sequence out of order. The clip she was so certain had been filmed in government areas of Syria was actually produced in Malta by Norwegian filmmakers.

From Video to Twitter Hoaxes

In the propaganda war on Syria, there are convincing lies, and then there are the blindingly clear hoaxes. In the latter realm, the Bana al-Abed Twitter persona takes first prize. The child is being abused by her own family who have seemingly forced her to pretend she can speak English (she cannot).

We were meant to believe that sophisticated and nuanced tweets, often calling for Western intervention, are coming from an English-illiterate seven-year-old girl or her mother — whose husband was a militant in Aleppo.

In a detailed article, Barbara McKenzie looks at the campaign which uses the brand Bana for war propaganda. An excerpt includes: “Bana, the little girl supposedly tweeting from Aleppo, but actually the front for an account run from London, was selected to be the empathetic face of the campaign for a no-fly zone in Syria. Her account was tailored to create the impression of perpetual bombing, perpetual war crimes, on the part of Russia and the Syrian government.”

Bana not only tweeted with impossible frequency from eastern Aleppo, defying any internet lapses those of us who have gone to Aleppo have experienced. Whatever the actual explanation for her alleged preciousness and high-tech abilities, the child was clearly exploited, and continues to be.

Her twitter account continues its advocacy for Western intervention in Syria. Not at all suspicious.
Real Poster Children Brutally Beheaded, Sniped, Starved, Maimed

Effective war propaganda tugs at the heart strings, using many tactics, including adorable children in threatening situations, or dead, and comes hand in hand with condemnations for crimes committed, allegedly, by the villain(s) being caricatured. In the following instances, children being injured or murdered did occur, but the condemnations were muted or not at all.

A few weeks prior to the photo of Omran Daqneesh going viral as the poster child for suffering in Syria, terrorists of the Nour al-Din al-Zenki faction beheaded a boy said to be around 12 years old.

Although the decapitators filmed the entire savage act, posing for gleeful selfies as they tortured the boy prior to murdering him, leaders and media in the US took little notice of the horrific slaughter. Ten days after the questionable events which led to the light injury of Omran, two young boys in the Idlib villages of Foua and Kafraya were shot in their head and neck respectively by a sniper from Jaysh al-Fateh terrorists in the village of Binnish close by. The injuries were serious. They were rendered even more serious given that the villages had been completely surrounded and fully under siege by terrorists since March 2015.

In April 2017, a convoy of children, women, elderly and ill being evacuated from Foua were attacked by a terrorist explosion, with reports over 200 murdered, including 116 children. The attack included luring with potato chips and filming children in the convoy before later blowing them up and claiming to be rescuing them. Not only did these terrorists murder civilians and children, but they staged the scene to then look like heroes.

Indeed, in the West this massacre was called a “hiccup” and little denunciation was made about the vast numbers of dead, let alone the injured.

In October, 2016, Press TV was one of the few outlets to report on another adorable Aleppo boy, Mahmoud, “a six-year-old Syrian boy who was born without arms, and recently lost both of his legs after stepping on a mine planted by militants in Syria’s Aleppo.” The report includes scenes of Mahmoud showing his resilience, adjusting to life without any limbs. But for corporate media, Mahmoud’s were the wrong villains.

Terrorist bombings and snipings have killed children in schools and homes throughout Syria over the years, including the October 2014 terrorist car and suicide bombing of the Akrama Al-Makhzoumi School in Homs, killing at least 41 children by conservative estimates, or up to 48 children by other reports, along with women and other civilians, as well as attacks on Aleppo schools, as I detailed earlier.

In Aleppo and in Damascus, I have visited numerous hospitals and seen endless poster children of suffering in Syria. The differences between these children and those which Western and Gulf media present us, is that these children were murdered, rendered critically-injured, or maimed by the bombs, mortars and snipings of terrorists which the West presents as “moderate rebels”, so their stories will never be front page, much less heard.

The Bitter Truth

The Western and Gulf media work in lockstep with the narratives emanating from Washington on Syria. It is not coincidental that certain photos and stories of Syrian children go viral, while other more damning photos and sordid realities get no notice period.

Regarding the Omran case, we now know that he was not gravely hurt as media tried to imply, that his family have gone back to their lives in Aleppo, and the exploitation and lies around Omran cannot continue.

When I met them on June 6th, they showed no signs of the duress which terrorists and their backers—which include Western corporate media—claim. Instead, some neighbors were over, discussing media fabrications around Omran.

However, the children who are believed to have been exploited and used in the 2013 Ghouta chemical weapons fabrications remain missing and have not gone back to their lives, nor have their families in the Latakia countryside.

In March 2017, physicians with Swedish Doctors for Human Rights, after examining a White Helmet’s video, wrote: “…Swedish medical doctors, specialists in various fields, including pediatrics, have revealed that the life-saving procedures seen in the film are incorrect – in fact life-threatening – or seemingly fake, including simulated resuscitation techniques being used on already lifeless children.”

The article noted that Dr Lena Oske, a Swedish medical doctor and general practitioner, said of an adrenaline injection shown in the video, “If not already dead, this injection would have killed the child!”

While in al-Waer, Homs, on June 9, 2017, speaking with a woman who had returned not long after the last terrorist had been bused out in the government’s reconciliation agreement, she told me a story of her friend from the area. Bearing in mind that this is second hand information (and that I didn’t have time to stay another day to meet the friend in question), I’ll leave her words and this 2012 link as food for thought regarding the use of children, alive or day, for war propaganda against Syria: “In 2014, my friend’s son, Louay was leaving his school. A mortar fell on the street nearby and he was hit with shrapnel. The Red Crescent took him in an ambulance to al-Bour, a nearby aid association, which couldn’t treat him, so he was taken to a government hospital in al-Zahra’a. They tried to save him, but he died.

They took him back to al-Bour where they cleaned him for burial. While my friend was waiting, people from al-Bour carried him onto the street yelling the regime killed him, look what the regime does to children.'”

Later, she saw on both al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya footage of her son, with men blaming the “regime” for killing children in Syria.

But she didn’t agree. The government helped her son and tried to save his life. He was 7 years old.

 

[angelburst29]

President Putin has talked about the INF Treaty, in different question and answers forums and calls it a balancing mechanism, to keep power in check between two Nuclear Nations. For a quick summery:

Bilateral ratified treaty between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., which required the elimination of all missiles with ranges between 625 and 3,500 miles by June 1, 1991, and all missiles with ranges between 300 and 625 miles within 18 months. In all, 2,692 missiles were to be eliminated.

There is no solid evidence that Russia has breeched the INF Treaty which the Obama Administration has accused Russia of doing, starting in 2014. But Russia has strengthened it military and has advanced in technology and engineering in all departments of it's arm forces.

Russia, NATO, and the INF Treaty
http://carnegieendowment.org/2017/02/28/russia-nato-and-inf-treaty-pub-68124

Leading US Republican congressmen have urged the administration of President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), which was signed by Moscow and Washington in 1987 with the aim to limit the missile potential of the two superpowers, media reported.

US Congress Urges Washington to Withdraw From INF Treaty
https://sputniknews.com/us/201706251054952240-us-congress-withdrawal-inf-treaty/

According to Politico, the Trump administration is engaged in fierce debate over this issue.

"[It is] irresponsible for us to continue to adhere to a treaty when the only other participant has long moved on from it," Republican Mike Rogers, the chairman of a key oversight panel on nuclear weapons, told Politico in a comment published on Saturday.

In February, Senator Tom Cotton proposed a new legislation, which enables to transfer INF-range missile systems to allies in response to Russia’s alleged violations of the INF Treaty.

Declaring Russia in material breach of the treaty is an option the President should absolutely consider," a spokesperson for Cotton told the media outlet.

Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan signed the INF Treaty in 1987. Russia is a party to the treaty as the Soviet Union's successor state. Within the framework of the deal, the two sides agreed to destroy and not to further develop ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles that have a range of 500-5,500 kilometers (310-3,410 miles). Since then, both Moscow and Washington have repeatedly accused each other of violations of the bilateral agreement.

Russia will take retaliatory measures in case of the United States withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), Viktor Ozerov, the chairman of the defense and security committee of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, told Sputnik Sunday.

Russia to Take Retaliatory Measures in Case of US Withdrawal From INF Treaty
https://sputniknews.com/world/201706251054954639-russia-measures-us-treaty-inf/

On Saturday, US media reported that several US Republican congressmen have urged the administration of President Donald Trump to withdraw from the treaty, which was signed by Moscow and Washington in 1987 with the aim to limit the missile potential of the two superpowers.

"We will closely monitor the actions of our colleagues in Congress and draw conclusions. If the withdrawal from the treaty takes place and entails the military build-up, the new deployment of missiles in Europe, we will not turn a blind eye to it, we will take retaliatory measures," Ozerov said.

The Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo and the Khalid ibn Walid Mosque in Homs will be restored by the Chechen Republic’s Akhmad Kadyrov Fund. The mosques are set to reopen in August 2018.

Kadyrov Fund to Restore Ancient Mosques in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706251054959342-kadyrov-fund-restore-syrian-mosques/

According to a Syrian regional representative of the fund, Turko Daudov, the restoration work has begun.

“Earlier this year, during a visit of a Syrian delegation of top officials to the Chechen Republic an agreement was reached during the meeting with the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, on rendering assistance in the restoration of two mosques,” Daudov said.

He further said that one of the mosques, the Umayyad mosque, is situated in the city of Aleppo. It is the oldest mosque and was built in 715 A.D.

The second mosque in Homs is named after Khalid ibn Walid. The agreement was reached, the deal was signed and the work has started,” the representative said.

He further said that the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo was reconstructed from 1999 to 2005. This time the fund and the representative asked the Syrian side to speed up the process so the restoration work should be completed within one year.

“The opening is planned in August 2018,” Daudov said.

The representative of the fund also spoke about the arrangements made between Chechnya and Syria for the construction of two shelters for Syrian children.

The president of the Akhmat-Hadji Kadyrov Regional Public Foundation, pays much attention to orphans both inside Russia and in foreign countries such as the Syrian Arab Republic, Somalia and other countries where they need help and care,” Daudov said.

Currently talks are ongoing for the construction of homes for orphans in Syria. Although the exact location for these shelters has not yet been decided, the plan is to start building in Aleppo and Homs.

In addition to restoration and construction agreements, the Kadyrov Fund in coordination with the Syrian ministry has donated humanitarian aid for 10,000 Syrian families with orphaned children. The food baskets are planned to be distributed equally across all the provinces of Syria.

An earlier representative of the Syrian Ministry of Education, Ahmad Samir Al-Kabbani, expressed gratitude to Ramzan Kadyrov and his fund for contributing to Syria.

“I want to separately express my gratitude for their initiative [the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov and the Kadyrov Fund] to restore the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo and the Khalid ibn Walid Mosque in Homs. Also want to thank him for providing food baskets to the families of the deceased,” Al-Kabbani said.

The Russian military has delivered 5.2 tons of humanitarian aid to civilians in Syria’s provinces in the past 24 hours, the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said in its daily bulletin on Sunday.

Russia Brings Over Five Tonnes of Relief Aid to Syria in Past 24 Hours
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706251054956140-russia-syria-humanitarian-aid/

The ministry added that the humanitarian aid had been delivered to 1,628 people. "Within last 24 hours, the Russian Centre for reconciliation of opposing sides held 8 humanitarian actions: 6 humanitarian actions in the city of Aleppo, civilians received 2,6 tons sets of food products; 6 humanitarian actions in the province of Latakia, civilians received 1,3 tons sets of food products; 1 humanitarian action in the province of al-Quneitra, civilians received 1,3 tons sets of food products," the bulletin published on the ministry's website read.

The number of reconnaissance aircraft intercepted along Russia’s border from June 12-18 was unprecedented, even by Cold War standards, according to Russian military expert Konstantin Sivkov.

What's Behind 'Unprecedented' Number of Russia-NATO Aerial Intercepts
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201706251054957247-russia-nato-intercepts/

Earlier, the official newspaper of the Russian Defense Ministry "Krasnaya Zvezda" reported that in the last week (June 12-18) Russian jet fighters conducted 14 intercepts of foreign reconnaissance planes near the Russian border.

A total of 23 reconnaissance flights were performed near the Russian border. In particular, there were 10 flights by US aircraft, including the RC-135 and the Global Hawk strategic drone. Four flights were conducted by the Norwegian air force on an R-3C Orion reconnaissance plane. The Swedish aviation conducted three flights. Britain and France performed two reconnaissance flights each.

According to the newspaper, the intercepts were conducted by MiG-31 and Su-27 jets of the Russian air defense alert forces.

For example, on June 19, an RC-135 plane was identified and intercepted by a Su-27 jet over the Baltic Sea while approaching the Russian border.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the RC-135 crew had carried out a provocative turn toward Russia's Su-27, adding that the Russian pilot reacted to the maneuver and kept escorting the reconnaissance plane until it changed its direction of flight away from the Russian border. Ten minutes after the incident, another RC-135 entered the zone, which was also intercepted by the Russian Su-27, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The number is unprecedented, especially taking into account the fact that there is no Cold War today. At that time, we saw an average of seven-eight interecepts a week. But today the number is much higher," Konstantin Sivkov, a Russian military analyst and president of the Academy for Geopolitical Problems, told Sputnik.

The expert expressed concern over the situation because the majority of the intercepts occurred in the European part of Russia.

Sivkov pointed out that the activity may be related to the balance of power in the Syrian conflict, which is currently not in favor of the US and its allies.

"Now, the Syrian Army and its allies may reach the Syria-Jordan border and cut opposition forces from American bases in Jordan, which would be unacceptable for the US. This is why the Pentagon launched strikes on Syrian forces. They are testing the waters," Sivkov said.

He suggested that it cannot be ruled out that Moscow will support Syrian forces, which means the risk of a military confrontation between the US and Russia in Syria.

"This is the reason while the US and its NATO allies have increased the number of reconnaissance flights near Russia’s border," he concluded.

In turn, former commander of the Russian Air Force Pyotr Deinekin said that the increase in NATO’s reconnaissance activity can be explained by a recent exercise of the alliance in the Baltic Sea.

"As for the Baltic Sea, the reason is that NATO held drills there and US aircraft, including RC-135 and B-52 strategic bombers, were flying over neutral waters there. In addition, there was an incident when NATO jets flew by a Russian plane carrying the Russian defense minister," he told Sputnik.

Recently, the Pentagon deployed multiple launch missile systems in southern Syria. According to Russian military analyst Andrei Koshkin, the US military is building up its presence in the region, in order to take control of part of Syria's territory.

Why US Intensifies Its Military Presence in Southern Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706251054954438-us-military-syria/

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the United States’ military build-up in Syria violates the norms of international law.

Earlier, the US re-deployed HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems from a base in Jordan to a special forces base in al-Tanf in Syria. The Pentagon also deployed an additional military force to a town, 70 kilometers to the northeast of al-Tanf.

"This is an active build-up of US military presence in the southern regions of sovereign Syria in violation of international law," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters at a weekly press briefing.

In recent weeks, the region of al-Tanf has turned into a strategically important point where the interests of the US-led international coalition and Damascus’ allies clashed.

The Syrian Army alongside its allies has been advancing to the east along the Damascus-Baghdad highway, a strategic route in southeast Syria. The highway is also of strategic interest for coalitions forces in the area of al-Tanf, where Syria borders Iraq and Jordan. The US also has a military base near al-Tanf where opposition forces have been trained.

After the defeat of Daesh, the US military plans to take control over part of Syria’s territory, according to Andrei Koshkin, a military analyst and head of the Sociology and Political Science Department at the Russian Plekhanov Economic University.

"Apparently, now we can say that the so-called Islamic State [Daesh] is nearing its end. Raqqa and Mosul is yet to be liberated, but now it is already necessary to take control over the regions previously seized by militants. Possibly, the Pentagon wants to intensify its efforts at this crucial moment," Koshkin said in an interview with Radio Sputnik.

The analyst drew a parallel with the actions of the US military during World War II.

At the time, the US delayed the opening of the second front. They opened it only when it was possible to divide the territory. Now, there is some kind of a similarity in Syria. The Pentagon is building up its presence, in order to divide the territory of sovereign Syria," Koshkin pointed out.

According to him, the deployment of HIMARS rocket launchers in southern Syria proves that the US does not want the region to be returned under control of the Syrian government.

"The HIMARS is a very powerful and efficient weapon, in terms of blanketing the enemy territory. It cannot be ruled out that the Pentagon will use it to prevent the Syrian Army from retaking control over the region," Koshkin suggested.

In an earlier interview with Radio Sputnik, political analyst and expert on the Middle East Anatoly el-Murid suggested that the US was trying to designate the area the Pentagon wants to keep de facto under control.

The Americans have long been training militants there, over a year and a half. Currently, this group controls a large strip of Syria’s border in the south. All the parties involved are now trying to take under control as many territories as possible," el-Murid said.

 

[angelburst29]

President Bashar al-Assad performed on Sunday the prayers of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan at al-Nouri Mosque in Hama.

Syria President Assad Performs Eid Al-Fitr Prayers in Hama
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960404000485

Senior state and al-Baath Arab Socialist Party officials, Minister of Awqaf or Religious Endowments, a number of the People’s Assembly members, Syria’s Grand Mufti, a number of Islamic scholars and a crowd of citizens also performed the prayers along with President Assad, SANA reported.

Following the prayers, President al-Assad listened to the Eid sermon delivered by Sheikh Nahjem Eddin al-Ali, who led the prayers, with Sheikh al-Ali stressing the sublime meanings of Eid al-Fitr.

He said that Syria and its people, through the faith energy, triumphed over the crisis, the unjust war and the evil sedition.

One of the most important goals of the war against Syria was to tear down the social structures and ties by striking the confidence of the Syrian in himself and in his social environment, but the crisis instead strengthened the ties among the Syrians ,” Sheikh al-Ali said.

The Israeli fighter jets attacked the Syrian government forces' tanks and artillery positions South-West of the war-hit country, media sources said Sunday.

Israeli Air Force Targets Positions of Syrian Army in Quneitra Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960404000564

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that the Israeli Air Force attacked the Syrian government forces' tanks and artillery positions, claiming that the air raids were carried out after 10 projectiles fell on the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights, Sputnik reported.

At least two Syrian soldiers were killed as a result of airstrikes carried out by Israeli forces on Saturday in the disputed area of the Golan Heights, media reported.

"Two were killed as a result of the airstrike against a position of the Syrian army in the liberated area of Golan Heights," the source was quoted as saying by the Al-Mayadeen broadcaster.

A source on the ground told RIA Novosti that the Syrian government forces have been repelling a massive attack of Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) in the Golan Heights when they were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the area.

Several projectiles, launched from the Syrian territory, fell in the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights, causing no injuries, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) said Sunday.

Syria's Projectiles Land on Israeli Part of Golan Heights, No Casualties - IDF (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706251054959505-syria-projectiles-golan-heights-israel/

The military has not yet said whether the shelling from the Syrian side was deliberate.

​On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said that in response to over 10 projectiles launched from Syria, the air force targeted origin of launches and destroyed two Syrian tanks.

​Earlier in the day, commenting on the incident, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry told Sputnik that the Israeli aircraft carried the attack against the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group (banned in Russia) and not the Syrian government forces.

Moscow has said that the continued presence of US troops on Norwegian soil will increase tensions with Russia.

Russia: US Troops Stationed in Norway Worsening Tensions
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960404000565

Norway recently announced that 330 US marines will remain stationed in a base in the country until the end of 2018, doubling the initially-announced one-year trial period for the troops' deployment, presstv reported.

The US troops were sent to the Norwegian base last January for winter warfare and cross-country skiing practice and to take part in joint drills with other NATO countries.

"We consider that this step contradicts Norwegian policy of not deploying foreign military bases in the country in times of peace," a statement released by the Russian embassy in Norway said on Saturday.

It adds that it "makes Norway (a) not fully predictable partner, can also escalate tension, and lead to destabilization of the situation in the Northern region."

Norway denies that the troops' deployment is directed against Russia. “A high level of regular allied presence creates a stabilizing state of normality in times of peace, which contributes to deterrence and defense," Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said earlier in the week.

NATO troops have, on numerous occasions, been deployed to the country to take part in military drills, but were not stationed there.

The last time foreign troops were deployed there was when Russian Red Army soldiers were stationed in northern Norway after they drove out German forces, which had occupied Norway from 1940 to 1945.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura expressed hope on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump would meet at the G20 summit in Germany and foster the settlement of Syrian crisis.

UN Syria Envoy Has High Hopes for Putin-Trump First Meeting at G20
https://sputniknews.com/world/201706241054950138-un-envoy-syria-russia/

Earlier this year, both Russian and US administrations said that the two leaders might meet on the sidelines of G20, however, no confirmation of such a meeting has been announced.

"Reaching an agreement between the United States and Russia is essential, so that peace could be established in Syria some day," De Mistura told the Der Tagesspiegel newspaper.

 

[angelburst29]

Israel conducted another attack on the positions of the Syrian Armed Forces in Golan Heights, the Syrian army said Sunday in a statement.

Syrian Army Takes Israeli Fire After Repel of Al-Nusra Assault Near Quneitra
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706251054964212-syria-israel-attack-golan-heights/

Earlier on Sunday, the IDF said that several projectiles launched from the Syrian territory fell in the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights, causing no injuries.

The Syrian army stated that it was attacked by Israeli forces after repelling an assault from Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in the Quneitra Governorate.

After our armed forces successfully repelled a large-scale attack of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists [Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terror group, banned in Russia] near the town of al-Baath in the vicinity of Quneitra… hostile Israel resumed its aggression and attacked one of our positions in order to support the terrorists and raise their fighting spirit," the statement read.

On Saturday, the Israeli Air Force attacked the Syrian government forces' tanks and artillery positions after 10 projectiles fell on the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights. A source told RIA Novosti that the Syrian government forces were repelling a massive Nusra-Front terrorists' attack in the Golan Heights when they were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the area. According to Al Mayadeen channel citing a source, at least two Syrian soldiers were killed in the airstrike.

The Golan Heights, internationally recognized as Syrian territory, was seized by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. In 1981, the Israeli parliament voted to annex two-thirds of the region. The United Nations has repeatedly stated that Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights is illegal, calling for it to be returned to Syria.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacked the Syrian army positions for the second time this week after projectiles from Syrian territory again fell in the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights.

Israeli Forces Target Syrian Army Again After Projectiles Fall in Golan Heights
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706251054961592-syria-golans-israel-bombing/

"In response to several Syrian projectiles launched towards Israel, IDF targeted 2 Syrian regime artillery positions & an ammunitions truck," the IDF wrote.

Earlier on Sunday, the IDF said that several projectiles launched from the Syrian territory fell in the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights, causing no injuries.

On Saturday, the Israeli Air Force attacked the Syrian government forces' tanks and artillery positions after 10 projectiles fell on the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights. A source told RIA Novosti that the Syrian government forces were repelling a massive Nusra-Front terrorists' attack in the Golan Heights when they were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the area. According to Al Mayadeen channel citing a source, at least two Syrian soldiers were killed in the airstrike.

Earlier in the day, commenting on the incident, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry told Sputnik that the Israeli aircraft carried the attack against al-Nusra Front terrorist group and not the Syrian government forces.

The majority of such incidents are described by the Israeli military as accidental overspills during clashes between the Syrian government forces and opposition groups.

Syrian army issues statement following IDF response to Syrian missile spillover, calling Israeli actions motivated 'a desperate attempt to boost morale' and warning 'Israeli enemy' of consequences.

Syria warns Israel of 'dangerous repercussions for aggressive action' (Photos - Video)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4980754,00.html

The Syrian army warned Israel on Sunday of the "dangerous repercussions" of its "aggressive activities" after the IDF retaliated against spillover fire in the Golan Heights for the second day in a row.

"After the Syrian army forces managed to thwart the wide-scale attack of terrorist al-Nusra … the Israeli enemy continued today to attack one of our military stations, in a desperate attempt to support terrorist organizations and boost their low morale," read a statement from the army of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"The Syrian army general command warns against the dangers of these aggressive activities and lays the responsibility for the dangerous repercussions of these actions on the Israeli enemy, whatever its excuses may be. The general command stresses it is determined to defeat the terrorist organizations, the Israeli enemy's proxies in the region."

Meanwhile, photos were released in Syria of the alleged victims from the Israeli retaliation attacks, likely the one on Saturday.

Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij was sent on the orders of Syrian President Assad to visit soldiers celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in south Lebanon on Sunday, where he spoke about the civil war raging in the country for almost six years.

"Our brave, armed forces, in cooperation with our allies and friends, are more determined than ever to continue our war against the terrorist organizations and smash the illusions of those supporting them," said al-Freij. "Our fight will continue until we have returned stability and security to every grain of our homeland's soil."

Reports in the Israeli media say that for the second time in less than 24 hours, the Israeli Defense Forces raided the Syrian Army positions, after shells, originating from Syrian territory, fell north of the Golan Heights.

Israel Once Again Strikes Syrian Army Positions Amid Huge Battles Against Al Nusra Front [Video]
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/06/israel-once-again-strikes-syrian-army.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06CZyVJFFRY (3:19 min.)

According to the field reports, the Israeli Air Force this time targeted a BMP military vehicle belonging to the Syrian army, while carrying out attacks in the southern Syrian border province of Quneitra.

Earlier on Sunday, several projectiles fired from Syria, reportedly hit an open area north of the Golan Heights. No deaths or injuries were reported.

Some of the Israeli sources claim projectiles were fired by the terrorist group Al Nusra Front deliberately, and in order to provoke the Israeli Defense Forces to bomb the positions of the Syrian Army and its allies in the vicinity.

It is noteworthy that both, the shelling and the Israeli raids, came right in time when Al Nusra Front terrorists were trying to storm Madinat Al Baath in Quneitra.

The Russian Defense Ministry, however, said the Israeli aircrafts bombed the sites of Al Nusra Front terrorists and not those of the Syrian Army.

Meanwhile, Syrian Defense Minister General Fahd Jassem Al Freij, said that Syrian troops and their allies are now even more determined to finish the war against terrorists and those who support them.

“Our forces and our allies are now more determined to continue the war against terrorists and their supporters. The war will not stop until all terrorists are wiped out and security and stability are restored to every last part of Syria”, Freij was heard saying while visiting Army units at the southern front in Quneitra.

He also visited wounded soldiers at Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus.

This is the second Israeli attack on the Syrian forces in less than 24 hours.

Yesterday, the Israeli Air Force targeted 2 Syrian tanks right when the Syrian Army was repelling a major assault by Al Nusra Front terrorists.

For the third time in three days, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has attacked the Syrian forces amid their clashes with the terrorist group Al Nusra Front.

Israeli Air Force Raids Syria Right After the Syrian Forces Annihilate at Least 45 Al Nusra Front Terrorists
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/06/israeli-air-force-raids-syria-right.html

According to the sources of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the Israeli jets struck the position of the NDF Golan Regiment at six o'clock in the morning on Monday.

It shall be noted that the IAF targeted the area, more particularly a bridge, which was liberated by the Syrian National Defense Forces (NDF) a day before from the hands of Al Nusra Front terrorists.

The Israeli raids resulted in deaths of 2 NDF soldiers (3, according to some sources), while another 3 were left wounded.

National Defense Forces are Syria’s largest volunteer group. Supervised by the Syrian Army, the group has played a vital role in getting rid of the terrorist threat.

An IDF spokesman later told the Israeli TV station Channel 10 that no alarm systems were triggered as there was no reliable data confirming the fall of the projectiles on the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights (which was the case with Saturday and Sunday’s raids).

The Israeli forces, however, keep searching the area.

It is noteworthy that all three consecutive Israeli attacks coincided with the major progress of the Syrian Army and its allies against Al Nusra Front terrorists in Quneitra province.

Currently, Al Nusra Front terrorists are trying to storm the town of Madinat Al Baath.

The latest Israeli provocation comes right after the Syrian forces killed at least 45 Al Nusra Front terrorists and left many more injured.

The Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba movement has formed a brigade to liberate the Golan Heights from Israel.

Iraqi Militia Creates Brigade to Liberate Golan Heights From Israel - Spokesman
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703091051390813-iraq-militia-liberate-golan-haeights/

The Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba movement, Iraq's Shiite militia organization, has formed a brigade to liberate the Golan Heights from Israel, spokesman for the movement, Seyed Hashem Moussavi said on Wednesday.

After recent victories (in Syria), we have established the Golan Liberation Brigade," al-Moussavi said at a press conference, as quoted by the Tasnim News Agency.

He added that "if the Syrian government requests, we are ready to take actions to liberate Golan."

According to the spokesman, the Golan Liberation Brigade is made up of highly-equipped and well trained special forces.

The movement is a paramilitary group, part of the Popular Mobilization Units, an Iraqi state-sponsored organization composed of some 40 militias, formed in opposition to the Islamic State (Daesh) terrorist group.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hope that the next round of Astana talks on settlement of the Syrian crisis will succeed in clarifying the joint vision as regards de-escalation zones, while also noting that some of the players on the Syrian geostrategic chessboard are playing a dishonest and dangerous type of game.

"We Have Evidence US and its Allies Are Secretly Providing Cover for Al Nusra/Tahrir Al Sham Terrorists" - Lavrov
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/06/we-have-evidence-us-and-its-allies-are.html

Mon. June 26th, 2017 - “A significant decline in military activities and terrorist violence has been recorded in particular areas of Syria, thanks to our new memorandum on establishing de-escalation zones within Syrian territory. I hope that the next round of the Astana talks will positively affect our common efforts, aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis and initiating the UN-sponsored talks that are planned to be held in Geneva, following the Astana meeting, in the first half of July,” Lavrov was heard saying during a joint press conference with his Ethiopian counterpart Workneh Gebeyehu in Moscow, on Monday.

He noted the efforts are currently being made which would allow the memorandum on de-escalation zones to be fully implemented, a thing that would also significantly help to improve the humanitarian situation in these areas.

“The impression, based on the experience of fighting terrorism in Syria so far, is that the US-led “anti-ISIS” coalition and its allies are secretly providing cover the Al Nusra Front/Tahrir Al Sham terrorists, or whatever they are called now. We have evidence they are being shielded during our strikes”, Lavrov said.

“We consider this a very dangerous kind of game that has to be stopped immediately, no matter the interests in the background. We are dealing with a serious threat here”, he further added.

 

[Laura]

A few tweaks, and this is a good short commentary article for sott.

The same country that embarrassingly put its entire government on the same plane. Looks like they are doing that on a larger scale, so to say.

(...)

Poland's decision to destroy Soviet-era monuments, in particular those erected in honor of the Red Army soldiers, is in line with totalitarian practices performed by "modern barbarians," senior Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev said Thursday.

'Modern Barbarians': Top Russian MP Slams Poland for Toppling Soviet Monuments
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201706231054898909-kosachev-poland-soviet-monuments/

Earlier in the day, Poland’s lower house of parliament passed amendments to its law repealing remnants of communism in the country. This would include the demolition of nearly 500 Soviet monuments that supposedly glorify communism.

"The decision of the Polish Sejm, under which nearly 500 monuments, ‘glorifying the totalitarian system,’ will be demolished, including memorials in honor of the Red Army, is in itself absolutely in line with totalitarian practices. This is practiced either by modern barbarians like the Taliban [terrorist group, outlawed in Russia] and Ukrainian Nazis, or by the countries that turned anti-Russian hysteria into a permanent element of their domestic policy," the chairman of the upper house of the Russian parliament's international affairs committee said.

In contrast, Kosachev added that he had visited the Yad Vashem memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in Jerusalem and the the Soviet War Memorial Tiergarten in Berlin, noting that Germany and Israel respect and honor the heroism and memory of the Red Army servicemen.

Poland’s decision was made on June 22, the Day of Memory and Sorrow, which honors those deceased during World War II in Russia.

Poland has managed to effectively blank out the simple and unquestionable fact that if it wasn't for the Russian army Poland wouldn't occupy much space (if any) on the European map today. To an average Polish person Russia = Communism but if you ask someone how we ended up with communism in the first place you get a blank stare at best.

Propaganda has done its job. I just can't help but feel absolutely heartbroken and disgusted

https://sputniknews.com/europe/201706231054916621-poland-soviet-monument-razing-reaction/

Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the Sejm's decision was an "outrage" to the memory of the Soviet soldiers who fought and died in the fight to liberate Poland from Nazi occupation. An estimated 600,000 Red Army soldiers, along with tens of thousands of Polish patriots, died during the campaign to liberate Poland in 1944 and early 1945. Slutsky stressed that the decision was disrespectful not only to Russia, but to the "memory of the millions who gave their lives to free the world from the plague of fascism."

80-85% of the first Soviet Union government was Jewish but Poland insists on blaming everything on Russia as a country.

I'm really sorry if this is off topic but I'd like to add a video of Putin describing the topic of the first Bolsheviks - in front of a Jewish audience:

https://youtu.be/j6p1zxKnDeM

ADDED:

https://sputniknews.com/europe/201706231054916621-poland-soviet-monument-razing-reaction/

Poland, Shatrov noted, has problems not only with its economy, but in its relations with the European Union, including thanks to the fact that Brussels has denied them their desired 'special, leading role' in Eastern Europe. "In order to explain away all of the mistakes and absurdities of their domestic policy, the country's leaders are trying to create a new state – to jettison everything that once united the country with Russia and with other states," he said.

Poland has successfully managed to alienate itself not only from Russia but also from the EU. And looking at the Polish history over the last couple of hundred of years, it hasn't been much of a strong country on its own, therefore it will need a stronger party to stand by it. At the moment it doesn't look like anyone will be willing to take that role.

 

[angelburst29]

US Navy Destroyer Crashes Into Merchant Ship Off the Japanese Coast [/b]
https://sputniknews.com/news/201706161054711598-us-navy-destroyer-ship-japan/

According to the captain of the Filipino cargo ship the ACX Crystal, which collided with the destroyer USS Fitzgerald on June 17, the American warship failed to respond to warning signals or take evasive action before the collision which killed seven US seamen.

Cargo Ship Captain: USS Fitzgerald Ignored Warnings Before Deadly Crash
https://sputniknews.com/military/201706261054991935-uss-fitzgerald-ignored-warnings-accusation/

The statement came by way of Dainichi Investment Corporation, the Japanese company that owns the Crystal. According to them, Captain Ronald Advincula stated that he signaled at the USS Fitzgerald with flashing lights after the warship "suddenly" changed course to cross his cargo ship's path.

Advincula says that the Fitzgerald then failed to change direction, while the cumbersome cargo ship in vain veered right to avoid it. The collision between the 9,000-ton destroyer and the 29,000-ton cargo vessel tore a hole in the underside of the Fitzgerald, flooding two sleeping compartments. Seven Americans were killed, making it the most fatal incident to befall a US Navy vessel since the al-Qaeda terrorist attack against the USS Cole in 2000 that killed seventeen.

In addition, three sailors including the ship's captain, Navy Commander Bryce Benson, were injured and had to be medivaced to the US Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan. Benson and one of the sailors have since been discharged, while the third remains in the hospital.

The scope of the damage, from the berthing compartments to the radio room, the auxiliary machine room all the way to the commander's cabin, suggests that no alarm of an imminent collision was sounded.

The incident occurred about 57 miles from the Japanese coastline. The US Navy, the US Coast Guard, the American National Transportation Safety Board, the Japan Transport Safety Board, the Japanese Coast Guard, and the government of the Philippines have all launched investigations into the incident. The US Navy has not commented on Captain Advincula's comments.

 

[angelburst29]

Mortar fire was typical Al-Qaeda/ISIS request for Israeli fire support
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/06/israeli-fire-support-for-its-al-qaeda-mercenaries-started-three-years-ago.html

Al-Qaeda attacked a Syrian Arab Army position in Madinat al-Baath (map) next to the Israel occupied Golan heights. Al-Qaeda requested Israeli fire-support by launching some mortars towards empty space in the Israel occupied area. The Israeli Defense Force accepted the request and destroyed two Syrian Arab Army tanks. Two Syrian soldiers were killed. The SAA held steady and the al-Qaeda attack on its position failed.

This was very easy to predict. Israel has supported al-Qaeda in the area since at least 2014. The al-Qaeda fire-request-by-mortar scheme has been in place for at least three years. In October 2014 the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which back then still covered the area, reported to the UN Security Council:

On 23 June [2014], Israel targeted nine Syrian army positions with tank fire and air strikes after mortar fire from the Syrian side the previous day killed an Israeli civilian. Israel’s assessment is that most of these incidents are due to errant fire resulting from fighting in Syria. Israel said that armed opposition groups were probably responsible but that its forces fired on Syrian military positions to stress that Syria was responsible for security on its side of the ceasefire line.

The UN observers mentioned the "black flags" the "rebels" were using. The "rebels" in that area are al-Qaeda forces. This "fire support request by mortar" scheme has been repeated again and again. The Israeli argument is an insult to logic: "The Syrian army is responsible for keeping al-Qaeda out of the area so we respond to "errant" al-Qaeda fire by destroying the Syrian army."

But "western" and Israeli media did and do not report or analyzed the obvious scheme. This even as this theater act gets repeated over and over again. They lie and simply report the "errant fire" nonsense even when it is clear that this is coordinated military support for al-Qaeda. For years they have hidden Israeli support for al-Qaeda and its deep involvement in the Syrian war. Witness Haaretz which only today(!) headlines: Analysis - Israel’s Slow Creep Into the Syrian Civil War. That "slow creep", which Haaretz describes and analyzes as a new phenomenon, started at least three years ago and was neither slow nor a creep. It is full fledged support for terrorism and has been such since its beginning.

The Wall Street Journal, also three years late, reported last week that Israel had set up a special IDF unit to advise, train, support and control al-Qaeda in the Golan area: Israel Gives Secret Aid to Syrian Rebels

Israel even pays al-Qaeda's salaries:

The person familiar with Israel’s assistance confirmed that cash moves across the border but said it goes for humanitarian purposes. However, rebels interviewed said they use the cash to pay fighters’ salaries and to buy weapons and ammunition—something the Israeli military wouldn’t comment on.

Israel wants to steal and occupy even larger parts of Syria than the parts of the Golan heights it illegally holds. It pays al-Qaeda and supports it by fire to achieve that. The main stream reporting on this is at least three years late. Why is it now starting to publish about this? Is there a new media advisory that Haaretz and the WSJ are now allowed (or required) to report on the issue? To what purpose?

 

[Thebull]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40413563

Here we go again looks like their at it again. Seems to be across the major uk news channels this morning. They really do seem to be pushing for a confrontation again.

 

[Windmill knight]

_http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40413563

Here we go again looks like their at it again. Seems to be across the major uk news channels this morning. They really do seem to be pushing for a confrontation again.

Yes, this is looking bad. Nikki Haley tweeted today:

_http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-syria-planning-chemical-attack/story?id=48295166

Any further attacks done to the people of Syria will be blamed on Assad, but also on Russia & Iran who support him killing his own people.

Preemptively assigning blames! It's nothing short of an invitation to the "rebels" to make a false flag chemical attack. Surely they know that is the exact effect their statements will have?

The irony is that this comes right after the publication of Seymour Hersh's article in Die Welt:

https://www.sott.net/article/354651-Seymour-Hersh-There-Was-No-Chemical-Weapon-Attack-On-Khan-Sheikhoun

Seymour Hersh: There Was No Chemical Weapon Attack On Khan Sheikhoun

Do they want to appear stupid on purpose? I don't think so. Maybe they can't accept they made a huge mistake and instead of facing the facts, they want to push their mistake even further?

 

[Ant22]

A few tweaks, and this is a good short commentary article for sott. (...)

I'm really sorry if this is obvious and I'm just not getting it but would you like me - or angelburst29 - to do something with it? I.e. did you mean any specific tweaks and a specific SOTT article you'd like it to be posted under?

(...) The same country that embarrassingly put its entire government on the same plane. Looks like they are doing that on a larger scale, so to say. (...)

Yeah, I didn't think about it this way but that's actually a brilliant point. Their lack of ability to predict the results of their own actions is very telling, and so is their delusional and grandiose opinion of the country's position on the world scene. But hey, if they can't assess their own history objectively, can they actually assess the current state with any dose of realism? I think not.

Edit: clarity

 

[Ca.]

_http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40413563

Here we go again looks like their at it again. Seems to be across the major uk news channels this morning. They really do seem to be pushing for a confrontation again.

Yes, this is looking bad. Nikki Haley tweeted today:

_http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-syria-planning-chemical-attack/story?id=48295166

Any further attacks done to the people of Syria will be blamed on Assad, but also on Russia & Iran who support him killing his own people.

Preemptively assigning blames! It's nothing short of an invitation to the "rebels" to make a false flag chemical attack. Surely they know that is the exact effect their statements will have?

The irony is that this comes right after the publication of Seymour Hersh's article in Die Welt:

https://www.sott.net/article/354651-Seymour-Hersh-There-Was-No-Chemical-Weapon-Attack-On-Khan-Sheikhoun

Seymour Hersh: There Was No Chemical Weapon Attack On Khan Sheikhoun

Do they want to appear stupid on purpose? I don't think so. Maybe they can't accept they made a huge mistake and instead of facing the facts, they want to push their mistake even further?

As usual, this is another desperate pre-planned attempt by the deep state agenda.

With the recent and strategic gains by Assad, they have (once again), pulled the dead baby agenda Card from under there sleeve.

IMHO, look out USA, "Something Wicked My Becoming of Your Ways"

In the states April 7 2017
Mad dog Lindsey set's the trap of disinformation and lies
Lindsey Graham: Trump's "wrestling match" with Comey interferes with U.S. agenda

https://youtu.be/xgIiBr9uMEU

Added:
Apr 7, 2017
The Truth About The Syrian Chemical Attack A Timeline Of False Flags & Lies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDKijcoztc8

Assad may be preparing a chemical attack, says US
_http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/assad-preparing-chemical-attack-170627024203350.html

 

[Laura]

A few tweaks, and this is a good short commentary article for sott. (...)

I'm really sorry if this is obvious and I'm just not getting it but would you like me - or angelburst29 - to do something with it? I.e. did you mean any specific tweaks and a specific SOTT article you'd like it to be posted under?

Just look at what you wrote as a post as an article. Tweak for publication (not much needed), and maybe include follow-up comment as part of the text.