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

[angelburst29]

Kurdish media outlet reported that almost 150 militants affiliated to the Turkish Army entered the Northwestern province of Idlib following intensified clashes between Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front).

Tens of Turkey-Affiliated Militants Enter Syria's Idlib
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960431000693

The Kurdish-language ARA news reported that a 150-member group of the Ankara-backed Euphrates Shield Operation forces crossed the Turkish border into the Northern territories of Idlib province via Bab al-Hawa border-passage after Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham engaged in a fresh round of fierce clashes in the province.

ARA quoted Ahrar al-Sham's Spokesman Mohammad Abu Zeid as saying that the first group of his forces, including 150 fighters, entered Northern Idlib from the Turkish territories via Bab al-Hawa, adding that more groups will arrive in the province soon.

News websites affiliated to the terrorist groups reported that over 300 militants of Ahrar al-Sham crossed the border into Northern Aleppo and moved towards Idlib.

Field sources in Northwestern Syria reported on Friday that Ahrar al-Sham started to retreat from its positions in Idlib province to pave the ground for the Turkish Army troops to cross into the Northern Syrian province.

Commander of the Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) in Western Qalamoun and Arsal Heights has asked a hefty amount of money to leave the positons for Turkey amid the Syrian and Lebanese forces' raging operation in the region, Arab media outlets reported.

Al-Nusra Commander Asks for Millions of Dollars to Hand over Positions to Syrian-Lebanese Forces
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960431000889

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen quoted a field source as saying that Abu Malek al-Tali, the commander of ISIL in the regions of Qalamoun and Arsal at the Syria-Lebanon border has asked $30mln to leave his positions for Turkey.

The source told al-Mayadeen that al-Tali has refused all the mediation proposals to prevent bloodshed, adding that al-Tali has announced that he does not care for the fate of his forces and is ready to receive $30mln, hand over the region to the Syrian and Lebanese forces and leave the region for Turkey via Beirut airport.

Al-Tali has even refused a safe, but, unpaid relocation to Idlib, the source continued.

Arab media reports said on Friday that the Syrian Army troop and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, backed up by the Russian Air Force, are to kick off a fresh round of operations against ISIL and Al-Nusra Front at border with Lebanon.

The Arabic-language al-Hadath news reported that the tactical plans have been prepared for military operation against ISIL and Al-Nusra Front in Jaroud mountain and the Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah fighters, equipped by modern Russian weapons, will start imminently their operation against terrorists.

In the meantime, the Russian Air Force will support the Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah with surveillance and combat missions in the operation.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army embarked on reinvigorating its positions at the borders with Syria to defend border villages against possible revenge attacks of the terrorists and block their flow into Lebanese territories while fleeing the battlefields in Syria.

Footage has surfaced online depicting flatbed tracks laden with American armored military vehicles passing through Syria, with conflicting commentary claiming that the materiel was bound for use by either US-backed Syrian militant groups or US troops themselves fighting ISIL in Raqqa city.

US Army Dispatches More Armored Vehicles to Syria's Raqqa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960431001102

The photos and videos were uploaded by Syrian Kurdish activists who are known affiliates of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Sputnik reported.

The vehicles included Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, Mine-Resistant All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) and armored bulldozers, the report said. The weapons were mounted on the backs of flatbed trucks and were filmed passing through Qamishli, 170 miles Northeast of Raqqa city, it added. ​All three vehicle types were previously mentioned in Pentagon reports as assets being supplied to SDF fighters.

"Up-armored vehicles have been delivered to the SDF and (Syrian Arab Coalition) as part of our existing authorities to enable them," a spokesperson for US operations in Syria told Task & Purpose.

​"Specifically, these vehicles will help them contend with the ISIL terrorists' IED threat in their current operation, and as they move to isolate (Raqqa)."

Mine-resistant vehicles are deployed against areas known to hide improvised explosive devices, which are a major danger to American soldiers riding in armored vehicles. At least half of all US casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan have been attributed to IEDs.

​However, the spokesperson went on to tell Task & Purpose that MRAPs and M-ATVs were "not part of the package that is divested to the SDF." The Military Times noted that the M-ATVs were mounted with Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWs) systems, which allow for operators to fire the M-ATV's mounted.50 cal machine gun without exposing themselves to enemy fire. CROWS systems also weren't provided to SDF fighters.

​Instead, the vehicles "are for use by the Coalition to protect our forces from IEDs." In other words, the Pentagon claims these armored vehicles are for use by Western operators, not SDF militants.

The Syrian Army's artillery and missile units targeted and destroyed a telecommunication-command center of the ISIL terrorist group in Eastern Homs.

Terrorists' Telecommunication Command Center Destroyed in Syrian Army Attack in Homs Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960431000597

The artillery and missile units of the army shelled ISIL's positions and movements heavily in the village of Um al-Reish in Eastern Homs and destroyed one of the telecommunication-command centers of the terrorists group.

Relevant reports said on Friday that the army resumed its military operations in Eastern Homs province, hitting the ISIL positions near the town of Jubab Hamad.

After hours of bloody battle, the army soldiers took full control of Tal Al-Alam which overlooks Jubab Hamad, securing the town of Jubab Hamad in Eastern Homs.

An army source announced that the Syrian army has established four humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians out of Raqqa.

Syrian Army Evacuates Civilians out of Raqqa via Humanitarian Corridors
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960431000502

The source told Sputnik that the necessity of the corridors arose as ISIL terrorists "have started threatening civilians as the army approaches and conduct unlawful actions."

"It was necessary to take emergency measures to protect and save our compatriots. We have the people a chance to return to a normal life," the source said, adding that the militants were trying to hinder the evacuation by mining local roads and crossroads.

According to reports, US-led coalition air strikes have killed hundreds of civilians in Syria. The air raids have resulted not only in staggering loss of civilian life, but has also led to tens of thousands of civilians fleeing their homes and becoming internally displaced.

Meanwhile, United Nations war crimes investigators has reported that the US-led coalition's aerial back up for the Kurdish forces to take control of Raqqa from ISIL have thus far killed hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of thousands more.

The UN investigators said that intensified US-led coalition air raids on ISIL's strongholds in Raqqa are causing a "staggering loss of civilian life".

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a new state policy for the country’s naval forces that points to the US as intent on dominating the world’s oceans and thus posing a threat to Russia.

Russian President Approves New Naval Strategy, US Seen as Threat
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960431000432

A document detailing the strategy took immediate effect after being signed by Russian leader on Thursday. It offers more details on where Russia’s navy sees potential international friction and conflict, US-based news magazine Newsweek reported.

“The Russian Federation continues to retain its status as a great naval state, whose naval potential ensures the defensive of its national interests in any part of the World Ocean,” the 22-page document says.

According to the report, among the direct naval threats to Russia is “the striving of a series of governments, above all the United States of America and its allies, to dominate the oceans, including in the Arctic and also to reach an intimidating supremacy with its naval forces.”

The strategy, which will remain binding until 2030, comes in addition to earlier announcements by Russian navy authorities who have designated the Arctic “a priority development area for Moscow.”

The document says that the resource-rich Arctic region is the subject of claims by Russia and four other nations that are all US allies.

The strategy paper further states that other nations are trying to “limit Russia’s access to resources at sea and its access to vitally important naval transport communications.”

The document also warns that the world is in for a rough ride by 2030, foreseeing “an unstable military-political environment, characterized by the increase of global competition, rivalry in the world power centers” due both to the rise of extremism and international power plays.

Putin’s decree also points out that Russia’s navy is “one of the most effective tools of strategic (nuclear and non-nuclear) containment, including in preventing a global strike.”

 

[angelburst29]

US Army Dispatches More Armored Vehicles to Syria's Raqqa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960431001102

The photos and videos were uploaded by Syrian Kurdish activists who are known affiliates of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Sputnik reported.

The vehicles included Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, Mine-Resistant All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) and armored bulldozers, the report said. The weapons were mounted on the backs of flatbed trucks and were filmed passing through Qamishli, 170 miles Northeast of Raqqa city, it added. ​
All three vehicle types were previously mentioned in Pentagon reports as assets being supplied to SDF fighters.

The Pentagon, which never liked the CIA program, now gets to run the entire US war in Syria by itself.

Trump’s Halt to CIA Backing For Syrian Rebels Appeases Pentagon, Not Russia
http://www.globalresearch.ca/trumps-halt-to-cia-backing-for-syrian-rebels-appeases-pentagon-not-russia/5600419

The Washington Post is reporting that Trump has “decided to end” CIA’s program to funnel arms, money and training to Syria’s largely Islamist rebels.

There’s a couple of things to say about that.

1. We’re going to need confirmation that this has indeed happened. Ideally from people who have a direct line to some of the CIA-backed groups.

2. Is this the definite end of the CIA program, or a temporary halt? The aid was already frozen once before, in February-March of this year, but was then restored.

3. Is the end of CIA backing going to be coupled with instructions to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey to stop their aid to rebels as well? Seeing how inclined the US is to appease the Saudis, and how fast its influence over Turkey is shrinking, I don’t see it.

4. Will the end of the CIA program be coupled with increased aid to the rebels by the Pentagon? Will the CIA-backed groups actually be cut off, or just go from CIA-backed to Pentagon-backed? That’s a particularly pertinent question for southeastern Syria around al-Tanf where Pentagon-backed groups like Commandos of the Revolution rub shoulders with CIA-backed groups like Lions of the East. Many of these CIA-backed groups were trained by US Special Forces hired out to the CIA, so links between them and the US military already exist.

The Washington Post and the rest of the establishment media want to paint this decision as Trump appeasing Russia, but that is highly unlikely. There are a number of far better reasons why it came to this.

1. This is the natural evolution of the trajectory the US was already on since mid-2016. Recall that in September 2016 under the Kerry-Lavrov deal the US basically agreed to enter the war against extremist elements of the Syrian Islamist rebellion. Also recall that just before leaving office Obama sent B-52s against Jabhat al-Nusra and claimed over 100 killed.

2. Trump has been an outspoken opponent of US backing for Syrian rebels for years. You only need to glance at his Twitter to see that.

3. The US military, which between Mattis and McMaster is highly influential in the Trump administration, never liked the CIA program. Recall the bombshell Seymour Hersh story from 2015 detailing how the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Intelligence Agency kept warning the Obama administration that toppling Assad would lead to chaos and possible takeover by jihadis. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey went so far as to secretly leak information on jihadis to the Russians, while the DIA chief, Mike Flynn was sacked when he made his opposition public.

4. The new CIA director was not wedded to the program. The Washington Post says the decision CIA would stop funneling arms into Syria was made by General McMaster and CIA’s new chief, Mike Pompeo. Even within the CIA, John Brennan, its director under Obama, was probably the biggest supporter of what was dubbed sardonically “Brennan’s war”. It was his pet project and he was the driving force behind it. Almost whoever was going to replace Brennan was likely to at least scale it down.

5. Along with increased infighting between the rebels, particularly in their main territory in Idlib, there has been consolidation of the rebel groups into two rival blocs, both of them led by salafist jihadists. Continuing to arm the rebels now would at best mean directly arming Ahrar al-Sham, whose leadership includes former al-Qaeda members, and which used to be extremely cozy with Syrian al-Qaeda (Jabhat al-Nusra).

An end to the CIA fanning the flames of war in Syria is a good thing, but it doesn’t mean the US is retreating from the country. It only means the reigns have been handed over to the Pentagon. The Pentagon has pursued a more rational course in Syria than the CIA, but it has been, if anything, even more heavy-handed.

Recently there has been a dramatic upsurge in Pentagon deliveries of military aid to the secessionist Syrian Kurds, along with an upsurge in US base building in Syria, in part to accommodate the transport planes hauling in this vast aid.

Also we’ve seen the US military repeatedly bomb the Syrian armed forces, cruise missiled one of its airbases, and shoot down one of its jets.

With Pentagon fully in control of US Syria policy regime change is finally out completely, but the danger of a US-orchestrated partition and permanent occupation of the east only increases.

No fewer than eleven illegal military bases within Syria's borders. Turkey Reveals The Extent of Illegal US Military Base Building in Syria.

Pentagon Establishes Ten Illegal US Military Bases in Northern Syria
http://www.globalresearch.ca/pentagon-establishes-ten-illegal-us-military-bases-in-northern-syria/5600428

Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency has publicized the locations of 10 US bases in northern Syria, many of them previously unknown to the wider public.

For Turkey revealing the extent of increased US support for the Kurdish YPG militia—which Turkey insists is one and the same with the Kurdish PKK group it faces at home—serves to mobilize its public against the US.

Blowing the cover of the Americans is just a cherry on top.

The angle US media is centering on is just how upset the US is with Turkey for publishing this. Pentagon has asked US outlets not to reprint the information published by Anadolu and claimed doing so would endanger lives of US soldiers.

The angle US media is centering on is just how upset the US is with Turkey for publishing this. Pentagon has asked US outlets not to reprint the information published by Anadolu and claimed doing so would endanger lives of US soldiers.

The Daily Beast: Spokesmen for Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS, and for the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, asked The Daily Beast not to publish the detailed information reported by Anadolu.

“The discussion of specific troop numbers and locations would provide sensitive tactical information to the enemy which could endanger Coalition and partner forces,” wrote Col. Joe Scrocca, coalition director of public affairs.

“Publishing this type of information would be professionally irresponsible and we respectively [sic] request that you refrain from disseminating any information that would put Coalition lives in jeopardy.”

RT: “While we cannot independently verify the sources that contributed to this story, we would be very concerned if officials from a NATO ally would purposefully endanger our forces by releasing sensitive information.”

However, we’d like to point out there is a party that has far more reason to be upset than the US. That would be Syria itself.

Along with the base at Al-Tanf the US now has at least 11 permanently manned installations on the territory of Syria — all of them illegal.

 

[angelburst29]

Nusra Front began to surrender in the mountainous region of Aarsal at the Lebanese-Syrian border, according to a source in Hezbollah movement.

Nusra Front's Militants Begin to Surrender at Syrian-Lebanese Border
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707221055793076-lebanon-syria-nusra/

The militants of the Nusra Front terrorist group (banned in Russia) have begun to surrender in the mountainous region of Aarsal at the Lebanese-Syrian border, a source in Hezbollah movement told Sputnik on Saturday.

"Big units of Jabhat al-Nusra [Nusra Front] raised six white flags… in mountainous region of Aarsal, showing thus, that they were surrendering," the source said.

On Friday, Lebanese Shiite militant movement Hezbollah announced a military operation against the Nusra Front. The offensive began simultaneously from two sides — from the city of Flita on the Syrian territory, and from the Lebanese territory along the eastern mountain ridge.

Earlier in the day, Hezbollah carried out a rocket strike on the supply lines of the group and managed to take control of four more areas bordering Syria in the area south of Aarsal.

The hard-to-reach mountainous region of Aarsal is considered the most tense place at the Lebanese-Syrian border. It has been used for arms smuggling and transit of new terrorist recruits to Syria. It also houses several camps for thousands of Syrian refugees.

Former deputy mayor of the Lebanese city of Aarsal, Ahmad Fliti, was killed on Saturday, as the rocket shelling by militants hit his car near the Syrian border, according to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Ex-Deputy Mayor of Lebanese Aarsal Killed in Rocket Shelling by Terrorists
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707231055795036-lebanese-mayor-killed-shelling/

"The car of the former deputy mayor of the Aarsal municipality, Ahmad Fliti, was attacked by a rocket launched by the Jabhat Fatah al Sham terrorist group [formerly known as the Nusra Front, banned in Russia]. The deceased was accompanied by Fayez Fliti. Both of them were authorized for the negotiations," the statement obtained by Sputnik said.

The army together with the Red Cross took the injured to the hospital, but Ahmad Fliti died of the injuries, the statement added.

According to the Lebanese media, Ahmad and Fayez Fliti were mediators in negotiations between the Shiite militant Hezbollah movement and militants in the mountainous regions. The terrorists attacked the car when it was moving toward the Jabhat Fatah al Sham's territories for the ceasefire negotiations.

On Saturday morning, the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) Osoud Al-Sharqiya branch deployed two BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), Hezbollah and Iraqi volunteers in the desert of southern Syria.

US allies hammer the Syrian Army, Hezbollah with GRAD rockets
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-allies-hammer-syrian-army-hezbollah-grad-rockets/

Targeting government-held positions in southeastern parts of Rif Dimashq province, the FSA launched dozens of longe-range rockets on Tall Mahruta, a hill near the border with Jordan that was brought under SAA control earlier this month.

Due to a lack of manpower and being heavily outnumbered by the SAA and its paramilitary allies, the FSA relies primarily on artillery barrages to keep pro-government forces in check.

Al-Masdar News was unable to determine whether or not the SAA and its allies sustained any casualties following the rebel bombardment.

Osoud Al-Sharqiya (translates into Lions of the East) represents one of three FSA factions operating in the Badia Desert. The two other groups are the known as the Ahmad Al-Abdo Martyrs Brigade and Jaysh Maghawir Al-Thawra.

These rebel forces are supported by US, British and Norwegian special forces that are based around a military base at the Al-Tanf border crossing. The FSA fighters all originate from Sunni tribes in Deir Ezzor but fled to Jordan following ISIS’ takeover of the province. Subsequently, they were vetted and trained by US special forces and funnelled back across the border.

Unfortunately for the aforementioned FSA groups, Donald Trump recently ordered the CIA stop all aid to their forces, leaving them to fend for themselves. In turn, persistent rumours indicate the US-led coalition’s ground troops at Al-Tanf will evacuate to Hasakah province instead.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed issues of mutual interests in a meeting held on Thursday.

Iran’s FM official meets Syrian president
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/irans-fm-official-meets-syrian-president/

According to IRNA, developments in Syria and in the region as well as issues related to Tehran-Damascus relations were major topics discussed by the two sides.

Jaberi Ansari who is in a two-day visit to Syria, also met with the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and the deputy Foreign Minister of Syria Faisal Mekdad on Wednesday.

The proposal for the long-term deployment of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria has been approved by the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia.

Russia’s military to remain in Syria for another 49 years
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russias-military-remain-syria-another-49-years/

The now in-effect protocol, bilaterally agreed on by the governments of the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic, will grant the Russian air group in Syria a 49-year deployment period via permanent bases within the country.

Outlined in the protocol includes the expectation of Syrian government forces take measures to protect Russian bases stationed within the Arab republic and the responsibilities of Russian military forces to maintain law and order throughout Syria, carry out internal security inside their bases as well as establish adequate air defenses around their military infrastructures.

The protocol gives the Russian military forces in Syria the right to continue to carry out comprehensive activities throughout the country as granted to them by the Damascus government.

The 49-year lease also has the option for being extended by another 25 years.

 

[bjorb]

Isn't it awesome when the good guys have bigger and better guns.

See the following for comparison:

First contender is the Russian SU-35.

The Sukhoi SU-35 made a stunning performance today at the Moscow Air Show 2017. There were a few maneuvers I have never seen before and sometimes this skilled pilot made it very difficult for me to follow the plane. New engines enable Su-35 to perform all kinds of stunts, including Pugachev's Cobra, the Frolov Chakra, the Dead Leaf... but how to call the new stunts?

https://youtu.be/riTTpf53fWU

The following below is the best the F35 had to show: (rather boring video)

The F-35A made its aerial demonstration debut on June 19, 2017 at the Paris Air Show in front of crowds of thousands.

https://youtu.be/93NdwZAeXhI


Seems expert also weren't impressed with the maneuver capabilities of the F35:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/feature/5/184921/f_35-paris-flight-demo%3A-much-ado-about-nothing.html

F-35’s Flight display was the damp squib of the year

This writer, which has been watching air displays since 1975, found it bland and totally unremarkable except for two things: the noise – it was extremely loud, far louder than at last June’s trial flights in the Netherlands -- and the airplane’s fast rate of climb, thanks to its engine’s 40,000 pounds of thrust.

But none of the maneuvering demonstrated anything that’s not been seen for years, whether it’s the “pedal turn” or the claimed 7 g maneuvers that were totally invisible from the ground.

After having seen the displays put on by real fighter jets such as the F-15 and F-16, Gripen, Rafale and Eurofighter, not to mention the Russian Su-27 and MiG-29, the F-35’s effort looked pretty lame.

And this is not a solitary opinion. The first three comments posted on Aviation Week’s pre-show story tell a similar tale:

Dave59 on Jun 19, 2017
“He will start with an afterburner takeoff, almost immediately pointing his nose to the sky and letting the aircraft climb away essentially vertically. This impressive move is unique to the F-22 and the F-35, he said.” -- Lockheed Martin test pilot Billie Flynn

The F-15 has been doing that in airshow displays since the eighties. Personally seen a lot of times.

TheSandbagger on Jun 19, 2017:
Never believe a snake-oil salesman or an LM PR jockey.
Come to think of it, what's the difference?

Invictus Slo on Jun 19, 2017
Mig-29 in RIAT 2015 ;).
So much about being unique.

But reporters’ impressions are not enough to form a clear opinion of what the F-35’s flight display at Paris was actually worth, so we asked some fast jet display pilots for their impressions.

Comments from around the show

This is compendium of comments gathered in informal interviews around the air show, June 18-21, or by e-mail:

-- “A European military pilot said the nose jumped around while the aircraft was banking, which he took as a sign of faulty flight control software.”

-- “Very powerful engine, fast climb rate, but stayed far higher than other planes: I wonder why.”

-- “I wasn't impressed with all that lolling around.”

-- “Strip the weapons racks out of the bomb bay, remove the tail hook, yank out the relief tube and pray for a nice cold day with low humidity (makes the air denser). Besides all that, there's almost certainly another 1000 or 2000 pounds they could surreptitiously unbolt for this 10-minute, “wow-the-yahoos” circus act.”

-- “Here's an astute observation from a pilot-engineer friend of mine, as timed from the F-35 circus act video: "...my timing indicates the sustained turn rate was only 17 deg/sec. F16s in that configuration are more like 22."
And remember, that sparkling 17 degrees/sec is for a super-light, stripped down F-35. No armed F-35 at an operational airbase could touch that number.”

-- “In performing this supposedly high AoA, low speed pass, Billie Flynn takes an inordinately long time setting up this sequence and the aircraft’s AoA during the pass is considerably less that 50 degrees to the free-stream (looks to be even less than 40 degrees). Somewhat less than the F-22A with its unlimited AoA and significantly less than the Su-35S and Su-50.”

This is not really surprising: the last report on the F-35 by the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation said that “All F-35 variants display objectionable or unacceptable flying qualities at transonic speeds, where aerodynamic forces on the aircraft are rapidly changing. Particularly, under elevated "g" conditions, when wing loading causes the effects to be more pronounced, pilots have reported the flying qualities as "unacceptable."

Not the pilot’s fault, but he was clearly severely limited in what he could do.

-ends-

Whatever the F35 may have left in store. My money is still on the SU-35.

 

[angelburst29]

Isn't it awesome when the good guys have bigger and better guns.

See the following for comparison:

I'm not really into aviation but Russia has been sponsoring it's MAKS-2017 air show all week with some impressive maneuvers.

Final Day of International MAKS Air Show in Russia (VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201707231055798067-maks-air-show-final-day/

The MAKS-2017 air show in Russia entered its final day outside Moscow on Sunday. Follow our feed to find out more.

The International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS), one of the world's largest aviation shows, is held on the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) airfield in Zhukovsky, 40 km (25 miles) south-east of Moscow.

The city is home to a robust aviation research and technology culture, and has one of the longest runways in Europe. The salon’s primary goal is to showcase Russian-made high-tech equipment and demonstrate the openness of the Russian market to joint projects with foreign partners.

 

[bjorb]

Isn't it awesome when the good guys have bigger and better guns.

See the following for comparison:

I'm not really into aviation but Russia has been sponsoring it's MAKS-2017 air show all week with some impressive maneuvers.

Final Day of International MAKS Air Show in Russia (VIDEO)

I have seen several clips of the air show, I'm not a particular fan of weapons. But there is only one way to stand up to bullies. That's why the SU-35 is an awesome machine, though the F-35 is also cool, it's so bad and expensive, if it helps bankrupt the Empire even more, I'm all for it.


And there are more Russian fighter jets on the way:

https://sputniknews.com/russia/201707231055799517-russia-aerospace-forces-new-aircraft/
Incoming! Russian Airforce to Get Delivery of Over 100 New Aircraft in 2018

Over a hundred new aircraft and helicopters next year, Russia's Aerospace Forces Commander Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Sunday.

MOSCOW Sputnik) — Russian Aerospace Forces plan to receive more than a hundred new aircraft and helicopters in 2018, Bondarev.

"We will receive no less than this year. More than a hundred new machines, plus modernization and overhaul of the combatant (aircraft). We are being updated very well," Bondarev told reporters at the 13th International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2017.

Speaking about the new state program of armaments for 2018-2025, which is now being developed in the country, Bondarev stressed that "aviation was favored."

"Everybody understands perfectly well that the world is on the way to developing the aerospace component, where there are new technologies, developments, progress. Ultimately, this also affects the development of the national economy and industry," the commander concluded.

The International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2017 in the city of Zhukovsky in the Moscow region kicked off on Tuesday and ends its work on Sunday.

 

[angelburst29]

Pentagon Works With Jordan to Determine Circumstances of Deaths of 3 US Soldiers
https://sputniknews.com/us/201611041047081201-pentagon-jordan-death/

Pentagon Clarifies Only 1 US Service Member Killed in Shooting at Jordan Airbase
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611041047078192-airbase-jordan-victim-pentagon/

Two US Trainers Killed in Gunfire Exchange Near Military Base in Jordan
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611041047073565-us-jordan-shooting-military/

Jordan’s military released security camera footage Monday of a shooting in which a Jordanian soldier killed three U.S. military trainers at an air base in the kingdom.

Jordan releases footage of shooting of 3 U.S. troops (Photos - Video)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4725940/Jordan-release-security-footage-shooting-3-US-troops.html#ixzz4nnNPvNWz

The video had previously been shown to the families of the U.S. Army Green Berets by U.S. law enforcement but had not been made public until Monday.

The soldiers were killed on November 4, when their convoy came under fire at the entrance to the al-Jafr base in southern Jordan.

A Jordanian military court sentenced the soldier, 1st Sgt. Marik al-Tuwayha, to life in prison with hard labor last week.

 

[angelburst29]

The Russian military announced that Moscow has informed the United States, Jordan and Israel ahead of deploying two checkpoints and 10 observation points along the so-called contact line in Syria.

Safe Zone: Russia Informs US, Jordan, Israel of Deploying Checkpoints in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960503000234

Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy said that the Russian military police established the posts along the Southwestern de-escalation zone on July 21 and July 22, RIA Novosti reported.

"We informed our colleagues from the United States, Jordan and Israel through military diplomatic channels in advance of the deployment of the Russian control forces around the perimeter of the de-escalation zone in Southern Syria," Rudskoy added.

The checkpoints and observation posts, he noted, are aimed at "supporting the ceasefire regime, facilitating unhindered access of humanitarian supplies, the return of refugees and temporarily displaced persons."

Rudskoy stressed that the nearest Russian military post to the contact line is 13 kilometers, or 8 miles, from the disengagement zone of the Israeli and Syrian forces near the Golan Heights.

The Russian Army announced that it has established military posts in order to monitor the ceasefire in a safe zone in the Eastern suburbs of Syrian capital Damascus.

Russia Sets Up Military Posts in Syria to Monitor Ceasefire
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960503000405

Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi, the head of the Russian General Staff's Main Operations Department, said Moscow had set up two check-points and four monitoring posts in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

The Syrian armed forces declared Saturday the start of a ceasefire regime in Eastern Ghouta in Damascus province, after the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the agreements on functioning of Eastern Ghouta de-escalation zone in Syria's Damascus have been signed.

According to Moscow, the agreements, which were signed in Cairo, Egypt, define borders of the de-escalation zone and locations of control powers.

The documents have been signed in the development of the Astana agreements with the mediation of the Egyptian side

The US Army has delivered several commercial-off-the-shelf quadcopter style systems to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to utilize them in war on ISIL, Coalition spokesperson said.

Syria: US Army Provides Kurdish SDF with Several Modern Drones
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960503000825

“The US-led Coalition has supplied commercial drones to the SDF," the spokesperson wrote in an email.

“These types of systems are effective in local reconnaissance and aide in the targeting of ISIL fighters and the protection of non-combatants,” the Coalition spokesperson went on to say.

The Kurdish forces have used reconnaissance drones in the past, including at the battle of Kobani in early 2015; however, this is the first time that the US has supplied their forces with high-tech equipment like the quadcopter.

Footage Saturday surfaced online depicting flatbed tracks laden with American armored military vehicles passing through Syria, with conflicting commentary claiming that the materiel was bound for use by either US-backed Syrian militant groups or US troops themselves fighting ISIL in Raqqa city.

The photos and videos were uploaded by Syrian Kurdish activists who are known affiliates of the SDF .

The vehicles included Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, Mine-Resistant All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) and armored bulldozers, the report said.

The weapons were mounted on the backs of flatbed trucks and were filmed passing through Qamishli, 170 miles Northeast of Raqqa city, it added.

The Syrian Army troops' advances against ISIL in areas South-East of Raqqa province pushed Washington's plot in Northeastern Syria into failure, military experts explained.

Syrian Army's Rapid Advances against Terrorists Thwart US Plot in Raqqa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960503001071

The sources said that the army soldiers imposed control over the villages of Shenan and al-Akereshi after seizing back the village of Dalheh South-East of Raqqa province.

The sources further said that the army will soon take control over Wadi al-Forat region near Raqqa and underscored that the town of Ma'aden at the Raqqa-Deir Ezzur border is the main objective of the army men that are moving from the town of al-Rasafeh towards Ma'aden region.

The sources underscored that Ma'adan is the last ISIL bastion in Raqqa province, adding that capturing Ma'aden will pave the way for the liberation of all the villages on the Southern bank of the Euphrates River in Western Deir Ezzur and will ultimately kill any chance for the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the region.

Relevant reports said on Monday that the army men deployed in al-Sabkhawi region stormed ISIL's positions and drove them out of the village of al-Salam al-Alaykom and its surrounding regions.

The ISIL suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in the attack.

The army men are to end ISIL's presence in Raqqa and move towards Deir Ezzur.

The Syrian Army troops are now on the threshold of capturing all lands South-East of Raqqa province after they won back more territories from ISIL in their push towards Deir Ezzur.

Gov't Troops on Verge of Full Liberation of Southeastern Raqqa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960503000923

The army soldiers deployed in al-Boshra mountain engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in the Southern part of Badiyeh (desert) al-Sham and imposed control over most heights along the banks of the Euphrates River.

In the meantime, the army units entered the village of Shanan in a region between the towns of al-Akireshi and Ma'adan along the Raqqa-Deir Ezzur.

The army men also laid siege on the town of Ma'adan that is the last ISIL stronghold South-East of Raqqa province.

The army units also pushed ISIL back from the village of al-Dalheh after hours of non-stop clashes with ISIL.

In the meantime, the Syrian Air Force pounded ISIL's positions in Ma'adan, Zour Shemr and al-Khamissiyeh regions to open way for the ground forces towards Deri Ezzur.

Since the battle for Raqqa began, dozens of suicide bombers have blown themselves to smithereens in a desperate bid to cling on to the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed capital. Two more such cases were reported by Amaq Agency on Sunday.

In pictures: ISIS uses hordes of suicide bombers against Kurdish forces in Raqqa city
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/pictures-isis-uses-hordes-suicide-bombers-kurdish-forces-raqqa-city/

Targeting the predominately Kurdish ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) in the southern neighborhoods of the city, ISIS claimed over 20 SDF troops following the car bombings alone:

In addition to its use of car bombs, images were also released showing ISIS using rocket launchers, snipers and machine-gune fire, likely inflicting heavy casualties upon the SDF:

The Syrian Air Force has carried out several combat flights over ISIL's positions and movements in Deir Ezzur city and its countryside in the last 24 hours, destroying a military training camp.

ISIL's Military Training Camp in Deir Ezzur Destroyed in Syrian Airstrikes
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960503001474

The warplanes targeted ISIL's concentration centers and movements in al-Kanamat neighborhood, Panorama base and in the village of Ma'adan Atiq in the Western countryside of Deir Ezzur, destroying a main military training camp and killing a number of terrorists including Mohammad Sakar al-Khamis, a field commander of ISIL.

In the meantime, the Syrian Army men engaged in heavy fighting with ISIL in around Deir Ezzur military air port, inflicting major casualties on the terrorists.

Relevant reports said on Sunday that the Russian and Syrian fighter jets bombed heavily ISIL's defense lines and movements in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

Rebel fighters in rural Damascus have launched a rocket attack late this night in response to fierce airstrikes conducted yesterday by Russian fighter jets against their positions.

Rebels shell Russian Embassy in retaliation of deadly airstrikes
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/rebels-shell-russian-embassy-retaliation-deadly-airstrikes/

The attack, which was unexpectedly carried out after midnight, hit the Russian Embassy in al-Mazra’a district as well as al-Abasyeen square. No casualties reported.

On Monday, Russian airstrikes destroyed outposts and command centers for the al-Qaeda-affiliate Hay’at Tagrir al-Sham in Irbeen town located to the east of the capital, killing and injuring scores including high-ranking commanders.

Local activists also confirmed that the airstrikes targeted ammunition depots for Faylaq al-Rahman; an Islamist group active in Eastern Ghouta and a close ally for the HTS.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Army troops continue its large-scale operation against the two abovementioned groups in Jobar and Ayn Tarma to the northeast of Damascus.

 

[bjorb]

Some serious cracks within the Empire right here. If only in words, the EU is finally learning to look after it's own interest. Now, one might wonder what the US will do in response to get their vassals back in line. Now that's the scary part. Or like the C's remarked upon: A: US wishes to destabilize EU similar to Syria so that they can come in and "fix" things.

‘America 1st doesn't mean Europe last’ – EU lashes out at US sanctions against Russia
https://www.rt.com/news/397566-europe-oppose-us-russia-sanctions/

Brussels has fired back at the new US sanctions against Russia, saying an “America first” approach does not mean EU interests can come last. Germany and France have also voiced their opposition to the new set of sanctions.

In a harshly-worded statement, Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, lashed out at Washington saying “America first cannot mean that Europe's interests come last.”

He added the commission “concluded today that if our concerns are not taken into account sufficiently, we stand ready to act appropriately within a matter of days.”

The EU’s legislative body also argued the sanctions “could affect infrastructure transporting energy resources to Europe, for instance the maintenance and upgrade of pipelines in Russia that feed the Ukraine gas transit system,” according to a press release.

The sanctions bill has also caused a stir in Berlin. "This concerns not only German industry … Sanctions against Russia should not become a tool of industrial policy [pursued] in the US interests," German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer told a news conference on Wednesday, as cited by Sputnik.

“In our opinion, it is not in the Americans’ right to judge or stipulate which way European companies may engage in cooperation with any third parties – particularly, with Russian energy companies,” Schaefer said.

Speaking at the same briefing, government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer added Berlin believes “the European industry should not become the target of US sanctions.” She noted it was crucial “to continue close coordination between the US and the EU in the sanctions policy toward Russia.”

France has said the sanctions “contradict international law” due to their “extraterritorial reach,” according to a statement by the French Foreign Ministry.

“This bill, if it comes into force, would allow measures against European natural or juridical persons for situations that have no connection with the United States,” the statement read.

French and EU laws would need to be adjusted in response to the sanctions, she said, adding that discussions should be held at European Union level.

“To protect ourselves against the extraterritorial effects of US legislation [or any other legislation], we need to work to amend national legislation and perfect EU measures,” according to the statement.

The officials were commenting on the latest package of anti-Russian sanctions voted into law on Tuesday by the US House of Representatives. The restrictions, which come as part of a bill imposing sweeping sanctions also on Iran and North Korea, target Russia’s major defense, mining, shipping and railway industries.

They also include penalties on European companies engaged in joint EU-Russia energy projects, with the Gazprom-run Nord Stream 2 flagship pipeline being the most probable target of renewed sanctions.

Some media reports suggested Brussels was preparing countermeasures in the event that the sanctions enter into force after being signed by the US president. Should that happen, the EU will stand ready to act immediately, according to the Financial Times.

On Monday, the newspaper wrote that the European Commission had drafted an internal memo outlining possible options on the US sanctions, including invoking a ‘Blocking Statute,’ an EU regulation that limits extraterritorial US jurisdiction in Europe, as well as triggering a number of “WTO-compliant retaliatory measures.”

Moscow maintains the US sanctions are being imposed at the expense of European businesses. “There is very serious pressure from the US on European companies,” Russian Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

He asserted the restrictions cannot inflict substantial damage on Russia. “Our macroeconomic policy is shaped in such a way so that sanctions-related shockwaves coming from outside do not have significant impact on the Russian economy,” he said.

Some experts, however, doubted the EU's readiness to go against its transatlantic ally. “I’m not sure if the European Union has courage to take actions against this,” Dan Kovalik, an American labor rights lawyer, told RT. “I’m worried that the US is able to impose the sanctions notwithstanding the EU opposition to it.”

"I’m sure this is not about protecting democracy, either the US democracy or someone else’s. This is more about the US wanting more of a share of markets in Europe for its natural gas,” Kovalik added. “These sanctions, which would be made permanent … are really tantamount to a declaration of war against these countries, particularly Russia.”

He said the measure is likely to diminish any progress made by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg, as the US may be “forced into a more adversarial relationship with Russia.”

 

[angelburst29]

President Vladimir Putin signed a law ratifying a deal with the Syrian government allowing Russia to keep its air base in Syria for almost half a century, official documents showed.

Putin Signs Syria Base Deal, Cementing Russia's Presence for Half Century Thu Jul 27, 2017
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960505000989

The original deal, signed in Damascus in January, sets out the terms under which Russia can use its Hmeimim air base in Lattakia Province which it has used to carry out air strikes against militant groups in Syria, Daily Star reported.

Putin approved the agreement on Wednesday, after the two chambers of the Russian parliament backed it earlier this month, according to the government's official information portal.

The document says Russian forces will be deployed at the Hmeimim base for 49 years with the option of extending that arrangement for 25-year periods.

The base has been at the heart of Moscow's military presence since it intervened in the conflict in September 2015, helping the Syrian government in war against the terrorist group of ISIL and other militant groups.

Media sources close to the terrorist groups disclosed that Moscow has given Faylaq al-Rahman militants one day to cut its relations with Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in Eastern Ghouta and expel them from areas under their control.

Russia Gives Ultimatum to Faylaq Al-Rahman to Expel Al-Nusra Front from Eastern Ghouta
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960505000417

According to AMN, the Russian military delegation in Syria has given Faylaq Al-Rahman in East Damascus exactly 24 hours to force the Al-Qaeda-linked Tahrir Al-Sham Hay'at (Al-Nusra Front) to leave the area or else the Syrian Army will not be required to adhere to the ceasefire that has recently come into effect.

According to a military source in Damascus, the daylong ultimatum to kick Takfiri terrorists out of the East Ghouta started on Wednesday morning and will end on Thursday.

Meantime, some sources close to the terrorist groups also reported that Faylaq al-Rahman has asked Al-Nusra Front either to accept being merged in Faylaq al-Rahman or leave Eastern Ghouta for Idlib.

Faylaq Al-Rahman controls a large portion of Eastern Ghouta in Damascus province; however, the militants are currently at odds with Jeish Al-Isam, which is one of the largest militant groups in the region.

Earlier in July, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the agreements on functioning of Eastern Ghouta de-escalation zone in Syria's Damascus have been signed.

The agreements, which were signed in Cairo, Egypt, define borders of the de-escalation zone and locations of control powers, according to the statement.

"These documents define the borders of the de-escalation zone, the deployment sites and powers of the de-escalation control forces, as well as the routes for delivering humanitarian aid and clear passage to the population," the ministry said.

The ministry added that the first humanitarian convoy to the Eastern Ghouta de-escalation zone is expected in nearest time. It will be followed by the evacuation of wounded civilians for East Ghouta.

The Kremlin positively assesses the developments in Syrian regions with active de-escalation zones, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

Kremlin Positively Assesses Situation in Syria Safe Zones, Mentions Difficulties
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707271055923493-kremlin-safe-zones-syria/

Peskov noted that there is more work ahead in the creation of two additional de-escalation zones, and declined to comment on reported difficulties of working with Syrian authorities in Idlib.

"Positively, not without difficulties, but a positive trend is established where these zones have already begun to work," Peskov told reporters when asked to assess.

"I would not want to wade into these details right now, I do not think it would be correct," Peskov said.

In early July, a de-escalation zone was established in the southwestern part of Syria in the districts of Deraa, Suweida and Quneitra.

On Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said agreements on the operation of the Eastern Ghouta de-escalation zone had been signed following Egypt-mediated talks in Cairo between representatives of the ministry and the Syrian opposition. Syrian armed opposition group Jaysh al-Islam has confirmed the agreement, which envisages a full ceasefire in the region. The Eastern Ghouta safe zone deal came into force on Monday.

Four safe zones have been established in Syria so far. The first one, in the north of the country, covers the province of Idlib and neighboring districts of Latakia, Aleppo and Homs. The second is in the north of the province of Homs. The third is located in the south of Syria, in the Quneitra and Daraa provinces, while the fourth one is in the Eastern Ghouta.

The four zones are expected to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, help prevent future clashes and restore economic activity. The memorandum on the establishment of the four zones came in force on May 6.

The first humanitarian aid convoy from Russia delivered to the Eastern Ghouta neighborhood in Damascus suburbs, according to the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation.

1st Humanitarian Convoy Arrives in East Ghouta De-escalation Zone
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707251055869141-russia-syria-ghouta-convoy/

The first humanitarian aid convoy delivered on Tuesday over 10 metric tons of food and medical supplies to the Eastern Ghouta neighborhood in Damascus suburbs, the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said.

The center also organized the evacuation of the wounded and sick residents from the areas controlled by the armed Syrian opposition.

"The delivery of humanitarian aid was made possible by the deployment of checkpoints manned by the Russian military police, which stabilized the situation in the de-escalation zones, and allowed for opening the humanitarian corridors" the center said in a statement.

A lot can happen in a week, let alone in one whole year. Many regime change campaigns can be shattered; Many unholy alliances can disappear. Things can all become topsy-turvy.

True, US, Israel, Saudi Arabia Are Losing the War on Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960505001149

Consider these news headlines first:

Syrian Army, Hezbollah Impose Full Control over Faliteh Heights at Border

Hezbollah Wins Control of More Heights at Lebanon-Syria Border

Dozens Injured in Latest al-Aqsa Clashes over Israeli Restrictions

UAE-Linked Channel Releases Documentary on Qatar’s Role Behind 9/11

All these news headlines and more appeared in just one day or two this week, and they all have one thing in common: The United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and others, which have played a precarious role in the war on Syria since 2011, are furious to learn that the future of the conflict is not to their liking. The six-year-old war is moving to a new stage - its final. The allied forces of Iran, Syria, Russia and Hezbollah are consolidating their control over most of the populated centers, while ISIL is losing ground fast and everywhere. Understandably, the United States and allies cannot do a damn thing about this inevitable ending. So they are doing what desperate men do per usual at desperate times:

US House Approves New Sanctions Against Iran, Russia, North Korea

Austria: US Trying to Achieve Own Economic Ambitions by Russia Sanctions

Whistle-Blower Reveals Saudi Crown Prince's Coup Plot against Qatar

Qatar FM: Saudi-Led Bloc of States Undermining Mediation Efforts

Trump: Iran to Face Big Problems If It Does Not Adhere to Nuclear Deal

Netanyahu Puts Trump on Notice Over Syria

It is said the best way to avoid becoming a scapegoat is to find one. For the failed war on Syria, the Americans have found one: Russia. The Saudis have also found one: Qatar. The frustrated regime changers love the new witch hunt as long as it's someone else's witch being hunted. At the same time, they know it’s not really the fault of witches they are hunting; at least completely – in the case of Qatar. They did their parts too. They did it on a hundred different days and in a thousand different ways, and they know it. But this makes their anger worse, not better.

They regret for messing up on many occasions, but they need to appreciate the fact that blames don’t clean their regional mess; if they only smear the blame on Qatar for instance. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have perished in the merciless war; many cities and villages were totally destroyed and millions of Syrians become refugees. The regime changers don’t want to change this self-defeating course. Continuing to play the victim is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Blaming others for their failure in the war will indeed make them a victim but the perpetrator will be their own self, not Syria, and certainly not their duped allies.

If the failed regime change campaign in Syria – and indeed in Yemen - teaches us anything, it is that supposedly worthy displays of regional hegemony in action can actually do more harm than good. Witness a coalition now more divided; an inter-regional schism in the making (Saudi Arabia and allies vs Qatar, and US vs Western Europe); all allies in the regime change war torn to shreds from the inside; infinitely more complex issues raised than satisfactory solutions provided. It begs the question 'was it really all worth it'?

The regime changers can no longer deny their negative role by blaming others for the failed war on Syria. The blame does not change the situation and only keeps them in a victim mentality. They should accept that the defeat occurred and find a way out. They also need to stop the blame game; they can't win it! All fans of blame are defeated in every way. Arab countries in the region shouldn’t join the Saudis against Qatar. Their expectations won’t be met. Qatar will not capitulate. Such a possibility seems remote.

Similarly, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel have emerged as a weak party in the Syrian conflict. Making that realization quite belatedly, they have become increasingly frustrated. Washington has gone back to square one – the game of sanctions. Saudi Arabia is also attempting to develop its so-called independent strategy – even if that’s at the expense of allies like Qatar. Israel is nowhere to be found – only erecting metal detectors in al-Quds alleys just to say ‘yes, I am.’

Needless to say, giving hope to Syrians is not an Israeli-Saudi-American priority when ISIL is fully defeated. Aside from the frequent bombing and refusal to host any refugees, they keep bombing Syria and illegally occupy its territory. It’s a flimsy attempt at catching up, as the allied forces of Iran, Syria, Russia and Hezbollah, in addition to their ceasefire and de-escalation zones agreements with the opposition, are putting the last nail in the coffin of foreign-backed terrorist groups. The regime changers are losing the war and the ground, and they are not holding all the cards anymore.

 

[Oxajil]

President Vladimir Putin signed a law ratifying a deal with the Syrian government allowing Russia to keep its air base in Syria for almost half a century, official documents showed.

Putin Signs Syria Base Deal, Cementing Russia's Presence for Half Century Thu Jul 27, 2017
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960505000989

The original deal, signed in Damascus in January, sets out the terms under which Russia can use its Hmeimim air base in Lattakia Province which it has used to carry out air strikes against militant groups in Syria, Daily Star reported.

Putin approved the agreement on Wednesday, after the two chambers of the Russian parliament backed it earlier this month, according to the government's official information portal.

The document says Russian forces will be deployed at the Hmeimim base for 49 years with the option of extending that arrangement for 25-year periods.

The base has been at the heart of Moscow's military presence since it intervened in the conflict in September 2015, helping the Syrian government in war against the terrorist group of ISIL and other militant groups.

Now, that's a military presence that is important and great for the safety of the area/country. :) Western forces that are deployed in other countries for a very long time (Afghanistan for example), of which the purpose is to not do anything or very little for the country itself (and are there for a different agenda), is very different to the deployment of forces whose goal actually is to protect, liberate, and preserve peace and stability for that country. Which in this case is a really good thing, for both Syria and Russia, I think.

 

[angelburst29]

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that, in response to the fresh round of anti-Russian sanctions, Moscow will reduce the number of US diplomats in Russia to 455 people and suspend the use of warehouses in the Southern section of the capital and the property in Serebryany Bor by the US Embassy in Moscow as of August 1.

Russia to Reduce US Diplomatic Staff, Block Access to American Embassy’s Property
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960507000204

Despite Washington’s invectives, Moscow "has acted responsibly showing restraint and has not responded to obvious provocations," the ministry noted.
"However, recent events indicate that Russophobia and the policy aimed at open confrontation with our country have reigned supreme in some circles in the US," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday, TASS reported.

In light of this, Moscow has proposed to cut the number of diplomatic and technical staff working in the US Embassy to Moscow and the Consulates General in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok to the exact number of Russian diplomats and technical staff members working in the US before September 1.

"That means that the total number of the staff engaged in US diplomatic and consular establishments will be reduced to 455 people," the Russian Foreign Ministry explained.

"In the event of new unilateral steps by the US authorities to reduce the number of our diplomats in the US, a tit-for-tat response will follow," the ministry’s statement added.

In addition to that, Russia suspends the use of all the warehouses and the property in Serebryany Bor in Moscow by the US Embassy as of August 1.

"On the basis of reciprocity, we reserve the right to additional measures, which could affect US interests," the ministry stressed.

The House of Representatives of the US Congress on Tuesday passed a bill to toughen unilateral US sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea.

A total of 419 lawmakers supported the bill, with only three votes against. The Senate also voted 98-2 on Thursday to send the legislation to US President's desk.

The White House announced on Friday that US President Donald Trump intends to sign a bill that imposes sanctions on Iran, Russian and North Korea.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Saturday that the US sanctions bill "represents the strong will" of the Americans to see Russia take steps to improve Moscow-Washington ties.

Tillerson Says US Sanctions Bill Aimed to See Russia Take Steps to Improve Ties
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201707291055992891-tillerson-russia-us-sanctions-bill/

The United States hopes to further cooperate with Russia on pressing global issues and anti-Moscow sanctions would no longer be necessary, Tillerson said.

On Thursday, US Senate approved a bill that would impose sweeping sanctions on Russia and seeks, in particular, to target companies that invest in Russian energy projects. The bill now has to be either signed or vetoed by US President Donald Trump. Now, the law will be sent for signature to Trump, who has the right to veto it. To overcome the veto, the Congress needs two-thirds of the votes in each chamber, which, based on the results of past votes, is very likely.

The near unanimous votes for the sanctions legislation in Congress represent the strong will of the American people to see Russia take steps to improve relations with the United States. We hope that there will be cooperation between our two countries on major global issues and these sanctions will no longer be necessary," Tillerson said in a statement.

The Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy of the Iranian Parliament approved a project of response measures to new US sanctions against Tehran, local media reported on Saturday.

Iranian Parliament’s Committee Approves Countermeasures Plan to US Sanctions
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201707291055994308-iran-approval-us-sanctions-measures/

According to the ISNA news agency, the plan was approved in general, but the committee will discuss its further details next week. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was present at the Committee’s meeting, stated that the ministry completely agreed with the proposed plan, the media added.

Araghchi also said that Tehran must give an appropriate response to the actions of the United States as they negatively affect implementation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions, the news agency added.

Iran's elite force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that a new "provocative" incident took place in the Persian Gulf as US Navy ships approached Iranian patrol vessels.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Accuse US Warships of New 'Provocation' in the Gulf (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707291055990622-irgc-iran-us-ships-gulf/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJEQ6B-Ffp8 (1:01 min.)

US aircraft carrier Nimitz and an accompanying warship approached Iranian military vessels on Friday at 4 p.m. local time (11:30 GMT) dispatching a helicopter, which flew near the vessels, the statement read.

"In a provocative and unprofessional action, the Americans fired flares to warn the Zolfaqar flotilla vessels," the statement of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) read as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.

The Iranian military noted that the incident took place just few days after another US ship fired warning shots at Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Earlier this week, the USS Thunderbolt patrol ship fired several warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps ship in the Gulf. The Iranian boat sailed within 150 yards of US ships on Tuesday, according to the US Navy.

The Pentagon also released video footage of the incident.

The Iranian Navy said the US ship "fired two warning shots into the air with the aim of provocation and intimidation."

Earlier in July, the commander of the ICGC, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, delivered an ultimatum to the US amid new anti-Tehran sanctions. He advised Washington to dismantle its regional bases within a range of 1000 kilometers (621 miles) from Iran's borders, if Washington plans to continue the policy of sanctions.

Jafari's comments come a day after the US departments of State and Treasury imposed sanctions against 18 entities and individuals tied to the Iranian military, IRGC and the country’s ballistic missile program.

China opposes the new deployment of additional US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems in South Korea and calls for the removal of the existing systems from the Korean Peninsula, Geng Shuang, the spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Saturday,

China Protests New US' THAAD Deployment in S Korea After DPRK's Missile Test
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201707291055988202-thaad-sotuth-korea-china/

On Friday, North Korea conducted apparently the second ICBM test in less than a month. In response to the move, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that additional THAAD missile interceptor launchers would be deployed at a US military base in South Korea.

"The Chinese side strongly opposes deployment of the US THAAD missile defense systems in South Korea… Beijing insists that South Korea and the United States should take into consideration the interests of the Chinese side, end the deployment process and remove the corresponding systems,"
Geng said in a statement published on the ministry's website.

The diplomat added that Beijing is concerned about the activities of Seoul.

"The deployment of THAAD could not remove the concerns of South Korea in the security issues, it would not settle the problem of the Korean Peninsula, but it would make the situation more complicated," the spokesman added.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the North Korean missile launched earlier on Friday flew 732 kilometers, reached an altitude of 681 kilometers and fell in the central part of the Sea of Japan.

Russian MoD Says N Korean Missile Traveled 732 Km, Fell in Sea of Japan
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201707281055976299-russia-mod-dprk-missile/

The Russian ministry said that the North Korea missile appears to be not an ICBM as the US, Japan and South Korea believe, but "a medium-range ballistic missile based on its technical characteristics."

DPRK's missile flew far away from Russian borders and "didn't pose a threat to Russia," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

According to the informed sources in the Syrian Democratic Forces, the ongoing military operation to liberate Raqqa is seeing some fierce and intense fighting.

ISIL Digging Tunnels in Syria's Raqqa as Kurds Free Half of City
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960507000700

A Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) communications officer, Mustafa Balli, told Sputnik Arabic that in many districts of Raqqa the fight is ongoing and there are bomb blasts taking place.

“Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) stuff explosives in vehicles and dig tunnels. During the fights we are bearing losses but many districts have been liberated. To date, 45-50 percent of Raqqa has been liberated from Daesh. It is not exactly half of the city but close to it we have liberated,” Balli said.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson Col. John Dillon said that about 2,000 Daesh fighters remain in Raqqa.

"About 45 percent of the city is under control of the Syrian Democratic Forces," Dillon told reporters, adding that "we estimate less than 2,000 Daesh fighters still remain in Raqqa."

Kurdish media outlet reported that a number of Turkish army men have entered the Northwestern city of Idlib and later moved towards a village in Jisr al-Shughour region.

Turkish Soldiers Enter Idlib City in Northwestern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960507000599

Hawar news said that the Turkish soldiers entered Idlib with the help of the Caucuses militants affiliated to Turkistani party, adding that the Turkistani party has established good relations with Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) through the mediatory role of Turkey and is obeying orders of the Turkish army.

Relevant reports said last week that the Turkish spying plans and fighter jets were spotted flying over Afrin and Shahaba regions in Northern Syria.

Reports said that a spying plane and a warplane of the Turkish Air Force flew over Shi'h, Jandriseh, Rajou and Shirava areas in Afrin region. Also, another spying plane flew over several areas in Shahba region.

In the meantime, the missile units of the Turkish army and Ankara-backed militants deployed in the towns of Marea, Tal Maled and several villages in Shahba region shelled the village of Iska in Afrin. Also, the mortar units of the Turkish army and its affiliated militants deployed in Dar al-Ezzah in Western Aleppo targeted the village of Iska.

The Turkish Army has built a new road in Northern Aleppo to use it in its imminent operation against the Kurdish fighters in Afrin region, local media outlet reported.

Turkish Army Preparing for Imminent Operation against Kurds in Northern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960507000733

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that the Turkish army's engineering units have constructed military roads in the region under their control adjacent to the village of Kardu in Bolboleh region, adding that the army has dispatched a large volume of military equipment and a large number of soldiers to Bolboleh border region.

Hawar news added that the engineering units have constructed a 3-kolometer-long road with 6m of width.

The road is 300m away from Kardu, Hawar news said, adding that the Turkish army is to use the road for its imminent operation against Kurds.

In the meantime, the Turkish military is building a 5-kilometer-long buffer wall between the villages of Obeidan in Bolboleh and Marsou in Shara region. Relevant reports said last week that the Turkish spying plans and fighter jets were spotted flying over Afrin and Shahaba regions in Northern Syria.

Terrorist sources disclosed that al-Mouk Operations Room (which operates under the Saudi, Qatari, the US and Jordanian spy agencies) will not provide any support for the militant groups affiliated to the Southern Front.

Al-Mouk Operation Room Ends Supporting Terrorist Groups in Southern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960507001002

Terrorists affiliated to the Syrian Thowar Front wrote on their facebook page that the Jordan-based al-Mouk Operation Room will not assist the terrorists of Southern Syria Front anymore. They added that al-Mouk will decide later about the breakup of the Southern Front and reconstruction of armed groups' structure in Dara'a and Quneitra.

Sources said last week that hundreds of Russian forces were stationed in Southern Syria to monitor the ceasefire in Dara'a province.

Local sources said that 400 Russian military police forces reached the driving training center near the village of al-Mothabin and the town of al-Sanamin in Northern Dara'a which are controlled by the Syrian army.

The sources also said that the Syrian soldiers set up a temporary military base for the Russian military police forces in the Northern parts of al-Isharah Battalion 110 region and near the town of al-Sanamin.

Reports said that the Russian forces visited several army-controlled areas, including the military ones, as well as the regions near the terrorist-held regions in the towns of Izra'a, Kharbat Qazaleh and Sheikh Meskin.

 

[lilies]

An RT poster commented to an US missile launch test, that he had a dream that WW3~4 broke out, that he is afraid.

Could be famous last words, but it feels no M.A.D. is in the air. US is desperately trying to display its weaknesses as strengths. That's why the THAAD missiles flying and boasting useless achievements like "US carrier Gerald R. Ford ‘makes history,’ completes first landing & launch of aircraft".

Western [allied] missiles appear flying around like crazy, but it seems mere hysteria. Let's hope "hissy fits" don't start nuclear war. Putin's decision to ban US diplomats is a nice move, since US expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closes 2 compounds last year - accidentally at Christmas..

 

[angelburst29]

RT stringer Khaled G. AlKhateb was killed by Daesh's rocket fire in the Syrian province of Homs on Sunday, the broadcaster said.

Daesh's Rocket Fire Kills RT Stringer, Wounds Cameraman in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707301056009525-daesh-shelling-kills-rt-reporter/

"The RT TV channel reports about the death of its stringer Khaled G. Alkhateb, who was killed today on July 30 during a media coverage of the operation of the Syrian Army against Daesh militants near al-Sukhna in the eastern part of the Homs province," the statement published on the broadcaster's website said.

The press service of the broadcaster confirmed to Sputnik the death of the journalist.

A source in Syria's information ministry said a cameraman who had been working with RT was wounded.

"I have been informed about the death of a stringer and about the injuries of a cameraman near al-Sukhna," the ministerial representative told Sputnik, adding that he had not got any further details.

The name of cameraman is Muutaz Yaqoub and he has already been sent to hospital, the RT channel added.

According to Alkhateb's social media accounts he was born in 1992 and joined RT Arabic on June 12, 2017.

A Syrian soldier was killed in a shelling that took life of an RT stringer, and three other people, including a cameraman working with the journalist, were injured, the head of the RT Arabic broadcaster, Maya Manna, said Sunday.

Syrian Soldier Killed Along With RT Stringer in Homs - Broadcaster
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707301056016016-syrian-soldier-killed-homs/

Earlier in the day, the RT broadcaster reported that Khaled Alkhateb, a journalist working with the RT Arabic, was killed in a shelling carried out by the Daesh (outlawed in Russia) terrorist group in Syria's western province of Homs.

"This morning, he was traveling with the soldiers of the Syrian army to the city of Sukhnah, where fierce battles for its liberation are now taking place. On the way, in the suburbs of [the city of] Homs, Daesh militants attacked the convoy. There is no official data on the number of casualties yet, but according to our information, in addition to Khaled, a Syrian army soldier was killed and three others were injured, including a cameraman who worked with Khaled," Manna said in a statement.

The journalist's death was very hard news for all his colleagues, she added.

"Khaled recently joined the RT team and, as a stringer, covered for us the clashes of the Syrian army with Daesh in the vicinity of Homs…. We express our condolences the family and friends of Khaled, we will support them in every possible way. Thanks to him for his courage," Manna said.

Earlier in the day, Dmitry Kiselev, the director general of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency and Margarita Simonyan, Sputnik and RT editor-in-chief, expressed their condolences to relatives, friends and colleagues of the killed journalist.

 

[angelburst29]

Shocking Revelation: How THAAD Entered South Korea Without President’s Approval
https://sputniknews.com/military/201705311054168976-south-korea-thaad-without-approval/

Seoul’s newly elected president has halted the installation of a full THAAD US missile system battery on its territory, prompting the Pentagon to launch a finger-wagging charm offensive to try to finish the job it began in 2013.

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.

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.

New $11bn US Base Opens in S. Korea
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508000499

The US military inaugurated an $11 billion base in South Korea, boasting it as an small American city serving as new headquarters that no longer lies within the range of North Korean artillery fire, and expected to house over 45,000 service members, contractors and their dependents.

“We built an entire city from scratch,” Colonel Scott W. Mueller, garrison commander of Camp Humphreys, said as quoted in a Washington Post article on Saturday, , pointing out that the new 3,454-acre base represented “one of the US military’s largest overseas construction projects.” The base also holds four schools, five churches, a range of fast-food chain restaurants, a grocery store and a golf course.

The US military has been trying for 30 years to move its headquarters in South Korea out of the capital Seoul, and out of North Korea’s artillery range, but political and funding issues had slowed the process.

It is now located in the countryside, “in an area that was famous for growing huge grapes.”

Since the end of World War II, the US military has been based at Yongsan, a garrison that had been the Imperial Japanese Army’s main base during Japan’s occupation of the Korean Peninsula. It remains in the middle of Seoul and just 40 miles from the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas.

The Eighth US Army moved its headquarters to the new base this month and there are nearly 25,000 people based in the headquarters, including family members and contractors.

Mueller added that the new military base “is not just bigger; it’s much more modern than the garrison at Yongsan.” It has state-of-the-art communications technology and is a more “hardened” site to protect against a possible North Korean attack.

“Down here we’re a little bit further from the action, and that helps buy us some strategic decision space should anything happen,” said the US commander. “We’ve been able to create the facilities needed to keep up with the pace of modern warfare and modern communications technology.”

However, Pyongyang has mocked the notion that the new base will fall out of its fire range.

“The larger the US military base is, the more effectively our military can hit its targets,” a North Korean military spokesman said this month after the American Eighth Army moved to the new site.

Meanwhile. some South Koreans remain concerned about growing crime as the result of the American military presence and that US soldiers “will be on the prowl for local women.”

North Korea touted its recent test of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) as a call on the United States to give up its threats of attacking the island nation.

North Korea Warns US to Wake Up from Foolish Dream
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508001764

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry announced in a statement on Sunday that the test late Friday was meant to remind the US that it should "wake up from the foolish dream of doing any harm” to the country, KCNA reported.

The statement said that the test was “justified” in light of increasing threats by US President Donald Trump against the North, stressing the anti-North campaign has persuaded Pyongyang to maintain its weapons programs.

The statement added that the test-fire confirmed the DPRK's capability of making surprise launch of ICBM in any place and location any time, and clearly proved that the entire US mainland is in the firing range of the DPRK's missiles.

North Korea also warned that the country will not remain silent in the face of US threats and that a counter-strike would be possible if Washington provokes Pyongyang militarily.

“If the Yankees... dares brandish the nuclear stick on this land again... the DPRK will clearly teach them manners with the nuclear strategic force,” it emphasized.

Pyongyang also threatened Washington that in case the US fails to come to its own senses and continues to resort to military adventure and tough sanctions, the DPRK will respond with its resolute act of justice as already declared.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that Moscow is calling on Washington to revise its policy and break “the vicious circle of retaliation”.

Russian Deputy FM: Moscow, Washington Must Start Anew or Everything Will Be in Tatters
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508000325

The minister’s interview to ABC came out after Moscow decided to reduce the number of US diplomatic staff in Russia and suspend the use of embassy storage facilities.

The move, which was “long overdue” as Ryabkov told ABC, came in retaliation to a new round of sanctions against Russia and the stalemate in the situation with the seizure of Russian diplomatic property and expulsion of its diplomats by the US.

“It was the last drop that made all this happen,” the diplomat said referring to the “completely weird and unacceptable” bill approved by US lawmakers on Tuesday.

The deputy foreign minister called on the US to put an end to the retaliation measures and turn over a new leaf in bilateral relations, which are currently in “a miserable stance.”

US Vice President Mike Pence arrives in Estonia to reassure Baltic NATO members that are worried about Russia's military activity in the region.

US VP Visits Estonia to Reassure NATO Members over Russia
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508001549

Pence, who will hold talks with Estonian officials on Sunday and Monday, will also visit Georgia and Montenegro later on during his trip, presstv reported.

On Sunday, he will talk with Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas about the possibility of installing a US anti-aircraft system there.

Moscow and Tallinn have not had a very amicable relationship since 1991 when Estonia broke free from the Soviet Union and then joined both the European Union and NATO in 2004.

In recent months, Estonia and fellow Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania have been reportedly frightened by Russia's frequent military drills near the region as well as the rejoining of Crimea to Russia after it broke free from Ukraine.

Pence will also meet Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and Lithuanian and Latvian leaders, Dalia Grybauskaite and Rajmonds Vejonis, in Tallinn on Monday

The American official is also slated to visit troops from the Enhanced Forward Presence program, under which NATO has sent four battalions to the Baltic states and Poland to strengthen the Western defense alliance's Eastern flank.

Pence will reassure Estonians that "the US is a good loyal ally and that they appreciate Baltic sacrifices including their 2 percent of GDP spending on defense and their participation in military operations in Afghanistan," according to Tallinn University international relations specialist Matthew Crandall.

Also, analyst Andres Kasekamp said that "the timing, before Russia's Zapad exercises (in September in Belarus, near the Lithuanian border) shows that the US wants to say: 'We are watching what's happening here very closely and you can be certain of our support.'"

The Zapad exercises have raised concern in Lithuania because they will be conducted somewhat close to the Suwalki gap, a land corridor crossing southeastern Poland.

The corridor is regarded the potential Achilles heel of NATO's eastern flank since a hypothetical Russian offensive there could easily isolate and push the three Baltic countries to the North.

The Syrian Army troops continued to advance against ISIL along a road that connects al-Heil energy field to the town of al-Sukhnah and deployed less than 1km away from the key town, a military source said.

Syrian Forces Further Tighten Noose around ISIL in Last Bastion in Eastern Homs
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508000854

The source reported that the army men took control over several hills and heights overlooking the town of al-Sukhnah and managed to impose fire control over al-Sukhnah gas field, adding that the army soldiers are now just half a mile away from ISIL's last stronghold in Homs, al-Sukhnah.

The source further said that the army intends to impose full control over areas surroundings al-Sukhnah and restore security to the town, adding that they are also to tighten siege on ISIL inside al-Sukhnah to prevent ISIL's possible attacks on pro-government positions and later start the final phase of the liberation operation of al-Sukhnah.

The source further added that a large number of fresh army soldiers and more military equipment have been forwarded to al-Sukhnah in the last few days.

Al-Sukhnah is located at a crossroad linking Homs, Raqqa and Deir Ezzur along the Palmyra-Deir Ezzur highway, and the source said the army's advance towards Deir Ezzur to lift ISIL's siege on the Eastern city will be accelerated after taking back al-Sukhnah.

An Arab media outlet reported that over 5,000 gunmen and their family members will leave the heights along the Lebanon-Syria border for Idlib in Northwestern Syria or Qalamoun region.

Over 5,000 Gunmen, Family Members to Leave Heights at Lebanon-Syria Border
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960508000724

The Arabic-language al-Sharq al-Awsat daily reported that more that 5,000 gunmen and their family members have applied for leaving Lebanon's heights for Idlib or Qalamoun, adding that the move is carried out based on an agreement concluded between the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board).

In the meantime, Rima Karnabi, an aide to the Mayor of Arsal, said that in accordance with the agreement 850 families along with the gunmen of Al-Nusra will leave al-Qasir region for Idlib, while 150 more families along with militants of Saraya Ahle al-Sham will be relocated to Qalamoun region.

"Those who want to go to Idlib will take Jousiyeh-Ra'as Ba'albak road and those who intend to go to Qalamoun will go through the Arasal heights," Karnabi added.

Sources in the Free Army said the gunmen and their family members might arrive in Idlib in next two days.

A well-informed local source said on Saturday that based on an agreement concluded between the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Al-Nusra Front, the latter would leave the town of Arsal in Eastern Lebanon.

Karnabi reported that according to the deal concluded between Hezbollah and Al-Nusra, a 200-member group of terrorists along with their commander Abu Malik al-Tali would leave Arsal without any clashes.